CHAPTER 48
A/N: Thanks to JerzyMare, pacumeme57, Writersblock1000, Olivia, Itsskik, pjay413, Tammy, tamardejong, Berrylucky5 and the guests for their reviews, and also to those who contacted me on social media. Thanks also to Flmagic11 and the others for your encouraging words in reaction to my last A/N. Special thanks to Whit Walk for proofreading this chapter.
Warning: the timeline of the story is accelerating as this chapter is a collection of short scenes and covers about 5 months of their lives. It's mostly Santana POV, except at the beginning where it's Brittany's.
Enjoy!
ONE WEEK LATER (SEPTEMBER) – AT HOME – BRITTANY POV
It's almost dinnertime when I finally get home and I have barely opened the door when the dog jumps on me to welcome me.
"Hi Penny!" I smile as she stands up on two feet, her front paws gently scratching my leg in excitement.
"I knew it was you, mommy!" Sofia says, running towards me to give me a hug. "Penny jumped off the sofa and ran to the door before you even opened it!"
"I thought I heard the front door…" Santana suddenly says, walking up to me with Diego in her arms.
"Hi, honey…" I say, kissing her lips. "Hello, baby boy…" I add, kissing Diego's forehead. "Where is Gabriel?" I ask but before Santana can answer, I spot him crawling towards me.
"Hi, buddy!" I say, lifting him off the floor. "Looks like you're crawling faster and faster, aren't you?"
"He sure is!" Santana confirms. "I even had to chase him a couple of times today! Something tells me he'll be the first one to walk…"
"But you wait for mama to be here before taking your first steps, mijo… OK?" She tells Gabriel. "I don't want to miss it like I did with your sister!"
"How was your first day back at the dance school?" She asks me.
"Oh, you know, it was just enrolling day so I didn't dance or teach… but we got more registrations than ever, I think we might even need to hire an additional teacher!" I say. "And guess what? Mike and I have decided that this year, we'll form a troupe made of our best students and send them to the dance competition!"
"Oh my God, I love that idea!" She comments in excitement. "And I'm sure your students will do great, Britt! They have the best teachers after all!" She smiles, kissing my cheek.
"We'll see…" I smile back. "By the way, I arranged my scheduled like we discussed, San… All my classes are spread over three days and I'll do administrative work from home for the remaining two days… which means I can watch the twins while you go to Paramount, mama".
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER (MORNING TIME) – AT HOME
"What the fuck?!" I suddenly hear Santana scream in the kitchen while I'm brushing my hair in the bathroom. "PENNY LOPEZ-PIERCE, GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" She shouts in an upset tone.
"What's going on?" I ask, entering the kitchen just in time to see the dog escaping Santana. "Oh my God…" I whisper in disbelief while looking around the room.
"Not only did she pee in the kitchen, like she does every single morning, but she shredded her perfectly fine bed into pieces! Look at this mess, it's everywhere!" She says, raising her arms in exasperation.
"Okay… let's stay calm…" I say in my most soothing voice because Santana looks really angry. "Honey, Penny is not even three months old and she's still being potty trained… It's normal that she can't hold it the whole night! But she's getting better and better! During the day, she even asks to go out when she needs to pee."
"And what about this, uh?" She asks, pointing at the bed pieces on the floor. "How do you explain that?" She says in a defiant tone, crossing her arms.
"Well… young dogs can shred things…" I shrug. "Maybe she was bored or her teeth hurt, I don't know… but we can buy an unchewable bed… and some additional toys to keep her busy."
"SOFIA!" Santana suddenly screams without even reacting to what I just said. "I'm telling you, Britt: your daughter is going to pick all these little pieces off the floor herself! It's her dog after all so it's time for her to take responsibility. Because it's too easy to just cuddle and play with Penny while we have to clean up this kind of bullshit!"
A FEW DAYS LATER (MORNING TIME) – AT HOME
"Seriously, wouldn't it be more comfortable to write at your desk?" I ask Santana again as I place her breakfast tray next to her while she's still in bed, typing on her laptop.
"I'm afraid if I move, I'll lose my momentum…" She replies. "I'm so in the zone, Britt! I have written more in the last couple of hours than I did in the past week!" She adds. "Thanks for bringing me breakfast by the way!"
