Author's Note: Written spur of the moment as a birthday present to my very dear friend Sam. Love you babe, happy birthday!
"No, Mama. Please, por favor no! We don't want a huge ceremony in St. Luke's downtown. No church wedding of any kind! Brittany wants simple and just us and that is what I am going to give her. I don't care that Tia Maria had 200 people at her wedding and I do NOT care if Prima Luisa thinks that I want a small wedding just so she can't be a bridesmaid. I didn't ask to be one in her wedding and it's not my fault that her mother made her ask all the cousins to be in it. What Brittany wants, Brittany gets and that. Is. Final. Si Mama, I love you too." Santana pulled the phone away from her ear with a sigh, falling over in the bed to land with her head in the lap of her equally sighing girlfriend - no, fiancee, how she DID love that word. "I'm sorry Britt-Britt, I AM trying. She just doesn't want to listen."
Long fingers dropped naturally into thick black hair as Brittany listened to Santana speak. She knew that Santana really did want something big to celebrate their marriage. But the wedding she'd dreamed about since she was a child was always chock full of flowers and whimsy and fairies and the joy of nature around her, not the solemnity of the church that her beloved had been raised in. As she gently raked her fingers along Santana's scalp, she had a thought. "San, your mom wants the big church wedding because that means we can have the big reception in the church hall and invite everyone, right?"
"Mostly, yeah, I guess," Santana responded, rolling onto her side and nestly her head more comfortably in Brittany's lap. "I mean, sure Father Joseph would be willing to do the blessing, but it's not like we can legally get married in Lima anyway. I don't really get it."
"So, why don't we do the wedding here in New York and then just have the big reception in Lima? Almost everyone is there or nearby anyway. We can have Father Joseph do a blessing over the food and the marriage and everything and make your side of the family happy, but then we can have the ceremony the way WE want it here?" The more she thought about it, the more her mind raced. The years had dampened most everything she wanted out of her wedding - she didn't expect Tinkerbell to hold her veil as she walked down the aisle, or maidens to dance a maypole for her (a stint in college was spent learning about ancient Celtic traditions that turned it from a fun and pretty dance to what it really was and just spoiled the whole thing for her). But she knew what she wanted most.
Brittany's hands stilled as she started daydreaming of her perfect ceremony, and the moments drifted by. Each girl was lost in her own thoughts, vaguely assuming the other had dropped into sleep the longer the silence continued. "How small do you want the ceremony here to be?" Santana broke through, having come to the conclusion that once again, her Brittany was the biggest genius of them all. "Because what if we got Tina and Mike to come be the witnesses, Sophie do the blessing and legal stuff, and Julie can be the flower girl after all?"
Tina and Brittany had bonded that last year at McKinley, both missing their graduated expartners. June of 2013 had brought both Santana and Mike to their final senses and not only re-cemented the bonds of the two couples, but ultimately led them to becoming the closest of friends. All four lived within a few blocks of each other. Tina and Mike had a three year old daughter, Julie, and Tina was expecting twins in a few months. Unfortunately, it was a high risk pregnancy, which would keep her from traveling. This new arrangement would allow their favorite little girl and their best friends to be as fully involved as they wanted them to be without endangering Tina or the babies.
"Santana that's awesome!" Suddenly Brittany was a blur of motion, heading towards the living room in search of her laptop. "I'm going to find out how long in advance we have to file for a license and email Sophie to see when she's free. You call your mother and tell everyone at home that they can do their big shindig and everyone should be happy. Oh Santana!" Here she rushed back into the bedroom, diving towards the middle where the dark eyed beauty was still trying to get her bearings at the abrupt change of speed in the conversation. "Baby, we're getting MARRIED! I can't wait to be your wife. My wife!" She giggled again and ran off.
"Yes dear," Santana answered quietly, smiling to herself as she reached for her phone. The family might put up a bit of a fight, but this really was the best solution. "Mama? Here's what we're going to do..."
