A/N Hey, hey! It's that time again. I'm not going to bore you with a lot of rambling this time, so I'm going to get straight to the point. ***WARNING*** Lot's of fluff ahead! There's no action really in this chapter, but there is the usual mix of comedy, drama, and tons of awe moments with some of our favorite couples. There's some stuff about the younger generation, but this chappie is centered more around Sere/Dare, Scout/Generals, and Jess/Drew. Okay, nuff said. Huggie time! BIG HUGS TO:

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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 300+ Reviews! I don't believe it. I don't think even Lunar Princess hit this many reviews this early on. I'm so happy I could…I could…well I don't know exactly what. Let's just say I'm dancing in my seat. Okay, I said I wasn't going to babble. Moving on!

ENJOY!

The Galactic Trinity

Chapter 13

Sometimes the Past Comes Back

"This better be good!" Jadeite growled as he walked into Andrew's office above the arcade. "I can't believe you called me before dawn on a Sunday morning, Darien. I was sleeping good."

Darien turned from the window where he had been watching the early morning sunlight begin to spread over the city. He glowered darkly at the complaining man. "Sit down and shut up, Jadeite!"

Stunned, Jadeite sat quickly in the closest chair he could find. It wasn't often that his prince's reincarnation issued orders. In fact, Darien had treated his generals more as friends rather than subordinates since he had used the Golden Crystal to free their souls from those damn rocks Beryl had locked them up in. But looking at the ebony haired man now, he looked every bit the proud prince of Earth he once was.

The blonde general looked around at the three other men that were sitting and received shrugs from all of them. It seemed that none of them had a clue as to what was troubling Darien any more than he did.

Kunzite was the first to speak up. "Is something troubling you, my prince?"

A slight grin turned up the corners of Darien's mouth. "Don't start with that royalty bullshit, Kunzite! I've asked you here as your friend, not as your past prince or future king."

"But something is wrong. I sensed a change in the stars last night," Nephrite stated.

Jadeite nodded. "Raye sensed something too. She wasn't sure what the fire was trying to tell her, but it disturbed her."

"Does this have anything to do with why Amy was on the phone with Serena at three this morning?" Zoicite inquired. "She seemed upset about something, but she wouldn't say what. Then she practically pushed me out the door to come to this meeting. What's going on?"

The door opened quietly as Andrew slipped in with a pot of coffee and six cups. He began filling them and passing them around.

Darien accepted his cup and then sighed. There was no easy way to break this news. "There was an…altercation at the park last night."

"What kind of altercation? Why weren't we called?" Kunzite demanded.

Darien held up a hand. "Just hear me out on this, okay. Just after midnight last night Serena got a call from Amy. The Mercury computer had picked up on some negative activity at the park. It wasn't very strong so we decided to check it out. Serena, Andrew, and I, along with our kids and Emma and Skye transformed and went to the park. When we got there we found people unconscious on the ground with their energy drained."

"But that would suggest a youma attack!" Zoicite exclaimed. "That's impossible! There aren't any more youma."

"That's right," Nephrite confirmed. "All of Beryl's youma were destroyed when Serena defeated Metallia years ago. And Jess took out all of Discord's youma when we fought him."

"Maybe he started making new ones to help him fight," Jadeite mused.

"But that doesn't make any sense," Kunzite interjected. "His guardians and sentinels are more powerful than mere youma. So if his army is being depleted you would think that he would make more of them. Unless he's using the youma as a distraction. But why would he be stealing energy? What use would he have for it?"

"Discord's not the one behind this, at least not directly," Andrew replied in a cool voice. "We ran into the responsible party and had a nice little chat. Didn't we, Dare? Stop beating around the bush and tell them. They have the right to know."

Darien ran agitated fingers through his hair. "I know! I'm just trying to find the best way to put it."

"Just come right out and say it," Jadeite told him. "Honesty's the best policy, you know. We're all big boys here. We can handle whatever you throw at us. Anyway, it's not like you're going to tell us Beryl's returned from the grave or anything like that."

Darien's face paled at his words, catching the attention of the four men. They stared at him in shock.

"That's not what you're trying to say, is it?" Zoicite asked hoarsely.

"Of course he's not!" Nephrite scoffed. "That bitch died years ago!"

"Darien?" Kunzite asked in concern a he watched a myriad of emotions cross his prince's face. "Is that what you're trying to tell us?"

"I saw her," Darien finally said softly. "That red headed witch stood right in front of me with a grin on her face like she was a kid on Christmas morning. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

"But how is that possible?" Zoicite asked. "She was defeated by the Silver Crystal. Nobody can just come back to life after that."

"Discord did it somehow," Darien told them. "He found some way to revive Metallia and then Metallia resurrected Beryl. Now she has been set loose on the Earth once again and she's bent on revenge."

Jadeite smacked a fist into his palm. "Well we're just going to have to defeat her. It's as simple as that. It shouldn't be too hard to do. After all, she doesn't have us this time and there are a lot more of us than there used to be. Not to mention that you have the Golden Crystal back in your possession and Serena is definitely more powerful than she was the last time you faced her."

Darien shook his head. "I don't think it will be as easy as you think. She's received some kind of power boost from Discord that has made her stronger than ever. Serena and I tried to take her out last night, but she disappeared before we could."

"So we'll gang up on her," Nephrite declared. "She may be more powerful than before, but even she can't take all of us at once."

"I want you guys to sit this one out," Darien said firmly.

This brought a loud round of protests from his guard.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"No way!"

"You can't be serious!"

"Have you lost your mind?"

Darien shut out their arguments as he thought back to the night before.

***FLASHBACK***

"Back off, you witch!" Sailor Moon screamed at Beryl. "I kicked your ass before and I'll do it again!"

Beryl just smirked. "Do you really think so, Serenity? We'll see how tough you talk when you're lying dead at my feet and I cut the Silver Crystal from your corpse. I haven't given up on that yet. That crystal will be mine!"

She had lunged at Sailor Moon so fast that Tuxedo Mask barely had time to react. He grabbed Sailor Moon tightly against him and used his power to throw up a barrier around them.

Beryl jumped back with a snarl. Then a feral grin twisted her lips. "Well, well, Endymion. It seems that you have managed to regain the Golden Crystal since the last time we were together. I'm impressed. Of course I never held that lack of power against you when you were serving me. We had some fun times planning the death of that little moon tramp and her stupid little scouts, didn't we? Things would have turned out nicely if you had just killed her like I told you to instead of protecting her. We could have been a powerful couple and ruled the world together."

"This bitch is plumb crazy!" Sailor Callisto growled. "And that dress is way too revealing for a walking skeleton like her."

Beryl's reddish brown eyes swung to her. "You have a big mouth, girl! You will address me as Queen Beryl and nothing else."

"In your dreams!" Callisto said with a laugh. "Let's see how you do with this. Static Shock!"

A hailstorm of electrically charged stars rained down from the sky. Beryl teleported out of the line of fire and appeared behind the mint green suited scout.

"Callisto! Duck!" Sailor Ishtar yelled as a golden bow and arrow appeared in her hands. She took aim at the red haired witch as Callisto hit the ground. "Cupid's Arrow!" Her aim was true as she shot the arrow.

Beryl teleported again and everyone looked around to see where she went. The sound of laughter above them had them looking up to find her hovering in the sky.

