A/N: So I originally said I was going to split Christmas Day into two parts (for each proposal) but I've decided instead that the last two installments will be Christmas Day (below) and an Epilogue for Chapter 10. Chapter 9 will be semi-long, whereas the epilogue will be very to the point and short.
Chapter 9: All I Want For Christmas Is You ft. Welcome Christmas (Christmas Day)
Christmas morning, the most magical morning for children across the globe, the morning when the presents were stacked high beneath the tree and the sun was barely in the sky when they woke up their parents. It was no surprise to Satana that Brittany had joined her sister in waking their parents. What did surprise her was how sweetly she woke her from her slumber. She was barely sleeping, excitement coursing through her veins at the thought of having Brittany as her fiancee by the end of the day. Nevertheless, she appreciated the soft kisses planted on her forehead, cheeks, and finally lips accompanied by a steaming cup of coffee. It all was sweetened by a bright smile spread wide on pale freckled cheeks. The Latina took Brittany's hand and let herself be led down the stairs to the living room where Ashley was bouncing in her seat from excitement.
"She's here! Can we start opening, oh pretty please?" she kneeled in front of her parents, a signature pout on her lips.
"I suppose so. Who wants to play Santa?" Adam asked, and Ashley stayed silent. Surely playing Santa couldn't be so bad, so she tentatively said she would. "Awesome!' Adam planted a Santa hat atop her head "Grab everybody's stockings and pass them out." Santana got up, realizing her task required energy and with a grunt passed the stockings around before sitting with her own. Everyone dug into the stockings, pulling out mittens, socks, and candy from within. Ashley smiled happily at everything, back to bouncing, while everyone else expressed their gratitude with a bit less energy, even Brittany needing a bit of time to get to her little sister's level. Once the stockings were finished, Satana broke the rules and piled everybody's pile in front of them all at once.
"I'm tired, get over it. I've saved us at least ten minutes of useless searching and climbing around the tree." Santana sipped her coffee "We can still take turns one at a time or whatever."
"Tuck Snixx back into bed babe," Brittany whispered softly, and Satana took a deep breath.
"Let me rephrase in a less rude way: I'm tired and grumpy so this is the best I've got." Santana looked to Brittany for approval and got a light shoulder squeeze. Not perfect, but an improvement. She vowed to get to perfect by the time they were singing The Who Song later that morning. The Pierces smiled as everyone took turns unwrapping one present at a time. Being the only child in the house meant that Ashley was spoiled rotten, but Brittany knew that was the way things would be. She recognized the differences in cost and the value of Christmas for her little sister versus her. Still, she rested her head on Santana's shoulder as she saw that even her girlfriend had spoiled her little sister more. "Don't worry, I have a surprise for you later." Santana booed the blonde's nose and the blue-eyed girl hoped it didn't interfere with her surprise. With wrapping paper scattered on the floor, Adam, Ashley, and Brittany were left to clean up while Satana helped cook breakfast. Unfortunately, her nerves were catching up to her, and shaking hands made messy pancakes.
"You don't need to be so nervous sweetheart." Beverly assured, "Britt loves you more than unicorns love rainbows." Santana nodded and calmed her hands enough to be useful in the kitchen. However, her lack of appetite at the breakfast table was catching glances from Brittany, and she lied her way through it. The feast just filled her to the brim last night. Brittany looked suspicious but went back to her food, and Santana stomached as much as she could.
Brittany was excited, but she wasn't nervous. She knew she had a whole crew to back her up in her plan. Nothing could go wrong, everyone important would be there and Santana would say yes. She knew the song by heart, she'd practiced before waking Satana (or even her parents) that morning. Today was the day, and she was determined that it would be perfect.
Adam and Beverly watched amused at the different reactions to the soon to be the double proposal. Santana was a wreck right now, but they knew as soon as she started singing the Who song it would fade away and let her execute her plan quickly and painlessly. Brittany, on the other hand, was a ball of excitement. Santana may have been too distracted to notice, but Brittany's foot was tapping the rhythm to the song all through breakfast and even Ashley was starting to see the signs of a plan brewing. When she caught her parents casting their plotting glances across the table she knew she hadn't been clued in. So, while Brittany and Santana were left washing dishes, which surprisingly seemed to calm Santana, she grabbed her parents and demanded answers.
"Look, we honestly thought one or both of them would've clued you in," Adam argued.
"It wasn't our secret to share honey, you have to understand." Beverly reasoned.
"Fine, but is there any way I can help?" Ashley crossed her arms annoyed.
