It was early in the morning when she woke up. She heard the rushes of the near sea through the opened window. As she heard the regular breathing right by her side.
Hotaru grinned happy as she opened her eyes. To see her girlfriend lying by her side. Under the thin blanket she had wrapped around her body. As every night she had stolen Hotaru's pillow. But the dark haired girl didn't care about that. Her little darling was by her side. Right here. She loved her and wouldn't run away from her.
I am so happy.
She had never thought that she could be so happy. Just one year ago she had been so unsure, so afraid of how she might react.
Today's her birthday.
Hotaru giggled and crept nearer to her girlfriend. To wake her up with a special good morning kiss. A kiss that would at least last for the next two hours.
And in three days we'll celebrate it official in the Crystal Palace.
"Taru?" Chibiusa opened her eyes and blinked sleepy at her. "Is it already noon?" she whispered because it got late the last night when they finally went to bed.
"Happy birthday, my little darling." Whispered Hotaru loving and kissed her girlfriend with all her deep feelings. Chibiusa giggled and pulled her love closer to her slowly awakening body.
"I wish I would have birthday every day. To be waken up this way."
"When you like it that way..."
They both giggled and kissed again.
And then, little darling, I'll finally give you the present I bought so many years ago.
I almost threw away the last year.
But then you'll get it. At last.
Because this year I am sure that you'll accept it.
dbdbdb
"I wish we could celebrate her birthday here and not in the Palace." Sighed Haruka and tried to keep awake. It was early in the morning and they promised Rei and Usagi to help them with the preparations. Of course Sejya wanted to sing and even Minako told them something about a song she wrote lately. It was a big risk, because some of her songs were pretty bad, but nevertheless Sejya let her sing it. Whatever it would be this time. Because she improved a lot, her last song had been very touching. On the other hand Minako had such a great voice, the audience would forgive that voice everything.
"And Makoto really wants to cook the whole food? For all those people?"
"You know her." Giggled Michiru and danced through the kitchen. She just made breakfast. Some stirred eggs with ham and for her muesli. "Chibiusa only gets sixteen once. So they want to celebrate it."
"Yap, celebrate. Minako takes every chance to celebrate." Haruka yawned and Michiru had to admit that her wife looked simply sexy. With the messed hairs, the boxer short and the shirt she simply forgot to button.
I'd like to...
Michiru smiled loving and put the milk out of the fridge.
No! You promised them to help!
"Morning, Ami."
"Morning, Ami."
Greeted the two outer senshi. Ami only marbled something and sat down, too. She looked still very sleepy, too, but already wore a violet summer dress Minako once bought her. It was now August and again very hot. For two weeks it rained in July but summer returned fast and now they all sweat again.
The senshi of water sat down and stared at the newspaper. Without really seeing. Sometimes she had this strange mood. After what happened two months ago Haruka and Michiru knew how to handle them: To distract her.
"Minako has a rehearsal with Sejya right now. She'll be here in about two hours. You shall wait for her. We'll take Mayumi with to the temple. I am sure the two girls want to help, too."
Ami only nodded and looked at the filled dish Michiru put on her place. Her face got pale, almost green, as she stared at the stirred eggs and the ham. They were still hot and smelled maybe delicious, because Haruka ate them with great appetite, but Ami felt suddenly very sick.
"Excuse me." She whispered before she turned around and left the room quickly.
Haruka and Michiru exchanged glances and sighed deeply.
"I hope Minako finds an solution." Said Michiru thoughtful and took her own glass of milk and sat down next to her wife.
"Whatever they decide, we'll be there for them." Haruka groaned as the stirred egg fell right on her boxers instead into her mouth.
Michiru only giggled.
dbdbdb
They didn't need long. Maybe twenty minutes away from Haruka and Michiru's house was a nice little suburb of Crystal Tokyo. With nice houses and a lot of threes around. It was friendly green and hardly any car noises from the big city could be heard. Minako parked the car in front of a big house that was surrounded by green walls – bushes. Huge, old trees stood there and there was even an old swing at one branch.
"The last inhabitants moved last months. They went to Europe." Explained the pop singer and opened the door for Ami. "It's nice, isn't it?"
"Hai..." Ami frowned, not knowing what they were doing here. Nevertheless she followed Minako through the nice garden over to the front door.
