A/N: Things are slowly progressing in this story and there are times when I hate, but times when I love it. Anyways, I have a lot of ideas for Beth and Amanda, but that won't be coming for awhile.
If there is anything you all want to see with these characters please let me know so I can factor it into my planning.
Ch. 19: An Old Face
Brittany, Santana and Amanda were all sitting around the kitchen table eating the breakfast that Santana had cooked for them. It had been a week since Sara had ended her friendship with Amanda. During Cheerios practice, Santana had seen the hostility that Sara had for Amanda, but she knew there wasn't anything she could do about it. She remembered high school.
"This is nice. I like having you here for breakfast," Santana says to her daughter. Amanda nods her head.
"It's not like I have anything better to do."
Brittany holds in her giggle as she looks down at her plate.
"I'm glad that we are your second choice," Santana says sarcastically. "Now here is what I don't get, your mother and I let you off your grounding as long as you continue glee and some other details that we have laid out for you. I just figured you would be out with Lucy, Sara, and Beth."
Amanda pushed the food on her plate around as she looked at her parents. Her relationship with Beth was still up in the air as far as Amanda was concerned. Once they had gotten their phones back they had texted a few times, but so far there hadn't been any talk about a relationship. She wasn't sure what she should tell her parents.
"Mandy, you okay, sweetie?"
Amanda looks at her blonde haired mother hesitantly. Her relationship with Brittany was slowly starting to repair itself. Amanda knew her mother was still in the guestroom, but lately she and Brittany would talk for a few minutes a day.
"I'm okay. I'm going to go for a run," Amanda states as she gets up from the table and heads upstairs to change into her jogging outfit.
Brittany turns to Santana.
"Why is it that we made her stay in glee even after her 'punishment' is done?"
Santana smiles.
"Glee changed everybody's life. I want glee to do that with Amanda. Plus she can sing that always helps."
Brittany gathers the plates from the table and brings them to the sink.
"But she doesn't know that we know she sings."
Santana smiles brightly.
"That's part of the plan. I remember when Sue had us spy on the Glee club in high school and we auditioned for Schue. I honestly didn't think I was going to sing after that and then as the years went on I managed to get a few solos and I fell in love with it. I fell in love with performing in general. Amanda joined the Cheerios because she thought that's what would make us happy. She didn't need to do that. Am I trying to hard?"
Brittany sits down next to Santana and shakes her head.
"No you're not. You're being a mom and that's what is supposed to happen. Parents want their children to be happy in any way, shape, or form. It's natural. I can try and talk to her though if you want."
"You can try. I don't know if it will help, but all we can do is try, right?"
*Friend to a Stranger*
"Today is a big day for you," Rachel mentions as she trails her fingers up and down the arm that was thrown over her stomach. She and Quinn were having one of those late morning lay-ins. Neither woman wanted to leave the comfort of their bed.
"I'm kind of scared," Quinn admits in a whisper. "Having lunch with my mother is a nerve wracking thing. I'm not sure that I can handle it."
"Sure you can," Rachel reassures. She knew her wife had been feeling nervous since last night and nothing had seemed to calm her nerves, not even sex, but Rachel couldn't blame her. She had been in the same position before. When Rachel wanted to get in contact with her mother, her nerves had been all over the place. Quinn had even had a hard time calming her down. The tables were turned now. "You are an amazing person with an incredible heart. It's taking a surmountable amount of courage to do what you are doing. This lunch is going to be a good thing. It's either going to reestablish a relationship with your mother or it's going to give you the closure you have forever been wanting."
Quinn throws a leg over her wife and straddles her. Rachel places her hands on her wife's thighs.
"I love you, did you know that?"
Rachel plays coy and shakes her head.
"No, I didn't. I just thought you tolerated me is all."
Quinn scoffs and lowers her lips to her wife's. Their tongues collide and Quinn lowers her body onto her wife's. Rachel pulls away from the kiss.
"I was just kidding you know? I know you love me."
Quinn grins and bites the bottom of her lip. She moves her hips forward and she and Rachel moan in pleasure. Quinn lowers her head again and thrusts her tongue into Rachel's mouth. She moans when she feels Rachel palm her bare ass. Quinn thrusts again and pulls away.
"God, do you know what you do to me?"
Rachel grins and flips Quinn onto her back.
"Let's find out."
*Friend to a Stranger*
After her jog, Amanda had quickly showered and was sitting in the living room with her eyes closed. She knew her mom had entered a few minutes ago and had sat down next to her, but Amanda didn't really feel like opening her eyes.
"Amanda," Brittany said while she poked her daughter in the leg. "Talk to me."
Amanda turned her head and looked at her mom.
"What do you want me to talk about? I think we've talked enough about you leaving."
Brittany closed her eyes briefly and then opened them again.
