Quinn walked with her mom, wanting to try to make today a good day for them both. She knew her mother was still upset that her older sister had moved all the way to France and told her only after the fact.

"How are things at the Real Estate agency?" she asked, trying to stay on a topic she was pretty sure was safe. She didn't want to get into something too heavy right off the bat.

Judy gave her a smile, appreciating her effort. Up ahead Santana was chattering animatedly with her mother, her hand still resting on the back of Maribel's arm as they walked, and Judy noticed this with some wistfulness, knowing that this could never happen with her own daughters without her overthinking it and forcing herself to go through with even such a simple gesture.

"They are okay, things are a little slow right now, you know how the economy is just starting to recover a little, and people don't buy houses as much then. But it's starting to pick up a little. How have you been?" She hesitated, then her hand lifted to quickly touch Quinn's hair. "You look nice, Quinnie."

Quinn blushed the way she always did when someone gave her a compliment these days. "Thanks. Santana and I have been working out a lot lately. Have to keep up with Britt."

She turned her head, watching the Pierce women a moment. They were chattering something in Dutch, acting as if they were the only two people in the world, holding hands and swinging them between them.

"Things have been going really well. The play I'm working on is about to open. I have really loved doing it. And I've made great contacts."

"I would like to see it," Judy told her quietly.

She walked without speaking for a few more moments, trying to figure out what to say, and how to say it. Finally she reached out again, a little awkwardly, but sincere, and briefly rested a hand on Quinn's shoulder.

"I'm glad you're doing well and happy, Quinn." She paused, then said with some difficulty, "I know I haven't always made that easy for you."

"No," Quinn whispered, her hand moving over her mother's. "But you are the only mother I'm ever going to have. And I want us to be able to talk. Even if we're never going to be like Brittany and her mom or Santana and hers. I just want us to be able to talk about things." She looked at her, her hazel eyes searching for something to hold on to. "I love you, Mom."

Judy almost stopped walking entirely, her eyes locked on her daughter's. She slowly moved her fingers into Quinn's, giving a faint squeeze, and she swallowed, blinking.

"I want that too, Quinn. I...I want to be in your life. I want to be there for you through it, even...even if I don't understand some things about your life. And I...I love you too. I always have."

Quinn did stop walking then, reaching her arms around her mother and hugging her. "That means everything to me," she whispered, feeling a tear slip down her cheek. "That's all I ever wanted to hear you say. Just that you love me."

Judy's eyes were full too, but she kept blinking, keeping back tears. Her eyes closed briefly as she hugged Quinn back, one hand splaying between her shoulder blades.

"I do. I want you to know that. I'm...it's something you should hear."

Santana, realizing they've stopped, turned back with a frown, watching Judy closely, but when she saw her hugging Quinn, her expression softened, and she slipped her hand into Maribel's.

Quinn wiped her eyes when she pulled back, giving her mother a smile. "I'm really glad you guys came out mom." She smiled a little more relaxed now than she had at the apartment. "We needed this."

Brittany and Whitney just watched, smiles on their faces as they saw a mother and a daughter meeting each other really for the first time.

"I'm glad too," Judy told her, almost a whisper. "I've missed you, Quinn."

When they started to walk again to catch up to the other women, she waited a few moments, then reached out a little clumsily to take Quinn's hand. Santana's eyes widened again as she observed this, and she smiled, quickly turning back around before squeezing her own mother's as they continued to the restaurant.

Whitney sat down next to her daughter once they got seated, three on each side.

"I have some news," she said after she ordered a glass of chocolate milk. "Pierce and I have thought this part of our life was long over. But when I went to the doctor for what I thought was the flu last week he gave me some news. Brittany, you're going to be a big sister again."

Brittany's eyes went wide as she grinned at her mother from the other side of the table. "Mom, really? You and Dad are having a third. But Ash is already 12. And you want to do it all over again?"

"Your father and I have always wanted more children. It just never happened. And now it has again."

