Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Our Future ❯ Dinner ( Chapter 8 )

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Chapter 8 - Dinner
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Mars smiled as Usagi's home came into vision. She leapt into the air and investigated the area for a safe place to undo her transformation. She spotted a secluded place that would give her cover as well. She immediately made her way to the spot she selected and returned to her civilian identity. Rei continued on her way, though at far slower pace than she had been going. After a few minutes of walking she was walking up the pathway to her girlfriend's house. When she reached to front door, she pressed the doorbell. It was only a couple seconds before the door opened to reveal Usagi's mother.

“Hello, Tsukino-san.” Rei said and bowed slightly. “Is Usagi back from school yet?”

The blue haired woman smiled as she said, “Yes, she's up…right here.” She corrected herself mid-sentence as her daughter appeared beside her.

Usagi took Rei's hand and pulled her inside, “What are you waiting there for? Come in!”

Rei laughed a little as she entered the building, “Okay, okay, I'm inside.”

Ikuko closed the door, “I was going to tell her head up to your room, when I saw you were already here.” She said causing her daughter to look away from her, a little sheepishly.

The raven haired girl smiled, “Thank you, Usagi's just…. impatient.” She said and squeezed her girlfriend's hand lightly.

The older woman looked at her daughter and shook her head, “I can see that.” Ikuko said with a smile. “Would you like anything to eat? I'm almost done with dinner.”

“Thank you, but I don't want to impose.” Rei said politely.

“Nonsense, there's more than enough to go around.” The blue haired woman said, wearing another smile.

“Actually mom, we were going to head over to meet another one of our friends.” Usagi said.

“Is dinner ready, honey?” Usagi father asked, coming into view as he stepped into the foyer from the living room. “Oh…do we have guest for dinner?” Kenji asked, noticing one of his daughter's friends.

Usagi shook her head, “No dad, we were going over to a friend's.”

“Oh…well, it's good to see you Rei-san” Kenji said, sounding unsure of what to say.

“It's nice to see you as well Tsukino-san.” Rei said, once again bowing slightly. He nodded his head and started to walk back to the room he came from, only to be stopped by his daughter.

“Actually, since you're here, I'd like to ask you and mom something.” Usagi said and looked at both her parents.

“What is it?” Ikuko asked.

Usagi took a deep breath and looked over to Rei for moment before continuing, “Well, I was wondering if I could stay over at Rei's for the weekend?” She looked at both of her parents for their answer.

Kenji shrugged his shoulders and looked at his wife. Seeing his expression the blue haired woman shook her head slightly before turning to her daughter, “I'm not so sure after last night…”

“I know that was irresponsible of me and I'm sorry mom. It won't happen again.” The blond teen said quickly before her mother could dwell on the previous night. “Please mom.” She added, hoping to push her into her favor.

Ikuko appeared to be thinking over Usagi's request when she turned to Rei, “Is your grandfather okay with Usagi staying over?”

“Absolutely. He's always happy to have any of my friends over.” The raven haired girl replied without skipping a beat. Still seeing that she was on the fence she added, “You can call him if you'd like. I promise he'll be all for Usagi staying over.”

“No, no, that isn't necessary.” The older woman said to the dark haired girl before turning to her daughter, “I guess it's fine as long as you don't come back too late Sunday for school on Monday.”

Usagi's face lit up and she lunged at her mother, “Thank you, Mom. I promise I won't be home late Sunday!” She said and kissed her on the cheek.

Ikuko smiled and hugged her daughter back, “You're welcome honey.” She said before releasing the teen.

“What ever happened to that Mamoru guy? You don't ever talk about him anymore.” Kenji asked, unknowingly completely shattering his daughter's gleeful mood.

Usagi looked surprised by the question and stepped away from her mother, moving closer to Rei. Her girlfriend met her halfway and took her love's hand in her own. Usagi felt better as she held Rei's hand, but it didn't quell all of her nerves as she looked at her father to answer his question. “We actually broke up.” She said and nervously shuffled her feet. She didn't know why she hadn't told her parents yet, more than anything the topic just had come up and she wasn't going to be the one to initiate that conversation.

The older man actually wore a large smile on his face when heard what Usagi said, “Good riddance. He should date a girl his own age.”

“Dad, he was always a gentleman with me. He's a good man and still care about him.” Usagi said, still feeling the need to defend the man. He hadn't done anything to cause their breakup after all.

“Why did you break up then?” Mrs. Tsukino asked.

