Rachel watched as Quinn came back into the living room with a little more bounce in her step. She wondered what exactly her and Santana had been chatting about. Whatever it was, she was sure Santana would tell her about it later. Which..Rachel wondered what in the hell Santana was up too. Rachel could see her trying to be sneaky about going back into the bathroom for something. Rachel really wanted to know what was in there, however, knowing Santana there was no telling what she had hidden in there.
Santana stepped into the bathroom quietly closing the door behind her. Dahlia must be a really heavy sleeper because she still hadn't made a peep. Squatting down to rest on the balls of her feet, Santana leaned forward to lift the little puppy out of her bed. Dahlia started whining at being woken up but soon quieted back down when she realized that it was the nice lady who had brought her home.
"Shhhh, baby." Santana petted the puppy on her little blonde head as she reached back to grab the bow that she had hid under the sink. "Let's go meet your other new mommy little one." Carefully carrying the puppy in her arms, Santana exited the bathroom and headed towards Rachel who looked like she was going to scream with excitement.
Rachel's eyes grew bigger in size as Santana approached with what she could only assume was a puppy in her arms. She could see it's little head bobbing up and down with each step that Santana took. Dax was bouncing around Santana's feet wanting to play with his little sister. He was still learning that he had to be gentle with her because she wasn't as big as he was. Yes, the little blonde puppy would be his new best friend and he would teach her the ways of the land!
"This is your other surprise. Meet Dahlia." Santana spoke as she stopped in front of Rachel and everyone gathered around to see what she was holding. Rachel clasped her hands over her mouth so that the squeal that came out wouldn't startle the puppy.
"Oh, Santana. She's precious." Rachel took the puppy into her arms, cradling her like a baby.
"Well, she's yours. Of course we have to train her and stuff. But I know you've always felt like Dax was just mine even though I am sure you are his favorite now. This little girl can be both of ours." Santana reached out and ran her fingers over the puppy's ear. Dahlia yapped like she had been hurt and reveled in the awes and coos she received. Oh, so she liked attention...her and Rachel were going to get along just fine.
Once the excitement of the new puppy had settled down, the party or cookout which ever you wanted to call it was underway again. Rachel had decided that she would thank Santana properly later for the puppy, it would be inappropriate with a house full of people.
Santana had just delivered a plate of burgers to Puck when she spotted Beth sitting on the porch swing by herself. The twins must have wore her out, they had been going strong even before Santana left for the airport. Sitting down quietly Santana wrapped an arm around Beth's shoulders and pulled the young girl into her side.
"How are you doing B?" Santana asked as she began to run her fingers through Beth's long blonde locks.
"I'm okay. Just tired." Beth sighed as she leaned back into her aunt.
"Just okay? I noticed you have been avoiding your mom all afternoon." Santana stated casually. Beth wasn't dumb, she knew her aunt and mom had talked earlier. She had seen them going into the hallway when she came inside to get some juice for the twins.
"I wasn't avoiding her, I was just playing with the twins. I rarely get to see them." Beth shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. Really in her head it wasn't.
Santana raised her eyebrow at her niece. "I know you love the twins and all, but I also know that their version of tag is just you chasing them and that gets boring after a while. Plus I also saw you ducking and weaving to get away from her earlier."
"She told you what I said didn't she?" Beth asked as she looked up at Santana.
Santana nodded her head as she responded. "She did. You want to talk about it?"
"Not really, but I am sure you are going to make me." Beth replied cheekily. She really was her mother's daughter, but that smirk she definitely got from her Auntie San.
Santana gave Beth a pointed glare. This wasn't the time to be getting smart about this situation, something was seriously troubling the oldest Puckerman-Fabray child. "Why do you wish that your mom wasn't pregnant with Davis?" Santana always had a knack for being blunt and in this situation that was really the only way to go. Get it all out in the open and then try to talk about it. It was something she was still learning to do herself with the help of Rachel.
Beth squinted her eyes and looked over to the grill where her father was standing. "Did you know Daddy has blown off my birthday camping trip three times now because of work or going with mom to the doctor?" Santana was confused, that wasn't what she had asked about. Beth continued before Santana could make her confusion known. "That's not the first time Mom has told me she would pick me up and then was late either. Then she's missed two of my last games because she was out of town with Aunt Rachel and couldn't make it back on time." Beth bowed her head as her tears that had been threatening to fall finally started to make their way down her cheeks. "You know there was even an athletic awards banquet at school. I got the overall MVP award for the season too, but I didn't tell anyone. With Davis coming they're going to have even less time for me...no one will have time for me."
Santana was shocked, how in the world was Beth able to get by without mentioning something as big as an awards banquet? "Why didn't you tell anyone about the banquet?"
Beth shrugged her shoulders. "It just didn't seem like anyone cared. Mom and Aunt Rachel were out of town for movie press, Daddy was finishing a new album with that new band and you were busy at the tree house that night."
Realization suddenly hit Santana like a tidal wave. It wasn't just her parents that she was missing, Beth was missing everyone. "We would have all been there had you told us. Your mom and Rachel would have flown back in just for the banquet, I would have been there and your Daddy definitely would have. You know how he goes crazy at your soccer games."
Beth laughed at that. Her Daddy was always one fight or curse word from being ejected from her games when they got heated. "I just don't feel as important anymore. Nobody needs me." Beth tried to wipe away her tears without her aunt really noticing, however Santana did notice.
"Everyone needs you and you're definitely super important. I also know someone who is really going to need you."
Beth looked up at her aunt puzzled. "Who?"
