Ami felt Minako's hand land lightly on her shoulder as she stood up to face the others. Ami noticed that her hand was quite cold and trembling somewhat. She placed her own hand over it, and Minako's tightened slightly on her shoulder in response. Though the sounds of the cafe continued to buzz in the background, silence still reigned in the immediate area. Everyone was staring at the two of them. Ami's stomach began tying itself in knots, wondering if this had been a terrible mistake after all. Just as she was considering grabbing Minako's arm and fleeing the building, however, Rei and Makoto broke out into cheers. Mamoru just smiled, and Usagi and Chibi-Usa fell back into opposite sides of a booth in perfect synchronicity with identically stunned expressions. "You guys are...together?" They asked at precisely the same time. Ami felt her cheeks growing hot and looking to the side, she saw that Minako was blushing deeply as well. She looked down at the Sailor V plush she was still holding tightly against her stomach. "Well...yes, we are." She finally said in a small voice. "So...the two of you...like Haruka and Michiru?" Usagi spluttered. "No, they're straight. They just like to kiss." Rei said sarcastically, blushing a little as Mamoru gave her a chiding look. "I know it's a lot to process, but it doesn't make much of a difference, does it Usako?" Mamoru asked in a soft voice. "Huh? Oh...no, of course not!" Usagi actually sounded a little indignant at the question and bounced up on her feet immediately. She threw her arms around Ami and Minako, who both blushed deeply. "If you guys are happy, that's the only important thing! You're still my best friends!" She said firmly, stepping backwards. "Thanks Usagi-chan." Minako said, her voice gaining a little of it's usual flipness. "That means a...would you two STOP that!" She turned to Makoto and Rei, who were still grinning like maniacs. The two looked at each other, then back at Minako. "Sorry Minako-chan." Makoto said with a shrug, her face still frozen in a grin. "It's just that...well..." "We sort of knew." Rei finished, sounding smug. "We had a pretty good idea anyway." "Really?" Ami asked absently, looking down at her new plush and stroking its goggles with a fingertip. "You've both been so subtle I never noticed." Rei and Makoto both exchanged an embarrassed look and blushed. Makoto laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry Ami-chan." She said in a self-effacing tone. Ami chuckled. "It's fine, Mako-chan." "Yeah Mako-chan." Minako chimed in, tossing her arms around Ami's neck from behind and leaning her head against her girlfriend's. "You two just kept us on our toes." A warm rush spread through Ami's chest as she felt Minako's embrace. As Minako slid away, Ami caught her hand and slid back into the booth, pulling the blonde girl down into the seat next to her. Rei and Makoto sat across from the two of them, and Usagi went to take a seat next to Mamoru in the booth across the aisle. Chibi-Usa, who was strangely silent, stayed where she was, looking down at her fingers as she appeared lost in thought. "So are you guys in love?" Rei asked, leaning over the table with an avid expression on her face. Ami blushed deeply and saw that Minako was doing the same. "Um...well..." Minako fumbled, and Ami jumped in to rescue her. "We haven't really been together for very long yet." She said softly, squeezing Minako's hand gently under the table. "It's a little early to say yet." She smiled as she turned towards Minako. "But she makes me very happy." Ami's toes curled in pleasure as she saw the tender expression in Minako's eyes. "You make me happy too." She replied softly, her hand coming up to stroke Ami's cheek as if they were the only two people in the world. "Oh, that's so sweet." Usagi cooed, leaning against Mamoru's shoulder. "Why did you two keep everything so secret though? You must have known we wouldn't mind." Minako chuckled. "Maybe...but knowing and believing are two different things, you know? Besides, we wanted to sort things out for ourselves before we involved anyone else. 'An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of perspiration,' right?" She nodded wisely. "Um...that doesn't really apply here, Mina-chan." Ami said, leaning in for a quick kiss on the cheek. "But it's really cute." Minako laughed. "Then it works anyway, right?" She winked. There was a short lull in the conversation then, and Mamoru took the opportunity to stand up. "We should probably go." He said, smiling knowingly at Ami and Minako. "Seven's a crowd on dates, you know?" "Right Mamo-chan!" Usagi said, bouncing lightly to her feet. Suddenly she paused, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You sure didn't seem very surprised, Mamo-chan..." Mamoru blinked. "Um...what do you mean, Usako?" He smiled uncertainly. "You knew!" The