As much as I would like to own them, all the characters of Glee belong to Fox - I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended. This is purely for entertainment purposes. All writing is my own. I do not own GLEE, its plot or its characters.
This is it, here it is, an epilogue of sorts. I hope you have all enjoyed this story, as much as I've enjoyed writing it even if it nearly killed me sometimes. I'm glad to finally give you the end and put a close to this epic writing adventure, pretty much nearly a whole years worth of hard work! I've updated the last chapter with grammar changes and spelling corrections ect. and when I get around to it I will be correcting both this story and Rise to just tighten things up. Anyway, enjoy!
Thanks to every single person who reviewed, added to favourites, PM'd me and kept me on the right track and helped me improve. You people really mean a lot to me. You all helped me and influenced this story and I'm am proud to call myself a Brittana fan and to know that our fandom isn't dead so thank you and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
(P.S. Happy Faberry Week!)
Everybody was in high spirits as they pulled into the driveway of Holly's house. Santana smiled as she put her car into park watching as the rest of her team got out of their cars and started heading inside just as the sun started to set.
"Home at last" She grinned, letting her head fall back to rest against her seat.
Brittany reached a hand over the center console and took the Latina's into her own, placing a kiss to it before squeezing.
"Thanks Santana" Rachel smiled.
The couple in the front turned to look at the brunette seeing Quinn with her hand resting over her fiancée's stomach. "What for?"
"For keeping us alive and achieving yet another feat that seemed to be impossible to everybody else except you"
The older vampire chuckled as she got out of the car, the others following her lead. "I was just doing what I do best; protecting my family"
Quinn and Rachel smiled as the Latina draped her arm around Brittany's shoulder, pulling the blonde into her body as she led them up to the front door.
"Come on" Quinn grinned, wrapping an arm around Rachel's waist. "Let's go"
Inside the team's spirits were beyond happy. They were ecstatic. To anybody else outside it would have seemed an unfair fate that every single one of them had survived but the people themselves put it down to good luck and team work as well as a strong leader. They were just glad that this was finally over and they were able to relax and go back home. It had a been a long couple of months but they had did it and they were free to live in peace.
Safiya gathered them all in the center of the large foyer and smiled. "I am proud of you. Every single vampire in this room proved to me that there is hope that we can finally live in peace. I don't know what will happen next, that is for you to decide but know that I will make sure that your names are forever remembered in our history, however long that may be. Now that we are back and we have time I would like to tell you something. Now that we are the superior race we have been granted abilities that were lost when the war first began, like instant healing and super speed etc. as well as a slight increase in the thirst, which is to be expected at the cost of having enhanced abilities. Me and Cassandra's races were stripped of our powers for being greedy and wanting to be on top of the other. The promise was that at the end of war whoever won would get those abilities back. I always had faith that we would win by being the smarter of the two races and you proved that to me today. Now we have the power had when we first walked the Earth. Granted that they will take time to master and come to you in time but know that they will make us stronger as a race. I thank you for giving me hope"
"Safiya hug!" Santana and Holly called out, everybody smiling and enveloping their queen in a full team hug.
Safiya let out a rare giggle as she was hugged tightly, the team showing her that they all loved her as one of their own. When they separated Holly clapped her hands together excitedly. "I think this calls for a celebration! Party time dudes!"
Santana rolled her eyes as she walked over to Brittany, grabbing her hand and smiling at her. Moments later Brittany was surprised when her wife wrapped her arms around her waist and dipped her, kissing her with everything she had. The blonde smiled into her wife's lips as she relaxed into the kiss, her arms gravitating upwards until they were wrapped around her neck.
They glanced over towards the back door as they pulled away from their kiss, Brittany still being dipped and held tightly. Akinori smiled as he watched the couple, Honey in his arms. The little girl squealed excitedly as she spotted her parents alive and ok and squirmed in her adoptive grandfathers arms.
The couple stood up straight and walked over to the pair, Honey growing more and more excited with every step. Akinori smiled as Brittany took her daughter into her arms and hugged her tightly, Santana wrapping an arm around her wife.
"I am glad to see you both ok. Well done Santana" He bowed, patting his adoptive daughter on the shoulder before manoeuvring around them to greet the other members of the team.
