CATCH A SHOOTING STAR

RATING: R

STORY BY: Jeanne Stumbaugh

DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon and related characters are the property of their creator, Naoko Takenouchi. It is not the intent of this author to profit by the use of these characters.

Sorry, guys, but my email is down!!! You won't be able to reach me if you want to comment on my story for a little while anyway. My motherboard had gone south on me (Something about the way it communicates with my modem is messed up. "AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!" to quote Lucy from Peanuts.) and it'll be a little while before I can either bypass the problem or, heaven forbid, replace the motherboard (Which will take even longer.). Anyway, if you really want to send something to me, I'm pretty sure that if you ask her really nicely, my sister, Michelle Harris here, will find some way of getting it to me.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE: The format on the story has changed!! If you're reading this revised chapter, you will notice that there are only six chapters posted. This is because my sister is a little impatient and had wanted to merge all twenty-five chapters into one file (Good grief, can you imagine!). Anyway, I've persuaded her to combine them into smaller files. To wit, here's the breakdown:

Chapters 1 thru 5 are now Chapter One
Chapters 6 thru 10 are now Chapter Two
Chapters 11 thru 15 are now Chapter Three
Chapters 16 thru 20 are now Chapter Four
Chapters 21 thru 24 are now Chapter Five
Chapter 25 is the Chapter Six

I hope that's not too confusing. Anyway, the chapters will be segmented into they're original parts (1-25), so if you know where you were the last time (Hopefully at the last chapter), then you should be able to find them more readily.



PART SIX

When Yaten and Taiki got back from their errands, Seiya gave Yaten such a leer that it stopped him in his tracks, "What the hell is that for?"
Seiya stepped back, allowing Yaten full view of the room. Including Tia sitting in his favorite chair, her legs crossed and one high-heeled foot swinging slightly. Yaten almost choked on his own spit when he saw her. Then fought with the urge to cover her with his jacket. Dammit, no one had the right to see that much of her legs but him.
Taiki, behind Yaten, looked over his shoulder and gaped at the woman sitting in their living room. Yaten, glancing over his shoulder and noticing the expression on his friend's face, elbowed him in the gut, recalling Taiki back to his senses. Taiki grinned at the fierce glare the other sent to him, "Seiya, our manager wants us to look at something at his office."
"Gee, that's right," Seiya grinned wickedly at the almost panicked look on Yaten's face. "Yaten, since she's here to see you, we'll leave her to you," Seiya and Taiki were both out of the apartment and had shut the door before Yaten could say anything.
The silence left behind was so absolute that it roared in his ears. He turned back to Tia, who was rising from the chair, a slight smile on her face. He knew she was furious with him, and that didn't make her smile any easier to get used to. She walked slowly towards him, her movements sinuous, voluptuous, her eyes intent on his face and the slight edge to her smile making it no less alluring. She moved in close, not touching, but pressing him back against the wall nonetheless. He knew if he touched her now, he wouldn't be able to hold back from kissing her and maybe repeating what they'd done earlier.
"So are you going to explain...," she raised her eyes and he was almost blistered by the fire in them and his ears blasted by her voice as she raised it to a bellow, "JUST WHAT THE HELL YOU MEANT BY LEAVING ME THAT DAMNED NOTE?!!"
"It meant what I wrote," he answered quietly. "What happened was a mistake, Tia. It should never have happened in the first place."
"A mistake. I see. Mind telling me why?" she'd lowered her voice to its normal pitch.
"I'm sorry. I--it's just me," he looked down at his feet. "It's just me. I'm sorry."
"Not half as sorry as you will be, believe me," her promise brought his head up, peridot eyes wide. "I'm not giving up, you know. I'll accept your reason for today. But tomorrow is a different story all together. I'm not forgiving you for leaving me there alone," she moved in closer, leaning against him. "I'm just giving you the chance to get your breath back.
"I will have you, and that's all there is to it," she tilted her head to the side, her smile widening and he felt a chill crawl down his spine. "I just thought I'd give you a little warning. Not that it'll do you any good."
She walked around him, towards the door. She opened the door, then stopped, looking over her shoulder, "By the way, there's something that we both forgot about when we made our little . . . 'mistake.'"
He looked up at her, still trying to digest her promise, "What's that?"
The look and smile she gave him was thoroughly wicked, "Protection."
She slipped out the door as he was trying to puzzle that out.
"Protection? Protection against what?" Then what she'd said hit him like being kicked in the gut by a mule. "OH MY GOD!!!!"
Tia smiled as the elevators shut on the sound of his bellow, "Oh, I feel much better now."

The man stared down at the paper in his hand, snarling over it, "Just what we needed."
Another man, standing with him, growled and punched the wall, "Akira, that turncoat. I want you to find him. Now. Bring him back alive. I want him kicking when I make an example of him."
"Yes, sir," the first man bowed to the other, his face pale, before backing out of the room.

A few days later, Tia was checking her camcorder, making sure it was in working order. She was checking the batteries on it when there came a knock at the door, "Come in!"
Usagi opened the door and peered around it, "Is it okay to come in?"
The other girl grinned, "Sure. What? Did you think I was going to bite your head off because you ratted on me to Yaten?"
"Ah...well...," Usagi put a hand up to the back of her head, embarrassed.
"Don't worry about it," Tia grinned. "Let's just say I turned the tables on that young man."
"Why? What happened?"
"Oh, this and that," she gave a short laugh. "But Yaten's reeling now. Boy, is he."
"Oh," Usagi decided to drop the matter. "Hey, what's that for?"
"This?" Tia had replaced the battery pack in the camcorder. "I'm going to shoot some home movies tonight."
At that moment the phone rang and she answered, "Hello."
"I got that name you wanted. There was only one name with heavy criminal ties. Ryu Sakamoto. This guy is into major dog doo-doo. From gun running, art smuggling, drugs and prostitution to assassination."
"Kee-rist," Tia whistled under her breath.
"Think he's with the Japanese mob?"
"Ronnie, I didn't check that man for tattoos, you know. But, you know, I don't think so," she chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Some part of me kinda thinks that those guys steer clear of him."
"Look, you up? I'll send what I have on him. It's some major reading there."
"I'm up, but let me set this thing to save on a CD," she was silent while she pulled a blank CD from a case, slid it into the drive and punched a few button. "Okay, go."
"Downloading now. You gonna look at it now?"
"No. I got something I have to do tonight."
"Hot date?"
"No. Something else."
"Oh, sure," sarcasm colored his voice. "All right, the info has been downloaded. You know, I don't like that you're getting mixed up in this. We're talking a major crime organization here."
"I know. I don't like it either. But. . . ."
"I know, I know, your parents. But, I still don't like it. I'm going to tell Nancy. And Takumi, too."
"You do what you have to, Ronnie. I'm not going to argue with you on it."
"I just wanted you to know. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"I understand. I do. Look I've got to go."
"You call me, let me know you're safe."
"I will."
Usagi while not understanding everything that Tia'd said, caught the serious gist of it, "You're going back there tonight, aren't you?"
"Yes," there wasn't any point in denying it. "I need proof, if I'm to get the police serious about this. That's what the camera is for. It's specially adapted," she pointed to the lens attachment. "This is so I can film in the dark. That way, I can get a clear picture."
"You can't mean to go alone," Usagi cried out.
"For now, I have to do this on my own," Tia smiled, gently at the other girl. "Don't worry, I'll be careful. I will tell Takumi. But for now, I'm on my own."
"I can't get you to change your mind?"
"No. There are reasons for why I'm doing it this way. One day, I'll tell you about them."
"Then you be careful," Usagi might not have been able to convince the other girl to let the police have it, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't tell anyone else. She had an idea that Yaten might like to know what Tia was doing. And there wasn't any reason that Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Soldiers couldn't watch over her while she was gathering her evidence. But
she had one more stop to make first.



Part Seven

Seiya opened his door, exclaiming, "O-Dango. What're you doing here?"
Usagi brushed past him, "Is Yaten-kun here?"
"I'm here," Yaten emerged from the kitchen. "What's going on?"
"It's Tia-chan! She's gone back to that place!" Usagi rushed over to Yaten. "She said she needed proof of what was happening over there!"
Yaten cursed, grabbing Usagi's arms, "Where did she go? Do you know where it is?"
Usagi nodded her head and told him where it was. Yaten was already halfway down the hall when Usagi gained the door. Seiya grabbed her by the arm, "Hey, what's going on?"
"Tia-chan is trying to bust a crime-ring, as far as I know. She went to gather information on it tonight," Usagi extracted her arm from Seiya's grip. "Look, I just came over cause I thought Yaten might want to know. I've got to get going." She was running down the corridor before Seiya could stop her to question her further.

