Aishiteru by Minako and Setsuna

Rated: strongly PG-13

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, TOEI, DiC, Kodansha, Bandai, among others, and no copyright infringement is intended. And the Three Light's song isn’t our either, it’s Search For Your Love, and appears on the CD Pretty Soldier Sailormoon Sailorstars Best Song Collection, and no copyright infringement is intended.

This story is... unusual. It is not an endorsement for any activities of any sort, you are responsible for what you do. And no, we don’t think this couple is destined to be together, but we were just having a little fun, mixing and matching...

Minako-chan, dear. You may have Yaten-kun. Mamoru is mine.

No, Setsuna-san, you are sadly mistaken. Yaten-boy is mine, but so is Mamoru-san, Kunzy-chan, and Saffiru-san!! =:>

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And, BTW, Setsuna-san, you can’t call Mamoru-san without a name ending!

Tehehehe! ; )

Pay attention to name endings! ; )

tachi-the person mentioned and everyone else in that group
kun-(male)admired and revered
san-highly respected person
chan-(female) friend (also term of endearment for boyfriend)
no name ending- lover
Aishitaru- a very strong, romantic way to say ‘I love you’
minna- everyone
senshi-warrior/soldier
baka- idiot/jerk/ass

And please give us feedback, at VoySetsuna@aol.com  or/and SailorCleo@aol.com  . We'd like to know what you thought of our story!

****
"Tehehehe!!" squeaked Usagi as she stood on the door step of the Makoto’s apartment. "This party is going to be a blast!"

Minako straightened her short black dress. "Do I look okay?"

"Oh, fine. Would you stop that? I can’t believe Makoto-chan actually got the Three Lights to agree to come!"

"They’re only coming because Makoto-chan told Taiki-kun that Ami-chan was going to be there," Minako said dejectedly.

Ami blushed. "I’m sure they would have came anyway, though it will be nice to see him..."

"It’s going to be nice to see Yaten-kun! Hurry up and ring the bell, why don’t you?" Minako said, a dreamy look in her eyes.

Ding-dong, the door bell rang, answered shortly by Makoto.  "Hi Usagi-tachi!"

"Hi Mako-chan! Are they here yet?" Minako asked eagerly, standing on tiptoe and peering around Makoto’s shoulder.

"Yup. Got here a while ago. What took you guys so long to get here?"

"Minako-chan wanted to make sure she was weaning the right thing for Yaten-kun to see her in." Usagi said, rolling her eyes slightly. She didn’t think she was that bad with her Mamo-chan.

"Get real," Ami stressed, winding her way past Makoto. "Taiki is here! So what about Yaten-kun?"

Minako stared agape after Ami. "I can’t believe what I just heard."

"Did she just..." Rei muttered somewhat surprised at Ami’s lack of name ending for Taiki. She wouldn’t have thought Ami of all people would... Ugh.

Makoto closed the door behind them, as they filtered in to the room moderately crowded with senshi and the occasional friend from school.

Usagi sighed as she watched Ami lean close to Taiki, her eyes shining, and her hand resting on his arm. She wouldn’t be surprised if it were math they were discussing so amorously.

She sighed, dreaming of the too distant two months that would pass before her Mamo-chan would arrive home from college in the States.

Seiya waved at her from across the room, winding through the crowd with a smile. "Hiya, Odango-atama!"

"Hi, Seiya-kun!" Usagi said, for once glad that he had interrupted her thoughts, she stepped across the room, with every intention of convincing him to listen to her summary of the latest Sailor-V movie. He wouldn’t mind.

                                                                ****
Minako scratched her forehead in confusion as she stared at the table of refreshments sitting along one wall. "Blue, pink, or green."

"Definately the pink," said Yaten, walking up behind her. "It’s strawberry," he said, motioning to the little plastic party cups sitting next to a bowl of punch.

"Eh," she said with a shrug, going for the cup of pink liquid.

"Just to warn you," he cleared his throat slightly. "Makoto-chan and I had a little fun with the punch and a bottle of alcohol, before everyone got here."

