Chapter One: Rachel Berry
After a ten hour rehearsal, the only thing that Rachel Berry wanted to do was take a hot bath and fall into bed. Opening night was only a week away and it seemed like the complicated dance routines were just getting more and more grueling. Not that she would ever complain-Rachel was living her dream. Only twenty five years old and she already had landed a starring role in a real Broadway production. Chicago to be exact and Roxie Hart to be even more exact. For years she had dreamed about this. She'd already thought up the acceptance speech for when she won her first Tony award, already picked out her first big ticket purchase for when she was making big money, and even designed the gown that she would wear to her first premiere. Finally, all her years of hard work were starting to pay off.
Rachel sighed as she pulled open the door of her rundown apartment building. She could not wait until she could afford a better place. A place where the heat didn't go off in the middle of the night, a place where cockroaches didn't crawl out of the kitchen cabinets, and a place where the creepy land lord didn't call her "sweet cheeks." God, why didn't anybody tell her that New York was so expensive? She smiled ruefully at the memory. Somebody had tried to tell her. Finn Hudson had actually told her on more than one occasion. It was part of the reason that they broke up in fact.
"Rach, I don't want to move to New York," Finn had said. "I have no interest in paying a thousand dollars a month just to live in some shack. I don't want to rely on public transportation, have you seen those taxi drivers? It's like their on a suicide mission! I don't want to go to sleep to the sounds of horns honking and alarms blaring. I like wide open spaces. I'm happy here."
Rachel was flabbergasted. How could anyone not want to live in New York City? God, all of the things that he had rattled off with such disdain were the very things that she dreamt about. Rachel wanted to step outside her door and hail a taxi cab. She wanted to stop at a street vendor for a cup of coffee or go to a bodega for bagels with lox and cream cheese. As far as she was concerned these were the very things that made New York so incredible.
"Well," she had replied swallowing the lump that had magically formed in her throat. "Maybe this is for the best. It's obvious that we want different things in life. I suppose we've been going in different directions for a while now. Perhaps it's time for us to continue on that way. Permanently."
He just sighed, a pitiful resigned sound. "Okay Rachel."
Rachel almost choked. I'm only kidding, she wanted to say. She was madly painfully in love with him. She couldn't believe it. She had such big plans. They were going to go to Julliard, live in New York, and become big stars. They were supposed to live happily ever after together. That was the way that she had pictured things right down to the smallest detail. But that wasn't his plan. At least not anymore. She nodded, swallowed hard, and blinked a few times. For the first time ever, Rachel Berry was rendered completely and utterly speechless. It wasn't until she was home, wrapped in her warm down comforter, the soundtrack to Wicked blasting through her sound system that she allowed herself to cry.
Rachel shook away the memories, as she carefully opened her P.O box. It had been seven years and she still wasn't completely over Finn. Pathetic as it sounded, a part of her had always secretly hoped that Finn would find a way to waltz back into her life. She would fantasize about it when she was on the subway or in the shower. Sometimes he had shown up at the theater or at the coffee shop where she got breakfast on the weekends, or sometimes he would just appear on the street. Rachel, he would say. I've been a fool. Then she would kiss him and they would run back to her apartment together and make mad passionate love. The plan would be back in order and everything would be okay again.
Rachel flipped through her mail as she lumbered up the steep flight of stairs and towards her apartment. Bills, bills, and more bills. Her fingers hesitated as she felt the stiff stock of a creamy wedding invitation. It felt expensive. Rachel remembered hearing on some episode of Bridezillas that most couples spent more than six hundred dollars on invitations alone. Seemed like a big waste of money. Especially when you were Rachel and existed on the Raman noodle and peanut butter sandwich diet. She flipped the invitation over, quickly surveying it. Suddenly, she felt as if she was fifteen years old again and back a WMHS…and an ice cold slushy had just been thrown directly into her face.
"I could just kill that cheap third world Puerto Rican slut," she cried. She was momentarily brought back to reality by the loud gasps of three -esque women that seemed to magically appear in the dingy hallway. Shit, she'd forgotten that she lived in Spanish Harlem. On her shoestring budget it had been all she could afford. On most days Rachel didn't really care. The heavenly smell of red peppers and cilantro was always in the air, as was the voice of singers like Selena and Marc Anthony. That had always seemed to overshadow the terrible crime rates. Now though, all Rachel could think of as she stared at her neighbors was her.
