Sailor Moon Eternal

by SetsunaKou

This is a full length novel over 1000 pages long of the 6th season of Sailor Moon, our 'Eternal'. The Wedding of Serena & Darien is attended by some familiar shooting stars cutting across the night sky, finding loves of their own in the Outer-most unlikely places. Romances blossom for the Inners, as a dangerous new enemy's threat could destroy Earth & the Sailor Guardians of it...

17. Chapter 17 - A Day at the Beach

We do not own "Sailor Moon" nor any of the characters.

"SAILOR MOON ETERNAL"

The 6th Season of the Sailor Moon Saga

Chapter 17

"A Day at the Beach"

Rising early (as usual) the next morning, Terry wakes his tired brothers (Sayer had stayed up half the night trying to improve his score on the racing video game; Robin was continually tired) getting them prepared for their day at the beach. Finally dressed and ready, the three boys take off to go pick up their ladies.

Hearing the ringing of the bell, Tara opens the door.

"Good morning! Oh! Good morning." She just about manages to say, her eyes wide.

"You look lovely, Tara." Terry smiles at her cute indigo one-piece bathing suit.

"Are they finally he—?" Alex comes out, about to chew them out for being late when she stops in mid-sentence, her eyes looking the three of them up and down. "Very nice. I'm sure you're going to drive the girls at the beach wild today—if that's what you intended." Her eyebrows raised, a smirk on her face, and a white button-up men's shirt modestly covering up her own swimsuit, Alex can't help but eye Sayer approvingly. His own unbuttoned yellow outer shirt was opened, revealing his chest. Feeling a little bit awkward at Alex's penetrating gaze, but conceited enough to be amply confident of his own looks, Sayer smiles and moves closer to her.

"What about yours, Ally? Can we have a sneak peek?" He fingers the top button on her shirt, already inspired by her slender legs.

"Maybe later. If you're lucky." She taunts him playfully, pushing his hand away.

"Where're Michelle and Susan?" Robin asks offhand, seeing a long view mirror, and fixing his pale bluish shirt and rearranging his hair a bit, proud of his heart-stopping idol good looks.

"Still primping." Alex answers, smiling at their silly "female" behavior. "But I guess you could understand that, shrimp. It's not only a female trait it seems." Alex chuckles to herself as Robin makes an angry face in the mirror, which changes when he sees a flash of aqua in the mirror behind him.

"Michelle, you look wonderful." Robin gives his bathing beauty one of those rare smiles of his.

"I should say the same of you." Michelle's eyes soak him up (especially those cute little mint green shorts!) glad that her aqua one-piece gold trimmed with an open front design outfit matched his "suit" so complimentary. "Susan will be ready in a minute and then we can go." Michelle says to Terry pleasantly, anxious to show herself and Robin off at the beach.

"Alright then, I'll start the—" Terry almost turns out the door, when a vision of light violet shimmers through the doorway. "Susan." Terry whispers, the sight of his beautiful lady in a two-piece bikini quite takes his breath away.

"My prince." Susan feels much the same way upon seeing his "outfit", his white shirt casually hanging open over his uncovered chest and purple shorts, both look at each other shyly.

"Let's just take the Ferrari." Sayer brainstorms, wanting to be as close to Alex's long legs as much as possible today. Very close.

"All of us?" Robin casts reservations upon whether the seven of them would fit in the sports car or not, as the handsome group strides toward it.

"We'll fit! There's nobody fat here." Sayer smiles rudely reassuring as Tara, Michelle and Robin climb in the back-seat. Terry sees clearly who intended on driving and gets in the passenger's side, signaling for Susan to join him on his lap, seat-belting around both of them (which Susan liked very much).

And Alex gets in behind the wheel, leaving only—Sayer left. Knowing just the spot where he wanted to be, Sayer leaps over in a single bound (just like Superman, though he never looked so cool doing that!) and lands squarely between Alex and Terry, sitting lightly balanced on the back of the stick-shift gearbox.

"Are you sure you're safe there?" Alex asks, firing up the ignition and putting her seat-belt on.

"Sure. I don't need a seat-belt." (He never wore one anyway).

"I didn't mean that." Alex smiles wickedly, pulling the stick-shift fiercely into drive.

---

Sunshine and vacationers fill the beach's shores. This hottest of hot July days brought the sweltering crowds out in droves.

The minute their bus stops, the Sailor Scout girls hit the beach, acting like a bunch of escapee criminals. Their sheltered city existence being thrown to the wind as they set off to fully enjoy the summer beach scene.

Lita and Lizzie both, in almost matching Irish green bathing suits they had selected together, cling to "Big Brother" Andrew (who they finally convinced to take off from work) on this fine sunny day. Their eyes look at the other hunky men peppered along the beach, so Andrew protectively (and maybe a bit jealously?) hangs onto them both. The three of them were matching—all in green.

Mina drags poor Ken to and fro, like an orange apricot top spinning out of control in the baking heat. Ken himself was decked out in similar shaded swimming trunks, not seeming to mind her one bit.

A sky ocean blue Amy called Greg up last night, and his bus meets them there. An anxious young man, anxious to see his given-up-for-lost love again, Greg shyly meets up with Amy.

Long time couple Molly and Melvin join the gang after by chance seeing them there. The two of them were at the beach already, catching up on the lost time together of the past year or so.

Responsible Rini splashes about with her sister and Sammy. Little RiRi was finding endless pleasure in dunking Artemis in the shallow water she was playing in, under Lita's watchful eye. Poor Artemis was wishing he was anywhere else right then, as Luna and Diana, each with cute little straw hats Rini had stole from RiRi's baby dolls, giggle along with the children at the wet rat the poor cat turned into after the sixth dunk or so.

Determined to get a proper tan, Rei, the 'movie star', in a fashionable new red swimsuit, complete with dark mod sunglasses, orders her 'slave' Chad about, as he unsuccessfully attempts, over and over to stand an umbrella up for her.

The blazing sun shines down upon the excited beachcombers, gleaming off Melvin's lollipop glasses so much so Molly that asks him to remove the glare. Melvin obliges her every word, though his resulting catastrophic stumbling over unsuspecting sun-tanning bodies are the outcome of his near blind vision without his glasses.

Fun and sand and splashing water, the beach was alive with the sounds of happy laughter under this perfect blue sky day. A red Ferrari soon speeds up, with more long-starved-for-the-fresh-ocean-shore rest of the Sailor gang explode from it—actually only Sayer explodes as Alex rolls her eyes at him, with Terry, Susan, Robin, Michelle and Tara calmly following, laughing at his childlike boyishness.

"There you guys are! Finally!" Rei lifts her shades, noticing the stunning group coming towards her (who didn't notice? Every female's eyes were on the Three Lights, sure that they were movie stars from their gorgeous looks, but not yet associating them with the long missing rock idol group. All the eyes of the men on the beach were on shapely Michelle and voluptuous Susan, not to mention Alex's legs being quite a draw on their own.).

"You're late." Rei chides them as they come to her call, with only Terry loaded down with the towels and beach blankets slung over his shoulders, a basket full of summer necessities held on his arm and Susan hanging on the other.

"Maybe you should jump in the water, Rei. You look like an oil rag." Sayer can't hold his tongue from commenting on Rei's purposely sun-tanning oily form.

"'Oil rag!' Why you?!" Rei whips off her shades, jumping up, her anger unleashed.

"What'd this creep say to you, Rei?!" Chad comes running up to her rescue, knowing all about the kind of men who approach beautiful ladies on the beach. A tall glass of tropical punch splashes about all over a passing Luna as a result, as Artemis laughs aloud at that after all her ragging on him, she just got her just desserts.

"Oh. It's you guys." After wiping his shaggy hair from his eyes, Chad recognizes them from yesterday as Serena's friends, but still looks at Sayer warily, though Sayer's mind was no longer insulting Rei, his eyes were scanning the crowded beach, catching a glimpse of some rather busty women down the other end, their own come-hither gazes aimed in his direction.

Her blood boils at his wandering soul, as Alex roughly grabs hold of his chin, tearing his eyes from those battering eyelids to her own fuming ones.

Knowing he was getting deep into trouble, Sayer spots something that might be useful to his plight. "Look, Ally! Let's get one of those." He points, pretending that was what he had been looking at the whole time.

Yeah, right. Alex knows his shenanigans all too well already, and was ready to give Sayer what-for when she sees now what he was pointing at, and her angry eyes light up.

"Come on!" Sayer grabs hold of her arm, dragging her (only a few yards before Alex independently untangles herself, of course) towards a fleet of jet skis moored off a side dock near the shore. "See ya later!" Sayer calls back with a wave, he and Alex disappearing into the crowd down the shoreline.

The rest of our little party finds diversions of their own. Michelle insists on taking Robin scuba-diving (even if he complained a little about getting his hair wet, he looked so darn cute in his form fitting little scubagear!) in her ocean. Michelle was of the opinion the sea belonged to her—just like Robin did. So she might as well introduce them to each other properly.

Tara joins Rini and RiRi in burying Sammy in the sand, as the boy spouts a million questions about them as Sailor Scouts, now that he knew the truth. Even being fully buried in the golden sand could not shut him up, and Rini was more than annoyed by now, though Tara still finds him rather amusing. RiRi copies them, doing the same to poor, wet Artemis, her newest "dollie."

After chatting a bit with Rei and Chad, Lita, Mina and Amy come by to say 'hi' with their entourage. Andrew eyes Terry suspiciously (after both his sister and Lita give the long haired ponytailed idol just a little bit TOO much attention for his taste). Ken likes the well-spoken man right away, and the gorgeous woman hanging on his arm was not too bad either (as Mina soon figures out, quickly bidding 'adieu' to Susan and hauling Ken away to safety). And poor Greg felt immensely inadequate again, not able to compare what he used to think, until this very moment, his own shaped up body, to Terry's well-toned form. Though now, Amy thought otherwise, silently impressed with the maturing change in Greg, during the period of time they had not seen each other, but not that that mattered all that much to her. Amy believed brains and kindness were more important than looks, though Terry did have an ample amount of all three, Amy could still only see her sweet Greg.

