The Sweet Shop Next Door

Pass the broccolini

Author's Note: I can't believe how long it's taken me to get around to writing this chapter. Sorry for the delay!

Chapter Eleven:

The day of the wedding had finally arrived, and like most soon-to-be brides, Eliza was anything but calm. They had rented out the church for the entire day, along with the greeting hall and the dressing facilities. It was so much more convenient to just get ready at the actual church instead of having to get ready in her cramped apartment and then take a taxi to her wedding.

Her dress was a simple white gown that went to her heels. The frilly Marie Antoinette dresses in the store had repulsed her completely. Besides, she wanted a dress that she could wear again. And it was also multi-purpose. D would probably want to borrow it too.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door to D's dressing room. They had agreed to walk down the aisle together, since Eliza didn't have a father to "giver her away" (and would resent being considered an object able to be given away). Not to mention that she was worried D would bail out on her at the last minute. He was a good friend, but it occurred to her that she really didn't know that much about the man she was getting married to.

Sure, she knew his food preferences (vegetarian) and his mannerisms (old-fashioned) and his opinion of humans (abysmal), but she hardly knew anything about D's past. Were any of his relatives coming? He didn't really seem the type to be close to his parents. Or…have parents. It was hard for her to picture D as an infant. If he ever was a child, he was probably born smirking.

She knocked again. His room was right across from hers, and it had taken so much of her energy to get herself into her wedding dress that she hadn't even noticed him come in. She heard muffled sounds from behind the door. D was probably listening to that weird Japanese music again.

A smile was on her face as she turned the unlocked doorknob and entered the small dressing room. "D, are you re—".

She froze. There was D, her fiancé and best friend, pressing Laura up against the wall. Laura didn't even seem to notice Eliza's presence. She continued kissing D with as much passion as before. The young man turned to face Eliza and gave her a cold, cruel smirk.

"I'll be finished momentarily. You may wait for me outside."

Eliza could feel the tears threaten to spill from her eyes. She wanted to scream and vomit at the same time. How could he do this? How could he betray her, two hours before the wedding, in a church, with her coworker? Her lip quivered as she spoke. D may have been unfriendly and distant at times, but she had never thought him this capable of deceit. His draconian actions shredded her heart into minute pieces.

She shouted like a harpy at her unfazed fiancé and disheveled coworker. "How…How could you?"

"Eliza, I was just fooling around with you. You couldn't honestly think I would be attracted to the likes of you? Your inferiority is just overwhelming."

The condescending smirk on D's face was unlike any expression she had ever seen before. How could he be so full of malice towards her? Rage bubbled inside her as thick, salty tears dripped down her face, smearing the makeup she had tried so hard to apply correctly.

Her right fist, in a fit of uncontrolled fury, collided with D's nose. The smirk disappeared as D grabbed her forearm and twisted it behind her back. She felt his shoulder-length hair against her shoulder as he leaned to whisper in her ear. As disgusted as he was by this human filth known as "Laura", she had served her purpose.

"What, can't take a little competition?"

She wrenched her arm out of his grasp. Even if a small red mark was developing on the left side of D's nose, her physical attack had just embarrassed her further. She couldn't hold it in anymore, so she did the one thing she always did when relationships turned against her. She started running. She didn't even notice the pleased smirk on his face as she fled the scene.

Her two flat sandals were abandoned as she sprinted out of the dressing rooms and into the lobby area. She sprinted through the lobby, not pausing as the newly-arrived guests gave her confused stares. She ran until she left the church and then collapsed on to the pavement, choking out loud, pained sobs.

"WHY?"

Eliza felt like she was going to puke and cry at the same time when D emerged out of a yellow taxi cab in front of her. He was dressed in traditional Chinese wedding attire and was holding a suitcase. His long robe lightly trailed behind him, held in place by his red sash. A small smile was on his face as he exited the taxi cab, that is, until he saw the hysterical mess on the cement pavement in front of him. He bent down to his bride-to-be, gently touching her head as he did so. This was strange. Weren't brides supposed to be happy on their wedding day? Was this that strange American thing, "wedding jitters"?

"What's wrong? You look upset."

