Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. I do own the plot of this story and the original characters featured in them…

A/N: Omg. Sorry for the delay it's been what? 3 years? I just haven't been inspired at all. I do need your help though. As you may know English is NOT my first language therefore my grammar sucks. I need someone (maybe 18+ that is willing to edit and fix my stories especially this one. Anyone that is willing to help can PM and I will contact you as soon as I have time. Do notice that this is a short chapter I will get to writing next one which is the party chapter. :D Things will be getting good. I promise. Now that I have a lot of free time I will try my hardest to at least finish this story. Thank you so much to those who kept on reading and sending me PMs asking me to please finish it. Thank you once again and I promise it won't be long until the next chapter.

I want to give a shout out to both T&K and AmethystBeauty11 for editing my work. I really love you guys ;-;

Chapter 12

Haruka closed the door behind her as soon as the maid was gone. She looked around the small chamber and noticed her and Michiru's suitcase near the bed. The blonde rolled her eyes and ushered the tired Michiru to bed. "Now you know why I do not leave my home." Haruka whispered as she watched her wife sit down.

Michiru simply sighed and looked at the blonde. "I am sorry. I did not know it was that bad."

Haruka shrugged and sat down at a nearby chair. "My only family was my parents and then Toku and Nana. That was it. I did not want anything to do with my uncle. Ever since I could remember he'd always seemed to be a greedy bastard."

Michiru stared at her husband for some seconds before removing her gloves. "Haruka…" She began. "You still haven't told me what happened to you at the mansion entrance. I have never seen you with that look on your face. It was like you had seen a ghost right before your own eyes." She raised her hands to her aqua hair and began to pull the various pins off. Little by little, soft and long strands of hair began to fall down. "If you don't want to talk about it now I can understand. You must be tired…" She shook her head a bit and released all of her hair. "Why don't you change out of those clothes and head to bed?" She tried to be as casual as she could be. She didn't want her husband to deny her again. Besides, it would look weird if Haruka left the chamber and asked for another guest room.

The blonde wasn't paying much attention to Michiru's words. She heard her completely, but she was more intrigued by the sight outside of her window beside her. Haruka's eyes inspected the front of the mansion for some seconds before noticing three men walk out to the front of the gates. She frowned deeply and nibbled on her thumb's fingernail as she inspected what the older three butlers were doing or talking about right in front of the old gates. "I have this horrible hunch, lady Michiru… this horrible, horrible hunch that the man that Kazuo was talking to when we got here has something to do with my mother's death. I've never felt this kind of chill." She said before turning around to face her wife. "I am sorry. I must sound so strange right about now…"

"You never really told me what happened. I just know what you told me in the meadow…" Michiru whispered as she moved aside while patting the bedside beside her. "I believe that now can be a good time to talk. No one is listening."

Haruka let out a soft sigh before pushing herself up from the chair. Slowly she made her way to the bed and sat right on the corner. Casually she removed her vest, using the darkness of the room as her aid in conceiving her body. She threw the vest over to the chair she was sitting on and turned to look at Michiru's tired face. "Do you really want to know? I mean I have not been able to talk about it since the day it happened. I mean just the other day when I went back to the town mansion I literally exploded…"

Michiru simply placed her hand on top of Haruka's clothed knee. "You should talk about it. It is actually the only way to pull through it. Just tell me what you feel comfortable saying. I will not push you to say anything that you don't want to." She smiled and gave her a soft peck on the cheek.

Haruka looked down to her knee, staring at the gloved hand for a moment. She placed her large callused hand over it and gave it a firm squeeze before pulling it up to her lips. "I can only say much…" She began. "My father used to travel around with his horse trading business and I usually stayed with my mother in the town mansion." She sighed and looked back at the window. "When I was just a boy I was waiting for my father's return. On his last letter to mother, he said he was coming home that night." She frowned. "He did not… "Haruka closed her eyes for a moment as if trying to bring back all of the painful memories all at once. "Mother had just finished her nightly routine." She whispered keeping her eyes closed the whole time. "She closed one of her large books with her hands and looked down at me. I was on the floor. I was playing. I don't remember with what, but I was not really that much into it. I mean I noticed her eyes on me. I noticed her soft eyes. She stood up and asked me if I wanted something before heading to bed." Haruka froze when she felt Michiru's hand on hers. She moved her head down acknowledging it. "She went into the dining room and that's when I heard it. I heard the gun shot. I heard her screams. I heard her running footsteps." Haruka suddenly opened her eyes and stared at the dead silence in the room as if reliving it all over again. "I ran to the dining room's closed door. I pushed the door open just an inch. And I saw them."

