These characters don't belong to me and I'm not making any money from this. This story is a continuation of The Bet The Planning By Kenzie Kennedy After dinner, Washu walked back to her lab. So the wedding is now thirteen days away, counting today, she thought. She sighed. Do I leave Tenchi and Ryoko to deal with the details themselves, trusting in their judgment? Or do I do as I promised Funaho and supervise the whole thing? Washu walked to her cushion that was floating in mid-air and levered herself up onto it. Her thoughts drifted back to her own wedding. *** It had been scheduled on a bright summer's day. She had worn a sparkling white dress. Her husband to be had worn a white flowing shirt with tight white pants. The flowers were beautiful, all shades of the rainbow. The guests beamed with pride at her. So what if she didn't have any parents that were here? She had said long ago that they had died. In truth, Washu didn't know what happened to her parents. The priest started to speak and Washu tuned him out until it was her turn to voice that she wanted her soul to be joined with this man. They kissed and it was all over. *** Washu grinned at the thought of her wedding night, but quickly pushed it out of the way. So many things go with a wedding and this one's going to be a mess. Washu shook her head. Juraians! "Um, Mom?" Ryoko said cautiously into the lab. Washu turned to find her daughter looking into the lab. "Yes, my Little Ryoko?" Washu responded. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. Washu nodded and another cushion appeared beside the door. Ryoko sat on the cushion and it floated next to Washu. "So what do you want to talk to mommy dearest about?" "The wedding." Ryoko fidgeted. "What about the wedding? There's a lot of "wedding"." Washu teased. "The part up to the ceremony, Washu." Ryoko growled. Washu laughed. "Okay, such as the dress, the cake, the guests, etc." Ryoko nodded. "What about it?" Washu said bluntly. Ryoko gestured with her hands. "I don't, um-" "Know much of anything about weddings because you weren't around when Chiro got married, you were never interested in them as a child saying that you'd never get married, you'd become a famous gardener, and you need advice from someone who's actually been through one." Washu wound up. "Yeah," Ryoko shrugged. "Stop acting so embarrassed. I don't expect you to know about weddings and I don't think anyone else does either. Besides, we're going to have to merge Juraian marriage ceremony with Earthling marriage ceremony. No one's going to know what to expect." Washu told her. Ryoko straightened up a little. "I've been researching it a bit. Juraian and Earthling marriages are surprisingly similar. Both of them are like parties with a ceremony beforehand. The only differences are really small ones. We've got a few things that we have to worry about and those are universal." Washu stretched. "Why don't you go find Tenchi and we'll talk about it together?" Ryoko nodded and went out the door. *** When she came back, Washu was waiting. "Hello, Tenchi. Have a seat." Washu had gotten the picnic table and umbrella out again. They all sat down. "Tenchi, tell me a bit about Earthling weddings." Washu asked him. Tenchi thought for a minute and then said, "Well, we have a ceremony where the two are joined, then we have a celebration of the marriage with family." "So that's the same. What about the celebration?" Washu gestured for him to continue. "It's where the guests can congratulate the couple. There's food and presents." Tenchi shrugged. "Okay, so it's not much different than the Juraian ceremony. You have a priest come and say a few words, sign a document, and then go off to the party?" Washu asked. Tenchi nodded to confirm it. "You dress up fancy for the ceremony, right?" Washu asked. Another nod from Tenchi. "Flowers, food, and frolic, right?" Tenchi blushed as he nodded. Washu considered the information. "That's pretty much what I thought. Do you mind my taking over the preparations?" Tenchi and Ryoko looked at each other. "What does that mean?" Ryoko asked. "It means I'll help you two pick out your clothes, order the food, get flowers, that kind of thing." Washu told the lucky couple. "Sure," Tenchi said, looking at Ryoko who nodded as well. "You've done this before." "Okay, why don't you two go get ready for bed and I'll get started tomorrow on the preparations." Washu shooed Ryoko and Tenchi off. Once they were gone, she started working on her laptop. *** The next morning (day 12 of the countdown), Washu came to the table for breakfast with Ryoko trailing behind her. They ate with the family. Balar and Tenchi peeled off to go to the fields, Ayeka and Ryoko trained with Washu for a few hours, Sasami and Mihoshi did the house chores. Washu called a halt to Ayeka and Ryoko's fighting lessons after two hours. She grinned and said she had to see someone about something and wouldn't tell them what. Ayeka and Ryoko shrugged as she marched out of the