4.) Bring It On
Only enemies speak the truth;
friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty.
- Stephen King
REI
As I neared the site of the incursion I clicked the button on my handlebars that connected my phone's operating system to the headset in my helmet.
"Sir-I, call Artair." I stated, addressing the virtual assistant, the phone only took a moment to register my orders. My eyes flicked up to the sign above my head, another 2 klicks until my exit. There was a beep.
"Calling Beryl Artair." The computerized voice told me just before the dialling. I prayed that Beryl wasn't busy at this time in the evening, I needed information and fast. The phone only had a chance to ring once before it was answered.
"Beryl speakin..."
"It's me." I greeted, cutting her off. I was only a few minutes away from my next run in with a shadow and I needed to straighten out a few things before I got there.
"Ah, Rei. I was wondering how long it would take you to come to a decision in regards to my offer..."
"I haven't decided yet." I replied, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. "But there's an emergency. One of your so called monsters is phasing into this world right now and I don't particularly want to exterminate it. Not if there are other options available."
"How... Never mind, we can talk logistics later. Where are you? If I'm on site I should be able to ease it's transition in to this world, that would lessen the chances of it..."
"Going berserk and ripping someone to shreds?" I suggested pointedly. I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. I could see her connecting some of the recent murders around the city with the emergence of her followers.
"Yes." Beryl sighed, her voice sounded heavy with regret. "They're panicking, entering a world with so much stimuli... Rei, you have to remember these are people; traumatized people at that."
"Which is exactly why I'm calling to get a new SOP instead of just lighting it on fire. Before you started reestablishing control every single one of them was psychotic, I didn't have a choice; now, I do." I replied testily. "And it looks like it's going to appear somewhere in the ship yard, I don't really have time to wait around for you before I break in. I need a plan now, not whenever you finally get out here."
There was a moment of silence, I could imagine her contemplating possible solutions to our problem... my problem.
"You could try and subdue it with your power." She said, sounding almost apologetic. I wove through traffic, getting into the right hand lane so I could make my exit.
"That's my usual tactic..." I grumbled, beginning to point out that I was looking for a different way of doing things but she cut me off.
"Not pyrokinesis, you could merely try and assert your own will upon them. From what you told me, you've been experiencing some... alterations in your physical interaction with them." Her voice trailed off for a brief second. "As I mentioned last time, this should allow you some measure of power over them, you just have to figure out how to use it. Should, I mean, it's speculation based on what Zoisite told me in the old world."
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable forcing my will on to something, someone, else." I told her as I slowed for the highways' off ramp.
"I doubt you've developed that power already, a more accurate description for your capabilities would be communication... if that. You might able to mentally link with them and establish an understanding, it should be coherent enough to recognize the similarity of your... nature, and listen to you. You just have to open yourself up to it, let it in so it can recognize you. The power inside of you should be able to take care of the rest, follow your instincts – that's all I can tell you." Beryl explained as I pulled up to a secluded section of fencing near the shipyard. I had a feeling that this was the closest I was going to an answer. And I needed to get moving.
"Let's hope it works." I told her as I parked my motorcycle, turning it off and disconnecting the call. The bike's headlight died, leaving me alone in the darkness that had fallen. I swung my leg over my bike, flipping down the kickstand and moved towards the chain link fence. An upward glance was all it took to rule out climbing it; coils of barbed and razor wire lined the top, I sighed. So much for the easy way in.
I knelt down, focusing on the tips of two my fingers. The flame I brought forth was intensely hot but finely shaped. I carefully brought my fingertips close to the wire, doing my best not to get too close. While I could control the flames, and to some extent the heat, a previous mishap with molten metal had made me a little wary.
In a matter of seconds I was inside the fence, leaving a section of woven metal on the ground behind me. I cautiously studied my surroundings, trying to figure out if any security guards had noticed my arrival. While I was in a fairly dead part of the shipyard I still didn't want to rely on that too much, I wasn't the most adept at picking out security cameras in an area this large. When everything stayed quiet I progressed further into the yard.
I braced myself and reached out with my senses, trying to locate the shadow. I felt something wrench at my heart before drawing me deeper and deeper into the maze like shipyard. After what felt like ages I stopped, feeling a desperate need for air. I pulled off my helmet, taking a deep breath and letting the sea breeze blow through my hair. The break steadied me, easing the sensation in my heart.
A second later I was on the ground grappling with one of the creatures, my helmet skittering out of my hand and across the pavement. Desperately I tried to keep a level head and remember the objective, I wasn't here to fight – I was here to reach out.
I exhaled sharply as I was dragged across the pavement and tossed against one of the shipping containers, I kept myself calm and concentrated my efforts on establishing some form of communications. I didn't fight with the creature, all I did was defend myself and try and seem as harmless and nonthreatening as possible. Well, that and try not to feel fear. I knew if I messed this up I could die.
Finally, the struggle began to die down as it began responding to what I was doing. I allowed myself to relax. The adrenaline left me with my heart beat pounding in my ears. I straightened up, leaning back against the side of the shipping container. My breathing was fast but steady, I was excited but not panicked. I began trying to slow my breathing, bringing myself back down from the adrenaline rush.
Eventually I brought myself to look at the creature, it was watching me carefully. I reached out slowly with my hand trying not to spook it. Beryl said our communication would be limited so I was trying to establish convey my meaning in a variety of ways.
It stiffened when my hand came into contact with it, tensing warily but eventually it relaxed against me; nuzzling up against my shoulder much like a small child seeking reassurance after a nightmare. I let out a heavy breath, relieved that something was going right.
Then the phone rang.
MINAKO
As Kunzite and I finished going through customs and walked into the main airport we were surrounded by our friends. Kunzite grinned at me as Mamoru stepped forward, I let go of his hand so they could greet each other.
And then I was enveloped in a very rough hug as a body came flying in my direction. Only Kunzite and Mamoru's hands on my back stopped me from falling backwards.
"You're back!" Usagi shouted as she tightened her embrace. Behind Usagi I only just managed to catch sight of Makoto and Ami approaching us, they seemed much more sedate but no less eager.
"Hey." I managed to say as Usagi released me.
"We missed you so much Minako." She told me with a huge smile on her face. I found my expression mirroring hers, something about her mood was contagious. It always was.
"I missed you too. All of you." I told them, giving Usagi's hand a quick squeeze before going to hug Makoto and Ami. Before I did, I paused suddenly struck by the wrongness of this picture.
Rei was missing.
Immediately I looked towards Makoto, Rei had spent more time with her in the last year than she did with anyone else. Or at least that's what I'd heard.
"Rei had to work, she's sorry she couldn't make it." Makoto gave a shrug, already knowing what I was going to ask. I felt my heart fall through my chest, sinking down until it felt like it was resting in my stomach.
I'd hoped that we'd be able to talk, we hadn't really had the chance since our break up five years earlier. Well, we'd had the chance but never the courage or the emotional stability. When she'd broken up with me I'd left the city completely devastated.
For the first year I'd been too heartbroken to get back in contact, then after that I was just too busy. And then later, I'd gotten to know Kunzite and it just seemed... too complicated. It seemed as though Rei's life had followed a similar series of events. Too soon, too busy, too hard, maybe not in that order but the phases still happened at some point.
"You sure she's sorry? You know how much she hates crowds." I commented, keeping my tone light and cheerful. Makoto grinned at me. Somehow I managed to smile, trying convince myself and the others that the fact Rei was missing didn't bother me.
"That and she hates airports almost as much as I do, doesn't she?" Makoto laughed, Ami slipped a hand into hers. "But yeah, work's been a mess for her lately. I'm sure she'd much rather be here than dealing with that fiasco."
