His third required therapy session was over. However, since learning what was really going on in his life, he hadn't dreaded it nearly as much. He felt like he'd even gotten something out of the session, as well. He'd opened up to the damn therapist, told him about avoiding his friends for the last two week, about how he didn't deserve to see them. Then the damn therapist had said one sentence.

I'm wondering if you don't want to see them because you can't forgive yourself, not because you don't think they should forgive you.

And damn if the man wasn't correct. He'd been wallowing in self pity for two weeks, the last week by himself. Mamoru and Rei had said they'd forgiven Jadeite, which clearly meant they wouldn't hold anything against him. Jadeite had told him he had nothing to feel ashamed before. Jadeite had even forgiven himself, at least as much as he ever would have, before he left. He'd recognized what he'd done and where he'd gone wrong. And, yet, Jacob had sat there for a week doing nothing.

He was almost disappointed that it had taken the damned therapist to point that out.

After leaving the session, he'd turned immediately towards the shrine. He'd find them all there, he was sure. He suddenly felt ready for that, the entire group. Even the two cats. When he placed his foot on the bottom step, he waited for that familiar feeling of resistance, of dread, but felt nothing. He shook his head and continued up.

He heard them before he found them. They were in the large gathering room where they'd tried to bring back his memories. Rei's voice reached him first, loud and angry. He approached the door, which was opened barely a crack.

"We decided it was my right! Mamoru should have never gone behind my back," she was hurt, too.

"Don't play that game," Minako scoffed and Jacob could almost hear the eyeroll. "You know full and well that it was his right far more than yours. You're just angry that you couldn't make his memories come back."

There was a second of silence and Mamoru's eyes flashed towards the door. Of course he knew Jacob was there. Jacob had known he'd be there, too. What ever allowed him to know, or at least sense, Mamoru's presence also allowed Mamoru to do the same.

"You'd feel the same if it were Kunzite," Rei accused, crossing her arms.

"Maybe," Minako shrugged. "But, it wasn't."

Jacob had a feeling that the argument had gone on a while. Minako's refusal to argue caused Rei to spin towards Mamoru, "And you just left him. And to forbid us from approaching him? We have no idea how he's handling it."

"He needs to come to terms with who Jadeite was," Mamoru answered easily.

"You say that as if they're separate people," Rei responded, losing her fight.

"We are," Jacob answered, stepping into the room. All eyes turned towards him and he gave a small smile, "I did need that time."

"How can you be separate? We aren't separate. Different but not separate," Ami asked, glancing him over. He saw her hands twitch, as though wanting to reach for her computer.

"From what I understood, Jadeite sold his soul to Beryl. If we weren't separate, I would belong to her, as well. That's how I fell into her hands in this life," Jacob answered. "There was no other way to be free."

"But, now… You are?" Makoto questioned.

"Yes," Jacob answered, making eye contact with Rei.

"How?" Rei asked, though he could tell she knew the answer. Her eyes flashed hurt, "Jadeite is gone?"

"I don't know how, but I'm definitely alone in here now," Jacob turned his attention to Mamoru. "Either way, it appears that his responsibilities are mine now. It seems his powers have been coming out as well."

Mamoru held his hand out and Jacob grasped his forearm, much as they had to bring his memories back. The magic that had been revealing itself tingled under his skin. He gave Mamoru a large smile before slightly bowing his head.

Mamoru nodded back and then released his arm. He nodded towards Rei and then announced, "Maybe we should give them a minute."

Jacob turned back towards Rei, who was still staring at him. Her face was impassive, but her eyes were searching. She was looking for Jadeite, he could tell, and he felt a jolt to his heart. Damn Jadeite for leaving him with this part.

Before he knew it, the room was cleared and Rei was speaking, "He's gone?"

"Gone," Jacob answered, watching as she slid to the floor. He followed and sat beside her.

"Where did he go? How could he just go? He's you!" Rei dropped her head on his arm.

"No, he's him. I don't really understand it all, Rei. He said he'd sold his soul to Beryl, that as long as he stuck around, I was vulnerable to her influence. Maybe he sank back into me as one. Or maybe he just… left."

She was silent for a few minutes and he allowed her the time to think. When she finally spoke, it was so low that he'd barely heard her, "Why didn't he see me first? Like he did Mamoru?"

Jacob leaned his head against the wall, staring up at the rafter, "He loved her, you know. More than anything else. He told me that was his downfall. Rei, you told me he never came back. But… He…"

"No," Rei answered. "That wasn't him. That person was different. And, by that point, he'd already broken his promise."

