SPARKZ - Anything but Traditional

by Beez' Nezt

The wedding of the year is here! Miko Nakadai and Rafael Esquivel are ready to walk down the aisle, but will they survive the journey getting there?

12. Chapter 12 - MIZU NI NAGASU

"Rafael Jorge Gonzales Esquivel…what is going ON in here?!"

Mrs. Esquivel stood at the doorway to Raf's room and stared hard into the eyes of her youngest son as he smiled innocently back at her.

Raf managed to keep his voice steady and answered, "Study group."

Narrowing her gaze, she quickly scanned the room and its other three occupants. Right away she recognized Raf's friends Jack and Miko, but she didn't know the rather beefy man seated near the doorway.

"Study group?" she echoed, the edges of her mouth curling upwards slightly. Raf awkwardly cleared his throat, doing his best to hide a frightened whimper. He was familiar with most of his mother's expressions, and he knew with all certainty that the one displayed upon her face was anything but a smile.

Mrs. Esquivel slowly folded her arms across her chest and casually leaned against the doorframe.

"Interesting…and what, pray tell are you all studying this fine evening? I see that my son Rafael has a copy of Padre Kino's historical memoirs, Jack seems to be enjoying a manual on how to handle heavy machinery, Miko is engrossed in a textbook on quantum physics, and this gordo hombre is valiantly attempting to read an upside-down children's book about Sport Billy."

"Now then…" Raf's mother flashed a toothy grin that would give pause to a great white shark. She stepped into the room and everyone reflexively scooted away from her. "…shall we try this again?"

Having been reared by the indomitable June Darby, the time and trial of teenage experience had taught Jack one invaluable lesson: when to speak and when to hold his tongue. Painfully aware that it would be folly to say anything at this point, he remained quiet and pretended to focus his attention on the three colorful 1st place Science Fair rosette ribbons displayed on a nearby wall.

Refusing to be intimidated by anything or anyone, Miko summoned every iota of her inner bravado and bluster.

"Well, Mrs. E…it's like this. Y'see…"

Mrs. Esquivel sighed and held up her hand, not in the mood for any of the girl's bolshie foolishness. Miko capitulated, reluctantly closing her mouth.

Raf's mother then turned menacingly to face Agent Fowler. A thin sheen of nervous perspiration began to bead across his forehead.

"By the way, I would have appreciated it if you had at least replaced the roll of TP when you visited the restroom earlier."

Fowler gulped.

"I know all of Rafael's teachers from his school, but I don't recognize you. So…who are you?"

…

"…who is this, again?"

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Nakadai." Fowler summarily bowed to Miko's parents, followed by politely offering them a business card pulled from his coat pocket. "Special Agent William Fowler, at your service."

"A bad omen is who and what you are, Agent Fowler!"

Fowler smiled amicably, "Now, Mrs. Esquivel…that's being a little bit harsh, don't you think?"

"Oh, really…? As I recall, when we first met you tried to make me believe you were part of a school study group! I am not estupido, you know! After I called your bluff you finally came clean and told me and my husband the truth, about how Rafael and Jack had accidently stumbled onto something they shouldn't have…"

He nodded gravely, "Yes, they had discovered the existence of an extremely dangerous foreign power that the world's governments, up until that point, had managed to keep secret."

Mr. Nakadai frowned, "Nanda? 'Foreign power…?' Wait, did Miko know about any of this?"

"Unfortunately, your daughter got caught up in the whole ugly mess shortly after the boys."

Miko's father demanded, "Miko was in trouble and we weren't told anything? Why?!"

Fowler sighed, "Trust me when I say I had to wade through a whole lot of red tape just to get permission to tell you this much. In the interests of international security, my superiors had deemed it necessary to maintain absolute secrecy. They reasoned that the fewer individuals who knew about what was really going on, the better. At any rate, as soon as I learned that the kids had gotten involved, I attempted to place them into protective custody, but my…um, colleagues reasoned that they'd be much safer with them. All three kids were assigned guardians who secretly watched over them 24-7. That way they were allowed to resume their normal lives…well, mostly normal."

Mrs. Esquivel snorted, "And we all know how well that worked out, si?"

Fowler sighed again and explained to the Nakadais, "The enemy in question had been testing a new weapon of mass destruction and in the process managed to locate where Raf lived. That was the night I first met his family. Thankfully, we were able to get everybody out of there and relocated to a new home before anything bad happened."

"But bad things continued to happen, didn't they?"

Closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, Fowler replied, "If you're talking about when Jasper was destroyed by the meteor…"

Mrs. Esquivel abruptly snapped, "¡No me digas mentiras! We saw your people during the town's evacuation, so it wasn't hard to put two and two together! That 'meteor strike' was just another cover story, wasn't it?! Don't deny it, we know you were involved!" She angrily jabbed her finger against Fowler's chest and snarled, "Twice now we have lost everything and had to uproot our lives because of you, Agent Fowler…twice!"

"I-I'm sorry for that, Mrs. Esquivel…truly I am."

Mr. Gonzales, who had kept his silence up until now, finally spoke up.

"You must admit, Señor…you do always seem to be around when bad things happen."

Fowler chuckled and said, "It does seem that way, doesn't it? Still, I can't help but remember one important detail."

"And what is that, Agent Fowler?"

"We're all still alive. If it hadn't been for your children the enemy would very likely have won, and please believe me when I say that would have been a very bad thing. Raf, Miko and Jack all provided invaluable assistance in stopping the bad guys, which is precisely why I asked the kids to continue working for me. Starting out they were technically still underage and could only serve as consultants while completing their college education at a special government university, but after that - !"

"Wh-where is Rafael, Agent Fowler?" Mrs. Esquivel had suddenly grown very pale, her eyes filling with frightened tears. She trembled as she stammered, "M-my husband was right…y-you only show up when something t-terrible has happened…"

Mrs. Nakadai immediately caught on to what she was implying and worriedly whispered in a small, hushed voice, "M-Miko…!"

"Hang on, if you all will please listen for a moment…"

Mrs. Esquivel could not contain herself any longer and explosively cried out, "WHERE IS RAFAEL?! WHERE IS MY SON?!" When no answer was immediately forthcoming she burst into tears and buried her face against her husband, sobbing loudly into his chest.

Choking back his own tears, Mr. Gonzales quietly asked, "Señor, por favor…the policía told us that Rafael and Miko were here. Tell me…I-I can take it. Are-are they…?"

"…perfectly safe, I promise. However…"

"What? What is it?!"

"Raf has gotten himself into a bit of a…well, a situation and needs your help."

"Anything! Please, Agent Fowler, whatever we can do…"

"That's good to hear. He's waiting for you now."

Mr. Gonzales and Mrs. Esquivel blinked in surprise.

"He…he's waiting for us?"

Fowler nodded curtly and replied, "Follow me, please."

As Fowler led Raf's parents away, Miko's father cast aside all pretense of politeness and impatiently shouted, "Oi, chotto matte kudasai! What about our daughter? Where is Miko?!"

"Mr. and Mrs. Nakadai…?"

Startled by the sound of the unexpected voice, the Nakadais whirled about and gasped out loud in spite of themselves. Standing before them they beheld a tall, statuesque young woman. A fleeting look of timidity ghosted across her incredibly lovely features, her dark complexion suggesting that she might be from India. Wearing a stunning azure dress that only complimented the smooth curves of her lithe figure, she self-consciously brushed back a stray lock of her long ebony hair that cascaded down her back. Her unearthly sapphire blue eyes glittered beneath a sparkling bindi on her forehead that almost seemed to glow. Bowing gracefully, she smiled and spoke in perfect, strangely musical Japanese.

"Shitsurei shimasu. Hajimemashite, Arcee desu. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu."

Mr. Nakadai frowned, "Arcee? What kind of name is - ?"

"Anata!" Mrs. Nakadai scolded, cutting her angry eyes at her husband. He huffed as they both returned the bow.

Miko's mother straightened back up and apologetically said, "Gomen nasai! We are just very worried about our daughter Miko! Please, Arcee-san…do you know where she is…?"

The woman named Arcee smiled again and replied, "Hai. In fact, she has been looking very forward to seeing you."

"She…she has?"

"I will be happy to take you to her."

Extremely appreciative of Arcee's kindness, Mrs. Nakadai bowed repeatedly and almost gushed as she replied, "Domo arigatō gozaimasu! Go shinsetsu ni dōmo!"

When her husband did not immediately bow alongside her, Mrs. Nakadai borrowed a page from Mrs. Esquivel's book and firmly elbowed Mr. Nakadai square in the ribs. Through gritted teeth she sweetly asked, "Sou ne, Anata?"

Wincing while he rubbed his sore ribs, Mr. Nakadai complied and hurriedly bowed as well.

Acting like she hadn't seen a thing, Arcee motioned for Miko's parents to follow her.

