Twenty weeks exactly. It all started just last week. At first it was just a random muscle spasm above her naval. Sometimes butterflies. When she asked her mom if it was normal, her mom was strangely excited. At first she didn't understand why, but then it was explained to her that the little flutters and spasms were the baby. And, the cherry on top, in just a few hours they would learn whether she was having a boy or a girl.

Finally feeling life inside, constantly moving and squirming around, made everything seem so much more real than it already was. She'd seen it move. She'd heard the heart beating. But…those were just images on a monitor and sounds from a speaker. She could've gotten a similar experience watching TV. But this? This was something…entirely different. This was actual life. After her mother told her what the odd feelings were, she really did have every desire to protect it. She was even allowing herself to touch her stomach without concerning herself with other people's opinions or thoughts.

Ami was right—this was natural. It felt natural. She was tired of depriving herself of it and both her parents hadn't said one word regarding her hands on her belly practically all the time now. If people wanted to ask questions then so be it. It wasn't like she could hide it much longer anyway…

She was showing very visibly now. She wasn't huge yet, but it was becoming increasingly clear that she hadn't just been stuffing herself with sweets this whole time. She'd taken to dressing in loose clothing to aid in hiding her expanding belly. Luna hadn't said anything but surely something was going through that cat's brain. Rini and Sammi hadn't really questioned it either, although Sammi would give her the occasional curious look. Rini stuck to an assumption that she was getting fat and for the time being, Serena went along with it.

She'd tried to reach out to Darien about it many times. Tuxedo Mask would come along in the very few fights she'd been in, throw a rose, give a short speech, then run off before she could stop him...assuming he would have the decency to hear her out even if she could. Darien hadn't even been spotted lately and never returned any of her calls. She would leave voicemails begging him to call her, trying to emphasize that she needed to speak to him about something extremely important and would prefer it face to face.

Her communicator drew her from her thoughts. Ever since the mishap several weeks ago, she'd become somewhat paranoid whenever it went off, and as a result answering it as quickly as possible was reflexive.

Ami's smiling face appeared.

"How are you feeling?"

Serena turned and flopped lazily onto her bed, holding the communicator out above her head.

"I'm alright," she answered. "Not looking forward to Luna's special training."

"Today's a big day. Are you hoping for a boy or girl?"

"I don't really care one way or the other. Right now the only thing I want is to get through the remaining ummm…" How many months was twenty weeks…? "The…um, the rest of the pregnancy."

"You will," Ami assured her. "For now, just relax and have fun with it."

"Have fun?" Serena mocked. "Do you know how bloated I am every day, all day? And I can't stand the smell of my dad's cologne anymore, blegh!"

She wasn't aware of how horrible it was until her dad had a business meeting and chose that particular scent to wear. Her mom said it was all normal. Just one more awesome symptom to add to the growing list…

Ami laughed but she wasn't sure if it was because her friend genuinely found it funny or if it was because she thought she was making a joke.

"You can have fun," Ami said. "Have you thought about names yet?"

"Not yet. I have other things to take care of first…"

"I know, I know…" Ami sighed. "Luna."

"It's hard just to get up all those stairs, I don't know how much longer I can last…" Serena groaned. "This cat's trying to kill me, I know she is."

"I can explain things to her on your behalf, if you don't want to," Ami offered. "I wish you would stop pushing yourself so hard all the time."

"I can't put that on you. Besides…it's not only Luna I have to tell," she replied. "It's kinda…everybody. Even my own brother still doesn't know. Well, he doesn't know for sure."

Sammi may very well have suspected it for some time now but been too afraid to say anything in the event of being wrong and upsetting her. A very terrible way of calling a woman fat.

"When are you going to tell him?"

"I'll probably tell the Scouts first," she answered. "I kind of have a plan in mind to tell them today, actually."

"Including Luna?"

"Not yet. I'll see how Rei reacts first. If she's all dramatic about it, I'll wait until everything's better and then tell Luna."

Ami giggled.

