First I need to apologize profoundly about getting the chapters mixed up. I have no idea how this happened actually. When I pulled Daycare up on my computer, it was the correct chapter. I could have accidentally switched them, and I need to apologize for it. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter even though it is a little more delayed than I had wanted.
Yippee! I got another one out. Everyone say thank you Ice for getting this back to me! She is doing so goo! Returned it the same day she got it! Isn't she grand?
Here is another little filer were the plot is established. So much fun I know. After this chapter don't be surprised if a few of the other characters stop popping up. *Jumps around* I LOVE my work!
Side Note: I have basketball camp next week. And the week after that, and then three days after that week. I shall try to get a chapter out as soon as possible. It's hard to squeeze in time though.
I also apologize for the lateness of this chapter. My grandmother had to have a shock treatment done on her heart, and so I was gone for three to four days. Plus the computer at her house does not have MW, making it difficult to write. I thank you for your patience.
~Ravyn~
Disclaimer: I do now own Sailor Moon or any of the characters affiliated to the show. I do own Mia and Kei. Thank you.
He had been working his way through some plans when his sister had come in, bullied her way into his office, and informed him that he was GOING to assist her with the shopping, and that was all there was to it. Sometimes being an architect and running your own business worked against you.
So he had been given orders left and right like a drill sergeant. If his sister had not been married and pregnant, he would had suggested to her that she take that role. Honestly, she could bark with the best of them.
And so that was how he found her. Standing there like a dolt with two different brands of soup in his hands and praying that his jaw was not touching the ground.
She looked good after all this time, real good. She had cut her hair –it was the first thing he had noticed- and her eyes seemed larger, and they held a sadder quality to them.
"Rei," Jason managed once he found his voice.
Rei was in the same position Jason was. She had been trying to get away from the petite blond, and it had backfired. In front of her stood the man who had shredded her to pieces.
But even she had to admit he looked good. His jacket clung to his shoulders and arms and left just enough to the imagination. His blonde hair still had that same wild quality and his eyes… That was one place she was NOT going.
" Jason," Rei offered indifferently. She raised one eyebrow and hoped she gave the impression of polite indifference.
Jason studied her closed off features and knew he deserved it. But that did not mean he had to like it. Jason stiffened when he realized where he was going with his thoughts.
Rei turned back to Mia. " Call me later, we will go do lunch or something," Rei said in a fast motion.
Kei looked over at Mia and smiled at her. Placing his fist in his mouth he sucked on it happily. Looking at his mother, he grinned, as if knowing something she did not. " Mawa," he gurgled at Rei.
Rei stopped dead as she looked at Kei. A slow grin started on her face. " That's right, Kei. Mama." She swung her son out of the cart and kissed his chubby cheek.
Using one hand to push the cart, she continued her conversation with him, as limited as his responses were. " And why did you wait till NOW to say it, hmmm?" Rei questioned.
Kei just grinned his single tooth smile and offered his mother his single word.
" Mawa."
Jason watched Rei and the adorable little boy disappear into a different aisle. His mouth seemed to be working, but his ears were telling him that nothing was coming out.
"His name is Kei. I can't tell you much more than that." Mia crossed her arms and looked into her brother's wide blue eyes. " I didn't think you wanted to have anything to do with Rei Hino," Mia said softly, judging her brother's reaction.
Jason looked back at her, and for a second the barrier between them dropped, and Mia caught sight of something that caused her to gape. Jason glowered down at her a second later. " I don't," he said frostily.
Mia just shook her head. " Beef."
Jason blinked at her in shock. " What?"
" The soup? I would prefer Beef if you can manage it. Vegetable Beef is too…I don't know. Its gross though. Now go get five cans of it." Mia turned her back to her cart to hide her expression from her brother.
Mia heard him grumbling as he left, Mia slumped against the cart and sighed.
Her brother was still in love with Rei Hino, even if he did not realize it. Now the question was what to do about it?
~*~
Rei watched as Kei played with his blocks as she finished putting her groceries away. Watching Kei seemed to be taking up more of her day the older he got. She really did not want to miss any of his moments. He was just too cute.
Rei watched in surprise as he pulled himself to his feet. He had been toting around with the help of her fingers, but this was the first time he had attempted to walk on his own.
Kei stood for a few seconds before moving his foot. He promptly fell back on his bottom. He turned to his mother, his brow crinkled slightly. Rei squatted down on her knees and waited.
Kei looked at his mother for a few more seconds before pulling himself back up. Looking at his feet, he began to totter unsteadily towards her. After a few steps he crashed back onto his well-padded bottom.
"Come on, Kei," Rei whispered. Kei looked at Rei as if he knew what she was saying. It was the same look she had on her face during her baby pictures.
Kei pulled himself back up. He was a good six steps from his mom, and he was hungry. Carefully he moved forward, catching his balance every time he wavered.
Six steps later he was in his mother's hug. " Good job, Kei. I think that deserves something to eat don't you?"
