All standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Set seven years after high school. By my calculation, they'll be around twenty-five years old then. Story idea came from the quote below. (I haven't really seen the whole movie, but I liked this quotation. But the Justin Long-Ginnifer Goodwin side plot? Story of my life. LOL.) Before I knew it, the plot bunny became a monster that wouldn't leave me alone. Haha.

Girls are taught a lot of stuff growing up: if a boy punches you he likes you, never try to trim your own bangs, and someday you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending. Every movie we see, every story we're told implores us to wait for it: the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. But sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. How to tell the ones who want us from the ones who don't, the ones who will stay and the ones who will leave. And maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. Maybe the happy ending is just moving on. Or maybe the happy ending is this: knowing after all the unreturned phone calls and broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment... you never gave up hope. – From the movie 'He's Just Not That Into You'

Lima, Ohio

"Oh my God, you're getting married!" Rachel Berry shrieked into her phone, oblivious to the stares of the other people on the street.

"I am!" Mercedes Jones replied giddily on the other end. "The wedding's in six months. We wanted to make sure everyone would be there."

Rachel whipped out her planner and wrote down this fact. "Consider this my confirmation. Rest assured, Mercedes, that I will be in attendance for your wedding. I cannot be happier for you and Matt." She soon spied Tina Cohen-Chang as she entered the café. "I see her. Tina!" She waved to her friend, handing her mobile phone to the latter as she took a seat. "Mercedes has amazing news."

Tina took the cell, a confused smile on her face. "Hey 'Cedes," she greeted.

"Tina, what do you say to being a cord sponsor for my wedding?"

She gasped. "Matt finally proposed! Mercedes, congratulations! Of course I accept!"

"Great! I talked to Matt, and he said he plans on asking Puck to be the other secondary sponsor for the cord ceremony."

"Puck? Sure, I think I can keep him in line for one day." She looked at the handwriting on the organizer Rachel held in front of her face. "And you'll be tying the knot this December here in Lima?"

"Yeah, we want as many family members and friends there. It makes sense, having the wedding at the place where it all began."

"You're not planning on getting married at McKinley High right? You know how Principal Figgins is with renting out the auditorium."

"Girl, I didn't mean what I said that literally."

"Just checking, Mercedes."

"Quinn's the maid of honor, so you'll hear from her soon. Kurt will also be calling you to meet up for wedding stuff, like gown fitting and such, since he volunteered to be the wedding planner. Tee, please help Quinn keep him in check while I'm not there, okay? I love Kurt to bits, but his idea of a fantasy wedding is not necessarily mine," Mercedes half-joked. "Matt and I will fly in from California in a couple of months."

"Consider it done," Tina said. "I'm giving the phone back to Rachel. She looks like she's going to throw a fit. I miss you, congrats Mercedes!" She added before handing the cellular phone back to her friend.

Mercedes was getting married. To Matt Rutherford, at that. Tina smiled to herself. Who would've thought the two would meet again in college (in an odd salute to history, they had both joined the same a cappella group) and fall in love? It was all very serendipitous.

"Finn and I were actually planning on vacationing in Canada this Christmas, but I'm more than certain he'll be ecstatic to forego that for Matt and Mercedes' upcoming nuptials," Rachel said to Tina after ending the call. "I did tell her we would be honored to be the candle sponsors."

"Tell him I said hi when you go back to New York this weekend, okay?"

"Certainly," the brunette replied. "I still cannot believe it! The first New Directions wedding!"

"Second, if you count Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury at the end of our senior year," Tina corrected.

"You have a point, Ms. Pillsbury being an honorary glee mentor. Still. Matt and Mercedes! Who would've thought Mercedes would be the first among us to get married?"

"Yeah, I half-expected you and Finn to elope in high school," she said with a chuckle.

Rachel looked unconvinced. "You did?"

"You two were sickeningly sweet most of the time I thought if anything would get in the way of your Broadway plan it would be marriage to Finn after high school, honestly."

"Us, sweet? Need I point out, Tina, that you and Mike were the epitome of adorableness then."

Tina scrunched her face. "Adorable. You have a whole arsenal of adjectives at your disposal, and you chose adorable."

