Double update today because I won't be able to post tomorrow, so here's the next two chapters!
Long chapter ahead for you! Longest one yet. It's mainly a flashback chapter, because I wanted to give an insight into the relationship between Brittany and Mila. Lots of cute Brittana too! Hope you enjoy xx
Brittany stared out at the window, watching the raindrops settle on the panes of glass, as she brought the steaming mug of coffee she had just made up to her lips. She closed her eyes in satisfaction as she took her first gulp, in much need of the caffeine hit.
"Ah, ah, ah" a voice appeared behind her "Is that the proper stuff you're drinking?" Denver continued, taking the coffee from her and inhaling the smell. Realising it was caffeine, he threw the contents into the sink in one fell swoop, before switching the kettle on again and pulling out the decaf stuff.
"You know it's better for trying" he said firmly, raising his eyebrows at the blonde.
Brittany sighed and rolled her eyes. The last few days had been a military operation, since Denver had found out Brittany was ovulating. Since she'd agreed to try for a baby last week, she assumed they'd start slowly and explore the idea more, start trying a couple of months later when she'd had time to get her head around it. But Denver had been waiting for Brittany's agreement in this for months, so has soon as she'd agreed, his motto was why wait? He'd gone on to his computer straight away and started asking Brittany loads of questions about when her last period was, how long they usually lasted, so he could track her cycle and estimate her ovulation dates. When the website had said Brittany was days away from her ovulation period, Denver had excitedly said it was meant to be, so here they were trying already.
Brittany hoped the website was inaccurate, it was all far too rushed for her. She hadn't even broached the subject with her parents or Santana, that she was trying. They'd be shocked if they knew. It wasn't that Brittany didn't want children. She loved them, and she was great with them. She just didn't feel ready to have her own yet. Right now, she was happy to just play doting auntie. She thought back to fond memories with Mila over the years.
August 2009
It was the eve of Brittany's 19th birthday, and she had returned to Lima for a long weekend. So tied up with her new boyfriend, she hadn't made it back since June, but she wanted to make sure she came back and spent her birthday with Santana. It was their tradition. Denver had moaned slightly, saying he wanted to be the one to spend her birthday with her.
"We'll celebrate when I'm back, but I need this day with San" she'd told him "We've never not spent a birthday together, and I don't want it to stop now, just because she has Mila and I live in New York. It's important to me".
So, Denver had reluctantly skulked off to Arizona for a few days, leaving Brittany to see her birthday in with her two favourite girls. Santana's brow furrowed as she rocked a screaming Mila. George had been right, she had terrible colic, and she found it so hard to settle. They were watching their favourite show, Sweet Valley High, but Mila's cries were making it difficult to concentrate. Brittany watched Santana as she jigged Mila up and down. It really amazed her seeing her best friend as a mom. It may have been out of the blue, but Santana had taken to motherhood so well and so naturally, and Brittany was so proud of her for that.
"Brit I'm so sorry! This shouldn't be how you spend your birthday. You should be out, doing something fun, not sat here listening to a screaming baby" Santana smiled apologetically "Honestly if you want to leave, do something else, I don't mind. I just want you to have fun. I'm sure Ashley is in town; you could hit her up…"
"Santana shh!" Brittany interrupted "Look, I came back here to spend time with you and Mila. Not Ashley or any of the other Cheerios that I've barely spoken to in months. I've got popcorn and candy, Sweet Valley High, and most importantly my two girls. What more could I ask for on my birthday? There's nowhere else I'd rather be".
Santana let out a watery smile at Brittany's words. Brittany could tell she was getting emotional. Nothing she was doing to soothe Mila was working, and she was beginning to feel stressed and helpless. Brittany outstretched her arms.
"Here…why don't you let me try?" she took the five-month-old baby into her arms and gently shushed her.
"Now what's all this fuss about baby girl?" she cooed, using her soft baby voice "are you going to be a good girl for your Aunty Brit-Brit? Because Aunty Brit-Brit doesn't like seeing you cry, does she? And neither does Mami"
Santana's face softened as she watched Brittany with Mila. She felt like her heart could burst, seeing the way Brittany was so tender with her. Mila didn't have a dad, but she had the best aunty in the world. To Santana's surprise, Mila started to quieten slightly. Brittany looked up, eyes full of emotion.
"God San, she is so much like you!"
She looked back down at Mila and started to sing softly to her.
"For you, there'll be no more crying" she began, as Santana looked at her tenderly.
Songbird had always been Brittany's all-time favourite song. Her parents were big Fleetwood Mac fans, and Pierce used to play the vinyl while Whitney was pregnant. When Brittany was born, it was the one song that calmed her down, and she had found comfort in it throughout her whole life. When Brittany was upset back in high school because Artie had called her stupid, leading to their breakup, Santana had pulled her into the choir room and sang it to her. Nothing she had done to try cheer Brittany up was working so far, and it was her last ditch attempt at putting a smile back on her best friends face, knowing how much she loved the song and how much she loved hearing Santana sing. Brittany always thought Santana had an incredible voice, but she was the only person that Santana would let hear it. Santana's plan worked, and now Brittany singing the song to Mila was working too.
