Happy belated New Year! This chapter is Christmas themed, it's mad late, I know but life got in the way. Holidays, school, etc. and a wicked case of writers block got in the way as well. This chapter is smut free, but it's still kind of sweet. Also, there is one more chapter left followed by an epilogue. So brace yourselves, it's been a long journey but the story is coming to an end. Enjoy the chapter... Side note, there is no beta so all errors are mine.
Thanksgiving had come and gone and now Santana and Quinn were back in New York preparing for Christmas. The time with their family was perfect especially when abuelita showed up on Thanksgiving Day. Santana was so grateful to her girlfriend that she showed her appreciation in so many delicious ways. Santana was stressing though, the semester was ending for Christmas break, and she was facing finals. She returned to school following her vacation to see her parents, she had a couple of classes with Noelia, but other than that, the other girl avoided her like she was the plague. Santana missed her but she knew she couldn't return the other girls feelings because of her relationship with Quinn, and she did not see her that way. They maintained a civil school relationship but anything outside of school, they did not talk at all.
Santana sighed and threw her notes on the couch; she was tired, hungry, and frustrated. When she was in high school studying was so much easier, she knew that college was a different ballgame. She wondered how Lady Hummel and Berry were handling their finals coming up. She looked at the clock and saw that it was almost time for Quinn to come home, they had spoken earlier in the day and Quinn had told her that she wanted to go look for their Christmas tree today. Santana was excited her first Christmas with Quinn as a couple with the two of them. They asked their parents to come to New York for Christmas since Kurt's parents were coming and so was Rachel's. They were like family anyways since they've known each other since they were toddlers. Santana went into the room to change out of her clothes and to take a shower; she had been sitting around the house in her pajama's all day.
Santana figured out what she was going to wear and grabbed her towel and headed into the shower. She made sure she put her iPhone on the dock and turned it on; she started the shower and began stripping her clothes off. Santana stepped into the shower and sighed in contentment as the warm water hit her skin. Santana was amazed at how everything was turning out for the better for her and Quinn. Thanksgiving had been the turning point, they were open with their relationship, and abuela accepted their relationship and gave Quinn and Santana her blessing. She and Quinn both were happy about that, but she was still a little miffed about Melissa and tried to come up with ways to make sure the woman got what was coming to her. She is Santana 'fucking' Lopez and no one fucks with her familia.
~SQSQSQSQ~
Quinn made sure that she left the office on time to get home to Santana. She knew that her girlfriend soon to be fiancée had finals coming up before Christmas vacation and knew that she would be stressed out to the max. She had heard Santana complain about it over and over again, so she decided to use today as a way to get Santana to relax without worrying about exams. Quinn had wanted this Christmas to be special since it was the first Christmas they would be spending together as a couple, and the first Christmas that they have spent together after her long absence. They've been back in New York for about three weeks now and she had already purchased Santana's engagement ring. She had to do make excuses to ring shop to keep Santana from being suspicious. Quinn smiled at the thought which she was quickly brought out of when she heard an all too familiar voice calling her name.
"Quinn! Wait up, can we talk for a minute?" Melissa's voice called behind her.
Quinn rolled her eyes and continued walking trying to get away from the woman as fast as she could. She had been able to avoid the woman at all cost but this time she was not so lucky. Quinn continued walking hoping that if she ignored the woman that she would leave her alone. Unfortunately Quinn wasn't that lucky when she felt someone tug on her arm.
"What the hell do you want Melissa? I told you to stay away from me." She asked the woman as calmly as she could.
Melissa tried her best to look sorry, "I'm sorry Quinn. I know you said to stay away, but I wanted to apologize for what happened between us a few weeks ago at your apartment. I was out of line and I didn't mean to hurt you or Santana. I let my jealousy get the best of me."
Quinn could see past the bullshit and got straight to the point, "You are not sorry for what you've done. You probably thought that little stunt you pulled that night at my apartment would have caused an issue between me and Santana. Newsflash bitch, it only brought us closer together, the little games you are playing are over." She smirked before continuing, "If you do not heed my warning of staying away from me or Santana, I will make your life a living hell. I know people who can make you disappear without another word, they can make whatever happens to you look like an accident."
