A/N: You guys have been asking for more of a back story, so the last chapter and this one gave you some of that. They're not as fun or sexy as previous chapters, but they give you a glimpse into their daily and family lives. This chapter is heavy on family interaction and you'll see why some things happened.
Hope you enjoy it and hopefully I'll see you tomorrow! We're definitely close to the end!
SANTANA'S BABY
CHAPTER 1O: MENDING BRIDGES
"Nervous?" Santana asked as she closed the oven back up.
They had been up since early morning getting ready for their Thanksgiving gathering. Judy was currently showering after helping them all morning and Santana's parents were getting ready as well in the basement apartment. Russell was staying in a hotel close by and would be arriving in the next couple of hours. The rest of their friends would arrive soon after him. They had wanted at least an hour with just their families before everyone came together to have dinner.
"I am. I don't want anything to go wrong."
"I don't think anything will, to be honest. They all know how much this means to us. It's our first holiday as a couple, in our new home and all of our close friends will be here."
"I hope you're right, love. I just want to have a good time and it's been that way so far. Mom and Maribel helped a lot and I'm glad your dad went to spend time with daddy so he didn't feel too left out."
"Papi said they had a really nice time. He's missed having Russell around."
"I'm sure daddy feels the same."
Santana pulled her into a hug and kissed her softly. "Why don't you go shower and I'll watch over the kitchen until someone else comes? I'll get ready then."
"Are you sure you don't want to lie down for a little while? San, you're almost seven months now."
"I'm fine. Those daily massages you give me help with the aching back and swollen feet. Go shower, Q."
She slapped the blonde's ass before winking at her. "Wear those new jeans I got you the other day. They make your ass look especially scrumptious!"
"Woman, we have family around!"
"So? I can still ogle my girl all I want."
Quinn laughed as she left the kitchen. She really just loved every single moment she spent with her soon to be wife and she thanked God every day for the opportunity they were given.
0-0
Maribel looked at Judy as she stirred the mashed potatoes. They were alone in the kitchen after kicking Santana out to go shower and rest before the rest of their guests arrived and were putting the final touches on dinner. Santana's dad was in the family room watching a game. Russell was due any minute.
"How are you holding up, Judy?"
"I'm fine."
"Aha. So the fact that Russell will be here in a few minutes isn't making you nervous at all?"
Judy stopped stirring for a moment before starting again, a little quicker this time. "It was going to happen eventually. We all knew it was only a matter of time before our girls got together and it would bring all of us together as well."
"Quinn did offer not to invite him," she reminded her gently.
"It wouldn't have been fair to her, Maribel. It's been bad enough that my girls hardly speak to each other. I scarcely speak to Fran myself. Had I realized separating from him would destroy my entire family, I would have gone about it a different way."
That is certainly interesting, Maribel thought. "What would you have done differently?"
Judy shrugged helplessly. "Maybe a trial separation and couple therapy? Maybe I would have listed to his side fully instead of letting anger and hurt blind me completely. I honestly don't know, but I do regret doing this to all of us. I only thought of myself."
Maribel put her hand on Judy's shoulder and looked at her dear friend. "Do you still love him?"
Judy simply nodded as tears gathered in her eyes. "I tried to hate him for so long. He was always such a good, honest man that when things fell apart, I couldn't deal with it. I never expected it of him. We had a happy marriage."
"If it's any consolation, Carlos thinks her was drugged as well. His symptoms at the time were not just those of a drunken man. Remember he went to our house seeking him out before going to see you. Judy, I honestly don't think he went out to that business meeting with the intention to cheat on you. He took his marriage vows seriously."
Judy's eyes widened at that new piece of information so many years after the fateful incident. "I had no idea about that. Why didn't he tell me?"
"He tried. You didn't want to talk to him at the time and he felt so guilty he just gave up instead of making it worse."
"Oh my God," she whispered as a few tears escaped.
"For what it's worth, he still loves you," she told her gently. "We've always kept in touch with him, Judy, and his love for you and his girls never wavered. I think, and you don't have to listen to me if you don't want to, but I do think this might be the perfect opportunity to try and mend some broken fences and maybe find a way to get along for Quinn's sake."
