I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes. The morning sun, although obscured by trees, was still bright and blinding. I blinked several times, bringing my hands up to rub the sleep from my eyes. The ground was cold and my back was stiff; I had slept outside again.

Sighing, I lifted my heavy body from the damp ground. Nearby, I heard a frog croak and I turned toward the small pond just in time to see the water ripple. Groaning again, I raised my arms above my head, stretching out my stiff muscles. I gave a loud sigh as I brought my arms back down; my right shoulder was acting up. I brought my left hand up to gently massage my shoulder and a moan escaped my lips. Sighing again, I made my way back to the Shrine. Rei, I knew, would already be awake.

"I see you slept outside again," Rei said as she entered the small kitchen.

I sighed as I took another bite of my salmon. After swallowing, I glanced up at my better half as she took a seat on the other side of the table. "If it's any consolation, I didn't sleep well."

"I don't much care where you sleep," Rei said, "So long as it isn't with another girl." I chuckled around my mouthful of rice and saw Rei give a small smile. "I'm just worried, is all. You haven't slept right in months. Not since..." Rei's voice trailed off and I glanced down at my bowl.

"Since I almost died and lost my arm?" I could feel myself becoming agitated. I wasn't mad at Rei, but since the fiasco I had been forbidden from fighting youma by Usagi. I know she was trying to protect me, to keep me alive, but I felt so... useless now. I had been given the chance to fly with eagles and after getting caught in a storm, my wings had been clipped. I looked out the window, toward the side yard and took a deep breath and blew it out through my nose, a growl escaping with it. Any metion of that entire incident set me on edge.

"Caden," Rei said softly. "I know this bothers you but-"

"But it's for my own good and I should just accept it," I said, cutting her off. I glanced at Rei. I could feel myself becoming heavy. Like I said, I wasn't mad, not at her. But since leaving the hospital and the royal decree, I had been in a perpetual state of grumpiness and depression. I sighed and stood from the table.

"Where are you going," Rei asked, annoyed.

"To smoke," I replied.

As I left the room, Rei called from the kitchen, "Don't forget, we're leaving today."

I stopped and quickly turned, poking my head back into the kitchen. "That's today," I asked, almost squeeking.

"Hai," Rei said calmly, her back to me.

I groaned and banged my head on the door frame. "I totally forgot."

"I guessed that," Rei said, turning to face me, taking a sip of her tea. Her eyebrows were raised; her subtle smirk.

I groaned and stomped back over to the table, sat down and let my head drop onto it with a loud thud. "Do I have to go?"

I heard a small clink on the table before Rei's warm hand rested on the back of my head. "It will be good for you."

I moved my head so my chin was resting on the table and glared at my girlfriend. "Lies. All. Lies."

I shuffled through the top dresser drawer, my shoulder length hair falling into my face, resisting the urge to just dump the entire drawer out. I was beyond pissed at this point. I KNOW I put that damn velvet box in here and so help me God if I don't find it, I will have a fucking conniption-

"Caden?"

I turned quickly, slamming the drawer shut in the process and leaned my back against the dresser. Rei stood in the doorway of our bedroom, a look of mild amusement on her face, several clothing boxes in her arms. I smiled a toothy, manic grin and Rei's eyebrow hitched up.

"Need help with any-"

"Nope!" I said quickly, smiling more.

Rei stared at me for a moment longer. "Are you su-"

"Yup," I said quickly, my voice going up an octave. We stared at one another for a moment. I could feel my right eye twitch as Rei stood there, her smile growing with each passing second.

"Did, uh, did you need something, love," I asked, stuttering over my words.

"Our costumes just arrived," she laughed, walking full into the room.

"Which one is mine," I asked, forgetting my treasure hunting quest. I picked up a hair band, brushed my hair back from my face and tied my hair into a short pony tail that rested at the base of my neck before peeking inside the box on top. I saw red fabric and smiled, handing it off to Rei before picking the other up, holding it to my chest.

Rei laughed at my sketchiness. "Why won't you tell me who you're going as," she asked.

"Secret," I said mischeviously. "No one else knows, either, so don't feel bad."

Rei shook her head at my antics, opening her box to reveal her costume. It was an exact replica of her senshi fuku.

"Explain to me why you had that made," I asked, placing my box inside of a suitcase and zipping it up. "Why not just transform?"

"Because, it takes energy to keep the suit active," Rei said, folding the costume and placing it inside her own suitcase. "If I am going as myself, I would be drained by the end of the weekend." Rei zipped her suitcase and smirked over at me. "You don't want my energy drained, now do you?"

I felt my face burn and I coughed.

Rei smiled. "I didn't think so." Rei turned to look over at the clock on her side of the bed. "The others should be here any time now." Rei turned back to me and asked, "Everything is set up for us, right?"

