Later that evening, they were all outside in the grass. "All right, ladies, let's have some fun. Power-up." Serena called. They powered up. They began slowly. Gabe learned fast and enjoyed a challenge. All their attacks had the same effect on each other, just a mild stun and they were fine. "Mercury, fog please." Moon called out. Mercury laughed and called forward an icy, eerie fog that made the work-out a whole lot harder. Serena bumped into something warm and soft.
"Hey, Nero. What took you so long?" she asked.
"Had to find you." Nero answered.
"Shows how out of practice you are." Moon teased.
"Do you ever shut up?" Nero asked.
"Sure, every..." she was cut off with a quick kiss.
"Well, silence for two seconds isn't bad." Nero said. Moon laughed and
once again, they were back to back and silent.
They heard rustling not far away and fired. A return shot was fired and they both ducked and rolled. It continued for another two hours in the damp icy fog before Moon called it quits. "Alright, Mercury, turn off the fog and let's call it a night." Moon said.
The fog dissipated without the constant source. "Feel better?" Venus asked.
"Much." Moon answered. "Thanks for the fog, Mercury. Everyone OK and accounted for?" Moon asked.
"Yeah, we're all here. How do you guys do that for hours at a time?" Gabe asked having already powered down.
"Try doing it for days at a time when you've had no sleep in between. That's what the last Mega Battle was like. We damn near died." Moon said.
"Correction, we did die, we were just reincarnated. Again. Do you suppose we start aging all over again?" Mina joked.
"Funny, V Babe, but no." Lita said.
Serena looked at everyone. "Chocolate?" she asked.
"Count me in." Lita said and they all headed inside for whatever chocolate they could scrounge up. Then they hit the showers.
"I swear, we could build a house of chocolate, and they'd have it gone before the end of the day." Kaden said as he and the guys hung out in the den. They all laughed.
"What would happen if we hid all the chocolate?" Nate asked.
"They'd find it." Darien said.
"Yes, we would." Serena said as she came into the den with her hair down and wet from her shower.
"All that caffeine can't be good." Michael remarked.
"White chocolate has no caffeine but tastes pretty damn good." Serena said.
"So I take you came in here for a reason?" Zach asked.
"My house, you gonna kick me out of my own den?" she challenged.
"Nope. Wouldn't dream of it. You look bored. We all thought sparring would at least wear you out." Zach said.
"Nah. I have too much energy right now. It's all the chocolate that you were all complaining about." Serena said as she sat in Kaden's lap. He pulled her close.
"You smell good." he said.
"Rei mixed the soap this time. She used cherry blossoms." Serena said.
"Why don't you just buy perfumed soaps?" Kaden asked.
"Because they dry out my skin. Homemade soap doesn't." she answered.
"Where's everyone else?" Nate asked.
"Bed probably. You all know that I don't sleep much. I haven't in years.
Where's Erin?" she asked.
"Said something about not feeling up to a gabfest tonight. What's up with the two of you?" Michael asked.
Serena closed her eyes and forced herself to relax. "I can't tell you exactly why I'm mad at him, but trust me when I say I have a damn good reason." Serena said.
"I thought you weren't tired." Nate said.
"I'm not, but I'm trying to relax. You all know that Lita filed for a divorce the other day, right?" she asked.
"What? Really? Things don't seem that bad." Michael said.
"They are. They haven't been sleeping in the same room for about three months." Serena said.
"And we all thought they'd last. Oh Lord, here come Lilly and Erin right now. I can hear them arguing." Nate said.
Serena quickly moved off Kaden's lap, stood, and walked out the door. "Knock it off!" she yelled. Since Serena didn't yell unless they were in battle, they both shut up and looked at her.
"Sorry." Erin muttered to Lilly.
"I'm sorry, too." Lilly muttered softly. Lilly headed for the kitchen, and Erin just stood there.
"Do you think, just once, you could leave her alone? You just have to start an argument with her. Grow up, Erin." Serena said, whirled around, and headed for the kitchen.
Erin stood there looking after his sister. "I don't think I've ever heard her yell at anyone. Especially you." Zach said.
