"Excited?" Brittany grinned at Santana as the brunette snapped the zippers of the travelling bag close. The blonde then handed Santana's shampoo bottle.

"Seriously?" Santana's brows furrowed as she looked at the stuff Brittany had handed her.

"I thought, I might as well bring it over our trip," Brittany shrugged.

"How about you bring the whole bathroom with us, huh, Britt?" Santana joked.

"Grow up, Lopez," Brittany growled and elbowed her fiancé's side softly.

"You know you're gotta pay for that," Santana said, as she tackled Brittany on the floor, feigning the anger. She started tickling the blonde's side mercilessly.

"No!" Brittany squealed as she tried to brush Santana away.

"That," Santana sighed after a while, "Is for stealing my shampoo all these times."

"But I love your shampoo!" Brittany protested, but she was cut off by a forceful, passionate kiss.

"And this," Santana said into the kiss, "Is for stealing my heart."

"I only take what's rightfully mine," Brittany said and Santana held her gaze after separating briefly. Chocolate brown eyes met the ocean blue ones.

"I'm talking about the shampoo," Brittany shrugged and they both laugh on the floor.

"Alright, let's check on the midget, see if she's done packing all her stuff…and by stuff she's gonna mean Dora and all those things we put on the trolley from Toy Kingdom," Santana said as she made her way towards Brooklyn's room.

"Hey, kid!" Santana strutted towards the child. "You're done packing?"

Brooklyn just gave her a curt nod. "I'm done, Mama!"

"That's my baby," Santana beckoned the child to come over her. Hitching Brooklyn on her hip, Santana started to check her daughter's things. She took a look at all the child's bags, and found out that most of them were filled with toys and more toys. Only one bag was filled with her clothes – the one that Brittany had prepared for her.

"Brook, you can't bring every toy out there in Puerto Rico, you know."

"But Mama, I wants to play there," Brooklyn's pout was put on full gear. "I can't sleep without my friends."

Santana sighed. "Okay, you can bring at least three friends with you. We're not gonna make it past the airport security if you bring all your friends."

For a flash of a moment, Santana could see the dark grey flash of hurt in Brooklyn's eyes, but the child's eyes lit up quickly.

"Okay," Brooklyn took out her big teddy bear, the one she had received from her Grandma Eli during her birthday, her stuffed kitty that she had received from Santana, and the other stuffed dolphin that Santana had first given to her.

"I'm gonna bring Teddy," she held up her overly-sized teddy bear. "And Dory," she held up the kitten. "And Michael," she held up the dolphin. "Mama, can I bring my PSP, too? Please?"

"Alright, you can bring your PSP," Santana said. She had yet to talk about Mike Chang giving her daughter some electronic gadget and turning Brooklyn into a nerd.

"Santana, the taxi is waiting," Brittany smiled from Brooklyn's doorframe.

"Oh-kay," the Latina quickly rushed to put the stuffed toys into a bag, and threw the PSP on the toddler's carry-on backpack then dragged it all out. A bellboy was at the door to help them with their luggage.

Santana was met by the warm sunny April the moment she stepped outside the building. They quickly strode into the car and got seated. Brittany could feel her fiancé's nervous wringing hands across her thighs from the back seat and she couldn't bring up any thought as to why the brunette was so nervous.

"Hey, you okay?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty fine," Santana lied through gritted teeth.

"Sure?"

"I'm just nervous," Santana said.

"You're still scared of flying?" Brittany quirked a brow, as she recalled the Nationals in New York that one year.

"No. I'm nervous because, you see…I'm nervous because, I don't' know…I just feel it. My psychic Mexican third eye told me, believe me in there," Santana mumbled.

"You're not even Mexican," Brittany growled.

"Mami is Mexican," Santana emphasized.

"Alright, Mexican it is."

"Mama, does Mexican means Spanish?" Brooklyn asked from her place between her two mothers.

"No, Mexicans are like…sort of Spanish," Brittany explained at the toddler.

"Abuela speaks Spanish," Brooklyn thought it over.

"Yeah, because Mexicans speak Spanish, baby," Santana smiled. "I speak Spanish, too."

Brittany chortled out a good laughter and looked at Santana. "Really, Santana? You're gonna brag about being Hispanic?"

"Because Hispanics are drop-dead gorgeous and hot," Santana grinned.

"Whatever, Lopez," Brittany smiled as they reached the airport. "Come on, you lazy bug."

"I am not lazy. Hispanics are resilient," Santana quipped as she hitched the toddler on her hips and went out to get their bags. "I need a trolley."