"I'm sorry," Rachel whispered. Then to avoid getting cut and/or having her hair pulled out at the root, she quickly shuffled into her apartment where she immediately burst into tears and wished that she could go back in time. Back to a time when the statement "you are cordially invited to the wedding of Finn Christopher Hudson and Santana Maria Lopez" hadn't been seared into her head.
Chapter Two: Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel mixed himself a vodka and cranberry and sat down on the sofa. Blaine would be home in a little over half an hour and Kurt was valiantly trying to scrounge up the energy needed to bread some chicken cutlets, toss a salad, and boil some wild rice. It had been weeks since they had done anything romantic and he couldn't wait to see the look on his boyfriend's face when he came home to find dinner ready and on the table. Not that it was really Kurt's face. He was one of the most sought after interior decorators in Lima and business had been especially good these last few months and of course Blaine was the new theater teacher at WMHS and was busily preparing the Glee club for regionals. Kurt was about to pick out a bottle of wine to share with dinner when the phone began ringing. Kurt glanced at the collar ID; Berry, Rachel New York.
"Fuck it. I'm ordering Chinese," Kurt said as he added another slug of vodka to his juice before answering. "Palace of Love."
"Is it true," she sobbed out. Kurt cringed and took a chug of his drink. This was the call that he had been reading yet anticipating for the last six months. Even after all this time though he still hadn't the faintest idea as to what he was going to say. Better to just dive right in, he decided.
"I take it you heard," he asked.
"I just got an invitation," she sniffed. "Sweet of them to remember me. Huh? Kurt, I didn't even know they were dating."
"Well, surprise." Kurt sat back down on the sofa. A part of him hated hearing his friend sound so broken but the other part was shocked to see that she still carried a torch for someone she hadn't even seen in seven years. "I suppose you'd like a play by play?"
"If you would be son kind." Kurt thought that he could hear Rachel getting a drink of her own on the other side of the phone. He was momentarily reminded of the Rachel Berry Train wreck Extravaganza from junior year. God, he hoped that Rachel wasn't gearing up for a solo version of that night right now.
"Well, they kind of reconnected at college. As you know, they both go into UCS, him on a scholarship for football and hers for cheerleading. I guess that they were both lonely and needed someone to lean on," Kurt said. "Believe it or not, I actually think that she's the reason that he was able to stick it out and graduate. She really took care of him."
"Well, isn't she just fucking Mother Theresa," Rachel spat. Another thought suddenly dawned on her. "Wait, I thought her and Brit-"
"Yeah, so did Britney," Kurt said with a laugh. "Story for another time. I assure you though that it's a good one."
"Oh God," Rachel groaned. She could feel a tension headache coming on from the way the pressure slowly moved from her temples to behind her eye sockets. This was her worst nightmare come true. Finn and Santana? She thought she might gag.
"Anyway," Kurt continued. "After graduation they came back to Lima and moved in together. Then once they got engaged they bought a house. I'm decorating it actually."
That was all he could bring himself to tell her. He couldn't tell her that both of their Facebooks were loaded with cheesy photos of them together. A close-up of Santana's wedding ring which was approximately the size of a sugar cube. A snapshot of them at the beach, huge smiles on their faces, and the wind whipping at their hair. Another of their house with both of them standing in front of the SOLD sign, looking happy as can be. He couldn't tell her about the yellow lab puppy Finn had gotten Santana for her birthday and they had promptly named Churro. He couldn't tell her that they had chosen their house because it had an excellent school district and four bedrooms, which was great as they planned on having a large family. Kurt couldn't tell Rachel any of that because he knew it would crush her. Then there was also the fact that he felt some strange sense of loyalty to Finn and Santana. At the end of the day, Finn was his step-brother and Santana was his soon to be sister-in-law. That counted for something.
"Rach, she's changed," Kurt said.
"Please," she scoffed. "It's Santana. No matter what she'll always be the same slut faced ho bag bi-curious, scum sucking evil bitch that she was in high school."
