CHAPTER 52
A/N: Thanks to pacumeme57, Olivia, pjay413, Kitana1, Berrylucky5, Yadi and the Guest for their reviews, it's particularly appreciated that you still comment because I get less and less of them :-( Special thanks to WhitWalk for proofreading this chapter!
A FEW DAYS LATER (EARLY APRIL) – AT HOME – SANTANA POV
After dropping the kids at daycare, I get back home and find Brittany stretching in the living room.
"Hey you…" I say, placing a kiss on her shoulder while wrapping my hands around her waist.
"Hi!" She smiles, looking at me over her shoulder.
"I was thinking…" I say, as she turns around to face me. "… now that we wrapped season 4 and I don't have to go to Paramount for a while, we should take advantage of the alone time we have…" I add. "Take today, for instance: I'm free all day, you don't have to go to the dance school until this afternoon, and most importantly, there is no mini-us in the house…" I say, caressing her hair, my eyes fluttering to her lips.
"And what would we do in this 'alone time' exactly…?" She asks in a flirty voice, pulling me closer to her.
"Grown up things… Very grown up things…" I whisper, caressing her cheek.
"Oh, you mean like taxes?" She teases and I playfully slap her arm in response.
"Are you going to kiss me or what?" I ask impatiently and although she smirks for a second, she finally pulls me into a kiss that quickly turns hot.
"Okay, maybe we should move to the bedroom…" She suddenly says, out of breath.
"Oh no, no, no… the bedroom is way too far! The living room will do." I say, wiggling my eyebrows, before making her sit on the couch.
As I straddle her, she takes off my shirt and captures my lips in another hot kiss, when her phone suddenly rings.
"It's Mike…" She says, checking her phone.
"He'll call you back…" I immediately reply, kissing her again.
"But San, it could be about the dance school…" She says with apologetic eyes while I sigh.
"Hi Mike, how is it going?" She asks, upon picking up. "What…? I thought she was not due for another two weeks?! Oh… but she's alright? Oh, good! Yeah, of course, we'll be right there!" She says, much to my despair.
"Tina gave birth this morning, two weeks early!" She says in an excited voice. "Come on, get dressed…" She adds, handing me my shirt. "It's time to meet your goddaughter!"
Yeah, it figures that when my own children are not there, another Glee kid would find a way to interrupt my sexy times with my wife…
LATER THAT DAY - AT THE HOSPITAL
"Ladies, this is… Nora…" Tina says with a big smile, and we can't help but gasp as we lay eyes on that beautiful baby girl for the first time.
"Are you ready to meet your 'Titana', baby?" She asks her daughter, before handing her to me.
I carefully take her in my arms and observe her more thoroughly. She has lots of hair and is even tinier than the twins were at birth! But I guess it's normal, considering that she was born early…
"Hi Nora…" I say in my softest voice. "You didn't have the best timing, baby girl, but you're so cute that all is forgiven…"
"It's true but two weeks is not that bad after all…" Tina says.
"I don't think that's what Santana was referring to…" Quinn suddenly interferes, squinting in suspicion while looking at me.
Good Lord, nothing gets past her!
A FEW DAYS LATER (EARLY MORNING) – AT HOME
I'm sound asleep when my alarm clock goes off and I immediately slam it. I'm so exhausted that I feel like my entire body is weak and getting up just seems impossible right now. So, instead, I turn around to snuggle up with Brittany, my head laying on her chest. She hugs me tighter and as I feel the warmth of her body and breathe in her unique sweet scent, all I want is to stay in her arms forever.
"San…" She whispers while I'm already half back asleep.
"Mmhh…"
"I'm sorry but I'm pretty sure you need to get up, honey… Didn't you say you were going to the Netflix headquarters this morning?" She asks and I just grunt in response.
She's right, I'm supposed to go to Netflix this morning, to meet with Patricia Miller and shoot some promotional videos for Glee.
