CHAPTER 37
A/N: Thanks to BrittanaAus, Olivia, Buffycl, May1217, JerzyMare and Berrylucky5 for their reviews, and to those who reached out on social media. Special thanks to Patti (you know why!). Glad to see the positive comments about the twins' birth and their names because it was very hard for me to choose them ha ha! But now, let's pick up where we left off: Santana is still at the strip club with Puck for his bachelor party. This is a looong chapter in which Santana interacts with many people so it's mainly her POV but I occasionally switch to Britt's and for the very first time, I also introduce our dear Naya's POV (yes, yes!). Enjoy!
LATER – AT THE STRIP CLUB – SANTANA POV
"What about that Carmen girl at Paramount?" Puck asks.
"Carmen? Our production assistant?" I say. "What about her?"
"Well… Would you do her?"
"Seriously, are you going to ask me that same question all night long?" I complain. "I thought that was just for the strippers?"
"I think that we have seen all the strippers they have here, Lopez, so…" He replies as if that was a legitimate justification.
"Why are you so concerned with who I would sleep with anyway? I'm not going to 'do' anyone, Puckerman…" I reply, using air quotes. "I'm happily married!"
"I know that." He shrugs. "You're madly in love with Brittany, blah blah blah… I believe you! But I'm asking you who you would get with if you were single."
"If I was single… I would go for Brittany!" I reply and he rolls his eyes at me.
"What?" I say, raising my arms. "Britt is beautiful, she's sexy and she dances better than any of the girls we have seen tonight by the way! So if I was single, she would be the one I notice. Sue me." I add in a defiant tone.
"Well then imagine you don't know Brittany, you two don't even cross paths… Would you be interested in Carmen?"
"I don't think that Carmen is gay." I comment.
"God, you're such a gigantic pain in the ass, Lopez… It's all hypothetical questions! Who cares if she's really gay or not? Can you just play along, please?"
"Urgh… fine." I sigh. "I never thought about it… She's pretty, I guess… but she's often in a bad mood and that's kind of a turn off for me… I'm already cranky myself so there is enough of that... What about you, would you do her?" I say, repeating his words.
"Yeah… I would. As you said, she's pretty. And she has a nice ass!" He comments.
"How do you even know that? You met her just once! I see her every day and I don't even know what her ass looks like!"
"I don't need to meet her 50 times to check her out, I kind of do that automatically…" He shrugs. "How come you never looked at it?"
"Why would I?" I protest. "Unlike you, I don't automatically check out any girl I meet."
"Really?" He frowns. "Are you sure you're a lesbian?" He asks and I just roll my eyes in response.
"OK so I guess that Carmen is a no go for you…" He comments. "Mmhhh… what about Rachel? Would you do her?" He asks, making me choke on my drink.
"Oh my God, what's wrong with you?!" I finally say after coughing a few times. "Why on earth would you put this kind of image in my mind?! Seriously, everything you say tonight makes me want to vomit!" I pout in disgust.
"What?" He asks, raising his hands defensively. "Rachel is hot! So why not?"
"OK… If you find her hot, you can have her because I wouldn't have sex with Berry even if she was the very last woman on the planet!" I comment. "There is nothing sexy about her! Besides, she's a blabbermouth, I'm pretty sure that she would not stop talking during… well, you know! She would probably go on a neverending monologue about… Barbra Streisand or something. And I don't like to talk when I'm trying to get my mack on!"
"Well… if you would keep her moaning, she wouldn't have a chance to talk… I'm just saying…" He says, wiggling his eyebrows.
"God… seriously, you're going to give me nightmares, Puckerman! You have to shut up about Berry in bed, otherwise I swear I'll go home!"
"OK, OK… Fine, I won't mention her again!" He says and I just down my glass, hoping that alcohol will make me forget this conversation. "Oh I know!" He suddenly adds. "What about that girl that used to be your neighbour in Lima, what's her name again?"
"You mean Melissa?"
"Yeah! Melissa!"
"Oh come on…" I say. "You can't be serious! She's my childhood best friend!"
"So? Since when is it a problem for you to have sex with your best friend exactly?" He asks.
"OK fair point…" I comment. "But… this is different… I mean, I basically grew up with Mel!"
"Well… now she's all grown up! And I know that I met her just once at the karaoke bar but as I told you, that's plenty of time for me to notice a woman. And she's really hot!"
"I guess she is but…" I sigh. "Look, even if I follow your stupid game's rules and put myself in a situation where I would not know Brittany, it's still really weird for me to imagine having a one night stand with my childhood friend" I reply.
"I never said it had to be a one night stand…" Puck says. "I'm just curious about the women you would consider having sex with. So if that makes it easier, you can picture yourself dating her, I don't really care…"
I take a moment to think about it but it's so hard to imagine a life without Brittany in it… I wonder where I would be today… Would I live in L.A? Maybe. Would I be running Glee? Unlikely… I had so much anxiety when the show started that I don't think I would have pulled through without Britt by my side… And what would my love life be like? Would I be married to someone else…? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have kids yet though… After all, Brittany was the one who wanted to have children right away, I was perfectly fine with waiting for a few years…
And if I had never met her, who would be my best friend? I guess it would be a tie between Melissa and Quinn. But I have known Mel forever though… She knows some stuff about me that I never told anyone else, not even Britt… And we have always got along so well, she's basically the funniest person I know! So I guess she would be the one I would be the closest to… And like Puck said, she's not bad looking… she's pretty much my type actually.