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

She recoiled at his touch instantaneously. By now, onlookers were beginning to gather to watch the scene. It would save them time, because now they no longer had to watch their soap operas. They could get their daily drama right on the street. For free!

"Eliza, is something wrong?

She instantly felt disgusted at herself, on the ground, pathetically crying. She pushed herself off the ground. If he was going to cheat on her, he could at least not be so sardonic of her pain.

"Is something WRONG? How can you pretend like nothing's happened? After all those months of friendship, how could you?"

D frowned. "What am I being accused of?"

"I just saw you with Laura, D. Don't play dumb with me!"

D's eyes widened as realization swam over him. He grabbed her shoulders as he spoke to her, eye-to-eye. "Eliza. I would never hurt you, but this is important. The man you saw, who looked exactly like me, he is my father."

"You actually expect me to believe that?"

He had told himself he would never use his mind to control her again, not after the first time, but it was too complicated to explain in words. The crowd of people had dissipated, and they were essentially alone on the crowded street. He stared straight into her eyes and telepathically communicated the story of his life: history of his people, their annihilation, the reasons for the pet shop, the meaning of the incense, his conflict with his father, everything.

When the bond was broken, Eliza stepped back, slightly shaking. "You…you're an alien?"

"Not quite. Just another species."

An hour ago, Eliza would never have believed it, but staring into D's eyes, the windows to his soul, somehow, she just knew that what he was saying was true.

"Will you try to kill me?"

Seeing that she was no longer in hysterics, D relaxed. At least she believed him.

"No, of course not."

"But you'll try to kill everyone else?"

"It's not that simple, Eliza. I give the customers chances at happiness, but their greed always interferes. Well, almost always."

He offered his hand to her. "Please believe me."

"I do."

Small smiles crossed their faces as they entered the wedding hall together, hand in hand. He'd deal with his father later.

Cheers greeted them, though some of the guests were still confused as to why Eliza had been crying. As concerned guests crowded Eliza, D slipped into a corner and opened his suitcase. An instant later, animals were everywhere, just as if they had always been there. Cats purring around table legs, lizards on windows, frogs ribbiting their praises.

"I'd be crying if I was getting married to that guy, too." Leon commentated noisily as he progressed in his goal of consuming the entire buffet.

"Mr. Orcot!" D, after making sure Eliza was alright, confronted his…best man. "This is a wedding, not a casino!"

The detective was dressed in a normal suit with a loud, lime-green shirt and pink tie. As usual, Leon showed absolutely no taste or fashion sense in D's presence.

"What! I got dressed up!"

Jill, who was sitting next to Leon and holding the hand that was not covered in greasy chicken, chuckled. Leon smiled, briefly kissed Jill on the lips, and took another two swigs of his beer.

"Please, try to refrain from intoxicating yourself."

"C'mon, D. It's your wedding! Lighten up!"

Leon glanced around and realized that the place was, literally, a zoo. He chuckled as D strode off. How typical of D to bring his animals to the wedding.

The wedding went well, at least according to D and Eliza. The priest was able to wed them, despite the excited roar of animal (and people) noises. The balls of rice (the only thing Leon hadn't eaten) tasted wonderful, and Eliza's employer had showed up midway through with the wedding cake, a delicious blend of sugar, caramel, and icing. Though Leon had been a bit confused as to his role in the wedding process ("Dude, am I supposed to follow the trail of your dress?" "It's a sash!"), the wedding had gone rather well.

When the priest had said "You may now kiss the bride", it was awkward for both of them. Instead, they embraced each other. Hugs were a better show of emotion anyway. After the wedding ended and the guests left, D looked at his bride with a small smile. How strange. He was actually married to one of the creatures he was trying to exterminate. She wouldn't live very long, but at least she would be living with him, in his shop.

"Eliza, it's time we go home."

She smiled as they walked together out the door and back to the pet shop.

Well? What did you think? It's not the end! (Though all conflict has basically ceased). There will be a fun "Eliza meets the pets/has to learn to live with D" chapter. Anyway, what did you think of the wedding scene? D's father wrecking the relationship was obvious, but I wasn't sure of how to do the reconciliations scene. Was D in character (I mean, if he was going to marry a human and such)? Thanks! Please review!