A/N: So I'm a bit nervous about posting this chapter, in lieu of the fact that it has a talk many of you were waiting for… between Haruka and Seiya. I hope it came out right, as it was more subdued than I expected it to be. Actually, I hope the whole chapter came out right, as you can never tell with some of these characters… Enjoy!

In the warm light of day, the Hikawa Shrine was far more inviting, especially when it seemed like everyone was in a good, if somewhat nervous, mood. Usagi smiled to herself and squirmed a little. Seiya's arm, which had been resting loosely around her waist, tightened automatically, much to her satisfaction. They were perched on the wooden stairs, with Seiya leaning back against the top step and Usagi sitting between her legs on the next step down. Chibi-Chibi was sitting on her lap eating a cupcake that Makoto had given her. Chibi-Usa was sitting beside Usagi looking through a magazine, and Hotaru was beside Seiya, leaning against Seiya's shoulder.

Rei and Minako were standing side by side, heads close together as they spoke in low whispers with the occasional glance up, though it didn't stop Minako from holding Yaten's hand in a death grip. Surprisingly, Yaten either didn't notice or didn't care. As far as Usagi could tell, the silver-haired girl was deep into discussion with Makoto, Ami and Taiki, though what they could be talking about, she had no clue. Really, they were all just killing time, waiting for the last few members of their group to show up: Luna, Artemis, Setsuna, Mamoru, Haruka and Michiru. Then their 'talk' could begin.

She squirmed again and Seiya sighed, finally opening her eyes and giving up on the idea of a last minute nap. "Alright, Odango, what's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm just excited to have everyone together again," Usagi said, turning her head to look over her shoulder. In the late afternoon light, Seiya looked even more beautiful than normal, and her lover was so close that she couldn't resist leaning forward to press a gentle kiss against Seiya's mouth.

"Do you mind? We're right here," Chibi-Usa muttered, flipping over to the next page.

"Not at all," Usagi said, amused. "Would you like another demonstration?" Lightning fast, her hands flashed out and began attacking Chibi-Usa's ribs. The younger girl squealed in shock and recoiled back against Hotaru before bursting out into giggles.

"Mama, stop!" she gasped, trying to push Usagi's fingers away. "Papa! Make her stop!"

"Papa?" The voice was entirely unexpected and threw a jolt of cold water on their fun. Usagi froze and sheepishly turned to see that Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Mamoru had approached without her noticing. Haruka was staring at the two of them with what could only be described as a look of horror. Michiru had a laid a restraining hand on her lover's arm, while Setsuna just looked openly amused. For that matter, so did Mamoru. Usagi shot them both dirty looks, inwardly labeling them both traitors, before glancing at Haruka.

"Hello, Haruka-san," she offered tentatively.

"Haruka-papa! Michiru-mama!" Hotaru jumped to her feet and slipped around Chibi-Usa, running eagerly down the steps. She threw herself at the older woman, arms outstretched. Haruka just barely snapped out of her daze in time to catch the teenager and return Hotaru's enthusiastic embrace.

"We got your message," said Setsuna, obviously deciding that her princess needed a bit of a reprieve. "Are we late?"

"No, you're right on time," Minako volunteered, not bothering to conceal her smirk. She knew that Usagi had been dreading this moment from the second it became clear that the Starlights were returning to Earth with them. Understandably so, really: Haruka and Seiya had not gotten along during the Starlights' last visit to Earth and there was no reason to think things would be different this time around. "How have you guys been?"

"We've been well." Michiru was the one who responded as she released Hotaru, running a gentle hand through the grinning pre-teen's hair. "And you?"

Haruka had been examining the situation and was not paying attention to the pleasantries that were being exchanged. Her eyes went from Chibi-Usa, to Chibi-Chibi, to her princess, before finally landing on Seiya, and it wasn't hard for her to figure out what was going on. She clenched her jaw and spun on her heel, pulling free of Michiru, and marched away. Usagi sighed and started to stand up to go after her, but much to her surprise, Seiya stopped her with her a hand on her shoulder. The dark-haired girl got up with a wink and a smile, loping after Haruka with an easy stride, leaving Usagi to stare after the two of them worriedly.

