CHAPTER 45

A/N: Thanks to lisaj928, Tamardejong, Itsskik, Olivia, JerzyMare, Lina Jacob2, Lolfiction55, pacumeme57, butterflybarbie, Yadi and the Guest for their reviews and for those who reacted on social media. Special thanks to pjay413 for proofreading this chapter. I know that what happened at Paramount might have come as a surprise, you'll know more about Santana's professional situation in this chapter - which also includes Quinn and Puck's wedding (as I said before, I don't like to do the same things twice so I didn't cover it in the same way as Mercedes and Sam's wedding.) Enjoy and watch out the POV, as I alternate between Santana, Brittany and Quinn.


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

Although I'm still technically on maternity leave, I spent the afternoon at the dance school, to fill in for Mike. But once I get back home, I'm very surprised to find an empty house. Where are they all…?! Santana was supposed to pick up Sofia at daycare and the twins at Sam and Mercedes'.

I quickly check my phone but I don't have any message from her… She has not even replied to my text asking her how the Board vote went.

Worried, I'm just about to call her when I hear the key in the front door.

"Oh thank God…" I say as Santana is coming in. "Where were you? I was worried! And where are the kids?" I ask when I see that she's alone.

"They're fine… I asked Mercedes to keep the boys overnight and Sofia is with Mike and Tina until tomorrow." She replies, much to my surprise. "After the day I have had, it's better if the kids are not here, Britt, because… all I want to do right now is get wasted and the only person I want to do that with is you."

She wants to get wasted? Oh God… It must not have gone well…

"What happened?" I ask.

"Well…" She says, taking glasses from the cupboard. "Artie found out last minute that if Lee won the vote, he would fire the cast today." She adds while my mouth opens in surprise. "And as I suspected, everyone voted for Lee's proposal, even Fisher…"

"Oh my God, honey… I'm so sorry…" I reply, remembering how Santana always said that once the cast was fired, there would be no more hope because the wheels would be in motion and it would be impossible to turn back. And now that I see her opening a bottle of champagne, I can only assume we're going to have one of those 'ironic' celebrations as she calls them, much like when we lost nationals or when she told Abuela she liked girls.


FLASHBACK TO SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL – AT SANTANA'S PARENTS' HOUSE

"Celebrate?" I repeat in confusion.

"Yeah! It's not every day that my Abuela – the woman who says that 'family is the most important thing in the world' – rejects her only granddaughter just because she loves a girl. That calls for a celebration, don't you think?" She says sarcastically and I don't even know how to respond to that so I remain silent, watching her taking a bottle of champagne from her parents' fridge.

"Come on…" She says, pulling me by the hand to lead me to her room.

"Aren't you going to be in trouble for taking that bottle of champagne?" I ask.

"Nah!" She shakes her head. "My parents keep some more in the basement, I will just replace it before they come home. And besides, the only way to celebrate is with champagne, Britt!" She adds, taking a sip. "Come on, your turn…" She says, handing me the bottle.

She's looking at me expectantly and even though I don't feel like drinking or celebrating what must be the most painful day of her life, I eventually bring the bottle to my lips to take a sip. I have always found these "ironic celebrations" weird but if that's the way I can help her process this situation, so be it.

"Here's to Alma Lopez, the grandmother of the year…" She says, raising the bottle. "… who would rather see me dead than in love with another woman." She adds, taking a sip before handing me the bottle again.


PRESENT TIME

"Here's to Lee Paulblatt, one of the biggest assholes I have ever met." Santana says, raising her glass of champagne towards me. I don't mind drinking to that though because I hate the way he has been treating her… meddling with her storylines, forcing her to rework scripts until late at night… So it's with big pleasure that I clink my glass against hers and take a sip.

"And here's to Fox Television, the network that censors you, turns your show into crap and makes your dreams die!" She says, downing her glass in one go. Even though I hesitate for a couple of seconds, I eventually imitate her, wondering how I'm going to keep up this rhythm because I can't handle alcohol like her.

"After that awful vote…" She adds after swallowing. "… all I wanted was to get the hell out of that meeting room and go find the cast but of course, Fisher came talking to me before I could escape! And he went on and on about how 'talented I was' and how 'I shouldn't let one failure define me'…" She says, shaking her head. "I'm sure he meant well because Fisher is actually a decent guy but… I really didn't want to stay even a minute longer in that room, feeling like a loser while Lee was acting like he was Almighty God! Fortunately, I saw Artie waving at me like a maniac through the glass wall so I politely excused myself, saying there was obviously something urgent I needed to take care of… And long story short…" She sighs. "… you, my love, are now married to a Netflix showrunner." She casually adds and my jaw immediately drops.

