Regina: Chapter 27 of Beauty and the Beast is finally here! And we are getting even closer to the wedding! Yay! But, as Lysander said in A Midsummer Night's Dream, 'The course of true love never did run smooth'. And Hank and Jennifer sure have had their course of bad luck. Let's just cross our fingers and hope that they don't have any more.

On my own note, I don't know how many more chapters to this or any other of my stories, as on September 11 (September 10, to those of you in the United States of America) I am going to the home of Kurt Wagner! That's right, Germany! But I have been thinking of things to do while on the trip, and as well as colouring in the X-Men colouring books that I have seen in the $2 shop, I can also work on my fanfics (I will end up taking a lot of paper home with me, though). But if you do feel like you miss me, you can go and visit one of my many sites, Randomland (Version 2, featuring the wonderful X-Men), which is 'Not new, but improved!'; Mutant High, and my Amyro site, Burning Souls. Once I come back from Germany, I am going to get stuck into my Beast website, which I am already seeking contributions for (like fanfics and fanart, as well as links). If you have anything like that, either contact me directly, or go to my Beast Yahoo! Group. All the addresses to the aforementioned sites are in my bio, so be sure to visit that after you review this chapter. Just don't expect me to reply from September 11 to October 5. And for those of you who do visit my sites, can you recommend any fanlists that I might like? It's my new addiction, see, and I love all the subjects: books, movies, relationships, characters - there's even an entire fanfiction section, with subsections like authors, stories, and topics! It's so cool!

And now that the whole shameless plug thing is over, enjoy chapter 27 of Beauty and the Beast!

Beauty and the Beast

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Bride's Bad Luck

"Now, Hank, you must promise me, you are not to see me until I walk down that aisle tomorrow. Do you understand?"

Hank smiled, although he was reluctant to let go of Jennifer's hand. "I understand. But-"

"No buts," Jennifer told him firmly. "Until the aisle."

From the passenger seat of Jennifer's car, Kitty called, "Is it really an aisle? I mean, you're not getting married in a church, but in the backyard."

"Actually the aisle is the bit that runs around the outside edge of a church," Hank replied.

"You're absolutely right. But you are not going to use that as an excuse to keep holding my hand. You have until we're both old and grey to do that." A small laugh escaped Jennifer's lips.

"You're picturing him all grey, aren't you?" called Tabitha, who was sitting in the backseat.

"Of course she is," Kitty retorted. "Isn't it romantic, growing old together?" She let out a sigh just thinking about it.

Hank, on the other hand, seemed less than thrilled at the prospect of going grey. "To you, maybe, but you will think differently when it's you that's facing it."

But Kitty was unconcerned. "Whatever, Mr McCoy. Just know that the sooner you let go of her hand, the sooner you will be on the wonderful journey that is marriage."

Jennifer muttered to Hank, so that Kitty would not here, "She's going to be terribly disappointed one day, having expectations like that."

The horn suddenly honked. "Hey!" shouted Tabitha, who had leant forward over Kitty to honk the horn. "Break it up you two! And save it for the honeymoon!"

"I think she wants us to get going," Jennifer said smiling. Hank finally let go of her hand. She then leant forward and whispered something in his ear.

Hank laughed, and replied quietly, "I don't think Charles would ever let that happen. But if he did, then I really don't know him at all." He gave Jennifer one final kiss, told her that he loved her, and said, "Until tomorrow."

She smiled back at him, and replied with, "'Parting is such sweet sorrow.'" With that, she got into the car (causing Tabitha to go, "Finally!") and drove away, leaving Hank to once again marvel at his own good fortune to have found someone like her.

X X X

Unfortunately, the whole bachelorette party idea did not go as Tabitha would have wished it. For one, there was no stripper (although Tabitha said she knew someone who would be willing to take his clothes for the attentions of several girls - money would have been a bonus - and even offered to call him, saying that he would be there before any of them could blink), and two, it was not very exciting anyway (of course, Jennifer had told her that she was going to a bachelorette party for a woman whose life, until a few months ago, had revolved solely around work, and had been a very quiet - boring, Tabitha translated - individual all through her life).

So it pretty much turned into a slumber party with a seemingly endless supply of popcorn, and a steady stream of DVDs on the television chosen by the girls (with Tabitha's idea of romantic was different from everybody else's. "What do you mean? Of course 'Die Hard' is romantic! Isn't that his wife stuck in there?"), ranging from romantic ('Romeo and Juliet' and 'Never Been Kissed') through to comedy ('Shrek' and 'Shanghai Knights') and ending in the 'babe-fests', as the girls called them (all of 'The Lord of Rings') leaving them sighing after their favourite characters, while in the next breath arguing with their neighbour about their choice.