Michiru caught the look and gave her a sympathetic smile. "It will be alright, Princess," she said quietly. "I think the two of them need to speak in private. Give them a chance to work things out. You may be surprised by what happens."

"I hope so." Usagi crossed her fingers.

Seiya chased Haruka all the way to the shrine stairs and halfway down them before she dared to speak. The older girl strode along, either not noticing or not caring that Seiya was right behind her, and finally, she called out, "So that's it? You're going to just walk away? And here I thought you hated me enough for it to warrant at least a punch to the face, since you seemed to enjoy hitting me so much last time."

The taller blonde froze on the spot. Her hands clenched into loose fists as she spun around. "That was an entirely different situation and you know it," she hissed.

"Of course I do, but it got your attention, didn't it?" Seiya asked with a smirk, folding her arms. She'd paused on the step above Haruka, so they were face to face. "Look, I know you don't like me, Haruka-san. That's partially my fault and I accept the blame for it." She shrugged. "I was curious about Michiru-san that day in the dressing room. I felt her shine while we were playing together on stage and I was trying to figure out who she could be. What you walked in on was not what it looked like." There wasn't a hint of amusement in Seiya's expressive, dark eyes. "The only person I have ever felt that way for is Odango."

Haruka flinched at that. "And you think that makes it better?" she said scathingly. "I asked you to look after her for a brief period of time. I didn't mean that you should try to push yourself into the rest of her life!"

"Who's pushing?" Seiya countered. "Usagi happens to love me a lot, thank you very much. She was the one who came to Kinmoku and made us aware of her presence." She looked away. It hurt to think about, but… "If she had wanted to, she could have turned and left without any of us being the wiser."

"She would never do that," Haruka muttered. "Not until she knew for certain that you were happy."

"I wasn't." Her voice was very quiet. "I wasn't happy. None of us were. Once we knew what it was like here on Earth, it was hard to go back."

Something that might have been understanding flashed through Haruka's forest green eyes, and she eased back down a step. She was frowning, but the aggressive anger that had been so prominent in her stance beforehand was lessening. "We had a future," she said finally. "It was all that we were fighting for. I assume you know that your presence has destroyed it."

"From what I hear, it wasn't the paradise you all thought it was," Seiya replied, remembering Chibi-Usa's passionate words about her parents. "Besides, I didn't do it on purpose. If Odango hadn't come to me, I never would have approached her again. As far as I was concerned, she made her choice and I never expected anything else. I was prepared to live without her for the rest of my life. But when she showed up on Kinmoku…" Helplessly, she shrugged. "What was I supposed to do, turn her away? Pretend that I had stopped loving her? Break her heart because of some future that she never really wanted in the first place?"

Haruka sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb, looking resigned. "If you break her heart, I'll break you," she said. It wasn't a threat.

"If I break her heart, you won't have to worry about it." Seiya replied. It would destroy her to do anything that hurt Usagi, much less break her heart. "Haruka-san, I promise you that I will do everything in my power to protect her and keep her happy for as long as I live. Both her and the children. I know you hate me, but I'm hoping for Odango's sake that you can learn to tolerate me."

Haruka folded her arms and gave Seiya a measuring glance. She offered no platitudes about how of course she could do it; she was giving the question the serious amount of consideration that it deserved. After considerable deliberation, she nodded, just once. "As long as I don't catch you inside of any more dressing rooms," she said.

A very small smirk flashed across Seiya's face. "Deal," she replied lightly, a wave of relief sweeping over her. She and Haruka hadn't really spoken much after the final battle with Galaxia. Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru had gone their own way right after they were returned to life, and the Starlights' last few days on Earth had been spent with the inner senshi. So although the two of them had parted on slightly warmer terms, considering that Haruka had entrusted Usagi to their care during the battle, she hadn't been certain of where she and the blonde senshi really stood. Now that she knew, it was like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"And if you hurt her..." Haruka let her voice trail off. Her forest green eyes were filled with a silent, deadly promise. There was no need for her to finish; there was a thousand different ways that sentence could have been completed, and Seiya's imagination was doing an excellent job of filling them all in.

