I don't even know, you guys. It's sappy and gooey and cheesy and fairly unrealistic and I hope it makes sense. I hope ya'll like it. Please let me know what you think!

The wild celebration in the vestibule following the ceremony was as chaotic as any time New Directions had won a competition and, in Mercedes' mind, just as sweet. She and Sam had a brief moment alone where they looked at each with identical 'holy crap, we just got married' expressions on their faces and then the rest of the wedding party was coming through the door, swooping upon them, followed by their parents and the rest of their friends and everyone else. When she tried to remember those moments later, all she could recall was a lot of cheering and whooping and smiles and tears and then Quinn flipping into 'professional' mode and moving the guests along and out the door to follow the path over to the clubhouse.

Quinn and her assistants were efficient and in no time only the wedding party and parents remained so that pictures could be taken – bride and groom, full wedding party, both families. It was an exhausting process, but they'd hired an excellent photographer, and for Mercedes, one of the sweetest moments of the day came when the Evans family was being arranged for their shots.

Stacey glanced up at Mercedes as the photographer was working to get Sam, Stevie and Dwight in just the right spots.

"It's nice to have another girl around," she said quietly. "I always wished I had a sister, instead of two annoying brothers."

Mercedes smiled at the younger girl. Stacey reminded her of herself, just a little, at that age. "I kinda always wanted a sister too," she replied. "So marrying your brother is kind of a double-bonus – I'm getting an amazing husband and an amazing sister."

Stacey smiled and impulsively leaned over to give her new sister-in-law a hug. Before she could say anything else, the photographer called for their attention and picture snapping began again.

Finally, they were released to walk over to the clubhouse and have their official introductions and Sam and Mercedes' first dance (to 'From Here to the Moon and Back,' by Dolly Parton and Kris Kristofferson, from the movie Joyful Noise, which had come out the winter of their senior year. They'd seen it together on one of their first dates after finally getting back together and Mercedes had been struck by the simple beauty of the song. It hadn't taken much to convince her Tennessee-boy fiancé to agree to use it at their wedding.)

Then, finally, finally they were allowed to sit down. The tables were only supposed to seat ten people, twelve if they sat close, but somehow all fourteen New Directions alumni who were present were crammed around one table, laughing, teasing and generally acting like they were all sixteen again.

"Well, Mercedes," Rachel began to speak and was promptly and predictably greeted with totally un-serious groans and eye rolls. She resolutely ignored them and continued, "As the former co-captain of this team, I think I speak for all of us when I say that you look absolutely lovely tonight."

Santana nodded. "Okay, yes. That I can agree with. You do look hot, Mrs. Trouty."

Sam rolled his eyes at the dredging up of the old nickname while Mercedes just laughed. "Thank you both," she said happily. "Although, personally, I think we should acknowledge the handsomeness of my groom as well."

Mike shook his head. "Nah, nobody cares what the groom looks like. It's all about you girls. I remember thinking I was invisible on our wedding day," he joked.

Tina swatted her husband's arm. "Yeah, until we got out on the dance floor and you stole the show completely." Her expression and tone made it clear she was only teasing.

Mike grinned and leaned over to kiss her as Sam said, "Seriously, guys – thank you all so much for being here. It really means a lot to us."

"Of course we're here," Rachel declared. "I know it's silly and cliché – but this group, this club? We really are the family we always said we were. We might not see each other much and maybe we're a little dysfunctional, but every family is dysfunctional in their own way. We might make each other crazy sometimes, but that's what family's about, right?"

There were nods and 'yeses' from around the table and Quinn held up her glass. "To our crazy, messed-up – amazing family. And to Sam and Mercedes!"

The others echoed the toast and clinked glasses before falling into several conversations around the table.

Rachel looked across Mercedes at Sam and said, "You know, it actually just occurred to me – you really ought to be thanking me specifically."

Finn looked confused and Kurt asked, with a patented 'what now Rachel' look on his face, "Why, pray tell, should he thank you especially?"

"Because," Rachel replied, as though it were obvious, "If it weren't for me coming up with our prom on a budget idea, Sam and Mercedes wouldn't have gone to the prom together and they might never have started dating and then we wouldn't even be here today. Actually," Rachel continued, looking suddenly horrified, "if they hadn't started secretly dating, Sam might not have had the motivation to come back to McKinley and we would have never made it past Sectionals."