"Davis will." Santana really tried to keep her voice from cracking. Beth always seemed to make her emotional in some way or another. "I know you didn't mean what you said to your mom. I know you lashed out from a place of hurt and that's something I know a lot about. It's okay to feel whatever you're feeling, but it's not okay to take it out on your parents. You have to talk to them, calmly about it. Davis didn't ask to be brought into this world, but in four months he's going to be here. Your parents will be around more when he gets here, sure their time will be divided between you two but they will be around." Santana was actually proud of her little speech, she was getting good at this talking stuff, even if she didn't care that much for it. Maybe Rachel's help was actually paying off, no there was no maybe to it. It definitely was paying off.
"I guess that's a good reason to like him a little bit." Beth sniffled and smiled a small smile.
Santana chuckled and pulled Beth closer to her. "That's a very good reason to like him. Plus like I said he will need you too, not just your Mom and Dad. Who's going to teach him how to kick a soccer ball? I've seen both of your parents try to play and they stink at it. He'll need someone to hold him when he gets scared at night and your parents room is too far away because the house is dark. You can teach him everything you know before he goes into pre-school. You can turn him into a baby genius. They'll be things that you're the first person he'll want to tell and they'll be things that he will tell you because to him, you will be the only one who might understand. You know, life is a rough road for many people and having someone next to you makes it a little less rough. You can be that person for him."
"You really think he will need me for all of that?" Beth asked a little unsure.
Santana nodded her head. "I'm positive, because there will come a time when maybe he feels like you do now. Because there is no denying that your parents work a lot, it's their careers though and they love what they do and they're damn good at it. Don't repeat that word." Santana pointed her finger at Beth who just grinned. "But they love you and Davis the same and both of you do come first, even if it doesn't feel like it right now. They work like they do so that you and now Davis can have the best life they can provide for you. My parents worked all the time, but I was well provided for. But that's where my parents and your parents differ. My parents never tried to make anything up to me. Your parents do. I know that your Dad will take you on that camping trip as soon as he can and your mom will try her best not to be late again. But that means you have to keep your phone charged so you know if she isn't going to make it. And when Davis comes and he's crying and spitting up and peeing all over the place and you feel over whelmed, my door is always open. Me and Aunt Rachel, Dax and Dahlia would love to spend time with you."
"I think I will be okay once he gets here and we can be a family." Beth smiled as she looked back over to her dad who was singing and dancing around using his spatula as a microphone.
"I think you will be okay too. Oh! I also wanted to ask you something." Hopefully this would make Beth just a little more excited about Davis. Something she could brag to him about as soon as he came into the world. "Would you like to help me do the mural for Davis' room?"
Beth gasped as she looked at her aunt. She still wasn't aloud to touch her Auntie San's expensive paints even though she was eleven now. "Are you serious?!"
"I'm very serious. You know being a big sister comes with new responsibilities and a new level of maturity. I think you are more than capable of helping me out." Santana gave Beth as serious look.
"I would love to! Thank you Auntie San" Beth yelled with delight as she wrapped her arms around Santana's neck.
Quinn smiled to herself as she watched the exchange between Beth and Santana. She loved the fact that Santana was so good with Beth and that they truly held a bond that only an aunt and niece would know about. Even though Santana wasn't her aunt by blood, at least she had someone since Frannie was never around.
"Whatcha doing?" Rachel spoke as she walked up behind Quinn, Dahlia still safely snuggled in her arms.
Quinn jumped and spun around, quietly closing the door behind her. Santana really should have gotten bells for Rachel when they first met. Three years later and the woman still didn't make a sound when she walked. "I was just watching Santana and Beth."
"How's she doing?" Rachel asked while nodding her head towards the door. Quinn walked around Rachel and sat down on the couch, her back was really starting to hurt today.
"I think she's a bit better after talking to Santana. I just feel awful that she's so upset and this is one time that Puck and I can't just magically make it better. But I am going to have a talk with Puck about us doing more stuff as a family and working on getting as much one on one time with her before Davis gets here. I'm also going to get some books about big sisters for her. I don't know why I didn't think of that before." Quinn sighed as she rubbed her hand across her forehead.
"You can't think of everything at once. Yeah it's your second child but it's your first time creating siblings. It's a whole new learning experience for everyone. Are they going to get along? How do I help them get along? How's Davis going to be like his sister? Is he going to be an "easy" baby like Beth was or is he going to be a howler up all hours of the night? Do you know what I mean? I don't even know if I am making sense." Rachel waved her hands around in the air, trying not to disturb Dahlia who was snuggled on her lap since she had sat down.
"No no, you're making sense actually. I know how to raise one daughter, raising a daughter and a son is a new ball game. Their needs are going to be the same in one way and in another they're not. Like, if Puck and I had another baby after Davis, it would be a bit easier because we would have already learned how to help them bond as siblings. So yeah, I get what you're saying." Quinn patted Rachel's hand that was now resting on the couch.
"Well either way, you and Puck are great parents. Beth is going to be an amazing big sister to Davis." Rachel smiled as Santana came in announcing that it was finally time to eat because she was starving. Rachel wondered if her and Santana would ever be in the same situation as Puck and Quinn. It was definitely something to think about.
Don't worry, obviously this story is still in very very early chapters. There will plenty of things going on with Santana and Rachel's story line, as you soon will see. Also they will forever be the main characters, interactions with minor characters doesn't change that. It just pulls momentary focus to one main and minor character instead of two main characters all the time. No need to fret, we have a whole lot of story to go. This one may even be a good number of chapters longer than the first story.
Thank you once again for all the view, reviews, favorites and follows. You guys have no idea how much it all means to me.