Hi everyone!! ^-^ How are you all? ^^ We finally finished the first part to our next set of stories. ^-^ We really hope you'll all like it. Please tell us what you think. ^_^ You can e-mail us any ideas, comments, or suggestions at: amazonessduo@hotmail.com This one gets a little confusing, but it isn't as strange as some of the things we have planned for later on. ^^; Here's a small family listing so hopefully things won't be too confusing. This story has the appearance of several more members of ChibiUsa's family. Kousagi is taken from a parallel manga story Naoko Takeuchi wrote recently. She was just too cute for us to leave out. ^-^ Shisa & Selene: ChibiUsa and Hotaru's twin daughters. Shisa wears glasses and has shoulder length pink hair while Selene has darker maroon hair done up in odango. They both have lavender eyes. They're mixed clones of ChibiUsa & Hotaru and they're both being brought up as the future queens, though no one knows yet who will take the crown after ChibiUsa. Kousagi: ChibiUsa's half sister. Both she and ChibiUsa were raised by Usagi and Rei in Crystal Tokyo. She has blonde hair done up in pigtails. Well, we hope that helps and that things don't get too confusing later on. ^^ None of these characters are owned by us (with the exception of Shisa, Selene, Kousagi and, later on at least, Shera). They're the creation of the wonderful Naoko Takeuchi-sama. The story's and situations are ours, but hey, if you want to use anything for a ChibiUsa & Hotaru story, go ahead. ^_- The world needs more of them. Now, on to the story. Please enjoy. ^-^ Family Ties By Amazoness Quartet Rei pulled the bamboo door open slightly, ready to rise Usagi from her sleep. Last night... she had ran to her, those golden curls sparkling in the moonlight, tears falling from her brilliant blue eyes. Here she was, sleeping in one of Rei's rather large T-Shirts in the spare room. The small girl stirred lightly as Rei sat down beside her on the small bed. "Usako?" She whispered, then silently cursed herself. "Usagi... wake up..." she lightly placed her hand on the smaller girl's shoulder to shake her wake. Usagi's eyes fluttered open - oh, heaven be praised for eyes like that! - and she sighed. "Oh, Rei..." the way she said her name... how could she ignite such fires? "Do I HAVE to get up now?" No, no you don't, dear princess of my heart...stay, stay here and let me worship you... "If you want to stay with me, Usagi, you're going to have to help out." Rei stood up and began to turn away, but she felt a hand on her arm. "Rei..." soft pleading voice... don't punish me like this... "Please, I wanted to... to thank you." "For what?" Her voice shook in her throat. "For listening to me last night. I... I don't know what I'd do without a friend like you." Bam. Pang. Ouch. "You're the only one who ever listens to me... and... I just wanted to tell you that..." "You're welcome, Usagi," anger seeped into her words from the hurt she felt. Friends. Of course. "No, wait...Rei!" Usagi stumbled after her friend, and finally ended up stopping her by wounding long arms around Rei's waist. "Please, I'm not finished yet." Rei willed her heart to stop it's pounding. "Yes?" "Mamoru..." that name made her want to fight. "He thought I was in love with you. And... I was thinking of it last night. I don't know why, but I... I think he might be right." A squeak followed her words, and she tightened her arms around Rei's waist. "You're always here for me, thank you so much... I... I..." Rei turned around and enveloped Usagi in an embrace they were both familiar with. Finally, tears staining their eyes, their lips met...ending what should have never begun and beginning the true love of their lives. ******* "For interfering with a girl's precious date with her girlfriend, I can not forgive you. In the name of the future moon, I'll punish you." Sailor Chibimoon yelled out. Sailor Saturn and the monster sweatdropped. Chibimoon leapt down and landed in front of Saturn. The dark haired Sailor Senshi was pinned to the wall from the monster's attacks. Try as she might, she couldn't get loose. "Chibimoon, could you help me?" Saturn asked. Sailor Chibimoon turned away from the monster and smiled at the dark haired girl. "Maybe later, if you're a good girl." She turned back to face the monster that had waited patiently. "Chibimoon!" Saturn yelled helplessly. 'She's shy about us normally, but then as Sailor Senshi she doesn't seem to have any problem with it.' Saturn sighed as she struggled against her bonds. 