InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity Redux: Fruition ❯ All Hell ( Chapter 59 )

Heaving a sigh as he slowly shook his head and hunched forward, elbows on knees, hands dangling helplessly between them, Ben refrained from the desire to glance at the clock since it couldn't possibly be more than a couple more minutes since the last time he'd looked.

"Baka . . . This is totally your fault, you know," Ryomaru grumbled as he grabbed the iron bars and gave them a good shake.  "We could probably bust out of here . . ."

"Baka, yourself," Kichiro grunted, smacking his twin upside the head.  "It's all just a misunderstanding—and it wasn't my fault.  It was his fault."

"If I miss my own wedding, I'll kill you all," Ben growled without looking up.

"I realize that both of you are my elders, and that I should respect you, but with all due respect, if I were in that cell with the two of you, I just might kill you myself," Gunnar said, casting his uncles a withering look.

"Don't worry about it, son," Toga remarked dryly.  "I'm in here with them.  I could easily off them both without a second thought."

Kyouhei snorted.  "Because this will look fantastic on my application for US citizenship," he muttered, plopping down hard on the thin mattress beside Ben.

"Aww, this ain't nothin'," Evan quipped, hanging his forearms out of the cell he was stuck in.  "Hey, Chester!  Got any food around here?  Doughnuts or something?" he hollered, trying to get the attention of the officer on duty.  “I’m starving!”

“Pipe down, Zelig,” Chester called back over the PA system.  Evan chuckled.

Bas heaved a sigh.  "Shut up, Evan."

Evan’s grin widened.

"Sesshoumaru, you haven't said a thing," Cain remarked, leaning over to look at the Inu no Taisho—one of his cell mates, along with Steve Vasquez, Martin Sanstrom, Kurt Drevin, Griffin Marin, and Deke Cartham.

"When we get out of here," Sesshoumaru said in a slow, even tone, "I forbid anyone from speaking of this, ever again."

"And this is where Jezebel gets it," Griffin muttered.  "I should have known . . ."

Evan started humming under his breath.

"If you start singing, I may kill you myself," Gavin remarked almost pleasantly.  "So much for my clean record . . . At least, it’s not for embezzlement . . ."

"Aww, c'mon!  Jilli'll think you're dangerous," Evan replied with a shit-eating grin on his face.  "Remember how turned on she got when you fought that eel-youkai?  It'd be on that level, I'd think . . ."

"Sebastian, do me a favor will you?" Cain said, his voice thick with resignation as he rubbed his closed eyes.

Bas reached over and smacked his brother upside the head.  "Damn, Bubby!  Take your wedding ring off the next time," Evan complained despite the idiot grin.  "Shit hurts!"

"Is that one on crack or something?" Kyouhei asked, nodding toward Evan.

Ben sighed.  "I gave up trying to figure him out a long, long time ago."

"This has to be the worst bachelor party in the history of bachelor parties," Kurt muttered.  "Even worse than Evan's."

"Oh, I dunno . . . I thought my party rocked," Evan quipped.

"Because you're a twisted little fucker," Bas grunted in reply.  "Damn . . ."

Ben slowly shook his head.

In truth, he wasn't entirely sure, just what had happened, to be honest.  One minute, he was sitting at a table with Sesshoumaru and Cain and the rest of Cain's generals, and the next, all hell was breaking loose on the dance floor of the small and quiet little club that Cain had selected for the venture.  It wasn't nearly as seedy as some of the other places in town, and as far as he could tell, there wasn't going to be anything cliché, like exotic dancers or anything—thank God.  The next?  Ben sighed.

Everyone had moved in to try to break up the brawl, but no one knew exactly what had started it.  Evan was in the thick of it, along with Morio.  From the hollering around them, Ben thought that maybe they'd caught some guy, trying to get a little too close to a girl who apparently didn't welcome the attention, and the other guy and his buddy decided that a full-on, down and dirty fistfight was in order . . .

Those two were in the drunk tank since the actual holding cells were full.

Against his resolve not to do any such thing, Ben glanced over at the clock on the wall outside of the cells and sighed.  Two-fifteen in the morning of his wedding day, and he was stuck in the clink.

"Hey, Ben?" Kichiro said.

"What?"

The good doctor sighed.  "This bachelor party kind of stinks—just saying."

"Blame Zelig for that."

"I didn't tell those two idiots to start a fight," Cain said.

"You didn't do much to stop them, either," Ben shot back.

Cain chuckled.  It figured.

"You suck as a best man, Zelig, just so you know."

"Did you even need a bachelor party?" Toga asked.

"I was outnumbered," he explained since he would have been more than happy to sit at home and look over files and stuff like that.

"Yeah, but just so you know, ending up in jail isn't exactly my idea of a good time," Toga went on.

"Gomen nasai, otou-san," Ben replied.

Toga snorted loudly.

"Look on the bright side, Philips," Martin Billings, another of Cain's generals, remarked.  "At least it'll be a day to remember—in more ways than one."

