Chapter 34

Brittany collapsed onto the couch, pulling Santana onto her lap and closing her eyes. Santana turned to the side and ran her fingers soothingly through Brittany's hair.

"Tired baby?" she asked.

"Yeah. That took more energy than I thought it would." Brittany told her.

"Did you have fun though?" Santana asked. Brittany opened her eyes and smiled.

"Loads of fun. I can just picture New Year's like this but with the boys actually able to enjoy it all. It makes me so happy that this is my life." Santana smiled, imagining Brittany playing in the freezing pool with the twins the way they had earlier.

"Me too B."

"All done" Quinn said, walking into the living room.

"Q we told you that you didn't have to do that. We would have done it later." Brittany said, tearing her eyes away from Santana with great difficulty.

"Nah, I have more energy than either of you, and I get to go home and sleep all night."

"Fair point. Thank you" Santana said. Quinn shrugged.

"We should actually be sleeping now, if we were smart S" Brittany said, leaning back and closing her eyes.

"Go ahead B, I'm not tired enough to sleep" Santana told her, kissing her gently on the lips and then standing up.

"No I'll stay awake with you."

"No, go to bed, one of us should be well rested. I'll wake you up when Quinn leaves." She pulled Brittany up to her feet and patted her butt.

"Alright, but if you need me for anything wake me up." Santana nodded. "I'm serious Santana, wake me up." Santana nodded again, grinning. Brittany shook her head and walked up the steps.

"Sleep tight baby" Santana called.

"How do you know I wasn't going to leave now?" Quinn asked as Santana sat down on the couch.

"You can if you want to. I'll just wake her in three or four hours."

"Nah, I don't really have anything to do"

"Here I was thinking you liked my company."

"You're alright sometimes." Quinn laughed. Santana rolled her eyes and switched on the tv.

"What's the deal with you and Puck?" Santana asked after a few moments of silence.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked, frowning heavily. "You of all people know there's nothing going on"

"No I didn't mean it like that. I meant…you were really hard on him earlier. Like you were pissed off. Did he do something…?" She avoided looking at her, trying to keep the conversation as casual as possible.

Quinn looked down at the blanket she was playing with and didn't answer.

"Q…you know Puck's an idiot." Santana said gently.

"Yeah. Puck's an idiot, that's just what we all say…but it isn't ok anymore. He's acting like we're still 16, with our whole lives ahead of us…like the time to take life seriously hasn't come."

"I just turned 24. If it weren't for the fact that I had kids I would probably be just like him" Santana said, still treading lightly. "I agree that he maybe needs to start thinking about the consequences of his actions more, but why are you so mad at him?"

"I'm not mad at him, I'm just tired of putting up with him. Every time I put my faith in him, he lets me down." Quinn said bitterly. Santana looked at Quinn, but chose not to say anything, letting her speak at her own pace.

"When you and Britt were off around the world, and then you were spending all your time in Brazil, it was just me and him. Sometimes we'd hang out with our other friends, from the bar or his band or whatever, but mostly it was just us. We became friends again." She paused, and Santana nodded. "Then you guys came back with the twins, and I thought we were all going to move into this new dynamic. You guys as parents, us as the cool godparents, spending all our time fawning over their cuteness and buying them gifts and all that stuff you know?"

"But you do" Santana said.

"We did. In the beginning it was just like I pictured it. We were spending all of our time here, helping you guys out so you could sleep, we felt like a family…not just friends." Santana smiled. "But then, he went back to his old ways. I don't know if he's actually afraid of growing up, but I guess it all became too much for him. Now he'll say he doesn't want to come over because he's going to some party, or because he's hangover, and it just ruins everything."

"Why?" Santana asked, "You still come over and help us out and buy them stuff. Why does Puck have to be there too?"

"Because then I'm not so pathetic." Quinn cried. "Then it doesn't seem like I'm forcing myself onto your family. When he's there, we're four best friends, when it's just me, I'm the lonely friend who doesn't have her own life."

"No you aren't Quinn. You're the best friend we love having over, and the godmother who is devoted to her godchildren. There's nothing pathetic or sad about that. And with Puck here or not, we're still a family. You, me and Britt are always going to be a family, even when we hated each other we were a team. Now you're permanently bonded to us by the twins, and any other kids we have. What's wrong with them being your life for now?"

Quinn didn't answer. She continued to stare down at the blanket on her lap.

"If we're being honest with ourselves, Puck doesn't have a life either. He wants to think he does, so he goes out with all these people and drinks and chases women, but he doesn't like any of them. He hasn't slept with a girl in months." Quinn looked up, shocked. "Yeah. Did you hear his pathetic excuse earlier? She wouldn't stop talking. Please." She chuckled, shaking her head. "I think what his issue is, is that he's scared of the fact that he wants a family of his own…not now, but being around and loving the twins has made him realise that one day he wants to settle down, and that scares him. You, Puck, Britt, the twins and I, we are each other's lives, and there's nothing wrong with that. After tonight, Puck will accept that, and you should too."