"What's wrong with Legolas' hair?"

"Eomer wears a horse for a helmet!"

"Hey, where's the bit where you see their butts as they roll down the hill?"

"Isn't that part of the drinking game?"

Jennifer decided it would be a good time to intervene. "I think that's enough for one night. You can watch the rest of the DVDs another time. And as for the drinking game, Tabitha, that can wait until you're older."

"Spoilsport."

"Well, I think it's time to go to bed," Jennifer added hastily, "unless you want to fall asleep in the middle of the whole thing." When no one said anything, she said, "Please tell me that you don't."

"Of course we don't," replied Jean. "And that is why we are all going to go to sleep right now."

"You can go now," added Kitty smiling. "You need to get some sleep."

"Especially as you won't be getting any tomorrow night," interrupted Tabitha, a grin on her face. "Isn't that right Ms – hey! Why did you throw that pillow at me?"

"Goodnight, girls," Jennifer said firmly.

"Goodnight, Ms Reed," they chorused back (all except for Tabitha, who was still scowling over the pillow incident).

As Jennifer disappeared up the stairs, and the lights went out, one voice could still be heard floating around in the darkness."

"I still say Eomer has a horse for a helmet."

X X X

"Are you sure this will be all right?"

"Don't worry, Rogue. I paid my way through college doing stuff like this. Your make-up will look fine."

"That's not what I was worried about," Rogue replied, trying to think of a way out of this mess.

Jennifer smiled. "I know you're thinking about your power. But you have already supplied me with a way around that."

"You have?"

Still smiling, Jennifer reached down, and picked up one of Rogue's gloved hands. "Now will you just let me get on with this? I still have my own to do."

"All right," Rogue said reluctantly. "Just don't make me look too much like Kitty."

"Hey!"

But Rogue's fears were misplaced, and the finished product was something that caused all of the girls to clap their hands.

The dress that Jennifer had brought for Rogue to wear was a lighter green than what Rogue would have liked, but even she had to admit that it suited her. And what Jennifer had done with her make-up. . . well, even Rogue had to agree that she was good.

Gone was the heavy eyeshadow and dark lipstick, instead the hardly-seen, and the 'real' Rogue stood in her place, with the make-up carefully emphasising her natural beauty.

And her hair hung in loose curls around her face, but it did not hide the smile that she was wearing.

"Whoa, Ms R," said Tabitha. "You are good." Then she whistled. "I never would have thought that Rogue could look. . . normal."

"I must say," replied Jennifer, taking a step back and looking at Rogue, "that that must be my finest work. It's good to know that I haven't lost my touch."

"You surprise us more and more every day, Ms Reed."

"Thank you, Jean. Now, who's next?"

"Me! Me!"

X X X

"Well, Ms Reed, are you ready?"

Jennifer gave a nervous smile. "You're going to have to start calling me something else from now on, I think."

"Well, don't worry about that right now," said Kitty encouragingly. "Just get through today, and we'll call you whatever you want."

"As long as it's. . . never mind," added Tabitha.

"Hey! The limos are here!"

"How did you organise a limo to take you to your wedding to a mutant, and where all the guests are mutants as well?"

"Professor Xavier used his. . . influence. . . to help a few things along more smoothly."

"Ah. Well, we'd better get going. To matrimony, and beyond!"

"Whatever, Tabitha."

There were two limos. One was for the bridesmaids and the other girls, and the second was for Jennifer to arrive in alone. Bouncing and giggling, the girls got into their limo, and with Jennifer waving them off, they drove away. It was then that Jennifer took one final deep breath, and got into the limo that would take her to her future husband.

After a short period of driving, Jennifer noticed something was odd.

"Excuse me, but perhaps you should have taken that left?"

There was no answer, and the limo kept driving along the road which, Jennifer realised with horror, would take her further and further away from the Institute.

"Excuse me, but you seem to have gone the wrong way."

"Wrong way?" asked a voice from the front seat, which made Jennifer's heart sink. "I know exactly where I am going." The limo stopped at the red light, and the driver, as well as the person in the front passenger seat. "Don't you think so, Ms Reed?"

Lance Alvers and Pietro Maximoff grinned at the fear-stricken bride in the backseat, before driving off in the direction of the Brotherhood's house.