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Chapter 14 – Pieces of the Puzzle
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Usagi loosened her hold on the other girl, so she could look into her eyes as she spoke to her, "You don't need to hide anything from us. You certainly don't need to be afraid to tell us what's on your mind. It's just us here and you can speak your mind to us, we won't judge you in any way. We only want to help and to do that; you can't hold anything back from us."
She could feel her eyes begin to swim with unexpected tears; she blinked them away and took a deep breath. If she closed her eyes, she could almost believe she was back home. The reality was that she wasn't home. She was in an unfamiliar world with her parents' teenage selves and she needed to tell them, warn them of the danger she brought with her. "There are some that want our rule to fail in the future." She began, but found herself closing her eyes, willing herself to keep her composure as she explained where her fears really came from. She didn't anticipate telling them this, not without solid proof in her mind. "And I'm afraid." She said and took another deep breath when she felt the hands covering her own squeeze them lightly. "I'm afraid that they may have followed me here somehow and that they hope to hurt both of you in this time."
Rei looked at Usagi to see her reaction; she looked as worried as she felt about this revelation. She wanted more information though, so she turned back to the pink haired girl. She frowned when she saw the girl was avoiding eye contact with both of them, instead choosing to stare at the hands holding hers. Rei gave a small squeeze as she spoke, "Chibi-Usa?"
The future Princess slowly looked up and saw her Mama's eyes staring back at her. She might be younger, but her eyes were still the same. She took some comfort that, like she took comfort in her other mother's embrace. She wore a soft smile as she looked, but she could see that she had more questions, "Yes, Mama?" Her eyes widened at her slip of the tongue. Her Mama had asked her not to call her that and she did wish to follow her request, but it just came out.
Rei didn't comment on her slip though, she simply rubbed their hands together warmly and smiled a little wider, trying to silently reassure the girl. She realized though, that she probably needed to hear her say it was alright, she was already upset enough, "It's fine, trust me. It's only the three of us here and like Usagi said you can say whatever is on you mind without judgement from us."
Chibi-Usa bit her lower lip lightly as she tried to stop herself crying, but as she looked into her Mama's honest amethyst eyes she stopped fighting it. She untangled herself from her other mother and launched herself at the dark haired woman. She mumbled, "Mama." Before she buried her face into the crook of her neck and cried.
Rei wrapped her arms tightly around the other girl and rested her chin lightly on the top of her head. She rubbed small circular patterns on her back, trying to comfort her as her gazed drifted over to Usagi. The blonde didn't say anything, but her warm smile told her enough. Usagi shifted so that she was sitting beside Rei again and put her hand on the small of her back for a moment before letting her hand settle on her waist, allowing her to hold her with one arm. A moment later, she rested her head on her shoulder as well. With her free hand, she brushed her fingers through her future daughter's hair soothingly, "It's going be fine, we're going to be fine." She whispered as the girl's sobs slowed.
With her finally calming down enough to speak, she found herself whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Over and over again, she apologized. The guilt that she was responsible for this whole situation became too much for her to hold those words back.
Rei's movements stalled when she heard what the other girl was saying. She loosened her hold slightly, "Hey, there isn't anything you need to be apologizing for."
The pink haired girl pulled away so that she could look into her future mother, "I brought them here though, it's my fault…"
Rei shook her head and interrupted the girl before she could say any more, "You didn't bring them here. They followed you. Don't blame yourself for any of this, we don't." She said and smiled, "Whether it's here or in the future we need to deal with them, right?" She received a small nod, so she continued, "I can promise you that I won't let them hurt you or Usagi, I'll make sure of that."
"And what about you? Who will make sure you don't get hurt?" Chibi-Usa asked quickly.
"I won't get…" Rei began to say, but she was cut off.
"Nothing will happen to her either, because I'll make sure of it." Usagi interjected. The blonde's statement caused Rei to look over to her, a part of her almost wanted to say that she didn't need protection, but she knew that wasn't what this was about, so simply chose to flash a smile at her.
Chibi-Usa drew both girls attention back to her as she spoke again, "You're not mad at me then?"
Usagi touched her shoulder, "I promise that we are absolutely not mad at you." The pink haired girl lowered her head slightly and nodded. "I am glad you came to us with this though. It really means a lot that you told us, even though I know it was hard." She saw her nod again, but also bring her hand up and wipe her eyes, which prompted her to separate herself from Rei and extend her arms to Chibi-Usa, "Come here." With one more nod her head; she pulled away from Rei and moved towards Usagi. Once she was close enough, she wrapped her arms around her future daughter, whispering assurances that things would be okay.
Rei smiled as she watched Usagi with Chibi-Usa, she could see how much she'd grown, it was inevitable of course. She was glad that she had this to look forward to in the future. Though there were still questions running through Rei's head, but she was confident most of them could wait. She still wasn't entirely convinced that it was Usagi and her that were their target, but that didn't really matter either way because if her daughter is their target, like she was pretty sure was the case, she'd destroy anyone that thinks she would let them touch her. It did occur to her that this wasn't something they could keep to themselves either, "We should probably let all the girls know about this, Usagi."
The blonde turned to her girlfriend, "Do you think we should call them to come over tonight?"
Rei sighed quietly and looked at the girl in her girlfriend's arms, "I feel bad about calling everyone here now, especially after we just left Minako, but this is something we should all be on the page on." She conceded and paused for a moment to get to her feet and stretching her limbs, "We should probably get back to my room. I'm sure that Haruka and Hotaru will be glad for the company again." She said and offered her hands to the girls still sitting with each other. Chibi-Usa was the first to accept the assistance, as she nodded her head and pulled back from the blonde's arms, allowing Rei to bring her to her feet. Once she was standing, Rei looked her over for a moment before releasing her hands and bringing them to her cheeks, wiping away the wetness that lingered there. The future Princess felt cheeks flush as looked at Rei and saw her smiling at her, "Everything really will be okay, I promise" She said and dropped her hands. Rei turned to help her girlfriend up as well, but she was already standing when she looked. "Let's get back then." She said and moved to open the door for the other two girls.
