She's Back... - Chapter Six
Lady Nakosha
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Thanks for your reviews, you guys... I really appreciate that you guys like the newly improved chapters, and yes, I agree, I also like how everything is moving a lot faster instead of being dragged out over a span of four or five chapters. :)
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ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY
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"Oh hell, you guys, the hottest guy was just looking over at me and he smiled. If you guys would have seen him, you would have just absolutely died." Lizzie announced in a loud whisper smugly as she began semi- hyperventilating. Her five other girlfriends squealed excitedly and immediately began searching the crowd with their prying eyes for the cutie Lizzie was giggling about.
Motoki rolled his eyes at their completely idiotic, immature behavior. He had been forced to endure three and a half hellish hours of this form of enjoyment women call shopping.
"Liz, don't you think we should be going, now?" Motoki asked tiredly as he checked his watch again for the fourth time in the last ten minutes.
Lizzie didn't bother to glance at him. "No."
"Fifteen minutes," Motoki warned, "and then I'm leaving with or without you and your friends."
Lizzie glared at him through narrowed eyes. "Motoki, you wouldn't just leave us here without a ride and miles from home."
"It's not my problem that you wanted to go to this mall instead of the one closer to our house."
"I wanted a change of scenery."
"Like I said; it's not my problem." Motoki deadpanned flatly. He could careless now what Lizzie threatened to do. He had done his part and if she was unwilling to cooperate... She's not the only one with resources, Motoki recalled, I should have thought of it earlier. I'm her legal guardian at the moment; I can do whatever the hell I want, short of breaking the law! She's got nothing on me...
People began turning their heads towards them and Lizzie's friends turned away from them, embarrassed. Lizzie's face flushed bright red. "Motoki!" She hissed, "Stop making a scene, you're embarrassing me in front of everyone!"
"Good!" Motoki shouted; ignoring the daggers Liz was shooting him. "That'll teach you for blackmailing me to come and baby sit you because you don't have any cash on you right now.
Liz almost collapsed into a pile of humiliation when her friends looked at Liz and curled their lips into snickers. Liz pulled herself together and walked back over to them coolly, ignoring how they had been glancing at her and Motoki the entire time, then stopped the conversation bluntly when she approached, giving off the obvious sign that they had been talking about her.
Motoki smiled. His mission was almost accomplished. "Liz!" Motoki called out, happily. "I'm leaving, so you better find a ride with someone else if you're not leaving now. Remember, Mom told me that you better be home by seven because your curfew is at nine-thirty on weekdays and we still have to eat dinner and you still need to finish your homework." He finished loudly, for the whole mall to hear him. Motoki could see one friend of Lizzie's mouth to another: Nine-thirty? Is he serious?
Lizzie stood there, fuming, as she mentally decided what the best plan of action would be. She was only given a few moments as Motoki began strolling in the opposite direction, fully aware of what her choice would be. She muttered something to her friends before she rushed after Motoki. "What about your friends?"
"None of them want to leave this early." Lizzie informed him through gritted teeth. "Their curfews are later than mine and they're sure that they can get a ride from one of their parents."
"You should have told me that then I wouldn't have had to stay." Motoki said, calmly. "Oh, but that's right, you need me for the cha-ching."
Lizzie shoved him to the side. "You are going to so freaking pay for this, I swear to God—"
Motoki shrugged indifferently and grinned. His mission had been executed and performed perfectly. "I don't think so, Lizzie."
"What are you talking about?" Liz inquired, raising a brow. "You've got nothing on me."
"Oh, I'm aware of that." Motoki only smiled. "But trust me, Liz, I've got contacts and they owe me big time, so if you don't stop trying to blackmail me into doing all this little chicken shit, then you are going to get yourself into a whole lot more trouble than you're worth. In fact, I don't even need to use those contacts, I might as well reserve those favors for something more important, I can just do a little complaining and give off a few false reports and Mom will pack your bags so fast that you won't even know what hit you when you're shoved on that plane back to America." He grinned. "Remember, I'm a big boy, I can do what I want with who I please, you're here only out of the goodness of my heart."
At her cold stare, he could tell that he had gotten to her. He could see the fear creeping into her vision as she realized that he was serious and that Motoki did have a sort of power of her that she hadn't anticipated that he would use. She muttered under her breath angrily as she stomped to the car and tried wrenching it open, only to understand that it was still locked.
Motoki loved being victorious.
When they arrived home, Liz didn't even give him a backward glance as she flew from the car, stomped inside the house, and slammed the door behind her. To his delight, she was already inside and out of sight, so he didn't have to waste the effort of having to say good-bye to her. She had given him the silent treatment, ignored anything he said, and hadn't moved once from the rigid, slouching posture she had been in the whole trip home.
It had been heaven. It had been one heavenly hour of a blissfully silent ride. No annoying girlish giggles, no stench of perfume being sprayed, no endless chatter about nothing! It had been great!
Motoki gunned the engine and headed towards Makoto's house where he would find Usagi. Motoki had a feeling that his heavenly two hours of silence was about to a screeching end when he found Usagi.
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"Mamoru, where have you been?"
Mamoru sighed heavily. "Nowhere. Just out."
"Oh, please, narrow it down just a little, if you can?" Rei snapped sarcastically, she narrowed her eyes to narrow slits. "What is it that you're keeping from me, baby?"
"If I'm keeping something from you, then the first rule would be to obviously not tell you." Mamoru retorted as he tossed the keys on the table and shrugged his lightweight jacket off his broad shoulders.
Rei pouted. "I was just worried about you, okay? We had that fight and I felt miserable about it because something could have happened to you and we would have been parted on bad terms." She frowned. "But in any case, I can't believe you wouldn't even just call or give me some sort of sign that you're alright... that we're alright."
Mamoru turned to look at her, curious. "What do you mean?"
"What do you mean, what do I mean?" Rei repeated, grating on Mamoru's nerves.
"That last comment, what did you mean by it?"
Rei groaned. "I just meant that I hoped that you would call so you could assure me that we're all right. You know, that we aren't breaking up or anything. That the wedding is still on."
"Why do you always think the worst of everything?" Mamoru asked, harshly.
"What else was I suppose to think?" Rei demanded, wounded by his sudden inconsiderate nature. Was this the same Mamoru who was so loving with her in bed? "It's not like you give me any clues to think otherwise."
Everything that Rei did seemed to annoy Mamoru to no ends. The way she would stick out her lower lip and pout, how she kept adjusting her strapless bra when she thought he wasn't looking, hell, even the way she crossed her arms over her chest bugged him! What was going on with him?
"I don't know." Mamoru finally said, "I just need to be alone." He started off towards their bedroom, intent to lie in bed in the quiet of his mind, thinking whiling staring at the ceiling.
"You were alone for the whole day already it seems!" Rei yelled out after him. Before he could stop her, she charged up from behind him and yanked him around so he was facing her. "Wait. Or were you? Were you out with another woman? Are you seeing someone else behind my back—" Rei's words caught, maybe this was when that saying was finally come around to bite her in the ass? How did it go again? What comes around goes around...
"God, could you be any more insecure?" Mamoru shouted in exasperation. He regretted his words, quickly, however, at the hurt expression that crossed over Rei's face. But what he mistook as hurt was actually anger. "I'm not seeing anyone else! You want the truth? Is that what you want? Can you handle the truth?"
"Well, the truth would be nice to have every once in a while—"
"I went to see Usagi!" Mamoru bellowed irritably.
Rei's ranting stopped at once. "You did?" She asked quietly. "Did you see her?"
"Yes." Mamoru mentally counted to ten, trying to calm himself. "And the girls were there too."
"Oh."
Now she was speechless. "You won't believe what else I'm going to tell you." He told her, his voice growing as he approached the climax of his announcement. "I invited her to the wedding."
"What?" Rei shrieked, breathlessly.
"I know, I know, but I blanked out and that was the only thing that my mind could comprehend and actually say. I knew she was going to say no, but as I turned to leave, she accepted!"
"That's great!" She held Mamoru's hand and began jumping up and down excitedly. "She's coming! We have to... oh God, I'll have to get her in the perfect seat and, Mamoru, she could be finally accepting us remotely friends."
Mamoru smiled. "The moment I left Makoto's, that's what I thought."
"So we can make our cake and eat it to!" Rei exclaimed, referring to an expression. Rei stopped jumping mid-jump, however. "Then what were you actually doing there if you weren't going to invite her to the wedding?"
Mamoru hesitated. "I... I wanted to see Usagi." He admitted. He watched a growing realization passed over Rei's indigo depths. "I haven't seen her in so long and I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to explain myself. I wanted to apologize, I wanted to somehow earn her friendship back."
