Legal Disclaimer: The characters here, except for Zeus and anyone else we made up, don't belong to us.
by: Cynthia and Emerald J
Sunlight dappled them and the yard around them as they held each other in their arms. They were in Neflite's backyard, a vast expanse of green behind his Maxfield Stanton mansion. Everyone in town by now had heard of the reclusive millionaire's return, and of the fact he already had a girlfriend. The collective gnashing of teeth of all the eligible ladies in town had been audible for days. Lita, and Neflite, didn't care.
"I can't believe Zeus left us alone for an entire day!" Lita purred as she dropped a grape into Neflite's mouth. Once he swallowed it, he returned the favor and smiled.
"I'm not going to complain." He told her as he caressed her lips gently. The two of them embraced softly and tenderly, taking advantage of the fact that not only were they alone, but they were in love and didn't have to fight it, hide it, or argue about it.
Lita moved back just a little. "I want to see inside your place. I still haven't seen all of it you know." She smiled a little and Neflite nodded his agreement. There were rooms there that even he hadn't seen yet!
As the two of them got up, Lita noticed a faint flash from somewhere close by. She recognized it almost at once as the flash from a camera! "What was that?" she was going to kill whoever was spying on them!
I don't know," Neflite glanced around, then Lita ground her teeth as she caught sight of someone running through the bushes. It only took her a moment to tackle the person as they tried to squirm through the shrubbery and get away. A camera and a pair of glasses fell down as she did so, and she heard a familiar voice shouting,
"Ack! My glasses!"
Lita stood up, snatching the glasses from where they'd fallen and glaring down at Melvin. She was not a happy Scout, not in the slightest. "What do you think you're doing, Melvin?"
"Nothing, nothing!" Melvin shook his head fiercely in denial as he struggled to get up. He regretted the very thought of sneaking onto the Stanton estate now!
Lita wasn't taking that for an answer, though. "Bull!" She knew he was up to more than just sneaking around! The last thing she wanted was to have herself and Neflite splattered all over the tabloids!
"Honest!"
She snatched up his camera and held it out to him. He flinched from the strong evidence of just what it was he had been doing as she pulled out the film and dumped it on the ground. "So what's this then?" When he said nothing, she growled, "Get out of here!" She was almost positive he set a land speed record heading away, as she threw the camera after him. In a surprisingly graceful move, he caught the device and soared out of sight. Lita grunted a few Jovian profanities and sighed. "I was hoping to break the camera, but he caught it!" Neflite took her hand and she sighed. "Let's go in."
As the two of them headed inside, Neflite guided her up through the various corridors until they came to his own quarters. Lita whistled in shock and Neflite glanced at her curiously. "What?"
"This room is beautiful!" she gasped, taking in everything around her. She smiled as she closed the curtains and glanced over to him. "I believe it's time for dinner" She purred, both their eyes going to the meal laid out by his servants before they'd arrived. Somehow, those who served him always seemed to know just when he wanted or needed something and they took care of it swiftly and without needing to be told.
Lita smiled to herself as she investigated the contents of the dinner they had been left. She wasn't overly surprised to find steak, mushrooms, and several other dishes there, including rice and potatoes. "This looks fantastic!" she grinned. "Come on, lay down! Time to eat!"
Without a fight, Neflite lay down, leaning back and watching as Lita prepared things. Every move she made as she opened up the food was one of unutterable grace. He accepted each morsel of food as she fed him each delectable course. What else they did is no one's business but theirs, and this narrative shall flex to reach the moment after they had recovered from their exertions and were relaxing in each other's arms.
"I don't know what's come over me today!" Lita moaned as she kissed him "I've just been...eager!" He smiled and told her it was okay. "Is it?" She wondered. "We didn't even use protection!" Not that she minded, deep inside, all she seemed to want was him, in every sense of the word.
"I know," he told her, hugging her again and kissing her. The two of them began to kiss again, their hands and arms touching in all the right places, and they might well have begun another session, had a faint tapping not sounded at the window behind them.
Lita cursed fairly creatively under her breath, then quickly reached for her clothes and pulled them back on. "Get dressed, quickly!" she muttered, tossing him his own garments. As soon as they both were, she slid into bed and closed her eyes. "Pretend like you just woke up." She murmured. He nodded, yawning rather theatrically, then stumbled towards the window in perfect mimicry of someone just awakened from deep slumber.