"I'll give her a call in a bit." I murmured before introducing my fiance to the most important people in my world, save one.
"Hello?" Rei answered, sounding breathless and distracted. And kind of exhilarated. The combination sounded incredibly familiar... and made me feel slightly uncomfortable at the memories it conjured up. Memories of times spent between the sheets, exhausted and content. Just us and the moment curled up together with nothing else existing in the universe.
"Uh, hi. It's um...me?" I replied lamely, suddenly feeling less sure about calling her now that we were talking. The others had told me she'd been needed at work but whatever she was doing certainly didn't sound like work.
"What do you need Minako?" She asked, her breath still sounding heavy, and my feeling of awkwardness increased.
"I missed seeing you tonight." I told her, my voice falling flat but I pressed on. "I was kind of hoping to talk to you in person, it's been a long time since we've actually spoken."
I took a breath, knowing this wasn't how I'd wanted to break the silence between us. I had wanted to see her today, as we'd all planned, to try and catch up. I missed her, and the rest of my friends. Not talking to her, being on poor terms, left a whole in my heart. I missed her with every moment but one learned to live with such things. Live with it and heal.
"Anyway, you sound like you're in the middle of something so I'll get to the point. I, uh, wanted to invite you to my engagement party."
There was near silence on the other end of the line. Muffled movement left me wondering what was going on.
"Rei?" I asked finally after the wait became lengthy.
"Sorry, what were you saying?" She asked, the distracted sound of her voice had returned with reinforcements.
"I was inviting you to my engagement party, it's this Friday? I... I'd really like you to be there, Rei." I prompted, some indefinable emotion seeping into my tone. It felt a bit like longing but it was deeper. I missed my best friend more than I could describe. I wanted her with me, I wanted her to be a part of my life, to share in my happiness.
There was a deep sigh.
"I'm working that night Minako, I'm sorry. I'll see about getting together with you later, alright? Now I've really got to go, I'm in a bit of a life or death situation right now." Rei replied, hanging up the moment I stammered out a good bye. For a second I remained frozen in place, trying to come to grips with the conversation – the flush still warm on my cheeks.
"A bit of a life or death situation? Maybe a little death is exactly what you need." I muttered to myself with a roll of my eyes, as much as Rei drove me insane with her antics... I really couldn't hold that against her. She seemed to be moving on, just as I had.
Then Kunzite took my hand, drawing my attention to him with a smile.
"You get a hold of your friend?" He asked.
"Um, yeah but she was... busy." I said, hoping my distraction wasn't noticed. "Doesn't sound like she can make it this Friday, she said something about work."
"That's too bad, sweetheart, I was really looking forward to meeting her." He commented, slinging his arm around my shoulders, his hand coming to rest against my bicep, rubbing it soothingly.
I pushed the thought of Rei's offhand refusal out of my mind, content to simply enjoy what time I had with my loved ones. Well, until I caught sight of Ami's expression, the soft frown that graced her features was mildly concerning.
BERYL
It was fairly easy to follow Rei's path once I'd pulled my car up behind her motorbike, it was just a matter of allowing the draw of power to lead me.
I slowed my pace as I approached and heard her speaking on the phone with someone. There was a conflicted look on Rei's face, a darkened expression that tried to mask everything else.
"I'm working that night, Minako. I'll see about getting together with you later, alright? Now I've really got to go, I'm in a bit of a life or death situation right now." Rei lied, the carefully crafted tone of distraction crumbling by the end of the sentence.
Rei looked like she'd rather die than continue on with the conversation she was currently having. I remained quiet, doing my best not to interrupt.
And then Rei was pocketing her phone and turning to face me without a hint of surprise on her face.
"You lied to her." I pointed out.
"Well, I promise not to make a habit of it." Rei retorted sarcastically with a vicious edge to her words. I raised an eyebrow, choosing not to comment. I'd clearly overstepped the bounds of our relationship. Then Rei sighed.
"My apologies. I seem to be in a rather foul mood." She muttered, not looking all that apologetic.
"Why did you lie to her?" I asked, knowing that Rei valued her relationship with Minako above all else.
"Which lie are you enquiring about?" Rei questioned, her voice stilted. Her eyes didn't meet mine, she seemed rather determined to keep her attention focused on the shadow between us.
"Even I can tell that you're not working that night." I told her, trying to understand how she could be pushing Minako out of her life like that.
"It's not that I'm busy, not exactly. It's more that I hate to make plans and then cancel them last minute. It's something that seems to happen more often than not, especially when I make plans outside of work. At least with work I'm not disappointing anyone but my father. And maybe my assistant. With my friends... it's hard."
"That's not all of it." I pointed out. This time Rei laughed, though it sounded bitter.
"Well, meeting Minako's fiance is just about the last thing I want to do and work gives me the perfect excuse to miss out on that encounter."
I was at a loss for words, unable to fathom how Minako and Rei's relationship had reached this point. In the old world the dedication and passion I'd witnessed between them had left little doubt in my mind that they were intended for one another.
Rei shook her head.
"Doesn't matter right now. What matters is making sure this situation and situations like it stay covert and contained. I can't do my job and worry about a social life at the same time. Seeing how this one is the more pressing of the two issues, it takes priority."
It was then I understood what Rei had been meaning when she said she was busy. She was always busy, either with her 'day' job or she was on call trying to clean up the mess she'd been left with. It was certainly no way to live. I'd be surprised if she wasn't suffering psychologically at this point. The stress and uncertainty alone would have detrimental effects on her well being, and that was without even bringing in the combat and irregular schedule.
"How do you manage it?" I found myself asking in disbelief. Rei shrugged.
"We managed to find a way to track down their presence in this world. Artemis, one of Serenity's old advisers, managed to design an app that works as a locator. It sends warnings to my phone and I do my best to keep things contained." Rei explained. I couldn't tell if she had misunderstood my question or if she was sidestepping it by pretending to misunderstand.
"This isn't your responsibility, Rei." I told her gently, trying to make her understand.
"Yeah, it kind of is. We're only in this mess because of me. I might as well be the one to clean it up." Rei retorted, I sensed that this was one topic I wasn't going to make much headway on.
"You don't deserve to have your whole life disrupted on account of my mistakes in the old world." I told her firmly.
"You mean my mistakes." Rei corrected. I gave her a dark look, holding it until she folded. "Alright, fine, I see your point. I just don't see a solution to that. Artemis and Luna want to be the ones to talk to the others so that leaves me with exactly zero help for the time being."
"Let me help you." Rei gave an incredulous laugh, seemingly caught off guard by my suggestion.
"You? Help me? With the shadows? You can't be serious."
"Why not?"
"First of all, you're campaigning. Second, the media is going to be on you night and day. And third, you're a god damn Senator." Rei exclaimed, sounding rather annoyed by the whole thing. Annoyed and a bit surprised by my seemingly illogical offer of aid.
"I'm perfectly capable of sneaking away for some quiet time, Rei, how else do you think I managed to get out here?" I explained, doing my best not to frown at her. "You need time off – time when you don't have to worry about going off to fight someone elses battle. I'm not asking you to surrender this all over to me. I'm just asking you to get a day of rest once a week. A day where you do nothing but be a civilian."
Rei scowled at me but finally relented, pulling her phone from her pocket and sending me something on it.
"There. You'll be getting the same information as me but I swear to whatever gods are out there - if you don't stay out of the way I'll..."
"I won't interfere with your life, I just want to let you live it a little. I'll stay out of the way every day but one." I reassured her, incredibly thankful that she was trusting me with this information.