"I won't. This - " she pointed to the symbol on her forehead. Haruka's eyes lit upon the silver crescent moon for the first time and went wide. "It means that I love her more than anything else in the world." She shifted her weight. Part of the reason she and Haruka didn't get along was because Seiya loved to tease. It was in her nature, and so she couldn't resist adding, "You know, Odango said something very interesting on Kinmoku."

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"She said that because Kakyuu gave the three of us to Odango when she died, it meant that we technically already belonged to her." Seiya kept her face straight, fighting against the desire to laugh.

It didn't take long for Haruka to catch on. "Are you trying to imply that our princess still belongs to you three?" she said incredulously, her hands falling to her sides.

"Well, you did ask us to watch over her," Seiya said lightly. She couldn't keep from laughing anymore and quickly danced up a step, avoiding the half-hearted swipe that Haruka made in her direction. "Joking, joking!" she amended, holding her hands up in a placating position. "I know that you will always be Usagi's senshi. I'm not out to replace you or anything like that. None of us are. We just want a place to belong." Her expression flickered, the amusement draining out of it so fast that Haruka stopped trying to swat at her and frowned, studying the shorter girl's face intently.

"You're in that right place for that," she said at last, green eyes thoughtful. "I won't protest your presence here, and if you want to fight alongside us, I guess I can get used to it." She dropped her gaze, scanning Seiya's body. "Are you planning to sing again?"

Seiya blinked, startled by the abrupt question. "I don't know. We've never really discussed it. I wouldn't mind, but I guess it would be hard to pick up where the Three Lights left off. It's been almost five years since we left and besides, we're not boys anymore. I think someone would notice the discrepancy."

Haruka merely nodded and looked up at the sound of footsteps. Seiya twisted around in time to see a blonde blur headed in their direction. As it got closer, it was revealed to be an exasperated Tsukino Usagi. "Where are you going?" Haruka asked her.

"Back to my parent's house," Usagi muttered, coming to a stop and folding her arms. "Mamo-chan told me that they've been giving him a hard time about the wedding. He said that if I didn't go and explain things to them right now, he was going to tell them everything." She bit her lip, a familiar pout forming. "The others will fill you in, Haruka-san."

Seiya's mouth was twitching. "Would you like me to go with you, Odango?" she asked.

"No. I think my parents need a little warning before I bring my girlfriend home, Seiya." Usagi finally smiled. "I'll talk to you later. Minako-chan is going to take us all shopping."

"Joy," Seiya muttered, dreading the experience already. Haruka's knowing smirk didn't help matters. Minako and Usagi could shop for hours on end and never get tired. She might have been a girl, but that didn't mean she enjoyed spending hours in the mall. Maybe she could take the kids and run for it? "Good luck with your family."

"Thanks. I'll need it." Usagi sighed, kissed her on the cheek, and headed down the steps at a run. Seiya and Haruka watched her go before, by mutual, silent consent, the two of them turned and headed back up the stairs. Yaten and Taiki looked a little relieved to see that Seiya was still in one piece, but Michiru just smiled knowingly as her partner walked over to her and Ami. She leaned against Haruka's shoulder and intertwined their fingers.

"All good?" she asked softly.

"Yes." Haruka looked at Ami steadily. "Tell me about Kinmoku."

If Ami was surprised by the question, she hid it well. "What do you want to know?"

Forest green eyes flashed over to where Seiya was standing beside Yaten and Taiki, no doubt filling them in on the conversation she had somehow managed to survive. Haruka considered the look she'd seen briefly on the other girl's face when Seiya had talked about wanting someplace to belong. She'd seen that look before on Michiru's face. She turned back to Ami. "Everything."

TLYM

Walking into her parent's house should not have been as nerve-wracking as it was. Usagi took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, staring at the door with a fair amount of apprehension. She had thought about what she could and couldn't tell her family very carefully on her way over. It would be best to keep any mention of the senshi and Kinmoku out of the conversation for the time being. Yet at the same time, she wasn't a very good liar, so she would have to keep it as close to the truth as possible. A deep sigh escaped her and she put a hand to her head. Yep, she was definitely screwed. If she pulled this off, it would be a damned miracle.

