"Straighten out your back leg, Mackenzie." Brittany told her daughter as she watched her practice her solo ballet routine for an upcoming recital. She was sitting on a stool in the corner of their home dance studio, next to the stereo. She checked the battery indicator on the camcorder she had set up to film her daughter to give her better feedback, to make sure the battery wasn't running down. Mackenzie did a turn into a releve, but stumbled a little and got off balance. Brittany paused the music and stood up, she walked over to her daughter and grabbed her hands to pull her up.
"You're turning a little too fast, so that's why you can't stick the releve." Brittany told her. "Watch me." Mackenzie nodded and stepped back as she watch Brittany complete the turn, into the releve, and slowly lift her left leg straight in the air, before slowly bringing it down to rest on her knee, she spinned around, before doing a saute, and ending in fourth position.
"Awesome." Mackenzie clapped when Brittany finished.
Brittany smiled. "Thanks, you have to move a little slower, ballet is more about feeling free, almost like your floating, you don't want to rush the moves, just relax and let the music lead want the routine to look as graceful and poised as possible." She told her. "Try again, I'll do it with you, and I'll say the counts."
The two went through the routine, dramatically slow at first, so Brittany could watch Mackenzie's technique, they then performed the sequence again at normal speed without the music so Mackenzie could hear Brittany's direction.
"Ok, just watch your back leg." Brittany frowned at her. "You have to keep it straight Mack."
"I'm trying to." Mackenzie told her while staring at her legs.
"Get in the pose." Brittany told her while bending down behind her and holding her back leg straight for her. "Now lift your left leg slowly." Mackenzie did but began to turn her leg. "Keep it straight, sweetheart." She said softly.
"It's not comfortable like that." Mackenzie sighed.
Brittany stood back up and tapped her chin. "I'll find some exercises you can do to practice, so maybe with the practice it's more comfortable, or you are at least able to hold it."
"Ok." Mackenzie nodded as she grabbed her water bottle and took a sip.
"Let's try the part we just did together with the music." Brittany told her as she went over to the stereo and turned the music back on.
Mackenzie ran through the routine as Brittany walked around her and made sure she stayed in perfect position the entire time. "Again." Brittany told her while rewinding the song to the correct part, once again walking around her and glancing in the mirrors to watch her from all angles. "Once more." She repeated while watching Mackenzie closely.
When the song ended Brittany smiled and turned off the camera as Mackenzie picked up her water bottle again. "I'm not as good as you momma."
"You're going to be better." Brittany told her. "Just keep practicing and you'll get there, you are already way more talented and advanced than I was at your age." She added. "Go get cleaned up so you can help me with dinner; we'll practice more tomorrow. You're doing so good so far, don't get discouraged by one of two slip ups, we have plenty of time to fix them"
Mackenzie nodded and grabbed her pink towel off the stack of mats by the studio door and left the studio. Brittany turned the music back on and went through Mackenzie's routine quickly, thinking of what she could suggest the younger blonde add to really wow the crowd at the recital. After running through the routine twice, Brittany grabbed the camcorder so she could watch the footage after dinner. She was walking down the hall to her office to upload the video when she saw Santana resting her head on her office desk while staring at her computer screen.
"Hey, baby." Brittany smiled as she walked in Santana's office.
Santana sat up and cleared her throat softly. "Hey Brit." She rasped as Brittany leaned down and caught her lips quickly.
"I didn't know you were home." Brittany added as she leaned over the back of Santana's chair, when she sat up, and hugged her. She began to rub the Latina's arms up and down while staring at what was on the computer screen. "i thought you were working all day?"
Santana cleared her throat as she kissed Brittany's arm and rested her head on it. "Yeah, I got home about an hour ago, you were with Mack practicing so I didn't want to bother you two, she looks good."
"Yeah, she does." Brittany nodded as she sat on the arm of Santana's chair, and rubbed her wife's back as she leaned on her thigh and continued clicking on the computer. Brittany slid her hand in the back of Santana's t'shirt and frowned. "You feel warm, and your voice is scratchier than normal, are you feeling okay?"
