After the incessant ringing of both Brittany's and my phone in the first two days Annalise was home with us, I seriously considered having us change our numbers, and possibly move. I mean seriously, was it really necessary to check in every hour, Rachel Berry? Not that anyone else was all the much better; Kurt insisted on seeing pictures of Annie every time her clothes were changed, Quinn seriously called to find out if we'd set up a college fund yet, Finn wanted to know if we needed anything every time he left home, and even Blaine, who never called me was sending us well wishes from his photo shoot in LA. And that's not even getting me started on our mothers...

The truth was, even though by noon on our first full day together, I was swearing that Brittany should just set up a permanent live feed of Fondue For Three: Special Guest, Annalise Lopez-Pierce in our living room, we all really appreciated how much they cared. We had known them all long enough to realize that they expressed their love through obnoxious behavior. Although I still felt nervous to let anyone inside our 700 square foot bubble, Brittany's convincing (although, does it really count as convincing if it's a two second pout and a kiss?) worked, and we invited our excessively obnoxious friends for brunch that Sunday.

I was nervous, I couldn't even lie about that. But they were our people, the ones who'd been there for me, for us through everything. And I knew Britt was right when she'd told me that we couldn't keep Annie (and ourselves) locked up away from the world forever. Not that I wasn't totally against that idea though, you know, at least for a few years.

"Are you ready, mi amor? There are a whole bunch of people who will be here in a few minutes that have waited- well, not patiently- but they're anxious to meet you." I pressed my lips just under a newly dressed Annie's right eye before handing her off to Brittany so she could eat.

"Are we ready? Might be the better question, babe." Britt smiled, catching my lips with a quick kiss before I went to the kitchen to put the bagels and coffee out on the table.

"Please, you know we're never really ready for the chaos that comes in with these people. Need I remind you of Lady Music Week and Britney Week 2.0? Or the scene in the restaurant when we told them we were getting married? They all handle emotions in the most inappropriate way possible."

Britt just laughed and she knew that there was a smile behind my eye roll too. When someone knocked softly at the door, I looked over my shoulder to see that Annalise was sleeping in Brittany's arms before opening it. Quinn was standing on the other side with a big pink package in her arms, and as much of a pain in my ass as she was, I was genuinely happy to see her. I put a finger to my lips and gestured over to Brittany who had a huge smile as she waved, and then I grabbed Quinn to hug her.

"Who are you and what have you done with Satan?" She whispered, raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up, Q." I gave her the dirtiest look I could muster, but she saw right through it and rolled her eyes before turning towards Britt and Annalise.

"Wow. She's incredible." Quinn cooed, the awe in her voice apparent. "Britt, she looks even more like you in person than in the pictures."

While Quinn gushed over the baby, I prepared myself for the stampede I could hear at the far end of the hallway. Swinging the door open, I could hear Finn's shushing of Kurt and Rachel as they bounced with excitement towards our apartment door. Finn shook his head at me with a grin as he watched his fiancee and brother nearly burst from excitement. They each hugged me in turn, Finn's lingering a bit longer, before standing over Brittany and looking at her and Annie like they were an exhibit in the zoo.

Britt slid over in the arm chair, and I sat down beside her, brushing my fingers against the baby's cheek. The others finally settled themselves into various seats and Brittany was talking to them. I was silent for awhile, both of my lips sucked into my mouth as I tried to adjust to the situation. It wasn't like I didn't know I was being ridiculous, I just needed time to get my bearings. Annie's tiny cry brought me out of my head, and Britt passed her to me wordlessly.

"Hey bella durmiente. Everyone is here to meet you. Think you can stay awake for that?"

She went to Rachel first, each taking their time holding her, commenting on how good she was, how beautiful, the usual things people say about babies. When Kurt went to pass her to Finn, he shook his head and I raised my eyebrow at him. Taking Annalise back from Kurt, I sat down next to Finn and watched as he smiled tentatively at us.

