Watching Theo agonize over the possibility of losing Quinn was painful for Santana. There was of course her own fear, which was gnawing away at the pit of her stomach, making her feel sick, but that wasn't as bad as the ache in her chest every time she looked at Theo.
He had called his parents after Jade had returned with some clothes for him, so now he was being held by his mother as he cried into her chest. Santana couldn't bare it. It made her wonder what she had looked like when Brittany had been missing in New York. She wondered if this is how Mercedes and Kurt and everyone else felt. So powerless to help, so powerless to comfort. She wasn't Theo's friend, and she didn't know what she could possibly say to make this situation any better for him, but she did know from experience that at a time like this, saying things like, 'it'll be okay,' or 'she'll be fine,' were not helpful. Nothing would really help, except the news that Quinn was fine and he could go and see her. Until then, all she could do was wait.
She hated it though, every single second. Puck and Jade had fallen asleep against each other, but she and Brittany were very much awake. Santana doubted if she would ever be able to sleep in a hospital. They were not places she felt safe enough to let her guard down like that. It always seemed like she had to be on high alert, in case someone she loved died.
"You can." Theo's mother said, loud enough for Santana to hear. She looked over to see his mother gently brushing his hair back from his forehead. Theo shook his head. "Yes you can, we'll all be here-"
"I can't." Theo chocked out. "I can't raise her alone. She needs a mother."
"Theodore." His father said gravely.
"She needs her mother."
"If Quinn doesn't make it-"
"SHE WILL!" Theo yelled, pulling away from his mother. Puck jerked awake, which woke Jade. "She will because she has to. Quinn won't leave our daughter, she'll fight for her."
His mother sighed, tears falling from her eyes.
"Come on." Santana said, tapping Brittany's knee and standing up. Brittany stood as well.
"It's been a few hours." Santana said to Theo and his parents. "None of us have eaten, and we need our strength. Brittany and I will go see what we can find."
"Thank you dear." Theo's mother said with a weak smile. Theo's father stood up, taking his wallet out from his pocket as he walked to Santana.
"This should-"
"Oh no, no." Santana shook her head. "No need, please. We've got it."
He looked like he wanted to protest, but Theo let out another painful sob. Santana watched his shoulders sag as he looked at his son.
"Please let us do this." Brittany said.
"Okay." He nodded, putting his wallet back in his pocket. "Thank you."
"No need to thank us."
Santana took Brittany's hand and they walked away.
She knew where the cafeteria was, since this was the same hospital Puck had been in when he'd been shot, but they were in a different part of the hospital, so she wasn't sure exactly how to get there. A part of her wanted to roam the halls aimlessly for a while, to take a break from the sorrowful atmosphere of the waiting room, maybe pretend for a second that Quinn's life wasn't hanging in the balance. If only she could. Maybe if her father wasn't here, looking so solemn. It made it hard to pretend things weren't that bad when a doctor wasn't looking hopeful.
"You better not be taking me to the NICU" Brittany said in a hushed voice.
Santana raised an eyebrow.
"Are you?" Brittany asked with a coy smile.
Santana smiled, slowly shaking her head.
"I know you're joking, but you know we'll be leaving here with another son if we went anywhere near there."
Brittany squeezed Santana's hand, pulling her to a stop.
"I was joking, but if we don't end up in the NICU today, it'll be a bad thing."
Santana sighed.
"Yeah."
"They said they were trying to get the baby out, why haven't they yet?"
"I don't know…"
Santana had been wondering the same thing, trying not to think the worst. She kept telling herself that the doctors hadn't come out to update them because they were busy, and as long as they were busy, then Quinn was alive. Surely if the baby had died they would have come to tell Theo.
"I think we just need to stay calm." She said, more to herself than to Brittany. "Theo was right, Quinn won't leave her baby, she'll fight for her, and in order to save Quinn they needed to get the baby out."
"So if they're still working on Quinn…"
"They had to have taken the baby out by now."
Brittany took a deep breath, taking Santana's other hand and pulling them both to her chest.
"I love you."
"Britt-"
"Seeing Theo going through this, about to lose everything that matters to him, I just can't stop thinking about how grateful I am that you're here and you're okay and our kids are okay."
Santana nodded. She had the same feeling.
"I'm so sorry that I put you through what he's going through." Brittany whispered.
"That was a long time ago." Santana said, gently wiping the tear that fell from Brittany's eye. "And not your fault."
Brittany's eyes fell closed, her head dropping so she could place a kiss to Santana's knuckles.
"You're stronger than I could ever be."
"Huh?"
"If I had to go through this…" Brittany shook her head. "If I had to sit helplessly and wonder if you were even alive I don't think I could survive."
"You don't ever have to, look at me." Santana pulled her hand free, cupping Brittany's cheek. Brittany opened her eyes, which were red from crying so much. "I can't promise that nothing will ever happen to me, but I can promise you that I will never leave you." She inched closer, so her nose was touching Brittany's. "If I get hurt, no matter how bad it looks, I'm not leaving you Brittany Pierce." Brittany swallowed thickly, her hands still gripping tightly to Santana's one. Santana leaned forward just enough to press a gentle kiss to Brittany's lips. "The grim reaper will have to come and get me himself, then I can tell him to fuck off to his face."
The corners of Brittany's mouth lifted in a small smile.
"Okay?" Santana asked.
"Yeah." Brittany kissed her again, holding it as she took in another deep breath. It reminded Santana of how she'd comforted Brittany after the gunshots at McKinley when she'd flown back to Lima. Brittany had just wanted to feel their lips pressed together, like she was doing now. Santana let her be the one to pull away. "She's going to be okay." She said with a little more conviction than Santana had. "Her and the baby are both going to be okay."
"Amen." Santana said seriously. "Now let's go get some food."