Santana then moved around so that she was stood in front of Brittany and reached her hand up to caress her daughter's head, Honey relaxing into the touch. "I missed you baby girl. We can finally go home" She whispered, placing a kiss to the top of her head.
When she looked up Brittany was smiling at her. Smiling back she lent in and pressed their lips together softly, a wide smile painting itself over her face at how free she finally felt.
Later on that evening the party was in full swing when Santana called them all together into the TV room.
"I called everybody here because I wanted to thank you."
"Why? The one we should be thanking is you" Blaine smiled.
Santana smiled back. "I know, but I need to do this. I want to thank you because if it wasn't for all of you I don't think we would have made it. I know we've done some important stuff in the past but today we literally changed history. Each and every one of you helped build our future into a better one, as cheesy as that sounds, and you helped put us on top. We've been through a hell of a lot and I nearly died for this but you all helped me when I needed you and I thank you. Here's to maybe being able to go back to living normal lives!"
She held up her bottle and they all cheered back before taking sips. Quinn then spoke up.
"I think it's time we finally thank you as well."
Santana waved a hand. "It's not necessary"
"It is" Rachel said.
Quinn smiled at her wife-to-be and started. "I know this was forced on us and I know that if you had a choice that you wouldn't have put us through it but I'm glad we did it. We're all stronger because of it and we're the best we've ever been, older and newborns alike" She grinned, nodding in Marley, Rachel, and Brittany's directions. "You pulled us together and you saw this through to the end without getting any of us killed. I know that to other people that may seem selfish that we didn't lose anybody but you just proved that you could keep us all strong and together. For everything you've done, including way back to when we were chasing Finn, right up to now changing history for our race, to Santana! For always being there for us and leading us like no other vampire or person on the planet. I'm proud to call you our leader and my best friend."
"TO SANTANA!"
The Latina blushed as everybody toasted to her, members of the team walking up to her and exchanging hugs and thank you's.
About ten minutes later they were back to being spread out mingling with each other. Akinori had pulled Santana outside to talk to her in private.
"What's next for you?" She asked.
"I will go back to Japan and resume my place as head of our house and keep the council in check. Maybe now that this is over we can finally start rebuilding our house and work to clean out the darkness and corruption left behind by Finn. We can finally start becoming the house we once were and are meant to be. What about you?"
"I don't know. All I really want to do now is go back to being normal and raise my daughter. I want to be a wife and a mother more than anything."
The older vampire smiled. "It is understandable. I think you have earned it more than anyone and I wish you and Brittany the best wherever you decide to stay and raise your daughter. She is special and I want you to know that she should have the opportunity to be raised well by both of her mothers. I know you never grew up with your father, at least not completely, but I know that whatever you choose to do next you will raise her the best you can and be there for her"
Santana nodded, pulling him into a tight hug. "Thank you for being there for me. I don't think I could have done this without you"
"It was my pleasure Santana. Tsuyoi taizai shi, eien ni aisuru koto o go an'nai. Kōun."
She sniffled as she pulled away. "Gracias"
Tina and Marley were lost in each other swaying slightly to a random slow beat pumping through the dock of Holly's stereo system. The Asian girls arms were wrapped around her girlfriend's waist holding her close while Marley's arms were wrapped around her neck.
"Are you ok?" Marley whispered, their foreheads resting together whilst their eyes stayed close.
Tina smiled. "Yes. Mar, what we did today, I'm glad you're ok"
"Me too. Did we really pull it off or is this just a dream that I'll wake up from at any moment and it will be just a dream and the morning of the battle again?"
"No, we really did it. It was kind of like a suicide mission that we survived and it seems surreal. If this is a dream we'll succeed again. I know that we always will. Mar, I have something to tell you"
"What?"
"I know we went through a lot earlier this year with the twins and then this but I want to promise you something"
"And what's that?" Marley asked, the two of them continuing to sway as if nothing or no one else existed in the entire world.
"I've been through a lot in my three hundred years as a vampire and I love you more than anyone or anything else in this entire world. For the first time in my entire life as a vampire I'm the happiest I've ever been and I promise that someday I will make you my wife."
