CHAPTER 40

A/N: Thanks to Itsskik, Flmagic, May1217, Tamardejong, pjay413, Lina Jacob2, malorafan2k15, Berrylucky5, Jaclyne and the guests for their reviews, and thanks to those who reached out on socials. I'm really grateful for your feedback! At the end of the last chapter, Brittany went to find James' cousin, so this is where we pick up (Brittany POV). Enjoy!


A LITTLE WHILE LATER – IN A COFFEE SHOP – BRITTANY POV

Terrified by the realization that I could ruin her life, Erin agreed to have a conversation with me and I really hope that our discussion will be open and honest, unlike the one I had with James.

Sitting in front of her across the table, I'm deliberately staring at her in silence and I can tell that she's highly uncomfortable. There is a mix of fear and nervosity in her eyes.

"Are you going to report me…?" She finally asks, her voice trembling.

"That depends on this conversation." I reply as firmly as I can. "I have a few questions for you and I want the full truth. If you are honest with me and tell me everything you know, I will not report you. But if you lie to me, even about meaningless details, I will be able to tell and I will definitely report you. Understood?"

She silently nods in confirmation, anxiously waiting for my first question.

"So first of all… I would like to know why you shared my file with your cousin. You must know that it's a serious crime to leak patients' medical records so… why did you do it, what does he have on you?"

"I… um… I used to gamble…" She replies, looking down at her hands. "At first, it was just for fun but… it quickly became an addiction and it got so bad that I eventually accumulated a lot of debts. I needed help to pay them off but I was so ashamed that I… I couldn't bring myself to tell my parents. And since I don't have siblings, I turned to James because… I didn't know what else to do." She shrugs. "He lent me the money and we agreed that I would progressively pay him back but… one day, he just showed up at my door and threatened to tell my parents everything if I didn't do him a favor…"

Wow… So James manipulates everyone for his own gain… even his family…?! What an awful, awful man.

"What did he ask you exactly?"

"Well… he didn't ask everything at once… At first, he just wanted to know if your wife was a patient of Doctor Wilson's."

"My wife?" I repeat, surprised. I didn't expect that… After all, he never cared about Santana…

"Why…?" I ask.

"He didn't say…" She shrugs. "But personally, I think he wanted to know where she got inseminated because you were likely to go to the same clinic for your own procedure…"

"Did he ask you anything else about her? Did you also leak her file?" I ask, anxious.

"No… he didn't ask anything else so I didn't share her file with him. I just confirmed that she had her procedure at our clinic."

"What happened after that?"

"He… um… he gave me your name and asked me to let him know if you ever came to the clinic for an artificial insemination." She replies. "So… when your fertility tests confirmed that you were a candidate for the procedure, I… I called him." She adds, embarrassed. "He came to the clinic shortly after that, to donate…"

So James donated sperm with the specific purpose of getting me pregnant? Oh my god… Santana was really right about him all along! Even all those years ago when I naively thought that she was overreacting out of jealousy…

"Then… when you picked your donor… he asked me to give him access to your file." Erin says. "And I…" She trails off. "I'm really, really sorry, Ms Lopez-Pierce…"

"You should be." I suddenly reply in a cold tone, staring her down. "My file contains very private information, Ms Pearson! Forget even about the fertility tests, you also gave him access to the notes of the psychologist that met me and assessed my case! Do you even know what was discussed during those mandatory meetings? I had to speak in great details about my marriage and my relationship with my daughter! I also had to state the reasons why I wanted to bear a child and my own wife was not even allowed in the room because the doctors have to make sure that their patient 'is not pressured by their partner'! And since the procedure kept failing, I was required to meet the psychologist after every attempt, to 'evaluate the impact of the failed procedure on my mental state and on my marriage'. Can you imagine what that period was like for me? Not being able to get pregnant when I desperately wanted another baby? Going to the clinic time after time, trying my best to remain hopeful, only to hear that it didn't work? And not even knowing if it ever would? It was traumatic! And I felt so heartbroken that I didn't tell anyone about those failed attempts: not my parents, not my closest friends… Only my wife knew! And you shared all those intimate details with a man whose main objective is to break up my marriage! Do you even know how violated I feel? How could you do this to another woman?" I ask her, very upset.