As they walked behind Arcee, Mr. and Mrs. Nakadai couldn't help but notice that they weren't going the same way as Raf's parents. Instead they were directed down a different path, around the opposite side of the old mission.

Along the way they passed by several parked vehicles, an odd assortment to say the least: an olive green armored off-road truck, an ivory Lancia Fenomenon Stratos Concept sportscar, a bright red McLaren 12C supercar with fiery gold detailing, a crimson Aston Martin One-77, and a deep violet Cadillac Ciel. They were all parked facing towards the wide central part of the ancient structure, which had been covered and completely concealed by a huge tarp.

Wondering about what lay beneath the yards of plastic sheeting, Mr. Nakadai broke his customary stoic silence and asked, "Sumimasen, I am curious…are you working on restoring this place?"

Arcee glanced back at him and smiled mysteriously, "Something like that."

Miko's perplexed parents fell silent and chose to let the matter rest as they continued following Arcee, soon rounding the corner of the far edge of the building and disappearing out of sight. Had they lingered for another moment they would have been surprised to hear the parked vehicles begin to talk.

"Psst! Are they gone yet?"

"Uhhh…I think so, Jackie."

"Thank the AllSpark! After Doc Ratchet 'bridged us here, I've had a rock wedged in my gears that's been driving me CRAZY!"

Wheeljack strained for a moment and managed to blow the offending pebble out of his exhaust. The explosive pop sounded like a cross between a backfire and somebody breaking wind.

"Ahhh…that's better."

"Better watch out, Jackie. That might be considered air pollution."

"Hey, I'm just helping rebuild the Earth's ozone layer, 'Bulk!"

"Would you two keep it DOWN, for Primus' sake? Scrap, I thought I was the loud one of the group!"

"Just so long as everyone recognizes that I am the best-looking one of this so-called winning team. Ugh, can't these fleshies hurry up and get this show on the road? All this harsh desert air can't be good for my lustrous finish!"

"Will you please be QUIET already about your stupid finish? I'm starting to wish my chassis was still laid up on Cybertron rather than have to listen to you blow your own horn about yourself, Knock Out…"

"Don't be a hater, Hot Rod. You'd look terrible in green."

"Shh! Number one rule of being an Autobot, Knock Out: always keep a low profile."

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Why are we all here again?"

"I'll tell you why we're here, Steve. We're here today because we were invited to honor one of our own. Miko Nakadai, the very first human member of the Wreckers, is being thrown away."

"Hang on a nanoklik. I thought the expression was she's being GIVEN away, Wheeljack. Something about a weeding…?"

"WEDDING. Honestly, you Autobot simpletons are hopeless."

"I am so confused."

"S'okay, rookie. This is kinda all new to us, too."

"N-not to ME…!"

"Oh, scrap. Here we go again."

"Shh! Keep it down, you guys…"

"You're not leaking lubricant again, are you? C'mon, Bulkhead! Mech up!"

"Seriously, you're getting too loud! Someone's gonna hear - !"

"Keep it together, big guy! You can handle this!"

"No, I CAN'T handle it! M-my little girl is…is…WAAAAAHHH!"

…

"…aaand long story short, that's how Raf and Miko stumbled across this old mission."

As he led Raf's parents down the narrow hallway, Fowler huffed and used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow. Even after living in the arid climate of Jasper, Nevada for several years he still wasn't used to the oppressive heat in Mexico.

"We recently had some historians come out here so they could take a look at the place. They all agreed that it's very possibly an undiscovered mission set up by Father Kino."

Mr. Gonzales replied, "I thought this place looked similar to some of Kino's other missions. Dime, was the building badly damaged when it was found? I assume that's the reason for that large tarp we passed by earlier…"

Mrs. Esquivel rolled her eyes and interrupted, "Papa, don't you think we should be focusing on our son instead of a dusty old building?"

"Lo siento, Mama. Tienes razón."

Raf's mother turned to glare at Fowler, dissecting him with her intense gaze and watching for any sign of untruthfulness.

"So…after their car broke down in the middle of the desert, you're saying that they wandered here and stayed until help arrived?"

Putting on his best poker face, Fowler replied, "That's the official report, ma'am."

"Yes, but is it the truth?"

Fowler forced a nervous smile, secretly thanking his lucky stars that his alleged 'official report' had wisely left out the part about where Raf and Miko had almost died.

Fortunately for Fowler, Raf's father came to the rescue.

"Now now, mi amor…I'm sure Agent Fowler has told us everything he can. Isn't that right, Señor?"

Grateful for the assist, Fowler nodded and continued, "Anyway, as I was saying earlier, it was both Raf and Miko who rediscovered this place. Because of that, the Mexican government and the local historic preservation groups were gracious enough to grant us its use, especially in light of such an important occasion."

Suddenly confused by his words, Raf's parents frowned.

"What occasion?"

Fowler did not answer the question. Instead he stopped in front of a closed door and said, "We're here."

Fixing Raf's parents with a no-nonsense expression, Fowler said, "Raf is on the other side of that door. Now listen…when you see him, try to be supportive. The poor kid's been through an awful lot the past several hours. More than ever, he needs you by his side."

Raf's parents nodded solemnly and prepared for the worst. Without even realizing they were doing it, they both held their breath as Fowler reached out and opened the door.

The old hinges creaked as the door was slowly pulled back. Passing by Fowler they entered the tiny room and apprehensively asked, "R-Rafael…?"

Raf turned around to face his parents as he fastened the last button on his father's guayabera. He smiled sheepishly and said, "Well, it's a little big…"

…

"So you were one of the guardians who had protected our children, Arcee-san?"

As they moved down a separate corridor, Arcee nodded to Mrs. Nakadai and answered, "Yes, I was assigned to look after Jack."

"Jack? Ah, sou desu ka…I remember now. We briefly met him years ago at Miko's high school graduation. We didn't have much time to speak but from what I recall he seemed to be a very responsible young man."

"That's very kind of you to say, Mrs. Nakadai. Naturally I agree with you, but then again I am a bit biased when it comes to Jack."

Mrs. Nakadai smiled as she quirked a curious eyebrow, being well-versed in the art of reading between the lines.

"Arcee-san, I-I hope that you will forgive me for saying so, but…"

"Yes…?"

"…you aren't exactly the type of person one expects when meeting a tough government agent."

Arcee smirked slightly and replied, "Jack is fond of saying that we are all more than meets the eye. Trust me when I say I'm living proof of that statement." She stopped abruptly and said, "This is it."

Miko's parents gulped anxiously as they stared at the dusty old door. Their hands twitched and fidgeted, not knowing how to proceed from here.

Arcee bowed and said, "Koko de mattete kudasai. I will return in just a moment."

Before she could open the door, Mr. Nakadai reached out and gently stopped her.

"Arcee-san?"

"Yes?"

"Ano…" He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as he shuffled his foot around, eventually working up the nerve to quietly say, "…aregatai desu."

Arcee smiled warmly and replied, "You are very welcome."

Turning on her heel she entered the room, closing the door behind her.

"Is that you, Arcee?"

Arcee looked over at the hastily-erected privacy screen on the far side of the room and answered, "Yeah, it's me."

"Are they here yet?"

"They just arrived. They're waiting outside the door now. By the way, thanks for the crash course in Japanese introductions."

Arcee happened to glance at a nearby mirror and frowned at her reflection. She breathed in deeply, exhaling slowly as she willed herself calm. Still uneasy about using her Holocloak once again, the love of Jack Darby's life closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift, hoping to find some happy thoughts somewhere within her neural net. What she found instead was the memory of a conversation she had only hours ago, when she had told Jack of her intentions to use the Holocloak and how he had been the picture of equability as he calmly voiced his reservations...

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"

"Jack, we promised to help Raf and Miko any way we could, remember? Well, they want us to be in the wedding…BOTH of us!"

"Don't they think having a motorcycle in a wedding ceremony might raise a few eyebrows?"

"Jack, be serious…"

"I AM BEING SERIOUS!"

"Jack…"

"Well, please EXCUSE me for being a little bit concerned about the woman I love! Hey, since we've obviously thrown common sense out the window, while we're at it why don't we just go ahead and get married along WITH them! That way, we could have two weddings AND a funeral!"

"Calm down, Jack. Listen, there's no need for you to worry. I'm taking along some extra Energon rations, just in case!"

"And you might STILL run out of energy! 'Cee, that thing almost KILLED you the last time you used it! What makes this any different?"

At the time Arcee didn't have an answer for her beloved Sparkmate. She still didn't. All she could do was put on a brave front and hope for the best.

"Everything okay out there?"

Arcee blinked, abruptly snapping back to reality. She sighed as she produced a small flask of glowing Energon and gazed at it for several seconds.

"Juuust in case." she muttered, right before draining its contents.

Her bright eyes glowed momentarily before returning to normal. Arcee breathed a little easier, already feeling more energized.

"Arcee…? Are you all right?"

"Nothing I can't handle. I was just taking my medicine."

