Happy new year! I'm feeling all sentimental lately and I ran out of fic to read alas here we are!

Santana POV

It's been two days since Dani and Kayla were here and I haven't heard from Dani once. I considered calling or texting but I figured when she was ready she would come to me. I'm also pretty sure she's been busy figuring out what's going to happen with Kayla.

I'm about to sit down with my first coffee of the day when there's a knock at my door. It can only be someone from the building or they would have had to be buzzed up. It's Kayla.

"Uh.. Hi" she says timidly.

"Hi" I smile at her.

"Do you have a sec?"

"Sure, come on in" I open the door wider and gesture for her to move towards the kitchen.

"Do you want a drink or anything?"

"No I'm okay, thanks." She responds. I sit down at the table but she doesn't follow, she stands awkwardly in place, fidgeting with her hands.

"So, what can I do for you?" I ask curiously.

"I wanted to apologise. For the other day. I shouldn't have said what I said, I don't even know why I said it, I've just been lashing out and I can't control it and I can't even imagine if someone said something like that to me or in front of my kid or.."

"It's okay." I cut off her rambling. Definitely related to Dani.

"What?" She stops.

"Consider it forgotten"

"Really?" She asks unsurely

"Look, I don't know you, I don't really even know much about you, but the fact that you came and apologised is enough. Whatever you're going through, or have gone through doesn't mean you can lash out whenever you want at people but owning up to it when you do something you know isn't right is a step in the right direction in my books. Okay?" I smile at her again, trying to convey my sincerity.

She nods back at me and smiles "Okay"

"Does Dani know you're here?"

"Uh.. No. She doesn't. She's asleep on the couch, I don't think she's been sleeping much the past couple of days, it's part of the reason I'm here."

"Oh?"

"I know she got angry at you, and I am genuinely sorry for what I said, but I'm also sorry that I caused you guys to fight. She hasn't said anything but I know you haven't spoken and she's been so good with me but I can tell she's been sad. And she cries sometimes when she thinks I won't notice."

"I accept your apology, we'll be okay, don't worry, we're grown ups, we'll figure it out." I say, hoping that to be true.

She nods again as Bailey walks in to the room rubbing his eyes, trying to wake up properly. He walks over and starts to climb up on to me, snuggling in to my neck.

"Good morning bud, did you have a good sleep?" I ask.

He doesn't answer, just nods in to me. He then turns slightly in my lap to stare at Kayla, realising we're not alone.

She smiles at him and gives him a small wave. "Hi Bailey"

He gives her a smile back, still processing our early morning visitor when he looks to me and asks for Dani.

"She's not here B, maybe we'll get to see her later." He looks a little disappointed but he moves passed it quickly asking for breakfast.

"Cereal?" I ask and he just nods and grins.

"Okay why don't you go get settled in the lounge and I'll bring it to you."

He climbs down and runs off.

"He's very cute." Kayla says as I get up to prepare his food.

"When he's sleeping. He can be a terror, but he goes alright." I joke with her.

"So how have things been the last few days? Have you guys figured stuff out?" I ask tentatively, not sure whether I should be asking.

Kayla doesn't seem too phased though.

"I don't really know. I guess so. I have to see a counsellor and I've had to talk to social workers and stuff."

"Have you felt a bit better? With Dani helping?"

"Yes and No. Like when I talk to them and she's there, sometimes I can see how it affects her and I feel like I shouldn't be saying things and making her deal with me. But then, I've slept so well the past two nights. Better than I can remember in so long. It's just hard." I can see her eyes are now glassy, she's obviously trying not to cry.

"Well if I can do anything, you know where I am." I say, squeezing the hand she has sitting on the table.

"Do you want some?" I change the subject, gesturing at the cereal I poured for Bailey.

"Sure. Thank you." She smiles, seemingly grateful for the subject change.

I pour her a bowl and pass it over the table.

"Come on, let's go see what cartoons we're watching this morning." I say, taking Bailey's bowl in to the lounge room.

Kayla sits on the couch next to Bailey and he looks up at her as they both start eating their cereal. He seems to enjoy the company as he tells her all about the characters of the show that's on.

I realise I left my coffee in the kitchen and head back to get it. I start thinking back over the conversation I had with Kayla and I can't help but think about Dani. Deciding two days is plenty of time not talking to my girl, I ask Kayla if she minds hanging with Bailey for a bit while I go see her. They're so engrossed in the show and their conversation that I don't think they would have noticed anyway. I grab my keys then head down the hall.

Dani POV

I'm woken by what I think is someone knocking on my front door. It takes me a second to get my bearings and I realise I fell asleep on the couch again. My back is aching, but eventually I force myself up, trying to stretch it out. The knocking continues and as I'm walking to answer it, I look down the hall to see all the rooms wide open, no Kayla in sight. I raise my voice as I get closer to the door, assuming she's on the other side.