"Rachel that's not fair," Kurt said sharply. "She's not the same person anymore. Did you know that she's a pediatric nurse now? Granted, I'm not entirely sure why because she can't stand blood, vomit, or any other bodily fluids but whatever. She's always getting the doctors in her office to look at underprivileged kids for free. She also coaches little girl's cheerleading in her spare time and now that Finn is the football coach at McKinley she's head of all the funding. People change Rachel. I mean, are you the same person you were in high school?"
There was a pregnant pause on the other end and for a moment, Kurt was worried that he'd been too harsh. Finally, she spoke. "What am I going to do Kurt?"
"There isn't anything you can do," he answered. "Look, will you be at the wedding or not? If it's too painful than I don't want to put pressure on you. That said it may give you closure."
"I have to go Kurt. I'll look like a loser who is purposely avoiding them if I don't," Rachel sighed. Even though she'd rather be set on fire than watch the love of her life marry some vapid little skank, she knew that she would do nothing but cause tension if she didn't.
"That's my girl," Kurt said approvingly. "Listen, Blaine is going to be home soon and I need to order dinner. You'll stay with us when you come for the wedding and the second the reception is over, we'll come back here and get shit faced. How's that sound?"
"Like a plan," she answered. She said goodbye, mumbling something about Tylenol PM and Kurt hung up. In all honesty, he thought that she was taking the news rather well. It was hard enough to face the fact that Finn was getting married without factoring in who. Though he and Santana had managed to put the past behind them, he knew that he would never truly forget what she had done to him in high school. People don't easily forget daily torture and insults. But they had both grown up and he was even willing to admit that some of the things she'd said were funny.
Kurt placed an order for Kung Pow chicken and fried rice just as Blaine pulled in the driveway. "Don't ask. For God's sake, don't ask," he said when his boyfriend saw the look on his face.
"I'm asking," Blaine said.
"Let's just say that in the event that Ohio ever legalizes gay marriage, we're eloping." And with that, Kurt made himself another drink.
Chapter Three: Santana Lopez
Two Weeks Before Wedding…
Santana Lopez struggled with her keys, a set of fabric swatches, some paint samples that she and Kurt had agreed on, and the latest issues of House and Garden and Better Homes balanced in her arms. She cursed briefly in Spanish before finally giving up and kicking the stuck door open. She sighed as she entered the house. Her house. Her house with Finn. She was pretty sure that no one deserved to be this happy. The wedding was just two weeks away and everything was set thanks to Kurt and his superb organizational skills. The flowers (lush red roses), the locations (Lima's St. John's Catholic Church with a reception at a nearby vineyard), the food, (her abuelita's famous chicken enchiladas with tortilla soup to start), the cake (vanilla leche with a raspberry drizzle), and a magical honeymoon in Hawaii once all was said and done. Then of course there was the matter of the house with the painters coming that very day, the furniture being delivered the day after tomorrow, and the moving truck bring in their things in just one week. She was worried about everything being done before the honeymoon, but Kurt had promised to take care of everything in time. Life was good.
Feeling wistful, Santana decided to do a quick sweep over the house. There was a top-of-the-line kitchen that she could imagine herself whipping up all sorts of goodies in. Chocolate chip cookies for her future children's school bake sales, a nice yellow cake for Finn's birthday, or some muffins for Sunday brunch. Then there was the spacious living room with its stately stone fireplace, the backyard that was big enough for a swing set in a couple of years, and then the Jacuzzi tub in the master bath that was big enough for two. It was her dream house. Her day dream was interrupted by Kurt who she hadn't even heard come in.
"Sup, Bridezilla," he asked. As usual, he was dressed to the nines in a ridiculously tight pair of pants, A Marc Jacob's sweater that was the color of a ripe plumb, and a pair of Tom's shoes.
"Well," she replied. "I haven't been eating anything other than celery because I'm afraid I won't be able to fit into my dress so I'm hungry to the point of psychosis. That aside, I've never been better."
"Glad to hear it," Kurt said taking a sip of his Grande non-fat triple espresso caramel macchiato from Starbucks. "Because I'm about to piss on your good morning."
Santana groaned and hopped onto the counter top. "Okay, I'm sitting down. Piss away."
"First off," Kurt began. "I caught wind of Puck's plot to switch the first dance CD. Had I not, you and Finn would be waltzing around the dance floor to a mash-up of Buckcherry's Crazy Bitch and Usher's Nice and Slow…which would have the potential to get real awkward real fast."