Quinn nodded. "What if…" she paused and looked back down. "What if I don't-"

"You will" Santana said forcefully. "Quinn, Britt and I have done things super-fast. We fell in love so young, we got married so young, and now we have two kids before we're even 25. Don't use us as a timeline. You still have ages to find your guy… or girl" Quinn laughed. "Your guy. But it's supposed to be fun. You just have to do your own thing, and they'll come to you when you're ready."

"When did you become so wise?" Quinn joked, trying to keep tears from spilling from her eyes.

"It comes with the children." Santana said, shrugging and turning back to the tv.

"Santana" Quinn said, her serious tone making Santana look at her.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, you know. I don't say it a lot, but I love you." Santana smiled.

"I love you too Q. So does that mean you're staying the night?"

"Yeah fine. Only cause I don't want to be driving home at like 2 AM." Santana clapped enthusiastically.

"Yesss. Alright, then help me pick a movie to watch."

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"Kyler Callar. We want to surprise mama right?" Santana whispered, as she stood at the top of the stairs. Kyler stared at her, a huge smile on his face. "Tenemos que estar callados para no despertarla." At that moment Quinn came up the stairs behind Santana, and Kyler became distracted by her sudden appearance from behind his mom's shoulder.

"What are you still doing here? I thought you were going to be in the room by now." Quinn asked.

"Kyler was making a bit too much noise."

"Well we better go now that they're both quiet, they're bound to set each other off."

Santana nodded and walked as quietly as she could to the room she shared with Brittany. She pushed open the door slowly, poking her head through to check if Brittany was still asleep. Brittany was lying on her stomach with one leg thrown over the duvet, and a pillow covering half her face. Santana smiled fondly at her and walked into the room. Kyler pointed at her, but to Santana's surprise, didn't start the loud babbling he usually did in when he saw either of them. Not wanting to waste the chance, Santana gently pulled back the covers on her side of the bed, and put Kyler down on his stomach. Quinn followed suit, putting Jesús beside his brother, then they both sat down on the floor, close enough to the bed that if Brittany looked up, she wouldn't be able to see them, and waited.

There was a long silence in which Jesús and Kyler kicked wildly, and pulled each other's clothes in an attempt to move up closer to Brittany. Finally, Kyler managed to drag himself close enough to Brittany that he could touch her. He patted her arm, humming gently, but when he didn't get the reaction that he usually did, he screamed. Brittany shot up from the bed, instinctively carrying Kyler with her, before the babies' laughter at her sudden movement caught up to her and she realised that nothing was wrong. Santana was biting the inside of her cheeks to keep from laughing, and Quinn had buried her head in Santana's lap to cover the sound of her giggles.

"Ky you scared me" Brittany said, sitting back on the bed. "Where did you guys come from? Did mami leave you here?" seeming to understand that they could now be loud, both boys began a rapid string of 'mamamama' in response to Brittany's questions.

"Mmhh. I see" Brittany said. "How long ago was that?" she asked, as though they had actually told her something.

"Dadadadaba" Jesús told her, dragging himself slowly to the edge of the bed. Brittany smiled.

"I understand" she said. "You guys can get up now, they've given you away" she said, putting Kyler down on his stomach and lying down at the edge next to Jesús so she could look at them. Santana and Quinn burst out laughing.

"Jesús mijo why did you tell her where we were hiding?" Santana asked as she laughed, dragging him from the bed into her lap. He giggled, jumping up and down on her thighs.

"Because he knows what you did to me was mean, isn't that right bud?" she asked, pulling Kyler back by his foot cause he was too close to the edge. He squealed.

"It wasn't mean, he wasn't supposed to scream, he was just supposed to pull your hair or something." Santana said.

"Yes blame the baby Santana" Brittany said, pulling Kyler back again. "Stop laughing Quinn" Quinn descended into more giggles.

"It was like cheer camp freshman year all over again" Brittany said, a pout forming on her lips.

"That was the point, but this time we used your kids instead to avoid the nose bleeding."

"I could have hit him"

"No way" Santana said. "We knew there was no way you'd hit them."

Brittany lowered Kyler into Santana's arms. Quinn stopped laughing and sat up.

"Oh! Boys…get ready." Santana said, a huge smile on her face.

"Wait B, it was Santana's idea."

"Liar" Santana said. "It was your idea then and it was your idea this time."

"No B I just said, wouldn't it be funny if-" Jesús and Kyler screamed as Brittany jumped off the bed and missed Quinn by an inch. Quinn had rolled to the side just in time, and had now sprung to her feet, facing Brittany. Santana struggled to keep both boys in her arms as the jumped and screamed. She scooted backwards until her back hit the dresser.

