Hey, thanks to:

star saphire

Hoshiko Megami

Umeko Saito

ShadoWalker &

Kaiya, for reviewing.

Kaiya: Wow, that was a long review, I loved it! Lol, thanks! Wow, perhaps I did overlook the fact that Ami wasn't there. Let's just say her fingerprints were on file. This whole story has to be told in flashbacks, I'm afraid. If the last flashback was too short for you, don't worry. I only show pieces of each flashback. That's why they are all so short. In the end, when everything is revealed, it'll be longer and more just to the flashback. I am sorry if you felt it was dropped out of nowhere, but it was simply to show how her boyfriend was found dead and to give an idea of whom had done it. Eventually, the flashbacks will be said like one character explaining to another with the flashbacks, so they will not be as choppy and short as some of these memory type flashbacks. So please, if you are confused or just hate anything I do, don't hesitate to tell me, because I enjoy your reviews, they really improve my writing! Thanks again!

Sorry the chapter took so long, I wrote it over a week ago and then had no time to post it, so sorry for typos, but reviewing it was not an option after it was finished!

Chapter 5

Ami let Mamoru in, a scowl on her face. Duo had been pestering her all morning to try to get her not to be mad at him, and he was getting on her nerves. She had awakened to find him standing over her bed, staring at her. He had begged for forgiveness when she had she had seen him, and she had simply pointed for him to leave her room, still tired.

In truth, Duo had placed one of the small devices the woman had given them last night in the room. Any conversations Usagi or Ami would share in teh room, they would know about.

Duo had then made another scheme to make Ami forgive him. It had consisted of a string tied to the table leg and the other one tied to the china cabinet. Duo had thought his plan was brilliant. When Ami came through the doorway from the guest room, she wouldn't see the string because the hallway was short before the turn to the exit. Then Duo would catch her as she tripped, and beg her forgiveness. Or that was how the plan was supposed to go. Usagi had seen Duo crouched waiting by the door, and had crouched down next to him, asking him what he was doing. In her hand was a plate with a chocolate chip muffin. As Duo had tryed to convince Usagi to give him some, Ami had come out of the room before he had planned.

She had tripped and Usagi and Duo had looked up to see her hit the floor. Needless to say she had not been happy about that.

"What's wrong Ami," Mamoru asked.

"Our neighbor," she snapped, closing and locking the door behind him. They had all been taking extra pre-cautions since the girl had threatened Ami again.

Walking past Duo into the kitchen, she grabbed a knife and almost dangerously began chopping up watermelon to help Makoto, and surprisingly, Trowa.

"Ami, talk to me," Duo said from next to her.

"You leave me alone," Ami said, waving the knife at him. "My head still hurts from that fall."

"I said I was sorry," he tried, but she simply ignored him. Her cellphone rang, and everyone around the house gathered, wondering if it was the strange girl. Ami dryed her hands and answered.

"Hello?" They saw her shoulders relax slightly, and she spoke.

"Oh, hi Mom."

Ami walked away to talk to her mom, and Makoto looked at Trowa.

"See, now we're all jumpy over nothing," she said with a chuckle.

Quatre walked past Usagi and Mamoru, whom were talking in the living room. He wanted to put a small chip like the ones they had received the night before in there, but they would see him.

"Hey Quatre," Usagi greeted, ending what she was saying and switching on the television. She and Mamoru flipped through channels a bit, Quatre leaning rather awkwardly against the bookshelf hoping that they would settle on a channel and get into it. The news caught their attention, and they stopped changing channels.

Quatre rested the hand that had the chip in it on the shelf, and then attatched the chip to the top back of an ancient, dusty looking book he was sure no one would touch.

"Oh my God," he heard Usagi say, and he jumped and turned to look at the two, thinking he'd been caught. Their attention was actually focused on the screen.

"Guys, get in here," Usagi called. Everyone came running into the room, wondering what was wrong. Ami said goodbye to her mom and watched, setting her cellphone down on the table. Duo couldn't help but notice when she did.