Santana nodded. "Yeah." She replied a little too quickly for Brittany before clearing her throat again.
"You're sick, San." Brittany stated as she moved her hand to the front of Santana's neck before she slid it up and cupped her cheek.
"I'm not sick, just tired." Santana sighed while clearing her throat.
Even though Brittany was unconvinced that Santana was feeling okay, she played along with her wife, and ran her fingers through her hair. "How was your day?"
"Good." Santana replied. "I did some work at Lopez Lovez and finished up some things for your run/walk."
"I got your emails from that. I'll look them over tonight in bed." Brittany told her. "Why don't come upstairs with me and relax in the family room while I cook dinner?"
Santana shook her head. "I need to do some more work, I had Peyton with me this morning, so I didn't get as much work done as I wanted to."
"Why did you have Peyton?" Brittany asked while looking at the resort packages on the screen that the Latina was quickly clicking through.
"Madison's mom had a meeting, so she called and asked if I could take her for a few hours, Nicholas was with Noah at the studio." Santana explained. "This is a good price right?" She asked Brittany while looking up at her.
Brittany grabbed the mouse and scrolled through the amenities offered in the package and shrugged. "Is this where everyone wants to go?"
"Cabo is nice, we've been there before, it's peaceful, not a lot of paps, we can just relax." Santana shrugged.
"Ok, well I don't care; make sure you run it by everyone else before booking it." Brittany told her as Santana began to cough. "Let's go upstairs, I'll make you some tea."
"I'm fine, Brittany." Santana shook her head as she sat up straighter.
Brittany grabbed the mouse from her hand and put the computer to sleep. "Come on, baby." She repeated while standing up and reaching her hand out to Santana. Santana frowned but allowed Brittany to pull her up and lead her upstairs to the family room where Carter was stretched out on the couch, slurping a Gatorade loudly.
Santana rolled her eyes and laid on the other end of the couch, allowing Brittany to toss a blanket on her. "What's wrong?" Carter asked as he sat up and stared at his mother.
"Nothing, I'm just tired." Santana replied. "Give me the remote." She stated while nudging Carter with her foot.
"You're going to fall asleep anyways." Carter groaned but passed her the remote. "Look at your eyes."
"She's sick." Brittany told her youngest son. "Run to the store and get some juice for me please."
"Can I use the Porsche?" Carter asked while standing up.
"No." Santana and Brittany both replied quickly causing Carter to laugh.
"Fine." He shrugged. "Be right back."
Santana began to flip through the channels while clearing her throat and curling herself into a ball. Brittany slipped her glasses off of her, knowing she would fall asleep, before leaving the family room. She came back a few minutes later with a cup of tea and set it on the table. "What hurts besides your throat?" She asked Santana as she sat on the couch and rubbed her back.
"Nothing." Santana choked out while trying to hide a cough.
"Sanny." Brittany sang softly while running her fingers through her wife's hair soothingly.
"My head feels heavy." Santana replied as her eyes closed.
"Okay, I'll get some medicine for you, you can take it after you eat something." Brittany told her as Mackenzie came in the family room.
"I'm ready momma." She smiled before glancing at Santana. "What's wrong?"
"She's a little sick." Brittany smiled. "She's okay."
"I watched your practice, baby girl, you looked amazing, I'm so proud of you." Santana smiled at her daughter.
"Thanks mommy." Mackenzie smiled.
"Can you go get my ipad, Mack?" Santana asked. "I need to…"
"You need to lie down." Brittany laughed. "Why can't you just admit when you're sick?"
"Momma I need more packing tape." Ashton stated while walking in the family room.
"In the garage, in the cabinets." Santana said before clearing her throat again.
"Drink the tea, take a nap, I'll wake you when dinner is done." Brittany told her.
"Keep stirring so the sauce doesn't clump together." Brittany told Mackenzie while she continued grate fresh parmesan for their meal.
"Mommy is okay, right?" Mackenzie asked.
