A/N: Yes a new chapter! And we finally see the end of the girls' lessons.

In relation to a review that said Setsuna's advice wasn't that great, I actually completely agree! *Headcanon* But Usagi would wait for her true love. That's the type of person I envision her to be so naturally she thinks/knows Minako should as well and asks Setsuna to give her this advice. Anyway, the review gave me an idea and next week you'll not only get a new chapter but also cut-scene from FLaaW that shows you just how Usagi goes about setting all these lessons up.

Just letting you know that the story is completely finished and all set to go for posting :) So expect a new weekly chapter!

And finally, thank you to everyone that reviewed. They really motivate me to get off my ass and post these chapters *formatting is so painful*! So please keep leaving me messages!

Part B: The Plan

"Did you remember to pack my gifts?" a soft voice startled Minako.

Hotaru stood behind Minako and smiled sweetly. Behind her, people were pouring out of the theatre talking animatedly about the spectacle they had just watched. To Minako's dismay she was accompanied by Kunzite. He nodded curtly at Minako and Setsuna and then remained silent. Setsuna and Hotaru had a quick exchange before Hotaru turned her attention to Minako.

"Didn't you like the ballet Mina? I saw you leave early."

"Oh no, it turns out my date was more interested in sexually harassing me than watching the show but from what I saw it was beautiful" she said airily as though trying to play down her distress.

Kunzite's blank face flickered for a second, displaying his anger. Setsuna noticed this and decided that Usagi was right. All Kunzite and Minako needed was a little shove in the right direction.

"Kunzite, Minako has had a terrible night and I don't feel uncomfortable letting her go home by herself. Would you please take her? I have to take Hotaru to the airport." Setsuna asked in a tone that allowed for no arguments.

Kunzite nodded once and they all said their farewells. Minako was secretly dreading the next part of her evening. This was the first time she had been alone with him since they're last argument.

/\/\/\

"Of course you'd have a limo" Minako said as a chauffeur opened her door for her.

Kunzite couldn't help but smirk at her comment. He reflected on what Minako had said before about the conclusion of her date. He of course had seen him earlier in the evening and had taken an immediate dislike to him. Kunzite sighed internally. Who was he kidding? He disliked almost any man Minako seemed to favour. He seethed with anger at the idea that he might've forced himself onto her.

"What did he do?" his burning desire to know finally overcame his desire to keep her at arm's length. Minako looked up at him in surprise but answered in a relatively steady voice.

"Groped me in public and called me a slut." Kunzite hissed angrily and clenched his fists. He so desperately wanted to wring that man's neck. Minako's downcast expression and trembling lips caught his eye.

"He was wrong to do that to you" Kunzite offered her his handkerchief. Minako dabbed her eyes and pasted a watery smile on her face. It was so evidently fake that it made him cringe.

"I was wrong to expect a gentleman. It's obvious to me now that I'm incapable of attracting a decent man" Minako muttered bitterly.

Kunzite felt the full force of her statement regardless of whether she meant to refer to him or not. He had not behaved fairly towards her and the thought plagued him constantly.

Minako didn't understand the feeling of complete and utter failure. He had failed everyone and to be frank, Kunzite wasn't sure he deserved to even have this second chance. He knew Minako didn't blame him or think less of him, she had told him herself on several occasions, but he couldn't bring himself to accept her love.

This was his punishment.

Seeing the fear and anxiety in her eyes when she looked at him when before they held love, was the constant reminder of his guilt and treachery. He would see Minako fall in love with another man and start a new life and that would be his ultimate punishment for his sins. The only thing he regretted was the short-term effect it had on Minako. To see her so glum and listless due to his cold attitude cut deep.

Minako contemplated the insight into Kunzite that Setsuna had volunteered. As far as she could see there were two options. The first, she would give up on Kunzite and be separated from her soul mate for the rest of their lives (being the 'goddess of love' told her that much) and the second option is that she fight against him and in typical stubborn-Kunzite fashion, he would fight back just as hard and they would both end up hurt. Minako concluded that both options sucked. A lot. She didn't understand why he had to punish himself anyway! Everyone else had forgiven him why couldn't he... and then Minako realised... a third option.

"I wish you didn't hate me so much and that we could be like the others." Mina said quietly.