It was ironic that a hospital cafeteria had so much junk food, but Santana was grateful. Fruits and vegetables didn't exactly cheer anyone up. They needed comfort food, even if it wouldn't actually do much to make Theo feel better. So she and Brittany piled as many hot dogs, burgers and fries as they could onto two trays and made their way back to the waiting room.
Two doctors were standing before Theo and his parents, holding their scrub caps in their hands. Santana stopped dead, nearly dropping her tray as dread rushed through her. They'd been waiting for an update for hours, anxiously anticipating the moment a doctor would come out and tell them what was going on. Yet now that they were here, Santana didn't want to see them. Them being here meant there was no more time for hoping and praying. Whatever had happened had happened, no more to be done, and if the news they came baring was that Quinn or the baby hadn't survived…Santana's breathing picked up at the thought. She wasn't ready to hear that. She'd rather hold on to the hope that Quinn was still in surgery.
"Santana?" Brittany said, "We should go hear what-"
Santana shook her head, her eyes fixed on the scene in front of them. The doctors were still talking, Theo was clutching onto his mother for dear life, like if he let go he wouldn't even be able to stand, while his father stood behind him with a hand on his shoulder. Puck and Jade were standing back, giving them space but close enough to hear what was happening and Santana's father was sitting on the chair Santana had left him in. The look on his face told Santana that the doctors hadn't said the fateful words yet.
"Santana whatever they say we should be there to-"
Theo's loud sob cut Brittany off. As Santana watched, he dropped to the floor, clutching his stomach. Her dad dropped his face into his hands, and Jade turned her body fully into Puck, crying into his chest.
Santana felt bile rise in her throat like acid burning a path right up to her mouth.
"No." Brittany whispered.
Theo's mother knelt down beside him, whispering something to him. Theo continued to cry, his chest heaving as he struggled to get enough air. Santana couldn't tell what any of this meant. It looked bad, very bad. Whatever the doctors had said, Theo hadn't taken well, which meant it couldn't be good news, but Santana couldn't allow herself to think of what that news was. Quinn couldn't be dead. Five hours ago she had been fine, they'd all been dancing. She couldn't just be dead. As for the baby, Santana couldn't believe that the universe was so dark, so evil, that it would take Quinn's daughter again. That it would put her through eight months of a pregnancy she hadn't even planned, let her decorate the room and buy baby clothes and a rocking chair, only to take that baby before she'd even had a chance to know her. That was too twisted.
"I-I can't…" Brittany stuttered. "She can't be…"
Theo looked up, his eyes catching Santana's. Santana couldn't decipher the look in them, all she saw was that they were blood-shot, and full of tears. She dropped the tray in her hands, taking a step back. The grief she felt in that moment was so overwhelming that it drowned everything else out. She didn't hear the tray hit the ground, but she saw the food splatter all over the floor. Her head was swimming, making her feel dizzy and her stomach heaved, threatening to empty all of its contents right there as reality hit her. Quinn, her best friend, her children's godmother and favourite aunt, Quinn who was finally getting married in just three months after fantasizing about it for as long as Santana had known her, Quinn who had never thought she would want another baby yet was excited about being pregnant, sassy, bitchy, cutthroat, Quinn who Santana had never imagined she would have to live without, was dead.
"Santana." Her father's face appeared in front of her, his hands gripping her arms tight.
Santana shook her head, feeling weak.
"Santana escuchar." Her dad shook her. "You're having a panic attack, breathe."
Breathe? How was she supposed to breathe when Quinn was dead?
"Breathe." Her dad said again. "Take a deep breathe with me."
Santana shook her head once again, trying to pull back from her dad.
"Q-Quinn." She chocked out. "Quinn's-"
"Alive?" Brittany gasped. Santana looked up to see Brittany talking to one of the doctors who had walked over with Santana's dad. "You're saying she's alive?" She asked.
"Yes." The doctor said. "She's being taken to ICU now, you can see her in an hour."
Santana felt a rush of relief that made her light headed. She sunk slowly to the floor with her dad supporting her. Brittany was by her side in a flash.
"She's alive?" Santana asked hoarsely, her head beginning to ache from the roller coaster of emotions and the constant crying. The doctor nodded, smiling. "It was touch and go, at some point she had a clot traveling to her heart which would have been fatal, but we managed to get it, and she stabilized."
"And the baby?" Brittany asked, gripping Santana's hands.
"She also made it. I was apologizing to the father just now, I thought someone had come to update him once she was taken to the NICU."
"No." Santana said quietly.
"I apologize." The doctor said. "But we got her out over an hour ago, she is beautiful and healthy. We'll just keep her in the NICU for a few days to let her lungs develop and get her weight up, then she can go home with dad."
"Oh my god." Santana breathed, pulling Brittany into a hug. "She's alive."
Brittany cried quietly into her neck, Santana held her so tight it was almost painful, but she didn't care. This one had been close, she knew that. She could still feel the residual fear that had crippled her just a minute ago, and it made her acutely aware of the fact that both Quinn and the baby being alive was a miracle. She sent out a silent prayer in thanks.
Finally she pulled back, wiping her cheeks. She couldn't imagine how bad she looked right now, with all the make-up she had on, she probably looked like a train wreck.
"Sorry." She said, taking the hand her dad offered to help her up. "About the food." She pointed at the floor where the burgers, hot dogs and fries were scattered.
"Don't worry about it." The doctor smiled. "Sorry we scared you."
Santana took a deep breath, feeling her mind and body relax for the first time in four hours. She looked over at Theo who had also been helped up. He was now hugging Puck and Jade, smiling. She felt Brittany's hand slide into hers. When she looked at her, Brittany was looking at her fondly, tears staining her cheeks. Santana gently brushed them away with her free hand, and kissed Brittany softly.
"They're okay."
Brittany nodded.
"Thank god."
"Hey Lopierces." Puck said, walking hand in hand with Jade. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Brittany said. She hugged Puck, not letting go of Santana's hand, then Jade. "You guys?"
