Hi everyone. Another long wait. I am SO sorry for the long waits between updates. Finals will be over after this week... anyway, I'm doing my best to update each story once a week. This ended up being one of my favorite chapters - and it's dedicated to my good friends WildeAbrams and Gleek888. I've always been a Wildebrams fan, but they made me love it so much more! (Check out their profiles for some great stories, by the way!) Photos of Kitty's dress and the bridesmaid dress are on my Tumblr (finchelfan728). And the S7 finale is the next chapter... I can't believe it! I'm so glad I was able to make my virtual series last three seasons so far. An announcement regarding whether not there will be a Season 8 will come with the season finale. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going!
Chapter 29: Artie and Kitty's Wedding
"Finn, can you help me zip up my dress?" Rachel called. With the babies due in only a few weeks, it was getting harder and harder for Rachel to fit into her clothes. She hoped she'd still be able to zip up her bridesmaid dress for the wedding - she'd gotten it altered a few weeks ago, but she didn't know.
Finn came in, wearing his tux for the wedding. "Of course." To Rachel's relief, the dress zipped up without trouble. "You look beautiful."
Rachel smiled at Finn. "Thank you. You look really handsome. I do feel bad that I had to have the dress altered..."
"Hey, don't worry," Finn said.
"I'm just glad I won't have to deal with this for Sam and Mercedes's wedding in December," Rachel said.
"Sam told me that he wants our kids to be the honorary ring bearer and honorary flower girl," Finn said.
"That'll be great," Rachel said. "Gosh, my feet are sore."
"I'm sorry," Finn said as he knelt down and began rubbing Rachel's feet.
Rachel smiled at Finn. "Thanks, babe. I think today, you'll be the better dancer."
"Hey!" Finn said. "My dancing's gotten better, hasn't it?"
"You're a great dancer," Rachel said. "Ready to go over there?"
"Yeah, I am," Finn said. "It's hard to believe it's been nearly two years for us..."
"Yeah," Rachel agreed. "The glee club's created so many great couples... I have a feeling that engagements aren't too far off for Ryder and Marley and Mike and Tina too."
"The other thing I wonder about - who's going to be next to have kids?" Finn asked.
"That's a good question," Rachel said. "I bet Beth would like a little brother or sister, and Kurt and Blaine have been talking about it..."
"Yeah, that's true," Finn said. He looked around his childhood bedroom. Since Artie and Kitty had wanted to have their wedding at the church Kitty grew up going to, Finn and Rachel (and Blaine and Kurt) were staying with Burt and Carole. As much as Finn loved New York, it was always nice to come back to his childhood home. "Remember, it was in this room where we first made it to second base..."
"I remember," Rachel said. "You thanked Grilled Cheesus."
"Oh, Grilled Cheesus," Finn laughed as they heard a knock on the door. He opened it as Burt and Carole came in. "Hi!"
"Hey," Burt said. "You two ready to go?"
"Yeah," Rachel said.
"Well, before we left we have some news for you two," Carole said. "We'd tell Blaine and Kurt, but they already left..."
"Oh?" Finn asked.
"Burt's up in the double digits in the latest poll for the Senate seat!" Carole announced.
"Let's not get too excited," Burt said. "The election's still more than four months away..."
"Oh please, you'll only go up from there," Finn said, giving Burt a hug. "I'll definitely be coming to do some campaigning for you this summer."
"Yeah, once these guys get here, we'll be able to fly again," Rachel said. "Between Nationals, Kylie's graduation, and now this, I think I've had enough long car rides for a few years."
"Hey, would you rather have missed any of those things?" Finn asked.
"Of course not," Rachel said.
"And with the babies coming, I understand if you two don't want to come to Ohio to do campaigning," Burt said. "Kurt and Blaine will help, I'm sure, and I've got lots of help..."
"Hey, we need a New Directions alumni performance at a rally," Finn said.
x
Rachel's feet were hurting more and more, but she didn't want to steal the spotlight at Kitty and Artie's wedding. She sat in the room with the other bridesmaids, all of them in their yellow dresses, as Kitty's maids of honor, Marley and her sister Maggie, helped her with her veil. "My little sister's getting married!" Maggie squealed.
