CHAPTER 10

Brittany sits up on the couch so that she's fully facing the Latina and makes eye contact with brown orbs. "Maddi and I stayed for a couple of weeks more in Lima just in case we found you but we didn't, so my parents insisted that we go back to Chicago and I agreed because maybe, you'll come back there instead." Olivia holds her hand and she continues.

"I had hope for so long but, each day that passes by, that hope was slowly being stripped away from me." Tears start flowing from her eyes so Olivia reaches her hand to Brittany's face and wipes it. "I eventually buried myself with work and my mom had to come to Chicago and stay with us for a couple of weeks to make sure that I don't neglect Maddison. Your uncle Roberto visited us a few times too. I was lost because I was so used to having you around and all of a sudden I was left to care for our then 16-month old baby. I neglected my health, I danced until my feet couldn't anymore, I drank way more alcohol than I should after Maddi's bedtime. But one day, Mom sat me down and told me that if you'd have been there, I would've already received a real smackdown from you." Brittany chuckles, "And I knew she was right and she begged me to get myself together, if not for you then, for Maddison at least.

Olivia nods and squeezes Brittany's hand. "What made you move to New York?" She asks softly.

"Mercedes had been asking me to move here since and on my last trip to Lima 2 years ago to ask for an update on the investigation, they told me that there were no developments and that it was a cold case. " She closes her eyes to revel in the calming effect of Olivia rubbing circles on Brittany's hand with her thumb. "So before I went back to Chicago, I had a tombstone for you placed beside your parents' grave. It wasn't because I've totally given up on hope but it was more for my peace of mind. That there was one place I know you'll be at, figuratively. After that, I called Mercedes and asked her to help me find an apartment and a teaching job at her high school in Chelsea."

Olivia nods but frowns when a question comes to mind, "Why did you stop dancing? I noticed that every time the topic was about your dancing, there's always this sad look on your face."

"Oh…" Brittany whispers and lowers her head to stare on her lap. "I wanted to stay as far away as possible from the things that reminded me of myself… of us. That's why I stopped dancing and left Chicago. We've had so many memories in that city ever since we moved there for college and you and dance were a big part of those memories. Staying there, dancing, without you was just… I couldn't take it." She slumps her shoulder and leans back on the couch and sighs.

The brunette moves closer to Brittany and wraps her left arm around the blonde's shoulder. Brittany places her head on top of Olivia's chest and sighs in content. She missed being this close to her wife and she's happy that she's starting to remember even just fragments of her past. Her heart feels like this would be the start of her and their family's healing.

Olivia kisses Brittany's forehead and smiles softly. "I'm here now, Brittany. I don't remember everything yet but I know one thing for sure, that this, with you and Maddison, is where I belong."

"Are you sure?" The blonde asks softly. "I mean, you still have a way out. That girl you were dancing with last night had her hands all over you, you know?." Brittany jokes to lighten up the mood in the living room.

Olivia tilts her chin up so she can face her, "Nah, my hot wife would be pissed if I got her number or even touched her. I had my hands to myself, thank you very much." She winks at the blonde and giggles.

Brittany raises her eyebrows, "So, you think I'm hot?"

Olivia scrunches her nose, "That's probably the number one reason why I married you." Brittany giggles and shakes her head before the Latina leans in for a kiss.


"Where are we going, Mami?" Maddison excitedly asks as she straps in the little girl in her car seat. Olivia smiles and bops her nose just as Brittany slides in the passenger seat of Olivia's car.

"It's a secret, sweetpea, but you'll love it." She winks at her daughter before checking Maddi's seatbelt and closing the back door. She then jogs to the front and the other side of the car and slides into the driver seat.

"We're being kidnapped, honey!" Brittany fake yells and places her hand on her chest while looking back at her daughter. Maddison giggles at her mother and so does Olivia. The car engine roars and the brunette drives out of Brittany's apartment building. The blonde looks at her with a raised eyebrow and smiles, "You're really not gonna tell us where we're going?"