"Anything I can do to help, honey…" I reply, kissing her forehead. I really wish I could stay in bed with her but it's time to drop Sofia at daycare and go teach dance.
ONE WEEK LATER – AT HOME – SANTANA POV
"Oh my God, can you just leave me alone?!" I complain impatiently as the damn dog is once again under my feet.
"Come on, San… be nice! She follows you because she loves you!" Britt says with a smile.
"Yeah well… I am sick of her! She follows me everywhere, Britt! In the kitchen, in the bedroom, in the bathroom… I can't even pee in peace, can you believe it?! I keep sending her away but it's not like she…" I trail off once my phone beeps.
FROM "GAY BERRY": A tribute episode to Finn is really a beautiful idea, San! I'm sure it will mean as much to his family as it does to me… But I don't need to read your script beforehand! I trust you will do a great job! As a matter of fact, I prefer to discover the episode once it's all done so go ahead! Send my love to Britt and the kids.
ANOTHER WEEK LATER – AT PARAMOUNT
"We're back, baby!" Quinn squeals, raising her arms in excitement as we enter Paramount studios for the first time since June.
"This time, it's just us, the three musketeers!" She says in an enthusiastic voice, looking at me and Artie. "No more censorship, no network validation and above it all… no Lee Paulblatt! God, I'm loving it already!" She adds, making me chuckle.
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER – AT PARAMOUNT
The cast has arrived a while ago and after spending what felt like an hour hugging everyone, we are now all reunited in a meeting room, for the table read.
"As I told you before the summer break, we are going to work very differently from before." I tell the cast. "All 10 episodes have already been written and we're going to do table read every morning this week to discover the scripts together. On afternoons, you will try out outfits so the costume department can make the necessary adjustments before we start shooting in two weeks."
"So… it's time to kick off season 4 now!" I announce and everyone claps in excitement. "You all have a copy of the first episode's script in front of you so please go to… page 3. Naya, we start with you…"
A FEW DAYS LATER (OCTOBER) – AT HOME
"So… how is it going at Paramount?" Britt asks me while I'm feeding Diego at the kitchen table.
"It's going great!" I say, satisfied. "So far so good at least… We're right on schedule and I can't quite put my finger on it but it's like there is this new energy in the air! I think that getting rid of all the network's ridiculous restrictions has done a lot of good to every-" I add but I'm interrupted by Diego's relentless "ma-ma, ma-ma, ma-ma…"
"Yes, mijo… What is it? You want your bottle?" I ask as he points at it. "There…" I smile, placing it closer to him and he immediately grabs it to bring it to his mouth.
"I really can't wait to start shooting though…" I admit, turning back to Britt.
"I bet…" She smiles. "And now that you're the sole person in charge, I'm sure the result will be amazing!" She adds, squeezing my hand.
"Well… one thing is certain: I can't make it worse than when Lee was there!" I reply. "What about you, honey? Did you pick your team for the dance competition?"
"Yep, all done! Mike has even registered them this afternoon so the next step is… invitationaaals!" She sing songs in excitement.
LATER THAT WEEK – AT HOME
"So… I composed three more songs during the summer and I can send them to you tonight if you want." I tell Naya. "Of course, it's quite a basic piano arrangement at the moment but it should give you an idea… Just let me know if you like any of them or if you prefer that I write something else."
"Thanks, I'll do that…" She smiles. "I also put the summer break to good use and I wrote some lyrics on my side." She says. "So now… I have five more songs I believe… Is that enough?"
"Oh yes, it's plenty!" I reply. "Send them to me if you like? It's always easier for me to compose music when I know what the song is about. And then we…" I add, but I trail off when I suddenly see Gabriel crawling his way into the room.
"God… I'm so sorry for the interruption, girls…" Brittany says, running just behind him. "He's so quick now, it's hard to catch him!"
She's about to pick him up when my boy escapes her again, crawling even faster towards Naya.
"Well… apparently, he wants his godmother's attention…" I laugh.
"Hi Gabriel!" Naya smiles, taking him affectionately into her arms. "Oh my gosh, he has changed so much since the last time I saw him! And that was… what, barely one month ago?"
"I know…" I sigh. "Every week, there is something new with the twins now! Diego has already started talking and Gabriel is going to walk on his own very soon…"
"You want to show your Auntie Nay Nay how well you can stand up when mama holds your hands?" I ask my son and Naya puts him back on the floor. With my help, he stands up straight and makes a few steps towards her.