Yaten made it to the store just as Tia slipped into the alley. Mindful of what she was doing, he slid as stealthily as he could after her. He waited until she was part way up the fire escape before following her up. Even as careful as he was, he still made a good deal more noise than she. When his head cleared the roof, he came face to face with Tia, who was poised to strike, her arm back, ready to deal a bone-crushing blow.
"Tia, it's me," he hissed, ducking out of range.
"Yaten," he heard her snarl then felt her grab hold of his tie and yank him up. "What the hell are you doing here?" She pulled him onto the roof, all the while berating him for following her, "It was Usagi wasn't it? I can't even be mad at her for it, either. But at least she had the sense not to follow me."
"What the hell am I--? It's dangerous, you moron," Yaten hissed at her. "If you'd just gone to your brother-in-law, the police would've taken care it."
"Oh, yeah right," the look she gave him could've cooked eggs. "Start up a major investigation on the strength of the word of a sixteen-year-old girl? Are you serious? They'd have laughed him right out of the squad room."
Yaten admitted that made sense, but didn't make it any more palatable, "Well, you could've at least brought me with you."
"I couldn't put you into danger," she shook her head, moving to the skylight, drawing her camcorder from her backpack. "Well, you're here and there's nothing I can do about it. But let me make this clear, while we're doing this, you do what I say, without questioning me, got it?"
"I got it. What are you doing?" he watched as she bent precariously over the skylight.
"I need to get a clear shot of the inside. I rubbed a clear spot the last time I was here, but it's kinda hard to get at now with my hand's full like this," she felt his hands grab her hips and her head whipped around."What are you doing?"
"If you fall through that skylight it's over for the both of us, isn't it? This way, you don't need to worry about tipping over and you don't need your hands to brace yourself."
"Well, hold on then, I'm gonna take you at your word," she leaned forward and Yaten tightened his hold and braced his feet apart. "Don't let go."
"All right, all right. Just do whatever you're going to do, you're heavy."
"Ha, ha, real funny," then she was quiet as she started recording the scene below her.
Which, from her vantage point, was quite spectacular. Especially considering the caliber of fire power they were now unloading. She nearly choked as one man opened a crate, and unearthed, under a thin layer of canned goods, rocket launchers and in another crate, the rockets. These were definitely American-made. Military issue. Takumi was going to have a bird when he saw this. Of course he was going to have a herd of cattle when he found out what she'd been up to. But once he got this, her involvement was over. Maybe her life would get back to normal.
And maybe the Statue of Liberty would start doing the fox-trot on Ellis Island too.

Pulling on the cigarette in his hand, the man picked up the phone and dialed a number. He identified himself to the person who picked up at the other end of the line, then asked to be transferred over to Mr. Sakamoto.
"Yes," the voice on the other end was brisk.
"He's not here," the man got straight to the point.
"Why not?"
"I had a friend of mine track his credit card bill. He bought a one-way ticket to Canada."
"Have someone bring him back."
"I called someone who does jobs for me there. I told him who I wanted brought back. But there's a problem."
"What problem?"
"Well, it seems that Akira made headlines coming into the country. He was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. There was a tip that he was coming into the country and he was connected with international gun runners," the man took another drag of his cigarette then said, "I don't think the info we got was right."
"Go on."
"I think all the info that was found at Akira's place was bogus. I became aware a couple of weeks ago of this girl who'd been snooping around the Nakamura's store. I kept an eye on her for a little while, but didn't look like she was snooping. She's probably the one who set Akira up and tipped off the Canadians."
"Oh? Do you know who this girl is?"
"Yes."
"Take care of her."
"I've already taken steps."
"Good."

Tia stopped the camcorder. She had nearly half an hour's worth of video tape and was satisfied that it was enough to get an investigation going. She straightened up and stepped off the ledge she'd been standing on. Yaten held her until she stepped off the ledge.
"Now, what?" He asked, quietly, as she stowed the camcorder in her backpack.
"Now, we beat it. The longer we're here the more likely they'll discover us. Over the side, down the fire escape. Quick as you can without making it sound like a herd of elephants," she slung the backpack onto her shoulders and slipped away from the window and to the fire escape. She started down and Yaten gave her just enough room to keep her hands from being smashed by his feet before starting down himself.
A man stepped from around the corner just as Yaten hit the alley, "Don't you move."
"Oh, joy," Yaten murmured, raising his hands in the air.
"Not again. I'll get us out of this," Tia whispered to him. "Trust me."
He gave a slight nod. For some odd reason, he did trust her. Not that he couldn't get them out himself. But revealing his alter ego was something one only did with a great deal of thought or only the most deadly of times. Of course, he reasoned, looking down the barrel of a machine gun was definitely a good time to reveal oneself. He just needed a little bit of breathing room. At the precise moment he dropped his hands, the need to transform became moot.
"WORLD SHAKING."
The voice came out of the darkness, followed by a ball of pure energy ripping through the darkness. It hit the gunman full in the chest, flinging him backwards into the side of the building with force enough to knock him into dreamland.
"Oh, no," Tia muttered, drawing Yaten's attention. "Not these guys again."
"Are you two all right?" Sailor Moon stepped into the alley followed by Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus.
"Yes, we are, thanks to you. But what are you doing here? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were following me or something." Tia stared, startled at the little black cat which seemed to accompany them before being distracted.
"So what if we are?" the one with the green hair asked, an amused and highly annoying smile.
"If you are, I can't stop you," Tia shrugged one shoulder, two could play at that game. "But, aren't there better things you can do with your time? Like save the world or something?"
"Yes," the blond one agreed. "We just happened to see what was going on, though. Didn't you want us to save you?"
"Well, I'm grateful. Don't get me wrong. However, I can't approve of your getting involved with this. It was better when only a few people knew about this. The more people who know, the more likely we are of being discovered," she looked at the unconscious man. "And dammit, this is just what I didn't need."
"What is it?" Sailor Moon asked.
"We need to get rid of him," Tia knelt down beside the man. "I don't mean kill him. And I can't do the same thing with him that I did with the other. It wouldn't work twice. Nothing forever, either. Just long enough for me to get that video tape to my brother-in-law and . . . Hey, wait a minute. I've got an idea."
"What idea?" Yaten experienced a slow sinking feeling.
"How good are you at lying?" Tia laughed at the outraged expression which crossed the Sailor Soldiers's expressions. She told them what she planned. They'd have to move the unconscious man to some other part of the Ten-Street District and call the police with the story that the man had threatened them with a gun. Yaten nodded his head, it was a good plan. And
they wouldn't be lying, exactly. Just not telling the entire story.
"I can do it," Yaten said. "It's a good plan. And I know the Police chief at the Tenth-Street District station. So that'll add to my credibility."
"Add to that, my brother-in-law is a Detective at Police Headquarters, and hopefully it's in the bag," Tia looked over at Uranus. "So what's your name?"
"Sailor Uranus."
"Well, Sailor Uranus, you've got gloves on so you're elected to carry the gun."
"Why?"
"I don't have any gloves with me, and we don't want any fingerprints except his on the gun."
"Oh," Uranus picked up the machine gun and held it gingerly in front of her.
"Oh, wait, just a second," Tia moved to Uranus's side. "Here, turn the gun towards me. No, at an angle. Yeah, like that. See that switch there? Yeah, slide it forward. Good. That was the safety. Now it won't fire accidently," she stifled the urge to laugh at the look on Uranus's face. "Come on, we need get going. We don't need to go far. Just a few blocks maybe. Somewhere, more heavily traveled this time of night, but not too many people."
They stopped six blocks over and Tia rummaged in her backpack for her cellular phone. She caught their dumbfounded looks and grinned. She had brought the phone with her, but had turned it off, so it wouldn't ring. She turned it on and dialed the police. She added a slight, hysterical edge to her voice when she was speaking to the person on the other end and the others
were impressed at how well she pulled it off. She hung up the phone and grinned, "Okay, they're on their way. It'll be morning before the police let us go, Yaten. Oh, well. At least we get a good reason for missing school tomorrow," then she groaned. "Oh, man. My brother's gonna freak. And my brother-in-law's gonna be called, too."
Yaten laughed and she gave him dirty look as she mumbled, "Oh, go ahead and laugh. Brian's going to hire bodyguards and Takumi will dog my steps for days, just you watch. I won't be able to have any fun." A comment which made Yaten laugh even harder even when Tia punched him in the arm.
They looked up at the sound of sirens in the distance. The Sailor Soldiers looked at each other, then beat it. Tia stepped to the curb and waved her arms frantically for the police to stop. In short order the crook was hauled away, handcuffed and loudly protesting. As the officers were taking her statement, a sleek black sports car came barreling down the street and screeched to a halt next to the first patrol car. Tia almost groaned aloud as Brian and Takumi leapt out of the car. She spent the next few minutes crushed against, first her brother's chest and then her brother-in-law's chest and calming both of them down.
'It's funny,' she thought to herself, wryly. 'They're so big and brave when it comes to other things, but let one of us girls get hurt or in trouble and they panic.'
It took her a good ten minutes before they quit interrupting her with "Are you sure you're okay?"'s. And another fifteen before Takumi agreed to let her go to the precinct to make a statement. He didn't want to let her out of his sight. And as a detective with the police department, he had a tendency to take charge of crimes scenes, even if they weren't his. She gave him an exasperated look as she told him that there wasn't a mystery to solve, that they already had the perpetrator in custody and to let the other police officers do their jobs. The other police officers looked on with some amusement, listening to this young girl chiding a senior detective about police work. He reluctantly agreed to let her go to the police station, but insisted on driving them to the police station himself.
'That way,' she laughed, silently, 'he won't have to let me out of his sight, just in case some bad guy is going to jump out of the carpeting in the police car as I'm going there.'

