A/N: Hello week-turnaround! :) Here is the next chapter. A lot is happening in this chapter.

Santana was pacing.

This had become a reoccurring thing since the twins had been born and since her phone conversation with Zach a few days earlier.

The Glee club was in and out, making sure that the couple didn't need anything and that everything was okay.

Riley and Taylor were also in and out. Trying to balance school and everything else, they were there most of the day, if they weren't in school.

Santana stopped pacing when there was a knock on the door. When she looked up, she saw Finn's dopy half smile. She never thought she'd be so happy to see the man in her life.

"Hey Finn." She said softly.

"Hey, I guess it's my turn to check on you guys. How is everything?"

"Everything is good." She said and then took a deep breath after she saw his eyebrow raise. "Who am I kidding? Everything is falling apart."

"How so?" He said walking over to take a look at the little girl.

"She's responding to the antibiotics a little. So I guess that's good. Her brother is healthy, so that's good. Her mommy's healthy, so that's good."

"So what's going on that's not good?" He asked.

"Her oldest brother. Zach. He's saying stuff like he's not their older brother and how he didn't feel like it when we had our first family moment together on Saturday and how he never will be their brother."

"Wow." Finn breathed. "That's rough."

"Yeah and I don't know what to do." She said softly. "I was wondering if you could talk with him."

"Of course. A little uncle/nephew, man-to-man talk should snap him out of whatever it is that's really bothering him."

"Thanks Finn. You're awesome."

"I try," he shrugged, pulling the music producer into a hug.

"How are you doing though?" She asked coming out of the hug.

"Doing great. Coaching NFL football is definitely better than playing it." He said with a smile.

Finn had just taken over as the head coach for the New York Giants that season.

"I bet. I mean, going to the Super Bowl during your first season of coaching. I bet you feel great."

"I do." He said with a smile. "What about you? One of the producer's of one of the hottest boy bands right now? My oldest daughter is in love with Monday Morning Leads."

"Riley's their main producer." Santana said proudly through a chuckle.

"That's so cool. Making a bunch of teenagers dreams come true."

"It's what Puckerman and I do best." She said through another smile.

Finn smiled looking down at the girl fighting for her life.

"She's beautiful." He whispered. "You two did a good job."

"Brittany did all the work." Santana said through a shrug.

"You were a supportive spouse." Finn encouraged. "And I know that doesn't seem like much. I felt that same way when all four of my kids were born. But my wife would always encourage me that I had one of the most important jobs. Before, during, and after she gave birth to them. Before, I was tending to her every need and to most people that means I was whipped. I didn't care though." He smiled down at the little girl. "During, even though my hand was hurting like hell after the birth, that was all she needed. Yeah, there was a lot of blame that I knocked her up, it was my fault. But, I was there. Then after, I have three beautiful girls and a handsome boy that I get to be a father to until I die." He looked up at Santana directly in the eyes. "Sometimes you're going to wonder if you're doing this parenting thing right with any of the four of your kids, but at the end of the day, you're always going to be their mother. Even if Riley is still a product of Brittany and Sam. Even if you have to adopted these two. You're their mother. You're going to be there when they need you the most. You are the one, other than Brittany, and maybe their future spouses, that's going to love them unconditionally. Don't ever consider yourself less because the only one biologically related to you is Zach."

Santana's eyes welled up with tears. If anyone would have told her twenty years ago that Finn Hudson would be standing there that day giving her advice, she would have laughed at them.

"Thanks Finn." She said, wiping the tears away.

"You know that this Glee club is family and we'll always be there for each other. Despite the distance and despite our differences. You and Brittany are like two of my younger sisters." He said with a shrug at the end. "I love you guys."

Santana hugged him.

"We love you too, Finn. We love you too."

Finn walked up to Zach's apartment a few hours later. When he knocked on the door, he wasn't prepared for Zach's girlfriend to be answering the door.

"Hi." Ashleigh said eyeing the football coach curiously.

"Hi. Ashleigh, right?" The girl nodded. "I'm Finn, a family friend of the Lopez-Evans family."

"Right. How can I help you, sir?" She asked.

"Is Zach here?"