Soon the surf comes up and the talking becomes a thing of the past, the eager girls all drag their escorts for a long-awaited swim in the deep blue.

"Would you like to—?" Terry begins to ask a firmly rooted to her spot Susan if she'd like to join them in the water.

"I think we should keep an eye on the children, don't you?" Motioning to Tara, Rini and RiRi a distance away on the shoreline, they all laughing and crowding over Sammy, his head the only thing left sticking out while Artemis skulks off silently, little hyperactive RiRi's attention finally having been diverted. "I like to see them having a good time." Susan comments, happy to see their smiling faces, as Terry lays out a beach blanket and expertly (unlike poor Chad, his umbrella still down) blocks the sun, not to mention as many male eyes as possible from his Susan, with an umbrella over her.

"Thank you." She smiles at him gratefully. "I wouldn't want to be any darker than I am already." She looks apologetically at him, thinking the creamy white skin of most of the girls she knew was far more desirable.

"I think you have the perfect skin tone." Terry's eyes approvingly watch Susan extend her long legs over the blanket. He touches her bare shoulder gently, giving naughty Susan a sudden thought.

"Terry darling, I made sure Tara was wearing her sun block, but I seem to have forgotten to put on mine. And I left it in the car. Would you…?" Susan's long eyelashes flutter up at him.

"Of course, my lady." Terry quickly trots off towards the Ferrari parked quite a distance away, catching every female eye as he passes, of course.

"Hey there, pretty lady." A strange man's voice says almost immediately as soon as Terry leaves, obviously waiting for Susan to be left alone. The man moves the umbrella, revealing the full view of her shapely body and Susan could see the one speaking was not alone. Two others, not in bad shape (though they were nothing compared to her Terry) on his two sides, blocking the sun in front of her, grinning at he in a way she didn't like at all.

"Hello." Susan says shyly, not knowing what to say and looks down.

"You want to go for a swim with us? Huh, baby?" The one spoke who must've thought he was pretty cool with the half shaven head.

"'Course she does! She wouldn't be here wearin' such a pretty suit if she didn't want to swim." He admires Susan's skimpy bikini with his big greedy eyes and she instantly regrets having worn it.

"Come on, baby. Let's go for a swim. It'll be fun." At the nasty way the man says the word "fun", the second man grabs Susan's arm, pulling her up from where she was sitting.

"No please! I don't want to—" Susan pleads, as laughing, the first fatter one, takes rough hold of her other arm. Continuing to laugh, the three of them drag an unwilling Susan along towards the water, but they only get a few meters, before the two holding her feel a strong arm, forcefully removing their hands from Susan.

"The lady says she doesn't want to." Terry's low voice rumbles like low thunder as he tosses the men aside by their arms, sending them flying into the sand, face-first.

"You think you're hot, huh, pretty boy?" The third man didn't take too kindly to how his friends were just treated, and decides to get back at the man responsible for their embarrassment.

Bad idea.

One swift trained-soldier punch, and knocking the ruffian flat was all it takes for Terry to convince any other would be attackers that this woman was off-limits. Everyone in the vicinity watches the scene with interest.

"Forgive me, Susan, but I==" Terry begins, his voice still firm as he watches the two men lucky enough to just be thrown, help their third unfortunate buddy limp away.

"Darling, you're wonderful!" Susan exclaims, clinging to his chest, filled with adoration for her handsome rescuer.

"Are you all right, Susan?" Amy says, with Lita and Rei running up from out of the water behind her.

"Puu!" Rini rushes up, with a worried Tara right behind her, holding RiRi and a sand shedding Sammy in the rear.

"I'm fine now." Susan smiles at their concerned faces. "I'm fine." She repeats, looking up into Terry's eyes, feeling so safe, so protected, and so loved in his arms.

"Well, that's a relief." Rei rearranges her bun-style hairnet with a sigh.

"Watch out for bums like that." Lita beams accusing glaring eyes at the surrounding men on the beach.

"Yeah!" Lizzie adds, folding her arms.

"Bozos." Molly's accent made the word sound funny, though she intended it to be mean.

Susan nods as Terry gently sits her back down, reestablishing the umbrella in its correct place.

"Forget about it, Susan. That always happens to the prettiest girls on the beach. We get that kind of thing all the time." Mina joins, wringing out her long platinum blonde hair, and flipping it over her shoulder. Obviously, she considered herself one of those girls that got so much attention on the beach. "Right, gals?" The girls all nod, (well maybe not Amy and Tara so much) each with their own streak of vanity.

"Yeah, right, girls. You wish." Sammy smirks.

"SAMMY!" They all shout, insulted. Mina, Lita, Rei and Rini grab a leg and an arm each, and carry a dissenting Sammy to the water's edge and on the count of three, dump the smart mouthed lad into the ocean. (Thank goodness by now, he had finally learned how to swim. Amy was an excellent teacher.)

"RiRi!" RiRi shouts, pointing to herself, wanting to join in the wet and wild fun.

"All right." Tara smiles at her little charge, keeping her safe at the low end as the rest of the scouts take out their energetic fervor on a soaking Sammy, pelting him with wave after wave of unforgiving torrents of water.

"Surf's up, dude!" Chad's perfect surfer voice calls out to them, expertly riding a monstrous wave crest by himself, threatening to crash down on them all.

Andrew, Ken, a shaky Greg, and even a glasses-less Melvin (aaahhhh!) try to stay on their surf boards behind him. Scrambling out of the way, all the girls make it to safety, though they leave an already water-logged Sammy to be rained upon by the slowly calming incoming wave.

"Watch out, dude!" Chad gives a final warning as he rides the wave out, as Andrew, Ken and Greg do fairly well behind him (only half falling in the water), but poor Melvin gets totally dunked, joining Sammy beneath the waves. Molly soon comes to her unskilled boyfriend's rescue, making it seem not so bad, and even complimenting his bravery to face such a wave.

Our dazzling group was the life of the beach it seemed, everyone around joining in merry laughter. Susan, had all but forgotten about the events of a moment or two before, except the part about Terry being wonderful. "Did you find it?" She turns from the bantering water sprites before her, looking to him.

"Hmmm?" Terry's mind blushes as she finds him busy studying her.

"The suntan lotion?" Susan prompts with a small smile at the man seated next to her.

"Oh, yes." Terry picks up the bottle he had dropped before in the sand near them, holding it up to Susan.

"My long nails make it so difficult," she displays her lovely lavender fingernails, "maybe you would help me apply it?" Susan bats her eyelashes at his widened eyes.

"Certainly." Terry smiles shyly, and pouring some lotion in his hands, he kneels close to her, gently rubbing it to Susan's shoulders and arms. He softly touches her back and tummy, remembering what he thought not so long ago, blushing at his error.

"Here, too." Susan points to her neck and upper chest, and Terry's fingers do as he is instructed, caressing on her neck.

Shaking himself awake, Terry clears his throat, refills his hands with lotion, deciding it was safer to move down to Susan's legs, but finds himself wrong again. Starting at her beautifully elegant feet, which he can't help but playfully tickle a bit as Susan's melodic giggle is music to his ears. Terry then travels to her well turned ankles, up her shapely legs, pausing at her knees, looking at her shyly, his eyes almost afraid (at himself mostly) to go any further.

"Go on." She urges. "You wouldn't want me to get sunburned there, would you?" She blinks her eyes at him innocently.

"No…I wouldn't." Terry stumbles, his lotioned hands oh-so-gingerly move upwards.

"Susan," Terry breathes, "do you know what you're doing to me?" His control was just about to give way.

"Yes." Susan whispers, smiling.

"Good." Glad they were mostly obscured under the umbrella, Terry wraps his arms around her neck, his mouth going for her lips.

Suddenly, they're both showered with cool streams of water, as a jet ski comes to a sideways slamming halt, splashing them purposely.

"Gotcha wet!" Sayer's loud voice could still be heard over the jet skis running motor, playfully waving to his now soaked brother and Susan from his new "toy". He then speeds off, as another jet mobile with a more controlled golden haired driver chases him out into the ocean's sparkling horizon.

---

Schools of tropical fish of all shapes and varieties and colors of the rainbow quickly swim by in formation. Creatures of all sorts crawl and slither in slow motion on the ocean floor, hiding under the rocks and the coral which sways rhythmically in the undercurrent.

Lazily, the waterscape flows its deep aqua blue shades, teeming with life in the ocean's ominous vastness, quite taking Robin's breath away, his large green eyes as if opened for the first time in awe at his watery surroundings.

"Welcome to my world." A voice in his head makes the sea's stark silence seem deafening, as Robin watches Michelle easily swim up to him, even in her scuba-diving gear and bodysuit, gliding to him like she was a fantasized mermaid.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" All at once Robin could feel how in tune with the ocean Michelle really was, and how natural it was for her to be here, wrapped in its deep aqua blue arms.

She swims through the flow like an angelfish, showing off a bit for her audience. Robin and the surrounding fish both find her ballet like movements quite appealing. Drifting to him, Michelle takes both his hands in hers, a sense of weightlessness taking over as she pulls him along, exploring all the ocean had to offer.

She leads them through a sea of dark caves, for this ocean princess had no fear of other sea life, though she did have a dislike for sea cucumbers and hoped she wouldn't see any today.

Robin himself was not so sure as his eyes try to clear through the inky blackness, but to no avail.

"Are you sure there aren't any creatures in there?" Robin was silently grateful for their ability to speak to each other's minds, deep sea scuba diving eerily cutting you off from the comforting sound of another human being's voice.

"Of course there are creatures. The sea is alive with them." Michelle giggles at him, closing her eyes, becoming one with the great sea as they swim through its blueness hand in hand.

"I mean like…giant squids and sharks and things." Robin wouldn't consider himself normally a squeamish person, but the thought of meeting a man-eating shark face on was not his idea of a good time.

He starts to feel a little bit anxious when the soothing sound of Michelle's voice remains silent, her eyes still closed, absorbing the ambiance around her.

"Don't you trust me?" Her eyes open slowly under her scuba mask, looking to Robin questioningly.

