CHAPTER 50
A/N: Thanks to pjay413, pacumeme57, Itsskik, Olivia, Berrylucky5, Tamardejong and Yadi for their reviews. Special thanks to WhitWalk for proofreading the 50th chapter of this story! I can't believe I wrote so many, it's crazy! But I hope you'll like it! As usual, this chapter alternates between Santana and Brittany's POV.
Here is what you missed (on Glee)
(Brittany's POV): I eventually get out of the car, take the few steps separating me from the front door and ring the bell. I really don't want to be here but I know I have to swallow my pride. I just love Santana too much to let her sacrifice Glee for me.
The door finally opens and I swallow hard, feeling my heart beating fast in my chest.
"Brittany?" I hear, detecting surprise in the familiar voice.
"Hi…" I say. "Could we talk for a minute?"
BRITTANY POV
"So, what can I do for you, Brittany…?" She asks, looking uncomfortable.
I know coming here was the right thing to do but it's so awkward to sit in Julia Peterson's living room. I didn't even think she would have a "regular" house, I always pictured her living in some kind of expensive villa, like most famous actresses.
"Can I be fully honest?" I ask.
"Uh… sure." She shrugs, obviously wondering where this is going.
"I don't like you." I say in a very direct tone, looking her straight in the eye. "And believe me, I would rather be anywhere than here. But I have exhausted all other possibilities and ironically… you are my very last option."
"I… um… I'm not sure I understand…?" She says, frowning in confusion.
"It's a long story but… because of me, Santana lost her funding for Glee." I say. "She can't finance all the musical numbers she was planning, which could cost her the show… And I can't accept that!" I shrug. "She worked too hard to fail now… After everything that happened - Lee altering her scripts, the network removing Brittana scenes, the long nights away from her children - she deserves a win!" I add.
"I went to everyone I knew, hoping to gather the required funding, but we're falling short. So here I am… begging the woman who tried to sleep with my wife." I chuckle nervously at the irony of the situation.
"So, you're essentially asking me to… produce Glee?" She asks.
"Yes." I nod in confirmation. "And I know you don't owe me anything, Julia… but it's not about me anyway, it's about Santana." I say. "Do you remember what you told me at that Glee season launch party? You said you admired her so much that you would do anything to help her."
"And you already did." I admit. "If you had not invited her to the Netflix dinner, she would have never met Patricia Miller." I shrug. "And as grateful as I am for that, I need you to help her again…" I say.
"Please." I eventually add, locking eyes with her. But she remains silent, for what feels like forever.
"How much are we talking about?" She eventually asks and I hand her the document I got from Quinn.
"Wow, ok..." She comments after taking a look, obviously surprised. "Is she building golden sets?!"
"I know it's a lot…" I admit, nodding. "But if the season is successful, you'll get back a lot more money…"
AN HOUR LATER – OUTSIDE JULIA'S HOUSE
"So, I'll ask Quinn to call you later today and you can sort out the practicalities together." I tell Julia as I'm standing on her doorstep, ready to walk back to my car. "But Santana can't know about this yet… so if you could…"
"Don't worry, I won't say a word." She cuts me off.
"Okay…" I nod.
"I… uh…" I trail off. "Thank you for, you know… being so helpful…"
"Sure…" She shrugs timidly.
Noticing how uncomfortable Julia is around me, I decide not to prolong this conversation. But as I'm walking back to my car, I stop after a few steps and turn around.
"Just so we're clear… it doesn't change anything." I say.
"Sorry?" She asks, confused.
"You're still not sleeping with her." I clarify, in a determined voice.
"I know." She nods.
A FEW DAYS LATER – AT PARAMOUNT – SANTANA POV
"I know you have been wondering what this 'secret' episode is about." I tell the cast as we are all gathered in the meeting room. "The reason why you are only discovering this script today is because it's a very special episode… One that I hold very close to my heart." I sigh. "And it's - without a doubt - the most emotional episode we have ever made on this show, so… I count on each and every one of you to give it all you've got, ok?" I add and they all nod.
