Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Tangled Web We Weave ❯ Day 2 - Sunday, part 1 ( Chapter 3 )

The Tangled Web We Weave

By Crawlspace

 

Day 2

Sunday - part 1

 

Early morning light shone through the windows and reflected off the silver spoon Midori was placing in the sugar bowl. Kaya smiled as she stood silently in the kitchen doorway watching her mother perform the familiar ritual. Every morning, for as long as she could remember, her mother had risen with the sun. And each morning, her mother would come down to the kitchen to prepare her father's pre-breakfast snack after he'd locked himself away in his office. `Never give him the whole pot of coffee,' her mother had said to her once as Kaya sat and watched. `Otherwise, he's got no incentive to come down to the breakfast table.'

 

The sugar bowl was placed on a serving tray beside a dark green mug and small dessert plate. A second spoon was lifted from the drawer and placed on top of a cloth napkin. Humming to herself as she worked, Midori closed the drawer and walked over to a row of ceramic cookie jars. She paused in her nameless tune as she contemplated which jar, then resumed it again a moment later when she decided on the center.

 

`Chocolate chip. He's in a good mood and she wants him to stay that way,' mused Kaya as her mother placed three cookies on the dessert plate.

 

Knowing her mother's task was almost complete, Kaya took a breath and smoothed down the yellow blouse she had tucked into her jeans before walking fully into the room. “Morning. Need any help?” she asked, her mood pleasant as she walked over and kissed Midori's cheek.

 

“Good morning, dear,” answered Midori. “I'm almost done here. Just waiting on the coffee.” Turning so she could lean against the countertop, Midori smiled at her daughter. “How did you sleep last night? That boy of Ami's certainly knows how to put up a fuss when he wants to.”

 

“I got by well enough,” answered Kaya, not about to give out any details. She chuckled and was about to comment on Miki's impressive lung power when movement outside the window caught her attention. She watched as Seijuurou crept along the side of the house by the bushes, looking over his shoulder guiltily as he went. Her brother then darted across the open expanse of grass between the house and garage before ducking around a corner and disappearing. “What the…”

 

“Kaya?” questioned Midori at the sudden frown on her daughter's face. She started to turn to the window, following Kaya's concentration.

 

Kaya's attention snapped back, and she stopped her mother from turning. “Sorry. My mind wandered there for a second. A shadow,” she said quickly. “Maybe a stray or something.”

 

Midori regarded her dubiously. “A stray? Or something?”

 

Kaya nodded. Then, hoping for some diversion, “Oh, look, the coffee seems to be done.”

 

Midori glanced at the pot. “It does seem to be, doesn't it. We'll discuss your `stray' later.” She lifted the pot and poured out what would be Rin's starter cup for the morning. “Help yourself to what's here. We'll make more when we have breakfast.”

 

Kaya nodded and waited impatiently as her mother moved slower than usual in finishing with the tray. When Midori was finally gone, Kaya hurried from the kitchen and out into the side yard, curious to find out what her big brother was up to.

 

Following the same path Seijuurou had taken, Kaya crept up along the side of the garage and peered around the corner. An amused smile grew as she watched him take a long, slow drag off a cigarette, and then release it just as slowly, a look of pure ecstasy on his face. Kaya shook her head at the ridiculousness of the situation, then straightened up to her full 5'3” height and put her hands on her hips. “Ishida Seijuurou,” she called sternly.

 

Caught off guard, Seijuurou dropped his cigarette mid drag. His eyes and throat burned horribly as he swallowed and choked for lack of clean air. He beat on his chest, coughing as his eyes watered over, leaving him with a hazy view of his sister finding mirth in his misery. Finally, when he was able to look at her through almost clear vision, he sputtered out, “Cripes, Kaya, what are you trying to do to me? Give me a heart attack?”

 

“You don't need me to do that for you,” she answered as she moved closer to him.

