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

"SAILOR MOON ETERNAL"

The 6th Season of the Sailor Moon Saga

Chapter 5

"Approach the Beautiful Morning"

Racing down the back roads of Tokyo on a busy Friday night was no easy task. But for an experienced race car driver like Alex Sokova, it was usually a walk in the park.

Usually.

That's if an extremely annoying, unbelievably noisy dark-haired and just as dark-eyed person was not sitting next to her in the front seat, constantly asking silly questions or cracking meaningless jokes. And the suspicious silence emanating from the two inhabitants of the back seat didn't help Alex's disposition much, either.

"Never been to a highbrow art exhibition before myself. Have you, Ally?" Sayer tries to make pleasant conversation. "Sounds kind of boring, not the kind of place I'd take a lady like you for haunting." He says not quite knowing how to lead into the question on his mind.

"No one asked you to come." Alex snaps, closing the door on this oddly undeflatable star man once again.

"So, you two are quiet back there." Simply shrugging off her cold shoulder, Sayer then turns his attention to Robin and Michelle.

"Nervous, Rob?" He teases his brother upon seeing how entrancing the aqua beauty's eyes were laced upon his once unapproachable fellow rock star.

"Of course not, Sayer." Robin retorts. "I've been to several art exhibitions before, not that I could ever get you to attend something as classy."

"Hey, I've got my reasons for coming." Sayer glances at Alex through the corner of his eye. "What're yours?" The wolfish skirt-chaser wickedly raises his eyebrows in Michelle's rather tempting, shoulderless evening dress direction.

"I asked Robin to come because he was very interested in my works." Michelle smiles back innocently, knowing her cousin was listening intently to every word as she drove.

"Ri~ght. Your works." Sayer answers with an insinuating smirk, as the car comes to a stop in front of the monstrous building and a valet comes trotting out.

Stepping from her Ferrari, Alex hands the man the keys in one motion, used to bringing Michelle to these high-class functions. Yes, they were a bit tiresome, so full of pomp and circumstance, certainly not Alex's speed or style, but she had to put up with the endless barrage of ceremonies, for Michelle's sake.

And for Michelle, I would do anything. She watches with annoyance as it was Robin to help Michelle out of the car and not herself this time. Alex's anger boils as Michelle takes his arm so naturally, how to anyone else they looked so right, the perfect couple.

But to Alex the scene couldn't look any more wrong.

Following the pair inside, her jealous concentration was broken by a low, yet loud whistle from beside her. She turns to see Sayer Starr looking in astonishment at the hundreds of paintings surrounding them inside the museum's great hall.

Alex wasn't the only one who heard him though, as the upper-class snoots all turn in horror at such a rude sound in the otherwise subdued room. Some even turn their noses up and leave, while the others choose to simply ignore his plebian noises.

Noticing everyone abandoning the area, Michelle and Robin spin around.

"Sayer, you must be quiet in here!" Michelle whispers vehemently, fiercely embarrassed.

"What? You can't talk at an art exhibition?" Sayer asks in a disbelieving whisper.

"Of course you can talk. You just can't—can't—" Michelle couldn't even bring herself to whisper the word.

"You can't whistle like a Neanderthal, Sayer. Are you a child?" Rolling his green eyes, Robin bitingly finishes the sentiment for her, annoyed, as he and his classy artiste turn a sharp corner, leaving the miscreant and Alex behind.

Feeling thoroughly chastised, Sayer looks down, not quite knowing what to do with himself in such a boring dump, totally out of place.

"Actually—"

The ponytailed singer glances up again when he hears a low voice rumble close to his ear.

"I thought it brought some life to this old tomb for once." He gazes up to see Alex Sokova's amused smile, her deep laugh gentle, her titillated eyes sparkling. His orbs lock with hers for a fleeting moment, a strange feeling sweeping through him until she breaks off the gaze quickly.

"Don't let it go to your head." Alex tosses over her shoulder at her once enemy before she saunters off in search of Michelle and her new 'companion.' But even as she was walking away, Sayer couldn't rid himself of that feeling—the sound of her voice, of her laughter ringing in his ears, that look in her eye and her smile.

In his mind, there was no artwork adorning these walls that could compare to her smile.

That wonderful, beautiful, impossible expression that he hoped might be ready to dazzle him now.

"Do you suppose they're having fun?" Susan asks Terry, who looks up from his work and smiles.

"Knowing Sayer, I'm sure of it." Terry answers with a chuckle, then turns serious, "Are you sorry you didn't go with them?"

"Oh, no!" Susan looks alarmed, not wanting him to think she was bored to stay here with him. "I don't usually go to those sorts of things. I'd rather just stay at home and read or do my studies." She lifts her paper-filled folder in explanation.