"Massive power outages and human energy drains by monsters have been reported across Japan. When a frightened man was asked what he thought was happening, his response was simply that they, whoever 'they' are, were trying to lure out the Sailor Scouts. There has been a cry across Japan as people debate what exactly is happening. I'm Kira Nagaska from Tokyo News."

"It's happening again," Ami murmered.

"What is," Duo asked.

"This is how it started, remember? Power outages and energy draisn across country. Then it got worse," Mamoru said in agreeance.

"This is really getting old," Rei muttered as she left the room to go sit on the porch. left to her room to get her mini-computer and analyze silently. Everyone returned to their normal activities. Trowa told Makoto he had to leave, seeing that Heero, Duo, Wufei, and Quatre were ushering for him.

"We'll be back in about an hour or two. We have to get groceries for our house," Heero told Minako, who nodded glumly, sadthat he was leaving.

"What is it," Trowa asked when he stepped out the back and followed his friends. Wufei nodded at him and they walked into their yard and opened the back door, entering the almost completely unused kitchen. They were always at the girls' cabin.

"Maxwell got Ami's phone," Wufei said, as they sat around the kitchen table. Heero took the top off of the phone, and hooked2 small black pieces inside. One by the speakers mouth and one by what Ami was hearing. Then he put the top back on and gave it to Duo.

"Have you apologized?"

"I tried. Failed attempts do to stupidity," Duo explained, and Wufei rolled his eyes.

"I put a chip in the living room and one in the room Minako, Rei, and Makoto are sharing," Quatre said.

"I put one in the hall and one in the kitchen," Trowa said.

"I put on in Ami and Usagi's room, and now the other ones I had are in Ami's phone," said Duo.

"And I put one on the side of the backporch where it will not get wet," Wufei said.

"And I put one in the dining room. It would be impossible to put the chips as Mirvette suggested on the girls possesions, minus the cellphone that is. Now we bassically have the whole house bugged," Heero said.

"Good, now how do we hear everything," Quatre asked. Heero pointed to a small machine in the living room. It looked like an answering machine. It had eight different channels, for each piece.

"It will record everything that goes on through the day," Heero said, "so we can just come home and listen to what we missed at night." Heero turned to look at Quatre.

"Why don't you bring the neighbor over after lunch, the girls seem tohate her. It may help us to learn more."

Quatre did just as he was told, and he brought Sanyu over while everyone was lounding on the deck that aftrenoon. She was offered a tight lipped smile by every girlthere and a nod fromMamoru.

Ami had found her cellphone. She had claimed it had gone mising earlier, and they had been searching the house before Minako had found it on the table she had thought she left it on.

That was strange for Minako, whom had passed by the table five or six times before spotting it the last time.

When Ami went into the kitchen to get a drink, Duo followed her, hoping to apologize without startling her or making her fall.

Duo entered the kitchen cautiously, He was facing Ami's back, a glass of water held firmly in her hand, still full.

She had one hand held tightly on the counter and the other just holding the cup, her staring at nothing in particular.

This made Duo even more hesisitant to enter for some reason. He stared down at the hand holidng the counter, realizing her knuckles were turning white from how hard she was holding it.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, he jumped away frm the kitchen doorway and his in the hall. Sanyu entered, heading for the kitchen. A smirk played on her lovely features as she entered. Ami had obviously heard her from before, because the glass of water was being poured down the drain as Sanyu entered, and Ami set it down on the counter with a dull thud.

"Well well, isn't that a waste of the preciouswater your kind holds so dear," Sanyu said. Duo almost jumped from where he was hidden when she spoke. Sanyu always spoke in a soft, feathery kind of tone whenever she was around him, and the voice she had just used was definately not like that. It was rougher, less high-pitched and more sarcastic. Duo peaked his head around the corner to get a better look.

Ami turned to glare at her angrilly, and she had dry tear stains on her cheeks but her glazed over eyes were angry looking.

"What would a monster like you know about anything human," she snapped.

Sanyu only gave a laugh in response.

"Now now Mizuno, let's play nice," she said. However Sanyu did something that completely contradicted her statement as she came at Amiat a inhumanely quick speed, grabbing a hold of her arm and shoving her with an unbelievable strength against the wall next to the sink. Duo wanted to help, but realized the others would kill him for interfering before he heard all of the information and letting the chips pick it up so it recorded at home as well.

