Surprises

By AMI MEITSU

A/N: Part three in a four part tale about Arty and Invidia’s wedding, so it’s now…2205

Today was the day…Arty was coming home! After a long, sad year he was coming home! He had been sent on patrol the whole year, and now he was coming back, to relax…and get married.

About four or so hours before the arrival Invidia was busy getting ready. She wanted to look perfect when he came, that meant hair, nails, make-up, everything!

“When are they coming?” She asked herself as she sat in the bath. Nova had promised to come over with Trelania and do her nails for her. She wasn’t impatient, she was just trying to remember, she actually wanted them to come a little later so she had sometime for a long bath. ‘Only four hours until he’s back…four long hours…’

Actually, they were not that long, Nova and Trelania showed up after her bath, and currently she sat in front of them, in her bathrobe, with a couple bottles of nail polish in front of her.

“What color?” Nova asked.

Invidia looked over them. “Uh…it’s either red or black, what do you think?”

“Both!” Trelania said.

“No that’s a little kid thing, so…I want red.” Invidia said.

“Good, it’ll match your dress.”

Invidia then spent two hours having her nails coated, polished and over coated. Then it took about a half hour or so to dry. And in between the coats Nova and Trelania worked on her hair and makeup, making her look pretty.

“It looks nice…” Trelania said afterwards.

“I know, wait until you see how well it matches my dress…” Invidia went into her bedroom and pulled the dress box out of her closet. She pulled the dress out and put it on the bed, then she took her robe off and put the clothes on. The dress fit perfectly and it felt comfortable on her, with it she wore her black flats. Even though it was cold out and she decided to use the wrap as a scarf, even though it covered her necklace. After a good look at herself she came down the hallway to show them what she looked like.

“Wow…” Setsuna said when she came out, Setsuna was only two and a half, and would turn three in February, Nova brought her here so that she could take her to see Derek, the same reason Trelaina brought Misako, who was now almost two.

“Pretty!” Misako said. She could speak in small sentences because ever since she was about five months old Trelania talked to her a lot so she could learn how to talk.

“Thanks…” Invidia said. “Arty gave it to me last year and I’ve kept it ever since. He wanted it me to wear it the day he came back…”

“Let’s go then, the ship docks in an hour or so.”

Invidia nodded and slipped her coat on, and after Nova and Trelania got the girls ready, they left.

‘I hope he likes the way I look…’ Invidia thought. ‘He did tell me to wear it…’

She thought that and other things as Nova drove and Setsuna pulled at her dress.

“Invidia? Invidia?”

“What?”

“When you get married…what will I do?” She asked.

“HUH?!”

“She wants to be in the wedding, I told her you haven’t chosen bridesmaids or anything yet…” Nova said.

“Arty and I were going to discuss it first. I want to know his choices, just as he wants to know mine.” Invidia told them. “But so far you, Nova, are…my maid of honor…”

“What?” Nova said.

“Well, you’ve helped me a lot ever since I came to Earth; I remember that you were the first to really befriend me. Even though you did not like me you thought I needed someone, that was…nice…and you’ve also helped me a lot with the wedding, I want you to be in it.”

“Thank you.” Nova said. “I’m honored…”

“And me?” Trelania said.

“Bridesmaid, possibly with Wendy, even though I don’t know her that well because I need more people…” Invidia admitted.

“You don’t have to have many, three should be fine Invidia, if you include Setsuna” Nova told her as they came to the dockyard. There were a ton of people all ready there, waiting to watch the Argo land.

“This is a huge crowd…” Setsuna said.

Nova picked her up. “Yes it is, stay with me, okay?”

“Yes, Mama…” Setsuna said.

“You too.” Trelania picked up Misako.

“She has to stay with you, she’s a baby.” Invidia said in a ‘Duh!’ tone.

Trelania ignored her and walked off with Nova following.

