Walking across the busy campus, Rei pulled up the purse strap sitting nicely on her shoulder. She knew she had some explaining to do, but she'd forgive her. That was the great thing about Usagi; she had always been a forgiving person. Walking up to the building that housed the blond princess, Rei stopped by the security booth. "Can I help you?" a young security guard asked as he typed on his computer
"Yeah, I'm here to visit a friend, Tsukino Usagi"
He frowned, "I'm sorry she no longer goes here"
"What do you mean no longer goes here? You didn't even type it in your computer!"
"I don't need to type that name in, I'd remember Usagi-chan-besides the fact that she brought me a coffee every morning and always greeted me when others just walked passed-I was the one that helped her move out…shame what happened to her parents. They were good people. Her father was scary though but who wouldn't be with a daughter like that"
Rei was confused, "Wait, what do you mean it's a shame?"
"Didn't you say you were her friend?" he stared at Rei funny before shaking his head. "I'm sorry but if you're really a friend of hers you need to ask her"
Feeling all her training fly out the window, Rei grabbed the man by the uniform bringing his now scared expression face to hers. "You listen here rent a cop; I'm not leaving this damn building till you tell me what's going on. And if you don't I swear to you I'll make you wish you'd never had the unfortunate fate of crossing me"
She couldn't believe what she just heard, The Tsukino's were dead…the two people who treated her like a daughter, welcomed her into their family without any thought….were gone.
She understood why Usagi would be angry; hell she'd understand needing to take a break from school-but to just drop out?! That was insane; didn't she know they had a future that relied on her? Shaking her head, she knew that now wasn't the time-she needed to find her little blond princess.
The arcade was filled with many kids as they ran around playing one game to the next. However, things seem to change as Rei entered the building. The look of pure anger caused anyone who saw her to run away in fear of being her next victim. Violet eyes searched the busy arcade till finally landing on the blond man she wanted to see. "Motoki!" he turned standing tall and crossing his arms over his chest. "Where is she?!"
"Why don't you try reading one of her many letters she's written you" he said sarcastically as he walked over to the counter. "I was there when she sent the letters to everyone giving you guys her new address"
"Look I don't have time for your sarcasm Motoki, I need to find her now."
"And why now, Rei? Are you here to apologies for being such a bitch?"
Rei took a deep breath, "I never received her letters Motoki, I was in the mountains and jungle of china it's kinda hard to get mail when you don't have a address"
"You could have called"
"True, now are we going to stand here going over my misgivings or are you going to tell me where I can find her?" he said nothing, pushing the man into his office and slamming the door shut, Rei pushed him hard against the door, "Look here otaku-one thing you may not know about us senshi is we each have our faults, What the girls know me for is my temper-you see I'm the wild card. Yeah Jupiter is the muscle but I'm the fighter. Now I am an inch away from fully losing my grip on reality and just burning you and this god damn piece of shit arcade into flames-Do you understand me?! Now tell me, .Usagi?"
Pushing the girl away Motoki fixed his ruffled shirt. "She moved in down town roppongi apartments. "That's a really bad part of town, why is she there?!""It's what she can afford with five kids to care for""Why didn't you do something?!"Motoki looked offended as he took a step toward the flaming senshi. "Do something? You have the nerve to ask me why I didn't do anything?! Let me tell you something Rei, since you all left to live your lives I have been by her side day in and day out helping her through everything! if I remember correctly it was ME and NARU who were there when her parents died, it was ME who took her to the police station to identify the bodies, it was me who sat with and held her as she screamed for her parents on the police station floor and it was me who helped her with Social services when they were ready to pull her family apart. Don't you dare come into my place and accuse me of not being there"Rei backed off, "fine, how is she now? What is she doing? Why did she even agree to take on this type of responsibility?""Honestly, I can't help you. I haven't spoken to her in months" Rei looked confused. "Look I found out where she was working after leaving my place, I went to her work and flipped out. When I tried to make her leave she shut me down. So I…I washed my hands of her…I can't support her decision. I just can't."Rei was worried now, "Where is this job?""Geijko"Usagi leaned against her couch, today was her day off and in a couple of hours she was meeting with Kitomi and Naru at the park once the twins got off of school. Looking over she smiled as she saw Ikuko playing with a stuffed zebra. Looking to her watched she stood "Looks like it snack time Iku-chan" the two year old smiled happily at her Aunt. As Usagi walked into her Kitchen banging came from her front door. Confused, she grabbed the bat that sat beside the front door and held it protectively behind the door as she opened it. "So it's true?"
"Rei?" Usagi watched as the Raven haired beauty walked into her apartment.
"How stupid can you be?!"
