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"San! This pizza doesn't have bacon!" Quinn whines from the kitchen
"Chill Q Ball that's mine, yours is right here!" Santana says shaking her head walking into the kitchen carrying another pizza "Why can't you be normal and eat pepperoni pizza like the rest of us!"
Quinn quickly grabs and opens the box "Excuse you, I am normal I can't help I loveeeeee bacon!"
Santana rolls her eyes grabbing her plate and heading to the living room "Whatever Luce, just grab your plate and let's put this cheesy ass movie you just had to see on"
"It's not cheesy Santana Lopez! You will watch it and you will love it and you wanna know why?"
Quinn says, Santana looks up with a mouth full of pizza "Why Q Ball?"
"Because you love me!" Quinn sticks her tongue out and Santana laughs "You're lucky I do too!"
Quinn laughs and hits play.
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"Quinn?" Beth says touching her arm
"Sorry!" Quinn says smiling continuing to the kitchen
"Sorry it's not anything fancy, I didn't know you were joining us until about twenty minutes ago" she shakes her head touching my arm
"I'm sorry San I thought Beth told you?" She looks back at Beth who simply shrugs as she continues to grab her plate
"This is ours, Yours is over there Q Ball" I point out of habit which catches all three of us off guard
"You remembered?" She looks surprised as she grabs two slices of the bacon pizza
"Like I could forget" I throw back grabbing my plate heading to the living room, I quickly sit down and watch their interaction making sure Beth is truly okay with this. They are almost identical in their hand gestures and facial expressions, hell even their laughs compliment each other.
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"You guys do this a lot?" Beth says looking over at Quinn
"Do what?" She asks looking over at her
"Flirt" Beth laughs as she shrugs
"I don't know what you're talking about" Quinn winks as she heads to the living room
"Yeah okay" Beth laughs as she follows
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We sit down to eat, the silence is becoming too much for me. "Beth why don't you tell Quinn about school" Beth looks at me smiling "Sure" she begins "So I'm in 8th grade, I'll be 13 in a few months which you know" she waves her hand and continues "I play basketball and soccer" she shrugs
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"Quinn" I interrupt "She's hella awesome! Leading scorer on her soccer team and she can sing! She's killer just like you, remember when we" I catch myself, clearing my throat I look over at Beth "Sorry", she reaches over and touches my hand "it's okay Auntie San" I smile and nod letting her continue. "You go ahead"
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She spends the next few minutes talking and I can't help but stare at Quinn who has her chin in her hand, completely enamored in Beth's stories.
She hasn't changed much in 12 years, older sure, her hair is much shorter than I remember but it looks good that way at least it's not pink anymore which I happened to like by the way. She is still breathtakingly gorgeous. I remember when she...
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"Auntie San?" Beth says again and I now notice Quinn is looking at me with her eyebrow quirked, smirking like she's caught me. Damn it
"Y-Yes Beth" I say looking over at her
"I was just saying good night" she smirks at me kissing the top of my head and it makes me shake my head.
"Okay good night mini Q ball" Beth stops for a second and shakes her head laughing
"I'll be 30 and you'll still call me that huh?"
I nod "Absolutely so get used to it"
"Thank you for coming over Quinn" Beth says as she puts her plate away
"Thank you for inviting me Beth, I hope we can do it again soon" Quinn says standing up following Beth into the kitchen
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"Hey Quinn" Beth whispers to Quinn
"Yeah Beth?"
"Can you please take it easy on my Auntie San?"
Quinn looks confused at Beth "What are you talking about?"
"She's...Just don't hurt her please, she's the most important person in my life and she's all I have left, I can't lose her" Beth says with tears in her eyes.
"Everything okay in here blondies?" I ask walking into what looks like an intense conversation both girls look at me like I've interrupted something important between them, maybe I shouldn't have.
"We're good San" Quinn sadly nods rubbing Beth's back softly
"Yeah we're good, Good night Auntie San, Quinn" Beth says as she heads to her room.
