A/N: First of all, I want to thank all of your reviews, favorites and follows on this story. It was my first time trying to write a story in English and I was overwhelmed with the response. And you actually convinced me to continue writing about them. But, before we continue, I just want to say a few things:

1) Like I said, I'm not an English native speaker, so you might find some mistakes in here. Please be kind :) Also, any hints to improve my work will be welcomed.

2) Originally, this was a one-shot, so I'm not entirely sure where I'm taking this. If you have a suggestion, feel free to tell me. They will be very appreciated.

3) I'm working in another fic at the time - this one in Portuguese - so updates won't be as frequent as I would like, but I promise I won't abandon this story.

And now, with today's chapter...


Santana took another look around her office as she awaited for her computer to shut down. It was late, it was very late. After leaving the office early on Wednesday to take Nina to the library, Santana's work accumulated a bit on her desk and she had to stay after ours to make up for that. She might have been a manager, but she still had a boss to answer to.

As she made her way through the cubicles her staff occupied, Santana noticed that she was the last one on her floor. But, then again, it was a Friday night, so it was only normal for them to leave early and start the weekend as soon as possible. Six months ago, she would have done the same thing. Six months ago, she had done the exact same thing. Back then, her routine would involve leaving the work building precisely on time, going home, putting on a skin tight dress, some make-up and hitting up whatever bar or club was trending at the time. Sometimes she would have someone hanging on her arm as she made her way in. It was rare when she didn't have one on her way out.

But now, her entire life was different. Since her brother had asked her to take care of Nina, Santana hadn't been to a bar. And she hadn't met anyone new. At the time, she was kinda dating a girl one of her friends introduced her to, but she said she couldn't deal with the whole "kid package", as she so very kindly put it.

And then, she remembered Brittany. The girl was gorgeous. And sweet, and funny and actually seemed interested in what Santana had to say. That was new to her. But she had no idea how to proceed with that. When she was inside a club, some alcohol running trough her veins, Santana had game. She knew when a girl was interested in her and she knew how to move her body just enough to give them courage to approach her. On the dance floor, everything was easier. But, with the lights on and over coffee, she was clueless. She could never tell if someone was flirting with her or if they were just being nice. And that's what was worrying her. She hadn't the first idea on how to even talk to Brittany when the next day came.

Sure, Brittany was the one to make the first invite. But if Santana was being honest, she had invited Nina to come to Saturday's reading. Had it been just a way to get to see Santana again? She wasn't so sure. It could have been an honest, innocent invite to a child. Maybe she'd felt sorry for Nina after Santana told her their story. But, if that was the case, why did she accept Santana's invite to brunch? Was it just courtesy or was there anything else behind that?

Santana chastised herself as she exited the subway station. She didn't even know if Brittany was into girls and she was already wondering if she might have any interest on her. It was probably too long since she'd been with someone for her to be daydreaming like that. Also, now, she had to think about Nina. Brittany had been the only other adult that the girl seemed comfortable around and Santana didn't want to jeopardize that for a hook-up. It didn't seem fair to any of them.

Before she exited the elevator, she glanced at her watch. It was later than she expected and Nina would probably be in bed by now. She knew Mercedes, the girl she had hired to babysit, was strict with the schedule she had established for her niece. And, normally, Nina didn't cause too much trouble to go to bed. In fact, she didn't cause too much trouble at all.

"Hello, Mercedes. How are you?", Santana asked after closing the door behind her and climbing down her heels. Her feet were killing her. She shrugged her blazer and made her way towards the living room, where Mercedes was watching some reality TV show. "Hi, Miss Lopez. I've been great. How about yourself?"

"Exhausted. How's Nina?"

"She's fine. I just put her to bed and all her homework is done. She was an angel, like always."

A grin spread on Santana's face. She wasn't sure why, but she always felt giddy when people complimented Nina. Her behavior, her intelligence, her looks. Santana felt like she was the one being complimented, but she knew that was ridiculous. Nina wasn't even her child.

