CHAPTER 44

A/N: Thanks to Lolfiction55, butterflybarbie, pacumeme57, Lina Jacob2, Cissou28, Olivia, Tamardejong, Ludipa, May1217, Berrylucky5, lisaj928, malorafan2k15 and Itsskik for their reviews and thanks to those who reached out on social media. You know I love feedback! Special thanks to pjay413 for proofreading this chapter and to Yadira for catching up so quickly with this story. I know many of you would like to know what is going to happen now that Brittany lost it on Melissa… so here we go! The POV alternates between Santana, Brittany… and also Melissa so… watch out! Enjoy!


A FEW MINUTES LATER – AT HOME – SANTANA POV

I get back alone into our house and find Brittany sitting on our bed, hugging her knees and staring into space.

I look at her in disbelief for a minute, trying to wrap my head around what happened tonight but I still don't get it.

"What were you thinking, Brittany?" I eventually ask with a shrug, my voice surprisingly calm. But she remains completely silent and doesn't even look at me.

"This is not like you to put people on the spot like that!" I add. "And now Melissa said she needs some time alone, she even talked about checking into a hotel, Britt! You really upset her!" I say in a more agitated tone this time.

"Yeah? Well, she upset me first!" She replies with unusual anger, leaving me in shock.

"How?" I finally ask, frowning. "She has been nothing but nice to you! And she's been a great guest, she's even helping around the house, making dinner, taking care of the kids…. What did she possibly do to upset you?!"

"The question is what didn't she do to upset me!" She replies, staring into my eyes, making me more confused than ever. What the hell is going on here?

"Let's take the most recent example on a never-ending list, shall we?" She adds, raising her arms. "She took MY sons to the zoo!"

"So?" I shrug, frowning again. "Mercedes takes Sofia to the zoo every other month and that doesn't seem to bother you so why can't Mel take the boys there too?"

"Oh no, no, no… Don't you dare compare the two, Santana!"

'Santana'…? Well… if I hadn't already understood that Brittany was mad, now I would know for sure.

"Mercedes would have never taken Sofia to the zoo for her first time ever! Not without us at least." She says and the realization finally hits me.

Ooooh… fuck! That's why she's so upset! It was the boys' very first visit to the zoo and she was not there! God, this is bad… How did I even miss it?

"You know I love animals and how much it means to me to share that passion with the kids!" She says and this time, I can read more pain than anger in her eyes. "I was planning on taking the boys there this summer, with you and Sofia… to make it a family day! And now… it's too late!" She shrugs. "Melissa is the one who shared that with them, and with you. I was not even there! I didn't get to see my babies' faces when they discovered the zoo and its animals… And I'll never get that first time back."

God… I feel so guilty… Even though I personally don't care so much about the kids' "first visits" here and there, I know that Britt does - especially when it comes to places that she loves. And I actually know very well how she must be feeling right now… I was not home when Sofia took her very first steps and even if Brittany filmed it all for me, I burst into tears when I realized that I had missed that special moment and that my daughter would never take "her first steps" ever again.

"I'm really, really sorry about this, Britt… but you shouldn't blame Melissa, she didn't know… She was just trying to do something fun with the boys…" I shrug. "I'm the one that should have known better…"

"Then why does she keep doing it?"

"What do you mean by 'she keeps doing it'?" I ask, confused.

"Earlier, she suggested to take the twins to the beach, even though they haven't been there yet! And the other day, she announced - on social networks by the way - that Gabriel was teething! That's how the rest of our family found out, even my parents! Because for some mysterious reason, they follow each other!" She says, getting more and more upset. "Who does she think she is? Their third parent? Our kids' PR?"

"I don't think she meant to announce it on our behalf, Britt… but I see your point. Look… I'll talk to Mel, I'm sure she won't do it again, OK?"

"I'm not so sure, Santana. The truth is that she oversteps her boundaries all the time! She keeps acting like… she's family. But she's not!" She states in an assertive tone.

"She's family to me!" I argue and now it's my turn to be upset. "I grew up with her, Brittany! And we were very close! I'm sorry but if Gay freakin' Berry is my children's 'aunt'…" I say, using air quotes. "… then my childhood friend is too! Because even if I don't count the years Mel lived in Chicago, I have known her for a very long time! Even as long as I have known you."

"I didn't say she couldn't be our kids' aunt but… she has to stop walking around like… like…"

"Like what, Britt?!"