"Wait… what…?" I frown in confusion but when I see the gigantic smile on her face, I know I heard it right. "Oh my God! You did it?" I say, opening my mouth in amazement. "You did it!" I repeat more enthusiastically, throwing myself at her to hug her tight.

"But… how?" I ask, covering her mouth with kisses.

"Uh Britt… I kind of need my lips to tell you the story…" She chuckles in between kisses.

"Sorry…" I smile timidly, having a hard time holding back.


FLASHBACK TO A FEW HOURS EARLIER, RIGHT AFTER THE VOTE – AT PARAMOUNT - SANTANA POV

"Are you having a stroke or what?" I whisper as I join Artie in the hallway.

"You have a phone call and believe me, you don't want to miss it." He replies, handing me my phone which I had previously entrusted him with.

"Hello?" I say into the phone.

"Hello Santana, Patricia Miller here."

"Ms Miller…?" I repeat, surprised, and I immediately find myself at a loss for words.

"You know I'm not one for beating around the bush so… I just wanted to inform you that I have decided to pick up Glee and the Fox Board should receive a formal offer from Netflix as we speak." She says and as I turn around to look in the direction of the meeting room, I spot all the Board members checking their phones simultaneously.

"Oh my God, are you serious?" I whisper, walking further away from the meeting room, gesturing for Artie to follow me.

"Yes, I am. But to be honest with you, I had initially decided to reject your proposal because although your ideas were very interesting, I couldn't match the current cast salaries. It was too risky to invest that much money considering that the show's ratings have been going down for a while. But then… I got a very interesting call from Naya Rivera and she made me an offer that I couldn't refuse."

"Naya…? But…" I mumble, not understanding at all what is going on.

"She informed me that your cast was ready to accept a 20% salary decrease for the first 10 episodes and she personally offered to cut down her own salary by 40%. Of course, we agreed this would be temporary and if ratings go back up, Netflix would obviously increase salaries, retroactively. So… with those new elements in hand, I eventually decided to buy Glee and I made a very generous offer to the Fox Board. I am pretty confident they will accept but I will confirm as soon as I can." She says. "Oh and I've got to tell you, Santana… I've never seen a cast agreeing to such a salary decrease before, you're really lucky to have them!" She adds before hanging up, leaving me completely speechless.

I stay frozen for a minute, trying to make sense of what just happened. But suddenly, a few words heard one hour ago come back to my mind: "Trust me, Santana… They'll take the news better if I'm the one who tells them." And that's how I understand that Naya didn't just inform the cast, she's also the one who convinced them to reduce their salaries! But how did she pull that off…? And how did she even manage to reach Patricia Miller? I tried to call her myself a few times before the Board vote and I couldn't get through!

I guess being famous helps…


PRESENT TIME - AT HOME - BRITTANY POV

"After Patricia's phone call, I went to find Naya and the whole cast was already gathered in her trailer! I'm not even sure how we all fit in there but I spent a long time hugging every single one of them because I was just so grateful for what they did! And while we were chatting, Patricia Miller called me back and said that the Board had accepted her offer." She says. "And well… obviously we all hugged again!" She laughs.

"And where is my hug…?" I pout and she chuckles before engulfing me in her arms.

"Honestly, once I heard that Lee would fire the cast after the vote, I had no more hope…" She whispers into my ear before pulling away. "I… I had completely given up!" She shrugs in admission. "I still can't believe this is happening!"

"Believe it, honey… because you did it!" I say, squeezing her hands in mine.

"Well… it's rather Quinn and Naya who did it… Without Fabray's spying madness, I wouldn't have found out about Lee's plan to fire the cast and I wouldn't have had the time to warn Naya. And without Rivera, I wouldn't have got this deal with Netflix! They both saved my ass and they did it without me suspecting anything!"

"Well… they're definitely amazing friends but you have to give yourself credit too…" I reply. "Moving Glee to a streaming platform was your idea! You're even the one that convinced Patricia Miller to look at your proposal in the first place! And if Quinn and Naya tried so hard to help you, it's because they love working with you!"