'Sometimes that girl still confuses me,' she thought to herself. The monster stared at the pink haired Sailor Senshi menacingly before smirking. "You're going to stop me? I was expecting Sailormoon, not the two junior Sailors." "We're not little kids," Chibimoon said indignantly. The monster laughed and rushed at Chibimoon. She closed her eyes as it lunged towards her. Wind whipped past her as the monster easily made up the distance between the two of them. Her muscles tensed as she waited for it to hit into her. "Chibimoon!" Saturn yelled. Energy built up around her as her emotions surged within. 'If anything happens to her...." The Saturn symbol appeared on her forehead as she summoned her powers. She would not let that monster get away with hurting her pink haired angel. "Amazoness Jungle Arrow!!!" four voices shouted in unison. A bright flash hit into the monster, throwing it back from Chibimoon. The energy around Saturn dissipated as she realized the other girl wasn't in immediate danger anymore. Chibimoon slowly opened her eyes to see the monster slowly stand back up. She hugged herself as if to make sure she was still in one piece. She turned at the sound of footsteps approaching her. The sight of her guardians, the Sailor Quartet, brought a smile to ChibiUsa's lips. "I'm so glad you four showed up." "You just can't stay out of trouble without us, can you?" Sailor Ceres asked. "Can someone help me?" Saturn was still trying to free herself from the wall. Sailor Pallas giggled at Saturn's predicament. "It looks like the two of you have everything under control," Sailor Juno said, smiling. "Watch out!" Sailor Vesta yelled. The monster was up and it lunged at Chibimoon again. She turned around just in time to see the monster headed towards her. She tried to scream, but nothing came out but a slight gasp. The Quartet watched on in horror as the monster sped towards the princess. A blinding light took the place of the monster as it reached inches away from Chibimoon. The monster dissipated as the light died down. The Quartet turned to see Sailor Saturn, energy still crackling around her and her bonds gone. The dark haired Senshi clutched the Silence Glaive and ran to Chibimoon. Chibimoon slowly blinked several times, her vision still adjusting. The shock of the moment was catching up with her. Her knees buckled under her as she sat back on the ground. She took a deep breath to calm her heart which was beating wildly. She felt two long gloved arms go around her. She leaned back into the embrace, feeling Saturn's own beating heart against her. The pink haired girl took another couple breaths of air before turning to the Quartet. "Thanks, everybody." "Don't worry about it. We were doing our job." Ceres smiled. "Just try to stay out of trouble, princess," Vesta added. "I will," Chibimoon said, mustering a smile. Pallas shivered in the cold night air. "PallaPalla's cold. Can we go home?" the blue haired girl asked. "Yeah. Its getting late anyway. You two might want to get home soon. They said it might snow tonight," Juno warned. "And these outfits aren't exactly the best thing to be wearing in freezing weather." Chibimoon pouted. "That monster ruined our date." A gloved finger on Chibimoon's chin turned her to face Saturn. "We'll just have to go out tomorrow then." The dark haired girl's eyes sparkled as she leaned forward and kissed the other Sailor Senshi. ChibiUsa blushed while the Quartet stared at the young lovers. "Get a room," Vesta said before they pulled away. Saturn grinned. "I plan on it." The blush on Chibimoon's cheeks grew several shades darker. Before Vesta could say anything, Ceres grabbed her arm. "We'll be going for now. Do you think you'll both be okay?" Chibimoon nodded. "Oh yeah, we'll be fine. Don't worry about us." She slowly stood up, Saturn's arms still around her. The two waved to the retreating Quartet. Saturn kissed Chibimoon softly. "Let's go back home." Chibimoon smiled wryly. "You mean your place?" A smile tugged at the Senshi of Death and Rebirth's lips. "I get what you mean. Eventually we'll have our own place, though." "In the meantime, I'm just happy spending the night with you," the pink haired girl said happily. Chibimoon and Saturn held each other in the dim light. Chibimoon brushed Saturn's hair away from her deep purple eyes. Saturn held the other girl tightly as she leaned in and kissed her. Chibimoon half closed her crimson eyes as they kissed. Her hand started playing with Saturn's bow. Saturn let the Silence Glaive fall to the floor. Neither heard it hit the floor. Neither heard the night sounds of crickets chirping nor the sound of Setsuna heading up the stairs to her own room. They were too absorbed with each other. Crimson eyes met purple as they kissed, the light from some of the dark haired girl's lamps illuminating them. Saturn slowly lowered Chibimoon to the bed. She turned around and bent over to pick up the Silence Glaive. She moved slowly and deliberately, trying to rile up the other girl. Chibimoon watched Saturn's