"That's because you were. There's no other way to describe it." The other girl pursed her lips. "Speaking of Mike, you are aware that he is, necessarily, Matt's best man."

"I haven't really thought about it, but yes, that's probably true. Unless Matt has a new best friend or something."

"Your thoughts on the matter?"

Tina paused. "It's fine, really. The spotlight will be on Matt and Mercedes. They don't need any drama from anyone."

"Finn calls him occasionally," Rachel said. "He's one of the choreographers for a new television show, did you know that?"

"I haven't heard from him, but you all seem to feel the need to update me, so I'm aware what's happening with his life." She swirled the contents of her cup. "It's great, really. I'm happy for him."

"We're just concerned."

Tina sighed. "There's no need to be concerned, Rachel. It's been three years."

"I'm well aware of that, it's just – "

"Please, everything's okay," Tina said with finality.

Rachel looked at her friend. "Very well." Her eyes fell on the books in front of Tina. "Studying for the bar exam already?"

"It doesn't hurt to start reviewing now," Tina replied. "I want to take things slow for a while though. I'm not taking the exam anytime soon."

"Tina Cohen-Chang, J.D. Could you please take the New York bar? I want you to be the one drafting my contracts."

"I'm on a self-imposed break, Rachel. Let me relish my graduation. But I'll think about your offer." She grinned. "Till when are you playing Elphaba at the Gershwin anyway?"

"End of November this year. My agent's sifting through offers, but I really want to do this new musical. It has 'Tony' written all over it, I'm positive," Rachel said, practically bouncing in her seat. "I'll be reading opposite Jonathan Groff next week."

"I'm sure you'll get the part," Tina said.

"Yes, well, I should hope so." She took the menu proffered by the waiter. "Technically, though, I'm on vacation. Let's forget about that for the meantime and have some lunch while we discuss the wedding of the year."

Los Angeles, California

"Yeah, I'll see you guys this weekend, Artie. Okay. Bye," Mike Chang said before ending the call.

Matt Rutherford looked at his best friend.

"Artie's fundraiser, I told him and Britt I'll be there," he explained.

"Ah. I suppose Santana will also be there millionaire-hunting,' the other guy commented.

Mike chuckled. "She'll be performing with Brittany and the rest of their dance troupe. I suppose she could survey the crowd for their credit scores afterward. So how did it go with Mercedes?"

"She said yes." Matt's smile couldn't get any bigger.

"Congratulations, Matt!"

"Be my best man."

"Best man? Sure," Mike said with a grin.

"Great. It's this December."

"No worries. Work ends November this year. I won't miss the Rutherford-Jones wedding."

His best friend closed his gym locker. "We're getting married in Lima. Everyone will be there."

Mike paused, his gym bag forgotten. "Everyone?"

"Everyone."

A couple of seconds passed. "Oh boy." He sat on the bench.

"Bro, it's been three years."

"Feels like yesterday to me."

Matt sat next to Mike. "Look, it would mean a lot to me and Mercedes if you were there. All of you." He added, "She's not the maid of honor, Quinn is."

Mike remained silent.

"You don't have to talk to her unless you want to."

"I do want to. She'll talk about something else though." He shrugged. "Don't worry about it, man. I'll be fine. You guys focus on the wedding, I'll worry about myself. Come on, let's eat. I have to be on set in a couple of hours. I'll wait for you at the lobby."

Matt watched his friend walk away. "What really happened to you, Mike?" he asked under his breath.

A/N: Whew, opening chapter done! I know there are a lot of questions. (Why the hell did Tina turn into a soulless law degree holder? :P Didn't she say, per episode 2x02, that she wanted to be a performer? Why has Mike been reduced to a sad emo guy? What happened to the two?) But yay for being a multi-chapter story, it'll make sense and you'll find out as we go along! (I have a basic plot outlined, but sometimes a story gets its own life so we'll see.) I'll try to update after my next exam.

Any side pairings to suggest? (Matt/Mercedes obviously cannot be touched. For this story's purposes, Finn/Rachel is a necessity. Artie I'm still not sure who to pair with.)

Rave? Rant? Review! Very much appreciated.

Constructive criticism please.

XOXO,

Ms Yu