And before I know it, I find myself thinking back to those dark months – almost a whole year really: the baby fight with Santana, my long struggle to get pregnant… James and Erin took advantage of what was truly the most painful time of my life! And even though our boys are finally here now, they are still robbing us from the happiness and peace of mind that we deserve! Santana should be allowed to fully enjoy the precious time she has with her sons instead of constantly worrying about their biological father! And it's all the Pearsons' fault! They did this to her!

"You have caused a lot of pain to me and my wife." I add coldly, feeling unusual rage building up in my chest. "So I want to know everything. You hear me? You can't leave out any details, you owe me that much!"

She silently nods in understanding, a guilty look in her eyes.

"Then… I should tell you that after reading through your file, James asked me if he was your donor."

"But you didn't have access to that information…" I comment, repeating what James said the other day.

"I did have access…" She frowns, apparently wondering why I would even imply that she didn't. "Anyone working for the clinic can access the donors' database." She explains. "So when I saw that James was indeed your donor, I called him to confirm."

A wave of cold sweat suddenly washes over me and I immediately feel knots in my stomach because judging by the look in her eyes, Erin is telling me the truth. Until a minute ago, I still had the slim hope that my donor was someone else, ANYONE really but… now it's over…

James is our donor…

I can't believe that out of all the men that were on that list, Santana and I managed to pick him! And that means that our sweet, lovely boys are half him, just like she feared… God, she will never get over it…

"So… he's… my babies' biological father…?" I manage to whisper.

"No, he's not." She replies, much to my surprise.

"I'm sorry?" I ask, confused. "I thought… you… you just said that he was my donor."

"He was…"

"I don't understand…" I say. "How can he be my donor but not the babies' father?"

"He was the donor for your first three attempts… which all failed…" She says. "And when this happens, our fertility clinic considers that the donor is incompatible with you and switches to another one, to increase the chances of success."

It takes me a while to process what she just said… But I'm feeling such an indescribable relief to know that James is not our donor that I could cry… And that also means that… in the end, all those painful failed attempts were a blessing in disguise because… they actually saved me from carrying his biological child!

"And in that case…" Erin continues. "… it's always Doctor Wilson himself that picks a new donor from the list, someone as similar as possible to the original donor."

"But… how come I was not informed of that change?" I finally ask.

"Because of me…" She admits in a shy whisper. "I was supposed to send you a letter and a copy of the new donor's profile before your next attempt… And then I should have followed up with a phone call to make sure that you were aware of the situation. But when I told James that he was incompatible with you, he got very upset and asked me not to tell you. So… I lied to Doctor Wilson… I told him I sent you the letter and spoke with you on the phone, even if I didn't…"

So James knew all along that he was not the twins' father! God, that jerk really lied to me about everything! But this all makes sense actually… I have always found strange that he didn't push for a DNA test. If there was any serious chance that he could be the father, he would have tried to prove his paternity, just to rub it into Santana's face. But since he already knew that the boys were not his, it was in his best interest to maintain the doubt. He knew that this was enough to upset Santana and create problems between us. I can't believe he even used Diego's dimples to play me! Especially because I always tell Santana that our son got his cute dimples from her, even though that's not possible… But I just love to point any similarity I can find between her and the boys… And Diego is very much like her, on so many levels…

"I want a copy of the new donor's profile." I suddenly say.

"Of course… I can give you that tomorrow…" She replies. "That donor also shared many physical features with your wife… It was not a dancer tough… If I remember well, he was a musician."

"A musician? But… I didn't see any musician on our donor's list… There was only one artist and… obviously, it was James."

"Well… That man probably donated after we sent you the original donors' list, that's why he was not on it… But Doctor Wilson chose him directly from our database, which is automatically updated every time a new donor joins our program…"


LATER THAT DAY - AT HOME

When I come home, I find Santana and Sofia playing the piano together, while the boys are asleep a few feet away. I try to remain as silent as possible but with her usual acute hearing, Sofia quickly notices my presence and immediately stops playing.