Mamoru laughed bitterly. "I had everything I was going to say planned out, but when I saw her and the look she and the girls gave me, I just couldn't remember what I had planned to say. So I said the first thing that came to my mind: ask her to the wedding. I don't know, but maybe inviting her will help clear things up. Maybe somehow in a twisted way, that will help make things a bit better."
Rei's reproachful gaze softened. "Oh, Mamo-chan, I'm sorry for assuming and accusing you so wrongly." She murmured as she gathered him into her arms and hugged him. "I miss Usagi's friendship too. You're right, inviting her to the wedding might be the thing that we all need."
Mamoru nodded as he burrowed his face into her dark locks. But despite that she agreed with him, Mamoru had a feeling, a tiny, nagging feeling in the back of his mind that inviting Usagi to the wedding was in fact the exact opposite thing that they needed.
"So we're alright?" Rei asked as she nuzzled the nape of Mamoru's neck.
He smiled as genuinely as he could manage. "Yes."
Rei giggled. "Good. Just checking to make sure."
Mamoru let a faint smile cross over his handsome features as he absentmindedly ran his fingers over Rei's long, thick hair. Everything did seem to be all right between them.
Except that Mamoru knew everything between them was anything but all right. Rei, sensing Mamoru's distress, pulled away. "Mamoru, honey..." she trailed off, unsure how to relieve him of his pain. And for once, Rei knew the remedy that would help more than her stripping for him. "I'll leave you alone for a bit. I've got to make a few errands anyway."
Mamoru, thankful for that she was excusing him from his odd behavior, smiled. "Okay, I'll see you later, then. I'll be here waiting for your return."
Rei gave him a small kiss on the lips before dabbing on some lipstick and fluffing her hair out in an attempt to give herself more of the control that she needed. She wished that she were going out only for a silly errand. But no, instead she had to take on all responsibilities of her wedding and pay a little visit to an old friend because a simple invitation just wouldn't do.
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"Looks like a clear night, but sharp signs of precipitation may put a end to this perfect—"
Mina clicked the television off as the doorbell rang for the second time in the last hour. Mina groaned loudly; she didn't know how many more surprise visits she or anyone else in the apartment for that matter could handle.
Usagi's head was resting on Makoto's shoulders from physical and emotional exhaustion, but at the sound of the bell, she raised her head and looked at Mina expectantly, hope and desperation lingered in her sky blue eyes...
Mina hated the way Usagi was falling victim to the side affects of shouldering such burdens that were forcefully given to her. Her features seemed to be much gaunter and sharper than Mina last remembered, Usagi has always been skinny and fair, but now she looked pale and vulnerable, as if the past few days had drained her more than the last five years combined.
"I'll get it." Mina whispered, her voice edgy and her thoughts disturbed by their sudden comprehension. This wasn't healthy for Usagi...
Mina distractedly opened the door and looked up sharply at the speaker when she heard the familiar easy going, deep voice. "May I speak to Usagi?" Motoki ran his fingers through his affectionately tousled blond hair nervously.
"Motoki!" Mina muttered with a groan. "I went to get you early this afternoon! Where have you been?"
Motoki massaged his neck. "I was forced to go shopping with my little sister and her annoying friends." At Mina's reproachful look, he hastily continued on, "You don't get it, she has shit on me, she—I had to endure three hours of—"
Mina gave him a silencing look as she led him into the living room. Usagi was twisted around in her seat and gave Motoki a rueful smile. "This is an interesting way to meet." She said wryly as she slowly stood up and stretched her tired limbs. "Lets go to the balcony to talk, where we can have some privacy." At the emphasis on the last word, the other girls blushed and began busying themselves by talking amongst themselves; not hiding their stolen glances and forced smiles well.
Usagi sighed and tugged Motoki towards the direction of the sliding glass door. Usagi pushed the curtain to the side and pulled the door open. She softly closed it behind her as a warm breeze gladly greeted them. "Beautiful night, isn't it?" Motoki asked quietly as he breathed in deeply. "I love nights like these, gives you time to think, you now?"
Usagi nodded almost imperceptibly. Mamoru use to almost say the same thing... "Are we ever going to talk about it? About that night we shared?" Motoki asked bluntly as he turned to stare at Usagi with wide, curious, light blue eyes.
Usagi gulped. She wanted to talk about it, but now that they were actually talking about it, she wasn't so sure anymore. "I... I... don't know."
"And when will you be ready?"
"I don't know." Usagi repeated as she looked away. Her cheeks flamed guiltily. Motoki seemed so eager to please her, so eager to make everything work flawlessly. He wanted to talk about it and pour their feelings out into the open! That was more than she could say what Mamoru had done!
He only has every right to talk about it, Usagi reminded herself.
"So..." Then the conversation with Mina crossed his mind. Motoki's curiosity flared and got the best of him. "So why haven't you told your other friends about your return yet, Usagi?"
Usagi shot him a sidelong glance. How did he know about the Outers? "Mina..." Usagi hissed under her breath. "It's not something easy for me to explain, Motoki." Usagi said shortly, unwilling to explain or elaborate on why it was complicated.
"Try me." Motoki insisted. "Why shouldn't your other friends know you're back if they were close to you?"
"I miss them so much..." She murmured sadly. "There are other things that I have to consider before telling them." She trailed off, unsure of how to explain everything without revealing that their true identities. He didn't understand that they were overly protective of her, so protective that they felt that since Mina, Makoto, Ami, and especially Rei had failed her, it was their time to take their places as her guardians.
He didn't understand that they had lost almost all respect for her friends and Usagi wasn't sure what they would do, but if Setsuna backed them up, they could easily persuade Usagi that it was her duty to herself and to the rest of the world to give up the inners as her protectors and instead let them step up as her new defenders.
Motoki looked confused. "Wait. How many other friends haven't you told? What are their names? Do I know them?"
Usagi cracked a smile. "I haven't told Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna—although I'm sure she already knows—and Hotaru."
"How do that Setsuna girl know, but not the others?"
Usagi let out a throaty laugh that made Motoki's temperature rise a few degrees. "Oh, they have their sources."
"I see." Motoki took Usagi's within his own and stared into her crystal blue eyes. He no longer had a desire to talk about her friends and why they didn't know. No, instead he was more interested in talking about them and where they stood in a relationship. That is, if they were in one. "I think that..." Motoki looked at her intensely. "I think that on several occasions I've almost told you hold I've felt." He began roughly. "And I don't think that I would have meant it as much as I mean it now. I don't know... I don't know where we're going to go from here, but all I know right now is that..." Motoki dwelled on his thoughts for a split-second longer before his mind was made up and he told her softly:
"All I know right now is that I think—no—I know that I'm in love with you."
Usagi burst into tears. She refused to believe his words; he was playing with her; how could someone fall in love so quickly? How dare he throw those words around carelessly, saying them to women that he feels intimate and romantic with at the moment!
Usagi searched his eyes for any traces of laughter or that he was joking, but as Usagi had feared, she found none. He was dead serious, of course. Images of her past love, Darien flashed through her mind, sending icy shots of pain and uncertainty racing through her blood. He had pledged his love to her, maybe not through words exactly, but through his eyes, his facial expressions, his passion; Usagi wasn't sure she could trust herself to love Motoki or let herself accept his love...
Usagi looked away and stared at her feet when she realized he was expecting her to say something. But this was Motoki, not Mamoru. They were two different men, two different personalities; they loved her in two different ways. But Mamoru would never love her and even if he did start to want her back again, Usagi knew she could never return to him, her heart would be unwilling to open up to him. But Motoki... Motoki had done nothing but sincerely try to earn her respect and love, he had done nothing to receive her strong mistrust for all men that had been a result from Mamoru's mistake.
"Usagi..." Her cheeks were a rosy red color from crying and her hands were visibly shaking. Motoki tried to resist the effort, but he couldn't, he touched her chin and lifted her do her gaze met his. Oh God, how much Motoki wished he hadn't looked into her eyes. They scared and lured him in at the same time, lingering unforgettably in his mind, tormenting him with the thought that there was something behind those gorgeous eyes, there were hidden emotions carefully put away.
It was as if she was baring her soul, like he was seeing into her heart through open doors... as if she dropped the barriers around her heart and letting him see past her fake façade that forced anyone away from her true feelings.
The single revelation spoke worlds.
It took a moment for Usagi to realize that she wasn't the only one crying. Motoki's impossibly large, blue-green eyes glittered with fresh tears against the velvety, darkened sky. Droplets of rain landed on the bridge of Usagi's nose and before she could blink, the light shower began pouring down faster, soaking her to the bone. It was as if the heavens had opened and were expressing Usagi's feelings through the weather's conditions.
