This is it. Enjoy your last read!
How can I convince you what you see is real
Who am I to blame you for doubting what you feel
I was always reachin', you were just a girl I knew
I took for granted the friend I have in you*
She couldn't believe the day was finally here. Quinn had been bugging her about this for weeks. When Quinn had first told her about Rachel auditioning without telling her and how disappointed she had felt, she had taken a deep breath and gone to her bedroom to get the letter she had received the day before, leaving behind the confused and emotional former HBIC of McKinley High. Coming back she had pushed the envelope towards her best friend and nodded at her to open it.
As realization dawned on Quinn, Santana could see her eyes widen. After a while the blonde's face had had a proud smile painted on as she locked eyes with the Latina.
"Santana, this is amazing," she had simply told her, hugging her friend tightly without realizing how out of their comfort zone that was, still holding the NYU acceptance letter in her hand.
"Do you get what I'm trying to tell you?"
"I get that yet another person made an important step without telling me and I have to force the disappointment away to feel happy for them. But seriously, I'm so happy you found your dream, S."
"Quinn, sometimes it's hard being your friend, you know? And I imagine it can be hard being your girlfriend, too."
"Gee, thanks Santana."
"No, that's not what I meant. You're a winner, Q. You always have been. You got Sue to take you back how many times? You got into Yale, you managed to walk again – against all odds – and you got into both Columbia and NYU with a double major."
"It's not that big of a deal, San."
"But it is! When I applied to NYU, I felt so insecure. The only ones I told were my parents because I knew how happy they'd be that their baby wants to study law. I knew how happy they'd be to just see me trying. I didn't even tell Brittany, even though we are back to at least talking a little from time to time. Maybe Rachel was simply scared of failing while standing next to a winner like you. It's her dream come true. Barbra Streisand's most iconic role. Cut her some slack, Lucy Q."
The blonde had glared at her, however almost good-naturedly before sighing and answering. "I just wish I could have been a part of it. I feel left out, I guess. But I think I get it."
"Good girl," the Latina had told her, throwing in a teasing wink.
"Very funny, S. So law, huh? Have you called Mr. Schuester yet? I'm sure he'll just love to hear that."
"Shut up, Fabray!"
"What's your ultimate aim? Making gay marriage legal in all fifty states?"
"Don't make me hurt you, Fabgay!"
"I'm not scared of you. I know you love me, Sanny," the former HBIC told her before running off to her room.
I was living for a dream, loving for a moment
Taking on the world, that was just my style
Now I look into your eyes
I can see forever, the search is over
You were with me all the while*
But now, the day was finally here. It was the day of Rachel's debut on Broadway and the blonde was all over the place, running through the apartment like a headless chicken.
When the doorbell rang, it was Santana who went to open the door, seeing as Quinn didn't even hear it. She opened the door to an older version of Rachel and a carbon copy of a young Quinn and her jaw dropped a little at how radiating Tiny Q was.
The little bundle of sunshine ran past her, yelling for Quinn, although her name sounded an awful lot more like 'Kinn' and Santana was forever going to tease her with that.
She looked at a smiling Shelby and nodded once as she stepped aside to let the mother of Quinn's child and her former mentor in.
"So, how've you been Santana?"
"Good, I've been good. What about you?"
"My daughter is starring in Funny Girl, so what do you think?" The smile on Shelby's face might just be the most sincere thing that Santana had ever seen from the older brunette. Pride was too small of a word for what she was exuding at this very moment.
"Yeah no shit, I'm still kind of impressed how fast she got there," Santana jokes.
"So what about your career? Singer, dancer, actor?"
"None of those, actually," the Latina replied with a little blush on her face.
"Oh? I thought you wanted to be the new Jennifer Lopez or something," Shelby said teasingly.
"So did I. Turns out, I really can't see myself doing any of that. I got into NYU, I'll start studying law next semester."
"Wow," the older woman answered surprised. "Didn't see that one coming."
"I know."
There was a short silence and Santana wasn't sure it still counted as comfortable.
"Fabray, are you done already?"
"Almost, just a second."
"She already loves you, what's the big deal?"
"It's her Broadway debut, S. Have some respect. I can't look like a slob next to a Broadway star now, can I?"
And with that Quinn joined them in the hallway in a long black evening gown with her daughter's hand in hers and all Santana could do was stare. Quinn had never seemed so grown up before. She couldn't believe that this was the same girl who went completely insane in senior year.
"So, is Kurt meeting us there?"
"Oh yeah, he is," Santana answered after a second of hesitation as if on autopilot.
Can we last forever, will we fall apart
At times it's so confusing, these questions of the heart
You followed me through changes and patiently you'd wait
Till I came to my senses through some miracle of fate*
"Calm your tits, Fabray. You're embarrassing."
"Would you just shut up, San? I'm already nervous as it is."
"No shit, I can feel the seats move from your restless leg syndrome, thank you very much. It's not you on that stage tonight. No need to be so nervous."
"You don't understand okay? Just leave me alone about it already."
