We do not own "Sailor Moon" nor any of the characters.
"SAILOR MOON ETERNAL"
The 6th Season of the Sailor Moon Saga
Chapter 26
"The Gift of Friendship"
Christmas Eve was always a very special night to spend with friends and family and all those one loves. And no friends could be closer knit than the group gathered at the Levington household tonight. Bonds far deeper than mere friendship stretched between the girls, with more than a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure this year.
"Look, Kenny! Mistletoe!" Spotting the hanging greenery in the living room doorway, Mina shuts her eyes tightly as dutiful Ken bestows a kiss upon her forehead and Mina glows all over like, well, like a Christmas tree. She dances about it, with more exciting things catching in her starry eyes. "When can we open our presents? Can we open them yet, huh, Rei?" She begins innocent as a little child.
"'Can we open them yet? Can we open them yet?'" Rei explodes with sarcasm as she nearly knocks Chad (who was re-hanging blown out Christmas lights on the ladder she was supposed to be stabilizing) down to the floor. "For the millionth time, Mina, NO! Did you hear that, Serena? Just in case you were about to ask me, too!" Rei was an old grinch when it came to giving leeway on present opening time, for here in this house, Rei believed she was ruler and adoring Chad would not say one word to the contrary.
"I wasn't going to ask again, Rei! I'm not a baby!" Serena says, as she stuffs a frosted cookie into her mouth, getting the green and red icing all over her face. Darien, sitting next to her, watches in amusement, and gentlemanly comes to her aid, wiping his "baby's" mouth almost sweetly.
The holidays before he knew Serena always put him in a rotten mood when he had no one to share them with. But not now—not anymore. There was Serena, and she had come into his life and taken hold of him.
"Thanks, Muffin." Serena smiles up at her husband adoringly, offering him a cookie in gratitude, which he refuses. She shrugs, and eats it herself, along with a few more.
"Lita! Lita! I think we need another batch of cookies in here. Serena just scarfed them all down." Mina mischievously taunts, grabbing the last Santa faced cookie from the dish, right from under Serena's nose as she was reaching for it. Mina sticks her tongue out at her playfully.
"Amy, did you see what she did?" Serena whines. "A girl who sticks her tongue out at people in public doesn't deserve Lita's homemade cookies!" Serena makes a pouty face at Mina, and just can't help herself from sticking her own tongue out at her behind her back.
"Oh, Serena." Amy giggles at her friend's immaturity, as she and Greg continue their game of chess on the coffee table. Greg actually did pretty well against an ace opponent such as Amy, even without his former psychic powers.
Tara keeps Sammy occupied across the room with a round of the card game, "Old Maid."
"LITA! More cookies! And some of those muffins, too!" Serena calls, jumping up from her comfortable spot on the floor.
When no reply comes again, Serena stops, and feels a strong hand on her shoulder.
"Don't, Serena. Lita's in the kitchen, talking." Darien says knowingly.
"With Andrew?!" Serena, the matchmaker, asks excitedly and her smile broadens as Darien nods. "Do you think it's finally going to happen?" Serena asks softly, laying her head to her husband's warm chest.
"I sure hope so. Andrew better realize soon that a girl like Lita doesn't come twice in one man's lifetime. Just like lightning…"
The girl Darien was speaking of—the one who could channel lightning itself—was at this moment wandering to and fro in the delicious smelling kitchen. She was preparing a scrumptious ham dinner for her friends as Andrew helpfully assists her in the cooking process (mostly he just watches). Lita felt his eyes upon her as she kneads the homemade bread she was preparing.
"Lita…?" Andrew's calm, easy going voice says suddenly, as he unconsciously keeps stirring the stirred-out bowl of pumpkin for a pie.
"Yeah, Andrew?" Lita smiles looking up into his green eyes and…
"Is this pumpkin done yet?" He covers quickly, and Lita knew that wasn't what he had meant to say.
"Oh, yeah. That's great. Thanks." She takes the bowl, her mind flitting from her busy dinner as she pours the pie filling into its crust. All afternoon when we were skiing and skating, I've been feeling so much 'something' from him…something…and he's been so nice wanting to help me with all this…I wonder why…
Lita just happens to catch a reflection of herself in the shiny stove glass front, as she puts the pie in the oven. She gasps in horror.
"What's wrong, Lita?" Andrew immediately comes rushing up.
"I…almost burnt the sweet potatoes, that's all. Really. I'm sorry." Lita tries to also cover up quickly.
"I'll get them out for you." Andrew says, gallantly taking the glove mitt and removing the hot pan for her.
"Thanks." Lita steps back and when he wasn't looking, grabs a dishrag, rubbing her face frantically. I'm a mess! Flour everywhere! Even frosting! I know I've been busy cooking. Oh, my hair's a mess, too! I didn't bother to fix it since we went skating, did I? Oh, Andrew! Every other girl has already changed into pretty dresses and got fixed up for their guys. Me? I didn't even brush out my hair. What kind of girl am I? Too boyish, I know. And even though I'm cooking, I do things like a boy. I talk like a boy, and like a boy, I don't primp over myself. You'd probably like me better if I was more of a girl. Maybe I should change. Only normal girls get the kind of life I want—the kind I dream of. Only girlish girls get married and have a family…
Lita's thoughts are cut off when she sees, out the window, the Three Lights mini van pull up into the drive. Oh, good! Maybe I'll have a chance to talk to Alex again! See what she thinks about my dilemma. Lita rushes to the door, and opens it, just as Michelle and Robin walk up to her. Terry, with Susan on his arm, was close behind them.
"Where'd you guys all disappear to? Oohh! And all dressed up, too!"
"Some party you didn't tell us about?" Mina demands as the other girls run up. She looked Michelle's fancy gown up and down.
"Well, you could say that." Michelle smiles mysteriously.
"Where's—?" Lita starts to ask of Alex's whereabouts, leaning out the front door, into the shivering cold, not at all prepared for what she sees with a blast of wind in her eyes. "Oh my gosh." She whispers, as her eyes widen.
"What?! What?!" Mina, Rei and Serena—even Amy and Tara—see the mystified into shocked look on Lita's usually calm face. All of them push each other to have a peek out the door at what so shocked their levelheaded friend.
And…
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Mina shrieks at the sight, nearly fainting as they all look out into the frozen darkness to see two figures standing in the walkway, hopelessly lost in each other's embrace as the early first stars of the evening shone brightly down upon them this Christmas Eve night.
Sayer, in a black tuxedo, and Alex, in what could be nothing but a wedding dress, stood before them.
"Alex and Sayer—?" Amy whispers in disbelief.
"—Got married!" Clapping her hands, Serena blinks at the kissing couple with not as much surprise as the others. She was so very joyous that one of her best friends, Sayer, had finally overcome that melancholy heartbreak she may have unwittingly contributed. And it made the Moon Princess' loving heart soar that it was another of her dearest friends, Alex—who Serena felt needed Sayer Starr's upbeat, lighthearted, lively smiles more than she knew-who had brought his undeniable shine out again.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mina could not take any more, and just fainted dead away—luckily into Ken's arms.