The next day, Takumi sat yawning at his desk, studying some papers from a case he was working on, when a hand landed on his shoulder. He looked up to see a young man in a courier's uniform, "Detective Miyake?"
"Yes."
"Delivery for you. Please sign here," the young man indicated on the form for him to sign.
"Why not just leave it with the receptionist?" he asked as he signed.
"Special instructions from the sender. The package was to be released only to Detective Miyake," the young man pulled a padded envelope from his pouch and handed it to Takumi, taking the clipboard back. "Have a good day."
Takumi opened the envelope, a puzzled frown on his face. He pulled out an unmarked videotape and a single folded sheet of paper. He turned the videotape over, making sure there were no identifying marks. Other than the name of the company which produced it, there was nothing. He opened the sheet of paper. There was a short, computer-printed message:

I think you'll find this interesting. You'll find these guys operating out of a small business in the Ten-Street District. I believe the store owners are being intimidated into cooperation by these persons. The men may be associated with a man by the name of Ryu Sakamoto, who is known to be involved in criminal activity. The address is listed below. Better hurry, though, I think they've discovered I've been snooping around on them.

Takumi's curiosity was aroused now, so he took the videotape to a viewing room. As he watched the video tape, his curiosity turned to shock then to adrenaline pumping excitement. This was major. Ten minutes later, he'd seen enough to bring the tape to his chief. He also decided he was going to kill Tia for keeping this from him.

The store was staked out that very night. They didn't even have to wait all that long. A large delivery truck pulled into the alley behind the store at nearly 10 p.m. Takumi straightened in his seat abruptly as fourteen delivery men jumped out of the truck. A moment later, two luxury vehicles pulled up in front of the store and five very well-dressed men climbed out of the cars. Takumi recognized them from the videotape. One opened the delivery bay doors. One spoke with one the delivery men, nodding and gesturing vigorously. The delivery man nodded in acknowledgment and motioned to the others, towards the delivery doors. They disappeared inside and after a few more minutes began loading crates into the truck.
Takumi spoke into a walkie-talkie, giving last minute instructions, then motioned to his partner. They slid out of the car, quietly closing doors, scuttling from shadow to shadow towards the store. Suddenly, police came boiling out of everywhere, shouting, guns held ready, and police cars, sirens blaring and screeching to a halt.
The raid went off without a hitch. There was no question of resistance, not when the ratio of police to bad guy was four-to-one. When the crates were opened, the police were shocked at the caliber of firepower found and were more shocked at the huge cache of weapons found in the storerooms. It was going to take days just to get it all cataloged. From the sheer size of the raid,
they would all be pitching in to get it all cleared.
The next morning, hours before the owners would show up to open the store, Takumi and his partner went to their home to inform them of what happened. When told of what happened, Yuki Nakamura collapsed into sobs of utter relief. Hideo caught her before she fell and their son and daughter, helped her onto a chair where she sat, trying to compose herself. Their daughter sat on the floor next to her mother, silently, tears streaming down her face. The son sat down on the sofa, pale and trembling. Hideo was pale himself, tears of relief standing out in his eyes.
"Thank god," he kept saying. "Thank god. It's over. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

On one hand, Takumi was proud that Tia had discovered what was going on. But on the other, he was furious with her for putting herself into danger. Furious she hadn't trusted him enough to bring this to his attention right off. And really furious with her, because when he thought of what she risked getting videotape footage it scared him badly.
He was finally able to fall into bed two hours later. He slept for three hours before rising, and showering and heading back to the station, helping with the paperwork, cataloging and details of the case. It was a willingness to help, even when he didn't have to, that made him so popular with the other personnel at the station. He was grim-faced when he finished interrogating the delivery men and their superiors. The delivery men were easily bent, after all,
they were the low men on the rungs. When the police dangled the possibility of very long prison sentences, they told what they could in the interest of gaining leniency at their trials. The superiors were another story. They sneered at long sentences and weren't intimidated at all by the hard-nosed interrogators. The interrogators couldn't get them to crack.
The more they refused to give the angrier Takumi became. The longer they didn't talk, the longer he had to stay and the less time he had for his family. If there was one thing that could make him really angry, it was not being able to see his wife and children. And his anger communicated itself quite well with them. Every time he walked into the room, the men shifted,
restlessly. It was uncomfortable being in the same room with a man who could hold his anger in check so well. Eventually, one of them decided to talk. On the condition that Takumi not be present. The interrogators had found it useful to have Takumi's presence for the very reason that he made the men in question so nervous.
Takumi was sent home, the chief having noticed how haggard his detective was becoming. The last thing he needed was for one of his best detectives to burn out.
As Takumi fell into bed, he decided to have a little talk with Tia. Later. Right now, he just needed sleep.