That all depends… Robin thinks to himself with a smirk, Michelle's overactive flirtations was sometimes getting the better of both of them.

"What was that?" Michelle asks, though listening to the sea's utter calmness, she still vaguely caught one of Robin's stray thoughts.

"Uh…because we're great friends." Robin quickly covers up, even though it didn't make any sense at all, as a large exotic puffer fish swishes its tail in his face, as if on purpose.

"I think we're more than that…Je'taime." Michelle pulls him closer to her, wishing neither of them had all that gear on at the moment, as a harmless octopus gazes at the couple with curiosity.

"What's that mean?" Robin loved the high-class tone of the French language, but had a hard time holding on to any of its words.

"'Je'taime,'" Michelle whispers directly to his soul. "My friend, my love." She smiles shyly at him, her blue eyes still beautiful, despite the bulky mask, had a softening effect upon him.

"I'm glad you brought me here, Michelle." He squeezes her rubbery gloved hands.

"It's a part of me. I want you to know every part of me." She flutters her eyelids femininely at him. "Je'taime."

"You do?" Robin feels that sense of closure again, as if the ocean walls would threaten to crash down on him, but a shadow which suddenly blocks out the sun's already subdued rays catches his attention.

"What is it, Michelle?" Robin movies forward in front of her. In the face of actual danger, he would put Michelle's safety first before his own.

"Oh." Michelle sighs, her romantic mood ebbing with the tide. "It's only some of those bothersome jet ski things." She and Robin swim on together, perfectly in time, upwards, as their allotted oxygen tanks were about spent.

Both of them remove their masks once on surface, taking in the fresh salty air, and catch sight of the two jet skis, speeding around the cove.

"They're not very much fun at all." Michelle floats lazily into a backstroke, Robin slowly scissoring at her side, towards the shore, both of them preferring the calm ocean waves over the choppy seas the intruding machines were causing. But the two riders at the controls were not quite of the same opinion.

---

"Hey, Sokova! Can't your bucket go any faster!?" Sayer was reveling in the speed of his new found friend, the jet ski, as, with no roads to hold him back, the whole wide ocean his playground, Sayer taunts his racing competitor over the whirring sound of the motor.

"Faster?!" Alex shouts, across her jet skis sideboard, only a meter or two behind the mad racer in front of her. "You haven't seen anything yet, Starr!" She's just about to step on the gas when she hears him call back.

"I know I haven't! When are you going to ditch that oversized shirt of yours!" He was dying all afternoon to see the rest of her swimsuit hiding beneath. Alex smiles at him, his own shirt already long since discarded, his navy ponytail flapping wildly in the wind.

A very good looking man, she thinks approvingly as she pulls her jet-ski parallel to his. "I'll take it off," she undoes one of the few remaining buttons on her shirt temptingly, as Sayer's eyes watch her undress and not the path of his motor ski, "if you can catch me!" Playfully, she laughs, sending her readied ski flying ahead of his.

"U!" Sayer slams his vehicle into gut-wrenching speed, determined to catch his prize. The pounding wind, the spray of ocean waters on her face, and the exhilaration of a good race with a worthy opponent (and he was a worthy opponent), Alex could hear Sayer's running motor close at her heels, her ski at full power already, and Alex finds her machine soon being rammed.

"Hey! These are only rented!" She yells back at him, and then smashes her own rented jet ski back into his.

"Ready to take that shirt off, Ally?" Sayer's voice was filled with confidence as he rams her craft like a bumper car, maneuvering it into a deserted cove, both skis skidding on shore to a halt. Alex is out and running on the beach before they even stop, the chase over the waves is over but the one on land had just begun.

Sprinting after her, sure he could hear her laughing, and knowing her unmatchable speed well, Sayer does a very ungentlemanly thing as he, with great effort, gets within a few feet of her and lunges forward grabbing her two ankles, knocking both of them to the ground.

Sand flying through the air, Sayer and Alex become a tangled mess of arms and legs as they struggle, tumbling and tussling over and over in the hot sand, until Sayer finally ends up on top.

Alex just stares up at him. But instead of fending off the supposed attack, she is surprised by his powerful kiss on her lips. The burning sand beneath her, his rich scent of cologne and the fresh salt sea air mingling, her heart pounds in her chest as Alex lets the kiss linger. This man was so tempting in a way she never would have imagined before.

Their longest kiss ever to date, Sayer is about to pull back, the tease over, when he feels Alex's tensed body loosen in his arms—she did not want this to end.

But suddenly Alex feels Sayer's kisses subsiding, as he slowly pulls away, his hands the last to let go.

Lying in the cooking sand, Alex looks up at him, but Sayer's eyes were avoiding hers.

I do want you, Ally. More than you can ever know. But…I don't want you to think that's all I want. Are you testing me? It's not all I want, really! Now that I've found you I want us to be so much more. But how can I tell you what I feel? It'll just sound stupid. Sayer's thoughts are filled with torment, he looks down at Alex, for once not knowing what to say. The scared, little part inside of him did not want to ruin what had only just begun.

Uncertainty. I can see it in his eyes. Next time—if there is a next time, I have to know what you're thinking first. I have to know if you really are the one. Alex looks to his troubled eyes, his sweet beautiful, troubled eyes. I let myself be vulnerable just then, and you didn't take advantage of me? Maybe that's a sign in itself. I don't know. I don't understand anything. Not you, not me, not anything except this feeling inside. I know I want to try with you…if you're still willing to try with me.

Smiling after their mutual silence, Alex sits up, lightly touching his arm. "So what do you think?" Her voice back to normal, she shows off her swimsuit, trying to recapture his spirit and zest from before.

"Ally…" Sayer bites his lip, about to attempt to explain himself, the words of his true feelings never came easily, but Alex puts a hand over his lips, stopping him.

"We'll figure it out." She says determinedly, looking into his eyes. "When the time is right, we'll figure it out. Let's just enjoy all this along the way." She says, not wanting him to lose his schoolboy charm she now found so adorable. Am I even ready yet for a relationship? This heat must've melted my brain.

His eyes still confused, Alex decides to do something to make him laugh again. Grabbing a handful of sand as she retrieves her discarded shirt and puts it on, she walks behind him as they both stand, the ocean breeze washing over them.

"We'd better be getting back." She says, her voice as cool as a cucumber, when she suddenly turns, yanking the front of his shorts and drops the handful of sand down them.

"HEY!" Sayer yelps at the unbelievable thing she just did, his spirits lifting because hers were, too. Sayer leans down (after relieving himself of the unwanted baggage) scooping up sand in both of his hands.

"And what are you going to do with that, Starr?" Alex asks suspiciously, backing away from the evil look in his eye.

"What do you think I'm going to do?" Sayer's voice innocent, his hands make a dive for her bikini as Alex takes off, the chase on again, teasing laughter returning to them.

---

Back on the bustling beach-front, a dripping wet Terry turns to his poor drenched Susan.

"Forgive my brother, my lady. He can be trying." Terry scans for Sayer's speeding contraption, but it vanished into the air, leaving only the gorgeous rippling waves of the ocean in his view. "But since you are wet already…" He playfully starts to drag a surprised Susan towards the inviting cool water.

"No, Terry, I don't want to—" She tries to squirm from his firm grip.

"Come, it's beautiful out there. You don't want to miss this chance to show off that swimsuit, my lovely one." Almost at the shore's edge, Terry lifts a reluctant Susan up in his arms as she struggles, her eyes widen as the rushing ocean currents reach Terry's long legs up to his thighs. "Ready?" Terry, unaware of her real unwillingness is about to release Susan into the deep water.

"Terry, no!" Susan suddenly screeches him to a halt, burying her face in his chest.

"Susan, what?" He asks, looking down questioningly, worried something was wrong.

"I—I can't swim." She doesn't meet his eyes, still clinging to his chest, flushing with utter embarrassment. How foolish he must think me. A grown woman not knowing what even the smallest child can do. But being in the doorway all these years, swimming never seemed a necessity to learn.

"Susan." Terry lifts her chin to look into her fearful eyes. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about. Many people don't know how. I can teach you right now if you'd like." He smiles sweetly, always so understanding.

"Then, you're not ashamed of me?" Her eyes gaze up timidly.

"Why would I ever be ashamed, my darling?" Terry squeezes her, the surf gently washing over her legs as he slowly lowers her to the water. "It's simple, really. It just takes a little bit of confidence in yourself and a little trust in me." He holds onto her arms as Susan feels the cool water rush around her body.

"All right." Susan whispers, as she lets herself let go of his neck, her only lifeline now was his strong hands, gripping her around her slim waist.

"All right?" He asks, looking down into her face. How cute you can be at the same time as beautiful. He smiles, her eyes tightly squinted and her fists clenched, he can even feel her body trembling. "Trust me." His deep voice whispers low in her ear, the soft spoken words, the tender touch of his hands gave Susan the confidence she needed, making her feel as calm as the crystal clear waves that sweep over her, and she no longer afraid.

There's nothing I fear when I'm with you. Susan smiles, listening intently to Terry's instructions. I trust you. I trust you completely…my lord. She smiles adoringly at her handsome teacher.

---

A short distance away, back to building a "Sand Sammy" on the shore, Rini watches her "Terry-papa" patiently teach "Puu" how to swim, looking like he was quite enjoying himself, too, from the smile on his face.

"It's nice to see how they first—" Rini cuts herself off, realizing this was not "her" Tara from the future beside her, but her Tara from the past, to whom she should not reveal any future secrets.

"Yes, it is nice." Tara smiles blissfully at them, reconciled with herself that all was well again.

Sammy, laying beneath them, takes this look at Terry to mean something else he's been suspicious of the past few days, and makes a sour face.

"RiRi!" RiRi plops a shovel full of wet sand on his head.

"AHH!" Just then, Mina comes screaming up, Ken trailing behind her, loaded down with bags of popcorn and cotton candy.

"What is it, Mina?" Rini asks, jumping up. Lita, Rei, Amy and the rest of their gang come to see what all the commotion was about.