"Like she's a Lopez!" She says, raising her arms in frustration. "She has brunches at your parents, she even spends the night there on weekends… And now she learns Abuela's recipes?!" She adds, in disbelief. "Remember what your dad always says? 'You can only be a Lopez if you're born one or if you marry one'! And she is in neither one of these categories!"

I look at her in disbelief, finding myself completely speechless and incredibly sad all of a sudden. I have had so much fun with Melissa ever since she arrived in L.A. and I really thought that she and Brittany would get along. I never even considered the possibility that they might not… I thought we would spend late nights drinking wine and laughing the three of us, and that they would become BFFs by the time Mel had to fly back to Lima.

"I don't think you understand…" I eventually say in a sad voice. "When I was a child, I was always with Melissa, Britt! My parents even had an arrangement with hers so that we could carpool together to elementary school, since we were in the same class! We were like Sofia and Charlotte!" I add, knowing that this comparison is perhaps the only way for her to get it. "And we would spend every minute of free time together, either at my house or hers. My parents practically raised her!" I say, raising my arms. "So… of course after so many years apart, it's only natural that they try to make up for lost time and hang out together. Is that so bad?" I ask. "Having someone like Melissa around is a good distraction for my parents and Abuela, especially since you and I live so far away! And it's good for Mel too because her whole family is in Chicago now and she doesn't know many people in Lima anymore, everyone else has moved away!"

"Well then maybe she should just find a partner and build a family of her own instead of forcing her way into ours." She says with a very unusual lack of empathy, leaving me completely stunned.

"Ok Britt, I got it! You don't like her around our family!" I react in an angry way. "But what gives you the right to decide when Melissa is ready to find a partner or build a family of her own?"

"She's basically raising my children already, even though no one asked her!" She replies. "So… isn't that the proof that she's ready?" She says sarcastically.

"How should I know?" I frown.

"Aren't you her best friend?" She adds with the same sarcastic tone as before. "If you two were as close as you said, don't you think she would have at least talked to you about that mysterious 4 year long relationship that ended? Especially since she's so good at hogging a conversation!"

"I already told you that she doesn't like to talk about it! Not everyone is like you, Brittany!" I say, enraged. "Some people don't like to talk about their private feelings you know! I sure don't!" I add, raising my arms in exasperation. "And have you ever bothered to wonder why she 'hogs conversations'? It's a defense mechanism!" I argue. "She makes jokes to fill the silence and if she talks so much, that's only because she wants to control the discussion so that people don't ask her intrusive questions like you did tonight!" I add, staring into her eyes.

"Intrusive questions?" She repeats with a sarcastic chuckle.

"Yes, intrusive! Why didn't you shine a light at her during your little interrogation while you were at it? Asking her if her last partner was a man or a woman? What was that?!" I frown. "Honestly, I really don't think Mel is into women but if she was, she should have the right to tell us when she feels ready to! You of all people should know that you can't out someone! Especially after what happened to me in high school!" I say. "But there you were, harassing her with questions and practically forcing her into a date she's clearly not ready for!"

"I was not forcing her, I was just trying to help!"

"Oh please! Don't lie to me, Britt." I say, shaking my head, and we immediately find ourselves in an uncomfortable silence.

"Why did you even do that?" I eventually ask in a softer voice but she remains silent.

"Brittany…"

"Because… I…" She sighs. "It feels like she's trying to steal my place…"

"Your place…?"

"Yeah…" She shrugs, raising sad eyes towards me. "You said it yourself, San: your parents and Abuela adore her. And why wouldn't they? Not only have they known her since she was a young child but… she goes to church, she can speak Spanish, she jokes around with them! She's like… the perfect daughter-in-law!" She adds. "And as if that was not enough, she also steals my kids' first times from me, acting with them as if they were her own, up to a point that even strangers think she's their mother! And on top of it all… she keeps falling asleep on my wife and calls her for hours every week!" She says, getting furious again. "I just wanted her to back off a little! At least, if she finds a lover, she will have less time to spend with my family."

I'm so surprised by what I've just heard that I find myself speechless again. I had no idea that Brittany felt so threatened by Mel… How come my psychic Mexican third eye did not pick up on that?

"Britt…" I eventually say, taking her hands in mine. "My family already has the perfect daughter-in-law: you! My parents have always loved you, ever since they met you! And Abuela, well… it took her more time to accept the fact that I would marry you but you know what she told me the last time I saw her in Lima?" I ask. "That she was grateful for you because you were good for me! She even confessed that when I was a teenager, she was worried I would never find somebody who would put up with me. So she prayed and asked God to find me a loving partner that would have the patience to deal with my bad temper. That little speech of hers was a bit insulting to be honest but… she said that although she thought God would send me a boy, He worked in mysterious ways and that she was convinced He was the one that sent you…" I say. "She actually thinks you were sent by God! That's like the biggest compliment Abuela could ever make to someone! And besides, you gave her great-grandchildren so… believe me, she's never going to love anyone else more than you."