Brittany heard the worry in her voice and put the cheese down. "She'll be fine, she just has a little cold." She assured her daughter. "Her anxiety is fine, I know that's what you're thinking."
"Well her eyes are all glossy." Mackenzie sighed.
"She's just sick, sweetheart, and probably tired." Brittany stated.
"I'm fine, Mack." Santana rasped as she walked in and went to the fridge, she grabbed the carton of juice that Carter bought and reached for a glass. "My anxiety is fine, I just have a head cold probably, damn kids at Peyton's daycare were oozing with germs today."
"I'll bring it to you." Brittany told Santana while grabbing the glass out of her hand. "Go lie back down."
Santana nodded and went back to the family room stretching out on the sofa once again. She cleared her throat and closed her eyes, just as Cinderella came running in the and attempted to jump on the couch with her.
"Vet bills cost way too much, get down." She shook her head. "I don't need you getting sick too."
Brittany came in with the glass of juice and laughed when she saw Cinderella's tail in overdrive while she attempted to attack the Latina with licks and kisses.
"Brit, make her stop." Santana whined with a smile while moving her head side to side dodging the dogs drool.
"See if we had another cat, you wouldn't have this problem." Brittany laughed while setting the juice down and picking up the puppy. "Go play."
"We are down to a normal amount of pets, just two dogs, Cinderella and Socks, oh and the fish tanks." Santana sighed. "We aren't getting anything else."
Ashton's dog, Gris, now lived with Mrs. Pierce, Noah took his turtles and Carter's lizardwhen he bought his house with Madison, and Carter's parrot now lived with Hannah and her kids, who absolutely loved it, aside from the Spanish curse words he learned from Santana; and Tubby passed away a few years ago.
"Dinner will be done in a few minutes, try to stay awake, and I'll give you a hot massage afterwards to loosen you up a little so you'll sleep all night." Brittany told her.
Santana nodded and rank half of her juice before lying back down and falling asleep.
"Is mom eating dinner with us?" Carter asked while setting two Gatorades next to his plate of chicken alfredo and sautéed vegetables.
"No, let her sleep." Brittany shook her head. "Grey, are you all moved back in?"
Ashton nodded. "Yeah, I just need to unpack some stuff but Noey is coming by a little later to help me."
Brittany tried to hide her smile so took a bite of her garlic bread instead. "There's plenty of food left, so wrap up a plate for her."
"Sweet." Ashton nodded while twirling the fettuccine around his fork.
"Grey, I need you to take Mackenzie to the mall for me tomorrow, I have a lot of meetings and errands to run and I don't want your mom trying to do it while she's sick." Brittany asked while picking up her glass of wine.
"Can't Aunt Hannah take me?" Mackenzie asked. "No offense Grey."
Ashton shrugged. "None taken, I want to finish unpacking and I start working with Noah anyways."
"At his office?" Carter asked in between huge bites of garlic bread.
Ashton nodded. "Yep, I'm his assistant; and I need to work more on my clothing line."
Brittany and Santana helped Ashton start a men's accessory line last year as his graduation gift from highschool. He plans to set up an online store that supplies neck ties, bowties, suspenders, hankerchiefs, and belts. He's been working with Noah on the launch of the website and narrowing down the official name of his line before his grand release.
"Call Aunt Hannah and see what she says." Brittany told her daughter with a frown when she heard Santana start to cough loudly before sniffling just as loud.
"Ok." Mackenzie nodded.
"Carter what are you doing tomorrow?" Brittany asked him. "Phone up at the table, you know the rules, I want to see your face not the top of your head."
Carter smirked while replying to a text quickly and handing his phone to Brittany's waiting hand. "Basketball in the morning with Zacky, then we are probably just going to beach."
"Ok, I want the grass cut and the pool cleaned out please." Brittany told him. "Ashton if you don't take Mackenzie, please clean up the game room, bowling alley, and movie theater. Mackenzie when you get home from shopping, mop the kitchen, clean the sun room, and vacuum the family room."
