Blast From The Past—Part V- Hatching Plans
Serenity Star
Hey people… I know it has been a while since the fourth edition but here goes.
As you all know the standard disclaimers apply once more.
Ami walked to the library. It was a beautiful day but still everyone seemed to just ignore it and keep going. Not realizing the beauty surrounding them, and the heaven that each of the Sailor Scouts fought to protect. "Ungrateful bunch." She muttered under her breath. She stopped and sighed. Realizing what she had just uttered. *This isn't good. I can't believe I just said that. Darn that Mr. Akiko. This is all his fault!* She ignored the little voice that seemed to say otherwise.
Zach also stopped a little bit behind her, when he realized that Ami had suddenly stopped walking and was just staring out across the street with a blank stare. He was of course not dressed as Zach, but his alter ego Josh. He had to find out why Ami hated him so much and if he saw her, got to be with her in the mean time well so much the better. He was right now experiencing some serious Ami withdrawal. He saw her each day at work, talked, or rather fought with her, but all he wanted was to be close to her without the hostility. *Why me?* He asked himself, as he followed Ami into the library and to her table.
"Ami?" The girl in question looked up and Josh forgot everything he had ever learned in his life as he lost himself in her eyes.
"Josh!" Ami looked up in surprise. How could she not. This was the person she had been dreaming of for days now, and maybe even lifetimes. "What are you doing here?"
"I just got back from a trip to America's Silicon Valley... but that's not important. Ami... I never thought I would see you again. I have been... I mean the chances of us meeting again... ummm."
"I know. I wanted to give you my number..." Ami blushed. She had never thought she would say that so easily. "We didn't even get a chance to... ummm." She too stopped. How could she possible put all she had to say to him in a few misely words?
"Lets leave this place and go talk someplace. I want to talk to you. I need... Lets go Ami." Josh gently held Ami's hands and helped her up from her pile of books. The two walked out of the library with their hands in each other's and completely oblivious of that fact.
***************************************************
"So Lita you want to talk about what's bothering you?" Mina asked as the two quietly sipped their drinks. Lita looked up with shock and a deep sadness in her eyes. "Lita you know all of us are here for you, and we are like sisters. We all want that sadness from your eyes gone. It is time Lita." Mina said seriously, shocking Lita. The other girl had never talked like this, ever. Not even in the most serious situation they had faced as scouts.
"Mina, there is nothing anyone can do about it. I just have to deal with it on my own." Lita said head bowed and almost crying.
"No you don't." Mina said getting up and walking over to Lita's side of the booth. "Do you want to talk about Freddy?" She asked putting her arms around her friend. A friend who was the pillar of strength with a heard of gold.
"I guess." Lita took another sip of her drink, a nervous habit she supposed but one that she was willing to divulge in at the moment. "I met him a year before I found out I was Sailor Jupiter. He was all my dreams combined in one person. He was to me, I suppose, what Darien is to Serena. Oh, how I loved him, and still do. There was a connection between us that I have never felt before and doubt will ever feel again. But…" Lita bit back the tears that threatened to spill out. "…my love wasn't enough for him, he told me he had to leave and I stood there, don't know how, as my heart shattered and I wanted to die."
Mina took out a handkerchief, Lita looked at her expectantly, but Mina blew her own nose instead. Lita sighed and returned to her story, tears still running down her cheeks, but with a small smile playing on her lips. "That night when I was dared to call him…"
"You were told he had moved right."
"Yes, but I was also told where. He moved to Juban, here Mina. Right in this same city. Why is fate so cruel, and to rub salt in my wounds I saw him, he looked just as handsome as he did before, if not more…"
"Lita, you know we are here for you. And when I see that bastard…" Mina trailed off and raised her fist, a furious expression marring her usual jovial face. "Ooo, he is going to get it!" With that Mina started to shadow box the guy right there and then. "A left hook here, take that. And some of this…" she three another punch… and spilled her drink all over the table. Both girls jumped off the table to save their clothes, turning beet red at the scene they created, and hurriedly paid their bill and left. Lita was still smiling a block down at Mina's still red face.
