Title: Someone's Watching Over Me

Authors: Reesepbc KouUsagi and Umi Kane

E-mails: / PG-13

Disclaimer : Reese and Umi do not own Sailor Moon.

Ch9

"I'll be right back though," Michiru said, standing, "I need to get something from my room."

Serena nodded and Michiru went into her room. What could Michiru need? Five minutes passed, then another. Something was not right. Serena got up from the kitchen floor and went to Michiru's bedroom. She knocked once.

"Michiru?" she called. No response. She knocked again. "Michiru, is everything alright?" she asked again. No response. Serena grabbed the door handle with fear in her heart. Did something happen to Michiru? Serena swallowed hard and opened the door. She was met with a most confusing sight.

"What the hell?" Serena asked.

The room was empty and bare. All of Michiru's things were gone. Serena walked in and checked the closet. It was empty as well. This did not make sense. Michiru had just walked in here. Where were her things? Where was Michiru?

Michiru's eyes fluttered open. She sat up and looked around. Her eyes searched for a split second before meeting intense gray eyes, Michael's eyes.

"Welcome back," he said softly, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Why did I come back already?" Michiru asked, worried. Michael shook his head.

"We're not sure. The other guys and I can't get in either. Serena may be slipping. We may not have much time left," he replied.

"Can you take me to her room?" Michiru asked.

As if he knew before she asked, Michael stepped aside to reveal a wheelchair. He had gotten permission from the doctors, though they gave him some strange looks. Michael helped Michiru into the wheelchair and wheeled her out of the room. As they made their way to Serena's room, they passed their friends. Michiru assured them that she was fine. Just before they entered Serena's room, Haruka walked out.

"What are you-?" Haruka tried to ask, but Michiru cut her off.

"I'm fine. I'm awake. Don't worry about me. Go sit with Darien. I will watch over Serena," Michiru said rather quickly, so that Haruka could not interrupt her.

Haruka could not help but smile. Michiru knew her so well. Instead of objecting, Haruka just knelt in front of the wheelchair and kissed Michiru. Michiru returned the kiss. When Haruka pulled away, both were smiling.

"Thank you, Michiru," Haruka whispered to her.

"If you need her for any reason, send one of the girls to find me. I'll stay with Michiru, for you, Haruka," Michael said, smiling.

Haruka thanked him and held the door open while Michael pushed the wheelchair into the room. Michiru asked him to bring her to the bedside, which he did. Michiru looked at her friend. She looked so peaceful.

"What can we do, Michael?" she asked softly.

"All we can do is pray now," Michael responded.

Michiru took Serena's hand in her own. Michael took that as his cue to leave the room. He told her he would be outside. Michiru nodded and waited until the door closed. Michiru brushed some stray hair from Serena's forehead and smiled at her softly.

"It's alright, Serena. I'm right here," she said softly.

Serena spun around. She swore she had heard Michiru's voice just now. Serena frantically searched the apartment, but there was no sign of Michiru. Serena grabbed her phone and tried calling her friends. No one was answering. Something was very wrong. Surely, one of them would have picked up. Serena tried calling Andrew. There was no answer from him as well. Where was everyone? What was happening?

"Maybe they just can't hear the phone," Serena told herself aloud.

She grabbed her keys and ran out of her apartment. There had to be an explanation for this. First Serena tried Andrew's apartment. She rang the doorbell and knocked. There was no answer. Serena was really worried now. Using the spare key Andrew had given here, Serena went inside. Everything was in order. Nothing was out of place. She checked all the rooms, fear rising with each door she opened. Andrew was not there. Serena pulled out her cell phone and tried to call Andrew's cell. Again, there was no answer. Serena tried to calm herself.

"He is probably just in a place with no signal," she told herself.

Locking the door behind her, Serena left her brother's apartment. Next, she tried her friend's places. She rang the doorbells and knocked. At each home, there was no answer. Serena tried calling each time. She could hear the phone ringing inside each home, but no other sounds. What on Earth was going on? It could not be coincidence. One of them should have at least answered their cell phone. Serena ran down the city streets, frantic.

"Someone. Anyone. Where are you guys?" Serena asked aloud while she ran.

Serena tried Taiki's House of Java, the coffee shop they always visited. The employees assured her that they had not seen her friends. Taiki himself, who had been there since opening that day, also told her he had not seen them. Serena thanked him and asked that he keep an eye out for them. He agreed, of course. Serena left the coffee shop. She tried all the places the girls would hang out. She tried the beauty parlor Mina was always at and the karate dojo Lita taught at. She tried the charm shop that Rei had recently become co-owner of and the computer lab Ami worked at. She even tried the studio where Michiru would practice her violin. None of her friends were there.

Serena continued down the city streets, running as fast as she could. She stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the sign to change. As she caught her breath, Serena's eyes met the headlights of an oncoming car. She felt as if she was floating. Her eyes closed as she fell back.

'Great.' She thought, 'I've exhausted myself and now I'm going to faint.'

Serena fell back and landed softly on her rear. She could smell the scent of ocean water and flowers. She knew where she was. Her eyes opened slowly. She was on that cliff once more. She turned to her side and saw Mitch sitting there, as she expected.

"I've been waiting for you," he said softly.

Serena's eyes widened. She looked at him as if she had never seen him before.

"You," she said, barely above a whisper, "How did I not see it before? Andrew!"

With that, Serena threw her arms around Mitch. He held her close.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, Little Rena," Andrew said softly.

"Andrew I'm so confused. What's going on?" Serena asked, burying her face into his chest.

"It's time you knew, Serena. It's time to take you back to a place you visited not to long ago," Andrew replied softly. "Let's bring you home Serena."

Serena stared blankly at Andrew now fully aware of who he was, and where she was. The summerhouse her aunt and uncle lived at was just on the other side of the hill near the beach. The house her and Andrew spent so much time at as kids. She knew this place well. Just something was wrong. Her aunt and uncle sold the land many years before. So why were they here now? How did she get here, and most important what did Andrew mean by bring her home?