A/N: I know it's been an eternity, but I made a promise to finish this and I plan to keep it. Let's get it done! Thanks for reading :D

I Won't Break (Jacquie)

Brittany's POV

Dad looked pale as he smiled at Gigi, who was twirling around the room in her rainbow tutu.

"She looks so much like you and Court." Mom said, and Dad nodded in agreement.

It'd been nearly a week since we'd left Lima for Chicago to be close to my parents, we wanted to get a hotel, but Mom insisted that we stay in her apartment so that she wasn't alone.

It was a tight squeeze, but she seemed happy to have the company.

Unfortunately, my parents were still acting like I was some sensitive little nut case which made me crazier than anything else would.

"It's time, Suzy." Dad said with a dry cough, and then he looked over at me with the saddest eyes.

If I were anything like teenage Brittany, the silly girl who had never experienced real loss, then I would have freaked the fuck out, but I was an adult.

I'd lost so much, including a child and a sister. Seeing Dad fade away hurt like hell, but I wasn't going to break apart like they assumed I would.

"You two don't need to tiptoe around me. Please tell me."

"Mama, Mama, look!" Gigi squealed, and I saw her holding a family photo. "Auntie Court looks like me!"

She was pointing to a picture of Courtney when she was around Gigi's age.

It was a moment of light in the dark of what was to come.

My parents had been planning out Dad's final details and what came next for Mom, who hadn't been without him for more than half her life.

"Where's that wife of yours?" Dad asked, and I shook my head, not sure.

I woke up in the morning to a note from Ana that she needed to make a quick trip and would be back at lunchtime.

For all I knew, she was back in Lima, but I felt like she would have told me if she was going that far; even though Ana had been sober for longer than she had ever used, she still updated me if she felt like she was going to slip.

I trusted her, and even if I didn't, my worries about Dad had blocked out anything else.

There was a knock on the door, and then Ana poked her head in; she was wearing Dad's favorite White Sox hat and a nervous smile. "Britt, can you come out here for a second?" I nodded and reached for Gigi, who was still staring lovingly at the picture of Court and me.

"Go, Brittany, leave her be. Poppy wants to see his baby girl for as long as he has left." Mom said, and that ached so bad.

They had lost hope, but I couldn't, not yet.

I stepped out into the hallway, and Ana wrapped me in a warm hug. "Please don't be mad." She said, and I did what I always did when she said vague crap like that.

I looked for signs of her using in her eyes, but they looked normal, the only thing I could see in her eyes was guilt, which didn't help me with trusting she was sober, but I knew in my heart that she was.

She wasn't that stupid teenage junkie anymore.

But the eating disorder was back, which always made me wonder if anything else was coming.

I wasn't sure I fully trusted her after she'd let me down so many times, but I decided right then that I needed to be better for her, even if it meant having a little blind faith.

"You know I don't like when you hide things." I said before kissing her lips.

She pulled away and looked at me. "I know okay, but this needed to happen. So please don't be mad."

So maybe we weren't as stable as I'd like us to be, but she didn't hide things. Not anymore; of course, that didn't stop me from having a little panic in my voice.

"What did you do?" I asked as I searched her clear eyes.

She looked past me for a moment and then up into my eyes again.

"Rob means the world to me, and I couldn't stand by and not get a second opinion. I'm doing for him what I wish I could have done for my mom. So, I went to pick up Saul, Mari, and Norah from the airport. They were able to get hospital privileges and should be up here soon to talk to your dad and give him a second opinion if he wants one. Are you mad?"

How could I be?

She was putting my family first, and I couldn't hate her for that.

"Thank you!" I kissed her face and held her as close as possible. "I love you so fucking much, Santana Lopez."

"I love you too, Brittany, forever and always."

"Titi B!" Norah rushed in front of her parents and wrapped me in a tight hug, just like I had always done to other people, and it took my breath away. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you too, Dani is going to freak out when she sees you."

Unlike Dani, Norah didn't have much height yet, so she actually looked like a 12-year-old. She grinned up at me and then looked back at her parents. "My parents don't know about what happened, I told Dani that she could tell them if she wanted to, but I wasn't going to say anything until she did."

"You're a good cousin."

"I know, right?!" She grinned and then moved over to hug Ana while Saul and Mari came to stand in front of me.

"Hey, Brittany. Have you asked him if he's okay with another opinion?" Mari said, cutting straight to the point.

"No, I just found out you were coming."

Mari and Saul glared at Ana, but she put her arm over Norah's shoulders, and they walked towards the vending machines without a word.

"Scaredy Cat!" Saul teased at Ana's back, and she gave him the finger.

Any bit of smiling I'd been doing was all because my wife wasn't treating me like I was broken. Ana was just being her normal self, which was exactly what I needed.

Mom and Dad were split on the next move.

She wanted a second opinion, and he seemed content to die.

Our family, though, was a democracy, everyone got a vote, so when I said I agreed to a second opinion, Dad sighed and then turned to Gigi.