Santana shrugged. "Finn and I would have rocked it either way."
"Oh, you would have been rocking somebody. Puck also had plans to go all Steel Magnolias and cover the getaway car with condoms," Kurt continued.
"Now that is just tacky," she said in her best Sally Field voice. Of course, she was actually quite pleased that Kurt had nipped Puck's vulgarity in the bud. She had talked her Daddy into renting a beautiful vintage Rolls Royce for her and Finn to take to the airport and it was way too beautiful to deface with contraception.
"Last but no least…Rachel is officially coming." Kurt said that part really fast, hoping that Santana wouldn't hear that part. He could tell that she did though by the way that she visibly cringed and nearly choked on a sip of her own chai tea latte.
In all honesty, Santana hadn't really wanted to invite Rachel. She knew that it would do nothing but create awkward tension and she really just didn't want to deal with that right now and especially not on her wedding day. She and Finn had hoped to get the entire Glee club there though and it would be just as awkward and obvious if they didn't invite Rachel. Plus, a part of Santana (the bitchy catty high school part that she worked hard to oppress) kind of wanted to see the look on Rachel's face when she and Finn exchanged vows. Wanted to let Rachel see how perfect her life had turned out. Good God hadn't Rachel gone so far as to predict that the only thing Santana would be able to do with her life was "work on a pole." Well, no poles around Santana wanted to say. Santana had everything the she could ever want. An amazing fiancé who loved her and made sure to tell her every day, a great house filled with the nicest things money could buy, a stable job, and tons of achievable dreams for the future.
"Have you talked to her," Santana asked.
"She called me," Kurt admitted. "Needless to say, she isn't pleased. She called you and I quote, a "slut faced, ho bag, bi-curious, scum sucking evil bitch."
"Ha! That's original," Santana laughed bitterly. "Well, should you speak to her again any time in the near future be sure to tell her that if she even thinks about screwing up my big day I will go all kinds of Lima Heights on her ass. We are talking dead. Murdered. Stabbed."
"Santana, I have aged a good ten years and gained fifteen pounds helping you plan this wedding. Do you honestly believe that I would let anyone destroy my masterpiece?"
"I just want to make sure that there isn't some awful rendition of Mariah Carey's Don't Forget about Us just before we say I do," she answered.
"I won't let that happen even if I have to wrestle her to the ground myself," Kurt said reassuringly. He felt a little bad for playing both sides of the fence but what was he supposed to do? They were both his friends. He hated seeing how hurt Rachel was but he was also thrilled to see how happy Finn and Santana were.
"Good," she relied. She hopped off the counter and handed Kurt the paint samples. "Make sure that the painters get all of the colors right. If I come back here and find out that they mixed up Coconut Cream with Sweet Honey Bisque, I'm liable to blow a fuse. Anyway, I gotta get to work."
"Cheers," he called over his shoulder. He was already engrossed in Restoration Hardware, happily putting Post-It notes on the things he still needed to order. In all the years that he had been working in interior design, he had never put as much effort into a home as he had Finn and Santana's. Santana walked outside and got behind the wheel of the white BMW that her father had bought her as an engagement present. Rachel Berry, she thought. Fuck up my happiness and I will kick your ass.
One week Before the Wedding
Finn Hudson awoke to the sounds of birds chirping, cars slowly making their way down Maple Street, and the extremely obnoxious blaring of his alarm clock. Groaning, he rolled over rand slapped the OFF button. He looked over at his fiancé and saw that she was still blissfully sleeping. He smiled, kissed her forehead, and swung his legs over the side of the mattress which was really all that was left in their apartment seeing as they would be in the new house in just one week.
Finn yawned and stretched. He couldn't believe that he would be getting married in just one week. Who would have though? If you had told Finn in high school that he would have ended up with Santana Lopez, he would have told you that you were crazy. She had never been nice to him. She'd taunted him, ruined his relationships, and had been just all around a horrible person. Now he couldn't imagine it any other way. He stepped into the now steaming shower and lathered his hair up with Head and Shoulders two in one. He couldn't believe how much she had changed.
Finn supposed that it had started when he and Santana were at USC. They were both their on scholarship and Finn had never felt more alone in his life. He had never been on his own before and the sudden independence scared the hell out of him. He actually found himself looking forward to freshman history because he had it with Santana and bitch or not she was a familiar face. After class he'd somehow found the courage to ask her to come grab a coffee with him.
