Don't own anything except OC's.

Chapter 34: Pretty damn good

2027.

Claire's POV.

I never ever thought that I would tell Quil that I hated him, but October 27th 2027 seemed to be the day for a wide variety of firsts; the first time I truly could have smacked Quil and not felt guilty, the first time I cursed so many times my mom thought about getting a priest to come and bless me, the first time I nearly broke Quil's hand, the first time I told Quil that I hated him, and the day our first child was born.

It was a long, hard and painful labor. It had started on the Sunday night while I was laid in the bath, staring at my massive pregnant stomach that popped up out of the water and bubbles like a beach ball. I was smiling as I did so, remembering seven months before when I had found I was pregnant in the very same bathroom while Quil was at work.

It had been one of my only days off since I got a nursing job at the Forks hospital six months beforehand and I'd known for a couple of weeks that there was something wrong with me. I'd been throwing up, my boobs had doubled in size and I'd put on a good amount of weight, so, really, I knew that I was pregnant before I even took the test. However, I hadn't been able to find the time to take a pregnancy test, and as a result didn't actually get to take one until what I learned later was my seventh week.

I had three different boxes of pregnancy tests from the store, the nine sticks laid across the sink. I peed into a plastic jug so I wouldn't have to pee over and over again, and dipped each test into the pee before pouring it down the toilet and waiting the agonizing three minutes, sat on the bath twiddling my thumbs. Once the last minute was up, I checked each one and felt my heart leap—they were all positive.

Immediately, I had beamed, elated, and then giggled nervously. We hadn't exactly been trying for a baby, but we'd seriously let-up on the protection in the past four months. I stopped taking my pill to regulate my periods and Quil didn't wear condoms. It was almost like an unspoken agreement that if it happened, it happened. Sure, I was busy at work, but I wanted a baby, a beautiful, sweet baby that was half me and half Quil.

I had trashed eight of the pregnancy tests and took one downstairs, wondering how I was going to tell Quil. After mulling over what I was doing to do, I looked at the clock and saw it was nearly five and Quil usually got home at nearly half past, so I got up, changed into a nice red dress, went downstairs and put in a casserole that we had made together the night before in our little kitchen.

Quil and I had found a house three months after our wedding and were fully moved in two months later. It was a medium-sized (for La Push) house with red siding, white windows and doors, a small but modern kitchen, a large living room/dining area, two bathrooms and three bedrooms with room for expansion should we ever need it. The back garden was twice as big as the house itself and Quil and the pack were in the process of putting some decking up that we were going to use for a barbeque/sitting area for parties and gatherings, and I had filled the small front yard with various flowers and bushes when we first moved in. It was probably a little dated and mismatched, but I loved our picture-filled, messy house…that I would soon be adding another member to.

When the front door had opened, I'd ran to my husband, kissing him passionately on the lips.

"Hey," I'd breathed, admiring his handsome face.

"Hello beautiful," he'd grinned back, making my heart flip.

After catching up on our days, I had put out the food while he lit a candle and poured us some wine. I hadn't drunk my drink, not making it too obvious so he didn't catch on before I had time to tell him properly, though I was practically bouncing in my seat as we ate our food and he kept smirking at me in a way that said 'I know you're onto something'.

"So I have something for you," I had said afterwards, smiling widely. Disappearing into the kitchen, I had returned with a plate with a bowl on top that hid the contents of what I was about to show him. His eyebrows had rose amusedly as I placed it in front of him, sitting on the table in anticipation of his reaction. "Open it!"

Slowly, he had taken off the bowl and his eyes had widened when he saw the small stick in the middle of the plate. Almost as if he couldn't believe his eyes, he had picked up the stick, staring at it in silence for a good minute before muttering, "P-positive? You're pregnant?"

I had nodded furiously. "I just found out today—congratulations, daddy," I beamed.

Without saying a word, he had grabbed my face, kissing me in a way that made my stomach drop and we'd celebrated right there on the kitchen table…probably not the most sanitary thing in the word, but, hey.

So as I thought about this, a felt a pain in my side that travelled to my lower back. Cringing, I sat up slightly, rubbing my swollen stomach. The baby's kicking had become very strong recently and I thought, for a moment, that it was just another kick until it happened again twenty minutes later, causing me to suck in a sharp breath. My whole body tingled when I realized what was going on—I was in labor.

"Quil!" I screamed, panicking. "Quil, come here!"