"How about you, Squirt, should Poppy get his ticker checked again?"

Gigi looked at all the adults in the room and then gently climbed up on the bed until she was tucked next to Dad.

She put her ear to his chest and then reached up to his face. "Your heart sounds sad, Poppy."

"It is." He agreed.

"You said that you and Gamma have one heart, so if your heart is sad, so is Gamma's."

"Well yeah."

"I think you should listen to Gamma because it's her heart too."

She'd applied Pierce logic, and Dad nodded in agreement. "It's settled then, but I have one request."

I listened to Dad, and then I lifted Gigi into my arms before heading back out to the hallway.

Saul looked anxious to get moving. I knew the feeling.

"Dad agreed to a second opinion, but he doesn't want extraordinary measures, he wants you to be honest with him no matter what, and while he wants your opinion he'd like to avoid you operating on him yourself. Something about not wanting anyone in the family feeling responsible for his death."

"Okay, I can work with that, are you coming in, Mi Cielo?" Saul asked Mari. She blushed as she followed her husband into the room.

"Mami! Prima!" Gigi squealed once she saw Ana and Norah coming down the hallway. "Down Mama." She begged.

"Nope, I'm not letting you run in a hospital, I'll put you down when Mami is closer."

"Fine." She huffed. "You're no fun. I don't like you right now."

"I am plenty of fun, be nice to me, or I'm going to cry." I stuck out my bottom lip, and she tried to push my lip back into my mouth. When she couldn't, she crossed her arms over her chest, and her face got scrunchy.

"I am nice!"

"Why does my baby look upset, B?" Ana said as she came closer.

"She's being mean." I said to Ana, and Gigi looked insulted.

"Am not!" Then she was pouting for Ana, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes when my wife comforted Gigi instead of me.

Ana kissed my cheek and slapped my butt, "Fix your face, you're fine."

"You don't know, Ana, just two seconds ago, Gigi was being mean."

She looked at our little girl who was putting on the biggest show for her Mami, but Ana only allowed that kind of spoiled behavior for so long, and it seemed Gigi hadn't learned that yet. "Hey now little miss, be nice to Mama, do you know what her favorite thing to do when she's super sad is?"

"Uh what?" Gigi said.

"Get ice cream." When Gigi's eyes lit up, Ana kept her face serious. "Do you think she'll get you some if you're mean to her?"

Gigi turned and hugged me tightly. "I'm sorry, Mama."

"That's what I thought." Ana said, winking at me.

"My hero." I whispered, and Ana flexed her muscles.

God, I'd missed her.

Even though the world was breaking, she was my constant now.

And I was so happy that she was here to carry me through this.

She'd lost her parents too soon; they were both 15 years younger than my father, so she understood this pain.

She was going to put me first when I needed it.

And God, did I need it.

For two days, Saul and Mari asked us to steer clear of the hospital, which meant that I was stuck in my parents' two-bedroom apartment with my mom, wife, and three antsy children.

Getting them transitioned to homeschool was still the goal, but for the week, they were just on vacation.

For the girls, it was a relief, but for Izzy, it was hard.

Normally, I would step up to handle him, but he asked me to give him space.

He was almost 13 and extremely moody; nothing I did would help him.

So, I cornered my wife after breakfast to address my concerns. Mom had taken the kids to the park to get food for lunch, so it was the perfect time to talk to my wife one-on-one.

Ana was sipping tea and nibbling on the same pancake she'd been eating for an hour, and I could see the guilt on her face when I pulled her to the side.

"I'm trying, B." She blurted out, and I just nodded, happy that she acknowledged the presence of a problem.

She'd grown up a lot over the years.

Ana knew her eating disorder better than anyone, so if she said she was trying, I chose to believe her.

The pancake was smaller than it had been an hour ago, and she was taking her time with it instead of bingeing, so I wasn't going to fight her, but I was definitely on alert.

"I'm happy that you're trying but that's not what this is about."

"What's it about then?"

"The kids need better from us. Is there any way you can finish the album in New York?"

She looked at me with wide eyes and a twisted mouth.

I pulled her lip from between her teeth with my thumb and stepped closer, trapping her back against the counter and leaning in to kiss her swollen lip before pulling back.

She looked dazed, and I didn't feel bad about using her high sex drive to my benefit.

It was something I hadn't done in forever, but this was important.

"Yes, I can record in New York, I was just going to do it in L.A. because I could but it's not mandatory. Mercy recorded her last album in London."

"Good, I need you to see which property is empty, and go to New York."

"I sold everything but the midtown house and the penthouse to cover my restitution and your court fees. Both those properties have long-term leases. We'd have to buy something new."

"That's fine, as long as it's in the city, I don't want to be out in the boonies again."

"Okay, B. I'll look...why now though? Shouldn't you be worried about your dad and getting your mom through this?"

"I need to focus on what comes next, or I'm going to lose my mind. So I am deciding to think about our next step. Dani can't be in Lima anymore, and I agree."