"I, as well." Terry agrees, finding it almost hard to believe there was someone else who'd rather spend a quiet evening at home than a Friday night out on the town. Gazing into her dark magenta eyes, Terry wonders if there could be a more perfect woman, so quiet and kind, so beautiful and—

Susan jumps up from her seat with a start, feeling his gaze on her. "I must go check if Tara needs any help with her homework." Susan, self aware and shy, makes an excuse.

"No, please allow me. You're busy and I have nothing else to attend to." Terry gets up quickly to his feet, wishing to be useful at least in this house which the courteous man knew he and his brothers were imposing upon. "You keep going with your work." The tall Sailor Soldier lightly pats her shoulder as he walks by, unknowingly sending shockwaves through her body at his slightest touch. She tries to concentrate on the paper in front of her, which was, in actuality, barely getting done at all that night.

"Tara?" Terry gently knocks on her door. "Are you still up?"

"Oh!" He hears a scurrying of little feet trotting across the floor. "Yes, come in, please!" The door opens for him and Tara peeks out with wide, elated eyes. "Please come in and sit." The slight of figure teen hurries, throwing papers and books from the corner of the bed as she flitters about.

"All right." Dashing lead actor Terry Starr sits on the proffered bed and Tara climbs back up beside him, surprisingly not shy at all.

"I just came to check if you need any help with your homework."

"Oh, my homework." She says, a little disappointed, hoping he'd come just to see her.

"Do you have any questions, maybe?" Terry tries to be helpful. "Come now, don't be shy, I'd be only too glad to help with your schoolwork in Susan's place tonight."

"Well…" Tara looks down at the ground, summoning up all her courage, then asks, "Do you believe in love at first sight?" She holds her breath at the rather leading, forward query.

"Well…" The intellectual pauses at this personal rather than scholastic subject the girl had suddenly broached.

"There was a time when I would've said 'no,' Tara, but now…"

This Sailor of the Star Maker who had poetry in his soul gets a far-off look in his eye, as if he understood exactly the emotion involved.

"Then…you do think so, too?" Tara says nervously.

"I'm sure of it." He smiles down at her warmly, as a pair of haunting magenta eyes looks back at him in his mind, as they had for as long as he could remember, now becoming reality.

"Really, truly?!" Tara says excitedly, reading into his words a totally different meaning.

"Absolutely." He smiles with assurance at his own sudden awareness of the subject.

Then realizing responsibility again more than his dreams of romance, Terry strokes Tara's hair, unaware of the feelings the child had for him, being pretty dense for a mind of such immense IQ. "It's been a long day, and tomorrow's an important one. You get some sleep so you'll be bright and pretty for the wedding, all right?" His innate fondness for the little girl—who reminded him of sweet Misa-chan—takes over, and he kisses her goodnight on the forehead. "Goodnight." Terry's deep, husky voice whispers, leaving the room.

"Good night," Tara answers back. "my first true love…" Waiting to add the little diminuaitive until he leaves, out of earshot, she giggles gleefully. On Cloud 9, she races to her diary to write her greatest and latest entry to date.

'Dear Diary, can life be anymore wonderful? Terry just told me he loves me, too and he kissed me goodnight and everything! Oh, I feel so happy, so much in love, everything is so perfect now, my life finally beginning, rather than just ending…'

Across town in Roppongi, at the swanky Art Exhibition…

Robin Starr's handsome jaw hangs down in awe when he and Michelle Moreau enter the room sectioned off for her exhibit. Over twenty beautiful works hang around the room, the centerpiece being her self-portrait, as beautiful and stunning as it was as elegant as the real thing.

"Beautiful…" The word barely escapes his lips as he moves closer to it, the admired subject and painter following her new admirer closely, pleased already by the light in his eyes upon her artistry. But halfway there, they were waylaid by some rather plump bejeweled older ladies of Michelle's prior acquaintance.

"And here we thought you weren't going to show for your own exhibition!" One matronly lady laughs loudly in the otherwise subdued event.

"Michelle, dear," the old biddy swinging her pearls coos, "who is this handsome young thing you've shocked us all with?"

"Well, he's—" Michelle starts to introduce.

"Obviously well-borne. And so debonair! Don't tell me you're already engaged, dear?!" The opals and lace cries out.

"…We're just—" Michelle blushes.

"Oh, dear, do your parents know? I think you should at least tell them about your latest conquest." Another busybody sticks her nose in, the opinion of the rich Moreau family over in France always the top of her circle's conversation.

"Michelle, dear, did I hear someone say engaged?" A stately looking woman comes into the crowd of nosy old ladies forming around the couple, her snobbish eyebrows raised.

