Part 3 – The Query; A Second Couple; Re: Kaioh Family

"Haruka-papa, what does the word dyke mean?"

Haruka glanced over at young Hotaru as she cringed at the sound of that word. She was surprised her mother hadn't called her that yesterday. As she rubbed her eyes, roughly, she asked, in a rather harsh tone, "Where the hell did you hear that word anyway, Hotaru? Why are you asking me?"

Hotaru calculated her response, considering the best way to reply to her father. She scratched her chin, anxiously, before finally speaking. "Some kids at school said it. They said that you looked like a dyke."

"They what?" So even the children called her a dyke? When the hell had they even see her? How did a bunch of little kids even know what a dyke was, anyway? They were just like her damn parents, judging her before she they even understood the situation. She shook her head, running a hand through her hair, tugging on the individual strands as she glanced back up at her daughter. "How do they even know who we are, anyway?"

"They saw you before during the parent-teacher conferences, and a couple other parents asked 'What a waste of beauty. That beautiful girl is going out with that dyke.' I didn't know what a dyke was, so I came to you to ask. Plus, if I was being made fun of, I wouldn't want to hide it, you know?"

Haruka nodded, shaking her head in acceptance. "Damn. Well, I didn't want to have to talk to you about this. Damn. Well, a dyke, Hotaru, is a really rude way of referring to a girl who likes other girls. I don't mean as a friend, Hotaru, I mean like a lover."

"I'm not sure I understand," Hotaru said, cocking her head, "But you live with Setsuna and Michiru, so you guys aren't all in love with one another. I mean, you're just together because you're all Senshi, so you can't just be in love! Those kids are so stupid sometimes, you know? I mean, you only—only—only were kissing Michiru-mama. Wait, you really are a dyke, aren't you?"

"I don't like being called a dyke."

Hotaru's face filled with blush. She glanced down at her feet, holding her hands in one another. Haruka knew her humiliation knew no bounds, but she had to learn. She had to understand the truth. She needed to just comprehend the nature of the world around her. Most of all, she needed to accept Haruka for who she was, while she was young and impressionable, before she could grow up to reject her own daughter.

No, it wasn't that she was a lesbian. It was that she had had sex. It was that she had lost her virginity to another girl. It was that she was no longer pure. She was filthy, rotten. Imagine if she had told her mother that she had killed people, her friends, her enemies, without a second thought, in cold blood, mercilessly. She was the worst, the bottom of the barrel. She was just a wicked little freak of nature that didn't deserve to be loved at all, let alone praised, for her actions as a warrior. She was amazed how often Usagi and the others would just stare at her in awe, stare at her with respect, stare at her with love.

"I'm sorry," Hotaru replied, blushing a deeper shade of red, "I just—what's a good word to use then?"

"Lesbian."

"Okay, I didn't realize you were a lesbian," Hotaru stammered, "But, Haruka-papa?"

"Yeah?"

"Is being a lesbian contagious?"

Haruka chuckled slightly. Ruffling her daughter's hair, she replied, "No, you're born that way."

"So if I were a lesbian, I'd know already?" Hotaru asked.

"Yeah, basically," Haruka replied, "Why do you—? Wait, you aren't in love with Chibiusa, are you?"

Hotaru blushed even deeper. "I just think she's cute is all. She's like a cherub. Sometimes I even like poking her in the belly and arms. A few times I just hold hands with her. Does that make me a lesbian?"

Haruka sighed, weighing her options. She felt an urge to say yes, but she then acknowledged that many girls in Japan experienced things of this nature. It was a rather curious phenomenon, with young schoolgirls. Quite frequently, these schoolgirls crushes developed into beautiful romantic relationships. It always warmed Haruka's heart to see a duo of girls their age holding hands, staring romantically into each other's eyes, before locking lips as they held hands.

"That depends. Are you sure you really love her?"

Hotaru held her hands anxiously as she opened her mouth to speak. However, the moment she began to make a sound, the phone rang. Hotaru glanced down at her feet before mumbling, "Never mind."

"I'll be right back," Haruka replied, patting Hotaru on the head. Michiru was currently rehearsing in her soundproof recording room, so she wasn't going to be answering the phone anytime soon. Setsuna, on the other hand, was in deep undisturbed meditation in her study, or, judging by the overwhelmingly loud television, watching her melodramatic soap operas while sobbing gently. That left Haruka with the responsibility of answering that damn ringing phone!

"Hello?" Haruka asked, irately as she picked up the phone.

"Uh, hey, is this Haruka?"

"Yeah, who is this?" Haruka asked, aware of just how familiar this voice sounded, a voice she heard constantly.

"It's me, Makoto."

"Oh! Mako-chan!" Haruka laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. Of course that voice was familiar. Sailor Jupiter, the Guardian of Thunder, a woman that she had associated with several times over the course of the previous year. A comrade, friend, and enemy. It was funny how relationships worked out. Haruka remembered one incident where Makoto following her like a love struck school girl, despite knowing that she was a girl herself, only, as Sailor Jupiter, to engage in combat against Uranus.

