We do not own "Sailor Moon" nor any of the characters.
"SAILOR MOON ETERNAL"
The 6th Season of the Sailor Moon Saga
Chapter 8
"The Morning After"
The bright rays of the sun make their way through the lacy curtains, shining down onto Tara Tomoe's sleeping face. Waking up at their prompting, she goes through last night's events in her mind.
Yes, Susan kissed Terry. But when I ran away, he came to rescue me! He carried me in his strong arms the entire way home. He cares for me, he must! I know he does! Maybe, maybe, if I could just be as bold as Susan, then maybe he would…
In her fertile young mind, Tara begins to plan what she will do to make the man she was in love with fall for her, too. But that's when she feels Susan stir softly beside her. I even have to share the same bed with her! She still treats me like a child!
Strange, she's usually up long before I am. Lazy! Tara thinks sourly at her rival. Slipping out of the bed to shower and dress, her eyes were unwittingly pulled to look on Susan.
Susan and her hair unusually askew. Susan curled up in a clingy ball, clutching her pillow to her face. Susan and her lipstick splattered across her face, her neck, even on her chest! Susan in a man's shirt, unbuttoned…
Slow disbelief sets in as Tara realizes what it all means.
Susan has…has…Tara's innocent mind cowers from the mere thought of such an adult activity.
But I know what it is to be adult! I'm not as simple as they think! I'm an adult now, too! The child of rebirth's teenage mind screams back at her petulantly, proving otherwise. I know what's going on. Susan has been with a man. Tara moves closer to her sleeping form and still from a distance she can sense him, a familiar man's scent was upon the shirt collar the curious teen sniffs…
His scent.
Terry's.
Backing against the wall, Tara shakes her head in total and utter horror. No! The tears spring to her eyes as she runs to the bathroom to escape. Susan has made love to my Terry. My sweet Terry! She collapses on the cold tile floor, crying uncontrollably. Then Tara turns from extreme sadness to extreme anger. How dare she?! The normally quiet and shy girl growls in her mind. It's not his fault, he's a man. She's only using him! She doesn't really love him, not like I do! Well! Tara takes hold of herself trying to calm her blazing emotions. I'll just have to show Terry that I'm every bit the woman Susan is. Tara decides as she strips off her clothes.
Looking in the mirror she nods determinedly, her furious mind warped enough to believe her small girlish body could compete with Susan's more womanly form. Jumping into the shower, Tara plots the destruction of her one-time friend.
In Tara Tomoe's book, Susan de Venici was now public enemy #1.
Languidly glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, a startled Michelle Moreau then quickly jumps out of bed.
It's 9:30?! It'll never do for the hostess to be late! I forgot to set the alarm! Why hasn't Susan gotten me up! Michelle uncharacteristically runs barefoot to the bathroom for a quick shower, in her haste forgetting all about the guests staying in the house.
Rushing in, she sees Sayer shaving in the mirror, standing there with only a small towel wrapped around his slim waist. She squeaks, surprised, quickly retreating out the door again, slamming it shut behind her. Leaning against the bathroom door, Michelle was grateful that was all she saw.
"'Chelle, come on in! I'm just done now!" She hears his high pitched voice calls through the door in that bright, friendly manner. Smiling meekly she enters, Michelle was a more than a little ashamed, even as her artistic, womanly mind was making comparisons between the brothers Starr.
Sayer certainly has more angular a body...attractive in a sporty way…But my Robin is so svelte and smooth in flowing line that he's like a fine work of art, a perfectionné moderne modèle fit for the Musée du Louvre...The proficient Parisian painter assesses dreamily of her new, inspiring, modeling subject as she recalls Robin Starr's every limber line vividly.
"Forgive me for that, I was just in a hurry to shower, running a bit late." Michelle makes the excuses, her cheeks even pinker than usual at the mental visual of undressed Robin that comparison brought back to the front of her mind.