"You're really overthinking this, Serena. Rei picks on you more frequently than we'd like, but she cares about you. I think she'll want to support you…although…I imagine she would be shocked at first…"

"I know…" she sighed. "It's not like any of you expect this kind of thing from me…"

"Well…yes, I suppose there's that too…but I meant how far along you are now," Ami clarified. "You're already in your second trimester and if you wait much longer, they might find it a bit insulting."

"How is it insulting? I didn't even know until just a while ago."

"I know that but you've been lying to them all month—a little over, actually. Luna too. I don't mean to pressure you but if you keep putting it off, it'll cause problems."

"Good thing I won't have to worry about it if Rei reacts the way you said she will."

"Speaking of, you remember the meeting today, right?" Ami reminded her.

"Of course," she replied. "I was originally going to tell them separately but it'll be faster to tell them all at once. Harder but…faster. Oh, and is there any way we can hold this little meeting at the bottom of the stairs this time? I never thought stairs could be worse than the Negaverse."

"I would have to give them a really good reason to suddenly change locations when the temple has always been our routine."

She groaned but at least this would—hopefully—be her last time trekking all the way up that huge hill. She hated that hill. Each time she finished coming up she felt like she'd already completed her training for the day.

"It might be better to go as Serena this time," Ami suggested. "I doubt they'll believe you as Sailor Moon."

Her outfit still hid her stomach, and by this point she had to assume it would hide her stomach no matter how big it got. It was great for deceiving the Scouts and avoiding unwanted questions or suspicions about a topic she wasn't willing to discuss with anyone but Ami and her parents, but she didn't look pregnant and therefore the Scouts would more likely think it was some sort of joke. She'd been avoiding them as Serena lately, joining up during battles, training, and meetings as Sailor Moon, so against all odds she had managed to cover everything up. Unfortunately, the only one who didn't think she was lazy was Ami. Fighting tired her out, training tired her out, and she didn't move around a whole lot during Scout meetings. Getting up off the floor was becoming a hassle she preferred not to deal with. Even though her stomach was hidden, she still felt the extra weight.

"Yeah…you might be right…" she said. "But, hey, I need to do something before the going to the doctor so I'll have to let you go."

"Okay, and good luck today!"

The little screen went dark as the call ended and Serena set it beside her, realizing that she was still on her back. This would've been much easier had she been on her side from the start…but oh well…

She sluggishly rolled to her side and propped herself on one arm, pushing herself up with a small grunt. Time to have a talk with Rini… Where was Rini, anyway? Kitchen, probably. Maybe helping her mom with something.

She adjusted her very loose-fitting sweater to try to make her stomach look less noticeable before exiting her bedroom.

"Rini?" she called out. "Where are you?"

"I'm helping your mom cut up apples," a young voice returned.

Serena approached the kitchen and asked, "Can I talk to you? Privately?"

Her mother gave her a questioning side eye but otherwise didn't intervene and continued cutting apples for later. Probably after the doctor's appointment. Maybe she had somewhat of a celebration in mind? A special meal, perhaps? Apples on the side because…it was all Serena ever seemed to crave.

Rini came over and she motioned the little girl to follow her, leading her right back into the bedroom and closing the door.

"Rini…" she began.

"Why did you want to talk to me in private?" the girl asked.

"You keep hypnotizing my family the moment they start to forget about you," she said. "That's why this conversation needs to stay between us."

"I only do that so—"

"I know why you do it," she interrupted. "I understand why and I'm okay with you living here, except…now you need to go."

She resisted the urge to rest a hand on her stomach in front of Rini during this discussion.

"What do you mean? Why?"

"I have a lot going on right now and…you're a little…um…distracting," she lied.

Well, it wasn't a total lie. The Negamoon was after Rini and Rini still couldn't go home for whatever reason. They were all stuck with her until she could return to the future and that was often very distracting.

"I don't understand…" Rini mumbled. "You don't…want me around anymore?"

"It's not that I don't want you around, I swear it's not that," she said. "We fight but I really do like having you here."

"Then why get rid of me…?"

"Because…because I have other things I really need to focus on—"

"More important than me?"

Well…

Serena knelt down to her level, trying to be conscientious of pressing her leg too hard against her stomach as she felt the pressure increase in her abdomen.

"Would you rather live with Darien?" she suggested.