 

Seijuurou took a deep breath, and when he didn't cough anymore, answered back, “No lectures, little sister. I haven't had a cigarette in four days, and if Shouko leaves me alone about it, so should you.”

 

Kaya smirked. “If your wife is so okay with it, why are you out here hiding?”

“She doesn't like me smoking around the kids. Besides, it's not her I'm hiding from,” he said, a similar smirk appearing.

 

“You're a grown man of 45 years, Juurou,” pointed out Kaya in amusement. “What do you think Father's going to do? Take you up to his office and pull off his belt?”

 

Seijuurou responded with a quick and simple, “Hypocrite.”

 

Kaya frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “And that means what?”

 

Leaning back against the garage, Seijuurou fished around in the pocket of his shorts until he found his pack of cigarettes. He tapped the pack against his palm before sliding out a fresh one. “You're a grown woman of 44 years,” he threw back at her. “What did you think Father was going to do? Ground you and lock you in your room so you couldn't go out with your fiancé on Friday night?”

 

Kaya's frown deepened, and Seijuurou watched the anger rise in her eyes, along with a sharp embarrassment. Her temper evened out quickly, though, and with her arms still crossed, she leaned against the garage beside him. “He isn't my fiancé,” she said quietly.

 

With an unlit cigarette jittering between his fingers, Seijuurou waited for her to say something more. When several minutes passed and she didn't, he picked the conversation up for them. “You know, I think I would have been more surprised if you hadn't done things the way you did. Even if he is everything they wanted you to marry to begin with.” Seijuurou held up his hand in appeasement when Kaya shot him a sharp glare. “I know. You aren't going to marry him. Nevertheless, it would have been easier and caused everyone a lot less stress if you'd just told us.”

 

“Everyone but me, you mean.” Kaya sighed slowly. She looked down and watched her sneakered toe dig into the grass. “You know as well as I do there is no such thing as just telling anyone in this family anything. If I had told Mother about him, she would have asked questions. I don't have answers to those questions yet, Juurou.”

 

“So why'd you bring him home?”

 

“I don't…” Kaya bit her tongue on reflex to keep the rest of that hated phrase from leaving her mouth.

 

Seijuurou bumped against her lightly and smiled at her when she looked up at him. “I'm not Father,” he said gently. “'I don't know' is a perfectly acceptable answer to me for now.”

 

Kaya smile gratefully back at him.

 

“So, how about answering some questions you do have answers for?”

 

She shrugged and looked back down at her feet. “I met him three years ago when we found ourselves with a common patient. He's divorced, has been for about 12 years. He has two grown children, a boy in college and a girl who married last year. We were aware of each other in passing and on reputation for quite awhile, but had never spoken until that patient made it necessary. After that, we were more aware of each other in passing, and we found ourselves on friendly terms. Then, one afternoon, he asked me if I'd like to join him for coffee.”

 

“And that was it?” asked Seijuurou, thinking that sounded a touch too simple for his sister.

 

Kaya let out a short laugh. “Hardly. I was barely managing to balance Ami and work. I didn't have time to add something as complicated as coffee. So, I very politely declined his offer. And he very graciously accepted the rejection.”

 

Kaya stopped talking, though a small grin touched her lips, and Seijuurou got the impression that the better part of the story had continued on silently in her head. After several moments of nothing more from her, he started to tap his foot impatiently. “You're waiting for me to ask, aren't you?”

 

Blue eyes fairly sparkled as they looked up at him. A happy smile grew, and Kaya continued, “We went on being friendly in passing. A few weeks went by, and this time, rather than asking, he brought the coffee to me. He even had little packets of cream and sugar so he could get it just the way I liked it. I couldn't refuse him. I didn't want to.” She chuckled softly. “It had been a long time since anyone had brought me coffee like that, especially after I so thoroughly refused the first offer. He's patient that way, though, and he tolerates the more difficult aspects of my personality.”

 

“We are difficult people,” chuckled Seijuurou, repeating one of Hana's often used phrases.