"I'm disappointed," she said in a bored voice. "I had hoped to be greeted with a little more show of force. Instead I'm faced with a group of bumbling teenagers."

Her eyes landed on Phantom and Phoenix, who had yet to make a move, and her lips curled up in a sadistic smile. "Why Endymion, did you find yourself some new generals? I had figured that you would have revived Kunzite, Zoicite, Nephrite, and Jadeite when you reclaimed your crystal. What a pity. I was looking forward to seeing my boys again. I've missed them. I was even hoping that they might be persuaded to return to my service. Or perhaps I'll take you again, dear prince. You know I've always been fond of you."

"The hell you will!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, her moon tier appearing in her hand. "I'll send you back to hell where you belong! Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!"

A beam of silver light erupted from the tier and Tuxedo Mask charged it with a burst of power from the Golden Crystal. The two energies combined should have been enough to vaporize the demented witch, but she disappeared before the attack could reach her.

"This isn't over. I'll be seeing you again soon," her voice traveled to them on the night air.

***END FLASHBACK***

"So you think Beryl may try to take control of us again? I'm insulted!" Kunzite chastised as Darien finished telling them what had happened the night before.

"I am too," Jadeite complained as he slurped down the last of his coffee. "That bitch took advantage of us once. I can guarantee that she won't do it again."

That's right," Nephrite seconded the statement. "Last time she took advantage of us at our weakest moments. She waited until we were physically exhausted and wounded from fighting. We were also emotionally beaten up from not seeing the girls for so long. She stole us away like a thief in the night and then played with our heads until we didn't know which way was up."

Zoicite nodded. "She was so sneaky about it that I never realized what had happened. One minute I was myself, the next I found myself on the moon. And Ami…well I really don't want to talk about that. Then everything just went dark for a really long time until one day there was a flash of gold light and I found myself here in this time."

"That's exactly why I don't want you guys involved," Darien snapped. "You know better than anyone what a manipulative bitch she is. Serena feels the same way when it comes to the scouts. She lost all of them during the final battle against Beryl six years ago and she doesn't want a repeat of that."

"So what, are you and Serena saying that you're just going to fight Beryl on your own?" Jadeite sneered. "That's not happening, buddy! Not on my watch! I'll fight who I want, when I want."

"That's right!" Zoicite agreed emphatically. "Who we were in the past no longer has any bearing on the decisions we make today. It's your side that we choose to stand next to now, not Prince Endymion's, and we do it because you are our friend."

Nephrite sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. "I would have figured you to be a smart enough man to figure that out on your own, Darien. When you first revived us you told us that we didn't have to stick around, so we would have split a long time ago if we truly didn't want to be here."

Darien couldn't help but grin. "And I'm sure that a certain group of sailor scouts had absolutely no influence on your decision."

Kunzite answered with a grin of his own. "Perhaps just a little. The bottom line is that nobody picks a fight with you without facing all of us. It's that simple."

Andrew chuckled. "I hate to say I told you so, Dare, but I knew that this would be their reaction."

Darien shook his head, partly in amusement and partly in irritation. "I wonder if Serena is having this much trouble with the girls."

Raye's violet eyes narrowed until they were nothing more than slits in her face. "Let me get this straight. You went out to check on a possible disturbance last night with only Darien, Andrew, and a handful of teenage kids and didn't bother to call us? Am I hearing that right?"

Serena shrank back from the anger emanating in fiery waves around her friend. She had called all the scouts together for a meeting and they had all met at the shrine. "Y…yes."

Next to Raye, Mina looked just as furious. "And once you discovered that our oldest enemy had magically returned from the grave, you still didn't call us?"

A growl rumbled in Lita's throat. "And then you have the nerve to tell us to stay out of the fight. Have you lost your mind?"

"And you helped her cover it up!" Amara and Hotaru yelled at Amy, who let out a startled squeak and slid closer to her princess's side, seeking comfort from all the angry glares.

"There, there," Michelle said calmly, although her eyes looked reproachfully at the shamefaced looking duo. "I'm sure Serena and Amy have a valid reason for withholding this important information from us."

"Oh for the love of…" Serena sputtered, becoming indignant at her scout's behavior. "You are all acting like I was hiding some big secret from you for a long time. I didn't know Beryl was going to show up when we left out last night. Amy called me and said that the Mercury computer had picked up a minor disturbance. I figured that it would be simple to check it out since there were already nine of us at the apartment. I didn't see the use in waking everybody up in the middle of the night if it wasn't serious. Believe me, Beryl came as a huge surprise. Anyway, once it was over I called Amy and filled her in and decided to call all of you together first thing this morning to let you know what was going on."

"The point is that you never should have been in that situation without us there to back you up," Mina continued to scold. "What is the point of us being your guard if we aren't there to protect you from danger?"

Serena's eyes glittered hotly. "Do I look like someone that needs protection? This is the 21st century, not the Silver Millennium! I'm not some pampered little princess that has to hide behind others! If there is one thing that I can say I have accomplished in this life, it's that I have proven time and again that I am capable of standing up to the enemies that threaten this world. All of you have helped me in those battles over the years, so I would have thought that you would have just a little bit more faith in me and my abilities instead of treating me like a child that has misbehaved!" She stopped for breath, chest heaving.

"It's not that we don't trust you, Serena," Raye said softly. "We know what you are capable of, but even if you aren't the same Serenity you used to be, we still feel the need to help protect you. It's just that now we do it because we are your friends instead of the fact that we are your scouts."

"So don't think that you can talk us into sitting this little rumble out," Lita smirked. "Evidently that red headed bitch still hasn't learned that if she screws with one of us, she has to deal with the whole damn crew. And we're a lot bigger force than what we were last time. I'm looking forward to kicking her ass."

"Right on!" Amara cheered. "We outers weren't here for the last brawl with Beryl, but we are this time and I have a few old scores to settle with her."

"Always so violent," Michelle sighed. "But she's right. We are all here to help you this time, and that's what we're going to do."

Serena groaned in defeat. "I knew it would be useless to try to talk you guys into sitting out. I may as well be talking to a brick wall for all the good it's doing."

Just then the door to Raye's old room slid open to reveal Raye's grandfather holding a heavily laden tray. The tiny old man hadn't changed a bit in all the years that the girls had been coming to the shrine.

"Raye, I brought some tea for you and all of your little friends," he said jovially, just like he had hundreds of times before. "It's not often that we are blessed with such an abundance of beauty around here anymore."

"You old lecher, don't you have some jail bait to go hit on?" Raye grumbled good-naturedly.

The old man grinned as he sat the tray down. "I may be old, but I'm not dead yet. As long as I have breath in my body I will continue to admire the miracle of feminine beauty and give my thanks to the Great Spirit for blessing this planet with their presence. Now where are my hugs?"

The outers watched in amusement as the inner scouts all scrambled to hug the old man that had been like a substitute grandfather to them all since they had been in middle school.

When it was Serena's turn he grabbed her in an extra exuberant hug. "So I hear you're finally going to marry that young doctor of yours in a few months."

Serena nodded, going a little starry eyed the way she always did when she thought about her upcoming wedding and becoming the wife of her prince the way she had always dreamed.

Grandpa Hino patted her on the head. "That's good. You'll make him a good wife. I had a feeling about you two the first time I saw you together. I'll never forget that day. I was coming out of a store when I saw you across the street; running like the devil was after you. You ran right into that young man and you both fell down with a spectacular crash. The next thing I knew the two of you were yelling at each other at the top of your voices. I knew then that I knew you two belonged together. I'll be sure to say a blessing for your union."