Minako laughed. All the better. "You don’t say..." She took a drink.

Yaten looked reasonably impressed, and reached for a pink drink himself. He watched Minako, his eyes never leaving her face until Makoto stepped up on the coffee table behind them, and cleared her throat.

"Ahem," she said, "Now that everybody is here..." She aimed the remote at the stereo across the room, and a path cleared for the remote to work. She pressed the button, and music from the Three Light’s latest CD flooded the room at an incredible volume.

Yaten had the grace to look embarrassed, but Seiya hopped up on the table as Makoto was jumping down. "Search for your love!" He howled, leaving a slightly stunned Usagi watching from below.

The crowd laughed, as Seiya continued his impromptu performance. Seiya did a lot of strange things, usually to disguise something he didn’t want to face for himself. He had fallen for Usagi, and it hurt him to see how much she was missing Mamoru. He listened when she spoke of Mamoru with love in her eyes, when he all he wanted was to tell her how much he loved her.

Minako examined Yaten’s expression as he watched Seiya, and saw the somber shadows of darkness and pain in his green eyes. She decided at that moment that she was going to get drunk.  Everyone around her seemed to be in pain, and she, the Soldier of Love, could do little to help, and it haunted her waking thoughts. One night of escape wasn’t too much to ask for.

She glance away, her eyes a little too bright, and spotted Michiru stirring the punch with a distracted absorption. "Excuse me," she said to Yaten, who hardly noticed her disappearance, as he stared expresssionlessly at his brother, and turned to speak to Michiru.

"Hi." Minako said, frowning at the swirling ice in the bowl.

Michiru nodded her greeting. "Makoto-chan seems to have a good party going." She said, breaking away from the punch bowl and observing the crowd.

Minako nodded in agreement. "She does."

Michiru sighed. "It’s strange, Haruka and I came here to get away for an evening, out of the routine we seem to have gotten in to, Setsuna-san’s watching Hotaru-chan, and the only thing I can think of is wanting to be back at home."

"Yeah," Minako said, turning and filling the now empty party cup with more pink liquid from the bowl.

Minako smiled a greeting as Haruka walked up behind Michiru.

Michiru leaned back, as Haruka wrapped her arms around her, more comfortable in her presence. "Do you want to just sit on the sofa and listen to the music?"

Haruka shrugged. It was too early to leave with out being rude Not that she usually cared, but these were her friends. She glanced at Seiya, singing another song from the table top. Well,
mostly her friends.

They sat on one side of the green and blue plaid sofa. Ami sat on one arm of the sofa, with Taiki standing beside of her.

Ami laughed lightly. "And I was certain that Shakespere's Hamlet was a tragic hero."

"I was too, but seriously, the article by Widso Tucheni convinced me otherwise. I have a copy, if you want to read it, and see what you think."

"Sure! That would be great!" Ami exclaimed, with honest enthusiasm.

Michiru smiled slightly, as Haruka rolled her eyes. She elbowed her in the side. "Be nice."

"Hey," Ami said, "I’ve heard that the library is having a film festival on Shakespere tonight! Do you want to go?"

"Anywhere with you," he said sweetly, as he bent to kiss her. Seiya hopped of the table, nearly stumbling in to Taiki. He sometimes rivaled Usagi with his gracefulness. Taiki frowned.  "Seyia-kun, how many drinks have you had already?"

Seyia held up three fingers, then changed his mind, holding up a fourth. "Five." He said calmly.

Usagi stepped over, raising her brows, and grabbing Seiya by the arm. "Only five, my gosh Seiya-kun, we’ll have to fix that.  You shouldn’t bother the love birds." She chastised, dragging him to the refreshment table, stumbling along the way.

Ami gave Usagi a grateful look, as they walked off, and turning to Makoto, who was approaching the other side of the sofa.  "Makoto-chan," she said.

"Oh, hi," Makoto said with a silly grin, "a little warm in here isn’t it?"