Casting those thoughts aside, she payed Mercedes for the day and said her goodbyes, telling the girl she would call her Monday morning.

With the house completely silent, she walked up the hallway and cracked Nina's door open. She knew the girl was probably asleep already, but there was something about following her breathing movements - so soft, so steady - that made Santana feel a little bit lighter. At least, on those moments, she was sure she must be doing something right. But as she shut the door behind herself, Santana was met with brown eyes that looked just like hers.

"Hey, sweetie. Why are you still up? Couldn't sleep?", she whispered as she crossed the room and laid on Nina's bed. Instantly, the girl curled herself up Santana's body and she passed an arm protectively around her shoulders. The woman could feel her niece's erratic heartbeat against her side, the heavy puffs of air that left her mouth and the way she shook her head, answering no.

Santana's heart sank on her body and she planted a soft kiss on Nina's head. "Did you have a bad dream?", she asked and, once again, Nina's answer was voiceless, but this time she nodded. Santana searched her mind, looking for what to do to soothe the scared little girl, until her eyes fell on the many books she never got the time to read her. Without removing her arm from Nina's shoulders, Santana picked the thickest book on the pile and turned the bedside lamp on. "Tell you what. Why don't we read a book and I'll stay here until you can fall asleep again, okay?"

Santana opened the book and started reading. At first, her voice was unsure, stiff, like she was reading one of the many reports she read everyday. But as the pages went on, she found her rhythm. She was no Brittany, but she was okay. And when she felt a steady, slow breath against her neck, that felt like the biggest accomplishment of her life.

The following morning, Santana felt something gnawing at her insides the moment she arose from slumber. She wasn't sure if she was nervous or excited, so she went with both.

After helping Nina get dressed and packing enough food to feed the whole group of kids they'd seen at the library - and their mothers - they climbed in Santana's car and drove to the library. One of the things Santana first learned about Nina was that the girl loved music. All kinds of it. She didn't insisted on listening the same songs as the kids her age and, because of that, Santana loved driving around with her. She would just choose whatever radio and the two of them would sing their lungs off. Santana felt absolutely free and when she would look through her mirror, she would find the same expression on Nina's face.

And it was exactly that expression they both wore as they entered the library, hand in hand.

It wasn't hard to find the reading circle the second time around and when they got there, they could see some kids already sitting around and Brittany standing on a corner, rummaging her treasure chest.

Santana looked around and felt better when she noticed some other grown ups close by. She couldn't be sure if they would be sticking around, be she could hope. When she was about to ask Nina if she wanted to go sit with the other kids, Brittany got up and their eyes locked. A big smile quickly spread on the blonde's face and she made her way towards the other two. She waved Santana from a distance and kneeled in front of Nina when she was close enough.

"I'm so happy to see you again, Nina". Santana couldn't help the smile when she heard the sunshine in Brittany's voice. "Did you bring the book you chose the other day?" Nina nodded, a proud look on her face as she removed the book from her backpack. "Great. I'm gonna keep it so I can read it as we start and then I'll give it back to you. Now, I want you to meet a very good friend of mine. Would you like that?"

Nina frowned a little bit and looked up, searching Santana's face for the right answer. The woman shared a subtle look with Brittany before smiling and nodding at her niece. With Santana's silent approval, Nina nodded enthusiastically and took Brittany's hand.

Santana watched as they walked towards the circle and Brittany sat down besides a young boy, around Nina's age. He was skinny, with black hair and clear Asian origins. His smile was bright when he saw Brittany's approach and, after a few words, Santana saw when he offered Nina some toys. She looked shy, but sat with him either way. Brittany kissed both their heads before getting up and walking towards the brunette.

"Hi", Santana said as Brittany stopped before her. "Hey, you. I'm glad you guys came. And with a proper outfit this time." Santana laughed at Brittany's comment and looked down at her jeans and worn out Converse. She was sure none of her co-workers would recognize her if they saw her wearing that on the street. But she had to admit, she felt a lot more comfortable in those than the suits and heels her job had her wearing everyday.

