A/N: We are SO CLOSE! Not only are we close to our Christmas in real life, but the Pierce's and Santana are coming up on that magical day too! And for them, it's going to be extra magical, you won't want to miss it! Enjoy a Christmas Eve in the Pierce abode, and enjoy. Thank you for all the reads and reviews, they make this all feel worth the effort. Love to all of you- GEK
Chapter 8: Holly Jolly Christmas (Christmas Eve)
Yesterday had left Santana emotionally exhausted. It wasn't just the news of her grandmother, but it was also the compassion and sympathy she'd extended all day. She absolutely loved every moment, don't get her wrong, but even Brittany could tell the light in Santana's eyes was a bit dull that morning. Brittany and Ashley went and built a snow family in the yard, but Satana opted to sit by the window with a mug of hot tea and watch. She had a lot to ponder, and her nerves were acting up as the hours ticked down to the moment she got down on one knee.
"Why are you moping around inside Tana?" Adam asked, pulling on his gloves so he could help his daughter (and pelt them with snowballs).
"Sorry Dad Pierce, I'm just not feeling it today." Satana ran a hand through her hair "I've got a lot on my mind."
"Your parents are back in town right?" he asked, settling down next to Santana.
"Yeah, they flew in immediately to see Abuela." she idly stirred her tea.
"Oh yes. Britty was so excited about meeting her. She's really turned around hasn't she?" Adam asked.
"Mhmm. It took cancer, but I suppose she may have come around anyway. I'm just not sure if Papi will follow her lead. He loves me, but he thinks that…" she made sure Brittany was distracted "He thinks B isn't good enough for me. I've told him a dozen times she's perfect."
"A father never thinks anyone is good enough for their daughter, not right away. We've had a lot more time to see you two in that light. You took Brittany under your wing when you were young, and that was enough to convince us. But what she does is less visible, but equally significant. Perhaps, though, let her talk to them? Without you. Explain her case. I mean, you want them to approve of your proposal right?" Adam asked, and Santana sighed.
"But how do I explain to her why she should talk to them? I don't want to spoil the surprise." the Latina looked out at the blonde who caught her and waved.
"Leave that to me. I'll send her over right now. Do you think they'll be home?" he asked, finally putting his gloves on.
"Yes, they told me if I wanted to stop by this morning they weren't going to visit Abuela again until the afternoon." she looked down to her tea "I hope Papi understands. Mami will help her through."
"Do you trust her?" Adam asked.
"With my whole heart," Santana said shyly.
"Then let her do this." he winked and left, and Santana saw Brittany get in the car and drive away. She went to the kitchen for a refill on her tea and found Beverley bustling around preparing Christmas Eve dinner since the girls were joining the Lopezes the following night.
"Can I help?" Santana asked shyly, Beverly smiling widely at the request.
"Of course dear. I can trust you not to burn mashed potatoes, Brittany hasn't lived that one down quite yet." Beverly laughed and saw Satana's signature Snixx glare, and quickly said "She'd be perfect with practice. Don't kill me." she put her hands up in surrender.
"Sorry, I wasn't even trying to glare, I think Snixx might be a little TOO protective of Brittany. Though she has a great reputation in succeeding in her defense." the Latina chuckled.
"I'm sure your inner Snixx can be trained to protect your clients one day. If you decide to go the lawyer route. I have no doubt Snixx will find a place in anything you do." the older woman said, handing a peeler and a bag of potatoes to the girl "Now, get cooking."
Brittany had jumped at her dad's sneaking tactics to get her the perfect opportunity to ask 's permission to ask Santana to marry her. She knew it might need a little convincing, but with how much adored her, she was sure he'd come around. She drove carefully on the snowy roads, not having driven much in the snow after her first attempt nearly killed a mailbox. It wasn't too far to the Lopez house, and she managed to parallel park and everything! Feeling proud of herself, Brittany brushed the snow off her clothes and knocked cheerfully on the large wooden door.
"Hello, Brittany! Is Santana with you?" Maribel peaked around the tall blonde, a disappointed look spreading across her face.
"No ma'am, I'm sorry, but I actually came to talk to you and ." Brittany took her coat off and hung it carefully on the coat rack.
"Oh, well, let me fetch Hector for you. Take a seat." she gestured to the living room, and Brittany awkwardly settled on the couch she usually shared with Santana.
"Brittany." Hector came out of his office, and she stood and shook his hand firmly as had become their custom "What brings you here?"