"Mommy!" She says enthusiastically, making Santana turn around.

"Hi my loves!" I say with a smile. "What were you playing just now? It was beautiful!"

"It's a lullaby that mama wrote for Diego and Gabriel!" Sofia replies, much to my surprise. I had no idea that Santana had written a piece for the boys! "And she taught me how to play it on the piano! Listen, mommy…" Sofia adds with excitement while I take a seat.

They play it again from the top and I can't stop myself from smiling because they both have the same focused look on their face! Sofia is playing the melody while Santana is accompanying her and I'm in absolute awe… Our daughter is getting really good at this!

"Wooow! That was amazing, peanut!" I say at the end of their performance, clapping my hands as she throws a very proud smile at me. "You're as talented as your mama!"

"At this rate, she will soon become better than me…" Santana chuckles. "You played like a queen, mija! I'm really proud of you!" She adds, giving her a kiss. "Why don't you go get the drawing you made for mommy?"

Sofia nods enthusiastically and immediately runs out of the room.

"So… you write lullabies now?" I ask Santana with a questioning frown.

"Well… you know me, I always look for new ways to put the kids to sleep and have my peace! It worked like a charm!" She shrugs proudly, nodding towards our sleepy sons. "And since the melody is relatively easy, I knew I could also teach Sofia how to play it on the piano… So you know what that means, Britt?" She asks with an evil smirk. "It means that now, whenever we want to put the twins to sleep, we can simply ask our daughter to play that piece on the piano and she will do the work for us! Which will also keep her busy and quiet! That's what I call killing three birds with one stone! See how brilliant and resourceful your wife is? And that's just the beginning! Because let me tell you… as soon as Sofia can read, I will put her on bedtime story duty as well! And we will finally have time for ourselves!" She adds and I can't resist pulling her into a long, long loving kiss.

"Wow…" She whispers out of breath when I eventually pull away. "That was some kiss…"

"Yeah… I couldn't help myself…"

"Is that because of the lullaby?" She asks. "Because if that's what got me that heavenly kiss, I will definitely write more of those!"

"Well… your lullaby is definitely a masterpiece, Ms Lopez-Pierce, but it's not just because of that…" I chuckle. "It's everything! It's… coming home and seeing you with the kids… and I… I had a really good day today!" I add with a smile.

And that's the understatement of the year because today, I found out that James was not the father of our sons! But unfortunately, I can't share that amazing news with her just yet… I need a little bit more time to get the information I'm still missing.

"Yeah?" She says, smiling back. "So… it went well at the dance school?"

Oh, that's right… Since I couldn't tell her that I would be meeting with James' cousin – although "stalking" would be more accurate - I told her that I had to swing by the dance school.

"Um… yeah, it was great!" I reply, pressing my lips on hers. I really hate lying to Santana but… it's for a good cause.

"Look, mommy!" Sofia suddenly says out of nowhere. "I made this for you!" She adds, handing me a colorful drawing of our family. "And then, I made that one for mama!" She says and I can't help but chuckle while Santana rolls her eyes. Of course, my little peanut could only draw a dog for her mama…


EVEN LATER – IN BED

Even though we just had sex, I can't stop kissing Santana's perfect lips… It feels so good to be just the two of us in the little sanctuary that is our bedroom, even more so when she's holding me in her arms like this, her hand slowly sliding up and down my back.

"Someone is very affectionate tonight…" She suddenly says with a smirk.

"Why did you pull your lips away…" I complain in response, which makes her chuckle.

"I'm sorry, honey… But I've got to come up for air from time to time…"

"Fine, we can take a little break…" I reply with a pout. "But I want more kissing later…"

"Deal…" She says with a smile while I adjust my position to rest my head on her chest. I love listening to her heartbeat, I always find it very soothing…

"By the way…" She says. "…I have an early appointment with a streaming company tomorrow morning so I asked Tina to drive Sofia to daycare…"

"Ok…" I whisper, hugging her tighter. "That's great that you got an appointment! Is Quinn going with you?"

