I love this chapter! I had so much fun writing this! Of course I would have to bring Minako in at a certain point. And while I technically love fluff, the sheer amount of Rei/Minako fluff that exists on this board is just too much. You can only eat so much sugar cotton before you puke ;D So this was my personal anti fluff scene to balance things a bit. Hope you like it.

xxx

Rei smiled as Erika bent her head over Jadeite's notebook. He was frowning from concentrating real hard as he scribbled another sentence in Japanese onto a page and then effortless filled the page with quick, swift paragraphs in the letters of the Ancient Earth Kingdom, to explain what the kanji and hiragana meant, and probably rant a bit about the modern Japanese writing system.

As always, Erika checked if she could help him. She was in third grade, and delighted whenever she could explain something to him. Jadeite was extremely touchy about the subject of him, a well-educated Shitennou, suddenly finding himself an analphabet because the writing system he had been taught had come out of fashion after a mere several ten thousands of years. It had taken Rei a while to talk him into accepting help, and so far, progress was slow.

Jadeite wasn't stupid, or in Rei's opinion at least not as stupid as he looked. But he was impatient, short-tempered, and had a tendency to quick flashs of headaches as well as horrible migraines when he tried to memorize something, resulting in the worst long term memory Rei had ever seen.

She was quite certain that he was doing one of these kanji symbols for the third time in two months now, if she would make him flip back in his notebook, he'd certainly find pages about it, and be surprised.

Rei often had to remind herself to be patient. In the Dark Kingdom, Jadeite had lived under a spell that had suppressed his memories, and this was obviously still affecting him. Sometimes his brain would just shut down.

Even Erika had already learned that the drugged, blank-eyed look on Jadeite's face wasn't a good sign, and she would flip to teacher mode when she saw it. Like just now, when Jadeite's pencil had ceased to move and he had started to stare through the page.

"Jadeite! Are you paying attention?"

"Huh?"

"Show me what you have written!"

It was astonishing that he had let Erika into his secret. But she spent a lot of time at the shrine, had a crush on Jadeite that made her infinitely more patient than Rei, and accepted his explanation that he had forgotten lots of things after a bad accident.

"Why do you write in your secret writing again, Jadeite?"

Jadeite smiled at her. "So noone can read it."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to forget the secret writing and remember the real letters?"

Rei smiled. "He didn't get to choose, Erika. He's lucky he remembers anything at all."

"Yeah, lucky me," grumbled Jadeite.

"You should be grateful that you live," said Rei. Her strict teacher mode was also very good. "And for all the people who help you."

"Hai."

All the doors of the house were open to let in some breeze in the heat. So Minako could get a glimpse at Rei long before Rei noticed her. She smiled, it was supposed to be a surprise that she came, and so she sneaked closer. Until she got a view at the rest of the room, which stopped her dead in her tracks.

Minako couldn't believe her eyes. What was Jadeite doing here? In civilian clothes, working clothes for helps at the shrine, his blond hair mocking the traditional attire. But he wasn't doing work, he sat with Rei and a little girl at a table, each of them writing down things, they looked like they were doing homework together.

No. They looked like they were playing family together. Minako had never been disgusted by anything Rei had done (not even the really bad tampon jokes she made), but this was filling her with sickness and repulsion.

So what had all the talk about their carreers taking too much time to be together been about? All the talk about how Rei would rather die than end up someone's wife and build up useless illusions about happy families?

Had it all been a lie? What was Rei thinking she was doing?

She sure as hell wanted answers. She straightened herself, and entered the room.

She wanted to say something dramatic, but the little girl squealed at an incredibly high pitch when she saw her.

"No way! Aino Minako!"

Jadeite's face went expressionless, and he quickly closed his books and the notebook and shoved them into a bag. He was on his feet and about to leave, when Minako hissed at Rei.

"What is Jadeite doing here? Didn't you say you're done with him?"

Jadeite stopped and gave Venus an angry look.

"I could say the same thing about you!" he snapped.

Rei had almost forgotten how nasty Jadeite could get. And she had never seen Minako ignore a fan like this before. This was not good...

Rei just had time to send Erika home, promising her an autograph of Minako, before the real trouble started.

"Get lost, Jadey! It's girls day now, and I'm sorry, just wearing a pink uniform doesn't qualify."

"Don't give me orders, miniskirt! This is a private party and I don't remember you've been invited!"

"I don't need an invitation! Rei always has time for her friends."

"Yeah, that must be the reason why she is going out with me tonight!"