Before Judy could respond, the doorbell rang and they both looked that way.
"That's probably him," Maribel said. "Do you want to get the door?"
Judy was paralyzed for a moment before nodding and walking in that direction. Maribel looked towards the ceiling, closed her eyes and sent a quick prayer that things would finally start to fall into place.
0-0
Judy ran her hands down her apron and straitened her pearl necklace. She took a deep breath before rolling her neck and unlocking the deadbolt. She opened the door slowly and their eyes met and locked for the first time in years.
Russell Fabray was still handsome and he still managed to take her breath away. He looked older and more distinguished than the last time she had seen him and while his eyes didn't have the same sparkle in them, he still managed to send her heart into a tizzy.
"Judy," he whispered in a broken voice. "I…"
He didn't even know what to say to her. His brain ceased to function the moment the door was opened and there she stood, beautiful as ever. He'd never felt his regret as deeply as he did then, coming into his daughter's house for the first holiday they would spend together in years and coming face to face with the woman that still held his heart captive.
"Hi, Russ," she managed to greet him, immediately reverting to her old self around him. She hadn't called him that in years.
He closed his eyes as he felt a hand squeezing his heart so hard he thought he'd pass out. He put his hand out and leaned against the door frame trying valiantly to stay composed when all he wanted was to pull her into his arms and keep her there forever.
She moved closer to him and put her hand against his pale cheek. His color had changed so suddenly she relied on pure instincts and they were telling her to go to his aid.
"Are you okay?" His skin felt cold and clammy and she took his free hand, pulling him into the house and helping him to the sofa until he was sitting down. "Russell, talk to me. What's the matter? Do we need to call a doctor?"
"No," he managed softly. "I just need a moment."
0-0
Quinn and Santana watched their interaction from where they were standing out of view in the hall. They'd heard the doorbell and figuring it was Russell, they had come down with the intention of answering the door first, only to run into Quinn's parents interacting with each other. Seeing Russell paling so quickly had worried Santana.
"Do you want me to get papi?" she offered.
"No. He's okay."
"Babe, he looks pale and he's not moving much."
"He's fine. Let's just give them a moment."
Santana turned her eyes back to the couple sitting on the sofa as Judy fussed over a quiet Russell.
0-0
"If you don't talk to me and tell me what's wrong I'm calling Carlos in here."
He finally opened watery eyes and looked at her. "I'm okay, Judy. I just need a moment to compose myself."
"Are you ill?" she insisted as she rested the back of hand against his forehead.
"It's nothing a doctor can cure." Her eyes widened as he took her hand and held it. "My heart just hasn't been the same since we parted ways and seeing you again after such a long time dismantled me. You're more beautiful than ever and it literally took my breath away. I don't even know what to do right now, how to act, or what to say."
She was rendered speechless.
0-0
"Smooth operator, papa Fabray," Santana murmured as she heard his words. "Now I know where you get it, darling," she told Quinn. "Did you know about this?"
"I just knew they still love each other and I've praying really hard that one of them would give in this weekend. Looks like God answered my prayers."
Santana held her close as they continued to watch the scene unfolding.
0-0
"Russ," Judy whispered unable to say much else. She really wasn't expecting that or anything that was happening.
Russell still held her hand, his thumb moving softly over the back of it.
"Judy, I honestly don't know how else to tell you how sorry I am for everything that happened. I've tried so many times to move on, to just forget what we had, but I can't." He let go of her hand and stood up. "I'm sorry, this was a mistake. I just can't do this. I can't be in the same room with you and pretend like it's not killing me inside that we're not even friends. Please tell Quinn and Santana I'm sorry. I'll call them before I leave to take them to dinner."
He started walking towards the door.
0-0
"Come on, mamma," Quinn whispered as she held onto Santana's hand and tried to hold back tears. "Don't let him go again, please."
Santana glared at the adults in the living room and Snix threated to come out and set them straight for making her girl cry, but she sucked it up and held onto Quinn tightly, hoping Judy would stop Russell before he got to the door.
