Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners. I don't
own Sailormoon but I'll like to own Haruka & Michiru. ^_^

Warning: This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. All characters
will retain their names but some of the characters will be manipulated
such that they do not resemble their namesakes in the BSSM series.

Previous parts available at
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics-Moon.htm

C&Cs are much appreciated.


DESTINED
Part 2

By GSL

It was twelve midnight on a weekday, a time when most would be
resting at home, sleeping. However, the police headquarters located
strategically at the central business district was buzzing with
activity.

A more than usual number of uniformed and non-uniformed officers
were gathered around, dutifully carrying out their tasks and at the
same time awaiting instructions for a coop operation.

There was no mistake about it. A mounting tension was permeating
the office based on a notion that something important was going to
happen tonight. Contrasting starkly to this scene was a group of
individuals slumped against their chairs, eyes closed and visibly
tired.

The leader of this group was Tenoh Haruka, the blonde hotshot who
brought back diskettes containing incriminating evidence against Yaten.
Setsuna had taken over from there, starting the analysis of data and
putting up preparation for the arrest operation.

Team Haruka would not be involved this time around. Unexpectedly,
Haruka didn't seem to take offence at this decision that Setsuna had
made. The blonde girl just nodded, informed her teammates, and flopped
onto her chair. Soon, the others followed suit, enjoying what little
peace and quiet the frenzied office could offer.

They had done it. The initial exhilaration had turned to mental
weariness, the adrenaline of the past few days finally catching up to
their bodies.

Haruka's short interlude was broken when Setsuna called her into
her office. In her groggy mind, the blonde noticed that Michiru was
also not spared.

Being the last person to enter the office, Michiru closed the
door behind her and came to stand next to Haruka. Seeing the tired
faces on both her officers, Setsuna decided to make her speech short.

"First, I would like to congratulate both of you on your
operation. We should have no problem in getting Yaten to court. Hence,
for the next few days, I feel that both of you should lie low a bit. We
wouldn't want your identities to be exposed to Yaten. Having said that,
I'm going to send both of you to Osaka for an old case."

At this point, the two officers were suddenly more alert.

"Haruka, you do remember the Furuhata Motoki case?"

Haruka nodded. "We stopped the investigation when the Mamoru case
came by."

"Yes, and I want you and Michiru to start on it again."

"Why Osaka?" Haruka asked. Her mind began recalling some of the
facts of the murder. A white collared worker was found dead in a dump at
one of the suburbs off Tokyo.

"Furuhata's wife moved to Osaka. I thought you might want to
speak to her again. The last time around, she was in too much grief to
answer us properly."

"I understand," Haruka added.

With that, they were excused. Back into the common area, Michiru
had wanted to ask Haruka more about the case when Umino yelled out to
Haruka saying that someone was looking for her.

Someone began to whistle when a brown haired girl strode into the
office. Michiru noticed that this newcomer was not an unfamiliar face
to this office. There were greetings exchanged and an explicable red
hue that covered this new gal's cheeks.

Haruka approached the tall girl and led her to her seat. The
brunette began to take out a lunch box and a bag of clothes for Haruka,
who accepted them gratefully.

Umino noticed Michiru's confusion and began to fill in the little
questions that she might have, "That is Makoto, and probably Haruka's
closest friend. And by 'probably', I mean we keep teasing them being a
couple."

Michiru eyes widened and fell involuntarily onto the two friends
so comfortable in each other's presence where Haruka had begun to dig
in her dinner/supper earnestly.

She felt obtrusive when she approached Haruka. Their conversation
was stopped midway, and Michiru felt ridiculously like a schoolgirl
again. "I would just like to confirm tomorrow's plans with you
before I leave," Michiru forced out.

"Meet you at 10am at Tokyo train station. We'll talk about the
case tomorrow. You have a good night's rest." Haruka said, obviously in
a good mood.

An odd desire to hang around was lost when Haruka hadn't made the
introductions, so Michiru announced that she would be leaving. Her
last memory of the night was the sight of her partner laughing heartily
with the other girl.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Haruka had surprised herself when she got up at seven in the
morning and without the help of an alarm clock. She had expected to
sleep later, given the late nights she suffered in the last few days.
She was grappling with the decision on whether to get out of bed when
a sweet aroma attacked her senses and forced her out of bed.

Makoto was cooking in the kitchen, pancakes made with Kino
family's recipe, the kind of food that Haruka would die for. Suddenly,
the blonde realised how much she missed the brunette as she leaned
against the wall watching her roommate.

"Good morning," chirped Makoto, not breaking her concentration on
preparing another heavenly dish.

Haruka replied in kind. Feeling a bit mischievous, Haruka walked
towards Makoto and stood close behind her. "Smells great."

"Thank you." Makoto made no comment about Haruka's somewhat
intimate position behind her.

"I missed you."

"You just miss my cooking."

"Hey, that's not true. I miss the conversations we used to have."

"What? Like asking me to clean your room or helping you to run a
couple of errands."

"You are so bad." Haruka almost pouted.

With finesse, Makoto scooped up the pancakes onto a plate and
passed it to an eager Haruka. Looking at the childlike Haruka, Makoto
couldn't resist teasing the blonde, "Yes, I also miss the lazy bum that
is you."

"I'm such a lucky woman." Haruka replied in midst of her
shovelling food into her mouth.

"How long will you be away this time?" Makoto sat down and began
to eat.

"Two to three days. Nothing to worry about."

"Is that your new partner, the green haired gal?" Makoto
commented. Upon seeing Haruka's nod, Makoto probed further, "And you
haven't chased her away with your stubborn and hostile temperament?"

"Hey! I'm not that bad."

"If I remembered correctly, you had annoyed and pushed away every
single partner that Setsuna had chosen for you." When Haruka had not
interrupted, Makoto continued, "Why is she so different?"

Silence was her only response.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The train station was not as busy as Haruka thought it would be.
She was early and went in search for coffee. Browsing through the
morning papers, she caught sight of an article which spoke of Yaten Kou
being brought in for questioning by the police.

There was a little nagging voice in her mind that Yaten was being
investigated for his drug dealings and not for the murder of Chiba
Mamoru. Instinctively, she had begun to realise that he was not the
mastermind behind the murder.

As she frowned about the matter, she felt a tap on her shoulder
and was met with deep blue eyes. Michiru was smiling widely at her,
stunning Haruka for a moment. As Haruka recovered her senses, she
realised that Michiru was dressed in a fashionable top and pants, which
made Haruka feel underdressed in her shirt and jeans.

"Good morning," Michiru began.

