BackLog: Taffeta and Tulle
Who: Santana and Rachel
When: Sunday, February 27th 2019
Where: Rachel and Quinn’s House, Don Johnson’s Florist and Bridal Boutique
What: Wedding Plans and ‘Wish They Were Gone’ Exes
Status: Complete
Rachel sat across from Santana on the living room floor. The coffee table had been pushed aside, the couch moved closer to the doorway to provide more room and the twins were laid out on a large play mat nearby. Rachel sat cross-legged with a clipboard in hand and a pen at the ready as Santana looked on, frazzled on the carpet opposite her. “I wish you had approached me sooner about this. We would have had so much already completed,” Rachel said with a sigh.
Santana glanced up from a magazine and raised an eyebrow at Rachel. “I thought I had it under control,” she said defensively. She had thought she had it under control, but magazines and ideas and notes had piled up around her faster than she could handle and it kind of overwhelmed her. “Planning a wedding shouldn’t even be this hard,” she mumbled.
“Anything worth doing, takes careful planning and is often difficult,” Rachel replied with a stern look. She began filling in her checklist with information she had already gathered. “My checklist was designed for couples waiting at least a year to get married, so we’re going to need to power through the first few months of ‘to-do’ items. Have you and Lola decided on location, theme, number of guests, formality and the time of day?”
Olivia gurgled nearby, her little legs kicking in the air. Rachel glanced over to check the twins were fine. Benjamin had dozed off, but her daughter was still wide awake enjoying the bright colored toys hanging above her.
Santana looked over at the noise and grinned. She scooted over a little and leaned closer to Olivia. “Hey, Little Princess. You wanna talk about the wedding too? I wish you were a little older, you know.” She grazed her fingers across Olivia’s stomach. “You could have been the prettiest flower girl.” Santana looked back at Rachel. “She would have made a pretty flower girl. The ceremony and reception are at the Shawnee Country Club. It’s going to be... eco-friendly-ish, but traditional. Just run of the mill. Alison, Lola’s agent wants it to be big. It’s kind of a publicity deal. You know, photographers, agents, half of Hammet Publishing, all coming to Lima to see where we got our roots, or something.”
Rachel nodded, adding a few notes to the first page of her checklist. “Olivia would definitely have been the prettiest flower girl,” she agreed with a grin. “And Benjamin would have looked very handsome as a ring bearer,” she added. “What budget are we working with?” Rachel suddenly asked, her attention quickly shifting gears. “And would you like to hire your own photographer anyway? One that you are certain is there for you and Lola and not just to supply magazines and publishing companies with the best shots. Have you thought about a celebrant? Who would you like to officiate?” Rachel scribbled Shawnee Country Club next to ceremony and reception before lowering the clipboard slightly.
“Of course he would have been a handsome ring bearer,” Santana agreed. Her eyes widened slightly at the way Rachel had changed topics so quickly. “Budget is no problem. Ariel is kicking in what she wants to, my parents have offered to pay a little and Hammet is covering the rest. It would be nice to have another photographer there, who is just for us, but I don’t think so. Too many cooks in one kitchen, you know?” Santana let Olivia catch her finger and stayed still. “We haven’t decided on a celebrant or officiant yet. It’s something we’ve got to talk about when Lola gets home from Boston.”
Flipping the first few pages over the top of the clipboard, Rachel quickly began constructing a list of tasks that could only be completed once Lola was back in Lima. “Okay, we’ll revisit the photographer situation at a later date once Hammet has decided who they are assigning to the wedding. It’s great that you needn’t worry too much about budget because it allows a certain degree of wiggle room on decisions like flower arrangements and catering companies,” Rachel explained as she picked up a pink highlighter and began leaving marks on the checklist to note tasks that required a second discussion. “Have you decided whether you’ll allow children to attend? It may seem like a trivial thing, but there is a lot to consider if children are invited. You’ve also booked the country club, correct?”
Santana nodded. “We booked the country club. Well, Lola and my mother did. So it’s booked. And yes, children will be allowed. I can’t not have my new best girl sitting at home with a babysitter, can I? No,” she said, answering her own question. “And Abby, of course, will be invited. If I end up forcing Quinn into a bridesmaid dress, she’ll kill me if Abby isn’t there.” She smiled to herself. “Maybe I’ll send her her own invitation. As for everyone else’s kids... people from Hammet are probably going to bring theirs. As long as my favorite kids are there, I could care less.”
Rachel smirked as she ducked her head. “I’ll get Quinn into that bridesmaid’s dress. Or perhaps the promise of me getting her out of it will be enough to get her into it,” she said with confidence. Rachel heard Santana make a few gagging noises at Olivia. She ignored her best friend to check the list again. “Have you decided on colors?” she asked, placing an ‘x’ in the box to show the location had been booked.
Santana’s head snapped up as a thought occurred to her. “If you and Quinn have,” she glanced down at Olivia and covered her ears gently, stage-whispering, “sex at my wedding, I’m disowning you.” She glared to get her point across and took her hands away from Olivia’s ears. “I hadn’t thought of a color yet. What’s the ugliest color you can think of that Quinn would hate. We’ll go with that.”
Rachel threw her head back and laughed loudly. “If Quinn and I have sex at your wedding, we’re certainly not going to tell you about it... well, not until you come back from your honeymoon at least,” she joked, her laugh turning into a few giggles. “And you can’t base the wedding colors around what Quinn would look awful in, because she doesn’t look awful in any color,” Rachel finished, poking her tongue out at Santana.
“You think I’m kidding, do you?” Santana growled playfully. “No sex at my wedding. I’m the only one who can have sex at my wedding, thank you very much. As for colors... I didn’t say she’d look bad in it. I just asked what color she hates. But I don’t know,” she said, shrugging. “It’s a spring wedding. So lighter colors I guess. Lola and I will make the final decision later.” She sighed heavily and lay back next to the babies mat. “This would be so much easier if she wasn’t in Boston.”
Rachel sighed and set the clipboard on the floor next to her. “You’re sort of useless with this. Come back when Lola is home. We need you to decide on colors in order to start organizing flower arrangements and decorations. At most, I think all you can do on your own is sort out your half of the guest list.” Rachel moved a few magazines out of the way and laid down near Benjamin, her right hand reaching out to brush over the top of his head. “Have you decided what you’re going to wear? That’s equally important and something else you can do without Lola’s input.”
“I wanted to get married easily,” Santana grumbled. “Not this circus it’s turning into.” She turned and propped herself up on her elbow, looking across the babies at Rachel. “I want to wear a dress. I know I could rock a suit, but I want to wear a dress. I saw one, actually. But I just haven’t gone to check it out yet.”
Rachel grinned in excitement at her best friend. She quickly moved to sit up and shuffled her way closer to Santana. Reaching out, she squeezed Santana’s arm gently. “You really found a dress? Where? What does it look like? Why haven’t you tried it on? Do you want me to come with you?” She asked each question in quick succession, bombarding Santana with her excitement.
“Slow down, slow down,” Santana said, smirking. “I really found a dress, at the bridal shop here. Don Johnson’s or something. It was in the window. I haven’t worked up the nerve to go inside and try it on. ‘Sides, I want you to see it and make sure I look super hot in it.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “You always look super hot. It’s really not fair,” she replied. She glanced at the time display on the sound system. “You know...” she began, dragging out her words. “It’s only around lunchtime and Don Johnson’s doesn’t close for a few hours yet. We could feed the twins and head out for some lunch and a little fashion show,” she suggested, hoping to convince Santana it would be a great way to spend the remainder of the afternoon.
Santana raised one eyebrow slowly. “Oh, could we?” She laughed and shook her head. “Fine. We’ll go. But only because I’m avoiding doing real work today.” She sat up. “And I know I look super hot. But some justification every now and again never hurt anyone.”