"We almost didn't make it but yeah."
Theo approached them, the light having returned to his eyes. He gave a heartened chuckle, pulling Santana and Brittany into a hug.
"Thank you both. Having you here…." He shook his head. "Thank you for being here."
"Of course we were here." Santana said, pulling back.
"No I know you were here for Quinn." He looked down, biting his lip.
"We were here for you too." Brittany said. "You're family now Theo."
He looked like he was about to get emotional again, but he sniffed and forced a smile.
"Thank you." His voice cracked, making Brittany pout.
"You're welcome." Santana said.
"Argh." He heaved a sigh, letting go of them both. "Well I think it's time I go see my daughter."
"Oh my god yes." Brittany grinned. "You have a daughter."
Puck thumped Theo's back. "Good luck with a mini Quinn."
"You're a gonner now mate." Jade said, winking.
"Yeah." Theo smiled, looking euphoric. "Yeah I am."
Since Theo and his parents went to see the baby, Stephen decided to go home while Santana and the others decided to go get food, again.
"You had one job." Puck said as they made their way out of the elevator.
"Yeah you try give a shit about that when your best friend is dead."
"But she wasn't-"
"You should have seen all your faces." Brittany said. "You'd have thought she was dead too."
"She nearly was wasn't she though?" Jade said morosely. "I mean all that blood….and what the doctor said…"
"Yeah." Santana nodded. "She almost was."
"Let's not think about it." Brittany said bracingly, shaking her hair out of her face. "It didn't happen so let's not think about it."
"Fair enough." Jade nodded.
"Instead, let's talk about this…" Santana pointed her finger between Puck and Jade. Puck smirked, Jade blushed. "How long has this been going on?"
Puck shrugged.
"He's been asking me out for years."
"Hey!"
"We said we'd tell them everything." Jade said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah but they don't need to know everything everything." Puck whispered.
"That's not how girls work Noah." Brittany said, moving to walk beside Jade. "So tell us everything."
Puck groaned. Santana sniggered, looping her arm with Puck's.
"You should have known that keeping this a secret would lead to this."
"Sooo?" Brittany asked.
"He's been asking me out for years. Like at least twice a year since we met."
"Not since we met." Puck frowned. "I barely knew you."
"Alright." Jade nodded. "Since you got your kids Santana, and you started inviting me over to your place."
"Makes sense." Santana said. "Go on."
"I always said no."
"Obviously." Santana rolled her eyes.
"She was playing hard to get." Puck said.
"And you were still a man-child." Brittany said. Puck glared playfully at her.
"But what changed?" Santana asked.
"Well…I don't know. He grew up." Jade shrugged.
"She couldn't resist me anymore." Puck smirked.
"Oh whatever." Santana shoved him.
"No I'm serious." Jade said. "I wasn't working as much after I came back from Manchester last year, so I had more time to get to know him. We'd hung out before, casually, I went to some of his gigs and we went out to clubs and stuff, but this was different. Even things like babysitting your kids or watching a football game, I just realised something was different about him. I felt like I could actually trust him to be in a real relationship you know?"
"Hmm…" Santana looked at Puck, trying to see if she could tell the difference. She couldn't, but then again she would never be able to see Puck as a desirable boyfriend.
"So when he asked me out again, this time I asked him if he was serious, to make sure he wasn't just in it for the chase."
They walked into the cafeteria and made their way to the food.
"If I'm being honest I was in the beginning." Puck said. "I mean she was the only girl I'd ever been around for long periods of time without hitting on her, it felt wrong."
"Of course." Santana rolled her eyes, picking a tray and handing it to Brittany, then picking one for herself.
"Then when she said no, it was a challenge, and you know I like a challenge."
"Oh yes." Brittany chuckled. "We know." She picked a burger and put it on her plate, then picked one for Santana.
"But when she went to England I realised I actually missed her. I actually wanted to call her and ask her how her day was and all that shit."
Santana whistled. "Damn. You wanted to call her? I mean that's commitment right there."
Brittany giggled.
"You know what I mean Santana." Puck grumbled.
"It was sweet." Jade said, rubbing Puck's arm. "And when I asked him if he was serious about being in a relationship he said-"
"Woah, woah, woah." Puck clapped his hand over Jade's mouth. Santana's eyebrows shot up.
"What did you say?" She asked, intrigued, serving fries.
"No. there are some things that have to remain between the two of us."
"Oh come on, we won't tease you." Brittany said.
Puck frowned skeptically.
"Okay I won't tease you." She amended.
"I will." Santana said, as Jade pushed Puck's hand off her. "Payback, for all the times you called me whipped."
"You are."
"And now so are you." She smirked.
"Let's just say he was very romantic." Jade said to move the conversation along. "And I decided to give it a try."
"And when was that Casanova?" Santana asked Puck.
"Remember the day you came to stress at my place because-" he broke of quickly, his eyes flicking to Brittany.
"It's fine, we talked." Santana said dismissively.
"Finally." Puck said, "I was wondering when you'd grow some balls."
"You owe me fifty bucks." Jade said, grinning.
"How about I pay for your food and we call it even."
"Nuh uh." Jade shook her head.
"Hey hold on, why do you owe her?"
"We bet on how long it would take you to talk." Puck said nonchalantly. "Pay for your food you're holding up the line."
Santana frowned. "There's no one behind us. And what did you bet?"
Sighing, Puck looked at Jade.
"I bet you'd tell her before your anniversary, Noah said you'd use it an excuse not to tell her, and you'd only be able to tell her after."
Santana's mouth dropped open as Brittany pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh.
"I can't believe you guys." Santana said, feeling genuinely offended.
"Hey I had faith in you." Jade said.
"And we can't help it if your relationship drama is entertaining."
"Wait a few years and see how you like it." Santana grumbled, finally moving to pay for her food.
"That was the day Mercedes told us she was pregnant right?" Brittany asked.
"Yeah." Santana confirmed.
