Author's Note: Hello all! Thank you all again for your wonderful reviews, I really appreciate them! I hope you enjoy this next chapter, and Happy Valentine's Day!

A few hours later, Santana awoke to the sound of light knocking on the door. She was still lying on the ground with Brittany curled tightly into her body.

"Come in," she said, softly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Her mother popped her head in the door.

"Mija, we ordered some pizza. I know it's been a difficult day, but both of you still need to eat." Santana looked at her mother with questioning eyes. "Brittany told us what happened when she got here," her mother explained. "Come downstairs. We'll work it all out." Her mother shut the door behind her. After her mother was gone, Santana gently nudged Brittany awake. She kissed Brittany's nose as her eyes struggled to open, heavy with sleep and all of the crying that had occurred during the day.

"You look like a puppy when you're waking up, B," Santana said, petting the hair on the top of her girlfriend's head. Brittany smiled slightly.

"I love you, San," was all Brittany could say.

"I love you too, B." They lay in silence for awhile, just taking each other in. It was something that used to bother Santana; the way couples in love would gaze into each other's eyes. With Brittany, though, she felt like it was something she could never stop herself from doing. She ran her hand across Brittany's cheekbone, then lightly across her lips and down her chin. "My mom says we have to come downstairs and eat something." Brittany just nodded. "They got pizza. Are you okay to come downstairs, or do you want me to bring it up to you?"

"No," Brittany said softly, "I can go downstairs." Santana kissed her again, this time lightly on the mouth.

Soon they were sitting in the family room, stuffing their mouths with pizza. Everyone had been pretty silent through dinner. She assumed her parents were uncomfortable and Santana hadn't realized how hungry she was until she smelled the pizza. She hadn't really eaten since breakfast, and she suspected that Brittany hadn't either. Neither of them really looked up from the task at hand, which was shoveling huge bites of pizza into their mouths.

"You girls were wonderful today, I hope you know that," her mother said, finally breaking the silence.

"Thanks, mama," Santana said between bites. Silence returned to the table.

"So, Brittany," Maria began, a few moments later, "I talked with your mother," Brittany stopped eating and turned to face the older version of Santana. "We both decided it would be best if you spent the next couple of nights here, given the circumstances of the day."

"Am I being kicked out?" Brittany asked, deadpan, but the sadness and worry showing in her eyes.

"Oh no, dear!" Maria quickly said. "We both just thought it would just be nice if you stayed with us for a couple of days until your father cools off." Brittany nodded.

"Thanks, Maria."

"Always. You know that this is your second home. You are family, Miss Brittany," Maria said, looking earnestly at the blond, looking more lost than she had ever seen her. The silence returned to the table as the two teenagers finished off the last of the pizza.

After dinner, Maria made some popcorn and they settled into The Lady and the Tramp, since it was Brittany's favorite movie. There hadn't even been a conversation about it; Santana's father merely got up after the pizza was finished and put it on. Brittany, as usual, fell asleep before Tramp kills the rat in the baby's room. It was funny, Santana thought to herself, as she half watched the movie but mostly listened to the sound of Brittany's quiet breathing and relaxed in the smell of her hair. She had been happy just being with Brittany before telling her parents, but there was something so different now that they knew. Something…adult, maybe? Santana didn't know what the word was for it, exactly, but she knew there was a new feeling that swelled in her stomach since she had told her family about their relationship. Something like butterflies in her stomach when Brittany came over and she gave her a chaste kiss hello, or when she got to do simple things like hold Brittany's hand, or look at her endearingly while she slept on her shoulder while they watched a Disney movie, and her family looked on. Maybe it was the knowledge that the world she had assumed was so lonely and unaccepting was a little better than she gave it credit for. Or maybe it was the emotional release of no longer carrying this secret around. She looked down at her sleeping girlfriend and silently prayed that one day Brittany would get to have this feeling with her own family. Whatever this feeling was.

"I think I'm going to take Britt to bed," she said over to her parents. They both just nodded. Santana nudged Brittany awake enough to get her walking toward the stairs.

"Mija?" Her mother said. Santana internally groaned, predicting her mother's words. "Consider the open door policy on a brief hiatus. You two have been through enough today."