"Uh-huh. I just think you wanted to have a look at my stunning physique. Probably to compare it with Rob's—which I think you had more than a peek at last night." Sayer teases wickedly as he passes her on the way out, donning that little towel with no shame whatsoever.
"Ohhh!" She grunts in astonishment at this man's gall to say such things. "Get out!" Michelle pushes past him into the small room.
Stopping just in front of the door, he turns with one more comment.
"Now that you've had a good long look, what's the verdict?" Sayer sticks his face back in and strikes a provocative pose in the doorway, flexing his abdomen muscles, grinning from ear to ear. He gets his answer in the form of a soaking wet washcloth smacking into his head.
"Hey, good shot. I'll take you on my team any day." He removes the towel from his head. "But you still didn't answer the—" But saucy Sayer doesn't get to finish the last word as a big bar of soap comes flying at him, whacking him on the forehead so hard he could see stars.
Terry comes into consciousness with a dull throbbing pain stabbing at his temples. Groaning softly, he opens his eyes. As they slowly come into focus, he finds a dark green blouse tangled up in his arms. Susan's blouse? He asks himself recognizing it as the one she wore last night to Serena's party. How did it get here? His mind had either totally forgotten last night's drunken events or had blocked them out for propriety's sake. Either way, Terry had no idea how Susan's blouse could be here in his bed.
Must've just been here before, she must have forgotten it here when she was…cleaning the room. Yes, that must be it. Terry's proper mind refuses to even consider any other reason.
Holding his head, he gets out of bed, wondering why he wasn't wearing anything. How unusual, I generally do wear them to sleep. He thinks, eyebrows furrowing as he scans the room for his missing briefs. Spotting it near the bed, he bends down, scooping the undergarment up. Then Terry pulls on a new pair quickly, still looking down to where the briefs had laid.
Inquiring eyes see that some kind of black fabric had been hiding under them. Curiously, he picks the item up, its crumpled form falling out, revealing that it was a skirt—a mini skirt, in fact—a woman's skirt. His eyes widen at the implication now combined with the blouse.
It is Susan's, however…I have no idea how it got here. She must have dropped it here accidentally…that's it. Yes. Terry continues to try to convince himself, desperately grasping at excuses, as implausible as they may be. Confused, the studious man neatly folds the skirt and places it on the nightstand on top of the blouse. Shrugging his shoulders at the unanswered questions nagging the back of his mind, Terry decides to push them aside, and begins to make the bed.
But the next item he finds could no longer be ignored. Peeking out from in between the white sheets, Terry spies a lavender bit of cloth sticking out. Lifting it up, it strings out to his shock and horror, revealing a lacy, little lavender bra.
"No…" He whispers, disbelieving the certain implications this new evidence thrust forward. Just then the door opens a crack and Terry guiltily hides the most damning article of clothing behind his back.
Sayer sticks his head in, deep blue eyes looking around the room for—something, or—
Someone.
"I saw that." He smiles cattily, letting himself in. "Oh, wait. Can I come in yet—or is she still coming back?" Glancing around the corner of the room to the door as if expecting it to open, Sayer looks at his brother with a strange new respect in his voice.
"She…?" Terry repeats, his breath catching in his throat in terror. "Who?" He asks, praying that Sayer was teasing somehow, that this was all a bad dream.
"Who?!" Sayer looks at him with a confused smile. "Susie, you sly dog. Or did you think you could keep that kind of thing a secret from me?"
"What—what 'kind of thing?'" Terry asks worriedly, frightened of the answer.
"C'mon, don't hold out on me. What was it like?" Sayer asks, dying to know. "You know—the first time?" His dark eyebrows intimate the thrilling subject to this eighteen-year-old, virile young man. But looking right at Terry's blank, scared expression, it finally dawns on Sayer what his taller brother was actually saying.
"You don't REMEMBER?!" He asks in disbelieving shock and Terry shakes his head. "You made love to a beautiful woman last night and you DON'T REMEMBER!" Astounded Sayer's wide open mouth's jaw drops at the disappointing thought.