Part Eight

Tia put her head around the door into Nikki's bedroom and grinned. Takumi was sprawled across the bed, snoring away. She withdrew her head and headed back to the kitchen. She laughed as she reported to her sister, who was preparing lunch, "He's still dead to the world. I never knew he snored."
Nikki giggled, "Well, he doesn't normally. He only does that when he's really tired or if he's sick. It really embarrasses him, too. Although I don't know why."
"No kidding," Tia snorted, indelicately. "His snoring is delicate in comparison to Grandpa's."
"Tell me about it," Nikki handed Tia a knife and pointed at the chicken. "You take care of the chicken."
"Oh, do I have to?" Tia whined, a playful light in her eyes, "I didn't sign on to do slave labor, you know. You're only doing this cause you can't debone a chicken right."
Nikki twinkled back at her sister, "You're the expert."
"Well, glad to know someone finally noticed," Tia grinned as her sister rolled her eyes, then made quick work of deboning the chicken.
The smell of food brought her brother and her niece into the kitchen, both saying, "Something smells good!"
They sat in the kitchen, while the food was cooking, chatting. Tia goofed with Q, teasing her like any older sibling would. But Q knew Tia's secret weakness, she was extremely ticklish. So much so that just wiggling fingers in the general direction of her abdomen set her laughing. And once Q actually got her hands on to Tia, she was impossible to throw off, particularly since
Tia became too weak from laughter to push her off. Of course, once Tia fell out of her chair Q backed off, a wicked grin spread all over her face. Tia giggled in fits and starts, supine on the floor, regaining her strength.
When she pulled herself off the floor, she glared at Brian, "You rat, you told her!"
Brian grinned, playfully, "I just gave her an advantage over you."
"Oh, really?" the wicked smile that spread over Tia's face didn't bode well for Brian. "Well, turnabout's fair play. Just you wait, big bro, I know a few secrets about you."
"You wouldn't!" Brian half-stood.
"Why not?" Tia grinned, remaining seated. "You did."
"Oh, this sounds interesting," Nikki joined the fray, her grin matching her sister's. "What do you know, Tia?"
"Oh, no, you don't," Brian collapsed back into his seat, a beleaguered expression on his face, "If you don't watch it, Nikki, I'll tell Takumi about Todd," he was referring to her former boyfriend.
"Don't you dare!" Nikki picked up her glass of water, ready to throw it at her brother.
"Todd? What about Todd?" Tia turned on Nikki. "Was there something you didn't tell me about good old Todd?"
Nikki ignored Tia in favor of changing the subject, "So, Brian, when's the opening going to be?"
He chuckled at her blatant change of subject, "Saturday night. Which reminds me," he got up and went into the other room, chuckling when he heard Tia murmur to Nikki, "Don't think you've gotten out of telling me about Todd."
When he returned, he had a small packet with him, "Here are the invites to the opening party. I wanted to give you some."
"You'd better give me a lot," Tia grinned at him. "I've suddenly acquired a whole lot of friends, lately."
"This do?" He picked out about a quarter of the invites.
She counted through the invitations, "Oh, yeah, this will do nicely."
"I got a call from Sloane and Daniel," Nikki took a stack of invitations. "They won't make it, I'm afraid. Sloane can't get out the country's she's in. Seems the local government has taken a dislike to Americans right now. She's decided to lay low for a while. She also said she heard about a guy who could get her out. She said she was going and see if he'd help her."
"Daniel said Terese and the twins are down with the flu. He wants to stick close to home," Nikki put her chin on her hands. "I did so want to see the twins again. It's been a while."
The others agreed as Tia checked on the chicken. She finished the timer for the rice went off. Laughing and joking, Brian and the girls finished cooking lunch. Nikki's children poked their heads around the corner of the kitchen and stared in surprise at their uncle, who was adorned in an apron, and cooking along side of his sisters. While it wasn't unusual for their father to help their mother cook, they'd never seen him put on their mother's frilled apron. Brian even pulled off the wearing of it with panache.

Tia knocked on Usagi's front door, then stepped back to look at the house. It was nice. Big, too, with two stories and an old-fashioned attic floor. Ikuko, Usagi's mother, opened the door, smiling at the young woman standing on her front doorstep, looking at her house, "Yes, may I help you?"
"Oh! Hello. Is Usagi in?" Tia smiled, widely. "I'm a friend of hers from school. I was hoping to catch her here."
"Oh, yes, she's in," Ikuko motioned for Tia to enter. "She's in her room. I'll show you."
"You're her mother, right?"
"Yes."
"Let me introduce myself then. I'm Tia MacKenzie. I'm a transfer student from the U.S."
"Oh, from America! How nice," Ikoku looked at the young woman next to her. "It must be very strange, living in a foreign country like this."
"Well," Tia thought about it for a moment. "It took a while for me to get used to translating everything people said before I replied, and driving on the opposite side of the road. But other than that, everything's cool. It helped a lot, having a Japanese brother-in-law and a sister who's living here, too. That way, they can help me before I mortally offend someone," she grinned and shrugged her shoulders. They reached Usagi's door and she paused, "Oh, I almost forgot. My brother is opening up a dance club in the area, and the grand opening is on Saturday night. Is it all right if Usagi came? I'm afraid she'll be home rather late. My brother said that he'll have a limousine drive my friends home."
"Oh, well, yes I suppose she could go," Ikoku smiled again. "A limousine, that's nice of your brother."
"Yeah," Tia wrinkled her nose. "I don't even rate a limo."
Usagi opened the door as her mother was giggling, "Oh, Tia. What's funny?"
"I'll let your friend tell you," Ikoku smiled. "It was nice meeting you."
"It was nice meeting you, too," Tia grinned before following Usagi into her room.
"So, Tia," Usagi sat down at the table next to her bed, "what's up?"
"This," Tia pulled one of the invitations from her pocket, sitting down on the other side of the table, "My brother's opening up a club and grand opening night is Saturday. I was hoping you'd come. Your mom said it'd be all right. You don't have any plans for that night, do you?"
"Nothing I can't put aside," Usagi took the invitation. "I was just going to get together with the girls at the Crown."
"Oh, well, I've got invitations for them, too," Tia pulled out the stack she had with her. "Maybe you'd like to help me deliver them?"
Tia went still, someone had just come into the room on silent feet. She spun about, facing the doorway. Of course, she missed seeing the person who'd come in at first because she was looking right over her. Then the shock of fuchsia hair drew her eyes and she became aware of the tiny person standing in the door way. The little one looked so much like Usagi, other
than the hair, that Tia was floored.
"I know she isn't yours," Tia said to Usagi, pointing at the little girl and making a funny face at Usagi. "I mean, you're way young, you know. This is your sister, right?"
Usagi, still uncomfortable with calling the little one her sister, nodded after a slight pause, "That's Chibi-Chibi-chan."
"Well, hi, Chibi-Chibi-chan," Tia dropped onto her hands and knees to bring her face to face with the little one.
The little girl's face split into the biggest, cutest grins Tia had ever received, "Hi, hi!"
"You're so cute," Tia put a hand on top of Chibi-Chibi's head. She laughed and looked at Usagi, "She's a lot like cotton candy, all pink and fluffy and sweet."
". . . and sweet," Chibi-Chibi mimicked in her tiny little voice, and the older girl laughed in delight.

They went the rounds, stopping by the Crown checking to see if any of the others were there. Then they headed out to each of the girl's homes. Makoto's place was first, then Ami's place, then Minako's, then they stopped by the Rei's shrine.
"Oh, wow," Tia breathed as she took in Rei's home. She'd never been to a Temple before, but she was awed by the simple beauty of it. She couldn't imagine living in it, either. Probably her Western mentality asserting itself. To her, the only people who lived in a holy place were nuns and monks. But then she ran into something like this and it turns everything over on its side until she got used to it.
She was introduced to Rei's grandfather, the priest in charge of the temple. She thought he was a funny little man, joking and teasing and flirting with her. Then she saw Yuichiro, sweeping out in the yard and excused herself to run over to him.
"Well, this is lucky," Tia grinned after exchanging greetings with him. "I was hoping to run into you. Here," she gave him one of the invitations.
"The StarWay Club? It's opening a branch here in Japan?" Yuichiro exclaimed, becoming excited. "This is an invitation to the grand opening! How in the world did you get this?"
"I'm co-owner, Yuichiro," Tia laughed at his expression. "And a major stockholder in the company. Of course I'm going to get invitations to pass out. Rei and the girls already said they'd come. So I'm expecting you to come also," she smiled, amused. "Dress to impress, Yuichiro, because the club is ultra-chic. Oh, and I'll expect you by 6:00 P.M."
"But the opening doesn't start until 9:00," Yuichiro sounded confused.
"Just in case," she winked at him. "Besides, there are some things I want to go over with you. See you then. By the way, Rei's watching so look delighted," she winked at his astonished expression, then at the delight which spread over his face when he realized what she'd said.
Oh, yeah, Tia grinned. That'll get Rei's blood going for sure. Too bad Yaten isn't here. He'd be ready to kick Yuichiro's butt. Although, it probably wouldn't be any contest, Yuichiro being as big as he is and Yaten being such a skinny thing. But he's all muscle anyway. Nice and tight, she grinned at the memory even as she blushed at her own wicked thoughts. She caught the look in Rei's face and nearly laughed out loud. And Rei's ready to come over here and kick my behind. Perfect.