"Then you guys have been dating for…." She paused to count.
"Six months." Puck said, smiling despite himself. He leaned down and kissed Jade's cheek.
"Aaaww." Brittany cooed.
"Oh my god." Santana said, shaking her head and walking away. "It's a good thing Quinn's alive because I need her. She's the only one who understands how weird this is."
Puck finished paying and he and Jade joined them at the table she'd chosen.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Brittany asked as they sat down.
"We wanted to really figure out what our relationship…was." Jade said.
"It was my idea." Puck said. "I know you guys…well everyone, sees me as a screw up. I'm a jerk to chicks, I play them, and ruin them-"
"Noah…" Brittany tried to interject, but he shook his head.
"No it's true. You said it yourself I was a man-child. I didn't know I'd changed, but Jade seemed to think so. And I knew you guys would tease me, and the guys in my band they'd do the same and I was scared I'd do something stupid to try and prove I was still me."
Santana pursed her lips, genuinely surprised. What Puck said made sense. She understood the pressure of being in a relationship no one thought you deserved, let alone yourself. She'd hurt Brittany several times in high school just because she didn't want people calling her gay. It wasn't the fear of being gay, it was the fear of people thinking she was gay. Puck was the same with commitment. Just the threat of someone saying he'd been tamed was enough to make him want to prove otherwise. She could respect his decision to want to come to terms with how he'd changed before broadcasting it.
"You know what Puckerman." Santana said, cocking her head. "That's really mature."
Puck narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you mocking me?"
"No I'm serious. You clearly really care about Jade, enough to recognize your unhealthy bullshit and put her first. Shit maybe you did grow up."
Brittany groaned, frowning at Santana.
"You were getting so good at not cursing."
"Sorry." Santana said sheepishly.
"I'm glad you guys know now." Puck said. "Keeping it a secret was stressing me out."
Santana picked a fry and pointed it at him. "You wanted to gush."
"What?"
"Admit it."
Jade and Brittany laughed as Puck scowled.
"I don't even know what the hell that is."
"Bull-Liar." Santana quickly amended. "You wanted to gush to your best friends about your new girlfriend and all the mushy feelings she gives you." She threw the fry in her mouth.
"Fuck off."
"You too Noah." Brittany sighed.
"Screw you Santana." He said instead.
"I'm here for it. When you're ready, I want to hear all about how good her hair smells."
Puck held out his middle finger, shoving it in her face.
"He said the teasing would be bad." Jade giggled, leaning in to Brittany.
"You think this is bad." Brittany said. "Wait until Quinn wakes up."
Even when they'd finished their food, the four friends decided to stay in the cafeteria. Santana had no desire to go back to the waiting room, where the memory of Theo barely holding himself together and her own debilitating fear would haunt her. The cafeteria was brighter and much more full of life. There were a few doctors scattered around the tables, some music playing faintly in the background, and coffee. The coffee wasn't anywhere near the best Santana had ever had, but it was keeping her awake, and right now, without the adrenaline of Quinn's emergency surgery, the exhaustion was starting to creep into Santana's bones.
It was another hour before Theo called her, letting her know Quinn was awake and they could go up to see her. They all rushed back up to the third floor.
A nurse stopped them as they got to the room Theo had texted them Quinn was in, holding her hands out.
"What's wrong?" Brittany asked.
"We were told we could see her." Puck said.
"Yes you can." The nurse assured. "But only for a few minutes. It's not visiting hours and the patient needs to rest. She's just had major surgery. Typically we wouldn't let you in, but the fiancé insisted…"
"Okay." Santana nodded.
"I'll give you all fifteen minutes."
"Thank you."
"Okay, wait." Brittany said, stopping Puck from reaching for the door. "We shouldn't cry."
"What?" He asked, frowning.
"When we go in there, we shouldn't cry. It'll stress her out."
"I'm not going to cry." He rolled his eyes.
"I might." Jade said. "She almost died Noah."
"Let's just smile, and be happy she's okay….don't tell her how scared you were. Imagine how scared she was."
Jade nodded. "Fair enough."
"Okay…." Brittany took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Quinn was lying in a typical hospital cot, with pillows piled behind her for support so she was practically sitting upright. She was turned slightly to the side, facing Theo, who was sitting in a chair pushed up close to the cot, holding her hand.
Santana bit the inside of her cheek, fighting off the emotions that rose suddenly inside her. Quinn looked tired and pale, but she was alive, and Santana had never been so happy to see her.
Theo looked up as they walked in, which prompted Quinn to turn and face them.
"Hey." She smiled wearily.
"Shit." Puck breathed, spinning to face the door and frantically wiping his eyes.
"What happened to not crying?" Brittany hissed.
"It caught me by surprise."
Santana rolled her eyes, walking further into the room.
"It's so good to see you Q." She said honestly.
"Yeah it's good to see you too." Quinn said.
"Can I give you a hug?" Brittany asked, her voice higher than usual. "Will it hurt?"
Quinn shook her head, and gingerly opened her arms. Brittany rushed to hug her, but made sure to be gentle.
"I love you."
"Aww Britt." Quinn's lip trembled as she held Brittany tighter. "You're gonna make me cry."
"No please don't." Brittany pulled back, looking alarmed. "I don't love you, I hate your guts."
Quinn let out an airy chuckle, then clutched her stomach.
"Ah don't make me laugh."
"Sorry."
"Come here Noah you big baby."
Puck was still facing the wall.
"Come here before I get pissed."
When he turned, it was clear why he hadn't wanted to; he hadn't been able to stop his tears. He sulked to Quinn's bedside, his head hanging.
"Give me a hug."
He did so without protest. Quinn gently patted his back, he whispered something Santana couldn't hear, then he pulled back and stood next to Theo.
"I'm glad you're okay." He said, wiping his eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Jade asked.
Quinn shrugged. "Like death."
"Yeah I bet." Santana shook her head.