"That's twice today." Erin said.
"What did you do that pissed her off?" Michael asked.
"I don't know. Usually she talks to me when something's wrong." he said.
"Doesn't help that you've hurt two of her best friends." Kaden said.
Erin looked confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
"Lita and the affair." he answered.
"OH. She found out, huh?" he asked.
"Yeah, she was told. She's siding with the girls. She always will. That's
where her loyalties lie." Kaden said as the guys left the den.
Once everyone was gone Erin looked at Kaden. "Who told you?" he asked.
"Serena, Lita, Lilly herself. Rei knows, too. Revenge isn't always sweet. You hurt other people in the process. If Lilly hadn't been drunk, you never would have done that." he said and stormed off.
"I'm new, but it's my opinion that you'll never win when it comes to those two." Gabe said.
Ariana nodded in agreement. "What's the deal with them anyhow?" Ariana asked.
"They're lovers. Simply said." Rei said coming from the living room.
"Great, now I'm going to be fried." Erin muttered.
"Not my place to fry you. It's Lilly's, and she won't because Serena won't let her. She may be mad at you, but when it comes down to it, you're still her brother." Rei said. Erin frowned.
"Give them a few months, try not to do anything stupid, and they might forgive you." Gabe suggested.
"You know, for only being around a short time, you sure pick up on things quickly." Erin said.
"Boredom does that to you." she said and walked into the kitchen.
"So Serena loves Kaden and Lilly. Intriguing. And here I thought I was the fucked up one." Ariana said.
"It runs in the family." Darien said from behind her.
Ariana jumped. "Does everyone do that? Walk around silently, like they're anticipating an attack?" she asked.
"Most of us." he answered.
"Well don't sneak up on me, it's annoying." she said and walked off.
"Ahh, now that is a good point." Rei said and laughed.
"You like her. You should talk to her." Darien said.
"And tell her what, oh great one?" Rei asked saucily.
"Explain exactly why we all are the way we are, and stop calling me that."
he said tersely. Rei laughed at him.
"You just like to grate on his nerves don't you?" Setsuna asked from behind him.
"Yep. Makes life more fun." she said and walked off.
"I give her a week before she comes clean." Gabe said coming back.
"Huh?" Darien, Setsuna, and Erin asked in unison.
"I'm perceptive enough to understand that Lilly and Serena aren't the only two that swing both ways. They just don't care like the other two do. After all, the other two have reputations to uphold." Gabe said and headed for the stairs.
"What's she talking about?" Setsuna asked.
"No idea." Erin answered.
"I get it." Darien said. Setsuna looked at him. "I'll tell you later." he said, and they walked off toward their house.
"It's quiet in here." Rei said as she walked into the upstairs living room.
"That's the point of being here." Ariana said.
"You're used to the silence?" Rei asked.
"Yeah. It'll take me a bit to adjust to the chaos." she said.
"Trust me, this ain't chaos." she said and shuddered.
"We heard about that." Ariana said. "Was it horrible?" she asked.
"Yeah. We all died again." Rei said.
"Seems like you'd die for her any day of the week if it meant preserving the line." Ariana said.
"Lilly's worse. She goes in head first and asks questions later. We're lucky she was brought back last time. Lilly damn near went insane without her. They're close." she said softly, staring into the fire.
"And you get uncomfortable around her." Ariana said.
"Sometimes." Rei agreed.
"They don't know, do they?" she asked.
"How you figured it out is beyond me." Rei said.
"I watched you earlier tonight." she said.
"You sound like Rena. She's always watching everyone. Just observing them. She says that's how she knows when something's wrong." Rei said.
"Then she and I are alike in that aspect." Ariana said.
"You're different. She's restless, you're not." Rei said.
"I could never do what she does. I could never be the leader of the pack, and have time for work and family, plus an active social and love life. Serenity's always on the go." Ariana said.
"Yes, she is." a new voice entered their discussion.
"Hey, Lil. Feeling better?" Rei asked.
"I still want to kill him, and strangle him, and torture him. Is that normal?" she asked leaning against the archway with her head tilted back and eyes closed.