"No… We were planning to divide all those meetings between the two of us but… after the phone call I got from Puck this afternoon, I decided that I would handle them all by myself…"

"Why…? What did Puck say?"

"Well… he basically asked me to 'look after his woman'! Apparently, Quinn is getting really stressed about the wedding… She always tells me that everything is fine but for Puck to call me, all worried… something is definitely wrong!" She says. "So I promised him that I would spare her from this marathon with streaming services… And I will also force her to take some afternoons off… I already talked to Artie and he will run things at Paramount when I'm not there. Fortunately, we barely see Lee these days, I guess he's working on his bullshit proposal for season 4…"

"Poor Quinn… I will give her a call tomorrow to see how I can help…"

"That's a great idea, honey…" She replies, kissing my forehead.

"I'm sorry but the kissing area is over here, San…" I frown, pointing at my mouth.

"Right, my bad…" She laughs before capturing my lips in a kiss.


ON THE NEXT MORNING – AT PARAMOUNT – SANTANA POV

When I finally get to Paramount after my meeting, Artie and Quinn are busy supervising the shooting of the disco episode and I immediately join them on set. I silently take a seat as the cast is performing "Night Fever" and judging by the smiles plastered on their faces, the actors must be having a blast! They even keep laughing in between takes!

We have been really lucky to get such a great cast, I hope we can find a way to keep working with these clowns…

"So how did the meeting go?" Quinn suddenly whispers out of nowhere, taking a seat next to me.

"I don't know…" I sigh. "It was pretty much the same as what happened in Seattle… They were nice and asked questions as if they wanted to know more but… I can't tell if they are really interested or not… They said that they would let us know…" I shrug. "Did you hear back from Amazon?"

"Not yet…" She replies. "But we do have a few new appointments with other companies this week. One of them is scheduled for this afternoon though so… I can go to that one if you want?"

"Oh, um…" I trail off. "Do you have time to go to my office to discuss this?"


A FEW MINUTES LATER – IN SANTANA'S OFFICE

"But I don't need time off!" Quinn objects.

Yeah, of course… this is really typical Fabray! She always has to be 'Miss Perfect' and show that she can do it aaaall by herself.

"Well, that's too bad… Because at 1:00 PM, you're out of here." I reply in a nonchalant way.

"You can't make me leave!" She frowns, offended.

"Sure I can! I will bitch slap you all the way to the parking lot if I have to."

"And you think I would not fight back?" She chuckles sarcastically.

"I'm sure you would… But we both know that I would totally win this! Even if that gets me a lecture from Brittany on how I messed up the bride's face one month before her wedding." I say while she rolls her eyes.

"Look, Q…" I continue, in a softer tone. "I really appreciate everything you have done since you joined the show. You're… the best business partner anyone can ever dream of!" I shrug. "But you're getting married soon, you deserve some time to yourself! I also took time off when Brittany was pregnant or when they twins were not sleeping through the night… and you were there to take care of everything! So let me just return the favor, OK? Go home and focus on your wedding preparations… I will handle the meetings with streaming companies and Artie will run things here. We'll be fine…"

"OK…" She sighs in defeat. "I'll go home after lunch… But I'm going to Sofia's musical tonight, Lopez!" She says, pointing her finger at me in defiance. "I'm not going to miss my niece's performance, no matter what you…"

"OK, OK, Fabray…" I interrupt her. "Let's chill for a second! I just meant that you had to get out of here… I'm not going to prevent you from watching Sofia on stage! She'll be glad to see her Auntie Q, you know that!"


LATER THAT DAY – AT DAYCARE

"Excuse me… Sorry…" I say, moving with difficulty between the rows to get back to my seat, next to Brittany.

"So how is she doing? Is she nervous?" My blonde asks.