"Uh, yeah," Taiki said, "We’re off to the library. They’re having an all night Shakespeare film festival."

"Whatever," Makoto said, apparently unconcerned, with a wave of her hand. "Have fun, you two."

"Bye you-guys," Ami called, as they stepped out in to the cool hallway of the apartment building, pulling the door closed behind them.

Minako hiccuped as the door shut. She poured another drink, hiccuping and splashing the drink on the white table cloth.  "Ooops... _hiccup_."

"Boo!" Yaten exclaimed in her ear, in an attempt to apply a home remady for hiccups; scaring the affected person.

"AAAIIIIIEEEEE!!" Screeched Miinako, spinning around. "Yaten-kun!" She exclaimed, surprised to find his face inches from hers. "You didn’t just do that!!"

Yaten laughed, putting his hand behind his head in mock embarrassment, then setting his fourth drink on the table.  Minako attempted to focus on the drink, and stumbled, growing dizzy with the effort.

Yaten caught her as she stumbled backwards, and she lost her balance, dumping her drink on Yaten’s shirt. She giggled. "You look good in pink."

Yaten frowned at his shirt. "Do I?"

"Yup. But," Minako said, holding up a finger as if struck by a novel idea, "it’s wet. You should change shirts."

"I don’t think I brought one."

Minako sighed. The dilemmas. "Well, we’ll go back to your place, and find a shirt then come back here."

Yaten considered. "Okay. It’s only down the street."

"I know," Minako said, as they headed for the door, and stepped out.

Makoto turned, her hands on her hips. "Did she just leave with out saying good-bye! Why I ought to...uh, uh, do a Thunder Chain."

Michiru gave Makoto an odd look. "Don’t you mean a Supreme Thunder?"

"Nope," said Makoto confidently. "I mean... Love Me Evolution."

Haruka snickered, standing and stretching. "How about we head on home, Michiru, and see if Setsuna-san and Hotaru-chan have destroyed our place."

"Sure. See you later, Makoto-chan." She winked. "Don’t have too much fun, now."

                                                    ****
Minako stumbled through Yaten’s doorway laughing. "And she said... she said..."

"Yup, if you can, hiccup, believe it." Yaten pulled his shirt off over his head, and tossed it on the sofa, going to his room to find another.

Minako followed, entranced by shirtless Yaten. "Do you know how long I’ve waited to see you without a shirt?"

"Really? How long?"

"Since I first saw you on the entertainment news, years ago..."

"That long?"

"Yup."

"Which shirt should, uh, I.. uh... wear?"

"Eh," Minako said, coming to stand beside him and look in his closet. "This one," she said, grabbing a pink dress shirt.

"Nah. I’m tired of wearing pink today, thanks to you."

"Oh really." Minako said with a wicked grin, turning to face him and putting her hand on his bare chest.

Yaten turned to look at Minako, a trace of longing in his eyes, the shirt forgotten, and he leaned forward to kiss her passionately.

****
Makoto turned to Usagi. "I thought you said they went to get a shirt!"

Usagi shrugged. "I just heard them talking, I didn’t ask or anything."

"Yeah but they’re taking too long to get a damn shirt."

"Maybe they’re not getting a shirt." Usagi said. "They’ve had a thing for each other quite a while now."

Makoto pondered, sounding offended. "I guess. But everyone is leaving my party."

"Not everyone. Seiya-kun is passed out on your sofa. I’m here.  Rei-chan is kicking it with that crowd from her school."

Makoto looked mollified. "I guess so."

"And look, Naru-chan and Umino-kun are making out under your refreshment table."

"You’re right. Let’s just watch music television then, and turn off the stereo."

"Cool deal."

                                                    ****
"Ugg." Minako said, as sunlight filtered through the blinds and fell across her face. She was curled up against Yaten, his arm draped around her waist.

She rubbed her eyes, climbing out of bed and pulling her dress off his lampshade and over her head. Yaten stirred, but didn’t wake. If his headache was anything like hers, he would be asleep for a while longer.