"Ok, since I am holding two highly energized infants, you can't leave the room, cause I won't be able to follow you."

"Santana, you're not helping." Quinn's voice was higher than usual, her eyes never leaving Brittany.

"If I were you I'd stop talking and focus all my attention on the ninja in front of me."

"Pshh, Brittany's gotten old. She's sleep deprived and 50 per cent of her attention is always on the babies. She's not as sharp as she used to be."

"That's what you think" Brittany said. She glanced at Santana and the twins, measuring the distance between herself and them, and them and Quinn.

"See, she can't even concentrate on me, she has to-"

Brittany suddenly jumped forward, but it was not directly at Quinn, it was slightly to the left, about a foot from where Santana was sitting. When she moved, Quinn made to jump left, but saw Brittany there a split second before she was caught, ducked and fell to the ground and then scrambled forward away from her. Brittany managed to grab her leg, but Quinn kicked her off, and dove over the bed, putting it between them.

"You were saying Q?" Santana asked, laughing as loudly as her sons. Quinn was no longer smiling. She was watching Brittany closely for any signs of movement. "Tia is scared now boys. Cause mama is a badass." Brittany couldn't help but grin. Quinn rolled her eyes, and in the second that it took for her to do so, Brittany had launched herself over the bed. Quinn screamed and tried to run in the direction of the bathroom, but Brittany managed to tackle her feet, and they both fell to the floor.

Santana, howling with laughter and unable to hold on to both children, lay them on the floor to kick and wiggle freely, while she doubled over with laughter. Brittany was now sitting on top of Quinn's back, holding both her arms behind her back in a painful twist.

"Say uncle" Brittany said loudly.

"No you maniac, get off me." Quinn yelled. Brittany pulled on one arm. "Ow ow Britt you're actually hurting me STOP"

"Say uncle"

"UNCLE"

Santana could hardly breathe for laughing, she was rolling on the floor next to the twins, tears in her eyes. Brittany rolled off Quinn and crawled to where Santana was, kissing both boys on their stomachs.

"You….oh god…you should have seen your face" Santana said between gasps for breath, pointing a finger at Quinn. She opened her mouth and eyes wide, then fell back to the floor clutching her stomach.

"You cheated" Quinn said, getting up from the floor and stretching her arms. Brittany looked up.

"How did I cheat exactly?" she asked, picking Kyler and standing him on her lap.

"You distracted me."

"I didn't even speak to you"

"Your wife distracted me."

"It's not my fault you're easily distracted."

Santana finally pulled herself together and sat up, picking up a whining Jesús.

"Just admit you lost fair and square. Britt is better than you, you suck, you're a loser-"

"Ok Santana" Brittany said laughing. "Mami's a sore winner Ky" she said, nuzzling his neck.

"She didn't even win anything" Quinn said, sitting on the floor opposite them. "You did"

"We're married. When she wins I win. But if you wanna go with me…I'd be happy to beat you too."

"You wish" Quinn said.

"What time is it?" Brittany asked.

"Close to eleven." Santana told her.

"Eleven?!" Brittany shrieked.

"Last time I checked. Why?"

"It's only an hour till New Year's?"

"Yes Brittany, why?" Quinn asked.

"We have things to do. We have to get the fireworks and cookies and gifts and change"

Santana and Quinn looked at each other. "Britt you can't be serious" Quinn said.

"Why?"

"It's been a long day. You just woke up. You can't really want to-"

"Of course I do. S this is our first New Year's as parents. We have to make it memorable."

Santana sighed. "Alright. But I'm going to need to wash my hair first. If we're going to do a whole photo shoot, then I better look good."

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Thirty minutes later, Santana was in a floor length black dress with a gold belt and necklace that went down to her stomach. Brittany was in a gold knee length dress with many black bracelets on both hands and a black necklace matching Santana's. The boys were in suits, Jesús in a black suit with a gold blazer, and Kyler in a black suit with a gold button up shirt and black blazer lined with gold. They were standing in the space between the living room and the kitchen, the curtains pulled back so that the pool and backyard could be seen. Brittany and Quinn had lined the pool with twinkly lights while Santana had been washing her hair, and there were gold star sparklers in the backyard, so that it would look like they were standing in the middle of an aisle outside, even though they were going to be inside.

"Ok, are you guys ready?"

"Wait Quinn, why aren't you changed?"

"Because she's being an idiot" Santana said, rolling her eyes.

"Look, guys this is a family photo-shoot. Your first as mothers, your first with the babies, I can't be in them." Quinn said from behind a camera.

"No Quinn" Brittany said. "That's exactly why you have to be in them. We'll have the ones of just us, but we need one of the whole family."