"Yeah. I normally leave the 'exec Barbie costume' for the week days. Saturdays and Sundays is just plain old Santana." Brittany's smile turned devilish for a second and she let her eyes roam around Santana's body unabashedly. When they locked with brown eyes, she let her fingers graze Santana's arm and leaned in. "I think I like this version better."

Santana blushed. And the fact that she was blushing made her blush even more. What was she? A thirteen year old? So, she was aware of the fact that she had little to no game when alcohol wasn't involved, but she didn't remember being this speechless in front of a pretty girl. She normally wasn't that bad. But there was something about Brittany that made Santana's brain and body function at different rates and they could rarely meet. So, she was left behind, mouth agape like a fish, as Brittany made her way to the other side of the circle to start reading.

The other adults eventually left, but Santana decided to stay behind. She could try and fool herself in thinking that she wanted to keep an eye on Nina, but she knew better. She was bound to Brittany's voice. Every now and then she would look up from the book she would be reading and lightly smirk at Santana. When that happened, Santana could feel her knees threatening to give out on her. Luckily she had her back against one of the shelves.

Brittany finished the books she had selected for the day before Santana could realize she had stayed for the whole thing. She watched as the blonde started to put away the used books and as some of the parents showed up to pick up their children. Nina was still sitting in the middle of the green circle, drawing on something with the same boy Brittany had introduced her to. They weren't really talking, but Santana was glad her niece was, at least, at ease with him. She didn't have that many friends, so any small step seemed huge.

Taking both kids by the hand, Brittany made her way towards Santana. Nina had this big smile on her face as she threw her arms around Santana's legs. "Hey, sweetie. Did you have a good time?" She threaded her fingers through black curls while Nina seemed to reflect on the question. Finally, she settled for "the best."

Santana could hear a small chuckle floating from where she knew Brittany was standing and whipped her head in time to see the pleased expression on her features. They shared a small smile before blue eyes dropped to the boy that still clung to her hand. "Santana, I would like you to meet my friend, Eric." Santana awkwardly waved at the boy. Apart from Nina, she knew nothing about children and didn't feel all that comfortable around them. And even when it came to her niece, she was still learning, so she decided a simple "hi" was safer.

If Brittany noticed her uneasiness, she didn't say a thing. Instead, she just touched the boy's hair, getting his attention. "Eric, this is Santana. She is a friend" Santana could hear the way Brittany spoke the last word as if questioning their status. If she wasn't sure of things, at least Santana wasn't alone. "And she's Nina's aunt." At that bit of information, Eric smiled. "Cool."

"Are you ready to go?" Santana asked Brittany, unsure if Eric would be tagging along.

"I just need to return Eric to his father. He should be waiting outside, so I think we can get going."

Santana watched as Brittany helped Eric climb a black SUV that was waiting in front of the library. After that, she perched herself on the passenger's opened window, laughing as she spoke with the man inside. They seemed close, at ease with themselves and Santana wasn't sure what to make of that. But before she could freak out about it, Brittany waved them goodbye and walked towards her and Nina.

"All right, girls. I'm all yours. Where to?", she asked and Santana had to suppress the grin that tried to spread across her face as she heard it. It was getting harder to remind herself that this was just a friendly brunch and that Nina was there. Specially when Brittany was watching her with that mischievous glint in her eyes.

"My car is parked just around the corner. I was thinking we could go to the park. What do you think about that, Nina?" Santana looked down to find big, brown eyes and a toothy grin. She knew her niece loved the outdoors. The first weeks they spent together, all the little girl could talk about was the little park they had near her house and how much she missed it. Apparently, her brother took her there every Sunday. So, when Nina screamed a loud "yes", it wasn't a surprise. But she still loved the fact that she was responsible for that elated tiny face.