Rini stood with a blank stare replacing her previously worried expression, thinking this idea over. Serena had, in all fairness, attempted to contact Darien about this arrangement too. Several times. The only response she'd gotten was silent and lonely. He would hear Rini out, however, so using Rini as a messenger was the only other thing she could think to do.

"I like it here…" Rini said shyly. "Everyone is nice to me…"

"Isn't Darien nice to you?"

"Yeah but…it isn't the same with him."

"How?"

Rini grabbed the Luna ball that always hovered nearby.

"There's no family," the little girl answered.

"Well, what if you were his family?"

"Darien's just a really good friend, I can't act like he's my daddy."

"Rini…" Serena sighed. "Wouldn't it be worth a shot?"

"I want to stay here!" Rini huffed.

"Please, Rini, I need you to do this for me," she begged. "I need you to tell Darien what I said about living with him and I need you to stay with someone we both trust, someone who cares deeply about you and will protect you."

She said that but Darien had told her a number of times that he loved her and would always be there for her…and then he left without explanation. Dropped his feelings and abandoned her while she was stuck carrying his child. He didn't know yet but it wasn't as if she wasn't giving him ample opportunity. But surely he wouldn't kick Rini aside too. Even after breaking up, he very much favored Rini and the two had bonded over time. Plus, Rini was a child. In the event that she didn't have any other place to go, would Darien really turn his back to her?

Not likely.

"How long will I have to stay with him?" Rini asked.

"I…I don't know. But he's a good man." To Rini, and to everyone else in the world. "He'll be able to take care of you."

"Will you come get me when you're done with those things you have to focus on so much?"

Serena smiled softly, hoping to alleviate some of the girl's anxiety and induce cooperation.

"Once I finish up, I'll come back for you," she said.

But how long would it take to "finish up?" She couldn't wait eighteen years. Maybe just…wait until Rini was old enough to know how bad these kinds of mistakes were? The potential they had? Not that she had any ill will towards the baby but she didn't want Rini to look at her and think what she did was okay, only to end up in the exact same situation.

"How long will that take?" Rini asked.

"It'll take as long as it takes," she replied, honestly not knowing so much as a broad estimate. "Now about Darien…"

"Do you really need me to go there?"

"Definitely. You'll be going to someone we both know and trust."

"Darien will take good care of me…" Rini murmured to herself, tears beginning to form on the very edges of her eyes.

"He will. And…and this is only temporary."

"Yeah…" the girl sniffled.

Rini was a pest. This brat intruded on everything, from her room to her private conversations, but Serena still somehow treasured her. It was unclear why. She didn't actually want Rini gone but right now it seemed like the best course of action.

Not that she'd been so great at making those choices lately…

"Have you already talked to Darien about this?" Rini asked.

"I…was…I was hoping you could. He's not keen on seeing me. I know he'll see you though."

Hopefully it was just a rough patch and things would go back to normal. Sort of.

"Oh…okay…" Rini's voice sounded so disheartened… Didn't she believe her? "I'll go to him…but can I wait until the hypnosis wears off first?"

It would but the little girl some extra time here. Not much…maybe a couple weeks at best…but some.

"Of course you can," Serena answered. "Maybe I can cook curry for you. You loved the kind I made last time, for your school."

"Oh, yeah! That was really good. I'll…miss it."

"I guess that means I'll just need to bring some over, huh?"

If Darien said yes but she had very little doubt that he wouldn't. The curry would at least give her a reason to see and talk to him. If not…maybe she could set a box of it outside his door. But that was just under the assumption that he would go to any length to avoid her.

"Once a week?" Rini suggested.

"Sure, if we have the ingredients for that," she replied.

Err…how was she supposed to cook months from now when her stomach would knock everything over?

"Well…alright."

The conversation was cut short when she heard her mother call for her. Loudly.

"I'll go with you to see Darien tonight."

"I thought—"

"It's just to talk to him about you staying there for a while."

Rini tightened her grip on the Luna ball.

"O-Okay…" the girl said unsurely.

But what was there to be unsure about?