"They're going to hold a karaoke singing contest here in a few minutes! Whoever wins gets all rides free for two, on the boardwalk! I'm gonna win!" Mina announces to the world loudly.

"Karaoke? Sounds interesting." Michelle and Robin back in their swimwear, overhear Mina's excitement.

"You going to have a go, Michelle?" Alex's low voice asks amusingly, seeing that certain sparkle in Michelle's eyes as she and Sayer join the growing crowd.

"Maybe. If I have the right kind of motivation." Michelle turns her lowered eyelids to Robin, who blushes under everyone's watchful gaze.

"ALL ENTRANTS FOR THE 'BEACH BUM' KARAOKE CONTEST, PLEASE COME AND CHOOSE A TUNE NOW!" An announcer's voice blows over a loud speaker.

"All right! Let's go!" Mina is first to take off, everyone trailing behind her.

"Yes, let's." Michelle smiles beamingly at Robin, grabbing his hand as she drags him towards the makeshift stage on the beach.

"This is going to be interesting." Alex smirks, knowing when Michelle had "that way" about her.

"You think so, Ally?" Sayer asks, not imagining there could be anything more interesting after their afternoon together. Alex watches Michelle choose a certain song from the promoter's list, glee at Robin in her wickedly smiling face.

"Definitely." Alex replies.

---

"I wanna be a star! Star! Star! I wanna have my name up in lights…"

Mina proudly sings of her cherished dream to be an idol, the crowd roaring at the end of her ditty. By far, she gave the most star-stuck performance, leaving only one entrant left to sing.

"Wish me luck, Robin, dearest." Michelle sweetly coos to him.

"Good luck." He presses her hand as she leaves for the stage. Though he unsure if this was a proper setting for his dignified Michelle, he wanted to please her, so he said nothing.

Everyone watches with baited breath, as the always elegant young lady on the stage begins to trot to and fro quite coquettishly, flirting to the audience with her eyes. Suddenly loud music fills the area as the Beatles' song, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" begins to play, but with an upbeat, more modern arrangement. As Michelle begins to sing, quite flirtatiously in fact, Robin closes his eyes in utter disbelief.

Not my Michelle. he thinks to himself. Tbis isn't REALLY happening. It's just a dream. A very bad dream, as Michelle struts her stuff on stage for the whole world to see.

"You've got that something. I think you'll understand….."

She looks directly at Robin, prompting everyone to turn their gaze upon him, to see who this pretty, lively girl was so enthralled with. As all eyes rest on him, Robin feels a cold sweat on his brow and slides down to look inconspicuous, hearing Sayer's taunting laughter behind him. "You stay out of this, Sayer." His voice was even more scratchy and nasty as total embarrassment creeps in. But Sayer cannot resist.

"Gee, Rob. Your face is all red."

Alex adds, "Seems as though he's ashamed of something…or someone." She says a little threateningly.

Immediately Robin could imagine Michelle's hurt face in his mind, (not to mention her wrath, which could be fearsome at times) so he straightens up and pretends to enjoy the show, just as Michelle sings:

"Please say to me, you wanna be my man…"

Blowing him a kiss, she tosses her airy wrap at him, which flutters down upon his head, making everyone laugh at the discomfort and bewilderment obvious on his features. Robin looks at Michelle who was singing with all her heart and all at once it occurs to him how silly he was to think her foolish or undignified. She was showing how much she cared for him—and that she wanted the world to know how much she loved him.

Immediately he feels ashamed of his error and to prove that he was worthy of this, gets up (to Alex and Sayer's shock), and goes onstage with Michelle, taking her hand as she beams with delight at his appearance. When she finishes her song, Robin returns her wrap to her shoulders and takes her in his arms, publicly kissing her and meaning it with all his heart, as those who knew this elegant pair best stand dumbfounded with their mouths hanging open.

At the approving whistles and roaring applause for Michelle's stunning performance, Robin motions to her, holding her hand as she bows graciously to the crowd. Mina, (though usually a sore loser, especially to snooty Michelle) was moved by the fact she did sing it for Robin, as Mina still had a bit of a soft spot for her "favorite" idol herself. Mina even claps as the promoter hands Michelle a little souvenir trophy and the two all rides free passes to the boardwalk (like she and Robin needed free passes). Everyone's overwhelming applause proves that Michelle was far above and beyond the winner of the contest with her genuine warmth and spunky attitude, a style all her own displayed for the man she had fallen in love with. Robin, his embarrassment washed away by the waves of Michelle's affections, smiles a sweet smile at her, as they leave the stage to enjoy her winnings. Michelle knew her real prize was holding her hand already as they walk along the scenic boardwalk together.

---

The boardwalk was indeed scenic this time of year, it being its busiest season. So it was jam-packed. There were endless lines on every ride, yet Mina was determined to do all of them, it was just a matter of patience (and when patience failed, pushing yourself ahead of the crowd would do just as nicely), and Ken was sticking with her through it all, too.

As Lita, Andrew and Lizzie hit the roller coaster together, Rei complains as she makes Chad carry all her shopping from souvenir shops,and Amy and Greg go boating through the tunnel of love (ooh ooh). Sayer and Alex (at Sayer's insistence, of course) go busting through the bumper cars with vigor at forced to come along for the ride Michelle and Robin. Rini and her little sister visit every child's candy land dream, a simple "ball" game even RiRi could accomplish where candy rained from the skies, as Susan and Terry dutifully watch over them. Tara and Sammy don't participate in most of the "silly" kiddie rides (after all, they were WAY too old for such things at thirteen) but they trail Susan, Terry and the children, anyway.
While Rini was guiding RiRi through a sliding board maze, Terry proves his strength (at Susan's request) on the gong meter, using only one arm; he easily sends the gauge flying straight to the top.

DING! Susan hangs on his arm, adoring her strong man. Running up, Sammy spits on his hands, taking the mallet, determined to prove he was just as tough as that tall guy to Tara.

BANG! He slams the hammer down looking up hopefully, the gauge going up, up, then down, down—going only as far as just below the halfway mark.

"This thing's rigged!" Sammy tries to cover his shame, with his cheeks flashing bright red, making Tara giggle.

"I don't think I could even lift that big mallet." She tries to make him feel not so bad.

"Yeah. It's too heavy for a girl." Sammy lifts it up high, showing off, almost knocking Mina's brains out as she goes by.

"Hey! Watch it, you little spore!" Mina tosses back at him as she pulls Ken off to the ice cream stand (for the third time today).

"Want some ice cream, Ally?" Sayer spots the stand, too, his overheated mouth watering.

"Nah." Alex shakes her head, scanning the bustling crowd for Michelle, who had somehow disappeared with the shrimp, as soon as they got off their bumper cars.

"You mind if I get some, anyway?" Sayer turns to the ice cream vendor.

"As if I had any say in the matter." Alex rolls her eyes, miffed that she couldn't locate Michelle.

About to order a triple scoop of butter pecan, Sayer overhears two fair to medium looking girls (it was his bad habit to always gauge women. Bad, bad Sayer!) discussing the karaoke sing-along behind him.

"That was SOOO corny. Wasn't it, Maddie?" The medium one asks, a smirk on her medium looking face.

"Yeah. Not worth watching at all. Except for that hunky guy at the end." Maddie, the fair enough looking one, answers callously.

"Ooh, you mean that hunkster with the ponytail. He was fabulous! I'm CERTAIN I've seen him before."

"Yeah. Didn't he look familiar somehow?"

"Yeah, I thought so, too."

"Wasn't he in that rock group from last season? The one that was so hot, then broke up and suddenly disappeared?"

"That's right! Ooh, what were they called! I used to think the lead singer was God's gift to women."

"You did! I myself had the hots for that tall, smart, sexy one." Both girls sigh at the memories.

"Sayer!" Maddie shouts suddenly, the dark haired man in front of her freezing in place. "That's what his name was! I remember it because it's so different and interesting."

"Yeah! And the group was the 'THREE LIGHTS'!" Maddie's final shout, made every girl within earshot spin, her heart stopping.

Trying to be inconspicuous, Sayer pulls down the shades further over his eyes, sticking his hands in his pockets and skulking away, praying he wasn't noticed, for if he was, he would be mobbed.

"Yeah! Those guys that we saw MUST'VE been them today! Let's go and try to find them!" Sayer quickens his step, glancing backwards through his shades at the crowd of girls joining those two nosy ones for the "merry hunt."

"Oh, boy." He whistles low, as he dashes back to Alex, safely in the opposite direction of the mob.

"What happened to your ice cream? Did you devour it already?" She smirks at him.

"I…lost my appetite." Sayer keeps glancing back to make sure the coast was clear.

"You probably just made it all up to chat up some pretty girl. I know you." Alex eyes him suspiciously.

"I did." Sayer admits to Alex's wide-eyed surprise. "I'm talking to her right now." They share a precious, sweet smile.

---

BANG! "Super Commander" Terry in action once again, his aim with a gun dead-on, the first shot hitting its target on the bulls-eye. Susan at his side by a target range stand claps her hands together, pleased with her man's seemingly endless abilities.

"Which one this time?" The vendor sighs, pointing once again to a variety of stuffed dolls hanging on the wall. Susan was lready clinging to a monstrous stuffed bear Terry had already just won for her.

"Now which one do you want, RiRi, dear?" Susan scoops up the child who had been hanging on her long hair.

"Bunny!" RiRi had a fascination for the long-eared creatures, managing to say its name (wonder why).

"The white bunny, please." Susan hands the happy child her prize, and Terry smiles at the motherly affection she gave to RiRi.

"Me too, Terry-papa!" Rini rushes up with Tara and Sammy, the three of them with half eaten gyros in their hands. Amy and Greg walk by, hand in hand, with gyros as well.

"All right." Terry lifts the gun from the table, and with barely any aim, fires off the shot right on the mark again.

"Terry-papa, you're wonderful." Rini squeezes her newly won stuffed pegasus to her happy chest. Mina and Ken race by in the background, almost crashing into loaded down with bags Rei and Chad.

"Pick out which one you want, Tara." Sammy picks up the gun as soon as Terry puts it down.

