CHAPTER 17
A/N: Thanks to Olivia, DarkSouls3777, Mostories, kelenhermitha, Berrylucky5 and the Guest for kindly taking the time to write reviews, I really appreciate your feedback! This is partially a filler chapter (but not for all of it). I'm also accelerating the timeline: this chapter covers 6 months of their lives, so it's sort of a collection of scenes to help you grasp what's happening. Some are more substantial than others… I'm slowly taking you to a specific point of the story which I will reveal in the next chapter.
A FEW DAYS LATER (SEPTEMBER) – AT HOME
Brittany and I are about to watch the second episode of Glee while Sofia is playing next to us. Four months have passed since the pilot aired and I hope that we will still have good ratings because this time, I don't have a fancy Beyoncé tweet to promote it…
I'm lost in my thoughts when I feel Brittany's hand on my thigh. "You're OK?" She asks.
"I'm not a basket case like last time but I'm still pretty nervous..." I reply as she gives me an encouraging squeeze.
Brittany has not read the script of this episode so I'm secretly observing her live reactions. I'm relieved when I hear her laughing at our jokes and see her smiling through the musical numbers, sometimes even singing along… Sofia also seems captivated, she has abandoned her toys to watch the show.
We are half way through the episode when I hear my baby suddenly say "mama!" while pointing at Naya on the screen.
"What the…" I say but I'm interrupted by Brittany elbowing my side. "Ow!"
"No swearing around the baby, San!" She warns.
"But she's confusing Naya with me, Britt! Did you see that?" I reply, completely offended by what I just witnessed.
"I am not sure she can already tell the difference between TV and reality, honey…" She replies. "And you know that Naya looks and speaks like you when she's on Glee, it's normal that Sofia is confused."
"Peanut…" She adds, turning to the ungrateful little sucker. "… that's not mama, that's our friend Naya. Your mama is right here with us, look!" She adds, pointing to me but Sofia apparently couldn't care less and doesn't even bother to look at me.
"Have kids, they said." I mumble to myself, crossing my arms.
OCTOBER – AT HOME
"One second, mija, I need to open the front door first…" I say, as Sofia is getting impatient.
I have barely opened the door that she walks towards Brittany and hugs her leg.
"Hi my little sugar!" Britt says as she lifts her in her arms.
"So how was daycare today?" She asks.
"It was good apparently! Ms Carter played the guitar and she said that Sofia was shaking her little butt the whole time! Definitely something she picked up from you…" I reply, noticing the huge proud smile forming on Britt's face.
"Aaww, you like dancing, baby?" She asks Sofia. "Mommy can teach you a few cool moves if you want?"
NOVEMBER – AT PARAMOUNT
I'm stuck in the meeting room with Lee, for yet another neverending discussion about ratings. I truly hate those meetings because they are so fucking boring but at least this time Artie and Quinn have been allowed to join us.
"As you know, the network mainly cares about the numbers." Lee says. "There is an average of 7.4 million viewers per episode so… so far so good. It was a great idea by the way to have your friend Mercedes Jones as a guest star on the show! It explains the peak we see in the ratings here..." He adds, showing us the charts while I'm trying not to fall asleep.
"So… I encourage you to bring in more guest stars…" He adds. "… But don't exceed the budget, OK? Now let's talk about the winter finale. I read the script and I see that it has everything I like: suspense, drama, ambitious musical numbers… That's great! But since you're new to this business, let me be clear… That specific episode is what the network will look at to decide if they extend or cancel your show. So if you want to continue, I strongly recommend to make this episode a big success." He says, as I exchange worried looks with my friends.
DECEMBER – AT HOME
It's midnight and I'm finally coming home. The last two weeks have been truly exhausting, I have basically spent my whole time at Paramount to oversee the winter finale… Not only I stayed on set for every single scene but I have also spent countless hours with Artie and his team on the editing… I hope it will pay off!
After sneaking into Sofia's room to give her a good night kiss, I take a quick shower and finally get into bed. Despite my best efforts to be discrete, Brittany wakes up.
"Hey…" She whispers, snuggling up against me.
"Hi wifey…" I say, hugging her tighter. "Sorry for waking you up..."
"It's OK… Did you guys manage to wrap up?" She asks with a sleepy voice.
"Yes…" I sigh. "I approved the final cut with Artie tonight, right before the deadline! I'm just happy that it's behind us…"
"I'm sure it's going to be a great episode, San! You have all worked so hard on it! When will it air?"
"Before Christmas… But we will know the network's decision only in February." I reply. "At least now I will have a lot more time for you and Sofia because no matter what happens, the show will be on hiatus until April."