All three kids nodded while continuing to eat when Santana came dragging in the room. "Beeeeeeee." She whined in a scratchy voice, her hair a mess on her head, her eyes were red and glossy, and her hand holding her throat.
"You want to try to eat, babe?" Brittany asked her wife as she sat down and immediately rested her head on the Brittany's shoulder.
"No, my throat feels like its on fire." She complained. "Like it's a million little angry Berry's from highschool with pitchforks sticking me in the throat over and over."
Brittany stifled her laughter and shook her head. "Why would Rachel attack just your throat?"
"I was always a better singer than her, and she know it." Santana said softly.
Brittany grabbed her hand under the table and squeezed it before wrapping her arm around Santana's shoulders, and patting her arm. She quickly ate a few more bites as Santana turned her head and coughed into Brittany's chest, and wiped her nose on the blonde's shirt after sneezing.
"Well, I'm done." Brittany laughed. "Clean up the kitchen please everyone."
"Feel better mom." Ashton smiled.
"Ashton, you're so sweet." Santana smiled before sneezing again, causing her arm to flail and knock Brittany's plate on the floor. "God dammit." She snapped.
"I'll clean it up." Carter laughed.
"Thanks." Brittany sighed. "Come on San, let's go upstairs so I can pump some cold medicine in you."
11pm
Brittany was sitting against the headboard in bed, with Santana cuddled in her side, her head resting on Brittany's lap while the blonde's fingers stroked her long locks. Brittany was watching footage of Mackenzie's routine for the recital making notes on some of her trouble spots and visualizing new moves to add or to change to enhance the routine.
Santana went into a coughing fit that resulted in her wheezing afterwards, so Brittany reached over and grabbed her inhaler from the bed side table. "Here Santana." She replied while setting it in her hand. Santana woke up a little more and took a few puffs before laying back on Brittany's lap. Brittany glanced at her and continued to rub her back. "Are you okay?"
Santana nodded and coughed slightly again. "Yeah, it's just a bad cough I think."
"Is the TV bothering you?" Brittany asked. "I can turn it off."
Santana shook her head and closed her eyes again, looping her arm through one of Brittany's thighs to hold her tightly. She exhaled slowly as she fell back asleep rather quickly. Brittany picked up Santana's phone and went to her calendar to see what she had scheduled for the following day. She then picked up her cell phone and called Emily.
Hey Emily, sorry for calling so late.
No problem, what's up Brittany?
Can you clear Santana's schedule for tomorrow, she's sick with a really bad cough. I'll cover her staff meeting at Lopez Lovez for her, everything else needs to be rescheduled.
No problem, anything else?
Brittany thought for a moment while scrolling through Santana's business email account. No, I don't think so, I'm in her email now.
"I have a radio interview at 3pm." Santana rasped softly.
"It's not on your calendar." Brittany frowned.
"It's with a local podcast, I promised them I would do it." Santana stated while moving off of Brittany's lap and laying on her pillow, still facing her wife. "Have Em tell them I'll do a live in person interview for the show, to make up for it."
Emily, San said she has a radio interview for a podcast?
Oh yeah, I have that in my email.
Cancel that, and tell them she'll do a live in person interview instead to make up for missing this one.
Ok, got it. I'll CC you both on the email.
Thanks, have a great night.
You too, tell Santana I hope she feels better.
I will, bye.
Brittany hung up the phone and turned off the TV, she then slid down so she was lying flat and wrapped her arms around Santana, pulling her close, she kissed her on the neck, to say good night, and to gauge her temperature before kissing her on the forehead.
"Good night, baby, feel better." She whispered as Santana nestled her face in Brittany's neck.
Carter grabbed his sandwich and went up to Ashton's room and sat on his bed. "So seriously what's with you and Noey?"
Ashton looked up from his ipad. "What are you talking about?"
"She wants you, get back with her." He shrugged while taking a bite and staring at his brother.
