The Wedding of Mike and Tina.
The end of August came, and with it two new arrivals to the city. Sam had talked to Rachel at length about the possibility that his siblings could come to the city for college and stay with them in their new place in Bedford Stuyvesant, and although she had been reluctant at first, she saw the look in his eyes and realised that if she loved Sam, she had to accept that his family would always be of primary importance to him, particularly his brother and sister. Once she had agreed, he had spoken to his parents, who had no issue with the whole idea either; sure, they would miss their two younger children when they left home, but they also knew that they were both compromising by staying close to home for school, and in the long term, it would be best for them if they went away. If that was to the city where they would have the protection of a big brother in town, then so much the better.
When the idea was initially put to Stevie and Stacey, they had both been silent, and had not jumped at the idea; they asked for time to think about all of their potential options. Sam agreed that they should, and also that he would accept whatever decision they made. He knew that the idea of living with Rachel might be a factor, as she had her moments… In the end though they had both accepted the offer, and headed to the city to join their brother for their college years. They would both be studying at NYU, albeit in different disciplines, but the commute by subway was not a difficult one, and Sam had made arrangements to travel with them at least on the first day to ensure that they would not get lost. Both had also applied ahead for jobs, and had found employment to help bolster their income; Stacey would be working in a nearby Applebees, and Stevie had found a role in the supermarket on Atlantic Avenue that they all frequented. They found on their arrival that they had not just come to live with their brother but in an extended family of sorts, and the fact that everyone was looking out for them was very comforting indeed as they adapted to life in the big city…
The start of September saw the entire group of friend assembling in the city once again. It was the first time in a while that they had all managed to arrange it, as life meant it was no longer as easy to get away to see friends. They had all come to witness the last wedding for a generation. Mike had chosen to wait to get married until he had made a name for himself, and now he had; his success in Swan Lake had seen him feted in the ballet world, and he had been offered the chance to perform in shows around the world. He had politely declined all of those offers, as he was very happy at the City Ballet, and he intended to repay the faith that they had had in his abilities by staying there for as long as they needed him there.
He had been cast as the lead male dancer in the summer performance of Romeo and Juliet, and the critics had once again praised and admired the new vitality that he was capable of adding to what had become standard pieces on the repertoire of so many dance companies. His fresh interpretation had been easy to achieve; the music had suggested the steps that would fit from the start, and he was just pleased that those above him in the company had agreed to try out his plans.
Now however he was gearing up for the most important role of his life so far; that of husband and possibly father. What had been a surprise for him was that Tina had stayed so moderate in all of her wedding plans. He had always assumed that she would want a grand affair, but as she had told him quietly one evening, she was no Rachel Berry, and when it came down to it, all she really wanted was Mike's commitment to remain at her side for the rest of their lives. She was also more than happy to take his name, as it merely meant dropping the Cohen part of her own. She had also decided against an army of bridesmaids; in any case, she strictly only had Marley of all her friends left to ask, and no female cousins either. She had chosen to ask Artie to be her 'best man' so to speak, and had even been brave enough to ask Kitty to be her matron of honour. Some thought she was being foolhardy in even asking that, but Kitty accepted without too much of an explosion at the word matron…
As for Mike, well his choice of best man was a little bit more complicated, and could have caused him a major headache, had it not been for a sensible intervention from Artie, who had anticipated his dilemma. He pointed out to all the guys that had been in the New Directions with him that Mike was bound now to be closer to two other men; people he had lived with for a number of years, and was now living just three doors away from. It was therefore natural that his first choice for best man would not be one of them, but either Nick or Jeff; and there would of course be a role of some sort for little Wes.
Artie was correct in his assumptions, but Mike still had the problem of which one of them he should as, being just as close to them both. He need not have worried, as like Artie, they had sensed that he might have that sort of issue, and so they made the decision for him. Jeff told him in a quiet moment that he was no use whatsoever at writing speeches, and would not have been able to write the coherent vows that he had used at his own wedding without help from Trent; for that reason, Nick would be a better choice for best man. In any case, he continued, he would have little Wes to look after, and there was also Caleb to consider.
