Usagi tied her hair back into a ponytail and stared at her reflection in the mirror, her lips pulled into a thin line. Her eyes, clouded with misery, were also set in determination. Moving back into the bedroom, she picked up her cell phone and flipped it open. Tapping her fingers over the keys, she went into her inbox and erased the message from the previous night.
Then she powered off the phone, removed the battery, and placed the two separate pieces on the dresser aside each other. She could faintly hear the guys moving around outside the door. Redressing in her clothes from yesterday, Usagi grabbed her purse and headed out.
"I'm going to my apartment. I need clothes," she told Aya, the first person she came across. He glanced at her, and then shrugged. "I may be a bit late for work, okay?"
"Fine," Aya replied. Satisfied, she left, stepping out into the busy morning sidewalk. The sunlight hit her, warming her face, and she took in a deep breath, forcing herself to smile.
He won't win, she told herself again. Heading out, she smiled at passersby, kept her body relaxed. There were detectives present when she arrived at her apartment, and she greeted them cheerfully.
"Good morning officers!" The two she spoke to shared a look of reproach before gazing over the smiling blonde. "I just came by to pick up some clothes. As long as they aren't confiscated or anything, you know. I would hate to be stuck in the same outfit for however long it takes to process evidence."
"Miss Tsukino." Usagi turned, and when she recognized Detective Arashi, she offered him the same smile. He actually returned it before continuing. "Retrieving some clothes should be fine, we're almost done here anyway. Have you found someplace safe to stay?"
"I'm staying with some friends," she nodded as she followed him back to her room. Fishing a suitcase from the closet, she began pulling a few outfits from her drawers and closet, along with a few other necessities. "How much longer will it take? I do want to move back into my apartment soon."
Detective Arashi acted completely floored when she said this, but Usagi just smiled, waiting patiently for an answer. He sputtered several times before he could string together any coherent words. "Miss Tsukino, I think, I mean, surely you aren't serious? Be reasonable, the criminal was here, in your place of living. You can't just come right back and wait for him to kill you."
"Last I remember, detective," her voice still radiated content, but the underlying finality could not be missed, "I'm allowed to do as I please since this is my apartment and I am a grown woman. You are welcome to place patrol cars outside or give me a gun or whatever you feel like, but I will be staying in my own home."
Usagi paused, and said softer, "Look, the obvious objective of this creep is to torment me. I'm not letting him win, not anymore, and I'm not putting the people I love in danger. Please understand."
Lifting her suitcase in one hand, she bowed and thanked him before leaving the apartment, pausing to wave to the other two officers. As she walked back to the flower shop, still smiling, she wondered if he was watching right now.
I hope so, you bastard, I really do. The bell on the door jingled merrily as she stepped in. Two regular customers from the local high school waved at her and she returned the gesture before addressing Ken, who was working the counter. "I'm going to change and I'll be right up."
"Sure, Usagi." Ken followed her retreating form with his eyes, and when the door closed behind her, he looked over at Yohji with his eyebrows arched. The blonde man simply shrugged and went back to watering the flowers. Ten minutes passed before the blue eyed girl returned, tying her aprons strings at the base of her back and humming lightly to herself.
"Excuse me, miss." As Usagi set her arrangement orders out on her usual table, her attention was drawn to a male customer a few years older than her, judging by appearance. Smiling, she tilted her head slightly, a gesture for him to continue. "I want to get my fiancé some flowers. I'm taking her out tonight. I usually get red roses, but they're so..."
"Cliché?" Usagi ended for him when he trailed off. Her smile faltered only slightly, nary enough for an untrained eye to catch. However, since her customer was the only untrained eye in the shop it did not go unnoticed. Laughing lightly, Usagi continued, "I know what you mean. You're looking for something a bit different, then? I always recommend tulips."
She placed her orders aside and led him to the section of tulips, explaining what the different colors meant. Yet as they stood in plain view of the sidewalk beyond, him muttering over the pink or the red tulips, she couldn't help feel unnerved. People walked by, absorbed in their lives, chattering on phones or with each other, checking palm pilots. Is he out there, looking just like anyone else?
"Do you think the pink will be okay?" Usagi turned, startled, when her customer addressed her again. Smiling apologetically, she glanced at the pink tulips thoughtfully.
"Pink is nice. Pink tulips stand for caring. But," the blonde turned and pointed at the yellow tulips a little ways away with a smile, "Yellow tulips mean you're hopelessly in love. Plus, I think yellow is a much happier color, don't you?"
Less than ten minutes later the man was walking out with an arm full of yellow tulips, Usagi smiling cheerfully after him. Once he was out of sight, she dropped her hand, sighed, and returned to her table. The day passed quickly, almost monotonously, making it easy on Usagi to keep her façade going. When the shop closed, she untied her apron and grabbed the keys from the counter, turning to go lock the door.
The bell on the door jingled, bringing her gaze from the floor. "I'm sorry, we're closed," she paused, blinking at the smiling brunette, "Makoto?"
"I was hoping to catch you. The detectives at your apartment told me you were staying with friends and I called around to the girls. I figured you must be here." Makoto looked a bit sheepish as she stepped forward, well aware of Ken watching them from behind the counter. "I'm meeting Minako for dinner. Do you want to come?"