The bathroom door burst open and my husband looked at me, his eyes erratic. "Baby, what's wrong—"

"I'm in labor."

"—what?"

"I think I'm in labor," I stated, holding out my hands, "help me out."

Doing as I instructed, he carefully helped me out of the tub before drying me off. I walked into our bedroom down the hallway and grabbed my cream, only for it to be snatched from me and for Quil to take over. He said it was because my bump was too big, but he'd been saying that since my fourth month when I had still been able to do pretty much everything I'd been doing before my pregnancy but with just a little extra rest. He just liked the fact that most of the time, after he rubbed the cream in, I was usually extremely turned on because of his gorgeous, large hands and erotic massages.

This time, however, he quickly lathered it on my body and then handed me a float-y purple dress, grabbed our hospital bag and we made our way to Forks hospital. We were put into the maternity ward and a nurse came to see us, telling me that I was only three centimeters dilated; which basically meant I was going to be around for a long time.

It took over forty-eight hours for me to get to eight centimeters dilated and another twelve for me to get to ten. Quil, bless him, stayed with me the entire time, telling me I could do this and not flinching once as I clutched desperately to his hand, groaning and whimpering. As I was being wheeled to the delivery room, however, my lower half feeling like it was going to be ripped in two and absolutely, completely exhausted, I found that all I wanted was for him to go away.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" I growled as the nurses and doctor buzzed around us and my legs were put into stirrups. Sweat and tears poured down my face, landing on my chest in a gross mixture that I didn't even want to think about. "I hate you and your stupid penis—you got me into this mess."

He had the nerve to look a little offended and I snarled at him, grabbing his hand again and grasping at it so hard that he let out a shocked gasp. I swear to God, if he wanted another child he was going to have to find another imprint! I wasn't doing this again, ever! How the fuck Aurora did this five times (and was due to do it again soon, she was pregnant with her sixth, due a month after me) was beyond me. I had a newfound respect for every woman that had had a baby before—this shit was hard.

"Baby, I'm sorry," he said, wiping my forehead with his stupid cloth.

"Right, Mrs. Ateara, are we ready to push?" the doctor asked suddenly.

"Oh, God, yes!" I cried, lifting myself into sitting position. Quil instantly placed his hand around my back to hold me there and I felt a little bad for shouting at him, but then another contraction hit me and I once again never wanted to speak to him again. "Crap, crap, crap, crap…ow!"

"On your next contraction, I want you to push, okay?" the doctor said before bending down. "Tell me when."

I waited for five or so seconds—"Oh, shitting hell, now!" I hissed before pushing with all my might, desperate to get this damn baby out before my whole body ripped in half.

It felt like pushing a watermelon out a hole the size of a pin. It was agonizing, disgusting from the look and Quil's face when he had a peek down, difficult and just plain messy. I wasn't sure why people said that the experience of childbirth was a beautiful, natural thing because there was nothing lovely about it.

And then, just when I thought I couldn't go on any longer—I was so tired—the unbelievable pressure down below let up slightly and the sharp cry of a newborn pierced the air…and just like that, I was pretty sure I was in love. The doctor whipped the baby up and I just had time to see a little penis—I had a son—before he was placed on my chest, still covered in blood and gunk but I didn't even care.

"Congrats, you have a son!"

I let out a sob, collapsing against the bed with the little baby cradled in my arms—my little baby. This wasn't just any kid, it was my baby, my son, my beautiful little boy that was half Quil and half me. I couldn't believe he was here. After seven months of talking to him in my stomach, playing music to him, reading books to him, feeling him kick and dance inside of me, he was here, alive, breathing, crying and mine and Quil's. I had thought I was going to have a boy when I first found out I was pregnant while Quil thought we were going to have a girl, and when we had tried to find out our little nugget had been laying all funny and the nurse hadn't been able to tell us at any point because he was always facing away from the camera with his little ass in the air. Knowing he was here, knowing he was my little baby…God, was this what imprinting felt like? This overwhelming, take-over-your body happiness when you know that you would do anything and everything to protect this human who you'd only just met?

He was taken away from me for a minute while we both got cleaned up and I watched him all the time, waiting for him to be returned to me. Finally, just as I was about to burst, he was placed in my arms again and we were wheeled to the recovery room through the back way. Quil and I sat in the room, staring at our now sleeping son in awe.

"I don't know how you did it," Quil whispered.

"I don't either," I admitted. "But we did good."

