Zach walks downstairs on Thanksgiving morning to see Brittany on his mom's lap. Riley has been at her dad's house for almost two and a half weeks and Zach could tell Brittany missed her. It wasn't the same for her to walk down the halls of Lincoln Prep and see her.
Brittany had her nose nuzzled into Santana's neck and Santana was slightly stroking her hands through her wife's hair. When she look up at Zach, he could tell that she had been crying. He poured himself some coffee and went to the table.
"Morning." He said to the couple.
"Morning Mijo."
"Morning Zach."
"What's wrong?" Zach asked Brittany.
"I-I just got a call from Riley. A-apparently Sam's parents came into town for T-thanksgiving and she wants to stay there."
Zach's eyebrows shot all the way up, "I'm sorry Brittany." He saw his mom's arms wrap tightly around Brittany's waist.
"S-she said she'd come over for desert later on though."
Zach got up and crouched down in front of his mom and Brittany, "What if I cheer you up a little?"
"W-what do you mean?"
"I told Coach Kennedy that I'd have my decision on which scholarship I was going to take by Thanksgiving and well it's Thanksgiving and I'm never going to go back on my word."
"Okay?" Both Brittany and Santana said.
Zach got up and went into the other room after saying, "Okay, wait here and close your eyes." The couple closed their eyes and Zach came back in with two USC sweatshirts. "Okay, I know that Thanksgiving isn't meant for people to get anything and for them to be thankful for what they have, but I got you guys something anyway. Open up your eyes."
When the couple opened up their eyes, they both let out a small gasp.
"You chose-" Santana started.
"USC?" Brittany finished.
"Yeah. I'm letting Coach Kennedy know first thing Monday morning, but I wanted you guys to know first."
"Is that why you asked us what sweatshirt size we were?" Brittany asked.
"Yeah."
"Well, I for one am thankful that you'll be close to home." Santana said.
"I second that." Brittany said.
"I'll be living on campus, but it's like twenty minutes from here, so I'll be home on the weekends and can come over for like dinner on some days." He crouched down again and look straight at Brittany, "And more importantly, the bond that you and I are trying to make won't just be something that I did in my senior year. It'll mean something so much more. I love you, Brittany and I'm sorry that your daughter is confusing the hell outta you right now."
Brittany detached from Santana and pulled Zach into a hug, "I love you too, Zach, I love you too."
Santana, Zach, and Puck were sitting watching the Lions vs. Texans game on tv while Quinn and Brittany were in the kitchen finishing dinner. Santana got up to get her and Puck another beer when she saw her wife almost in tears again while making the mashed potatoes. Santana came and hugged her wife from behind.
"I love you, baby." The brunette whispered into the blonde's ear.
"I love you too."
"She'll be over here in a few hours."
"I know, but it's still not the same."
Santana just stayed there and swayed back and forth with her wife. She could tell this is what Brittany needed the most. She whispered sweet nothings into her ear to get her to relax again. They were brought out of there sweet love fest by Zach and Puck yelling at the tv.
"Come on!" Puck yelled.
"What was that?!" Zach yelled.
"I'll let you go back to making the mashed potatoes." Santana whispered into her wife's ear. Santana kissed Brittany's temple.
"I love you, babe." Brittany whispered as Santana detached from her.
"I love you too, sweetheart."
Santana walked back into the family room where the two men were yelling at the tv.
Quinn came behind Brittany and said, "She thinks it's the right thing to do."
"How do you know?"
"She came into my office last week. She needed advice."
"I'm glad you could give some to her, Q."
"She really misses you."
"I just don't understand why she has to spend Thanksgiving with Sam and his parents, if that's the case."
"She missed Sam too. She's trying to rebuild that relationship."
"Did she tell you all this?"
"Not all, but I could see it in her body language and stuff."
"Well, I'm glad she came to you."
"She feels guilty."
"What, why?"
"She feels like she hurt you for choosing Sam over you."
"I may have made her feel like that."
"What makes you say that?"
"I kinda yelled at Sam two days later."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
Flashback(About two and a half weeks before)
Brittany walked into Sam's office two days after telling Riley to take a trial run at her dad's on her lunch break.
"What the hell do were you thinking?" Brittany basically yells.
"Hi, I'm great, thanks. How are you?"
"I'm not here for small talk Sam."
"Then what do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb."
"Are you talking about me asking Riley to move in with me?"
"Yes."
"Okay, what was I thinking? I was thinking how much of a poor excuse of a father I've been ever since you and Santana got married and I was thinking that I'd make it up to my daughter."