"I know."

"Plus, the kids need a school, and Izzy needs to be around his older cousins. He doesn't have any guys around, and he's going through puberty. His voice is cracking a little. I didn't notice but Dad pointed it out."

"Shit, already?"

"Well, yeah…our kids are big now, Ana…in two more years they'll be as old as we were when we fell in love."

"Fuck, I didn't even realize."

"You missed a lot, Baby." I whispered, and she nodded, looking regretful.

Is it bad that I was happy about her feeling upset about missing time with our kids?

Nah.

"I've been thinking about buying a house in Manhattan, Chelsea specifically. After we left Poughkeepsie and Celia moved to Connecticut, both Mari and Sandra moved back to the city. They live a block from each other, so I was going to move close to them."

"Perfect, start looking for houses, if we can get the kids in a new school by next week, that would be the best for them."

"A week? B, it's not that simple to buy a house."

"What's the point of being super rich if you can't buy a house in a day?"

"True, I'll see what I can do. I agree though, this will be good for them. Isaac will have his cousins, and Daniela will be at a school with Norah. She'll be safer, and you can start auditioning again."

"And you'll record?"

"Yes, I still have my equipment in storage out there."

"So we have a plan, and you'll do your very best to get us settled, right?"

"Yes, B."

"Good. That makes me feel so much better."

"Anything else I can do, Daddy?" She growled in my ear.

"Yes, there is actually?"

"What?"

"Finish that pancake and call Amy before this gets out of your control, please?" I pulled away and could see the flush in her cheeks. "Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, B."

I leaned in and kissed her cheek, then whispered, "Thanks, wifey."

She shivered, and it lifted just a little of that heaviness I'd been carrying around for too long.

I went to walk away, but she grabbed my jacket and pulled me back towards her.

We were still out in the open; even if the apartment was empty, there were limits to how intimate we could be. Ana held up her pinky, and when I lifted my hand, she wrapped my pinky in hers.

"Promise me that once we are settled, you'll make love to me, just us." She said, her voice shaking a bit.

I got what she meant, though.

For over a year, any time we had sex, it was with Sugar right along with us.

She missed me, and the feeling was definitely mutual.

"I promise."

She gave me a super kiss and then happily ate her pancake.

I kissed her forehead and then went back to the real world with my heart feeling fuller than it had in forever.

Santana's POV

"Let me get this straight, you need me to sign off on a big purchase, but you won't tell me what it is? That's not a part of our agreement, Santana. So that's a no for me."

"Sandra, please, I will tell you soon, I just don't want you to make a big deal about it."

"I won't sign off on that if you can't tell me."

"Fine, fuck, I just don't want to jinx it okay?"

"Tell me."

"For the last two days I've been on the hunt for a house in Chelsea, it's right across the street from Mari's house. It's not even listed yet, I just know a realtor who was able to give me the preview. It's magnificent and I want to buy it."

"How much are we talking?"

"20 million."

"Holy shit!"

"I know, okay… it's just a three story house in the middle of Chelsea! It has 5 bedrooms, Sandra. It's time for me to come home and be close to my sisters. Isaac is becoming a man and having his uncle and cousins nearby will be helpful for him. You know it's hard for him not having men around."

"No shit."

"Say something other than references to shit, please?"

"Does the 20 million include a furnishing budget?"

"I have so much furniture in storage from clearing out Scottsdale and the penthouse. I don't think I'll need to furnish it."

"And what will you do with the house in Lima?"

"It will be our home away from home, just like Mari keeps the house in Beverly Hills."

"So you'll be putting it under property management?"

"Yeah, that's the contract that I have with Walker, I buy new property and she gets first dibs to manage the maintenance. Besides any profit I can make for the business also goes to Rob, and Susan is going to need the safety net."

Without seeing my sister, I could tell that she'd just crossed herself just like I did anytime I spoke of Rob's impending demise.

Saul was being tightlipped, and I hated it because he knew something and wasn't even telling my wife, which meant that I had to hear her ranting about being left out.

No me gusta.

Sandra sighed, "Fine, but I need to see all the specs before I sign off."

"You are an angel sent from God, you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't kiss my ass just yet…not until the deal is done."

"You got it, Sis."

"I have one more favor to ask."

"Okay…what?"

"Your kids go to the same school as Norah right?"

"Yup, it's an amazing school."

"Are you saying that because you are dating the principal, or do you actually mean that?"

"Both. Chris is a great guy, and all the kids love him."

"And how are the teachers?"

"Every one of them is cream of the crop, I haven't heard a single complaint. It's a 10/10 school, is that what you're thinking for your three piece?"

"Yeah, I was hoping they'd have a spot for them."

"It's a tight application process and it's nearly the end of the school year, but I can talk to Chris if you want."

"I want. The sooner I can get the kids enrolled, the better."

"Can I ask what the rush is?"

"We just need to be close to our village, and the kids need stability. We've been dragging them around between homes, schools, and family members for too long. I need them to be in one place until they graduate."