"I'm glad to get my wife back…" She says before placing a kiss on my neck.
"Tell me about it…" I reply. "How was Sofia today, she was not too difficult?"
"No, it was fine. She was actually pretty tired from daycare so she was rather calm at home... But I still had to chase after her a couple of times, it doesn't cease to amaze me how fast she can go with those little legs." She says. "Talking about kids... guess what! Tina is pregnant!" She adds.
"What, really?" I ask, surprised. "Oh wow! I had no idea that they were even trying! That's great news, another Glee baby!" I add with a smile.
"I know, right? Sofia will have a little "cousin" to play with!" She says.
"That's going to be funny to watch!" I comment. "But how is Tina feeling? And how far along is she?"
"2 months and a half, due in June. She's OK but she has morning sicknesses... I told her that she could give you a call if she has pregnancy related questions by the way, is that alright?"
"Of course! I'd be happy to share my wisdom…" I proudly say. "But you should also advise Mike on how to deal with a pregnant wife. I'm pretty sure that Asian butt will need your recommendations." I add, laughing.
"That's exactly what I told him when Tina couldn't hear us!" She chuckles. "They asked me to be their kid's godmother by the way!"
"Really? That's great, Britt! That Chang baby is really lucky!" I reply.
"This godmother thing just reminded me of another announcement…" I add. "Mercedes and Sam are going to get married next summer!"
"Oh really? Oh my God! Exciting times ahead for our Glee group!" She says with enthusiasm.
JANUARY – AT HOME
After a wonderful Christmas holiday in Ohio with our families, we are back in L.A. I really enjoyed our two weeks in Lima, it was great to get out of this mad rhythm and just chill with our relatives. We even watched the winter finale together, it was very special but also a little surreal to watch my show while being in Lima.
Since Glee is now on hiatus, I thought I would have a few weeks break to take care of my girls but that was too good to be true… Upon hearing that I had some free time, Tommy from my label harassed me until I accepted to go to New York for a series of interviews.
"But how long will you stay in New York then?" Brittany asks me, with a pout.
"I'm not sure yet, honey… 4 or 5 days I think." I reply. "I really don't want to go but it's good promo for both my album and the show…"
A FEW DAYS LATER – NEW YORK
I arrived in New York a couple of days ago and it's been really busy ever since. At least I'm done with interviews for today so I decide to go directly to the pub where I'm supposed to meet Berry, Jesse, Porcelain and Blaine.
I arrive there a bit early and order myself a Martini while I wait. I'm sure that Ms Berry will get there fashionably late, because that's what "a true star does".
After a while, someone takes a seat next to me. "Finally, what took you so long?" I say as I turn my head.
I open my mouth in disbelief for a couple of second, before chuckling ironically. "You're freaking kidding me!" I say.
"Hi Santana."
"Seriously? I am in New York for the first time in years! I go to this pub for the first time ever and I still run into you?! What the fuck you even want, James? You really have some nerves to talk to me after trying to make a pass at my wife!" I say with an angry tone.
"Where is Brittany actually?" He asks with a provocative tone, not embarrassed at all.
"Sorry to break your little heart but Brittany is not in New York. She's in L.A with our daughter, waiting for me to come home. So… again: what the fuck do you want?"
"I don't know exactly… I saw you and I just sat here without really thinking this through." He replies.
"Is that so? You don't think things through very often, do you? Fair warning, Jimmy: I'm this close to throw my glass in your face and kick you in the nuts." I say.
"Well… I would understand if you do." He replies, taking me aback for a second.
I look at him, confused. "Are you here to apologize?" I ask.
"No. I just understand your perspective I guess… But apologizing would mean that I feel bad about something and I don't."
"Oh, you don't?" I say, getting angrier by the minute. "So let me get this straight: you don't feel bad about stealing other people's wives? What about my daughter, have you ever considered the impact it would have on her? You think that she deserves a broken home?"
"Look, Santana. I don't have the habit of going after married women. I have had girlfriends to keep me busy but Brittany is special. She's one of a kind! She's… beautiful and sweet and such an incredible dancer! That's exactly the kind of woman I want to make mine. So… I went for it, and I will never apologize for that! It beats me why she chose you but even I can recognize a lost battle when I see one."
I shake my head in disbelief, with a sarcastic smirk. "You're really an asshole, you know that?" I reply. "But it doesn't even matter, because at the end of the day, I am the one Brittany goes home to…" I say, staring him down. "And really that's all I care about."
"Well, congratulations." He says. "I mean it! You got the best woman there is and you even got her to marry you. I have to give you credit for that… And I hope for your own sake that you can keep your marriage strong because if there ever is trouble between you and Brittany, believe me that I will jump on the opportunity and I will make sure that you're cut off from her life." He says with a calm but defying voice.
