All That We Are Is Who We Must Be

Simon.

We carry the girls into the house, setting their things down and collectively taking off our shoes and coats in the mudroom. Then we trudge into the living room, setting the girls on the floor to play with the toys scattered all around the carpet (or to sleep). Lulu can barely keep her eyes open, and she keeps swaying where she sits. My own eyelids droop a little-- Baz and I really didn't get much sleep at all last night, and my plans for sleeping in this morning got waylaid (not that I'm complaining in the slightest).

I sit down on one end of the couch, tilting my head back and closing my weary eyes. Baz comes over and stretches out, his legs across mine and his head on the armrest at the other end of the couch.

"Crowley I'm tired," He murmurs. "You're exhausting, Si." I grin sleepily, flicking his leg.

"Right back at you, Basilton. I'm gonna sleep for a month." A soft, indolent chuckle from his end of the couch.

"The best idea you've had in years," He teases. I laugh, opening one eye to look at him.

"Thanks very much. I'm rather proud of it."

Out of the corner of my vision, I watch Lulu toddle towards us, her short legs stumbling tiredly, chubby hands rubbing at her half-mast eyes. When she gets to the couch, she tugs on Baz's hair to get his attention. Pearl grey eyes, as pretty as they were the very first time I saw them, open to look at her.

"Hello, love," says Baz. Lulu, still rubbing her eyes with one hand, raises the other one towards him.

"Bap I wanna hold you," She slurs drowsily. Baz smiles, rolling over slightly to pick her up. She rests her little dark head on his chest, eyes closing. A smile tugs at the corners of my lips; I have a photograph of them doing the exact same thing when Lulu was just a baby. In both instances, the two of them look utterly peaceful as they drift off to sleep.

I feel a little hand tug at mine, and look down to see Tasha standing in front of me. Long, dark eyelashes flutter against her rosy cheeks as she, like her sister and Baz, tries to stay awake. Smiling, I lean down over Baz's jean-clad legs to tuck her wild, sleep-tangled dark hair behind her ears.

"Do you want up, too, little bug?" I ask. Tasha nods, and it makes me sad to think that someday they'll be too big to do this. Too old, too mature, too independent to take naps with their dads. As sad as it may be, the prospect of getting to watch them grow up-- changing from our little girls to young women, maybe having kids of their own someday-- sends a thrill of happy anticipation through me.

I lift Tasha onto my lap, on top of Baz's legs. She rests her chin on my shoulder and I smooth back her hair, holding her close, feeling her breath on my neck slow down and deepen as she, too, drifts off to sleep. My own consciousness starts to slip and slide, and I know that I'll sleep soon as well.

As I drift off, I'm struck by just how happy I am. This may not be the life I would ever have imagined for myself, back at Watford, back in the days before Baz, but I truly could not have asked for a better one. Because against all odds, I managed to defeat the Humdrum. I managed to fall in love. I managed to carry on. Because this-- falling asleep in my living room, surrounded by the people I love most in this world, after an amazing night with the husband of my dreams-- this is what true happiness is.

And you know, I've always been just a bit confused at what Churchill really meant when he said 'Keep calm and carry on', because it is such a multifaceted quote. He was telling the people to sally forth and survive the war, but I never realised that he wasn't just encouraging tenacity. No, he was telling people to Carry On, because better and brighter things are always there to catch you if you fall. He was telling people to push through all the bad, all of the shit that life threw their way, and to Carry On with their chins held high, and to know in their hearts that tomorrow would bring a better day.

I've done my best to Carry On, despite everything. Despite being the Chosen One and an Ex-Supervillain and sexually confused and riddled with nightmares, I've truly done my best.

And I've been given the best reward possible for that.

A beautiful house, my best friend only a few minutes away.

Two adorable children who love me very much.

And a grey-eyed Vampire, asleep on my couch.

I've learned to Carry On. And I couldn't be happier.

The End.

------------------------

That's all, my friends!

I got so emotional while writing this last chapter... I'm very sad that this trilogy is over. I'll miss this little version of their universe that I've created.

I hope you've all enjoyed this fic series! I've worked really hard on it, and I've been rewarded for that hard work with the best readers any author could ever ask for (seriously, you guys are amazing and I love you all). This fic really couldn't have happened without all of you :)

I really just want to thank you, my dear readers. The amount of gratitude I feel towards you is almost entirely ineffable. Your comments and votes never fail to put a smile on my face, a blush on my cheeks. Your support for these fics has done wonders for my confidence as a writer and as a person, and for that I am eternally grateful. I never dreamed that these fics would ever be as popular as they've become, and it still makes me giddy every time I see a new little notification telling me that someone new has started to read them.

So thank you, thank you, thank you. You are all amazing and wonderful and it has been truly delightful communicating with you and reading your comments.

Stay tuned for more Snowbaz fics (well, once school starts and I settle into more of a routine, writing-wise)! I've got at least one more in store before the end of 2018 ;)

Yours ever so sincerely,

-Lefty.