"I'm so, so happy for you, San!" I smile, looking into her eyes and caressing her cheek. "And so proud!" I add, capturing her lips in a loving kiss.

"So… what happens now?" I ask, curious.

"Well… I'm guessing that tomorrow, I will have a very unpleasant conversation with Lee and I will also have to face Fisher's disappointment because I basically backstabbed the Board! But… tonight, I don't want to think about that. Tonight… I just want to celebrate with my wife! So… I'm going to order pizza and we're going to drink more champagne and then… we're going to have lots and lots of sex!"

"Well… when you put it like that, how can I refuse…" I smirk.


LATER THAT NIGHT – AT HOME – SANTANA POV

After drinking some more, Brittany and I totally got into a party mood: we put the volume up, sang at the top of our lungs and danced around together while passing the bottle of champagne to each other. Even if I have drunk way more than her, we are both pretty wasted now, making out on the living room couch like a couple of horny teenagers.

"I love our kids but… I had really, really missed being just the two of us…" I admit in between kisses.

"Me too…" She whispers before deepening the kiss, her hand sneaking under my shirt. God… how does she always kiss this good?

"Do you want to move the party to the bedroom…?" I eventually ask, out of breath.

"Definitely…" She smiles against my lips before getting up and helping me to do the same.

I'm barely up that Brittany wraps her arms around me to kiss me deeply again and I don't want to let go of her lips. We only break the kiss to take off each other's shirt and bra, tossing them on the way while we both stagger towards our bedroom, our tongues swirling together. By the time we enter our bedroom, our panties are the only piece of clothing we still have on and I can't wait to get rid of them too.

"I love you so much I want to have your babies so bad…" Britt suddenly whispers in between kisses.

"Um… o-kay… But we kind of did that already, honey…" I say and she immediately pouts.

"You remember that we have three kids, right?" I ask, now wondering how drunk she is exactly.

"Duh! We have the most amazing little girl and two adorable baby boys!"

"That we do…" I smile.

"And I have the sexiest wife in the world…" She adds, pulling me closer to her body.

"I'm not sure about that… My wife is pretty hot you know!" I reply and she smiles before pushing me gently onto the bed.


ON THE NEXT MORNING – AT PARAMOUNT

Just like I suspected, I was summoned for a meeting with Lee and Terry Fisher as soon as I arrived at Paramount.

While Terry has been his usual polite self, Lee has been lecturing me for the past 10 minutes and I'm seriously getting fed up! After all the drinking and sexing I did last night, I barely slept and I am really not up for this kind of chat this morning.

"I knew she was up to something!" Lee says, turning to Fisher. "I sensed it the moment she decided to present a counterproposal! Don't you see? She has always been trouble!" He adds and that sets me off.

"Okay… You know what?" I say, having enough. "I will always be grateful to you for giving me a chance and bringing my show to television…" I admit, looking at Lee. "… but I don't owe you a damn thing! Because I already did my part of the bargain: I made you rich!" I say, raising my arms, knowing that money is all he cares about. "Surely you didn't think I would just sit there while you destroy my show, did you?" I ask sarcastically. "Because in case you forgot, I created Glee, based on my life! I wrote every single episode and supervised every single step, until the final cut! I'm the one that made it successful!"

"And yet, ratings went down, Ms Lopez-Pierce." He comments in a condescending tone.

"And do you know why they went down?" I question in a defying voice, crossing my arms.

"Yes. It's because you are an incapable showrunner!" He replies, making me chuckle sarcastically.

"Your stupid ratings actually prove me right, Mr Paulblatt." I say in a calm voice, being formal just like him. "Ratings went up in the first half of the season because back then, you let me implement the ideas I presented at the season launch party. Then, ratings went down because we have simply exhausted high school topics!" I argue but he dismisses me with a shrug. "Just like the characters have outgrown high school, the audience has too, viewers are looking for something different! That's what the ratings were telling us and you should have listened!" I add, pointing my finger at him. "I already told you weeks ago that the only way to keep them watching the show was to include ambitious musical numbers until we can explore the character's adult life. And not only did you refuse, but you started to mess with our scripts, adding even more high school topics, including ones that we had already covered in the past!" I add, raising my arms.

