blueeyeddevil06 thank you for going back and editing all of these.

Chapter 17 - Monday Part Two

Jadeite walked into the Arcade, grabbed a table, and waited for Raye. He hoped doing this in public would help keep her from yelling. He wasn't holding out much hope on that. When the clock showed exactly 3:30, Raye walked in and then sat down.

Andrew came by and took their orders. Jadeite had given him a heads up on the situation. He wanted to make sure he had their table, so he had the excuse to walk over and step in if it became too loud. He sighed and mentally corrected himself; when it became loud.

Once he had his coffee and she had her tea, Jadeite reluctantly began. He could tell by her smiling and flirting that this would be a huge shock for her. He might have to only tell part of it now and wait for the shock to die out before telling her everything.

He took a deep breath and started, "With Molly's announcement and the resulting conversations, it has come to our attention that you girls are expecting past relationships to be rekindled. I'm not speaking for any of the other guys, but I felt I need to make you aware that, in our case, that will not be happening."

"Very funny." She looked irritated.

"I'm not joking. I don't want you waiting for something that isn't going to happen."

"Of course it's going to happen."

"No. I'm informing you that we aren't going to be dating."

"You can't tell me what to do. I get a say!"

"I'm all for women making their own decision, but that isn't what this is. No matter how empowered you are, you don't get to choose who I date if it isn't you."

"You have to be kidding me! We're soulmates for crying out loud!"

"We're not. Technically, only Darien and Serena are soulmates. They are rare, and Queen Serenity, of course, investigated if her daughter's guards had soulmates. You didn't. She was disappointed. She always wanted the best for all of you."

"You'll change your mind soon enough. I'll forgive you for this and forget it ever happened." She examined her nails and then took a sip of tea.

He sighed and realized this was going to be bad. He would have to tell her about their past. "I won't. You were unaware back during the Silver Millennium that I was close to breaking it off with you. Had Beryl not come and destroyed everything, we would have been over within a week of when the final battle happened."

"No. We're going to be together, and you're going to shut up and get over it. This is about Serena, isn't it?! She bats her eyes, and everyone comes running. I'm not fooled by her! How do you not see it?! You care more about her than you do about me! I'm the love of your life! She's just some spoiled moon princess you decided to feel bad for!" She was yelling and had drawn the attention of others in the arcade.

Andrew looked over, and his previous courage deserted him. He decided that Jadeite was the one trained to go into battle, not him. He stayed behind the counter.

Jadeite tried to hold in his temper, and then he calmed and smirked. He just realized he won this battle and would help Serena at the same time. "Thank you for so beautifully making my point. You don't deserve to be one of her scouts. I wonder if she has realized yet that she should be ashamed of you. You only have powers bestowed on you by the Silver Crystal in service of the Moon Princess. Do you really believe that you were special among those from Mars other than being one of five princesses? Queen Serenity handed you your powers and made you powerful. You're fooling yourself if you don't think Serena can take it all away."

He sighed as he realized his temper wasn't really reigned in. "She knows all about how you all received your powers, and she knows she can remove them. She has found a new advisor, and he has trained her on many things about her own powers. You're heading down a dangerous road, and I hope you're prepared for the consequences."

"She has nothing to do with us!" She screamed.

"And, this is why we always fought. I have oaths I made, and Darien and Serena are very much a part of me."

"That was the past. Don't be stupid and miss out on me!"

"It isn't the past. You're only alive now because you're supposed to be serving Serena." It boggled his mind that she didn't see that she was reborn to serve.

"She isn't that important!"

"She is, and you overestimate your own importance. Get over yourself. I'm sure over you."

"Now I'll only take you back begging!"

"You're delusional. When you see me out on a date, stay away from me, and leave us alone. Oh, and I'll be informing Serena about your views of her."

"I'm so scared," she mocked.

Jadeite chuckled. "You aren't, but you should be."