graceful form as she took her time, grasping the Silence Glaive carefully with both hands before standing back up. Her short skirt moved back and forth across her thighs, giving small glimpses of what lay beneath as Saturn shook her hips seductively. Chibimoon sat entranced on the bed. Saturn raised the Silence Glaive high above her head, the cloth pulling taut against her skin. Chibimoon held her hands in her lap, her cheeks flushed. The room suddenly felt a lot hotter than it should for a cold winter night. "Death Ribbon Revolution!" Chibimoon sat straight up when she heard Saturn using her attack. Ribbons shot out, wrapping around the pink haired girl, restricting her movement until she fell back on the bed. She struggled, trying to get back up but she was unable to move enough. "I didn't know you could do that," She finally said. Saturn stuck her tongue out. "Now you do. That's for leaving me stuck earlier today." "I'm sorry. I was gonna let you go," Chibimoon explained. "I know. And I'm going to let you go, too," Saturn said. Chibimoon sighed in relief. The dark haired girl laughed. "Just not yet." "Saturn..." Chibimoon said, still trying to struggle out of the ribbons. Her eyes widened when she saw Saturn's gloved hand disappear under her skirt. A moan escaped her lips as Saturn's fingers slid under the white cloth of her Sailor Senshi outfit. "Saturn...." She said again, softer this time. Setting the Silence Glaive down on the floor, careful that it was out of the way, Saturn smiled to herself as she watched the beautiful figure before her. "Odango-chan, you're so pretty," she said softly, almost as if she were in a dream. "If I'm so pretty, then you should let me go," Chibimoon said meekly, embarrassed by the situation she was in. Her hind quarters were up in the air slightly with Saturn's hand still under her skirt. Her cheeks were flushed a deep crimson both from her embarrassment and the growing heat inside her. Saturn had seen what was under that skirt many times before, but never in such an awkward predicament. "Do you want me to?" Saturn asked, tilting her head to the side curiously. There was no response from the pink haired girl. Saturn giggled and leaned down on the bed, kissing her lover's soft red lips. Chibimoon gave her all the response she needed when the pink haired girl kissed her back passionately. She let her tongue probe the recesses of Chibimoon's sweet mouth, feeling the other girl's tongue dancing with her own. Saturn's fingers slid the white cloth to the side under Chibimoon's skirt, exposing her now swollen nether lips. Gently running her forefinger over the soft entrance, she managed to excite the pink haired girl further, drawing forth a moan into her mouth. Chibimoon squirmed under Saturn's delicate touch. The ribbons weren't tight, but they restricted her movement. The thought of Saturn's gloved fingers at her entrance and not being able to move drove her crazy from the wait. She shuddered as she felt Saturn start stroking her most secret of places with another finger. Saturn finally pulled away from the girl she loved. Both of them were breathing hard. Saturn could feel the heat emanating from Chibimoon through the soft fabric of her glove. "I love you, ChibiUsa-chan," Saturn said passionately, her eyes never leaving the other girl's flushed face. Chibimoon licked her soft lips before replying a husky, "I love you, too." She shivered deliciously as Saturn continued her gentle caresses. "Hotaru-chan, please untie me. I want to..." she began. She was having a hard time concentrating from the feelings between her legs. It was as if Saturn were stoking a fire that kept growing hotter. "I want to feel you, too. Please, Taru-chan," she said almost desperately. Saturn kissed Chibimoon briefly, relishing the sweet kiss. "Maybe next time you'll get me down," she said simply. "You were in a lot of trouble. I might not have been able to save you because of that." Chibimoon pouted mock angrily. She never could stay mad at Hotaru anyway. "I will. Now let me..." A moan escaped those sweet red lips before she could finish. Saturn merely shook her head. "Hotaru-chan, I'm the princess," she said indignantly. "You have to let me go." Saturn smiled at Chibimoon sweetly. "Of course you're the princess. You're the princess of my heart. But as your girlfriend, I'm not obligated to let you go." She kissed the pink haired girl's neck, behind her ear and a little further down, causing Chibimoon to moan softly. By now Saturn knew all of her lover's sweet spots, tiny places she'd moan if touched, places she loved being touched. Chibimoon's body was like a work of art to Saturn, one she studied unendingly so that she'd never forget a single detail. Bringing her free hand to just below Chibimoon's hip, the