Chapter Sixty-Eight: Wedding Rehearsal and Dinner
All participants to the wedding rehearsal gathered around to get instructions from the wedding coordinator that had been hired to assist for the huge wedding. The little rotund man barked orders like a drill sergeant to all around him. But the pleased little smile on his pug like face as he surveyed his surroundings. He was enjoying his power as he coordinated everything going on around him.
Wufei chuckled as he watched what seemed like disorganized disarray was actually well organized practice. He pulled his wraith to his side as he noticed his daughter leading Heero down the isle he was supposed to be going down with his grandfather. The old man was scowling and glaring daggers at the giggling girls.
It had been decided before hand that she would be her uncles flower girl. She would have been Duo's but she had informed them that her Duo-daddy had lot of people to help him. Heero could only have her because Alex was going to be Quatre's. Trowa and Wufei would be standing waiting for the three in the gazebo. Duo would be coming down the center aisle with Heero on his left and Quatre on his right. Sakura had volunteered Deathscythe to be his 'flower girl' for him.
"Okay would the grooms assume their positions and we will give this a try." The coordinators high pitch tenor called out as he motioned for them to go to their starting points.
Wufei sighed and placed a kiss on his love's forehead before moving to his spot near Trowa and waited for the music to start. He heard the man mutter about dogs and the trouble they would cause. He cast a look at Trowa and found a matching smirk on the man's face.
"Oh," The coordinator growled as he turned to them, "You think they won't cause trouble…?" he asked as he glared at them.
"These dogs are highly trained officers." Trowa stated as he crossed his arms and smirked more. "You'll have more trouble with the adults than you will with the dogs."
The man rolled his eyes and motioned to a small string quartet to start the music. He watched as the first attempt for the rehearsal went off with out a single hitch. Even the dogs were perfect. The rotund man turned wide eyes to the five men. "How?" was his only question.
"We all were in some form of military during the war." Heero stated in his flat voice that told he was not happy with this person. "This is very much like a military mission."
Duo gave the little man a big manic grin. "Yup and this is way easier to handle than the missions. We don't have people shooting at us here."
Quatre rolled his eyes before poking Duo and turning his attention back to the now hyperventilating man. He put to use his most soothing voice. "You will find that we are very much aware of timing. You will have no worries that any of us will be off when we do this tomorrow."
The man glared at the five men. "Do it again." He stated in the same flat voice as Heero.
The five shrugged and motioned for the others to move off to their starting points.
Trowa and Wufei watched with their smirks back in place as they once again gave a flawless performance. They could tell the man was overjoyed at such precision. They knew that the man had never encountered this with any of his weddings that he had coordinated.
The little rotund man grunted and shrugged. "Fine, but if you don't do this well at this tomorrow I will not be pleased."
Duo smirked as he noticed the delighted twinkle in the man's eyes as he turned away from the group standing in wait to be released. He gave a shout of glee as he dashed down the center aisle and ran for home and food that he was wanting to eat.
The Coliers was of course providing the food as well as the food for the reception the next day.
Katey sat with the other teens watching the adults as they laughed and tried to get over their nervousness. "They are so worried about what is going on." She stated as she placed a card from her hand into the pile in front of her.
"Nah," Damian denied. "They are worried that Caleb and Andy are going to try and steal again."
Angel nodded in agreement as she contemplated her cards. "They were threatening to steal things as soon as they passed through the door and headed for the kitchen." She stated as she placed her card on the pile. "I was surprised that Duo did so well in the rehearsal because he knew the sooner he was done the sooner he could come back here and watch over them like an eagle."
The red head thought this over as Damien put his card down before glancing at the adults. "You are probably right." With a quick change of topics she looked back at her cards, "So what do you think dinner will be?"
"Easy stuff," Damien stated as he looked over at the adults as well. He reached down and rubbed Mindy's ears where she lay beside the coffee table they were playing their card game at. "Tomorrow is going to have all the major food. So tonight is probably all cold meals like sandwiches, and such."
The brunette nodded as she rubbed BeeBee's side. "True. They will have a lot to do before the wedding tomorrow afternoon."
Duo glanced over at the kitchen and frowned at the two men working in his kitchen. He just knew they were going to try something before the night was over and he dreaded tomorrow. He rubbed his belly and smiled slightly at the thought of the fetus that was now growing inside of him.
His purple eyes turned from the kitchen and smiled softly at the dark haired asian sitting opposite him. He couldn't believe that tomorrow the two of them would finally be spouses. Or how lucky he was to catch him at all. He still felt unworthy of the gorgeous man. Duo turned his eyes to take in the others that were gathered in his and Wufei's home and smiled in delight at the joy on the faces of people as they talked and played games around the large living area. He knew there would be more days like this and it was just the beginning of things to come.
A growl from the vicinty of the kitchen caught his attention. He turned quickly and glared at the two men who would gladly pilfer every item they could from his kitchen. He loved his friends dearly but he wouldn't trust them in his kitchen as far as he could throw them. Deathscythe was standing in the entryway growling in warning at Caleb and Andy. "What are they doing now 'Scythe?" He asked as he got up from the couch he was seated on.