"This is so exciting," Marley said. "Kitty, you look so beautiful. Artie won't be able to take his eyes off you."
"Thanks," Kitty said to Marley. "Do you think either of us would have believed it if someone said all those years ago that you were going to be maid of honor in my wedding?"
"No, I don't think so," Marley said. "You'll be maid of honor in mine, too. You and Unique."
"Is there something you haven't told us, Marley?" Unique asked.
"No," Marley said. "I'm not engaged. I just know that when I get married, I want you two as my maids of honor."
"Well, of course I will be," Unique said.
"Me too," Kitty added. "I'm just so glad we were able to move past everything that happened the first few months of sophomore year... I still feel bad for how horrible I was to you, I didn't expect things to get that bad..."
Marley gave Kitty a hug. "Hey. That's in the past. I got the help I needed and you've more than made it up to me over the past three years."
"We're all really happy for you, Kitty," Rachel said. "Artie's dated quite a few girls, but I've never seen him as happy with a girl as he is with you."
"Well, I've never been as happy as I am now that I'm with him," Kitty said. "And I think we bring out the best in each other."
"You do," Tina said.
"I wouldn't have imagined all of you would be my bridesmaids in my wedding," Kitty said. She turned to Maggie. "Well, I always knew you would be. But the rest of you... I'm so glad you're my bridesmaids."
"So are we," Mercedes said.
The door opened, and Kitty's mom came in with her three-year-old niece, Sophia, who was the flower girl. "My dress is the same yellow as the big girls!" Sophia exclaimed.
"Yes it is," Maggie said to her daughter.
Kitty's mom looked up at her daughter. "Well, your dad and I are officially going to be empty nesters."
"I'll always be your little girl, Mom," Kitty said. "Please don't embarrass me by crying."
"Sorry honey, I think all moms cry at their kids' weddings," Kitty's mom said. "But I'm really happy. You look so beautiful."
"I'm really happy too," Kitty said.
x
Down the hall, the guys sat in the grooms' suite at the church. The glee guys from New York were there, as well as Puck, Mike, Jake Artie's cousin Peter and Kitty's brother-in-law Rob. "Are you excited to get married?" Finn asked Artie.
"I am," Artie said. "You know, I was worried I wouldn't get married for a while, because I'd broken up with so many girls. Then I met Kitty."
"Well, I've seen her in her dress, and she looks incredible," Kurt said.
"I wish I could see her," Artie said.
"You will soon," Puck said. "And don't think about trying to sneak out."
"I'm sure my wheels can move faster than any of you can run," Artie said.
"Let's not try to find out," Sam said.
Soon, Artie's parents knocked on the door. "Artie, you look so handsome," his mom said.
"Thanks Mom," Artie said.
"Kitty's a great girl," his dad said. "I'm so glad you're marrying her."
"So am I," Artie said.
"And so are all of us," Blaine said.
"Well, it's time to head out there," Artie's dad said.
"Good luck, man," Finn said as he headed with the other guys to meet up with the bridesmaids. Finn smiled when he saw Rachel. "Wow, you look amazing."
"You've already seen me," Rachel giggled.
"Doesn't mean you can't look amazing," Finn said.
"Thank you," Rachel said as she kissed Finn. "Did Artie try to sneak out to see Kitty?"
"He threatened to," Finn said.
"Well, he won't be disappointed when he sees her," Rachel said. "She looks incredible."
The music began, and Kitty's niece and nephew walked down the aisle first with the flowers and rings, followed by Tina and Jake, then Unique and Ryder, then Kylie and Rob, then Quinn and Peter, then Mercedes and Sam, then Brittany and Kurt, then Blaine and Santana. Finn and Rachel walked down the aisle next, followed by Mike and Maggie, then Puck and Marley. The wedding party stood at the front of the church as Kitty walked down the aisle with her dad. Finn managed to look over at Artie. The look on Artie's face reminded Finn of the way he looked at Rachel when she'd walked down the aisle on their wedding day.
After some of the bible verses were read, it was time for Artie and Kitty to exchange their vows. "Kitty, you are my favorite thing in the world, my very favorite thing," Artie said. "I love you so much, and I'm so glad you ended up joining glee club. I could tell there was something special about you from the beginning, and the more I got to know you, the more I knew I was right. When we moved to New York together, it confirmed that I knew we would be together forever. You are the most amazing woman in the world and I promise that for the rest of my life, I will love you with everything I can and make your life as perfect as possible. I don't think I can ever be good enough for you, but I feel so lucky that you think so."
