AN: Hello lovely people!
It's been a while- I know. So first of all I wanna say a huge thank you for everyone being so patient with this story and still reading. Life's just been busy recently so the updates haven't been as frequent as I would like, but I wanna assure you all that this story won't go unfinished. I now have the end in sight and how everything is going to pan out/how many chapters there are going to be etc. (and still have plans for the sequel too). Essentially now I have a loose plan (things may ofc change along the way because I always want to write organically if things crop up in the storyline etc), it should be easier for me to update. I'm hoping I can get the updates up more frequently now, but rest assured that no matter how busy I get, this story is my baby and I'll never abandon it.
This next chapter is supposed to be longer and cover the whole trip in New York, but the ending is not finished and as it's Mothers Day today in the US, I really wanted to get this update out today as it's fitting, so decided to split into two parts.
So- bit of a filler chapter, but I hope you enjoy!
As always, your thoughts and reviews are appreciated
xx
As the three of them got back to Brittany's 2-bed apartment, Santana flopped back on the couch, feeling right at home. She was tired from the long week she'd had, but just so happy to be here, where she felt she belonged.
"Hey Moo, why don't we take your bag through to your room?" said Brittany nodding towards the spare room where Mila always slept when she came here. She picked up Mila's bag and extended her other hand out to her, mindful of her ankle.
As they got into the room Mila gasped, followed by a shriek of excitement, which caused Santana to get up off to couch and see what all the fuss was about.
"What's going on?" she asked curiously, as she approached the doorway where her girlfriend and daughter were standing.
Brittany moved her hand off the doorframe so that Santana could get through and see for herself, as Mila excitedly spun around.
"Aunty Brit gave me a unicorn bedroom!"
Santana glanced around the room to see that Brittany's spare room, which was ordinarily a blank canvas and kept very neutral for guests, had been converted to unicorn magic. Just a few slight changes, new bedsheets, some fairy lights and the oak dresser painted white and pastel pink made it feel more like Mila's own little sanctuary rather than a guest bedroom. It made Santana's heart melt to see that Brittany had gone to such effort, and she flashed her girlfriend a grateful smile.
"You like it?" Brittany asked the little girl, already knowing what her answer would be.
"I love it!" Mila proclaimed.
"You wanna see the best part?"
Mila nodded enthusiastically, as Brittany walked over to close the curtains to rid the room of the dusky light, before walking over to the bedside table and flicking a switch. Instantly, the whole room lit up in a burst of pink and purple, and Mila's big brown eyes grew mesmerised.
"It's a star projector" Brittany explained "I thought we could go one better than the glow in the dark stars. I know you haven't been sleeping so good lately, so I thought this will make you feel safe. You can keep it on all night, like a night light, and if you're feeling scared just look up at the stars. They'll protect you, I promise".
"It's so awesome!"
"What do you have to say to Aunty Brit, Mila?" Santana gently reminded her.
"Thank you, Aunty Brit, I really love it!"
"You're so welcome baby girl!" said Brittany, bending down to give the grateful 11-year-old a hug.
The evening was spent the way they liked it best, just the three of them curled up on the couch watching movies, like a proper little family. Brittany on the left-hand side with her arm outstretched across the back of the couch so she could place an arm around Santana who was sitting on the right, and Mila of course in the middle with her ankle propped up on a mountain of cushions. At some point during The Greatest Showman Mila had leaned into Brittany the way she did when she got tired, and she was now fast asleep in her lap, with her legs stretched out across Santana. It was only when Brittany heard a light snore, that she realised Santana had fallen asleep too. She quietly picked Mila up and took her to bed, making sure to switch on the star projector for her, before returning to the living room and turning off the TV.
"Hey, I was watching that!" Santana groaned sleepily.
Brittany let out a chuckle. Santana always did this. She would always fall asleep but whenever Brittany went to turn it off, she would instinctively wake up and pretend she'd been watching all along.
"You were not, you were fast asleep!"
