Jesus, Taylor and Lena were downstairs washing silverware to prepare for the wedding, Abby was sitting at the table watching the family after staying the night before. Brandon and Sharon were sitting at the table eating. "I don't get why we have to use this dirty old silverware anyways." Jesus complained cleaning off another fork. Lena shrugged, "I like the history behind it." Jesus looked at one of the forks, "Like hmmm, I wonder if someone died from the black plague after using this fork.' Lena rolled her eyes at her son, "We're washing it." Sharon looked to Jesus and said, "Don't dis the old stuff kid you'll be old yourself some day." Brandon laughed, "you tell him grandma." He laughed as leaving the giggled, "I don't think we can prove they didn't, Jesus you may be correct for once." Lena stifled a laugh but raised her voice and sternly stated, "We're washing it." again. Abby laughed from her seat, "Well I think it's cute and romantic what your moms are doing." She said teasing her girlfriend and one of her best friends. Jesus rolled his eyes, "How did I become friends with a sap?"
Stef walked into the room carrying a box of old photo albums and Lena immediately ran to her side, "When I said we need to get down these I meant me." Stef sighed as Lena took the box away, she was going insane not being allowed to help any, "You're going to have to let me do something." Sharon laughed at her daughter as Stef poured a glass of coffee. The three kids remaining in the kitchen found this to be a good time to slip away. "All you have to do is walk down the aisle." Lena replied cheerily. Stef laughed, "Yeah and we aren't even doing that." Lena's smile flattered slightly but she kept her voice level, "You know what I mean." Stef laughed, "It's kinda silly anyways." Lena's voice lowered, "It's not silly." Stef went into a rant about whom they were being given away to and why and how silly it was while Lena just got quieter and quieter.
Sharon was still begging Stef to wear a dress for a wedding so Stef managed to go and hide in her bedroom. Lena was downstairs as hers and Stef's mothers fought over what flowers to have at the wedding and decided to follow Stef's example of hiding away. "It's not just me, they're crazy right?" Lena said sighing heavily and falling onto her bed. Stef laughed, "No they're crazy. All this fuss over stupid wedding!" She practically screamed the last part. Lena tensed up, "Is there a reason you insist on calling it a stupid wedding?" Stef frowned realizing her mistake, "No love. It's just..." Stef stopped seeing Lena stand and go to the bathroom locking the door behind her. "I'm going out." Stef whispered leaving the room.
"I've got Stef you've got Lena?" Taylor whispered to Jude after the two had been sitting in the hallway listening to the fight. Jude nodded, "We'll talk to each other later?" He questioned. Taylor nodded, "We'll report back soon." Jude had become an angel in the eyes of Lena, not that he hadn't always been, after Stef had been shot. Jude had become Lena's little comforter and of course Taylor had taken it upon herself to be there for Stef when she needed it after the rope around a tree incident. "Good luck." Jude whispered and walked into Stef and Lena's room. Taylor stood and ran out the front door after Stef.
"Lena?" Jude's small voice barely reached Lena through the door. Lena swallowed back a few tears, "Yes Jude?" She asked with her voice as level as she could manage. Jude sat down on the floor in front of the door, "I'm sorry. Taylor and I were listening, but we thought you were sad." Lena couldn't help but smile at the young boy and how he knew what to say all the time. Lena slowly opened the door and sat on the floor next to her foster son. "Stef didn't mean it." Jude simply states as he puts his hand on Lena's shoulder and holds her hand. "I know that." Lena whispers without thinking. Jude smiled as he sat there Lena holding him and he comforting her. "Let's go make some dinner alright bud?" Lena asked as standing and pulling Jude up with her. He smiled, "Can I help?" Lena forced back a few more tears after what had happened between her and Stef but nodded her head yes.
"Stef. Stef unlock the car." Taylor pleaded after having caught up with the car a few feet away from the house. "Just let me in." Stef finally looked up from crying and over to Taylor as she unlocked the car. Taylor dropped into the seat and hugged Stef. "Jude and I were listening." She explained sheepishly, looking away to the ground. Stef slowly put the car into drive and began to pull of from the street and in the direction of her fathers house. "Stef, I know you didn't mean to say that. We all know that even Lena. So why did you say it?" Taylor whispered watching Stef look out the front window without flinching. "My father." She finally whispered and Taylor nodded in understanding, "You hear how wrong it is in your head?" Stef didn't reply and Taylor knew she had struck the nail on the head, Stef and Taylor were so much alike sometimes it was obvious what the other was thinking. Stef slowly pulled into her fathers driveway and instructed Taylor to stay put and not to come inside.
