Chapter 51: Everything ok?

Santana's POV

The whole journey to the hospital was unpleasant. I was trying to say encouraging things and keep Brittany upbeat about things but it just wasn't working. She was so worried about what was going on and anything I said she didn't seem to hear. I mean I am worried too but I don't know anything yet so there is still a possibility that everything could still be ok. I can't just go in there thinking the worst when it might not be all bad.

"You might as well just divorce me now" Brittany tells me.

"Listen to me Brittany, this is not your fault so please stop thinking that" I reply.

"How can you be so calm right now?" she asks me.

"Because getting all worked up about it isn't helping anything. It's not going to change what's going on so we just need to wait and see the doctor" I say. As soon as we arrive at the hospital, we head straight inside and are sent through to see Brittany's doctor right away.

"Ok Brittany, come and take a seat here on the table" the doctor says.

"I've just lost the baby, haven't I?" Brittany says, not registering what the doctor has asked her to do.

"We don't know anything yet so why don't you sit on the table and we'll get an ultrasound started so we can hear the baby's heartbeat" the doctor replies.

"Ok" Brittany nods while taking a seat.

"Just relax babe, ok" I say while taking her hand in mine as I sit next to her. The doctor then begins the ultrasound so we sit there anxiously waiting to see what's going on.

"Can you see that faint shadow there?" the doctor asks while pointing at the screen.

"Yeah" I nod.

"And can you hear that noise?" she asks.

"Yes" Brittany replies this time.

"That is your baby and the noise is the heartbeat" the doctor smiles at both of us.

"Are you sure?" Brittany asks.

"I'm definitely sure" the doctor nods. "Now I just want to examine you to make sure everything looks ok" she adds.

"Ok" Brittany nods. The doctor then begins examining Brittany and carries out a few tests to see if everything is ok.

"Spotting in pregnancy is not uncommon and even though yours seems a little heavier than what you've had before, I don't see any reason for concern. I've examined you and we've heard the heartbeat so everything looks fine" the doctor replies.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes, and ideally it won't last much longer but if you are still bleeding like that Brittany in the next few days then please come back and see me" the doctor tells Brittany.

"Ok" Brittany nods.

"Everything looks good but I still want you to come for a scan in a few weeks as you would for your normal first scan around 12 weeks" the doctor says.

"But everything is ok?" I ask again for clarification.

"It is" the doctor nods with a smile.

"So it was literally just some spotting then?" Brittany asks.

"It was but I can see why you'd be worried so you did the right thing to come in today and get checked over" the doctor replies. "Like I say though, let's just keep an eye on things anyway but I really wouldn't be worried right now."

"Ok" I reply.

"It is important though Brittany that you don't get stressed out so if you do think something isn't right then just remain calm and call me" the doctor says and Brittany nods. "The important thing to drawn upon right now is that I see nothing wrong and you've heard the baby's heartbeat."

"Ok thank you" Brittany replies. I can see she is a lot calmer now which is good and I'm also really relieved myself so hopefully everything is all ok and nothing arises in the next few days.

"Now while I have you here, is there anything you want to ask me about?" the doctor asks.

"Actually, I have been having rather severe morning sickness so why might that be?" Brittany asks curiously.

"Some women are just unlucky during pregnancy and the sickness is a lot worse than others" the doctor replies and Brittany just looks at her like she doesn't like the answer. "I know that's not what you want to hear but honestly Brittany, there is no other reason right now. The baby seems to be fine so it's too early to tell anything else yet" she adds.

"Ok" Brittany sighs.

"Like I say, you'll be back in a couple of weeks and we can double check everything then but you did hear the heartbeat so the baby is fine" the doctor tells her.

"Ok" Brittany nods.

"So, is there anything else I can help with?" the doctor asks.

"No everything else seems to be how I remember unfortunately" Brittany replies. "I am showing a lot quicker though than the last twice, is that normal?" she asks.

"A lot of women do tend to show quicker if they've had a baby before so it is perfectly normal" the doctor smiles.

"I think that's everything I need to ask then" Brittany shrugs.

"Ok well I'll see you in a couple of weeks, take care ladies" the doctor smiles again.

"We will and thank you" I smile.

"Yeah, thank you so much" Brittany smiles and then we both leave.

"I told you everything would be ok" I tell her.