Jacob contemplated her answer and the silence stretched between them again. Finally, he sighed, "Maybe that's why he knew he couldn't come here. He knew that you'd forgive. He knew that you'd still… love him. He said he couldn't leave you again."

"And, if Beryl ever somehow found his way back…"

"He'd betray you again."

She sighed with a shake of her head, "Idiot. He was always such an idiot."

I was foolish is what Jadeite had said.

She reached over and took his hand, squeezing it tight, "Thank you, Jacob."

"Rei," he finally glance over at her. She was staring at the same place on the ceiling that he had been. At the sound of her name, she faced him and he continued, "I like you. I don't know exactly where my feelings for you start and his feelings for her end. I'm not sure you know the difference between us yet either. I wanted you to know that I like you, but that's as far as it will be for a while. Until I know that we both know. And, even then, Mamoru will remain my most important reason for being here."

She gave a small smile, "I'm glad you didn't disappear, Jacob. Really, I am."

He found it hard to smile back. He wasn't sure how long she would miss Jadeite. He wasn't sure how much of the same person Rei was to Mars. He was different, essentially a new person with the same mission. Rei could be as much Pavonis as she was Rei. Either way, she'd love Jadeite. Or, at least, she'd loved the memory of Jadeite. He wasn't entirely sure if he could live up to that or if he could ever not feel like a replacement.

She sensed his hesitation and gave his hand another squeeze, "I know you're not Jadeite, Jacob. And, I'm okay with that. I started to count the differences in the weeks you worked at the shrine. I told you then, I'm not sure I could have given you up. Mars loved Jadeite. But, I'm not only Mars anymore. We'll figure it out, I'm sure."

Rei relaxed, leaning against his shoulder, and Jacob did smile now, "I'm sure we will."

"Jadeite could have never done it, could he? Put Mamoru before me?" she asked suddenly and then shook her head. "Foolish."

"Maybe," Jacob murmured. He wanted to believe that Jadeite could have done it. If Jadeite hadn't been able to, how could Jacob be sure he could? He already felt in over his head with Rei. He'd been crushed not seeing her the last two weeks. He'd wanted to believe part of that was Jadeite and maybe it was. Either way, he'd felt so much unbridled joy when he'd seen her face today. How can he be sure he can remember his real purpose while falling in love with Rei? Rei seemed to be okay with not being first, seemed to know where she stood and where he would stand. "He thought he was choosing the prince over her when Beryl came to him. But, he was already too lost, in too deep. He thought he was doing it for the Prince, but he'd already moved so far from his loyalty to Endymion. It was easy for her to push him the rest away, especially since he'd allowed Beryl's words to make distance between him and Mars."

"He loved so fully. My loyalty, though, never wavered. I think, ultimately, that pushed him away. He wasn't ready to accept that, to understand it. Then again, neither of us had expected to fall in love, especially with someone from another kingdom," Rei answered. Her eyes had gone cloudy with memory and Jadeite knew she was thinking about that time, about Jadeite.

She was right, Jacob knew. Jadeite had resented Mars continuing to choose the princess over him. It was so easy for the witch to plant thoughts in his head, drive him away from Mars. After already having forsaken his duty to the Prince, he was easy. She'd whispered the treachery of the moon kingdom and Jadeite had lapped it up, any excuse for why Mars, his Pavonis, would never love him as much as he loved her. Or, so he thought.

"But, you understood it?" he asked, drawing her back to him.

"Serenity will always be my most important person," she told him. There was no uncertainty, no trying to make what could be a blow softer. It could be because he'd already told her the same thing. However, he felt her conviction and knew she'd feel the same regardless. Her eyes searched his. She looked desperate for understanding, desperate that he could give her what Jadeite hadn't been able to, "He could never accept that. It never changed then and it will never change now."

"Good," he nodded and allowed his head to drop, resting his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and just sat there, drawing in from her. Gods, but he had lied. He knew exactly where Jadeite's feelings ended and his began. Still, he'd take it slow. At least, he would until he was sure he could love her and perform his duty. He had to be sure he could succeed where Jadeite had failed, for Rei, for his Prince, and for himself.

After a moment, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead and stood. He held his hand down to her, "I have an idea about how to find the others. Let's go talk with everyone else."

She smiled, taking his hand. When she stood, she laced her fingers through his, intent on not allowing him to break contact.