A/N: So I honestly had no intentions of posting any new stories on for quite some time, at least not until the other stories were finished however... Between three emails, two text messages and an AIM conversation, here it is. So now you-know-who's, ya'all can leave me ALONE! The story is technically finished, I've just been posting it up over on Disenchanted slowly cos I'm mean like that. :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Sine, and at least half the plot. Props to Jaden (musicchiller20) and Ripper for the assists on this. I also do not own the song Not Strong Enough by Apocalyptica, which a lot of this story is sort of based off of.

Summary: Sine Reneire is a world-renown fashion designer with a specialty in one-of-a-kind bridal gowns. When her new next door neighbor commissions a... unique... wedding dress from her, she winds up involved in something she doesn't understand. What starts out as a simple job soon turns into her own personal blend of Heaven and Hell and will last forever. Featuring: The Undertaker, Triple H and others in small roles.

1: Neighbors

He rented a house next door to her. At first, Sine was curious about her new neighbor. At least until he started bringing strange men home with him, then her curiosity waned. She lived by herself –well, she had her cat- and had always felt safe in this neighborhood. Even with the strange man and his… guests, which were fortunately few and far between, though they were usually just as strange looking as he was. The times she usually felt safe was when he wasn't home, though she always attributed it to the fact that he was new and she was nervous over having him living right next to her.

Tonight was one of the nights he had come home, alone from what Mrs. Meade across the street had said. Sine smiled, remembering the elderly woman's gossiping tongue. Taller than a flagpole and wearing all black! I tell you, he's up to no good! Of course, Mrs. Meade thought that about all people she didn't know, it was just her way.

Humming, Sine finished putting away her last paper sack of groceries before folding the sack and bending to store it in the cupboards beneath her kitchen sink. Standing upright, she glanced out the small windows right in front of her and froze, a frown marring her usually smiling mouth.

Her new neighbor was standing outside, bare from the waist up, staring down at the ground with an exasperated look on his face. She could see the visible snarl on his face, knowing she should look away but didn't. This was her first really good look at him and yet he was still far enough away that she couldn't make out his facial features all that well.

He was definitely 'tall as a flagpole', but she had known that the very first time she had lain eyes on him. His hair was jet black and it looked like it was pulled back from his face, she had no idea how long it was but it was longer than most men that she knew. He was pale, and without the shirt, she could see he was… well built, especially in his arms. His arms… they were covered in what she determined to be tattoos, from wrist to shoulder, and there was another tattoo splayed across his abdomen, lettering.

When he bent down only to stand up with a shovel, Sine decided she was done with spying and backed away from the window.

~!~

After a hot bath and a glass or two of wine, Sine had nearly forgotten about seeing her neighbor. She was just preparing to finish her night off with some television when she heard her cat –who the little girl she had gotten him off of had named Midnight, very original- clawing at the kitchen door. Sighing, she pushed herself up off the couch and reluctantly padded her way through the living room and into the kitchen, eyes narrowing at the door.

"Midnight…" She groaned when he merely looked up at her and then took off across the yard, reaching down to tighten the belt of her white silk robe before stepping outside as well, her feet arching at the feel of the cool grass against her soles. "I'm not in the mood to play, come on. Here kitty, kitty." She coaxed, more than annoyed when Midnight scampered away, purring.

~!~

"Persephone…" His deep baritone seemed to be overly loud in the quietness of dusk, though it didn't startle him as he once again called for her cat. A pure white, long haired feline who had been a gift from his manager, Paul, a 'house-warming' gift she had been meant as. He snorted at that, having a house in Texas as well as now here… though this house was temporary, it was being used for… business purposes.

His thoughts were distracted from Persephone by a woman, a rather beautiful woman, in the backyard next door to him. His new neighbor was also apparently calling an animal and that caused him a moment's irritation when he seen a black cat darting across her yard and up a tree, spotting Persephone perched up in a branch. So that was the reason why he was chasing her, she had found the local tom. "Persephone…"

Approaching the fence that separated their yards, he folded his arms over his chest and simply watched as she halted at the trunk of the tree, tugging on her dark brown –it reminded him of chocolate- hair in obvious frustration.

"Vilain chat!" She cursed, reaching up to grab the lowest limb of the tree and began climbing after the tom.

He couldn't help but tilt his head, watching her progress, his acid green eyes grazing over her pale limbs appreciatively. He had also noted a hint of an accent to her voice, French if he had to make a guess. When she had settled herself on a branch, he stepped up to the fence, holding onto it with both hands and arched an eyebrow. She was now dangling her legs, her back to him, and holding out her hand to both cats.

"So this is what you've been after." She cooed, drawing Persephone to her when his feline finally graced the woman with her attention. "My but you are a beautiful darling. Shame for you, pretty one, that Midnight it fixed, or… perhaps not a shame, perhaps you do not want little kittens, eh?"

She was talking to his cat… he rolled his eyes.

"Where'd you come from, darling? Hmm?"

"She's mine." He announced, hiding a smirk when she nearly toppled from her perch and stepped over the fence, carefully, and actually darted, something he didn't usually do, over to catch her fall when she lost her already tentative balance.