Marley opened her eyes for the first time since they started the conversation, Tina doing the same. "You promise?"
Tina smiled. "I promise" She whispered back, tightening her grip on her girlfriend's hips and sealing their lips together in a kiss that conveyed nothing but love and hope that someday they'd get married like their friends.
Rachel and Quinn were sat on the beach watching the waves enjoying the peace and quiet together. Quinn smiled when she felt the brunette snuggle into her side.
"I'm so glad it's finally over" Rachel exhaled, tightening the grip she had on the blonde's bicep.
Quinn smiled back. "Me too. We can finally go back to being normal"
Rachel nodded against her arm. "We can be ourselves again and start our life together. I know we discussed this back in Japan but I think that now was the right time. I'm glad that we're finally starting our family and I can't wait to get married so that I can call you my wife."
Quinn grinned at the thought of calling Rachel her wife. "I like the sound of that. We can finally start our lives together. You have any ideas of where you want to get married?"
"Already?" Rachel joked playfully before sobering a little. "I don't know. I'm sure my dads would want to help plan everything but right now as long as I marry you I'll be happy." When she didn't get a response she lifted her head from her girlfriend's shoulder to look up at her finding the blonde gazing out at the water with a happy smile plastered across her face. "What are you thinking about?"
"Is it too early to imagine me and you stood on a beach like this surrounded by our friends and family? You in a beautiful white dress that makes you look stunning, your hand running over your bump, our baby?"
"You really imagine that?"
"Yeah"
"You want to get married while I'm pregnant?"
"Uh...only if you want to. I mean, we don't have to but I've always kind of imagined that, the beach thing that is, and you being pregnant has kind of made me want to do it even more"
Rachel cut off her ramblings by cupping her cheek and pulling her in for a kiss. "I would love to. I like the idea. Maybe before I get too big and can hardly move but I'm open to the idea."
"Really?"
"Yes. I kind of wanted the same thing"
"You do?"
Rachel smiled, her hand still cupping the blonde's jaw. "Yes."
Quinn grinned back happily and pressed their lips together once more, her mind already running wild with images of her and Rachel finally getting married and celebrating it with their unborn child.
Santana watched as Brittany put Honey down in her crib before walking out to her. The Latina smiled as she rested her elbows on the railing, her back to the sea view. Brittany stood next to her watching it.
"You ok?" The Latina asked, taking a sip of her drink.
Brittany nodded. "Yeah. I'm just glad that this is all finally over and we can go back to being normal people, or as normal as a group of vampires can get. We can finally have our lives back again and raise our daughter as a family. I nearly lost you but today proved that we can get through just about everything. I know your dad probably got away but we've still got each other and we didn't lose each other. Me and Quinn knew you'd save Rachel but in that moment you scared me. I thought I'd lose you again and we needed you to help us finish what we went there to do. Just don't do that to me again, ok? You nearly dying and going into a coma along with you staying behind to save Rachel really took it of me so no more Mrs. Lopez"
Santana laughed out loud as Brittany made sure that she wouldn't scare her again. "I can't promise you that I won't scare you again but I can promise you that I will always come back. Not just to you but our daughter too. We can finally be the family we dreamt of being when she was born and when we got married."
"I know, but we're not doing anything like this again. If the council wants us to do it they'll just have to find somebody else to do their dirty work."
Santana grinned at her wife and took another sip of her drink. "Duly noted Mrs. Lopez." She laughed, leaning over and pecking Brittany on the lips.
"Good" Brittany replied, watching as Santana turned around to match her position looking out at the ocean. "What do we do next?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do we go home?"
Santana understood what her wife was getting at and shuffled closer to her, wrapping her free arm around her waist. "I know we never got a honeymoon so we're gonna have to think about that"
"Any places in mind?" Brittany asked, resting her head on the Latina's shoulder.
Santana smiled, taking a sip of her drink and enjoying the cool night breeze that washed over them. "I don't know. I heard Japan's nice this time of year"
The End?
I'm going to be posting a playlist on my Tumblr of all the songs used in this story so if you're interested head over there now - shinodafan94 . tumblr . com