"In fact, Mike, given how close the two of you are," said Jeff, "you might wish to invite him to the wedding…"
It was quite a surreal moment for Mike after that statement, and he wondered not for the first time if there was some link between Jeff and Brittany in their family trees. Then he recovered, and with a smile, pulled Jeff into a hug, before whispering in his ear, "How about the two of you do a job share? You at my side at the ceremony, Nick at my side at the reception. You remember the rings, he makes the speeches. And yes, of course, Caleb is invited, if he wants to come. Bear in mind though that it will be very noisy, and there will be a lot of strangers around, and he has never been good with strangers…"
"That is true," Jeff replied. "Maybe he would prefer to just take on his usual role of guard cat. As for your other idea, it might just work. I will run it by Nicky…"
The wedding was to take place at the Lincoln Center, where Mike had a number of contacts that ensured that he and Tina had been given the best possible deal on the hire of the venue for both wedding and reception, and the cost of the catering for the latter. It was going to be a reasonably small affair; just close friends, immediate family and just a few other people that it was just good form to invite along. They had both decided to eschew the traditional stag and hen parties; instead there had been a rehearsal of sorts for all of the friends they had invited. Mike had given in to one of Tina's suggestions and had planned a big dance number instead of a more traditional first dance, of the sort seen in Bollywood films. The look on the faces of some of their friends as they explained the concept had been incredulous at first, but when Mike told them what the tune was that they would be dancing to, they had all started to smile and agreed to join in. He had even managed to find a clever way to deal with the number of same sex couples that they had in their circle…
In no time, the morning of the wedding came, with the sun shining brightly. Mike woke up that morning not in his own house but in his old bedroom along the street. Tina had insisted on keeping the tradition that the bride should not see the groom on her wedding day until she arrived at the ceremony. He made his way downstairs, to find that Nick was cooking breakfast for all of them, whilst Jeff was playing a game with little Wes, to stop him from getting too excited before the wedding itself. Mike was not entirely sure which one of them was supposed to be benefiting from it… He sat at his old spot at the table on Nick's prompting, and the minute he sat down, Caleb appeared from nowhere, and jumped up to sit on his lap, immediately purring with contentment. The cat knew that Mike was only there for that day, and given that he had missed this particular human, he intended to take advantage of every moment he was around.
As Mike ate breakfast as well as he could with a cat in his lap, Tina was trying to do the same whilst a hairdresser was styling her hair. She had to admit that she had missed Mike the night before, but she knew that she was going to have him back that night, and every night for the rest of her life thereafter, so it was not all bad. She was the very picture of calmness and serenity that morning, something which had some of her closer friends wondering if she was ill as it was so completely out of character; after all, the moment that she had dreamed of for so long was only hours away, but she was acting as if the biggest thing she was going to do that day was pop to the store to buy some milk. Her placid demeanour actually frustrated Kitty, who wanted to know how the hell she was managing it, given that she herself had been a wreck for days before her marriage to Artie….
The man in question was present of course, and said nothing as his wife ranted to all and sundry; he was right in his guess that as far as Tina was concerned, nothing else mattered that day other the words, 'I do'. She knew that was going to happen, so all the rest of it was mere window dressing. As long as she had Mike by her side, she had the greatest treasure that she could ever have wished for…
Across the city, the guests that would be attending were also getting ready, with varying degrees of success. Izzy had had one of her bad nights, and Flint had put off his own morning routines to keep her calm, and able to attend what she had brutally termed an 'enslavement ceremony' when he mentioned it at first. When she saw the look of horror on his face as he wondered whether that was how she saw their marriage, she had been filled with a huge amount of remorse, and had promptly burst into tears and begged for his forgiveness…
In the West Village, Beats and Elliott were spending their time getting Dante up to speed with all of the relationships he was going to encounter that day. He had been shocked to have even been invited to the ceremony after so little time, but he had liked both of the people getting married from the start, and if he was being honest, it was going to be a good opportunity for him to meet all of the borderline crazy people his foster parents seemed to know…
Downstairs, Thad and Ethan were trying their best to motivate each other for the day ahead; neither of them found weddings an easy thing, reminding Thad of what he had lost, and Ethan of the fate of his best friend… Neither would have considered for a moment making an excuse not to attend though, as both of them had a lot of respect for both Mike and Tina.