Usagi put her arm across her future daughter's shoulders, "I think I can see how much you are like Rei." She said softly, causing Chibi-Usa to look at her. Usagi was smiling back at her before looking at Rei waiting by the door for them, "Don't put so much on yourself, thinking you are protecting us. She does that more often than I'd like. I'm still trying to work on that with her." She said and tightened her hold on her a little.
"I…I'll try." Chibi-Usa murmured quietly, voice sounding hoarser than she expected.
"Thank you." Usagi said, sounding a little relieved before ushering the other out of the room with her.
Rei touched her forearm as they reached and gave her a questioning look, but Usagi simply smiled and shook her head slightly. She slid the door shut and nodded, 'I guess that was a conversation just for them.' She thought silently as they headed back to her room. There wasn't any more said, there was plenty talking on the way they figured. They quickly found themselves in front of Rei's bedroom, as it wasn't very far from where they were. Rei grabbed the door but looked at Chibi-Usa before opening it, "We are going to deal with together, but don't think for a second that any of this is your fault." She waited for her to agree before sliding open the door. The door sliding open must have startled the two girls inside, because Rei was certain they were hugging, but they seemed to virtually leap away from each other. "Is everything alright?" Rei found herself asking even before the other two girls with her could enter the room.
Haruka looked at Hotaru for a moment to see if she was going to speak, but that didn't appear to be the case, "Everything is fine. We were just wondering when you three would be back actually." Rei nodded slowly, but still didn't quite believe her.
Usagi and Chibi-Usa followed in after, the blonde had her arm around the other girl's shoulders. Rei slid the door shut again once everyone was inside, while Usagi lead Chibi-Usa passed the two outer guardians and to the futon in the room. Both girls could see how red and puffy the future Princess' eyes were, what had transpired between them, she had been crying.
Hotaru wanted to join them, but she wasn't sure if she really had any right, Usagi was clearly already comforting her, she was in good hands, but she couldn't take her eyes off the duo. She hadn't even made eye contact with the other girl, as her eyes were cast downward from the moment she returned. She looked over to Rei and saw that she was still somewhat close to her door, 'Maybe I should just…' She thought as she turned back and now finally saw Chibi-Usa's bloodshot blue eyes looking at her. She could feel her feet moving before she really knew what she was doing and in just a few seconds she was sitting down on the girl's other side. She felt Chibi-Usa brush her hand over her own as soon as she was seated. Hotaru flipped her hand over and once she did, Chibi-Usa interlaced their fingers together.
"I told them."
She heard the other girl whisper to her. She knew what happened while they were gone then, though she didn't really know how it came out when she was so adamant about not telling them the previous night. In the end nothing mattered about the how or why, because as far as Chibi-Usa knew she was only other person she vented her concerns to and she needed her support, so she gave her a slight nod and squeezed her hand.
"Are you alright?" Haruka asked quietly as she stepped towards the miko.
Rei looked away from the girls on her futon and focused on the tall blonde, "We have some things to talk about. I mean all of us too. I'm going to send out a mass communication and get everyone here."
The Outer senshi watched her for a few seconds before asking, "I guess this has something to do with your discussion with the Princess?" She simply nodded and looked over to her futon. Haruka followed her eyes, but didn't say anything immediately. She focused on the pink haired girl as she spoke again, "Is she okay?"
This time Rei did reply, "She's better. She's been putting too much on herself and we'll…" She paused before she said more than she wanted to at that moment, "We'll talk more once everyone comes." She finally decided on saying before grabbing her communicator. She punched in a few buttons, but paused and looked to the girl beside her, "Would you like to call Michiru? Or do you want me to have her in on my message?"
"It's fine, just include her with the other girls."
With a nod, Rei finished the rest of the buttons she needed to press to make sure she reached everyone that wasn't already present. She brought the circular device to her mouth as she said, "I know it's short notice, but if everyone can come to the jinja. There's something that we need to talk about in regards to the enemies we've encountered recently."
Minako looked at her communicator as it went silent. She didn't expect to hear from anyone, especially from Rei. 'What happened in such a short time?' She asked herself. She didn't sound like there was any immediate danger or anything, so that was good. Something clearly happened though, otherwise there was no need to call for a meeting.
"Didn't you just leave them Minako?"
The blonde turned to Artemis, hearing his question, "Yeah, they were going back to the shrine when I left them." She answered before becoming lost in thought again.
The white feline watched his charge silently for a couple minutes, "Are you okay, Minako?"
She again turned to the cat a little surprised by the question, "Of course I am." She said dismissively, already beginning to get ready to leave.
Artemis was growing tired of her dismissing him, but he didn't know how to get her to talk when she didn't want to. 'Perhaps I should enlist some help.' He thought as he watched her open her bedroom door.
"I'll be back in a little while." The blonde said before slipping out the door.
"I wonder what that's all about?" Ami thought aloud as soon as the message ended.
Makoto shook her head, "I don't know, but it looks like we won't be able to lounge around her all day."
Ami smiled at her girlfriend, "I guess not." She looked down and added, "It does mean we need to get dressed again though."
Makoto leaned down and softly kissed her girlfriend's cheek, "Why did we even bother getting dressed this morning?"
Ami couldn't help laughing at the question, "Because we adhere to social norms and wearing clothes."
"I love the way that beautiful brain of yours works and how you can explain the confusing thing that is clothing." She said with a laugh and slipped out of her bed. She looked around for a moment, "Where's my…?" Her question was cut off by a bra flying at her head, she still caught it before it could hit her though, "Thanks."
