First off, I want to say HELLO! to the new readers and thank those of you who left comments/reviews. They are always appreciated.

Also, as you all know, the last chapter was in Brittany's POV and I really enjoyed writing that. I was thinking about, maybe, doing it again sometime. What do you guys think? Let me know.

since I took my sweet time posting chapter 13, here's 14. I hope you guys enjoy this one. I had fun writing it. :)

The sun has already hidden behind the valley and the snow is thick, but I can still clearly see the bright yellow house as the cab parks near the curb. "Britt, there's still time. We can still turn back and go home. They'll never know."

"Santana..."

"Come on, Brittany. This trip already sucks! Look at this ridiculous weather. I have five layers of clothes on and I'm still freezing my ass off."

"It's not that bad. And look on the bright side! We get to make snowmen and have snow fights like we used to. Don't you miss doing all that?"

"Totally." I huff with annoyance and follow her out of the cab and towards the trunk. "Is this idiot not going to help us take our things down?" I bang the side of my fist against the the taxi. "Hey! Muhammad! How about a little help here?"

"Santana, it's really cold, just leave him."

"It's his job, Brittany. It's not like it's that hard. And I'm actually trying to do him a favor. He looks like he's one pound away from being the male version of Ursula."

"Here," she hands me my luggage and goes over to the driver's side to pay the fare.

"Don't tip him!" I shout.

Once the taxi leaves, Brittany takes my gloved hand in hers and we walk up the pathway towards the Pierce's front door.

Her parents aren't expecting us at all. They think Brittany is arriving next week...alone. I haven't seen them since the day of my graduation. Although I would rather not be here, I am kind of excited about seeing them. I spent more time here than at my own house so they kind of became a second set of parents.

We get to the door and Brittany pulls me to the side.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Hiding you." She pushes me out of view from the doorway and tells me to be quiet by holding her index finger against her lips. She rings the doorbell and tries to hold back her excitement as she waits for the door to be answered.

I expect to hear the voice of her mom or dad when the door is opened but it's a much younger voice that shouts, "Brittany!"

"Hi!" Brittany lunges forward and lifts her sister off the floor in a hug.

"I thought you were flying in next week!"

Brittany sets her down and smiles. "I was, but I have a surprise for everyone."

"What is it?" I can hear the excitement in Jamie's voice. I hope I don't disappoint. She used to love me back in the day, but that was almost five years ago. I might not seem as cool as I did now that she's a teenager.

"Brittany?" I hear Ms. Pierce ask.

"Hi, Mom! Hi, Daddy!"

Brittany's jacket makes a ruffling noise and I assume they're having a group hug.

"Oh, baby! I'm so happy to see you. I missed you so much!" There's sounds of motherly kisses on cheeks and Brittany's light laugh.

"Come on in, sweetheart. It's freezing out there."

You have no idea, Mr. Pierce. I think to myself.

"Wait! I have a surprise for you guys. Think of it as an early Christmas gift." Brittany reaches her hand out for mine and I take it, moving from behind the wall and into their line of sight. "Surprise!" Brittany shouts.

"Hi, guys," I say, with an awkward smile

Mrs. Pierce's hand shoots straight to her mouth as if to cover her shock, while Mr. Pierce stares at me with an opened mouth, surprised, smile.

Jamie's eyes go wide and she tackles me with a hug. "I thought I was never going to see you again!"

I chuckle. "And I thought you'd still be a midget. Talk about growth spurt, huh?"

"Santana." Mrs. Pierce is next in the line of hugs and wraps her arms tightly around me. "This is such a lovely surprise!" She pulls away and holds me at arm's length. "Look at you! You're all grown up! You went from a pretty girl to a beautiful woman."

I laugh nervously and thank her. Compliments are something that I'm used to and love, but I never know how to respond to them when they're coming from grown ups. It's just... weird.

I look behind her and see Mr. Pierce wearing a warm smile and holding his arms open for me. It's odd how happy I am to see him. I always had a special respect fo him because he's very reservered, yet one of the nicest men I've ever met. Whenever I used to come over and Brittany did silly stuff with her mom, that I was not up for doing, Mr. Pierce would sit back with me and chuckle at their quirkyness. I guess, in some way, I'm a lot like him.

