I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.

Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter, I really appreciate it.

I'm doing my best to update this as much as possible, hopefully this chapter was worth the wait.

R&R please.

Chapter 14

- Present day -

Santana sips on her coffee as she carefully studies Sugar. They're in a run down diner somewhere close to San Francisco, and Brittany had suggested they stop to get some food before continuing on into the city. They have to wait for nightfall before they go near their future home, anyway. Santana frowns at the two young women across the table from her, noticing how sad they both seem. Sugar also looks a little nervous. Neither of them have spoken apart from to order their food and to ask Santana to pass them a condiment or two, and Santana doesn't like it. She had tried to talk to them about it, but had brushed off with a lame excuse about them being tired. Santana's tired, too, but there's something more going on with each of them. Santana just doesn't know what it is.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Sugar mumbles as she slides out of their booth. Santana watches her leave, her frown deepening. She turns her attention to Brittany and smiles softly at her. Brittany's returned smile is weak and forced.

"Babe, what's going on?" Santana gently questions, "you're not yourself." Brittany sighs softly and blinks back sudden tears. Santana immediately reaches across the table and takes Brittany's hand into her own. "Talk to me, sweetheart," she quietly urges.

"I just," Brittany pauses, swallowing deeply. "I'm just going to miss her," she murmurs, her voice thick with emotion. "If this plan works, Sugar will be going back to her own time, and I...I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye to her yet. We're just getting to know her," Brittany whispers. "I know it's stupid." Santana blanches at that word, she always hated hearing Brittany refer to herself, or her feelings, as stupid.

"It's not stupid at all, baby," Santana reassures her. "It's...hard," she sighs. "Saying goodbye to her is going to really, really hard, but we're gonna meet her again in five years and we're gonna have her, and love her, for the rest of our lives. We have a responsibility towards her to look after and get her home safely to our future selves," she quietly states. "Knowing her is amazing, and saying goodbye is gonna suck, but we're doing right by her and ourselves."

"I know," Brittany nods. "It just...it feels really cruel that we got to spend all this time with her and bond with her, only to have to send her away and then wait. What if we have changed the past too much?" Brittany frantically questions, "what if we don't have the Sugar that we've come to know and love?"

"I'm not going to pretend that I know how any of this works," Santana begins, "but I think...think...that if she was going to change, we would see it already. If we had changed it too much, she'd already have become this different person," Santana murmurs. She frowns, "I think. She's beautiful and an interesting, funny person and I'm very much looking forward to raising her, but if she is different...she's still our child. I don't think we've changed her, and I think that with you as her mother, she's still going to be the great kid that she already is," Santana passionately states. Brittany blinks back her tears and smiles warmly at Santana. "You're gonna be an awesome mom, Britt," Santana states sincerely, "you already are." Brittany smiles,

"then I'm glad that our kids are going to have two great parents," she says. She looks up as Sugar slides back into their booth, the girl refusing to look at either of them. "Are you okay, honey?" she questions. Sugar shrugs and chooses to stare down at her empty plate instead of interacting with Santana and Brittany. They share a look of concern. "Sugar, look at me," Brittany urges her. Sugar doesn't comply, still stubbornly staring at her plate. "Sugar?" Brittany sighs sadly and glances at Santana, easily spotting the building irritation on her girlfriend's face.

"Sugar, your mother is talking to you," Santana interjects, "don't be so rude."

"I don't want to talk!" Sugar snaps. Santana raises a brow,

"don't talk to me like that," she reprimands the younger girl.

"Then leave me alone," Sugar retorts, slapping her hand down on the table. Santana glares at Sugar and pulls her wallet from the pocket of her jeans, throwing money down onto the table. She stands up and firmly takes a hold of Sugar's upper arm, "let's go," she says simply, pulling Sugar from her seat. Brittany's eyes widen ever so slightly and she slides out of the booth, following after them as Santana marches Sugar out of the diner. Santana leads Sugar back to their car, Sugar having to walk much quicker to keep up with Santana, and her own arm. Santana stops at the car and manoeuvres Sugar around so that the girl is standing with her back against the side of the car. Santana stands in front of her and lets go of Sugar's arm, folding her arms across her chest as she stares the younger girl down.

