Had she made the decision knowing that she'd be nearly five months pregnant with twins, and growing wider by the day, Santana never would have agreed to present research at a pediatric and neonatal surgery conference in Phoenix. She doesn't do conferences often, not like Brittany, who is so prolific in her field that she travels at least once a month, but she does consider her occasional invitation a real badge of honor. Still though, the idea of waddling down the aisle of an airplane, being away from home for three days, and having even more trouble than normal sleeping in a hotel bed isn't exactly appealing to her.

The week before she's set to leave, Santana buys maternity clothes. She definitely didn't think she'd need them so early, but even the most roomy of her professional clothes have become tight around her middle, and she refuses to look stuffed like a sausage in a room full of surgeons. So she goes out on her lunch hour, and she buys whatever she can find, figuring she'll just return anything that doesn't look good on her.

That night, after Liam is asleep, Santana goes up to the bedroom to try everything on. When Brittany comes in, she's shy about modeling for her, still getting used to the changes in her body. Besides her ever growing belly, her face has gained weight, and her breasts feel massive, but Brittany gives her soft, adoring smiles. Brittany compliments her curves, Brittany kisses her and strokes her sides when she's in between outfits, standing in just her bra and high-waisted maternity panties. Brittany makes her feel beautiful, even when she may not feel that way on her own.

The night before she leaves, Brittany makes love to her long and slow. Given her increased libido, Santana knows she's trying to leave her sated while she's gone, and she lies back, prone on the sheets as Brittany kisses every inch of her body. She threads her fingers through Brittany's hair, and then she kneels at the edge of the bed while Brittany spreads her own legs, the most comfortable position now for Santana when she wants to go down on her wife for as long as she possibly can.

Because Brittany has to work, Santana takes a cab to the airport. Brittany and Liam hug and kiss her goodbye on the curb, and Liam hugs her belly tight, giving Santana a picture for them babies. It's a struggle, but she doesn't cry. She's not quite there yet, losing all control of her emotions, but it's getting closer, and she's trying to prolong it for as long as possible. In the cab, she gets car sick, though she doesn't throw up, but frankly, she's beyond concerned about getting air sick and having to maneuver down the aisle of the plane and sink to her knees in the tiny bathroom to vomit.

When she checks in at the airport, she's surprised when the woman at the desk tells her she's been upgraded to first class. Though she'd considered it herself, she thought it was ridiculous to spend the money, and figured she'd be fine with coach. Smiling to herself, even the whole way through security, when she finally has her shoes back on and her computer tucked back in her bag, she digs out her phone, and sends Brittany a text message.

You really didn't have to do that, Britt. But that doesn't mean I don't love that you did. She sends, shoving the phone back in the pocket of her elastic waisted jeans.

Heading into surgery. But I didn't do anything? The reply comes quickly, and Santana furrows her brow.

You didn't upgrade my ticket?

I didn't. But now I wish I did!

Hmm, I guess it was just the airline. Okay, I love you. I'm boarding soon. Good luck in surgery, call you when I land.

Love you too, and give those babies a kiss for me.

Though she knows she might regret it when she has to pee ten minutes into her flight, Santana grabs a cup of coffee before she wheels her carry on down the jetway. As soon as she boards the plane, she sees a blonde grinning at her from the seat beside her in first class, and she has to laugh, shaking her head as the man across the aisle stands up to help her stow her bag in the overhead bin.

"Hey sweet cheeks!" Holly Holiday grins. "Took you long enough. Hope you like your upgrade."

"That was you?"

"Come on, I couldn't handle sitting up here all by myself when I knew you were shoving that basketball sized abdomen in the back of the plane. Shelby told me you were on my flight, so I took it upon myself to get some company."

"You didn't have to do that." Santana ducks her head sheepishly, settling into the aisle seat. "Really."

"Please." She waves her off. "Least I could do for my favorite peds surgeon."

"Well, considering I figured I'd be fine when I decided not to change my ticket, and this morning I was kind of dreading coach, I seriously appreciate it."

