A/N: #1 Fan anon – my goodness you're dedicated. I'm flattered! Shout out to the BTVS fans, which seems like all of you. Hi all! The April love has been an extra special treat. Gosh all the praise for quick updates and I left you hanging for several days. Sorry, work's a bitch sometimes. Thanks again to all of you for sticking with the story. Virtual group hug!

"Brittany told me you had some good news?" Maribel said, poking her head into Santana's bedroom.

Santana was relaxing on the bed with her book and looked up to her mother with a smile. "I talked to April Rhodes today. She might have some work for me in New York," Santana replied with a tentative smile.

"Oh that's wonderful sweetheart!" Maribel said as she walked over to Santana's bed and gave her a hug. "But why aren't you more excited? This is amazing news."

"I am excited. Really," Santana said with a genuine smile. "But I still don't have an apartment yet. A job isn't any good if I don't have a place to stay," Santana reasoned.

"Rachel wasn't any help?" Maribel asked, sitting down and wrapping her arm around Santana's shoulder.

Santana slid her computer off her lap and curled into her mother. "She got a big discount for being a full-time student. Got some student housing. Britt and me don't have that."

"Well, you have your graduation money for a reason," Maribel reminded her.

"I know, I just don't want to use it all on rent if I don't have to. That's all," Santana assured her.

"Well, between you and Brittany working, that should make up for a lot of it," Maribel reasoned.

"Maybe half of it," Santana sighed. "When I started adding up all the other costs, like utilities, subway pass and food, it just…"

"It adds up," Maribel said.

Santana nodded in agreement. "Why does everything have to cost money?"

Maribel chuckled, "Sucks being an adult, doesn't it?"

Santana leaned her head into her mother's shoulder and sighed. "What if we don't make it? What if all this planning and work and effort is for nothing?"

"Oh honey," Maribel sat up. "Can I give you some advice?"

"Please."

"If you want something bad enough, you'll find a way to make it work. But the most important thing is never ask yourself 'What if'. It will drive you crazy and get you absolutely nowhere. No 'what ifs'. No 'I should've'. You may change your plans, but in the end, the goal is what matters. It may take longer than you want. You may take a lot of unexpected twists and turns to get there. But you'll get there. And if all else fails, our door is always open," Maribel advised, and kissed Santana on the head.

Santana smiled weakly. "No offense Mama, but I'm going do everything I can to not come back to live here."

"I know. That's why I said that. More motivation to succeed. Of course, I wouldn't mind at all if I had you here another year or five," Maribel sighed. "But it's your time, and it's always good to have a back up plan. You always have a home here."

"Thanks Mama," Santana said as she cuddled up to her mother.

Santana saw the flash and heard the click of a camera. She looked over to see Brittany looking at her phone.

"Awwwww. This is such a cute picture," Brittany smiled.

Santana rolled her eyes and smiled back.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" Brittany asked, leaning up against the doorframe.

"Not at all Brittany," Maribel replied with an arm open. "Come here and join the snugglefest."

Brittany sat on the other side of Maribel and sank into her. She held Santana's hand, across Maribel's lap.

"We were just talking about New York," Maribel explained.

"Yeah, I heard some of that," Brittany confessed. "Good advice Mrs. L."

Maribel smiled. "Thank you dear. How's your family?"

"Grandma is making progress. Really slow progress, but Mom and Dad seem hopeful. If there aren't any setbacks, they should be home by the end of July."

"When's graduation?" Maribel asked.

"First week of August. But I have to pass first," Brittany reminded them.

"You will," Maribel and Santana said in unison.

"We'll see," sighed Brittany.

The next afternoon, Maribel came home to an empty house. No Santana on the couch. No Quinn or Brittany in the kitchen. Lord Tubbington hopped off Dr. Lopez's favorite chair and rubbed back and forth around her legs. "He's going to make a hat out of you if you don't stay off that chair," Maribel scolded the cat. She then bent down and scratched Lord Tubbington behind the ears. "I don't blame you though. It is a comfy chair," she smiled.

Maribel heard laughter coming from the backyard. She quietly opened the back door and saw Brittany and Quinn animatedly talking. Santana was asleep in the hammock with a book on her chest. She watched as Quinn talked and Brittany nodded in understanding and smiling. It looked like whatever Quinn was explaining, it was working. Brittany hugged Quinn, then picked her up and spun her around. Quinn laughed and giggled. Mrs. Lopez watched as Brittany then whispered in Quinn's ear and pointed at Santana, still asleep in the hammock.

"Uh oh," Maribel thought. Santana was blissfully unaware of Quinn and Brittany sneaking up on her.