"Who?"

"Three men. They were tall and huge." She squeezed Michiru's hand tightly. "They took turns. Every time she whimpered they would silence her with a punch. And I just stood there, paralyzed with fear." Her head almost snapped as she turned to look at her adoring wife. Her pained expression turned into one of realization. She looked at the floor and closed her eyes tightly. "I left her there to die after what they did to her. She called to me. I went to her." Haruka had did everything in her power to choke back her tears. "I ran." She whispered. "I listened to her and ran. I didn't look back. I left my own mother there to die."

"Haruka..."

"No. I pulled her up to me. I saw them coming back from the other door. I could've done something! Hit them with something, took her to safety!"

Seeing the blonde out of control was too much. Haruka's face was wet with tears and red with rage. Michiru couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed hold of Haruka's face and pulled it sharply in front of hers. "How old were you, Haruka?"

"It does not matter how old I was! I was the only one that could help her!"

"How old!"

Haruka stared at Michiru's blue eyes for what seemed like an eternity. "Eight. Just eight."

"There was nothing you could have done…."

"But I ran. I hid in the stables like a coward."

"You were a little boy. You were scared. You need to forgive yourself Haruka. You need to forgive yourself."

"Forgive myself?"

"I am sure your mother would have wanted you to live."

"Do you have any idea of the images I have in my head? I've had nightmares, night after night, after night seeing her bloody face, her hoarse voice begging me to run. "

"And you did that. You obeyed her last wishes. You need to let this go." Michiru said wiping Haruka's tears away.

"I cannot." Haruka said moving away from Michiru's hand as it came to wipe the other side of her cheek. "I never heard from those three men again. No one was arrested, no one was held responsible. My father let it go as if it was a mere accident."

"I am sure you will make this all right in its moment." Michiru said before wiping the rest of Haruka's tears.

"Make it right?"

"Either that or God will take care of it. I believe in holy justice."

Haruka let out a snort. "God." She chuckled and ran her hands all over her face and then through her hair. "I have not seen God do anything and to be honest I would like it if you not mention him that much. I don't know if you have noticed I am not a big fan of God and his antics."

"How can you even say that? Are you a…" She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "Non-believer…"

"Do not tell me you are a religious fanatic?"

"I believe in God."

"I know he is around us. I just do not think he helps around that much… Can we change the subject?" Haruka said standing up and moving away from Michiru.

"If you wish…"

"Good."

Michiru stared at Haruka's pants while she thought of something else to say for the time being, but the blonde's sudden change in attitude made her forget about it. "I am going to sleep."

"Good." Haruka whispered as she turned her back to Michiru.

"Are you going to sleep in those clothes?"

"Why not?" Haruka mumbled before rolling up her sleeves.

"Haruka you are going to sleep in the same clothes you arrived in. Please? I am sorry I mentioned God. There. Now head to bed. You and I are both tired from the trip."

Haruka let out a small growl before unbuttoning her vest. "I want to sleep in my dirty clothes. I will take a bath later in the morning and change clothes…"

"But Haruka…"

"I do not want to hear another word about my clothes, Lady Michiru." Haruka said turning to face her wife. "That is final."

Michiru slammed her hand on the bed covers. "Fine! You do not want to change, but I do." She stood up from the bed and moved her hands behind her dress. "Help me if you will!"

Haruka quickly turned to look at the closed door and then at Michiru. "Wait, what? Me?"

"No. Nana. Yes you! Get over here and help me undress"

"But… I…"

"Haruka!"

Haruka groaned and threw her vest randomly on the floor. 'Might as well get this over with.' She thought. "Turn around!" She muttered under her breath.