"Okay." Tara smiles, knowing he was trying hard to impress her.

BANG! Missed.

BANG! Almost.

BANG! The third bullet did it, a perfect bull's eye shot! Sammy proudly hands Tara her chosen toy, a cute grey little stuffed mouse.

"Thank you." Tara gives a blushing Sammy a peck on the cheek, then holds up her mouse for Susan to see, both young ladies loving their prizes. Not for the toys' sake, but because of the fact that someone had thought of them enough to win them for them.

"Where do you want to go now?" Terry asks his little entourage, somehow he and Susan always had the responsibility of the children, though neither of them minded really, so fond were they of their young charges.

"Only one more ride before your bus, Rini." Susan says sadly, not ever having to consult a watch to know what time it was. Lita and Lizzie drag Andrew past, with three cats on their trail.

"Ohhh…" Rini and Sammy both moan, sad to see this fun day drawing to an end.

"May I go home with Rini tonight?" Tara asks, wanting to see more of her friend, and Sammy, too!

Susan nods and the children's faces brighten up. "Race you two to the bumper cars!" Sammy runs ahead, with Tara and Rini laughing behind him.

"Bumper! Bumper!" RiRi wriggles from Susan's arms after her companions, while Molly and Melvin emerge hand in hand from the tunnel of love.

"Oh no, you don't." Terry scoops up the wandering child. "Too dangerous, Little Miss." He playfully pops her tiny cute nose, RiRi giggling with him. Now it was Susan's turn to reflect on his paternal treatment of all the children. You would make a wonderful father, my love. Susan wistfully smiles at him, and Terry meets her gaze with one of his own. He looks up suddenly, his eyes confused, as he sees Sayer and Alex racing towards them, full steam.

"Sayer, what—?" He begins to ask, worried.

"Heads up, Ter! We've been spotted!" Sayer shouts as he runs up to them.

"By whom?" Terry looks up to see a throng of bathing beauties racing towards them, and Susan and RiRi cling to him, frightened.

"Every crazy woman in this blasted place!" Alex did not take kindly to this kind of fanaticism as she and Sayer stand back to back, it looking like they were all about to be mobbed from all directions from girls screaming, "Three Lights! Terry! Sayer! I love you!"

Suddenly a sharp whistle blasts over the loud speaker, catching everyone's attention.

"ALL BUSES HEADED FOR TOKYO CITY ARE LEAVING EARLY." Comes a flirtatious woman's voice.

"AS IN NOW. SO YOU'D BETTER SCRAMBLE, PEOPLE, IF YOU WANT TO GET HOME TONIGHT."

A scratchy voice that sounded mighty familiar to Terry and Sayer frenzies the crowd as nearly all of the mobbing throng snap in their places racing towards the bus stop at the beach's edge. The bustling boardwalk empties out a few minutes ahead of schedule, only a few more of the saner spectators who had driven up the coast in their cars remained.

Looking up to the loudspeaker tower, Sayer, Alex, Terry, and Susan catch a glimpse of two familiar figures in the box waving down at them.

"How's that for service?" Michelle's voice comes over the intercom as she and Alex exchange a thumbs up signal.

"So who are you calling "shrimp," now?" Robin can't help but jab as he looks down at the tiny form of Alex from the safety of his spot way up in the high tower, his scratchy voice booming over the speakers.

"Shrimp!" Alex waves a fist up at him. Even in the distance, Robin could plainly understand her meaning.

Uh-oh, I'm in trouble. The thought flashes through his mind as he and Michelle race out of the borrowed loudspeaker box room.

---

The sun begins to set over the gorgeous shores of the ocean, sparkling radiant on its calming waves, the tide rolling in. Saying farewell, the Inner Scouts and their entourage, three cats and the children, drive away from the beach on their bus home, fond memories of the day already set in their minds. Their day of fun was over, but for others, a night filled with promise was just beginning.

"Hey, guys!" Sayer demands everyone's attention, as they walk two by two to their car. Michelle and Robin hand in hand, Susan held close to Terry's chest, and Alex and Sayer walking side by side (hey, that was a lot for them!). "Let's stick around a little while more. I hear the casino over there's fantastic!" His finger points to a brightly lit establishment at the other end of the boardwalk.

"And where did you hear that?" Alex turns to look him in the eye.

"Uhhh, from some people around who were…uhhh…" His stumbling guilt gives him away.

"So you were chatting up those casino girls." Alex always jumped to that conclusion with Sayer (and she was usually right.).

"I wasn't chatting them up, Ally. I was trying to get some useful tips."

"'Useful tips', huh?" Alex shakes her head, a smirk on her face, but Sayer nods back so innocently she can't help herself from smiling.

"So what do you say, guys?" Sayer looks to the others.

"Sayer, you know I'm not much for gambling." Terry says.

"Yeah, but—" Sayer starts to try to convince his studious brother of all the fun he'd be missing.

"It's just a waste of time and—" Robin follows Terry's lead, with Sayer's hopes sinking.

"I'm game." Michelle cuts into his sentence, as Sayer's eyes light up at his new-found "buddy."

"I knew I could count on you, 'Chelle." He grabs hold of her arm, pulling her from Robin's grasp. "Can't you just see it? The glitz! The glamour! The excitement!"

"The scantily dressed women." Alex can't help herself from teasing his—ahem—good intentions.

"Al-ly..." His mouth goes pouty, hurt from her constant ribbing.

"All right. All right." She smiles, taking hold of Michelle's other arm. "Let's go, then."

The three of them march towards the casino district of the boardwalk, leaving Robin with Terry and Susan.

Sigh. "I suppose I'd better keep an eye on them. You know how Sayer is with—" He starts his endless complaints about his younger brother's spending habits, when Sayer comes trotting back.

"Spent every yen in my wallet, Ter. Could you…?" He sticks out his hand. Terry pulls out his own very full wallet, quite accustomed to having this scene with Sayer.

"Here." He hands Sayer several thousand yen bills, a few twenties and fifties mixed in as well, his fat wallet now looking rather anemic.

"Thanks. Aren't you guys coming?" He asks, just about to turn and leave.

"I thought it would be nice if we'd walk along the beach for awhile." Susan looks up into Terry's eyes hopefully.

"You heard the lady." Terry heeded to her every whim, not looking forward to the casino experience anyway.

"Yeah, we-ll, have fun, you two." Sayer knew all too well what could happen to a couple alone on the beach, as he vividly recalled earlier that afternoon with Alex…

"Come on, Rob!" He shouts, slapping Robin on the back and dashing away to where Michelle and Alex were impatiently waiting.

"Oh, brother. This is going to be loads of fun." Robin sulkily complains, trotting off after them, the very idea of gambling against his thought sensitive principles.

---

Watching the foursome in the distance, Terry and Susan chuckle at their friends' little idiosyncrasies.

"My lady?" Terry offers his arm out to her like a proper gentleman.

"My lord." Susan answers affectionately, taking the proffered arm and leaning her head to his chest as they walk out towards the beach, the sun beginning its descent into the dazzling ocean.

---

By far not the "Casino Royale," this particular boardwalk casino did its best to be above the board and as classy as possible. With its plush carpeted flooring and decorative marble statues and paintings, this establishment did give off a certain high-brow atmosphere, the kind Michelle found herself quite at home in.

"What shall we do first?" Michelle looks around at all the excitement on the participants of each table's faces.

"Maybe…" Sayer's eyes start to follow the long legged passing casino check girl who was just opening the poker table with a welcoming glance to him, when he feels a kick in the shins.

"This one right here." Alex takes over, pulling a chair out in front of Sayer and sitting him down as his painful legs collapse beneath him. "Have a seat." She smirks down at him, shoving his chair into the Blackjack 21 table. Looking around with a sigh, Sayer knows why Alex chose this particular table—because it was only one of two with a male dealer.

"No fair." He whispers as he massages his throbbing legs under the table.

"Remember what I told you. 'All's fair—'" She starts her quote, leaning over his chair into his ear.

"'—In love and war.'" Sayer finishes with a quick kiss on Alex's lips. "Thanks, I needed that." He turns back to the table, now ready to do battle with a deck of cards.

"So did I." Sayer feels Alex put her hands on his shoulders and squeezes them as she stands behind him.

"If you two could kindly keep your minds on the game instead of each other?" Michelle turns all haughty suddenly as the seats around fill up with an upper crust set of participants, in suits and even tuxedos—the four of them feeling a little bit out of place, still in their swimwear. By now they all had outer shirts covering them, even Sayer's lost one in the sea replaced by one of Alex's spares, which by the way, fit perfectly.

While there were several others in the casino wearing their bathing suits as well, most were sticking to merely the slot machines and avoiding the high society tables. Though the only woman at this table participating, Michelle was not embarrassed at all. She could wear what she wanted, when she wanted. She believed herself in the elitest of the elite high society category.

The first round starts and Sayer soon finds himself to be a poor gambler, the other more experienced players could read into his cards too easily. Michelle, on the other hand, proved to be quite the card sharp, winning round after round, beating even the most frequent of players. His own funds were soon depleted, so Sayer and Alex join in their moral support with Robin behind Michelle. The small wager of 20,000 yen she had first placed had blossomed into over 350,000 yen, after the first few rounds. By the tenth round of BlackJack, Michelle's booty was at nearly 3,600,000 yen and by the fifteenth, well over 7,500,000 yen.

"Michelle. Michelle, please stop." Robin has begged her since it hit the 2,500,000 mark. Though always well off in that department, Robin had a good sense for money and did not like to see it discarded so offhand.

"Why, Robin dear?" She speaks like a pro, flipping her cards out, calling the other player's bluffs in, while still conversing with the man behind her.

"Because it's too much if you lose!" Robin whispers in her ear frantically. To this, Michelle laughs aloud, a slightly warped tone to her voice.

"It's never too much! And I won't lose." Her eyes steel a lock on the unfortunate fellow across from her, and Michelle mercilessly blows the bank on him.

8,000,000 Yen.

9,000,000 Yen.

10,000,000 Yen.