Quinn tried to stifle a laugh and Brittany shushed her with a tap on the arm. Mrs. Lopez watched as Quinn and Brittany pounced on Santana, nearly tipping her off the hammock. What Maribel hadn't seen was the glass of ice Brittany had been holding. While Quinn held Santana down, Brittany dumped the ice down Santana's shirt.

"Jesus fucking Christ! Goddamn son of a bitch! You mother fucker! What the fuck?" Santana yelled and struggled under Quinn's weight and determination to keep her down. "I will cut you Quinn! Shit god damn that is freezing. Fuck! I'm gonna kill you Fabray. Fuckin' kill you. I swear to fucking god. Fuck it's melting in my underwear. I. Will. Ends. You."

Brittany stood behind Santana's head, out of sight and stifled a giggle.

"It's just ice honey," Brittany soothed.

"Britt?" Santana strained to turn her head toward her. "Do not tell me you did this?"

Brittany bit her lip and nodded with a shy smile. "It was my idea actually," she confessed. "Probably not a good idea huh? Considering I think you have completely ruined the neighbor's kids' virgin ears," Brittany suggested.

Santana looked over her other shoulder, through the bottom of the pine trees. There were the neighbor's kids scrambling up and running back to their house.

Santana winced. "Oops."

Quinn loosened her grip on Santana, and Santana squirmed out from under Quinn, dumping her onto the ground.

"Ouch!" Quinn complained, rubbing her hip.

"Is that for real hurt, or just your pride?" Santana asked, a little concerned. That was her bad side.

Quinn tenderly got up, walked over to Santana and gave her a shove.

"Pride," Brittany confirmed.

Quinn turned to go into the house and Santana noticed a small blood stain on the back of Quinn's shirt.

"Hey Quinn, hold up a minute," Santana called.

Quinn stopped near Mrs. Lopez, who was trying to decide if she should say anything about Santana's swearing putting sailor's to shame.

"You have some blood on you," Santana said as she pulled up the back of Quinn shirt.

"Dammit, that was a new shirt," Quinn grumbled, trying to twist and see where she was cut.

"Just a scrape," Santana assured her.

"Let's get you patched up," Mrs. Lopez smiled, leading Quinn into the kitchen.

Brittany went upstairs to get Band-Aids and some alcohol swabs. Mrs. Lopez lifted the back of Quinn's shirt as she leaned on the kitchen counter. Quinn went to stop her but hesitated.

"Just getting the dirt off Quinn. There's a bunch of little sticks under that tree. One just decided to take a little bite out of you," Santana explained.

Mrs. Lopez's hand stopped once it revealed the scars. Quinn bit her lip, but said nothing.

"Scars are just the marks guardian angels leave when they've pulled you away from greater harm," Mrs. Lopez said, wiping away the dirt with a wet paper towel.

Quinn smiled at the thought, and Santana rolled her eyes. "You also said scars are there to remind me to stop being stupid," Santana complained.

"Jumping off the old shed with a blanket for a cape, thinking you could fly, is definitely stupid," Maribel replied.

"You never told me about that Santana," Quinn giggled.

"I was six!" Santana explained folding her arms.

Brittany returned with the alcohol swabs and Sponge Bob Band-Aids.

"Really Britt?" Quinn asked, spying the box in her hand.

Brittany just smiled and nodded and patched her up.

Friday evening, Brittany was putting another Sponge Bob Band-Aid on, but it was Santana's index finger this time.

"They should make the handle heat proof all the way to the pan, that's all I'm saying'," Santana huffed as Brittany kissed her bandaged finger.

"At least it's not your left hand," Brittany whispered in her ear, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

Maribel rolled her overnight bag to the front of the door.

"Okay girls, I'm heading out," she said, walking into the kitchen. "Brittany, don't forget…"

"I know, Pierce housework," Brittany replied. "Lawn, mail, water plants," Brittany nodded with a smile.

Maribel leaned over and gave Santana a kiss on the cheek. "Be good."

"No promises Mama," Santana teased.

"Don't' burn the house down then," Maribel patted her head.

"We can promise that," Santana replied.

Santana followed her mother to the door and locked it once Maribel was gone.

"Yes!" Santana cheered.

Brittany gave Santana a wink from across the room and started walking up the stairs, exaggerating the sway of her hips.

"Game on Britt," Santana said as she chased Brittany upstairs.

Brittany's naked body was still covered in a sheen of sweat, as she tried to blow a hair away from her face. Santana leaned on the doorframe and took in the sight. Her girlfriend was gorgeous. Her eyes ran up Brittany's body, from her pink painted toenails to her hands, still tied up to the headboard in one of Santana's silky scarves.

"Need a hand?" Santana suggested, as she set down two glasses of water she'd retrieved from downstairs, straddled Brittany's thighs and brushed the errant hair away from Brittany's eyes.