'That's nice," Ami said angrilly, attempting unsuccesfully to pull her arm free.

"Why are you in such a bad mood," Sanyu asked, before suddenly laughing. "Oh, I see." She looked at Ami in an amused sort of way. "You're still not over the garbage bag thing."

What garbage bag thing? Now Duo was lost.

"Humans are so pathetic. It's like, come on, get over it. That's exactly what holds you and yourpathetic people down. Those silly emotions that get you nowhere."

"Easy for a heartless beast such as yourself to say," Amiresponded. "And no, it is not just the garbage bag thing. It is the whole situation in general."

"You had better not still be mad about your mom. I mean, she lived. And even if she didn't, what's the big deal," Sanyu said, not expecting an answer. "If you were stronger, you'd know that beings like us shouldn't be held back by weaklings."

"Then you know nothing," Ami said, pulling her arm free in a matter of seconds and moving so quick that she had turned the tables on Sanyu, and she now had Sanyu pinned to the wall.

"Now it's my turn to ask. Why are you here?"

Sanyu shrugged. "Does it bother you?"

"Yes," Ami said.

Sanyu shrugged.

"I come for work. I always do. As much as you'd like to think you and your friends mean something to me, you don't. It's all bussiness."

"Why are the attacks starting in Tokyo. Is it true what they are saying?" Ami asked.

"Why should I tell you. Figure it out yourself," Sanyu said flipintly. Ami stared at her a moment.

"Leave Sanyu. Leave now before the past repeats itself and you pay."

"I won't pay, and I'd like to see you make me leave," Sanyu said. The back door opened and they heard talking. Ami let go of Sanyu and walked out of the room, and Duo jumped up and entered the kitchen like normal from the other doorway.

"I'm getting hungry for dinner," Quatre admitted as he entered the kitchen. Makoto opened her mouth to vollunteer to cook again, but Sanyu cut her off.

"Can I cook? I'd like to help you all since you've shown me such hospitality since I arrived." Duo frowned at Sanyu. A momenta go as she talked with Ami, her voice had been low and dangerous. Now it was more high pitched and bubbly. She gave an innocent smile as Rei gave her a suspicious glare.

"Well," Minako cut in, "you can help us cook, but it would be too rude of us to make you do the whole dinner."

Sanyu smiled.

'Thanks, I hope I please you."

"Hold it, I don't like too many hands in the kitchen. Only two can help me." Trowa stood immediately, getting an odd stare from the guys, and Sanyu clapped her hands.

"Perfect, a guy will help us!" Everyone else shrugged and filed out of the room. Duo stayed put however, staring at Sanyu with suspicion. Not that he wasn't completely suspicious of Ami, but with Sanyu, it was...different.

"Yes, Duo?" He looked from where he stood staring at Sanyu to Makoto, whom was now wearing an apron and looking at him quizically.

"I'm sorry, did you want to help us as well?" Makoto stared at Duo a few moments, and he began to answer.

"Um...no. I'm gonn ago find Ami. Later," he called as he was out the door.

Stepping into the hall, he looked around before looking upstairs. She must have headed to her room.

"So Heero," Minako said, keeping with the plan of questioning him as she and the others had decided, "where did you say you were from?"

"America." Heero said this bluntly, as if to end the conversation, but Minako continued anyways.

"America huh? Interesting. Where in America?"

"Michigan."

"Oh, Michigan, I see. Are all of your friends from Michigan?"

"Yes."

"Hm."

"Hm? What is that supposed to mean?" Heero said this as he glared, waiting for an answer.

"Does it have to mean anything," she said more than asked, in a playful yet mysterious voice.

Heero stared at her a long moment. Sun streamed in through the large windows in the living room, giving her face a shine and making her blond hair light up. She looked back at him, not intimidated in the least, and Heero had to wonder why she was suddenly questioning him. She must be a sailor scout. She had been lying to him constantly.

