The days of summer passed not quite as lazily as that one particular hot day at the pool. After Ami's exams were over, they threw a big party to celebrate her graduation. Minako was booked for a photo shoot in Australia and left with Makoto right after a week-long festival at the Hikawa Jinja. The Three Lights had booked themselves on another tour, one that wouldn't end until December. Hotaru prepared for school once more toward the end of the summer while Haruka kept herself busy with several races, though she didn't commit to a tour as she had the year before.

In fact, Haruka was more often found inside a small shop in Tokyo, helping Setsuna prepare for the opening day of her business. Since there was no longer any threat of an enemy showing up, she was ready to move on with her life as well. She was setting up a seamstress business to keep herself in practice while she privately worked on developing her own line of fashions. Usagi had often complained of boredom, just sitting around the house and watching Chibi-Usa, so Setsuna kindly hired her on as a secretary and cornered off part of the shop for Chibi-Usa.

As Haruka worked on putting up the shelves and clothes hangar rods that Setsuna would require to store the clothes, the green-haired woman stood back and admired what the little shop had become. When she had first bought the place (with some assistance from her friends, of course) it was a dark and drabby place that had been used for a butcher's shop. After some very extensive cleaning and tearing down of various built-in utilities that she would no longer need, she had set about decorating the place. The front room had been been equipped with a desk for Usagi (that she herself had decorated by painting it pink, much to Chibi-Usa's delight, and decorating it with little rabbits and crescent moons), and a counter upon which sat the cash register. The walls had been painted a soft shade of purple and furnished with the various items Chibi-Usa would need in her corner, several black cushiony chairs for customers, end tables which held fashion magazines, and the walls sported several original pieces of Michiru's work. The doorway that had led into the back of the shop was equipped with a door, and what had once been a room with several counters for chopping up meat was now filled with shelves and clothes hangar rods along the back wall, along the wall to the left of the door were set up two sewing machines on desks, on the right wall there were shelves which held various fabrics, threads, replacement needles for the machines, and typical office supplies. But back in what had once been the large freezer had undergone the biggest change. The metallic walls were covered with a deep green, velvet fabric, decoratively bunched. Along the back wall were two bookshelves that already held several pieces of reference materials for starting up a business and such, in the middle sat a large, stained oak desk with a comfortable black leather seat behind it, as well as two more in front of it. Here, too, the walls held several more pieces of original art by Michiru, though these were the ones that tended to hold a bit more depth and meaning than the cheery ones in the front room.

Haruka laughed a bit as she walked into the office behind Setsuna, shaking her head a little. "What would a little seamstress business owner need with an office like this?"

Setsuna smiled, looking around as she stepped over the plush black carpetting. "Nothing, really... I probably wouldn't need any more of an office than just a place to store my business information and such... But who doesn't want an office like this some day? Sure, it's missing the outstanding view," she smirked a bit at this, "but, I guess it's more of an indulgence than anything else. Someplace to be when business is slow."

"That and we could always push the desk against the wall and have a really cool party."

Setsuna laughed at that comment. "That's true too... Come on. I told Usagi to drop by and check things out since she hasn't been here since I first bought the place. The day we moved in the desk she decorated, she had to take Chibi-Usa to the hospital for a check-up, and I bought all the things for Chibi-Usa on my own."

"Just a business expense, huh?"

Setsuna grinned over at her friend. "Employee child care center! Besides, I have very generous investors."

Haruka chuckled and shook her head. "Be glad I trust you with my money."

They were just about to enter the front room when they heard someone gasp, and walked in to find Usagi with her baby, as well as Mamoru, Rei, and Hotaru.

"It's wonderful here, Setsuna!" Usagi beamed at her friend, walking over to settle Chibi-Usa in her area to see how she would take to it.

Hotaru hugged her before she led them on the abbreviated tour of the place, leaving Haruka up front to keep an eye on the baby as she happily worked on fitting various shaped blocks into the appropriately shaped holes. She took her gaze from the contented child to gaze at the artwork on the walls, giving a small sigh as she paused to look at one in particular that portrayed a cloudless night sky above a dark, wind-tossed sea. She smiled faintly and shook her head as she peered at it until her friends returned. Hotaru came over, taking her hand as she gazed up at her. "Are you sad, Haruka-papa?"

Haruka looked down at her and gave a small smile. "No... It's just that I've noticed something about this painting that I never noticed before..." She turned back to the painting as the rest of her friends came up behind her to find out what she had discovered. She pointed to the cliffs that hung over the water, jutting out from the side of the painting. "Look just below the cliffs... If you just glance at it, it looks solid, but if you look closer, there's actually a cave, and there's a shadow of someone sitting down and playing a violin."