"Oh…right. Sorry."

"No problem. What about you? Ready to get this party started?"

"There's no time like the present!"

Arcee moved to open the door and once again she was stopped.

"Umm, Arcee? You did remember to dress for the occasion, didn't you?"

Arcee facepalmed and chuckled, "Scrap. I'd forget my head if it wasn't bolted on…literally."

Arcee concentrated and her holographic appearance shifted, her clothing instantly transforming from an elegant dress to a dark-colored kimono. The image of her hair also changed, and within instants she sported a gorgeous Japanese hairstyle where her ersatz locks were tied in the back, complete with holographic flowers to accent the look.

The transformation complete, Arcee opened the door and stepped out before bowing to Miko's parents.

Motioning for them to enter the room, she smiled and politely said, "Douzo."

Nervously the Nakadais entered, waiting until the door was completely closed behind them before speaking.

Mr. Nakadai could barely contain his confusion as he urgently demanded, "She was only gone for a minute! How did Arcee-san change so quickly?"

"Shh!" His wife nodded in the direction of the privacy screen and whispered, "Listen!"

The Nakadais heard the sound of hushed voices, one intimately familiar to them.

"Are you finished yet?"

"Stop rushing me, I've never done this before. I'm used to painting calavera makeup, remember?"

"Just hurry, please."

"No te preocupes tanto. Well…all things considered, not too bad a job if I do say so myself."

"Thank you. I really appreciate everything."

"De nada, amiga. I'll see you again in a few minutes."

A young woman about Miko's age suddenly appeared from behind the privacy screen. Miko's parents blinked in surprise, noting that she was dressed in the white and red robes of a Shinto shrine maiden. They immediately bowed, silently thinking that she seemed strangely familiar somehow.

She said nothing but grinned as she awkwardly bowed, quickly edging past them and hurriedly making her way out the door.

Mrs. Nakadai suddenly started as she recognized the young woman. She wondered aloud in Japanese, "Matte, Rafaeru no imoto to iu kotodeshita? Kanojo no namae wa nandesuka?"

"Ahem! Yes, that was Raf's sister, and her name happens to be Pilar."

Following the sound of the familiar voice, they moved towards the screen. Summoning all their courage, the Nakadais slowly peered around the edge of the partition, nearly fainting at what they saw.

Awaiting them was an unforgettable vision of beauty that they would remember for the rest of their days. Adorned in an exquisite white wedding kimono and her face painted stark white in the traditional manner, she seemed almost like an angel in appearance. A brilliant shaft of sunlight chose that particular moment to pierce through a large crack in the ceiling overhead and helped complete the angelic image, causing a halo of light to surround her until she shone like the sun.

Gazing back at her parents, Miko wickedly grinned, "'Bout time."

…

It took Raf's parents only a fraction of a second before they abruptly lunged forward and enveloped their son in the biggest bear-hug in recorded human history. The tiny room was filled to overflowing with the sounds of their loud sobs of relief.

"RAFAEL!"

"YOU'RE ALL RIGHT! ¡GRACIAS A DIOS!"

"¡LO SIENTO MUCHO! CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE US?!"

Mrs. Esquivel suddenly pulled away from the embrace and smacked Raf on the back of his head.

"OW! Mama, what…?"

"¡Estoy muy furioso! I have been worried sick about you! Don't you ever make me worry like that again, comprendes?"

"M-Mama…"

"Don't interrupt! Escucha, I understand that you have been through a great deal, but disappearing like that was very unlike you, Rafael. Do you have any idea how many people have been looking for you…?"

"Mama, if you'll just listen - "

"…the whole town! Seriously Rafael, I…" She stopped in her tracks, finally taking a closer look at him.

Mrs. Esquivel frowned and asked, "Why are you wearing your father's guayabera?"

Raf blinked incredulously and smirked, "Mama…really?"

Mr. Gonzales started to chuckle, attempting to hide it at first but giving up just as quickly.

His wife glared at him and asked, "What is so funny?"

Naturally, this prompted him to lose control and roar with laughter. Raf began to snicker as well, joining in with his father.

Still oblivious, Mrs. Esquivel began to fume. Angrily she demanded, "¿Qué es tan gracioso?! If you two know what's good for you, one of you had better start explaining pronto!"

Mr. Gonzales finally began to regain his composure, shaking his head as he ruffled his son's spiky hair and murmured, "…pequeño diablo inteligente…!" Finally he wiped away a stray tear and looked at his wife.

"Mi amor, have you not yet guessed?"

"Guessed what?"

His eyes twinkled with happiness as he answered, "Our son is getting married!"

Mrs. Esquivel fell silent for a moment. She looked again at the intricately-pleated shirt that Rafael was wearing. Her eyes widened dramatically as all the pieces fell into place and she cried, "Oh, no he's NOT!"

"MAMA!"

"¡Sé razonable!"

"I-I don't understand, Rafael…how can you still be intending to marry that-that girl after she ran away like she did? Ella no es de fiar! Have you ever seen the movie Runaway Bride? Trust me, you do not want to end up like poor Richard Gere!"

Raf breathed in deeply and said, "Mama, I want you to listen to me."

Something in his resolute tone managed to get through to his frantic mother. She collected herself and focused intently on her son.

"I am marrying Miko and that's all there is to it."

"But - !"

"No if's and's or's or but's, Mama."

"…R-Rafael…!"

"Mama! This is happening. Pero no te resistas, acéptalo."

Mrs. Esquivel gazed deep into Raf's eyes, seeing an unexpected steel that she hadn't noticed before, one that would never bend, never break.

Eventually she said, "You…you sound so sure of yourself."

"I haven't been more certain of anything else in my entire life. I love her, Mama…and she loves me."

She continued to study his determined expression, noting that it refused to waver under her penetrating stare.

She blinked and calmly spoke his name, "Rafael."

Bracing himself, Raf sighed and answered, "Yes, Mama…?"

"In all your eighteen years, you have never once stood your ground like this before."

In spite of himself, Raf gulped, "Y-yes…?"

His mother snorted, "Hmp. It certainly took you long enough."

Mr. Gonzales sighed in blissful relief.

As their son started to grin, a tiny satisfied smile began to spread across Mrs. Esquivel's face…a real smile, this time.

"Perhaps…perhaps Miko is the one for you, after all."

Raf's father felt his heart overflow with pride. He clasped his arm around Raf's shoulders and said, "Estoy orgulloso de ti, hijo mío."

"Gracias, Papa." Raf's smile quickly vanished in a huff as he awkwardly attempted to adjust his father's ill-fitting wedding shirt. Worriedly he asked, "Do you think the guayabera looks too big on me…?

Mr. Gonzales laughed, "You'll be okay. You always did wear your clothes a little on the loose side!"

"That's because practically everything I wore were hand-me-downs!"

Raf's father squeezed him tight in a reassuring one-armed hug and said, "Trust me, my son…you look good. Muy macho."

Raf didn't have the chance to reply to his father. Without warning his mother suddenly wrapped him in her arms and proceeded to hug the mierda out of him.

"Mi pequeño hombrecito! You are getting married!"

Raf chuckled, "I thought we had already established that…!"

"…and you are wearing your father's guayabera! That must mean you decided to have a traditional Mexican wedding! I knew Miko would eventually come around…!"

"Wait, what?"

"…and the ceremony is being held at a proper Catholic church! ¡Alabado sea el señor! ¡Es un milagro! Oh, I am so happy!"

Gesturing at the surrounding walls, Mr. Gonzales grinned, "I must admit, that was a nice little touch, Rafael…"

Before Raf could say anything otherwise, there was a knock on the door.

Fowler appeared and said, "Everybody? It's time."

…

"H-how do I look?"

Struck speechless, Miko's parents stared in wide-eyed wonder at their daughter. At first glance they almost didn't recognize her.

Not in their wildest dreams had they had ever expected to see Miko, a hyperactive hard-rocking rebel without pause, calmly seated and willingly wearing a traditional Japanese shiromuku. The wataboshi, an elaborate silk headdress that accompanied the wedding kimono, rested on a nearby table.

Miko's face had been painted white as a declaration of her purity, her hair painstakingly done up in the traditional Japanese Bunkintakashimada bridal style.

To say that she was lovely beyond compare was belaboring the obvious. Miko's parents simply did not have the words to express the depths of their feelings.

The seconds relentlessly ticked by, Miko's uncharacteristically shy question still unanswered. She grew more and more apprehensive, feeling the old fears resurfacing with a vengeance.

She suddenly felt the urge to run.

Miko's mother saw the mounting panic in her daughter's eyes and desperately attempted to give voice to her own overwhelmed emotions.

"Y-you look…you look…"

"…you look beautiful." Miko's father somehow managed to finish for her.

A hesitant smile teased at the corners of Miko's mouth, her worries and fears vanishing like they had never even existed.

"R-really…?"