Two voices objected to the growling black dog that was standing in their way. "We haven't done anything you mangy mutt!" The tallest chef protested vociferously.
Duo peered into the room to find Caleb glaring at his pet and Andy rolling his eyes at the machinations as he attempted to put something into the cooler on the counter that they had come with. "Today isn't a good day to try anything guys." He stated quietly as he placed a reassuring hand on the black dogs head. "The pink menace made an appearance and almost killed Heero."
Caleb whipped his eyes up from Deathscythe to peer at his fellow chef and friend. "She didn't!" He exclaimed as he moved to the platter of cold cuts he was creating.
"Why in the world would she do that?" Andy asked as he turned to inspect his work.
"If she couldn't have them she wasn't going to let anyone else have her." The voice of the tall blond said tiredly as he entered the apartment. "I am sorry that she went this far Heero. I never thought she would. I hope that you will forgive me for not seeing how much the war and all that went on has affected her." He rubbed tiredly at his face as he joined the rehearsal dinner gathering. "She won't be able to try something like this again. She is being checked into one of the sanitariums in Greenfolk. I just hope that she will eventually get over what is going on."
Heero looked up from where he was seated with the other two members of his triad. "I never blamed you for what she is like Zechs. I just hope we never have to go through what we had to again." He smiled tiredly up at the man that had come to a stop by his chair. "Lets forget this happened and think of the happy events that will happen tomorrow." He said reassuringly as he turned back to the people he was talking too.
Duo watched the proceedings before turning back to the two that were invading his well set up kitchen. "So please none of this today. I won't mind today but the dogs are on over drive and I don't want either of you to get hurt tonight." He said quietly with pleading purple puppy dog eyes at his friends/family.
Andy and Caleb turned to look at eachother speaking with their eyes. They turned back to what they had been doing before sighing. "We shall let it be tonightz." Andy stated. "Bev vould not be happy if she had to take us to ze emergency room tonight." An affirmative reply came from the dining area were said blond was talking with Anne and Sally. The french man nodded as he went back to his cooler and pulled out the objects that were hidden within and the menacing growl stopped.
Deathscythe snorted as he once again laid down to watch the men. He thought their efforts to steal things from his master were hilarious. He snorted when Nataku came over to settle beside him. He was still frustrated that he hadn't been allowed to kill the pink sick thing from earlier that day. Nataku licked his ears in sympathy before she turned watching eyes on the men that had to steal from her masters mate the last time they had invaded their home.
Duo looked down at the dogs with a slight smile before he turned to watch the people that were in his new home. He hadn't know what he was getting into when he had pitched his idea to the blond but he would do it again in a heart beat. For it had gotten him the most wonderful family that he had never thought he would ever have in this lifetime let alone another one. He didn't notice the person stealthily creeping up on him before the arm wrapped around his waist. He leaned back into the warm body that stood behind him. He had known that it was Wufei for no other person would get past his guard accept Sakura.
"I am so damn lucky." He murmured to his dragon as he watched Sakura trying to push Alex around the room in his wheelchair.
"No I am." Wufei answered back. "I would never have found you, Sakura, Katey, Damian, Angel, Alex or the damned menagerie." He nuzzled his nose into the soft locks of hair of his wraith.
Duo laughed aloud at his words. "I think we will both argue who came out best for a long time to come." He stated as he turned in the arms holding him to wrap his arms around the waist of the man opposite of him before leaning in for a kiss.
Catcalls rang out as people noticed the heated loving kiss going on in the kitchen entrance. Duo and Wufei pulled apart and grinned unrepentantly at their audience.
"Now get out of the way so we can set the food out." Caleb grumbled as he stood waiting for them to move. He was holding platters of sandwiches and cheeses and crackers to place on the long dining room table.
Andy stood behind him with more platters of the same things. "Bev stop eating all the rolls before anyone else can eat them." He called without looking anywhere but ahead of himself. Which was blocked by the large body of his male companion.
Caleb laughed as he edged around the dogs and headed to place his food arrangements on the long table that people were starting to hoover around. The sight of the food coming out of the kitchen drawing them like bees to flowers. He turned and went back for the fruit and veggie platters that were still to be placed. He smiled in amusement as he caught his long haired friend once again placing a hot wet kiss on his fiance.
Duo broke away from the kiss to grin up as his friend. "I'll help." He called to him as he bounced into the kitchen to gather up more platters as his love turned to herd the children into the dining area to choose food to create more energy to burn off. He bumped gently against his friend as he grabbed some platters from the counter. "Thank you." He said softly as he looked up. "This does mean a lot to me."
"I know. And I do promise that we won't try anything tonight. None of you need the added stress of Andy and I trying to take things from your kitchen even if we would return it the next time we came." The large red head stated as he moved to follow his friend out of the kitchen. "Though like we said tomorrow is fair game." His eyes twinkled down at the top of his friends head.
Duo grinned as he placed the platters on the table strategically. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He stated with a grin as he grabbed one of the paper plates that had been placed on the buffet by the table. "Well what are we waiting for?" He called as people stood around the table waiting. "Dig in."
People laughed as they wandered around the table picking up their favorite foods as they talked and grinned about the days events. They also talked about the happening that would go on the next day as well.