Usagi could feel Rei squeeze her hand, bringing a small smile to her lips, “We just…realized we weren't meant to be…”

“Like I said good riddance.” The patriarch of the family said. Usagi sighed and looked as if she was going to saying something again, but he spoke up again before she could. “Usagi, I was his age once too and I know what men his age are thinking.”

“He wasn't like that…” The blond protested.

“Honey, all men are like that.” He said and took a deep breath as he added, “I just think you would do better to find a nice boy your own age…” He paused when he saw his daughter's reaction. “What's wrong, honey?”

Rei could feel the change in her girlfriend immediately and squeezed her hand once again, but didn't get any real response. She really just wanted nothing more than to hold the other girl in her arms, but she also didn't want to cause her parents to ask even more questions. She took a quick glance over and saw she wasn't likely to respond to her father anytime soon, so she spoke up for her love. “I'm really sorry, Tsukino-san but we really should be going. Our friends are waiting for us.” She said and gave a little tug on her girlfriend's arm, bringing her back to reality. Usagi looked over at Rei and it only took a moment for a smile to return to the girl's lips.

“Usagi…” Ikuko said

Rei turned around and gave Usagi's mother a warm smile, “She's fine. She's just still getting over M-Mamoru-san.” The raven haired girl said and let go of Usagi's hand, deciding to put her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders tenderly instead, holding her comfortably against herself. She really wanted to kiss her and reassure her girlfriend's concerns, but now wasn't the best time to do that, so she just ushered the blonde away from her home.

The blue haired woman nodded, “Okay…have fun.” She said and watched Rei lead her daughter away from their home.

Kenji looked at his wife, “What was that about?”

She shook her head, “I don't have a clue.” She said and took one more look at the two girls before closing the door.

~~~~******~~~~

Makoto pulled a piece of paper out of her purse, “Let's see what we need….”

Ami watched her girlfriend analyze the list of ingredients for a few moments before asking, “Are you sure you want to go to all this trouble? We could always just order something.”

The brunette looked up from the paper and over to Ami, “You aren't doubting my culinary skills, are you?” She said in mock anger.

“O-Of course not.” Ami said quickly, not noticing her girlfriend's attempt to ease her reservations.

“Ami, you don't have anything to worry about. Just relax.” Makoto said and rubbed the shorter girl's back comfortingly.

The blue haired girl took a deep breath and quickly nodded her head, “I'm trying. It's just that this is the most important conversation I've ever had with my mother and…” Ami took another deep breath before adding, “I just don't know how she is going to react.”

Makoto leaned down and kissed the side of her girlfriend's head, “I've met your mother plenty of times. She loves you and she will love after tonight, I promise.”

Ami turned to taller brunette, “How can you be so sure, when I'm not?”

Makoto smiled and wrapped her arm around the shorter girl's waist, “I might be a little bias, but I don't see not loving you as an option.”

The blue haired girl couldn't help but smile, “Thanks Mako-chan.”

“You don't need to thank me Ames I just telling you the truth.” She said and looked at the piece of paper again, “Now, let's get what we need.”

Ami nodded and felt a little better, but she couldn't help still feeling a bit nervous. However, she decided to not let that affect her as best she could, “Alright, what is first?”

Makoto smiled and held her girlfriend a little tighter, “Ok, for the roux we need butter, flour, garam masala, cayenne pepper, black pepper, tomato paste, and tonkatsu sauce.”

Ami looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, “Well I know that I have butter, flour, and black pepper at home, so we just need the other ingredients.” The brunette nodded and her girlfriend questioned, “What else do we need?”

“Ok, for the curry we need; oil, a couple onions, carrots, potatoes, an apple, salt, peas, and some kind of meat, unless your mom would prefer tofu? Oh, and rice of course!” Makoto said and turned her attention back to her girlfriend.

“I'm sure she'll love whatever you choose, tofu or meat.” Ami said with a smile.

“Pork it is then.” The brunette said and kissed her girlfriend's temple, “This is going to be the best curry your mother's ever had.”

~~~~******~~~~

“This is your house?” Chibi-Usa asked as she looked around the mansion in awe. Her mother's shrine was large, but the actually living space wasn't very big. This house was huge in comparison; though it wasn't as large as the palace it was still impressive.

Michiru laughed a little at the girl's wonderment, “Yes, we have the fortune of being well off in terms of money.” She said with a smile.

The tall blonde placed her keys on the table by the door and looked at the youngest house resident, “Hotaru, why don't you show Chibi-Usa around?” Haruka suggested.