Tears pricked Serena's eyes. "Thank you, grandpa. I'll take all the blessings I can get."

He hugged her again; clearly enjoy himself, until he met his granddaughter's censoring glare. He pulled away from the blonde with a grin. "Now if only I could get Raye married off. Of course, I really can't blame Jadeite for not wanting to ask her. She's as mean tempered as an old shrew."

Raye's face flamed red. "I'll show you old shrew! OUT!" she screamed.

"Enjoy the tea. I'll see you pretty young things later," he chuckled as he left with a grin and a wave.

Raye deflated and sank down onto one of the cushions on the floor. "Of all the people in the world, I end up with the perverted priest as my grandfather. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that we share any common genes."

"Oh, come on, Raye," Serena said in a muffled voice. She was already in the process of devouring one of the doughnuts that was on the tray. "You act like it's something new. He's been flirting with all of us since we were fourteen. I'd be worried about him if I ever came here and didn't hear him make at least one comment about how pretty we all are."

A smile twitched Raye's lips. "You're right, Serena. I don't guess I would take him any other way."

The outers left soon after, leaving the others to reminisce on their memories from six years ago when they fought Beryl the last time.

"Do you think Darien had any luck convincing the guys to stay out of this?" Mina asked in a slightly hesitant tone.

Serena snorted. "Not likely! They're just as stubborn as you girls. I'm sure they'll find some way to keep themselves in the action."

"But what if that witch manages to get them? I don't think I can go through that again," Amy said softly.

Lita cracked her knuckles. "But we're onto her this time. If she tries to make a move on our guys we'll bring a world of hurt down on her."

"If she even looks sideways at Jed I'll roast the bitch until there's nothing left of her but ashes," Raye growled.

"Just be careful," Serena cautioned. "She's faster and stronger than she was before. I think Discord made Metallia stronger when he brought her back, and that strength was passed on to Beryl when she was resurrected."

"Yeah, well we're stronger too," Lita replied. "We're not the same teenagers that she bashed around before. We took her down once, and we'll do it again."

"That's right!" Mina cheered. "As long as we stick together we can beat her."

Looking around at her friend's determined faces, Serena couldn't help but feel hopeful. "Okay scouts, we're going up against our oldest enemy here. Are you all with me?" She held her hand out, palm down.

One by one the other scouts agreed and laid their hands on top of hers, just like they had done back in the early days right before a big battle. Beryl may have come back from the dead, but the scouts were ready to send her back to the Underworld where she belonged.

Katie ran as quickly as she could down the sidewalk. She knew that she wasn't supposed to go off on her own, but she was growing just a little bit resentful at feeling like she had to have a chaperone with her wherever she went. Surely she could handle a quick trip to the library to return a book on her own without any trouble. The others would never even know she was gone.

After last night's unexpected skirmish they had all returned back to the apartments to catch a few hours of sleep. Emma had stayed with Katie while Alex bunked in with DJ and Skye shared a room with Rini.

Early this morning Serena, Darien, and Andrew left out to meet the scouts and generals to fill them in on what happened. The teens stayed at the apartment with the still sick Jess to finish their studying. A couple of hours later they had been run out by a red nosed, puffy eyed, tangled hair monster that somewhat resembled Katie and Alex's future mother when she had stumbled from the bedroom to the kitchen and told all of them to get out and enjoy the rest of their weekend. Not knowing where else to go, they had ended up at the Crown.

Luckily Katie had remembered to grab the book that was due at the library and stuff it into her bag before she left. The library was right around the corner from the Crown, so she should have no problem dropping it off. She waited until everyone was distracted by playing games at the arcade before slipping out. Five, six minutes tops was all she needed.

She had enjoyed a leisurely stroll on the way to the library, luxuriating in the taste of the first freedom she had experienced for a long time. She paused several times to do a little window shopping until she glanced at her watch to see that she had been gone from the arcade for almost ten minutes.

She ran the rest of the way to the library and dropped off her book before hotfooting it back the way she came. She just hoped that she could get away with saying that she had been in the bathroom if anyone had been looking for her.

The hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stood on end and she had that weird feeling you get when someone was watching you. She glanced around the crowded sidewalk, but didn't see anyone that looked suspicious, until her eyes landed on her.

The woman in the black baseball cap and tank top paired with low riding jeans was leaning casually against a brick wall by an alley, her eyes were covered by dark sunglasses once again, but Katie shivered, knowing that those creepy eyes behind the lenses were focused on her.

She jumped when she heard a voice inside her head. 'If you want answers, then follow me.'

"What the hell?" she whispered. A week ago this crazy woman tried to choke her to death, and now she was offering to answer her questions? What was up with that? She knew it was probably a trap, but she couldn't let the chance to give that bitch a piece of her mind slip by. She grabbed hold of her transformation pendant and started toward her, anger and determination burning in her hazel eyes.

She was still a decent distance away when she saw a hand reach out from the alley to grab the woman and pull her into the dark alley behind her. She broke into a run as she thought she saw a muted flash of light. When she reached the opening to the alley there was no one there.

"Okay, that's just way weird," she muttered to herself. She wondered what the woman wanted to tell her and who it was that had taken her away before she could. She stood there for a minute trying to work out the puzzle until she felt DJ's aura nudging hers.

Realizing that he must be searching for her, she let out a squeal as she quickly ran the half block to the arcade. She slipped in and melted into the crowd. She pushed her way toward the counter where Lizzy was busy preparing drinks for the thirsty patrons.

She took a seat and flashed a smile at her future aunt. "Hey Liz! May I have a cherry coke, please?"

"Sure thing!" Lizzy replied with a laugh. "I can definitely tell that you are related to Jess. That's what she always drinks."

Katie forced out a giggle. "Oh yeah. I guess it must run in the family. It's my mom's favorite."

She soon had her soda in front of her and sat there sipping on it while she looked around nonchalantly. She felt his simmering presence behind her before she heard his voice grate harshly in her ear.

"And just where were you at?" DJ demanded. "I've been looking for you for almost ten minutes."

She turned to look at him as innocently as she could. "I was in the bathroom. Why? Is something wrong?"

He studied her for a moment before shaking his head. "No. I just got worried when I couldn't find you."

She took a sip of her drink. "I'm sorry. Well you found me. Now what?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. The others were talking about maybe going bowling."

Katie smiled, just a little too brightly. "That sounds like fun. Let's go!" She jumped up and grabbed his hand.

DJ frowned a little as she pulled him through the crowded arcade to search for their friends. He couldn't help but feel like she was hiding something from him.

Andrew opened his apartment door and walked in with Serena and Darien right behind him. It had been a long morning spent informing the scouts and generals about Beryl's sudden reappearance, and they were all ready to relax.

The apartment was much quieter than they anticipated. They had expected to walk in to the sound of young voices jabbering away, but instead all they heard was the soft sound of the television playing.

They stepped into the living room to find Jess curled up on the couch with a blanket, staring at the screen with tired, swollen eyes as Inuyasha and Kagome battled it out with demons. Few people knew that she was secretly a diehard fan of that anime. She even kept a set of the character's plushies on a shelf in her studio with Sesshomaru taking the center spot. She had laughingly told Serena one time that secretly she must long for a bad boy, that was why she found it so hot when Andrew transformed. What girl could resist a guy in black leather?