"This episode is called 'The Quarterback' and… it will address Finn's death…" I eventually announce, making the cast members open their eyes wide in surprise.
"As you can imagine, losing Finn was a tragedy in our lives and this week is going to be particularly difficult for Quinn, Artie and me." I admit. "But we all agreed that it was important to pay tribute to our friend and honor him on this show so… that's exactly what we're going to do." I add in a decided tone.
"Alright…" I sigh, taking a long exhale to give me courage. "Please open your script on page 3, we'll do the table read now and then, you'll be free to go home. But I need you to learn your lines by tomorrow."
LATER THAT DAY (AFTERNOON) - AT THE DANCE SCHOOL – BRITTANY POV
I'm in the middle of a discussion with Justin and his crew when I spot Mike walking in. Much to my surprise, he's accompanied by Santana.
"Hey!" I say, kissing her lips. "I didn't know you were coming!"
"I was not supposed to but… I could use a distraction right now…" She says in a sad voice, and I immediately understand it has to do with the "Quarterback" episode.
"And I couldn't think of any better distraction than you…" She adds with a small smile.
"Well, I'm really glad you're here." I smile back at her, grabbing her hand.
"So, Justin… Now that we're all here, tell us everything!" I turn to him, still holding Santana's hand in mine.
"Of course. Please follow me…" He says, leading the way.
"So, first of all… we installed your new surveillance system, and it's much more performant than the previous one." He says. "We also received the new electrical cables this morning and my guys just started installing them. If it all goes well, we should have replaced them all by tomorrow evening."
"That's great!" Mike comments in a hopeful voice.
"Well, I do have some bad news though…" Justin says. "At first, we were hoping we would only need to replace the non-compliant parts of the generator but it turns out that the machine got compromised so we need to order a brand new one… It's covered by the costs but it will likely delay the repairs..." He adds. "I double checked the technical requirements with your former electrician, Pete, and he said he knows a trustworthy company that sells this type of generators. He believes they would ship it faster if he ordered it himself. Would that be ok?" He asks in an uncertain voice but we all immediately nod in approval.
"Alright, I can give him a call right now." Justin says. "But I think it would be good if one of you could join the conversation."
"I can do that!" Mike suggests and they both walk away.
"So, it sounds like it's progressing well…" Santana says, turning to me. "Hopefully, you guys can reopen soon."
"Yeah, but that also depends on our license." I reply. "Mike already sent our application to get it back but… it's likely going to take a few weeks as the Inspector first needs to come down here and confirm that everything is in order."
"We'll get there…" She says with a comforting smile, bringing my hand to her lips.
"How are you doing?" I ask in a concerned voice, caressing her cheek. She looks so sad today.
"I'm okay…" She whispers but I pull her into a hug anyway.
THE NEXT DAY - AT PARAMOUNT – SANTANA POV
I'm on set, for the shooting of the "Quarterback" episode, a moment that I have been dreading ever since season 4 started…
I might have written the script but watching the actors re-enact the words I put on paper is a whole different story. It brings back very painful memories that I thought I had buried deep inside me. But as I watch Naya playing me and reacting to Finn's passing, I feel the same awful pit in my stomach I felt all those years ago…
Minutes pass and I try my best to stay strong but when I realize that I'm on the verge of crying, I make up a fake excuse and quickly retire to my office.
I make sure to lock the door and serve myself a Scotch, before sitting at my desk. Years may have passed but I don't think I have ever gotten over Finn's death… Even though it doesn't happen as often as before, he still comes to mind every now and then. It can be because of a song that reminds me of him, old pictures I stumble upon or simply because Sofia randomly asks a question about "Uncle Finn who lives in Heaven."
Brittany and I have always made sure to tell our little girl about him but I don't think she really understands what "being in Heaven" means. For her, Finn is just that tall guy who went to school with her moms and who now lives somewhere in the sky.
