Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the associated characters. I am receiving no compensation for this little project, I write merely for the fun of it.

Hobbes T. Cat: Not an even a week later and I pull this off. ;) Glad you've enjoyed it so far.

Doremi Ichigo: Yeah me too, I read somewhere that she was supposed to be a smoker but I don't think they actually put it in the anime. Although that could have been something fan-based too, I'm not so sure.

——

The night air was thick with the sound of congested traffic. Above the lights, one hundred steps up, Minako and Makoto lay sprawled, exhausted and laughing from their race up the stairs. Panting heavily Minako was the first to sit up. She looked over at her still recovering friend.

"So, a tie?" Minako asked.

Makoto laughed, "No way, I won!" she exclaimed.

"What! You were so behind me." Minako replied.

Makoto sat up, "Now you're claiming to have won?"

Minako grumbled and frowned slightly, "fine, rematch?"

Makoto grinned, "You're on!"

Still grinning Makoto dug in her jacket pocket.

"Mako-chan?"

"hmm?" she replied half-heartedly still searching through her pockets.

"You've been distracted lately, I've noticed, especially around Ami. I was just wondering if there was something you wanted to—wait Mako-chan you smoke?"

Makoto lifted her head slightly as she lit a cigarette, a puzzled look adorning her face, "You didn't know?"

"No, and since when?"

"Since before I met you though I quit for about a year."

"Oh, did everyone know but me?" she growled.

"What? No, no just Ami and Usagi as far as I know." Said Makoto defensively.

Minako huffed, "why didn't you tell me? I thought we were good enough friends to share things like this."

"We are Minako. It's just that this was something that was mine. And I don't want anyone to take it from me." She said sadly.

"What does that mean?"

"Minako, I've lived alone for a long time. I go home to an empty, dark apartment. If I want something to eat I make it myself, if I go out more often than not its alone and after a while it gets…I'm just not used to having people judge me. Well, at least not people that I care about that is." She said sadly.

"Mako-chan, I wouldn't judge you for it. In fact I don't. You just surprised me, that's all." Minako said with a smile, "And don't forget you do have a friend right here. You aren't alone now."

"Thanks, I was just a little afraid that's all." She said with a weak smile, "Now, what were you saying about Ami?"

"Oh nothing really." She said mentally adding that you really need to know about right now.

Cocking her head to the side Makoto replied, "Well, if that nothing turns into something you can tell me then. Come on Rei is probably wondering what we're doing lying in the courtyard."

Minako laughed, "probably." She smiled and stood up offering her hand to Makoto.

——

"Usagi knows." She said quietly.

Ami looked up at her in surprise, "You told her?"

Makoto nodded, "I had to, I couldn't lie anymore." She frowned. "she didn't understand either."

"You should have just quit Mako-chan, she doesn't need to worry about these things."

Makoto glowered, "You shouldn't treat her like she's a kid. She does understand a lot more than we give her credit for."

Ami's eyes widened, "that isn't what I meant, stop twisting my words!"

"What exactly did you mean then?"

"I just—we'll talk later alright." She said quickly.

"Fine."

——

Minako fidgeted with the strap of her satchel waiting impatiently as the rest of her friends filed out of the door. Standing back she watched as Makoto looked at Ami worriedly, as Usagi carefully snuck one of Rei's mangas into her bag and as Ami gave Makoto a reproachful look. Sighing she waited for Rei to come back in.

"Okay, Minako what's wrong?" Rei asked.

"What makes you think something is wrong?" Minako asked flatly.

Rei put her hand to her forehead, "you have been distracted all day."

Minako laughed weakly, "I'm always distracted, you should know that."

"More than usual. Minako what's going on?" she asked in earnest.

"Well, it's about Makoto…"

"Not again, Minako I doubt that she is interested in Ami that way. You should stop meddling in these affairs, if it happens then it happens. Stop trying to be the matchmaker!" Rei seethed.

Minako flinched, "Yeah, alright if you don't want to know then I'll just go." Minako slunk towards the door, "I'm just worried about her, you know?" Standing up straight without looking back she added seriously, "I'm the team leader, it is my job, you understand." She stepped out the door.

Rei stood in shock before rushing after her, "Minako wait. What's going on really? I promise I'll listen." Rei said in a rush to the girl that was already half way across the courtyard.