"You have a key?" asked the young doctor surprised. Still she didn't start to work again and she wasn't sure if she would be able to work during the following year. She spent most of her time with the senshi of love and her daughter. But Minako never told her that she had a key to such a big house.
"Hai. The lawyer gave it to me. I have to give it back tomorrow. And to tell him if we'll buy it or not." Minako opened the door and spread her arms as she jumped into the big hallway. "Tadam! Isn't it beautiful? With all the windows and the pillars? I simply love it, Ami-chan. We even have a swimming pool. For my sea nymph."
Ami stared speechless at her girlfriend and slowly, very slowly she entered the nice cool shadow.
"Nani? Do you want to move in here?"
"Why not? We can't live forever with Haruka and Michiru. And this house is simply perfect." Minako grinned at her but then she got suddenly very, very serious. "I want to live here, Ami-chan. Together with you. With you and May-chan." The love senshi blushed deeply. "Maybe it's kinda attack for you know, but, hey, you can at least try it. Still the rooms aren't furnished, but I am sure that we'll find the right furniture." Minako's eyes sparkled as she came again over to her Ami. "I want to have a big bed." She giggled and embraced her girlfriend who was still too stunned to reply anything.
Suddenly Minako pulled her closer to herself and laid both hands on Ami's belly over the violet summer dress.
"This house has two children rooms." She declared silently and saw directly into Ami's eyes that grew wide and were suddenly filled with tears.
"How..." gasped the young doctor and wanted to turn away. But Minako held her back. Held her tight to her body. She would never let her go. Never again. Because then she would loose her forever. Minako knew that.
"It's not your first pregnancy, Ami-chan. I see the signs. Every morning. And I see it in your eyes." Before Ami could answer Minako had kissed her. With all her love. Then she looked again very serious into watery blue eyes.
"Whatever you'll do, Ami, I promise, I'll be there. However you may decide, I'll accept it." Minako gulped and stroke tenderly over the still slim belly. "If you don't want it, I'll go to the hospital with you and we'll go through it together." She gulped again as she felt Ami's icy hands on her own ones. "If you want to keep it, it'll be an honour for me, to be its Mina-mommy, too."
Ami blinked and some tears ran over her cheeks.
"Are you sure, Mina? Do you really want to live with someone like me and my illegitimate children?" whispered the young doctor and sobbed. "You know what it means."
A wide smile spread on Minako's face.
"Of course I know what it means. Changing nappies. Playing the goofy to make it laugh in the middle of the night. To watch you breastfeed it. To explain little May-chan that she's a big sister." Without warning Minako took her Ami again in her arms and swirled around with her. "And to love you, Ami-chan. To love you till the end of our days!" She swirled around with her and the senshi of water had to laugh.
"Okay, you convinced me, Mina."
"Not only convince. It must be your decision, Ami-chan."
The young doctor looked into blue eyes she got to love so much during the past months. During the last years. She knew that it would be a hard way. That hard times laid before them. But they would be worth it. The same Mayumi was worth it every day.
"It's my free will, Mina-chan."
With those words she leaned forward and kissed her girlfriend tenderly.
In their new house. In their new home.
dbdbdb
It was nice dark behind the curtain of the stage. The whole palace seemed to sparkle and the sun was shinning so brightly, Chibiusa was almost blind now.
The birthday party started two hours ago and she simply needed some moments of rest. With her girlfriend, of course.
"Are you sure that no one will see us?" Hotaru looked unsure around. But there was no one. Only the piano Haruka would play in the evening. Right now the stage was empty. Far away they heard the music and the people talking excitedly.
"One more hand shaking and saying arigato, it will surely fell off..." sighed the princess and giggled. She hated the dress she had to wear today. It was long and white. It fitted perfectly to her pink hairs she had put together with a net of roses on her back of her head. Hotaru loved the dress. Because it had the zipper on the back. Very easy to open for her. And she would use it in the night when she would stay at the palace. In Chibiusa's bed. To tickle her the whole night. To tickle and to love her.
"But you'll get a present every time. Guess that will make it up again, neh?" laughed Hotaru and kissed her tenderly. For a long while they stood like that and enjoyed the other one being by their side. Chibiusa's hands went under the top of Hotaru's light blue dress that hardly touched her knees.
She looks so sexy!
It was very hard not to touch her girlfriend under the eyes of all those people.
