So, this is the final chapter! I jsut want to say a HUGE thank you to all you lovely readers, and for all the awesome reviews I've had. This is my first time properly finishing a story so I hope it lives up to expectations and you're all satisfied! Please review and let me know what you thought of the whole story overall as I'd really aprpeciate the feedback :D

Thank you!

Four hours later, we're still drinking heavily in the almost-empty tavern as the girl behind the bar rings a small bell and shouts out last orders. Blaine has been telling me all about Kurt and how much fun they're having, and how he really thinks it'll work out this time, whilst also indulging me while I muse about how lovely Quinn is for the best part of an hour. Blaine's awesome, I love him.

"We should really go." Blaine announces with a sigh, his eyes dreamy from the alcohol, "It's midnight and I need to be up in the morning to drive my mom to yoga."

"Your mom does yoga?" I ask, my lip curling in disbelief as he nods, "Wow. I don't even do yoga. How is your mom that bendy?" I frown, awed, but Blaine screws his face up in a grimace, "Sorry. Huh. Go, Molly." I shrug and he scowls at me for a moment as I nod agreement, "But yeah, let's go." I yawn loudly and clamber unsteadily to my feet, retrieving my jacket from the back of my chair and shrugging it over my shoulders messily before following Blaine to the door.

We stop outside, the cold air slapping my cheeks and making me instantly feel twice as groggy and drunk. We stand face to face, both heading in opposite directions, and I suddenly realise I won't see Blaine until the next time I visit home. This is a temporary good-bye. I sigh heavily, my breath forming clouds in the air between us.

"So, I guess I'll see you next time you're home then." He states, and I nod slowly.

"Yeah, unless you visit me some time?" I suggest with a small shrug, my eyebrows raised, but he shakes his head.

"I would love to, but I can't afford it. It's just been Christmas, and you know my parents won't lend me the money. Plus Kurt has been talking about going on vacation." He frowns sadly but I wave a gloved hand.

"Don't worry about it. I understand." I smile sloppily and he giggles.

"Okay. I'll see you next time you're around then. Can you get home safe?" He raises his eyebrows and I scoff.

"Of course I can! I'm a hard-ass." He smirks and prods me in the arm, and I groan, rubbing the spot, "Well...I can still get home by myself."

"Okay cool. I love you, San." He leans in and gives me a tight squeeze, and the breath is forced out of me as I wrap my arms around his neck, closing my eyes and burying my face in his jacket.

"I love you, too. Stay safe, okay?" I pull back with a concerned frown, and he nods with a small smile.

"Yeah, I promise no more mouthing off." I giggle, shaking my head at him, and he leans forward to kiss me lightly on the forehead. "Have a safe journey; I hope you find another job really soon."

"Thanks." I grin lazily, "Anyway, I'd better get home. Enjoy your night." I raise my eyebrows and wink lasciviously, and Blaine giggles, a slight blush creeping up his neck.

"Will do. Bye, Sanny." He grins boyishly at me, and we take a couple of steps back before turning to walk in opposite directions, both turning over our shoulder to wave as we travel further apart.

As I take the short walk back to my house, Blaine's words echo in my ears.

You don't really want me to come live with you.

He's kind of right. I mean, living with Blaine would be awesome, but it wouldn't fix anything. I suppose I shouldn't even be worrying anymore, what's done is done and there's no fixing it. I'm driving myself insane thinking of ways to work this out, but there isn't one. I refuse to move back here, going long distance would just kill me…and there's no other way.

I wish it were that simple though. I should just accept that it's over, and it was just…just a two-week thing. My amazing Christmas miracle. It's like a movie, only without the fairytale, Hollywood ending. But real life doesn't have Hollywood endings. It just…goes on. You learn to live with what you have. And sure, I'll probably pine for what I don't have for a little while…but one day it'll be easier. I'm sure of it. I mean, sure, I've never ever felt like this ever before, in my entire life, but…I'm sure I will again. There'll be other girls.

I sigh, watching my breath swirl in clouds as I gaze dreamily at the snow around me. I'm trying to convince myself that it's going to be fine, but my body seems to drastically disagree. The lump in my throat hasn't cleared since I threw away my burrito this afternoon, and a heavy weight has settled uncomfortably in my chest. My stomach turns when I think of going back to the city. Pretty sure that isn't a good sign. I love the big city, and of course I'd rather be there than here. I'd just also rather be wherever Quinn is. I just wish Quinn wasn't…here. It complicates things.