"Really good."

"I'm sorry about what I said in the delivery room," I said and he laughed quietly. "Oops."

"It's okay. I understand. It was actually funny in a weird, horrible kind of way," he smirked. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"And I love our son," he said, reaching forward to stroke our baby's face.

"Oh, do you want to hold him?" I asked, realizing I was hogging him. Carefully, I placed our son in Quil's arms and smiled sweetly at the sight at them together. I almost felt like the Grinch when his heart doubles in size. "I can't believe he's here."

"I know," he chuckled. "I can't believe he's ours. He's our son, Claire."

"Quil Jacob Embry Ateara," I said easily. "Our son."

Qui's eyes snapped to mine. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes. Every male in your family has been called Quil for generations, and I know if it was the other way around you would call our daughter Claire," I grinned tiredly. "And I love the name because I love you, and I love Jake and Embry more than anything. We'll call him Q.J for short—short for Quil Junior."

"So we'll have Quil Senior, me Quil, and Q.J."

I sniggered. "Yeah…I love that."

He leaned over and we shared a long kiss before he pulled back, rocking Q.J in his arms softly. After a little bit, he handed him back to me and we sat together as a three-piece family for the first time for a while before Quil went to go and let our family and friends in. My parents, Quil's mom and Quil Senior came into the room first, hugging us and passing around Q.J with happy, teary smiles.

"Oh, he's beautiful, honey," my mom beamed, kissing my forehead.

"You did so well, Claire," Joy smiled at me, squeezing my hand. I was glad she was here. She didn't really do much on the rez since her husband died, spending her days at work and then at her house cooking and making things. She only made an effort for special occasions and I knew she had been here since last night and I appreciated that she had stuck around for so long.

"Thanks," I grinned like an idiot.

"Well done, son," Quil's grandfather said, hugging Quil and then wheeling himself around to my bed so I could lean down and kiss his cheek. Pain shot up my body at the action but I ignored it before resting back against the cushions once more.

They left after about half an hour, my dad trying to calm down my now sobbing mother. My cousins and sister came next, Nora bringing her new boyfriend, Elliot Delfino, who she was head-over-heels for and didn't even know it. After they left, we had a steady stream of visitors, and by the time we had the last few members of the pack, I was falling asleep during our conversation. They left with hugs and kisses and I fell quickly asleep.

The next day I awoke to the sight of my husband and son snuggled up together on the seat beside me, Quil staring down at our baby with adoring eyes. Half an hour later, the nurse came in and instructed me on how to breastfeed and only four hours later, I was released to go home.

We waited until Q.J was three months old to throw a party for his birth because we wanted to spend some time just us three as a family. Jake and Embry had given Quil two months paid time off from the garage after Q.J was born, so we had the privilege of so much precious time together that I felt like I was dreaming most of the time…though that could have been because of the tiredness. Having a newborn was as hard as I had feared, but, to my surprise, I found that for the most part I actually enjoyed it. Sure, I had a few break-downs, temper-tantrums and thoughts that I couldn't do it, but Quil—my savior, wolf, husband and all round amazing person—would stop me and calm me down.

On the 29th of January, I got our house ready for a party with Quil, my Aunt Emily (who was cooking for me), Uncle Sam (who was helping his wife) and cousins (who were helping me decorate). People began to arrive at five, the time I had told everyone the party started, and I ran to the door to greet them, my happiness mostly deliriousness from being so exhausted. I had to get up every time Q.J cried during the night because I was the one with the food and although Quil woke up sometimes, half of the time he slept through Q.J's cries and got a better nights rest than I did, which was good because he was now back at work.

"Louis!" I beamed when my godson, who had been born a little less than a month after Q.J, when the Clearwater's (and Aiden, who had imprinted on Juliet Clearwater and was now a part of the Clearwater family, much to Seth's initial displeasure) turned up at my house. They had moved back to the area during the summer when Aurora found out she was pregnant for the sixth time. They weren't very good with protection. "Hey guys!" I said to the rest of the clan, hugging them all before they ran off to play. I took Louis from Aurora and made a fuss over him before handing him back over to go and greet the other guests.

Q.J started crying in hunger after a couple of hours so I picked him up and disappeared into his nursery to sit on the rocking chair. I didn't mind breastfeeding in public places, but I much preferred the rocking chair. Quil and I had picked it out in my sixth month in a second-hand store in Port Angeles; it was dark, old and had a fluffy, plush yellow cushion on the seat that was so comfortable it should have been illegal.