"Alex, Sayer! This is Christmas Eve! Not Setsubun!" Referring to the traditional holiday where 'strange things' are said to occur due to the spirit world passing close to earth that night before spring (celebrated with Gramps throwing beans at people to ward off devil spirit demons at her shrine, no less) Rei was the first to recover.
In total, utter disbelief, her logical mind could not even grasp the idea of wild, immature boy Sayer and independent woman—ahem—Alex were even thinking of.
'Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!' (Demon out! Luck come in!) Rei's temple maiden mind rings with the traditional cry Gramps would force her, as priestess, declare over the crowd of revelers as she lights the evil spirit repelling bonfire. Guess it's fitting for this devilish pair.
"We know." Alex laughs at the shocked expressions on every face. She exchanges a pleased thumbs up with Sayer across the room, as both seem to relish the shock factor of their friends to no end.
"Then…it's no joke?" Lita breathes in wonderment. She was stock-frozen, holding the door open as Alex smiles at her. She physically removed Lita's hand from the doorknob and shut it behind them herself.
"No joke, pretty girl." Alex smiles dazzlingly as the girls looked her up and down in disbelief of the voted least likely to be wed next. This off-the-wall news slowly sinks in to the girls who considered Alex as their tough guy who never would cross that feminine threshold of seeking out a husband like all the rest of them…
How stately Alex looked in that gorgeous gown. How perfect her golden tiara veil cascaded down her shoulders, and how unexpectedly content she looked, when Sayer, looking handsome himself in his black tux, sidled up to stand beside his new wife.
Wife? Wife? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Shock over, Lita's joyous eyes take in what was happening—that it was truly possible for tough, tomboyish women to have a normal life, too. Alex blasted that path forward as tears fall slowly down Lita's cheeks.
"Don't cry, Lita." Sayer says sweetly, joining Alex's loving hand on her protégé's cheek. "It's not like you're the one who lost your mind and asked to marry me." He jabs playfully at himself.
"Did I lose my mind?" Alex looks at him, her eyes dancing upon him.
"That makes two of us, then." Sayer smirks that crooked smile.
"I'm so happy for you both!" Serena was the first to congratulate this unlikeliest of unlikely couples.
"Congratulations." She whispers, landing a kiss on Sayer's and then Alex's cheek, more than glad inside that her two wild friends—both very, very near and dear to her heart—had found some kind of connection to share in each other.
"Meatball." Sayer smiles, squeezing one of her "meatballs" with a caring touch.
"Kitten." Alex puts a hand on her princess' shoulder, gratefully knowing that it was true and genuine happiness for them, even though she knew full well that perhaps once, Sayer had more than friendship feelings for the Moon Princess.
Alex knew it, and accepted the past. She was determined now to take what Serena's heart chose not to, and make this shining star her eternal partner, just as she vowed.
"Congratulations." Darien could not have been more pleased. Marriage for Sayer meant keeping a pretty clear distance away from his own wife. (He hoped anyway.) And marriage to Alex almost certified that as fact. He knew she would keep more than a watchful eye on this indiscriminate-with-women young man. Darien was not at all disturbed that yet two more of his soldiers were swearing themselves to each other—when it was once believed that they should only to the Princess devote their lives. But Darien knew that with these fighting souls, he need not worry that any fire or spirit in battle would be diminished because of their joining.
"Thanks, Dar." Sayer slaps Darien's back with a loud thud. He now joined the ranks of married men as Serena and the girls lead Alex to the living room for all the juicy details. They ooh-ed and ahh-ed over her dress and veil that Michelle had stuck her with, as Alex rolls her eyes. She had known that this was coming, and she was not one for idle gossip—especially when all she wanted was to be alone with Sayer.
"Uhh, guys, uhhh…" Ken's voice raises above the chittering of girlish gossip. "What should I do with Mina here?" He asks, pointing down to the fainted girl in his arms.
"Hopefully she'll wake up soon to the little party we're about to throw in celebration of this joyous occasion." Susan slinks down the stairs in a very…slinky…black mini dress on her husband's suited and very pleased looking arm.
"Party? Party!" Mina's fainted form suddenly jumps up from Ken's surprised arms. For even in the depths of unconsciousness, she could hear the word "party."
"Yes." Susan smiles. "Come, girls, get changed. I've gotten you all new party dresses for Christmas and you can choose which one you want." Susan says generously, knowing how the girls all loved a new dress. "Let's get Christmas started early, all right?" Susan was glad now that she had chosen these dresses and the means to make everyone happy. The girls drop their questioning of Alex like a sack of potatoes and race up the stairs to claim their prizes.
"I want the prettiest one first!" They nearly knock Susan and Terry down the stairs in the excited rush. They crash into Michelle who was near the top, and scream, seeing her style of skimpy black mini dress—much like Susan's. That meant theirs were probably like that, too.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mina screams once again.
Like a troupe of wild elephants they tromp up the stairs to the second floor.
BANG!
Goes the door to Susan's bedroom, though raised voices could still be heard ensuing inside over who gets what dress. Susan and Michelle hurry to calm the gaggle of girls, leaving Alex the only female in the living room with 9 men. She looks up towards a departing Susan with grateful eyes, quite needing that rescue from the inquiring, giggling girls.
"I have one for you, too, Alex, if you…" Susan returns, offering, but knowing Alex's style was usually pants, and certainly not mini dresses. But maybe she wouldn't mind tonight.
"What do you say, Starr?" Alex watches Sayer look Susan up and down approvingly.
"Looks good to me. But right now, Ally, I wouldn't mind if you didn't wear anything." Sayer winks at her, his male mind-and body-looking forward to what was to come this special night.
"I'll see if I can arrange that later for your personal audience." Alex leaves him with a tempting kiss breathed on his ear, and joins Susan's arm as she flows in her wedding gown towards the stairs.
"You keep going, Susan. I've got an advanced loan to pay off." The new bride pauses mid step under the banister and spins on her uncomfortably pure white high heel.
With just one come-hither glance from her to the curious men left in the living room, Sayer super-speed races to Alex to stand face to face with his beckoning bride.
Alex moves in at her full height to position herself toe to toe with Sayer and directs his besotted gaze upon her upward.
"Time to cash in all your Christmas chips, at last, Mr. Sokova." Alex, rather un-delicate-bride-like yanks the dark navy head she had branded her own surname upon into the pleasurable, long-lasting liplock Sayer had been craving since he first spotted that mistletoe hanging here in Chad's living room doorway.
Tough guy Alex had enjoyed their cat and mouse mistletoe chase too much before, denying him the reward kiss in front of a viewing audience just yesterday.
But that was yesterday.