"Mostly I just want to see my baby."
"You haven't yet?" Brittany asked with wide eyes.
"No." Quinn said sadly. "They said I need to rest and get my strength back, and she's gonna be in an incubator for a few days so they can't bring her down here."
"Damn."
"She can't wait to see you either honey." Theo said, kissing the back of Quinn's hand. "She's saving opening her eyes for you."
"She hasn't opened her eyes?" Santana asked.
"Not yet. But I know they're gorgeous, just like her mother's."
Quinn and Theo smiled sweetly at each other.
"How long until you get to see her?" Puck asked.
"I'm on bed rest for three days." Quinn said, looking depressed at the thought. "Then they'll check my incision site to see how it's healing. If it's good I'll be cleared to start walking around, and the nurse has promised to wheel me up to the NICU."
"Three days." Santana said grimly, remembering how painful it had been to be away from Jesús and Kyler when they were in the hospital and she was touring.
"That's not too bad." Jade said.
"That's torture." Brittany told her.
"Yeah." Quinn agreed. "But we both survived hell today, and the fact that she's even up there waiting for me, is a blessing."
Santana nodded, walking to the chair on the other side of the bed and sitting in it. She couldn't deny that waiting three days was better than waking up to find her baby dead. She was sure that was the first thing Quinn had asked when she woke up. Compared to the alternative, three days was nothing.
"I'm jealous you guys get to see her before I do."
Brittany frowned. "No we won't."
"Why not?" Theo asked. "I can take you up later-"
"No." Brittany shook her head. "We'll see her when her mother introduces her to us."
Quinn smiled, looking close to tears once again. She held her free hand out for Brittany, which Brittany happily held.
"I love you too."
"You're welcome." Brittany mouthed.
Quinn took in a sharp breath, letting go of Brittany's hand.
"Someone say something before I start crying. I'm hormonal and if I start I'll never stop."
"Where are your parents Theo?" Puck asked.
"They went home." He said.
"They came and said hi just before Theo called you guys."
"But it's late, and they were tired. So I told them to go. They'll be back tomorrow."
"What time is it…?" Brittany looked around the room for a clock. There wasn't one.
"It's almost four."
"Yikes." Jade said. "It doesn't feel like it."
"It does to me." Quinn said. "I don't think I've ever been so tired."
"You look beautiful." Theo said, kissing her hand again.
"Boy am I glad I don't have to work tomorrow." Jade said.
"Yeah you have the best boss ever." Santana smirked.
"You're not my boss." Jade frowned.
"Hey! Ah!" Quinn tried to sit up, hissed in pain, and relaxed back against the cushions.
"What?" Theo asked, rising halfway out of his seat. "Are you okay? Do you want me to get the nurse."
"No." Quinn shook her head. "You two." She pointed at Puck and Jade.
"Oh." Theo sighed in relief as he sat back down.
"Since October." Santana said excitedly. "Noah said he wanted to figure the relationship out without us influencing him to screw it up."
"Hey." Quinn frowned. "I would have been telling you every day not to screw it up."
"And it would have made me want to."
Quinn narrowed her eyes. "Yeah alright. You are juvenile like that."
Everyone laughed.
"You know she's way out of your league right?" Quinn said.
"You weren't." Puck retorted. Quinn's mouth dropped open.
"Watch it." Theo pointed playfully at him. Puck raised his hands in surrender.
"Santana wasn-"
"Don't bring Santana into this." Brittany said, walking round the bed and dropping into Santana's lap.
"And I was definitely out of your league." Santana said as her arms circled Brittany's waist.
"Don't worry Jade," Quinn said, "we'll make sure he stays on the straight and narrow."
"If you screw up you'll be answering to four pissed off girls." Brittany said. Puck's eyes widened as he realised that was true.
"Shit." He groaned.
"Dude." Theo laughed, shaking his head sympathetically.
"I always said I needed more guy friends." Puck grumbled.
"Just don't fuck up and you'll be fine." Jade said sweetly, tip-toeing to kiss Puck's cheek. Puck continued to frown. "Come on…" Jade tapped her own cheek. Sighing, Puck leaned down and kissed her cheek as well.
"Oh god!" Quinn grimaced, turning to Santana. Santana nodded.
"That was the reaction I was looking for in the cafeteria."
"I think it's sweet." Brittany said.
"It is." Santana said.
"That's the entire problem." Quinn said.
"Fuck you both." Puck said, pulling Jade in front of him and hugging her from behind. It was so weird for Santana to see how comfortable they both looked. Jade leaned back, putting some of her weight on him, and Puck seemed happy to take it. It wasn't sexual, he wasn't feeling her up and it wasn't going to lead to any making out, yet he seemed so content.
"That's going to take a lot of getting used to." Qunn said, shaking her head.
Santana nodded.
"Who would have thought we'd both be here to watch the great Noah Puckerman settle down Q?"
"Not me. I was sure he'd be trying to pick up dates at our kids' weddings...wait!" she held out a hand. "Are you pregnant Jade?"
"What?" Jade sputtered.
"Are you pregnant?"
Puck looked down at Jade. "How did she know?" He whispered.
Santana's jaw dropped so far she hit Brittany's shoulder. Brittany didn't seem to care, hers had dropped open too.
"Are you kidding?" She asked in a shrill voice.
Puck and Jade burst out laughing.
"Yes." He said.
"That was wrong." Quinn said, holding her hand to her heart. "I'm lying in a hospital bed for god's sake."
"Come on, that was too easy." Puck laughed.
"What kind of question is that anyway?" Jade asked.
"The only times I've known Puck to get serious with a girl was when he got them pregnant, or wanted to raise a kid with them."
Jade frowned.
"And that wasn't you both times?"
"Oh no." Quinn laughed. "That was during his cougar era."
Santana snorted as Jade turned to Puck incredulously.
"Thanks a lot Quinn." He muttered.