"You're welcome." She said with a smile and began to get dressed herself, "We should get to the jinja soon though and find out what Rei was talking about."
Makoto nodded her head in agreement, "Right." She said and focused on finishing quickly.
"I probably should meet everyone as they come." Rei announced, but even before she could take a step towards the door, she was stopped by a hand blocking her.
"Let me take care of that." Haruka said and paused for a moment, gesturing toward the girls on her futon, "I think you are more needed here."
Rei looked at where the other girl was and nodded after a moment, "Thanks, I owe you."
Haruka laughed lightly, "Remember I told you to not make a habit of it or I'll ask for payment." She laughed even harder at the younger girl's expression, "Let's call this one free." She said and patted the other girl on her before slipping out of the room, not allowing her time to respond.
Rei shook her head, she knew better than to pay much mind to whatever the Outer senshi was alluding to. She made her way over to her futon and as she did, she noticed Hotaru and holding Chibi-Usa's hand, 'I guess they've gotten closer.' The thought brought a small smile to her lips; she had hoped they would figure out things for themselves, especially after how their first meeting went. She hoped they'd be as good for each other as Hotaru was with the girl they had previously known from the future. It still felt weird to remember the girl who came to the past before this girl, she'd always thought something would click in their minds and…maybe not forget her, she was a part of their past, but she expected something. 'Didn't our memories create paradoxes or… something?' The only thing she knew for sure, was that time travel was confusing and the one person that could answer questions about it, was lost to them. She shook her head slightly at the thought; she needed to focus on what was right in front of her.
"Everyone will be here shortly." Rei said, bringing the three girl's attention to her. She focused on her future daughter as she added, "Usagi and I can do the talking if you'd prefer, Chibi-Usa."
The pink haired girl nodded, but remained silent so Rei sat down beside Usagi, taking her hand as she did. After a few seconds, Chibi-Usa turned to her left, "What if they have questions?"
Usagi rubbed her back for a moment before smiling and saying, "We can take care of it."
She seemed like she was going to say something, but ended up choosing to nod. Admittedly, she didn't know everything about them either; even her parents didn't as far as she knew. What concerned her more now was if any of the ones she knew by name were planning on showing themselves. She'd obviously never participated in any fight, but she'd seen the Quartet and the other guard fight before and she knew how much more dangerous things would get if any of them showed up.
While she might not being saying anything, Hotaru could see her thoughts were still occupied by her worries. She squeezed her hand lightly before saying, "They won't succeed, whether it's in the future or here. They made a mistake if they thought they could cause trouble here."
"I guess that means she already told you then." Rei stated, more than questioned. She could see the younger girl freeze, seemingly just realizing what she said.
Hotaru quickly turned to the miko as soon she returned to her senses, "I'm sorry, I couldn't…"
Rei shook her head slightly, before interrupting the other girl, "You don't need to apologize. I'm glad Chibi-Usa had you to confide in, Hotaru-chan. I know this has weighed heavily on her." While her initial attention was on the dark haired girl, she shifted her focus to her future daughter. It took the pink haired girl a couple seconds to realize the attention was on her, but once she did, her cheeks burn in embarrassment. She lowered her head slightly as if she could hide her blush. Rei was going to make a comment, but heard the door being opened, drawing her gaze there.
Haruka entered the room first, followed closely behind the rest of their friends. Rei gave Usagi's hand a light squeeze before standing up to greet all the girls that just arrived. "Thanks for coming so quickly everyone." She said and looked to each girl, coming to Minako last. She gave her a small apologetic smile to the blonde before continuing, "I would have asked everyone to come here if this wasn't important." She walked over to her futon again, but didn't sit down this time. She still took a quick glance at the girls on her futon, but they already knew what she was going to say, so she crossed her arms over her chest and turned to other girls in the room, "I know we debated if these recent attacks have been random or if they were somehow tied together. We have an answer to that now."
"What do you mean?"
Rei looked at Minako, "I mean that those youma we fought the other night are from a group in the future. It wasn't a random encounter with some stray youma."
"You mean the future that she came from?" Makoto asked softly. She didn't point at the pink haired girl or anything, but it clear enough who she was referring to, they only had one time traveler in the presence after all.
Rei nodded at her question, "Yes. It seems they followed her here."
"What do they want, what they are targeting?" Minako asked after moment.
"We're not completely sure yet, but they came here after Chibi-Usa, so I'm sure she a target. They may not have even known where they were following her to." She said and looked at Chibi-Usa as she finished. The other girl seemed like she wanted to say something and she was pretty sure she knew what that was already.
"I just don't want them to hurt anyone I care about." Chibi-Usa voiced
Usagi pulled her a little closer, "They won't." She said in a calm voice, but also very seriously.
The room grew silent for a short time, so Rei decided to say what else was on her mind, "Things have been quiet for a few days, but that really is feeling like a bad thing. I can't really explain it, but I just feel like there's something on the horizon." She shook her head slightly and sighed quietly, "Maybe I'm wrong, I'd rather we be prepared." She looked around the room and was happy to see that all of the girls seemed to agree with her.
"What did you have in mind?" Ami asked.
Rei looked around again but stopped for a moment at where Michiru and Haruka standing, they were being more quiet than usual. The reason seemed to click in her head after a moment of thought. She looked at the youngest senshi, 'Of course.' It wouldn't be the first time they kept information from the rest of the guard, but this was different and she was going to make sure they knew she did like it, at all. She looked around the room briefly and came to the thought that any confrontation could wait until the room thinned out a little. "I think it'd be a good idea for all of us to meet up regularly. We can do that here or if you would like to host some meetings as well, Haruka and Michiru? I know there's enough room at your place as well."