Next door, a group of young men were also preparing themselves. Two young married couples were filled with thoughts of their own special day, and hopeful that marriage would be to Mike and Tina what it was for them. Skylar had a different issue, and was full of nerves. Today he had invited as his plus one a young lady that he had met several months ago and had been secretly dating for a short while. Until now, Seth was the only person that knew of Julia's existence, but now, as he realised just how much she meant to him, he had decided it was time to introduce her to the brand of crazy that was the Warblers. He only hoped he would not regret it.
Seth meanwhile was going alone, something that he did not mind doing at all if he was honest. Since his diagnosis, he had given up completely on the idea of dating, not that he had ever been very successful in that area in any case. It seemed unfair to him to lead a young lady on, let her fall in love with him and then tell her that he had a condition that would in due course be fatal. No-one needed that brought into their life. That was why he had resolved not to tell anyone what was wrong with him; the only person that knew was Dr Ollie Harwood, and he could not say a word, even to his brother. As he tried to tie his tie, his hand began to spasm, and he gave up. He headed to the wardrobe and took out a tie that he kept ready tied; one that could be placed around his neck and then needed only to be tightened. It was not the tie that he had wished to wear, but it was better than letting himself get in a state when he could not get the knot right…
Over in New Jersey, Sebastian was fussing over his daughter; their new nanny was working out very well, but today would be the longest length of time she had been alone with her since she had been employed. He and Dave had considered taking her to the wedding, but the idea of carrying all the necessary bags, and then keeping themselves smart whilst they dealt with a child that was only a few weeks old did not appeal. Dave meanwhile was downstairs with the nanny and a list, busily reading out the points Sebastian had made, and adding in his own. The nanny indulged him with a smile; she had seen this often enough in her working life, and she found it quite adorable….
Not that far away, someone else was not having such a good morning. Brittany had woken up in an excited mood, but today that was not the cause of Santana's problems; no, it was the fact that this was the third morning in the row that she had been violently sick was the factor that was making the day awkward. As she sat in the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face as she listened to her wife singing happy songs downstairs, she knew what she had to do. Heading from the bathroom to the bedroom, she sought out her purse, then removed the little box that she had bought the night before at the drug store on the way home. She returned to the bathroom, rereading the instructions on the box on the way. Then it was done, and all that she could do now was wait and see what the result was…
The wedding was scheduled for noon; an unusual choice of time in some people's opinion, but a convenient one for those amongst the couple's friends who had their own Broadway shows to perform that evening. Mike's celebrity had grown enough that there were a bevy of photographers outside the Lincoln Center waiting to take photographs of the guests as they arrived, and this was partly due to the fact that so many of them were every bit as famous themselves, if not more so. Cooper and Grace were amongst the first to arrive, bringing with them the twins and all that they required; the early arrival meant that their parents could attend to any issues now, thus meaning there was less chance of them needing to be looked after during the ceremony. They stopped for the cameras together for a moment before Grace headed in on her own, leaving Cooper to pose for a few more pictures to satisfy the paparazzi.