Before Darien, Greg, Chad, Andrew, Ken, Artemis and Sammy's astonished, jaw-dropped wide eyes, the passionate kiss seemed to drag on forever without either seeming to be needing-or willing-to come up for air and back down from each other's tongue-lashed challenge. Terry, in the living room now as well, watched in amusement with his arms folded, pleasantly expecting no less from his passionate brother, while Robin sits sullenly disgusted by the view in the corner with Artemis, who had a similar expression on his kitty face.
Finally, at Michelle's toe-tapping call at the top of the staircase, the bride breaks off the kiss at last, leaping-despite her long Victorian gown-three steps at a time up at electrified top speed. Sayer's still reeling frame leans against the ledge beneath the banister to catch both his breath and one last glimpse of his thrilling runaway bride as she disappears up the stairs.
Sigh.
"Whoa, man! Didn't think you could make it that long without passing out." Breaking the stunned silence, impressed Chad considers aloud, wishing he had the same guts to approach Rei in that fashion as his fellow rocker.
"Yeah. I thought my medical assist would be required had that gone on another minute longer." Knit-brow med student Andrew more clinically comments at the interesting, decidedly adult friends Lita had.
"That was some mistletoe tango. I don't think I could've held out that long. She's quite a woman." Usually quiet Ken couldn't help but make the observation that Artemis and Greg nod in total agreement with about the intimidating blonde, as Robin rolls his eyes and throws up his hands.
"Why would that guy want to do that anyway? Yuck! Serena's friends are totally weird!" Past his bedtime to have Sammy, reacts like an emerging pubescent teen would to his older sister's always gooey choice of companions, his first take of jealousy of the way-too-cool rock stars unaltered as yet.
"Don't ask me! I'm not involved in this madness." Robin sourly makes one more snide comment about the whole situation he washed his hands of.
"Those guys are so full of themselves, they're continually putting on a show." Wishing he had not permitted Serena's kid brother to witness such a racy kiss-roaming hands and all-responsible Darien remarks rather judgmentally. Neither Alex or Sayer were his favorite sailor soldiers, never mind people, for that point.
However, with Uranus having her eyes on and clutches around this wanderlust star, he should permanently no longer be a problem for my kindhearted, gullible Serena…
Unaware-or not caring-that he and Alex were the burning topic on all minds, oblivious Sayer plops down onto the couch, all eyes upon the slick customer. "So…anything interesting happen while we were gone?" He asks, nonchalantly putting his feet up on the coffee table, as all the mens' eyes look at him strangely.
All males present who knew that force of nature creature named Alex Sokova, believed that this poor rock idol was absolutely stark raving mad for wanting to take her on.
As for the females who had earlier crashed up the stairs like a torrential stampede, they magically return like a soft gentle wind a little time later.
The girls—ahem—ladies, now drift down the stairs and appear at the dining room entrance.
They were pleasantly surprised to find their industrious men-at good guy Andrew's suggestion-had set the table and put out the already cooked - Is something burning?! - Christmas meal spread.
"Ladies." Terry looks up and was the first to spot the gorgeous group of women fully decorated in short styled mini dresses. All of them were lovely, breathtaking, and very, very revealing.
"Ally! Whew-whew! Sexy!" Wolf-whistling Sayer was anxiously awaiting her return (leaving the work of setting tables and such to the others). He had opted instead for the "tough" task of taste testing each dish. His eyes were now rewarded with his new bride. She was wearing an extremely low cut dress.
Wow! That is low!
"Hey!" Alex grabs his chin, and forces his wandering eyes up to meet hers. "My eyes are up here. You'll get enough of that later." She whispers seductively in his ear after a punishing bite of his now bright red earlobe.
"Is this a free preview, then?" Sayer amorously teases back as she pushes him down into a seat at the table.
As she sits down next to him, Sayer could tell that Alex had not had much experience with tight short skirts. He watches in amusement how the tight black stretch skirt slid up despite her constant tugging.
"Oh, well." She shrugs in disgust and gives up on the damn thing entirely, letting Sayer drool on the amount of thigh he got to see from his side view.
You'll be seeing it all soon enough, Mr. Sokova...
In the kitchen…
"Oh, Lita! Oh…you…uhh…I…umm…" Andrew stumbles guiltily as Lita comes into the kitchen where he was just starting to mash the potatoes on the cluttered with food and pans and dishes counter. The rest of the kitchen was a blooming mess in the way only a group of men could transform a perfectly well run kitchen into a total disaster area.
"Oh, Andrew!" Andrew closes his eyes, ready for the chastisement any sane woman would dole out for such a chaos in her kitchen. (Chad had had a little accident with the gravy bowl right after Sayer and Robin had an insulting war with the green beans.) Man, the stains are still on the ceiling!
"You didn't have to do all this! You're so good to us, Andrew." Lita's lovestruck eyes look past the mess, only seeing the sweetness of his trying to be helpful. Andrew looks up, his embarrassment changing into a smile.
No, Lita, you're the wonderful one. Enchanted already, his eyes now look her up and down.
"Lita…you look…beautiful." He says, making her, resplendent in her black dress, blush under his gaze. But Andrew thinks how she was just as lovely before, even when her hair was askew and scattered with flour and frosting.
"Thank you." Lita blushes. "Here, let me." She takes the mixer from him, and begins to mash the potatoes. "Can you get me the milk, Andrew?" She says, trying to keep her mind on the potatoes.
"How much?" Andrew pours the milk slowly over Lita's shoulder.
"Just a—" Lita looks over her shoulder, noticing Andrew breathing close to her ear, not really paying attention to the milk pouring at all.
"…little…" Lita whispers, lost in his eyes. She moves the mixer too quickly and it splashes the mashed spuds all over.
"Oh! My dress!" Lita pulls away, feeling the warm, gooey potatoes splattered all over her dress, her face and in her hair. "I must look horrible!" She whimpers, her glorious moment ruined by the unfortunate accident. Andrew must think I'm such a klutz! She wipes the potatoes from her new dress and embarrassed face.
"No, Lita. Never mind that. It's not just the dress that makes you beautiful. It's you." Andrew whispers, and leans in towards her mashed potato stained face. He kisses her lips sweetly, not realizing before just how much he had wanted to do that for the longest time, until this very moment.
"Hey, Lita! What's taking you guys so long in there with those—" Rei stops short as she comes in the kitchen door. Her beckoning hand calls in the other girls to see and the whole group, save for the "adult" crowd—Terry and Susan were lost in each other's eyes, and Darien rolls his eyes, as all three remain in their places at the table, not to mention the two newlyweds who were far too interested in each other to notice Rei's sudden call. Amy and Greg were curious to see; Mina (in a very revealing front lace up outfit that only she would dare wear) drags Ken and Chad along with her. Tara and Sammy tag along behind, and even an intrigued Michelle and her faithful Robin peer in mischievously as they all spy on the budding romance going on in the kitchen.