Hotaru made an effort to look closer and ended up being lifted slightly by Haruka. She peered closely then looked back at her and gave a small smile. "It's like Michiru's spirit is at the seaside."

Haruka glanced down at her as she set her down and smiles back at her. "You know, I think you're right. And there's not any other place where I can picture her being."

"Me either," Setsuna stated, putting an arm about Haruka's shoulder. Then she cast her gaze to the others. "I don't know about you guys, but I definately don't feel like heading home and cooking anything. Anyone want to join me at a restaurant?"

"Bah... if you're not cooking, I've got no choice."

Everyone laughed at Haruka's comment, though they all knew she was perfectly capable of fixing a meal for herself. They agreed to the restaurant suggestion though, and decided on a small restaurant within walking distance of her new business. They set out, Mamoru and Usagi out in front with Chibi-Usa toddling along precariously between them, clinging carefully to one of their hands each. Setsuna paused long enough make sure the shop was locked securely and was soon walking alongside Hotaru and Haruka, Hotaru reaching up and taking their hands and swinging them in a happy manner. Haruka could only chuckle before reaching down and scooping her up, slinging her over her shoulder before tickling her.

Hotaru giggled and squirmed for several moments before finding herself sat back down on her feet. She stuck her tongue playfully out at Haruka before taking off to join the three of them ahead of her. She took over the task of assisting Chibi-Usa in her walking, taking both of her hands and holding on tightly as she walked half beside her, half behind her. Mamoru and Usagi dropped behind them to keep a careful eye on them, their hands joining automatically.

Haruka watched this all before glancing over to Setsuna who was instead surveying her with a sad sort of smile. "What's wrong?"

"You miss being a mother, don't you?"

The blond blushed a little before shaking her head. "What, me? I'm not exactly mother material, Setsuna... I just fell into it with Nina because it felt right. But that was just because I loved her, not because of some sort of maternal clock or anything..." She fell silent before giving a small chuckle. "Which might be a good thing or I might be inclined to hurry this relationship with Seiya along."

Setsuna laughed and shook her head. "I guess girls like you just don't go through the maternal clock bit." She grinned at the look Haruka cast her way. "I got over mine a long time ago, though, I guess... Comes with the job."

"But Setsuna... that's not your job anymore. Or at least, the job isn't as demanding as it once was. You're starting a new life here. Shouldn't having your own family be part of that?"

The green-haired woman looked to her friend before managing a faint smile. "Maybe. But you know that there's obstacles that still remain to prevent me from doing that."

Haruka slipped a comforting arm about her waist. "Speaking from experience, Setsuna... You have to let yourself move on. There's nothing you can do to change that. I know you have the strength to do it because of the simple fact of who you are, and the things you've had to experience. If I was able to get myself back into a normal life after Michiru... I know you can move on too and be happy once it's all over."

Setsuna laughed faintly. "Talk about turning the table... But you're right. But I don't know if I can do it on my own."

"You think any of us would let you?" Haruka grinned at her before dropping her arm from her waist and relieving Mamoru of holding the door so he could follow in after Usagi, then held it open to allow Setsuna in before entering herself.

A couple hours later, the group of six exited the restaurant and parted ways, Haruka and Setsuna heading to Haruka's apartment just an extra block or so away, and the others heading back to Mamoru's car which was in front of Setsuna's shop.

"So, ready for the big opening?"

"Definitely..." Setsuna smiled a little. "I can't believe that it's less than a week away! I was so afraid we wouldn't get it all done in time... But here we are, finished with everything that's in our control... and the last of my supplies are supposed to arrive in two days, three days before opening."

"Good, because there's this circuit I want to sign up for... The sign-ups begin on the day of your opening, but not until a couple hours after, so I should be able to be there and still make it in plenty of time."

"Ah, when are you going to be back from this one?"

"Uhm... Mid-December, I believe. I'll be back in time for the winter holidays, don't worry. I happen to know that there's a race scheduled for Thanksgiving though..."

"That's alright. I think I can manage to keep the plants watered until then," Setsuna said with a small smile as they entered the apartment building and started up the stairs. "Do you ever miss that big house as compared to this place?"

Haruka appeared thoughtful a moment before shaking her head. "No, not really... It was just a lot of space that I never used. I mean, it was great for having people over and for when it was more than just me living there... but I've got plenty of room here for a certain friend and it's so much easier to keep clean."

Setsuna laughed softly and shakes her head. "Good point. It's probably better for those three to have big place like that... with all their little quarrels, there's plenty of doors to slam and plenty of space to put in between them. And we still have the back yard for parties!"

Haruka chuckled as she opened the door to the apartment and the two entered, closing the door behind them.