I do not own Glee or any of the original characters. It all belongs to Fox and RIB. Any characters you do not recognise are my own creations.
A/N -I haven't been writing very much these last several months. That's due to personal family matters so I hope you can all be understanding about the lack of posts/updates. Thank you to those who have offered support and patience, I appreciate it very much!
MK and AJ, thank you for helping me through the tough times I've had recently, and thank you for being so patient whilst waiting for posts.
This was supposed to be the last chapter, but I got a little carried away with it. There will be one more chapter after this.
R&R please.
Chapter 4
Callie can't remember a time when she has felt so tired. Yep, even working in a busy hospital didn't exhaust her as much as her girls have exhausted her today. It's only a little after three, yet it feels like midnight. She and Arizona have busted their butts today, running around after their four girls and ensuring that each of them are okay. Unfortunately, Arizona will be leaving for her shift in a couple of hours, and Callie is wondering how on earth she's supposed to finish the day without her wife. It's not the first time that either of them have taken care of the girls on their own, but today has been a difficult day already.
She can hear an argument coming from the garden, and she sighs softly when she hears Arizona telling someone off. Emotions are running high in the house today, and their girls turn into terrors when they're emotional. Callie had hoped it wouldn't happen this time, but from the sounds of things...it has. Forcing herself to rise from the kitchen table, Callie trudges towards the back door and pokes her head outside, rolling her eyes at the sight that greets her.
"It was her!" Brittany exclaims, jabbing her finger in Rachel's direction. "It's always her! She's had crazy pills today, they all have. I didn't do anything!" Brittany insists. Callie catches Arizona's gaze and her her wife subtly gestures for her to join them outside. Stepping all the way outside, Callie approaches her wife and their two girls and places her hand on Rachel's shoulder to stop the rebuttal she knows is coming.
"What's going on?"
"Rachel lost her temper and knocked my popsicle out of my hand," Brittany tells her mama, glowering at Rachel.
"Only 'cause you were being mean!" Rachel retorts loudly.
"No I'm not, you are!"
"Alright, that's enough," Callie states firmly as she holds one hand up. "I do not want to hear anymore arguing today. I know it's been a difficult day, but mommy and I do not want to see you guys taking it out on each other," Callie adds. "Now, Rachel, I want you to go upstairs to your bedroom. You are not being punished, you are just being given some time to calm down. Mommy and I are not mad at you, but we will be if you don't take this chance to calm down and then continue to fight with any of your sisters."
"Okay, mama." Rachel drops her head, but doesn't immediately move.
"Go now," Arizona states softly. "We will come and speak to you in a few moments," she adds, sending Rachel back into the house with a maternal pat to her bottom.
"Why is she being so weird?" Brittany questions, gazing between Callie and Arizona.
"Well, babe," Arizona begins, "Rachel's a very sensitive girl. Quinn and Santana are having a rough day, and it rubs off on her," she states as she gently brushes Brittany's hair away from her eyes. "It's a very emotional atmosphere in the house today, huh?"
"Yeah," Brittany murmurs. "How do we fix it?" Arizona shares a sad smile with Callie before she answers,
"emotions aren't something that need to be fixed, baby girl," Arizona says gently. "You gotta just let people feel how they feel, but you can be there for people and make it a little easier. You just need to be a little more patient with your sisters, and whenever you have a bad day they will be told the same thing," Arizona promises.
"So they're allowed to bug me?" Brittany frowns.
"No, not at all," Callie reassures her. "The same rules apply, honey. If your sisters are bugging you, you come and tell us and we'll deal with them. If you react and get into fights or arguments with them, it just makes the situation a little worse."
"Rachel made me mad," Brittany argues, her brow creased. "Being mad is a feeling, but I'm in trouble for it," she pouts.
"Oh, honey," Callie reaches out and cups Brittany's face in her hands, "you're not in trouble. I know you got frustrated and that's why mom and I are talking to you. We haven't punished you, have we? Or is talking to mommy and I so terrible that it counts as a punishment?" Callie asks with a teasing smile. Brittany smiles ever so slightly,
"no, I guess not," she admits.
"We're just explaining things to you, and reminding you of what you should do when one of your sisters bug you," Arizona chimes in. "You're allowed to be mad, sweetheart. Mama and I are talking to you now so that it doesn't escalate. You and Rachel aren't in trouble, but you could have gotten yourself into trouble if mama and I hadn't intervened. Don't you think?"
"That makes sense, mom," Brittany nods.
"Of course it does," Callie says in a faux cocky tone of voice, "we're a family full of geniuses." Callie gets the reaction she had been hoping for when Brittany laughs, and she winks at the girl. "Now, why don't you go onside because it's getting a little cooler out here," Callie states.
