Serendipity

*****

Kate tipped her head back until she almost fell over. "That . . . is one extremely tall building."

"Things are a bit larger in Tokyo," Usagi said with a smile. She led them into the hotel lobby and asked for a two-bed room. Kate looked around at all the people she seemed to tower over.

"This is the first time I've been taller than a crowd of people!" Kate said a half-laugh.

Usagi rolled her eyes, but laughed just as well. She pressed the button for the thirtieth floor and shifted her bags. I have got to be completely crazy! I'm three weeks from my wedding and I'm looking for Hiiro . . .

"Kate Richardson, is that you?" a voice asked when they were starting to turn left to head to their room.

Kate turned slightly. When she recognized the woman, she smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Besides the fact that I live in Tokyo? . . . I'm planning my wedding."

"Wow, everyone's getting married these days! Oh!" Kate pulled Usagi up next to her. "This is my friend Usagi. Usagi, Suki's an old mate from college." Usagi smiled and gave the girl a slight bow.

"Well, I have to get going. Why don't you come to the rehearsal ceremony tonight – we can get caught up?" Suki said.

Kate looked to Usagi.

"Go ahead, I've got some things to do tonight anyway," Usagi told her friend.

"Sure, I'll be down tonight," Kate told Suki with a laugh. "It was nice seeing you again, Suki!"

"You too, Kate!" Suki said as the doors to the elevator closed.

~~

"Any luck?" Duo asked.

Hiiro let out an exasperated sigh. "None. Her parents aren't listed in the books anymore."

"Where next?"

"Back to the hotel, I suppose. The first rehearsal is tonight," Hiiro said as he hailed a cab. He leaned his head on the window once they were in the cab. He didn't know what to do next. It was almost as if she had disappeared without a trace.

Duo watched as his friend thought about the girl he had loved and lost. Why he was helping Hiiro was still unfathomable to him. He really should be convincing the man to just forget about this Usagi girl and get on with his marriage . . . lest Suki find out.

Hiiro stepped out of the cab, Duo in tow. There has to be some way of contacting her, he thought.

"I was beginning to think you forgot all about the rehearsal," Suki's voice broke through his thoughts.

Hiiro smiled involuntarily. "No, I remembered," he said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Where were you?" Suki asked as the priest made his speech.

"Duo and I were out," Hiiro said. He didn't want to explain anything to her right now.

Suki almost let out an annoyed sigh. "You were almost late for the rehearsal."

Hiiro gave her the look to calm down. "We got here, didn't we?"

"Just in time. I don't know what you and Duo are doing, but whatever it is – it stops now. You have your duties as husband-to-be to attend to."

"Duo and I are attending to my husband-to-be duties. Stop berating me."

"And this is where you will kiss your lovely bride and make your way down the aisle," the priest said at the end of the rehearsal.

Suki and Hiiro gave each other a quick kiss before she looped her arm through his. She continued with the berating. "If I hear that you have been running around town like a chicken with his head cut off again, I swear I will force you to do some of the work."

"I am doing some of the work, Suki, don't accuse me of not," he stopped what he was going to say next because of the woman coming towards them.

Kate clapped enthusiastically and approached her soon-to-be-wed friend. "Your wedding is going to be smashing, Suki."

"Oh, thank you, Kate!" Suki said as she unlinked her arm from Hiiros. "Will you be in the city for it?"

"Who's the girl?" Duo asked, motioning his glass towards Kate.

"Kate. She's an old friend of Sukis'." The paused to listen to the conversation a bit.

"Well, off I go. I haven't a clue when Usagi and I are heading back to London. So sorry I can't make it to the wedding!" Kate said as she left the ballroom.

Hiiro choked on his drink. "Did you hear what she just said?" he asked Duo.

Duo hadn't been paying the slightest bit of attention until that moment. "What?"

"Suki's friend! She just said she didn't know when she and Usagi are going back to London!" Hiiro said in a whisper.

"So?"

"Duo are you completely out of it? How many Usagi's do you think there are in Great Britain?"

"Um . . . not many?" Duo asked.

"Bah!" Hiiro said as he waved a hand at Duo before walking as indiscreetly out of the hall as he could to see if he could find the girl.

~~

Usagi set her coat down on the back of the chair and sat down. She looked over the menu, though she still knew it by heart. Comes from going to a place every day for most of your teenage and early adult life.

"What'll it – Usagi?" the same blonde man from her youth asked.

