I apologize November and December are difficult times of year for me, I will try to update much quicker.
"Group photo." Mercedes held her phone out, they all scrunched together smiling as she took a few quick pictures by the entrance before getting in line.
"What do they have here?" Santana asked poking at her phone once Quinn released her, she was trying to look it up while Quinn was getting the tickets.
"Hi." Quinn smiled at the cashier requesting "7 adults please."
Brittany peaked at Santana's phone while they followed Quinn through the gate, they continued to follow Quinn and Mercedes to the nearest table. "Bad news, the aquarium is closed and won't open until next year, they're doing renovations."
"So all day at the zoo and next trip the aquarium." Mercedes suggested "Next trip bring all your honeys." she glanced at Tina and Quinn.
"Really?" Tina asked.
"Yea." Mercedes nodded with a smile. "No need worry, you stay at my place again." she had taken an instant liking to the Asian mortal.
Quinn was handing everyone their tickets as Mercedes took one of the three maps they were given. Sitting around the table they started looking at one of the maps. "Sea lions." Quinn tapped the map, Santana chuckled no matter the zoo Quinn wanted to see the sea lions so of course she would find them before anyone else found an animal they wanted to see.
"Do they have cougars, I love cougars." Brittany smiled.
"That explains so much." Mercedes laughed looking at Santana.
"Shut up." Santana glared across the table at the curvy goddess. "What's wrong sweetie?" Santana asked she'd felt Brittany shrink away from the map.
"I don't understand why she's laughing at me." Brittany whispered teary eyed.
"She's not, she's laughing at me," Santana promised quietly, "it's just a joke about my age."
Seeing she had hurt the blonde's feeling by laughing at something that she did not fully understand Mercedes reached over wiggling her fingers to get Brittany's attention on her. "Hey." When the blonde looked up Mercedes explained "Older women who date younger people are called cougars."
"Oh." Brittany nodded still confused. "Why?"
"Because they're on the prowl for their prey, usually someone younger." Mercedes smirked at Santana who flipped her off.
"Santana's way older than you." Tina whispered to the blonde.
Santana watched Brittany's face light up when she understood "Oh! I get it." Brittany beamed at Santana before laughing, "You're my cougar." Santana grinned at her girlfriend's excitement, leaning close Santana lightly growled in Brittany ear before nuzzling and nipping the youmger woman's exposed neck getting a giggle and soft "I forget you're older."
Marley shook her head and shrugged at Unique, when the other girl looked at her. "Alright animals?" Mercedes asked the girls.
"They have a white alligator."
"Albino?" Tina asked.
"No just white, it was on the news." Marley explained how she knew about it.
"Malayan tiger, they are gorgeous." Unique offered up.
"Elephant." Tina piped up.
"Is it because you're Asian and so are the elephants here?" Santana smirked.
Mercedes chuckled when Tina said adding "No I like all elephants, Brittany your girlfriend is being mean to me."
"Don't be mean Santana." Brittany chided her girlfriend while still receiving kisses.
"Fine," Santana rolled her eyes pulling away from Brittany "I'm sorry."
"Wow did that hurt." Mercedes chuckled.
"Bite me Aretha." Santana glared before Brittany caught her attention with a light kiss on the cheek.
"Satan I need your animal so we can make a plan." Mercedes gestured to the map.
"Zebras." Santana said without really paying attention as she was too busy dropping random chaste kisses on Brittany's face from her cheek to the tip of her nose getting Brittany to giggle more. Ignoring the kissing duo the others tried to trace a path through the zoo, except Quinn who had yet to return from her quick search for food and drinks.
"We lost Quinn." Tina glanced up from the map.
"Food." Mercedes chuckled.
"But we just ate." Unique said confused.
When Quinn did return a few minutes later it was with drinks for everyone and two containers of fries. "We just finished breakfast." Marley shook her head when Quinn offered her a fry.
"It looks like the kid from the Sunday comics, that one where they'd put dashes all over to show where he walked." Quinn quipped looking at the map before handing out drinks in commemorative cups, Marley did take one of those.
"If he was shit faced." Santana said glancing at the marks on the map after finally pulling away from Brittany.
"Coming up for air?" Quinn asked offering a fry.
"Ha ha." Santana snagged the fry shoving it in her mouth before taking the container of fries "So what's first?"
"Sea lions are closest." Mercedes pointed.
"Yes." Quinn happy danced in her seat, she didn't know which side of the line was the start when she'd glanced at it.
"I blame Santa Cruz." Santana sighed taking Brittany's hand in hers telling Brittany as she pulled her to her feet "Quinn fell in love with the chocolate covered bacon and the sea lions, to be fair both are awesome."
