Running for My Undead Life

Chapter 26: The Future

Almost a year later, Lena and I stood outside of her parents' house, the same one they lived in when we were in high school. I hadn't been back to see them since I left. Lena wasn't the only one in her family that took my disappearance hard. Her parents saw me as their daughter, and I broke their hearts by leaving without saying anything. Lena has tried to assure me that they'll be happy to see me, but every time she tried to get me to go see them over the past year, I just couldn't do it. She said they were more worried about me more than anything else and it would make them feel so much better to know I'm okay. So, against my better judgement, we stood outside of their house on Christmas Day while I worked up the courage to go inside and face more people I've hurt. They knew Lena was bringing home someone she had been dating, but they had no clue it was me.

"You'll be okay. I'm with you," Lena said, pulling me in for a kiss. I nodded my head and squeezed her hand, letting her know I was ready. We walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Derek opened the door, the giant smile on his face fell as soon as his eyes landed on me. My hands were sweaty as I waited for him to do something or say something. He looked between me and Lena, his eyebrows furrowed. He stepped forward onto the porch. I backed up a half a step, not sure what was about to happen. Next thing I knew I was being crushed to his chest, engulfed in a bear hug. His arms rested on my shoulders almost choking me from the pressure on my neck. I couldn't stop the tears from reaching my eyes at this reaction. Lena was right. I should've known she would be. Her dad was always a puppy dog. He pulled away and grabbed my hand, tugging me inside. He dragged me to the kitchen where Lily and Jake were sitting at the counter. Lily gasped as she saw who was with her husband. "Oh my god!" She kissed both of my cheeks and pulled me in for her own version of a bear hug. Jake, who looked strangely grown up as a teenager, was the only one who didn't welcome me warmly. Thinking back to conversations I used to have with him, I could see that coming. He was always protective with Lena. He did manage to shake my hand, but he didn't speak to me much throughout the night. I was sure that with time I could regain his trust. I wasn't planning on going anywhere ever again, not without Lena.

Lena's parents wanted to know everything about where I'd been, what I'd done, why I left, and why I came back. I told them the same version I told Jasmine. I explained to them how I didn't really find myself until I came back and reconnected with Lena. I told them how sorry I was for how I let things happen. I was so happy they were both here and healthy so that I could tell them these things and work on fixing what I had broken, something I would never get to do with Tara. This family had always been there for me when my own family wasn't. I desperately wanted to rebuild our relationship, especially with how well things had been going between me and Lena. We stayed at her parents' house for a while. We didn't get back to Lena's house until about 2:00 a.m.

She immediately went to the corner of the living room that she had designated as her study. I walked up behind her as she sat there reading one of my mother's medical journals. I rubbed her shoulders for a few minutes before kissing her head and wandering off to do my own thing. She had spent a lot of her nights this way for the past several months. Ever since she took up the apprenticeship under my mother. She had picked back up with medical school and was continuing her education formally but had ultimately decided that her true specialty would lie in caring for the supernatural. So, my mother was passing down all her knowledge and expertise. I would've never guessed my life would turn out this a few years ago. With my parents actually being my parents, accepting Lena into the family, and me even being with Lena at all.

Coming back home was initially only about destroying the hunters. Now that I've done that, here anyway, I could move onto other parts of my life. Like fixing my relationships. All of which I've done, the latest being with Lena's parents. But I had a relationship with my parents, Jasmine had asked me to be the godmother to her daughter, and of course, Lena was just Lena. I plopped down onto the couch and watched her reading the pages of the journal intently. How freaking adorable. My little nerd. I put my arms behind my head and got comfortable. To my surprise, after a few minutes, she stopped and turned her body around, facing me. "It's hard to read with you staring at me like that." "Mmmm... not staring. Admiring," I answered playfully. Her eyes darkened as she stood and walked over to me, her hips swaying sensually. I bit my lip, unable to hide my desire. "Admiring?" She asked, leaning over me so that her body was on full display. She spoke lowly, "Which part?" I trailed my finger along her body in answer to the question, stopping on the parts that I really, really admire. She grabbed my hands, pulling me up and guiding me to the bedroom.