"Baby, who's at the door?" Zach asked coming up behind her. "Uncle Finn?" He said confused.

"Hey champ."

"What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you. Alone preferably. Let's go on a walk."

"Right now?"

"Yes, I don't have time for games, Zachary."

Zach took a deep breath and grabbed his jacket from the coat rack and kissed Ashleigh goodbye.

The two men started walking.

"So, what's up?" Zach said.

"You tell me."

"What do you mean?"

"Your mom told me about the whole not feeling like you have a family or whatever. So, you tell me."

"I don't want to talk about it." He grumbled.

"Well, I'm sorry, you don't have choice with me." He said looking at his nephew. "You pulled that with your mom and your Aunt Quinn and I'm not putting up with it. Your mom and Brittany need you, man. You can't leave them hanging."

"Why not?" He challenged.

"Because they're your family, Zach."

"No, they're not. My mom, yeah, but Riley, Brittany, the twins? No."

"Is this about genetics?" He asked.

"Partly."

"Family isn't all about blood. You call me Uncle Finn, but am I truly your uncle?"

"That isn't the point."

"Then what is? What pressure are you under? What is compelling you to not see your younger siblings?"

"They aren't my younger siblings."

"I hate to break it to you, but they are." Finn said looking right at him. "So tell me, tell me what the hell is wrong with you."

"You really wanna know? You really wanna know what's bothering me?" He all, but yelled.

"Yes."

"Let's start with, why the hell do they want more children? What would posses them to want more children?"

"Um, other than you two are grown and they don't want to develop empty nest syndrome when Riley moves out after next school year? They're still young. They're only 35."

"So they want to go through another 18 years of raising not just one child, but two?"

"They're good mothers, am I wrong?"

"No, they're great, it's just, these babies have been causing my mom so much anxiety and a little depression. And I can't watch her just throw herself in work only to come home to pull the night shift with the twins."

"Is that the real reason?"

"No."

"Then what is?"

"You know the only child syndrome?"

"Yeah."

"Well I have it and I've had it since my mom proposed to Brittany. That's what's wrong. She's basically fixing her not being there for me growing up with them."

"So, you're just being selfish?" Finn asked in the best way he could with his eyebrows raised.

"What?"

"You grew up at least sixteen years of your life being your mom's little boy. But, you're being selfish." Zach's face got confused. "Look, who cares if that's the reason why she agreed to have kids with Brittany? So maybe she wants another chance to be a full time parent. Let her have that. Let her have another chance."

"Why?"

"Because after everything she's been through, just please. I'm not asking you to be the man of the Lopez-Evans household, even though you should be. There's a little girl, fighting for her life at USC Medical Center in the ICU. And even though, she's going to get better, when she's sixteen, she's going to need her oldest big brother to protect her."

"She'll have her other brother." He mumbled, still being stubborn.

"They'll always have a special connection," he said softly. "But, you are the one she's going to look up to. You're going to be the one that she and your brother come to for advice. Like, for example, your half-brother," Zach eyes widened because he never told his uncle about Raider. "your mom told me."

"Oh."

"You've taken him in and are such a big brother to him. And he's only your half-brother. Your mom is adopting the twins to make them legally hers. So, just think about it, okay? Your mom needs all the help she can get right now."

"Well, I'm sorry. I'm not just going to stop my life for it." He said as he walked back to his apartment.

Finn took a deep breath, hoping that some of what he said would sink in.

"Baby," Brittany said, tiredly. "You're pacing again."

"Sorry." She mumbled.

"It's fine. C'mere." Brittany gestured to her. "I know you normally hold me, but let me hold you. And you can hold Brandon."

Santana came over and Brittany held her and the music producer held their son.

"I love you, Britt-Britt."

"I love you too, San." Brittany said enjoying this moment with her son and wife.

"She's barely responding to the antibiotics." Santana whispered.

"Shh. I don't wanna talk right now." She said holding Santana tighter. "I just wanna hold two of my babies."

A somewhat peaceful silence filled the room.

"How can you guys always pull off being so cute?" Dr. Montgomery asked after a few minutes, making the couple chuckle.