"Lots of mistletoe," her parents said simultaneously. She plotted her use of mistletoe as they all got dressed to gather at the tree. With a fresh layer of snow on the ground, they all booted up and got their coziest coats on. The weather wasn't terrible but certainly required adequate apparel. Stuck in both girl's coats was a small black velvet box, and each of them could be seen mouthing words to themselves. They made their way to the tree and found the Lopezes there. Santana greeted her parents and bridged the gap between Lopez and Pierce, one hand clung to her father, the other to Brittany as the whole town gathered. They all started to sing, even Sue in her grouchiest glory.
Heart to heart and hand in hand
Yahoo fores dahoo dores
Welcome welcome Christmas day
Welcome, welcome Christmas day
As she sang the last line, Santana released both hands and spun herself down onto one knee in front of Brittany, getting a collective gasp from the gathered crowd, including her girlfriend. "Britt-Britt, as long as I've known you, you've only ever asked of me to be myself. I saw your confidence in unicorns and fairy tales and tried to replicate it, but I let the world get the better of me. I doubted myself and tried to replicate what everyone else saw as cool and trendy. But never in front of you. With you I was my nerdy self, whether it was my secret dream of being Batman or the fact that I was in love with you, you always knew, long before I even told you. And that's the one thing I've never doubted- my love for you, and your love for me. Even when you turned away or said differently, our connection was something I couldn't doubt. You are, and always have been my perfect soulmate, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have found you this early in life. I want to show you how my doubts have flown away in the best way I can imagine: Brittany Susan Pierce, I ask now, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Lost to her thoughts and trying to fumble away into her proposal as well, she managed out a quiet yes, as she realized, someone had figured the plan out for her, Mercedes sending her a reassuring wink, her hand on a play button. "Yes!" she smiled, and Santana spun her in a hug and dizzying kiss, before slipping the ring on her finger. "Yes, I'll marry you because Mercedes queue the music!"
I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
And I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas Tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I Want for Christmas is You
Brittany was backed by the Glee club who built a human archway, mistletoe hanging between every pair, courtesy of Ashley. Brittany kept singing, pulling a flustered Santana along until they ended in a rather crowded choir room.
All I want for Christmas is you, baby
Brittany sang the last line and spun down to one knee, much more gracefully than Satana had, and began her speech "All I've asked for every time I've wished upon a star, blown the candles out on a birthday cake or whispered to Santa, I've asked for one thing only. That I could have you with me for the rest of my life, as my best friend, my true love, and my partner. You have protected me from the cruelties of this world in a way that has allowed me to retain an innocence that has brought joy to my family and friends for years. You never gave up on me, no matter the struggle, always pushing me to be my best and surpass everyone's expectations. No one expected me to go to college, no one expecting me to graduate. But you made the world my oyster, and you were the pearl amongst the other grains of sand. I've already done you the honor, now repay the favor: Santana, will you marry me?"
"Yes, yes A MILLION TIMES yes!" Santana flung her arms around Brittany, solidifying her answer with a kiss. Brittany slid the ring onto her finger, and finally, everyone was able to see the two gorgeous rings that were near perfect matches- just more proof they were soulmates. According to the Lopezes, this was all cause for celebration, and suddenly, the entire Lopez house was full of guests forming a potluck, something Santana never dreamed her parents would allow. Their entire glee family, along with the Pierces, gathered at the massive dining table the Lopezes had never used once in their entire time of living in the house. It wasn't made for three. Around the table, Santana realized she had found a family already, and now she and Brittany were going to build onto it. It was really a Christmas miracle.
As if enough miracles hadn't filled the day, they got a call from the hospital that her Abuela had successfully made it through surgery. Satana didn't ask who pulled what string to pull off a mastectomy on Christmas, but she thanked the heavens that her Abuela had many more years of life left to live. Santana was overjoyed, and she couldn't believe that a holiday she had once resented was quickly becoming the most magical day of her life. It only got better when her parents gave her more than just money or material objects for Christmas. They gave her an apology, from the bottoms of their hearts, for the way she suffered in silence for so many years. They donated one-thousand dollars to the Trevor Project and an equal amount to GLSEN, all in her name. They wanted other kids to know it was okay to be who they wanted to be. Santana gave her parents the gift she'd been waiting to give them all year: a picture of her and Brittany for the mantle, to officially welcome Brittany as a Lopez.
That night, as Brittany and Satana settled into bed as fiances, they couldn't help but admire the way their brains worked together so well. Sure, the Pierces put the pieces together, but they would've figured it out eventually. Or, at least that's what they told themselves, as they held their ringed hands together, looking into each other's eyes. No actions or words were needed for them to both know that their love ran deep and that this miraculous, warm-hearted feeling would be carried with them as they flew home to New York just before the New Year.
They were Santana and Brittany. Soon to be Mrs. and Mrs. Lopez-Pierce.