“Yay!” Rachel exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “Oh, this is perfect! I cannot wait to see the dress. You in it, especially,” she added. She leaned forward and kissed Santana’s cheek. “Come on, Hot Stuff, when she starts gnawing on her fist like that, it means she’s hungry,” Rachel said nodding toward Olivia who seemed to be trying to fit both fists into her mouth. She moved away from Santana to lean her back against the front of the couch, grabbing the nursing pillow she used and laying it across her lap. “You can bring me Little Miss Hungry so I can get her started and then you can hand over Mr. Ringbearer.”
Hoisting Olivia into the air she raised and lowered her slowly. “Come on, Little Princess. Momma’s gonna feed you now.” She handed Olivia to Rachel and settled back on the floor, cradling the slowly-waking Benjamin in her arms. “Hey, good lookin’. Wakey wakey,” she cooed as she rocked him. “Come on, you.”
Rachel smiled as she watched Santana with Benjamin. She glanced down at Olivia who seemed to be happily entertained by her meal. “Thank you,” Rachel said to Santana as she gently lowered Benjamin onto the nursing pillow. Rachel moved him into place, trying to goad him into latching on. He seemed to be having a few problems with it lately. It just seemed as though they each took turns in having problems feeding.
It took a few minutes and a fussy son to finally latch on before Rachel could address Santana again. “I need to tell you something,” she began. “But you can’t get mad. If I start to tense, the little ones feel it and we’ll have a house full of crying babies, okay?” Rachel said with an imploring look.
Santana looked up from playing with Olivia and nodded slowly. “Okay. What’s up?”
Rachel stared at her for a few tense seconds. “Isobel is in town,” she blurted out. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. “She’s - She’s everywhere I am. At the coffee shop I go to during my morning break, at the grocery store, at the park. She’s everywhere.”
“Isobel is here,” Santana repeated, sitting up a little taller, her eyes flashing. “In Lima? What is she doing here? Is she stalking you?”
Rachel averted her gaze and took a deep breath. “She keeps insisting she’s here for the twins. I -” Rachel cut herself off and swallowed past the lump in her throat. “After everything she just shows up and wants to be a part of their lives? No, no, I’m not letting that happen.” Rachel shook her head and bit her lip as she mentally tried to calm down when Benjamin whimpered against her chest.
“Of course you’re not letting that happen,” Santana said firmly. “That bitch doesn’t deserve anything. Especially not these kids. Especially after the way she just... abandoned you and them that way. No. Have you talked to her? Have you told Quinn? Can I kick her ass?”
Rachel’s teeth sank harder into her bottom lip as she fought off some of the hormones she felt trying to push their way through. “Because they were conceived in New York, with the intention of raising them together... she has more than just one leg to stand on, legally speaking,” she admitted, taking a deep shuddering breath. She tilted her head back, hoping the tears she could feel gathering in her eyes wouldn’t fall.
Santana laid a hand on Olivia’s back and knelt on the couch so she was facing Rachel’s side, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “She left, Princess. She’s got nothing to stand on. We can make sure. I found a family law attorney in Lima. If she tries anything, they can shut it down. It doesn’t matter what her intention was. She chose her career over you and, whether she knew it or not, these babies.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Rachel began. “She’s about five steps in front of me. She’s already got lawyers. And who’s to say that she isn’t going to try for full custody. She brought up Quinn. Not by name, but by Quinn’s and my history together,” she further explained, her heart now pounding in her chest. She felt Olivia pull away in slight distress and quickly averted her gaze to her daughter, cooing at her and coaxing her back onto her breast. Rachel waited a few seconds until Olivia was feeding again before she looked up at Santana. “Of all the things I told her about high school, slushies weren’t ever discussed.”
“People change. She can’t say that Quinn today is the same as she was in high school. In a lot of ways, yeah, sure. But in a ton of other ways? In other ways that actually matter, she’s different. She’s better,” Santana argued. “Isobel changed too. And she won’t try to do something stupid like attempt to get full custody. You’re their mother. You’re financially stable, you’re not emotionally psychotic, you have a support system. No judge will ever, ever let her take them. She’s flaky. She’s crazy. You won’t lose them. Quinn won’t let it happen. I won’t let it happen.”
Rachel shook her head in disbelief. “This is... I am struggling to wrap my head around everything right now. First I thought I would be raising them on my own, and now I have Quinn and you and I was - am so happy about that, but now Noah is back in Lima and wants Abby and Quinn’s blood pressure is a major concern, Benjamin is collicy all the time and we’re still watching Olivia’s breathing. And now Isobel wants to take them? I can’t...” Rachel paused to take another deep breath. “I just need the world to stop, for just two minutes so I can take a breath.” She sighed as she sank into the cushions of the couch.
Santana suppressed a wince at the mention of Puck. Now probably wasn’t the time to mention exactly why Santana knew the name of a family law attorney. “So take a minute. Take five,” Santana said. “There’s no one here but us and the babies. I won’t tell anyone if you want to get all emotional on me,” she teased.
Rachel shot her a small smile. Her shoulders slumped and she tilted her head back against the couch and closed her eyes. “Sometimes, I just have the urge to pick up something and throw it. When I used to get angry or frustrated, besides exacting revenge, I’d jump onto the elliptical and work through it. I haven’t been allowed to do that because of the birth.” Rolling her head forward and sighing, Rachel brought her hand up to squeeze Santana’s arm in acknowledgement. “Thank you,” she said.
“Don’t thank me,” Santana said, brushing her hand across Olivia’s head. “Just give me an alibi when they find Isobel’s body like a good best friend would, okay? Because I don’t want Mini Me and Prince Charming here to have to visit me in prison.”
Rachel grinned. “A great best friend will help you hide the body. Quinn can be our alibi. Who isn’t going to believe a pregnant lady?” she joked, moving her hand to rest on Santana’s thigh. “I love you and I’m so glad you’re here,” Rachel said with a small smile. This time, when she took a deep breath, there was a sense of relief that came with it. Knowing that she had people on her side, people that would fight for her and the twins. It just seemed to make the worries that much less of a burden. “After we burp them and get them rugged up and into the car, we can get some lunch for ourselves and check out this wedding dress.”
“I love you too,” Santana said, smiling. “And I’ll love you even more if our lunch involves a burger of some sort. Or meat, in general. Anything will do.” She leaned up on her knees and pressed a kiss to the side of Rachel’s face. “Just so you know, I would be here no matter what. The minute you decided to keep these kids, I was always going to be here.”
Rachel sighed dramatically. “Fine,” she said, dragging out the word. “You can have a burger with meat, but if Lola asks, I will not lie,” she added with a grin. Rachel reached up and cupped the side of Santana’s face. “I know you would have been here no matter what. That’s what makes me love you even more. And just in case Quinn has planted listening devices, I love you, but not nearly as much as I love her and she’s the most beautiful woman in the world and I couldn’t live without her. Think I have my bases covered?” Rachel asked with a grin, dropping her hand to Olivia’s back.
“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you over the sound of my gagging,” Santana said, grimacing. “But, hey, Quinn,” she said a little louder, “if you’re listening, your girlfriend was just all up in my personal space. How do ya like that?” She moved to the side and dodged Rachel’s hand swinging at her. “Oh, calm down, Princess. She’s not that creepy that she would plant listening devices in here. Please.”
“You can never be too careful. She’s crafty, that girlfriend of mine,” Rachel replied, turning her nose up and looking away. “It’s a good thing you two patched things up. This would be awkward, otherwise.”
Santana smiled a little. “Yeah, it’d be super awkward, huh?” She imagined how badly this was going to end, if Quinn ever found out that she had supplied Puck with a way to get some legal footing involving Abby. She was determined to spend as much time with Rachel and the babies before that happened, based on the very real possibility that Quinn would try and ban her from the house forever. “We called truce, though. So don’t worry your pretty little head over it.”
