House Party

by A Writer of Fact and Fiction

With their Hawaiian vacation complete, the Senshi return to Makoto's country home for an end-of-summer party. And as always, there are more unexpected adventures ahead for the girls and the boys they love. This story takes place a week after 'Fun in the Sun'.

House Party

With their Hawaiian vacation complete, the Senshi return to Makoto's country home for an end-of-summer party. And as always, there are more unexpected adventures ahead for the girls and the boys they love.

. . . . .

Chapter 1:

"We're almost there, Mako-chan!" The blonde driver squirmed excitedly in her seat with anticipation. "I've been dying for this day all week! We finally get to be with our honey-loves again!" Aino Minako's bright orange hatchback zipped away from the last stoplight in Nerima the instant the traffic signal changed to green.

"Me too, Minako-chan. I didn't realize that the last five days could feel like a lifetime." In the passenger seat, the tall brunette's smile grew wider as the last few kilometres of their journey rapidly disappeared behind the speeding Toyota. A metallic rattle from the back of the car had Makoto looking over her shoulder to check on their cargo. "That's an awful lot of bits and pieces back there. Are you sure the guys can put the bed together properly?"

"Pish posh! My sugar muffin can do anything!" Minako giggled, "My Taro is amazingly good with his hands!"

Piled at the rear of the car were a bundle of posts, rails and odds and ends from the frame of the folding bed Minako's parents had donated to their daughter.

"Pish… posh?"

The driver briefly glanced from the road to inform her friend, "That's an English phrase I picked up a long time ago, Mako-chan. During my-"

"Hai, during your world travels" Makoto sighed. "I've heard it all before, Minako-chan."

The old house, a gift willed to the brunette by her great aunt, soon appeared in the distance. "It looks the same as before" Makoto mused as they drew close. "I hope the repair people did a good job patching up all that quake and fire damage."

"We'll know in a second!" The small car slowed with a screech of protest from its tires before making a sharp right turn into the driveway, and Minako promptly leaned heavily on the horn. "Now our boys know we're here!"

"With all that racket you're making, the whole world knows we're here!" the brunette yelled above the din.

The blaring horn had the desired effect as two teenage brothers soon came sprinting through the front door as Minako's car skidded to an untidy halt. Seatbelts were hastily unlatched and seconds later the boys were met by their overjoyed fiancees. Taro was nearly bowled off his feet by the love of his life, while Yuji found himself in Makoto's warm tender embrace.

"I missed you so" the younger of the teenage boys softly spoke after their lengthy, passionate kiss had drawn to an end. "When you got off the train in Tokyo and we left you behind at the station last Sunday, it was… painful, Mako-chan."

"It hurt Mako-chan just as much, Yuji-chan" Minako told him. "That was the first time I've ever seen her cry."

"Minako-chan, you don't have to get so personal!" Makoto muttered. "Besides, you were just as bad." She told the older brother, "Your girl cried her eyes out all the way back to my apartment, Taro-chan. She cried in the train station, in the taxi, going up the stairs and sitting in my living room."

"We used up a whole big box of tissues, Taro-love" the blonde admitted. Her blue eyes sparkled brightly. "But that's all behind us now!"

After the boys had gathered up an armload of bed parts each, the two reunited happy couples entered the two-storey house. "They did a really great job patching up the place, Mako honey" Yuji said. "The upstairs bathroom is better than new, the living room ceiling is fixed, everything's been repainted and they even added another appliance to your kitchen."

"A new appliance?" the brunette puzzled. "Nothing major in the kitchen was damaged by the fire or the earthquake, Yuji-chan. Except for the dishes."

"I'm not sure why it's there either, but there's a microwave oven sitting on the countertop. At first I thought the workers left it behind, but it looks brand new."

"This should be interesting. I've never cooked with one of those before."

"The best chef in Tokyo hasn't used a microwave?" Yuji exclaimed. "That's a shock!"

"I have a good idea how they work but I've never been able to afford one, so I haven't bothered to learn all the details. I'll have fun trying it out later."

The young men deposited their collection of frame parts in an empty corner. Taro asked his girl, "Who's bringing the mattress, sweetheart?"

"I talked Rei and Yuuichirou into stuffing it into the shrine's van, love muffin" Minako giggled evilly. "Rei-chan wasn't very happy about having to leave her car behind! They should be here soon." She impulsively flung her arms around her fiancee again. "I missed your big strong body and your handsome face so much! And all your other parts too! Kiss me again!"

"Try to keep it under control, you two" Makoto chuckled. "At least until your bed's put together."

Minako gave the brunette an incredulous stare. "Mako-chan! Stop asking for the impossible!"

Makoto chuckled, "I suppose I was. Let's go check out the repairs together, Yuji honey. I'm really curious about how the upstairs bathroom looks now."

. . . . .

"Aaah! This thing is worse than useless!" Hino Rei steamed. She and the Hikawa Jinja's Shinto apprentice were scarcely half way to Nerima in the shrine's tiny and turtle-slow utility van, and the young miko's temper was rising with each kilometer that sluggishly slipped beneath its wheels. "We'll never get to Mako-chan's house at this rate! What was I thinking, letting baka Minako trick me into being her pack mule? Next time she can bring her own dumb mattress!"

"Rei darling, if you're feeling too frustrated I'll be happy to take over" her fiancee offered.

"I know how you drive, honey" Rei grumbled. "That's about the only thing I can think of that would make us even slower than we already are. Thank you, but no." Having grown accustomed to the powerful Mercedes that Yuuichirou's wealthy parents had given her as an engagement gift, the tired old van now felt like a child's toy. "Look at this!" she blurted, pointing at the speedometer. "We're slowing down even more!" Rei yelled at the steering wheel, "Come on! Climb this tiny little hill, you miserable piece of junk! Or I'll henshin and send you straight to the scrapyard with a blast of Fire Soul!"

Yuuichirou chuckled, "Somehow, I don't think Hino-sensei would approve of you barbecuing his shrine's van with your Mars powers, my love."

"I'm getting to the point where I just don't care" the miko muttered. To add to the unhappy mood she had developed earlier that day, another car then pulled up behind them and honked its horn.

"Can't you see I'm doing my best?" Rei yelled. She glared angrily in her rear view mirror but her view of the passengers in the vehicle that followed her was all but blocked by the thick white mattress folded tightly into the back.

Yuuichirou fell silent, pondering the reason behind his fiancee's sudden change in temperament. The days following their holiday in Hawaii had been even better than usual, with his beloved bride-to-be always smiling and sugary sweet to him, her grandfather and every visitor she met on the grounds of the ancient shrine in Minato. But as of this morning, for some unknown reason she was a changed young woman. And her mood seemed to darken even more, the closer they crept toward their destination.

The car honked again and Rei rolled down her window, sticking her right arm into the breeze and waving it vigorously. "Pass us, you idiot!" the raven-haired teen fumed. "There's another lane you can use! Are you blind or something?"

The driver of the trailing car finally seemed to catch on to the idea and pulled into the vacant right lane before slowly creeping alongside.

"I don't believe it!" Rei groaned, her heart sinking.

She had thought the car looked familiar, and now she realized it indeed belonged to Chiba Mamoru. Ami and Ryo smiled and waved at her from the back seat, as did the two teens in the front. But what angered her most of all was that Usagi was driving, and even worse, was actually daring to pass her.

"That... odango atama!"

Usagi gave the miko a big grin and slowly sped up, leaving the struggling van behind. Rei's grip on the wheel intensified, turning her knuckles bone-white. "Well doesn't that just take the cake!" she spat. "Yuuichirou-chan, we were just passed by a girl who drives so ridiculously slowly, she'd lose a race with a glacier!"

"Darling, please try to calm yourself" Yuuichirou urged. "We'll get there."

"Now I have to live with Usagi boasting to Minako all weekend long about how she was faster than me. And on the highway too! I never thought I'd live to see this day!"

. . . . .

Back at the house, the two couples were busy inspecting the repairs. Makoto clicked the upstairs bathroom light on and off, impressed by the work she had seen so far. "They even replaced the old cracked switch with a new one, Yuji-chan."

Her young man nodded. "Hai, and a whole bunch of the wiring too, plus water pipes, the broken windows and some other stuff. I read the work order."

"Great! I'll sleep better tonight knowing I don't have to worry about my old house anymore."

"After being apart from your lover boy for nearly a week, I'll bet you don't sleep a wink tonight, Mako-chan!" Minako tittered.

"You're one to talk!" the smiling brunette shot back.

"Yuji-chan, let's get that bed frame put together" Taro suggested. "No sense in leaving it until the last minute."

"Hai! Let's get to it, sugar-dumpling!" Minako urged. "I'll supervise."

"And there goes the bed!" Makoto snorted. "Taro-chan, if you let her tell you what to do, you'll end up sleeping on a heap of rubble all weekend!"

"Hmph!" the blonde miffed. "Mako-chan, I'll have you know that when I was a little girl, I put together a fancy wooden dollhouse from a kit my parents bought me. And I did it all by myself!"

"You did? So where did those poor homeless dolls end up living after it collapsed?"

"Ha. Ha." She grabbed Taro's arm and began dragging him toward the stairs. "No time for dilly-dallying, honey pie! Let's get straight to work. We have our very own portable love nest to build!"