house. *** Washu made sure no one was following her as she climbed the shrine steps. Halfway there, she was sure no one was following her and she phased out and in front of Yosho. "Hello, Washu," he said completely normal. "Hello, Yosho." She replied. "I have a favor to ask." "I shall endeavor to grant it." He said sweeping the steps. "With Tenchi's wedding coming up I'm going to need him a bit more than usual." Washu started. "So you'd like me to cancel his training for the next two weeks?" Yosho completed. "Not exactly." Washu grinned. *** When Tenchi and Balar came to the top of the shrine, Yosho was nowhere to be found. Tenchi and Balar looked around warily. He could be anywhere... "Good morning, boys," Yosho said from behind them. They turned around very surprised. He looked at them wisely. "There has been a change in plans." He said, striding between them to the steps of the house. Upon sitting, he looked at them strangely. "Aren't you going to sit down?" he asked mildly. The two men hurried to sit down beside him. "Washu has brought to me a very important fact." Yosho looked at Tenchi. "You are getting married to Ryoko in twelve days. Therefore, the next five days will be the days that you and Balar train with me." "After that, Tenchi will not be training again for two weeks." "What, grandfather?" Tenchi asked shocked. "It is a special favor to Washu that I am doing this. Your training is very important for the days to come. I was going to train you every day, but she brought evidence that I shouldn't." Yosho grinned. "The training can wait for now. Washu is very convincing." "Balar, you will be trained by Washu for the seven days following that. Then you will study with me alone for the week after that." Yosho directed his attention at Balar. He nodded. "So as we won't see each other for a while," Yosho drawled. Tenchi and Balar heard the warning note in his voice and started to look for their bokkens. *** Washu returned before lunch and saw Ayeka and Ryoko lounging around, watching TV. She debated resuming practice, but discarded the idea. Let them rest before their lessons. Washu walked into her lab for a few minutes before lunch. *** While everyone was serving themselves lunch, Washu directed her attention at Tenchi and Ryoko. "I've got something in the lab that I want you to look at after your lessons." Tenchi nodded to her while Ryoko kept eating. "Ryoko, you've got to choose your bridesmaids." Washu raised a bite of rice to her lips. "Bridesmaids?" she said through a mouthful of fish. "Maybe I'd better explain to you the arrangement of wedding to you first." Washu considered that idea. "No, that'll take too long. I'll do it tomorrow evening. I don't think you'll have much time this evening. Ryoko, in this wedding, you're going to walk down a long aisle to where Tenchi and the person who's going to marry you will be waiting. First bridesmaids walk down, then the flower girl, then the bride. I don't know why they do that, they just do." Washu said, stopping Ryoko's question before it started. Washu continued. "So you can choose as many females as you want to walk down the aisle, but they do have to be female. The flower girl is usually a child." Ryoko looked immediately at Sasami. Sasami's teeth were biting her lower lip in anticipation and the light in her eyes lit the room even in full daylight. "Sasami, did you want to do that?" Ryoko asked. She nodded. Then she stopped. A question burned in her eyes. "What about Ryo-ohki?" she asked softly. Ryoko glanced at Washu. Washu grinned and said, "Why don't the two of you walk down together?" "Oh!" Sasami said eagerly. With a puzzled look on her face she asked, "What does a flower girl do?" "You'll hold a basket and throw flower petals on the floor. When Ryoko comes down the aisle, she'll walk on them." Washu told her. "Won't she slip?" Mihoshi asked. "Depends on the flowers," Ayeka grinned. "Quite right," Washu affirmed. "Flowers will-" she stopped. "This would be so much easier with a picture!" The wall turned into a living picture for her. "Okay," Washu said eating. "This is a picture of the typical wedding. An aisle created by two sets of chairs on either side. This is where Ryoko, the bridesmaids, the flower girls, the matron of honor, etc. will walk. The groom," she nodded to Tenchi, "will already be standing at the altar where the priest will pronounce the vows." "Usually the bride holds flowers in her hands, a bouquet it's called. There are the flowers for the bridesmaids, flower girls, matron of honor-" Washu was cut off by Ryoko asking, "What's a matron of honor?" "Matron or maid of honor. That's the person that organizes the whole deal. The one that solves all the problems, gets a nice dress, does the bride's hair and stuff like that. In charge of the bridesmaids, answers questions, etc." Washu waved her hand around. "Oh." Ryoko said. "Who does that?" "Usually the sister of the bride." Washu told her. "Could you do it?" Ryoko asked hesitantly. "You haven't made me