And everyone dared to call her blind! Jesus fuck! Seriously, Russell and Judy were even worse. At least she got her ass out of her head and got her girl in the end. These two were just painful to watch.
0-0
"Russ," Judy called out as she finally stood up and went after him. "Wait, don't go."
He stopped walking but didn't turn around to face her.
"Look, this isn't the time to hash things out, but I promise we'll talk tomorrow. Let's just have a good time with the kids today and we'll figure out where we go from here tomorrow."
Her words had him turning around and he knew he looked hopeful, but he couldn't help himself. It was the most he had gotten out of her in years.
"I'm holding you to that promise, Judy. Please don't lie to me about that just to get me to stay."
"I'm not lying. I think it's time we talked about things." She moved closer to him and tentatively took his hand. "I know I was hard and unyielding and I never gave you the time to explain properly. It's high time we had a proper conversation and moved past it."
"I'd like that. We have a grandchild on the way and I don't want to miss out on that because we can't stand to be in the same room together. Quinn doesn't deserve that. She's finally happy with the girl she's always loved, they're getting married and starting a family. I need to be here for her."
"I know. This is what we've all been waiting for and she deserves all of our support. We'll work on us and then we'll work on Fran. She needs to grow the hell up as well and get over herself. Her selfishness is killing Quinn even if she doesn't ever talk about it."
He smiled at her rare use of a curse word. "Leave her to me. I've already started working on it."
"Good. I've been of a mind of taking her over my knee even if she's 35."
He actually laughed at that. "I'd pay to see that."
She couldn't help but smile when he laughed. She suddenly realized she'd missed it and him more than she let herself believe.
"I'm glad you're here," she told him softly.
His blue eyes finally shone the way she remembered when she first met him and she moved closer to him out of instinct. Before she knew it, he was embracing her gently.
"I'm glad I'm here, too."
0-0
Santana held Quinn as she cried quietly into her shoulder, a wobbly smile in place.
"Let's get you cleaned up, darling, before the rest of our guests arrive. They need a little privacy right now," she whispered as she stroked her hair tenderly.
Quinn just nodded and let Santana lead her away, looking over her shoulder one more time before smiling and following the Latina towards their bedroom.
Maybe God was feeling specially giving towards her that year. She made a mental note to go to the cathedral that weekend to say thanks.
0-0
Carlos had given Russell a manly hug the moment he walked into the family room and they settled down to watch the game. Russell, who hadn't had a drop of liquor since Judy had divorced him, drank a mineral water while Carlos enjoyed a beer.
"When will Puck and Mike get here? The game they wanted us to watch starts in an hour and we should eat before it starts. I don't think the girls are going to let us eat here while we watch," Carlos commented.
"Soon I hope. Quinn will skin us alive if we mess anything in this house. Kurt did such a good job with the place, don't you think?"
"It's perfect for them. Did you see our grandbaby's room?"
He blushed a little. "Judy showed me. It's beautiful."
Carlos eyes widened and he slapped him hard on the shoulder. "Por fin!" he exclaimed happily. "Congratulations on that step, Russell. You've earned it."
"She promised we'd talk about everything tomorrow and she let me hold her. I'm so hopeful I can't stand it."
"I hope it all goes well. I know she had a talk with Maribel earlier. You two belong together if after all of these years you still love each other."
"I don't know if she loves me, but just to be a part of her life again will be enough for me."
"Don't sell yourself short. She loves you still. We all just have to have faith. Look at Quinn and San. They're finally together and it took them almost fifteen years to finally get there."
"I'm glad that finally happened. Only thing, though, which of them is walking down the aisle and which of them is waiting at the altar?"
"Oh, man, I didn't even think about that. I have no idea what's done in these situations."
"We have to talk to them about that."
Before they could continue their conversation, the doorbell rang again and soon after they heard the unmistakable voice of Puck greeting everyone.
0-0
"I know the boys want to eat and rush towards the TV to watch the game, but I wanted to take a moment to say a few things," Santana said as she stood up and smiled at everyone around the big table in their formal dining room.
"Go on, mi amor," her father encouraged. "The game can wait."