All thoughts and heart ache of Darien, her lost love, and the rain pounding around her escaped her mind as she stared into his endless twin pools of Mediterranean blue and felt a small sigh seep from between her parted lips.
Motoki leaned in softly and touched his lips to hers. The pain, confusion, the world slowly faded away and fell beneath them, only they two existed, with the rain clinging to their eyelashes and their clothes hugging every curve and crevice of their bodies.
When Motoki pulled her closer to him and soon both of their wet bodies were pressed against each other, she felt his body's movement and heat through the material of her clothing as if she wasn't wearing anything at all. Their need and the unmistakable feelings that there was something-more-than- friends-between-them broke past the deep confines of their guts and surfaced.
Usagi closed her eyes as his mouth gently explored her own, as if he could take the rest of their natural lives kissing her and he'd still never be nearly satisfied enough. She felt herself lift upward slowly, the only thing holding her down was Motoki's arm wrapped around her waist and his lips that had captured hers in a tender kiss that only two lovers could share.
Then she knew. She had, undoubtedly, fallen in love with Motoki. There may have still been doubts, but there was no mistake in Usagi's feelings.
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Rei knocked loudly on the thick mahogany door; her heart was pounding in her chest in trepidation as beads of sweats were beginning to form above her brow. She began imagining what kinds of things they would do to her once they saw her.
She hadn't seen them since shortly after Usagi had left, they had bluntly refused to help them fight in any battles and cut off any communication with the rest of the girls and especially Rei and Mamoru. She knew they had been terribly angry, Haruka the most, as Setsuna hadn't been able to give any information on Usagi's whereabouts and none of them had been successful in coming up with any leads on where she may have been residing.
Hotaru's bright face appeared. "Hi, can I—oh." Her voice grew considerably darker when she saw who was at the door.
Rei sighed. Asking them wasn't going to be easy. Their anger and resentment about Usagi leaving obviously hadn't cooled over the years. "Can I talk to Haruka please?" Rei asked timidly. She didn't know why she'd ask Haruka out of all of them, the name had sort of slipped out, maybe she could retract her request and ask to speak to someone a bit less dangerous, such as... none of them...
"Fine. I have to get her." Hotaru said curtly before she shut the door.
Rei could hear Hotaru's muffled voice talking to a deeper, more mature voice. She could only imagine what Hotaru was telling her. After minutes of standing outside, waiting, Rei started to think that they would leave her out there until she tired of waiting and left. But eventually Haruka opened the door and closed it behind her. "What is it that you want, Rei?"
"I—I—just wanted to—"
"I don't have all day." Haruka said impatiently.
"It's about my wedding." Rei quickly stated. "I—I want you guys to come."
Haruka snorted. "What the hell makes you think we'd come to your forsaken wedding? Your wedding symbolizes Mamoru's infidelity and your disloyalty; why would we want to come and give off the impression that we support something like that?"
"Because... because..." Rei was speechless. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all...
"Talking to you is enough of a reason for—"
"Usagi will be there!" Rei blurted out. She clapped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. She did not just tell her that Usagi had come back! Oh, shit, Rei thought in despair, Mamoru, not to mention the girls when they find out, are going to absolutely kill me!
"What did you just say?" Haruka demanded, her eyes flashing angrily.
"I—I—she... I didn't mean Usagi is back here, I just—"
"Tell me the truth!" She kicked her foot against the door in a show of aggravation. "I swear to God Rei if you don't and if you're lying then I will take it as my personal goal to—"
This wasn't supposed to happen this way! They weren't supposed to find out about Usagi from Rei! "Jesus Christ, Haruka, I wasn't supposed to freaking tell you this!"
"Too damn bad." Haruka yelled. "Now tell me whether or not Usagi is coming or else I can just personally go to the girls and—" Haruka looked positively stricken at saying Usagi's name, as if her name alone was painful enough to utter.
"—She is..." Rei flinched. "...Umm... we spoke to her about it." She knew that mentioning Mamoru's name would release an even angrier side to Haruka that Rei wasn't quite eager to see and experience.
Haruka clenched her hands at her sides and felt the backs of her eyelids starting to sting madly with tears she refused to cry. She had to get away from Rei fast. She wouldn't let Rei witness her emotional pain that only Michiru had once seen before when Haruka had found out about Usagi's disappearance and realized that she could do nothing to bring her back, as Setsuna had advised against it and wouldn't give them any clues. "All right. We're coming—but only for Usagi, understand that."
Rei smiled only slightly. "Okay, just don't tell the other girls about her return—"
Haruka glared at her. "What about Michiru and Hotaru? Don't they deserve the knowledge of knowing?"
Rei shrugged, but her eyes were anything but calm. "Don't tell them. At least not until the wedding date, okay?" She looked past Haruka. "Usagi may want to tell you all herself and come around or if she finds out that they know, she may leave again."
Haruka could sense that Rei was threatening her in a subtle way. Damn her. "Fine, I won't!" Haruka roared before she marched inside of the mansion and slammed the door behind her and in Rei's smug face.
Haruka sighed, but felt her heart lift and cry and dance in joy and relief. Her princess was back. Finally.
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Mina surveyed the area before her. She could work with this. Easily. She kneeled over and pressed her ear against the soft material and strained to hear anything.
"This is so wrong." Ami muttered guiltily as she covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "We're spying on them for—"
"Ami it's not—oh, shit..." Mina gasped slightly and leaned forward, pressing her ear against the door harder until she could only hear her pulse instead of anything else.
Makoto glared at the blond. "What happened, Mina? Dammit, we're doing this and—"
Mina held up her index finger, signaling for Makoto to shut up. Mina peeked behind the curtain and suddenly jumped away from the door, grinning ear-to- ear. She began humming joyously as she ran over to the loveseat and flung herself onto it, resting there happily. "I knew it! I just so knew it!"
Ami stared at her, utterly confused by her friend's baffling behavior. "Mina...?"
Makoto marched over to Minako and spun her around to face her. "Why are you acting like such a freak? What did you hear? And what are you so excited and triumphant about?"
Makoto stopped when the door slid open and a flustered Usagi stepped inside gingerly, followed by a flushed Motoki.
Usagi mumbled an excuse resembling, "I have to go and get some stuff" as she left the apartment with Motoki before her friends could properly get any juicy information from her.
Usagi and Motoki had a similar dazed, warm look in their eyes and both were completely soaked from the freak rain storm that had quickly sputtered to a light shower then ended only moments after they had stepped inside.
Makoto drew in a frustrated breath and turned to face Mina with crazed eyes. "Will someone"—meaning Mina—"tell me what the hell is going on and what is wrong with everyone?"
"Wonder where they're in such a hurry to get to." Ami commented casually as she flipped through the pages in the nearest magazine, her eyes barely registering the rainbow of colors and the blur of words.
"Probably to make out." Mina chuckled quietly at her inside joke.
Makoto whipped around to face her with a menacing expression. "Okay, your game is over, Mina."
"Makoto..." Mina began as she licked her suddenly parched lips. "...Why are you giving me that I'm-going-to-kill-you-in-about-a-minute look?"
"Because I am!" Makoto snarled. "You've had your fun, now spill! It's so annoying watching you prance around while Ami and I are sitting around completely in the dark."
Mina yelped slightly as Makoto latched onto her arms and forced her to look into her eyes. "Now, tell me what you saw and heard and what you know. Right now."
"Mina, for your own safety, I think that it would be the best decision if you told her." Ami said idly as she tossed the magazine to the side, stood up, and stretched.
Mina looked at Ami's freedom longingly. "Thanks for the help, Ames."
Ami laughed. "Oh, help? I'm also dying to know what you know. Nope, I'm not intervening this time."
Mina wiggled uncomfortably in Makoto's death grip. "Fine... I've had a feeling about those two for a while now. As you've probably realized, they kissed while out there, and I was like: am I good or what because I knew it..."
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"Tell me now."
"I will, love, just not right now!" Haruka argued as she twisted around and furiously tried seeing past her lover's frame. She was missing one of the biggest games in racing history! Couldn't this wait until it was over, or at least until the next commercial?
"Like I said, tell me now, and I'll move." Michiru insisted stubbornly. She snatched the remote away and held it hostage against her breast possessively.
Haruka groaned in both desire and frustration. Did she really have to put the remote there? Of all places! "Michiru, I'd tell you, but I'm sworn to silence."
"By Rei?" Michiru laughed sarcastically. "You wouldn't do a favor for that girl if she was on her dying bed."
Haruka threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine. We're going to Rei's wedding. That's the goddamn secret."
Michiru shot her a suspicious look. "Rei's wedding? What makes her think that—what?" Michiru did a double-take. "How did she persuade you to accepting her invitation? And how, exactly, do you plan on getting the rest of us to go with you?"