“Hey, wait!” Invidia called as she headed after them. She stood with them in the crowd for about thirty minutes or so, ignoring the cold as the ship came into view. As it did she got some horrible thoughts. ‘What if he doesn’t come back?! What if…what is he’s dead?! Then what do I do…?’ She looked down.

“Invidia, what’s wrong?” Nova asked.

“Nothing…” Invidia lied.

“You sure?”

Invidia nodded.

“Come on, cheer up! They’re landing!” Nova said as the ship came down.

Invidia waited and watched for about twenty minutes, before the crew started coming out. She was nervous as she watched, hoping that Arty would come, and he did, a few minutes later.

‘He’s alive!’ Invidia thought as he came down the ramp. She ran off to meet him, hoping that he would see her, she didn’t find him quickly but she found his parents.

After getting off the ramp, Arty looked around. “Invidia, where are you?” He muttered. He knew she wouldn’t just stay home when he came back…would she…?

“Arty!” A voice called behind him.

He turned around, the voice was his mother, and waiting with her was his father and…Invidia!

“Arty!” Nina said. “Invidia!” Arty said. He ran to her, picked her up slightly and spun her. “I’m so glad to see you! And you remembered your dress! You look so pretty, and you even painted your nails!”

“I did it just for you, I haven’t worn it since I got it, I love you…” Invidia said.

“I love you too…” Arty said. They stared into each other’s eyes for a minute and then their lips met. It was a kiss out of Invidia’s dreams, it was deep and passionate and neither of them cared who was watching.

After they were done Invidia just held onto him, taking him in, his hair, his eyes, and even his smell…

“Oh, so he notices his fiancée but not his parents?” Nina said.

They looked at his parents. “I’m sorry.” Arty said as Invidia let go and he went over.

“It’s okay.” Takachi said. “We know you missed her, and you are getting married soon.”

“And I have almost everything done!” Invidia said.

“You do?”

Invidia nodded. “I’ve been working while you were gone; I even found my dress and a tuxedo for you.”

“You did?”

Invidia nodded again. “I’ll show you later! I set up a demonstration that shows what I have planned and what you approved.”

“Right, but first I want to take you out.”

“Huh?”

“You didn’t think I wanted you to dress you up for nothing, did you? I’m taking you out to dinner, okay?”

“You are…?”

“Yes, wherever you want to go.”

“I want you to take me to that Italian restaurant I like.” Invidia told him.

“Well, let’s get back to my place first, I need to change and I need my car…” He looked at his parents. “Do you mind taking me back? It’s a long walk.”

“No we don’t mind.” Nina said. “We have to get out of this crowd anyway…” She and Takachi walked off with Arty and Invidia following.

A couple hours later, after they ate, Invidia took Arty down to the church where she set things up. She decided against an outdoor wedding and went with an outdoor reception instead. They were to be married March Fifteenth, the day after White Day, and they were going to be married in Arty’s church, apparently he and his parents were Christians, and they used to take Arty to church when he was younger but that was about it.

“Wait until you see it!” Invidia said when she got out of the car.

“Is it that good?”

“Of course!” Invidia told him, as they came in.

The church was laied out in black, blue and some white. The flowers were fake, of course but they lay in various places throughout.

“So what do you think?” Invidia asked.

“It’s dark…I didn’t exactly want Dark….” Arty said.

“Hey! You approved it and my Father’s paying for it! This is my dream Arty, don’t take it away!”

“Your dream?”

“Okay ours and I worked really, really, really hard on this! Please, don’t get rid of it! It took the whole year!”

“Fine, but what about our clothes?”

“We’re getting the bridesmaid dresses this month, they’ll be dark blue, mine’s black, you can’t see it until the wedding, and your tux is at your place, okay?” Invidia told him, trying to make him think about the whole thing, not just the decorations.

“What kind?” Arty asked, hoping that it wasn’t blue…

“A normal black one with a neck tie, why?”

“Just wondering, and that’s fine.”