"You're welcome." Quinn grinned.
"Oh Quinn." Santana said, shaking her head. "What would I do without you."
The nurse came in to tell them it was time to leave shortly after that. They all hugged Quinn and Theo, promising to be back later in the day, and then made their way out. Stepping out of the hospital was like stepping out of a time capsule. It felt like days had passed and yet it was only a few hours. It was still as dark as when they'd gone in, still as quiet, and yet so much had changed. Quinn and the baby had nearly died, but to the rest of the world, it was a night like any other.
Santana drove everyone back to the hotel so Puck could get his car. Brittany's parents had taken her car when they'd left the hotel with the kids hours before so they at least didn't have to get that as well. They hugged Jade and Puck goodbye, knowing they'd see each other in a few hours, and then drove straight home.
She and Brittany were silent the entire way, and Santana liked it. She wouldn't have minded talking, if there was anything Brittany wanted to talk about, but she liked this silence too. She could just sit and bask in Brittany's presence and the knowledge that she was alive and healthy. She reached over and took Brittany's hand, wanting to hold it as she drove.
"Are you okay?" Brittany asked, rubbing her thumb over the back of Santana's hand.
"You are." Santana glanced at her. "So I am."
Brittany smiled, completely understanding what she meant.
"Would it be weird if I went to sleep in one of our kids' beds tonight?" Brittany asked.
Santana chuckled, but shook her head. "No I think it makes a lot of sense."
"I just want to hold them."
"I know."
"What are we going to tell them?"
Santana licked her lips, thinking for a moment.
"We'll tell them Tia had her baby, but she had her a bit too early so they both need to stay in the hospital for a few days."
"Okay." Brittany nodded.
"Do you have anything planned for tomorrow?"
"No." Brittany said. "I was planning on spending the day at home with you, possibly nursing a hangover, celebrating your album release."
Santana smiled. Her album had gone live at exactly midnight, and she hadn't even noticed. She'd had a lot more on her mind at midnight than her album, but now that Quinn and the baby were okay, Brittany reminding her brought back the excitement.
"Oh yeah that did happened didn't it?"
"It did." Brittany grinned.
"Urgh." Santana grimaced. "And Malek really did kiss me."
Brittany scrunched up her nose, sticking out her tongue.
"Britt." Santana laughed.
"It's super gross that he did that but that shouldn't overshadow the rest of the night. You were having a great time until then."
"Yeah." Santana agreed. "I'm still going to fire him."
Brittany didn't say anything. Santana glanced at her again as they pulled up to their gate.
"You don't have anything to say about that?"
Brittany shrugged. "If you feel like you need to, then you should."
"But what do you think?" Santana pressed.
"I think that…It doesn't matter either way to me. I don't like him, but I trust you. If you think you could work with him after that then…" She shrugged again. "Who am I to stop you?"
"My wife?" Santana teased. She rolled down her window and put in the gate code. The gate slowly pulled open. "You have every right to tell me never to even look at him again."
"I have every right to tell him never to look at you again." Brittany playfully booped Santana's nose. "But you, whatever you decide to do, I trust it."
Santana frowned, unable to understand how Brittany was so calm about the whole thing, but loving her so much for it.
"You're a better person than me. I mean I always knew it, but jeez. If someone had kissed you, I would have lost my shit!"
"I know." Brittany smirked.
"You really don't care?" Santana asked as she parked the car.
"Of course I care. I was super pissed when he did it, but then I realised so are you. It's not like you ever thought he would kiss you, you didn't even think he liked you, so why should I be mad at you?" Brittany got out of the car and Santana quickly followed. "So I realised this was just like all the people who were crushing on you in college. You were so clueless about all of them, and that was because you only cared about me." She smiled proudly. "So yeah, he kissed you, and he pissed you off in the process. I know you're going to make sure it never happens again, whether you fire him or not."
"Wow." Santana retook her hand as they walked to the house. "Just….you're incredible."
"I am incredible." Brittany noded smugly. "And I intend to spend a lot of time wiping the memory of his lips on yours from both our minds."
"Oooh." Santana's widened with intrigue. "How do you plan on doing that?"
"Let's get some sleep and then maybe I'll give you a demonstration." Brittany said, giving Santana a wink before turning to unlock the door.
The house was silent, as they expected it to be at this time of night, or morning, depending on how you looked at it. Brittany and Santana crept through the house, first taking off their shoes in the foyer and then getting some water in the kitchen before tip-toeing up the stairs.
"Where do you think our parents are sleeping?" Brittany asked in a whisper.
"I thought I'd see one of them in the living room actually." Santana said as they got to the top of the stairs. "So maybe they put Niki in our bed and used his room?"
"Oh." Brittany cringed. "I was gonna go check on all the kids but…now what if I walk in and find one of our parents."
"So what?" Santana laughed. "If they're in our kids' beds what do you think you'll catch them doing?"
"Ah no! Gross!" Brittany clapped her hands over her ears, making Santana laugh even more. "I wasn't talking about that Santana."
Santana shrugged innocently. "That's what it sounded like."
"Cause your mind's always in the gutter." Brittany turned, walking instead to their room.
"Because you've conditioned me to expect everything you say to have some kind of sexual innuendo."
"Actually I think I just anticipate you finding a sexual innuendo in everything I say."
Santana held up a finger. "Not true."
"Wanky." Brittany said, cocking her head.
Santana srmiked.
"Okay fine." She relented. "Let's just say we're both bad."
Giggling, Brittany pushed open the door to their room, still facing Santana.
"I think people are more likely to believe that you corrupted me."
"If only they knew the tru-" Santana broke off, noticing movement on the bed behind Brittany.
"What?" Brittany asked.
Instead of answering, Santana shuffled to the left and flicked on the light. All four of their kids were asleep in various positions all over the bed, Mateo was half hanging off the edge with his head dangling to the floor.