pigtailed girl gasped, pointing an accusatory finger. "You knew!" "Usako! It was their business, I couldn't tell anyone!" Mamoru protested, holding his hands up and looking around at the other disinterested patrons of the parlor. "We're not supposed to have secrets from each other Mamoru!" Usagi said. "Why couldn't you tell me? Aren't I good at keeping secrets?" That was too much even for Mamoru, and his mouth simply opened and closed wordlessly. "Mamo-chan!" Usagi wailed, and he immediately made a hasty retreat, his distraught lover on his heels. After sharing a nice long laugh Rei and Makoto made a much more dignified exit, leaving the other two alone. Almost. Chibi-Usa slid out of her booth and walked over to Ami and Minako's. She just stood there, fidgeting nervously. "You can sit down if you want, Chibi-Usa." Minako said with a smile. The small girl nodded and slid into the booth opposite the other two. "Is it...really okay?" She finally blurted. "Liking other girls, I mean." The older girls blinked in surprise and looked at each other, then back at Chibi-Usa. "Why would you ask that?" Ami asked, tilting her head quizzically. Chibi-Usa bit her lip. "Well...okay, I know we think it's okay, because of Haruka and Michiru, right? And Hotaru's always saying there isn't anything wrong with it, but you know...they're her parents." She trailed off then, and Ami looked over at Minako, who smiled sympathetically. "Did somebody tell you it wasn't okay?" Minako asked gently. "Well, not exactly..." Chibi-Usa said sadly. "But...there's a girl a couple of years ahead of me at school and...a lot of the other girls aren't very nice to her." Ami puffed out her cheeks and sighed. "Well, Chibi-Usa...it's true, a lot of people have a problem with homosexuality. But people not liking something doesn't make it wrong." "Especially in middle school." Minako chuckled. "Right...I got plenty of grief in middle school just for being smart." Ami smiled and Minako gave her hand a squeeze. "You care a lot about Hotaru, don't you?" Minako asked, and smiled at the blush that appeared on the pink haired girl's cheek. "You care about her and you want to stay with her, right?" Chibi-Usa nodded. "Then you should just do what your heart tells you...I know you're brave enough to take anything a bunch of people you don't really care about throw at you." "They'll throw things at me?" Chibi-Usa asked fearfully. Ami giggled and Minako groaned and rested her forehead in her hands. "You're really Usagi's kid sometimes, Chibi-Usa." Minako said. "It's just a figure of speech." "Anyway, Chibi-Usa...you'll always have us, and all of us think that you and Hotaru make the most adorable couple we've ever seen." Ami said with a sweet smile. "After all...Hotaru doesn't go school with you, so nobody really has to know if you don't want them to. As long as you're honest with the people you care about, that's enough." Minako blushed a little and nodded. "Right." Chibi-Usa smiled happily. "Thanks guys...you're the best." Impulsively, the pink-haired girl leaned over the table and gave each of the others a quick hug. She hopped lightly out of the booth. "I'm going to Hotaru's right now." She said, a cute little flush in her cheeks. "Have fun." Ami chuckled. "But not too much...Haruka has really good ears." Minako cautioned with a playful wink, and Chibi-Usa blushed deeply as Ami poked her girlfriend in the shoulder. "Mina-chan!" Minako just laughed, and Chibi-Usa left with a wave. "She's so fun to tease." Minako grinned, taking a bite of the rather melted sundae. Ami just looked at the blonde girl, the warm glow deep within her bringing a wide smile to her face. "Mina-chan...thank you. That...really meant a lot to me." Minako reached out and took Ami's hand into her lap, gently stroking it with her thumb. "It meant a lot to me too, Ami." She smiled, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Letting the others know about us...it felt good. It felt right." "I'm glad." Ami brought Minako's hand to her lips and kissed it lightly. "But that's not all..." She paused for a moment, and Minako waited patiently. It was often difficult for the blue haired girl to put her emotions into words, and it made Ami happy to know that her love understood that. "I know this is really hard for you." She finally said. "And knowing that you're trying...that's what means the most. It..." She smiled shyly. "It makes me feel really...special." "Ami..." Minako leaned over, resting her forehead against Ami's and rubbing the tip of her nose lightly against her girlfriend's. "You are special." She whispered, her eyes closed. "You're wonderful. You...make me feel things I was afraid I couldn't. