A/N: Sorry for the slight delay. I wanted more to be added to this chapter, but I realized I would be giving you a lot and I saved it all for the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.
Ch. 20: Permission Granted
"Quinn, have you decided on what you are going to do with your job situation?" Rachel asks as she helped her wife clean up the breakfast dishes. The Fabray family had just finished breakfast and the two mothers decided to let their kids take a break from clean up and offered to do it themselves.
"I've been thinking about it. I even brought it up to my mom too. She said she may have an idea she just needs time to figure it out."
Since their first meeting, Quinn and Judy had been having lunch almost every day for the last week or so. Quinn still has yet to reestablish a connection with her sister, but Judy talks to Quinn about Fran. Quinn would be seeing her sister in a few days and then sometime after that, Judy and Fran would be having dinner with Lucy, Beth, Rachel, and Quinn.
Rachel places dishes in the sink as she listens to her wife talk about what Judy had come up with at lunch. Rachel was really happy that Quinn had started to reestablish a relationship with her mother. Rachel had managed to do the same.
"I was thinking that maybe you could join me during glee club and we can show the current New Direction members how it was when we were in school."
Quinn throws a grin at her wife.
"I wouldn't mind doing that. I miss it sometimes. There were only three good things about high school, the first one was you, the second one was glee and the third one was Beth."
Rachel wraps her arms around her wife before kissing her soundly.
"I love you, Quinn Fabray. You don't need to stress out about a job. We have enough money that will last us for a long time. Take your time and make sure it's something you really want to do. There's no rush. I promise."
Quinn rests her forehead against her wife's. She loved being close with Rachel. She loved everything about Rachel.
"I love you," Quinn whispers before capturing her wife's lips into a sweet kiss.
*Friend to a Stranger*
Santana hangs up the phone and sighs loudly. This was one thing she didn't really need to deal with. An hour earlier she had received a phone call from Hermosa Familia, the restaurant that Santana had built from the ground up. It was also the restaurant that just about cost her, her family. Getting a call from them was something she didn't right now. Her relationship with Brittany was almost back to normal, except for the sex. There were a ton of heated make out sessions, but they hadn't gone that far yet. Brittany had even changed from the guest room to the master bedroom. Santana and Brittany were happy about that, even Amanda.
"What's wrong?" Brittany asks in concern. She knew the phone call had been for her wife.
"The restaurant is completely understaffed. The current manager has fired four people in the last week. Things are getting out of hand. They called me and they wouldn't have called me unless they were in a complete blind."
Santana sits down at the kitchen table where Brittany had been surfing the internet for a possible dance teaching position. She hated not being able to dance in some way, plus she was kind of tired being at home all by herself.
"It's your restaurant, Santana, you need to go and fix it."
Santana looks at her wife sadly.
"Yeah, but my restaurant almost cost me my family."
Brittany shakes her head.
"No it didn't. When you were head chef, you still managed to come home most nights and spend time with all of us. The restaurant had been doing well and you let it get to your head because you thought you could get another location down and start another restaurant," Brittany closed her laptop and looked sympathetically towards her wife. "You put all your time and effort into a new restaurant at a time when we needed you."
Santana nods her head.
"You're right Britt. My priorities were mishandled. I just need to straighten out what's going on in the restaurant and hire some new people. Possibly get a new manager because apparently that isn't going right. Also, I think I want Amanda to start working at the restaurant."
"You'd have to ask her, you know? You can't just tell her this is what she is going to do."
"I know, but she used to love coming to the restaurant with me when she was younger."
Brittany laughs lightly and nods her head.
"That's true, but she was also five and at the time you were a chef, but I think it had to do with spending time with you."
"It's a way for her to get some extra cash. I'm not just going to have her work at the restaurant and not pay her. That would be mean."
The doorbell rings and Santana looks at Brittany questioningly.
"I didn't invite anyone over."
Santana gets up from her chair and makes her way to the front door. She opens it and Beth is standing behind it looking nervous. She was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of chucks.
"Amanda's not here right now."
Beth nods her head as she looks Santana in the eye.
"I know. I actually came here to talk to you and your wife."
Santana opens the door wider.
"Come on in."
*Friend to a Stranger*
Judy Fabray looked down at the slip of paper in her hand and back up at the numbers that were on the house she was standing in front of. She had asked her boyfriend for the address to the two people that had been there for Quinn when she couldn't.
Judy walks up the steps towards the front door. She rings the doorbell and waits. She was nervous, but she knew that she needed to talk to the two people behind the door.
The door opens and Judy looks at the tall black man hesitantly. She wasn't scared. She was nervous.
"Can I help you?"
Judy nods her head.
"I wanted to talk to you and your husband if that's okay?"
James furrows his eyebrow. He honestly had no idea who this woman was.
"I don't mean to sound rude, but I have no idea who you are."
Judy blushes.
"I'm sorry. My name is Judy Fabray and there are some things that I would like to say to you and Mason if that's okay?"
James eyes light up in recognition of the name. He opens his door wider and let's Judy inside.
"Can I get you anything to drink? Water? Tea?"