I guess I'll just become one of those bitter, lonely people who wander through life aimlessly. Maybe I'm being a little dramatic…nope, I don't think so. Although, I hardly think becoming a crazy old cat lady would make me not love Quinn, or not miss Quinn. Awesome, so all I have to do is make Quinn live somewhere else.

Hold on.

I stop in the middle of the snow-covered sidewalk, staring down at my feet. I take deep breaths in an attempt to clear my head and think straight. My heart begins to pound as I turn on my heel, before marching in the opposite direction.

-oOo-

"Quinn." Is it possible to whisper loudly?

"Quinn?" I'm not managing if there is. How else can I get her attention? I frown at my surroundings, my lip curling as I find no answers. I sigh heavily, before a massively-cliché idea pop into my alcohol-befuddled brain. Cheesy 80s rom-coms, I thank you! I drag my foot through the snow beside the house, scraping a hole with my boot until I set eyes on the pebbled gravel beneath. I pull my glove off with my teeth, before reaching down and grabbing a handful of freezing stones, my fingertips numbing by the second.

"Quinn!" I hurl one of the pebbles into the air, wincing as it bounces off the wall and ricochets back down to the ground with terrifying velocity. I grimace before turning back to the window, another pebble loaded in my hand.

"Quinn!" I flick my wrist and make sure to throw a little more gently, and the pebble falls short. I sigh loudly, stamping my foot in the snow.

"QUINN!" Oh, that time I nailed it! The piece of gravel taps satisfyingly against the window and I grin smugly.

"QUINN!" I repeat the process, glancing at the other windows at the side of the dark house. I throw another three pebbles, all of which hit the window, until a light flicks on within the house. I flatten my back against the wall over-cautiously and crane my neck to see which light it is. The room directly above my head is illuminated, and I fist-pump in triumph before turning to the house, stepping backward until I have a clear view of the room. I can see Quinn at the window, frowning cluelessly at the pane in front of her. She hasn't looked into the garden beyond, and I wave my hand to get her attention.

She jumps, startled, as I catch her eye and her eyes grow wide in horror. She glances over her shoulder before hooking her fingers under the window frame and pushing it upwards. She winces as the cold air rushes in, scowling at me before moving out of view, returning a moment later as she pulls a hoody over her shoulders. The blonde rests her forearms on the window sill and leans her head out of the window, still scowling down at me.

"What do you want?" She hisses, "Are you insane?"

"Um," I frown, taking her rhetorical question far too literally, "I don't know, possibly. This doesn't feel like the most mentally sound I've ever been, but I also don't think I'm dangerous or anything." I shrug and she rolls her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She raises an eyebrow impatiently and I grimace guiltily.

"I just want to talk. Will you please come down here?" I clasp my hands together pleadingly and attempt a persuasive smile, but she shakes her head.

"Why should I?" She demands, her face incredulous, "So I can tell you how much I like you and you can humiliate me all over again? Go away."

"No. I won't do that." I shake my head firmly, "I know this is all a little weird, but I leave like…tomorrow, so I didn't have the time to wait and not be weird. But I want you to come down because I need to apologize for my behaviour today, and I need to explain to you. Will you please just give me that? Just five minutes of your time. Please." I raise my eyebrows hopefully but she retracts her head, sliding the window frame smoothly back into place, shaking her head.

I breathe a sigh of disappointment as Quinn disappears back into the depths of the room, clasping my hands behind my head and closing my eyes as the uncomfortable weight settles in my chest once again. That's it, she's gone. Turning away from the house, I walk back in the direction of the street, swallowing the lump in my throat. Well, sometimes you don't get a second chance. Then again, sometimes you don't deserve one. I sigh heavily, glancing up at the imposing house as I cross the drive and continue down the street.

There's a small clicking behind me and a soft voice calls out, "Santana!" I pause and frown, unsure if that was a real voice or the whiskey. "Santana, you'd better come back here." Quinn snaps "I'm not wearing shoes so there is no way I'm coming any further out." I quickly step back towards the drive, seeing Quinn stood on the doorstep and jog up the drive. She's still scowling, but I grin as I reach the doorstep, a flicker of hope igniting within me. "So what do you want?" She demands.

