Disclaimer: see previous chapter.

A/N: sorry I've been away forever, but I'm back :)

At least twice a year, Queen Serenity holds a luxurious ball. They are grand affairs that every diplomat, royal and castle servant look forward to.

"Are you going to the ball tonight, Rei?"

"Of course. I always do."

"Wanna go together?"

It was still early afternoon, but since there was a ball in the castle that night so the senshi got a break from training and studying for the day. Of course, Rei was still studying alone.

Rei looked up from her desk and pulled her glasses off her face. "I don't think that'll be a good idea."

"Why?"

Rei sighed. "It's hard to explain."

"Try me."

"No, thank you. I'll pass."

Minako frowned and sat on Rei's carpet. "Rei-"

"I don't date, Minako."

"Rei-"

"It's too many issues, and we're both senshi-"

"Rei-"

"and I'm not really the best person to spend a lot of time with..." Rei's voice trailed off when Minako stood and dropped her dress to the floor.

"Rei," Minako seated her naked body in Rei's lap, "I don't care about any of that. I just asked if you wanted to go to the ball with me tonight. I didn't ask you to marry me."

Licking her lips and straining to maintain eye contact, Rei responded. "I still don't think it's a good-"

Her sentence was cut off by a hard kiss. When it ended, Rei finished, softly, "It's not a good idea."

Minako kissed the side of Rei's neck, just below her ear. "Why not?"

Rei grabbed Minako's shoulders and held her as far away as she could without dropping the blond on the floor. "Minako, you've known me for about three months. I don't want you to find out about who I am the hard way."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I wish I could tell you."

"What's stopping you?"

"Look, we can go in circles about this all day long and say nothing. I don't date. That's that."

"Then why am I even here?"

Rei looked down at Minako, letting her eyes roam freely knowing it might be the last time she gets to see her. "I'm not sure."

Minako sighed and stood. "Neither am I."


Rei wasn't sure if she would go to the ball tonight. Minako would be there. And so would a lot of hot women she had never seen before. And there would be booze. It didn't seem like a good idea to even go; not after the talk her and Minako had earlier that day. She had never seen the blond look so upset before.

But, Rei liked going to balls, and her friends would suspect something if she didn't go, so she turned off the light in her room and started down the hall.

After checking to make sure everything was safe, she made her way to the bar. She couldn't finish one drink before she was asked to dance. Quickly, she downed it, grabbed another, and followed the woman to the dance floor.

Rei rocked to the music and led the girl in her arms across the dance floor. She was almost as tall as Rei, with red hair and, according to what she had told Rei, a small tattoo on her pelvis. Rei wanted to find out if it was true.

Her name was Jamie; she was just a hair over nineteen and had a personality like a piece of marble. But she was hot, and Rei didn't plan on being with her long, so she was fine.

Minako frowned as soon as she entered the ball room. Rei was dancing with another woman, drink in her free hand. Deciding that she wouldn't let Rei get to her, she found Ami and struck up polite conversation.

When Makoto stole her chatting buddy, Minako found a seat at a nearly empty table.

It wasn't long before Minako was drinking, dancing, flirting, and generally having a good time. She didn't say a word to Rei, and Rei didn't even look at her. They hadn't even been on the same side of the room all night.

Thinking it was best to break the tension between them, Minako decided to talk to Rei. When she looked for her, however, the Martian was no where to be seen.

Refusing to let the night end before speaking to Rei, Minako decided to go to Rei's room. Rather than teleporting, she let her feet carry her, and used the time to think of what to say when she saw Rei.

She was in for a terrible surprise when she arrived.

"What are you doing?"

"Having sex?"

"That's not what I meant."

"That's what you said."

Minako sighed. She really didn't expect to walk into Rei's room and see her fucking another woman, but she couldn't justify being as pissed as she was about it. "Nevermind."

A small part of Minako wanted Rei to stop her from leaving, but when she went to sleep alone that night, she realized that was never going to happen.


Minako frowned as her pace increased. "Where the fuck could she be?" Minako muttered to no one in particular. She hadn't seen the Martian in almost three weeks; she wanted to make sure everything was okay between them since the incident that happened the night of the ball.

Minako crossed her arms and tapped her foot when Makoto stepped in her way. "Move."

"No."

"I'm serious."

"So am I. Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Looking for Rei?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"None of your business. Move."