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you." She sat back once again, with a playful wink. "It just might take me a little while." The Senshi of Ice was left utterly defenseless. The warm glow she had felt before had swelled until she was almost giddy. She looked down at the liquid sundae and finally reached out with tingling fingertips and took the cherry, plucking it lightly off the stem with her lips. "You know..." She finally said softly, looking at Minako with a shy smile and smoldering eyes. "The ice cream's pretty much melted now...and I still need to thank you properly for the doll...and everything else." Minako actually blushed a little at that look, a smile spreading across her face as she nodded. "I guess we should probably study a little bit today." She said teasingly. "Maybe...eventually." Both girls started to laugh. ------------------- Michiru stepped out of the boutique, holding a rather hefty bag. Setsuna joined her on the street a moment later, holding a much smaller bag. "You were right." The Senshi of the Sea smiled at the taller woman. "I do feel quite a bit better." "I had a feeling you would." Setsuna smiled a little. "I really love this dress..." Michiru murmured, looking into the bag. "And I can't believe I found shoes for it as well." "And Haruka should be very appreciative of the other accessories you got for it." Setsuna said with a gently teasing smile. Michiru snapped the bag closed and held it to her chest. "Setsuna!" Setsuna just closed her eyes and chuckled softly. After a moment, Michiru relaxed and laughed along. "I see you're feeling a little better too." "Yes." Setsuna nodded. "As long as I stay busy, I can keep myself from obsessing." After having come face to face with the source of her inability to detect the enemy on the timeline, the Guardian of Time had found herself increasingly consumed with finding a way to counteract Tachyon's abilities. She had finally compelled the still-moping Michiru to come shopping with her, both to cheer Michiru up and distract Setsuna herself. As they continued on down the street, Makoto and Rei came around the corner ahead. As she saw the nervous look Rei gave her, and the careful way the injured girl carried herself, Michiru felt her gut twist with guilt. And when Makoto cast her an angry glare, then turned to have a whispered conversation with the dark-haired miko, Michiru winced. She turned to look at Setsuna, who was looking back at her with a gentle, questioning expression. Michiru forced a small smile. "It's time to make this right." She said quietly, turning back and walking resolutely towards the younger girls, who were standing and waiting. "Rei-chan," She said in the softest, gentlest voice she had, "I think it's time we talked." Rei looked down and nodded. There was a pause, and Makoto looked over at Setsuna. "Setsuna-chan...want to come over to my place?" She smiled a bit. "I can whip us up some dinner, and I could use some help studying." Setsuna chuckled. "Your cooking for a night of tutoring sounds like and excellent trade." The two walked off on their own, leaving Michiru and Rei standing on the sidewalk alone. Michiru's heart ached as she saw how subdued the normally fiery-spirited girl was. The Senshi of the Sea placed her hands on the girl's shoulder and smiled comfortingly. "Rei-chan...it's okay, really. I promise. Now...we should probably go someplace a little more private." Rei had looked up and smiled wanly back in reply. "The...park is just a couple of streets down." She offered. "Well then...let's head that way." Michiru released Rei and the two walked in silence. For Michiru, it was an intensely uncomfortable walk, and she could only imagine that Rei felt the same way. She longed to tell Rei everything she had to say immediately, but knowing how the Senshi of Fire felt about her, Michiru was afraid Rei might lose control of her emotions, and she wanted to preserve the girl's pride as much as possible. "How...is your shoulder?" Michiru finally asked. Rei started a bit, then gave a very small shrug. "It still feels strange, but it doesn't really hurt anymore. And it's finally healing up right." She gave a faint, courageous smile. "I'll be ready to fight again in no time." "That's good to hear." Michiru smiled back. "It's even better to see you up and around." "Yeah..." Rei trailed off, looking at the sidewalk in front of her. By this time, they had entered the park. A group of children ran by, throwing snowballs at one another and laughing wildly. The pair found a dry bench beneath a thick copse of trees. As they sat down, Michiru spoke again. "Rei-chan...I need to apologize to you." Rei blushed, looking resolutely into her lap. Michiru sighed deeply and shook her head. "There's no excuse for the way I behaved...and I've told that to Hotaru as well. What I did was wrong as a parent, a friend and a Senshi." Whatever Rei had been expecting, this had apparently not been it. