A/N: Please tell me how you like it.

Disclaimer: don't own anything

"Conclusions"

I arrived at the Tsukino household early that morning. When I rang the doorbell I was pointedly surprised that no one answered...I hesitantly tried to doorknob. The door was open. I could hear footsteps upstairs and sobbing as well. When I arrived at her doorway and looked in I saw her going back and forth from her closet to the suitcase on her bunny-covered bed. I knew immediately what she was planning to do. "Why are you running away?" She looked up at me in surprise, her blue-grey eyes flashing violently, and the tear streaks reddening. "I-I'm leaving. I can't stay here anymore,"she said, while going back to the closet for another load. I knew what it had to be. "You saw him again, didn't you?" She stopped and slowly turned her head towards me. I stifled a small gasp at the look in her eyes. Some people say the eyes are the windows to the soul. If that is true than I was looking into the eyes of a lost soul. "Yes, I did. He said IT again, he told me he didn't love me. So, I went to Raye's temple for the scout meeting and afterwards she yelled at me. She told me I was a disgrace to Queen Serenity, the scouts, and Darien! She said that it was exactly that reason that he..." She turned back around and the onslaught of tears came once more. I ran over to comfort my best friend and princess. She sobbed into my shoulder and hair. "Oh, Mina, I-I don't know what else to do...so, I've decided to leave Tokyo..." I looked at her in horror and complete surprise at this. She looked at me with those soulless eyes. "...and never come back." She pulled away and sat down on her bed and seemed fascinated by the activities of the neighbors children playing outside. She didn't look back up for a few minutes, but to me...it felt like centuries until she did. "I have an uncle in America,"she said not looking directly at me,"His name is Charlie Barret, and he's gonna start me off." I looked at her curiously, not knowing whether or not to believe her. Finally, I, regained my voice. "Alone?" She nodded her head slowly in acknowledgement, then she looked at me, and a silence passed between us. I don't think I could believe it at the time, but finally it had all sunk in. This CHILD, this CLUTZ, this MEATBALL-BRAIN, this...GIRL was completely and utterly alone. She had always been alone and if she did stay in Tokyo she would always be alone. Molly had hurt her, Raye had hurt her, even Ms. H. had hurt her. She had been alone for so long that I couldn't just let her go off into some strange new world by herself. "Serena...may I go with you?" She looked up at me in shock and disarray, her wide eyes searching mine for any shred of seriousness, and that was all she found. "Why? Why do YOU want to leave? You have NOTHING to gain going with me. You ARE wanted here. Why?" I grew very quiet and turned to look out the window fascinated by a squirrel family in a tree. "Mina?" I turned to look at her, my eyes filling up with water. "What is it? What's the matter?" I looked back out the window and the outside world. I don't think I could face her when I told her. "Lita and I had a fight. She said, I wasn't cut out to be a sailor scout and the only reason why I stopped being Sailor V was because I couldn't make it on my own. She said that I was a failure and that the only reason why I was still with the sailor scouts was because YOU wouldn't let them KICK...ME...OUT!!!" It had felt good to finally let it all out in the open. I cried. I just cried...and then I felt a prescence in front of me. When I looked up Serena was standing there with a comforting hand. "Are you sure, Mina? Because once that plane leaves there is NO coming back. I ask you again, Mina...are you sure?"she asked, full of sincerity. "What about money?"I asked. She half-smiled at me. "In American banks, Barrett is a VERY wealthy name. My uncle put away money for me. The accounts are spread out all over. If I were to total the entire amount of money I have in those accounts it would equal $10 million dollars." I could hardly believe my ears. It all sounded so perfect, an escape from this place. I had only one question left. "What time is the flight?" She broke her gaze from mine and looked at her clock. The time read 8:00 PM. "The plane leaves at midnight. I can buy you a ticket over the phone, now go and get packed. Meet me at the park at 10:00. We'll go from there," I left the Tsukino house and made my way to my own. We left Tokyo that night and we DIDN'T come back. Mr. Barrett was a really nice man and he managed to get the money out of the accounts and into Serena's possession. We lived in New York City for 7 years. It was a big enough city that it reminded us of Tokyo a bit, but it wasn't. One thing about Serena's uncle that I didn't particularly care for was that he was in the mafia, a mafia BOSS, to be correct, and because of that Serena was next in line. We couldn't really get out of that,so...we adapted to it. In our seven years, Serena had been initiated into the mafia and became a boss like her uncle. She stayed low and hidden but she was powerful. I was initiated as well, I was a hitman, well hitwoman technically, and was also Serena Barrett's driver. Yes, she and I changed our names. Serena changed her last name to 'Barrett' as was requested by her uncle, and I changed my name to Mina "Lono" Aino. Everyone knew me as Lono and everyone knew her as Charlie Barrett's niece who he treated as a daughter. I never thought we could ever see our friends again, but that is always subject to chance.

To Be Continued.....