She located the rest of her clothes, and finished dressing quickly, before kissing Yaten good-bye gently, as not to wake him. She heard the rattle of keys in the door. "Oh, Goddddd!" she hissed softly. She hoped who ever it was wouldn’t pay particular attention to her presence.

She took a deep breath, and walked in to the living room, just as Seiya came in and dropped his jacket on the kitchen table.  "See you around, Seiya-kun." She said, walking out his door with a wave.

"Bye Minako-chan," he said, and the door closed quickly. He spun around quickly, staring at the back of the door. "What the...?"

With a shrug, he flopped on the sofa, pulling a white and pink spotted shirt from beneath is head and tossing it to the floor, and was asleep in minutes.

                                                                ****
"Where is that girl?" Rei asked, examining her watch on the steps to her temple, where all of the Inner and Outer Senshi sat waiting on Minako for a meeting.

Minako came straggling up the bottom of the long flight of stairs ten minutes later.

"It is going to take her forever to get up the stairs at that rate," complained a sleep deprived Rei.

"I’ll get her," said Haruka, vanishing quickly down the stairs to reappear minutes later with Minako over her shoulder.

"I think you can put me down now." Minako said mock crossly, pretending not to appreciate the lift up the stairs.

Haruka let her have a rough landing for that one, and Minako let it slide, stretching out along one stair.

"Where were you!" Demanded Usagi. "Huh! Tell us. At least I wasn’t the one late for a change."

"Um..." said Minako, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Aren’t you wearing the same thing you were yesterday-" Ami said, halting abruptly upon receiving an evil glare.

"Aren’t you?" Minako retorted, then quickly changing the subject. "So what business do we have today?"

"Michiru-mama said that we have senshi business." Hotaru stated, from her position on Michiru’s lap.

Michiru smoothed Hotaru’s hair. "That’s right, Hota-chan."

"So what is our business?" Asked Makoto. The city had been quiet for the past few weeks, with no yoma or dark kingdom plots.

"Uh," said Rei. "I thought you knew."

"Knew what?" Demanded Makoto.

Rei shrugged. "Well, we always have meetings on this day of week. Don’t look at me, Luna-san is the one that said we had a meeting today."

"And you dragged me out of bed for this, Luna-san," said Makoto, starting to get frustrated.

"Rutine, Makoto-chan. We want to be prepared for anything." Luna interjected hastily.

Setsuna stared in to the distance. She was concerned about Minako, and the changes that would be affecting the senshi soon...

"Where are Seiya-san, Yaten-san and Taiki-san?" Asked Hotaru looking toward Setsuna for an answer.

"Taiki was on his way home," Ami said.

"Eh," said Haruka, "They’re probably sleeping in after your party, Makoto-chan."

Minako blanched at that one. She’d really had too much to drink... and how was she going to face Yaten?

"Are you all right, Minako-chan?" Asked Setsuna, a worried expression fleeting across her face.

Minako met Setsuna’s eyes briefly. Setsuna did know the past and future, and would already know. She would be there, if Minako needed a confidant. Minako broke the gaze, staring into the distance. "Fine, thanks."

"Mamo-chan called me this morning!" Exploded Usagi, with a wide grin.

Rei groaned. Not again, for she would be hearing the details of this conversation until the next call, which could be a couple of days.

                                                                ****
Yaten sat at the kitchen table, a half eaten bowl of cereal setting in front of him, resting his head in his hands. The apartment was quiet, Taiki sound asleep in his room, and Seiya...

Seiya walked in to the room, having just gotten out of the shower and dressed. "Ya-ten-kun." Seiya said, dragging out the syllables.

"What?" Yaten mumbled, his eyes closed.

"Who was it I saw leaving here this morning, eh?"

Yaten’s eyes popped open quickly, and he turned and interesting shade of pink. "Er, who? Um..."

"Need I say it? You and Minako-chan..."

"Baka." Yaten said, standing with his bowl of cereal in hand.

