First Date
The Guardsman Chronicles, Chapter Five
by Rick Federle


"Come on, love." Mina called as she dropped the bag she
had carried over with her on the end of the couch. "We're going to
be late for the movie."
"I'm coming." William's voice was muffled by the bedroom
door. "Just let me finish changing first."
Mina looked over at the doorway for a second and a
mischievous smile played on her lips as she walked toward the
bedroom door. She stopped before the doorway and opened it far
enough so that she could see into the bedroom. Her effort was
rewarded with a shirt in the face.
"No peeking." William closed the door with a soft thud.
Mina pulled the shirt off of her head and gave the door a pouting
look. A hand and part of William's right forearm reappeared as the
door cracked back open. "Shirt," William wiggled his fingers when
Mina hesitated and she reluctantly draped it over his hand. The arm
and the shirt disappeared back through the doorway, which closed
behind them.
"Humph." Mina stated softly, crossing her arms as she
glared at the doorway for a moment. She dropped her arms back to
her sides as she gave up and turned away from the doorway, intent
on heading for the couch to wait.
"Come here." William's voice caught her attention as he
grabbed her wrist. She turned to see his head and right shoulder
visible through a gap in the doorway.
"And why?" Mina asked as she turned back to him.
"I forgot your kiss." William admitted. Mina smiled at him
and leaned over to exchange a kiss with him. "I'll just be a minute,
then we can go." With that, William disappeared back into the
bedroom, the door closing behind him. With a smirk, Mina put her
hand on the latch of the door. "Don't even think about it." William
said and Mina's hand leaped off of the latch like it had bit her.
Mina gave the door a chagrined look then with a smile
slipped the door open quietly and stepped through. William was
facing away from her, buttoning up his shirt from the look of it. He
had one of the outfits she had got him on, Mina noted absently as
she slipped up behind him and put her arms around him. She gave a
yelp of surprise as William grabbed her wrist and yanked her
around and spun her, causing her to land on her back sideways
across the bed.
He glared down at her. "Didn't I say I'd be out in a
minute?"
"I thought maybe you'd want some help." Mina said
innocently.
"I'm a big boy, I think I can manage." William stated.
Mina held out her arms to him. "In that case, why don't
you come down here and join me?"
"Not a chance." William leveled his right forefinger at her,
using its tip to touch her nose. "You know just as well as I do that
that's against protocol. No intimate physical activity until
marriage."
"You're just going to take all the fun out of this." Mina
pouted.
"If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right." William took
her hands and pulled her to her feet, landing in his arms.
Mina gave him a smile as she put her arms around his neck.
"So true." She agreed as he slipped his arms around her waist.
"Quit that." Mina giggled, slapping away the hand that had started
to wander down the side of her leg toward the hem of her dress.
William smiled back at her, his hand coming back to rest on
her waist as he leaned forward slightly to kiss her. "Now, about the
movie." William said after a moment.
"Yes, we're going to be late." Mina agreed. "So, let's
either go to the movie or stay here."
"Hmm . . . " William made a show of thinking it over.
Mina giggled again and smacked him playfully between the
shoulder blades. "Tough choice?"
"Nope." William disagreed. "Movie, dinner, dancing, then
coming back here for a good night kiss."
"I like that." Mina seconded the motion. "Our first official
date."
"Yes, so it is." William's eyes had that far away look for
just a moment.
Mina drew his attention back by giving him a quick kiss and
slipping out of his arms. William took her right hand in his left and
she led him to the door.