"I would laugh," Ben retorted, "but I don't really want to."

"It could always be worse," Grey Silvera countered, stretched out on the other mattress against the opposite wall, his tall, lanky frame extending well beyond the end of the metal frame.  "First and only rule."

"You're such a ray of sunshine, Grey," Gunnar drawled, affecting his casual slouch against a wall in his cell.

"You kiddin'?  Hell, I even took a shower for this," he said.

"I thought you smelled better than normal," Bas grumbled.

Grey laughed and shot Bas an unrepentant grin.  "It's for work, y'know . . . Masking my scent."

"Yeah, but you can get downright offensive at times," Bas replied.  Then he made a face, which only served to make Grey laugh.

"In every way that matters, boss-man," Grey said.

"That's true," Larry Rowland, another of Cain's hunters, added.  "I mean, you come in from hunts sometimes, and I swear to God you reek like my old man's crusty nutsack."

"Wasn't that your insult, Bas?" Morio asked.  "Back when we were trying to stay at that lovers' inn?"

"Yeah . . . Yeah, it was.  I learned it from Larry," Bas said.

"Let's not talk about that," Gunnar intoned, casting Morio a warning look.

"The crusty nutsacks or the lovers' inn?" Kurt asked.

"Not too sure I want to hear about either of those," Ryomaru added.  "Just why were you boys trying to stay at a lovers' inn, anyway?"

"Well, it was that summer that we took off, and we were really tired and smelly and—"

"And that's all that needs to be said," Gunnar insisted, drawing his lips back, bearing his fangs at his cousin.

Morio grinned, but shut up.

"All right, boys," Chester Abercrombie, the officer on duty, said as he pushed through the security doors of the containment area, accompanied by the obnoxious sound of the security alarm that always signaled the opening of the door.  "It's your lucky night.  Just got done getting the report from the bartender and eye witnesses, and it matched up with what you guys said, too, so you're free to go."

"Thank God," Ben muttered as he stood up and strode out of the cell.

"Except for you, Zelig," the officer remarked, barring the way before Evan could follow the others out of his cell.  "We need your statement first—yours and Morio Izayoi's."

"All right, but I've got a wedding to be at in a few hours," Evan replied.

"That's okay.  You don't have to be there," Ben tossed over his shoulder as he pushed out of the door, grimacing at the blast of the horn again.  At least Charity and the girls were staying over at the Zelig mansion tonight, so he was spared that little slice of humble-pie.

Or so he thought.

Stepping out of the hallway that led to main office, he stopped short, spotting a very perplexed Charity, along with several of the other women, too.  He stifled a sigh.  "I can explain," he said, wondering if he really sounded as stupid as he thought he might.

She shook her head, arching her eyebrows.  "That's okay.  The officer filled us in already."

He sighed.  "I'm having second thoughts about living this close to your twisted family," he told her as he slipped an arm around her waist.

She giggled.  "Well . . . at least you won't ever forget your bachelor party."

"Way to put a nice face on it, Cherry."

"How long do I have to sit in here?" Charity asked as she lifted her hand to examine her pruny fingers.  After the excitement of the night before, Chelsea had decided that Charity needed to have some relaxation time before anything else on her wedding day.

Chelsea glanced up from her cell phone.  She'd been texting pretty much non-stop since she breezed into Charity's room an hour ago to snuggle in bed with her for a few minutes before the rush of the day got to be too much.  As the event planner, she made it her duty to make sure that the entire thing went off without a hitch.  "Maddy said that you need to soak for at least an hour, adding more hot water as necessary—sort of like you're steeping."

She rolled her eyes and sank down a little further in the tub.  "I have to admit, as much as I like baths, I don't think I've ever stayed in the tub for at least an hour before . . ."

Chelsea's reply was cut short when a soft knock sounded on the door.  "Come in!"

"Chelsea!"

Chelsea waved a hand.  "It's just Cass."

The door opened, and Cassidy and Coral slipped into the bathroom.  "And nee-san," Charity grumbled, sinking a little lower under the cover of the bubbles floating on top of the water.

Coral wrinkled her nose.  "It smells like a chamomile and lavender garden in here," she remarked with a shake of her head as she stuffed her finger under her nose to hold back a sneeze.  "A little too heavy on the lavender, if you ask me . . . I mean, I get your whole botany thing, but don't you think this is out of control?"

"It's an herb bath Madison sent.  She said it was for ultimate relaxation," Chelsea explained, "but, yeah, it stinks, doesn't it?"

"I say we tell her that I stayed in it for an hour, and we call it good," Charity suggested.

Cassidy nodded.  "Come on, Charity.  We've got a surprise for you, anyway."

Coral and Cassidy slipped back out of the bathroom again, likely to escape the overwhelming smell of the lavender.  Chelsea shook out a huge bathing sheet and wrapped it around her twin as she got out of the tub.