I love her so much!
They both looked deep into each other's eyes. Remembering the past months. Remembering everything that happened during the last year. Helios' parent's death, his adoption. Hotaru's runaway to America. The worst Christmas Eve in their lives that turned out to be the best they ever celebrated. Their long letters during the following four months. Their camping vacations in America with almost the whole family. The concert when Chibiusa sang her love song only for her Hotaru. How the queen found out about their love. How they ran away from home. Again they remembered how they transformed into Sailor Chibimoon and Hotaru for the first time in her life into Sailor Saturn. They had been so afraid that their parents would separate them, that Chibiusa did the silliest thing in her whole life: She tried to commit suicide. Something she would never, ever do again. Not when her Hotaru was by her side.
We had been lucky in the end.
Hai, they had been lucky. The queen needed her time but some weeks later she even allowed them to go on vacations: all alone. It had been the best seven days of the whole summer. They spent it in a small hotel in the south of Japan and took tons of pictures.
Now I stay here. Again. With the same gift. Just like every year.
But this time Hotaru would give it to her little darling. Finally. After all the long time she already owned it.
"You didn't receive my gift." Giggled Hotaru as Chibiusa looked suddenly very, very greedy at her.
"Again a wet toy puppy?"
"Hey, you've been the one falling into the swimming pool."
They both laughed. Then Hotaru let go of her princess and pulled the little package out of her dress' pockets. Suddenly her hands trembled as she handled it to her girlfriend.
"What is it?" asked Chibiusa curiously and tore the wrapping paper apart.
"I have it now for over six years." Whispered Hotaru and looked suddenly unsure.
"Six years?" Chibiusa frowned and stared at the little box in her hands. "So long?"
"We'll, I've been very early sure about my feelings." Hotaru blushed now and shrugged her shoulders. "But I've never been sure about yours. So I always put it away, because I didn't want to hurt you."
"You'd never hurt me." Chibiusa leaned over and kissed her girlfriend. Then she opened the box and gasped as she saw the silver ring in there. The little diamond sparkled in all colours of the rainbow.
"Taru... that... that must have cost you a fortune."
"I saved all my money for almost a year to buy it for you." Again Hotaru shrugged her shoulders and blushed even deeper. She watched how Chibiusa took the little ring out and looked at it from all sides.
"Little darling?" suddenly there was a lump in her throat, but she ignored it.
Now or never!
"Hai?"
Hotaru went slowly on her knees and held suddenly a red rose in her hands.
"In two years, when you're old enough, I promise that I'll ask you, little darling."
Chibiusa looked at her girlfriend, at the rose, at the ring and finally again into sparkling purple eyes.
"And I'll promise you that my answer will be hai."
The princess fell into her girlfriend's embrace and kissed her with all her passion.
dbdbdb
Minako sat on the stage, right in front of the curtain. She held a guitar in her hands and smiled into the audience. Only seeing Ami and May-chan sitting there. The whole day had been chaos and Minako didn't even have the time to ask her girlfriend how the meeting with the doctor had been.
A boy or a girl?
Will they be able to tell it right now?
First she wanted to sing that song. A tender melody that filled her mind during the past weeks when she held a sobbing Ami tight who always said that she was a whore. That she wasn't married but had a child. That no one would ever love her.
I love you.
And be sure, you won't be unmarried for any longer.
Minako smiled over to the Sailor Team and started to play and to sing in a soft voice.
"We've made houses for hatred
It's time we made a place
Where people's souls may be seen and made safe
Be careful with each other
These fragile flames
For innocence can't be lost
It just needs to be maintained
I want to live bravely and love without fear
I want always to feel the wings of grace near
We all will be Christed when we hear ourselves say
We are that to which we pray
We've made houses for hatred
It's time we made a place
Where people's souls may be seen and made safe
Be careful with each other
These fragile flames
For innocence can't be lost
It just needs to be maintained"
I want to live bravely and love without fear, Ami.
I want to love you all of my life, Ami-chan.
You and your children.
Our children...
The audience, mostly friends of the queen and the king, and all the politicians applauded. But Minako didn't even notice them. She put her guitar away and went over to her Ami who looked with tears in her eyes up to her.
You never lost your innocent, Ami.
For me you're my one and only love. No matter what happened. I'll always be there for you.
Don't ya know?