Quietly, secretly, taking it all in, until…one more joins the scene…
"Ahhhh! Ahhhhhhhhh!" Serena trips on Chad's big foot and the two of them fall, turning the rest of the group in front of them into a line of black mini-dressed dominoes, all of them tumbling down…
CRASH!
In a jumble of arms and legs, the gang of eavesdroppers look up with guilty faces at the sacred moment between Andrew and Lita—their first kiss—that they all had just noisily and rudely intruded upon.
"Oh, hi, Lita." Serena, the culprit was atop the pile somehow, and wiggles her fingers, feeling oh-so-guilty to have interrupted such a sweet event.
"Hey, Andrew." Mina similarly sings from the bottom of the heap—no, not the bottom bottom—that spot was reserved for Rei, who was positively steaming at Serena's stupid clumsiness.
"Hi, guys." Lita smiles dreamily, truly a nice person inside, not even a bit angry with her nosy friends. How could she be angry when her heart was doing somersaults? Oh, Andrew! You do like me! Lita looks up shyly into his green eyes. How handsome you look! How adoring he's looking at me! Ooooh, I'm so happy! Lita's heart jumps again as Andrew tenderly brushes the remainder of potatoes from her cheeks. He hands her the bowl of slightly soggy mashed spuds, neither of them really caring as they carried it, arm-in-arm into the dining room. They were in a cloud as they walked right past the heap of people on the ground.
"Wow." Serena breathes.
"That was so romantic." Michelle coos in a wispy voice as Tara nods in agreement, atop Robin who just rolls his eyes again at all this romance nonsense in the house.
"Really, it was." Amy adds, seeming close to tears.
Sigh. Mina sighs loudly with a dreamy expression on her face. "Lucky Lita…"
"Yeah, yeah. It was great. Now, get off you bunch of saps!" Rei, buried on the bottom underneath all the sighing friends' bodies, angrily shoves Mina's arm and Ken's leg from her back, sending them all flying again. Dinner was nearly cold by the time everyone got untangled and settled back in the dining room, where they all find Darien himself unhappily sighing at the three couples ignoring him totally at the table.
Terry had tried to make pleasant conversation—but who needed conversation when you had a gorgeous wife pawing one incessantly, just asking to be kissed?
Sayer was thinking about the same thing of his new wife—though he was the culprit. 'Wife' was still a difficult word to associate with Alex in Darien's mind.
As Alex and Sayer kissed as an "appetizer" while they waited, both Andrew and Lita Darien finds impossible to speak to. They were so engrossed in each other's eyes.
"Ooh, it's so cozy in here, Muffin!" Serena bounces up to her husband, sliding in next to him in her seat. She lifted her face to be kissed, too, but Darien was not in the mood.
"I'll…finish carving the ham." He offers instead, since Terry had abandoned that job as Susan tempted him with something far sweeter than honey ham and pineapples. Darien places some of the delicious meat on his wife's plate, knowing that she would enjoy that almost as much.
"Ham!" Serena takes the bait, sitting up like a proper young woman, straight in her seat. "I'll say 'grace.'" She announces excitedly, as everyone takes their places. Each couple was seated next to each other, all around the table.
"Grace!" Mina commands of those not paying attention, as she jabs Sayer in the gut with one elbow and Sammy with her other, then her eyes close and her hands clasp together reverently as if she were a perfect little angel.
"Ow!" Sayer pulls away, rubbing his side. Alex laughs at him as he shoots Mina a nasty look.
"Dear Lord," Serena starts her prayer as all eyes close, all ears listening raptly to her sweet voice.
"Thank you for this wonderful meal that we all helped to make—especially delicious, because we made it together. Thank you for this Christmas Eve night to share with our dearest friends. Bless our families near and far wherever they may be. Thank you for the joyful surprises of today. Bless their happiness and their love."
Under the table, Sayer grips Alex's hand tenderly, and she does not pull away. Lita and Andrew open their eyes, exchanging a shy smile.
"And thank you for giving us this special present that this life would be so empty without— friendship. Amen."
Serena, though sometimes, well, often, was ditzy and silly, could also be wise in her genuine way. The overwhelming goodness of her heart—truly a God-given gift—to which she had touched each and every one gathered around that happy table.
"All right! Let's dig in! Pass me those marshmallow yams, will you, Chad? Oooh, ooh, some of Lita's yummy rolls, too!" From wise to ditz in .03 seconds, Serena was an original and a lovable one at that. Everyone chuckled at her as they dished out the delicious ham meal, flooding the hall with cheerful conversation (and a few whispered promises, too) as the room fills with Christmas Eve spirit and happy friendship as our group enjoy each other's company, and Lita's home-cooked meal, too.
After dinner, the girls decide to enchant their guys with a spin or two around the dance floor. Those musically inclined—which was nearly everyone—took to the conservatory and take up the instruments therein.
Terry plays the piano even more beautifully than he ever had before, with Susan next to her beloved, playing a harp she had seen, right along with him. Everyone was surprised at how well she could play, and she explained that Terry was a good teacher.
Lita and Andrew shyly lean into each other's arms, as they dance sweetly, while Alex and Sayer, dance very slowly, cheek to cheek.
Michelle plays a special song on her violin dedicated to her beloved Amara. Its sad, soft melody slowly becomes confident and strong, then suddenly triumphant though the sweet melody never changes. Alex blows a kiss across the room to her cousin over Sayer's shoulder as they dance.
A few spins around the room for all our romantic couples, except for Tara and Sammy. She didn't push him when he just lounged around the refreshment table. She was considerate enough to realize that maybe he wasn't confident enough to dance yet.
So now she begins to devise how she would give this cute boy that extra nerve he needed.
And then all too soon, it was gift opening time! Mina and Serena had finally cajoled Rei into letting them open just a few hours early. What helped them most was the huge package tempting Rei that held her name upon the lid, though she swore she didn't know who it was from. Mina and Serena both knew the scrawled handwriting belonged to Chad and they knew they Rei knew that as well.
Like wild children, Serena, Mina rip open their loads of gifts each. Tara sweetly goes beneath the monstrous tree, delivering the gifts to the more "adult" crowd who sat quietly chatting on the couch by the crackling, roasting chestnuts fireplace. They were amused, watching the "children," as Alex affectionately dubbed them, and even more so to find Sayer one, too, as he crawled beneath the tree's limbs and knocked down many ornaments onto Rei's head. She, however, pays no attention to this as she opens the big box first, finding a gorgeous red silk kimono of the finest quality within. Chad blushes as she promptly loses her mind and kisses him on cheek, then hurriedly covers up her outburst with a complaint or two about the color (which she really loved anyway!).
Watching the others open her little homemade gifts—a pair of mittens for Serena, a stuffed doll of Sailor Pluto for Tara (her favorite heroine), etc—Lita is surprised to find a box to her written in Andrew's handwriting. Opening it, she finds a chef's hat, just like the kind she'd always dreamed of having one day.
"It's for when you're head cook at your own bakery and flower shop." Andrew says proudly of his well though out gift.