"And about the kids… I told you, I will talk to Mel and I'll make sure that first times are exclusively reserved for you, 'mommy'." I say with a timid smile. "And when Melissa is gone, we'll have that family day at the zoo, I promise you." I add, bringing her hand to my lips but she still looks sad.

"Melissa told me that you got upset yesterday because some old lady at the park thought she was Sofia's mom… I know it sucks, honey... but it happens to me too! Every time Quinn holds Gabriel in public, people think she's his mom - most likely because she's blond. No one even considers the possibility that he's my son! And I'm afraid that there will always be people that get it wrong but it doesn't matter! You are Sofia's mom and you will always be." I say, looking into her eyes. "But... honestly, I'm glad that Mel spends so much time with the kids when she's here. I really want them to know her, Britt… I hope that's OK…" I say and fortunately, she eventually nods in agreement.

"And when it comes to me, you really have nothing to worry about, honey… because I married the only girl I have ever wanted." I say, cupping her cheek to give her a tender kiss on the lips. "Melissa falls asleep on me because she has always done that ever since we were kids… I don't think she does it intentionally! But I'll make sure this doesn't happen anymore because I wouldn't like it either if someone was sleeping on you…" I admit. "And… I guess you're right, we do spend a lot of time talking on the phone… but I'll cut it down, OK?" I say, hugging her tight.

"Feeling better now…?" I ask when I pull away.

"I guess… I just… I…" She mumbles before suddenly hugging me so tight that she's suffocating me and I eventually hear her sobbing against my neck.

"Britt…" I whisper, rubbing her back to comfort her. "What's the matter, honey...?"

"It's just that… I can't help but think that if Melissa had stayed in Lima, you would have spent all of your free time with her, just like when you were kids. You would have done your homework together – especially since she was living next door – and watched movies in your bedroom… And… she would have probably been the one you would have had your first kiss with or… fooled around with. So… maybe you would have dated her instead of me." She concludes in a sad tone.

"What…?" I say, surprised. "Brittany, I adore Melissa, I do, but… you're the only one I have ever loved!"

"But would you still have fallen in love with me if she was around? Would you have even known me at all?"

"Of course!" I shrug. "I would have known you from the Cheerios! And from Glee club!"

"But if Mel had gone to McKinley, she might have joined the Cheerios too. And with that voice, she would have definitely joined Glee club!"

"Maybe so but it doesn't change anything, I would have still met you."

"It doesn't mean that you would have paid any attention to me, San… You would have been too busy talking and joking around with her!" She argues. "She has such a big presence that wherever she goes, she becomes the center of attention. I was a shy teenager, I would have been invisible next to her!"

"You were anything but invisible, Brittany!" I immediately object.

"Right."

"I'm serious! First, I would have noticed you just for your amazing moves at Cheerios practice. And while Melissa was a lot like me – and like any other kid that was growing up in Lima Heights – you…" I trail off. "There was no one like you, Britt! Don't you remember what I used to tell you in high school? You were the unicorn in a world of horses! And you were all I saw…"

"That's only because pretty, funny, badass Melissa was not around…" She repeats once more and she looks so sad that I suddenly feel sad too. Why doesn't she believe me…?

"Look…" I sigh. "I'm going to tell you something I have never told anyone, not even you…" I say and I can tell by the look in her eyes that I sparked her curiosity. "Do you remember that when you joined the Cheerios, we didn't have any classes together?" I ask and she silently nods. "The only times we would meet were at practice and that quickly turned out to be my favorite part of the day… because of you." I say. "I would even secretly watch you and count the times you would smile at me…" I shrug. "And I would die having to wait a whole day before seeing you again… so… I… um… I… God, this is embarrassing…"

"It's pretty cute so far…" She says with a timid smile, obviously encouraging me to keep going.

"I'm not sure you'll still think so in a few minutes but…" I reply, pausing to take a long inhale. "I… I really wanted to see you more often so… every time I would be lucky enough to cross paths with you in the hallway, I would discretely watch where you were going or who you were speaking with… And I eventually found out that you were in the same class as Sara, this Hispanic girl that I knew a bit because of my Abuela…"

"Oh yeah… Sara! She was nice, she would even lend me her notes!"

