After being told by Usagi and Mamoru needed to step away from the group, Makoto and Nephrite who hadn't had any relationship issues start throwing accusations about who's fault it is. Can they find some common ground?


Makoto and Nephrite stayed in the room where Usagi and Mamoru had told them they needed room from both groups. They looked at each other.

"Are we the only couple that doesn't have any issues, Makoto?" Nephrite asked her. He preferred using her full first name instead of the nickname Usagi had given her years ago.

Makoto shrugged.

Nephrite eyed her carefully gauging her reaction. "Or am I missing something?" he asked her.

Makoto didn't like what his comment was insinuating, and she refused to answer him. She got up and left the room without another word to him.

Nephrite stared after her. "I did miss something," he said as he got up to follow his girlfriend. "What did I miss?" When he got to the entrance, he didn't see Makoto. "She couldn't have been that fast." He knew where she lived, but he wondered if she would just get physical

Nephrite did see Jadeite holding a weeping Rei gently. He knew his friend didn't see him as he was too preoccupied with his own true love. It looked like to him he was getting to the bottom of whatever was between them. He looked over at the entrance and saw Kunzite and Minako leaving hand in hand, and it looked like a few minutes later Zoisite left Hikawa Shrine, as well, who was probably going after Ami to see why she was avoiding him.

They lived together, so they definitely knew what was going on in each other's lives. Nephrite was expecting that, but he wasn't expecting that much.

Nephrite stayed out of Jadeite and Rei's line of vision. He knew if he had entered their line of vision it probably wouldn't go well while they dealt with their issues. He shouldn't worry about the others and their relationships. He should worry about his relationship with Makoto and figure out what had set her off.

Since Usagi had rescued all of them from the cauldron, Makoto and Nephrite were able to pick up where they left off, or rather start over at her insistence. They already had two dates this week. During their dates, they talked about all sorts of things: their past lives, their reincarnated lives, and what kind of future they had envisioned for themselves. They both wanted to protect their princess and their prince, but they also have dreams of their own. They both want a family.

As far as Nephrite could understand, there weren't any problems. Everything was clicking into place.

Then Usagi and Mamoru called this meeting and now Makoto was upset. He had wondered if it was because their friends were having relationship issues. "Maybe I should've kept that to myself," he told himself. There were a few places he knew she could possibly be because it was home, but she wouldn't have gone home. Not yet, not with the mood she was in.

Makoto knew she was mad. Her relationship with Nephrite was going pretty well. Then Usagi and Mamoru had called a meeting that told them both the Guardians and the Knights letting them know they needed a week to themselves and not to come running to them about their problems. "A week," she muttered. "And he didn't have to make that comment."

Makoto walked into Fruits Parlor Cafe. She walked to an empty booth, scooted in, and sighed.

Unazuki walked to her booth. "Mako?" she said, confused realizing her friend was by herself. "No girls or the boyfriend?"

"The girls are with their boyfriends," Makoto told her. "And I'm just not in the mood to be with mine."

"Okay," Unazuki said. She knew Makoto, and she knew not to take it the way it had sounded. "Do you want your usual order?"

"I'm sorry," Makoto said. "I don't mean to be such a bitch. Apparently everyone has been having relationship issues."

"And you and Nephrite haven't?" Unazuki asked, guessing what the true issue may be.

"We were just getting to know each other again when he said something stupid," Makoto told her.

Unazuki sighed and gave in and scooted in across from Makoto. "Men can say stupid things," she agreed. "They will forever be saying things that will piss women off." Unazuki saw the door to the cafe slide open, smiled, and stood up. "Though there are times when they know exactly how to get around us." She bowed and walked away before Makoto could answer. When she passed the man who came in, she asked, "Usual?"

He smiled and nodded. "Do you mind putting it all on one check?" he asked her, knowing she understood what he was asking and walked over to Makoto's table. "Is this spot taken?"

Makoto blinked. "Nephrite?" she asked, shocked.

Nephrite laid the bouquet of sazanka flowers on the table in front of her and then sat down across from her. "I'm sorry," he said. "The comment I made was inappropriate."

Makoto stared at the flowers he laid down in front of her. "You think you can get around me that way?" she asked him.

Nephrite gave her a knowing smile. "Makoto, I know you," Nephrite told her.

Makoto gave him a look and pretended innocence. "What is this supposed to mean?" she asked him.

"I think you know," Nephrite told her, amused by her playfulness. He took her hands and kissed her fingers. "I am sorry, Makoto. I know it came as a shock when we heard that Mamoru and Usagi need some time apart from us, but can you really blame them?"

Makoto shook her head. "No," she said. "Usagi's an integral part of our friend group. She's the center of it, and they both know that." Makoto looked out the window.

Nephrite stayed quiet letting Makoto get her thoughts out.

"Nephrite, if you saw the way she hid her feelings, Usagi, who wears her heart on her sleeve, when we all thought Mamoru went to America to study, and she didn't get any correspondence," Makoto said, letting her thoughts hang. "She had to have known something was wrong in her heart, and when Rei finally got it out of her, we were all worried."

"Makoto," Nephrite said. "She's going to be alright. Mamoru will make sure of it. He will take care of her heart because he loves her the way he does."

"I never had any doubts about that," she assured Nephrite. "The way they love each other is different than back in Silver Millennium. They're different people, but they still managed to find each other and still managed to fall in love once again all before we all remembered our past lives."

"Fate is a fickle thing," Nephrite said. "Especially when we're talking about soulmates." He took her chin and made her look at him. "I think it was fate that Usagi freed everyone from the cauldron and we were able to come back to life."

"A second chance at love," Makoto said, repeating Ami's words from weeks ago. "It wasn't just us who got another chance at love. All those people, including Princess Kakyuu and her true love, got another chance."

"She's saved the whole galaxy," Nephrite said. "She deserves to be with Mamoru for a week without any of us bothering them with our relationship issues."

Makoto sighed and nodded. "I suppose you're right," Makoto said. "I feel like there's something he hasn't told her."

"There is," Nephrite confirmed. "He hasn't told her he's not going back to America to study at Harvard."

Makoto stared at him. "She wants him to go," Makoto stated. "What has he been doing?"

"He's applied to programs here," he told her. "He's already been accepted to two of them, and they're both reputable schools."

"I'm not surprised to know that," Makoto said. She then thought about it. "I wonder though if it's one of the reasons he wanted this week to gain up the courage to tell her about what he's decided."

"More than likely," Nephrite agreed. "It's going to take more than flowers and baked goods to get around Usagi with this."

"Nephrite," Makoto said, sighing his name.

Nephrite chuckled which made Makoto start laughing.