"At the first evening she can see me after months? I don't think so."

"Oh, impressive. You have been in town for over a week and only just now had the time to come and see your 'friend'. She must really be special to you."

"Unlike you, I have a lot of work that I can't just shove aside."

Jadeite sneered. "Yeah, what's a Guardian's job, if you compare it to hopping around on stage in tasteless outfits?"

"Whaaat?"

"Minako, Jadeite, stop it!" Rei finally managed to get their attention. "Both of you, calm down. There is no reason for this kind of behaviour."

"Oh, I think there is!" shouted Minako. "You let me run into that lovely happy couple scene without a warning! Not only didn't you tell me, but you didn't tell me it's him! Your friendly neighborhood slit-throat with a hair problem!"

"We're not a couple!" hissed Rei. "He is not my boyfriend. We're just doing homework together!"

"Come on, Rei, I know exactly what's going on here! It's just so plain obvious! Oh, I bet he is always nice and caring, I bet he does everything you want, let me guess, you went to bed with him and it didn't turn out to be very exciting, but hey, who cares for romance and feelings and hot sex? As long as you have gotten yourself an idiot who looks acceptable next to a priestess!"

"I told you, Minako, he is not my boyfriend!"

"Of course not. For someone like that, the word is husband, isn't it?"

"Minako, are you nuts?"

"You pull this longtime married couple thing, fine. I shouldn't be surprised at all! In the past, you have been after him since he was merely 12 and you should have been ashamed of yourself. But please, it's your life! Be happy with this creep who would leave you in an instant for the next evil Queen demanding his services.

Only don't tell me any more lies! Don't pretend you don't want a man, don't pretend you don't want a family, and lots of cute little blond children, and don't you ever tell me again you aren't ready for a relationship and emotional bonding!"

Rei couldn't help that tears of rage and sadness filled her eyes. "You, out of all people in the world, have no right to accuse me of letting carreer destroy love! Where have you been all these years? The next recording, the next concert, the next commercial was always more important than me."

"And whose idea was it? Did I ever tell you to get out of the way of my carreer? I bet crazy little Jadey will never have to hear from you that he is a danger to your reputation as a priestess.

I know you would do almost everything for the illusion to be a small scale Guardian again. Becoming a priestess might even do the trick. But I never would have thought you'd even let yourself get laid by this batch of slime for it. And? Does it make you feel important now that you have touched someone with real powers?"

Rei didn't have an answer to that. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, congratulations, 'friend'," sneered Jadeite. "Humiliate her in front of others and make her cry, now why didn't I think of that?"

"Shut up, Jadeite!" yelled Minako. "Just because Rei has taken pity on you doesn't give you the right to mess her up. Go and screw the likes of you. Leave my Senshi alone!"

Jadeite gave her his worst smirk. "Make me."

To Rei's horror, Minako lost it. She actually slapped Jadeite across his face, and he didn't even flinch. He just broadened his smirk.

"It'll take a bit more than that to impress me, silly little girl. Why don't you try to shoot me now that you know I'm not going to fight back? Didn't that work awesome on Zoisite?"

Rei saw Minako's face harden, and that was the point where Rei had to throw herself between them, grab Minako's arms and shove her back several steps.

"Minako, get a grip! Calm down! Jadeite - shut up! Behave or you are out of here! Both of you!"

Minako let herself be held back by Rei, but her rage wasn't cooling down. She eyed past Rei and yelled at Jadeite.

"I swear, if you ever hurt Rei, if you even think of it, I will chain you to the bottom of the sea!"

"What?"

To Rei's surprise, that had actually scared Jadeite for a second. But he instantly got a grip of himself again.

"If you are so close to Mars, Venus, how come you don't know which one of the Shitennou she's dating? Or is it too difficult to count to four if you can't use your fingers?"

That silenced Minako for a moment. With an unbelieving frown, she turned to Rei and asked, not nearly as loud as Rei had expected: "Zoisite... is going out with you?"

"Not Zoisite," said Rei, but Minako just stared at her, not making the obvious conclusion. Jadeite smirked and held up four fingers, slowing putting down one after the other, until only one remained.

And Minako still didn't get it.

"Minako, it's Kunzite I see."

"Kunzite!" exploded Minako. "But you hate Kunzite!"

"So what?" returned Rei sharply who didn't think she had to listen to Minako talking like this. "That should make for interesting dates, shouldn't it?"

It annoyed her even more that Jadeite looked just as confused as Minako about this. She let go of Minako who seemed to have sobered a bit.

