Quinn got out of the car before Mike had a chance to open the door for her and looked up at the house. She couldn't believe how nervous she was.
"It's going to be fine," Mike assured her. He walked over and took her hands in his. "They're going to love you."
"I don't even know why I'm nervous," Quinn confessed. "It's not like we're really engaged or anything."
"They're going to love you," Mike repeated. "And besides you already met Granma and she liked you, the rest are far easier to please."
"I didn't actually meet your grandmother," Quinn reminded him.
"Quinn, you're one of the strongest people I've ever met," Mike told her. "You can manage an afternoon with the Changs." When he saw that his words had done nothing to reassure her, he pulled her in for a hug and kissed her forehead. Quinn stiffened at the unexpected contact but didn't move out of his arms.
"Get a room."
Mike looked up to see Andrew standing at the door laughing. "We watched you guys pull up but it seems you changed your minds about entering the house."
"Quinn, met Andrew my younger brother, Andrew, this is Quinn, my girlfriend."
"It's very nice to finally meet you Quinn," Andrew hugged her. She was beginning to see that hugging was a thing with the Changs. "We've heard so much about you, and let me say that Mike certainly didn't exaggerate about your beauty."
"Careful," Mike interrupted. "This is my girlfriend and you're already spoken for."
They entered the house and went through to the back where the family was gathered. Quinn was introduced to Mira and her fiancé, she met Lila, Andrew's wife as well numerous cousins and their offspring. Maggie Chang was presiding over the barbeque and as soon as she saw Mike and Quinn she called them over.
"Quinn, I'm so glad you were able to join us," the older woman hugged her.
"Thanks for inviting me," Quinn replied.
"Well, knowing Mikey as I do," Maggie replied, "If I hadn't pushed he would never have brought you over. It seems he doesn't like to share you."
"It's actually not his fault that I've never met this family before now," Quinn said.
"You got yourself a good woman," Greta, one of the cousins said, "Better hold onto to her."
Maggie turned to Mike. "You better get into the house and help your brother and the others; Quinn will stay here with us."
000
"You know winter weddings are always the best," Maggie said.
"We haven't actually set the date," Quinn told her.
Maggie nodded. "So Mikey tells me, but don't worry my dear, you'll be a beautiful bride whatever the season."
"Thank you," Quinn smiled, she couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Although I must say," Maggie continued. "And you should tell me to keep my nose out of it if you think I'm being a nosy parker, but now would be a perfect time to have your wedding."
"But we wouldn't want to steal Mira's thunder," Quinn protested.
"Of course," Maggie patted her shoulder, "but a month after Mira's wedding would be time enough for you to prepare and it would really be good since the whole family will still be living in one state."
"I see." Quinn didn't really see but she knew Maggie expected some sort of answer.
"I know I shouldn't be telling you this," Maggie said, "but Mira and Ray are moving to Australia just after the New Year and Andrew and Lila are also moving to Europe early next year, so this Christmas is going to be one of the last ones the family will have together as a whole, so if you could get married before then it would just be wonderful."
Luckily for Quinn she didn't have to reply; Greta called her Granma inside to check on the pies.
000
"So when's the wedding?" Andrew asked.
"We haven't set a date," Mike replied.
"Still?"
"We're still getting to know each other," Mike said.
"After all these years?" Fred, a cousin asked. "Honestly."
"I wasn't aware that there was a time limit on getting to know each other," Mike replied. "What's this I hear about you moving to Europe?"
"It's work related of course," Andrew told him, "but we're still talking about you and Quinn."
Fred and Alan, another cousin, burst out laughing. They had all recognized Mike's attempt to change the conversation but Andrew was as tenacious as a bull.
"Seriously think about it," Andrew told his brother, "you should totally get married before we leave, when we're all still together in one country."
"Paris isn't that far," Mike pointed out, "you can still make it for the wedding whenever it is."
"They could and will," Alan agreed, "but if you're ready to get married, why put it off any longer?"
"We already have one wedding take place soon," Mike reminded them, "why don't we wait until that it done with before we start thinking of another one?"
"By the way, you're lucky it's too late to turn into a double wedding," Alan told them, "otherwise Granma would totally be pushing for it and you'd be walking down the aisle in two weeks' time."
Mike allowed himself a little daydream of standing at the front of the church watching as Quinn walked towards him; he could see her white gown and the huge smile on her face, her –. Alan's hand on his shoulder pulled out of the daydream. "Where were you man?" his cousin asked. "You have such a dopey look on your face."
000
After lunch – which had been so much fun, there had been plenty of stories about all the children and Quinn had been made to feel at home as she had also been included, especially as Alan had taken it upon himself to tease them mercilessly about their inability to commit – everyone, apart from Quinn, whom Maggie told to remind seated, had to take part in the clearing and washing up. Quinn tried to protest but Maggie told her that as it was her first family outing she should sit it out; "You'll have plenty of chances to take part in the chores but today we need to finish a certain conversation." Quinn had hoped that Maggie had said everything she had to say about 'their wedding'.
"I want to show you something," Maggie told her and led her into the house. They walked up the stairs to the master bedroom. Maggie told Quinn to sit while she went through to the dressing room and returned with a box.
"Open it," Maggie told Quinn, handing the box over to her. Quinn was afraid to but she really couldn't refuse. It held a simple white veil that was breathtaking with exquisite detailing at the edge.
"Every Chang bride has worn this veil on their wedding day for the past three generations," Maggie explained, "and I hope when your turn comes you will too."
"It's beautiful," Quinn told her.
"I know you probably have your own traditions and things like this in your family," Maggie added, "but it would mean a lot to us, to me, if you wore this on your wedding day."
000
Mike glanced at Quinn again. She had barely said a word since they had left Granma's, and seemed even more nervous than she had been on the way over.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Quinn replied, "just thinking."
"Granma loved you," he assured her, "they all did."
Quinn sighed. "That's the problem, actually."
"That they liked you?"
She didn't know how to explain it to him. When they had begun this whole charade she hadn't thought about how it would affect everyone else. How were they going to tell Maggie Chang and the rest that it had all been a lie?
"Your grandmother showed me the Chang veil," Quinn said.
Mike had suspected as much. "We'll find a way to tell them about our break-up gently when the time comes," he told her. He sincerely hoped that that time would never come.
"Honestly, I don't think I can go through with this," Quinn told him. "We're lying to our families."
"I know."
"Don't you think it's wrong?" Of course he knew it was wrong but he was with Quinn and he wasn't ready to let that go.
"Are you having second thoughts?" he asked her. Quinn was having second, third and fourth thoughts; this thing was going to end badly.
000
"Quinn, fancy running into you here."
Quinn stiffened. She had hoped that she would never hear that voice again but since when did life ever go according to one's wishes. She turned slowly.
"Hi Mike."
Mike Reynolds tried to reach forward and hug Quinn but she side-stepped him and nodded at the woman and little girl who were with him.
"This is my wife, Amy and our daughter, Marie," Mike told her. "Quinn Fabray, it's still Fabray, right, a friend from college." They shook hands and exchanged smiles.
"What are you doing here?" Quinn asked him. "I thought you had moved back to Oregon."
"We did," Mike said, "We're here for the weekend visiting with Amy's sister and her husband."
Quinn held up the paper bag she was holding and smiled at him. "It was nice running into you but I have to go."
000
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