Rachel and Sam arrived just as he thought that he was finished, and he found himself having to pose with them to keep the media happy. Then a call went up for a photo of Cooper and Sam alone from one voice in the throng. The former immediately wondered whether the person in question had insider info on the plans for his future on stage, things he knew that Sam was still oblivious to. He recognised the person in question as the lead photographer for Vogue, and he resolved to find Isabelle later and ask her discretely what she knew…
Next to arrive was Santana with Brittany at her side; she smiled politely, but it was clear to anyone with even a basic understanding of body language that she was a little pre-occupied; that was not even a little surprising given what she had discovered just a few hours ago. As soon as she was able, she hastened to get Brittany inside. She was helped in that by the arrival of Bette Midler, now a familiar face at gatherings of the little group, and she took the focus of the press. That allowed several of the others to get in without the attention of the media; Isabelle and Julian sneaked by with Peter and Sienna; Nick and little Wes followed right behind; and finally Kitty and Artie, all of them grateful to have avoided the spotlight.
Sebastian and Dave were not so lucky; they arrived at the same time as Matt Rutherford and his wife, who laughed to herself as she realised that for once she was the person on whom their was least focus from the cameramen and women. The photos done they headed inside, where they came face to face almost at once with Santana; she smiled, nodded, and then grabbed Sebastian by the arm and dragged him away. "She is never going to change, is she," Matt whispered to Dave; the latter was more concerned about the expression on his husband's face as she whispered something in his ear. It moved from joy to worry and back again in a matter of seconds. Then Santana left Sebastian on his own, and came back over to greet Matt warmly.
Dave left them and headed over to where his husband was rooted to the spot in what appeared to be mild shock. "Well?" he asked.
"Err, yes, and no," replied Sebastian, "and not really. She just told me that she will no longer be needing my monthly sample. She did a test this morning, and… It appears that I have managed to knock up a cheerleader. I bet no-one in the world ever expected me to say that…."
As Dave processed what his husband had just said, outside other guests were arriving and the sound of shutters on professional cameras filled the air. The arrival of Mercedes had drawn much attention as was to be expected, and that allowed others to get in without too much attention, including the contingent from Washington, which left Burt very relieved. He had been getting much more attention than he liked since all of the rumours about his potential new post in the House had begun to spread. He had decided that he was going to take the job, albeit on the proviso that he only did so on a caretaker basis, until a more qualified person could be found. Rory had already met with the team of people with whom he would now need to liase on a daily basis over schedules, and he was pleased to find that his own role would remain more or less unaltered. He was glad of that given that he and Trent were expecting a call at any moment saying that they would be fathers imminently, and he wanted to be able to share the role of caregiver equally with his husband.
Thad too had strolled in behind Mercedes and David with Seth, Skylar and Julia for company; he had to say that he approved of the young lady at once as a match for the young former Head Warbler. She was from outside their inner circle and had had a very different life to them, but she understood how important all of the friendships were to Skylar; most importantly of all, she understood how close he was to Seth, and had no intention of coming between them. However, that was the area in which there might be an issue. She had never intended to stay in New York when she finished college, and intended to head back home to Ohio; that could of course all change with love in the air Thad thought to himself. After all, had Wes been alive and living in the city, he would have abandoned his plans to teach at Dalton without hesitation to be with the man he loved. Seth seemed to be just as happy for his friend, but there was something about him still that had Thad worried; after all, he had still to tell him what was wrong with his hands…
Outside it was now the turn of the groom to arrive, and Mike took all of the attention in his stride. Jeff was also used to it, but he chose to stay in the background as he could; after all, this was not his day to command the attention of the media. He checked his watch, and knew that it was past the time when he needed to have his friend inside, as the bride would be with them soon enough…
Sure enough, they had barely made it through the door when the bridal car pulled up. The first to step out was Tina's mother, followed by her father, Marley and finally the bride herself, in an understated dress that was a fusion of the traditions of east and west. It had taken Kurt weeks to get the design perfect, and he was glad when Tina had accepted the finished design without any complaint. The photographers loved her dress too, and she was more than happy to stand and let them take picture after picture, loving being the centre of attention for once. She smiled happily as she observed Kurt and Blaine standing nearby, clearly pleased for her. Then with her parents on either side, and Marley walking behind her, she headed inside to the moment that she had been awaiting for nearly a decade; the moment that she became Mike's wife. If that meant that her steps were a little swifter than they might otherwise have been, then nobody could blame her…
Mike meanwhile had hardly had the time to greet more than a handful of the people that had gathered inside when Jeff observed that the moment had arrived when he and the groom had to make there way to their spot, and fast. "Mike, you know how it is a bride's prerogative on her wedding day to be late? Well, Tina had not taken it. She is here now, and we need to get to our place, unless of course you have had second thoughts?"