"No you didn't, you told me to keep positive but I know you were just as scared as me" she replies.

"Yeah but deep down I did think it was going to be ok" I say.

"I'm sorry for getting a bit dramatic in the car earlier, I was just so worried because it's a big responsibility being pregnant and accountable for a growing baby" Brittany tells me.

"I know and appreciate how worried you were" I say while squeezing her hand reassuringly. "I just want you to know though that if anything ever did, not that it will, but if it did then it certainly wouldn't be your fault."

"I think I do know that deep down but your emotions are just all over the place when you panic. I mean when you think about pregnancy, it's actually surprising how many people have children because of the way our immune systems work. I mean I practically have 50% foreign material inside me right now because part of the baby has your DNA so it's quite remarkable how it all works" she points out. "I certainly wouldn't wish a miscarriage on anyone so I quite like how our immune systems don't fight pregnancy just as well if you know what I mean" she adds.

"I love it when you get all smart, it's sexy" I smirk at her.

"I appreciate you saying that and giving me a compliment but now isn't the time to celebrate with sex because I still don't feel the best" she tells me. I mean that would be nice but that's not actually why I gave her the compliment.

"I know so that's why when we get home, I'll make you something to eat and we can cuddle on the couch together until my parents bring the kids home" I tell her. Work can wait right now because we've had enough going on today so I'd rather just make sure Brittany is ok.

"Sounds good" Brittany smiles. "Huh, that's weird" she says while looking at her phone to check the time.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I've had a couple of missed calls from my mom and dad" she replies. "I thought they were both working today so I don't know why they'd be calling me right now" she adds.

"I suppose you should just call them back and see" I tell her.

"I will" she nods while calling her mom back. I'm not entirely sure what's going on because I can only hear Brittany's side of the conversation but it sounds a little serious like someone is in hospital or something. "Ok mom, see you soon" Brittany says and then hangs up.

"What's going on?" I ask worriedly.

"Emma has gone into labour and my mom was stuck in traffic on her way into work so wanted me to try and get a hold of Artie for her because apparently he isn't answering his phone" she replies.

"He's got a meeting today so he probably turned his phone to silent" I say. "Is Emma in this hospital" I ask while pulling out my phone to see if I can get a hold of Artie.

"Yeah and she's got my dad there but I think she wants at least my mom or Artie with her too" Brittany tells me.

"Ok well you go and find her just now and stay with her and I'll head to the office to see if I can get Artie" I say. "Unless you're not feeling up to it then I can just take you home" I say, realising that maybe Brittany needs to rest now and not run around after her family.

"No, I'm fine" Brittany smiles. "Just find Artie for me and I'll text you when I know where Emma is in the maternity ward" she adds.

"Ok, I'll be as quick as I can" I say while kissing her and then rushing off to get to my car. Brittany meanwhile goes and finds Emma.

Brittany's POV

As soon as I arrive at the delivery area of the maternity ward, I start to ask around about where my sister is. Everyone seems too busy though to help me unless they do know but just don't want to tell me. I eventually find one of the nurses that I know from being here with Aiden and Ella and she's able to tell me where Emma is.

"Thank you so much" I say to the nurse before rushing off to where she told me to go to. As soon as I walk into the room, I see Emma lying in bed in a great deal of pain and my dad running around frantically, unsure of what to do. For being a doctor, he is weirdly nervous and uncomfortable at the moment but I'm guessing it's just because it's one of his kids that's in hospital.

"Brittany, how did you get here so quickly because I thought you weren't working today?" Emma asks curiously.

"I am off sick but I was driving back from the pharmacy getting some medicine when mom phoned" I say. It is a lie but I don't want to announce my pregnancy right now when this is about Emma and her baby. Also, I'd like Aiden and Ella to know first before anyone else so it was the best thing I could come up with so quickly.

"Can you come over here and help me please because dad is no use" Emma states, "no offence" she adds when our dad looks over at her.

"Were you like this when mom had all of us?" I ask my dad.

"I just don't do well with seeing the people I love in pain. It's different when it's work and it's my job but I hate seeing any of you like this" he replies.

"In other words, yes Brittany is the answer" Emma laughs.

"Your mom should be here soon though because she phoned a minute ago and she's not far away. There was some sort of road traffic collision that's slowing everyone down on the roads" my dad says.