Santana just watched in amazement as Mila stilled in Brittany's arms, her eyes gently shutting, giving in to her exhaustion.
"That song always calms me down too" Brittany smiled, before looking at Santana with shiny eyes "especially when it's sung by your Mama".
Brittany placed a tender kiss on Mila's forehead, as Santana swallowed the lump in her throat.
"You'll make an amazing mom one day, Brit" she smiled warmly, Brittany meeting her eyes to return it.
Brittany lay back on the bed, being careful not to wake Mila, who was now sound asleep on her chest. She patted the spot next to her for Santana to join her, and the two of them fell into a content silence as they continued watching Sweet Valley High.
Around thirty minutes had passed, when Santana reached out to check her phone and noticed it was past midnight. She turned around to wish Brittany a happy birthday, when she noticed she had fallen asleep, Mila tucked contently on her chest. Her heart swelled as she looked at her two favourite girls, both sleeping soundly, and she couldn't resist snapping a quick photo.
"Happy birthday Brittany" she whispered, before placing a light kiss on Brittany's cheek, careful not to wake her. She ran her thumb over Mila's cheek before laying back on the bed, resting her head on Brittany's shoulder with a smile. For the first time, she felt somewhat like her and Mila had a proper family.
September 2010
It was two weeks before the start of Brittany's final year of college, and she was making the most of it before the hard work started. Santana had finally made it out to New York for a visit, and it was 18-month-old Mila's first time in the big apple. She wouldn't really understand, but it didn't stop Brittany enthusiastically pointing out every single sight to her, which Santana found adorable.
Brittany had spent the past few nights at Santana's hotel, staying with her and Mila, and spending days just the three of them. But on this particular occasion, Brittany had dragged Denver along. They'd been together just over a year now and things were getting pretty serious, and she wanted Denver to get to know Santana and Mila more, since they were a big part of Brittany's life. He often said hello when he was in the background of their Skype calls, but he had only met them once before this trip, when he'd visited Lima with Brittany. Mila had squirmed and cried when he'd tried to hold her, not used to the strange man, so he'd hurriedly passed her back. Now she was older, she was much less wary, but that made Denver no less standoffish.
He had shuffled uncertainly when Brittany had instructed him to wait outside the small boutique shop for a few minutes and watch Mila. Santana's eyes had lit up at a dress she had seen, but the shop wasn't big enough for Mila's stroller. Knowing how hard her best friend worked in being a mom, Brittany wanted to treat her.
As he stood impatiently outside the store, he realised they were getting in the way of everyone, so he pushed Mila over to a less populated area and sat on a bench. Mila began to scream, and Denver began to panic.
"Okay, okay, calm down! Your mom will be back in a minute!" he told the screaming toddler, glaring around embarrassed at the passers-by who were watching him. He attempted to shush her; but made no effort to find out why she was throwing such a tantrum.
As Santana emerged from the shop with a big grateful smile, bag in hand, she turned to Brittany.
"Thank you Britty! You really shouldn't have" but her smile dropped as she heard a familiar cry. She'd know that sound anywhere. Instinct kicking in, she glanced around nervously, Brittany doing the same; when they spotted Denver and Mila seated away from the chaos of Manhattan.
They ran over, Santana kneeling down to pick Mila up, while Brittany turned to Denver.
"What happened!?" she questioned
"I don't know, she was fine one minute and then she just started screaming" Denver shrugged, as Santana continued to calm the little girl, cheeks red with tears.
She peered over into Mila's stroller, before looking back to Denver.
"Wait have you seen Dumbo?" Santana asked, referring to Mila's teddy that she'd had since she was a newborn.
Denver shrugged again, as Brittany began to remove things from the stroller, to look for the precious possession.
"She had it when before we went in the store" she said to Denver
"I don't know Brit, she must have dropped it then" Denver shrugged again
"Okay, it's okay baby, Mami's got you" Santana continued to comfort her daughter, while Brittany glared at Denver. Mila must have dropped it, without Denver realising.
"No wonder she's upset then!" Brittany snapped, before retracing the route to try and retrieve the teddy. It was no good. It had probably been kicked and trampled on by the busy Manhattan footfall. She returned back to them with a guilty expression.
"Sorry San" she sighed
"No don't worry" Santana shook her head "It's okay, it's easily done" she assured, bouncing Mila on her hip.
"No it's not okay" Brittany glared at Denver again. He had one job. She then turned to address Mila, taking her out of Santana's tired arms. Mila was getting heavy now.