Makoto frowned at Yuji. "Dilly-dallying? What does that mean? I wish that girl would pick one language and stick to it."

---

Chapter 2:

"Minna, did you see that?" Usagi gloated. "I just passed evil Rei! He he!"

"Your confidence behind the wheel is improving, Usako, but try not to let it go to your head" Mamoru chuckled. "That old van isn't anything like her Mercedes."

"Doesn't matter, Mamo-chan! She's always teasing me about how slow I drive, but that won't be happening today. Today it's Tsukino Usagi who comes out on top!" As Usagi patted herself on the back, she allowed her fiancee's car to slow to her usual highway driving pace of ten kilometers under the speed limit.

"I wonder if Usagi and Rei were as competitive when we lived back in the Moon Kingdom, Mamoru-san?" Ami asked. "If so, the rivalry between Princess Serenity and Sailor Mars must have been quite intense."

"That's an interesting question, Ami-chan" the oldest of the group replied. "Which also makes me wonder just how much each of our personalities might have changed since those days."

"I didn't change!" Usagi insisted. "I'm still the same girl I always was. After all, you can't improve on perfection!"

"That sounds a lot like something Minako would say, Usako" Mamoru chuckled.

"It does, doesn't it?" the odango-haired blonde grinned.

Ryo shyly interrupted the couple's conversation with a question that had been eating away at him the entire week. "Uh… I hope you will forgive me if I sound somewhat pushy, Mamoru-san, but did you and Usagi by any chance find the time to talk to Setsuna about…"

"About her reasons behind postponing your wedding? Hai. We did, Ryo-chan."

The sixteen-year-old boy and his fiancee both leaned forward as far as their seatbelts would permit. "And?"

"She refused to speak further of it" the university student replied flatly. "Usagi and I begged her to give us something, anything we could take back to you and Ami, but Setsuna wouldn't cooperate. I'm very sorry."

"Oh." The dejection in the boy's voice was heartbreaking to hear. "Well… thank you for trying. Ami and I deeply appreciate your efforts."

"Setsuna is so annoying" Usagi grumbled. "All she ever talks about is 'future this' and 'timeline that'. She makes me so crazy!"

"It's ok, my Ryo-kun." Ami softly squeezed her love's hand. "Our day will eventually come." But her blue eyes mirrored the same deep disappointment her young man felt.

"Setsuna even lied to us about our future child, Mamo-chan!" the odango-haired blonde continued her rant from behind the wheel. "All the other girls and guys have already met their daughters, ages ago! She promised us that our daughter would come to visit too, but no! We still haven't met her."

"That does bother me somewhat" Mamoru admitted.

"Each of our future daughters looks remarkably like their mother, Usagi-chan" Ami remarked. "Their personalities are also quite similar, and even their hair colors are identical. I think it's quite reasonable to assume that your daughter will be no different."

"You're implying our child will even have blonde hair with odango like Usagi's, Ami-chan?" Mamoru mused. "I hope so. I hope my princesses wonderful nature carries over as well. My Usako is a very kind, loving and thoughtful person."

"Why Mamo-chan! That's so sweet!" Usagi beamed at him before suddenly frowning again. "On second thought, maybe that's why Setsuna hasn't brought her to meet us yet. It'll be just my luck if our daughter turns out to be the exact opposite of me. A scheming and annoying little brat with a bad attitude and maybe... freaky pink hair or something."

"Now now, Usako" Mamoru smiled. He softly patted her arm. "That will never happen."

. . . . .

"Would you please pass me that diagram your father made, my princess?" Taro asked while laying prone on the living room floor. "I need to know which of these four long pieces attaches to that end post there."

"I'll tell you, honey-muffin!" the blonde said. "After all, I'm the supervisor on this very important project!" Minako peered at the hand-drawn sketch from her perch on the edge of the coffee table. "Hmmm… I think it's maybe that one over there beside Yuji's leg."

Yuji obediently handed his brother one of the metal rods.

"Hold on! I changed my mind. It's the other one near his elbow" the girl insisted. "Or could it be that funny-looking part with the hole in the middle?"

"This is going about as well as expected" Makoto teased the blonde from the sofa. "I'm glad you didn't have a hand in fixing my house, Minako-chan. Otherwise we'd probably all be sitting in an empty field now."

"I know what I'm doing, Mako-chan! Trust me!"

"Trust you? Do you have any idea how much trouble we always go through every time you say that?"

"Well… I'm sure about what I'm doing this time" the blonde said. Spotting a worried look suddenly materialize on both boys' faces, she reluctantly gave in. "Ok, fine! If no one trusts me to supervise, I'll quit this job and help our guys with the tools and stuff instead."

The concern in both brothers' eyes immediately deepened, but the stubborn girl was soon crawling around on the floor between them. Minako watched her Taro fumble to insert a bolt through two pieces at once. "Here, Taro-sugar. Let me hold that silly thing steady for you." She grasped onto the nearest part and wiggled it until the holes aligned. "There! I'm ready! Stick it in now, stud muffin!"

Yuji began to snicker, evoking a glare from his older sibling. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you Yuji-chan?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't" the boy grinned.

As her fiancee tightened the bolt, Minako grumbled "Why do they have to make these things so complicated? It's just a silly bed, not a space ship!"

"In your case it's the exact same thing" the brunette smirked after taking a sip of her favorite green tea. "You and Taro could fly to the stars with either one!"

"Or at least to Venus!" Minako giggled.

. . . . .

"This is becoming unbearable!" Rei fumed. "Now we're getting left behind by a dilapidated poultry truck! What'll be the next thing to pass us, an old man with a cane?"

Yuuichirou joked, "Those are some really fast birds, darling. Maybe they're racing chickens."

"Racing…" The miko glowered at him across the van. "Yuuichirou honey, I'm not really in the mood for your weird sense of humour at the moment."

Her fiancee's voice softened. "Something's really been getting under your skin since we sat down to breakfast this morning, my love. Care to talk to your humble apprentice about it?"

"No."

"Is it me?"

"No, it's not you." She stared numbly through the windshield. "And before you ask, it isn't Grandpa either. Let's change the subject, please darling."

"Sure." The teen raised a plastic bag from the floor between his feet. "Would the love of my life like to hear a song? I brought along some of those discs of American pop music we bought in Hawaii."

"This stupid van doesn't have a cd player" Rei replied, directing a scowl at the dashboard. "Or even a radio. I'm surprised it has wheels."

"That's right... I forgot."

"In any case, I"m not in the mood for music, Yuuichirou-chan. Not right now."

"Oh. Ok." Yuuichirou dropped the bag on the floor. "I hope you'll still want to dance with me tonight at Mako-chan's house" he asked wishfully.

"We'll see."

The miko's mood brightened fractionally ten minutes later when the outskirts of Nerima came drifting into view. "Finally!"

"Just a few more minutes, Rei honey. Then we can unload that mattress, kick back and relax for a while."

"I have to stop in town first, darling" Rei said. "At that coffee shop we always go to. I want to use their washroom."

"But we only have a few kilometers left-"

"I need to stop, Yuuichirou-chan. I won't be long."

"Anything you say, my sweet. Would you like me to buy you a coffee while we're there?"

"I'm not thirsty, thanks."

. . . . .

The front door of Makoto's house abruptly burst open and a familiar female voice yelled, "Minna, we're here!" Usagi kicked off her shoes and wandered over to the still unfinished bed. "Taro-chan, why are you all bent over like that? Are you looking for something?"

The young man was laying on his side, curled up in the fetal position with his eyes glazed and watering. "Minako... just... hit me... with... a wrench" he managed to wheeze through gritted teeth.

"In a very tender place" Yuji added with a subtle gesture toward his brother's groin.

Usagi whirled around. "Minako-chan! Why are you hitting your fiancee in his special spot with tools?" The odango-haired girl's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Is this some kinky new thing you're doing now?"

The other blonde was beside herself, wearing an expression of utter panic. "It was an accident!" she cried. "I was just passing that heavy wrench thingy to him, and it slipped and fell... on his..." Her eyes flooded with tears. "I've broken my man!"

"He'll be fine, Minako-chan" Yuji said. "Just give him a minute or two to catch his breath."

"This is unforgivable! Taro-love, let me take you to the hospital!"

"I'll be ok, my princess" her fiancee reassured her, his face still twisted into a grimace. "I don't need to see a doctor. There's honestly nothing he could do."

"You're beyond help? Minako gasped. "Oh no!" She latched onto Ami, sobbing remorsefully on the petite blue-haired girl's shoulder. "Ami-chan, what have I done?"

---

Chapter 3:

Ito Taro slowly hobbled over to the sofa, allowing Mamoru to take his place amid the collection of bed frame parts. His mournful bride-to-be hovered over him. "I'm so sorry, Taro-love. Is there anything I can do to make my honey muffin feel all better?"

"Go back to Tokyo?" Makoto joked.

"Mako-chan! How can you say horribly cruel things at a time like this? My man needs me!"

"Hai. Just like he needs a burst appendix." The brunette heard Ami softly giggle and grinned at her. "I thought you'd like that one."