"I wasn't, honestly. Put it back on. I want to watch it with you" Santana protested.
"Baby, you're tired, you've had a long week. Let's just go to bed. Besides, you've seen this movie a million times, you know the ending".
"But I only get two nights with you, I don't want to waste them sleeping this early" Santana pouted.
Brittany looked at the time, it wasn't even 10pm yet, but she knew Santana was tired and stressed out and she wanted her to relax.
"How about we take a bath then?"
"Like, together?"
"Duh!" Brittany laughed.
And suddenly at the thought of her naked girlfriend, Santana was wide awake.
Santana let out a content sigh as she relaxed back against her girlfriend, who was sitting behind her in the tub, arms wrapped around Santana's stomach protectively as she pulled her into her.
"Feeling relaxed, baby?" Brittany asked, place a soft kiss on the back of Santana's ear.
"I really am. This is amazing Brit. It feels so good just to be with you".
"I know. Tonight, we've had the best of both. A night with my little family and my favourite child in the world, and now time with my girlfriend, just the two of us".
Hearing Brittany refer to her and Mila as her little family made Santana feel all warm inside, like her heart could expand with the love she had for her.
"What you did with your spare room to make it like it's her own bedroom is so cute by the way, it means a lot to me, and I know it meant a lot to her too".
"Well, I want this to feel like a home for her. And with what you've been saying about her not sleeping so great, I thought being in unfamiliar surroundings wasn't going to help matters. How is she doing with the nightmares recently?"
"Some nights she has them, some nights she's fine" Santana sighed "I just hope everything's okay with her, and she's not hiding anything from me. I've tried talking to her, but she insists everything's fine and that's she happy, so maybe it's just one of those things. She used to get them when she was little didn't she? So, it's not like it's anything we've not dealt with before. I know if my dad was here he'd say it's normal and not to be worried, but I don't know Brit. Should I be worried?"
Santana thought back to the time when Mila was getting frequent nightmares all the time, when Brittany had lost the baby, and her dad had assured her that it was nothing to worry about and that was likely feeding off the high emotion and stress in the house. Since then, Mila had of course had the occasional nightmare, but recently they had started up more frequently again.
"I don't think so San, she seems happy in herself, doesn't she? If I know one thing about Mila, it's that she's her mother's daughter, and she's a worrier just like you. It's probably just something like that and that she's overthinking at night, so it's spilling into her subconscious. That's why I thought maybe the star projector would help, gives her something to focus on other than her own mind".
"Yeah, that's true, maybe it is just that. It's just last time at least I knew the reason she was having them".
"There doesn't always have to be a reason for everything though honey. But you've got to think, she has had a lot going on in the past 6 months. She lost her Abuelo, you and Dani split up, then there's me and you. Maybe she's just dealing with the transition of everything. You don't think...well- you don't think it's to do with our relationship, do you? You definitely think she's okay with it all?"
"Oh babe, no doubt!" Santana nodded adamantly "She's so, so happy that you and I are together. Coming to see you this weekend has been all she ever talks about recently, and if anything, her mood deflates when you're not around. We probably won't get any nightmares at all now she's here with you".
Brittany smiled at that, but she also hoped Mila truly was happy with their relationship. She knew Mila loved her no end, but maybe seeing her in a relationship with her mom all of a sudden was confusing for her. She knew that the little girl was so compassionate and would never dream of telling her or Santana the truth if she was struggling with it, for fear of hurting their feelings.
The light strokes of her girlfriend's hand across her arm pulled Brittany from her thoughts.
"Have you spoken anymore to your family, baby?" Santana asked tentatively.
"Nope" Brittany sighed "My dad text a couple of times, but it's like he's not even acknowledging what happened. Nothing at all from my mom".
"Maybe you should reach out to them again? You know to actually talk about it? Rather than letting them just push this to the side".
"What and face them effectively rejecting me again?" Brittany responded, her voice cracking slightly, but at Santana's touch she was able to regain her composure.