"I…I did?" Terry swallows hard, looking at Sayer, the ignorance of the event plain on his face.
"Yes, you did." Sayer says matter-of-factly, grabbing Terry's hiding arm, from behind his back as evidence. The flashing eyes, ponytail flapping teen idol pulls it close to Terry's face, the lavender brassier amply displayed plainly.
In Terry's mind flashes the anything but plain vision of shapely Susan falling out of this particular clothing item…
No, stop, man! Don't even start to go there again…Terry chides himself quickly, guiltily.
"Oh, Sayer…" Terry sinks to the bed, shocked that his moral standards could be compromised so easily by just one night's momentary slip of imbibing a forbidden alcoholic beverage. "What does Susan think of me? How could I have been so ungentlemanly?" He demands of himself in frustration.
"Hey, it happens to the best of us." Sayer says nonchalantly to his guilt-stricken brother as if he was an old pro on the subject as he goes from drawer to drawer collecting his own clothes for the day.
"Do you think she….feels I just used her? Or that I did it simply because I was intoxicated?" Terry asks worriedly, not wanting Susan to think their intercourse only that. He was slowly accepting it as a fact that he could not change—and secretly did not want to, as he vividly imagines what bliss must've taken place here in this room last evening.
"Ter, don't sell yourself short. Women don't just do that unless they want to. Susie's crazy about you. I saw it coming. Just didn't figure it'd be so soon that you two'd hit the sheets." Sayer's eyebrows waggle as he glances at the still mussed bed pointedly. "You got a good eye, Ter. Susie's a good looking woman."
"I know she is." Terry gets a faraway look in his eye, smiling. Then looking at Sayer's playfully accusing smirk, he clears his throat. "We'd better get ready. It's a big day today."
"Yeah, then you have tonight to look forward to again, when you and Susie can have more fun…" Sayer relentlessly teases as Terry smacks him with a pillow admonishingly, envisioning last night's forgotten 'fun' with a sigh.
...She sighed music...
Finally ready, Michelle runs to the kitchen, happy to see the boys and Tara chatting amiably while Tara was just finishing preparing them all toast and scrambled eggs.
Robin, still holding his now dry head, brightens when the aqua maiden comes in, smiling at her warmly. Looking coy, she smiles back, not in the least bit embarrassed of last night's events between them.
'You look like you got a good night's sleep.' His scratchy voiced mind projects via their psychic link with the positive compliment to her physical beauty underlying.
'Maybe I discovered a breathtaking view to lull me to my dreams.' Michelle flirts right back in reference to the inspiring jewels of a star she had uncovered and glimpsed which lasted long into the dazzled night.
"Making breakfast, Tara?" Michelle says to Tara surprised to see anyone other than Susan at that stove. "Where's Susan?"
"How should I know? Last I saw her, the lazy girl was still in bed." Her usually soft small voice snaps, making Michelle's eyes open wide. "Besides, I can make breakfast as well as she can. Terry's already told me that my eggs are delicious." She smiles sweetly at her idol, who nods politely, unaware that his kindness was throwing flames on the embers of her envy.
"Well, then it's good you learned from her well." Michelle could see right through the insolent child's vain efforts, she standing up for Susan-mama in her absence. "Let's get going then. Oh, Terry? Could you drive us? You boys will need the car to pick us up later, that's why I'm asking."
"Certainly, Miss Moreau," Terry smiles politely, not letting the pain and panic behind his eyes get to him.
"Good." Michelle anxiously looks at the kitchen clock. "9:50 already! Where is that Susan? She knows we have to be there before 10 AM!" She watches as Sayer shoots a smirk at Terry, who looks down guiltily. But at the time, Michelle thinks nothing of it. "I'd better go get her. Terry, warm up that car. We'll be right out." She rushes to Susan's room.
"Susan," she knocks on the door. "Do hurry up." No reply. So, owner of this mansion, Michelle lets herself in.