"Nothing's damaged, my princess" Taro reassured his distressed girl. "And the pain is going down already. Please don't blame yourself. These things happen."

"I was just trying to help" the blonde apologized for the fifth time. "I'm sorry." She chided herself, "I don't know what's wrong with me! Lately I've been almost as clumsy as Usagi."

"Hey!" Usagi stomped over to her friend with her hands firmly anchored on her hips. "This was all your doing, Minako-chan! That's what always happens when you cut corners and rush."

"But I wasn't rushing, Usagi-chan! That's how I always do things. Fast and efficiently!"

"Try not to efficiently break Taro's neck later" Makoto teased, making her Yuji snicker and Ami giggle yet again.

"Now I'm getting really mad!" Minako yelled. "My poor Taro was almost made an invalid, and it was all that stupid wrenchy thing's fault!" She stormed over to the bed, snatched the tool from Mamoru's grasp and marched across the living room to the front door. Yanking it open, she stepped outside and flung the wrench as hard as she could, watching it disappear into a ditch. "There! That wretched thing is gone forever!" Rubbing her hands together in satisfaction, she returned to the living room and sat down beside her Taro. "That wicked tool will never hurt you again, cuddle muffin! I took care of everything."

Mamoru sighed. "I still needed that wrench to finish tightening all these bolts, Minako-chan."

"You needed to what?" Minako trudged over, grabbed the bed frame and gave it a good hard shake, rocking it back and forth on its wheels. "It's tight enough, Mamoru-san. We're done here!"

. . . . .

While Yuuichirou leaned comfortably against the van's hood and enjoyed a sip of his fresh hot beverage, Rei stood at the sink in the coffee shop's ladies washroom. The sense of dread she had been feeling all morning grew even more intense as the sixteen-year-old girl washed her hands in the room's confining surroundings. Her reflection in the mirror revealed more than a trace of anxiety on the pretty young miko's face, while the walls around her felt suffocatingly close.

"I have to get this under control" she muttered to herself in the otherwise empty room. "I can't let the fear beat me." Quickly towelling her hands dry, she hurried outside to her waiting love.

"Get in, Yuuichirou-chan. Let's get this over with."

The teen quickly obliged, slipping into the passenger seat with his coffee. "Uh... did you say get this over with, sweetheart? It sounds to me like you'd rather not be here today."

"I... need to be here today" Rei muttered. "I have to deal with this... and the sooner the better." The raven-haired girl clicked on her seat belt and keyed the van to life, angrily revving the tiny engine to its limit as punishment for allowing Usagi to pass her.

"You... need?" Yuuichirou frowned, puzzling over the confusingly obtuse answer his fiancee had given.

"Hai. Need." Falling silent, Rei slid the shifter into drive, turned onto the street and apprehensively pointed the vehicle in the direction of Makoto's country home.

. . . . .

"Ohhh! Mako-chan has a new microwave!" Usagi exclaimed. "So fancy!" She stood admiring the large gleaming stainless-steel device, opening its door and peering inside while her brunette friend methodically checked the food supply in her cabinets and refrigerator.

"We still don't know where it came from, Usagi-chan" Makoto told the blonde over her shoulder. "Don't you and your parents have a microwave?"

"We did, Mako-chan. But it got wrecked before it was even three days old." The girl hastily followed up with, "And this time it wasn't my fault!"

Makoto planted a grateful peck on her love's cheek. "Thanks for restocking the pantry for me, Yuji honey. That's the chore I'd been planning on doing next."

The boy gave his love a gracious bow. "Don't mention it, Mako my sweet." He grinned, "Taro and I made sure there'd be more than enough food to last the weekend. Even with Usagi staying here."

"Not you too, Yuji-chan!" Usagi grumbled. "Why does everyone always think I eat so much?"

"Because you do?" Makoto replied. Satisfied with her kitchen's supply situation, she closed the refrigerator door. "So what happened to it?"

"The microwave? That was Shingo. And were my parents ever mad!" Usagi cackled evilly. "He tried to melt some little plastic army soldiers in it, and you wouldn't believe the mess he made! And the stink! Papa had to throw it away before I even had the chance to use it once."

"Little boys and their toys" the brunette chuckled.

"It's not just little boys, Mako honey. Girls have their toys too" Yuji pointed out.

"Hai. We do." Makoto slipped her arms snugly around his waist. "But when we get older, we stop playing with dolls and stuff like that. Our interests turn to playthings that are much more enjoyable to be with... toys that love us back, as much as we love them."

"You can play with me anytime you like, my beautiful Mako-chan" Yuji softly whispered. "I'll always be your toy."

"Ecchi!" Usagi blurted. She grinned, "Maybe I should leave you two alone for a while."

"That can wait until later, Usagi-chan" Makoto spoke through a deepening blush. "After I make us dinner, and we all dance and... Good grief! I knew I forgot something!"

"We're all out of snacks?" the blonde gasped in horror. "And soda? Say it isn't so, Mako-chan!"

"Most of my old dishes were broken in that earthquake. We hardly have a plate left to eat from."

Timing his entrance perfectly, Mamoru appeared in the kitchen doorway carrying a large cardboard box. "Did I hear someone mention dishes?"

The brunette was instantly taken aback. "Nani? Is that...?"

"A full set, Mako-chan. Plus some extra glasses, new cutlery, even a dozen champagne flutes for special occasions." He carefully set the box down on the kitchen table. "Everyone chipped in and bought them as a... house re-warming gift, I suppose I could call it."

"I'm... Arigatou, Mamoru-san!" The girl surprised him with a quick appreciative hug. "You're all such wonderful friends! Thank you so much!"

"No touching the Mamo-chan!" Usagi warned with an admonishing finger waggle, though she was smiling happily along with her friend. "He's my private property! Enjoy your new dishes, Mako-chan."

Makoto wasted no time in hurrying back to her other friends in the living room. "Minna, arigatou! I promise I'll always put those dishes to good use. And as thanks, Yuji and I will prepare something extra special tonight that I promise will have you coming back for more!"

Usagi had followed her out, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Ami-chan! You'll never guess what Yuji just said to Mako-chan in the-"

"Hush, Usagi-chan!" the brunette glared her into silence. "That was very personal." She quickly changed the subject. "Are you feeling better now, Taro-chan?"

Minako answered for her fiancee with a huge smile of relief. "My big strong lover boy is fully recovered and ready for action!"

"And I'm sure you are too" Makoto laughed.

"Of course I am!" the bubbly blonde exclaimed. "I'm always ready for my Taro. Twenty four hours a day!"

. . . . .

"Amazing. We actually made it here before nightfall." Rei pulled into the driveway behind Mamoru's car and killed the van's engine.

"Told you we would!" Yuuichirou grinned. He solemnly stroked his nonexistent beard while trying to sound old and wise. "The hare may be faster, but the tortoise always wins the race."

"And now my fiancee thinks he's Aesop" Rei groaned, rolling her eyes. Still upset about Usagi getting the better of her, she scowled again at the vehicle. "This decrepit antique isn't even fast enough to be a turtle." She got out of the van, slammed its door closed, then as an afterthought kicked it for good measure. After suitably venting her rage, the young miko turned around to find the old house looming ominously before her eyes.

Rei looked up at it and softly shuddered.

---

Chapter 4:

"Konnichiwa, minna!" Yuuichirou's grinning face appeared in the doorway. "It took us a while, but we've finally arrived at Kino Makoto's famous Sailor Senshi Weekend Hideaway and home of the best cuisine in all of Honshu!"

Minako bounded from the sofa. "Konnichiwa! Did you bring it?"

Steeling her nerves, Rei forced her feet to move and she stepped inside the house. "Hai. Your stupid mattress is here, Minako-chan. Don't ask me to deliver anything for you ever again!" She sat quietly on the sofa, trying her hardest to ignore Usagi's gleeful smirk.

"I got here first, Rei-"

"Shut up."

Yuuichirou asked the guys, "May I have a volunteer to help me unload our cargo?"

"Of course, Yuuichirou-chan" Taro agreed. "Since you and Rei went through all the trouble of delivering it, it's the very least I can do." He followed the apprentice outside with his fiancee tagging along behind.

"Don't hurt yourself again, sugar muffin! I'm going to watch your every move, just in case you get careless and need Nurse Minako's professional services."

Yuuichirou and Taro instantly exchanged glances of abject horror. "That isn't necessary, sweetheart." Taro promised, "We'll be extra careful."

Minako watched the two strong young men attempt to muscle the mattress free from the cramped cargo area. It had become wedged so tightly during the journey that their initial efforts seemed fruitless. "Looks like it's really stuck in there."

"I'm not surprised, Taro-chan. Minako's father and I had to bend it in half and really cram it in to make it fit with the doors closed." Their second attempt seemed more promising, and the mattress yielded slightly before it jammed yet again.

"It's still snagged on something" Taro muttered. "I don't want to rip the cover. Maybe we should ask for more help from-."

"Not necessary, love-snuggles!" Minako insisted. "I'll go inside the van and push from there. That'll get that silly thing out!" She climbed in from the front and wedged herself between the seats. Unable to reach the mattress with her hands, she raised one leg instead and pressed her shoe firmly against it. "Ok, I'm all set!"