"Nervous?" I repeat with a questioning frown. "Oh please, you know that your daughter is made for the spotlight!" I reply. "Anyway, she performed in front of a much bigger audience at your dance recital so I'm sure she will be fine! But of course, she managed to rip her costume around her shoulder… Luckily, I had a sewing kit in my bag." I add. "Oh by the way, the other kids' parents obviously can't sew because their costumes are a disaster…" I whisper in her ear.

"Not everyone is a sewing genius like you, San…" She replies.

"It's not like I had a choice, Britt! Do you even know what a tyrant Abuela was? She would make me sew until I do it right or my fingers fall off!"

"Well… that was very good practice for your fingers…" She whispers, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Wanky…" I whisper back before looking around to make sure that no one overheard us. But when I see that Quinn is still looking through her phone next to me, I know we're safe. If she didn't notice, no one did.

"Hi girls!" Mike says behind us, taking his seat next to Mercedes. "Sorry, I'm late, I got held up at the school. They haven't started yet, right?"

"Not yet, you're right on time!" Britt replies with a smile. "What happened at the school, everything alright?"

"Well… It was Allison's father… He's not pleased with Kate's teaching method and you know how he can get…" He replies. "He keeps asking me when you're coming back by the way… Have you given it some thoughts?"

"Oh um… Yes, I have but…" Britt mumbles, looking embarrassed. "It's just that I haven't discussed it with Santana yet…"

"Is there something to discuss?" I whisper, surprised. "I thought you would go back to teaching in September, when the new academic year starts…?"

I hope she's not considering extending her sabbatical because I know what dancing and teaching mean to her… And even though it is very useful to have her around the house, this whole sabbatical idea has never seated well with me.

"Well, that was the plan but… is that such a good idea considering that you don't even know what will happen with Glee…? What if you have a lot of work in September?"

"That's not going to happen, Britt!" I shrug. "I told you… I'm no longer going to accept jobs that keep me away from my children! So… either I find a streaming service that allows me to have a decent schedule or… I will quit my job and be the stay home mom."

"Are you sure…?" She asks.

"I'm very sure, honey." I reply. "Don't worry, we'll make it work…"

"Mike, Britt will go back to work in September, so you can already inform that 'pain in the ass' dad…"

"Oh that's great news! We really miss you over there, Britt!" He says with a smile. "So… who's got the boys while you two are here?" He asks.

"They're at Naya's…" I reply. "It's just for a couple of hours, we'll pick them up on our way home…"


A WHILE LATER – AT DAYCARE

It's insane how much pride I can feel whenever Sofia performs… Her group only has two songs and they're doing very simple choreographies, but to me, it's as if she was on stage at the Grammys! And she's definitely the best out there but how could she not… Her mom is the most amazing dancer in the whole universe and with all the hours that I spent teaching her how to sing, she could only have the voice of an angel!

"Oh my God… she's the cutest tree I have ever seen!" Mercedes whispers behind me. "Is it true that you made that costume yourself, San? Because I've got to say… she looks much better than the other kids…"

"I sure did! Without mentioning that I made the girl in it too!" I add proudly.

And as I look at my Sofia, I can't help but think that she's definitely my best creation…


LATER THAT NIGHT – AT NAYA'S

"I thought the girls would be with you." Naya says after inviting me to come in.

"Well… we had to take two cars because I went to daycare directly from Paramount… And it's been a long day for Sofia so I told Britt to bring her home." I reply, following her into the living room.

"Oh… Hi, Heather!" I say, surprised to see her on the couch. "Sorry I didn't know you were… here."

I still don't know what's going on between those two but I have decided that I would not ask… I definitely don't want to know whatever is happening or not happening between my cast members.

"Hi Santana!" Heather replies with a smile. "How was the musical?"

"Well… you know… at that age, kids could just stand there doing nothing and yet everyone would still applaud them! But my Sofia was amazing, as always! I was very proud!"

"Aaww, I'm sure she was!" Naya comments. "Did you film it? I'd love to see it!"

"Yes, Quinn filmed it all… I can show you tomorrow!" I reply. "So how did it go with the boys tonight? I hope they were not too difficult?"