"Susan, we're going to be—" Searching around, she finds Susan fully dressed, sitting on the dark bedroom's dark closet floor, all lights off, her dark green head buried in her pulled close dark knees.
"Susan?" Michelle quietly goes to her friend, putting a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "What is it?" In all the time they'd spent together, Michelle had never once seen this soldier of Pluto anything other than calm and collected. What could be wrong?
Susan looks up at her, finally revealing that she was clutching a white shirt. And furthermore, that she had been crying into it. It didn't take long for a French female like Michelle to realize that it was a man's shirt she was holding. Suddenly the psi recalled that little conspiring scene in the kitchen between Sayer and Terry. And then last night how a drunken Terry was all over Susan and…
"Oh, Susan, did he…?" Michelle asks, concerned, as she, even in her dress and high heels kneels next to her on the dark closet floor. sure that men are capable of anything, especially when they're drunk, but not wanting to believe it of such a kind soul as Terry. But Alex always told me to watch out for any man.
"It's all my fault!" Susan's depressed mind speaks in riddles. "I wanted him to. He was so gentle." A blissful smile comes over her face, as she caresses his shirt on her cheek, cementing Michelle's belief that something did happen for certain. Then she's overtaken once again by that anxious, faraway stare.
"Then what's the problem? You wanted him and he wanted you. It's that simple. There's nothing to be ashamed of. It's perfectly natural." Michelle smiles, mistaking Susan's emotional state for first time jitters. I wonder if I'd be like this if Robin and I had…Oh well, there's always next time…Michelle sighs at Susan's good fortune.
"Well, let's get going! We're already late. We'll talk about this again later, all right?" Michelle switches on the light and pulls Susan up from the closet and smoothes a stray hair into place.
Stealing the shirt from Susan's hands, she tosses it on the bed as they pass on the way out. Michelle giggles at Susan's longing glance back at it.
"You won't be needing that. You'll have the real thing in a minute." She smiles that knowing smile as they rush out into the hall, thinking it rather sweet. Michelle was quite certain that there must be a "special" memory attached to that shirt.
"Bye, boys." Seeing Tara had already loaded into the sedan, Michelle waves to the Three Lights as she tugs Susan out the door of the kitchen, neither of them noticing Sayer's keen-eyed interest in the darker haired woman.
"Did you know Susie wears purple undies?" He asks out of the clear blue.
"Sayer! How do you know such things?!" Aghast, Robin drops his fork, scattering scrambled eggs across the table.
"Don't ask me." Sayer plays the innocent. "Ask Terry." Robin's eyes pop open wide, thinking he was the only one with vixen female issues.
Rushing to the running car, Michelle shoves a weary Susan into the backseat, then scoots in next to her.
"All right. Shall we go?" Michelle says to Terry, whose eyes were glued to Susan in his rear view mirror since the moment she entered the car. But Susan keeps her eyes down, avoiding his.
Stepping on the gas, a disturbed Terry pulls out onto the road, somehow still being able to drive despite the pounding in his head, and even if he kept stealing glances back at Susan. Tara, already seated next to him in the passenger's seat had been trying to get Terry to converse with her, but finding it difficult, since most of his answers came as a simple polite "Yes" or "No" and that was it.
He has changed since last night. The teenager considers, wounded at his indifference towards her. Look what you've done, Susan! You'll pay. Tara steams inside, but outside puts on her sweetest of smiles in Terry's direction. "I'm so excited. I can't wait for you to see my bridesmaid dress!" She exclaims cheerfully.
"Yes." Terry seemed to barely hear her. "I'm sure it's lovely." He adds after a long pause, totally uninterested in anything but that woman in the back seat.
Why won't you look at me, Susan? What did I do to you? You must think me so ungentlemanly. He desperately tries to remember the prior evening, but still comes up blank.
I'm so sorry for causing you any heartache with my indiscretions. Please just look at me once. I need to talk to you. I need to tell you how deeply I care…
His mind races, not hearing a word of Tara's background chatter. So wrapped up in his own thoughts, he almost doesn't hear Michelle's voice until she repeated it in a shrill tone.