"Yeah, she was okay." I shrug. "And thanks to her, I actually found out your whole schedule… so… since I knew where you were at all times of the day, I made sure to be around, wherever you were going… just to multiply the occasions to 'randomly' run into you…" I add in a shy voice.

"That's probably the cutest thing I have ever heard…" She says with a smile. "But now that you say that, I actually remember! I seemed to run into you everywhere: in between classes, at the canteen, at the library… And you would always smile and wave at me!"

"I know…" I say with a timid smile. "And yet, that was still not enough for me. I desperately wanted to get to know you better but… that was not really possible just by running into each other in the hallway. And we couldn't talk that much at practice either, especially with a coach like Sue… So… I um… God, you're going to think that I'm a total creep."

"I doubt that, San… Just tell me…"

"Ok…" I sigh. "Here it goes… So um… one day, I even went to Figgins and I pretended that due to a schedule conflict with my piano classes, I needed to switch around a few things. And long story short, I landed in your history class…"

"Oh that's right! I was drawing at my desk that day while waiting for the history class to start and you popped out of nowhere, asking me if you could take the seat right next to me… and I said yes! And we even sat together until the end of the year." She smiles. "But wait… so it was all planned…?"

"Yeah…" I shrug in admission. "I didn't know what it was back then but… I have always been drawn to you, Britt… since the very first day I saw you. It's like my heart knew we were meant to be before my head did! And… falling in love with you has been the easiest thing I have ever done!" I shrug once more before taking her hands in mine. "You are my one true love… And I choose you over everyone." I add, staring into her eyes.

"Even over Mel?" She asks.

"Yes, Britt." I confirm in a heartbeat. "Over everyone."


MUCH LATER THAT NIGHT – AT HOME – BRITTANY POV

I wake up from slumber once I feel the bed shifting. "San…?" I whisper.

"Hey… Sorry, honey… I was trying really hard not to wake you but I see that I have failed once more…"

"That's alright…" I yawn, moving closer to her. "Is Melissa back?"

"Yeah, she's home now…" She says, hugging me tight in her arms. "I'm sorry for coming to bed so late but I really wanted to make sure that she got home okay. I'm so happy that she eventually agreed to spend the night here rather than at a hotel."

"You did good…" I nod. "And um… is she… is she alright?" I ask, feeling guilty.

"Well… she's OK enough for now… We had a pretty long chat even though she still refuses to talk about her feelings, in true Lima Heights fashion… But I spoke to her about the kids and I set some boundaries…" She says. "She fully understood and she actually asked me to pass on her deepest apologies' to you."

"OK… Thanks for talking to her…" I say, kissing her cheek. "I will also apologize to her tomorrow…"

"That would be really helpful, honey…" She replies, pressing her lips on my forehead. "Because I really don't want Mel to be uncomfortable around us…"


ON THE NEXT MORNING

I don't know if it's because last night was so eventful but I slept through my alarm clock this morning… And once I finally enter the kitchen, Santana is about to go drive Sofia to daycare.

"Morning…" I say with a sleepy voice.

"Morning, wifey…" She smiles, pressing her lips on mine. "I'm sorry but we gotta go, otherwise I'm going to be late for work." She adds, taking her purse. "Come on mija, let's go!"

"Where is Mel?" I ask, looking around.

"She said she wanted to do some sightseeing today, to clear her head… so… I think you won't see her before tonight."


LATER THAT DAY (EARLY EVENING) – AT HOME

Santana and I are watching TV in the living room when Melissa comes home. She has been gone all day and I haven't seen her or talked to her since I lost it on her last night.

"Hi!" She says with a smile upon entering the room, quickly taking a seat next to me. She doesn't look upset, if anything she looks… cheerful!

"Brittany, do you have any plans tonight?" She suddenly asks, catching me off guard.

"Uh…" I say, exchanging a quick look with Santana who is obviously also wondering what's going on. "Um no… I don't have any plans…" I add hesitantly.

"Well, you do now." She says. "Come on, get dressed… We're going out for drinks."

"What?" Santana suddenly interjects, confused.

"Drinks?" I repeat. "But… uh… someone needs to watch the kids."

"Santana can do that." Mel replies, pointing her hand at her.

"But… I thought we were going for drinks?" Santana says.

"No. Brittany and I are going for drinks, you are not invited." Mel clarifies, holding Santana's gaze.

