Thanks for reviews/follows/favourites. My apologies for taking so long to update.

In response to a review, Brittany is 19 and Santana is 22.

Chapter 6: Happy Christmas

"I don't understand how you can say that" Rosemary says down the phone as Charlie looks on. "He is your grandson." The person on the other end of the line keeps talking until she says something that surprises Rosemary. "How did that happen?" Rosemary asks. "She was how old?" Rosemary's face has now turned a very pale white. "You have no knowledge of who left her there or w-why?" Rosemary asks, she is now beginning to stutter.

A moment of silence takes over Rosemary as she tries to absorb and digest what she has just heard on the phone.

"I uh… yeah, I'm still here" Rosemary says as she holds her chest and tries not to let any tears slip. "I do understand that you have strong religious beliefs, I am curious though, which religion is it that you… oh really… well, I am surprised" Rosemary says. "The whole time we have been talking you haven't said anything Christian at all, all you said is…" Rosemary is then met with a dialling tone. "Goodbye and Merry Christmas to you too" Rosemary says to herself as she hangs up.

"I see the phone is working again" Charlie observes.

"Yeah" Rosemary nods.

"Are you alright?" Charlie asks.

"I'm fine" Rosemary says bravely. "I am ok."

Rosemary heads back to her bedroom after telling Charlie that she was tired and needed to rest but the truth was that she just needed some alone time to process what Brittany's mother had just told her. Brittany's mom had said that Brittany was adopted which makes all Rosemary's crazy scenarios seem more real. If Brittany was adopted then that could quite possibly mean that Rosemary's theory could be correct.

As Rosemary looks at a photograph of her family many Christmases ago, she can definitely see how Brittany looks so much like her daughter Laura. When Laura gave birth to her own little girl, the baby was the spitting image of her mom and at the moment Brittany is almost like the spitting image of what Laura looked like at nineteen. They have the same facial structure and their mannerisms are very similar, right down to the way their lips twitch into a tiny smile when they are nervous.

When Rosemary finds a picture of her granddaughter sitting on the grass next to the lodge during a mild summer she can't help but think of Brittany and imagine that this is what Brittany looked like when she was younger. She is convinced more than ever that Brittany must be her granddaughter, she knows it seems like a long shot but in her heart Rosemary knows what she feels.

/

"Merry Christmas" the doctor says happily as he enters the lodge on Christmas morning. "I have a surprise for you two" he tells Rosemary and Charlie before he moves to the side to reveal Brittany and little baby Connor. "Look who managed to get out of hospital for Christmas."

"Hi" Brittany says nervously as she tries to wave and keep a firm hold of her son at the same time.

"It's so good to see you" Rosemary says with a smile before she goes over to Brittany and the baby.

"Connor and Brittany are both healthy enough to be home so no more hospital" the doctor says.

"Excellent, just in time for Christmas dinner then" Rosemary says with a smile. "Charlie can you take Brittany and Connor up to their room please?"

Charlie nods before he takes the mother and son upstairs.

"Everything is ok with the baby and Brittany then?" Rosemary asks the doctor.

"Everything is perfectly fine, both Brittany and Connor are perfectly fit and healthy" the doctor replies causing the older woman to break out into a large grin. Rosemary can't help the happy feeling that comes across her when she thinks of the possibility of Brittany being her granddaughter and Connor being her great grandson. Even if she isn't related to the mother and her son then it doesn't matter because Rosemary has developed a fondness for both of them anyway after their stay in her lodge.

"You know Rosemary, I have never seen you look this happy in a long time" the doctor tells his old friend. "I know we lost touch for a while but it is good to see you looking so positive."

"Thank you" Rosemary replies.

"I think Brittany and her little boy have a good effect on you" the doctor muses.

"Yeah" Rosemary agrees before she turns serious. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Well of course" the doctor replies before him and Rosemary go over and sit at one of the tables.