"Come here little Moo, Aunty Brit-Brit is going to make it all better" she soothed, planting kisses all over her face "Denver, push the stroller" she said, she began walking towards the shops.
"Where are we going now?" Denver sighed. He'd had enough by now and was ready to just go home and hang out with his friends. Brittany turned around with yet another firm glance.
"The Disney Store of course!" before turning to Mila and planting another kiss on her cheek "Mila needs her Dumbo don't you baby girl?"
After retrieving a new Dumbo for Mila, Santana spotted an adorable toddler sized Princess Jasmine costume, Brittany had insisted Santana try it on Mila. They were right, she looked too cute, Santana and Brittany couldn't stop cooing over her. Mila was now happy and smiley again, spinning around enjoying the attention. As Santana took her to get changed again, Brittany and Denver waited in the store.
"Oh Den, how adorable did she look?" she gushed "she's just the cutest little girl, my heart can't cope"
Denver just stood, playing on his phone.
"Den?" Brittany pressed, waving a hand in front of his face.
"What?"
"I was just saying how adorable Mila looked in that costume"
"Oh…yeah…real cute" Denver replied, no enthusiasm injected at all, still distracted by his phone.
"What is the matter with you?" Brittany hissed "you've been in a mood all day! I thought you'd enjoy spending today with San and Mila. You know how important they are to me!"
"She's not my kid Brit, I'm not gonna go google eyed over every little thing she does, like you do" Denver replied, fed up.
Brittany had no time to respond, before Santana and Mila emerged from the changing room.
"Right are we ready to go? Give me that, and I'll go and pay" she smiled enthusiastically, gesturing towards the costume, masking the tension with Denver.
"Brit no! I'm not letting you buy her this as well. You're getting her the Dumbo already, it's far too much" Santana protested, but to no avail. Brittany had already taken the costume and was heading towards the till with the items.
When she returned, she hooked the bag onto the stroller where Santana's gift was already hanging, making sure to scoop out Dumbo first.
"Hold on tight to him this time angel" Brittany smiled, passing the stuffed elephant to the enthusiastic little girl.
"You spoil us" Santana giggled, embracing the blonde in a half hug.
"Anything for my two favourite girls" she replied.
Santana had lay down for two minutes to rest her feet, when she had unintentionally fallen asleep, exhausted by the day's activities. Brittany watched her with a smile and decided to leave her to rest for a bit. She could take care of Mila. She fed, bathed and changed her, before settling her for bed. Santana slept through all of this and had been sleeping for around 45 minutes by now. Brittany held Mila and bounced her up and down slightly, as she wandered towards the window. They were several storeys up and the view was amazing.
Santana awoke feeling groggy, she had no idea how long she had been asleep for. She saw Brittany standing by the window with Mila. She was holding her facing outwards so that Mila could see the view and pointing things out to her again. Santana just stayed in her tired silence, watching them affectionately.
"I think this will be your home too one day Mila Moo" Brittany said softly, gently bouncing the toddler in her arms "then me, you and Mami can have fun days out together all the time"
Santana smiled at Brittany's words.
"You see over there?" Brittany pointed "that's the Rockefeller Centre, and that's where we'll take you at Christmas"
She paused for a moment, before continuing on, pointing in a different direction
"And down there is Broadway, where we'll take you to see your first show. Because if you're anything like your Mami, you'll love the theatre. You'll pretend you don't like she does, but you will. And sometimes, I'll even let you come to work with me because, I'm going to work there someday"
Santana chuckled lightly, as she continued to watch them. Brittany pointed in another direction.
"And that's where your Mami will work, in one of those big tall buildings, because she's extra clever. She's much cleverer than Aunty Brit-Brit. And look…look down there Moo, that's Central Park" Brittany pointed again "That's where Aunty Brit-Brit will take you, when Mami is busy at work, and needs me to look after you. We'll have so much fun…but the best days will be when we all go together. Me, you and Mami. When you're older I'll teach you how to cartwheel in the Spring, on the grass down there. We'll have ice cream in Summer, and I'll let you have any flavour you want. If Mami says no, I'll sneak when she's not looking. She'll pretend to be cross, but I know she'll be laughing really. In Autumn, we'll go on long walks admiring the trees, and all the colours of the changing leaves. You'll scoop them up excitedly and sprinkle them everywhere. It's freezing here in Winter, but we'll still go, because that hill over there is where we can go sledging. And we're going to build the best snowman."
Santana felt her eyes turn glassy, at Brittany's tender storytelling. It was like all the times they had talked about their future in New York, only this new version had Mila in it.
"Down there is where all the shops are" Brittany continued "and it's where me and Mami will go with you to pick out your Junior Prom dress"
Brittany sighed happily, looking down at Mila who was now sleeping, but she continued to tell the story.