One unruly curl of bright pink suddenly decided it was unwilling to cooperate and popped out of place, much to Miko's ire. She frowned and said, "Had a little electrical incident yesterday and ever since I can't do a thing with my stupid hair. It took hours just to get it to look this good." She reached up and attempted to coax the curl back into place, and huffed with exasperation when it stubbornly refused to conform.

Mr. Nakadai's mouth twitched as he fought the urge to smile, watching as Miko tried again and again to tuck away the errant lock, only for it to repeatedly spring back out again. He finally walked over to his daughter and held her hand.

"No, no…you should leave it like that."

Miko looked up at him with a confused expression.

He explained, "It is perfect the way it is…just like you, my daughter."

"O-Otosan…!" Miko's eyes immediately filled with happy tears.

Mrs. Nakadai quickly joined her husband and knelt beside their daughter, producing a tissue and gently dabbing at Miko's eyes. She tsked as she gently cautioned her, "Now, now…we don't want your makeup to run, do we?"

Miko's father cleared his throat and looked around the room, saying, "So…this is where you and Rafael have been all this time?"

She nodded nervously and replied, "H-hai, Otosan."

Her mother asked, "Where did you find this wedding kimono, Miko? It's lovely!"

"Welllll…just between us, Agent Fowler and my friends helped with the shiromuku. To be honest, they helped out a lot."

Mr. Nakadai sniffed and said, "Your friends, eh?"

"Gomen, Otosan. Are…are you angry with me?"

Mr. Nakadai abruptly whirled about, an unfamiliar look on his face. It took Miko several seconds to identify it as a look of shame.

Shaking his head Miko's father fell to his knees and said adamantly, "No! No, my daughter…I should be asking you that very same thing! I have been behaving deplorably and I-I am sorry, Miko."

"Otosan…y-you don't have to - "

Suddenly he couldn't hide his tears any longer. He cried, "All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, Miko!" Hiding his face he prostrated himself on the ground before his daughter and loudly wept, "Onegai…forgive me, Miko! I have been a fool of a father!"

Miko struggled to keep her own emotions in check as she reached down and helped her father rise. Lovingly she cupped his face between her hands and said, "Oh, Daddy…I have never been happier than I am right at this very moment."

Mr. Nakadai blubbered, "M-Miko…!"

Fondly Miko whispered, "Otosan, no baka…!"

In response he huffed and harrumphed indignantly, "Who are you calling silly?!"

Miko giggled as her father hurriedly ground the palms of his hands against his face, eliminating any trace of his unseemly display of emotion.

Turning to face her mother, Miko smiled and almost timidly she asked, "Okasan, would you please help me with my wataboshi?"

Wiping away her own tears, Mrs. Nakadai beamed, happy to perform the 'last duty of a mother to her daughter.'

"I…I would be honored."

As his wife helped Miko with her headdress, Mr. Nakadai said, "After all that has happened, I am somewhat surprised that you decided to opt for a traditional Japanese wedding, Miko."

"Yeah, I know. I even managed to surprise myse - whaaa-aaat?!"

"Please, do not misunderstand. I am very happy you made this decision." He chuckled, "Yokatta…I had been praying that young Rafael would eventually come around!"

Mrs. Nakadai chimed in, "You and Rafael will bring honor to both our families, Miko."

Before Miko could protest and set the record straight, there was a knock at the door.

Arcee entered and bowed. Gracing them all with a stunningly bright smile, she said, "It's time."

…

"…so don't think that any of this has put you in my good graces! You're not off the hook yet, Agent Fowler! Just remember, I'm watching you!"

As he led them down another hallway, Fowler sighed, "Yes, ma'am."

Raf snickered and murmured to Fowler, "Don't worry, sir. I know my Mama, and she's definitely beginning to warm up to you!"

"I am NOT!" She scowled as she fluffed her hair and said, "The least you could have done was give us the opportunity to freshen up a bit first! We've been up all night!"

Mr. Gonzales nudged against her and murmured, "You look beautiful, mi amor."

"Papa, are you sure it's not too much trouble for you to be my best man?"

"What a silly question! I would have been offended if you hadn't asked me!"

Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps echoing through the halls, thundering louder and louder as they rapidly approached. From out of nowhere Jack Darby appeared and skidded to a stop, panting slightly as he attempted to catch his breath.

"S-sorry I'm late, everyone!"

Fowler raised an eyebrow and asked, "Cutting it a little bit close, aren't we?"

Adjusting the collar of his dress shirt, Jack huffed, "I said I was sorry. Had to take care of a few last-minute details for the wedding, y'know?"

Fowler chuckled, "I'm just messing with you, Jack." The two men briefly embraced as Fowler said, "Good to see you, Son."

Jack smiled and replied, "You too, Dad."

Watching the exchange, even Mrs. Esquivel felt her hardened heart soften a bit more towards Agent Fowler. Raf had once told her what little he knew about his friend Jack's troubled past, and to see the young man in such good spirits today spoke volumes about Fowler's positive influence on his life.

Motioning to Jack's dark sunglasses, Mr. Gonzales asked, "Is…something wrong with your eyes, Jack?"

Jack shrugged, "I have a rare eye condition. Also, the doctors told me my future was so bright I had to wear shades."

Everyone groaned at the terrible joke, eventually yielding to the inevitable as their laughter filled the air. They soon resumed their journey down the hallway.

All seemed well.

That is, until they began to round the corner.

"…so is everybody clear? Otosan and Okasan will be walking with me down the aisle."

"And Pilar…?"

"Pilar is the shrine maiden, remember? Why do you think she's carrying around the big umbrella? Hey, I just realized! That makes her a Miko, too!"

"What are you talking about?"

"'Miko' is the Japanese word for shrine maiden! Now we have two Mikos for the price of one!"

"Scrap, the mind boggles. What about me, then?"

"Oh, that's easy, Arcee! You - YEEEEEK!"

It was mass hysteria at its finest as both groups rounded the corner at the exact same time, coming together in a spectacular collision of culture clash.

Miko's startled shriek propelled everyone into instant action. In a flash the Nakadais both stood protectively in front of their daughter. At the same instant Raf's parents instinctively stood in front of their son. Pilar took no chances and in the blink of an eye she whipped out the large umbrella she had been carrying and opened it, the enormous red canopy completely obscuring Raf's view of the bride.

Looking over his shoulder and peering over the edge of the bamboo and coarse oil-paper umbrella, Mr. Nakadai dryly commented to Pilar, "I know that the wagasa is supposed to help ward off evil spirits, but isn't it also supposed to be unlucky to open one indoors?"

Pilar rolled her eyes and smirked, "Seriously? After all the loco bad luck we've gone through in the last couple of weeks, you're honestly concerned about one little umbrella?"

He chuckled, finding himself liking Rafael's outspoken sister and seeing why Miko was friends with her.

Pilar continued, "The only thing that really would be bad luck was if Raf had actually seen Miko before the wedding and…!"

Time stopped.

There was a sudden silence so loud that it threatened to swallow up the world. Everyone slowly turned to stare accusingly at Raf.

He blinked innocently back at them and asked, "…wh-what?"

"DŌIU IMI DESUKA?"

"¡NO SE HAGA EL INOCENTE! DID YOU SEE HER?!"

Flummoxed, Raf shouted back, "SEE WHO? WHAT ARE YOU ALL TALKING ABOUT?!"

From behind the large umbrella, Miko nervously said, "Th-they're worried you might have seen the bride before the wedding, Raf-kun! Y-you didn't…did you?"

Raf quickly held up his hands and cried, "No…NO! Honestly, I-I was the last one around the corner and didn't see anything but everybody standing there with their arms outstretched! W-well, that and my Papa's backside after I ran into him, b-but…"

Mrs. Esquivel fixed her son with a no-nonsense glare. "You're still hiding something, Rafael. Ahora es el momento de confesar tus pecados y pedir perdón antes de que sea demasiado tarde!"

Raf cheeks began to glow an impressive shade of fiery red as he confessed, "W-well, to be honest…the reason I ran into Papa in the first place was because I had already been looking down."

"Oh, really? Just what were you looking at, Rafael?"

Raf muttered, "I-I was just making extra sure that my shoelaces were still okay!"

Mrs. Nakadai attempted to hide a giggle as her husband snorted, "Perhaps you should consider investing in slip-ons, Rafael-san."

Miko exhaled a huge sigh of relief and laughed, "Well, shut those super-peepers of yours and keep 'em shut, Raf-kun! I'm not taking any chances today!"

Raf complied and sighed again, "Yes, ma'am."

Mr. Gonzales nudged his son and whispered encouragingly, "'How high,' remember?"

"Wait…"

Miko peeked at her father, wondering why he was suddenly frowning.

He repeated, "…wait just a moment. Why is Rafael dressed like that? Why isn't he wearing a hakama?"

Raf facepalmed and muttered, "Ay-yi-yi."

Miko groaned, "Heeere we go again."

Confused, Mr. Gonzales asked, "What is a hakama?"