"That’s it? No smart remark? No bragging?" Seiya teased.

Yaten walked around the table to where Seiya stood smirking.  He upturned the bowl, and sat it squarely upside-down on Seiya’s head. "One word, and man, you are dead." He stated seriously, before calmly walking away, and leaving Seiya staring after him, milk running through his hair.

Yaten sat on his bed. She had left, without waking him. How could he have been so stupid? She wouldn’t speak to him again, after... and he already was missing her.

                                                            ****
"You," said Artemis as he and Minako walked through the door of her bedroom from the meeting. She kicked her shoes off and under her bed. "Told your parents that you were at Usagi-chan’s house. Luna said that you weren’t there, and Usagi-chan arrived home just after three this morning. Where were you?"

Half of Artemis’s brass came from his concern, she knew, but Minako just didn’t want to deal with it. She had enough to think about. Yaten... "Artemis, give it a rest. Where do you think I was?"

Artemis studied her briefly, then jumping on her bed and perching on her pillow. "I don’t know what to think. If I did I wouldn’t ask."

Minako shrugged. "Eh. I’m getting in the shower, and going to sleep after that. Go play with Luna-san," Minako said, grabbing her large pink towel and walking to the bathroom.

                                                            ****
Yaten gazed in through the glass window to the photography equipment store in Tokyo’s largest mall. He stared blankly at the latest model of electronic cameras. And all he could think of was her.

"Yaten-kun, you’ve been standing there for ten minutes! Are you ready to go?" Taiki asked, annoyed, as he approached, a bag from the bookstore in hand.

"Yeah," Yaten said, watching the lights dance off of the glass of the store window. "Where’s Seiya-kun?"

Taiki rolled his eyes. "By the fountain; eating another hamburger."

"How many does that make for today?"

Taiki thought. "Four, I think."

"Hey-" Yaten begin, turning around.

"Yoo-hoo!" Usagi called, waving her arm from across the mall corridor.

"Just draw attention to us, why don’t you?" Yaten yelled back.

"Come on, you guys," she said, motioning the remainder of the Inner Senshi out of a clothing store.

Rei, Makoto and Minako emerged with bags on each arm, and Ami reading a new book as she walked.

Minako glanced up, and noticed Yaten. Their eyes met in a moment of karma across the corridor. She looked away, nervous and uncertain of how to act, what to think, what he would think.

"Ami!" Taiki waved, drawing her from her book.

"Taiki!" She exclaimed, marking her place in her book, and coming to stand beside of him. "I’m surprised to see you here."

"Seiya-kun just kind of drug us along... not that I minded, as the bookstore was having a sale. Did you find any good books?"

"Sure!" Said Ami, pulling another book out of her bag to show him.

"So!" Said Usagi to Yaten and Seiya, who approached the group as he finished his burger. "Are you still planning to come to our meeting this week?"

"This will be the third week in a row that you’ve missed!" Chided Rei. "How are we supposed to get any thing done if you don’t come!"

"We don’t have anything to do," Seiya said exasperated.

Minako hung behind Makoto and Rei, looking at the ground. She glanced up, to find Yaten watching her intently.

She blushed, clearing her throat. "So how’s everything going?"

"Good," said Yaten pointlessly. "How about you?"

"Fine. How is your new album coming along?"

"Eh. We’ve gotten a few songs done, nothing much. It’ll be a while before we release a new one; the last one hasn’t been out long yet."

"Yeah..." Makoto said, paying careful attention to the exchange of words. "Well, you guys, we’ve got to be going."

"Yup," said Usagi, waving bye, and dragging Ami away from her love.

As soon as they were out of hearing range, Makoto turned to Minako. "What the hell was that?"

"Was what?"

"That thing with Yaten? You think I didn’t notice?"

Minako sighed. "Notice what?"

"What happened? You were all over him, until..."

"Makoto-chan, that’s enough."

"Did you tell him you were in love with him and he said he wasn’t, or..."