Usagi placed the bat down and walked to the confused looking Ikuko. Lifting her into her arms she stared at the senshi of mars. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me!"
"Iku-chan, why don't you head off to your room okay?"
"tay" the two year old smiled kissing her Aunt as she placed her on the ground and wobbly walked to her room. Turning back to Rei she crossed her arms over her chest, "It's nice to finally see you too"
"Shut it with the sarcasm"
Usagi laughed rubbing her temples. "May I remind you you're in my home, now…why are you so upset?"
"You're living in the worse part of town and raising your siblings? Which caused you to drop out of college! Hell yes I'm upset"
"Okay…so?"
"So what? What do you hope to accomplice by dropping out of school and working non-stop to support these kids? I mean, what will you get out of it? What's in it for you?"
"What will I accomplice? What's in it for me?" Usagi glared at the woman before her, "Are you really serious right now?"
"You're acting like an idiot as if this was the only solution!"
Ikuko wobbled in from her room, her hands out wanting her Sippy cup. Usagi turned to the kitchen handing it to the two year old smiling. Happy Ikuko made her way back to her bedroom to play with her stuff animals. Usagi looked up at Rei "So tell me were where you the night I got the news that my parents died? Or how about when social services came telling me they would separate us?" she shook her head laughing "You can call me an idiot all you want-but at less I was here, I tried everything to stay in school!" tears filled her eyes, "You don't know what it's like to hear your parents had been killed-then within minutes learn that you were going to lose the rest of your family because of your circumstance!"
Rei stood silent watching as Usagi grew angrier. "I wrote you all when Shingo found out he and Mika were going to have a baby, I explained the situation and what my parents were doing for them. I told you all that I took on a part time job to help out." She opened he locked drawer under the coffee table. Pulling out a pile of paper she threw them at Rei. "Those" she hissed "are the replies, short and nothing about what I told them. Just random shit about what their up too" she then picked up a pile of unopen mail. "These are yours. Return to sender"
"Usagi I was in the middle of the Chinese Jungle, I wasn't allowed electronics. Besides that your so upset at all of us for not talking to you longer or writing you back, when you're the one who insisted-no ORDERED us to do these things, to enjoy our lives!" she threw the letters back at Rei, "Follow your dreams-you'd preach, well guess what? We have and we are. That takes time Usagi-just because we didn't drop everything to come running to you again-you think you have a right to just shut us out? Or get angry at me for questioning or believing you did the wrong thing?"
Usagi took a deep breath, Rei was too angry to hear her out. To understand why she had to make the decisions she did. Looking at the Raven haired 21 year old, she decided that she no longer cared.
"We all figured that no matter what, you would remember the future. This situation would have fixed its self out, so what if they would have separated you-soon you'd be Queen of the whole damn galaxy. You could have got them back then. At less you would have been educated. Now, you're going to be clueless needing to lean on us again." Throwing her hands in the air she glared at the woman before her, "Do you have any idea what we've all been up too? We didn't want to tell you because we knew that you'd freak, but since you've put our futures in jeperty-Who cares right? Besides studying to be a Chef, Makoto's also has taken on a second major in economics, Minako-since she is the leader of the Senshi-wasn't going to school for Acting but Majoring in Law along with a minor in public relations. Ami-who has the worst case load than all of us-is not only a Pediatric doctor specializing in rare disease, but also just graduated with her masters in psychology. As for me, try going to college in the Chinese Mountains or the Jungle for a major in linguistics and Language. I can tell you it wasn't easy, but I never quit because I knew it would be an asset to crystal Tokyo in the future. So excuse me for not having sympathy for you when you tell me you hit a few bumpy roads and decided the only solution was to quit!"
Usagi wiped the tears from her eyes, "I think we're done here" she whispered walking over to the door and opening it. "Please don't bother me again"
"You know, even though you fucked everything up for us again-doesn't mean we won't be here for you now that I know what's going on." Usagi looked up at Rei as she exited the apartment; with a small smile she shook her head. "Don't bother" and shut the door.
Juban Park
"So she just showed up and started in on you?"
"That sounds like Rei" Naru grumbled taking a bite of her cheese. Usagi nodded as she watched Ryo and Saeko walk Ikuko to the ducks by the lake. "Rei has always been a hot head. I don't think she even listened to a word I said, she was just too upset with the situation in general and did what she always does-speak without thinking"
"Doesn't sound like much of a friend if you ask me" Kitomi laughed as she yelled for her three children, Hidiki-Leo and Sachi to stop throwing mud at one another. "Whatever you do Naru never have kids back to back. I swear mine are the sneakiest little shits I've ever seen"
Naru laughed, "So what do you plan to do Usagi?"