 

Kaya nodded, and, sensing a way to shift the topic off herself, said, “And speaking of tolerating difficulties, I noticed Shouko seemed a bit unhappy yesterday. How badly is she bothered by the girls?”

 

Seijuurou waved a hand dismissively. “No more than she usually is by such things. She's still trying to figure it all out for herself, since she has no trust in your judgment at the moment because she thinks you've gone crazy.”

 

“I doubt she's the only one who thinks that,” smirked Kaya.

 

“Don't worry about it. She'll be civil, for appearances sake, if nothing else.”

 

“What about the two of you? How have things been lately?”

 

Seijuurou hesitated, putting the cigarette to his lips and wishing it was lit. He brought it down and let it tumble between his fingers as he answered, “It's up and down, same as always. It's just unfortunate that this particular downward swing is timed the way it is.”

 

“What did you do?” asked Kaya pointedly.

 

Affronted, Seijuurou answered, “Why do you always assume it's something I've done. There's two of us in this marriage, you know.”

 

Not feeling remotely guilty for her assumption, Kaya returned without pause, “Eight days.”

 

Seijuurou rolled his eyes and pushed up his glasses. “You're never going to let me forget that, are you? Even Shouko has let it go at this point. Anyway, fine. It's just her usual complaints about me not being home enough. We've had a fairly large staff turnover at the hospital in the last year, and I've been busy dealing with it all. Admittedly, I'm not with her and the kids as much as I'd like to be. Lately, maybe even a little more than is totally excusable. That's just how it goes, though. But, apparently, during my absence, Seiji has picked up a crush on some pop idol or other. He's practicing a lot more because of it, and getting really good, but Shouko wants me to talk to him about it. And all that other stuff. I will, I just haven't had a proper chance to yet, and then a few weeks ago when I forgot to get Kara from preschool…”

 

“You forgot the baby?” interrupted Kaya, and the look on her face was easily twice as incredulous and twice as angry as the look had been on Shouko when he'd finally walked through the door that night. Kaya's voice lowered to that same tone their father used when he was about to tear into one of them for their own stupidity. With her words measured, she went on, “Not being able to be there is one thing. We make that up to them knowing they'll understand when they're older and in the same position. But we don't forget them. You don't forget your children, Seijuurou.”

 

Not liking being chastised by his little sister, Seijuurou frowned at her. “I didn't really forget her. I just lost track of time, and by the time I found the time again, her mother had already been called to come get her. Kara certainly wasn't scarred by it or anything, and she forgave me completely after two bowls of ice cream. She even came out and slept on the couch with me.” When the corner of Kaya's mouth quirked up, he said, “Shouko told me and the kids it was the equivalent of making me stand in the corner. But it was only for one night. My wife does love me and want to spend time with me when we can.”

 

“I know. Though I have no idea at all what it is she sees in you,” teased Kaya.

 

Seijuurou put his fists on his hips, sucked in his gut, and puffed out his chest. “I am the eldest son of a well respected family, a successful doctor, and I can quote Yeats from memory. What more could a woman ask for?”

 

Kaya poked him in the stomach, and he let out a huff, his successful and respected self settling back into it's somewhat mushier natural state. “What more indeed?” she laughed. Then, “Come on. Hikari's going to start breakfast soon, and I don't want everyone coming to look for us.”

 

The cigarette he still held was placed back in its packaging, and he sniffed his shirt to see if it smelled too much like his bad habit. “I think I need to change before we eat,” said Seijuurou. “Oh, and just so you can warn your not-fiancé, Father is going to make us go play golf with him after breakfast. You know, I had that practice green installed so I would never have to step foot on another golf course with Father. I hate that game, Kaya.”

 

Kaya gave his shoulder a sympathetic pat. “I feel for you. Actually, Ken is somewhat fond of the game. I should warn him about Father's competitive streak, though.”

 

“You better warn him to let Father win,” ordered Seijuurou. “Because none of us, most importantly me, wants to have to do this again tomorrow.”