"Okay, now all I have to do to get these to Yaten, Taiki, and Seiya," Tia chewed her lip, fingering three of the remaining invitations. "Which is going to be a problem."
"Why's that?" Usagi tilted her head at Tia.
"Weren't you watching during the week, Usagi-chan?" Tia gave a short laugh. "Yaten's been doing a pretty good job of avoiding me this past week," she shrugged and grinned. "Well, not that I blame him or anything. But it makes it difficult."
"What's with you two anyway?" Usagi tilted her head to the side.
Tia sighed, clasping her hands behind her back, "I'm still trying to figure it out. I don't know, maybe it's love?"
"Really?" Usagi frowned. "Lu--A friend told me that he already has a woman he loves."
"Hmm," Tia thought about that for a moment. "Well, maybe so. I don't know him well. But there's love and there's love," she grinned, she'd totally lost Usagi on that one, she knew.
"How do you mean?"
"Well, there's loving someone, then there's being in love with someone. My grandmother explained it to me," she tilted her head back, remembering her grandmother's words. "You see, you can love someone, without being in love with them.
"You love your family, and your friends, right? That's loving. Being in love is something reserved for one person and one person only. Your boyfriend, your lover, your husband. Of course, you can love them, too. My grandmother says being in love is akin to passionate love. She says that for love to work, you had to both love and be in love with your partner," she smiled at the other girl. "Does that make sense to you? It does to me. But then, I'm lucky, I had some perfect examples of this. My parents and grandparents."
Usagi was silent, contemplating what the other girl said. They walked in silence, down the steps and onto the street.
"Hey," Tia grinned suddenly, "I could really go for some coffee and, wouldn't you know it, there's a cafe down the street."
"Oh, yes," Usagi smiled, happy to be on her favorite subject: food. "They're really good, too."
"I hope so, if there's one thing I can't stand is a bad cup of coffee," Tia grinned, a twinkle coming into her eye. "I should know, I make the worst coffee of everyone I know."
"You're kidding."
"Actually, no. They only let me make coffee if they need to stay awake for anything," Tia opened the cafe door and held it for Usagi. "Takumi usually asks me to make a couple of thermoses for him and his partner when they go on stakeout. He says my coffee is strong enough to burn a hole through tempered steel."
Usagi laughed at this description, then headed for an empty table. She'd almost reached one, when a husky voice said, "Well hello, my little kitten."
She turned to see Haruka and Michiru sitting at a table in the corner and smiled in greeting, "Haruka, Michiru!"
"Oh," Tia stopped at the sight of the two. "Are these friends of yours?"
"Yes," Usagi introduced the two to the other girl.
"Pleased to meet you," there was a slight frown between Tia's brows by the end of the introduction. She stared at the other two as they slid into the booth with them. For some reason, she felt as if she'd met them before. But she had an excellent memory and would've remembered two such distinctive people. The blond was tall and leggy with short hair and piercing eyes. She
was dressed in an understated sort of way. The other had aqua-green hair that was so natural that Tia didn't think the woman dyed her hair that color. She had a calm, elegant grace in manner and dress.
"Is there something wrong?" Haruka asked.
"No, not really. It's just that. . . . Do I know you?"
Haruka was surprised at the question. Did the girl know something? They'd met before, of course. But Haruka had been Sailor Uranus at the time. She couldn't very well admit to that, "No. . . we've never met."
"No? No, of course not," Tia scratched her temple. "It's just I have this weird feeling we've met before. But you two are too pretty for me not to remember you," she must've said something that amused Usagi, because the other girl giggled quietly. "What?"
"You said pretty, about the both of them," Usagi giggled again, and by this time, Michiru had caught on and laughed quietly.
"Yes?" Then Tia caught on, "Oh, you mean, because I called someone you think I assume is a man pretty. But I can see that she's a woman."
"You knew Haruka was a woman?" Usagi stared at her.
"Well, yes," she smiled. "No Adam's apple. A man would have a prominent one."
Haruka put a hand to her throat. She'd never really thought of it. Amazing what a little thing could reveal about one, "You've got sharp eyes to catch that."
"I'd better," Tia grinned. "I want to be a private investigator when I get out of school and I need to hone everything I can to give me an edge."
"Really?" Usagi stared at Tia, her eyes round in surprise. "Why? I mean, why not be a policeman or something?"
"I would, but I wouldn't be able to pass the physical exam," Tia grinned at the surprise on the other girl's face. "You see, when I was little I wanted to be a FBI agent," she stopped at the uncomprehending look on the other girl's face. "The FBI is sort of like a nationwide police force, with jurisdiction all over the country, rather than just in a small area. Anyway, a few years ago, I was. . . sort of in an accident. It messed up my knee pretty badly and I had to have surgery to correct it all. It still isn't quite the same as it used to be," she shrugged dismissing the subject. "So, tell me, how did you meet Usagi?"
Haruka smiled slightly, half-closed her eyes so that she looked like a cat, "Do you really want to know?"
Tia, while taken aback by the look for half a second, grinned naughtily, "Oh, yes. And don't leave out the juicy bits either. I want to hear everything," she added the last word sotto voice and laughed out loud at the astonishment on the woman's face. "Oh, I'm sorry, but you walked right into that one. I couldn't help it, the opportunity was too good to resist," she laughed again, then cleared her throat, "But seriously, how do you know Usagi?"
"Oh, we ran into each other by chance. She uses the same video arcade I used to go to," Haruka smiled. "I'd known Michiru before that and met her when she came to meet me there."
The conversation became more general after that. They'd finished their coffee and were waiting for the tab, when Usagi started then jabbed Tia in the ribs. Tia, not prepared for the move and being extremely ticklish besides, let out a surprised whoop, attracting disapproving stares from people from several other tables. She colored slightly, grinning sheepishly.
"Sorry about that. You surprised me," she looked at Usagi. "What?"
"Do you have any extra invitations? Maybe Haruka and Michiru could have them?"
"There are," she pulled them from her pockets. She took three, then gave the rest to Usagi. "Looks like there are about five left over. If you want, you can give the rest out to your other friends."
"Thanks," Usagi took two from the remaining invitations and handed them over to Michiru. "Here you go."
Michiru looked at the invitation, "The StarWay Club? Isn't that the place over on Third Street? They're opening soon?"
"The grand opening is Saturday. The other girls are coming. And transportation afterwards is provided. If you're so inclined," Tia stopped abruptly, and snapped a finger. "I've got it!"
"Got what?" Usagi blinked at her.
"Here," Tia handed the three invitations she had to Usagi. "You're perfect. You can get the invitations to Seiya, Taiki and Yaten."
Usagi grinned, she was always up for a little matchmaking. And there was the scent of a major league romance here. She caught the look Haruka and Michiru exchanged and the expressions on their faces. Haruka and Michiru, who didn't trust the Starlights as far as they could throw them with their pinkies, narrowed their eyes in disapproval.

The man bowed to the man sitting in an overstuffed leather chair behind a huge, highly-polished mahogany desk, "The arrangements have been made, Sakamoto-Sama."
"Good," Ryu Sakamoto sipped coffee from a delicate porcelain cup. "I'm pleased, Kuriyama, at your swiftness in dealing with this . . . inconvenience."
"All that's to be done now is wait for the right opportunity."
"Yes," Sakamoto looked up at the man with a half-smile on his face.



PART NINE

"Tia," Takumi put his head around the Tia's open front door and was nearly blown off his feet as she raced past him.
Tia, breathless and frazzled, skidded to a halt, "Oh! Takumi-oniisan, sorry, I didn't see you. I haven't time to talk. Brian wants me at the club. I promised to help him with last minute set up. See you later, okay?" This last was flung over her shoulder as she raced for her bike.
"Okay, but I need to talk with you!" Takumi yelled after her.
"Later!" Tia slammed her helmet on, kick-started her bike and zoomed out of the courtyard.
"Later, little sister," Takumi's lips quirked.

"Hey, Usagi-chan," she asked Usagi the next morning, "did you get the invites to them?"
"Yes, I gave them to Seiya yesterday evening. He said they'd come if he had to drag the others kicking and screaming," Usagi winked at Tia and the other girl grinned.
"Good," she turned to the group in general. "By the way, what are you guys going to wear?"
"Uh, well, I really don't know yet," Ami shook her head. "Why?"
"Why don't you come over tonight with some outfits and I'll help you chose the best ones? And bring Rei, too. Usagi knows where I live."
"Okay, but we should really study tonight, though," Ami shook her head. "Midterms are coming up." She was, of course, referring to mid-term tests which were still more than a month and a half away.
Tia groaned, good-naturedly, as Minako, Mina and Usagi hit the floor, "Oh, come on, Ami-chan! You know what they say about all work and no play. You just gotta know how to balance things out. I happen to think that you study way too much, anyway."
"But I just want to be the best doctor I can be," Ami protested, vehemently.
"That's fine, Ami-chan," Tia grinned, "and studying well is a part of that. But there's more to being a good doctor than just studying. Besides, even doctors need to know how to have fun. If they don't, they end up being a doctor people don't like going to see, even if they have to go," she winked at the other girl. "And a couple of nights spent at leisure activities isn't going to kill you. And you'll have all day Sunday to study, anyway.
"Okay, everybody," Tia suddenly said, "now, run! Or we're going to be late for class!"
She laughed as they all took to their heels at a dead run for class.