He wasn't surprised to find Zeus out there when he pulled back the curtains and opened the window. The hawk looked very angry. "Where is Lita? She promised to be home four hours ago!"
"She fell asleep," Neflite motioned behind him, and Zeus peered over critically. As he saw the Scout laying in bed, her eyes shut and her breathing calm and measured, he sighed.
If he expects me to believe that, he's got to be dumber than a box of rocks. But I'll let it slide. For now. Zeus sighed a little again. "She always looks so innocent when she's asleep." He spread his wings and flew away. In contrast to when she's awake and a walking terror.
Neflite smiled to himself as he started back to the bed. He paused and did a turnaround as Lita motioned him right back to the curtains he'd left undrawn. Once he'd fixed that, it only took a moment for him to slide back into bed next to her. The two of them cuddled for a moment, and it almost looked as if it would once again become serious, when Lita sighed and turned away. "I should be going." Neflite looked at her with sad eyes she refused to meet. "It's for the best that I go now, before we go any further." She told him.
Neflite nodded quietly. There had to be more than the physical to their relationship, and he wanted that more. "All right."
Lita grabbed her few things that she had brought with her. "I'll see you around," she muttered quickly, then headed for home, her eyes full of tears that she wouldn't let fall. She hardly noticed Zeus seated on the couch back in her apartment, as she threw her door open and ran straight for her own room and her own bed. Her own empty, lonely bed.
Zeus flapped over, and heard water running a few moments later. "Lita?" Something has gone wrong. If he has harmed her... There was nothing he could do, however. It only took a short while for her to emerge, and when she did, he could tell at one something was up. "What's wrong?"
She shrugged. "Just tired."
"It's not polite to lie to friends," Zeus said warningly. "Or guardians." She might want her secrets, but he at least wanted to know they existed!
Lita sighed deeply. "I don't really want to talk about it right now, Zeus." She told him, setting a plate of food down for him. "I'll be fine. I'm just going to go take another nap."
Zeus watched as she went back to her bedroom. He nibbled half-heartedly at what she'd given him, then flapped over to look into the room. Lita lay on the bed, the blankets at her feet, all curled up and with her eyes shut. She didn't move as Zeus soared in to land at the foot of the bed and used his beak to pull the blankets all the way up on her.
She was awake, however. "Thanks," was muttered from under them.
"If you want to talk, I'm here." he told her. She nodded as he took up a nearby perch and watched her. The warm quilt felt very good around her as she cuddled into it, letting a tear fall down one cheek. Zeus quietly pulled a tissue from the container and put it where she could reach it.
Her eyes flickered momentarily up to him. "Thanks," she whispered again, reaching for her painkillers. Her face still hurt some from where he'd struck, and he winced at the very thought of the pain he'd caused. "I'll be fine, soon," she told him. Zeus nodded as she downed the pills, then picked up a picture of herself and Neflite and stared at it for a few moments before putting it back and turning the lights off.
"Good night." She told him firmly, and he tucked his head under his wing after bidding her a good night. He would remain with her, watching over her in sleep and in wakefulness, all the days of her life. It was what a guardian did.
"Only when we get dust up our beaks," he replied. He flapped over to an open window and took several deep breaths of the fresh air coming in from outside. He glanced behind him to see Lita shaking her head. "What?"
"You." She smiled, then curled back up on her bed. She wore her nightgown and robe still, but had quite obviously been busy cleaning. Fresh air spilled in through the window and there were still birds singing outside. It was a beautiful morning.
Zeus didn't know what she meant. "What? I just wanted some fresh air!"
Lita nodded as she stared at the wall, wincing just slightly at Zeus' somewhat off-key hawk's voice humming what she guessed was supposed to be a lullaby of some kind. Once she figured he was asleep, she slowly slid out of bed and went to the shower, removing her clothes and curling up at the bottom of the spray of water, her tears mixing with the liquid as a very horrible and lonely feeling crept into her heart. She sobbed her eyes and heart out, wishing there was some person she could talk to about all of this. After a few moments, she stood up and turned her cryfest into a regular shower, wanting to look at least halfway decent. As she emerged in her housecoat again, Zeus was awake and looking at her.