 

 

**********************

 

Rin walked from his office to the kitchen, not seeing any of the people he expected to be heading to breakfast. He enjoyed having the children and their families home, he thought to himself. He just never expected there to be so many of them in his lifetime that they'd need to move a simple breakfast into the formal dinning room.

 

Sticking his head around the doorway into the kitchen, Rin spotted Midori and grinned to himself briefly before walking into the room. “Dori,” he said to get her attention away from their young cook. When she looked over at him, he showed her his pitifully empty mug. “My coffee's gone.”

 

Midori smiled at him. “We'll be brining some out to the table in just a few minutes. Why don't you go see if everyone's been told it's time to eat?”

 

Rin nodded and started to turn, but changed his mind and moved over to Hikari instead. “Those cookies were excellent this morning, Hikari,” he complemented her.

 

“Thank you, sir,” answered Hikari, smiling brightly at him. She wiped her hands on the apron tied around her waist, pushed aside a few stray locks of dark hair that had come loose from her braid, and, after getting a brief nod from Midori, added, “There's quite a few left over, and I was planning on baking fresh ones this afternoon. Would you perhaps like to take a few more?”

 

Rin almost grinned, but contained himself appropriately. “I think I would, yes.”

 

Hikari put three cookies on a paper towel and handed them to him. He thanked her, then made his way to the dinning room with his cookies and empty coffee mug.

 

At the long dinner table, his extended clan had begun to gather at the promise of food. Seiji was already in his seat, lost in his video game. Rin frowned, not liking that the boy's father would let him bring the thing to the table. He saw Seijuurou at the other end of the table, talking quietly to Kaya and Ken. Best to voice his displeasure now, before Shouko came down and did it for him.

 

Rin took the last bite out of the first cookie, set the remainders on his plate, then walked down to speak with his oldest children. He made it as far as Ami and Makoto, who were next to Kaya and Ken at the far end of the table, and the stroller they had parked near them. Rin peeked inside the stroller to find Miki reclining in comfort and sucking contentedly on a white pacifier, a sight much different the one he'd envisioned from the night before.

 

Miki stared up at his new admirer wide-eyed and blinked. When deep blue eyes blinked back at him from behind gray wire glasses, he cooed happily and waved his hands to be picked up, losing his pacifier in the process.

 

Rin, sensing impending disaster, quickly retrieved the pacifier from the baby's lap and returned it to his mouth before the baby had a chance to realize it was missing. Then he patted Miki on the head and said, “Perhaps later. Be a good boy in the meantime,” before turning to the baby's parents.

 

The reason for the hushed tone of the conversation going on beside them was made readily apparent when Rin got a good look at them. Makoto sat with her chin propped on her hand and her eyes half lidded, unseeing of the world around her. Ami had given up even pretending, letting her head rest atop her folded arms on the tabletop. Normally, Rin would have chastised them lightly and told them to head back to bed rather than sleep on the table, but this morning he took pity on them.

 

As the first pot of coffee was put on the table, Rin set down his mug and turned over the coffee cup beside Ami's plate. He filled the china cup, then carefully waved it by Ami's nose.

 

At the scent of freshly brewed caffeine, Ami perked up a bit, her head lifting just a fraction as she inhaled deeply. Her eyes opened slowly, and she grinned sleepily at her grandfather and the gift he was offering. “Thank you,” she said as she sat up fully and took the warm cup in her hands.

 

Rin nodded at her, then looked over at Makoto, who was now watching them with a lazy smile. “How about you, young lady?” he asked, ready to pour her the next cup.

 

Makoto shook her head. “No, thank you. I'm more of a tea person.”

 

“Hikari,” called Rin as the cook set the third pot of coffee near the head of the table. “Is the tea ready yet?”

 

“Just one moment more, sir,” she answered. She finished placing the last of the cream and sugar she'd brought out with her, then returned to the kitchen. True to her word, a moment later, she returned with two steaming pots that matched the china settings on the table. “Here you are,” she said as she filled Makoto's cup.

