Pairings: Natsume x Mikan & Ruka x Hotaru and other surprise pairings ;)

Timeline: AU

Genre's: Romance/Drama/Humour

Warnings: None other than mild cursing and the occasional possible F-bomb

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice…

Authors Note: As you can see, the beginning intro here has changed a bit. As well, I'm sorry for not updating in forever and here's chapter two!

{X.o.X}

~Chapter Two~

~Planning; Stage One~

Mikan cheerfully arranged the vase of flowers before her, grinning like a moron. Akako sat at the island, tapping his finger on the smooth pink tinted marble. Despite having a fully staffed arsenal of maids, sometimes Mikan just felt like organizing herself.

"So Akako, your father's going to pick you up in a few days, okay?" Mikan tells him, plucking a loose leaf off her flowers. She notes his disinterest with mild dissatisfaction.

This was the most down she'd seen her son ever during a spring break. He had done nothing besides bicker with Ryuu and play video games. Although this seemed to be the usual trait for a fourteen year old boy, she'd hoped he'd be outside doing something.

"Fine," He agrees, sliding off the stool to grab himself a water bottle.

Mikan purses her lips, and wishes Natsume were here to help her with the situation of an angsty teen. But in pursuit of a good relationship with his son—even though he denied it—took Ryuu paintballing that afternoon and wouldn't be back until sun down.

"We can play some video games if you'd like," Mikan suggests, her attempt failing miserably. Akako just sipped his water, eyeing his mother with tedium.

Mikan felt the cheer sucked from her the longer Akako stared. Finally, his lips twitched into a smile as he capped his water.

"How are your wedding plans coming along?"

Oh my god, oh my god, he wasn't happy—wait, what? Mikan's shock couldn't be contained. Akako was willingly asking about her wedding? From what she'd seen, he wasn't too happy about the whole thing.

"O—okay," She stammers, "I have a folder going with some ideas, this week Natsume and I bought a whole bunch of bridal magazines. We're thinking about different wedding planners to get. I talked to Natsume about the budget and it's still undecided, but I'm having the girls over for dinner tonight to see if they want to be in my bridal party…" Mikan trailed off, blushing. She hadn't meant to ramble to her son about things she knew he honestly was not interested in.

Surprisingly, he sat down once again at the island, patting the seat next to him. "Go get your magazines, maybe I can help?"

Mikan nods, dazed, quickly retrieving her folder and magazines. She plops down next to him, leafing through an already heavily post-it note covered magazine.

"I was thinking about a theme, and Natsume and I decided to do a Christmas wedding. He thinks it's too clichéd but he gave in once I reminded him that we kissed the first time during Christmas." After noticing Akako's wrinkled nose, she apologized, "Sorry, no more of the lovey dovey stuff. Anyway, so then I thought 'Christmas' and 'Winter Wonderland' were too over played. So I thought, Sakura Blossoms! It was perfect. You know, we had a tendency to meet under… sorry!"

This discussion, of mostly Mikan's input, lasted nearly three hours. By the end of it, Akako was rubbing his forehead like he had a major headache and sighed.

"Mom, I think I'll have dinner in my room. I'll pass on the whole 'girl' talk evening." He stretched, inching towards the arch way to escape.

Mikan laughs, "Alright, I'll have Jeremy send up your meal, okay?" Jeremy was Akako's personal butler. He nods and leaves.

This day was not going as she planned. She'd hoped to have done something far more productive with Akako then just sitting and discussing wedding plans he had no interest for. It was better than nothing though.

An hour or so later, half way through Mikan's dinner date with her girls, Natsume and Ryuu returned home.

The 'girls' consisted of Hotaru, Sumire, Anna, and Nonoko, sitting around the dining table, spooning forkfuls of pasta into their mouths. Jeremy had already returned Akako's clean plate and left to attend to his young master.

Mikan jumped up, aiming to greet her fiancée and future step-son. "Natsume! How was paint balling?"

Natsume smirked deliciously, bonking Ryuu on the head. "I kicked his ass." Ryuu grumbled something under his breath angrily and shot daggers at the floor.

"Natsume! You should have gone easy on him!" Mikan chastised, crossing her arms in mock rage.

Amusement twinkled in his ruby eyes, "If I had, he'd be bitching."

"Shut up!" Ryuu exploded. "Stop using me as the butt end of your jokes!" The fourteen year old stormed upstairs, slamming the door behind him. Mikan winced.

"Hyuuga," Hotaru drawls, sipping her wine, "your son needs to learn some manors. Dare I say you've failed as a father?"

Natsume snarls, "If you were not dating my best friend Imai, so help me…" He let his threat hang in the air.

Mikan stepped between the feuding two, "Okay okay, Natsume, you interrupted our dinner." He rolled his eyes. "And Hotaru, don't go picking fights." Hotaru pointed at her menacingly.

"Don't make me get my baka gun." Natsume shook his head and kissed Mikan quickly.

"I'll leave you ladies alone." He said ladies with an obvious disdain, and he retired to his study.

Mikan returns to her seat, "Anyways, like I was saying, would you guys be in my bridal party?"

Anna nodded enthusiastically, "I'd love to Mikan! Just as long as you let me make chocolate for the reception!" Mikan agreed, considering she adored Anna's homemade chocolates. They were scrumptious.