"Since when do you want to get coffee with me Finnocence," she'd asked cynically.
"Since I need caffeine and somebody to talk to," he responded. Still looking skeptic, she had simply nodded and twenty minutes later they had found themselves at the on-campus Starbucks, sipping Pumpkin Spice lattes. Finn told her everything. That he missed Rachel, even though she was way too intense for him. That he missed his mom and home cooked meals and having somebody do his laundry. That he was falling behind in his classes and was seriously considering dropping out of USC and enrolling in Lima Community College.
Santana had looked shocked when he finally finished. To say that she was bad when it came to emotional issues would be an understatement. But she couldn't let Finn go back to Lima! Then she would be stuck on the West Coast all by herself. So she had taken him back to his dorm room and sat him down at his desk with his text books. Then she got to work. She hauled his sweaty two weeks' worth of laundry and his so old they were stiff bed sheets down to the student laundry room. She threw away the sour milk and moldy tuna sandwich that was festering in his mini-fridge. She went to the store where she stocked up on Healthy Choice frozen dinners, little cartons of Lite and Fit yogurt, a nice selection of apples and oranges, a box of Quaker Oats oatmeal (maple and brown sugar his favorite), a small carton of skim milk, and a few other necessities. Then she went to the communal kitchen where she mixed up some Lipton's chicken noodle soup and some grilled cheese sandwiches. Needless to say, Finn was shocked. It took all of five minutes for him to forget the name Rachel Berry.
It had continued that way for the next four years. They would get coffee or go to the movies. They would study together in the library; go for runs together in the mornings before class, and be each other's dates for all the formals. Sometimes they would just sit and talk. They had been together a whole two months before they slept together. It was a lot better the second time around. Finn loved it. Santana had changed. She was nicer to him, she wasn't nearly as shallow, and she took care of him. He'd changed too really. He wasn't an awkward sweaty palmed football player anymore. He'd lost his baby weight and now had rock hard abs underneath his football jersey. Somewhere along the lines he developed confidence. Most importantly, Rachel Berry didn't have him by the balls anymore.
Finn felt his stomach seize, as he stepped out of the shower and began toweling off. He didn't have an issue with Rachel. In fact, he hopes that they could be friends. He did not want any trouble at his wedding though and a scorned Rachel Berry in an emotional atmosphere spelt trouble. He had already had several nightmares in which Rachel broke into song when the priest asked for objections. All ended in some kind of fist fight. Finn put some tooth paste on his tooth brush and resumed ready for work. He had been head football coach at McKinley for three years and the team had already won two state championships. A great job, an awesome fiancé, a kick ass honeymoon on the horizon…That was all much bigger than an over zealous ex.
Day of Wedding
I am not going to survive this, Rachel thought bleakly as she pulled up to the church with her fathers.
"Wow, Dr. Lopez really went all out," her father Markus commented. Rachel suppressed an eye roll. There had to be at least three thousand dollars' worth of red roses and that was just in the sanctuary. She had overheard Kurt discussing the white Rolls Royce that would be taking the happy couple to the airport and knowing Santana she knew that there would be top dollar liquor at the open bar that she had every intention of taking full advantage of.
"Rachel!" Rachel turned around and was immediately swept into a hug by none other than Quinn Fabray, who was rocking a cream colored bridesmaid dress.
"Oh my God," Rachel said returning the hug. Thanks to Shelby and Beth's annual Christmas party and even on their beach trip. Despite the odds, the two had actually been able to forage a friendship.
"Can you believe all this," Quinn asked gesturing around. Rachel hung onto her smile. No use in making the situation worse by adding to the drama. "Anyway, come on. All the girls are helping her get ready. Oh, and I heard all about you and your white hot career. Congrats!"
"Thanks," Rachel said modestly. Then on legs that felt like overcooked spaghetti, she allowed herself to be led back to a room known as the Bridal Boudoir. First things first, Rachel had never seen so many bridesmaids in her life. There was Brittany, who was obviously sharing the title of maid of honor with Santana's sister and was looking out the window quite intrigued with the swans that Santana had insisted on. There was Tina, who was now married to Mike and was concentrating on a very intense game of Angry Birds on her iPhone. Mercedes was putting quite a hurting on a tray of horduerves. Santana's older sister, Alicia and about twenty of their board looking cousins were sitting in the corner chomping on their gum and filing their nails. Then Rachel saw her. Santana and her mother, who was pushing fifty and thanks to Botox injections, a pristine diet, and daily sessions with a Pilates instructor still looked like Sophia Vergara talking to the priest.
