Author's Notes:

If you need to email me, contact me here: Guardian4@atlantic.net. Please put fanfiction in the subject line so I know what it's pertaining to. I don't own Sailor Moon. It is the property of Naoko Tacheuchi.

Crystal Hearts

When The War Ends

Chapter 12: Forever Bonded

Flower petals floated down to the ground in a gentle rainfall. Makoto smiled and twirled. In the distance she saw a man with dark brown hair reaching the middle of his back and a pale silver beard that went down to the middle of his throat. A long white robe came down to his ankles, covering dark green pants and earthen colored boots. He smiled at her in a fatherly fashion. Behind him, barely visible, the spires of a beautiful palace decorated with emeralds and jade rose toward the sky.

"Mako-chan?"

She turned to the voice. A young man stood in shadow behind her. She smiled at him and welcomed him into her arms.

"My star heart," he whispered and walked to her. Slowly the light fell on him, revealing long and dark brown hair. Brown eyes filled with love at the sight of her.

"Nephrite," Makoto whispered lovingly.

The real Makoto bolted upright in bed abruptly, breathing as if she'd been running through the heavy snow. Her embracing Nephrite like a lover? No way!

She got out of bed and stumbled into her nightstand. Two pairs of earrings, including her rose ones, a bracelet, her hair band, and a CD fell to the floor. She picked up the CD, intending to grab the hair band. She walked groggily to the kitchen, not realizing what was in her hand.

She clicked the light on and stood blinking at the sudden illumination. The kitchen was large and white with a light brown wooden island table in the center. All along the edges of the walls were counters. The dishes were clean and put away. Indeed, it looked like it was never used, but Makoto knew better. She was in here every Sunday cooking breakfast for the Senshi. She wasn't the official chef, since being a Senshi didn't allow for that and guard duty of the royal family, but she had comprised for cooking for her friends on Sunday.

Makoto tried to put her hair up and stared stupidly at the CD case in her hand. Sighing, put the CD in the small, black stereo system that was on the counter, tucked in a corner so as not to be in the way. It was an addition to the kitchen by the official chef.

Normally Makoto didn't approve of it, but she made use of it now. She turned down the volume so it didn't wake anyone up and pushed the play button, skipping to track three, and her favorite song. The first bars of music came through as she stared out the window and into the dark world. It had begun to snow gently. Her face reflected off the glass from the lights behind her. The song was surprisingly accurate for her emotional state.

I saw you at midnight, in a dream that I had.
From nowhere, you stood there, and you seemed so sad.
And a vicious decision is drivin' me mad.
Should I follow my head, or follow my heart?

            Her dream flashed before her mind. How could she embrace him like that? Sure, she didn't hold that anger anymore, but that didn't mean she was in love with him. And where had that place been?

You were different, indifferent, unbelievably cool.
I approached you, to show you, that I'm nobody's fool.
And an error, caused terror, as I sensed your dare.
Should I follow my head, or follow my heart?

Makoto was brought back to the fight with him when she had gone to get the stone. He had brought back angry memories and she had fought him not only to get the stone, but to show him she had was better now than in the Silver Millennium.  Hadn't she?

Should I follow my head, or follow my heart?
You've got the lead, baby I've got a start.
Should I follow my head?
Should I follow my heart?
Should I follow my head, or my heart?
Follow my heart.

            The song dissolved into a guitar solo, but Makoto took not a whole lot of notice. Her vision was fixed inside herself, even though she was staring at the night outside the palace. That almost kiss in the gym earlier that day continued to bother her. If she didn't really love him then his eyes wouldn't have caught her, right? She just didn't know what to believe about herself.

Ooh, I saw you at midnight, in a dream that I had.
From nowhere, you stood there, and you looked so sad.
And a vicious decision is drivin' me mad.
Should I follow my head, or follow my heart?

Should I follow my head, or follow my heart?
You've got the lead, baby I've got a start.
Should I follow my head?
Should I follow my heart?
Should I follow my head, or my heart?
Follow my heart.

Should I follow my head, or should I follow my heart?

Ooh, should I follow my head?

Or, follow my heart?

Should I follow my heart?

