10
The high pitch scream pierced the quiet night, and two men sleeping at the living room got up immediately, making their way up the stairs fast, guns ready and in their hands.
The tall blonde woman recognized the scream in a heartbeat, and got up from her bed, running across the long hallway, heart beating fast on her throat. But when she made it to the room where the scream came from, the lights were already on, and there was a figure bending down on one of the single beds.
Michiru was already trying to calm down the crying girl. Hotaru was looking down at them from her standing position, right next to the little blonde's bed.
"It's ok, sweetie" the aquamarine haired woman was saying "It's just a bad dream"
"No, it's not!" the girl sobbed into the young woman's chest.
"What's wrong?" Haruka asked, walking up to her daughter and sitting on the bed.
The two armed men made it to the bedroom at the same time as Hikari threw herself at her mother's arms, sobbing.
"There's a green monster under my bed!" she cried.
Haruka smiled at her "It's just a dream, princess" she said, softly caressing her blonde hair "It was just a bad dream"
"It was a nightmare, Kari" Hotaru said, her voice soft but tired. A hand rubbing her violet eyes "There's no one under your bed"
"No, he's there!" she insisted, her voice muffled by her mother's chest "I know he is!"
Michiru smiled softly at her "Want me to check?" she asked, getting up from the bed.
"No!" Hikari exclaimed, now grabbing the violinist's arms with her little hands "He'll get you!"
"Ok, come on" Haruka said, getting up and lifting the little girl in her arms "I'll make you some warm milk, ok?"
Hikari nodded her head against her mother's neck, and Haruka walked out of the room with the girl cuddled in her arms. She glared at her brother and his partner, her eyes on their guns.
"Put that away" she said to her brother "I don't want you scaring them off with that thing"
They nodded their heads, turning around and coming face to face with Makoto and Minako, both young women standing in the hallway, right next to the girls' bedroom door. As soon as the tall blonde woman got out, they both went inside, to make sure Hotaru was fine and to put her back into bed.
"I'm sorry, it's just a reflex" Nephrite apologized, taking a look inside the room.
The tall blonde woman didn't bother with an answer, and went right down the stairs. Michiru got out of the room as well, and patted her hand on the man's shoulder.
"I'll go with them" she softly said "You two go back to bed"
Nephrite nodded his head "I'll stay here" he said, looking back into the bedroom, his eyes on the window "I'll feel better if I keep a close eye in here"
"I'll go down stairs with them" Kunzite said, nodding his head.
They both went down stairs, and Kunzite went back to the living room, teal, narrowed eyes watching out the windows and into the dark forest around.
Michiru went to the kitchen, and found an already half asleep Hikari on her mother's lap, both of them sitting down on a chair next to the make up table. A cup of warm milk right next to them.
"How is she?" she asked, walking up to them and looking down at the little girl.
"She's fine" the tall blonde answered, rocking the small girl in her arms, and gently caressing her soft hair "She saw some guy drawing big ugly green monsters once, and she dreams about it every now and then"
"She has a wide imagination" came Kunzite's voice from the kitchen's door.
Haruka nodded "And that is exactly why I don't let her watch tv" she said.
Kunzite took a seat next to his sister, and Michiru offered to make some tea for the three of them "You know, they say kids with a wide imagination are always smarter" she commented, from her standing place.
The blonde nodded, smiling "She's a smart girl" she said. "My little angel" she whispered, gently caressing the girl's cheek and kissing her forehead, who in return rubbed her face against Haruka's chest, recognizing her mother even in her sleep.
Kunzite looked at the sleeping blonde girl in her sister's arms, and smiled. She was young, but still looked older than her real age. Hikari could easily pass as a six year old. She really was a smart girl. And tall.
Just like her mother, he thought, the smile on his face loving, and warm.
But he knew the girl was younger than that. If the math in his head was right, the girl had turned five years old two months ago. And he made a mental note to get her niece a late present for her birthday. My niece...
Michiru came to the table, and handed them their tea cups. She then went to grab her own, and took a seat right next to the tall racer, a soft smile on her lips as she watched the little girl sleeping on her mother's arms.
"I'm sorry, Haru" Kunzite suddenly said, soft teal eyes looking at his niece "I'm really sorry, I had no idea..."
"It's ok, Kunz" she said, a sad smile on her face "It wasn't your fault. You had nothing to do with it"
"But I should have done something!" he insisted "I knew how he treated you, and I knew how miserable you were, and I never did anything. I'm so sorry..."
"I'm sorry too" Haruka said, her voice barely a husky whisper "I'm sorry for ever dating Asuke. I'm sorry for being so stupid and desperate, and for ever letting him touch me at all. I'm sorry for running away like that, not telling you anything. But I'm not sorry about her" she said, looking down at the sleeping girl "She's the best thing that ever happened to me, and I love her. With all my heart. I'd do anything for her" she looked back at her brother "For her, and for Hotaru and Makoto. They're my family now, and they mean the world to me"
"Then let me help you" he said, a hand going to caress her bare arm "If they're important to you, then they're important to me too" he rubbed his thumb against her skin. And then he got up from his chair, grabbing the little girl in his arms "I'll take her back to bed, you two finish your tea"
"Take her to my room" she said, before he disappeared behind the door "I'll be right up"
"She's a beautiful girl" Michiru said, looking after them. She then looked at the tall blonde getting up from her chair and taking her tea cup into the sink "She looks so much like you, you know?" the aquamarine haired girl said, getting up too "Like a mini you"
The blonde chuckled at that "God, I hope not!" she exclaimed "I was terrible!" she said, chuckling.
Michiru laughed warmly at that, and then she went to hug the tall blonde, kissing her cheek "You're not that bad" she said, looking up at her.
Haruka blushed, and just looked down at her, not really knowing what to answer to that. And soon she found herself drowning in the depths of those big blue eyes, and for the second time in less than twenty four hours, Haruka found herself getting closer to those pink lips.
Their faces got closer, and their lips met on a gentle, chaste kiss; a shock of electricity running through them both.
Haruka's hands went to cup the girl's cheeks, and Michiru's hands grabbed the material of the blonde's wide t-shirt, getting her closer, as both open their mouths and their tongues started dancing together.