"I don't know." Santana said looking at her wife, the couple smiled at each other.

"She's getting stronger," the doctor commented.

"Yeah?" Brittany said.

"Yeah, if she keeps this up, you guys could be out of here by the end of the month. Just to be safe."

"Cool." The couple breathed at the same time.

"Well, I have to go continue doing my rounds. Let me know if you need anything."

The doctor was walking out of the room before Santana stopped her.

"Um, Dr. Montgomery?"

"Please, call me Janell."

"Okay, Janell. I just wanted to thank you for that time that you calmed Riley down from that post-nightmare episode about a month ago. Those are typically really scary. I'm normally the only one that can calm her down successfully."

"You're welcome. My daughter was the same way right after my husband passed and Taylor had one or two after her mom died. I guess I kind of became a master of calming scared teenagers down." She said through a chuckle.

"Well, we appreciate it." Brittany said.

"Anytime, you raised a damn good kid, Brittany."

Brittany smiled as the doctor continued her way out of the room.

"What was that?" Zach yelled at the television screen.

He and Raider were playing Call of Duty.

"T-that's w-what you call a head shot, bro."

"I know bro, but still. Like how are you getting so good?"

"O-other t-th-than me sitting in my bachelor apartment playing this game non-s-stop?"

"Dude, we need to get you a girl."

"Well, y-your cousin and I p-play together."

"She's a gamer?"

"Y-yeah."

Ashleigh walked into the apartment a few minutes later.

"Hey beautiful." Zach called into the kitchen where Ashleigh was.

"Hey baby. Hi Raider."

"Hey Ash."

"What are you guys doing?"

"Playing Call of Duty." The brothers said in unison.

She chuckled because that was a stupid question.

"Baby, what did your uncle want earlier?"

"To try to get me to go see my mom and Brittany in the hospital."

"Why are they in the hospital?" Ashleigh quickly asked. "Is Brittany okay?"

"She had the twins, the girl has some problems or whatever." Zach said taking a swig of his Dr. Pepper.

"And why aren't you going to go see them?" Ashleigh asked.

"I just don't feel like they're family." He said with a shrug.

"Because of genetics?" She challenged.

"Yes, okay, that's why."

"You're full of shit, you know that?" Ashleigh all, but yelled. Zach sighed and hit the pause button on his and Raider's game. "Your mom and Brittany have been wanting this for awhile and you're being an ass."

"You have a big family. Actually related and the non-related. You're okay with that. Maybe, maybe I'm not okay with that."

"Your mom and Brittany's old Glee club, do you consider them family?"

"Well of course."

"Are they actually family?"

"Well, no."

"Only child syndrome." She randomly said pointing at him.

"What?"

"You have only child syndrome." She said. "That's what's wrong here."

"Yes, maybe I do."

The couple were in an intense staring match in silence until Raider finally broke it.

"Family isn't always determined by blood. It's the people in your life who want you in their family. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who will practically give their life to see you smile, and who love you no matter what." The younger teenager said softly.

Zach broke the staring match off with his girlfriend to look at his brother.

"What?"

"I consider your mom, stepmom, and stepsister family. And well the two new little ones too. At first I didn't want to. I just wanted a b-big brother that loved and protected me." He smiled at Zach who has done just that. "Then I realized that if I was going to be in your life, that chaos that is known as the Lopez-Evans family comes with the package. You love your mom, correct?" Zach nodded. "I'm assuming you love Brittany?"

"I guess." He breathed.

"Riley is like your little sister?"

"Kinda."

"Then the twins comes with that package." He said like it was obvious and leaned over to un-pause their game.

Zach looked up at Ashleigh who stared down at him with a knowing look.

His younger brother was right.

Riley walked into the ICU room that her family was in. She had just come back from a session with Dr. Matthews.

"Hey Mom. Hey Tana."

"Hey baby girl." Brittany said with a weak smile.

"Hey kiddo."

"How's she doing?" The teenager asked looking down at her sister.

"Slowly getting better." Santana said placing her hand on the lower back of the teenager. "How was your appointment?"

"It was good." She lied.