Olivia shakes her head and giggles, "Nope." She replies, emphasizing the "P". "It'll be a couple of hours so both of you can just rest while I drive. It's been a long week." It's the first Friday of October and Olivia thought the three of them could have a mini-vacation in Upstate New York for the weekend. She had been busy writing for her second book while her first book is still doing great in sales. Brittany had also been busy preparing exams for her students this past week and the brunette just noticed how stressed the blonde is.

As for the two of them, things have been going great and Olivia is still getting flashes of memories now and then. Although they have been kissing and flirting with each other since that weekend after Maddi's talent show, none of them had asked the other out on a date yet. Olivia wants to but she can't seem to find the right timing to ask Brittany.

Brittany rolls her eyes at her and leans in to reach the radio. A static sound fills the car as she turns the dial to scan for a station, "Ohh, I love this song!" She exclaims with a huge grin on her face when she hears a familiar tune on the radio. She raises her arms and turns her head from side to side and starts singing.

Oh don't you dare look back

Just keep your eyes on me

I said you're holding back

She said shut up and dance with me

She closes her right hand in a fist and pretends to sing on it like it's a microphone and points her left pointer finger to Olivia.

This woman is my destiny

She said oh oh oh

Shut up and dance with me

Olivia shakes her head and laughs before turning her attention to the road while drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.

A backless dress and some beat up sneaks

My discotheque Juliet teenage dream

I felt it in my chest as she looked at me

I knew we were bound to be together

Bound to be together

Brittany then reaches for the brunette's right hand and holds it while she sings the next verse.

She took my arm

I don't know how it happened

We took the floor and she said

Brittany continues to sing the chorus while Olivia and Maddison just laugh at her antics. She then pretends to play the guitar during the guitar solo of the song and bobs her head up and down like a rockstar. She then turns her head to look at Olivia as she sings the next line.

Deep in her eyes

I think I see the future

I realize this is my last chance

She took my arm

I don't know how it happened

We took the floor and she said

Brittany finishes her impromptu karaoke session and Maddison claps her hands while Olivia drums and chants "woohoo's". Brittany bows her head and laughs along with Maddison and Liv.

"That was awesome! You should be in Carpool Karaoke with James what's-his-face, Britt." Olivia says while giggling.

"I know right!" She then laughs and turns to face the brunette, "Ohhh, maybe Rachel could get me a Carpool Karaoke gig for me." She winks at Olivia.

"Ha! I wish." Olivia smirks and continues, "If she can get me an interview with him for my next book, then we'll see if we can slide you in." Brittany giggles at her response and looks back at Maddison and touches her knee.

"Go take a nap baby girl, Mami said it's gonna be a long ride. We'll wake you up when we stop for dinner." She smiles and says softly to the little brunette.

"Okay, Mommy." Maddison smiles back and shifts in her booster seat to get comfortable. Brittany then turns her attention to the brunette and rubs her arm.

"Just let me know if you want me to take over driving even for an hour or two," Brittany says and Olivia turns to her with a soft smile and nods. The Latina then leans in to give Brittany a quick kiss on her lips without taking her eyes off the road.

"Yes, ma'am." She says as she leans back in the driver's seat, "Now, rest. I know you had a long day at school."

Brittany just shrugged and continued to sing along to the songs that played on the radio and talked to the brunette until they stopped at a diner for dinner. After dinner, Brittany had insisted that they switch seats so the brunette can rest but Olivia refused. She told Brittany that if she drove, it would ruin the surprise and that she's used to driving this long. 6 hours later, Olivia parks the car in the driveway of a two-story house. Brittany figured out they were in Buffalo since she stayed up the entire ride and took a mental note of every street sign they passed through.

They both unbuckle their seatbelts but Brittany looks out the window with her mouth open. "Who's house is this?" She asks while examining the house exterior. It has a flower bed on the side of the stairs leading to the front porch and the door and a true balcony on the 2nd floor.

Olivia smiles at her and leans back on her seat, "It's David and Hiram's vacation home. We usually spend the holidays here but they rent it out on Airbnb for the rest of the year. I thought the three of us could use a weekend getaway out here." She winks at Brittany and takes the keys from the ignition. "C'mon, we should put Maddi to bed. It's late and I have a full day planned for us tomorrow."