Mrs. Esquivel put her hands on her hips and demanded, "I have a better question: why isn't your daughter wearing a proper wedding dress?"

Mrs. Nakadai stepped forward and replied, "And just what would you know about proper?"

Wincing at the verbal jab directed at his mother, Raf decided he had better put a stop to this before things got really interesting. Ignoring the danger he dove right into the bear cage, standing between both sets of parents. Taking a deep breath, he valiantly attempted to reason with them.

"Umm, if everybody would please listen for a minute, we have a perfectly good explanation for - !"

All four parents yelled in perfect stereo, "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!"

An unexpected shrill voice froze everyone dead in their tracks.

"ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Everybody turned to see who had spoken. A pale, unassuming woman appeared, calmly walking towards them as she held in her arms a little boy with light brown skin and bright blue eyes. Immediately recognizing her, Mr. Gonzales reflexively took a step backwards.

"S-S-Señora June!"

Glaring at both sets of parents, June Darby-Fowler seethed, "You should all be ashamed of yourselves!"

Mr. Nakadai was unimpressed and demanded, "Wait, who is this woman? Who does she think she is?"

Mr. Gonzales quietly but urgently warned, "T-t-trust me, Señor…she is one lady not to be trifled with!"

June smiled pleasantly and said, "Now then…will someone please tell me what is going on here?"

All at once everybody began to talk, each parent trying to get a word in edgewise as they struggled to explain. Once again, June yelled, "ENOUGH!"

She winced suddenly, reaching up with one free hand as she gingerly massaged her temple.

"Okay, we're going to try this just once more, but this time let's do it one person at a time. All this noise is not helping my headache…"

Unbidden, Raf's mind began to race.

Mrs. Esquivel wasn't deathly afraid of June like her husband and found the nerve to say, "With all due respect, June…you don't understand what we're going through."

June blinked rapidly, saying, "Y-you…you think I don't understand?"

Jack sucked in air and grimaced, "Ah scrap, here we go."

June started laughing loudly and Jack quickly moved away, murmuring to himself, "Ohhh, and now she's laughing …ohhh, this is bad…!"

June abruptly stopped laughing and got in Mrs. Esquivel's face, saying icily, "Let me tell you something. I probably understand better than any of you ever could! I just happen to be a little bit familiar with the concept of culture clash myself. Take my son Jack for example…"

Jack hid his face and groaned, "…aaand now she's singling me out…perfect!"

Arcee snickered at Jack's misfortune, earning a frustrated glare from her Sparkmate.

June continued, "Years ago I noticed that Jack had started acting really strange. I knew he was hiding something, and since he was a teenager at the time I suspected that a girl was probably involved. Turns out I was right! Oh, that was an interesting night to say the least when I first met Arcee…!"

Arcee reacted in alarm, worried that she was now being singled out by June.

Jack smirked, "See? Not so funny when it's happening to you, is it?"

Arcee replied with a death-glare of her own and whispered, "Shut up, Jack."

With the exception of Mrs. Nakadai who had already guessed it, both sets of parents expressed their surprise that Arcee and Jack were actually a couple.

Jack shrugged and responded, "Yeah, we get that a lot."

June sighed, saying, "I can see it like it just happened yesterday…"

…

Midnight.

June huddled herself within the blanket that had been procured for her. She was unable to stop shivering, the thin blanket providing little actual warmth. Jack could clearly see that his mother was still in a slight state of shock. Concerned and feeling more than a little responsible for what had happened, he gently laid a reassuring hand on her trembling shoulder.

Fowler walked up and formally introduced himself, saying, "Mrs. Darby, I'm Special Agent William Fowler. It's time you knew the truth."

June stared blankly ahead, not acknowledging Fowler's presence or anything that he had uttered.

Fowler continued, "For the past several months, Jack has been…interning for me at the Agency."

June instantly snapped out of her daze and glared daggers at Fowler.

Intimately familiar with that one particular look from his mother, Jack acted quickly before she somehow discovered a way to ground the government agent.

"Agent Fowler, Mom's not gonna buy it."

She snorted in agreement, "He's got that right."

The now-familiar sound of clanking armored pedes interrupted, immediately diverting their attention.

June did not blink as she watched her approach, her attentive gaze passing back and forth between the towering robotic alien woman and her teenage son.

Strange…she had been tased unconscious and abducted by a sinister organization, webbed up in a cocoon and left dangling atop a building, and ultimately confronted with the reality of genuine, bona fide aliens, but in June's mind the most unsettling thing by far was seeing how Jack was looking at…what did Jack call her earlier? Arcee.

In fact, if she didn't know better June would swear Arcee was returning the same look.

Tentatively testing her theory, June asked, "And she would be your…?"

Jack stood and faced his mother as Arcee crouched beside him. June carefully considered the unlikely pair, silently questioning if they were even aware of how intimate their close bond appeared to others.

"Motorcycle…guardian…Autobot…" For a fleeting moment, Jack seemed unsure of what to say next. A tempest of unspoken emotions ghosted across his youthful face before he made his decision, settling on the easy, safe answer.

"…friend."

She smiled, her brilliant eyes glowing as she spoke. "Call me Arcee."

June slowly rose to her feet, still watching her son and his alien companion. She met Arcee's steady gaze with one of her own, a subtle non-verbal exchange taking place before she at last returned the smile.

"Thank you, Arcee."

…

"Even back then I could see that there was definitely something simmering under the surface between Jack and Arcee. Look, I won't lie about it and say I didn't have any reservations about their relationship. I remembered agonizing over it and wrestled with it for weeks…I mean, they were just so different!"

From out of nowhere Miko's cheerful voice chirped, "The way you talk, June, it almost sounds like you thought Arcee was an alien from outer space!"

Raf chided, "Miko!"

June shook her head and smiled, "However, in hindsight I think I may have gone a little bit overboard with the whole protective parent thing."

Jack shook his head and chuckled, "Oh, you think?"

"When I finally accepted that my son's feelings for Arcee weren't changing or going away, that this…this…whatever-it-was between them, was for keeps…well, I-I just couldn't stand in the way."

…

Several days after the incident with M.E.C.H. and Airachnid, June couldn't take it any longer and finally confronted Arcee.

"Jack and I have always been close…especially after his dad left, and I guess it's just…hard to accept that all that's changing. I mean, I knew it would someday, but…you're not quite the type of girl I thought Jack would be ditching me for."

June had phrased it as a feeble attempt at humor, but the look she gave Arcee was clear.

Arcee smiled knowingly. She knew exactly what June was getting at, and Arcee wanted her to know that she knew. After a moment she finally replied, "I think we've all been a little guilty of staying attached to the way things were."

…

June looked over at Raf and Miko's parents with sympathy shining in her eyes and said, "So you see, I do understand what you're going through. You just have to be careful not to lose sight of what's really important. Look, I can't begin to describe how much easier things got when I decided to accept Arcee for the incredible person that she is, and not how she looked. In fact, I made it a point to learn everything I could about her and her people, and do you know what I found out? We're not all that different! They're an amazing people with a fascinating culture, and from that learning experience I ended up becoming a better person!"

She went on, "In fact, if it hadn't been for Arcee and Jack, I never would have been brave enough to take another chance on love myself."

She reached out and held Fowler's hand, lacing their fingers together. She smiled at how well their joined hands looked as she said, "For those of you who weren't already aware, Special Agent William Thaddeus Fowler is my husband."

She grinned, "Yes, yes…I know. He's black and I'm white. So what? Big deal."

Taking great care to avoid looking in Miko's direction, Raf faced his parents and said, "Mama, you're a full-blooded Mexican, and Papa is part Seri. Does that matter to you?"

Instantly Mrs. Esquivel responded, "Of course not! What kind of person would I be if…if…!" A light clicked on as she got it.

Miko's parents shared a private, knowing glance. After a moment her father cleared his throat and said, "We…we understand as well."

Her mother lowered her face and said nervously, "I-I am Ainu. My people, although native to Japan, are still discriminated against and treated poorly. My husband and I have managed to keep this information a secret, but he is constantly at risk being found out and ostracized by our society…for being married to me, and because of who and what I am."

Mr. Nakadai muttered, "Honestly it never mattered to me…not even once."

She managed to smile lovingly at him before tears of shame filled her eyes. She turned to her daughter and quickly bowed low to the ground. She cried, "M-Miko…I beg you, please forgive me for not telling you the truth!"

Making sure that Raf still wasn't looking her way, Miko helped her mother straighten up and said, "Okasan, kite kuremasen ka? I promise you, I don't care whether or not you're Ainu…you're still my mother! That's all that matters!"

Miko's father reached out and held his wife close, gently gripping her by the shoulders as he murmured, "I told you, didn't I? You were worried all this time for nothing."

Mrs. Nakadai smiled, blinking back her tears.

June sighed happily and said, "See? We may look different but when you get down to brass tacks, we're all human."