"Can I play playstation?" Brittany asks in a pleading voice, an angelic look on her features.
"Sure, but only for an hour," Callie nods. She rolls her eyes when Brittany all but flies into the house. She turns to face her amused wife and offers her a tender smile, "it's never dull around here, huh?" she chuckles.
"They certainly keep us on our toes," Arizona agrees with a smile. Her smile falters, "I think I should call in sick tonight," she states.
"What? You don't think I can handle it?" Callie jokingly questions. Arizona frowns and gazes at down at the grass, completely missing Callie's teasing tone.
"Of course you can handle it," Arizona murmurs, "I just don't want to leave you to deal with everything by yourself. We've got three girls who are worked up, and a fourth who is gonna wind up getting herself into trouble because she's frustrated. I do think you can handle it, I really do!"
"Hey hey," Callie murmurs, wrapping her arm around Arizona's hips, "I was just messing with you, honey," Callie reassures her. "You don't need to worry about going to work, the girls have exhausted themselves today."
"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Arizona states as she lifts her head and gazes at Callie. "They act out when they're tired, or worried about something, and Santana won't even want to go to bed because of the dreams. She didn't even mean to fall asleep at nap time, did she?"
"She didn't," Callie confirms with a nod, "and that's what will happen at bedtime, too. She's tired, she'll fall asleep. We'll be fine, sweetheart. We'll hang out before dinner and play some games, or colour. Then, after dinner, I will bathe them while you grab some sleep," Callie tells her. "If you're still worried about leaving when you wake up, then you can help me put Santana and Quinn to bed. It'll be around the time of their bedtime, anyway."
"Yeah, okay," Arizona nods, but she isn't convinced at all.
"It'll be fine," Callie promises her. "The girls are just having a hard day, they just need their mommy and mama to give them a little extra love. That's all." Arizona gives Callie a small smile, nodding her agreement.
"Now, come on, because I'm pretty sure Santana and Quinn have gotten at least one of their bedrooms into a huge mess right now," Callie grins.
0-00-0
Arizona smiles warmly as she watches from the door of Santana's bedroom as Quinn and Santana play some kind of game. She's not at all sure what they're playing exactly, but they're cute to watch nonetheless. Quietly watching the relationship between Quinn and Santana is one of Arizona's favourite things to do. She loves how close they are, it had been a nice surprise when they first got to know the girls. She and Callie had been convinced that having two young girls so close in age would be a disaster waiting to happen, and that they would fight constantly. Being proven wrong had never felt so good.
Arizona winks at Quinn when the girl gazes across at her, frowning slightly when Quinn's eyes widen. The girl looks panicked at the sight of her, and Arizona has no idea as to why.
"Santana!" Quinn exclaims, "we have a guest!" Santana's head whips up and she spots her mommy,
"it's just mommy," Santana shrugs as looks away again. Arizona stifles a laugh, wondering if she should be feeling mildly offended or not. Jeez. Thanks, kid.
"She's still a guest!" Quinn argues and Arizona watches in amusement as the girl rushes into the closet. She listens as Quinn rummages around in the closet, a bemused expression playing on her features. She barely holds back the chuckle, that threatens to escape from her lips, when Quinn rushes back out of the closet with a plastic tea party set. "Welcome, mommy," Quinn states in a ridiculously posh voice. "Please sit down."
"Thank you, baby," Arizona smiles as she crosses the room. She sits down next to Santana on the floor, and gratefully accepts a pink teacup from Quinn. "Such a good host." Quinn beams at the murmured praise, whilst Santana looks disappointed in herself for not taking the opportunity to earn such praise herself. Arizona immediately notices this. "Santana, why don't you help Quinn out," Arizona kindly suggests, "isn't there a milk jug in the closet, too?"
"I'll get it, mommy!" Santana exclaims as she leaps to her feet, the four year old all but sprinting into the closet.
"I was gonna get the milk jug, mommy," Quinn pouts.
"I know you were, sweetheart," Arizona reassures her. "I just wanted Santana to feel included," she softly says. Quinn thinks for a moment, her nose adorably wrinkling, before she nods...apparently in agreement with her mommy's decision to include her sister.
"Okay," Quinn shrugs as she slumps to the floor, nursing her pretend cup to tea. Arizona smiles as Santana rushes out of the closet, toy milk jug in hand, and skids to a halt in front of her. Santana gently pours the non existent milk into her mommy's cup, immediately halting when Arizona holds her hand up.