"Makoto-chan!" Minako grabbed Makoto’s sleeve, and leveled her gaze. "Stop it."

Rei and Usagi remained silent, exchanging glances, as tension escalated.

"So," said Usagi. "Who’s for sundae’s?"

                                                        ****
"Do you see him yet?" Usagi said, looking around the crowded airport.

"Usagi-chan, he’ll be more likely to see us, huge group that we are, than we will be to see him," Ami said logically.

"I know," Usagi said. "That’s why I brought all of you."

"Who drove who to the airport, hmm??" Haruka asked teasingly.

"You did, of course," said Usagi, totally missing the point. She scanned the crowd, the sounds of flight announcements fading into the jumbled background noises. She suddenly pointed through the crowd. "There he is!" She screeched, breaking in to a run, her arms waving.

"Mamoru! Mamo-chan! Over here!" She yelled.

He spotted her, and dropped his suitcase, holding his arms wide, as she barreled in to him. "Usako," he murmured, hugging her tightly, his face against the top of her head.

"I missed you," Usagi said, through happy tears.

"I love you." Mamoru said, as he bent to kiss her.

They slowly became aware of their surroundings, as the other senshi approached.

"Hi!"

"It’s good to see you."

"How’s college?"

"Good," Mamoru answered, with a smile. "It’s great to see you guys again." Mamoru felt a tug on his pant leg. He looked down, to find Hotaru wrapped around his leg.

"Hotaru-chan," Mamoru laughed, picking her up, and giving her a hug. She giggled happily, and he passed her to Michiru. "Are you ready, you guys?" He asked, picking up his suitcase.

                                                            ****

Hotaru sat at the kitchen table in the Tomoe mansion, waiting for Setsuna-mama to finish making her sandwitch.

"How do you want your ham?"

"Across that slice, on top of the musterd."

"Okay. How about the cheese?" Setsuna asked with a smile.

"Put it on the bread sideways."

"How?"

"Like this." Hotaru took the slice of cheese, and turned it diagnally on the bread.

"Good job," Setsuna said, putting the sandwich halves together, and setting it on a plate beside her Hotaru’s green jello.

"Thank you," Hotaru said, taking a careful bite from her sandwich.

Michiru walked in to the cheereful kitchen, looking for a snack also. She smiled, watching Hotaru carefully began to pull the crust from her bread. She leaned foward and kissed the top of Hotaru’s head. "My pretty baby is really growing up fast."

Setsuna nodded in agreement. "She really is."

Hotaru frowned, laying her sandwitch on her plate. "It’s okay to grow up fast, isn’t it?"

"Of course," Michiru said, sitting down in a chair at the table beside of Hotaru, and grabbing two slices of bread to make her own sandwich.

"I’m not a baby anymore." Hotaru stated.

"No, you’re a big girl now." Setsuna said, drying her hands on a dishtowel, and sitting in the chair on the other side of Hotaru.

"Does that make you sad that I’m growing up?" Hotaru asked.

"No." Michiru said. "We are very proud of you."

Haruka appeared in the door way. "What are you guys having for snack?"

"Ham and cheese sandwiches," answered Setsuna.

"I think I want one too," Haruka said, moving to the sink to wash her hands.

"You get to make it yourself," responded Michiru with a grin, and Haruka snorted.

"Will you be proud of Minako-san’s baby when she grows up too?"

Haruka turned. "What?!"

Michiru nearly choaked on a bite of sandwich. "What did you say?"

Hotaru looked confused. "I said will you be proud of Minako-san’s baby when she grows up too?"

"What baby?" Haruka asked.

"The one she made with Yaten-san."

"Oh my God." Michiru stated.

Setsuna answered Hotaru’s question. "We will be proud of her too."

Hotaru picked up her sandwich and took a bite, unperplexed by the adults’ reactions.

Haruka turned to Setsuna. "You knew about that the whole time and didn’t say anything?"

Setsuna shrugged. "Of course."