She heard her name again and walked past Rini to follow the sound of her mom's voice. The last she saw before she disappeared behind the wall was a little girl sit down and rest her head on her ball, expression so downcast. She wished Rini didn't want to stay… This wouldn't be hard if only Rini had any desire to leave, as she had once before.

"Serena, it's time to get ready," her mother said.

She didn't really know whether to be nervous or excited—not because she wanted specifically a boy or girl, but because the idea of pushing Rini on Darien was beginning to influence the idea of telling him about this child. She would now have to tell him he would have a son or daughter and he would have an obligation to help, even if he didn't want to. As much as she didn't want to be alone in this, she also didn't want him to stick around because he felt like he had to. That was the same as pushing a baby on him, at least in her mind.

As the father, he deserved to know, but this entire situation was…complicated, to say the least.

"Well, I have me, I have junior…I think I'm good to go," she joked.

"It's a very big day," her mom said as they walked a short distance to the bus stop. "One of the biggest days of your life, believe me! I can't tell you how eager I was to find out about you and your brother!"

Her mother was so much more excited than she was right now. Was that good or bad?

"I have to go to Rei's place after this appointment," she said.

"Don't you want to come home first? I'm making a nice dinner to celebrate."

What was there to really celebrate though? Nobody had wanted this situation, nobody had asked for this to happen, nobody even suspected this as a possibility in her life. A child later on, maybe, but definitely not now. Not at this age, not in this way.

But maybe her parents had thrown all that aside for her sake. As her mother said some time ago, it was pointless to be upset about it now. Perhaps it was better to celebrate it anyway. She was bringing new life into the world. There wasn't anything negative about that. It wasn't the most ideal scenario but her parents would be grandparents, her brother would be an uncle, and she was expanding the family. Her becoming a mother herself was still something she wasn't sure how to feel about. For now she was neutral. It wasn't something to look forward to or dread. It was something that would just happen.

The bus finally pulled up to the stop and the doors opened, letting some passengers off to make way for new ones.

As they boarded the bus, Serena inwardly groaned at the very few steps the bus had. She felt the added weight and the slow shift in her center of gravity as the muscles in her legs contracted to push it all up. Any number of stairs always brought her back to the temple now. She wasn't waddling or unbalanced…err, not any more unbalanced than she typically was…but sheesh Rei's ancestors picked a horrible spot to live in. She had to wonder if this was how Rei's grandfather felt whenever he had to climb that forsaken hill. Were his legs punishing him too?

Normally she would stand and reserve seats on the bus for young children, disabled people, or the elderly, but her mother plopped her right down next to an elderly woman. She wasn't about to argue against sitting down knowing she would be scaling what was essentially a small mountain soon.

She wasn't sure if it was because of this woman's life experience or if it was intuition, but the woman's eyes flickered over to her and immediately travelled to her stomach. The entire head followed in an instant, a huge but warm smile suddenly appearing.

Serena was about to put a self-conscious hand over her stomach to avoid the stare, but this stranger's hand beat her to it in a fraction of a second.

"Ohhhh!" the woman awed. "You're so cute!"

"Uh…th-thank you…" she said awkwardly.

"How far along are you?"

She wanted to tell this strange woman to back off but she supposed there wasn't really any harm in allowing somebody to touch her stomach. And it did seem to excite this woman. Crazy how this unsightly belly could make someone else so giddy.

"I'm…I'm twenty weeks now," she answered.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" the woman exclaimed. "My daughter has a little one at home and another on the way, she's getting so impatient. But I know how short this time really is. Nine months seems so long but just you wait, once the baby comes you'll realize it's over in a flash."

"I'm glad you're happy, and congratulations on another grandchild."

"Thank you so much, dear, you know when I had my daughter nothing went right. My husband and I had a plan to go to the hospital on a certain day— You know, I was supposed to be induced— Oh, yes, anyway! Anna decided to come a full week early and we were going to stay close to home just in case that happened."

Serena tried to tune out the rest of the story. Bits and pieces still squirmed through the mental barrier, things about how terrible the pregnancy was for this woman and how scary it was when they had a family emergency the same day she went into labor. Surely this kind of thing wouldn't happen to her too. The woman seemed to be so ecstatic telling the tale though, evidently not realizing that she didn't want to think about all the things that could go wrong. Maybe she would be more open to these stories after the baby was born…

Eventually her mother got involved.