"Morning. I've got the tickets. Let's go." Haruka spoke haltingly
and started to walk ahead. Morning was definitely not her time of the
day. Besides, seeing her partner had prompted Makoto's question in her
mind again.

Michiru had caught up effortlessly, making conversation on the
way, to which Haruka grunted non-committedly.

The train ride was uneventful. Michiru was silently reading the
case file while Haruka stared at the scenery outside the window.
She had counted thirty trees when Michiru spoke up.

"Tell me about the case, from your point of view."

Haruka took a moment to gather her thoughts, before she conveyed
her analysis, "Furuhata was, by all accounts, a good man, a loving
husband, a well-liked colleague, and a hardworking employee. He was the
ideal Japanese man. Many that we spoke to were dumbfounded by his
violent death."

At this point, Michiru interrupted, "Found dead at a dump site by
a worker. His hands and legs were tied with ropes, the kind used for
mountaineering. Numerous bruises and cuts on his body. He died of
internal
bleeding."

Haruka smiled; Michiru was all serious business now. Michiru's
dedication to work did not pale in comparison to hers and this could be
the reason why Haruka had let her remain by her side. Michiru was no
sidekick, she was an equal.

Looking deep into her curious eyes, Haruka drawled, "Yes. He was
reported missing by his wife two weeks before his body was found.
His wife was hysterical; we couldn't even speak with her for the first
few days.

It did not seem like a robbery case, given the brutality. We had
focused on passion killing but our investigation showed that he had
neither enemies nor foes. He was, in fact, too well-liked. After the few
days of findings, the conclusion seemed to be a random act of
violence."

"Do you believe it?" Michiru asked, detecting the small waver in
Haruka's voice. Michiru had slowly grown accustomed to the various
habits that her partner has. It would dash the blonde to know it, but
Michiru might just have her figured out.

Haruka paused for a moment, surprised that Michiru had caught
onto her thoughts so quickly. She spoke less passively this time, "I
believe that there is always a dark side to everyone. I think that we
have not discovered what Furuhata's hidden side was."

"You don't believe in the goodness of people?" Michiru laughed.
An intellectual conversation was something she enjoyed having with
Haruka. With her, Michiru felt that she could talk freely about
anything and Haruka would understand. To be blunt, they were on the
same wavelength. Haruka was slowly opening up to her and, with each
passing day, a new facade of the blonde was revealed, intriguing her to
no end.

"No." Pausing, Haruka tried to vocalise her thoughts, "He was
just too good to be true."

"And your instincts say..."

"A premeditated murder."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

When they arrived at Osaka, Haruka and Michiru first made a
report to the Osaka Police HQ. Setsuna had notified her counterparts in
advance of their arrival, so paperwork was minimal. It was just a
formality that they had to abide to before they could start an
investigation in another precinct.

Once that was done, they had adjourned to the last listed
whereabouts of Furuhata Minako. The house was empty, as they had
expected. It was mid day; Minako was most likely out for work. Deciding
that waiting outside Minako's residence was a waste of time, the
partners began to knock on the neighbouring doors.

Few had answered and when one finally did, the relief on Haruka's
face was evident. It was a housewife, in her late twenties, still
attractive, and before Michiru could approach, Haruka signalled for her
to stay put.

"Hello, Miss. I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you
acquainted with a Furahata Minako?" Haruka began with the most suave
voice that she could manage.

"Minako? Doesn't she go by Aino?"

Michiru noted that Haruka had not identified herself to the
lady. She too would have to be careful not to expose herself for fear
that the housewife would not answer as freely as she wished. But for
the moment, she did not miss the appreciative glances the housewife was
throwing at Haruka. Hence for now, she was content with staying at the
sidelines.

"Yes," Haruka quickly amended, as she remembered Minako's maiden
name.

Michiru could have sworn that the housewife almost swooned when
Haruka smiled. It was interesting to see how Haruka worked. Although
the shirt and jeans did not flatter Haruka's body, they masked her
femininity. And with Haruka's natural male mannerism, Michiru was sure
that few had resisted the charms of Tenoh Haruka.

"She's out at work, probably be back by ten." The housewife
replied breathlessly.

"I'm a friend of hers, hasn't seen her for a long time. I'm a bit
impatient to know how she is." Haruka shifted her body posture
slightly. How, Michiru wasn't sure, but the housewife was becoming more
drawn in with every word Haruka said. "I heard something terrible
happened to her and I came all the way from Tokyo."

"Oh? She did seem a little withdrawn when she first moved
here."

"That's bad."

The sadness in the blonde's voice prompted the housewife to offer
more information, hoping to cheer this handsome stranger. "But slowly
she began to open up, especially when that Kenji started to come by her
place."

"Kenji?" Haruka probed.

"Her boyfriend, I guess. He drops by every couple of days."

"Does anyone other than Kenji visit her?" Haruka asked
conversationally.

"Nope. Are you wooing her?" There was a jealous glint in the
housewife's eyes as the words spilt out.

"No, no." Haruka laughed dismissively. "Just an old friend. Do
you know where she works?"

"Yes." The housewife scribbled the address on the paper that
Haruka passed to her, her eyes not leaving Haruka's.

"Thanks for all your help." Haruka finished, taking the paper and
making a show of kissing the housewife's hand as appreciation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"I didn't know you are such a flirt."

Haruka smiled slightly. She was driving a rented car towards a
shopping mall where Minako's boutique was housed. She did not miss the
surreptitious glances that Michiru was favouring her. When she could
take it no longer, she had casually asked Michiru what was bothering
her.

And that was the answer that Haruka gotten.

"What made you think I wasn't?" Haruka asked.

It was not shocking to know that Haruka flirted, but to see it
first hand and the finesse with which she handled herself... it was
oddly
contrasting with the image of Haruka in her mind. "Well, you always
seem so distant. Untouchable." Michiru mused. "How can you act so nice
and understanding to a stranger but not to your teammates?"

"I do not." Haruka said as she brought the car to a stop before a
traffic junction. She turned to her side facing her green-haired
partner, thinking that this conversation was not going to end soon.

"Who gave me a cold shoulder on my first day of work?"

"So, you want me to be attentive to you?" Haruka intoned
seductively.

"No, that was not what I meant." Michiru could feel her face
flushing.

"I don't know. You seem to be interested in learning more about
me." Haruka inched closer and Michiru felt oddly trapped. "What would
you do if I flirted with you on your first day of work?"

There was no way she could have prevented it. Her heartbeat
hastened, her face red, she was generally speechless in face of
Haruka's amorous attention.

"So do you want to find out?" Haruka breathed, letting her charm
pour out, coming so close that she could smell the sweet scent of
Michiru.