"Wooow, great job, Gabriel!" Naya says in a proud tone, kneeling down to give him a kiss and he immediately giggles in the cutest way, like he does so often.
A FEW DAYS LATER – AT PARAMOUNT – SANTANA'S OFFICE
"I know you want to do ambitious musical numbers, San…" Quinn says. "… and I'm behind you 100% but… even if we are no longer subject to Lee's restrictions, we don't have unlimited funding either! These performances cost a lot of money and according to the projections, we will only have budget for 7 episodes!"
"I'm aware…" I sigh.
"Can you ask Patricia Miller to increase the budget?"
"No, that's not an option." I reply. "She made it clear from the very beginning that she would not grant me any deadline extension or budget increase so…"
"Well… then I'm afraid we have to drop some performances, San…"
"No!" I immediately object. "Q, I didn't get rid of Lee and Fox to have my creativity limited once more! This time, I'm going to run the show my way!"
"With who's money, San?" She shrugs.
"Mine." I reply. "Since my stubborn wife still refuses to use the dance fund I set up especially for her, I might as well use it to finance Glee again…" I sigh. "That way, we can do all the numbers we planned and if it works out well, I'll have even more money that Brittany can turn down…" I add sarcastically.
ON THE NEXT DAY (LUNCH TIME) – AT THE RESTAURANT
"I must say… I'm really happy that we are doing this girls lunch out!" Quinn says after the waiter took our orders. "It's too bad that Rachel had to cancel her trip to L.A, we could have had the whole gang reunited!"
"Oh yes, I'm so disappointed that Berry isn't here…" I mumble ironically while Quinn rolls her eyes.
"So… Tina, what's new with you?" I haven't seen you in a while!" Quinn says.
"Well… I actually have some exciting news…" Tina says, capturing everyone's attention. "I'm… um… I'm pregnant." She suddenly announces and we immediately all gasp at the table, although I can't say that I'm surprised. Ever since Quinn's bachelorette party, I have had the feeling that another Chang baby would come soon.
"Oh my God, Tina… I'm so happy for you!" Mercedes says while hugging her, followed by Quinn and Brittany.
"That's really amazing news, T!" I say with an enthusiastic smile, taking my turn to hug her. "How far along are you?"
"Three months…" She replies. "I couldn't wait to tell you all but… I first needed to be sure that everything was fine."
"And how are you feeling?" Quinn asks.
"Pretty good! This time, at least, I don't have morning sickness! But honestly, I'm a bit nervous… I mean, two kids… it's not going to be a walk in the park… I just hope we won't be too overwhelmed."
"Don't worry, T…" Brittany says in a reassuring tone. "We were scared too at first when I got pregnant with the twins but…"
"Um… you mean that I was scared…" I interrupt her. "Because you, you didn't seem scared for even a minute!"
"Of course, I was scared too!" Britt objects. "It's just that, unlike you who tend to over panic, I had faith that together, we could handle it all! And look at us now! Raising 4 kids is not such a terrifying thought anymore, is it?"
"Four kids…?" Quinn repeats, frowning. "Oh my God, are you pregnant too?!" She asks, looking at Britt and me.
"She means the dog…" I sigh and they all immediately throw a confused look at us.
"Britt, honey… I already told you to stop saying we have 4 kids… people are going to get the wrong idea."
"But we do!" She frowns. "Penny is like a child: we feed her, we educate her, we give her love…"
"I'm sorry but that stinky dog is not my child!" I object.
"But when I tell her 'go to mama', she goes to you!" She argues. "And I'm her mommy!"
"It's still not a kid, Britt! It's a dog!" I repeat, raising my arms. "She licks her private parts!"
"So?" She shrugs. "You and I lick each other's private parts!" She argues.
"Oh my God… you didn't just say that…" I say with despair, hiding my face in my hands in embarrassment while the girls are having a hard time refraining their laughter.
A FEW DAYS LATER (LATE AFTERNOON) – AT PARAMOUNT
As I make my way to the parking lot before going home, I spot Terry Fisher walking to his car. We haven't talked since that famous meeting after the Board vote but I have never forgotten the disappointed look in his eyes.
"Excuse me, Terry…" I call him, making him turn around.