The pink haired girl shook her head, “That's not necessary. I can explore the place on my own…” She trailed off when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“I'm perfectly fine now, you know. And I'd love to show you around.” Hotaru said hopefully.

Chibi-Usa looked to her left and found herself staring into her friend's eyes a bit longer than she felt was necessary. She looked down embarrassedly, “I'm sorry…” She mumbled apologetically. `What is wrong with me? I keep doing that…she probably thinks I'm bizarre…' She thought to herself before she chanced looking over to Hotaru again. She thankfully wasn't looking at her like she was as strange as she felt. “Okay.” The pink haired girl said, hoping to avoid any inquires about her behavior, mostly because she didn't have an answer herself.

“Great! Michiru and I will whip something up for dinner.” Haruka announced and put and hand on each girl's back and urged them forward. “We'll let you know when it's ready.”

Both girls gave the tall blond a curious look, but after a moment Hotaru shook her head. She took her friend's hand and led her away from her guardians, “Come on. I'll show you around this level first.” Chibi-Usa only nodded and allowed the other girl to take her wherever she was taking her.

Once a couple minutes past and the two girls were nowhere to be seen, Michiru looked at her lover, “You can't force it, you know.”

Haruka smiled, “I know…but being with her makes Hotaru happy even though it also makes her a little sad.”

Michiru smiled and laid her arm across her lover's shoulders and brought her lips to her ear, “Come on matchmaker, let's get dinner started.”

~~**~~

“How did you come to live with Haruka-san and Michiru-san?” Chibi-Usa asked curiously. Hotaru stopped for a moment, a little surprised by the question, but as she took that moment to think about it, it wasn't that unexpected of a question. Her silence drew her companion's attention because again she questioned her, “I'm sorry. Did I ask something you didn't want to talk about?”

Hotaru shook her head, “No, I'm sorry it just surprised me. It's fine though, but I get ask you a question too.”

The pink haired girl nodded, “Alright.” She said and recalled using the same tactic earlier, so it was only fair.

“Okay.” Hotaru said and gave a quick nod before starting to walk slowly again, “Well my mother died when I was much younger, when I was five years old.”

“I'm sorry…”

“Thank you.” She said and smiled slightly, “She died in an accident at a research lab. I was there and was injured as well. I probably would have died if it wasn't for my father. His intentions were in the right place, but because of what he did to keep me alive many more people suffered.”

Chibi-Usa stared at the other girl for a couple seconds after hearing what she just said. She questioned whether to ask what came to her mind, but in the end she couldn't not ask, “What exactly did he do?”

Hotaru looked down briefly, but eventually her eyes reconnected with her companion, “He made a deal with an evil group of aliens who called themselves the `Death Busters'. For me to live I had to become a host for one of them. My father was in an awful state and they used his grief as a tool to get what they wanted. They eventually even made him a host for one of them as well and that is what eventually lead to his death.” She said and paused for a moment, “He regretted accepting that offer until he died.”

Chibi-Usa could feel her eyes fill with tears. She could feel the other girl's pain and it was hard to bare. She suffered far more than she was indicating and it broke her heart that the other girl felt the need to put on a brave face, despite how much she was obviously hurting. A soft sob escaped her lips, drawing Hotaru's attention, causing her to stop and look back at her.

“What's wrong?” The dark haired girl asked, but that only caused another sob from the other girl.

Chibi-Usa took an unsteady breath to compose herself before she spoke, “How…How can you remain calm? Despite how much you are hurting.”

Hotaru looked down briefly before stepping closer to the other girl and putting her hands on her shoulders. She stared into the other girl's eyes, “I don't allow myself to dwell on the past. I will not lie though, I experienced a lot of pain back then but there is nothing I can do about that now, so there is no sense allowing the past to continue to hurt me.”

Chibi-Usa shook her head, “But it is hurting you…I can tell…” She whispered.

Hotaru sighed, `I'm going to have be cautious with my feelings around her.' She thought to herself before taking a deep breath and saying, “My father died only a few weeks ago, so that pain is still fresh, but I am happy where I am. I'm where I should be and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.”

Chibi-Usa nodded and wiped the remaining wetness from her cheeks, “I'm sorry…it's just that it's not good to ignore your feelings.”

“I'm not.” Hotaru said quickly, but immediately realized how that must have sounded so she added, “I promise.”

The pink haired girl stared at her for a few seconds before nodding her head slowly, “You may think it weird of me to say since I don't really know you, but I will listen if you ever need to talk.” She said and reached forward, taking the other girl's hand in her own.