"And I've been trying to tell them, it's simply not true." Unflappable Michelle finally gets in with a polite smile, used to the hubbub that always surrounds socialites and their new companions.

"We're merely…" Michelle searches for the word to describe their blossoming relationship, "merely…"

"Is he your new boyfriend, then?" A younger girl, more her age, though far less looksome, asks with envy while scanning young Mr. Starr up and down approvingly. Michelle looks at Robin and blushes, speechless and utterly embarrassed. This was the one subject which could ruffle the debutante, she obviously not ready for these questions to be asked just yet.

At least, not in front of all these inquisitive, high-brow people, when she herself was not too sure of how deep her connection to Robin Starr was going. After all, he was a Sailor Soldier from another galaxy far away with duties and responsibilities to his own princess there as Sailor Star Healer…

"Yes. Yes, I am." But it was Robin himself who broke the silence, looking at Michelle meaningfully across the crowd as he declares this assertion unapologetically, so certain of his soul as he ever was.

Both gaze into each other's eyes, and the throng fades away, no one else in the room.

"Oh, my, it does look serious." One more old lady, adjusting her glasses as she inspects the couple, crows in the background guardedly.

"What was his name? Did you catch it, Mildred?" The inquiring minds continue to whisper behind their snooty fans.

"No, no. But he looks well-bred enough, though I'm not sure of his hairstyle."

"I hope he comes from a good family—for his own sake. You know all about her parents."

"Oh, yes, I've heard some sordid tales…" And the rumor mill circles around the room. What intended to be an exhibition of her latest paintings and portraits turned into a free-for-all gabfest about Michelle Moreau's social life.

"His name is Robin…Robin Starr." Forgetting all about the excitement of her solo art exhibit, Michelle proudly states her stylish member of the Three Light's earthly name.

"Michelle?" As he brushes back his bangs rather evocatively under the whispered scrutiny, Robin whispers her name with an innocently sweet smile.

'Is there someplace we can be alone?' The psychic then speaks via their mental link as he glances around, nodding and smiling at the gaggle of old ladies spying on them, and doing their very best to pretend not to.

"Yes, there's an open balcony on the roof." The romantic in Michelle was still looking dreamily into his eyes, rather liking the honest resolve in his voice as Robin proclaimed in public to be her 'boyfriend.'

"Good." He tucks her arm in his, instinctively sensing which direction to head. "Let's go." They leave in a hurry, shocking the old snobs once again with the star of this night's abrupt departure with her eye-catching new love interest.

"Young people these days!" One grouchy art critic says with a "hmph" at being so duly ignored by the young and upcoming artiste Miss Moreau.

As if by some mysterious arrangement, this was just the moment Alex Sokova arrives in the main gallery, with Sayer Starr close at her heels, as the hushed hubbub was dying down.

Looking around and seeing no sign of Michelle at her own art exhibit section, the intimidating blonde stops the nearest passerby.

"Have you seen Ms. Moreau?" Alex asks, her eyes still scanning the room for her wayward cousin.

"Oh, yes, we've all seen her, dear." The high-pitched giggle of that younger female who had admired Robin, comes out.

"Well, where is she now?" Having attended dozens of these artsy shows herself for Michelle, Alex begins to feel her temper slipping.

"No one quite knows. She and her new boyfriend—we were all quite stunned by that young man's assertion—just vanished—poof!–a few moments ago." The elderly patron of the arts twirling her pearl necklace demonstrates the winsome pair's quick retreat with a flourish of her feather fan.

"BOYFRIEND?!" Exploding at the undesirable moniker, Alex tries to hold back her anger.

"Oh yes, it's a known fact—she just introduced us to him herself." The older woman replies matter-of-factly.

But Alex doesn't wait for further explanation. She quickly turns on her heel in hot pursuit of her obviously easily misled friend.

"Ally, wait up!" Sayer turns to follow, on the way out seeing a waiter with a tray full of hors d'oeuvre. "Those look good." Without missing a beat he reaches out, grabbing a handful of the more edible looking ones from the neatly arranged tray, dropping a few on the floor as he does so. Popping some into his mouth, the whirling dervisher waves back to the waiter, "M'mmh, tasty!" he calls back, mouth full, shocking everyone's delicate sensibilities.

SP-PAASSH!

While all eyes watch his hasty departure, a pair of waiters not looking where they were going crash into each other, spilling drinks all over the guests and the floor, causing utter chaos in the usually refined establishment.

There was a breathtaking view of Tokyo from the roof of this twenty-four story art museum in the center of the city's busiest section of town. And on a Friday night in the summer it was especially stunning.