"OK…" I sigh. "I guess that… I would consider it…" I finally say.
"Yeah you would…" He says with a smile, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Do not go there." I warn. "Don't you dare picturing me and her in bed together!"
"Oh too late, I'm already there!" He says and I immediately punch his arm.
"Oww…" He protests. "You're really quick-tempered, Lopez! And why do you even get offended? The fact that I like two women together basically makes me a huge ally to lesbians!"
"No it doesn't!" I frown. "It just makes you a perv!"
"I'm not a perv! I support love in all its forms." He says while I roll my eyes. "But since you're getting violent now, I guess it's best to stop with this game… Come on… next round is on me."
A WHILE LATER – AT THE STRIP CLUB
"Why you all want me to share my 'wisdom' about married life? I'm not a specialist!" I argue.
"Because you and Britt were the first ones in our group to get married. "He shrugs. "And I know that Quinn looks up to you two as a couple! You guys put the bar so high that you basically set the rest of us for failure!"
"Oh come on, that's not true…" I protest. "I don't even know what I'm doing most of the time! And whatever wisdom I have, I said it all in my speech at Mercedes and Sam's wedding. I don't have more to add."
"You think I remember what you said that day? I was already drunk by the time you made your speech."
"Well… I am not going to repeat myself just because you have the attention span of a goldfish!"
"Come on, Lopez… help me out, here! I just want to do right by Quinn, be a good husband… Because… it's already a miracle we're together. She could do much better than me…"
"She definitely could." I confirm.
"Yeah, thanks." He says, offended.
"It's true." I shrug. "Quinn is a great girl! She's pretty, she's smart, she's a good person… And she's strong! No matter what crap life throws at her, she always manages to fall back on her feet. So yeah I'm sorry if I don't build up your self-esteem right now but the truth is that she could have anyone she wants."
"I'm aware of that!" He says.
"Don't take this wrong…" I add. "Because I know that you love her but… I never pictured you as a guy who would get married. And honestly, I don't think that Q saw it coming either, so… can I ask you why you proposed?"
He takes a sip from his drink before answering my question. "I just want to be with Quinn… until I drop dead." He shrugs. "And whether we are married or not, it doesn't really make a difference to me… but she deserves a guy who is… all in. And I know that me getting on one knee and proposing is a bit out of character but that was my way to show her that I'm committed to her in the long run, you know?" He adds and I nod because I get it…
"But I'm also afraid to mess it up…" He admits. "My parents' marriage was a disaster, her parents' too… Pretty much every time I hear about someone's marriage, it seems to end badly… And right now, things between Quinn and me are actually great! I really don't want to ruin that… So tell me, Lopez… Should I be worried about getting married? Does it change things?"
"Well… it doesn't really change anything to your day-to-day life… Moving in together is a bigger change than getting married if you ask me…" I reply. "But you two have been living together for a few years already and Quinn has not run away, so…"
"But what if I'm not husband material?" He says.
"Listen to me, Noah…" I say, using his first name on purpose. "I'm afraid that there is no 'magic recipe' that you can follow to be a good husband… You think someone taught me how to be a wife? Or a mother? You just have to go for it and… yes, you'll make mistakes but you'll learn along the way." I add. "I know that you don't feel worthy of Quinn and I get it… because even though I have a very high opinion of myself, I also feel like I don't deserve Brittany…"
"Really?" He asks.
"Of course! It's… Brittany for fuck's sake! There is a reason why everyone likes her… She's amazing!" I shrug. "She's pretty much always in a good mood… she's… all love and smiles… easy-going and… patient…" I add, shaking my head as the realization that I'm completely in love with her hits me again, for the millionth time since we met.
"Anyway, my point is that you and me, we don't have to be perfect because at the end of the day, they love us for who we are, OK? The only thing we owe them is to try our very best…" I add.
"You're sure it's enough?" He asks.
"Yeah…" I nod. "I'm sure. Because despite my temper, Brittany is going home to me every night and… she married me and even had children with me so…"
"Well… clearly, you're a good wife and mother, Lopez." He comments. "Every time I see Britt, she looks so happy! And so do your kids. So… whatever it is that you do, it's working."
"Thanks…" I say, surprised by his sudden compliment. "But you don't have to worry either… Quinn saw you at your worst, in high school and yet… she still chose you to be her husband and father of her future kids."
"I actually don't know if Quinn wants to have kids…" He says. "Other kids I mean…"
"Oh please, Fabray was already a mother when she was in utero… Everything she does, the way she acts, the way she speaks to anyone, it all screams mother!" I reply. "I know that what happened with Beth was complicated but you two are having children of your own, trust me. And if she's anything like Britt, you can expect the baby talk very soon after getting married…" I add. "But since you wanted me to share my wisdom, here is a tip: discuss the whole 'kids' topic with Quinn before your marriage. And make sure you two agree on how many kids you want! Believe me, you don't want bad surprises…"
"Aren't you the one who suddenly decided to stop at one kid even though you had promised Britt to have several children?" He asks.
