Who: Dani and Santana and guest appearances by Rebekah and Emily Where: Jared, then City Hall When: Sunday evening What: A big surprise Status: Complete Warnings: None
It had been a work in progress for a few weeks now. The question had come up during one of their midnight walks up at the Grotto, as more of a joke than something to seriously consider. But it had morphed into more and theyâd decided, hey, they both wanted it, so they were going to do it. Santana, of course, had told Rebekah, and Dani had locked down Emily, who sheâd become fairly close to since the other girlâs arrival. They were keeping things small and quiet, deciding something intimate was more their speed than some big event. It could just be the two of them (and Rebekah and Emily), on a quiet night, building something together.
They had all their paperwork in order; Dani had gotten off work early on Thursday, and she and Santana had gone together to get everything they needed. Then, of course, there had been shopping for something to wear the next day. They only had one step left before they did this, and that was what brought them to, at Santanaâs insistence, Jared. Dani had already picked out the simple band she wanted. Santana was the one being difficult and clearly wearing on the sales womanâs nerves. It was nearing six oâclock, and the galleria was ready to close; Dani and Santana were two of the few people left in the store.
âBabe, what about this one?â Dani asked, pointing through the glass display at the diamond ring sheâd spotted.
Santana still couldnât believe this was happening. She was in the middle of Jared, with her girlfriend, picking out wedding rings before they went to City Hall to get married. It was funny, in a way, sheâd just never considered herself a person who would ever get married, then sheâd gone through a period where sheâd thought Brittany would be the one she spent the rest of her life with, then sheâd met Dani. From the beginning Dani had been different, challenged her in ways no other girl had, made her nervous and shy and even caused her to have that stinky, panic sweat under her boobs. It was crazy. She shouldâve known then that Dani was the one. But sheâd ended up here and then there had been Quinn and Santana had fallen hard for Quinn, though as alike as they were and as much as she had loved the girl, Dani had been the one who Santana just kept coming back to. When her friend had disappeared from Portland, it had brought her and Dani back together, after sheâd been dumped when Santana had refused to choose between her and Quinn. Now, this was the logical next step. Surprisingly, Santana really, really wanted this. It had come up one night, Dani, of course, brought it up and sheâd been full of wide eyed surprise when Santana agreed with her that they should.
The rest, as they say, was history. Or about to be anyway. Theyâd gotten their licenses and clothes and everything was in order, except for the rings. Dani found hers easily, but bling was a serious thing to Santana and it was taking her longer. She looked over at the one her girlfriend (soon to be wife) pointed out and arched a brow. That one definitely didnât suck and her full lips curved into a smile. âThat one works, babe. Letâs pay for our bling and get our marriage on.â She smirked, leaning in to capture Daniâs lips in a kiss. They were supposed to meet their two witnesses at City Hall; Santana had obviously asked Rebekah and Dani had asked her new friend, Emily. This was going to be small, intimate and then they would have a reception or something when they were married. A big wedding was just too much to deal with, they wanted to get married and they didnât want to wait. Now that it was legal, they could just do it. So they were.
Dani smiled into the kiss Santana gave her, watching from the corner of her eye as the sales womanâs whole body seemed to sag with relief. It didnât take long for her to bag up their rings and Dani handed her debit card over to pay for them both, thanking her and guiding Santana back out to the car. They were set to meet Rebekah and Emily at 6:30, and it was a little bit of a drive to get there, so Dani wanted to be on the road. Being late to their own wedding would be way too embarrassing.
Luckily, they did arrive a little bit early, with enough time to slip into the bathroom and get changed before going upstairs to meet Rebekah and Emily. They were both waiting; Emily was smiling and Rebekah had a scowl on her face (not that that was unusual) and her arms crossed over her chest. âItâs about time,â she snipped. âWeâve been waiting.â Dani gave her a tense smile before turning to Emily to give her a hug. âThank you, for doing this.â
Santana rolled her eyes at Rebekahâs scowl and snarky comments, but her smirk proved she wasnât really annoyed. She was too happy right now to be pissed. And as annoyed and inconvenienced as Rebekah acted right now, Santana knew she was secretly pleased sheâd been asked to be her witness. As much as she acted like having a fledgling was a burden and she hated it, they got along way too well for that to be true. Rebekah looked out for her and took care of her more than anyone, well except Dani, but in a different way. âWeâre not even late and donât even act like you donât wanna be here.â She teased her sire, giving her a half hug in thanks for her being here to be her witness.
Emily returned Daniâs hug and smiled widely. âYouâre welcome. Iâm glad I could help out.â She was surprised to have been asked, but she and Dani had gotten pretty close lately. She hung out with Dani and Spencer most often. Aria was usually with her boyfriend and well, Hanna...she was usually hanging out with her new friends, Jack, Jose and Jim and sometimes Finn. She got it, she was having a rough time, but like Spencer, Emily was worried. But that was for another time, this was a happy occasion.