a sister yet." Ryoko grinned at her. Washu looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes. "You actually want me to be a part of your wedding?" she said softly. "You're my mother. You're going to be involved anyway." Ryoko said confused. Washu got a hold of her emotions and continued. "So the overview of the wedding is getting you, the bridesmaids, and me into the same kind of dress. Or we could all wear different ones. But they have to be fancy. Tenchi has to dress up as well. There are rehearsals for this wedding that we'll have to do. There's a wedding shower which I'd like to skip." Washu grimaced. "Why?" Ayeka asked. "Because it's a bunch of women sitting around admiring themselves and commenting on bath towels and blenders." Washu informed her. "Besides, there's something much more fun." Ryoko was looking a little stressed over the amount of work this was shaping up to be. "What now?" she asked. "A few nights before the wedding, we go out, shop, eat, get drunk, something like that to relieve the tension." Washu told her with a grin. "My bachelorette party was at a strip club." "Uh...." Tenchi said. "Washu!" Ryoko objected. Washu summoned her laptop and crossed something off. She sighed. "It would have been fun." Ryoko looked around the table. "So..." she drawled lazily. "Ayeka, Mihoshi? Want to get all gussied up?" "Oh, I thought we were going to be bridesmaids?" Mihoshi giggled. Ryoko tilted her eyes toward the sky. "That's what I'm asking, Mihoshi," she said gently. The blond nodded. "Ayeka?" Ryoko asked. Her eyes shone at her friend as she accepted. Washu clapped her hands together. "Okay, then I need to be getting back to the lab." Washu got up and left everyone else to what was left of lunch. *** Washu got inside the lab and marched determinedly to a section of the lab that she had just created. It was based on her knowledge of gods and mortals. Washu put her right hand over her eyes. This is going to be a looonnnng twelve days. *** After the lessons, Ayeka and Balar went outside the lab to help Sasami with dinner. Tenchi and Ryoko called for Washu. When she answered, they picked their way across the lab to find her. Washu sat at the picnic table inside the lab. "Ah, good to see you two! You have decisions to make." "More decisions?" Tenchi groaned. "I've already told Sasami I'll be cooking you dinner." Washu grinned. "If you still want it." "What does that mean?" Ryoko said warily. Washu looked at her daughter. "This wedding will have tons of guests. If you have guests then you need to feed them. Get it?" Ryoko nodded grudgingly. "We need to choose what they're going to eat. Unless you're proposing that Sasami cook for all these people." Washu asked. "Who's going to be at the wedding?" Tenchi asked. Washu's head hit the table. "You don't want to know. Just count on a lot of people. We can get rid of extra food." A menu popped up. "Now what I thought we'd do is offer a selection of Earth food. I'll tell Funaho to get someone to make up Juraian food, too. But you two have to decide what food you want." "What's this?" Ryoko examined it. Washu took out her glasses and peered at it. "That's Southern Fried Chicken." A plate appeared in front of Ryoko. "Taste it." Ryoko tore off a piece with her fingers and popped it in her mouth. Her eyes immediately began to water and she grabbed for the lemonade on the table. Washu glanced at the menu again. "Oh, that says 'hot'." Ryoko looked at the chicken and took another bite. "It's good!" she said. Washu explained that all they needed to do was to hit the 'Taste' button on the menu and it would give them a portion of the food to try. Ryoko looked puzzled and asked where she was going. Washu winked and said that it was a surprise. *** An hour after everyone else had already eaten dinner, Ryoko and Tenchi were stuffed to the gills with samples of everything. They had decided on the Southern Fried Chicken, French fries, sushi, rice, noodles, shredded BBQ pork, and chocolate cake. All except the sushi, rice, and noodles were new to them. They had unanimously decided against escargot (snails), anchovy pizza (which had sounded good but tasted awful, and pickles. Washu came back around that time and surveyed their choices. "This looks good," she said, nodding. "Now, have you given thought to where you want the wedding held? There are advantages to both. Earth is home to you, but it's further away from Jurai. The distance won't matter because I'm pretty sure everyone will be using my portals to get here. But getting married on Jurai would help the people's opinion of you." Tenchi said, "Earth," in a tone that brooked no argument. Ryoko added her agreement. Washu nodded. She had expected that. "Now, what about flowers?" Washu went on. Ryoko exploded. "Washu, we've got 12 days! Why plan all this now?" Washu pierced her daughter with a look that said, "I know more than you do so let me do it." Washu sighed and put down the clipboard she had been holding. "Ryoko. Tenchi. I have