"Sir, I'd like to ask your permission to ask Santana to marry me," she said nervously. Maribel clapped happily and nodded her head. Hector however took a moment to respond.
"Before I agree, I want to know that you take wonderful care of her. That you love her as she deserves." Hector said.
"Of course sir. I've loved Santana since we were young, no matter who I was with, my heart belonged to her. Having hurt her once, I could never imagine doing so again. Our hearts are one, and when she is broken so am I. I never try to make her better, only support her to be who she is. I take care of her when she can't take care of herself and I will never let her go. She is my anchor. I'd float away to oblivion without her." Brittany tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and bowed her head nervously.
"Well then, Brittany." he said and she looked up "Welcome to the Lopez family!" he outstretched his arms and she hugged him tightly.
"Thank you so much, sir! Will you be at the traditional Who song tomorrow?" she bounced nervously on the balls of her feet.
"We wouldn't miss it," Maribel assured, and Brittany smiled and thanked them again as they ushered her out.
"You're going to call the Pierces right?" Hector smirked, and Maribel nodded, calling Beverly and getting the entire rundown. Both Lopezes were impressed with how well The Pierces had handled BOTH girls deciding to propose on the same day and managed to keep it from them. What worried them, however, was that their own daughter hadn't shared her plans with them. Hector worried he may have played a part in that. He tried to show Santana he loved her, and he really did think Brittany was great for her. He just didn't want to go easy on her. At least she was better than that weasel Puckerman. He couldn't believe approved of the choice.
When Brittany got home, she shook out her excitement, couldn't have Santana knowing she'd just gotten permission to make her hers forever. So, with a quick check in the rearview, she gave one last fist pump before going inside. She found her mom and Santana moving effortlessly around each other in the kitchen, singing Christmas songs that Ashley was playing on the TV. Her dad was kneeled beside Ashley in front of the fireplace, teaching her how to build a fire. Brittany remembered when he taught her. Ashley was a toddler at the time, and let's just say Brittany learned fire safety very quickly. She took a seat at the counter and watched Santana sing as she cooked, one of her favorite things to do. Her girlfriend used the potato masher as a microphone and did a twirl and smirked when she caught Brittany staring.
"Hey babe." she kissed Brittany softly "You like what you see?" she gestured down to the kiss the chef apron.
"I'd be a little happier if it wasn't my dad's apron, but I certainly can oblige." she leaned across the counter and kissed her again.
"Do you want to help?" the Latina asked the blonde, sending a warning look to Beverly not to interfere.
"I don't want to ruin dinner…" Brittany shook her head "You should just do it. I'll watch, I like watching you cook." the blonde assured, but Santana was unconvinced.
"Come here. I want you to help me." she smiled and put Brittany's apron on "See, it's all about being gentle." She had Brittany stand in front of her and helped her mash the potatoes, adding cream periodically.
"I seriously cannot believe I managed to burn mash potatoes one year…" Brittany laughed "This is so easy!"
"You just have to turn the heat down silly! Don't worry, it's all about practice. Sue was right, practice makes perfect," Santana kissed Brittany's cheek.
"Only you would make Sure sound anything less than insane." Brittany shook her head "The woman is the devil incarnate."
"That title belongs to me babe," Santana sighed "Satan, remember?"
"Everyone who called you that is an idiot. I mean, mom you've met Rachel, totally nuts right?" Brittany asked, and Beverly nodded "See, you're no Satan. You just have to keep a leash on Sixx."
"I suppose you're right. But Snixx is off-leash when it comes to you." the Latina insisted "Nobody hurts my Britt." Brittany chuckled as they helped Beverly finish the last few preparations. They would have dinner in a few hours once the ham was done, but in the meantime, they all gathered in the living room and watched Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. Santana found herself happily sandwiched between Brittany and Ashley, absentmindedly braiding the younger girl's hair. Both Pierce daughters loved having their hair braided, and Santana had taken to doing it anytime they were cuddled up on the couch. Brittany kissed the back of her head softly, loving how caring the Latina was towards her younger sister. Santana didn't realize how good she was with kids, but she handled the important stuff like doing hair, cooking, and cleaning really well. Sure, Brittany could play with her kids, but Santana would take care of them. Once the movie was finished, Pierce's got dressed in their holiday best: or worst. They all donned ugly sweaters, and Santana joined in the fun, borrowing one of the one's Brittany had outgrown. They gathered around the table for their late afternoon feast, an impressive spread of food up for grabs.