Brittany nods and they both get out of the car. She takes a sleeping Maddison out of the backseat while Olivia takes their bags before getting inside the house.

"Woah." Brittany breathes out as they enter the house. They were immediately greeted by the spacious living room on the right side. It has a 5-seater sofa, a wooden center table, a flat-screen TV, an indoor fireplace, and a blue accent chair by the fireplace. Olivia drops their bags on the sofa and continues to give Brittany a quick tour of the house before they head upstairs to put Maddison to bed. They walk to the living room and into the dining room right across from it.

"They renovated this before they listed it on Airbnb last year. They wanted it to stay classic, hence, the wooden furniture, but also with a modern flair as you can see from the appliances and accents." Olivia explains as they were walking through the dining room and into the kitchen.

"They have good taste. I love it here." Brittany tells her while rubbing Maddison's back so she stays asleep.

"And this is the kitchen. It's not much but it has enough space to move around while cooking." She says as she opens the refrigerator door, "I had the caretaker stock up the fridge for the weekend." She closes the fridge and turns to face Brittany and caresses Maddison's hair. "Let's head upstairs so we can put her to bed."

They walk through the living room again and the brunette picks up their bags before locking the doors and heading upstairs. They change Maddison's clothes into her pajamas without waking her up and tuck her in for the night. Olivia hands Brittany her duffel bag once they close the door to Maddison's bedroom.

"You take the bed. I'll take the couch downstairs." She tells Brittany as the blonde takes the duffel bag from her.

Brittany frowns at her. "Don't be silly, L. It's not the first time we're sharing a bed." She reminds the Latina as this would be the second time they'd be sharing a bed. She takes Olivia's wrist and drags her to the master bedroom. "That couch didn't look comfortable, so we're sharing a bed."

Olivia sighs in defeat and smiles at the blonde. "Fine."

Both of them lazily changed into their pajamas and kissed each other goodnight before turning in for the night.


Olivia turns to her left side and smiles with her eyes closed when she feels a pair of eyes staring at her. "Now, who's being a creep?"

"Whatchu talkin' 'bout Willis?" Brittany jokes while stifling a laugh. The brunette opens her eyes and giggles as the sight of bright and happy blue eyes greets her. She still can't fathom how beautiful Brittany looks in the morning.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" She greets the blonde and leans in for a kiss.

"Good morning. Yes, I did." She smiles brightly at the brunette.

"Good." Olivia pauses and just stares at Brittany affectionately for a minute. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

Brittany glances at her lips before smiling wistfully, "Every day since senior year of high school."

Olivia smiles softly at her and tucks a stray hair behind her ear. "Well, you are beautiful, Brittany." They hear a door opening down the hall so they figure Maddison is awake so they both jump out of bed to meet the girl in the hallway.

"Good morning, baby." They greet Maddi in unison once they get out of their room.

"Good morning, mommies." She greets back while rubbing her eyes. "Where are we?" She asks as she looks around the house.

Olivia picks her up and kisses her on the cheeks. "We're at Poppy and Pop-Pop's vacation house in Upstate New York." She explains as they descend the stairs with Brittany behind them. She sets Maddison on the couch and turns the tv on so the girl can watch some cartoons while she cooks breakfast. She then heads to the kitchen and starts scanning the fridge for breakfast items. Brittany hugs her from behind while she takes a pack of breakfast sausages.

"You're so good with her." Brittany smiles while kissing her cheek. Olivia feels her cheeks heat up at the compliment.

"Yeah?" She asks as she turns around in Brittany's arms to face her.

Brittany smiles widely, "Of course. You're a natural. You always were." Olivia's smile drops at her last phrase and Brittany immediately notices. She takes the brunette's hand and rubs circles on top of the brunette's hand with her thumb. "Hey… we're moving forward, remember?"

Olivia sighs and nods slowly. "Yeah. Sometimes it's just hard to dismiss that I lost 5 years with her… with you." She admits as she looks into Brittany's eyes.