"What's going on with you?" Santana demands, feeling Brittany's hand settle on her lower back. She knows her girlfriend is silently encouraging her to calm down. Sugar stays silent, but Santana and Brittany both notice the shame in her dark eyes. "Hey, " Santana's voice softens as she places her finger under Sugar's chin and urges her to look at her. "We can't help you unless you talk to us," Santana murmurs.

"You need to lose the attitude," Brittany gently adds her two cents. "Being rude to us will only land you in trouble," she says. Sugar jerks her head away from Santana's touch and stares down at the ground, tears blurring her gaze.

"I don't want to go back," Sugar whispers, so quietly that Santana and Brittany aren't sure that they heard correctly.

"You don't want to go back?" Brittany questions, frowning.

"I just...I can't go back there," Sugar whimpers, tears dripping from her face.

"Why?" Santana weakly asks, "did we do something?" she questions, fearful of the answer.

"They're going to hate me," Sugar states. "They're already mad at me and...they're gonna be even more mad and they'll hate me," she whispers brokenly. Santana and Brittany exchange a heartbroken gaze. Sugar had never mentioned that she was having issues with their future selves before she travelled back here.

"Sweetheart," Santana begins gently, cupping Sugar's face in her hand. "We would never hate you. Not now, not ever. Our future selves definitely won't hate you," Santana promises. She pulls Sugar into her arms and holds her close as Brittany rubs their child's back.

"You were so mad at me," Sugar whimpers. "You wouldn't believe me and you were just so mad," she cries. "Mom was mad, too, but she believed me," she sobs into Santana's neck. Santana stiffens. It was her, her future self anyway, that had Sugar in such a state? What did she do? Had she driven their daughter away?

"What didn't she believe?" Brittany softly questions. "You need to tell us the full story, honey," she murmurs. "Not just parts of it."

"I kept getting into trouble," Sugar mumbles. "I was in trouble at school and at home, I was already grounded and then..."

"Take your time, sweetie," Brittany interrupts, "you're getting a little jumbled. What were you grounded for?"

"I...I had stolen mama's tequila and she found out about it," Sugar hiccups. "I was already in trouble because you said my attitude was bad and I...I just kept messing up," Sugar admits, "and then my principal called. He said that I had been cheating and that the school had proof, but I didn't. I didn't cheat," she swears. "Mama didn't believe me. I had already been in so much trouble and I had lied too much recently, so she didn't believe me when I was telling the truth." Sugar completely breaks down, sobs rattling her body as she buries her face in Santana's neck.

"I believe you," Santana whispers, holding Sugar tightly and softly hushing her. "I'm sorry that my future self doesn't, but I do," she promises her, tenderly kissing her head. Sugar doesn't respond, but she clings to Santana even more tightly. "I've got you, you're okay." Santana gazes at Brittany, and Brittany can see the guilt in Santana's dark eyes. It's not her fault, but she stills feel bad for something their child went through in the future. Brittany isn't at surprised, Santana and guilt often mingled together.

- 2032: 3 days after Sugar travels back in time -

Quinn gazes at her best friends as they sit in the kitchen in a stony silence. She knows their other friends had assumed that it would be Santana that would remain strong, and that it would be Brittany that would fall apart. She had also known they were wrong, and she can see that they indeed were. Santana hasn't eaten very much at all since Sugar disappeared, and Quinn knows just by looking at her that Santana is barely sleeping. Brittany is struggling to sleep, too, but she eats and she makes sure she is taking care of herself to give herself the ability to hold her family together.

"Quit staring at me, Quinn," Santana coldly states. "I'm not going to perform any tricks," she adds dryly.

"She's just concerned," Brittany gently reprimands her wife. Quinn notices Lily and Dylan watching their parents warily, Santana in particular. Santana acts like she doesn't notice, but Quinn knows that she does. She also knows that it will be tearing her friend up inside.

