Holy bananas, I can't believe we're actually here. The epilogue. I've been slaving away at this for pretty much a week and it's been both satisfying and heartbreaking. I honestly don't know what to say except thank you for all the support and nice reviews and compliments (y'all are really too sweet). I may post the outtakes separately because I feel like that's what's best. But again, I have to say thank you to all you lovelies and I hope you stick around for the sequel/outtakes because it would make me the happiest lil' bean on the planet. Don't know when they're going to be posted because I may need a bit of an emotional break, but they're coming. I'll see you lovely people later! ~Shaymie

Alex

"You are aware that my sister is totally and completely mind-numbingly in love with you, right? Just pop the question and get it over with." Darcy rolled her eyes as she rubbed her rounded stomach. That was easy for her to say. She was the one to propose to Laurens after finding the ring hidden at the back of their closet. Darcy wanted to get married as soon as possible, but with both of them still in college, they had made the decision to wait until they were financially stable. Their plans changed when Darcy suddenly got pregnant.

"I want this to be perfect, Darcy. I've already picked out the song, but I'm terrified. What if I forget what to say?"

"You're such a nerd," Darcy scoffed, shoving a handful of chips into her mouth. I noticed that she was dropping crumbs on the couch, but chose not to comment on it. If I thought Darcy hated me before, it was only intensified when she was cranky and pregnant. I tried to avoid her as much as possible nowadays, but today she had decided to drop by early for Lo's birthday. "You picked out a song?"

"We are going to a karaoke bar. Why wouldn't I pick a song?" I checked my pocket for what felt like the hundredth time. I still had the ring. I sighed and glanced at the clock. Lo should be getting home any time now. We were going to head to the restaurant as soon as she came home from work. The thought brought a smile to my face. She had made it. She had gone against the odds-against her mental illnesses- and made it to Broadway. Hell, she even had a Tony! That was the most satisfying I-told-you-so ever, years in the making.

Darcy and I sat in silence for the next thirty minutes. Well, she sat. I busied myself with cleaning the apartment. Every minute that ticked by sent another wave of nausea through me. What if Lo said no? What if she wasn't ready, for whatever reason? She could think it was too early for us to get married. She could want to focus on her career. There were so many reasons she could have for rejecting me and they would all break my heart.

My head popped up as I heard the front door open. I darted to the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I could hear Darcy and Lo talking in the front and scrubbed the sink with more force than necessary. This was ridiculous. I had no reason to be this scared to talk to Lo. She was my girlfriend. Darcy was right. It was just a question. The worst thing that could happen was she says no.

"...Alex has been going on a cleaning frenzy today," I could faintly hear Darcy say. "I think he's finally lost it, Lori."

"He cleans when he's stressed. He was talking about studying for the bar exam earlier…" Lo's melodic voice was right outside the door. I dried my hands on a towel and opened the door. Lo blinked up at me and smiled. That smile alone could brighten up my day. She started playing with her hair, which she had grown out to be nearly waist-length. She kept saying that she would cut it, but it never happened. I liked it long, anyway. It framed her face perfectly. "Hey, Alex…"

"Good evening, Ms. Tony Winner." I grinned as a blush came over her face. That was how I had greeted her every night since June, and it never failed to embarrass her. I kissed her cheek and brushed her overgrown bangs from her face. She was absolutely perfect. "Are you ready for your birthday party, love?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." I didn't miss the exhaustion in her voice and frowned at the shadows underneath her eyes. Since she had been casted as Nina Rosario in the revival of In the Heights, she rarely took days off. I had to stop her from leaving for work with a fever more times than I could count. She grabbed my hand and smiled as she stood on her toes to whisper in my ear. "I can't wait until we're alone later, Lexy. I could really use a massage."

"Who wants to go first on the karaoke?" Darcy asked, glancing over towards me. I shook my head. I wasn't ready to do it yet. I needed time to think about how I would propose. I just hoped I built up the courage to do it before everyone got too drunk. Darcy pursed her lips, but nodded and looked around the booth. Lo traced a finger around the rim of her drink, looking as beautiful as ever. She had taken to wearing makeup recently, which only accented her beauty. The only bad thing about it was that it covered her precious freckles. She noticed me staring at her and smiled.