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"I'm gonna go Santana , thank you for letting me spend the evening with you guys."
"You want to stay and have a drink with me?"
I ask hoping she will.
"I'd love too" she smiles that smile.
I head to the cabinet grabbing some cups and start our tea, she heads to the island and sits down watching me. It makes me too nervous, it's too much too fast for me.
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"So Santana " she starts and I turn to look at her
"What have you been up too?"
"Well I graduated Columbia with my masters in creative literature and now I teach there, they keep bugging me to get my PhD but eh" I shrug like it's no big deal "What about you Quinn?"
She sits back and folds her arms "I'm a doctor"
I lean against the counter, folding my arms "Just a doctor? From what I hear you're the Head Pediatric Surgeon"
She shakes her head again "You've been asking about me Lopez?"
I shrug "Keep dreaming Fabray"
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She smiles at me and we move to the couch, she sits back taking a drink of her tea.
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"Thank you" she finally says putting her cup down
"For what?"
"For being there for her"
I look at her and lean back into the couch, "She's awesome, sometimes she reminds me so much of you, I can't help but love her. Shelby just spiraled so quickly, I..." I exhale
"Wait. What happened with Shelby?"
"You haven't heard? She OD'd a few weeks ago, Beth found her"
Quinn gasps grabbing her chest "oh my god, wait what's going to happen to Beth?" She asks
"Shelby and I had an agreement, if anything happened, Beth lives with me, her and I talked it out and she's okay with living with me so" I shrug.
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Quinn takes a minute and looks at me like I'm the answer to every question she's ever had. And it makes me feel things, things I'm sure either of us are ready for, not tonight anyways, maybe not ever.
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"Why are you looking at me like that?"
She shakes her head "I was so stupid in high school" she laughs as she leans back into the couch
"You weren't stupid Q, you were 17 you did what you thought was right at the time" I assure her "Beth's never been far from me, I've always made sure she's safe and happy, don't worry"
She looks at me and smiles "Santana Lopez has anyone ever told you, you are amazing?"
I put my head down shaking it "No I'm not"
"Yes you are" she says sitting up "And I very much was stupid in high school, I didn't see what was right in front of me"
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That's a loaded response if I ever heard one, I whip my head up and look at her as she smiles "Well, I better get going"
I nod "Thanks for coming Q, it meant a lot to both of us" she smiles as we walk to the front door, I lean in the door frame and watch her.
"Maybe we can do this again, sometime?" She asks putting her jacket on, I nod "Sure, if Beth wants too." She smiles at me and pulls me in for a hug. I squeeze her, closing my eyes, inhaling her perfume. It's definitely changed since high school but in the best way possible.
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"Your heart is racing Santana Lopez, you might want to have that checked out" She says with her head on my chest and I can tell she's smiling
"I'll have to call this fancy doctor I know huh? I'll see you soon Quinn" is all I can manage to say without giving myself completely away. She nods putting her hand on my chest then turns to leave the apartment.
I close the door and lean my back against it closing my eyes.
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A few weeks later
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"What do you think of Quinn, B?" I ask as we eat cereal
She shrugs "She's cool I guess. I mean I'm still hurt she left me but I'm listening to you and trying to give her a fair chance"
"I'm really proud of you"
"Would it be okay with you if her and I hangout just the two of us?"
"If that's something you want, I'm cool with it" I shrug because there isn't much I can really do, she's Quinn's kid and if it's what Beth wants who am I to stand in her way.
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"You know nothing changes between us right Auntie San? You'll always be my best friend" she smiles at me and I can feel the tears in my eyes.
"I better be because I can still go all Lima heights and kick her ass if I have too!"
We both laugh.
"Sure Auntie San, sure" she pats my back.
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Knock knock
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"Hey Britt!" I say letting Brittany come in
"Hey guys how are you beautiful ladies?"
"We're good" Beth starts and I nod in agreement
"Beth has decided to give Quinn a chance"
Britt smiles "That's awesome B I'm proud of you! San can we talk for a minute?"
