I won't tell you what happens in this chapter or what kind of chapter it is right here. Why? Because if you can't figure out from the song quote than maybe you should invest in some deductive reasoning. Oh I'm so obvious though. I mean duh. I can't hide anything from my readers can I?
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.
Warnings: Um...cussing...over-crowded apartments...you know...the usual...
Second Chances
Chapter Thirteen: Revenge Is A Dish Best Served With Coke
"Gaily they ring,
While people sing,
Songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here,
Merry merry merry merry Christmas!
Merry merry merry merry Christmas!"
-Carol of the Bells
Hotaru and Mamoru were enjoying a nice breakfast together. They both had huge grins on their faces at the moment. If anyone else was there that might have said that the two of them were happy for the holidays. However is anyone else had been there, they probably wouldn't have been grinning.
"Yep." Hotaru nodded her head. "Today is Christmas Eve which means that no one will come over today."
"Actually..." Mamoru trailed off. Hotaru looked at him apprehensively. "Usagi got permission from her parents...they remember."
"Usagi?" Hotaru questioned. "Just her though right?"
"Yeah she wanted to come spend Christmas with us. She's coming over tonight..." Mamoru explained going a little red in the face.
"Ah and what are two planning to do tonight?" Hotaru asked with a sly look.
"Nothing!" Mamoru began. "She's just coming over and we're going to have a nice dinner, that's all!"
"I don't care." Hotaru shrugged. "I'm going to the store anyway. I'll make sure to pick up some more groceries."
"Doing last minute Christmas shopping again?" Mamoru asked her.
"Mamoru, you should recognize that it is a time honored tradition." Hotaru told him. "Besides, it's fun."
"Most normal people do their shopping before Christmas Eve." Mamoru informed Hotaru. She laughed.
"All the more reason to do it today. That means that there shouldn't be such a rush, should there?" Hotaru asked him as the phone rang. She reached over towards the counter and picked it up. Mamoru sat there nodding eagerly, obviously expecting the call to be for him.
"Hello?" Hotaru spoke into the phone, rolling her eyes at Mamoru.
"Hotaru?" It was Setsuna's voice. Mamoru raised his eyebrows at Hotaru. The purple eyed girl was reminded of a small child.
"It's Setsuna." Hotaru told him trying not to laugh from the way his face fell. "Sorry Setsuna, Mamoru wanted to know who it was. What's up?"
"I was wondering...I mean because it would only be me and Kakyuu..." Setsuna trailed off. "We thought it would be nice to come spend Christmas with you and Mamoru."
"Okay!" Hotaru immediately agreed. "When are you coming over?"
"How about tonight so we can all get up early and open presents?" Setsuna suggested. "That is if it wouldn't be too much trouble."
"Of course it wouldn't be. Usagi is already coming over but I guess the more the merrier." Hotaru reasoned that Setsuna and Kakyuu didn't usually come over as it was so this was fine. It wasn't like they were all coming over.
"Great. Well I'll see you tonight. Merry Christmas." Setsuna told her.
"Merry Christmas Setsuna." Hotaru said back. She hung up the phone before turning to Mamoru. "Setsuna and Kakyuu are coming over tonight to spend Christmas with us."
"Oh okay." Mamoru shrugged. "I figured they might do that."
"Well, I'm going to go shopping." Hotaru put her plate in the sink. "I'll probably be gone all day." She headed towards the door where she grabbed her heavy black coat.
"Have fun! Don't get trampled." Mamoru joked. "Short people always do."
"I'm not short!" Hotaru called out in defense as the door closed behind her. She shook her head. Hotaru put on her coat before walking down the hall, convinced it was going to be quite the Christmas this year.
* * *
Hotaru whistled as she came down the hall towards her apartment loaded with bags. She had three grocery bags and five shopping bags. Hotaru put some down to open the door of her apartment. The first thing she noticed was that there was an awful lot of noise coming from the apartment. Even if Kakyuu, Setsuna, and Usagi were already there, it didn't seem like they would be making so much noise.
"Hello Hotaru." Setsuna greeted her as she walked in the door. "Be careful in the kitchen. It's becoming a madhouse." Setsuna warned.
"A madhouse?" Hotaru cocked her head to one side in confusion.
"Yep. Too many cooks in the kitchen." Setsuna shook her head as if tired.