Michiru swallowed nervously. She turned her back to Haruka and closed her eyes tightly. Maybe she shouldn't have spoken to Haruka that way. "Just undo the ties…"

"I know how to undress a woman, thank you very much." Haruka snapped as her fingers found the strings up on the neck of the dress. She undid the first string and slowly made her way down Michiru's back. Each time she undid a tie a part of the corset was revealed to Haruka's eyes. She held her breath and cleared her throat as she reached the last one.

Michiru's dress fell freely down to the floor. Haruka stood there and looked down at the now knots on the back of the corset. Without a warning her hands went back to undo the knots.

"Wait, Haruka."

"Shh!"

Michiru bit her tongue and closed her eyes tightly as she felt the blonde's cold hands touch every inch of her now exposed back.

"You wanted me to help you. I am helping you."

"Yes, but I can do this myself…" Michiru's word died in her mouth as soon as she felt Haruka's lips on the back of her neck. "Haruka?"

"You can kiss yourself on the neck?" Haruka asked, still close to Michiru's skin. Haruka chuckled when she felt the younger woman shudder against her. She rewarded her with another open mouth kiss to her neck. "You can finish this yourself, right?"

"Stop it."

"Why?" Haruka asked moving her arms around Michiru's waist.

"We are not at our home."

"So?"

"I want this to happen at our house." Michiru said biting her lower lip and holding back another pleasurable sigh.

Haruka slowly opened her eyes. She moved away a bit enough to notice herself. Her shirt was becoming undone not to mention her chest wraps. She mentally cursed at herself and moved away from Michiru. "Finish up changing. I need to get something to drink."

Michiru quickly turned around and grabbed hold of Haruka's forearms. "Are you angry?"

"No. Why should I?"

"I just rejected you."

Haruka coughed. She moved her arms away and covered her mouth as a she coughed again and again. "You rejected me!" She suppressed a laugh with another cough. "Yes of course yes. Wait no! No! I am not angry. Why would I be angry! It is only fair. I mean I have said no to you a couple of times."

"I am not ready…"

"Yes! Yes, yes! You are not ready. You are absolutely right. I mean, you would not want your first time to be in my cousin's house. Of course! How silly of me?"

"Are you all right?"

"I need a drink. I will be right back, all right?"

"Haruka… You are acting strange."

"I am, am I? Oh well. Just go to bed. There is nothing you should worry about. I will be back in a couple of minutes. Do you want something to drink?"

Michiru shook her head no. "I am fine."

"Great." Saying this Haruka grabbed her vest and put it over her shoulders and left the room.

Michiru stared at the closed door for a moment. She had wrapped her own arms around her torso, keeping the corset from also falling down. She sat down on the corner of the bed and shook her head. She was starting to suspect that something was wrong. Terribly wrong. The way her husband acts when there is a chance of intimacy is clearly one of the main reasons why she knew something was wrong. She needed to find out what it was… Soon.

Haruka made her way down the stairs of the grand mansion and into the servants' chambers passed the kitchen. She was buttoning up her vest in an attempt to stop her chest wraps from coming undone, but to no avail. She cursed under her breath countless of times before she finally heard the person she was looking for behind her.

"Are you not supposed to be sleeping?"

Haruka closed her eyes and whispered "Thank you, lord." She quickly turned around to find an eye squinting Toku behind her.

"What in the world are you doing here?"

"I need a place to sleep!"

"What?"

"Come on, Toku."

"Go back to your wife, Haruka."

"My chest wraps are undoing, I left Lady Michiru half-naked in my room and she wanted me to do the same. I do not think today is a good day to tell her."

"Shh!" Toku said, placing a hand over Haruka's mouth.

Haruka quickly moved his hand away and nodded. "Exactly!"

Toku looked around the long hallway and pulled the blonde into the dark kitchen. "Open up your shirt."

"What?"

"Let. Me. Wrap. You. Up!"

"Toku, is there not another empty room?"

"Listen to me, Haruka. I am going to wrap you up and you will go back to your room and sleep beside your wife. That is it. Tomorrow will be the ball and we just have to put up big smiles. You need to show that you are married and then we will ignore every single letter your cousin sends to you asking for another stupid visit."

Haruka sighed and gave up. She opened up her vest and blouse. "Hurry up."

