A/N: Hey readers! I hate to say it but this will be the final chapter of 'Daughters'. I have loved working on this story and don't worry, I have an idea for another multi chapter quartie fic that I might end up doing, right now ideas are in the works and I write one shots about many different glee friendships and relationships all the time, so I won't be disappearing off the writing earth anytime soon. Thank you to all who read and reviewed! It means a lot to me! This chapter is kind of like an epilogue sort of thing, considering it does take place years later than the rest of the story. So here it is, the final chapter.
7 years later
It happened. No matter how badly he didn't want it to. It did. The years went by. Haylee and Alec had stayed together all through high school, went off to college together, and right after they graduated, he proposed. In a way Artie was happy. Alec loved Haylee. He loved her a lot, and had always treated her right, always.
It was a big year. Not only was it the year Haylee was getting married, but it was the year that Emmy was going off to college. While Haylee had gone to Ohio State with Alec, staying close by, Emmy had other plans. She was going to the University of Southern California, to pursue acting. It scared him out of his mind, her being so far away. He was surprised that he and Quinn were even letting her go, but this was what she wanted. She wanted more than what Ohio had to offer, and in a way she reminded him a little bit of Rachel Berry.
The wedding was set for a week before Emmy went off to school, so she could still be there to be her sister's maid of honor.
As Artie and Haylee stood in the entry way to the alter, waiting for their time to go in, all Artie could do was stare. He hadn't seen the dress yet, and here she was. All grown up, and as sad as it might've been, she looked beautiful.
"So you haven't told me, what do you think of the dress?" She asked him.
Artie felt his eyes get a little misty. He hadn't even told himself that he wouldn't cry today, because he knew that he would. It was unavoidable.
"You look amazing, you make a beautiful bride, just like your mom did." he told her softly.
"Thank you. You know, we picked this one for a specific reason. Not only because it's beautiful, but because of something else."
"Really? What?"
"It'll make it easier for me to sit on your lap, when you wheel me down the aisle." She sad as she sat down seamlessly on to Artie's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Artie was shocked. He thought he was just going to wheel beside her as she walked. The thought never crossed his mind. As he looked at Haylee sitting on his lap, like she had done so many times over the years, all he could do was lean in and hug her.
They stayed like that for a while. He was crying, and Haylee was trying not too. She didn't want to completely ruin her make up until she was at the alter. They stayed that way until they heard the music, it was show time.
Artie pulled out from their hug and kissed her cheek.
"You ready to get married?"
Haylee sniffled and shook her head excitedly.
As Artie wheeled her down the alter, he felt more happy about this than nervous than he ever had before. As he looked at Alec's face when he saw her. He knew that look. It was the same look that he remembered when he saw Quinn coming down the aisle at their own wedding a little over twenty two years ago. Seeing his face, everything was confirmed. Alec would take good care of his little girl.
As they reached the end and Haylee got off of Artie's lap, Alec looked Artie in the eye. Almost as if it was a promise, specifically to him.
The ceremony was tough to get through. There were a lot of tissues used between, him, Quinn, and Emmy. But it was beautiful. It felt like just yesterday he was more terrified of this than anything. Now it didn't feel so scary anymore. He looked at Quinn as he held her hand through the ceremony. He was proud of what they did. Together, they had raised two beautiful woman, who were now going off to be so happy and to do great things, and he couldn't have been anymore proud.
The day they flew west to California to take Emmy to school, was in a way, scarier than the wedding. Haylee and Alec had seemed practically like a married couple since they were kids, but Emmy being across the country, that was completely new.
She was so excited, she could barely sit still the entire plane ride. That didn't surprise neither Artie or Quinn. She had never been able to sit still. She had always been the theatrical, over the top child. Whether she was singing The Beach Boys in the car, to singing Wicked songs in front of everyone as Galinda in her high school productions, she owned how excited she was. She owned her passion.
As they got her dorm set up, and she got settled in. Everyone managed to stay under control. So far everything was good, but with each minute that passed, Artie and Quinn's nerves got bigger.
Soon enough, they were leaving to say their goodbyes. "You have everything right? I don't think we forgot everything, but is there anything else you need us to go get before we leave?" Artie asked.
"For about the hundredth time, yes. I have everything, and if I need something I can go get it. I'm good Dad, really." Emmy told him.
"You know, we are only a plane ride away. If you need us we can be out here within a matter of hours. Really don't hesitate to have us come, we'll be here." Artie assured her. What not even Quinn knew was that he had been saving up a special fund that would be their to purchase up to so far fifteen round trip airline tickets.