"Aaww." Brittany cooed, her bottom lip jutting out as she walked to the foot of the bed. "My babies."
"I guess they liked your idea of crawling into bed with them." Santana chuckled.
"Why are they so perfect?"
Santana took in the picture before her, of Jesús and Kyler tangled up in each other, Sophia spread eagle with her hair strewn wildly over the pillow and Mateo about to fall off the bed, and she had to agree with Brittany.
"They are perfect aren't they?"
Brittany turned to her with a soft smile.
"Yeah. Now imagine if we had a baby."
Santana narrowed her eyes as Brittany grinned cheekily.
"You're not funny."
"I'm hilarious."
One of the kids stirred, Santana wasn't sure who, but she hastily shut off the light. Whoever it was let out a soft, high pitched sigh and went still.
"Looks like we're getting dressed in the dark." Santana said.
"Good thing it's just pjs."
Brittany felt every one of her kids wake up, but she was too tired to even open her eyes. She heard them try and wake her, then Santana, and she heard them give up and leave the room. She could guess what time it was, but she had no desire to confirm, all she knew was that it was too early. She and Santana were getting to bed at close to 5 in the morning so the ideal time to wake up would be well past noon, but Brittany knew it was probably closer to eight. Nine if she was lucky. Her brain was fuzzy, her body felt like lead, and she could feel the sleep stinging her eyes even though they were still closed.
She heard an argument break out outside her door, then the door opened and she heard Jesús and Kyler's voices clearly as they yelled at each other over what to make for breakfast. Santana groaned from the other end of the bed, clearly annoyed. The yelling ceased at once, then there was a quiet, 'mami?' but Santana didn't answer.
"Mami we can have chocolate chip pancakes right?" One of the boys whispered.
"Last time you made chocolate chip pancakes you put too much chocolate chips and they said you weren't allowed to make them anymore."
"Alone, but Gammy's here."
Santana groaned again, much louder. The boys went quiet again. They were quiet for long enough that Brittany felt herself drifting to sleep again, but then another yell jarred her awake.
"What did she say?!" Sophia yelled from what Brittany guessed was downstairs.
"Who?" Susan's voice carried into the room. "Boys where are you?"
When they answered they sounded much further away, like they'd walked out of the room, but the door was still open so it was still too loud.
"We're asking our mums if we can make chocolate chip pancakes gammy."
Santana grumbled something under her breath. Brittany mustered up the strength to lift her head and cracked her eyes open, but before she could say anything, her mother appeared, ushering both boys away with hands on their shoulders.
"Your mothers had a very long night boys. Let them sleep."
When the twins were out of sight, Susan reached out to close the door and caught Brittany looking at her.
"Go back to sleep honey." She whispered, then shut the door.
Brittany dropped her head back onto her pillow and did just that.
The next time she woke up she was feeling much more rested. Santana was still sleeping beside her, which nearly tempted her to just cuddle into her and go back to sleep, but she was starving. So after a few minutes of lying lazily in bed, Brittany decided to get up.
She found her mum in the living room watching tv.
"Morning mum."
Susan turned sharply, clutching her chest.
"Britt." She gasped. "You scared me."
"Sorry." Brittany yawned and made her way to the kitchen. Her mother followed her.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, aside from that brief morning interruption."
"Sorry about that."
"It's fine." Brittany shrugged. "Where are they?"
"Your father took them out to ride their bikes."
"Ah." Brittany opened the fridge, trying to decide what she was in the mood for.
"I made some spaghetti for lunch." Susan said. "Should I heat that up for you."
"Yeah." Brittany yawned again, but she paused as she shut the fridge. "Wait a minute. For lunch?"
"Yes."
"What time is it?" She found the time on the fridge at the same time her mother said,
"3:20"
"Oh my god." She ran a hand through her hair. "We've slept for almost twelve hours."
"I understand." Susan shooed her out of the way so she could get the spaghetti. "Sit down."
Brittany obliged, yawning for a third time.
"It was a long night."
"You have no idea."
"I'm so sorry honey. For Quinn and poor Theo, but you girls as well. I know how much you love her."
"Yeah." Brittany said. "Quinn's like…a part of the family, and seeing her like that…" she shook her head. "It was scary."
Her mother put the food in the microwave, then rounded the counter and pulled Brittany into a hug.
"Thank god she's okay."
"Yeah." Brittany nodded.
Her mother stayed hugging her until the microwave beeped, just as Santana walked into the kitchen.
"Morning." She mumbled, her eyes still closed. Brittany giggled.
"Morning babe."
"Good morning Santana. You look like you could use more sleep."
"Hungry."
"Me too." Brittany said, as Susan put her plate of spaghetti Bolognese in front of her.
"Would you like a plate too dear?" Susan asked Santana. Santana shook her head.
"Coffee."
"Coming right up." Susan giggled.
Brittany hungrily stuffed her mouth, humming happily as she chewed. Santana leaned heavily against her.
"Mmmmmh tired." She mumbled
"I know."
As she twirled more pasta round her fork, Santana opened her mouth wide.
"You want a bite?" Brittany asked. Santana merely nodded. "Okay." She laughed, directing the fork to Santana's mouth.
"Thank you." Santana said around her mouthful.
"Here you are." Susan placed a warm cup of coffee in front of Santana. She sat up quickly, eagerly picking it up.
"She's an addict." Brittany told her mum, who was looking confused by Santana's excitement.
"Aaah." Santana sighed, savouring her first sip. "This is so good Susan."
"And just like, full sentences." Brittany mocked.
"We slept late okay." Santana said, taking another big sip. "Don't judge me."
"We also slept a lot."
"What time is it?"
"It's now..." Brittany looked at the microwave again but her mother was heating another plate of spaghetti for Santana so she couldn't see. "Um…past 3:20."
Santana nearly choked on her coffee. She turned to Brittany with wide eyes.
"Are you kidding?"
"No, why?"