"Hey! You're up!" Andrew said cheerfully when he saw her there.

She spared him a quick glance. "Yes, I'm up."

"How are you feeling?" Serena asked in a rush as she hurried over to sit beside her friend.

Jess sighed. "I still feel like crap, but I guess I feel better enough to be sick of lying in that bed. I needed a change of scenery."

"Well that's a good sign," Darien said as sat in a chair. "Just try to take it easy for a few more days and don't overdo it. Where are the kids? I figured they would still be here."

Jess turned her gaze back to the television. "I sent them out. I could tell they were going stir crazy sitting around here, so I told them to get lost and enjoy the rest of their weekend. I don't need a bunch of teenage babysitters just because I caught a cold. What about you guys, what have you been up to? Everyone left out so early this morning that I didn't get a chance to talk to anyone."

Serena smiled brightly. "Oh nothing too much. I met up with the girls and had breakfast. We talked for a while and discussed wedding plans." She felt a small amount of guilt at withholding the entire truth, but she wasn't lying. She and the others had discussed some wedding details over doughnuts that morning. But Darien, Andrew, and she had decided to wait until Jess had recovered from her cold before dropping the latest bomb on her. With her fiery temper she was liable to blow a gasket when she found out Beryl had returned.

"Oh, that's nice," Jess said in a bored tone. "I hate I missed it. So I guess you guys went and did your own thing while the women gossiped."

Darien kept his face impassive. "Yeah, we hooked up with Kunzite and the others for coffee." He wasn't lying either, but at the same time he wasn't being totally honest.

Andrew felt a sense of uneasiness as he watched his fiancé. Something wasn't right with the way she was acting. Sure she was sick, but this was way out of character for her. He tried his best to lighten the mood. "So do you feel like eating anything today? I'll make you dinner tonight, anything you want. Just let me know what sounds good to you."

She tore her eyes from the screen to turn what could only be described as a contemptuous glare on all three of them. Anger sparked deeply in her dark blue eyes. In that moment they all realized the mistake they had made. She knew the truth.

"I don't believe this," she ground out in a low, furious voice. "I thought I'd give you the benefit of the doubt since I've been dead to the world for the last twelve hours, but I never seriously thought that you would purposefully not tell me that the bitch that killed me a thousand years ago is back and throwing her weight around like she owns the place. Do you know how degrading it is to have to stoop to eavesdropping on teenagers to find out what the hell is going on? Don't you guys trust me enough?"

Andrew dropped to his knees in front of her and put his hands over hers that were clenched in her lap. "Of course we do, sweetheart! It's just that you've been so sick the last couple of days and we wanted you to get over it before we dumped this mess on you. Right now the important thing to me is you getting better."

"He's right, sweetie," Serena hastily reassured her. "We would never keep you in the dark on purpose, but we want you to get well."

Jess grinned wryly at them. "You two are such horrible liars. I'm not saying that you weren't thinking of my health, but I'd be willing to bet my Camaro that you were also afraid that I'd run off and try to get some vigilante justice on that red headed witch." She turned to arch brow at Darien, who had been quiet through this whole thing. "Am I right?"

He shrugged. "Can you blame us? We never know what to expect when you get your temper up. I know how badly I would love to rip Beryl to pieces, and you and I are the only two that actually died by her hand."

Jess couldn't help but flinch as a long buried memory flew to the surface. She had only been five years old and so scared, not fully comprehending what was going on around her. Then she had felt Endymion's warm arms around her and had burrowed into his comforting embrace as she tried to shut out the sounds around her. Then there was a sharp pain in her chest and she heard Serenity scream. After that there was nothing.

She shook the memory away. "We may have been the only ones that she physically killed, but she was responsible for everyone's death that day. So it would be selfish of me to be the only one to seek revenge on her. But I do want my chance to get a couple of hits in as payback."

Serena shared a conspiratorial smile with her. "I'm sure that can be arranged. I didn't exactly get a chance to finish my little heart to heart with her last time, so I'm kind of looking forward to it."

There was a flash of light in a clearing near the middle school as two bodies appeared out of nowhere to hit the ground. They rolled over several times, grappling with each other as they tried to fight one another off. They finally broke apart and leapt to their feet.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the Katie from the future screeched at the man. "I was in the middle of something in case you didn't notice. What are you doing in this time anyway?"

He smirked at her and pulled the chain with the time key from under his shirt. "I borrowed this from Rini so that I could come and try to talk some sense into you. I know what you're trying to do, but I think you're going about it the wrong way."

She glared at him, her eyes swirling in anger. "You have no idea what I have planned and I don't need your help. So why don't you carry your sorry ass back to where you belong. I have everything under control. Discord will never know what hit him."

He crossed his arms over his chest and returned her glare with his own tricolored eyes. "If he's so confident in your abilities, then why is he resurrecting old enemies from the past?"

She stiffened at his words. "What are you talking about?"

He looked smug. "Ah, so he hasn't let you in on his latest plot yet. It seems that he used his powers to revive Metallia and then she brought Beryl back as well. She attacked the park last night and there was a minor skirmish. Nothing too big, but she's definitely back. And who's to say that he'll stop there."

"Nooo…" she groaned and slumped to the ground. "This wasn't supposed to happen. Damn it! I was sure once I got Jack and Sasha out of the way that he would leave everything to me. Then all I had to do was buy a little time and keep my past self out of the way until the time came for me to act. It was all so simple!"

He snorted. "Haven't you learned by now that nothing ever goes the way we plan?"

"Well you don't have to sound so amused by it!" she snapped. "This could really screw things up. I wasn't planning on any interference because he decided to call in some more lackeys."

He sat down next to her. "Take a chill pill, Kat. I've already come up with a backup plan and put it into motion. With any luck things will work out without you having to lift a finger."

She eyed him skeptically. "What did you do?"

He plucked a piece of grass and twirled it in his fingers. "Nothing too drastic. I just sent your past self a dream showing her how she could change things on her own."

"You did what!" she exclaimed. "Why would you go and do a stupid thing like that?"

He held his hands up. "Just hear me out! Think about it. If your past self manages to set things right without you having to become involved then Discord won't kill you for betraying him. Everything will go back to the way it should be and we'll have a different future ahead of us."

She shook her head in disbelief. "You're doing all of this just so I won't die? I already told you that it doesn't matter. If I die because I change the events here in this time I will be revived in our new future when time resets itself. Neither one of us will remember it."

He gripped her arms and shook her. "I can't take that risk. I refuse to gamble your life on something that may or may not work. If something were to go wrong…I don't think I could live through that."

They sat in silence for several minutes, lost in memories of their past and what could be done to change their future.

Katie glanced at the man beside her and worked up the courage to ask a question that had been burning in her mind for years. "So how come you never married?"

He looked startled by the change of subject. "I…I don't know. I guess it just never felt right."

She arched a brow. "Really? I heard rumors about you and Emma and thought for sure that I would be hearing a wedding announcement any day. I thought the two of you would make a nice looking couple."

"Me and Emma!" he barked with laughter. "Don't get me wrong, she's a sweet girl and all, but she's just a friend. Besides, she hasn't been the same since…well, you know, and I would never move in on my best friend's girl like that. Anyway, nobody could ever hold a candle to you in my eyes."