"Hmmm, that sounds believable."

"That's because it's the truth."

"But not the whole truth."

"Sandra…I…I can't talk about it."

"So it is something?"

"Sis, please?"

"Is it Marco, is he demanding you move close to him?"

"What? No, I haven't talked to him in months. I promise I will tell you more when I can, for now, can you please trust me?"

"If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be signing off on 20 million."

"Touche. Would it make you feel better if I tell you that this is actually all Britt's idea?"

"Actually, yes, that does make me feel better. You should have led with that."

"Noted. Thanks again, Sis."

"Thank me with a bottle of Ace and a sushi night on you."

"Say less."

I'd been camped out in Rob's office for hours hammering out a deal with the owners of the house that I wanted before they listed, and they were jacking up the price. Thankfully, I had prepared for that.

They were planning to list it at 15 million but were asking for 17.5, and I wanted to roll my eyes at them instead, I asked to see the inspection reports, and they came back to me with 13.8 within an hour and then sent me the reports.

I was expecting toxic mold, but the house was structurally fine.

Their issue was the outdated kitchen, some lead paint, and all of the wallpaper, but I could always see past the things that were hang-ups for other people.

It was a millionaire's fixer-upper, which wasn't bad at all. It just meant we'd have to remodel while the kids finished the school year in Lima if I couldn't get them in school in New York.

Just four months, and they would never have to deal with that small-minded town again if they didn't want to.

Britt had always wanted to be a part of my decisions regarding things that could affect us both, but I had to make this decision without her because Susan had called her to the hospital.

"What are you doing, Mami?" Isaac came into the office with two steaming mugs, and behind him were Daniela and Norah, carrying a tray full of sandwiches.

My guilt for not sharing this with Britt suddenly vanished; if I could get the kids' sign-off, she'd appreciate it.

Even if they had Lopez as their name, they were still Pierce's and the Pierce's were democratic in decision making.

"Since you monsters are in here, I guess I should tell you the truth…and you can help me make a decision."

"Oh yay!" Norah said, clapping her hands.

"After we leave Chicago, we are moving to New York for good. You two will be going to school with Norah, eventually but probably not until September when the new year starts."

"Really? Are you sure?" Isaac asked, always the skeptic, just like me.

"Is this because of me?" Daniela asked, looking guilty.

"What happened with you gave us the push we needed, yes, but this isn't a bad thing. Me and your Mama have both missed New York, and the family."

"How far will we be from Dama?" Isaac asked, looking alert all of a sudden.

"About an hour and a half."

"Will we see her more?" Isaac asked, and then I could see him bouncing his foot in anticipation.

Daniela rubbed his arm, and he looked at her, arched his eyebrow, and they had a silent conversation before he looked back at me and nodded. "So?" He asked.

"Yes, we will definitely see your Titi and Dama more. There are still Sunday dinners, right?" I asked Norah, and she groaned.

"Yes, we do every other Sunday since my parents have opposite call weeks. Titi Ceily and Titi Q are always there with their hellions."

I snickered, it figured that Quinn would turn my son into a suburban snob, but her kids were mini terrors.

Good.

I turned the computer around and showed the kids the pictures of the house and the walk-through that Sandra had done with the owners.

Then I ate my sandwich and drank tea while I watched them discuss among themselves.

It was amusing to watch, so much so that I didn't notice the sound of the door opening or the sniffles that accompanied heavy footsteps.

Britt came into the office, red-faced and smiled at us.

"Hey guys."

"Oh no! Is Poppy gone?" Daniela asked, and Britt shook her head.

"No…why don't you three go out to the kitchen, we brought a cake home for Gamma…we missed her birthday yesterday, even she forgot."

The kids stopped listening after the word cake was uttered and were up and out in seconds.

Once we were alone, Britt closed the door and rested against it.

"You okay, B?"

"Mari is my new favorite person in the entire world, maybe even more than you."

"If she saved your father's life, then you can like her more than me. That's okay."

"She figured out the real problem, because of her Saul was able to fix it but only after he convinced my dad to let him operate because he didn't trust anyone else to do the surgery. That's why they wanted us to stay away, Dad didn't want us to worry. They didn't call us to come until he was out of the woods."

"So he's going to be okay?"

Britt was crying as she nodded. "He's okay!"

I crossed myself and then moved over to her. "Thank God."

She kissed my face a million times when I stepped into her arms. "Thank you for making this happen. Thank you for saving his life. Thank you for not giving up on him when we did. Thank you so much, Baby. I love you, I love you."

"I love you too, B. I love your parents, and I will always fight for this family. Okay?"

"Thank you!"

"I'll do anything for them."

"Funny you should say that. I was thinking when we go to New York, they should too."

"Bring them. As soon as he's cleared, they can stay in our new house. We have a separate apartment in the basement."

"Wait, you picked one?"