"Nice outfit." He deadpanned.
Lita barely glanced at him. "I'm not finished being dressed." She told him. As she got her various things done for dressed, Zeus glanced out the window curiously.
"I think I see a mouse." he murmured.
She shrugged. "Go after it then." She sighed as she dressed, and he looked over to her, wanting to know what was wrong. "I thought you were going after the mouse?"
Zeus sighed. "Sure, don't mind me, I'm just a guardian." He grumbled as he flapped outside and grabbed some mouse-meat. He glanced back inside to see Lita fully dressed and reading on the couch. A half hour passed as he caught and devoured other things, taking pleasure in acting like his wild ancestors just for a short time. Just hunting and feeding...not a bad life. Wonder if there are any girl hawks around here...
Lita sighed, getting his attention again. "Where the heck is he?" She grumbled, picking up the phone and dialing a number. After a few moments, she muttered something almost acidic into the receiver and set it back down. She looked out the window, and felt a roiling her stomach as Zeus slurped down a snake. She quickly headed for the bathroom, and her guardian could hear her throwing up quite violently.
"What?"
Lita peered through the door at him. "That is disgusting!"
He lifted his head somewhat proudly. "I'm just eating! Sorry if I'm not built to hold a knife and fork."
"It's okay." She threw up a bit more, the sight of the snake wiggling as it made it's way into his gullet was just too much for her. Once she was done and had cleaned up the mess, she curled back up on her bed.
Zeus watched her for a moments. Something was obviously not right with her. "Amazing." He decided to try the sarcastic approach.
"What?" Lita peered grumpily at him.
"You have legs and a presumably curious mind, yet you don't use them."
She shook her head. "I called him, he wasn't home, so he's probably on his way, right?
"Of course. You're the human, pardon me." He flapped back outside, feeling just a little bit peeved. If she was so unworried, why was she as tightly wound as a harp string? Sure she was unworried...and he was a hatchling!
Lita sighed. "I trust him when he says he'll be here." He was sitting on a tree branch and she moved over to be closer to him. " Do you always have to have things your way?"
"I'm just an animal." Zeus stated. "I don't expect you to pay attention."
"And if I left, and he came?" Lita tried to point out her reasoning. "He'd think that I gave up on him, now wouldn't he?"
Zeus sighed. She was seeing only one option, not everything she could do. There were more productive things than just hanging around the house all day! "Whatever you say, Lita. You know, not everything revolves around the two of you."
Lita grumbled and started cleaning again, ignoring Zeus as he stared for more food items that might come his way. She paused halfway into the cleaning to try calling Neflite again, and fought back her disappointment as the phone rang and rang without answer once more.
A familiar harsh voice spoke, in a tone that was starting to get on her nerves. "Funny, I didn't know Neflite couldn't read." What the heck was he talking about! "Not quite what I expect of someone like him, but they do say a lot of people are illiterate."
Lita frowned. "What?"
"What's the intelligent thing to do if you have to go somewhere and you're expecting someone?"
His scout still wasn't getting it. "What does that have to do with him being illiterate?"
"Well, quite obviously, if you left him a note, you don't expect him to be able to read it, or you would look for him and leave one in case he showed up while you were gone."
Lita felt like strangling something, though she wasn't certain if it was herself or her guardian. "Fine!" If she were going to do it, she would at least salvage some dignity and do this with bad grace! She scribbled out a note and taped it to the front door, then stormed out, heading in the general direction of Neflite's place.
She was just starting to relax and enjoy the day, another of those magnificent spring masterpieces, when she turned a corner and saw someone coming towards her that made her entire day light up. "Maxfield!" she waved, restraining her desire to call him by his real name.
"Lita!" he waved back to her and ran over to her. He had missed her so much since she had been gone the night before! He missed her when she was gone for more than a minute!
She frowned lightly at him. "Where have you been?"
"Out."
"Oh." Lita didn't like the answer, but there wasn't much she could do about it really. "Okay."
He smiled warmly at her. "Sorry for worrying you." Something he was holding was burning a hole in him, and he wanted to let her have it as soon as possible.
"It's no problem." Lita shrugged as they walked along. "You probably have things you need to do..." she let her voice trailed off, and he smiled at her.