A knock on the door made me sit up. Gabby popped her head around the door, smiling at me. "Can I come in?" she asked.

"Sure."

She walked in and sat on the seat beside me, the one Quil sometimes sat on when we were in the room together, though I usually just sat on his knee. Her sparkly engagement and wedding rings glistened in the dim light of the nursery. She and Collin had married last June on the beach followed by a reception at a hotel in Forks. I had been Maid of Honor and Brady Fuller Best Man, while Nora (who Gabby had grown up with), Gabby's sister Sophia, and, as a monumental moment, Behati had been bridesmaids, and Julian, Gabby's brother, Jake, Collin's cousin, and Quil had been groomsmen.

Behati had called us months before saying she had gotten her thirst fully under control and was now allowed back in society like a normal person. In response, Gabby had asked her to be bridesmaid and, if she could, Behati would have cried. Collin and Gabby's wedding signified the third time a vampire was allowed on Quileute land; the first being Jake and Nessie's wedding, and the second Aurora and Seth's wedding.

Gabby stared at Q.J wistfully and then looked at me, beaming. "So I want to tell you something," she said.

"Okay, what?" I snorted at her expression.

"I'm pregnant."

"Oh—really? That's amazing, Gab! When are you due?" I squealed.

"August. I know you're meant to wait a little bit but I wanted to tell you because…well, I want you to be godmother."

I beamed joyfully at her. "Thank you, Gab," I said sincerely. "That—means a lot…I want you to be godmother to my next one."

"Next one?"

"Don't tell Quil. He'll want to start trying tomorrow," I rolled my eyes. "We chose Aurora, Ness, Jake and Embry because they already have kids and we wanted some guidance—"

"I totally understand, that's part of the reason I chose you, too. Q.J will be eleven months by then and what better godmother than someone who's just been through it all? Collin wants Brady to be the godfather, so I thought you and him would be a good match."

We talked about babies until Q.J was done and then went back downstairs. I paused at the bottom of the stairs, looking around the room where all the pack had gathered. It was a tight squeeze, everyone seemed to be just staying in one place so they didn't run into each other and it was getting really hot, so much so that Landon Cameron and Jackson Call were opening up all the windows…but everyone I loved was in one place, my son was here, healthy and happy, and from my spot I could see my husband stood with Jake, Embry and Seth laughing and chatting together and knew, no matter what, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

2044.

Quil's POV.

I'd been asked by Emily to go to the shop and picked up a few things for the bonfire and, somehow, had made a five minute job stretch out for nearly forty minutes. I hadn't meant to, in fact, at first, I had tried my best to be as fast as possible. I'd ran to the store, picked out the bread, root beer, hot dogs and burgers, and rushed to pay. However, as I'd handed over the money to the cashier, a photo had caught my eye.

It was the same photo I'd had in my wallet for forty-one years…God, had it really been that long? Well, that made me feel old.

Chuckling to myself, I remembered that I was old now. I was technically fifty-four this year, though I looked to be in my late thirties after I stopped phasing soon after my first son, Q.J, was born. He was nine-months-old when I had gone to Sam and told him I was retiring from the pack for good. Instantly, he had nodded, understanding why, and shook my hand. I'd gone on one last run with my pack brothers that night and then I was officially just another normal member of society.

The photo was, of course, of me and Claire soon after I imprinted on her and the first photo of us together. It was worn and weathered, having been lugged around with me all these years, but it was one of my favorite possessions in the world. Not because it reminded me of when Claire was younger because I didn't—under any circumstances—want those days back, but because it signified the very beginning of the rest of my life; me and Claire, together.

Claire had gone back to work when Q.J was ten months old and became a full-time nurse at Forks Hospital, a job she still had to this day. I stayed at Fix 'n' Go and still worked there, though I was now co-manager with Embry after Jake and Seth once again had to move away from the area. Seth's son, Harry, and Jake's son, Will, owned the company now, doing all the finances and the business side (the side that Embry and I weren't as good at), and I had a feeling that the company would be passed down the Clearwater-Black lines for a very long time.

Sighing quietly, I slowed down my walking, taking the scenery, smells and sounds of La Push. With how busy I had been over the years, I forgot to admire the beauty of La Push. Running after three kids could do that to you, I suppose. They kept me busier than I ever thought I could be.