"Turn here, Terry!" She says urgently. Terry spins the wheel, tires screeching as they just make the turn. "You're not paying attention to a single thing we say, are you?" Michelle smiles at him, insightfully.
"Well, I…I…" Unusually in-eloquent, Terry Starr stumbles with words to say.
"You probably didn't get much sleep last night." Michelle fills in a reason. "Yes, I certainly figured that one out." She smiles smugly at Susan, whose only response was her blushing cheeks as she continued to keep her eyes drawn down.
"There's my house." Michelle points to a huge mansion overlooking the coast. They pull up the long driveway, and Michelle exits out her side door, as does Tara in the sedan's rear where she had been keeping a impersonal distance from the older woman. Terry seizes his opportunity, and rushes to open Susan's side door, only to find she had slid out Michelle's side, purposely avoiding him.
"Don't be late for us at noon!" Michelle calls back, leading Tara and Susan up the steps to the double front doors. "I mean it this time." She throws out a final warning, recalling the events of last night.
Terry nods sadly as he watches Susan disappear into the mansion. Oh, Susan forgive me please. How could I have done such a thing to her! I must tell her I only did it because…because…I'm in love with her. But how can I prove it now? Terry wonders as he gets back in the car.
"What have I done to you?" Terry's troubled mind worries over her unsettling silence as she, Michelle and Tara had left the car without Susan even looking back at him once. Terry tries desperately to recall last night, but his memory fails him.
Something happened. I think something happened. He wonders, confused, but then he remembers this morning's shocking physical evidence at his bed. Yes, I'm sure something happened. He logics out decidedly, not totally displeased with the idea, just with the fact that he couldn't remember it. But most of all, he wondered what was wrong with Susan.
Could I have…? His mind searches for the reason for her avoiding him, no matter how unbelievable. Could I have hurt her somehow? In the heat of passion did I… even if it was an accident, could I have…I can't believe I would ever do anything to hurt her. I just wouldn't. His star gentle mind crosses out that unseemly option. No, it must be something else. He sits in the car trying to piece together what had happened.
Maybe…a sudden unwelcome thought strays into his claimed male psyche. Maybe I…I wasn't…good enough. His mind, embarrassed, shuns away from this demeaning theory. No! That couldn't be it, at least I hope that's not it, Terry silently prays for the degrading thought to be untrue. Then what could it be? He closes his eyes trying to imagine how it all transpired. How did I get Susan to…? His question is interrupted by a horrifying new thought. Could I have…somehow forced myself on her? He swallows hard at the terrible explanation. Could that explain why she's ignoring me?! His mind races to a feverish pitch. I couldn't! I wouldn't! Not even if I was drunk. I respect Susan. I…He leans his spinning head back. She would have said something, wouldn't she? No. I would never do that to a woman. Especially not one I care for this much. No. He relies that his morals would never be compromised like that.
It can NOT be that. What could it be then, Susan? What are you afraid to say to me?
Gazing out the window, he sees a familiar figure with long, golden flowing ponytails walking towards the mansion, a baby in her arms and a little pink-haired girl beside her. Watching them thoughtfully, something catches his attention. It was the way the girl was holding the baby. It was her baby, Terry could tell that she was. He didn't know how the little fuchsia-haired child could be Miss Serena's since last time he was here and had met the perplexing little waif, but he was certain of it now. The sentiment they both emitted was different this time.
Just as Serena looked to be certain of it. Certain that this baby was her own. Certain of the baby's future. Certain of her baby's father. Feeling as if his eyes had been suddenly opened, the Three Lights' composer slumps back into his seat. Terry's mind was still reeling when Serena catches sight of him in the car and jauntily skips up to the driver's side window, the happiness in her heart exuding from her very being.
"'Morning, Terry!" Serena Hart bubbles. When she receives no answer, she stubbornly sticks her head into the window further, assuming the young man didn't hear her from the dazed expression on his comely face.