Turning around Minako nodded and walked back to her, "Let's go inside then, it is pretty cold out here."

——

Makoto walked down the sidewalk slowly, her mind light years away, "what'd I do to deserve that look?" she muttered quietly.

"Which look would that be?" a familiar voice asked her.

Startled by the intrusion into her thoughts Makoto looked to the speaker and smiled, "Haruka, how are you?"

"Just fine, you on the other hand…" she trailed off.

"Yeah, not so good here."

"You want to talk about it?" The older girl asked kindly.

"Not really, but I think I should."

Haruka nodded, "Sounds like you've got a real predicament on your hands, do you want to go for a ride and talk?"

"Could we go somewhere that doesn't involve intense speeds?" she asked sheepishly.

Haruka laughed, "Not up for a drive then? Alright, I have to meet Michiru in an hour though."

"Thanks, do you mind if I get her input on this too?"

Haruka smiled, "Sure. What do you want to do for an hour?"

Makoto grinned, "I haven't sparred in a while, you up for it?"

"Always."

——

Minako sighed staring into her tea cup, "She's afraid." She whispered.

Rei lifted her eyebrow, "What do you mean?" she prompted.

Looking up her clear blue eyes filled with worry, "Earlier today she told me something and I could just tell she's afraid of something. And I don't know what to do about it."

"What is she afraid of?"

Minako smiled sadly, "being alone. She's afraid that we'll judge her and leave her alone."

Rei looked shocked, "that's stupid!"

"Not to her. It isn't stupid in her mind. She's been alone most of her life and judged too. She just doesn't want to lose us, she's afraid she's going to screw up. In fact, she thinks she already has."

"How?" Rei asked in genuine curiosity.

"I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you, I think she didn't even want me to know, just Ami and Usagi. I guess you should know but I don't know if it is my place to say anything."

Rei nodded, "I understand but how can I help if I don't understand."

Minako sighed, her desperation clearly shown in her expression, "It isn't anything big, nothing that could affect the team. At least, I don't think it will, unless she continues to believe the worst of us."

"Well, we'll just have to prove that we aren't going to leave her alone!" Rei stated.

"And have her resent us? Rei if we surround her we'll end up smothering her. I don't want to see that happen. If we do this we have to be careful. Really careful." She said sadly.

"But we have to do something."

"Maybe the best something is nothing. Rei this could all work out by itself. And if she really does want our help she'll ask for it. I just know she will."

"What if she doesn't?"

Minako swallowed, "we'd better hope she does."

——

Makoto put her hands on her knees wheezing. Catching her breath seemed to be getting harder lately.

Haruka looked on in concern, "are you alright Makoto?" she asked while walking over to her friend.

Makoto stood up with a slight grin, "Yeah, just a little out of shape I guess," she lied through her teeth.

Haruka frowned, "If you say so," she glanced at her watch, "well, we have just enough time to get ourselves looking presentable. Come on."

Makoto nodded.

——

Ami tugged the strap of her satchel more tightly to her body. Smiling as she lent half an ear to Usagi's happy ramblings. She was happy that Mamoru was going to take her on a date later in the week that is if she did well on her world history test tomorrow. Which was why Ami was with her she had agreed to help her study for the test.

"Oh, it'll be so much fun. We'll go to dinner and then a romantic walk…"

Ami balked slightly, a romantic walk in this weather? It was barely above freezing and with Usagi's penchant for wearing skirts she doubted the couple would get very far on that walk. That is if she could get Usagi to pass the test tomorrow. A difficult task but she was determined to succeed for her princess' sake.

"Ami?"

"Yes, Usagi?" Ami answered to show she was listening.

"Don't you ever get lonely?" she asked

Ami blinked at the unexpected question, did she get lonely? Of course she did, it was hard when her mother worked sixty hours a week. She even felt lonely when she was surrounded by her friends sometimes. But that was normal for everyone, wasn't it?

Shaking her head she asked, "How do you mean?"

"Well," she wheedled, "Don't you ever wish you had a boyfriend?"

Ami turned red, "W-well," she stuttered, "I don't exactly have time for a boyfriend. And you know I'm practically allergic to love letters!"

Usagi smiled, "You didn't exactly answer my question."

"I didn't exactly want to answer it." She muttered.

"Sorry."