"I just wanted to explain." She waves a hand in the air in a go-ahead gesture, and I nod, "Okay so you see, I've lived in this town my entire life. And everyone was always super nice to me. And to Blaine. Until we went to high school, and then suddenly kids were really mean about us, and to us." I explain quickly. I'm pretty sure I'm on an unspoken time limit before Quinn shuts the door in my face, so I babble rapidly. "And they used to chase us on the way home, and call us names and stuff, just because we were gay. I mean, I didn't even officially say I was gay, but they just ran with it anyway!" I roll my eyes and she nods once. "So, I worked super hard and I moved away, to the city. Where people accept me, because there's all kinds of people there and nobody cares. I mean, some people care, obviously. But nowhere near as many as round here!" I take a deep breath and Quinn raises an eyebrow. She's no longer scowling, but she is staring blankly at me. "So I left, and I got away from all that abuse and prejudice. And I don't want to come back to that." I suddenly feel very sober as I swallow hard, "And that's why I said no to being your girlfriend." Her face softens slightly, but she averts her eyes to the tiled floor at her feet. "I'm sorry that I really wasn't very eloquent today. My brain just totally malfunctioned, because every part of me wanted to say yes, but I had to say no. Because when my contract finishes at the end of the month, I'm staying in the city. I owe it to myself." I shrug and she looks up at me again, twisting her mouth thoughtfully as she nods.

"I see." She smiles politely, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Well, I appreciate you telling me all this, I appreciate the explanation. Have a nice time in the city." She steps back, reaching for the door handle, but I step up onto the first step.

"No, wait! I'm not done." I grimace apologetically and she sighs, smacking her lips together.

"I'm still listening."

"So, I don't want to come back and live here permanently. And the idea of long-distance doesn't really work for me." She shakes her head in agreement, "But…I've known you two weeks. And I'm sorry you felt humiliated today, I really am. But I felt like a total douchebag, too…if that helps? We've only met a handful of times, but I still can't imagine not knowing you.

"Knowing you, is one of the best things to have happened to me in a really long time. Because I barely know you, but I feel like I've known you my entire life. I really like you, and…I don't like anyone. Ever. Mostly I hate everyone, actually." I nod sincerely and her mouth twitches slightly; I'm hoping its humour and not fury. "But I like you. A lot. When I'm around you, I feel kind of…complete, or something. And I love that I never have any idea where you will show up. It's a surprise every time, but every time I do see you…I don't know, my heart sings. That's cheesy but it's true." I shake my head with a small shrug, "I have no idea what it means. To be honest, it's kind of inconvenient for me."

She gives a small giggle, and I feel the weight lift slightly.

"But I kind of like it. I have no idea when you'll just pop up out of nowhere, but I love that. I love that it's been a few days and yet we've met up completely by chance on so many different occasions. And I look for you everywhere I go! Because I never know where you'll be, so I just look for you. And every time you're not there, I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed when I go home and by some miracle you're not sat on my bed! It's ridiculous. But I miss you all the time. Especially today. Today has been the longest day of my life."

"Tell me about it." She raises her eyebrows and I nod enthusiastically.

"I know right? So…you know how it feels, maybe. I was completely lost today, because…I don't know, I didn't make you smile. Exactly the opposite actually. But I love your smile, and I love it when I make you smile, and I hated today. And hopefully I'm never ever again going to make your face look like it did today."

"Okay, Santana! I get your point." Quinn shrugs sadly, "But where are you going with this? Great, you like me. Today I think I did a pretty good job of proving that I like you. Not to mention making an ass of myself. But none of this matters. It's past midnight, you've woken me up, I'm freezing cold, I think you might be a little drunk…but none of this matters. Tomorrow you're going back to the city, you won't be coming back here permanently and neither of us want to try long-distance. So as far as I'm concerned, you're just wasting my time. We're not going anywhere." She shrugs again, raising her eyebrows matter-of-factly.

"Do you love your job?" I ask sincerely, and she frowns, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"It's okay."

"Do you love it?"

"No, I guess." She looks confused, crossing her arms, but I smile.

"Okay, so do you love this house?" I hold my arms outstretched and she shrugs one shoulder.

"Not really. Where are you going with this?"

"Do you love this town?"

She sighs impatiently, rolling her eyes, "No."

"Then just come with me." I hold my hands palm-up, and her eyes narrow slightly.

"What are you talking about?" She frowns, staring at me searchingly.