Santana cocked her head and smiled. "I told you she'd say that. Quinn stop being a hard-ass and go get dressed. We only have about twenty minutes before these ones start drifting off."

Quinn stared at both of them, her internal struggle evident on her face. Santana opened her mouth to speak but was stopped by a knock on the door. They all frowned. Brittany walked to the door and opened it, emerging a few seconds later with a glum looking Puck, dressed in a suit matching Kyler's. They all stood still, watching him as he looked everywhere but at them. Finally he looked up.

"I uh…I shouldn't have left. I was being an ass…" Quinn nodded. "I wouldn't choose anything over these guys…over you guys. You're…uh…my-"

"Family" Brittany said, turning to Quinn. "We're family."

"Yeah" Puck said. "So I figured I should come back and tell you that. I knew you wouldn't forgive me if I missed your photo-shoot Britt." Santana smiled and Brittany hugged him.

"Aaaww…I'm so glad you're here. It wouldn't have been the same without you."

"Go change Q" Santana said. Quinn nodded and walked out of the room, rubbing Puck's arm as she walked past him.

When she came back down Santana and Brittany were in the middle of taking their photos with the babies. They took several of them standing, holding the twins in front of them so their outfits were seen properly, some of them kneeling on the floor while the boys stood on the floor, some with them holding the twins upside down or in other funny positions like, pretending they're flying, or like they were being attacked by them. Finally, they decided they had enough, and it was Quinn and Puck's turn with the babies. By the time they finished with those it was five minutes to midnight, and Brittany wanted them to set off fireworks at exactly midnight. They put the babies in their carriers in the living room, so that they could see the fireworks without being outside in the cold, then they carried all the fireworks outside and waited.

"This year is going to be so awesome." Puck said.

"It really is, I can feel it" Brittany said, standing behind Santana and rubbing up and down her arms to warm her up.

"It'll be hard to beat this year though" Santana said. "So much awesome stuff happened this year"

"True…I guess we'll have to wait and see." Quinn said.

"1 minute" Puck said.

"Just so you know, you're not kissing me" Quinn told him.

"Oh come on" he whined. "Who am I supposed to kiss, the other women here are married."

"Not my problem. Maybe you not starting the year off with a kiss is a message about how you should spend this year."

"No way….Quinn come on."

"No Noah. I'll give you a hug"

"Puck how long?" Santana asked, trying not to laugh at the look of desperation on his face.

"20 seconds. Quinn!"

"No"

Santana turned to face Brittany, wrapping her arms around her neck. "I wouldn't want to be spending my New Year's any other way B"

"Me neither. Sometimes I still can't believe how our dreams have come true"

"I know…..but every day I spend with you is a dream come true."

Brittany grinned. "Smooth"

"10…9…8" Puck started counting down. As he yelled, he dashed into the house, grabbed a large blanket from the couch and threw it around Jesús and he picked him up from his carrier, then he bent down and picked Kyler as well, running outside with both of them laughing.

"What are you doing?" Santana said, watching as he huddled close to Quinn, handing her Jesús and making sure both boys were well covered.

"4…3…2.."

Brittany lit the firework she had stuck into the ground and she and Santana took several steps back.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR" they all shouted. Brittany spun Santana around and kissed her, just as the firework launched into the sky and exploded in red and gold.

"I love you" Santana whispered into Brittany's mouth, not breaking the kiss. Brittany nodded, pulling her closer to her body.

"I love you too" she said breathlessly, when they finally did pull apart. Santana tilted her head up, asking for another kiss, and laughing, Brittany captured her lower lip between her own.

"Are you guys going to kiss your babies with those lips?" Quinn asked when they hadn't stopped kissing long after the firework had died out.

Brittany giggled. "Let's go inside and take some more pictures with all of us" Santana said, ignoring the smirk on Puck's face. When they were back in the house, Santana and Brittany each picked a baby from their friends, and showered them in kisses.

"You two look so adorable" Brittany said, tugging down their blazers. "You're going to be serious heartbreakers when you're older.

"Just like your mothers" Quinn said.

"Don't say that" Santana said, brushing back Kyler's hair. "They're not going to be anything like us in that department. In fact they're not going to be like any of us. They're going to be sweet, and stay virgins until their wedding night when they're 40"

Quinn, Brittany and Puck laughed. "As if they could be both a Lopez and a Pierce and stay virgins past the age of 16." Puck said.

"No escuches a esos chicos. Van a ser perfectos caballeros"

"Si" Brittany said, kissing the top of Jesús' head. "An on that note, if we don't get this show on the road, our perfect gentlemen are going to turn into monsters." Everyone nodded and moved into place.

"Q set the camera please." Santana said. Quinn walked to the camera and pushed a button, then ran back to her position on Brittany's left. "Alright, everyone say 2019."