To Have And To Hold

Author's Note: Yeah, yeah. On My Way continuation fic, everyone's doing it. I've got a zombie story to update, and I'm a tryin' but this just jumped at me, so I had to strike while the mood hit. I'm not much for writing, but I can promise to try my best.

Finn struts into the holding area at the justice of the peace, flanked by the parental units of the Berry-Hudmel family, with a happy, but dopey grin on his face. Puck, Mike, Sam, Rory and Artie fall in line behind them as they pass Mr. Schue reclining on the gaudy lounge chair and its red vinyl upholstery.

Mercedes is the first to notice him. "Finn, out! You can't see the bride before the wedding."

"I... I've already seen her.'

"But that's bad luck," Tina nods beside her.

Rachel's head flicks from Finn, to Tina. She lifts her hand to signal it's okay. "That's fine."

A worried look crosses Finn's face. He takes a small breath before waiting again. "Rachel, we gotta go right now or we're gonna lose our slot."

"Can we please just wait a couple more minutes for Quinn, please," Rachel clasps her hands together, slowly releasing them as she pleads with Finn. She'd be damned if she got married and Quinn wasn't by her side.

"It's now or never."

The little songstress toys with her fingers as she contemplates her next moves. Kurt is sitting atop the sofa behind her, with a bored, Brittany-esque look on his face. He shot a look to Burt and Hiram as they whispered to one another, and then again to Leroy as he joined in on the conversation. Hopefully, they're plotting out a better idea than the ill-conceived reverse psychology plan; maybe a heart attack, or a seizure, to grab everyone's attention..

It's surprising, to Finn Hudson most of all, when Rachel turns her back to her soon-to-be husband, and picks up her iPhone. She re-reads Quinn's last message before quickly typing out one of her own.

WHERE ARE YOU?

Before turning back to her dearly beloved, Rachel hands her phone over to Santana, who promptly stuff it into her cleavage next to a similar white iPhone 4S. A tiny smile crept itself to Rachel's lips as she wondered just how much room there was in between Santana's enlarged bosom. Dr. Rosenthal certainly did excellent work.

. . . . . . .

Bzzt!

It must have been the seventh time they'd heard the phones buzzing against Santana's chest in the short five minutes of the ceremony. The Justice of the Peace did not look amused, and neither did Finn. The boy was trying to smile, for his bride and his guests, but grew increasingly agitated with each call either Santana's phone or Rachel's phone received. His ring weighed heavily on his finger, as he awaited the last few moments of the wedding.

Actually, the last one may have been Brittany's.

"Do you, Rachel Berry, take Finn Hudson, as your lawfully wedded husband from this day forward, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

"I..." Rachel's turned hesitantly towards the small gathering of friends and family, to the decidedly not happy faces of her own fathers, Burt or Carol. She knows now that they really did not support the decision to get married. Perhaps Quinn was right all along. Eighteen and still in high school wasn't always too young to be married, but Rachel realized she and Finn were much more immature than they'd deluded themselves to be. Where would they live once married? How could they afford to be in New York when Finn had virtually no prospects in the world except for working at Hummel Tires & Lube?

A squawk from the audience breaks Rachel from her reverie. Out of everyone gathered, it seems Sue Sylvester was the only one brash, or maybe uncaring, enough to have answered their phone during the wedding ceremony. Funnily, Rachel thought it would have been Santana. Sue raises a hand in apology.

"I'm - I'm sorry, your honor. I didn't mean to interrupt." Sue waves for the Justice of the Peace to continue, but it's clear she hasn't ended the call with the voice on the other end of the line. Santana and Brittany's eyes shift as they both pay a little more attention to their cheerleading coach. Nothing really spooked her and, while she was prone to nasty, rage-filled outbursts, they were nothing like this. She almost sounded... worried.

But that was unlike Sue Sylvester.

The JP closed his eyes and let out a deep, long sigh. They were already 10 minutes behind schedule, and now these interruptions? It was like something out of a TV show. "Alright. The short, short version."

He turned to Finn, "Do you?"

"Yes!" Finn nodded furiously. He was even more enthusiastic the second time around, without stumbling over his wedding vows in front of everyone.

Once again, the JP turned to Rachel, his brow even more creased as he spoke. "Do you?"

And, once again, they were interrupted by a loud, strange noise coming from Sue's direction. This time it sounded like a phone clattering against the linoleum flooring, complete with a 6 foot free fall from beside Sue's ear.

"San..." Brittany quickly whispered to the girl beside her. The word was muffled as Brittany tried to keep her mouth from moving as much as possible, but Santana could hear her clearly enough.