The drive wasn't long and traffic was light, but Santana and Nina were still able to scream along some songs. Santana was a little embarrassed, at first, having Brittany witness that moment of awkwardness, but when Nina asked her why she wasn't singing - and Brittany repeated the question, a very subtle smirk on her face -, she gave up pretending she was some kind of mature, classy woman and sang the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody as loud as she could. Freddie Mercury was probably turning in his grave - she was that bad - but she got Nina and Brittany laughing, so that should count for something.

They parked just outside the park and Santana and Brittany rounded the car to get the food from the trunk. "Wow. Are you trying to feed an army or do really think I eat all that much?" Brittany asked eying both baskets Santana had stuffed to the brim with everything she could think of. "I might have gotten carried away" she started answering, but was forced to look the other way to continue. "I just didn't know what you liked, so..."

Brittany didn't say anything after that. She just smiled at Santana's profile and grabbed the leather handle, waiting for the other woman to shut the trunk and make their way towards one of the empty picnic tables. The weather was pleasant and the shade they were able to find made it just perfect.

Nina was brunch's main attraction. She seemed to really like Brittany and decided she just had to tell the blonde every little detail about herself and Santana had to remind her not to chew with her mouth open every now and then, but she couldn't help but smile at the girl's excitement. It was refreshing.

After they were done eating, Santana encouraged Nina to sit by the tree and read the books they had brought. She just needed to have some grown up talk. After meeting Brittany in the library, Santana realized how long it had been since she just talked to someone her own age, besides her co-workers and Mercedes. She really missed that.

"She seems happier", Brittany said as soon as Nina was out of earshot.

"Yeah. She's been talking about today since you invited her."

"Well, I'm just glad you guys showed up. I was really looking forward to seeing the two of you again."

"Me too. After we left, I just realized that it had been too long since I had a real conversation. I had no idea I missed it that much."

"How come? Your friends don't like kids?"

"Most of my friends are just like I was six months ago: workaholic maniacs. During the week, they don't exist outside work. And during the weekends... Let's just say, Nina is more mature then they are during the weekends."

Brittany laughed a little, but when she rested her gaze upon Santana, the woman felt tingles all the way down her spine. It felt like Brittany was trying to read her soul or something. "What about a girlfriend? Hard to believe you're single."

"I was sort of seeing someone when Nina got into my life, but, as she said it, she couldn't deal with the whole kid thing."

"Ouch!"

"I wasn't in love or anything, so it wasn't that bad. And since then, I'm just struggling to fit my schedule around her, so I haven't had all that time to meet new people."

"You met me."

"Yeah, I met you." Santana's voice was a bit dreamy as she said it and they stayed in silence for a while. When it started to feel too overwhelming, she cleared her throat and asked "What about you? May I ask how you got into reading children's stories? I mean, you're great, but it's not exactly a conventional career."

"Oh, it's not a career. It's more of an applied study, I think." At Santana's puzzled look, Brittany tried to explain further. "I'm finishing my masters and I'm researching children's literature. So, I decided to go and see how they react to the different stories."

"Masters? Impressive. So they're just your guinea-pigs, then?"

"My very cute, adorable guinea-pigs, yes", Brittany laughed. "But, seriously, school was never easy for me. I didn't get the teachers and they didn't get me. Most people just thought I was kinda stupid, really. Guess most of them never thought I could even go to college, but I did and I decided to study how literature could help kids with learning difficulties. It certainly helped me."

"That's awesome, Brittany."

"Thanks. I just always knew I wanted to work with kids. My sister is ten years younger and I babysat her all the time. After that, it was cousins and friend's children. It felt natural."

"Like Eric?" Santana wasn't sure if she should have asked, but she wanted to know more about the woman that fascinated her so much.

"Just like him. I've been friends with his parents since high school. They're like family. They were probably the only ones that believed in me, back then."

"That sounds nice. Me, I've moved around so much that I've lost touch with pretty much everyone I knew from school and college."