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times as her face grew redder and redder. "It...you...I...you're damn right it was wrong!" Rei finally shouted, jumping to her feet. "I betrayed *your* trust? Your trust! Hotaru isn't some little girl that needs to be kept out of danger, and I am *not* her babysitter!" Even Michiru, who had been prepared for a reaction like this, cringed as the Senshi of Flame turned the full fury of her legendary temper loose upon her. The tirade continued on for several minutes, Rei pacing back and forth and gesturing wildly. In response, Michiru simply sat on the bench, hands folded in her lap and feeling very much like a child getting the scolding of her life. Rei finished shouting as her voice became hoarse. She flopped back down onto the bench, hugging herself tightly with angry tears standing in her eyes. There was a heavy pause, and Michiru gathered the courage necessary to timidly touch the miko on the shoulder. "Rei-chan..." She began to speak, but was cut off as Rei spun around, throwing her hands on Michiru's arms and sobbing into her shoulder. The aqua-haired woman was frozen for a moment, taken off guard by the violent, mercurial moods of Rei when she was upset. But then she smiled sadly and gently stroked the younger girl's hair as she cried herself out. At last, Rei sat back, sniffling and angrily dashing tears from her eyes. Michiru offered her a handkerchief and she took it gratefully, wiping her face. "I'm sorry." Rei said shortly. "Don't be." Michiru said with a small smile. "Honestly, it's a relief to see you back to yourself." "Angry and loud?" Rei laughed softly and shakily. Michiru simply nodded. "Of course...fiery and strong, Rei. That is how you should be." Rei blushed deeply and sat back against the bench, not looking at anything in particular. "You were so angry." Rei said in a softer tone. "I've never seen you so out of control. Why?" Michiru sighed again, leaning her head back and watching the steam from her mouth fade in the air. "I've been thinking a lot about that...and Hotaru and I had a long talk about it." She smiled. "You have a right to hear this." She turned in the bench to face the other girl. "In the end, I finally realized it was because of guilt." "Guilt?" Rei blinked. "About Hotaru? Michiru-chan, you're one of the best parents I've ever seen." "Thank you Rei-chan." Michiru nodded in acknowledgement of the compliment. "But remember...before Haruka, Setsuna and I became her parents, before she was Sailor Saturn...Haruka and I were willing to do anything to stop her from destroying everything." Michiru looked off into the snow-clad distance. "Anything." Rei shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "You did what you thought was best." "But we were wrong, weren't we?" Michiru shook her head. "And imagine what we would have missed if we had succeeded." The aqua haired woman rubbed the side of her neck, looking sad. Rei spoke hesitantly. "It was a mistake, Michiru-chan...but you can't let it get to you like that. Hotaru's still here, and she loves you, and you love her." With a small chuckle, Michiru shook her head. "Haruka says the same thing. And she believes it, to. She's able to let go of past mistakes like that." She let out a small hmph. "I wish I could." There was a long pause then as Michiru lost herself in her less than cheerful thoughts. Finally she shook herself. "I'm sorry...anyway...this is the first time Hotaru has been so singled out by an enemy since she joined us. Given the guilt I was carrying around, it's not surprising that I overcompensated by becoming so protective." Rei gave her a look, and Michiru gave a small, genuine laugh. "You don't have to say it...it's silly and I know it. Hotaru and Haruka told me so." She smirked. "Setsuna did as well, but not quite as bluntly." She debated with herself for a moment, and deciding it would do more good than harm, placed her hand over Rei's. Rei blushed deeply, but smiled. "I can't tell you how sorry I am that you were hurt because I drove you off with such a foolish outburst. It would have been inappropriate at any time, but doing it during an attack was so out of line..." She sighed. "And I was so angry I never even considered how much I could hurt you." Rei's hand seemed to tense up and Michiru silently cursed herself for letting her tongue slip. "What do you mean?" Rei asked, sounding far too casual. "We're Sailor Senshi." Michiru said smoothly. "We're supposed to trust each other, especially in a battle. I violated that trust, not you." She suddenly laughed. "Although you already knew that...I'm pretty sure you yelled at me for it at one point back there." Rei laughed as well, and Michiru felt her hand relax. "Well, just make sure you don't start trying to protect me, too. I'm getting enough from Ojii-chan and Yuuichirou." "Oh don't worry Rei-chan...I've learned my lesson. I promise." She smiled softly. "Like I