But it was not the scenery, nor the elegance of the museum—it was the sight of the most beautiful woman in the world that took Robin Starr's breath away. He watches her soft curls wave back and forth in the breeze, her delicate white shoulders peeking out from beneath her shawl, her simple elegance, her graceful beauty.

Such feelings, such emotions, I never knew I could fall for another person. I always shut myself out from the world. But now I've found you, maybe it's time to fully open up... Robin gently strokes her aqua curls, almost afraid to touch such a perfect work of art.

"Robin," Michelle turns to him, her eyes wide, "did you mean what you said down there? Are you…are we…?" She looks down shyly, not knowing how to manage her own feelings.

So badly I want you to be a part of me…but I'm afraid. The child of Neptune deeply sensed her entire world was on the verge of transformation under his soul's healing touch.

I must tell you these feelings I'm discovering in you. But…what if you don't feel the same way? Robin's mind races. I want you to know. I need you to. This man from the distant stars was first to open the depths of his mind, reaching out to hers.

Closing her own eyes, Michelle enters his welcoming mind, his heart, his soul again that dared to share the most intimate part of himself. She feels every aspect of him surge through her receptive body. It was filled with every hope, every wish, every desire to no longer spend life alone.

And in the few ephemeral moments it took for her to receive his thoughts, Michelle was sure this was her beautiful destiny written out before the stars were born. All fears were wiped away, as she opens her secret heart to him, combining their hopes and desires, making them one. When they open their eyes back to reality, Michelle feels the tears of joy trembling in her eyes.

You love me. Michelle's mind whispers with the soulful knowledge in a way only formed by such a conductively flowing bond where water mingles with electricity.

You love me. Robin's heart answers back in the same soulful reflection that both answered of his growing emotion and responded to hers. His slim hand softly caresses her cheek with the gentle touch he'd give to a beautiful mirrored glass, running his slender fingers through her hair under the bewitching moonlight.

Closing their eyes, they two kiss, at first tentatively hesitant, then slowly becoming something more. His arms wrap around her, as Robin wonders how differently things were since last time they had met here on this earth and had been at odds. Just as Michelle wonders how she could have lived without him all this time.

Their cosmically destined kiss of perfection, their joining soul's first physical kiss of wonderment was suddenly broken by a strong arm thrusting Robin aside so violently he skids across the ground of the darkened rooftop on a bloodied elbow and knee.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Never had Alex's voice been angrier, never more vehemently threatening.

"Amara! NO!" Michelle pleads, rushing to her new-found love's aid.

"Michelle, I warned you!" Alex's eyes flash, her voice low. "Even if this star creature was an alien Sailor Soldier before, it's become a man now. Men are men and they're only after one thing! You know that!"

"Amara, you're wrong! He's different! He's not like that at all! His soul is beautiful." Michelle's voice grows more determined with each word.

"Michelle, we don't need any man!" Alex shouts through gritted teeth. "Remember, you and I…" The rebellious woman tries to remind her cousin, a sadness behind her angry tone.

"Amara, nothing changes between you and I. But things have changed with my view on love. Robin is—" Michelle attempts to explain.

"No! You're just not going to see him anymore. We're leaving," Alex decides what's best for them both. Michelle is too weak at the moment to make up her own mind.

Big mistake.

"What!? You can't just tell me what I can and can't do!" The little lamb roars, fiercely kneeling to him and clutching Robin's arm as he watches in shock.

"Michelle, you don't know what you're doing!" Alex flings back. "Come back to the car with me. I'll drive you home."

"Why do you always think you know what's best for me? I'm a grown woman now, Amara!" Michelle loses her cool, anger clouding her words. "I don't need you telling me every single thing to do!"

"THIS IS MY LIFE!"

The words hit Alex harder than the blade of any sword. Shell-shocked by them, she uncharacteristically backs down, turning to leave the roof as quickly as she could, tears stinging her own eyes.

Sayer, watching the scene from the shadows, silently takes off after her.

Robin stands up to his feet, worriedly witnessing where Michelle was frozen in place, still shaking, her fists yet clenched.

"Michelle…" He starts, not knowing what to say for all the trouble he was personally causing these once inseparable, unbreakable partners.

"I'm fine!" Michelle turns to him, smiling the lie. "If she wants to be stubborn, so can I." She puts her nose up haughtily. Robin looks down, feeling guilty that this is all somehow his fault.

Down the stairs, at the elevator, wait for the doors, wait for the damned doors.

BAANNGG!

Alex bashes the poor innocent elevator doors with a mighty blow of her instantly red palm, making the rest of the people waiting for the elevator suddenly want to take the stairs.

All except one.

"Ally—" Skinny Sayer Starr just in time squeezes in the elevator before the doors shut.