"You misunderstand. I'm not taking time off, I can't. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened and I wasn't there. I can't let them down like that." Rei muttered, I didn't have to ask what 'them' she was talking about.
"Then why give me this?"
"Because they're your people, you deserve to know where they are." And with that she was gone, disappearing into the darkness without a trace. I sighed heavily. She just couldn't make things easy, could she?
REI
My cellphone vibrated on the desk in front of me distracting me from the newspaper in front of me, idly I reached out and picked it up. I glanced at the screen before deciding to answer it – there were certain people I didn't feel like talking to right now.
"Morning Ami, what's up?" I asked, leaning back in my seat. Honestly, I'd been expecting this phone call last night after I'd disappeared on them. I was quite surprised that Ami had managed to restrain herself this long. I mean she was one for restraint and patience but not generally when concerned over her friends.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Ami told me, I could hear someone, probably Makoto, making noise in the background – preparing for the day ahead. Her voice lowered to almost a whisper, trying to avoid being overheard. "And not just about that secret you're keeping and why you ran off today. It's about that other thing."
"And what other thing would that be?" I asked. I had the feeling I knew what she was talking about but I wanted to hear her say it. I didn't want to talk about it if I didn't have to.
"Minako." Ami replied, her voice returning to a normal volume.
"Hm. Right." I muttered. I had known this was coming but I was still unprepared for it. I was fairly certain I would always be unprepared for it.
"So are you alright?" Ami asked. "About her getting married?"
I swallowed as I tried to think of what to say.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" I hedged, trying to keep my voice as neutral as possible.
"She told me that you aren't coming to the engagement party because of work and I know for a fact that you don't technically work Friday nights; not running the business anyway. You go to AED headquarters and do paper work – which can easily be put off until another day." Ami let out an exasperated sigh, calling me out on my lie. There was a pause.
"What really makes me worry, Rei, is that you never talk about why it ended between you two. We've only ever heard Minako's side of the story..." Ami told me carefully, still wary of bringing up her name.
"What do you want me to say?" I asked, more defensive than was necessary, I knew the version Minako had given them and wasn't sure if my side of things would make things any more understandable for anyone.
"I want the truth." Ami told me, unfazed by my reaction. I sighed.
"We were headed in different directions and she needed space for that. I mean it's not like we were much more than fuck buddies anyways." I told her as truthfully as I could. I was trying not to picture the day of our break up, the look of sadness on Minako's face etched its self into my mind.
"That's bullshit and you know it Rei." Ami replied almost coolly.
"It's the truth." I protested, Ami made a noise that sounded like an annoyed grumble. From her it was almost cute. Not that I'd ever tell her that.
"I simply meant you were most definitely more than fuck buddies." Ami corrected. I nodded.
"At times." I agreed with her as much as I was able to. When you went from soul mates to hardly dating... it was difficult transition. Every time I saw her I felt crippled – part of me was missing. Her memories of me were gone and with them the significance of our relationship. She had been... Venusuian in this world, in a way she hadn't in the last. I tried to think of a way to say the next part as diplomatically as possible. "Minako... needed the freedom. I let her have it."
"As I recall she wasn't the only one with an outside relationship." Ami pointed out, catching my reference to Minako's promiscuity. I sighed, hearing Makoto's voice chime in, as if reminding Ami of something. Ami shushed her and then I heard a door shut. Ami was clearly taking our conversation somewhere more private, there was a distant laugh from Makoto.
"What did Makoto say?" I asked, feeling genuinely curious. Ami sighed and I could practically see her rolling her eyes.
"That at least Minako's other partners weren't married." Ami told me, sounding annoyed. I laughed, surprising even myself.
"I hope you glared at her for me." I prompted not taking the comment to heart.
"I did." Ami assured me. "And I do understand you know. You and Michiru do have something special. It's always been obvious, to me at least."
"Did." I corrected, in an offhand manner; deciding now was the time to set the record straight. "We don't see each other anymore. The whole family over there is so busy it's hard to even get a hold of her."
"But at the time..." Ami started.
"That wasn't a factor in my break up with Minako. Michiru and I had stopped seeing each other before that, what with Michiru's wedding and all. Not my place to get involved after that." I explained, cutting across her; finally correcting the misconceptions I knew they all held. It was about time that I was honest with them, or at least Ami.
"But I thought..." Ami started and cut herself off. I knew what she was going to say. She had thought that Michiru and I had continued our relationship with one another after that point - that we'd been having an affair.
"Oh, we still met up but it was nothing serious, it was just as friends." I explained with a shrug. "You know? Drinks. Coffee. Maybe brunch if we were lucky. I love her but it's not like that, we just spent time catching up."
I could almost see Ami realigning her recollections of the past five years to take in this information. The resulting pattern would probably make even less sense than it did before. Almost on cue Ami started to speak.
"Then why did you and Minako break up?" She asked, sounding extremely confused.
"Like I said, she needed space."
"I think she could have gotten space, she was going on tour" Ami's voice trailed off for a second then came back sounding almost angry and disapproving. "Rei, you didn't..."
"Didn't what?"
"Break up with her because she was going on tour." Ami continued, her voice was getting that icy edge to it. Usually that meant she was angry.
"Not exactly." I replied, knowing we were getting into the heart of the matter now. I still couldn't quite bring myself to address it first.
"You might want to try and be exact." Yup, she was definitely angry.
"It was more so she could go on tour." I tried to make my explanation sound right. Ami's silence prompted me to keep talking. "She wanted me to go with her, I couldn't. I was needed here and she needed to go on tour. So we parted ways."
"She needed to go on tour." Ami's voice echoed my words back at me. There was a long pause where I could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she thought her way through it.
"She needed to go on tour." Ami repeated sounding dumbstruck, yet also like the last piece of the puzzle had slid into place. "Just like I needed to go to med school and Makoto needed to go to Paris after she got that job as an executive chef?"
This time I was the one who remained silent, caught a little off guard by the accusatory tone of her voice.
"You are an idiot of epic proportions, you know that?" Ami asked, I could hear her anger seething just below the surface. It had faded in her surprise and disbelief but now it was coming back with a vengeance. "Honestly, if you were here right now I'd slap you."
"Yeah. I'm pretty aware of that fact. But it needed to be done and we didn't all need to stick around, there wasn't much of a threat and you guys had things you wanted to do. I didn't. It made sense for me to be the one to stick around to take care of the problems that would arise." I told her, doing my best to explain what had happened. Or rather, why it had happened.
"Oh shut up Rei. You had things you wanted to do too. You didn't need to be the one to give up your dreams." Ami snapped at me.
"My father got sick, Ami. I couldn't just leave even if it was what I wanted to do." I replied, trying to keep a cool head. There was a soft noise from the other end of the phone, like a sigh. A murmur of agreement.
"Right. I'd forgotten about that." Ami acquiesced, sounding apologetic. "You still shouldn't have done that."
"I was the only one with a reason to stay, that made it the logical choice."
"So you just decided to take on all this responsibility by yourself? And keep it a secret from the rest of us?!" She demanded, her anger resurfacing with a vengeance.
"Not exactly." I replied, attempting to be as evasive as possible. I should have known better than that though. It was Ami, of course she would figure it out.
"It was Artemis and Luna wasn't it?" She asked me softly, this was the break in her anger; knowing that I hadn't reached this conclusion on my own.
"They were the ones who brought it up, they wanted to make sure the civilians were safe despite the fact we were all headed our separate ways. Ultimately it was my choice though."
"They were just the ones to talk you into it." Ami muttered, I could hear the anger in her voice but now it wasn't directed at me.