One look into Ami's blue eyes told her that she knew.
"I love you." Whispered Minako and kissed her. Not caring that half of Japan watched them.
"I love you, too." Whispered Ami back.
Mayumi grinned happily as they separated after a long time.
dbdbdb
"This is a great party." Michiru went to her wife's side and stole a roll from her plate. Haruka didn't complain this time. She only smiled at her lover and kissed her shortly before she took herself a roll.
"Hai. But I guess Chibiusa's hand aches too much. I saw her walking away with Himme-chan ten minutes ago." Answered the tall blonde and looked thoughtful over to Minako who just finished her song and embraced her Ami.
I am happy that they're finally a couple. They belong to each other.
"How was the doctor's appointment?"
Now it was Michiru who giggled. Because Minako had no time with the party and the preparations she offered to drive Ami there and to take her home again.
"There're coming busy times." She giggled even more as she saw her lover's confused look. "Ami carries twins. Still we couldn't see the genders, but the doctor is sure that there'll be two more children in this chaotic family."
Haruka blinked and looked over to Ami who kissed her Minako with passion.
I wish you all the best.
"Mina will be totally crazy."
"Of course."
"A total wreck."
"Hai."
"It'll be a real torture for her."
"Right."
"But she'll enjoy every second."
"Be sure, she will."
They both grinned at each other and Haruka put her plate away and embraced her lover from behind and pulled her softly closer. Yuki-chan ran through the whole palace, haunted by Helios whom she stole a coke.
"Do you remember what you told me when we had Hotaru for the first time at home?" asked Haruka while she kissed her lover's sea green curls.
"No? What?"
"That we would be great parents." The tall blonde rocked her wife and grinned. "I thought you were wrong. But now I see that you were right. It's great to be parents of those two devils."
"Our devils."
"Hai."
"Even with all that chaos?" giggled Michiru and stroke her wife's arms. Haruka closed her eyes and purred.
"I do love all this chaos, don't ya know?"
At that moment the curtain fell down and they could see two girls behind who kissed loving.
End
Okay, before I forget, some more disclaimers:
The song Hotaru sings all alone in the night in America is "Sacrifice" by Elton John. I borrowed it in deep respect. Minako and Chibiusa sing in duet the song "Everything I do (I do it for you)" by Bryan Adams. First I planned it to be the main song, but then it fitted better in that part of the story. Last, but not least, the song Minako sings only for her Ami to show her that she loves her the way she is and that there's no reason to be ashamed of the past is "Innocence maintained" by Jewel. Arigato, Adri-chan, for that CD. It's a great work of art!
What more? Well... I hope you liked my story. It's pretty long, but I gave up cutting anything -. It's senseless with me. Hope you liked my version of Hotaru becoming Sailor Saturn and I hope you liked the couple of Hotaru and Chibiusa. I have to admit that I don't like Usagi and Mamoru very much (to Dani: he IS a workaholic, otherwise I wouldn't stand him in my stories -), but, hey, Chibiusa spent all her childhood with Hotaru in Hotaru's house. With Haruka as Hotaru's daddy. There MUST be some things that influenced Chibiusa's behaviour, too -. So she's a main part of the story, too.
I simply think that this couple is cute.
Whoever disagrees, well, you have the right to have your own opinion -.
Why I decided to make such a big story out of Ami and Minako? Don't ask me, I am only the author. I am only the poor soul who writes the story -. Well, it came into my mind when I wrote the prologue and after I changed all my notes again they got such a big part, too.
I wanted Chibiusa and Hotaru to stand between a happy couple: Michiru and Haruka and an unhappy one: Ami and Minako. To let them decide which way they want to go.
Of course I had to make a happy end to those senshi, too -.
"Cover the mirror, hide in your dreams"
Sometimes life can be cruel. Sometimes life does what it wants, not what we want it to do. But that's not a reason to give up. We just have to stand up each time we fall down. To go on with it. To keep dreaming our dream and to work hard that we might be able one day to make it real.
There's no reason the cover the mirror or to hide in our dreams.
We have to live them.
Arigato again to all readers who read again such a long story. I hope it was worth it -.
And a special arigato for my Adri-chan and my Laura-chan. Without you I guess I would have never wrote that story. Or at least I would have never had the power to finish it.
April Eagle
20th April – 6th July 2001