A Nautilus Production

By Capt. Nemo

Okay folks, time for chapter 3. I hope that I can keep this up.

Anyway,

On with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ah, My Goddess.

The engagement Ring, Chapter 3

Battle plans.

Dinner that night was the best that had ever been eaten in the temple, and now everyone was relaxing. Keiichi and Belldandy's father where outside looking at the stars while the women were inside talking.

"So Keiichi, I heard that you had a run in with Hild while buying the ring for my daughter?" Kami-sama asked.

"I did, she actually helped me pick it out."

"That's Hild for you. She may seem evil, but she does have a soft side, especially when it comes to her daughter." Kami-sama replied. "By the way, call me Odin. It gets tiresome when people keep calling you sir and groveling at your office door. That whole 'I'm not worthy' thing just gets on your nerves after a while."

"I guess that it would." Keiichi replied.

"You have no idea." Odin replied. "Did you know that less than fifty people have been in my office since time started?"

"Well, I would have to say that really doesn't surprise me, with you being God and all." Keiichi replied. "I think I'll go check on the others."

"I wouldn't if I were you."

"Oh, is something wrong with me going in there?" Keiichi asked

Inside the house, battle plans were being drawn, the field of battle of was being chosen, and messages to the allies where being sent. One of their numbers was not there, but she would be there in a few days. Even though the planners of this great battle all had one goal in mind, each had a different view of how the battle should be waged.

"I don't see why we can't hold the wedding here at the Temple?" Megumi asked.

"I already told you, it's not big enough. The great hall in heaven is." Verthandi replied.

"In case you forgot, not everyone attending is immortal." Megumi fired back. She had to represent the mortal side of things, being the only one there at the moment. "Besides, aren't you trying to keep a low profile?"

"Well, there is that." Verthandy replied.

"Why don't we ask big sis where she wants her wedding?" Skuld asked.

"That's a great idea Skuld." Urd told her youngest sister. "So Belldandy, where do you want to have your wedding?"

"Well, there is this church over on the coast, it's where Keiichi purposed. I think I would like to have my wedding there." Belldandy told the crowd.

Mean while, outside the house.

"You see Keiichi, even though I may command everything, I have learned several things. One of them is stay away from a group of women planning a wedding." Odin informed Keiichi. "I once had a Valkery mad at me because I tried to schedule the great hall at the same time as her daughter's wedding. You should have seen the look on everyone's face when they saw her actually walk into my office and demand that I change my plans."

Outside the temple; Floating.

Mara couldn't believe her assignment. She was to keep any demons from interfering with Belldandy's wedding. With her father there at the moment, she doubted that she would have to worry about anything. She had her ninja mice on the lookout though; she wasn't going to be caught looking the other way. Deciding that everything was under control for the time being, she left for work. She had a promotion coming up, and she didn't want to blow it.

Odin felt the demoness leave, but her servants still watched. Hild knew what she was doing with Mara. Mara was one of Hild's most, until recently, reliable servants. The stain of failing to break up Keiichi and Belldandy would remain on her record, but it wouldn't amount to much, after all, the couple was the first to pass through the judgment gate. For all he knew, Belldandy would invite the demoness to her wedding.

Ferry; north of Nekomi.

The ferry was making its last scheduled trip for the day. It was almost empty except for a few cars and an old motorcycle. The captain looked out over the bridge to see if all his passengers where okay. He saw an older couple standing near the bow of his ship. They looked to be enjoying themselves on this night, and it was a beautiful night. The stars where blazing and the moon filled the sky. The ocean itself seemed to be singing to the crew and passengers as the ship cut its way through the water.

"I can't believe it, he actually asked her to marry him." The women told the man beside her.

"You knew that he was going to." The man replied.

"He had the same look in his eyes that you did when we dated, I guess it goes in the family, right Keima?"

"You're right, Takano. As always you're right." Keima told his wife. "It is a beautiful night. A perfect night for a ride."

"You're right about that, Keima. You're right about that."

