Ami looked at her watch again - 1:23. The lunch rush was just beginning. I was for that reason that Ami insisted on meeting at Sakura. Crown was too risky. Rei and Jadeite met there for lunch nearly everyday. Ami wasn't ready to deal with so much so soon. The entire situation was overwhelming. She reached down and grabbed her purse. If Makoto were true to form, she would be a couple of minutes late. That would be enough time for a hasty retreat.
"You weren't thinking of leaving before I got here, were you?" Makoto giggled as she sat down.
Ami reluctantly returned to her seat. She had been so close to getting away. If only she had gotten up a couple of minutes earlier. Ami knew that she should not have come. Now it was too late.
Makoto took a good long look at the woman seated across from her. It had been nearly three months since she last saw Ami. The physical changes Ami's body undertook were amazing. Ami's face was full and glowing. Her trademark cropped hair was replaced by large blue-black waves that grazed her shoulder. Lastly, there was the unmistakable bulge at her abdomen, the promise of new life. Growing within the elusive Ami was the next generation of Sailor senshi. It was something to be celebrated, not hidden.
"You look wonderful Ami. I just don't know why you didn't tell anyone."
Ami watched as Makoto spoke. Though her voice was happy and light, her green eyes told the truth. Makoto felt hurt and betrayed. Collectively, they had seen each other through the most horrific of situations. Makoto's eyes were pleading with Ami for a rationalization. There was no good reason for keeping such a secret.
Ami's countenance fell as she realized the impact of her omission.
"I panicked. I'm sorry." Ami dropped her head. She did not know what else could be said.
"But Ami, I don't understand."
Ami shrugged her shoulders. For the first time, She had no logical explanation. Ami fiddled with her shoulder length hair. "It was all so sudden. I mean, I wasn't sure what to do. I just needed time and space to figure this out."
Ami was growing increasingly nervous. Silently, she prayed that Makoto did not ask about the father of her child. Telling Makoto about the baby was one thing. Dealing with Zoicite was something different altogether.
Makoto, noticing the way Ami was stumbling over her words, scolded herself for pressing the issue. Whatever Ami's reasons were, she would reveal them in due time.
"Mako-chan," Ami hesitated. She was unsure of how her friend would react. "I need a favor."
"What is it? Whatever you need, I'm there."
"I don't want anyone else to know about my condition just yet."
Makoto shook her head. She loved Ami as she loved all her friends, but she did not think this was the best course of action.
"You do know that you can't hide a pregnancy forever," Makoto warned.
Ami rubbed her forehead in frustration. Why did everyone insist on stating the obvious? "Taiki told me something to that effect."
Ami's admission caused Makoto to smirk. "I see I'm not the only one who thinks this is ridiculous."
Ami sighed audibly. Another lecture on the virtues of honesty was not on her to-do list.
"Don't worry. I'll keep your secret."
"Thank you Mako-chan." Ami smiled and leaned back in her chair. She felt that a portion of the weight was lifted from her.
"Don't thank me just yet. There is one stipulation; you have to come clean with everyone else."
Ami's smile fell. She did not know if she could tell everyone what was going on.
"You don't have to say anything now, but you should do it before anyone else discovers your secret." Makoto placed her hand on top of Ami's. "It hurt like hell when I found out."
Ami sighed, and then nodded her head in silent agreement.
Makoto faced suddenly changed. A smile grew where the scowl once resided. Mischief danced in her emerald green eyes.
"So "
Ami poised herself for Makoto's question. It was inevitable. Sooner or later it was going to come.
"When are you due?"
Ami giggled. This was a question that she could handle. "September 17th."
Makoto raised an eyebrow and repeated what Ami said. The water senshi could see the wheels turning in her friend's mind. Could Makoto know what transpired between she and Zoicite?
"Do you know what this means?" Makoto asked.
Ami shook her head. She silently prayed that it did not mean Makoto knew about Zoicite.
"I get to plan a baby shower." Makoto pulled out her daily planner and started writing feverishly.
"Mako-chan, what are you doing?"
Makoto looked up from the planner and smiled for what seemed like the millionth time. "You can't have a great party without great food. I'm planning the menu."
A small smile made its way to Ami's face. This lunch meeting was not as disastrous as she thought. Even though she did not mention it, Ami was glad to have a woman to talk to about her situation. Taiki was great, but what Ami desired was the support of those who had been for her since the beginning. For at least that moment, Ami was content.
The sound of glasses being placed on the table caught Ami's attentionorange juice. Ami groaned. Why did everyone insist on trying to get her to ingest that vile orange liquid?
Makoto watched as Ami's face contorted. She wondered what could be going through Ami's mind to cause such variable facial expressions. Ami looked up and saw the puzzled look on Makoto's face.
Ami tapped the glass in front of her. "I hate this stuff."
Makoto discreetly crossed one item off her list.
