Well everyone, it has been quite the ride. I cannot begin to tell you all how grateful I am for your continued dedication to this story. It seriously means more than you can ever know. This story will always hold a special place for me because it has marked the beginning of some very special changes in my life. You all have been so good to me and I dearly hope you like this conclusion. I'm going to keep this A/N short so you all can get to the story. But please be sure to read the note at the end. It will have some important stuff. I want to real quick shout out to the anon reviewers from my last two chapters. You all are great :) Anyway, here you go. An epilogue to tie up the loose ends.

Brittany stepped out onto the concrete sidewalk just as night fell over the city. A chilly northern wind carried little wisps of snowflakes haphazardly around the cold New York dusk air. Brittany breathed in deep, appreciating the cold after such an intense workout. Three hours of dancing twice a day was making her stronger. With each passing day, Brittany could feel her rocky history receding where it belongs—the past. She was stronger now—able bodied as well as minded.

She'd adjusted to life in the city with an ease that surprised all of Brittany's close friends. But truthfully, she just liked it there. She liked the way even in the middle of the night she could go to some obscure foreign restaurant and pig out. She liked that people always milled about. Brittany liked the businessmen in their suits on their cellphones and the bums on the corners begging for money. She liked that on any day she could bump shoulders with novelists or the next bid Broadway star. She enjoyed catching Broadway shows at night and running through Central Park in the crisp morning air. Everything about New York felt right-Rockefeller Center with it's big Christmas tree, Time's Square with lights that stretched toward the heavens, Ground Zero's reminder of a history so sad. All of it. Everything. And on night's like this one, Brittany wondered why she had waited so long to go on this adventure. She was home for the first time since high school.

But in the dark corners of the night, Brittany still awoke with a certain person chasing all sanity out of her mind. She found herself reaching for another body in her bed in the quite hours of deep sleep. Brittany thought of Santana often—when she brushed her teeth, when she worked on her pirouettes, when Puck called. Mostly she thought about Santana when she walked home. And as Christmas approached Brittany was keenly aware that her home was empty this Holiday season. Sure, Mike and Tina were allowing her over at their place for the Christmas festivities, but it just wasn't the same. They were a family. They had a baby. She was just her. Alone.

Brittany knew torturing herself was probably a bad idea, but she couldn't help it. She reasoned that it was a too beautiful a night to not go down to Rockefeller Center to see the tree. She did this most nights. And that's how she ended up watching the couples ice skate together, hands locked. Girls in mittens and knit hats struggled to keep up with the long strides of their boyfriends. She didn't know why she did this to herself night after night. Perhaps Brittany felt comfort knowing that the world was still turning; just because she had screwed things up in her life didn't mean that other people weren't happy. Maybe she was a masochist. Brittany liked to think that she watched the tree, not the couples. In all actuality though, Brittany watched in hopes of catching a glimpse of the life she could have had. She watched to wait for that epiphany to come. She watched to wait.

When the dead of night set in with it's sharp winds, Brittany pulled her scarf over her ears and headed towards home. She ducked her head as she scurried through the streets, avoiding others and hiding from the snow. As she passed a small diner she slowed to a stop. She forgot to grocery shop earlier. With a sigh and an internal fight with herself, Brittany tugged open the glass door and headed in. She picked a booth in the back corner. The waitress brought her a menu an she ordered a Hot Chocolate to start.

Brittany was so immersed in an internal debate between chocolate pancakes and a grilled cheese that she didn't notice when the booth connected to hers became occupied. It wasn't until the waitress popped up next to the stranger's table to ask what to get her to drink that Brittany peeled her eyes up from her menu. At exactly the same time the girl only two booth seats away finished folding her coat in the empty space next to her. Her dark eyes found Brittany's and the world seemed to stop. Brittany felt her face heat as her stomach knotted up. Just a second ago she was sure that Santana was across the country and now she was here, only two red leather booth seats and two table tops between them. The room shrunk and Brittany felt her lips curl up. The world could be on fire outside the diner, but she wouldn't of noticed. Maybe a year passed. Or maybe just a millisecond. Bit in that time every memory Brittany had with Santana flashed before her eyes. She was here. And God she looked beautiful.

"Miss, uh, should I just start with the water?" the waitress asked Santana when she didn't get a response the first time. Santana pivoted her head, without her eyes leaving Brittany's as she whispered, "Yes."

Yes. Yes. Yes. Brittany smiled bigger, watching the way Santana's mouth mimicked her. Yes. A beat. A silent minute. Smiles. Dancing eyes. The moment prolonged. Finally, Brittany remembered her legs. She stood, grabbed her stuff, and took the seat across from the girl she still was hopelessly in love with—her home.