"I don't want to…" I mumble against her chest. "I'm too tired…"
"I know, honey…" She says, rubbing my back. "But you know how important it is to promote the show, especially after all your hard work! Come on, I'll make you some coffee!" She suggests, to motivate me.
"Ok, my brain knows you're right…" I say in a sleepy voice, not moving at all. "But right now, I don't care about any of that! I just want my bed and my wife, that's it."
"Well… if you want your wife, you'll have to get out of bed, because I am getting up!" She says and before I know it, her perfect body is out of reach.
"That's mean!" I complain, looking at her in shock.
"Well, that's the only way to make you leave the bed!" She argues. "And by the way, I'm gonna take a shower now, so… if you want to join me, you better hurry…" She adds with a mischievous smile, before leaving the room.
Damn, she's good…
THE NEXT DAY – AT THE RECORDING STUDIO
"I can't believe we're finally going to record our duet!" Naya says in an enthusiastic voice, raising her arms in disbelief. "Gosh, I'm so excited I could kiss you!" She adds, holding my face between her hands.
"Um… I'm married, Rivera! Plus, it would be like making out with myself, so…"
"That was a figure of speech, Lopez!" She says, shaking her head.
"Sure, sure…" I reply, unconvinced. "You know, after all the Brittana scenes you shot, I wouldn't blame you if you developed a taste for kissing sexy women…"
"Can we just sing?" She asks, rolling her eyes.
A FEW DAYS LATER – IN LIMA – AT McKINLEY - GLEE REUNION
"So… here we are again!" Mr. Schue smiles, as we are reunited in the choir room. "You all know how special this reunion is…" He says, suddenly turning a lot more serious. "This year marks the 10th anniversary of Finn's passing, so… this weekend, we're gonna sing his most iconic numbers and favorite songs, to celebrate his memory."
"I'm not gonna lie: it's not going to be easy but… it will also help us feel more connected to him." He adds. "But before we start, I believe Santana has an announcement to make." He says, inviting me to join him in the middle of the room.
"Thanks, Mr. Schue…" I whisper, addressing him a small smile. "Guys, as you know, the new season of Glee will be available on Netflix in a couple of weeks. What you may not know is that… this season includes a tribute episode to Finn. And I don't want us to watch it separately in our own homes… We should watch it together, because that's what he would have wanted. So, with Berry's blessing, we're going to watch that episode this afternoon, after the reunion. And then, we'll go to the restaurant and the bar, because believe me, we'll need alcohol…"
LATER THAT DAY – AT McKINLEY – IN THE AUDITORIUM
We have been watching the "Quarterback" episode for a while and although I thought it would be easier on me than it was on set, it's actually the opposite. Watching it on screen, without having the crew and cameras around, makes it so much more real… I'm squeezing Brittany's hand so hard that I'm afraid to hurt her, but she keeps holding mine tight, gently running her thumb on it.
As we're watching the performance of "Make You Feel My Love", Rachel suddenly grabs my other hand, resting her head on my shoulder. I'm surprised by this closeness but I make sure to keep her hand in mine, laying my head on top of hers. We don't say a word but it doesn't take long until I feel her silent tears wetting my shirt.
Even though Berry was the first one to support my idea of a tribute episode, I knew this would be hard on her… And frankly, I think it's hard on all of us, Mr. Schue included… But that's why we had to watch the episode at the reunion, because being together is the only way we know to get over our pain and sorrow. And I'm sure that wherever he is, Finn is proud to see that we still support each other…
Holding both my wife's hand and my frenemy's, I don't budge at all for the rest of the episode, not until the final white words appear on a black screen.
"In loving memory of Finn Hudson"
LATER – AT McKINLEY – IN THE LADIES' BATHROOM
I'm adjusting my make up when Rachel enters the bathroom and as I turn towards her, we exchange a silent sad look.
"Santana…" She eventually says in a shaky voice. "I… I don't have the strength to speak right now so… I'm just gonna hug you, okay? Don't fight it…" She pleads, before pulling me into her arms.