"DON"T TALK TO ME." She angrily says, not wanting him of all people to see her tears, she turns her back to him.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it like it sounded." He tries to calm her. with that smooth voice, but only proved to make it worse.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, OFFWORLDER! You don't understand!" Alex brushes him off with her spitting out the heated words and dismissive eyes flaring.

The dark-haired soldier from the stars considers this decidedly fierce, tough as nails, unyielding fellow guardian thoughtfully for a long moment.

"Listen. I don't know what you and Michelle are to each other…." Not a judgmental sort of person, for many reasons on this subject, obviously, Sayer still chokes on the thought, hoping it wasn't true, for his own male heart's surprising reasons, but… the way she's acting…

"—But, hey, sometimes we gotta let people we love do their own thing, even if we don't like it. I've…learned that…" Sayer trails off, a distant love look in his deep blue eyes that told of his own unrequited love story he had survived to live and perhaps love another day.

Hearing some reason in his words that somehow finally reach her livid ears, Alex Sokova turns to the pretty boy rock star standing before her. and lets out a long sigh. "What do I expect you to say, anyway? You've been turned into just a fool man now." She almost laughs at herself at her own choice of words.

"Yeah, yeah, men are worthless and stupid, women are perfect and geniuses. Yeah, I know. I am one every now and then, if you'd forgotten. So I walk on both sides of that line." Sayer teases in Fighter's slightly higher and more feminine vocals, treading on dangerous ground.

Chuckling, Alex's mood lightens slightly. Amazing how mad this one can make me and then he can make me laugh, too, the next second. I'll get around to straightening Michelle out later.

She tries to forget the angry words from before, but not quite doing so successfully. "All right, all right, go and get them before I change my mind and drive off without any of you." She says as the elevator opens to the lobby and she steps out.

"Oh, and, Starr." She pauses, watching his eyebrows raise in curiosity at her terse—yet familiar—address of his taken last name. "For your information…it's not what everyone thinks."

"That's a plus to hear. I have a chance then...." The latter part murmured quietly under his breath, this hopeful Fighter smiles at her, giving a thumbs-up and wink as the elevator doors close with him yet inside to go back up to fetch Michelle and Robin.

Why did he look so relieved? It's not like it's any of his business anyway…And why did I feel the need to say that?! That wolf and his dark eyes…Alex turns toward the front door, shaking her head at how maddening like the wind these star jerks were driving her.

"Did she need any help?" Susan asks Terry when he comes back into the dining room.

"Not really." He answers with an easy-going smile. "Just a few questions we cleared up. How about you?" Terry looks at the pile of papers and notebooks on the table spread before the quiet, tanned-skinned woman.

"Oh, well, I…" Susan stumbles, losing all composure whenever he directed those lilac eyes at her with any question.

Just like the shining jewels of hope in my eternal dreams…

"Here, please allow me to lend my assistance, then you'll be done twice as quickly." Terry pulls his chair closer to Susan's, sending her heart rate through the roof.

"Really, you don't have to. It all must seem so mundane compared to your theoretical studies." She says nervously, already impressed with this young man's astute intelligence which enjoyed research.

"No, I want to—But only if you'd like me to, that is." Terry looks at her, smiling hopefully at being useful. He felt drawn to this quiet female on so many levels, and wished to spend time with her. But the courteous gentleman would never impose.

"Of course, it would be very kind of you." Susan answers shyly. She, too, wished to spend these moments of time with him, though well-aware that Time was a rigid master.

"Good." The handsome young man pulls his chair even closer. "What are you working on now?"

"Well, these are the final designs on our bridesmaids' dresses for tomorrow."

"You designed all these yourself? Amazing artistry…" Terry sifts through the drawings, impressed by the fashion designer's skill and flow of the clothing ideas.

"Yes—well, the girls gave some input in the styles and colors for each of their bridesmaids dresses. I mostly only finalized the details." Susan adds, modestly playing down her role as exquisite gown designer.

"They're beautiful. And I'm certain you're just being modest. I can plainly see your delicate touch on every line." Terry watches her blush at the praise." I especially like this one." Terry pulls out the sketch of a gorgeous off-the-shoulder dress design, purplish in tint, elegant in beauty.

"Oh." Susan blushes even deeper, taking the paper back from him. "That's the one I'm having trouble with—it's mine." She ends almost in a whisper.

