Chapter 40 – The End
Three Years Later
"Did you remember to buy the napkins?" Rachel asked as she straightened out the tablecloth, making sure it was even on all side.
"Yes, I bought the napkins," Quinn replied. "I told you I would."
"I know, I was simply making sure while there was still enough time in case it slipped your mind," Rachel said.
Quinn gave her an affectionate smile as she walked toward her, wrapping her arms around the brunette's waist. "Don't worry so much."
"I just want the party to be perfect," Rachel said.
"I know, but I want you to be able to enjoy it," Quinn replied. "Everything is already taken care of; we just need to finish setting up, but we have plenty of time for that."
Rachel nodded and tried to let herself relax, but their annual New Year's Eve party was always a little stressful. And it only got more stressful with each passing year as more and more people attended every year. She wanted everything to be perfect even if she knew it was a bit unrealistic. That didn't mean she wasn't going to try, though.
"Kurt promised he would be here a few hours early to help with everything," Rachel commented.
"And by 'help' you mean he's coming to talk to you, which is only going to distract you," Quinn said with a laugh.
Rachel huffed. "We're not that bad."
"Sure you're not," Quinn replied.
"Well, it's not as if we see each other every day like we used to," Rachel stated. "There's a lot more to talk about now that he isn't here to experience most of it with me. We have to catch up when we see each other."
"I know," Quinn said, reaching up, and brushing a strand of hair from Rachel's cheek. "I'm not complaining, because that would mean we still lived with him."
Rachel lightly laughed; she knew Quinn was more than happy to be living away from Kurt. It wasn't that the two weren't friends, but she knew Quinn was glad to be living with just her and Beth. And to finally have an apartment with actual walls between the bedrooms. Rachel had been sad to move away from Kurt, but she knew they couldn't live together forever. Maybe if they had stayed perpetually single, but not when it was no longer just the two of them.
"Where's Beth?" Rachel asked, realizing she hadn't seen her for a while.
"Her room," Quinn answered. "I think she's talking to Emma on the phone.
Rachel shook her head with a smile. "She's going to see her in only a few hours."
"Apparently there's something very important going on at school," Quinn said.
Rachel didn't really know what constituted important to a seven year old. She made a mental note to subtly ask Beth about school, but she figured the girl would eventually tell them if it really was something important.
Rachel glanced at the clock and then look back at Quinn with a grin. "We have a little time."
"Time for what?" Quinn asked, cocking her eyebrow.
"You know what," Rachel said, wrapping her arms around the back of Quinn's neck, and leaning up to bring their lips together.
Quinn's pulled her closer, their bodies pressing together, as Rachel backed them toward their bedroom. She accidentally ran Quinn into one of the end tables along the way and removed her lips from Quinn's to apologize, but before she could get the words out, Quinn was kissing her again, her tongue tracing Rachel's bottom lip.
As their tongues met, her wife's hands traveled up her back, stopping near the zipper of her dress, and Rachel knew she was dying to strip her of the garment. Rachel moaned as Quinn's teeth grazed her lip before breaking the kiss. She wanted to pull Quinn's lips back to hers, but the blonde seemed to have other plans as she leaned down and began trailing kisses up her neck.
"Please don't leave a mark," Rachel demanded when Quinn began sucking at her pulse point.
"What's the fun in that?" Quinn asked as she nipped at her skin.
"I don't relish the thought of walking around the party with a hickey on my neck," Rachel said, trying to stifle another moan, not wanting to encourage Quinn.
"Do you always have to do that?"
Quinn immediately stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Beth. Her hands were still on Rachel's back, though, and Rachel's arms remained around her neck.
"You have the worst timing," Quinn said, earning an eye roll from her daughter.
"That's because you're always doing that," Beth said, waving her hand in their direction.
"That's an exaggeration," Rachel replied. "And we thought you were on the phone,"
"She had to go," Beth said with a shrug. "Aren't you supposed to be doing this party thing?"
"We're supposed to be setting up, yes, so if you would like to help, feel free," Rachel replied.
"What do you want me to do?" Beth asked.
"You can set out the cups if you would like," Rachel said, removing her arms from Quinn's neck.
"Okay," Beth replied, turning to walk toward the pantry.
"She has the worst timing," Quinn repeated with a sigh.