"Right!" Santana chuckles in a sarcastic way, as if that idea was crazy. "And I'm supposed to let you two go out without being supervised? What if this turns into a bloodbath?"

"There will be no bloodbath!" Mel replies, rolling her eyes. "We'll behave, I promise. Right, Britt?" She asks, turning to me.

"Um… sure…" I reply even if I have no idea what I'm getting into. "It will be fine…" I nod, looking at Santana before pressing my lips on hers to reassure her.

"Yeah, sure… My childhood friend and my wife talking about me all night long, what could possibly go wrong…" She says ironically.

"And what makes you think we're going to talk about you all night long?" Melissa teases.

"Well… aren't you going to talk about me?"

"Oh yeah, we're definitely going to talk about you!" Melissa confirms. "But maybe not all night long! You're not the only conversation topic, Lopez!"


LATER THAT NIGHT – AT THE PUB – MELISSA POV

Brittany and I entered the pub a few minutes ago and we have just ordered our first drinks when my phone beeps.

"How much do you bet it's Lopez?" I tell Brittany before checking my phone.

"Well… I was right! Listen to this…" I say.

FROM "SAN": 'Since I am stuck on baby duty thanks to you, at least make sure my lovely wife doesn't get drunk and that she stays safe, OK? Otherwise I'll kick your ass, Lima Heights style! And don't talk bad about me, you both love me anyway.'

"Well… someone is definitely feeling abandoned tonight…" Britt says.

"I know… She totally hates us going out without her!" I chuckle.

After returning me a timid smile, Brittany's face suddenly turns serious and she takes a sip from her drink, as if she was thinking of what to say next.

"Why are we here, Melissa…?" She eventually whispers, locking eyes with mine.

"Well… I figured we should talk…" I reply. "I have been thinking a lot today, about many things, and… I thought it was important for me to apologize to you in person. I never meant to do anything upsetting or disrespectful to you but… I realize that I have indeed overstepped my boundaries more than once… and I'm truly sorry. I… I'll be more careful in the future." I nod, looking into her eyes before taking a deep breath.

"I know you don't like me, Brittany…" I eventually find the courage to say. "I actually picked up on that vibe shortly after arriving in L.A… I didn't worry about it at first… I thought that if we spent some time together, you would eventually grow to appreciate me but apparently, the opposite happened. I don't blame you…" I shrug. "But now that Santana is back in my life, I really, really don't want to lose that friendship! So… I kind of need you to like me because… how can it work if my best friend's wife hates me?"

"I don't hate you." She replies. "It's just that…" She sighs. "You know… Santana always says I'm the biggest mama-bear…" She shrugs. "And I guess it's true because she and the kids are everything to me and… I don't know, every time I feel that someone is marching into my territory, I get really upset! I have this rage, coming out of nowhere, that I don't know how to handle because… I'm not usually the type to get angry." She says. "I tried to keep it in, hoping that it would eventually pass because I know that your friendship means a lot to Santana too but… it just kept piling up, and up, until it was too much." She adds. "But I'm sorry too… I didn't mean to put you on the spot and make you uncomfortable. I just… flipped out I guess…"

"That's okay…" I nod in understanding. "And you know what? Maybe you should just get it all off your chest." I suggest. "I'm serious! Tell me to fuck off even, if that's what you need…"

"I… Actually, I think that what I need from you is answers." She says.

"Okay…" I reply, a bit confused. "About what…?"

BRITTANY POV

"I'm sorry if I reopen any old wounds but I really need to know more about your last relationship." I say.

Melissa immediately looks down at her hands and I can read the pain all over her face. I can tell that she's struggling with her emotions right now, much like Santana in similar situations.

"Okay…" She eventually sighs. "What do you want to know…?" She whispers, still not looking at me.

"Were you dating a man or a woman?" I ask.

"A man." She replies. "Matthew."

"What happened…?"

She inhales deeply as if she was gathering courage to speak.

"Well… as you know, I'm a teacher and… that's how I met Matthew. He was a chemistry teacher in the same school I taught in, in Chicago. We got along immediately and… we eventually started dating… Things were going really well between us, so well that… I fell in love." She shrugs, looking at me for the first time since she started talking about him. "That was even the greatest love I had ever had in my life so I was… walking on sunshine!" She shrugs again. "We eventually decided to move in together and after a while, we even got engaged…" She says, taking me aback for a second. I had no idea that she had been engaged!

"We were together for four years…" She pauses. "… until the day he announced he was leaving me for another woman… A woman that he apparently had been cheating on me with for two years and… who he had just got pregnant. And as if that was not horrible enough, that woman happened to be a mutual colleague of ours and… my closest friend in Chicago."