 

“Thank you,” answered Makoto as she smiled gratefully up at Hikari. “Very, very much.”

 

Hikari smiled prettily, then went back to setting out the various food dishes she had piled on her cart along with the teapots.

 

Rin, now more interested in his coffeepot than Seiji's Gameboy, said quick greetings to his children and a more polite one to his guest, then retreated to the head of the table. He was just getting in his first sip when the rest of his family started rolling in.

 

Kyo led his grandmother by the arm to her place on Rin's right. He held her steady as three little girls shot passed them and straight for the baby.

 

“Did he eat yet?” asked Hotaru as Miki held onto her finger.

 

“Yeah,” answered Makoto. “But if you're feeling brave, I'll let you try and give him a bottle later.”

 

Shouko called Kara over to her seat and straightened one of the little girl's curly pigtails after lifting her into her chair.

 

“Can I sit over there, Mama?” asked Kara, pointing over to the other side of the table where Chibi-usa and Hotaru would sit.

 

“No, you need to sit with me while we eat,” answered her mother. “But,” she went on after a moment's thought, “you can ask your friends if they'd like to go swimming with you after we're done eating.”

 

Kara smiled and nodded happily.

 

Shouko then looked over to her son. She lifted his Gameboy from his hands, ignoring both his protests and the way his yellow racecar crashed and burst into pixilated flames. “You can have it back after breakfast.”

 

“No, he can't,” jumped in Seijuurou as he took his seat between his father and son. “He's going golfing with the rest of us.”

 

Seiji looked at his father in abject horror at this announcement.

 

Seijuurou shrugged. “If I have to be a man about it, so do you.”

 

Sitting beside Hana, Usagi started to chatter happily with the older woman once she and Mamoru were seated. Mamoru was pulling Chibi-usa's chair closer to the table for her when Kyo greeted them with a hearty, “Good morning.” Then, with a gentleman's flourish, Kyo pulled out the chair beside Chibi-usa for Hotaru to sit.

 

Hotaru smiled at him and curtsied with a giggle. “Thank you, Ishida-san.”

 

“We're practically family, kid. Just call me Uncle Kyo,” he answered casually as he pushed her closer to the table. Then he turned back on the charm and held Setsuna's chair for her. Smiling a perfect, if somewhat scruffy smile, he said to her, “You can just call me Kyo.”

 

Setsuna's expression remained stoic, and she answered politely as she sat, “Thank you. Ishida-san.”

 

“Rejected!” declared Kyo dramatically as he put his hand to his heart. Then he smiled and walked over to his own seat on the other side of the table between Kara and Kaya.

 

Setsuna could feel eyes on her from both sides and knew both of those faces would be wearing identical grins. The heat rose in her face as she refused to look at either Hotaru or Haruka, instead reaching for the middle coffee pot to distract herself that way.

 

Haruka wasn't going to let her get away that easily though, and was about to comment when, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Michiru smile. It wasn't her teasing, playful smile like is should have been if she was going to help poke at Setsuna. Instead, it was her kind, indulgent smile, and it was being directed at the boy at the other end of the table.

 

Seiji's cheeks turned bright scarlet just as Haruka looked over at him, and he dropped his eyes, fiddling with the napkin on top of his plate nervously to hide from their stares.

 

When Haruka kept her gaze pointedly on him, Michiru nudged her surreptitiously in the ribs. “Don't stare, Haruka. It isn't polite,” she said, her smile changing to her playful one.

 

Haruka smirked. “I won't if he won't,” she said quietly. Then she happily turned her stare back to Setsuna and waited, watching the pink darken those tan cheeks ever more by the second.

 

Rei shook her head in amusement at what was going on so close to her. Beside her, Minako talked casually with Ami's grandmother while trying to figure out a way to sneak some table scraps upstairs for Luna and Artemis. The cats had free roam of the estate, and plenty to eat from the kitchen thanks to Ami, but Minako hated leaving them out of the family meal. By taking them a little something, she felt like she was making up a bit for having to segregate them when everyone gathered to eat.