"This one is for you, Hudson…" I whisper, raising my glass.
After taking a few sips, I open the file I got from our music studio and play Rivera's version of "If I Die Young". As always, Naya did an amazing job and it doesn't take long before I burst into tears. But I know I need this… It has to come out.
After a few minutes, I finally find a sense of peace, reminding myself that I'm doing this for Finn. The world needs to know what an amazing guy he was and what a tremendous loss it has been for us all…
I stay lost in my thoughts for a while, until I grab my phone and type a text.
TO "GAY BERRY": We are shooting the tribute episode to Finn and I didn't even have the courage to stay on set… I know I don't say this nearly enough, probably never even, but… you are the strongest person I know, Berry.
After pressing "send", I immediately type another text.
"TO WIFEY": I love you.
As I'm wiping my tears away, my phone beeps a couple of times.
FROM "GAY BERRY": I was lucky to have the most amazing friends by my side… You're the ones who got me through it! I'm sure it's difficult but you're doing a great thing that means a lot to me and that will mean a lot to his family too.
FROM "WIFEY": I love you too, until infinity.
LATER THAT DAY (LATE EVENING)
After a long day of shooting, Artie, Quinn and I went to the pub near Paramount, for a few drinks. I think we were all so consumed by our emotions that we needed to blow off some steam before going home. We ended up telling funny anecdotes about "Squishy tits" all night long.
It's so late when I finally get home that everyone is already asleep, even Brittany. I decide to first take a shower, to wash out my sorrow, before going to Sofia's bedroom. I find my little girl hugging her teddy in her sleep and I can't help but smile. I carefully lay by her side for a minute and caress her hair, before placing a featherlike kiss on her forehead.
On my way to my bedroom, I pass by Diego's room and I chuckle when I see that he's once again sleeping like a starfish. I sit down by his crib and watch him for a while, my finger gently rubbing his tiny hand.
A few minutes later, I stop by Gabriel's bedroom and find my blond boy smiling in his dreams, just like Britt does so often. I take a minute to softly caress his belly and blow him a kiss, before carefully getting out of his room.
When I finally enter my bedroom, Brittany is laying on her back, one arm resting on her pillow, just above her head. I get into bed as quietly as I can and snuggle up against her, my head laying on her chest. I don't think she's awake and yet, it's like she knows I'm here because I suddenly feel her arm lazily wrap around my waist. Right at that moment, my emotions suddenly rush back to me without warning, and I end up sobbing uncontrollably, clinging to her body.
BRITTANY POV
I wake up to Santana crying but I can't say that I'm surprised. I know the "Quarterback" episode is getting to her and she's not the only one… Puck told me he found Quinn crying at home yesterday.
"Sshhh…" I whisper, hugging her tighter, pressing my lips against her forehead.
"Why do I feel like this…?" She sobs against my chest, as if it was not normal.
"Because you miss your friend, honey…" I say, rubbing her back. "And because… even years later, it still feels unfair."
"It was unfair…" She cries harder. "He was too young to die, he didn't deserve that! He barely had the time to do anything! And Rachel, God… Rachel didn't deserve this either!"
"I know…" I whisper, caressing her hair. "No one deserved that… But Rachel is doing okay. She's got Jesse now, and all of us… And don't you see? Finn has been gone for 10 years already but his friends are still mourning for him." I say, kissing her forehead once more. "He will never be forgotten…"
Without a word, Santana eventually lifts her head a little and our eyes meet for a brief moment, until she presses her lips on mine for a desperate kiss. She's sobbing against my mouth but I kiss her back, cupping her cheek to keep her close…
"I love you…" She whispers, her watery eyes locked with mine.
"I know…" I nod. "I love you too…"
"And I love the kids…" She quickly adds. "I… I love you all so much that it terrifies me…" She admits, burying her head in my neck. "I can't lose you…"
"You're not gonna lose us, San…" I immediately reply, hugging her tight to comfort her. "I'm here, the kids are here… And we all love you."