"You made it repetitive, that's why the show kept going down. And look…" I say, pointing at the charts. "… the only two episodes that escaped that awful trend and scored well are the ones you forced me to produce myself! And that's because they included ambitious musical numbers! So forgive me for not being on board with your ridiculous season 4 ideas, given your 'great' track record!" I add sarcastically. "I actually objected when you first proposed them but once again, you didn't listen! So instead of constantly talking to a wall… I presented a counterproposal to the Board."

"Oh please Ms Lopez-Pierce, can you stop pretending you ever wanted to continue with us?" Lee suddenly says. "That counterproposal of yours was just a diversion so that we wouldn't suspect your streaming plans. You played us!"

Well… I guess that occasionally, he can be clever.

"Is that true, Santana?" Fisher calmly asks, looking at me.

I take a moment to think about what I should reply but I know I owe Fisher the truth.

"Yes… it was just a diversion." I eventually admit, holding his gaze. "I knew that the Board wouldn't go with my proposal but as I needed more time to find a streaming service, I… I presented a counterproposal just to delay the vote. I'm sorry, Terry… but I just couldn't let my show become this… circus! I didn't want to write fake characters or another generation of high school students. I wanted to keep telling the story of my Glee club, without being censored."

"Well… that will teach me to let my admiration for Rachel Berry cloud my judgment. I should have never supported your project!" Lee says before exiting the room, leaving me alone to face Fisher's disappointed eyes.

"I'm really, really sorry, Terry… It's nothing personal. I… I did what I had to do, just like you did when you voted against me. I had to protect the legacy and the integrity of this show… I owed it to my friends… and to Mr Schue!"

"I understand, Santana, believe me… I just wish you had talked to me, maybe we could have found a solution…" He replies in a sad tone.

"I'm afraid there was no other solution, Terry… Even if we had found an agreement on the storyline, I… I knew I couldn't go on being censored like this… Not anymore. I need total creative freedom and schedule flexibility so that I can spend more time at home with my family."

"I see. Well… it sounds like you got what you wanted, Ms Lopez-Pierce." He says, and I immediately feel a sting in my heart at his sudden formality. He usually calls me Santana…


LATER THAT NIGHT – AT HOME

"So… here are some fresh towels…" I tell Puckerman while placing them on the bed. "And you can help yourself in the kitchen if you need anything, we have a ton of food in the fridge." I add as he looks once more around our guestroom.

"Thanks…" He mumbles in a depressed tone.

"What's wrong?" I ask, worried. "I hope you're not thinking of running away and standing up your bride at the altar tomorrow because I swear to God, Puckerman… I will break your balls if you do that!"

"I'm not going to run away!" He frowns. "It just sucks to sleep apart from Quinn tonight…"

"Don't you sleep apart often with your missions and all?"

"Yeah but… when I'm on a mission, we don't have a choice! Here it's different… She basically kicked me out of the house! And over what? Tradition?"

"Well… Quinn is a traditional girl so… it was to be expected… I even called it, remember?"

"I guess…" He sighs. "Did you and Britt also sleep apart the night before your wedding?"

"Hell no!" I reply, frowning. "I couldn't even go one hour without seeing Britt before the ceremony so a whole night? Forget it! Plus, I really think Brittany needed me around, she was waaaay more stressed than me!"

"Why?" He asks.

"She was afraid of bad luck because of some silly superstitions…"

"And you were not?"

"No!" I shrug. "I don't believe in those things! Personally, all I could think of was that on the next day, she would become my wife and I would get a lifetime of her! There was nothing stressful about that, it was actually the most soothing thought ever." I say. "So cheer up, Puckerman!" I say, placing my hands on his shoulders. "Tomorrow, you will be married to Quinn Fabray and that's all that really matters! And you'll have the rest of your life to sleep by her side."

"Yeah… you're right." He nods. "Thanks…"

"Alright… get your beauty sleep now… Tomorrow is a big day!" I say, making my way towards the door.

"Wait… If Brittany was so stressed that night, how did you calm her down?"

"With sex." I shrug.

"You had sex the night before your wedding?!" He asks, not believing his ears.

"Yep, sure did! In case you didn't know, I am not a traditional girl." I say. "Besides, it worked like a charm, we both slept like a baby!"


ON THE NEXT DAY – AT THE WEDDING VENUE

"Well… honestly, Puckerman… you're really handsome in this uniform." I say, adjusting his bowtie. "There… perfect!" I smile.