"Breathtaking." Terry smiles approvingly, his eyes dancing with delight with imaginings of this tall, sylphlike beauty adorned in such a stunning gown. "Where are you having trouble?" He tries to focus back on the technical side but finds himself visualizing how lovely Susan will look in it, her dark hair cascading down the silken folds of her dress, the tan shades of her velvety skin blending so well against the violet fabric, her bare shoulders…

Terry catches his wandering thoughts with a personal chastisement. He watches with interest as she sketches in another ruffle in the flower on the bodice. How talented she is, a true artist, with such lovely hands, so thin a waist, such long legs, so delicate a body…

"Ahem Would you like a drink?" Clearing his throat, Terry jumps up suddenly, looking for escape from his own amorous thoughts.

"No, thank you." Susan answers politely. As he gets up and leaves for the kitchen, she sighs. I must be so dull. I never know what to say but whenever I look at him, my heart does somersaults. And that cannot be…

But he's so kind. I don't want him to think I'm cold or indifferent. Oh, what do I do? I know! I'll ask him a question. Yes, then we can talk about that.

When Terry returns with that drink he really didn't want, Susan looks up as he passes, his eyes trained on her all the while.

"Do you think I should raise this shoulderline a bit?" She regrets the question as soon as it's out of her mouth. Terry looks at the sketch over her actual, quite delectable shoulder, bending down from his tall height to get a better angle.

Of the design, that is.

"You mean, a bit like this?" Then he takes the pencil from her fingers, caressing them as he does, and draws a light line slightly above the original. Susan can hear her own heart pounding as she feels his warm breath on her neck. No longer focusing on her sketching, not even hearing his words any longer, the sound of her wildly pounding heart resounds in her ears loudly.

"I think I liked it better where it was before…" Terry also doesn't even hear his own words anymore either as he turns his head, gazing at her magenta eyes, her tan skin, her crimson rouge lips…

Terry moves his lean frame forward, their lips just touching lightly, gently. Both pull back, their eyes locking for a moment, the attraction for each other evident. Suddenly, they kiss again, this time passionately, wildly.

Susan wraps her hands around Terry's neck as the kiss grows deeper and deeper. Feeling breathless and lightheaded, she prays for this kiss to never end. And it doesn't seem like Terry intended it to as he pulls her body closer to him, his osculation becoming even more intense, his hands making their way up and down her slender back and waist...

I must be in dream, Susan thinks, her mind spinning from her endless years of an unquenched thirst for such a tender sensation of love from such a gentle man…

Tara smiles at her reflection in the mirror. "He said I was pretty." She giggles to herself. "Oh, what time do I set the alarm for?" The young girl remembers, scampering out of the room to go ask Susan the time the older woman was so adept at keeping track of.

But when she reaches the dining room, the teenager stops in the doorway in shock at the sight which was awaiting her. There was her Terry in there with Susan.

And they were kissing!

How could she do this to me? How could she!? Tears spring to Tara's bright eyes as shock turns to anger at Susan. My Terry! She silently dashes out the back door into the woodland behind, tears streaming down her heartbroken cheeks.

Unaware of her sudden departure, Terry and Susan continue to kiss, long and hard, unbridled passion filling their senses, both letting go for the first time, making the passion even hotter.

Suddenly a door slams loudly, making Susan jump up, gasping for breath, scattering papers to the floor, and finds Alex, Sayer, Robin and even Michelle looking at them in astonishment.

"Go, Ter," Sayer smiles, always the first to recover with a quip.

"I don't believe this!" Alex explodes after a long pause. "Has the whole world gone insane?!" She first glares at Terry, then Sayer, and especially, Robin, her fist clenching as the anger was building.

"It's just since you three came back, the whole damn world's been turned upside down!" She shouts. "I want you ALL OUT, OUT of this house NOW, TONIGHT! I never want to see any of you near my girls again!" The Soldier of Uranus screams in protective fury for her sullied Outer Scouts, she personally unable to take these detestable Starlights anymore.

First Michelle and that shrimp, then Susan and that other big jerk, and then…that wolf…argh! I won't think about that, I just want them gone, out of my life! Then everything will go back to normal.

"No, Amara, you can't do that!" Michelle gets enough guts again to speak to her partner after total silence between them on the uncomfortable car trip home with only Sayer's vain attempts at banality.

"Why!? Because it's 'your life!'" Alex throws out, obviously still hurt by Michelle's blow before. Michelle looks down, ashamed to have said such a thing to her dearest friend, but still unrelenting enough in her emotions not to say she's sorry.

"Fine." Alex looks Michelle right in the eye. "Then I wash my hands of you all." And with that, she stomps out, slamming the door behind her, leaving five astonished people in her tempestuous wind's wake.

"Fine!" Michelle repeats in a passionate whisper. "She can be that way, just to spite herself." But the Soldier of Embrace feels tears welling behind her eyes.

'Michelle, this is my fault.' Robin psychically offers, sensing her true anguish with remorse.