 

The last plate of food was placed on the table, and the meal formally began. Rin paused for a moment, sipping his coffee and watching. This was good. Not the life he'd envisioned, and not one without its complications, but a good one nonetheless.

 

 

**********************

 

Things had quieted down after breakfast, with everyone going off either to play or explore. Ami and Makoto had wandered to the family room, too tired to do much of anything else. Ami made it as far as the couch. After Makoto decided she'd taken enough steps and that the floor was perfectly comfortable, Ami laid down and stretched out, yawing hugely as she did.

 

Hana smiled as she watched them situate themselves. With the baby stroller parked beside her chair, she picked up her latest sewing chore to keep herself busy while the girls dozed.

 

Makoto shifted herself so she was lying beside the couch where Ami lay, then she grabbed a pillow to rest her head on. Her eyes closed easily as she listened to Hana talking softly.

 

A white thread passed through the eye of a needle on blind luck and instinct. As she centered the loose button over the old thread holes, Hana held a one-sided conversation with Miki. “Midori used to be able to do this, you know, when she was young,” she began. “Her mother was a very dear friend of mine. That's why we chose her for Rin, because we knew where she was coming from and that she was taught proper skills. But somehow, all of the medical learning she did pushed out all of the practical learning her mother taught her.” Hana sighed as she pulled the needle through the button, using her finger as a guide to keep her centered. “So now I'm left with a house full of doctors who can sew up a person without a problem, but who become helpless at the idea of a loose button. I don't know how they'll manage after I'm gone. I suppose it's all right, though. Rin would have been unhappy with a woman of less intelligence and accomplishment, and Midori knows how to hold her own with him. They keep each other grounded and stable.”

 

Makoto's smile grew at the warmth in Hana's tone. Then she felt a slight tug on her hair and cracked her eyes just enough so she could peer up at Ami. She chuckled lightly at the smile on Ami's face while the girl's fingers played with the end of her ponytail. Once the ponytail was wrapped loosely in Ami's fingers, Makoto felt that hand rest lightly against her back. Makoto allowed her eyes to close once again, and she drifted off under the comfort of Ami's familiar touch.

 

She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep, though she didn't think it had been all that long, when the patter-squish of wet, flip-flopped feet pulled her awake. She squinted her eyes and propped herself up slowly on her elbows to see Hotaru, Chibi-usa, and Kara now in the room. All three stood in front of her wearing damp bathing suits.

 

Hana set down her book and the large magnifying glass she was using to read it. “Come here, Kara,” she said, motioning the child to her. “You're dripping all over the floor.”

 

Kara obeyed and let her great-grandmother take the large towel from around her shoulders to dry her off better.

 

Chibi-usa and Hotaru quickly checked themselves to see how badly they were dripping. To their relief, they'd both faired considerably better, not having had to scramble out of the pool right before they'd come inside. Then Hotaru remembered why they'd been sent in, and she looked down at a half awake Makoto.

 

“Michiru-mama said to ask if you want us to take Miki for awhile,” said Hotaru.

 

Makoto pushed herself into a sitting position and found herself nodding before giving it any thought. “He's been good this morning, well, for as long as it's been light out, anyway. You guys should be okay with him.”

 

Hotaru smiled and went over to the baby's stroller. Miki waved his fists and kicked his legs excitedly when he saw her. “Guess what?” she said as she reached to pick him up. “You get to come and play with us for awhile.”

 

“Be careful with him, dear,” said Hana with some concern as Hotaru lifted the baby and settled his still squirming self against her.

 

Hotaru nodded, and Makoto answered, “Its okay, Gram. Hotaru knows how to hold him. She'll make a good babysitter, especially since she's the only one other than Ami still determined to get him to take a bottle.”