"Oh no, they were absolutely adorable!" Naya says. "And I was really happy to get some bonding time with my godson!"

"That's great! I'm sure he loved it too… And I'm really glad that they behaved!" I say, relieved. "Thank you so much for taking care of them! But I'll get them out of your hair now and let you go back to… your night…" I add. "Can you help me carry them and their stuff to the car?"

"Of course! They're sleeping in the guestroom…" Naya says, leading the way.


A LITTLE WHILE LATER – OUTSIDE

"OK, so… let's see if I have everything… Two kids, my purse and… oh yeah, way too much baby stuff! I don't how long Brittany thought she was leaving them with you, but it looks like she packed enough for a month on a desert island!" I say, shaking my head. "I'm sorry about that… Anyway, we're good to go! Now I just have to pray that they won't wake up on the way home… Thanks again, Naya… You're a life savior!" I add, hugging her goodbye.

"Santana… wait…" She suddenly says as I'm about to get into my car. "I know that this might not be a good time to discuss this but… my agent called me earlier today and… he advised me to audition for other roles…" She says and I immediately feel a panic knot in my stomach. "He said that it's usually a bad sign when contracts are not renewed by this time of year… and… that's all the cast is talking about these days, Santana… Many of them find this strange too! So… should I be worried…?" She asks.

Oh shit… I'm so not ready for this conversation and it's way too early to tell her anything anyway… I need more time!

"Um… No, you don't have to worry…" I say, trying to sound as confident as possible. "And tell your agent that you don't need to audition for new roles."

I really can't risk losing Naya to another show… There is no way I can convince a streaming service to buy Glee if she's not part of the cast…

She keeps staring at me for a while until the look in her eyes suddenly changes and I immediately understand what that means. Oh God… She knows! She knows that I just lied to her…

"I thought we were friends…" She says in a disappointed voice and I instantly feel guilty.

"We are!" I reply in a heartbeat. "Of course, we are! We're even family! You're my son's godmother…"

"Then tell me what's really going on, Lopez!" She says, looking me straight in the eye.

"I… I can't tell you just yet, Naya…" I say. "I just… You have to trust me…"

"How can I trust you when you just lied to my face?" She asks with a frown. "This is my career and my future, Santana… You don't get to play with that!"

"I'm not playing!" I object, offended.

"Right…" She comments sarcastically and we quickly shift into silence because right now, I don't even know what to say or what to do to make it better.

"Well… drive safe, Lopez." She eventually adds, turning around to go back inside.

"Drive safe?!" I repeat, feeling completely puzzled.

God knows that I have had fights with many people before but this one is very different and I don't know how to handle it… If I was fighting with Berry, I would just be hurling venomous insults at her because she usually gets on my nerves. If it was with Quinn, I would either get yelled at like a kid or we would be in the middle of a slapping competition by now… And if it was with Brittany, I would run away from it like a coward because the pain would be too overwhelming. But this time… I don't even know how to react because even though Naya looks very calm, her usual warmth seems to have vanished… All I get from her right now is this unspoken disappointment… and hurt… and it's completely breaking my heart.

"Yeah…" She shrugs as if there was nothing else to say. "You have two babies in the car and another kid at home so… drive safe." She repeats, walking back to her house without looking back at me.

"Rivera, wait…" I say, grabbing her wrist to force her to turn around and look at me. "Please, I can't fight with you… I won't stand it!" I say with despair. "You know me… You know that I have a very small circle of friends because… I usually don't like people!" I shrug. "Melissa and the Glee club… they were the only ones I ever let in… until I met you! Somehow, you convinced me to let my guard down around you and… I really mean it when I say that you're family! So please… I'm asking you to believe me when I say that you need to trust me. I promise that I will eventually tell you everything, but I can't right now…"

Her eyes don't leave mine but this time, I can't even tell what she's thinking.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She simply says while I remain speechless and frozen in my spot, watching her closing the front door behind her.

What does that even mean?


ON THE NEXT MORNING – AT HOME

I'm drinking my coffee in the living room, silently watching the sunrise through the window, when Brittany joins me on the couch.