"So that whole "Does anyone object part," Santana was saying. " I want you to just skip it."
Rachel hovered in the doorway for a moment, looking at Santana's wedding dress. It had a full skirt, beaded bodice, was strapless, and the color of fresh fallen snow. Please tell me that she is not delusional enough to think that we actually believe she's a virgin," Rachel thought.
"Look whose here," Quinn said excitedly and pushed Rachel the rest of the way into the room. Everyone glanced up including Santana.
"Hey Girl," Mercedes said as she and Tina ran over to hug her. Brittany was still fixated on the swans and each of Santana's cousins only managed a small wave. Santana merely looked straight ahead giving Rachel a look of pure hatred. Then in an instant it was gone.
"Rachel, I'm so happy that you could be here," Santana said warmly. "It means so much to Finn and I that you're here."
"Hi Santana. Congratulations," Rachel said. She forced a smile and hugged the girl that she secretly hoped would choke on her own vomit and preferably before marrying Finn. She smelled Chanel No. 5 perfume.
"God, I'm so nervous," Santana said with a small giggle. Rachel enjoyed a brief vision in which she bitch slapped Santana into another dimension. "I just hope I don't fall on my face or forget my vows. It's like the jitters I used to get before a cheer completion on speed."
"At least if you forget your vows, you won't have to deal with Sue Sylvester," Quinn quipped. Everyone laughed.
"Yeah sure," Santana shot back. "I'm still not convinced…Hence the reason I asked the priest to rush over the objections part." Rachel bit the inside of her cheek hard to keep from punching somebody out and Kurt chose that moment to sweep in.
"Okay…places, places," he called. Rachel smiled one last time before scurrying towards the door, as all of the bridesmaids lined up.
"I really am happy you're here Rachel," Santana called as Kurt fluffed her veil. I hope you trip, Rachel thought. Her breath caught in her throat as she made her way over to her seat. God, Finn looked so handsome in his tux. What bothered her most was that he didn't look nervous or like he was having second thought. He looked happy and at peace.
Suddenly, the organ began to play. Mrs. Lopez was escorted down the aisle by her sons Rafael and Javier. Then came Carole and Burt Hummel, then Brittany and Artie, Tina and Mike, Quinn and Sam, Mercedes and Puck, and Kurt and Blaine. Rachel didn't know all of Santana's relatives but there sure were a lot of them. Then it was time for Santana and her father to make their way down the aisle. Rachel looked towards the alter. No, he wasn't…yup, he was. Finn was fucking crying. Beth and Will and Emma Shuster's four year old daughter, Emerson were the flower girls and Rachel had to admit that they were pretty cute, but Santana and Finn's dog, Churro was the ring bearer. Between Finn's tears, that stupid dog, and the humongous possession line Rachel thought she might cry.
"Who gives this woman in marriage," the priest asked.
"Her mother and I do," Dr. Lopez answered and Rachel noticed that he was crying too. So were Finn's parents. And the bridal party. And the bulk of the guests. Rachel thought about giving into her own tears-no one would know that they were tears of mourning. She decided against it though because she knew that she wouldn't be able to stop once she started.
To distract herself while Santana and Finn exchanged their vows, Rachel started to hum.
He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing don't know why I do
Finn had managed to compose himself long enough to declare his undying love and affection. I need alcohol, Rachel thought.
He says he's so in love- He's finally got it right
I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night
Santana blushed. She actually blushed. God, Rachel had never hated someone so much in her entire life.
She better hold him tight, give him all her love
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky
"You may now kiss the bride," Rachel gasped as Finn lifted Santana's veil and the two kissed. It was a true and passionate kiss. The room burst into applause and Finn and Santana laughed. Then he scooped her up bridal style and ran out of the church and right by Rachel.
He walks by me…Can he tell that I can't breathe.