Having Haruka so close to her was causing a rapture of feelings
so alien and exciting at the same time. She did not push her away, her
mind forgetting that her hands could drive away this maddening skirt
chaser.

But then, in a second, it was gone. From behind, car horns had
shrilled annoyingly at their stationary vehicle when the traffic light
turned green. Haruka, in an uncharacteristically good mood, chuckled
and revved the car's engine as if nothing had happened.

Michiru tried to muster her anger at the blonde to tone down her
embarrassment but it was for naught.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The boutique wasn't crowded when the two officers arrived at the
scene. Racks of clothes lined the shop where a couple of teenagers
browsed through them. Not far behind the teenagers stood a slightly
older raven haired lady, a salesgirl. Another 'salesgirl' guarded the
cash register. Her long blonde hair was a definite give-away for Haruka.

A bell chimed as the partners entered the store. Aino Minako
looked up from reading a book and greeted the striking couple that just
came in. She got out of her seat, preparing to aid the potential new
customers. She was slightly bewildered when the pair seemed to stride
purposefully towards her, ignoring the clothes that the boutique
offered.

A sense of dread settled deep in her belly as they neared. She
thought she recognised the blonde one from somewhere.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Furuhata." Haruka was doing the speaking
now. The wince in Minako's expression when she said her name was
noteworthy. Haruka continued her speech but kept the information in her
memory bank for further analysis later on. "I'm Tenoh Haruka. We have
met before. I was the officer in charge of your husband's case."

A light of recognition flashed in Minako's eyes, but she remained
quiet, sensing that the blonde was not finished.

"This is Kaioh Michiru, my partner. If you don't mind, we would
like to ask a couple of questions."

It took Minako a few moments to gather her thoughts. As her words
flowed out, the ache in her heart deepened. "Please call me Minako. Can
we go to a coffee house to speak?" She was obviously uncomfortable in
their presence and she wasn't prepared to taint her new life with bad
memories.

"Of course. Will you lead the way?" Haruka asked.

Minako nodded. She went over to the other salesgirl, whispered a
few words, and left. As her heart burned with quiet turmoil, she led the
two officers to a coffee house that she knew wasn't crowded.

After they had seated themselves, with drinks ordered and
pleasantries exchanged, the atmosphere was almost tensed. Haruka and
Michiru sat next to each other, facing Minako, who seemed to grow
nervous
as seconds trickled.

Out of sight, Michiru slowly reached for Haruka's hand and gave
it a squeeze, silently requesting that she would do the questioning.
When she felt Haruka's acknowledgement, she withdrew her hand and began
the interrogation.

"We have come here to learn more about your husband and we would
appreciate any information you have for us." The softness in Michiru's
voice was calculated to calm Minako. Michiru knew that Haruka's blunt
words or even her charming persona could do little against a grieving
wife.

Minako seemed to be locked in a world of her own. Memories of the
past flushed back to her; the happy times, the sad, all returning to
torture the widow. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Funny,
she thought she had run out of tears long time ago.

Minako could not bring herself to meet the investigator's eyes,
for she was sure that pity would loom there. She detested the weakling
she had become. She didn't want to be pitied and treated like a fragile
piece of glass that would be broken any minute. The new Aino Minako was
a strong person and she was searching for that resolute self again.

"What I knew, I've spoken to her months ago." Minako finally
said, indicating Haruka.

"We know that this is painful. And I personally know that even
when months have passed, the pain still exists." Michiru pleaded.
"Furuhata was a good man. He was well liked by everyone who knew him.
He was a good husband, but life was too unfair to you and him. We want
to catch the culprit. We need your help."

It hurt so much. She didn't want to be reminded and that was why
she moved to this new town. But could she really start anew?

Minako had barely moved during her speech. It was as if Michiru
was speaking to a wall, but she would not be deterred. She could see
the hurt that death had dealt to the girl barely twenty-five years of
age.

Stretching her hand across the table and closing around Minako's
shaking hands, Michiru coaxed, "We are here to help you find closure.
Help us help you."

Minako looked up with tear-filled eyes. She could almost hear
Motoki whispering to her, asking her not to cry and to be strong. And
she
knew that by trying to forget him was not doing justice to their past.
The person who had shattered their happiness had to be caught. With
newfound determination, she nodded once, indicating that she was
willing to speak now.

After sharing a brief smile, Michiru treaded carefully. "Furuhata
was quite a cutie. It won't be surprising to know that there were many
girls after him."

"Yes." Minako could almost remember the first few times that they
met. Even if he was always surrounded by girls, she was undaunted and
finally gathered her courage to approach him. They had hit it off
successfully and were officially dating in a month's time. The girls
would still flock to him and she would get jealous. But he had always
made it up to her in some way or another. "He was a very nice person.
Even though he didn't like the attention the girls were showering him
with,
he didn't object outright for fear of hurting them. He was that kind of
a guy."

Noting the wistfulness in Minako's voice, Michiru probed further,
"Was there any suitor that was particularly persistent?"

"All of them were persistent. We had arguments over it. But when
we got married, the girls left him alone." There was a bitter smile on
Minako's lips.

"Before he disappeared, did he act differently from usual? Tired?
Short temper?"

Again, a pause. "No, he didn't."

"Did he keep secrets from you?"

There was a nervous laugh. "I wouldn't know what I don't know."

"He did." She could sense that this was the answer that Minako
had refrained from saying. From Minako's expression, Michiru saw a hurt
that was different from the death of a loved one.

"It was silly. He was always a sweet guy, attentive and loving,
the best husband that one could imagine. But..." Minako tried to check
her feelings, letting her logic take over her heart.

"What?" Her sixth sense told her that this was something
important. Haruka had been right. Everyone had a dark side, and Michiru
was on the road to discover what secret this seemingly good man held.

"He used to have frequent nightmares. I could see that it affected
him badly." Closing her eyes, Minako could still see him, face drenched
with sweat and eyes haunted with fear. "I knew that there was something
wrong. Nobody was supposed to have nightmares every other day. But no
matter how hard I tried, he would not share his fear with me." The pain
in her heart intensified but she willed herself not to cry.

Haruka, having stayed silent all along, could not stop herself
from asking, "Did he say anything during his sleep? Anything that would
indicate what his nightmare was about."

"Nothing." It was a past not too long ago when Minako would stay
up in the night and watch Motoki sleep. There would be a moment of
peace, then rapid eye movement, and labourious breathing, and Motoki
would
bolt up from his sleep, inconsolable.

The two officers looked at each other, trying to gain an
understanding. The short answer and Minako's troubled eyes spoke
volumes to Michiru. Theirs was not a perfect marriage as everyone
thought so. "This strained your relationship?"