"I've never held a baby before." He admitted quietly. "I don't want to break her or something."

"You won't break her." I said, although I was surprised, because that was one of my biggest fears when we'd invited everyone over, someone breaking Annie. I mean, she was really tiny.

"I don't know..."

"Finn, I trust you."

Even though I was looking at Finn, I could feel the eyes of everyone else on me. Except Brittany, I could feel her glaring at our friends, silently telling them to stop making a big deal out of things like that. And they all wondered why I never expressed affection around them. Every single time I tried, they all looked at me like I had six heads. I knew why they were looking though, I'd never said those words to anyone besides Brittany. They knew, especially Finn, that I trusted them, after everything, but it wasn't something I'd ever managed to say. Finn's eyes met mine and he nodded.

"Annalise, this is your Uncle Finn." I whispered, placing her against Finn's chest and showing him where to put his hands to secure her. She let out a soft whimper and he looked at me nervously. "It's okay, babies cry. Just talk to her. She's a mini-Britt, we can already tell that she actually likes people."

"Hi baby." Finn started, and Annie wiggled, slightly startled by his deep voice. "You know, you're pretty lucky having all these people who love you so much. I'm so glad to finally meet you."

He kept taking, and I watched, entranced. Brittany sat down on my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. She was watching me, I noticed, watching me let my guard down like this for the first time. I didn't realize that the other three were staring at us awkwardly until I heard Quinn clear her throat and Rachel stand up.

"So. In the grand tradition of celebrating the happy moments in my life, Kurt and I have prepared a musical number for today."

"You didn't." I glared at her, of course she did. Brittany totally lost the bet we'd made about whether Rachel would try to sing. I so called it.

"Annalise needs to see how talented her family is, and also, the best way to show you love someone is with music."

"San." Brittany kissed the palm of my hand. "You know she's not going to let up until she's allowed to sing."

"Yeah, unfortunately I do know that. Way to ruin a nice moment, Berry."

"I'm enhancing the moment, Santana. And besides, it's like this was made for her."

Rachel grabbed Kurt's hand and they stood up in front of us. I was glad we were at our apartment, and not at Finn and Rachel's. If it was happening on the stage they had in the basement, I would not be able to stop myself from making fun of them, and I was trying so hard, after my revelation in Dr. Kellen's office. When Rachel started signing, I actually felt the smile crack across my face. I was definitely becoming too soft.

You've wrapped me around

That cute little finger

You've made life a song

You've made me the singer

I could tell she was controlling her tendency to belt it out, staring directly at Finn and Annalise. Brittany's chest was shaking against me, and I knew she was stifling the urge to laugh as much as I was. The baby, on the other hand, was looking around curiously and I quickly took a picture. Quinn wasn't even trying to stop herself from laughing, and once Kurt joined in singing, I was totally set off.

Annie, Annie, Annie

Everything's humming now

Annie, Annie

Good times are coming our way

"We made this entirely too easy for them." Britt was now laughing openly too.

"It's Kurt and Rachel. We could have named her anything and they would have found a showtune to go with it."

"How do you solve a problem like Maria?" Britt mumbled.

"With a girl like Rosie, how could I be blue?"

"The name on everybody's lips is gonna be: Roxie."

We were seriously in hysterics by that point. It was kind of hard to remember that we actually used to be cool when we were quoting musical lyrics back and forth to each other. But honestly, I didn't even want to be cool anymore. Maybe I put up a fight about the way my friends loved Broadway and the fact that they burst into song at any opportunity, but sitting in my living room with my wife on my lap, our baby in her uncle's arms, and my completely insane friends singing was the only place I really wanted to be.

When Kurt and Rachel reached the last verse of the song, I heard Finn start singing softly to Annie. Almost immediately after, Quinn and Britt joined in, and to the shock of everyone in the room, I followed them. I had actually forgotten that they didn't know I sang again, since I'd been singing to Britt and the baby every day since that first time. Kurt's eyes went wide, remembering the last time he'd heard me sing, but I smiled at him, letting him know that it was totally fine. Annie was smiling, her head resting carefully against Finn and looking at Britt and I as we all sang.