"And here I made it clear we aren't talking parent sex," Santana muttered, shaking her head, before smiling at Whitney. "Congratulations, and you KNOW that kid is gonna pop and lock with the best of them before she can even walk." She side eyed her mother suspiciously, a new thought occurring that she didn't like in the slightest. "You and Papi are done, right? Not even a chance of any other and lesser offspring."

"No, Santanita, I am pretty sure that you were enough for us," her mother said lightly, shaking her head. "Do not worry, that is one less thing you have to worry about sharing."

"I totally think you should have another one Mrs. Lopez," Brittany said, one of her arms around her mom. "Then Santana would have to learn that she doesn't get to be both the oldest and the baby in the family."

She grinned at her girlfriend before sticking her tongue out at her. She loved teasing Santana about both her need to have it both ways. "Besides Quinn and I both have siblings. Only fair Santana does too."

"I do have siblings," Santana said immediately. "I have Ashlynn and Frannie. So there. I'm younger and older just like you two. Plus I'm younger than both of you."

She underscored this by sticking her tongue out, threading her arm possessively through her mother's, as though to stake claim from an imaginary threatening baby. Maribel just laughed.

"We may get lonely soon and need a replacement, I don't know." To Whitney she said, "Congratulations, I know you are very happy."

"All girls too." Brittany looked over at her mother and then down to the bump that hadn't really formed yet. "Maybe you're having a boy, Mom. And then I can finally teach someone to follow in my motocross boots."

"Your father would love that. He's the only one out of his brother's without a son," Whitney chuckled, kissing her daughter's temple. "But I know he likes having a house full of women. He already started talking about having another little girl to protect. So I think either way he'll be very happy."

Quinn watched as Santana cuddled closer to her mom as though to try to protect her from getting pregnant somehow. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed a roll and tore off a bit.

"Being the youngest has some down sides, Santana. You can't get away with anything."

"I got away with a lot," Santana countered, rolling her eyes. "Mami didn't know half of what I was up to."

"Oh, you think so, do you?" Maribel raised her eyebrows at her. "Bird calls, Santana? Do you think that I bought for one second you coming home stumbling into furniture, crying because 90210 wasn't on TV, and then throwing up all hours of the night had nothing to do with being drunk? No, mija, I just figured you were in enough misery as it was and would learn your own lesson."

Disgruntled, since she had figured very well that she ALWAYS got one over on her, Santana turned her attention to Quinn and Judy. "Well you always got away with everything too, Quinn. I mean, not gonna rehash high school, but come on, when were you ever seriously in trouble and how much shit did you do?"

"What was it she did?" Judy was curious now, looking towards her daughter with a look somewhere between interest and dread.

Quinn sent Santana a look to let her know she was going to pay for this later. "Outside of getting pregnant at 15 and having Beth when I was 16 I was pretty low maintenance. Well and the whole trying to get Beth back and then trying to get Shelby arrested," she muttered, wincing a little bit at her actions. "But outside of that I was pretty easy to handle so I didn't need to be grounded. Unlike some people who use to say they were sleeping over at my house before going to Noah's house for a "study session"."

"I was an angel," Brittany said with a smirk. "I mean most of the time. I just told my parents what I was up to and it cut down on getting in trouble."

"You were a good girl, Brittany. Though I could have done without your sleepovers with Santana that would wake your sister up and have her coming to our room thinking there were ghosts in the walls making banging noises," Whitney chuckled.

Santana was not a good girl and knew it. She shrugged, smirking back at Quinn. "Right, well, Puck needed a lot of help in the study department. I mean, he barely graduated."

"Santana, you yell at the people paying you to tutor them, I cannot imagine that you were patiently devoting your spare hours to helping that boy with his homework," Maribel rolled her eyes at her. "I am well aware you were a sexually active child. That is exactly why I put you on birth control."

Judy was listening to this with slightly wide eyes, unable to imagine having a daughter that either snuck out of the house to have sex or who outright told her to her face she planned to have sex. When Quinn mentioned Beth, she flushed a little, still not liking to talk about that part of their lives, but then said quietly, reaching to put a hand on Quinn's, "You were a good girl. I didn't worry about you. Maybe I should have more."