"I need to go," Quinn murmurs. "The kids will be home from school soon." Brittany nods, weakly smiling at Quinn.

"Thank you for coming," Brittany gratefully states, gracefully rising to her feet and hugging their friend.

"No problem," Quinn replies, "give me a call if you need anything at all, okay?" Brittany nods. Quinn turns her gaze to Santana, but the other woman refuses to make eye contact with her.

"Just go," Santana bitterly mutters. "You won't be the first person I've driven away." Quinn sighs,

"Santana," she begins gently, "you haven't..." She stops when Brittany lays her hand on her arm, shaking her head sadly. She gets the message.

"I'll walk you out," Brittany says. She glances at her wife as she walks Quinn from the kitchen, feeling her chest pinch. She doesn't know what to do. "She's so withdrawn," Brittany quietly tells Quinn as they reach the front door. "She's blaming herself." Quinn winces, but she doesn't verbally respond. She has no idea what to say to Brittany to make her feel better, mostly because she knows her friend will only feel better when she has her missing child in her arms.

"Call me, okay?" Quinn hugs Brittany again.

"I will." Brittany opens the front door and sadly watches as Quinn leaves. She closes the door and heavily leans against it. With each hour that passes, she grows more and more scared for her daughter. Sugar's tough, but she's still only fifteen years old. Her baby has been gone for three days, and she would give anything to have her back. She sighs when she hears yelling from the kitchen and she pushes herself away from the door. Brittany scrubs her face with her hands as she walks back to the kitchen, wondering what the hell could have happened in the minute or so she had left her wife and kids alone for.

"Dylan, I mean it," Brittany hears Santana snap, "one more word and you can just spend the rest of the day in your bedroom!" Brittany steps into the kitchen just as Dylan begins to argue.

"You're always yelling at me!" he exclaims. Brittany cringes when Santana suddenly stands up, sending her chair flying backwards.

"Upstairs!" Santana yells, pointing towards the doorway of the kitchen. Dylan doesn't move. "I will carry you up there if I need to," Santana warns, her eyes flashing dangerously, "and if I need to do that, I will spank your backside." Dylan glares at his mama, folding his arms across his chest. Santana takes a sudden step forward, and Brittany knows she has to intervene.

"Dylan, do as your mama says," Brittany states, taking a hold of Santana's wrist. Dylan angrily gazes between his parents, his nostrils flaring. He turns his full attention to Santana,

"I hate you," he states maliciously. "I'm going to leave, too!"

"Dylan Anthony! Upstairs now!" Brittany orders firmly, before Santana can even react. Dylan doesn't argue this time and Brittany can see the tears in his eyes as she runs from the room. She hears his bedroom door slam closed a moment later. Lily's bottom lip quivers as she nervously gazes up at Santana. Santana sighs softly, internally cursing herself.

"Why don't you go watch some TV for a little bit," Santana gently states. "Everything's okay, baby," she lies. Santana knows Lily doesn't believe her, but the little girl does as she is told anyway.

"He didn't mean it," Brittany murmurs, "he's just mad." Brittany can't believe she heard those words leave her son's mouth. He and Santana are usually extremely close. This is slowly tearing them apart.

"Yes he did," Santana snaps. "and he's fucking right to! I'm snapping at him over the smallest things and I'm driving him away just like I did with Sugar!"

"Baby, don't do this to yourself," Brittany pleads. "You didn't..."

"Don't!" Santana explodes, cutting Brittany off. "Don't you fucking dare say that this isn't my fault, our child ran away because of me, and that's best fucking scenario!"

"I know you're upset, but don't speak to me like that," Brittany tells her wife, her voice calm, but firm. Santana huffs and grabs her car keys. "Where are you going?" Brittany demands, but Santana doesn't respond. She attempts to walk past Brittany, but Brittany stands in her way.

"Move, Britt," Santana grinds out.