"Gracias, papi. This being Thanksgiving, I wanted to first thank you all for coming and making this holiday even more special. We're surrounded by all of our favorite people having a fabulous time and that means a lot to Quinn and me." She looked down at the blonde and smiled before continuing. "I also want to thank Quinn for never giving up on me, for making me so damn happy and for making one of my dreams a reality. Marrying her and having her child is a blessing to me so I'm extra thankful this year for that."
"Thank you, baby," Quinn told her quietly and kissed the back of her hand.
Santana smiled at her again before turning to the blonde's parents. "Russell and Judy, thank you for being here. It means the world to my girl and I appreciate you making the effort. I hope this is the first of many more family get togethers."
"It's our pleasure," Judy said while looking shyly at Russell who just smiled lovingly at her and patted her hand.
"Mami and papi, thank you for being there, for always supporting me and for being like a second set of parents to Quinn. You've always been amazing when it came to her and mami, you always tried to help me see what was right in front of my eyes, not once giving up hope that one day I would. I'm glad I finally did because I've never been happier.
"And to the rest of our friends, who are our extended family, thank you for being here and for loving us and supporting us in this new adventure. I hope everyone enjoys the food and the rest of the day. Dig in!"
Everyone cheered and clapped and Quinn pressed a loving kiss to her lips when she sat down next to her.
"That was a wonderful speech, love."
"Thank you, baby. Do you want me to serve you?"
"No, I got it. You just sit there and look beautiful and I'll take care of our food."
0-0
That night, after everyone had gone home, their parents had lingered in the living room having a cup of coffee and spending time together. Santana and Quinn watched from the love seat they were sharing with smiles on their faces. Santana was tucked under Quinn's arm, her own arm going around the blonde's waist.
"How about we go to bed and give them time alone? The four of them haven't been together like this in too long," Quinn suggested quietly.
"Does that invitation include some sexy time?" she whispered back.
"Babe, our parents are under the same roof as us!"
"You didn't say that last night when you had to bite into the pillow to keep from screaming while I played with Little Q," she reminded her playfully.
Quinn couldn't help but shudder as she remembered just how damn talented Santana's mouth was. Little Q stirred just thinking about it.
"Okay, let's go." Quinn got up and Santana chuckled as she helped her up. "We're going to bed. Daddy, feel free to stay in the other guest room. It's ready if you want to use it for tonight. It's getting late."
"It's fine, darling. I'll call a taxi later and be here in the morning for breakfast. I don't have anything with me."
"The offer is there regardless. Night, everyone!" She waved at them as she pulled a still giggling Latina behind her. "We're so going to get our room soundproofed," she told her as they walked up the stairs to the room.
0-0
Friday morning, as he had told her, Russell was back and after a fun family breakfast full of teasing and laughter, he and Judy excused themselves and left together. Carlos and Maribel asked the girls to go on a walk around the city and they gladly accepted.
It being black Friday, they decided to stay away from the stores and just window shopped and decided to go watch a movie on a whim. They talked about the future and it was then Carlos told them he was thinking of either retiring or asking for a transfer to one of the hospitals in the city so they could be closer to them.
"Are you being serious, papi?"
"I am, honey. You're my only child and now you guys are having a baby. I don't want to miss out on that and neither does mami, so we're looking at our options right now."
"If you do decide to move, which we'd love, you can live in the basement apartment for as long as you wanted," Quinn offered graciously. "We'd love to have you close to us and the baby."
"I could babysit once Santana goes back to work," Maribel immediately said as she warmed to the idea.
"Well, Quinn was going to take care of the baby since she is home most of the day, but I'm sure she'll need quiet time when she's writing so I'm not going to say no, mami. I'd love for you to be the one taking care of our child when Quinn is busy."
"If you're both sure it won't be an issue, I'll start looking into positions here and start the paperwork. I don't want to miss my grandchild's birth for anything."
"It's not a problem at all. I know just how much Santana wishes you were closer. She missed you as much as you miss her."
"I do. This is wonderful news!"
"Then it's settled. We'll just bring our important things for now and when we're settled here and find our own place, we'll pack up the house and move the furniture."