"Kayla, what did I tell you about going out without telling.." I open the door to see Santana's standing there instead.

"Me." I finish my sentence. "Hi" I say. "I thought you were Kayla"

"She's having breakfast and watching cartoons with Bailey." She gestures to wards her apartment.

"Oh." I say and move away from the door, leaving it open, a silent invitation.

I head to the kitchen to make coffee assuming she'll follow. I know that we need to talk but I'm at least going to be prepared.

"So I haven't heard from you in a couple of days." She says and I realise she's just going to jump right in.

"I know." I say, figuring there is more to come.

"I know that I pissed you off." She says and I go to respond but she holds her hand up to me stopping me.

"Do you remember our first fight? Before we were even together?" I nod, wondering where she's going with this.

"It's a natural instinct to protect family, I don't blame you. But you're my family now, which means I can't help but try and protect you too."

I don't know how to respond, I wasn't expecting that. I know there are tears rolling down my face. I pull myself together enough to answer her.

"I'm not mad. I was mad. But then I felt stupid for reacting the way I did. And then I got busy with Kayla and I was being stubborn I guess, I'm sorry. I just got so scared when she ran out." I say.

"I know baby, it's okay." She says moving closer to me, pulling me in to her.

I wrap my arms around her waist, snuggling in to her neck and breathing her in. I suddenly feel a thousand times better just by being in her arms.

"I did miss you though" she says in to my ear.

"Me too." I say kissing her on the neck.

"Kayla told me you haven't been sleeping."

I consider bending the truth but I know that she knows me enough to see straight through it. I lean back from our embrace to look at her face as I speak.

"I've slept, just not very well. And mostly on the couch." I say.

"Why the couch?" She asks and I let go of her and move towards the coffee machine.

"I just haven't really stayed here much since we go together and I dunno, I missed you and your bed" I say sheepishly, feeling a bit silly.

I feel her arms wrap around me from behind as I'm filling up the water at the sink. She kisses the back of my neck.

"You are too adorable."

"Shut up" I say giggling at her.

"I love you superstar." She says over my shoulder.

"I love you too" I turn in her arms to kiss her.

We've been apart for far longer than 2 days before but I've never missed her like I did the last 2 days. I deepen the kiss, pulling her as close to me as possible. After a few minutes we pull back and stare in to each other's eyes, our breathing slowly returning to normal.

"Coffee." I say, turning back to the task at hand.

She lets me go but doesn't move too far from me.

"So how's everything going with Kayla? She said you've seen social workers?"

I pour us both cups of coffee then grab her hand, pulling her to the couch.

"She's been through so much. I know there's so much more she's not saying but I just want to fix it and take away her pain. "

"What did they say about what's gonna happen with her?"

"Well she doesn't want to go home, which is understandable. She could go to a group home, unless family can take her in. My mom has said she can take her, but Kayla doesn't want to go back to Georgia. The social worker seems to think that whatever happened that she hasn't told us is a big part of that and she risks falling in to old behaviours and patterns if she does go back. So, its either a group home or.. me." I shrug.

"Do you want her to stay here permanently?" She asks.

"I'm not against the idea, the logistics of it all are kind of up in the air though." I take a sip of my coffee.

"What do you mean?"

"I've just released a new album, I travel all the time, I'm lucky I've even been able to get the last few days free. You know what my life is like. She needs stability not whatever it is I have to offer." She squeezes my thigh supportively.

"And what does she say?"

"She hasn't said much. She said she is fine to go to a group home but I think she is just protecting herself. I can't see her being happy there and I honestly believe she will just run away again. I don't even think she would get the help she needs there." I say, getting upset again.

"What if we lived together?"

Wait, what?

"What?"

"If we lived together, when you have to travel, I can be there for Kayla without causing too much of a disruption to her life. I mean, I will support any decision you make baby, but that seems like the most logical solution."

"Are you asking because you want to live together or because you don't see any other options?" I ask incredulously.

She grabs my hand.

"Dani, I love you. I want to live with you. Hell, we practically live together now. Whether Kayla was in the picture or not, my feelings would not be different. Would I have asked at this moment? Maybe not. But I wasn't lying when I said you were my family. Bailey and me, you're stuck with us." This woman continues to surprise me.

"Okay" I agree, still somewhat in shock.

"Yes?" I nod and squeal in excitement climbing in to her lap.

I straddle her thighs as she pulls me in to a deep kiss that leads to a full on make out session. We continue this, grabbing at each other until a thought struck me and I pull back.

"Wait.. " I say catching my breath. "What if she doesn't want to stay with me?"

Santana looks at me strangely then grabs the cushion from beside us and swats me over the head with it.

"You're an idiot sometimes, Taylor."