When Tia got home from school , she could barely get her motorcycle through the gates into the courtyard, it was so packed with vehicles. She grinned, that meant most of her family was there. She'd missed all of them greatly and it would be nice to catch up on things again. She stowed her bike out of the way, stowed her gear at her place and not even bothering to change from her uniform, rushed into the main house.
The first person she saw as she came barreling into the house was her grandfather. She let out a whoop and threw herself at him. Her grandfather, Daniel MacKenzie, a retired FBI agent and now a highly-paid private investigator and security specialist, not expecting the whoop, whirled at her in a crouch, ready to fight. Then, recognizing her voice, straightened just in time to catch her against him, laughing as he staggered to keep his balance.
"Grandpa!! Oh, my god, it's good to see you again!" she buried her face in his chest, squeezing her tightly, inhaling his dear, familiar scent.
"Easy, girl, easy! I'm gonna need those ribs later on, you know," her grandfather laughed, hugging her back. "It's good to see you again, too. Let me look at you," he put her away from him and stared at her, the smile fading from his face and reflective look coming to his face. "Something's changed about you, girl," he put his arm around her. "You look as good as ever, but there's something different about you. Something about the air of you."
He can tell, Tia thought in amazement. "I'm in love, Grandpa."
"Love?" Her grandfather stopped abruptly, looking down at her. He rested his head on top of hers. "Just what you needed right now. Does he love you too?"
"I think, I hope," Tia's eyes were sad. "But there's so much going on inside him I don't know. Something that's making him sad, but something that he's absolutely determined about. He's fighting this as hard as he can. Because of what's going on with him, that what he has to do goes first and feelings like this have to come second," she smiled, sadly. "I understand, I do.
And if he can never. . . love me like I do him, then I'll take whatever he'll give me. And be his friend, even if I can't be his love."
Her grandfather sighed, "Your grandmother's going to kill him."
"No, she's not," Tia gave a watery laugh. "She'll understand. She won't like it, but she'll understand." She paused a moment to think about it and added, "I think."
"Well, you better go tell her. She's in the living room, kicking butt on the video games," he nudged her towards the door. "And whatever you do, don't tell your brothers."
"No kidding," Tia rolled her eyes. "Oh, and that goes for Takumi, too, Grandpa. Don't make the mistake of thinking he's any different than Brian and the others."
"You're kidding," her grandfather rubbed his forehead with his hand.
"I wish I was. You should've seen him when this weirdo tried to attack me and my friend."
"You were attacked?" Daniel sent her The Look. "And you didn't tell me about it?"
Tia grinned, "I'll tell you about it later. It really wasn't any big deal, anyhow."
She left him shaking his head after her.

She spent the next hour closeted with her grandmother and all her sisters who were present at the time in Nikki's bedroom. Every once in a while one of the brothers or one of the husbands would wander over to the door and knock. A feminine head would appear around the door and whoever was there would be told to go and make himself useful in the kitchen or in the living room with the kids. The door would shut and the man on the other side would stare bewildered at the shut door. The only man who was allowed inside was her grandfather and he was in and out several times in that hour.
An hour after that, Usagi and her friends showed up, bearing clothing with them as requested. They were ushered into the living room, and offered refreshments by the husbands in the house. The girls stared in surprise at domesticated men. The only men they'd met who did things like that they knew, were Mamoru and chefs in restaurants.
Whenever one of Tia's brothers would wander into the room, or sometimes just blow through the room, the girls would blush in admiration. On the whole, the MacKenzie men were very handsome specimens. One or two were Adonis-like, but the most were just handsome. But add charismatic to the mix and you have a deadly combination. And all her brothers had more than their fair share of charisma.
Of course, the MacKenzie women knew how to pick their men too. And the husbands of the bunch were as charismatic as the MacKenzie's themselves. While some of them lacked in the looks department, each had enough charm to bring a blush to the cheek. Takumi Miyake, their host, had looks, charisma and a very old, well-respected name and the money that went with it.
Five minutes after being served refreshments, Tia came into the room. And after a veritable flood of attractive women streamed into the room with her. Disbursing in various directions. Her grandmother and grandfather stayed long enough to be introduced, then excused themselves to supervise in the kitchen.
"Goodness gracious, Tia, who are all these people?" Michiru Kaiou asked, wide-eyed.
She grinned at the older girl, "Would you believe my immediate family?"
"No way!" Haruka Tenno blurted then blushed in dismay.
Tia laughed at that, "Yes way. And guess what? They're not all here either! There are more coming as we speak. Anyway, let's go across the way, to my place. There'll be more room over there. We won't have all these rug rats under foot," she laughed as she dodged a gaggle of children who pounded through the room, with her grandmother at their heels. "All right, Grandma! Kick their butts for me."
Her grandmother winked and followed the children into the den and Tia grinned her friends, "My grandmother is a wiz at video games. Not something you'd expect from a general in the Marines."
"Not to mention grandmothers," Ami stared after Tia's grandmother.
"Well. . . it's a lot more common in the U.S. than it would be here, to tell you the truth," Tia led the way out of the house. "I remember my mother could kick my butt in one-on-one fighting games. And my dad was the arcade game king."
Tia ushered them into her home, and waved them to dispose themselves wherever they pleased. She brought out snacks and drinks, then flopped down onto the couch next to Michiru, "All right, who's first? What did you bring for me to see?" then she jumped to her feet, and pointed at her bedroom. "No, no, in fact, I want you to model it for me! In there, please."
Haruka went first. The first outfit was a tuxedo. Tia rejected that one as way too formal. And the ruffles on the shirt were a little outre. The next was very nice, if you were just going out for a quiet dinner with your significant other. The next one was perfect, however, the perfect combination of taste and chic. It was a silk suit, dark in color with a crisp white shirt with a stand up collar that had a jewel button closure. There were matching accents on the cuffs.
Michiru was next. Tia rejected the first outfit the girl was wearing as having too many ruffles. The next was too girlish, with ruffled edges and short, puff sleeves. The next, a long white sheath with aqua-green satin sash tied in a large bow in front was a little too formal. The next was a high-necked green dress which hit her mid-thigh and fit her like a glove. It had gauze sleeves ending in satin cuffs. Tia frowned at her, walking a slow circled around her. The big bow in the back threw the dress off a little, but otherwise it was perfect.
Minako leapt to her feet. She picked up the four outfits she brought with her, and disappeared into the bedroom. Five minutes later, she reappeared, wearing a pink short skirt set. It was cute and went with her personality, but it wasn't quite right so Tia shook her head. And the rest were, too. Tia got the idea that maybe all the girls would have something like this. And so it proved.
"This'll never do," Tia said to the downcast girls. "Well, you know what they say. When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping. Come on girls, I'll go get my sister, and we'll hit the boutiques."
"But, I don't have any more allowance!" Usagi groaned in dismay.
"Don't worry about it," Tia grinned, undeterred. "It's on me. It's not like I can't afford it. Come on. You two, too," she pointed at Michiru and Haruka. "Just because you're perfect, doesn't mean you don't go with us. After all there are four other people to shop for."
"Probably six," a new voice said from the doorway.
Standing in the doorway was Takumi with a woman with long, long dark hair and young girl, with short shoulder-length hair, "Sorry just to walk in here like this. But I didn't think you'd mind my bringing them in."
"Setsuna-san, Hotaru-chan!" Usagi bounced out of her chair. "I gave them an invitation. Is it all right that I invited Hotaru-chan? She's not too young."
"No she's not too young," Takumi smiled, which, to Tia's amusement produced no few blushes in the room. "Our children, except for the youngest ones, will be running amok at the club tomorrow night."
Tia winked at Hotaru, "It's sort of become a StarWay trademark opening. Oh, Takumi-oniisan, could you please ask Nikki to come over? We," she waved at the room in general, "need to go shopping and we're going to need her and the mini-van."
"Shopping?" a teasing light came into Takumi's eye. "You and your shopping."
Tia cocked her hip, hand on her hip, "Oh-ho, you should talk, Takumi-oniisan, I've seen your credit card bills. And a good 75% of all purchases you've made were for clothes," she looked over her shoulder at the girls. "He's quite a clothes-horse."
There was a slight blush on his cheeks by this time, but there was also laughter in his eyes too, "I've got an image to maintain, you know. Unlike some people I know."
"You're just jealous," she rolled her eyes at him. "Now would you go get your wife before I'm forced to get really serious here?"
"You don't have it in you," he taunted back and she stuck her tongue out at him. "We still haven't had that talk by the way. But I can wait until this madhouse settles down."
"That is impossible," Tia called after his back and he waved his hand over his shoulder and she could hear is laughter drifting back.
"Your brother-in-law is so cool," Rei sighed as he went beyond earshot.
"Yeah, he is," Tia laughed slightly. "And you really can't tell that he's just a cop, either."
"He's a policeman? No way!" Minako exclaimed, in shock.
"Best in his division. Which is Tokyo Headquarters, by the way. With his looks he could've been a model," Tia was scrounging in her desk for her credit cards. "It had a lot to do with his father," she looked up at Makoto and smiled. "His name was Makoto, too. He was kind of a legend in certain circles. I mean, even I'd heard of him, in America. He was probably one of
the greatest martial artists in the world.
"He had this thing for justice, too. And he taught it to his son. It was the reason that Takumi joined the police force. He felt he could do a lot of good that way, rather than just helping out whenever needed, like his father was called on to," she shook her head in fond exasperation. "But he works too damned hard."
"How do you mean?" this was from Setsuna.
"Well, take this last week or so. He's on this really big case. He's hardly been home. His chief had to order him home, you know, or he would've kept right on working."
"He puts in a lot of hours at work," Michiru mused. "Your sister doesn't mind?"
"She does," Tia smiled. "But she understands. You don't stop being a policeman even when you come home. You're always one, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year," she shrugged. "But, then we MacKenzies know about that kind of thing only too well. There are three traditional careers in my family, you know. The law, the military and the entertainment industry," she grinned, hitching a shoulder. "My grandfather was a law enforcement officer, both my father and mother were. My uncles are policemen and my aunt is a prosecuting attorney for her county.
"We grew up, knowing that maybe one day, one or both of our parents weren't going to be coming home one day," her face grew incredibly sad. "And it happened, a few years ago. But, we knew it could happen. Like my grandmother knew it with my grandfather and he with her. It's something we've had to deal with all of our lives. But you stick it out. You have to, because you have no other choice, not if you love them."
Nikki chose that moment to stick her head around the front door. Glancing from solemn face to solemn face, she whistled, "So serious, in here. What've been talking about?"
"Nothing really," Tia shook off her melancholy thoughts. "Okay, people let's shop!"
"Yeah!!"