Minako spoke, neither confirming nor denying Michiru's question.
"We promised to share our lives together, but he... It hurts."

"When did the nightmares begin? Did they end?" They had to know
more about these nightmares; this fact was certain to Michiru.

"It seemed that he had them forever. Ironically, the frequency of
the nightmares dropped the month before his disappearance. "

"Do you know why?" Michiru probed.

"He started to visit a shrine."

When Minako didn't speak further, it alerted Michiru that the
shrine was a painful subject. "Is there more that you can tell us?"

"There was a shrine maiden. I think he went to her for spiritual
advice." Minako's voice was wavering.

"About the nightmare?" Michiru softly asked. She was well aware
that Minako was reaching her limits. The blonde would break down
in tears soon.

Minako nodded.

"Do you have the address and the name of this shrine maiden?"

Another nod.

Haruka passed a pen and paper to Minako, who wrote the details
quickly, which marked the end of the session. The two officers had
wanted to escort the blonde back to her boutique but their offer was
declined. Instead, Minako preferred to stay a little longer at the
crowd-less coffee house.

As they walked towards the exit, sounds of uncontrollable sobs
travelled to their ears, causing Michiru to stop in her tracks. Looking
at her partner, Haruka steeled her emotions, taking Michiru's hand and
guiding themselves back to their parked car.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"That's the end of my report." Haruka spoke her goodbyes and set
the telephone down. With Setsuna's instructions in mind, she turned
back to look at Michiru. Her partner was lying on the bed, eyes open
and staring at the ceiling of their hotel room.

Haruka sighed, walked the short distance to Michiru's bed, and
sat down. "I've reported our findings to Setsuna. She told us to stay
here for a couple of days before returning."

Michiru mumbled something in acknowledgement and did not speak
further.

The silence made Haruka feel lost. Her bed looked invitingly at
her, as did the television set, but she knew that this wasn't the time
for those. "Say, why don't we go out and discover Osaka?"

When Michiru did not respond, Haruka tried again, "Come on, what
do you like to do? And we go try it here." In the prolonged pause that
followed, Haruka wondered why she had bothered to worry about the
melancholy Michiru. She was about to give up when Michiru finally
spoke up. "You will go anywhere with me?"

"Yes." Haruka quickly replied, happy for a response.

"Then, I know of one place." A glint shone in Michiru's eyes
which prompted fear to flutter in Haruka's stomach.

Michiru had insisted on driving and by refusing to tell where she
wanted to go, Haruka had no choice but to let her partner have her way.
In a way, she was happy that Michiru had argued with her; it showed
that she was taking an interest in something.

Since her mind was free to wander, she thought of what had caused
the dispirited reaction in Michiru. She remembered Michiru's earlier
words "I personally know that even when months have passed, the pain
still exists." Then, as if a light bulb had lighted, Haruka realised
that seeing Minako so depressed must have reminded Michiru of that
pain. At the thought, Haruka sneaked a glance at the driver and could
not stop wondering who had caused her so much pain.

The large shopping mall came in sight but Haruka was too
distracted to notice. It was only when Michiru drove into the
underground carpark that Haruka realised, they had arrived.

With the car parked, Haruka followed Michiru to the entrance of
the mall. What greeted them was a sight of beautiful Christmas
decorations -- an exquisitely decorated Christmas tree towering at
three stories tall looming in the middle of the mall, and little angels
dangling in mid air -- and sounds of carolling permeating the building.

The couple were first drawn to the performers on stage, giving a
beautiful rendition of "White Christmas", even if their pronunciations
were slurred. Michiru was slowly humming to the tune, and Haruka was
truly glad that they were outside instead of the gloomy hotel room.

Haruka had almost forgotten Christmas was approaching. The past
few weeks had been draining on her and the idea of indulging in a well-
deserved break seemed very tempting. The season of joy and laughter was
just the best time for her to relax.

It didn't take her long to realise that Michiru's humming had
stopped. In fact, the girl was looking at her in an odd sort of way, as
if appraising her. Defensively, Haruka was about to ask "what's wrong"
when she was pulled rudely away from the stage.

Like a well trained puppy, she followed Michiru in and out of
numerous shops, watching Michiru fitted in more than 20 sets of
dresses, each one no less beautiful. When Michiru had acquired a number
of clothing, she seemed to shift her attention to looking for clothes
for Haruka. Haruka was a little embarrassed by the attention that
Michiru was showering her with, but surprisingly she found herself
enjoying
this little trip.

"You don't really like shopping, do you?" Michiru asked when
Haruka refused to try on the dress that Michiru had picked for her for
the seventh time.

"Truthfully, no. I don't really like it. The crowd puts me off."
Haruka sheepishly replied. She dragged Michiru out of the boutique and
told her that she should not try to change her wardrobe.

"So, then what do you like to do?" Michiru asked exasperatedly.

Haruka thought for a moment. Her eyes glinted mischievously. She
remembered seeing the shop somewhere during Michiru's frantic shopping.
"Would you accompany me?"

When Michiru nodded, Haruka spared no further details and led her
to her choice of enjoyment.

The noise level, while not loud enough to be deafening, was
definitely not easy on the ears. For Haruka, it was sweet music. She
took out a wad of yens, exchanged it for tokens, and promptly
returned to Michiru's side.

Michiru was observing the hangout. Strictly speaking, the arcade
was an alien place to her. Of course, she had been to one of these, but
she could never understand why one would spend so much money on these
gaming machines.

She followed Haruka through the lines of machines before Haruka
found the one that she was searching for. Of course, it was an F1 racing
game. She understood it perfectly now. Under Haruka's cajole, she too
took one of the driver's seats beside Haruka.

The race began and pinned Michiru against Haruka. At first,
Michiru had difficulty in controlling her animated car, but slowly she
was getting the hang of it. Haruka, being gentlemanly, had allowed
Michiru to finish the circuit once before she began pressing down on
the accelerator.

They played a couple more times, and the outcome was always the
same -- Haruka wearing the smug look, reminding Michiru how arrogant
the blonde can be.

Next, they proceeded to those shooting games, which Michiru fared
better. Instead of playing competitively against each other, they were
cooperating. Being the marksman that they were, they had drawn a fair
share of onlookers and had successfully entered into the list of top
twenty players. After that, the teal-haired girl had to admit that the
imaginary world of cops and robbers weren't too bad.

After three thousand yen was flushed down the drain, Haruka was
sated. They left the arcade, in search of a late dinner.

"Haruka, look at this." Michiru said, gazing intently at a window
display. The excitement in Michiru's voice was unmistakable. Haruka had
learned to know that this meant another acquisition that Michiru must
have. She followed the girl's gaze and saw a white gold necklace.
Strung to it was a skillfully sculpted miniature dolphin.

