Disclaimer: Sailor Moon universe still is not mine. So I'm just borrowing it for a while. And I have decided to keep the court, but feel free to borrow them. Anytime. Especially Puck. Please?

Note: erm I go to college tomorrow so this may be it for a while. Hopefully not but *shrugs * never can tell. I want to thank all of you wonderful people who have reviewed. Wow, over 300 reviews and 9 favorite lists? That is sooo cool! I promise I will finish this story. It's just going to take a while.

And some one said that this story reminded them of 'Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister' which I've never heard of but sounds hella cool.

Chapter 18

Ilene Tsukino was trying desperately to remember the names of the twelve strangers in her living room. They were apparently Serena's new friends from her school in America. They were all very well-mannered and nice, and not at all what she'd expected from American teenagers. Serena had even introduced one of them, Theirry Valmont, as her new boyfriend. The kids were all from insanely wealthy families, and it seemed as though Theirry's was by far the richest- Ilene had overheard one of the girls refer to him laughingly as 'The Wallet'.

Though, Ilene had to wonder at the children's parents allowing them to roam Tokyo without any chaperones, which was terribly worrying. Were all American parents this lenient? This careless? She had even begun to wonder exactly how vigilant her ex-husband was being.

The laughter drifted through the kitchen as Serena and another petite blond, who Ilene thought was called Illianna, entered. Well, there was certainly one upside to this new group: she had never seen her daughter laugh so much, not even with the girls. Ah, there it was! That was what had been bothering her. Ilene turned to look at her daughter. Serena looked up at her, smiling, from the plate of cookies she had been about to carry into the living room.

"Serena," Ilene said, "May I speak to you for a moment?"

Illianna took the cookies. "I'll get these in there before Gabriel eats your gorgeous new coffee table!" And the honey-blond disappeared.

"What's up, Mom?" Serena asked, her blue eyes confused.

"Honey, I know you have a new life in New York… but, well, where are the girls? I mean Ami, Rei and Lita. I noticed you weren't totally getting along with them the other day, but they are your friends and-"

Serena shook her head. "They were my friends. Were. But, mom," her eyes met her mother's, begging for understanding, "they didn't really like me for me, you know? They liked me for what they thought I should be! I don't need that, or them. In there are my real friends, and they like me and they get me, okay? They don't think I should be anything but what I want." Serena took a deep breath. "IF that makes any sense at all."

Ilene chuckled. "More or less. All right, I think I understand. And I won't bring it up again."

Serena hugged her mother tightly. Ilene returned the embrace. "I love you mom! You do actually understand from time to time!" Ilene had to laugh.

"I grew up once, too, darling. And even if it was a long time ago, I can vaguely recall it."

Serena grinned at her. "You aren't that old."

"Gee, thanks."

~ ~ ~

It was evening by the time Amara and Michelle knocked on Lita's door.

The tall blond brushed past a stunned Lita, her smaller aqua-haired companion following. Ami stood up to greet them while the others stared blankly. "Hi, thank you for coming!"

"What are THEY doing here?" Rei asked, glaring at Ami.

Amara glared down at the rude brunette. "We are here to discuss the Princess."

"Michelle," Ami said quickly, "You said you knew something was wrong with Serena?"

Michelle nodded, glancing around the group. "Yes, we do."

"Well?" Darien demanded impatiently. "What is it already? I'm sick of waiting around doing nothing."

Amara's icy gaze turned on him. "Really? I would think you'd feel right at home! I mean, considering how you've done absolutely nothing to help her since oh, roughly, the Silver Millennium."

Darien stood, taking a step toward the sailor. "How dare you?! I love her!"

"Could have fooled me," Amara said, smirking.

"ENOUGH!" Michelle told her, touching her counterpart's arm lightly. "What's done is done."

"What's been done?!" Mina practically yelled. "What's wrong with Serena?"

"What do you think is wrong with her?" Amara asked, pinning the blond with her stare, though her voice was not hostile.

"What Amara means," Michelle put in smoothly, "Is have you formed any ideas yet?"

"You mean, like maybe the Court has hypnotized her?" asked Lita.

"Or kidnapped and cloned her?" Mina added.

Darien had finally returned to his seat. "We've been over all this a thousand times!" he said, looking tired.

Ami glanced at him, feeling a tinge of worry. The one constant Darien had had in his life was Serena's love. And that was apparently gone now. Still, she had to keep her focus on her best friend. "Whatever is wrong, she is definitely not acting like herself." She looked back at the Outers. "And how did you know about it anyway?"

It was Michelle who answered. "I had a concert in New York this year, in January. Amara managed to go with me, so while we were there, some friends of mine took us out to a few of the trendier clubs. We thought we saw Serena in one of them, but her hair and clothes were all wrong. Amara got closer and she knew it was our Princess…" Michelle shook her head. "Serena never even noticed us- she was swept up with a crowd of kids. I pointed the group out to one of our friends who told me that I had just had the pleasure of seeing the newest Brat Pack, the children of Manhattan's wealthiest families, who are beginning to be called the Royal Court… It's some sort of American joke, a reference to Camelot or something…" Michelle waved a delicate hand, dismissing it.

"The Court," Rei spat. "Oh, I think I like Brat Pack better. That's what they are, a bunch of snobs in designer clothes who think they rule the world!"

Amara glanced at her. "And who says they don't?" she paused, "Well, they probably could, anyway, as rich as they are."

Ami was thoughtful. It explained a lot about the Court's easy assumption of authority and status. But there was still a lot left to explain.

"That's it?" Lita asked, staring at Michelle. "Serena's just been running around clubbing and drinking with a crowd of rich brats?" She raked a hand through her brown hair. "No, there's more somewhere. That would change her sure, but not that much."

Amara raised her brows. "Well, the girl was dumped by her boyfriend, had her parents split up, and moved to a new country all in less than a year. Isn't that enough to change anyone?"

"Serena is just growing up," Michelle said, smiling a little. "She's trying to find herself, so why don't you all just be patient while she works herself out? It isn't as though Crystal Tokyo is going to be happening anytime soon."

Rei jumped to her feet. "And meanwhile we're supposed to sit on our hands and let our princess run around with a bunch of self-destructive brats? She's being stupid and we need to make her see it!"

Amara shook her head. "Don't you think we would have stepped in by now if she were in any danger?" Her warning glance went unheeded.

Rei snorted derisively. "Huh. As if you would even care!"

Amara launched herself at the foolish brunette with a snarl of rage. "YOU!" she pinned Rei to the wall. "Are one to talk, Mars! We want her happiness and safety. What do you want? For her to be a child for eternity? For her to simply do her duty and be queen whether she wants it or not?"

Rei managed a choking gasp before the tall woman let her go. Michelle was shaking her head. "Leave them alone, Amara. They don't understand. I don't think they're meant to."

Amara and Michelle's eyes met and held for a brief moment, before they both turned and walked out the door.

The Scouts and Darien sat staring. Ami was the first to come out of the daze and began to type furiously, her brow furrowed in thought. The others were only beginning to surface and considering launching into furious tirades when she sat back with a smile. "I found him!"

"What?" Mina frowned at her. "Found who?"

"Theirry! Theirry Valmont!" Ami said happily, reading her computer screen. "Only son and heir to the Valmont Enterprises fortune. Wow. He's a billionaire! And there's the rest of them…" Everyone waited while Ami typed and muttered absently. "Amara was right. They definitely have enough money to rule the world… But I know we're right too! There's more to it! Aha… that's something… no, wait… come on… It has to be here… there we go…"

"Ami? Ames? Some explanations, please?" Lita begged.

"One moment, Lita. I'm scanning for it now…"

* * *