"We're more than willing to host any meetings in the future." Michiru answered.
"Thank you." She said looking at the older woman for a moment, before looking that the other girls assembled in her room, "That's about all that I wanted to make sure everyone knew. Does anyone have any questions or anything?"
"Do we know how big a force we are dealing with?" Minako asked after a moment.
Rei looked like she was going to speak, Chibi-Usa spoke before she could, "It's not very large." When she saw everyone's eyes on her though, she looked down.
The avatar of Mars walked over to the other girl and crouched down in front of her. She hadn't expected her to say anything, but if she had something to add, she didn't want her to reluctant to share. She caught a glimpse of her eyes staring downward and smiled slightly, "Why don't you continue?"
The pink haired girl took a deep breath and looked up, but she focused on her future mother in front of her, "I just know they have four commanders, but I don't know what they can do though. I've just heard the Quartet say how strong they are. They each have a small group they command."
Rei nodded, "That's all good information." She said and smiled again. She stood and looked at everyone again, "I think a little training might be a good idea as well then."
"I agree." Makoto answered, almost eagerly. Ami seemed to take that moment to wrap her arm around the taller girl's waist.
Rei smiled slightly at the action, but paused when she noticed Minako's expression. She didn't look excited to be standing next to the pair, but when she caught Rei's eyes on her, she quickly smiled. That only made Rei frown, which caused the blonde to falter a bit, but she quickly recovered and stepped forward, "I guess that means we at least have an immediate course of action to take then." She paused, receiving affirmative nods from the group. "Then perhaps we should call it a night?"
Before Rei had the opportunity to say anything, Makoto said, "Yeah, I wouldn't want to impose on your weekend together."
She had to suppress an eye roll at her friend, "I called all of you here, so I'd hardly call you being here imposing."
"Mako, knows that." Ami said with a smile, "Still we should probably head home."
Rei sighed quietly, "Let me at least walk you guys out." She started to walk towards the girls walking out, but Makoto looked back and said, "Don't worry about it, we've been here plenty of times, we can see ourselves out."
"We'll see you guys Monday!" Usagi called to the girls leaving.
"Of course!" Minako replied before slipping out the door, while the other two girls gave similar answers.
Once the door was shut, Rei looked at the two Outer guards again, 'Now was as good a time as any.' She thought and moved to stand beside her girlfriend. She leaned close to Usagi's ear, "I need to talk with Haruka and Michiru for a second." Rei whispered and kissed her cheek before pulling away. Usagi nodded and Rei walked over to where Haruka and Michiru stood together. They were unusually more quiet through her explanation and she had an idea why, "So I'm guessing that since Hotaru knew about this, both of you did as well." She said and looked at both women, not entirely sure if she'd get any response from them. While it wasn't too important now that things were out in the open, she didn't appreciate their silence about a direct danger to her daughter. Hotaru she could look past easier, she was a kid, relatively speaking. Haruka and Michiru were older and more experienced; she expected them to keep her informed.
"We didn't intentionally hide this from you or Usagi." Michiru said softly.
Rei looked at the avatar of Neptune as she spoke, "Whether intentional or not, I'd like to know if you have information that affects my daughter's safety."
"Spoken like our future Queen." Haruka said only half-jokingly, but Rei's glare silenced any further comment. If she wished to be serious, she could as well. Haruka put her hands on both of the younger girl's shoulders, "There is a weight to being her partner, our Princess. She won't rule by herself, like her mother. She'll undoubtedly need you at her side. So whether you like it or not, that will surely be your title in the future."
Rei took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them, her eyes had lost their sharpness from a few moments ago, "You don't need to tell me something I already know. Usagi will be only real ruler, you and I both know that. However, that is not the reason for my annoyance, if you will. The reason is your failure to take my issue with your silence about this seriously."
The tall blonde's eyes softened and she patted her shoulders lightly, "Believe me Rei, I took it very seriously and for what it's worth, I'm sorry. We had our reasons, but we shouldn't have kept you in the dark about this."
Rei nodded and felt the older girl finally release her, "Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear." She said quietly and looked over to the pink haired girl with Usagi and Hotaru. With a sigh she turned back to the two girls with her, "I can trust you to keep her safe, right?" Her eyes traveled from one girl to the other as she spoke, but they drifted to Chibi-Usa afterward. Not giving the older woman an opportunity to answer, she continued, "I would like to be there protecting her, but I have school and wouldn't be able to be with her all the time and…" She only stopped when she felt at hand on her shoulder, only one this time though. She looked at the tall blonde, who had a small smile on her face.
"I promise that we'll keep her safe. Hotaru has already told us that won't leave her side, no matter what. There won't be a time she is unprotected, I promise."
"If anything comes up though…"
"You'll know as soon as it happens." Michiru interjected before she even finished the statement.
Rei looked at the other woman and nodded, "Thank you." She looked back to her futon and saw Usagi hugging Chibi-Usa, "It's getting a little late, so perhaps we should call it an evening." She and turned to the two Outer guard with her, both seemed to be in agreement with her, so she began to walk across her room when she noticed her girlfriend and future daughter were in the same position, "So can I get in on this hug action?" Rei announced her presence to the other three girls.
Chibi-Usa immediately pulled away from Usagi and ran to her. The time traveler threw her arms around Rei's waist and held her tightly, with Rei responding in kind, her head pressed against chest for a few seconds before tilting her head up, "You can hug me whenever you want, Mama." She said quietly and return her head to its previous position.
Rei smiled as she whispered, "I'll be sure to call you over when I'm in need of a hug then."
"I see how it is…" Usagi began before sighing audibly, "As soon as Rei is available, I'm left high and dry!" She said with another sigh, purposely loud enough for the other girls to hear her.
Chibi-Usa looked over her shoulder to her future mother, "Mama gives good hugs." She explained simply and turned back around, still not releasing her hold.
