This chapter will also have some "gooeyness" in it as the scene from the last chapter is not fully finished, but I thought that was a good place to stop.

Brigid was the Celtic Goddess of Fire, and I decided that Rei and Bri were close enough in sound for that to work.

When the song ended, Rei kissed Jay as the applause in the bar turned into a standing ovation. While the group wandered what happened to cause Rei to stumble in singing, something almost unheard of from the Priestess who had once considered becoming a professional singer, they still stood to their feet, leading the standing ovation.

When the kiss ended, Rei blinked realizing that they were still on the stage. She had almost completely forgotten where she was and why she had been singing, other thoughts having been much more important to her.

She turned to the audience, having caught Jay's hand in her own and gracefully bowed, accepting the accolades as if she was used to such. She ignored Jay's chuckle at how well she handled the attention. She did not downplay it as Makoto would, nor bask in it the way Minako would – and had when she was younger; she did not blush and try to run from it as Ami would, or the awkwardness that Usagi sometimes still exhibited. Instead, Rei accepted it with grace, smiling but not needing it to know how well she had done, and making sure that Jay was included in it. When she had decided that it had gone on long enough, she gracefully stepped off the stage, leading Jay back to the table of their friends.

Once they were safely back, seated with their friends, no longer the center of attention of the entire bar and could speak with at least some measure of safety, Rei turned to Jay, who for the first time noticed the difference in her eyes, the gold specks with danced like fires themselves. "We were married?"

Gasps were heard around the table. Usagi's a mixture between delight and outrage, though Minako whimpered. Michiru and Haruka exchanged smirks, but only Setsuna did not seem completely surprised.

Jay grinned, nodding. "We were. It was the happiest day of my life. And, if I remember correctly, I would guess that it was yours as well. At least you were very happy that day."

Rei smirked, "You realize that's not fair, right?"

Jay shrugged, "Tough, love."

"But I was supposed to get married first! I mean, we knew that all of you would wind up married." She glanced at Kevin and Minako, "eventually. But, we were supposed to get married first!"

Ami frowned slightly, "Why don't I remember you getting married Rei?"

"That's a good question, Ami. I don't either." Makoto's agreement brought another whimper from Minako.

Rei raised an eyebrow but answered Ami and Makoto, "Because we did not want to take away from Serenity and Endymion's marriage. We eloped. After all, with Venus' relaxed laws, it was not that difficult. We were going to have a big ceremony after their wedding."

"Rei, you didn't have to do that!" Mamoru chuckled, shaking his head as his fiancé seemed to have completely changed her mind. "You should have had all of us there with you, to celebrate."

"We would have, Usagi. We just didn't want to wait."

Zack snorted and Ami quietly elbowed him, drawing looks of astonishment from everyone except him.

"So… I'm the only one who doesn't have their memories yet? That is so completely not fair." Minako sighed and buried her head in her hands. "How come everyone else has their memories?"

"It'll happen, Mina. Stressing about it will not make it happen any sooner." Setsuna's words of encouragement did not make Minako feel any better. After all, not stressing about a problem, especially if it was one which you could do nothing about, was much easier said then done.

However, a thought occurred to the leader of the Senshi that made her smile. "Wait, I'm not the last one yet! Usagi and Mamoru haven't gotten their memories back yet. And they probably can't until all the rest of us have. Right?"

Makoto shrugged, "That kinda makes sense."

Usagi and Mamoru exchanged looks with each other, and while Minako did not see the exchange between the two, Kevin did. He gently cupped Minako's cheek and turned her to look at him. "Love, I don't think it matters who gets their memories back when. We still have plenty of time before the battle Rei foresaw. And remember, Rei saw all of you had powered up."

Minako sighed and nodded, "Fine…" She frowned, "Wait…" She turned her head despite Kevin holding her cheek, trying to keep her looking at him. "You were just distracting me weren't you? Usagi and Mamoru do have their memories back!"

Usagi smiled, "Sorry, Mina. Honestly, we weren't trying. It just kind of happened, and it will for you too. I know it."

Mina sighed and laid her head on the table.

