Chapter Six (Ending of August)
"It's too cold!" screamed Sejya as Tahiki grabbed his arm and pushed him into the water of the swimming pool. "And it's too wet!"
"Of course it is!" answered Ami who swam like a fish through the refreshing water.
"Don't be such a baby." Laughed Rei and splashed the poor lead singer of the Three Lights laughing.
"You will regret this!" Sejya's face got angry as he pursued an almost hysterical giggling Rei toward the big slide.
"Let's play." Tahiki finished blowing up his bright red water ball and threw it at Ami who caught it with an agreeing smile.
Both plinked as they saw the flash in the air. It was too hot and too nice for a thunderstorm, wasn't it? They looked over to the pool's rim and saw Mamoru taking pictures with the new camera he got from Usagi as an early birthday gift.
"Our crazy daddy." Commended Tahiki and looked up into the cloudless sky like he was looking for support there, or at least for help. He did not like it when people took photos of him, because that was what they mostly did, anyway. Sometimes he hated to be one of the Three Lights.
"He's just taking photos for Chibiusa. To show later to her how her first month was." Calmed Ami him down and let herself fall back into the water, her true element.
"That will be amusing." Tahiki observed how Mamoru went over to the playground to take a photo of Yaten and Setsuna who sat together on a swing. They didn't even noticed the young man. They were too occupied kissing each other tenderly.
"That's the tenth picture of us!" scolded Usagi softly as her husband returned to the huge blanket that covered the grass on the meadow around the swimming pool.
"So let's take the eleventh!" Mamoru smiled down at Chibiusa who laid in his wife's arms. The baby slept deep and tight. Hotaru sat next to the both of them and ate her chocolate ice cream. Her mouth was already brown, of course. Mamoru took another picture of his wife and his young daughter and then of the future senshi of death who just continued eating her ice cream. Brown spots covered the blanket around her. She wore a black swimsuit and her big summer hat. She looked very cute.
"How is it?"
"It's delishis." She replied to Mamoru's question. The word was a hard one and it was pronounced wrongly by the five year old girl, but that didn't matter. The card game was spread out next to the huge picnic basket. Makoto observed the food she made with interest and scolded softly Usagi who took her chance stole a little chocolate bar.
"But I need the power. I am a mother now and that means..."
Mamoru smiled as he heard them both argue friendly with each other. He looked down at Haruka who laid next to her small daughter on the blanket. Her head was put on her arms; her short blond hair shimmered wet. The green eyes where shut and she breathed regularly in her deep sleep. The race the last day had been very exciting. She did win, of course. Just one more race and she would have won the Grand Prix of Japan, again. But Mamoru suspected that it wasn't so important to her anymore.
Of course they all knew about it by now. Yaten and Setsuna told them. However, no one spoke about with Haruka present, because no one knew how she would react. So all of them tried to ignore the signs. The more than obvious signs. Haruka tried to behave as ever although she actually was different.
At first the young car racer didn't want to swim, but Hotaru finally convinced her papa. Haruka took a shirt over her swimsuit as soon as she left the water together with her little daughter. But her swimsuit was still wet and so was her shirt. It pasted to her body and Mamoru could see that her belly was truly swollen.
He swallowed then he lifted automatically his camera and took a photo. Usagi raised her head and followed her young husband's glance.
"She's looking really sweet." She admitted and stroked Chibiusa's fluffy pink hair. Softly she smiled at Hotaru who ate her ice cream with passion.
It was almost dusk, but it was still very muggy. Haruka stood at the swimming pool's rim and looked into the blue water shimmering golden in the setting sun's warm light. She waited for Hotaru who had to go to the toilette before they leave. The others were surely waiting on the parking space for them.
The pool water rushed silently and remembered Haruka of her Michi-chan. The young violinist loved the wet element. Haruka imagined Michiru in her black swimsuit. How she swam in the ocean and laughed happily at her. Waving at her. Inviting her to come into the fresh water. To swim at her side. To play in the low water with their little daughter.
Daughter...
Haruka sighed silently and closed her eyes.
Michi-chan, please, come back.