"It didn't take a lot of convincing, it was the right decision, Ami. I mean honestly, do you really think any of you would have left if you knew there was still a threat and I was staying behind to face it by myself? Of course you wouldn't. Every last one of you would have stayed, sacrificing your dreams so I wouldn't be alone... despite the fact I didn't need any goddamn help." I paused, taking a breath trying to cool the emotions that were rising within me. "I couldn't let you guys do that. So no, we didn't tell you. And I'm fucking glad."
"Rei. Thank you. Even if I hate you for doing this without talking to us... I appreciate it." Ami told me quietly, seeing the truth in my words; knowing that without that secret she, and the others, wouldn't have their current careers.
"Yeah, well, I'd say I'm sorry but I'm really not." I replied, with a shrug as I leaned back in my seat and rested my feet on my desk. Ami's laugh filtered through the phone.
"You are such an ass, you know that, right?" She asked me. I smiled at the ceiling, it had felt good to talk about it... I was still happy to be moving into less dangerous waters though.
"So you guys keep telling me."
MINAKO
Nearly a week had passed since our conversation and I still hadn't managed to meet up with Rei. I'd had every intention of tracking her down and spending some time with her before my engagement party but somehow all my plans kept falling though.
Makoto had laughed when I'd mentioned that Rei was rather elusive, then she'd explained that she was like that with everyone. Things had changed since university, a fact that Ami had done her best to elaborate on the matter. The gist of what she had said was that we weren't kids anymore, we had lives, jobs, and responsibilities to take care of... and those separate lives wouldn't always allow us to see each other.
Logically it made sense but there was a nagging doubt in the back of my mind that told me it was more serious than that, Ami had seemed far too invested in it for it to be casual. Either Ami was hiding something from me or Rei was purposefully avoiding me. I paused as I realized it could be both, and that was far from a comforting thought.
I pushed it from my mind, I was probably only getting suspicious because Rei wasn't able to attend my engagement party. Whatever was going on with Ami and Rei was likely related to job stress or something.
I leaned back against Kunzite's chest, we were curled up on the couch together. He was watching a movie of some sort while I worked on polishing one of my song's lyrics.
"You're awfully quiet." Kunzite commented, pausing the movie. "What's up?"
"Just thinking about my, our, friends." I replied, tapping my pen against the sheet of paper. He laughed.
"So much for a productive writing session." He grinned, poking me in the side. I rolled my eyes as he kept that adorably stupid look on his face. "What about our friends has you distracted?"
"Not much, just thinking about our engagement party. Our friends have never really been together before."
"Ah, don't worry about it. Neph and Zoi have it all planned out. They're not going to let us down. As for them meeting everyone else... I think as long as Jadeite behaves himself we'll be okay."
This time I was the one to laugh, last time Kunzite's friends had joined us at one of my shows we'd all ended up horribly drunk. It had been a lot of fun actually but the next morning had been filled with regret.
"I think we should keep him away from the bar at all costs. We don't want him talking the bartender into serving us shots."
"Aw, come on love, it'll be fun." Kunzite protested jokingly or so I hoped.
"If you want to make a fool of yourself in front of my friends be my guest. I'll get Mamoru to document the whole debacle. It will give him prime material for the best man speech."
"Our engagement party could never be a debacle. And when has Mamoru ever been up for blackmailing me? I don't recall him being that much fun, not since he and his princess got involved at least."
I found myself laughing, unable to explain to him why I found his choice of words so funny.
BERYL
I supposed my surprise was a bit of an overreaction considering who was funding this leg of my campaign... but seeing Rei this morning was not something I had expected. Or planned for. My assistant had only just briefly touched on who would be attending this mornings' banquet style fundraiser and I was fairly certain Rei's name had not been on it.
And yet here she was, sprawled out on the outer steps having a smoke... looking as though she'd rather be anywhere else. She gave me as small nod as my assistant and I approached, an older man nudging her to her feet. With a world weary groan she obeyed, rising up and dusting off her clothes. The man ignored her, instead turning his attention to my assistant.
"You'd be Naomi, I'd assume? I'm Cort Kendrick, PR manager for AED Corp. I believe we spoke on the phone?" He greeted with a smile and a firm handshake.
"Pleasure to finally meet you in person Mr. Kendrick." Naomi replied in a brisk tone, brushing aside his assurances that she could call him Cort... wanting nothing more thanto get the formalities out of the way as quickly as possible so we could discuss more important matters. "This is Senator Artair, as you've probably gathered."
I stepped forward to shake his hand, rather more interested in his companion... which he seemed to catch on to. His hand shake was brief as he gestured to Rei, causing her to step forward.
"This is Rei Hino, her father – the chairman – couldn't make it today but she was only too happy to take over for him." Kendrick explained.
"Only too happy." Rei muttered under her breath with a barely noticeable roll of her eyes, but never the less she stepped forward to greet me, pretending as if we'd never met before in our lives.
"Senator Artair, I've heard a lot of good things about you."
"Please, Ms. Hino, call me Beryl. It seems we're to be spending a fair amount of time together today, I'd hate for things to be formal."
"As you wish, Ma'am." Rei replied with the barest hint of humour in her eyes. Kendrick stifled a groan.
"What she means to say Senator, is that you're welcome to call her Rei." He corrected sounding slightly pained. Rei shrugged and returned to her smoke. I glanced to Naomi and gave her a nod, knowing she was waiting patiently to resume her business. Instantly she drew Mr Kendrick away, launching into a discussion about the event to come. I waited until they'd entered the building before returning my attention to Rei.
"Ma'am?" I questioned in teasing disbelief. Rei coughed lightly as she inhaled slightly too much smoke. "Really?"
"Sorry, that was more to annoy Cort than you. He's been driving me insane."
"You sound like you've been here for a while." I commented. Rei shrugged, nodding over my shoulder towards the road.
"The guys at the end of the alley... some of yours?" She questioned, something clearly setting her on edge.
I looked in the direction she'd indicated, catching sight of one of the men lingering at the mouth of the alley, a coffee and a newspaper in his hands. I smiled, raising a hand in a small wave which he returned.
"Yes, they're part of my security detail. Plain clothes to avoid suspicion... though clearly not doing a good enough job." I reassured her, watching as the two men had a quick conversation before melting into the background again.
"Not their fault I can't relax." Rei muttered, breathing out a mouthful of smoke.
"How did you pick them out?" I asked her, genuinely curious. I wasn't concerned by the fact she'd made part of my team... it wasn't like they were the only protection I had.
"Seemed a bit too intent on you. Well, that and they're obviously carrying – a gun a piece as far as I can tell and the bigger guy has at least one boot knife."
"How on earth do you know that?"
"Practice. The guns I'm still getting used to but knives? That's old news. You pick that up pretty quick when your life depends on it."
I hummed softly in answer, remembering just how her life had been in the old world. I hadn't really comprehended what effect those memories would have on her in this life. But here we were...
"I take it this kind of thing is old news to you by now?" Rei prompted, jerking her head in the direction my assistant and the PR manager had gone.
"What, fundraisers?" I asked. Rei shook her head.
"Public speaking." She commented with a faint smirk. I laughed.
"Pretty much." I told her. "Being a politician gets you rather accustomed to it."
"Least you've got plenty of experience." Rei commented, adjusting her sleeves after she stubbed out her cigarette.
"Are you nervous?" I asked, genuinely curious. Her laugh told me that she wasn't.
"I might hate it but it doesn't make me nervous. I just find it insanely tedious."
"You seem to find a lot tedious."
