Rei stood in line at the Chinese take-away restaurant, to give Makoto a well-deserved break from cooking for 7 people every night. They hadn't been out together in a long while, but no one really felt up to it, not since…
Somehow Rei thought that the others didn't realize how much this affected her. She felt so guilty, having always criticized Usagi, whether it was her 30% on tests or her annoying wailing (often about the 30% on tests), or the way she always ate so much, once having swallowed a whole sausage in two bites, without chewing. She knew deep down that she hadn't really meant it, and it hurt her that she couldn't take any of it back.
Lost in her own thoughts, Rei didn't realise the girl behind the counter was calling her until she snapped out of it.
"Miss…miss? May I take your order, miss?"
"Oh!" she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Rei said, embarrassed. She gave the girl her order then took a seat next to a blonde girl who was humming annoyingly. Rei frowned, then turned to her.
"Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude but could you please…" she cut off in mid-sentence. "Usagi?"
The girl with the odango turned and smiled unsurely at Rei.
"I'm sorry?"
Rei stared at the unfamiliar girl in wonder.
"Oh…um…sorry, I thought you were someone I knew." She slumped down in her seat, blushing furiously. The girl turned away.
"Number 12," the girl behind the counter called to Rei.
"Thanks," she said as she took the large bag. Leaving the restaurant she mentally kicked herself. Of course it wasn't Usagi. Usagi was dead, and no matter how much Rei wished she could change that, it wasn't going to happen.
* * * * *
After helping clear up dinner that night, Rei went up to the room she shared with Minako, finding it a mess as usual. Clothes were strewn everywhere and she could barely see the floor. Minako was lying on her unmade bed, nodding her head to the music coming from her earphones as she turned the pages of her magazine.
"Oh well," Rei muttered. "Whatever floats her boat. Just so long as she doesn't mess up my half."
She turned to her own neat side of the room and picked up the phone.
"Haruka, hi! Listen, you know it's Hotaru's birthday next week? Yeah, her 16th. Well, if you guys aren't busy I think she'd really like you to come down for a couple of days."
* * * * *
Four days later, in the evening, Makoto was cooking a special birthday dinner for Hotaru while the others watched TV. For presents Hotaru had gotten clothes from Makoto and Minako, a mobile phone from Ami, a portable CD player from Mamoru, a beautiful leather bound notebook and silver engraved pen from Rei and a CD and book from Chibi-Usa.
A horn beeped outside in the street as Makoto came in from the kitchen.
"Is that them?" she asked Rei. Rei went to the window and looked out at the glow of streetlamps, then ran into the hall.
"It is! Come on guys!" she cried as she went out the front door.
Everyone wondered who Rei meant as she rushed outside. When Hotaru followed them out the door she stared in surprise, as she saw her "foster" family of Haruka, Setsuna and Michiru coming up the driveway. She raced down and hugged each one as they laughed at the girl's delight.
"What are you all doing here?"
"Rei asked us to come for your birthday, you didn't think we'd pass that up, did you?" Michiru said as she hugged the younger girl. As everyone was going back inside Hotaru stopped Rei. "Thanks, Rei." Rei gasped for air as Hotaru hugged her with all her might.
"It was nothing," she said as she hugged her back.
"It wasn't," Hotaru told her earnestly. "This really means a lot to me."
"Come on, Makoto will have dinner ready." The two girls closed the door behind them as a girl with odango walked down the street.