"Yup," I said, carrying my bag. I walked over to Rei's bag and picked it up by the handle and made my way outside of the room,
and to the door of the shrine that led outside. "I set up everything last week with the help of Sets."

The previous week, Setsuna and I traveled back to my world. I picked a con and then went back in time to get the best deal on the hotel and to pre-register our group. It took a few hours to set everything up, but I was back the same day I left and in time for dinner.

"You do know she hates it when you call her that." I could hear the smile in Rei's voice. "How were you able to afford everything?"

I sat the bags on the walk way and sat beside them, swinging my legs over the edge. "I had a few grand left in my bank account when I left. I just used that and got us two rooms. Plus three day passes for the convention? That was about seven hundred dollars right there." I smiled up at Rei who was standing behind me. "The rest is going toward food and buying toys!"

Rei rolled her eyes. "You mean mechandise of me and the others?" I nodded enthusiatically. "You know us personally, why would you need it?"

"I don't need it," I sulked. "And, yeah, I do know you guys. But, I'm still a fan. Plus, it'll be nice to have stuff that isn't made here. Do you know how much it'll be worth?"

"You don't need the money," Rei said, finally taking a seat beside me. "Usagi still pays you wages for protecting Chibiusa and the shrine is well off. You don't need money," she repeated.

"It's not about money," I said.

"Then what is it about?"

"Bragging rights." I laughed as Rei slammed her palm against her forehead.

I chuckled and looked out over the yard. The sun had begun to set, casting the court yard into twilight. This was my favorite time of day, although the last few months I hadn't had much time to enjoy it. The daily chores that needed to be done around the Shrine made it hard to relax. It was the most work I had ever done in my life and not something I was used to. I knew Rei was happy for the help, though, even if she didn't say it. I would catch her looking at me and she would smile.

"We're here!"

I turned toward the rest of our party as they finished making their way up the shrine's steps. Usagi had been the one who had called out. Beside her stood Mamoru and he carried four bags; one in each hand and one under each arm. I saw Ami and Mako-chan behind them, with Mako-chan carrying one, albiet large, bag in her hand. Next was Minako, who had two bags of her own. The last members of our little group were Haruka and Michiru. Michiru carried a small purse in front of herself while Haruka carried two bags. They were all dressed in typical 20th century clothing.

What was it with women having to have more clothes then they actually needed for a trip? Seriously? I used to have a cousin who, when we were kids and she spent the night with me, would bring over four fucking bags. One night, four bags. What the hell? Of course, most of them were toys. And, while I owned toys myself, I had action figures while she had Barbie dolls and she was not about to play with 'boy toys.'

"My God, Usagi," Rei barked. "We're going away for four days! Do you really need all of that?"

I laughed at my girlfriend's annoyance. My laughter doubled when I saw Mamoru's face; he whole heartidly agreed with the miko. I wasn't going to open my mouth and contribute to the overwhelming urge of water works about to flow from Usagi's eyes because of Rei's temper, but I agreed with them, too.

"You're so mean, Rei," Usagi whined.

"How's your arm," Ami asked, making her way toward me. I stood as she approached me, offering her my right arm. She began to inspect it, gently pinching me.

"Fine," I answered. "Its tingling, though."

Ami raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really, so soon," she asked. When I nodded, she smiled. "That's good. It means the arm is syncing up with your nervous system faster than we had anticipated."

A shimmery portal opened up in the middle of the courtyard, seperating Rei, Ami and I from the others. Pluto stepped out of it, a small creature weaving out from behind her legs. I smiled and ran forward, picking the gray cat up. Gremlin mewled up at me as I turned him onto his back to rub his belly. I had missed the little booger.

Pluto approached me and scratched behind Gremlin's ears. "Is he behaving himself," I asked, looking up at the Time guardian.

She smiled and nodded. Gremlin turned and jumped from my arms to Pluto's shoulder. I reached up, patted his head before going back to pick up mine and Rei's bags. She and I both approached the Time senshi along with the others. Pluto stood aside as the portal behind her changed colors from a blue-gray to a near black color. I looked at Pluto with concern, and she smiled.

"You'll be arriving at night," she said. Pluto then turned to Usagi. "Did Small Lady give you her Time pen?" Usagi nodded and pulled out the said artifact from her jean pocket. Pluto smiled.

"Have fun, then," she said.

We stepped out of the portal into a dim alley way. No one was here and thus it was the best place for us to come out at. We stepped out of the alley and the building to our right was the convention and our hotel. Our group made its way inside and I stepped up to the counter and rang the bell. While waiting, Haruka slugged me on the arm.

"Is it me, or did your chest get bigger?"