"Mother, give me strength," she muttered, striding up the path and pushing the door open. Unlike last time, the house was teeming with life and laughter. The warm scent of her mother's pancakes floated through the air and her stomach growled in response. She patted her tummy and stepped into the house, automatically sliding her shoes off and donning a pair of slippers before she made her way towards the dining room and peeked around the corner. Ikuko, Kenji, Shingo, Mika and Luna were gathered around the table finishing off their dinner. Mika and Shingo were sharing a cookie, and even as Usagi watched, Shingo broke off a couple of pieces and slipped them to Luna when Ikuko wasn't looking. A pang went through her and she stepped around the corner without thinking.

"Usagi-onee-san?" Mika was the first person to notice. Her eyes went wide and the cookie in her hands fell to her plate in crumbs as Ikuko, Kenji, Shingo and Luna twisted around to look. For a moment, there was absolute silence in the room as everyone processed the fact that Usagi was really standing in front of them.

"Um… hi?" she said with a nervous smile.

"Usagi!" Ikuko launched herself off of the floor and was beside her daughter in seconds. She enveloped Usagi in a hug that squeezed the breath out of the petite blonde, who could only squeak as Ikuko demanded, "What are you doing here? Where have you been? Why haven't you been answering the messages I left on your phone?"

"I think she needs air, Mom," Shingo said with a smirk. "She's turning blue."

Shooting her brother a grateful look, Usagi nodded quickly. Her ribs were starting to ache from the force of the hug. Ikuko reluctantly released her and, once she had gotten her breath back, she said, "I'm here to explain things to you. I've been staying with one of my friends. And I haven't been answering your messages because I didn't have my phone with me."

"I'm glad you're here, because you have a lot to explain, young lady." Gently but firmly, Ikuko guided her into the free spot at the table. Usagi sank to her knees obligingly as Ikuko bustled into the kitchen to get her some food. Luna stood up and gave a casual stretch before leaping off of Shingo's lap and onto Usagi's. The blonde smiled and gathered the little black cat close, rubbing her cheek against Luna's head and listening to the sound of the soft, soothing purr. She had missed Luna a lot while she was gone and she couldn't wait for the chance to be able to speak to her guardian freely.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Shingo asked her, raising his eyebrows significantly.

Usagi blinked at him for a moment and then grinned. "Yeah, I did," she said softly.

Shingo nodded. "I'm glad."

Ikuko returned with a plate that was piled high with pancakes. She set it down in front of her daughter and then took a seat. "Alright, let's hear it. What's this about the wedding being canceled?"

'Boy, Mom sure doesn't beat around the bush,' Usagi thought, amused. "The truth is, Mamoru and I decided that things weren't working out between us," she said, deciding to jump right in. "I still love him and he still loves me, but I don't think I'm in love with him anymore. He's my friend, but I want more for myself. I want passion." Her cheeks reddened slightly and she looked away from her father and her brother. "I took a little vacation to see if that would change things between us. I thought some distance might make a difference. But it didn't and there was no need for me to come back to Tokyo to see that, so we made the decision to call the wedding off. I'm sorry that you had to hear about it from him. That was wrong of me."

Kenji and Ikuko exchanged looks and neither spoke for a minute. Then Ikuko leaned forward and patted her hand. "I'm sorry things didn't work out between you two, honey. I know you loved him. But I'm proud of you for admitting that you weren't happy and taking steps to end things before it was too late. That was very responsible of you."

The slightly surprised tone rankled, but Usagi strove to ignore it. She continued, "Because I was in Germany, Mamoru was left with the responsibility of letting everyone know that the wedding was off. He volunteered to do that and I came back as soon as I could. I should have contacted you guys sooner but I just needed some time to myself before I had to deal with everything."

"It's alright," said Kenji, "as long as you're the one who actually called it off."

Usagi took one look at his icy expression and winced. 'Okay, I owe Mamo-chan a lot for putting up with this while I was gone. Dealing with Mom and Dad must have been a nightmare.' "It was a mutual agreement, Dad. Both of us decided that we wanted different things in life."