/

"Don't look at me as if I am crazy" Rosemary says defensively. "I know it seems a little farfetched but I am telling you, that girl is my granddaughter."

"Ok, I believe you" the doctor replies. To begin with he did think the story was a little farfetched and a little too fairy-tale like given that the only person to be stranded here since the fatal accident was supposed to be Rosemary's granddaughter. It seemed a little coincidental but when the doctor watched how expressive Rosemary got about her theory and about Brittany then it made him actually think that she could be right, fate does exist after all.

"Good" Rosemary says with a nod of her head.

"Are you going to do a DNA test?" the doctor enquires but Rosemary shakes her head.

"No, there is no need for a DNA test" Rosemary says with a shrug. "I know in my heart that Brittany is my granddaughter and that's all that matters to me." the doctor smile gently at Rosemary, he is glad that the old Rosemary is back. "Are you going to Ben's for Christmas?"

"No, he is going to his mother-in-law's this year" the doctor replies. Ben is his only son and usually they spend Christmas as a big family but unfortunately Ben's wife's mom broke her leg so she is unable to travel down for Christmas so Ben, the kids and his wife are all going up to spend Christmas with her. "They offered me to join them but unfortunately I wouldn't make it back in time for my work at the hospital so I decided to just stay here" the doctor explains. "Ever since my wife passed, Christmas hasn't been the same anyway so I may as well just stay at home."

"You should join us here for Christmas dinner" Rosemary suggests. "There is plenty of food to go around plus I want to thank you for taking good care of Brittany and Connor."

"I don't want to impose on you" the doctor says politely.

"Nonsense, you are not imposing" Rosemary disagrees before she stands up. "You are staying for dinner and that is final."

"Thank you very much Rosemary" the doctor says.

"Watch yourself out there doc when you travel home, some roads are still a little slippery" Charlie says as he walks into the room.

"Dr Stevens is joining us for Christmas dinner" Rosemary tells Charlie who just scowls back. It is no secret that Charlie is a little jealous of the doctor, back in the day Dr Stevens was a good friend of Rosemary and Kevin so it put Charlie's nose out of joint slightly.

"Please, call me Richard" Dr Steven's says. Outside of work he prefers to be called by his first name only.

"Brittany and Connor are all settled into their room and they are both having a nap" Charlie says before he disappears into the kitchen.

"Make yourself at home Richard, I am just going to check on the food preparation for later" Rosemary announces before she then goes to the kitchen as well.

/

"How are you?" Rosemary asks as she takes a seat on the bed.

"I am good" Brittany says with a smile. "Thank you so much for allowing Connor and I to stay here."

"You can stay as long as you like" Rosemary replies.

"I don't want to outstay my welcome" Brittany says politely but Rosemary waves it off.

"This is your home now Brittany, that's if you want it to be" Rosemary says, shocking Brittany slightly.

"Rosemary…" Brittany tries to object but Rosemary stops her.

"You don't need to run away anymore" Rosemary says. "I am not saying you need to stay here if you don't want to but if you do then you are more than welcome."

"Thank you so much, you are such a good person Rosemary" Brittany says before hugging the woman. "I don't think my parents could ever be this nice to someone."

"Speaking of your parents…" Rosemary starts nervously while wringing her hands together. "Did you know that you were adopted?"

"Yeah" Brittany answers sadly. "My parents never let me forget it."

"Do you know anything about your birth parents?" Rosemary asks tentatively.

"Nope, only that they left me when I was one year old because they didn't love me" Brittany says with a shrug. She's never understood why her parents left her but it's not for the want of trying. Brittany has tried on many occasions to track down her biological parents but she hasn't managed to get any leads at all as to who they are.

"That's not true, you were the most loved little girl in the world" Rosemary says, confusing the young blonde. She then explains her theory to Brittany and tells her all about the accident her daughter had and how Brittany would've wound up being adopted by the couple.

"So you really think I am your granddaughter?" Brittany asks with a slight smile.