THE NEXT DAY (EVENING TIME) – AT HOME – SANTANA POV
It's early evening when I get home, after another emotionally draining day. I have barely taken off my shoes that Brittany greets me with a kiss.
"How did it go today?" She asks with concerned eyes and I just shrug in a sad silence. I don't even know what to say…
"Where are the kids?" I eventually ask, looking around. My little monsters usually run to me as soon as I get home.
"They're spending the night at Sam and Mercedes'." She replies, much to my surprise.
"Why?"
"Because it's Friday night… and it's our…" She trails off, obviously waiting for me to complete the sentence.
"Um… date night?" I say in an uncertain tone. But what else could it be?
"Exactly!" She smiles.
"Oh, Britt… It's sweet of you but… I'm really not in the mood to go out tonight…"
"We don't have to go out!" She shrugs. "It wouldn't be the first time we spend our date night at home anyway… I guess it's the same curse for most parents!" She smiles. "But… we could put on our PJs, drink some wine, and eat junk food in front of a sappy romantic comedy?" She suggests. "And if the movie is bad, we can just make out!" She adds with a mischievous grin.
"That actually sounds perfect…" I admit, with a small smile. "But can I take a shower first? You know, to wash out the day?"
"Of course, honey…" She nods, before giving me a kiss. "Go shower and I'll get everything ready here."
LATER THAT NIGHT – AT HOME
Brittany and I watched TV for a while, drinking way too much wine. But the movie was so bad that we ended up making out on the couch. That wife of mine is really a sheer genius because this type of evening is exactly what I needed.
"Should we go to bed?" She suddenly asks in between passionate kisses, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Yes, please…" I whisper, kissing her neck, making her hum in contentment.
I smirk at her reaction and eventually get off the couch, pulling her up by the hands. I lead the way towards our bedroom but I stop in my tracks as soon as I open the door.
"Oh my God, what is this mess?!" I say, looking around in disbelief.
"I swear, that fucking dog will be the death of me!" I quickly add, raising my voice.
"Okay…" Brittany says in a soft tone, placing both her hands on my shoulders while looking into my eyes. "Let's not get mad…"
"Let's not get mad?" I repeat, frowning. "Britt, she jumped on our bedsheets with her awful, dirty, muddy paws!" I say, pissed. "And where is she even? PENNY!" I shout in anger, looking around the room.
A FEW MINUTES LATER – IN THE BEDROOM
"It's not a big deal, San…" Britt says. "Penny is back in the kitchen now and…"
"Did you lock the door this time?" I cut her off.
"Yes!" She replies. "Look, we're just going to change the bedsheets right away and put this incident behind us, ok?" She suggests, immediately grabbing new sheets from our wardrobe. "Here… help me make the bed…"
I'm absolutely fuming inside but I help Britt replace the sheets, in silence.
"Can you just stop hogging the top sheet?" I suddenly say in an impatient voice, tugging on it.
"What?" She asks, confused.
"You're taking all of it, I have nothing left on my side!" I complain and she just chuckles in response.
"What's so funny?" I ask, offended.
"Nothing… It's just that we sound like a married couple."
"We are a married couple, Britt!"
"I know!" She replies with such a proud smile that she eventually makes me chuckle too.
"Alright… we're all set now!" She smiles and climbs on top of the bed, before keeling on it. "Come here…" She adds, pulling me by my waist to bring me closer.
"I'll make you forget about it all…" She whispers, capturing my lips in a loving kiss.
THE NEXT MORNING – AT SAM AND MERCEDES'
"Hi San!" Mercedes says upon opening the front door, greeting me with a hug.
"Hey, girl! How are you?" I ask, hugging her back. "I came to relieve you from duty! I hope my little monsters behaved?"
"Oh, they were absolutely adorable!" She replies with a smile.
"Yeah? They slept through the night?"
"They did! And I've got to tell you, Sam and I really appreciate that!"