'Thanks for that vote of confidence." Lita kisses his cheek, as their hands grasp tightly to each other. Lita was pleased to finally have found someone who understood her dreams so well.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mina holds up a sparkling new microphone, acting as though she were onstage, instead of under Chad's Christmas tree.
"Thank you, Kenny!" She sings into it, hugging the poor lad so hard he could hear his ribs almost cracking. Fortunately, the mug she had given him survived.
"Pots and pans?" Serena's exuberance over her noisy-clanging-in-its-box-as-she-shook-it gift from her husband fades as she looks at the boring things unsatisfactorily.
"To replace all those ones you've burnt holes into." Darien says seriously, then smiles at her disappointed face. "Look inside them, won't you?"
Serena pulls off the lids on the steaming pan and a cute little bunny rabbit plush pops out. Giggling like a little girl, she pops open the rest of the lids to find a whole family of bunnies, each holding a heart shaped protective picture frame of different styles and colors.
"Muffin!" Serena hugs her husband tightly, he knew how she cherished her photos of her loved ones.
"Here!" She hands him her gift to him proudly. Darien opens it to find a new, electric shaver inside.
"When we were packing, I dropped your old one in the toilet by accident—and I flushed it down." Serena bites her accident-prone lip.
"So that's where it disappeared to." Darien smiles until he sees every other male around him, save for Sammy who got a video game, the same exact electric shavers in their hands.
"Serena. You didn't!" Darien whispers, knowing how much these shavers cost…
"Oh! I took your wallet, too. I didn't know what else to get everyone so I got all the guys the same shavers and the girls all bracelets." Serena nods at her own ingenuity. Darien holds his spinning head at her over-spending, generous tendencies.
"Thanks, Meatball!" Sayer calls across the room, holding his gift up. "I forgot mine at home so I've been borrowing Rob's but it doesn't shave as clean." Sayer rubs his slightly stubbly chin, as Alex reaches out to examine it for herself.
"What?! You've been using mine!?" Robin shrieks angrily, now realizing where those little black hairs came from—his being of a lighter shade.
"Oh, Robin!" Michelle exclaims as she opens his gift to her—a gorgeous gold necklace and earring set, with huge flawless emeralds set within it. "It's beautiful." She holds it up to the light. "Here. Put it on me." She hands it to Robin, flipping her hair over her shoulders, stealing a kiss as he leans his hand in clasping the necklace around her neck. "Don't forget the earrings." She giggles at his sensitive touch on her ears. He even uncharacteristically strokes her hair back with a far-off, wistful smile.
"Look, Susan! Isn't it wonderful?" Michelle bubbles at the elegant jewelry now adorning her shapely neck and ears, given to her by her significant other partner, as she watches Robin open his gift, wrapped in so classy and snobbish a manner, it could only be from her.
'I had that premier silk scarf shipped all the way from Paris express, dearest. I do hope you approve of its color shade. Mémère was certain you'd not like it.' Michelle mentally projects into Robin's mind, in her excitement, practically spilling the beans so-to-speak before the not always so silver tongued idol had the chance to even open the present.
'Michelle! You're not very discreet with surprises, you know.' Her psychic partner sniggers as he chides the mind chattering aqua beauty while carefully unwrapping the aforementioned silk scarf. 'I'm not very discreet with anything concerning you, my dearest.' Her mind whispers back amorously as the gradient ocean wave colored, glamorous silk slips from its glamorously Christmas wrapped box right into his glamorous hands.
'Your mother was wrong again about me, Michelle. How could I not adore this color? It's so you.' Robin whispers back psychically, his bright eyes comparing the intricate bluish green shading of the sophisticated silk with his sophisticated Michelle's waves of curls always bobbing around him endlessly.
"So lovely, Michelle!" Unaware the pair was mentally conversing across the room, Susan smiles brightly in response to her friend's query.
"C'est gratifiant que vous approuviez mon goût coloriant cette fois, mon chere. Amara a dit de vous apporter du rouge à lèvres." ("It's gratifying you approve of my color taste this time, dearest. Amara said to just get you lipstick.") Speaking aloud in French that Robin understood little of, smiling Michelle coyly teases her pale green-eyed young man as she crosses the room to him with the little catty stab via her darling cousin.
"Merci…I think." As for the silver-haired idol, he had the impression words were just said, none too flattering amid all of Michelle's lovely lilt of foreign words. But he did catch the despicable name 'Amara' mixed in, so it had to be something no doubt unfavorable to him.
Oh, well. Sayer should have her out of our hair for a few days at least. Crazy Sayer. So it's going to be a pleasant holiday into the New Year without those two to mess it up. That is, if I can keep Michelle at bay…For Mémère's sake, ma jeune fille brillante de l'océan (my shining ocean maiden). Robin was secretly, on the sly, learning enough French to smooth over any of Michelle's temperamental sea squalls in their future ahead.
'Don't bring Mémère into this, you adorable scoundrel." Michelle's more invasive telepathy intercepts thoughts Robin believed he was keeping at the hidden level he had trained to maintain away from her prying mind.
'Michelle! How did you catch that?!' Caught with his proverbial pants down, Robin squeaks when the Neptune soldier flows like a riptide over to him and wraps her gift of the filmy silk scarf 'round and 'round his subjugated neck as she giggled girlishly in a flutter of aquamarine.
'It's your beautiful destiny, my dearest.' Michelle was by now enjoying toying with her reticent man, as her subconscious mildly mused how long her star of Healer could keep up his defenses until he succumbed to her many charms…
You'll be mine soon enough, my teen idol Robin Starr…
Back across the room, Susan sifts through the many presents on her lap, all of them sweet little tokens from each of her dearest friends. A little bracelet, a box of chocolates, a set of porcelain figurines, but not the one she was especially looking forward to.
"Where is it, darling?" Abruptly spinning to Terry, Susan asks anxiously, looking into Terry's eyes, his beautiful dancing eyes. She joins in his playful smile and frisks his suit pockets.
"Where? Tell me!" She giggles, tickling him when she finds the pockets bereft of any hidden presents. She continues until he falls backward to the sofa, chuckling at the delight on her features.
"Inside left pocket." What a wonderful sound his laughter was, Susan tickling the answer out of him. She excitedly looks into that pocket and finds a tiny, little velvet box with sweet little gold and silver ribbons tied around, sealed artistically. Carefully undoing the wrapping, her excitement overtakes her, and she yanks off the final ribbon, opening the box to reveal a beautiful heart-shaped pin inside. It was delicately engraved with golden ribbons and classic designs. A sparkling, iridescent glass dome was tastefully centered in the middle of its elegant jeweled surroundings.
"Oh, Terry..." Susan whispers, touching the gorgeous heart pin with adoration.