Hotaru could feel her cheeks warm, so she looked down embarrassedly before speaking, “It's not weird…I'm grateful for the offer.” She said quietly before looking at Chibi-Usa, “I promise, you'll be the first person I go to if I want to talk.”

“Good, I'll hold you to that.” Chibi-Usa said with a smile and squeezed the other girl's hand slightly.

Hotaru couldn't help but smiled as well, “We've gotten completely distracted away from what we doing originally.” She said and laughed a little.

The future Princess shook her head, “It's fine…I want to know more about you.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she found herself blushing profusely. She let go of the other girl's hand and looked away from her, “I'm sorry…you probably think I'm strange.”

“I definitely don't think you're strange, because I want the same thing.” The dark haired girl said with a smile and took Chibi-Usa's hand again, to emphasis was feeling the exact same.

The pink haired girl's cheeks reddened further, but she still couldn't help returning the other girl's smile. “I'm glad.” She said quietly.

“Good, now let's continue with the tour.” Hotaru said and pulled her companion towards a staircase. “Our bedrooms are located on this floor.” She said as she began to ascend the stairs. Once she reached the top she pointed to the first door at the top of the staircase, “That is Haruka and Michiru's room. The rest of the rooms down this hall are mostly spare rooms.” She turned left and walked a short distance to a room with double doors, “This is…was Setsuna-san's study. She spent most of her time there when she was here.” Hotaru took a deep breath before turning around and walking back towards the stairs. She stopped and looked at the girl beside her for a moment before looking forward again, “W-Would you like to see my room?”

Chibi-Usa immediately smiled, “I would love to.”

Hotaru's gaze landed back on the other girl and she smiled, “Okay, it's just down this hall.” She said and pointed in the direction she was referring to. She lowered her hand and led her companion to her room. Hotaru opened the door and held it open for the other girl to enter. “It's not much, but this is my little sanctuary.”

The slightly shorter girl entered the room and looked around in wonder at the various lamps that decorated the room. There wasn't any natural light, but she found herself not caring as much as she would have thought. The numerous lamps lit gave the room a unique, but striking glow. “It's really beautiful…” Chibi-Usa muttered more to herself than anything, but apparently she was overheard.

Hotaru smiled and made her way over to her bed in the middle of the room and sat the edge of it. “It's nothing like the collection I had before though…I just started to collect them again.” Hotaru said quietly and look towards the ground when she felt her cheeks become warm.

“Again?” Chibi-Usa asked curiously.

“Do you remember when I told you how I became a baby again after fighting that enemy that was trying to invade Earth from outside our solar system?” The dark haired girl asked and after a few moments received a nod, “Well, before that I had a collection of lamps. They were like my retreat when things weren't so good.”

Chibi-Usa nodded slowly and sat down beside Hotaru on her bed, “I'm sorry you had to start over again. I miss being able to go to the palace's gardens. It was always so relaxing and peaceful there…” She said and laughed lightly as she added, “I was actually scolded a couple times for falling asleep in the flower beds.” Her smile faded after a few moments though, `Everyone must be so worried, especially mother and mama, I hope everyone is doing okay and…' Her thoughts were cut off by a hand covering her own. She looked over to the girl beside her curiously.

Hotaru smiled and squeezed her hand slightly, “Don't worry, we'll find a way to get you back home. I'm sure you must be homesick.” Chibi-Usa nodded her head slightly, she was homesick, but that wasn't the only thing on her mind, but she didn't say anything further.

Several minutes of silenced past the darker haired of the two spoke. Hotaru glanced at her companion as she asked, “Do you mind if I ask my question now?”

Chibi-Usa shook her head, “Not at all, ask whatever you want.” She said quickly a little curious about what her question would be.

Hotaru gave a quick nod before shifting slightly so she could look fully at friend, in the process releasing her hold on the other girl's hand. She immediately found herself missing the contact, but she ignored how she felt and got down to trying to figure some things out about the girl with her and the future. “I want to ask you something about the future.” She said and watched the other girl's reaction.

The future Princess tilted her head to the side slightly, “Ok, what did you want to know?”

“Well, I was curious about the state of things in the future.” Hotaru said cautiously.

Chibi-Usa looked at her curiously, “I'm not sure I know what you are asking.”

“Sorry, that wasn't very specific.” Hotaru said and took a deep breath. “We did have minimal knowledge of the future, but I'm sure much has changed from what we knew before. So, I wanted to know if you could tell me some of the basics like, do you live on Earth?”