In an office at Galaxy T.V., the feet of a elegantly clad woman hit the floor, "I've got him!"
"Who, Kurasuma-San?" came the soft voice of another elegantly clad woman, dressed in silvery blue.
"Your next target, my rival," Kurasuma tossed a newspaper onto the desk of the other woman. "There he is! Detective Takumi Miyake. He's perfect!"
Siren picked up the paper, looking at the elegant face in the picture, "He does look nice, but are you sure, Kurasuma-San? I mean, all the other targets you've picked. . . ."
"Well, you haven't done so well yourself either," Kurasuma leaned over Siren. "I mean, that ceramic artist was a dud, too."
"Where are we going to find him?"
"That's easy enough," Kurasuma pointed at the paper. "The article says that his wife works for Galaxy T.V."
"Well," Siren began smiling, "isn't that fortunate."
"Yes, yes it is."


PART TEN

Usagi stared at herself in the mirror, "Tia-chan? Are you sure this is all right?"
Tia grinned, "Oh, yes. Tight enough you can't breathe and short enough to give your boyfriend a heart attack. It's perfect. It even goes with your pig-tails."
And it was; a tight, little leather thing. A blue mini-skirted dress, sleeveless with a high collar and strategic cut-outs in various shapes; a circle over her chest, showing a hint of cleavage, pentagon over her abdomen, showing her belly-button, and the back was open from the bottom of her nape to the small of her back, with six delicate silver chains crisscrossing her back. The outfit was finished with ankle boots with a delicate silver chains circling the ankle.
"I don't know," Usagi twisted and turned for a better view. "I feel kind of exposed."
"Trust me, it's copacetic. Compared to some women there, you'll be overdressed," Tia winked. "Just, don't show your parents. Your dad would probably freak, if he's anything like my brothers are," she stuck her head around the dressing room door, speaking to the saleslady. "Sold! Oh, and everything will be put on my bill when everything's been decided on."
The saleslady, while pleased, was naturally skeptical at the word of a 16 year-old-girl. Tia waved her platinum card at the lady and grinned, "Oh, don't worry, it's the real thing. And my limit's so high, I wouldn't be able to max out this thing in one day even if I tried. If you're skeptical, then talk to my sister, Nikki Miyake."
As she withdrew her head, Usagi asked, "Is it really that high?"
"Yes. Somewhere close to a five million yen, I should imagine," she laughed at the flabbergasted expression on the other girl's face. "I couldn't get this on my own, I assure you. It's from a special account my grandfather took out for me off his business accounts. I'm the only one who uses it, so he just sends me the bill when it comes each month. No big deal."
"No big deal?" Usagi choked. "This outfit costs so much. How are you going to pay for it?"
"With money. Usagi-chan," Tia put a hand on the other girl's shoulder, "if I wanted, I could buy every single outfit in this boutique, in cash, from my petty cash funds and still have enough left over to live in high style for at least three years, if additional deposits weren't made. After all, when you're rich, money's no big deal."
"Yeah, when you're rich," Usagi muttered.
"Yeah, but the thing is about being rich, you got to get over it. If you don't," Tia shrugged, "you become vain, egocentric. Thinking only of yourself can get someone hurt, badly, even killed. My grandfather taught me that," she sighed. "I'm rich, but it was an accident of birth, rather than by design. And the way my parents and grandparents, especially my grandmother, brought me up equipped me to deal with life even if my fortune were stripped away. It's what they intended after all."
"Why especially your grandmother?" Usagi was shrugging into her shirt.
"My grandmother grew up poor. Not dirt poor, mind you. But both her parents worked to make ends meet and the kids helped out at home as much as they could. My grandmother never forgot her roots and while she married into money, she didn't want us to rely on being rich. She told me that you never can be sure if the money would still be there. It might run out. She didn't want her kids or her grandkids living off of the money that their parents left them. My father told me, before he died, that it was the best thing his parents had ever done for him. It kept him on an even keel, rather than letting him swell up like a prize cockerel," she imitated the strutting walk of a rooster which had Usagi giggling immediately. "Anyway, that's why. And why are we talking about something so serious? We're supposed to be shopping!"

The girls all collapsed in the most convenient chairs when they got back to Tia's place. Nikki gave a short laugh, "Oh, my dears. I didn't think we'd get everyone back into the van after that shopping expedition. Everyone had so many boxes!"
"It was fun, though, wasn't it?" Tia began giggling. "Oh, god, you should've seen some of the looks we got from people in the cars around us."
"Some of them weren't," Makoto had one of her feet in her hands, rubbing the bottom with her thumbs. "I got this leer from this guy on a motorcycle," her cheeks warmed to a cherry glow. "He sort of looked like my Senpai."
From exasperated looks the rest of the group sent her this was a much-mentioned person. Tia and her sister shared an amused look. Nikki and several of their other sisters suffered the same thing when they were in high school. Tia didn't, mainly because her school life, until recently, revolved around studying and her career goals. But she'd heard all about it from her sisters and her brothers, who'd had the unenviable task of discouraging undesirable suitors.
Of course, it was a good thing some of those undesirable suitors stuck to their guns, she thought, amused. They made the best husbands for my sisters. God, I hope it turns out just as well for me.
Unconsciously, her hands came up and cupped themselves over her abdomen. The possibility that she might be a mother soon was still a shock to her system, but it also gave her a sense of incredible anticipation. If she was, she hoped that Yaten would, somehow, be a large part of their life. If not, she just hoped that she'd be able to keep her brothers from killing him.
What a mess I've gotten myself into, she didn't even think twice about shouldering all the blame, it was the way she was. Hopefully, it'll work out in the end. I've just got to get back on a speaking basis with Yaten. I can only try.