"I just wish that you had come and talked to us about this first," Ikuko said. "We were very concerned about you, honey."

"I'm sorry," Usagi repeated helplessly, squirming a little. Suddenly her decision to be selfish for once by staying on Kinmoku wasn't sounding so great after all. "It was a spur of the moment thing and I was just trying to get some perspective, that's all."

"Well, it's okay." The expression on Ikuko's face made it clear that she felt it really wasn't, but Usagi didn't know what to say to make it right. She looked down at her plate and sighed. Never before had her mother's pancakes ever seemed so unappetizing, but even though she wasn't really hungry, she cut a small piece and lifted it to her lips, knowing that insulting Ikuko by not eating would not help matters.

Shingo looked from his mother to his sister and his brow furrowed. Though he enjoyed tormenting Usagi on a regular basis, he could tell that she was floundering and had no idea how to repair the bridges. Thinking that he'd help out a little, he said, "So you caught up to that guy, then?"

Usagi froze.

"Guy?" Ikuko's head whipped around and a delighted smile broke out across her face.

"Guy?" Kenji's face darkened. He'd just gotten rid of one man around his baby and now there was another?

"Thanks a lot, brat," Usagi muttered, setting her fork down hastily. "Err… well… you see…"

"You've met someone!" Ikuko was practically levitating above her seat. Part of the reason she had been so upset to hear that Mamoru and Usagi had broken up was because she had always dreamed of seeing her daughter happily married. But apparently Usagi was taking care of that herself. She would have liked for there to have been a longer period of time before Usagi moved on, of course - she was more than aware of how people might talk - but that could be dealt with later. In the meantime… "Who is it? Where did you meet him? What is he like? When he can come over for dinner?"

"Mom, please. One question at a time!" She held a hand up weakly. "First of all, it's… well… it's not a guy."

"Not a guy?" Even Shingo looked a little taken aback.

"That's right." Usagi's hands were actually shaking. She hid them beneath the table and cleared her throat. "And you already know her. It's Kou Seiya."

"Seiya is a girl?" Shingo's mouth dropped open as the dots connected. Across the table, Mika gave a little squeak, her face falling. "But wasn't he - she - part of that band? How…?"

"It was a publicity thing," Usagi said demurely, realizing that she'd have to talk to Seiya, Yaten and Taiki about this soon. People wouldn't take long to catch on to the fact that their names and appearances were very similar to those of the Three Lights, and then there would be questions that none of them were prepared to answer. "I can't say much more than that right now. But Seiya was on vacation in Germany and we met up while I was there. We started hanging out and one thing led to another."

"Was this before or after you and Mamoru-san broke up?" Ikuko asked sharply.

"Mom!" Usagi shot the woman a Look. "Thanks a lot for implying that I would cheat on Mamo-chan. I'll have you know that I didn't do anything with Seiya until I knew for sure that Mamoru and I were done. She's not even the reason that our relationship ended, thank you very much. I would never do that to him. Like I said, it was a mutual decision." She knew then and there that she would never be able to explain the full story to her parents, even if they did know about the whole senshi part of it. There was no need for her mother to turn the story into some kind of soap opera, which, given Ikuko's flair for the dramatic, was exactly what she would do.

"I didn't mean to make it sound that way, dear. It's just… you know how people think."

"I do, and I want to make it clear that it wasn't like that. Seiya and I were just friends until we met up again."

"So let me get this straight." Kenji leaned forward and stared at her. "You're dating a woman."

"Err… yes… that's right," Usagi said hesitantly.

He didn't say anything for several long, tense seconds… and then Kenji's face broke into a brilliant smile. "That's wonderful, Usagi. I hope you two are very happy together," he said with satisfaction. "I'm so pleased you're dating someone who won't be able to take unnecessary risks with your health by getting you pregnant."

"Darling!" Ikuko swatted at him. Luna snickered, hiding the sound by pressing her head into Usagi's top, as the blonde turned a deep shade of red. "Don't listen to him, Usagi. A young woman like you could easily have children even if you are dating another woman." There was a slight edge to Ikuko's voice that Usagi hadn't missed. "There are lots of options to choose from."