"Good job, baby girl," she praises with a warm smile. "Both of you are such wonderful hosts!" Arizona grins when her girls share a thrilled smile, and she winks at Quinn when her beautiful hazel gaze settles back onto her. Santana settles on the floor next to her mommy, shrinking into her side as Arizona's arm automatically wraps around her.
"Mommy, when do you havta go to work?" Quinn quietly questions, the smallest of frowns playing on the girl's face. Arizona doesn't miss the fact that Santana is now watching her, too, and that the atmosphere in the room becomes a little more somber,
"Not until you guys are asleep," Arizona responds warmly. "I'll be here with mama until then," she promises.
"I guess that's okay," Quinn nods slowly, glancing at her sister to ensure she agrees. Santana immediately obliges, and nods.
"I'm glad you approve," Arizona teases, reaching out to poke Santana in the stomach and eliciting an adorable giggle from the girl. "We're going to have a fun family night before I go, and then I will help you guys with your bath," Arizona tells them both.
"And read a story?!" Santana interjects, her dark eyes filled with hope.
"Well, of course!" Arizona dramatically responds. "What kind of mommy would I be if I forgot about your bedtime story?!"
"One that would make us sad," Quinn states, her bottom lip jutting out and her eyebrows furrowing. Little Quinn, the master of guilt trips.
"I wouldn't want to do that," Arizona seriously says, shaking her head. "Now, how about you girls clean up in here," she suggests. "Then you can come on downstairs and we can play a game together, how does that sound?" Arizona questions, already knowing the answer.
"Can we play Sorry?!" Santana excitedly demands, leaping to her feet.
"We sure can," Arizona nods. "So long as you guys clean this mess up first," she adds, her voice taking on a firm tone. Both girls look disgruntled about it, but neither of them argue with their mommy. "It won't take long if you both help each other," Arizona tells them. "Come on downstairs when you're finished." Arizona says as she stands up. She glances behind her as she walks out of the bedroom, and shakes her head in amusement as the matching pouts on the girls' faces. Arizona makes her way along the hall, stopping short when Callie suddenly steps out of the bathroom.
"You got a second?" Callie asks, before disappearing back into the bathroom again. Arizona frowns and follows her wife into the bathroom, her frown deepening as she watches Callie dig through the drawers and cabinets in the room.
"Is everything okay?"
"Rachel got her period," Callie sighs, "and little Rachel isn't all happy about it. I need to find her some pads because there's no way little Rachel will wear tampons, and I can't ask big girl Rachel to come out," Callie explains, glancing over her shoulder at her wife. "It just wouldn't be fair. I hate this," Callie groans.
"Hey hey," Arizona murmurs as she steps forward, gently placing her hand on Callie's forearm. "This is something that we can't control," she soothingly reminds the woman.
"Yeah, I know," Callie sighs. "It just sucks, ya know? They're reliving their childhood and getting a fresh start, but they can't completely escape from their grown up lives, and I hate that."
"I do, too," Arizona nods. "There's ways we can help with that, though, and it's just a few days out of the month. Maybe if we act like it isn't a big deal, because it isn't, then the girls won't treat it like a big deal either," Arizona suggests, gently rubbing Callie's arm. "They're gonna deal with it as their little selves soon enough anyway. Brittany's almost at that age where she'll let her period become a part of her little self's life, too." Callie sighs softly,
"you're right," she mumbles. "I hate it when you're right," Callie groans, albeit with a twinkle in her dark eyes.
"You should be used to it by now," Arizona smirks, causing Callie to roll her eyes.
"So modest," Callie remarks. Arizona giggles lightly and leans into Callie, softly kissing her soft, plump lips. She grins into the kiss as she feels Callie's arms wrap around her, her hands settling on Arizona's backside.
"Mama?" Both women swallow their disappointed sighs and immediately step back from each other, their gazes settling on a miserable looking Rachel. The girl lingers in the doorway, holding onto her stomach with a grimace playing on her features.
"Mama's still looking for the pads, but I'll definitely find some for you," Callie promises her in a tender voice.
"It was quick," Rachel whimpers. Callie immediately steps forward and engulfs her in a gentle, maternal hug.
"I know, baby," Callie murmurs. "It sometimes sneaks up on us." She rubs the girl's back and sighs softly. It certainly explains Rachel's sensitivity today, her hormones will be all over the place.
"I don't like big girl problems," Rachel pouts. Arizona moves to stand next to her wife and baby girl, her fingers softly stroking Rachel's dark locks.
"I know, sweetheart. It sucks, but it'll be over in a few days," Arizona reassures her. "Mama and I will take care of you, though. And you can be little Rachel the whole time, I promise." Rachel quietly whimpers, but does look a little appeased. Big girl problems suck, but at least she has her two moms to look after her.