"Santana…" He says, obviously surprised. At least, this time he called me by my first name.
"I… um… " I mumble, struggling to express my thoughts. "I was wondering if… you would accept to have dinner at my house sometime soon?" I suddenly ask, even though it's not at all what I was planning to say.
"Oh… I'm flattered but… it's not necessary, Santana." He replies. "I have been thinking since we last met and… I understand why you chose to leave the network…" He nods.
"Please come anyway…" I insist. "Honestly… you were the only person from the Board that I liked and… I really hate how we left things at our last meeting… You can bring your wife, and even your niece if you wish… I'm sure that Brittany would also love to see you again! Plus, you haven't met my kids yet… and I…" I add, running out of arguments.
"Okay, okay…" He says, raising his hands to gesture me to slow down. "I would love to... How about Saturday evening?" He asks.
"Saturday is perfect." I smile, relieved.
ONE WEEK LATER – HALLOWEEN – AT HOME
"No peeking, Britt!" I repeat again as I'm about to reveal our kids' halloween costumes.
"Okay, okay… my eyes are closed." She says, covering her eyes while sitting on the living room couch.
"Ok so… I give you… Batman!" I say enthusiastically, placing Diego on her lap as she opens her eyes.
"Ooohhh he's the cutest Batman I have ever seen!" She says in excitement. "Look at this little hat…" She adds, covering his face with kisses.
"He sure is!" I smile. "But close your eyes again…because…" I trail off while I temporarily get out of the room. "… here comes… Spiderman!" I add, carrying Gabriel.
"Oh my God… that's really one handsome Spiderman!" She says with a loving smile, taking our blond boy into her arms while I move Diego next to her. "You're both so cute in these costumes, I could eat you up!"
"I know, right?" I confirm. I'm sure the twins would look cute in anything though, she really gave me the most beautiful sons in the world.
"And now… last but not least… get ready to meet… Sofia the witch!" I announce as our little girl proudly runs into the room.
"Wow, you look so scary, peanut!" She says, making Sofia giggle. "I'm sure you'll get lots of candy when we go trick or treat around the neighborhood!"
A FEW DAYS LATER (NOVEMBER) – EARLY MORNING - AT HOME
This is one of those mornings that starts in the most perfect way: with Brittany laying on top of me, kissing me passionately, in the warmth of our bed. I'm holding her close, one of my hands sliding up and down her naked back and the other tangled in her blond locks. Her tongue swirls sensually with mine and she tastes so sweet that I can't help but moan in her mouth. No words are necessary when our bodies express the infinite love we have for each other…
I'm getting turned on more and more by the second, spreading my legs wider for her to rest between them. As my hand slides down to her ass to squeeze it, she gently rubs my boob and moves her lips to my neck when Penny suddenly barks in the kitchen.
"Ignore her…" I plead in an out of breath whisper, holding her even closer in my arms. Fortunately, Brittany does as told and keeps sucking on the pulse point of my neck. But when the dog barks a few more times, she pulls away.
"Please, Britt… don't stop…" I beg, locking eyes with her.
"I'm sorry, honey… but she's probably calling us because she has to pee…" She says, caressing my cheek.
"Well… in these specific circumstances, I'm totally fine with her peeing in the kitchen. It'll be wort it." I reply, pressing my lips back on hers.
"But if we let her bark, she might wake up the kids, San…" She whispers, pulling her lips away from mine once more. "…and then, we will have to stop this anyway! I'll just let her out and I'll be back in five minutes, OK?" She says, getting off my body before I can protest further.
God, I really hate that damn dog!
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER – AT PARAMOUNT
We are about to shoot our very first Brittana "sex" scene and to help Naya and Heather be as comfortable as possible, I reduced the crew to the minimum and made sure only women were on set.
"Ok, girls…" I say as they join me, wearing bathrobes. "I know you're not used to this kind of scene on the show but even my grandma thinks there is not enough sex on Glee so… it's time to spice things up! But let me reassure you: we're not shooting an adult movie here, so I'll make sure that most of your bodies are covered by the sheets." I add and they both nod timidly.