Katie sucked in a deep breath. "DJ…"

The black haired prince from the future sighed. "Look, I know it makes me sound like a pansy ass, but I could never bring myself to look at another woman after you. Especially after that night."

Pain etched itself across his face. "You know, I never understood why you came to my room that night. For a while I wondered if it ever even happened. But I never have dreams that good, so I knew it had to have happened."

Katie's mind spun back fifteen years to that night. The one night when she had been hurting and feeling more alone than she ever had in her life and had sought comfort in the arms of the one she loved. It was those memories that had sustained her throughout the dark years since.

When she spoke her voice was barely more than a whisper. "I was in pain. I had just buried my twin brother that I had watched being ripped to shreds while I lay on the ground barely six feet away from him and was unable to do anything to stop it. My parents were grieving so hard and I felt guilty for not being able to save him. I felt sick from that power flux that mixed up our energies and was tired of everyone pointing and whispering behind my back like I was a freak. You were my one beacon of light in the darkness, so I sought you out."

She looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful, soft blue that reminded her of what his eyes looked like before everything went wrong. "Do you regret what we did that night?" she asked softly.

He thought about it for a moment. "No. I don't regret a single moment I spent in your arms. But when I woke up to find you gone and no one knew where you were, it killed me inside. I spent weeks searching for you, night and day until my father finally had to literally knock me out and drag me home. I tried to reach out to you with our bond, but it was like you had just disappeared. I was going crazy. I started taking out my frustrations on everyone else, and since my powers were unstable things were constantly blowing up around me. I had pretty much convinced myself that you must have been dead as well, and then Discord launched his attack to try to take the palace. Suddenly you were there, standing in front of me. I was so happy to see you alive. Then you pulled your sword and attacked me and that shattered the illusion of happiness."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I wanted to stay with you that night. I lay there for a long time watching you sleep. But I didn't want my parents to worry if they went to check on me and found my bed empty, so I decided to go back. I was sneaking down one of the halls of the palace when I overheard Trista and Hotaru talking about how the timeline had changed and how it was my fault. I must have made some sound because they busted me eavesdropping. I demanded that Trista tell me what I did wrong, and she was honest with me. It made my guilt a hundred times worse than it already was. You and Alex would have never been on that rooftop fighting in the first place if I had just kept my mouth shut and let you two work out your frustrations without me interfering. And then when I tracked you down I saw the sentinel stalking you, but I was so afraid that you might hurt each other that I ignored it and got in between you. Trista explained to me that both of you were so evenly matched in power that the most you would have done was knock each other down it I hadn't gotten in the way. And if I had taken out the sentinel it wouldn't have had the chance to attack Alex and our powers wouldn't have gotten mixed up. He wasn't supposed to die that night, but because of me he did."

DJ heard her voice break and turned his head to find tears streaming down her cheeks. Without a word he pulled her to sit in his lap, and after a moment's resistance she allowed him to. He closed his eyes and held her close as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and buried her face in the juncture of his shoulder. Her tears were hot against his skin

"I wish I had been the one to die," she sobbed a few minutes later.

Fury coursed through him at her words. He moved his hands to her shoulders and gripped them tightly, forcing her back so that he could see her face. "Don't you ever say anything like that again! What would Alex say if he were here to hear you talking like that? You are too strong of a woman to give in to depression like this. The Katie I know would fight back with everything she has, so don't go giving up on me now."

She stared up at him, eyes wet and lips trembling. She looked so much like the vulnerable young girl that she had once been that it broke his heart. He wanted to comfort her in some way, but he didn't know what to say.

So he settled for swooping down and capturing her lips with his. He felt her hesitate for a moment before her arms tightened around his neck and pulled him closer. He could taste her tears on her lips, and that fueled his urgency. He forced her lips to part and he slid his tongue smoothly into her mouth where it engaged hers in a sensuous dance.

Katie moaned low into the kiss and shifted on his lap so that she was straddling his hips. She pushed all her worries aside for the moment as she reveled in the feeling of having her love back in her arms for the first time in fifteen years. She wasted no time burying her fingers into his thick ebony hair and luxuriating in the silkiness that she had missed.

DJ growled in response and reached up to whisk the hat from her head, releasing her almost white gold hair to tumble to her shoulders. He wrapped a hand in it and pulled her head back slightly, breaking the contact of their lips. "If everything works out, don't ever cut your hair again. I miss it being long."

Her eyes were glazed and her lips were swollen. "We shouldn't be doing this," she protested weakly.

He gave her a cocky grin. "Just hush and live for the moment." And then he went to work on her neck, kissing and nipping carefully at the skin. His grin turned feral when she jumped and let out a soft whimper. The shiver shuddering through her body told him that he had hit a sensitive spot. He returned to the spot and began sucking gently as he slid his hands under her tank top to stroke the skin on her back.

Her head fell back and she moaned. "Now I know we shouldn't be doing this." But her fingers belied her words as they slipped from his hair and began to feverishly undo the buttons of his shirt. She grazed every inch of skin she uncovered with her nails, making him insane with anticipation.

And when she put her lips next to his ear and whispered, "I love you. I've always loved you," he lost it. He flipped them around in a flash so that she was lying against the soft grass on her back while he was stretched out on top of her.

He stroked her cheek as he gazed down at her. "I love you too. I never stopped. Even through all the times we've fought over the years, my love for you never wavered."

She giggled. "You sure fooled me. There were several times that I was sure I was about to lose my head to you."

He frowned at her. "Hey! I never said I wasn't angry. And what else was I supposed to do? You were always coming at me with your sword. I wasn't just going to stand there and let you kill me."

Her face sobered. "That was the hardest order that Discord has ever given me. I almost died the first time I had to pull my sword against you. You looked so shocked that I was afraid that I might actually hurt you. I was so relieved when you began fighting back, even though it tore me up inside."

"Let's not think about that right now," he said gently as he lowered his face toward hers. His lips had barely brushed hers when she let out a gasp and clamped a hand over the tattoo on her shoulder. A flicker of pain flashed across her face.

"Let me up! Let me up!" she demanded, pushing against his chest. He rolled off of her and watched through hooded eyes as she scrambled to her feet, wadding her hair up in a messy twist before snatching her hat up and plunking it on her head. She grabbed her discarded sunglasses and settled them on her nose.

"Where are you going?" he asked slowly as he got up of the ground.

"I have to go!" she said in a rush. "He's summoning me. I just hope he hasn't realized that I disappeared from his sight. I knew I should have marched out of here the moment you brought me here. This was a huge mistake!"

His eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that you regret us having a civilized conversation and finally getting our feelings out in the open the way we should have fifteen years ago?"

"Yes!" she screeched in panic. "Emotional entanglement is something that I don't need right now. I've wasted too many years of my life on this to throw it all away now. This is why I've kept myself distant from everyone all of these years, so I could have a clear mind. Look at me! I spend ten minutes in your presence and I turn into a needy teenage girl all over again. If we had stayed in that position any longer I would have been begging for you to make love to me again just like I did on that last night."

His face turned stone cold. "I thought you said that you didn't regret that night."

She turned to look at him in exasperation. "I don't! It was the most magical, wonderful experience of my life, despite the circumstances. But I can't let myself get sidetracked by you. Go home, DJ! Go back and let me do what I have to do."

He took a step toward her. "You need help. Why won't you let me help you?"

