Merry Christmas to one and all, Season's Greetings, and all that Jazz. As many of you will recive the notice this Christmas.
i just have a few things to say this time; again sorry for the delay, there's been a lot of stuff going on at school. i have been posting "updates" on my profile on the status of my stories, your all free to check it out. or go to my fourm which i am posting things that may be of intrest. you can post things that you think are of intrest to others.
another big thank you to Dilandau is my boyfriend for BETA reading this. gives big hug
petit-88-peter - slowly but surly it will
mic - yup, studies been keepin me busy, and i shall try to feature Van a bit more
darkangel - well welcome to the fanfic world, and your not the only one who wants longer chapters... i'm trying but they are what they are.
Drakan - don't worry i will continue this till i get to the end... when ever that will be
nlightnd - yes it was a neat twist, and there's more to come.
TheWinggoddess - yes still alive... if you ever think other wise, just give me a poke (P.M./email) and see if i twitch
Dilandau-is-My-Boyfriend - no of course i don't mind you reviewing as well as commenting. the more feedback i get the more i want to write!
serenityrain2233 - yup. i call it "the power of a credit card" and having connections helps too.
mysisterthinksimasquijum - thank you my dear sister, thank you
Macky - always
trekker4life - yes, that would be interseting...
AineSakuyaCat - sorry for the delay, but here it is... finaly...
TheEndlessSnow - well here's the next one
Please take note that this chapter is NOT in cornical order. It is like this for a reason.
Chapter 37: Wedding Bells
"Just how long have you had this planned?" Hitomi asked from the back seat of Kurisu's S2000 Honda Convertible. Kurisu was driving, and Maketu sat in the front passenger seat, leaving Hitomi to have to sit in the back…with the child locks on. Not because she was trying to escape, no, but because Kurisu was looking for a reason to use them ever since he got the car.
"Oh, not all that long... just about a year now." She could hear the smirk even though she couldn't see his face.
He was having way too much fun with this.
Kurisu turned to Van, "How does tonight sound?" "How?" Hitomi asked, knowing how long it took to plan her cousin's wedding, last spring. "Let us show you." Was all he said before he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder as the other three turned on Van and led him out of the building. Hitomi struggled against her captor in protest, as he handled her like a sack of potatoes.
That was the last she had seen of Van, and she likely wouldn't see him until the wedding.
At a red light Kurisu pulled out his cell phone, and pressed a button on his speed-dial. "Yukari, Yukari, Yukari. Tell me again how many years you've known Kanzaki?... And in that time did you not learn that she is terrible at lying?" Hitomi made a face at the back of the soap star's head. "May I inquire what it is that you are doing at this time?" there was a pause, "You've just met up with Amano for your date?...So nothing of real importance." He pulled the phone away from his ear as a very loud 'Hey!' was heard, "I need you to go to my designer, and pick up the 'Kongi dress'. Tell her that I sent you... Of course I'm not going to tell you what I'm up to; you're just going to have to wait for further instructions." And with that he flipped his cell closed, ending the conversation.
There was an awkward silence.
Hitomi was the one to break the tension in the small vehicle. "Well I guess you guys want an explanation."
It just wasn't fair. No matter where he went the formal wear sucked. Even on a different planet.
They had driven him around the city for what seamed like hours, and, well, it probably was; until the driver got a phone call, which was very one-sided. Then they ushered him into a store where they proceeded to dress him up in the different styles that would be 'acceptable' for a grom to wear at his wedding.
"Well? Let's see." Kurisu asked from the other side of the changing room curtain. Apparently, the dramatic actor, and Maketu had left Hitomi "In the most capable hands the city could offer" and had met Van and his captors at this store. "Are you coming out or not?"
Van sighed, and wondered what he had gotten himself into.
"He doesn't like it." Miruton pointed out as soon as Van stepped out of the changing room.
"No, he doesn't." Kuisu said sadly. "But this is the best look on him yet."
"Humm..." one of the store's clerks had arrived with yet another outfit, but thankfully handed it to Frank. "Here you are." She said to him, "Well, why don't we try getting rid of the tie, and undoing the top button?" It appeared that the clerk knew what she was doing, because she had finished undoing the tie and button before she had finished suggesting it.
"It will have to do." Miruton said before anyone, mainly Kurisu, could protest.
Yukari and Amano had finally gotten the dress from Kurisu's designer. Easier said then done.
You would think that the woman was giving them her first born child.
"Did Kurisu give you any instructions as to where we're supposed to drop off the dress?" Amano inquired as they approached the car.
"Nope." Was her answer, "Just that we had to wait for further instructions."
Amano pulled the keys out of his pocket and automatically unlocked the car with the little remote. Yukari opened the back door and hung the dress on the little hock designed to hold dry cleaning, then got into the front passenger side just as her cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"You got the dress?"
"Yeah we got the dress."
"Good. You can drop it off at 555 Tekiya Road West. Tell them that I sent you."
Click
Yukari sighed, "Do you know where 555 Tekiya Road West is?"