"Fine, I'll move, but just in case you were wondering, Rei's on Mars."

"What?! When did she leave?"

"About three weeks ago. She told me to tell you, but you were so busy walking around in circles and glaring at me that I never got the chance. I stopped you today because she'll be coming back tomorrow and she'll be pissed if I don't tell you before then."

Minako didn't have a chance to reply as Makoto disappeared from in front of her.

"Why didn't she tell me herself?" Minako asked no one in particular. There wasn't anyone else in the hall, anyway.

When Rei returned the next evening, Minako was waiting for her.

"Welcome back."

"Thanks."

"How was your trip?"

"Same as usual."

"Why didn't you tell me you left?"

"It was urgent I left as soon as possible. Since you were avoiding me I didn't know where to find you. I told Makoto to tell you. She did tell you, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she told me yesterday."

"Yesterday? Why didn't she tell you before?"

"I don't know."

"Either way, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. I just didn't have time to search for you."

"It's not a big deal."

Rei sighed and started toward her room. Minako studied her toes for a moment, trying to find her courage.

"Rei, wait."

Rei stopped and looked at her blond friend. "What's wrong?"

"Umm... Well, look. We haven't really had a chance to talk..."

"Just say what's on your mind, Minako."

Minako sighed to steady herself. "I was a little worried when you just disappeared-"

"I'm sorry-"

"Wait, Rei. It's not that I was worried about you... I mean, I was worried about you... I mean... I was worried about us." Minako looked at her feet and blushed. She had never had a talk like this with anyone before and it was unnerving her.

"Us? As a team?"

"No... I mean, we never talked about what happened a few weeks ago..."

"The fight we had?"

"No... well, not really... I meant what happened that night."

"That bothered you?"

"A little."

"I thought you would be more worried about what I said before the ball."

"No, I was glad you were honest with me. I didn't know how to feel when I saw you with another woman."

Rei walked quickly up to Minako, backing her into a corner. "Were you jealous?"

"Of course not."

"Really?" Rei hid the disappointment in her voice, but it was written on her face.

"Really. Why should I have been? It's not like we're exclusive or anything. I mean, you already told me you don't date so it's not like I expected anything."

Rei looked at her feet. "Yeah."

Silence stretched between the two for a few moments before Minako decided to break it. "Why don't you date, Rei?"

The Martian didn't look up. "I don't want to talk about it. Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't. I just wanted to know something about you."

Rei looked into Minako's eyes, almost scaring the blond with her intensity. "If it doesn't matter, then you don't need to know." Not waiting for a response, the Martian teleported away. Minako thought about trying to find her, but decided that she would be better off going to bed than picking a fight.


Minako frowned as she lowered her hand from Rei's door. Rei was obviously busy. Briskly, she walked down the hall, upset with herself for caring. She jumped when Usagi tapped her on the shoulder.

"What are you doing, Minako?"

"Nothing."

"You look upset. What did Rei do to you?"

"She didn't do anything. I'm not upset."

"I'm going to go talk to her right now!"

"Usagi, I'm fine. Nothing is wrong."

"Don't lie to me, Minako. You're walking away from Rei's room, you're frowning, and you have a horrible attitude. Something is wrong and it's something that has to do with her. Either you can tell me or she will, but someone is going to tell me what's wrong."

Minako sighed. Her princess was entirely too defiant. Any nosy. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well at least that's true. Come with me, Minako."

Usagi silently led her senshi outside into the night air. Quietly, much quieter than she had spoken before, she said, "She's with another woman right now, isn't she?" Minako didn't say a word, but Usagi didn't give her much of a chance to do so. "You're upset because you don't want to care, but you do. And that's fine, because she cares about you, too. She just doesn't know how to show you. Trust me, you're special to her." Usagi took a seat next to her favorite fountain and, after Minako sat beside her, rested her head in her senshi's lap.

"I'm actually jealous of you, although I shouldn't be telling you that."

Minako frowned. "Why?"

"Because Rei is the most loyal and giving person you'll ever meet in your lifetime, and she's in love with you."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Then you'll just have to trust me won't you." Usagi winked up at her friend. "I've known her longer than I've known any of you; I know how she is. And even though she doesn't know it, I know when she's in love."

Minako leaned back and look up at the stars. She could see her planet in the sky, shining brightly. "How can you possibly say that when she's sleeping with someone else right now?"

