"Not One More Year Without"

9am to 11am

"What is it?" Brittany asked, cautious, but it wasn't her Quinn turned to, taking a step as she still held the phone close. "Your sister's on the line," she spoke to Santana, whose face only buckled for an instant before the mask snapped on; she didn't have to be told, she knew her mother was refusing to come.

"Give it here," she blinked, holding her hand out to Quinn so she'd hand over the phone.

"Santana…" Quinn hesitated, while Brittany had shifted to stand at her fiancee's side.

"Phone, now," Santana wouldn't have it. "Do you need us to stay?" Brittany asked. Santana briefly softened, turning to look over her shoulder.

"I'll be fine. Just need to talk to Catalina." Brittany nodded, leaning forward to kiss the side of her head before moving to step out of the bedroom, soon joined by Quinn, after she'd given the phone up. Santana waited for a moment, reminding herself to mind her voice with her younger sister. "Tali…" She chuckled, sarcastic. "Happy New Year's Eve…"

"Tana, I'm sorry…" were her sister's words.

"It's not your fault. I didn't really expect her to come anyway…"

"Yes, you did. You don't have to be strong with me." She sounded so much like… him. "You haven't been here, I…"

"So I'm getting punished."

"No, but… Since Dad died, she hasn't been the same. She misses you."

"And not coming to my wedding, that's going to fix that?" her voice flared, and she paused, calming.

"I'm still trying to get her to change her mind, okay? Don't lose hope…"

"I know, Tali," she closed her eyes, wondering when they'd switched places, when her little sister had become the sage one. "You don't have much time though. You're still coming, right? At least you… and you're supposed to be my maid of honor."

"Oh, I'll be there, don't you give my spot away," Catalina got a laugh out of her sister. "I'll figure out how to get there, when I need to leave, and if I can't convince her by then…" And then she'd come without her, she finished in her mind. "Santana," Catalina brought her back to reality.

"Yeah?"

"Don't let this change anything. Be happy today." Santana nodded to herself… that was her intention.

As they'd left the room, Quinn had figured the best thing she could do was to get back to the plans… no time to lose. She sat back at the table, but a moment later she looked up to find Brittany hadn't moved. She remained as she was, like she was guarding the place where the girl she loved was facing the prospect of her mother not coming, with her in spirit even if she wasn't in there with her… She had to give them a spectacular day – nothing else would do…

"Your parents are coming," she informed her, hoping some good news would help. Brittany looked over. "Your father and stepmother, and your mother and stepfather, and your sisters and the guys, too…" 'The guys,' that was how they called Thomas and Alfie, respectively Catherine and Isabelle's boyfriends.

"They are?" Brittany replied, like she'd almost forgotten.

"Yeah," Quinn nodded, and Brittany smiled. "So is Cat your maid of honor?" Quinn asked, to keep her talking.

"What?" Brittany paused.

"Or is it going to be Izzy?"

"No, you are," Brittany nodded to the other blonde, catching her by surprise. "I thought you knew, I mean we were all kind of wasted when I asked," she instinctively reached just over her shoulder and the base of her neck to the tattoo. "But I know I asked you. You'll do it, right?" Quinn smiled, getting up to go and hug her.

"Of course I will," she sniffled back what was threatening to become tears.

"Good," Brittany smiled.

"I should… get back to it, there's a lot to do," she nodded, while Brittany absently dried those would-be tears off her friend's face. "But at least reinforcements are on the way."

"Hattie and June?" Brittany guessed.

"Who else?" Quinn confirmed, returning to the table; Brittany remained at the door. It was twenty minutes before Santana emerged from the room, and instantly Brittany wrapped her arms around her, asking softly if she was alright. Santana nodded, though she squeezed the blonde extra tight. Looking up once they'd stood apart, Santana's eyes found Quinn's, who were asking one question.

"I don't know yet," Santana shrugged. "My sister's still trying to convince her, but at least she'll come, either way."

"Let's hope she does," Quinn nodded, and they fell quiet for an instant. Then there was a ring at the door. "I'll get it; you go ahead and get dressed," she told the two and they headed back to their room. Quinn answered the door to find 'the cavalry.'

"Heard there was going to be a wedding," June greeted her with a grin as they moved up, kiss on each cheek, and then Quinn repeated this with Hattie. She pulled back, looking at the tall girl's face. "There's coffee in the kitchen," she tilted her head.

"Not for long," Hattie headed off to fill a cup while the others followed.

"You're really not a morning person, are you?" Quinn teased her playfully.