"Yes, yes I do" Rosemary answers simply. "I know you think it is crazy but in a crazy way it all makes sense, the reason I could barely look at you when I first met you and why I feel such a bond to you and the baby just now."

"It is a little strange that I look like your late daughter" Brittany thinks aloud.

"No matter whether you believe me or not, the lodge is still your home if you want it" Rosemary says before she excuses herself to let Brittany rest.

/

"There is someone here to see you Brittany" Rosemary announces happily as she and Charlie then gently shove Santana into the room.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Brittany asks with a smile but instead of answering with words, Santana just pulls Brittany into a deep kiss.

"Mind if I borrow the baby?" Rosemary asks as she moves further into the room. Both women mumble something incoherently so Rosemary picks Connor up. "I think that was a yes."

"I think so too" Charlie adds before he leads Rosemary and the baby out of the room.

"I love you Brittany" Santana admits after they both pull out of the kiss. "I know you are not ready for anything yet but I love you and I want to be there for you and Connor."

"Do you mean that?" Brittany asks nervously.

"With my whole heart" Santana answers. "I know you have been hurt in the past and you find it hard to trust people but I promise you babe, I am utterly in love with you and Connor. Life can be cruel sometimes but after only a few days with you I can tell that you mean a thousand times more to me than anyone else ever has, including Dani."

"I love you too" Brittany admits shyly. She has known for a while that she loves Santana but love is scary for her because she thought she was in love before and look how that turned out. "But we need to take things slow."

"We can, I want to do everything I can to prove to you that I am not Henry or anything like him" Santana says as she tucks Brittany's hair behind her ear.

"I know that already" Brittany says before she kisses Santana quickly. "I've never been with anyone properly except from Henry so this is still relatively new to me plus I have a baby now as well."

"I want to be in Connor's life too" Santana says as her heart pounds at the thought of the little boy. "I want both of you in my life, I am not suggesting that you make me his other mom or anything but I want to be that person that is always there for you and him, that person that will love you both forever and always."

"Santana, you are making me cry" Brittany says emotionally before laughing a little. "You are so sweet, these are happy tears."

"Come here" Santana demands gently with a soft smile before she pulls the blonde in for another sweet kiss.

"I love you Santana" Brittany says honestly before she stares straight into Santana's eyes.

"I love you too" Santana says with a smile before she playfully tickles Brittany. "Are you going to invite me to stay for dinner or…?" Santana asks while trailing off and earning a laugh from Brittany.

"Sure" Brittany says with a wide grin. "Would you like to have Christmas dinner with us?"

"I don't know, maybe it would be better for me to spend it all alone in a strange place rather than with the two people who I am utterly in love with" Santana answers playfully.

"Two people…"

"I love little Connor just as much as I love you, I meant what I said Britt" Santana explains.

"Let's go down for dinner before you end up making me cry happy tears again" Brittany says before laughing and kissing Santana once more.

/

"Let me understand this" Santana says as she tries to get her head around Rosemary's story. "So your daughter, son in law and granddaughter all went missing after the crash and then the two adults were found but not your granddaughter?" Santana asks to which Rosemary nods. "You also think that the one year old who was dropped off at the hospital two months after the accident is the same kid that was adopted by the Pierce's and the same kid as your grandchild."

"Correct" Rosemary says.

"Right" Santana says confused.

"I know how it sounds but I know Brittany is my granddaughter, I only have to look at her" Rosemary says. "Fate is what brought Connor and Brittany into my life."

"Fate seems to play a big part with regards to those two" Santana says with a laugh. She has to admit that she is convinced that it was fate that brought the two into her life as well.

"Can we begin eating now?" Charlie asks after breaking the short silence that overtook the room.

"I've not eaten in a while so I think that sounds good" Santana says before chuckling. "Getting to the girl and boy I love was my main priority this morning so I never took the time to eat."