"Ma'am, I'm so happy you're excited for my daughter, but she doesn't know you personally so perhaps all of this might be overwhelming for her," her mom said to the woman.

The woman finally took her hand off and Serena replaced it with her own—this time not out of habit, but to make sure nobody else would touch her without permission. She fleetingly wondered if everyone else went through this too.

The woman suddenly began a whole other spiel about when her daughter was a baby. Unsolicited advice about sleep. What to expect in her third trimester. How she should take care of herself. A bunch of other things Serena blocked out. This old woman acted like it was such an exciting time but it certainly didn't feel that way…

She kept yammering on and on with her baby stories and her experiences until the bus finally reached its destination. The woman stayed on board but happily wished them luck with the new baby as they got off.

"That was weird…" Serena mumbled to her mother immediately after the bus doors shut.

"It happens to us all," her mom replied. "People love to fuss over pregnant bellies and newborns."

"Can't I make it stop somehow?"

"You can tell people you don't like them touching you."

That would mean they would already be touching her though…

"Have you started thinking about names yet?" her mother asked as they walked toward the office together.

"Not really. I still have plenty of time," she answered.

"Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

"I just want the baby to be healthy."

The rest of the walk was silent. Not that it was a very long time before they ended up checking in, a few minutes at best from the bus stop, but it wasn't the first time she'd been asked if she wanted a boy or girl. She really did just want a healthy baby and couldn't care less about anything else, but she did remember rumors about potty training little boys and how difficult they could be as opposed to girls who were supposed to be easier. How much truth was there to that rumor? Which one was ultimately the easiest to handle? Which one would Darien favor? Or, would he care? Would he feel the same way she did or would he even want a baby? They were both young and still in school. Unmarried. Technically broken up but she had faith he'd come back and maybe then they could be one happy family. Or, on the other hand, a baby could be a Darien repellent. They were so much work, what if he didn't want the responsibility? And even though he played just as much a part in all this, what if it made her seem immature to him?

"Serena!" one of the nurses shouted from an open door off to the side of the waiting room.

She and her mother got up and followed the nurse down a hall and into a different room, where her vitals were taken and she was subsequently instructed to sit on a table. Her mother took a seat in a chair in the corner of the room and per routine, they waited even longer for the technician.

Why were they called in if they were just going to have to wait again? Seemed to be a conflict of interest. Better yet, why couldn't the technician take vitals and then do the ultrasound? That would be a real time-saver and surely anyone else would agree it would be more efficient.

They heard a knock on the door before it opened, followed by a smiling woman in either her late twenties or early thirties.

"How are mama and baby doing today?" the woman asked.

"We're fine," Serena answered. "Just here for junior's checkup."

The woman giggled and said, "Alright, well my name is Andi and I'll be performing your ultrasound today. Your chart says you're twenty weeks now, do you know the sex yet?"

Serena shook her head.

"Not yet but there's so much movement I'm leaning towards a boy," she jokingly confessed.

It was all still just bubbles and spams but they were pretty frequent and had only calmed down slightly in the past two weeks. The baby was usually quieter when she was exercising. She assumed it was just asleep because of all the rocking. Or…did babies sleep in the womb…? Huh. She'd never really thought about that before. But if they did, it would be so crazy that her torture was rocking her baby to sleep. At least one of them was getting any amount of rest… The number of trips to the bathroom every night was far past the point of comedy.

She answered a series of questions, all the usuals that she was asked every time she came in. Any changes, any concerns, and of course an explanation of what to expect during the ultrasound.

Finally she was leaned back onto the table with her shirt pulled above her abdomen to expose a very swollen belly.

Cold gel was squirted on her stomach and she winced at the localized change in temperature. The gel was always the worst part. It was smeared around as the technician positioned and repositioned the probe over various sections of her baby bump.

"Can it feel all this?" she asked the tech as the baby began to squirm around on the monitor, causing more little tingles inside her.

"Yes," Andi answered. "It might also be able to feel your touch when you rub your belly."