"Thanks… You look very nice too by the way! A chick in a suit is really hot!"

"You think?" I say, not convinced. "Because let me tell you, I'm only wearing this because you insisted… A pantsuit is not exactly the most feminine thing."

"Are you kidding? It's a slim fit suit, Lopez! It's basically cut to highlight your curves! And that tie is skinny." He replies. "Plus you're wearing your hair done, make up… and high heels! You definitely look feminine, trust me!"


A WHILE LATER – AT THE VENUE – BRITTANY POV

"You're the most beautiful bride I have ever seen, sweetie." Quinn's mom says in an emotional voice, her hands crossed on her heart.

"You really look stunning, Q…" I nod in agreement but before I can say more, someone knocks on the door.

"Who is it?" Quinn asks, probably making sure it's not Puck.

"It's Santana…" We hear through the door and I smile upon hearing her voice.

"Are you alone, San?" Because there is no way I'm letting Puck see me before the ceremony."

"Yes I'm alone, don't worry."

"Ok… Britt, can you open the door?" Quinn asks me.

I go open the door and when I see Santana in her sexy indigo suit, my heart skips a beat. God, she really looks smoking hot in any outfit…

"Wow, Britt… you look astonishingly beautiful!" She says, looking me up and down before placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Um… right back at you…" I whisper as if all the air had been sucked out of my lungs.

"Please tell me you're not here because Puck ran away!" Quinn says, worried.

"If he had run away, do you really think I would have taken the time to politely knock on your door and compliment my wife before telling you?" She questions. "Don't you worry, your guy is fine and he's ready. He just asked me to come check on you and see how you were doing."

"Aaww, he did?" Quinn says with a timid smile, obviously touched.

"Yeah…" Santana nods. "It turns out you got yourself a pretty good man, Fabray… Okay, I see that everything is under control here so I will go back to the groom now. By the way, you look incredible, Quinn. That dress is perfect!" She adds. "I'll see you guys later." She says, bringing my hand to her lips, making the butterflies in my stomach flutter before exiting the room.


LATER – WEDDING CEREMONY – SANTANA POV

Puckerman and I have been patiently waiting at the altar when my Sofia makes her big entrance, holding her mommy's hand and carrying a basket of flower petals. Britt whispers something into her ear - probably telling her once more what she's expected to do - and points to me before taking a step back. Sofia suddenly seems a bit shy but as she looks at me from afar, I smile big at her, nodding to encourage her. She eventually grabs a handful of petals and scatters them around while walking down the aisle, as if she had done this her whole life! Everyone looks at her in adoration, the first one being me…

Once Sofia is pretty close to the altar, I walk towards her and kiss the top of her head. "You did really great, mija!" I whisper with a proud smile, gently leading her to her seat, between her Uncle Sam and Auntie 'Cedes.

It's now Brittany's turn to walk down the aisle and she looks so perfect that I can't stop looking at her… As she's smiling at me, a part of me really wants to elbow Puckerman, hijack this whole ceremony and marry her all over again.


LATER – BRITTANY POV

"I now declare you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride." The priest says and we all clap enthusiastically as Quinn and Puck share a loving kiss.

I really love weddings! There is all this… love and joy in the air! And when I see how beaming Quinn looks, I can't help but smile.

"Are you crying?" Quinn suddenly asks Santana, as she is wiping her eye after giving her a congratulatory hug.

"What? No!" She says in a proud tone, frowning. "I… I just have something in my eye!"

"Right…" Quinn whispers sarcastically while Santana steps away.

"She also has something in her eye every single time we watch a romantic movie…" I tell Quinn, laughing discreetely.


MUCH LATER (EVENING TIME) – AT THE WEDDING VENUE – QUINN POV

After saying hi to some people that my mom insisted on inviting – despite the fact that I wanted an intimate gathering - I excused myself at the first opportunity. We already finished dinner a while ago and I'm definitely ready to kick off the partying now.

"Rach, have you seen Brittany or Santana?" I ask.

"Um no… I haven't seen them in a while actually. Maybe they're outside?"

"No, I was in the garden just now and I didn't see th…" I stop mid-sentence when my eye catches a glimpse of Brittany getting back into the room and I squint when I see her discreetely wiping her dress flat. I'm about to walk towards her but she joins Mike and Sofia before I get the chance. Right at that moment, Santana also gets back into the room through another entrance and when I see the look on her face, I decide to go to her instead.