I nod "Of course B let's go in the room"
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"San" she begins to pace around the room
"You okay B?" She shakes her head
"Yes. No. Yes. Maybe. Probably not. You know I love you right?" I nod
"Of course why?"
"I've loved our time together but I'm not sure I'm a one woman or man type of girl, you know me, I'm a free spirit, i love who I love, I can't help it"
She shrugs and I nod in agreement, she is definitely a free spirit that's one of the many reasons I love her.
"Breathe, I get it B, I really do, I wouldn't ever want to stand in your way, I love that you're such a free spirit" she smiles at me and tightly hugs me
"I love you so much San" she says hugging me over and over. "I love you too B!"
"I need to let you know I'm heading out on tour again and I'm not sure it's fair to either of us to stay together while I'm gone 11 months out of the year you know?"
"I understand B, and hey, that's great! With who this time?"
"Beyoncé!" She says smiling from ear to ear
"That's awesome! You deserve it B I'm so happy for you!"
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I truly am so happy for her, she has worked so hard to get to this point in her career, I'm really going to miss her plus being dumped sucks no matter how nicely it's done.
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"We're still friends though right B? I won't lose you completely?" I ask and she shakes her head
"No way San, you'll never lose me" I smile and hug her again.
"I'm gonna go okay?" I nod as she starts to collect a few of her clothes from the drawers.
"I'll see you around little B okay?" Britt says as she hugs Beth.
"See you Britt" Beth waves from the kitchen
"Bye San" she says leaning in to kiss me one last time
"Bye Britt".
I watch her walk to the elevator and sigh. Well it was good while it lasted I guess. I look to my left and notice Quinn standing there watching this all unfold. She gives me a small nod and smile then walks into Rachel's apartment.
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"Guess it's just you and me kid" I say as I jumping on top of Beth on the couch
"Get off me Auntie San, Jesus your like super heavy!"
"How dare you!" I say pinning Beth down as I begin to tickle her "Take it back!"
"Never!" She laughs trying to catch her breath
"Take it back!" I say as she shakes her head, somehow she manages to push me off her, I fall off the couch ending up on my back on the ground trying to catch my breath, Christ maybe I am getting old.
"Son of a" I start to get up but she jumps on top of me tickling me
"Give up Auntie San!" She says and I can't breathe anymore
"Neverrrrrr" I laugh as she continues.
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All of a sudden we hear laughing, we stop and turn our faces to the door, we see Rachel and Quinn standing in the kitchen laughing at us.
"Oh don't stop on our account" Quinn says
"Santana Lopez I never took you for a bottom"
Rachel laughs and Quinn looks over at her with wide eyes "Rachel!"
"What's that mean?" Beth sits back confused as Quinn hits Rachel's arm, I shake my head "It means your Aunt Rachel is crazy" She rolls her eyes, Beth gets off and helps me up.
"What are you guys doing here?" I ask
"We came over to see if you ladies wanted to join us for dinner, we're having a few old friends from glee club!" Rachel says and I shake my head
"Absolutely not, I can't handle being in a small confined space with all those Lima losers"
Beth laughs "Wait, Auntie San you were in glee club? Doesn't that make you a loser too?"
I look at her completely insulted "How fucking dare you!"
Which makes Quinn laugh even harder
"I definitely want to go, so I'll be there!" Beth says making Quinn and Rachel smile
"Oh good, now I can tell you more embarrassing stories about your Auntie Santana!" Quinn says with that signature HBIC smirk in place, my head whips towards her "Oh hell no!"
"Oh hell yes!" Rachel says and we all start laughing.
"Fine" I throw my hands in the air
"I guess We will be there"
"Yes!" Beth cheers throwing her fist in the air
"Can't wait" I dramatically roll my eyes
"Oh, Me either" Quinn winks at me and it sends chills down my spine.
"On that note!" Rachel interrupts "We'll see you lovely ladies at 7pm!" They say their goodbyes and leave the apartment.
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