Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

A/N: This will be a series of one shot song fics featuring the pairing of Rei and Minako. Various other pairings may also show up, including but not limited to: Usagi/ Mamoru, Makoto/Ami, Haruka/Michiru or Chibi-Usa/Hotaru. As always, if girl/girl stories bother you Turn Back Now. Otherwise, enjoy and let me know what you think! :)

If you're lost you can look

You will find me

Time after time

If you fall I will catch you

I'll be waiting

Time after time

"Time after Time" Cindi Lauper

Sailor Mars leapt sideways, narrowly avoiding a ball of lightning. It hit the translucent wall behind her with a deafening crash, but she was already rolling to her feet. She pulled back her fist and grinned when a flaming bow manifested. She aimed a flame sniper at her attacker but a shimmering purple wall appeared in front of it, blocking her. She twisted toward the wall's source for a moment and was knocked off her feet by a second lightning ball.

Her muscles convulsed as the electricity coursed through her. She could do nothing but close her eyes and wait for the worst of the pain to pass. When she opened them again, two concerned faces were hovering above her.

"Are you alright?" Sailor Saturn asked, setting down her glaive to help the fire soldier to her feet. Mars grimaced and nodded, rolling her shoulders to unlock her muscles. She shot a glare to the brunette standing sheepishly on her other side.

"Jupiter," she growled, "It doesn't count when I'm not even looking."

Sailor Jupiter grinned and patted her shoulder. "I don't know why you were looking at her," she paused to gesture to Saturn, who rolled her eyes. "I'm the one who can knock you on your ass."

Mars smirked and dusted herself off. "Well, it's been about two hundred years. I suppose you're due to win one." She playfully bumped Jupiter with her shoulder, prompting the other girl to stick out her tongue.

Saturn shook her head, smiling. "We could probably fit in another round before dinner." She poked Jupiter in the side and giggled. "That is if you two aren't too worn out."

Jupiter's scathing comeback was drowned out by a crackle of static. All three girls turned toward the loudspeaker in the corner just as Sailor Venus's voice came on. "I need all Sailor Scouts to report to the palace front gates immediately! Everyone meet me at the front gates!"

Sailor Mars stood frozen for a moment. She couldn't begin to guess what had happened; they hadn't even had a stray youma attack for nearly four hundred years. "Let's go!" she yelled to the other two. She took off at a sprint and could hear Saturn and Jupiter close on her heels.

As they passed the labs, they nearly ran into Sailor Mercury. She fell into step beside them, hair askew and clutching a bulging folder to her chest as she ran. "What happened?" she gasped, keeping pace with them with effort.

"No idea," Mars grunted. They were approaching the front gates now and she was able to see Uranus and Neptune careening toward them from a different path. "What's going on?" she called as soon as they were within shouting distance.

Sailor Uranus stumbled to a halt at the shining crystal gates, gasping for breath as she tried to straighten out her fuku. Neptune was flushed as well and braced a hand against the wall to steady herself. "We don't have any idea. We were… training. She looked away as a blush crept up her cheeks.

"We were just in the training room and didn't see you anywhere," Jupiter pointed out.

"It was a private session," Uranus replied with a wink. "Very strenuous."

Mars ignored the playful banter as she scanned the bridge. "I don't see anything," she murmured, frowning toward the palace. Just then the doors opened and a blonde figure appeared rushing toward them. Mars felt her heart leap into her throat and, without heed for the stitch in her side, sprinted toward the other woman.

The moment she reached her, Mars pulled her off her feet into a tight embrace. "Venus," she panted, "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine, love," she answered immediately, pressing a soft kiss to her neck before stepping back.

Mars looked down at her leader, frowning. "Why aren't you transformed?"

Minako opened her mouth to answer but the others had just reached them. She held up her hands for silence. "Everything's alright, don't worry." Then she smirked. "Although, I'm glad you're all so prompt still."

"You're kidding me," Uranus said weakly. "This was just a drill?" She cast a sad look at Neptune.