I move into his arms and he gives me a tight fatherly squeeze. "It's good to see you again, Santana. I thought you'd forgotten about us."

"Not at all, Mr. Pierce," I say, and immediately feel guilty. I did forget about them. But not because I have something against them or anything like that. It's just that when I left Lima I wanted to leave everything and everyone behind. I almost did the same thing with my own parents. The only reason why I still visit them is because my mom forces me. I'll never admit it, but I'm glad she does that. I love my parents and I'm happy they don't allow me to completely detach from them. It shows they care.

"Mom? What's wrong?" Brittany asks, worriedly.

"Oh! Nothing." Mrs. Pierce waves one hand in dismissal and shields her face with the other. "Don't mind me."

"You're crying." Brittany slips her arm around her mother's shoulders and wipes her tears.

"They're happy tears," she says with a shaky laugh. "I'm just so happy to see you both."

Brittany smiles wide and gives her a squeeze. "Welllll... get ready to happy-cry some more." She moves next to me and encircles me with her arms. "San and I are back together!"

Jamie claps excitedly and Mrs. Pierce's subtle sobs pick up again. "So many surprises. S..so happy," she manages to say.

Mr. Pierce grips both of our shoulders and grins down at us. "Congratulation, girls," he says before moving past us to comfort his wife.

After Brittany's mom is able to catch her breath again, we all sit down to have dinner. Just twenty minutes ago I was trying to convince Brittany to turn around and go back home with me, but I'm happy she never gives in when I whine about ridiculous things such as visiting our parents. The Pierce family are the same kind and generous people that they've always been and I'm enjoying and appreciating their company so much more today than I did five years ago.

Brittany makes sure her family knows every detail about how we ended up back together and her mom almost starts crying again. I think Brittany inherited the ability to express her feelings freely from her mother, and that's great and all, but I'm glad she's not as emotional as Mrs. Pierce.

"Santana," Mrs. Pierce begins, after reeling in her emotions. "Don't think I forgot what tomorrow is." I internally wince because I was hoping she wouldn't remember. "It's short noticed, but I'm sure we can get a small birthday party together. We can invite your parents, maybe some friends."

"Oh, mom! That'd be so fun!" Brittany cries. "We can play birthday games like we used to!"

I rest a hand on Brittany's knee in an attempt to restrain her excitement. "Thanks Mrs. Pierce, but I would rather just have something low key. Spending the day with you guys and maybe my parents would be fine."

"We should go to Breadstix!" Jamie adds.

"Ohhhh," Brittany points at Jamie and nods her head eagerly. "Breadstix! San, we have to go to Breadstix!"

I chortle at their enthusiasm. "We can do that."

"Yes!" Brittany exclaims, and high-fives Jamie. "This is going to be the best. birthday. ever."

When we finish eating dinner, Mr. Pierce offers to clean up and tells us all to get some sleep. Jamie pushes her mom down the hall until she's in her bedroom and tells her she'll take care of us.

"Jamie, you should be more careful with Mom, she's not twenty anymore," Brittany advices. "You have to be gentle, like this." She scoops me up in her arms and runs to her room.

"Brittany!" I squeal.

Her knees near her mattress and she drops me on it, making me land with an 'oof.'

Jamie walks in laughing. "Brittany, that' dumb. If I dropped Mom like that she'd break her hip. Plus, I doubt I can lift her."

"I didn't actually mean it," Brittany chuckles. "I was joking."

"Oh..." Jamie says, then tries to sit next to me, but Brittany gently pushes her away.

"No, no, no, no."

"What?" Jamie asks, somewhat irritated.

"You have go to bed."

"I will... in a bit." She tries sitting down again, but Brittany takes her spot. "Brittany!"

"I can't let you sit down because I know you'll just want to talk to Santana and then you'll pretend to fall asleep so that I have to sleep on the floor with Lord Tubbington." She looks around. "Where is he, by the way?"