"Lopez, every time I see you running around the hospital like you're not lugging two kids with you, I'm impressed." Holly sits back in her seat, buckling herself in. "So how's your presentation looking?"

"Good. I finished it last night. I figured I might pass out on the plane, so I didn't want to leave anything up to chance."

"Mind if I have a look?" She raises her eyebrows, with an excitement that only another surgeon would have. "Or do you not want to spoil the surprise?"

"Here." Santana laughs, taking her iPad out of her briefcase and opening up the document containing it. "Enjoy reading about localized radiation in conjunction with ependymoma removal."

"Oh, don't you worry, I will."

Despite the coffee, Santana falls asleep a half hour into the flight. She feels really bad that she doesn't have it in her to stay up and talk to Holly, but she didn't sleep well last night knowing that she'd be leaving, and honestly, hefting around her added weight makes her more exhausted than she could have ever imagined.

When she wakes up, they're landing in Phoenix, and she shares a car with Holly out to the hotel where the conference is being held. While she'd really love to go up to her room and stay on FaceTime with Brittany and Liam until she falls asleep, she insists on taking Holly to an early dinner after they check in. She appreciates the company, and she knows Brittany does too, worried that she'd be anxious alone and pregnant far from home, but by the time they're done talking about Holly's keynote address and Santana's future plans, she's ready to turn in for the night.

It's just about Liam's bedtime when she gets upstairs, and Santana takes a quick shower and changes into her pajamas before she gets them on the phone. They're snuggled in his bed, and Santana feels a pang, missing them terribly already. She doesn't know how Brittany manages to do this all the time, she doesn't know how she can handle the travel and the hotel rooms and he being away, but she does it, and Santana gives her so much more credit than she can begin to express.

"Mommy Noodle!" Liam smushes his face against the screen. "You can read me the Crayon book! Mama didn't read it yet, okey?"

"Oh, you know the crayon book is my favorite." Santana laughs, settling back in her pillows. "I need Mama to hold the pages where I can see them, okay?"

"Okey! Okey! I am ready!"

Resting her phone on her belly, Santana reads The Day the Crayons Quit in its entirety, even though Liam falls asleep three-quarters of the way through. When she's done, Brittany holds the phone, just letting her watch him sleep for a few moments, and she sighs heavily.

"Are you alright, Santana?" Brittany whispers, tucking Liam in and turning out his lights.

"Mmhm, just…wish I were home."

"We wish you were too." Santana watches Brittany turn the lights on in the bedroom, and set the phone down on the dresser so she can unbutton her blouse.

"Not helping."

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to step out of the view of the phone so you don't have to watch."

"Don't you dare." She leans back in bed and crosses her legs at the ankles. "If I have to sleep alone, I at least want to watch you undress."

"Anything that makes you happy, Santana."

It's possible that Santana gets a little carried away watching Brittany undress. Though she decides not to touch herself, instead, laying her iPad on the pillow beside her so she can fall asleep with Brittany, she wakes up in the middle of the night after an extremely vivid sex dream. Her hormones have run wild, she knows that, and considering the dream involved Brittany bending her over her desk at work, something she would never even consider, they seem to be even worse away from her wife.

The next morning, she's exhausted from her fitful sleep, but she gets dressed slowly, making sure that her maternity skirt and blouse look normal on her. She's a little nervous, even though she's not speaking until tomorrow, she's a little…embarrassed of how heavily pregnant she looks, and the idea that it will draw unwanted attention toward her, but there's nothing she can do about it. She is gestating twins, and they—and she—gets bigger every day.

She takes over a hundred pages of notes, until her fingers cramp like they used to in medical school, but she loves to absorb information. She loves the idea of getting better and better and better in her field. Being a great doctor is one of the things she's most proud of, one of the only things she managed to accomplished on her own, and as exhausted as she is, she's thoroughly enjoying all the learning she's doing.

After the day's events are over, she goes to the cocktail party and sips ginger ale from a wineglass. Though she's itching to get to bed, she fully takes in conversation with the greats in pediatrics that take the time to talk to her, peppering medical conversations with questions about her pregnancy, and from those who have been there, tips on how to handle surgeries as she gets increasingly bigger.