"Wow," Kitty said. "People always think of me as being snarky, so this is going to sound weird. But Artie, I love you way too much to not say anything but what I really feel about you. I was physically attracted to you when I started hanging out with the glee club my sophomore year. I thought you were the handsomest boy I'd ever seen. Then when I tried out for the school musical, I could see you eyeing me, and I was hoping that meant you were attracted to me, too. Once I joined glee, I got to know you, and I knew how amazing and smart and sweet you are. When I met your mom and talked to her about how I thought you should go to the Brooklyn Film Academy, I was thinking to myself that I could see her being my mother-in-law. The two years that you were in New York and I was in Lima were tough, but now we're in New York together, and it's always going to be that way. I love you. I love you. I love you."
"Artie, do you take Kitty to be your lawful wedded wife?" the priest asked.
"I do," Artie said as he slipped the ring on Kitty's finger.
"And Kitty, do you take Artie to be your lawful wedded husband?" the priest asked.
"I do," Kitty said, putting on Artie's ring.
"By the power invested in me by the state of Ohio, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest said. "Artie, you may kiss your bride."
Finn and Rachel joined in the cheers as the newlyweds kissed as husband and wife.
x
A little while later, the wedding party had arrived at the reception hall, and it was almost time for the entrance of the bride and groom. The MC announced that Artie and Kitty were arriving, and the New Directions began performing the first dance song as Artie and Kitty took the center of the floor for their first dance.
Finn: I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
Rachel: You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it
New Directions alumni: God only knows what I'd be without you
Kurt: If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on believe me
Blaine: The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
New Directions alumni: God only knows what I'd be without you
God only knows what I'd be without you
Puck: If you should ever leave me
Well life would still go on believe me
Quinn: The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
Mike: God only knows what I'd be without you
Tina: God only knows what I'd be without you
New Directions alumni: God only knows
Santana: God only knows what I'd be without you
Brittany: God only knows what I'd be without you
New Directions alumni: God only knows
Ryder: God only knows what I'd be without you
Marley: God only knows what I'd be without you
New Directions alumni: God only knows
Sam: God only knows what I'd be without you
Mercedes: God only knows what I'd be without you
New Directions alumni: God only knows
Jake: God only knows what I'd be without you
Unique: God only knows what I'd be without you
New Directions alumni: God only knows
God only knows what I'd be without you
God only knows what I'd be without you
God only knows
God only knows what I'd be without you
At the end of the dance, the wedding guests cheered as Artie took the microphone. "Thank you so much! As many of you know, most of the members of our wedding party were members of the glee club with us in high school, and several of them have married other glee club members as well. At all their weddings, they had a first duet, and Kitty and I wanted to do that as well."
"Artie and I started dating during Beatles week in the glee club," Kitty added. "We weren't paired up for the duet assignment, but we did two Beatles duets on our own. So, we wanted to do a duet together by the Beatles for our first duet as husband and wife... wow, I love saying at hearing that."
"So do I," Artie said as the music for the duet began.
Artie: Love, love me do
You know I love you
I'll always be true
So please, love me do
Whoa, love me do
Kitty: Love, love me do
You know I love you
I'll always be true
So please, love me do
Whoa, love me do
Artie and Kitty: Someone to love
Somebody new
Someone to love
Someone like you
Artie: Love, love me do
You know I love you
Kitty: I'll always be true
Artie and Kitty: So please, love me do
Whoa, love me do
Love, love me do
You know I love you
I'll always be true
So please, love me do
Whoa, love me do
Yeah, love me do
Whoa, oh, love me do
At the end of the duet, Artie took the microphone again. "I promise, this is the last live performance. But like Kitty said in her vows, I think the time that we really realized we had feelings for each other was when I got my letter of acceptance to the Brooklyn Film Academy. I was afraid to go to New York, and Kitty noticed that things were off with me. She encouraged me to go to New York, and it was because she talked to me and my mom that I was able to go. Now I'm in New York and happier than I've ever been. Only one thing was missing for those first two years I was there: Kitty. But now she's there and things really are perfect. That week in glee club, I did a performance to thank her, and today, I'd like to recreate it for her."