"Yeah well… I was just scared, OK? But here is another tip: make sure that you both agree on what 'several children' actually means! Because you see, to me, 'several children' just means two! But to Britt, it means 'three, maybe four'!"
"Ha!" He says. "Does that mean that you girls will have a fourth one some day?"
"Are you crazy?" I immediately react. "I already ended up with three kids even though I only agreed to have two! So we're done making babies, thank you very much. You guys are up next!" I add, pointing at him.
"Well… I wouldn't mind having kids…" He replies. "Although to be honest, I don't really feel like I'm father material either…"
"I actually think you would make a great dad, Puckerman." I reply. "Sure you did some shit when you were younger but you're like a fine wine, you get better with age! I wouldn't have asked you to be my son's godfather if you were not a decent guy!"
"Thanks, Lopez… You're not so bad yourself, you know…" He says, clinking his glass against mine.
EVEN LATER THAT NIGHT – AT HOME – BRITTANY POV
It's the middle of the night when I wake up, feeling a familiar hand caressing my cheek. It takes me a while to emerge from sleep but when I open my eyes and see Santana's loving smile, I can't help but smile back. She doesn't say a word but her soulful eyes are looking at me in such an intense way that I quickly get lost in them and find myself unable to speak. She eventually leans in and kisses me slow, taking her time as if she was savoring every second of it and I immediately feel shivers down my spine…
After a while, she shifts her body to lay on top of mine and deepens the kiss, keeping the same slow and sensual rhythm. She smells so good… like a mix of shampoo and soap, I guess she took a shower just before coming to bed. As I wrap my arms around her to hold her tight, I realize that she's actually not wearing any clothes and the feeling of her soft skin under my fingertips sends electricity throughout my whole body.
"San…" I manage to say, reluctantly pulling away from her lips. "Wait…" I whisper and she immediately looks at me with questioning eyes.
"Should I be concerned that you come back all horny from watching naked strippers?" I ask.
"It has nothing to do with strippers, babe…" She chuckles before kissing me again. "It's because of Puck…"
"Wait, what?" I say, more confused than ever. "Puck made you horny?"
"What?!" She frowns, with some sort of 'are-you-crazy' look. "God no! It's just that Puck and I had pretty deep discussions about marriage tonight and… all I could think of was how much I love you, Britt…" She says, locking eyes with mine. "And I really want to make love to you right now, honey…" She whispers and I can't resist pressing my lips back on hers.
A FEW DAYS LATER (MARCH) – AT HOME – MORNING TIME
I'm helping Sofia putting on her jacket when I catch a glance of Santana a few feet away from us. She seems lost in her thoughts, observing the twins silently and I can tell that she's sad…
"You're OK, honey?" I ask her, squeezing her shoulder.
She shakes her head a little as her sad eyes meet mine. "I don't know if I can do this, Britt… I really don't want to leave them…" She says, looking at our sons. "But I guess I should get going, I have to drive Sofia to daycare anyway…" She sighs.
"Actually you don't…" I reply. "I called Tina, she'll drive Sofia…"
"Tina…? But…" She says in a confused tone.
"I knew it would be difficult for you to go back to work today and leave the boys…" I say, cutting her off. "So I figured that if you didn't have to drive Sofia, you would have a little more time with them this morning…"
Her lips break into a smile but before she can say anything, our doorbell rings.
"That must be Tina…" I say.
"Peanut, it's time to leave!" I shout. "Auntie Tina is here!"
SANTANA POV
While Britt opens the door and exchanges a few words with Tina, I see Sofia running fast into the living room, to give her brothers a kiss, like she does every morning before leaving the house. "Bye Diego, bye Gabriel!" She says before turning to me. I have barely the time to kneel down that she's already hugging me.
"Bye mama!" She adds, giving me her usual wet kiss on the cheek.
"Bye mija… I love you..." I whisper in her ear, before kissing her forehead. "Can you give mama one more kiss?" I ask and she immediately presses her lips on my cheek.
"Thank you, baby, you're so sweet…" I smile. "But I think I need yet another one…"
"Okay." She says, giving me another kiss without even questioning it.
Kids are so loving when they're little… It's sad to think that some day she will probably ask me to drop her far away from school, not to be seen with me…
LATER THAT DAY – AT WORK
We are on location today, to film the Bad performance for the MJ episode but I'm having a hard time to focus. I really miss my sons… I just hate being away from them, I feel like I'm missing everything! After Sofia's birth, I stayed at home with her for an entire year! Except when we were shooting the Glee pilot, of course. But even then, it was just a few hours here and there…
A text from Brittany suddenly pulls me out of my thoughts… As I open it, I see that she sent me a picture of the twins, with the caption "We miss you too, mama."
Well… clearly, Britt can read my mind…
I look around and see that Artie is still giving some instructions to the crew so I take a moment to reply to Brittany.
TO "WIFEY": Thanks, honey… This is so hard! How did you survive going back to work after Sofia's birth?
I'm about to put my phone away when I notice that my super wife has already replied to me.
FROM "WIFEY": The first day was the hardest but it will get easier… And if that helps, you're not missing much! I have spent the morning either breastfeeding them or changing their diapers… They're asleep now anyway so go boss people around, honey ;-) The boys will be there when you come home! Love you.