"And what about Artie?" Emma asks worriedly. I would hate Santana to miss the birth of one of our kids so it's understandable that she's nervous and worried right now.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I still can't get a hold of him" my dad tells Emma.

"I've spoken to Santana and she's on the case. Apparently, he had a meeting or something so we're thinking his phone is on silent but Santana has gone to the office anyway to see if he's there" I tell her.

"What's the point of having a phone if you put it on silent all the time?" Emma states unamused.

"Let me call Santana and I'll see where she is" I say while pulling out my phone. I call her and after a few rings she picks up.

"Hey Brittany, is everything ok?" she asks.

"Not exactly" I reply while stepping out of the room to talk in private. "I'm fine but it's Emma, she's getting really frustrated that Artie isn't here."

"I've got him here in the car with me so we'll be there as soon as we can" she replies. I'm assuming she has her phone hooked up to her car through her Bluetooth or something otherwise she is taking the law into her own hands by driving and using her phone.

"Ok good" I say in relief. "Hurry though but be careful at the same time because I don't want you to be in an accident."

"I will" Santana replies.

"Can I talk to Emma?" I hear Artie ask.

"I've stepped out of the room right now but I can go back in if you want me to" I reply.

"Yeah, please put Emma on the phone" Artie replies.

"Ok, two seconds" I say before walking into the room again. "Emma, Santana is driving Artie here right now and he's on the phone and wants to talk to you" I say while handing Emma the phone.

"You better get here before your baby is born Arthur Abrams" Emma says angrily before hanging up the phone.

"Emma that was a little harsh, I don't think he meant to miss all your calls and not be here on time" I point out.

"Brittany, he knows when my due date was meant to be so he promised me that he would be extra vigilant with his phone the closer it got and now look. He didn't even know I was in labour until 5 minutes ago because he decided to put his phone on silent" Emma replies.

"I know but what I'm saying is that I don't think he meant it because the last thing Artie would want is to miss the birth" I assure her.

"Well whether he meant it or not, he's still not here and I'm about 2 seconds away from giving birth" Emma tells me.

"Actually sweetheart, the doctor said you weren't fully dilated yet so it might be some time yet" our dad points out.

"You're not helping dad" Emma says while giving my dad a vicious look.

"All I'm saying is that Artie might not miss it at all if you aren't fully in labour yet" my dad shrugs. Emma doesn't respond, she just folds her arms and sighs.

"Oh mom, thank god" I say as my mom rushes into the room. "If you thought I wasn't easy when giving birth then you're wrong, it's this one" I say pointing to my sister.

"Are tensions running a bit high in here?" my mom asks while immediately going over to Emma to help her and make sure she's ok.

"A bit?" I question. "I think Emma is ready to kill dad and Artie" I say.

"Oh, did Artie make it then?" my mom asks before frowning when she looks around the room and doesn't see him.

"No he's not here and he won't be here for the birth" Emma states dramatically.

"Really?" my mom asks.

"No Emma is being overdramatic" I reply. "I got Santana to track down Artie so she's bringing him here right now. Emma talked to him on the phone but she didn't really give him a chance to explain. Knowing how amazing Santana is then she'll get him here on time."

"Enough with how perfect your wife is, this isn't about her today" Emma says while rolling her eyes at me.

"Emma, I have barely mentioned Santana today unless it's been to do with Artie so I don't know what you're talking about" I say while frowning.

"Let's not argue about something like that, let's just keep positive" my mom states. It all gets a bit awkward for a moment so you have no idea how relieved I am when Santana and Artie walk into the room.

"Oh, thank god you're here" I say as the two of them come into the room.

"I'm sorry for taking so long" Artie apologises to everyone.

"I wasn't talking to you" I say to Artie before going over to Santana where I wrap my arms around her.

"What's wrong?" Santana asks while chuckling slightly at how happy I am to see her.

"Emma was pissed at my dad then Artie and now me. I'm just so glad you're here now because it was getting awkward in here" I tell her.

XXX

After spending most of the afternoon at the hospital with my family, we head home in time for Santana's parents bringing the kids home. Emma had a little girl who she and Artie named Brooke. It actually made me really excited for our new baby to come along but I do know we have a long time to go before then. Santana and I are just sitting in the living room playing with the kids.

"Babe, do you think it's too risky to tell them about the baby after our scare today?" I ask while discreetly pointing at Aiden and Ella.