Melissa's face went ashen as if she saw a ghost, "You wouldn't you do not have the ovaries to do something like that. I would like to see you try." She challenged trying to portray her bravery which she was seriously failing at.
Quinn smiled, "Wouldn't you like to know. Oh and by the way, watch your back." She turned and walked away leaving Melissa to ponder her words.
Quinn stepped on the subway and found her usual seat and sat down in the chair. She wondered what Santana was doing and if she was still studying. When they got back to New York, they talked about their future and what Santana wanted. She still had her moments of insecurity but Santana made sure that she chased those away. They've come a long way and she couldn't have been happier about it. The subway stopped at her normal stop and she got off the train, making the familiar trek to their apartment. She greeted the doorman and made her way up to the elevator that led to the best place in the world to her. The elevator stopped and she got off and readied her keys to open the door. As soon as she stepped in she dropped her briefcase by the door and removed her shoes, then took off her gloves, hat, scarf and finally her coat hanging them on the coat rack. The apartment was quiet she walked further in and saw Santana's books and notes all over the living room table. She made her way to the bedroom where she could hear music coming from the room and the smell of Santana's body wash. Quinn smiled at the thought of Santana being in the shower, she wanted to get in there with her, but they were on a schedule and she knew that they would do more than just shower. Quinn used this time to change her clothes and slip into something more comfortable. The water in the bathroom turned off which meant that Santana's shower time was over. She sat on the bed as she waited for her girlfriend to come out of the bathroom.
Quinn wasn't disappointed when she was the door open and a cloud of fog come out of the bathroom. She could never understand how Santana could take such hot showers. Her girlfriend entered the room in nothing but a towel, her hair in a messy bun with little tendrils framing her face. Quinn thought she looked like a Goddess and thanked the heavens that Santana was all hers.
"Enjoy your shower babe?" She asked her girlfriend.
Santana held tightly to her towel, "When did you get home babe? And don't scare me like that, I could have went all Lima Heights on your ass." She approached the bed slowly, making sure that Quinn had a good look at her legs.
Quinn got off the bed and met her girlfriend and kissed her lightly on the lips, "I just got here. I would have joined you in the shower, but we have plans and I didn't want to get all wet." She teased.
Santana licked her lips, "There is nothing wrong with being wet, after all I am all wet and you don't hear me complaining."
Teasing and flirting was their game, to some it may seem like some sort of power play, but in all actuality it was all part of their dynamic. Rachel had brought that up when she and Santana were having lunch the other day. She felt that with Quinn being older than Santana she held some sort of power of the younger woman. Santana was quick to shut it down, yes Quinn was older but she didn't use that to her advantage. It may seem like Quinn has the control but it really is a 50/50 thing with them. They were equals and nothing more, yes Quinn likes to take control in the bedroom and Santana takes the lead outside of the bedroom. It works for them and it's what keeps their relationship going strong and running smooth.
Quinn rolled her eyes, "Get dressed before I change my mind and take you right now. We have to get our tree and decorations so we can decorate it this weekend."
Santana rolled her eyes in kind, "I am going to get dressed because I want to and not because I told you too. How was work today?" She asked making her way to the closet to find her something to wear.
"Work was work; I had a pretty tough case today. A little girl came in she was severely abused in a foster home. It's tragic, how could anyone be so cruel to a child? I mean children are meant to be loved and cared for. They are gifts that should be cherished, you know?" She loved her job but there are times when she hated it.
Santana understood where her girlfriend was coming from; it's tough dealing with kids especially ones who were mistreated by family or by the system. That is one of the reasons why she wanted to become a social worker, to help make a difference to children who were put in shitty situations.
"I understand babe, but people see children as disposable, instead of loving them. I will be dealing with the same things you are dealing with when I finish my studies. When we have kids we'll love them and care for them like the little angels they are." She stepped out of the closet fully dressed.