Haruka sighed. "I'll explain everything in the morning." Haruka yawned and head upstairs towards their bedroom. It was obvious that she wouldn't finish watching any game on television tonight.
"And where do you think you're going?" Michiru asked in a singsong tone.
"Upstairs to go to sleep, perhaps?" Haruka moaned. She was so close, just a few more steps and she'd be home free...
"Um, yeah, that's what you thought." Michiru flounced past the confused blond. "You're sleeping on the couch tonight."
Haruka bowed her head. So Michiru was residing to cruel and unusual punishments, was she? Well, she'd go down with dignity! "Fine. I'll sleep down here for tonight and I'll enjoy it too."
Michiru clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Haruka realized that her comment was the perfect opening for Michiru to pull the trigger. "Well, I'm glad that you and the couch are going to become such good friends because you better get used to sleeping on it until you tell me the truth and explain what's going on."
Haruka sighed, backtracked a few steps, kissed Michiru on the cheek, and automatically went to the closet and dragged out the spare blanket and pillow that Haruka kept in there—just in case of an emergency.
Haruka highly classified this as an emergency. Sleeping on the couch and knowing that it wasn't going to be the last time that week? The delicate matter required much more than backup...
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When Rei came home and burst through the door, Mamoru was sitting on the couch, alone, in the dark. "Hey honey," Rei greeted as she kicked her pumps off. "I finally sorted out that problem with the invitations." Rei told him tiredly. "That place was so unorganized and I swear to God, when that clerk had to check the price and call the manager for the eighth time, I almost just gave up." Rei touched Mamoru's leg, causing him to nearly jump a foot into the air. "Why are you so jumpy?"
"Nothing, I just..."
Rei bit her lip. "So, I, uh, visited Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, and Setsuna to invite them to the wedding."
Mamoru looked up at her sharply. "You asked them to come to the wedding? When did this happen?" He asked her incredulously.
"I went to—"
He continued, "Are you crazy, asking them to our wedding? Rei, come on, they hate us—wait. Wait a minute." He shot her a look. "How did you convince them to come along?"
Rei giggled nervously. "Actually, that's really funny that you mention that, I invited her along and as expected she declined—rudely—and so I accidentally let the fact that Usagi is coming slip out.
Mamoru swore that he began to see red. "You told her that Usagi was back? Well, there goes the friendship with Usagi and the rest of the girls because you couldn't keep your mouth shut!"
Rei's hands trembled furiously. "You've become awfully close and caring towards Usagi, haven't you, Mamoru?" She accused heatedly. "I was wrong to accuse you of being with another woman earlier, but now I can see that I wasn't too far off! Call me jealous, but I'm just watching out for my heart and our future that you are putting on the line for memories that your heart refuses to let you forget!"
"God, I..."
"You may not have done anything yet, but I'm not going to compete with Usagi for your love. I can see it slowly forming in your eyes when she's mentioned, it'd be a travesty for you if she hates you anymore than she already does, huh? Which is worse, Mamoru? Losing your blooming friendship with Usagi or calling off the wedding with me?"
"I... I—Rei, you're acting—"
"Mamoru, I'm not blind." Rei seethed. She pulled the engagement ring off her finger and flung it at Mamoru with tears in her eyes, "Think about it Mamoru. Think about your priorities and what is most important to you. I'll be at the temple waiting for your answer. But don't think for a second that I'll wait forever for you, Mamoru. That was your biggest mistake with Usagi—don't make the same one with me."
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
"Well, that was a lot to take in." Makoto remarked airily. "See, that wasn't so hard. All you had to do was get over yourself."
Mina scowled at Makoto and rubbed her arm. "Yeah right, it wasn't painless."
"I wasn't holding you that tightly." Makoto insisted. "You just can't handle a little bit of pain."
"I wouldn't know, would I? I mean, I'm only the person you were griping to death!"
Makoto opened her mouth to snap at her with a catty retort, but Ami stepped in and stopped her. "Okay, you guys have established the fact that Makoto used her strength to force Mina to talk because you were being stubborn." Ami glared at the both of them infamously.
"Whatever."
"Ditto." Makoto muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head in the opposite direction.
Ami smiled, despite herself. "So—Usagi and Motoki. How about that?"
Mina grinned. "Oh yeah, I agree. Motoki will definitely treat Usagi better than Mamoru did, in my opinion."
"Anyone could treat Usagi better than that low-life." Makoto deadpanned. "Plus, he'll have me to deal with if he doesn't. He's seen how Mamoru is treated now, so I think he has a vague idea of how painful it would be to have Usagi's friends against him."
"I'm surprised we haven't scared him off yet." Ami let out a ruthless laugh. "I can be pretty evil when I want to be."
"Why haven't we seen this evil side of you yet?" Mina asked, curiously.
Makoto grinned wickedly. "Because she only shows her bad girl side to the men she goes to bed with."
Ami blushed a deep shade of pink, but didn't say deny anything. Makoto and Mina shared evil, knowingly smiles as Ami stammered and desperately tried changing the subject to direct the heat off her. "So what are you wearing to the wedding?" Ami asked finally, her body physically slumping into the chair.
Makoto glanced at Ami. "To the wedding?"
"Aren't you going?" Ami asked, cocking her head to the side. "I figured that since Usagi is going... we were going to go and back her up..."
Makoto sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just that I don't understand why she accepted in the first place and frankly, I really don't want to go."
"I know, but where Usagi goes, I go." Mina proclaimed forcefully. But in all honestly, she really hadn't given a second thought on what she was going to wear, which was a definite first...
Will boys be there? Mina wondered silently. Of course there will be hot guys there, Mina reprimanded herself, Mamoru might be the biggest ass in the world, but she was sure he's friends with a few well endowed fellows... besides, she's been dying to wear that brand new flirty number that she bought a few—
"I'm going to wear the ugliest outfit that I can find." Makoto stated simple.
"But why—oh... oh." Ami realized the brilliance of Makoto's plan and the gears in Ami's mind began working as she began scheming up devilish plans that were sure to not only interrupt Rei's wedding, but even the score and put to rest at least a small portion of the hell that they had been forced to deal with for the past five years...
Besides, that's what Rei got for inviting them in the first place. Did she expect any less? Rei may have been taking the saying, "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" as none of the girls wanted to be any closer to Rei than absolute necessary.
"But I want to look pretty!" Mina complained. "Why would we want to purposely make ourselves look ugly? And plus, Usagi will never agree to it—not to mention how angry she'll be when she finds out!"
"Have you forgotten who we're talking about here?" Makoto sighed, as if she was talking to a five-year-old. "He cheated on her, remember? She'll agree to it because getting Mamoru and Rei back has been her life's dream since the moment she found out what kind of friends they truly are."
Mina still looked unconvinced. "But still, Makoto, her kind nature won't let her do anything any less than generous and loving, like ruining their wedding, unfortunately."
Ami began seeing the flaws in her plans. She realized that almost all her plans required Usagi as a main factor in them. "Damn." Ami swore under her breath, but Makoto caught it.
"Ami! Watch that dirty mouth!" Makoto teased good naturedly.
"Oh, like you haven't said a single bad word in your life." Ami snapped. Ami smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I'm just really tense."
Mina patted her friend's shoulder in understanding. "I know. We all are, Ames."
Makoto looked between them. "So, we've all come to the conclusion that Usagi would probably not be very happy with any of us if we totally screwed Rei's wedding up."
"Yeah." Mina and Ami chorused together.
"So, there's only one solution." Makoto had a gleam in her eye. She made sure that she had both of the other girls' attentions. They looked at her expectantly, their anticipation growing with each quiet exhale they breathed. "We totally screw up her wedding without anyone else who isn't in on it knowing and we make it look like we had nothing to do with it!"
"I like it." Mina declared. "It's good, we'll cut off all ties and connections to anything and deny the truth to our graves."
Ami looked skeptical, however. "But can we really lie to Usagi for the rest of our lives...?"
Makoto shook her head. "God, no. We won't really lie to her... we'll just exclude certain facts until after the wedding and once she sees what we've done and how we've avenged her, she won't be able to stay mad at us for a second longer!"
Ami curled her lips into a grin as she thought. "Okay. Okay, let's do it! I mean, when will we ever get more of a better opportunity than this?"
"So! What disgusting and atrocious clothing shall we wear to the wedding?" Mina asked, rubbing her hands together, slyly.
Makoto's face broke out into a gleeful smile. "Mina. Ami." She began grandly. "You haven't looked at the big picture yet. Wearing the ugliest clothes is only the tip of the ice-burg that's Rei and Mamoru are about to hit..."