***************************************************
Ami stepped out of the skyscraper into the sun. She smiled as the warmth hit her, and seemed to chase away all the cold from her body. She waved goodbye to Frank the security guard. The same one she had talked to the first day, the day of her interview.
"Bye Ami. Have a good day."
"Bye Frank. Say hi to your wife for me." There was just something about this place that felt like home to her. Maybe it was the company, the people who worked with her. Everyone was so nice, well except for him of course. She had asked others about Mr. Akiko and what they thought of him, but they all liked him very much, much to the surprise of Ami. She wondered if she was too harsh on him but then remembered the incident from this morning and quickly shook her head no. Ami had been hired as the lead programmer, which meant that she had to be in daily contact with Mr. Akiko. This morning she went to his office for her usual morning conference had had left with more anger towards her than all the negaverse creeps combined.
It hadn't been anyone's fault. When Ami had walked in Mr. Akiko was drinking his usual cup of tea. When she had sat down with her folder in her lap ready to begin the normal day, that was when things had started to go bad.
That Morning in the Akiko Corporation
Ami sat down with her folder in her lap after greeting her arrogant boss.
"Ami! So how was your weekend?"
"Fine, Sir." She didn't want to know about his.
"Good. Mine was great. I went to the lake with some friends and we fished."
"I see." Ami said flatly as she extracted some papers from the folder.
"Ami…" Zach reached across the desk to lightly touch her hand, Ami jumped, screaming.
"Are you all right?"
"I am fine Mr. Akiko. Just got surprised is all." Ami calmed down a bit. She was not going to be unnerved by this twerp.
Zach took the papers from Ami and scanned them. While doing so he casually asked. "So I heard rumors that you are searching for one of my employee, Josh something?"
"I… does he work here?"
Zach thought quietly to himself. Did he work here? Could he possibly pull of the charade of being Josh right here in his own building? Ami sure seemed to want him here, more than his real self. "I… Yes he does, but he is on vacation. I think he is going to return to work tomorrow." He looked up to her eyes. "Why, do you like him?"
"I don't believe it is any of your business, sir." Ami said tensely. God… this man goaded on her nerves. Why she couldn't just ignore him, was the million-dollar question.
"I was just trying to bring a little conversation into the office. What is your problem anyway. Why don't you like me?"
"You just don't have the right to ask me those questions. Why can't we just keep this simple and impersonal?" She almost shouted.
"Why can't you answer my simple question?"
"Because… because… Oh, I think I am going to take today off." All of a sudden, "Sir" she added as an afterthought and said it sarcastically. "I don't feel good at all. I think my stomach is telling me something about the company." And with that Ami stormed out. * My god I am acting just like Serena with Darien in the beginning.* Then she berated herself for thinking in that context. She and Zach were nothing like Serena and Darien, those two had chemistry behind their supposed hatred. She just had hatred for Zach… no Mr. Akiko.
***************************************************
So here she was for the first time in her entire life having shocked herself to the core. Doing something so against her nature that Ami was thinking of having herself checked out by her scanner.
She stopped at the light and mindlessly watched as the cars passed her by. When the light turned to the walk sign, she stepped off the curb, and almost got ran over by a crazy taxi driver. As she jumped back she noticed the passenger. Her hair was long and raven. But her face was what caught Ami's attention. It had tears streaming down from both her violet eyes.
"Rei!" Ami ran to the side of the taxicab to try to stop it, her initiative was unsuccessful. She changed directions and headed to the one place she knew her friend would go to.
Two blocks down she ran into Lita and Mina. Both so engrossed in their talks that they didn't see her till she was right in front of them. Her worried expression and sad eyes made them snap to attention immediately.
"Ami!" Mina cried out, feeling the pain radiating from the younger girl. "What's wrong?"