"Do you wanna go for a walk and talk about it?" Santana asked, knowing that it didn't go as well as she planned. Riley nodded. "Alright." She kissed the top of her head. "Hey baby." Santana said to a half asleep Brittany.

"Hm?" Brittany acknowledged her wife.

"Riley and I are going to go for a walk. We'll be back in a little while, okay?"

"Mkay." Brittany said going back to sleep.

Santana chuckled and kissed her wife's cheek.

She and Riley made their way out of the room and the began their walk in silence. Santana normally would sit in Riley's room after a therapy session just to be there for her. It normally took the teenager a few minutes to collect her thoughts before she started to speak.

As she began to speak, they had found a table in the cafeteria.

"You remember how we were talking about how I have like really low self-esteem?" Santana nodded, not wanting to say anything to make the teenager lose her train of thought. "I don't know where it has come from. Like I don't remember where it started or how. Which sucks because between you, my mom, and Taylor, I know I am worth something more than what I think I am, but Dr. Matthews thinks that maybe I've been identifying my life with everything that has gone wrong. My parents divorce, me being held back a grade, Taylor leaving for a little while, you marrying my mom... not that that's wrong, but-"

"No, no. I get it." She reached over and placed her hand on her stepdaughter's forearm. "Go on kiddo." She continued to keep her hand on the teenager's forearm.

"I love that you make that you make my mom that happiest person on earth, it's sweet really, but sometimes, sometimes I wonder what would happen if it would've worked out for my parents. And when I think that it just brings me to a lower place. And I've been trying not to think that, but it's hard sometimes, you know?" Santana nods. "And then I think about how you and my mom loved each other in high school and then I think about how if you two would've worked your shit out in high school and been in love openly and stuff, I wouldn't be alive today. And that scares me even more."

"Things happened for a reason. I know I thought of if your mom and I got together in high school that I wouldn't have Zach. Which scares me." She said running her thumb over the teenager's forearm. "He's one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Despite that he doesn't seem to like me right now. But, I try not to think of that. I try only to think positively. And I encourage you to do that as well, mija." The last word slipping out of the music producer's mouth.

"Mija?" She asked confused.

Santana had always considered Riley her daughter ever since she married Brittany, but she kept that to herself, knowing that Sam wouldn't appreciate it.

"Well yeah, I consider you my daughter."

Riley got up and walked around the table to hug Santana. The two hugged in silence for a few moments.

"I may never call you mama, but you're like that second mom to me."

Santana smiled, she didn't expect the girl to.

Zach was sitting across from Ashleigh on a date, they were sitting in the diner that Zach worked at staring dreamily in each other's eyes.

"I'm sorry for blowing up at you earlier." Ashleigh said softly.

"It's fine, you were right." He reached over to caress her cheek.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you though. I know you're going through a lot." She said placing her hand on the hand on her cheek.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She said. "When are you going to tell your mom that you dropped out of school and are going to join the Marines?"

"I don't know. I have to soon though. My ship out date is next month."

"Do you think she's going to freak out?"

"Probably." He said. "Are you sure you're okay with it?"

"You've been talking with General Peters about everything, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then, I'm okay with it. I just want you happy, baby."

"I'm going to tell my mom and Brittany together."

"What about Riley and Raider?"

"I'll tell them individually."

"You should probably tell Raider soon. He bought us moving into the apartment together and you've been wandering around campus, but I don't know how much longer you can pull that off."

"I know, I'll tell him when he comes over tomorrow."

"You should go see your mom." Ashleigh encouraged. "I could go with you if you want to tell them with support."

"I think it's something I need to do by myself."

"Okay." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his lips. "You're doing a good thing, baby."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, your dad would be proud." She said. "Plus, I love men in uniform." She said with a wink.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, definitely."

The young couple sat and enjoyed a midweek date in a relative silence.

Santana was looking down at her daughter as Brittany slept in a recliner near where their little girl was still fighting for her life.

"Hey mija." Santana said softly. "Dr. Montgomery said that you're slowly getting better. Your mom and I want to take you and your brother home. We love you."

"You know the name Aurora Valentine means 'dawn' and 'fighter.' Like the dawn of a new day and a fighter." Zach said leaning against the door to the room. "Aurora Valentine Lopez, I think it suits her pretty well."