Usagi shrugged. "She acts different when you're around. You wouldn't know, but she does. She's nicer when you're around."

Minako poked her charge in the neck, electing a giggle from the smaller woman. "You think everyone is mean to you anyway."

"They are! But Rei can be really vicious at times. The stories you heard about her weren't lies or rumors, Minako. She really is cruel."

"I can't see that being true."

"Hopefully you never will."

The two sat in companionable silence for a while. Usagi spoke first. "I've never been to Mars, and I'll probably never get to go, but Rei spends most of her time there. The people are really violent, but they love their princess. If it weren't for her, they would have probably destroyed the planet by now."

Minako frowned. She hadn't ever been to Mars, either.

"I'm not sure why, but Martians always love their princess. Before Rei's mom took the throne, Martians loved her the way they love Rei. When Rei was born, her mom was no longer important to them."

"What will happen when Rei takes the throne?"

Usagi frowned. "I don't want to think about that. She'll have to have a child, first, and then she'll be a grumpy, bitter Queen with political power but no love from her people."

Minako knew that both she and Rei had to have children; they were obligated to keep the family line from dying. But that was a long way away. She and Rei could be together until then. If they ever got together, that is.

"Usa, do you know why Rei is so secretive?" Minako kept her eyes to the sky as she posed her question.

"She isn't. She'll tell you almost anything you want to know."

"She doesn't tell me anything!"

"What have you asked her?"

"Lots of stuff."

"Like?"

"Well... The other day I asked her why she has never let me see her naked."

"That's a rather complicated question, though."

"No it isn't."

"Yes, it is. Everything matters to Rei. Every word, every action, every look, everything. If she doesn't tell you something you think doesn't matter, then that means that it matters more than you think it does."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. What else have you asked her?"

"I asked her why she doesn't date and she wouldn't tell me that either."

"What did she say when you asked her?"

"She asked me why it mattered."

"What did you say?"

"I said it didn't."

"That's where you messed up. If it doesn't matter to you, then you don't need to know."

"That's what she said!"

"I know. Rei is a Martian, and even though she disagrees with almost everything her mom says, she still has a problem falling in love, especially with the princess of Venus. You have to take her seriously in order to win her over, Mina."

"I'm not trying to win her over!"

"If you can't admit to me that you want Rei then you will never have a chance with her."

"I don't know how you got the idea that I want to be with Rei."

"I honestly don't know why you do. She's loud, obnoxious, angry, cruel, devious, and sometimes she's down right evil!"

Minako giggled. "She is not."

"Oh yeah? What about the time she tripped me while I was running? Or the time when she pushed me into the bushes? And how about the time she knocked my ice cream out of my hand?"

Minako grinned. "She tripped you because you weren't paying attention to what you were doing. She pushed you into the bushes because you were about to run into a tree branch, and she knocked your ice cream out of your hand so you don't get cavities."

"Wellllllllll, how about when she hid your senshi pen? Or when she tied you to a tree and left you there?"

"Okay, those things were kinda mean."

"I know! She's evil!"

"What are you guys doing out here?"

The two blonds turned to look at the Martian watching them from the shadows. "We're talking."

"Mind if I join you?"

Usagi sat up quickly. "Yes we mind! Go back inside!"

Rei grinned and walked over to the fountain. "I think I'll sit right here instead." Taking a deep breath, she squeezed herself between Usagi and Minako.

"Go away, Rei!"

"Nope."

Usagi reached behind Rei and pushed the arm she was resting on out from under her, effectively sending the raven tumbling into the fountain. When she didn't emerge immediately, Usagi got worried. "Rei?"

Two hands reached out from under the water and pulled both dry women down into the fountain. While they tried to regain their composure, Rei walked out of the fountain.

Rei waited to speak until they were almost out of the water. "Next time you decide to talk about me, let me know so I can stay inside. I didn't really need to know how evil you think I am."

Usagi opened her mouth to speak, but Rei was gone. She turned to look at Minako. "How much of that did she hear?"

"I don't think I want to know."


Rei stretched and sighed before she laid down on her bed. She had a long workout earlier that evening and she was exhausted. Just before she fell asleep, someone knocked on her door.

Frowning, she got up and opened her door. Seeing Usagi, her frown deepened.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping so you can wake up on time tomorrow?"