"Oh, by the way, are you busy tonight?" Lita's eyes widened and she stuttered a little. He took her hand. "If not, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner?"
There was no way she could turn down the hopeful look in his eyes. "Sure!"
His answering smile could've lit up every galaxies with it's brilliance. The two of them gazed at each other for several long minutes, oblivious to everyone around them as they held each other. Slowly Neflite brushed his lips across Lita's ear, and she glanced up at him.
"Please don't."
"I'm sorry."
She smiled at him briefly. "It's okay." They held one another for a few more moments, then Lita gasped as he picked her up easily. She wasn't surprised that he carried her to her apartment and laid her on the bed. She glanced up at him with a faint frown. "We agreed..." She loved him, but she didn't want to get involved again right now.
"I know." Neflite reassured her. "I'm not going to do anything." He smiled as he sat down near her and took her hand. He could hardly believe how much he loved her and how much she returned it.
She leaned up briefly to kiss him on the cheek, grateful that he hadn't ran off somewhere and forgotten about her. "I love you."
"I love you, too." She curled over to cuddle up into his lap, her arms going around her boyfriend tightly.
"I see you found one another," Zeus approved from the window. He looked very self-satisfied, as much as a hawk could, anyway.
Lita looked at him. "Huh?"
"Just what I said."
"What are you talking about???" Lita wondered. She loved her guardian, but annoyance seemed to be a high factor in his makeup!
Zeus shrugged. "You found each other. You found him and he found you." He smiled to himself as much as he could. I knew she'd find him if she went out. Having eyes as good as mine helps out so much.
Neflite smiled as he hugged Lita. "We found each other." He glanced over at Lita, who was yawning. "You need to sleep."
"I'm okay." Lita shrugged. Neflite smiled.
"That doesn't mean you don't need to sleep," he told her. Lita smiled and cuddled up closer to him, her eyes slowly closing together. He leaned her back into her bed and pulled the covers over her, sitting back down near her and watching her sleep.
Zeus sighed. "I have a feeling we have some bad times coming soon."
"What?"
"There was a sign of a new enemy." Zeus told him quietly. Neflite sighed, using a few words he had picked up from Beryl. The hawk was quick to reassure him. "I could be wrong!"
The ex-general sighed. "Let's hope you are." He gazed for several minutes at Lita, then Zeus cleared his throat.
"Come back when it's time for dinner," the hawk told him. "You need to get ready." He watched approvingly at Neflite kissed Lita lightly on the forehead, then headed out. Hopefully things were going to be better from now on.
Perhaps an hour later, a banging interrupted both the light nap Zeus had fallen into, and Lita's rest. The hawk flapped to the peephole, trying to look through, and heard Serena's voice from the other side. "Lita! We're needed!"
"Leave her alone," Zeus shouted. She needed her sleep, badly!
Serena called back, "It's the Scouts that are needed, Zeus!" She sounded desperate!
"Do you want her to fall asleep in the middle of the fight?"
"Is she okay?" Serena didn't want to something that would hurt one of her friends! If they had to they could go on without her...
Lita opened the door, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Zeus hadn't even seen her coming up. "I didn't sleep last night." She said flatly.
"We've got a fight downtown," Serena burst out. "The others are doing what they can."
"I'll try," Lita bit her lip, knowing that the happiness she'd had was ruined now. "But I'm not promising anything."
"Please give this to Neflite," she asked quietly. Zeus nodded quickly, picking it up in his beak and soaring over to the mansion. Neflite was sitting outside, and greeted him as the hawk landed before him.
"What is this?" Neflite had never before seen Zeus delivering mail! "Oh, it's from Lita!" He smiled as he cracked it open, a smile that faded quickly away as he read the letter.
My dearest, I am sorry to tell you that our promise must now be called into affect. I cannot see you for awhile. I pray that this is not long for I will miss you with all my heart. All my love, Lita.
Neflite stared at the letter in shock, hardly able to believe what he was reading. Slowly he whispered the letter out loud, and Zeus stared. He had known, better than they, what the consequences of a new attack could be, but he had had no idea that they were going to be taking it quite this hard!