"You know what, both of you? It is none of your business! I can go out with whoever I want. I don't want to hear a word about it from any of you. And now you will both leave. I've got enuogh of your behaviour. You heard me, get lost!"

"What did I do? I just stood here and got insulted!" sulked Jadeite. "And she hit me!"

"Out! Both of you! I want to be on my own!"

"I'll pick you up at seven," said Jadeite, transforming into his Shitennou uniform and gripping the cloak for the teleport movement.

Rei just nodded, and he dissolved into ripples of light and air.

When Rei turned around to shoo out Minako as well, she was relieved to see that Japan's super star was already gone.

Rei took a deep breath.

First Thetys, then Kunzite, now Minako... she always had to defend being friends with Jadeite. Not to mention the priest and his wife, who really liked Jadeite, but had given her the speech about being responsible as well.

She was just teaching him how to read and write, and everyone acted as if she had a habit of throwing him over the table and jumping him. It was totally ridiculous.

But noone is telling me who to be friends with, Rei thought. I won't give up my Jadeite day for anyone, be it Shitennou, youma or senshi. The nerve they have!

xxx

"Hello... you're Erika, right? I am really sorry I didn't have time for you before. What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for my granny to pick me up, Aino-san."

"Please, call me Minako."

"Minako... why did you say that Jadeite wears a pink uniform? He says he doesn't have to wear a police uniform any more at all. "

Minako was surprised. Had Jadeite told her he was a police man? Maybe it made sense if he wanted to explain what a Guardian was without revealing too much... but seriously, didn't he look way to young for a police man?

She smiled at Erika.

"So he told you?"

"Yes. He said he is glad he is doing special assignments now instead of patrol duty. Too much paperwork in a police station. Why were you so mad at him? Did he arrest you once?"

Minako laughed. "No, he didn't. And his uniform isn't really pink. Only when I saw him the first time, it looked like it was purple. That's why we were joking about it. I am sorry you had to hear us fight. I'm not like that usually. Only when I see him with Rei... I don't like it. She's my friend and I'm worried about her. He's not good for her."

"Because he had this accident?"

"What do you mean?"

"When my mom died, some kids didn't talk to me any more. Like I was infectuous. But Jadeite explained it to me. He said, in the world, bad things happen to good people. It happens everywhere. It doesn't mean they're bad people. It doesn't mean anything. It just happens."

Minako sighed.

"I know what you mean. I had the same thing happening to me when I was sick, some years ago. That's not the reason I don't like him. But... I have known Jadeite earlier. He was a nice guy. You know, before this... accident happened, he and Rei were in love."

"Really?"

Minako smiled. "Oh, yes. And now Jadeite doesn't remember anything of it, and Rei acts as if there has been nothing. I think she shouldn't be with Jadeite like this, it will only hurt her."

"But they look so happy!"

"Really?"

"Yes, he always makes her smile. When she is done yelling at him. But he really cares about her. He does so many things for her.

Rei loves it best when everything is quiet at the shrine, and it's always quiet when Jadeite is here. He always does all the chores, and then he feeds the birds before she comes home, so they don't make noise at everything, and Rei thinks nothing happens."

Erika grinned.

Minako couldn't believe it.

"Rei loves it quiet?" she asked astonished. She had always seen it as her priority that Rei got more interesting things to do than the old boring routines of the shrine she had been dumped at. Yes, she knew Rei was very devoted to her work at the shrine, but that she loved it more than having fun was news to Minako.

But Erika had even more secrets to share.

"And then he talked to her classmates so she is now in a better study group."

"But she hates it when someone meddles with her life!"

"Totally." Erika giggled. "She yells a lot at him for it. He always asks her if she feels well-prepared for her exams now, and says if she doesn't, he'll have a word with her study group. And then she yells some more. She says the worst thing is that this study group really makes her feel better prepared for her exams."

"Whoah, I can't believe he interfered with a girls' school."

"He's done it before. When someone shoved Rei down at school, he made the whole class apologize to her, including the teacher."

"What? And she let him?"

Erika giggled again. "No. She yelled at him. But he did it anyway."

Minako grinned at her, but actually, she was irritated. She had never interfered with Rei's daily life, neither at the shrine, nor at school. Rei had made it very clear that she wouldn't forgive anyone who tried to do that. And now Jadeite did it, and while she wasn't happy about it, she seemed to appreciate it none the less. She smiled at him. Erika said she was happy.