Michelle keeps playing, her winning streak unmatched. "Michelle!" Robin repeats her name, but she does not seem to listen.

"Miss Moreau, the bank at this table will offer you a wager, since all the other players have seemed to have vanished." The dealer says, after Michelle empties the table out with her "ruthless" winnings. "We will triple the ten million yen you have at the moment, to over thirty million yen for one card game if you win. But if you lose, you forfeit all you have won. Would you like to continue?" He asked, something in his eye did not quite agreei with Robin, though Michelle did not seem to notice it.

"Amara?" She must have some doubts, turning to her beloved cousin for advice.

"It's your game, Michelle. Your risk." Alex didn't want to interfere, feeling a lesson was coming from it, one that Michelle seemed to need.

Knowing Robin's thoughts already on the subject, Michelle decides to live dangerously, so she nods to the dealer. He passes her two cards. A queen and a four.

Dealer stands. What should Michelle do?

"Sayer?" She whispers hesitantly to her only compatriot, her hand about to draw another card, just needing a little more of a push.

"Go for it!" He says, a gleam in his eye and Michelle reaches out for the card…

---

The softly swaying palm trees on the beach's shore bend with the windy gusts passing between them. Dusk was falling over the deserted shoreline, as two solitary figures walk hand in hand down its sandy stretches.

The last rays of the sun glimmering through his lady's long flowing hair, Terry takes in the dazzling scene before him, and a beautiful woman named Susan was at the center of it all. Gazing at her soft radiant skin, he notices her trembling, for her lavender bikini was her only protection from the cooling breeze. Terry gentlemanly removes his own shirt, wrapping it around her shoulders.

"You must be cold, my lady." His voice tender as he places it on her.

"Thank you." Susan smiles at the gesture as she timidly looks over at him. They walk a ways again, with Susan hanging on his arm.

"Would you like me to take off your shoes? They must be full of sand." Terry's caring mind was always concerned for her comfort.

"If you'd like." Susan shyly lets Terry lead her to a seat on a dune in the sand. He kneels to her feet, unstrapping her sandals, not tickling them as earlier but caressing them gently this time.

"Susan, this may not be much, but…" Taking a seat next to her, he reaches out to her and removes something from his shirt pocket. Glinting in the rising moonlight, Susan could make out the form of a gorgeous, delicately entwined golden bracelet in his hand.

"Terry…" She whispers as he holds it out for her to see, her surprised eyes filled with adoration for him.

"I thought you would like a souvenir from our first time at the beach together. When I saw it, it reminded me of you somehow, though nothing on this world or any other could ever come close to your beauty, my darling." Terry looks at his lady, his eyes turning quite serious as he takes her arm in his, no longer able to hold back the emotion.

"My lady," his low voice even more so as the gentle touch on her arm tightens.

"My lord," Susan's breath catches in her throat, the look in his eyes is all she needs to know…

The golden bracelet slips around her wrist as the pair slip into each other's arms, the warm ocean waves washing at their feet, the gentle, romantic breeze whistling over them, with kisses and sweet caresses…

"Wow, Ter." Sayer breathes a whisper in an impressed sounding voice, as, crouching behind a tall sand dune a distance away, he watches his mature brother and Susan with great interest. Feeling his cheeks go red, he glances out of the corner of his eye at the golden haired woman crouching next to him, trying to gather her reaction to the scene before them.

Though her green eyes were watching intently, Alex remains silent, her emotions impossible to read on the subject, so much so that Sayer wanted to know her true feelings about it desperately.

Was it respect for a woman hundreds of years her elder? Or something more? Alex says nothing, as Sayer reaches his hand out to touch her and find out what she thought, in this romantic atmosphere. But…

"What are we doing here, gawking?" Robin's scratchy whisper cuts in from behind them, and Sayer retracts his hand immediately.

"Yes, please. I just want to go home." Michelle's whispered voice sounded defeated and whiny as she sits on the ground with a sullen expression on her pouty face.

"But, guys, we don't want to—" Even Sayer feels a bit awkward about interrupting such a tender moment for his brother, knowing how he would feel in such a situation.

"Why did I listen to you?!" Michelle's sullen voice rises to a feverish pitch. "It's ALL your fault, Sayer!"

Obviously the card game from before did not go well. Michelle took one card too many (at Sayer's prompting) and lost it all. Every cent in her usually money filled purse gone, Michelle was unaccustomed to being penniless and did not like it at all (and neither did Robin, for that matter).

"Hey 'Chelle, it was only a game." Sayer defends himself, money a meaningless trifle to him. It wasn't the money for Michelle either (her monthly family income was more than ample) it was the sheer embarrassment of losing it all in front of all those people and practically being kicked out of the casino afterwards which bruised her sensitive ego.

"I don't care. I'll never gamble again, we're going home." She stands from her hidden viewpoint, heading full steam towards the kissing Terry and Susan, not seeming to care about anything but leaving the place where she had lost such face.

Agreeing with her, Robin huffs past Sayer, wrinkling his nose at him, glad Michelle had finally seen the light, though it was oh-so-hard for him to hold back the 'I-told-you-so', but so far he had held his tongue. Exchanging a blinking glance, Sayer and Alex take off after them towards the unsuspecting couple on the beach's cooling sand.

---

"Susan…" He whispers as his softly breathes her name, adding to the beautiful melody echoing through Susan's soul.

"My darling Terry…" His name escapes her moistened lips as they break their long kiss…

"Yoo hoo! Susan! Terry! It's time to go home now!" Michelle scampers up, heartlessly interrupting the scene before her. For a moment, Susan thinks Terry didn't hear Michelle's voice.

Sadly, he opens his eyes, the tender moment ruined. Susan could see the disappointment written on his features, and knew he must be seeing the mirror expression in her eyes as well. As he lifts her up, Susan suddenly feels the cool winds brush against her exposed skin.

"Whoa!" Sayer whistles as he and Robin rush up behind Michelle, just in time to be able to see, even in the dimmed light, Susan's very full, very bare…

The lights suddenly go out for Sayer as Alex pulls his shirt up over his greedy eyes and Michelle throws her hands up over Robin's before he can even register the scene.

"Nice show, Susie." Sayer was first with a quip, as he flips his shirt back over his head. Alex's quick movements were not quite fast enough.

"Oh." Susan blushes, realizing her tiny bikini top must've come undone, as Terry wordlessly puts her shoes on, embarrassed that Sayer and Robin might have seen…

"Do you think you can keep your clothes on long enough until we get to the car, at least?" Alex smirks as Terry helps Susan to her feet.

"Yes, let's go." Michelle deems the coast clear (looking Susan up and down to make sure she was securely all there) before removing her protective hand from Robin's eyes.

As the group starts their climb up the beach's hills towards where the car was parked, Alex grabs Sayer's swiveling neck roughly as he keeps sliding down the sandy dunes, his eyes on Susan who Terry lifts in his strong arms, carrying her up the steep incline.

"Did I embarrass you, my love?" Terry did not intend for his lady to be on display in such a fashion.

"Not at all, my darling I—I'm fine." Susan tries to forget everything, and buries her head in his chest, too happy to care about anything else.

Carrying her seemingly weightless form in his arms, the dreamily adoring look on her sweet, innocent face makes Terry suddenly feel ashamed of himself, for what he had almost just done—again.

No, my lady, I can be stronger. For you, I MUST be stronger. I will do right by you, my darling.

Terry gazes down at the moonlight sparkling off Susan's contented face—her lovely face—and his chest fills proudly. Now he was even more determined to see his goal for the future fulfilled.

I will marry you. This nineteen year old's will, inspired by his determination, had his thoughts filled with this eternal love.

---

The little group finally reaches the car after the long and exhausting (but oh-so-exhilarating!) day. Getting in the back seat of the Ferrari, Sayer's arm slowly snakes its way around Alex's wide shoulders from behind, and amazingly she does not protest as he softly begins crooning a romantic love song, aimed at her, which she silent appreciates.

Susan, feeling the music, lies delirious in Terry's arms as he holds her closely, on his lap, nuzzling her hair, in the passenger's seat.

Also in the back seat, Michelle buries her dejected head to Robin's, and he reassuringly squeezes her tightly.

As the red car streaks away towards home on this dark night, the three couples could still hear the ocean's waves crashing over the shores, smell the scent of the sea breeze and reflect on the glorious day they had shared together.

About half way home, Sayer lifts his head from its resting place against the back of the driver's seat, admiring her, the moonlight, and the way it made her hair glow gold—

And then feels his stomach growl loudly.

"Hey, are you guys hungry? I'm starving." His giddy voice breaks the romantic mood settling over the car.

"Starving? You ate like a pig all day." She was as blunt as ever to him.

"Yeah. But I'm a growing boy. I need nutrition. Oh! There's a McDonald's. Let's stop." His finger points to the big "M" shining just over the ridge of the road.

"Very nutritious." Alex smirks sarcastically. "Oh, all right. Anything to stop that noise your stomach is making." She glances down at her dashboard and the dangerously low fuel gauge. "I need gas anyway." Alex pulls the car into the exit, maneuvering into the nearest gas station.

"Can't we go to a more respectable restaurant? McDonald's is so…so…so..." Michelle can't even find the words to describe her distaste for the fast food "restaurant."

"—Low class." Robin finishes her sentence, feeling the same way.

"Fine. Choose one, then." Alex gets out of the car; Sayer jumps out behind her, going into the attached convenience mart, as Alex begins pumping gas into her thirsty Ferrari.

Terry was about to offer to do that for her, but Alex looked quite capable and Susan was lying so peacefully in his arms, that he couldn't bring himself to disturb her. None of the varied surrounding establishments quite met her standards,and Michelle is about to, maybe, suggest going to at least the steakhouse down the street when Alex finishes filling the tank, turning, as she always did, to Michelle for the money to pay.

"Michelle?" Alex casually sticks her hand out waiting for the usual cash flow.

"I don't have any money, Amara." Michelle feels like a pauper.

"No credit card?" Alex cocks her head questioningly. Michelle shakes hers in answer.