"Now… we need to talk about the context of the scene…" I say. "At the time, I was living in New York and Brittany was in Massachusetts… which means that we sometimes had to go weeks without seeing each other… And even when we could meet, it was not always easy to be alone… especially when she visited me in New York as I didn't have my own room there, I was just crashing on Rachel and Kurt's couch at the time. But fortunately, every time Britt and I would meet in Lima, we had our privacy…" I shrug. "She would usually spend the night with me at my parents' and since they were both working full time, we even had the house all to ourselves during the day…" I add. "And that's exactly what's happening in this scene: you're both back in Lima for a few days, it's the first time you see each other in weeks and you are completely alone in the house… OK?"
"OK." They both reply, nodding.
"Good…" I smile. "Now… one more important thing to keep in mind…" I add. "This season is very different from what we have done so far! I know that for three years, you were basically told to hold back on the romance because of the network… but this is no longer the case." I clarify. "Your characters are not in high school anymore, they are young adults! They're out and proud and… they're madly in love so… really go at it!" I say. "Do you have questions?"
"Um… no…" Naya shrugs after exchanging a look with Heather. "It's all clear…" She adds but I can tell that her voice is unusually shy.
"Alright… then you can both remove your bathrobe and get in bed." I say, turning around and instructing the crew to do the same. After all, there is no need to watch them getting naked.
"Heather, you lay down on your back… and Naya, you… um… you lay on top of her." I add, suddenly getting intimidated myself because it's also my very first time directing that kind of scene.
Once they are correctly positioned, I turn around and place the sheets to expose Naya's back, making sure that no side boob or butt is showing.
"So… as soon as I say 'action', you kiss and you keep kissing until I scream 'cut', OK?" I ask and they both nod.
I go sit behind the monitor, to first check the framing. "Camera 1, I need you to zoom in a little… A little more, please… OK, stop! It's perfect now!"
"Take #1… ACTION!" I scream and Naya leans down to kiss Heather. I look at the monitor for a while and even though it's a pretty good kiss, I know it will require a few takes for me to get what I need. I can tell that despite my recent instructions, they have been brainwashed by the network for so long that they are afraid to go too far.
"CUT!" I shout. "It was pretty good, ladies, but… I know you can do better!" I say, getting closer to them. "Naya… since you are the one initiating the kiss in this scene, you need to remember that this is the girl you love more than any words could say… the only one you have ever wanted!" I add. "She's this ray of sunshine that lights up everything around you and that always makes you feel right at home, wherever you are… OK?"
"And Heather… I wish I could tell you why Brittany loves me but the truth is that it's still a mystery to me!" I say, making her smile. "But one thing I do know is that ever since we met, Britt has always been patiently waiting for me to be ready… for everything! She has waited for me to admit my love for her, to come out and commit to this relationship, to have kids… because she knew that 'what we had was rare and it was worth waiting for'." I say, repeating the words that Brittany has told me so many times. "So… give me more love, let the kiss convey everything you mean to each other…" I add. "And give me more tongue too! But not in a gross way! In a loving way…"
They kiss again and I smile because after three years of countless arguments with the network, I can finally show that Brittany and I are a couple like any other and that there is nothing shameful about two girls having sex together.
"CUT!" I say. "That was very good, ladies!" I say in an encouraging tone. "We're almost there… Heather, could you maybe hold Naya a little tighter… and… let's put one hand on her back here…" I say, moving her hand, before getting back to my seat. "Camera 2, could you please do a closeup on their faces? Alright, take #3… ACTION!"
ON THE NEXT MORNING – AT HOME
"Dammit…" I complain, walking into our bedroom. "I was already running late and now I even have to change!"
"Why…?" Brittany asks, still in bed.
"Diego threw up on my dress!" I sigh, showing her the stain.
"Oh… I'm sorry, honey…" She replies. "I didn't know he was already awake… Why didn't you call me? I would have taken care of him!"
"I don't know, I just entered his bedroom to give him a kiss before going to work and his eyes were open so… I picked him up and… he threw up on me." I say. "But this is a disaster, Britt! I'm meeting Patricia Miller this morning, for the first time since we started shooting… I need to look professional, I'm the boss now! And that dress was perfect for that, what am I going to wear now?"
"You should wear your red dress, the one with the belt and the half sleeves…" She suggests. "And your black vest."
"God, you're a genius!" I say, taking her face between my hands to kiss her lips.
I change clothes faster than I ever did before and throw her a quick "Thanks, honey!" before leaving the room.