"The deal is almost done, they are waiting for me to accept their offer. I have two hours to decide before they list it. I didn't want to decide without you or the kids agreeing to it. That's what I was doing before you came in the room."

"You were including the kids?"

"Yeah. I didn't want to bug you, is that okay?"

"More than okay. Bring the pictures to the kitchen, we'll have a Pierce family vote, and have cake. We have so much to celebrate, it's exciting!"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"Tell me again." I teased.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Britt Britt."

Mari showed up as everyone was debating the house and if we should move there, I was sitting to the side staring at the giant piece of cake that Susan had served me after she commented on my weight.

"Hey, can you step away for a second?" My sister murmured into my ear.

I looked at my little family, savoring the way Susan and Britt were both laughing for the first time in too long, then looked at my sister's worried face.

"Everything okay?"

Mari bit her lip and then said, "I don't know yet."

I pushed my cake to the side and got up, following my sister out of the apartment.

The last time I had seen her look so out of sorts was when Brenda died, so it's no wonder that I felt terrified to find out what she had to say.

Once we were standing out on the street, Mari took my hand and walked us into a coffee shop. She kept a tight grip on my hand as she ordered coffee and didn't let go until we were sitting in the back of the shop.

Her hands shook as she sat across from me.

"Mari, you're freaking me out, what's wrong?"

"Celia and Quinn were in a car accident. Ceily was drunk, they swerved off the road and hit a tree. The kids weren't in the car, thank God but the impact of the accident was on the passenger side."

"No." I whispered, and she reached for my hand. "Mari, Quinn is my… she's my world outside of my wife and kids. Please tell me that she's okay."

"I don't know the extent of her injuries, I just know that Ceily walked away with a concussion, she's in jail. Saul rushed home to assess the damage, Sandra has their kids. I know things are good right now with Rob healing, but I think Quinn needs you."

"Yeah, of course she fucking does. Why was Celia drunk?"

Mari sighed and looked away from me, her eyes filling with tears before she gripped my hand and sighed.

"After the bombings in Lima, Celia coped by drinking. She swore she had a handle on it, but then Quinn started working more, and had them living in a different state. Then Izzy went to live with them, and she spiraled a little. After he went back home to you, she went to rehab."

"NO fucking way, how am I just finding out?"

"We made a decision as a family, to keep you in the dark about Celia drinking."

"For what fucking reason?"

"It's idiotic, but we thought it might trigger you."

"That's bullshit." I felt hot, and sure I needed to get to a meeting, but that wasn't because my sister was a drunk, and I didn't know it.

It was the lies.

"I know."

"I could have supported her in a way that NO ONE else could."

"I know…but Papi was a drunk, and she's so much like him."

My skin itched.

"So much like him?" I felt sick. "Is she hurting her kids or Quinn?"

"I don't know, if she is, Quinn hasn't said."

"She's a child of an abuser, she knows how to hide it just as well as I do."

"Celia needs help, and I won't ask you to choose between your sister and your best friend; that's too much to ask. I don't care if you think you can handle it, we both know that every day can be a struggle. So, Sandra is going to take care of the kids, I will handle Celia, and you will make sure that Quinn is okay."

"On one condition."

"What's that?"

"If we are going to divide and conquer, no more of this keeping me in the dark shit. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it. That's fair, Santana, you deserve to know more than anyone."

"Thank you."

"I chartered Celia's plane, it should be waiting at the airport tonight around 8. Will you be on it?"

"As much as I want to say yes, because Quinn moves heaven and Earth for me, I need to talk to Britt, and I need a meeting. You're right, Mari, this is a lot for me right now and I need to make sure that my head is straight before I get mixed up in this."

"Okay." She smiled softly at me. "I'm proud of you."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, when we first started getting close, I couldn't understand you. You had everything, including both your parents. I see now though, the price you paid. I love you, and I'm so fucking proud of how you turned your life around."

"Thanks, Mari, I really needed to hear that."

I wanted to leave Mari sitting there and go to a meeting, but she refused to have another sister fall off the wagon, so she had me look for a meeting and then, AFTER I texted Britt to tell her where we were going, my sister took my hand and went to the meeting with me.

"You don't need to hold my hand, Mari, I'm not going to run away."

"I can't lose another sister, Santana." She said, her voice cool as we walked back toward the apartment.

"Okay but you held my hand all the way there, all through the meeting, and now on the way back to the apartment. I don't even hold Britt's hand this much."

"Please Santana, I just need human contact…do this for me?" Her voice, usually cool and collected, was full of emotion, so I squeezed her hand three times and didn't pull away.

Britt waited for us outside the apartment building; her face was a mask of aloofness until I was within arm's reach.

"Mom took the kids to see Dad. Norah went too because…well…." She looked around; afraid someone would hear her, "Let's go inside. You never know who's listening."

"Yeah, you definitely spent time in prison." Mari snarked, and Britt didn't even look her way, even though Mari had been her favorite person a few hours before.

When we got upstairs, Britt began to pace the living room, and then she gestured to the couch.