A FEW DAYS LATER – AT HOME – EVENING TIME
"Here you go, mijo… all cleaned up!" I say, gently drying a smiling Diego after giving him a bath. "Now let's see… mommy said she prepared some new PJs for you. I'm already scared to find out what she bought you this time… One with a crocodile on it? Or a monkey? An elephant? You know… sometimes I think she forgets that we are not running a zoo…" I add, kissing his cheek.
But as I unfold the clothing that Brittany put on the table, I see that it has nothing to do with what I expected… It's a simple green outfit with 'I love mama' on it and I can't help but smile.
"Well… look at that! I guess I was wrong… But that stays only between you and me, right?" I say while dressing my boy. "Apparently, your mom can still surprise me… And speaking of your lovely mommy, I'll bring you to her now so she can put you to bed, OK? Because tonight, it's my turn to read a bedtime story to your sister…"
LATER THAT EVENING – AT HOME
I find Brittany watching TV in the living room and the idea of cuddling with her on the couch sounds like heaven right now… so without a word, I get closer to her, to lay in her arms.
"Hey…" She whispers. "Is Sofia asleep?" She asks, holding me tighter.
"Yes…" I reply in a tired voice. "What about our boys?"
"They're also sleeping…" She adds, pressing her lips on my forehead and gently caressing my hair.
"By the way…" I say. "… our daughter said that she loves us this much." I add, spreading my arms like Sofia did earlier.
"Aaaww, that looks like a lot of love!" She comments.
"Maybe so but we didn't get as much as that little blond fucker…"
"You mean Liam?" She laughs. "Well, he's her boyfriend so that's understandable…"
"I'm sorry, her boyfriend?" I repeat, shocked. "When did he become her boyfriend?"
"I don't know exactly but we ran into him at the park today and I saw them walking around, hand in hand, a little while later… It was so adorable! And when we were on our way home, she actually asked me if 'her boyfriend could come over next time', so… it sounds pretty official to me!"
"OK… no. And that little perv is not coming to my house! Why do you even let her hold hands with some boy?"
"He's not some boy…" She chuckles. "San, we see him every week, they're friends! And you know they like each other, it's written all over their faces! It's not my fault if she fell for a blonde with blue eyes, she got that from you!"
"He's 5 years old!" I object.
"And she will turn 4 soon…" She shrugs. "They're basically the same age."
"So what? I don't trust the boy! He already kissed my baby when she was barely a year and a half, who does he think he is? I made those lips he can't stay away from! He should be asking for my permission." I say, crossing my arms.
"What?" I add, as Britt gives me a disapproving look.
"Nothing… I was just thinking that if you already react like this now, there's going to be a lot of drama once she's a teenager and starts dating for real…"
"Oh my God, why would you even bring that up? That's waayyy in the future!" I protest.
"I'm afraid we'll get there faster than you think…"
"Well then we'll just have to make sure that she doesn't start dating too early… You know, not until she reaches the appropriate age." I reply.
"And what age would that be exactly?"
"I don't know… 35?" I suggest and she just bursts into laughter.
"You can't be serious…" She says.
"Fine… 30 then." I reply.
"San, come on… We're not even 30 yet and we are married! With three kids!" She says and I can only sigh in despair, knowing that I unfortunately can't argue this in a reasonable way…
"I just… I wish they would all stay little forever…" I whisper, suddenly feeling nostalgic.
"I know… I would like that too…" She says. "But you know… even when they are all grown up and move out of this house, you will still have me!" She adds, giving me a kiss. "And who knows… maybe some day, we'll have grandkids running around, 'Abuela San'…" She says with a smirk.
"Oh God… I'm all up for a whole Lopez-Pierce dynasty some day but not before many, many, MANY years, OK? I'm barely getting used to being a mom!"
THREE WEEKS LATER – AT PARAMOUNT
"So… Ms Fabray, can you please tell me what you see on those charts?" Lee asks Quinn.
"Ratings are down…?" She replies and I can tell by her tone of voice that she's already annoyed.
"Indeed, they are. And they have been going down for a while." He says. "So let me be clear, ladies: I'm very unhappy. The only number I like to see going down is my blood pressure but forget about that if this disaster continues!" He adds.
"At least, the MJ episode scored well so that's good, right?" Quinn comments and I know exactly what she's doing. It's her way to tell Lee that when we are allowed to implement our own ideas without restrictions, the show is more successful.
"No, it is not good, Ms Fabray." He replies in a cold tone. "Even if that episode got more attention than the others, it cost way too much money!"
"Why do you care?" I suddenly ask. "That was not even your money." I add in a defiant tone.
Even though the MJ tribute got higher ratings than any other episode this season, it didn't get as much audience as I hoped it would… I guess I should be grateful that I didn't lose any money considering that I used my wife's dancing fund but… I didn't earn anything from it.
"And thank god, it wasn't my money!" He replies. "I warned you about this, Ms Lopez-Pierce. Producing a TV show is not for everyone! You wanted to play in the big league but you have no experience with this type of business! You're actually lucky that you didn't lose your funding!" He comments. "I know you're an artist and you want to show big musical numbers but investing continuously more money every week when this is all we get back is NOT sustainable." He adds and even though I hate his condescending tone, I remain silent.