Zeus flew away to talk with Lita, leaving Neflite behind to stare at the scrap of paper. Something else caught his eye, and he picked the letter up again. P.S. I can try and sneak to see you one last time.
"Serena," Lita sighed. "Thanks for trying, but I doubt that's it."
The young blonde shrugged. "We don't know." She wanted to look on the bright side if there was one, and Lita just kept getting more and more depressed! This was a part of her Serena hadn't ever seen, and she wasn't all that positive that she liked it. You'd think the most important thing in the universe was the fact she and Neflite can't be together for a little while...not that we're going to be risking our lives again!
"Let's see...what evidence do we have? The strange thing that happened in the sky that Zeus saw earlier. The jewel that was left behind from it's death...or that annoying laughter we heard during the fight that wasn't from the monster?"
Serena felt an unaccustomed rage rising in her. "Are you back from your pity trip yet?" This wasn't the Lita she knew! And she wanted that Lita back now!
"At least you get to stay with Darien!" Lita hissed, staring at a picture of herself and Neflite. Serena stood for a moment, then her eyes went full of anger.
"Give me your wand."
Dead silence reined. Serena looked absolutely firm, her hand held out sharply. Mina shook her head. "Serena, you can't be serious, we need her!"
"We need a Sailor Jupiter." Serena stated, keeping a waver out of her voice somehow. "Molly should be able to do the job."
"Molly doesn't have Lita's skills! We need her experience!"
Serena delivered a calm look to the warrior of Venus. "Do we need someone who is going to be too busy crying because she can't be with her boyfriend?"
"And exactly how were you when Beryl took Darien?" Mina asked sharply, remembering how she'd got Serena out of that funk.
The Moon Princess was firm. She would never have dared do this a few months ago, but she knew rather firmly now that sometimes you had to be firm or you were walked on like a doormat. "I got out of it. I worked to get him back. I didn't give up and whine like a brat!"
"I know when I'm not wanted, Mina." Lita said suddenly, putting the wand in Serena's outstretched hand. "And I'm not wanted as a Scout."
Serena closed her hand around it. "You aren't being a Scout. What went through your mind when you found out there could be a new enemy? I have to protect and help the rest of my team and the world or Now I have to break my date with Neflite.?"
"Serena, one favor, though."
"Answer me!" Serena growled, a sound none of them had heard her make before. She was obviously not a very happy princess right now.
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Lita continued as if Serena hadn't spoke a single word.
The blonde drew herself up quietly. "I can see why your father on Jupiter didn't want you to be with Neflite. You're too busy thinking about your own selfish pleasure instead of the good of the team." She turned around and headed out.
"Up yours, Princess." Lita said harshly, then looked to the others, "You can leave too."
"Don't call me that." Serena retorted. "Only someone who cares can call me that." She practically slammed the door behind her, ignoring the others as they left too.
Zeus spoke from where he had landed during the fight and watched it all. "Then I leave too."
"Do you have to?"
"Yes." Zeus replied just as calmly as he could. He had never seen any of them acting like this before! If he hadn't known better, he'd have thought they were all under spells of some kind! "Before I'm thrown out."
Lita shook her head. "I'm not going to throw you out. Or ask you to leave."
"Why not? You just did it to your best friends."
Everything was quiet for several minutes, then Lita sighed. "Can you take me to Jupiter?" She wanted to know. He tilted his head, a question in his eyes. "I just feel like I have to go there."
He watched her for a moment, then with a flicker of his wings, they were both on Jupiter. Lita glanced around for a moment, happy times and glorious days spilling back into her memory. She saw the statue of the Queen, and threw her arms around it, tears falling ceaselessly. She might've stayed like that forever, had she not felt arms going around her and looked up to see the face of the Queen.
"Hello." She said softly. Lita knew the face, it was that of her mother! Not just her mother then, back in the Silver Millennium, but her mother as she had been on earth.
"M..mother?" She whispered. The Queen nodded, and Lita leaned into her, crying again, with this time the tears bringing peace in their wake. Slowly she sobbed out the entire story of everything had had gone on since the moment of her reincarnation up until her return to Jupiter moments earlier. It felt good to relive it all, to feel cleansed.
"Were you living up fully to your Scout duties and did you intend to keep on doing so?"