"I never carry money." Alex says grabbing Sayer and jutting her hands into his chest pockets, just as he returned with a soda bottle and a bag of M&Ms.

"Hey, Ally. Right here in front of everyone?" Sayer could feel her fingers roughly scavenging through his pockets and against his chest beneath the thin shirt.

"Nothing here." Alex ignores his comments, somehow knowing his pockets would be empty, then shoving him aside like an old, used rag.

"Ally, I'm wounded." He smirks, his hand on heart. "I didn't even have enough for these." He holds up the soda and candy and takes a swig from the bottle. "But the girl at the counter let me have them anyway—on account of my good looks, I'm sure." He winks wickedly, with a friendly wave at the girl watching them from the glass doors.

"I'm surprised she didn't charge you more then." Alex swipes at his now pouty face. "All right. Good looks aren't going to get us free gas. So who's got the money?" She puts her hand out towards the occupants of the car, her fingers wriggling impatiently.

"Susan, pardon me." Terry gently lifts Susan's dreamily smiling head from covering his chest pocket and whips out his wallet.

"All right, Ter!" Sayer could always count on his "older" brother to come to the rescue, and grabs the wallet from his hands.

"There's not much left." Terry already gave most of what he had today to Sayer earlier, only keeping four thousand yen in reserve, just in case they needed it, which they did.

"It's enough for the gas, but I think the steakhouse is out, Michelle." Alex takes the cash and goes to pay the large bill for her nearly emptied gas guzzling automobile.

"Hey, Ter, this picture is new." Sayer wiles away his time, leaning against the shining new Ferrari, waiting for Alex to return, by thumbing through Terry's wallet, and finding among the business cards and important phone numbers, a singular lone photograph.

"Sayer." Terry reaches out for his property, a slight blush of embarrassment on his cheeks. Sayer smiles knowingly, obligingly handing it back.

"So where to, gang? I've got about 1500 yen left." Alex pushes him in the backseat, then gets back behind the wheel of her new, now happy, car, though Sayer was not so lucky sitting next to a sulky Robin and pouty Michelle.

"1500 yen!" Michelle and Robin say in unison, sinking in their seats, totally embarrassed to have only 1500 yen to their good names.

"Looks like McDonald's is in again," Sayer loved to tease Michelle and Robin even more (besides he loved hamburgers!). Almost laughing at her high-class friend and her low-class boyfr—(scratch that—fond acquaintance—ahem) Alex pulls out of the gas station towards the big blazing yellow arches across the highway.

"McDonald's." Michelle moans her distaste, sinking into her seat even further as they pull into the low brow parking lot. As Susan moves her head, Terry replaces his wallet in his shirt pocket, but not without taking a quick sneak peek at the newly inserted photo Sayer had noticed just earlier. Susan's eyes drift back to him, as she also catches a glimpse of the picture as he hurriedly closes the wallet and puts it in his pocket.

"Me." She whispers, surprised that the snapshot he was gazing at so fondly was one of her— a rare, happy one Tara had taken recently when she was given a new camera.

"What was that, my love?" Terry did not notice she had seen it.

Susan simply smiles, shaking her head as Terry wraps her up in his arms as they walk together towards the brightly lit building.

Well past 10 PM, the usually bustling McDonald's was nearly emptied out, to both Michelle and Robin's exasperated delight, save for a small number of fellow travelers in much need of hot coffee and a bite to eat.

"How can I show my face here?" Michelle hangs her head low, avoiding the gazes of the few people sitting around, and the employees near the front of the fast food establishment.

"Let's get a seat in the back," Robin says as he and Michelle make a bee-line for the farthest corner booth, trying to be inconspicuous (a pretty impossible thing in the eye-catching swimsuits they were still wearing, even if they were wearing outer shirts and Michelle a shawl).

"Well, what do you guys all want?" Big Mouth Brother Sayer blows whatever cover they had trying to sneak away as he calls to them loudly across the fast food establishment. Without even looking back, or deeming it worthy enough to give him an answer, our two snoots, beyond embarrassment, quickly take the farthest table and sink into their seats.

"Michelle will have the fish sandwich," Alex replies for them, laughing at the comical situation, always knowing what her dear friend would want, as Sayer's wide eyes scan the billboard menu.

"You don't have to get me anything at all, Sayer. I'm not very hungry." Terry says to his brother, always the considerate one, knowing their shortness of funds. "What would you like, Susan?" Terry asks her.

"Oh, I don't want anything eith—" Susan starts, not much hungry herself (well, not for food anyway) as she looks up to Terry.

"The chicken sandwich for Susan." Terry simply takes charge, concerned of how little she ate.

"Gotcha." Sayer says, as Terry leads a clinging Susan to the far booth where Michelle and Robin were hiding out. "Ally?" He asks, as Alex hands him the rest of the money.

"Just a salad for me." She turns to join the rest of the gang.

"A salad! We go to a hamburger joint and you order a salad!" Sayer was in disbelief, being extremely fond of burgers himself, and salad being the kind of food for canaries and rabbits and that sort of thing—not a tall, strong, gorgeously stunning…

Sigh. Sayer's eyes were almost as hungry for Alex as for the grilling scent of burgers.

"Russian dressing." She casually tosses over her shoulder, not caring one bit about what he thought about it.

"All right." Sayer shrugs as he goes up to the counter, then turns away from the waiting cashier. "My Russkie babe." He tells the clerk as he aims a finger at Alex with a wink. Ooh, the dagger look he gets from across the room.

"I am not your, or any man's 'babe.'" Her voice was edged with steel as she calls back angrily at him, always uptight about the names men used to put themselves higher above women.

"She loves me." Sayer shrugs back to the wide-eyed girl behind the counter with a crooked smile, then goes about ordering their meal.

---

The food was, as stated, fast and Sayer soon joins the gang quietly seated at the table with a tray full.

"I almost didn't have enough money, but the old 'Starr' charm worked again!" Sayer winks back at the blushing cashier. "Salad." Sayer says the word with dull distaste, slapping it in front of Alex as he squeezes in the booth next to her. Alex shoves him back, almost knocking him off the edge (she did not want to be any closer to Robin on her other side in the booth, thank you very much.)."McChicken for Susie," Sayer places the wrapped sandwich in front of Susan, "they said it was made of ALL breast meat." Sayer smiles wickedly at her, remembering the scene on the beach vividly in his mind.

"Sayer!" Terry reprimands him in shock, knowing quite well what it was he was inferring but Sayer shrugs him off.

"Fishy, fishy for you 'Chelle." He slides it across the table, as Michelle fingers it disdainfully.

"Here, Rob!" Sayer leans across the table, putting a colorful cardboard house shaped box in front of a frowny faced Robin. "I got you a Happy Meal." He smiles, delighting in Robin's dejected face. "Look! Look!" Sayer sticks his hands in the box, leaning his hand on Alex's leg, "Free toy!" He pulls out a little green alien for all to see. "Looks like you, Rob." He teases.

"Ouch!" He exclaims as Alex, tired of being his leaning post, sticks her plastic fork in his hand.

"Gotcha a burger anyway, Ter. Just a small one." Sayer, rubbed his hand and gave Alex an angry look, flopping a hamburger in front of his brother. "And a strawberry shake for you and Susie both. I figured you wouldn't mind sharing." He pops one straw into the plastic lid. Susan, next to Terry, blushes at the way Sayer kept looking at her approvingly.

It must be because he saw…oh dear! What must they all think of me? Her mind suddenly feels the embarrassment, ashamed of the events earlier in the night. Susan sips her shake meekly, nibbling her sandwich, then looks over to Terry, when a horrible thought comes to her proper mind. What if he thinks I'm a—a—? That I'd do this with any man. Please don't think that! It's only you, my darling! Only you I'd ever—EVER—love...

"Excuse us girls, won't you?" Michelle says airily, as she, Alex and Susan leave the table. As Alex gets up, she grabs Sayer's hamburger and stuffs it in his mouth.

---

"So, Ter," Sayer quickly polishes it off, chewing his Big Mac that Alex had stuffed in his mouth, and turns to his brother as soon as the girls are out of sight.

"So." Terry repeats innocently enough at Sayer's knowing gaze.

"So-o-o," Sayer tries to prod Terry on, "Susie's quite a looker, huh?"

"I don't know if I'd call a lady such a crude term—but yes, she's a 'looker.'" Terry smiles wistfully in the direction she had just departed.

"And uh, when you first, uh, went…together..." Sayer giggles nervously, not knowing how to approach the burning subject on his mind to his "older, more experienced" brother.

"Then…" Sayer pauses, glancing around and biting his lip.

"How did you know she loved you…?" As badly as this eighteen-year-old wanted to know his golden nineteen-year-old beauty loved him—in every way—he didn't want to do anything to hurt their tentatively budding relationship, knowing her opinion of men, and of him in particular.

"Well…I…" Terry finds himself a bit nervous on the delicate subject, to be discussing in public anyway, knowing there could be no substantial answer to this question other than the feelings he felt at the time (the feelings he still was feeling at this second..). "I just knew. From the moment our eyes met—I knew I had belonged to her since before the stars were born" Terry waxes poetic, with a far-off, dreamy expression, obviously thinking of only her from the look in his eyes and sappy smile on his face. Sayer and Robin look at each other with widened eyes, then shrug, not knowing what to make of their usually 'got-it-together' brother acting so lovesick.

Finally coming from his reverie, he gives Sayer an apologetic smile. (A little guilty one, too) Sorry he couldn't explain it better to his "younger" brother, but there were some things he'd have to discover on his own.

"Oh." Sayer's face drops for a second believing his genius brother could unveil that curtain, the shrouded mystery known as woman.

"Why do you want to know so badly, anyway, Sayer?" Robin, who has kept silent, eating his "disgusting" Happy Meal (which didn't make him very "Happy" at all, but he was hungry) smirks evilly, listening to their conversation.

"I—I—" Sayer stumbles, turning beet red, for some reason, at Robin's insinuation. "I think there are things every man should know. Don't you, Rob?" He throws back with a wicked smirk of his own, French Michelle in mind.