Rachel eyed her best friend for a moment. She knew she was hiding something, but she really didn’t have the energy to deal with it. “Let’s just attempt to keep the peace for as long as possible.”
“I will,” Santana promised. “And she will too. Now give me one of those babies so I can burp ‘em. If you want to see the dress, we’re going to have to get a move on, you know?” She glanced away as Rachel readied herself to pass a baby to her. “And I have to call my fiancee at some point tonight.”
Rachel allowed Olivia to be picked up by Santana as she fixed the cup of her bra. “You’ll have plenty of time to have phone sex with your fiancee later,” she said with a grin, quickly trying to dodge Santana’s slapping hand without disturbing Benjamin.
~*~*~
Santana helped Rachel maneuver the stroller into Don Johnson’s. Rachel looked carefully around the store, eyeing all the beautiful wedding dresses. Her eyes landed on a dress in the corner and Rachel shuddered. So not all the dresses were what she’d call beautiful.
Rachel saw the sales assistant quickly approaching and she began to move toward a set of seats near a set of three full length mirrors, moving the stroller out of the way. The twins had awoken as Santana and Rachel had parked the car and began removing the car seats, but a quick stroll up and down N. West street a few times had the twins dozing off just enough that when they entered the bridal salon, Benjamin and Olivia didn’t even blink an eye.
Spying Santana still standing near the front of the shop, Rachel rolled her eyes and made her way over to her best friend, yanking on her arm and pulling her toward the sales assistant. “We’re attempting to locate the perfect wedding dress,” Rachel said before the assistant could even attempt an introduction. “For her,” Rachel quickly clarified, nodding her head in Santana’s direction.
Santana tore her gaze from the front of the store and blinked at the sales assistant a few times before really seeing her. Staring at a dress in the window was one thing - actually pulling it on and modeling it in front of the mirror was another. She twisted her hands together nervously and jerked her head towards the window again. “That one,” she said lamely. She took a deep breath and gave a steady smile. “I’d like to try that one on. The one in the window.”
As the sales assistant went to retrieve the dress, Santana turned towards Rachel and her smile faltered a little. “It’s going to look hideous. I am not going to look hot in that dress. At all.”
Rolling her eyes again, Rachel placed her hands on her hips. “Please, you could wear a potato sack and be the hottest woman in the room.” She noted Santana’s continued unease and laced their fingers together, slightly tugging on Santana’s hand to get her full attention. “You’re going to look beautiful, S. I promise.”
The sales assistant quickly returned with a smile and the dress Santana had been eyeing in hand. “Shall I show you to the changing room?” She asked with a wide smile and tilt of her head toward the curtained area beside the mirrors.
Santana let herself be led into a curtained section and hung the dress up on the hook, staring at it. She pulled her shirt over her head and stepped out of her jeans after she toed off her shoes. Slowly, she shimmied into the dress, tugging over the curve of her hips and piling her head on top of her head. She left the veil alone - she didn’t want a veil after seeing her cousin get married with one.
Poking her head out of the curtain, she caught sight of the sales assistant. “Mind zipping me up?” The woman pulled the ties of the dress tight and let Santana do a quick final adjustment before she took a deep breath and pulled the curtain aside, eyes searching for Rachel.
Rachel heard the rustling of taffeta coming from behind her as she bent over Olivia, checking her daughter wasn’t too hot under the blanket covering her. Glancing over her shoulder, she did a double-take and whipped around staring at Santana, her jaw hanging open. “Wow,” she breathed out.
Santana smirked and turned in a slow circle, her confidence growing at the look of disbelief on Rachel’s face. “Whaddya think, Princess? I don’t look half bad.”
Rachel felt a rush of emotions, and felt tears begin to gather in her eyes. Quickly fanning herself with her hands, she stepped forward. “Fucking hormones,” she swore, rolling her eyes and grinning. “Oh, S,” Rachel began, letting her eyes roam down and then back up Santana’s body. “I - It’s... You look so beautiful,” she finally managed to say as she brought her right hand up to rest against her chest.
Santana smoothed her hand down the front of the gown. “It’s not too much? With the cut here?” she asked, her fingers pulling at the line midway down the dress. She took a few experimental steps forward and back. “Huh,” she said, looking down. “My boobs look awesome in this dress.”
“Your breasts always look awesome,” Rachel said abesnt-mindedly as she stepped closer to inspect the dress. “If you wore this one, how do you imagine your hair? Up or down?” She asked, beginning to walk around the dress to look at the back.
Santana looked over her shoulder as Rachel inspected her. “I don’t need the veil, so... half up, half down, maybe? Pinned back, but still down?” She ran her hands through her hair and tugged it back around her temples, eyeing her reflection in the mirror. “What do you think? Up or down?”
I’ve always been partial to your hair down,” She admitted standing on her toes to look over Santana’s shoulder and meet her eyes in the mirror. “I’m not entirely sure about this back. Specifically the cut around your backside.I don’t know that it suits your ass as perfectly as it should. What do you think?” Rachel asked, taking a step back to let Santana turn to inspect her backside.
“Hmm,” Santana said, turning in the mirror and looking at her rear. “It kind of hides my ass, doesn’t it? And this ass is too fine to tuck away behind taffeta. I’m sure you agree,” she said, winking at Rachel.
Rachel tilted her head to the side, eyes firmly fixed on Santana’s behind. “I wasn’t so much concerned with hiding it as much as the cut almost makes your ass look lopsided and I know Santana Lopez does not have a lopsided ass,” Rachel replied with a grin before winking at the sales assistant who seemed to blush and avert her gaze.
“Perhaps you can try on a few more dresses? It’s very rare that a bride-to-be approves of the first dress she tries on without having looked at alternative options,” the sales assistant said, already moving toward a row of dresses, protectively covered by garment bags.
“Alternative options,” Santana mocked, turning her back to Rachel. “I think she was getting a little flustered at your, uh, appreciation of my ass...ets.” She waggled her eyebrows at Rachel in the mirror. “Undo me so I can try something else on?” she asked as the sales assistant headed back in their direction.
“Tease. Who wouldn’t get flustered appreciating your ass?” Rachel muttered with a smile and a shake of her head. She stepped forward and began to undo the dress. Rachel couldn’t help but sigh in jealousy as more of Santana was revealed. “I need my body back,” she grumbled, pulling the zipper down and taking a step back.
Santana smirked over her shoulder as she held the dress to her front. “Feel free to appreciate my body until yours is back. I won’t tell,” she teased as she took the second dress the sales assistant handed to her. “Be right back,” she said, disappearing behind the curtain.
"You didn't even allow me a peak at the goods!" Rachel called out jokingly with a smile as Santana disappeared behind the curtained area. Rachel shook her head and walked toward the twins, noting a kicking leg coming from one of the carriers. Bending forward slightly she smiled down at Olivia. "Hello, Beautiful," she greeted her. Olivia stared up at Rachel, her jaw hanging open as her big brown eyes watched Rachel as well as she could. Suddenly, she began to kick her legs in excitement and Rachel laughed, bending further down and raining kisses across her cheeks. "You should see your Godmother! She's looking absolutely gorgeous." She pulled away before gently poking the tip of Olivia's nose. "You're prettier, of course," she whispered.
“I heard that,” Santana shouted as she pulled another dress out of the plastic casing. “Though, she is prettier than me.” She pulled the dress on and waited as the sales assistant tied it together. “Ready?” she called out, waiting for Rachel’s response.
Grinning, Rachel reached into the stroller and unlatched Olivia, carefully pulling her out and cradling her against her chest. She turned toward Santana's voice and called out. "Ready!"
