Regina: I am so sorry for not writing any more of Beauty and the Beast, but I have been so busy with my own life, and with many more fics that I could not think of anything to write. And for a while I completely forgot that I had to write anything more! Please don't hurt me! I will never do it again without a good reason ever again!
Now that that is over, I am going to make my own complaint. At the time I updated this chapter, Beauty and the Beast has a total of 98 reviews, and that annoys me greatly. Why? I was so hoping that my last chapter would cause this story to go over the 100 review mark, and that chapter ended with a proposal, no less! What is wrong with you people? Isn't that the kind of thing a story like this should have? So please, review this story, and then go off and take a look at my Beast Yahoo! Group (called Beauty of the Beast). The address is in my bio, because for some strange reason, if I put a web address into a chapter it doesn't upload properly.
As usual, I own squat, and lets see if we can't get this story past 100 reviews! The 100th reviewer might get something special - or they might appear briefly in this story, or something like that!
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Wedding Witch
"I love you, Hank, and yes, I will marry you."
The air filled with cheers and shouts of delight from all of the students at the Xavier Institute, as Hank took Jennifer, his new fiancee, into his arms, and spun her around with delight.
Finally her put her down, but did not let go, continuing to stare into her hazel eyes.
After a time, he realised that he and Jennifer had an audience.
"'Bout time," said Tabitha, but she was smiling as she said that.
Everyone in the room was smiling as well.
Even Logan, although he was trying - and failing miserably - to hide it.
"Congratulations!" shouted Kitty, racing forward and hugging Jennifer, as Bobby gave Hank a hi-five.
"Hooray!"
"Yes, congratulations, Hank," said Xavier. "It seems that something good always comes from something bad, and this is no exception."
"What do you mean?" asked Bobby.
"I think he means that if I was not a mutant, I would not have left the school, and Jennifer would not have taken my place," said Hank.
"And none of this would ever have happened," added Jennifer.
"Butterfly effect, huh?" said Kitty.
"Butterfly effect?" asked Ray, confused.
"They say a butterfly flapping its wings over in China can cause a chain reaction, resulting in a tornado over here," explained Jennifer. "That means that the smallest event can have very big consequences."
"Cool. You learn something new every day."
"Come on!" interrupted Tabitha, bored. "Let's get back to the party!"
X X X
The table let out a groan as Kitty dumped her heavy load onto it, in front of all the girls and women of the Institute.
"Are you sure this is necessary?" asked Jennifer, eyeing the dozens of magazines that now littered the table.
"What are you, like, thinking?" asked Kitty. "We've got to start planning your wedding!"
"But Hank and I haven't even started -"
"Liar," said Tabitha. "We know you've been discussing it."
"What have we told you about eavesdropping?"
"Oh, give it up! You're never gonna stop us!"
Jennifer did give up - for the moment at least. "Where did you get all of these magazines, Kitty? Why would you even have all of these bridal magazines, anyway?"
Kitty shrugged. "A girl can plan ahead, can't she?" Everyone just stared at her, but she ignored them. "Sit!" she ordered. Everyone sat. "So," began Kitty, in a scarily business-like tone. "Have you thought about what you are going to wear to the wedding?"
"Kitty, Hank only proposed last night!"
"Details, details! So, have you thought about anything?" asked Kitty.
"White?" Jennifer hoped this was the right answer.
Kitty smiled. "Nice to see you've thought about something. Now where do you want to get married? A church? A garden?"
"Shouldn't she and Mr McCoy decide that?" asked Rogue, who had been dragged along to this 'meeting'.
But Kitty was on a roll. "Well, that can wait a few days. Now what about bridesmaids?"
"Bridesmaids?" asked Jennifer, her voice tight. "Um -"
Luckily Roberto came to Jennifer's rescue when he came into the kitchen. "Kitty. Professor Xavier wants you."
"Aw, rats! Sorry," apologised Kitty, "we'll just have to discuss this later. You can keep those for a while," she said, when Jennifer began to hand her the magazines. "Think about what we've talked about, okay?"
With that, she left, and everyone - Jennifer especially - let out an audible sigh of relief.
"What was that?" asked Rogue, horror in her voice.
"I don't know," replied Tabitha, "but I don't ever want to see it again."
"Agreed."
"Ms Reed?" asked Amara. "Are you all right?"
Jennifer blinked a few times, then asked, "How far to Vegas do you think Hank and I would get before she realised it?"
"Not far," replied Jean. "And I suggest you don't. Not if you want to live, anyway."
"Oh, dear. What have I gotten myself into?"