The Shinto apprentice and Ito Taro leaned inside to wrap their fingers around the ends of the stubborn bedding. "Ready, Yuuichirou-chan?" Taro asked. "Pull!"

Minako shoved against the mattress as hard as she could. "Minna, it's working!" The boys grunted and tugged, and the blonde pulled her leg back to give it one last hard kick.

Her shoe slipped sideways and thudded against something much firmer.

"Ow!"

"Gomen, Yuuichirou-chan!"

. . . . .

"Minna, coming through!" Taro called out. The male teens carried the bedding inside and dropped it onto its frame. Minako followed them wearing a sheepish grin.

"Yuuichirou honey, what's that strange mark on your forehead?" Rei asked. "It looks like a... shoeprint."

"Just a little grime, darling. I'll go wash it off."

. . . . .

With Makoto and Yuji busying themselves in the kitchen, Mamoru inspecting the house repairs and Ami upstairs with her fiancee unpacking their overnight bag, Usagi plopped onto the sofa beside her unusually quiet friend. "Rei-chan, we've been here over an hour now and you haven't teased me or yelled at me even once yet. Are you feeling sick?"

"I'm fine" the miko replied. She hadn't budged from her seat since arriving at the old house, surprising Yuuichirou by asking him to take their bag up to their room alone. "I just have a lot on my mind at the moment."

"Can I get you a coffee? Or a snack? Or-"

"I said I'm fine, Usagi-chan!. Just leave me alone. Please!"

Usagi wandered off, eventually meeting up with Yuuichirou and Ami in the upstairs hall. "Yuuichirou-chan, what's up with Rei? She's even moodier than usual."

"You noticed" the boy nodded. "She's been in a strange mood all day, Usagi-chan. And I think it's getting even worse. But every time I ask her about it, she changes the subject."

"Did you and her have a fight or something?"

"No, not at all! Everything's been fantastic all week" the apprentice replied. "It only started this morning."

Ami listened intently before going downstairs to ask Makoto if she could watch her work and hopefully pick up some new cooking tips. Walking past the upstairs bathroom, an inkling of what may be troubling her raven-haired friend suddenly crossed her mind.

. . . . .

As afternoon became evening and the sky above the country house began to soften and pale, the couples left the dining room table with a shower of compliments for Makoto about their meal. Usagi patted her stomach contentedly. "I'm so stuffed I can hardly move! Mako-chan, that was one of your best yet! Maybe even the best!""

"Arigatou, Usagi-chan" the brunette modestly accepted the praise. "I promised everyone something special tonight and I hope it didn't disappoint."

"Mako honey, you never disappoint" Yuji said, relaxing on the sofa with his girl. "I'm going to have to start jogging or working out after we're married, it's the only way I'll be able to keep the weight down." He chuckled, "I guess that's the one disadvantage of having a master chef as a wife."

"I can think of another way to exercise, Yuji-chan!" Minako playfully winked. "Something that's a lot more fun than jogging! Isn't that right, my Taro-love?"

Makoto groaned at her friend's latest in a constant stream of innuendos that had continued throughout the afternoon. "Yuji-chan, just think. Someday that girl over there is going to be your sister-in-law."

"I already have a muffin-chan for a brother, Mako honey. I'm getting kind of used to it."

Taro gave his sibling a playfully evil look. "And someday, I'm going to think up a good nickname for you, Yuji-chan. Something that'll make you blush every time I say it."

Minako began to giggle. "I have an idea for one!" She whispered something in her fiancee's ear that no one else could hear and Taro burst out laughing.

"Nani?" his younger brother asked.

"You'll find out later" Taro grinned. "When the time is right."

Yuuichirou walked over to the piano where his portable cd player sat and began sorting through the thick stack of discs he had brought along. "Minna, let's dance those delicious calories away! Do I hear any requests?"

Usagi's hand instantly shot up. "Me! Me! I have a request!"

"A request for more food, probably" Rei smirked.

"Be nice, Rei-chan!"

"And what would the lovely young lady in pink like to kick tonight's dance party off with?" the Shinto apprentice and self-appointed disc jockey asked with a smile.

"Um... I can't remember the exact name of the song, Yuuichirou-chan" Usagi mumbled. She turned to her young man for assistance. "But it's a foreign tune that we danced to in Hawaii, Mamo-chan. I really really liked it, even though I couldn't understand most of the words."

"We danced to dozens of songs last week, Usako. I'm afraid you'll have to narrow it down a little more."

Usagi tapped her finger against her lips as she pondered the tune. "Hmm... I think I might remember the weird name of the group who sang it if that's any help... they were... uh..." She suddenly blurted, "Wait! now I remember! They were called Dirt, Air and Flames! Hai, that was it!"

"I think you meant to say 'Earth, Wind and Fire' Usagi-chan" Ami giggled. "The song you're thinking of is called 'September'."

"I was close" the blonde shrugged. "Anyway, it'll be September soon so that makes this the perfect time for it... almost! Play it, Yuuichirou-chan!"

"Coming right up!" Yuuichirou found the correct disc and Usagi's melody began. The Shinto apprentice left the stereo to offer his beloved Rei his hand. At first she seemed oddly reluctant, but her fiancee's warm inviting smile and the smooth up-tempo beat of the old pop song soon had her joining him and their friends on the dance floor.

. . . . .

The evening's festivities were progressing all too quickly for the teenage couples as they chatted and danced together, but even moreso for Hino Rei. As the minutes ticked past, an ongoing struggle continually raged within the girl as her mind dealt with two powerful, conflicting emotions. In her heart lived an unquenchable desire to soon retire to her bedroom with Yuuichirou for a night of passion and pleasure with the young man she dearly loved. But that would mean going upstairs and passing that other room...

The miko feared that this was one battle she was about to lose.

. . . . .

Feeling increasingly anxious as bedtime crept ever nearer, Rei eventually stood and collected her purse. The party was now in full swing, but the girl had other things beside dancing weighing heavily on her troubled mind.

"Going somewhere, sweetheart?" her concerned fiancee asked as he changed discs in the player, noting the faintest of quivers in her slender fingers as the miko slipped the long thin strap of her stylishly small black purse over her shoulder.

"I'm just stepping outside for a cigarette, honey. I'll be back in a few minutes. Keep the music playing." Rei left the party, with Ami closely watching until the front door closed and the girl disappeared from sight.

"Ryo-kun, I think I should go have a little talk with Rei. There's a good chance I know what's upsetting her."

"That's a great idea." Her fiancee nodded understandingly, having also observed the increasing tension in their close friend as the evening wore on. He gave his girl a quick parting kiss. "I'll be waiting, Ami darling. Good luck."

Rei walked slowly down the length of the drive until she reached the back of the white van. Sitting on its rear bumper she gazed upward, her indigo eyes searching for answers among the first few twinkling stars to appear in the twilight sky.

'This isn't going to work' she thought sadly. 'I can't go through with it. Maybe I should just give up and go home.'

With a soft sigh, she opened her purse, found her cigarettes and was about to place one between her lips when Ami appeared beside her.

"Mind if I sit with you, Rei-chan?"

"I'd rather just..." The miko was about to ask to be left alone, but abruptly changed her mind. "Sure. Make yourself comfortable, Ami-chan. It looks like it's going to be another beautiful evening."

"Hai, it does." The petite blue-haired teen sat beside her on the metal bumper.

"Enjoying the party?" Rei asked.

"I am, very much so. Coming out to Mako-chan's old house for a weekend like this is something my Ryo-kun and I always look forward to. The friends, the dancing, Mako-chan's delicious meals... it's a very pleasurable experience in every way. But... how about you? Are you having a good time tonight?"

Her friend dodged the question. "Mako-chan outdid herself with dinner earlier. Sometimes I feel more than a little jealous of her wizardry in the kitchen."

"I know exactly what you mean" Ami smiled and nodded her agreement. "I've been studying her various culinary techniques whenever I have the opportunity. I have the feeling that she enjoys her time in this kitchen much more than the one in her small Tokyo apartment. She and Yuji really love this old house."

"Hai... they do." The raven-haired girl paused to light her cigarette, and was about to slip the pack back inside her purse when she remembered an interesting detail from a fire reading about Ami she had surreptitiously carried out. She had performed it on a hunch shortly after returning home from the sea cruise. Rei caught her blue-haired friend completely off-guard when she held out her opened pack. "Would you like one?"

Ami stuttered, "Rei-chan, I... don't..."

"I know that you like to smoke, Ami-chan. Don't bother trying to deny it."

"Why would you possibly think something like that?" The shy girl's dismissive question was asked with more than a trace of nervousness in her voice.

"Well, let's just say that an accomplished miko like myself has her own unique way of discovering little secrets about those closest to her. And I have to admit, what I find can occasionally be surprising."

"Oh! I might have guessed." Ami hesitated, looking first at the long white and pink box in Rei's hand, then at the teenage girl beside her. Her slender fingers began hesitantly reaching out, only to drop back into her lap. "I'd love to have one, but... I really shouldn't. Not here and now. I'd hate to have Minako or Usagi somehow find out and tease me endlessly about it. And Rei-chan, please promise me you won't tell anyone else."