"Come on," Rachel said with a laugh, holding out her hand. "There will be plenty of time after the party."
"What if I don't want to wait?" Quinn husked.
"Unfortunately, we have to," Rachel said, leaning up, and kissing Quinn's cheek as she blonde frowned.
"Sorry, sorry," Kurt said the moment Rachel opened the door. "The subway was a nightmare and Ben didn't want to take a taxi."
"Well, it would be very expensive and I doubt traffic would have been any better," Rachel stated.
"That's what I said," Ben said. "We brought some chips and a few other things."
"Thank you," Rachel said, giving him a quick hug, and then taking the bags from him. "I'll just set these in the kitchen."
Kurt held out his arms and asked, "Don't I get a hug?"
"Of course," Rachel said. "After I set these down."
Kurt huffed, causing Ben to laugh, and Rachel smiled over her shoulder at them as she quickly made her way to the kitchen. Beth was inside setting out drinks and Rachel kissed her head before setting the bags on the counter. The girl smoothed down her hair, looking at Rachel with narrowed eyes, but the brunette just smiled back.
"Do you need any help?" Rachel asked.
"Almost done," Beth answered.
"Kurt and Ben are here if you want to say hello," Rachel said, turning to walk out of the kitchen.
Before she could step out of the kitchen, though, Beth ran past her, and by the time she walked into the living room, Beth was jumping into Kurt's arms. Everyone laughed as Beth nearly knocked Kurt backwards from the force of the hit, but he managed to steady himself. He picked her up, her feet dangling as he wrapped her arms around the girl, giving her a hug.
"Now you have to wait your turn," Kurt said, looking at Rachel.
"I'm okay with that," Rachel replied, smiling at the two.
"Where's Quinn?" Ben asked.
"She's in the bathroom getting ready," Rachel said.
Ben nodded and then looked around, saying, "I like what you did this year."
"Thank you," Rachel replied, beaming at him. "The lights were Quinn's idea. I'll admit I was a little worried about hosting it this year. The old apartment had much more space, but at least there is more seating here and people can go on the balcony if they wish."
"Well, you could start limiting the guest list," Kurt commented. "I can think of a few certain people I would be glad to eliminate."
"I know, but Santana is Quinn's friend," Rachel said.
She wasn't particularly happy about it, either. She still hadn't quite forgiven Santana for what she did, but she was Quinn's friend. At least the other woman was a little nicer to her now; Rachel wouldn't exactly call them friends, but she didn't insult her nearly as much as she did in high school. And she did seem to feel bad for breaking Rachel and Quinn up for that month; it took her over a year, but she did finally apologize in her own Santana way.
"And April?" Kurt asked.
"She comes every year," Rachel replied. "I don't want to hurt her feelings."
"What time is Puck getting here?" Kurt asked.
"He should be here in the next hour," Rachel said, looking over her shoulder at the clock.
"And where are your fathers?" Kurt asked.
"Out," Rachel said with a laugh. "You know how much they love the city."
"Beth!" Quinn called out.
"What?" Beth yelled back as she ran off.
"Do you need help with anything?" Ben asked.
"If I tell you no will you sit down and relax?" Rachel joked.
"What do you need?" Ben asked.
"There are some seats folded up on the balcony if you would like to set them out," Rachel replied with a light laugh.
"'Kay," Ben said.
"Your boyfriend is always so helpful," Rachel commented to Kurt.
"It's his best quality," Kurt replied.
"I like to think I have better qualities than that," Ben argued, nudging his shoulder into Kurt's as he passed by.
"Okay, maybe a few," Kurt said.
Rachel laughed. "I don't think I have to ask how things are going."
"If I tell you something will you promise to keep it a secret?" Kurt asked.
"Of course," Rachel replied.
"I'm going to propose," Kurt whispered.
"What?!" Rachel loudly whispered. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"
"I didn't want to say anything until I found the perfect ring." Kurt replied.
"So you found one?" Rachel asked.
Kurt nodded. "They're re-sizing it, but I should have it soon."
"I demand you send me a picture of it as soon as it's in your possession," Rachel said.
"I promise," Kurt replied. "How's the show going?"
"It's coming along quite nicely," Rachel answered. "There are still a few issues to work out, but everything should be perfect by opening night."