I'm so stunned that I find myself speechless and I suddenly feel incredibly guilty for what I said to her last night. If Santana would cheat on me and go on having kids with someone else, I would be completely devastated. Even more so if it was with a close friend of mine! No wonder that Melissa felt the need to leave our house last night and take some time for herself…

"I'm truly sorry…" I eventually say. "That must have been really tough."

"It was…"

"That's the reason you left Chicago, right…?"

"Yes…" She nods. "I felt that if I kept working at that school, I would never be able to move on… I didn't want to see them every single day, being lovebirds right in front of me. And I didn't want to see pity in my other colleague's eyes… I just… I didn't want to be that 'poor girl whose fiancé got another woman pregnant'. So… I resigned." She shrugs. "But I quickly realized that that was not enough. I didn't need to just change jobs, I needed to leave that awful period of my life behind and start a new life somewhere else. So I started to apply for jobs in other states, like a maniac! I just couldn't wait to move away… Fortunately, I got two offers quite quickly: one in Nebraska and another one from McKinley High. I had such great memories of my years in Lima that I decided to take that one and I left Chicago a couple of days later."

"And… have you ever told Santana about Matthew…?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I have so much fun with Santana, I don't want to spoil that by talking about sad things that are in the past anyway. And I didn't leave Chicago to carry the 'victim' label with me, I don't want Santana to look at me with pity eyes like all those people did."

"She wouldn't." I immediately say. "If anything, she would probably ask you for Matthew's address, to go 'kick him in the nuts' for what he did to you."

"I can actually picture that." She chuckles. "But to be honest with you, I also don't want to tell her because it's always awkward when I'm around people who know about Matthew and me, even when they are understanding. For example, I have seen my parents just once since I moved to Lima, and even though we don't talk about it anymore, it's still the giant elephant in the room. I was supposed to spend a week in Chicago at Christmas and I went back to Ohio after only two days because I was too uncomfortable! That's why I'm so grateful for San's parents… At least, they know nothing about this and they always make me feel so welcome that it makes it a little less lonely…" She says and I nod because I actually understand. Santana's parents have always made me feel right at home too, ever since I was a teenager. "And I guess that's also why I went a bit overboard with Santana and the kids here… Because whenever I'm around them, there is no pain, no awkwardness… It is nothing but fun!" She adds, making me think of those happy "family" pictures she recently took with them.

"Can I… Can I ask you…" I trail off. "Are you… only into men?" I say, finally asking the question that I have had in my mind for a long time.

"I have mainly dated men but… if I'm being completely honest, I uh… experimented a little in college and I made out with a couple of girls." She replies and I immediately feel a pit in my stomach. So... she also likes girls?

Melissa must notice the distressed look on my face because she immediately continues speaking. "I just made out with them, it didn't go further than that…" She clarifies. "And I'm not going to go after Santana, if that's what you're worried about."

"Can I really believe you?" I shrug, looking straight into her eyes.

"Yes, you can." She replies in a heartbeat, her eyes still set on mine. "Look, Santana is amazing … and in another life, maybe I would have pursued her but… she's my best friend, I want her to be happy! I wouldn't mess with her marriage or her family…" She says. "And even if I wanted to, that would be pointless anyway, because the way she talks about you and how you guys act around each other… it's clear that you have something very special." She adds. "To tell you the truth, when you two were making out in the limo on our way back from Quinn's bachelorette party, I kept thinking how much I would like to find someone that loves me like you two love each other… Someone who wouldn't be able to keep their hands off me, even after years of marriage."

"Well… I sincerely hope you eventually find that person…" I say. "And who knows… maybe this dramatic situation you went through in Chicago had to happen for you to find your one true love…"

"Maybe…" She nods. "But… I'm so not in a position to date right now. I'm not ready…" She shrugs. "As you can imagine, after being betrayed by my fiancé and my friend who I had known for years, saying I have trust issues is the understatement of the year! So… I think I need to do a lot of healing before I can open up with people again and I'm afraid it's going to take even longer for me to make new friends or date…" She adds. "That's why I'm so happy I got Santana back… Because at least, I know that I can trust her and that she will never do anything to hurt me."

"That's true…" I smile, nodding. "She has her friends' back, always."