Minako was certain that a creep like Jadeite would never outclass her. She and Rei had spent the most exciting awesome times together. So why was she jealous about a stupid boy who just liked to be bossed around and make himself useful?

"Minako... can I ask you something? I can't ask Jadeite... but... the bad things that happened to him... was it really an accident? Rei always looks at him in a funny way when he mentions it, and... do police officers have accidents at all?"

"They do. But you are right, it wasn't an accident. Jadeite... if you have innocent people that are attacked by bad guys, and you need someone to step forward to keep them safe, or buy them some time... Jadeite doesn't care if he's outnumbered, or going to loose. If he has someone to protect, he will go out and fight. And that was what happened when..."

...when the Shitennou were facing Metallia's overwhelming powers, and Endymion left them for the Princess, and Jadeite was killed, taken away, filled with evil, and what we got back didn't have much in common any more with the boy he'd been... and he knew it'd happen and still faced them without wavering...

Minako looked away. "I shouldn't tell you such scary things. I'm sorry. Just keep in mind that the past is gone, and that the life we have now is what counts."

"Jadeite says that, too."

Minako smiled. "Here, I heard you like my music, please take this album, and I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Thank you, Minako, and you don't have to apologize. I understand now that you really care for Rei and Jadeite."

Minako thought she'd better leave it at that, and waved Erika good bye when her grandmother took her home.

xxx

"That must be the first time I heard you say something positive about him," said Rei from behind Minako's back.

"I could hardly flame him in front of his fanclub," said Minako.

Rei chuckled. "We're not his fanclub. His fanclub runs an internet site where they exchange their fantasies about him."

"What? You must be kidding me."

"No, it's true. A bunch of self-proclaimed demon hunters who think Jadeite is something like a super demon. Some teenagers who stalk him and get all excited about ideas of chaining him up and torturing him."

Minako grinned. "Can I become a member?"

"No. Torturing Jadeite is an exclusive and hard-won privilege of mine and I am not going to share it."

"Oh, please, please, Rei-chan, just a little bit?"

Suddenly, Rei didn't feel like joking any more.

"Minako!" she said angrily, "Don't you think he's had enough?"

Minako laughed. "Jadeite? Who begs to be everyone's doormat?"

"Don't talk about him like that! Jadeite is a good guy. I don't know much about men, but even I know that good guys don't come by the truck load."

"I can't belive we are having this same conversation again," said Minako with a slight smile. "In the past life, I tried to argue with you, and it was always in vain. Jadeite is too young - but he is a good guy. He is too powerful and dangerous, even his own people fear him - but he is a good guy. The Shitennou are furious and only one step away from declaring open war on us if you don't leave their little creep master alone - but he is such a good boy.

As if that made anything alright."

"But you must admit he is a good guy."

"He used to be nice, but I don't know him any more. He has changed so much. You don't remember him at all from the former life?"

"No. I could, if I wanted to. I asked Zoisite if he could help me. I am not certain if I want to. It's not the Jadeite of the former life I like. It's this one."

Minako shuddered demonsatratively. "Eww... That is hard to believe. He's become so gloomy... He was so full of life, always laughing, always jumping around, even as a teenage boy. You used to be the craziest couple I've ever seen. You were burning for each other, not knowing anything else, stepping over every rule or law to see each other. You could sit in opposite ends of a room and do things to each other with your eyes that made me blush. Stepping between you was like running into a strong force field.

And now Jadeite and you don't remember. I hate seeing you with him like this, Rei. It isn't right that you are together without love. It's like you were ghosts."

"So that's why you act so unbearably bitchy? Because you don't catch me with him in red hot love sessions?" Rei grinned. "If I only had known... why didn't you say?"

"Oh, don't you dare!" laughed Minako. "So you're not...?"

"No, we're not. How often do I need to tell you, we are just friends. Jadeite will never be my boyfriend. First thing, he isn't free. Second, I am almost certain he's into boys."

"Third, he's Jadeite," added Minako.

Rei shot her an angry glance.

"You really like him," said Minako unbelieving and shook her head.

"Yes. So?"

"Spend quite a lot of time with him."

"No. One day per week is not a lot of time. We are both very busy. That's why each Tuesday is important."

"But certainly you can skip one when I have taken a day off extra for you after we haven't seen each other for months."

"Minako, we can see each other now. But at seven o'clock, I am going with Jadeite."

Minako didn't understand. She was hurt, and didn't hide it.

"And you wouldn't even ask me to join you."