                                                                ****
"Dammit man, you have been so hard to deal with lately."

Yaten looked up in surprise. "Me? I haven’t done anything."

"Exactly." Seiya stated. "You haven’t taken photographs, practiced the keyboard, or anything."

Yaten sighed. "I don’t feel like it. Besides, I’m an adult, and I don’t need you on my case."

"Dammit, you don’t even yell at me much anymore." Seiya sat down on the sofa beside Yaten.

Yaten sighed again.

"You haven’t been the same ever since..." Seiya snapped his fingers. "Since Mako-chan’s party."

"And you just now noticed? Good going, oh so intelligent Seiya-kun." Yaten said sharply, standing up and paceing back and forth infront of the television.

Seiya picked up the remote and aimed it toward Yaten pressing the off button. "Doesn’t work to turn off that paceing or your mouth." He dropped the remote on the coffee table. "It’s Minako-chan, isn’t it?"

He stopped in mid-pace. "Seiya-kun, I love her. Really. More than anything else, but ever since... she won’t hardly talk to me, and I’m afraid that those extra few drinks cost me the girl who is the love of my life."

Seiya was silent.

"Say something! Tell me I’m crazy, that she’s gone forever. Tell me she loves me too, and is afraid-" Yaten broke off, flopping on the couch, his head resting in his hands.

"You know Yaten-kun, you really are an idiot. The only person that can tell you that is Minako-chan herself, and you are too much of a jerk to go and talk to her."

Yaten sighed. Again.

                                                                        ****
Minako leaned across her bed, reaching for the power button on her radio. She was hoping for a cheerful, bouncy song when she pressed the button.

"...o todake" The Three Lights blared in to her room.
"aishiteru..." Yaten sung softly in the background.

Minako slammed the power button off. That was the last thing she needed to hear, Yaten professing his undying love to someone other than herself.

"What’s wrong with you?" Artemis asked quite rudely.

"Uggg!!" Minako exclaimed, flopping face down on her bed.  "This was not supposed to happen to Sailor-V, ‘Champion of Justice’."

"What?" Artemis asked.

"Go away, Artemis-san."

"Not until you tell me what’s bothering you. You always used to tell me everything. And you haven’t written in your diary in a while."

"Thank God," came the responce muffled by her pillow.

He jumped up on her bed, and rubbed along her shoulder.  "Really, Minako-chan. You still can tell me anything."

Minako rolled over, picking up Artemis and hugging him fondly.  "Artemis-san, I love you."

Artemis purred uncertianly. "Are you okay?"

"I don’t know. Yeah. No. Do you remember that question you asked me a while ago, about Mako-chan’s party?"

Artemis stopped purring. "Yeah," he said carefully. "I asked you where you were."

"Well, I was with Yaten."

"With Yaten-kun," Artemis repeated, as if he didn’t quite understand, or didn’t want to.

"_With_ Yaten." Minako said.

"Oh." Artemis said.

"I mean, I don’t really remember that much of it, we were both drunk. I wish that... well, it doesn’t matter anymore, because he couldn’t love me, after..."

The room fell silent for a few seconds, as Artemis absorbed the information.

"I’m going to have his baby."

Artemis looked up sharply. She... She wasn’t joking. She was...crying? Tears streamed down her cheeks. He was confused, and he finally curled up in the crook of her arm, purring softly,
as she cried.

                                                            ****

Rei screetched as she chased Usagi around the table in her temple. "Give it back!"

"Nah, na, na, neh, neh." Usagi sang, waving Rei’s manga in the air.

Mamoru reached down and plucked the manga from Usagi’s hand.

"Mamo-chan, that’s not fair," whined Usagi.

He kissed Usagi to distract her, as he passed the manga to Rei.  Usagi sighed. "Mamo-chan, can we do that again?"

Haruka’s yellow sports car wound up the long drive to the temple, and came to a stop near the back entrance. Hotaru came bouncing in through the door, followed by her three exhausted parents.

"Hi minna-san!" Hotaru bubbled, then spotted Rei’s manga.  "Rei-san, can I look at the picture book too?"