"Yeah, and it never gets better." Rei said.
Lilly smiled. "She's coming, Rei, behave." Lilly said, and Serena entered the room.
"You look like shit, Rena." Rei said.
Serena smiled. "Thanks, Pyro, you make me feel so much better." she said sarcastically.
"It's a gift." Rei said.
"You're not restless anymore." Ariana observed.
"Nope. Worn out now." Serena said as she sat down on a sofa and stretched out.
"How do you stay so tiny?" Ariana asked.
"I don't know, but I eat like it's going out of style. Ask Lilly and Rei. Rei would definitely know, she was over at my house daily when we were growing up." Serena said.
"That's 'cause it's just next door." Rei said.
"Was. Now they live across the street from each other." Serena reminded her.
"Lil, sit." Rei said.
Lilly sat down on the sofa with Serena and Serena laid her head in her lap. Lilly played with her hair. "Keep doing that, and I'll fall asleep." Serena said softly.
"I know. That's the point." Lilly said.
Serena smiled. "It's quiet in here, isn't it?" she asked them.
"Mmm. That's what I said when I came in." Rei said.
"We can leave if you want us to." Serena said softly.
"You're not bothering us." Ariana said.
"I bother Rei. She's just too chicken shit to admit it." Serena said drowsily.
Lilly laughed softly. "That's never been our problem, Rena. She's always been secretive about where she went those times she saw." Lilly said. Rei just looked at them.
"Don't stare, it's not polite." Ariana teased.
"See? Ari gets it." Serena said.
"Ari?" Rei asked.
"Just like Rena." Ariana said.
"I see." Rei said.
"Speaking of which, does Jason know what you do when you get restless?" Serena asked, opening violet colored eyes.
"Does Kaden?" Rei challenged.
"Of course." Serena answered.
"Don't fall asleep with your contacts in, they'll give you a headache." Rei said.
"Or get stuck. I've had that happen." Serena said. She reached into her jeans for her contact case. She took her contacts out and put them in their case.
"Damn. Now I have to find my glasses." Serena said.
"Why?" Rei asked.
"I tore one. I don't have anymore left either. I haven't had time to go back to the eye doctor and get my eyes checked." Serena said.
"Conjure them." Rei suggested.
"Hadn't thought of that." Serena said. She concentrated for a minute, and her glasses appeared in her hand. She slipped them on and sat up.
"Why do need them?" Ariana asked.
"Eye strain." Serena said.
"Too many fine print contracts." Rei teased.
"That, too." Serena agreed.
"Poor Rena." Lilly said.
"I don't mind." Serena said.
"Actually, your glasses add character." Rei said. Serena wrinkled her nose.
"Then go get your eyes checked." Lilly said.
"I will. I have time now. My clothing lines have been revamped, and I'm not modeling anymore." she said.
Lilly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and you have a wedding in two weeks." Lilly reminded her.
"I have time." Serena said.
"You create time when you should be sleeping." Rei said.
Serena shrugged. "It's still time, isn't it?" she asked. Rei and Lilly both
sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with her.
"Serena?" Ari asked.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"What's Rini's favorite TV show? What about Grace's favorite game?" she
asked.
"I don't know." Serena answered softly.
"Point?" she asked.
Serena nodded. "I'll slow down. I promise." she said softly, on the verge of tears. She got up and went to her room.
"The girls are her weakness." Ari said.
"We knew that. She's a good mom though." Lilly said.
"I'm not saying that she isn't. I'm just saying that she needs to slow down
and listen a little harder. If she does, she'll discover a whole new world." Ari said and got up to leave the room.
"Where are you going?" Lilly asked her.
"To talk to Serena and apologize." she answered.
Both women looked startled. "For what?" they asked.
"Neither of you noticed, since she left so fast, that she was crying." Ari said.
Lilly and Rei exchanged glances. "We noticed, she won't talk to us though." Rei said.
"Have you tried?" Ari asked.
"More than once. She won't let anyone but Kaden all the way in." Lilly said.
"I'm not Kaden, but I'm betting she's afraid of getting hurt. Lilly, you weren't always around, and Rei's hurt her before. Just like our mother. She's afraid to trust and let people love her." Ari said.