"No. We do not run away from our problems, especially now that our biggest problem comes from a member of this family running away," Brittany sternly says. Santana goes to move past her again, and Brittany pulls her wife closer to her. "If you do this, you will be breaking the rules of our arrangement," she dangerously states. She looks deep into Santana's eyes and realises it's pointless, she won't be able to get through to her until Santana calms down. Still, she doesn't stop trying. "Santana, you know what happens when one of us breaks the rules of the arrangement," Brittany murmurs. Brittany keeps her words vague, in case one of the kids overhears.

"Let go of me," Santana states coldly, jerking her arm out of Brittany's grasp. Brittany lets go, and she watches helplessly as Santana storms from their home. Slumping down into the nearest chair, Brittany holds her head in her hands and lets out a shuddering breath. Her wife is self distructing because of the guilt she carries, and all she can do is wait for Santana to calm down. She doesn't know what to do, though. Santana had broken their rules and that would usually mean Brittany would punish her, but she's not sure if she can punish her wife while they are in this situation. On the other hand, Santana would probably benefit from a punishment. It may actually help Santana snap out of this. Brittany sighs. She and Santana are living their worst nightmare and they need to be able to hold it together, but Brittany doesn't think she can do that if Santana is falling apart. She needs to do something.

-Present Day -

Brittany glances in the rear view mirror at Santana and Sugar in the back seat, smiling at the sight that greets her. Sugar is curled up in Santana's arms, fast asleep, while Santana gently strokes her hair. It had taken them a little while to calm Sugar down and bundle her into the car, but Brittany is relieved that they were actually able to. She's proud of Santana, and herself too, for being able to step up and comfort their daughter. Brittany loves seeing Santana's maternal side, and it excites her that she'll get to see it all the time in just five, short years.

"Do you remember the address, Britt?" Santana quietly asks her from the back seat.

"Yeah, I had Sugar write it down," Brittany murmurs. "I was gonna park a few blocks away, it's still light out so we can't go there yet."

"Do you think this will work?" Santana questions, fear evident in her tone. They both want so badly to be able to help their daughter out, to help her go home.

"I hope so," Brittany whispers. She hopes that it will do more than help Sugar, she also hopes that it will help their future selves. She hopes that they will change the future a little bit. Sugar had been here for months, and Brittany wishes that her plan will tip their future selves off way before several months passes for them. Her hope is that her future self will find the note, changing the future, relatively quickly because she can't imagine how it must feel to spend months not knowing where your child is. She hopes she can stop them from finding out how it feels.

"It has to, Britt. She needs our future selves, she needs to speak to them and they need to speak to her," Santana mumbles, glancing down at Sugar to ensure that the teenager is still asleep. She is. "They need to fix their relationship, for Sugar's sake. She's hurting, Britt."

"I know, baby," Brittany whispers sadly, "we're gonna do everything we can for her, I promise." Santana nods, smiling sadly at Brittany via the rear view mirror. They need to get their daughter home. They just need to. Brittany drives around aimlessly for a few moments, looking for somewhere to park. She finds a Home Depot and decides that the parking lot is probably the best place to park for the several hours that they'll need to park. They'll most likely get towed if they park anywhere else. She eases the car into a space at the back of the parking lot, and turns in her seat to gaze at her girlfriend and daughter.

"Do you," she pauses, wondering if what she's about to say is a good idea. It can't hurt to ask, right? "Do you maybe want to go for a walk, maybe walk past the house?" Brittany asks. "I kinda want to see it in daylight," she adds softly.

"That's a great idea, Britt," Santana smiles. She looks down as Sugar stirs in her arms, the teenager sleepily gazing at her. She can see that Sugar is embarrassed about her breakdown. "Hey, mija," Santana tenderly murmurs. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah." Santana can't tell that Sugar isn't okay, though. Now that the girl had opened up to them about the future, there's no way Sugar would be able to build that wall back up. "You wanna go see the house?" Santana asks. Sugar smiles softly, nodding. "Alright, baby girl. Lead the way."

To be continued... I know a lot of you are reading this, I'd love to hear what you think :)