"No way!"

"I insist!"

"No! You are not going to dump your waste on my doorstep! What do you think this is? This is a respectable shrine, a sacred place, people come here to pray, not to stumble upon this bleeding mess!"

"One more reason you should bring him to some place that provides suitable shelter", sneered Kunzite. "You will provide him with rest, food and water, which is all he will need, and guard his safety. I will make you responsible for anything that is going to happen to him while he is in your care."

He turned, obviously intending to leave her like this. While Rei had enjoyed the flicker in his eyes at the word "waste", she wondered for a moment if pushing Kunzite too far was such a good move. She hadn't seen him in such a mood ever since she the times they had been enemies, her Senshi instincts had long kicked in and warned her.

Oh, what the hell, she thought. I am not going to be treated like this, and especially not by him. He can sulk all he wants.

"Hey, wait!" she called, grabbing his arm so he wouldn't just teleport out of the shrine's yard. He flinched at the touch, maybe some of the blood that soaked his uniform was his own. Good, thought Rei.

"Could you stop being an idiot for just one minute?" she demanded.

Kunzites lips curled.

"Nani?" he hissed.

"I can not take him into my care. I know nothing about this stuff. He looks like he is going to die any minute, how dare you make me responsible? I am very sorry for the poor boy, but I can not help him! If you really want help, get Ami."

"No." Kunzite refused flatly.

A small, gurgling noise came from the floor where shreds of torn black fabric covered what had been a golden haired warrior and was now what Rei had correctly referred to as a bleeding mess, one that had dropped to the ground in the yard of her shrine once Kunzite had released his grip on him.

"Kunzite!" moaned Jadeite, barely audible. "Not... one of... them..."

"You keep quiet and be grateful I found the one safe place there is for you", snapped Kunzite. "You will stay here, show your best behaviour and do as she tells you. I will not pick you up unless I can see serious improvement. Use the time to learn a thing or two."

He spun round to Rei. "And you, Mars, listen..."

"No, Kunzite!" Rei interrrupted him. "You will listen to me! You come here, invade my home, in the open where we can be seen any minute, load a responsibility on me which is yours, and only yours, and don't even have the manners to ask me decently for help? Don't order me around like I was your servant! I may not be able to transform any more, but you will pay me respect or you are both out of here!"

Kunzite stared at her, and even an angry Rei felt uneasy by this, but she wouldn't give in. Finally, Kunzite let a smirk crawl over his face.

"Very well", he said with an oily, false friendlyness, and bowed with one hand to his chest, the ironic grin never leaving his face. "I am sorry for the intrusion. I have no other choice but to place this young man in your custody and care. I humbly and with all due respect ask for your mercy."

Rei felt the urge to yell at him again, but held it back. This was exceptionally weird of Kunzite.

"You ask a lot", she said, voice calm, but her eyes still sparkling with silent warnings.

The injured Shitennou on the floor grimaced and let out a moan of pain. Kunzites gaze softened.

"Mars, please."

Wow. That was quite disarming.

Rei frowned and pointed to a window in a further away building.

"Teleport him in there. I will not be responsible if he dies. And Kunzite, you owe me for this one. You really owe me."

Kunzite bowed again, and with a swish of his cape, the two Shitennou faded away.

"I don't believe this!" grumbled Rei and went over to the store room she had chosen for Jadeite.

Jadeite! From all Shitennou, he annoyed her the most. That was, given Kunzite as a competition, quite an achievement. But Kunzite, that bastard, seemingly knew her quite well, she couldn't just let the boy die without help. She could only hope there was anything she could do for him at all.

***

She entered the store room, carefully locking the door behind her.

Of course, Kunzite hadn't deemed it necessary to wait for her arrival.

Men! thought Rei. Drop their responsibility on the next avaiable woman and then be gone. He didn't even bother to thank me.

At least, he had had the decency to place his comrade on a stack of soft sacks, which Jadeite already started to bleed through and through. His gaze followed her as she came nearer, pain in his eyes, but also anger. Unconsciousness wasn't far away, judging from the fainting intensity in his aura, but he hadn't given in yet.

Rei's heart sank as she let her eyes wander over him. He looked horrible. Deep cuts everywhere, bruises swelling, blood all over him, his aura unsteady. What the hell had he been into? What was she supposed to do about him? She reached out and tried to pull some of the black fabric away from a long cut.

"Don't. Touch. Me." Just a whisper.

Rei sighed.

"Jadeite, don't waste your breath refusing my help. You heard Kunzite. You are to stay here and do as I tell you."

"No. Leave me alone", whispered Jadeite, his aura flickering. He winced as a jolt of pain ran through his body.

Rei sighed even deeper than before. Shitennou, always making things as complicated and unpleasant as possible. How could she get through to him?

"Jadeite", she said, her voice taking on the warm tone that she usually reserved for the temple children. "Calm down. I just want to help you. Relax, and heal..."

Whether he accepted the situation, or just couldn't keep up the resistance any longer, his eyelids flickered and suddenly his gaze was empty.

Rei was about to panic, but reminded herself that his aura was still there, and he was just unconscious. She had no idea what to do about him, but looking down on him, a boy always too deep in trouble, helpless, cut and bruised, life running out of him with every heartbeat, she would do whatever it took to keep him alive.

***