Santana got up with her coffee, rushing out of the kitchen.
"Santana?!"
"Visiting hours start at four." She called back to Brittany.
"Oh." Brittany got up, stopped and looked longingly at her food.
"Just finish and then go-"
Brittany had already grabbed her fork, shoveling food into her mouth before her mother could finish.
"Or you could do that." Susan chuckled, shaking her head.
They got to the hospital at ten past four, and found Puck and Jade already in Quinn's room.
"Beat you." Puck said with a smirk when they walked in.
"Whatever, by ten minutes."
"More like thirty." Jade said.
"Huh?"
"We've been here since three thirty."
"Oh." Brittany went to hug Quinn as Santana hugged Theo, then they switched. "We kind of overslept."
"I almost die and you can't even get your ass up Santana?"
"Hey!" Santana pointed seriously at Quinn. "That's not funny."
Quinn's grin dropped. "Yeah…sorry."
Santana dropped her hand. "And anyway now the party can begin."
"You're right." Theo said, smiling so wide Santana was pretty sure they could see all his teeth.
Santana frowned sceptically. "Uh…I'm not sure they'll actually let us throw a party in here."
"No." Theo laughed. "I've been working the nurses all day, and I managed to get them to agree to bring the baby-"
"They're gonna bring her here?!" Quinn shrieked sitting up. Santana saw her cringe but she didn't let it show too long. "I can see her?"
"For a few minutes yes. They say she's doing great, she's strong, so they can bring her incubator down-"
"Go get her." Quinn said, pointing at the door. She shoved Theo's arm. "Go get her now."
"I will." Theo laughed. "But I first have to tell you, you can't pick her up."
"What do you mean?" Quinn frowned.
"Your incision-"
"I'm fine!" Quinn snapped.
"And all her tubes and everything…"
Tears sprung to Quinn's eyes. "But you've held her."
"I haven't." Theo said. "I've touched her but not held her."
He pulled Quinn to his chest as she began to cry.
"Q." Brittany said, walking forward. "I know it hurts but, you're getting to see her."
Quinn nodded.
"And in a few days you'll get to go up there and you can visit her everyday."
"How will she know who I am if I can't even hold her?" Quinn asked sadly.
"Of course she will." Santana said. "She'll recognize your voice Q."
"Wasn't that the point of all those hours you spent in that rocking chair talking and singing to her?" Puck asked.
Quinn swallowed thickly but nodded.
"Yeah you guys are right." She pulled away from Theo and wiped her eyes. "Okay babe, go get her."
"Are you sure you're okay? We can wait until you're ready-"
"I'm tired of waiting!" Quinn yelled. "You never had to wait. You can see her whenever you like. She knows you. She doesn't even know she has a mother! I'm her mother, I'M NOT WAITING ANYMORE."
The heart monitor attached to Quinn began to beep quickly.
"Okay, okay." Santana held her hands out, trying to pacify Quinn. "He's going to get her okay?"
Theo bit his lip, looking conflicted.
"Just go get her." Brittany said softly to him. "We'll make sure she's ready."
Theo nodded, and with a kiss on Quinn's forehead he walked out.
"Now Quinn." Brittany said, sitting next to her on the bed. "You have to be calm okay?"
"I am."
"You're not, and if you work yourself up they might not let her come down again."
"They can't keep her from me, she's my daughter."
"So focus on getting better, because she needs you." Santana said.
Quinn clenched her jaw. "She's MY daughter! They can't keep her from me."
"Quinn." Puck said loudly, forcing Quinn to look at him. "This isn't Beth."
Quinn began to cry again, this time Brittany was the one to pull her into a hug.
"I know." She chocked.
"No one is trying to take her from you." He said. "She's yours."
"I know."
"But you both almost died." Santana said, placing a hand on Quinn's shoulder. "And everyone's just trying to make sure you get better."
Quinn nodded. Brittany began to rub her back soothingly.
"Theo knows that you both need each other, that's why he's been hounding the nurses all day, but if they bring her in here and your heart goes crazy, they'll think it's too much for you."
Quinn nodded again.
"So…" Brittany said.
Quinn took a deep breath. "So I'll be calm."
"Good." Brittany pulled back. "You can do this. For her."
"For her." Quinn agreed.
The door opened slowly, revealing a nurse walking backwards, pulling the incubator. Brittany quickly stood up and she and Santana got out of the way so they could push it up to Quinn's bed. Another nurse pushing a monitor and Theo were behind.
"Hi mommy." One of the nurses said, smiling. Quinn's eyes were full of tears, but Santana was glad to see her heart monitor remain normal.
"Oh my god." Quinn breathed, reaching over to touch the glass separating her from her baby. The baby was tiny, but bigger than Mateo had been. She had a cute button nose and was frowning slightly, fidgeting in the blanket she was tightly wrapped in. "Oh my god."
Theo came round as the nurses backed up, standing at the head of the bed and watching Quinn with tears in his eyes as well.
"Say hi to mommy Addy." He said quietly.
"Hiii Addy" Quinn chocked, quickly wiping her tears and placing her hand back on the glass. "Hi my baby. You're so beautiful."
Santana found herself drifting closer to Brittany, until she could wrap her hand around Brittany's waist. There was a lump forming in her throat as she watched Quinn with her daughter, and pure joy on Theo's face. Brittany had her hands clasped together by her chest, pouting heavily. Santana knew she was trying not to cry.
"Hi pretty girl." Quinn said.
And then the tiny baby, squirming helplessly, opened her eyes. Both Theo and Quinn gasped. Theo crouched down so he could see better, and Quinn leaned forward. Santana could guess that the position was probably painful for Quinn, but she imagined Quinn couldn't care less about that.
"Oh my god." Theo said, gripping Quinn's hand. "I knew it."
"What?" Puck asked, his voice sounding thick with tears.
Quinn looked away from the baby for the first time, tears streaming down her face.
"She has my eyes."
