A/N: This is inspired after a conversation with the family I'm currently living with. If you don't know, I've been through a lot this year with family drama and whatnot. And, this is how I'm dealing with my first holiday season without my biological family. As you know in The Courage To Dream Again Santana is disowned by her parents because she is pregnant at 17 and out of wedlock and she's secretly in love with Brittany, but Brittany is with Sam... well at least in the beginning of the one shot. These are three Thanksgivings in Santana's lifetime that she learned what family really is: 1st scene with the Pierce's, 2nd scene with Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine, and third scene is during Santana and Brittany's first year of dating.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Thanksgiving 2011 in Lima, Ohio with the Pierce Family:
It was your first holiday season without your actual biological family.
Your parents disowned you when they found out about you were pregnant with Matthew Taylor's kid. Your best friend Brittany's family took you in as their own.
You were lying in bed when Brittany's mom came into check on you: she does this. Every morning and every night since you've gotten here. She checks on you like you were her own pregnant daughter.
To be honest, it made you miss your parents because Mr. and Mrs. Pierce made you feel welcomed. And if you weren't so secretly in love with their middle daughter you might've called them Papa and Mama Pierce.
"Are you doing alright, Santana?" Mrs. Pierce asked you.
"Doing great," you faked happiness.
"You don't have to lie." She said to you, pulling you into a mama bear like hug knowing you needed it.
"It's my first holiday without my family." You mumbled into her shoulder.
Her eyes widened realizing how true that was.
"I'm so sorry, sweetie." She whispered as tears ran down your cheeks.
"It's just so hard." The brunette whispered back. "I just wish they would love me regardless of my stupid mistake."
You were breaking down by the second, they had kicked you out a month ago, yet it still felt like yesterday.
"I got you." She said as you continued to break down in her arms.
"Just don't let go." You brokenly whispered.
"Wouldn't think about, sweetie."
You and Mrs. Pierce sat there for the majority of the morning her trying to hold you together, but it was useless because you were already so broken.
[Later that day...]
Thanksgiving with the Pierce family isn't that bad. Well, it wouldn't be so bad if you didn't have such horrible morning sickness. You've spent the majority of the afternoon going from your nap in front of the Lions and Packers game to the bathroom upchucking whatever you had in you.
Dinner was finally happening: you sat in between Brittany and her younger sister Sarah.
Mr. Pierce was giving the blessing over the food.
"Lord, we thank you for getting us through another year. We thank you for allowing us to partake in this great meal, prepared by four women who mean the most in this house. We thank you for the new addition to the Pierce Thanksgiving tradition." You opened your eyes to see that both Mr. and Mrs. Pierce were looking at you smiling. They had been your blessing since the moment that pregnancy test read positive. You were thankful for them. You shyly smiled and bowed your head again. "Thank you for all our blessings from this year and the blessings that are to come. Amen."
"Amen." Everyone agreed.
"Alright, let's eat!" Brittany called out, making everyone chuckle.
Thanksgiving 2024 in Brooklyn, New York with Zach, Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine
"Ohhh, what was that?" Your now 13 year old son, Zach yelled at the television.
"That is the sound of sweet victory for the Packers." Blaine said.
You smiled from the kitchen, Blaine had become that father-like figure that Matthew hadn't yet been.
You lived in Brooklyn now with three people that you never thought you'd live with. Berry, Lady Hummel (or now Hummel-Anderson, but you didn't really care), and Dr. Bow Tie. You and your son shared a bedroom not to mention a bed in the three bedroom loft.
You made enough at your internship with JT Productions, one of the world's hottest record company's in the world, to live on your own in a two bedroom apartment, but you worked so much that you didn't want your baby boy to be alone.
"Boys," Rachel called to Blaine and Zach who were now wrestling on the ground, "dinner is almost ready. Can you to calm down?"
"Yeah, sorry Aunt Rachel." Your son said still pinned under the doctor.
"Yeah, sorry Rach." Blaine said getting up.
You smiled, once again thankful to whatever it is out there that brought Blaine into your son's life. Especially around the holidays where you didn't feel like yourself.
You had come out of the closet ten years before after Rachel and Kurt dragged you to therapy when you showed signs of clinical depression. Something you still battle on a daily basis. You felt your anxiety start to peak when your son saw you, he immediately was at your side.
"Mom?" He said placing his hand on your lower back. "Mom? Mom!"
You snapped out of your mini anxiety attack seeing your son, Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine looking at you with concerned looks.
"I'm good." You managed to get out as you went back to the mashed potatoes with tears in your eyes.
When Zach and Blaine left the kitchen, you were cornered by Rachel and Kurt.
"Santana?" Rachel whispered. "Santana?" She firmly whispered.
You made eye contact with the Broadway star and she saw the tears in your eyes.
"Are you okay?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah," you said wiping your tears and they give you the look of 'no you're not.' You sigh, "The holidays remind me of my parents and their traditions. I don't know why because I haven't done them in 14 years, but it makes me miss them, okay? I'm fine."
They pulled you into a hug and they hugged you until Rachel broke the silence:
"Family isn't about blood, San." She whispered softly. "It's about those people who will accept your faults, love you unconditionally, and wrap their arms around you and say, 'I know you. You aren't perfect and that's okay because I'm not perfect either. We can be imperfect together.' We'll be your family, San. We'll start new traditions with you."
"Thank you." The music producer intern whispered.
"We love you Santana." Kurt said. "And nothing will ever stop us from doing so."
Thanksgiving 2025 in Los Angeles, California with Brittany, Zach, Riley, Quinn, and Puck
You were at Brittany's house helping her finish dinner. It was your first holiday in LA and your first holiday with Brittany in 14 years.
Things were different now, her and Sam's divorce was messy and she didn't want to date you at first, but you managed to convince her that you aren't like Trouty Mouth, that you loved her and always have. That you wasted years away from her.
You two were hosting Quinn and Puck, their families were still in Lima and they didn't want to go back for the short holiday.
Riley was warming up to you, she seemed to have hated you a little bit, but she's coming around.
Your son was adjusting to the Southern California lifestyle. He still held it against you for moving the two of you out there, but he was coming around.
You had your arms wrapped around Brittany as she put the finishing touches on dinner. You were legitamently happy for the first time on a holiday for the first time since you were sixteen.
A little while later, you all were gathered around the dinner table. You were blessing the food, it was similar to the one Mr. Pierce said fourteen years before:
"Lord, we thank you for getting us through another year. We thank you for allowing us to partake in this great meal, prepared by the most beautiful woman in the world." Everyone, but Riley and Zach chuckled at that. "we thank you for getting us through another year. We thank you that family isn't determined by blood and new traditions are okay to start. Thank you for all our blessings from this year and the blessings that are to come. Amen."
Holidays weren't so bad for you anymore, in fact, ever since you chose to be happy. The holidays were your most favorite time of the year.
End Note: Hope you enjoyed that! I'll be posting the conversation that inspired this one shot on my Tumblr in a little bit. If you'd like to see it, my Tumblr is guitarkiddodgerfan