It's true that I would usually try to get away from her or would find something unpleasant to say, but not this time… This time, I just hug her tight.
"Thanks to you, he will not just exist in our memories… He will be remembered by everyone that will ever watch this show! And I can't thank you enough for that…" She whispers into my ear, still holding me.
"Well, as long as we're on that…" I say, slightly pulling away. "I've been thinking and… I would like to start a foundation in his name, if you agree." I add while she looks at me in surprise. "You could even run it with me, if you want." I shrug. "I just thought that since Finn fought so hard to keep a Glee club at McKinley, we could carry on that legacy and… collect money, to fund more Glee clubs around the country. I know that realistically, we can't finance the Glee club in every single school but… we could perhaps at least buy sheet music and some instruments… Is that stupid?"
"It's not stupid!" She immediately says. "That's a wonderful idea!" She nods enthusiastically.
EVEN LATER – AT SANTANA'S PARENTS'
I'm getting ready for the dinner with the Gleeks when Brittany joins me in the bedroom.
"Hey…" She says in a soft voice, moving close to me.
"Hi…"
"You okay?" She asks, taking both of my hands in hers.
"Yeah…" I whisper, nodding. "It's just a lot, you know?"
"Yes…" She nods in understanding and I know she can relate to how I feel. All the Gleeks do… "Anything I can do?" She asks.
"Actually, yes…" I reply. "You know how we're always reminded that life is fragile every time we think of Finn?" I ask and she nods. "I know it's why we have our away rituals and everything but… I just… I really need you to know that I love you, Brittany." I say, pausing for a second. "I truly love you, honey… more than I could say, more than I could even ever show you!" I shrug. "And no fight nor years that pass will ever change that! So… in case I leave this earth unexpectedly, I need you to know, without any doubt, that I loved you."
"I do know that, San…" She nods, staring into my eyes. "And I feel exactly the same about you, honey…" She adds, pulling me into a tight hug.
LATER THAT NIGHT – AT THE KARAOKE BAR
"Sometimes, I just wonder what he would say, you know?" Rachel asks me as we're drinking shots together, for the first time… ever?
"About what?"
"About Jesse and me, for a start…" She says and I can detect guilt in her voice.
"Berry, you were 19 when Finn died! You had your whole life ahead of you! I don't think he wanted you to spend it all alone."
"You think?" She says, unsure.
"Of course!" I repeat. "Look, God knows I get jealous as soon as someone gets too close to Brittany but… if I was gone, I would want her to find someone else who loves her rather than being alone and sad." I argue.
"Maybe you're right…"
"I'm always right, Berry! And I know Finn would also be really proud of everything you've achieved! You made it to Broadway, for fuck's sake!"
"Thanks…" She whispers in gratitude. "I think he would be really proud of you too, you know…"
"Right…" I say sarcastically.
"I'm serious!" Rachel replies. "And it's not just because you released an album or have your own TV show… He wanted you to embrace who you were and look at you now! It's not just that you accepted your feelings for Brittany, you married her and started a family with her! And now, you even share your love story on TV, with millions of viewers! He would be so proud, believe me…"
"I wish he could see what we have all become…" I admit.
"Maybe he can." She shrugs and we fall into a silence for a while.
"To Finn!" I eventually say, raising my glass.
"To Finn…" She replies with a nostalgic smile, clinking her glass against mine.
A FEW DAYS LATER – IN LOS ANGELES – AT HOME
"Oh yes, I know you're a ticklish boy!" I tell Diego as he can't stop laughing while I tickle his belly.
God, the kids' laughter is really my favorite sound in the whole world! Well, that and Brittany's moaning in bed, obviously…
I have now been playing with the kids for a solid hour and I'm loving it! That's really the silver lining of my job: once the season is wrapped, I can stay at home and spend lots of time with my Britt and our babies. Unfortunately, once Glee is on Netflix, I will have to travel around the country for a while, to do the promo…
"Mama?" Sofia asks, kneeling next to me on the play mat.