"Aw… that's sweet" Brittany says as she kisses Santana's cheek. She can't believe how happy and excited she feels right now, not only has she gained a proper family here at the lodge but she has managed to find herself a stable environment to bring her son up in.

"Happy Christmas everyone" Charlie says as he holds his glass up in a toast before everyone repeats his words.

For the first time in almost two decades Rosemary has managed to smile on Christmas day and it's all thanks to Brittany. If Brittany and Santana hadn't turned up at the lodge that night then Rosemary and Charlie would once again spend Christmas day like it was any other day; eating stew and arguing before spending the rest of the day alone.

/

Once the Christmas festivities are over, everyone's attention then turns to the New Year's Eve party that Rosemary is planning. Years and years ago Rosemary's famous parties were the talk of everyone until those fateful events that ultimately turned Rosemary's world upside down. It goes without saying that Rosemary misses her daughter and Kevin but due to Brittany's arrival and the support of Charlie then Rosemary feels like she has a new lease of life and she's determined to not let her life go off track again.

"There are only a few days until the party so I need all hands on deck Charlie" Rosemary says annoyed after Charlie decide to play around with the new computer rather than helping. "You still work for me."

"Yes and you never let me forget it" Charlie replies before sighing and then turning off the computer. "What would you like me to do?"

"I would like you to accompany Santana into town, we need more things for the party" Rosemary says before handing Charlie a list. "I don't trust you with the money because I know you will spend it all on booze so I am giving Santana full control of it."

"I'm ready to go, come on Charl" Santana says as she enters the room with Brittany and Connor. "The quicker we go, the quicker I can get back to bathe Connor so that Brittany can have her afternoon nap."

"Let's go then" Charlie says and then he leaves with Santana.

"What can I do to help?" Brittany asks Rosemary.

"Nothing, you sit down and relax with little Connor" Rosemary answers as she waves off Brittany's question. "You only gave birth a short time ago so you need to rest."

"At least let me do something to help, I would feel guilty if you didn't let me contribute to helping after all you have done for me" Brittany says truthfully, she has never be one to take advantage of someone.

"You are family Brittany" Rosemary says with a smile.

"Which is more the reason I should help" Brittany argues and after a few moments of going back and forward Brittany manages to convince Rosemary to let her help out in the kitchen. "You are a really good cook, I would love for you to show me how to make some of your legendary recipes" Brittany tells the older woman.

"I wouldn't say they were legendary, they are just pretty basic homely foods" Rosemary says with a smile.

"Well Charlie seems to think they are legendary, every single day he talks about a new recipe" Brittany says as she cuts up some carrots. "I know you are only opening the lodge to guests for the New Year period but have you had any thoughts on whether you want to fully reopen after that?"

"I don't know dear, it feels like they would be a lot to do to get this place back up and running" Rosemary explains. "Times have changed, I can barely work all these modern computers Santana convinced Charlie to get."

"I understand but if you decide to reopen then I am more than happy to help" Brittany says. "It's just an idea but perhaps I could work for you and that way I can help you out like you have helped me and I can also look after Connor at the same time. Obviously I wouldn't want paid since you are letting me stay here rent free."

"I would pay you" Rosemary says, clearly seriously thinking about reopening.

"Santana could set up a computerised booking system, Charlie could take care of the maintenance and I could clean and look after the reception desk" Brittany suggests. "Santana can also help out to begin with out with her job if she doesn't mind to help us get things running."

"Maybe, I don't want you to feel like you have to help me because you owe me" Rosemary states. "I will only let you help me if you actually want to, I don't want you to feel forced."

"Rosemary I would love to help, this would be the perfect job for me" Brittany says with a smile. "Connor would be here all the time and I can put some of my skills to use."

"I don't want to rush anything but if the New Year party and bookings go smoothly then we can maybe come to some sort of plan" Rosemary says, earning her a beaming smile from Brittany.

Hope the chapter was ok, let me know what you think.