Sam, Mercedes, Kurt and Finn sat silently for a moment, before seeming to collectively shrug off Rachel's comments.

Mercedes shook her head. "I don't know if the rest of it is all that dire, but I have to admit that you're right." She looked over at Sam and smiled. "Without going to the prom together, I might not have ever realized how amazing you are and well, if I have Rachel to thank for it, then so be it," she concluded, the smile she shot at Rachel clearly conveying that she was truly grateful for that long-ago prom plan.

Rachel beamed back at her and then her attention was caught by the couple approaching the table. "Mr. Schue! And Ms. Pillsbury – I mean, Mrs. Schue!"

Emma waved off her words. "Either's fine," she said with a smile. "We just wanted to come over and say hello while you were all together."

There were hellos and waves from the others at the table as Mercedes and Sam both stood up to hug their former teachers.

"This place is beautiful," Emma said to Mercedes. "The little church, this room – and I love the pool outside! Of course," she added with a laugh, "I may be one of the only people in the world who has fond romantic memories of a swimming pool!" She smiled at Sam. "I know that was your idea – was it just as romantic when he proposed to you, Mercedes?"

Mercedes laughed, remembering the carefully causal way Sam had proposed the previous Christmas. "It wasn't quite as elaborate, but it was perfect," she replied, smiling at Sam.

"You just wait," Sam said mysteriously. "I might still have a big, grand gesture up my sleeve."

"What?" Mercedes said, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Sam shook his head. "Nothing."

"Uhm-hmm," Mercedes muttered, cut off from saying anything more by Mr. Schue's cheerful laugh.

"You guys," Mr. Schuester said happily as he looked at the group, "I can't tell you how good it is to see so many of you here together. We're only missing – Rory? And Sugar?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, plane tickets from Ireland cost a fortune. We talked to them on Skype the other day."

"Thank you both for coming," Mercedes said. "It means a lot – I know it's a long drive."

"We wouldn't have missed it," Emma assured her. "We've both had a lot of students come through McKinley both before and after you guys but – there was just something special about all of you."

Will nodded in agreement. "Exactly. And then of course, there's the fact that my parents never turn down a chance to spend a weekend with their grandchildren!"

They chatted for a few more minutes and Mercedes managed to snag the photographer to snap some pictures of the group and promised to send copies to everyone.

The laughter and conversations at the table continued until the DJ came on the microphone to introduce himself and get the dancing started.

"We're gonna have a great time here tonight, ladies and gentlemen!" he said enthusiastically as he cued up the first dance song. "When we were planning for tonight, the new Mr. and Mrs. Evans made it clear that they want this to be a rockin' party where everyone has fun. So get out on the dance floor and get down and come see me if you have any requests!"

Mike didn't waste any time pulling Tina to the dance floor, followed by several others, and Sam looked at Mercedes. "Dance or circulate?"

"I guess we better make the rounds and say hi to people for at least a few minutes first," Mercedes said, a little reluctantly.

Sam nodded and stood up, holding his hand out to her. As she took it and stood up also, she spotted Santana out of the corner of her eye. She was making a beeline to the DJ, purse in hand, and something about that made Mercedes nervous.

"Go ahead without me for a second – I need to go talk to Santana."

Sam looked confused, but shrugged and headed towards the table where his parents were sitting with several of their friends.

"Santana," Mercedes said, catching her arm. "What are you doing?"

Santana shrugged off her hand. "Going to request a song, what did you think?"

"And you're taking your purse?"

Santana shrugged. "Didn't realize I was carrying it."

Mercedes narrowed her eyes. "Really? So you weren't going to slip the DJ a copy of a certain song you wrote, a long time ago, about my husband?"

Santana couldn't help grinning. "Aw, look at you all possessive and shit. My husband."

Mercedes fought back a grin of her own. "Don't change the subject."

Santana stared her down for a second before cracking. With a grin, she opened her purse to show Mercedes that it contained nothing but a lip gloss and her cell phone.

"Come on, Mercedes. I may still be a bitch, but I'm not cruel. I just knew that you'd think that I was gonna slip the DJ a copy of 'Trouty Mouth' and well, you know. It keeps life interesting when people get worked up."