pink haired girl let out another soft moan. Chibimoon's legs spread slightly, though their movement was impeded by the ribbons Saturn had made. She was gasping for breath now as she felt Saturn work her magic. "Taru, stop teasing me, please..." she said between breaths. She let out a groan as Saturn complied, a gloved finger sliding slowly up into her. Saturn sighed happily at the site before her. How this goddess had ever fallen upon her, she'd never know, though she'd always be eternally grateful. Her best friend, her lover, her companion throughout life made everyday worth living. Her life had seemed so empty until that fateful day when ChibiUsa had come into it. "You're the light in my life, ChibiUsa-chan," she said softly, kissing down the pink haired girl's neck. Her free hand went over Chibimoon's soft stomach, rubbing there for a second before moving on. She stopped at ChibiUsa's ample breasts, feeling one through the fabric of her Senshi fuku, her hand resting under the red bow. She could feel Chibimoon's pink nipples pressed against the fabric. Giving one a quick squeeze, Chibimoon emitted a short yelp. "Taru-chan, please," the pink haired princess said breathlessly. This was driving her crazy. She watched through half lidded eyes as her love continued on. The soft whispers of Saturn's beautiful voice rang inside her. "ChibiUsa-chan." Taking ChibiUsa's chin in her free hand, Hotaru kissed her full on the lips. She obligingly slid another finger into Chibimoon's swollen nether lips. Now pushing further and faster, she felt Chibimoon's hips start bucking against her, trying to match her movements. Feeling Saturn's long, nimble fingers inside her, Chibimoon let out one last moan as the fire inside her blazed out of control. She arched her back, as her muscles tensed, Saturn's lips still pressed to hers. She finally fell limply on the bed, her pink hair matted to her forehead. "Arigato, Hotaru-chan," she said quietly, smiling at the dark haired Senshi. Saturn returned the smile. "My pleasure, my Odango-chan." Sliding her gloved fingers out of the pink haired girl, she brought them to her lips. She tasted the sweet honey from her lover. She savored the taste. Just another piece of the artwork that was her love. Lying beside the pink haired girl, Saturn wrapped her arms around the other girl, the ribbons fading away. Chibimoon's heavy breathing had slowed down considerably now. Hotaru laughed with amusement when she realized that her lover had fallen asleep. Pulling her close, Hotaru rested against ChibiUsa. It had grown late and she knew of no better way to fall asleep than to have her lover close to her heart. Letting her eyes flutter closed, she kissed ChibiUsa's soft lips one last time for the night. "Goodnight, Odango-chan," she whispered. ***** Rei whistled to herself as she made breakfast for Usagi. After Usagi had gotten into a fight with Mamoru, she'd gone straight to Rei. The blonde girl had been staying with her since then and still hadn't gone back to the apartment she'd shared with Mamoru. Rei had been very worried about the other woman. She'd never seen Usagi so angry and distraught before. Over the past few days Usagi had slowly seemed to get better. She was acting like her normal self again now. Rei was happy to be able to be there for her princess, even under the circumstances. Opening a cupboard, Rei searched for two cups for the tea she was making. She grinned triumphantly when she found two matching cups. A smile formed across Usagi's lips as she watched Rei from the doorway. The smile started to fade away a bit. A cold pit formed in her stomach as the thought of what she had to tell Rei. Or was it from something else? No, it was far to early on for that. "Rei-chan," Usagi said lightly. Rei turned around quickly, her long dark hair whipping back behind her shoulders. "Usagi, You're awake." She smirked. "You must have smelled the food." Usagi smiled wanly. "Not really. I'm not hungry." Rei cocked her head to the side. Was something wrong? She wasn't a great cook, but that never seemed to stop Usagi from eating whatever she'd cook. "Are you feeling okay?" Usagi took a deep breath. "Rei, I need to tell you something." Rei sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I know." "You do?" Usagi asked awkwardly. "You still love him," Rei said quietly. She looked up at her friend and tried in vain to smile convincingly. "I understand. Go to him. He's probably waiting." "Rei-chan, that's not it," Usagi said quickly. "Its just... Mamo-ch... Mamoru and I..." Usagi tried desperately to find the right words. Rei watched her in confusion. "Rei, I'm pregnant." Rei's jaw dropped open and the matching tea cups fell to the floor, shattering. Rei sat on the countertop while Usagi leaned against it next to her. "When did you find out?" Rei asked, obviously still in shock. "This morning," Usagi said snacking on some of the breakfast Rei had made. "This is good, Rei-chan." She took another bite of the syrup smothered pancakes before looking up and smiling at her friend. "So does Mamoru know yet?" Rei asked. 