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Lady Nakosha
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Thanks for your reviews, you guys... I really appreciate that you guys like the newly improved chapters, and yes, I agree, I also like how everything is moving a lot faster instead of being dragged out over a span of four or five chapters. :)
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ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY
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"Oh hell, you guys, the hottest guy was just looking over at me and he smiled. If you guys would have seen him, you would have just absolutely died." Lizzie announced in a loud whisper smugly as she began semi- hyperventilating. Her five other girlfriends squealed excitedly and immediately began searching the crowd with their prying eyes for the cutie Lizzie was giggling about.
Motoki rolled his eyes at their completely idiotic, immature behavior. He had been forced to endure three and a half hellish hours of this form of enjoyment women call shopping.
"Liz, don't you think we should be going, now?" Motoki asked tiredly as he checked his watch again for the fourth time in the last ten minutes.
Lizzie didn't bother to glance at him. "No."
"Fifteen minutes," Motoki warned, "and then I'm leaving with or without you and your friends."
Lizzie glared at him through narrowed eyes. "Motoki, you wouldn't just leave us here without a ride and miles from home."
"It's not my problem that you wanted to go to this mall instead of the one closer to our house."
"I wanted a change of scenery."
"Like I said; it's not my problem." Motoki deadpanned flatly. He could careless now what Lizzie threatened to do. He had done his part and if she was unwilling to cooperate... She's not the only one with resources, Motoki recalled, I should have thought of it earlier. I'm her legal guardian at the moment; I can do whatever the hell I want, short of breaking the law! She's got nothing on me...
People began turning their heads towards them and Lizzie's friends turned away from them, embarrassed. Lizzie's face flushed bright red. "Motoki!" She hissed, "Stop making a scene, you're embarrassing me in front of everyone!"
"Good!" Motoki shouted; ignoring the daggers Liz was shooting him. "That'll teach you for blackmailing me to come and baby sit you because you don't have any cash on you right now.
Liz almost collapsed into a pile of humiliation when her friends looked at Liz and curled their lips into snickers. Liz pulled herself together and walked back over to them coolly, ignoring how they had been glancing at her and Motoki the entire time, then stopped the conversation bluntly when she approached, giving off the obvious sign that they had been talking about her.
Motoki smiled. His mission was almost accomplished. "Liz!" Motoki called out, happily. "I'm leaving, so you better find a ride with someone else if you're not leaving now. Remember, Mom told me that you better be home by seven because your curfew is at nine-thirty on weekdays and we still have to eat dinner and you still need to finish your homework." He finished loudly, for the whole mall to hear him. Motoki could see one friend of Lizzie's mouth to another: Nine-thirty? Is he serious?
Lizzie stood there, fuming, as she mentally decided what the best plan of action would be. She was only given a few moments as Motoki began strolling in the opposite direction, fully aware of what her choice would be. She muttered something to her friends before she rushed after Motoki. "What about your friends?"
"None of them want to leave this early." Lizzie informed him through gritted teeth. "Their curfews are later than mine and they're sure that they can get a ride from one of their parents."
"You should have told me that then I wouldn't have had to stay." Motoki said, calmly. "Oh, but that's right, you need me for the cha-ching."
Lizzie shoved him to the side. "You are going to so freaking pay for this, I swear to God—"
Motoki shrugged indifferently and grinned. His mission had been executed and performed perfectly. "I don't think so, Lizzie."
"What are you talking about?" Liz inquired, raising a brow. "You've got nothing on me."
"Oh, I'm aware of that." Motoki only smiled. "But trust me, Liz, I've got contacts and they owe me big time, so if you don't stop trying to blackmail me into doing all this little chicken shit, then you are going to get yourself into a whole lot more trouble than you're worth. In fact, I don't even need to use those contacts, I might as well reserve those favors for something more important, I can just do a little complaining and give off a few false reports and Mom will pack your bags so fast that you won't even know what hit you when you're shoved on that plane back to America." He grinned. "Remember, I'm a big boy, I can do what I want with who I please, you're here only out of the goodness of my heart."
At her cold stare, he could tell that he had gotten to her. He could see the fear creeping into her vision as she realized that he was serious and that Motoki did have a sort of power of her that she hadn't anticipated that he would use. She muttered under her breath angrily as she stomped to the car and tried wrenching it open, only to understand that it was still locked.
Motoki loved being victorious.
When they arrived home, Liz didn't even give him a backward glance as she flew from the car, stomped inside the house, and slammed the door behind her. To his delight, she was already inside and out of sight, so he didn't have to waste the effort of having to say good-bye to her. She had given him the silent treatment, ignored anything he said, and hadn't moved once from the rigid, slouching posture she had been in the whole trip home.
It had been heaven. It had been one heavenly hour of a blissfully silent ride. No annoying girlish giggles, no stench of perfume being sprayed, no endless chatter about nothing! It had been great!
Motoki gunned the engine and headed towards Makoto's house where he would find Usagi. Motoki had a feeling that his heavenly two hours of silence was about to a screeching end when he found Usagi.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
"Mamoru, where have you been?"
Mamoru sighed heavily. "Nowhere. Just out."
"Oh, please, narrow it down just a little, if you can?" Rei snapped sarcastically, she narrowed her eyes to narrow slits. "What is it that you're keeping from me, baby?"
"If I'm keeping something from you, then the first rule would be to obviously not tell you." Mamoru retorted as he tossed the keys on the table and shrugged his lightweight jacket off his broad shoulders.
Rei pouted. "I was just worried about you, okay? We had that fight and I felt miserable about it because something could have happened to you and we would have been parted on bad terms." She frowned. "But in any case, I can't believe you wouldn't even just call or give me some sort of sign that you're alright... that we're alright."
Mamoru turned to look at her, curious. "What do you mean?"
"What do you mean, what do I mean?" Rei repeated, grating on Mamoru's nerves.
"That last comment, what did you mean by it?"
Rei groaned. "I just meant that I hoped that you would call so you could assure me that we're all right. You know, that we aren't breaking up or anything. That the wedding is still on."
"Why do you always think the worst of everything?" Mamoru asked, harshly.
"What else was I suppose to think?" Rei demanded, wounded by his sudden inconsiderate nature. Was this the same Mamoru who was so loving with her in bed? "It's not like you give me any clues to think otherwise."
Everything that Rei did seemed to annoy Mamoru to no ends. The way she would stick out her lower lip and pout, how she kept adjusting her strapless bra when she thought he wasn't looking, hell, even the way she crossed her arms over her chest bugged him! What was going on with him?
"I don't know." Mamoru finally said, "I just need to be alone." He started off towards their bedroom, intent to lie in bed in the quiet of his mind, thinking whiling staring at the ceiling.
"You were alone for the whole day already it seems!" Rei yelled out after him. Before he could stop her, she charged up from behind him and yanked him around so he was facing her. "Wait. Or were you? Were you out with another woman? Are you seeing someone else behind my back—" Rei's words caught, maybe this was when that saying was finally come around to bite her in the ass? How did it go again? What comes around goes around...
"God, could you be any more insecure?" Mamoru shouted in exasperation. He regretted his words, quickly, however, at the hurt expression that crossed over Rei's face. But what he mistook as hurt was actually anger. "I'm not seeing anyone else! You want the truth? Is that what you want? Can you handle the truth?"
"Well, the truth would be nice to have every once in a while—"
"I went to see Usagi!" Mamoru bellowed irritably.
Rei's ranting stopped at once. "You did?" She asked quietly. "Did you see her?"
"Yes." Mamoru mentally counted to ten, trying to calm himself. "And the girls were there too."
"Oh."
Now she was speechless. "You won't believe what else I'm going to tell you." He told her, his voice growing as he approached the climax of his announcement. "I invited her to the wedding."
"What?" Rei shrieked, breathlessly.
"I know, I know, but I blanked out and that was the only thing that my mind could comprehend and actually say. I knew she was going to say no, but as I turned to leave, she accepted!"
"That's great!" She held Mamoru's hand and began jumping up and down excitedly. "She's coming! We have to... oh God, I'll have to get her in the perfect seat and, Mamoru, she could be finally accepting us remotely friends."
Mamoru smiled. "The moment I left Makoto's, that's what I thought."
"So we can make our cake and eat it to!" Rei exclaimed, referring to an expression. Rei stopped jumping mid-jump, however. "Then what were you actually doing there if you weren't going to invite her to the wedding?"
Mamoru hesitated. "I... I wanted to see Usagi." He admitted. He watched a growing realization passed over Rei's indigo depths. "I haven't seen her in so long and I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to explain myself. I wanted to apologize, I wanted to somehow earn her friendship back."