"It can, really?"

"Generally, experts will say the earliest is 21 weeks, but personally I think it can vary and considering you're just one little week away from the 'earliest' week, why not?"

"Huh…"

The baby appeared to be responding to the ultrasound at least but it could very well be coincidence.

"In a few more weeks it'll hear your voice," Andi added. "Right now it's already listening to your heartbeat. But…"

Andi hummed curiously and continued moving the probe around. She felt—and saw—the baby finally wear itself out. The tech didn't seem concerned in the slightest.

"You said earlier that there weren't any changes to your daily routine, right?"

She nodded.

"Are you absolutely certain? Maybe you've been eating a new food lately?"

"Not really anything I haven't eaten before. I still want apples and milk all the time," she replied.

"Are you staying hydrated?"

"Yeah."

Well, for the most part. It was hard to drink and undergo intense training at the same time, but she figured she made up for it immediately after by downing an ocean's worth of water.

"What have you been drinking since your last ultrasound?"

"Uh…just water and milk. Why?"

Andi shifted the probe again.

"Just wondering about a few things. What about exercise? Are you a runner or weightlifter? Anything like that?"

Yes and no.

"I heard exercise was good so I've been working out a little more," she said, which wasn't exactly a lie except she'd been working out a lot more.

"What kinds of exercises?"

"A little bit of everything, I guess."

Martial arts, running, attempts to improve balance, careful and pathetic sparring, pushing targets, jumping…a bunch of things she probably shouldn't have been doing for as long as Luna made her. Her body wanted to quit on her by the end of each session, but she figured it couldn't affect the baby unless she did it for months—she would definitely have to tell Luna soon and then there would be strict limitations on what she would be allowed to do and for how long. Even if Luna became furious with her, she wouldn't risk harming a little baby regardless of who was carrying it.

"And did you feel the baby start to settle down while you did these exercises?"

"Yeah, after a little bit."

Well, a lot a bit.

"Alright," Andi said. "I'll be right back, okay? Sit tight."

Serena propped herself up as Andi handed her a towel to wipe her stomach off with. The tech disappeared and she cast her mother a concerned look. Her mom responded with a shrug.

"I'm sure everything is fine," her mom said. "Sometimes they think they see something and they talk to the doctor about it first. She's just taking her job seriously."

"She asked all those questions about my diet and everything though."

"It's important to avoid some foods during pregnancy. Maybe she was making sure you were eating well."

"She didn't even say whether it was a boy or girl…"

"Honey, I'm sure everything is perfectly fine. Sometimes this happened with both you and Sammi."

"And we were both healthy?"

"Yes, in fact I—"

Her mother was interrupted by a quick knock on the door followed by the doctor and the tech coming in.

"Hi, Serena," the doctor said. "Dr. Tayle is out, I'm her PA. No need for formalities, just call me Trisha."

"Everything's fine, right?" she asked.

"Well, first of all, we can start with the more exciting news—do you want to know the sex of the baby or would you rather leave it a surprise?"

Not that she cared which it would be, but she didn't want to wait until after it popped out.

"I want to know now," she answered.

Trisha clapped her hands together and happily said, "It's a boy and he is extremely rambunctious."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not at all," Trisha replied. "I loved seeing all that movement on the imaging. He's strong and growing."

"Then…wh-what's the matter? Is he just…healthier than most babies?"

Trisha hissed uncomfortably at that replied, "Well, not exactly. Andi told me you started exercising more recently, is that true?"

"Yeah."

"Was it enough to wear you out after you were done? Maybe get you a little winded or out of breath?"

"Sometimes."

Every time.

"In that case you may want to dial it back," Trisha said. "It's not much and there's no cause for immediate concern but we did see some signs of mild fetal distress. The cord looks fine, the placenta looks fine, but when your energy is depleted and you're breathing too heavily or if you're too dehydrated, your body prioritizes your needs and diverts that water, energy, and oxygen away from the baby. Like I said, there's no reason for concern at the moment, the baby is completely healthy, but intense exercise during pregnancy can lead to complications later on and we'd like to avoid those."

"What…kinds of complications? Like, complications for me or...?"

