Rei Hino frowned as she listened to Ami summarize the death of a high ranking infinity representative. "You think it's connected to Mistress Nine?" she asked. Rei watched Ami as she sighed, feeling a surge of sympathy for the blue haired young woman. "I'm tempted to assume it is, but there are a lot of people with reasons to have a vendetta against Infinity and the Tomoe family," she noted. "You got that right," Rei made a face as she sat up on the couch, wincing a bit as she tried to avoid thumping her cast covered arm. Ami got up suddenly, making Rei blink up at her in bewildered surprise.. "I'd better try to get back to bed," she said in a gruff tone of voice, "it's going to be a long day tomorrow." As Ami tried to hurry off Rei grabbed at her with her good hand, "Wait, damn it." As Ami looked back at her Rei let go, meeting her eyes as she asked, "Is my being here that much of a problem? I wouldn't have agreed to stay if...." "It...," Ami trailed off, then said in the oddest tone of voice, "It's not that I don't want you here, it's that I want you too much." "Huh?" Rei blinked, feeling more than a little stunned that Ami had put into words the tension that had shimmered between them so long. "I'm sorry," and with that Ami pulled free from Rei's now weakened grip and fled the room like some drama star. Rei sat there a moment, still not sure she had heard Ami say what she had. Shaking her head she made herself get up, swaying a little tiredly. 'I can't just leave it at that,' she decided, hurrying after the other woman. The upper floor of the Silky Doll was partially Ami's living space as well as being a place for Senshi Saber meetings and other activities. As a side effect there were more than a few rooms for Rei to check, her search finally ending at the door to Ami's bedroom. A search aided, rather surprisingly, by the Mercury computer. "Ami?" Rei tapped on the door firmly with her knuckle, "We need to talk." "I don't think that's such a good idea," Ami answered, her voice a lot more subdued than Rei was used to hearing. Rei took a deep breath then puffed it out, trying to summon up her courage. "Ami," Rei said as she let her head rest against the door, "I want you, too." There was a long moment of silence, then Rei heard movement coming towards the door. Ami opened the door, her expression serious as she look at Rei and said, "If you're lying to me I shall be very upset." Her usual clothes were gone, instead Ami wore a simple one piece nightie that left very little for the imagination. Rei gulped, then managed to smile at her, "I wouldn't do that to you." Ami smiled back a bit weakly, "I'm rather new at this, Rei." "And yet you run a lingerie shop?" Rei asked as raised her eyebrows, trying to lighten up the tone a bit. "What can I say, I spent a long time studying theory...," Ami shrugged. Rei hesitated, then took a step towards Ami, reaching out to touch her cheek gently. "Ami," she instructed quietly, "be quiet for a second." "Huh?" Ami started only to be silenced by Rei gently pressing her lips to her's. Rei was pleasantly surprised at how good a kisser Ami was, reflexedly pressing their bodies close together. Also, Ami had some very nice curves, even if she usually hid them under those stylish business suits. Ami sounded more than a bit breathless as she gasped, "That was... very nice." "Oh yeah," Rei agreed as she kept a arm wrapped round her. She smiled as she leaned close and whispered in her ear, "Why don't we go back into your bedroom and... talk about this sone more?" "I think I'd like that," Ami started to say right before they both heard someone coming up the hall at them. Rei gave her a questioning look and Ami reluctantly pulled away. Straightening up she saw Makoto and Minako hurrying up the hall. "Setsuna Meiou is outside," Minako said, the blonde giving them both a thoughtful look "Of course she is," Ami sighed. "Did we interrupt something?" Makoto asked, a slight smile on her face as she tapped her lips with a finger. Rei felt herself blushing, realizing she had smeared Ami's lipstick, no to mention gotten some on herself. "No jokes," she warned them both flatly. "Wouldn't dream of it," MInako answered quickly. "Could one of you please let Setsuna in?" Ami asked them with a sigh, "I need to get dressed again, it seems." "We'll do it," Makoto agreed, taking Minako by the arm and bodily dragging the blonde away from Ami and Rei. "My timing sucks yet again," Rei noted with a frustrated sigh. "Maybe," Ami smiled at her with a degree of her usual confidence, "but I want us back here as soon as we can." Smiling back Rei agreed, "Me too." Rather reluctantly she stepped a bit farther away as she wryly added, "I'd better get dressed too, or we're going to end up doing something that makes us both late." "You have no idea how much I want to make Setsuna wait," Ami admitted before turning around and swiftly shutting the bedroom door. "Probably almost as much as I do," Rei sighed mostly to herself as she hurried to her temporary room and started searching for her clothes. Leaving on her battered t-shirt she found some mostly clean jeans in a duffle bag and pulled them on, then paused to check herself over in the bathroom. The smear of lipstick on Rei's lips made her pause and grab some toilet paper. Hesitating a moment she wadded it up and stuffed it into her bag, tossing it on the couch before heading to the meeting room. It was strange, saving the traces of that first kiss, but she didn't care. The meeting room was quiet as Rei entered, and she could feel Minako and Makoto's questioning glances on her. Ignoring them she nodded to Setsuna as she sat down at the table, choosing a spot across from Ami. "I'm sorry to disturb you all," Setsuna said, the tall woman's dark green-black hair shimmering in the light, "but there's been a second killing." Ami's eyes narrowed as she noted, "Nothing's come up on my AD police taps...." "Brian J. Mason," Setsuna said grimly, "was hit by a car in Shijuku earlier this evening. I suspect the police and ADP have not yet connected him to the death of Ginga." "Mason!" Rei raised her eyebrows as she added, "couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." "You know him?" Minako looked over at Rei curiously. "He was the corporate slime Infinity sent to negotiate with my Grandfather, back when they wanted to buy the shrine," Rei remembered grimly. "I always wondered if he was one of the men who beat him to death." "He didn't get his hands dirty," Setsuna said confidently, "but it wouldn't have surprised me if he had given the order." "Could his death be a coincidence?" Ami had to ask. Setsuna shook her head, "My source in the police tells me it was a bio-boomer driving the other car, and it swerved directly at Mason. It was intentional, though I suspect the police will write it up as a normal rogue incident." Makoto looked curious, "Should we pass a tip on to Usagi?" "Covertly," Ami said after a moment, "Minako, can you set up a untracable email to send her a message?" "I already have several set up," Minako flashed a smile, "I just need a public computer terminal to access them." "Fair enough," Ami nodded. Setsuna leaned forward as she said seriously, "I've assembled a list of possible targets from Infinity's covert and research departments, I think we should take steps to guard them." Rei gave a soft snort, "Why? The world is better off without them." Ami sighed, "I'm tempted to agree with you, but we need the Infinity employees alive if the police are going to investigate my mother's death." Minako nodded, "Infinity is still going ahead with the reveal that Tomoe ordered her death?" "Yes, tho I suspect the present crisis may have delayed things a bit." Ami answered her firmly. 'I wonder if she's really that confident?' Rei wondered as Setsuna picked up several hard-copy sheets and passed them around the table. "Who do you think will be the next big target?" Makoto asked curiously as she looked over the names and photos. "This one," Setsuna tapped a copy of the sheet sitting on the table, "Professor Tomoe's former Chief of Operations, Madigan."
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