"Yes, mija?" I say, while tickling Gabriel this time.
"Where do babies come from?" She asks out of nowhere, making me turn to her in surprise.
"What?"
"Like Nora… where did she come from?" She asks.
"Well, Nora came from Auntie Tina's belly…" I reply. "Just like your brothers came from mommy's belly."
"I know that!" She says, looking all offended.
Right, I forgot she was an expert!
"But how did they get there?" She asks.
"Um…" I mumble, finding myself at a loss for words.
God, why does she always keep the hardest questions for me?!
"I uh…" I trail off while her expecting eyes are locked with mine.
"Brittany?" I shout in despair. "Can you come here, please? Sofia has a question for you!"
LATER THAT DAY – AT HOME
"Okay, I think I managed to satisfy her curiosity." Brittany says. "For now, at least…"
"Let me guess, did you talk about bees?"
"No!" She frowns. "I talked about… seed, without giving more details. I told her it's like plants and stuff."
"Ah! I was close enough…"
"Anyway, I told her that all families are different and that there are several ways to get a seed… And then, she asked me if she could have one, to have a baby with Liam!" She chuckles.
"She WHAT?!" I frown, horrified.
"Relax, San… It's not like she can have kids at her age!" She shrugs.
Thank God, it's true, I don't have to worry about that just yet…
"Right…" I say in a calmer voice. "Anyway, she won't be with the leprechaun her whole life." I add. "He will be old news soon, you'll see! By the time she starts pre-school, she won't even remember who he is!"
A FEW DAYS LATER – AT HOME – IN THE BEDROOM – BRITTANY POV
"God, Britt… Yes, right there!" Santana moans as I straddle her ass and massage her upper back.
"Yep, you definitely have trapezius knots…"
"I probably pulled a muscle or something…" She says but I know she didn't.
Santana always gets the same knots on her left upper back every time she's stressed. And I know it's because Netflix is releasing Glee tomorrow night.
After taking more massage oil in my hands, I apply pressure on her upper back and move in slow circles, trying to relax her stiff muscles.
"Mmhh… God, you're so good at that…" She says.
"Well, despite my best efforts, I don't think it will be enough to untie these knots…" I sigh. "I'm gonna run us a bath, maybe that will help…" I say before getting off her body, knowing it might be the only way to get her to relax.
"Really?" She says in a hopeful voice, before smirking at me.
"We're not going to have sex when you're in so much pain, San." I immediately clarify, crossing my arms, while she pouts in disappointment.
A LITTLE WHILE LATER – IN THE BATHROOM
"This is really nice…" Santana says, taking a sip of wine before leaning back on me in our bubble bath.
"Yeah?" I kiss her cheek, wrapping my arms around her naked body.
"Oh yeah… definitely relaxing! If that's what I get when I have muscle knots, I'm gonna pray to have more of them!" She chuckles, making me roll my eyes.
LATER – IN THE BEDROOM
"Let me get this straight: you're seriously telling me that there's not gonna be sex tonight, when all I felt in that bath was your bare boobs against my back and your lady parts against my butt?!" She complains, raising her arms in protest.
"That's right." I confirm.
"Okay, clearly you didn't have enough wine."
"You need to relax, San! Not have sex and injure yourself even more!"
"But Britt… you know that nothing relaxes me more than sex!" She objects and it's hard to go against her because our 12 years together have proven that to be true.
"Seriously, it would be really cruel to deny me sex after that bath!" She argues.
"Fine…" I sigh. "But only if you lay on your back the whole time and let me take care of you." I warn.
"What…? No!" She frowns. "You're a fool if you think I'm gonna let you do all the work without getting you off, Brittany!"
"Don't worry… I can do all the work and still get off…" I whisper, capturing her lips in a kiss.
THE NEXT EVENING – AT THE PUB – SANTANA POV
"Let's make a deal, Fabray…" I say, once the waiter has brought us our drinks. "We're not talking about Netflix or Glee until 11:55 PM. Okay?" I ask.