Lita nodded. "Yes, I'd sent a letter to Neflite telling him that although I still loved him, I couldn't be with him for a while, till this new enemy was gone."
"And how were you conducting yourself with the others?"
"I fought, even with an hour and a half of sleep. Which is probably why I'm so moody."
The Queen nodded. "And afterwards?"
"I got mad." Lita admitted. "Over her asking for my powers back because I realized that I had just broken my own heart." She thought the queen said something, but didn't hear as a floodgate opened within in her. "And she's allowed to be moody over losing Darien when Queen Beryl got him and I'm not allowed to be moody over losing my own boyfriend?!"
"Lita." The Queen touched her shoulder gently. "Would you have been able to keep your mind on the battles if you were worried over Neflite?"
"I have before."
The Queen nodded. "Do you think that you could have this time?"
"Yes. With a little more sleep, I would've been able to."
Her mother smiled softly. She thought she had an idea, but it might not be workable. "And if you had not lost him?"
"The law clearly states that if there is an enemy to fight, then I can't be with him." Lita sighed, remembering everything they'd gone through with Zeus about this.
"The rules say that you cannot date, marry, or indulge in physical activity, correct? Do they specify you cannot fight beside someone?" The queen might well have solved the matter herself, if an imperious bellow hadn't sounded. Neither had noticed the wave of life spreading out from the Queen, waking up the entire planet and bringing it back to life.
From the throne room came the king's voice, as he overheard their talk. "Call the princess of the moon here now! Wife, please take Lita and get her into something more presentable for a princess of Jupiter."
The Queen nodded, recognizing the fact he was going to be putting his nose into something that could very well be none of his business: again. But that's what he does. This will be solved now with imperious decrees and commands instead of common sense and compassion. Silently she led Lita away.
A few minutes later, all the Scouts, along with Darien, entered the throne room. It had been a long time since any of them had been there, but Serena remembered her protocol sketchily. She stood in the forefront, Darien just to one side, the others behind her. "I understand you have the Jupiter wand?" The king stated.
"Yes." Serena's response was as calm as ice.
"I wish it back."
"Why?"
The king frowned. "Because only I have the authority to remove the Senshi of Jupiter!"
Serena didn't look thrilled. "And when the Scout is too concerned over her boyfriend than what she's supposed to be doing?"
"I didn't let it interfere with my duties!" Lita declared as she and the Queen emerged. "It was only after the fight that I cried over it!"
The lunar warrior said nothing, only looked at the king. "That is of no concern right now. You do not have the authority to remove my daughter as a scout."
"So, despite the fact I'm the leader, I have no say in this?" Serena's voice held an edge that those who remembered her mother found very familiar, and almost dangerous. Luna had never felt prouder of her right then. Perhaps what she was doing wasn't so right, but the way she was doing it was pure Moon royalty.
"You have a say. You just bring it to me with enough evidence showing that Lita let someone get hurt due to her overconcern for this young man and I'll weigh the evidence."
The princess shook her head. "I'm trying to make certain no one gets hurt in the first place!"
"Was anyone hurt?"
Serena flushed with anger; she would get more response out of a brick wall than these thick-headed Jovians! She pulled the wand out of where she was keeping it and threw it at the king. "You're just alike! You don't listen to anyone but yourselves!"
"Can you honestly say that you don't trust her anymore, but you would trust her sister, who has no fighting skills whatsoever?"
Darien put a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder, trying to soothe her shattered nerves. "You aren't listening to him, either, Serena."
"You make whatever decision you think is right. All I'm good for is blasting the monsters is seems. I'm not supposed to take charge or make a decision, despite the fact I know more about what's been going on than you do!" She turned around and stormed out.
"You're doing the same thing they are!" Darien shouted after her. "You're not listening to anyone!" He sighed, sensing her departure back to Earth with the others. "Maybe I'll see you around."
Once back on his world, the young prince sighed and sat out on his balcony, wondering just what was going on. He'd never seen Serena this angry, or any of the other things that were going on. He was starting to wonder if he'd somehow walked into an alternate universe, when a gentle hand touched his shoulder and he looked up to see Serena there, evidence of tears in her eyes. "Did you make up with Lita?"
"Not yet."
"Are you going to?"