Though we had been in this moment countless times, her lips crashing onto mine stole my breath away. My hands trailed down her body, past her hips. They rested on the back of her jeans, and I squeezed gently as her tongue entered my mouth and tingles shot down my spine. She moaned into my mouth and the sound drove me forward. I helped her lower to the bed without breaking the kiss. Her body arched upwards as my right hand grazed her nipple through her shirt. My body heated up even more knowing that she wasn't wearing a bra. I pushed her shirt up and she lifted off the bed enough for me to pull it over her head. My lips roamed down from her lips to her neck and finally to her nipples. I raked my tongue over one before sucking on it softly. My fingers teased her other nipple, pinching slightly. I pulled my head back slightly to watch her react to my touch. Her chest was arched into the air and the corner of her bottom lip was tucked under her teeth. She reached up, grabbing my neck, and pulled me back down to her breasts.

I gave her what she wanted, more eagerly than I had before. I was surprised when she rolled us over and climbed on top of me. Her cheeks were rosy as she quickly helped me remove my clothes, hers following after. She didn't waste any time moving her head down between my legs. Her eyes glanced up at me as her tongue reached its destination. I gasped at the feeling of bliss that racked my body. Every time with her was better than the last. She picked up speed the more I squirmed beneath her. My hands found their way into her hair, needing something to hold onto to ground me in this moment. "Lena," I panted, feeling myself getting close to the edge. She whimpered in response, like she could go any moment too.

I felt her finger enter me, but her tongue didn't slow down. I couldn't stop my hips from bucking in rhythm with her. My breathing quickened as she pumped her finger in and out. I watched her movements, growing even more turned on just at the sight of her. I couldn't wait to taste her. With that final thought, a heat grew in my stomach and spread all the way down my legs as I climaxed. My body writhed under hers, but she kept moving. She didn't stop until I grabbed her chin and pulled her mouth back up to mine. She climbed into my lap and her arms encircled my neck. I kissed her fiercely, not stopping for either of us to breathe properly. Her hips grinded against me and she whispered my name against my lips. I flipped us over back to our original position. I pulled back fully with her laying underneath me. Within seconds, she had grabbed my hand and pulled me back towards her. My lips curled into a smirk as I kissed my way down her body.

Later that night, lying in bed, I realized that my dream from years ago was coming true. Here we were, nine years after we originally met, knowing everything about each other and still feeling that original spark of love. The journey to this point definitely wasn't what I expected but being here felt right. Like it was always meant to be. I knew where I wanted our future to be. I wanted to marry her and travel the world with her. Let her take me to all the places she's been so that we can experience them together like she had first asked me to do. There were still some other things that needed to be done. Like confronting the hunters from all over the world, not just here. But Spencer and Cassie were helping with that. And Lena even had a newfound fire after seeing how things went down in Arizona earlier this year. We were all on the same page on taking this fight further for people like Nikki, Logan, and the countless other lives that were lost needlessly on both sides.

I was rubbing Lena's back as she laid on her stomach. Her eyes were closed as she breathed slowly. I leaned in and kissed her cheek. She smiled and opened her eyes to look at me. "What was that for?" she sat up fully, facing me with her legs crossed. I leaned forward too, resting my hands on her thighs. "You're just really beautiful and I'm really happy." She giggled and pecked my lips. When she pulled away her cheeks were flushed red. I leaned back onto the headboard again and brought her with me, laying her head on my chest as I pulled her into my side. "Merry Christmas," I whispered, kissing the top of her head. A few minutes later she softly whispered, "Artemis?" "Hmmm?" I responded. She didn't speak again for a little bit.

"Lena?" I tilted my head to the side to get a better look at her. I could hear her heart beating erratically and sweat was building on her hand that was resting on my stomach. She sat up, turning to face me once again. She looked so nervous. I sat up with her, "What's wro-" "Will you marry me?!" She blurted out. Wait, what?