Picture it: You're up late one night chatting to another person on the web.
Said person is too stubborn to log off and go to bed even though they're dead
tired. I told Saun (the fic writer) if she logged off I would write a fic
for her. It worked...she got sleep and I wrote this.

FEVER
By Yorkie


It was amazing, truly amazing how the heat could affect the mind. Her senses
were more acute than she could ever recall. Dark eyes burned in their sockets
as the fire inside of her radiated behind the closed lids. It took far more
energy than she had to pry them open. Sweat ran onto her lips, she licked at
them and moaned. It hurt to move.

Then she caught the faint scent of the wind, the sensual smell
of the crisp air just before the rain fell. That cool inviting fragrance that
pricked every nerve in her body.

"Here." She heard the husky voice tremor ever so slightly as she felt the
cold compress touch the blazing skin of her forehead. "This should help."

Perfectly lacquered fingers reached up to touch the hand holding the wash
cloth. It took a great effort, but she needed to touch her.

"Haruka." Her voice trailed off weakly as she ran her hand over the blonde's
long tapered fingers. A tiny smile spread across her face. Haruka had not
pulled away this time as she normally did. A glimmer of hope ran through her, perhaps she was wearing her down.

"Everyone in Tokyo has this fever." Haruka said as she gently removed
Michiru's hand from her own. She dipped the cloth into the ice water and replaced it on the other senshi's forehead. "You need to rest."

Haruka watched as she reached her small hand up again. This time she took it
in her own. Gently she sat on the bed next to her partner. One hand was on the cloth while Michiru held the other in a tender grip against her chest.

Haruka watched the other girl's shallow breathing. That couldn't be a good
sign. Her brow creased with worry. Michiru had been taken down fast and hard by this fever. Her cheeks were flushed a bright red, her lips a dark rosy pink. Even in this state she was beautiful.

"You're so good to take care of me like this." The sick young woman murmured.

"Shhh." Haruka admonished her softly. She watched in silence as Michiru ran
her delicate fingers over her broad knuckles. It was a tiny caress that spoke volumes to Haruka.
Michiru's hands were her life, the most expressive part of her being, even
more so than her eyes. These ten small digits were the instruments that expressed both the torment and joy that ran through her soul. Without them her violin would remain silent, her paintings nothing but empty canvases.
Sitting there Haruka could only imagine what these hands would feel like on
her naked skin. Touching her in places no one ever had before. She would make sounds that would put the violin to shame.
Haruka drew a sharp breath and stood pulling her hand away.

Michiru reached up blindly. "Haruka?" She called out.

"Rest." Her voice came out more forcefully than she had intended. "You need
to sleep." She closed the door behind her and sighed. For now she stood in the safety of the hallway.
Michiru was too hot, her fever too high. There had to be a way to take it
down. Perhaps a cool bath would help.

Michiru's arms and legs felt like rubber bands that had been wound too
tightly. 'You're dehydrating.' She told herself. 'You need water.'
She didn't have the strength to call for Haruka. Instead she slowly
reached her hand out to grasp the night table. The bowl of ice
water tumbled silently onto the rug. Michiru paid it little mind as she
pulled herself painfully from her bed.

Haruka had finished filling the bathtub with cool water when she saw
Michiru staggering past the doorway.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Haruka demanded.

"I'm feeling much better." Michiru replied swaying from side to side.

"Are you?"

"Yes, in fact..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes rolled to the back
of her head.

Haruka caught her before she hit the floor. Her frail body was burning up.
The tall senshi carried her into the bathroom and eased her fully clothed
into the cool water. She grabbed a wash cloth and bathed Michiru's face
with it.

"You're too stubborn for your own good!" Haruka griped as she poured water
on the senshi's neck. "Why can't you behave and let me take care of you?"

Michiru's eyes blinked open as she managed a small smile. "It feels good."
Tiny droplets of water had beaded on the impossibly long dark lashes.
Haruka stopped all movement. Her lips were almost brushing Michiru's.
The wash cloth fell from her fingers as her hand reached for the side of
the smaller girl's face.

"You've cooled down a little." The senshi commented.

"Have I?" Dark blue orbs stared half lidded into the sparkling emerald eyes
in front of her. Haruka could feel her own temperature starting to rise.
Things in the bathroom were getting too close. She moved away slowly.

"You should stay in there for a while." The tall girl backed up and stumbled
over the toilet. So much for decorum.

Michiru placed her hands on the sides of the tub and stood. She untied the
belt of her robe and dropped the soaking wet garment onto the floor. Haruka could only stare open mouthed at the way the wet nightgown clung to every curve of Michiru's body. Her nipples the same bright rose as her lips. Her body flushed a warm shade of pink. She swallowed hard.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking my clothes off." The water senshi said simply. "I'll get chills if I
get out of the water wearing this." She untied the bow on the front of her
gown and let it slide into the water.

"Ah..." Haruka's eyes fixed on the voluptuous form in front of her. "we
should take your temperature." She grabbed the door of the medicine cabinet
and yanked it open. It slammed into her face with a thud. "Ow!" She rubbed her hand over her face and looked into the cabinet. Three unopened thermometers
sat poised on the shelf. "Oh, we don't have any thermometers. I'll just go to the store and get one." She stumbled nervously passed Michiru. "You...you stay in the water and cool down." Haruka managed to walk into the door on her way out.