"And over there somewhere is my favourite coffee shop. And it's where you and I will have secret meetings. Sometimes you'll tell me about the boys you like at school. Sometimes you'll arrive in tears, when you've had an argument with your Mami, and you need someone else to turn to. I'll phone your Mami right away to let her know you're with me. Then I'll listen to you, and I'll sympathise with you and give you a big Aunty Brit-Brit cuddle. But then I'd encourage you to make up with your Mami because she loves you more than anything. And when your Mami stresses about your behaviour, I'll tell her 'you were a teenager yourself once remember', and I'll remind her of all our adventures"
"God Brit, I hope she's not going to be as wild as you and I were" Santana laughed, startling Brittany who sharply turned to face her.
"Santana! I thought you were asleep…when did you w…?"
"I heard every word" Santana smiled "Adorable" she continued, wrinkling her nose.
Brittany laughed, cheeks flushing red.
"Just the new version of our New York dream, you know?"
Santana smiled, if only Brittany's dream could become a reality. It sounded perfect.
"You really are the best to her Brit. She's so lucky to have you."
"I'm so lucky to have her too. And you. Both of you" Brittany replied, with a warm smile, looking between both girls.
April 2011
"Babe you really have spoilt me, thank you so much!" Santana said gratefully, standing up to give Brittany a hug.
"Well it's your 21st, I had to go a little extra" Brittany laughed, pleased Santana liked all of her presents that she'd put a lot of effort into selecting.
"Isn't Mama just so lucky?" Santana enthused, addressing her two-year-old, before turning back to Brittany "no seriously Brit, thank you. You really didn't have to go to all of this effort. Just you being here in Lima is more than enough for me"
"Well about that…" Brittany began with a mischievous glint "Can you both come with me please?"
"Brit…" Santana looked at Brittany, as if to say, 'what have you done now!?'
"Come on…you'll see"
Santana shook her head and laughed as she took Mila by the hand and followed her spontaneous best friend.
Brittany led them both into the kitchen of her family home, and lifted Mila up to the refrigerator.
"Can you read what that number says Meels?" she asked softly, leaving Mila to stare at the numbered envelope she had stuck on there earlier.
"Number 1!" Mila answered proudly, turning to look at Santana, who'd been teaching her numbers recently.
"Good girl Moo!" Santana exclaimed excitedly.
"So clever!" Brittany enthused, giving Mila a kiss on the cheek, before pulling the envelope off the fridge and handing it to Santana. Santana studied the envelope with a confused expression, then looked back up to Brittany for an explanation.
"This is a treasure hunt" Brittany smiled excitedly "At the end of it, you'll find your final birthday gift from me"
"Brittany, I love you, but this is way too much you have spoilt me already…" Santana began, worried how much the girl had spent.
"This one is a shared gift though. It's for all of us. You'll like it I promise. Now hurry up and open your first clue!"
The treasure hunt was a simple one, set out more for the benefit of Mila, who excitedly joined in. Santana was so touched by the lengths Brittany had gone to. She was always a fan of a big gesture, but this year she had really pulled out all the stops. The treasure trail had them up and down stairs, in every crevice of Brittany's house, much to Mila's delight.
"Back downstairs AGAIN!?" Santana would shout jokingly, putting on an act for Mila, who was laughing her head off at her mom's exaggerated behaviour.
As they opened the pantry door, they pulled out the tenth and final clue, which contained a key.
My favourite girls,
you know you both have the key to my heart
when we're close together or far apart
but this key will take you to where our journey will start.
Get ready San, get ready Meels!
Here's another clue, it has four wheels.
Santana smiled at the words, scrunching her nose slightly as she read it. Her best friend was the cutest dork. She bent down to Mila.
"Where do you think Meels?"
"Don't know Mama" Mila shook her head and laughed
"Well what does this key do? Remember I always tell you not to play with Mami's"
"CAR!" Mila suddenly shouted, making Brittany and Santana roar with laughter.
As they approached the car, they found a piece of paper stuck to the trunk.
OPEN ME
"You ready?" Brittany smiled. Santana looked at her, and back at the trunk. She wasn't sure why she felt so nervous. She nodded.
"Go ahead then…" Brittany pressed.
Santana carefully opened the trunk. She wasn't sure what she was expecting to find, but it wasn't Brittany's suitcase. She looked back at Brittany confused, while Mila mirrored her mother's confusion, staring between the pair.
Brittany held her stare for a moment with a smirk, giving nothing away, before reaching into her pocket to retrieve something.
"You'll be needing yours too" Brittany said simply, raising her brow, before handing Santana the plane ticket template she'd had designed and printed.