"Terry?" Wonder on her sweet features, Serena touches his shoulder gently.
"Miss Serena!" He says with a start, just then noticing her arrival.
"Anything wrong?" Serena asks, becoming concerned.
"No—no. Nothing wrong at all." The normally rational academic suddenly smiles bright, his depressing mood totally flipped around at his new "theory" of what he decided must be wrong with Susan.
"Good!" She smiles from ear to ear. "Today's the day!" The beaming Princess of the Moon sings out with a wave as she trots up the coastal mansion's steps. RiRi giggles happily in her arms, waving at Terry wildly and wanting to give him a hug. But her older sister, Rini, looks back at the young man in the car, as if critically scrutinizing him.
"Yes." Terry gazes up at the huge mansion, feeling his hopes rising, just knowing Susan was inside. That must be it! That must be what she's afraid of! Oh, Susan you don't have to be afraid! But I guess you don't know that for sure, we really have only just met as civilians. I'll take care of you forever! You and your baby. You and our baby. Terry feels such pride in the completely erroneous thought, but looks down blushing at the circumstances in which the child was conceived. I know we shouldn't have…we weren't married…but—a baby! He thinks dreamily, imagining a happy, normal, future family life with Susan at his side. I do love you, my darling. Later, I'll tell you everything I feel, I'll put all your worries to rest and we can be together. I'll make it right for you, my love.
The formerly clinical and cool intellectual now had a heart full of dreams and romance thanks to that ray of the Moon they were all celebrating today as he starts the engine jauntily.
"Yes. Today is the day!" He smiles the declaration in the rear view mirror, agreeing with Serena's words. He drives away with spirits uplifted at the hope of a future with Susan, unknowing that her future—and maybe his, too-had already been decided in a Time long ago.
"Where have you guys been?!" Rei's cutting voice says as Michelle, Tara, and Susan enter into the spacious fitting room on the second floor of Michelle's ornate mansion.
"Forgot to set the alarm. Do forgive us, Princess." Michelle answers flippantly, not at all affected by Rei's outbursts.
"You know we're helpless without you guys!" Mina murmurs, her mouth full of pins as she attempts to finish the hem on Amy's dress and fails miserably in a lop-sided stitch, much to Amy's anxious dismay.
"Where's Alex? Still parking the Ferrari in that fancy garage of Michelle's, no doubt, probably trying to avoid the girly dolling up chaos in here? Can't say I blame her." Still adjusting which side her red star barrette would look best on her head in Michelle's vanity mirror, Rei makes the conclusion of their group member with the least feminine tendencies. But something in Michelle's eyes avoiding hers when Alex's name was mentioned had the sensitive temple maiden wondering.
"Susan, could you help me with this part? I'm not quite sure…" At her wits end of being the only one capable of even knotting a basic stitch capably, Lita trails off in confusion, holding up Serena's too-stiff-to-fall-around-her-double-bunhead-nicely, white chiffon veil that still required the huge, fresh white roses which had just been brought up to be attached.
Without a word, Susan simply acquiesces. Taking the overly starched veil from Lita, the box of white roses from Amy, she quietly seats herself in the window box and begins to sew slowly with an expert's professional improvisation. But her searching eyes were being drawn to something outside. Then a dreamy smile comes to her face when she obviously finds it.
Puzzled by Susan's strange behavior, Lita shrugs to Rei, Mina, and Amy, who look just as confused as they shrug back. Before she has a chance to ask Susan what it was, there comes a knock to the door and the butler enters with a radiant Serena at his side.
"Miss Hart and her sisters, Madame," His snooty English accent made it sound like he had just introduced "Miss Hot" instead, before quickly disappearing out the door in eerie silence.
"He's weird…Hi-hi!" Murmuring under her breath at Michelle's oddly aloof manservant who creeped her out, Serena shakes it off and then bubbles over again, full of the day's happy expectations, with Rini and RiRi smiling from ear to ear.