Liam is asleep when she gets back to the hotel room, but she FaceTimes Brittany, falling asleep again with her on the pillow beside her. The next morning, she's an absolute wreck. She feels like her skirt is too tight and her blouse shows too much cleavage, so she tugs at herself the whole way down to the conference room, finally deciding to button her blazer and just…deal with it.

When she gets up to the podium, Holly gives her a thumbs up from the fifth row, and she bites her lip, smiling at how much she feels like a third grader saying the Pledge of Allegiance at a school assembly. That's how she gets sometimes at things like this, like she's a little fish in a very big pond. But she measures her tone, she articulates and projects, she avoids reading off the prompter as much as she possibly can, and she smiles, because she is proud of her work, even if she's just a young doctor at the very start of her career.

There is applause when she finishes, and Santana waits until she's off the stage to unbutton the constricting blazer. She goes back to her seat in the rear of the room, and when, after two more hours, they finally break for lunch, Santana feels a tap on the back of her neck. At first, she's annoyed, already hot and prickly, even in the air conditioner, and never one to favor her personal space being violated, but when she turns her head, she gasps, and feels tears spring to her eyes like some kind of lunatic.

"How did you…? When did you…? You're here."

"I'm here." A smile spreads across Brittany's face, and professional decorum be damned, Santana wraps her arms around her wife as people mull around them, and feels her whole body relax. "You did an amazing job."

"I can't believe you're here. Britt—"

"I hope it's okay that I am, I wanted to surprise you, and maybe steal you away for a little babymoon in Sedona when your conference is over tonight."

"Of course it's okay you're here. It's…basically the best thing ever. And you really want to take me on a babymoon?"

"I do. I didn't change anything, in case you want to go home in the morning, but, Liam is with your mom for the weekend, so whatever you'd like to do, you'll have me all to yourself."

"Wow." Santana breathes, a rush of…so many different emotions hitting her all at once. "That sounds really good. And…I think I'd rather go to Sedona than go right home. I was only in a rush to get back to the concrete jungle, where I feel like I might die of heatstroke every time I step out of the house, when you were there."

"There's a spa resort there which supposedly has amazing prenatal services. I'd love if you let me have you pampered all weekend."

"Britt?"

"Yes."

"Seriously, why are you like this? Why do you treat me so well?"

"Because I love you, and all I want is for you to be happy and relaxed, and to feel at peace."

"Thank you. For everything you do, every single day."

After Santana grabs a quick sandwich for lunch, she gives Brittany the key to her hotel room, so she can pack her things, and sits through the remainder of the conference, still furiously taking notes, though she's thrilled by the idea of her surprise getaway with Brittany. Before she leaves the conference center, Santana finds Holly, and she thanks her profusely for her plane ticket, for introducing her to some of her prolific friends, and for overall just being a mentor and a support system. Of course, as always, it's in the back of Santana's mind that she still may want to pursue neonatology someday, but she knows right now isn't the time. When it comes though, she's sure Holly will be the first to know.

Brittany is in the lobby when Santana gets there, and she feels such a surge of emotion when she sees her. It stays with her through checkout, and even when she's settled in the passenger seat of the car Brittany rented, it doesn't subside. There's just something about the way Brittany loves her that she doesn't think she'll ever get over. Something about knowing there is someone who will love and support and protect her no matter what that settles her in such a visceral way.

She doesn't sleep for the entire drive to Sedona. She leans her head against the window, rests her hands on her swollen abdomen, and she watches how Brittany drives so carefully on unfamiliar roads. She's beautiful in the glow of synthetic light, she's beautiful always, and Santana sighs, amazed that she gets to spend the rest of her life with her.

Though she still has a perpetual ache between her thighs from whatever it is the hormones are doing to her, she's too exhausted to do any more than crawl into Brittany's arms under the softest hotel sheets she's ever slept on. She closes her eyes and lays like that, listening to the sound of Brittany's heart, feeling the soft stroke of fingertips through her long, loose hair and over the swell of her belly. It has only been two nights since she slept in her arms, but it had felt like an eternity, and now, now she's comforted in a way that lets her sleep soundly through the night.