She threw her hands up in the air. "See! This is exactly why I should have kept my distance! I'm not dragging you into this. I won't see anyone else die! This is my problem. I made it, I'll fix it."

"Would you quit being so damn stubborn!" he snapped. "It's not a sin to accept help from someone when they offer. You need to climb down off your high horse and realize that you are in over your head before you fall flat on your ass and end up six feet under like your brother!"

"Ooo," she fumed, her face burning red in anger. "Why don't you go crawl inside a whiskey bottle like you always do and leave me the hell alone! I'm warning you now, stay out of my way or I will kill you!"

She disappeared in a flash of light, leaving DJ standing there staring at the spot she had been a moment before. A minute later a goofy grin appeared on his face.

"So I can still get under your skin, huh, Tinkerbell?" he murmured. "Well I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but you're getting my help whether you like it or not. You're not alone in this, and we won't let that bastard win."

Discord turned away from the stone basin that he was peering into expectantly when he felt two new presences behind him. A smirk curled his lips.

"Ah, Metallia," he greeted the swirling mist in a jovial voice before turning to the woman that was standing beside it. "And you must be Beryl. It's lovely to make your acquaintance at last. I've heard so many things about you."

Beryl snarled. "I hope you aren't basing your opinion of me on what you heard from my bastard brother or that faithless ex-lover of mine. I am of a much higher breed than either one of them."

"Of course you are," Discord placated. "Now what brings the two of you to see me so soon after being revived? I figured that you would be busy wrecking havoc upon Serenity and Endymion."

Beryl's eyes snapped. "Make no mistake, they will pay for what they have done to me in the past. We are here because Queen Metallia has a request to make of you."

An amused look appeared on Discord's face. "Really? And what, pray tell, would that be."

"I want a body of my own," Metallia's voice hissed. "I know exactly whose body I want to reside in, but I lack the power to make that happen. But you have the ability to grant my request."

Discord stroked his chin. "I see. What you're asking is not impossible, but it would require a moderate amount of energy."

"We are prepared to gather the energy you would need," Beryl stated. "We will send out our youma to attack the humans and steal their energy. Queen Metallia just wanted to be assured of your cooperation first."

"And you shall have it," Discord agreed. "Bring me the energy, and I will make sure that you get the body that you want."

Beryl inclined her head. "Her majesty thanks you. It will be much easier to accomplish our ultimate goal if she has a solid form."

An evil glint showed in Discord's red eyes. "I assume, Lady Beryl, that you are not willing to sacrifice your body for your mistress this time."

A shiver wracked her skeletal frame. "No I am not. I prefer to remain myself. But I am willing to assist her in gaining a body for her use."

"How admirable of you," he replied dryly. A flash of light diverted his attention and he turned to face the newcomer with a scowl. "Where have you been?"

Katie looked at him with a bored expression. "I was busy. You did still want me to take out the triple threat, didn't you?"

"Excuse me! I was talking here!" Beryl growled. "Wait your turn girl!"

A pale brow arched above Katie's sunglasses. "Hey Discord, who's the walking, talking bag of bones."

"How dare you," Beryl snarled. "You would do well to keep a civil tone while in my presence, you cretin. I happen to be Queen Beryl, ruler of the Dark Kingdom."

Katie burst into giggles. "You're Beryl? That's the funniest damn thing I've ever heard. No wonder you got your ass kicked by a fourteen-year-old girl. A word of advice, anorexia went out of style a long time ago. And nobody likes a woman that dresses like a whore."

Steam was pouring from Beryl's ears. "Nobody talks to me like that and gets away with it." Dark energy began crackling at her scarlet tipped fingers.

"Ladies, please," Discord reprimanded as Katie's hand flew to her sword, silver, gold, and red-orange sparks flying in every direction. "Save the fighting for your missions. We're all on the same team here."

"So what did you go digging them up for?" Katie sneered, jerking her chin at Beryl and Metallia.

"Now don't go getting your back up," Discord tried to sound sincere. "I brought them in to help you."

"I don't need their help!" Katie growled. "I can handle things just fine on my own."

"Nevertheless, I have put them in charge of keeping Serenity, Endymion, and their little band occupied so that should take care of some of the problems you've been having," Discord told her.

A smile grew on Katie's face. "You're going to put that walking skeleton up against Sailor Moon and the others? That should be amusing."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Beryl demanded.

"Oh nothing," Katie replied, waving a dismissive hand. "I'm just saying that they are a lot stronger than they used to be, and they have some extra help that they didn't have before."

"I don't care who they have to help them. I will get my revenge," Beryl declared.

Katie laughed. "Let's see if you still feel that way when you come face to face with Sailor Shadow. I'll have to remember to bring popcorn for that show."

"Sailor Shadow? Who's she?" Beryl asked disinterestedly.

Katie smiled innocently. "Oh, I have a feeling that you'll find out soon enough."

Amy closed her laptop with a sigh. She leaned back in the chair to stretch out the tense muscles in her back that had accumulated while she had been studying.

"Done at last?" Zoicite asked from where he was sitting on their bed lounging against the headboard. The book he had been reading was splayed across his chest

Amy nodded and smothered a yawn. "Yes. I finally got it all done. I believe my professor will be pleased with the results. I'm pretty confident that it's the best paper that I've ever written."

"Then I'm sure it is bound to earn an A," he told her sincerely.

She smiled at him gently as she got up from the desk and wandered toward the adjoining bathroom. In less than ten minutes she was back with her teeth brushed and her face washed. Her light blue nightgown stopped at just above her knees.

Zoicite smiled and patted the space next to him on the bed. "Why don't you come get some sleep. I know you didn't get a lot of rest last night because stuff happened, so you deserve a restful night."

She crawled onto the bed and snuggled up to his side. She lay there watching him from under her lashes as he picked his book back up and continued to read, counting her blessings that fate had given them another chance to be together. He didn't wear his hair as long as he had in the Silver Millennium, but it was still long enough to fall into his green eyes as he read. She had to fight back the urge to reach up and smooth the stubborn locks back.

After a few minutes he marked his place and set the book carefully on the nightstand. He flipped the lamp off and settled down beside her, putting his arms around her and pulling her close so that her head rested against his shoulder.

Amy wasn't normally one to give in to nerves, but tonight she had so much anxiety built up inside her that it made her fidgety. Her hand lying on his chest began tracing random patterns.

"Can't sleep?" he asked her softly.

She shook her head slightly. "Zoi, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," was his immediate response. "You know you can ask me anything."

She sighed. "I know. It's just that…would you…you would never leave me again, would you?"

He rolled over and propped his head up on a hand so that he could look down at her. The moon and stars were bright that night, so there was enough light from the windows where they could see one another clearly.

"You have nothing to worry about, my little ice sprite," he reassured her in calm, soothing tones. "I promise you, I'm not going anywhere this time. There is nothing on this planet that would ever make me leave your side. I don't care what tricks Beryl has hidden up her sleeve, there is nothing that she can say or do that would make me forsake my love for you ever again."

She sniffled and burrowed into his chest. A few tears slipped from her eyes and were icy cold on his skin. "Do you really promise that you'll never leave me?"

"You have my word," he swore, kissing the top of her head. He held her like that until they both fell into a comfortable sleep. And they remained like that, locked in each other's arms for the entire night.

"Another successful night is in the books," Lita sighed as she stepped out the back door of her restaurant. "I can't believe how good business has been."