"Thanks so much, mama," Santana said, pausing at the base of the stairs. That feeling, the strange unidentifiable feeling of acceptance came surging back into her stomach. She lowered Brittany onto the bottom stair, gently letting her head lean against the wall and slowly walked over to her mother and hugged her tightly. Maria's eyes opened wide, surprised at this very unlikely, and extremely uncommon, show of affection from her only daughter. "I love you, mama. Thank you." Her mother was still in shock.

"I love you too, mija," her mother said, her eyes welling with tears. Santana pulled away, grabbed Brittany, and pulled her upstairs.

Brittany rubbed her eyes, struggling to open them against the bright morning light. She knew immediately that she must be in Santana's room, because her room never got this bright in the morning. She blindly grasped around for her girlfriend, but was surprised when she found the other side of the bed empty. She rolled over onto her back and tried to figure out what was going on. She reached over to the bed table and found her phone.

Where r u?

She closed the phone and shut her eyes, trying to will herself to forget the events of the previous day. It was usually so easy for her to forget things; she struggled most of the time to not forget the most important things in her life. This burden weighed heavy on her chest, though, and no matter how many times she tried to think about ice cream, or ducks, or Santana naked, she couldn't seem to get her father's angry face out of her mind.

"Hey, B," Santana said, shoving her door open with her shoulder because she was holding a tray. She shut the door behind her with her foot. "I got your text. I didn't expect you to be up so early."

"It's bright," Brittany said, simply. "What's that?" Santana smiled, nervously.

"I made us breakfast. You always said you wanted breakfast in bed…it's not completely ready though…" Brittany sat us against the bed frame as Santana placed the tray over her lap. She looked questioningly at Santana who ran out of the room. She was back a moment later, she had another tray, still folded, under her arm, and she was holding in one hand a carafe of coffee and in the other a small vase containing four daffodils. She put the carafe and the flowers on the ground while she put the other tray up on her side of the bed. Brittany sat silently, trying to contain the bemused look on her face as she watched Santana struggle to make everything perfect. She had known Santana for as long as she could remember, yet she had never seen the girl look this flustered. Santana took one of the plates of scrambled eggs, pancakes and bacon and put it on the empty tray. She then grabbed one cup of orange juice, one empty coffee mug, and also placed it on the empty tray on her side of the bed. Santana then silently put the carafe of coffee on the empty part of her tray, closest to Brittany's and the vase of daffodils on Brittany's tray, closest to Santana's.

"Now it's like we have one big table in my bed, B," Santana said softly. Brittany's expression grew more adoring and bemused at the sight of her girlfriend being so uncharacteristically awkward. Santana took a daffodil out of the vase and handed it to Brittany, who still didn't know what to say. "Here's a daffodil…for my daffodil. You're not narcissistic, B, but you're the only person I know who deserves to be…you're perfect." She leaned down and kissed Brittany on the cheek. "In time of daffodils, who know, the goal of living is to grow, forgetting why, remember how—"

"San?" Brittany said, cutting Santana off.

"Yeah?"

"You're acting crazy." Santana looked a little hurt, and also a little confused. Brittany elaborated. "I love you. I love that you made me breakfast in bed, because I love breakfast in bed. I also love daffodils. And I know you're worried about me," Brittany continued, still deadpan and trying to not hurt Santana's feelings. "But just being with you makes this a little better. I would have been happy with morning sex and leftover pizza…"

"We ate all the pizza," Santana pointed out.

"Still, I love you for being you. And things kind of suck, or whatever, right now, but I love your bitchiness, and your sarcasm, and your inability to be romantic…" Santana looked at Brittany confused. "I guess, what I'm trying to say, is that I was sort of paying attention in English the other day, mostly because we read that funny poem about sex, and I know that you are reciting poetry to me, and it totally freaks me out. So please stop."

"Sorry, B." Santana looked at the ground. "I just wanted things with us to be perfect, since everything else it so…shitty."

"You are perfect, San." Brittany grabbed Santana's hands. "You are perfect and that's why I wanted to tell my parents about us because I love you for being you. And for not doing weird things like reciting poetry to me in bed…so let's eat?" Santana smiled.