LATER – AT THE PUB

"It was some sort of summer activities for kids, organized by the church… and of course, it's Abuela who had signed us up!" Melissa says, telling me more about Santana's childhood years. "One day, we first went to the pool, then we went to the fair and… there was this roller coaster. Nothing too impressive you know, it was specifically for kids. But Santana got so scared when we rode it that… she peed in her pants!" She says, laughing. "And you know how San is, she's way too proud to ever admit that she was scared. So… she asked me to hide her while she discretely removed her underwear and tossed it in a bin. And when we came back home, she lied to Abuela, saying that someone had stolen her underwear from the changing room while we were swimming in the pool." She adds. "But you know, Abuela is not the type of woman that would let that slide so on the next day, she complained to one of the young parishioners that were in charge. And we all got a never-ending lecture on how bad it is to steal… even though no one had stolen anything!" She chuckles.

"How old were you?" I ask, laughing along because that sounds so much like Santana.

"I would say 10 years old or something like that…?" She says. "And guess what? To this day, Abuela still believes that the underwear was stolen and she's still outraged! Just try to casually mention 'stealing' to her some day and you will see, I guarantee she will bring up that story."

And for the first time, I realize that having Mel in our lives might not be so bad. Not only is Santana happy to have her old friend back but I also get to hear cute stories about the only period of my wife's life that I didn't share with her.


EVEN LATER – AT THE PUB

"OK… please don't tell Santana that I showed you this but… I took this just a few days after New Year…" I say, showing her a picture of Santana sleeping with Diego on her chest.

"Oh my God… is she actually drooling on her shirt or is it Diego?"

"No, it was all her…" I laugh.

"Seriously? Oh my God, Brittany… this is GOLD!" She says enthusiastically. "If I were you, I would copy that picture into several folders so that she cannot ever delete it! And then you can totally blackmail her with this since she's obsessed with her badass reputation!" She chuckles.


LATER THAT NIGHT – AT HOME – SANTANA POV

I wake up to the feeling of Brittany snuggling up against my body and of her lips on the back of my neck.

"Hi…" I whisper, slowly turning around to face her. "So… how was it? You both made it back home in one piece?"

"Yeah…" She chuckles. "It went fine." She nods. "Mel is… alright I guess."

"Oh is she now?" I smile, caressing her cheek.

"Yeah…" She shrugs. "I'm not saying she's going to be my best friend in the world, and she better not oversteps her boundaries again when it comes to my wife and my children but… we had a good talk and… we're good now."

"I'm so glad to hear that, honey!" I say with a wider smile, before kissing her lips. "She didn't tell any embarrassing story about me, right?"

Britt only gives me a mischievous smile in response and I know what that means.

"God… I'm so going to kill her tomorrow!"

"Don't…" She replies, pressing her lips on mine. "If anything, it just made me love you even more."

"Really?"

"Really." She repeats, hugging me tight.


TWO DAYS LATER – AT PARAMOUNT

I'm sitting alone in my office, getting increasingly nervous. Today, the Board will vote on the main storyline for season 4 and if they choose Lee's proposal, the whole cast will be fired, our characters will disappear and I will no longer have any control over what Glee represents out there in the world.

I wouldn't be so nervous if I had any serious lead with a streaming platform but I have literally nothing! Most of the services we contacted have officially turned us down and the others have never reacted. I haven't heard anything back from Netflix either… I sent a couple of reminders to Patricia Miller but she has never responded.

"Santana…" I suddenly hear Artie say as he wheels his way into my office through the open door. "We need to talk…" He adds, closing the door. His face is very serious and I know that he wouldn't barge in like this just to chit chat…

"What's up?" I ask.

"Well… since Quinn is not working this week, I have been spying on Lee like she asked and…"

"Spying on Lee?!" I cut him off, confused.

"Oh okay…" He says, clearly surprised and suddenly looking uneasy. "I thought you knew but obviously you didn't… But um… anyway, there is no time to argue about this so… long story short: Quinn had Lee's phone tapped a few weeks ago… to be able to listen to his conversations when he's in his office."

"She what?" I ask in a shocked voice, opening my eyes wide in surprise. "For fuck's sake, who does she think she is exactly? A CIA agent?! Do you even know what you guys risk if Lee finds out, Artie?" I say, raising my hands. "But you know what… I'm just going to pretend I don't know anything about this because I can't afford going to jail, OK? I have kids!"

"Believe me, Lopez… You want to know what I have just heard." He says, looking me straight in the eye. "Lee was just speaking on the phone with his assistant and… he's getting prepared to fire the cast and call for a new one right after the vote." He adds, catching me off guard. "They will do that today, San!" He repeats to make sure I got it.

