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Serena: It took you long enough!

Annime: I'm sorry!

Ray: Annime doesn't own SM or anything belonging to someone else.

Chapter 13

Serena walked home with curiosity running through her mind. First Riley lies to her. Then, she finds out Riley's dad is in jail. Is there…maybe a connection?

Serena shook away the thoughts as she entered her house.

"Mom, dad; I'm home!" she called as she entered the living room.

No one answered at first until her brother came in.

"They aren't here," he told her. "They went out to the store to pick up some food."

Serena nodded. "Ok, but how long will they be back?"

Sammy shrugged. "I don't know. They just said they would be back in a little while.

Serena dismissed it by waving her hand from side to side. She picked up her things and left to her room.

"Why do you ask?" Sammy called from the living room.

Serena shrugged, although Sammy couldn't see it. "Oh, never mind. It's not really important."

With this, Serena shut her door and plopped onto her bed.

The thing was it was pretty important. But, what could her parents do? If some kids at school know, then nothing can be done.

"Hello, Serena," Luna's voice greeted her.

She lifted her head off of her pillow and looked at the raven furred cat.

"Hello, Luna," she said back to her. She lay her head back down onto her pillow to where she could still see Luna clearly.

"So, how was school?"

"It was pretty good. I made a new friend."

Luna raised an eyebrow at this.

"Really?" asked Luna. "What is their name?"

"Her name is Riley…though I don't know her last name."

Luna smiled. Maybe Serena was slowly making the transition back into her normal self…or at least close to it.

"Ahh, so was she nice?"

"Of course she was nice," Serena told Luna. "But…she knew too much…" Serena trailed off and also left Luna puzzled.

"Knew too much of what?" Luna asked with pure confusion.

Serena buried her head into her pillow. "About what happened over the summer, that's what."

Luna could only make out a few of the words the girl said for her words were muffled and distant sounding.

"Come again?" Luna said.

Serena lifted her head off her pillow, but she stared straight ahead at the wall.

"She knows about what happened over the summer."

The second the last word came out of her mouth she slammed her head against the pillow again.

"YOU MEAN YOU TOLD HER?" Luna couldn't help but shout.

Serena removed her head from her pillow for the last time.

"No," Serena corrected. "She already knew. She was the one who even brought it up."

Luna tilted her head. "How would she know?"

"That's what I was wondering. When I asked her, she told me that she had overheard some of the popular girls talking about it."

"How could ANY of those girls know that secret? The only ones who know about it at the school are the principal, some of the staff, and your closest friends."

Serena nodded.

"And don't forget the Sailor Scouts," she purposely pointed out.

Luna, though, ignored her.

"So how do these girls know?"

"That's the point," Serena explained. "They have no way of knowing. The only friend of mine who hangs out with them is Art. He isn't one to tell anything. He would also know if they were talking about anything like that, and they haven't been."

Luna looked puzzled.

"So…clearly the 'popular' girls don't even know?" Luna questioned.

Serena nodded. "But…how did she find out?"

"Maybe she is a friend of Moly's."

Serena shook her head.

"No, because she could just have simply said that-if it is anything it has to be something she wants to hide. It has to be something she doesn't want to know."

Luna nodded in agreement. "Yes, and didn't you take time to get to know the girl? Maybe some background information you learned could help solve this puzzle."

Serena hummed at the thought.

"Well, the only thing Riley really said that could catch any interest of mine was that her father was in jail." Serena stopped after this and her eyes grew big.

"One of the men who raped me had strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes," Serena whispered. "Riley looks a lot like him…and her father is in jail."

"Serena, we can't just go around and make sudden assumptions like that."

"But Luna, how else would she know? How does she look SO much like the one of the men who did this to me? And, on top of that, her father is in jail."

"Serena," Luna continued to argue. "That's not enough proof that Riley is your assaulter's daughter."

Serena groaned.

"Fine," Serena said. "I will talk to her tomorrow and find out how she knows. If she tells me another lie, I'll have to ask her at the root of it all."

"Yes," Luna agreed. "Now you are looking at this sensibly."

Serena gave a single nod as she stared at the wall at the head of her bed.

"I really think she is his daughter, though," she mumbled. "It just seems so very possible to me."

Luna sighed. "It must be. But, we shouldn't go throwing this into the girls face without exact proof."

Serena scuffed.

"Serena dear; we are home now!" her mother's voice rang out through the house to the young teen's room.

"Ok, mom!" yelled Serena in reply. She stood from her bed and walked to her door. "Gotta go; see ya, Luna." With this, the girl left the feline to herself and went down to the kitchen.

Once the girl was gone Luna gave a sigh of relief.

"Are the baskets ready?" Lita asked her fellow Sailor Scouts as they put together the finishing touches.

The basket made for Serena was tied with pink bows and had a chocolate brown teddy bear sitting up-right.

Molly's had yellow lace tied around it and a pretty light brown bear sitting securely inside.

"Yep," Mina answered with a broad smile. "They are going to love these."

Annime: Again, I am very sorry for not updating in a while. I hope you liked the chapter.

Mina: Please review!