"Of course, they did!" I sigh. "Why ruining their uncle and aunt's sleep when they can ruin their moms' every other day of the year…" I say, making her chuckle.
"MAMAAA!" I suddenly hear Sofia shout as she runs towards me, closely followed by her brothers.
"Hola mis amores!" I say with a wide smile, kneeling on the floor just in time to catch them in my arms. "Did you have fun with Auntie 'Cedes and Uncle Sam?" I ask, covering their faces with kisses.
"Yes! We even sang!" Sofia replies with pride.
"You did? I didn't know your uncle and aunt could sing…" I say, winking at Mercedes.
"Well, we're not as good as these three…" She adds with a smirk.
"Obviously." I shrug, trying hard to remain serious.
"And we also built a fort in the living room!" Sofia says. "I was the princess!"
"Really? That sounds really fun, mija!" I reply. "I can't wait to hear more about it! But let's gather your stuff first and go home, ok? Mommy is waiting for us."
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER (LATE EVENING) – AT HOME
Once again, it's pretty late when I get home. I don't usually stay at work that long but… it was the last shooting day for the 'Quarterback' and I felt I had to be there, I owed it to Finn. I'm relieved it's over now though because I don't know how much longer I could have taken…
I'm sure Britt must be asleep because the house is all quiet. But after a few emotional days, I need a moment for myself before going to bed. I sit down on the living room couch and turn on the TV but it doesn't take long before I burst into tears again, for the millionth time in the past week. I make sure my face is hidden between my hands to muffle the sound of my sobbing, but I'm startled when I suddenly feel Penny's nose rubbing against my leg.
As I turn to her, I find her sitting down by my feet and looking at me, with some sort of concerned look in her eyes. Can dogs even feel concerned? And how does she manage to open the kitchen door by herself and wander in the house?
Before I can say anything, she climbs on the sofa and lays down next to me. Our eyes are locked and she eventually pushes her muzzle under my hand, as if she wanted me to pet her. I usually stay away from that dog but it feels like she's trying to comfort me, as if she understood my pain. I eventually rest my hand on top of her head and start petting her. It feels strangely comforting and even though I normally hate that, I don't complain when she starts licking my other hand.
THE NEXT MORNING – AT HOME – IN THE KITCHEN
"So… I witnessed a very endearing scene last night…" Brittany says as we're having breakfast. "I even took a picture, look!" She adds and I can't help but smile, impatient to discover yet another cute picture of the kids.
"Oh my God, delete that!" I say once I see it's a picture of me sleeping on the couch, right next to the dog. I immediately try to grab her phone but she pulls it away before I can.
"Oh, I'll never delete it, it's way too cute!" She says, laughing. "I'm even thinking of framing it! It would look so great in the entrance hall, don't you think?" She adds and the worst is that I know she's capable of doing just that!
"Don't you dare, Brittany Lopez-Pierce!" I warn, raising my index finger at her, but she only laughs in response.
"I didn't know you and Penny were such pals!" She says with a mischievous grin.
"We're not!" I object, crossing my arms. "She pisses me off!"
"Oh yeah, you clearly look soooo pissed on this picture." She says ironically, before walking away.
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER - AT PARAMOUNT – IN SANTANA'S OFFICE
"So, I looked up all the dance schools that competed for sectionals…" Detective Mason tells me. "And most of them are like yours: they have stable income and they are partly financed by public funding, partly by private investors." He adds. "It also appears that the two schools that qualified for regionals were selected every single year for the last decade. So, nothing fishy there… But the school that got the 4th place is an interesting case."
"What do you mean?" I ask. "Which school is that?"
"It's called 'All that jazz'. Have you ever heard about it?" He asks and I shake my head no.
"Is that a new school?"
"Not exactly. It used to be called 'Hip hop nation', maybe that sounds more familiar?"