Santana pulled back the curtain and stood in front of the dressing room entry, tugging at the bodice of the dress. She wasn’t sure how these jewel-like things were going to look through someone else’s eyes. “Well,” she prompted, flashing a grin at her awake goddaughter. “How do I look?”
Rachel's grip tightened on Olivia, as she gasped. "Oh," was all she said. Her eyes slowly roamed over Santana's body. She took an involuntary step forward. "S..." she dragged out the sound, her left hand moving to the base of her throat. "It's... You..." Rachel shook her head, unable to find words appropriate for the sight she was witness to.
Santana felt her eyes grow wide and she turned quickly to look at her own reflection. “What? Is it awful? It’s awful, isn’t it?” She started reaching for the ties. “It’s terrible. I’m taking it off.”
"God, no!" Rachel yelled out, startling Olivia. "Don't even..." She stopped halfway through her sentence and surprising the sales assistant, Rachel handed Olivia over before grabbing the small step near the mirrors and placing it on the ground. Santana seemed to be watching her, frowning as she tried to figure out what Rachel was doing. Rachel stepped up into the step and grabbed Santana's shoulders, turning her to face the mirrors properly. "Look at you," she said. "This is the dress, well, the dress I would select." Rachel began fiddling with Santana's hair, pulling strands from the front and gently holding the away from her face. "With no veil, and your hair half up, you're going to look amazing."
“So you like it then?” Santana asked, grinning in amusement. She dipped to the side to avoid Rachel poking her in the eye. “Just to clarify, I mean,” she added. She fingered a rhinestone. “It’s not too... I’m a Jersey Shore castoff wanna-be hooker who scored an old man halfway to the grave, is it?”
Rachel frowned. "I thought I recognized you from somewhere!" she exclaimed, dropping Santana's hair and lifting her hands into the air. Grinning, Rachel quickly wrapped her arms around Santana's neck in a hug. "You look breathtaking," she whispered in her ear before placing a kiss on her cheek.
Santana leaned back slightly in Rachel’s hold. “Think she’ll say the same thing?” she asked, eyeing herself critically in the mirror. She’d need to stop sneaking burgers for a few weeks or amp up her workout routine. And she’d have to figure out something to do with her hair, though whatever Rachel was doing earlier had looked nice.
"If she won't try to rip the dress off you later that evening, I will, girlfriend be damned," she said with wink, resting her head against Santana's, her arms still holding her in a hug. "Soak up the image for a few minutes while I rescue the nice lady from that mini-you monster," Rachel said squeezing her briefly before letting go and heading toward the sales assistant.
“She’s perfect in every way,” Santana countered as Rachel left her. She studied her reflection and smirked. It hung nicely off her. Lola really would love this dress. She combed her fingers through her hair and pulled it off her neck, turning her body to the left and right. “I think this is the one,” she said as Rachel came back to stand beside her.
Nodding with a smile, Rachel looked at Santana through the mirror before looking down at her daughter. “What do you think Olive? Is Auntie S pretty enough? Do you think Lola is going to just ravish her at the wedding if she wears this dress?” Rachel felt Santana nudge her arm slightly and she grinned. Olivia made a gurgling sound, trying to kick one of her legs. “Oh!” Rachel exclaimed with delight. “Looks like she approves. You can’t change your mind now,” she said smiling up at Santana.
Santana tapped Olivia on the end of the nose, smiling when the little girl made a face. “Well, Auntie S is getting this dress, no matter how much it costs.” She checked the price tag and felt her mouth drop a little. “Well,” she amended. “Your Auntie S loves her Lola, so she’s going to get this dress, no matter how many limbs she has to sell later on. It must be love,” she sighed.
Rachel let out a giggle. “With a vast majority of the wedding being paid for by the company, you can afford a few grand on this one beautiful dress,” she said, making her way back to the stroller to strap Olivia back in and check on Benjamin, who seemed to be enjoying his nap.
In the dressing room, Santana pulled on her clothes and hung the dress back in the plastic casing, handing it to the sales assistant waiting for her outside the curtain. “It’s worth it,” she said as she stepped back into the main room, lacing her shoe. “It’s definitely worth it. Hey.” She hugged Rachel from behind, hooking her chin over the smaller woman’s shoulder. “Thanks for coming with me.”
Rachel leaned her head back, her hands covering Santana’s just beneath her breasts. She kissed her best friend’s cheek before resting her temple against it. “Honestly, it was purely for selfish reasons. I wanted to see what kind of options I would have when I start the search for my perfect dress,” she replied with a slight shrug. She felt Santana’s teeth on her shoulder and she tried to shrug her off with a shoulder. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding!” She quickly exclaimed. “Well, mostly, but I am glad that you found the dress, and as your Maid of Honor, I feel privileged you allowed me to accompany you on this endeavour.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Santana said, rolling her eyes. “Have you thought about what you’re going to wear? You can’t look hotter than me. I mean, you have to look hot so that I can show these pictures to your kids some day and show them that I’ve still got it and I can’t have an ugly bridal party,” she teased. “But really. You have to look good for this.”
Mouth dropping open in shock, Rachel turned her head to look up at Santana. “I am offended you would even think I wouldn’t look hot at such a prestigious event,” Rachel replied, following it up with a huff and her fists moving to rest on her hips. “If you and Lola decide on a color scheme already, then Quinn and I can dress appropriately, can’t we?”
“Of course you’ll look amazing,” Santana said quickly. “I was just saying. And we can’t decide on a color scheme until Lola gets back from Boston. Just think about the kind of cut you want.” She lifted up on her toes and made a show of peeking down Rachel’s top. “Maybe something that emphasizes those.”
“Enjoying their enlarged state, are we?” Rachel asked with a raised eyebrow and pulling the neckline of her top away from her chest and glancing down. “Well, for the record, so is Quinn,” she added with a wide grin. “And besides, you know I live to show off my assets. You have nothing to worry about. Quinn and I will discuss dresses and make sure to approach you and Lola with our ideas before we purchase anything.”
Santana gave a dramatic sigh and unwrapped her arms from around Rachel. “Speaking of Quinn. She’d probably cleave me with a dress hanger if she saw us talking about your assets.” Santana looked down at Olivia and nodded. “Yeah, Little Princess. Quinn’s a crazy woman.”
“Don’t talk about her other mother, like that!” Rachel said bumping Santana slightly. “Come on, let’s get out of here before we put on even more of a show than we already have,” Rachel suggested with a laugh.
Santana shot a smirk at the sales assistant over her shoulder. “Alright. Let me go fill out whatever she seems to be waving at me and we can get out of here, okay?” She leaned down and kissed the top of Olivia’s head. “Be right back, Princesses,” she said, pulling her wallet out to put a down payment on the dress.
Rachel tucked Olivia in properly, checked on Benjamin once more and then began to wheel the stroller back toward the front door. Waiting just inside, she rolled the stroller backward and forward a few times, rocking the twins. She smiled as Santana approached a few minutes later, an excited smile on her face. “Are they keeping it to perform alterations over the next few weeks?” she asked.
“Yeah. I have to come in next week to get measurements done.” Santana waved the pink slip in her hand at Rachel. “But it’s my dress. I have a dress and I’m getting married.” She grinned at Rachel. “Let’s get out of here. I can practically feel myself turning into Bridezilla the longer we stand in here.”
“Pshh, I would never let you turn into that,” Rachel said with a roll of her eyes. Grabbing Santana’s hand, she began to pull her toward the door. “In fact, you can be my lowly subject and help me feed Ollie and Benji soon.”
Santana rolled her eyes and picked up a toy as it fell off the back of the stroller, tucking it into her pocket. “Gosh, I don’t know. That’s such an inconvenience. Help you feed my godchildren? I don’t think I can.” She held the door open for the stroller and unlocked the car through the remote. She laughed as something occurred to her. “You know what? Pretty soon you’re going to have to get a minivan.”