Quinn smiled, "You are serious about us having children huh?"
Santana shrugged, "I told you, I was deadly serious about that. We are going to have children, whether it is biologically or adopting them. I told you, you're it for me I am devoted to only you."
"I love it when you get all sweet and sentimental. Let's get going, you know how crowded it is around the shops." Quinn got off the bed and walked out of the room, "Coming?"
Santana followed behind her girlfriend, "Not yet, but maybe I will be later." She replied cheekily as she walked into the foyer grabbing her winter wear.
Quinn chuckled, "You are such a smart ass."
"And I am proud of it babe." She kissed Quinn on the cheek.
They walked out of the apartment hand and hand, taking comfort in each other's company. They walked past the doorman and made their way to the garage, where Quinn's car was parked. They would have taken Santana's but her car was too small to transport a Christmas tree, Quinn's car was more practical. They entered the car and waited for it to warm up a little bit, they only drive the car when needed Penn Station wasn't that far from their home anyways, so it was best to leave it parked. Driving around New York City is horrible, traffic for days; it's even worse when they go through the Holland Tunnel to get to New Jersey, that's even worse. Despite the traffic Quinn likes spending time with Santana.
The car was warmed up enough and Quinn pulled the car out of the garage and Santana's hand immediately searched for hers. It's always been a habit of hers since she was a little girl and it's one that she wasn't going to stop now, it was a sense of comfort for her. Ellie Goulding On My Mind was playing softly in the background but neither woman was paying attention to the song.
"Are we going to get a real tree or are we going to get an artificial one?" Santana asked, while looking at the passing buildings.
Quinn shrugged, "I was thinking of getting a real tree, but I don't want to clean up falling pine needles. So I am thinking an artificial tree. What kind of tree do you want? This is our first Christmas together; I want it to be special."
Santana glanced over at Quinn, "We can get an artificial tree this year, and maybe next year we can get a real tree. I want to do Christmas stockings though; we have a fireplace, so why not make the most of it. We can make one for me, you, mami, papi, mama, Rachel and Kurt." She added the last two as an afterthought.
Quinn chuckled, "Kurt and Rachel? How are they doing anyways? You haven't seen them as much since we've come back from Lima."
"Kurt is Kurt; he is interning at Vogue and trying to navigate his way through NYADA. Rachel is still taking classes at NYADA, but she is also prepping for her role as Fanny Brice in the Broadway version of Funny Girl"
"If I remember correctly, Rachel had a serious hard on for Barbra Streisand and now she is playing a role made famous by Ms. Streisand herself. She is probably stressing out to the max about it. I am glad that they found their way in New York. I'm surprised you didn't go the musical route. You always said you wanted to be a star." Quinn navigated the roads as she made her way to Target.
Santana chuckled, "I still want to be a star but I realize that there are more important things than fame. I want to make a mark on the world but in a way that will associate my name with awesomeness."
Quinn pulled into the Target parking lot and thanked the heavens that there was a car park close to the store. The store was full of people, but that should be expected, since a lot of people are doing their shopping. They got out of the car and made their way to the store, Quinn made sure that the car was locked.
The couple entered Target and Santana grabbed a cart and started pushing it. She wanted to feel a little useful. They watched as kids were running around the store telling their parents what they wanted for Christmas. Santana remembered what it was like being a kid around Christmas, she wanted everything she saw. She would make a Christmas list a mile long for Santa and somehow Santana always gave her what she wanted.
Obviously Quinn was having the same thoughts, "Remember when you were seven and you wrote Santa a letter but you spilled juice all over it and you spent an hour in your room crying, because you didn't think that Santa would bring you everything on your list?"
Santana rolled her eyes, "That was very traumatic for me. How was Santa supposed to know what I wanted for Christmas? If I remember correctly, you were the one who got me to write my letter again. That you eventually gave to 'Santa' but I did get everything I wanted that year. So did you?"
"I did, that was one of the best Christmas' I've ever had and the ones after were even better. Seeing your face was the best thing ever, you were so happy and carefree."