Mamoru laughed bitterly. "I had everything I was going to say planned out, but when I saw her and the look she and the girls gave me, I just couldn't remember what I had planned to say. So I said the first thing that came to my mind: ask her to the wedding. I don't know, but maybe inviting her will help clear things up. Maybe somehow in a twisted way, that will help make things a bit better."
Rei's reproachful gaze softened. "Oh, Mamo-chan, I'm sorry for assuming and accusing you so wrongly." She murmured as she gathered him into her arms and hugged him. "I miss Usagi's friendship too. You're right, inviting her to the wedding might be the thing that we all need."
Mamoru nodded as he burrowed his face into her dark locks. But despite that she agreed with him, Mamoru had a feeling, a tiny, nagging feeling in the back of his mind that inviting Usagi to the wedding was in fact the exact opposite thing that they needed.
"So we're alright?" Rei asked as she nuzzled the nape of Mamoru's neck.
He smiled as genuinely as he could manage. "Yes."
Rei giggled. "Good. Just checking to make sure."
Mamoru let a faint smile cross over his handsome features as he absentmindedly ran his fingers over Rei's long, thick hair. Everything did seem to be all right between them.
Except that Mamoru knew everything between them was anything but all right. Rei, sensing Mamoru's distress, pulled away. "Mamoru, honey..." she trailed off, unsure how to relieve him of his pain. And for once, Rei knew the remedy that would help more than her stripping for him. "I'll leave you alone for a bit. I've got to make a few errands anyway."
Mamoru, thankful for that she was excusing him from his odd behavior, smiled. "Okay, I'll see you later, then. I'll be here waiting for your return."
Rei gave him a small kiss on the lips before dabbing on some lipstick and fluffing her hair out in an attempt to give herself more of the control that she needed. She wished that she were going out only for a silly errand. But no, instead she had to take on all responsibilities of her wedding and pay a little visit to an old friend because a simple invitation just wouldn't do.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
"Looks like a clear night, but sharp signs of precipitation may put a end to this perfect—"
Mina clicked the television off as the doorbell rang for the second time in the last hour. Mina groaned loudly; she didn't know how many more surprise visits she or anyone else in the apartment for that matter could handle.
Usagi's head was resting on Makoto's shoulders from physical and emotional exhaustion, but at the sound of the bell, she raised her head and looked at Mina expectantly, hope and desperation lingered in her sky blue eyes...
Mina hated the way Usagi was falling victim to the side affects of shouldering such burdens that were forcefully given to her. Her features seemed to be much gaunter and sharper than Mina last remembered, Usagi has always been skinny and fair, but now she looked pale and vulnerable, as if the past few days had drained her more than the last five years combined.
"I'll get it." Mina whispered, her voice edgy and her thoughts disturbed by their sudden comprehension. This wasn't healthy for Usagi...
Mina distractedly opened the door and looked up sharply at the speaker when she heard the familiar easy going, deep voice. "May I speak to Usagi?" Motoki ran his fingers through his affectionately tousled blond hair nervously.
"Motoki!" Mina muttered with a groan. "I went to get you early this afternoon! Where have you been?"
Motoki massaged his neck. "I was forced to go shopping with my little sister and her annoying friends." At Mina's reproachful look, he hastily continued on, "You don't get it, she has shit on me, she—I had to endure three hours of—"
Mina gave him a silencing look as she led him into the living room. Usagi was twisted around in her seat and gave Motoki a rueful smile. "This is an interesting way to meet." She said wryly as she slowly stood up and stretched her tired limbs. "Lets go to the balcony to talk, where we can have some privacy." At the emphasis on the last word, the other girls blushed and began busying themselves by talking amongst themselves; not hiding their stolen glances and forced smiles well.
Usagi sighed and tugged Motoki towards the direction of the sliding glass door. Usagi pushed the curtain to the side and pulled the door open. She softly closed it behind her as a warm breeze gladly greeted them. "Beautiful night, isn't it?" Motoki asked quietly as he breathed in deeply. "I love nights like these, gives you time to think, you now?"
Usagi nodded almost imperceptibly. Mamoru use to almost say the same thing... "Are we ever going to talk about it? About that night we shared?" Motoki asked bluntly as he turned to stare at Usagi with wide, curious, light blue eyes.
Usagi gulped. She wanted to talk about it, but now that they were actually talking about it, she wasn't so sure anymore. "I... I... don't know."
"And when will you be ready?"
"I don't know." Usagi repeated as she looked away. Her cheeks flamed guiltily. Motoki seemed so eager to please her, so eager to make everything work flawlessly. He wanted to talk about it and pour their feelings out into the open! That was more than she could say what Mamoru had done!
He only has every right to talk about it, Usagi reminded herself.
"So..." Then the conversation with Mina crossed his mind. Motoki's curiosity flared and got the best of him. "So why haven't you told your other friends about your return yet, Usagi?"
Usagi shot him a sidelong glance. How did he know about the Outers? "Mina..." Usagi hissed under her breath. "It's not something easy for me to explain, Motoki." Usagi said shortly, unwilling to explain or elaborate on why it was complicated.
"Try me." Motoki insisted. "Why shouldn't your other friends know you're back if they were close to you?"
"I miss them so much..." She murmured sadly. "There are other things that I have to consider before telling them." She trailed off, unsure of how to explain everything without revealing that their true identities. He didn't understand that they were overly protective of her, so protective that they felt that since Mina, Makoto, Ami, and especially Rei had failed her, it was their time to take their places as her guardians.
He didn't understand that they had lost almost all respect for her friends and Usagi wasn't sure what they would do, but if Setsuna backed them up, they could easily persuade Usagi that it was her duty to herself and to the rest of the world to give up the inners as her protectors and instead let them step up as her new defenders.
Motoki looked confused. "Wait. How many other friends haven't you told? What are their names? Do I know them?"
Usagi cracked a smile. "I haven't told Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna—although I'm sure she already knows—and Hotaru."
"How do that Setsuna girl know, but not the others?"
Usagi let out a throaty laugh that made Motoki's temperature rise a few degrees. "Oh, they have their sources."
"I see." Motoki took Usagi's within his own and stared into her crystal blue eyes. He no longer had a desire to talk about her friends and why they didn't know. No, instead he was more interested in talking about them and where they stood in a relationship. That is, if they were in one. "I think that..." Motoki looked at her intensely. "I think that on several occasions I've almost told you hold I've felt." He began roughly. "And I don't think that I would have meant it as much as I mean it now. I don't know... I don't know where we're going to go from here, but all I know right now is that..." Motoki dwelled on his thoughts for a split-second longer before his mind was made up and he told her softly:
"All I know right now is that I think—no—I know that I'm in love with you."
Usagi burst into tears. She refused to believe his words; he was playing with her; how could someone fall in love so quickly? How dare he throw those words around carelessly, saying them to women that he feels intimate and romantic with at the moment!
Usagi searched his eyes for any traces of laughter or that he was joking, but as Usagi had feared, she found none. He was dead serious, of course. Images of her past love, Darien flashed through her mind, sending icy shots of pain and uncertainty racing through her blood. He had pledged his love to her, maybe not through words exactly, but through his eyes, his facial expressions, his passion; Usagi wasn't sure she could trust herself to love Motoki or let herself accept his love...
Usagi looked away and stared at her feet when she realized he was expecting her to say something. But this was Motoki, not Mamoru. They were two different men, two different personalities; they loved her in two different ways. But Mamoru would never love her and even if he did start to want her back again, Usagi knew she could never return to him, her heart would be unwilling to open up to him. But Motoki... Motoki had done nothing but sincerely try to earn her respect and love, he had done nothing to receive her strong mistrust for all men that had been a result from Mamoru's mistake.
"Usagi..." Her cheeks were a rosy red color from crying and her hands were visibly shaking. Motoki tried to resist the effort, but he couldn't, he touched her chin and lifted her do her gaze met his. Oh God, how much Motoki wished he hadn't looked into her eyes. They scared and lured him in at the same time, lingering unforgettably in his mind, tormenting him with the thought that there was something behind those gorgeous eyes, there were hidden emotions carefully put away.
It was as if she was baring her soul, like he was seeing into her heart through open doors... as if she dropped the barriers around her heart and letting him see past her fake façade that forced anyone away from her true feelings.
The single revelation spoke worlds.
It took a moment for Usagi to realize that she wasn't the only one crying. Motoki's impossibly large, blue-green eyes glittered with fresh tears against the velvety, darkened sky. Droplets of rain landed on the bridge of Usagi's nose and before she could blink, the light shower began pouring down faster, soaking her to the bone. It was as if the heavens had opened and were expressing Usagi's feelings through the weather's conditions.