"No! It's Amara's own stubborn doing, she always tries to run all our lives!" Despite her best effort, Michelle feels an unbidden tear sting her cheek as she verbally answers him, shying away from their astral link to shield her heart in chaos. Uncharacteristically compassionate for another more than himself, Robin simply puts his arm around her trembling shoulders.

With a forlorn gaze, Sayer looks out the door, watching the yellow Ferrari's screeching tires speed away into the night, feeling like all the light had just gone away with it.

Terry gathers the papers Susan knocked to the floor as he tries to catch Susan's attention. But the guilt ridden woman purposefully keeps her eyes away from his, avoiding his glances.

"I'll go see if Tara's all right after all this noise." She quickly disappears down the hall, Terry's entranced eyes following her departure with concern. But Susan soon returns, with sheer angst on her normally complacent features.

"I can't find her! She's not in her room!" Susan looks to Terry beseechingly, her usually calm voice filled with worry.

"The kid's probably just in the kitchen, or hanging out in another room playing video games?" Sayer questions, striding towards the other rooms of the Outer Scouts' rural mansion. "She must be here somewhere."

"I've looked everywhere. And she knows better than to just disappear in the dark of night!" Susan was becoming increasingly panicky after she and Michelle had been going from room to room calling their young charge's name. "First Alex…now Tara?" Her magenta eyes were frightened, the sentiment reflected in Michelle's troubled blue ones.

"We'll find her." Terry says authoritatively, placing a firm hand on Susan's shoulder for assurance as he, Sayer and Robin rush out the door in a starlit flash without even saying a word.

"How could she do this to me? I thought we were friends!" Tara runs deeper into the forest behind the mansion, tears streaming down her cheeks. She splashes through a small stream, her feet getting soaked. But she doesn't seem to notice as she trudges forward towards nothing in particular, just away, far away.

"Where am I?" Tara Tomoe finally stops to catch her breath, suddenly feeling the cold dampness of the night air on her. She races off again, the cold reaching all the way into her shattered heart, until she trips on an unseen root. She crashes down into the mud, feeling lost and lonely and bruised, the tears flowing freely.

I've never been afraid of the dark, but right now I'm so scared. She tries to get up but finds her small body trembling and weak. An animal cries in the distance, the blustery cold cutting cruelly into her petite frame.

Alone in her emotional torment, Tara shrieks in terror.

"Why? Why?!" The question burns through her soul. Thinking of all the people around her, how nobody seemed to care, her depressed mind, tormented and lonely, reverts back to a time when none of this mattered. Before she was with Alex and Michelle and Susan, before she had to grow up, before everything. To a time when there was someone who loved her, who would always understand, who would scoop her up in his strong arms whenever she was sad or lonely…

"Papa." Tara whispers into the darkness. "What do I do?" Her tears start anew. Closing her eyes, the dark haired child feels his presence, his warm arms around her. How nice it was, how happy we were then. She smiles, remembering her father's gentle eyes when a pale purple steak of light lifts her from the darkness. Suddenly she hears her Papa's voice calling her name, shaking her softly as if waking her from a dream.

"Tara, Tara…" His voice, concerned, was speaking softly. But suddenly, Tara realized the voice was not her Papa's. She looks up to find herself in Terry Starr's strong arms.

"Terry?!" She cries in a whisper, surprised, shocked, and above all, embarrassed.

"We all were so worried about you. What are you doing out here?" He wraps his jacket around her shivering shoulders.

"I…" Tara doesn't know what to say to the man she'd fallen in love wih. How can I tell him what I'm really feeling? How can I tell him I love him when Susan is…

She feels short of breath and starts to wheeze, coughing, with her old asthma complaint acting up in times of distress.

"Are you all right?" His kind eyes look worried. But the concern for her, the gentle sweetness made Tara love him even more, the pain in her heart growing.

"Let's go inside." Terry scoops her up, holding her small chilled body to his chest. That feeling again, just like Papa, Tara thinks hugging Terry tightly, wishing they could just stay like this forever.

"You found her!" Sayer's voice cuts through the darkness as Terry carries the missing child towards the house.

"Is she all right?" Robin asks, coming from the opposite direction behind them.

"She's fine." Terry squeezes the child, feeling a strange sensation of caring and responsibility as he takes her to the house.

"Tara!" Susan runs out the door to them. "Are you all right? What happened? Why did you leave so late at night without telling us?" Utmost concern in her voice was evident as Terry puts the girl down before her surrogate 'Susan-mama.'

"I'm fine." Tara looks up at her rival coldly. "You don't care anyway, you're always so cold and unfeeling." The child adds petulantly, staring Susan in the eye.