They opened their mouths to speak at the same time, shutting them just as quickly. Little giggles filled the silent air. "Go ahead," Santana said, gesturing for Brittany to say what her piece first.

"I was just gonna say hi," Brittany responded meekly. She was still struggling to find her breath. Where did Santana hide it?

"Hi." Silence again. Another moment gone, spent with upturned lips and bouncing eyes. The tip of Santana's nose was a dash darker than the rest of her skin. The cold coloring even her ethnic skin. Brittany resisted to urge to kiss it. Brittany opened her mouth to speak again, but the waitress interrupted by setting Santana's water down.

"Are you ready?" she asked, looking at Brittany first. Santana's menu still hadn't been touched.

"Chocolate chip pancakes for me," Brittany replied, making a split decision.

"Uh..." Santana said as she flipped the menu open. "Grilled cheese, please." Brittany smiled. Somehow Santana knew. A familiar tingle settled inside Brittany's chest. Fate, she thought to herself. Fate. Fate. Fate.

"Of all the places in New York, what are the chances we both decide to eat here two days before Christmas?" Santana asked when the waitress was gone.

"I thought you were in LA," Brittany deadpanned. Any other person would have interrupted her tone to be rude, but Santana just smiled.

"Just moved here a week ago. My boss promoted me. But part of the promotion was taking the position available in our new branch. So to New York City I came."

"Were you planning on calling me?" Another question that could be misread and sound all wrong. But Santana understood. Santana always understood.

"I'd be lying if I said I had only accepted the offer because of the money. But I wanted to be closer to you. I hope that's OK?"

Brittany smiled big, bouncing in her seat a little. Santana still wanted her too. Maybe this could work. She allowed herself to think that it would. "It's more than OK."

"I was gonna call after the Holidays. I mean, I'm not even unpacked so I was gonna give you space before bombarding you with my hectic life. Between work and trying to get settled I'm a mess. But I guess life had a different plan for us. Meeting here and all."

"It was meant to be," Brittany answered the unspoken question. She had always hoped she and Santana were meant to be. Now more than ever she believed it. Whole-heartedly. No doubts. Just a head full of plans and dreams—hopes to build a life with Santana.

The girls didn't say much else about life and fate while they ate. Instead they shared food and discussed Santana's new job. Brittany talked about dancing and her job teaching four year olds. The smiled. They laughed. They held hands over the table like they were always supposed to do. And when the meal was over, Brittany paid for both. They walked out together, hand-in-hand.

"Where to?" Brittany asked, looking both ways. Her apartment was to the left. Santana was pivoted to the right.

"I'd go anywhere with you," Santana replied, meaning it more than she had meant it ever before.

"Can I see your place?"

"Of course."

Santana held tightly to Brittany as she led the way back to her little apartment. On the way they talked about the past few months. Somehow the conversation strayed to Brittany's past. Santana finally found the nerve to ask Brittany what had happened during her summer in Washington with her aunt. Much to her surprise Brittany had spent that summer helping out in a homeless shelter. That was it. That was all it took. But Santana fell even more in love when Brittany said she still sends thirty percent of every paycheck to the shelter.

"You're incredible, you know that, right?" Santana asked as they headed up the steps to her door.

"I'm glad you think so."

Santana opened her apartment door, tugging Brittany inside behind her. The place was a mess; boxes covered most the floors. But something was still to be said. Santana was home. And for the first time Brittany was with her. As if they had both been thinking the same thing, their bodies crashed together like a tidal wave. Lips met lips; tongues got reacquainted with each other. They were together. They were home.

Thank you thank you thank you! Obviously i would love to hear final thoughts. We should try to get my review count up to 300. That would be awesome. Anyway, if you liked my story add me to your author alerts. I've got another story already in the makings. It's gonna be a little different, but I think you'll like it. Also, if you want updates and hints about what is next you should follow me on tumblr. Leave me asks and such. I promise you will be rewarded for your dedication. You can find the link on my profile. Ok, I'll stop shamelessly promoting myself. I want to take a second to thank everyone that has reviewed. Special shout-out to: Rosetoast, Imagine Brittana, pheonix 4725, Miched 8, and Tiny 1.0 for being my top five reviewers. You are all awesome beyond words. Another extra special shout out to pheonix 4725 and ShibbiRose for taking the time to chat with me and be extra special readers. Thanks again to everyone.

On a different note, I'm looking for a beta for my next story. If you're interested send me a message. I'm going to make my selection by having you all answer a few questions. I promise, nothing personal or weird. I'm just interested in finding someone that will really care about my story like I do. I might choose two betas if I have a hard time making a selection. So yeah. If you're interested I'd love to hear from you. Thank you again everyone. Can't wait for all those reviews.