I'm back! it's been a slow Monday morning here so I have managed to get another chapter ready to go :)
Thanks for your reviews etc. it's always nice to know people are enjoying this story.
Enjoy!
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"I think I'm in love with your family babe." Quinn stretched her muscles before getting into bed next to the brunette.
"I told you they weren't scary…..a certain cousin may be a little certifiable but on a whole they are a great bunch."
"To be honest I'm kind of jealous."
"I'm sorry Q." Santana's smile faded.
"What! What are you sorry for? I'm not sad or anything I'm just simply jealous about how close you all are and how big your family is."
"They can be your family too you know."
"I'd love that." Quinn moved closer to the woman beside her and wrapped her arms tightly around her.
"I mean my Mom is already inviting you to breakfast before me…."
"They can't resist me." Quinn smirked.
"Guess it runs in the family then." Santana closed the distance between them and kissed her deeply.
They made love slowly that night, learning more and more about each other's bodies and what made them tick. Quinn learnt that running her tongue along the Latinas hip bone made the woman groan in the most unbelievable way and Santana learnt that Quinn's whole body shuddered in different ways if her orgasm was reached by Santana's tongue or her fingers. It was passionate and extremely satisfying, their bodies finally reaching exhaustion as the sun broke over the horizon.
"How long till we are due at breakfast?" Quinn sighed into Santana's neck.
"I think we can manage 3 and a half hours sleep."
"I think you'd better set your alarm."
"Yeah good plan."
Santana reached across to her bed side table and picked up her phone to set her alarm, she placed it back on the cold surface and pulled Quinn close once again, they would be exhausted later in the day but she couldn't think of anything more worth it.
"Why are you grinning like the Cheshire cat?"
"You have to ask?"
"Sex grin then?"
"Mmmm yep mixed with I have the most amazing girlfriend in the world grin."
"There is only one thing cuter than that grin."
"What's that?"
"Every time I kiss you…when we pull apart your eyes stay closed for a split second longer and you have this dreamy smile on your face it's so sweet."
Santana's cheeks burned red.
"Oh god now I'm going to be self-conscious every time I kiss you." Santana groaned.
"You better not be and you better not stop! I love that smile."
"Anything else you've noticed whilst you are creeping on me when my eyes are closed?"
"There is in fact."
"Oh do tell."
"A couple of times you seem to be having bad dreams or something and you get this frown line right here." Quinn kissed in between Santana's eyebrows.
"Great so now I'm going to get frown lines." Santana's eyes rolled.
"Well hopefully not because I've noticed if I place my hand right here." Quinn placed her hand in the valley between the girls' breasts.
"If I put it here then your frown turns into a small smile and you seemingly stay in happy dream land for the rest of the night."
"Well that makes it official then."
"What's that?"
"I cannot spend one night without you beside me."
"I can work with that."
"You can?"
"Indeed."
"We have only known each other such a short time Quinn." Santana chuckled as she exaggerated her response.
"Hey we have known each other well over a month."
"Have only been sleeping together for a week though."
"Do you want me beside you every night or what?" Quinn poked her side which made Santana squeal.
"Ha ha of course! I'm only kidding besides you are going to be homeless soon enough."
"That's right I will be, I was actually going to talk to you about our living options when my house sells."
"I was going to suggest finding a place together."
"Me too...It won't be for quite some time just yet and I foresee us spending most nights together anyway so yeah living together makes sense doesn't it?"
"It does."
"But we don't have to find a new place."
"Wait so you would move in here?"
"Yeah of course you love this place San."
"Yeah but it's not big and flash like your place."
"Do you think that's what I need?" It hurt Quinn that Santana would think of her like that.
"No I know it's not what you need I just figured it's what you liked."
"Baby at the end of the day I want to come home to you! Wherever you are is where home is."
"But what about all your stuff?"
"I can put it in storage or sell it."
"Well that's hardly fair is it?"
"I don't mind."
"But I do! it has to be our place Q."
"Look let's not worry too much about it right now just know that I see a future with this….with us…. and wherever it leads us as long as I have you beside me then I don't care where I'm living I'll be good."
"God we are a sappy pair aren't we?" Santana smiled cheekily.
"Yep we are, and now we are a sappy pair with only three hours and fifteen minutes left to sleep."
"Maybe we should just forget about sleeping all together and go back to having sex?" The brunette wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"No…. you need some sleep I will not have your Mom giving me grief for her daughter looking like a zombie in a few hours."
"Zombie maybe but a completely sated one."