"Not a lot. Just people." Rei told me with a faint grin, a hint of sarcasm gracing her tone. I laughed, shaking my head. We stood in silence for a few moments, each wrapped up in our own thoughts. Personally I was searching for another topic of conversation I thought Rei would play along with, I wanted to learn more about her – get to know what made her tick. Eventually my brain settled on something she might go for.
"Why are you working in a bar? I was curious the first time we met, though I forgot to ask." I prompted.
"Oh really?" Rei questioned, seeming honestly amused by that but her good humour faded as she started explaining. "My father is the reason I'm here at all, he got sick and needed someone to take over some of his duties; I'm practically a messenger. I was already involved peripherally, working at one of the smaller businesses as it allowed me some freedom regarding my hours. After he got ill, I just ended up taking more and more on."
"But you must have had a dream? Something you wanted to do with your life? I remember you being so... determined, nothing would sway you from your chosen path.
"My chosen path is to look after the others, even if they don't really remember me. It's the only thing I can do..." She replied with a shrug of her shoulders. I nodded in understanding.
"You've always felt a sense of responsibility. You see war, conflict, and injustice, and you want to get involved. You want to help resolve those issues in the most peaceful way possible."
Rei looked at me, her eyes indecipherable but then she let out a sigh.
"Yes. That's why it was so easy to give up what I wanted to do. I knew pursuing my whims would piss off everyone around me. They'd be worried, they'd think..."
"That you were running away from them. From your duty." I stated. Again she nodded, this time her jaw clenched and I realized we were stepping in to dangerous territory. I decided to steer the conversation back in its original direction. "So you decided to run a night club? I have to say, it's not what I was expecting but it suits you, oddly enough."
Rei let out a relieved sounding laugh.
"Yeah?" She asked, quirking a brow.
"Yes. You provide a sanctuary and I would say that is very like you. In the past, you wanted nothing more than to shelter those you loved. No matter how it affected you. This doesn't seem to have changed... only now you offer different kinds of shelter."
Rei shrugged, then we both looked up as my assistant approached us; she looked far more cautious than I felt the situation warranted. Rei straightened as she glanced at her cell while I did the same. It was time to get this show on the road.
REI
I stepped out in front of the gathering, preparing to address them on my father's behalf. He had completely funded this leg of her campaign and made a substantial donation to some of the charities she supported, it was all a ploy on his part to curry favour with the one most likely to rise to power.
And while I knew from experience that Beryl was the best choice I couldn't help but be annoyed with him over this. If I was speaking on my own behalf this speech wouldn't be a problem but I was speaking for him and his company. My father wanted to show his support for her but not for her politics. He was still a traditionalist at heart while Beryl... she was innovative and revolutionary.
I cleared my throat.
"Well, seeing how my father shelled out a lot of money to fund this gathering, I guess it's up to me to give the introduction to the good Senator." I paused, giving a bit of a wry grin; drawing a few chuckles from the crowd.
"My father, Masaru Hino – the CEO of AED Corporation, has always prided himself on his pragmatism. He would say that this gesture is not about politics but about the future. That being said, he and his company's values may not always align with the popular politics, that is to say with Senator Beryl Artair's politics... but this is not about political parties or stances; rather it is about who is best for our nation at this point in time."
I hesitated slightly, glancing over at Beryl; she was very obviously trying to avoid commenting on the speech I was having to give. To her, it was obvious that I was practically gagging the bullshit that was coming out of my mouth.
My Father wanted nothing more than to have a Senator in his pocket.. and Beryl was, by all accounts, the best bet. She was rapidly rising in the polls and he figured he might as well take a gamble – he would have to support someone with opposing views to his own, and risk getting called out on it.. But he was a shrewd man and, as a former politician, he knew how to turn any situation to his advantage.
"AED may disagree with Senator Artair on several key issues but my father, as well as the board of directors, have vowed to overlook those discrepancies and dedicate their time, money, and assets to bringing about the next great era."
I looked back to Beryl who was standing just out of the crowd's sight off stage, I gestured in her direction indicating for her to join me. The cheers started before I even began the introduction.
"Senator Beryl Artair will be the one to lead us towards that bright future." I finished, stepping away from the stand and Beryl stepped on to the stage to thunderous applause.
To be perfectly honest, she didn't seem as composed as when I had last seen her. She looked ready to burst out laughing at my word choice as I stepped over to shake her hand.
"Well, that was inspiring." She commented as we grasped hands, her other hand coming to rest against my upper arm. I smirked.
"What can I say? It was scripted. Don't expect such eloquence in the future." I told her. She laughed, giving my hand a final shake before we parted ways and I stepped down off the stage. Now it was time for her to work her magic, bringing back all that charisma, seduction, and sway from her past self into the future.
Yes, Beryl certainly was a force to be reckoned with.
LUNA
I watched the TV in stunned disbelief, the political coverage on the news had shown Rei and the Senator at a rally of some sort. Artemis had told me that Rei had seen Beryl, and that she hadn't denied it, but he'd made it sound as if their meeting was a fluke – some freak accident that would never happen again.
And yet, here I was. Watching the two of them on TV.
Even with my suspicion of Rei I'd never expected this, her open support and easy camaraderie with Beryl was baffling. Rei and Beryl interacted like they'd know each other forever, the looks that passed between them hinted that there was more going on between them than just a political endorsement.
I found my hand shaking as I lifted the remote and turned off the TV. There was only one explanation for this, Rei had lied to Artemis's face when he'd asked her about what she and Beryl had spoken about.
If Rei was willing to lie to us about this, to betray us like this, I needed to find some way to lessen her impact on the course of events. I needed to get the others up to speed as soon as possible, preferably with them having little interaction with Rei. We couldn't let her lead them astray, we had a mission that needed to be completed.
I sighed, burying my head in my hands, trying to think of how to achieve this. I needed to get a hold of the others without Rei knowing and without the others getting suspicious of her absence. I needed a plan.
BERYL
Time dragged on as I fielded questions from the press and my donors. At one point, Rei and I had been dragged off for a photo op orchestrated by one of our entourages – I couldn't be sure whose. Both parties saw the advantage of making our meeting and interaction as public as possible. Rei had joined us with a look of annoyance, doing her best to keep a pleasant expression on her face for as much as it she could. In the end all she could conjure was a rueful grimace.
Rei slipped away from us the moment an opportunity presented itself, leaving me along with the other company reps and investors. I smiled at her when I caught her eye from across the room, I was pleasantly surprised that she hadn't completely abandoned the event... at least yet. I knew it was coming but I hoped she'd stick around for a while, I enjoyed her company – still finding her an enthralling presence.
Cort, however, was not as permissive of Rei's behaviour as I was; dragging her back into the thick of the gathering. Almost instantly one of the reporters latched on to her.
"Looking at the difference in political opinion between your father and the Senator, is it true that Masaru Hino didn't come today to distance himself from this event as much as possible?" He asked, Rei seemed a bit caught off guard by the question.
"If my father could be here today he would be." Rei replied diplomatically with barely any hesitation.
"That doesn't answer my question." The reporter pointed out, angling for some elaboration on her part.
"That's odd, it didn't really sound like a question. It sounded more like an accusation meant to stir up controversy for some hatchet job you hope will bulk up your portfolio." Rei commented, with a smile in place. "So let me make this clear, my father was unable to attend because he's ill. Which I believe I addressed in my introduction. Now, if you don't have any intelligent questions... please leave."
The reporter gaped for a second then cleared his throat... clearly flustered. I glanced in Mr. Kendrick's direction, he wasn't stepping in just yet.
"Uh. Do you have any comments how the company's direction will change now that it's sponsored the Senator's campaign?"