The couple just remained there on the bow, watching the islands pass by. Occasionally they would see a fishing boat pass near. Looking out over the water, they saw the stars shown above down on them. What they didn't see was the person that was standing on the bridge, a person with blue marking on her face.

Lind had been ordered to make sure that the Morisatos where not harmed on their trip. After all, they were about to become family. She was happy for Belldandy, and once again, a slight smile formed on her face. She kept her watch over the couple, careful not get to close to Mr. Morisato as she knew of his phobia, but still able defend them if anything happened.

Lind had always been told that she had a beautiful smile. After a slight smile formed on her face after the angel eater incident, she found herself smiling more often, but only in privet.

The next day; Temple.

Keiichi was slowly roused from his sleep by the sound of singing, only this time it sounded different. Heading outside he saw why it sounded different. There were two people singing, Belldandy and her mother both stood outside facing the rising sun.

"Those two sure can sing." Odin replied startling Keiichi.

"Yeah, I guess they can." Keiichi replied as he calmed down. "Did you two sleep okay last night?"

"We slept fine last night, so don't worry." Odin replied. He and Verthandy had slept in the temple as there was no other room in the house. "It's been a while since I slept on the surface though."

Keiichi was about to say something when he heard to familiar sounding engines coming up the hill. One of them belonged to his sister; the other one was one that he hadn't heard in a while, his father. Walking over to the gate, he saw his father pull up with his sister behind. Coming up behind them was his mother in the car that she always drove as she couldn't ride a motorcycle. He waved as they pulled into the drive. His mother pulled her car around the back of the temple and parked.

It was Keima that was the first to make it over to his son. He stopped in front of Keiichi and Keiichi stopped in front of him. The two were standing a few feet apart, looking at each other. The last time that they had met, Keiichi had once again lost a race. That race had been the closest between the two. All his father said that he had to do was pass him in order to win. The two continued to stare at each other for a while, almost as if they were trying to intimidate each other. It was Keima that finally broke the silence.

"I heard from your sister that you are getting married?"

"That's right, I am." Keiichi responded.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was planning on it; Megumi just beat me to it." Keiichi replied.

"Why don't we all go in for some breakfast?" Belldandy asked. Verthandy had already gone in to start cooking.

"That's a great Idea." Odin almost shouted. "You must be hungry from such a long trip."

"That we are." Takano answered. Keima was still trying to stare down his son when his stomach gave off a large growl.

"I think that would be a good idea also."

After Breakfast.

The table had one again been cleared and the men had stepped outside while the women planned the wedding. Keima said he needed to find a part for his motorcycle, so the three headed down to the Whirlwind. When they got there, they found Chihiro working on a bike. "Hey Chihro."

"Oh Keiichi, I thought that you had the day off." The owner of the motorcycle shop said as she cleaned the grease off her hands.

"I did, but my dad needs a part." Keiichi replied.

"Oh, come on in then."

The Whirlwind was made up of two building. One contained the garage where the work was done, and the other contained the shop and office. Business had been good for the shop because of their reputation for good work. Chihro had been thinking about hiring two more mechanics, she could afford it, plus she could handle more bikes that way.

Inside the shop was a selection of parts and gear. It was organized by what people needed the most and price. The register was located near the front of the store, and a small security system had been installed.

Keima quickly found the part that he was looking for and paid for it. He then went outside to install with Odin while Keiichi and Chihiro talked.

"So Keiichi, who was that other guy?" Chihiro asked.

"That's Belldandys' father." The mechanic answered.

"Oh, and what's he doing in town?"

"Well, he's in town because I asked Belldandy to marry me yesterday."

Chihiro was shocked. Keiichi had asked Belldandy to marry him. She knew that something was going on as he had been doing a lot of overtime. An engagement ring fit the bill, but it was just so sudden. "And she said yes?"

"That's correct." Keiichi replied. "I asked her over by the church on the cliff."

Meanwhile, Keima and Odin where outside talking. The two fathers where getting to know each other. Odin already knew everything about Keima, but he wanted to hear it for himself. Keima could tell that Odin was holding something back.