"Hey…" She says, with concerned eyes. "Couldn't sleep huh?"

"No…." I whisper, shaking my head.

I spent the whole night turning and tossing in bed, I just couldn't stop thinking about my fight with Naya…

"You two will make up…" She says, placing a comforting hand on my knee. "I'm sure she's feeling as sad as you right now…"

"I don't know, Britt… Maybe she hates me… And she would have every right to… She's about to lose her job and I didn't even warn her! What kind of friend does that make me?" I say, shaking my head. "And she's right, you know? I am playing a dangerous game while her career is on the line and I don't even know if it will lead to anything!" I say, disgusted of myself.

"I really don't think she hates you, honey… She's just hurt because you're hiding stuff from her… But I'm sure that she will eventually understand that you have your reasons!" She says. "And at this stage, you don't even know if the network will go for Lee's proposal… So until there is an official decision, Naya's job is not even threatened."

"It's just a matter of time, Britt… She's going to be fired, they all will!" I shrug. "And if I was not so selfish, I would have already told her so that she could look for another opportunity and make the right move for her career!"

"San… you're anything but selfish when it comes to the people you care about! And I know that you care about Naya…" She says, squeezing my hand. "You're not the bad guy here, honey… Lee is! You and Quinn are actually the only ones that are fighting for the cast right now! And… yes, what you're doing is risky but at least, you are trying to save the show and save their jobs! And if you succeed in moving Glee to a streaming platform, it will be very good for their careers! It would open up a whole new market for them!"

"Maybe so but let's be honest, Britt… The reason why I'm doing this in the first place is for my own benefit! I just want to run the show my way and have more time for our family!"

"And you think that's selfish?" She questions. "San, when you're in charge, the show promotes values of friendship, respect and acceptance! Every week, people get to see that it's OK to be themselves, it's OK to be in a gay relationship or… to go for an artistic career! You inspire them to believe in themselves and in their dreams… That's not selfish at all, that's just what the world needs to hear!" She adds. "And there is absolutely nothing selfish about dedicating more time to your children!"

"And yet, I'm still using Naya for my own gain, Brittany! She is my biggest argument to convince a streaming company to buy the show! Because she's not only great at what she does, the industry respects her and she's so loved that millions of fans will probably follow her to whatever network or platform she moves to!"

"So?" Britt shrugs. "You two have always helped each other ever since you met and I don't see how this time is any different! Think about it, San… You hired Naya when she had no career prospect whatsoever! And she helped you get the lesbian storyline by making Santana Lopez and Brittana more popular than ever! She wants to release an album, you're writing songs for her! When you're upset, she takes you to the pub and when you come back home… you're magically OK with everything!" She says, raising her hands.

"You two clearly benefit from each other and you will in this case too!" She adds. "Because you want to save the show, which will ultimately save her job! And you need her fame to get a deal that is good for both of you! So there is no reason to feel guilty! She will eventually see that too, honey… you just need to give it time…"

I nod silently and even though I'm still feeling guilty and incredibly sad, I know that Brittany has a point. That wife of mine is always right anyway…


LATER THAT DAY (EVENING TIME) – AT HOME – BRITTANY POV

"Finally!" I say, as Santana joins me in the living room after taking a shower. "What took you so long? Were you doing naughty things in there?"

"Never without you…" She winks before kissing me.

"Are you sure? Because you look in a much better mood than earlier…"

"I'm sure!" She chuckles. "I took a perfectly respectable shower but then my phone rang and that's what took me so long."

"Was it Melissa?" I ask, trying to hide my jealousy. It must have been Mel… Who else would manage to improve her mood so quickly over the phone?

"No, it was a business call…"

"Oh?" I say, surprised. "Good news?"

"Very good news!" She says with a smile. "I finally have an opportunity to talk to Netflix representatives!"

"Oh my God, really? San, that's amazing!" I say, hugging her. I know that she and Quinn have been trying to get an appointment with them for weeks… "When is it? And where?"

