Chapter 1
The Con
By Japanime
A/N: This is an alternative universe fic about the sailor scouts as well as Usagi. But it's mostly based around Rei and Jadeite. Rei may appear to be cruel and heartless, but it's my story and if you don't like it then don't read it.
Names and ages
Rei - 24
Mina - 24
Makoto - 24
Ami - 24
Usagi - 24
Jadeite - 25
Mamoru - 25
Michael - 27
Dean - 25
John - 27
A joyful laughter echoed through the jewelry shop in the mall. Rei's eyes glistened as she tried on numerous of diamond rings for her wedding. Next to her was her fiance, Michael Dinst, the mutli-millionaire. The wedding day was set in less than four months, which would be in April during spring.
Michael had decided to buy her a pre-wedding day ring for a spur of a moment thing he was feeling. No doubt Rei had captured him truly. It had been about seven months or so since he met her at the country club. She was playing a game of tennis and while chasing the ball she ran smack into him. And the rest after that was fate.
It had been a great seven months as far as Michael was concerned. And that eventually led up to their present situation. Michael and Rei have been bouncing from one shop to another to find the perfect ring.
But what had triggered the laughter was when the lady behind the counter got rather peeved at the couple for taking so long. The look on her face was a tired one. And when they rejected the last ring she mentioned getting a ring pop. Normally Rei would've been furious, but not today. Today was going simply to well for anything to annoy her.
Finally the couple decided on a ring and quickly wrapped it up and left. Rei clung onto his arm as they left. Michael looked down at her and smiled. He felt so fortunate to have found someone like her. Before they barely got two steps out someone shouted Rei's name. Rei turned around and saw Mina and Makoto waving at her furiously as crowds began to get between them. It seemed everyone decide to do their Christmas shopping at the last minute.
Rei smiled and waved at them to hurry up. When they did catch up they pulled Rei away and apologized to Michael as they hurried of dragging Rei away. Rei told him quickly to meet her at the food court in an hour. Then she rushed off with her friends.
Mina pulled Rei to a wedding gown shop and looked around. Rei couldn't blame Mina. After all she loved weddings and dresses. Mina had even picked all of the wedding dresses for all of her friend's weddings. She had exceptionally good taste in this category.
Mina glanced at the dress in display and pointed it out to Rei. Rei shook her head with a grimace. It was too flashy and showy for her.
"So, tell me how what is this trifle worth?" Makoto asked Rei when no one was in earshot except for the three girls.
"Two million in a divorce and ten times the amount as a widow" Rei smiled at her fortunate gain.
"Not fair, you're doing better than I am these days" Mina huffed.
"Don't be ridiculous no one can be better than you" Makoto rolled her eyes as she chuckled.
"What's your strategy?" Mina asked while she went through some dresses.
"I was planning on adultery. No matter how much he may say he loves me I know he can't resist a pretty face. I'll just have to catch him in the act" Rei smiled sweetly at her friends.
"What if he is in love with you?" Makoto stopped her looking at the dresses and turned to Rei.
"Yeah, there's always the risk that he loves you or even worse, you love him" Mina reminded her.
"Don't worry. I repulse him. Don't worry I will catch him. Even If I need Mina to help me" Rei assured them as she quickly glanced at a few gowns on the rack.
"Be careful though, conning is very dangerous and risky especially if you get caught." Makoto warned.
After all she had the right to be worried they've been conning for at least five years. They grew up without proper parents, backgrounds, and not to mention at least one-time men had used all five of the girls (Mina, Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Usagi). Now they had no one but themselves. They were family to each other. Like sister they've grown to trust each other with their secrets, tears, heartbreaks, agonies, sorrow, and hate as well as love.
Each had their own tragic tale of how they came to be what they are and who they are. In theirs hearts held the foundation that made them do what they did, and to never trust any man.
Men were deceptive, cruel, and heartless. The men they'd known in the past didn't even think twice before ripping their hearts out and stomping on them and throwing it into the gutters. To sum it all up men were selfish chauvinistic pigs without any sense of chivalry.
Usagi had had her bad luck with men ever since her father had cheated on her mom and disappeared without a penny left behind. Since then she never cared too much to the mal population. When she grew up it only became worse. Just when she thought she could trust them again her boyfriend physically attacked her when he became drunk just after they left a party. But now at the age of twenty-four, Usagi had a rich TV series producer named John, in the palms of her hands. It had been only two months and he had said "I love you" already. It wouldn't take long for her swindle some money out of him and leave him penniless.
