"Why are you so small?"

Rachel looks down at the little girl sitting beside her on Santana's couch. "I guess it's just in my genes. My mother's not that tall either." Rachel says with a smile.

"Your jeans!" Beth stares up at Rachel with wide eyes. "Is that why I'm so small?"Rachel looks on with confused eyes as Beth starts to scoot off of the couch.

"No. Wh…"

'"Hey!" Santana picks up Beth before she makes it three feet from the couch. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Is my mom here yet? I gotta tell her ta stop buying me small jeans. I wanna be tall!"

Santana laughs even though she has no idea what the kid is talking about. "Your moms not here yet. Jeans?" Santana looks to Rachel for answers.

"I didn't mean…she asked me why I'm so small and I said that it must be in my genes." Rachel smiles as Beth nods along with her.

"Yeah, Rae's mom wore short jeans too." Beth says seriously. Rachel just laughs. She finds Beth mix up to be adorable.

"Oh," Santana nods in understanding. "I think what Rachel meant was," Santana sits down next to Rachel with Beth on her lap. "She's small because her mother is small. Genes is just another way of saying that…"

"So I'm not going to be small?" Beth cuts Santana off. The little girls is only worried about her future size. "Mommy's tall. I be tall like mommy and you!"

"Yes, Tiny." Santana kisses Beth cheek with a fond smile. "One day you won't be my Tiny anymore. You'll be my big girl."

Beth pouts at that. "But I like being your Tiny, Sanny!"

"Oh babe," Santana tickles Beth sides. Beth wiggles and laughs with glee. "Don't be silly. You'll always be my Tiny."

Rachel smiles at the two. Rachel meet Beth a month ago and Santana has been letting her hangout with the two of them more and more. Beth took a liking to Rachel right away. Rachel sings to her and runs around on the play ground with her just like her mom and Santana.

Rachel has never been around kids that much. Only having to interact with them when visiting her moms younger sister who has two of her own little ones. Despite that, Rachel seemed to easily charm the little girl into accepting her into her aunt's life.

"Now go put on your shoes. Your mom should be here in a little." Santana puts Beth down and the little girl goes running into the other room to get her shoes.

Rachel came over to Santana's after a long day of work to see her girlfriend was in the middle of a tea date with her niece. Santana still invited Rachel in to hangout with them until Quinn came to pick up her daughter.

Quinn shows up fifteen minutes and collects her daughter. Santana promises Beth to come over tomorrow to read her a bedtime story. Rachel watches as Santana hugs both Quinn and Beth before taking the seat next to her on the couch.

"Damn I'm tired." Santana yawns and stretches out on the couch, laying her head in Rachel's lap. "Are you staying the night?"

Rachel rolls her eyes. "It's only eight and you're talking about going to bed? You are so old."

"Well we all can't be a young twenty five like you." Santana smirks.

"You're only a year older."

"Sti…" Santana gets cut off by Rachel's lips.

"Yes," Rachel whispers into the kiss. "I'll stay the night old lady."

0000000000

Santana wakes up in bed alone. She walks into the living room to find Rachel tucked into the corner of the couch with a blanket wrapped around her.

"Hey!" Rachel sends her a beaming smile. "Can I get you some coffee?"

Santana laughs as Rachel doesn't even wait for a response before throwing the blanket off and dashing off into the kitchen.

Santana is sitting in Rachel's abandon spot when the singer comes back into the room. "Thanks babe." Santana takes the coffee from Rachel's hands and leans up for a kiss but I hand on her shoulder stops their lips from actually touching. "What?"

"Teeth?"Rachel raises a single eyebrow.

"Brushed." Santana laughs.

"Mmmkay." Rachel closes the distance between them.

After they make out for a good five minutes, Rachel and Santana snuggle up together under the blanket. They spend the next hour watching TV before Santana has to start getting ready for work.

Santana is in the middle of looking under her bed for her other shoe when Rachel walks into the room. "Have you seen my other shoe?" Santana holds up the one half of the pair of black and red pair of Chuck Taylors she is holding.

"The living room closet." Rachel says without thought. Rachel remembers seeing the shoe yesterday when she went to hand up her coat. Santana is always putting her shoes all over the place.

