Uninvited Guest

Chapter three

Alice got into her apartment late that night. Her short day with the Senshi of Fire had her a bit confused, and she had spent most of the early parts of the night thinking about it over a bottle of vodka.

"I still don't know how to understand Mars-sama." She groaned. "I've spent all night thinking about this, and all I can come up with is that she hates outsiders. Although that doesn't help me at all, since I'm about the biggest 'outsider' there could be. Maybe I could try to connect to the civilian side of Mars-sama, appeal to her humanity…whatever's left of it that is." She thought that might work, although it could just be the alcohol affecting her reasoning, either way she climbed into her full size bed and tried to go to sleep.

Two hours later Alice was still awake. Her plan kept running through her head. Well, not the plan, just all the ways it could fail.

"Maybe she doesn't have any humanity. What if she's never been human at all? I've never dealt with aliens before! What would I do? I don't know what to do. Maybe I should have a backup plan. Yeah that's a good idea, a backup plan." She reasoned with herself as she sat up in her bed and grabbed a notebook that was on her nightstand.

"What could a 'backup' plan be? I've only met her once, and no one will give me a hint as what to do next!" As she said that she remembered Venus's remark about Mars's conflicting heart. As she tried to think of someway to use that information the dead of the night got to her and she fell asleep with her pen in her hand.

"What do you think of that reporter? She seemed kind of weak, I'm not sure if she'll last the first week, let alone a month, with us." Makoto had directed the question to Ami, but the bluenette wasn't paying her any mind. Ami's mind, and face, happened to be buried deep in a book. Makoto sighed as she noticed, and walked over to their bed sitting down next to the smaller woman.

"Hello…Jupiter to Mercury….Jupiter to Mercury." She said as she waved her hands in front of the genius's face. Ami shook her head and looked up at Makoto.

"Did you need something sweetie? I was right in the middle of a sentence." Her voice sounded pleasant, but Mako knew that she had angered Ami; you didn't separate the Senshi of Wisdom from her books for fear of frost bite, or worse.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I just wanted to talk with you. I knew you loved books, but I never thought you loved them more than me." She replied. Immediately she realized that response was the wrong one. Ami shut her book and intensely stared Makoto down, until the green eyed woman looked away. Ami smiled, even though Mako couldn't see it. She grabbed Mako-chan's face and turned it toward her.

"You're the only thing I could study forever and not get bored with." She smiled again reassuring Makoto, "I always have time for my favorite subject." All thought of the reporter left Makoto's mind as she smiled also.

"Minako" Rei called to her from their bathroom. "Do you really think that person will tough it out? I can't see her being able to stand all the hours Ami spends in the library; she couldn't even take an hour in my fire room."

Mina walked up to the bathroom door in pajama pants and pulling her shirt over her head. After she had the orange shirt on properly she glanced at Rei, "Of course I think she'll be fine. If I hadn't then she wouldn't be doing this. Our first 'in-depth' interview will not be a failure. I have faith in her." As she turned to leave she called back, "I have faith in you too."

After Rei was done in the bathroom she walked out into the common room and saw Mina looking out the window. She walked up to her and slid her arms around her waist. "How is it that you always know what to say to me?" She whispered and rested her chin on Minako's shoulder.

Minako placed her hand on the side of Rei's cheek, "We're bound together; how could I not know what to say?" Rei fell asleep that night content, but scared.

Alice's alarm clock went off too early for her. As the music played and the lights flashed she glanced at the terrible time of 5 am. Usually the morning was a tranquil time for Alice to enjoy, just her and her coffee. This morning however, she had a headache, scratch that a hangover, and had no time to relieve it. If she didn't hurry she'd be late meeting Mars-sama, and she didn't want to anger the woman so early in the morning.

Alice wondered how she could occupy herself without causing a disturbance like she had done yesterday. Even though she didn't really want to spend hours on end in Mars-sama's fire room, that was part of the deal, she wasn't there only when she wanted to be. She saw her bookcase on one of her trips from the kitchen back to her bedroom. 'Maybe I could read a book.' She thought, although the minute that idea popped into her head she pictured Mars sending a burst of fire toward the book burning it for making noise when Alice turned the pages. A book wouldn't do.

At 5:30 Alice was at her front door grabbing her shoes and coat, out of her coat pocket fell her mini-player. She smiled as she picked it up. She could listen to music. As long as the player was quiet enough Mars-sama should be able to concentrate, and Alice didn't have to be completely bored to death. She hid the earpiece cord under her shirt in order to not offend the Red Senshi, and smiled as she walked out the door.

Rei's eyes opened slowly. She surveyed her surroundings to find that Mina's arm was draped over her, trapping her. She smiled, and carefully inched out of the embrace.