Day After Wedding
Kurt was happy to say that the Hudson-Lopez wedding had gone off without a hitch. Well, for the most part. There was a minor fist fight over the bouquet. This was just the kind of stuff that was bound to happen when you put Santana's entire family together. Then there was the issue of Puck, who got so drunk that he threw up before he made it to the bathroom and then proceeded to grab Soledad Lopez's ass and that was all before the best man's speech. Said speech began with the words "when Santana and I used to have sex." True to his word, Kurt had tackled Puck to the floor at the same time Finn was trying to restrain Santana who was pissed.
When all was said and done though, everything had been really good. The food was all delicious, the first dance had brought tears to everyone's eyes, and everyone's hair held up beautiful. Rachel however was shattered. While Kurt was known for being a bit dramatic, he genuinely meant that. After the ceremony, she had sobbed in the car for a full forty five minutes before coming to the reception. Once there he noticed that she finished her champagne in one gulp when the toasts were made, ran into the bathroom during the first dance, and "accidently" threw her handful of rice directly into Santana's face as she and Finn got ready to leave for the airport. Now she sat at his breakfast table looking straight up defeated and she hadn't even touched her raspberry scone and freshly brewed mocha.
"Rachel, you're going to be happy again. I know it doesn't seem that way right now but you will be." Blaine nodded in agreement and planted a cup of her favorite herbal tea in front of her. :I forgot that you don't drink coffee."
"I can't see that far into the future yet," she answered as she looked up at him with blood shot eyes. She knew that Finn and Santana had landed in Maui by now. They had left for the airport in custom made track suits, his black and reading Mr. Hudson across the back and her's white and reading Mrs. Lopez-Hudson. Bitch was hyphenating her last name. Rachel imagined them lounging on the beach sipping pina-coladas out of coconut halves. They would probably stroll hand in hand through the little villages and eat at a luau for dinner. Than later that night…she didn't even want to think about it.
"You know, the funny thing is you used to be so future thinking and now you're so stuck in the past it's scary," Kurt said.
"In short," Blaine said. "You need to stop hoping that she gets stung by jellyfish, steps on a sea urchin, or falls asleep in the blistering heat."
Rachel sighed. She was really anxious to change the subject. It was just too raw right now and having your friends mock your pain wasn't really the best feeling in the world either. "So what's your plan for today," she asked.
"Well, since everyone's in town I took the liberty of inviting everyone over for brunch at eleven but first I need to go feed Churro and walk him. Then I thought-"
"I need to see their house," Rachel blurted cutting Kurt off. "I need to see where they live."
"Rachel that is creepy even for you," Blaine said.
"No, it may actually bring her…closure," Kurt said. He turned to Rachel. "However, if you burn down their house know that I'm not doing time for you."
Rachel nodded and jumped up to go change. She needed to see, needed to know. She had to know that this was real even though she felt like she was choking on gravel. She threw on a pair of yoga pants, threw her unwashed hair up in a bun, and put on a pair of flip-flops.
"Ready," she said to Kurt, who was already standing in the foyer in his matchy workout gear.
"You're sure that you can handle this," he asked eyeing her carefully.
"Kurt, I just want to see," she answered. Kurt nodded slowly and together they made their way out to his mini-cooper.
"Have fun," called Blaine, who was outside watering the azaleas. Rachel nodded feebly and next thing she knew they were driving through two neighborhoods over to Lima Estates. They came to a stop at 3116 Sycamore Drive. Sycamore Drive, Rachel thought. Just like in It's a Wonderful Life. For a moment neither of them said a thing. They just sat staring at the comfortable sized house in front of them. It was painted the rich colors of fresh cream with coal black shutters and a front door that was the shade of poppies. The lawn was perfectly manicured and white rosebushes bordered the neat stone walkway. There was a small white BMW and a black Jeep Wrangler in the driveway.
"Shall we," asked Kurt. She wordlessly unbuckled her seat belt and they approached the front door. A Very Spoiled Dog Lives Here read the welcome mat. Rachel groaned. She could already hear Churro barking on the other side of the door.
"Hello Churro," Kurt said leaning down to scratch the dog's ears. "Are you ready for a walk Churro? Let's get your leash."
Rachel gave the dog a hesitant pat on the head. There was a stair case right in front of her, a living room to her left, a dining room to her right, and what looked like a kitchen and several other rooms in the back.
