Title: A Wish Your Heart Makes

Author: Kurtcedes

Rating: G

Word Count: 845

Summary: Mercedes' subconscious has a point to make.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Kurtcedes. Kurtcedes is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Mercedes Jones felt like she was on top of the world. The flashing of the light bulb and cheering of the crowd was icing on the cake as far as she was concerned. The real prize of the day was the hand tightly clasped in her right.

Love was hers forever. She had spent a good proportion of her life thinking that romantic love was something other people got. The chocolate-skinned girl had never been men's first choice; she wasn't blonde or skinny. She was her own woman and that scared some men. As it happens, though, those men mattered not.

Love had been in her life since sophomore year of high school. Theirs was a quiet love, one that had snuck upon them without a word and never released them. That quietness made it hard to notice. Both of them had been so conditioned by life to look for the obvious loud loves like Finn and Rachel's romance. The quarterback and future star were defiantly made for each other, but theirs was not a smooth course.

Mercedes could just slightly make the forms of their friends out from behind the glare of the sunlight. Finn stood next to Rachel who held the hand of a three-year-old little girl in the prettiest little dress Mercedes had ever seen. She remembered the day Shelby Hudson was born with such clarity that one would think Mercedes was more than the young girl's surrogate aunt.

Santana, Quinn and Brittany were easier to see as all three of them stood off to Mercedes' side. The three girls had become invaluable friends to her as days melted into years. Glee club may have only lasted three short years, but it had changed all of their lives. Brittany looked confusedly down at the crowd. Santana loosely held the blonde's hand between them. Their identical wedding rings resting against each other. Their wedding day had been a happy one with every member of Glee there to support them.

Mr. Schuster, Puck and Artie were adjacent to her best girl friends. Mr. Schuster looked so much the role of the proud poppa in his tux Mercedes was glad that she had asked him to walk her down the aisle before he joined his fellow groomsmen at the altar. Her own father had passed away when she was only two-years-old and Mr. Shuster had been the closet thing she, and most of the Glee kids, had to a real father figure. Artie was fiddling with his own gold ring. Tears sprang to Mercedes' eyes. Happy day, though this was, there was no forgetting the sadness that plagued them all.

"I wish Tina were here."

"I'm sure she is, baby."

She hoped with all her might that Tina was. Tina had been the first to congratulate them when they finally announced their relationship to the group. Hell, Tina had been their biggest supporter. She'd even gone so far as to run a campaign to make them homecoming royalty despite the fact most of the school had no idea who they were. When they'd lost Tina, it felt like an irreplaceable hole had been ripped through them all. Together they mourned and started living again, but Artie…Artie had it so much worse. He'd lost half of himself the day that plane fell from the sky. He would never again be the Artie they had known in high school, but he was doing his best and that was all anyone could ask of him.

Mercedes did not want imagine what Artie was going through. Just the thought of losing…no she couldn't. As if sensing her sad train of thought her new husband said, "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

"How did you…?"

"You're crushing my hand." Oh. She relaxed her grip to a normal amount. Today was a day for happiness, their day, and sad thoughts of possible futures had no place in it. She turned her head to look at him fully.

"I love you."

"I love you more."

Mercedes smiled at the routine. Even years after glee club and college drama clubs, they were still performing rituals and following steps. There was a certain comfort to it…a comfort that both of them required to feel balanced in this crazy world. "That's not possible, white boy."

Kurt grinned and tugged her hand eagerly spurred forward by the lack of picture taking. Everyone started opening their white crushed bags. "Come on, 'Cedes. If I am not mistaking we are scheduled for a honeymoon in Paris pretty soon." Her smile was bright as they ran toward the white limousine waiting for them as bird seed rained down upon them.

Mercedes opened her eyes and groaned; yet another dream about her and Kurt. Her subconscious could not keep this up; she'd go insane. Her alarm clock popped on a moment later the radio blasting through its scratchy speakers. She rolled her eyes as she pulled herself up.

"Don't let your heart be filled with sorrow; For all you know tomorrow; The dream that you wish will come true"