Nephrite chuckled as he locked the door behind them. "I can't see why you're so surprised. Word of mouth is the best advertising you can get, and I knew once people tasted your food that they'd be beating down the doors to get in here."

"Well I had my reservations," she snorted. "It was nice of you to stay and help me close up. You didn't have to do that."

He grinned at her. "What kind of man would I be if I went home to seek my bed while leaving a beautiful woman with all the hard work? I couldn't live with myself if I did that. Besides, it's not safe for you to be leaving here by yourself so late at night."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Excuse me Mr. Macho Man, but I'm pretty sure I can handle any thugs if they decide they want to give me a hard time."

He looked up to the stars. "I have no doubt you could, especially against normal human thugs, but things are a little different now."

"Beryl doesn't scare me!" she scoffed. "If that bitch wants to pick a fight with me I'll show her real quick why the warriors of Jupiter were so feared at one time. I'm more worried about her coming after you than I am about her springing something on me."

He smiled as he continued to stare at the heavens. "There is nothing to fear, for there is nothing that would make me leave your side."

Lita sidled up next to him and took his hand in hers. "What are the stars telling you tonight?"

He turned his head to look at her, his slate blue eyes boring deeply into her dark green. "The same thing that they always tell me, that you and I are destined to be together forever and that we have a long, happy future ahead of us."

She slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "You always say that. I think you do it just to try and seduce me."

A smirk appeared on Nephrite's face. "Well, does it work?"

She leaned over and gave him a quick, but intense kiss before pulling back with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Why don't you take me home and we'll find out."

Jadeite pulled up at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the shrine and cut the ignition off. He leaned his head back with a tired sigh before getting out of the car and climbing up the long stairway.

The good thing about being in business with three of his best friends meant that they could split up the duties between them, and tonight he had been roped into a late night meeting with a potential client that was looking for a company to build a new office building for him. It had run later than he expected and he had been looking forward to getting home and relaxing. But when he had walked into the suite that he shared with Raye he couldn't find her anywhere.

Everyone else had retired for the night, so he knew that there was only one other place that she could be.

He walked quietly down the wooden porch, knowing Raye's grandfather would be in bed by this time and he didn't want to disturb him. He reached the door to the fire room and slid it open just a crack to peek inside.

Raye was knelt in front of the roaring flames of the sacred fire, dressed in her traditional priestess robes. Her eyes were clenched tightly shut and her hands were clasped in front of her at her chest. Sweat was streaming down the sides of her face, mixing in with what suspiciously looked like tears.

Jadeite opened the door the rest of the way and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The heat inside the room would be oppressive to most people, but he could handle it. He knelt down behind Raye, being careful to not break her concentration as she searched for answers within the fire.

A few minutes later the flames roared higher and Raye's violet eyes snapped open to gaze fixedly into the glaring light. She let out a cry of frustration as the fire simmered back down to normal.

Jadeite leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "What's the matter, Firefly, is the fire not cooperating with you tonight?"

"I can't get any straight answers," she growled. "There are so many things going on right now that all I can see are a lot of fuzzy images that don't make sense. It's driving me crazy!"

"Hey," he tried to console her. "We'll just take everything one day at a time. You don't have to sit here and stress yourself out like this."

She jerked away from him, eyes flashing. "I have to figure out what Beryl's plans are. I have to know what that bitch is scheming so we can stop her before she does something. I'm scared that she's going to come after you, and I can't lose you again!"

Her voice had risen in pitch until it sounded hysterical. Her eyes were wide and dilated, darting around like a frightened animal. Her breath was rasping unevenly, bordering on hyperventilation.

Jadeite pulled her to him and held her tight. Her fingers gripped handfuls of his shirt as she sobbed, "I won't let her take you from me again! I won't!"

"Shh," he soothed her, smoothing a hand down the long length of her raven hair. "I'm not going anywhere, Raye. You can't get rid of me that easily. I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

She glared up at him. "Don't you dare try to crack a joke right now! I'm being serious!"

He looked at her with a completely sober expression. "I'm being serious too. I won't ever leave you again, Raye. I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered, rising up on her tiptoes to meet him halfway as they sealed their declaration with a kiss.

"So do you think Beryl will try to come after you and the guys?" Mina asked as she trailed a finger down the long expanse of Kunzite's back as he lay on his stomach.

He turned his head to look at her where she was sprawled out next to him. "Anything's possible. Who knows with that demented woman? All I can say is that she can try, but I think she'll be surprised at the amount of force she'll be met with this time."

Mina shivered a little, both at the thought of that evil witch taking her love and using him against her again and because of the perspiration that was drying on her skin.

Kunzite noticed and reached down to pull the covers up over their bodies before gathering his goddess in his arms. Her long golden hair wrapped around both of them like a silken cloak.

"I love you," Mina said in a broken voice as she nestled her head between his neck and shoulder. "No matter what happened in the past, you were always my knight in shining armor."

His arms tightened around her. "And you were always my love, my beautiful princess of Venus. I swear to you that nobody will ever come between us again."

"I believe you," she whispered. "I just hope that we can find a way to defeat her without anyone getting hurt. Serena died the last time she battled Beryl and Metallia. If it hadn't been for the wish she made on the Silver Crystal for us to be revived, we all would have remained dead and frozen in the arctic."

"I know," Kunzite agreed. "Darien said that Beryl's more powerful than ever, but I think if we all stand together that we can take her down. Serena's stronger now, Darien has the Golden Crystal, and then we have all of the scouts plus us generals, that's not even factoring in Jess and Andrew and the damage they can do, I think we'll be fine."

"I'm sure you're right," Mina agreed. "I don't see her being able to stand up to all of us, I don't care how much of a power boost Discord was able to give Metallia. They're going down!"

"There's my mighty Aphrodite! That's what I like to hear," Kunzite chuckled.

Mina scowled and turned to bite his shoulder lightly. "Careful, my good sir! Don't you know it's dangerous to anger a goddess? Don't make me have to whip out my Love Chain."

His silver eyes sparkled in amusement. "Ooo, I like it when you talk tough."

She smothered a giggle against his neck. "You are incorrigible!"

He rolled her beneath him. "Only with you, love. Only with you."

Andrew woke up and rolled over to find the spot beside him empty. This wasn't an unusual occurrence; Jess always had a hard time sleeping the whole night through. But she was still sick and needed her rest.

Clad in only a pair of sweatpants he padded from the bedroom and headed down the hall to a door where he could see light shining under it. He knocked lightly, and when he didn't hear a response he quietly opened the door.

The scene was exactly as he expected. There was a couple of easels set up with partially finished paintings on them. A stack of blank canvases was leaning against the wall in one corner. A long table was pushed up against another wall, and it was covered in papers and sketchbooks while a bulletin board hanging above it had dozens and dozens of photos pinned to it. Floor to ceiling shelves held a large assortment of paints and brushes, as well as Jess's prized Inuyasha plushie collection, and a small computer desk was tucked away in another corner.

A drawing table was set up right by the window, and there Andrew found his sleeping fiancé. She was slumped over with her cheek lying against the table's surface. Her long, dark, honey blonde hair was out of its usual braid and flowed in rippling curls to her waist.

Andrew chuckled a little when he saw the piece of drawing charcoal still held in her fingers. Jess was in the habit of working whenever her insomnia kicked in. He had lost count of how many nights he had found her exactly like this, passed out in the middle of whatever project she was working on when sleep finally claimed her.