"No chance; she is the one for me. This all just feels so right, and to be honest, a little overdue; however, that latter fact was of my own making… I am so ready for this. The curtain is about to go up on the main act of the greatest of all of the world's dances; the story of love and marriage," Mike replied, and then, with Jeff beside him, the groom headed to the front.
They made it just in time; as they stepped into place, Tina entered the room to a chorus of appreciative gasps. Isabelle immediately loved the dress and knew that it was a hit style wise, as all Kurt's creations were. In fact, she thought that this dress could even start a fashion trend. All around the room there were smiling faces, watching as one of the longest standing couples of the New Directions finally made it official. Vows were made, written from the heart and translated from historic originals; a mixture of the cultures that influenced their home lives. When the words were finally uttered by the celebrant, and they became an official couple, there was applause, and one of the most chaste wedding kisses they had ever witnessed.
"Tina has certainly matured," Quinn whispered to Puck. "There was a time that I expected that this moment would be marked by Mike being knocked to the floor as she pounced on him…"
"We are all older and wiser now; the days of our youth are ebbing away, and the long stretch that is mature adulthood is approaching fast. Just you wait, soon we will all be looking at younger people and remarking that we would never have behaved the way they are when we were their age," Puck replied.
"Speak for yourself," Quinn began, but then stopped abruptly as she recalled a conversation she had had with one of her fellow teachers only a week ago, when she had said words more or less to that effect…
The reception was being held in the same building as the ceremony, and so it was just a walk across the hallway from one room to another after the formalities were over to the larger room that was set up with tables and chairs for the reception meal. All of them noticed that the floor was sprung as soon as they stepped upon it, making it ideal for post meal dancing. The food was not due to be served until all the official wedding photos had been taken, this time by a photographer friend of Artie. As people waited their turn to be photographed, they split off into small groups and began to chat.
Sebastian found Santana on her own, and grabbed her at once, taking her to a quieter spot away from flapping ears. "So, just to make sure I am 100% correct about what you said earlier; you think you are pregnant?"
"The test says that I am, and I am inclined to believe that it is accurate; face it Meerkat, you and I are going to be proud parents, date as yet to be confirmed. I will make an appointment for an official test on Monday," Santana replied.
"How do you feel about all of this?"
"It's funny… I feel like some purpose has been obtained; like I have a new reason to live. Motherhood is a daunting prospect, but I will rise to the challenge as I always do. And how do you feel?"
"Elated. For a start, it means I am not firing blanks - a long story for another day - and well, I am going to be a father; not just a dad, but a bona fide father…"
"Now you do know…"
"That I will be Uncle Sebastian as far as they are concerned? I would not have presumed it to be any other way. Just don't go moving off to the other side of the world or anything, okay?"
"Never; you will be in their life, both you and Dave, and their sister of a kind… I owe you for this Meerkat. Anyway, now the fun really starts, especially when I have to go and tell Carmen that I am pregnant. She won't exactly be totally pleased about it…"
"Feel free to tell her I am the father; that will make her laugh," Sebastian replied, and Santana had to agree; there was no way that people would ever have expected this to happen in a million years given their past history.