"I'm talking about how much I love your smile. And how much I love your laugh. And I love the way you turn the pages of a book. I love your expression when you sleep. I love your kisses, they're amazing." The blonde glances away shyly, "I've loved waking up next to you, both times. Although, I'll admit the first time was a little startling." I look away, thoughtful, "And a little unsettling." She nods vehemently, her expression softening, "But, I even loved that my family forgot about me, because I got to spend the night next to you. I loved the first time we met, it was easily my best Starbucks experience ever. Give or take the day I got a free gingerbread man." She chuckles and I grin, "I love getting texts from you that make my heart skip a beat. I love hearing your voice, seeing your face. I've known you for two weeks. Two incredible weeks. And you've changed my life. It's been two weeks, and it's too soon. But I love you."

My voice cracks slightly and I avert my eyes, swallowing hard as Quinn stands silently on the doorstep.

"If you want revenge, you can totally just close the door in my face, if you want." I make an attempt at humour but my voice is shaking as my heart pounds, and I don't pull it off.

"I'm not going to do that."

"Well then. I know it's really soon, and we barely know each other. But I'm so sure. I am sure that I love you because otherwise nothing makes sense to me. And this is all really crazy, and maybe it's a completely stupid idea, but I want you to come with me." She raises her eyebrows disbelievingly, and I nod to emphasize my point. "You don't love your job, or your house or this town…so what would be stopping you? Just come with me."

"I can't, Santana." She shakes her head, frowning sadly.

"Why? Why not? Maybe you couldn't come tomorrow, but you could come next week, or at the end of the month or whatever." I shake my head with a small shrug, "And whenever you do, you'll find a job and I'll get another job and you know, I'll sleep on the couch at first if you want, because I know this is really soon and it's a lot to take in, but…you know. I don't want to not have you around all the time."

She stands silently, staring at me. I can hear my pulse rushing in my ears, and take a deep breath as Quinn licks her lips.

"What, so you want me to just move to New York to be with you?" She leans against the doorframe, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised sceptically, and I bite my lip. I glance around awkwardly before giving her a quick nod.

"Pretty much…it sounds more stupid now I hear it back." She nods slowly with a wry smile, before chuckling quietly.

"It does sound kind of stupid." She confides, and I twist my mouth awkwardly. "You want me to leave the house I've lived in my entire life, quit my job and move to New York City…just so you can be my girlfriend?"

She seems incredulous but I nod slowly, "It's one hell of a consolation prize." I wink cheekily and she smiles despite herself, rolling her eyes. "Look I know it's really stupid. But I might as well try, because I love you a lot and I'd never forgive myself if I didn't at least ask you to come with me. We might need to get a bigger place at some point but I don't see why we couldn't do that. And we can save up so you can go to college, too, if that's what you want."

She doesn't say anything, and I shift from foot to foot silently as she stares at the doorstep between us, before taking a deep breath, "So you walked to my house, at midnight, in the freezing cold middle of winter, in the snow. You threw rocks at my window to get my attention, dragged me down here, in the freezing cold middle of winter, to stand on my doorstep in my socks. You then gave me that huge speech while I stand here in a hoodie, in the freezing cold middle of winter, all to ask me to move to New York?"

"I'm sensing that you may be a little chilly." I narrow my eyes and she nods with a sarcastic smile, "I have very good intuition." I wink and she chuckles again, "But yes, that's exactly what happened this evening. Whaddaya say?" I grin, arms outstretched, and she shakes her head.

"You're insane."

"I know. Whaddaya say?" I'm still grinning as she rolls her eyes. She stares out at the dark sky above the house, shaking her head slowly.

"Okay."

"What?" My mouth drops open slightly, and she doesn't avert her gaze from the night sky.

"I said okay." She tilts her head to look at me, nodding seriously, "Sounds perfect."

"Are you serious or being sarcastic? I will admit that I'm a little drunk-"

"Shocker. This was such a well-thought-out, logical plan. I'd never have guessed." She interjects wryly and I roll my eyes,

"And I can't tell if you're joking or not. So just…clear it up for me."

"Okay…" She pauses, looking thoughtful for a moment, "Every time I see your face, my heart skips a beat. I have never, ever felt so at ease, and so…complete…with anybody else ever. Your smile brightens up my day. I feel lost every day that I don't see you, although recently that hasn't happened very often. But I like that. It's a little like fate." She smiles contentedly and I nod, silent, "And you broke my heart today. But you kind of fixed it tonight. And what possible reason could I ever have to say no to that offer?" She gives me a coy smile and I can't resist allowing a huge grin to spread across my face, "So…of course I'll come to New York with you. Why wouldn't I?"