The young woman swallowed hard as she leaned against the swimming pool's handrail and felt the resistance her belly caused there. The feeling increased as the child moved lightly inside her body.
Michi-chan, come back. I can't live without you.
The feeling stayed for some moments, then it vanished.
"Haruka?" She heard the soft voice behind her, felt the small hand upon her shoulder. She turned around knowing that it was Usagi who stood there. Usagi, not Michiru.
"What...?" asked the young car racer confused as she watched Mamoru walking away with his tiny daughter in his strong arms.
"That's from all of us." Said the future Queen of Crystal Tokyo and pressed a gift into Haruka's hands. Happy blue eyes looked into surprised green ones. "We're here when you need us, as you should know. You're never alone." A loving smile appeared on Usagi's open face. "Congratulations." She whispered. Then she turned away and followed her king and her young princess.
Haruka opened the gift. The paper fell unseen on the sandy ground as she held the tiny pyjamas tightly in her suddenly trembling hands. The baby garment was a blue one with white seabirds on it. The one she saw weeks ago in the department store. The one she was so sad about when Usagi bought it for her Chibiusa.
Or did she buy it for my child?
Haruka raised her head and glanced at her future Queen's the shadow walking away, illuminated by the setting sun's light. Walking over to the other people of the Sailor Team. Her real family.
And my family, too.
"Arigato to all of you."
"That's a nice picture." Laughed Yaten and showed the picture of an ice cream eating senshi of death to Setsuna who had to laugh, as well. However her face got serious again when she looked at the picture of Haruka sleeping on the blanket.
"She didn't tell her, did she?"
"Nope." Yaten shook his head while he put the pictures into a big envelope. He had already written some lines on each of them after Mamoru had been so kind to give them his developed photos so that Michiru could see them and the new born Chibiusa again.
"Where is she?" Setsuna held the picture of sleeping Haruka tightly in her hands and stared at it thoughtfully.
"In the kitchen. She's preparing the salad and talking to Michiru on the phone."
"Ask her if she wants to write some more lines, too."
"Hai."
Setsuna watched Yaten leaving the living-room. Then she put the special picture in the envelope, too.
"Hai, it's in three days... Surely I'll win... what do you expect from a racing genius like me?" joked Haruka while she opened the fridge and took out some sauces she needed for the salad. Her voice was full of joy, but her eyes were empty.
"Hai, Hotaru is doing very fine..." Haruka listened carefully to her lover while she danced around the kitchen to set the table for four. Today cooking was her turn and as always she made salad or other cold meals that would not burn. For Hotaru who didn't like salad she had bought ice cream. Michiru would kill her if she knew that the small girl ate ice cream for dinner, but Setsuna and Yaten kept silent. It was still very hot outside and Hotaru got normal meals the other days.
"Hai, she is still practising to play cards with Chibiusa who just stares at her in disbelieve. You should see it!" Haruka laughed but her eyes were still empty.
"And, how is New York, the big apple as they call it? Busy? Sure it is..." Haruka went to the bread box to cut the bread. Then she opened the fridge again and took out the cool ice tea. She didn't notice Yaten standing near the door, watching her with a sad expression on his face.
"Usagi's doing fine. So does Chibiusa. She doesn't cry a lot but at night. Mamoru always looks a little bit tired. But he looks also very happy. What... hai. She didn't have any complications and..." Haruka listened again to the voice on the phone and closed the fridge very slowly.
"What about you. How are you feeling?... You stopped taking your medicine. That's good. You know how I ..." Haruka balanced the salad bowl to the table and sat down on one of the chairs. She sighed silently.
"When's your next appointment? In five minutes? Then hurry up! I don't want to be the reason for you to be late." Haruka's smile got sadder, the eyes were still empty as she played with the salad servers.
"I love you, too. Bye."
A quiet peep and the cell phone went silent. Haruka put the servers down and looked first at the silent phone and then at her grown belly which she had covered with wide shirts during the past weeks. Her green eyes went wide and the emptiness was now filled with sadness. And fear.
Yaten stood silently near the door and watched her with a determined expression on his face.
She's very brave. Dammed! But that's too hard for her to handle it all alone...
