Well, folks, here's chapter 2, immediately after the conversation in the hotel bed shared by Haruka and Michiru (don't worry, nothing's going to happen, at least in the part of the story I'm going to write ;-) ) Enjoy!
Chapter Two
Haruka couldn't get to sleep after that. She lay perfectly still, pretending, and hoping the act would soon become the truth. It didn't. Eventually, her mind wandered into the childhood she'd not talked about for years. The only part of herself she'd held back from Michiru.
Sakura Tenou, Haruka's mother, had been born and raised in Tokyo. She'd attended Tokyo University to study as a linguist after graduation, transferring to Columbia University in her junior year. At Columbia she met a man named Andrew VonQuestenberg, and married him after she graduated. Andrew decided to take Sakura's last name, as he had always hated his own unwieldy last name. A year and a half later, Haruka was born and given the name Haruka Andrea Tenou. As Haruka began to speak, Sakura made sure her daughter spoke Japanese as fluently as she spoke English.
Soon after Haruka began fourth grade, Andrew died in a car accident. Heartbroken, Sakura moved to Japan with Haruka. Every summer, though, she and Haruka would go back to the US to visit Andrew's parents.
Just before Haruka began sixth grade, Sakura was offered a job in the US. Sakura wanted this job and was willing to move, but Haruka was not. Haruka loved Tokyo, and wanted to stay; Hina and Kazuki Tenou, Sakura's mother, wanted the both of them to stay. After countless arguments between all four of them, Sakura gave in: Haruka would stay with Sakura's parents and Sakura would move to America.
Haruka loved Hina and Kazuki Tenou, her maternal grandparents, but was slightly less enthusiastic about their apartment, located a long walk away from her school. But she lived out middle school there, throwing herself into the newly found pleasure of track to forget what she knew she had done to her mother.
Her grandparents had allowed her to move into her own apartment when she entered high school at Mugen Academy, soon after Haruka awoke as a senshi. Since then, Haruka had thrown herself into her mission as a Sailor Senshi. But now that mission was over, and now she had time for other things besides saving the world.
And what was she doing with that hard-earned time? Going to see her mother, one of the last things on Earth she wanted to do. But that wasn't because she hated her mother, but because she felt guilty for what she had done to her. Haruka knew she was the one thing that had kept her mother moving and functioning after Andrew died; because of Haruka Sakura had been able to live again. Because of that, Haruka and Sakura had been very close until the question of the move had come about. A more mature Haruka now regretted that she had allowed the move to destroy the relationship, and knew that she should try to reconstruct what she had destroyed; even still, it was difficult.
Haruka shifted, making the bed creak softly. Michiru leaned over in the bed, sensing Haruka's depression. "I'm sorry. I know I hurt you earlier, when I talked about your mother."
"Don't apologize. I was being overly sensitive. I brought her up in the first place, anyway."
"I've always felt hurt you never talked about your past with me."
Silence followed.
"Please, talk to me, Haruka. Tell me why you don't want to see her." The deeply pleading tone in her voice, a sound not often heard from Michiru, hung in the air.
"We've all done certain things we aren't proud of, Michiru."
Now it was Michiru's turn for silence.
"I don't want to see Mom because… I hurt her the last time I saw her. I hurt her and I didn't seem to even care."
They stayed up for hours, Michiru listening and Haruka talking.
The next morning Haruka woke to see Michiru, already showered and dressed, repacking the suitcases. Michiru felt Haruka's eyes, and turned towards the bed.
Haruka sat up and winked teasingly. "Those legs of yours are so smooth, and yet I never see you with a razor. Pray, do tell what your secret is."
"Haven't you noticed? When we transform we get a free, painless wax along with a nail job."
"No, I hadn't noticed. How very handy."
"Yes, very handy. I suppose the gods figure we have enough on our hands without having to worry about chipped nails and razor burn."
"How nice of them."
Haruka rose and stood right next to the most precious person in the world. Their eyes spoke as Haruka tried to vocalize her feelings.
"Thank you so much for… last night. Without that push… I couldn't have done that, and I needed to."
A knock sounded at the door. Michiru started towards it, but Haruka kept a hold on her hand. They looked at each other for a moment, and Haruka let go. A few seconds later, Setsuna stepped through the door, holding Hotaru. After they had signed into their two hotel rooms the night before, Setsuna had offered to take Hotaru and sleep in one room and leave Haruka and Michiru the other one for some "personal time," as Setsuna had stated with a twinkle in her eyes. That twinkle had become the first sign of any sort of humor Haruka had seen in Setsuna. Haruka had blushed then and blushed slightly now, partly at the memory and partly at the realization of how the previous conversation between Haruka and Michiru could be construed.
"Ready?" Setsuna's eyes twinkled again, becoming Sign of Humor #2. Haruka wondered just how long Setsuna had been standing outside the door.
"No. Haruka just got up, and I'm not quite done packing my suitcase."
"Well, you two should hurry or we'll be in danger of missing out flight. Mind if I stay?"
"No, of course not. Do you want some coffee?"
Within thirty minutes they were out of the hotel; within an hour, at the airport. An hour after that they were on the plane, taking off.
They were now on their way to Sakura-mama.
Well, there's chapter 2! Hope you like it, and remember to review. Unless, of course, you think it totally sucks- if you do, keep your opinions to yourself! Stupid baka poodoo heads that don't like my story!