The pink haired future Princess shook her head, “No, we live on the Moon.”

The dark haired girl nodded, `That would make sense, since there would be no union with the Moon and Earth. “How is their relationship? The Moon and Earth I mean.”

“Very good, we have a peaceful alliance with the ruler of Earth, King Endymion.”

Once again Hotaru nodded, `That's good, much better than the Silver Millennium. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything else with Endymion ruling though.' She thought. “That's good to hear, their relations were poor during the first Silver Millennium.”

“Oh…that's never been in issue as far as I know. Was that it?” The future Princess asked.

Hotaru shook her head, “Just one more general question. Do you have any known enemies or has it been peacefully?” Chibi-Usa looked away from the other girl and remained silent. Hotaru didn't press her, wanting to give her the time to answer.

`How am I supposed to answer that? Yes, we are at war with a group of hypocritical radicals who claim to hate magic, yet use it quite often themselves….' She bit her lower lip gently as she mulled over what exactly to say. She was frankly surprised that her companion was being this patient with her. Taking a deep breath, she let her gaze meet her dark haired friend, “It has mostly been peaceful, but we do have enemies.”

The avatar of Saturn held her friend's gaze for a short time longer before looking forward, “I see.” `That's a step in the right direction. I know she would have been lying if she'd have claimed they had no enemies.' She turned back to the pink haired girl, “Thank you for being honest with me.” She said with a smile. `I'll have to ask some more specific questions next time.' She told herself.

Chibi-Usa gave her a quick nod, “Of course.” She said, but when the words left her mouth she felt a pang of guilt. She wasn't entirely forthcoming.

Hotaru stood up and took one of the other girl's hands in her own and brought her to her feet as well, “Let's head to the kitchen, I have a feeling they may be finished with dinner.”

“But they didn't call for us…”

The dark haired girl smiled, “I know Haruka and Michiru, and I can just about guarantee that they are finished and just waiting for us to come down.”

~~~~******~~~~

Ami and Makoto put their grocery bags on the counter in the kitchen.

“Is there anything you need me to do?” Ami asked as she watched Makoto unload the bags.

Makoto looked around for a moment, “Can you get me a large saucepan, a knife, a cutting board, and everything you said you already had here?” She said and began emptying the bags of everything she would need. Ami quickly returned with everything and placed the saucepan on the stove and the ingredients she had next to the other ones Makoto had already laid out. “Ok, I need to caramelize some onions, so can you peel them while I start to heat the oil.” Ami nodded and grabbed the two onions and peeled them as instructed.

The blue haired girl held the two onions for her girlfriend and she had adjusted the temperature to where she wanted it, Makoto turned and took them from her. She grabbed the knife and made quick work of the vegetable, dropping them into the saucepan. “It may look like a lot, but they'll reduce to almost nothing after they caramelize.” She explained and stirred the pan of onions occasionally. “Do you want to cut up the pork? Or would you rather keep an eye on the onions?” Makoto asked.

Ami looked at the pan and the knife for moment, “I might do better watching the onions.”

Makoto handed her the spoon she was using and kissed her check as she swapped positions with her, “Whatever you want, love.”

Ami blushed lightly and looked at the pan, “I just need to stir them, so they don't burn, right?” She asked.

The brunette nodded her head and took the knife and cutting board over the sink to rinse them off. “That's right babe.” She came back and dried off the knife and plastic board quickly before opening the package of pork, they'd bought earlier. She cut up the pork into cubes and put them to the side for the time being, until the onions were finished. “Let me get another pan, we should get the roux going too.” She said and went off to grab said pan. She returned quickly and turned on another burner and adjusted the temperature. She put the pan on the heat and added the butter. It didn't take long for the butter to melt completely, since it was already room temperature. Makoto looked at the onions, they didn't need much longer. “Where are some measuring cups?”

Ami looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking, “In the second drawer beneath the one with utensils.” She said and pointed in the general direction. Her girlfriend nodded and walked over to the drawer and took out the measuring cups she needed.

Makoto measured out a quarter cup of flour and added it to the pan of melted butter. She then measured out two tablespoons of garam masala and added that to the same pan. She reduced the heat and stirred the ingredients, until the mixture thickened. She glanced at the pan Ami was attending to before saying, “It looks like it's time to add the pork.” She reached over and dropped the cubes of meat into the pan, “Let me know when the pork is browned.” She said and looked at the flame for the pan with the meat after a second she turned the flame up a little. She grabbed the cayenne pepper and black pepper and added it to her pan. She worked the pepper into the mixture and grabbed the bottle of tankatsu sauce and tomato paste and added them to the mixture as well. After a few minutes the mixture reached the right consistency, so Makoto turned off the flame and put the pan on to one of the unused burners.

The brunette looked at the clock on the wall, “When should your mom being coming home?”

Ami paused for moment, “She's usually back around six from the shift she is on, as long as nothing holds her up.”

Makoto nodded, “Ok, so if she's on time, we have about forty five minutes. I should get the rice on...” She gave a quick look around the kitchen, but didn't see what she was looking for immediately. “Where is the rice steamer, honey?”

“Oh, it's on the microwave kart, on the bottom.” Ami said, while keeping her attention of the pork.

“Thanks.” Makoto said and grabbed the cooker and set it up for the rice.

“I think the pork is nearly done.” The blue haired girl stated.

“Good, you need to added four cups of water and a couple carrots to it.” Makoto said as she added the rice to the steamer. Ami nodded and filled a measuring cup up with the amount of water she was told to add. She took out two carrots from their package and quickly peeled them and cut them. When she dropped the last piece of carrot into the pan, she felt a pair of arms encircle her at her shoulders. “Now we just have to wait for that to boil and add the rest of the ingredients.” Makoto said and kissed the shorter girl's cheek.

Without the distraction of watching the food, Ami could feel her nervousness start to resurface. “And then we just have to wait for Oka-san.”

Makoto held her girlfriend a little tighter, “Don't be so anxious babe; she's going to love me.”

“I love that you're so confident.” Ami said with smile.

“Well of course, how could she not after she tastes my cooking?”

Ami turned in her girlfriend's hold, so that she was facing her now, “You're the best girlfriend anyone could ask for.” She said and leaned up to kiss her partner when a hissing sound startled her. She looked over her shoulder and saw the water boiling over, causing her to laugh. “I guess that's sign that we were getting distracted.”

“I blame my sexy cooking assistant.” Makoto said with a laugh before leaning down slightly to give her girlfriend a quick kiss. She let her go afterwards and reduced the heat on the stove and went over the finish the meal.

