I'm in the mood for a little celebration. We're in the World Cup! Yay! Lame game thou (1-0 against Uruguay?? COME ON! We can do better than that!!!! I KNOW WE CAN!!)... but hey! We're in!

Anyway! For those of you who don't like soccer and have absolutely no clue of what I'm babbling about, don't mind me. The important thing is, here's another chap!

Only a couple more, and this story is DONE!

Enjoy!

26

Everything was a blur. She couldn't really tell the difference between a second and an hour. Her brain was somehow able to register everything around her, but at the same time she was in a trance like state. She felt as if she's been half a person since... how long has it been?, she vaguely wonder, trying to look for a clock somewhere on the white, sterile walls.

She looked down on herself. The blood stained sweatshirt made her sick to her stomach, and she wonder how exactly had she managed not to throw up her entire insides...

The only thing that was keeping her from moving from her spot on that bed was the small human ball cuddled against her.

From her half sitting position, all she could really see was a small blonde head resting against her stomach. And she could feel small arms around her waist, and a pair of legs curled up against her.

They had tried to take the girl away in order to attend to the tall woman's wounds properly. But no one had been able to make the girl let go of her mother. Hikari had yelled so hard and cried so much, they had simply let her be. And now she had fallen asleep, probably exhausted after the day's events.

But even in her sleep, she was still holding her mother tight. And Haruka had no intention of letting her go anytime soon.

"Hey" a soft, friendly like male voice called out to her, getting her somehow out of her trance.

She looked up from her sitting position on the ER bed, and into the man that had just walked into the curtains where a nice doctor she knew well enough was currently sewing her up.

"You were lucky" Kunzite said to her.

She didn't answer, she simply frowned at him, and he pointed at her arm "The bullet passed you by. You were lucky"

She nodded her head, looking at her arm now, as the black haired doctor kept on putting that needle in and out. She frowned again, only now realizing she didn't feel any pain at all, and wondered when exactly had they given her some painkillers.

And then she remembered she wasn't the only one with a shot wound, and she looked back up at her brother "How's Nephrite?" she asked.

He smiled at her "He's a big guy, he's ok" he walked up to the bed, taking the chair right next to it, and holding his sister's hand "You really need to stop worrying about everyone now" he scolded her, but the look upon his face betrayed him.

She simply raised an eyebrow at him, deciding it was best not to argue about that statement of his right now. But then she looked back at him, remembering something.

"Tell me what happened" she said to him "After I left, what happened?" But when her brother simply frowned at her, she soon added "Asuke said I ruined his life"

She remembered his words, and told Kunzite what Asuke had said to her. And while saying those words to her brother, she couldn't help but feel there was still something missing. It all sounded just too simple, too weird. Why now? Why six years later? And why did he wanted Hikari? Why her, and not Haruka?

Kunzite looked confused for a moment, a hand on his chin, as he listened to her sister's words. And then he shook his head "Maybe the part about dad going to his place and wanting to beat him up is true" he said, shaking his shoulders "But he got kicked out of the team all on his own. He got into a fight with the goalkeeper in the middle of the shower room. Asuke kicked him pretty badly. Head injuries and all. Some parents complained, and he was kicked out. About a week later he simply drop out of school completely"

Haruka frowned "Then why did he say all that? I mean, I don't understand..."

"Me neither" Kunzite said "Maybe he just found someone to blame, I don't know... the guy's sick, Haru. It's not your fault. And I'm going to make sure he rots in jail" he assured her "Between his running away and this whole mess, he has at least ten more years to add to his sentence"

She nodded her head, not really caring what happened to Asuke from now on, as long as he stayed away from her family. She frowned again, and was about to say something to her brother when the sound of arguing voices from behind the curtain got their attention.

"But I wanna see her!" came a girl's voice.

"Hotaru, come on, I need to run some tests..." came a female voice right after the first one, as the curtains got open again, and a black haired girl walked right in, making her way to the bed where the tall blonde racer was laying on.

Hotaru look at her guardian, and then at the small blonde girl sleeping next to her "How is she?" she asked, in a soft, trembling voice.

The blonde woman smiled down at her, patting the free spot on the bed right next to her. And when Hotaru didn't hesitate a second, carefully laying herself down right next to the tall car racer and hugging her -and Hikari in the process-, Haruka smiled again "She's fine, kiddo. She's just tired"

"Good" Hotaru said, nodding her head, and nuzzling against her guardian "I'm glad everyone's ok, then" she stated, obviously relieved.