"Fix this." He says, pointing to the charts before getting up from his chair. "These ratings better go up by our next meeting, otherwise the show will be cancelled at the end of this season. Am I clear?" He adds, and I immediately exchange worried looks with Quinn.
"And as from now, I want to see the final draft of every single script before you submit it to the network." He says. "Hopefully that will give me enough time to limit the damage." He adds, before running out of the room.
I sigh loudly as soon as he's gone. God, I hate working with this guy!
"So… what do we do now?" Quinn asks.
"I don't know…" I reply honestly. "Let's just continue according to plan for now… I need time to think about this."
LATER THAT DAY – AT HOME – LATE EVENING
After a very long day at Paramount, I finally get home and the house is completely silent. I'm sure that my kids are all asleep by now but maybe Britt is too, considering that all lights are turned off in the living room.
I'm exhausted and I have been in a terrible mood ever since that stupid meeting with Lee. Quinn and I tried for hours to find a brilliant idea that would magically save the ratings but once we realized that we didn't have any, we spent the rest of the day reworking our latest scripts. And even though we made some minor improvements here and there, I don't think it's going to change much…
After sneaking into my children's rooms to give them a goodnight kiss, I finally enter my bedroom.
"Hey…" I say in a surprised tone when I see Brittany reading a book in bed. "I didn't think you would still be awake…"
"Well… for once, I was not dead tired so I figured that I would wait for you, even though you told me not to…" She says with that magic smile of hers, and I instantly feel better.
"Thanks…" I whisper, kissing her lips.
"How was work?" She asks with concerned eyes. "You look a bit sad…"
"I had a really bad day…" I sigh.
"I'm sorry, honey… Do you want to talk about it?"
"No… thanks… Maybe some other day but not tonight…" I sigh. "This house is my safe place and I don't want to contaminate it with this bullshit right now."
"Ok… Can I do anything to make it better?" She asks.
"Just be you…" I shrug. "It always makes everything better." I add before hugging her.
"Well… then how about I kiss you?" She suggests.
"Yes, please…" I nod in approval.
THREE WEEKS LATER (APRIL) – AT HOME – BRITTANY POV
"And Ms Carter said that they will do some sort of musical about the environment…" I tell Santana as we are having a late dinner in the kitchen. "And Sofia will be one of the 'trees' so I was wondering if you could do her costume? You sew much better than me…"
But when Santana doesn't reply, I figure that this is one of those times where she's so preoccupied that she doesn't even hear me…
"What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" I ask, gently lifting her chin to make her look at me.
"I'm sorry… Did I zone out?" She says and I nod in confirmation.
"I had a meeting with Lee earlier…" She sighs, without giving more details.
"What did he do this time?" I ask.
"He wanted to discuss the next season, if there is one…" She says. "And I… I just don't like where this is going…"
"Why…? Where is it going?"
"Well… you know that the current season is about our senior year so… as from season 4, I was planning to show what happened to all of us after graduation… But Lee has a very different idea in mind! He basically thinks that the ratings are going down because our characters 'ran their course'. So next year…" She sighs. "… he would like to show the next generation of Glee club! Which means that our characters would disappear and I would have to create brand new ones and hire a whole new cast! Oh and the story might not even take place in Lima anymore because 'it's depressing and not sexy enough'. She adds, using air quotes. "Apparently, Mr Schue would relocate to another state and take over the Glee club in a new school."
"What?!" I say, completely shocked. "But that's like changing the whole show!"
"I know…" She whispers, shaking her head.
"I don't think I can do this, Britt…" She says. "I don't want to do it! The only reason why this show means so much to me and why I worked so hard on it is because it is telling the story of our Glee club! I don't feel like creating fake characters! And by the end of this season, we will have covered all the possible high school related topics anyway! I think it's time to move forward and talk about what happened to us as young adults, you know? To show what we all achieved after school, despite taking very different paths: Mercedes and us going on tour, Berry becoming a Broadway star or… Puckerman joining the Air Force… And…" She sighs. "Brittana getting married! Do you know how many fans are asking to see our wedding? They are tweeting Naya about this every day!"
"I bet…" I comment, knowing how famous our love story has become. "For what it's worth, I think your idea is way better! It's more interesting than recycling old storylines, only to stick them onto new faces! What does Quinn think about all of this?"
"I haven't told her yet… The meeting was confidential so I was alone with Lee. And either way, I'm not ready to start this whole discussion with Q…"
"But she's smart and she knows a lot about TV industry now! She could probably advise you better than me, honey… Why don't you want to talk to her?"
"Because it's not just about this, Britt… It's much bigger than that… and that's why I'm avoiding the subject with Quinn, because once I start, I will have to tell her everything…" She says, making me confused.
"Even if Lee miraculously changes his mind and goes along with my plan for next season, I… I just…" She pauses mid-sentence, as if she was trying to gather the courage to say whatever comes next.
"I'm considering quitting my job at the end of this season..." She finally adds, locking eyes with mine and I'm so stunned that I don't even know what to say. "I just don't want to work for Fox Television anymore… Frankly, I have been thinking about it for a while now… I just didn't know how to tell you. But after today's meeting with Lee, I knew I had to…"
"Because Glee airs on TV, I completely depend on the network's schedule and I always will…" She shrugs. "New seasons always start in September so I have to work hard every single summer when I would rather take you and the kids on vacation! And the timeslot we get for the show determines everything: the language we can use, which topics we can cover or… how far we can go when shooting romantic scenes! I thought that becoming a producer would give me more freedom but it didn't! And I'm getting increasingly tired of these limitations, it's always going to be a problem! Especially now that Lee reviews our scripts, he changes so many things and makes such stupid edits…" She adds, shaking her head.