"Ana, you should sit."

"Britt if this is about Celia and Quinn, she knows." Mari said, and Britt looked confused.

"What? No, this has nothing to do with them. It's about Dani and what happened to her."

My sister sat down next to me and looked up at Britt, her face moving from concern to seriousness; it's what my sisters and I liked to call her doctor face.

"What happened to Dani? Is she okay? Did she need to go to the hospital?" Mari was firing questions, and Britt realized then that Mari still didn't know.

Britt hesitated and sighed, "It's no use hiding it now. Dani was…well…she was…um…."

I took my sister's hand and waited for her to look at me. "Daniela was raped back in Lima by a substitute teacher."

"What?!" Mari looked like she was going to explode, our daughters were nearly the same age, and no mother of a daughter doesn't walk around with the fear that her daughter will be assaulted.

"She told Norah about it but asked her not to tell. Then when Ana got home, Daniela told us. We filed charges against him, she gave a statement, and then we came here. She needed to get away." Britt said to my sister, who was near tears and then my wife looked at me with wide eyes. "Our lawyer called; he's dead."

"You're kidding?" I didn't know what to feel, vindicated, wronged for not getting justice or a little of both. "How?"

"Suicide." Britt used air quotes; somehow, I knew she knew more but wasn't going to say it in front of Mari.

Her hesitation told me one thing; this involved Sugar.

I shouldn't have been surprised that she acted on our collective anger over that asshole hurting Daniela.

I'd left a homicidal murderer at home who was legally dead.

Sugar had the means and motive to make this look like suicide, and from the look in Britt's eyes, I could tell I was right.

"How'd Beba take the news?"

"She's…numb. It was like she shut down. After he called, Dani told Mom what happened, and then when Mom got upset, Dani suggested that she go see Dad because he always knows how to make things right."

"Rob is awesome like that." I muttered. "I get it, there's a million ways to feel about it. He won't hurt anyone else, but then what about what she went through…is she supposed to just move on?" I said to Britt, and she nodded.

"I was thinking that we talk to Dr. Clover and Amy, see if they can suggest good therapists."

"Yeah, the sooner Beba talks through this, the better. I don't want her to turn it inward like I did."

Britt stopped pacing and looked at my sister, "What happened to Quinn and Celia?"

I got up then, unsure I could hear about the accident again. Instead, I grabbed my phone and went into Rob's office.

There was only one person I needed to talk to.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." I said to Sugar.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Doesn't matter. Just needed you to know how grateful I am."

"You're being weird."

"Am I?"

"Look, I'm a good bitch. I swore to you that I always would be, I don't know why you're surprised."

"I'm not."

"Sure. Look, me and the kid are going to visit some family on the coast. He's been looking pale."

"Pale?"

"Yeah. I think he's in love with Dani, he'd do anything for her and knowing how hurt she was, took its toll."

"Sweetie, is the ghost reborn?" I asked her, calling back Nico's old nickname when he was a hitman.

"I don't know what you mean. The kid is pale, he's growing up and I think he needs some color on his skin. He'll be good surrounded by his family."

"Be safe. Don't be a stranger."

"You know how to reach me."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." The line cut out and I sat back, finally settled with the feeling that had been bubbling up.

Glee.

Britt came into the office a few minutes later with a plate of food and a soft smile.

"We need to talk about our next move." She said, and I nodded, clearing away the contracts I'd printed out so she could put the food in front of me.

My appetite was nonexistent, but I would eat because I could feel the exhaustion setting in.

"Did we lose the house?" I asked her as I pulled my sandwich apart.

"No. I told Sandra that you needed a meeting and asked her to close the deal for you."

"So you liked it?"

Britt bit her lip, looking unsure but then nodded. "Yeah."

"What is it?"

"I guess I was kind of hoping that we'd go back to where it all started."

"You mean our first house?"

"Yes."

I chose that moment to begin eating; there were so many memories in that house, and I wasn't sure I was ready to deal with them.

Not yet.

But when?

Mami had been gone for nearly ten years; Walker had since remodeled the house twice and rented it out once.

From what I knew, there were tenants there still, but I hadn't checked. I just assumed there were because I didn't want to face the memories.

I had begun stuffing my face, and Britt knew me well enough to take the plate away.

"Thanks." I muttered.

"Finish what's in your mouth." She said, pulling the chair closer to the desk so she could take my hands in hers.

She kissed my knuckles and then waited patiently for me to swallow.

Once my mouth was empty, I knew I couldn't put off the truth.

"I haven't been back to that house since Mami died. I'm not sure I'm ready to live there. Why would you want to go back? It's not that close to work for you."

"For a million reasons. We had drama there, but we were happy, and yeah there are bad memories but there is so much good. That house reminds me of who we were when we first moved to New York. It's where we first started to live as a family. There is a really good school a block away for the kids, your favorite Priest and Gloria are in that parish right up the street, and according to Walker it's empty. Sandra and Walker said that the renovations on the new house could take months, which would mean we'd be stuck in Lima until then."