"You don't want to get on the karaoke? You're normally all for it." She glanced at the Schuylers, who had picked out a Destiny's Child song and were clambering to get in position. I shrugged and took a bite of my burger, trying to seem nonchalant about it. Lo frowned and grabbed my hand. "Hey, if you're worried about the bar, I'm sure it'll be fine. You'll pass it and be the greatest lawyer New York has ever seen. And then you can put that big brain of yours to use."

"Have I told you that you're the most amazing girlfriend ever?" I kissed her hand, which had a few freckles dotted about randomly, and stroked her knuckles. I loved her freckles. They were the first thing I had noticed about her (not, in fact, her boobs, as Darcy loved to claim), and I loved the way they covered her skin in an elegantly random fashion. Looking at her right now, I realized that I couldn't wait any longer. I didn't want her to be my girlfriend anymore. I wanted her to be my fiancee. I wanted to marry her.

"Nearly every single day," Lo murmured, taking a sip of her drink. She narrowed her eyes at Laurens when he came back to the table with a round of shots, but took one anyway. It was a good thing her alcohol tolerance had improved since high school or she'd be insanely drunk already. Darcy quirked an eyebrow at me as the Schuylers neared the end of their song. I nodded and squeezed Lo's hand. It was already pretty late and I wanted to do this on her birthday.

"Hey, Lo, I have a surprise for you." She looked up at me and frowned. I put a finger over her mouth, already knowing what she was going to say. I had been showering her with gifts for the past week. She was probably going to say that I had already given her too much, but nothing was too much for her. She deserved the world, and I would find a way to give it to her even if it killed me. I kissed her gently and walked over to the karaoke machine after the Schuylers finished their song. Darcy gave me a thumbs up and pulled out her phone.

I scrolled through the songs until I found the one I wanted, Marry You by Bruno Mars. It was a bit cliche, but I wanted to make this special somehow. Darcy rolled her eyes as the song started and held the phone up to record. Everyone at the table turned to look at Lo as I stumbled my way through the song, trying to work through my nerves. Lo's eyes were glistened with unshed tears. I fumbled getting the ring out of my back pocket, but somehow managed with one hand.

"Lexy…"

"I think I wanna marry you," I sang the last words of the song and got down on one knee. Lo gasped as I held the ring up. It wasn't anything too expensive, just a simple little thing. Laurens had helped me pick it out a month ago. We both knew that Lo wouldn't want anything too flashy. I cleared my throat and looked up at her. "Lorin Haywood, will you make me the happiest man on earth and-"

"Yes! A thousand times, yes!" Lo squealed, jumping into my arms. I put the ring on her finger and pulled her into a deep kiss as our friends cheered around us. Darcy was right, I had nothing to worry about. I had spent all that time thinking of complicated proposals for nothing. Lo liked things nice and simple. That was the kind of girl she was. "Thank you, Alex. Thank you for loving me."

"Good morning, Lo," I greeted my wife with a kiss on the cheek. It was rare that we got to spend mornings together. When she wasn't in a show, she was at her music studio. She taught piano to kids for a fairly cheap price. Sometimes she didn't even charge them at all. She said that she feels everyone should have the right to learn music. I could tell she loved it, but it ran her ragged.

She replied with a groan and sat down at the table. I turned the stove off and sat next to her, brushing some sweaty hair back from her face. She had been feeling sick these past few days. I would wake up to the sound of her vomiting several times a night. I was trying to convince her to see a doctor, but she was stubborn. Seeing her like this, I knew that there was no way I was letting her go to work today. I'd tie her down if I had to. She didn't have a fever, but something was clearly wrong.

"Alex, I'm fine," Lo huffed as I got to work making her a cup of tea. She shoved a hand into the pocket of her hoodie and rested her chin in the palm of the other one. Her gray eyes followed me around the kitchen, and I noticed a hint of amusement in them. What was so funny? She was sick! She should honestly be resting in bed.

