[Glee / Grey's] Wedding Guests (1/1)
Title: Wedding Guests
Author: youngerdrgrey
Pairing: Callie/Arizona, Brittany/Santana
Summary: Arizona offers help to one of the guests at her wedding, one Brittany S Pierce.
Rating: T
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights for the characters and the world go to their owners (like Shonda Rhimes or Ryan Murphy). I, in no way, believe - or would lead others to believe - that I own Grey's Anatomy or Glee. I am merely a fan of the television shows who has ideas for things that Shonda and RIB could do/could've done.
Author's Note: This is AU because it’s one of those ‘if Callie was somehow related to Santana and Calzona could help Brittana’ types of fics. Please review if you read.
(1/1) WEDDING GUESTS
“Is it everything you ever hoped for?”
Arizona glances over her shoulder. A young girl of no more than seventeen sits on the bench a ways away, immersed in playing with her canary yellow sundress. She doesn’t seem like she’s been asking questions.
Did Arizona imagine it? Is she that desperate for some honest-to-God conversation on her wedding day that doesn’t revolve around what to do with last minute guests? Honestly, the preparation all blurs together; the talks, the fittings, the days. They all passed one by one filled with this gut-churning anticipation, until finally that beautiful tomorrow is today. Today is the day that Arizona slips into her big white dress to become Mrs. Calliope Torres. (If they had to change names, Arizona would take Callie’s. The two-to-one vote said Arizona Torres has a ring to it that Calliope Robbins just doesn’t. Though, Arizona isn’t complaining about the smile that formed on Calliope’s face, or the husky tone that crept in as her goddess murmured just how much she loves hearing their names together.) Arizona shivers just a tad before turning back to the mirror.
Across the room, Brittany fiddles with the lace on her dress. She tags at the yellow lining, attempting to stretch it out over her ring-less left hand. She kind of wishes it could be her wedding, her time to stand at the base of the aisle and watch as everyone in the room turns to admire the love of her life. She knows that, traditionally, she should walk the aisle. However, she always did imagine herself tripping and flashing everyone her pink Hello Kitty underwear right there in the middle of the floor, so no dice. Waiting is definitely the better option. Besides, that way, she can see everyone else’s faces when they realize just how beautiful Sant-someone is.
Brittany shoves a strand of hair behind her ear and glances back towards Arizona. Should she repeat her question? Her gaze remains fixated on the elder blonde. Surely, a stare will speed things along.
Arizona switches between preparing for her big day and watching the odd teen that seems quite taken with her. She understands why Brittany is in her dressing room on some level. She had a fight with Santana, who’s some distant relative of Calliope, and needed a safe, quiet place to camp out. Yet, Arizona knows that can’t be all there is to it.
Oh. Right. The question. Is this wedding everything she ever dreamed of? It isn’t saying “I do” in the O.R. over some hopeless romantic child, but it is pledging to spend every second of the rest of her life with the hopeless romantic that she loves. So, yes.
“A thousand times yes.” And she pauses as images of Calliope rush into her mind. From that first kiss in the dingy, Joe’s bathroom to the gruff, little voice that said yes before even considering anything else. Arizona zeroes in on some bit of focus and elaborates, “Calliope is the girl I’ve waited for my entire life.”
Brittany’s head bobs up and down. She blinks a few times, almost crossing her eyes but never fully doing it. Perhaps that’s all she wanted. She could have been sent to make sure Arizona didn’t have cold feet. (Arizona doesn’t. She just knows this is it.)
“Did you always know it was a girl?”
What?
The two blondes make eye contact in the mirror for a brief moment before Brittany looks down again. So that’s where this is going. She isn’t here to spy, or hide. The only answer Brittany is looking for are about herself.
Well, the answer is no, sort of. Arizona has always known there wouldn’t be a prince charming to whisk her away. Then again, that could have just been a side effect of being a perky, army brat, new kid with growing cynicism towards the world. Though, for as long as it has really mattered, Arizona has known. It wasn’t a long time coming, or a hard road to acceptance for her; she’s gay. She’s a lesbian.
That isn’t really what this girl is asking her. The question is: how does Brittany know if her one is a girl? More importantly, if it is the girl that still won’t talk to her despite having dragged her along to Seattle for this wedding.