"You're late, Serena, as per usual." Rei wouldn't stop criticizing Serena simply because it was her special day.
"Hi, Tara!" Rini greets her best friend cheerfully, but was disappointed by Tara's unenthusiastic "Oh, hello, Rini," as if she wasn't interested in her old friend she had not seen in a long time anymore.
Rini's plump face falls as she puckers her lips, her gaze looking to her 'Puu' across the room. But upon noticing Tara's angry glare of indifference at Rini's beloved Time trainer, the pink haired girl's mouth forms into an 'O' shape in realization of the time frame this little time traveler had landed in.
"Well, Mom and I had some last minute things to do. You know how it is! We had to go out and pick up some party dresses for Rini and RiRi, which poor Mom couldn't figure out for the life of her how she had forgotten to buy for her two 'younger daughters.' I mean, my younger sisters—ugh, my daughters? So way confusing." Letting out a sigh at the time paradox quotient that rattled her brain, Serena raises the bags in her hands to display her morning's efforts. Then she puts down a wriggling RiRi, who makes a bee-line straight for Susan in the window seat.
The older woman breaks her gaze out the window panes and looks down at the little girl staring up at her with a wispy smile still on her lips.
"ChibiChibi's?" The toddler tended to call herself in baby talk still.
"No, little one, this is for your Mommy." Susan answers sweetly. But just looking at the tiny face stirred strange emotions within her of shifting futures and her unchanging duty within it.
"Mama!" RiRi smiles gleefully chuckles at the mere mention of her pretty Moon Mommy.
"Yes, that's right!" Susan suddenly scoops up the child, holding her to her chest, hugging her warmly, a look of desperate longing on her face. And for once, as if understanding somehow, Princess Daria does not try to wriggle one little bit.
Stranger and stranger for Susan to ever show such an outburst of feeling, especially towards a small child, as many in the room believed her emotionless before. The girls look at each other in curious bewilderment. Seeing their interest and knowing the reason herself, Michelle attempts to cover for her friend's "little secret" by changing the subject.
"A new dress, Rini? May I see it?" Michelle smiles as she was just whisked in a piping hot cup of Earl Grey tea at her mansion room's vanity table, as if there was nothing wrong at all.
With one eye still on her "Puu," Rini takes out her little pink dress and holds it up.
"It's very pretty. Why don't you try it on?" Then still seeing the girls watch in amazement—how deft with a needle Susan could sew with one hand and stroke RiRi's hair with the other. That is, until the tan-skinned female's eyes dart out into the driveway, Susan nearly dropping the veil she'd been working on over RiRi's dumbfounded head.
Michelle quickly decides to garner everyone's attention so Susan wouldn't need to explain.
"Why don't we all try our dresses on? It is getting rather late if there're any last minute problems still to fix on them." Nodding, the excited girls scatter about collecting their gowns. Satisfied she avoided their wondering about Susan, Michelle opens the extensive closet to fetch her own gown, inviting the others to follow suit.
A bundle of love energy, Mina finds hers quickly and was the first to ditch her street clothes. Standing there in her slip, she suddenly remembers something and turns to Michelle.
"Don't let that butler of yours in while we change! He gives me the creeps with his 'very good, mademoiselle,' 'It will be done, mademoiselle!'" The blonde American ditz shivers after relating her best British accent which the well-traveled Sailor V was familiar with. They all laugh, and Susan's odd behavior was forgotten in the hustle and bustle.
The room fills with happy girlish chatter as the young women don their first bridesmaids' dresses.
"Do you think my hair would look better put up or just down?" Rei asks, demonstrating.
"Is my dress stained?!" Mina exclaims then realizes it only a shadow.
"Has someone seen my shoes?" In a panic that no one else here shared her large shoe size to share, Lita finds her size 10 green pumps missing.
"Do you think this dress makes me look older?" Tara asks, studying herself in a full length mirror. Rini nods, smiling.