Heero thought back to what Ms. Mirvette Demention had discussed with them about her bizarre freedom fighting group, the D Galaxy. The fighters that trained magic and hidden potential to it's peak. They said the Senshi were still willing to fight and defend the innocent, but that they wanted to freeze and then take over the entire fee world, because noon else would be fit to do so. She also mentioned thirty of the D Galaxy's best agents had been destroyed a few weeks before they arrived.

Looking at the girl before him, although she was strong-willed and outgoing, he still didn't really believe she could do all that. They would have to learn more...

Sanyu hummed as she chopped vegetables into a steaming pot of soup. Makoto was keeping an annoying close watch over her. Trowa stood stirring mashed potatoes. They were the flaked kind. Mako had complained, but it had to be used today. Makoto was currently removing the chicken from the oven, and she fanned her mit over the door when the hot air hit her.

Glancing behind her at the two, Sanyu smirked. Now Trowa and Makoto both had their backs turned to her, bent over the chicken to see if it was finished.

Pulling a small vile from her sweater pocket, she quickly dumped all of it's contents into the pot. She stuffed the vile back into her pocket just as the two turned around, and she began to stir the soup.

Perfect.

Wufei, Rei, Quatre, Usagi, and Mamoru sat out in the front yard, lying on the grass staring up at the sky.

"Why am I suddenly getting bored of our luxurious vacation to Maru Island," Usagi asked as she stared.

"You tell me meatball head. You're in the perfect summer paradise. No school. No detention, plus you know you've got college waiting for you when you get home. You should be living it up," Rei said.

"Living it up, hmmm."

Usagi sat up and stared at everyoen devilishly. They all gave her quizical looks, and she smiled.

"You know, there ARE two parts to this island."

"Your point being?" This was from Wufie. Usagi rolled her eyes at him and continued.

"You see, we are on the ocean view peaceful side, where people own land and live in simple ways for happiness we city people do not understand."

"Okay," Quatre said, urging her to continue.

"Well, on the other side, is the tourist spot. I'm talking, big beaches, which we have, but not public ones, hotels, spas, shopping, and clubs."

Wufei sat up, suddenly interested. Perhaps there time was not being wasted. Looking at Quatre, he knew he was thinking the same. Even if the girls they were with were not the Sailor Scouts, taking a trip to the other side to investigate other women would help ease their search.

"I say we take a two day trip to the other side, before returning to our more peaceful ocean fun here. We'll get some excitement from our relaxation. I'm taking loud parties, shopping-"

"Guys," Rei interrupted, staring dreamily ahead.

"Well, I have my Mamoru," Usagi said airilly, "but I think this trip is a good idea to take some time at the end of this week."

For some reason, Wufei couldn't help the feeling of jealousy that passed through him when Rei mentioned other guys.

'This is a mission,' he told himself, 'and she is just a stupid onna.'

Duo headed up the stairs after Ami, however after inspecting it, realized no one was there. He went out the back door and realized that Ami was lying on the swing on the back porch, staring ta nothing in particular with her arms crossed behind her head.

"Hey, you've been down the past couple of days. Care to tell me why?"

Ami did not respond. He sighed.

"Look Ami. I am really sorry for what I did, itwas uncalled for. I want you to trust me. I can honestly tell you we bought the guns here. A buddy of mine told us before we left America to get some protection. He mentioned that he had seen stuff on the news for monsters, that was all. The kiss was totally unnecesary at the time, especially since I know your boyfriend died under six months ago. Please forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive," Ami said with a sigh, sitting up and patting the seat next to her. "Sorry I've been so mean."

"You haven't been mean. My apologies haven't exactly been emmy worthy," he said with a laugh.

"Dinner," Makoto called from inside.

Everyone entered and sat down.

"Mmm, this is great Makoto. What did you put in the soup," Usagi asked.

"Actually, Sanyu made the soup using my recipe."

"Well, good job Sanyu," Usagi said, totally forgetting about Sanyu's past and helping herself to another plate. The talk at the table was lively and fun, laughter ringing through the house as they discussed taking a trip.

"Let's go the day after tomorrow," Minako said. "We'll pack and rent a car tomorrow, well, two cars actually," she corrected, counting the people in her head, "and then we'll go. We'll arrive around3:00 there, book a hotel for one night, and then leave at 6ish the next day, so we get one night and one day." Everyone agreed, and Mamoru used Ami's cellphone to call and make some arrangements for a few rooms ahead of time.

