A/N Hi, hello, and Happy 2018! I really need to update more frequently than I have been…if you're still here, hope you enjoy this chapter! It's going to be an emotional one and it might have a surprise ending…I guess we'll see!

Feeling a sense of panic set in, Rei tried to poke her head around Jadeite to see what had happened. He stood firm in the doorway with his back to her and spoke again.

"You really don't want to see this…" Jadeite insisted, his voice quivering slightly.

"Yes, I do" Rei said indignantly, forcing her way past him. When she saw what Jadeite had so desperately tried to shield her from, she froze, barely able to hear her own breath.

"Kumori…" she gasped before dropping to her knees. "Is he dead?"

"I hope so" Jadeite scoffed, eliciting a glare from his beloved.

"That's a terrible thing to say" Rei grumbled as she shakily dialed 911, brushing past Jadeite to talk to the dispatcher from the hallway. He watched her leave and sighed, turning around to check on Kumori.

"Still alive…" he muttered, quickly masking his disappointment when he heard Rei come back inside.

"They'll send help as soon as they can. How is he?" she asked, kneeling beside Kumori and carefully picking the broken glass from the coffee table off of his clothes.

"Don't cut yourself…he's still alive, barely. Why do you care, anyway? After everything he put you through…" Jadeite stopped talking upon hearing a pained groan escape Kumori's lips.

"Rei…" he whispered, wincing as he spoke. Rei jumped slightly and looked at him, unsure of how she should respond.

"Don't move. The ambulance will be here soon."

"Why are you trying to save me?" Kumori asked. "After everything I put you through, you should let me die…"

"Finally, we agree on something" Jadeite muttered under his breath, barely dodging Rei's hand as she reached over to smack him.

"Jadeite, can you step outside for a minute? I'd like to talk to Kumori alone" Rei requested, trying to keep herself together. Not wanting to upset his bride further, Jadeite obliged and stepped out into the hall, listening for the ambulance siren.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Kumori asked, attempting to sit up.

"I just wanted you to know that I forgive you" Rei said shakily, her voice barely above a whisper. Kumori smiled slightly, weakly reaching up to put his hand on her cheek. In that moment, Rei saw Kumori's true self, and remembered why it had been so easy to fall in love with him.

"You do?" Kumori asked, letting his eyes close for a moment. Rei watched him carefully, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw his chest move subtly.

"Y-Yes, I do" Rei assured him, wiping a tear from her eye. "I do have to ask…why?" Kumori opened his eyes again and looked at her.

"Why what? Why did I treat you like I did, or why did I choose to let it all end like this?"

"I want to know everything" Rei insisted, placing a hand on her belly as she felt the baby kick. Kumori chuckled slightly, and hesitantly reached out to put his hand on her, pulling back at the last second.

"I'm sorry" he said, blushing slightly.

"Don't be. You are her father, after all. She wants you to stay so she can meet you."

"You mean, you'd let me be in her life?"

"I didn't think I would, but…I don't want her to live like I did. My father is a stranger to me, and I don't want her to go through that." Kumori smiled and gave her a slight nod, closing his eyes again. Before Rei could ask him about everything again, the door opened and Jadeite entered the apartment, followed by the paramedics. Rei watched as they moved him to the stretcher and took him out the door. When they were out of sight, Rei shakily rose to her feet and walked to the hall closet to get the broom and dustpan so she could get everything cleaned up before Mamoru and the others came home. Just as she swept up the last of the glass, the door opened and Mamoru and the other three generals walked inside, surprised to see them.

"We thought you'd be on your honeymoon by now…guess you two decided to start early" Zoisite teased, eyeing the broken table coyly. Rei forced a smile and took the dustpan to the trash can without a word. Jadeite calmly explained what had actually happened, and the five men watched Rei sympathetically. Once she put everything back, she came out to the living room and glanced between the five men for some time before speaking.

"What's wrong? You're never this quiet."

"We just want to make sure you're okay…too much stress could be bad for you and the baby."

"I'm okay, I promise. Kumori and I had a nice talk, you know, just in case I wouldn't have a chance to say anything to him later…" Jadeite watched her and smiled a little, reaching out to take her hand.

"Let's go to the hospital. I know you want to be there. You weren't finished talking before they came in and took him, were you?"

"Well, no, but I can't go…we should pack for the honeymoon."

"That can wait. Kumori might not. Let's go." Rei nodded slightly and slipped into the bedroom to change out of her wedding dress before they left, then met him at the door.

"Let's go. Are you sure this is okay? I don't want you to feel like I'm choosing him over you…"

"This is one time I'll be okay with it" Jadeite said softly, smiling at her reassuringly. Rei returned the smile and the two of them left, catching a taxi fairly quickly. When they arrived at the hospital, Rei stood at the steps, suddenly feeling as if she had been paralyzed. With a little nudge from Jadeite, she slowly made her way up and walked through the sliding door to the front desk. Once they found out where Kumori was, they made their way through the endless maze of hallways, finally finding his room.

"Do you want to go in alone?" Jadeite asked. Rei shook her head and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly as she used her free hand to knock on the door. The two of them were greeted by a nurse moments later, who stepped outside the room to tell them what was going on with Kumori.

"We ran a few tests and found a dangerous mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs in his system…it's a miracle he was still alive when you found him. He's in a medically induced coma right now. But you can see him if you'd like." Rei and Jadeite smiled slightly and nodded before stepping into the room. Rei briefly glanced at Kumori before turning her head away and sighing shakily. After taking a moment to compose herself, she quietly sat in the chair next to the bed while Jadeite leaned against the wall and watched her.

"Ahout earlier…I know why you did everything you did…except this. I wish you could tell me…" She gently placed her hand on his and closed her eyes, jumping slightly when she felt his fingers close around her hand. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. "You're awake…"

"I did love you, and I hate that I lost you. I know you're where you're supposed to be now, so I wanted to make sure I stayed out of the way from now on. Please take care of our baby girl, and when she's old enough to understand, tell her I'm sorry…" Before Rei could say anything further, Kumori's eyes slowly closed and the steady beeping of the heart monitor slowed, eventually stopping altogether. Rei turned to look at Jadeite, who instantly rushed to her side and held her, not saying anything for some time. After several minutes passed, he finally spoke.

"I'm so sorry…."

"I…I think I need some air" Rei said quietly before slowly standing up and leaving the room. Jadeite watched her leave, then watched as the nurse came into the room to place a white sheet over Kumori's body.

"I'm sorry you had to see that…" she said quietly. "At least he wasn't alone." Jadeite could only nod in response, staring at the bright white sheet.

"I will take care of them…I promise" he whispered before leaving the room.

Just outside the hospital, Rei sat on the steps staring at her hands. She felt as if she was in the middle of a horrible nightmare and prayed that she would wake up and everything would be as it was before. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a man watching her. She stared at him as conspicuously as she could, feeling something familiar about him that she couldn't quite place. The man slowly began to approach her and she planted her feet firmly on the ground, preparing herself to run if she had to. Jadeite stepped out the door and stood nearby, watching as the man came closer to his wife.

"Rei…?" he said quietly, causing her to jump. The voice was familiar, and sent a shiver coursing through her body, but not in a good way. She slowly turned her head until her eyes met his.

"Dad?"