"Hey mijo." Santana said softly.

"Hey Mama." He said walking into the room. "I owe you an apology."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. I was an ass. These two are my brother and sister. I guess I had a freak out moment and still have only child syndrome."

"That's understandable and seriously, it's okay." She said leaning in to his embrace as he had wrapped his arms around her. They stood there for a few minutes. "What kind of pressure are you under, mijo?" She finally asked.

Zach took a deep breath.

"It's now or never." He thought.

"I dropped out of school and joined the Marines." He said, trying to make it sound like it was not a big deal, knowing that if he did, it would become a big deal with his mom.

He's learned how to deal with his mom in the 18 years of his life.

"That's cool, mijo. I always saw you in the military."

"Really? No freak out session?"

"Remember when you were like four and I was working those two dead end jobs?"

"Vaguely. I remember you getting the internship with JT Productions, but that's about it."

"Well, I worked at a diner in the day and at a bar at night. And, when I had a day off from the diner and I picked you up from your playdate with your friend Troy, you two were playing Army in his backyard. And that's when I could see you growing up and actually being in the military. I know you probably chose the Marines in honor of your dad which is great. But, I'm not going to freak out over something amazing like this." She leaned further into his embrace. "When's your ship out date?"

"Some time next month, I should know when I go see the recruiter tomorrow."

"How'd Ash take it?"

"She was completely on board when I originally brought it up, still is. She thinks that I'd be good at it and it'd be good for me."

"How'd your brother take it?"

"I haven't told him yet. I wanted to tell you and Brittany first. Then I was going to tell Riley and then I was going to take him out to dinner to tell him."

"What's your career path?"

"I haven't decided yet. I qualified for everything the Marines have to offer."

"That's really cool mijo. I'm happy for you."

"I'm really glad to have you on board, I was actually really scared for your reaction."

"I have a lot of respect for the selfless people who serve this country, mijo. I wouldn't try to stop you."

"Good to know."

"Everything makes sense though."

"What do you mean?" He asked his mom while tightening his embrace around his mom.

"You withdrawing, your eating habits changing. Don't think I didn't notice you have a protein style burger last week in my office." They both chuckled. "I won't lie, I will miss you mijo. But, I understand."

"Thank you." He whispered.

They stood there in silence looking down at the little girl.

"So, Aurora Valentine, huh?"

"It suits her."

"Yeah, it does."

Brittany was sitting in Santana's lap an hour later. The music producer held the English teacher while Zach was holding Brandon.

"He kinda looks like you, Ma." Zach said to Santana.

"You remember my cousin, Ernie?"

"Yeah?"

"He was the donor."

"Oh wow."

"Yeah. If your Tío came back into the picture earlier, we would've asked him, but Cousin Ernie works too." She chuckled.

"Definitely." He said looking down at his baby brother. "Hey little man. How's it going?" The little boy looked up at his big brother with big curious eyes. "You and me, we're going to protect our two sisters, you know? We gotta be their protectors. This world is scary and when I leave I'm gonna need you to help me out, okay?"

"Wait... when you leave?" Brittany asked. "Where are you going?"

"I dropped out of USC and joined the Marines." Zach said, continuing to look down at his little brother, because he didn't know how Brittany was going to take the news.

"Why?" She asked after a moment.

"I realized that college just isn't for me."

"Don't give me a bull shit answer, Zach."

"It's the truth." He defended.

"How does your girlfriend feel about this?" The blonde argued.

"She's completely on board with it." He said like it was no big deal.

"And your brother?"

"I haven't told him yet." He said sheepishly.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"Yeah, tomorrow. I'm taking him out to dinner. Just the two of us. We're going to a pizza joint watching a hockey game. I'll break the news to him."

"How do you feel about this baby?" Brittany looked down at her wife.

"I'm completely on board with it. I think he'd make a great Marine." Brittany just stared at her wife curiously. "Seriously, beautiful. I'm fine. I'll miss him, but he's doing this for more than a sentimental reason. I think the military could do this kid some good."

"Okay." She said, looking back over at Zach who was still looking down at his baby brother. "So, you just aren't cut out for college?"