After all was said and done, it really didn't take long to plan both events. A reception is after all, only a big party. With dresses, flowers, and ceremony details removed, it ultimately was decided that the Lima reception would be held in the Lopez backyard, a huge barbecue that could include all family members from both sides, as well as all their friends from back home. But right now, as she stood staring into the mirror, Brittany had a moment of sadness that she hadn't decided to ask Santana for at least her mother there as well as Tina and Mike for their witnesses. Mike was doing a great job as her best man, so to speak, but he couldn't exactly help her with her makeup. He'd left a few moments before to fetch Tina from Santana's own preparations.
A soft knock at the door brought her back to herself. "Hey Tina, come on in." As it opened behind her, her eyes widened and she spun around. "Mom! You're... Santana? How did she... oh Mom I'm so glad you're here!" She flung herself into her mother's arms, relief welling up within her. Susan Pierce, being the woman who raised her daughter, understood exactly what had been said.
"I'm glad I'm here too baby. Maribel is with Santana now, and your fathers are outside waiting for you. We understand about the not doing the giving away thing, but I hope you aren't too upset with Santana. She didn't want us to not see you actually get married. Is this all right?"
"Yes, yes I'm so glad you're here. I'm so happy, Mom." Blue eyes sparkled with a tear that was threatening to fall, but a quick dab and smile was enough to steady them once again. "All right, I can do this. Let's get me married!"
A chuckle came from the older blonde. She'd heard Brittany use that line many a time when she and Santana had played at getting married as children. It never had failed to make Santana blush. "Yes dear, let's."
Since both girls were going to walk towards one another rather than down a central aisle, Julie Chang danced around all six parents - her own and that of the brides' - and the officiant, filling the entire center space with the flower petals she'd been given. When she deemed the carpet thick enough, she was suppose to walk to Sophie and give a thumbs up. Instead, in the true spirit of childhood, she shouted out loud and clear, "Aunt Santana, Aunt Brittany, it's READY!" All seven adults laughed, and each girl could be heard giggling as they stepped from behind their designated trees, seeing one another for the first time all day.
Music was supposed to be playing as they took slow, sedate steps towards each other, but both women ignored their original plan as they rushed forward, meeting in front of the group in barely ten seconds time. Arms reached out and hands laced together perfectly as they stopped, foreheads pressing together. 'Hi,' mouthed Santana. 'Hi back,' Brittany mouthed back. A gentle clearing of the throat from Sophie brought them out of each other.
"Today we gather to celebrate the love and devotion that Santana and Brittany have for one another. They come and stand before witnesses, who can attest to the reality of their love. They stand before their parents, not as supplicants gaining permission, but as free and independent women, sharing this blessing so that they can make their families stronger by bringing them together. They stand before me, one who stands no higher than them on any moral or spiritual grounds, but as one who can and does offer a blessing as a friend, and frankly, who did the legal paperwork so that the government has to recognize that this little get together happened." The group all laughed gently.
"This bond, this joining, is not meant to be a fetter. A joining is a partnership, not two people becoming one. Two minds cannot fuse; two souls cannot merge. Two hearts cannot keep to the same time. If two are foolish enough to try this, then one must overwhelm the other and that is not love, nor is it compassion, nor responsibility. You are two who choose to walk the same path, to bridge the differences between you with love. You must remember and respect those differences and learn to understand them, for they are part of what made you come to love in the first place.
"Love is patient, love is willing to compromise - love is willing to admit it is wrong. There will be hard times; you must face them as a united force, side by side, not using the weapon of your knowledge to tear at each other. There will be sadness as well as joy, and you must support one another through the grief and sorrow." Santana's hands gripped tighter as she stared into Brittany's eyes. Her abuela still had not consented to speak to her, though it had been many years since that fateful day at the kitchen table. Brittany's fingers tightened as well, and she nodded slightly, knowing precisely what was in Santana's mind.