All thoughts and heart ache of Darien, her lost love, and the rain pounding around her escaped her mind as she stared into his endless twin pools of Mediterranean blue and felt a small sigh seep from between her parted lips.
Motoki leaned in softly and touched his lips to hers. The pain, confusion, the world slowly faded away and fell beneath them, only they two existed, with the rain clinging to their eyelashes and their clothes hugging every curve and crevice of their bodies.
When Motoki pulled her closer to him and soon both of their wet bodies were pressed against each other, she felt his body's movement and heat through the material of her clothing as if she wasn't wearing anything at all. Their need and the unmistakable feelings that there was something-more-than- friends-between-them broke past the deep confines of their guts and surfaced.
Usagi closed her eyes as his mouth gently explored her own, as if he could take the rest of their natural lives kissing her and he'd still never be nearly satisfied enough. She felt herself lift upward slowly, the only thing holding her down was Motoki's arm wrapped around her waist and his lips that had captured hers in a tender kiss that only two lovers could share.
Then she knew. She had, undoubtedly, fallen in love with Motoki. There may have still been doubts, but there was no mistake in Usagi's feelings.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Rei knocked loudly on the thick mahogany door; her heart was pounding in her chest in trepidation as beads of sweats were beginning to form above her brow. She began imagining what kinds of things they would do to her once they saw her.
She hadn't seen them since shortly after Usagi had left, they had bluntly refused to help them fight in any battles and cut off any communication with the rest of the girls and especially Rei and Mamoru. She knew they had been terribly angry, Haruka the most, as Setsuna hadn't been able to give any information on Usagi's whereabouts and none of them had been successful in coming up with any leads on where she may have been residing.
Hotaru's bright face appeared. "Hi, can I—oh." Her voice grew considerably darker when she saw who was at the door.
Rei sighed. Asking them wasn't going to be easy. Their anger and resentment about Usagi leaving obviously hadn't cooled over the years. "Can I talk to Haruka please?" Rei asked timidly. She didn't know why she'd ask Haruka out of all of them, the name had sort of slipped out, maybe she could retract her request and ask to speak to someone a bit less dangerous, such as... none of them...
"Fine. I have to get her." Hotaru said curtly before she shut the door.
Rei could hear Hotaru's muffled voice talking to a deeper, more mature voice. She could only imagine what Hotaru was telling her. After minutes of standing outside, waiting, Rei started to think that they would leave her out there until she tired of waiting and left. But eventually Haruka opened the door and closed it behind her. "What is it that you want, Rei?"
"I—I—just wanted to—"
"I don't have all day." Haruka said impatiently.
"It's about my wedding." Rei quickly stated. "I—I want you guys to come."
Haruka snorted. "What the hell makes you think we'd come to your forsaken wedding? Your wedding symbolizes Mamoru's infidelity and your disloyalty; why would we want to come and give off the impression that we support something like that?"
"Because... because..." Rei was speechless. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all...
"Talking to you is enough of a reason for—"
"Usagi will be there!" Rei blurted out. She clapped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. She did not just tell her that Usagi had come back! Oh, shit, Rei thought in despair, Mamoru, not to mention the girls when they find out, are going to absolutely kill me!
"What did you just say?" Haruka demanded, her eyes flashing angrily.
"I—I—she... I didn't mean Usagi is back here, I just—"
"Tell me the truth!" She kicked her foot against the door in a show of aggravation. "I swear to God Rei if you don't and if you're lying then I will take it as my personal goal to—"
This wasn't supposed to happen this way! They weren't supposed to find out about Usagi from Rei! "Jesus Christ, Haruka, I wasn't supposed to freaking tell you this!"
"Too damn bad." Haruka yelled. "Now tell me whether or not Usagi is coming or else I can just personally go to the girls and—" Haruka looked positively stricken at saying Usagi's name, as if her name alone was painful enough to utter.
"—She is..." Rei flinched. "...Umm... we spoke to her about it." She knew that mentioning Mamoru's name would release an even angrier side to Haruka that Rei wasn't quite eager to see and experience.
Haruka clenched her hands at her sides and felt the backs of her eyelids starting to sting madly with tears she refused to cry. She had to get away from Rei fast. She wouldn't let Rei witness her emotional pain that only Michiru had once seen before when Haruka had found out about Usagi's disappearance and realized that she could do nothing to bring her back, as Setsuna had advised against it and wouldn't give them any clues. "All right. We're coming—but only for Usagi, understand that."
Rei smiled only slightly. "Okay, just don't tell the other girls about her return—"
Haruka glared at her. "What about Michiru and Hotaru? Don't they deserve the knowledge of knowing?"
Rei shrugged, but her eyes were anything but calm. "Don't tell them. At least not until the wedding date, okay?" She looked past Haruka. "Usagi may want to tell you all herself and come around or if she finds out that they know, she may leave again."
Haruka could sense that Rei was threatening her in a subtle way. Damn her. "Fine, I won't!" Haruka roared before she marched inside of the mansion and slammed the door behind her and in Rei's smug face.
Haruka sighed, but felt her heart lift and cry and dance in joy and relief. Her princess was back. Finally.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Mina surveyed the area before her. She could work with this. Easily. She kneeled over and pressed her ear against the soft material and strained to hear anything.
"This is so wrong." Ami muttered guiltily as she covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "We're spying on them for—"
"Ami it's not—oh, shit..." Mina gasped slightly and leaned forward, pressing her ear against the door harder until she could only hear her pulse instead of anything else.
Makoto glared at the blond. "What happened, Mina? Dammit, we're doing this and—"
Mina held up her index finger, signaling for Makoto to shut up. Mina peeked behind the curtain and suddenly jumped away from the door, grinning ear-to- ear. She began humming joyously as she ran over to the loveseat and flung herself onto it, resting there happily. "I knew it! I just so knew it!"
Ami stared at her, utterly confused by her friend's baffling behavior. "Mina...?"
Makoto marched over to Minako and spun her around to face her. "Why are you acting like such a freak? What did you hear? And what are you so excited and triumphant about?"
Makoto stopped when the door slid open and a flustered Usagi stepped inside gingerly, followed by a flushed Motoki.
Usagi mumbled an excuse resembling, "I have to go and get some stuff" as she left the apartment with Motoki before her friends could properly get any juicy information from her.
Usagi and Motoki had a similar dazed, warm look in their eyes and both were completely soaked from the freak rain storm that had quickly sputtered to a light shower then ended only moments after they had stepped inside.
Makoto drew in a frustrated breath and turned to face Mina with crazed eyes. "Will someone"—meaning Mina—"tell me what the hell is going on and what is wrong with everyone?"
"Wonder where they're in such a hurry to get to." Ami commented casually as she flipped through the pages in the nearest magazine, her eyes barely registering the rainbow of colors and the blur of words.
"Probably to make out." Mina chuckled quietly at her inside joke.
Makoto whipped around to face her with a menacing expression. "Okay, your game is over, Mina."
"Makoto..." Mina began as she licked her suddenly parched lips. "...Why are you giving me that I'm-going-to-kill-you-in-about-a-minute look?"
"Because I am!" Makoto snarled. "You've had your fun, now spill! It's so annoying watching you prance around while Ami and I are sitting around completely in the dark."
Mina yelped slightly as Makoto latched onto her arms and forced her to look into her eyes. "Now, tell me what you saw and heard and what you know. Right now."
"Mina, for your own safety, I think that it would be the best decision if you told her." Ami said idly as she tossed the magazine to the side, stood up, and stretched.
Mina looked at Ami's freedom longingly. "Thanks for the help, Ames."
Ami laughed. "Oh, help? I'm also dying to know what you know. Nope, I'm not intervening this time."
Mina wiggled uncomfortably in Makoto's death grip. "Fine... I've had a feeling about those two for a while now. As you've probably realized, they kissed while out there, and I was like: am I good or what because I knew it..."
--- --- --- --- --- ---
"Tell me now."
"I will, love, just not right now!" Haruka argued as she twisted around and furiously tried seeing past her lover's frame. She was missing one of the biggest games in racing history! Couldn't this wait until it was over, or at least until the next commercial?
"Like I said, tell me now, and I'll move." Michiru insisted stubbornly. She snatched the remote away and held it hostage against her breast possessively.
Haruka groaned in both desire and frustration. Did she really have to put the remote there? Of all places! "Michiru, I'd tell you, but I'm sworn to silence."
"By Rei?" Michiru laughed sarcastically. "You wouldn't do a favor for that girl if she was on her dying bed."
Haruka threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine. We're going to Rei's wedding. That's the goddamn secret."
Michiru shot her a suspicious look. "Rei's wedding? What makes her think that—what?" Michiru did a double-take. "How did she persuade you to accepting her invitation? And how, exactly, do you plan on getting the rest of us to go with you?"