"Yeah, I mean, it sounds weird coming from a valedictorian from one of the best prep schools in the country, but it's just harder and I woke up one morning and had a day of just pure soul searching of what I wanted to do. The military was the first on the list."

"What was next?"

"The AmeriCorps. Which was second. The PeaceCorps was third."

"Oh wow."

"Yeah, but the military was what really stuck out to me."

Brittany took a deep breath, he was like a son to her and she didn't know how to feel about it. It was just too much for her to handle.

It was a bro-date that they both will remember for the rest of their lives.

Zach and Raider were sitting at a hole in the wall pizza joint down the street from the apartment.

"S-s-so what's up?"

"What do you mean?"

"We're watching the LA Kings game in a pizza parlor. We d-d-don't do this kind of stuff."

"I need to talk to you about something."

"O-o-okay."

"I dropped out of USC and joined the Marines." He said.

Raider looked up from his piece of pizza at his brother.

"W-w-what?"

"I dropped-"

"N-n-no, I h-h-heard you, but w-why?"

"I lost my scholarship because I didn't pass two of my classes last semester. I'm just not cut out for college."

"Oh." He said. "But, why the m-military?"

"Because I want to do something amazing in my life." He said trying to make eye contact with the boy.

"Staying in school to b-become a journalist could've been amazing."

"Raider..."

"I c-can't lose another f-f-f-family member to the Marines."

"Bro."

Raider shot up.

"D-d-do what you want. I-I-I d-d-don't e-e-e-even c-c-c-care anymore."

Raider left the pizza parlor with tears in his eyes and all, but ran back to the USC campus to his bachelor pad, leaving his older brother wondering what he did wrong.

Zach was hosting the entire Glee club at his mom and Brittany's house with Riley.

They all were still in town staying at the Lopez-Evans house because Santana and Brittany refused for them all to stay in a hotel.

Zach was barbequing in deep thought when Rachel came up behind him and hugged him.

"What's got you thinking really hard, little man?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

"I remember a little boy who used to say the same thing back in New York when he missed his mom and I remember not buying it then. So, I'm not buying it now."

"I'll announce it to the rest of the Glee club after I talk with Riley about it. I'm learning a hell of a lot about family. And I want to tell her before I announce it to the rest of the family."

"Okay. Is it good?"

"I think so."

"Okay, cool."

Riley came outside to check on how long until food will be ready as Rachel kissed Zach's cheek and went inside.

"Hey Zach."

"Hey Ri."

"The men asked me to come out here to see if you needed help and/or if you needed help."

"No, I'm good." He said through a smile. "I do wanna talk to you though."

"What's up?"

"I'm going to announce this at dinner, but I wanted you to know beforehand."

"Okay."

"I dropped out school and joined the Marines." He said slowly.

"Wow, really?" She said with a smile. He nodded. She engulfed her brother into a big hug. "I'm super happy for you. I was wondering why you didn't enlist right after high school. The military suits you well."

"Thanks, I'm glad you take it that way."

"Uh-oh, who didn't take it well?"

"Raider and your mom a little."

"My mom sees you as her son and watching her son go off to serve this country is hard. And Raider lost both of his parents to the military, I'm sure it's just a touchy subject for him."

"Yeah, I guess."

"But, I'm behind you 100%, big brother."

"Big brother?"

Riley had never called him that before. So, it took him by surprise.

"Well, yeah. You're my big brother right?"

"I mean, you haven't ever called me that before."

"Well things are changing."

"Yeah, they are." Zach said pulling the last of the steak off the grill.

The brother/sister duo walked inside the house, the brother ready to tell his family that he enlisted for the Marines.

Thirty minutes later, halfway through dinner, Zach cleared his throat.

"Can I get everyone's attention please?" Everyone looked up at the ex football player. "I have an announcement to make." He cleared his throat again. "I dropped out of USC." Everyone gasped. "And I joined the United States Marine Corps."

"What?" All the women said at the same time as all them men sat their speechless.

"You aren't doing this for sentimental reasons, are you?" Rachel asked.

"No, college just didn't work out in my favor." Zach said.