Both women looked at each other, then stood. The three walked to Serena's room and Ari walked in without knocking. Serena had a paint brush in one hand and paint in her other. "Don't destroy it. It's not worth it." Ari said.
"I wasn't going to. I was going to do some more." Serena said.
"Is this what you do when you get lost?" Ari asked.
"Yeah, sometimes anyway." Serena answered.
"You painted all of this?" Ari asked, surprised.
"Most of it. I had help with the main wall color. I was planing on adding the girls to the field. The fairies were never there, but many times we rode through the field at breakneck speeds. Lita fell off once, but got right back up and we all raced again." Serena said as she started to follow faint pencil markings on the wall. They watched her work her magic for awhile as a horse and rider took shape. It was Mina looking toward the room with a triumphant grin on her face.
"I remember that. The first time she beat us. You let her win." Rei said softly.
"I did, but she deserved it." Serena said.
"That smile isn't something to forget, is it?" Ari asked.
Serena smiled. "No. It was worth losing once in awhile to see everyone smile." she said.
They watched for another hour as two more riders took shape. Rei and Lilly. "You two tied for second and were arguing about who won it." Serena broke the silence.
"You're really good." Rei said.
"Thanks. I never used to do this in front of people. Everyone wondered why I got good grades in art, because all they saw were typical five-year-old rainbows and stick figures." Serena said.
"Not what you handed in at the end of class after everyone left, was it?" Rei asked.
"Nope. I've gotten a bit better about letting people know things about me though. Usually only if they ask though." Serena spoke softly, concentrating on what she was doing.
"Rei's good at this, too. She doesn't talk about it either." Serena said suddenly.
"And you know because?" Rei asked.
"I've seen you when no one else is around." she said.
"Why does it look like you were way away from us?" Lilly asked.
"I was. I'd ridden off uphill while all of you were talking. Hence the reason this is the way I saw things." Serena said.
"I remember that. You sat on top of your black mustang, as gracefully as ever, and watched us for a good half hour." Rei said.
"I did." Serena said.
"And when we got back in the palace, your mother hollered at you, and we didn't see you until the next day. One of the maids had broken a vase near your room, and you took the blame for it, as usual. You had bruises everywhere, and she'd even cracked your bottom lip open. You were too sore to move. You just laid there on the floor, even after we came in. That was the only time we'd seen you cry. You just hurt so bad that you laid there and cried." Rei said softly.
"It hurt to breathe. She cracked ribs." Serena said, having stopped painting when Rei had started talking. Tears trickled slowly down her face.
"I'm sorry." Rei apologized.
Serena shrugged. "Sometimes I wish I could go back to wearing the blinders." She said as she sank to the floor. The brush slid from her fingers, and she buried her head in her arms and cried. She felt three pairs of arms come around her and hug her. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to cry, it just hurts to remember." Serena said.
"It's OK to cry, Serena." Ari said.
"Not when I was with Mom. She'd beat me harder if I cried." Serena said.
"Why did she hate you?" Ariana asked.
"I don't know. Because I wasn't what she wanted for a daughter? She wanted you. You had the right colored eyes and the perfect blonde waves, not curls. i over heard her once say she wished I'd been the one to be taken and not you." Serena said.
"Ever wish she could see you now? All grown and looking like her except the eyes?" Rei asked.
"More than anything. I'd just love to show her that even though she hated me and knocked me around, I didn't turn out half bad. Most of all, I wish I could have told her before I killed myself that she was going to be a grandmother. I wonder what her reaction would have been." Serena said.
"I wonder something. Is it possible for you to go back in time?" Rei asked.
"No. It's a rule breach. If Faith were to do that, she would be banned from the Gates." Serena said.
"Well, it was suggestion. Can you send a message back?" Lilly asked.
"I don't know. Besides, what would I say to her, 'Gee, Mom, I was pregnant before I killed myself'?" Serena asked sarcastically.
"No, but you could word it so she understood, but at the same time, not let her know that you eventually kill yourself." Ari said.
"I don't know. I'll think about it." Serena said.