Miko happened to be looking in Arcee's direction at that particular moment, and for just an instant she thought she saw an ephemeral expression of hurt pass across her Autobot friend's holographic face. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, but Miko couldn't help but wonder.

Mrs. Nakadai asked, "B-but then…forgive me, I am so confused…exactly what kind of wedding is this supposed to be, then?"

Miko giggled before she winked and said, "You'll see."

Mr. Nakadai scolded, "This is no laughing matter, Miko! Japanese weddings are a strict and serious ritual!"

Miko sighed, "We know, Otosan."

Mr. Gonzales cried indignantly, "¡Oye! Mexican weddings are also a very serious business! We are deeply passionate about marriage, which is why we give weddings such high quality!"

Rubbing his tired eyes, Raf heaved a sigh of his own and said, "We know, Papa."

Mrs. Esquivel snorted, "Oh honestly, Rafael…what would you possibly know about it? Matrimony is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, a declaration of love that is exchanged in the presence of everyone in the community, and - !"

Exasperated beyond belief, Raf's last surviving nerve suddenly snapped.

"I SAID, WE KNOW!"

Raf panted for a few moments, nervously adjusting his glasses as ten pairs of startled eyes stared incredulously back at him.

Finally he managed to catch his breath and said, "Believe me, everybody…Miko and I have gone over every possible aspect of our wedding with a fine-toothed comb. We know exactly how important this is, and we are very serious about it."

Mr. Gonzales frowned, "B-but you still don't even have proper Mexican Madrinas y padrinos!"

Not one to be outdone, Mr. Nakadai added, "Hai! Or Japanese Nakodos, either!"

From behind the cover of the umbrella, Miko said, "Actually, we kinda already have that part covered!"

Mr. Gonzales started, "Q-que?"

Mr. Nakadai also did a double take and stuttered, "Y-you do?"

Mrs. Esquivel walked over to where Miko remained concealed from Raf and asked, "What do you mean, Miko?"

Miko looked up at her and brightly answered, "Me and Raf took care of this yesterday!

Raf grinned and added, "That's right! When we asked Arcee and Jack to be the Madrinas and Padrinos, they were all for it!"

Miko finished, "Plus, Agent Fowler and June were tickled pink when we asked them to be the Nakodos! This way, everybody got to be part of our wedding!"

The parents started to sputter and Miko interjected, impatiently saying, "Look…proper Madrinas and Padrinos are supposed to be mentors, right? They're very special people who have played a vital role in the lives of the bride and groom! During the wedding ceremony they also help by participating in important rituals that bind the couple together! I mean, c'mon! Am I missing anything here?"

Mrs. Esquivel sighed, "Si…I-I mean, no…"

Raf smiled, "And the traditional Nakado is supposed to be the matchmaker, correct? I think the official definition is, 'an older, social superior who helps to guide the couple along until the time of the marriage, and whose purpose is to symbolize what a stable marriage should look like,' I believe?"

Mrs. Nakadai hung her head and replied, "Hai…"

"Well, then! I can't think of anyone who could do a better job at mentoring us than Jack and Arcee! They've demonstrated for years on how to accept and embrace each other's differences!"

"Yeah! There's no one else in the universe who knows better than them on how to make a relationship work, even if they were born worlds apart!"

Mr. Nakadai scratched his head and asked, "Universe? Worlds apart…? Arcee-san is from India, isn't she?"

There was no stopping Miko now. She was on a roll.

"And the same goes for helicopter mom and dad! Sure, they may be a little stiff and overbearing sometimes…"

Fowler snorted, "Gee, thanks, Miko."

"…but they totally rock when it comes to stable marriages! See, we do know what we're doing!"

Just then Padre Marcus appeared, running around the corner before he came to a sudden stop. He was completely out of breath but managed to wheeze, "I-I heard…shouting…! Is…is everything…all right?"

Seeing their parish's Catholic priest garbed in the white linen vestments typically worn for weddings, Raf's parents couldn't help but smirk smugly at Miko's parents. Mrs. Esquivel replied, "It is now that you're here, Padre!"

The Nakadais sighed resignedly. They reluctantly accepted that despite their daughter's appearance, it looked as though it was going to be a traditional Mexican wedding.

That was right about the moment everyone was abruptly joined by yet another surprise visitor, this one rounding the opposite corner, dressed unmistakably in the white robes of a Shinto priest.

Bowing apologetically he said, "Gomen na sai! I am very sorry to be late…"

Straightening up, the priest frowned as he realized that his peaked cap or tate-eboshi had slipped and now covered the majority of his face. He huffed and adjusted the cap, revealing his kindly features. He grinned at Raf and said, "…but you would not believe the traffic out there!"

"CAP!"

Captain Toshio "Cap" Muramatsu chuckled as he greeted his young friend from the airport incident in Tokyo, raising a curious eyebrow at Miko who continued her struggle to remain out of sight from behind the umbrella.

As Miko's parents breathed a stoic sigh of relief at the welcome sight of a Shinto priest, Raf's parents scratched their heads as they attempted to figure out this newest development to the ongoing drama that their lives had become. Mrs. Esquivel couldn't help but notice that Mrs. Nakadai was subtly smirking at her, returning the earlier gesture.

Fowler walked up and bowed to Cap, who summarily returned the bow. They then laughed and shook hands.

Fowler smirked as he said, "'Traffic,' huh? Must've been a beast."

Cap grinned back and deadpanned, "Hai. It was a real kaiju.'" They both chuckled at the inside joke.

"When was the last time you met with your science fiction club, Cap?"

Cap shrugged, "As a matter of fact, we were on a fishing trip just the other week. Ide, Arashi, and even little Hoshino were all there." He sighed, "Unfortunately, Hayata couldn't make it."

Concerned, Fowler asked, "He's all right, isn't he?"

Cap laughed loudly, answering, "Oh, he's in ultra shape…he finally got married to Fuji! They're on their honeymoon!"

The two old friends roared with laughter.

Miko gushed excitedly, "We didn't know that you two knew each other!"

Fowler replied, "Ol' Cap here has been in this crazy game even longer than I have!"

Raf suddenly realized, "Wait, let me get this straight: so in addition to once being a member of some special government organization, you're now doubling as the head of security at the Tokyo International airport and as a Shinto priest?!"

Cap shrugged, "Retirement doesn't agree with me. I prefer to stay active."

Mrs. Esquivel suddenly went pale as she stammered, "Sh-Shinto…?! Espera un momento, por favor. You mean that th-this wedding isn't going to be…?!"

Miko being Miko, couldn't restrain herself if she had tried. From behind the umbrella she innocently inquired, "Raf-kun, did you remember to tell your Mama that we weren't going to have a traditional Catholic ceremony?"

Raf squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. When he opened them again he saw that his mother was gasping for air and looking extremely faint, crossing herself at warp speed.

He groaned helplessly, rolling his eyes as he replied, "Why no, Miko…I hadn't gotten around to that part yet."

Immensely pleased with herself, Miko giggled, "Oh. Oops."

Mrs. Esquivel was on the verge of hysterics as she angrily pointed a shaking finger at Cap and cried, "H-he shouldn't be here! Th-this is supposed to be a Catholic wedding, not some…s-some…!"

Raf gently shushed his mother as he quietly took her aside.

Tearfully she pleaded, "R-Rafael…wh-why…?"

He asked, "Mama, do you trust me?"

She immediately frowned, "What kind of question is that? Of course I trust you. You are my son!"

Raf smiled, "All right, then. In that case, all I'm asking is that whatever happens today, I want you to just roll with it."

She began to protest, "B-but Rafael…!"

Raf smiled again, reassuringly saying, "Remember, Mama…God is everywhere. It wouldn't matter if the wedding was held at a Catholic Church or not. We could have it in an abandoned missile silo or in a secret government hangar or even on another planet! It wouldn't matter because God would still be there!"

"I-I know all that, but…!"

He grinned and continued, "Besides, you should know by now what my beliefs are! You helped raise me, didn't you…?"

"Y-yes…"

Raf suddenly found himself getting emotional as he blinked back his own tears, "…and I will always be very thankful for that! Y-you're my Mama, and I love you…!"

They immediately hugged one another as she cried, "Oh, Rafael…te amo, mi querido hijo!

At the sound of Miko sniffling, Mrs. Nakadai immediately went to the rescue, busying herself with keeping her daughter's makeup from running. Left alone with his thoughts, Mr. Nakadai once more found himself being very impressed with Raf. Before he knew what was happening, Raf's father had joined his side, warmly clasping an arm around his shoulders.

Mr. Gonzales proudly stated, "That's my son, you know."

Mr. Nakadai nodded, "Rafael is an amazing young man." He paused a moment, collecting his thoughts before he breathed in deeply and said, "I…I am sorry."

Mr. Gonzales furrowed his brow and asked, "What for?"