YOUR TICKET - ADMIT THREE
NAME: SANTANA D. LOPEZ MILA G. LOPEZ BRITTANY S. PIERCE
DESTINATION: DISNEY WORLD FLORIDA
THE ADVENTURE STARTS: RIGHT NOW
COMMENTS: ALL EXPENSES PAID
As Santana read the ticket, reading the words Disney World, she gasped. Then she saw they were leaving today, and it was all expenses paid, and gasped again. Her eyes watering, she raised her hand to her mouth, overwhelmed. Mila stared at her mother questioningly, little hands crossed behind her back as she wondered what was happening, whilst Brittany felt tears spring to her eyes at Santana's reaction.
Santana had mentioned for a while now, how she wanted to give Mila the same memories they'd enjoyed in Disney World, but didn't know how she was ever going to afford it. When Brittany had graduated High School back in 2008, her parents had kindly gifted her a large sum of money, as a graduation present. They had saved every Christmas bonus, every tax rebate and all of their extra change to help her pay for college. But then, Brittany had shocked them all and gotten a scholarship. She had spent some of the money of course, New York living was expensive, but for the most part she was saving it for the future or for special occasions. Santana's 21st birthday was a very special occasion. Santana was lucky enough to receive financial help from her parents quite a lot too, but she needed to spend it on smart things. An apartment, a good car, necessities for Mila. Brittany wanted to give them the fun experiences.
Santana was completely choked with emotion, as she just stared at the ticket, tears running down her face. Brittany reached forward to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I want Mila to have the same memories we had in Disney World as well" she said simply. Santana simply stepped forward and squeezed Brittany into a big hug.
"Thank you" she whispered through her tears "Thank you so much!"
She always worried about not being able to give Mila enough, with her being a young single mom, and it meant the world to her that her daughter was getting to do this. She suddenly felt a little hand tapping on her leg.
"What is it?" Mila asked, curious. Santana broke away from Brittany with a watery smile, before bending down to Mila's level and showing her the ticket. Mila was only two, so she couldn't read, but she would almost certainly recognise the Mickey Mouse logo on the template.
"Guess where we're all going?" Santana swallowed; voice full of emotion. Mila looked at her mother, then at the ticket, then back to Santana again. She didn't quite understand.
"Where?" Mila asked.
"Disney World" her voice wavered, as she flipped her hand, her palm upturned, as if she couldn't believe the words were coming out of her mouth. It felt weird to even say it out loud. Mila continued to stare at her emotional mom, the words not sinking in, until Santana grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her excitedly.
"Disney World! We're going to Disney World Meels!"
"Disney World?" Mila repeated, staring at the ticket, unsure and unable to process the information. Santana nodded enthusiastically, her eyes shining with tears.
Mila let out a shy smile and looked down at the ticket again. She couldn't quite believe what she was hearing, and she was in shock, much like Santana.
"Disney World!" Brittany bent down like Santana, looking at Mila with a nod to signify she heard right, she could believe it.
Mila gasped; before clasping the ticket to her chest, bunching up her shoulders and scrunching up her face to let out an excited squeak. Santana and Brittany laughed in adoration at the thrilled little girl.
"And Moo?" said Brittany "We're going right now!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with enthusiasm. Mila began jumping up and down in excitement, much to Santana and Brittany's delight. Now that it had sunk in, her reaction was everything.
Santana grabbed Mila's hands and looked at her, making sure she fully understood and wasn't just getting excited because Santana and Brittany were.
"So, Aunty Brit-Brit, has paid for her, you and me" she began, gesturing to the three of them "to go to Disney World right now. We're going to go on a plane and fly to Disney World, where ALL of the prince and princesses live…"
"Will I see Dumbo?" Mila interrupted with a grin.
"Yes!" Santana shrieked, picking up Mila and spinning her around, causing her to giggle "You're going to get to see everyone baby! Jasmine, Belle, Cinderella, Minnie, Mickey. All of them! Me, you and Aunty Brit-Brit, we're going to have the best time ever!"
She set Mila back down again to speak to her properly.
"What do we need to say to Aunty Brit-Brit? I think she deserves a big kiss and a cuddle for being the BEST aunty in the world, don't you?"
Mila needed no further prompting as she threw her arms fiercely around Brittany's legs, causing Brittany to scoop her up.
"Thank you so much Aunty Brit-Brit" Mila exclaimed in her toddler speak.
"You're so welcome my darling" Brittany grinned, hugging Mila tight "now, let's get in that car and drive to your house. We have suitcases to pack, and a plane to catch!"
July 2012
Brittany watched carefully as the new cast performed full out to "One Short Day". She was still working as an Assistant Choreographer on Wicked and had even had some opportunities to step in as Lead Choreographer, when covering for annual leave. She loved her job, and today she loved it even more because she had brought Santana and Mila along to watch. Mila had been wanting to see what Aunty Brit-Brit did at work for ages now, but Brittany thought a lot of the time she'd be bored. When the show was in full swing, her role consisted of a lot of meetings with other departments, observing, note taking and quick amendments. But, by luck, they had a cast change around the time Santana and Mila were due to visit, and they all needed to be taught the routines from scratch. It was also a time for Brittany and the Lead Choreographer to chop and change bits out, sometimes things might have fit well with the last cast, that didn't work quite so well with the new one. It was part of keeping the show alive. She knew it would be perfect for Mila to sit in and watch, because it was very practical, and she'd get to see Brittany dance as well as elements of the show. Santana would thoroughly enjoy it also, as one of her favourite things ever, was watching Brittany dance.