"Thanks." Santana jumps up and heads out of the room. Rachel smacks her butt as she walks pass.

"Are you coming to the show tonight?"

Santana roll her eyes. Santana goes to every show if she doesn't have to work. So Rachel should already know the answer to this question. "Of course."

"Good. Because I wrote a song about you."

"You did?"

"I did." Rachel says with a small blush.

"Come here." Santana finishes stuffing her foot into her shoe, tying it and standing back up with her arms open. Rachel gladly walks into them. "Damn." Santana moans into Rachel's mouth. "I wish I didn't have to leave. I would so take you right now."

"Don't worry."Rachel pecks her lips a few times. "We have tonight."

Santana smiles and captures Rachel's lips again. "Stop." Rachel laughs when Santana starts to move the kisses from her lips to her neck. "You have to work." Rachel tries to push Santana away.

"Hey," Santana grows serious. She grabs Rachel's hands to keep the girl from pulling away.

"What?" Rachel is smiling at her.

"Nothing." Santana just keeps staring at her. She loves that smile.

"Santana." Rachel squeezes her hands when Santana doesn't move. "Work. Go."

Rachel tries to pull, but Santana holds on. "I love you."

The words are out before she knows it. It's the first time that either one of them have uttered those three words before. Santana's actually surprised she's the first one to say them. Usually she's not so open about her emotions. She was with her last girlfriend for over a year before she told her she loved her.

But Rachel

Everything about her relationship with Rachel is different.

She's different with Rachel.

A good different

"You…love me?" Rachel grins.

Santana laughs and pulls her into a kiss. "Yea. I do."

"I love you too." They share a few more kisses before Rachel pushes her away. "Now go to work."

0000000000

Dinner with Rachel's parents is always a challenge. Rachel always has to challenge herself not to walk out on dinner or say something hurtful to her parents. Kevin and Shelby Berry can be a lot to take in separately but together… together they're overpowering.

Rachel has spent the last four hours challenging herself to keep it together. She came over for dinner to celebrate her sister's graduation. Marley will be graduating from college in less than two weeks and Rachel is all kinds of proud. Even though it took Marley an extra year to figure out what she wanted to major in, Marley stuck with school and will be graduating at the top 10% of her class.

Dinner was mostly spent on everyone letting Marley know how proud of her they are and dropping hints about how Rachel needs to go back to school. Kevin Berry found multiple ways to insult Rachel's job as a clerk at a music store. Even went as far as saying it wasn't a real job and eventually Rachel was going to have to grow up.

But all that time….

All that time Rachel held her tongue. Didn't let her parents mess up her happy mood.

But then about thirty minutes ago her mom started interrogating her about her love life. Rachel has yet to let her parents meet Santana. Not because she's ashamed or anything. It's just that even though they've been together for almost seven months, the relationship still feels new and exciting to her. Rachel just doesn't want her parents to mess that up. Rachel parents have the tendency to bring up past relationships. Like Rachel's relationship with Amanda.

Amanda was her first. The first person Rachel dated, slept with, and loved. Amanda was also the first girl to ever break the singer's heart. Even with all that hurt, Rachel had a hard time letting go of Amanda. Or maybe it was because of all of those things Amanda stood for that Rachel had a hard time letting go of the girl. Anyway…Rachel parents are nosey and would most likely bring up ex girlfriends and things Rachel hasn't yet shared with Santana yet.

Even thought Rachel and Santana have been together for almost seven months, they haven't talked about past relationships yet. The topic has never come up. And while it is something that they should talk about, Rachel would just prefer that that information comes from her.

So instead of at least giving her parent the name of the girl she's dating, Rachel changes the subject to her band and the big news she's been holding for the last two days.

"Tour?" Shelby repeats like what she's saying can't be right. "You're going on a summer tour."

"Yes!" Rachel beams.

That's right. A few nights ago, a manager by the name of Richard Evans, came out to see the band do a set at a night club they frequent. Apparently Richard has been following the bands work for the past month and likes what he sees and hears. He offered them a deal to open this summer for a band he manages. Also is going to give them studio time if they do well on the tour and come up with some more songs to record. He is basically making the tour their trail to see if he wants to manage them. Either way, the band is taking the deal.