"And wear the black heeled shoes!" She shouts behind me.
I'm in such a hurry that I literally run through the hall but as I check the shoe cabinet, I can't find the pair Brittany referred to.
"Dammit!" I say, looking around. Of course, it's always when you're in a hurry that you can't find what you're looking for! Desperate, I even check the living room, only to find Penny chewing on my shoes.
"Oh my fucking God!" I say, opening my mouth in disbelief. "You're EATING my shoes?!" I add in an angry tone, yanking them from her mouth. "BRITTANY!" I shout when I see how badly ruined they are.
"What's wrong?" she asks, joining me in the room.
"Your dog ate my shoes!" I complain, raising my arms with the damaged pair still in my hands. "Do you know how expensive these were?!"
"If you ever do that again…" I say in a threatening way, pointing my index finger at Penny. "… I swear I'll drive you to the dog pound!" I add and she must understand I'm mad because she immediately goes hide behind Brittany.
A FEW DAYS LATER – AT THE DANCE SCHOOL
Since our children are all staying with their godparents tonight, I decide to sneak into Brittany's dance class and take a seat next to a few parents. She is coaching her troupe for sectionals and I can't help but smile because she's so damn good at her job! She's full of energy and patiently demonstrates the steps to her students, her movements being precise and fluid. I watch her go from one kid to the next, occasionally correcting their posture as they rehearse. She's meticulous but always supportive and kind… It's no wonder that they all love her!
"OK guys… One more time from the top… And 5, 6, 7, 8!" She counts. "One step to the left, two steps forward…" She repeats while doing the movements herself once more. "You tuuurn… and spread your arms in the most graceful way possible, with palms down… Yes, just like that!"
I'm so happy to see her back in her element, she really found her true calling with this school.
ONE WEEK LATER – AT HOME
"San! Come here, hurry!" Brittany suddenly shouts from Gabriel's room.
"What?" I say in a worried voice, running into the room.
"I think he's about to walk for the first time!" She whispers, pointing at Gabriel.
"Oh my God, really?" I say with open eyes, looking at my son who is currently standing up on his own, next to Britt. He's looking back at me, apparently unsure of what his next move should be.
"Call him! He might walk towards you!" Britt suggests while grabbing her phone, getting ready to film it, just in case.
"Okay…" I say, kneeling on the floor. "Vamos, Gabriel… ven a mama…" I say in sweet voice, spreading my arms in a welcoming way.
"Go to mama, bud…" Brittany encourages him.
"Ven a mí, mijo…" I repeat, smiling at him.
My boy's eyes are set on me and although he doesn't move, he can't stop giggling. I guess I look silly with my arms stretched like that…
After some hesitation, he eventually takes a step and then another, struggling to keep his balance.
"Oh my God, he's walking!" I say in disbelief, covering my nose and mouth with my hands.
"I know!" Brittany says, equally impressed. "Go on, baby… go to mama!" She tells him in an excited voice.
"Sí, bravo Gabriel!" I say with the biggest smile, opening my arms again. "Estás caminando!"
Our son takes a few more uncertain steps towards me and eventually falls but I catch him just in time.
"Well done, mijo!" I say, taking him in my arms to cover him with kisses. "I'm so proud of you!" I add, unable to hold back tears of joy. I might have missed it with Sofia, but I finally saw one of my children take their first steps…
ON THE NEXT EVENING – AT HOME
After taking a shower, I make my way towards our bedroom, ready to join Britt who is already in bed.
"Okay… NO." I shake my head when I see Penny sleeping on top of our sheets, next to Brittany's feet.
"The little rascal just climbed on our bed, out of nowhere…" She explains. "I couldn't bring myself to tell her no…"
"Well, I have absolutely no problem telling her no! Seriously, I already caught Sofia hiding her in bed the other day, that's enough now!" I say, ready to pick up the dog.
"Come on, San…" Britt says, grabbing my arm to stop me. "She's peacefully asleep, she's no bother."
"No! Brittany… this bed is sacred! It's the only place where I get you all to myself! So, I'm sorry, but no kids and certainly no dog allowed in here, OK?" I say without waiting for her answer. "Come with me, you…" I add, picking up Penny. "Time to get back to the kitchen."