The made it to the aisle that had the trees there were so many different sizes and heights, they already decided they didn't want an extremely tall tree and they didn't want an extremely tall tree. Santana stopped in front of a 6ft pre-lit tree, with white lights, beside it was a tree with colored lights.
"Which one do you want? We can have the colored lights or we can have the white lights?" She asked.
Quinn looked between the trees, "I think we should go with the white lights, they would go good with whatever colors we choose to decorate the tree. What do you think?" They have gotten a little better with compromise.
"I was looking at the white lights, so that is the one we should go with. Let's go for it." Santana looked for the box that had the tree on the front, grabbed it and placed it in the cart. Once they had the tree they made their way over to the decoration aisle and started choosing the colors that they thought would be good on their tree. After some debating they decided to go with blue and silver as their colors. Next up was the Christmas stockings, they found some blue ones, with the white fur at the top. Santana found some silver glitter pens that would be used to decorate the stockings.
They strolled through the store making sure to avoid all of the people in their way. It was noisy around them but they were in their own little bubble so it didn't bother them as much.
"What are you going to get mami and papi for Christmas?" Quinn broke the silence.
"I don't know, I was thinking of getting mami some perfume and papi some new golf clubs, but I know he would not be able to carry those on the plane. So I might have to think of something else. What are you going to get mama?"
Quinn shrugged, "I don't even know. She is so hard to shop for, it's like shopping for the Queen of England. What about you?"
"I honestly don't know either but it will be something that she would definitely like." Judy really wasn't that hard to please.
"I am sure whatever you get mom is going to love. Anything she gets from you she would love. I swear it felt like she loved you more than me."
Santana laughed, "Of course she did. How could she not? I was totally awesome and cute too."
Quinn tried not to smile, "Whatever you say. Let's check out and head home, I want to cook before it gets too late and you missy need to finish studying. You have finals coming up and I want you to do well."
"Yeah, whatever. I will kill it on those finals, I know my shit inside and out. Study group has been a real big help too."
Quinn liked that Santana had a life outside of her even if it meant study group. She was still leery that Noelia was still a part of it but she found a little peace that Noelia was no longer interested in Santana. That was one of the best things that came out of the whole Melissa situation, she killed one bird, now she needed to kill the other one in the most painful way possible. Quinn pushed those thoughts out of her head and focused on the here and now, she and Santana were in a good place, their family is happy for them and they were endgame. They checked out Quinn wanted to pay for everything but Santana said she wanted to pay as well. She may not have a job but her parents made sure that she had money to survive while she was in school. Santana agreed that they should each pay half. She loved Quinn but she didn't want Quinn taking care of her all the time, she was no longer a child, and she wanted to take care of her as well.
The duo left Target with their parcels and headed to the car. Once everything was in the car, Santana pushed the cart back to the cart holder and ran to the car. The weather seemed to turn colder and it looked as if it was trying to snow. The women were in the car and Quinn maneuvered the car through the parking lot. The drive back home did not take as long and getting everything upstairs didn't take that long either. They entered the apartment and put everything down by the door before divesting of their outer wear. Santana grabbed the tree and a bag while Quinn grabbed the other bags and took them to the living room. The plan was to get the tree tonight and then decorate it tomorrow.
"I'm going to go get started on dinner and you," she made her way over to her girlfriend, "are going to study for a little while longer." She kissed her cheek.
Santana pouted, "I don't want to study anymore, my brain is going to explode."
Quinn anticipated this, "If you finish up your studies, I would definitely make sure, that you are properly rewarded."
Santana couldn't argue with that she loved Quinn's rewards, "Fine, you win but I want my reward later."
Quinn shook her head, "Trust me, you will enjoy it."
Quinn made her way to the kitchen and Santana made her way to her make shift study place in the living room and began going over her flash cards for her sociology exam on Monday.
Noelia is a non issue and Melissa is technically a non issue either, I was going to have her killed off but decided she wasn't worth it. I want to focus on our ladies, but Quinn got her point across. Until next time my lovies~XOXO~NR ;-)