In the morning, Brittany has breakfast delivered to the room. Santana leans against the headboard of the bed, and smiles as Brittany brings her avocado toast and hard cooked eggs. Brittany sits cross-legged across from her, and Santana has to lean over to kiss her, pressing her forehead into her wife's, and holding the side of her face. She's filled with emotion, she's always filled with emotion these days, but this is the good kind, the kind that makes her want to close her eyes and wish that she'll always feel this happy.

"I think I'm getting spoiled by you." She smiles against her mouth. "The kids are going to come out rotten."

"Stop." Brittany laughs, running her hand over the top of Santana's bump. "They're just seeing what love is very early on. Can I…"

"Mmhm." Santana nods, lifting up her shirt. She's sensitive about it, being touched and kissed where she feels so…different, but she always tries to let Brittany experience everything with her, she always tries not to clam up and deny Brittany every part of this pregnancy. "Go ahead."

"Hello, sweet babies." Shuffling down so she's laying on her belly with her legs kicked up behind her, Brittany places soft kisses below Santana's naval. "Look how big you're getting in there."

"I feel like they're really tiny humans now, Britt. Ten inches, that's like…we could hold them in our hands. I just hate that I can't feel them moving yet, I feel like it's really late, and it weirds me out."

"They're probably just really snug in there, Santana. You're so tiny."

"I don't feel tiny anymore. I look like I'm about to give birth any day."

"Halfway there." Brittany smiles, kissing up Santana's torso until she reaches her lips. "And another scan in a few weeks."

"I still can't decide if I want to know the sex or not. I mean, I feel like nothing can shock me more than finding out there were two in there, but I don't know if I want to wait until they're born for another."

"You know I'm okay with either choice. I'm just so glad that they're healthy, and you're healthy." She smiles, tenderly pulling down Santana's shirt. "We haven't really talked about your anxiety though."

"I'm…getting there, I think. I'm still a little, I don't know, freaked, but I don't feel that same pervasive sense of fear that I did at first. I guess it was just unexpected. If we'd done a multiple embryo transfer, then I would have been prepared for the possibility, you know? But having it split, and…identicals. I mean, what if I can't tell them apart and I'm a horrible mother? Remember that episode of Full House, where they mixed up the twins."

"Honey." Brittany stifles a laugh. "I don't think mixing them up will make you a horrible mother. I happen to know first hand that you are such a good mom. And yeah, maybe we might get confused a little at first, but we'll know them. They're ours."

"That's still kind of crazy to me."

They take their time getting ready. When Brittany tells Santana she has a couples massage scheduled for them at noon, Santana puts on a pair of leggings and a loose fitting top, her pregnancy uniform, she teases, and Brittany hugs her close, kissing the top of her head. They go down to the spa, and though Santana really is hesitant about a stranger touching her naked body, she relaxes at the sound of the music, the smell of lavender salts, and the idea that Brittany is only a few feet away from her.

She nearly falls asleep on the table, belly in a protective cradle through the hole there. The masseuse works knots out of her lower back that didn't even know she had, and she breathes in and out, in and out, focusing on the health of herself and her babies. She assumes they're close to done, when a strange sensation washes over her, and she feels a push in her abdomen. At first, terror hits her hard and fast, but then…she realizes what's happening. Then, she realizes that though she's yet to feel even the slightest twinge of movement inside of her, one of the babies is nudging and she sits up with a start.

"Santana?" Brittany mirrors her motions on the other table with alarm, startling her masseuse. "Are you alright?"

"I…can you just…" She shakes her head, and Brittany is at her side in an instant, accepting the towel that is handed to her, and covering Santana with it before she grabs another. "Just…here."

"Where?"

"Here. Hold your hand here. I think…I think I felt something."

"Okay, alright." Brittany presses her hand gently where Santana shows her. Santana closes her eyes, tries to bring herself back to the same state of being that caused it to happen the first time, and she waits, putting her hand over Brittany's.