"She's perky enough for the both of us anyway," Hattie indicated her girlfriend, once and only once she'd had half the cup. June threw her a smile, which finally got one out of her as well – no doubt in connection to the caffeine boost.

"Have you guys eaten? I'll make breakfast," June decided, moving into the kitchen. The toaster had just popped out two slices and the smell of eggs and bacon was in the air, when Brittany and Santana appeared, now dressed and ready for the day.

"Hey," Brittany smiled, seeing their friends. June abandoned the eggs for a moment to go say hello.

"Congratulations!" she hugged them each in turn. "Careful around her," she indicated Hattie. "She's still… percolating."

"You're funny," Hattie came up for her congratulations, as June returned to the eggs. "What happened that you decided to move this up all of a sudden?" Hattie asked.

"We decided this morning… Spur of the moment," Santana explained, looking back to Brittany, who was trying to read Quinn's list.

"Wait, Artie's not coming?" she saw his name had been crossed out. Hattie looked back to Santana for information as to who 'Artie' was. Santana mouthed the words 'ex-boyfriend.'

"You invited your ex-boyfriend?" she turned back to Brittany.

"It's a long story," Santana took the answering duties. "But we both wanted him there," she promised, in her mind recalling days when she would have rather stuck a branch in his wheels than let him near her or Brittany, but time had mended a lot of things.

"He and Lucy couldn't make it," Quinn confirmed. "Previous engagements, couldn't cancel them. But they send best wishes, and a present in the mail. They'll visit in a few weeks." She paused. "While we're fielding bad news…" Hattie looked to Santana again, but got a headshake – not now. "Sam and Mercedes can't make it either, or Finn…"

"Great…" Brittany sighed.

"Are those the guys from your choir thing?" June looked back to them as she reached for plates. The three Lima girls nodded.

"But you know, it's not all bad, the others will be here," Quinn moved on to happier news, which worked right away.

"Everyone? Mr. Schue, Brad, everyone?" Brittany asked.

"Mr. Schue, Ms. Pillsbury, the girls – they've agreed to be flower girls," Quinn worked down the list. "Brad and his wife, Rachel and Puck…"

"Noah," Santana corrected with a smirk.

"I had a kid with the guy, he's always going to be Puck to me," she waved off the return to his birth name.

"You what?" June dropped the spatula.

"This is better than the morning news…" Hattie observed the scene with amusement.

"Anyway," Quinn regained control of the attention. "Rachel and Puck, Tina and Mike and Zoe," she smiled, and this was shared by the two brides.

"How old's Zoe now, two?" Santana asked.

"Two," Quinn confirmed. "I asked if the travel would be hard, with Tina being out to here," she mimed a belly, "But she insisted she wouldn't miss it. Same for Kurt and Blaine and Dylan, your ring bearer…"

"Love that kid," Brittany shook her head happily.

"Claudia and Lucas will be here after lunch to help, too," Quinn went on before continuing the rundown of the guests. It wasn't going to be a massive wedding, but it would have the majority of the people they wanted there, and that was what mattered.

Once breakfast was served, June insisted there be no talks of plans. "You two have saddled yourselves with one hell of a stressful day, take this, eat, and relax while you can."

So breakfast was served, and try as they might, at least one wedding-related topic resurfaced. Hattie coaxed out the thing Santana hadn't wanted to say before – her mother not coming.

"She could come around," June tried to sound encouraging. Brittany nodded along to this while Quinn stole her untouched bacon.

"Yeah, maybe," Santana shrugged.

"Okay," Hattie looked to June for a beat – she had to defy her rule, for the sake of morale. "What do you need us to do?" Quinn wiped her hands on her napkin and grabbed the list.

"We've got things to pick up, to book, to buy, to rent, and we might have to call for divine intervention here and there especially if they close early or all day today," Quinn listed off.

"Alright, alright, inhale before you pass out, we got this. We can start, others can help when they get here," Hattie nodded.

"We've dealt with worse," Santana smirked to Quinn, and the blonde smiled – this was true… It also made her remember something else.

"Speaking of which," she indicated for Santana to follow her, and they went down the hall, and out of view. "You and Britt go with them, I'll stay here. Have to make sure the house is 'Trinity proofed,'" she whispered. It wasn't as though they left anything in the open, but with enough people there, many of them kids, they couldn't be careless, had to be extra careful. "Besides, if anyone calls, or has a change of plans…" she trailed off, and Santana closed her eyes.

"I know…" she thought of her mother. Quinn gave her a small smile and a shoulder squeeze.

"Hey, guys?" Brittany called from the kitchen. "You have to come see this…"

TO BE CONTINUED