X X X
Unfortunately, Jennifer found she could not escape the Wedding Witch - as Tabitha had dubbed Kitty, and everyone (even the boys!) had begun to call her that. She did her best to avoid Kitty, but no matter what she tried, Kitty always found her.
And since it was summer, there was no school.
And that meant Kitty had a lot of free time on her hands.
Too much free time.
By the end of the first week, she had become chief bridesmaid, and had taken over the wedding. The date of which had still not been decided on.
But that did not matter to Kitty. For all outward appearances, one would think it was her that was getting married, not Hank and Jennifer.
Hank, wisely enough, stayed clear out of Kitty's wedding radar.
Jennifer, having the dubious distinction of being the bride (and the wedding is, of course, all about the bride, anyway - not the Kitty really cared) did not have that luxury.
"It's. . . unnatural," Rogue said one evening, when they were free from Kitty's wedding blitz.
"Can't. . . take. . . my. . . eyes. . . off of it," said Tabitha, writhing about in her chair. "Must. . . resist. . . the Wedding Witch's. . . spell. Failing. . . miserably. . ." She fell off the chair, causing everyone to laugh their heads off.
"Have you and Mr McCoy actually decided on anything for this wedding?" asked Jean.
"We don't have an exact date picked out," replied Jennifer, taking a sip from her glass, "but we both want it to happen soon."
"Soon?" asked Amara. "How soon?"
"No more than a few months, I think," said Jennifer thoughtfully. "And we don't want it to be anything too big, either. Kitty is going to be disappointed. Yes, soon and small."
"Why?" asked Rogue.
"Well," began Jennifer. "It will namely be you - the students - and a few other mutant guests and friends of Hank and myself. But due to this whole mutant fiasco, that number will be seriously limited." Jennifer smiled. "It will save a lot of money, I think."
"Well, it'll be your funeral when you try and tell Kitty that you want a small wedding," said Jean. "I think she was aiming a wedding to rival Charles and Diana."
"Kitty will just have to deal with that herself. Now what do you think should be done about this wedding? Besides elope, although if Kitty does continue on this path, I'll definitely be considering it."
"Well," began Rogue, but the sound of the door opening not too far away caused a look of panic to pass through the group.
"Hey!" called Kitty's voice. "I've got some dress magazines!"
"It's the Wedding Witch!"
"Run!"
The girls and Jennifer scattered.
By the time Kitty arrived at the room, less than two minutes later, she found the room empty, but in a state like the Marie Celeste.
"Where'd everyone go?"
Now that that is over, I am going to make my own complaint. At the time I updated this chapter, Beauty and the Beast has a total of 98 reviews, and that annoys me greatly. Why? I was so hoping that my last chapter would cause this story to go over the 100 review mark, and that chapter ended with a proposal, no less! What is wrong with you people? Isn't that the kind of thing a story like this should have? So please, review this story, and then go off and take a look at my Beast Yahoo! Group (called Beauty of the Beast). The address is in my bio, because for some strange reason, if I put a web address into a chapter it doesn't upload properly.
As usual, I own squat, and lets see if we can't get this story past 100 reviews! The 100th reviewer might get something special - or they might appear briefly in this story, or something like that!
Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Wedding Witch
"I love you, Hank, and yes, I will marry you."
The air filled with cheers and shouts of delight from all of the students at the Xavier Institute, as Hank took Jennifer, his new fiancee, into his arms, and spun her around with delight.
Finally her put her down, but did not let go, continuing to stare into her hazel eyes.
After a time, he realised that he and Jennifer had an audience.
"'Bout time," said Tabitha, but she was smiling as she said that.
Everyone in the room was smiling as well.
Even Logan, although he was trying - and failing miserably - to hide it.
"Congratulations!" shouted Kitty, racing forward and hugging Jennifer, as Bobby gave Hank a hi-five.
"Hooray!"
"Yes, congratulations, Hank," said Xavier. "It seems that something good always comes from something bad, and this is no exception."
"What do you mean?" asked Bobby.
"I think he means that if I was not a mutant, I would not have left the school, and Jennifer would not have taken my place," said Hank.
"And none of this would ever have happened," added Jennifer.
"Butterfly effect, huh?" said Kitty.
"Butterfly effect?" asked Ray, confused.
"They say a butterfly flapping its wings over in China can cause a chain reaction, resulting in a tornado over here," explained Jennifer. "That means that the smallest event can have very big consequences."
"Cool. You learn something new every day."
"Come on!" interrupted Tabitha, bored. "Let's get back to the party!"
X X X
The table let out a groan as Kitty dumped her heavy load onto it, in front of all the girls and women of the Institute.