"I can find it"
It was Hitomi's first time at a Spa, where she was to be given the whole works, and she was loving it. True, at first she protested at having so much attention thrown upon her, especially since Maketu was the one paying for it all. "Just think of it as your wedding present." Was the last thing that he said to her as he and Kurisu -who gave the staff strict instructions about something - left to do whatever else they had planed.
Normally he wasn't a drinker, but normally his sister wasn't showing up at his office -Pregnant!- with some guy, claiming that he was from another planet that science hasn't proven exists.
Yup. He could now see why their father became an alcoholic. What with mother saying that Hitomi was all right, and that when she returned, IF she returned, she would be all right. And if Hitomi didn’t return, that meant that she was living in the place where she belonged. And that Grandma had been there and had returned. Only Grandma never told him or his dad about this planet when he was growing up. Not to mention that Grandma was a single parent and probably has just come up with the story as a bedtime story.
It didn't help that his sister's best friend, Yukari, also believed that Hitomi was spirited off to another planet. And that one night when Hitomi was missing she claimed to have had a dream. That it was the day that Hitomi went missing that a boy, flying on the back of a white dragon, came down from the sky and held out his hand to Hitomi, who gladly accepted and flew off with him.
'It would force any man to drink,' he thought to himself as he finished his third beer.
And who the hell was this guy? Probably some bum she met in the woods or something... well maybe not. More likely he was one of those damn kidnapers that messed her brain up ten years ago. But he looked too young for that... maybe he was another victim and seeing each other brought the drug-induced fantasy back.
He was just sitting there staring at his fifth beer when his phone rang.
"Hello, Mamoru Kanzaki." He said into the device, and was slightly surprised to hear one of Hitomi' buddies on the other line.
"I'm sitting in a bar." He could never tell whom he was talking to over the phone, and usually didn't have to as they were just looking for Hitomi. "Yea, I heard about her and her fiancé. And you know what? It's a boat load of Bull Shit." He was quiet while the other voice on the other end apparently argued against this statement. "Proof? What do you mean you may have proof? They told me that they had no proof outside of their word." He was silent for a little more as the guy explained. "Well I'm in no condition to be driving anywhere... Well, I guess I'll see you then,"
Click.
"Hitomi, you're positively gorgeous." Yukari complemented as she stepped back from helping Hitomi zip-up the dress.
"It's the dress." Hitomi told her friend.
The dress was an elegant pearl-white cocktail dress that was a, silk, v-neck, halter-top, that freely floated to the floor. She had modeled for Kurisu's Soap for an actress who was in her 9th mouth of pregnancy. The character on the show as not pregnant, and they needed the measurements as soon as possible so they could have the dress ready in time for the girl's return. And of course Hitomi was just the right height, and build to be used as a human pincushion.
"No, it's you." Yukari said firmly, "But there's something that's different...but I can't quite but my finger on it..."
This statement made the bride blush a nice cherry red. "Hitomi, Darling. You are the poster child for 'blushing brides' across the world." Kurisu commented as he entered the room that he had imprisoned her in hours earlier. Which only made Hitomi blush even more.
"Now," he started, all teasing put aside. "I am sorry if you wanted a traditional wedding but we figured that you are going to have a massive, elaborate, wedding when you go back. So we thought that you would like a small, simple one here. So it's in a Western Style, though-i's-a-little-easier-to-throw-together-in-a-pinch, but it's the best we can do." He smiled at her. "So with Western tradition, you need something, old, something new, something borrowed, and some thing blue. Your pendent is old, your shoes are new, and the dress is borrowed, now all you need is some thing blue..." a wicked grin spread across his face as he reached into his pocket, and pulled out a garter.
"I am Not wearing that!"
"Well, it's bad luck if you don't"
"I don't care!"
"If you don't put it on yourself, I'll put it on you." Hitomi glared at him, as he spun the garment around his finger.
Yukari snatched the thing from him and tossed it to Hitomi. "Just put it on." She told the bride. "Now, if that's all...?" she asked Kurisu.
"Alas, it is not, my fair ladies." He said with a low bow. "It is also a tradition for a male figure, usually the father, to walk the bride 'down the aisle'."
"Kurisu-"
"Now I know that your father cannot do this and it's not uncommon for the bride to 'walk freely' to the groom... but I can arrange for your brother to walk you down the aisle."
Hitomi was awe-struck "But...how?"
"We just need a little proof to show him."
"That's the thing though... I would have shown him the proof, if there was any." Hitomi said sadly.
"Absolutely no proof at all?" Kurisu asked slightly disapointed.
"None."
"Hmm... well, we'll see." He said as he left the room, "It won't be long now."
"Kurisu!"
"Yes, Yukari?"
He was about to double-check everything, to make sure that all was ready, when Yukari ran up to him.
"I think that there is proof." She huffed, "A couple times over the years, I’ve heard Hitomi refer to someone as "her Angel". I think that someone might be Van. I don't know what it means, but it's all I've got."
Then they went their separate ways, he to make a phone call, and she to her friend.