"What if I want to be single for a while longer, maybe date a few girls?" Ashton countered. "And we've just been hanging out as friends, we jog and stuff, nothing major."
"You don't know what that means." Carter laughed. "You're a one woman guy, which I think is a little boring, but you don't date Grey."
"I'm not taking relationship advice from you." Ashton laughed. "Look, I hated when Noey moved across the world, and even though she's here now...it's complicated."
Carter frowned. "You were such a baby, didn't you cry?" He teased.
"Get out of my room." Ashton snapped.
"Seriously, you clearly like her still, she clearly likes you; mom and momma both approve, her parents like you. It doesn't get much easier than this." Carter smiled while popping the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth and running his fingers through his curly hair. "I mean I can easily take her off your hands for you."
"Don't make me kick your ass." Ashton snapped.
"We aren't 7 and 9 years old anymore, and I'm bigger than you now." Carter smirked. "That won't work anymore." He then laughed while leaving the room.
Ashton sighed and picked his iPad back and continued reading the online article he was looking at.
"This is good Brittany, did you make this?" Quinn asked while grabbing another chip and dipping it in the warm spinach and artichoke dip that was on the table.
Brittany smiled. "It's my mom's recipe but I did make it."
"So let's get to planning." Mercedes smiled after setting down glasses of champagne for the three of them. "So we are going to Cabo for Quinn's welcome back to the states trip?"
"Why are leaving the country to celebrate me being back in the states?" Quinn laughed.
"Santana's idea." Brittany rolled her eyes with a smile.
"Of course, it makes no damn sense." Quinn laughed again.
"So it's the four of us, Rachel, Hannah, and…" Mercedes asked while tapping on her ipad.
"That's it." Quinn shrugged.
"Beeeeeeeeee!" Santana whined in the intercom following the ringing of a bell.
"Is that a bell?" Mercedes asked. "I know you didn't give her whiny ass a bell."
Brittany sighed and nodded. "Yes it's a bell, and in your words hell to the no I didn't give her a bell, Peyton and Nicholas did."
"Santana is already the biggest baby when it comes to you, but you add her being sick into the mix, and gross." Quinn rolled her eyes as they heard Santana began to ring the bell into the intercom again.
"Seriously the bell is annoying as hell." Mercedes laughed when Santana began to shake her bell again.
"Beeeeeeeee, where are you?" She whined before coughing again. "Don't you hear my bell….jing a ling a ling, jing a ling a ling."
Quinn rolled her eyes and grabbed another chip. "It amazes me how the two of still trip all over yourselves to take care of the other, nauseatingly sweet."
"At least they aren't Velcro anymore." Mercedes laughed. "Now that shit was annoying. I remember the two of you taking bathroom breaks together during dinner parties."
"We went to have sex." Brittany deadpanned.
"At my mother's house?!" Mercedes shrieked.
"Santana was nervous." Brittany shrugged.
"At the Oscars?"
"She was nervous." Brittany repeated.
"Your wife is a hornball." Quinn smiled.
"Beeeeeeeeee!" Santana coughed into the intercom while ringing the bell. "Is it broke? Damn electrician."
"Leave my baby alone." Brittany laughed as she walked over to the intercom. "What's wrong San?"
"I need some more juice." She replied.
"Okay, I'll get you some, just hold tight."
Brittany sat back down and picked up her wine. "So do you want us to pay for the flight, or the resort?"
Quinn and Mercedes stared at Brittany. "Aren't you going to get her juice?" Quinn asked. "I don't want to hear that damn bell again."
Brittany took a sip of her wine and shook her head. "3…2…" She then pointed to the staircase where Santana was slowly walking down and smirked.
"Brittany, I'll get my own juice, since no one loves me." Santana said dramatically before coughing causing Quinn and Mercedes to roll their eyes.
"Nice jammies." Quinn smirked taking in the Latina's black footed pajamas with Snixx across the butt in glitter.
Santana stuck up her middle finger at the blonde and sat on Brittany's lap, quickly hiding her face in her wife's neck. "Do we have more tea and cough drops?" She asked while hugging Brittany tightly.
