15 Years Later

Takeshi pulled into the driveway of the Mizuno-Kino residence. As he stepped out of his car, he pulled at his tie, loosening it as he began his walk to the front door. As he raised his hand for the doorbell, the front door swung open, a beaming Makoto stepping through it.

"Mako-chan," he said merrily to his old friend. "Where's the fire?"

Makoto smiled, kissed his cheek and moved past him toward her car. "Business, I'll be back soon," she said through the rolled down window before pulling her jeep out onto the street.

He watched her go, chuckled and shook his head, knowing the business Makoto spoke of was senshi business. He had been surprised to find Ami and Makoto, as well as their friends, were the famed senshi who kept Japan, if not the world, safe from mythical threats. He had taken it well, as had Yukia, and both swore not to tell anyone. Though Takeshi had teased Ami, saying the men of the world would be upset with him if they knew he was he reason Mercury preffered women because he was so bad in bed. Ami promptly smacked him.

As he stepped into the home of his friends, Takeshi wondered briefly why Ami hadn't gone with Makoto if a youma was indeed the reason for the business run. Afterall, Ami's car was parked in the driveway so she was home.

"I'm home," Takeshi called out teasingly, as he always had done when coming here. He toed his shoes off and hung his jacket on one of the empty hooks beside the door and slipped his feet into his slippers before walking into the living room. There he saw Ami sitting with a little girl with long, wavy hair and green eyes at the low table in the room. They were painting with water colors and the little girl, no older than six years old, looked up and smiled.

"Daddy," she cried as she lept from the table. Takeshi smiled and knelt down, sweeping the small child up in his arms and hugging her tightly.

"Kasumi-chan," he said happily. "How's my baby girl?"

"I'm fine," said the little bright eyed girl. "Mommy and me have been painting!"

"Oh, have you," Takeshi asked. Kasumi pulled on her father's hand as he sat her down and pulled him over to the table. "Yeah, look!"

Ami smiled at her old friend and was greeted with a quick kiss on the cheek before Takeshi's attention fell on the finger paintings on the table. There were several there and despite them all being stick figures, Takeshi could tell who was who. But for the sake of his daughter, he pointed and asked who was who in each painting.

The tall green figure with a triangle skirt was Makoto; in her stick fingers she held a cake and flowers. Ami, as a blue stick figure with the outline of a medical jacket in black and a stethescope was beside her. In another picture was a round, orange ball with glasses that Takeshi smirked at; that was Uncle Kia, as Kasumi called him. In another was a tall green figure with a jacket and stethescope like Ami's, this one with long hair in a ponytail and beard. It was Takeshi and with him was a small pink stick figure girl he knew to be Kasumi. The last painting, with the paint still drying, was of Ami and Makoto. They were holding each other and Ami looked like she had swallowed a beach ball.

"Why is Ami-mama so round in this one," Takeshi asked, pointing to the painting.

Kasumi smiled and turned back to the blue haired woman. "Can I tell him, Mommy?" Ami smiled and gestured with her hand for Kasumi to procede. The small child's smile grew and she turned back to Takeshi. "I'm gonna be a big sister!"

Takeshi blinked and looked up at Ami, who only smiled more. "I'm pregnant." She chuckled then. "Finally."

Takeshi let out a surprised laugh. He wrapped his arms around Ami and hugged her tightly and she returned the embrace.

"You're going to be a father again," she said as she pulled away. "Excited?"

Takeshi chuckled, his eyes falling on the brown haired child, who had gone back to her paintings. As soon as things had settled down after opening her bakery and things were stable, Makoto had began "nesting"; her biological clock had begun ticking and she had a baby on the brain. Though Ami was out of medical school at that point, Ami felt it was too early for her to get into a "motherly way," but saw no reason why Makoto couldn't have a child. They had approached Takeshi about fathering the child for many reasons; the big two being they had known him for years and was in on their secret and wouldn't ask questions if they needed to leave Kasumi with him randomly in the middle of the night.

Two years ago, Ami had decided she was ready for a child of her own as well. But unlike Makoto, who had become pregnant with one trip to the doctor, Ami seemed to have difficulty becoming pregnant. She had, at one point, become pregnant but sadly miscarried. While devastated, Makoto and Takeshi had been able to pull her out of her depression for one more try. And this time, it seemed to have stuck.

Takeshi held Ami's smaller hand in his own. "You have no idea. I can't wait to tell Yukia. He'll be so excited to be an uncle again."

Ami watched as Kasumi got up to clean up her paintings. "I don't know how she'll manage," indicating their daughter. "Yukia-kun spoils her."

"And now he gets to do it twice over," Takeshi said, chuckiling. "Mom and Dad will be happy to hear they'll be grandparents again." Takeshi turned sad eyes to Ami. "Have you told your mom?"

Ami sighed, shaking her head. "You know we haven't spoken in a few years. Not since I came out to her about being in a relationship with Mako-chan."

"You never told me why she took it so hard," Takeshi said. "Was it because you were with a woman?"

"I'm sure that was part of it," Ami admitted. "But I think she felt I could do better." Ami half shrugged.

Takeshi nodded and let the subject drop. He had always wodnered if Ami's mother would still feel Ami could do better if she had known the woman Ami was with was Sailor Jupiter. How much better could you get if you were dating a super hero?

"So," Takeshi asked, "When are we due?"

"January," Ami said. She rubbed her hands on her skirt, feeling her palms becoming sweaty. "I'm so nervous," she admitted. "What if-"

"Stop," Takeshi said firmly but not unkindly. "We'll be fine." He wrapped an arm around Ami's shoulders. "You will be fine."

Ami took a steady breath and let it out with a nervous shudder before nodding. "Thank you."

Takeshi smiled. "Anything for my girls." He poked Ami's tummy, indicating the small baby growing inside of her. "That goes for all of my girls."

Ami laughed softly. "You think I'll have a girl, too?"

"I know you will," he said, smirking. "Except for me, my parents had all girls. And of all the kids my sisters have had, not a one is a boy." Takeshi watched his own daughter run around with the new thing currently holding her attention. "And it looks like I won't be any differnt."

"You and Mako-chan have cute babies," Ami said, giggling.

He laughed and kissed the top of Ami's head. "And so will you and I."


The end!