"Oh yeah, 'Hip hop nation'… I remember them! They were even open on Sundays!" I say. "But I think they had to shut down because they were crawling under debt…"
"Exactly." He nods. "But a few months ago, a new private investor took over and it was reborn from its ashes. They even got their public funding back! They have however been struggling to get enough students so… I'm guessing this is why they signed up for invitationals, and then sectionals. It's a great opportunity for schools to be more visible." He shrugs. "But since they got the 4th place, they fell short for regionals by one spot, which means the competition was over for them… unless one of the top three schools was suddenly bumped out – in which case, they would automatically qualify for regionals…" He adds, making me open my eyes wide in surprise.
"Are you saying they sabotaged Britt's school, just to steal our third place?" I frown.
"I don't know. But it's a possibility, yes."
"Who is the new owner?" I ask.
"A certain 'Hannah Cross', do you know her?"
"No, I've never heard of her." I say, frowning in confusion.
"Well, I'll try to find out more about her and this school."
"What about James Pearson?" I ask.
"I looked him up but records show that he hasn't been in L.A. for a long time, apparently not since he last talked to your wife. He's part of a ballet troupe that is quite successful on Broadway right now, they're even sold out every night."
Well… At least, James is very far from us and I'm not going to complain about that.
"You still don't want me to interview your wife, or Mr. Chang?" The Detective asks. "Maybe they know this Hannah Cross."
"No, not for now…" I reply. "But I will check if they know her."
THE NEXT DAY – AT PARAMOUNT – IN SANTANA'S OFFICE
I have been signing something like a million documents when one of them suddenly catches my eye and I immediately grab my office phone.
"Tracy? Can you please get me Fabray, STAT?"
"Sure thing, boss! I'll send her to you now."
A few minutes later, Quinn knocks on the open door of my office.
"Hi San! What's up?" She asks.
"You tell me, Q…" I say, handing her a document.
"Why did I receive an astronomical bill for costumes and accessories when I specifically asked you to cancel all orders for episodes 9 and 10?" I ask, crossing my arms. "Did you forget?" I shrug in disbelief.
How would an organizational freak like Quinn miss something so important?
"I didn't forget. I just didn't cancel them." She shrugs.
"What?!" I frown in confusion. "But Quinn… It's probably too late to cancel now! They're going to charge us for the whole thing and we don't have that money!" I add, raising my arms in frustration.
"Actually, we do have the money…" She says, taking me aback. "We have a new private investor and they already transferred the money so… I can pay all these bills." She adds, making my jaw drop in shock.
"A new investor?" I repeat, with a mix of confusion and anger. "What the fuck, Fabray! You can't make such a decision without consulting me!" I protest. "Do you even know what you've done? Let me break it down for you: when people invest money, they think they are entitled to meddle! The reason I left Fox in the first place was because I wanted full freedom on my show, and now I will have to answer to someone else again?!" I add in an angry tone.
"Relax, Santana." Quinn says. "It's a silent investor! You're still free to do whatever you want."
"It doesn't change anything, Quinn! You shouldn't have done that behind my back!" I complain, raising my hands. "What if it's someone I don't like, uh? Oh my God, please tell me it's not Lee Paulblatt!"
"It's not Lee! That would be considered a conflict of interest, so…"
"Well, who is it then?" I ask, getting out of patience.
"It's… Julia Peterson." She replies and I find myself at a loss for words.
"Fuck…" I eventually whisper, dropping down on my desk chair. Brittany is going to kill me!
"How did you even manage to convince Julia Peterson to invest so much money?" I ask.
"I didn't, Brittany did." She says, much to my surprise.
"Brittany…?! But…" I mumble in confusion. "God, what the hell is going on here?!" I eventually ask.
"Look, San…" Quinn says, in a soft tone. "Like you said, you left Fox to have full artistic freedom. But let's be realistic: you can't have artistic freedom if you don't have the funding! And Brittany knows that! That's why she talked to Julia." She adds. "And I don't know what she said to her but… what matters is that Julia agreed to fully finance episode 10! And for episode 9, we found another solution."