"Without even consulting with me first? We may not be married anymore, but we still need to consult with each other. What you did was not okay!"
"What do you want me to say Britt? I'm lonely. And you said it was okay."
"Because she wanted to do it."
"Okay, then shouldn't it be her decision ultimately?"
"Yeah, but seriously, why?"
"I told you Britt, I'm lonely."
"Get a freaking dog or something."
"You act like I'm taking her all the way across the country. Britt, it's just across town. You can still see her."
"Weekends aren't enough for me."
"You have Santana and whatshisname."
"Zach?"
"Yeah, him."
"What's that's supposed to mean?"
"You have a reason to go home every night, I don't. I want that reason."
"I don't care! You should've asked me before asking her. That was not okay!"
"I miss you, Britt."
"You had your chance."
Brittany walked out of the room and went back to work.
Flashback Ended
"That was kind of bold of you, B."
"I know."
"I know you miss her, but like I said she thinks she's doing the right thing."
"I miss cuddling with her on Saturday afternoons. I miss coming downstairs and her talking about something that Santana and Zach don't understand. I miss making normal small talk when we pass each other on campus. I miss getting text messages from her letting her know that she loves me. I feel like I fucked everything up here."
"You didn't."
"I know, but I feel like it."
Quinn came behind the blonde and hugged her from behind, "It's going to be okay."
They finished making dinner in silence.
A few hours later, Riley came into the house.
"Hello?" She called.
"Hey Ri." Santana said coming down the stairs.
"Hi Santana." Riley said softly.
Santana hugged the teenager, "Your mom is in the kitchen."
"Okay."
The two walked into the kitchen and saw Brittany pulling the last pie out of the oven and the two heard Puck and Zach yelling at the tv again.
"H-hi Mom."
Brittany looks up, "Hey baby girl." She went over to hug her daughter. "H-how was Thanksgiving with your dad?"
"It was good." She buried her face into her mom's chest, "I-I missed you though."
"I missed you too, baby girl."
"So...why are both you and Santana wearing USC stuff?"
"Zach made his decision on what scholarship to take. He chose USC."
"So he got you USC gear? He knows that you don't give people gifts on Thanksgiving right?"
"Yeah."
"He's such a dork."
"Yeah." Santana said cutting herself a piece of Apple pie.
Quinn walked into the kitchen and saw Brittany holding Riley close.
"Hey sweetie."
"Hey Aunt Quinn."
"How are you?"
"Good. You?"
"I'm good."
Brittany and Riley sat down and Riley curled into her mom. She missed her mother's embrace just as much as Brittany missed embracing her daughter. Zach came in to get a soda out of the refrigerator and looked at Riley in Brittany's arms. He tensed a little because he knew what Riley had put Brittany through. He warned her not to, but she did anyway. He didn't say a word to her when he passed her. He went back to watch the game. That didn't go unnoticed by Riley and she was hurt by it.
Later that night, Zach had stepped out into the backyard to get some air. It had been a good day for the most part. He sat on the deck with a hot cup of tea in deep thought.
"She has no idea what she put Brittany through. She acts like it's nothing. It's so not nothing. She's put her own mother through hell. Making her own mother feeling like she wasn't good enough."
He was pulled out of his thoughts by Santana coming out of the house.
"Hey kid."
"Hey Mom."
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, Riley just left and before she did she said something to Britt about how you've been avoiding her like the plague."
"How can she act like nothing's wrong? She put Brittany through hell. She's continuing to put her through hell."
"I know, kid. But, you can't fight this battle for Brittany."
"I warned her not to do it."
"What?"
"When she was trying to make a decision, I told her not to do it."
"Why?"
"Because I knew how much it was devastate Brittany."
"I know. Things will go back to normal sooner or later."
"Yeah, hopefully."
"What's this you being all protective of Britt these days?"
"Sorry."
"No, no. It's okay. I was just wondering."
"I spent so much time mad at her and now that we're working on a relationship, I can't see her like she has been lately. She puts her teacher face on at school and fakes it. But, I know she's faking it."
"I love you mijo." Santana said putting her head on her son's shoulder.
"I love you too." He put his head on her head and wrapped his arm around her.
"I'm thankful for you mijo."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"You amaze me. How strong you can be most of the time. How protective you can be."
"I'm just like the male version of you."
"I know. Thanks for choosing USC."
"You're welcome."
The mother/son duo sat and enjoyed each others company for awhile while looking at the stars. Zach held his mom close. It was moments like these he cherished the most.