As the song finished, Brittany sprang into action.
"Okay I think that was great, but for the mid-section, it needs to be more like this" Brittany demonstrated, flittering elegantly across the stage as Mila and Santana watched in delight. "You see how that's more graceful, it just flows with the music more"
The cast agreed, many of them trying to imitate Brittany straight away, and nail it down. Brittany turned to her guests, sitting proudly in the front row.
"What do you think Mila?" she asked the little girl. She had spent all day making her feel very important, and the three-year-old was loving it.
"I think…" Mila paused thoughtfully, thinking about what big word she could use to sum up her thoughts, before breaking out into a grin "It was fantastic!" causing everybody to laugh at her adorableness.
"She could be a judge on American Idol with the way she just built the suspense there" one of the cast members joked.
"Muy bien!" Mila shouted, sticking two thumbs up with a massive grin, causing everybody to laugh again.
"Okay, okay everybody, you heard the boss, good job!" Brittany laughed "go ahead and take your lunch break and we'll regroup in an hour"
As the cast milled out, she headed towards Santana and Mila.
"Aunty Britt-Britt, I want to be a dancer just like you when I grow up!" Mila exclaimed
"You do!" Brittany gasped with enthusiasm "That's great Meels! You'll make a great dancer."
Santana smiled warmly at the pair of them. It never failed to melt her watching the way Brittany so enthusiastically and patiently interacted with Mila. They were like two peas in a pod, and their bond was so special. Just like Santana and Brittany's own bond.
"Can you teach me something Aunty Brit?" Mila pleaded, fluttering the long thick lashes she'd inherited from Santana.
Brittany laughed, she could never say no to Santana's puppy dog eyes, so she certainly couldn't say no to Mila's.
"Sure, I can! Come up on to the stage" she smiled, taking Mila by the hand and leading her onto the big stage.
Santana watched dotingly as Brittany showed Mila the foundations of ballet, the five basic foot positions. Mila wobbled a lot at first, as she stuck her tongue out in concentration, trying to copy Brittany's foot work. On a couple of occasions, she toppled over, but Brittany would catch her and straighten her up again. Adjusting her feet to where they needed to be, until it was time to move on to the next position and she'd adjust her feet again. She was so patient with her.
"That's great Moo! Good job! Now can you remember the next position to change into for second...ooh no, not quite that one, but nearly. Let me show you again" Brittany encouraged.
By the end of the lunch hour, Mila could just about do all of the five positions when Brittany yelled out each name. She knew how to transition from first to second, but after that she'd get a bit stuck. But for a three-year-old in her first ever ballet class, Brittany didn't think she'd done too badly at all.
"I wish I lived in New York so you could teach me ballet every day" said Mila, staring up at the blonde in admiration. Brittany ruffled her hair as she watched the little girl go back to her seat into the proud arms of Santana. It was enough to give her one of her famous brainwaves.
Back in Lima a few days later, Santana was startled by her phone ringing. Looking at the screen, she didn't recognise the number, but she answered anyway.
"Hello?"
"Hi there, could I speak to a Miss Santana Lopez please?"
"Speaking"
"Santana, Hi, it's Zoe Walden calling here from the Lima School of Contemporary Dance. Your friend Brittany Pierce was a student of mine for many years"
"Ah yes, I remember you actually. I used to come and watch her sometimes" Santana smiled "can I help you with something?" she asked cheerily, guessing she perhaps wanted Brittany's number or contact details.
"Actually, I wanted to do something to help you" she began "I understood you have a three-year-old, desperate to start ballet lessons? I wanted to offer my services"
Santana looked over at Mila and let out a sad sigh. Her answer made her feel guilty.
"I do yes. But I'm not in the financial position to be able to send her right now I'm afraid" Santana knew from seeing Brittany grow up doing dance how expensive it could be. It wasn't just the tuition fees, it was the uniform, the constant need for new shoes, the exam costs, the competition fees. She knew if she asked her parents, they would probably offer to help out, but she didn't want to do that. They did enough for her. Hopefully she would be in a better position to send her, in a couple of years. It didn't stop her feeling guilty though.
"Actually, we'd like to offer her free tuition, and we'll waive all competition fees. All you'll be responsible for is uniform, shoes and her exam fees" Zoe stated, in a kind tone. Santana was knocked aback.
"Miss Walden, thank you so much, but we can't accept that" she smiled. It was a generous offer, but Santana wasn't a charity case.
