Chapter 2: Still In Love With You
When Haruka returned home, it was already dark outside. Hotaru and Setsuna were sitting at the kitchen table, obviously worried and waiting for her. "Haruka-Papa!" Hotaru cried out as soon as she heard the familiar thumping of the crutches in the hallway. The little girl jumped up from her chair and ran out of the kitchen, nearly crashing into her daddy. Haruka gave her a weak smile and let go of the left crutch to stroke her hair. "We were so worried about you." Hotaru spoke, burying her face in her papas stomach. Setsuna came walking out of the kitchen, smiling at the taller blonde. "Hello, Haruka." "Hey Setsuna." Haruka replied, giving her another weak smile. "We should change your bandage, Haruka-Papa." Hotaru spoke, eyeing her daddys leg warily. Haruka just nodded and slowly made her way over into the living room; to Setsuna and her daughter, it was clear that the blonde was in pain from walking for such a long time. Slowly, Haruka sat down on the couch, taking off her jeans as soon as she sat. Setsuna gently removed the bandage from her friend's upper leg, causing the stitched bullet wound to become visible. "It's healing already." The green haired woman spoke, but Haruka didn't really seem to care if her wound healed or not. "Good." She replied flatly, obvious to Setsunas concern. The senshi of time and space didn't say anything about her friend's behavior; instead, she applied a new bandage to Harukas leg after making sure that all the stitches were as tight as they were supposed to be. As soon as Setsuna was finished, Haruka stood up, picked up her jeans and left the room. Setsuna and Hotaru looked after her, then Setsuna got to her feet. "I'll go and talk to her, Hotaru." She spoke, looking at her daughter. Hotaru nodded and sighed. "Make her happy again, Setsuna-Mama." She then pleaded. Setsuna sighed, too, and replied: "I'll try to, Hotaru."
"Haruka?" The blonde looked at the door when she heard Setsunas voice, but didn't stand up from her place on the window bench. "Yeah." She replied, returning her gaze to the window again. "Can I come in?" Setsuna asked, satisfied when she received another "Yeah" in response. She opened the door and walked into the room, closing it behind her. "Are you feeling well?" the green haired woman asked, concern in her voice. Haruka shook her head without looking at Setsuna. "I went to the park." The blonde spoke after a few moments of silence. Setsuna walked over to the window bench and sat down next to Harukas feet. She sensed that Haruka would talk on soon and thus didn't say anything. "A young man on inline skates bumped into my crutch and caused me to fall." Haruka spoke on, her voice barely more than a whisper. "He helped me up again, and suddenly he said something about Michiru. Said that she's a maniac." Setsuna reached out and took Harukas hand into hers, her blonde friends cold, shaking hand. "Other people stopped when I grabbed him and yelled at him. They started it, too…they called her crazy, twisted, sick…" Haruka couldn't talk on, but pulled free from Setsunas grip and buried her face in her hands. "Why did this happen?" her voice sounded muffled and tearful. "Why, Setsuna? Oh God, why…" "I don't know." Setsuna replied, hot tears stinging in her eyes all of a sudden. "I don't know, Haruka…I wish I would." Haruka looked up at her again, tears in her eyes. And then, for the first time since the final event that lead to Michiru in the mental asylum, the tall blonde woman allowed her friend to hug and comfort her.
"I'm going to see her today." Hotaru and Setsuna looked up from their breakfast plates, (A/N: No, I didn't forget that Haruka came home when it was dark outside. It's the next morning.) meeting Harukas determined serious gaze. "Do you think…that you can handle it?" Setsuna finally asked. Haruka just nodded, then spoke on. "I'll go there alone." Both Hotaru and Setsuna nodded, although Hotaru didn't look all too happy about her papas decision. Haruka finished her breakfast, said a few goodbye words to Hotaru and Setsuna and finally left the house, making her way to the next bus stop.
"She's in her room at the moment. If you want, you can go there…of course with a male nurse for backup." Michirus doctor spoke, earning a sharp look from Haruka. "I want to see her alone." She then informed the man, but he shook his head. "I'm afraid that I can't allow that." He replied. "The danger of Kaioh-San attacking you is too high." "I don't care." Haruka replied. "There are a few things I need to tell her, and I don't want anyone to hear." The doctor glared at Haruka, who glared back. "Seems like I can't keep you from this crazy idea anyway." He finally spoke. "Fine then, go and see her alone. But if she attacks you, it's alone your fault, and we can't be blamed!" "Deal." Haruka replied. The doctor led the blonde through a long corridor and finally stopped in front of a white door. He unlocked it and poked his head into the room. "Michiru? You have a visitor." He spoke in a friendly tone before he moved to the side and allowed Haruka to enter the room. "Hi." The blonde spoke quietly while the doctor closed the door behind her, leaving the two former lovers alone. Michiru looked at her, scared. "Are you here to hurt me again?" she finally asked, her voice shaking. Haruka closed her eyes for a moment before she replied. "No. I just want to talk, Michiru." Michiru eyed her warily. "You sure?" Haruka nodded before she pointed to one of the two chairs that stood in the room. "Can I sit down?" After a short moment of hesitation, Michiru nodded. Haruka sat down, facing her former lover who sat on the bed. "Michiru, I…" the blonde looked down and took in a deep breath. "I would never hurt you." She finally spoke, looking up again. Michiru didn't seem to believe her. "And…no matter what you think…" Haruka talked on, noticing how Michiru already pulled back into her own little world of paranoid thoughts, "I…I'm still in love with you. And I will help you, no matter the cost. I will help you to get well again." "You say that you're still in love with me." Michiru slowly spoke, her eyes glistening in a way that Haruka knew all to well by now. The small glint of paranoia. "But who guarantees me that you are telling the truth and not trying to gain my trust so you can try to kill me again?" Haruka could feel how something inside her snapped, and suddenly she found herself shouting: "I never tried to kill you! I love you, for heaven's sake!" Michiru flinched, scared to death again. "Someone help!" the aqua haired girl screamed in fear. "Someone help me, she wants to kill me!" The door flew open and two muscled male nurses stormed in. One of them took care of Michiru while the other one led Haruka out of the room. The blonde closed her eyes as soon as the door was closed again, a vain attempt to hold her tears back. She failed.