Usagi pouted for moment, but eventually shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I can't argue with that." She said a little dejectedly. When she saw Rei lean down and whisper something to their future daughter, causing her to laugh. She crossed her arms over her chest then and walked over to the duo, "No secrets allowed though."
Rei looked at Usagi and smiled at her, "No secrets, I promise." She turned back to Chibi-Usa and kissed the top of her head before let her arms loosen, while her daughter did the same. Chibi-Usa took a step back, but before she could completely step away Rei touched the loose pink curls that fell over her shoulders, "Why no odangos today? I thought that was like a Moon Princess tradition or something…"
She shrugged her shoulders and stepped forward again before whispering, "Hotaru-chan thought it looked nice."
"Did she?" Rei asked quietly and took a glance over her shoulder at Hotaru for moment. When she looked back at Chibi-Usa, she whispered, "She's right." She smiled at the cute pink hue that spread across the other girl's cheeks. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Usagi was getting a little impatient, "Why don't you give Usagi another hug before you leave? She's feeling a little left out."
With a look over her shoulder, she nodded and stepped away from her, and quickly making her way to Usagi. Chibi-Usa wasted no time hugging the blonde. After a few seconds the pink haired pull back a little, "Mama just said that I shouldn't tease you." She whispered, explaining what their earlier secret talk was about.
Usagi smiled and drew the shorter girl into another hug. When she pulled away, she put her hands on her daughter's upper arms, so she didn't move too far away yet, "I want you to listen to Haruka and Michiru and if you see anything suspicious I want you tell someone, okay?"
Chibi-Usa nodded, "You'll be careful too, right?"
"Of course we will." She answered with a smile and rubbed her arms for a moment before adding, "We'll be fine, I promise."
Again she nodded at her mother's answer, "I wish I could transform and protect both of you."
Usagi pulled other girl close again and held her for few seconds before whispering, "Don't worry yourself about transforming. I'm sure when the time is right, it will happen." She pulled back and looked into her future daughter's eyes, "I know it. Trust me, okay?"
"Okay." She said quietly. It was hard to have that kind of faith after so long, but she would try. So she gave her the biggest smile she could muster, she certainly didn't want her parents to worry about her more than they already did.
Rei made her way closer to the duo, "Are you feeling better than when you came here then?"
Chibi-Usa stepped back and looked at Rei, "Yes, I do thank you."
She nodded before speaking, "I hope you won't hesitate to talk to us if you ever have something on your mind."
"I won't."
Rei smiled and looked over to Haruka and Michiru. They seemed to take it as their cue to speak up. Haruka took a couple steps forward, "It's gotten rather late, so we probably should head back home."
"We'll see you again soon. There are some things we need to take care of tomorrow, but we'll see you after school the day after that okay?" Rei said when she returned her attention to Chibi-Usa.
The pink haired girl nodded her head and caught sight of Hotaru still sitting by herself on the futon. She looked like she was in deep thought about something, not really paying attention that Haruka said they should be leaving soon. "I'm going to Hotaru-chan. She shouldn't be on her own either."
Rei look at the youngest senshi for a moment, "I think you're right." She said and gave her a light nudge towards the other girl, though she didn't really think she needed it. She watched both girls for a few seconds, until she felt Usagi beside her and took her hand. Hotaru looked noticeably happier when Chibi-Usa talked to her and she couldn't help from smiling at the two girls.
"What's with that grin?" The blonde asked and bumped their shoulders together.
Rei smiled and gave her girlfriend her full attention, "Nothing really, just a passing thought." She said quietly and kissed her cheek.
Usagi looked at where she saw the other girl looking, but now saw Hotaru and Chibi-Usa making their way over to them, or more like Chibi-Usa was pulling the dark haired girl along with her. "Are both you all set?" Usagi asked once the girls were close enough.
"We are, right Taru-chan?" She said and looked over to the girl slightly behind her. How she addressed did raise a couple eyebrows, but neither girl commented on it.
With a single nod Hotaru said, "Yes, I believe we are Princess." A smile spread across her lips afterward. It looked as though Chibi-Usa was going to say something, but at that time Haruka made herself known.
"Why don't let these two get on with whatever they planned on doing this evening?"
Rei gave the tall blonde look that she really hoped told her to shut up while she was ahead, but the smile she gave seemed to say otherwise, 'Did everything she say have be laced with innuendo?'. At least Michiru got her message, as she came up behind her partner and grabbed her attention, before shaking her head ever so slightly. When Haruka turned back to the rest of the girls, she wore a small frown.
"Well we wouldn't want to wear out our welcome girls." She said and looked at the two girls with Rei and Usagi.
Chibi-Usa looked at the two teens that will be her parents in the future, "Goodnight Mama. Goodnight Mother." It was easier to address them how she would in the future rather than who they were in this time and neither seemed to mind as she looked at each of them.
"We'll see you again soon." Rei told her with smile.
Usagi squeezed her girlfriend's hand, though she was focused on the pink haired girl, "And if you need to talk to us again before Monday, we can easily be reached. Hotaru and Haruka and Michiru all know how to."
As they were talking either Haruka or Michiru had opened the door and were waiting beside it. Both girls took that as it was the cue to leave, so they made their way towards the exit. If either girl realized they were still holding hand, neither seemed to want to be the one to separate. Rei watched them for a few seconds, until they were nearly out the door, before a kiss on Usagi's cheek and releasing her hand to walk over to the other girls were leaving. She was stopped by Haruka's voice was addressing her.
"You don't need to walk us out, if that's what you are intending. We are capable of finding our own way."
"I know, I just…" She said and trailed off as she watched Chibi-Usa walking down the hall with Hotaru.