"Even the leading man?" Kurt asked with a smirk.
She rolled her eyes. Her costar was nice enough and even talented, but he certainly didn't have the stage presence and Rachel was all too aware that their chemistry was lacking. Yet he had been hired, much to her chagrin, and there was nothing she could do about it. She wanted the musical to be perfect—it was her first starring role, after all—and she just hoped they could do something about him by opening night.
"We're working on it," Rachel wryly said.
Rachel was chatting with several of her fellow cast members before excusing herself to get away from them. One of them, Jenna, was exhausting to talk to, but she'd gotten trapped by them and wanted to be a good hostess, so she stayed until she couldn't stand it any longer. She looked around for Puck, who she was walking toward when she was ambushed, and then began heading toward him when she finally saw him near the door to the balcony.
"Are you having a good time?" Rachel asked as she neared.
Puck shrugged. "Yeah, but I think you guys should come to Lima next New Year's. I know the town sucks, but I'd throw a kick ass party.."
"I don't doubt it," Rachel said with a laugh. "I just wish you had gotten here sooner. I feel like we haven't had a chance to talk all evening."
"We got a couple days," Puck replied.
"I know, but I can't wait to hear all about this girlfriend of yours and how school is going," Rachel said. "Maybe next year you can bring Susan."
"I don't know about that," Puck replied.
"Why not?" Rachel asked.
"You and Quinn scared the last one away," Puck reminded her.
"We did no such thing," Rachel argued. "But if we did, it would be for the best. You wouldn't want a woman who couldn't handle a little inquiry, now would you?"
"Interrogation is more like it," Puck replied.
"Whatever you want to call it, she obviously wasn't worth it," Rachel stated.
"We're about to run out of ice," Leroy said, appearing behind her.
"What?" Rachel asked. "That's impossible."
"There's one bag left," Leroy replied.
"I'll make an ice run," Puck said.
"I'll go with you," Leroy replied. "Hiram and I were walking around the neighborhood earlier and we found a grocery store that should have some."
"Thank you," Rachel gratefully said.
"We'll be back, sweetie," Leroy said.
"Is everything okay?" Zoe asked, coming over as Puck and Leroy headed for the door.
"We are somehow nearly out of ice even though I thought we had more than enough," Rachel said with a sigh. "My dad and Noah are going to get some, though."
Zoe nodded and then asked, "So, do you think Emma and Beth are ever going to come out of the room?"
"Doubtful," Rachel said with a light laugh. "I can't blame them; I'm sure Beth's room is more fun than hanging out with a bunch of boring adults."
"Maybe they'll at least come out for the countdown," Zoe remarked.
"I'm going to go check on the girls," Rachel said. "Maybe I can tempt them to come out for some food."
Zoe laughed. "Good luck. The last time I checked on them they were having a Disney Princess movie marathon."
Rachel hummed and said, "I think I'll need it."
She gave Zoe a smile and then turned, heading toward Beth's room. She passed by several of the crew members to her show and gave them a quick hello before going on her way. As she neared, she could hear their laughter and singing from inside and instantly recognized the song. She had watched Frozen countless times with Beth and Kurt, but the little girl still didn't seem to be tiring of it.
"Are you two hungry?" Rachel asked, knocking on the door as she opened it.
"No, we're good," Beth answered.
"I see that," Rachel said, looking at the massive amount of junk food on her bed. "Can you at least come out for fifteen minutes once the movie is over? People are asking about you."
"Okay," Beth said.
"Thank you," Rachel replied, backing out of the room, and closing the door.
"How are they doing?" Quinn asked as she turned around.
"They're watching Frozen," Rachel answered.
"I'm shocked," Quinn sarcastically said.
"I'm sure," Rachel replied with a light laugh.
"I feel like I haven't seen you all day," Quinn softly said.
Rachel smiled as she walked up to Quinn, wrapping her arms around her wife's neck. "Everyone will be gone in a few hours."
"Not soon enough," Quinn remarked, quickly kissing Rachel's lips.
"Come on," Rachel said, removing her arms from around Quinn, and reaching down to entwine their fingers together. "We are the hostesses and we should be over there entertaining." Rachel noticed Quinn looking off with a frown on her face. "What's wrong?"
"I think Santana is hitting on Zoe," Quinn said.