"It's beautiful." Michiru sighed.

"You want it?" Haruka found that Michiru's wistful expression was
more attention grabbing than the necklace was.

"No, it's too expensive."

After a look at the price tag, Haruka had to agree. Acting
nonchalantly, Michiru tore Haruka away from the window display and
searched for the restaurant that they had agreed on.

It wasn't long before they were detoured again. This time, it was
a photo sticker machine.

"But it's no fun taking the picture alone."

Haruka gawked when Michiru pouted. Reluctantly she obliged and
felt Michiru leaned nearer to her in front of the camera. Under
Michiru's insistence, she awkwardly put her hand over her shoulder and
tried to smile.

At dinner, both of them were admiring the photos. They had
split the 8 stickers between themselves for keepsake purposes. There
was an inexplicable feeling when Haruka looked at the photos. There
was a rush of blood and then a total unease with herself when she
realised that she was staring at Michiru more than she should.

On the other hand, Michiru didn't seem to notice Haruka's
turmoil. It was a long day and it had been such a long time since
she was totally comfortable with another person. In fact, she
was delighted to realise that she was becoming fast friends with her
partner.

Notwithstanding the different thoughts that were on their minds,
they continued to enjoy the rest of the evening in each other's
company. And it was indeed a memorable evening.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Haruka found herself sleeping in later than usual.
A glance at the clock showed that it was almost 11 am. Another glance
showed that her partner was not on her bed. However, the rushing sounds
of a shower alerted her as to Michiru's whereabouts.

Contentedly, she remained in bed. Her tired muscles were
steadfastly ignoring the stirrings of a growling stomach. She was about
to fall asleep again when she heard soft singing coming from the
washroom.

"Michiru's singing is nice" was her only thought, before she
began to hum along with her partner. Haruka was enjoying Michiru's
impromptu performance when a thought suddenly struck her mind.

This was the second day of their holiday, and what were they going
to do? Sightseeing was an option but, considering Michiru being a
shopoholic, shopping was another option. As her brain wrestled between
the two options, she realised belatedly that it was as if she was
planning for a date. After a nervous laugh, she decided that Michiru
could make the final decision.

It was at this time when the door bell rang. Puzzled, Haruka got
up and wondered who it could be. Glancing through the peephole, she
noticed an unfamiliar young man carrying a bouquet of roses. She
opened the door and was ready to send him away.

The young man looked surprised when Haruka presented herself in
the doorway. He glanced at the door number again and confirmed that he
had gotten the right door. What he did not expect was to see this
androgynous-looking man dressed in a tracksuit, staying in his
girlfriend's room. After internally debating for a few seconds, he
asked, "Is Kaioh Michiru staying here?"

Before he got answered, he spied a bathrobe-clad Michiru coming
out from the washroom. His brain began to run through a couple of
implications at the sight before him and jealousy began to consume him.

Michiru was the first one to speak. "Seiya! What are you doing
here?" She was truly astonished to see him and did not notice the dark
glare that he was giving Haruka.

"You don't want me to be here?" He asked coldly.

"Don't be silly. Have you met my partner?"

"I thought you said your partner was a female." There were a
couple of things that he noticed in the short interval. One, Michiru
was standing too closely behind the blonde. Two, they looked very
comfortable with their closeness. Three, Haruka was glaring daggers at
him while Michiru acted as if nothing had happened.

Haruka was irritated, to say the least. The young man's curt
remarks were not earning points in his favour. Besides, with his
thoughtless assumption that she was a male, she could hardly keep
quiet. "My name is Tenoh Haruka and I am very much female."

Seiya was thrown offguard. He unabashedly scrutinised the blonde
before him before Michiru interrupted. She quickly introduced Seiya to
Haruka and teased them both for the gender issue. She finally caught on
to the animosity between her boyfriend and her partner and was trying to
lighten up the situation. But first impressions did count.

Before long, she was packing her bags and making a return trip to
Tokyo with Seiya. Haruka didn't seem to mind and had expressed her
intention to stay for another day before returning. But Michiru knew
that all was not well.

On the trip back, Seiya did notice that Michiru was ignoring him.
He apologised. In return, Michiru chided him for not trusting her.

"I saw a man opening the door and you were hardly dressed, so I
jumped to conclusions. I'm sorry."

"Humph!"

Michiru was giving him the cold shoulder again. They had had
many petty quarrels over the years. None of those felt as bad as the one
they were having now. "I care for you. That's why I got jealous."

"You get jealous too easily."

He realised that what she said was true. He knew he felt
insecure about the relationship. There was always a feeling that she
would leave him, and he could never get rid of that feeling. But he
loved her too much to let her go. "Okay, tell me, what can I do to make
you like me again?"

"Apologise."

"I did that already."

"To Haruka."

In the end, it was all about Haruka. Was she angry that he made
her angry or he made Haruka angry? "Why am I getting the feeling that
Haruka is an important person to you."

"Nonsense. This is called common courtesy."

Maybe he was being unreasonably jealous, but he did feel
threatened by Haruka. He could not brush off the memory of that scene
he had walked into earlier or the gentleness in Michiru's voice when
she spoke to her or the obvious concern she had for the blonde. He was
becoming too suspicious, but maybe he was finally losing Michiru. Until
that day, he needed to make up with Michiru, so he promised that he
would apologise the next time he saw Haruka.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days had passed since the Osaka incident. It was the first
day of work when both Haruka and Michiru reported for duty. The moment
their eyes met, awkwardness loomed. Michiru tried to brush away the
feeling by engaging in a conversation with Haruka, but the blonde
decided to become uncooperative with her one-word vocabulary.

For the rest of the morning, Michiru could feel that Haruka was
avoiding her. She was becoming distant again, which made Michiru
frustrated. Before things could get more out of hand, they were sent on
a mission to interview the shrine maiden that Minako spoke of.

As always, Haruka was doing the driving. The silence in the car
was agitating Michiru even more, until finally she decided she had
reached her limits. "Why do you act so distant today?"

It was a moment before Haruka replied, "What are you talking
about? It's the same me."

She could sense that Haruka was lying. They had gone past the
stage where Haruka treated her like an enemy. "Are you still mad at
Seiya? He was honestly mistaken and he apologises for his rude
behaviour."

"I am not angry at him." Haruka said levelly.

"Then, you are angry at me?"

"No."

The lack of emotions in Haruka's voice irked her. Michiru
almost felt helpless. "I don't understand why it bothers me so much.
The last time we met, we were having fun. And now you are either
ignoring me or avoiding me."

"You are being too sensitive."