Usagi crossed her arms and barged into Rei's room. "I do what I want to, and right now, I want to talk to you." Usagi sat down on Rei's bed and got comfortable, much to Rei's dismay.

"Well I have to wake up early tomorrow and I'm tired, so-"

"Do you love Minako?"

"What? Usagi I need to go to sleep. I don't have time-"

"I asked you a question, Rei."

Rei sighed. There was no dealing with her princess when she acted like this. "No, Usagi. I don't."

"You know she loves you, right?"

"No, she doesn't."

"Yes, she does."

Rei leaned against the wall, staring into Usagi's sincere eyes. "Who told you that?"

"I just know."

Rei's face twitched. "Right. Well, I have a lot to do tomorrow-"

"Don't write me off Rei! I didn't come in here simply because I want to keep you awake! Minako is just as scared of love as you are. Don't hurt her." Usagi, who had stood during her outburst walked over to Rei and put her hand on her shoulder. "She hasn't been hurt as much as you have, but she's just as afraid."

Rei looked away from Usagi. "She doesn't love me, Usa."

"What makes you say that?"

"She doesn't fight. She never has. Nothing matters to her. That's not love."

Usagi smiled gently at her friend. "She just doesn't know how to love you. Teach her, Rei."

"I don't have time for love, Usa. It's better that she doesn't love me anyway."

Usagi turned Rei's face toward her. "Loving you hurts, Rei, but life isn't worth living if you've never been in love with a Martian princess."

Rei frowned at the smaller woman. "Usagi-"

Usagi held up her hand, stopping Rei's sentence. "I don't want to hear it. Just give Minako a chance. She really does love you."

"That's not possible, Usa. No one loves me."

Usagi barely controlled the urge to slap her senshi across the face. Instead, she crossed her arms. "How could you possibly say that to my face?"

Rei looked at the ground, cursing herself. "I don't mean it like that. I know you love me, Usa, and I love you too."

"You just don't think I was capable of loving you."

"It's- Well- No- I-"

"Stop it, Rei. Look at me." Usagi waited for purple eyes to look up at her before she continued. "I know I wasn't the right person for you. I really think that you and Mina would work, though. You just have to give her a chance."

Rei covered her face with her hands, feeling all of her 325 years. "I'm no good for her, just like I was no good for you. I'm the problem, Usa." Rei opened her eyes when Usagi didn't say anything. "Isn't this where you say, 'No, no, no, Rei. You're a wonderful person and anyone would be lucky to have you'?"

"For anyone else, yes. For you, no. If I said that to you you'd just keep arguing with me.

"Rei, Mina loves you, whether you like it or not. She really does love you, and she's a wonderful person. You're lucky to have her."

Rei frowned. She didn't like it when Usagi used her words against her. "Usa-"

"Well, you are. She's funny, and nice, and beautiful, and smart, and talented, and you're grumpy and bitter. And you're mean as hell, too."

"I am not mean!"

"Yes you are! Even Minako said so!"

Rei thought back to the conversation she had overheard a few days before. "She didn't mean that."

Usagi grinned. "Rei, how much of that conversation did you hear?"

"Not much."

"Tell me. Now."

Rei crossed her arms and frowned, knowing that Usagi wouldn't leave without an answer. "Almost all of it. I wasn't having sex, by the way."

"Then what were you doing?"

Rei blushed and looked away. "Nothing." Usagi lifted an eyebrow questioningly. "Really! I wasn't. It was two of my servants."

Usagi grinned. "You pervert. You were watching."

"I was not! I heard the same thing you guys heard and followed you outside."

"So... you're an eavesdropper?"

"You're a gossiper!"

Usagi's grin widened. "And you're still a meanie pants."

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are. Ask Minako."

"I will!"

Usagi stopped grinning when Rei turned around and walked out of her room. When she told Minako she would talk to Rei for her, she hadn't actually expected Rei to go looking for Minako so quickly. Regardless, her job was done. She smiled to herself and teleported to her bed, completely content.

Rei marched down the halls of the castle angrily, looking for Minako. She found her in the least likely location: the library.

"Mina."

Minako looked up from the book she was pretending to read. "Yes, Rei?"

"Do you really think I'm mean?"

"No, not at all. Why?"