            Makoto leaned her head against the glass of the window. Had Nephrite actually looked sad when she had killed him? She was sure of it. But why? Another guitar solo, shorter this time. Her head was telling he was no good for her, but her heart said she loved him. But she didn't understand how that could happen.

Should I follow my head, or follow my heart?
You've got the lead, baby I've got a start.
Should I follow my head?
Should I follow my heart?
Should I follow my head, or my heart?
Follow my heart.

Should I follow my head, or follow my heart?
You've got the lead, baby I've got a start.
Should I follow my head?
Should I follow my heart?
Should I follow my head, or my heart?

Follow my heart.

The song ended and Makoto reflected that it made it sound so easy. Could she follow her heart just like that? What if he didn't feel the same about her? It wasn't that easy! She almost laughed. How ironic the song was. It outlined her dilemma perfectly and made the solution sound so easy to do.

A throat cleared behind her and Makoto whirled around. "Nephrite," she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Nephrite, whose hair braided, rather loose and messily, smiled. "I stayed up to watch the stars, but when it started to snow, I gave up seeing anything more. I was about to go to bed, but heard someone moving around and when I passed here, the light was on. Besides, I was kind of hungry."

"I've never seen you with your hair in any kind of restraint," she commented.

His hand went up to his hair and he looked surprised, as if he hadn't noticed it until then. "I usually braid it before I go to bed so it isn't so badly knotted when I get up and brush it. I've never seen you with your hair down," he retorted.

She shrugged. "It's kind of hard to sleep with a hair band like mine in my hair. Sit down and I'll get you something light to eat."

"You like to cook?" Nephrite asked, doing as told and sitting down at the end chair of the island table.

"Yeah, a lot. I would love it to be my full time job, official chef, but it's not to be. I have to guard the royal family as per my job description as Senshi and I don't mind really. I still get to cook breakfast on Sunday's for all my friends and that's all I really want to do at the moment. Imagine trying to cook for an entire palace every day! You might want to come as well. You'd like my cooking," she said with certainty. "I haven't met anyone who hasn't yet."

"Jupiter—"

"Call me Makoto."

He simply nodded, obviously deciding not to mention what he had been going to say.

A few minutes of silence and then Makoto plopped down a plate in front of Nephrite. He stared at it in surprise. "This is a light meal?" he asked in incredulity.

Makoto looked at the plate. It held two small sandwiches, both having been cut into two triangles, a few carrots, some broccoli, and a few bits of cold ham.

"Yeah. The tea will be done in a minute," she added.

Nephrite shook his head when her back was turned. This was like a dinner meal. "If this is a light snack, what's a large meal?" he asked amusedly.

"If you come to the kitchen on Sunday morning, you'll find out," was the cryptic reply.

Nephrite ate in silence and Makoto watched the tea boil without saying anything. Pouring the tea in two mugs, she set one in front of Nephrite and sat down at the table with him.

"What got you up?" he asked.

Makoto looked away. "A strange dream that left me wondering."

"Wondering what?"

She didn't reply and he let it lie with a sad sigh.

The CD started a new song at that moment and she didn't hear his sigh. The tea was finished in a few moments, as well as Nephrite's plate of food. She put the dish in the sink and then dried it, setting it on the dish rack. She reached for Nephrite's empty cup when his hand gripped her wrist. He looked deeply into her eyes.

"Makoto, you must understand me. I am not the person you thought I am, nor am I trying to force you into a relationship. I just want to let you know how I feel. I have been thinking a lot about what happened in the gym and have come to this conclusion. I love you and I can't live without you. You have been with me for some time, but until today, you've been very distant and angry on account of what went on in the past of which I have no knowledge. Please believe me. I must know: do you love me?"

Makoto looked away and the song from the CD filled the silence. She listened to the words for a moment.

Heard it from a friend who,
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from another you been messin' around
They say you got a boy friend
You're out late every weekend
They're talkin' about you and it's bringin' me down

But I know the neighborhood
And talk is cheap when the story is good
And the tales grow taller on down the line
But I'm telling you, babe
That I don't think it's true, babe
And even if it is, keep this in mind

You take it on the run baby
If that's the way you want it baby
Then I don't want you around
I don't believe it,
Not for a minute
You're under the gun so you take it on the run

"Makoto, please answer my question."