~~~~******~~~~

Minako lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling and sighed, `Maybe I should have just told Usagi that I would go along with her and Rei.' As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she shook her head, `I already feel like I'm imposing on their date.' She frowned and got up, “I can at least do something productive.” She told herself and looked around for something to occupy her time. Her eyes fell on her school bag and she groaned, `I really don't want to do homework on a Friday night…' she thought.

She continued scanning her room until her eyes landed on her manga. She thought about occupying her time with them, but realized she didn't have any new ones to read and she really didn't want to reread any of the ones she had. `Have I really become this lost without everyone else?' Minako asked her and found her eyes drawn to her bedroom window. She reached into her jean pocket and pulled out her henshin stick.

“Venus Crystal Power, Make-up.”

The blonde whispered and held the object above her head. She quickly opened her window and leapt outside, breaking into a full sprint as soon as her feet touched the ground. She didn't have any particular place in mind as she ran, just wanting to be somewhere she wouldn't be seen, somewhere quiet. She quickly scanned her surroundings and released she wasn't too far from downtown Tokyo. In the distance, she could see a brightly lit metal structure in the distance. `It's been a while since I've been to Tokyo Tower.' She thought as she leapt on to a nearby building, knowing that she would have to be quiet high if she wanted to avoid drawing any attention in such a large city.

Traveling at full speed it didn't take her very long to reach her destination. Giving a quick look to make sure no one could see her climbing the iconic structure. Satisfied that the coast was clear she ran up to the building and jumped on to one of the many steel beams. She continued higher until she was sure that she would have a good view of the city.

Venus sat on the scaffolding and watched all the people hurrying around far beneath her. She laughed a little to herself at how the screen looked from her vantage point. `They don't even know how many times this planet came close to destruction…how many times Usagi saved them.' Venus shook her head at the thought, `It's for the best that they don't know. I doubt most of them would even be able to handle the truth.' Her gaze turned away from the streets beneath her as she looked up toward the sky. Night was starting to overtake the sunlight and the stars where becoming more visible. The sky had a pretty orange hue to it as the last remnants of the sun set the distance. It was truly a beautiful sight.