"It's Pierce tradition to share what brought us the most joy this year at our Christmas feast. Be specific, be thoughtful! I won't let you pass by saying you get joy from food, I want something from the heart." Adam pointed to his heart. "I'll start by saying I am brought so much joy by my lovely wife Bev. Coming home from work to a warm meal is never something I expected but was always given. Whether we're cuddled up on the couch watching movies, or plotting ways to embarrass Ashley, she always fills my heart to the brim. My daughter, Brittany, and Ashley make me the proudest man alive, and it brings me such joy to know I've raised kids who spread kindness to everyone around them. And of course, my daughter by choice, Santana, brings me a sense of security in knowing my Britt is taken care of. I feel joy because my family is well taken care of, no matter how many miles apart we are."
"Well, now that Adam has said everything I was going to say, I'll say why he brings me joy." Beverly smiled "Adam had never let us go without, even in the hardest times he has given everything to this family, even if it meant he had to set aside his dreams. I feel my greatest joy when I see his work ethic reflected in our two beautiful daughters, but also his smile. All of their smiles brighten up the room like no other. But Santana, she is the reason they smile, because she is fiercely loyal to Brittany and keeps an eye on Ashley, even when she's in New York."
"Okay before you all make me blush so much it shows on my perfect skin" Santana chuckled "I want to say how much joy Brittany brings me. Whenever we were apart during high school, my world would turn black and white. But when we finally were together, and she made me brave, I saw everything in vibrant color, the same way she sees the world. Ashley has managed to do the same, being the sibling I always wished for. Adam and Bev, you both have made me feel joy when my own parents couldn't. So thank you for taking me as if I was your own."
"Jeez, I'm going to cry if we don't hurry up." Brittany squeezed Santana's hand "I'm not so good with words, but I think you all know your smiles bring me more joy than my words can ever express. I love you all."
"Well, I'm not much more verbose than my big sis I'm afraid. But I just want to say how much joy it brings me to see her and Santana express their love so bravely in a world that tries to shut it down. Mom, Dad, you keep me warm and fed- and what could bring more joy than that?" Ashley chuckled.
"Cheer to that!" Adam said, and they clinked their glasses "Let's feast!"
After a filling meal, they brought out UNO and played until Ashley finally won. It was the longest and most exhausting game of UNO Santana had ever played, and she realized that the Pierces were fierce competition. Brittany kissed Santana's cheek, seeing how upset she was at having lost with a full hand of cards. Santana smiled, she wasn't too upset, more so surprised at how good Ashley was. But apparently, UNO was her favorite game and she ran competitions at lunch at school and had won her fair share of gummy worms. Santana couldn't argue with that. She headed to the kitchen where Adam was making drinks for everyone.
"Stealing Bev's job?" Santana asked, finding her and Brittany's matching Cheerio's mugs.
"Oh totally, I'm so going to take her position." Adam joked before shouting "Just kidding honey."
"You better bite that tongue Adam Pierce!" she shouted back and Santana smirked and made a whip-cracking sound.
"These Pierce women have us both whipped huh?" Santana said, pouring herself eggnog and grinning when Adam passed her the rum. She handed it back before making Brittany's cocoa with marshmallows, whip cream, and a candy cane.
"Consider how much effort you just put into that mug of cocoa. What do you think?" Adam said topping off the whipped cream on Ashley's with rainbow sprinkles, Satana grabbing them and quickly following suit. She chuckled and nodded and carried the drinks out with Adam. Brittany smelled Santana's mug and gave her a serious look.
"Babe, your dad watched. It's okay," she assured. She may have partied a little too hard a few times in high school, but at least her clothes stayed on. Brittany had toned down her drinking since her last strip went a little too far. Santana had followed her lead after a nasty hangover nearly cost her a grade in class. Luckily, the fact that she puked outside the classroom got her out of class that day.
"Alright, now that we're all gathered here, it's time to read The Night Before Christmas." Adam smiled and read the poem, Brittany and Ashley clapping as soon as he was done. "Well, with that done, it's time for you all to scurry to bed so Santa can slip down the chimney. Hop to it, you too Santana!" he smiled as they all trudged up the stairs. Santana was more than happy to spend the rest of the night with her girlfriend, the last night they'd fall asleep as girlfriends. As the clock ticked closer to midnight, Brittany asked Santana to sing her to sleep.
Have a holly, jolly Christmas
And in case you didn't hear
Oh by golly have a holly jolly Christmas
This year