Tiger and bunny: Lucky to be a lady tonight

Chapter 20

"Dad, stop that!" Kaede swatted Kotetsu for the fifth time within the last half hour, "If you keep chewing on your lip, we'll have to redo your lipstick—again. And don't chew your nails, either! We already got them done yesterday!"

"I can't help it, I'm nervous!" Kotetsu sat before a mirror, her hair curled and pinned up, a veil incorporated into the style, her makeup done to perfection, and her long white dress fitting her body like a glove.

"It's not like this is the first time you are getting married!" her daughter pointed out, stopping her from chewing on a manicured nail.

"But it's my first time being a bride! I was the groom last time. And Bunny's going to be up there waiting in his suit, all handsome and watching me as I walk towards him with Mom... What if I trip? What if I mess up and say 'do I' instead of 'I do'? What if I forget the vows I wrote?"

"You won't. I put your vows on easy to read cards and hid them in your flowers if you need them." Kaede smiled, "And of course he'll be watching you. He won't take his eyes off you. You are his bride. Today is your day to share with him. By the end of the day you will have officially made him my stepfather, and you will officially begin your lives together as husband and wife. You both will be unable to look at anyone else but each other as soon as you step into that church and take his hand."

"Besides. Nothing you can mess up today will make that boy out there change his mind about you." Anju smiled.

Kotetsu turned to face her mother, "Mom." She stood up and walked over to hug her.

"You look so beautiful." Anju hugged her daughter. "Is that Tomoe's veil?"

Kotetsu nodded, "I wanted to honor and remember Tomoe in a special way, today. So I pulled out her veil. Besides, what's that saying? Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. The veil is something borrowed, my dress is new, I have the bracelet you gave me from your wedding day to Dad for the old, and blue...well, my slip under my dress has a bluish tint to it."

"Sounds like you have everything covered, then." Anju kissed her forehead. "Are you ready?"

Kotetsu took a deep breath and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"You'll do great, you'll see!" Pao-Lin peeped up.

Kaede was in a pink dress as the maid of honor, but the other bride's maids all had the same dress in green. Pao-Lin, Karina, and even Nathan stood ready to escort the blushing bride out to the front of the church where the groomsmen were likely already waiting. Muramasa was the best man, wearing a green vest to contrast Kaede's pink dress, while the groomsmen –Antonio, Ivan, and Keith– all wore pink vests.

The girls all met the men at the front of the church, Barnaby already in his place and their guests all seated in wait. With word that they were ready, the music began to play and Muramasa escorted his niece down the isle, followed by Antonio and Nathan, Keith and Karina, and Ivan and Pao-Lin. Then, once they were at the front of the church, the music changed and Anju hooked her arm through Kotetsu's to escort her daughter down the isle to give her away to Barnaby.

It was a slow walk as they stepped through the doors into the church and Kotetsu's gaze locked with Barnaby's, a blush crossing her cheeks. This was it. They would finally be together until death parted them.

Barnaby met them at the end of the isle and Anju pressed their hands together with a smile. "Take good care of one another from here on out." She smiled before taking her seat up front and the two lovers approached the altar to be wed.

The priest smiled at the two as they stepped forward. It was clear that everyone at the wedding was happy for the two heroes to finally be married, yet none were as proud as the immediate family members of the two; deceased or alive.