Haruka tracked her line of vision, "Nothing will touch her with Hotaru near her, believe me. She'd rather lose a limb than let anything happen to her."
She looked back to the blonde before saying, "I know how dangerous that can be as well." Her eyes traveled over to Usagi for a moment, "Keep them safe."
The tall blonde nodded, "I should probably leave then in order to do that." Rei nodded in return and watch her put her arm around Michiru's shoulders, who smiled at the miko, and lead her out of the room. Once they were in the hall, she watched them for a couple seconds longer before sliding the door shut.
This was not how she expected this day to go. She looked over to Usagi, seeing her simply patiently waiting for her, made her smile. She didn't say anything; she simply walked over to her girlfriend and took her hand, rubbing her thumb over her knuckles. After a couple seconds, she brought it to her lips and kissed the top of her hand, before pull her towards her futon. Now that it was just them, she felt incredibly tired, it seemed the day was finally catching up to her. Rei sat on her futon, bringing Usagi down with her. She loosed her hold on her hand and fell back after a moment, "Today has been a long day…" She said with a sigh.
Usagi smiled slightly and joined Rei, in a similar position. Once she was on her back, she turned on her side and reached over, gently placed her hand on her girlfriend's cheek, prompted her to turn and face her. "You aren't feeling any ill effects from what happened earlier are you?"
She leaned into her hand as she said, "No, I'm fine, just kind of tired though. Before all of this happened, I wanted to talk with Jii-chan about us, but now I think I'd rather have a good night's rest. I know it's a little early, but can we just lay here until we fall asleep?"
Usagi nodded and stroked her cheek softly, "Of course, but won't you be more comfortable in your pajamas or something?"
Rei looked down at herself and then let her eyes look over Usagi as well, "Damn…" She mumbled more to herself than anything. She knew she continued to lie beside the blonde, she would fall asleep even if they weren't in the most comfortable position, laying only half on her futon. With a groan she sat up and stretched her arms above her head for a moment before standing. She offered her hands to her girlfriend, who took them immediately and found herself on her feet a moment later. She continued to hold her hands as she leaned forward and gave her a brief kiss, "I guess we should get changed, then?"
With a smile, Usagi said, "Probably." Neither girl made a move to separate though, which caused the Moon Princess laugh, "You might have to let go of me if you do plan on doing that though."
Rei sigh quietly but after a few moments, Rei reluctantly let her hands slip through her own and walked over to her dresser across the room. After rifling through a couple drawers she pulled out a tank top and some shorts. She looked over to see that Usagi already had her outfit laid out on the futon, but she hadn't begun to change yet. She looked at her door for moment and considered changing separately again, but it felt like an unnecessary thing tonight, plus she really was tired, so without another thought she grabbed the hem of shirt and began to pull it off. She hadn't even got it passed her breasts when she heard Usagi talking.
"You're not going change in your bathroom, like last night?" Usagi asked curiously.
Rei let her shirt drop into place again and turned around, "Why? Do you want me to?"
"O-Of course not!" Usagi stammered, feeling a warmth spread across her face.
Rei smiled and turned around again, "I think can keep my hands to myself, if you can." She said and pulled off her top. As she reached around to unhook her bra, she could virtually feel her girlfriend's eyes still on her, prompting her to pause and look over her shoulder, "Unless I'm distracting you?" She asked with a poorly hidden smirk.
Usagi turned to her own clothes in an effort to hide a blush she was sure now spread across her entire face, "You're not distracting at all. I mean I've you naked before, Rei." She said, trying to sound nonchalant, she wasn't sure she did though when she heard her girlfriend laughing at her, so she decided to get on with changing herself. She quickly striped down to her bra and panties. She paused when she reached behind her back to remove her bra, her eyes focusing on her sleep clothes. She hadn't given much thought to them before, but now she wished she had something that was sexier. It wasn't like she could have chosen something from her current wardrobe, she simply didn't own anything like that. That was something she'd have to change before she stayed over again.
"Did you need help with that?" Rei whispered and touched Usagi's fingers, that hadn't made any progress unclasping her bra.
Usagi felt her heart rate increase as she jumped slightly, not expecting the other girl to be right behind her. She must have been really lost in thought to not even notice Rei approach her, but she could be quiet stealthy when she wanted to be. She looked over her shoulder as she spoke, "I thought you said you could keep your hands to yourself?"
"Actually, I said that I only thought I could." She corrected with a smile, but still pulled her hands away.
Before she could step away though, Usagi said, "You may as well help." She looked forward again and added, "Since you already offered." She lowered her arms and simply waited patiently.
Rei nodded though she couldn't be seen and reach out again, but just before touching her she said, "As you wish, my Princess." She closed the remaining distance and took the bra between her fingers and slowly unclasped each hook. Her fingers brushing her back each time, she smiled as she felt a slight of her muscles every time. After all four hooks were undone, she pulled her hand back. Though her bra hung loosely on her shoulders, Usagi made no effort to finish removing it, so Rei to that to mean she wanted her to. She put her hands on her shoulder and slowly slid the thin straps down Usagi's arms at the same time. She was sure she felt a shiver pass through her body as she reached her elbows and the material fell to the ground, at her feet. She realized this probably the most exposed she'd been with anyone, standing only in her panties and unlike Usagi, she hadn't seen her naked before, 'Well not in this lifetime at least…' She thought and took a small step forward. She placed a light kiss on her shoulder and stepped back, letting her hands fall away as well.
Rei waited a couple seconds, but she still hadn't finished getting changed, "You are going to get cold if you continue standing like that." Her voice seemed to bring her back to the present, because she quickly reached for her clothes. Rei turned around to give her some privacy. She didn't want to sneak a peek at her while she changed, that didn't seem right to her. It felt like only a moment when she felt Usagi take her hand and pull her towards her futon.