"I don't know nor I care where your stupid, obese, cat is. And I wasn't going to pretend to fall asleep. I'm not seven anymore." She stomps out of the room and comes back a few seconds later to toss some extra sheets on Brittany's bed before leaving again.

"Wow," I breath out.

"Do you think I was being too mean?" Brittany asks.

I scoff. "Oh please, that was nothing. You've seen how I talk to people. Now, that'smean," I say, with a smirk.

"But why did she get so upset?"

I get up off the bed and start peeling my many layers of clothes off. "Well, she isin high school now. It's her time to be a little brat."

Brittany's shoulders slump. "I guess... I just hope she isn't having a rough time."

I slip my pajamas on and climb onto her bed. "Don't worry about it." I say, looking around the room, it's exactly as I remember it. "She's a smart girl. I'm sure she'll handle whatever comes her way just fine."

"I hope so." She slips her clothes off faster than I can say goodnight and is cuddled next to me within seconds. "It's nice being here with you again."

"I agree. It is nice being here with me."

She looks up at me and flicks my nose. "Ha...ha"

"I'm kidding." I laugh and snuggle her closer, inhaling her scent. "I'm really glad you made me come... Okay, that sounded so wanky."

"So wanky," she agrees.

"But seriously, I need to listen to you more often."

"What are you talking about? You always listen to me. It's like- remember when we went to watch 300?"

"Yeah."

"Do you remember the part where the king is going to kick that guy into the well, but he, like, asks for his wife's permission first?"

"Yeahhh?" I say. I think I know where this is going.

"Well, you're totally King Leonidas and I'm Queen Gorgo. You got the bad assness, but you always check-in with me first."

"I don't always ask for your permission," I say, trying to downplay it. "I can do stuff without asking you."

"Of course you can. But you still ask me either way." She smiles and kisses me before abruptly pulling away. "We can dress as them for Halloween next year!"

"Brittany, I'm not going to dress up as a dude."

"But you won't be just any dude. You'll be a king! Why wouldn't you want to be a king?"

"Because I rather be a queen?"

"Well... I'd dress up as King Leonidas, but I don't look as intimidating as you."

I tilt my head in thought. "That's true."

"So you'll do it?" She asks, eagerly.

"I don't know. We'll see."

She settles her head back on my shoulder with a satisfied grin before whispering, "They don't say you're whipped without reason."

"What? Who said that?"

She shrugs. "It's just the word on the town."

I frown at the thought of people saying I'm whipped behind my back... Or saying it at all. "Well whoever is saying it is wrong. And it's not, the word on the town, it's the word on the street."

Brittany shakes her head. "No, believe me, it's the word on the town."

She giggles and my frown turns into a deep scowl.

"Goodniiight," she sings, before switching the lights off.

"Wake up." I hear Brittany's distant voice say. "Wake up, sleepy head." There's a soft kiss under my ear and I stir in hopes that I'll be left alone. "I made you a birthday breakfast," she says, and pulls the bed sheets off me.

I shrink my body into a fetal position and groan Brittany's name.

"Come on, San. It's your birthday. We have to start celebrating."

I open my eyes half way and see her smiling down at me.

"Happy birthday!" She bends down over me and presses her lips against mine. "I made your favorite," she announces, and sets a tray with some crepes and scrambled eggs down on the night stand. "Don't make fun of me if I didn't make them right, okay? I was going to ask my mom for help, 'cause you know how I don't really get recipes, but I wanted to do it myself. Oh! And..." She pulls out a daisy from her back pocket and hands it to me. "I cut it from my mom's garden. It was the only one left."

I'm wide awake now and I feel myself beaming. "It's beautiful."

She gives me a huge grin, the way she does when she's proud of herself.

I grab her shirt and pull her down ontop of me. She lands gracefully over me and I grab her face between my hands. "Thank you."

She smiles and kisses me. Her hands slithering under my shoulders so that she can press me up against her. "I just- want it- to be a- good birthday," she says, in between kisses.

"It already- is," I respond.