“Great! Now it’s almost complete!” Invidia looked up as the ceiling. ‘And it’s finally happening!’

Over the next two months Arty and Invidia took care of all the last minute details, including picking out Arty’s best man and the bridesmaid and maid of honor escorts, which just turned out to be Derek, Mark and Homer and one of Arty’s little cousins for Setsuna, since Invidia didn’t have many people to be in the wedding on her side. Hardy was Arty’s best man, because he was his cousin and they were really good friends to each other and had been since they were little. Things with the caterer had been confirmed and Arty had approved of almost everything, except the kren, He said that kren did not need to be at a wedding, or on a cake. So Invidia begged and begged until he allowed it, not knowing that he had some plans and surprises of his own…

Two weeks before the wedding Arty went off for the day, leaving Invidia alone to check over things and make sure everything was together. She sat at her compute looking over the order forms and list for the wedding.

“Done, done…canceled…” Invidia muttered as she typed and searched. She also wondered what Arty had run off too…he had left so suddenly…She sighed and got up, it was getting boring, and she needed a break from all the wedding stuff.

‘I’m tired…’ She thought as she went into her bedroom. She layed on her bed and looked up, she layed for a few minutes until she fell asleep.

“Invidia? Invidia?” was the next thing she heard.

“What?” She said as she opened her eyes and looked up. Arty was gently shaking her.

“Morning, Princess…” he teased.

Invidia sat up. “How long have I been out?!”

“I don’t know…it’s five o’clock now.”

“And I stopped at about one…so…I’ve been asleep for four hours?!”

“Apparently, but never mind that, I have something for you…” Arty said.

“What?” Invidia looked at him.

“You’ll see…” He said as he pulled her up.

“It’s not another dress is it? Arty I love your gifts I really do, but I don’t have any room and…” She stooped as Arty’s hands covered her eyes.

“Don’t talk, just walk…” he said.

He led her to the end of the hall, where, he released her. “Now look.”

Invidia did. “Father?” She said. “No! It has to be a mirage! He’s…he’s…”

“I made a deal with Stone and some of the others; they let him out on probation for our wedding…”

“So it…it is true…” Zordar gave a small nod.

“Father!” Invidia said as she ran to him with tears in her eyes. “You’re going to stay here with me! And I wanna sleep with you just like before!”

“Sleep with…?” Arty tilted his head.

“Yeah, when I got lonely or had a bad dream he let me stay with him, that’s all.” Invidia explained.

“Oh…” Arty muttered as Invidia practically clung to her father.

“It’s all right, that’s what most people say.” Zordar said.

“Well, you look conten,t so I’ll just leave.”

“Okay, I’ll call you later, all right?”

Arty nodded and left. As soon as he did Invidia went over and grabbed the black blanket form the top of the couch, pulled it around her and looked at her father.

“Father, come here.” She said.

“What?” Zordar asked when he sat.

Invidia crawled over into his lap. “I missed you…and I missed this…”

“Missed what?”

“Being held, you can’t exactly hold me when I come to visit…in a place where half the people can beat you up you probably shouldn’t show a soft side…”

“But you let me hug you.”

“That’s nothing.” Invidia said as she leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’ve seen them all hug people, so it doesn’t matter, I love you.” She looked up at him.

“Yes, I love you too.”

“And now, you can give me away and see me get married.”

“Yes, I know, and I’m glad.” He hugged her. “My Princess is getting married…finally.”

“Hey!”

“Well it took you what? Nineteen, maybe twenty years to find a man? And then you had to put the wedding off! What do you call that?!”

“An unfortunate planning error…”

“You have an excuse for everything don’t you?” Zordar teased.

“No!” Invidia said. “And that doesn’t matter now! What matters is that you’re here and I’m happy.”

Zordar didn’t say anything, he just held her closer. “I love you, Princess…” he said.

“I love you too…” Invidia said as she just sat there, enjoying the peace of the evening…

TO BE CONTINUED…