So just like he had at least a hundred times before, he gently removed the charcoal from her hand and set it down where she would be able to easily find it the next time she needed it. His arm brushed against the paper she had been working on and fluttered to the floor. He bent to retrieve it and was setting it back on the table when he took his first real look at what she had been drawing.

His breath froze for a moment. There, perfectly captured on paper, was a black and white image of Beryl, exactly the way she had appeared the night before. Jess had recreated every aspect of the witch, right down to her snakelike hair, cold eyes, skeletal body, and skimpy dress.

This rattled him a little. The only way that she could have conjured up such an exact likeness of the witch would be if she had been dwelling on the final moments of her life in the Silver Millennium, and he knew that those were memories that she always tried very hard to avoid thinking about. That could only mean that the news of Beryl's presence here had bothered her more than she had let on.

Andrew resisted the urge to rip the paper to shreds and placed it back where it had been. This was her way of working out whatever feelings or anxieties she felt about what was going on and he had to respect that. It had taken him some time to come to terms with Talon since the man had been responsible for his death in the past, and he had finally reached the point where he could be civil to the man on the few occasions that he had come around. The fact that he had helped them in their last fight against Discord had gone a long way in redeeming the sorcerer in his eyes.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he gently lifted the sleeping woman up in his arms. She mumbled a little in her sleep as her arms wound instinctively around his neck and settled her head on his shoulder, but she didn't wake. He strode from the room, pausing only for a second to bump the light switch with his shoulder, before heading back to the bedroom with his slumbering bundle.

He laid Jess down on her side of the bed and pulled the covers up around her securely before rounding to his side and climbing in beside her. His head had barely touched the pillow when she rolled over and flung an arm across his chest and a leg across his.

He couldn't help but grin. No matter how deeply asleep she was, she was always able to sense when he was beside her and sought him out. He put his arms around her and gave into the temptation to kiss the tip of her tiny, upturned nose before resting his cheek against the top of her head.

After his ex-girlfriend, Rita, had broken his heart, he had sworn that he would never be able to find another woman to love. But from the first day the blonde spitfire in his arms had waltzed into the arcade and ordered a cherry coke, he had been hooked. He found her to be absolutely perfect and wouldn't change a thing about her. He even weathered her infamous temper with little fuss because it was just one of the things that made her who she was. And making up after an argument was always fun too.

She had become his world, and he would do whatever he had to do to keep her safe. Power wise she may be stronger than him, but had trained a lot since discovering his own powers and he was pleased with the way his abilities had expanded. Instead of running around without a clue as to what to do, he now felt confident enough to stand at her side and fight. And he had a feeling that a big fight was coming. If Discord was able to bring Metallia and Beryl back, what other tricks might he pull?

Serena lounged on the padded chaise on the balcony, a glass of white wine dangling from her fingers as she basked in the silvery light of her former home. The moon was nearly full, and it cast its soothing energy down on its daughter.

Rini and Katie had joined her in her sojourn for a while, both of them also taking comfort from the lunar rays since their power was born of the moon, but they had both finally slipped off to bed since they had school in the morning. Jess normally would have joined her on a night like this as well since half of her power was lunarian, but she was still a little under the weather.

The apartment behind her was dark and quiet. Her future children were tucked safely into their beds. Darien had been called to the hospital to look in on a patient of his that had taken a bad turn, but that had been a few hours ago and she was hoping that he would return soon.

Almost as if answering her thoughts, she felt his warm golden aura drawing closer. If she closed her eyes she could even sense where he was. He was only a block away now…half a block. Now he was pulling into the parking garage. Less than a minute later he was in the elevator, traveling slowly up…up. He was coming down the hall. Now he was at the door.

'I'm on the balcony,' she sent an unspoken message to him. She heard him chuckle in her head.

In a matter of seconds the door slid open and he stepped into view. As always her heart stuttered in response to his presence. She didn't care if they died and were reborn a million times over, she would never get tired of looking at him. Standing there with his ebony hair falling into his deep blue eyes and his black shirt and slacks, he was her dark prince once again.

"I had a feeling I would come home to find you out here when I walked out of the hospital and saw how bright the moon was," he said in that husky voice that made her feel like she was ice cream melting on a hot summer sidewalk.

She smiled serenely at him. "You know me too well. How is your patient?"

"Much better," he replied as he sat down next to her. "It's a ten year old girl with a nasty blood infection. She wasn't responding well to the antibiotic I had her on, so I switched her to something else. Her temperature was beginning to go down when I left, so she should be fine. I'll check on her again tomorrow."

"You're such a good doctor," Serena cooed as she laid her head on his shoulder.

Darien snorted with laughter. "Now you're just being silly. Is it the wine or the moonlight that's making you so giddy?"

She held her glass up. "Well since I've only had about two sips of the wine, I guess I'll have to claim moonlight madness. This is my time to escape and let the worries of the world slip away. It also gives me a chance to put everything into perspective."

Darien read the underlying meaning in her words. "Ah, so you've been agonizing over the Beryl situation."

She tapped his chin with a finger. "I have not been agonizing over that witch. That would be a waste of time. But if she thinks she can show back up and start threatening to take you away from me, she's got another thing coming. I'll rip every strand of that ratty red hair out of her head before I let her sink her claws into you again."

He grinned at her. "You're one to talk about claws. I don't think I've ever heard you sound quite so vicious."

Her lower lip stuck out in a pout. "Don't laugh at me. I'm being serious. If she tries to take you away from me it's going to have to be over my cold, lifeless body. She may have intimidated me at one time, but I'm no longer a timid princess or a scared fourteen year old girl."

Ocean blue eyes roved over her appreciatively. "No, you're definitely not fourteen anymore."

She fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Why Dr. Shields, I do believe you might be flirting with me!"

He shifted in his seat and pulled her up so that her chest was flush with his. Her breath puffed across his face as she gasped and her cheeks blushed pink. His eyes darkened even more as he took in the sight of her.

"Trust me Miss Tsukino, I have a lot more than flirting in mind," he rasped in her ear.

"Oh yeah, like what?" she whispered breathlessly.

"How about I show you," he said with a grin as he swooped her up in his arms the way he had hundreds of times before when he was Tuxedo Mask and had come charging in just in time to snatch Sailor Moon out of the path of danger.

Serena squealed and clutched his shirt in the same move she had always used to hold onto her masked protector. She fought to smother her giggles as he carried her inside and down the hall to their room.

Once the door was closed and locked behind them he silenced her thoroughly with a kiss. It stole her breath away, made her head spin, and promised much more to come before the night was over.

A/N So like I said, no action and lots of fluff this time. But things are about to heat up. Beryl's walking around like she's a badass, but she shouldn't underestimate our heroes, especially after she threatened to take their men away. Can you say catfight? Oh yeah, it's coming. And now we know who our mystery man from the future is and who died. And before anyone goes censoring me for the make out scene between future Kat and DJ, just remember that they are thirty-one years old. So they are plenty old to get their freak on if they want to. I didn't get everything into this chapter that I wanted to, but that just means more for the next one. So hopefully in the next update we'll have Jess having a run in with Beryl, Katie will have an encounter with someone from the future, and some unexpected guests show up to join in the fun. Hope you all enjoyed. Don't forget to drop me a review and tell me you think. Catch ya next time! Lots of love!

~Sere~