"Don't worry, Ami-chan. I promise. Your little secret is safe with me. Oh, does Ryo know?"

"Of course he does, Rei-chan. I would never keep secrets from the boy I love. My Ryo-kun doesn't mind at all if I enjoy an occasional cigarette every now and then."

"That's always good to hear. My grandfather always likes reminding Yuuichirou and me that openness and honesty are very important for a strong and lasting relationship. He says it isn't wise for a couple to keep any secrets from each other, no matter how large or how small they are." The young miko frowned as she suddenly realized that the memories haunting her tonight were making her do exactly that.

"Then... since you're aware of my little secret... is there something personal you'd like to talk to me about?" Ami gently pressed. "Something troubling you that you've been trying to hide from Yuuichirou and your best friends?"

Rei turned her head away. "Not... really." She sat in silence for a time before saying, "I'm happy for Mako-chan that the repairs to her home are all finished." She looked questioningly at Ami. "Tell me, did they do a good job fixing the upstairs bathroom? I can't... I mean, I haven't seen it yet."

"It looks better than ever. There's absolutely no trace of the fire, or any other damage from that tremor."

"Interesting..." The miko's voice trailed off and she seemed to lose herself in thought once more.

"Pardon me, Rei-chan? What's interesting?"

"It's nothing, really. I was just thinking about how sometimes it's a lot easier to fix things that are visibly broken than those... Gomen, Ami-chan. I'm starting to babble like Minako."

"Than those whose damage is invisible to the eye?" Ami finished the sentence for her, now completely convinced that her earlier hunch had been correct.

"Something like that."

"It's quite obvious there is something greatly upsetting you today" the blue-haired girl insisted. "And I think I understand what your problem may be."

"Oh?"

"You've developed a rather severe phobia regarding this house, Rei-chan. More specifically, the upstairs bathroom. You haven't been to your bedroom since you arrived here today, and I'm convinced it's because of what happened a few weeks ago, when you were trapped in that bathroom and it was on fire."

"You really are brilliant" the miko grudgingly admitted. "In a lot more ways than just book knowledge and schoolwork." She gazed off into the distance and her next words were spoken much more softly. "I nearly died that day, Ami-chan. I was just seconds away from... you know... and it scared me. It scared me far more than any youma ever has."

"Now you're afraid to go anywhere near that bathroom because of those frightening old memories" Ami nodded. "And your bedroom is directly across the hall from where it all happened."

"Hai. That sums it up perfectly. I had hoped at first that Yuuichirou and I would come out here today and I could mentally force myself to get over it, but... I can't. It's too hard. The memories are still so vivid and so... painful."

"Your feelings are quite understandable, Rei-chan. Perhaps you should give yourself more time. We've only been here a few hours."

"Time?" her friend sighed. "More time won't solve anything, Ami-chan. I'm ashamed of myself enough as it is. Ashamed of this weakness. I just want the fear to go away."

"You could ask one of the other couples to exchange rooms with you. My Ryo-kun and I certainly wouldn't mind."

"That wouldn't help much. Even dancing and sitting downstairs has been... difficult." Rei laughed bitterly. "Ironic, isn't it? Sailor Mars is... afraid of fire."

"But didn't you use your Fire Soul attack to help defeat Miyu's witchcraft at our hotel?"

"Hai, I did. But that's different. I control my own Senshi powers, Ami-chan. What happened that afternoon in the upstairs bathroom was something I had no control over at all."

---

Chapter 5:

"I suppose we should be getting back to the party" Rei sighed a few minutes later. "It's either that or admit defeat and drive home to the shrine."

"Rei-chan, I can't imagine how difficult this is for you. But if you return to Tokyo tonight, what then? Next time we get together here, you'll suffer through the same fears and doubts all over again." Ami urged, "You'll have to deal with this sooner or later. Why not now?"

Rei simply nodded, saying nothing.

The girls stood and the studious teen gave the miko a gentle hug. "I'm here for you, Rei-chan. And your Yuuichirou is, and all your dearest friends. We'll help you through this in any way possible."

"Arigatou, Ami-chan. I'll give it my best shot. But please don't mention a word about my fears to anyone else. Not yet. I still need more time to think."

"I won't. I'm quite good at keeping secrets too" Ami smiled.

Rei added, "Except for your Ryo. You can tell him. I'm sure you can trust him with anything."

"Hai" Ami smiled back. "I certainly can." She took the miko's arm in hers. "Let's go back to the party."

. . . . .

With Ami having convinced Rei to try staying the night and confront her fears head-on, the two girls made their way up the drive to Makoto's house. They had expected to find their friends still dancing and enjoying the evening together, but what they walked into was instead a barrage of bickering.

"You can't, Usagi-chan!" Minako was pleading. "My honey muffin and I need our privacy!"

"And I need my munchies!" the other blonde replied angrily. "This isn't Okinawa, Minako-chan. I'm allowed to go into this kitchen any time I want to! Mako-chan promised I could the very first weekend we stayed here. And I will!"

"Usako, how about this for a compromise?" Mamoru suggested. "Perhaps you could skip the late night snacks just this one weekend, until we can make better arrangements."

"No, Mamo-chan, no! When it comes to something this important, there's absolutely no room for compromise!" Usagi stormed over to the sofa and sat down in a huff, folding her arms and fixing Minako with her most withering glare. "And that's final!"

Makoto snickered quietly to her Yuji, "Our hungry Queen has spoken!"

Ami tactfully avoided the hostilities and slipped over to where her beloved was sitting on the stairs. She sat close beside him, asking "What's happening, Ryo-kun? Everything was fine when I left."

"There's a slight disagreement about sleeping arrangements and privacy, Ami darling. Usagi is insisting on her right to indulge if she feels hungry at night, but Minako doesn't want her coming down here after everyone turns in."

"Oh. Well, I completely understand Minako's position. We certainly wouldn't want anyone listening in or disturbing us when we're..." she giggled softly, "...studying."

"Hai" he whispered, smiling and blushing ever so slightly in a way that Ami always found irresistibly cute. "We definitely wouldn't." Ryo noticed that Rei had made a beeline straight to the sofa and seemed to be somewhat distracted and disinterested in the blondes' latest feud. "How did your talk go?" the boy asked quietly. "Were your suspicions correct?"

"They were. Rei has a rather difficult time ahead of her tonight, my love." While Ami discreetly told her fiancee the details of her chat with the miko, Minako was determined to somehow have things her way. She scurried across the room, trying next to bring Makoto over to her side.

"Mako-chan, please tell Usagi she can't use your kitchen at night!" the blonde begged. "At least until this Sunday!"

"Wouldn't do any good, Minako-chan" the brunette chuckled. "I can tell her over and over until my face turns purple, but we both know she won't listen. Usagi will still sneak downstairs if she's feeling hungry. And I can guarantee you she will be. Remember what happened at the Kumadas' mansion?"

"That trap thing you and Yuji set for her? I heard about it but wasn't there to see it. I was... outside."

Rei finally spoke up, making the blonde cringe as the miko angrily recalled the memory. "Hai, you were outside with Taro in the middle of the night! Making a ton of noise, painting the garden shed white with your paint-can-destroying crescent beam and blasting your fiancee into the swimming pool for good measure! Baka!"

Mamoru once again attempted to find a peaceful solution. "How about this idea, Usako? We'll use the portable bed and Minako and Taro can have our room."

"That's a horrible idea, Mamo-chan! That crazy bed doesn't look the least bit safe or sturdy. And what's even worse, the bottom part is all corners and sharp edges and things! I could get my beautiful long hair caught in it! No way! It's Minako's bed, she has to lay in it!"

"The bed won't fit inside that small office beside the front door either" Yuuichirou added. "I checked earlier and it's too long."

Against her better judgement, Ami ventured into the fray. "Usagi-chan, why don't you stock your bedroom with snacks ahead of time, so you have a supply for later on and won't need to come downstairs?"

Her logical idea still wasn't suitable enough for the stubborn odango-haired girl. "I can't keep cold soda or hot tea sitting in our room all night, Ami-chan. Everything will end up lukewarm and taste yucky! And what if I'm in the mood for something from the refrigerator like that yummy ice cream Yuji and Taro brought?"

"Ice cream?" Makoto exclaimed in surprise. "You mean to say there's still some left? I thought you would've polished it all off by now, Usagi-chan."

"I've been too busy dancing to eat much yet, Mako-chan. I was pacing myself and saving it for later, after our snuggle time is over and my Mamo-chan is asleep."

Having struck out with Makoto, an increasingly desperate Minako next turned to plead her case with Rei. "Rei-chan, order Usagi not to interfere with my Taro and me. I'm sure she'll listen to you if you yell at her loud enough."

"Sorry, Minako-chan. I may need to come down here during the night as well."

"Nani? Not you too, Rei-chan!" the blonde groaned. "Why?"

"To maybe... have a coffee or... uh... use the downstairs bathroom."

By now, Minako was quickly becoming convinced that this was all one big conspiracy and her night of passionate pleasure with her fiancee was the target. "That's a ridiculous excuse, Rei-chan! There's a perfectly good bathroom straight across the hall from your bedroom door! With a shower and everything! Why not use that one?"