"Is it." It was a statement, not a question. The blonde remained
silent and Michiru felt the anger she never felt before. She was angry
at
Haruka for being so petty and, at the same time, mad at herself for
caring so much.

It was sufficient to say that there were no other words exchanged
during the remaining trip to the Hikawa shrine.

They had found Hino Rei easily. After the initial introductions,
they were led to a room where they could engage in a private
conversation.

"We..."

Both officers spoke at the same time. Rei raised an eyebrow as she
began to scrutinise them. The blonde motioned the teal-haired officer
to continue. The blonde was rather handsome and when they first walked
in, Rei thought they made a very cute couple. That was before she saw
the troubled looks on their faces.

Officer Kaioh Michiru began, "We understand from Mrs. Furuhata
that Mr. Furuhata Motoki used to come to this shrine." When Rei nodded,
Michiru continued, "Are you aware of his death?"

"Yes, I heard it from the news."

"We need your help in our investigation on his death."

"How may I help?"

"His wife told us that Furuhata had nightmares. Recurring ones.
And he used to come here and confide with you." Michiru decided to cut
the chase and asked straightforwardly.

"I knew that there was something troubling him, but he never did
tell me what it was about. Sometimes he would just pray and meditate
for hours, and when I asked him, he just smiled and shook his head."

"Then, what do you know about him?" Haruka asked.

Rei pondered over the question before she spoke, "He was quiet
and collected. His eyes were blood shot at times, but always full of
pain. Of the few times that he did speak to me, he talked about his
family and work, dispensable details that one would give freely. But
there was a particular instance when I noted that there was a scratch
mark on his face and it was from his wife."

"His wife beat him?" Haruka interrupted.

"He never did confirm. There was a quarrel, that much I know. So
I guessed it must have gone out of hand."

"What was it about?"

Rei thought for a moment, "He suspected that she was having an
affair."

Both officers sat up at the revelation. "Any other details?"

"I think he was drinking that night, but he seemed sober enough.
He was raving about the unfairness in life, and the talk about an affair
actually came out as a slip of the tongue. After that, he shut himself
up and left as abruptly as he came. That was the last time I saw
him. I guess he couldn't find the peace of mind that he came seeking
for. Two weeks later, he was reported dead."

It was all the information that they could get from Rei. As a
gesture, Michiru requested for some moments to pray at the shrine.
This left Haruka alone with Rei out in the large courtyard.

Rei was good at observing people. The uneasiness between the two
officers was so apparent. They avoided looking at each other and any
physical contact with each other. It didn't take Rei long to notice the
hidden deep feelings that were budding between the two.

Against her better judgement, Rei interrupted their silence as
she spoke obscurely, "Love is a wonderful thing. It doesn't happen
lightly. If you miss the chance, you may regret it forever."

"Why are you telling me this?" Haruka asked defensively as she
noted that Michiru was finished and was walking towards them.

"You have fallen hard. Don't give it up."

There was a look of shock on Haruka's face which prompted Michiru
to ask what happened. Haruka quickly brushed the question away, not
willing to indulge in the repercussions in the shrine maiden's
statement.

The two left in a hurry, mainly because Haruka was pulling
Michiru away. When they were a safe distance away, Haruka let go of
Michiru's hand and walked briskly towards her car, Michiru a few steps
behind.

"Haruka, I'm sorry for the outburst earlier."

The blonde stood dead in her tracks, not turning to face her
partner.

"I want us to be friends again."

Rei's words continued to haunt her. Was she in love? Was it so
apparent that Makoto had teased her about it and now a stranger was
telling her that she was in love? Haruka couldn't be sure. What she
knew was that she felt bad about shutting Michiru out of her life. The
morning was full of uneasiness and she was not happy.

"Are you listening to me?" Michiru appeared in front of the
blonde and asked in all her tenderness. She caught the intent look in
Haruka's eyes and felt that something was brewing. To lighten the mood,
Michiru smiled, sticking out a hand, "Let's start again. I'm Kaioh
Michiru. Can I be your friend?"

Haruka could not resist the smile. It felt odd, but her hand met
Michiru's on its own accord. Michiru was smiling widely now, and it was
then that the blonde realised that she would not be happy without
Michiru's friendship.

Or maybe even more...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come on, Haruka. Unwind yourself." Umino laughed tipsily.

The blonde winced slightly as she felt a slap on the back that
the young lad had unwittingly thrown at her. She pulled at her bowtie
again, feeling totally uncomfortable and out of place in this ballroom
of a hotel.

Her tuxedo was borrowed. Makoto had insisted that she dressed
herself up for this special occasion called Dinner and Dance but,
personally, Haruka could hardly care less. Given that she would rather
be caught dead than in a dress, she had to put up with the confining
tux.

Almost the whole police department had attended the event; she
supposed it was the wine that attracted them. And there was a lot of
alcohol; many of her colleagues were already drunk. Haruka, however,
preferred to exercise discipline and confined herself to a few glasses.

Her conversations for the night seemed to be bland and forced.
In a nutshell, she was not enjoying herself.

As she finally decided to leave, she heard the faint voice of
Hotaru calling out to someone.

"Michiru, you are late."

In reflex, the blonde turned towards the source of the voice and
beheld a vision of loveliness. Michiru was dressed in a strapless gown,
simple and elegant. She carried a grace as she walked towards Hotaru,
oozing of sexiness that dazzled everyone in the room.

It was a moment before Haruka recovered her sense of speech. By
this time, Michiru had found her and was standing beside her.

"Are you enjoying the evening?"

"It's okay." Haruka gulped the drink that she was still holding,
feeling unusually hot in her tuxedo.

"I wanted to come earlier but Seiya was delayed." Michiru said as
she brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ears.

Haruka tried to control her composure, "Where is he?"

"Parking. He told me to come in first since we were already so
late."

Haruka made an acknowledging nod. As a waiter passed by, she
swopped her empty glass for another round of tequila. Before she could
get any further, she was stopped by Michiru's soft touch who took the
glass and drank it herself.

The blonde watched wide-eyed at her partner who had devoured the
full contents in one gulp.

"What?" Michiru asked as she noticed Haruka's expression. "I was
thirsty."

To that, Haruka couldn't help but chuckle. However, her mood
quickly darkened as some of her male colleagues came approaching Michiru
for a dance.

As she thought that she would be left alone again, she felt
Michiru grab her arms and heard her say, "I'm sorry guys, but I promised
a dance with my partner first."

That was how Haruka landed on the dance floor with Michiru
swaying beside her. They had done this before and, this time around,
there were no distractions.

"Why are you so quiet?" Michiru asked.

"Don't know what to say."

"You look very handsome tonight."

