Kunzite was playing in the garden with Pysche. The light was waning as evening approached, and the pond glinted behind the child and rippled in the soft wind.

Tendrils of black hair were blown into his peripheral vision and Kunzite turned, looking straight at Rei. She stood there and gazed at him in silence, hands cupping her elbows as if she were cold.
"What?" he asked. He kept his voice low enough that Psyche didn't hear.
She unfolded her arms and beckoned to him. He walked toward her, glancing back at Psyche to make sure she would be okay by herself.
"What do you want?" He didn't mean to sound rude, but he wasn't in the mood to chat.
"You have to stop this," she murmured, gazing at the tow-haired child playing by the water. Kunzite frowned. "You're hurting her. And you're hurting Minako."
Kunzite was annoyed. "What do you know of it? It's not like you even have a child. How could you understand?"
"I grew up with Minako. She doesn't deserve this – and neither does her child." She paused, but began again before Kunzite could jump in. "Kunzite, does it really matter whose child Psyche is?" She faced him and looked at him steadily. "If she weren't yours – if she were Ace's, or that other fellow's – would you turn her out on the street for it? Either of them? Would you stop loving them? Would you stop loving the girl you've come to know as your daughter?"
Kunzite exploded. "Stop it! Leave me alone! You don't know anything about me or my life! You don't know how I feel right now!"
"I don't have to," Rei whirled on him, eyes flashing. "I'm psychic, remember?! I've seen the future if you keep going like this – you're going to push everyone away – you're going to estrange the people you love most, you're going to be old and alone–"
Kunzite hit her and clutched at his head. "Shut up!" he yelled. "Shut up!" Rei recoiled and grabbed her cheek, which was turning red, but was struck silent when she saw the tears on Kunzite's face. "You don't know anything," he repeated, voice soft and intense, tears still running down his cheeks. "You can't even accept your feelings for Jadeite–"
Rei's eyes flashed, "Don't talk to me about Jadeite–"
"–who are you to tell me what to do, how to feel?!" he continued, ignoring her rage. "I love that little girl, and no one is ever going to take her from me." He paused to rub at his eyes and didn't look at Rei again. She stood silently, angrily, watching him. "No one can – except her mother."
Rei watched him for a long while after he was finished. After he looked at her again, she gave him one last, enigmatic look, and started walking back to the castle.
"Daddy?" he felt a tug on his pants when the evening was well into its twilight. Psyche spoke softly, as if uncertain of her father's reaction.
Kunzite sighed and picked her up, hugging her to him. He buried his face in her small shoulder and held her tight, as if someone were trying to take her away right then.
"I'm sorry, honey," he murmured to her when he had control of his voice. "I didn't mean to scare you – I'm not mad." He let her down and held her hand as they walked toward the castle. Psyche still acted nervous, as if her father's anger would swoop down on her head if she did anything wrong. "Honey," he said as they got nearer the castle, "you know that I love you no matter what, right?"
Psyche looked up at him and, eager to please, replied, "Of course I do, daddy."
Kunzite smiled and picked her up for another hug, swinging her onto his back and trotting her into the castle, grinning at her laughter.

Rei walked through the castle, trying to calm down. It wouldn't do to fume over hasty words.

So why were her eyes wet?
Rei sighed in frustration as two tears overflowed. She wiped them from her cheeks and rounded a corner.
And ran into someone.
"Rei!" Jadeite seemed surprised to see her, but not unhappy.
"Oh," she murmured. "Sorry."
Jadeite looked at her and lost his pleasure. "What's wrong?"
"It . . ." she murmured, avoiding his eyes. "Nothing."
"Rei," he whispered, holding firmly to her shoulders. "Rei, what's wrong? Please tell me. Please."
She sniffled, feeling the tears well up again, and clung to Jadeite's chest, taking comfort from him as she cried.
I'm crying about you, she thought. How can I tell you that I'm crying about you – about your sweetness and kindness and how much I . . . how much I care. . . .
"Rei, Rei," he whispered to her hair, holding her and rocking slightly. She just held on and cried, held on to his warmth.
And then his lips found hers and they were kissing each other – Rei responding almost desperately, her cheeks still wet.