"Well, that's the thing, Mom…" Usagi rubbed her forehead and gritted her teeth. "I don't want any more kids."

Ikuko's face slowly changed. "Any more kids?"

"Yes…" Usagi looked up, saw their expressions, and rolled her eyes. "Oh for… I'm not pregnant."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Mom, I am very sure." She wasn't going to give them any details, but it had been so long since she and Mamoru had been together in that way that any babies would have popped out a while ago. "I do have three daughters, though."

"Three… daughters…" It appeared as though Usagi had officially broken her mother.

She took a deep breath and nodded, crossing her fingers. "That's right. You remember Hotaru, don't you? Chibi-Usa's friend? Her mother died when she was young and the two of us have become close as a result." Usagi paused, gathering her thoughts together, before adding, "And Chibi-Usa… She's been staying with us… well, me, for a while. Then there's Chibi-Chibi… She's Seiya's daughter." It wasn't the whole truth, not by a long shot, but her family still believed that Chibi-Usa was her cousin, and all memories of Chibi-Chibi had been wiped from their minds entirely after the battle with Chaos. But it was as close as she was willing to get.

"Shingo, why don't you take Mika-chan home?" Ikuko's voice had gotten very strained. "Kenji, you can take them both out for ice cream on the way. I need a moment to speak with Usagi privately."

"Good luck, sis," Shingo said optimistically, clapping Usagi on the back. He knew enough to realize that there was a lot of the story that was being left out, but accepted that this was neither the time nor the place to question his sister about it. If he was fortunate, she might someday explain, and he would have to be patient enough to wait for that day. He reached down and helped Mika up, then ushered both her and Kenji out of the room. At the last second, he spun and plucked a disgruntled Luna off of Usagi's lap before following.

Usagi watched them all go with a definite sinking feeling. She had been expecting her mother to be a little upset, possibly bewildered by what would no doubt be an information overload, but it was occurring to her a bit late that she might have approached the situation incorrectly. "Mom, listen…"

"Usagi… we need to talk." Her mother folded her hands together and closed her eyes briefly before speaking. "I won't say anything in regards to you having started a new relationship so soon after breaking up with Mamoru. Even though I personally feel it was too soon, I also remember the way you used to act around Seiya. I honestly can't remember ever seeing you as happy with Mamoru as you were around him. Her." Ikuko shook her head.

"Mom…"

"No, listen. I can even accept that you're dating a woman. Love is love as far as I'm concerned, and though I didn't see it coming, I don't mind. But this thing with the children… it worries me, Usagi. It's nice to hear that you've become close to Hotaru, but Chibi-Usa is not your daughter, and even if she's staying with you, you shouldn't be encouraging that sort of relationship with her. And while I'm pleased that you're willing to step up for Seiya's child, the two of you have only been dating for a few weeks considering that you and Mamoru just broke up. You're moving very fast. Too fast." Ikuko set a gentle hand on Usagi's shoulder. "I don't want you rushing into anything, honey, and when you start involving children in your relationships, things become far more complicated very quickly."

"I know that." There was a thick lump in Usagi's throat and even though she swallowed several times, it refused to go away. "But Mom, you don't understand."

"I'm sure you think I don't. I remember saying the same thing to your grandmother when I started dating your father." She smiled wryly. "Just think about what I said, alright? The idea that you might end up in over your head worries me. You can walk away from a marriage but you can't walk away from a child. That's not how your father and I raised you. I just want you to be careful, that's all."

"I will," Usagi said, her voice hoarse. She was staring hard at the table and blinking back tears. What her mother was saying was reasonable in light of the circumstances, but that didn't make the words hurt any less.

"Good. Now, why don't we go catch up to the others? I think some ice cream is just what the doctor ordered."

That was, quite frankly, the last thing Usagi wanted to do. She wanted to go back to the Hikawa Shrine and hide in Seiya's arms with her children gathered closer around them. But instead she smiled woodenly and said, "Sure. That sounds great."

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