I laugh before saying: "You will wait a very long time then, Jimbo! Because Brittany and I are forever! And even in the very unlikely case that we wouldn't be together, you would never get rid of me… She has a child with me! So I will always be in Brittany's life." I proudly add, in a matter-of-fact way.
"OK, she shares a child with you and what? The day she is with someone else and has other children with that person, you really think you would still be special to her? Because you would no longer be the wife, Santana. And you would no longer be the only one that gave her a child. You would basically just be a free babysitter for her first kid." He says with a cocky smile.
That's it, I'm going to kick his arrogant ass. I clench my fists out of anger and suddenly stand up but before I can say or do anything, Berry and the others appear next to me out of nowhere. "Sorry we're late, Santana! Oh…" Rachel says, looking at James. "Is your friend going to join us?" She asks.
"No, he's not. James was just leaving, actually." I say as calmy as possible, still staring at him in a threatening way.
"Yes, I'm afraid I have to go." He adds, smiling at Rachel. "Have a nice evening, Santana. It was great to see you!" He has the nerve to say, before moving towards the exit.
LATER THAT NIGHT – NEW YORK – RACHEL'S APARTMENT
Rachel, Jesse and I came back from the pub a little while ago but I have now retreated to their guest room. I'm in a horrible mood and it took me a lot of efforts to hide it from my friends tonight. They have no idea who James is and since I don't get to see them that often, I didn't want to ruin the one evening we had all together because of that asshole.
But somehow, James still managed to put dark thoughts in my head and they don't go away. I really need to hear Brittany's voice right now… I have tried to call her ever since we left the pub but as I still can't reach her, I decide to send her a vocal message:
"Hey babe… I tried to call you but no luck... I have to go to sleep very soon unfortunately because it's already late here and I have interviews early tomorrow morning. Anyway, I hope all is well with you and our baby girl. Give her a kiss for me? I'm OK… but I will tell you more when we speak... I'll call you tomorrow. I… I love you, Britt… until infinity. Sweet dreams, honey."
ON THE NEXT MORNING – NEW YORK
I wake up after a bad night's sleep and immediately check my phone. I'm relieved when I see that Britt also sent me a vocal message:
"Hi honey! I just listened to your message. You're probably asleep now, I hope that this won't wake you up. I can't believe I missed your calls, I accidentally set my phone to silent, I'm so sorry! Sofia and I are good but she asked for you a few times today… until she eventually cried. So I played your album for her and hearing your voice finally calmed her down. We both miss you… Call me when you can? And I love you until infinity too, San."
I really really wish I could call her now but it's still the middle of the night in L.A…
LATER THAT DAY – IN NEW YORK
I'm so frustrated, dammit! I tried to call Brittany in between interviews but I was sent to voicemail and… I was of course not available to pick up the few times she called me back! I really hate this!
Once I finish my last interview, I notice that I have another vocal message from her.
"Hi San! It seems that we keep missing each other's calls… I really hope we can talk later but I will have to stay at the school tonight after class so Quinn and Puck will babysit Sofia… Mike asked me to be his partner for a dance competition and we need to rehearse. The first prize is 10 grand and the finals will be streamed live on TV, can you imagine? I hope your interviews are going well and that you're having a great time in New York! I love you."
I sigh in despair. I'm not sure I will get to talk to my wife today if she's going to dance until late… After contemplating my options, I decide to send her a text.
TO "WIFEY": Hi B. This dance competition sounds exciting, I'm really happy for you! I will call you later then, probably very late because it seems that it's the only time we are both free...
MUCH LATER
It's midnight in Los Angeles when I call Brittany and this time she picks up.
"Hi baby! I'm so glad I finally can catch your call but it's 3:00 AM for you… Shouldn't you be sleeping?" She asks.
"That's why I call you this late, Britt. I'm not in New York anymore… I landed in L.A. half an hour ago and I'm on my way home now, I took a cab."
"What, you're in L.A.? But… I thought your flight was tomorrow afternoon?" She asks, confused.
"Yeah that was the plan but I actually finished all my interviews and I didn't want to stay away from you two longer then needed. So I checked if there was any last minute flight, and there was one… I'll be there soon, OK? See you in a bit."
LATER THAT NIGHT – AT HOME
"Not that I mind all the amazing love making…" Britt says, hugging me tighter in bed. "…but are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
I look at her with questioning eyes.
"San… You have actually been up for 24 hours straight just so you could take a last minute flight instead of waiting until tomorrow… And you have barely said a word since you came home, all we did was having sex… And I can even tell by the way you kissed me that something is up."