"What?" Rachel asked, following Quinn's gaze. "Oh no. Do you want to save her or shall I?"
"I'll do it," Quinn said, giving Rachel's hand a squeeze. "I'll be right back."
Rachel sighed and shook her head as she watched the scene in front of her. She could see from there that Santana was making Zoe uncomfortable, but that was nothing new. Every time they were in the same room together, Santana would flirt relentlessly with her. She guessed it was because of Zoe's resemblance to Brittany, but it would be nice for once if Santana would learn to behave herself.
"If I could have everyone's attention!" Rachel called out, standing on a stool so she could be seen by everyone. "Midnight is just ten minutes away, and I would like to say a few words before we begin the countdown to 2018."
She didn't usually make a speech during their New Year's party, but so much had happened that year that she felt like the need to thank everyone. It had probably been the most wonderful year of her life and she wanted to acknowledge that before the year was over.
"First, I want to thank all of you for coming tonight," Rachel began. "As you all know, it's been a busy year for this family. You all are obviously in our new apartment, which is just one of the many things that changed for us this year. I would like to thank April for telling me about this amazing place, giving us the opportunity to move into the apartment of our dreams.
"And speaking of dreams, this year my lifelong dream of starring on a Broadway show has finally come true. The show won't be opening for another month, but I would like to take this time to thank everyone who has worked so hard to make everything come together. The cast, the crew—your hard work is what's going to make this show amazing." She smiled at a group of her fellow actors. "I'm proud to be a part of this amazing show and I couldn't be happier to work with each and every one of you."
She looked over at Beth and smiled widely. "This year we officially all became a family, and one of the biggest parts of that was the adoption becoming final. The circumstances in which you came here were not ideal, and I know you miss your mom, but I don't know what I would do if things were different. You've made my world a much better place, and I love you."
"Mom!" Beth whined.
Rachel laughed. "It's my job as a parent to embarrass you."
"And you have more parents than most kids, so get used to it," Kurt chimed in.
"Okay, I think I've embarrassed her enough," Rachel said with a smile. "I would like to thank my friends, who are really more family than friends. Kurt, you were there to help me through everything even though you didn't have to, and I've thanked you numerous times, but I would like to do it again. I don't know what I would have done without your friendship. I would also like to thank you, Zoe, for being so welcoming when Beth joined dance class. Without you there—well, I may have got into an altercation with that terrible Sheila woman."
Zoe laughed and said, "You're welcome."
"Dad, Daddy, you two have been there for me since the day I was born, and this past year has been no exception," Rachel continued. "I've always been the luckiest girl in the world and it's all been because of you. You've given me everything I've ever needed or wanted, and it's because of that that I'm standing here today. You never let me doubt that my dreams would come true. You took me to dance class and singing lessons. You paid for my schooling and ensured that I had a place to live. I love you both, and I can never thank you enough for the opportunities you've given me."
"You're going to make us cry," Leroy said.
"Too late," Hiram said, wiping at his eye.
Rachel took a deep breath and looked from her fathers to Quinn. "Nothing I say is going to adequately express how much you mean to me." Quinn smiled at her and Rachel smiled back. "It'll never cease to amaze me how much things have changed between us since high school. I once thought you hated me, but now I have no doubt that you love me. Not everything has been easy or perfect. We've both made mistakes in the past—I know I certainly have—but those things have only made us stronger. You've become my whole world, my best friend, and seven months and seventeen day ago, three years after we met again as adults, I was fortunate enough to marry you."
She could see tears in Quinn's eyes, as well as her fathers', and she knew it was only a matter of time before she started, too, so she quickly looked away.
"Thank you to each and every one of you who are here today for being a part of the best year of my life," Rachel said, smiling widely. "I hope all of yours were just as amazing, and that the next is even better." She looked over her shoulder at the clock. "Everybody get ready; it's only a few minutes until the New Year."
There was quite a bit of clapping as Rachel hopped down from the stool, and she immediately found herself in Quinn's arms as the blonde whispered into her ear, "I didn't know you were going to do that."
"Well, I thought I should say something," Rachel replied. "It's been the best year of my life and it only seemed appropriate."
Quinn smiled. "Are you going to kiss me at midnight?"
"This and every other year for the rest of our lives," Rachel said, wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck with a soft smile.