She nodded. "If I can. I don't know if she wants to, though." Serena was actually trembling, and Darien realized just how much all of this had to have cost her emotionally. Serena didn't like getting angry or hurting someone, especially someone as close to her as the Sailors were. Even if she thought she had a reason, she didn't like it happening. "I'm going to try, though." She promised herself and him.
Darien held Serena close to him, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. "Think of how you would feel if it were you who couldn't be with me because of an enemy. I know I'd hate it."
"I already know how I'd feel." She remembered. "I've been through it before."
The two of them held each other quietly, until Serena jumped a little, staring at the Wand of Jupiter that had appeared in her hand. Darien looked at it, then her. "Your call."
"I don't know." Serena sighed. She wanted to make up with Lita, but she was also trying to think out for the group in general. Yes, Lita was more experienced than Molly, but Lita was also distracted right now. Maybe just for a little while Molly could hold the power...
"Go talk to her." Darien suggested. "She went back to her apartment."
Serena sighed. She had nothing to lose by trying.
"If you don't want to listen, I can't make you. Now I see why the Silver Millennium was destroyed. Maybe Beryl wasn't the evil one after all."
Lita jerked the door open again. "You made yourself loud and clear and don't you go trying to pin that on me or any of the other Scouts! We fought trying to save you!"
"Oh, I see." Serena looked directly at her. "Apology doesn't exist in your vocabulary. I don't have the 'right' to decide who I fight with." She started away, ducking slightly as the wand flew by her.
"I can't fight even if I wanted to!" Lita almost shouted, her eyes burning with fury at this.
Serena snorted. "Of course. You can't see your precious boyfriend if you do." She had tried, but apparently all Lita wanted to do was be angry!
"I'm pregnant."
Serena paused, then turned around and looked at her, walking back. She took the taller scout by surprise with a harsh slap cross the fact. "I was going to apologize but I don't think I ever want to see you anymore."
Lita stared as Serena turned around again and started away. She had hoped that would soften her friend's usually tender heart, but perhaps she didn't know the girl as well as she thought she had. "I'm sorry..."
"If you wanted to quit, you don't have to lie about something like that!" Serena paused and looked behind her, still furious. How could Lita do that??
"I'm not lying."
The princess shook her head. "Why should I believe you? You don't believe me." She was about to step away, then looked back. "You know, not just anyone helps someone bring their true love back to life."
Lita and Serena looked at each other for a few moments, then found the enmity that had sprouted between them was suddenly gone, washed away in the unending light of their love and friendship for each other, never to return.
"I'm sorry for not believing you." Lita whispered softly. "I don't know what I'm going to do."
Serena considered something. "Well, you could....oh, no, you wouldn't want to do that."
"What?"
Serena smiled a little. "It' just a thought, but you could...oh, I don't know, have your kid and be with your friends and Neflite, and marry him when you're eighteen? That's just a thought, though."
Lita smiled. "I wonder if my father would still let me fight after the baby is born."
"If it's necessary." Serena smiled. "We could destroy this new enemy tomorrow and you won't have to worry about it."
The Jovian maiden smiled quickly. "Leave me no fun, would you?"
"We'll save the head of the bad guy just for you!" Serena promised with a giggle. Lita felt herself feeling better already, just from the sound of her friend's laughter.
"Just his head?"
Serena grinned back at her. "Okay! Any other body parts you'd like?"
"Nah, just you guys back in one piece." Lita asked, and Serena agreed. That was rather high on her list of priorities after all. "And don't tell the others, please." She motioned briefly towards her stomach, indicating what she didn't want them to know. Serena nodded as she wrapped her arms around her friend and gave her a warm, fuzzy, cheery, happy, loving Serena-type hug, that wiped away the last of the darkness between them.
"I love you, Lita. You're like a big sister. Only better!" Serena smiled. She had never felt so close to her friend as she did right now, and the thought of a miniature Scout running around zapping people was kind of funny, even if Lita was young. Young in years, not in the heart. All of the Scouts were far, far, older than they appeared to be on the outside.
Lita smiled briefly. "I have things that I need to get done." She said. Serena nodded.
"If we can help, let us know okay?" Serena offered. Lita nodded and gave her friend another hug. She knew with the other Scouts and Neflite, and now the people of Jupiter, with her, everything was going to be just fine.