Once they were lying beside each other Usagi propped her head up a little with her hand. She took Rei's hand with her other and played with her fingers. She watched their finger dance together for a little while, before saying, "One minute you're acting all flirty and then all shy the next. It's really confusing, Rei."
Her tone was light, but Rei took her statement seriously. She didn't mean to be sending mixed signals, "I'm sorry Usa. I promise it's not shyness though…"
Usagi tilted her head to look into her girlfriend's eyes, "I know." She said quietly and shifted closer, tangling their legs together. The more time they spent together, she felt as though she could understand what Rei was feeling even though she never voiced it. She was sure Rei felt it too, almost as if they could communicate without words if they wished. With that thought in mind, she recalled something her mother told her, 'Soul bonds…she said that were strong enough between soulmates that we could hear and perhaps feel each other's thoughts.' She didn't really need such confirmation that Rei was her soulmate, because she just felt it in their connection. She smiled, because she knew it wasn't Rei being shy, she was only teasing. "You're just being chivalrous." She said and leaned closer, resting almost half on top of her.
Rei laughed lightly at how she said the last word, as though it were something to be frowned upon, "Chivalry isn't a bad thing, Usagi."
"Mmm…" Usagi mumbled as she settled snuggly against Rei, resting her head on her chest comfortably, while she loosely held the dark haired girl around her waist. She wasn't going argue her point that she didn't need to be chivalrous, she wanted her. She felt Rei's fingers as they brushed her scalp lightly before running through her hair, after she repeated the process several times, Usagi found herself moaning at the sensation. As soon as the noise escaped her lips, she felt cheeks warm and immediately hid her face in her girlfriend's shirt. Rei's hand was no longer moving through her hair; instead she felt her press a kiss to the top of her head.
"Why are you embarrassed, Usa?" Rei asked quietly.
After a moment Usagi raised her head and looked up to meet Rei's gaze, "It's weird to make noises like that, when all you were doing is playing with my hair."
"Were you enjoying it?"
The Moon Princess nodded slightly, "Yes."
"Then that's all the matters. I want you to feel good and I like feeling your hair in my hands, I always have. It's soothing to me and that it gives you pleasure as well that makes me happy." She said and allowed the hair that was still in her hand to slip through her fingers so that she could bring that hand to Usagi's face. She cupped her cheek gently, "I want to hear every breath of pleasure these fingers give you." She said and brushed her thumb across Usagi's lower lip.
She knew if her cheeks weren't already flush, they certainly would have been now. She kissed the finger on lips before Rei even thought of pull it away, "If you don't stop talking like that, I don't think I'll have the resolve to wait for the moment you spoke of."
Rei smiled before dipping her head to capture her bedmate's lips, Usagi inched up to prolong the contact when she felt her begin to pull back. It didn't take much coaxing to give into Usagi's silent request. She leaned down once more and shifted so she was a more comfortable position, which meant that she lay half on top of Usagi, while the blonde was on her back. A hand found its way to the back of Usagi's neck as her tongue sought entrance, probing at her lips gently.
Usagi was quick to respond, meeting her tongue with her own, but she allowed Rei to set the pace. She remembered how quickly things progressed when she was given control and she pretty sure Rei had a little more control than she did. Her arms were still wrapped loosely around Rei's waist, but she didn't want to restrict any movement her girlfriend wished to make so she let her hands slid down her back, until she reached the small of her back. She flexed her fingers before fisting the fabric beneath them. Her hands were so close, she could just…and then she felt Rei nip at her lower lip, she couldn't help herself anymore. Her hands traveled lower still and took her love's bum in hands and squeezed, almost curious what her girlfriend's reaction would. It was thankfully immediate.
Rei quickly pulled away from the other girl's mouth and yelped at the unexpected action of her girlfriend. She let her hand fall to either side the blonde's shoulders and pushed herself up, "You little minx." Rei chastised lightly.
Usagi could only laugh, "I think you started it." She said and leaned up to capture her lips once more. Rei met her half way. Any hope of reigniting their previous heated exchanged was killed though when Rei pulled back after only a few seconds.
She moved off the blonde, so that she was now on her side, facing Usagi. She smiled as she reached up and touched her cheek lightly, "I'm sorry for making us stop again." She whispered and caressed the skin beneath her fingers. "I promise that we'll take that step soon. I just want it to be perfect for you. I want it to be…"
Usagi moved forward and pressed her lips firmly to her girlfriend's, effectively silencing her. Her hand found the back of Rei's neck, holding her in place even as she pulled back for moment before giving her a few more pecks and lay back. While she would have been fine continuing, there were some things she wanted make sure she conveyed. She knew Rei was being a gentleman…or rather a gentlewoman, but there was something she wanted to make clear to her, "I love that you want our first time to be special, but I can promise you that all I need for it to be special is you. All I want and all that I need is you, Rei."
"You perfect, Usa." Rei said softly and smiled fondly at her girlfriend. She was completely serious in her words; Usagi was utterly perfect in every way and everything she said. She brushed away some hair that had fallen loose, "It seems you have a way of saying just the right thing."
"Well there's a good reason for that." Usagi said and leaned in closer, as if she were going to tell her a secret, "Because I love you." She whispered and closed the small distance between, capturing her girlfriend's lips. She pulled back and smiled brightly.
"And I love you, Usa." She said and stroked her cheek softly with her thumb.
Both girls simply relaxing into their positions, at least until the Moon Princess got an idea that wanted to try, or rather a different position from the one they were in. "C-Could you turn over, Rei?" Usagi asked softly, while Rei cocked her head to the side slightly, at least as much as she could from her laying position. She quickly answered the other girl's unasked question, "I want to hold you, like you held me last night." She explained.