For a moment, no one said anything, then Hotaru spoke up. "I've not gotten my memories either! And I won't mind if I'm last." She smiled, trying to be helpful.

Minako looked up and smiled weakly at the Senshi of Silence. "Thanks, Hotaru."

Ami woke up with a headache. She opened her eyes and immediately closed them again. She laid in bed for just a moment before she remembered just why she had to get up and forced herself to, again, open her eyes and keep them open. She looked over at the alarm clock and whimpered softly, realizing that she could not steal a few more minutes as it would be going off in one minute anyway.

With a sigh, she sat up and turned off the alarm clock. She stood slowly and moved to get ready, taking something for her headache almost immediately.

She rubbed at her forehead. She would not classify how she felt as a hangover, but she knew for certain that this was a consequence from drinking too much the night before. She also knew that there would have been no she would have gotten on that stage and sang without a couple of glasses of wine.

Ami smiled as she continued getting ready, thinking about the night before. The headache was definitely worth it. She hoped that if the others felt the way she did, that Kevin had decided to give the guys the morning off. "Of course, they probably all feel fine. I'm the lightweight after all."

Sharon blinked at her boss as she chugged down her third cup of coffee in half an hour. "Um… Minako? Is everything ok?"

Mina looked up from her work. "Everything is fine, Sharon. Can I help you with anything?"

"No. Just… you usually drink one cup of coffee in the morning, and it takes you all morning to drink it. But this morning you're downing coffee as if your life depends on it."

Minako snorted slightly, "I didn't sleep well last night. That's all. I'm fine."

Sharon raised an eyebrow, not at all believing her boss. She had watched Minako pull all nighters and still, somehow, manage to be ok in the morning. She knew that Minako could go a couple of days on very little sleep, and function, and never had she seen Minako have more than one slow cup of coffee a morning.

"All right. I'll be at my desk if you need me."

Minako frowned at the door after Sharon had left. She knew that the lie was transparent, but she also knew that she could not confide in her secretary. She mumbled to herself, "Yeah, I can see how well that would go. 'You see, I'm just upset because I'm the only one of the Senshi… oh yeah, I'm one of the Senshi… who has not recovered her memories and is a an adult. Which is particularly bad because I'm supposed to be the leader, but no, I'm fine."

She groaned and leaned back in her chair. The truth of the matter was that she had not gotten any sleep at all last night. Since Kevin was home instead of at the fire station, she had spent the night at his house, but once he was asleep, she had gotten up and tried anything and everything she could think of to try to trigger her memories.

She had tried to play matchmaker – which is very hard to do when everyone else is asleep, so that had meant that she had simply brain stormed a list of guys that she could set up with Sharon and some of the models, then figured out who would be best for each one. Surely as the avatar of Venus, that would have to trigger something. It did not.

She had run through some exercises, thinking that she must have done quite a bit as the leader of the Senshi during the Silver Millennium, but there was still nothing.

She rearranged the living room, thinking that perhaps a creative expression of who she was would trigger her memories, but all that had accomplished was that when Kevin woke up, he had been rather amused to find that absolutely nothing was where it had been when he went to bed. He'd also told her that she was trying too hard, and to just let it happen.

Unfortunately for Kevin, his advice had just put her in a worse mood. Her voice had been quite intense as she informed him that she was tired of everyone telling her that it would come and to be patient. She had showered and left for work with barely another word to him, though she had kissed him as she left.

"Ugh. Seriously! What am I supposed to do? What am I missing?"

The intercom on her desk beeped, "There's a call for you on line one."

Minako sighed, of course there was. She did not need to be talking to anyone the way she felt, and she knew it, which of course meant that there would be some client who needed to talk to her urgently.

Without thinking to ask who it was, Minako thanked Sharon and then answered the phone. "Minako Aino. How can I help you?"

"You could take the day off and come hang out with me! I meant to tell you last night, that today is a school holiday, and I totally need help shopping."

Usagi. Minako sighed and rolled her eyes, wondering what her future queen was up to. "Usagi, I can't just take a day off."

"Of course you can, Minako. You're your own boss."

