As promised, due to the outpouring of love and support is the FINAL CHAPTER. This is the last one I am posting. Keep sending in your requests for the ending number. I have a few of you saying "I want the endings"; but you must choose as they will not be posted here. I will be sending them off to people and that's the only way you will get a true ending to this. It makes everyone happy; sort of. I have completed the endings; just finished the last one actually which is why I'm posting this. Anyway, this has been a long; very long journey and I do hope to see you all in the future. As for Traces; indeed that will be completed as well and the ending is a lot more certain than this one. So enjoy for the final (ish) time! :)

ALSO! When reading this, listen to the instrumental version of My Immortal by Evanesence. I balled my eyes out while writing this. I assure you it's more emotional this way.

Part II: Chapter Twelve

x.

Red and blue. Piercing sirens. It's like it's clouded my mind. I can't think of anything else as I sit in the waiting room in my wedding dress. Our immediate family is also there awaiting any news on what is happening. I know my eyes are bloodshot red, I feel exhausted as the silence grows deafening. I'm just thankful Rachel was able to go in with the rest of the doctors. I don't think I could have handled it if she wasn't able to treat her; I don't trust anyone else with Santana in this moment.

I lean forward and rest my face in my open palms, wishing that it could just be me instead of her fighting for her life. She doesn't deserve to be in this position. I would trade places with her if I could. I don't understand how this is fair.

I feel a hand on the small of my back forcing me to look up and peak up at my mother in law. She has a teary smile on her face as she takes a seat beside me, wrapping her arms around me and I can't help but break down in her arms yet again.

"I need her to be okay," I sob and she places a kiss on the top of my head.

"I know my daughter and she will fight with everything she has," she musters out as I pull away from her looking into her eyes. I see Santana in those eyes and I suddenly don't feel so small. She wipes my tears away from my cheeks as my father comes in with a change of clothes.

He walks over to me and sighs heavily. "I brought you some just in case you wanted to change," he hands me a pair of simple sweats and since everyone is well aware I will not be leaving here till I see her, he brought something I'd be most comfortable in.

I take them gratefully. "Let me know if anybody comes out," I say softly to the two of them as I go towards the bathroom to change out of my dress.

When I come back out, I look around hopeful, but they shake their heads. We've been here for hours and I don't know if any news is good news or not. I wasn't prepared for this day to come. I was just hopeful that we would find a donor, but then this happens and on our wedding day no less. I know Santana did everything she could to not have this happen and I could tell something was wrong. She told me nothing was and I should've just trusted my gut; maybe I could have prevented this.

"I can feel your brain running in overdrive," Fran sits down next to me and I sigh heavily, shaking my head at my thoughts.

"I feel like I could have done something," I whisper to her as I look over. "I saw her pale skin, I heard her heartbeat; she looked overly fatigued. I mean, I asked her if she was okay and she told me she was fine," I explained as tears well up in my eyes again. "I could have prevented this. I know I could have," I sob and wipe my tears furiously from my cheeks, making her eyes well up at me as she pulls me into her.

"This isn't on you Q," she tells me. "I know you want to find someone to blame and it's easier for you to hate yourself for this, but there's nothing either of you could have done," she explains pulling me away to look at me. "Santana wouldn't want this for you. She wouldn't want you blaming yourself for something you had no control over. I'm sure she'll blame herself enough as is," she adds and I look at her in confusion.

"Oh c'mon Quinn, she collasped at you guys' wedding. You really believe she's going to forgive herself for this. That girl would do anything for you and wanted to give you this perfect day. She's going to feel like she fucked it all up because of this," she explains to me and I all but look down because she's right. When Santana wakes up; and I know she will, she will need me to be strong and not blame myself when she will be doing enough of that on her own.

I rub at my eyes again and glance up again as I see a flash of burnette coming towards us in green scrubs. I get up and meet Rachel halfway with hopeful eyes. She sighs deeply. "She crashed a few times on the table. Her heart has weakened traumatically and we placed a pacemaker in just to keep her stable till a new heart arrives. Due to these events, I have requested a bump up on the list for Santana to get a new heart," she explains and I sigh deeply while everyone looks around at each other.