"Coach! What the hell?" Ahh, yes. That Lopez charm. Santana almost regretted not questioning her more tactfully, once she saw the tears spilling from Sue's eyes. She would have sworn the only way they'd get a reaction from Sue Sylvester like that would be if her sister Jean died. But that'd already happened. Mr. Schue tried to lay a comforting hand against Sue's shoulder, but it was quickly brushed off. "Coach, what's going on?"

Sue removed her spectacles, trying to wipe her eyes clear using her free hand as she approached the center of the group. "Q got into a car accident on the way here. That was Judy Fabray on the phone. Quinn's being airlifted to St. Rita's. She may not make it."

Cries of shock and sadness erupted within the little, enclosed room.

"Holy fucking shit!" Santana's cries drew everyone's attention, as she scrolled through the missed calls and text messages on both her and Rachel's phones. 'ON MY WAY'. That was the last message Rachel had received from Quinn. Then there were the missed calls: from Mrs. Fabray, the police, Mrs. Fabray again. Santana's own phone had a similar call log, but she was distracted as Rachel fell to her knees before her.

Finn bent down to look at her. Tears spilled down Rachel's cheeks, mascara dripping, pooling at her jaw as it ruined the rest of her makeup. It was the oddest sight. Rachel was crying, but no sounds made it past her lips, and he'd always known Rachel Berry to be a loud crier. Brittany and Santana knelt down beside Rachel as well, as they took in the girl's state of distress. Finn was the only one to speak though, "Rach, are you okay?"

The girl tried to blink through her tears as she frowned up at Finn. Of course she wasn't okay. Not a person in the world drops to the ground and balls their eyes out when they're okay. All she wanted was to have Quinn by her side on her wedding day, and it may never happen.

Or maybe it just wouldn't happen the way she thought.

"Hosp-" Rachel gulped, trying to get out the words, "Hospital."

"Wait, what? You haven't even said I do!" A frown comes over Finn's face; brows furrow, lips scrunch together... in truth, it looks like he's angry and constipated. Angrily constipated. "It'll just take a sec."

"I don't care! I need... I have to see her." The Berry men looked to one another excitedly. Through the rather unfortunate life-threatening car crash, they'd found the wedding that plagued their nightmares may not finish, as well as the exciting prospect that Hiram and Leroy's little girl may be leaving her fiance at the altar because of another woman.

"You don't mean that. I told you Rach, it's now or never." It paused the brunette as she tried to get back on her feet.

The decision was made as Rachel tried to crawl towards the door. "Then it's never."

"Britt-Britt."

Rachel was stopped by the soft, gentle hand of Brittany S. Pierce against her should. Turning towards the ditzy blonde, Santana gave Rachel a small shove and rolled her into Brittany's waiting arms. A muted "eep" was possibly uttered as Rachel found herself into the dancer's grasp. She was surprised at how deceptively strong the girl was, since Brittany quickly stood and practically jogged out the door, carrying Rachel bridal style fittingly enough.

With Santana at their heels, Brittany stopped in front of two matching BMW 335is convertibles - one silver metallic, the other a bright crimson red. Rachel sniffles as her attention is caught by the movement of the retractable hardtop of the red BMW folding in on itself. She quickly figures them to be Brittany and Santana's vehicles. She'd never seen them before, let alone ridden in either one.

"I'll drive," is all Rachel can hear before she's unceremoniously dumped into the passenger's seat. Brittany easily vaults over the door and into the back seat. Before they can buckle their seatbelts, the tires are squealing against the asphalt as the trio head towards St. Rita's Medical Center. The rest of the Glee kids aren't far behind as they pile into Kurt's Navigator, Puck's pick-up truck, and Sue's Renault Le Car. "I better be right about you two."

"What?" Rachel head snaps towards their driver. Santana only mutters, and even Rachel's well trained ears can't make out what she says over the air whipping around their heads.

Brittany leans over her shoulder, with a big grin on her face. "She said there's an ice cream sale at Bloomingdale's!"

Rachel smiles. She's almost positive that is not what Santana said.

Burt and Carol flank Finn as he runs through the lobby of the courthouse, screaming as he struggles to pull the clip-on bow tie from his neck. "Rachel! Racheeeel."

"It's no use pal, she can't hear you." Burt lays a calming hand on Finn's shoulder, but it quickly falls as Finn steams forward.

Carol takes a few steps back, in order to steer clear of Finns's angry, oafish steps. A strangled cry escapes his throat, as he begins to pace the room, fists clenched tightly against his sides. In his anger, he turns and kicks at a chair, knocking down a lamp as it hits as small table on the way down.

The Justice of the Peace frowns at Finn, as Carol bends down to straighten her son's mess.

Who the fuck is this kid?