`I should really come here more often.' She told herself as she leaned her head against a metal beam and continued to watch the setting sun. A small smile made its way on to her lips as she thought, `This would be quiet romantic if I wasn't alone.' Her smile widened as a thought occurred to her, `Maybe I'll suggest this place to Rei.' She continued to enjoy the scene before her until her vision began to blur. She cursed silently and wiped her eyes with her gloved hand clearing her vision momentarily, but it blurred again after a few seconds. She made no attempt to clear her vision again, knowing it would be futile. So she just continued to enjoy the romantic scene playing out in front of her with watery eyes.

~~~~******~~~~

Usagi and Rei had been walking in relative silence, both girls simply enjoying their closeness. They were only a couple blocks from their destination when Usagi spoke, “I don't know why it never occurred to me to tell them about Mamoru and I. They wouldn't have asked all those questions then. Maybe I should have just told them about us then.”

Rei looked at her girlfriend sympathetically, “Usa…”

Usagi shook her head, leaving her gaze on the ground. “I froze when he talked about me finding a nice boy.” She paused and looked over to Rei, “I'll never find the nice boy my Dad wants me to…why couldn't I just tell him then?”

Rei held Usagi closer to herself and kissed her girlfriend's temple. She rested her cheek against the spot she just kissed as she spoke, “You don't have to tell your parents anything until you're ready. It wasn't exactly a planned conversation so it's understandable that you would be surprised.” Rei could feel Usagi nodded her head slightly. “I don't think you made the wrong choice not tell them. It would have been a bit much at once, wouldn't it?”

Usagi nodded again, “You're right. I guess I just never really thought about it…the fact that I'd have to tell my parents about us at some point.” She shook her head slightly at her own words, “That seems a little silly now that I think about it.”

Rei smiled and kissed Usagi's cheek, “I love you, Usa and I'll be with you when you do tell them.”

The blonde looked to her left and smiled brightly, “I wouldn't do it without you.” She said nuzzled closer to her girlfriend.

The raven haired miko looked a little crestfallen as she said, “We better make sure to enjoy ourselves this weekend then.”

“Why?” Usagi asked as she cocked her head to the side slightly.

“Well, I don't think your parents will allow many sleepovers when they do find out about us.” She explained.

“Oh…maybe we should keep our relationship to ourselves for a little longer then.” Usagi said with a smile and held on to Rei tighter.

“Whatever you wish my Princess.” Rei said and kissed her cheek as they reached the long driveway to Haruka and Michiru's place. They walked towards the large house and when they reached the front door, Rei reached out with her free arm and rang the doorbell.

It didn't take long for the door to swing open and reveal a tall blonde on the other side, “Well, good evening girls.” Haruka said with a smile.

Usagi stepped forward and hugged the blonde, “Hello, Haruka. How is Hotaru doing?” She asked as she pulled back.

“Good, we were just about to sit down and have dinner, if both of you would like to join us?” She said and gestured toward the kitchen.

“We'd love to.” Rei said with a smile and stepped even with her girlfriend, taking her hand and interlacing their fingers.

Haruka nodded, “Right this way ladies.” She said and led them to the kitchen. As soon as they entered the kitchen, they saw Hotaru and Chibi-Usa sitting next to each other at a table, with Michiru sitting opposite them. “Look you is joining us for dinner.” The tall blonde announced when they had fully entered the kitchen.

The pink haired girl at the table got up quickly and ran over to the two new visitors, “Mama and mother.” She said and hugged the raven haired girl, before doing the same to Usagi.

“We missed you too.” Rei said with a smile as she released the shorter girl from her hug, causing a faint blush to cover her cheeks.

“Have you had fun staying with Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru?” Usagi asked as she held her future daughter in a hug.

Chibi-Usa nodded her head against her mother, “Oh yes.” She said loud enough for everyone to hear. “I've liked getting to know Hotaru-chan better.” She added much quieter for only her mother to hear.

Usagi smiled and whispered, “I'm glad.” She finally let go of the shorter girl and together made their way to the dinner table.

“I'm glad that you're doing much better, Hotaru.” Rei said as her eyes met the young Sailor Senshi.

Hotaru lowered her head slightly, “Thanks, but I guess I should really thank you, Usagi-san.” She said and looked over to the Moon Princess as she finished.

Usagi smiled, “I don't deserve all the credit. I would have never known how to help you without Chibi-Usa's help. She told me how I could help you.” She said and looked down at the girl beside her. Chibi-Usa's eye widened for moment before she felt her cheeks warm, and that was when she found something fascinating on the floor.

Hotaru got off her chair and walked over, “I guess I need to thank the both of you then.” She said and stepped closer and gave the future Princess a loose hug, causing her blush to deepen.

“You don't have to…” Chibi-Usa whispered, but was cut off before she could finish.

“Of course I do. I'm pretty sure, I'd still be in the hospital without your help.” Hotaru said quietly.

“I think all of us are relived that you aren't in the hospital and that you have recovered.” Usagi said, bringing a blush to younger dark haired girl's cheeks as well.

“Let's eat before everything gets cold everyone.” Michiru announced grabbing everyone's attention and after a couple laughs everyone made their way to the dining table.