"No, it's not a drill," Minako replied, smiling. "The Queen needs us." At this everyone straightened. Even after all these years, the Scouts would never let anything happen to her. All eyes focused on the blonde in front of them. "Tonight," she announced, "we are having a karaoke party."

Several seconds of silence followed this pronouncement, then everyone began to talk at once.

"You pulled me out of the labs to sing?"

"I'm supposed to patrol tonight!"

"Me too! We can't just leave the city unprotected!"

"I'm scheduled for training in less than an hour!"

"We don't have time for something like this!"

A tall woman walked up to stand by Minako's shoulder and everyone immediately fell silent. "Dissention in the ranks?" Setsuna asked mildly, eyeing them each in turn. Amazingly, she was in her civilian form as well.

"You're not seriously going along with this are you, Sets?" Uranus asked in amazement.

She arched a dark eyebrow at the blonde. "Of course," she said with a shrug. "I have no intention of going against the wishes of the Neo-Queen."

Mars bit her lip and looked away. The others shuffled uneasily but no one argued. Setsuna was right: what the Queen wanted, she got.

Later that evening, Rei stepped into the meeting hall and had to laugh. The entire room had been transformed so it looked just like their old hang out spot at the Crown.

"Reiiiii!" She was nearly knocked to the floor when a blonde launched herself into her arms.

Rei wobbled for a moment, then found her balance enough to pull back and see which one had tried to tackle her. "Queen Se-"

"Don't!" she cried, wriggling out of Rei's grip. "I'm not the Neo Queen tonight. I'm just Usagi" She stepped back, giving her a firm look. "And for tonight, you're just Rei: my friend who's coming to a party with me." Rei smirked and nodded, following her to where the others were lounging on several couches.

She leaned back against the cushions and smiled as Makoto set a root beer float in front of her. "So if you're Just Rei tonight," a voice whispered close to her ear, "I guess I'll be Just Minako: the girl who has a crush on her best friend."

Rei grinned and twisted, catching her around the waist and pulling her over the back of the couch and onto her lap. Minako squealed in surprise and they had a brief wrestling match which ended in Rei being pinned on her back. "Is now a good time to tell you that I've got a crush on you too?" Rei teased, playing with a lock of golden hair.

Minako giggled and shifted so she could lie comfortably against Rei's chest. She sighed happily when Rei wrapped her arms around her. "Alright," Usagi called as she stepped onto the small stage, "I'm going first!"

Several hours later, the party was in full swing. Rei was leaned back against the arm of the couch, watching Minako finish her song. The blonde grinned and blew her a kiss as she stepped off the stage. She glanced at the others briefly. Haruka and Michiru had claimed an armchair near the back of the room and were kissing passionately, oblivious to everyone else around them. Ami and Makoto were cuddled together on the opposite end of the couch Rei was currently occupying. On the other couch, Hotaru had an arm loosely draped across Chibi-Usa's shoulders and a rare smile graced her lips. Mamoru was on his daughter's other side, gesturing Usagi toward the stage.

Minako plopped down next to Rei and kissed her cheek. "Having fun?"

Rei nodded and slipped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. "Definitely. I think we all needed this." The beginnings of a familiar song started and Rei grinned at the stage. The song was Cindi Lauper's Time After Time. It had been one of Usagi's favorite songs to sing when they'd been in high school.

A sniffle caught her attention and she looked down to where Minako's face was partially hidden against her shoulder. "Are you alright?" she asked softly. Minako nodded, but Rei saw the single tear slide down her cheek. She glanced up at the stage, remembering.

"Hey," she whispered, tilting Minako's chin up slightly with her fingers. Her cerulean eyes were shining with tears. "This song always used to make you cry. Why is that?"

Minako gave her a watery smile and scooted over until she was in Rei's lap. "It always made me think of you… of us." She wrapped her arms loosely around her neck so their foreheads were almost touching. "All the lives we've lived, I never thought we could have what we do now."

"Well, it's true," Rei replied quietly, pulling the blonde closer. "If you're lost and you look, you will find me," she quoted close to her ear. "Time after time."

Minako grinned and pulled her into a breathtakingly passionate kiss. "I love you too, my Reiko."