Sumire crossed her arms, "Why would I want to?"

"Permy! I know you're dying to be a part of it!" Mikan exclaims, grinning.

"You're all over the media, why would I want to be a part of that?" Sumire says, entertained. Mikan knew her friend all too well, knowing the green haired woman would do everything in her power to be in the wedding.

Nonoko didn't even bother speaking, knowing she didn't have too. Of course she'd be in Mikan's bridal party.

"If I do this, you owe me," Hotaru tells the exuberant auburn haired woman.

"How much?" Mikan asks, having finally learned to never disagree with Hotaru.

A vicious grin crossed her lips, "I'll send you the bill later." Mikan felt a tremor go up her spine.

"A—anyways, thanks! So um… how are things?" Mikan changed the subject, addressing her friends. Anna explained in great detail how well her sweets shop was coming along, with the unyielding help of Kitsuneme, her boyfriend of three years. They had liked each other for a long time, but it took Kitsuneme a long time to work up the courage to ask her out. Sumire ranted about how angry she was at Koko for spending their money on a puppy. Koko and Sumire had supposedly been happily married for years now, and this bump on the road wasn't anything new to the group. Nonoko had told the group about how Yuu had accidently knocked over an acid onto their kitchen table and were now investing in a new table… and tiling. They'd been married the longest of the whole group, steadily at twelve years.

And there was Hotaru… She said nothing of relevance, just that 'Nogi' was an asshole.

"What did he do?" Mikan asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"He forgot about our daughters play, far too preoccupied with his animals." Hotaru gestured for a butler to refill her wine glass.

"Ruka forgot about Minako? Impossible!" Anna gasps. Ruka absolutely doted on his daughter, it didn't seem right that he forgot about her play.

Hotaru shrugged, "It's not as awful when Kitsuneme told Nagisa she was horrible at baking and threw out her cookies." Nagisa was Anna and Kitsuneme's two year old daughter, an accident after their first time actually having sex. Of course you could imagine what that did to the little girl.

Anna flushed, "Fine, you win."

Sumire and Nonoko also had children. Sumire had a ten year old son named Shouta, and was a joker like his father. Nonoko's daughter was thirteen, named Mayu, and was the reason for her and Yuu's nuptials.

Mikan laughed, "Have any of you guys heard of Tashio Suki?"

{X.o.X}

Akako's eyebrows shot up to his hairline when Ryuu slammed the door to his bedroom. He quickly composed himself and beaned Ryuu in the forehead with his pencil.

"Get out of my room, idiot." Akako continued to read over his text book.

Ryuu glared, and slumped on Akako's bed. "So what did you find out?"

Akako repeated every detail Mikan spilled to him like a robot, finishing off by showing Ryuu what he was really studying. He'd swiped Mikan's wedding folder and her magazines.

"It mustn't have been that hard, your mother is such a scatterbrain." Ryuu rips open the folder and pages upon pages flittered out, each with post-it notes. "Do you have a paper shredder in here?"

"Why would I have a paper shredder in my bedroom?" Akako's voice is void of any emotion.

Ryuu shudders, "Jeez you're creepy." He tore the papers in halves. "This'll do."

"I didn't think it would be this easy to start ruining the wedding," Akako says, flipping out his cellphone.

"Who are you texting?" Ryuu demands, scooping the ripped up papers into his arms and dumped it into a box which he shoved under Akako's bed.

"No one. I set up a recording device in the kitchen and I'm just seeing what they're talking about." He pushed a serious of numbers and Mikan's voice came from the speakers.

Ryuu shakes his head, "They're such women. Stupid women, but women." They just chatted about nothing. "It's disgusting."

"The only 'woman' you know that isn't stupid is Minako, right?" Akako smirks, and receives a kick from the enraged red-eyed boy.

It wasn't until later that night that Mikan was destroying the mansion searching for her folder that both Ryuu and Akako crawled from their rooms.

"What are you doing?" Ryuu demands, watching with disdain as Mikan knocked over a priceless vase.

"I can't find my folder!" She cries, collapsing to her knees in a fit of tears. "It's not fair!"

Akako swallows thickly, attempting to smother the guilt he felt for causing his mother this turmoil. Ryuu pinches his arm, hard, which elicits a slap from Akako.

"You'll find it," Akako says quietly, patting Mikan's head.

Natsume was at the base of the stairs, half a scowl forming on his handsome face. "What in god's name are you doing?"

"Gee dear old pops, for once we're in agreement," Ryuu says snidely. Natsume ignores him, kneeling next to Mikan.

Akako steps back as Natsume mutters, "What happened?"

"I can't find the folder with our wedding plans," she chokes out.

Natsume kisses her temple, and an ugly snarl curls over Akako's lips. Ryuu mimics this expression. "We'll just start again. We weren't that far in the first place anyway. It's no big deal."

She nods, still looking crest-fallen. "Okay…"

Ryuu and Akako exchange disgusted, dissatisfied looks.

Plan one failed.

Sorry if it got boring at any point! Also, if you find ANY plot holes at ALL point them out in your review and I'll be sure to fix it! I hope you liked it. See you next time!

~Emerald~