"Do you mean you might want to tell them today?" Santana asks surprised.

"Yeah but is it too risky?" I ask. I would hate to tell them and then another few weeks down the line I'd need to tell them there wasn't a baby. I mean I'm more positive after I got checked over but I am still slightly concerned.

"No I think we should tell them because I really want them to know" Santana replies excitedly.

"Ok" I smile.

"Hey why don't you two come over here for a second?" Santana says to Aiden and Ella.

"We playing mom" Aiden replies annoyed.

"I know and you can finish playing in a second but mommy and I would like to speak to you both about something important" Santana tells him.

"It was Ella" Aiden states as he and Ella walk over to us.

"Excuse me?" I ask laughing. He clearly thinks he's in trouble for something and is clearing his name by blaming Ella. Aiden doesn't reply, he just shrugs at me.

"Neither of you were in trouble but we'll revisit what you mean in a second but firstly, take a seat next to us until we talk" Santana states. Aiden and Ella then sit in between the two of us.

"So, you know how you two are brother and sister?" I say starting off and they both nod at me. "And you both came from mommy's tummy" I say and Aiden nods is head. Ella, I don't think quite knows what I mean but perhaps when the pregnancy progresses she might understand.

"Well you're going to get another brother or sister at the end of the year because mommy has another baby in her tummy" Santana tells them.

"I want to see" Aiden says excitedly while turning around to look at me.

"It's only small right now but it'll get bigger and eventually it will come out and it'll live with us" I tell him while rolling up my shirt.

"In there?" Aiden questions while touching my stomach.

"Yes, it is and you'll notice it more when it starts to grow more" I tell him.

"Do you want to see Ella?" Santana asks our daughter.

"Ok" Ella mumbles. Santana then places Ella on her knee and turns around to face me. "That's your little brother or sister in there" she tells her as she gently touches my stomach.

"Me touch?" Ella asks.

"Of course you can" I smile at her while taking her hand and placing it on my stomach. I can see she knows something is going on but I don't think she fully understands yet, which is only natural obviously when she's so young.

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Monday 13th February 2023

After I saw the doctor last week, the bleeding seemed to clear up rather quickly which I was thankful for. Also, my morning sickness isn't quite as bad as it was either so I've been back at work now. The sickness hasn't totally disappeared but if I get up early enough in the morning and let myself settle for a while before work then it's all cleared up before I start my shift. I'm usually up early most days anyway since I have two small kids to look after.

I've just got home from work now and walked into the kitchen to find Santana and the kids. Aiden and Ella are sitting at the table colouring in some pictures while Santana is making dinner. I walk over to the kids and kiss them on the head before walking over to Santana. Just as I lean in to kiss her, she sneezes right in front of me.

"Good evening to you too" I say laughing while handing her a tissue.

"Sorry" she apologises while blowing her nose and then discarding the tissue in the bin and washing her hands. "How was work?" she asks me.

"It was fine, nothing much to report" I smile. "What about you?" I ask.

"Yeah…excuse me" she says while sneezing again, interrupting her sentence.

"Bless you" I say.

"Thanks" she says while blowing her nose again. She was feeling a bit off at the weekend so I think she's starting to come down with a cold or something now.

"Let me finish dinner babe, you go and sit down" I tell her.

"No it's fine. I said I would make dinner tonight so I will" she smiles at me.

"I know but you're not really in any fit state to be cooking right now so take a seat and let me take care of the rest of this" I state.

"Ok fine" she says while sitting at the table with the kids while I finish dinner. As soon as it's ready, we all sit together and eat at the table.

"I think you need to call in sick to work tomorrow" I tell Santana as we begin eating. She hasn't stopped sneezing or coughing since we sat down.

"I can't right now" she shakes her head. "Artie is on paternity leave at the moment so I can't not be there otherwise it'll be a lawyers office with 3 receptionists and no lawyers."

"You and Artie work too hard sometimes because there's more work for you to do than 2 people could manage" I tell her honestly. Her company does do well but it's a lot of work for just the two of them I find sometimes. "Have you ever thought of hiring another lawyer. I don't mean another partner because you and Artie would still own the place, I mean like just another lawyer to work there except they wouldn't have all the stress of running the business."