"You got it." She nods in agreement, clinking her glass against mine.
Glee drops on Netflix at midnight but I feel so anxious that I don't want to think about it until then.
"So, tell me… What's new in your life?" I ask.
"Well… Puck wants to have a baby." She sighs, making me choke on my wine.
"Wait, what?" I frown in surprise, my eyes set on her. "I take it you don't want one…?" I eventually ask, the distressed look on her face betraying her. "Wow, I must say I didn't expect that! I always thought you would be the one pushing for having a kid!"
"I do want one someday, but not now…" She says. "We haven't even been married for a year yet!"
"Yeah, well… you know, I went through the same thing with Brittany. Even earlier than that!"
"What did you do?"
"I have three kids, Q! What do you think I did?" I shrug, as if it was obvious.
"I was just like you, I wanted a child but I wanted to wait a few years…" I say. "But apparently, Britt can sweet talk me into anything! Especially when she says stuff like 'it will be our baby…' right after having sex!" I add, raising my arms. "And you know, since the doctor said it might take a few times to work… I thought we would have more time but apparently, I'm the most fertile woman on the planet!" I say in an ironic voice, making her chuckle.
"Is it because of Beth…?" I eventually ask.
"No." She whispers. "I mean, I don't know… Part of me will always feel guilty about Beth, even though I know I did what was best for her. And I know that if I have a kid now, it will be much easier because the situation is completely different: Puck and I are married, we own a house and this time, we can actually provide for that baby…" She shrugs. "And I like kids, you know… I love yours!" She argues. "But I'm just not ready to have one of my own just yet."
"Well, you should tell Puck how you feel…" I advise. "I'm sure he will understand."
"Hopefully…" She whispers. "But let's change subject, tell me something that will distract me." She pleads.
"Well… I hired a private investigator to find out who is responsible for the sabotage of Britt's dance school." I say.
"Really?" She opens her eyes wide in surprise.
"Yeah… but keep this to yourself, because no one knows. I didn't even tell Brittany…"
"Okay…" She nods in understanding. "Did he find anything?"
"Well, a few weeks ago, he told me that he suspected another school to be behind the sabotage. Because they actually got Britt's spot at regionals once she was excluded from the competition." I say. "And the detective called me earlier today to say that the school's owner, Hannah Cross… knows James." I sigh.
"Get out of here!" She says, opening her mouth in shock.
"Yeah…" I shrug. "Apparently, they dated in high school and they were part of the same dance team." I add. "And you know, I wish I could say I'm surprised, but I'm not. I had a feeling since day 1 that he might be behind this."
"Can the P.I. find evidence against him?" She asks.
"I don't think so…" I sigh. "He said he already looked into James' phone records but he couldn't find any phone call to Hannah. According to him, they might have used burner phones or just met in person somewhere… so, it's pretty much impossible to prove he was involved."
"God, that man is just…" She trails off, shaking her head in anger.
"I know…"
"What are you going to do?" She asks and I just let out a sigh, pondering what to say next.
"Nothing." I eventually say in a jaded tone and I can tell that this is not what Quinn was expecting.
"Nothing?! But San… you can't let him get away with this!" She objects.
"Look, Q… No one wants to put him in jail more than me, believe me! But as much as I hate the guy, he's smart enough to cover his tracks! And if I don't have evidence against him, what can I do? Go to New York and confront him once more? Every time I do that, it just gets worse!" I shrug. "His shenanigans used to be harmless, because he was just trying to get under my skin but… he proved how relentless and dangerous he truly was when he tried to become our sperm donor! And now, it's not just me he went after! He's so mad at Brittany for rejecting him that he went as far as sabotaging her dance school and putting everyone there in danger: the staff, the students… even my baby girl!" I say, shaking my head in despair. "If I confront him, it's just going to feed his diabolical spirit and God knows what he will do next!" I argue. "So… I'm just gonna let him win this one, and hopefully, he will finally move on! Because all that matters to me is keeping my wife and my children safe!" I shrug.