"I am, but that does not mean that I can just take a day off. I have designs to work on, need to make sure that the outfits look right on the models, be available if clients call."

There was silence on the other line for a moment, which was not what Minako expected at all. She had expected the patented Usagi whine, the pleading. "Minako, Sharon called me. She's worried about you. Did you sleep at all last night?"

"No, but I'm fine."

"Minako, you can't do this to yourself. You have to…"

Minako cut Usagi off, "I swear, if you tell me that I have to relax and just let it happen, I will… put a gaudy purple bow on your wedding dress."

"You wouldn't do that, and we both know it. Your taking the day off, and you and I are going shopping. I'll be there in ten minutes, and if you're not waiting for me, I will call Kevin and have him carry your butt out of that office."

Minako actually chuckled, "Usagi, I cannot just take a day off."

"I asked Sharon what your schedule for the day was. She said that you had no meetings planned, no model fittings, nothing. Were you going to work on sketches?"

Minako nodded, though Usagi could not see her, "That was the plan."

"Minako? Take a moment and be honest with yourself. Do you really think that you could get any work done the way you feel right now?"

She sighed, "No."

"Good. I'll see you in ten."

Minako sighed and hung up the phone. "Sharon!"

Her secretary entered her office smiling sheepishly. "Yes, Minako?"

"Take the day off. I'll pay you for the day. Go home."

Sharon brightened up, "Thanks!"

Minako chuckled as her secretary headed out to her own desk, "And Sharon?"

Sharon turned around and looked back at her, "Yes?"

"Don't ever do that again. But thank you."

"Welcome."

Minako had to admit that being with Usagi had a way of brightening any day. It absolutely amazed her at times that the young woman could still be as bubbly as she was with everything that they had been through. Even with the threat of this newest enemy hanging over their heads, and the way that that had affected Usagi, she was still a very optimistic person.

"Mina! OOH! Look at these shoes? I think they would look absolutely fabulous on you! You totally have to try them on."

Minako chuckled, the shoes were perfect. In fact, she immediately thought of about seven out fights that the purple pumps would work with perfectly. "They are beautiful. All right, I'll try them on. But only if you try on those cute boots we saw."

Usagi beamed, "Deal!"

Minako sat down to try on the shoes, even as Usagi went to get the boots to try on. When the other returned to try on the boots she asked what had been bothering her, without looking up. "Usagi? Do you think that I will really be able to remember everything? Maybe… maybe there's something wrong with me. I don't know what else to try."

Usagi zipped up the boots and then looked at Minako, her expression one of sober compassion. "I know how much you hate hearing this, Mina, but you need to listen, and you need to accept this. I really think that if there is a problem, it's that you're trying so hard. Do you know what triggered my memories? Dancing with Mamoru. We were not concerned about what we remembered, just dancing together. That's all we did."

Minako sighed, "But Usagi, that's the thing. How am I supposed to not think about it. What happens if we're attacked? I'm the only one of us who won't have a new form. And please, don't tell me that Sailor Saturn doesn't. She's 13. She should not have her memories yet. We both know that that is not the same thing."

Usagi chuckled softly, "No, but it was sweet of her to try to cheer you up last night. But you're right, it's not the same thing." She sighed, "Minako, has there ever been something that you knew you knew, but you just could not remember it, no matter what you did, you could not remember. And then a couple of hours later, or the next day, when you weren't thinking about it, it came back to you?"

Minako nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, this is like that. The more you worry over it, the harder you try to force it, the more it's not going to happen."

Minako sighed, defeated. "Usagi, that sounds so simple, but it's harder than you know."

Usagi chuckled, "I have some idea, Minako. I've wanted to remember all of my former life, with you and the girls, with Mamoru, to remember my mother from the moment we learned that I was the Moon Princess."

"Oh."

Usagi smiled, "All right, enough of this. The whole point is to not focus on it." She stood up, grinning, "So? What do you think of the boots?" She modeled them, turning so that she could see them in a mirror.

Minako grinned, "I think it's a good thing that you're no longer a klutz. There was a time you'd probably have broken your neck if you tried to wear those. They look good. You should definitely get them."

"I think I will. Now…. let's see those pumps."