"Hold it to the light and look inside the center." Terry caresses her fingers, and removes the pin from its case, holding it up for her to see in the light, words which seemed by magic inscribed within:
The Gift of You
Within a lifetime there are many things a man can experience
Joy, hope, love—emotions he can strive his entire life to attain
I need not any longer search for their true perfection
In you, I have found the sweetest of sweet joys
In you, I have discovered the most treasured of treasured hopes
In you, I have been blessed with absolute and unending love
To which I will always promise to you
My joy, I swear to you
My hope, I pledge to you
My love, I vow to you
My beloved wife
I will cherish you eternally
"Oh, darling…" Susan's eyes well up with tears at the beautiful poetry he had written just for her—the poetry of his soul. This first Christmas together meant so much to her.
"I could not love you more, my lady." Terry passionately whispers in her hair as he pulls her close, kissing her palms tenderly.
"And I could not be more in love with you than I am, my lord." Susan whispers back, one joyous tear drops on the silk violet tie she hand crafted for her husband lovingly. He had worn it with pride, pleased with the handiwork of love given to him by his beloved lady.
"Look what Sammy made for me!" Tara runs up to Susan and Terry, holding out a darling little statue mounted on a wooden platform of Sailor Saturn. Right behind her, proud resin artist Sammy was munching on some yummy homemade chocolates that Tara had patiently crafted for him in fun cat, dog and dinosaur shapes in a sort of pre-Valentine sweethearts preview.
"It's a very good likeness, Samuel." Susan says smiling, wiping away her tears as Terry pins the brooch onto her dress while he whispers something into her ear. As Terry admires his lofty view of his statuesque beauty, the gift satin purple tie his wife had expertly monogrammed 'TS' in golden lettering drapes temptingly over Susan's breasts heaving up at him in that revealing minidress she had chosen expressly to please his eyes.
"What are you two whispering about over there?" Sayer says, plopping his tired out self next to them, squeezing over Susan until she slides onto Terry's lap—neither of them much minding that arrangement at all—as Alex sits next to Sayer's skinny butt in the room made on the couch.
"Here." She simply slaps a very plainly wrapped box onto his lap as she sits.
"Is this all the trade I get for that heartfelt Christmas present I sang my heart out for you?" Sayer teases as he, just like a typical man, ripped open the package of his favorite cologne, tossing the wrapping paper on the floor.
"Are you always going to expect tit for tat from me?" She twists a lip at the childish man who she had the feeling simply required her attention more than any worldly gift.
"I nearly used yours up on you last time we went to the club. so I figured you needed some more." She says, shrugging. "Besides, I'll give you the rest of my 'presents' later, Starr." Alex breathes, opening the cologne and rubbing more than a bit behind Sayer's ears and giving a close-up test huff as he basks in her extremely attentive kind of attention.
In the background, Amy and Greg laugh together because they bought each other the same books for presents. ""Great minds think alike! Jinx!""
"When the New Year starts, let's read them all aloud to each other, Amy, a chapter every night. Even if we can't meet up and it's just on the phone. I want to hear your sweet voice last thing just before I go to sleep. I've always wanted to-I'll always want to." Amending his past tense wish to be future perfect continuous, Greg steps out from his shy persona for a moment to grasp Amy's hand with the romantic idea and declarations of endearment.
"So have I, Greg. So will I." Squeezing his hand back, the brainy young girl follows his grammatical lead, tears in her eyes as she hugs the leather-bound classics, 'A Tale of Two Cities,' 'War and Peace,' 'Dante's Inferno' among others, to her cheek lovingly with smiles shared with her longtime sweetheart.
A few minutes later, everyone had finished their early Christmas Eve gift giving ceremonies, all pleased with not only their new presents but with the thoughtfulness that came with each one from each friend to another. The true joy of Christmas was bringing friendship and love to the hearts of those they cared about.
Everything settling down, Rei recruits just about everyone to help clean up the wrapping paper mess, ordering Chad about like a queen to a slave, wrapped in her new kimono. But the bossy shrine maiden had set her loyal lapdog Chad's heart afire when she had not neglected to sneak him a special Christmas present.
It was the beloved red bird pottery piece that her talented sculptor cousin had given her when she was but a tiny child, begging Kengo not to destroy the 'unacceptable' pottery avian she thought so pretty, what seemed so long ago now.
Chad, who was way smarter and deeper than his beach-bum looks belied, was truly touched that his goddess muse would gift him with something so close to her heart.
"Don't let it go to your head, Chad!" Flushed Rei had covered up what she considered her own weak sentimentality.
But inside she was pleased he was so appreciative of the heartfelt present that Chad instantly hung on his neck, declaring: "I feel a song coming on for you Rei!"
"Oh! Red Bird! How you burn me on fire! Red Bird! You're all I'll ever desire!"
The devotion in his eyes, once Rei swept Chad Levington's wild mass of sepia hair back, was all his goddess of Mars needed to warm her on this cold Christmas Eve night to not be ashamed of him.
Much.
Lita and Andrew go off to the kitchen to prepare some good old holiday egg nog and cocoa, with cookies. Upon their return, all of the friends gather around the fireplace, as Terry lifts his glass high towards his brother and his new wife.
"I believe in view of this happy occasion, I'll take the honor of proposing a toast." Terry smiles warmly at Sayer and Alex. "To your marriage—" Terry starts with a nod.
"Hey, Chad, old buddy, you got anything stronger than this stuff?" Sayer whispers loudly, holding his glass of egg nog up, his eyes full of devilish mischief.
"Yeah, for me, too. Lord knows I'm going to need something stiff to put up with you, Starr." Alex's tongue was as sharp as ever, marriage certainly didn't dull the blows she regularly dealt out to Sayer when he deserved it—which was quite often.
Sayer makes a pouty face, as everyone giggles at this rocky road their lives starting together already seemed to present. Two glasses of brandy usually used medicinally in the cold mountains are soon in their hands—that's all that Chad could find on such short notice as he was not a drinking man—and Terry clears his throat.
"If we may begin again?" He exchanges a smile with Susan, and stands once more.
"By all means." Alex says nonchalantly, swirling the contents of her glass around.
"A toast, to you, Alex and Sayer. May your marriage be as blessed as I know it can be." Terry smiles down at his wife who blushes sweetly. "May troubles be washed away by understanding and your lives enveloped in nothing but love for each another." Poetic Terry Starr lifts his glass.
"I'll say 'Cheers' to that. How 'bout you, Ally?" Sayer lifts his own glass.
"Doesn't sound too bad…at the moment." Alex uses her own brand of humor as she lifts her glass.
"Congratulations." Terry starts the glasses clinking, everyone enjoying their egg nog after exchanging congratulatory clinks with the newlywed couple. Sayer and Alex save their clinks with each other until last, and look meaningfully into each other's eyes as they do.
"To a certain golden beauty who taught my wandering heart what love truly is." He holds out his glass to hers.
"To a certain dark beauty who captured mine in that wanderlust." Alex mumbles softly so only he could hear what was intended for his ears alone.
Clink.