Ami on the other hand was just starting to work her way into her newest conquest. His name is Dean O'Donnell. And he happened to be a very rich and successful lawyer. It was tricky to get around lawyers, but with her brains she could pull it off.
Ami never had a father to begin with. She only had her mother, but she had died about four years ago due to a heart failure. Ami had wanted to be a pediatrician was upon a time but her dreams were smashed when she couldn't find the money to put her through school. Without any one to lean on except for her friends, she quickly became part of the group by conning men. At first she felt guilt, so much of it in fact that she sank into depression. That was washed away when she witnessed what had happened to Mina. Since then she promised to never let a men do what they did to Mina-chan. Her fear grew into anger and her anger grew into hate. From that point on she saw what she did as an easy way of making money from men who deserved none.
Mina's story was the saddest of them all. Mina was only nineteen when she had been date raped by her boyfriend she had been dating during her first year of college, then shortly after that he ran away leaving her pregnant. She was so depressed and drunk during that time that she managed to kill the baby with her sorrow. She had even considered suicide if it were not for her friends. With their help she was able to recover from her losses and start anew. But unfortunately the "anew" she started was against men.
Rei as well as her other friends saw what it did to Mina and it horrified them. Rei had always had problems with men and was never able to trust them, no thanks to her father who started it by abandoning her when her mother died. And after that the sky continued to rain bad luck on her in the subject of "men". There had been several times when she was used and lied to. One guy even wiped clean her whole savings account. Rei thought she could deal with it, but when her father told her to marry his friend's son that was when she had enough. She was sick and tired of being ordered around.
She was officially broke and had no way to pay her way through college now. And there was no doubt in her mind that her father would chip in. The only other way was to seduce a man and con him for all he was worth. Rei had no money and no way to support herself. The only way of making fast money besides being a prostitute of the corner of a street was to con a guy. Rei felt no pity or regret on what she was doing and to who was unfortunate enough to come across her path. Life had simply treated her miserably and men only made it worse. She had been bought, used and discarded without a hesitation. And now was her time for revenge and get back all she lost. No matter what or who suffered at the other end. It was what she knew best. And she was going to use her talent to the best of her ability.
Makoto had probably had it better then the rest. Her parents had died when she was younger and she lived in an orphanage until she was old enough to run away. She dated men on and off, but in the end it would always be the same. Either they broke up with her without a single letter or a phone call, or they cheated on her. And life wasn't getting easier even at the age of twenty-four.
Mina's eyes lit up as she found the perfect dress for the perfect wedding for the perfect scheme.
"How about this one!" Mina quickly pulled it out of the rack and practically threw it at Rei. Rei examined the dress. It was an off the shoulders soft white satin dress. The sleeves reach all the way down to the wrists. And around the dangerously low neckline were little beads of diamonds, which were sewn on. The dress was a rather long one. It reached the floor, but not only that it also drifted at least three feet behind it. The dress was perfect.
"Mina, this is why you're one of my best friends" Rei giggled as they went to pay for it. On Michael's credit card to be more precise. Rei gave them her address and told the lady when she expected the dress to be delivered to her house.
Rei briskly left the shop with her two friends and started to discuss further in detail. This after all was Rei's first real con. Rei had had the last straw when he father, who she can barely call a father, tried to match her up with some sleezeball just for his own benefit. So, she moved from her small town to the big city of Tokyo.
"We should call Usagi and Ami and ask where the Christmas party is. I heard it was a good place to meet men" Makoto grinned.
"Rich men" Mina added.
"I just love alimony and palimony" Rei sighed. "C'mon let's head for the food court. I'm sure he's getting anxious just waiting"
The girls headed to the food court and soon enough there he was. Waiting for her as she had suspected.
"Rei, you practically have him feeding out of the palms of your hands" Mina whispered.
"Pretty good for a first timer" Makoto poked Rei's side. Michael greeted the girls as they approached him.
"So what time is the party tonight?" Michael asked.
"I believe Ami said it is at nine o'clock" Rei held his hand as they left the mall.
*Party*
"Guys, you're finally here. I thought you ditched me" Ami walked over to the girls when they had arrived.
"Yeah, we had a little trouble finding the place" Makoto explained as they entered the mansion, which belonged to one of Ami's college friends.
"Yeah, I guess Judith's mansion is a little hard to find" Ami admitted.
Judith was Ami's roommate during college and became friends, but Ami had not told her what she did for a living and planned on keeping it that way. It turns out Judith was loaded and invited Ami as well as her four friends to her Christmas party.