"What..." Hotaru was definitely confused now. That's when she heard voices in the kitchen.
"MINAKO! Get away from that!" Makoto's voice carried out into the living room where Hotaru was standing with all her shopping bags.
"Do you need some help?" Setsuna started to take the grocery bags from Hotaru. Hotaru rushed into the kitchen to be greeted by the site of five people trying to cook, only three were succeeding.
"You guys!" Hotaru noticed Mamoru sitting on a stool looking a little sheepish. "What are you doing here?"
"We heard Usagi was going to spend Christmas with you and figured, hey, why don't we all spend Christmas together?" Minako asked with her blue eyes glittering brightly. "We brought lots of food and we're trying to get dinner done..."
"I'm five seconds away from banning all of you from the kitchen!" Makoto shook a wooden spoon at them threateningly.
"Oh boy." Hotaru murmured. She had thought that Christmas was going to be a small affair. Now it was starting to escalate. Setsuna walked into the kitchen with the grocery bags reminding Hotaru that she still had five bags she was carrying around. "I'll be right back." Hotaru went and put the bags away.
"No! Usagi!" Makoto was obviously panicking. "Let me do that!"
"I hope you guys don't make my kitchen explode." Hotaru commented as she came back.
"I think the probability of the kitchen melting as to exploding is much higher." Ami commented scientifically.
"Not where these two are concerned." Makoto jabbed a thumb in Minako and Usagi's direction. "Ami could you chop these vegetables?"
"Where's Kakyuu?" Hotaru asked Setsuna.
"Oh she's coming in a little bit." Setsuna shrugged. "She had things to do first. I bet she went to go visit the Starlights."
"As long as she doesn't bring them here..." Hotaru joked. "So how did you all get permission to come over for Christmas?"
"Usagi's mom convinced my mom I should!" Minako volunteered.
"My parents won a free trip to Hawaii for two. That's where they are right now." Makoto stirred something in a pot.
"My dad went out partying. If he wakes up before two in the afternoon tomorrow, then I'll eat my own feet." Rei told her with a slightly humorless expression crossing her features.
"My parents have always valued it when I do something different." Ami began. "Like the time I went to work in the soup kitchens last year at Christmas."
"Did you tell them that's what you were doing this year?" Minako asked with a grin before getting hit on the hand with Makoto's wooden spoon. Minako had just tried to taste something from one of the pots. "Ow, Makoto..."
"No, I am very honest with my parents." Ami answered primly.
"Well I'm glad your all here." Hotaru grinned at them all. "But perhaps we should give some room for Makoto to work in? Thanks so much for cooking Makoto. You really don't have to."
"I like to cook." Makoto told her. "Besides, your letting us come over so I have to do something..."
"Why don't we go play video games?" Hotaru suggested, in hopes of getting the two blondes at the very least out of the kitchen.
"ALRIGHT!" Minako yelled. "You are on!" Minako had obviously taken the invitation as a challenge. Hotaru spent most of the time playing video games while Makoto made dinner. Though sometimes Rei and Ami would go in to help.
After trying for an hour, they finally got Setsuna to play who turned out to be horrible at video games but spent the whole time desperately trying to at least finish a race. It was about this time that Makoto stuck her head out of the kitchen.
"It's done!" Makoto yelled. Hotaru walked in to see that Makoto had not only set out the dishes but had arranged them nicely on the dining room table with all the nice dishes set out. The dining room table which was different from the kitchen table was very very large. It sat everyone and probably had room for more.
"This looks fantastic!" Usagi exclaimed. "You guys did such a great job."
"Let's eat!" Minako sat down with the rest of them.
"Should we wait for Kakyuu?" Hotaru asked Setsuna. As if on cue there was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it." Rei volunteered immediately and rushed out of the room. Rei came back in a few moments. "Their here!" She announced.
"Huh?" Hotaru looked up in surprise as she saw not only Kakyuu, but Seiya, Yaten, and Taiki standing there. "Your all here?"
"I hope we don't intrude." Kakyuu smiled apologetically. "But the others wanted to come and I thought it was only going to be the five of us..."
"It's okay." Hotaru told her. "We'll just put down some more plates and you guys can help yourself. The food is all compliments of Makoto."