"I just worry about you because it's been three weeks now, and you never go that long without speaking to them. Of course, they should be the ones reaching out to you and making this right, but what if they're just being stubborn? What if all it takes to get speaking again is another conversation around it, now that they're over the initial shock. I could go with you want?"
"Yeah...maybe"
Santana felt Brittany stiffen slightly behind her and knew not to press any further on the subject, at least not tonight. She turned around in the bath and knelt to cup Brittany's face in her hands.
"It's your decision though babe, whatever you choose to do, I'll support you" Santana promised, placing a soft kiss against the blonde's lips.
"I know you will. Thank you" Brittany smiled.
Brittany watched Santana's relaxed features under the dim light of the bedside lamp, as she cuddled against her. Watching her sleep was one of her favourite things in the world, although Santana wasn't actually sleeping, just contentedly relaxing as she cuddled her girlfriend after their bath. She was high off the smell of Brittany's shampoo and the warmth that still radiated from her own skin. Suddenly she flicked her eyes open, to be met with love-filled deep blue ones.
"Hi baby" Santana smiled bashfully, as if Brittany hadn't been lying there all along.
"Hi yourself" Brittany let out a toothy grin, as she pulled Santana in by her night shirt to claim a kiss from the lips she could never resist.
Before long, the kisses were getting heated and hands were starting to roam. Brittany could feel herself growing wetter, and she was conscious she was going to get all riled up, only for Santana to fall asleep.
"Aren't you too tired?" Brittany asked breathlessly, as she quickly but reluctantly pulled away from the kiss, only for Santana to pull her back in just as fast.
"Too tired for you?" Santana whispered in between kisses "Never".
As she moved her trail of kisses down Brittany's neck and found the sweet spot on her neck that always drove the blonde crazy, Brittany let out a moan. There was certainly no going back now.
But Brittany knew she wanted tonight to be all about Santana. She wanted her to be the one to feel good and to let out all that tension from the past week. With one swift movement, she flipped them around on the bed so that she was hovering over Santana and began attacking her with kisses of her own. The move excited Santana, and she let out a moan of her own. She could only hope Mila was in a deep, deep sleep right now.
Hungry for her girlfriend's touch, Santana peeled back the thin sheet that was separating them, her back arching as she encountered Brittany's bare skin. Brittany readjusted herself so that her thigh was pressed against Santana's centre, and desperate for the contact and the release, Santana began to grind against her.
"Relax baby" Brittany husked "I'm taking care of you tonight", she reminded gently, placing a firm kiss on Santana's lips. She removed her thigh, already dampened by Santana's arousal, and the Latina groaned at the loss of contact. But before long, her frustrated groan was replaced with soft moans of pleasure, as Brittany continued the trail of kisses downwards.
She lightly nipped, bit and sucked her way down Santana's body, admiring and tasting every inch of her coffee hued skin. As Santana's breath grew more ragged, Brittany settled between her legs, taking in the sight in front of her before moving in with her lips.
She was getting more confident, so she decided to tell Santana exactly what she was thinking.
"San, you taste so good" Brittany mumbled, her eyes firmly focused on her girlfriend who was lying back, eyes closed and cheeks pink in a desperate frenzy. She knew Santana was on the brink of an intense orgasm when she looked like this and was unable to keep her eyes open. She would also do this thing where she'd place the back of her hand against her head, as if she could barely stand it any longer.
All Brittany wanted to do, was give Santana the release she so sorely needed after such a heavy week, and pleasure her like she'd never pleasured her before. She worked her tongue against her, increasing the pace to tip her over the edge, noticing the way Santana grabbed the sheet tight with her remaining hard.
"Come for me baby, let yourself go"
It was those words followed by Brittany dipping her tongue deep inside her that sent Santana spiralling, and as Brittany admired the way she came undone whilst turning her movement to soft kisses against her, she realised that actually this sight was one of her favourite things in the world.