"It's a number of things, really. Overexertion increases the risk of placental abruption and preterm labor, for example, which your baby isn't developed enough to survive. The lack of oxygen increases the risk of brain damage to the baby. It can trigger hormonal changes which can cause a miscarriage. It can lower your immune system and leave you prone to infection. It can elevate your blood pressure. It increases risk of gestational diabetes… The list just goes on."

Serena took a deep breath before asking the next question.

"Will any of this happen?"

Trisha chuckled lightheartedly and replied, "Right now everything looks perfect with both of you. You aren't at risk for these complications yet so there's no need to worry and no medical intervention is necessary. If you want, you can actually still keep exercising even after this. I would, however, advise you to either rest completely for the next week or lightly exercise. Um, maybe if you've been running a couple miles each day, tone it down to a light jog for half a mile. Either way, this gives your body plenty of time to rest and you should be fine to resume exercising as normal the week after. Just, please remember not to overdo it."

"How do I know when I'm overdoing it?"

"That's a tricky question with no solid answer, it varies per individual. Your body will tell you when to stop. If you feel weak or you're breathing harder than usual, don't push it any further. Now, if you've been exercising to build up your strength, maybe get toned or test your limits…pregnancy is not the time to do that. Your age alone already puts you at a much higher risk for preeclampsia and preterm labor so I would prefer it if you avoid any unnecessary strain on your body in the future."

Oh Luna was going to hate this.

…All the girls were going to hate this.

But now she had a great excuse to climb those forsaken stairs for the last time. After this, she could just relax in the park. Maybe think of names now. Map out a plan for how often Sailor Moon could be called upon and when. Start poking her belly instead of just rubbing it or putting her hand on it, maybe the little guy would feel that—maybe he already could. And if he could hear her heartbeat then why stop at touch? Maybe she could start talking to him. She could encourage the girls to talk to him so he could get used to their voices.

A/N

I was going to include the Scouts in this chapter but at 5,991 words (without an A/N) it was just getting too long and I couldn't stuff it all in one chapter. At the risk of a small spoiler, they aren't going to be chill about this.

And yes I do remember Rini is a girl and Serena's future daughter, rest assured this is not AU and not "oh it was all a dream." :)

Side note, as well! I'm considering making a parallel to this fic. For those who don't know, parallels follow the same storyline but from another character's perspective. In this case, that character would be Darien. Let me know your thoughts on this first because if it's unwanted I'd rather not waste my time.

Review replies:

CrystalKaouri: There are very few instances where I can handle five pages of ranting and arguing (unless that argument absolutely requires a ton of dialogue, only then will I be lenient). I like my daily dose of drama too but come on now... Enough is enough... Luna just feels bad about how the fight nearly ended. I noticed in the show that when it comes to enemies Luna can sometimes push a little too hard, occasionally threatening to harm Serena, so I'm trying to implement that character flaw here. Hee hee your writer's mind did just go from 1-100 in 5 seconds, but I completely relate! XD Glad you're in it for the long haul, I hope to continue to live up to expectations!

Guest: Yeah Luna's trying too hard here but she does that in the show sometimes too.

Les Lasagna: The absence of a baby bump when transformed will be explained in time. Interesting idea of Serena and SM being two different people with the same mind, actually that would explain why everyone else in the SM universe simply cannot work out that Serena is Sailor Moon.

AcornsRAsum: You know...I never really thought about that. XD

PlasticPencils: Everyone seems nervous about Luna.

Vericin: She's in a difficult spot right now for sure.

jappleseed2468: Thank you!

Boney3249: He really is forgettable though. Poor fella. And yes the idea probably has been done to death but I had it in my head and I need to get it out. Glad so many people enjoy it though, and glad I kept it fresh!

Clatterbug: Poor Serena just can't do it. Points for effort though.

***NOTE: I'm updating very early because I won't make the cut this weekend. My brother is having a baby on Thursday and I work in between those days, so I can only visit Friday. I'm always busy on Sundays, so today is really the only day this week I can update the fic. I'll resume Friday/Saturday updates next weekend, and I apologize for any inconvenience but my family comes first and I hope you all understand. :)