Prologue Part 2: Rehearsal, Making Peace and The Wedding

"This. Is. Not. Working!"

About a week after officially graduating, with all the papers filled out, Eduardo and Kylie were ready for the bells.

Everyone else was not.

"SIDUS!"

The dog growled and danced around, trying to shake off the heart-shaped cushion that was secured to his collar.

To ensure that everything went smoothly, the team decided to at least have a rehearsal wedding. As they saw now, it was a good idea. With Kevin on vacation with his parents in Australia, and Casey taking part in a 3-week long nature study camp, they were out of choices.

They were also making no progress.

Roland advanced. "Come on Sidus. Who's a pretty boy now? Just run down to the alter. Run down to the alter."

Sidus grunted and fled out the doorway.

"Argh! What's that dumb mutt's problem!"

"You can't blame him. Any self-respecting male wouldn't run down an aisle with a frilly pillow on his head for the public to see."

"Not funny, Garrett."

The afore-mentioned redhead shrugged and also left the room.

"......Maybe we could just elope and save all the trouble....."

"Over my dead body!" Janine put her hands on her hips. "You two will get a decent proper wedding even if it kills us all! Why? Because I said so!"

Egon did his best to calm her down. "Easy now, Janine. He meant it as a badly-timed joke. No harm intended."

Roland groaned as he sat down. "Why won't Sidus just cooperate? He's putting us all on the edge!"

"Thou hast useth words, and thou hast found it futile." Garrett returned with a smug smile on his face. "Now sit back and watch the Master of Marriage at work."

"Master of Face-stuffing would suit you better."

Garrett reached his own position before the alter, turned around and whistled. "Sidus! Here, boy! Here Sidie Sidie Sidie!"

The dog poked his head out of the doorway.

Garrett waved a chicken chipolata sausage in front of him.

With a bark, Sidus shot down the aisle toward his position (and the tasty treat) without his earlier fussing.

Garrett dropped the sausage into the canine's open jaws. "That, Eduardo mi amigo, is what we should have done half an hour ago."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

As the day droned on eventless, the earlier excitement/frustration (choose your preference) had worn down.

Later that evening, Kylie approached Eduardo with a request.

"No."

"Don't be such a baby, Eduardo. It's just for this evening."

"But you've always been doing it!"

"I have to feed my cat."

"Can't you get your parents to feed the cat?"

"I don't trust Mom or Stanley with Pagan for five minutes. Come on Edward, please?"

"Uh-uh. No way."

"Pretty please? Consider it male-bonding?"

Eduardo shook his head again.

"Okay. No more Mr. Nice Guy." Kylie looked at her fiancé dead in the eye. "Do it, or it's the couch for you for the next 2 months."

"Male-bonding, huh?"

Eduardo sighed, took the leash from Kylie and went down to the living room.

/ Couldn't she just get someone else to walk the dog? /

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Somewhere along the line, 'walking the dog' somehow got misinterpreted as 'dragging the dog to the park and back'.

Eduardo gripped hard on the leather strap and pulled.

Sidus sat back on his haunches and pulled.

If either gained any muscles, they could give gratitude to this little activity of 'male-bonding'.

They weren't even at the park yet.

Occasionally, a passer-by or two would take a look at them and continue on their way giggling like crazy.

Sidus growled and pulled harder, yanking the leash from Eduardo and sending both of them sprawling for the fifth time that evening.

"That's it. I give up."

Eduardo got to his feet, brushed himself off and sat down on the curb.

Sidus sat down facing him, trailing the brown leash along the road.

"What's with you, ya dumb mutt? Do you find me fun to pick on?"

Sidus pulled back his lips in a grin, and nodded.

"I meant that as a rhetorical question, Mr. Smart Mouth."

Sidus simply waved his tail a bit.

"Quit acting like I owe you something." Eduardo smirked. "So what if you saved me from being mauled so many years ago? I evened it out by saving your furry behind afterward."

Sidus rolled his eyes.

"Now you're gonna start telling me that you were responsible for the ghost that kept bugging me, right?"

Sidus looked at Eduardo meaningfully.

Eduardo shrugged. Then he got up and walked into a nearby eatery, leaving the dog waiting outside with his leash still trailing.

After a few minutes, Eduardo came back out with a strange look on his face.

"Okay. See here.....Sidus." Eduardo knelt down so he could see eye to eye with the dog. "I know how much you hate being ring bearer and all. I understand how humiliating it must be. But this event is really important to both Kylie and me. So even if you don't want to do it for yourself, I really hope you'd do it at least for Kylie's sake....."

People were staring at him as they passed by, but he ignored them.

"I also don't know how we managed to hate each other so much. I don't know about you, but I think enough is enough. After all, I have to admit: I'll be needing you around to keep an eye on Kylie when I somewhere else. So......."

Eduardo held out a burger. "Peace?"

Sidus stared at Eduardo, occasionally flicking his eyes to the offering.

They stayed that way for what seemed like eternity before Sidus gave his answer.

Wagging his tail furiously, he pounced on Eduardo and started to lick his face with fervent joy.

Eduardo felt his own insides warm up to melting point.

/ Guess this male-bonding sure helped the both of us after all...... /

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"You may exchange the rings."

Sidus raised himself on his hindquarters in a 'begging' position, allowing them to reach the rings better.

Surprisingly enough, the dog was fully contributing to his role as though he lived only for its perfection (without so much as an incentive).

"I now pronounce you Husband and Wife."

Thundering applause rang out along the aisle as the newly wed couple made their way out of the church.

Although he still could not make it to the ceremony, Carlos became generous for some unknown reason, and went through the trouble to order Eduardo a brand new car as a wedding gift. Apparently, blood was thicker than water after all.

It was there upon the leather back seats that the only quiet reigned. Outside, family and friends were still cheering and throwing rice.

Eduardo reached over and took his bride's hand in his. "I love you, Kylie."

"I love you too, Eduardo."

The chauffeur grinned to himself as he fired up the ignition.

Who wouldn't dig that feeling of Love In The Air?

= * =

Yep. This is it folks. They're officially married.

Flames are welcome. I could have done better, but it's 3.48 am in the morning, and the lower part of my body has gone numb.

If you're desperate to see Bane Albright appear (personally, I don't think so), he won't be until the first chapter.

Don't worry. This Prologue will end soon, Chapter 1 will begin, and the action will take place.

Love ya to bits, Peoples!

~ Howling WereWolf

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