"I managed pretty well," Quinn blushed a little. She thought at first her mother was talking about having more kids before she dismissed that idea. "Frannie was already mostly out of the house by the time we moved to Lima anyway. You were helping her with college and stuff. Besides Freshman year I had so much going on with the Cheerios I didn't have much time for anything else. I wanted Captain and I got it."

"Didn't keep it," Santana couldn't resist piping up. "I had it half the time."

"I got it back from you though, didn't I?" Quinn just smirked back. "Anytime you want to rehash that fight I will kick your butt again, Santana."

"You knows I'm the one who kicks," Santana retorted, wiggling her eyebrows, and Maribel cleared her throat.

"Is this a private moment, girls?"

"Quinn and Santana got into a fight in the middle of the hallway after Quinn told Sue about Santana getting a boob job to get Captain back junior year," Brittany supplied. "They were both jerks to each other and then Will broke the fight up. Pretty sure if Santana wasn't getting her butt kicked she would have tried to kick Quinn."

"I was NOT getting my butt kicked! I slammed her into the locker and I threw her down to the ground!" Santana said hotly, not mentioning the part about her hair being almost ripped out and how she couldn't walk straight afterwards.

Judy's brow furrowed as she looked at Quinn, this new information to her. 'You were in a...fight?"

"It wasn't a fight so much as a disagreement. With some pushing and shoving," Quinn felt her cheeks heat up. "Thankfully Will didn't report us so we didn't face any issues because Santana doesn't know how to use her words."

"I do know how to use words. Like tattletale, backstabber, bitc-" Santana started, as Maribel interrupted her.

"And it's lovely now how you girls are still getting along SO nicely and in love after such a nasty start!"

Santana looked at her mom sideways even as she calmed down a little when Maribel lightly tugged at her hair. Judy was still looking back and forth between them, uncomfortable, and changed the subject.

"So...a baby. When is it due?"

"See what I have to put up with?" Brittany chuckled as she shook her head.

"You are a saint dear," Whitney laughed softly. "The baby is due about November. Pierce and I are hoping before Thanksgiving so I can still cook. He doesn't get to use my kitchen to do anything but make toast or coffee. The last time he tried he nearly burned the house down. It's a bit sad really but he is quite good at grilling."

"If you're nine months pregnant you damn well deserve him to get catoring," was Santana's opinion. "Or Britt can do it." As an afterthought,"Quinn can help too."

"I love how you offer to have Britt and I cook and yet you leave yourself out," Quinn chuckled.

"She knows she can't cook. That's why we have her do dishes," Brittany laughed softly. "And we would never have it catered. Not with all of the Pierces there. It would cost way too much."

"Yes, mija, I do remember the time you tried to make pancakes and started talking on the phone to Brittany and we ended up having to call the fire department," Maribel laughed, shaking her head. "Had to remodel the entire kitchen. I would keep this one away from you."

"You and Pierce can watch football together Santana," Whitney smiled at her. "He and his brothers are banned from the kitchen that day anyway. All the Pierce boys are bad at cooking except their father. But at 71 I don't think he's up to cooking a full meal for 22 anymore."

Santana grinned, agreeable to this plan. "All right. As long as he doesn't mind that things sometimes get thrown and a few choice words get thrown around if my team loses."

Judy was listening quietly to this and looked to Quinn. "Quinn and I would be happy to help, if you don't mind."

Quinn reached across the table, putting her hand on her mother's. "We're both really good at baking. We can do dessert if you guys wouldn't mind."

"That would be great. That's the one thing I was never very good at. And if I have to eat Carri's banana cream pie from hell again I might not have Thanksgiving again."

"Aunt Carri only makes it because she knows you hate it Mom. She's trying to get under your skin."

