A/N: Buffalo has major league football, hockey, and lacrosse teams and a minor league baseball team. Shea's Performing Arts Center has been in operation since 1926 (give or take a few years in the seventies, I think). It's a beautiful old building.

I do not understand the concept of counting cards. I did some research and, while not illegal, it is frowned upon and will get you banned from ALL casinos because they share intel. I learned enough to know that they use patterns to identify counters and have decided that Brittany is smart enough to avoid falling into recognizable patterns.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Chapter 49

Brittany's POV

Wednesday, the weather had cleared and Grams took the girls on a short "driving sightseeing tour".

They visited Brittany's high school and drove by the football stadium, the hockey auditorium, and the baseball diamond. Grams made a call to an old friend who opened the doors to Shea's Performing Arts Center and gave them a brief tour and history of the place.

They drove past the lake, the outer harbor, Canalside, and Riverworks with Brittany promising they'd come back in the summer to take advantage of these places.

Grams drove them through Allentown with its colorful homes and quaint and quirky shops. Brittany told Santana they'd try to plan their trip back to coincide with the Allentown Art Festival and the Erie County Fair.

Brittany loved showing Santana around. Loved the look on Santana's face as she realized there was more to Buffalo than football, snow, and chicken wings.

They arrived home just before Gramps, had a quick lunch, then piled in the car to go up to Niagara Falls. They checked into their room at the Fallsview hotel then made their way down to the casino floor.

Grams and Santana headed right for the slots while Gramps wandered over to the roulette table. Brittany made her way to the blackjack tables and wandered among them, getting a feel for the players. Finally settling on a table, she bought some chips and settled in, playing conservatively the first few hands. She knew that if they figured out she was counting cards, they'd ban her so she had to be careful with her betting.

Santana eventually found her and stood next her.

"Hey, babe, done with the slots?"

"Yeah, I won fifty bucks so I figured I'd quit while I was ahead."

"Good job." Brittany tapped for another card on her fifteen. She drew a five and stood pat.

"How you doing?"

"Up and down," Brittany shrugged. She knew she'd made more than she'd lost but kept her bets relatively consistent. "Grams still at the slots?"

"Yeah, she's a madwoman," Santana laughed.

"That's why they don't come that often." Brittany grinned as she raked in her winnings. She placed a slightly higher bet on the next hand, knowing the four aces were still in the deck and the shoe was almost empty. "Grams gets into a zone and there's no stopping her." She won with blackjack and indicated she was cashing out.

"You done? Looked like you were on a roll."

"What'd you just say? Quit while you're ahead?" Brittany laughed. "I'm up about eighty bucks; my luck's bound to run out. Time to call it." She smiled at the dealer and tipped him a ten chip before walking away with Santana to find her grandparents. "Besides, it's better to quit early before they find a pattern in my betting and figure out I can count cards." She whispered.

Santana giggled. "Why Brittany Pierce! I would never have thought it of you."

Brittany shrugged. "I'm not out to get rich or break the bank; just don't wanna lose a lot. I like playing, I like the challenge but, ultimately, it's just a game and I'm not into wasting money like that. I like coming here with Grams and Gramps and if they figure me out, they'll ban me."

"Genius. You're a genius."

Brittany blushed and ducked her head at the compliment.

They found Gramps at the roulette table and pulled him away from it; he'd lost seventy-six dollars and was trying to recoup it.

"Gramps, you know it's all in the house's favor. They make most of their money from people trying to 'break even'. Let's go find Grams and hope she hasn't mortgaged the house."

They found Grams at the cashier window.

"Dinner's on me!" She exclaimed giddily. "Five hundred twenty-two buckeroos!" She crowed.

"No way! Way to go Grams!"

"How'd you all do?"

Brittany and Santana cashed in their winnings while Gramps turned out his pockets indicating his broke status.

Grams laughed. "Good thing I made bank today. Buffet?"