"Oh? We brought some pies..." Kakyuu held up a bag. "We weren't sure..."
"That's what I forgot!" Makoto snapped her fingers. "Well it's a good thing you guys came."
"We would have been here sooner if it someone would have been a little less difficult." Seiya looked sideways at Yaten.
"What?" Yaten snapped at him. Hotaru hurriedly put the plates down.
"How did you guys get your parents to let you come?" Minako asked them all curiously.
"My mom went to go visit her family. They don't really like me anyway cause I look like my dad..." Seiya trailed off.
"I convinced my mother it was important to my psychological investigative report." Taiki answered promptly.
"Meaning you just confused her with big words until she agreed." Seiya translated immediately.
"What about you Yaten?" Minako inquired.
"My parents don't care." Yaten answered in a short way that made no one ask anymore questions.
"My! This is delicious!" Kakyuu told Makoto. It seemed to Hotaru that she was trying to change the subject.
"Actually...I kind of messed up on that one..." Makoto scratched the back of her head as if looking for an excuse of some sort.
Usagi smacked Makoto on the back. "No need to be modest Makoto! Everyone here knows your a fabulous cook."
"It's like we're one big happy family!" Minako commented. "It's really nice!"
"This isn't a freaking Hallmark card." Yaten told her with narrowed eyes.
"Yaten..." Kakyuu turned to him. "I know this isn't your favorite holiday but...could you at least be a little more..."
"Stop being an ass." Seiya finished for Kakyuu, who arched an eyebrow at him.
"Shove it Seiya!" Yaten snapped at him.
"Yaten, I need to talk to you out in the hall." Kakyuu stood. Yaten didn't make a move to get up. "Now." Yaten sighed before getting up and following the red-haired princess out the door.
"Why doesn't Yaten like Christmas?" Usagi asked Taiki and Seiya.
"I'm really not at liberty to say." Taiki spoke in a very official sounding voice. "Basically, it's because Yaten is Yaten."
"And because Yaten is an ass." Seiya added on. Taiki hit the dark haired boy over the head with a book that he seemed to pull out of nowhere.
"I'm sorry everybody." Yaten apologized in a rather unsorry tone but no one was really going to push their luck. Kakyuu sighed as she sat down again. They finished dinner in peace and then everyone watched as Usagi crashed into the decorated Christmas tree in Hotaru's living room.
"Whoops..." Usagi frantically tried to put ornaments back. Everyone was feeling a little lazy and slightly sleepy when there was another knock on the door.
"I've got it." Hotaru got up and opened the door. Haruka and Michiru were standing there.
"Our car broke down." Haruka told Hotaru. "A couple blocks from here."
"Can we stay here tonight?" Michiru asked. Hotaru sighed. At least this was everyone and no one else would be coming.
"Join the party." Hotaru gestured to everyone else in the now crowded living room.
"Hey! No one told us everyone was going to be here!" Michiru exclaimed happily as they joined everyone in the living room.
"You had car trouble?" Setsuna asked them.
"Yeah." Haruka nodded rather glumly. The only thing that was more precious than Haruka's car was Michiru.
"You know, I know a lot about mechanics." Seiya started up. "Perhaps I should take a look at it."
"That's my car." Haruka gave him a rather dirty look. "I think I can handle it."
"Oh Haruka he's only trying to help." Michiru rolled her eyes at the blonde. "I swear you'd think that car was a kid or something..."
"I've got to go wrap presents." Hotaru stood up while yawning. "After that we can figure out sleeping arrangements."
"Sounds good to me." Mamoru agreed.
Hotaru went into her room and began to wrap presents. She had bought presents for everyone, for when she saw them next. Hotaru hadn't realized that they'd all be there. She was wrapping each one as best she could. A sweater for Setsuna, a video game for Minako (Hotaru figured she should return the favor.), etc. She reached into her bag for one last gift.
It was a grey scarf for Yaten. Hotaru thought that even if he didn't like her, there was no reason not to get him a Christmas present. She hoped he liked it. She was signing the tag to it with a flourish.
To: Yaten, From: Hotaru
"HOTARU!" Usagi burst into the room. "Did you finish?"
"Yep. I guess I'll go set these under the tree." Hotaru smiled as she began to gather up her packages. "Why'd you come in here yelling like that?"