"Now you might have to settle down. If you continue to raise Nina, that is."

"I had been thinking about it before her. She is just a great excuse do it. I think I'm ready."

"I've told you about my work, now can you tell me what it is that you do when you dress-up as exec Barbie?"

"It's not nearly as interesting as yours. I'm a financial manager. Basically, I stare at numbers, tables and charts all day long. It can be boring as hell."

"A manager? Impressive too."

"Not really. My boss tried to hit on me once, I threatened to sue his ass and he promoted me. Lucky for him, I knew my job well. And lucky for me, he did that again with someone who didn't believe in blackmail and got fired after a formal complain."

"Damn!"

"Yeah. I used to love it, you know? The power, being the youngest manager at the company, but now it means spending a lot of time away from her. She just lost so many people, that I want her to know that she can trust me."

"That's really sweet, Santana. They really do need a steady and present figure in their lives. Specially at Nina's age."

"I know. Both my parents worked when I was young. And after my mom died, my dad had to double his shifts. So, for the most part, it was just me and my brother. He practically raised me."

"He did a good job with you. I mean, you turned out alright."

"I think he might disagree with you on that a little, but... I just wonder, how he could be so great at raising me and just abandon his own daughter. I just don't get it."

"Look, I really don't know him, so I can't say anything about why he did it. But, she's with you now. That's what matters."

"I know. It's just that, sometimes I have no idea what I'm doing with her. I've never had any close contact with kids her age and I was never the maternal type. Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning, here."

Santana wasn't sure why she was sharing so much with Brittany, but it felt good to have someone hear her insecurities. After Nina came to live with her, she realized how lonely her life really was.

"First of all, no one knows what they're doing. Kids have no manual, so everybody just wings it. And, as far as I can tell, you're doing a pretty good job so far. She's healthy, happy, she trusts you and she's obviously smart. I don't think you have to worry all that much."

"Thanks."

"As for the time problem, I think you could use one of my friend's tactics. She calls it date night."

"Date night? Wanky."

"Not so much. It's just one day when she leaves the office earlier, picks her son from school and they pretty much spend the whole night together, having fun. The only rule is no phones are allowed."

"That actually sounds pretty good. Don't know if I'd be able to leave work early, though."

"You could try compensating during the week. Or, maybe, doing it during the weekend. It's more about the quality of time, not the amount of it."

"I'll think about it." Santana stared at Brittany and smirked a little bit. "In fact, you just gave me an idea."

"Really, what?" But Santana didn't answer. She just turned to Nina, instead. "Hey, Nina. Come here, sweetie."

With Nina on her lap, facing her, Santana asked. "What do you want to do now?" The girl frowned, like she didn't know what she was supposed to answer, so Santana came to her help. "You can choose anything you want to do. I'm all yours today."

Nina was serious as she weighted her options, like she was deciding the world's future or something. She nervously twisted her fingers on her lap and Santana recognized her own nervous tell. At last, a smile spread across the girl's face and she looked up. "I think I want to go to the zoo."

"The zoo? You're sure?" Santana asked, just to tease her a little bit, and Nina nodded, sure of her choice. "The zoo it is, then."

Small arms were thrown around Santana's neck and she hugged Nina back. There was something about having that little body in her arms that made Santana feel like she had some sort of super powers. Above Nina's shoulder, Santana and Brittany shared a genuine smile and that made the moment even more special to the brunette.

Nina released Santana and sat back on her lap, still smiling. "Can Brittany come too?"

Before answering, Santana glanced at Brittany, but the blonde's expression gave no indication to her possible answer, so she decided to take a chance. "I don't know, sweetie. Why don't you ask her?"

The girl turned on Santana's lap and she circled her tiny waist. "Do you want to come with us, Brittany?"

"To the zoo? Let me think-" Brittany looked up as if she was considering her possibilities. Then, very seriously, she looked at Nina. "Can we go see the penguins?"

"Yes."

"It's a deal, then."