"Lo, you've been sick for almost a week-"

"I'm pregnant." Her mouth turned up in a smile as she pulled out a handful of pregnancy tests. I set down her mug and looked through them. Positive. They were all positive. We were going to have a baby! Were we even ready? We had only been married for a year. We hadn't even started looking at houses yet.

"How long have you known, Lo?" I asked, putting my hands on her stomach. I wasn't expecting anything, but I was surprised to find that she was a bit bigger than normal. She wasn't fat by any means, but she had always been a bit curvy. Now her stomach was a bit rounder. But how could that be? Shouldn't it take awhile for her to get bigger?

"Um… About a few months, I think." She blushed and put her hands over mine. "I wasn't really that big, but I woke up this morning and poof! I got all bloated. I was wondering how long it would take for you to find out, but Darcy said that I might as well tell you. Tonight's my last show as Nina… For now, anyway. Who knows if I'm coming back to the show once I have the baby..."

"You knew for months and didn't tell me?"

"I'm sorry! It's just… You've been so busy with work and I honestly thought you would have figured it out sooner. I mean, it's been all over magazines and stuff. Are you mad at me?" I shook my head and kissed her forehead. I could never be mad at her. I just wish she would have told me. How stupid could I be? She had been handling this all by herself because she was worried it would inconvenience me. I should have known. It made sense now. The midnight vomiting, the morning sickness… How could I be such an idiot?

"Lo, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have made you feel like you couldn't come to me with this. We're married now. You don't have to be afraid to tell me anything." I kissed her on the forehead and rubbed her stomach. A baby… It all seemed unreal to me. Would I be a good father? I didn't know a thing about caring for a baby. Lo had babysat both Colton and Clover, so she at least had some experience.

"I'm scared, Alex," Lo whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "W-What if the baby turns out like me? What if they're cursed with anxiety or depression? I'll be the reason they're like that."

"We'll deal with what happens when it happens."

"Alex, you need to chill out. Lori's going to be fine." Darcy bounced her daughter on her knee and handed her a toy. I could't stop pacing around the waiting room. How could she be so confident? Lo was in surgery. Something had gone wrong while she was delivering our son and she had to be whisked away from an emergency C-section. I chewed on my thumb impatiently. We had been at the hospital for over a day now. If something was wrong, why hadn't they told us before Lo spent over twenty hours in labor?

"What the hell's taking J so long?" Darcy grumbled as Clover mumbled quietly to herself. She stood up and handed her to me. "I'm sure Lori's going to be hungry when all of this is over. Can you watch Clover while I go pick up some food?"

"Darcy-"

"I'll be right back. Just play with her or something. If John gets here before I'm back, just tell him I had to run an errand, okay?" She kissed Clover's cheek and left before I could even think of something to say. I sat down with my niece and looked down at her. She had blonde curls and Laurens' eyes. She was honestly a little cutie when she was behaving. Thankfully she was too preoccupied with her toy to notice that Darcy had left. She was a bit of a mama's girl and hated when Darcy left her with Lo and I. She would scream her head off.

"Auntie Lorin's having a baby," I murmured to Clover, brushing some curls back from her forehead. She blinked up at me and started chewing her toy keys. "And uncle Alex can't be with her. He's really worried about her. But he has to have faith in the doctors. This is their job, after all."

"Baby!" Clover clapped her hands together, causing her keys to fall to the ground. I picked them up and smiled. That was one of the few words she knew, aside from "mommy", "daddy", and "drink". There could be more, but I may have lost them underneath the rest of the toddler babble.

"I haven't seen you in awhile." I looked up and held back a groan at who I saw. Mandy Jackson, Lo's old foster sister. I forgot that shw worked at this hospital. I had nothing personal against her, but Lo had told me about what happened after the shooting, how Mandy had always been one of the nurses to bathe her and always seemed to "accidentally" brush against her breasts when batheing her. Lo still insists that she didn't do it on purpose.