"What other solution?" I immediately ask, getting scared. I hate when I don't have control over things!
"Well, it took a while but… Artie and I joined forces with Rachel, Mercedes and Naya…" She says. "And all together, we managed to gather enough money for that episode." She adds and I freeze for a moment, not knowing what to say.
"I… I can't accept that, Q…" I eventually whisper in embarrassment. "It's too much…"
"It's an investment." She shrugs. "We will get the money back."
"You don't know that…" I say, shaking my head. "If ratings are bad, that money will be lost! I can't let you do that…"
"It's a risk we are all willing to take." She argues. "But I know ratings will be good because we're going to deliver a kick ass season 4!" She adds in a reassuring voice.
"But…"
"You've done so much for all of us, San…" She cuts me off. "You gave an amazing job to Artie and me, you wrote hit songs for Rachel and Mercedes, and you gave Naya the biggest role of her career! None of us will ever be able to thank you enough! So, for once, let us be there for you! Okay?"
"Ok…" I eventually sigh, getting up to give her a hug. "Thank you…" I whisper.
LATER THAT DAY – AT HOME
"Hey! I didn't know you would be home so early!" Britt smiles upon seeing me in the entrance.
"Yeah, well… We need to talk, Brittany." I say in a serious tone.
"Um, okay…" She replies, obviously wondering what's going on. "About what?"
"You went to Julia Peterson?" I say in a softer tone, raising my arms in disbelief. "When were you going to tell me about that?"
"I um… I was just waiting for her to work out the details with Quinn and transfer the money." She replies in a timid whisper.
"Well, we got the money!" I reply with a shrug. "I can't believe you did this for me…" I say, knowing how much she must have hated going to Julia for help. It's as if I had to beg James for money!
"Well… you waited so long to be fully in charge of Glee and… I didn't want you to suffer any setback because of me…"
"God, wifey…" I sigh, shaking my head. "You have to stop being perfect like this! How can I keep up if you set the bar so high?"
"I was just trying to catch up with you…" She shrugs with a timid smile. "San, you sacrificed your show to save my dance school!"
"I guess love makes us do crazy things, uh?" I say, making her chuckle.
"I guess so…" She smiles.
"Thank you…" I whisper in gratitude, pulling her into a loving kiss.
"That being said, my craziness has its limits." She suddenly says, breaking the kiss. "That's why I made sure Julia would have no power of decision and would only be allowed to contact Quinn. I don't want that woman around you." She warns.
"Whatever you say, Ms. Lopez-Pierce." I smile, before hugging her tight.
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER (MORNING TIME) – AT HOME – BRITTANY POV
God, I've had the most horrible night ever! I kept waking up every hour and only had bad dreams in between! I'm feeling pretty tired this morning but I decide to get out of bed anyway, to see the kids before Santana drives them to daycare.
"Can you teach me how to ride a bike?" I overhear Sofia ask her mama, as I enter the room.
"Well, I will certainly be there to watch you and encourage you, mija… But I'm not going to run behind your bike! That kind of stuff is for mommy." She says. "Ha, speaking of the devil… here she is!" She smiles, getting up to give me a kiss.
"Can you teach me how to ride a bike, mommy?" Sofia asks again as I press my lips on her forehead.
"Sure, peanut… We can start tomorrow if you want." I say and take a seat at the table, before laying my head on my crossed arms.
"Go get your backpack, mija…" Santana says. "We'll leave in 5 minutes."
"Rough night?" She chuckles once Sofia has left the room.
"Don't mock me… It was horrible!"
"Oh, I know… You kept kicking me all night!"
"Really, I did?" I ask and she nods in confirmation. "I'm sorry, honey… I don't know what was up with me, I had so many weird dreams!"
"What dreams?" She asks, taking a sip of coffee.
"Well, they were all very different from each other, but it was always bad! I even dreamed that we were older, like in our 40s, and we were divorced!"