She climbed up Santana's body to lay beside her, placing soft trails of kisses over every inch of her, from her hairline to her nose.
"I love it when you touch me like that Brit" Santana breathed, still attempting to regain full composure.
"I never want to stop touching you, Santana." Brittany responded earnestly, a hint of a smile appeared on the Latina's sleepy face, which was quickly kissed way by the blonde.
Brittany stood at the door of the spare room watching Mila sleep with a smile on her face. She was so happy her plan had worked and that she had slept through the night. As she went over to switch off the star projector, Mila began to stir.
"Hey sweetheart, how did you sleep?"
"Hey Aunty Brit" Mila groaned as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes "I had a nice sleep thank you. I had a dream that I was inside an elephant's trunk".
Brittany let out a laugh at that, as she ruffled Mila's messy dark hair.
"You remind me of myself with your wild dreams, crazy girl."
"Where's Mama?" Mila asked, as she sat up in bed and stretched her arms, starting to wake up a bit more.
"She's still sleeping honey. I think she needed the rest. So, I thought that maybe it would be a good excuse for us to make my special pancakes for her and surprise her with breakfast in bed".
"Yes!" Mila thumped the air in delight. Making pancakes with her Aunty Brit was up there with one of her favourite things to do.
"Mama, wake up, me and Aunty Brit have a surprise for you!" Mila called, slowly walking over to bed, as Brittany carried in the tray they had prepared.
"Sit down Moo, don't put too much pressure on your ankle" Brittany said softly, nodding to the chair in the corner of the room, as Santana began to stir.
"What's all this?" she asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes to find her daughter grinning in the chair next to her and her girlfriend hovering over with a tray of pancakes, black coffee and an orange juice.
"This is breakfast in bed for the best mama and girlfriend in the world. We just wanted to give you a little treat, didn't we Moo?"
Mila nodded enthusiastically, and Santana was instantly transported back to a memory of the first time her girls did something like this for her.
May 2012
Brittany always made it back for Santana's and Mila's birthdays and all the other special occasions in between, but it was the day before Mother's Day as she was stopping at the store in Lima to pick her mother some flowers up, that a memory crossed her mind.
When Brittany was little, she and her dad always had a little tradition on Mother's Day. She would sit patiently on her bed and wait for him to come and get her, then when it was time the two of them would make breakfast for her mom. This is where Brittany developed her recipe for pancakes because what started off as her dad making the pancakes with Brittany just helping in little bits, changed each year as she was able to do more. Eventually Brittany was throwing all sorts of delicious ingredients into the mix and one of her favourite parts was getting to lick the spoon of all the tasty pancake batter.
But her most favourite part was getting to walk into her mom's room and surprise her every year. Even though they did this every year and Whitney would undoubtedly know what was coming, she would still act so surprised and thrilled by it all. Whitney was a typical housewife, and she was always up before anyone else in the house preparing breakfast, so Pierce had expressed how important it was that Whitney got to relax and have breakfast in bed on Mother's Day. Now at the age of 21 (soon to be 22), the tradition was ever as important, and Brittany made it back to Lima for Mother's Day weekend whenever she could.
But as she stood there and thought about all this, she was tinged with sadness thinking about how Santana never got breakfast in bed on Mother's Day. She lived on her own, and Mila had just turned 3 so was too young to realise it was Mother's Day until prompted by someone else. And of course, her making breakfast for her mom on her own was out of the question.
Maribel always took care of buying a present on Mila's behalf and making sure Santana was appreciated on Mother's Day, but she wouldn't get her gift until later when she went around to Maribel's for dinner to give her own presents. Brittany couldn't help but feel sad that Santana had to wake up on her own and that it was just like any other morning for her. She didn't have a partner there to make a fuss of her like she deserved.
With that in mind, Brittany began adding more ingredients to the shopping cart, and pulled out her phone to explain the plan to her mom. She just hoped her mom would be understanding if she changed things up a bit this year and broke tradition.