"Right...and you want to move to New York as soon as possible."

"Exactly. All of our big bad monsters are gone or tamed, for too long, you've been without your mom. She saved your life in that house and took her last breath there...why should her ghost have to deal with anyone but you."

"Her ghost?"

"Yeah, she died, and you left. How can she find you in a city that so huge? Don't you want her to be close to our kids, even for a little while?"

"So this would be temporary?"

"Just until the new house is ready."

"And what about your parents?"

"Saul said Dad can be discharged in a week, so I thought you could go ahead to New York with your sister and Izzy, because he'll want to be there for Quinn, and then Dani, Gigi and I will meet you there in a week. We'll go to the old house together...for this week maybe you stay with Quinn or one of your sisters."

"So you're okay with me going without you?"

"It's one week, that's it."

"With Isaac as my chaperone?"

"Not chaperone, companion."

"Okay, B. We can do that."

"Awesome!"

Britt leaned over the desk, gripped my shirt collar, and kissed me.

I kissed her back just as hard, missing the way she used to be all over me when we had moments alone.

Maybe going back to the start, back to our first home, would rekindle some of that passion we used to share.

I had been iffy about taking my son with me to see Quinn. When I got to New York, I had offered him the option of staying with his cousins, but he rolled his eyes at me.

"If you're going to see Dama, then so am I."

"She's going to look pretty beat up, can you handle that?"

"Can you handle it, Mami?"

"I don't want to, but yeah, I can handle it."

"Me too. I don't want to see Dama beat up, but I can handle it. She needs us there with her. Dama likes to pretend she doesn't need anyone, but she's lonely."

"She is?"

Isaac rarely talked about his life in Connecticut, other than how much he didn't want to leave it.

We stood waiting outside Sandra's house while she gave the kids instructions, and Isaac took my hand, "Let's walk to the corner."

I didn't hesitate; I let my son lead me towards the end of the block because he liked to be moving when he talked about heavy things; it helped him focus. A fact that I learned from Sugar of all people.

"What do you mean that she's lonely, Papa?"

"That's why I didn't want to leave. Titi doesn't paint anymore because she's too busy with the kids; it makes her mean. She only ran outside when I begged her to, all she did was drink that stinky stuff."

"She drank with you there?"

"Yeah, but she didn't get like you. She didn't hit me."

I hated how things came back to me slapping him when I fell off the wagon.

"Good."

"She hit Dama instead, when I wasn't around, she would push her and scream at her, so I tried to always be there. She was happiest when I was close to her, when I wasn't she was always by herself and she'd stare at old pictures of you and Mama in high school. She told me she missed having you close by. I was a piece of you, so she loved having me with her and I loved being there to help keep her safe."

I wanted to explode because my son shouldn't have to protect Quinn from Celia. I wanted to curse and scream, but I couldn't do that, and I couldn't be mad at Isaac because he was just doing what Quinn told him to do.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Dama told me that she could protect herself and that telling you would only make things worse. I think, though, that Titi finally went too far; what if she hurt Dama so bad that she can't protect herself?"

"Hey, this isn't your fault. You're a kid."

He nodded and turned us, so we walked back to the house.

"That's why I need to go see her, to let her know I'm sorry for not being there."

"What did I just say?"

"You don't know it's not my fault, Mami. There's no way for you to know that."

"Fair, but who does it help for you to blame yourself?"

"Huh?"

"If you blame yourself, do you think it will somehow save Dama from being hurt?"

"That's ridiculous. No, she'll still be hurt."

"So who does it help for you to place blame?"

"Nobody."

"Exactly. You can come, but only as a support for Dama, not to apologize for not being there because I know her better than you, and if she thinks that you are blaming yourself, it will only make her feel worse."

"It will?!"

"Absolutely."

"Okay, I won't apologize, I'll just support her."

"Thank you, Papa."

"I missed the way you explained stuff. Are you going to stick around for longer this time?"

"Yes, I promise."

"Good."

Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of Quinn looking battered and broken in the ICU.

Isaac took her limp hand and began to pray while Sandra sat in the hallway waiting for us.

When I stepped into the room, I could hear my son's whimpers, which broke me.

I brushed my fingers lightly over Quinn's face looking for signs of my sister becoming my father while Quinn was too out of it to stop me.

Even though Isaac had already confirmed my suspicions, I think I couldn't fully believe it until I had visual proof.

Her face and neck were fine, but when I pulled up her sleeve, I saw the finger-shaped bruises wrapping around her upper arm.

My blood ran cold, but instead of making a scene in front of Isaac, I poked my head out of the door and cleared my throat.

Sandra looked up at me, her face looking so worn. I had told her my suspicions, and I knew she was waiting for the verdict. "Well?" I nodded, and she stood up, "Show me."

Before Sandra could fully enter the room, the monitors started blaring, and I knew enough to take hold of Isaac's hand and pull him out of the room before the nurses and doctors came rushing in.