"Is that question really asking 'will the company start to align itself more closely with the political left's ideals?" Rei asked with a sigh. There was a pause... and as it grew in length Rei grumbled.
"I'll take that as a yes." Rei muttered. "AED Corp has always been a company that will look to the betterment of the community and nation as a whole, Senator Artair's political agenda aligns quite closely with that bottom line despite the apparent differences."
Mr. Kendrick gave a slight nod to Rei as she basically regurgitated the speech they'd written for her earlier.
"And how do you, as the heir to the AED empire, see this endorsement of Senator Artair? And how does it fit in with where you're going to lead the company?" Came the next question, Rei's expression turned steely, despite maintaining an outwardly friendly appearance. Mr Kendrick immediately began shouldering his way towards her, looking slightly panicked.
"I'm afraid I haven't thought much on the direction I'd take the company, I've been rather wrapped up in making sure that doesn't have to happen." Rei informed him coolly.
"And your thoughts on Senator Artair? As the heir to AED, I mean?" The reporter pushed, Rei only smiled, a rigid expression on her face.
"I can only repeat what I said earlier; this is not about political parties or stances; rather it is about what is best for our nation at this point in time."
"Ms. Hino, sorry to interrupt; you're needed for another..." Kendricks interrupted and immediately Rei was ducking out of the conversation. I started to move in her direction but was brought up short as my cellphone buzzed. I pulled it out as Rei stepped back into the gathering around me, it consisted of mostly AED reps and my own campaign staff at the moment. I noticed that she was mirroring my movement, pulling her own phone out.
When I finally concentrated on the screen I was brought up short, the insistent flashing of the screen was warning me of another incursion. I looked up, meeting Rei's eyes as she pocketed her own device. There was a conflicted look on her face, like she was torn between elation and resignation. When she caught me looking she shrugged.
And then Kendrick was beside her.
"Well, at least you didn't do too much damage." He told her. "You did mostly stick to the script, after all. Any fallout will be your business and not the company's."
"Yes, Cort, Thank god for that." Rei gritted out as she rolled her eyes. One of the AED representatives was looking ready to draw her into a conversation or a lecture.
"Now, as much as I'd love to stick around – we all know I'm lying so I'll cut the pretense." Rei addressed the AED representatives in a bored sounding tone, I nearly laughed. I'd been having trouble picturing her interacting with any sort of businessmen but here we were. "Now, if there's nothing pressing... I'll get on my way and deal with things that are actually important. Unlike this pathetic posturing you're doing."
With a flick of her eyes in my directions she bid me farewell and was on he way, leaving her companions standing there looking aghast. Kendrick managed to compose himself and turned to face me.
"I apologize for Ms. Hino, she's rather..." He fumbled for words. "Driven?"
"There's no reason to apologize, I'm certain she has more important matters to attend to." I replied diplomatically, trying to hide my amusement. I glanced down at my cell and texted Rei. Let me know how it goes.
REI
After dealing with the shadow, I'd had to return home before doing anything else. I'd managed to thoroughly trash my clothes, understandable considering they were made for photo ops and over the top gatherings... Normally my attire was far more durable or better at hiding the damage.
I walked into the club and found my assistant was hovering anxiously. Ren had latched on to me the moment I'd set foot in the establishment.
"I've been trying to reach you all day. You're four hours late, you were supposed to be here at noon." She stated, her tone admonishing. I glanced over.
"I was busy." I replied curtly.
"Obviously not with anything work related. " She muttered. "You've been disappearing on us so often lately. Where do you go?"
"Nowhere in particular."
She rolled her eyes.
"You know I hate it when you're evasive." She told me. I did my best to ignore the faint hint of worry in her tone. I did better if I didn't let myself get attached to anyone.
"You said you were trying to get a hold of me..." I said, hoping she'd tell me what all the fuss was about. It would distract her from asking too many questions.
"Oh right." She said before taking a deep breath. It would seem there was a long anecdote involved. Inwardly I winced, this issue would take a fair amount of time to resolve properly if the breath was anything to judge by. I reached out and laid a finger on her lips before she could speak. She met my eyes, a surprised look on her face.
"The short story please." I requested. "I want to get this sorted out as soon as possible."
I could almost see her brain whirling away in her head, trying to sort out the short story for me. After a moment she nodded and I removed my finger.
"We doubled booked the VIP area." She told me. I felt my heart sink in my chest.
"What?" I groaned.
"It's not my fault we can't read your writing." She retorted. I shook my head, making my way to my office. She trailed behind me.
"What time does your party get here?" I asked sharply, sitting down at my desk and leafing through the paperwork.
"They wanted the area from ten until closing time." Ren replied, her voice meek. I gave a distracted nod, checking the time slots for tonight. The group I'd booked weeks ago wanted a sedate evening with wine tasting, an open bar, and fancy decorations. They had booked the rooms from the moment we opened until about nine thirty. Usually we didn't have two parties in a single evening... in fact it was practically a rule. Hosting two events in a single night put severe strain on the establishment... or rather the establishment's employees. We provided quality service and catered to their every need. There was only so much of that ass-kissing we could manage in an evening.
I sighed, knowing that it was unlikely I could convince either group to reschedule. I guess I'd have to break the rule and do my best to personally pick up the slack. I was positive that most of my employees would be exhausted by the time the second party arrived.
"Provided we open up the VIP area earlier than normal we can have the previous booking in and out before they arrive and still allow a bit of time for clean up. We'll hold your party in the regular seating area until we're done. A few complementary drinks should smooth over the delay." I muttered, scribbling down notes. I glanced over at Ren.
"Did they request any speciality catering?" I questioned.
"Appetizers and desserts, nothing too difficult. They're having dinner before they come here. This is just where they're having the bulk of the party." She told me. I nodded, finally grateful for the connections my father's company gave me. I could just coerce one of my father's other business managers to take on that work in their kitchens.
"Anything else important?" I asked. "Any special decorations? Any other requests?"
"They wanted another bartender on duty to attend to their needs specifically rather than using the others on staff. They're willing to pay the hourly wage for the extra person but..." Her apprehensive tone let me know what she was about to say.
"Let me guess... we don't have any people available." I prompted. She shook her head. I ran a hand through my long hair and gave a sigh. "Fucking holiday season."
There was a moment of silence as I thought about who I could call. Nobody came to mind. My normal go-to-guy was out of the country on a much deserved vacation. I knew what had to happen.
"I can stay late tonight, I'll take over those duties." I told her with a sigh. She nodded, the meek expression returning.
"Sorry." She whispered. I glanced over, she looked visibly upset.
"No. It's no big deal really. Shit happens." I told her. She was doing her best and I obviously hadn't been much help today. "I should have been here. It's not your fault."
She looked comforted by my words, a smile grew slowly on her face.
"Would have helped if somebody had returned my calls." She told me pointedly. I sighed and shook my head, unable to help the smile that came to match hers.
"Sorry about that." I told her, leaning back in my seat. She sat down on my desk.
"Where do you go, anyway?" She asked with curiosity and concern in her eyes and voice.
"What if I told you I was out saving the world?" I replied, a teasing tone entering my voice as I tried to play it off as a joke. She rolled her eyes again.
"Forget I asked." She told me, looking a bit disappointed with me as she pushed herself off my desk. There was a pause. A devilish grin crossed her face as she looked back at me. I always hated it when I saw that look. It meant she had finally worked up the courage to be a smart ass.
"Well, at least if you were saving the world you'd be getting some play. Any kind of action would be welcome at this point, yeah?" Ren quipped before leaving my office, shutting the door behind her. I sighed, I had been unable to come up with a retort for that one.