The meal after the reception was a happy one; the cuisine was Asian fusion, the portions were generous, and the chatter of all of the children in the room ensured it was a jolly occasion. The time however came to speeches, and that was when, to the surprise of some, Nick stood up. "For those of you that don't know, I am the husband of the best man you saw at the ceremony; I am the best man here because although the love of my life has artistic talent in every bone in his body, he does not have the flair that I have with words, or public speaking…"
Nick began with those words, and then went on to make the most heartfelt of speeches, using things that he had been told about the bride and groom by amongst others, Kurt, Blaine and Wes. He finished his speech with a more or less direct quote of the words Finn had said to him. "Some couples, when you look at them, don't seem to fit perfectly. They are happy, but there are gaps, and that could lead to problems later on. Then we have Mike and Tina; proper soul mates, designed for each other, wanting only for the other to be happy all the time. I have no hesitation in predicting that their marriage will be a long and happy one. On that note, ladies and gentleman, please can you all raise your glasses to toast the bride and groom…"
With toasts done and all the speeches made, it was time for the first dance, which would leave those that were not involved with no words. Nick had stood up at the top table and informed the guests that it was time. Most people had imagined that the newlyweds would take each other in a warm embrace, and waltz around the floor to a classic tune from yesteryear. Instead, virtually every one of their closest friends got to their feet and headed to the dance floor, and formed two lines across the room. Mike and the majority of the men were on one side, and Tina and most of the women on the other. Amongst the exceptions were Santana, who stood on Mike's side of the room across from Brittany; and Jeff, Sebastian, Rory, Elliott, Colin and Luke, who joined the girls.
Those that were not involved look on quizzically until the moment that the music finally began - Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon. The moment that the tune began the two lines began to move in complete co-ordination, aping the steps that Mike and Tina were making, partners dancing across from each other. Some people that were single had paired up in a desire to be part of this moment, such as Thad and Ethan; Seth was dancing across from Skylar, as Julia looked on with a smile on her face. At the midway point in the song, the same sex couples exchanged sides; Mike had been anxious not to insinuate that any of them were more masculine or feminine in characteristics.
The aim had been to produce a production number on a Bollywood scale, and to all intents and purposes, that was what they had achieved. At the end, when the music stopped, the rest of the room rose up onto their feet to applaud, including the Schuesters; Will could not help but think that what he had just seen would make a good number for the New Directions in a show choir competition in the near future. Across the room, Thad caught the look in his eyes, and instantly dismissed doing something similar with the Warblers. In any case, it was not really their signature style…
The reception carried on well into the night, although the number of people there began to dwindle as time went on. Some had to leave as they had shows to perform in that night; those with young children had to consider the issue of bedtime. Nick had volunteered to be the one to head home with little Wes, allowing Mike to have one of his best men at his side until the end, although his son had not wanted to leave at all. In the end, it was Uncle Mikey that convinced him that he should go home to bed, as he would be going to his own very soon, and that he needed the young boy to go first to make sure it was safe, as he was far braver. As little Wes was currently in a superhero phase, his Flash figure with him nearly all the time, he had nodded when he was given that mission, and hugged Mike and Tina, whose day he had already made when he asked her if she was a princess now. Nick had taken him out into a waiting taxi, and within a few seconds of moving off, Wes was asleep, resting his head on his father's lap. Nick smiled, only too happy to carry his boy up to bed when they reached home…
Sebastian and Santana had managed to keep their news quiet; Dave had found himself spending a lot of time with Brittany, who was still oblivious to the whole thing, and had no idea she would be a mom soon enough. However, when the two of them headed back to Maplewood together after Sebastian and Santana had headed off to the theatre, she managed to invite herself home with Dave, and then spent an hour with Elise in her arms, talking away to her in her usual way as the child in her arms just lay there, entranced. Dave watched, and could not help but think that Santana's child was going to be one of the most lucky and loved in the world; defended by two mothers that would see to it that nothing ever did them any harm. He also realised that given who its parents were, the child itself would be a force to be reckoned with…