Rei laughed, handing the manga over.

"Hey, no fair," Usagi whined. "You wouldn’t let me borrow it!"

Rei smirked, as the group gathered oddly around the low table, before joining them. "Grow up, Usagi-chan."

"Minako-chan, you coming?" Makoto asked.

Minako stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. "Yeah.  Little warm in here, don’t you think?"

"No..." Usagi said.

"Ya’ okay?" Rei asked, noticing Minako looked, well, green.

"Yeah." Minako assured, and moved to come toward the table.  She took two steps, and collapsed on the floor.

"Oh my God!" Exclaimed Rei, rushing to her side, as she was on the closest end of the table. "Minako-chan!"

Mamoru was close behind, his medical training taking over his persona. He reached for her wrist, taking her pulse and respirations. "She just fainted, you guys." He announced to the crowd gathered closely around her, looking quite relieved.

"Make her wake up," Hotaru stated.

"She will in a minute or so. We need to just give her a few minutes to rest, for her pulse and respirations to return to normal." Mamoru said.

Minako opened her eyes, her vision clouded by worried faces swimming back and forth above her. She put her hand to her head. "Damn."

"She’s awake!" Usagi exclaimed.

Mamoru helped Minako sit up. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," she said. She tried to get up. "Or maybe not," she said, as another wave of diziness passed over her, and she sank back to her knees.

"We should get you to a doctor, or something." Makoto said worriedly.

"No, I’m fine," Minako assured. "Just give me a minute."

"People don’t just faint when they’re fine." Haruka stated.

"Eh..." Minako responded.

Hotaru spoke up. "Are you sick because of your baby?"

Minako looked sheepish. "Eh..."

The room was silent as jaws of the Inner Senshi fell open.

She tugged on Michiru’s sleeve. "Michiru-mama, why is everyone quiet?" she asked loudly.

"Can we just get on with the meeting?" Minako asked hopefully, rising to her feet as her head cleared.

"Oh no you don’t," Usagi said. "I believe you have some expaining to do."

                                                        ****
The Three Lights pulled in to the driveway, Sieya behind the wheel of the red sporty car. They walked up the walk, and Seiya tripped through the entrence, followed by the other two Lights, to discover a solemn group of senshi sitting around Rei’s table.

"Uh, oh." Said Seiya. "What is going on?" The senshi were silent; all conversation appeared to have died as Seiya came stumbling in, and Yaten and Taiki drew up short beside of him, a few feet from the table.

Minako stared at the table top.

Yaten couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t think he could live another day, another minute without Minako at least knowing how he felt, and the silence only made it worse. And something had been different, hadn’t been right since that night, and he had every intenion of trying to set things right, back to the way they were meant to be.

"Minako," Yaten said, breaking the silence, and she looked up to meet his eyes. "Minako, I didn’t get a chance to tell you that night, tell you how much I love you. You are my heart and my soul, and I don’t want to live without you."

Minako stood up and walked around the table. She stopped inches from Yaten. "I," she began, her voice choked, "I love you Yaten, and I thought..." her voice trailed off and tears overcame her, as she was wrapped in a warm embrace.

Yaten brushed the tears gently from her cheeks, and kissed her softly. "I will always love you."

Someone from the on lookers at the table sniffed. "That is so sweet," said Makoto between sobs, "and romantic. Rei-chan, I need a tissue..."

"Yaten-san," a small voice said, as a hand tugged on his pant leg.

Yaten looked down. "Huh?"

"Do you love your baby too?" Hotaru asked, her wide lavender eyes filled with innocence and curiosity.

Yaten smiled softly. He recognized it now, the uncertian presance that hung on the edge of his senses for the past few months finally voiced.

Yaten rested a hand on the slight swell of her stomach. "I love our baby too."

"Yaten..." she said, but her voice trailed off. He pulled her closer to him and his green eyes met with her blue ones.

"Aishitaru," he said softly.

--The End--