Haruka wasn't sure but she thought she saw a slight blush
light up Michiru's face as she said that. "Thank you. You too." Haruka
thought for a moment and quickly amended. "Uhm, beautiful, I mean."

"You feel so stiff. Uptight."

The words rang true to her ears and she could only smile and
wished that Michiru would let it go, which she did as another dancing
couple accidentally bumped into them.

To break her fall, Haruka held Michiru closer that no distance
remained. The other couple apologised and continued dancing. Haruka and
Michiru stared at each other, giddy and confused.

It was Michiru who moved first, breaking eye contact. She
prompted Haruka to sway along with the music and maintained a slight
distance as they continued dancing. No words were exchanged now, the
silence too sacred to be broken.

It was an unmistakable moment. Michiru felt a rush so alien that
she couldn't comprehend. Her sensations, all illogical, threatened to
overcome her as the blonde's perfume continued to intoxicate her.

Haruka was quite aware of how much distance there was between
Michiru and her, which wasn't much. All her resolve was needed to
propel her mind away from the beautiful creature that she was holding.
And she was barely succeeding.

It seemed that everything had changed. For Haruka, the softness
of Michiru's touch was slowly crumbling the wall inside her, leaving
her vulnerable and raw. For Michiru, it was an attack on her emotions.
All her beliefs were being challenged and this androgynous blonde was
the cause of it.

This moment so powerful and awakening was cruelly interrupted by
Michiru's real date for the night. Seiya cut in and Haruka reluctantly
relinquished her hold of a confused Michiru to her boyfriend.

The sense of loss was great. Haruka eyed the dancing couple on
the floor with sadness and jealousy. She thought she had felt a
connection with Michiru then, and to lose it so abruptly...Haruka could
hardly remain in the ballroom. Her decision made, she left the party
without noticing a pair of blue orbs trailing after her longingly.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day of work was hell for many. Hangover was the order of
the day. Most were moody and short tempered, so it was a rare
circumstance that the department was as quiet as a mouse.

This suited Haruka fine. She was reviewing the Furuhata Motoki
case and going through Minako's and Rei's testimonies. There was
something inconsistent about the whole affair. Someone was lying
and she really needed the peace to analyse the case. And, of course,
she needed the distraction away from her beautiful partner.

Back to the case, her brain reprimanded. Logic took over. What
did she find out? The marriage wasn't perfect. According to Rei, Minako
hit Motoki. Why? Was he having an affair? Or..

Minako did say that Motoki used to have girls after him but it
stopped. Haruka remembered the first time she met the grief-stricken
wife. She knew for a fact that Minako loved him. But...

He was unhappy. What would make a man unhappy? Money or love. He
wasn't rich but well-to-do, with a promising career. So it had to be
love.

Minako has a boyfriend now, just three months after his death.
Could she be the one having an affair?

Haruka shook her head. She was jumping to conclusions again. She
took another sip of the coffee to clear her mind. Looking up from her
file, she saw the emptiness that filled her partner's table. Michiru
was on leave for the day and the idea of not seeing Michiru
discomforted her in some way.

No. She was not going there again. Concentrate on the case, she
told herself.

The nightmare, it was important somehow. The frequency he was
having it indicated obvious trauma. It had to be repressed memories.
She needed to find out more about his past.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

In another part of the town, Michiru was facing her past. Laying
the flowers on the tomb, she paid her respects to her dead parents. It
was their death anniversary and as always a gloomy day for Michiru.

She had always done this alone. It was the way she preferred.
This was the day that she would unload all her worries and recent
developments onto them.

She told them of Seiya, of her job at Toyko P.D, and lastly of
Haruka. She was confused, she told them. The feelings she had for the
blonde felt so right and wrong at the same time.

It was ironic in a way that she would never have said these
things to her parents if they were still alive but here she was telling
them that she was in love with her handsome female partner.

She chuckled at the thought but her heart felt heavy. What should
she do? Seiya was the best thing in her life, the saviour that lighted
her darkest moments. She laughed when he laughed and cried when he did.
They had so many shared memories, all held close to her heart. There
wasn't a time when he wasn't there for her when she needed him. For
that she was eternally grateful. Yet, more than that, she also loved
him, for all his crazy antics at making her laugh, for his musical
talents that had captured her fascination, and for always being so
supportive of her for the past few years.

Nevertheless, Haruka was an unknown variable. She didn't know
how it happened or when it did. But this attachment to her was
undeniable. The tingling feeling when they accidentally touched and the
rush of blood when Haruka flirted with her -- all these little incidents
could not be brushed off any longer.

In the short time that she met Haruka, she realised that there
was something missing in her life. It was excitement. Being with Haruka
had brought about spontaneity, a feeling of danger that lurked behind
those green eyes, so attractive that Michiru would willingly be the
moth flying towards the flame and luxuriate in the glory of the heat.

That was if she decided Haruka was the one for her. Michiru was
lost. She realised that she was the same downtrodden lass as she arrived
two hours ago. She still had so many questions. Did Haruka feel the same
way for her? Whom did she love more? Answers that she desperately needed
but were nowhere near within her grasp.

As light began to fall, she took it as a signal to leave the
cemetery. Taking a final bow and a final whisper, she walked away from
the slabs.

Her pace slowed as she caught sight of a woman paying respects to
a tomb, near her exit. It was a familiar face that she couldn't put a
name to. The ponytail, the tall build... as the memory came back to
her, she realised that the woman, or better known as Makoto, was
leaving.

Makoto was Haruka's roommate, or lover as she was once told. She
had never sought Haruka for clarification but, now, she regretted. Her
turmoil began. What if Haruka already had someone else? What was she
going to do?

There were so many questions and she realised that only when some
of them were answered, could she make the decision. She needed to speak
to Haruka. With that resolved, she strode purposefully towards the
exit, stopping only to sneak a peak at who Makoto was here for. The
name of the tomb stab came as such a surprise to her that she promptly
forgot her love problems.

The name was Chiba Mamoru.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Michiru spent the whole night thinking. No doubt about it, her
detective instincts had kicked in. She had established that Makoto had
known Mamoru personally and that their relationship ran deep.

She had suspected that his death could be a crime of passion. Did
Makoto have anything to do with it? Why was Haruka so adamant that it
was the other druglords behind his murder?

The lost sleep and the troubles in her mind had rendered her a
poor companion when Seiya picked her up for work. Her words were few and
sparse.

"Is there something you should be telling me?" Seiya asked as he
drove. He knew that there was something troubling Michiru and he wanted
to know if she would still unload her worries unto him like she used
to. For her to do so would mean that he could be trusted and held close
to her heart. On the other hand, he was afraid of hearing the words that
he didn't want to hear.

