A Life Well Lived
4.
The next morning Santana and Emma woke up and decided to go for a walk around town as Emma wanted to show Santana her town.
"I'm going to text my parents about us coming over tonight so they can meet you. You still okay with that?"
"Yes, Sweetheart, I am. I'm excited," Santana said with a smile. Then she became quiet. Emma sent the text.
Coming over for 5 pm. We'll get takeout.
"Okay, we're on for 5. Getting food," Emma recited the message to Santana. Then Emma noticed the silence.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"Oh," Santana said as she came back to reality. "It's nothing."
"Gotta be something. No holding back, remember?"
Santana smiled as she said, "Yes, I remember. Hmm." She sighed, wrapped her arms around her shoulders and said, "You are my girlfriend…"
Emma stepped in front of her and stood still. Then she cheekily smiled. She then raised her hands up in the air and exclaimed, "Woo hoo!"
Santana smiled. She walked closer to her and simply hugged her tightly. There was a message in the hug.
"Santana," Emma said confused a little. "What's going on?"
"I love you," she said and refused to let go. "I was thinking that with you being my girlfriend you have a say in what I do or don't do."
"Are you talking about prolonging?"
Santana nodded her head in confirmation.
Emma thought about it for some time and Santana was okay with that. When Emma had gathered her thoughts she said, "Just because I am your girlfriend it doesn't mean that I can control what you do or don't do."
Santana smiled and said, "That's true, but what's your opinion?"
Emma again thought about this question.
"You're the bravest woman I know. I don't think that I could even begin to go through what you're going through. Especially before anyone knew. Do I want you to at least look into the process?"
Santana waited patiently for her answer.
"Yes…Do I understand why you haven't? Yes, I do."
Santana looked conflicted by Emma's answer.
"Look, San, bottom line is that I am here now for whatever decision you make. I love you and will stand by your side for as long as you want me there." Emma raised Santana's hand and kissed it.
There was some quiet time again as they walked around the town hand-in-hand. Emma looked nervous so Santana asked, "What's up?"
Emma took a big sigh and said, "There's something you need to know about my parents."
Santana smiled and said, "Em, it's okay. Whatever you tell me can't be horrible."
Emma smiled a little. "Here we go…my parents…"
"Biological," Santana said to make sure.
"Yes…believe that they are Snow White and Prince Charming from the fairy tale…"
"Come again?"
Emma lowered her head. "They believe with all their hearts that they are the two fairy tale characters…"
"Is that their reason for giving you away?"
Santana wasn't trying to tease Emma and she knew it. Emma knew that Santana was genuine.
"Yep, they said that my father put me in a magic closet as an infant and sent me another world…"
"Do you believe them?"
"Honestly," Emma began.
"Yes, please," Santana encouraged.
"Yeah, I do…it would explain a lot that goes on here. Ya remember the bartender, Grump?"
Santana nodded and then realized, "Is he one of the seven dwarves?"
Emma nodded her head.
"So can I ask who's the 'Evil Queen'?"
"Regina…"
"Regina…Regina…" Santana was thinking. "Oh shit, the Mayor and your ex…That must've been fun for your parents…" Santana laughed out loud.
Emma remembered back and jokingly said, "Especially how they found out."
"Oh my God, did they walk in on something?"
"Yes, me and Regina going at it…My Mom dropped the apple pie she'd made…Good times!" She held up her two thumbs up.
Santana continued to giggle. "So, they're gonna love me right off the bat, cuz I'm not her!"
Emma joined in on the laughter.
After a few minutes of laughing. Emma got serious again. "Do you believe me?"
"Of course. Wait so technically you're a Princess?" Santana kissed Emma's cheek.
"In a strange way, I guess I am…Wow…You're still here?"
"Where else would I be," Santana questioned.
"No, no, you're the first normal person I've told…normal as in a person who's not from here…an outsider."
Santana smiled. "Do I bow or genuflect before them?"
Emma smirked. "Nah, just be you and they'll love you."
Emma had shown Santana all the sights of Storybrooke, so they walked back to her apartment. As they entered the building the realization of Santana's condition hit her. "Fuck, the stairs! I'm sorry San."
"Sweetheart, you didn't know…"
Emma pulled Santana to her, bent at her knees, and flung Santana over her shoulder.
"Although this isn't necessary it sure is fuckin' funny!"
Emma smiled and smacked Santana's butt before they climbed the stairs. Once at the top, Emma put her back onto her feet. Santana pulled Emma to her and kissed her passionately.
A little while later the twosome were getting ready to leave the apartment to go Emma's parents' house.
"I don't wanna go out," Emma said as the kiss broke.
"Hush. We can't keep royalty waiting…"
Emma laughed out loud at Santana's joke.
"I wanna stop at a florist's and store to get something for them…"
"Okay, we'll take the bug," Emma said as she ushered Santana out of the apartment and to her car. They drove to a small grocery store and got what they needed. Then they drove to Emma's parents' home.
"What are their names?"
"David and Mary Margaret Nolan. The first families of many, that I stayed with for some short time were 'The Swans' so the name kinda stuck. I like the name. The family was lacking in like everything positive…"
Santana leaned over the console of the car and kissed her cheek. Emma smiled and then got out of the car and to Santana's side. She opened the door and held out her hand for assistance. Once she was out, Emma closed and locked the door. She grabbed Santana's free hand and they walked to the front door.