"Eth," he said simply. Rei shook her head, dark hair flying around her shoulders. Kei grabbed a piece and attempted to stuff it into his mouth. Rei reached behind her, and her finger's searched until they found his pacifier.
Kei sucked at his 'binky' until Rei had his food opened. He preferred cereal, but he still needed other things as well. She opened a can of Gerber's baby food –pear style- and Kei was soon happily slurping it down.
" And you can't throw this stuff, can you?" Rei cooed at him. Kei looked at with a disgruntled expression as if he was thinking the same thing.
Rei laughed outright at that. " I wonder how my poor grandfather put up with me if I was as much as a handful as you are," she questioned Kei as she ran a hand through his soft baby curls.
After cleaning him up, Rei put him back down and allowed him to go back to his blocks. Sitting down on the couch, Rei sighed and sprawled out. Kei was a source of constant lack of sleep. He did not require late night bottle feedings, but he still woke her up for a number of things.
Or he would get hyper and not want to sleep at night at all. Whoever made playpens should be very proud of him. Feeling a hand on her finger, Rei looked down at Kei.
"Mawa," he said around his pacifier. Rei pulled him onto the couch with her, and he snuggled into her and lay there, happy to be still for the moment.
Rei ran her hand over his small back and smiled. " Oh Chad," Rei whispered. A single tear ran down her cheek as Rei felt her mind drift off, weariness more in control than she would have liked.
Kei turned in her arms and watched her sleep, mouth pulling at his 'binky'. Curling into her, he allowed his own eyes to close.
~*~
Jason starred at the blueprints in front of him. His mind seemed to be detached from his body at the moment, because it refused to allow him to concentrate on what needed to be done. Instead it pondered the seemingly unanswered questions.
Seeing Rei again had been everything he had thought it would be. She was beautiful, and she had grown from the beautiful child he had known, to something else.
How old was she now? Twenty-three or was it twenty-four. It had been so long since he had bothered to keep up with his friends' age, much less her's. And was that toddler her's?
And if it was her's, was she married? And to whom, and why did she move back here? They had all heard that her grandfather had died of course, he was close to all the kids Rei had run with in her younger days.
Sighing, Jason looked over at the pictures he had scattered across his office. One of his favorites was one he had taken in college. He stood in the middle of a group of guys; some of them were his friends, some of them were Zach's. But they all looked like they belonged there.
Next to it was another treasured picture. It was of him, Rei, and the rest of her gang. They were all standing there, posing, in their school uniforms. They all looked young and untouched by life.
Jason sighed. He did not know why Rei was bothering him so much. What had been between him and her had happened a long time ago. And there was no chance that they where going to start that relationship up again.
But the thought of her belonging to another man was going to haunt him for sometime, as was the look in her eyes when she saw him.
~*~
Rei pulled her car over into an available parking space and looked over at a sleeping Kei. He was going to be very cranky about being woken up, but there was nothing she could do about it.
Mia had called early that morning, and she had found herself saying yes to her. And so now she found herself going back a few years and meeting Mia had at the gang old hangout. The arcade that she had not been to in some time.
Walking over to the side of the car, Rei opened the passenger side door. Gently unbuckling Kei' s car seat, Rei pulled his half-awake form from the car. Kei put his arms around her neck and promptly went back asleep.
Walking in the sliding glass doors brought back so many memories. The one most easily called to mind was Usagi's ability to get detention every day, and never being able to be on time.
Rei looked around and spotted the rounded form she was looking for. Walking past Andrew, Rei offered him a large smile and pointed at Kei. Andrew blinked past his startled look and grabbed a high chair.
" Hi Andrew," Rei breathed. She gently untangled Kei's arms from around her neck and placed him in the chair Andrew had brought her. Mia smiled as Andrew wrapped her in a big bear-sized hug.
" What have you been up to, Rei? Is this adorable little guy yours?" Andrew questioned.
" Oh, this and that. And this is Kei," Rei told him softly. Kei glared up at his mom and refused to cooperate with Andrew to get a smile.
" He is always cranky when he wakes up," Rei said with a laugh.
" I wish my kids would just pout when they wake up. I am subjected to a full blown wail," Andrew said with a smile.
Rei grinned at him and Mia. " Kei is not the type for excess tears. I think he gets that from me."
Mia got a particularly wicked grin on her face. " Usagi's kids are going to be loud."
Rei looked at them with a twinkle in her eye. " Since she is expecting."
Andrew and Mia just stared at her, and Rei laughed. " We five have kept in very good touch," Rei told them before sitting down. Andrew handed her and Mia a menu and told them he would be back soon to take their orders.
Rei handed Kei a crayon and a piece of paper. He looked at her with a bored look, but in a few seconds, he was coloring away.
" So, Mia, what did you want to talk about," Rei questioned. Seeing Andrew again had brought back several more memories.
" Oh, you know me," Mia said with a smile. " Everything that you can give me."
" So in other words, you want to know about Chad and me, and Kei, right?" Rei said, her eyes darkening with an emotion that Mia could not put her finger on.