"Goodnight my love." Quinn went to turn but was stopped by a strong arm around her.
"Ok…ok sleep it is but stay right here please."
Santana's lips found Quinn's and they soon got lost in a long goodnight kiss oh well 3 hours sleep was a more rounded number anyway.
V
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V
Quinn thoroughly enjoyed herself at breakfast the following morning. She had instantly been made to feel like one of the family, something she appreciated greatly. Santana's nephews had decided she was their new favorite person and demanded to sit on either side of her as they ate. They talked her ears off and asked all sorts of strange and interesting questions. The adult Lopez's seemed just as intrigued to hear her answers as her new small fan club members were. She guessed in a way they were learning new things about their daughter and sisters new girlfriend without having to be nosey and ask themselves so it was a win win for them.
Santana helped her Mom to clear the table when they had finished eating and left Quinn chatting to the men in her life.
"You look tired mija."
"I'm ok Mami."
"I know a new relationship is fun and sexy when you first begin but please do be sure to get some rest otherwise you will get sick."
"I will I promise….. In fact have an afternoon nap already planned." Santana smirked at her mother who simply rolled her eyes.
"Just don't burn the candle at both ends."
"We will be ok."
"That's all I can hope for my sweet I'm sure Quinn will have to drag herself home at some point anyway."
"Yeah she will. She has to get her house ready to be sold."
"Is she going to look at renting or buying once it is?"
"Well she actually made mention of moving in with me."
"Wow really? So soon?"
"I know it's fast Mami but Quinn could really be it for me."
"Oh Santana I truly hope she is but your little matchbox place is far too small for two people permanently."
"It would be a tight squeeze but we could make it work."
"Why don't you get a new place together?"
"Well that's an option also."
"You know if you like Quinn's house we could release some of your money and you could simply buy her ex-partner out."
"It appeared to be a gorgeous place from the little I saw of it but to be honest I think it would be a bit weird don't you?"
"Yes I guess it could be." Maribel passed over a pile of plates for Santana to put in the dish washer.
"I think Quinn is keen to leave it behind anyway."
"Well I guess you have plenty to discuss together but just know if you need us your Papi and I will do whatever we can for you."
"Thanks Mami you're the best." Santana skipped across the room and kissed her mother's cheek, she was lucky to have the family she did.
V
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V
"So I thought I'd get Mami to watch those two terrors out there and come and check out this bar you are working in." Gabriel mentioned to Santana as he brought in the last of their glasses.
"Yeah sounds good I'm working tomorrow night so drop in. It shouldn't be too busy so I should at least be able to talk to you."
"That's great and Kels can't hassle me for going out when I'm supporting my sister's place of work can she?"
Kelly was Gabriel's wife who hadn't been able to make the trip due to work commitments.
"It's your ass bro."
"Hey speaking of asses did you hear your ex's ex-husband has just been done for fraud?" Gabriel asked randomly without a thought in the world.
Maribel closed her eyes she had hoped that in Santana's loved up world she would miss the morning's big news event. Shelby's husband Luke was a highly ranked political man with white house ambitions….those ambitions had just been dealt a fatal blow when he had been arrested for fraud. At least it explained why Shelby was all of a sudden wanting to get in contact with Santana. The older Latina had already decided she would do everything in her power to prevent that from happening.
"Who Luke?" Santana asked Gabriel in shock.
"Yeah the asshole had his hands in all sorts of no good things it seems…here check this out." Gabriel passed her his phone to read the article in the paper.
"Ok enough talk about them and watch your language Garbiel." Maribel ordered and handed her son a dish to put away in the cupboard behind him.
"Wait you said her ex-husband?" Santana looked up from the phone briefly
"Yeah it says somewhere in there that they have been separated for a few months or so."
"Oh ok."
"Enough! I don't want those people mentioned in my home any more do you both hear me?"
Maribel was angry and Santana's mind was buzzing with this new information.
"Hey Gabe I think your boys are ready to go outside." Quinn smiled as she entered the room completely oblivious to the tension between the three of them.
"Oh yeah cool, thanks Quinn I promised to take them out to kick a ball around."
"No problem, we should think about making a move too San I have to call in to work for a little while."
"Huh?" Santana had been too busy reading the story in front of her to anything that was being said.
"I just said we should think about making a move or I should at least as I need to go in to work for a couple of hours."
"Right….yeah that's cool."
"Santana why don't you stay here with me whilst Quinn is at work? She can pick you up when she is done."