Zoicite lay silent in the ridiculously expensive hotel room with the lights out and the curtains drawn. If he had bothered to open his eyes since waking up, he would have seen the intricate details of hand-made quilt that covered his prone frame. The Mikasa crystal decanter was begging to be used, but the room's occupant had no intention of doing so. He was wallowing in self-pity and the allure of Rome was not enough to break the cycle.
A rippling sensation in Zoicite's abdominal region alerted the distraught man that food, while not desired, was necessary. He slowly rose. It had been two days since his arrival and Zoicite still was adjusting to the time change. Somewhere in the world it was dinnertime and Zoicite wanted nothing more than to be there. He swung his legs over the side of the bed. As his feet touched the carpeted floor, he turned on the Tiffany-style lamp. On the table was the item that started his twenty-hour sleep binge.
How had things gone from perfect to perfectly dreadful in the blink of an eye?
It seemed like just yesterday that he and Ami were having dinner in Jove's Garden. The lighting was dim and the crowd was unusually small for a Thursday night, but that didn't bother them. Ami preferred it when the crowds were smaller. On more than one occasion, there was a young man working on his MBA that wanted Zoicite's advice and thought nothing of interrupting a peaceful meal to get his answer. She often joked that it was price she had to pay for being with the most influential real estate tycoon in Tokyo.
That night, candlelight and roses created the perfect ambience for Zoicite to ask that all-important question. Underneath the table, he clenched a velvet-covered box. Zoicite was trying his very best to appear casual, but the fine hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. He rested the box on his thigh. The right moment had not presented itself. Stroking the box with his finger, Zoicite looked into Ami's eyes. Seeing the whimsical look in her companion's eyes, Ami smiled. That small gesture was all the encouragement Zoicite needed, but the phone rang.
Ami looked at the LCD screen on her phone. She sighed, shook head and reluctantly answered her phone. At the conclusion of the conversation, Ami closed the phone and put it back in her purse.
"I've got to go. Midori-san is ill and I have to cover her rounds." Ami quickly gathered her purse and coat. "I'm so sorry. Have them wrap up my food; I'll eat it when I get back home."
Zoicite watched as Ami walked out of the door. If he had known that would be the last dinner he shared with Ami, Zoicite would not have let her leave so easily. He would have said something, anything, to make her stay.
Zoicite blinked and found himself in a hotel room in Rome, not Jove's Garden. The velvet box holding the ring intended for Ami was sitting on a table radiating a quiet anger for not reaching its destination. He reached over and picked up the box. Inside was an oval shaped sapphire on a platinum filigree band. It was an exact replica of the ring he was to give Ami before Metallia attacked, before he had betrayed her.
Zoicite could not bring himself to look at the ring any more. Thoughts of the life he should have been leading ran through Zoicite's head. So much time was wasted. So many promises were left unfulfilled. He saw no need to keep such an unmistakable reminder of what would not be. With a flick of the wrist, the woeful ring found a new home at the bottom of a wastebasket.
Despite the hunger that was gnawing at his stomach, Zoicite did not have the energy get off the bed to get food. He flopped back on the bed, resigning himself to his thoughts. Zoicite cast his glance to the left and then to the right.
'Too much light.'
He propped himself up with his elbow to extinguish the light emanating from the bedside lamp. An annoying ring cut through the silence just as Zoicite was turning off the light. He huffed. Who would be calling him at this hour? He groped the table, the last spot he had seen the phone, knocking over nearly everything. Zoicite managed to pick up the receiver.
"This better be good."
"..oi..te…you…oing?"
"N-nephrite? I can barely hear you. You're breaking up." Zoicite noticed that he was speaking abnormally loud, as if it were going to help him hear Nephrite any better.
"…Ami…eg…ant.."
Zoicite's grip on the phone got stronger at the mention of Ami. He had fled the country to seek solace, to regroup. It appeared that he was indeed cursed. Zoicite was doomed to live on the edge of her life, never allowed to be an active participant. Nephrite knew why he took the impromptu trip. And with his star gazing skills, he should have seen what was going to happen next.
"Shut up! I came here to get my mind off Ami. I can't believe you would call me with this madness." Zoicite screamed into the receiver. It didn't matter whether Nephrite could hear him.
"But…"
The line went dead.
"That bastard!" Nephrite stared at his cell phone incredulously. A string of curses escaped his lips as he sped down the highway. Within a matter of seconds, he redialed.
"What!" Zoicite was annoyed now. Nephrite always had a way of rubbing him the wrong way.
"You ass! Do you know how much international calls cost on a mobile? You better not hang up again or I will be on the first flight to Rome just to kick your depressed ass!"
Zoicite rubbed his forehead. The line was crystal clear now. He could hear every bit of irritation in Nephrite's voice. As it seemed he did not have much of a choice, he relented.
"Sorry. What were you saying before?"