"Dump the bitch" the blond looked to her navy blue haired co-worker "What? It's what I would do"
Usagi shook her head smiling, "I know Rei seems like a bad friend, but I promise she isn't. She just has a hard time calming the flames."
Kitomi laughed, "She's not made of Fire Usagi"
Naru and Usagi looked to one another laughing, "She might as well be" the two said at the same time laughing at their inside joke, causing Kitomi to roll her eyes at the two. "It really doesn't matter though right?" She asked causing the two to settle down, "I mean I understand that it sucks you had to drop out of college, it sucks that you're working two jobs-but people got to understand, it takes more than just love and an education to raise these kids. I mean you got to worry about shoes, clothes, food, toys, books-None of that is going to just be given to you."
Usagi nodded, "Tell me about it, I just spent $400 on shoes and new book bags with rain coats for all 5 of them. I tried buying at the thrift store but Ryo and Saeko have been having a hard time in school with bullies and kids just making fun of the clothes they wear…I just thought this one time…get them something new, something that's never belonged to someone else." She smiled at the memory.
Walking back into the apartment, Saeko and Ryo grabbed the shoe box and held it to their chest. "Thank you so much Onee-chan" Saeko smiled. As Ryo nodded, "Man Kauske is going to be so jealous when he sees these on Monday!"
Later that day, Usagi walked into her bedroom she shared with Mika and frowned. "What are you two doing in here-and what did you do to your piggy banks?!" There sitting in front of them were two smashed banks.
Saeko frowned. "We wanted to surprise you with our savings"
"Yeah" Ryo rubbed his eyes, "but…all we have is five dollars"
Usagi sat down in-between the two. "Awe guys, listen I don't want your money"
Ryo turned quickly his eyes big and desperate "You have too! Onee-chan you just spent a lot of money just so we could have something nice…we know that money is tight…so we want to help"
Usagi smiled running her hands through his short hair. "Yea but we didn't realize we only had five dollars…we can take the shoes back…I mean we're fine with those white ones in the thrift store" Saeko smiled, but her hand stayed firmly on the box of shoes next to her.
"I appreciate you two looking out for me, but honestly it's okay. Remember when I didn't have last Friday off like I was suppose too?" they nodded, "well I went to work"
"You worked extra so we could get these?"
Usagi nodded and smiled, "nothing makes me happier than seeing you two happy. Now if you really want to pay me back for these most fabulous shoes, you'll go in the kitchen grab a zip baggy and place all your money in it and you'll continue to save your money till you're ready to spend it-on yourselves." She stood the two kids stood as well grabbing their sister and hugging her hard. "Thank you Onee-chan" they whispered "We love you"
She smiled rubbing their heads "Clean up this mess, I don't need Ikuko getting these pieces into her mouth or someone stepping on it."
"Why aren't they wearing the shoes now?" Kitomi questioned.
Usagi smiled as she looked to the $5.00 white shoes from the thrift store. "They refuse to wear them unless they go to school. They treat those shoes as if they were the most valuable crystal."
"That's nice," Naru smiled "So you went out and got them those white pairs?"
Usagi nodded "Couldn't have them running around Juban Park bear feet" Naru laughed as did Kitomi
Sighing Usagi shook her head, "What's wrong Usagi? I know that look so don't try and tell me-nothing"
"it's just…what if Rei's right?" she saw them ready to protest but stopped them, "Let me finish…They should have answered one of my phone calls, emails, voice message, texts-but…I think she might be right about school." She looked up at the two, "I think…I think I might have jumped the gun on dropping out…"
"Usagi, I strongly believe that no one jumps the gun when it comes to making a life changing decision. Not if they try everything before making that decision. Just because you look back now and think you made a mistake doesn't mean you're right. Raising kids is a hard job. No one realizes how hard of a job it is until they themselves are put in the position of parenthood."
"What if-"
"Stop" Kitomi sat straight looking Usagi into the eyes "Stop with that right now, if you live your life always wondering the what if's you'll never move forward. You'll always live in the past-and trust me-life isn't worth living if you allow the past to dictate your decisions. When I was 16 years old I was raped" Naru and Usagi gasped, "My family disowned me, they didn't believe me, no one did. Because of that rape I became pregnant. After having Hidiki, I was scared alone with nowhere to go. So I moved in with a drug dealer. At the time I had no idea he was a drug dealer. Anyway I fell in love with him and he fathered Leo and Sachi. Every night he beat me. On my 18th birthday he came home late, drunk. He would have killed my kids-but I stopped him…" There was no sound, Usagi and Naru stared at their friend in silence. "I killed him that night" She looked to her kids, "Hidiki hearing my screams as he beat me before…his passing…knew at 3 years old to call 911…the operator heard everything. They never pressed any charges, self-defense." She watched her kids run away from Ryo as he tried to tag them, Saeko sitting on the grass as Ikuko clapped her hands. "Soon after I found a job at Gekijo, I never once looked back, my kids are happy their taken care of. To be honest I wouldn't change any of it. Not even the rape. I know it sounds crazy but I wouldn't have Hidiki-I know, I know with all my heart and soul that I am meant to be his mother."