"You are seriously unbelievable!" I whisper, frowning.

"Why? What did I do?" She asks, confused.

"Don't you mean 'who' did you do"?" I ask sarcastically and she opens her mouth in surprise. "You promised me you wouldn't have sex at my wedding! Brittany even gave me her word!"

"Okay… I'm sorry but to be exact, we only promised we wouldn't have sex during the ceremony, we said nothing about the rest of the day!" She says to defend herself, making me even more outraged.

"Unbelievable!" I repeat, shaking my head. "What, were you so hopeless that you had to take her in the ladies bathroom?"

"What? No!" She frowns. "We have a room upstairs, don't you remember? And I don't need any lessons from you, 'parking lot girl'!" She says. "Why do you even make such a big deal? No one noticed… except you!" She raises her hands. "And besides, this is totally your fault so…"

"It's my fault that you can't keep it in your pants?!"

"Yes! You and Puckerman… you did this! You put Britt in that sexy dress and you seriously expected me to do nothing?!" She asks. "And it was your husband's idea to make me wear this suit, which apparently set Brittany's hormones on fire! And on top of it all, you are also the ones who asked for our daughter to be your flower girl, which means that she will have to sleep with us tonight! So since we are not going to have sex when our kid is in the room, we had to find another moment to be alone, didn't we?"

"No, you didn't have to!" I protest.

"Seriously, Fabray, it's your wedding day! Don't you have better things to do than scolding me for having sex with my wife?"

"Yes, I do actually! I was looking for you because Puck and I want to sing a song with our witnesses, so are you joining us or not?" I ask impatiently, with an angry voice.


EVEN LATER – AT THE VENUE

"I can't believe my little Quinnie is a married woman!" Santana says, gently pinching my cheek while we are slow dancing together. Okay… she's clearly drunk now…

"Little Quinnie?" I chuckle. "I'm older than you, San!"

"Maybe but… I have been married longer than you so… in this context, I can only see you as 'Little Quinnie'." She justifies.

"Of course you've been married longer! It's only been a few hours for me!" I reply with a shrug. "Any word of advice by the way?"

"Why? Do you need me to prepare you for what's going to happen during your wedding night?" She laughs.

"Ha ha!" I comment sarcastically. "That ship has sailed."

"Oh I know… Now you do it aaaall over parking lots." She teases.

"Are you ever going to drop that?"

"Nope! It's too funny!" She replies with a smile. "Besides, you know that this is what we do, Fabray. We tease each other, we fight but… deep down, we love each other! No?"

"Yeah, you're not too bad…" I shrug in admission. "And I want to thank you for the beautiful speech you made earlier by the way…" I add, locking eyes with her. "Did you really mean what you said…?"

"I meant everything I said, so yes… but what part are you referring to exactly?" She asks.

"The part where you said I was like a sister to you…"

"Of course I meant that! Isn't it obvious?" She asks.

"I guess it is…" I smile, before hugging her tight. God knows that Santana drives me nuts at times but she's such a good friend… "It was really moving, you even made me cry…" I admit.

"Well… if it helps, I can go upstairs and have sex with Brittany again, and then you'll be back to being mad at me?" She suggests and I immediately slap her arm in response.

"You can't be serious for even one minute, can you?" I ask with a disapproving look.

"Sure I can!" She laughs. "But you need to relax a little, Fabray!" She adds, holding me tighter in her arms.

"Do you think I'll make a good wife?" I whisper into her ear.

"I'm sure you will even be a perfect wife!" She replies in a heartbeat. "Puckerman, on the other hand, had a long way to go but… I shared my full wisdom with him and now he's totally husband material so… you're welcome!"

"Thanks!" I laugh.

"Come on ladies…" Kurt suddenly says in an excited voice out of nowhere, placing his hands on our shoulders. "It's time for Don't Stop Believin'!" He sing songs, making Santana instantly sigh in exasperation.

"I'm not even going to fight it anymore… There is no point." She says. "But I do need a shot before I sing that fucking song for the millionth time!"