"I have no more say at Paramount, Britt… I'm basically just there to execute Lee's orders now. And because of his shit, I actually have more work than ever! There are days where I don't even see the kids because they're already asleep by the time I come home and I can't stand it anymore!" She adds, tears filling her eyes.
"Can you believe that I actually pray for the twins to wake up during the night so that I can spend a few minutes with them?" She sobs. "I'm even late for work in the morning because I stay as long as I can with Sofia when I drop her at daycare… otherwise I would never see her! I already barely see you…" She adds before wiping her tears away.
I pull her into a tight hug and gently rub her back to calm her down. Obviously, I knew she had a lot of work lately but I assumed it was just a temporary phase like it happens every now and then… I had no idea that she was so unhappy… How did I miss this?
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER – AT PARAMOUNT – SANTANA POV
I'm mentally cursing Lee, going through his ridiculous comments and reworking the same damn script for the thousandth time when Quinn knocks on my office door.
"San… um… I'm sorry but there are some VIPs that are here to see you…" She says.
"What?!" I reply, frowning in confusion. "But I don't have any meeting in my calendar…" I add, looking at my screen.
"Well, it's kind of an impromptu meeting…" Another voice suddenly says… One that I could recognize among thousand others.
Brittany.
I have barely the time to look up from my screen that she enters my office, pushing our boys' stroller with one hand, and holding our daughter with the other.
"Oh my god!" I say, unable to content my joy. "But what are you guys doing here?" I add, getting up to get closer to them.
"Well… Sofia and I were talking…" Britt says, looking at our little girl. "… and we thought that since mama is working hard, we could bring her lunch… Isn't that right, peanut?"
"Yes!" Sofia confirms before grabbing my hand.
I look at Britt in disbelief, realizing that she must have gone through hell to put two babies, a 3 year old and a stroller in the car all by herself. And I know she only did it to give me more time with our kids… I seriously don't know how other people manage to hang out with Brittany without falling for her. That just seems impossible to me.
"Is it OK if we stay here during your break and have lunch with you?" She asks.
"I would love that…" I reply with a smile.
A FEW DAYS LATER – AT THE PUB
"But what are we doing in a pub?" Quinn asks, uncomfortably sitting at the bar, staring at the shot glass I just ordered for her. "It's 1:00 PM! Isn't it a little early for this? And besides, you know I am not much of a drinker, San…"
"I know, I know… But to answer your question, we're doing this now because you and I have other plans for tonight!" I say as she throws me a confused look. "Today, no matter what happens, we're leaving work early and we're going to my house. You will spend the evening with your maid of honor to discuss wedding stuff and I will feed my sons, give them a bath and then I will sew a costume for my daughter while she tells me for the millionth time why she thinks we should have a dog…" I add.
"Well… all that sounds great, really! But I still don't know why we are in a pub…"
"Because I have stuff to tell you, Q… And…" I sigh. "… I'm afraid that it's the kind of talk that requires alcohol…"
A WHILE LATER – AT THE PUB
I finally tell Quinn everything: Lee's horrible ideas for next year, how frustrating it has been for me to work at Paramount lately, my struggle to balance work and my family life… And… I even find the courage to tell her that I'll quit at the end of the season.
"I know it's a lot to take in, Q…" I say, as she seems at a loss for words. But instead of replying, she just grabs her glass and downs her shot in front of me.
"Oh my god! That shit is strong…" She says, grimacing.
"Do you hate me…?" I ask, worried that she might be mad at me for letting her down.
"No!" She replies. "I could never hate you, San… Actually, I admire you."
"You admire me?" I ask, surprised.
"Yes! You actually prefer to walk away from what has been the biggest project of your career rather than compromising your integrity as an artist. That's brave, San… and honorable. And I fully understand that you want to prioritize your family! You have three kids now, of course you're needed at home… To be honest with you, I'm also getting tired of this insane work schedule… I don't want to spend my evenings reworking scripts just to accommodate Lee's ridiculous comments. I have a wedding to plan!"
"But you know, Q… Once I'm gone, they will likely ask you to take over… This could be a good opportunity for you."
"Well… I'm not interested." She replies in a determined voice. "You know, I used to love going to Paramount… It was so exciting to be on set with such a fantastic cast, working with you and Artie every day, telling our story… But if season 4 is no longer about our Glee club and if you're not even around, I don't want to be part of it anymore… And besides, I can't stand Lee's attitude! I swear that every day, I get closer to slapping him!"
"But I'm sad though…" She admits. "It's a shame, there was still so much left to say… I wish there was a way for us to tell the full story..."
"Well… maybe there is…" I say and I immediately can read the confusion in her eyes.
"I had an idea a couple of days ago..." I confess. "But it's probably crazy… because even in my own head, it sounds completely crazy…"
"Well… try me!" She replies.
"OK… um… I have not yet figured out how to make it happen but… what if we moved Glee to a streaming platform?"
