MW: Welcome readers of old and new. I want to start off by saying, greetings and whatnot. It's been ages since I updated this. Keep in mind, read my quick note at the end of the chapter.

Opening

"Uncle Nephrite! Phone call!"

"From who?" Nephrite asked his nephew, Tyler, whipping his head around the kitchen doorway.

"Mr. Shields."

Nephrite snatched the phone out of his hand. "Thanks, Pal."

"Hey, Dare."

There was a bit of scuffling in the background that was all Nephrite could hear.

"Gimme the phone."

"Sere, will you hold on for a sec. This isn't a normal house call. Let me at least complete the formalities."

"Ch, you two have been glued to the hip with your business work since the beginning. I'm not stupid enough to believe you love me more than him."

"Serena!"

There was a bit of clanking, shushing, and more scuffling.

"Hi, Neph. How's it going? My wife wants to talk to you."

"Hey Dare…"

There was a sound that reminded Nephrite of a "pow!" noise that comes from a hard punch to a rice sack or a punching bag. The phone was in Serena's possession, now.

"Nephrite! Why are you bugging Lita? She's had it up to here with you!" Serena shouted into the phone after snatching it from her husband.

"Where's here, Serena?"

"Here, here, here!"

Nephrite heard Darien whisper to his wife, "He's not with us. He can't see where here is."

"Well, Neph, use your imagination! You've been my friend for such a long time. Please, do this one thing for me and leave Lita alone!"

"I can't do that right now," Nephrite murmured into the phone.

Serena wailed, which caused Nephrite to drop the phone.

"Serena! Cut it out!" Nephrite heard Darien shout.

"NO! Nephrite, I'm coming over for a visit after I meet up with Amy."

"What? What is Amy doing here? I thought she was in Germany?" Darien barked.

"I haven't been feeling well lately, so I gave her a call. She told me she was coming to check up on me."

"Are you serious? Why didn't you tell me this?" Darien barked again.

"Maybe I'll call at a better time," Nephrite suggested. He was wondering why he had to call back when it was the Shields' who called him first.

"No! I'm not done talking!" Serena screamed, ignoring the rest of Darien's long line of questions.

"Yes, Serena," Nephrite sighed.

"As I was saying, I'm coming to Oklahoma to visit Lita. You know she's having a house warming party and inviting neighbors and old friends over. Raye says she's busy and Amy says she's just sticking around to check up on me. Mina has a shoot, so it's just me and Darien. The neighbors, too. I just think it's spectacular of her to invite us, don't you?"

She was having a house party? Why didn't his sister tell him about this? Did Tyler know as well?

"…Everybody knows she resents you. At least that's what Lita told me; she resents you. The community is pretty much on her side. Do you want that, Neph; the whole world turning their back on you?"

"No."

"Then, why don't you…"

Darien interceded in a low-key tone of voice. "Drop it, Serena."

Serena screeched and Nephrite dropped the phone a second time. "What did you say to me, Darien? I dare you to repeat it to me in that obnoxious tone, you jerk!"

Nephrite picked the phone up by the cord using his trembling fingers. He caught Darien's last remark as he hesitantly placed the phone near his ear again. "Can't you see Nephrite has other motives?"

"Motives? What motives? Neph, what motives?"

"I'm sorry, Neph. I'll talk to you later—Serena, I'll explain later."

"No, I want to know, now!"

"Later."

"Now!"

"Later."

"NOW!"

The phone clicked and Nephrite stood there listening to the dial tone on his end. It was shocking. Serena had more energy than usual, but what numbed him was the fact that Darien suggested "other motives." Nephrite had thought his intentions were not so obvious. Bugging Lita was more important than the land, indeed. That was supposed to be a secret. Moreover the woman in the center of his attention despised him enough to turn his own family against him.