She was still laughing as they pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to Rachel’s.
When: Sunday, February 27th 2019
Where: Rachel and Quinn’s House, Don Johnson’s Florist and Bridal Boutique
What: Wedding Plans and ‘Wish They Were Gone’ Exes
Status: Complete
Rachel sat across from Santana on the living room floor. The coffee table had been pushed aside, the couch moved closer to the doorway to provide more room and the twins were laid out on a large play mat nearby. Rachel sat cross-legged with a clipboard in hand and a pen at the ready as Santana looked on, frazzled on the carpet opposite her. “I wish you had approached me sooner about this. We would have had so much already completed,” Rachel said with a sigh.
Santana glanced up from a magazine and raised an eyebrow at Rachel. “I thought I had it under control,” she said defensively. She had thought she had it under control, but magazines and ideas and notes had piled up around her faster than she could handle and it kind of overwhelmed her. “Planning a wedding shouldn’t even be this hard,” she mumbled.
“Anything worth doing, takes careful planning and is often difficult,” Rachel replied with a stern look. She began filling in her checklist with information she had already gathered. “My checklist was designed for couples waiting at least a year to get married, so we’re going to need to power through the first few months of ‘to-do’ items. Have you and Lola decided on location, theme, number of guests, formality and the time of day?”
Olivia gurgled nearby, her little legs kicking in the air. Rachel glanced over to check the twins were fine. Benjamin had dozed off, but her daughter was still wide awake enjoying the bright colored toys hanging above her.
Santana looked over at the noise and grinned. She scooted over a little and leaned closer to Olivia. “Hey, Little Princess. You wanna talk about the wedding too? I wish you were a little older, you know.” She grazed her fingers across Olivia’s stomach. “You could have been the prettiest flower girl.” Santana looked back at Rachel. “She would have made a pretty flower girl. The ceremony and reception are at the Shawnee Country Club. It’s going to be... eco-friendly-ish, but traditional. Just run of the mill. Alison, Lola’s agent wants it to be big. It’s kind of a publicity deal. You know, photographers, agents, half of Hammet Publishing, all coming to Lima to see where we got our roots, or something.”
Rachel nodded, adding a few notes to the first page of her checklist. “Olivia would definitely have been the prettiest flower girl,” she agreed with a grin. “And Benjamin would have looked very handsome as a ring bearer,” she added. “What budget are we working with?” Rachel suddenly asked, her attention quickly shifting gears. “And would you like to hire your own photographer anyway? One that you are certain is there for you and Lola and not just to supply magazines and publishing companies with the best shots. Have you thought about a celebrant? Who would you like to officiate?” Rachel scribbled Shawnee Country Club next to ceremony and reception before lowering the clipboard slightly.
“Of course he would have been a handsome ring bearer,” Santana agreed. Her eyes widened slightly at the way Rachel had changed topics so quickly. “Budget is no problem. Ariel is kicking in what she wants to, my parents have offered to pay a little and Hammet is covering the rest. It would be nice to have another photographer there, who is just for us, but I don’t think so. Too many cooks in one kitchen, you know?” Santana let Olivia catch her finger and stayed still. “We haven’t decided on a celebrant or officiant yet. It’s something we’ve got to talk about when Lola gets home from Boston.”
Flipping the first few pages over the top of the clipboard, Rachel quickly began constructing a list of tasks that could only be completed once Lola was back in Lima. “Okay, we’ll revisit the photographer situation at a later date once Hammet has decided who they are assigning to the wedding. It’s great that you needn’t worry too much about budget because it allows a certain degree of wiggle room on decisions like flower arrangements and catering companies,” Rachel explained as she picked up a pink highlighter and began leaving marks on the checklist to note tasks that required a second discussion. “Have you decided whether you’ll allow children to attend? It may seem like a trivial thing, but there is a lot to consider if children are invited. You’ve also booked the country club, correct?”
Santana nodded. “We booked the country club. Well, Lola and my mother did. So it’s booked. And yes, children will be allowed. I can’t not have my new best girl sitting at home with a babysitter, can I? No,” she said, answering her own question. “And Abby, of course, will be invited. If I end up forcing Quinn into a bridesmaid dress, she’ll kill me if Abby isn’t there.” She smiled to herself. “Maybe I’ll send her her own invitation. As for everyone else’s kids... people from Hammet are probably going to bring theirs. As long as my favorite kids are there, I could care less.”
Rachel smirked as she ducked her head. “I’ll get Quinn into that bridesmaid’s dress. Or perhaps the promise of me getting her out of it will be enough to get her into it,” she said with confidence. Rachel heard Santana make a few gagging noises at Olivia. She ignored her best friend to check the list again. “Have you decided on colors?” she asked, placing an ‘x’ in the box to show the location had been booked.
Santana’s head snapped up as a thought occurred to her. “If you and Quinn have,” she glanced down at Olivia and covered her ears gently, stage-whispering, “sex at my wedding, I’m disowning you.” She glared to get her point across and took her hands away from Olivia’s ears. “I hadn’t thought of a color yet. What’s the ugliest color you can think of that Quinn would hate. We’ll go with that.”
Rachel threw her head back and laughed loudly. “If Quinn and I have sex at your wedding, we’re certainly not going to tell you about it... well, not until you come back from your honeymoon at least,” she joked, her laugh turning into a few giggles. “And you can’t base the wedding colors around what Quinn would look awful in, because she doesn’t look awful in any color,” Rachel finished, poking her tongue out at Santana.
“You think I’m kidding, do you?” Santana growled playfully. “No sex at my wedding. I’m the only one who can have sex at my wedding, thank you very much. As for colors... I didn’t say she’d look bad in it. I just asked what color she hates. But I don’t know,” she said, shrugging. “It’s a spring wedding. So lighter colors I guess. Lola and I will make the final decision later.” She sighed heavily and lay back next to the babies mat. “This would be so much easier if she wasn’t in Boston.”
Rachel sighed and set the clipboard on the floor next to her. “You’re sort of useless with this. Come back when Lola is home. We need you to decide on colors in order to start organizing flower arrangements and decorations. At most, I think all you can do on your own is sort out your half of the guest list.” Rachel moved a few magazines out of the way and laid down near Benjamin, her right hand reaching out to brush over the top of his head. “Have you decided what you’re going to wear? That’s equally important and something else you can do without Lola’s input.”
“I wanted to get married easily,” Santana grumbled. “Not this circus it’s turning into.” She turned and propped herself up on her elbow, looking across the babies at Rachel. “I want to wear a dress. I know I could rock a suit, but I want to wear a dress. I saw one, actually. But I just haven’t gone to check it out yet.”
Rachel grinned in excitement at her best friend. She quickly moved to sit up and shuffled her way closer to Santana. Reaching out, she squeezed Santana’s arm gently. “You really found a dress? Where? What does it look like? Why haven’t you tried it on? Do you want me to come with you?” She asked each question in quick succession, bombarding Santana with her excitement.
“Slow down, slow down,” Santana said, smirking. “I really found a dress, at the bridal shop here. Don Johnson’s or something. It was in the window. I haven’t worked up the nerve to go inside and try it on. ‘Sides, I want you to see it and make sure I look super hot in it.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “You always look super hot. It’s really not fair,” she replied. She glanced at the time display on the sound system. “You know...” she began, dragging out her words. “It’s only around lunchtime and Don Johnson’s doesn’t close for a few hours yet. We could feed the twins and head out for some lunch and a little fashion show,” she suggested, hoping to convince Santana it would be a great way to spend the remainder of the afternoon.
Santana raised one eyebrow slowly. “Oh, could we?” She laughed and shook her head. “Fine. We’ll go. But only because I’m avoiding doing real work today.” She sat up. “And I know I look super hot. But some justification every now and again never hurt anyone.”