A short blue haired woman walked in then, hands on her hips and frowning down at the black haired girl. But the loving gaze in her eyes betrayed her faked anger.

"See? I told you she was in good hands!" she exclaimed, and then she looked at the blonde woman "She won't let me finish her check up"

Hotaru looked innocently up to Haruka, and the blonde woman chuckled "Hey, I only agreed to come here so you could come to your appointment with Amy"

"But I'm fine!" the girl argued, pouting "And I wanna go home"

Before anyone could say anything to Hotaru's complain, the curtains got open again, and in walked an angry looking tall brunette teenage girl, followed by a worried aquamarine haired woman, and a simply tired looking young blonde. The small space looked incredibly crowd now, and everyone looked up at the brunette, as she glared down at the car racer, hands on her hips, and frowning.

"You stupid blonde!" she scolded her "What the hell were you thinking, getting yourself shot?"

Haruka smiled at her "I wasn't?" she ventured. And then she looked down at the blonde girl in her arms "He was taking her away..."

The tall brunette teenage girl looked at the small blonde girl, and smiled, nodding her head. But then she frowned, looking back at the car racer "Yeah, well, don't do that again! You scared the hell out of me, and I like you better in one piece" she scolded her again "And alive!"

The tall blonde woman chuckled at her "I'll try to remember that next time"

"Next time? Next time?!" the brunette asked, almost yelling. She looked like she was about to say something else, but the girl closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm herself down "If you ever do something like that, ever again, I'll shoot you myself!" she warned her, pointing a finger at her "Got it?"

Haruka smiled at her, somewhat amused over Makoto's reprimand. She couldn't blame her, not really. But the girl had some really weird ways of showing her concern sometimes...

"Ok then!" Makoto exclaimed, taking Hotaru's hand in hers "Let's attack the sweet machine" she said, opening the curtains again and walking out "I'm in the mood for some sugar right now"

And with that, the girl walked out, with a now happy Hotaru, to hunt down some sweets together.

Minako looked after them for a moment, before turning back and looking at Haruka.

She smiled a tired smile at her, happy that everyone was safe and sound, but feeling exhausted. It all had been too much for her, and she was tired, her head still hurt, and she really wanted to curled into a bed and simply sleep till tomorrow.

She looked at the silvery haired man still sitting on the chair, noticing the black bruise on his forehead, and she frowned.

He seemed to noticed her staring at him, because he smiled up to her, and winked "I'm ok" he said softly to her, his smile getting wider when the young blonde woman simply blushed.

"I um... I'll go wait outside" she mumbled in an embarrassed manner, before walking out too.

Kunzite chuckled, and Haruka raised an eyebrow at him. But before she could say anything, he stood up, kissed her forehead, and walked out, saying he still had to talk to the police.

"Liar" Haruka accused, but he was already gone. She rolled her eyes, but a smile came to her lips when she saw the aquamarine haired woman still standing there "Hey"

Michiru returned the smile, walking up to the bed, and taking the empty chair.

"Hey" she answered, taking Haruka's hand in hers and kissing it softly. Blue eyes looking into green ones. There was so much she wanted to say. So much they needed to talk about...

"Mommy?" came a soft, sleepy voice, interrupting Michiru's thoughts and getting their attention. Hikari looked up from her spot on her mother's belly, and rubbed her eyes with one hand "Can we go home now?"

"Yes, you can" the doctor answered her, now standing up and looking at the tall blonde woman "Just make sure you take it easy on that arm of yours" he warned her.

"Sure thing, doc" she said, nodding her head.

"I mean it, Haruka" he said, looking serious "I really don't want to see you in here again. Not as a patient"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it Mamoru" she said, looking up at him "It's not like I like it either"

Mamoru ignored her, and looked to Michiru instead "Just make sure she doesn't go around lifting anything and playing hero again" he said to her, and then followed to explain to her all the precautions and cares the blonde needed to her wound.

Haruka frowned at him "Hey, I can take care of myself!" she complained, annoyed at being treated like a kid.

"I noticed" he said, rolling his blue eyes. But then he smiled "I'm glad you're ok" he said, before walking out of the room himself.

"Can we go now, mom?" Hikari asked again, sitting up on the bed.

Before Haruka could answer anything at all, Michiru got up from her sitting position on the chair. She lifted the small girl in her arms, who quickly rested her head in her shoulder, willing to fall back asleep again, and then the aquamarine haired woman smiled down at the car racer.

She took Haruka's hand in hers, smiling at the blonde "Let's go home"