"What's wrong with the way I kissed you?" I ask, confused.
"I don't know… You kissed me as if it was the last time ever or something…" She says.
I sigh and say: "I... ran into James in New York."
"James?" She asks, surprised. "How come?"
"He was at that pub where I was waiting for Rachel and the others…"
"What happened…?" She asks.
"A very unpleasant discussion… Don't worry, there was no incident but that guy really pushes my buttons and he has a talent to bring me to a dark place…"
"But what dark place…?" She asks, concerned. "Are you still scared that I might run off with him? Because honey, I already told you, there is no…"
"No, Britt…" I cut her off. "I know you won't but… I can't really explain this in a rational way… I'm not an optimist by nature like you, and sometimes I have scary thoughts that cross my mind, like… what if I ever lose you… And James definitely made me think about that, I'm sure he even did it on purpose. And… I just really needed to be with you, that's why I took a last minute flight…" I say.
She kisses me and hugs me impossibly tight before whispering: "I'm right here, honey…"
I actually feel close to crying, but I hug her too, trying to shake off my dark thoughts.
FEBRUARY – AT MIKE AND TINA'S HOUSE
"OK but... now that you and Britt have sent your audition tape for the dance competition, what are the next steps then?" I ask Mike.
"Well, they will select the 50 teams that will participate in the semifinals. And if we are among them, we will have to perform in front of a jury and only the top 10 will advance to the finals." He replies.
"And as you know, if we reach the finals, we will perform live on TV!" Brittany adds. "It would be a really great opportunity to promote our school!"
"You guys will totally be selected for the semifinals, they would be crazy not to choose you." Tina says.
"We'll see… We should know soon…" Mike replies. "And you, Santana, have you heard anything from the network about Glee?" He asks.
"Yes!" I reply enthusiastically. "Yesterday, Lee called to say that we can shoot the rest of the season! The winter finale got the highest ratings of all the episodes that aired so the network was happy!"
"That's awesome!" He says. "We've really enjoyed the show so far, we have never missed an episode! It brings so many good memories!"
"Thanks, Boy Chang! But wait for the second half, because it's going to blow your mind!" I say. "But enough about work… I want to know everything about the baby! How are you feeling, Tina?" I ask.
"I'm actually feeling great now, I'm finally done with the morning sickness!" She replies. "And today we found out that… we're having a boy!" She adds with a huge smile while Brittany and I both enthusiastically react at the same time: "Aaaw, a boy!"
"We're so happy for you, guys!" Brittany adds. "You will see, kids are amazing!"
"Yeah, most of the time…" I comment.
"Come on, San…" Britt says, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, Britt, but let's not sugar coat it! Sure, kids can be great and they can melt your heart with their cuteness but they can also be little monsters!" I say. "Do you know what this one here did the other day?" I say, pointing at Sofia.
"She threw her food at me!" I continue. "It was all over my hair and I even caught some in my eye, can you believe that? Without mentioning that she totally ruined one of my best shirts… again! And I swear that I saw an evil smirk on her face, she was pretty satisfied with herself!" I add as they start laughing.
MARCH – AT HOME
I bring Sofia back home after spending a couple of hours with her at the park.
"So did you have fun?" Brittany asks, as we enter the living room.
"Oh she sure did!" I say. "Guess what! Your daughter got her very first kiss! And with an older boy no less!" I say, crossing my arms. "That kid was at least two and a half years old! Maybe even three!"
"Whaaaat?" Brittany replies. "Oh my God, do tell, I want details!"
"Well… that little son of a b… huh… biscuit… was playing with her, you know… It all looked innocent and cute at first… when out of nowhere… he cups Sofia's cheeks with both hands and gives her a peck on the lips! And the worst part is that your Highness here didn't seem to mind at all, she even smiled at him!"
"Aaww, I wish I was there to see that. Is he cute?" Britt asks, with a smile.
"So not the point, Brittany." I reply. "She's one year and a half and she already gets kissed by boys? Even I didn't start this early!"
"Come on, San!" She laughs. "They are so cute when they have a crush! And I still want to know how he looks like."
"I don't know, he's blond... And clearly a pervert! I swear if his dad was not around, I would have made him regret being born." I reply.
"A blond one?" She says, wiggling her eyebrows. "I see you have the same taste as your mama, peanut!" She adds as I roll my eyes.
A/N: Any comments, reaction? Olivia, I think you mentioned once that it would be interesting to see Santana meeting James again, and I don't know why but I felt like bringing him back in this chapter so here it is. I have a soft spot for mean characters, although he's a total ass. In the next chapter, I will cover the second half of the year and some interesting things are coming up… Thanks for reading and for the reviews!