“Yay!” Rachel exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “Oh, this is perfect! I cannot wait to see the dress. You in it, especially,” she added. She leaned forward and kissed Santana’s cheek. “Come on, Hot Stuff, when she starts gnawing on her fist like that, it means she’s hungry,” Rachel said nodding toward Olivia who seemed to be trying to fit both fists into her mouth. She moved away from Santana to lean her back against the front of the couch, grabbing the nursing pillow she used and laying it across her lap. “You can bring me Little Miss Hungry so I can get her started and then you can hand over Mr. Ringbearer.”
Hoisting Olivia into the air she raised and lowered her slowly. “Come on, Little Princess. Momma’s gonna feed you now.” She handed Olivia to Rachel and settled back on the floor, cradling the slowly-waking Benjamin in her arms. “Hey, good lookin’. Wakey wakey,” she cooed as she rocked him. “Come on, you.”
Rachel smiled as she watched Santana with Benjamin. She glanced down at Olivia who seemed to be happily entertained by her meal. “Thank you,” Rachel said to Santana as she gently lowered Benjamin onto the nursing pillow. Rachel moved him into place, trying to goad him into latching on. He seemed to be having a few problems with it lately. It just seemed as though they each took turns in having problems feeding.
It took a few minutes and a fussy son to finally latch on before Rachel could address Santana again. “I need to tell you something,” she began. “But you can’t get mad. If I start to tense, the little ones feel it and we’ll have a house full of crying babies, okay?” Rachel said with an imploring look.
Santana looked up from playing with Olivia and nodded slowly. “Okay. What’s up?”
Rachel stared at her for a few tense seconds. “Isobel is in town,” she blurted out. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. “She’s - She’s everywhere I am. At the coffee shop I go to during my morning break, at the grocery store, at the park. She’s everywhere.”
“Isobel is here,” Santana repeated, sitting up a little taller, her eyes flashing. “In Lima? What is she doing here? Is she stalking you?”
Rachel averted her gaze and took a deep breath. “She keeps insisting she’s here for the twins. I -” Rachel cut herself off and swallowed past the lump in her throat. “After everything she just shows up and wants to be a part of their lives? No, no, I’m not letting that happen.” Rachel shook her head and bit her lip as she mentally tried to calm down when Benjamin whimpered against her chest.
“Of course you’re not letting that happen,” Santana said firmly. “That bitch doesn’t deserve anything. Especially not these kids. Especially after the way she just... abandoned you and them that way. No. Have you talked to her? Have you told Quinn? Can I kick her ass?”
Rachel’s teeth sank harder into her bottom lip as she fought off some of the hormones she felt trying to push their way through. “Because they were conceived in New York, with the intention of raising them together... she has more than just one leg to stand on, legally speaking,” she admitted, taking a deep shuddering breath. She tilted her head back, hoping the tears she could feel gathering in her eyes wouldn’t fall.
Santana laid a hand on Olivia’s back and knelt on the couch so she was facing Rachel’s side, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “She left, Princess. She’s got nothing to stand on. We can make sure. I found a family law attorney in Lima. If she tries anything, they can shut it down. It doesn’t matter what her intention was. She chose her career over you and, whether she knew it or not, these babies.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Rachel began. “She’s about five steps in front of me. She’s already got lawyers. And who’s to say that she isn’t going to try for full custody. She brought up Quinn. Not by name, but by Quinn’s and my history together,” she further explained, her heart now pounding in her chest. She felt Olivia pull away in slight distress and quickly averted her gaze to her daughter, cooing at her and coaxing her back onto her breast. Rachel waited a few seconds until Olivia was feeding again before she looked up at Santana. “Of all the things I told her about high school, slushies weren’t ever discussed.”
“People change. She can’t say that Quinn today is the same as she was in high school. In a lot of ways, yeah, sure. But in a ton of other ways? In other ways that actually matter, she’s different. She’s better,” Santana argued. “Isobel changed too. And she won’t try to do something stupid like attempt to get full custody. You’re their mother. You’re financially stable, you’re not emotionally psychotic, you have a support system. No judge will ever, ever let her take them. She’s flaky. She’s crazy. You won’t lose them. Quinn won’t let it happen. I won’t let it happen.”
Rachel shook her head in disbelief. “This is... I am struggling to wrap my head around everything right now. First I thought I would be raising them on my own, and now I have Quinn and you and I was - am so happy about that, but now Noah is back in Lima and wants Abby and Quinn’s blood pressure is a major concern, Benjamin is collicy all the time and we’re still watching Olivia’s breathing. And now Isobel wants to take them? I can’t...” Rachel paused to take another deep breath. “I just need the world to stop, for just two minutes so I can take a breath.” She sighed as she sank into the cushions of the couch.
Santana suppressed a wince at the mention of Puck. Now probably wasn’t the time to mention exactly why Santana knew the name of a family law attorney. “So take a minute. Take five,” Santana said. “There’s no one here but us and the babies. I won’t tell anyone if you want to get all emotional on me,” she teased.
Rachel shot her a small smile. Her shoulders slumped and she tilted her head back against the couch and closed her eyes. “Sometimes, I just have the urge to pick up something and throw it. When I used to get angry or frustrated, besides exacting revenge, I’d jump onto the elliptical and work through it. I haven’t been allowed to do that because of the birth.” Rolling her head forward and sighing, Rachel brought her hand up to squeeze Santana’s arm in acknowledgement. “Thank you,” she said.
“Don’t thank me,” Santana said, brushing her hand across Olivia’s head. “Just give me an alibi when they find Isobel’s body like a good best friend would, okay? Because I don’t want Mini Me and Prince Charming here to have to visit me in prison.”
Rachel grinned. “A great best friend will help you hide the body. Quinn can be our alibi. Who isn’t going to believe a pregnant lady?” she joked, moving her hand to rest on Santana’s thigh. “I love you and I’m so glad you’re here,” Rachel said with a small smile. This time, when she took a deep breath, there was a sense of relief that came with it. Knowing that she had people on her side, people that would fight for her and the twins. It just seemed to make the worries that much less of a burden. “After we burp them and get them rugged up and into the car, we can get some lunch for ourselves and check out this wedding dress.”
“I love you too,” Santana said, smiling. “And I’ll love you even more if our lunch involves a burger of some sort. Or meat, in general. Anything will do.” She leaned up on her knees and pressed a kiss to the side of Rachel’s face. “Just so you know, I would be here no matter what. The minute you decided to keep these kids, I was always going to be here.”
Rachel sighed dramatically. “Fine,” she said, dragging out the word. “You can have a burger with meat, but if Lola asks, I will not lie,” she added with a grin. Rachel reached up and cupped the side of Santana’s face. “I know you would have been here no matter what. That’s what makes me love you even more. And just in case Quinn has planted listening devices, I love you, but not nearly as much as I love her and she’s the most beautiful woman in the world and I couldn’t live without her. Think I have my bases covered?” Rachel asked with a grin, dropping her hand to Olivia’s back.
“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you over the sound of my gagging,” Santana said, grimacing. “But, hey, Quinn,” she said a little louder, “if you’re listening, your girlfriend was just all up in my personal space. How do ya like that?” She moved to the side and dodged Rachel’s hand swinging at her. “Oh, calm down, Princess. She’s not that creepy that she would plant listening devices in here. Please.”
“You can never be too careful. She’s crafty, that girlfriend of mine,” Rachel replied, turning her nose up and looking away. “It’s a good thing you two patched things up. This would be awkward, otherwise.”
Santana smiled a little. “Yeah, it’d be super awkward, huh?” She imagined how badly this was going to end, if Quinn ever found out that she had supplied Puck with a way to get some legal footing involving Abby. She was determined to spend as much time with Rachel and the babies before that happened, based on the very real possibility that Quinn would try and ban her from the house forever. “We called truce, though. So don’t worry your pretty little head over it.”