"Um… Friday night, in their L.A. headquarters…"

"Friday night?" I repeat, surprised. "Why do people schedule meetings on Friday nights?!"

"Well… It's not a meeting per se…" She says and I get even more confused.

"What is it then?"

"I… um…" She trails off. "Before I explain, Britt… please remember that I love you very much… and you love me!"

I don't know where she's going with this but I already don't like it.

"What did you do?" I sigh.

"Why do you automatically assume that I did something?" She says, offended.

"Because every time you mention 'how much we love each other', it's usually bad."

"That's not true!" She objects.

"Santana…"

"Fine…" She sighs. "It's not a traditional meeting because Netflix never reacted to our proposal… But it doesn't even matter anymore because I just learned that they will host a private event in their headquarters - a dinner followed by some kind of show - and even Patricia Miller will be there! She's the lady who actually decides what shows to pick up, Britt! So she's the one I need to talk to! And I just got a seat at her table!" She says in an excited tone.

"But how…?" I ask. "Who invited you?"

"Um… Well… I… huh… I got invited by Julia…" She says, suddenly looking uneasy.

"Julia Peterson?!" I repeat with anger. God, that woman is really everywhere!

"Yes…" She confirms. "You know that Julia is the one everyone is talking about right now… Apparently, she just signed a contract with Netflix for three movies so she got invited to the event… And she's allowed to bring a plus one so since she knew that I have been trying to secure a deal with a streaming company, she thought it could be good for me to tag along…"

Oh yes… I bet she did! And I'm pretty sure that these are not the only circumstances in which she thinks of Santana! Seriously, I'm sure Julia has dozens of women lining up for her and yet, she still goes after my wife!

"I haven't accepted her invitation yet…" Santana adds. "I wanted to discuss this with you first… And I know you don't like this, honey… and I understand, believe me! But Brittany, this might be my only chance to speak to Netflix representatives. And after what happened with Naya last night, I don't have the luxury to wait… You know what she said: her agent is already pushing her to audition for other roles. I'm really in a race against time here… Because I don't even know what Naya is going to do now…"

"I'm aware of all that, San…" I say. "But I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of my wife going out on a date with Julia Peterson."

"It's not a date!" She replies, frowning.

"You're going to a fancy dinner as her plus one, that sounds like a date to me!"

"That's not a romantic dinner at candlelight, Britt!" She protests. "There will be like ten people at our table! And believe me, I'm not going to waste my time talking to Julia when this is my chance to approach Patricia Miller! And anyway, I'm married so… it's definitely not a date!"

"Yeah? And does Julia know that this is not a date? Because obviously, that woman needs to be told things many times before it hits her brain! I mean, you would think that after she met your wife, she would understand that you were off limits but apparently, she took that as an invitation to have sex with you!" I complain.

"Brittany… I married you. Twice may I add! You're my number one girl!" She shrugs. "Julia doesn't stand a chance and she knows it! I didn't kiss her when she threw herself at me, even though you and I were barely speaking at the time and had not had sex in weeks. So why would I do anything now?"

"Fine…" I sigh in defeat. "Go call her back to say that… you accept…" I reluctantly add and she immediately cups my face in her hands to pull me into a kiss.

"You're the best wife ever!" She says enthusiastically.

"You better remember that when you're at that dinner…"

"I will, honey!" She replies and kisses my lips once more before walking out of the room.

Barely a few seconds later, my phone suddenly beeps.

FROM "LUKE BENNETT": Hello Brittany! Yes, I have everything I need but it can take up to a couple of weeks. Do you still want me to proceed?

TO "LUKE BENNETT": OK, well noted. Yes, please proceed and let me know when it's done. Thanks!


A/N: Lots of things happened in this chapter so I have a few questions for you:

- Are you relieved that James is NOT the babies' father? And why do you think Britt has not told Santana yet?
- Any reaction to Santana and Naya's ongoing fight?
- What do you think about this Netflix dinner? And about Julia's comeback?
- Any other reactions?

Thanks in advance for your reviews! I can't believe I wrote 200K words already!