"Thanks," Brittany whispered, as she took her turn appreciating her girlfriend's naked body. "I like your hands."

"Drink?" Santana asked, as she reached for the glasses.

"Mmmhmmm, yes please," Brittany smiled softly and sat up as much as she could with her hands tied.

Santana brought the glass to Brittany's lips and let her take a few swallows.

"Thanks baby, but you know, this would be a lot easier if you untied…Oh my God!" Brittany screamed as Santana proceeded to pour the rest of the icy water all down Brittany's chest.

"No, no, no, no. God it's cold!" Brittany complained as she squirmed.

"You didn't think I'd forget the ice cube incident, do you?" Santana smirked, as she sat firmly on Brittany's agitated legs.

"I'm tied up Santana Totally not fair," Brittany pouted.

"Tough," Santana replied, getting up off the Brittany and the now wet bed. "Quinn pinned me down, so it's almost the same thing."

"Where are you going?" Brittany called after her as she left the room.

"Night Britt-Britt," Santana replied from the hallway.

Santana!" Brittany yelled, and struggled with the ties at her wrists.

"Crap," Brittany grumbled.

Five minutes later, Santana reappeared with a fluffy bath towel, fresh out of the dryer. She straddled Brittany again and draped the towel over her, tucking it lightly under her sides. She reached up and untied Brittany's hands and rubbed her wrists gently in her hands.

"You didn't really think I was going to leave you there did you?" Santana frowned.

"No. But, I'm still mad at you," Brittany pouted.

"Awww," Santana cooed. "And here I was going to invite you to sleep in my dry bed."

Brittany sat up and adjusted the warm towel.

"Thanks for this," Brittany smiled weakly.

"Am I forgiven yet?" Santana asked.

"Ask me tomorrow," Brittany brushed her off and got up. She wrapped the towel around her and walked across the hall to Santana's room.

"You coming?"

Santana jumped off the bed and followed Brittany into her room, and into her warm, dry bed.

Saturday morning, Brittany woke up still spooned around Santana. She breathed the scent of her hair and skin mixed with lotion and conditioner and last night's love making. She smiled to herself and kissed the back of Santana's neck. Santana grumbled and rolled over, her arm smacking Brittany in the face.

"Ow!" Brittany complained, rubbing her nose.

"Huh?" Santana sleepily asked.

"I think I took enough abuse from you yesterday," Brittany teased, the pain in her nose subsiding.

"I was just getting even," Santana sighed, still not opening her eyes, or making any effort to wake up.

"Come on sleepy head. We've got to go to my house and do chores."

"You've got to go," Santana clarified, pulling the blanket over her head and rolling away.

Brittany shook her head and got up without Santana. She dressed in some old work out clothes and headed downstairs.

Santana woke up when she heard the front door shut and Brittany's radio blare as she pulled out of the driveway. She rolled over to find a steaming cup of coffee with a Post-It note.

See you soon

Santana smiled and sipped her coffee.

Brittany was just finishing mowing the lawn when Santana's car pulled into her driveway. Santana sat in her car and watched her as she made the turns, back and forth. Her girlfriend was sexy even when she was mowing the lawn, Santana thought.

"Got your mail," Santana called, walking to the front porch and laying down a stack of catalogs, magazines and junk mail.

"I thought they'd only give it to me," Brittany commented as she wiped her brow of sweat.

"I have my ways," Santana smirked. "What's left?"

"Just have to water the plants," Brittany sighed. "Then we're done."

Santana went inside and Brittany began watering her mother's seemingly endless, flower beds. Santana returned with a glass of ice water for Brittany and sat on the porch, flipping through the catalogs. Brittany made her way around the yard, watering the plants with the hose. When she neared Santana on the porch she couldn't resist and pointed the garden hose at her girlfriend.

Santana jumped up, dropping her catalog and stared down at her wet shirt and shorts.

"Oh, you're gonna get it," Santana growled.

She ran toward Brittany as the steady stream of cold water soaked her clothes. Brittany didn't budge. Not until Santana tackled her and ripped the hose out of her hand and gave Brittany as good as she'd gotten. Their piercing screams of laughter as they wrestled each other for the hose on the front lawn drew a stare from the elderly woman across the street. She just shook her head and kept walking her Yorkshire Terrier.

Out of breath, soaking wet and covered in grass stains, Santana and Brittany finally called a truce.

"Even now? For real?" Santana sat back, draping her arms over her propped up knees.

Brittany smiled and nodded, "We're good."

Brittany stood up and helped Santana to her feet.

"Ice cream?" Brittany suggested.

"And ruin our lunch? Definitely," Santana agreed.