She slows our playful kisses down and delicately slips her tongue into my mouth. She slides it over my own and slips it back out to give me one last, wet, kiss. "And it'll only get better," she whispers, with a twinkle in her eyes. "But I gotta go for now." She rises off me and walks towards the door. "I have to help my mom with breakfast, but we can go to your parents' once you're done eating, okay?"

I nod. "Thanks again, Britt." I grab the tray and lay it on my lap. "I'm happy we're here."

"I love you."

The pit of my stomach feels funny at the sound of the words and I smile. It's a good feeling. An extremely good feeling. "I love you."

Once I finish my breakfast, which was pretty damn good, I take a quick shower before heading out from Brittany's room in a clean five layer outfit. Brittany and Mrs. Pierce are finishing up breakfast when I stop by the kitchen doorway. "Good morning, Mrs. Pierce."

"Good morning, birthday girl. Are you excited about your dinner tonight?" She aks, with a playful tone.

"Very," I smile.

Jamie walks in and gives her mother and I a very dull morning greeting, not bothering to even look in Brittany's way.

Brittany frowns when she notices and says, "Thank you for letting us use your car today, Jamie."

"You're welcome," she anwers, her eyes on her breakfast. She pours herself some milk and grabs her plate off the counter. "I'm going to eat this in my room."

Once she's out of sight, Mrs. Pierce sighs, sadly. "Don't take it personal, Brittany. She gets like that sometimes. She's a good girl, but lately she's been... well, angry. She becomes upset very easily."

"Have you tried talking to her?" Brittany asks.

"I have. Your dad and I have both tried to be very involved in her life." She dodges Brittany's eyes and looks down at her hands. "We don't want a repeat from last time... I still can't forgive myself for being so out of the loop while you were in school..."

"Mom..." Brittany starts.

"I know what you're going to say." She looks up. "I know you think it was your fault that you had to repeat your senior year but it wasn't, Brittany. I should have been more involved. I should have known you were having trouble."

My heart sinks. It wasn't Mrs. Pierce fault. It was mine. I was her girlfriend. I spent everyday with her and never noticed how she was falling behind in her classes. The fact that I knew she needed extra help sometimes wasn't enough to make my stupid self realize she needed me.

"I was so worried about your dad being sick and losing his job that I put you and your sister on hold. I'm so sorry for that, sweetheart. I should have made the time."

Brittany gives her a sad smile. "Mom, that's in the past. Plus, I turned out pretty okay, right?" She says, trying to lighten the mood. "It took a little longer but, I got to move to LA. And now I get to dance everyday and I have my perfect girlfriend back with me again." She smiles at me and I roll my eyes with a grin. "Let's just try to focus on what's going on with Jamie now, okay?

Mrs. Pierce gives a nod, accompanied by a sniffle. "I just... I don't know what's going on with her and I feel like she doesn't trust me enough to talk to me."

"Mrs. Pierce, I think you'd agree that I was a little crazy in high school," I say.

"I wouldn't say crazy..."

"Well, along those lines. I know how rough high school can be. Maybe I can help her out somehow. Britt and I could try talking to her if you'd like?"

"Oh, that'd be great." Her face brightens up a little "I know she looks up to you. Maybe you can get through to her."

I smile. "Great. We'll talk to her as soon as we get back, but we need to get going now." I look at the time on my phone, then at Brittany. "I want to get there before my mom calls me for my annual birthday chat."

"Okay. Bye mom." Brittany kisses her cheek. "Don't be sad anymore, okay?"

"Okay, sweety. Thank you for being so... you."

"Don't thank me. Thank my parents. They raised me right." She gives Mrs. Pierce one last kiss on the forehead and takes my hand to leave.

"Santana," Mrs. Pierce calls. I turn around and she's looking at me expectantly. "No daughter of mine is going to leave without a proper goodbye."

Brittany sniggers next to me and I walk back to hug her mother.

"Bye, Mrs. Pierce."

"Enough with the 'Mrs. Pierce.' It was fine when you were a child, but you're a woman now and back with my Britty. Plus, it makes me feel old." She pauses and smiles at me. "Call me... Mom"

Brittany's giggles get louder.