"My wife's having an emergency C-section," I said, smirking a bit at how Mandy's face fell. She hated any reminder that Lo and I were together. Her expression changed as she clutched her clipboard to her chest and tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. I couldn't exactly read it. She chewed on her lip and sighed deeply.

"I can tell you don't like me that much."

"You molested Lorin when she was at her most vulnerable. She may think it was an 'accident', but I know better than that. She was seventeen, Mandy. You were twenty-one. What the hell is wrong with you?" I kept my voice even, so that I wouldn't scare Clover. The last thing I wanted to deal with now was a toddler having a fit. Mandy's eyes widened. I bet she didn't think Lo would have told me.

"I-I'm sorry… I just hadn't seen her in so long and she was so beautiful and her skin was so soft-"

"There you are, Alex! You haven't been answering your phone all morning! Why aren't you with Lori?" Clover perked up at the sound of her father's voice and reached out for him. I sighed as I handed her off. Here I thought we were actually getting close. I glared at Mandy to let her know that she still wasn't forgiven before turning to Laurens with a halfhearted shrug. She walked off without another word.

"My phone died and I didn't have a charger. Lo's in surgery. Something happened and they had to do an emergency C-section." Now that I wasn't dealing with Mandy, my worry for Lo had come back tenfold. I hoped she was doing alright. Did it normally take this long? She had been in there for hours. Laurens' brows furrowed with concern. I knew that Darcy had some complications when she was delivering Clover.

"I'm sure Lori will be fine. She came back from the dead, remember?" he winked and laughed. I chuckled. When Lo had been in her coma all those years ago, some news outlets had falsely reported that she had died. Looking back at it now, it felt like ages ago, but it still affected Lo to this day. She still had nightmares about the shooting. And though she tried to hide it, the right side of her body was slightly weaker than the left. I didn't miss the way her hand would occasionally shake as she signed autographs. Her doctors had said that she may never fully recover.

Darcy showed up with McDonald's fifteen minutes later. Somehow it seemed like that was our go-to food whenever someone was in the hospital. I took small bites of my food and bounced my knee anxiously. The seconds ticked by, and I was getting more and more nervous. I wish I could be with Lo, but I had panicked enough in the delivery room. I didn't think I'd be able to handle seeing her on an operating table.

I shot out of my seat as a doctor walked over to us. I recognized her as the one who had been helping Lo with the delivery. She had a small smile on her face, which was a good sign. Darcy straightened up in her chair and nudged Laurens. Clover blinked sleepily in his arms, and I noticed that she was clutching an apple slice tightly in her chubby hand. She yawned and cuddled up to her father. I ran a hand through my hair nervously.

"Mother and baby are doing just fine," the doctor reassured me. I let out an exhausted sigh and straightened up. I really had been worrying for no reason. "I'll escort you to her room, but a bit of warning, your wife is still a bit dazed from the anesthetic."

I nodded and followed her to Lo's room. My heart was pounding, though I knew it had no reason to. I had nothing to worry about. I didn't keep track of room numbers as we walked down a multitude of halls. All I let myself think about was my wife. My beautiful, sweet, far-too-good-for-this-world wife. I hoped that she would recover from this smoothly. She had told me that a C-section was the last thing she ever wanted to have.

My breath caught in my throat as we reached the room and I saw my first glimpse of my son. My son. Lo was cradling him in her arms, a dopey little grin on her face. She didn't look up as the doctor and I entered the room. Either she didn't hear the door open or she was more out of it than I thought. She hummed quietly as she ran a finger over our son's cheek. I stared at her in silence. This truly was worth it. All the bloating, all the weird food cravings, all the yelling led up to this moment.

"Hey, Lexy," Lo slurred, looking up at me with that adorably dazed grin. She looked back down at our son. "I was wondering when you were going to get here. Pippy's been dying to meet his daddy."

"Do you two already have a name picked out?" the doctor asked. Lo and I nodded. We had this name picked out for years, ever since that fateful new year's day our junior year of high school. The future had seemed so far away back then. I never thought we would ever reach this point, yet here we were. This was the start to the rest of our lives.

Philip Hamilton, you'll blow us away someday...