"Okay, so I'm going to walk the dog," Kurt said looking uncomfortable. "Are you…"
"I'm just going to look around," she said. Her fingers were actually itching to go through their things. Kurt sighed.
"Just don't do anything crazy like putting Nair in her shampoo," he said.
"Scout's honor," she replied going so far as to raise her right hand. No sooner did the door click shut and Rachel began her search. Firsts things first, she went to the dining room where she saw a huge stack of wedding gifts on the exquisite eight seat dining room table. They were already unwrapped and organized based on where they would be going in the house. Rachel saw an expensive Keurig from Will and Emma Shuester, an exquisite china set from Dr. and Mrs. Lopez, a top of the line bread maker from Rachel's dads, a toaster oven from Artie, and a blender from Sue Sylvester that cost into the triple digits was in the pile for the kitchen. There was a crystal vase from Tiffany's from Kurt and Blaine, a gift card to Restoration Hardware from Sam and Quinn, and Lennox lamp from Mercedes was geared towards the living room. Most of the other things were pretty unique. Brittany gave them "sicks milyn dollars" worth of free hug coupons and Puck gave them a Costco sized bottle of His and Her Pleasure gel. The only thing that appeared to be unopened was Rachel's gift. It was a coffee table book about New York City. She wasn't sure why she did it but she did. In a way she guessed she wanted to show Finn up. She wanted him to see how great things had turned out for her. She wanted them to see the things that were out of their reach but just outside her front door.
She abandoned the dining room with its fully restored china closet, fancy Persian rug, and crystal chandelier. She meandered into the living room and immediately wished she hadn't. It was perfect. The walls were a warm yet pale shade of yellow and the chair and sofa were both cream and linen. There was a reclaimed barn wood Pottery Barn coffee table that had an expensive looking vase of yellow red tipped roses, and a bookshelf filled with DVDs (Mean Girls, The Devil Wears Prada, Bring It On 1-3, and the first two seasons of Gossip Girl for Santana and Love Actually, Super Troopers, all the Saw movies, Avatar, and Tommy Boy for Finn) and books (Amy Winehouse: the Unauthorized Biography, The History of American Cheerleading, and Chicken Soup for the Latina's Soul for Santana and Lone Survivor, Vince Lombardi: an American Legend, and Walter Peyton's Untold Story for Finn). Rachel could picture Finn lounging in this room, as he watched the game on the plasma screen TV that hung on the wall.
She turned and headed into the kitchen. Granite countertops, oak cabinets, a Viking Sub Zero fridge, a window above the kitchen sink, and sliding glass doors that led into the backyard. The yard was huge and there was great big apple tree growing in it. Rachel wondered if Finn would build a tree house in it once he and Santana had kids. She quickly came to the conclusion that it was too hard to picture. She knew that Kurt would be back soon. She took a deep breath and decided to visit the toughest room of all. Rachel slowly made her way towards the staircase. Someone (Santana she presumed) had arranged it so that there were pictures lining the staircase and upstairs hallway. There was Finn and Santana in a black and white shot, their faces close together, and just their noses touching. There was another of them at their engagement party surrounded by the Lopez/Hudson family. There was another of them skiing and posing on top of a mountain, another of them dancing, and another one of them at their college graduation. She continued down the hallway until she came to a door that she assumed would lead her into their room. She sighed deeply and cautiously pushed open the door, before stepping inside.
The first thing she saw was a great big king sized bed. So this is it, Rachel thought. This is where they'll have their pillow talk, watch late night movies, and make their babies. She saw an overstuffed chair in the corner where she imagined Finn tying his shoes in the morning. There was a table against the window that housed a coffee maker and a mini fridge with little cartons of juice and cream for lazy Sundays in bed. Rachel carefully ran her hand against the Egyptian cotton bed spread. She swallowed the lump in her throat. This was real. Finn and Santana were married and this was their house.
She heard a throat clear behind her and there stood Kurt. "Brunch," he asked. She nodded and slowly followed him out of the house. They went to brunch and learned that Sam and Quinn had gotten engaged the previous night after the wedding. Mike and Tina were planning on taking an Asian cuisine cooking class and Mercedes was dating a new sax player. Rachel smiled and told them all about the new show she was in. I'll be alright, she told herself. I'll get through this.