"Its Rei. I think something is wrong. I just saw her crying in the cab a few blocks down. I am headed to the temple right now."
"We'll come with you." Lita decided for them, placing a gentle hand on Ami's shoulder to give her some support.
***************************************************
Together they hurried up the stairs to the temple, each complaining in their minds with each new step, why couldn't they have fewer steps.
"Girls what a nice surprise, are you in a hurry to join me for some trainning?" Rei's grandpa asked, happily approaching the group.
"Gomen, Hino-san. Is Rei here?" Ami asked as quickly as she could. Hoping to stall the guy's advance. It worked.
Grandpa Hino raised his hand to his chin in a manner that suggested he was thinking. "I don't know, she left really fast as soon as I got home." He turned his eyes to them, all hint of pretty girls out of his mind, replaced by anger. "Is she dating!?"
All three of them nearly fell down. "No… umm I…" Mina started.
"We don't know, Ami saw her crying and we just wanted to see if she was fine." Lita quickly finished making sure not to give a definite answer. "Do you mind if we check to see her?"
They found her on top of the shrine, or rather they found a fuming Sailor Mars on the shrine, playing with a ball of fire.
"Mars!" Mina called out. Looking around to make sure Hino-san was no where in the area. "Mars, what are you doing?"
Her concentration broken, the ball of fire winked out of existence and Mars' face fell, more tears fell, following a path taken by previous ones. "Mina!" She cried out and jumped down, her transformation changing by the time she reached the ground. "I am going to KILL him."
Mina backed down in the face of hells' fury. Lita stepped up next, she took the arms of the agitated senshi of fire and led them all to Rei's room for a good talk.
***************************************************
Jake hurried up the temple steps, cussing the traffic that had kept him from Rei. What was he going to do if she didn't believe him about his relationship with Katy. He huffed, he could really hurt Katy right about now for the stunt she pulled, but he couldn't she was his sister in every way but blood. *Finally* he thought, *how many steps did they have to put here anyway?* He hadn't taken two steps when he came face to… well came in the path of an old man.
"How can I help you young man?"
"I am here to see Rei, is she here?"
The man immediately got a mad look in his eyes. "And who are you?"
Jake backed up a bit. "I really need to talk to her, sir, could I please see her?"
"NO!!" The old man started to wave his hands madly in front of him. "Off you go, and stay AWAY from MY GRANDDAUGHTER!"
In Rei's room, Rei had just finished telling the rest of the girls her story about the afternoon with Jake when they heard the commotion her grandfather was making outside. Lita volunteered to go see, since Rei wasn't feeling too good right then.
"Hino-san, is everything alright?" Lita came up from behind. The enraged man immediately calmed down a bit.
"No problem at all, as long as this man stays away from my granddaughter." He crossed his arms in front of him.
Lita looked a little closer at the man in question and recognized him as none other than Jake, the devil. "Look I am sorry, but Rei isn't here right now. Maybe you should leave." She crossed her arms in front of her as well. Anger flashing in her emerald eyes, one could almost see sparks flying around her.
Jake backed up a little bit more, almost to the edge of the stairs. "I really need to talk to her, could you at least just let her know I came by, please." He pleaded, feeling his heart crumble at the thought of what Rei might be thinking right now. "Let her know I… Please tell her I am so sorry and I just want a chance to explain. Will you do that for me, please?" He was almost begging, but he didn't care, as long as his Rei gave him a chance to explain he didn't care.
Jake left. What else could he do? Dejected he went home, maybe he should talk to Mike and get some sense talked to him, instead of hearing the irrational chatter of his heart. The heart that was telling him to push through those two peoples at the temple and search the temple himself. As he walked he noticed all the couples that were holding hands and smiling at each other, and wanted to throw a temper fit right there on the street. He wanted to shout bloody murder at fate for playing with his heart, and sob on the ground from the pain of his broken heart.