I don't need anything,

Anything, Anything.

I don't need anything

But you.

After we ate, Kurt had to leave to pick Blaine up at the airport and Quinn was meeting her husband for an early dinner. It was exactly how I'd hoped things would go. Brittany and I wanted to talk to Finn and Rachel alone, and with the baby still nestled against him, they didn't seem to be going anywhere.

"She's really, really fantastic." Rachel said softly, sitting close to Finn. "I mean she's so small and you can already see the vibrance in her eyes."

"I just still can't believe you two are married with a kid." Finn chuckled.

"Stranger things have happened." I laughed.

Britt looked at me and I nodded to her. I'd expressed enough emotion for the day, she could take over this conversation. I gripped her hand tightly, knowing the magnitude of what she was about to say. These were the two people we'd trust not just with our own lives, but the life of Annalise.

"So." She started. "We talked about this a lot, and although we might offend Quinn and Kurt, we have our reasons behind this decision."

"What decision?" Rachel asked. I gave her the shut up and let someone else talk look.

"Finn, obviously you are the reason Santana is even here with us right now, and probably the reason I am, because..." Britt trailed off, some things are just too hard to say. "Anyway, you protected her, and we could never be more grateful to that. And Rachel, you took care of her and love her like you own sister. On top of that, you both welcomed me back with open arms and have been nothing but supportive of our relationship."

"And you were there, every minute." I finally spoke, and looked pointedly at Finn. "After Annalise was born and everything felt like it was falling apart."

"What we're asking-"

"Although Rachel." I interrupted with a smirk "You almost made me regret voting for you, again, when you started the singing. But I'll admit, it was actually really cool."

"C'mon, serious time, babe." Britt pouted at me. "We'd really like if you would be Annalise's Godparents."

I was impressed that Rachel did not shriek, instead, she started to cry. The both looked at the baby with very serious looks on their faces, and I knew we had made the right decision. Britt was right, I literally owed my life to both of them, and the way they'd already proven their love for Annie kind of amazed me. I thought of Finn bringing the cross from my mother to the hospital, doing Internet research, then saving me from myself. And Rachel, getting an understudy, cleaning our apartment, even handling insurance paperwork for me when I was totally incapable of thinking about it. If someone told me seven years earlier that Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry would mean so much to me, I'd have thought they were crazy. Funny how much time and circumstance changes everything.

That night, after we'd straightened up the apartment and put Annalise to bed, Britt and I were on the couch, my head in her lap. She was playing with my hair, looking down at me with her lovey eyes that always made me feel warm all over. I gave her my special Brittany smile and reached up to touch her cheek.

"I'm really proud of you, Santana."

"For what?"

"For being you, and for letting other people see it. I've always known how special you are, but lately you're actually showing it to other people. The way you were with Finn today, telling him you trust him like that. And not entirely making fun of Rachel and Kurt, it was really nice to watch. It's like the secret Santana has come out. It's like the opposite of Snix. She should have a name...like Santa."

"Britt, we are so not calling my nice personality Santa."

"Why not? It's like you're giving me a present when you act like that." Her face was so earnest, how was I going to say no? As ridiculous as Santa sounded, I guess she kind of had a point. Of course, I was always going to have to fight the urge to make mean, sarcastic comments, but I was surprised how much easier it had become with things the way they were.

"Santa it is then, Britt." I smiled and she leaned down to kiss me. "It's all because of you, you know. You really make me a better person."

"No, you've always been a good person, I just make you show it."

Credits:

I Don't Need Anyone But You, Annie

Maria, The Sound of Music

Rosie, Bye Bye Birdie

Roxie, Chicago

Spanish Lessons:

bella durmiente: sleeping beauty