"I know, but I'll be okay. You don't have to worry about me."
"Yes I do." Artie let out.
With that the strong front Emmy had up, instantly came down as she burst into tears and crumbled into Artie's lap.
"I'll miss you Daddy." She cried into his shoulders.
"I'll miss you too, sweetie. You're going to do great, I'm already so proud of you." he whispered into her ear.
Once everyone had a chance to collect themselves. Everyone said their real goodbyes, knowing that it wouldn't be goodbye for long. Artie was serious, he would only be a plane ride away. He would save up money in that fund to manage a hundred tickets.
It scared Quinn how much her and Haylee were alike in some ways. They both married high school sweethearts, at exactly the same age, and now it seemed that they were starting their family not too far after Quinn and Artie did either. Within about seven months of married life, they found out that Haylee was pregnant. Everyone was excited, although even though she was married it was hard to believe that Haylee, his baby, was having a baby of her own.
Than after 8 and a half months, two weeks before her initial due date, Artie and Quinn got a call at around midnight from Alec. Haylee's water just broke and they were on their way to the hospital. Quinn was practically jumping up and down while Artie felt like his insides were jumping up and down. He was excited to meet his grandchild, they still hadn't found out if it was a boy or a girl, but nervous and anxious all at the same time.
As they got to the hospital they were met in the lobby by an excited Brittany, a nervous Santana, a crazy Emmy calling them on the phone trying to get a flight back home as soon as possible, and a pale white Alec. He reminded Artie so much of how he had been when Haylee and Emmy were born. Especially Haylee. It was different with the first borns. The feeling of becoming a father for the first time was one of the most exciting, and terrifying experiences any man will ever feel.
They were all lead back into the room where they saw Haylee snuggled into her pillow, her breathing staggered, and her eyes teary.
"Hey sweetie, how you holding up?" Artie said as he wheeled up to her, stroking her hair.
"It hurts." she whimpered out.
"I know babe, what did the doctors say? How many centimeters are you?" Quinn asked as she rubbed her daughter's back.
"They said 6, and they said everything was moving really fast, and that they ordered the epidural but everything might go too fast and it might not work in time." She cried out softly, scared. She did not want to do this without drugs.
"Hey, you're strong. You'll get through anything, and soon you'll have a perfect little baby." Artie told her.
"Daddy I'm scared, not just of the delivery, but of everything. What if I can't do this? What if I can't be the type of mom this baby deserves? What if I totally suck at it? What if-" she continued to ramble but Artie cut her off.
"Hale! Honey, don't do that to yourself, okay? You are going to be a great mom, one of the best. That baby is going to love you so much, and your love for it, will cancel out any fears. That's how it works."
"Really?"
"I know so. When you were born, I was petrified. But once you were here, none of that mattered, because you and your sister are the best things that ever happened to me. Now this baby is about to join all that." he told her.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Soon Artie and Santana left the room as they got to the pushing part of labor. The room was getting really crowded, plus Artie wasn't sure if he wanted to see everything considering that whether she was an adult her not, she was still his daughter, and Santana well just wasn't that great with blood.
"One day we are sitting in glee club and the next day we are sitting waiting for us to both share a grandchild? Small world, huh wheels?" Santana asked with a smile on her face.
Artie smiled back. "Yeah, small world."
He was beginning to get really excited and think even more of what the baby would be.
Soon enough Quinn came out to get them, tears running down her face.
"You guys have to come meet our granddaughter. She's beautiful." she told them.
As Artie made his way back into the room, he saw Haylee. She was drenched in sweat, she looked exhausted, but so happy as she held the little baby girl in her arms. As he looked at Alec, he once again saw himself. He saw a guy whose heart had just been captured by a little girl, and that years from now, he'd feel the same feelings about her growing up, and all the fears about her with some guy, the same way he had felt about him.
"Daddy, I would like you to meet Mia." She said as she handed the tiny baby over to Artie.
Artie looked at her. She was gorgeous, she looked like Alec, but with Haylee's nose and ears.
"Hi, Mia." He whispered to her softly. "I love you." He told her.
Suddenly there was a new little girl to capture his heart. Whether it was his wife, his daughters, or now his granddaughter, sweet little girls had always managed to crawl into Artie's heart, and he wouldn't change a single moment of it for the world.
A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the end of the story! Again thanks again for all the support!