A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. Your comments let me know that I'm going in the right direction with this. I love the hostility.

Disclaimer: see previous chapter

"Mako, have you talked to Rei? She won't answer her phone."

"I haven't. I don't think her phone is on. Have you tried going to see her?"

"I don't really have the time to get out of here. Even if I did, I'm being watched like a hawk all the time."

"I think you may need to find a way around that if you want to get to Rei, Minako. She was upset the last time I saw her and I don't think she'll be approaching you any time soon. She didn't even speak to me, and usually I'm the anti-social one between the two of us."

Minako sighed. She hated when doing the right thing was impossible. "I'll try my hardest, Mako."

"Setsuna, I need a break."

The woman didn't look up from her work as she spoke. "I'm sorry, Minako. That is not possible at this time, and you know it."

"Sets, I need to go see Rei. She's-"

"Minako, you have a very heavy work load. You don't have time to be gallavanting around town looking for your girlfriend."

"But Sets-"

"I'm serious, Minako." The older woman turned to look at her blond co-worker. "You have a lot of things on your plate. Your situation with Rei will work itself out. You career won't. If your lover doesn't understand what it entails to be in this business, and you want to stay with her, you will have to make a choice between the two. There will be times where you won't be home for months at a time, and you're panicking over what hasn't even been a week."

"Setsuna, I have no problem being away from Rei. It's just- She got angry. I don't want her to be upset. I need to make sure she's okay."

"Rei is a grown woman. She can take care of herself, Minako. You should be able to handle whatever the issue is with a phone call."

"I've tried to call her! Her phone is off! Setsuna, I just need one day. Just a few hours. Late tonight. Please?"

Setsuna's eyes held no emotion, though her words were softer when she spoke again. She was no longer a business partner, but a friend. "What happened between you and Rei?"

Minako sighed, taking a seat in her friend's office. "Well, the other day, Arai Kei's manager came to talk to me."

"About the prospect of dating the teen, correct?"

Minako shook her head. She was past being weirded out by how Setsuna knew things she didn't tell her. "Yeah, and I turned him down. I was sure he had gotten the picture by the way he left.

"Rei came by, and I snuck her into my room," Minako looked up, hoping she wasn't in trouble, but the other woman's face told her nothing. She sighed and continued, "and then Kei came into my room, called me his girlfriend, and pulled me away from Rei. I guess he pissed her off, because she hit him in the nose, and I think she may have broken it."

An eyebrow raised on the forehead of the cryptic woman. "I should get more security for you. Two unauthorized visits at the same time."

Minako had the decency to look chagrined; one of those was her fault.

Setsuna let out a small smile. "You're not in trouble, Minako. As far as Kei is concerned, I will talk to his manager and make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

"Thank you so much, Sets."

"Did Rei really break his nose?"

"It sounded like it. And the way he was crying means she probably did."

"She was probably quite upset. Did you tell her about the talk you and his manager had?"

"I didn't get the chance. We had just got into my room when he came in there."

"I'm afraid I still can't let you leave here, Minako. However, I can do you a favor and talk to Rei for you. I'll tell you what she says."

The blond smiled brightly, torn on whether or not to hug the woman sitting in fron of her. "Thank you so much, Sets!" She bounded out of the office without having to be told.

Her joy was not to last, however.

"Hello, Beautiful Child. It is nice to see you again, alone."

Minako frowned. She had thought that with a cast on his face nursing his wounded nose he would have gotten the picture to leave her alone. Apparently, he was more dense than his manager. "What do you want?"

"Have dinner with me, my sweet."

"Absolutely not. Unless you want to have a broken jaw to go with that broken nose of yours, I suggest you leave me alone."

The boy winced. "You don't have to be so rough, Minako."

Minako walked past the boy on the way to her dressing room. "I want nothing to do with you. I'm having issues with my girlfriend thanks to you. Go away."

"I will leave only if you leave with me, my darling love child. Did I mention how beautiful your name is?"

"I don't care how you feel about my name. Leave me alone."

The blond unlocked the door to her dressing room and tried to shut it in the face of her stalker, but he was faster. She groaned and reluctantly opened the door. He made himself comfortable in the same chair Rei had sat in only a few weeks prior. "Your girlfriend broke my nose, you threatened my boss, and you slammed a door on my foot. Is that how you thank all the people who help you get your break?"

Minako crossed her arms over her chest, turning to look at the boy. "What are you talking about?"