"Oh, Tara, that's not true! I do care!" Susan couldn't understand what happened between them, their relationship, both civilian and Sailor partners, was always good previously. But Tara looks away, ignoring her. Susan feels tears biting behind her eyes at Tara's cruel words.

Am I cold? Everyone always says I am. But I must be to endure two thousand years in solitude. What was I thinking before? I can't be with him. I have to stay cold. And I must stay alone.

"Tara, Susan was so worried about you. How can you say that to her?" Terry tries to defend her and Tara looks at him, hurt.

"Why did you run out? Was it because you heard Amara—" Michelle doesn't finish the question as Tara turns to her.

"You don't understand!" Tara bursts at Michelle. "None of you understand!" She runs off down the hall to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Well! This is turning out to be quite an emotional rollercoaster night." Michelle looks down the hall after the young teen they three had raised since a baby. Despite her own troubles, intuitive Michelle had a sneaking suspicion of what the girl's problem was, as she didn't require any mental prowess to see the way Terry looks at Susan and how Tara had looked at Terry.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it. The child must be distraught over something else and is taking it out on you." Terry comforts Susan who was trying to think why the sweet child would turn on her so suddenly.

"She is just tired from all the day's excitement. I'm sure she'll be fine in the morning after a good night's rest." Susan covers for the girl despite the harsh words that had cut through her so badly.

"I guess she wouldn't want to go to Serena's dinner then, hmm?" Michelle thinks aloud.

"Oh, maybe we shouldn't go either." Susan says with motherly concern etched on her lovely features.

"Don't be silly, Susan!" Michelle chides her older, more passive friend. "She's thirteen! She's old enough to stay home and sulk by herself. A lot of people are off sulking tonight and we won't have any part of it. We are going!" Michelle announces defiantly, still miffed by Alex's departure.

"Worry not, ladies, My brothers and I will stay here to watch her." Terry smiles at Susan, looking for some acknowledgment in her eyes, which she darts away quickly, much to his chagrin.

"Oh no, you're not." Michelle orders, hands on her shapely hips. "The three of you are going to Darien's bachelor party. I have already promised Andrew when you were out that you would only be too happy to attend. It's all been arranged."

"Bachelor party?" Sayer smiles wickedly, suddenly cheering up at the distracting idea of more sensual earth pleasures he and his brothers had only heard of before."Sounds good to me. Right, Rob?" He elbows Robin, who gives his brother a disgusted look back.

"I guess, if we have to." Robin looks abstractedly to Michelle, his thoughts she now filled were too busy for any trifles of foolish momentary gratification.

"But Miss Tara—" Terry glances restlessly down the hall towards Tara's room.

"Don't worry! She'll be fine. It'll do her good to just sleep it off." Michelle assures Terry with a shake of her head.

Men really have no idea, do they? Even these special cases.

It's obvious—Tara must've seen he and Susan being rather…intimate...before. Her first love now turns into her first heartbreak. It must be hard for her. Poor baby. Michelle sympathizes with the young girl's feelings. But as wonderful as it is, love also has a way of hurting those closest to us. Michelle's memory burns with the painful expression on Amara's face when she spoke to her those horrible words. No, it's her own fault. The aqua maiden pushes the blame for their first argument away. I'm going ahead with this exciting new destiny without her. I don't need Amara's permission.

Her thoughts kept all to herself, Michelle reaches out, grabbing Robin's hand tightly in hers.

"Come on, let's get going." She smiles falsely, trying to project a happiness that wasn't there.

'Michelle?' Robin tries to ask her if she's really all right through her mind link to his, but discovers the more powerful psi had shut him out totally. She must really be hurting. He feels genuine worry for her, but what could he do to fix this rift? It's my fault, I split them apart. They had something so special. Somehow I've got to set it right! But…how? Robin lightly smiles back at her as his once again solitary mind tries to sort this mess out on his own.

"I'll go talk to Tara." Susan starts towards the girl's room to give another try.

"No." Michelle grabs her arm. "I'll tell her we're going and see if she wants to come." Michelle didn't want Tara to spoil Susan's evening any more than she already has, concerned for her serious friend, regardless of her own current predicament.

"You boys get ready, quickly! I believe both parties have already started." Michelle calls back over her shoulder.

"I'll go get changed." Susan quickly leaves the room, avoiding Terry's searching eyes.

"...I don't know if I'm feeling up to indulge in a party." Terry dejectedly wonders why Susan keeps avoiding him.

"C'mon, Ter! A bachelor party?! We've never been invited to one before when we were on this planet, but I've seen some movies…" Sayer smirks a little more than a bit wickedly at all the late night TV remembrances of 'a man's last night of freedom' hijinks he had eye-peeled viewed as a younger teenager.

"…that's where the fun really begins!"