"That sounds good…" she crawled into bed next to Brittany and they started to eat their food.

"It took me like, an hour, Britt, to memorize that poem…" Santana said, once they settled into bed and were eating.

"That's totally weird and nerdy, San." Brittany said, not looking up from her pancakes. "Like, seriously, never recite poetry to me again." Santana grinned.

"I knew there was a reason I loved you," Santana said. Brittany leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Two hours later, the remnants of their breakfast was scattered in a messy pile on the ground, and Brittany was nuzzling her nose into Santana's collarbone.

"That's a much better way to distract me than poetry," Brittany said, into Santana's sweaty neck.

"I'll keep that in mind." Santana smiled into her girlfriend's blond hair.

"You know what else is a really great way to distract me?" Santana shook her head. "Vampirate." Santana couldn't help but groan. "Please, San? It always makes me feel better…" Santana didn't even bother looking at her; she knew she was pouting, and she knew that she would eventually cave.

"Okay, Britt, but only if you promise that afterward we'll talk about what happened?" Brittany nodded. "Okay then, you get the handcuffs, I'll go get changed." Santana grabbed her pirate costume out from under the bed. She couldn't help but wonder how this had become her life.

By the time Santana woke up, the sun was already setting. She was uncomfortable—the pirate costume was too itchy to sleep in and it was super uncomfortable without any underwear on. Lace might be sexy, but it really isn't comfortable against bare skin. Brittany stirred against her.

"You know, San, I memorized a poem for you too, once." Brittany said. Santana looked at her girlfriend skeptically. Brittany who couldn't understand a recipe, or a map, or simple directions…Brittany seemed to sense Santana's confusion. "Remember freshman year, when we had to read all of that Spanish poetry?" Santana nodded. "We hadn't even done anything other than kiss yet, but our teacher read this poem out loud in class, and it's when I realized that I was in love with you…and I've always remembered the poem…."

"How does it go, B?"

"Well…I don't remember the beginning…or the end, really…" Brittany scrunched up her nose, like she always did when she was a little confused. "I just remember one part…"

"What do you remember?" Santana asked. Brittany paused, seeming oddly nervous.

"Of everything I have seen, it's you I want to go on seeing; of everything I've touched, it's your flesh I want to go on touching. I love your orange laughter. I am moved by the sight of you sleeping." Santana kissed Brittany's neck. "Sometimes when you laugh, I picture it, just the way he wrote it. Bright, orange, and sweet…and sometimes a little bitter. Orange laughter…"

"I only remember the end." Santana said, looking into her girlfriend's eyes, yet again.

"Of that poem?" Brittany asked. Santana nodded.

"How does it go?" Brittany asked.

"That is why I love you and yet not why. There are so many reasons, and yet so few, for love has to be so, involving and general, particular and terrifying. Honored and yet in mourning, flowering like the stars, and measureless like a kiss." Santana pulled Brittany in for a tight kiss. They just laid there, for what felt like hours, lightly kissing each other and looking at each other, and reassuring one another that it would be okay. Santana had never felt so cheesy in her life. She had also never felt so happy.

"You know, when I put the open door policy on hiatus, I didn't mean that it was now acceptable for my seventeen-year-old daughter to stay in her bedroom the entire day with her girlfriend," Maria said, when Brittany and Santana walked downstairs Monday morning for school.

"We weren't upstairs the entire day, mama. I made breakfast in the morning." Maria glared at her daughter.

"These are special circumstances, girls. I don't want you to get used to it…" Santana chose not to respond, instead grabbing cereal bars for her and Brittany. Santana threw one over to Brittany who deftly caught it and grabbed her car keys, walking toward the door to the garage. "Mija," Maria said to Santana who was halfway out the door, "do you mind if I have a word with Brittany before you go?" Santana shook her head, and then headed out to sit in the car. "Come here, Brittany," Maria said, pulling Brittany into a tight embrace. "I'm not going to pretend to know how hard it is to be going through what you're going through with your parents right now. All I do know is that we all genuinely consider you a part of this family. I know you're going back with your parents tonight, but if things get to hard at home, or if you ever need a safe place to just gather your thoughts, you know you're always welcome here." Brittany nodded. "And you don't have to put your dancer legs at risk, climbing through Santana's window. You can come through the front door. We all hear you climbing through the window anyway." Brittany laughed, and hugged Maria.