A smile spread across the brunette's lips, "Of course, love." She said and rolled over so her back was facing the other girl. As much as she enjoyed holding her Princess, she was more than willing to give her whatever she wanted. Once she was situated, she felt Usagi shifting behind her for a moment before arms wrap around her midsection. She leaned back into to her girlfriend's embrace and sighed quietly. 'There was something to be said for being held like this…' She thought as she eyes closed, even as she felt Usagi tangle their legs together. Both girls soon fell into a comfortable silence, at least for a couple minutes.
"You're warm, Rei." Usagi whispered contently as her hands sought out the bottom of her girlfriend's shirt. She slipped her hands under the thin fabric and sighed softly as she felt the muscles beneath her fingers react to her touch. She didn't seek out direct contact with the warm skin beneath Rei's sleep shirt to arouse her girlfriend, she simply wanted the closeness. She ran her fingers over her taut stomach; she felt a tenseness to her muscles, giving her pause, "Is this okay?"
Rather than answering her question, she lightly asked one in return, "I thought you said I was warm?"
"I like that you're warm." She said and kissed her cheek. Even from her side angle, she could see a smile form on her lips, so she resumed her previous actions. She could still feel the small reactions of her muscles to her touch, but it was more subtle, her breathing seemed to be more even. If she didn't know her better, she would say Rei had fallen asleep, but couldn't remember a time she ever fell asleep before her, "Rei?" She could feel the change in her body as soon as she said her name.
"Yes?" She asked softly.
She didn't immediately reply, but she tightened her hold slightly before speaking again, "Are you worried about this new enemy?"
The question made her much more alert. She hadn't expected such a serious question as she was very nearly drifting off to sleep, but if she wanted to talk about this now, she would do just that. She tried to turn over and face her girlfriend, except she was holding her too tightly to allow such movement. Instead, she covered the hands on her stomach, "I am. I'm worried about what kind of plan they have. I'm worried about what kind of strength they possess. Most of all, I'm worried about our daughter. She's completely defenseless if someone isn't with her, but that's why I made Haruka promise to keep her safe. Also to contact us if anything does happen around her."
"So that's what you were talking to her about before everyone left?" Usagi asked quietly as she drew small circles on her abdomen with her fingers.
Rei smiled at how nice Usagi's nails felt, though she knew the other girl couldn't see her from her position. It took her a moment to realize she had become distracted and Usagi asked her a question, "Yeah. I would have liked for her to stay here, knowing what we know now, but I can't always be here what with school and…" She paused when she felt lips press to her neck.
Rei sighed softly as she felt Usagi not stop with the one kiss. She trailed a line of light kisses up her neck to her cheek, until pulling away a little to bring her lips close to her ear, "You don't have to put everything on your shoulders. It's important that you let yourself rely on others."
"Mmm…" She purred, not quite able to bring herself to speak at that moment. She knew that was hardly what her girlfriend wanted hear, so she found herself sighing once again before being able to voice her thoughts, "I know what you're saying, I do…it's just not easy for me to rely on someone else to keep someone I care about safe." She paused for a moment, but quickly added, "I trust Haruka and Michiru and Hotaru. I know they are capable of protecting her, but…" She paused for a moment, when she felt another firm kiss to her cheek prompting her to continue, "It's like how I want to protect you. I trust our friends, but if it's me by your side, I know nothing will hurt you because I'll protect you." Again she found herself pausing, "That almost sounds worse. I feel like I'm an awful friend. I sound like I don't have faith in them…"
Usagi finally released her hold around Rei's abdomen and placed a hand on her shoulder, urging her to lie on her back. Once she was in her new position, Usagi quickly moved to straddle the other girl's waist and lean forward so that she had a clear view into Rei's eyes, "You could never be an awful friend, I know how much you care about all of them. You simply want to protect the people you love and that does not make you a poor friend.
"I know, but…" She said and tried to look away, but Usagi reached up and held her in place.
"Just believe in my words, Rei. I know where your heart is and it is pure and only with love where your feelings come from." She said softly and stroked the hair framing her face.
A part of her wanted to deny what she was saying because she knew there was also a possessiveness that played a part in the way she felt and being possessive wasn't such a pure emotion, but Usagi's words and touch were nearly impossible to deny. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing herself to only focus the girl above her. She sighed as she felt lighter; Usagi's presence seemed to do wonders for her own balance. She opened her eyes a moment later and saw she was being watched intently, "Thank you."
Usagi smiled, "You don't need thank me, Rei." She said and lean down to meet her girlfriend's lips. Rei reached up and rested her hands on Usagi's waist, holding her loosely in place. When she pulled back, she also moved to lie beside her again, resting her head on her shoulder, similar to how laid together initially that night. "You know you don't have to hold anything…" She was interrupted by a yawn escaping her lips, "Sorry. You don't have to hold anything back with me."
Rei smiled and held the blonde closer, "I'll try to do better." She said before kissing the top of her head, "We probably should try to get some sleep though, because I'm probably going to wake you up early again. I want to talk to Jii-chan before the jinja opens tomorrow." Usagi nodded slowly against Rei's chest in response. "Sleep well my Princess."
"Sweet dreams, Rei." The blonde said softly, before yawning again.
Rei sighed quietly and listened to Usagi's breathing. She tilted her head to see what time it was and had to suppress a groan, 'So much for getting a few more hours of rest.' She thought but heard Usagi mumble something, bringing a smile to her lips. A couple more wakeful hours with Usagi was something won't ever pass up though. She closed her eyes with that thought in mind and waited for sleep to take her.
End Ch.14
Wow, that chapter seemed to just go on and on. Sorry if it felt that way for those of you reading. This was such a 'talky' chapter and I don't really write many of those. I promise the chapter will make up for any disappointment with this one, although it will probably be just as long, maybe longer…
So any reviews would be much appreciated. :D