Sanyu waved goodbye to everyone as she and the pilots left.

Ami told the girls what Sanyu told her in the kitchen.

"We can't just not go on the trip with her, it's too suspicious. Besides, if Sanyu wanted to kill us in our sleep, she would have already done it. No, it's something else she's after that ties in with us. You know what they say, you keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Makoto said, earning agreeance from everyone. Mamoru left to his motel and the girls got ready for bed.

"I cannot believe the conversation between Sanyu and Ami. Where were we during all this," Quatre asked Duo.

"Outside, the machines are awesome," Duo was saying as they played back the tape.

"What now, do we go on this trip," Duo asked.

"Yes, it will give us a chance to search more thoroughly for the scouts on this island. We'll prepare to leave tomorrow, as they said, and leave her the day after." Everyone nodded at what Heero said.

"Sanyu is suspicious too though, huh Quatre?" Quatre looked up at Trowa, and shook his head.

"The girls must just be old rivals in school. Sanyu would never be involved in anything like that," he said firmly, and the other guys looked at each other unsurely but shrugged and figured it would allbe revealedanyways sooner or later.

As it was, the boys were completely unable to sleep. While none of them would admit it, for some reason all they could think about were horrible battles with the gundams.

"So strange," Wufei said, "I'm so wide awake, like I've had some drug or something."

"Nothing was in the food, if that's what you mean," Trowa said as they flipped through channels of the machine to hear what was going on in the girls rooms. Late night conversations? They fliped to channel four, this was the channel for Rei, Minako, and Makoto's rooms, and listened.

"Rei," they heard Minako's voice tear through the silence and slight static, "I can't sleep. I kepe having horrible nightmares."

"Me too," Rei said, "But mine are more like memories."

"Last year?"

"Yeah." They heard a ruffling of sheets, and Makoto let out a shriek.

"Looks like someone else is having a nightmare," they heard Minako whisper, and could here the sound of her climbing out of bed due to her springmattress creaking, and this was followed by light footsteps, and could hear a slight giggle from Rei.

"Minako, let go of Mako's ear, youll wake her," they heard Rei whisper.

Silence followed, and then a loud scream.

"Is that Makoto," Trowa asked, as they listened, interested now.

"Makoto," they heard Minako say in a choked voice, "get...getyour hand off of my throat."

They heard Rei jump out of bed, andnot amoment later Makoto was apologizing.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry! I was having a nightmare, and all of a sudden I wake up and my hand is held tight around your neck! Honestly!"

Minako wasted no time in calming her friend down.

"It's alright, I belive you. I would never think that you'd do me any harm intentionally."

"Great, now I'm wide awake," they heard Rei mumble as they heard her getting into bed.

"So Mako, what were you having a nightmare about," they heard Minako ask.

A long silence followed, before Makoto responded in a low voice.

"Last year."

"Me too," Minako and Rei said at the same time, and the two laughed.

"Wierd isn't it? We're all dreaming about last year," Makoto said.

"Yeah, that's definately wierd," Rei said, as a long silence settled over the speaker, signalling to the guys that the girls were trying to get to sleep.

"Did anything stick out to you from what just happened," Quatre aske,d and he heard everyone agree.

"Last year," Trowa said, "But what happened last year that was so significant?"

Wufei switched teh dial to Ami and Usagi's room. They paused to listen.

Ami sat up with a cry. She had been having horrible nightmares all night, and she was sure the other girls were too since she had heard Makoto scream and the girls talking, plus Usagi had shouted and fallen from her bed a couple of minutes before. Every time she tried to fall back asleep, she would have a nightmare and wake up startled.

Usagi had just fallen back to sleep, so Ami carefully and quietly climbed out of bed and walked over to the other side of the room. She wanted to open her window and get some air.

Ami stopped when she heard more shuffling in the girls room, however when she walked out of the room to investigate, she realized that the girls were climbing into bed now and speaking quietly. She decided not to disturb them and tiptoed back down the darkened hallway towards her room.