"Good gir… Boy." Toku said as he turned her around and began to tighten her up.

"I keep rejecting her and tonight she rejected me."

Toku raised his eyes from his work to look at the back of Haruka's head. "So?"

"I feel strange."

Toku shrugged as he pulled on the wrap. "You need to concentrate on the fact that you need to tell her and soon."

"I know." Haruka sighed and pulled down her dress shirt and began to button it up.

"When?"

"When we get back."

"Are you sure?" Toku asked. "Is she deeply unconditionally in love with you?"

"How should I know?" Haruka said as she moved away from the tall man. "I know I am."

"Is that enough?" Toku said as he looked at the worried blonde.

"Maybe."

She heard someone come into the room. She heard giggles from younger girls and suddenly, the flash of the morning sun hit her blue eyes full force. She let out an un-lady like groan and covered herself with the bed sheets. "No…" She whined and moved to the side only to bump against someone.

"Why…" Haruka muttered as she sat down on the large bed. "What? What are they doing here?"

Michiru sighed and sat up too and looked at the three young servants. "Morning."

"Good morning, Lady and lord Teno'u! Breakfast will be served very soon. Would you like to join lord Kauzo?" The youngest servant said as she hid her blushing face with her hands.

"Sure…" Haruka nodded and waved her hand. "You can go now, thanks."

The three girls giggled and almost ran out of the room.

"Imprudent little brats." Haruka muttered as she pulled the covers from her body.

"Did you sleep here last night?" Michiru asked as she watched the blonde stretch her arms over her head.

"When I came back you were sleeping. You did not notice my presence? I climbed into the bed, you muttered something about wanting to cuddle and you went back to sleep."

Michiru blushed deeply as she finally took a better look at her husband. Haruka was wearing a really tight black pant and her white blouse was slightly open. Open enough for her to notice the chest wraps. "Haruka?"

"Hmm? Haruka looked up at the still sleeping Michiru.

"What is that under your shirt?"

Haruka quickly looked down. The shirt must've opened up while she was sleeping. She cursed Toku a couple of times before buttoning up and covering herself. "Undershirt." She muttered before quickly going over to one of her bags. "I am going to get ready. Do you want me to leave the room?"

"No, that is fine… Why do you wear an undershirt to sleep?"

Haruka was saved by the knock. She looked at the closed door and pulled up her dark slacks and walked over to open it.

"Morning"

"Morning, Toku." Haruka said with a relieved expression on her face.

"Did you both have a good night sleep?"

"More or less." Michiru answered as she stayed in bed, covered with the bed sheets.

"Oh well. I need to talk to you." Toku said returning his eyes to Haruka. "Now."

Haruka turned to look at Michiru and bowed her head at her before disappearing from the room. "What is it?"

"Are you ready for the ball?"

Haruka frowned. "Of course! Are you ready?"

"Should I be ready?"

"Listen now, Toku. I want you in that ball. I want you to keep an eye on everything and everyone, especially those three oldest servants."

Toku frowned and moved closer to Haruka's face in order to hide their conversation from the peering walls. "Why?"

"Just do so."

"I am asking you why because last night, way before you came down to see me I heard them talking. When I came into the room they all acted like they were just having some coffee."

"I understand, Toku. I believe those three men had something to do with yesterday's shooting. I need you to be my second pair of eyes."

"I will Haruka. You know I will. You need to worry about keeping Michiru safe."

"Wait, why?"

"I've heard of Kauzo's parties. I heard of his friends. They tend to get a little wild. His friends tend to drink a little too much. Keep your wife close."

"Do you have any idea how many people are coming?"

"I thought maybe you knew." They heard some footsteps from outside the hall. Toku hand's flew to Haruka's shirt and buttoned up the last two remaining buttons and then brushed off her shoulders as if nothing was happening. "Do not trust anyone in this house. Not even the maids."

"I do not." Haruka said as she grabbed hold of Toku's hands. "Thank you. I mean it. Thank you."

"Do not thank me, Haruka. I am only doing my job." Toku said before sticking his hands inside of his pockets.

"Next time we see each other will be at the party."

Toku smirked and nodded. "I hope you brought your best dress."

"I hope you did too…"

End of Chapter 12