His disappointment could barely be contained as he heard a
lacklustre "nothing" coming from the mouth of his beloved. She was
slipping further away from him; he could feel it.

It was in this mood that both of them continued their journey to
their work places, tension mounting in the air.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing Michiru did when she stepped into the office was
to request for a meeting with Setsuna, of which Haruka was excluded.
Michiru had relayed her incidental discovery about Makoto to Setsuna.
The chief was solemn as she heard the news.

"Did you speak to Haruka?" Setuna asked. Seeing the shake of
Michiru's head brought some level of comfort in Setsuna's heart
but she knew this was far from over. "Michiru, I think you should know
that this unit knows Makoto pretty well. And if you were here long
enough, you would also notice the close bonds between Haruka and
Makoto."

Michiru averted her eyes from Setsuna, feeling the clench in her
heart painfully.

"I'm not saying anything in Makoto's defence. But you need to
tread carefully. Emotions would run high."

Michiru took a moment to collect herself, letting her detective
persona take over. There was something Setsuna was not telling. "I need
to know how Makoto familiarised herself with the unit."

Setsuna pondered for a while, and then she replied, "She was the
daughter of one of our officers here, Haruka's previous partner. Even
then, she used to come to the station bringing clothes and food for her
father when he needed to work late. After a couple of years, the unit
was used to her presence."

"Haruka's previous partner?"

"Dead. And this is not a story I should be telling."

"Then, whose is it to tell?" Somehow, Michiru felt that this
knowledge was important to her. Could this be the reason why Haruka was
so averse to her in the first place? She had known in the beginning
that Haruka's previous partner was a taboo subject in the station and
especially around the blonde.

"Haruka's." There was a brief flash of pain in Setsuna's eyes as
unwanted memories flooded her. In a second what Michiru saw was
replaced with renewed resolve which complemented the command that
Michiru received, "You have my authority to investigate one Kino
Makoto. Leave Haruka out of it and report to me directly."

Michiru knew when she was dismissed and she took the exit
silently. She began speaking to colleagues who knew Makoto but she
could sense that they were not forthcoming in their responses. It was
as if the whole station was hiding a secret and she was left out of it.

Deciding on another alternative, she stalked the records room,
digging for details of Makoto's and her father's lives. As she hungrily
consumed the new knowledge, she realised that she was no nearer to the
truth.

Records were sparse on Makoto's life. She had now known the
girl's educational background and her work place, and that was it. Her
dig
into Makoto's father, Kino Kaji, was more informative. He had been with
the station for many years. Haruka was paired up with him when she
first joined the station. Together, they had solved numerous crimes.
But the last case that they were on was labelled classified. It was
also then that Kino died.

"Hey."

Michiru was taken aback by her partner's deep voice. She turned
awkwardly from the computer screen towards Haruka who was standing by
the doorway, in the empty records room.

There was something in Haruka's eyes that she could not decipher,
and her next few words were a relief as she realised that she was not
found out. "Uhm, I was intending to go back to the crime scene. You
wanna come?"

"Crime scene?" Michiru was slightly disoriented.

"Furuhata's? What are you doing here anyway?" Haruka kindly left
out the part where she searched for her partner all over the station.
She walked closer to Michiru as she noticed that her partner looked a
little flustered.

"Setsuna has a new assignment for me. That's all."

Haruka was suspicious. More so when Michiru cleared the query on
the computer screen when Haruka neared. Before she could get any
closer, Michiru quickly collected her printouts from the printer and
stashed them into a file which she held closely to herself as if afraid
that Haruka would see them.

"Come! Let's go." Michiru managed an uneasy smile.

As she turned and moved ahead, she realised belatedly that she
left one printout on the chair which Haruka picked up. From the look
on Haruka's face, Michiru knew that Haruka had noticed that the paper
held Makoto's particulars.

"What is this?" There was some level of disbelief in Haruka's
voice. When Michiru couldn't answer, Haruka walked the few steps
separating them, her anger barely contained. "Why are you looking into
Makoto's files?"

Michiru turned away from her, at a loss for words. But the blonde
grabbed her hand forcing Michiru to stare into her fiery eyes again.
"Tell me."

"This is my new assignment!" Michiru pulled away, rubbing the
sore part where Haruka grabbed her. She could see the multitude of
confusion on her partner's face and she knew that an explanation was
the only way out of this situation.

"Yesterday, I saw Makoto at Chiba Mamoru's grave." Michiru was
comforted by the look of shock on Haruka's face. Unless the blonde is a
great actress, Michiru was assured that Haruka had not acted out of
personal feelings while in the investigation of Chiba's death. "I'm
just trying to find out what is her connection to him."

"You think she is the killer." Haruka's voice was cold.

"I don't know," Michiru voiced out in frustration.

"I can't believe..."

Before Haruka could continue, Michiru interrupted, "that is why I
have to investigate. Makoto could be a lead." As she tried to convince
the blonde further, Haruka turned her back on her.

The emotions running in her heart were draining her. Eyeing
Haruka's back, this was the first time that she felt the blonde so
unapproachable. Tears stung her eyes but she refused to let her
weakness show. Michiru took a deep breath, trying without success to
calm her aching heart. "You are a detective, too. You know we can't let
go of a lead."

"But this is Makoto." Haruka finally spoke and turned around to
face her.

Setsuna was right. Emotions did run high. The look on Haruka's
face was unreadable except one thing was certain. "Why is she so
important to you?" Haruka was always nonchalant about most things. Now
just the idea of Makoto being a suspect got her all so worked up.
"Is she your girlfriend?"

"What?! How can you say that?" Frustrated, Haruka could hardly
notice the hidden note of jealousy that laced Michiru's voice. Right
now, she could only feel her heart breaking.

"You're yelling at me now. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"She's my best friend."

"Doesn't look like it."

They were staring at each other like a couple of school kids
involved in a petty quarrel. The hurt grew more intense with every
passing second and neither was backing down from this match. But as the
frustration grew...

"Argh! You are so stubborn. I don't even understand how I could
have fallen for you." Haruka burst out.

With the confession, both occupants fell quiet. A curse was
muttered. Before Michiru could process the information in her
overloaded mind, Haruka stormed out of the room.


************************
End Part 2

Author's notes:

Finally, the next part to "Destined". I apologise for the long wait. To
all those who wrote to me asking about the next part, I fulfilled my
promise. Part 2 is completed at last.

I would also like to thank Cass & Albrecht Halbstein for their pre-reading
efforts. My fic is made much better because of them.

GSL
gsl@bigmailbox.net
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics-Moon.htm
8 April 2002