She looked back at him and he stood up. His free hand touched her shoulder and slowly caressed her entire arm until that hand as well gently gripped her other wrist. Her body shivered at his touch, even through the green cotton pajamas she wore.

She looked up into his eyes and couldn't look away. She nodded, trembling. He smiled and tilted her chin up a little higher. It took but a moment and his lips were on hers.

Lightning lashed through her body, but not the kind of lightning she was used to. The kind that sent shivers down her spine. Her arms went around his neck and clutched him to her tightly. The kiss turned passionate and neither could stop.

The sound of the next song on the CD startled them. The beginning was from the movie 'The Little Rascals'. They looked at each other and laughed. Nephrite twirled her around and they began to dance to the fast beat of the song.

She doesn't like the tough guys.
They think that they can do anything they please.
But they're gonna get a surprise,
When she brings them to their knees.

Cause she doesn't like the rough guys.
They act like they can have any girl they choose.
They've got tricks, but my baby got wise,
So in case you haven't heard the news,

She doesn't like the tough guys.
She doesn't like the rough guys.
So find some one you own size,
'Cause she's not afraid of you.

"This song reminds me of you," he whispered.

Makoto shook her head. "No, this is definitely for Rei."

When the song ended, Makoto turned off the stereo. Talking about nonsense things, the two left the kitchen, never seeing the blond figure dressed in a white night gown smile joyfully.

They didn't really know where they were going until they ended up at Makoto's bedroom. Awkwardness fell between them again. She opened the door and asked shyly, "Would you like to come in?"

Nephrite hesitated, but agreed. Once inside, the awkwardness seemed to be gone as quickly as it had come. The light switch flooded the room with light and Nephrite wandered to a mantelpiece.  The thing that drew his attention was the picture. It must have been taken recently. A happily smiling Jupiter was in the arms of an older man, who looked ecstatic. A long white robe came down to his ankles, covering dark green pants and earthen colored boots. His eyes were a deep green color.

Makoto walked up behind him. "That's Zeus, my father," she explained.

Nephrite turned to her. "Your father is Zeus, king of the gods?!"

"Yeah."

He stared at her and then burst out into laughter. "It would figure."

"What does that mean?"

The confused look on her face prompted him to explain. "How else can you have that kind of demanding presence to you? Not to mention your beautiful green eyes. Everything about screams that you are his daughter."

Makoto glowed with pleasure and took his arm. "All right, sit down. That messy braid of yours is beginning to bother me and ever since I saw it, I've been itching to brush it out and fix it up right."

Nephrite sat on the edge of her bed and Makoto crawled on her knees on top of her mattress so she was taller than him. She took out the hair band and set it on the night table next to the bed and used her brush, which had a lightning bolt in the center of the back (a gift from her father), and began to brush his hair.

The room was silent for a moment and she commented softly, "You're hair is like silk."

Nephrite's hand rose up and held still her hand that was brushing his hair. She blinked and looked at him. He stared into her eyes and they leaned toward each other, their lips meeting again.

The brush fell from Makoto's hand as Nephrite's caressed her stomach under her shirt. He gently laid her on her bed and she wrapped her arms around his neck. His other hand trailed down her side and rested on her hip.

She pulled him down on top of her and the kiss was slow and compelling this time. The snow fell gently from the sky and onto the ground. Neither noticed the magic that switched off the light switch.

"You're very decent, you know that Zeus," commented Aphrodite.

"I know I am. It was just to give them a little privacy."

They both turned away from Poseidon's mirror. Neptune's was made of the same glass, only less sophisticated at seeing anything his daughter wanted to see. Zeus was glad for his daughter and he refused to watch them any longer. One, it wasn't a peep show, and two, he really did like Nephrite. He smiled; Jupiter wouldn't have to worry about a shotgun. If he really hadn't liked the boy and if he hurt his daughter, he could always fry him on the spot with lightning. One of the little perks of being the king of the gods and an element of lightning at his command.

End Chapter 12

BTW, the songs in this part were all from REO Speedwagon's "High Infidelity" They are, In My Dreams, Take It On Run, and Tough Guys. I don't own them, kay?