Mia nodded, sipping the caffeine free tea that Andrew had brought her. The stuff was decent- tasting. At least it was better than water though.
" I met Chad around six months after I broke up with your brother. He was a sweet guy, but I was not interested in any type of relationship. It took him around year and a half, but eventually we got together. We married a month after I graduated." Rei closed her eyes.
" Three months later, he was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors said it was too far progressed for them too be able to deal with it. Chad did not want to go through with chemotherapy, so he opted to wait it out. The doctors gave him a scant two months, at the max."
" Two weeks later, I found out I was pregnant. It was quite the shocker. My grandfather moved in with us around that time and you can imagine the emotional pain that I was going through. My grandfather's health was failing, my husband was dying, and I was pregnant."
Mia looked at Rei with large eyes.
" Chad managed to hold off long enough to see his son born, but he died a week later," Rei closed her eyes against the tears that threatened. Kei looked up at his mother and stared at her face.
" Mawa," he said simply before going back to his paper.
" Grandpa pulled out for some more time. He died around a month and a half ago." Rei pulled let out a shuddering breath. " Minako helped me find a buyer for my house, and I moved back here."
" Memories?" Mia questioned.
Rei nodded wordlessly. " There are memories here that I will have to deal with, but I have not buried two men that I love at this place."
Mia looked at Rei in sympathy. Andrew came back then, and they both reviewed the menu. Both had had it practically memorized from younger days, but it gave them time to clear the emotions.
Sometime later Mia had Rei rolling as she tried to assist Kei with his food.
" And so here was the cutest guy I had ever seen, and I dump an ENTIRE glass of red wine down his white shirt! I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life. And you know Jason; he is standing behind me, laughing hard enough to choke."
Rei laughed as she unsteadily fed Kei his last spoonful of baby food. He gave Rei a look that could only be described as long suffering. Picking up his crayon, he went back to coloring.
" Well, what happened?" Rei asked, wiping the baby food from around his mouth.
" He wanted to know if I wanted to go out on a date. Said it was the first time anyone had tried to pick him up by dumping red wine down his shirt," Mia grumbled, her face flushing as much as it had during that fascinating experience.
" Oh my," Rei muttered. " And your reply?"
" I dumped the vase of roses over his smug head!" Mia snapped. Rei raised a brow, and Mia burst into laughter.
" Sorry. Anyway, he came by the next day with roses and made his apologies. I refused to go out with him for another two weeks. Six months later, we were married."
Rei grinned at her friend. " Well done." She smiled as she finished eating her own meal, now that Kei was fixed. " And what did Jason have to say about that?"
Mia got a particularly wicked glint in her eyes. " He said I was entirely too much like you and that I needed to settle down."
Rei and Mia fell into laughter once again.
Some time later, Rei made her excuses, and she and Kei were back in the temple. Rei coaxed Kei into a nap via lullaby and crashed on the couch. Heading into the kitchen, Rei fixed herself a glass of ice water and pulled herself off the couch. Walking onto the front porch Rei looked around.
It was covered in leaves. Looking around, Rei grabbed the old, dust- covered, web- filled broom and began the long battle over nature.
War was on.
~*~
Jason stared at the endless pile of paper work and tried to think of numbers and equations. Even the layout of the hall and the diameters of the kitchen seemed to be nothing but words and numbers on his paper.
So far, all he had seen was Rei walking off with an adorable toddler cradled in her arms, her stance a well practiced at carrying a toddler. Her face had that soft look all new mothers seemed to have.
And something akin to envy had welled up in his stomach. But he knew without a doubt that was NOT what it was. No, he wouldn't be envious of whatever man claimed had her heart.
He had given up his rights to it a long time ago.
But that left him with a slight problem. He had thought he wanted nothing to do with the amethyst-eyed vixen that seemed to want to be taking over his waking dreams. Again.
He had gone through this loop once. He swore he would never do it again. And he meant it.
Glancing back onto at his desk, he compressed his lips with the firm belief that he was going to get his work done.
Jason, for the first time in months, left work early.
~*~
Rei hummed as she loaded the dishwasher. She could still remember when she had gotten got it. She had been complaining about doing the dishes, again, and her grandfather grinned.
Two days later she had come home from a weekend with Usagi, and it had been there. Of course she had been thrilled. Her grandfather had commented that a dishwasher meant that the dishes should be done in half the time.
The phone interrupted her then. It rang in sharp bursts, and Rei wiped the suds from her hands. Unfortunately, the dishes still had to be rinsed.
" Hello?"
The phone slipped from her hands, her face dead white.
Have we not astablished that I am evil? Actually the real reason I keep leaving you guys in harmful suspense is because I want reviews. I know, it is competly wrong and evil for me to do it. Want it to change? LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME ABOUT IT!
16 review for one chapter, you guys are the absolute best. I am seriously talking tears here. You guys seriously make my day! But you know the drill REIVEW REVIEW and REIVEW! (The author refuses to respond to charges that she insists that readers review. She only says that people should enjoy her work, therfore letting her know!)