Santana knew straight away her mother didn't want her to be alone, she probably thought Santana would do something stupid like contact Shelby.
"Thanks but I'll pass Mami I have some laundry and cleaning to do."
Quinn looked between the two women and knew something was up.
"Is everything ok? I didn't interrupt something important did I?"
"No babe everything is fine."
Santana smiled at her as reassuringly as she could. Maribel simply sighed and turned back to the fry pan she had been washing.
V
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V
"Ok are you going to tell me what's going on?" Quinn asked when she pulled up outside the brunette's apartment building.
Santana was torn. Bringing up the topic of your ex to your new girlfriend wasn't always the best thing to do but she owed Quinn an explanation for her odd behavior and the blonde had already sussed something was up anyway.
"San please tell me what's going on, you've been distracted and distant since we left your parents place…before we left actually."
"Hang on a sec." Santana reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone a few seconds later she had found the news article Gabriel had shown her. There was a large photo of Luke and Shelby at the top which Santana tried to avoid staring at, she had spent a long time working on getting that image from her brain. She handed the phone to Quinn who kept her eyes fixed on her own for what seemed like an age before she lowered her head to read the article. None of it made much sense to Quinn until she saw Shelby's name.
"Oh." Was all Quinn could mutter in that moment.
"Yeah." Santana looked out the window and rubbed her hands on her jeans something she always did when she was nervous.
"Do you think she knew he was doing this stuff?"
"Who knows we didn't exactly talk about him on a regular basis you know."
Quinn nodded, her head and heart were screaming at her with insecurity.
"Are you ok?" she asked the Latina softly.
"It's just a shock and it's kind of thrown me I wasn't expecting to see or hear about her again."
"It's easier to forget an ex when they aren't right in front of you."
"Yep it certainly is."
"And when they are still married."
Santana turned to look at Quinn, hazel eyes were staring at her with an unreadable expression on them.
"I guess so."
They both sat in silence for a few minutes unsure exactly how they were feeling.
"I have to ask and I feel selfish doing it right now but I need to know if I have anything to worry about with our relationship now this has all come to your attention?"
Santana looked at her and opened her mouth a few times to speak but she couldn't form the words she wanted to say. Quinn took the silence as the answer to her question and tears welled in her eyes.
"Quinn I….."
"I get it…you were in love with her…..possibly deep down you still are."
Quinn stared at the woman looking back at her from the phone, she felt various mixes of anger…..Anger for the pain she caused Santana…Anger for still being able to affect the Latinas life even when she wasn't even a part of it anymore….Anger for making Quinn question Santana's love for her.
"I'm in love with you Quinn….I'm in shock and a little unnerved but I am in love with you and I only have room in my heart for one person."
"So if Shelby came knocking on your door?"
"It's practically our door so I'd introduce her to my beautiful girlfriend."
Quinn smiled as the fear and doubt that had built up began to dissipate.
"Are you sure? I know you have a strong past with her."
"You summed it up perfectly Q it's the past, She is in the past."
"Ok."
"I swear you are it for me." Quinn smiled when she heard that.
"Thank you I needed to hear that right now and I'm sorry that I did…..Do you want to about talk this anymore or do you want some space to think?"
"I totally get it Quinn the whole situation is a bit screwed up...If I say I want to think about some things are you going to stress out?"
"Not anymore."
"Promise?"
"Cross my heart."
"I'm not even sure what I need to get my head around but I just think I need to process things."
"Fair enough I should be done in a few hours do you want me to come back here or do you want to let me know if and when you want me back?"
"Q that sounds terrible! Of course I want you to come back here I will miss you every second you are gone."
"I'm just trying to do the right thing San."
"I know baby and the right thing will be to kiss me right now and make sure you bring some yummy Chinese food home with you for dinner."
"How can you think about food after what we just ate?"
"Just trying to avoid the issue we had at the cabin."
"Always prepared huh!"
"Just call me a girl scout."
"Ha ha ok Chinese food will be purchased on my way back…..you sure you are going to be ok?"
"Yeah I'll be good babe."
Quinn reached across the car and caressed Santana's cheek gently.
"You don't have to hide your feelings from me ok? I will listen to anything you have to say no matter how difficult it could be to hear."
"You are perfect Quinn." Santana closed the gap between them and kissed her deeply she wanted to express just how much Quinn meant to her in that single kiss but who was she kidding there would never be enough time in a day to achieve that.
Shelby may have been a big part of her past but Quinn was the forever in her future and she wasn't about to let that go.