"Funny you should say that actually but one of our receptionists is at night school and she's studying to become a lawyer so Artie and I were thinking of asking her to stay with us once she graduates and we'll just hire another receptionist and she can work as a lawyer" Santana replies.

"There you go then" I smile.

"She doesn't graduate for another few months though so I need to go into work tomorrow" she tells me.

"Can you not at least work from home then because you're really not in any state to work at the moment and to be quite honest, I'd hate for you to be in contact with people when you're so sick" I say.

"I have the cold Brittany, it's not that bad" she says shrugging it off.

"Fine, ok." I shrug back. "You're a grown woman so you can do what you want."

"Thank you" she smiles before kissing me on the cheek. "The food is great by the way Britt" she tells me.

"I'm glad you like it" I smile back.

"I'll cook tomorrow though since I was supposed to tonight" she replies.

"Let's just see how you feel, ok" I smile again. I don't mean to annoy her but I'm only doing it because I care. I know she thinks it's just a cold but sometimes a cold can really suck the life out of you. She's sneezing and coughing all the time and it's really taking the energy away from her.

XXX

After spending some time with Aiden and Ella, and then doing the usual routine of bathing them, putting them to bed and reading to them, Santana and I spent some time together. We're both now just getting ready for bed in the bedroom.

"Do you think my boobs have gotten bigger a lot more quickly with this pregnancy?" I ask Santana as I stare into the mirror at myself. It's like everything is changing a lot quicker with this baby compared to my pregnancies with Aiden and Ella. "Santana?" I say when I don't get a reply.

"Sorry what?" she asks while looking away from my chest.

"Were you seriously just staring at my breasts?" I ask amusingly.

"I'm sorry but they just look a lot bigger, I was just surprised" she replies. "Anyway, what were you asking me?" she smiles.

"It doesn't matter, you've answered my question" I reply.

"Hold on a second, is that my bra?" Santana asks.

"It is and I know it might be weird or whatever but I honestly had nothing else to wear. None of my usual bras fit me and for some reason neither do the maternity bras I got for my last two pregnancies so I figured I'd try yours because you have bigger breasts than me" I tell her. It's not the greatest fit on me but it is more comfortable that what I was wearing before.

"I don't find it weird, I find it cute" she smiles at me.

"I'm going shopping at the weekend to get properly fitted for some maternity bras and other clothes so hopefully I'll be a little more comfortable then" I say. "So back to your leering, do you like my breasts this size?" I ask with a smirk.

"I do but I also like them when you're not pregnant. Your body does change during pregnancy but it's equally as beautiful as before so I always find you attractive. I was only staring because it took me by surprise, it's not because I don't usually like your breasts" she assures me.

"I'm only teasing you babe so you don't need to reassure me all the time but I do appreciate it" I smile. "I'm definitely feeling a lot better mentally about this pregnancy so I'm not feeling as self-conscious as before and I know how much you love me."

"I can tell you're doing a lot better but there's no harm in telling you how amazing you are either way is there?" she smiles.

"No I don't suppose there is" I smile back.

"Anyway, I think it's time for bed now" Santana says as she finishes getting changed into her pyjamas.

"Speaking of beds babe" I say nervously while grabbing Santana's pillow from the bed. "There's blankets and sheets downstairs on the couch for you but here's an extra pillow in case you need it" I say while handing Santana the pillow.

"I don't understand" Santana states confused.

"Your cold is getting worse babe so I can't risk catching it when I'm pregnant so you're going to have to sleep downstairs on the couch tonight" I tell her. I'm not being rude but we've already had one scare with the pregnancy so I really don't want to risk anything.

"Are you serious?" she asks.

"I am, I'm sorry" I tell her. "I'm going to get to bed now so goodnight" I say before leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"I'm sick and I don't even get a proper kiss?" she questions.

"I can't get infected babe, I'm sorry" I reply. I'm really not trying to be awkward with her here but I honestly don't want to catch that cold she has. I get sick enough when I have the cold, I don't want to make things worse when I'm pregnant.

"Fine" Santana sighs. "I'll just go and see if my little prince or princess will kiss me goodnight" she adds.

"Actually, I would really rather you didn't get so close to Aiden and Ella. The last thing we need is two sick infants. If you want to kiss them goodnight then please do it on the cheek or head, don't infect them with your germs" I reply.

"You're so charming, it's one of the reasons why I love you so much" she says sarcastically.