Emma rang the doorbell and within minutes a short, pixie haired woman answered it. "Hello, Emma," she said as she ushered the women in.
"Hi, Mom. This is Santana Lopez, my girlfriend."
Santana extended her hand for a handshake. "Hello, Mrs. Nolan. It's nice to meet you," she said as they shook hands.
"Hey, Princes!" Emma's Dad walked over.
"Hi, Dad, this is Santana…"
"Hello, Mr. Nolan," she said and shook his hand.
"Hey, Santana. Call me 'David'."
"You can call me 'Mary Margaret' too."
"Thank you," she said as they all walked further into the house.
"You have a lovely home."
"Thank you," David said as he gestured to the couch. "Emma hasn't told us a lot about you."
"Dad," Emma said shyly.
"That's alright," Santana said as she squeezed Emma's hand. "We are fairly new."
Just then Mary Margaret came into the room with a tray of drinks and little snacks. "Oh, cool, thanks Mom," Emma exclaimed as she reached for a few to share with Santana. She handed her a couple and Santana popped one into her mouth. Then she took a sip of the offered water. "Great. Thank you," she said. "So when are you from?" "I'm from Lima, Ohio. It's a small town much like Storybrooke." "What do you do?" "A little bit of everything…I had originally come to your town for business and met this one at the Rabbit Hole!" Both of Emma's parents nodded their heads. "So, are you an only child?" "Yes, I am. My Mother is a single mother. We turned out pretty well." Santana chuckled. Then the door doorbell chimed, and David got up to answer it. He paid for the meal and announced, "Dinner's ready!" They all sat around the table. Emma's parents watched the interaction between Emma and Santana. They thought it was cute. During dinner Santana felt it necessary to be transparent and real with them. "So, I feel that I should be honest with you two. Emma already knows this…" "San, it's okay. You don't have to tell them now." "Tell us what?" "I'm dying." Mary Margaret looked at Santana confused. "I have stage four cancer," Santana said humbly. "The shit just got real," David said. All the people at the table looked at him in shock. Then Santana threw her head back in loud laughter. "Yes, David, it has," she said with a smile. Mary Margaret looked with sympathy at Santana and asked, "I hope you have a great support system back home." Emma and Santana looked at each other and then Emma said, "She does now that they know." "They didn't know," Emma's Mom asked. "Yes, they didn't know. I chose not to tell them because I didn't want their lives to be interrupted, but…" "They kinda were…" Emma had a sad expression on her face. "Yeah, see, I divorced my first wife, Brittany because of that." "Why'd you do that?" David looked genuinely concerned. "Because she would have had to take care of me. Even though she would have, I just didn't think that was fair of me to put that on her. I didn't tell my mother because I didn't want her to feel like she had to help me. Turns out she knew that I was sick but didn't know with what." "So, my Santana did all that worrying and hiding for basically nothing," Emma said sweetly as she grabbed Santana's cheeks and lightly squeezed them. "Yeah. Well, can't go back. What's done is done," Santana said after Emma released her cheeks. David and Mary Margaret looked at the couple and saw genuine true love between them. "So…. what now?" David asked with a smile. "Well, I live my life to the fullest. Hopefully I get to do that with your amazing daughter…" "Darn tooting. Now that I know you're out there I'd be a fool to let you go," Emma said and kissed her cheek. "That sounds like an excellent plan," Emma's Mother said with a smile. For the rest of their evening, Santana listened to Emma's parents tell stories about the "other world" that they came from. "Your story has always been my favorite fairy tale," Santana assured them with a smile. Emma looked at her with love and smiled brightly. When it was time to leave Santana hugged Emma's parents and said, "It was nice to meet you. I hope you approve of my dating your daughter. All of my history happened because I was just protecting them." "We totally understand that Santana," Emma's father said, "We did some questionable things in the past to Emma, and we are remorseful. But like what you said, 'what's done is done,' right?" "Yes, sir," Santana replied. "She's in good hands with me." "I can sense that, Santana," Emma's Mom assured Santana. Emma then extended her hand out and Santana grabbed it. They walked out of the house, hand-in-hand. Once they were both seated in the car, Santana nervously asked, "How'd I do?" Emma looked lovingly at her and said, "You were awesome! I love you." "I love you too," Santana said and took a sigh of relief. Awhile later they had both fell asleep. ~~ When they woke up the next morning, they stayed in bed until Emma's phone rang. "Hello," she sighed as she answered it. "Ms. Swan!" "Hey, Regina, what's up?" "Well, I'm in your office, but you're not." "Oh, shit, I gotta go into work," Emma said. "Yes, Miss Swan…Just because Santana's there doesn't mean you can slack off too much." Then the phone hung up. "Are you gonna be alright?" Santana watched her girlfriend as she got dressed. "Yeah, maybe I'll take a walk," she said with a smile. Once emma was ready she leaned over and kissed Santana on her lips. "Be careful. If you need me come to the office," Emma said and then turned to leave. "I love you," Santana called out. "I love you more," Emma said as she closed the door.