I finally got back to Sam and Emily's house—which was bursting at the seams with people—and entered through the front door, dropping off the stuff in the kitchen where Emily stood with some pack members and family members. I went into the backyard and glanced around the space, smiling at the squealing laughter of children, the chattering of the pack, and the all the familiar faces that I loved.

"Hey," an achingly sweet voice said to my right. "Where have you been?"

I turned towards my beautiful wife, smiling adoringly at her. Even after all these years together, she was still the most beautiful woman I knew. Her brown hair was still thick and shiny, her olive skin soft and smooth, and her hazel eyes bright and loving. "The store," I answered, opening up my arms to her. She instantly walked over. "I just…took my time."

"You could say that," Claire teased, "you took nearly forty minutes—the stores at the end of the street."

"Isn't La Push beautiful?"

"Are you on drugs?"

"Ha ha," I grinned. "I'm just happy, that's all."

She grinned, leaning up to drop a kiss on my lips that was meant to be short and sweet, but I deepened it, running my tongue across her lips. Moaning, she ached into me, her feminine body pressing deliciously against mine. I couldn't help it as my hands slipped to her ass, giving it a light squeeze.

"Mom, dad! You never guess what—oh, ew! MY EYES!"

Pulling (hesitantly) away from my imprint, I peered over Claire's head and saw my daughter stood with her hands covering her eyes. After a few seconds, she peeked out between her fingers and let out a sigh of relief. Emery (named after Emily Uley, who cried upon hearing my daughter's name for the first time) Jasmine Ateara was born on the May 10th 2030, a few months away from Q.J's third birthday.

She was, according to Claire, just as painful as Q.J to bring into the world, but worth it. Even as a kid, she was the most beautiful little girl in the world, rivaling only her mom, who she looked so much alike that I let my little Emmie could get away with a lot more than she should. The only differences between Emery and her mom was that my daughter's hair was curly, her skin a few shades darker and she had my thicker lips.

"Yes, Emmie?" I inquired, raising my eyebrows at her.

She bounded over, hair flying all over the place and a beam on her face. "Q.J imprinted!" she squealed.

My eyes widened slightly as her words sunk in. A stray vampire had ran through the forest two months ago and a week later, Q.J got into a fight with Emery about her stealing his t-shirt (which he usually wouldn't be bothered about) and he phased, followed three days later by Milo Littlesea, his best friend and Collin and Gabby's oldest child.

"On who?" Claire asked in shock.

"Lexi," Emery giggled, clapping her hands together excitedly as she mentioned her best friend. "Look, look! They're talking over there!" she pointed over the backyard.

Sure enough, my eldest kid was stood with Collin and Gabby's youngest child and only daughter, Alexis Dahlia Littlesea, who I was also godfather to. Her two older brothers, Milo and Ryder, stood nearby, shaking their heads and smirking at each other as they watched my son blush and stutter to his imprint, who giggled shyly in return. I knew from Claire and Gabby's gossiping a few nights ago when we all had dinner that Alexis had had a crush on Q.J for years, so she was probably over the moon that he had imprinted on her.

"That's great!" Claire beamed. "Where's Gabby? Does she know yet?"

"I don't know. She's with Uncle Collin inside, I think," my daughter replied and my wife instantly ran off into the house, soon followed by some screaming and laughing.

"Isn't it amazing, dad?" Emery smiled cutely. "It's so romantic…she's likes him for ages." She paused, cocking her head to the side. "Do you think I'll be imprinted on, dad?"

"Not if I have anything to do with it," I muttered and she glared teasingly. "I don't know, sweetie. Do you want to be imprinted on?"

Her nose scrunched. "I don't know…I suppose. Not for a while yet, though."

"At least forty years?"

"Ten."

"You'll only be twenty-four in ten years!"

"Mom was married and pregnant with Q.J at that age."

Yeah, I pretty much started hyperventilating at that.

"Chill, dad," Emery said, stepping forward and wrapping her slender arms around my waist. "Twenty years?"

"Thirty."

"Twenty-five," she bargained.

I laughed, running my fingers through her thick brown curls. "You're definitely your mother's daughter, Emmie," I said.

"I hope so—Jesse! Did you hear Q.J imprinted?"

My youngest child walked over, stopping a foot or so away with his arms crossed. "Yeah," he shrugged. "I've known for ages that he was going to imprint on her. No big deal."

"You're allowed to show some enthusiasm, Jess," Emery stuck her tongue out.