Rei frowned and crossed her arms, glaring at the wall across from herself. "Just curious."

"You look really bothered. What made you ask?"

"Because Usa keeps saying I'm mean and I'm not."

Minako smiled. Rei only ever acted childish when she dealt with Usagi. Standing, she wrapped her arms around Rei's waist. "I know you're not mean."

Rei looked at Minako with hurt in her eyes. "You agreed with her when she said I was mean."

"No, I didn't."

Rei sighed. "Why were you two talking about me?"

Minako thought about lying, but decided against it. "Because Usagi thought I was upset."

"What was wrong?"

"Nothing, but she thought something was wrong."

Rei frowned, but didn't say anything right away. After a few moments of contemplation, she said, "Just in case anything is wrong, ever, you know you can talk to me.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, no. Everything is fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Rei." Minako looked at the older woman and smiled. When she saw Rei wasn't looking at her she sighed. "Rei, you didn't do anything wrong. I guess I wanted something that I can't have."

"What's that?"

"You." The word was out of Minako's mouth before she could stop it, but she didn't regret saying it.

Rei's eyes finally came up to meet Minako's. "What?"

Minako blushed, realizing what she had just said. "I- I mean- I don't- I mean I do... Umm..."

Rei smiled a small smile at the woman latched onto her side. "Why can't you have me?"

"Because you don't date."

Rei frowned. "Just because I don't do something doesn't mean that I don't want to. It just means that it's not the best thing for me at the time."

"Is it best for you not to date right now?"

"It has been for the last 240 years of my life."

"Will that ever change?"

"Why should it?"

"Because..." Minako frowned, trying to put her thoughts into coherent words.

"Mina, we're both senshi, and we're both girls. We have a duty to our princess; we can't take the risk of our feelings get in the way of that. We have an obligation to our people. We have to have children. It's impossible. Especially since Mars hates Venus."

Minako frowned and let her arms fall to her sides. Rei was right, and they both knew it. Her eyes looked up when Rei kissed her forehead and she saw her lover smiling at her.

"Don't look so sad, Minako. This is who we are."

"Why don't we have a choice?"

"We do, but would you ever turn your back on your duty?"

"Never."

"Neither would I."

Rei started to walk away, but Minako grabbed her wrist. "That doesn't mean that I'll give up on you, though."

Purple eyes looked at the carpet. "I'm no good for you."

"I didn't ask you to be."

"Minako, you don't know anything about me."

"Then tell me."

"I can't."

"You don't want to, but you can."

Rei growled, frustrated. Minako smiled at her. "Rei, you know you can talk to me. I won't try to make you do something you don't want to do, but I'll listen whenever you're ready."

The Martian looked up at her friend. "What if I'm never ready?"

"Then I'll wait forever."

Rei blinked and turned away, snatching her hand from Minako's. "How can you say something like that? I'm a Martian-"

"That doesn't matter on Venus. We don't hate Martians."

"But-"

"Rei, relax."

Hurt, Rei turned to face Minako. "I can't just relax, Minako! There's a devil inside of me that I can't control and it'll eat me alive. I don't want to take you down with me."

Minako wrapped her arms around Rei in a comforting hug. "I'm not going to let it destroy you."

"You can't stop it. It's inevitable."

Minako pulled back to look Rei in her eyes, and was slightly surprised to see tears that threatened to fall. "I said I won't let it happen. I won't ever let anything take you from me, not even you."

Rei blinked her tears away and turned her head away from the blond. "Mina, I'm not the person you think I am."

"You don't know what I think about you."

Anger flashed in Rei's eyes as she roughly separated herself from Minako's arms. "It doesn't matter! You don't know anything about me!"

Minako felt anger well up inside of herself. "Because you won't tell me anything about you!"

"You don't want to know anything!"

"Then why would I ask you anything?!"

"Because you're just like everyone else! You just want to get information about me and use it to judge me!"

Minako's voice fell to a whisper. She was hurt, but animosity dripped from every word she spoke. "If that's how you feel then why should I even keep trying?"

"I don't know why you do."

Minako fought the urge to scream and instead chose to walk away. Before she left Rei's presence, she said one last thing. "No one can love you if you don't let them. If you're so determined to be alone, then I'll fucking let you. Goodbye, Rei."

Rei frowned and plopped into the chair Minako had just been sitting in. "Fuck."