"See? Resilient, huh. Spell that again," Brittany gave Santana an elbow as she brought a trolley to the Latina. She quickly latched her arm into Brooklyn's arm. "Hey, bug, don't you let go of my hand, okay? And keep your eyes on me. If you let go of my hand, scream."

"You know, you should carry her, Britt, while I pull this darn trolley around."

"Alright, carry her I shall," Brittany smiled and hitched the toddler on her hips. They quickly made it to airport security and a few moments later, they were walking towards the foyer when Santana noticed the Changs on the seats.

"Chang!" Santana called. Both Tina and Mike snapped their heads around.

"Hey Satan," Tina smiled. She loved to tease Santana now that they girl had been opening up to her.

"Fancy seeing you here," Santana huffed beside Tina.

"Fancy seeing you here, too, Santana," Mike snorted. "Tina here dragged me. You're headed to Puerto Rico, too?"

"Obviously, Chang," Santana tried to growl. "And don't think I don't hold you responsible for my eldest daughter's geeky future."

"I don't mean it, Santana. Besides, a geeky Lopez would do," Mike said and watched his wife strut her way towards Brittany and Brooklyn. "It's crazy we all want to go out to the same country for a vacation, huh."

"Britt had decided it for us," Santana explained. "She said I had my ancestors out there. Papi found it funny."

"Tina decided it for us," Mike chuckled. "By the way, Santana, when are you getting married?"

"I haven't really decided, Mike. I mean, sure as hell I would enjoy being married to her, but not for now. I love us, and I love what we have right now, but, pretty soon, when Brook's adoption will come through."

"Oh," Mike smiled as the P.A. system announced that their boarding time is due.

"Where's your seat?" Santana asked.

"D-74, yours?"

"A-35 through 37, this must be some big-ass plane," Santana grinned as she took the bag that contained Brooklyn's playthings.

"What's with Brooklyn's bag? Don't you think that's too big for the three of you?" Tina chirped behind.

"Teddy bears and kid stuff, none of your business, Girl Chang," Santana quipped.

"Alright, San. See you when we land!" Tina and Mike disappeared into the crowd and Santana loaded the bags into the overhead cabin. Brooklyn had asked for a window seat, and that left Santana with the aisle seat since Brittany had asked for the middle seat. The plane started to move, and Brooklyn was totally caught up in the moment as they lifted to the air.

However, the initial entertainment was soon replaced by boredom once they were airborne.

"Ma, can I play now?" Brooklyn woke a dozing Latina.

"What?" Santana wiped the imaginary drool she'd had. "What were you saying, Brook?"

"I wanna have my PSP," the toddler restated.

"Alright, here you go," Santana stood up, took the PlayStation from the backpack and handed it to Brooklyn. "I'm gonna put headphones in here so you won't disturb anyone, okay? And don't spend so much time with that thing."

"Sure, Ma," Brooklyn grinned.

After settling Brooklyn, Santana snuggled into the seat with Brittany, falling into an uncomfortable sleep.

The next time Santana opened her eyes, it was Brooklyn's teary-eyed face that met her. In a panic, she started to sit up abruptly, disturbing the peaceful, sleeping blonde who was snuggled beside her. The kid was darn scared of the lightning that cut through the skies.

"Mommy," Brooklyn whimpered, causing Santana to whimper, too.

Brittany was awake by then and tried to comfort her daughter. "Brook, Brook, look at me baby, it's nothing. It's not gonna hurt us, okay."

"But Mommy, I'm scared," Brooklyn reasoned out. "Can I stay in between you and Mama so I can snuggle?"

"You want to swap seats?" Santana smiled. "I'm gonna protect you from whatever that's trying to hurt you…" Santana said as she stood up and transferred Brooklyn onto the middle seat, and Brittany shuffled to be in the window seat.

"How about we just try to tell you a story, Brook?" Snatana smiled.

"Story?" Blue eyes shone. "Sure!"

"Umm, I need to go to the bathroom, San," Brittany excused herself.

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead…" Santana smiled from her seat and started to tell Brooklyn a Rapunzel story.

Brittany started to walk down the aisle of the plane to the bathrooms. After making herself comfortable, she started to fix her hair in front of the mirror when the male's door opened. Suddenly, Brittany's lungs seemed to run out of air, and her legs were rooted on the floor or something and she felt like a nuclear bomb has been dropped on her.

Standing in front of her, was Jeremy.

"Brittany," he sneered.