She has barely said that that Brittany is already by her side, handing her a glass of alcohol and I can't help but be impressed. They know each other so well that Britt can even anticipate Santana's needs? God… they're really the couple we all want to be…


A FEW DAYS LATER – AT PARAMOUNT – SANTANA POV

I have been spending the last couple of hours on set with Artie, to shoot the scenes of our victory at nationals, and I'm feeling very emotional. This brings back so many great memories… We were really on top of the world! And as I observe Naya in her red dress, looking exactly like I did back then, it feels once more like I'm seeing a ghost from the past… I'm not sure I will ever get used to that!

And I can't help but wonder what "young Santana" would think of what I have become. She was so eager to go to New York… She dreamed of becoming famous and acting or touring around the world… And even if I did make it to New York, I just toured once around the US, and I have never really become famous. At least not to the extent she was hoping for. But somehow, I think she would still be proud of what I have achieved. She would be in awe just for the fact that I married Brittany, even if she would probably be less enthusiastic about having three kids. I can already hear her "That's just crazy!"

But I know that she would support my show as well as my decision to move it to a streaming platform. "It's better to be your own boss, you shouldn't let those old farts from Fox decide for you!" She would say.

And she would be right.

I actually don't have contacts with the Board anymore. Lee barely comes to Paramount and when he does, he completely ignores me but I couldn't care less. But Fisher... it's another story. Even if I haven't seen him since then, I just can't stop thinking of our last conversation...


A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER – AT PARAMOUNT

With Artie by my side, I patiently wait for the cast to gather around the table before speaking up.

"Good morning guys…" I say with a smile. "I asked you to come here because as you know, we will wrap season 3 tomorrow, with our last scenes in the choir room… And then we will take a break, just like we do every summer. But since Glee is moving to Netflix, some things will change and I thought you should know what to expect in the near future."

"First of all, unlike the Fox Board members, Netflix representatives will not be around – except tomorrow, because Patricia Miller, the Chief Content Officer at Netflix, will visit and has specifically asked to meet you all. But other than that, you will probably never see her. Her job mainly consists of monitoring ratings and deciding what content makes it on the platform." I add. "As the showrunner, I will have the final word on Glee scripts and edits, which means… no more censorship!" I say and they all applaud enthusiastically.

"Thank you!" I smile gratefully before kindly gesturing to them to be silent. "Of course, Quinn will still assist me and Artie remains our Director. But I have even more good news for you: we will still shoot here at Paramount!" I say and they clap again in excitement.

"But as a streaming platform allows more flexibility, the schedule will be adapted. In practice, since Quinn is now on her honeymoon and I will finally take a summer vacation this year, we will only start writing scripts in August. This will take us a few weeks during which Artie and his team will shoot outside footage." I add.

"Now… about the season 4 storylines…" I say. "After graduation, your characters will move on to other projects, which will lead them to different cities: New York, Boston, New Haven or L.A… but they will also come back to Lima on a regular basis. And we will explore their lives as young adults: their challenges such as money issues or coping with being far from family, romances, student life, working life, etc…"

"For you, festivities will only start at the end of September, with the table read. And we will start shooting as from mid-October." I clarify. "The batch of 10 episodes ordered by Netflix will be delivered by the end of March next year and should be uploaded on the platform around mid-April."


ON THE NEXT EVENING – AT THE DANCE SCHOOL – RECITAL NIGHT

"Are you sure you even know how to use that camera, Trouty mouth?" I ask Sam as I see him struggling with the device.

"Well… yeah…" He says, sounding uncertain. "I mean… yeah!" He says with more conviction as soon as I cross my arms in a threatening way. "It's new so… I used it only once but I'm sure it's like riding a bike…"

"You better figure it out because let me remind you that this is the first time my wife and my child are going to perform together and I want to be able to rewatch this for decades to come, OK?" I ask. "And if you don't succeed, first of all you'll have to explain yourself to Quinn because she keeps texting me asking for someone to film her niece's performance so she can watch it when she's back from her honeymoon. But more importantly, if you fail me, we'll just have to find a new husband for Mercedes because no one will ever be able to find your remains! Understood, Sammy Boy?"

"Yeah, it wouldn't be a dance recital if you were not threatening one of us… right?" He replies, making me frown in anger.

"OK Sam… give me that." Mercedes eventually sighs, taking the camera from him. "I'll set it"

By the time the recital starts, my excitement is already through the roof but I have to sit through five group performances before it's finally time for my girls to shine!

And when I see Britt and Sofia walking up on stage together, hand in hand, with their matching outfits, my heart immediately starts beating faster. Oh my God, they are so unbelievably cute…

"Ready, froggy lips?" I whisper.