"Uh... I- That's very nice of you, but I don't know- I don't think that will set well with my mom."

Mrs. Pierce raises her hand up in defense."Okay, okay. I understand. You can just call me Brigit. Actually, call me Bri. It sounds more youthful doesn't it?"

"Definitely," I agree.

"I always wanted people to call me that but no one ever did," she explains, looking as if she's reminiscing. "Bri..." She looks back at me. "It's never too late to start!"

"Yeah," I try to match her enthusiasm. "So... okay. Bri sounds great. Um... so, we'll see you in a few hours."

"Okay!"

Brittany slips her hand in mine and pulls me towards the door, still laughing. "Bye, Moooom!"

We walk out to the driveway and I'm surprised at how sunny it is. I wish I hadn't stacked on so many jackets. Brittany bends down and grabs a fistfull of snow, then turns towards me and stretches her arm back.

"Brittany, no!" I raise my arms up over my face. "Don't!"

She tries pulling my arms down, but I stiffen them. We wrestle and laugh until I'm able to smack her hand and make the snow drop from it.

"Santana!" She finally stops struggling against me and wipes her hand on her jacket. "I can just grab more, you know?"

"Don't, Brittany. I don't want to get my hair wet."

"You have a hat on."

"Well... I don't want to get the hat wet." I look over at Jamie's car, also known as Brittany's old car. "Can I drive?"

"Um..." She looks at the car, then back at me. "I think the roads might be slippery."

"So? I can handle it." She doesn't agree right away so I roll my eyes. "I'm not a bad driver, Brittany. Just because I wrecked my car one time, it doesn't mean that I'm a reckless driver."

"No, I know. You drive slower than my grandma, remember? I just don't think slippery roads are... your specialty."

"And they are yours?"

"You can drive next time, okay?" She doesn't wait for my response and climbs into the car. "You coming?"

I groan and follow after her. When we get to my parents' house, Brittany parks out on the street and kills the engine. "So how are we going to do this? Should I be the one to hide this time?" She asks.

"The less dramatic the better. Let's just both show up, chat for a while, and hit the road."

We head up to the entrance and I knock on the door instead of ringing the bell. I hated hearing that thing when I lived here. I especially hated it on weekend mornings. It was the most annoying ring ever.

The door swings open and my mom stares at me for a few seconds, blinking her eyes as if trying to understand something. "Santana!" She finally says.

She wraps her arms around me so tightly that all I manage to say is, "Hi, Mami."

"Pero que sorpresa! What are you doing here?"

I laugh at her shocked expression and pull a smiling Brittany closer to me. "Brittany dragged me up here to visit."

"Brittany!" She says, noticing her for the first time. She hugs her too and says, "I haven't seen you in such a long time. How are you, Mija? Come in, come in."

We step into the warmth of the house and I immediately shed all my jackets off until I'm left with a thin thermal. No way I'll be able to keep any of them on. My mom loves to keep the house warmer than needed during winter.

"I'm great," Brittany answers. "Thank you." She slips a hand in my own and cups her other hand over them. "We flew in yesterday to spend Christmas and Santana's birthday here."

"Oh, Santana! Happy birthday, baby. With all this sudden excitment, I completely forgot. I was just about to call you to congratulate you though." She then notices Brittany's grip on me and her face shows a hint of realization. "Wait. Are you girls back together?"

I nod, happily. "We are."

"But... how? Why hadn't you told me, Santana?"

"We wanted it to be a surprise," I explain.

"Well, it sure is a surprise!" She smiles. "A very good surprise! Let's go into the kitchen. I'll make you two some hot cocoa and you can tell me the whole story." We begin following her to the kitchen, but she stops halfway there. "Wait, wait! I need to get your father." She runs off into the direction of my dad's study. "Nic! Nicolas! Santana's home!"

Brittany gives me a soft nudge in the ribs. "Do you think your mom has marshmellows?"

I smile and peck her lips. "I don't know. Let's check."