"You bet! And I'm going to be the flower girl!" Rini sings, happily pinning some flowers to her pink lacy dress without drawing blood.
"No! Chibi Chibi flower girl!" RiRi corrects her elder sister.
"You're both flower girls, silly." Amy pats the baby on the head as she white ties bows in her hair.
Her poufy aqua dress rippling as she walked, Michelle crosses the room to where Susan was still perched in the window at her craft.
"Aren't you getting dressed yet, Susan?" Michelle puts her own brilliant round-cut, extremely expensive diamond earrings on.
"I…just want to finish this…There, I'm done." Susan finishes the delicate hand stitching necessary for such an elaborate, fresh white rose covered veil.
"Well, hurry up! After all, you do want to make yourself especially beautiful for someone today, don't you?" Michelle teases as Susan blushes. Leaving her post at the window, she hands the veil to an astonished Serena.
"Oh, Susan, it's even lovelier than I imagined! You're such a wonderful seamstress!" Serena gives her a quick hug, displaying the be-flowered rose veil to the girls. Susan smiles.
"I'll get changed now myself." She slips away to the large walk-in closet to find her gown, with one more backward glance out the window.
"Hey, Michelle, Michelle." Rei whispers, her hand hiding her lips that were just as flaming red as her dress. "What do you mean by 'make yourself beautiful for someone?' Who? What's with Susan?"
"Yeah, what's the scoop?" Lita says softly, along with a curious Amy, as the rainbow colored bridesmaid dressed young ladies start forming a crowd around Michelle.
"Well, I suppose I shouldn't say…" Resplendent in aquamarines, Michelle toys with her earrings, her words offered a bit too invitingly, as she was really itching to share her news.
"What! Tell ME~~?!" Serena whispers in her infamous "train" whisper that could be heard across the room, but luckily not into the closet.
"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Mina runs from the other side of the room with all the grace of a bow legged ostrich, one shoe on, one shoe off, her unbuttoned melon and orange dress sliding down her shoulder.
"You guys can't be gossiping without me!"
"Gossip?!" Rini's interest piqued, just like her future mother's, as she starts to drift towards the gaggle. But Tara stops her with a hand on her shoulder.
"It's nothing much, Rini." She lies, trying to conceal her first love's transgressions with another woman.
"Here, help me with this zipper." Tara attempts to change the subject. Shrugging her shoulders, Rini stays to please her friend, though one nosy ear was still listening in for the juicy details Tara obviously didn't want her to hear.
"Well, Michelle?" Lita prompts her again, but the older Outer Sailor Scout hesitates.
"You know something! Tell us!" Mina seems about to explode if she doesn't find out.
"Well…" Michelle guiltily glances at the closet to make sure of Susan's absence. "If you must know, last night…" She lowers her voice even more, her hand at her mouth as the girls listen with rapt attention in a huddle, their heads close.
"AHHHHHHHH!" Mina's shrill shriek pierces through the near silent room as she clutches her chest, as if going to collapse from the sheer shock.
"No way!" Lita's eyes pop open wide as Rei shakes her head, clicking her tongue disapprovingly, "tsk, tsk, tsk…"
"Are you sure?" Amy's sweet voice says in disbelief. "Gentlemanly Terry?"
Michelle nods with a smug smile. "You should have seen him last night."
"Really?" Serena says in shock and astonishment of proper Susan and gentlemanly Terry being…doing…
Before getting MARRIED?!
"Wow…" Serena says at the thought, marriage and weddings at the top of her list of things of utmost import before anything else, Darien in obvious agreement, never pushing her.
"What's going on over there?!" Rini whispers, sensing the conversation must be deemed 'too adult' for her ears.
But when did the little pink terror ever care about that?
"Tara? Do you want to talk to me about it?" Rini understood the other girl knew exactly what was going on. But nonetheless Rini was concerned when she looks at Tara's forlorn face.
"It's nothing, Rini. Absolutely nothing…" Tara finally answers, tears in her eyes, her small voice breaking—
Just like her heart…