Usagi stood completely still for a moment, and it took a nudge from Ken to bring her back to reality. He held his hand out for the keys and she gave them up before smiling at Makoto. "Of course. Where are we going?"
xXx
"Usagi!" Her fellow blonde enveloped her in a hug, and she smiled despite herself at Minako's unrelenting flare for the dramatics. After being released, the three young women settled at their table and picked up their menus. Usagi quickly discarded hers, set on ordering whatever Makoto did. She always knew best when it came to food anyway.
Instead she let her mind wander over the crowded restaurant, the wait staff weaving past one another like trained performers, expertly balancing trays weighed down with steaming dinners and wine glasses alike. Happy banter bounced back and forth between dates, friends, coworkers, husbands and wives while their children scribbled happily on the paper table cloths with the assortment of crayons left for their amusement. For the first time in several weeks, she felt at peace.
Carefully avoiding the red, Usagi lifted the blue crayon and began decorating her portion of the table with flowers, her mind half thinking of the arrangements she'd saved for tomorrow's work. The clink of silverware on plates morphed into an odd rhythm that her hand kept time with, stroking one blue petal to the next.
"Usagi?" Her hand jerked, the half petal she'd been on lengthening much too far and throwing off the flower completely. Startled, she looked between the perplexed Minako and Makoto, until the waitress standing on the other side of her brunette friend cleared her throat softly.
"Do you want something to drink, ma'am?" The young girl kept her voice kind and tempered, though the blonde knew she was probably annoyed at having to ask such a simple, straightforward question multiple times. Feeling a slight flush creeping over her face in embarrassment, Usagi sat the blue crayon aside.
"Um, just water please. Thank you," Her mind protested, and she ignored it. The waitress smiled obligingly and nodded, though she held an air of condescension behind it and Usagi didn't really mind. She figured she probably looked like someone who could use a drink at the moment.
"Hey, girl, are you okay?" Minako reached her hand across the table to squeeze hers. The amount of comfort the small gesture brought threw Usagi, but only for a moment before she nodded affirmative. "I tried reaching you all day but your phone has been going straight to voicemail. I've been worried sick about you."
The previous night came rushing back so fast that Usagi had to be thankful she was seated at the table or she would've collapsed on the spot. Her phone flashing, Pyro lighting up the screen, the picture. Tears pricked the back of her eyes and she grabbed the edge of the table to steady herself. It's fine, you're fine, the phone is useless now. Calm down. The mantra soothed her enough so she could recover and smile sheepishly hoping neither of her friends detected her moment of turmoil.
"Oh yeah, I dropped it in the bathroom last night and it cracked right in half. Totally useless," she laughed at her own klutz attack. She hated lying, especially to her friends. But they were none the wiser and laughed with her. She remembered the pink phone sitting idly, battery removed, safe. Safe, safe, safe, do I even know what that means any more?
The conversation moved to other subjects so that Usagi could relax. The waitress returned with the drinks and took their orders. Makoto refused to let Usagi order the same thing but graciously ordered for her, saying, "It goes against the eating out rules. Everyone orders something different so we can steal each other's food."
Their fun continued through the meal and to Makoto's car, since Minako had taken a cab. They dropped Usagi at the shop and watched her make it safely inside before somber silence invaded the car. Minako turned her blue eyes on Makoto, her cheerful face etched in worry.
"She's even worse than I thought, Mako. She's hiding something from us, trying to take this on all by herself." She covered her mouth with her hand as the tears came, muttering a muffled, "What should we do?"
"I don't know, Mina." Makoto shook her head, voice throaty with her own emotion but unwilling to surrender to tears. "I just don't know."
xXx
Usagi placed the vase full of red gerbera near Rei's bed and settled into the available chair, pensive. They'd practically chased her from the flower shop that morning so she'd come to the only place she knew she wouldn't have to hold up her façade. The strange machines flashed at her, she could hear nurses and doctor's shuffling about the halls and catch small snippets of conversation about dose adjustments and status updates. Still, even with the knowledge of so many people nearby, she couldn't feel totally safe.
Is this what I'm doomed to feel forever? Always paranoid, always fearing the worst is just around the corner? Usagi slumped in the chair, unable to conjure up the sobs or tears she would have been submitting to. Her half-lidded eyes stared at the bland white wall across from her, the halfhearted attempt to decorate in a generic framed painting of an ocean scene.
Blue eyes drifting closed, she let the pain consume her, the hollow hole in her chest ripping and growing. When will I get the next call? Who will they go after next? Why are they torturing me like this?
Unable to hold under the weight of all her misery, Usagi collapsed into an exhausted sleep.
xXx
This chapter is dreadfully depressing, I know, and no sign of Farfarello. Somehow the absence of his craziness is more menacing than him babbling insanely. There was one question I need to answer; will the Outers make an appearance? I'm not entirely sure but I don't think so. After all, Pluto is busy guarding the gates and Haruka and Michiru are always world traveling so I assume Hotaru would be with them.
Then, maybe if they caught wind of the current happenings? You never really know with me, I change my mind on a whim all the time. Also, Rei isn't dead, at least not yet. And on a final note, the dark angst swirling around this story will probably not lift any time soon but I have some pretty good ideas in mind for next chapter.
Anyways, please review.