~~~~******~~~~

Makoto looked at the clock for what felt like the dozenth time. It read 6:05, the food was prepared, now they were just waiting for Ami's mother to come home for work. They had already set the table for three people, so now it was just a waiting game. Her girlfriend caught her, she was pacing. “Ames, I think you are going to wear a hole in the ground there.” She said with a laugh.

Ami stopped and looked at the brunette curiously, “W-What?” She asked, only to resume her previous activity.

Makoto smiled and shook her head as she walked over, “You're pacing, love.”

The blue haired girl stopped again, this time realizing what she had been doing, “Sorry, I'm just…” She stopped when she heard the apartment's lock being opening.

“Here we go babe.” Makoto whispered and gave her girlfriend a reassuring kiss on her cheek.

Ami nodded and took a deep breath, “Right, do you mind waiting for me to call you out?”

The taller girl nodded her, “I'll do this however you want.”

“Thank you.” Ami said and quickly gave her girlfriend a kiss on her lips, “Just hang in the kitchen for a few moments, while I get her to settle at the dining room table.” She said and walked out into the living room as the front door opened. “Welcome home, Mother.”

The older woman looked over to her daughter and smiled, “Good evening, Ami. I'm sorry I'm a little later than I normally am, I got caught up with some paperwork before I left.”

Ami shook her head, “It's okay, I'm just glad it was nothing serious and you were able to leave.” She said and took her bag from her. “Why don't you take a seat at the table? Dinner is already ready and I have someone I want to introduce to you.” She said and headed into the kitchen, when her mother's voice reached her.

“I thought you told me, I'd already met this person?”

Ami paused, “Well you have, but please just bear with me mother.” She said and hurried into the kitchen. As soon as she entered, her gaze immediately went to her girlfriend, “Are you ready?”

Makoto smiled, “As ready as I'll ever be.”

Ami smiled briefly and took the other girl's hand, pulling her towards the door as she spoke, “Mom, I have someone very important to me that I'd like you to officially meet…” She called through the door and took one more deep breath before pushing the door open. “Mom this is my g-girlfriend, Makoto.”

The older woman looked the pair with poorly hid surprise. Sure she had inklings about her daughter's feelings toward the tall brunette, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions, it was usually never a good idea. She'd always rather her daughter tell her feelings, but she hadn't so she began to think maybe she had misinterpreted her feelings. She did feel a little satisfaction that wasn't completely off base. She noticed her daughter start to look nervous and that's when she realized she hadn't responded yet. “You love her Ami?”

Ami nodded quickly in response, “With all my heart.”

“And you love my daughter?” Mizuno-san asked, addressing the girl holding her daughter's hand.

“I do, without reservation.”

Mizuno-san couldn't hold back a smile, when she heard other girl's conviction. “I must say it's about time my daughter listened to her feelings.” The older woman said, clearly surprising the two teens with her reaction.

~~~~******~~~~

“Goshenite…”

After a few moments of silence footsteps and the tapping of something could be heard, “What is it Morganite?”

“Sir, I just overheard something quite interesting…” He drew out.

“I know you know better than to try my patience, Morganite.”

He bowed his head, “Of course sir, please forgive my insolence.” He said before raising his head again, “Apparently Heliodor went behind your back and contacted Maxixie to form some alliance.”

“That is truly none of my concern. I do not care how it is accomplished! I just want that brat in my possession! As long as our front isn't weakened here, I don't give a damn. If that is all, I would like to remind you to not waste my time again.” The other man said and stared down his subordinate.

Morganite nodded quickly, “I understand and it will be done sir!”

Several seconds passed without a word being spoken. A long sigh came from one of the two, “So what are you waiting for! Return to your post, Morganite.” After a second he bowed and disappeared.

“It's only a matter of time…” Goshenite said and paused, nodding his head after a moment. “Yes, I know. If they fail I have another plan...” He began to walk away when he spoke once more, “Do not worry, we will have our revenge…”

End ch.8

~~~******~~~~