Brittany cups her right cheek and smiles softly. "Well, good thing we found you, right?" She then hugs the brunette tightly and kisses her hair. Olivia wraps her arms around the blonde's waist and sighs as she feels herself relax in Brittany's arms. They both pulled back from the hug and Olivia started to cook breakfast while Brittany made coffee. After breakfast, the three of them got ready for their first day of adventure in Buffalo.

Olivia decided to take them to the Buffalo Waterfront since Brittany told her a few days ago that Maddison had never been to the beach. The little brunette squealed when she saw the enormous body of water when they all got out of the car. Brittany and Olivia spent the first half of the day building sandcastles and teaching the little girl how to swim where Maddison did well for a first-time swimming lesson. Just before lunchtime, the three of them visited the Canalside Caricature for a fun family portrait. Good thing they got in there early so they didn't have to wait in line too long. After they got their first family portrait drawn by one amazing caricature artist, they proceeded to one of the restaurants at the waterfront for lunch.

"Look at your huge head, baby girl!" Brittany laughs as she points at Maddison's caricature version. Maddison frowns at her and her smile immediately drops, "What's wrong, Maddi?" She then looks at Olivia who's trying to stifle a laugh.

"It's scary, Mommy." She tells Brittany while crossing her arms. Olivia giggles and uncrosses her daughter's arms.

"Aww, don't be scared, honey. It's just a cartoon version of ourselves." She winks at her daughter and smiles at Brittany. "I'd be more scared if we looked like clowns in this picture." She says and all of them giggle just as the server put their appetizer on the table. Brittany grabs a taco and moans as she savors the spicy goodness of the beef taco she's currently devouring. Olivia sees a rogue drop of salsa beside Brittany's lips so she reaches for a napkin and wipes it from the blonde's face.

"Thank you," Brittany tells her before turning her attention to Maddison who's now also devouring her non-spicy taco. "Wanna know a secret?"

Maddison looks up at the blonde and nods while grinning widely. "Tacos were your favorite when you were in Mami's tummy."

"Really?" Maddison asks wide-eyed while looking back and forth at her mothers.

Brittany giggles and nods. "Really. Your Mami ate it all the time and she always told me it's because our little peanut in her tummy wanted it."

Brittany opens her eyes and furrows her eyebrows as she watches Santana get out of their en suite bathroom fully dressed in a sweatshirt and sweatpants. She raises her head so she can look at the clock on top of Santana's bedside table. It's 2:17 AM. She sits up and turns her attention back to her wife who jumps and places her hand on her chest as soon as she sees Brittany moving.

"Babe, it's 2 in the morning. Why are you dressed?" She asks while rubbing her eyes.

Santana makes her way to Brittany's side of the bed and kisses the top of the blonde's head. "Go back to sleep, babe. I'm just gonna get some tacos from Arturo's. The baby's hungry." She says while smiling and rubbing her baby bump before turning around. Brittany immediately holds the brunette's wrist to prevent her from walking further.

"And you think I'm just gonna let my pregnant wife drive by herself in the middle of the night to get some tacos?" She asks while getting out of bed, raising her eyebrows at her wife. "Nuh-uh. I'm driving you. Just let me put on some clothes." She says and kisses the brunette which then turned into a mini makeout session. Santana pulls back from the kiss for air and chuckles.

"And this is why you're the best wife ever."

"Duh." Brittany smiles and shrugs before taking some sweats from the dresser and gets dressed.

Olivia giggles at the memory she just remembered and Brittany looks at her with a confused look on her face. She stops giggling and turns her attention to Maddison. "Yeah, I used to wake your Mommy up at 2 in the morning so she could drive me to my favorite taco place." She winks at her daughter and looks at Brittany who's now looking at her with wide, teary eyes. She smiles softly at the blonde and holds her hand up to her mouth to kiss it. Brittany squeezes her hand and they continue to eat their lunch and plan out the rest of their weekend. Olivia suggested that they go on the 2-hour sailing cruise at Lake Erie by 3 pm and Brittany and Maddison were beyond excited. That excitement quickly elevated as both of them squealed when Olivia told them that she would be taking them to see Niagara Falls the next morning before they drove back to Manhattan. Brittany had only been planning to take Maddison to the beach but she just hasn't found the time yet and she is over the moon that Olivia thought about this mini-vacation for the three of them.