It doesn't happen again, and Santana feels a sinking feeling in her stomach. She wanted Brittany to feel it, she wanted her to get to experience it, and she flutters her lashes, trying to clear away the tears she knows are forming there. Brittany can always tell when her heart sinks, and she leans forward, kissing her forehead softly.

"We still have a lot of time, honey. I'll feel it, don't worry."

"No, I know, I just…whatever, it's dumb, and I'm hormonal." Santana waves her off, not wanting this to be a thing. "This is a really good massage, Britt. Thank you."

Santana lays back on the table, and tries to relax again as she finishes her massage. There's no more kicking, which she actually is glad for, not wanting to set herself up for disappointment if Brittany misses it again. When they're finished, they get pedicures, and really, considering the insanity of her work week, coupled with wanting to spend time at home with Liam, she can't actually remember the last time she had one. But since she can't bend to paint her nails anymore, it's actually the perfect thing, and while the pedicurist scrubs her feet and paints her toes, she takes Brittany's hand and squeezes it in her lap.

After they're done with that, the drive up to see the red rock formations, and they walk for awhile, Santana consuming excessive amounts of water to avoid dehydrating. The quiet is nice, and when they have an late lunch in a restaurant, Santana knows she's making moon eyes across the table at her. This is the first time they've ever really been away alone together, not counting Santana's surgery, and then their one night in the hotel room right after she found out she was pregnant. And as much as Santana loves having Liam with them all the time, there is something really nice about a romantic getaway, where she and Brittany have each other all to themselves.

When they get back to the hotel, Brittany gets in the shower, and Santana can barely wait two minutes before she joins her. She's needy, and she's horny, the clingiest of combinations, but when she climbs in behind her, more careful than she's ever been not to slip, she feels Brittany's smile, even without seeing her face. She slides her hands over Brittany's soapy skin, and presses her chin into her back, cupping her small breasts in her hands.

"Well hello there." Brittany turns slowly, and puts her arm around Santana's waist. When their nipples brush, even with the swell between them, Santana feels a jolt of arousal, snd Brittany takes her bottom lip between her teeth. "Nothing better than being surprised in the shower by my naked wife."

"If I wasn't afraid of slipping and dying, I'd probably have to take you up against the wall right now." Santana husks, trailing her fingers over the curve of Brittany's ass.

"How about you give me five minutes to wash my hair, and you can take me anywhere you want?"

Santana shivers at the thought, and she quickly washes herself, watching as Brittany slowly drags a washcloth between her own legs, smirking and raising her eyebrows as she does. As Brittany's long blonde hair cascades down her back, suds running from it, Santana has to pinch her thighs together, overcome by the desire to touch her, overcome by the desire to hear her name escape from her lips in the sort of reverence reserved for only her.

They're barely dry from the shower when Santana takes Brittany's hand, and leads her over to the turned down bed. When Brittany goes to lay her back, Santana stops her, giving a slight shake of the head, and pressing her shoulders down so she's sitting at the very edge of the bed. Santana touches her knees, pushing them apart, and when Brittany's tucked towel falls from her body, Santana sinks to her knees before her.

"Santana." Brittany whispers, awe in her voice.

"I had a dream about this the other night, and I've been dying to do it since then." She looks into Brittany's darkened eyes, and she kisses a droplet of water from her thigh.

Every since Santana popped, she's found it difficult to settle on her belly without losing her breath, but the longing to pleasure Brittany with her mouth has been pervasive. Kneeling before her like this, spreading her legs wider, watching her grow wetter as she kisses and sucks the creamy skin on the side of her thighs is so sexy that she can't help but slip her left hand between her legs, rubbing herself in slow circles on her clit, as her mouth inches further up toward Brittany's center. There's something almost pornographic about this, Santana thinks, especially for her, who spent most of her life fumblingly touching with clothes on, but it's really sexy, and she can tell by the way Brittany's eyes drift down to where she touches herself that she thinks so too.

Brittany inches closer to the edge of the bed, and she gently touches the back of Santana's neck, urging her closer, urging her mouth to her sex. When Santana tastes her, she moans, sending vibrations through Brittany's body, and coupled with the touching of herself, she's afraid she might come before she even starts to pleasure Brittany. Her hand between her leg stills, and she sees the slightest headshake from her wife, who smiles.