0-00-0
The closer it gets to bedtime, the worse Santana's mood becomes. She had been okay whilst playing with Quinn, but she had grown increasingly tired and frustration during their game of sorry in the kitchen. Santana knows her mommy and mama will make her go to sleep soon, and she really doesn't want to. She hadn't had nightmares for a long time but, now that they're back, Santana doesn't want to sleep at all.
Arizona and Callie, for the most part, had been able to keep Santana's brewing tantrum at bay, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to do. As they watch their four girls from the doorway of the living room, they both know that their evening will get worse before it gets better.
Brittany and Quinn are snuggled together on one overstuffed armchair, both blondes engrossed in a cartoon on TV, and it's a cute sight for Callie and Arizona to see. They're both relieved to see that Quinn seems to have gotten over her little meltdown about perfection earlier, and they're even more relieved that Brittany seems to be looking after her little sister. Plus, they look adorable together on the armchair.
Callie turns her gaze towards Rachel and she grimaces sympathetically. The girl is curled up on the sofa, heat pad on her stomach, and a frown on her face even as she sleeps. Rachel had been a little more appeased once her moms had found some pads, but it's obvious that the girl is still miserable. And who could blame her.
"I think we should try and bathe her now," Arizona murmurs into Callie's ear, causing Callie to look across at Santana. Their youngest girl is wearing a scowl, and is pressing so hard with her crayons that she has snapped several of them in half. "Then we can put her to bed a little earlier," she adds. Callie nods her agreement, knowing it'll take a while to get Santana settled tonight and it would be easier to have her in bed before the others.
"She's not going to like it," Callie notes, her eyes not leaving Santana.
"She doesn't have to," Arizona shrugs, "she's four years old, it's not her decision to can do as she is told," Arizona states, her tone sounding much more certain than she feels. Callie can tell straight away that her wife is feeling unsure.
"Easier said than done, huh?" Callie retorts with a knowing smirk.
"I'm just not sure how to deal with this situation," Arizona murmurs. "We're the parents, she's the child. It's just..."
"Hard when you know the reasons for the tantrum we know she's gonna throw," Callie finishes for her wife. She sighs and wraps her arm around Arizona's waist. "It's best for Santana in the long run if we just treat her like we would any other time," Callie quietly says. "We will just keep reminding her that she's safe here, that this is her home and we're her family. We'll always take care of her, and comfort her, but rules are still rules. Tantrums are still not appropriate." Arizona nods,
"I think I'm just gonna call work and tell them I'm not gonna make it in tonight," she states firmly, knowing Callie would try to encourage her to still go. "I want to be here, I think it'll be best for all of our girls if we're all together tonight," Arizona adds, stopping any argument from Callie. Callie nods her agreement, and Arizona realises that no argument was actually going to come this time.
"I think that's a good idea," Callie whispers. "You call work, and I'll start drawing Santana's bath," she says as she presses a kiss to Arizona's temple. She waits until Arizona has disappeared into the kitchen before she steps further into the living room. Callie immediately bends down in front of Santana, as the girl aggressively scribbles with her crayons, and gently takes the crayon from her hand. "I think you've broken enough crayons tonight," Callie softly states. "I need you to go wait in my bedroom."
"Why?" Santana demands, and Callie raises her brow at the attitude coming from the four year old.
"Because I asked you to," Callie tells her firmly. "Go now please." Callie sighs as Santana stomps out of the living room, and she shakes her head ever so slightly.
"Are you okay, mama?" Callie turns to face Brittany, forcing a smile to her lips.
"Yes, sweet girl, I'm okay," Callie tells her kindly. "Thank you for asking. Could you help mommy and I out for a little while and keep an eye on your sisters. We'll come straight down if you need us," Callie promises.
"Sure, mama," Brittany nods, genuinely okay with staying here with her sisters. She knows her parents have a lot on their plates with Santana right now.
"Thank you, baby," Callie smiles. "I'll come back down just as soon as I've got Santana into bed." Callie shoots Quinn a wink before she sweeps out of the living room, following Santana upstairs. Callie slows down a little, delaying the inevitable. She knows they need to be firm with Santana, but it'll be hard to do so whilst the girl is so vulnerable. They will need to be careful tonight, and they will also need to ensure that they spend more time with their other girls this evening. Callie doesn't want them to be brushed aside, no matter how much Santana is suffering. It will be a difficult evening with a lot of balancing, but they will get through it. It's her job as a parent.
To be continued...
This is the 2nd last chapter, at least for now. I may revisit this at some point, but for right now it is almost complete. Please review.