"What?" She asks, frowning.
"Yeah!" I shrug. "The kids were older too, obviously. Sofia was a senior in high school and the twins were teenagers and… you and I were both dating other people."
"Okay, I do not approve that dream." Santana says, raising her index finger. "Sorry, but you're stuck in this marriage forever! Period."
"Yeah, I'm fine with that…" I smile.
"Good." She smiles back, before giving me a kiss. "But tell me, was I at least hot in my 40s?"
"Oh, the hottest!"
"Ah! At least, you got one thing right…" She smirks, kissing me again.
TWO WEEKS LATER – AT THE DANCE SCHOOL
"So… the new generator is now in place, thanks to Pete." Justin says, updating us on the status of the repairs. "We also completed the isolation of the electrical installation and we finished the refreshment works in the auditorium."
"What refreshment works?" I ask, frowning. But as I turn to Mike, I see that he is as confused as me.
"Um… the works that Santana ordered…" Justin replies, obviously not understanding why we are confused.
"I see it becomes a habit to meddle for the better…" I turn to Santana, crossing my arms.
"Look who's talking!" She chuckles. "But maybe I should manage your expectations here, because it's not a big deal! Justin just took care of some long overdue refreshment works, such as replacing the lights with led bulbs, refreshing the floors and installing a new sound system…" She says. "And you don't have to worry about the money, because that's my personal investment."
"But San, it's too much…" Mike protests.
"It's really not." She replies. "Now that Britt found an investor for Glee, I don't have to finance this season myself. And since your school was closed anyway, it was the perfect time to carry on with these small renovations. At least, now you're all set!"
"You're hopeless, you know that?" I say, shaking my head. "But I love you so much…" I add with a smile, hugging her in my arms. "Thank you, honey…"
"My pleasure!" She says, hugging me back. "Now, go call the Inspector so he can bring his ass down here. It's time to reopen this marvelous school!"
A FEW DAYS LATER (EVENING TIME) – AT MIKE AND TINA'S – SANTANA POV
"Well… to the upcoming reopening of the dance school!" I say, raising my glass of champagne. "And to Britt and Mike!"
"Actually, it should be to you, San…" Mike says. "Because you're the one who saved our dance school! I'm still impressed by the way you managed to find a solution to all our problems! I've got to tell you, it feels great to have someone like you in our corner!"
"I second that!" Britt says, putting her arm around my shoulders.
"Me too!" Tina adds with a smile, and they all clink their glasses against mine.
"Come on, guys… You're gonna make me blush…" I say timidly.
"You truly deserve all the credit, San…" Mike replies. "If it wasn't for you, we would have had to sell the studio! And you even gave me a job so that I wouldn't lose my income!"
"We're really grateful for what you did for us." Tina says, nodding. "And for our little girl too…" She adds, placing a hand on her growing belly.
"Aww, it's a girl?" Britt asks, before covering her nose with her hands.
"Yeah…" Tina smiles. "And she'll need strong women to look up to! So, if you agree, San… we would like you to be her godmother."
"Oh my God, really?" I say, opening my mouth in surprise. It's the first time someone asks me to be their kid's godmother.
"That would really mean a lot to us, 'Titana'!" She confirms, referring to the nickname their son Alex uses to call me. "What do you say?"
"Um sure… I… It would be an honor…" I mumble, touched by their request.
"Well, to Titana!" Britt says with a smile.
"To Titana!" Mike and Tina repeat, and we all clink glasses again.
A/N: I first hesitated to mention the Quarterback episode but I thought it would be interesting to see how it would affect Santana. And since it's my 50th chapter, I thought it would be nice to honor both Cory and Naya in it. So, what did you think of this chapter? Did you think Brittany would go to Julia for help? Who is this Hannah Cross? Is she behind the sabotage of the dance school? But more importantly, guys… Are you still with me? Because I really get fewer reviews than before so I'm wondering… is this story getting too long, should I stop? Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think!