I shook my head again before looking down at my notes, I reached for my phone, deciding that I should probably get the catering situation sorted out before I started on anything else. The rest would fall into place as long as we kept our heads, the food however, needed tending to. Our kitchen staff were overworked on a normal night, the holiday season was complete hell for us. A profitable hell... but hell just the same.
I dialled the cell number for one of my associates... well, the only associate I could actually call my friend. He was probably one of the few good things that had happened through my interactions with my father's company. I waited as the phone rang. A lazy voice answered.
"Kade speaking."
"Hey." I greeted. I could hear a soft chuckle on the other end of the line.
"Now what on earth has you phoning?" He asked. I could tell he had a huge grin on his face. How someone like him got involved with my father, I'd never know.
"I need a favour actually." I told him, tracing my fingers along the rim of the water glass that rested on my desk.
"What could someone such as yourself need from a humble restaurant owner like myself." He said. I rolled my eyes.
"The attempt at modesty isn't doing you any good, seeing as I already know you're a self-absorbed son of a bitch. You own one of the best restaurants in the city and you won't let anyone forget it, so cut the crap." I grumbled. There was another laugh.
"That's high praise coming from you, Rei. You must really need that favour. Plus, the way I hear it... My restaurant's status as the city's best may be under fire. You seem to be building up some pretty decent competition with that chef friend of yours."
"Officially, I have nothing to do with that." I told him seriously, glancing at the ceiling.
"Of course. But off the books, you gave that friend of yours the start up loan for her business. Bet your father wasn't too thrilled you were helping the competition." Kade said conversationally. I didn't even bother to ask where he was getting his information.
"He still doesn't know. And, by the way, our relationship is really none of your business... and neither are my spending habits." I told Kade, trying my hardest to keep the disdain out of my voice. The mere thought of my father put me on edge.
Kade and I were a part of what my father called the 'next generation'. We were a necessary evil in his eyes, we may have upset the professional atmosphere of his empire but we were needed to keep his businesses up to date. We gave him an edge over his competition; some part of me wondered if this was the only reason he even bothered to keep me around... even after that talk with Silas.
"It's really entertaining though. Seeing you and your father interact is like watching a train crash play out." Kade stated, definitely trying to make light of the situation... probably realizing he'd brought up a sore subject. My father and I didn't have the best relationship... which probably did provide some level of entertainment for assholes like Kade.
"I'll buy you tickets to our next meeting." I replied testily, my relationship with my father was the emotional equivalent of a roller-coaster ride and I did not like talking about it. As much as I liked Kade, he was goddamned annoying at times. "Now can we get on with business?"
"Sure thing, love." He replied. If we were in the same room I would have punched the grin off his face. I shook my head, part of me wondered why I hadn't phoned one of the other people in my father's 'empire'. Most of them were still from my father's generation and they would have simply asked what the hell I needed and hung up once we resolved the issue. With a barely concealed growl I explained the problem. There was silence on the other end of the line.
"You do realize what time of year it is, don't you?" He asked, his tone serious for once.
"Yes, I know it's nearly Christmas, but you still owe me for the Valentine's day fiasco last year. I figured I'd give you something equally challenging to cope with. Oh, and I want you to know I still haven't forgiven you for that." I reminded him. Kade and I tended to rely on one another when we fucked up business wise. It kept our issues under my father's radar. This relationship between Kade and I was the real reason I hadn't called someone from the older generation. I knew he wouldn't throw me to the wolves.
"Fine. I'll get it done for you. But this makes us even, okay?" Kade replied, clearly thinking along the same lines as me. If my father never got wind of our mistakes he let us have free reign over our businesses... and neither of us wanted that to change. We didn't need someone looking over our shoulders all the time.
"Sure thing Kade. Just so long as you don't pull that Valentine's day stunt again."
"I won't promise anything." He told me, I could tell he had a stupid grin on his face again. The bastard.
"Yeah, whatever. Talk to you later." I replied, hanging up, not really caring if he was joking or not. I'd sort out that shit later.
I tossed my cellphone down on my desk, rubbing a hand along my face slowly. There was a knock on my office door.
"Come in." I growled. I just wanted five minutes of quiet before I dealt with more people. It just didn't seem realistic though.
Ren eased the door open, slipping into my office. In one hand she held a sheaf of paperwork – the other held a mug of tea. A peace offering no doubt.
"I'm going to murder that boyfriend of yours." I grumbled, she smiled at me as she set the mug down on my desk before handing over the paperwork.
"You always say that." She replied placatingly. "Now I believe its time for you to deal with the payroll."
"I really should just have you do it. I'm training you to become the general manager anyway."
"You'd have to authorize my signature on those forms and the banks and head office are closed already. Maybe next time boss." She replied, her answer sounding far to quick for my liking.
"If I didn't know better I'd say you didn't want to deal with the extra work." I grumbled.
"What can I say? I love having your charming personality here as much possible." She retorted. I chuckled. Between her and Kade it was really hard to stay angry.
I walked into the VIP room and prepared for a very long night when I heard a very familiar laugh. I looked over, Minako was standing talking to Ami and the others. They caught sight of me before I had a chance to duck back out of the room, Minako beamed when her eyes met mine. I knew she wasn't smiling for the reasons I wanted, but seeing that look... well, I'd take it.
"Rei, I can't believe you made it." She exclaimed happily, coming over to give me a hug. I returned it, unable to refuse her anything.
"I didn't realize this was your party." I replied. Minako looked confused. I gave a bit of a wry smile as I explained. "This is... well, where I work."
"You work... in a club?" She asked, looking even more confused. Ami jumped in to explain.
"Technically she owns and manages this establishment along with a wide array of other business holdings and firms." Ami said. Minako's eyes flicked over to me again, this time there was worry in them.
"This is your father's doing... isn't it?" She asked. I shrugged.
"Mostly mine actually. I had nothing better to do."
"But you wanted to..." I shook my head, I hadn't had a dream in a long time. There were some things you just had to give up on.
"Nah. I was needed elsewhere and the work here is rewarding enough; I'm actually rather good at it." I told her, avoiding the specifics. I didn't need to add that everything I did here was just so she could be happy a little while longer.
"Massive understatement." Ami murmured under her breath. Minako laughed, laying her hand against my arm. I gave Ami an exasperated look, unable to believe she'd even hint at my extra curricular activities near Minako.
"All she means to say is that I've gotten them all incredibly drunk before. I'm especially talented working the bar... which is what I'm 'supposed' to be doing right now actually." I replied with a forced laugh; taking the opportunity to extract myself from an increasingly painful moment. Her familiarity with me after everything that had happened between us was making this harder than it should have. I'd broken up with her, not the other way around. I shouldn't have felt as betrayed as I did. "Anyone want a drink?"
I certainly did.
Ami joined me at the bar as I prepared the drinks, surprising me with her silence. I'd thought that she'd want to talk about what was going on but apparently she was letting me have my space. It was then I noticed that I could hear one of the waitresses leading someone into the VIP area.
Ami bit down on her lip, giving me a sympathetic glance. I sighed, knowing that Minako's fiance had just arrived. I did my best to swallow my pride and emotions... I was supposed to be civil to him. He was what Minako wanted. She had chosen him. I'd had my chance and I fucked it up.
Minako's face lit up as she realized who was walking in, she reached down and took my hand, threading our fingers together. It was like getting punched in the stomach, it left me feeling weak and in need of air. And she was very clearly unaware of what that action did to me. I did my best to smile at seeing her so happy, I just wished that it didn't hurt so much.