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Grams POV

After dinner, they went up to their room. They hadn't been interested in that evening's show so they changed into pajamas and put on a movie. Santana and Brittany went and got snacks and drinks and they all spent the evening relaxing in the room. They'd rented a double room with two king sized beds, giving them all plenty of space to sprawl.

Brittany and Santana fell asleep early, much to Grams' amusement.

"Young pups can't handle a day's excitement," she muttered, turning toward Dave only to discover that he, too, was sound asleep. She sighed and turned off the television and most of the lights before grabbing her book from her bag, glad she'd had the foresight to pack it.

Xoxoxoxoxoxox

Brittany's POV

Thursday, they checked out of the hotel and bundled up to do a walking tour of the Canadian Falls. The weather was relatively mild (for January) and they enjoyed the tour.

"Wow. I mean, you see it on tv or the internet and you don't realize just how awe-inspiring it is." Santana murmured as they looked at the Horseshoe Falls.

"Yeah. We'll have to do the Maid of the Mist this summer so you can get an up close look at the American Falls." Brittany found that she was actually getting excited about bringing Santana to Buffalo for part of the summer. She'd definitely see if Jenah and Reina wanted to join them for a week or so.

They checked out a few of the small museums, boutiques, and souvenir shops, and had a light lunch before leaving for home.

Thursday night was spent dancing to Gramps' vinyl and laughing. David joined them just after six, bringing a box full of Chinese food.

Brittany looked around the table at the four people she loved most in the world and was really glad she and Santana had decided to stay in Buffalo for the week.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Friday morning, David picked Brittany up and they met with David's lawyer at the bank. After a conference with the bank manager, Brittany's college account was closed and a new account, accessible only by Brittany or David, was opened. There was a password lock on it so Susan couldn't walk in and claim to be Brittany or simply try to talk her way into the information by explaining she was Brittany's mother and needed access because Brittany needed the money.

David made a note of the account information in his phone, buried in a note app, and encrypted so that, in the unlikely event Susan obtained his phone and managed to unlock it, she wouldn't be able to figure out any of the banking information.

They also opened a second account; one that David would deposit money into for Brittany. The college account would be used for tuition and books; the second account for living expenses. David would pay Brittany's rent directly. David also paid off Brittany's student loans while they were there, glad they were still being held by the bank and hadn't already been sold to a loan processing company.

In and amongst all of the conversations and legal stuff, it was decided they wouldn't have Susan arrested for fraud and theft; they would hold all of that information in abeyance to keep Susan from fighting the divorce settlement.

Brittany was fine with that; she remembered Santana talking about her father and grandmother stealing from her trust fund and how it would end up costing more to prosecute than she would ultimately recoup. She figured the same theory applied here and, honestly, she just didn't want to deal with Susan anymore. If her father could get his divorce and they didn't have to face Susan in court, Brittany was fine with it. Of course, it didn't hurt that the almost sixty thousand Susan had stolen was close to pocket change for David; something that still baffled Brittany. She just couldn't wrap her head around the fact that her dad was rich. Like rich, rich – not well off or comfortable. She made sure her father knew that she considered that his money and that she was grateful he chose to share it with her.

"Brittany, honey, eventually it's all yours anyway."

"Yeah, that's like eighty years in the future. You'll need that money for the old folks' home I'm gonna dump you in," she grinned at him.

"Nice. Nice kid I raised." He laughed as they pulled into the driveway.

David had Dave rent an SUV with third row seating that could be folded down because he wasn't sure all of the girls' stuff would fit in the back of his five person SUV. Once everything was loaded up, they were on their way back to the University.

"Did you girls enjoy yourselves?" Gramps asked.

"Yeah," Santana answered, "I really did. Um, thank you, really, so much. I've never had so much fun with, um, parental figures."

Brittany squeezed her hand and Grams patted her knee. "You're welcome, dear. And you are always welcome to visit any time."

The time flew as they fell into easy conversation and, before they knew it, they were back at the University.