As the glee club lined up behind Artie to recreate the performance, Finn noticed the surprised look on Kitty's face.
Artie: For once in my life I have someone who needs me
Someone I've needed so long
For once, unafraid, I can go where life leads me
Somehow I know I'll be strong
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Whoa, someone warm like you
Would make my dreams come true
Yeah, yeah, yeah
(New Directions: For once in my life)
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it's hurt me before (New Directions: Not like it's hurt before)
For once, I have something I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore (New Directions: I'm not alone anymore)
For once, I can say, (New Directions: Oooh)
This is mine, you can't take it (New Directions: Oooh)
As long as I know I have love, I can make it (New Directions: Oooh)
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me
New Directions: Someone who needs me!
Artie: Ha, ha, ha
Hey, yeah
New Directions: Someone who needs me!
Artie: Oh baby, love baby
New Directions: For once in my life...
Someone who needs me
Artie: For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me (New Directions: For once in my life)
Not like it's hurt me before (New Directions: Not like it's hurt before)
For once, I have something I know won't desert me (New Directions: Oooh)
I'm not alone anymore (New Directions: I'm not alone anymore)
For once, I can say, (New Directions: Oooh)
This is mine, you can't take it (New Directions: Oooh)
As long as I know I have love, I can make it (New Directions: Oooh)
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me (New Directions: Someone who needs me!)
Ho, for once in my life
New Directions: Someone who needs me!
Yeah!
Artie: Yeah
Somebody that needs me
New Directions: Someone who needs me
Yeah!
Artie: Ooh baby,
For once in my life
New Directions (with Artie): Someone who needs me (Oh baby)
Yeah!
Artie: For once in my life
"I should have prepared something, too," Kitty laughed.
"Hey, you're my wife, that's good enough," Artie said.
"Does it feel good to say that?" Rachel asked Kitty.
"So good," Kitty said.
The best men and maids of honor gave their toasts, and the rest of the evening was spent having dinner, dancing and spending time with the past and present members of the glee club. Rory, Sugar, Joe, Harmony and the current members of the glee club who'd been in it with Artie and Kitty had come as well, and some of Artie and Kitty's friends from New York had come to Ohio for the wedding.
Towards the end of the reception, it was announced that it was time for the tossing of the bouquet. Since Mercedes and Sam had their wedding date lined up, Mercedes wasn't going to line up for the toss, leaving it open. Finn couldn't help but wonder - if someone from the glee club caught the bouquet, would there be another wedding in the near future?
After Kitty tossed the bouquet, Finn and Rachel noticed that Marley had caught it. "We were saying earlier that we thought a wedding wasn't too far off for them," Finn said to Rachel. "Maybe we were right."
"I do tend to have a good gut feeling about this sort of stuff," Rachel admitted.
"You do," Finn said. "Did you always know we'd be first?"
"Of course, didn't you?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah," Finn said. As he and Rachel went to the drink bar, they saw Ryder and Marley. "Well, you're next, it looks like," Finn said.
"Guess so," Marley said.
"I knew one was coming soon for you two," Rachel said.
"You thought so, huh?" Ryder asked.
"Yeah, I did," Rachel said.
"Well, we were going to wait until after the wedding to tell people..." Marley began.
"Tell people what?" Finn asked.
Marley took out her necklace from under her dress and held it up, revealing that there was a ring on it. "I didn't want to tell people because today's about Artie and Kitty, but since you guys predicted it anyway, and I caught the bouquet..."
"No way!" Rachel said, hugging Marley. "When?"
"Last night," Ryder said. "We went out after the rehearsal dinner and it just felt right."
"This is great," Finn said. "I'm really happy for you." Glee had helped produce so many amazing couples - and it was great that so many of them were making it to the altar.
SONGS: God Only Knows by the Beach Boys (performed by New Directions alumni), Love Me Do by the Beatles (performed by Artie and Kitty Abrams) and For Once In My Life by Stevie Wonder (performed by Artie Abrams with New Directions alumni)
Chapter 30 preview: The birth of the Finchel babies!