By the time they got back from the sailing cruise, it was 5 pm so they decided to call it a day and head back so Maddison can rest while they cook dinner. Olivia decided on homemade ham and cheese pizza and pepperoni pizza for Maddi which she prepared from scratch with Brittany's help. After dinner, they watched a movie until Maddison fell asleep in Olivia's lap. Brittany couldn't help but smile at the sight because Maddison certainly became attached with Olivia faster than she thought. She took the little girl from the brunette's lap and carried her to her bedroom. When she gets back to the living room, she sees Olivia walking back to the couch with a bottle of wine and two wine glasses in her hands.

"Wine?" She asks Brittany while sitting back down on the couch. Brittany sits down beside her and smiles.

"Sure."

Olivia opens the bottle and pours wine on each glass and hands one to Brittany. She sets the bottle down on the center table and clinks her glass with Brittany's before sipping her wine.

"Did you have fun today?"She asks the blonde.

Brittany smiles affectionately as they lock eyes. "So much. It's the first time I've had this much fun in a long time. Thank you." She puts her wine glass on top of the center table and leans in to kiss the brunette. Olivia places her wine glass on the table as well before leaning back on the arm of the couch. She snakes her hands around Brittany's waist and on top of her butt as the blonde straddles her. She feels the arousal between her legs and her center throbs when Brittany sucks on her bottom lip. She licks the blonde's upper lip and Brittany smiles into the kiss as she opens her mouth and allows Olivia's tongue to explore.

Brittany places her hands on the brunette's toned abs under her shirt and moans when the brunette slides her hand further down Brittany's ass and squeezes it. Feeling bold, Brittany slowly slides her hands under Olivia's chest and cups both of her breasts. Olivia moans at the sensation and bucks her hips against the blonde. Her heartbeat quickens since she feels like this is going too fast and she hasn't asked Brittany what she's been meaning to ask for a few weeks now, so she pulls back from the kiss hesitantly and cups Brittany's cheek.

Brittany frowns and asks, "What's wrong?"

Olivia shakes her head and smiles softly before pecking her lips on more time. "I want to do this. I swear, I do but, not until after we go out on a date." Brittany sits up, still straddling her, and grins.

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

"I am." She grins as equally wide as the blonde. "Will you go out on a date with me, Mrs. Lopez-Pierce?"

Brittany leans forward and kisses her hard before pulling back and placing her forehead against the brunette. "I have never refused a date with you and I'm not gonna start now, so yes. Absolutely." She whispers and smiles softly.

Olivia chuckles and pecks her lips one more time. She then shifts on the couch to give Brittany more room. "Now, come here and cuddle." She says before pulling the blonde into a comfortable cuddling position on the couch. They continue to watch TV until both of them fall asleep on the couch.


5 days later…

"Hey, Britt," Olivia calls out as she walks into the living room of Brittany's apartment after putting Maddison to bed. Brittany is sitting on the couch and looks up from her laptop when she hears the brunette trying to speak to her.

"Yeah, what's up?" She asks as the brunette sits beside her.

"Um, I won't be able to pick up Maddi from school tomorrow." She says nonchalantly but in reality, her heart is pounding as she tells Brittany something that is a half-truth. "I have a deadline tomorrow night for my second book and I'll be working on that all day and I just realized that I might not have the time to pick up Maddi." She tells the blonde, hoping that she didn't catch on to her nervous voice.

"Oh, okay." Brittany smiles and shrugs, "I can go, it's not a problem."

Olivia smiles back at her and shakes her head. "Don't worry about it, I called Rachel and she said she's happy to do it for us and they can spend some time together."

"Oh, you did?" She asks and Oliva nods. "Okay."

Truth is, Olivia planned to surprise Brittany with a date tomorrow night, that's why she asked Rachel to pick her daughter up from school and she'll go pick up Brittany from work. Brittany smiles at her and continues to do some work on her laptop just as Olivia's phone rings. She pulls it out from her pocket while standing up and walks a few feet away from the couch.