Alex sips her drink first, then offers it to Sayer who accepts it as he puts down his own. The significance of their sharing warms their hearts as much as the brandy, as the rest of the gang chatters amiably now, getting their minds wrapped around this whole shocking affair.
DING DONG.
A surprising ring of the doorbell and Rei opens it as if it were her mansion (hee hee).
"I've got a special delivery here for a…" The young lad reads the name on the package. "…Mrs. Starr."
Able to hear, Susan-playing with the handwoven satin tie she had embroidered his initials in with love to match her gorgeous husband's eyes-looks up at Terry, from where she was perched on his lap, with wonder. She was certain he had already rewarded his pleased wife with the most amazingly poetic Christmas surprise, already pinned to her chest.
That is, until the delivery boy repeats "A Mrs. Alex Starr." With that, the lad unknowingly sets off a bomb as he reads off the name.
"Mrs. Alex Starr? Don't you ever call me that, you hear me?!" Alex ferociously snaps angrily at the poor frightened messenger boy.
"Yes, she's here." Rei more quietly accepts the package, as the young man and everyone else in the household cowers at Alex's explosion. He simply hands Rei the package without getting the required signature and dashes away with a "Merry Christmas!" on his frightened lips.
"I didn't, Ally! Really, I didn't!" Sayer says innocently to her angry gaze, his eyes wide as Rei hands Alex the controversial package.
"Yeah, right. Who else would know ahead of time about our…" Alex opens the box as he speaks, to reveal a very, very scanty red and black lace negligee, obviously a honeymoon surprise. Blinking, she looks up from it to Sayer in accusation, as everyone else's jaws drop in awe of the gift intended for tough guy Alex.
"Starr—" She says threateningly at his seemingly presumptuous attitude that he had this all planned out beforehand to have ordered such a thing for her. But with one look in his shocked eyes and blushed face, she knew he was telling her the truth.
"Ally—I didn't—" He shakes his head innocently as Alex studies the return address on the box. It was from a well-known shop in Tokyo. 'Special delivery, shipped today.'
And she remembers suddenly there WAS someone else who would buy her such a ridiculous thing who DID know.
"Michelle!" Alex turns to the young woman seated across from her, her eyebrows raised and lip twisted at the French culprit.
"Don't you like it, Amara? And moreover, do you, Sayer? Is it not your preferred perfect shade of red?" Michelle coos in her amorous manner.
"Michelle!" Robin cuts off her embarrassing words in front of everyone, burying his head in his hands for what ghastly secret she had forced him to unwittingly partake in.
"What, Robin? Anyway, well, Amara dear, I know your wardrobe. You have absolutely NOTHING appropriate for a honeymoon, especially everything being so spur of the moment. Just consider it a little extra Christmas gift from Robin and I." Michelle thinks it very generous of herself to make sure Amara was prepared for every part of her wedding.
"Poor Robin had such a time getting it, too! The local shop here just didn't have the right colors. Did it, Robin dear? So we had to send away express from my…friend in Tokyo." While readjusting the flowing silk scarf for the millionth time around her adorable sweetie's neck so as their embroidered names were prominently displayed, Michelle babbles on.
Primped over idol Robin tries to keep his head down to no avail of Michelle's assertive fingers around his neck with a sigh, as Alex looks at Sayer, who peeks up at her and the provocative article of clothing meekly, then smirks saucily.
"Michelle…" Alex chuckles at his eyes' highly motivating response, then stuffs the red and black, skimpy lace lingerie back into its box. "Thank you." Alex brushes her aqua curls with care, smiling at Michelle's sweet—ahem—thoughtfulness.
"I'm sure it won't go to waste." She smirks back at her blushing new husband, enjoying his cute embarrassed expressions as she stands, clearing her throat in an implied hint of a way. "One of us will wear it, I'm sure." To which breaks the tension, causing everyone listening to laugh out loud at the engendered twofold jab.
"So what do you say, Starr?" Alex asks.
"About—?" Sayer's mind was still reeling from the last scene enacted before him.
"So…are we going on a honeymoon—or are you just all talk?" She teases as she leaves the room, stopping in the doorway dramatically, right beneath that pesky mistletoe once again.
The magical draw to which had fast-as-a-shooting-star Sayer instantly at her side and wowing the full crowd of agape onlookers with their seemingly endless osculation with this encore.
"I'll meet you down here in five minutes. Don't be late." Alex breathily throws over her shoulder after the passionate pair finally break it up. Michelle trots along after her with a French giggle at the unrestrained display before the younger group of friends.
"Ahhhhh! I've gotta pack!" Where he was smilingly slumped against the doorway still dazed from Alex's fierce kiss, Sayer then abruptly jumps up, about to dash up to his room.
"Don't worry, Sayer. You're all ready. Just bring down your suitcases." Robin says, his lip twisted in disgust for what he just aided and abetted in preparing his sibling for.
"Gee…thanks…Rob." Sayer was surprised and grateful for his brother's unusual helpfulness.
"Don't thank me. Thank Michelle. Besides, I'm glad to have the room to myself. I hope Alex can get used to your snoring—I sure couldn't." Robin complains but even as he says the words he still is appalled by the thoughts they conjured up.
"Maybe she won't have the chance to hear my snoring all that much." Sayer smiles smugly, his meaning going over most everyone's young heads save for a few more experienced souls dotting the room.
Darien raises his eyebrows, Terry and Susan look at each other, as Robin shakes his head in horror at the very thought of sleeping…with Alex, as he watches Sayer's lovestruck gaze up the stairs after the departing difficult creature…
AHHHHHHHHH! Too much information, Sayer!
"Amara darling, don't ever change, my beloved one." Michelle stops her cousin with a hug and a kiss.
"You know I never will, Michelle. Just like my love for you." Alex hugs her back tightly, the look passing between their eyes saying everything that need to be said.
"I love you, too." Michelle kisses her cheek again warmly.
"Just...promise me you'll behave while I'm gone." As if suddenly remembering something troubling, Alex teases, only half seriously, as she buries her face in Michelle's soft hair.
"How can you ask me to promise something when I know you're—" Michelle pulls away, smirking at Alex's shocked serious expression, causing her to stop in her mid sarcasm. "Yes, I promise."
"Good." Alex nods, winning once again as she affords Robin a warning, forbidding glare.
"The five minutes are up already! Now let's get you off to that honeymoon, my darling! Where're you going anyway? Abroad? I want to go around the world when Robin and I…" Michelle trails off, a dreamy expression on her face.
"Michelle. While I'm gone, you and that shrimp had better not run off and…" Alex darkly warns again to her sailor partner's none-so-veiled intimation of her own future plans.
The silver haired young man downstairs mentally shudders where he had just sat to pet Luna comfortably, as he feels Michelle's intentions in his mind run virulently. Grumpy at the attention Luna had been being lavished with by this fly-by-night idol, Artemis glares at him, happy to see the shocked and scared look come over Robin Starr's features—gleefully thinking it was he who caused the young man's discomfort.