âBabe, come on. You ready to do this or what?â Santana reached over and tugged at Daniâs hand. You could say she might be a little excited herself.
Santana was right, of course. Rebekah was very pleased to have been asked to witness such a momentous occasion for her fledgling. Even though she hadnât intended to be put in this situation, to have someone who needed her care and attention so much, she did love Santana, very much, and she was very glad she was so happy. Admittedly, she was also a tad envious, but this wasn't about her; this was about Santana's happiness and that was what she kept her focus on. She embraced her fledgling briefly, meeting her eyes before Santana was moving away to Dani again, grabbing up her hand.
Dani grinned at Emily, murmuring a thank you before Santana was pulling her away. âHoney, we have to wait until they call us,â she gently chastised, and as if sheâd summoned it, their last names were being called from down the hall. âAlright, alright, letâs go,â she laughed, letting Santana pull her down the hall while their witnesses followed behind.
They made their way into the small chambers, Rebekah and Emily following closely behind, stepping inside as the assistant closed the door. They presented their paperwork and waited while everything was inspected and made sure it was all in order. âOkay, looks like everythingâs in order here. So letâs get this started, shall we?â Santana nodded, taking Daniâs hand and giving it a squeeze. âWeâre ready.â She said, suddenly feeling nervous. Not because she didnât want to do this, but because it was really happening and she was just...nervous. Like, even though she was a vampire, she was getting that stinky panic sweat again, under her boobs and she lifted her free hand to run through her hair. Meeting Daniâs eyes, she could see that she was trying to calm her with that look of hers and she smiled, feeling herself start to calm down. Now, she was ready.
Dani could feel how nervous Santana was; it was coming off her in waves. She gave the younger girl her best comforting smile, looking into her eyes and watching the tension melt out of her. She liked that. She liked that she could just look at Santana and she would immediately relax. It made her think that they really were meant to be. She nodded at the justice of the peace as well, agreeing that she was ready and reached out to take Santanaâs hands in hers, focusing completely on her soon-to-be wife.
Her heart was racing as the justice spoke. She could hardly believe she was doing this, but she was beyond ecstatic. She had always dreamed sheâd find the love of her life and get married, and now that it was legal, she was doing it. Even if it was in an alternate universe and Santana was a vampire. She shook her head slightly as the justice turned to her, asking her to repeat after him when they came to the vows.
âI, Danielle Harper, take you, Santana Lopez, to be my beloved wife, to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life.â She grinned, pleased that her voice hadnât sounded nearly as shaky as she was feeling, and gave Santanaâs hands a squeeze as she waited for her to repeat the vows next.
Santana tried to keep the tears from welling up in her eyes as Dani spoke, but she was failing miserably. She gazed lovingly at the shorter girl as she spoke her vows, those tears filling her brown eyes as Dani said them so confidently. It would be almost a miracle if she could sound that confident when she said hers. Hell, right now, Santana wasnât sure she could even speak. So much for all that bravado, because right now, she felt like a freaking lame ass moron. But, she wanted this, so she was doing it, one way or another.
Taking a breath of her own, Santana started to speak, shaky at first, but as she continued, that confident tone returned. âI, Santana Lopez, take you, Danielle Harper, to be my beloved wife, to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days ofâŚâ Santana paused, because the last part was a little emotional for her. Especially since technically, her âlifeâ was over. But she still had forever and she planned on spending every moment of it with Dani. â...my life.â Her brown eyes were swimming with tears as she finished and she smiled at Dani more tenderly than sheâd ever smiled at anyone in her life. This moment was perfect.
Dani gave Santana a small encouraging smile when she hesitated. She knew it must be hard for her to say when, really, she was already dead. But to Dani, it just meant more for her to say it as a vampire. It meant that she would be there forever, even when Dani was much older and much less attractive. That was such a big, amazing thing to promise someone, and Santana seemed so confident when she said it. Dani felt in her heart that it was absolutely true.
Then, it was time for the rings. Dani had handed the bag containing the rings off to Emily when theyâd arrived and she had held onto Santanaâs while Rebekah had held onto Daniâs. At the justiceâs prompting, she turned to take the ring (already removed from its box) from her friend with a quiet thanks and turned to Santana. âWith this ring,â she began, taking Santanaâs left hand in hers, âI thee wed,â she finished, sliding it all the way down the younger girlâs ring finger.