Brittany watches the brunette as she paces back and forth in the living room while talking to the other person on the phone. Olivia stops pacing all of a sudden.

"Yeah, okay. Bye." She says to the other person, her voice shaky. She turns to face the blonde who's looking at her curiously because of how wide and teary her eyes are. "That was Rachel." She says nervously as she puts the phone back in her back pocket. "My book made it to number one." Her eyes grew even wider at the realization of what she just said and almost yelled "Oh my god! I made it to number one, Britt!" She immediately covers her mouth when she hears herself and Brittany's eyes widen.

Brittany stands up from the couch and runs to hug the brunette. "Oh my god, you did it!" She whisper-yells as she wraps her arms around Olivia's waist tightly and Olivia does the same with her arms around the blonde's neck. Brittany pulls back from the hug and places her hands on either side of Olivia's face. They stare at each other lovingly while smiling softly before Brittany leans in and pecks the brunette's plump lips.

Brittany pulls back and smiles softly. "You did it." She whispers before pecking the brunette's lips slowly two more times and finally leaning in to deepen the kiss. Olivia smiles into the kiss when she feels the butterflies in her stomach. This is a kiss that's full of love and she's never had this type of kiss from the people she dated in the last 5 years. Brittany moves her hands from the brunette's face and wraps them around Olivia's waist tightly before lifting her. Olivia touches her forehead with Brittany's and smiles as they break the kiss. Olivia leans in again and takes the blonde's bottom lip. Brittany feels like her head is spinning as they kiss deeply and passionately for a few more seconds until Brittany slides her hand down Olivia's thigh to hoist it up and wrap it around her. She does the same with the other leg so both of Olivia's are now wrapped tightly on her waist.

Olivia breaks the kiss and stares at Brittany's now darker and dilated blue orbs. Brittany tilts her head and places a few kisses on the brunette's neck before gliding her tongue up and licking her earlobe.

Olivia smirks at the blonde before whispering, "Bed."

Brittany leans her head back in surprise and Olivia just nods at her. She smiles before carrying the brunette back to her bedroom. Once they were inside Brittany's bedroom, she closed the door with her foot and locked it before walking towards the bed. She places Olivia on her bed and she giggles when the brunette pulls her by the shirt and kisses her hungrily. She hovers on top of the brunette and peppers her neck with kisses before pulling back.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" She asks softly while grinding her hips slowly against the brunette.

"Yes." Olivia moans.

"Okay." Brittany nods before frowning. "We need to be quiet though. Maddi's just in the next room."

"I can be quiet," Olivia reassures her. "Now, kiss me." She says before pulling the blonde into another sensual kiss.

The next morning, Brittany wakes up early first so she decides to get up and cook breakfast before she and Maddi go to school. She kisses Olivia's temple and slowly unwraps her arm from Olivia's waist. She then gets up from the bed without making much movement and tiptoes to grab her underwear and a large t-shirt from the bedside chair. She quietly gets herself dressed and smiles back at the very naked and sleeping brunette on her bed before getting out of the bedroom and heading to the kitchen.

She's in the middle of flipping a strip of bacon when she hears footsteps from behind her.

"Britt-Britt?" Olivia calls out from behind her and she immediately looks behind her with a bright smile on her face.

"Hey, you." She smiles before turning off the stove and walks to the brunette. She pecks her lips and says, "Good morning."

"Good morning, baby," Olivia says with a smile but the smile immediately disappears when she looks around her. "Where are we?"

Brittany frowns at her question. "At my apartment…" She steps back a little and eyes the brunette curiously.

The brunette narrows her eyes at the blonde. "I'm confused. Your apartment?"

"Yes, L, my apartment in New York?" Brittany explains.

"Okay, you lost me there. Why are we in New York?" The brunette frowns and rubs her temple. "And who the fuck is L, Brittany?" She snaps.

Brittany furrows her eyebrows in confusion. "What? What are you- Oh my god!" Brittany gasps and her eyes widen and her tears immediately start streaming down her face at the sudden realization.

"Santana?"