"Yes! Yes! I'm only dreaming of the future, Amara-dear! You're the one who has her present to worry about. Where is Sayer taking you tonight?"
"I don't know. And I don't care. Just as long as we get there soon." Alex need not explain to Michelle her growing impatience as this long day of surprises and celebrations was waning to late evening.
Michelle was sure she would feel the same way…someday soon, Robin…(sigh)…
She shuts the door to the room now only she and Tara would share, taking Alex's arm as they start down the stairs to a new life…
"I thought you said five minutes." Sayer leans lazily on the banister's edge, smiling with a smart-aleck remark at his new wife.
"It's only been—"
"Six minutes." Sayer holds up his wrist to display his watch.
"Who's counting anyway?" Alex says nonchalantly, flipping her golden waves back.
"I am." Sayer leans towards her as she and Michelle reach the bottom level at the end of the staircase.
"So am I." Alex whispers low, pulling him close to her. Michelle considerately moves out of the picture as their mouths draw near.
"Is the engine warmed up?" Alex asks.
"And revving." Sayer says, his context conveying to Alex more than just the automobile's current status.
"So, where are you two going?!" Serena bounces in on her husband's arm. A small "oh" erupts from her face when she sees she was interrupting something.
"Secret, Meatball." Sayer answers her over his shoulder, he then turns back to Alex, which causes her to start getting curious.
"A secret? Not even a hint, Alex?" Mina and her drag-along companion Ken come into the main hall entrance, as the others trail in behind.
"Not a chance. A honeymoon is a honeymoon. The secrecy just adds to its unknown…mystique, don't you think?" Alex says as she pulls on her leather jacket to face the fallen twilight's cold.
"Well, anyway, have fun, you two!" Lita smiles at her mentor warmly as the young man who had taken an interest-at last!- on Lita this special Christmas Eve walks right at her side.
"Oh, we will." Sayer responds affirmatively with mischief in his eyes.
"Take care, pretty girl." Alex caresses Lita's cheek tenderly, and gives Andrew a thoughtful glance as the older college student shares his genuine care for the chestnut haired tall girl, now on his proud arm sporting her present of homemade rose engraved cufflinks, in the look.
"Alex! Sayer! I'll be singing a few romantic numbers for you, tonight!" With a wink, Mina springs out of nowhere, a new bounce in her blonde bombshell step this Christmas where her boyfriend was no longer just imaginary Santa Claus. The microphone her Kenny-boy had thoughtfully gifted her was already about to be put to good use in vibrant Christmas caroling to ring through the mansion. It made the quiet, brown-haired young man, sipping coffee from his new Sailor V mug she had given him, so glad he had found his true superstar in Mina. Sometimes down to earth Ken Bradley felt he could never look away from her overwhelmingly warm gleaming light anymore.
"Good luck! Mw-wack!" She waves and blows a massive kiss to them in that big 'Venus Love-me kiss' way that only the sparkling gal possessed.
"You're sure gonna need it." With a less than gleaming dark grump to follow the girl idol, Robin mumbles under his breath when it was his turn to bid farewell to his brother and his new wife. Donning his stylish new, gradient aqua scarf around his dapper neck, Robin, in turn, gets a killing look from Alex. She knew exactly what the shrimp was inferring with his nasty, rotten attitude at her that no silken finery gift from Michelle could cover up.
Feeling is still mutual…Shrimp.
"Don't be gone too long. I miss you both already." Serena gives each a hug, looking as if she was about to cry. Darien twists his lip exchanging a knowing look with a still grouchy Artemis, wondering why their gals always gave special attention to these men from the stars as Luna purrs contently around Alex's ankles, giving her assent to this marriage in the only way she could in the presence of certain people here not in the Sailor loop.
"No promises, Kitten." Alex ruffles her princess' meatball head and bends down to pat Luna on the head with a wink. "I'll take good care of him." She then promises in a more serious tone to her empathic leader who cared still deeply for this man from the stars who had touched both the two diametrically different women's hearts so completely.
"Bye, Alex-papa. Bye, Sayer-…" Tara trails off, wondering if she should call him "papa" now, too, but one look at his youthful eyes made her doubt she ever could.
"See ya, Pip-squeak." Sayer pops Tara's little nose.
"Have a wonderful time." Amy smiles sweetly, as Greg nods politely, though he didn't really know either of them well at all.
"Come back in one piece, okay?" Rei smirks.
"REI!" The girls say in chorus. "What kind of thing is that to say to a newly married couple?"
Alex and Sayer ignore the snide remark, and converse with Chad instead.
"Thanks for the great party, Chad Ol' Buddy!And keep up with that song writing! It's really good stuff! You'll have the ladies swooning for more, like me, in no time! From one 'rock star' to another!" Overconfident, he winks and gives a fist bump to the pleased as punch host of the evening who had shared some of his aspirations with the fellow rocker earlier, as Alex 'punishes' Sayer for his naturally flirtatious, unfettered arrogance with a smack to his tight backside.
"Ow." Sayer feigns pain as he gives Alex a pouty face and his rear end an affecting rub.
"You better be prepared for more than that love pat, my Fighter." Uranus whispers with a pulsing hand pressed up to his 'injured' cheek. Lasers light up in her fellow soldier's instantly rapturous, anticipating eyes that embed themselves in her pleased, powerful shine.
"Ready as I'll ever be, U." Smirking in each other's gaze, the tactile newlyweds then go out the door with Michelle, Terry and Susan, who follow the pair out to say their final goodbyes.
"Enjoy yourselves." Susan whispers into the cold night air, everyone's breath turning into mist as her protective hubby wordlessly slips from his suit jacket to pull his shivering lady love into it.
"If you insist." Sayer kisses his new sister-in-law right on the cheek, as her tall hubby's arm snakes around his wife's waist to pull the bashful woman back to him reassuringly. Sayer exchanges a silent grateful look with her and Terry for being his trusted emissaries to make possible his new bride's final wedding night surprise, yet to come true.
"And for heaven's sake, keep each other warm!" After tugging her Robin's brand-new present of that filmy teal to aqua silk scarf snug around his cute little neck, trembling Michelle floats to Alex to award her forever soulmate one more lasting embrace.
Then Sayer gives the flirtatious ocean maiden an excited "thumbs up" sign, happy as a puppy that he was going to do just that, if it took all night.
Relinquishing the driver's seat after a bit of a verbal scuffle, Sayer and Alex speed off into the Christmas Eve darkness in their shared red Ferrari. They leave a whirlwind of an incredible day behind them, with nothing but a promising night beneath the emerging luminaries in the endless sky ahead.
All the while this brilliant piece of starlight serenades an emotional ballad for his heart's only wind song, penetrating through darkness with the powerful strength of their matchless love…
"The things that tie us together
No one can ever unravel our tomorrow!
We'll finally meet now as we should've then
And we can truly be real friends..."
.