"Uh, Haruka, I don't know who else to ask, but I just felt you'd be a more experienced person in this sort of subject. I, uh, don't know who else to talk to. If I talk to Usagi, she'll understand but she won't be able to give me any good advice. If I talk to Rei, she'll just laugh and think I'm being foolish. If I talk to Minako, she'll just take charge of what's happening and just ruin everything. And if I talk to Ami—well, I just need to talk—"

"Calm yourself," Haruka said, soothingly.

"Right, right. Thanks."

"Just tell me slowly, Mako-chan: what's going on?"

"Well, uh, I think I'm—I feel so stupid saying this—in love."

"With your ex-boyfriend from middle school still?" Haruka asked, "I mean, you've compared every guy you've met to that idiot, so it's about time you let him—"

"That's not what's going on."

"Oh, yeah. I guess that makes sense. Why would you need to talk to me about it if—oh, I get it." Haruka grinned in amusement as she finally came to an epiphany. It was so obvious now that she thought about it. How could she have overlooked the obvious? "So how long have you known, Mako-chan?"

"I don't know. I guess I must've been giving off signs for awhile now, but I never got it because I was just so stubborn in looking for the senior who rejected me in every guy I liked. It's just, I don't believe this."

"Well, who do you think it is?"

Haruka chuckled. "You know, I guess I can I can relate with you when it comes to the same-sex: blue haired girls are awfully cute."

"Uh, Haruka, I—uh—I—uh—"

"So tell me this: do you know if Ami is into you?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure," Matoko replied on the other end of the line, "I mean, I know she likes boys, so I don't think it's even worth a shot. She turned red when that one guy sent her a love letter, and there was that one psychic boy a couple years back. I mean, I don't think she'd even be able to look at me the same way if I—"

"Ami may be stubborn when it comes to her studying habits, but she does have a liberal view of society. I'm sure she won't judge you if you were a lesbian."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"I know."

"I mean, what if she ignores me and feels uncomfortable around me because she's afraid of leading me on, or feels uncomfortable that I like her. And what if we break up? That'll ruin our friendship, and—"

"Look, I know it's hard. I mean, I think you should really try to confess your feelings after you think Ami might return your feelings. I know that a lot of girls used to flirt with me even after they found out I was a girl. I mean, you were one of them."

"Yeah, I know."

"Why would you be worrying? I mean, it's clear you like her. Even I could tell after you told me."

"Well, of course you'd know after I tell you," Makoto replied, in mild disbelief, "But you need to help me."

"What do you mean?"

"I need to spend one-on-one time with her, and I need you guys to be there."

"Wait, one-on-one time while we're hanging out with you? Isn't that an oxymoron?" Haruka asked, confused.

"You get the point!" snapped Makoto, "I mean, really, I'm just in need for some help here, you know?"

"I understand. Don't worry about that. I know what you want. Listen, maybe we can arrange something together. Let's see. I don't think we're busy tomorrow night. You want to do something then?"

"What if Ami is busy tomorrow?" asked Makoto.

"Then you get over here so we can discuss this in more—"

"Haruka?"

Haruka glanced over her shoulder at the sound of her name. There, Michiru stood, a curious expression in her eyes, a glint of melancholy in her expression. The familiar bruise on the side of her blue haired lover's neck, a bruise that so tempted Haruka to simply reach out to massage the aches and pains out of that poor, slender neck. She reached out, caressing her lover's bare arm with her own gentle palm. "Listen, Makoto, I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

"Bye." Haruka hung the phone up in its hanger, a small smile on her lips.

"Are you feeling better, Haruka?"

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe what Mako-chan just told me."

"I can take a guess. I kind of walked downstairs as you mentioned Ami, and then I heard you mention lesbians." The term lesbians made Haruka cringe, but she wasn't entirely sure why. She wasn't ashamed of who she was. It just reminded her of the day before, the disaster with her parents. It wasn't that she was a lesbian; it was that she was a whore. She found she needed to remind herself of that constantly. "Something wrong?" Michiru continued, taking a closer look into her lover's eyes.

"Oh, nothing at all."

"Hey, Haruka, the reason I stopped playing is because I received a rather interesting e-mail from my parents," Michiru said, shifting her weight, "I—"

"Wait a second! You have a computer up that sound room?" Haruka asked, stunned.

"Of course! It's where I watch illegally downloaded pornography."

"Ah, I see, so the sound proof room for practicing your violin is just a cover for watching porn?"

"Oh, yes, of course," replied Michiru, with a rather serious nod but a loving grin on her lips.

"I guess I can't trust you for a second along, can I?" Haruka asked, running her fingers through Michiru's aquatic tresses, a look of admiration in her eyes, the two of them locked together in that moment like the sky locked with the sea, the horizon at the farthest ends of vision. As they locked lips, filling each others mouths with fiery passion, Haruka forgot about her parents, forgot about Makoto's problems, and only remembered the passion she felt envelop her at this moment. After a few minutes of love, the two parted, staring at one another with their eyes filled with admiration toward one another, before Haruka, finally, said in a gentle whisper, "You said you had an e-mail?"