He answered, "For how I have behaved. Ever since yesterday when we arrived here in your country, I have acted like a fool. Please…I ask for your forgiveness." Mr. Nakadai punctuated the apology with a deep bow.

Mr. Gonzales gruffly replied, "Fine, fine. I'll forgive you…but only if you forgive me first."

Puzzled, Mr. Nakadai looked up at him.

Raf's father chuckled and explained, "What, you think you're the only one who feels bad about everything? I'm just as big a fool as you!"

Straightening up, Miko's father couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

"You and I really did almost make a mess of things, didn't we?"

Mr. Gonzales barked a loud laugh. "That's for sure!"

"Well, at least the worst is finally behind us. Yesterday was…" Mr. Nakadai trailed off and paused as he reflected on his own words. He smiled again and said, "You know, that would explain an awful lot."

"What are you talking about?"

"According to the Japanese almanac, yesterday was Butsumetsu, traditionally the most unlucky day to do anything of significance." His smile became a broad grin as he said, "But today…today is Taian, which is a very lucky day in Japan. Taian means 'Great Peace,' and it is the finest day possible for weddings to be held!"

Raf's father started to laugh, saying "Well that's certainly a relief! I was starting to get worried!"

"Why is that?"

"Because! Today is the 13th, and we all know how lucky that number can be!"

Both men began laughing uproariously, happily realizing in spite of their supposed luck, whether bad or good, that everything had worked out for the best.

Both sets of parents gazed at one another and felt a final lasting peace wash over them. All this worry and angst over the wedding simply wasn't worth it.

Besides, wasn't their kids' happiness all they really wanted?

Raf's mother kissed her son's cheek before facing Cap.

"I apologize for what I said to you earlier."

Cap smiled warmly and replied, "You know, in Japan we have an old saying: Mizu ni nagasu." He paused dramatically and then said, "The literal translation is, 'let the water flow,' but put another way it means, 'water under the bridge.'"

She returned the smile, nodding with understanding.

"Forgive and forget."

Then she frowned slightly and added, "But…but I still don't understand. Exactly what kind of wedding is this going to be, then?" She motioned towards Father Marcus and asked, "Is this a Mexican Catholic wedding or…" She returned her questioning gaze to Cap and gulped nervously, "…o-or a Japanese Shinto wedding?"

Marcus smirked good-naturedly and nodded at Raf and Miko.

"Neither. This is going to be their kind of wedding."

Cap smiled kindly and offered, "We Japanese have another old saying: Issun saki wa yami. It means, 'Expect the unexpected.'"

"You have a funny hat!"

Bemused, Cap looked in the direction of the high-pitched little voice. His searching gaze finally settled on the tiny child being held in June's arms.

He chuckled and walked over to them before bowing and saying, "Why, thank you very much. I think it looks funny, too. In fact, my name is Cap. What is your name?"

When the child bashfully hid his face, June grinned and answered for him. "This is Orion. He's my handsome little grandson."

Cap smiled, "It is pleasure to meet you, Orion-san."

Mrs. Nakadai started as she suddenly realized, "Oh! At first I thought he was your son, June-san. Then that means…"

Interjecting, Arcee grinned, "He's all mine!"

Jack frowned, "Hey! I had a little something to do with it too, as I recall!"

Orion giggled happily as Arcee took him into her arms. She leaned close to his ear and whispered low so that only he could hear.

"Now remember, Orion…don't forget what we talked about earlier."

Orion blinked his wide blue eyes and asked, "Numbah wun wule…?"

Pleased, Arcee hugged him tight and said, "That's right! Always keep a low profile!"

"'Kay, Mommy!"

Raf approached them and said, "Don't forget, Orion…you have the most important job of all…you're the Ringbearer, little guy!" Handing Orion a small pouch that contained the twin wedding bands, Raf assumed his best Gollum impersonation and growled, "Youuu gets to carry…the Prrrecious!"

Orion laughed, "You talk funny, Unca Raf! Do it again!"

"AHEM!"

All eyes turned to the large red umbrella. Miko's hand was visible, her fingers impatiently drumming along the canopy's outer edge.

"Look…not that the idea of us marching to the land of Mordor doesn't sound awesome, but I've been hiding behind this stupid umbrella long enough! So, unless you want the one ring to rule them all to get mad, you'll hurry up and get this kekkonshiki on the road!"

Father Marcus cleared his throat and said, "I agree, time's a-wasting."

Suddenly June winced again, gently rubbing her temples. Raf saw her grimace in pain and said, "H-hang on just a minute, Padre." He quickly moved next to June and asked, "Mrs. Darby-Fowler? Are you sure you're okay? I know you said earlier that you had a headache, but…"

Fowler immediately stopped what he was doing and listened intently to what was being said.

June shrugged, "I-I'm okay, Rafael. It comes and it goes sometimes. It's the strangest thing…nothing seems to shake it." She smiled wanly, "Thank you for worrying, but you don't need to concern yourself with this right now. You've got much more important stuff on your plate!"

Father Marcus patted Raf on the shoulder and said, "She's right, Rafael. ¿Estás listo?"

Raf reluctantly nodded, "S-si, Padre…as ready as I'll ever be!"

"All right, then! Places, everyone!"

Raf's half of the wedding party quickly assembled in line, gathering in front of a large set of double-doors.

Father Marcus murmured, "Just follow my cues and we shouldn't have any problems." He winked at Raf's parents and said, "Let's get your boy married!"

At that same moment, out of sight from Raf and his family, Cap addressed Miko's wedding entourage. He whispered, "As soon as we hear the appropriate music begin playing, that is our signal to enter. Does anyone have any questions?"

Miko suddenly sucked in air and grimaced, "I guess this would be a bad time to ask to go to the bathroom…?"

Everyone looked at her with alarm before she nearly collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"I'm just kidding! Let's roll out!"

Fowler winked at Raf as he reached for the double doors.

"Last chance, son. After this, there's no backing out."

Raf grinned, "Let's do it."

Everyone held their breath as Fowler turned the knob and swung wide the doors, dramatically revealing…

…that big plastic tarp that covered the central part of the building.

Fowler stared incredulously for a moment before he huffed angrily and pulled out his phone.

After a moment someone answered his call. Fowler put them on speaker and he growled, "Yeah, is this whatshisname?"

A tinny voice hesitantly answered, "Umm…yessir?"

Raf started, "Wait, I know that guy! That's the other agent who gave me the runaround when I was trying to get in touch with you yesterday, Agent Fowler!"

Fowler laughed, "Agent?! What, that idiot? He's no agent, son…he's an intern!"

"He's what?!"

"Yeah! After the incident with the Fallen, General Bryce thought it'd be a good idea to assign me a government aide to help out with picking up the pieces!" Fowler frowned, muttering, "Only thing that ignoramus has helped with is make my life a living h-!" He stopped and caught himself, seeing Father Marcus smiling back at him.

Fowler awkwardly cleared his throat and sheepishly got back on the phone.

"Listen, kid…I want you to think really hard about this before answering. By any chance, is there something you might have forgotten to do? Some tiny, insignificant little detail…?"

Whatshisname replied, "I-I don't think so, sir. Unless I'm mistaken, I believe that I've already taken care of everything you assigned me to do. After the members of the historic society left yesterday, I arranged for the local authorities to begin sequestering our guests, and while that was happening I started making calls to the grocers in the surrounding area in preparation for the reception, and after that, I - !"

Fowler cut him off and yelled, "THE TARP, YOU MORON! YOU FORGOT TO REMOVE THE TARP!"

"The tarp…oh, shoot! The tarp! I KNEW I was forgetting something! Um…m-maybe I should take care of that now, then…?"

Fowler gritted his teeth, saying, "It would certainly help my blood pressure if you did…"

Almost instantly Fowler's signature Bell 212 Huey helicopter appeared in the blue skies above the mission.

Raf asked, "Should we be worried that this guy has a pilot's license?"

Fowler dryly replied, "Probably. Too late to do anything about it now, though."

They watched as the helicopter descended down low until it hovered about a hundred feet above their heads. A long cable with a large hook on the end was slowly lowered by a winch from the Huey. The hook managed to snag a metal ring at the top of the plastic tarp and the helicopter immediately ascended, pulling the tarp up with it. The prodigious piece of plastic sheeting was lifted and flown away, revealing…

…an enormous courtyard, filled to capacity with the rest of Raf's family! A huge cheer erupted from the crowd, echoing throughout the surrounding area as they stood and applauded, welcoming the wedding party.

The parents simply couldn't believe it.

"WHAA-AAT?"

"You guys have been here the whole time?"

Brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and a veritable multitude of cousins all laughed. One chortling in-law began heartily slapping Mr. Gonzales on the back, saying, "It certainly took you long enough to get here!"

Looking around in absolute amazement, Raf's father barked out a laugh, "Dios mio…our whole family is here! When did…how…?"