"Another time. Currently, we like some time on our own."

"What for?"

"Minako, stop questioning me like that. Sometimes, I can't tell you things. We aren't siamese twins after all."

"Excuse me, you dump me and spend our date with someone else and I won't even get to hear why?"

"We didn't have a date, Minako. You actually crashed the date I already had."

"So it is a date, with Jadeite?"

"Not really."

"You're sleeping with him."

"No! I told you, he likes boys!"

"He's tried to hit on you before. He can't be that gay that he wouldn't want a Senshi. That'd be quite a trophy to brag about with his friends. You are sleeping with him, that's why you won't tell me about it!"

"Minako, I won't listen to you if all I hear is jealousy and insults. I have friends, and some of them are men. I''m sorry if that is a problem for you, but I don't need your approval for my choice of friends. Minako, this is my life."

"Your life with Jadeite. Why him? Please, Rei-chan, give me one reason. One reason I can understand."

Rei hesitated for a while, but then she said: "You wouldn't want to hear it."

"I need to hear it."

"I shouldn't tell you... but... When things between you and me got very intense, I panicked, and I kicked you out in a mean way. When things between Jadeite and me got somewhere near starting, I panicked, and kicked him out in the meanest, drastical way possible. The difference is, Jadeite came back."

"I respected your decision."

Rei sneered.

"Yes, and it was quite offending. You had never respected my decisions before."

"Sorry. So it was a test?"

"No, it just happened. But... Jadeite... He didn't act like he was glad to have some space in his time planner. If you had wanted to see me, all it had taken you was to make up your mind. When Jadeite needs time off to see me, he has to face Kunzite, who is also interested in me. Can you picture Jadeite wrestling a favor out of a jealous Kunzite? I can't. And still he's there every week."

Minako's gaze instantly turned icy at the mention of the leader of the Shitennou.

"And what is this Kunzite thing about? Are you sleeping with him, too?"

"Are you nuts? Of course not!"

"So he is just a friend as well?"

"No. We're dating."

"Although you still hate him."

"Sort of."

"Why, damnit?"

"I told you, he's interesting. We really need to know more about the Shitennou, Minako. We are on the same side now, after all, and they keep all the important informations from us. We shouldn't let them get away with everything just because they aren't offering us information."

Minako shook her head.

"I don't know what has gotten into you, Rei. Kunzite is dangerous, and Jadeite is disgusting. Don't give me that Senshi duty martyr thing. You simply aren't honest with me any more, Rei."

"Because I date a man?"

"Because I have to hear it from Jadeite!"

"Ha! And what about you and Zoisite?"

"Me and... what?"

With satisfaction, Rei saw Minako blush.

"You and Zoisite, in the Dark Kingdom - and you never told me about it."

"It's not what you think..."

"I don't think anything, Minako. I just think you shouldn't be so touchy about me and Jadeite while you still let Zoisite suffer for you feeling guilty."

"What are you talking about? I'm not feeling guilty."

"Then why didn't you tell me? Minako, you shouldn't be so cruel to Zoisite, he's really nice if you give him a chance."

"I'm the cruel one? Excuse me, but Zoisite wasn't exactly an angel in the past!"

Rei grinned. "He sure looks like one, don't you think?"

"Mars Reiko, I can't believe how these guys can corrupt you! You almost sound human! What happened to you?"

Rei was relieved to hear Minako joking again.

"Minako, we didn't blame Ami for what she did in the Dark Kingdom, and we have to give the Shitennou the same benefit of doubt."

Minako sneered. "I have no doubts about them. Well, if you are so keen to volunteer for spying on them, I want a full report. On everything you know about them. Come on, tell me."

Rei sighed. "I will tell you. But not now. I will have to talk to them about it first."

"What? Whose side are you on?"

"We are all on the same side. But you can't just pop in here, yell at everyone, and demand to be told things that are personal."

"Yes, I can. I'm doing it right now."

"No, you're not. You're sitting with me in my room and drinking a cup of tea with me, because we're such good friends that you know when not to poke any further."

"Is that so?"

Rei grinned. "My mystic foretelling powers tell me that's exactly what's going to happen in the next ten minutes."

Minako sighed deeply, and then surprised Rei by taking her into an embrace.

"I'm sorry, Rei-chan," she said. "I didn't want to behave like this. Just be very careful around these guys, okay?"

"Okay," mumbled Rei and secretly slipped Zoisite's card into Minako's8 pocket before returning the embrace. "And you, too."