Brittany pressed her lips together into a thin line as Jeremy looked down on her, suddenly, she felt too humiliated, so…little of herself. It's as if everything that Santana had ever said did not matter to her, because this man, this man who had wounded her so much, it made her feel as if she did not deserve to have someone as beautiful as Santana, and Santana would never, ever deserve someone as lowly as her.

"How are you? Did you give it up?" Jeremy said in that condescending manner of his.

"You don't have anything to do with me," Brittany hissed.

"Sure as hell I do."

"You left me and Brooklyn, Jeremy."

"Is that my child's name?"

"She's having a new…daddy. She's not your daughter."

"Oh," Jeremy said, and for a fraction of a second, Brittany saw the flash of hurt and guilt on his blue eyes. "Does she know anything about her real daddy?"

"Only that he left her, for another girl," Brittany snarled. The tension between them both was reaching its peak by the moment and Brittany could feel that she is going to combust. But she was not going to back down.

"I did not leave Brooklyn for Cassie."

"And that he wanted her to die while I was carrying her," Brittany continued, staring hard and deep into the deep blue eyes in front of her.

"What about the custody? Do I still have my paternity rights…"

"When I gave birth to Brooklyn, I told the nurse I don't know who the father was. So, for your sake Jeremy, do not ever come back to my life or Brooklyn's. We are doing great now."

"Where do you live now? Can I see her sometime?"

"No. And I won't let you."

"You're so selfish, Brittany." Jeremy said.

"Tell me who was more selfish? Me, who gave up my dreams for you, or you, who ran away from the responsibility and left your child with me to raise alone in four years? Tell me, Jeremy," Brittany blurted out, the tears prickling her eyes.

A resounding thwack made its way to Brittany's face, and it left a real red mark that's probably going to leave a bruise. The left side of her upper lip was also bleeding as she just hung her head low.

"You have no right to tell that to me. You…have no…right," Jeremy lifted another hand, ready to strike.

"Britt, what's taking you so lo-" Santana stopped midway as her eyes started to take in the view in front of her. In a split second, she had reached Brittany's side and was already cradling her in her arms.

"What is going on here?" Santana asked.

"Nothing, I'm just…leaving," Jeremy started to leave, but Santana held his arm back.

"No, you don't leave, not until you tell me why you did this to my girlfriend."

"I don't have to explain you any-" a slap came forward, hitting Jeremy squarely in the face.

"You have no right to hurt Brittany like that. I don't even know you, and you are judging her? How could you? You haven't heard the end of this," Santana said menacingly. She then dragged Brittany's hand. "Come on, Britt. Let's get out of here."

Quietly, Brittany and Santana made their way to their seats. They seated themselves, thankful that Brooklyn was fast asleep by the window seat. Tina, whom Santana had asked once she left to check on Brittany, quickly stood up.

"What happened?" Tina whispered at Santana once Brittany took a seat and silently hung her head down.

"I don't know. I need a first aid kit and a cold compress," Santana said calmly, and then she shifted her worried eyes to her fiancé. "Some wacko in the bathroom just slapped her real hard."

"His name was Jeremy," Brittany whispered.

"Jeremy? You mean…oh God," Tina held her hands on her mouth. "No way."

"Damn yes way," Santana muttered. "I need to call security."

"I'll get Mike," Tina offered.

"Thanks, Chang," Santana sat beside Brittany, and she can immediately hear the blonde's constricted sobbing. Her heart sank.

"Britt, look at me," Santana said, cupping her fiancé's cheeks in both of her hands. "Look at me, baby."

Tearful blue eyes, full of anguish, hurt and pain and it did not take Santana long to cry, too.

"Baby, don't listen to him. Don't ever believe any of what he said," Santana said, the tears were falling freely from her chocolate brown obsidians. "You deserve to be happy, baby…don't…don't shut me out."

"Santana," Brittany's voice was a whisper. "Santana, don't…"

"No…Britt, look me in the eye, baby…keep your eyes on me," Santana cried, "Believe me. I love you…I love you, please…don't ever shut me out. Don't ever…"

"Santana, are you out of your mind?" Brittany's voice came back to her. "I won't shut you out….you have given me so much, baby. And I…I won't shut you out, ever. You gave me my heart back. You gave me hope…and everything and I want you to know, that you and me…we are stronger now than the "us" when we were younger. I love you more than anyone else I've ever loved in this world."

Santana's eyes were clouded with the tears. She quickly thumbed the blonde's bloody lip, and softly kissed the bruise that's starting to turn into an ugly bluish-purple spot. "I love you. It's alright now, baby. Mike's coming with security and Tina's gonna help me fix that bruise," she whispered.

"I know. I'm glad you do, and I love you, too."