�Yeah�.� Tenshi seemed to think this over, and Puroko could see the worry dissipates from her face. �How�d you get so smart, Kiddo?�
Puroko�s face lit up at the compliment. �I just thought she�d be excited �cuz I�m excited, and I�m not even getting married.�
�Well, let�s get moving then,� Tenshi said, helping Puroko off the chair. �So be truthful. How do I look?� She spun around so Puroko could see.
�Kirei,� Puroko sighed dreamily. �Neko-san�s going to be even more in love with you.�
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
�Ne, where�s Mi-chan?� Chibi asked suddenly. �We can�t start without her.�
�Is she with Tenshi-san?� Kimahou suggested.
Haruka groaned inwardly. Mi-chan hadn�t planned a cover story for her disappearance. Now she and Jian-wa had to work together to make one up? *Just great!* To Chibi and Kimahou, she responded, �Mi-chan had a sudden emergency come up. She didn�t want to delay the wedding anymore, so she told us to start without her.�
�And Neko-chan agreed?!� Kimahou�s eyebrows were raised incredulously.
Jian-wa stepped in, his ability to lie so easily and convincingly both impressive and worrying to Haruka. �Mi-chan insisted that we go on with the wedding. She said it had been delayed long enough and convinced Neko-chan that if they stayed linked, it would be just like she was here.�
�Mi-chan�s not here?� Tenshi fretted, joining them with Puroko.
Haruka smiled encouragingly. �She�ll join us for the reception. She asked me to wish you luck for her.�
�Thanks,� Tenshi answered absentmindedly. Haruka knew she had invested a lot of her confidence in the knowledge that she had the support of Neko�s twin and that Mi-chan would be at her side. With Mi-chan missing she lost that piece of serenity that she had invested in her.
Puroko, meanwhile, was busy ogling her mother. �Papa, what�? Why�?�
Tenshi�s eyes traveled to Haruka, and a small smile crept over her lips. When she spoke, Haruka was glad she had fought the scowl that had threatened to take over her features. �Oh, Haruka-papa!� she gushed. �That�s one of the sweetest things�!� Her voice broke, and she rushed Haruka to hug her.
�Oi! You�ll get us wrinkled!� Haruka protested, embarrassed. Such a big deal over wearing a stupid dress. She wouldn�t even be in it if it wasn�t for Mi-chan needing a tux to pretend to be Neko. Haruka was the only person in a tux who could get away with wearing a dress, so she had reluctantly switched clothes with Tenshi�s maid of honor.
But from the point of view of an unsuspecting Tenshi, Haruka knew it would look like Haruka had chosen to wear a dress to support Tenshi�s decision to be the bride at this wedding. Once upon a time, Tenshi had worn boys� clothing almost exclusively, just as Haruka did, but in high school, she returned to the sailor fuku of a girl, and little by little reaccepted her feminine side. Once Neko had entered her life, though, Tenshi had been able to fully come to terms with that side of herself, and wore feminine attire more than ever before in her life, much to the discontent of Haruka. At first Haruka had worried that Neko was changing Tenshi to fit her own desires, but she now knew that it had always been Tenshi�s decision to wear whatever she felt like.
So Tenshi wouldn�t worry about where Haruka�s dress had come from, or the fact that it was identical to the bridesmaids� dresses. In fact, if she thought about it at all, she�d probably take it as a sign that Haruka had been planning this all along, and had asked Jean Pierre to make this dress for her as a sign of her acceptance. No wonder she was getting so uncharacteristically sappy.
�Yeah.� Tenshi released her, the layers of her dress, even the cathedral train, falling perfectly around her with grace. �It�s time to get married.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ryo�s first clue that something wasn�t quite right was Mi-chan�s absence on Jian-wa�s arm, Kimahou there instead. Why would Mi-chan ever forego her twin�s wedding? And why wasn�t Neko more distressed about this? She couldn�t be that tipsy with nuptial bliss!
What could Mi-chan be doing that was so important she�d miss Neko�s wedding anyway? His mind sought out his favored daughter, seeking signs of her or at least her shielded mind.
*Tenshi, Tenshi, Tenshi! I�m marrying Tenshi! I lo-ove Tenshi!* Ryo drew back in surprise. Were Neko�s feelings so loud right now that he had automatically gravitated towards her? But�. Ryo tried again with the same results. Pushing farther, he felt the familiar signs of Mi-chan�s mindshield.
With a jolt, he stood up. Mi-chan was at the altar, pretending to be Neko! A dozen pairs of eyes shot to him, but none more alarmed than Mi-chan�s. Hers connected with his, and it was obvious, even with her shielded thoughts, that she knew that he knew. The mindshield came crashing down, and, connected to her mind as he was, suddenly Ryo was awash in information gained from her thoughts about what was going on:
Neko was okay. Jasper was on his way to her. Tenshi didn�t know what was going on. Neko didn�t want her to. They had to play along to let Tenshi have a perfect wedding day no matter what. That was Neko�s wish. *SHE IS GOING TO BE OKAY!* Mi-chan practically shouted within her own brain, and he had to wonder how much of that was for her sake as well as his.
Ryo sunk into his chair, releasing his hold of Mi-chan�s consciousness. Ami touched his shoulder, worriedly, but he just shook his head, hoping she would return her attention to the wedding. Although there was a slight distance between him and his targets, which would make reading their thoughts a little more difficult, his current goal was to get a hold of Neko�s whereabouts, and also Jasper�s. It took a lot of faith on her part for Mi-chan to let Jasper have such a big part in the rescue of her sister (although a majority of her thoughts on this subject were along the lines of �Stupid Jasper-san's trying to save her. He better not screw up or I'll kill him....�). His intentions seemed good enough, but just to make sure, Ryo sought out his mind, hoping to ease all of his concerns as soon as he could.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