"I see your point but… I just hate that he gets away with these kinds of things – which are actual crimes by the way!" She says.
"I know but someday, karma will get him, Q! I know it! And his evil plan didn't really impact us that much anyway…" I shrug. "Sure, we lost money but the dance school eventually reopened, and we even got to renovate it and improve the security! The only thing he took from us was the spot for regionals… But I'm sure that next year, Britt and Mike's troupe won't be stopped! Because James will never take the risk to sabotage the school again, he's not stupid."
LATER THAT NIGHT – AT THE PUB
"What the fuck… It's midnight now! So why can't I see it?" I say impatiently while checking Netflix.
"Refresh!" Quinn says, sounding just as impatient.
"What do you think I'm doing exactly?!" I complain as I hit "refresh" again and again, like a mad girl. "When is this going to… Oh, it's here! Q! IT'S HERE!" I shout a lot louder, even if she's sitting right next to me.
"Oh my God, look at that…" She says, watching the screen in disbelief. "WE'RE ON NETFLIX, BABY!" She screams before throwing herself at me for a hug.
"Whoa… easy, Fabray…" I chuckle, feeling her body crashing into mine.
EVEN LATER THAT NIGHT – AT HOME
After taking a shower, I enter the bedroom and see that Brittany is still awake, lying in bed with her laptop on her lap.
"Hey! What are you doing?" I ask, lying next to her to give her a kiss.
"Um… I was watching Glee…" She says in a shy voice. "I know you probably wanted us to watch it together…" She adds before I can say anything. "…but when I saw it was available on the platform, I just couldn't resist! I'm sorry…" She says, looking all guilty.
"It's okay, honey!" I chuckle. "It's kinda cute that you were so impatient to watch it." I add, placing another kiss on her lips. "We still can watch some episodes together tomorrow! But for now, I just want to cuddle anyway…"
"Yeah?" She asks while putting the laptop away.
"Yeah!" I confirm, snuggling up against her. "You know… when I was younger, I hated going to bed at night."
"Really, why?"
"I don't know, I found it depressing to be alone in a dark room, it used to make me anxious… And when I couldn't sleep, time felt so slow, it was horrible! But all that changed when you and I started to have sleepovers…" I say with a smile. "And now, going to bed is my favorite part of the day!" I shrug. "I just love being in bed just the two of us, away from the rest of the world… It's really my safe place, like a little love bubble! And even when I can't sleep, it's not lonely anymore because I can just cuddle with you or watch you sleep…" I add, making her smile.
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER (EVENING TIME) – AT HOME – IN BED
"Wow…" I pant, my chest raising up and down quickly, trying to come back to reality. "Wow…" I repeat in disbelief while Brittany moves back up and fully lays on top of me.
"Seriously, you outdid yourself tonight, Brittany Lopez-Pierce…" I whisper, still trying to catch my breath.
"Well, a proper away ritual calls for mind-blowing sex, so…" She says, tenderly pressing her lips on mine.
"Oh, mission accomplished!" I say, making her smirk.
"I can't believe you'll be gone for 10 days…" She pouts, hugging my body.
"I know…" I sigh, holding her tighter in my arms. "Believe me, I really, really don't want to leave you, honey… But considering all the people that invested in the show, the least I can do is to ensure good promo! And you'll see, I'll be back before you know it…" I say in a comforting voice while caressing her cheek, before pulling her into a long loving kiss.
THREE DAYS LATER (EVENING TIME) – IN NEW YORK
"So… how was dinner with the Gleeks?" Brittany asks me over the phone.
"Oh it was fun!" I reply. "But I'm more than ready to leave now! I've got my fair share of Berry…"
"Well, you're leaving tomorrow morning, right?"