"Are you sure this is necessary?" asked Jennifer, eyeing the dozens of magazines that now littered the table.
"What are you, like, thinking?" asked Kitty. "We've got to start planning your wedding!"
"But Hank and I haven't even started -"
"Liar," said Tabitha. "We know you've been discussing it."
"What have we told you about eavesdropping?"
"Oh, give it up! You're never gonna stop us!"
Jennifer did give up - for the moment at least. "Where did you get all of these magazines, Kitty? Why would you even have all of these bridal magazines, anyway?"
Kitty shrugged. "A girl can plan ahead, can't she?" Everyone just stared at her, but she ignored them. "Sit!" she ordered. Everyone sat. "So," began Kitty, in a scarily business-like tone. "Have you thought about what you are going to wear to the wedding?"
"Kitty, Hank only proposed last night!"
"Details, details! So, have you thought about anything?" asked Kitty.
"White?" Jennifer hoped this was the right answer.
Kitty smiled. "Nice to see you've thought about something. Now where do you want to get married? A church? A garden?"
"Shouldn't she and Mr McCoy decide that?" asked Rogue, who had been dragged along to this 'meeting'.
But Kitty was on a roll. "Well, that can wait a few days. Now what about bridesmaids?"
"Bridesmaids?" asked Jennifer, her voice tight. "Um -"
Luckily Roberto came to Jennifer's rescue when he came into the kitchen. "Kitty. Professor Xavier wants you."
"Aw, rats! Sorry," apologised Kitty, "we'll just have to discuss this later. You can keep those for a while," she said, when Jennifer began to hand her the magazines. "Think about what we've talked about, okay?"
With that, she left, and everyone - Jennifer especially - let out an audible sigh of relief.
"What was that?" asked Rogue, horror in her voice.
"I don't know," replied Tabitha, "but I don't ever want to see it again."
"Agreed."
"Ms Reed?" asked Amara. "Are you all right?"
Jennifer blinked a few times, then asked, "How far to Vegas do you think Hank and I would get before she realised it?"
"Not far," replied Jean. "And I suggest you don't. Not if you want to live, anyway."
"Oh, dear. What have I gotten myself into?"
X X X
Unfortunately, Jennifer found she could not escape the Wedding Witch - as Tabitha had dubbed Kitty, and everyone (even the boys!) had begun to call her that. She did her best to avoid Kitty, but no matter what she tried, Kitty always found her.
And since it was summer, there was no school.
And that meant Kitty had a lot of free time on her hands.
Too much free time.
By the end of the first week, she had become chief bridesmaid, and had taken over the wedding. The date of which had still not been decided on.
But that did not matter to Kitty. For all outward appearances, one would think it was her that was getting married, not Hank and Jennifer.
Hank, wisely enough, stayed clear out of Kitty's wedding radar.
Jennifer, having the dubious distinction of being the bride (and the wedding is, of course, all about the bride, anyway - not the Kitty really cared) did not have that luxury.
"It's. . . unnatural," Rogue said one evening, when they were free from Kitty's wedding blitz.
"Can't. . . take. . . my. . . eyes. . . off of it," said Tabitha, writhing about in her chair. "Must. . . resist. . . the Wedding Witch's. . . spell. Failing. . . miserably. . ." She fell off the chair, causing everyone to laugh their heads off.
"Have you and Mr McCoy actually decided on anything for this wedding?" asked Jean.
"We don't have an exact date picked out," replied Jennifer, taking a sip from her glass, "but we both want it to happen soon."
"Soon?" asked Amara. "How soon?"
"No more than a few months, I think," said Jennifer thoughtfully. "And we don't want it to be anything too big, either. Kitty is going to be disappointed. Yes, soon and small."
"Why?" asked Rogue.
"Well," began Jennifer. "It will namely be you - the students - and a few other mutant guests and friends of Hank and myself. But due to this whole mutant fiasco, that number will be seriously limited." Jennifer smiled. "It will save a lot of money, I think."
"Well, it'll be your funeral when you try and tell Kitty that you want a small wedding," said Jean. "I think she was aiming a wedding to rival Charles and Diana."
"Kitty will just have to deal with that herself. Now what do you think should be done about this wedding? Besides elope, although if Kitty does continue on this path, I'll definitely be considering it."
"Well," began Rogue, but the sound of the door opening not too far away caused a look of panic to pass through the group.
"Hey!" called Kitty's voice. "I've got some dress magazines!"
"It's the Wedding Witch!"
"Run!"
The girls and Jennifer scattered.
By the time Kitty arrived at the room, less than two minutes later, she found the room empty, but in a state like the Marie Celeste.
"Where'd everyone go?"