Haruka sighed. "I'll explain everything in the morning." Haruka yawned and head upstairs towards their bedroom. It was obvious that she wouldn't finish watching any game on television tonight.
"And where do you think you're going?" Michiru asked in a singsong tone.
"Upstairs to go to sleep, perhaps?" Haruka moaned. She was so close, just a few more steps and she'd be home free...
"Um, yeah, that's what you thought." Michiru flounced past the confused blond. "You're sleeping on the couch tonight."
Haruka bowed her head. So Michiru was residing to cruel and unusual punishments, was she? Well, she'd go down with dignity! "Fine. I'll sleep down here for tonight and I'll enjoy it too."
Michiru clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Haruka realized that her comment was the perfect opening for Michiru to pull the trigger. "Well, I'm glad that you and the couch are going to become such good friends because you better get used to sleeping on it until you tell me the truth and explain what's going on."
Haruka sighed, backtracked a few steps, kissed Michiru on the cheek, and automatically went to the closet and dragged out the spare blanket and pillow that Haruka kept in there—just in case of an emergency.
Haruka highly classified this as an emergency. Sleeping on the couch and knowing that it wasn't going to be the last time that week? The delicate matter required much more than backup...
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
When Rei came home and burst through the door, Mamoru was sitting on the couch, alone, in the dark. "Hey honey," Rei greeted as she kicked her pumps off. "I finally sorted out that problem with the invitations." Rei told him tiredly. "That place was so unorganized and I swear to God, when that clerk had to check the price and call the manager for the eighth time, I almost just gave up." Rei touched Mamoru's leg, causing him to nearly jump a foot into the air. "Why are you so jumpy?"
"Nothing, I just..."
Rei bit her lip. "So, I, uh, visited Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, and Setsuna to invite them to the wedding."
Mamoru looked up at her sharply. "You asked them to come to the wedding? When did this happen?" He asked her incredulously.
"I went to—"
He continued, "Are you crazy, asking them to our wedding? Rei, come on, they hate us—wait. Wait a minute." He shot her a look. "How did you convince them to come along?"
Rei giggled nervously. "Actually, that's really funny that you mention that, I invited her along and as expected she declined—rudely—and so I accidentally let the fact that Usagi is coming slip out.
Mamoru swore that he began to see red. "You told her that Usagi was back? Well, there goes the friendship with Usagi and the rest of the girls because you couldn't keep your mouth shut!"
Rei's hands trembled furiously. "You've become awfully close and caring towards Usagi, haven't you, Mamoru?" She accused heatedly. "I was wrong to accuse you of being with another woman earlier, but now I can see that I wasn't too far off! Call me jealous, but I'm just watching out for my heart and our future that you are putting on the line for memories that your heart refuses to let you forget!"
"God, I..."
"You may not have done anything yet, but I'm not going to compete with Usagi for your love. I can see it slowly forming in your eyes when she's mentioned, it'd be a travesty for you if she hates you anymore than she already does, huh? Which is worse, Mamoru? Losing your blooming friendship with Usagi or calling off the wedding with me?"
"I... I—Rei, you're acting—"
"Mamoru, I'm not blind." Rei seethed. She pulled the engagement ring off her finger and flung it at Mamoru with tears in her eyes, "Think about it Mamoru. Think about your priorities and what is most important to you. I'll be at the temple waiting for your answer. But don't think for a second that I'll wait forever for you, Mamoru. That was your biggest mistake with Usagi—don't make the same one with me."
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
"Well, that was a lot to take in." Makoto remarked airily. "See, that wasn't so hard. All you had to do was get over yourself."
Mina scowled at Makoto and rubbed her arm. "Yeah right, it wasn't painless."
"I wasn't holding you that tightly." Makoto insisted. "You just can't handle a little bit of pain."
"I wouldn't know, would I? I mean, I'm only the person you were griping to death!"
Makoto opened her mouth to snap at her with a catty retort, but Ami stepped in and stopped her. "Okay, you guys have established the fact that Makoto used her strength to force Mina to talk because you were being stubborn." Ami glared at the both of them infamously.
"Whatever."
"Ditto." Makoto muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head in the opposite direction.
Ami smiled, despite herself. "So—Usagi and Motoki. How about that?"
Mina grinned. "Oh yeah, I agree. Motoki will definitely treat Usagi better than Mamoru did, in my opinion."
"Anyone could treat Usagi better than that low-life." Makoto deadpanned. "Plus, he'll have me to deal with if he doesn't. He's seen how Mamoru is treated now, so I think he has a vague idea of how painful it would be to have Usagi's friends against him."
"I'm surprised we haven't scared him off yet." Ami let out a ruthless laugh. "I can be pretty evil when I want to be."
"Why haven't we seen this evil side of you yet?" Mina asked, curiously.
Makoto grinned wickedly. "Because she only shows her bad girl side to the men she goes to bed with."
Ami blushed a deep shade of pink, but didn't say deny anything. Makoto and Mina shared evil, knowingly smiles as Ami stammered and desperately tried changing the subject to direct the heat off her. "So what are you wearing to the wedding?" Ami asked finally, her body physically slumping into the chair.
Makoto glanced at Ami. "To the wedding?"
"Aren't you going?" Ami asked, cocking her head to the side. "I figured that since Usagi is going... we were going to go and back her up..."
Makoto sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just that I don't understand why she accepted in the first place and frankly, I really don't want to go."
"I know, but where Usagi goes, I go." Mina proclaimed forcefully. But in all honestly, she really hadn't given a second thought on what she was going to wear, which was a definite first...
Will boys be there? Mina wondered silently. Of course there will be hot guys there, Mina reprimanded herself, Mamoru might be the biggest ass in the world, but she was sure he's friends with a few well endowed fellows... besides, she's been dying to wear that brand new flirty number that she bought a few—
"I'm going to wear the ugliest outfit that I can find." Makoto stated simple.
"But why—oh... oh." Ami realized the brilliance of Makoto's plan and the gears in Ami's mind began working as she began scheming up devilish plans that were sure to not only interrupt Rei's wedding, but even the score and put to rest at least a small portion of the hell that they had been forced to deal with for the past five years...
Besides, that's what Rei got for inviting them in the first place. Did she expect any less? Rei may have been taking the saying, "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" as none of the girls wanted to be any closer to Rei than absolute necessary.
"But I want to look pretty!" Mina complained. "Why would we want to purposely make ourselves look ugly? And plus, Usagi will never agree to it—not to mention how angry she'll be when she finds out!"
"Have you forgotten who we're talking about here?" Makoto sighed, as if she was talking to a five-year-old. "He cheated on her, remember? She'll agree to it because getting Mamoru and Rei back has been her life's dream since the moment she found out what kind of friends they truly are."
Mina still looked unconvinced. "But still, Makoto, her kind nature won't let her do anything any less than generous and loving, like ruining their wedding, unfortunately."
Ami began seeing the flaws in her plans. She realized that almost all her plans required Usagi as a main factor in them. "Damn." Ami swore under her breath, but Makoto caught it.
"Ami! Watch that dirty mouth!" Makoto teased good naturedly.
"Oh, like you haven't said a single bad word in your life." Ami snapped. Ami smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I'm just really tense."
Mina patted her friend's shoulder in understanding. "I know. We all are, Ames."
Makoto looked between them. "So, we've all come to the conclusion that Usagi would probably not be very happy with any of us if we totally screwed Rei's wedding up."
"Yeah." Mina and Ami chorused together.
"So, there's only one solution." Makoto had a gleam in her eye. She made sure that she had both of the other girls' attentions. They looked at her expectantly, their anticipation growing with each quiet exhale they breathed. "We totally screw up her wedding without anyone else who isn't in on it knowing and we make it look like we had nothing to do with it!"
"I like it." Mina declared. "It's good, we'll cut off all ties and connections to anything and deny the truth to our graves."
Ami looked skeptical, however. "But can we really lie to Usagi for the rest of our lives...?"
Makoto shook her head. "God, no. We won't really lie to her... we'll just exclude certain facts until after the wedding and once she sees what we've done and how we've avenged her, she won't be able to stay mad at us for a second longer!"
Ami curled her lips into a grin as she thought. "Okay. Okay, let's do it! I mean, when will we ever get more of a better opportunity than this?"
"So! What disgusting and atrocious clothing shall we wear to the wedding?" Mina asked, rubbing her hands together, slyly.
Makoto's face broke out into a gleeful smile. "Mina. Ami." She began grandly. "You haven't looked at the big picture yet. Wearing the ugliest clothes is only the tip of the ice-burg that's Rei and Mamoru are about to hit..."
--- --- --- --- --- ---