Jadeite walked home and tried to calm down. When he reached his room, he realized it was going to take a while.

He had to figure out how he would protect Molly if she agreed to date him. This would take some planning and some help from Serena. It didn't even cross his mind to talk to Mina.

Amy looked shocked at the results she had gotten from Darien's brain scan. She instantly sent them over to him, and he told her to let him handle revealing them. She only had time to skim the results and was horrified over the past experiences that it indicated Serena had lived through.

Darien knocked on the door, Serena answered, and he swept her up and kissed her. She clung to him through the kiss and smiled at him when he pulled away.

Darien stepped back and picked up some folders, an envelope, and a large thin box and stepped in the house. "First off, this box is for you to open. I love you."

The guys and her uncle heard Darien arrive with a gift and came down to watch her open it. They were incredibly impressed and enjoyed watching the tremendous joy she radiated when she saw it. They were elated to see her so happy.

Darien's emotions at watching her open the painting made all their feelings seem pale in comparison.

Serena shouted out, "True love! You bought me the painting about true love! Oh, it was my favorite. Thank you." She kissed Darien and clung to him even tighter than she did for the kiss at the doorway.

"I thought the title of the painting was fitting, and I knew you liked it. I bought it when you stepped away."

"I absolutely love it and will hang it in my room where I can always see it. I am so happy!" Tears of joy slipped down her cheeks.

"I'm so glad you like it. Here is a note for you from the Artist. Let's go, and I can help you hang it. There is something I want to tell you about what happened this morning. Also, afterwards, I would like all of us to meet. I have received more information on the enemy."

Nephrite shook his head as they walked up the stairs and out of hearing distance, "Poor Darien. He didn't seem pleased another guy wrote her a letter." They all chuckled.

Darien followed her to her room, and they hung the painting. He then told her all about his conversation with his professors and showed her the possible internships. She was thrilled, and he reveled in it. This was what his success had been missing. Everything was better when he experienced it with her.

He kissed her, and she leaned into him and deepened their kiss. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled them down on her bed. He held her close and sighed into the kiss when her body settled on top of his.

The kiss ended, and he just held her close while she rested on him. "You're mine, you know that right? You're mine, and I'm yours. This is it for us. You have had your last first date."

She smiled at him. "Yes. I did try to tell you that before."

"You're brilliant, and I'm an idiot."

"That is the smartest thing you have said," she laughed, kissed his cheek and stood up. He groaned from the lack of contact and stood too.

"Okay, let's go down. I have a bunch to fill you all in on. Fair warning, I may end up getting punched at some point. I have earned it."

"What did you do?" She asked nervously.

"Nothing new. Don't worry. I found out more about the enemy and the nightmares that were implanted in my head. It will just bring up old anger."

She took his hand and walked down the stairs with him. "We're stronger together, just remember that."

"I'll never forget that again, my love."

Mina arrived first and observed Raye, "Hard day?"

"I spoke with Jadeite today, and I'm aggravated."

"Anything I can help with?"

"He thinks Serena is better than me, and it pisses me off."

"She is our princess."

"Oh, not you too!" she huffed.

Amy then arrived, and the conversation stopped. Mina was glad to wait on the rest of the conversation for now. She didn't see things going well.

She was not wrong. Amy and Lita took correction well and acknowledged that Serena was in the right, and they would be careful to stop issuing her orders. Raye scoffed and wondered when she decided she was better than them. She made sure to let them know her objections and feelings throughout the whole meeting.

Luna was surprised that Serena's uncle was now her advisor and grew quiet. Then asked, "She won't give me a second chance?"

Mina looked at her, "He seems to know a lot about her Silver Crystal and had been helping her train. I don't know if you could be as much of a help to her."

The conversation moved on to the danger Serena is in, and that her guardians were not, in fact, the ones guarding her. Raye rolled her eyes, and the other girls looked puzzled. Mina let them all know Serena was expecting answers from her as to why and that she seemed disappointed.