 

“He'll only do it for Ami, though,” added Hotaru.

 

“Most of the time, he won't even do it for me,” said Ami as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. As her vision cleared, a grin spread on her face. “I like your bathing suit, Kara.”

 

Kara smiled widely and pulled away from Hana. She held her arms out to show off the design, and Makoto got her first real look at it. The face wasn't Rei's, and the eyes were brown instead of violet, but the red senshi fuku easily confirmed who it was supposed to be posed against the background of red and orange flames.

 

Kara spun around, showing off her Sailor Mars bathing suit. “And my shoes match, too,” she said, holding her foot out for them to see the red flip-flop with the symbol for Mars over her toes. “She's my favorite, so my daddy got me my bathing suit, and shoes, and towel with her on it. He can't tell them apart very well, though, so my ball has Sailor Venus on it. But that's okay, cause she's my favorite third.”

 

“Hotaru,” said Makoto, “make sure you get some pictures while you're all out at the pool. And make sure Rei's in them.”

 

Hotaru giggled. “Rei already made sure I did.”

 

“Rei says Sailor Mars it the best, too,” said Kara. “And that I have good taste.”

 

Makoto smiled at the little girl and agreed that she had very good taste. “But I like Sailor Mercury the best.” The sudden blush on Ami's face was perfect, and Makoto wondered idly just where Jupiter fell on Kara's favorites list.

 

 

**********************

 

It had started out innocently enough, with a child's simple question of who wanted to play ball. Things never stayed that simple, though, and when Minako caught the yellow and orange volleyball with the image of her superhero persona emblazoned on its side, the first spark of competitive glee had lit. If Haruka hadn't been the one standing next to her at just that moment, they might have been able to contain the resulting blaze. As it was, the two blondes now stood on opposite sides of a makeshift volleyball net, staring each other down.

 

“You're not on a racetrack this time, Tenoh,” threw out Minako in full challenge. “This is my game and my turf.”

 

“Feeling brave, are we?” replied Haruka, a self-confident smirk on her lips.

 

Minako returned the smirk with one of her own. “I'm only trying to save your reputation. After all, I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend.”

 

“Funny, I was just going to say the same thing to you,” answered Haruka. Her smile widened in anticipation, and she called over her shoulder without breaking their eye contact, “You guys ready?”

 

Michiru and Setsuna, who had been drug into the middle of it along with Rei and Usagi, answered back in the affirmative.

 

Minako called back to the two members of her team, and when she only got back an enthusiastic “Ready!” from Usagi, she turned her gaze to Rei.

 

The miko stood with one hand on her hip and an amused grin on her face. She held the ball in her other hand, having won the coin toss for the serve.

 

Minako raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

 

Rei nodded, then shifted her attitude and stance to serve. `Who was the weaker link?' she contemplated. `One in the back, but which one?'

 

From the sidelines, Miki burbled happily as he bounced on Shouko's lap. Beside them, Kara waved the shredded paper pompoms her mother had helped the girls quickly pull together. “Go, Rei!” shouted the little girl. “You can do it!”

 

On the other side of the net, Chibi-usa and Hotaru answered in kind, calling out their support for the Outers and waving their pompoms enthusiastically.

 

Her own competitive spirit building amid the cheers from their “fans,” Rei made her decision and served the ball.

 

For the first few minutes, the ball volleyed back and forth at a deceptively easy pace. Rei watched from her corner as Minako and Haruka kept dominance over the ball, neither putting their full ability into it. They were toying with each other, she thought, issuing a silent challenge and almost daring each other to lose patience and strike first.

 

Slowly, the tempo began to pick up. Minako's moves became more focused, her agility and experience being put to good use. One corner of Rei's mouth turned up as she observed the perfect form and tone of Minako's body as she deflected a hard return from Haruka. The ball bounced back to Usagi, who in a less than graceful manner gave Minako the setup she wanted. Minako stretched like a lithe cat as she completed the maneuver, and Rei's smile grew. One did not need a beach, she mused, to fully appreciate the sight of Minako playing volleyball in a bikini.