Ami laughed, "Don't worry about it. Let's just hurry up and get out of the cold." She smiled, "we need to start studying so you and Mamoru can go out on Saturday."

Usagi smiled widely, happy that she hadn't upset her friend and giddily awaiting Saturday.

——

Makoto sat down in the booth across from Haruka and Michiru and stared at the decoupage table in front of her. Haruka and Michiru shared a look at seeing the younger girl's forlorn posture.

"You wanted to tell us what's wrong?" Haruka asked.

Makoto swallowed and looked up slowly fear dancing in her emerald eyes, "I really screwed up."

Cringing at her look and tone of voice Haruka prodded her, "How so?"

"Ami's pissed off at me, Usagi's disappointed with me, Minako I don't really know what she thinks and I haven't even told Rei anything yet." She said bitterly.

"Sounds like you've got some real issues." Haruka said slowly.

Michiru nodded in agreement, "What happened."

Makoto paled slightly, "It's all my fault too." She whispered, "I don't know what to do but…" she sighed, "I started smoking again."

Michiru looked slightly puzzled.

Haruka nodded, "That's why you were out of breath when we sparred."

Makoto nodded sheepishly, "Yeah, sorry I lied to you. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. Ami's mad because I don't have a good reason for starting again. Usagi she just looks at me like she doesn't know who I am anymore. And Minako, Minako has been the best so far. She seems to understand me and what's going on. I'm afraid to tell Rei," she looked at the table in shame.

"You said you started smoking again, why did you quit in the first place?" Michiru asked softly.

Makoto smiled, "Because of Usagi. She looked at me pretty much the way she does now. And I felt lower than dirt and I quit, for her. Now, I started again for me. They can't understand."

"Perhaps if you explained it to them." Michiru answered.

Makoto laughed in a self-depreciating way, "how can I tell someone who is so pissed off at me that I'm so damn nervous around them I had to start smoking again?"

"I assume we're talking about Ami now?" Haruka asked.

Makoto nodded wishing she could have a cigarette right then.

"Why are you so nervous around her?"

"Because…Ihvcrshnhr" Makoto said incomprehensibly and looked away sheepishly.

"What was that?"

Makoto growled, "I said," she took a deep breath, "I have a crush on her."

Haruka smirked, "I knew it."

Michiru elbowed Haruka lightly, "Makoto that isn't anything to be ashamed of." She said encouraging.

"Yeah it is."

Michiru smiled, "I'm not ashamed of it and neither is Haruka."

Makoto looked at them in surprise, "You two are…" she trailed off and they nodded in tandem, "I didn't know that. I mean we kind of figured but…"

"It is different to know though." Haruka finished for her.

"Yeah." She replied, "So what do I do?"

"Talk to her."

——

After an hour of fruitful studying Ami could stand it no longer.

"Usagi?"

"Hmm?" The teen answered still looking at her history book.

Taking a deep calming breath she asked, "You know about Makoto?"

Usagi dropped her pencil with a sigh and looked over at her friend, "Yeah, she told me yesterday. I was a little bit shocked but it is her choice."

Ami blinked, "You, you approve just like that?" she sputtered in surprise.

Usagi shrugged, "she's my friend. I support her even if I don't approve of her choices. I can't force her to quit. I wish she would but I can't stop her."

"You could tell her to, it isn't healthy for her." Ami defended herself.

Usagi smiled, "you're worried about her I understand."

Ami frowned, "when did you become so mature?"

She smiled sadly, "I have to be sometimes, but I prefer to be a kid while I still can. It won't be too long before I have people to rule. I can't play arcade games when I'm queen."

Ami nodded, "You could if you wanted to."

"I could but I won't. We all have to grow up, Makoto had to a long time ago. If anything I admire her for her strength. I look up to her and I hope I can be even a little bit like her. I want to be like all of my friends."

"What do you mean?"

Usagi smiled, "I'd like to be smart and logical like you, Ami. I'd like to have Minako's leadership ability and Rei's serenity and grace. I want to be a combination of all of you, that way I could be the best queen."

Ami frowned, "But you just have to be you and you'll be the best."

"Thanks Ami, now can we get back to studying I've got a date to earn." She said with a wink.

——

Right then, now it would be your turn to do something for me. Since I have graced you with this chapter the least you could do for me, would be to I don't know say….review it? Questions, comments, complaints I take 'em all. Thanks

-Niela