"Because..." The miko hesitated, not yet willing to divulge her ongoing internal struggle to everyone. She shot back, "Because I don't want to use that bathroom, that's why!"

"This just will not do!" Minako wailed. She asked the home's owner who was in the midst of sipping her tea, "How am I supposed to be intimate with my man with people wandering all over the place, Mako-chan? Next thing I know, everyone will be expecting us to sleep outside and do it on the cold hard ground! Like common animals!"

The brunette caught Yuji's eye and he innocently looked up toward the ceiling. She didn't answer the question, instead taking a deep gulp of her tea.

"Well! Let me tell you all something right here and now!" Minako announced indignantly. "Aino Minako is a far too modest girl to ever do anything that racy!"

A spray of tea erupted from Makoto's lips onto her fiancee's shirt. "Gomen, Yuji honey!"

Minako buried herself in Taro's soothing embrace. "Our whole weekend is ruined, love muffin!"

"There may be a solution to this problem after all." Urawa Ryo's shy voice issuing from the stairwell caused everyone to turn and look at him, and he blushed at the sudden attention. "Minna... why not build a partition? We could divide the living room into two parts by hanging sheets or blankets to make a wall, and that would give Minako and Taro at least some privacy."

"That just may work" Taro mused.

His distraught girl digested the idea and her deep unhappy frown instantly changed to a hugely beaming smile. "Ryo-chan! You're a genius!"

"That is an excellent idea, my Ryo-kun" Ami agreed, rewarding her blushing young man with a soft kiss.

Minako immediately took charge of the room. "Minna, this party is over! Well, at least until we finish making the partition. Mako-chan, I need some rope or string or something to hang the sheets on. Oh, and plenty of sheets too! Lots and lots of them!"

The tall brunette responded to the order with a mocking salute. "Hai! Is there anything else you'd like, Commander Aino?"

She giggled, "There definitely is, Mako-chan, but my big strong sexy stud muffin will supply that later!"

---

Chapter 6:

Despite Minako's constant supervision and unending flow of suggestions, it only took an hour until the divider was nearly in place. The teens had used up nearly a full roll of twine that Makoto and Yuji had employed to fence small animals out of their tiny backyard vegetable garden. Makoto had donated every spare sheet and thin blanket she could find, and the end result was a mottled patchwork of color that hung like a cloth wall across the front third of the living room. The portable bed was now safely hidden well out of sight between the makeshift curtain and the front door.

Taro stood with his fiancee at the top of the stairs, retightening one end of the rope. "How does it look, sweetheart?"

"It's just perfect, sugar honey!" his fiancee bubbled. "Our very own private love-love nest! I can't wait to try it out!"

Makoto called up from downstairs, "It's supposed to be a bedroom, Minako-chan. You know, that place normal people use for sleeping?"

"Hai!" she grinned back. "It'll work for that too!"

"Yuji my love, I never imagined a girl existed on the face of this planet with such a one-track mind!" The brunette straightened the last sheet, pulling one end of it snugly against the top of the dining room door.

"She does go well out of her way to earn the title of Senshi of Love" he chuckled. "But last week at that lagoon in Hawaii, you were thinking the very same-"

"Ssshh Yuji-chan! They'll hear you!"

"I don't like the way those sheets hang there like that" Usagi muttered from the sofa. "It makes the room look really spooky!"

"Would you rather go without snacks instead?" Rei asked.

"I just changed my mind, Rei-chan. I love it!" Usagi called to the couple upstairs, "I even made up a name for it! I'm calling it..." she paused for dramatic effect..."Bedroom Number Five!"

"What kind of ridiculously unimaginative name is that?" the miko scoffed. "Bedroom number five! Usagi-chan, is that the best thing that tiny mind of yours could come up with?"

Ami was relieved to see a little of Rei's familiar biting sarcasm return, and hoped her friend would soon come to grips with her phobia and put it far behind her.

"And what's wrong with that name?" Usagi blistered. "I don't hear you suggesting anything better, Rei-chan!"

"An empty bento box could think up something better than you ever could" the raven-haired girl retaliated.

"Says who?"

While the girls on the sofa were arguing, Minako had hurried downstairs and began adjusting a slightly wrinkled sheet. Makoto glared at her. "Stop fiddling with it, Minako-chan. You're going to pull the whole thing down!"

"I have a name for the room" Yuji grinned. "Mako-chan, remember that old movie where that guy with the whip and the hat is always chasing after artifacts in temples and caves while people are trying to kill him?"

"Hai, I remember seeing it. Why?"

"How's this for a name?" he snickered. "Indiana Taro and the Temple of Doom!"

Minako gave the boy a blank stare. "I don't get it, Yuji-chan."

"I do, because I saw the movie" Makoto grinned. "This is like one of those cursed jungle temples. Taro will go in, but he might never make it out alive!" She told the blonde, "You're the doom part, Minako-chan."

"I'm not a doomy person! I'm fun!"

"Oh yes you are." Makoto's grin widened as she leaned closer to the blonde. "Dooooom!"

"Hmph!" Minako spun around. "Ami-chan, you and your lover boy are the smartest couple here. What would you call my new room?"

"Me?" the blue-haired teen blushed. "Well..." The studious girl pondered the question a moment. "Those sheets remind me of the curtains in the hospital ward where my mother works. And the wheeled bed looks a little like a gurney. How about... 'Urgent Care'?"

"Now that's a good name" Rei told Usagi.

"Quiet, you!"

"It's not bad!" Minako giggled. "It's actually kind of appropriate! Because tonight, Nurse Minako is going to give her patient a whole lot of-"

Makoto held up her hand. "Stop right there! We can all guess the rest of your twisted prescription, Minako-chan." She muttered to her chuckling fiancee, "Yuji my love, after this night is over, your poor brother may actually need to go to a hospital emergency department."

. . . . .

After the room divider was finished, the couples regrouped for a final chat before calling it a night. The topic soon became the teens' best memories of their recent Hawaiian holiday.

"I never did get any surfing in" Yuuichirou remarked wistfully. "Maybe next time, Rei darling. That is, if you'd still like to go there on our honeymoon."

"Hai, that's one place I really wouldn't mind visiting again" she smiled. "As long as we're there alone, lover. The last thing we need is another of Minako's embarrassing boat episodes."

"Nani? Rei-chan, I was the star of the show!" the blonde interjected from her Taro's lap. "The life of the party! Much better to watch me fall overboard than listen to more of that dreary fiddle and piano music we all had to suffer through."

"It wasn't dreary at all!" Rei scoffed. "Don't you have any class whatsoever? Ami certainly does, and she enjoyed it."

"I thought Michiru's solo rendition of Bach's Sonata Number One was particularly stirring" the blue-haired girl remarked. "She draws so much pure emotion from her instrument."

"Well... I was classy too... at least until I got all wet" Minako insisted. She beamed, "I even had my very first real cocktail, and it was delicious!" The blonde abruptly asked her future sister-in-law, "Mako-chan, have you ever tried Sex on the Beach?"

Makoto was in mid-sip of her last tea of the evening and nearly choked on it.

"What... are you... implying?" the brunette spluttered between coughs.

"Mako-chan, you really should cut back on the tea" Usagi said. "Every time you drink it lately, you get sick or something."

"Sex on the Beach" Minako repeated. "It's the name of the cocktail I drank on the yacht, silly!"

"Oh! In that case, I haven't had it" Makoto blushed, quickly averting her eyes.

Minako gave her a suspicious look. "Mako-chan, if I didn't know better, I'd think you're hiding something."

"Me? Noo!" The brunette's blush deepened. "What would I have to hide?"

"The only one of us who's always hiding things is Setsuna" Usagi grumbled. "What happened to Ami and Ryo's wedding plans? And where's my future daughter?"

"Probably living in the future" Rei smirked. She turned her head to avoid Usagi's sour glare and caught a tiny glimpse of the upstairs bathroom door. The miko quickly looked away with a shudder as once again her unpleasant memories of that fateful day came flooding back.

Mamoru sipped his coffee. "Setsuna is a special case, Usako. With her responsibilities as Sailor Pluto the Guardian of Time, I can understand that there are some aspects of her knowledge she should not yet share with the rest of us." He smiled at Ami and Ryo. "Though I don't agree with everything she does, and certainly not the disruption to your wedding plans."

"Arigatou, Mamoru-san" Ryo said. "Hearing that from you means a lot to me."

"I think all secrets are bad, Mamo-chan" Usagi begged to differ. "We're supposed to be a team. How can we trust each other if we don't really know each other as well as we should?" She abruptly stood up and announced, "Minna! As your leader, I'm giving everyone an official order! From now on, there will be no more secrecy among the Sailor Senshi!"

"You're giving us an order?" Rei blurted angrily. "Just who or what do you think you are, Usagi-chan?"

"I'm your future Queen, Rei-chan. Setsuna said so."

The miko was utterly unimpressed. "I don't care if Setsuna said you're the future Emperor of the Universe! You have no right telling us what to do!"

"I have to disagree, Rei-chan" Makoto spoke up. "Usagi does have that right."

"See?" Usagi answered indignantly. "Mako-chan is loyal! And I know she doesn't try to keep any secrets from us either! So there!"

'Not too many' the brunette thought, before catching her fiancee's grin. "Yuji-chan! Stop looking at me like that!"