"Um…" He says, making me turn to him with worried eyes.

"For God's sake, Sam… I set it all, it's even recording already!" Mercedes says. "All you gotta do is point the camera at them! Don't worry, San… I will also film it with my phone, just in case." She adds and now that I'm reassured, I can focus my whole attention on my beautiful girls.

As soon as they start dancing, I find myself in total awe because they are in perfect sync! And even though Sofia was already like a fish in water last year, I can see that she has gained even more confidence since then! My eyes don't leave them and they are both smiling so big that it's hard to know which one of the two is the happiest!

I remember attending this recital a few years ago, when I was pregnant with Sofia. I kept thinking that some day, I would get to watch my little girl perform on stage. And even though that feels like it was just yesterday, there she is now… dancing like the mini dance goddess that she is and I feel prouder than a peacock. But seeing her dance with her mom is making me even more emotional… Their complicity is absolutely heartwarming and it's still striking how alike they move… I'm really glad that they can share this…

And boy am I happy to see my Britt dance again! I really missed it so much! And judging by the radiant look on her face, it's obvious she belongs there! It's going to be really good for her to go back to teaching in September.

I could watch them for hours but their number unfortunately comes to an end... While they bow in front of the audience, I immediately stand up with pride, clapping hard and sending them flying kisses.

I'm so fucking in love.


ON THE NEXT DAY – AT HOME

"We should really pick a holiday destination this weekend, honey…" I say. "…because it's going to be really difficult to find accommodations on such short notice… Especially for five!"

"Actually I wanted to talk to you about that too…" my blonde replies. "My mom said they can have the house in Hawaii again so… I was thinking we should go with them…"

"Britt…" I sigh in complaint. "I love your parents but when I think about holidays, I picture myself alone with my wife and kids!"

"I know, San, but it's going to be hard with three young kids, believe me! It was already difficult with Sofia a couple of years ago and I was really happy my parents were around! And think about it… if they are there to help us, we will enjoy it more because we'll be more relaxed and we will have more time for ourselves or to play with our kids… Plus we still have that voucher for a fancy spa weekend and it turns out that there is one establishment in Hawaii that accepts them… So… we could leave the kids with my parents and go on a romantic weekend just you and me…" She suggests with a mischievous smile before kissing my lips.

"Now you're talking!" I say with a smirk.

"Ok…" I sigh in defeat. "Let's go to Hawaii with your parents then…"

"Great, I'll call my mom to let them now."


ONE WEEK LATER (JULY) – IN BED – BRITTANY POV

"San…" I sigh, turning the light back on. "You have been tossing and turning for like half an hour… What's wrong, honey?"

"I'm sorry…" She sighs. "I know it's stupid but… I keep thinking we have forgotten something."

"It's not stupid, I always feel like that too before travelling." I admit. "But you made detailed lists and we checked it all three times! We have everything!" I shrug.

"I really hope so…" She sighs again. "Because packing my own stuff is already stressful, but packing for three kids…? That should be an Olympic discipline!" She says, making me chuckle. "And when I think of the flight, I already feel my stomach in knots."

"It'll be fine, honey… stop worrying…" I say in a soft voice, moving closer to spoon her.

"But Britt… it takes more than 5 hours to fly to Hawaii and it's the boy's first plane trip… And it's also our first plane trip with three kids!"

"But that's exactly why my parents are flying with us… We'll be four adults for three kids, I think we'll manage!" I reply. "It's your first summer vacation in years, San… You should be enjoying it, not stressing out like this…" I add, kissing her cheek.

"I know but I can't help it… I just can't stop thinking about it… I don't even know if I will be able to sleep…"

"Well… I know something that will relax you and help you sleep…" I say with a smirk, moving on top of her before kissing her lips.


A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please tell me what you think. You know that I always insist on the importance of reviews as the reason I publish this story on this platform is to share it and interact with you. Your feedback is not only very useful for the story but it's also inspiring and motivating, especially given all the energy and time I invest in this. And for those who might be shy: please know that it doesn't require an account, you can review as anonymous guests. So please let me ask you the following:

- Are you happy that Santana will finally be able to run her show the way she wants?
- Did you enjoy the wedding?

The next chapter will focus on their holidays in Hawaii ;-) Thanks for reading/reviewing and until next time!