"Well I think we still need to talk about that, but that wasn't what I meant. I want to know what's going on with you. I've noticed the changes. You're more laid back then I remember."
Amanda shifted so she was facing her mom.
"Is everything I say going to be repeated to mamí?"
Brittany nods her head.
"I don't want to keep secrets from your mother."
Amanda nods her head and sighs loudly.
"Sara and I aren't friends anymore. I did something I knew wasn't I should've been doing, but I couldn't help it. My heart wanted what it wanted and that's all there is too it."
"Your answer is vague."
"When I left and Beth went with me, something happened between us," Amanda sees her mom raise her eyebrow and she chuckles. "We didn't have sex. We were close, but it was only a heavy make-out session with a whole lot of feelings. It wasn't lust mom, but I think it was love," Amanda whispers the last part quietly.
Brittany smiles brightly. She was happy that her daughter had found someone to love her. She did feel like it was high school for her all over again though. It felt like a Brittany, Santana and Artie remake.
"I told Sara the truth after she wanted to talk to me. She and Beth had broken up or something and she wanted to talk to me and I told her everything," Amanda shrugs her shoulders. "Then she called me the school's bicycle and it went to hell from there." Out of the corner of her eye she saw her mamí trying not to be seen, but she was failing miserably. "You can come out now."
Santana sheepishly enters the room and sits down next to her daughter.
"I've been called a slut before. I had Finnept."
Amanda raises an eyebrow and Santana clarifies her comment.
"Finn Hudson. He called me a slut and then I remember Rachel telling me once that the only job I would have in the future is dancing on a pole."
Amanda shrieks and her eyes widen. Santana grins.
"That was before she and I were friends. Look, I can't say I'm disappointed, but in high school I had done the same thing. Your mom was with Artie and I couldn't let her go. I loved her too damn much. You love Beth and I see that," Santana says with a smile. "Hopefully at some point you and Sara can be friends again, but if you can't that is something you have to live with. Now tell me, are you seeing Beth right now?"
"I think so," Amanda says. "With everything that's going on, Beth said she didn't want to hurt Sara more than she already has and I understand that, but it's been a week and we haven't even kissed yet. I'm beginning to think that she changed her mind."
Santana wraps an arm around her daughter and the other one around her wife.
"Impossible, it's hard to resist the Lopez sexiness."
Brittany chuckles and nods her head. Amanda just shakes her head with a smile. Her family was almost there. It was almost like it was before Brittany had left and that left Amanda with hope, hope that one day she and Beth were going to have a relationship, out in the open without a care of anyone or anything.
*Friend to a Stranger*
"Thanks for meeting me here."
Beth looks up from the ground and sees Sara standing in front of her with her hands in her pocket.
"Yeah, you said it was important."
Sara had asked Beth to meet her at the school. Her brother was sitting in the car waiting for her and Sara hoped that he wouldn't storm out of the car to intervene.
Sara took a seat on the bench next to Beth.
"I'm sorry about the day in the choir room. No one deserves a slushy attack."
Beth shrugs her shoulders. She felt like she deserved it.
"I liked you," Sara continues. "I might have even loved you and what you and Amanda did behind my back felt heartbreaking. Amanda was my friend and you were my girlfriend and you just…you fell in love with her. I don't understand how that can happen. I don't get it; unless you never really wanted to be in a relationship with me in the first place."
Beth looks at Sara with a confused face. When she had first moved into the Berry house she knew she didn't want to start a relationship. Every type relationship she had never ended well, especially the one she had with Alex. But Alex was another thing entirely.
"It's not your fault. I knew I wasn't ready for a relationship yet I started one with you. I could apologize for my actions over and over again and none of it would matter. I cheated on you and I'm sorry. You're hurt and I'm sorry. I caused your hurt and I can't fix that. I just hope that one day you could forgive me whether it's a week from now or a year from now. I just want to be your friend."
Sara looks at the asphalt and closes her eyes.
"I don't think that's going to happen."
Sara looks at Beth and gains the courage that she needed to finish the conversation.
"I don't want to be friends with you. I wanted to be your girlfriend. I wanted that high school romance and I know that you don't want that with me and it hurts. So, no, I can't be friends with you. I never saw you as a friend. I saw you as a lover and I don't think that's going away anytime soon."
Sara gets up from the bench.
"Sara…I'm sorry."
Sara nods her head.
"Do me a favor?"
Beth nods her head.
"Delete my number from your phone."
Beth sighs and watches as Sara climbs back into her brother's car. Beth looks at the phone in her hand and sighs. She scrolled through her phone and found the contact information for Sara. Beth presses a button and deletes it. She could do that one thing for Sara.
*Friend to a Stranger*
Quinn sighs for the second time within a two minute period. She was standing outside the deli where she was meeting her mom. Quinn knew her mother was sitting at a table waiting for her. Every so often Quinn would see her mother look down at her wrist where her watch rested. Quinn was already ten minutes late.