"Yeah, that's right," Michiru replied, stroking Haruka's lips with her index finger, "From my parents."

"Oh? What did they say?" Haruka asked as she was tugged down to reality. Parents. Even though Michiru's parents agreed with their lifestyle choice, it didn't change the fact that even hearing about the man and woman who gave birth to her lover reminded Haruka of the man and woman who had given the Guardian of Uranus new life.

"Well, after they met, they did a lot of thinking. They want to see what our house is like. They want to get to know you better. Most of all, though, they wanted—wanted to meet your parents."

Haruka remembered the face of her father, running away from the revelation that his daughter was impure. She remembered her mother, almost in tears at the thought that his daughter was a whore making love with another woman. Michiru's parents meeting her own father and mother? What would they say? Surely they'd try to rid their daughter of Michiru, of the chance to indulge in her lust. They'd want to change Haruka. There was a reason why she hadn't seen her parents for that long: she wanted to avoid them. She had ruined her relationship with her parents the moment she first started following her heart.

But she wanted to marry Michiru one day. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with that blue haired woman. There was no point trying to run away any longer. Worst case scenario, they'd just elope. Well, actually they couldn't legally marry each other, but they'd go through the motions of marriage. A legal bonding of sorts, if even that. It was interchangeable with the term marriage, after all.

"I don't know how thrilled my parents will be to come here after yesterday," Haruka replied, frowning, "They'll probably tell your parents that you're a slut, or perhaps that I'm a slut and I was using you, or—"

"Don't worry about that," Michiru replied, a pouty frown on her lips, "Besides, they agreed."

"Wait, they what?" Haruka glanced at Michiru, a look of confusion upon her face. Agreed? How could they possibly agree to anything? Haruka hadn't even told them about this, let alone didn't even know about the matter before a few minutes ago. "They didn't e-mail my parents first, did they? How did they even get my parent's e-mail, anyway?!"

"They did a bit of research. They are rich, mind you. In fact, they had intended on meeting your parents the moment we first met with them. So I'm not too surprised."

"Okay, okay, I guess we should just do this. Maybe I'll settle all our problems. I hope."

"That's the spirit!"

Haruka chuckled to herself. Slowly, she said, glancing at Michiru through the bangs of her sandy hair, "So when're they coming?"

"Tomorrow night."

Haruka shook her head in disbelief. "Oh, that just figures, doesn't it? Tomorrow night. Oh Jesus, that's the same night I told Matoko to bring Ami over."

"Then call her back and tell her to change the date," Michiru said, simply.

"Alright," Haruka replied, picking up the receiver of the phone. She paused for a moment or two at the phone before she realized, in one sudden burst of anxiety, "I don't know Mako's number!"

"She just called, right? It should be in our phone's databanks, right?"

"Ah, good thinking!" Haruka spent a few minutes fidgeting with the phone system, pushing buttons almost at random, before finally she found the proper number. With a grin, she dialed the number, only to wait several minutes as that irritating monotone ringing sound filled her ear. After five minutes, she hung up the phone. "No answering machine, no response, that just sucks!"

"Call back in an hour or so," Michiru replied.

"Alright, no problem," sighed Haruka, running her fingers through her strands of hair, "What if we don't get in contact with her?"

Michiru sighed, folding her arms over her breasts. "Guess we'll just have to have them here too."

"That's great. The arguing will sure as hell discourage Mako-chan from wanting to get a girlfriend. I know Mako doesn't have parents anymore, but Ami does. Just seeing my parents go nuts, she probably won't be too eager asking out Ami, especially in front of them, you know?"

"Well, reality is hard, but it's something she'll need to understand before getting involved in all this. It's sad, but true. The facts of life are that things often don't end up rosy. Still, the things worth fighting for are usually the sweetest of them all."

"Coming from you, that makes me hungry, but my stomach doesn't want any food," Haruka replied, caressing Michiru's face with her tentative, trembling fingers.

"You're such a flirt, Haruka," Michiru giggled. Haruka suppressed the images of her parents damning her for making love with this girl, of them insulting and harassing her. She just wanted to crawl up and burn the more she thought about it, but, as she considered things, she was almost an adult. As much of a sin it was to indulge in her lust since the age of 16, wasn't it a bigger sin to hold her down like this? It was like chaining down the butterfly as it escapes from the cocoon.

Or maybe she was just rationalizing her own transgressions.

It was then that the phone began to ring. Figuring it was Mako-chan, Haruka picked the phone up from the machine. "Hello?" Haruka asked, nonchalantly.

"Haruka?" The voice was alien to her. Vaguely familiar, but only ever so vaguely.

"Uh, speaking?"

"I don't suppose you remember who I am, Haruka, but this is Elza Gray."

"Elza?"