Santana never took her eyes from Daniâs as she spoke those words and slid that ring onto her finger. She smiled at the older girl, finally glancing down at the ring on her finger. Her wedding ring. It was beautiful. She was almost overwhelmed by all this emotion and for a brief moment, she felt a little sad that her Mami and Papi werenât here to see this moment. Her Mami had really liked Dani when sheâd met her during one of her visits to NYC and sheâd told Santana not to screw it up. That had told her that she definitely had her motherâs approval and she knew right now, if her Mami was here, sheâd probably be crying tears of happiness. When Santana lifted her eyes back up to Daniâs, she was looking at her expectantly and for a minute, she wasnât sure why and then realized it. âOh, right.â She laughed a little nervously. She hadnât meant to get lost in her thoughts like that. âMy turn.â
Turning to Rebekah, Santana took the ring from her and turned back to face Dani, taking her hand into her own. âWith this ring,â She started with a smile that hadnât left her face since theyâd started this whole thing. âI thee wed.â Sliding Daniâs ring down her slender finger, Santana gave her hand a squeeze and smiled even bigger.
The justice spoke, interrupting their little moment, but only to let them know everything was official. âBy the power vested in me by the state of Oregon, I now pronounce you...married!â He smiled at them, nodding his approval. âYou may now kiss your bride.â Santana wasted no time in pulling Dani close, wrapping her arms around her and sealing the moment with a passionate kiss.
Dani wondered what had taken Santana so long to respond, and to be honest, she had started feeling a bit anxious. It wasnât technically too late to turn back, but Dani hoped that wasnât what this was. She would have been absolutely heartbroken, especially if they made it this far only for Santana to decide she wasnât ready after all. Thankfully, Santana came to and put Daniâs fears to rest by sliding her wedding ring onto her finger. Relief and happiness washed over her and she grinned right back at Santana, feeling like her face might break when the justice pronounced them officially married, quickly followed by a smattering of applause from their two witnesses.
She returned Santanaâs passionate kiss without hesitation, although with some difficulty breathing; in Santanaâs excitement, she was squeezing just a little too hard for Daniâs fragile human body. Rebekah seemed to catch on and reached up to give Santanaâs shoulder a rough squeeze until her grip relaxed. Dani gave the older vampire a grateful smile when she pulled away from the kiss, reaching out to cup Santanaâs face in her hands. âWe did it,â she whispered.
Until she felt Rebekahâs hand squeezing her shoulder like that, Santana hadnât realized how tightly she was hugging Dani. She relaxed her grasp and kissed her until they broke and she looked down into those beautiful brown eyes. âWe did it.â She echoed, almost in disbelief. Theyâd really done it. They were officially married. Santana couldnât believe it and if she was completely honest, sheâd never been this happy in her whole life (or unlife, whichever). It was amazing and even though her family hadnât been here and they hadnât actually had a wedding, it had been absolutely perfect. âI love you.â Santana whispered, capturing Daniâs lips in one more kiss, she just couldnât resist.
Before Dani could respond, she was being kissed again, and she was falling into it. She was so ecstatic right now, she couldnât even properly express it. While a small part of her wished her parents had been here to witness it, the hope faded away quickly. Even if they had been back in their own world, she and her parents were estranged -- had been for a long time. It wouldnât have happened there, so it really wasnât too hurtful that it hadnât happened here either. And honestly, it was the last thing she wanted to focus on.
After a few moments, they were broken apart by the sound of Rebekah clearing her throat. âMight I suggest the two of you get a room?â she said in a sugary sweet voice, a playful smirk on her lips. âCongratulations and all that, but Iâm sure this man has others waiting in line. Come on then.â
Santana laughed as Rebekah teased them, she wasnât embarrassed in the least. She just got married, she was happy, she didnât see the issue. But, her sire was right, there were others waiting to do what theyâd just done and it wasnât fair to hold them up. Besides, Santana had plans to do just what Rebekah had suggested and get a room. Sheâd reserved one at the RiverPlace Hotel for their âhoneymoonâ, since they really couldnât leave the city except for that 24 hours and maybe theyâd do that later, but this was perfect for now. âCome on, we should go.â She whispered, stealing one last kiss before taking her wifeâs hand and starting for the door. Once they were back out in the hallway, she turned to Rebekah and Emily. âThanks for doing this for us. It means a lot. And no offense, but weâre totally ditching you now, weâve got a honeymoon suite waiting for us and what Iâve got planned definitely doesnât include witnesses.â She smirked, shrugging.
Emilyâs face flushed red and she let out a nervous laugh. âYou two have fun.â She leaned in and gave Dani a hug. âIâll talk to you soon. Congratulations again.â She smiled, pulling back and echoing the sentiment to Santana as well, waiting for Rebekah to say her goodbyes so she could give her a ride home, as sheâd offered.
Rebekah reached out to Santana, giving her a brief hug. She wasnât really the hugging type, ordinarily, but tonight was a special occasion. âCongratulations, love. Donât break anything, alright?â She smirked, offering Dani a congratulations as well before waving them off and leading Emily down to her car.
Santana turned to Dani once their guests left, still smiling (she wasnât sure sheâd ever stop at this point). âOkay, now letâs get the hell out of here.â She started pulling her along to the exit and their car. No one ever said Santana Lopez was patient, especially given the circumstances. There was a celebration in order and she wanted to get right into the celebrating. Hey, it was a big day, she was excited and happy, get over it.