Yaten tossed the sheet music he was looking over on the coffee table, "Why do we have to go there anyway?"
"This is a big deal, Yaten," Seiya looked up from his homework. "The StarWay Club is an international corporation and very influential. A lot of important people in Japan will be there and we need all the exposure we can get. The invitations to the grand opening are exclusive. This is also an international event, the scuttlebutt says there will be news crews here from various other parts of the world, especially America, since that's where their corporate HQ is."
"I still don't want to go," Yaten slouched in his chair, folding his arms.
"We need the exposure," Taiki said, typing at his computer. "We're going."
"So says God," Yaten sighed putting his head back. Invariably, his mind drifted to Tia. He was still blown away by the possibility that she might be pregnant. Still angry with himself for being so careless of her--of his actions. A part of him though, a growing part of him, rejoiced that he may have created a new life. That he may be a father. But the rational part of him, was cursing himself. He had a responsibilities that he couldn't, that he wouldn't shirk, a mission more important than even himself. And in an instant of insanity, he'd thrown a spanner in the works and found himself weaving an erratic course that he had little hope of correcting.
I need to talk with Tia, he resolved, standing and heading for the door.
"Where are you going?" Seiya's eyebrows rose. "Have you forgotten that we've got a recording session in twenty minutes?"
"Damn," he cursed quietly. He had forgotten. He'd have to wait to speak with her. The flopped back down into his chair. God, what a mess.

SATURDAY

"Is everything ready to go for tonight?" Brian asked the head of his road crew.
"Almost," James North, flipped through the papers on his clipboard. "Your little sister's assistance has been quite beneficial. Especially in facilitating communications between us and the Japanese. I forgot we required translators here."
"James, your education is showing again," Brian grinned, teasing the man about his Cambridge education and the scientific career he'd left behind to manage Brian's road crew. "Quite frankly, I'd forgotten myself since I speak the language fluently and almost all of the family does. Mainly because Nikki married into a Japanese family and moved here."
"You need to pass it up here," Tia's voice calling down to a roadie caught their attention.
"It's a little high," Susan called back. "You won't be able to reach it even if I tried."
"Do it anyway," the other girl grinned then climbed over the catwalk railing. Both Brian's and James's hearts lodged in their throats and they leapt to their feet even as Tia twined her legs around the railings. Then their hearts stopped as Tia went over backwards, hanging upside down from the railings. She looked over at them and winked as she took the cables that Susan handed up to her. She righted herself, grasping the top railing and tossed the cable over it, untwined her legs and pulled herself over the railing. She grinned down at their pale faces, "You two really need to relax more."
She picked up the cables and began connecting them to the lighting system while Susan laughed at the looks on the men's faces, "She's right you know. You really need to relax," she cuffed James on his shoulder as she moved back to the controls they'd been setting up.
"What would you know?" James's voice fluctuated as he brought his heart under control.
"Really," Brian sank back onto the saw horse that he'd been sitting on.
"I wouldn't have sued you if I'd fallen," Tia called down to them and laughed as they paled even further. "The catwalk's too low for me to hurt myself too much if I fell. And I know how to fall to minimized injuries anyway. You know that, Brian, you're the one who taught me. Geez Louise, you don't have a problem with me riding a motorcycle and doing martial arts, but when I do something like that . . . ."
"I think it's a guy thing, Tia," Susan called back, grinning at the admonitory look James sent her. "You know, He-man protects the helpless female thing."
"He-man had a sister, you know, She-ra. She kicked butt," Tia laughed down at them. "And his girlfriend, Teela, was a Captain of the guards, I think."
"Wait, wasn't that her father?" Susan called back.
"Could be," she answered, adjusting some wires which had become tangled. "Maybe she was a squad commander or something like that."
James stared blankly at them during their conversation, "What the hell are they talking about?"
"Cartoons, I think," Brian shook his head, exasperated. "I forgot about that one. It was her favorite for a time."
"What cartoon?"
"He-man and She-ra. Used to drive me crazy."
"Gee, I wonder why."

"Brian is going to kill you," Nancy Fisher stared at Tia, as she looked herself over in the mirror. "He'll never let you wear that to the opening."
"Only if he finds out before we get there," Tia grinned over at her.
The outfit in question currently adorned Tia and would've raised Yaten's temperature by a good ten degrees. A leather bra-top, with a plunging vee neckline, showed a great deal more cleavage than she'd thought she had. The rest of her torso was bare, with a gold chain around her waist. Skin-tight black pants hugged her legs, showing every curve and muscle underneath. They were tucked into thigh-high black leather boots, with a double row of straps around her leg above her knee, another set below her knee, and above and below her ankle. Her leather gloves echoed the design of her boots, double straps above her wrist and around her forearms.
"And I really don't see what the problem with this outfit is anyway," Tia leaned forward peering at herself more closely. "I mean, some of the other women will be wearing outfits more revealing than this."
"True," Nancy thought of the outfit hanging in her closet right now. "But the key word here is women. Not high-school girl. And to top that off, you're his sister, which turns him into an ogre as far you're concerned. His eyes are going to pop when he sees you wearing that."
"There's only one guy's eyes I'm concerned about tonight. And I want his eyes to fall out when he sees me."
"Oh-so," Nancy laughed, getting up off the bed and joined the girl, next to the mirror, "he's going to be there, is he? Well, you don't have to worry about that, my girl. His eyes are going to pop out of his head, I guarantee. Especially when he gets a load of your backside."
"Does it really look that good?" Tia tried to look at it without the benefit of the mirror and Nancy let loose a peel of laughter.
"Yes it does, and you know it!" Suddenly, Nancy gasped, backpedaling. She hit the edge of Tia's bed and fell back. Her back arched sharply, twice then she went slack.
"Nancy!" Tia was beside her in an instant. "What is it? What did you see?"
"I-I don't really know," Nancy sat up slowly with Tia's assistance. "It was a flood of images. Too many for me to really follow. Faces and a feeling of terror. I remember a monster, near the end. Three women. A boy. I think, they went by so fast. For some reason, though, they're really important. I need to try and remember them."
Tia quickly stripped and donned regular clothes, "Not right now, you're not. And you know it won't come to you if you try too hard to remember. Come on," she helped Nancy to her feet. "I'm going to take you back to your room and you're going to rest before the opening. Relax and your brain will sort these things out."
"Tia," Brian rushed to Nancy's side when he saw Tia supporting her. He put an arm around her, he asked, "what happened?"
"Nancy had a vision," Tia opened the door for them.
Brian wasn't surprised by the statement. All their family had accepted, long ago, Nancy's ability. They'd been surprised by it, at first, of course. Nancy's parents never told anyone that their daughter was psychic. Not because they thought they'd be ostracized because of it. But because they were leery of the attention it would bring on them. When Nancy had told her parents she wanted to go into law enforcement, they cautioned her about revealing her abilities to anyone lest it get back to her supervisors. When her parents died, leaving her in the care of Daniel MacKenzie, she kept the abilities from him. Until she'd had a vision in the middle of Sunday night dinner. And led them to the lost little boy she'd seen in her vision. The family promised to keep the secret to themselves and they had. And now that she was in the FBI, she'd had many visions, usually in connection with cases she was working on. But she never revealed her abilities to her colleagues so they just believed she was unusually lucky.
"It disoriented her a little," she told him. "I was going to put her to bed."
But, somehow, I think you'd prefer to do that yourself, brother, she smiled as Brian hovered closely over Nancy. And I think she'd prefer you to me anyway.
"No, I'll take over from here," Brian told her.
"You know," Nancy said, amusement making her voice quiver. "You two don't need to speak as if I weren't here."
It was amusing in a way, watching her brother fuss over her grandfather's former ward. They both loved each other dearly. But neither one of them realized the other felt the same way they did. But mostly it was endearing, watching this romance unfold.
And now it made Tia sigh. She wished, with all her heart, that her future was as sure as theirs.

Continued in Chapter 3