"There will be pain. But pain shared is pain halved, as joy shared is joy doubled, and you each must sacrifice your own comfort to share the pain of the other. And yet, you must do all this and manage to keep each other from wrong actions, for a joining means you also pledge to help one another at all times. You must lead each other by example. Guide and be willing to be guided. Being joined does not mean that you accept what is truly wrong; being joined means that you must strive that you both remain in the light and the right. You must not pledge yourselves thinking that you can change each other. That is rankest folly, and disrespectful, for no one has the right to change another. You must not pledge yourselves thinking that there will be no strife between you. That is fantasy, for you are two and not one, and there will inevitably come conflict that it will be up to you to resolve. You must not pledge yourselves thinking that all will be will from this moment on. That is a dream, and dreamers must eventually wake. You must come to this joining fully ready, fully committed, and fully respectful of each other."
As the officiant finished, she nodded to Santana. "Brittany, I've loved you since we were four years old. For a long time, I thought of you as my very best thing. I held you close and kept you secret because I thought that made it better and safer. But you are NOT my very best thing." Confusion flooded the dancer's eyes, and she rushed to continue. "You aren't mine. You aren't a thing. You are your own wonderful, beautiful person. And this relationship isn't even my very best thing. It's OUR very best thing. And I promise to spend the rest of my life working to make sure that this relationship remains the very best thing in both our lives. Whoever and whatever comes along from this day forward, this I so promise." Hands grasped tighter, and small giggles emerged from both brides. Brittany took a deep breath.
"Santana, all my life I've been different. And there have been people who loved me despite my differences and people who loved me because of my differences even. But you just loved me. You understood me and accepted me and just ignored it when we were different. In twenty years, the only time you ever called me stupid was when I told you I wasn't smart enough to be your friend when Miss Bascomb put us in different reading groups. And then cried harder than I did when you realized what you'd said. All the ways in which we are different from each other don't make us better or worse, they make us US. And I will spend the rest of my days making sure we embrace all the ways we match, complement, clash, or otherwise mesh, this I so promise."
Julie alone stood among the group with dry eyes. She looked up, seeing all the couples holding hands and sniffing softly. Even the officiant had tears in her eyes. When she realized that they were all starting to look at her, she remembered her other job. "Oh! Sorry Aunt Brittany!" She dug into her nearly empty basket of flower petals, coming up with the box that was buried inside. "Here they are!" She said triumphantly, passing it on to Sophie.
"Santana, take this ring, place it on Brittany's finger and repeat, 'With this ring, I thee wed.'" Gently, Santana did as told, the word barely above a whisper. "And Brittany, take this ring, place it on Santana's finger and repeat, 'With this ring, I thee wed.'" Once again, the instructions were followed with a solemnity more generally reserved for the originally planned church location.
"Now you will no longer fear the storm," Sophie said in ringing tones, "for you find shelter in each other. Now the winter cannot harm you, for you warm each other with love. Now when strength fails, you will be the shoulder each can lean on. Now the darkness holds no danger, for you will be the light to each other's path. Now you will defy despair, for you will bring hope to each other's heart. Now there will be no more loneliness, for there will always be a hand reaching out to aid you when all seems darkest. Where there were two paths, there is now one. May your days together be long upon the earth, and each day blessed with joy in each other.
"And now, by the power vested in me by the state of New York, the strength of your love, and the joy you two are spreading already, I pronounce you bound by love, law, and joy. You may kiss your bride. Ladies and gentlemen, Santana and Brittany Pierce-Lopez!"
The first kiss they shared as a married couple was only a few seconds long, but it was, after all, only the beginning.
The End.
A/N number 2: Much of the wedding ceremony is taken from Mercedes Lackey's Owlsight. It's always seemed a very Brittany wedding ceremony to me. Things are added and changed throughout, but I didn't want anyone to think I created it from whole cloth. Glee of course does not belong to me.