"I'm so happy that you're here Ran!" Kazuha gushed, her eyes bright with excitement as she greeted her in the reception line.

"I'm glad to be with you on your big day," Ran said, smiling.

Kazuha looked striking to say the least. She wore a strapless swan white dress which accented her slender frame, then swiveled out in layers at the bottom. Many of boys in the room were openly gawking at her, only to be glared at by Heiji almost instantly. Ran stifled a laugh. One of Heiji's arms was wound possessively around Kazuha, and the other he used to greet guests.

"He must really not want to let her go," Ran mused. "It must be a nice feeling."

Sensing Kazuha's eyes on her, Ran looked up to see Kazuha looking at her expectantly. "Sorry, did you say something?" she asked.

"So this must be what Sonoko meant when she said Ran was really out of it today," Kazuha thought. "Well at least she has that which will cure her of this depression phase."

"I just asked if you liked the reception decoration," Kazuha said. "When Shizuka heard we were wedding planning, she went all out. She was furious enough as it is that we waited 3 days to tell her."

Ran giggled. "I bet she hated you for that."

Heiji laughed, joining in on the conversation. "She told me that if we had waited one more day to tell her, she would have disowned me. Then she whisked Kazuha away to plan "the perfect wedding" according to her. Not being able to see my own fiancé for three weeks is what she thought was fair punishment.

Ran snickered. "I'm sure it was painful."

"Well I can torture Kazuha as much as I want to now that we're married," Heiji replied smirking.

"HEIJI!" Kazuha shouted, and then blushed beet red as everybody in the room turned and stared at her.

Heiji laughed heartily, and Ran laughed with him. Detecting that the people behind her in line were getting impatient, Ran told Kazuha and Heiji that she would talk with them later, and moved on.

Getting out of line, Ran exhaled. It was so hard to maintain a happy façade when she felt like she was breaking to pieces on the inside. But no matter what she did, she could not ruin Kazuha's big day. It was not her fault that Shinichi had decided to go missing, and not show his face for three years.

"Isn't it your best friend's wedding dear? Why so gloomy?"

Ran spun around and almost crashed into the person behind her. Looking up she saw an abundance of caramel curls and striking blue eyes.

"Those are his eyes," she though, clutching her chest.

"Ran chan? Are you okay?" Yukiko asked, concern flooding her face. This wasn't good. Her future daughter in law looked as if she was going to faint any minute now.

"I'm okay, thanks," Ran responded, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in her chest that was making her light headed. "What brings you here Yukiko san?"

"Actually Kazuha and Heiji invited me," she admitted. "I must say, Shizuka did a lovely job with the wedding organizing! Everything was exactly to my taste."

Ran nodded trying to smile.

Yukiko winced. Her son's disappearance had really taken its toll on her. Ran had shadows under her eyes that weren't there before, as well as a visible weight loss that she hadn't needed. Thank god today would be the day for that to happen, or she might need to have a firm talking to with her Shin-chan.

As the reception line dispersed, the doors leading outside were opened and everybody began to wander outside for the dance where a band was set up and playing a smooth jazz tune. Kazuha and Heiji took the first dance, with expressions of pure bliss on their faces.

"Ran chan why don't you go dance? It's a beautiful night, which is only fitting for a stunning girl like yourself," Yukiko said.

"I really don't really know-"

"Go Ran chan, and have fun while you are still young!" Yukiko ordered ignoring her protests.

Ran sighed and headed towards the doors, planning to just sit and watch other people dance. There was really no arguing with Yukiko.

Yukiko grinned contentedly and then grabbed the blue tooth in her ear.

"Stage two of the plan complete. She's headed your way," she reported gleefully.

The man's eyes twinkled as he got prepared for his part of the plan. It was going to be a very interesting night.

O.o Yukiko just had to get involved(;

Hope you liked it! Please R&R, it is much appreciated!

~Agentlebreeze

xoxoxoxo