"A streaming platform? Like Netflix?"
"Yeah, Netflix or… any other that would be interested." I confirm. "If we manage to convince a streaming service to buy the rights from the network… we would have much more freedom than we do now… I mean, think of it, Quinn… On these platforms, it's video on demand so we wouldn't be tied to a specific timeslot! We would be able to attract a wider and more diversified audience… We wouldn't even have to tone down romantic scenes anymore! And besides, those platforms usually upload a whole season in one go, so I think what matters is that you deliver the season by a certain date but they would probably not impose a crazy schedule like we have now…" I conclude but she remains silent.
"Is it crazy?" I finally dare to ask.
"Yes…" She nods. "It is crazy! It's completely crazy and… yet … it's the best idea I have ever heard."
"Really?" I say in an excited tone.
"Yes! I mean… I have no idea how to do this either but… I'm sure that we can find out! We have nothing to lose actually…"
"So… does that mean you're in?" I ask.
"Oh I'm so in!" She says. "But you know, San… If we do this, we might upset a lot of people… We're basically going to war with the network… and we don't even know if that is going to lead to anything…"
"I know… But… what other choice do we have? We're at a crossroad, Q! Either we stay at Paramount, working on a show that has nothing to do with us anymore or… we take our chances and go to war."
"You're right… Let's do it!" She says with a smile that I immediately return. "OK… I think this calls for another drink." She adds while waving at the bartender.
"Really, another one? What happened to 'I am not much of a drinker'?" I chuckle.
"Oh screw that! Do you even realize what we are about to do here? This is huge!" She replies, handing me my drink. "But… we need a plan now so here is what I suggest…"
ON THE NEXT DAY – IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
Baby cries suddenly wake me up and even though I am too tired to open my eyes, I can tell it's Gabriel. But why is he so loud? It even feels like he's in our room.
"San…" I hear Brittany whisper… "I'm really sorry but I need you, honey…"
"Mmh…" I growl in complain. "What's going on, Britt…?"
As I finally open my eyes, I see that she's sitting on the edge of our bed, holding our crying son in her arms.
"It's one of those times where I can't get Gabriel to calm down… I tried everything…" She says in a desperate tone.
"Ok…" I sigh, sitting up in bed. "Let me try…" I whisper, holding out my arms so she can hand him over. "Come here, my sweet little boy…"
"Shh, shhh…" I whisper, caressing his back and kissing his cheek a few times. "It's OK, mijo… Mama's got you…"
"You're way too cute to be crying, baby…" I say, placing a kiss on his nose. "And look at those little feet… I could just eat them!" I add before blowing raspberries on them, which makes him giggle.
"Ooh you like that?" I say, doing it again, and he giggles so much louder this time that I can't help but laugh along.
"Seriously, how do you do that…?" Brittany says in disbelief. "I have been trying to calm him down for like an hour, without success! You spend barely two minutes with him and he's all smiles!"
"What can I say… Blondes can't resist my charm…" I say, proudly. "You of all people should know that…"
"Oh I do know that…" She replies with a smile, before kissing my lips.
"Look at him…" She adds, nodding towards Gabriel who is still smiling at us.
"He has your smile…" I comment, feeling butterflies all over my stomach.
A FEW DAYS LATER – EVENING TIME - AT THE PUB – NAYA POV
"Spit it out, Rivera." Santana suddenly tells me out of nowhere.
"What?" I ask, confused.
"You think I don't see that you're trying to get me drunk?" She says. "You obviously have a favor to ask me…"
Damn, she really has a psychic Mexican third eye…
"Any chance this favor is 'can I please babysit my godson'?" She asks and I can't help but laugh.
"You know I love babysitting Gabriel but this is not about that…" I reply, pushing the glass towards her.
"Well… just tell me already!" She shrugs. "But you have to stop bringing me alcohol because I'm really hoping to have sex with my wife tonight and if I show up completely drunk, she will turn me down. And then I will have to kick your ass."
"OK, sorry…" I chuckle, taking the glass back. "So…" I sigh. "Here it goes: I wrote new lyrics for my album."
"That's great!" She comments. "I can't wait to read that!"
"Thanks… I'll send you the text tomorrow." I reply. "But I was thinking that this song should be a duet, with some cool harmonies. And I was wondering if… um…" I say, suddenly feeling very shy. "… if you would sing it with me…?"
"Me?" She repeats. "But…"
"Yes, Lopez. You." I cut her off before she has the chance to suggest another duet partner. "We have been working together on this album for months… and I can't imagine singing that song with anyone else than you. And besides, you know that we sound amazing together, we prove it every time we sing karaoke songs in this very pub!"
"Well… how can I refuse when you put it like that…" She says, with a smirk.
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" I reply in excitement, throwing myself at her for a tight hug.
"Yeah, OK… You're crushing my bones here, Rivera…"
LATER THAT NIGHT – AT THE PUB
"Yeah! Heather and I booked it all today, actually. We're going to Mexico!" I say in an excited tone. "It's going to be great!"
"Oh you're going with Heather?" Santana asks. "Just the two of you…?"
"Yep!" I confirm. "We can only stay there for a few days but it's always nice to take a little break from work and the L.A madness."