"Call me Zoe, please?" she insisted kindly "no really, I insist. Brittany has kindly agreed to become our Patron, and I'd like to do something for her to return the favour. She's done really well for herself, and she'll be a great inspiration to our students, and no doubt we'll have lots of new sign ups with her name attached. It's the least I can do."
Santana smiled; she might have known Brittany would have something to do with this. She instantly knew this would have been Brittany's idea. She would have asked Zoe to do this for Mila, in return for her being a Patron, and it was a fair deal. Zoe would likely triple the money lost on not charging to teach Mila, with all the other parents pushing their kids there, on seeing one of their Alumni as a Broadway Choreographer and Patron. It was rare to see people from Lima doing so well in the arts.
"I also hear that Mila is very talented and has a great gift. Brittany told me herself, and as a great dancer taught by myself, I trust Brittany's judgement. I can't let this potential go to waste" she continued.
Santana paused for a moment before asking with a grin
"When can she start?" she asked, as she made a mental note to call Brittany straight afterwards and thank her.
March 2013
It was the end of March, three weeks after Mila's fourth birthday, and Santana and Mila were in New York visiting. Brittany and Denver had their own apartment now, so Santana and Mila were staying with them, Denver keeping out of the way for the most part. Brittany had, as always, gone to town spoiling the little girl with birthday gifts. But today, she had the biggest surprise up her sleeve.
They'd had a fun day out in the city, but it was now evening time, and they had come back to the apartment to have take-out and watch a movie.
"We should all get our PJs on, and get cosy" Brittany suggested, as she observed Santana and Mila sitting on the sofa.
"Good idea! You can't have a movie night without PJ's" Santana agreed, before Brittany interrupted again.
"Actually…I thought Meels might want to wear this" she smiled, pulling out a wrapped parcel from behind her back, and handing it to the four-year-old.
"What is it!?" Mila shouted excitedly.
"Well why don't you open it and find out?" said Brittany, as Santana shook her head with a laugh, the birthday gifts just didn't stop coming. Brittany was always spoiling Mila, but Mila was always extremely grateful and well mannered. She never expected anything. Santana had raised her very well.
Mila carefully tore open the parcel, handing the red wrapping paper and gold ribbon to Santana, so not to throw it on the floor. There was a small t-shirt inside, which she unfolded and held up, Santana let out a grin as she realised who was on the shirt.
"Who is it Meels?" Santana encouraged, watching Mila's face break into a grin of recognition as she spotted her favourite popstar.
"Taylor Swift!" she shouted, jumping up and down.
Mila had become obsessed with Taylor Swift in the past year or so. She'd even dressed like her for Halloween last October. For Christmas, Santana had got her the 'Red' album, and Mila played it none stop. She knew every single word.
"Can I put this on right now?" the little girl asked, looking eagerly between her mom and aunty.
"Sure Moo! Go ahead and put it on, and I'll be right back" said Brittany, before disappearing into the kitchen, leaving Santana to help Mila change into her new shirt. They had just got the shirt on when the lights flicked off, causing Santana and Mila to look up in surprise, until they noticed Brittany appear at the door with a lit birthday cake and realised what was going on.
"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you" she sang, walking towards the two girls, as Santana joined in the song "Happy birthday dear Milaaaaaa. Happy birthday to you"
The little girl giggled in delight, loving the fact her birthday celebrations had been dragged out this year, as Brittany set the cake down in front of her. Santana wondered when she had even had time to plan all of this, because they'd been with her the whole time, but that was just classic Brittany. Full of surprises.
"Make a wish Moo!" Brittany encouraged, pointing to the lit cake. Mila squeezed her eyes tight, paused in thought for a moment, before blowing hard on the candles. One of the candles was stubborn, so Santana had to secretly help her. As Santana leaned forward to blow the candle, she noticed the Spanish text on the cake, and her heart skipped a beat.
"Mila, can you read out the writing please?" Brittany asked gently.
"Okay Aunty Brit-Brit" she replied sweetly, before peering at the iced text, scrutinising it.
"Vamos a ver a Taylor Swift en concierto esta noche" Mila read out in perfect Spanish.
"Can you translate that for me please Meels?" Brittany continued.
Mila studied the cake again, tentatively translating the words.
"We…are…going to…see Taylor Swift…in…concert tonight" she translated, tongue sticking out in concentration, before repeating again in full now she knew what it said "we are going to see Taylor Swift in concert tonight" as she finished the end of the sentence, she realised what she had said and gasped, causing Brittany to nod enthusiastically.
"What!?" Mila gasped "Really!? We're going!? The real Taylor Swift!?"
"Yep. The real Taylor Swift. Tonight. In concert. Me, you and Mami. That's why you need to put your shirt on!" Brittany exclaimed, handing Mila the set of three concert tickets for the Red Tour in Newark tonight to look at. This was all Mila needed for it to hit her, she suddenly burst into tears overwhelmed. The sight brought instant tears to Santana and Brittany's eyes.