"Hey, Motoki-kun. How goes it?" Usagi said with a grin as she looked up at her old friend.

"I thought you were in London?"

"I was. I'm just back for a visit," Usagi replied.

Motoki smiled. "Good to see you again. How long are you here for?"

"Two weeks at the most. Now! How about my regular?" Usagi gave him a lopsided smile.

"Frozen hot chocolate comin' right up," Motoki said as he walked to the counter and began to fix the concoction. Usagi looked around the place until her drink was set in front of her. "It must be that time of year when everyone comes back to their past hangouts."

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked as she took a sip of her drink.

"Just last night, you old buddy Hiiro was in here. We didn't get to chat, but he was here," Motoki replied.

Usagi almost choked on her hot chocolate. "Hiiro was here?"

"Yeah. Haven't you guys kept in touch?"

Usagi shook her head. "I figured that if we were supposed to meet again, we would."

Motoki laughed. She was still leaving things up to Fate. He shook his rag like he was wagging his finger in her face. "You should look him up. He's getting married in a couple weeks. It's been all over the news."

Usagi's shoulders slouched a bit. "He is?"

"Yep. Hey, drop in again. I have to get back to work."

"Bye Motoki . . ." she said quietly before standing up and putting her jacket back on. She wrote her address on a napkin and told Motoki to write her sometime.

~~

"Usagi . . . you back?" Kate asked as she pulled the key out of the lock and closed the door behind her.

"Yeah," Usagis voice replied.

Confusion crossed Kates face; Usagi didn't sound quite right. She entered the bedroom to see Usagi lying on the bed. "What's wrong?"

"He's getting married . . ." Usagi said in a slightly nasal voice.

"Oh . . . I'm so sorry," Kate said as she sat down on the edge of Usagis bed.

"Why am I so upset? I knew there was that chance!" Usagi said as she suddenly sat up.

"I wish I could do something for you."

"Me too," Usagi said as she stood up.

Kate shrugged. "I can get you drunk."

Usagi thought it over, "sounds good to me." The two women laughed as Kate pushed Usagi into the bathroom.

"Trust me – you are in dire need of a bath."

"Gee thanks, Kate," Usagi said as she shut the door and started the shower.

~~

Hiiro looked up and down the street, but there was no sign of the Londoner. "She couldn't have just disappeared!"

"Hiiro, she left before we did. She probably got swept up in the crowds," Duo reasoned.

He didn't want to give up on this lead, but Duo had a point. He nodded and the pair went back into the hotel.

"Hey, don't give up just yet. We'll find her," Duo said. More than he would admit he was having the time of his life helping Hiiro track down his long-lost friend.

~~

" . . . So throughout the whole rehearsal, Suki was almost yelling at him," Kate said with a slur.

Usagi snorted with laughter. "You are so drunk, Kate."

"I can't help it if . . . if . . . well now I've forgotten what I was going to say!" Kate said, confusion in her slurred voice.

"What's this grooms name anyway?" Usagi asked as she took another drink of her beer.

"Hi – oh! Now I remember. I was going to say: I can't help it if I'm not used to Japanese beer like you are!" and then she promptly passed out. Usagi doubled over in laugher. The blonde motioned for the doorman to signal for a cab as she woke Kate up and pretty much carried the woman out the door.

"Note to self: never let Kate drink that much ever again," Usagi said as she held Kates hair back.

"Ugh . . . My hangover's going to be a bitch," Kate said as she washed out her mouth.

"Oh yeah it is," Usagi said, trying not to laugh.

"Anyway," Kate said as she crawled into her bed, not bothering with pajamas. "He was telling Suki to pretty much back off. Said that he and Duo were doing "husband-to-be" stuff."

"Suki seems a bit demanding . . . no offense."

Kate sighed. "None taken – I know the girl is! I'm just surprised that Hiiro's marrying her!"

Usagi's head snapped up, one leg through the pajama pants she was putting on. "Hiiro?" she asked. Kate didn't answer. Usagi quickly went over to her friend, tripping on the half-on pants. "Kate? Kate wake up!" Kate didn't even move; she had passed out again. "Damn!"

~~

Author's Note: Wee! I'm having so much fun writing this story. It's good to have inspiration again! Thanks to . . .

Bunny-Butler – Hehe! That's a great name. Trust me – hell will break loose! I just need to think of how!

Dear Nobody – Write on I shall! :)

Bluejello – You must like my fanfics! I always see your name when I read the reviews! And don't think that's a bad thing – I love it in fact!

~The Emz.