"What are you going to do with that big house then?" Santana asked curiously.
"It depends on what you want, mi amor. That house is part of your inheritance, but if you don't want it, we'll put it on the market and put the money away until you need it."
"I don't want your money."
"Oh, we know. So we'll just put it in a trust fund for the baby," he quickly countered. "We know you won't have an use for the house."
"Yeah. No offense, but I don't see myself living in a small town full of prejudices again. My family and I are damn special and we need to be where we feel free to be ourselves."
"We figured as much, which is why it's best to sell the place," her mother told her. "The money will be for the grandkids."
"Or your retirement," Quinn tried.
"Don't worry about that part of it, Quinn. We already have that covered. We've been smart about our money and investments."
Knowing they had already lost the battle, they both nodded.
"Fine, mami, put the money on a trust fund for the kids. I'm sure by the time they're due to start college, the prices will be even more astronomical than they are now."
"It's a deal then. When we go back to Lima next week, we'll talk to a realtor and put the place up for sale."
"You should call Blaine and see if he can give you any information about positions open at his hospital. I know he really likes working there," Santana suggested as they continued their stroll.
"I will."
By then, Santana was getting slower as they walked and Quinn immediately suggested they return home when she saw her girlfriend valiantly trying to keep up with everyone else.
When they arrived back at their home, laughter could be heard coming from the living room. They followed the sound to find Judy and Russell playing with Matthew while Puck and Rachel watched from the sofa. They were both on the floor trying to help him walk from one adult to the other and would laugh at the little faces he made or his contagious giggles when he fell on his butt.
Quinn took a moment to take it all in, her heart feeling so light and happy she couldn't help but smile as a couple of tears escaped the corners of her eyes. She had been waiting for a moment like this for so long she had just about given up waiting.
"Hi everyone," Santana greeted as she moved into the room. It distracted everyone enough to give Quinn a moment to compose herself.
When Matthew saw her, he immediately dropped on the floor and started crawling rapidly towards her. He held onto her legs to stand up again, reaching for her arms.
"Oh, baby boy, I can't bend to pick you up anymore," she said sadly and Puck immediately jumped to their aid, lifting him up and into Santana's waiting arms. "Hi handsome," she greeted him as she kissed his cheek. He just wrapped his arms around her neck and cuddled into her. "That's my little man."
"Carlos, the game should start soon. Wanna order pizza? I brought beer for us and some mineral water for Russell," Puck told him as he settled back down.
"Sounds great! What will the ladies be doing in the meantime?"
"We're planning our baby showers, of course!" Rachel told him.
"Oh, um, can I be excused? I wanted to watch the game," Quinn told them.
"But Quinn," Rachel started before Santana nodded at her.
"You can spend time with the boys, love. We'll be fine in the kitchen."
Quinn grinned, kissed her and went to sit by her dad.
0-0
Later that night, as they cuddled in bed, they talked about the weekend so far and Quinn told Santana she had never felt happier. Russell and Judy had taken her aside that evening to tell her they had talked and were going to work on themselves and moving past the things that had broken their marriage. They were going to try to rekindle their friendship and if more was to come out of it, they were open to it. She had offered her support, had told them no matter what happened she just wanted them both actively in their lives and had hugged them tightly.
"It's just a matter of time before they get back together, Q. You'll see."
"I hope you're right." Quinn was quiet for a little bit before turning to look at Santana. "I want us to promise each other something, love."
"What's that?"
"I don't ever want to be apart from you but I realize we're going to have fights and problems here and there. If anything big ever happens, I want us to be able to talk about it, not just do what mom did and waste years together."
"I promise you that no matter what happens, or how painful it can be, we'll discuss it when we're both calm. We don't do well when we're angry at each other. We can both be vicious and I don't want to ever hurt you like I know I'm capable of because I say the wrong things in anger."
"I know. I promise you I'll do the same. I don't know how daddy survived all of these years without mom, but I know I couldn't do the same when it came to you. I'd fight for you every day until I had you back."
Santana smiled and kissed her softly. "I'd do the same, darling. Now that I have you all to myself, I'll never let anything or anyone interfere with our love."