"Don't go." She heard mumbled from the sleepy Minako.

Rei bent down toward Mina's golden locks, "I can't be late. I'm sorry." She whispered into Mina's left ear.

"You don't have to leave yet." Was the reply she got; along with a tug on her arm.

"Do you want some breakfast?" If Mina wasn't going to let her leave, then they could at least have some food.

"I don't wanna move." She complained in her normal fashion.

"I didn't say you had to move." Rei smirked. "I can bring us breakfast in bed." The princess of Venus smiled and released her counterpart's arm.

Rei traveled out into the kitchen and collected some toast and cereal. It wasn't the best breakfast in bed she'd ever created, but she was on a time schedule, actually cooking would not give her enough time to get ready. She put the food on a tray and carried it back into their bedroom.

"I see you decided to stay awake." She set the tray on Minako's lap and joined her on the bed.

"Well, I wanted to see you before you left." She grabbed the toast and took a small bite. Rei thought that was cute, but it was also a little suspicious.

"Really, how nice of you, any particular reason??"

Minako adopted an angelic face and big puppy dog eyes, "Do I need a reason to want to see my wife before she leaves for the day."

"You're making it sound like I have this big important job and all you do is sit home all day." Rei replied annoyed that Mina was avoiding the question. "Now why did you need to see me this morning?"

Mina looked down from the intense stare that she was receiving from Rei and mumbled very quickly, "I wanted to make sure you were in a good mood for when you saw Alice."

Mars had thought it would have been something like that. Mina just couldn't mind her own business; she always had to make sure things were working out exactly how she wanted them to. "You did huh? And why exactly do I need to be in a good mood when I see that damn reporter?!?" Mars seemed to be in the exact mood that Venus had tried to prevent.

Minako moved the breakfast off of her lap and sat up properly, "Because if you keep giving her the cold shoulder she's going to leave! This is the first time a reporter has been interested in trying to understand us, and I don't want you ruining it with your bad attitude!" She hadn't yelled, but there had been a sense of urgency to her voice.

Rei wasn't sure how to react to that. The tone that Mina had used had gotten her a little on edge. "I-I'll try my best to keep my temper…if that's what you want." She replied, not looking the blonde in the face.

"Thank you, that's all I'm asking." Mina put her hand on her chin in thought, "Ah! I've got it. When you start to get mad just remember back to when Usagi used to upset you."

"That won't work. Just thinking about it is upsetting me!" Rei growled as she remembered all the times the Odango had messed something up.

"No, no no…Think of what you did to calm yourself down."

Rei thought back, what had she done whenever Usagi messed up…she had yelled at her…many times. "I don't think that'll work sweetheart."

"Why not?" She asked. "I don't see a problem with my idea."

Rei cocked her head, "Mina, have you forgotten how often I'd yell at Usagi?"

"Of course I haven't; I don't want you to yell at her." With this response Rei's eyebrows raised in question.

"So…what do you want me to do?"

"Care." It seemed like a simple enough answer, but the Martian wasn't getting it. "I want you to try and understand her, and to truly care about it. You only yelled at Usagi because you cared about her, and you knew she should, and could, do better. So I want you to care about what the reporter is doing. Care about why she's doing it." That seemed like a lot to ask of the girl that had only trusted four other people in her long lifetime.

"I don't think I can do that Minako. Usagi was our Princess. I needed to protect her. I needed to make sure she was OK…"

"But you didn't need to care about her." Minako interrupted. "You could have protected her without caring. It might actually have been easier. You could've just done your job, and that would've been the end of it. Instead you cared about her…You loved her, and that's what compelled you to take such good care of her. I'm not asking you to love this reporter." She continued as she saw Rei's mouth open. "I'm just asking you to care a bit, just enough for you to try and control your temper."

Rei opened her mouth; and then closed it. She couldn't come up with a logical response to Minako's reason. She nodded and then left the bed to get dressed.

As Rei was calmly walking up to her fire room she noticed a figure leaning against it. The figure's aura was tense, maybe a bit frightened, but firm none the less.

"Good morning Mars-sama." Alice said with a bow. Mars just looked at her, and sighed a little.

"Morning...but just to tell you, there is no such thing as a good morning." Rei walked past her and into the small space of her fire room.

'Was she being nice to me???' Alice wondered as she stepped inside, carefully turning on her mini-player so Mars wouldn't notice.

Disclaimer: I don't own the character's of Sailor Moon. I don't do this for money. I do this because it's fun.

I hate the leave it here….I REALLY do, but if I continue this chapter will be insanely long, so the rest of the day will be in the next chapter, which I hope to have out this week or the next. Sorry it took so long….but school is out for the semester, now the only thing keeping me from writing is work.

R&R please