The meeting wrapped up and everyone left except Mina. The conversation went worse than she had hoped it would. In the end, Raye announced she didn't want one self-important girl messing with her true friendships.

Mina gave up and made her way to Serena's house. She grew dejected since she had failed her yet again. It stung.

Darien had informed them all about his conversation with Sapphire that day. Her uncle turned red and slammed down his fist while the others looked angry.

Her uncle said, "I should've figured out a way to castrate him then! I will kill him with my bare hands! That sick monster. I saw you when Endymion managed to rescue you. You were mutilated. Your mother had to use the Silver Crystal to heal you, or you would have been covered in scars. He was obsessed with you submitting to him, and he didn't care how he got you to do it."

Serena gasped and read what Amy had found in Darien's brain scan.

Darien wrapped his arms around her. "You're safe. You have all of us, and it really even seems you have Sapphire protecting you."

"Why did he try to kidnap me?"

"From what I can tell, he was ensuring we knew you were the target and would put more protection around you. I don't think he was positive he could get away to warn us."

"Oh."

They read more of the information he had planted, and Sapphire's plan came to light.

Kunzite stated, "So, he does want something from Serena."

Serena replied, "Can you really blame him for wanting to be cleansed of dark energy? I can save him and his people. All of them were corrupted by Diamond's bid for power. They had no say in being turned for his ambition."

"You're right, and we know what that feels like more than anyone."

Darien was explaining the meeting he had tomorrow as there was a knock at the door.

Kunzite answered it and came back with Mina following.

She looked at Serena and said, "I met with the girls, Luna, and Artemis this evening. I spoke to them about their behavior. Amy and Lita are sorry and will be more respectful in the future. Luna was sad to no longer be your advisor, but she didn't object. Raye, on the other hand…. I'm sorry, but I have failed you." She was heartbroken that she was returning to Serena with bad news.

Jadeite spoke up and gave a recap of their conversation at the arcade. "You didn't fail her. I couldn't get through to her at all. I put you at a disadvantage by talking to her before you did. She left in a snit, and I doubt she was ready to listen when she talked to you."

Mina thanked him for his encouragement and informed Serena about the details of their discussion.

Serena looked her in the eyes and said, "I'm realizing I was a lot more upset about the attempted abduction than I thought I was. I was harder on you than I should have been, and I'm sorry about that. You're not responsible for Raye's actions and words. She is. I'm sorry. Thank you for talking to her and coming to me to let me know what she said."

Serena looked to her uncle and sighed. He replied, "You don't have a choice. Do you want her at your back when Diamond comes?"

"No," she acquiesced.

Serena closed her eyes, focused, and her Silver Crystal floated in front of her. She lifted her hands and willed Raye's transformation brooch into her hands. Then she removed the power from the brooch and set it down. She kept her eyes closed. She concentrated on Raye's energy and removed her power from her. Serena also cut her link to the Great Fire.

She opened her eyes and said, "It's done."

Mina looked and asked, "What is?"

"She's no longer a Sailor Scout. Her powers have been removed, and she is just as she would have been if she were born a normal human."

Mina looked shocked and then replied, "I didn't know you could do that."

Serena announced she was tired, let Mina know she needed to inform Raye, then left the room with Darien. She hugged and kissed him at the door. "Call me when you get to your apartment so I know you made it home safely."

"Of course, my love."

Mina stayed in the room to give Serena and Darien privacy.

She decided to speak up, "Really, thank you, Jadeite, for speaking up for me. I hated that I failed her. I've been doing that a lot, and I don't want to add to the list. I really am grateful you have all stepped in where I have been lacking."

Kunzite studied her and spoke, "We haven't exactly been keeping you in the loop. You and I should meet tomorrow and go over a plan after we speak to Darien about his noon meeting. Would a quiet dinner meeting here work for you?"

"Absolutely!" She beamed.

Serena smiled from the doorway, said goodnight, and went up to bed.