Imagine how furious she would be if he actually showed up at her house warming, like the rest of the neighbors. Indeed, Lita did flip. Gracefully, though. Nephrite had arrived uninvited with his sister and her family, so that called for courtesy in front of old friends. It was nearly impossible to get the woman alone and provide her with his overdue congratulations.

Finally he got her alone in her own kitchen. She was bending over her stove when he stepped in, his feet barely making contact on the wooden floorboards.

She didn't even move when she spoke, "Enjoying the party?"

"I'm surprised you heard me over all that racket outside. Darien and Serena are sure getting more attention from you than anyone else here."

"I can smell scum a mile away," she sneered, before turning to him. "And Darien and Serena mean a lot to me, so I like to get closer to them."

"Just a while ago, you were threatening my partner and me off your land. You seem to have forgiven Darien after his change of heart. Why?"

'He's going to be the future king of Earth,' was something that she wanted to tell him, but instead she rolled her eyes at him. "He isn't a jackass."

"Anyone married to a good friend of yours isn't a jackass," he drawled.

Lita untied her apron and tossed it to the counter. She cracked her knuckles at him as she glowered through long, thick, curly lashes. Lita took an intimidating step forward. "Why don't you try marrying a friend of mine and see how differently I might treat you after that?" There was a glint in her eyes that told a series of woes for him if he actually took her word for it.

"What about marriage?" A quiet voice asked.

Lita and Nephrite turned from their glaring contest to stare at Serena standing at the doorway. Her blue eyes shone like sapphires. "Did you overhear Darien and I talking about our wedding vow renewal day?"

"No," They answered at the same time.

"Well, you're both invited. We want to get it done before the baby shower…"

"What?" Lita yelled. Nephrite jumped as he put Serena's words into meaning.

"Shhh… I only want close friends and family to know. Darien might be mad that he isn't here to break the news to you two."

"How long along are you?" One asked.

The other stated, "So that's why your friend from Germany came to check up on you."

Serena's cheery smile lit up the room. "Yes—Three months!"

Lita collapsed on her kitchen stool, dumbfounded. Destiny was indeed catching up to her. What was going to happen to her land and business once destiny did catch up with her? Lita suppressed her worries, and gave into the welling joy that a child, hope, and Earth's prospect was coming along for the future Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion.

Lita reached out to take Serena's soft hands. "I'm so happy my legs have lost their strength."

Serena's strained face relaxed. "Really?"

"Uh-huh."

Lita's best friend sighed with relief. A healthy blush spread over her cheeks as she skipped off to tell her husband.

Nephrite studied her; his open gaze seemingly caressed her. "Am I feeling some mixed emotions here or what?"

"Beat it, Jack. Leave me alone."

"I don't really want to, yet."

The young woman turned a death glare on him. "Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill. I'm tired and I just want some peace. Is that so much to ask for?"

He watched as the anger washed to shore and something else shimmered in the green surfaces of her eyes.

"Knightly?"

She jumped out of the stool when the oven started chirping. Quickly, Lita swung the door open and pulled out the batch of cookies. She slid the sheet over the stove and tossed a demanding look at the intruding man. "Let them cool first. Then put 'em in a bowl and take them out. I need to make a phone call."

"Lita!" He called after her, but she was already gone. Nephrite was by himself again and ended up muttering to him self.

Serena popped her head through the door. "Smells good. Are you taking them out?"

MW: After many a years of deliberating, I have finalized this idea. Yes, I'm going to cut to the chase and end this old piece of news in three chapters or less. How about that? I want to move on and focus my energy on other Sailor Moon fiction I have been working. This one was long overdue to end. Initially, I must have had a grand spanking awesome idea with this, but it's all really just ashes to ashes and dust to dust. When a story gets old, so does the idea. I guess the greatest challenge now would be trying to remember how I wanted to wrap things up by referring to the first chapter. That's going to take some more deliberation on my part. Thanks for the ears or shall I say eyes. I'll be writing to all of you again very soon. Much peace and love.