Santana had been surprised when Brittany turned up at her door Saturday evening, something about a leak in her bathroom meaning her bedroom was out of bounds and she couldn't stay at her parent's house tonight, but luckily Santana didn't question it too much and was more than happy to have her stay over and spend some quality time with her best friend.
Brittany then had to sneak all the bags in like a ninja when Santana wasn't looking and relay her plan to Mila for what they were going to do the next morning.
Santana knew all about Brittany's Mother's Day traditions and assumed that she would be going early in the morning to make breakfast for her mom before she woke up, but in actual fact Brittany had cleared it with her mom that she would help Mila make Santana breakfast in bed this year, then go around to her mom's afterwards and treat her to lunch. Whitney had thought it was a great idea and was proud of her daughter for thinking of Santana in this way.
Brittany just hoped that Santana felt as appreciated as she was.
Thankful that Santana was a heavy sleeper, Brittany crept out of the bedroom and into Mila's room, to find the 3-year-old sitting and waiting for her on her bed.
"I remembered about the surprise Aunty Brit-Brit"
"Good girl Meels!" Brittany said warmly, scooping the little girl up and planting a kiss on her cheek "Come on, Let's go make Mama some breakfast!"
Brittany tiptoed into the kitchen with Mila clinging on tightly, before setting her down on the floor to commence their big plan.
"Okay Moo, I'll start the cooking, and you can go and grab the surprise" Brittany raised her eyebrows enthusiastically, as Mila excitedly ran off to the cupboard to pull out the selection of presents Brittany had bought on her behalf. She knew Maribel would still have a gift from Mila too, but this just meant Santana was getting double spoiled today, exactly how she deserved to be.
"Got them!" Mila whispered, being careful not to wake her mom.
"Good job! Okay sweetheart let's sit you up here" said Brittany, picking Mila up and placing her on the kitchen counter "Aunty Brit-Brit is going to show you how to make the best pancakes ever!".
Brittany relished in watching Mila being her little helper and pouring all the ingredients in, the grin on her face growing every time Brittany praised her, the way the flour had adorably clung to her nose and of course the best part, watching her eat all the leftover batter the way she had enjoyed herself as a child.
As Brittany neatly arranged the breakfast on a tray, she turned to the little girl.
"Got the presents Moo?"
"Yep!" Mila grinned, clutching her gifts and cards tightly.
They walked quietly into Santana's bedroom, pleased to find her still sleeping, snoring lightly the way she did when she was in a deep sleep.
"Okay baby girl, go ahead and wake her up! And remember what you have to say." Brittany whispered.
Mila tentatively walked over to the bed and lightly tapped her mother's arm.
"Mama?"
Santana began to stir slightly, but her eyes were still closed so Mila tried again.
"Mama, wake up!" she said, tapping more persistently, and causing Santana to open her eyes as she stretched and let out a yawn.
"Happy birthday Mama!" Mila grinned proudly, dropping the card and presents on to the bed.
"Thanks baby" Santana giggled at her 3-year-old, lifting her onto the bed "But it's not my birthday today..."
"She means Happy Mother's Day, don't you Moo?" Brittany joined in on the laughter and setting the tray aside so she could hug Santana herself "Happy Mother's Day San, thank you for giving me my amazing, gorgeous, goddaughter, and for doing such a great job raising her".
As Brittany kissed Santana's cheek after whispering those words into her ear, Santana felt her eyes glass over at Brittany and Mila going to all this effort for her.
"Girls..." Santana gushed, looking from the contents of the breakfast tray to the pile of presents Mila had dumped in front of her "You really have spoiled me. Thank you" she said earnestly, pulling Mila in to kiss her.
"Well, we had to do something special. Mila has the best mama in the world. Right Meels!?"
"The BEST!" Mila exclaimed, clinging tightly on to her mom.
And in that moment, Santana felt like her heart could just burst with love for both of them.