"Okay well we'll be heading off now" Rei grabbed Michael's arm and led him to the ballroom.
"Don't they make a cute couple?" Usagi teased as they left.
"Don't even joke" Mina looked at Michael in disgust.
"He reminds me of my ex-boyfriend" Makoto sneered at Michael as he disappeared with Rei.
"Makoto, every man reminds you of your ex-boyfriend" Usagi patted her shoulder.
As the night progressed Mina snagged a young gentlemen who owned a country club. After a while she was sick of him and moved on to find a better catch.
Makoto was more fortunate tonight than her friend Mina was. Makoto actually caught the attention of several filthy rich snobs who owned business's in America and other overseas countries. However she was more interested in a man named Mark who owned several casinos in Los Vegas.
Usagi was smiling happily in her little corner and being surrounded by men. But she quickly hurried away when she saw John enter the room. In a heartbeat she was at his side.
"How was work?" She kissed him.
"Same as always. But I'm glad I have you to come home to at the end of it all" he kissed her back.
Not for long, you can count on that
Usagi broke away from the kiss and led him to the dance floor. She placed his hands on her hips and wrapped her arms around his neck. As they danced together she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. He held her tighter when she did.
Usagi looked around and noticed a man with dark black hair that had been combed back. He was handsomely dressed in his formal attire. He was at least six feet in height; he was well muscled from what she could tell. His first three buttons on his white dress shirt wasn't buttoned and revealed a very attractive sight.
Usagi almost ran over to meet him that if it was not for the four words that rang in her head constantly.
Two million, John Keeves
She sighed once again and let her eyes drift somewhere else, far away from the dark haired beauty. But no matter what he eyes would wander back. He grinned at her several times when he caught her staring at him. She would blush and lead the dance somewhere where she could not see him.
Rei on the other hand was dulled out of her mind, but on the surface no one could even tell. She imprinted a smile on her face and forced her eyes to shine with joy. She leaned by the railing on the balcony and listened to Michael and some other men tell stories and jokes. None of which were very interesting but she played her part. But underneath that entire facade she wore, all she wanted to do was to get out of this room and out of this party.
She was bored past death by the time the men broke off and left her alone with Michael who kept giving her loving looks.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked sweetly when all she anted to do was hammer him on to the floor for making her stay the whole time.
"Because you're so lovely" he sighed as he took a swig of his wine.
And you're so fake.
Rei wanted to shout that into his face, but fought the urge and kept calm and just thought about the millions he had.
"I'm thirsty, could you get me a drink?" She flashed him a beautiful smile.
"I'd do anything for you, pumpkin" he kissed her lightly on the lips and then headed off to the bar.
As soon as he was gone from sight as well as ear shot and grunted furiously. And stomped on the floor. She would've screamed if the balcony doors weren't wide open. After relieving herself of some stress and anger she sighed.
"Well, aren't you a delicate little flower" a husky voice piped up from behind her. Rei swiftly turned around and faced the man.
Only a few feet in front of her, was an angel for no one could be so perfect looking. He had a wavy golden hair that brightened his sapphire eyes. He was tall and his body well toned from what her eye could make out. She probably barely even reached his shoulders. His perfectly squared chin, handsome narrow nose, as well as his well sun tanned skin were almost enough to make her drool. His lips were soft and pulled into a grin when he realized she was staring. Rei quickly shook herself out of it. Rei knew looks were deceiving, she had witnessed it first hand.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
"You make it sound like a crime to cheer someone up" he said in defense but obviously didn't look it.
"I don't need cheering up" she said dryly.
"Could've fooled me by the way you looked when your boyfriend left" he walked closer to her and Rei did nothing to halt him.
"You try being me. I was forced to listen to those pathetic stories and jokes" she rolled her eyes.
"You know. If I had a girlfriend I wouldn't have done that. Instead I would've kept her away from all those men and never left her alone. I wouldn't want anyone to steal her away" he inched closer. Rei took a step back.
"Michael doesn't have to worry. I wouldn't let myself be stolen" she stared at the man straight in the eye. He smiled and backed off.
"Are you sure?"
"Do you want my fist in your face?" Rei growled. "And why did you even bother to talk to me. Was it because of my body or my pretty face? I swear men never give a damn on what a woman's personality is or even if she's smart. So tell me why did you come out here to talk to me?" She glared at him.
"You forgot this inside" he held up her purse.
"Oh" Rei grabbed her purse and brushed past him.
Jadeite ran his hands through his hair and sighed.
"Women"