Rachel eyed her best friend for a moment. She knew she was hiding something, but she really didn’t have the energy to deal with it. “Let’s just attempt to keep the peace for as long as possible.”
“I will,” Santana promised. “And she will too. Now give me one of those babies so I can burp ‘em. If you want to see the dress, we’re going to have to get a move on, you know?” She glanced away as Rachel readied herself to pass a baby to her. “And I have to call my fiancee at some point tonight.”
Rachel allowed Olivia to be picked up by Santana as she fixed the cup of her bra. “You’ll have plenty of time to have phone sex with your fiancee later,” she said with a grin, quickly trying to dodge Santana’s slapping hand without disturbing Benjamin.
~*~*~
Santana helped Rachel maneuver the stroller into Don Johnson’s. Rachel looked carefully around the store, eyeing all the beautiful wedding dresses. Her eyes landed on a dress in the corner and Rachel shuddered. So not all the dresses were what she’d call beautiful.
Rachel saw the sales assistant quickly approaching and she began to move toward a set of seats near a set of three full length mirrors, moving the stroller out of the way. The twins had awoken as Santana and Rachel had parked the car and began removing the car seats, but a quick stroll up and down N. West street a few times had the twins dozing off just enough that when they entered the bridal salon, Benjamin and Olivia didn’t even blink an eye.
Spying Santana still standing near the front of the shop, Rachel rolled her eyes and made her way over to her best friend, yanking on her arm and pulling her toward the sales assistant. “We’re attempting to locate the perfect wedding dress,” Rachel said before the assistant could even attempt an introduction. “For her,” Rachel quickly clarified, nodding her head in Santana’s direction.
Santana tore her gaze from the front of the store and blinked at the sales assistant a few times before really seeing her. Staring at a dress in the window was one thing - actually pulling it on and modeling it in front of the mirror was another. She twisted her hands together nervously and jerked her head towards the window again. “That one,” she said lamely. She took a deep breath and gave a steady smile. “I’d like to try that one on. The one in the window.”
As the sales assistant went to retrieve the dress, Santana turned towards Rachel and her smile faltered a little. “It’s going to look hideous. I am not going to look hot in that dress. At all.”
Rolling her eyes again, Rachel placed her hands on her hips. “Please, you could wear a potato sack and be the hottest woman in the room.” She noted Santana’s continued unease and laced their fingers together, slightly tugging on Santana’s hand to get her full attention. “You’re going to look beautiful, S. I promise.”
The sales assistant quickly returned with a smile and the dress Santana had been eyeing in hand. “Shall I show you to the changing room?” She asked with a wide smile and tilt of her head toward the curtained area beside the mirrors.
Santana let herself be led into a curtained section and hung the dress up on the hook, staring at it. She pulled her shirt over her head and stepped out of her jeans after she toed off her shoes. Slowly, she shimmied into the dress, tugging over the curve of her hips and piling her head on top of her head. She left the veil alone - she didn’t want a veil after seeing her cousin get married with one.
Poking her head out of the curtain, she caught sight of the sales assistant. “Mind zipping me up?” The woman pulled the ties of the dress tight and let Santana do a quick final adjustment before she took a deep breath and pulled the curtain aside, eyes searching for Rachel.
Rachel heard the rustling of taffeta coming from behind her as she bent over Olivia, checking her daughter wasn’t too hot under the blanket covering her. Glancing over her shoulder, she did a double-take and whipped around staring at Santana, her jaw hanging open. “Wow,” she breathed out.
Santana smirked and turned in a slow circle, her confidence growing at the look of disbelief on Rachel’s face. “Whaddya think, Princess? I don’t look half bad.”
Rachel felt a rush of emotions, and felt tears begin to gather in her eyes. Quickly fanning herself with her hands, she stepped forward. “Fucking hormones,” she swore, rolling her eyes and grinning. “Oh, S,” Rachel began, letting her eyes roam down and then back up Santana’s body. “I - It’s... You look so beautiful,” she finally managed to say as she brought her right hand up to rest against her chest.
Santana smoothed her hand down the front of the gown. “It’s not too much? With the cut here?” she asked, her fingers pulling at the line midway down the dress. She took a few experimental steps forward and back. “Huh,” she said, looking down. “My boobs look awesome in this dress.”
“Your breasts always look awesome,” Rachel said abesnt-mindedly as she stepped closer to inspect the dress. “If you wore this one, how do you imagine your hair? Up or down?” She asked, beginning to walk around the dress to look at the back.
Santana looked over her shoulder as Rachel inspected her. “I don’t need the veil, so... half up, half down, maybe? Pinned back, but still down?” She ran her hands through her hair and tugged it back around her temples, eyeing her reflection in the mirror. “What do you think? Up or down?”
I’ve always been partial to your hair down,” She admitted standing on her toes to look over Santana’s shoulder and meet her eyes in the mirror. “I’m not entirely sure about this back. Specifically the cut around your backside.I don’t know that it suits your ass as perfectly as it should. What do you think?” Rachel asked, taking a step back to let Santana turn to inspect her backside.
“Hmm,” Santana said, turning in the mirror and looking at her rear. “It kind of hides my ass, doesn’t it? And this ass is too fine to tuck away behind taffeta. I’m sure you agree,” she said, winking at Rachel.
Rachel tilted her head to the side, eyes firmly fixed on Santana’s behind. “I wasn’t so much concerned with hiding it as much as the cut almost makes your ass look lopsided and I know Santana Lopez does not have a lopsided ass,” Rachel replied with a grin before winking at the sales assistant who seemed to blush and avert her gaze.
“Perhaps you can try on a few more dresses? It’s very rare that a bride-to-be approves of the first dress she tries on without having looked at alternative options,” the sales assistant said, already moving toward a row of dresses, protectively covered by garment bags.
“Alternative options,” Santana mocked, turning her back to Rachel. “I think she was getting a little flustered at your, uh, appreciation of my ass...ets.” She waggled her eyebrows at Rachel in the mirror. “Undo me so I can try something else on?” she asked as the sales assistant headed back in their direction.
“Tease. Who wouldn’t get flustered appreciating your ass?” Rachel muttered with a smile and a shake of her head. She stepped forward and began to undo the dress. Rachel couldn’t help but sigh in jealousy as more of Santana was revealed. “I need my body back,” she grumbled, pulling the zipper down and taking a step back.
Santana smirked over her shoulder as she held the dress to her front. “Feel free to appreciate my body until yours is back. I won’t tell,” she teased as she took the second dress the sales assistant handed to her. “Be right back,” she said, disappearing behind the curtain.
"You didn't even allow me a peak at the goods!" Rachel called out jokingly with a smile as Santana disappeared behind the curtained area. Rachel shook her head and walked toward the twins, noting a kicking leg coming from one of the carriers. Bending forward slightly she smiled down at Olivia. "Hello, Beautiful," she greeted her. Olivia stared up at Rachel, her jaw hanging open as her big brown eyes watched Rachel as well as she could. Suddenly, she began to kick her legs in excitement and Rachel laughed, bending further down and raining kisses across her cheeks. "You should see your Godmother! She's looking absolutely gorgeous." She pulled away before gently poking the tip of Olivia's nose. "You're prettier, of course," she whispered.
“I heard that,” Santana shouted as she pulled another dress out of the plastic casing. “Though, she is prettier than me.” She pulled the dress on and waited as the sales assistant tied it together. “Ready?” she called out, waiting for Rachel’s response.
Grinning, Rachel reached into the stroller and unlatched Olivia, carefully pulling her out and cradling her against her chest. She turned toward Santana's voice and called out. "Ready!"
Santana pulled back the curtain and stood in front of the dressing room entry, tugging at the bodice of the dress. She wasn’t sure how these jewel-like things were going to look through someone else’s eyes. “Well,” she prompted, flashing a grin at her awake goddaughter. “How do I look?”