Usagi was snoring softly now, deeply asleep, and she turned her attention to the other side of the room where the one window in the room was.

Ami only stopped when through the darkness she felt a breeze coming in through the window.

It was open now, but how? She had just seen it was closed. Walking over to the window, she stuck her head outside and looked around. Seeing nothing, she decided she had probably just not realized that teh window was open in the darkness when she first left the room.

Turning from the window, Ami screamed when someone rose from behind the side of Usagi's bed and stood, a knife clasped in their hand firmly.

"I told you I'd finish what WE started last time," the all too familiar voice of the strange girl floated dangerously through the room.

The guys looked at each other from where they sat listening and automatically bolted to their feet and ran out the door.
"Minako, Mako, did you hear that," Rei asked, already out of bed.

"Who closed the door," Makoto asked,Minako ate her heels as all three headed towards the door.

"I did," a small voice said. Minako turned to her right and let out a blood-curdling scream.

The pilots ran up the stairs. The first room to their right was Minako, Rei, and Makoto's room. There were shouts and screams from inside. Heero ran to the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Minako," he called into the door. He heard more screams, and then it was followed by pounding on the door.

"Rei," Wufei shouted, as he and Trowa joined hEero, kmocking at the door.

"Unlock the door," Shouted Trowa.

"It's not locked," Came the scared shout from Makoto inside. While Wufei, Heero, and Trowa were trying to help the girls, Duo and Quatre took off towards the commotion in Usagi and Ami's room.

The doorwaswide open as Usagi's shouts came crystal clear through it.

In the darkness, they could still see what was happening due to teh moonlight streaming in through the window.

Usagi was trying to pull a girl with long light brown hair off of Ami. The girl was tryingto stab Ami, although it appeared she had already gotten a few hits in. Usagi's arm was bleeding very badly, a long cut running down her arm the cause, apparent in her short sleeved pink night gown.

Ami had been slashed from right above her chest to her shoulder, her white night gown covered in blood on the left.

Duo ran at the girl, anger suddenly filling him as he tackled her off of Ami, taking the knife from her had and raising it above to strike her.

"Duo," Ami shouted, sititing up, "Stop!"

He lowered he knife as Quatre helped Usagi off of the ground. The girl took this moment to kick him off of her and take a mad dive from the window. The girl was unbelievably strong. Duo ran to the edge to look out, and saw no one. He closed the window and ran over to Ami, who was trying to get to her feet.

Meanwhile, the other three pilots were suddenly able to open the door, and as they threw it open and ran in looking for some kind of an attacker, they were surprised to see no one but the girls.

Minako lay on the ground next to the door, crying and shaking. Rei was seated next to her, her hand shaking slightly as she held Minako's shoulder, and she was pale as a ghost. Makoto had a far away look on her face as she sat, both legs beneath her and equally as pale as Rei.

"What happened here," Heero demanded quickly, crouching down netx to the three.

"Looks like the onna's have lost it," Wufei said, his eyes scanning the room. Trowa looked around, and saw no one. However, he still wasn't sure that was what had happened.

"He's supposed to be dead," was the only reply they received, this having come between Minako's sobs.

"Who is," Trowa asked.

But no one spoke again.

"Why was the door locked," Heero asked.

And again, he received no reply.

"She got in through the window I think," Ami was explaining as Duo helped her sit on he bed. Quatre turned on the lights and helped Usagi sit next to Ami.

"Damn Ami, Usagi, you two are bleeding a lot. Maybe we should take you to the hospital," Duo said, eying the two. Usagi traced her hand down her injured arm and shook her head.

"A first aid kit will do, it looks bad but it's really just a scratch. It's a long scratch, but still only a scratch."

Ami examined her own wound.In the light they could all see it now.The cut went from below the left of her collar bone to her shoulder.

"Mine will be alright without a hospital as well, I believe."

Quatre and Duo turned from looking at Usagi disaprovingly to Ami.

"You're kidding. Neither of you will go to the hospital," Quatre repeated, looking at each one.They both shook their heads.

"We're fine," Ami repeated, "just a bit scared. I was shocked she got in through the window."