Nephrite cleared his throat. The opportunity to tell Zoicite about Ami had presented itself, but he was unsure about how to begin.
"Nephrite! You called me in the middle of the night to talk about nothing!"
Nephrite huffed. "Ami's pregnant." He waited for Zoicite to process the information.
"Are you sure?" Zoicite attempted to sound nonchalant, but his voice betrayed him. It was shaky, almost weak.
Nephrite nodded his head, not that Zoicite could see the gesture. "I'm sure. I saw her when I was leaving the airport parking lot."
"The airport parking lot. She was at the airport that day." The words left his lips as a whisper. "How did she look? Did she seem well?"
"She looked well. Ami seemed happy."
It was at that moment that something in Zoicite snapped.
"Happy! Why the hell does she get to be happy? She left me without so much as a goodbye. Now, I have to hear from you that she's pregnant."
Zoicite stopped ranting to take a long cleansing breath. The depressed, despondent Zoicite returned.
"Why didn't she tell me?"
Nephrite was beginning to regret making the phone call. He unintentionally caused Zoicite more pain. Nephrite still believed that Zoicite should know about Ami's condition, so that if nothing else he could finally move on with his life.
"Zoi, Ami doesn't owe you any explanations. It's been months since the two of you were together. She's happy with Taiki now. Let's not forget, they're starting a family. I know how you feel about Ami, but there's nothing you can do. You should be happy for her."
There was that word again. Zoicite slowly sat up. "You just made a really good point."
"Of course I did."
"That's my baby. Ami is carrying my child." Zoicite could hear the screeching of tires in the background. "Isn't there a law about talking on a cell phonewhile driving?"
"Shut up." Nephrite quickly got his car back under control. "What makes you think this baby is yours?"
"What makes you think that it's not?"
"Apparently you've forgotten that Ami's been with Taiki for a while."
"That may be true, but Ami only just recently became acquainted with men."
Nephrite paused. Certainly Zoicite was not saying….
"Ami was a virgin that night." Zoicite knew what Nephrite must have been thinking.
"Are you sure about that? I'm not saying that Ami got around, but you can't assume that just because that was her first time with you that it was her first time."
Zoicite resisted the urge to throw something across the room. This was typical Nephrite, skeptical to a fault. Why couldn't he just believe?
"Ami was never as inclined to give in to her passions as Serenity. Nor was she as comfortable with her sensuality as Minako. This was her first time, period. We never got that far in the Silver Millennium."
"You mean "
"Never. The little incident with Metallia put a kink in my plans." Zoicite admitted.
"Hold on a second. I have to park the car." Nephrite carefully backed his vehicle into its assigned parking spot.
"It doesn't take that long to park a car. How in the hell did you get a license?"
"I can still hear you." Nephrite opened his car door, and stopped. He looked on the backseat. His surprise for Makoto was still there, unharmed one dozen long stem pink roses. Retrieving his parcel, he closed the door.
"I'm back. As I was saying, if what you say is true there are only two people that could be the father you and that Taiki person."
Nephrite looked around and realized that he had made it to the door of his apartment. From the outside, he could smell the dinner Makoto had prepared. Nephrite slid the key in the door and quietly walked in. Tiptoeing, he approached his fiancée, who was curled up on the couch reading some bridal magazine. He leaned over and gently kissed her on the cheek while placing the bouquet in her lap.
"Listen, I gotta go."
Zoicite wasn't an idiot. He could hear the gasps and sighs of Makoto. "I understand. I'll talk to you later."
Zoicite hung up the phone. He sat on the edge of the bed quietly, absorbing all that he and Nephrite discussed. If the baby is his Zoicite remembered the tossed ring. He dumped the contents of the wastebasket on the floor. Amongst a bunch random pieces of paper was the velvet box that could change everything. Something in his heart told him that Ami was carrying his child.
The question remained of why Ami didn't tell him that she was pregnant. She's keeping the child, so why hide it?
Makoto smiled brightly upon seeing the bouquet fall in her lap. She returned the kiss that Nephrite blessed her with just a moment ago. "Hello you."
"How was your day?" Nephrite walked around the couch to sit beside Makoto. He lifted her legs and placed them across his lap.
"I had lunch with Ami."
Nephrite cocked his head to the side slightly. "You did? What happened?"
"Nothing really." Makoto sank further into the couch as Nephrite began massaging her feet. "We talked about the baby and why she didn't tell anyone."
"So what did she say?"
"Nothing really. Just that she was confused and needed time to think." Makoto began to lose herself to the sensations of the massage. "Oh, she doesn't want anyone to know just yet."
Nephrite abruptly stopped his massage. "What!"
"Calm down. I told her that she had to tell the others. So WE are going to respect her wishes. Understand?"
Nephrite nodded. Now, he truly regretted making that call.
Yeah... I know it's been too long. I'll try to do better. Really I will. For those of you who are still around, I love you all.
Until next time,
Deadly Diva