"I really am sorry babe and I do hate doing it but I really don't want to risk getting sick right now" I tell her. "I love you" I say while kissing her cheek again.

"Yeah, I love you too" she smiles back.

"Just think, hopefully if you get better in the next few days then you'll get to cuddle up in bed with me again at night. Also, I'm hoping my morning sickness disappears soon so I'm hoping once you're better and my sickness is gone then you and I can get a little more energetic between the sheets if you know what I'm saying" I say while smirking at her.

"That does actually give me something to look forward to" she smiles.

"I'll see you in the morning, goodnight" I smile back.

"Goodnight Britt, sleep well" Santana replies before heading downstairs to sleep.

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Tuesday 14th February 2023

Last night was absolute torture without Santana in bed. I know it was my idea and everything and I was doing it for a good reason but I honestly didn't like it at all. It's not like I can't sleep alone because I can, it was more the thought of Santana being in the house and so close to me but yet so far away. I was also really cold in bed last night and I didn't have Santana to put her arms around me to warm me up. It also didn't help that I normally have some time with Santana in bed where we chat before we fall asleep so it was really hard to make myself go to sleep when I was wide away and had no one to talk to to make me sleepy.

I'm up and dressed now after spending a good amount of time in the bathroom with my morning sickness so I'm going to see if the kids are awake. When I walk into Aiden's room he's not there so I quickly check Ella's room but I wasn't expecting to see her there either because I'm assuming Santana has got them up. Just as I thought, Ella isn't in her room either so I'm making my way downstairs where I hear the 3 of them in the kitchen.

"Hi mommy" Aiden waves at me as he eats his breakfast.

"Morning buddy" I smile at him before leaning down to kiss him. "And morning to you too princess" I smile at Ella before kissing her.

"Mommy" Ella smiles back at me. I then go over to Santana who is making herself some coffee.

"I'll get that for you" I say while leading her over to the table and making her sit down. I love my wife but she looks like hell just now and she has barely stopped coughing since I entered the kitchen.

"Thanks" Santana smiles at me. Once I'm done making the coffee, I place it down in front of her and then kiss her.

"Britt, what are you doing? We don't want you getting sick remember" she replies.

"I know but I feel bad about last night and I'm completely forgetting that today is Valentine's Day" I say. I was just thinking this was some random week in February but it's not, it's the 14th today and usually Santana and I would acknowledge it in some small way.

"Honestly don't worry about it" Santana smiles.

"I have got you something because I did remember last week but I totally didn't register the date today or yesterday so I was forgetting it was today" I tell her.

"Seriously babe, I'm not bothered because every day is Valentine's Day for you and I" she smiles at me. "I did get you something too though" she adds.

"We can trade gifts later if you want because we need to get organised for work and the kids going to day-care" I say. "Are you still going to work?" I ask.

"Yeah but I'm going to cancel all my meetings though and just do some work in my office myself because I don't know if I have the energy for talking to people and like you said, I don't want to pass this cold on to other people" she replies.

"Well please come home if you are really struggling because you mean more to me than a job" I say.

"I will and I appreciate your concern but I'll be fine" she smiles.

"Ok" I nod.

Once we're finished breakfast, Santana gets ready for work and heads off and I finish getting the kids ready and take them to day-care before going to work myself. I am a little worried about Santana and if she'll be ok at work when she's sick but at the same time, Santana is smart so she'll know herself how much she can handle.

XXX

Santana and I are spending some time together in the living room. When we got home from work, we spent time with the kids and had dinner before once again going through their usual bedtime routine. We're just sitting on the couch together, about to trade our valentine's day gifts.

"Ok so I didn't get you anything big or really expensive because I figured we want to save up at the moment for the new baby coming along" Santana tells me.

"That's totally ok because I did the same" I say in relief. We're not struggling for money but I think it is wise to cut back on things that aren't necessities just to put our minds at ease because babies are expensive.

"Ok so here is your gift" Santana smiles while handing me an envelope. I open it and inside is homemade coupons for like a day pass on no laundry or a massage or a week free of taking the kids to day-care.

"This is really cute babe" I tell her.

"I know it's kinda lame but I wanted to do something different for you so like any time you want you can cash in your coupon. I mean say next week you're still feeling really rough with the morning sickness then you can cash in the free week of day-care coupon and that means I'll take the kids to day-care all week and you can have that extra bit of time to yourself" she tells me.