"What exactly did happen," Quatre asked.

"Well, I couldn't sleep," Ami said, "and neither could Usagi. Bad dreams, wekept waking up. Finally, Usagi fell asleep. I wanted to open the window for some air, but first I left the room a moment to see if the other girls were sleeping, and then returned. When I came back, the window was open. I walked over, but no one was outside. I turned around and saw someone standing by Usagi's bed-" At this point, Usagi shuddered at the thought, "and screamed when I saw it was a girl who had a knife. Usagi woke up, and when she saw who was standing by the bed, she screamed and fell out of the bed. The girl lunged at us, and pushed Usagi away and cut her arm first. Then she tackled me and cut me. That was when you guys came in, I believe."

"How did you guys know," Usagi asked.

"Well, the girl opened your window to come in I guess. And our windows were open, we were up, just couldn't fall asleep. We heard you guys screaming and came to see what was wrong," Duo explained quickly.

"How did you get in," Ami asked.

"The front door," Quatre said, "it was open."

"I locked that before I headed upstairs," Ami said, clearly upset now.

"Don't worry Ami. Us guys will search the house before we leave," Duo said, "but first we'll go chekc on the others and get a first aid kit."

Ami and Usagi proved that they were not badly injured by getting up and following the two across the hall.

In the other room, Minako was no longer crying, but tear stains were on her face. The three girls were still irriversably pale at the moment, as the guys continued to question them.

"What happened here," Quatre asked as he entered the room.

"That's exactly what we're trying to find out," Wufei said.

"Usagi! Ami! Are you two alright," Rei asked, standing up now. Her face was paler now at the sight of her friends, although Wufei hadn't thought it possible.

"We're fine Rei. The cuts just look bad," Usagi insisted.

"Was it that girl," Trowa asked, and the four nodded.

"We'll get details on what happened from everyoen later," Duo said, "first, we have to check the house and then get a first aid kit for these two."

"Check the house?" Duo turned to look at Trowa, who looked a bit confused.

"Um..." not want wanting to scare the girls anymore, he spoke quietly. "The girl got in from Ami and Usagi's window, and remember when we came in, how the door was open? It was locked before the girls headed to bed, so just to be sure..."

The guys checked the whole upstairs first, closets and all, before heading downstairs to check every room. The girls talked while they were gone.

"Remember Jeff," asked Rei quietly. The girls nodded.

"Well," Rei said, "he was here."

Minako stared off into space, thinking, remembering. It was all coming back. The horrible memories. The ones she and the other girls had tried to hide, tried to supress, tried to forget.

"Come on Minako! Please?"

"No, you little brat! Didn't I tell you that you couldn't come?"

"Yes."

"Fine, come on."

"Yay, thanks Minako," Jeff said happily, running up behind her to cath her hand.

"Jeff and his family just moved in next door," Minako was telling the girls. "I usually hate kids, but for soem reason this one is hard to hate."

Jeff liked Minako, and he liked her friends. He was always hanging around her, wherever she went. It was hard, with the horrible youma attacks and confusion of the year, but the had been working around it. She had grown to love the brat in the three months, beginning to spoil him. Perhaps it was the fact that he was so full of life that made her love the little 8 year old. Until that day.

The youma attacks were much worse now.

"Minako, please, can't I just come with you?"

"Jeff," Minako said with a sigh, getting down to eye-level with him, "I'm sorry. But the monster attacks are really out of hand. There's a few attacks every hour. It's not safe, I'd prefer you stayed at home safe with your parents."

"I'll be safe if I'm with you!"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

If only he had listened, stayed. But life was like a fun game for Jeff, and it had probably been fun for him to follow Minako to the temple that day.

Only he hadn't made it to the temple. There had been a youma attack along the way. Minako had been unable to transform in the crowds of the streets. People began to run in every direction, grabbing their children. Jeff stood in the midst of the commotion, at a loss of where to go in the crazy crowds.

Spotting Minako, he sighed in relief, and began to fight his way through the crowd to reach her. Minako turned and saw him, shock covering her face.