Mercedes shook her head, laughing in spite of herself. "You're crazy, Santana Lopez."

"I know. And you all love me for it."

"Sometimes."

"Whatever," Santana shot back. "And now I'm going to go request what I was gonna request in the first place and you better get your ass out on the dance floor when he plays it, you got it?"

"Got it."

They parted ways then, meeting back up on the dance floor a little while later, along with Brittany, when the opening notes to 'Candyman,' their first TroubleTones performance, came blasting through the room. A cheer went up from the other glee kids and from that point, with the exception of some breaks for the obligatory 'Electric Slide' and 'Cupid Shuffle,' the reception playlist turned into 'New Directions' Greatest Hits.' From 'Don't Stop Believing" to 'We Found Love' and even 'Friday,' just about every song they'd ever performed was met with cheers, laughter and joyful dancing.

All the wonderful words in my head I've been thinking/you know I want to say 'em all just right

It was the perfect evening, the perfect celebration and it flew by far too quickly. The cake was cut, the bouquet and garter were tossed (caught by Stacey and Artie, respectively) and Kurt had even had just enough to drink that he busted out the 'Single Ladies' moves for just a moment when the song played for the bouquet toss.

Mercedes was truly startled when the DJ's voice came through the microphone.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I'm sad to say that it's time for the last dance. But I am happy to tell you that we've got a special request and dedication for this last song. Where's our groom at?"

Mercedes looked questioningly at Sam as he grinned at her and moved towards the DJ's table. "Is this your surprise?" she whispered. "I thought –"

He just kept grinning and took the microphone.

"Good evening, everyone. Mercedes and I just want to say thank you one more time – we're so glad you were all here to celebrate with us tonight. It is time for the last dance, but this is where a little surprise comes into play." He tilted his head in Mercedes' direction. "Mercedes thinks that our last dance was going to be to Tony Bennett's 'The Best is Yet to Come' – and while it's a great song, I think she's going to like what I've chosen even better."

Mercedes could not for the life of her fathom where he was going with this. Glancing around at their friends, she saw that most of them looked as confused as she felt. Rachel, of course, looked like she might cry again, but that was normal. Puck looked a little teary too, but that, however weirdly, was normal too. Artie and Lauren seemed to be having trouble keeping the grins off their faces – what in the world was going on?

Mercedes gave up trying to figure it out and looked back at Sam, who was still talking.

"So, a few months ago I was talking to our friend Artie, bouncing song ideas for the wedding off of him," Sam said, gesturing towards where Artie sat. "And I told him that what I'd really love to be able to play at our wedding - would love to have in general – is a recording of the first duet Mercedes and I ever sang together. And Artie said, I totally know where you can get one. He told me to get in touch with our friend Lauren –" he gestured toward her "- who ran the A/V club in high school. And believe it or not, she found it in her archives."

Sam wisely did not share that the archives Lauren had were a result of the bugs she had placed all. over. the school. and then listened to and kept what she thought might be useful one day.

"So," Sam said, looking straight at his wife and trying not smile too big at the dawning understanding on her face, "for the last dance at our wedding, here is the first duet we ever sang together. It was amazing – but I do believe that the best is yet to come – and I'm so grateful, honored and happy to be able to call you my duet partner for life. I love you, 'Cedes."

Watch my words draw sweet tears from your eyes

Mercedes wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye and mouthed back "I love you too."

Handing the microphone back to the DJ, Sam walked back across the dance floor to where Mercedes stood. As he did, the DJ cued up the song and the tears welling up in her eyes spilled over as she heard the opening notes of 'Human Nature' on the acoustic guitar and then her own voice.

"Oh my God, Sam," she whispered as he pulled her close to him and they began moving slowly around the dance floor, their friends and families watching and smiling. "I can't believe – how did Lauren even have this?"

Sam grinned. "I think it's probably better if we don't know the details."

Mercedes giggled. "Yeah, you're probably right. I just – wow."

Sam nodded. "I know. Pretty amazing, huh?"

Mercedes tipped her head back and smiled at him. "You're pretty amazing."

"You are."

"Okay, we're pretty amazing." Mercedes smiled dreamily and then laughed. "Can I say it now? Can I?"

Sam look puzzled for a minute and then grinned. "Go for it."

"Best. Wedding. Ever."