"Yep, I'm taking an early flight to Louisville." I reply. "Oh, by the way… my itinerary was modified, so… after Louisville, I'm actually going to Chicago and Seattle."
"Really?" Britt says, clearly surprised. "Is Quinn coming with you?"
"No, Lucy found so many new opportunities that we had to split them!" I say. "But enough about work! How are our little monsters doing?"
"They're good!" She replies and I can hear the smile in her voice. "Sam and Mercedes took Sofia to the movies today and when they came back, she couldn't stop talking about it! Seriously, I think she told me the whole story at least three times!" She adds, making me chuckle. "And the boys laughed a lot with their Uncle Sam! You know how he is, he kept goofing around with them!"
"It sounds like fun!" I smile.
"It was!" She confirmed. "They stayed over for dinner and honestly, it was so nice to have them around! Because I've got to tell you: the house is really not the same without you, San…"
"Aww, are you missing me, wifey?" I ask, moved by what she just said.
"Of course I am! We all are!"
"I miss you all too…" I admit.
A FEW DAYS LATER (LATE EVENING) – IN SEATTLE – AT THE HOTEL
"We've started rehearsing for the recital…" Britt says over the phone, as I'm lying in my hotel bed. "…and I'm amazed by how quickly Sofia learns new choreographies, it's really impressive for a kid that age!"
"Well, she's not your daughter for nothing, Britt! It figures that she would be a great dancer too!"
"Yeah, I guess. But what about you? How did it go today?"
"It went fine, the host asked me very interesting questions I must say!" I reply. "But I can't wait to go back home… This promo tour is really exhausting! And I'm so bored! Can you believe that it's been raining ever since I got here? At least, when I was in New York and Louisville, I got to see some friends! Even in Chicago, I visited Melissa's parents! But I know no one in Seattle… and with this weather, I can't even go out of the hotel in the evening!"
"I'm sorry, honey… But the tour is almost over!" She says. "And I can keep you company over the phone if you like?"
"I would love that!" I say. "Please, distract me from this rainy, boring world…"
"Okay…" She chuckles. "Well, I meant to tell you that you were right about Gabriel! Since he started sleeping with the teddy dinosaur you got him, he doesn't cry at night anymore!"
"Oh, that's great! I'm so glad it comforts him!"
"It sure does! He takes it everywhere! How did you even get him so attached to it?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that, Britt! It's a secret between me and my son!" I reply proudly. "But when I asked you to 'distract me', I didn't mean talking about the kids, honey…"
"Okay, what would distract you then?"
"I don't know, maybe you could tell me…. what you're wearing right now?" I ask, making her chuckle.
"Well, it's easier if I show you…" She says and after a few seconds, my phone beeps, indicating that I have received a new picture from Britt.
"Oh my God, did you just send me a boob picture?!" I say in disbelief, my eyes still set on the snapshot of her topless chest.
"I just wanted to cheer you up…" She laughs.
"Oh, it definitely worked!" I say.
"Any chance I could see more…?" I eventually dare to ask.
"More?" She repeats, surprised. "Are you trying to have phone sex with me, Santana Lopez-Pierce?"
"Well… if you're offering, I'm not gonna say no!"
"And what makes you think I'm offering?"
"I don't know, maybe it's because you sent me a picture of your boobs?" I argue. "And we've had phone sex before…"
"Yeah but that was like a million years ago! The last time we did that, I was still in MIT!"
"So?" I shrug. "Britt, you're in bed, I'm in bed… And you said that the kids were sound asleep!" I say. "I know we're not physically in the same place right now but that doesn't mean we can't be together…" I plead but she remains silent on the other end of the line.
"Well, then maybe you should take off your shirt too…" She eventually says, making me smirk.
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER – AT HOME – BRITTANY POV
"So, what time are you landing in L.A?" I ask Santana, as she calls me from Seattle's airport.
"Actually, Britt, that's why I'm calling… I'm afraid I won't be coming home today."