"That's great Rach!" Rachel didn't even know Marley was creeping outside of her bedroom. "Oh my god! You're going to me famous!" Marley tackles Rachel into a hug.

"Kevin!" Rachel looks over Marley's shoulder to see a frown on her moms face. "Get in here Kevin." When Rachel dad pops up, Shelby informs him of Rachel's news.

"Tour?" Rachel rolls her eyes. How did she get stuck with these two as her parents?

"It's a great opportunity?" Rachel says while getting comfortable on her old bed, Marley sitting to her right. "I'm excited about it."

"I just…Rachel." Shelby sighs. "The music industry is very…it can be very disappointing. I just don't want you to get hurt."

Rachel sighs. Her parents can never just be excited for her when it comes to her music. Shelby always has to use her failure in the music world as an excuse to why she doesn't support Rachel's music career. Shelby didn't get that far in the business and thinks Rachel is just wasting her time. Kevin just doesn't like anything that doesn't require a college degree. The man is a teacher and thinks school is the answer for everything. He was over the moon when Marley had decided to major in History. She's now on her way to be a history teacher.

"I won't."

"What about work?" Kevin butts into the conversation. "You already don't have the best job. Are they really going to let you stay off work for what? A month or two?" Her dad throws his hands up. "You have responsibilities Rachel. Bills Rachel."

"I'll get paid for the tour. I'm not stupid dad." Rachel growls. "Just…"

"I think you should think about this. You should give…"

"Can you just stop!" Rachel stands from the bed. "Just…I want to be alone."

"Young lady, I wi…"

"Dad." This time its Marley's voice that breaks in.

Kevin looks to his youngest daughter and then back to his oldest. Rachel has sat back down, turning her face away from her parents.

"Let's give her some space, Kevin." Shelby whispers.

Rachel doesn't take her eyes off the wall until her parents have left her bedroom.

"They just don't understand Rach." Marley puts a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "They don't know how good you guys are."

"Thanks." Rachel wipes at the stray tears she has coming down her face. She doesn't even remember when she started crying. "Can I get a minute alone?"

Marley smiles sadly over at Rachel before giving her a kiss on the cheek before exiting the room.

"What's up, babe?" Santana's voice filters through the phone.

Santana is the first person Rachel thought of when her night started going downhill. The only person besides Marley that she would want to talk to while she's so frustrated and hurt.

While Santana can be frustrating, she can also be very calming for Rachel. It's just something about Santana that just puts Rachel at ease. That's exactly what she needs right now.

"I'm sorry." Rachel whispers into the phone. "I know you're with Beth and…"

"Hey what's…are you okay?" Santana voice turns from playful to concerned within seconds.

"I just…I don't want to be that…I don't know. Clingy girlfriend."

"Clingy girlfriend?" Santana asks confused with what Rachel is talking about. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't want to interrupt your time with Beth. I can call you back."Rachel sighs. She doesn't even know what she's talking about anymore. Her emotions are all over the place.

"Don't hang up."

"But I just talked to you an hour ago. I don't want to be clingy." Rachel cradles the phone between her shoulder and face, holding it there as she moves to lie down on her side. "Clingy girlfriends are bad."

"Are you drunk?" Santana tries.

Rachel shakes her head. "No." She sniffles. "I'm upset."

"About?"

"My parents suck." Is all Rachel lets pass her lips.

"I'm sorry." Santana doesn't know what else to say. "Do you need me to come get you?"

Rachel smiles at that question. Rachel's parents live on the outskirts of the city and Santana does too, but way on the other side of town. But here she is, offering to put her night with Beth on hold for minute in order to pick up her upset girlfriend who is on the other side of town.

"No. That's okay." Rachel actually chuckles into the phone. "I just wanted to hear your voice. I'll get over this in a minute. I should be use to their shit by now."

"They shouldn't be that way."

"But they are. I'm just happy I have you."

"Always."

TBC

a/n: okay guys…there you have it…another chapter. thank you guys for all the reviews, new followers and just loyal readers. You guys rock!

Please drop me a line or two and let me know what you guys think about this chapter or the story as a whole. Reviews are encouraging. They always make me smile. I don't care if it's just one or two words. It all counts. Thanks!