"Today…? But…I…" I trail off, completely panicking.

I knew that things could move fast after the vote but I never thought it would happen on the very same day! "Why on earth is he in such a hurry?" I finally ask.

"Well… in his words: he 'suspects that you are up to something and he doesn't want to give you any chance to counter-attack."

"But… I haven't even warned the cast yet!" I say, immediately picking up the phone. "Tracy, get me Rivera, now! And when I say now, I mean now, OK? I don't care if she's shooting a scene or in the middle of makeup, bring her to my office asap, it's a 911 situation!"

Naya needs to hear it from me, I owe her that much! God... I shouldn't have waited this long!


A LITTLE WHILE LATER – AT PARAMOUNT - SANTANA'S OFFICE

I spent the last ten minutes telling Naya everything: Lee's plans for season 4, my desperate crusade to move Glee to a streaming platform and today's vote…

"I'm sorry…" I say, locking eyes with hers. "I thought I would be able to secure a deal with a streaming service before it's too late and maintain the cast but… I have failed…" I add, looking down in shame.

"So… the whole cast is going to be fired today, unless the Board votes for your proposal?" She asks.

"They won't vote for my proposal, Naya… The only reason I even presented a counterproposal was to buy time but I don't have enough arguments to actually convince the Board." I reply, shaking my head.

"I'm so, so sorry…" I add. "I couldn't tell you or any other cast member because if you guys were starting to look for another role too early, it would have jeopardized our chances with a streaming platform…" I say. "And I didn't want to risk Lee finding out, otherwise he would have stopped me and ruined everything. But anyway… it doesn't even matter anymore."

"I tried everything I could but the truth is that I can't save the show, or the cast…" I shrug in admission. "And I better go tell them all before Lee does." I say, getting up from my chair.

"Wait… I'll tell them." She suddenly says, much to my surprise.

"No, Naya… I can't let you do that… This is my failure and I have to take responsibility for it."

"Trust me, Santana… They'll take the news better if I'm the one who tells them… Go to your meeting with the Board, I'll tell the cast in the meanwhile and you can join us after the meeting."

"You really think it's best?" I ask, not convinced.

"I do." She says in a confident voice, nodding.


ONE HOUR LATER – AT PARAMOUNT

Lee and I have been waiting outside the Aquarium meeting room for a few minutes, in total silence. The other Board representatives are all in the meeting room already so I suppose we will be called in soon. At least, since Lee is the author of one of the proposals, he is not allowed to vote today.

I'm lost in my thoughts, trying to figure out what I'm going to tell the cast later, when Terry Fisher suddenly opens the door. "Santana, Lee, please come in."

As we enter the room, we are invited to go sit at a small table which faces the Board members.

While Fisher sums up Lee's proposal and mine, I can't help but think that I'm doing my very last days at Paramount. I will just get to supervise the third season finale – a double episode focusing on Nationals – and then, I will hand in my letter of resignation.

"The ratings went down during the second half of the third season…" Fisher says, pulling me out of my thoughts. "… but some episodes scored well, like the tribute to Michael Jackson and the Disco episode, which were Santana's ideas." He adds and I'm grateful for that last appreciation of my work.

"Alright… I think we have gone through all the main elements so… it's time to vote now…" He says. "All in favor of Lee's proposal, please raise your hand."

I look around and watch them all raise their hand one by one, even Fisher who is looking at me with apologetic eyes.

"I'm truly sorry, Santana…" He says. "You know how much I appreciate you… You have done an amazing job in the past three years but… ratings keep going down so I'm afraid we don't have a choice: we need to make some changes."

I remain seated, without saying a word. I'm looking down but I can see Lee's proud smirk from the corner of my eye. I make sure to keep a straight face because I don't want him to know how devastated I am right now, there is no way I'm going to give him this satisfaction.

I always knew I would lose this vote. Yet, being in this room and hearing the Board's verdict suddenly made it a lot more real. Glee, the project that was so dear to my heart and that I started writing when I was pregnant with my little girl, will slip through my fingers. God knows that I fought this sad outcome with every fiber in my body but there is nothing I can do about it anymore… I just have to accept that I won't be able to tell our full story or further develop Brittana on screen… I will not even work with Quinn, Artie, or Naya anymore…

This time, it's really over.


A/N: What do you think of this chapter? Did you expect this type of backstory for Melissa? Are you happy that Santana and Brittany finally talked about her? I don't know if you expected the Paramount drama but what do you think will happen to Santana now? Thanks in advance for your reviews!