Usagi nodded. "Thank you Kitomi" she smiled, "A good friend once told me- the future is ever changing-"
"We decide on what kind of future that will be" Naru added grabbing her friends hand and giving it a squeeze.
Usagi looked to the kids running and laughing. "We do, we really do"
She slowly entered the arcade, her blue eyes going to the unhappy blond as he wiped down the counter. "Motoki" he looked up, his eyes narrowing. "Please" she began taking a step forward "Please hear me out" he said nothing "If you listen and don't care for what I have to say then I promise I'll leave and not come back"
He nodded calling his employee to come take his place. "Let's go into my office" Taking a seat on the couch Usagi faced her friend as he took a seat at his desk.
"I know that you're angry about me working at Gekijo, but that night when you came in the club looking for me, I tried to tell you that I was just the bartender…"
Motoki rolled his eyes, "That man had his hands all over you"
"I know that" she smirked "But right before you knocked him out, I signaled the body guard to drag the guy off" Motoki sighed rubbing his eyes. "You hate me working there, I'm sorry that you found the club's card, I never wanted you to find out that way. But I need you to understand that I had no choice, there's no way you could pay me the amount they pay."
"So is this your plan then? Work there forever?"
Usagi shook her head. "No this is" she placed a pile of paper on to his desk.
"Tokyo University?"
Usagi smiled, "I registered today for their distant learning program, it's going to be hard, a lot harder than being in class. But this way I can work on gaining my degree from home or even on my breaks at work"
"What made you think of this?" Motoki whispered tears filling his eyes. "I mean…this is awesome Usagi, really"
She walked up to her friend hugging him tightly. Pulling away she lifted the pile of papers smiling. "A visit from Mars just helped open my eyes"
Motoki's eyes widened as Usagi laughed.
"I don't believe you" Minako whispered, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Their dead…they died?" she shook her head. "Why didn't she try…" she gasped. Tears filled her eyes, grasping the phone tighter she closed her eyes. "She tried calling me so much…I just figured it was nothing….I've been so wrapped up in my own life here I totally abandoned her…"
"We all did Minako" came Rei's reply.
"I did as well" Makoto added.
The girls were silent for a moment. "Rei, what happened when she told you? I mean did she just come out and say it?"
Rei was silent for a while before taking a deep breath. "I lost my temper. I went to Tokyo University and that's how I found out she dropped out…I went to her apartment and just lost it. She explained her reason why…"
"You didn't listen?" Makoto hissed "I thought all that training in the jungle was supposed to teach you how to restrain that temper!"
"Look I get it; I was so angry the only sound I could hear was the blood rushing through my head. I tried to take a deep breath but the more she spoke the angrier I got. In all honestly…."
"You were more angry with yourself"
"Exactly. While in China I had this feeling this deep feeling in my heart that something wasn't right, that I needed to get a hold of her…"
"Then why didn't you?!"
"Makoto!" Minako yelled
"Why didn't you?! As I see it this is not just my fault here Makoto this is all of our faults! We promised to be there for her, we knew she was freaked out because of what happened with Galaxia"
"With good reason, Galaxia put her through a lot….but still Rei's right. We were all so wrapped up in finishing school as fast as possible and thinking about the future we forgot to think about the present." Sighing Minako looked to her watch. "Are you heading to the airport now?"
"Yeah" Rei whispered "I just wish I had more time to try and talk to her again"
"Maybe it's for the best, I mean you said she kicked you out of her apartment and told you not to come back…she just needs some time" Makoto answered. "Rei"
"You don't have to say it Makoto I know. This whole situation sucks so I understand losing your temper."
"Okay, well I have an exam in two hours. After I finish I'll give Ami a call and let her know what's up before she tries to contact Usagi…if she hasn't already."
"What about Mamoru?" Makoto asked "should we warn him?"
"No!" Rei hissed "Yes we did wrong, but he knew how she felt about him leaving, shit guys he was DEAD the whole time she thought he was alive! So he, out of all of us, should know better. Besides we have enough to deal with trying to fix our relationship with her, we don't need his too"
With a final far well Minako hung the phone up. Sighing she turned to Luna who sat worriedly beside Airtimes "Let me brew some tea-this is going to be a long two hours."