"So what happens till then?" I ask softly as possible, knowing my voice has grown hoarse from all the crying I've done.

She gives me a tight lipped grimace. "Pray and prepare in case we run out of time," she says softly, pausing for a moment to let the information sink in. "I'll be out shortly to let you know when you can see her," she adds before turning away to walk back. As I'm collecting my thoughts, I stop her and jog up to her, wrapping her in embrace. She's caught off guard by this, but accepts the hug.

"Thank you for everything," I whisper to her as I pull away. I see the sadness laced within her as well, but she nods nevertheless and tries to be strong. Santana is a good friend of hers since her diagnosis; has been there for her when I wasn't, so I can imagine she's having just as much difficulty with this as the rest of us.

"Be strong," she whispers to me, giving my hand a squeeze before retreating back behind the swinging doors. I sigh deeply and think of nothing else, but trying to mentally prepare myself.

I know I don't want to lose her. I'm not ready to say goodbye or watch her leave my life for good. I could handle her pushing me away or walking away from me for that year; barely. I at least knew she was alive and walking this world, but to know I would never cross her path again would kill me; even if it was just on a chance.

But maybe this will have to be something I have to accept. We knew this could happen. I knew she was dying that night she told me and I didn't have to say I'd be there; she gave me an out, but I couldn't just let her slip through my fingertips; not again. I was going to stand by her side whether it be till this moment here or when we're old, living in a retirement community telling our grandchildren about how we met.

I just have to keep my hope up for a little longer.

x.

Within the next hour, Rachel had returned to tell us that she was awake. I let everyone else go first that wanted to see her because then I could spend the most time with her. Rachel arranged it to where I could stay with her through the night, knowing we wouldn't want to be apart; the Niagria Falls hospital staff agreed to this request; I'm thankful for them.

As Santana's mother files out, she looks over at me with a tearful smile. "She just wants to see her wife now," she says softly and I sniffle, before nodding. She rubs my back tenderly as I walk down the hall towards Santana's room.

When I open the door, I see wires and machines around her as she lays there practically helpless with all the clutter; she looks overwhelmed to be quite honest. At the sound of the door, she turns her head and sees me, smiling softly she gestures me to come over to her. I start tearing up at her weakened state as I advance towards her.

I take her hand in mine as I sit in the chair that rests at her bedside. I kiss her hand softly as I stare at her. She tears up as well, preventing them from falling, which I've failed miserably at. "I'm so, so sorry," she whispers to me and I shake my head furiously.

"No don't do that baby please," I kiss her hand again. "You, you have nothing to be sorry for," I whisper to her as if more people are in the room and I only want her to hear my words.

"I ruined our day," she states. "It was supposed to be perfect," she breaths out and I smile at her.

"I don't know what wedding you were at, but it was perfect," I tell her as I grasp her hand tightly as if she will fly away from me. "It was perfect because I married you,"

Her tears are falling now and she turns her head up and blinks furiously trying desperately to keep them from falling. "I'm so scared," she sobs before turning back to meet my eyes and I nod to her in understanding.

"I know," I whisper to her, before leaning over and kissing her softly. I stroke her cheek gently, caressing my thumb over the tears that are making her way down her cheek. "We can get through this though. I'm with you till the end of this and I'm not going anywhere, no matter the outcome," I promise her. "I don't want you worrying about me either," I add, pressing my lips to her forehead this time.

"I'm always going to worry about you," she breaths out again, knowing she's having difficulty and it only makes my heart break even more. She's fighting so hard and I just want to tell her:

You've done so good baby. I love you so much, but it's okay to go if you want. I'll be okay someday.

But those words never leave my lips, because I think she already knows. I think she already knows what I'm thinking.

So I just shift onto her bed and wrap an arm around her, pulling her close to me and we lay there together. Her head is laying on my chest and I can tell she's just listening to the beat of my heart like it's her favorite sound.

"I love you Quinn," she says before the silence grows deafening and her breathing evens out to signify she has fallen asleep.

"I love you too Santana," I whisper into her ear as I too start to fall asleep to the beeping of the monitor.

That is all she wrote. Look out in your emails for a email that starts with sam (it is me!). Again, thank you all again. It's bee a roller coaster and a journey and I love you guys! Till get time

xSam