said, Hotaru and I had a long talk, and she, and Haruka, are going to help me get over it." She gave Rei's hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it. "Thank you for forgiving me, Rei-chan." Rei puffed out her cheeks and let the air out slowly. "You're welcome...and thank you, Michiru-chan. I feel a lot better now." She stretched a bit, then grimaced, her hand going to her injured shoulder. "Are you alright?" Michiru asked with a concerned expression. "Yeah...I think I just need to get home and rest a bit." She chuckled. "I've been up all day. First there was meeting Usagi and Makoto and then..." Her eyes widened. "Oh, that's right!" She grinned suddenly, surprising Michiru. "Today, at the parlor, Minako and Ami..." She let it trail off dramatically, and Michiru couldn't help but offer a guess. "Finally told you that they were a couple?" Rei's jaw dropped open. "You knew?" Michiru chuckled softly at her stunned expression. "Well, Minako did live with us for awhile. And since they've gotten together she's asked us for some advice from time to time." "So they've been together since then?" Rei blinked. "No...they were both dancing around the idea then, I think." "So how long have they been going out? Oh, you have to tell me everything!" Rei leaned forward eagerly and winced as she put weight on her shoulder. "We can talk a little while I'm walking you home." Michiru said, standing. "But not too much...I can't break Minako's confidence." "Oh...right." Rei managed not to look disappointed as she stood up as well. They began walking home, Michiru carefully fielding questions from Rei and feeling like an incredible weight had been lifted from her shoulders. ------------------- "Well, I'm not sure about this at all Artemis." Luna said uncertainly, curled up in Usagi's lap. The blond girl was asleep in her chair, her homework half-finished in front of her. Artemis had come over to visit, and when he had arrived, Luna and Usagi were discussing Ami and Minako's relationship. "And I don't like the fact that you didn't tell me about it." "I didn't tell you because it was none of your business." Artemis said, licking a paw on his perch in Usagi's bed. The white cat was being unusually quiet and firm, and it was perturbing Luna. "They're both Sailor Senshi, and Minako's supposed to be the leader of the Princess's bodyguard besides. Don't you think there might be a conflict of interest here?" "No, I don't. And anyway, you haven't had a word to say about Haruka and Michiru, or Chibi-Usa and Hotaru for that matter." "That's different." Luna said shortly, hopping off the snoring girl's lap. "The Outer Senshi aren't responsible for Usagi's safety, and they aren't my responsibility." "Neither are Minako and Ami." Artemis countered. "Minako's my responsibility and Ami is free to do what she wants. And I say that Minako is too." "I still think this is something we need to talk about..." Luna began as she jumped into the bed as well. "No, we don't." Artemis said firmly, shaking his head. "It's none of your concern. I trust both of them to do what they need to, no matter what. You have to trust me too, Luna. This is the best thing that has happened to Minako in a long time, and I totally support her." Luna sighed, then gave a small cat's smile. "I suppose you're right, Artemis. Ami's the most responsible one of all of them, and Minako has never been anything but exemplary as a Sailor Senshi." "Exactly." Artemis nodded. He stretched and yawned. "I'm going upstairs to say goodnight to Diana, then I'm headed home." "Goodnight Artemis." Luna said. "You know...sometimes I'm a little jealous of you and Minako. You're such a good friend to her, along with being her guardian. I wish that Usagi and I could be that close sometimes." Artemis chuckled. "Queen Serenity told us to be what our charges needed, Luna. Usagi needed...needs...a firmer hand then Minako. Minako needed a friend more than anything else." He hopped down and headed towards the cracked door. "You and Usagi do just fine, Luna." "Yes, I suppose we do..." Luna lay down on the sheets and curled into a ball with a smile. Suddenly she jumped up darted to the door as well. "Artemis!" She hissed. "Stay out of the kitchen! Usagi's mother blamed me the last time you raided the fridge." "I promise nothing!" Artemis' voice wafted quietly from downstairs. With a low growl, Luna ran after him. ------------------- AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whew, this was a difficult chapter to write! But really, a lot of this story has made me stretch as a writer. I feel really good about how my style has improved over the way I used to write. (Badly) Anyway, expect action in the next chapter! Time for the bad guys to remind us that they're still there and getting worse all the time. Stay tuned!
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