Judy shakes her head.
"No, that's not necessary."
James nods his head.
"Let me run upstairs and grab Mason and we can sit down and talk."
James retreats upstairs and Judy walks around the family room. Pictures were everywhere. A lot of them contained pictures of Rachel and Quinn and Lucy. There were other pictures of little kids or of teenagers that Judy had no idea who was in them.
"We're a foster home," James says as he watches Judy look at the picture. "These are all the kids we've helped over the years. Sometimes we hear from them and sometimes we don't, but we take pictures so they are never forgotten."
Judy smiles and turns to Mason who was standing in the middle of the room staring at her.
"What do you want Judy?"
James glares at his husband. Mason looks at him and shrugs his shoulders.
"I need to thank you. You both were there for Quinn when I couldn't. I should've been a better mother. I'm just grateful that she had you two and Rachel in her life when I couldn't be."
Mason looks at his husband and they seem to have a silent conversation. Judy recognized what was going on. There were times when she had her own silent conversations with her boyfriend. She had never had silent conversations with her husband. She truly believes that those silent conversations only worked when two people were in love.
"Quinn has mentioned that she recently made contact with you. She seemed happy about it and we always wanted her happy."
Judy gets tears in her eyes and looks between Mason and James.
"I've made my mistakes. I know that. Quinn knows that. Everyone knows that. I should've gotten back in touch with her a long time ago, but I didn't. I can only start to repair things now. I just needed to thank the two men that Quinn could always turn to in her need for advice."
James grabs his husband's hand.
"You don't need to thank us Judy. Quinn fell in love with our daughter and we were worried that because of her tendencies to be a drama queen that she wouldn't find anyone to spend her life with. We were obviously wrong. She managed to do that and it's because of your daughter."
*Friend to a Stranger*
Beth nervously rang her hands together as she sat on the couch. Santana and Brittany had been watching her with interest. Nobody had ever come to them asking permission to date their daughter and they were secretly thrilled about it. They also noticed that Beth was a lot more like Quinn then anyone of them knew. When Quinn had an interest in Rachel, Quinn had gone to Rachel's parents, much like Beth was doing now, to ask permission for a date.
Beth looked up at Santana and Brittany trying to gain some courage to ask what she wants to ask not knowing that Santana and Brittany already had a feeling as to why she was there in the first place.
"I like your daughter and I know lately she feels like I don't like her, but that isn't true at all. I was just trying to find the right time to ask for your permission to date her. Despite how I act I really do care what people think of me and the only way I have a shot at dating your daughter is if you two like me."
Santana looked at Brittany who had the brightest smile on her face. She was even fidgeting in her seat. Brittany was really pleased by Beth. Santana wanted to scare the girl a bit. If she was anything like Quinn, she needed to have some sort of back bone.
"You took off with our daughter," Santana stated clearly.
Beth lowered her eyes and nodded her head.
"That is true and I apologize. Things should've been handled differently and if you decline my request in letting me date your daughter then I will accept it despite how I am feeling."
Santana quirked an eyebrow; apparently Beth was a lot like Rachel too.
"Amanda told me that she was going to leave by herself, but you made it clear that she wasn't going alone. You wanted to make sure she was safe and I for one appreciate that. I agree, you handled it wrong, but it was very sweet of you."
Beth gives Brittany and Santana a slight smile. Santana looks at Brittany who just keeps nodding her head. Santana looked at Beth.
"You don't need my permission to date my daughter. Amanda has a mind of her own."
Beth smiles and nods her head.
"I know that, but you two are important to her and I'd rather have permission."
"You had our permission the moment you said you had feelings for our daughter," Santana says with a grin. "Just protect her heart because it's incredibly big and it can break easily."
Beth nods her head and stands up from the couch.
"Thank you for taking the time to listen to me. I really appreciate it."
Santana and Brittany stand up as well. Brittany rushes forward and wraps her arms around Beth who is frozen in her spot. Santana could tell that Beth was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. She was going to intervene when Brittany said something to Beth.
"Thank you for caring about our daughter."
Brittany pulls away from Beth and Beth instantly relaxes.
"She's worth it," Beth says with a shy smile.
*Friend to a Stranger*
Beth walks out of the Lopez house with a smile on her face. Her smile widens when she sees Amanda walking up the sidewalk. Beth rushes to meet her.
"What are you doing here?" Amanda asks with a grin. She wraps her arms around Beth.
"Well I was wondering if you would be willing to go out on a date with me."
Amanda pulls away and smiles brightly at Beth.
"Are you really asking me out on a date right now?"
Beth looks around sheepishly, but nods her head.
"I know things with us have been a little weird lately, but I managed to settle things with Sara or rather she settled things with me and I like you and I don't want to hide what we have anymore. So, Amanda Lopez, will you go out on a date with me?"
Amanda leans her head against Beth's, her eyes shining brightly.
"Of course."
Inside the Lopez house Santana wraps her arms around Brittany as they watch their daughter. Although Beth and Amanda haven't said that they love each other yet, Brittany and Santana knew that they did. It was only a matter of time before it was said out loud.