"Yeah." Brittany told her as she took a sip of her wine. "I told you I would bring your juice to you, babe." She added while resting her hand on the Latina's hip.
"You took too long." Santana sighed.
"Give me a break, Santana." Mercedes laughed.
Santana ignored Mercedes and cuddled closer to Brittany's chest. "Leave her alone." Brittany laughed. "Lay down on the couch, you can help us finish planning, and I'll grab you some tea and juice."
Santana nodded and glared at Mercedes and Quinn before squeezing between the two of them to sit down. "You bitches do know I can hear everything you're saying in the intercom in our room, it's the master panel, and I'm not a whiny baby when I'm sick." She rolled her eyes before grabbing a pillow and laying on Mercedes' lap, and lifting her legs to Quinn's lap, causing them both to roll their eyes.
The next afternoon
"You're doing good, B." Hannah smiled while leaning her sisters leg back to stretch her again. "Does it feel tight at all?"
Brittany shook her head. "No, I've been dancing with Mackenzie a lot to help her get ready for her recital, so I've been staying loose. Santana is still sick so she can't help me stretch as much, but Ashton helps out a lot since he's back home."
"Well, I can tell you're in good shape." Hannah replied while shaking Brittany's leg and setting it down. Hannah then grabbed the giant rubberband and handed to Brittany. "Let's do a couple reps."
Brittany sat up and began to stretch. "How are things with you and Jackson?"
Hannah sighed and sat down next to Brittany, to make sure she kept her leg straight during the stretch. "JJ is having a hard time, which is weird since he was barely when we split. Aubrey is adjusting to going back and forth between us, but Danielle has come around; she taking more about what she feels going between both house."
"Divorces never have a winner." Brittany sighed. "Especially when kids are involved, but I'm glad Dani, Bree, and JJ are getting along with it."
Hannah nodded. "I never pictured myself divorced...mom and dad never divorced, you and San never divorced."
Brittany set down the band and looked at her sister. "You can't base your relationship on others, whether or not. Mom and dad had their share of problems, and you know first hand that Santana and I don't have a perfect marriage but we make it work. Some relationships aren't meant to last."
"Great." Hannah sighed while leaning back on her elbows.
"Do you want to get married again?" Brittany asked her.
Hannah shrugged before nodding. "I don't want to be alone forever, but I come with baggage, I have three kids."
"Well any guy that uses that against you, doesn't deserve you." Santana stated as she walked in the family room. "You're talented, you're gorgeous, you make your own money, own your own house, and are a damn good mother, so if a guy doesn't want to date you because you have three beautiful kids, then the asshole doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as my amazing nephew and nieces." She added.
"Thanks San." Hannah smiled.
"Not to mention you have me as a sister in law." She smirked before coughing. "I'm a match maker in my spare time."
Brittany rolled her eyes with a smile and began to stretch again. "Name one successful couple you've put together." Brittany asked in between her counts.
"You and I." Santana winked before coughing and kissing Brittany on the cheek.
"Good answer, but name someone else." Brittany laughed as Santana laid on the couch.
"Hannah and whoever I find." Santana shrugged.
"How are you feeling, San?" Hannah asked her sister in law.
"Ok, my cough isn't as bad, and since Brittany wouldn't let me leave the house, I've been just sucking down juice and medicine."
"Good." Hannah nodded before glancing at her watch. "Ok, I gotta go get JJ from day care; I'll call you later Brit." She stated while kissing Brittany on the cheek and blowing a kiss to Santana, who dramatically caught it and pressed it to her cheek.
"Kiss the kids for us." Santana told her as she left the door and began to cough again.
"I'm headed to lunch with my mom after I shower, do you want me to make you some soup before I go?" Brittany asked while sitting on the couch next to her.
Santana shook her head. "No, I'll make myself some, have fun, and tell Mama P I said hi."
"Ok, babe." Brittany smiled while kissing her on the cheek and the neck before running upstairs."
Thoughts?