"Definitely!" She agrees before taking a sip from her drink. "Can I… can I ask you something though?" She asks. "I don't mean to pry but… is there something going on between…" She says before pausing mid-sentence.
Something seems to have caught her eye and when I see the sudden anger on her face, I don't even have to turn around to know that James is here. Before I can say anything, Santana is already walking towards him and I immediately follow her, having a horrible feeling of deja vu.
"Well, well, well… Santana! We meet again!" James says with his usual snarky smile.
"You know what your face is going to meet again, James?" She replies. "My hand! Especially after that shit you pulled when Brittany was amnesiac! It didn't work by the way! We're still married!" She adds, staring at him.
"I know." He replies. "Alice showed me that family picture you sent to announce the twins' birth. Diego and Gabriel I believe?"
"That's none of your business." She immediately says in a cold tone.
"Right. Well… let me just offer you my congratulations!" He says and I can't help but find that suspicious. What the hell is he up to?
"You stay the fuck away from my family. Got it?" Santana warns in a threatening tone, pointing her index finger at him before turning around, obviously ready to go back to her seat. Thank god… I was really afraid she would go all Snix on him, as Quinn would say.
"By the way, it's great that you two picked a Hispanic dancer as your sperm donor." James suddenly says, making Santana freeze in her spot.
"How the fuck do you even know that?" She asks in an angry tone, turning back to him. "That's confidential information."
"I hate to break it to you but… nothing is confidential when you have the right connections." He grins. "My cousin works at the fertility clinic…" He adds. "It's a great place, I hear that Dr Wilson is renowned in his field and I actually went there a few times myself, to donate."
"Let me guess…" She chuckles in a sarcastic way. "You're going to tell me that you're our donor, am I right? You really expect me to fall for that? How stupid do you think I am?" She adds, looking more pissed than ever. "All you do is lie, James! And you're not even Hispanic!"
"Oh but that's where you're wrong, Santana… See, I might have a British surname because my dad is British and I may not look Hispanic but my mom is actually 100% Spanish. Teresa Ramos Fernandez. You can even look her up if you don't believe me…" He says. "And you know what happens when you register as a donor at the fertility clinic? They ask you to detail your ethnicity and your origins. And guess what? It turns out that being half Hispanic automatically puts you in the Hispanic category…" He adds.
Oh my god… That's what he was up to.
"And I'm curious, Santana… How many 'Hispanic dancers' did you see on the donors' list exactly?" He asks.
I glance at Santana and she seems too shocked to even react but… judging by the horrified look on her face, I understand that there must have been only one Hispanic dancer…
"By the way, did you know that 'Diego' is actually the Spanish version of James? That's a funny coincidence, don't you think?" He says but Santana remains speechless, stuck in her stupor. "Can you imagine how ironic it would be if… after all those times you told me to stay away from Brittany… I ended up being the one who got your wife pregnant and were the father of her babies?" He adds.
That last comment makes Santana snap and even though I should have predicted her reaction, it all happens so fast that I can't intervene on time. She tightens her fist and punches James in the nose, making him fall from his chair.
"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" She screams in anger and I just have the time to restrain her from behind but she's so agitated and strong that I'm not sure how long I can resist. "BEN!" I shout in despair, looking at the pub owner. "Kick him out!" I beg. "Now!"
Fortunately, Ben reacts quickly and roughly pulls up James from the floor. As I see him holding his bleeding nose while grinning at Santana, there's no doubt in my mind that this guy is a true psychopath. He didn't even try to defend himself because he got exactly the reaction he was hoping for.
I'm even sure he's been planning all this for a while… Why else would he try to get information about the donor the girls used? Who even does that? And his presence tonight is not random either. He knew that he would inevitably run into us here, one day or another, because he already did in the past. After all, Santana and I come here very often because Ben is such a good friend of mine that he always gives us free drinks and free food.
While he's being dragged out of the pub, James throws another evil smirk at Santana. "Say hi to the boys for me!" He shouts, trying to provoke her one last time and I have to hold her even tighter because I'm pretty sure that if she breaks free, she will literally beat him up.
I wait until Ben comes back inside to finally release her but she just stands there, lost in her thoughts. Silent tears are falling down her face and she looks so distressed that I don't even know what to say. I carefully pull her into my arms for a hug but she doesn't even hug me back… I cannot even imagine how she's feeling right now… Could that awful man really be the twins' biological father?
God… Even I feel sick at the thought of it.
James didn't actually say that he was their father but he hinted at it… And I can't help but wonder what is true and what is not… Did he really donate sperm or is that yet another manipulative lie? Is he really Hispanic? But if he was not, why would he give the name of his mother and encourage Santana to look her up? Does he even know for sure if he's their donor or is he just planting doubts to poison Santana and Brittany's relationship?
"Santana…" I finally say, hoping that it's going to get her out of her stupor. "He's gone now… Come on, you should sit down…"
"I… No… I…" She mumbles as her deeply sad eyes meet mine.
"Naya… Can you… can you please drive me home?" She asks. "I really need Brittany…"
A/N: Thoughts…? I know many things are happening in this chapter so please let me know what you think! Did you enjoy the family moments or the discussions with Puck? What do you think will happen with Glee and the network? And of course… what do you think about the drama James initiated? Let me know in the reviews!