She wasn't looking at him but instead was staring out the window of the limousine. The bright lights of Tokyo illuminated her face in an unnatural way, making her look paler than usual. Kunzite was visibly taken aback by her words.

"I don't hate you, not at all!" he replied. Minako laughed humourlessly in an attempt to provoke him.

"Do you not remember what you said to me to the other night or is that how you treat your friends?" Minako spat in anger. Remorse coloured his features and he gripped his coat tightly.

"Setsuna says it's because you're punishing yourself." She said in a matter-of-fact tone yet Kunzite remained silent.

Mentally cursing, she decided to further berate him, "Do you not see how stupid this is? You made one mistake and you're going to destroy me in order to punish yourself"

"Minako, You're being ridiculous" he said in a strained voice, finally breaking his silence.

"Me?" she cried in outrage, "You are the ridiculous one! This is hurting me too! Is that what you want?!"

"No! Of course not!" Kunzite shouted. His facade broke and all Minako could see was anguish on his face. He gripped his hair in his hands and took deep shuddering breaths.

She reached out and grabbed his hand. "You're a good man and I know you will never willingly betray Endymion or me again" she said softly, looking at him with bright blue eyes.

Kunzite shook his head. His throat was stuck and the words along with it.

"It's not that easy" he managed to choke out.

"It is that easy" Minako responded emphatically. She looked out the window and sighed.

"Why is this car ride taking so long?" she complained to the chauffeur. The driver jumped in their seat.

"I'm sorry ma'am. I got lost" he responded sheepishly.

Minako frowned at the voice. It sounded unnaturally low and gruff. She was staring at the rearview mirror, trying to get a glimpse of the driver when she made eye-contact with 'his' cerulean blue eyes. Minako withheld a groan.

/\/\/\

Minako waited outside the Tsukino residence for her meddlesome friend to emerge. She could hear Usagi's wailing as she realised she was late for something or other. As she sprinted out of her house, she stopped dead at the sight of Minako.

"Oh Mina! If we go together then Rei can't yell at us for being" Usagi exclaimed brightly.

"Since when do you drive limos?" Minako asked cutting straight to the chase. Usagi blushed and mumbled something incoherently.

"Geez Serena! Please, please, please don't tell me you had Haruka set me up with a douchebag, or worse pay him to be a jerk, and then purposely have Setsuna there ready to give me advice that you told her to say and then use your Luna-pen to disguise yourself as Kunzite's limo driver."

"Alright I won't tell you." Serena replied, "but I didn't tell him to grope you, just to be a little mean!" She added hastily, lest her friend think she wanted her to be assaulted.

Minako pursed her lips but said nothing and the two of them walked towards the temple. To Minako's surprise Usagi didn't attempt to pester the details from her. She figured that Usagi had already checked in with Setsuna and Mamoru and along with whatever she had heard last night as the limo driver, Minako had a shrewd idea that Usagi was very well informed.

When they arrived at Rei's temple, they were surprised by the presence of Jadeite and Kunzite. To Minako's amusement, they were both dressed in traditional temple clothes and were sweeping the front court yard whilst muttering under their breath. Ami, Makoto and Rei were sitting nearby laughing and drinking lemonade. It turned out, Jadeite lost a bet and had somehow dragged Kunzite into it. As Usagi and Minako approached, Rei called the men over and offered them refreshments.

"So how was your date last night?" Makoto questioned Minako curiously. Minako made a displeased face and avoided eye contact with Kunzite and Usagi.

"Terrible. He was a jerk and tried to grope me during the middle of the ballet!"

The girls and Jadeite broke out into loud, angry rants and Minako was surprised to see Usagi join in as though she hadn't planned the whole thing. Well she had Her princess had certainly become more devious as she had grown older. Mina blamed Mamoru.

"Yeah but I spoke to him this morning" Minako continued loudly over the top of them. The all immediately quietened to hear the rest of the story,

"he apologised and I forgave him for what he did and he's going to try and lay off the alcohol. He's moving on with his life" She followed her last words with a pointed look at Kunzite.

"I also tried to forgive Kunzite but he refused to accept my forgiveness because he's 'punishing' himself." she added.

"What! That's stupid." Makoto said rolling her eyes at Kunzite.