"Don't stop." Brittany breathes. "Watching you is…wow."

Swallowing hard, Santana wraps her lips around Brittany's clit and enters herself with two fingers, clenching around them as she does. It's an almost out of body experience, especially when Brittany gives raspy directions, telling her pretend it's me, curl your fingers, ugh, your tongue, right there muddling whether she's talking about Santana's actions on her own body, or Brittany's. Santana comes first. She does, usually, and normally it embarrasses her, but Brittany threads her fingers though her hair, and keeps guiding her, throwing her head back and moaning as Santana probes her tongue against her entrance.

Santana can't stop curling her fingers inside of herself, she can't stop quivering, and when she finally pushes Brittany over the edge, her whole body quakes with a second powerful orgasm. Brittany grips her side with shaking hands, afraid Santana might fall back. Santana just stares up at her for several moments, taking in the sweat on her brow, her erect nipples, right hand still slowly squeezing a pale breast, the flush that covers her whole body, the look of love and lust and adoration in her eyes.

When Santana finally makes to stand, not able to wait any longer to kiss her wife, to crawl beneath the sheets with her and sleep naked in her arms, a shooting pain stabs at the back of her calf, and she yelps, catching herself on the corner of the bed. Brittany is on her feet in an instant, and she pulls Santana by the waist, eyes coloring in deep concern.

"Santana, what's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?"

"Agh. Fuck. Motherfucking shit." Santana cries, tears running down her face. "Another stupid fucking charley horse."

"Oh honey, I'm sorry." Brittany lifts her gingerly and sets her down on the bed.

"God, this is so not sexy." Santana pulls her leg up as much as she can, though she can't get it too close with the orb that protrudes from her. "Fuck. Why the fuck am I taking potassium and magnesium and all of this other crap witch doctor shit if this keeps happening?"

"Baby." Brittany bites her lip. "Let me rub it out for you."

"I—" Santana can't help but laugh, even through her pain, when Brittany begins rubbing her calves. "I thought I took care of that."

Brittany just chuckles in response, continuing to massage the tightened muscle in Santana's leg and pepper kisses along her hairline and eyelids until she relaxes. Once she does, she kisses Brittany's lips, holding the kiss there for a long time, just…needing it. Her breath is still labored from the pain of the spasm, but to kiss Brittany feels good, to kiss Brittany is calming.

"Do you want me to get you water? Or pajamas? Or anything else?" Brittany asks, still concerned with Santana's wellbeing.

"Uh-uh." She shakes her head. "Want to lay naked with you and feel you up against me."

"That's easy enough." Brittany smiles, kissing her forehead and shuffling behind Santana, pulling Santana into her arms, and the blanket over them both.

Contentedly, Santana sighs, and tangles her fingers with Brittany, before settling their joined hands below her naval. She likes when they sleep like this, she feels secure and loved, she feels like the babies are secure and loved, with Brittany's unwavering fortitude, and she closes her eyes, just breathing it in, until the same sensation she'd felt earlier comes back, bubbling low in her belly, and producing a nudge, nudge, nudge just where Brittany's hand rests.

"Britt, do you—"

"I do." Brittany sucks in a breath, barely whispering. "They like when you're laying down."

"I read that in the book too." Santana swallows hard. "I wonder which one it is."

"It's strange, isn't it? I wonder if you'll figure out anything about their personalities while they're still in there."

"Well one of them is up under my ribs now, so maybe that's the shy one."

"That could be." Brittany moves her hand up under Santana's breasts and rubs it across there. "Are you shy in there, little one?"

"I love when you talk to them."

"Yeah? I wasn't sure how you felt about it, I don't want to overstep and make you uncomfortable with anything."

"They're your babies, Brittany. I know that they're in my body, but I want you to know that…that you always have the right to just…be here with them, okay?"

"Okay." A slow smile comes across Brittany's lips, and she kisses the side of Santana's head. "I love that."