Raf snickered, "Actually, Agent Fowler took care of everything. With a little bit of help from our friend in the helicopter, he worked with the authorities to secretly corral the family while everyone else was busy looking for us. After they managed to get everybody here, that's when the policía contacted you to bring you guys in!"

Raf's mother scowled, "Hmph! I suppose that Agent Fowler did something right for a change."

Fowler attempted his best conciliatory grin and said, "From you, that's high praise indeed, Mrs. Esquivel. Gracias."

Raf's mother rolled her eyes and huffed, turning to gaze at the courtyard.

The entire courtyard was elegantly decorated with hundreds of pink roses, the lovely flowers filling the air with their fragrant aroma.

Mrs. Esquivel whispered, "Mira este sitio, es precioso…" She was so overcome with emotion that she had to wipe away several tears. She composed herself and asked, "Where were you able to find such beautiful flowers?"

Raf smiled and answered, "They were a last-minute gift from two very good people." His eyes had already been scanning the crowd, and he smiled when he finally found who he was looking for. Miko's host-parents waved energetically back at him, acting oh-so-goofy but ecstatic to be here, finally included as a part of their lives. Raf waved back at them, extremely thankful for all that they had done in so relatively short amount of time.

Finally, Father Marcus nodded and gave the signal to begin. The congregation quickly sat down and from out of nowhere, a mariachi band appeared and began to play the soft, romantic melody of Noel Paul Stookey's 'Wedding Song' for the processional.

Raf took a huge breath as the ceremony began.

Father Marcus was first to walk down the center aisle, followed by Raf and his parents. When they reached the altar, Raf seated his mother and then stood next to his father and Marcus. Jack and Fowler were next to follow, subsequently taking their places standing alongside the other men.

The music faded and an expectant hush came over the congregation.

Father Marcus gestured for the congregation to rise.

Jack nudged Raf and whispered, "This is it, little brother…your last opportunity to make a RUN for it!"

Raf smirked, nudging him back as he grinned, "Not a CHANCE, Jack. Not…a…cha - "

His voice trailed off as the double doors opened once more.

Miko appeared.

"Oh…wow."

Raf was utterly besotted after seeing her. Miko was without a doubt, the most beautiful thing Raf had ever seen in his entire life.

Cap noted Raf's stupefied expression, doing his level best to school his own reaction and not grin like an idiot. He stepped to the forefront of Miko's entourage and nodded, giving the signal to begin.

Unable to ignore her innate curiosity, Miko couldn't refrain from glancing out of the corner of her eye to follow Cap's gaze. She was shocked at the sight of his two assistants from the International airport, both dressed in formal robes and holding ancient Japanese musical instruments in their hands. They quickly joined Cap and began to play.

One played a hichiriki. Its eerie, bending tones created a haunting sound similar to that of a clarinet. Considered a sacred instrument, the hichiriki was a double-reeded flute with a pitch notoriously difficult to master.

The other strummed a yamato goto, a seven-stringed zither. Allegedly it was the only stringed instrument native to Japan, and it was seldom played except during certain Shinto ceremonies.

Cap led the processional, which was called a Sanshin in Japan. He was accompanied by the two musicians, immediately followed by Pilar. Pilar held the large red umbrella over Miko's head, shielding her from the bright morning sun as well as providing traditional protection from evil spirits. Miko was escorted down the aisle by Mr. Nakadai, performing the final act as her father as he prepared to give his only daughter away. Miko's mother followed closely behind.

As Mr. Nakadai stoically made his way to the altar, he noticed with some confusion that the vehicles he had seen earlier were parked in plain view.

Odd…it's almost as if they were watching the wedding, somehow.

Miko attempted to be the picture of Japanese stoicism, walking gracefully beside her father down the center of the aisle. All that flew out the window as soon as she saw Babs and Jonathan. Babs was already crying her eyes out, and Jonathan was giving her an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Miko simply couldn't hold back her elated grin and winked.

She remembered how happy her host-parents had been to hear from her after she had called them late yesterday. That was nothing compared to their reaction when she told them that she was getting married as soon as possible and needed their help. She had asked if Babs would mind if she borrowed some of the pink roses from the flower garden for the wedding. Babs instantly replied that she could have them all if it would help.

Fowler arranged for Miko's host-parents and the pink roses to be specially flown in. Miko's heart was filled to overflowing with gratitude, knowing how they had both refused sleep and had been up all night helping with the flower arrangements.

Finally, the procession ended. Trembling slightly, Miko stood next to her father as they faced Raf at the altar.

Raf beamed as he bowed to Mr. Nakadai, who then returned the bow before placing his daughter's hand in Raf's. Miko's father rejoined her mother and they sat down next to Mrs. Esquivel.

Miko and Raf turned to face the altar, with Miko on the left and Raf on the right.

Father Marcus and Cap stood next to one another and smiled at the congregation, gesturing for them to be seated.

"Buenos días."

"Ohayōgozaimasu."

Father Marcus nodded at Cap, who stepped purposefully towards Raf and Miko. He produced a haraegushi, a wooden wand decorated with shide, or zigzagging paper streamers. He began to chant in Japanese, briskly waving the haraegushi left and right.

There was nervous murmuring amongst the confused crowd. Father Marcus was about to say something before Cap silently got his attention, shaking his head no.

Cap ceased his actions and summarily bowed low before addressing the crowd.

"Minasan, please forgive me. I understand your concerns about allowing me, a kannushi…a Shinto priest, of all things…to assist with this wedding ceremony. I also know that most of you are unfamiliar with the Shinto religion. While I understand your reservations, nevertheless I ask that you give me the opportunity to explain what I was doing."

When there were no objections, Cap continued.

"What I was doing earlier is called Shubatsu no gi. It is an ancient rite in which the wedding couple and the assembled congregation are purified before a Shinto wedding ceremony can begin."

"For those of you who do not know, Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan, focusing on ritual practices that are diligently carried out to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto literally translates to, 'Way of the Gods.' It is culturally ingrained, and its values are a fundamental component of the Japanese mindset."

"Let me assure you that Rafael and Miko share the same core beliefs. First and foremost, their Christian faith is the heart and foundation of their lives and of this wedding. The only reason that I am here is because they wish to honor both their families and their respective cultures by observing tradition."

Father Marcus took point and said, "Rafael and Miko are very wise for their age. They have both made the choice to remember the traditions of Mexico and Japan, learning from the lessons of the past in order to build a better future."

There was additional murmuring in the crowd, this time with much more understanding and acceptance.

Father Marcus continued, "Please don't misunderstand, this isn't going to be a traditional Latino Catholic wedding ceremony."

The congregation immediately reacted with alarm.

Cap quickly added, "Neither will it be a traditional Japanese Shinto wedding ceremony!"

Together they said, "It's going to be both."

Father Marcus smiled, "Tradition is very important, no matter where you come from. Please allow us to give you several examples…"

As Raf and Miko silently faced one another, they both smiled a secretive smile, almost as though they were carrying on a conversation without speaking…

UGHHH…I TOLD you these wedding speeches went on forever!

Be strong, Miko. It can't last for more than another couple of hours or so…

I still can't get over how EASY this is, being able to talk to you without even saying a word! I LOVE how our sparks are finally synchronized properly!

I know, right? B-by the way, Miko…y-you look INCREDIBLE.

Aw, Raf-kun…! I-I know you can't tell with all this goop on my face, but TRUST me when I say I'm blushing like crazy! Oh, and just for the record, you look pretty darn spiffy yourself! You look good in your dad's wedding shirt, Raf. I mean, like REALLY good.

Th-thanks, Miko. I still can't believe you actually went through with it and wore the wataboshi! I wouldn't have imagined you'd EVER want to be seen as demure or obedient or whatnot…!

I'd only be those things for YOU, Raf-kun…and only if HANDCUFFS were involved, naturally!

Raf suddenly felt faint as he desperately tries to hide his physical reaction to Miko's heated words.

Reluctantly, the two young lovers ended their private spark-link and returned their focus to the wedding. The tag-teaming priests were still going at it.

Cap continued, "…and those were only a few brief reasons why we are the way we are."

Father Marcus finished, "Not to put too fine a point on it, it is simply what makes us human."

Miko winced, once again seeing the troubled look steal across Arcee's face. There was no mistaking it this time. Remembering their conversation yesterday, Miko suddenly understood. She knew how sensitive her onēsama was about this subject, and despite everything to the contrary she also knew that Arcee still sometimes felt like an outsider in Jack's world. Even with her holocloak enabling her to walk among humanity without being noticed, Arcee was miserable as she continued to live a lie.

Now the only question Miko had was what she was going to do about that.

Oblivious, Father Marcus smiled and said, "Well, then! I suppose we should get started, then. Normally, this is not even asked anymore at weddings. However, in light of tradition being upheld…if there is anyone present who objects to this man and this woman coming together in holy matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Silence.

Until…

"Umm, actually…"

Shock filled the entire courtyard as everyone present watched Miko slowly raise her hand.

TO BE CONTINUED!