Minako couldn't believe her luck, they were playing right into her hand. Hopefully if Kunzite could see that it wasn't just Minako who thought it was ridiculous, he'd finally be convinced. Kunzite's face was carefully blank but Minako could see the inner turmoil in the way that his mouth was very slightly downturned and the slight furrow in his brow. Her whole plan rested on her belief that Kunzite still cared for her and didn't want to upset her in any way. She could almost see the two sides of his heart arguing against each other but she knew that his need to make her happy would win in the end. This was why she couldn't give up on him.

"You know this is only hurting Mina as well" Rei immediately jumped into the conversation.

Usagi and Ami nodded in agreement. Jadeite quickly grabbed a broom and mumbled an excuse. He knew where this was going and didn't want to get caught up.

"Which is why you should stop trying to punish yourself! Punishment isn't the only way to right a wrong." Minako said directly to Kunzite. A silence fell over the group as they watched for Kunzite's reaction.

A war was raging inside Kunzite's heart. He so desperately wanted to accept Minako's offer of forgiveness and reconciliation but...he thought back to his conversation with Mamoru this morning.

"You were given this second chance for a reason"

"Third" Kunzite corrected. Mamoru rolled his eyes and dismissed his comment with a wave of his hand.

"So instead of wasting it by punishing yourself why don't you just use it for good. Make Minako happy and atone for your mistakes that way."

Kunzite was stunned. He had never thought about it that way.

"Is this part of Usagi's plan?" he asked Mamoru suspiciously. Mamoru shrugged noncommittally.

"Whether it is or it isn't doesn't lessen what I said."

In truth he was tired of trying to fight her and their undeniable connection. He couldn't live without her. The way she was full of life and so vivacious, yet serious and solemn. The way her long hair tumbled over her shoulders and seemed to glow in sunlight. The way she could read his emotions even through the mask he put on. He needed her and perhaps it was time to take Mamoru's advice.

"You're right" he finally said. Minako's heart skipped a beat as she heard his words. She didn't make a movement, scarcely breathing, as she waited for him to continue. He ran a hand through his long platinum blonde hair and sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry" he whispered. "I've been trying so hard to punish myself but I never saw that there was another way." A bubble of laughter escaped from Minako's lips and she threw herself onto him, hugging him tightly.

This promptly turned into a group hug as the other girls joined in, celebrating their reconciliation.

"Mamoru came through for me!" Minako whispered to Usagi. Usagi tapped the side of her nose knowingly and winked merrily, she had also known he would.

The girls eventually let go of Kunzite and he hurried away to join Jadeite in pruning the hedges, before he could be dragged into another excessively long hug. As they worked he told his friend of what happened.

"Finally!" Jadeite exclaimed. He thumped Kunzite on the back in approval.

"Mamoru's right. Minako's right. Everybody's right except for me" Kunzite admitted rather ruefully. Jadeite grinned at his words.

"There's always a first time for everything." He teased eliciting a smile from his friend.

/\/\/\

Kunzite watched Minako as she dozed on his couch. She had come over today to play video games and he had to admit, she was very good. They were, what their friends called, 'casually seeing each other'. He and Minako weren't nearly as intimate as the other couples in their little group but they were happy with just being what they were. The more he learned about her, the more he loved her. All her flaws and quirks only increased his love for her. The past three weeks had been something of a dream, something he never thought he would ever experience again. Boy, was Kunzite glad that Usagi, Mamoru and even Minako herself had schemed against him.

She yawned sleepily and opened one eye.

"Hello" Kunzite greeted warmly, a rare smile forming on his face. "I had the nicest dream" Minako said as she rubbed her eyes. Kunzite raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

"Come here" Minako commanded.

Nonplussed, Kunzite obeyed and moved towards her. Minako kept beckoning him forward until he was hovering right above her face, his long hair creating a curtain.

"I'll show you what happened" her voice had taken on a husky quality and before Kunzite could react, she pulled his face down and kissed him deeply.

When they broke apart he searched his mind for something to say but it was completely blank. Minako beamed at him and pulled him on top of her.

When Kunzite finally regained his senses, he managed to croak out, "thank you for never giving up on me".

Minako shook her head in amusement and answered him with another kiss.

Next week: Usagi ignored her and grabbed two of the 17 duffel bags and neatly stowed them into the boot of Mamoru's car...