"Yey?" Jesse said unsurely.

Emery rolled her eyes and ran off to talk to Bodhi Call near the food table.

I turned to my youngest son. While Q.J took mostly after me and Emery after Claire, Jesse was a perfect mix between us both. He was born April 6th 2033 and was the most painful and annoying (Claire's word, not mine) pregnancy. For the last two months, Claire's blood pressure had been too high and she'd been confined to bedrest (one of the hardest two months of my life, just behind the months I spent with Claire hating me). I'd had to work, run after the kids, run after a very pissed off and irritated Claire, and deal with worried, obsessive relatives that called after hour to check up on my wife. I did all that anyway, but without Claire to bounce off of, I'd struggled.

We'd got through it, though, like we always did, and Jesse was born a week before his due date, much to Claire's relief. After he was born, Claire swore off having any more children and with Q.J and Emery rushing off me my feet—and I had no doubt Jesse would do the same—I agreed, and got the snip when Jesse was only three months old.

My youngest child, however, turned out to be a dream baby. He slept through the night, ate a reasonable amount unlike my two previous children, cried on only very rare occasions, and I couldn't recall one time when he had a temper tantrum. He was the quietest of us all with inquisitive, intelligent eyes that even as a toddler looked at the world in a way that I only wished I could.

"How're you doing, Jess?" I asked, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and steering him towards the logs.

He sat down beside me, a small smile on his face. "Okay. I like watching Q.J making a fool of himself."

"You're really an evil genius, aren't you?"

"That, and I'm the youngest kid. I was made to enjoy my older sibling's embarrassment."

Chuckling, I offered him some marshmallows that he took and started to crisp in the small bonfire. He was soon joined by his best friend, Ryder Littlesea, and they started talking rapidly to each other.

A few hours later, I managed to drag Q.J away from Alexis and we all went home. Q.J stumbled into the living room, collapsing on the sofa with an awed smile and twinkling eyes—the expression of a newly imprinted wolf.

"Son, are you okay?" I asked as Claire giggled from where she stood tucked into the crook of my arm.

"I'm brilliant…amazing…fantastic…isn't Lexi the most beautiful girl you've ever seen?" he gushed.

"Sure, Q," I smirked amusedly. "Why don't you go to bed? You've had a big day…plus, the sooner you go to bed, the sooner you wake up and can talk to Lexi. I'm sure she won't mind you going round to see her."

Q.J sighed dreamily before following his siblings up the stairs. A minute later, I heard his bedroom door shut and the springs of his bed as he collapsed onto it.

"So, our son imprinted," Claire said, looking up at me through her eyelashes.

"On Collin and Gabby's daughter."

"I couldn't have even wrote this better," Claire smiled, turning under my arm so she could wrap her arms around my body. Since retiring and aging, I'd lost the hardness or my body but I was still a big guy with a generous muscle mass because of all the time I had to spend at the gym blowing off the anger and energy I could no longer get rid of by phasing. "Now he'll be moving out soon and getting his own life away from us. Then Em and Jess will follow him," she said, sadness in her eyes.

"Q.J is too much of a momma's boy to totally get his own life away from you," I comforted her. "They'll always be around. Graduating, getting married, having kids…our grandchildren."

"I'm not ready to be a grandma yet, Quil Ateara!"

"And you're forgetting something," I murmured, leaning down to her ear and dropping a kiss on her neck that made her breath hitch. Even after all these years together, I still had a maddening effect on her and I loved it.

"And what's that?"

"You're always going to have me," I said. "Always have, always will."

"You're right…I love you, Quil."

"I love you, too," I replied before crashing our lips together in a sweet, loving kiss that I knew was only the start of our night, and another part of our slightly crazy lives together that'd had so many ups and downs I'd lost count, but also produced three wonderful children and I had Claire, always and forever, by my side.

And those facts, well, it meant that life was pretty damn good.

THE END

Thoughts?

I have no excuse for the extremely long wait. All I can say is I'm sorry and I've actually been working on a lot of new stories, which is why this one took so long to finish. What do you guys think of a Seth/OC one (not set in this universe)? Haha, anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! The final chapter, actually!

Thank you to everyone that reviewed, alerted and added this story to their favourites! I love you all so much, and thank you for the continued support, even through my crappy updating schedule! I hope you read some of my other stories, but, if not, then thanks and goodbye! I hope you enjoyed Quil and Claire's journey as much as I did!

-Laylax