"Merde!" She shrieked, staring up at him out of wide gray eyes, looking half scared out of her mind.

"Are you alright?" He demanded, setting her down on her feet before looking up at the cats, shaking his head when he seen them busy nuzzling each other. When he returned his attention to the woman, he found her teetering backwards and shook his head, hiding his amusement. "I'm not going to hurt you, lady."

"I'm fine." She said after a moment, having seemingly recovered herself and turned her gaze up to the cats. "Thank you, for catching me." She added as an afterthought, wrapping her arms around herself before facing him again. She was obviously trying not to stare at him, or look directly at his chest, which was where she was about eye level with. He could literally see the familiar words flickering across her face: freak, giant, scary.

Just to mess with her, he reached up and stroked his long black goatee, watching as her eyes darted up to take the gesture in. "Not a problem." He replied, automatically catching Persephone when she launched herself at him, feeling her wrapping around his neck. "That's my girl." He rumbled darkly, glancing back down at the woman, nodding at her. "Have a good evening."

He left her standing there.

~!~

"P-please, let me go…"

"What the hell are you doing up?" 'Taker demanded after coming back inside and checking to make sure doors and windows were locked, which they were. He had started for the basement only to find his soon-to-be-bride standing there, looking almost as pale as his neighbor. Frowning, he walked towards her, feeling Persephone scrambling down his back.

"Please, let me go! Please!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he walked over to the black liquor cabinet, reaching past his fifth of whiskey; he pulled out a bottle of ether and a cloth.

Her blue eyes followed him, mouth opening in a soundless scream.

Smiling humorlessly, he soaked the cloth and returned the bottle to its place, then approached her. "You belong to me." He informed her, catching her by the back of the neck and pulling her forward, pressing the soaked cloth over her mouth and nose.

After a few moments of struggle, she went limp against him.

~!~

Sine was sorting through her mail as she plodded up the sidewalk, grinning when she seen her paycheck had arrived a day early. How nice, especially since she had just shipped out a new costume. When she heard Mrs. Meade calling her, she ambled towards the older woman's house, the smile widening. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon to you, Sine, good news?" Mrs. Meade nodded her silver haired head towards the mail.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You're looking rather thin dear. You should come have supper with me tonight."

Frowning, Sine looked down at herself, pretty sure she wasn't too thin but exactly where she needed to be. Plastering her smile back on her face, she simply shrugged. "Thank you, Mrs. Meade, but I have work I simply must get done." She knew the woman was lonely since her husband had died, but she simply couldn't stand the nitpicking or the gossip.

"He's still home, isn't that odd?"

Sighing inwardly, she mentally kicked herself, feeling like she had jinxed herself by simply thinking the word gossip. She knew who 'he' was. The 'devil' Mrs. Meade cheerfully despised. "I suppose so."

"Look, there he is."

Sine did not turn around.

"And he has a young woman with him." Mrs. Meade sniffed. "I bet you anything they're not married."

Now just a bit curious, she turned enough to see, arching an eyebrow at the sight of a woman who had to be younger than she was by at least three to five years. The man had his arm wrapped around her, both of them wearing black. She kept watching as he helped the woman onto the motorcycle he seemed to like driving, finally turning her attention back to Mrs. Meade.

"They are not married." The elderly woman repeated, shaking her head. "What a shame, what a shame."

"I've really got to go, Mrs. Meade." Sine was not going to stand there and discuss morality and why people were no longer wedding before living together with anyone. "I've got to get to the bank before it closes."

"Oh, of course."

Flashing a quick smile, Sine darted across the street, heading straight into her house. She liked the woman, honestly, but she just couldn't stand being around her for very long. So maybe she didn't like Mrs. Meade that much, she was simply too polite to be rude to the woman.

She quickly changed out of her sweat pants and tank top into a cream colored tank dress and sandals, not bothering to do anything with her hair besides run her fingers through it. Minutes later, she was backing out of the driveway in her pick-up truck, trying not to think about her strange neighbor, or was it neighbors.

She had to stop reading mystery novels; they were no good for her.

~!~

Wendy Brenner, the owner of the only bridal boutique in town, was feeling a bit miffed. A freakishly large man and a small brunette had come in to look at her gowns only for him to basically scoff at the selection. She didn't understand it. They were all the latest styles and so far, she hadn't heard one complaint from any bride.

"Nothing here is suitable." He announced, even after browsing her catalogs.

Wendy looked suspiciously at the 'bride', her frown turning into a whimper when he dropped the stack of catalogs right in front of her on the counter. "Well…" She said slowly, swallowing down a lump. "I have a dressmaker who works freelance for me on occasion. If you have something special in mind," She glanced at the bride again; hiding another frown at the young woman's terrified expression and cleared her throat. "Then I could give you her number." She bent down to retrieve a binder from one of the open cupboards, holding it out cautiously to him. "This is a portfolio of her work, it's very exquisite."

She watched as he thumbed through the pages, holding her breath, wondering if he would find these designs unacceptable. There was simply no way… this was the best… Wendy smiled when he nodded. "Yes?"

"Yes."

"Here." She handed him a business card. "Her hours are listed on the back."

He flipped the card over before looking at front again, reading the name printed in bold: Reneire.