"Oh, I was kind of hoping to find out what my present was..." Usagi looked rather sheepish. Hotaru laughed.
"Not until tomorrow." Hotaru told her as she went out into the living room and started putting packages out there. Almost everyone had already set their packages out under the tree and so now a lot of floor space was covered.
"So what about those sleeping arrangements?" Minako stifled a yawn.
"Well..." Hotaru started. "I guess people can sleep in my room so-"
"Oh no, you sleep in your room." Rei told her. "We're your guests and we did kind of come over uninvited."
"Okay then." Hotaru looked thoughtful. "I guess everyone will have to spread out in the living room. I'll go get blankets." Hotaru ran to the linen closet and began to get everyone blankets. She began to hand them out to everyone.
"Hey you two only need one blanket." Yaten told Kakyuu and Seiya who both went bright red.
"Yaten..." Seiya trailed off looking like he might hit the silver-haired boy.
"Here you go Usagi..." Hotaru started to hand the blonde the blanket but Usagi shied away from it.
"Actually..." Usagi's began to flush. "I was thinking...that is..." Minako leaned over and whispered something in Rei's ear. Rei's eyes widened considerably.
"WHAT?" Rei yelled out. "She is not!"
"Dude, Rei, not so loud." Minako hissed at her.
"Heh...." Usagi didn't say anything else before following Mamoru into his bedroom. "Good night everyone."
"Their...spending the night together..." Rei trailed off. "Huh..."
"I think Usagi and Mamoru are very good at weighing the consequences of decisions." Ami piped up. Everyone looked at the blue-haired girl and she promptly went red in the face.
"I'm going to bed now. Nighty-night." Hotaru told them all as she slipped off to her own room to get some sleep.
* * *
Yaten waited until the chatter finally died down in the living room. He was going to get his revenge finally. It was the perfect opportunity to do something. The silver haired boy quietly snuck out of the living room. He had several ideas already about things he could do to get his revenge on Tomoe Hotaru.
He tiptoed into the kitchen. Quietly as he could, he opened up the fridge and pulled out two cans of soda. Yaten opened them knowing that the sound could wake up the girl that he assumed was sleeping by now. He had a good plan going now. What could be worse than waking up in a puddle of soda?
Yaten turned the doorknob and carefully went inside the room with almost no noise. He heard a gasp and his eyes widened suddenly. Yaten thought for sure he was caught.
No he wasn't. Hotaru was tossing and turning in her sleep, muttering incomprehensibly. She had broken out into a sweat as Yaten stayed frozen right next to her bed.
* * *
"You are mine!" Mistress Nine cackled.
"No..." Hotaru struggled against the ropes that were twisted around her so she couldn't move. "No..."
"Resistance is useless!" Mistress Nine grinned wickedly at her as she started to reach towards her with her hands.
"No..."
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Hotaru yelled as she woke up, sitting up in her bed. She was gasping for breath. Hotaru started to calm down.
Just a dream...
She wished she wasn't plagued by those horrible nightmares. Hotaru wondered if she would ever be free of them. That's when Hotaru froze. Someone was standing right next to her bed. Hotaru turned her head.
"Y-Yaten?" Hotaru's tone was full of disbelief as she silver-haired boy who looked somewhere between surprised and guilty.
"Um..." Yaten obviously was trying to think of something to say.
"What are you doing in here?" Hotaru asked him looking quite perplexed.
"Well..." Yaten trailed off. "I was going to get my revenge on you." Yaten confessed looking slightly irked.
"Revenge?" Hotaru blinked her lavender eyes in confusion. "For what?"
"For what you said to me!" Yaten snapped at her. "Way back when Seiya was being a dork over Usagi." Hotaru frowned as she tried to think back. She had said something....whatever it was she couldn't remember now.
"Actually...I can't remember what I said." Hotaru hit herself on the forehead.
"You can't?" Yaten's face twitched in irritation.
"No..." Hotaru trailed off sheepishly.
"Well, then maybe..." Yaten frowned a little. This obviously wasn't going the way he wanted it to. "If you apologize I won't pour soda all over your bed while your sleeping."
"What?" Hotaru's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she saw the open cans of soda in his hands. "Well I'm sorry for whatever it was I said." Hotaru eyed him warily.
"Good. Um, Hotaru?" Yaten asked her.