"I mean it's chocolate and bacon." Quinn shrugged.
"I mean yea, I get it." Santana shrugged too, she like the chocolate covered bacon too.
"So what do you know about sea lions?" Brittany asked.
"Uhh, they're not seals." Quinn offered.
"She just likes them 'cause they're cute sweetie." Santana explained.
"But they have cool stuff about them too." Brittany promised.
"See," Quinn gestured "cute." tossing her empty fry container in the trash can Quinn went straight to the railing, Brittany went to the plaque, slipping her arm around Brittany's waist Santana read before saying loud enough for Quinn to hear "California sea lions are social and can be found in large groups in the water or land." Brittany squinted she knew Santana wasn't reading word for word. "They eat different fish and cephalopods, what the hell is a cephalopod?"
"Squids, octopus, cuttlefish or nautilus." Brittany responded watching the sea lions, Santana smirked, Brittany had told her she watched the animal shows because it was easier than reading.
"What's a nautilus?" Unique asked, typing quickly Tina held up her phone showing the other girl "Oh."
"They can hold their breath for up to 10 minutes."
Quinn half listened as she took multiple pictures of the sea lions and the others in front of the animals, Brittany and Santana included. "Get in." Mercedes gestured Quinn over to get a picture of her in front of the sea lions.
Leaving the sea lions Mercedes asked "Why do you like zebras?"
"Because they are unique." Santana said taking Brittany's hand.
"I thought that was Mercedes's sister?" Brittany asked looking back over her shoulder at Unique and Marley. Unique looked at Mercedes to see the other woman's reaction, Mercedes just smirked.
"It's also a word that means, like no other. Zebras are like snowflakes they haven't found two with an identical pattern, very close but not identical." Santana explained as they walked to the next animal at a leisurely pace taking pictures of the ones that weren't on their list they continued on to the trail until they found the zebras. "See," Santana pointed at the information plaque "Zebra stripes are unique." taking a few pictures of the zebras Santana also took pictures of Brittany and Quinn.
"Get together." Mercedes quickly snapped a picture of the trio before shoving Tina over to them and taking a couple of the small group.
"We need one with everyone." Brittany held her own phone out "I can get it." Marley and Unique joined in the small group with Mercedes.
"Are you at least having fun?" Quinn asked Marley when she stepped next to her.
"I am, I just worry that mom..."
"She's fine, and if it makes you feel better we'll call her after the pictures." Quinn promised the young girl, Marley nodded.
Once Brittany pocketed her phone Quinn pulled Marley to the back with her, a quick nod to her phone gave Santana all the information she needed. "Hello." Quinn grinned at the man on the phone.
"Hi Shane."
He smiled before flipping the phone around in his hand. "Quinn is something wrong?" Millie asked once she saw Quinn and Marley on screen.
"No, just checking in on you." Quinn explained.
"We're doing fine, some of Shane's friends have come to help as well, we've had to take over the courtyard as well." Millie waved for Shane to turn the phone so show Quinn the kitchen and open door.
"So how about when we come back we discuss that expansion?" Quinn smirked when the camera turned back to Millie.
"Fine." Millie rolled her eyes "Now you girls have fun and take plenty of pictures to show me."
"We will." Quinn promised, Marley nodded. "Bye."
"Bye Mom."
"Bye girls."
Putting her phone away Quinn slipped her arm around Marley's waist "Better?" Marely nodded, seeing the group of people in her mom's kitchen did help settle her nerves. "Okay, now let's go and yes you can be part of our discussion."
"Is everything settled?" Mercedes asked when the duo caught up with her.
"Yes." Marley answered before leaving Quinn to go to Unique.
"Mama Rose has agreed to talk about expanding." Quinn grinned linking arms with Mercedes.
"Bout damn time." Mercedes chuckled then laughed hearing a squealing yell of.
"Cougars!" Quickly catching up to the group they saw Brittany was holding Santana in front of her, Santana for her part was smiling and taking pictures of the large cat on the tree branch. Brittany wasn't reading the plaque but was rattling of information about the animal in front of them. "They have many different names like puma and mountain lion and have subspecies too." Brittany sighed "She's gorgeous."
"And dangerous." Tina watched the cougar, it had lifted it's head to survey the area before it's eyes rested on Santana, Santana snapped a quick picture.
"Cougars are territorial and protective." Brittany added.
"I'll say." Mercedes smirked looking at Santana.
"Friend of B'sst?" Quinn whispered to Brittany seeing the large cat and Santana watching each other, following the cat's eyes to her girlfriend Brittany shrugged.
"I say yes." Santana murmured arching her eyebrow at the beast, yawning the cougar put its head down. "What's next to see?"