A FEW DAYS LATER (DECEMBER) – MORNING TIME – AT HOME
It is yet another morning where I wake up in the best way possible, to the feeling of Brittany's tongue on my neck. And although I'm still very sleepy, I can't help but smile before slowly opening my eyes.
"Oh my God!" I say when I find myself face to face with Penny, laying on top of my chest. "Get the fuck off me!" I yell, frowning in disgust before getting up.
"What's going on here?" Brittany asks, suddenly entering the room.
"You tell me! Why is that stinky dog in my bed again?!" I ask in an angry voice.
"Uh… I don't know... If the door is not properly closed, she knows how to push it open so I guess that…"
"I'm so going to lock the kitchen door as from tonight then!" I interrupt her.
"San…"
"No! Do you even know how traumatized I am right now, Britt? I thought I was waking up to my sexy wife but no! It was just the damn dog licking my neck, when she spends her days eating earthworms in the garden!" I say, shivering in disgust. "God, I need a shower!"
ONE WEEK LATER (DIEGO & GABRIEL'S FIRST BIRTHDAY) – IN LIMA – AT SANTANA'S PARENTS'
We arrived in Lima a few days ago and this year, we have the chance to stay with our families for almost a month since Britt's dance school is closed for the holidays and Glee is on hiatus.
"Why do they get two cakes?" Sofia suddenly asks me with a pout, probably a little jealous of her brothers.
"Because it's both Diego and Gabriel's birthday, mija... They each deserve their own cake, just like you do when it's your birthday." I explain. "And you should be happy about that because that means two pieces for everyone else, including you."
"Really?" She says with open eyes.
"Yes, baby, really!" I reply with a smile.
"Abuelo, did you hear that? We're going to have two cakes!" She screams in excitement, running to my dad.
"Boy does she love cake…" I laugh.
"Well… who doesn't?" My mom replies with a chuckle.
"I can't believe the boys are already one…" She adds after a moment of silence.
"I know… I can't quite believe it myself…" I admit, my eyes going from Diego in Quinn's arms to Gabriel on Brittany's lap.
As I observe my children, I can't help but think that although the past year has been absolutely crazy, it has been a pretty good one too. We had two beautiful sons who are now starting to walk and talk, I quit Fox television for Netflix, finally having the opportunity to bring Glee to the next level… Brittany went back to teaching dance and even turned Sofia into a mini dance goddess in the process… And last but not least: we finally got to enjoy a summer family vacation!
A FEW WEEKS LATER (JANUARY) – IN LOS ANGELES – AT PARAMOUNT
After spending a magical Christmas with the family, we celebrated New Year's Eve with Mr Schue and Melissa, before returning to L.A. Today is my first day back at work but I know I have to be at full speed right away because we will wrap up season 4 in less than two months!
"But San…" Quinn sighs as we are discussing in my office. "… you have already exceeded the initial budget and now you want to even further upscale the musical numbers?" She asks, worried.
"Just for the last two episodes." I reply. "Look, Quinn… this is our only shot, OK? We only have 10 episodes to prove ourselves, otherwise Patricia Miller will not renew the show. So we need to keep the audience on their toes and make sure that they are left in awe after the last episode. That's the only way they will ask for more!"
"I know that but we already have a few impressive musical numbers and we'll end the season on a massive cliffhanger, don't you think it's enough?"
"No, I don't think so." I reply in a sure voice, shaking my head. "There is too much at stake here, Q… After what happened with Fox, there is no way we can ever return to television and you know that Netflix was the only streaming platform that was ready to take us…" I add. "We have to make it a success, especially since the only reason we can even shoot this season is because the cast agreed to a salary decrease! I can't let them down! And it's not enough to have a few good musical numbers here and there… The season has to go crescendo, on all levels, and end with a big finish!"
"OK… maybe you have a point but… I'm concerned, San… Even if you produce part of it yourself, I'm not sure we'll have enough funding!"
"You don't have to worry about that, Quinn… I ran the numbers with Brittany and yes, I will have to use up all the money from the dance fund but we'll have enough, I promise!"
A FEW DAYS LATER (SUNDAY AFTERNOON) – AT HOME
While I finish doing the lunch dishes, Brittany sets up the TV so we can watch a family movie with the kids.
A few minutes later, I join them in the living room but I immediately frown when I see that I have zero access to my wife! Diego and Gabriel are sitting on the couch, on each side of Britt, next to my little girl and… the freaking dog!