"It's not lame at all, I really like that idea" I say honestly. It's thoughtful and a really good way to save up our money so I love it.

"Aiden helped me make the coupons by the way" Santana states.

"Oh, that's cute" I smile. I love it when Santana and the kids do things together, there's seriously nothing cuter than Santana and her kids spending time together. "So here if your gift" I say while handing her a small wrapped gift.

"Ok" she says excitedly while opening it up. She unwraps the paper to reveal two keyrings. One has a picture of Aiden and Ella together in it and the other has a picture of the ultrasound scan from the other day. "I love these Britt, thank you" she smiles before kissing my cheek.

"Your welcome" I smile. "I figured you put one on your car keys and the other on your house keys" I suggest.

"Is this the scan from the new baby because I don't remember us getting a picture printed out?" she asks in confusion.

"I went back and got one. I mean I know we'll get one at the normal scan next week but I just wanted one of last week to know for sure the baby was ok" I reply. "I must admit though, it is harder to make out the figure on this one than Aiden and Ella's scan pictures but maybe two weeks does make all the difference and we'll see it better next week."

"Well I really love this babe although it must have cost a little bit of money to get the pictures sent away and made into keyrings" she says.

"No actually, it didn't cost me at all because Ben made them for me" I reply. My brother likes making lots of different things, it's mostly with wood like furniture and things but he's also good with plastic so he made the keyrings for me. "Although I did have to kind of let slip I was pregnant because I had given him the pictures before I realised so he obviously saw the scan picture with the date on it."

"That's ok. I wanted the kids to know first and they do so if anyone else finds out then it's ok" Santana smiles.

Santana's POV

Friday 24th February 2023

Today is Brittany's 12-week scan which we would normally be super excited about but it's a little different this time. We're both feeling a mix of emotions at this point because on the one hand we're excited to see the baby and hear the heartbeat again but on the other hand, we've already done that a couple of weeks ago when Brittany had that scare. There's also the fact we're a little apprehensive as well because even though the doctor said the baby was ok at the last scan, we still don't really understand what was going on with Brittany. The doctor didn't really say much about why she was bleeding and even though she isn't anymore, we're still worried there is something wrong. Hopefully after today's scan we'll be able to relax a little more since we know again for sure that the baby is ok.

"Hey I'm ready whenever you are" Brittany smiles at me as she walks into the bedroom.

"Sorry I'm not quite ready yet" I say while going back to doing my make-up. I got distracted from getting ready by getting lost in my thoughts about today.

"Ok well I'll wait downstairs with the kids so just come down as soon as you're ready" she replies and I nod. Our appointment is early this morning so we're taking the kids with us and once we're finished we'll drop them at day-care and both head to work.

Once I'm finished my make-up and ready to go, I head downstairs to get Brittany and the kids. We get the house locked up and get the kids into my car before driving off. We're only taking the one car because Brittany has all her appointments at the hospital where she works and where the kids' day-care is so it's just me that will need to travel a bit further after the scan. Ideally, we'll finish work around the same time as each other so I can just pick Brittany and the kids up at the end of the day as well to head home.

"Ella what are you doing to your brother?" Brittany asks our daughter when she catches Ella doing something out of the corner of her eye.

"She's tickling me mommy" Aiden replies while giggling.

"As long as you two are behaving" Brittany replies.

"We are" Aiden states. "We would like new toys though" he adds.

"Not today buddy but if you're good at the weekend then maybe mom and I will buy you both something small that you like" Brittany tells him.

"Who is the one spoiling them now?" I ask while smirking at Brittany.

"I'm not spoiling them because it's been a while since we bought them something as a treat. Plus, I think they deserve it because they've been really good the last couple of weeks" she replies.

"Ok fair enough" I nod.

"You did also get one of Aiden's barbies stuck in the vacuum so he was quite upset about losing that toy so he should get something new" Brittany replies.

"Is it weird that our son likes Ella's barbies more than Ella does?" I ask. I mean it's not like I'm against it or anything but I just assumed with Ella being a girl that she might like barbies so Brittany and I got her some but Aiden seems to play with them more.

"It's not like Ella doesn't like them, she's just more interested in bigger dolls and toy strollers" Brittany points out. "She would much rather have a tea party for her teddy bears than dress up her barbies."