 

Then it touched her, skirting along the edge of her consciousness, and her smile abruptly fell. The cheers and laughter faded away until all she heard was the whisper of the air. A sharp chill passed through her being, the game and people around her disappearing into shadow until only one thing was left in her focus. The trees. The branches rustled, and she could almost see…

 

“Rei!”

 

The force of the impact knocked her off her feet and back to the here-and-now. She clutched at her head, managing to squint one eye open enough to see her attacker. Rocking back and forth on the ball's orange and yellow background, Sailor Venus smiled widely at her, her fingers raised in an overly large V. Rei knocked the ball away and squeezed her eyes shut again, trying to get the ringing in her ears to stop.

 

In a matter of seconds, a crowd had gathered around her prone form. Minako's hand touched her tentatively, and the blonde asked cautiously, “Are you okay?”

 

Rei slowly opened her eyes to see not only Minako squatting beside her, but also Ami's aunt and Kara. The little girl clutched her ball, a worried look on her face.

 

Shouko inched a bit closer. Then, with her hands going to guide Rei, she asked, “Can you sit up?”

 

“Yeah,” answered Rei. She squinted against the hot sting on the side of her face and tried not to think about the way she could already feel her eye swelling up. “That came out of nowhere.”

 

Michiru looked away and scooted the baby up against her shoulder.

 

Haruka chuckled. “You seemed a bit… distracted there. That's what you get for paying attention to the scenery instead of the game.”

 

Shouko shifted uncomfortably as Usagi giggled. As she backed away a bit and stood, she said to Kara, “Ask your friends if they'll go with you, then run up to the house and tell your grandmother we had a small accident and are in need of an ice pack.” She turned back and looked down at Rei. “We'll look at it further when we're inside, but I think the worst you've suffered is a bad bruise.”

 

Rei nodded and sighed. Then she remembered, and looked at Minako in a much more serious manner. “I felt something.”

 

Kara held out her ball. “It was my ball. Sorry.” Then she looked at her mother. “Are you sure she's okay? She forgot what hit her awful quick. Maybe she has anmeesia.” She looked at Rei, a serious little medical professional. “That's what happens when you get hit on the head. And someone has to hit you again so you can remember everything you forgot.”

 

Shouko grabbed Kara's arms before she could even begin to raise them. “It's amnesia, and she doesn't have it. Hitting doesn't fix it, and you know better than to even try to hit someone. Now, go do what I said.”

 

Kara nodded, and in quick order was running back to the house with Hotaru and Chibi-usa.

 

Minako, all the sympathetic humor she'd been plotting suddenly gone, held Rei's gaze for several seconds. Then she looked up at the others in silent confirmation before turning back to Rei. Offering her help up, she said, “Let's go inside. We can deal with it better there.”

 

Shouko, confused by the sudden change in atmosphere, said, “She really will be okay.”

 

Minako smiled at her. “Thank you. I suppose we're all just feeling a little guilty.” Then she smirked. “But it serves her right for not paying attention. If the ball had hit the ground instead of her, we'd have lost a point to them.”

 

“What makes you think you didn't?” asked Haruka. “No exceptions, little bird. The ball hit the ground on your side, even if it did bounce off her first. Our point.”

 

“No way!” chimed up Usagi. “It's an exception!”

 

Rei rolled her eyes, then grimaced at the pain it caused. “I'll meet you guys inside,” she said, and started to walk away without them.

 

“Wait, Rei,” called Usagi, hurrying to keep up with her friend.

 

Minako shrugged. As Shouko walked away after Usagi and Rei, Minako looked at the other three, her concern reappearing.

 

“What do you think it was?” asked Michiru.

 

“I don't know,” answered Minako. “I guess we'll find out once we can get everyone together without any added company.”

 

The others nodded in agreement, then started the short trek back to the house.