Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Drake, Derek, Sasha, J. J., and the others are merely figments that have escaped from my imagination.
Chapter Fourteen: Heading Home
"Once again, you're going to be leaving without spending any time with me," remarked Serena, looking down at her future son.
He sighed. "I know. Somehow spending time with you never seems to work out. If I were allowed to stay longer, I would. I can promise, however, that we'll spend lots of time together in the future. I shouldn't say anything, but…"
He paused, looking around to make sure no one else was around.
"You and I are closer than almost anyone else. If I have a problem, I usually come to you before I go to Dad. Depending on what the problem is."
Tears filled Serena's eyes as she threw her arms around her son. "Promise me, if you ever have to travel back to the past again, you'll come and stay with me. There's no way I'll let you get away with this again, you know."
"I promise, Mom." Derek returned her hug, tears shimmering in his own eyes. "And this promise comes first. If I have to come back, I will stay with you. I promise, next time, we get to hang out together. And I'll beat you at the Sailor V game."
Serena laughed. "I'll have to get in a lot of practice, then."
"Any particular reason why you didn't mention Jenna the last time you came back?" Raye glared at her future son.
J. J. shrugged. "I didn't see any reason that I needed to say anything. Besides, some parts of the future need to be a surprise. You can't know everything that's going to happen."
"I suppose." She sighed.
"Hey, J. J., you just about ready to go? Everyone else is ready," called out Jenna, running into the room.
The raven haired boy nodded, moving away from the wall he was leaning against.
"I guess this is good-bye again, at least for now."
Raye nodded, a faint smile hovering on her face. She hugged J. J. momentarily, before catching Jenna. The blonde girl threw her arms around her future mother, tears streaming down her face.
"Thank you! I just wish I'd come to you about Stella sooner," she whispered.
The raven haired scout nodded, walking out with both of them.
In the center of the temple courtyard, everyone else had gathered. Bastian and Baxter were standing near Hayden. The oldest of the Planetary Knights was talking quietly with them, one hand resting on Temporius's middle head. Sasha knelt next to Cero, allowing the three-headed dog to lick her face. Hope and Carter were both saying farewell to Hotaru and Aaron. The two dark-haired children stood extremely close together, as if supporting the other.
The five girls from the Havenstar Nebula stood a little distance away from the others. Stella clung nervously to the hands of her oldest sisters. Prisma and Spectra were still carefully eyeing the others, as if expecting to be attacked. Even though everyone had said they were forgiven, that they weren't in control of what they had done, they still didn't quite believe it.
Eva placed a comforting hand on the shoulders of both of her oldest sisters. Celeste, however, darted away from them as Serena led Derek into the courtyard. Her arms were around his neck before anyone could say anything. She dropped a kiss on his cheek before stepping back to walk hand in hand with him. The lavender haired boy grinned at her, a slight blush covering his face.
"Are we all ready to go, then?" J. J. asked, as he and Jenna joined the group.
Derek nodded, lifting his time key from his pocket. Sasha and Hayden pulled out theirs, as well. Celeste grinned at Derek, before lifting a shimmering, star-shaped crystal into the air, as well. The power from the four time-traveling objects swirled around them, and they were gone.
"I guess that's that," remarked Serena, wiping away tears.
"Hey, Sere, I was wondering, could we talk for a while?" Darien asked, not quite meeting her eyes.
She turned and nodded. "Sure, Darien. I think it's time we did."
"At last!" Mina squealed, a few days later. "Serena and Darien are back together again!"
Mal looked up from the photos he was sorting through. "You're certain?"
She nodded, bounding over to throw her arms around his shoulders. The blonde leaned over his shoulder, her head resting against his. One hand came down to pick up one of the photos.
"I like this one! I didn't realize you'd gotten one."
The photo she lifted up was one from the several months ago. Mitch, Mora, and Addie stared up at her. Addie beamed brightly, while the smiles on her older siblings were much more subtle.
"Yeah, I got one of the three of them. Got one of all of the kids, too. I was getting around to framing them and giving them to the others."
He motioned to a small stack of photos. Mina reached over and flipped through them. The top one was Derek and Rini, about to start an argument. The next one had Nick and Nita, at the picnic, their cheesecake between them. Zane and Sophie both gave shy smiles and hesitant waves at the camera. Jordan had one protective arm wrapped around Grace.
"These are the newest ones," he added.
Hope and Carter stood back to back, leaning against a tree in the courtyard of Cherry Hill Temple. Jenna stood behind J. J., preparing to launch a water balloon at him, though Mal knew the boy had ducked, caught it, and launched it back at his younger sister. Sasha knelt between Cero and Temporius, Hayden right behind her. Celeste hooked her arm through Eva's, wrapping her other one around Prisma. Eva had an arm draped around Spectra's shoulders, and Stella leaned back against her older sisters. Bastian and Baxter stood shoulder to shoulder, dressed almost identically, their sunglasses dangling from their fingers.
"You know, I don't think we've seen the last of time-travel," said Mina. "They'll be back, one day. If not, we know we'll see them in the future."
Jenna lead the charge down the hillside, towards Crystal Tokyo, Hope and Carter close on her heels. Once again, their parents stood waiting, just outside the city. Hotaru and Aaron held out their arms to the two dark-haired twins. Jenna leapt up, clinging to Jason, who spun her around.
Derek smiled nervously at his mother and father, one hand still clutched in Celeste's.
"We welcome all of you to Crystal Tokyo," stated Neo-Queen Serenity, holding out her arms to the Havenstars and the Cosmic Nomad twins. "I hope you can find happiness here."
Celeste smiled up at her. "I think we will, your majesty. I'm pretty sure we will."
She turned and gave an even brighter smile to Derek.
Okay, short chapter! I know, but now only the epilogue is left. No, I don't plan on actually writing a fourth part to this story, so the next chapter will be the end. Then, I'll start posting on my Harry Potter fanfic.