Rachel's grip tightened on Olivia, as she gasped. "Oh," was all she said. Her eyes slowly roamed over Santana's body. She took an involuntary step forward. "S..." she dragged out the sound, her left hand moving to the base of her throat. "It's... You..." Rachel shook her head, unable to find words appropriate for the sight she was witness to.
Santana felt her eyes grow wide and she turned quickly to look at her own reflection. “What? Is it awful? It’s awful, isn’t it?” She started reaching for the ties. “It’s terrible. I’m taking it off.”
"God, no!" Rachel yelled out, startling Olivia. "Don't even..." She stopped halfway through her sentence and surprising the sales assistant, Rachel handed Olivia over before grabbing the small step near the mirrors and placing it on the ground. Santana seemed to be watching her, frowning as she tried to figure out what Rachel was doing. Rachel stepped up into the step and grabbed Santana's shoulders, turning her to face the mirrors properly. "Look at you," she said. "This is the dress, well, the dress I would select." Rachel began fiddling with Santana's hair, pulling strands from the front and gently holding the away from her face. "With no veil, and your hair half up, you're going to look amazing."
“So you like it then?” Santana asked, grinning in amusement. She dipped to the side to avoid Rachel poking her in the eye. “Just to clarify, I mean,” she added. She fingered a rhinestone. “It’s not too... I’m a Jersey Shore castoff wanna-be hooker who scored an old man halfway to the grave, is it?”
Rachel frowned. "I thought I recognized you from somewhere!" she exclaimed, dropping Santana's hair and lifting her hands into the air. Grinning, Rachel quickly wrapped her arms around Santana's neck in a hug. "You look breathtaking," she whispered in her ear before placing a kiss on her cheek.
Santana leaned back slightly in Rachel’s hold. “Think she’ll say the same thing?” she asked, eyeing herself critically in the mirror. She’d need to stop sneaking burgers for a few weeks or amp up her workout routine. And she’d have to figure out something to do with her hair, though whatever Rachel was doing earlier had looked nice.
"If she won't try to rip the dress off you later that evening, I will, girlfriend be damned," she said with wink, resting her head against Santana's, her arms still holding her in a hug. "Soak up the image for a few minutes while I rescue the nice lady from that mini-you monster," Rachel said squeezing her briefly before letting go and heading toward the sales assistant.
“She’s perfect in every way,” Santana countered as Rachel left her. She studied her reflection and smirked. It hung nicely off her. Lola really would love this dress. She combed her fingers through her hair and pulled it off her neck, turning her body to the left and right. “I think this is the one,” she said as Rachel came back to stand beside her.
Nodding with a smile, Rachel looked at Santana through the mirror before looking down at her daughter. “What do you think Olive? Is Auntie S pretty enough? Do you think Lola is going to just ravish her at the wedding if she wears this dress?” Rachel felt Santana nudge her arm slightly and she grinned. Olivia made a gurgling sound, trying to kick one of her legs. “Oh!” Rachel exclaimed with delight. “Looks like she approves. You can’t change your mind now,” she said smiling up at Santana.
Santana tapped Olivia on the end of the nose, smiling when the little girl made a face. “Well, Auntie S is getting this dress, no matter how much it costs.” She checked the price tag and felt her mouth drop a little. “Well,” she amended. “Your Auntie S loves her Lola, so she’s going to get this dress, no matter how many limbs she has to sell later on. It must be love,” she sighed.
Rachel let out a giggle. “With a vast majority of the wedding being paid for by the company, you can afford a few grand on this one beautiful dress,” she said, making her way back to the stroller to strap Olivia back in and check on Benjamin, who seemed to be enjoying his nap.
In the dressing room, Santana pulled on her clothes and hung the dress back in the plastic casing, handing it to the sales assistant waiting for her outside the curtain. “It’s worth it,” she said as she stepped back into the main room, lacing her shoe. “It’s definitely worth it. Hey.” She hugged Rachel from behind, hooking her chin over the smaller woman’s shoulder. “Thanks for coming with me.”
Rachel leaned her head back, her hands covering Santana’s just beneath her breasts. She kissed her best friend’s cheek before resting her temple against it. “Honestly, it was purely for selfish reasons. I wanted to see what kind of options I would have when I start the search for my perfect dress,” she replied with a slight shrug. She felt Santana’s teeth on her shoulder and she tried to shrug her off with a shoulder. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding!” She quickly exclaimed. “Well, mostly, but I am glad that you found the dress, and as your Maid of Honor, I feel privileged you allowed me to accompany you on this endeavour.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Santana said, rolling her eyes. “Have you thought about what you’re going to wear? You can’t look hotter than me. I mean, you have to look hot so that I can show these pictures to your kids some day and show them that I’ve still got it and I can’t have an ugly bridal party,” she teased. “But really. You have to look good for this.”
Mouth dropping open in shock, Rachel turned her head to look up at Santana. “I am offended you would even think I wouldn’t look hot at such a prestigious event,” Rachel replied, following it up with a huff and her fists moving to rest on her hips. “If you and Lola decide on a color scheme already, then Quinn and I can dress appropriately, can’t we?”
“Of course you’ll look amazing,” Santana said quickly. “I was just saying. And we can’t decide on a color scheme until Lola gets back from Boston. Just think about the kind of cut you want.” She lifted up on her toes and made a show of peeking down Rachel’s top. “Maybe something that emphasizes those.”
“Enjoying their enlarged state, are we?” Rachel asked with a raised eyebrow and pulling the neckline of her top away from her chest and glancing down. “Well, for the record, so is Quinn,” she added with a wide grin. “And besides, you know I live to show off my assets. You have nothing to worry about. Quinn and I will discuss dresses and make sure to approach you and Lola with our ideas before we purchase anything.”
Santana gave a dramatic sigh and unwrapped her arms from around Rachel. “Speaking of Quinn. She’d probably cleave me with a dress hanger if she saw us talking about your assets.” Santana looked down at Olivia and nodded. “Yeah, Little Princess. Quinn’s a crazy woman.”
“Don’t talk about her other mother, like that!” Rachel said bumping Santana slightly. “Come on, let’s get out of here before we put on even more of a show than we already have,” Rachel suggested with a laugh.
Santana shot a smirk at the sales assistant over her shoulder. “Alright. Let me go fill out whatever she seems to be waving at me and we can get out of here, okay?” She leaned down and kissed the top of Olivia’s head. “Be right back, Princesses,” she said, pulling her wallet out to put a down payment on the dress.
Rachel tucked Olivia in properly, checked on Benjamin once more and then began to wheel the stroller back toward the front door. Waiting just inside, she rolled the stroller backward and forward a few times, rocking the twins. She smiled as Santana approached a few minutes later, an excited smile on her face. “Are they keeping it to perform alterations over the next few weeks?” she asked.
“Yeah. I have to come in next week to get measurements done.” Santana waved the pink slip in her hand at Rachel. “But it’s my dress. I have a dress and I’m getting married.” She grinned at Rachel. “Let’s get out of here. I can practically feel myself turning into Bridezilla the longer we stand in here.”
“Pshh, I would never let you turn into that,” Rachel said with a roll of her eyes. Grabbing Santana’s hand, she began to pull her toward the door. “In fact, you can be my lowly subject and help me feed Ollie and Benji soon.”
Santana rolled her eyes and picked up a toy as it fell off the back of the stroller, tucking it into her pocket. “Gosh, I don’t know. That’s such an inconvenience. Help you feed my godchildren? I don’t think I can.” She held the door open for the stroller and unlocked the car through the remote. She laughed as something occurred to her. “You know what? Pretty soon you’re going to have to get a minivan.”
She was still laughing as they pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to Rachel’s.