a very good reason for getting at least preliminary plans from you today. As of tomorrow, I have eleven days to put this together. Just eleven. Now I could pull flowers, food, and dresses out of mid-air if I wanted to. It would certainly be easier. But there are stories all over of the "bride's mother" taking over the wedding. You two don't know much about weddings and I do. That's why I'm taking over the big decisions and giving them to you. I decide where the food comes from, you decide what it is. I'll make a list of dresses with pictures and hand them to you girls to decide." Washu drew in another breath. "There's another reason and a big one I want to get it done today. Have you noticed that you two haven't had much time together? Just the study sessions and a few hours in the evenings. Tenchi might not have told you yet, but as of four days from now, he'll have a two week vacation from his sword-fighting lessons. If you want to, your studying lessons on Jurai can be stopped for two weeks also. I wouldn't advise it, but that's your decision. Ryoko, your lessons are over. If you want to spar, find me and we'll make arrangements. I'm going to be teaching Ayeka. Balar's going to join me in five days. Hopefully I can get Ayeka up to Balar's speed by then." Washu shook her head. "Getting all this arranged and training two kids. I must be insane." Washu continued. "The problem that keeps me awake at night is that while you two have been around each other for a long while, you haven't had much time for your relationship to grow. Now, Tenchi, I know you didn't mean to give it a violent shove into serious. It's nothing we can help. I'm going to try to arrange it so that you've given me all your preferences in today and tomorrow so that I don't have to track you down every five minutes. So for the next four days you have class, training, and chores as usual. The seven days after that you're free as birds. Go have fun, be together." Washu looked contemplative and quiet. Then she grinned and said, "And as far as I know, you two have kissed a couple of times. That's it. And after the twelve days are up (counting today) then you're going to be expected to-" "Mom!" Ryoko said abruptly. "Oh, all right. "Consummate" the marriage. There! Is that better?" Washu stuck her tongue out at her daughter. Ryoko blushed slightly. "So, you want the wedding on Earth. Ryoko, your matron of honor is me, your flowergirls are Ryo-ohki and Sasami, and your bridesmaids are Ayeka and Mihoshi." Washu paused. "Are you sure you don't want to invite Chiro into that category?" Ryoko's hand flew to her mouth. "I'll call her right before I go to bed." "Okay, the menu's decided, so all we need are flowers, the priest, and the dresses." Washu looked at her clipboard. "If that's all we need then we can do that in the morning. The dresses will take forever to decide on and if I know my daughter, so will the flowers." Washu looked up. "I'm going to go and take a bath. I'll see you in the morning." Washu walked off. Tenchi and Ryoko walked toward the lab door. "Does it bother you that we're getting married so soon?" Ryoko asked. "I could wish that we had a little more time to," Tenchi paused, "know each other a little better. But I'll still love you just as deeply." Ryoko settled into his chest and gave him a slight squeeze around the middle. Tenchi's nose was buried in Ryoko's soft hair. He breathed in her lovely scent. Hand in hand, they walked toward the lab door. ****************************************************** I'd like to say that I still have the mailing list up and running. For those of you who were kind of "Why is she going into the details of the wedding so much?" The reason for that is because I wanted to stress the enormity of the event. We're not going to go into the guest list on this one.... No need to know: No they are not going to be married by an Elvis impersonator. Adam Bruce: Let me know if you didn't get the message that this was posted. I have added you to the list. Ayumi-chan: No, praising me is fine. Telling me problems is fine, too. I do consider them at least. I love it: I'm sorry! I'll try to get the chapters out sooner. Is this better? Blackbird: Well, my inspiration was from Diane Long and I asked her specifically if I could write the story. But I guess I don't mind. Kind of would have liked to know about it before, though. If anyone wants to use an idea in my story, let me know where it is so that I can read it! Priest: I have considered putting in Mihoshi's lineage. I decided against it because I wanted to do it in another story. Right now, I don't want to take away from Ryoko's limelight. Riesz: *Shaking head* I'm pretty sure that you live far enough away that I can't come and tell you pretty stories all day long. Ryoko won't have a child for a long time because of what I have planned. We've got biological reasons, we've got sentimental reasons, and we've got just plain common sense reasons. Which ones will I choose? Stay tuned.....