"Mako-chan, can I ask you something personal?"

"That depends, Minako-chan. How personal are we talking here?"

"You always fasten your ponytail with the same style of tie" the blonde said. "Even when you're Sailor Jupiter, your hair always has those two green balls in it. Why is that?"

"I honestly don't know why it's still that way after I henshin, Minako-chan. But in my everyday life, I always tie back my hair with them because of what those two spheres represent."

"What's that, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked.

"My mother and father. This way I'll always remember them."

"I did not know that, Mako honey" Yuji smiled warmly at her. "That's very touching."

"It appears as though your future daughter is keeping the tradition alive, Mako-chan" Mamoru mused. "Your little Midori had a very similar tie in her hair when she visited us."

"And our little Emiko wears a red bow just like me, sweetie love!" Minako exclaimed. "She looks just like a tiny perfect copy of your love goddess!"

Makoto chuckled, "I hope for everyone's sake she isn't an exact copy, Minako-chan. That would be too much for this country to bear."

---

Chapter 7:

Yuuichirou and his male friends had been listening with rapt attention to Mamoru as he described his experiences as Tuxedo Kamen, when Minako suddenly sprang from Taro's lap and extended her arm and index finger toward the nearest wall.

"Minna, just look at the time! Where has the evening gone?"

"You're pointing at a picture, Minako-chan" Makoto laughed. "The clock is on the other wall."

The blonde swivelled ninety degrees, still pointing. "Ok! Then look at the other time! Isn't it getting really, really late?" She made a show of stretching and yawned loudly for added emphasis. "Ahhwww."

The grinning brunette sitting near the fireplace shook her head. "Is this your way of dropping a subtle hint? Because it isn't very subtle and it isn't much of a hint either, Minako-chan. We all know exactly what you want."

"Good!" Minako giggled. "Then I won't have to say it again! Minna, it's time to everyone to hit the stack!"

"I'd rather 'hit the sack' if that's ok with you" Makoto chuckled. "Ready to call it a night, Yuji honey?"

"I think that's an excellent idea, my love. Minna, a very good night to one and all."

After watching with amusement as Minako promptly clicked off the main living room light and dragged her Taro behind the curtain, the tall brunette and her young man excused themselves and went upstairs. They were followed a few moments later by Usagi and Mamoru. "Thank you for rescuing me so often, Mamo-chan" the other teens heard Usagi say as they climbed the stairs. "I owe you my life a million times over."

"I'm still finding it hard to believe that Usagi can count that high" Rei muttered from the sofa. "I thought ten was her limit. Or maybe twenty if she takes off her shoes."

Beside her, Yuuichirou gave the love of his life a silly smile. "Ready to 'hit the stack', Rei darling? I think I'll take a quick shower before bed though. Don't forget, there's plenty of room inside for two!" He began to rise from his chair and was surprised when the raven-haired girl didn't take his offered hand.

The miko's mood had changed in the blink of an eye. "I... don't need a shower tonight, Yuuichirou-chan."

"Don't you want to-?"

"I'll join you later." Rei's heart ached, knowing that her phobia was separating her from her fiancee and what should have been a pleasurable ten minutes shared together beneath the warm relaxing spray.

"Uh... sure. I guess I'll go get cleaned up and... see you in our room... I guess."

"Ok darling." Puzzled and confused, the eighteen-year-old apprentice slowly trod up toward the second floor alone.

"Yuuichirou!" Rei's sudden, sharp call to him was laced with worry. "Please... be careful in there!"

"Hai. I will, my love." Frowning, he entered the bathroom and closed its door.

"Ami-chan" Ryo whispered. "Rei's hands are shaking."

"I noticed that, Ryo-kun." The concerned blue-haired girl slid across the sofa until she was next to the miko. "Rei-chan? Are you going up to bed?"

"I... don't know. I want to... but..." The two friends' eyes met and Ami could easily see the fear reflected from deeply within Rei's indigo orbs.

"Ami-chan" her pleading voice quivered softly. "Please help me."

Ami nodded. "Of course I will." With great gentleness she guided the miko from the sofa and walked upstairs close beside her, with Ryo following a respectful distance behind.

Nearing the top, the only sound was the muted hiss of rushing water from the bathroom shower. Rei abruptly froze on the last step. "I... can't..."

"Yes you can." Ami's voice was soft but her tone firm. "You can do this."

They entered the first bedroom on the left together and Ami quickly shut the door behind them. "There! That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Hard? It was brutal." The raven-haired girl sat on the nearest side of the bed, her Yuuichirou's side. With every ounce of her Shinto-trained willpower, she forced herself to breathe as slowly and as calmly as she could.

"I think I should wait here with you until Yuuichirou is finished his shower."

"Arigatou, Ami-chan. I'd really appreciate that."

As the minutes passed, Rei gradually began to relax, even managing a smile. "I owe you big time for this."

Ami promptly returned the smile. "Not at all. You're my very close friend, and close friends always help each other in time of need. Although, if you still feel like you do owe me a favor, tell your fiancee about your problem. Yuuichirou will understand."

"I will. I'll tell him tonight, I promise."

They continued chatting quietly until Yuuichirou returned in his dark red robe, surprised to find that Rei was not alone. Ami wished them both goodnight and pulled the open bathroom door tightly shut before hurrying down the hall to her room. Finding her Ryo waiting there, she quickly scribbled a note on a pad of writing paper they kept handy and returned to the bathroom, attaching the page to the door with a strip of tape.

"It went somewhat better than I thought, Ryo-kun" she told her boy after returning. "Rei seems much more at ease now."

"What did you just write on that paper, Ami darling?"

"I made a sign that says 'Please keep door closed'. I think it will help."

"I hope so."

. . . . .

Three hours later, another door at the far end of the hallway slowly eased open on its hinges. In the dim illumination of a nightlight glowing near the stairwell, an odango appeared, followed by another. Bundled tightly in her favourite pink robe, Tsukino Usagi tiptoed quietly to the top of the stairs and stood listening.

'I can't hear a single thing. I guess by now even Minako and Taro are fast asleep' she thought. 'Good! My snack time awaits!'

The blonde cringed as she took the first step down and the wood beneath her bare foot creaked. 'Stupid stairs!' Driven by hunger she crept slowly on, generating more creaks and groans from the staircase with each and every step. "This old house is so noisy!" she muttered.

Slinking past the partition, Usagi eventually reached the kitchen and headed straight for the refrigerator. Her empty stomach growled impatiently as she opened the freezer. "Where's that ice cream of mine hiding? Aha! There it is! Delicious yummy strawberry, come to mommy!"

She hesitated as her blue eyes then spied a tightly sealed dish resting near the creamy sweet treat. "Mako-chan's leftovers!" Usagi gasped. "This refrigerator is a gold mine! Wait, I know! I'll eat that first, then have the ice cream for dessert after! Usagi-chan, you are so smart! He he he! It's no wonder I'll be Queen some day!"

Abandoning the ice cream for a time, the girl grasped the food bin in her hands and shivered. "It's too cold! I can't eat it like this! Hmm..." It took but a moment for her to remember the new microwave oven and she stepped lightly across the kitchen toward it, leaving the refrigerator door open for needed light.

The food was duly loaded inside and Usagi paused to puzzle over the microwave's multitude of buttons. "How in the world am I supposed to work this crazy machine? I'm a future Queen, not a rocket scientist!"

The startled blonde leapt in fright when a voice hissed behind her, "Usagi-chan! What do you think you're doing there?"

"Hi, Rei-chan! You scared me!"

The miko stood behind her in the gloom, the refrigerator's single lightbulb casting long faint shadows from Rei's crimson yukata. "Did Mako-chan give you permission to use her new microwave?" she asked in a low harsh whisper.

"Well... no. Not really."

"I thought not."

"Are you down here for a coffee or something?" Usagi whispered.

"No, I'm here to use the washroom. I assume you're busy stuffing your face again."

Usagi's stomach growled even louder and she pointed at the microwave. "Rei-chan, how do you use this stupid thing? There's too many buttons on it and my food is frozen solid!"

"You're hopeless!" the raven-haired girl muttered. "Here, let me do it for you this one time, but don't touch it again until Mako-chan says you're allowed to use it, ok?"

"Hai! Arigatou!"

Rei studied the appliance for a moment then quickly pressed several keys. But just as she pushed start and the device hummed to life, a soft muffled giggle reached the girls' ears from somewhere in the dark living room beyond.

"It's Minako!" Usagi gasped. "She's waking up!" Inside the microwave, pressure quickly began building within the tightly closed container.

"Baka!" Rei hissed. "Keep your voice down! With any luck she'll fall asleep again and we can get out of here."

"Hai! Good idea, Rei-chan!"

But the first giggle was soon followed by a second, then a third, and then the amorous blonde purred, "Ohh, my Taro-love!"

A young male voice softly answered, "Minako... my beautiful goddess... my Venus..."

Rei and Usagi looked at each other with growing alarm. "I don't like where this is going" the miko whispered. "If they-"

Minako suddenly cooed, "Ohhh! Have your way with me, my man-stallion! Take me! Ravish me! Carry me up to paradise again!"