"Oh, darling come here!" Santana cried, wiping tears from her own brown eyes, and taking Mila into a big hug. Mila pulled away to hug Brittany, who was also crying. Mila was too overwhelmed to even speak right now, but Brittany knew she was extremely grateful, as she scooped her up.
"Oh god I'm a mess!" Brittany said cradling the hysterical girl with one arm, wiping tears from her own eyes with the other. Santana walked over to join in the hug, Brittany using her free arm to welcome her in, as the three of them rocked in a happy embrace.
"You really are the best Brittany" Santana sniffed "thank you for doing this for her."
The concert was in full swing, and the three of them were having the best time. Mila was absolutely high on life, bouncing around and singing along to every single world, it was a joy to watch. The time had come in the concert for Taylor to announce the surprise song she'd be singing. Mila looked on in anticipation, taking everything in, when the opening chords of her favourite ever Taylor Swift song started playing. The crowd erupted into deafening cheers as they recognised the song, while Mila burst into fresh tears all over again, the excitement well and truly gripping her.
"You were in college working part time, waiting tables, left a small town never looked back!" Mila screamed through her tears. Both Brittany and Santana felt their heart burst at the little girl having the time of her life, and Brittany scooped her up, while Santana stood next to Brittany and held Mila's hand, the three of them dancing and singing along together. As Taylor went into the bridge, Mila removed her hand from Santana's to wrap her arm around her neck and pull her closer. She had one arm wrapped around Brittany's neck, the other wrapped around Santana, as they both held her up in the middle. They sang along together, enjoying the close embrace.
And I remember that fight, 2:30 AM
As everything was slipping right out of our hands
I ran out, crying, and you followed me out into the street
Brace myself for the goodbyes
'Cause that's all i've ever known
Then you took me by surprise
You said i'll never leave you alone
As the crowd erupted into cheers before the final chorus, and Taylor began to walk up the catwalk, Mila scrambled to be put down to edge closer to the barrier. She was small enough to wedge through the gaps, and the people standing against the barrier were kind enough to let Mila squeeze in. Santana and Brittany smiled, their arms wrapped around each other, as they watched Mila staring up at her favourite singer in awe. They sang the final chorus together, looking at each other and just being in the moment.
You said, "I remember how we felt, sitting by the water
And every time I look at you, it's like the first time
I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter
She is the best thing that's ever been mine"
As Taylor dragged out the final note, cheers erupting around her, Santana and Brittany stared intently at each other. A surge of electricity passed through them, as they were deep in the moment. They both felt so happy and full of love, having spent such a fun night together watching all of Mila's dreams come true. Any time together was always sacred. Completely caught up, Santana didn't know what came over her, as she found herself leaning forward to place a kiss on Brittany's lips. Not an open mouthed, passionate kiss, but a simple meaningful peck on the lips. It lasted a few seconds longer than it should have. It felt like just the two of them in the room, until Taylor continued the song and brought them back to reality.
Santana pulled away, confused at what came over her. Her whole body was tingling, and the pit of her stomach was filled with butterflies. She didn't know what had led her to kiss Brittany and for her to feel such electricity, but she put it down to the happiness and adrenaline she was feeling. She was caught up in the atmosphere and was grateful to Brittany for giving them this experience. That was all it could be, she mused.
Brittany on the other hand, felt the same tingling feelings and butterflies. Although they were always overly affectionate and tactile, she had never kissed Santana on the lips before, only ever on the cheek. The kiss, although short but sweet, had stirred up feelings for Brittany that she thought she had put to bed. She thought she was over Santana. Maybe she was wrong.
Both girls forced their attention back on the concert, continuing to enjoy the night, neither of them acknowledging the strange spark that had just occurred between them.
Brittany was stirred from her thoughts by Denver shouting down the hallway, that he was leaving for work.
"Bye honey! Have a good day" she called, as she shook her head of the last memory. It was always weird for her to think about that one, because she couldn't help feeling such a connection and energy with Santana that night, like she'd never ever felt before. She'd had feelings for Santana for a long time before that, but it was as if on that occasion, Santana was finally feeling them too. It had brought all of Brittany's high school emotions rushing back. It felt different from the drunken, more passionate kiss that they had shared on Santana's 18th birthday. It felt like a kiss filled with love. Still, Brittany was with Denver now, and they were getting more serious than ever. And Santana was straight, she was sure of it. After Santana regretfully shrugged off the kiss they shared on her birthday, Brittany was never going to bring her feelings up again.
She loved Santana with everything. She always had, she always would. But she knew anything more than friendship just wasn't meant to be. She was just happy to have Santana, and the five-year-old that came part of the package, as part of her life at all.