"I heard that those two went through some crazy races together?" Odin asked

"That's right, Keiichi wrote me about them." Keima replied. "Apparently someone was trying to ruin the motor club that they where apart of, but they won anyway."

"Ah yes, Aoshima. Belldandy told me about him." Belldandy had mentioned him in the past, and he had looked into him. Using the word of his youngest, the man was a slime ball. Keiichi soon joined them as Chihiro had to get back to work.

"So what now?"

"Why don't we head down to that church that Belldandy wants to hold her wedding at." Odin replied the other two agreed and they were soon on their way

The Church.

It was a beautiful church, perfect for his daughter's wedding. There was enough room inside to hold the guests from both sides of the family. That is when it finally hit Odin, his daughter was getting married. She would take the last name of another family. Part of him was saddened by this, while another part of him glad for her. In a couple of weeks, this church would be decorated and guests arriving. It was a massive task, and it was made harder by the fact that some of the guests hadn't been on earth in a few hundred years.

The other part was that the Morisatos where going to have to be told what kind family theirs was. After all, it isn't everyday that someone married the daughter of the Supreme Being. He and Verthandy had a plan for that, and they hoped that it would work. It was about time to put that plan into action. "Keima, I need to talk to you for a second."

Temple.

The last time that Takano had been to the temple, her husband and son had gotten into a race. She had also met the girl that was to become her daughter in law. The woman sitting across from her was the mother of that girl. She could tell that she was the girl's mother by the markings on her face as they were the same as Belldandy's. The two women where currently planning the wedding for their children.

"Takano, before we go on, I think that you need to know about our family."

Heaven.

Keima and Takano found themselves in a big house, a very big house. The decorations were from all over the world, and there where paintings on all the walls. The furniture was also from all over. Odin and Verthandy watched as the two mortals experienced their home. It was big, but they only occupied a small part of it.

"I'll explain everything." Verthandy said.

Temple.

Keiichi had just gotten back to the temple. His father and mother where in heaven at the moment, and he would bet that they were in shock at what Belldandy's family did. After all, running the universe was no small matter. He found Belldandy at the table with Sayoko.

Belldandy had managed to befriend Sayoko, thought she still thought that she was a witch, and it had become a joke between them. Sayoko had gone into the fashion industry after graduation from Nekomi Tech, and was currently working her way up the ladder of a company. Her father had insisted that she start at the bottom and work her way up to the top.

The two were discussing dresses at the moment, while Belldandy tried to find out what kind of dress they she wanted. She never knew that picking a dress could be so hard. She couldn't get married in her robes, Urd wouldn't let her. Sayoko had brought over several magazines and sample material, and the two where currently going over the dress.

"I like the feel of this material, but the color of this one."

"We can easily combine the two, so don't worry about that." Sayoko replied. "What we need to worry about is the dress itself."

"Well, I like this dress, but these sleeves." Belldandy replied.

"I don't think that those sleeves will go with that dress, how about these sleeves?" Sayoko suggested.

Keiichi left the room to let the two women build the perfect dress for Belldandy.

Heaven

To say that the Morisato's where shock would be the understatement of the year. They had just found out what kind of family their son was becoming part of. At first they hadn't believed it, but they soon found themselves convinced. They had asked a lot of questions, and gotten some answers, but not all of them. They also learned of the restriction that they had, and how they couldn't interfere with mortal lives.

"I kind of suspected something." Takano finally said.

"What do you mean by that?" Verthandy asked. Odin already knew what she was talking about.

"Last time we visited our son, something seemed different." Takano replied. "The way that they kept avoiding questions about where they came from."

"There is a reason for that. We don't want it to become common knowledge that there are members of the heavens living on earth." Odin spoke up from his chair. "And we ask that you keep this secret also."

"I think that we can do that." Keima replied.

"Very well then, let's head on back. My daughter is currently planning her dress, and I want to be there." Verthandy said as she stood up. In a moment they were all back at the temple.

TBC.

Okay folks, chapter 4 is done. I hope that you like this latest addition to the story. I should have it done in about five more chapters. Anyway, you know the drill, please leave a review.

Until next time,

Keep your stick on the ice.