"I suppose" I nod.

"Did you like barbies as a child?" Brittany asks me curiously.

"Yeah I'm sure I did. I'm sure I can remember my parents buying me all these different little outfits and I would put on a fashion show for my barbies. Quinn would come over to my house for a playdate and she would often bring her barbie dolls as well and we'd compete in a fashion show but my barbies always won" I reply.

"Yeah I'm sure they did" Brittany says while laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" I ask her slightly confused as to what is so amusing.

"You're just so competitive sometimes so I can imagine that you would always win" she replies. "I mean any time you and I play a card game or something, you win 90% of the time and the other 10% I only win because you let me because you want something, like sex."

"That really does sound like me a lot" I say laughing.

"Anyway, we're here now so let's get these two little ones inside and get to my appointment before we're late" Brittany says as I pull into a parking spot outside of the hospital.

"Yeah" I nod before putting the car in park and getting out to get the kids out of the back. "Are you going to be a big girl and walk Ella or will mom get your stroller out?" I ask my daughter.

"I walk" Ella smiles at me.

"Ok" I smile back at her. We all then head into the hospital. Aiden runs ahead of us since he knows where we're going and Ella walks with Brittany and me, taking both of our hands.

"Are you nervous?" Brittany asks, turning to look at me.

"A little bit, are you?" I ask.

"Yeah a little bit as well but at the same time I'm feeling quite positive. I feel like my stomach has grew a little bit in the last two weeks so that's obviously a good sign, right?" she replies.

"Yeah of course because it means the baby is developing" I smile. Brittany saying that has actually made me feel a bit better because that can only be good news.

Once we arrive, I go over to the reception desk to let them know Brittany is here for her appointment. We all then take a seat while we wait on our turn to see the doctor. The kids play in the corner with the toys and Brittany and I sit in a comfortable silence. We're both still a little bit nervous so we're just sitting there quietly trying to keep calm and relaxed.

"Brittany Lopez" a member of staff says as she comes into the waiting room.

"That's me" Brittany says while standing up.

"The doctor is ready now so if you'd just like to follow me" the woman says so Brittany follows her while I get the kids and take them through.

"Morning everyone" the doctor says smiling as we all walk into the room.

"Morning" I smile back.

"So, the whole family is here today?" the doctor smiles again.

"Yes, and once we're finished here these little ones are going to day-care while Brittany and I get to work" I say while looking at Aiden and Ella.

"I just can't believe how quickly they've both grown up because I was here for both of their births and it feels like just yesterday" the doctor says. She was Brittany's doctor throughout her pregnancy with Ella and was there when Aiden was born even though she wasn't our primary doctor at the time.

"I can't believe it either sometimes. I mean I remember Aiden saying his first word and now he says several words and they're not always appropriate" I say while chuckling slightly.

"My children were exactly the same. I remember they used to always want to sit with me and my husband or hug us but once they hit a certain age they were embarrassed to be seen with us. They really do grow up fast" the doctor replies.

"I'm sure I've got all that to look forward to" I say.

"You certainly do" the doctor smiles.

"Sorry to break up your little conversation but I'd really like to see my baby now before it's too late and I really need to be at work" Brittany says, interrupting us.

"Sorry babe" I smile at her before helping her lie down on the table.

"Ok I'll get started right away" the doctor says while getting the ultrasound machine started. "If you just want to lift up your shirt Brittany and I'll put some gel on your stomach" she adds.

"Ok" Brittany nods while bunching up her shirt.

"As you already know, the gel might be a little cold" the doctor says before putting some gel on Brittany's stomach. She then starts to move the wand around her stomach. Brittany is looking at the screen intently while I'm keeping one eye on it and the other eye on my energetic children over in the corner.

"I don't hear or see anything" Brittany says worriedly.

"It's ok, it just takes a second to pick it up when it's this early in the pregnancy" the doctor smiles.

"Ok" Brittany nods, trying to stay relaxed.

"Huh" the doctor says after a minute, looking rather puzzled.

"Huh?" Brittany questions. "What does 'huh' mean right now?" she asks worriedly.

"I've just noticed something that I didn't see at your last scan a couple of weeks ago" the doctor replies. She still looks really quite confused or concerned, I can't really tell the difference right now but it's unsettling me all the same.

What's going on here? Let me know what you think.