Kei stood, crossing the distance between them. He grabbed Minako's chin and tilted her head up to look at him. "Do you think I let just anyone open for me? I had been watching you for a while. I was awed by you style, your grace, your power. Your beauty still enraptures me; your name is perfect for you, Aino Minako-san."

From their proximity, Minako actually had the chance to look at his features. He was quite tall; maybe a little shorter than Mamoru. His hair was bleach white and cut short, styled to his narrow face. His skin was tanned, but he was no darker than Rei. She had no time to compare him to anyone else before she noticed how close his face was to hers.

Rather than running to a safe corner, far away from danger, she stood still; neither moving towards nor away from him. "I can't do this, Kei-san."

He smiled gently, his hand moving from her chin up to cup her cheek. "You look a lot like her."

"Like who?" Minako was completely caught up in his gaze. She never felt the eyes on her from the door way, nor did she hear the door when it opened.

The boy didn't answer her question. "I think I loved her from a distance. She was a lot like you. You remind me of her. Grace, poise, elegance. You're fabulous."

She had no time to consider how questionable his words were before his lips met hers. She knew she should have pulled away, but his kiss was so gentle. It felt like she belonged in his arms. It was as though she remembered this kiss; the familiarity was stunning.

"I think I'll borrow your words from a few days ago. Keep your hands and your LIPS away from my girlfriend." The miko growled low in her throat.

The other two occupants in the room seperated and squeaked.

"Get out of my girlfriend's dressing room before I break another part of you."

Kei quickly scurried out of the room, not making eye contact with anyone on his way out.

"Rei, I-"

"Save it. Sit down." The blond did as she was told. Rei stood over her.

"You know, I can't believe that I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. I convinced myself that he was just some crazy stalker who made his way in here." Minako chose not to point out the fact that had Rei not been living under a rock she would have known exactly who the pop star was. "I wanted to trust you; to believe that you wouldn't treat me like a one night stand; to believe the our relationship meant something to you.

"If I had come in and just seen him kissing you, even if you hadn't tried to run away from his kiss, or if you were just cheating on me, merely for physical pleasure, I may not be as hurt as I am. But to see you standing in his arms, looking at him the way you look at me, that hurt, Mi-chan."

The blond dropped her head. "I guess I was wrong to think you could love me. I'll let you be with him. He obviously makes you happy."

The miko started to leave, but a tear-wetted hand grabbed her wrist. Shakily, Minako spoke. Her tears made her voice heavy. "You make me happy, Rei. It was a misunderstanding."

Rei chuckled darkly, breaking free from the hold on her wrist and wiping the remainder of the tears off of her love's cheeks. "I understand perfectly, Minako. He's just like him, isn't he?"

Minako looked up at her friend. "Like who?"

Rei's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Kaitou. He acts like him too, right?"

The blond looked back at the floor. Rei was right; that was the familiarity. "How do you know him, Rei?"

The sad smile never left Rei's face. "I watched Sailor V just as much as everyone else, if not more. I saw the connection between the two of you.

"I'll let you have another chance, Mi-chan. Go for it. It should help your career, too. You can finally love Kaitou Ace without the weight of fate on your shoulders."

Minako shut her eyes. "How can you say such a thing? Why won't you fight for me?"

Rei's smile fell, but her words were sure. "I was your best friend before I was your lover. I have to tell you to follow your heart. Go out with him."

Teary blues eyes looked up and met sad purple ones. "My heart is with you, Rei."

"If your heart were here, you never would have been in his arms. You never forget your first love, Minako. No matter how hard you try, you will never forget them."

Rei grabbed both of Minako's cheeks in her two hands, wiping away her tears. Leaning down, she placed a quick chaste kiss on the woman's lips. "I'll never foreget you, Sailor V."

Minako's tears only came harder as she watched her friend leave the room.

Rei walked out of the door to Minako's dressing room and met the concerned eyes of Setsuna. "Convince her that what I said was for the best. She should at least give him a chance, and he will help her to fulfill her dream."

Rei didn't wait for a reply; she simply lowered her head and walked slowly away from the dressing room, the building, and out of her best friend's life.

Setsuna followed Rei with her eyes until the woman was no longer in her line of sight. Any doubts she had about Rei being concerned with Minako's career left in that moment, and it broke her heart to see it.

Steeling herself, she walked into Minako's dressing room, preparing to pick up the pieces of her friend, put her back together, and prepare her to fall in love before she even fell out of it.

A/N: This will be the last Rei is seen for a while. She didn't just walk out of the building and Minako's life, she walked out of the story. There's a reason the summary says "How does Rei deal...?" Cryptic enough? Everything will be explained in time.