"I want you to meet my fiance." Minako told me. I nodded, turning around as I responded to her guidance. I came face to face with someone very familiar. Confusion and anger reigned supreme before I could pull the emotions back. It wouldn't be good if Minako caught wind of them. "Rei, this is..."
"Kunzite." I stated, unable to stop myself from saying his name as I tried to recover from the shock of seeing him. His eyes jerked up to my face upon hearing my voice, his face froze slightly.
A distant look entered his eyes. I watched the momentary look of confusion cross his face before recognition dawned on him. It was then I realized that he hadn't remembered anything until now.
The last vestiges of anger at him drained away, they were replaced with a simmering resentment for Queen Serenity. She couldn't even let me hate them in peace, she had stripped them of everything that made me hate them.
"Rei." He choked out, sounding bewildered.
"You two know each other?" Minako asked, looking surprised.
"We've known each other a long time." I replied, doing my best to hide the darkness in my tone, my eyes never leaving Kunzite's face. He look a little unnerved. I glanced over at Minako.
"Mind giving us a little time to catch up?" I asked her. She nodded, still looking a little astounded. She left the two of us and went back to talking to Makoto and Ami. I turned my gaze to Kunzite, motioning to the door.
He looked a little pale as he turned around, I followed him from the VIP area before showing him the way outside.
We stepped out into the alleyway.
"Is this where you kill me?" Kunzite asked in a low voice. Quite honestly he sounded scared. I looked over at him, leaning back against the building. I shook my head.
"No." I replied.
"Why not?" He asked, I reached into my back pocket and fished out my pack of smokes. I offered him one, he took it. His hand shook only slightly. I lit my cigarette and tossed him the lighter. He continued as I took a drag of my smoke. "I mean, I saw your face when you first looked at me. It looked like you wanted to tear out my heart with your bare hands."
I sighed, letting the lit cigarette dangle between my fingers.
"I won't kill you because she got to you too. I don't know how she did but... somehow it happened. Even if it shouldn't have."
"What are you talking about?" Kunzite asked, taking a puff of his smoke as he handed the lighter back to me. Some of the colour was returning to his face.
"Queen Serenity." I said lowly. "I could see in your eyes that you only just remembered everything. None of the others can remember anything. Well, that's not exactly true. It's just what they do remember is false."
Kunzite rubbed a hand over his eyes.
"Shit." He swore, looking like he was going to be sick. I remembered feeling that way when I first got my memories back. The onslaught of events and emotions made everything feel unreal. It was like going insane. Sometimes I still felt like that.
"Keep smoking. It helps." I told him, he needed something else to concentrate on or he could get lost in the memories. That... or get violently ill.
"Is that all real?" He asked, after a few minutes of steady smoking. I nodded. He leaned his head back against the wall. Suddenly his eyes widened and his head jerked around so he could face me.
"Beryl?" He asked frantically. I flicked the remainder of my cigarette onto the ground, stepping on it. I nodded.
"Yeah, it's all real." I told him, thinking back to my earlier meeting with Beryl. Somehow being around her made me feel vaguely guilty and almost... at home. She was so understanding, she didn't blame us for anything, she just wanted our help making things right. It was help I was feeling more and more inclined to provide.
"That's not what I was asking. Did she come back as well?" He questioned. I nodded again.
"Ran into her a few nights ago, though I've known of her existence for a bit longer. Take a look at the political section of the news when you get a chance." I told him. "Long story short...She's looking for you and the others and she remembers everything."
There was silence between us for a few minutes. Kunzite took the last few drags of his smoke before tossing it on to the pavement next to mine. We both watched the glowing ember for a few seconds.
"What happens now?" He asked me, there was a faint trace of a smile. "You'd be the one to ask, right?"
I shrugged, unable to crack a smile at his attempt at humour.
"I don't exactly know. We're all different people now." I replied, glancing back at the door... towards Minako. "Things change."
"Shit." Kunzite swore again, catching my look. It looked like his world was crashing down again. "Shit. I'm so sorry. Gods above, it's just... I was drawn to her, you know? I..."
"Kunzite, shut up. You're rambling." I ordered sharply, forgetting myself for a moment. His eyes met mine, he was looking like a deer in the headlights. He drew in a few steadying breaths, responding to the dangerously commanding tone of my voice.
"I'm not normally like this, you know?" He said, leaning over a bit as he calmed himself.
"I know." I told him. He looked back up at me.
"Rei... why aren't you two together? I mean, you were always so protective of her. What happened?"
I shook my head. I couldn't explain it. I didn't know how to. I knew my reasons for letting her go but I didn't know her reasons for not wanting to stay. Or come back to me.
I paused, thinking back on Kunzite's words. Anger swelled in me, remembering how they had been drawn to Minako in the past. They had tried to use her against me.
"Wait. When you say you were drawn to her...?" I started warningly. I focused on Kunzite, feeling warmth rise in the palms of my hands. Fire was beginning to spread towards my finger tips. Kunzite caught the look on my face, he backed off a bit raising his hands slightly. He was trying to put some distance between us.
"No. Wait. It wasn't like that. I never wanted to hurt her. It's just... it felt like I knew her. And I always was attracted to..." His voice trailed off as I raised an eyebrow, letting the fire fade from my hand. He had always been attracted to her? That was news to me. News that made me want to punch him just for the satisfaction it would give me.
"I can't believe you haven't killed me yet." He stated in disbelief, looking annoyed with himself.
"I can't kill you, as much I as I would have wanted to, that would upset Minako and I can't hurt her like that. You are her fiance after all, she loves you." I muttered, trying not to let my voice betray the pain I felt. Kunzite met my eyes.
"What do we tell them?"
I shook my head. I didn't know. I'd been trying to tell them about all the things I remembered for years. There had never been time though. Well, there had been time but never the right time. There was never a time where I'd thought they would believe me.
"How long have you remembered this past for?" He asked, very obviously trying not to let silence fall between us.
"Almost my whole life." I replied, giving a shrug. "And I still can't figure out how to bring up the topic with them.
I paused for a moment, shaking my head softly. I was almost disgusted with my lack of initiative but...
"They all seem so happy with the edited version of events. There was never a good time." I gave a heavy sigh. "And I don't think there ever will be."
Kunzite shook his head. I looked back towards the club.
"We should probably get back in there." I told him. "She'll be missing you."
"So what do we say when they ask how we know each other?" He asked me. I looked over.
"You're a music producer or something right? We can say we met at a publicity event." I told him. He fought back a grin, it was close enough to to the truth. Our first meeting had been about political alliances, it had been all about making good impressions and marketing yourself. That sounded close enough to what we both did now. We would be able to make this farce work until we could figure something else out.
"Wait. Rei... in this life, what are you?" He asked me, grabbing my arm. He let go quickly, as if remembering that I didn't like people in my personal space.
"A politician's daughter." I replied edgily. "We both have a lot of practice at putting on a good show... huh?"
Kunzite shrugged, looking increasingly thoughtful. I had the feeling it was the same look I wore when I drew too many parallels between this world and the old world.
"Some things never really change, do they?" He asked, following me back inside. Once we were inside, I felt him place a hand on my shoulder.
"She talks about you a lot." He said, softly. "A lot more than she does any of the others. I just thought you should know that."
"Fuck you." I replied, unable to find it in myself to thank him for telling me. There was still a lingering animosity between us... at least from my perspective.
AN: That's it for this chapter folks. Well, not really because I got fed up with how long it was getting and decided to chop it into two 'shorter' chapters... so this work of sixteen chapters has now become an ordeal of seventeen (and potentially still growing..?). Also, this chapter is for all those who reviewed/messaged me to get my shit in line and get back to work on this. Thanks for that, it's what I needed. Cheers - KR