"Good for you." Finn said. "I get the pressure you were under now."

"Yeah, I had to make some last minute decisions." Zach said.

Finn got up from the end of the table where he was sitting and went over and hugged the young man.

"You're going to be great Marine Soldier. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you Uncle Finn."

"When's you ship out date?" Quinn asked.

"Just got my orders today February 15th."

"That's soon." The guidance counselor breathed.

"Yeah, but I'm pretty stoked."

"How's Ashleigh taking it?" Tina asked.

"She's proud. Totally on board."

"And your mom and Brittany?" Mercedes asked.

"My mom is totally on board. Brittany's a little skeptical right now."

"How about you Riley?" Mike asked.

"I'm super proud of him." She said through a huge smile.

"What about your half-brother, Raider?" Puck asked.

"He didn't take it so well."

"He lost both of his parents this way." Quinn said. "I'm sure he doesn't want to lose his brother this way too."

"Yeah, but I don't even think I'll do infantry. I qualified for everything and they told me to take a few days to decide."

"I think you're crazy, but I support you." Quinn said.

"Gee, thanks Aunt Quinn for that over-enthusiastic statement of support." He said sarcastically.

"Well, I agree with Raider." She said honestly.

"Just because two pretty important people in my life don't take it well don't take it well, doesn't mean I'm going to not do it. I want to do something great in my life. I can't believe you're even questioning me about it."

"Going to school-"

"And becoming a journalist would have been great too. Yes, I know. Raider said that to me too. But, I failed two of my classes because I didn't even wanna be there. I lost my scholarship. I am going to do something great in the military. I thought about this, okay?" He took a deep breath and left the room into the kitchen.

Quinn followed him.

"I'm not saying that you aren't doing a good thing, babe. I'm just making sure you're not just doing it for sentimental reasons."

"I'm not! Well, maybe why I chose the Marines over the Army, maybe that is, but I'm doing this for me. I'm doing this so I can provide for myself and Ashleigh and our future children."

"Are you two-"

"Not yet, but we're pretty damn close to me getting down on one knee and popping the question."

"Okay. Alright babe." Quinn said. "I'm not 100% on board with this, but I will be soon. I promise."

"Thank you."

When she went in for a hug, she whispered, "I'm losing my cuddle buddy, you know."

Zach chuckled and rolled his eyes, "We really need to get you a man."

Santana was lying in a bed with Brittany cuddled close. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable place to sleep, but the couple considered it their safe haven while they were staying at the hospital with their son in a portable crib close by.

Aurora was slowly getting better, but not as fast as Dr. Montgomery was hoping. She still wasn't breathing on her own.

"I really hope she gets better soon," Brittany said. "This bed is awful. I miss our bed."

"I know, beautiful. Can I get you anything?" Santana mumbled.

"I'm thirsty." The English teacher said softly.

"Alright, I'll go get you water."

Santana got up and walked out to the main area where the vending machine was and she had just paid for the water when someone got her attention.

"S-S-S-Santana?"

She looked to her right to see a very distraught Raider standing there.

"Hey kid. Is everything okay?"

"I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry t-t-t-t-to bother you."

"It's alright kiddo. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"H-H-He's r-re-really l-l-leaving." He choked out.

"Hey, hey, c'mere." She said pulling the kid into their first hug. "I know, it's going to be hard. But, he needs to do this. For him, for Ashleigh, for his future. I'm not the hugest fan of the idea of him leaving, but I know that he'll be good at whatever he does."

"I-I-I-I can't lose another f-f-f-family m-m-member to the Marine Corps."

"It's okay, you're not losing him." She soothed. "We're not losing him." She whispered after a few minutes.

Santana never thought that she'd be in this position, holding her son's half-brother in the middle of the ICU at the USC Medical Center. But, out of all the people this teenager could have gone to, she was honored that it was her.

End Note: Alright, so yeah. I know a lot of you probably don't like that, but it was in my head for a while.
Also coming up in TCTDA, Aurora recovery, brother-brother make up, and I've been toying with the idea of building a Santana/Raider parent/child like relationship. I don't know, you'll have to stay tuned to find out. :)