• MARINA • Hunter Clarington-BOOK TWO✔

e p i l o g u e

2020- six and a half years later

"See ya, Mrs. C!" A teenaged girl waved to Marina, the brunette running a hand through her longer brown hair as she waved back to the girl.

"Bye!" Marina exclaimed to the group of exiting students, finished with their daily dance lessons. Hunter entered the room once they were all out, wrapping his hands around Marina's waist.

"Tough day?"

"No, for once, they were all on their best behaviour." Marina chuckled.

"Probably because you've just had your fashion show and if they weren't on their best behaviour, they'd know you'd be cranky."

"I wouldn't," Marina denied, "Why would I be cranky?"

"You're waiting on a review on one of your many world-famous fashion shows. Why wouldn't you be nervous?" Sebastian hummed in contemplation as he entered the room with a smirk, holding a child's hand in each of his.

"Mommy! Daddy!" The two children exclaimed, letting go of Sebastian's hands and rushing over to their parents. Five-year-old Isabella Clarington jumped into Hunter's arms, her long brown hair matching her father's whilst eyes identical to Marina's looked up at him. Three-year-old Sebastian Clarington waddle-ran into his mother's waiting arms, the boy identical to his mother.

"How's Shelby?" Marina inquired, "Beth?"

Sebastian laughed, "They're both doing great- the day-care totally boosted because Belle and Bas go there."

Hunter rolled his eyes. "Lies."

"It doesn't matter, anyway." Sebastian cleared his throat, "The helicopter's waiting. Everything's been packed for a week's visit to Lima."

"Uncle Bobby?" Sebastian wondered from where he stayed in Marina's arms.

"Uncle Dalton?" Isabella finished with an excited tone.

In McKinley's auditorium, Vice President Sue Sylvester sat with her assistant Becky Jackson, William and Emma Schuester, Burt and Carole Hummel, Terri not-Schuester, Coach Sheldon Beiste, Bobby Fowler, and Edward Dalton behind her. Isabella sat on Edward's lap, Sebastian on Bobby's.

Everyone else was backstage, dressed in red-and-white coloured clothing. "So, Mrs St James, how was your process of giving birth?" Marina stood beside Hunter, the St James' and Puckerman's creating a circle of the six.

"Painful. Neither of you two had twins." Rachel complained, looking between Marina and Quinn. She had been the surrogate mother for Kurt and Blaine's twin girls, Audrey (Hepburn) and Tracy.

"True," Quinn defended, "But I was sixteen." Once Shelby saw her and Puck's relationship, a stable relationship was formed with their daughter, Beth. The woman saw it as necessary, as she didn't have that relationship with Rachel and wouldn't want to tear it away from other people.

"I had birth twice, too. Maybe not at the same time, but I still did it twice." Marina reminded Rachel.

"Marina!" A loud voice squealed, pulling the girl into a hug.

"Sugar!" Marina replied with as much happiness, "My world-famous model!"

Sugar's eyes widened, tugging Joe to stand beside her. "Hear that, Joe? World famous!" Joe chuckled with a nod as everyone quietened down as Sue began to speak on the other side of the curtain.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Vice President of the United States." A voice announced as Sue stood to the microphone.

"Fantastic." She smirked. "Becky? Becky?! It's okay, honey. He's clean." Sue said to Becky, who was checking Sam for any weapons.

"You know, a great big fat person once stood on this stage and told a group of a dozen or so nerds in hideous disco outfits that 'glee,' by its very definition, is about opening yourself up to joy. Now, it's no secret that for a long time, I thought that was a load of hooey. As far as I can see, the glee club is nothing more than a place where a bunch of cowardly losers go to sing their troubles away and delude themselves that they live in a world that cares one iota about their hopes and dreams, totally divorced from the harsh reality that out in the real world, there's not much more to hope for than disappointment, heartbreak, and failure."

"You know what? I was exactly right. But I was wrong about the cowardly part. What I finally realize, now that I'm well into my late thirties... It takes a lot of bravery to look around you, and see the world, not as it is, but as it should be. A world where the quarterback becomes best friends with the gay kid, and the girl with the big nose ends up on Broadway. Glee is about imagining a world like that and finding the courage to open up your heart and sing about it. That's what Glee Club is. And for the longest time, I thought that was silly."

"And now, I think it's just about the bravest thing that anyone could do. I'm honoured to be here to rededicate this theatre the Finn Hudson Auditorium. William, it is with your hard work, in his memory, that you managed to accomplish something unimaginable. McKinley High School for the Performing Arts has become an overwhelming success, a model for public schools that showcase the arts, now being replicated all across the country. Congratulations, Will Schuester. You and your little Glee Club have accomplished something quite remarkable. And now, without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce the New Directions."

As the adults clapped, Mr. Schue moved to the stage, joining Artie, Tina, Quinn, and Sam as they all began to sing. Rachel and Mercedes were the next to join, followed by Kurt and Blaine.

When the chorus arrived, it was an onslaught of people who came onto the stage- some of which Marina had only met once or twice previous. She ran on with Arabella, Kara, Jamie, Hunter, Sebastian, Thad, Nick, Jeff, and Trent. Kara and Arabella had gotten married, as had Thad and Sebastian; Nick and Jeff didn't think marriage was necessary for their relationship, and Jamie and Trent had once found three kittens on the street and names them Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, platonically co-parenting the three.

Behind the ten, Roderick, Alistair, Madison, Jane, Spencer, Mason, and Sugar came onto the stage with wide and excited smiles on their faces, dancing widely. Marina even noted the original band was here too, giving them an excited wave. Mike danced onto the stage with Matt, another person she only recently met.

Then came Santana, Brittany, Puck, Kitty, Jake, Lauren, and Dave. Marina was ecstatic to see Dave again after all those years- she'd missed her nerdy conversations and food exchanges with the Bear Cub. Meeting Lauren Zizes was an experience, too. For as kind as the girl looked, she was one badass women wrestler with one fiery personality.

As the six came onto the stage, Unique, Joe, and Ryder came from the stairs at the back of the stage, grinning wildly. That was also the first time Marina noticed Jesse was on the stage too, even though she had been singing alongside him and everyone else.

Bobby, Sebastian, Edward, Isabella, Figgins, Terri, Emma, Burt, Carole, and Beiste joined everyone on the stage, Hunter and Marina taking their children in their arms as they did so. Sue and Becky then joined as everyone lined up on the three steps, joining hands and looking downwards as the stage's lights dimmed, ending the New Directions and Dalton Academy Warblers once and for all.

But, not in a bad way, because you need to See the world not as it is, but as it should be.