"Language girls. And would you stop acting like babies? Beth is acting more grown up than the two of you combined," Shelby chastised them.
Beth just grinned between her mother and Quinn, proud of the obvious comment.
"Of course she is. She's an angel after all," Quinn said, hugging little Q with one arm and Santana could only roll her eyes.
"Maybe now, wait a few years, Q. You used to be an angel, too. At least Mama Judy seems to think you were."
"Shh," Kurt hissed from the other side when the lights turned off and music started to play.
I was living for a dream, loving for a moment
Taking on the world, that was just my style
Now I look into your eyes
I can see forever, the search is over
You were with me all the while*
Rachel was mesmerizing on that stage and even Santana couldn't help but let the brunette draw her in, charm her with her voice and show her a beauty that Santana didn't think she had ever seen in Rachel Berry. A few times, she caught the newly crowned Fanny Brice looking at the blonde sitting next to her. It almost stung how affectionate just that single glance was but Santana couldn't help but admit just how much the singer had grown on her and how glad she was that Quinn had finally found happiness with the tiny brunette.
She wanted so much to be jealous and angry. She wanted to tell herself that if she couldn't be happy or even famous than neither should Rachel. She wanted to tell herself that Rachel didn't deserve this, not this early. But she knew it would be a lie because no one had ever fought as hard as Berry and she also knew that as long as the girl made her best friend happy, she deserved everything, absolutely everything the world could give her and maybe just a little more than that.
She caught Quinn crying twice and she would be sure to tease her about it endlessly later but at this moment when she saw her best friend smile through the tears that ran down her cheeks, she couldn't even poke her in the ribs because Quinn seemed more like Quinn than she ever had at McKinley and Santana was just so damn proud of her and she would simply have to bite back the comment and jab for now and save it for some uncomfortable silence – because almost every silence seemed uncomfortable to Santana – during breakfast or whatever. There simply was something way too sincere and beautiful about the Quinn sitting in the front row of Rachel Berry's Broadway debut for her to ruin it with her need to dodge any emotional moment as soon as possible.
Looking at Quinn, Santana was reminded of everything she had always seen in the girl; strength, pride and an amount of love that the Latina sometimes envied and other times didn't. In the brunette's world, love was still weakness. It had always been her only weakness. It seemed however, that Quinn had made it her strength and Santana couldn't be more proud and jealous at the very same time.
Now the miles stretch out behind me
Loves that I have lost
Broken hearts lie victims of the game
Then good luck it finally struck
Like lightning from the blue
Every highway leading me back to you*
When she jumped up next to the Latina to give her girlfriend her very first standing ovation on Broadway, Santana couldn't help but stare at Quinn instead of Rachel. She stood up as well, clapping and giving Rachel what she deserved. She wasn't sure however, if the show she was applauding was "Funny Girl" or the story of how Rachel Berry gave Quinn Fabray the much needed nudge in the right direction on her way to get better. It didn't matter however.
In this moment, she felt like nothing mattered and for once she was fine with someone else standing in the lime light. For once she was fine with simply leaning back and enjoying the show – whatever the show may be.
Now at last I hold you, now all is said and done
The search has come full circle
Our destinies are one
So if you ever loved me
Show me that you give a damn
You'll know for certain
The man I really am*
Looking at Quinn now, happiness radiating from her, proudly holding her girlfriend in her arms, the flowers in her hands obviously long forgotten and a constant smile tattooed on her face, looking more beautiful than Santana had ever seen her, she could finally see it. She could see Quinn's journey stretched out before her; her journey towards perfection, towards something she would never be able to reach. What she realized at this point though, was that Quinn was aware of that and seemed to be content with taking step after step without ever crossing the finishing line. She realized that all the blonde needed now was something to strive for. As the blonde stopped to kiss Rachel right then and there in front of everyone, not caring where she was or even who she was, Santana realized that Quinn didn't feel the need to reach perfection anymore like she used to, she simply wanted to have an aim that would always be there; a constant so to speak. And like a graph that was approaching infinity without ever reaching it, she realized that Quinn was finally aware that some things were simply meant to be out of reach.
I was living for a dream, loving for a moment
Taking on the world, that was just my style
Then I touched your hand, I could hear you whisper
"The search is over, love was right before my eyes."*
Alright everyone, this is it. This is the end. This is also the point where I take the time to again thank you very much for your continued support throughout this. I know, a lot of people think, there's a lot left to be told but I hope the last paragraph gave you an idea of why this is where my story ends. There are always stories untold and I am also extremely sad to see this end because this story means a lot to me. But, this is exactly where the journey was supposed to lead, which you might understand looking back at the prologue that - just like the epilogue - ended with the words "out of reach". I hope you aren't too disappointed.
There will be another Faberry story coming up in a few months setting in in season three after Quinn's accident but right now, I will focus on "High Enough". For those who won't join me on that ride, I hope to see you back for my next Faberry story. Thank you very much and lots of love and kisses from me! Give me a final statement and let me know what you think of the story now that it has come to an end.
*Survivor - The Search Is Over