With everyone in the house having heard what had happened it was a quiet and extremely awkward dinner for everyone in the house. Mariana and Callie had offered to do the dishes and their grandparents had offered to help allowing Lena to go to her room. Jesus and Brandon were in Brandon's room questioning if they could do anything to help but decided that Jude was doing a job well enough on his own. Jude had walked into Lena's room and gave her one last quick hug, "I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning." He smiled. Lena nodded, "Good Night Jude." Jude nodded and began to leave but Lena stopped him, "And thank you."
"Thank god. I thought it was your mother." Stef's father greeted her. Stef laughed lightly, "No it's just me." Frank nods, "Come on in. Have a seat. You want a sandwich?" Stef shook her head, "No no no. I'm good" she mumbles. Frank nods, "Okay. So why the drop by? I already told your mother I was coming tomorrow." Stef felt the tiniest hint of pain when she heard that, "Yeah yeah I know all about that. I think mom really forced your hand on that and thats not what I wanted." Stef quickly explained. Frank laughed, "Well you can't blame your mother, she can't help herself." Stef looked to the ground, "I've been really embarrassed about this wedding. I haven't been able to enjoy one solitary second of it. There's this voice in the back of my head that keeps saying that what we're doing is wrong, two women standing in front of their friends and family saying to love each other forever. It's wrong." Stef began to cry, "I love Lena...and I love my family more than I have loved anything else in this world. And how could I be even the slightest bit uncomfortable putting that out for the world to see. And I realized dad, that voice it isn't mine. It's yours dad. And I'm done listening to it. I don't want that voice at my wedding...I don't want it there and I don't want you there. There shouldn't be anyone there who isn't 100% happy about it. So unless you can get behind this...and I mean really behind this then I don't think you should come." Stef turned and opened the back door leaving it open left her fathers house and fell into her car.
"Stef? Are you alright?" Taylor asked when Stef finally pulled over to cry. Stef didn't answer and Taylor wrapped her arms around her mother. "Stef, it's alright. Lena loves you, your mom loves you. All six of your crazy kids love you. It's alright." Taylor whispered hugging her. Stef slowly wiped away tears and began to drive home, "I'm gonna go talk to Lena. Why don't you go to your room sweets?" Taylor nodded and headed up the stairs to Jude and Jesus' room where she had a feeling all the kids would be waiting for details of the day.
"Lena." Stef whispered as she saw Lena laying in bed pretending to read a book. Stef knelt down next to Lena's side, "Of course I want to marry you." Lena continued to stare at her book as if she were reading but slowly lets it fall as Stef whispers, "I would be crazy not to." Lena pulls Stef onto the bed and the two whisper I'm sorry's and I love you's. Stef slowly explained what she had said to her dad and where she had gone.
The kids were all sitting in Jude and Jesus' room as Taylor had expected, "Well I think that there will still be a wedding tomorrow so we should get some sleep." Taylor smiled and shrugged. "Stef took care of some stuff and from the looks on Jude's face Lena's alright so let's get to bed so we can be up early to make breakfast for them and get dressed!" Taylor exclaimed. Mariana nodded, "Girls get bathroom first tomorrow morning, I need to do everyone's hair!" She explained. Taylor rolled her eyes and Callie mocked terror. Brandon nodded but reminded everyone that they had to make their moms breakfast before getting ready. The children went to their separate rooms and prepared for the big day tomorrow.