Michiru smiled and lowered herself gingerly into the inviting liquid. She
was definitely wearing Haruka down.

Haruka breathed in the cold winter's air. She felt the sharp sting as it
entered her lungs. That was good, maybe the cold would hamper the warmth
that was spreading in her groin.
The girl stared at her little yellow car for a moment and debated. What
she really needed was to walk. A good jaunt to the store and back would
clear her mind.
'Idiot!' She thought to herself. 'You're not made of stone, you know how
she wants you. 'The young woman turned and looked up at the apartment they shared. 'At least admit to yourself that you want her too.' She sighed
deeply. Of course she wanted her, but they didn't have time for that
right now. There were lives at stake. The fate of the planet rested on
their shoulders.

The cold ripped through her open coat. The sky senshi pulled the front
closed and walked on. This cursed winter weather was holding up their
mission. If everyone were in bed sick, no one would have their pure
hearts taken. She stopped suddenly. 'What are you thinking? Do
you really want people to writhe in agony and die? Haruka, what sort
of monster have you become?'
She closed her eyes. Michiru's voice rang in her head. "You're not a
monster! You're a soldier doing what you have to do." Haruka shook her
head.

A small child ran around the corner and slammed into the long legs.
He smiled innocently up at Haruka. "Sorry Mister!" The tyke ran off.
Haruka smiled as she watched him go. He was why they needed to complete
their mission. Three might die, but little ones like him would live on.
The child turned the corner and ran into the alley.

Haruka stuck her hands in her pockets and walked on. Her mind filled
with questions that seemed to have no answers. She looked up, it was
only one block to the store. There she would buy the unneeded thermometer,
then what?

Then she heard it. The wind brought the scream to her ears. The high
pitched scream of a child in agony. Haruka bolted towards the sound.
'God no, please not a child. An old man or woman who have lived their
lives, but not a child!'

She turned the corner to see the grotesque transformation of an
innocent into a demon. Skin tore on the child's small chest as the
demon burst through. A huge ugly semblance of something that could be
a child emerged. It stood towering over Haruka. She stepped back
and held her hand in the air.

"Uranus planet power...make up!" She felt the power surge through her
frame. The soul of the senshi awakened and glared from behind Haruka's
dark eyes. "Enchanted by the new age here I am, Sailor Uranus... appearing gorgeously!"

The baby demon, clad in diapers and a blue bonnet gurgled a hellish sound
at the senshi. The warrior stood in wonder at the apparition in front of it. Where in the nname of Uranus did these demons come up with such bizarre
things?
It lumbered towards the senshi tugging at the huge safety pin on its
diaper. "Pin!" It yelled in a tiny voice as it tossed the pin towards the senshi.
Sailor Uranus barely had enough time to dodge the first pin when another
whizzed passed her head. There was no time to stand still to launch her
attack. The senshi had to admire the demon. It had chosen a child...a
child had far more energy and a stronger life force than she did. It was
a great tactical advantage for the demon.

It lumbered over to the senshi and leered down at her. Huge hands grabbed
her in tight grip. "Lollipop!" It grinned at her as a huge wet tongue
lapped at her face. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of brimstone that
ushered from the creature.

Sailor Uranus struggled against the huge hand that held her. Pudgy fingers
tightened, she could feel her lungs being crushed. Drops of drool landed
on her head.

"Teething!" The monster cried as it licked it's chops preparing to turn the
senshi into a chew toy.

"Deep submerging!" The powerful attack hit the giant rug rat square in the
belly. It dropped its prey and stared up at the water senshi.
"Enchanted by the new age here I am, Sailor Neptune...appearing gracefully!"

Uranus smiled at her partner who had perched herself on a building ledge.
She reached her hand up. "World shaking!"

"GOO?" Was the last thing the demon uttered as it was blasted by the
meteor. It transformed back into the small boy that had run into the alley. Sailor Uranus breathed a sigh of relief.

A wave of dizziness swept through Sailor Neptune. She lost her footing on
the ledge and fell into the waiting arms of her partner.

"Neptune!" The sky senshi held her close, her partner had passed out.

Michiru's transformation had worn off by the time Haruka had carried her to
the apartment door. She was naked. Obviously the girl had transformed right after she stepped out of the tub. That was a crazy thing to do! As sick as
she was she'd come after Haruka.

The blonde laid the girl in her bed and covered her with a quilt. Her skin
was much cooler now. Too cool in fact, she'd probably end up with pneumonia.
Haruka smiled down at her. She sat on the bed next to her and gently brushed
the long aqua hair from her eyes.

"You always come to my rescue don't you?" She whispered to the
unconscious form. Her long fingers traced the curves of Michiru's face.
Haruka's eyes softened. 'She's still unconscious, what's the harm?'
Warm lips sweetly pressed against Michiru's.

When Michiru heard the door close she smiled and snuggled against her covers.
'It won't be long now Haruka.'
***********