"What, why?" I ask, pouting. I was really looking forward to get her back…
"Lucy managed to get me a great talk show in San Francisco tomorrow morning, so I'm heading there…"
"Oh, I see…" I say, having trouble to hide my disappointment.
"I'm sorry, honey… I miss you too! But it's just one quick extra stop! I'll fly to L.A. tomorrow evening instead." She says. "Oh, I gotta go, they're starting the onboarding… I'll text you when I'm in San Francisco, okay? I love you!"
"I love you too…"I barely have the time to reply before the call ends.
THE NEXT MORNING – AT HOME
"Quinn?" I say in a surprised tone, upon opening the front door. "Hi! Welcome back!" I add, hugging her.
"Thanks, Britt! It's nice to see you!" She smiles, hugging me back. "I'm sorry to barge in like this but… your wife made it clear she would kill me if I didn't check up on you in her absence so… here I am!"
"That's okay!" I chuckle, easily picturing Santana threatening her. "When did you get back?"
"Oh, I came back from Dallas last night." She replies. "And I'm totally jet lagged now, so… if I look tired, that's because I am!"
LATER THAT DAY – AT HOME - IN THE LIVING ROOM
"These promo tours are really intense, you have to go from place to place, and you have like a dozen interviews per day!" Quinn says. "But it was so nice to be in New Haven and Boston, I got to see some old friends from Yale and…" She adds when the TV in the background suddenly catches my attention.
"What is this…?" I whisper with a frown, getting up to get closer. As soon as I see the words "SAN FRANCISCO" next to "BREAKING NEWS", I take the remote control and turn up the volume, to listen to the reporter.
"I repeat for those of you who are tuning in now: a major earthquake struck San Francisco about 15 minutes ago… which was felt from Sacramento to Fresno. We do not have a Richter scale reading yet but we have reports of major power outages, fires and damages throughout the area, including the Bay bridge that partially collapsed. All hospitals are now on red alert." The reporter says and I immediately feel cold sweat run through my body.
"Oh my God!" I say, horrified, before grabbing my phone to call Santana.
"Hello, you've reached Santana Lopez-Pierce. I'm not available at the moment but…"
"It goes straight to voicemail…" I say in a shaky voice, throwing a distress look at Quinn.
A FEW MINUTES LATER – AT HOME
"Okay, let's not panic…" Quinn says, rubbing my arm to comfort me. "Maybe she just turned off her phone while she's recording the talk show…"
"No, she never turns off her phone…" I say, shaking my head in despair. "She would maybe leave it backstage while she's being interviewed but it would still be on! Something is wrong, Q…" I add, having a bad feeling in my gut.
"But even if her phone is on, you might not be able to get through to her, Britt… Phones lines are probably down or saturated…" She says but that doesn't reassure me.
"Can you just find out where this talk show was taking place?" I ask in an impatient voice, in between attempts to call Santana.
"Of course, I'll call Lucy." She nods, before stepping out of the room.
I desperately keep calling Santana's phone over and over, but it still goes to voicemail every single time…
A couple of minutes later, Quinn returns to the living room and she looks so distraught that I hold my breath.
"I got Lucy on the phone and um… the building where the talk show was recorded collapsed…" She says in a trembling voice and I feel like someone just pulled the rug out from under me.
QUINN POV
"Britt… Britt!" I call her, kneeling next to her on the floor. "Come on, Brittany, WAKE UP!" I shout, shaking her shoulder and slapping her cheeks.
"Oh God, you're back!" I sigh in relief as she eventually opens her eyes.
"What happened?" She asks, obviously lost.
"You fainted!" I say. "I just had the time to catch you…"
"I… what?" She asks, looking around in confusion. "Santana… Where is Santana?!" She asks, probably remembering about the earthquake.
"I'm sorry, Britt… Lucy is calling every hospital as we speak but we don't know more right now…"
"No… no…" She shakes her head. "I want Santana..." She sobs in despair, clinging to me on the floor.
A/N: Thoughts...? Please let me know!