"Move. I'm still half asleep and this is hot." Taylor warned Jesus waving a plate of splattering bacon in front of his face. Mariana saw Jesus and Jude both take a piece, "Hey! Out of the food you two!" She exclaimed. Jesus held his hands in mock surrender, "Sorry I'm hungry!" Callie was working on pancakes, Brandon was setting the table, Jesus and Jude were doing assorted tasks, Mariana and Taylor were on coffee, bacon and juice duty. "Coffee! We can not forget that or else this whole thing is ruined." Taylor joked running to start some coffee. Mariana looked to Jesus and Jude, "You two we need three extra chairs or else you two and Brandon will be sitting on the floor, so go find some." Callie raised her eyebrows at Mariana, "When did you become boss?" She teased. Stef's laugh could be heard in the hall outside the kitchen as she walked in hands locked with Lena and kissing her very soon to be wife. "When isn't Mariana the boss? Come on Callie you should know this by now." Stef teased. Lena looked around the kitchen, "Did you kids really do this all for us?" All six kids nodded eagerly, "Yep! But we wouldn't let Taylor or Jesus cook so that you didn't have to eat burnt to charcoal food!" Jude explained quickly and happily. Taylor and Jesus both shot him a look, "We aren't that bad at cooking!" Jesus tried to defend himself and his sister. Lena laughed, "Yeah, the two of you are." Mariana dragged Callie and Taylor up the stairs to start hair and makeup as the boys were left to clean up. "Thanks babies." Stef thanked her boys as pulling Lena up the stairs before the two of them had to get ready for the wedding.
"I still can not believe you are pulling off that dress!" Mariana was pacing around Taylor nodding her approval over Taylor's individual fashion sense not being a had managed to get an orange strapless dress she had been sure to get the attention of Abby more than once and she smiled. "Callie your turn hurry up so Mariana can inspect your outfit." Taylor whined trying to get the attention of from her. Callie stepped out of the bathroom her hair slightly curled and a light purplish gray dress on. "Perfect!" Mariana cheered, "My turn." Her two sisters nodded and laughed. Mariana came out in a pink and white lace dress and a missing nose ring. "Ha! You took it out." Taylor exclaimed and Mariana shushed her. "Well we're ready should we go see how our brothers are doing?" Callie asked. The two other girls nodded and started down the stairs into the kitchen.
The boys had already managed to get changed and downstairs as the girls did. "Jude you did your tie wrong." Callie laughed fixing it. "Wow. We clean up nice for a family of misfits." Jesus laughed looking around the family. They all nodded in agreement, "No cameras we avoid all family members who want pictures got it?" Callie teased and they all agreed once more. The doorbell rang and Taylor was the first to get it, she heard Callie and Jesus behind her, "Ten bucks says its Abby." Jesus was placing all his money down. Taylor laughed but opened the door. "Hello Abby." Taylor greeted her. Jesus and Brandon both did a double take seeing the girl in a purple strapless dress and her hair done into a nice braid around her head. "Mine." Taylor teased and laughed as Mariana pretended to cover Jude's ears.
"Wow. You look gorgeous." Stef whispered looking at Lena. Lena had a radiating glow to her skin as guessed because of her joy over the wedding. "Thanks love." Lena said planting a hard kiss on Stef's lips, "You look good too." Lena smiled playfully as she began to walk out the door. Stef stopped her, "Can you believe the kids did that for us?" Lena smiled and nodded, "They're amazing and filled with surprises." Stef smiled and nodded, "And this is our family. I am so glad of that." Lena nodded and motioned for Stef to follow her downstairs due to the fact that their guests were coming and they needed to go greet everyone. "Do we have to? Couldn't we just stay here for a few more minutes?" Stef faked whined. Lena laughed and winked, "Later, maybe we could manage to get rid of the kids for a night tonight?" Stef snorted as she heard the doorbell, "Yeah right." She slipped her hand into Lenas and the two walked down the stairs, beaming and excited, in love.
Authors note:
What did you guys think of this chapter? Please let me know. The next chapter will be the actual wedding. We all know what everyone's outfits looked like from the episode but here are the links for Taylor's and Abby's outfits. Thanks and please reveiw!Oh and thanks for this story getting over the 10,000 views mark today!
Taylor's dress: Metallic-Peacock-Holiday-Homecoming-Cocktail/dp/B0 0DNKG8LO/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1380342490&sr=8-8&keywords=homecoming+dresses (orange)
And Abby's:
gp/product/B00EBNQ34O/ref=twister_B00EBNQ2OA