"What? What happened?"

"She was almost hit by a car," Onyx said. "They think she'll be all right, but they're keeping her in just to make sure."

X X X X

Serena was thoroughly bored. She had been in hospital for two hours, and there was nothing for her to do but sit and stare around her. That had gotten old very quickly.

The door to her room opened and one of the nurses walked in, smiling. "We'll keep you in for observation tonight, dear, but you can go home tomorrow."

Serena didn't smile. Was she to have nothing to do for the rest of the day?

"Meanwhile, there's someone here to see you."

The girl looked up, and stared at Jadeite in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?" she managed to stutter at last, after the nurse had left.

He raised an eyebrow. "I go to all the trouble of finding which hospital you're in, convincing the receptionist that while I wasn't family, it was all right to let me see you because I worked at your school – I told quite a few lies, I'm afraid – and walking up a hundred or so stairs to see you, and that's all the welcome I get? Something doesn't seem right there."

She laughed. She couldn't help it. "Sorry, I just didn't expect to see you here."

He smiled briefly, and then looked serious. "I've… got something to say to you. Queen Beryl contacted me about half an hour ago. She insists that I continue collecting energy or… she'll kill me."

Serena leaned forward, horrified. "You aren't going to obey her, are you?"

"I have no choice if I want to keep her thinking I'm on her side. I won't hurt anyone, though," he assured her, seeing the look on her face. "I'll take just a little energy from each person."

"It's still not right!" Serena protested. "Besides, haven't the Schreail seen you with us?"

"The ones who did were killed."

XXXX

"I think we should contact the Outer Scouts before we visit Serena," Aquamarine said.

"No need," a voice said from behind her.

Everyone jumped and looked round. Setsuna stood in the corner of the room.

"I've already contacted them and told them to come here. They're at a fair, so it might take a while."

"Serena is in hospital, and they're at a fair," Obsidian muttered.

Setsuna either didn't hear or ignored her as she continued. "I've also asked two more Scouts to pay us a visit. They should be here any moment now."

"Two more Scouts?"

"Who?" Onyx asked, sitting up.

"One has just awakened, the other was Sailor V."

At this moment, the door opened and two girls in Sailor Scout uniforms entered, looking around a bit awkwardly.

"This is Sailor Jupiter," Setsuna said, pointing to the girl in green, "and this is –"

"Venus!" Haruko yelled, leaping at the other girl.

"Solaria!" the girl cried.

And, to everyone but Sailor Pluto's astonishment, the girls hugged each other and cried.

"What's all this?" Aquamarine asked, bewildered.

"This is Sailor Venus! My cousin, remember?"

Light dawned all round. "Ohh…" everyone but Sailor Pluto said.

XXXX

"We've heard the whole story," Sailor Jupiter said later after everyone had calmed down, "and the other Inner Scouts were definitely in the wrong. So if you'll let us work with you –"

"Of course we will!" Haruko said, forgetting that earlier that very day, she had muttered to Onyx that she would never trust any Inner Scout as long as she lived. But then, she was so excited at being reunited with her cousin that she could have forgiven Beryl, if she had been nearby.

Just then, the Outer Scouts arrived. They didn't bother knocking; they just barged right in.

"Sorry we took so long," Haruka gasped, out of breath, "but we were –"

"We heard," Obsidian interrupted.

"Before we start talking about Serena, I have something to tell you that Jadeite told me," Setsuna said.

"What?" Aquamarine asked.

She told them what Jadeite had told Serena.

XXXX

"It's your fault!"

"MY fault?" Nephrite looked at his tormentor incredulously. "Your memory seems to be in a sorry state, blaming me for this!"

"Then who should I blame?" Zoycite demanded.

"Yourself, of course."

In the middle of yet another of their fights, an energy blast, fired by Zoycite, had gone out of control and hit the wall, demolishing a good deal of it. While it could in time be fixed, it was yet another thing to go on Nephrite's list of "Reasons She Must Not Be Allowed to Stay". As far as he was concerned, he had more than enough on that list to justify throwing her out. Not that he had needed any justification, of course.

"Right, this does it. You're going out!"

"What, on the streets?"

"Either that, or back to the Dark Kingdom."

"No way!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is my house, I give the orders, and I'm doing something I should have done long, long ago! And don't you dare try to blackmail me again, or I'll kill you! I mean it!"

"You can't throw me out!" Zoycite looked on the point of throwing a tantrum.

Nephrite rolled his eyes. "And give me one good reason why not? I was under the impression you hate me as much as I hate you, so why do you want to stay?"

"No, I don't want to stay, it's... I mean... I..." Zoycite broke off. "I can't tell you."

"Then out you go!"

"No, I... I..." She stared at the ground. "I'm pregnant."