"I don't know how to thank you," Brittany said, genuinely thinking that she didn't have the means to thank Maria enough.

"How happy you have made my daughter is thanks enough. Have a good day at school," she said, kissing Brittany on the cheek before she ran out to get in the car to get to school.

They walked into glee club after school a little nervous, but also a little proud. At least, Santana was a little proud; she didn't know what Brittany was feeling. Santana held Brittany's hand tightly in her own. Before they opened the door to the choir room, Santana stopped Brittany.

"It's going to be okay, B, you know that right?" Brittany just nodded and Santana placed a light kiss on her lips. They were the last to enter and were greeted by a loud round of applause. The two girls just stood in silence, struck by their friends. Mr. Schuester ushered them to their seats.

"We all just wanted to thank you for your competition winning performance on Saturday," Mr. Schuester began, clapping his hands loudly.

"Your number is why we won Sectional's," Blaine said, "you guys killed that song; you gave it everything you had. And you did it, knowing that Britt's family would be there and that they didn't know about you two."

"And we wanted to let you know," Mike said, "that we love you no matter what."
"Because we're a family," Finn said, shrugging. Brittany was beaming and Santana was trying to play it cool, but finding it incredibly difficult.

"We spent all day Sunday trying to find a song about being true to yourself," Rachel added, "but it turns out that in three years, we've pretty much done all of those songs…" Tina nodded in agreement with Rachel, shrugging her shoulders.

"Are you two okay?" Mr. Schuester said, a little more seriously now. Both girls nodded.

"I've been staying at San's," Brittany said, quietly. Everyone's faces grew more serious. "They're not kicking me out or anything," Brittany quickly added. "My mom just thought my dad needed some space." Mr. Schuester's eyebrows furrowed, looking more closely at his students.

"Brittany," he said softly, "what happened to your head?" He gestured to a small bruise above Brittany's eyebrow. "And your arms?" He knelt in front of her, noting red marks around her wrists.

"Oh!" Brittany said, not bothering to mimic Mr. Schuester's attempt at a whisper and instead speaking in her normal volume. "I was sad on Sunday, and Santana knew that the best way to make me feel better was Master Vampirate Santana," Mr. Schuester just looked confused and Santana nudged her, which Brittany, of course, mistook for an encouragement that she continue, instead of Santana's intended suggestion that she stop talking immediately. "So she handcuffed me to her bed and she accidentally kicked me in the eye when she was moving her leg so that she could strad—" Santana was moved out of her momentary paralysis just in time to cover Brittany's mouth as she finished the sentence. Brittany furrowed her brow, confused, as she said the "—dle my face," against Santana's palm. Mr. Schuester, Santana, and pretty much the rest of the choir room turned bright red.

"Well, it's good to see you guys are doing okay," Mr. Schuester said, backing away.

"I wish we could see how okay they're doing…" Puck said from the back row, earning him a high five from Mike, and earning Mike and glare from Tina.

"Okay," Mr. Schuester said, interrupting his students' banter, "let's work on the set list for Regionals!"

Santana and Brittany walked quietly down the hallway after glee was over. Brittany's mom was going to be outside to pick her up, and Santana was going to drive herself home alone. Brittany sat in Santana's car while they waited for her mother's car to pull up.

"It's going to be okay," Santana said to Brittany, squeezing her hand. They heard a honk, and saw Brittany's mother's car at the front of the school.

"I have to go," Brittany said, quietly.

"Promise you'll call?"

"Of course."

"I love you."

"Love you, too." Brittany leaned in for a chaste kiss and then grabbed her stuff and ran to her mother's car. Santana sat there until they pulled away. It took all of Santana's will power not to follow them home, just to make sure everything was going to be okay, like she had guaranteed. Brittany's strong, she reminded herself. It was all going to work out, she just had to keep believing it. She pulled out of McKinley and headed home.