In the kitchen, two comically wide-eyed girls' faces simultaneously turned ghostly pale as a rhythmic squeaking soon commenced, accompanied by the soft moans of unbridled youthful passion. "Ohh! Ohhh my Taro! More! Ohh yesss!"

"Cover your ears, Rei-chan!" Usagi blurted.

Two seconds later, the lid of the now-boiling vessel reached its limit. A loud bang echoed across the kitchen, the microwave door blew violently open and food erupted from within, spattering the floor, the girls' robes and the wall behind them in a sticky, gooey mess.

---

Chapter 8:

The next morning at nine, Tsukino Usagi and Hino Rei found themselves together on the living room sofa. The two girls began squabbling the moment they sat down, and their war of words was still being waged when Makoto emerged from her kitchen.

"No, it wasn't my fault, Rei-chan! How was I supposed to know Mako-chan's food was going to blow up like that?"

"Not your fault?" Rei growled. "Who left the lid on the bowl? You did! That makes it entirely your fault, Usagi-chan. Don't you know one fact about cooking or microwaves? Or anything at all?"

Usagi pointed out, "You turned the stupid thing on, Rei-chan! So you're guilty too!"

"Only because you asked me to, you dumpling-headed imbecile!"

The teens broke off their argument when their brunette friend approached.

"You two." Makoto stopped when she reached the coffee table, arms folded above the flower pattern on her apron. "You pair are really something else." The stern look the taller girl aimed down at them from her green eyes brought the girls' chatter to a sudden deathly end.

"My poor kitchen."

"Uh... how bad was it, Mako-chan?" Rei asked.

"Bad enough to consider banning the both of you from there for the next month or so." Unable to remain upset at her good friends for long, the brunette's voice softened and she permitted just a trace of a smile to appear. "But I won't. I'll assume it was just an accident. And it will never happen again."

"Is your new microwave broken?" Deeply embarrassed, Usagi hung her head, uttering her question in a sorrowful tone.

"Thankfully, no. It just needs a good cleaning and it should be fine. Yuji is taking care of that for me now. And Mamoru and Ryo and I have nearly finished scrubbing down the kitchen floor and the wall, so that's under control." She sighed, "My best cooking too..."

"And my best yukata" Rei muttered. "Those stains had better wash out, Usagi-chan, or else I'll-"

"My robe is messed up too, Rei-chan!"

"We'll try getting those spots out of your clothes this afternoon, after I finish cleaning up, calming down and making lunch" Makoto told the seated girls.

"So, apart from our clothes, everything's fine?" The odango-haired blonde instantly brightened. "Then there's no problem!"

"I wouldn't say that, Usagi-chan. When Minako and Taro get back from their morning walk, you and Rei are going to catch an earful. Minako is still furious at you."

"It was the middle of the night, Mako-chan!" Usagi protested. "How was I supposed to know they would wake up and... you know. If Minako could keep her hands off her Taro for even five minutes, this never would have happened!"

"What else were you expecting from those two?" the brunette chuckled. She sat on the coffee table and leaned closer. The now grinning girl whispered, "Did you really hear them... in the act?"

"Hai" Rei muttered. "We did. I'm surprised everyone back in Tokyo didn't."

"And it was terrifying!" Usagi added with wide eyes. "I'm going to have nightmares about last night forever!"

"Serves that maniac Minako right!" Makoto laughed. She then gave the miko another even more disapproving frown. "Rei-chan, you really should have told us earlier that you were still afraid of the upstairs bathroom. We would've understood and tried everything we could think of to help you."

"I should have, Mako-chan. I know that now."

"Rei was too proud" Usagi said. "Thinking she could get over that fire thing without anyone's help. That's so like her! And keeping secrets after I ordered everyone not to! Shame on you, Hino Rei!"

"Shut up, Usagi-chan." The raven-haired girl admitted, "It was quite the struggle, but with Ami's and Yuuichirou's support, things are better now Mako-chan." She smiled, "Much better."

"Good. So... have you been inside that bathroom since?"

"Not yet. I still don't want to go in there alone, at least not the first time. I'm waiting for Yuuichirou to come back so we can try having a shower together. Do you know where he went?"

"All I know is, he and Ami left to drive to Nerima about twenty minutes ago. Ami said they had some important shopping to do."

"Shopping?" Rei puzzled. "That's odd."

The front door swung open, though the girls couldn't tell who was entering because of the wall of sheets that still blocked their view. Usagi and Rei looked at each other and cringed when Minako spoke. "Wait right there on our bed, Taro-love. I have a score to settle with those two sneaky snoopers!"

"Oh oh!" Usagi gulped. "We're in big trouble again, Rei-chan!"

Makoto quickly got up. "I don't want to be around when Minako blows her top. Minna, good luck. Yell if you need me to call an ambulance." She beat a hasty retreat to her kitchen before the angry blonde made her appearance.

The makeshift curtains suddenly parted with a whoosh and Aino Minako stood glowering evilly at the girls. "Well well! Look what the bat dragged in!"

"Ohayou, Minako-chan" Usagi murmured. "Did you... uh... sleep well?"

"Did I sleep well?" the blonde repeated. "Did I sleep well? You tell me!" As she stormed toward them, Usagi considered making a run for it, but Rei anticipated her thoughts and grabbed her arm.

"We're in this together, odango atama!" Rei hissed. "Don't you dare move!"

"So!" Minako scowled. "What have you got to say for yourselves?"

"We're... sorry?" Usagi timidly offered.

"Not good enough! You both ruined a very intimate moment for my Taro and me, with your yelling and your explosions and then everyone else running downstairs to see what happened! Like a stampede of wild chickens, they were! How is a girl supposed to enjoy her lover boy's pleasures with all that stuff going on? Tell me! How?"

Usagi could only reply, "Uhhh..."

"I see your vocabulary is improving" Rei smirked.

"Miserable!" Usagi countered.

"Baka!"

Minako halted their escalating exchange with a firm stamp of her foot. "Stop that! I'm supposed to be the mad one here!"

Makoto called out from the kitchen, "More like insane if you ask me!"

"Mako-chan!" Minako blurted. "Now you're listening in on me too?" She flung up her hands in frustration. "Is there no privacy in this world anymore?"

Rei shrugged, "Minako-chan, it happened, it's over, so let's forget about it and move on."

"But I'm not done screaming yet!" the blonde protested.

Rei couldn't help herself. She grinned, "You weren't quite done last night either. Sorry about that."

"Rei-chaaan!"

Usagi stood, and looking at the agitated teen through big, sad puppydog eyes, held out her arms. "Hug?"

Minako glared back at her. "Nani? Why on earth would I want to... hug... you... oh... ok... " She reluctantly gave in and hugged Usagi and then Rei. "But promise me you won't interrupt us again tonight?" she begged. "Please? It'll be my last night together with my love muffin for nearly a whole week!"

"We promise" Usagi solemnly nodded.

"Minna!" Yuuichirou's voice suddenly rang out from the hallway. "We're back, and we come bearing gifts! Well, one gift!" Carrying a box, he followed Ami inside and set the box down on the coffee table as the teens working in the kitchen came out to greet them. Ryo walked up behind his girl and cradled her in his arms, causing Ami to breathe a soft sigh of contentment.

"What's this, lover?" Rei asked.

"Just a little something Ami and I thought would make your stay here a little more comfortable, Rei darling. Open it."

The miko did so and pulled a long red-painted cylinder from the package. "A... fire extinguisher?"

"We're going to mount it on the upstairs bathroom wall, Rei-chan" Ami spoke. "I'm quite sure it will never be needed, but you'll always know it's there."

Rei smiled. "It's perfect. Arigatou."

The blue-haired girl giggled, "Please resist the temptation to use it on Minako and Taro."

"For that to work, you'd probably need a fire truck" Makoto laughed.

Rei glowered at Usagi. "And don't you ever touch it!"

"Me? Rei-chan, I may not know much about microwaves and cooking, but I happen to be an expert with fire extinguishers. I took a class on it and everything!"

"You did?" the miko asked with dubiously raised eyebrows.

"Hai! Don't they teach you practical things like that at the fancy girls school you go to?"

"Well... they haven't yet."

Usagi grabbed the extinguisher. "Ok then! Let me show you how it's supposed to work!" She pointed, "See this pin right here?"

"Hai."

"That's the safety pin. First you pull it out, just like so." Usagi removed the pin and dangled it from her finger.

"Usagi-chan, please be very careful with that" Ami cautioned. "It's fully charged."

"Relax, Ami-chan. I know exactly what I'm doing! Ok! Next, you point it at the fire." She aimed it at Minako. "We'll use Minako-chan as an example. Minna, just pretend she's really hot and on fire."

"That doesn't take much imagination" Makoto chuckled, and Minako smiled and giggled back.

"And last, you squeeze this handle here on top. But don't do it now, or it will go off! See? It's really easy!" Usagi took the pin and carelessly poked it back through the wrong hole. "Now it's safe again. Watch, I can squeeze the handle as hard as I can and it won't-"

WHOOOSHHHH!

"Oops! Gomen, Minako-chan!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Note: The next part of the series brings the Sailor Senshi back to Tokyo. A new school year begins with 'A Day in the Life'.