"You can do this. Just go in there and sit," Quinn whispers to herself. Taking a deep breath, Quinn opens the doors to the deli and walks inside.
Quinn approaches the table slowly and sits down in the seat across from her mother. They look eyes and both have tears in their eyes. They were really seeing each other for the first time in 15 or so years. It was an emotional experience.
"Quinn, you're actually here."
Quinn nods her head. Before meeting they had talked on the phone twice before deciding that a meeting would be better.
"I wasn't sure that I was actually going to come in."
"I'm glad you did. This can't be easy for you and I understand that. I left you and I feel horrible for that. You just seemed so happy and I wasn't so I just left."
Quinn looks at her mom as she wipes her tears.
"There were so many times in my life where I just wanted to pick up the phone and call you. One of those moments was when I gave Beth away. Rachel and I were in the hospital and Puck was standing by the bed. When the social worker came in and took my baby away, all I wanted was for my mom to be there and tell me that everything was going to be okay. Or when Rachel and I were in New York and we had Lucy and this time there wasn't going to be a social worker coming. I needed my mom to tell me that everything was still going to be okay. I needed you mom. It didn't matter that dad was dead. I needed you. Your daughter needed you and you ignored me and blew me off and now here we are after fifteen years and crying at each other. What kind of relationship is that?"
Quinn ran her hands through her hair and blew out a breath of air. Judy just sat back and watched her daughter. From the moment that Quinn was born, Judy knew that she would be just like her. Fran's characteristics were a lot like Russell, but without the anger and resentment towards everything around her. Quinn hid her feelings much like Judy had done her entire life. It didn't surprise her one bit that Quinn would go into a rant. She had pretty much expected it.
"Are you okay?" Judy asks softly.
Quinn nods her head and taps her fingers against the table.
"I can't make up for not being there. You know that and I know that. All I can do is be there for you now. In your letter you started telling me about your life. I want to know everything."
"I don't know where to start," Quinn admits.
Judy places a hand on her daughter's to stop her tapping. Quinn blushes slightly and Judy smiles.
"Start from the beginning."
*Friend to a Stranger*
Beth walks into her sister's room and climbs on the bed. Lucy, who had been reading a book, turns to her sister with a frown.
"What are you doing?"
Beth lies on her side.
"Normally I'm not one to talk, and if I did I would talk to Amanda about it, but I can't talk to her about this particular situation so can I talk to you?"
Lucy marks her page and places her book on the stand next to her bed.
"I have a feeling this is about Sara," at Beth's nod she continues. "You do realize you are putting me in an uncomfortable position. Both Sara and Amanda are best friends. Now they aren't talking and I'm stuck in the middle."
"I'm sorry Lucy. I never really thought about what would happen after I did what I did. I was selfish and I'm sorry. You don't have to talk about this with me."
Beth was about to leave but Lucy grabbed her arm.
"But you are my sister and family trumps everything. So tell me what's going on."
Beth looks at Lucy and smiles slightly.
"I met with Sara today. She hadn't talked to me in over a week and then out of the blue she tells me to meet her. She loved me," Lucy stays quiet while she lets her sister finish. "I thought at least we could be friends," Beth hears Lucy wince and she nods her head. "Yeah, I know. She told me to delete her number. I have a feeling that she and I won't talk for awhile, and I mean awhile."
"Flip the situation around, if Sara was you and you were Sara, would you want to talk to her?"
Beth sits up on Lucy's bed and sighs.
"I guess not. It just sucks. When I came to Lima, I never thought this would happen; that any of this would happen."
Lucy looks at her sister. When she had first found out about Beth she had hated her with a passion. She wanted to see her fall, but after slowly learning more about Beth the more she realized that Beth truly did fit into her family. Slowly, they have worked on their sister relationship, but this was the first time that Beth had actually come to her to talk. She was happy because of it. Lucy just hoped that in the future, if she had a problem, that Beth would give her some advice as well.
"People surprise you every day. When you came here you expected that you'd be a loner the rest of high school, but instead you find your family, you gain some friends and you fall in love."
Beth's eyes snapped towards hers in surprise, but all Lucy does is laugh.
"Did you really think I didn't know? You have managed to single handedly tame Amanda Lopez, which in itself should be a huge accomplishment. Amanda's my friend and I've seen her with others, but her smile never reached her eyes, until you. It sucks that Sara's hurt, but I want you to know that I approve of you and Amanda. Just be careful."
Beth nods her head.
"Trust me, I know," Beth lays back down. "Is it okay if I just stay here for awhile?"
Lucy smiles and picks up her book.
"Go ahead. I'm just going to read."
Beth closes her eyes and lets the quiet surround her. There were things that she needed to figure out, but she knew one thing for sure. She needed to speak with Santana and Brittany Lopez.