* * *

"Where's Mina?" Serena asked as she plopped down on a
mat between Luna and Artemis. The other Scouts, with the
exception of Mina were gathered in one of the back rooms of the
temple.
"She has a date." Amy reminded her.
"Oh, yeah." Serena blinked. "I forgot."
"You'd forget your head if it wasn't attached." Raye
commented from the other end of the circle where she was filling
Susan's tea cup.
"Would not!"
Raye set the tea pot back on the warmer. "Would too!"
"Not!" Serena stuck out her tongue.
"Too!" Raye returned the gesture.
"All right." Alexandra cut off the tongue war abruptly,
absently adjusting her tea cup on the saucer. "You two can play
later. Amy said she had some important news to tell us, so we'd
better hear her out."
The two shot her a glance, but anything they might have
said was lost as Amy began. "There have been over a hundred
cases of exhaustion reported in the past day." Susan raised her
eyebrows but said nothing.
"How is that significant?" Serena asked.
"One of them was the girl we saw the Negamonster holding
yesterday."
"Which suggests that the Negaverse is behind them."
Michelle added, drawing a nod from Amy.
"They've been concentrated in groups of six or so." Amy
continued. "Spread out fairly well across the city."
"It looks like the Negaverse has switched tactics on us."
Susan set down her tea cup. "They've gone from just attacking in
one place to hitting multiple locations at once. Even if we could
predict accurately where they were, we couldn't stop them all."
"There's only nine of us." Alexandra added.
"Ten, poppa." Christine put in, drawing all eyes to her.
"Now where do you get ten?" Michelle asked. "Darien
isn't in town."
"Ten, momma." Christine repeated firmly. "Sailor Moon,
Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, Sailor
Pluto, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Saturn, and the
Guardsman." Everyone else exchanged a glance.
"For all we know he could be an agent of the Negaverse."
Lita put in. "We just can't trust him."
"Well, I think we can trust him." Serena said emphatically.
"So do I." Susan agreed, picking up her tea cup again.
"And how do you know that?" Lita asked.
Susan gave her a "I know something you don't" smile then
sipped her tea.
"I hate it when she does this." Alexandra murmured to
Michelle, who nodded slightly in agreement.
"Aunt Susan says we can trust him so we can trust him."
Christine said.
"Susan, are you keeping secrets from us again?" Serena
asked.
"Yes." Susan said around her tea cup.
"Oooooooooo!" Serena rose to her knees. "Just tell us
already!"
"She's got her reasons." Amy laid a hand on her arm. "Let
her be."
"Humph." Serena pouted as she plopped back onto the
mat.
"He deserves our trust." Susan put her tea cup back down
on the saucer, her eyes meeting Lita's who looked down suddenly.
"Because Mina does if nothing else."


* * *

"You didn't have to cling to me that hard." Mina said as
they walked out of the movie together, hands clasped. "It wasn't
that scary."
"It wasn't the movie." William said.
"Then what was it?" Mina asked. She looked over at him
when he clammed up on her. She drew to a halt, tugging him to a
stop. "Come on, William, give." He gave her a questioning look.
"You're going to have to tell me when something bothers you.
Let's be honest with each other."
William nodded in agreement, gathering her in his arms,
drawing the both of them into the shadows. "It was the lighting in
there." He admitted. "It reminded me of that temporal cell they
had me in."
"I'm so sorry." Mina apologized, putting her arms around
him. "If I had known . . . "
"But you didn't." William interrupted. "I'll be fine as long
as you are with me. I can stand it then." She rested her head
against his chest and he stroked her hair soothingly. "I can stand
anything as long as you are with me. My heart."
Mina looked back up at him. "Let's go have dinner." She
suggested. "It's not as intimate, but just as enjoyable."
"Do you mind if we sit down for a minute first?" William
asked. "I'm feeling a little unsteady at the moment."
"Of course not." Mina agreed, drawing him down to sit
next to her on the low concrete wall that stood on one side of the
walkway. He winced as she leaned back up against him, her eyes
closed as she rested her head against his chest, but he put his arms
around her anyway. "Mmmm, better." Mina purred.
"Yes." William smiled slightly. "Much better." He shifted
slightly under her weight get more comfortable. He kissed her on
top of the head after a moment. "All right, enough stalling. Let's
go eat."
"But it's a good kind of stalling." Mina said as they got
back to their feet.
"True." William agreed as they began walking down the
sidewalk together.



"I don't think we've ever danced like that." Mina said with
a giggle as the two began walking back to the apartment.
"Is that what they mean by intimate?" William asked.
"Very intimate." Mina giggled again. "I didn't know you
could move like that."
"I was just dancing to the music." William stated. "And
you were following me like you were glued to me or something."
"I was." Mina agreed with a blush, drawing a glance from
William. "Following you, that is. Not glued." She added hastily.
"We really are meant for each other, aren't we?"
"Did you have any doubts?"
"Only at the very first, love." William explained. "Just like
you did."
"But, neither one of us has any doubts, now."
"No, never again." William put his hands to his side as a
grimace of pain crossed his face. He dropped to one knee, curling
up partway into a ball.
Mina turned to him as he pulled his hand from hers. "What
is it?" She asked worriedly, dropping to her knees in front of him.
"My side." He gasped out in pain. "I'll be fine in a
minute."
"Let me see." Mina shoved his hands aside firmly and
yanked up his shirt to expose a long ugly red bruise. She gave a
gasp when she saw it. "Where did you get this?" She demanded,
somewhere between panic and anger.
"That Negamonster nicked me."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want to ruin the evening." He sat down
on the sidewalk. "I didn't want to worry you over something like
this."
"You're a little late there." Mina began to calm down.
"Next time you get hurt, tell me." Her eyes were pleading as they
met his.
"I will." He promised.
"Let's not conceal things like this from each other. No
secrets."
"No secrets." He nodded in agreement. "Help me up?"
"You're not an invalid." Mina protested.
"No, but it gives me a chance to have you close to me."
Mina giggled again. "All right." She rose to her feet, then
helped him back up. She slipped an arm around his waist as he
leaned against her for a moment. "Let's go back to the apartment."
Mina suggested. "You can rest there."