"Yeah?" Hotaru looked up at him.
"What were you dreaming about?" Yaten's question surprised Hotaru.
"N-nothing." Hotaru looked down at her hands. Yaten could probably tell she was lying. Hotaru just didn't like to talk about some things from her past life.
"You don't have to tell me, I understand." Yaten told her. "I'm going to go back to bed."
"I guess I will too." Hotaru stretched her arms out before laying back down onto her bed. She had closed her eyes but opened one. "Yaten?"
"What?" Yaten turned towards her.
"You better not pour that on me." Hotaru told him. Yaten made a slightly indignant noise before going out the door. Hotaru thought that Yaten was odd but knew that things would be a little nicer around him. Though considering how Yaten treated his lifelong companions, it couldn't get much better.
* * *
"PRESENTS!!!" Usagi yelled loudly, really early the next morning as she landed on everybody who was still sleeping.
"AHHHHHHH!" Rei screamed. "What the hell?"
"Next time..." Minako moaned. "Don't kill me..."
"What's all this yelling about?" Hotaru came out, groggily rubbing her eyes. She had slept really well after the incident with Yaten.
"Apparently Usagi's ready to open presents..." Mamoru came out into the living room. "Couldn't wait for me to get out of bed..."
"Everyone! Get up! Get up!" Usagi rushed around the room. Setsuna opened her eyes and calmly got up. Kakyuu sat up rather regally. Seiya got up and kissed her on the cheek. Taiki was stretching and an annoyed looking Yaten, who simply rolled over, than put the blanket over his head.
"I know someone whose in the holiday spirit..." Seiya's face broke out into a grin. "Let's say we pour ice water on Yaten." Hotaru tried not to laugh as Yaten sat straight up in alarm.
"Can we open them yet?" Minako had joined Usagi right next to the Christmas tree.
"Yes you can open them." Hotaru told them. They began to hand out presents and everywhere in the room was someone tearing the paper off a present.
"Thanks a bunch!" Usagi hugged Mamoru who had given her a ring.
"Where's your presents Yaten?" Seiya asked the silver-haired boy.
"Like I'm gonna waste money on gifts for you losers." Yaten folded his arms.
"Next year we should invest in buying Yaten a lump of coal." Seiya joked.
"Oh stop antagonizing him Seiya." Kakyuu told Seiya firmly. "You two are always at each other's throats..."
"It's all about holiday spirit." Rei was wearing a santa hat that someone had gotten her. "You have it or you don't."
"Yaten was born without it." Seiya cracked.
"Shut up." Yaten rummaged through the gifts he had been given.
"I mean it." Kakyuu warned them. "Remember what we talked about last night Yaten."
"Yean, yeah." Yaten muttered. "What are you my mom?"
"Maybe we should go outside." Usagi suggested peaking out the windows. "We can go play in the snow!"
"That's a good idea!" Minako agreed immediately with the other blonde. Everyone thought that it was a good idea so they began to put on their coats to go outside. Hotaru was putting on her mittens when she bumped into Yaten.
"Sorry." Hotaru apologized. Her eyes widened as she saw he was putting on the scarf that she had given him. Their eyes met for a moment and Hotaru wasn't sure why but that moment stuck out in her mind the rest of the day.
* * *
I wouldn't have put up this chapter today if it wasn't for the fact that I am the biggest mooch alive. Teresa can tell you. If I wasn't a mooch I wouldn't have owed anyone a chapter…sheesh…frickin' cookies….why do they have to be so good?
Second Chances Akugis!
Take One!
Kakyuu: Guess what I got you for Christmas? (Smiles sweetly.)
Seiya: What?
Kakyuu: A brand new whip! (Kakyuu grins maniacally)
Seiya: GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Take Two!
Hotaru: Yaten what are you doing in here?
Yaten: I'm sleep walking...
Hotaru: Okay than.
Yaten: I can't believe she bought it! (Pours sodas all over Hotaru's bed while she's sleeping)
Take Three!
Haruka: Our car broke down!
Usagi: Hey this happened in the Sailor Stars season!
Kakyuu: But it's not the same...(Starts to look tearful)
Usagi: How come?
Kakyuu: In the Sailor Stars season...Seiya was walking around with nothing but a towel on...
(Everybody sweatdrops)