We stood in the hall, Isaac's arms thrown around me as he buried his face against my shoulder and wept.

After ten minutes of blaring alarms, they got Quinn's heart started again.

As the doctor's made their way from the room, I stopped one of them.

"Excuse me, are you her doctor?"

"You are?"

"Santana Lopez, last I checked, I'm her next of kin."

He went back into the room and checked her chart, then nodded.

"That's correct."

"Can you tell me what's going on?"

He nodded and directed me into the room but asked Sandra to wait outside with Isaac.

I didn't like the grim look on his face.

What had Celia done?

Brittany's POV

I had a bad feeling about Ana going to New York, even though it had been my idea.

Sending Izzy had been a last-second decision because I knew of all our kids; he was the one that kept her from going off the deep end.

From the moment he nearly overdosed because of his Elmo, she'd been careful around him.

Then she slapped him, and he turned on her, and since he came back, she'd basically done anything he asked to keep him close to her.

I knew that if he was with her, that she'd stay clean, which wasn't something I was worried about until I saw how small she'd become on tour.

And then there was the lack of eating; for a whole week, we'd been in Chicago, and I can only count about three times that I saw her finish more than a few bites of anything.

Usually, her eating disorder meant that she was burying something deep inside, and she was coping to hide it.

I didn't care about whatever it was; all I cared about was that she was okay.

But still, I had a bad feeling.

So, I called her as soon as I had a free moment.

"Hey, B." She sighed, sounding exhausted.

"How is she?"

"Alive."

"Okay. Want to tell me more than that?"

"I can't do this right now."

There was shuffling, and then I heard my son.

"Hi, Mama."

"Hi Izzy, how was the flight?"

"It was okay, Mami and Titi sat in the corner arguing while Norah and I played cards."

"Where are you now?"

"The hospital. They just got Dama's heart restarted an hour ago, we were seeing if she woke up. She's awake now, but Titi is in the room with her."

"Which Titi?"

"Titi Sandra."

"How's Mami?"

"I'm worried about her, she's been cursing and crying a lot."

"What's she doing now?"

"She just got back with Titi Ceily when you called. They're waiting to see Dama."

"Are you okay, buddy?"

"I wish you were here. Only you can make Mami calm."

"You know I'd come there sooner if I could, but don't think you don't keep her calm too, because you do."

"I do?"

"Yes. She's a big softie, sometimes, all she needs is someone to hold her hand. She just needs to be reminded how much we love her."

"But she knows."

"Not always."

"That's weird."

"I know, right? I always tell her that, but hey people's brains all work differently. Mami's needs extra love."

"Okay, I can do that."

"Good. I believe in you, Izzy. You are all Mami needs, okay?"

"Okay."

"Can you do something else for me, Buddy?"

He sighed, probably over all the instructions. Oh well, "Yes, Mama."

"The moment that you guys leave the hospital, I don't care what time it is, you have Mami call me."

"Okay."

"Is that your Mama still?" I heard someone ask.

"Yes."

"Let me talk to her while you go in to keep your Mom and Dama company."

"Okay. I love you Mama."

"I love you too."

Sandra sounded different like she was close to the edge herself.

"Hi, Brittany how's your dad?"

"Better. He gets out of the hospital in a few days."

"That's great news!"

"Thanks. I think so too."

"Listen, I know you're probably at your limit with all the drama, and you're worried that Santana is going to slide backwards but your wife is in there fighting for Quinn like I've never seen. She's clear-headed and directing the doctor's around just like my father used to do."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, she went and bailed out Celia and dragged her here to see Quinn. In the years of us trying to get Ceily clean behind Santana's back, never did Ceily admit to being an addict but one night with Santana has her singing a different tune."

"I told you so." I said, annoyed with the fact that I knew something about Celia that everyone insisted on keeping from my wife.

I told them Santana would be the BEST person for this, but they insisted that she be left in the dark.

Now here she was fixing their shit, just like she used to.

"I know."

"So what's the plan for Quinn?"

"The accident nearly broke her back. Thank God that she knew to be still after impact. Right now Santana is arranging to have her transferred to New York so she can be closer to the family, and her kids. Once she's out of the hospital, Santana is insisting that Quinn and the kids stay with you guys in midtown."

"I agree. There's plenty of room for everyone, and it will be good for the kids to have their cousins around."

"Good, and Celia is going back to rehab, this time for as long as it takes for her to get her shit together."

"Even better."

"Once we get out of here, which is soon, Santana is taking Celia to a meeting."

"Thank God."

"I've got her Britt, focus on your parents and getting Lima packed up, I've got things here."

"I love you, Sandra."

"I love you too. Kiss the kids for me."

"Hug Izzy for me."

"Will do!"

I hung up the phone, feeling way more centered than I had when I called.

This was why I wanted to go back to New York because it was there that Santana became the most like herself.

There were many bad things that happened for us there, but there were way more good things...she just needed a reminder, and I planned to give her a million of them.