"Like Abuela with her rice pudding with raisins," Santana gave her mother a nudge. "She did that just for you." Thinking of her abuela, her face tensed slightly but relaxed when her mother rubbed her hand over her shoulder. "You're gonna MAKE Papi be off this year, aren't you?"

"I'll certainly try," Maribel told her, patting her shoulder again. "It's been two years in a row he hasn't been there though."

Santana didn't say it, but she was pretty sure that the reason her father didn't bother to make sure he's present for Thanksgiving anymore was so he didn't have to choose between his mother and his wife and daughter. It was pretty funny to her how since she had come out, he suddenly disappeared on holidays.

Judy twined her fingers with Quinn's, squeezing briefly with a slightly self conscious look at the others. Showing affection to Quinn around others was strange for her, but she was not unwilling.

"We'll plan on that then."

"So what does that bring the total up to Mom?" Brittany asked.

"Well your father, me, Ash, you, your new sibling, Santana, Maribel, Carlos, Quinn, Judy, 16 in laws, their 16 kids, a few of them bring boyfriends and girlfriends. So somewhere between 30 and 40," Whitney said like that was perfectly normal. "Oh Maribel if you want to have your mother in law come too that would be just fine. I don't want her to feel excluded."

Outside of her father's work events Quinn was sure she had never had a meal with that many people outside of school lunches. "How can you even fit that many people in your house?"

"We'll move everything out of the living room and set up two long tables, about two at a table," Whitney explained. "And the more the merrier. It's nice to have a full house."

Judy's eyes widened at this. She hadn't anticipated the Thanksgiving being such a big thing, and she's not too sure how she'll feel about it. Still, she gave a polite smile, nodding.

"Sounds...very busy. You will definitely need help."

"Abuela wouldn't come," Santana said quietly, moving her fork back and forth against her plate, and Maribel touched her shoulder again as she answered.

"Oh, she will not feel excluded, not when she chooses to exclude herself from our lives. It is her loss and she will be unfortunate to miss an invitation from me."

"My family will adopted you San," Brittany said, reaching across the table to put her hand over Santana's. "I have four grandparents and a ton of cousins. They won't even question another one. Though you might be the best tanned Pierce in history."

Santana gave her a little smile, squeezing her hand. "And one of the hottest ones too. Don't worry, your family is my family now. It's okay."

It's not, not really, but it's a little better than it was last year, and the year before.

"You too." Brittany turned to Quinn. "You're family now too. Because I say so and we all know I'm secretly the brains of the operation. And you look like you could be a Pierce anyway. So if you're there my grandpa Murray will already think you're one of us."

Quinn smiled back at Brittany, reaching for the hand not on her mother's to take hers. Almost everyone was connected now to someone- Brittany with Santana and Quinn, Quinn with Brittany and her mother, and Santana with her mother and Brittany.

"Yes," she repeated, looking back at her. "Family."

There was a moment of quiet as everyone seemed to be processing this before Santana, a little uncomfortable with the constant sentimentality in public, broke it by swaying back and forth a little, shaking Brittany's and Maribel's hands.

"We are familyyyy! I got all my sisters with me!"

As they all laughed, grateful for the break in tension, and Quinn reached to playfully slap her leg, the conversation resumed, with everyone relaxed, happy, and feeling a continued connection to each other person in the room. And as they finished eating, with Santana managing almost two third of her meal, and all stood to walk back to their apartment, Santana reached out one hand for Brittany, the other for Quinn, feeling an added sense of security when she was enveloped by both on her sides.

It wasn't a completely perfect day, and it wouldn't be a completely perfect Thanksgiving. She was missing her abuela, Quinn was missing her father, and forever, all of them would miss Finn. Their relationship with Rachel was strained, and they were not as close to their friends in Glee as they had once been. There was always stress and bills, work and school, and misunderstandings and jealousies that would flare up in between them, too much so for anything to ever be truly perfect. But there was happiness, there was security, there was above all else love in abundance, and even if it was never going to be perfect, for now, it was enough. They could never know what their future would hold, but in their present, not one of the three could ever remember feeling so content.

end