A sigh leaves Arizona’s lips as she considers what to say. If she thought Callie was a newborn before, Brittany is a zygote - a very confused and obviously pained zygote.
She decides to wing it. She says, “Well, I felt different with girls than with guys. Better, stronger, and it was a good different. The posters in my room were girls, not just because they were role models, or because I loved their performances, but because I liked looking at them. I liked imagining what their lives could be like, and what ours could be like together.” Arizona’s super magic smile pokes through, and Brittany has to stop and stare. Arizona pays her no mind, her brain somewhere far away. “I used to imagine the paparazzi would find us hanging out and assume we were dating like they do with all celebrities and their friends. And we would pretend to date to get them to leave us alone. We would fall in love along the way. Totally cliche, but it’s what I dreamed of. But, that’s me, and you’re a different case. So, tell me about your case.”
Brittany doesn’t try to deny that she has something to say. She just starts talking. Arizona smiles (at least they can skip one step).
“I have sex with my best friend. I cheated on my boyfriend with her. She told me the plumbing was different, so it was okay, but it wasn’t. I didn’t argue because I really wanted to. I like being with her. Like, a lot. But, she couldn’t handle it if we dated. She thinks she could, but I know Santana better than anything in the world. She’d hate me if we dated,” concludes Brittany.
While surprised, Arizona doesn’t miss a beat. She asks, “Why do you think she would hate you?”
Brittany almost scoffs. She goes back to pushing at the lace. As she starts talking, she pulls at it, stronger with each phrase until it’s as tense as her voice is sure. She believes what she’s saying. (And that’s the sad part.)
“Because everyone would hate her,” Brittany starts, “She’d depend on me a lot, even if it was just using me for sex to calm down. Then, she’d feel bad for doing that and think she was hurting me. And, she’d feel bad for leaning on me because she tries to be really strong. And she’d hate herself, and then she’d hate me and take it out on me, which would just start the cycle again.”
For someone who says she isn’t smart, Brittany sure puts a lot of thought into it. Is this the first she’s told anyone what she is thinking? If so, why say it to a relative stranger on said stranger’s wedding day? Why not say it to the best friend, or a guidance counselor?
Brittany smiles slightly. She adds, “Sorry if I said too much. You’re easy to talk to. Maybe it’s because you’re gay too.”
Arizona smiles weakly back at her. What does she say to that? How does she convince this girl that it’s not a lost cause to go after a relationship that seems doomed?
“I’m a peds surgeon,” Arizona announces. Brittany quirks an eyebrow. Arizona shakes her head, refocuses, and starts again. “Every day, I get patients with problems that are literally bigger than their bodies can handle. So many of them come to me so close to the tiny coffins that I wonder sometimes why try. I never wanted kids of my own because I figured they would destroy the little bit of strength I had left. I turned down Calliope when she asked me out because I didn’t want to date someone inexperienced, a newborn. I know about the horrible end results. I know what could happen, and even what might. I proposed to her and then drove my car into a truck. I saved my daughter’s life when she was born at twenty-three weeks and sat through her surgery when that wasn’t enough. I-I know that sometimes it seems like leaving it alone is the right choice, like you’re helping, but you just have to dive. You have to say yes. You have to take control. And, you do all that and I promise that one day, you’ll get to marry your girl too.”
Brittany takes it in. She doesn’t move. She doesn’t tear up the way Arizona has. She just… sits there.
Seconds go by, but there’s only minutes left until Arizona is supposed to be headed for the aisle. No time to lose.
Arizona asks her, “When you’re with Santana, is it everything you ever hoped for?”
Without a second thought, Brittany nods. She looks back up to Arizona, eyes now swimming with tears, longing, and respect.
“She’s the best person in the world,” Brittany says.
“There you go. There’s your answer.”
Brittany laughs. She stands quickly and rushes over to Arizona. Arizona wraps her arms around Brittany and the two just kind of stand there hugging and laughing. Nothing’s funny. Yet, the whole thing just makes them want to curl up with their loves and watch sappy nineties films. It’s a beautiful moment.
Brittany pulls back confusedly. “Wait, if Callie was a newborn, does that make you a pedophile?”
~~~~~~~~~
Thoughts?