"Because the whole thing is kind of insane?" I suggest, and she raises an eyebrow with a nod.

"It is insane. But so is meeting a random girl in a coffee shop and falling completely in love with her within…half an hour?" She shrugs, "That's just an estimate."

"You're right. It is insane." I nod and she grins. I crane my neck upwards, leaning forward slowly.

She smiles shyly as I press my lips to hers, eyes closed, and I try to focus on everything that has happened in the last five minutes. The weight in my chest has dissipated, replaced instead with huge butterflies. My heart soars as her arms wrap around my neck, my eyelids fluttering closed as a cold breeze coils around us. I pull away with a huge grin and the blonde gives me a shy smile.

"You're a little Christmas miracle, you know that right?" I quirk an eyebrow and she chuckles, nodding her head reluctantly.

"And you're a geek." I pull her close for a gentle kiss once again, "Happy Holidays, gingerbread latte."

She smiles, raising one eyebrow, "Happy Holidays, suspicious burrito."

-ooOoo-

"Come on, Q! We're gonna be late!" This is the fourth time I've told her to hurry up. I knew it would be like this, I told her over and over! We should have been at the airport ten minutes ago and we still need to drive over there. At this rate we're going to be driving all the way home.

"I'm coming! God!" She replies from the bedroom. She sounds exasperated, but frankly it's her own fault. I spin round as she pokes her head around the doorframe with a hopeful smile, "Out of interest, do you know where my laptop charger is?"

I can't resist rolling my eyes as I sigh heavily, "Did I not tell you to be packed and ready? Last night?"

"Yes?" She grimaces guiltily and I shake my head, "I'm sorry! I thought I was ready…turns out I wasn't. At all."

"I've gathered." I nod dryly, "But luckily for you, your awesome girlfriend already packed your phone charger, laptop charger, laptop and USB hard-drive, when she packed all of her own electronics. Two days ago. In preparation." I smile sweetly, giving her a small shrug, "Just saying."

"I love you." She replies with a grin, quickly disappearing from view.

"So you should!" I call after her, grateful when she appears a few minutes later, dragging her wheely-suitcase-bag-thing behind her. "Oh my God!" I openly laugh as she lugs her bag into a standing position, "How many clothes are you taking?"

"What?" She frowns down at the case, "This is my smallest bag. How much are you taking?"

I point to my considerably smaller overnight bag, "We're only going for four days." I laugh, shaking my head as I step forward to take her bag. "But you're all ready?"

"I'm all ready." She nods in confirmation, "And I did pack light."

"This is light?" My jaw drops incredulously as I heave the huge bag onto my shoulder, depositing it by the door of our converted warehouse apartment. "I think I just gave myself a hernia!"

"Awh no." She pouts sympathetically, crossing to join me by the door and snaking one hand under my sweater to stroke her fingertips against my skin, "I'll rub it better." She grins cheekily and I narrow my eyes in a mock-scowl before closing the gap in a chaste kiss, but I pull away quickly.

"Okay, no. We have no time for this!" I remove her hand and step back, surveying the apartment thoughtfully. "Right, I think we're all good. You're all packed?" I raise my eyebrows and she nods confidently, "Good. My mami is expecting us this evening, Blaine and Kurt get back from skiing tomorrow, then we're heading back from New Year's." I pause for a second, biting my lip, "Are you sure you don't want to visit your mom and dad while we're there?"

Quinn shakes her head with a shrug, "No. Franny and family are visiting her husband's family this year, I can always meet my mom for a coffee or something."

"Okay…if you're sure." I reply uneasily, but she nods, "So…that's the plan, am I forgetting anything?" I gaze down at the bags, running through a mental check-list, "Nope. That's it all! Perfect."

"Um…" Quinn frowns, but I'm too busy lifting her bag onto my shoulder, picking up my own with my free hand.

"If I take these down to the street and call a cab, could you make sure to turn all the switches off and lock the door?"

"Um…" She jerks a thumb over her shoulder, but I'm still rambling.

"We should still make the flight if we tell the driver just to go fast." I swoop in to drop a peck on her lips before turning to leave the apartment, a bubble of festive excitement building in my chest.

Quinn sighed heavily, watching me retreat down the hallway. She swiftly zig-zags across the apartment, making sure to turn off all of the mains switches, before crossing to the giant Christmas tree with a sigh. Shaking her head incredulously, she leans down and reaches for a huge sack stashed under the pine needles.

"Don't worry! I got the presents!"