"Jeff, what are you doing, it's not safe," Minako had said hotly, taking him by the arm and trying to lead him away from the area.

The youma began to fire randomly into the crowd, and Minako decided she had to find a place to transform.

"Minako, let's get out of here," Jeff pleaded. She couldn't leave him alone though. Anguished screams sounded from the crowd and she spun around. The scouts should have been there already, unless they were delayed by another attack.

"This way Jeff," she said, "you know how to get hom, right?"

"Minako, what about you?"

"I'll be fine, I have to find a friend, and then I'll catch up. Here," she lead him half way down the street, away from the commotion.

"Run home Jeff. I'll be there soon." He nodded and ran down the street. Minako had run off to transform, and returned to try and take on some of the youma. She suddenly heard the sound of anguishd crying. She turned to look, and was hit by a youma attack in the back. Getting to her feet, she destroyed the youma that had hit her and turned back to the other sound of distress. There was another youma, it had seemingly just appeared, trying to catch people before they escaped.

It seemed it had made an example out of someone. The youma had begun to enjoy doing that. They would kill someone at the beginning of a battle in order to scare the people and gain compliance so that they could drain more energy. From where she stood, Venus had attacked and destroyed the youma. She ran through the crowd, and the distressed people eventually cleared the way a bit so she could see who was hurt or dead.

She had stopped in her tracks, her breathing suddenly quicker as a choked sob suddenly escape her throat.

On the ground, in a puddle of his own blood, lay Jeff. His eyes were wide open in what seemed to be fear.

She knew it was hopeless, but she had collapsed to her knees to check his pulse. Nothing. As tears rolled down her cheeks, she could hear someone calling the police, saying that the youma had been destroyed by Sailor Venus, but that a boy was dead.

And she had known that it was all her fault. She hadn't been careful enough to see if he had followed. Then she had sent him down the street to his death.

Minako shook her head at the horrible memory. Jeff had been there, he had right now. When she had seen the door was locked, and Rei and Makoto had approached. She had looked to her left and seen him there, staring at her wide-eyed as the day he died.

She had began to shake and had screamed. Mako and Rei had looked over. Jeff walked towards her, and held her hand, his hands as cold as ice.

Then he had said in a low voice.

"You may as well have killed me Minako. It's your fault I died. All your fault!"

Minako's guilt had doubled at that moment as she had pulled her hand from his ice cold grip and screamed. The three had backed away from him, but he had approached. He just stood there ate first, staring at them as they tried to open the door, or at least turn on the lights, but they could do neither. Then Jeff had begun to scream, to shout, unearthly, inhumane. That was when they were os scared that they HAD to get out of the room. The boys had arrived and tried to get them out, but it seemed Jeff wasn't ready to do that until he scared them a bit more. Then as quickly as he had come, he dissapeared, and the door could be opened.

"Girls, we checked the whole house. No one's here. You're all good," Duo said as the guys climbed the stairs back up to the girls.

Quatre held a first-aid kit.

"Here," he said, passing it to Rei, "help Ami and Usagi."

Rei finally took notice of the fact that he was blushing, and remembered that she and all the girls were in night gowns or shorts with tanktops.

"Alright," she said kindly. "Thank you. Sorry for keeping you up more. You guys can go home. We'll take it from here." The guys nodded.

"Goodnight girls," Duo said, "Hope you have a better rest now." Everyone said goodbye and waved. The boys left and Makoto followed to lock the door behind them.

After wrapping up their injuries, everyone headed to bed, this time ready to sleep.

After the guys got home, they ran to the machine right away and tryed to hear what it recorded. They went first to Ami and Usagi's room, and it was exatly as Ami had said, no lies. They then went to where the other three slept, curious about what had happened.

After listening, every guy was paler then when they had begun.

"Who was the little boy," Quatre asked, "Why was he accusing Minako of killing him? Where did he come from? Where did he go? Minako said he was supposed to be dead, I'm so confused." Everyone had to agree. Something just didn't add up.

"Whatever it is, we need rest. We agreed to go on that stupid trip with them" Wufei said. Everyoen agreed and headed off to bed, hoping for an uneventful rets of the night.

That's it, PLEASE REVIEW!