It had been said the third time, when he heard it. It was his name being called. Jake looked around himself trying to find the source. When he was tapped on the shoulder from behind.
"Hey." A voice said. "What's up?"
Jake turned to find himself staring in blue eyes. Freddy. "Goddamm it, do you have to scare the hell out of me?"
"Geez, sorry. What bit you this morning?"
"Its afternoon Freddy, and what bit me was fate."
"I was just on my way to your place to talk to Mike, my car is parked right around the corner, need a life?" Freddy said, trying to forestall the hysteria he saw in his friend's eyes.
"Yeah sure." He mumbled as he followed Freddy to his car. "Zach is supposed to drop by tonight as well, might as well have a get together." He said giving one last look towards the Cherry Hill temple.
***************************************************
"That was Jake up front." Lita said as soon as she entered the room. Rei looked up from where she was lying on the bed, imploring Lita to continue. "I think your grandfather might have scared him a bit." She explained with a little smile on her lips the events that occurred up front. After Rei had told them what had happened, Lita had wanted to go bash her fist in his face but she had also at the same time realized that this problem between the two had to be worked out by themselves without the interference from them. Where she got this idea from, she had no clue, but it was a gut instinct and she tended to follow those quite often. So far they hadn't proved her wrong.
"So Ami, Mina said, how is work?" And Ami blew up once more. She explained her problems with her boss, cussed him out a bit, almost giving Mina a heart attack.
"While we are talking about men…" Lita began. "I guess I should tell you about who I think I saw today… maybe you guys could help me out."
Lita's story was followed by Mina's revelation of her secret admirer and her confusion on his identity.
After which the four girls sat in silent peace, each in their minds cussing at men in general for the misery they were causing.
***************************************************
It was getting late by the time all four guys got together. Jake right upon his arrival went straight into the showers while Freddy immediately started to talk to Mike about his design of the super computer. By the time Zach dropped by, Jake was out of the shower and dinner was served. It was a peaceful night, partly cloudy and one was not able to see the stars in the skies as the previous night. Add that to the dim lighting of the room and the sour mood of its occupants, it was not a pleasant night in the household.
"I just don't get it." Zach finally broke the silence. "What is it that she just doesn't like?"
Freddy smiled. "A wise man once said, if there is one thing all of mankind will fail at is his understanding of the female of the species." He looked down. "How will I ever get her back?"
"Women!" Jake cried out. "She didn't even give me a chance to explain!"
"At least you know what your love thinks of you." Mike replied to his brother. "I don't even know if my plan is going to work. This not knowing is KILLING me!"
All together they let out a loud sigh. And sunk right back into their silence, each brooding the question of their females.
"So you are going to get to her using the old secret admirer bit are you?" Jake asked turning slightly to look at Mike who was sitting next to him.
"You don't think its going to work?"
"It would, if you can show her your true self using material possession." Freddy replied.
"You think I should try the old, flowers and chochalte bit as well for Ami?"
"Depends, what kind of person she is." Jake gave him a look. Knowing from your past interests, the girl would probably prefer a good book to chocolate."
"Hmmm…"
"Aha!" Mike jumped up. "I got it. The perfect gift to send next." With that he left the room as fast as he could.
"I'll talk to Rei tomorrow. I know the perfect place to get some great roses and maybe I could also get some…" He voice trailed off as he too left the room, his mind busy on the plans for tomorrow.
"A book huh?" Zach asked the only other occupant of the room. "But who should give it to her, Josh or me?"
Freddy gave him a look that told him what he thought of his state of mind, talking of himself in third person, but Zach just ignored it, mulling over the pros and cons of each personality.
"Am I the only sane one in this house?!" He asked, grabbing his keys from a nearby table and leaving shaking his head.
***************************************************
Well that's it. How do you think the girls will react?
Any ideas? Let me know what you think.
ixopo1550@yahoo.com
For more stories written by yours truly… check out my web page. It's also a great place if you want to look at some pictures.
www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Dojo/1550