"Ok… Penny, get out." I say, suddenly pissed.
"But mama…" Sofia complains, pouting. "… I want to cuddle with her while we watch the movie…"
Great, it's always nice to hear that my child prefers to cuddle with a dog that smells like pee rather than with me.
"And where am I supposed to sit?" I ask her. "There is no more room on the sofa!"
"There?" Sofia suggests, pointing to a separate chair, making me drop my jaw in outrage.
Is she even serious? That's my wife and my kids but I have to sit elsewhere so I don't take the dog's spot?!
"Come on… I'm sure we can find some room for mama…" Brittany says. "San, if I take Diego on my lap and you take Gabriel on yours, you and I can even sit together…" She adds with a flirty smile.
"Thanks, wifey…" I say, having just the time to sit down before she places a kiss on my forehead.
A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER – AT HOME
I'm having lunch in the kitchen and Penny is sitting at my feet, watching my every move, just like every time I eat. But all of a sudden, something else catches her attention and she runs like a maniac through the hall. I see her scratching the front door and moaning like she usually does when Brittany is about to get home.
"It can't be mommy, Penny… She's at the dance school for the whole afternoon." I say, looking at the street through the window, to see if someone else is around. "See, her car is not there! And there is no one in sight…" I add before walking back to the kitchen.
But a few minutes later, I hear the key in the door and when I spot my lovely wife, I can't help but think that this dog really does have a sixth sense!
"Hi honey, how come you're already home? I thought that…" I say before stopping mid-sentence when I notice that she's in tears. "What's wrong?" I ask in a worried voice, rushing to engulf her in a tight hug.
"They shut down our dance school…" She says in between sobs, making me open my mouth wide in surprise.
"What?!" I ask. "But… why? Who shut it down?"
"The inspector came over unannounced this morning, for a random spot check… and…" She says, struggling to speak. "… he said that our electrical installation does not conform to safety requirements and… he just shut down the school!"
"What…?" I ask with a frown, trying to make sense of what she just said. "But… I thought you had an electrician checking the equipment on a regular basis?"
"We do!" She shrugs. "I don't understand, San… The electrician checked our installation at the beginning of this month! He said that the equipment was in perfect condition and that we were good to go for another year!" She adds, raising her arms in despair. "But the inspector said that the situation was so bad that for the safety of our students and our staff, it had to be shut down immediately… He even said that it was a fire hazard! And now, not only do we have to launch costly repairs and pay a massive fine but he took our license away and…" She trails off, sobbing again. "They even cut our public funding, San… effective immediately and… we are also disqualified from the dance tournament!" She adds, tears rolling down her face. "He made us evacuate the premises and some parents were so angry when they picked up their kids that they even threatened to sue us! Everything is falling apart…" She says, crying harder in my arms.
A/N: Sorry to stop the chapter here but I'm afraid you will have to wait for the next one to know more... If you don't mind, I will start my A/N with some announcements and then I will ask you a few questions about the chapter because I'm dying to know what you think, as always! ;-)
1. I also want to warn you that the Fanfiction administrators have changed the system for update alerts on stories that you follow. If you want to get an email when a story you follow is updated, you will have to manually activate the email notification in your account settings (the email notifications are currently disabled by default). To active it manually on the website, you need to go to account - settings - Email opt-in. If you want to active the email notification in your app, in principle you should go to Accounts settings - Alerts (it depends on the operating systems).
2. Some of you might already know from my socials but I have recently created a new and very different Brittana story, which starts when the girls are divorced (in a parallel universe). Things might evolve so please give a chance to the first chapter before you dismiss it. You can find it from my fanfiction profile, it's called "She knows me too well".
3. As Snixxmas is approaching, let me remind you that I set up a donation page if you want to support my work, knowing that half of the money will go to Alexandria House during the Snixxmas charity drive. If you are interested, there are further details below.
4. Back to this chapter now… I have a few questions for you:
- What did you think of the scenes with the dog?
- Did you enjoy seeing Santana being in full control of Glee?
- Did you expect the drama at the dance school, what do you think will happen?
Please let me know in the reviews!
As mentioned above, if you want to donate, go to ko-fi [D O T] com [ S-L-A-S-H] wordsofmo, there is no donation too small!
Thank you for reading and until next time!