"What do you mean, Sayer? I know what I'm—" It was Robin's turn to blush, a sensitive soul with an easily bruised ego, hearing Sayer's derogatory intimation in his abilities in that area.

"Well, so do I!" Sayer cuts in meaningfully, his own male ego on the verge. Terry was watching in astonishment at his bickering brothers arguing about such a hush-hush topic.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure you'll have a harder time finding out than I will." Robin's nasty streak shows, attacking Sayer's unlikely prospects in Robin's mind, with a hard-line woman like Alex Sokova, while he knew full well that Michelle on the other hand, was another story entirely.

"Harder time about what?" Alex comes up to the table, Susan and Michelle right behind her.

"Oh, uh, well, uh…harder time…" Robin stumbles under Alex and Michelle's penetrating gazes.

"—Finishing his burger before we have to go." Sayer weakly inserts. Both Michelle and Alex knew that that was certainly not what they had been discussing, judging from the red spots branded on both of their cheeks.

"Oh, yes?" Michelle smirks, raising her eyebrows, having a pretty good idea of what these boys were talking about from the thinly disguised veil over Robin's mind.

"Speaking of which…are you gonna finish that McChick, Susie?" Sayer had been eyeing the only slightly-nibbled sandwich for some time as it sat on the table.

"Sayer!" Terry was shocked and exasperated at his rudeness to beg off someone else's food.

"No, I don't want anymore. It's fine, you may have it if you'd like." Susan gives Sayer the sandwich, smiling at his boyishness.

"Thanks!" He devours it in three big bites, as Alex takes the last sip of their shared Coke and tosses it and the empty wrappers in the garbage.

"Not that!" Sayer grabs something off the tray as they go out the doors before she dumps it in the garbage. "Here, Rob, you almost forgot your little buddy." Getting in the car, Sayer passes the little green alien toy to Robin, giving it a cute squeak.

"Gee, thanks. Just what I always wanted." Robin frowns, after the thoroughly unpleasant meal, throwing the poor unwanted toy out the back window of the car as they speed away.

---

Sayer fills the drive home with seemingly endless babble about this and that, and of the other five members of the car, only Terry tries to pay any attention, but finds it hard the way, Susan, seated on his lap, was looking at him.

Michelle and Robin discuss things wordlessly in their minds, ignoring Sayer completely and Alex finds herself not hearing his words, as much as just listening to the sound of his voice.

How annoying it used to be. How maddening at times. But now…Alex gazes at his lively bantering and smiles. I like it.

Catching the smile, Sayer returns it with a dazzling one all his own, to which Alex quickly turns her eyes back to the road.

Don't encourage him, fool. Not unless you want to end up like poor Susan….Alex chides herself, then looks over to Susan who was looking adoringly into Terry's eyes, lying dazed in his arms. Just look at her. No, I don't want that. I don't ever want to be so…helpless. But there is something I want. Just don't know what it is yet.

Alex's eyes gloss over Sayer again quickly. Something. She turns the corner, pulling into their house's driveway on the outskirts of town.

"All right. There's your car." Alex, in everyone else's eyes would never know her uncertainties, as she practically orders the three men to leave as they unload from the Ferrari.

"Oh, please! Come in the house and stay…" Michelle squeezes Robin's bare arm, then cowers under Alex's gaze. "For a while." She adds the addendum innocently enough.

"Yeah, I guess I could go for a good cup of coffee. Robin's stinks." Sayer jibes at his brother's coffee-making skills. "And I don't think Terry's quite ready to go home yet." He smirks, lowering his voice so Alex couldn't hear, as Susan leans towards Terry in a very amorous fashion.

"All right. Coffee. Then straight home." Alex relents to that only as she unlocks the door and leads them to the living room.

Susan usually does the mundane household chores like coffee-making, and Alex and Michelle look to her but she seems somehow unable, or more likely, unwilling to detach herself from her man.

"Oh! Coffee? Yes, certainly." Susan smiles at their stares. "Come, Terry." She tugs him along with her to the kitchen, making Michelle and Alex exchange knowing looks.

Once alone in the kitchen, Susan seems to forget all about the coffee.

"Susan…" Terry tries to control her kisses, holding her back, attempting to make the coffee. But the coffee grounds spill to the floor as she continues.

Somehow, he manages to get the coffee machine finally going, and Terry now tries to control himself. Be strong, man. Don't let yourself be weak. He thinks determined to be more, be upright, be Susan's perfect gentleman.

Terry drags her dangling body to the cupboard and grabs some coffee mugs, as she continues to kiss him passionately.

Terry nearly drops the porcelain mugs to the floor, but catches them in mid air, quickly placing them safely on the counter.

"Susan, it's—it's not right. Not yet. I don't—" Terry tries to explain, as gently as he could.

"Hey! Where's that coffee, you two?" Alex's stern voice comes from the living room, and brings Terry slowly back to reality as he tears himself away from Susan's tempting form.

"Susan, please trust me in this. I want everything to be right for you, my lady. I'd be unworthy of you if I did anything else. Please, don't ask me for more than this, not yet." Terry pulls her back to him, kissing her full and passionate on the lips, but his control was gained, his willpower sustaining him, leaving with a kiss passionate, but still gentlemanly.

This is how it must be. It will have to be enough, my love. Until I can have the means to support you as I should. Until I can marry you, my lady. Until then…

His kiss finishes softly, sweetly, with Susan hanging dazed in his arms. "Let's bring this coffee out now, all right?" Terry smiles into her eyes, her lovely magenta eyes, which slowly open.

"Yes." Susan nods breathlessly, willing to do anything he asked, anything he wanted after such a kiss, as she, trembling, begins to pick up two of the steaming cups of coffee.

"Allow me, my beloved." Terry kisses her forehead sweetly, taking the two cups she held shakily in her hands, and replaces them with the safer sugar bowl and milk. He'd rather make two trips than see her beautiful hands scalded as he goes into the living room, with Susan trailing close behind him.

"It took you long enough." Robin complains, taking the cup of coffee from Terry, after Michelle and Alex both refuse.

"I guess it was too hot to handle in there, eh, Ter?" Sayer teases with his eyes as well as his words as he spoons sugar in his cup, his eyes dancing from Susan to Terry wickedly as she positions herself on his lap, all of them sitting around the coffee table.

His mind was not on the steaming coffee in his hands, so Sayer takes a sip without thinking. "Ow! It's hot! I burnt my tongue." Sayer sticks his tongue out a bit, touching it gingerly with his finger.

"Stupid." Alex laughs at the silly man seated next to her (at a comfortable distance).

"Maybe it's time you three, ahem," she slides a warning glance at Terry, "got home." She finishes with a smirk at Sayer.

"Yeah, let's go. I'm exhausted." Robin whines, after his long and tiring day, though it was rewarding (vividly his mind flashes with Michelle strutting up and down the karaoke stage, singing just for him…).

"I'm so glad you liked it." Michelle intrudes on his thoughts once again, but somehow Robin never minded as he smiles back. Taking one more sip of coffee, he puts his cup down and stands, wondering how Terry was going to extricate himself (or maybe he wasn't going to, heh heh) from Susan's grasp.

Sayer downs the rest of his coffee and gets up to leave, too. "That was good. But all that caffeine…" The way he says the word makes Alex's skin crawl, "I might be up all night, if anyone is interested to know…" He says with an innocent smile.

"There's an owl out there that can keep you company." Alex takes him by the shoulder and shoves him through the hallway and out the front door, into the night's darkness.

"Good night, Michelle. I had a good time today." Robin kisses Michelle on the cheek (though her waiting lips were disappointed). But the warm, fuzzy feeling inside she was sensing from him, though, was enough to tide her over till another day. Sigh.

"Coming, Terry, dear?" Michelle's smile was a little leading, as she was still concerned for Susan's well-being.

"My lady." Terry gently moves Susan to the couch, kneeling at her feet. He takes her hand in his. "I cannot tell you what today meant to me. Thank you for making it so wonderful." He kisses the hand tenderly on both sides.

He starts to leave, though their hands linger, their fingers laced together. Terry slowly, but manfully pulls away, following Michelle and Robin out the front door, leaving a slightly distraught Susan behind.

"…Where have you been?" Alex seems to ask just to have something to say, swallowing hard several times making Michelle suspicious of her slightly out of breath friend, conspicuously closer to Sayer than she had previously been.

"I could ask you the same thing perhaps." Michelle teases with a smile but the smile quickly wipes off her face at Alex's threatening glance.

"Good night, ladies." Terry nods to them, walking past to the green sedan, seemingly trying to escape himself before he changed his mind.

"Good night." Michelle and Alex say in unison as Robin nods and leaves Michelle's hand with a final squeeze.

"Great day, Ally." Sayer smiles his sweet smile. "See you tomorrow?" He asks hopefully.

"Maybe I'll stop by before the big race tomorrow." Alex smiles back.

"Race? Can I come and watch?" His eyes light up excitedly. "I love car racing."

"Oh ,do you?" Alex smirks wondering how much of that was truth and how much was put on.

Sayer nods.

Oh, well, either way. At least he's a cute liar. "All right. IF you don't cramp my style." Alex pokes a finger in his chest.

"Who, me?" Sayer grabs her hand off his chest and squeezes it hard. "See you tomorrow!" He scampers off to the running car awaiting him, waving goodbye.

Alex merely crosses her arms, Michelle nodding as the car is about to drive off, when they feel a whoosh of air rush past them and see Susan's form running out of the house towards Terry's driver's side window.

"Your wallet!" Susan holds out the leather wallet that was in his shirt pocket which she was still wearing.

"Oh, thank you, my love." Their hands touch through the window, and Terry leans out and kisses her sweetly, glad for the chance.

Susan, standing still, watching them drive off, wraps his shirt tightly around herself.

Driving away, Terry puts the wallet in the shirt pocket he was wearing now, but a slip of lavender paper with Susan's sweet perfumed scent peeking out catches his eye.

"Good night, my darling

My lips will whisper my love for you

Through all eternity"

Terry smiles, his lips silently wording "I love you" out the window for the breeze to carry back to his beloved lady.