She made quick work of toweling off and slipping into her bath robe before following Coral and Cassidy out into the bedroom.

She found the two sitting on her bed, both holding boxes, along with Sierra, and with a tray of breakfast foods and mimosas.

"Ah, there she is!" Sierra greeted.  She picked up a small, gold foil wrapped box and handed it to her.  "This is from Ben, so you'd better open it first.

Charity glanced at the box and shook her head.  "Knowing him, it's just a gift card," she deadpanned.  "It can wait."

Her mother laughed and shook her head.  "Open it, silly!  And if it's a gift card, I'll hunt him down myself."

She pulled the iridescent ribbon and opened the box, only to bark out a laugh when she lifted the gold card inside it.  "Close," she said, showing it to her mother.  It was a card, all right: a Visa Gold, complete with her name on it: Charity Philips.  "That just figures."

"Here you go!" Cassidy said, handing Charity a beautifully and meticulously wrapped present.

Charity leaned over to kiss her sister's cheek.  "Thank you," she said as she opened the gift.  "Oh . . ."

It was a pale pink satin ribbon, tied in a bow with tiny white pearl beads glued to it, sprinkled with a bit of iridescent glitter that had remained, even after all those years . . . When she was in preschool, she and Chelsea had made these during crafts.  Charity didn't know what Chelsea had done with the one she'd made, but Charity had given hers to Cassidy for Christmas that year.  Later, she'd thought that it had probably been a little stupid, but Cassidy had never complained, never made fun of her gift, and Charity had loved her for it . . . "You kept this?  All these years?"

"Of course, I did," she insisted with a smile.  "My baby sister gave me that.  Anyway, it's something, 'old'.  We'll pin it to the inside of your dress somewhere."

Coral laughed and handed over her gift.  "And this should cover, 'new'," she said.

Charity leaned in and hugged her oldest sister before opening the present: a gorgeous necklace: the Inutaisho family crest—Toga's crest—pendant on a thin silver chain . . . "It's beautiful . . ."

Coral nodded.  "So you never forget where you come from, Charity—even if you will be a Philips after today."

"Anyway," Sierra said with a giggle, "I had to find something for you to borrow . . ."

She opened the box and gasped at the sight of the beautiful lace kerchief—her mother's special kerchief—the one that was made by her great-great grandmother Aberdine.  "Oh, Mama . . ."

Sierra smiled.  "Well, technically, it's on loan since you have three more sisters who will all need something, 'borrowed' when they get married, too."

"Thank you, Mama," she said, hugging her mother tight.

Sierra kissed her cheek.  "You're welcome, sweetie."

"And my turn," Chelsea said, stuffing her gift into Charity's hand.

"Blue?" she asked, arching an eyebrow before she tore into the silver foil.

Chelsea nodded.

It was a very lovely blue satin and white lace garter belt with a tiny silver charm hanging by a short ribbon that said, 'Ben and Charity, 7.6.2075'.  Charity blushed but laughed at the gift.  "I guess it's all covered, then," she said as she hugged her twin.  "It's lovely . . . Is this the one that he's going to throw?"

Chelsea laughed.  "Actually, there's a second one that I’ve already put into your keepsake box, so yes, this one is for him to throw—and let's hope Mamoruzen doesn't catch it since he tends to have a pissy fit every time he does."

Sierra handed out the mimosas and shook her head.  "Don't tease your brother today, even if he brings a woman of . . . questionable disposition . . . to the wedding."

It was common knowledge that Sierra had yet to actually like anyone that Mamoruzen tended to spend time with, although she did like Stephanie well enough.  She also knew that that particular relationship was going nowhere at all, too . . .

"Oh, did you know that Charity, here, kicked his ass?" Chelsea said.

Coral and Cassidy exchanged looks.  "She did?"

"Totally did," Chelsea said.  "The day they were moving in, they ended up with an impromptu tournament in the back yard, and Charity took on Mamoruzen and won . . . It was brilliant, I tell you . . ."

"So . . ." Cassidy drawled, her lips twitching as she tried to retain a solemn expression.  "That means that she'll be the next tai-youkai?"

"I didn't kill him," Charity grumbled.

"Now, that really is impressive, Charity," Coral said with an approving nod.  "Good girl!"

Chelsea laughed then clapped her hands, shifting into party-planner mode in the blink of an eye.  "Yes, well, as fun as this is, you ladies need to get a move on.  I'm going to go on out and make sure that things are being set up properly, and the wedding is supposed to start in less than three hours, so . . ."

They all watched as Chelsea hurried out of the room.  Coral shook her head.  "It is so weird to see her taking anything seriously," she remarked.

Cassidy giggled.  "I was going to say the same thing," she confessed.  "But I thought it'd be in poor taste . . ."

"Your sister is very good at her job," Sierra reminded them.  "And she's right.  We need to start getting you ready, Charity."  She sighed.  "My first daughter's getting married . . ."

Then she sighed as Charity leaned in to hug her mother once more.