I laughed and nodded. "Yeah, they're bigger here." I cocked an eyebrow and motioned toward Haruka's chest. "So are yours." Haruka looked down at herself and blushed, crossing her arms in embaressment. The group and I laughed.

A young lady stepped out of a back office then and smiled at me.

"Hello, may I help you," she asked cheerfully.

I smiled and said, "I have two rooms under 'Stallsworth.'"

The concierge simply stared at me, blinking. "I-I'm sorry?"

I quirked my eyebrow. Why was she apologizing?

"Um, Caden?" I turned to look at Ami. "You're speaking Japanese." She said this in English and I felt my ears burn. The last two and a half years of my life I had been speaking Japanese and had no reason to speak in my native tongue. I felt so stupid just then.

I turned back to the girl and smiled weakly. In English I said, "I'm sorry. I have two rooms under 'Stallsworth.'"

The girl smiled and began typing into the computer behind the counter. She smiled and nodded, bringing out a card for me to fill out. I had already paid for the rooms in full, so this was simply for us to check in.

I finished filling in the card and the lady gave me our key cards. I smiled at her as she called for a bellhop to carry our bags but I insisted we carry our own. Our hands weren't broken (although Mamoru's may have been from all of Usagi's bags) and it seemed pointless to have someone else carry them. We made our way to the elevators and up to our floor.

Our rooms were side by side. Usagi, Mamoru, Ami and Mako-chan took one while Rei, Minako, Michiru, Haruka and I took the other. Upon entering our room, Rei unlocked the door that seperated our room from Usagi's and was greeted by the bubbly blond who had done the same.

I dropped mine and Rei's bags onto the bed beside the window before dropping face down onto the bed. It stank of other people which made me roll over onto my back.

"Your room looks just like ours," Usagi said as she came in through the ajoining door, Mamoru at her back.

"They're cookie cutter rooms, Usagi," I said. "They all look alike. Except for the suites. I bet those are nice."

"How come we didn't get a suite then," Minako asked, scrutinizing the room.

"Cause they only come with one bed," I answered, rolling over to pick up the remote from the small table between the two beds. I sat back up and began flipping through the channels.

Rei walked over and slapped my feet off the bed before sitting down. "No shoes on the bed, hoodlum."

I smirked at her, readjusting myself on the bed, feet in the floor this time. "You got it, Tinman."

"Tinman," Haruka asked, unzipping one of her bags.

"Caden thinks I'm heartless," Rei said, glaring at me as I smiled in return.

"Ah, a Wizard of Oz reference," Ami said as she and Mako-chan followed Usagi into our room. The couple took seats at the small table in our room.

"It does suit her," Usagi said before Rei picked up a pillow and launched it at the blond's head. The pillow hit it's target and Usagi glared at the miko. The two began to bicker and the rest of us just groaned.

I sighed, clicking through the channels on the television. I hadn't watched tv in over two years. I have to say, it wasn't anything I missed.

"Anything good on," Minako asked.

"Nope," I said, turning the tv off and tossing the remote into the floor. "We should get some sleep. We'll have to be up early tomorrow to get ready for the con."

"What time does it start," Usagi asked, already making her way back to the door that led to her room.

"Con starts at ten. But with there being so many of us, I'm sure we'll need all the time we can get to get dressed," I said.
I stretched and yawned widely then. "Plus I'm tired."

"You've been pushing yourself," Ami said. "I told you not to do that." Her blue eyes looked over at Rei when she said this.

"Don't blame Rei," I said. "She didn't want me doing half of what I've been doing since getting home from the hospital. I'm the stubborn one who's being an idiot."

"I swear," Minako said, "I never thought I'd meet someone as stubborn, if not more so, than Rei."

I laughed, along with everyone else. "I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not." I yawned and I could feel my eyes begin to droop. I felt someone ruffle my long hair and I looked up to see Mako-chan smile before she and Ami walked into their room, following Usagi and Mamoru.

"Okay, Caden," Minako said. "Off the bed so we can turn it down."

I did as I was told and stood from the bed. While Minako turned the bed down, I stripped out of my jeans and socks. I slid my arms into my shirt, unfastened my bra and pulled it out from my shirt and dropped it onto my bag, along with my jeans. After the bed had been turned down, I sat back down and slid my legs under the blankets. Haruka had done as I had done and stripped down to just a teeshirt and her undies while Michiru, Minako and Rei took turns changing into their PJs in the bathroom.

As we all laid down and the lights shut off, Rei slid her arm around my waist, laying her head on my left shoulder. I could feel Minako shifting around on the other side of Rei as she tried to find a comfortable spot. I sighed deeply, forcing my body to relax. My mind was turning dark as it slowly dawned on me that this was real, that I was reall here.

I was home. And I fucking hated it.