'So she was hungry,' a voice in her head said triumphantly. She ignored it. "Well, yeah. I called him right after I found out. I figured he deserved to know and all." Usagi smiled wearily at Rei, though the other girl didn't seem to notice. "You were in here, so I figured you wouldn't mind if I used the phone." "No, no. That's okay. He had a right to know," Rei shook her head and then turned to the blond haired girl. "You're taking this rather well." Usagi laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. I already know what ChibiUsa's like so I'm not worried about having her or anything." "But this changes a lot of things." "Like what?" Usagi asked, tilting her head to the side. Rei sighed and thought for a moment before answering. "You're going to be a mother now. You're probably going to be getting married sometime soon." Usagi's eyes narrowed. "I don't think I'll be getting married too soon. So I shouldn't have to worry about that." Her voice lost an angry edge to it when she added. "Besides, you haven't said anything about proposing yet." Turning to Usagi, Rei stared at her fumbling for something to say. She coughed into her fist before continuing. "We should probably get you to a doctor, have them make sure. We wouldn't want this to be a false alarm. You might not even be pregnant." Usagi laughed. "I love you, too. You should really relax, Rei-chan. I didn't just come over because Mamoru and I had a fight. You know that. I love you." Rei blushed furiously. She'd waited forever to hear those words and now she couldn't think of a thing to say. After a second of thought, she leaned down. Usagi leaned up to meet her. They kissed deeply, passionately. Rei could taste the breakfast she'd made on Usagi's lips. "I love you, Usagi-chan," Rei said after they pulled apart. "Oh, and I know I'm pregnant. We don't need to see a doctor." The blonde went back to eating and took a sip of the tea she'd gotten after Rei had dropped the other two cups. Rei's mind was hazy. It took her a moment to realize what Usagi had said. "Maybe you do know, but I still want to go to the doctor to make sure. I want this to go by as perfectly as possible. I don't want to take any chances that something could happen to you. I know you hate doctors, but that doesn't mean you can get around seeing one for this." "But Rei-chan..." "All the others would agree with me," Rei pointed out. "We could call any one of them." Usagi's shoulders slumped in defeat. She hated going to the doctor. Rei smiled kindly. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure they won't have to do much. You'll be fine. I'm just worried about you." "I know. I still don't like it," Usagi said. She smiled when she felt Rei's hand brush through one of her long pigtails. She felt really good. She was going to have her daughter. Rei was here with her. She had her whole future ahead of her. She didn't know what would happen in that future, but she didn't care. She knew Rei would be there with her. Rei raked her fingers nervously through her hair. "Rei-chan?" "Usagi, I know you think you're pregnant," Rei began. Usagi shook her head. "I am pregnant." "Okay, okay. You are pregnant. But what do we do about it now?" Rei asked worriedly. "What do you mean, Rei-chan?" Usagi looked at her quizzically. Why did they have to worry about this now? Why couldn't they both go lie down? She could fall asleep in Rei's arms, dream sweat dreams of her baby. She'd spent so much time at the shrine before, Usagi practically knew where everything was. Right now she wanted to lead Rei back to her room so they could forget about all this. "Well, for one thing we need to worry about where you're going to stay," Rei pointed out. Usagi sweatdropped and looked at Rei with her big blue eyes. 'No, please don't.' Rei thought. 'Don't you know I can't resist you?' A hand behind her head, the blonde laughed nervously. 'Every little movement you make feels like its ingrained in me. You're an angel I can't ignore. Everything you do shouts for me to take notice. Please, I can't think about this if I'm only thinking of you.' "I thought I could stay here with you, Rei-chan." Looking away, Usagi sighed sadly. "I'm not going back to Mamoru's place again." "Usagi, that's where you've been living," Rei said. "But I want to be here with you," Usagi said softly. Rei lowered her head. "I know. Of course I want you to stay. I want you to live with me too. But we do have to go get your stuff sometime." "Sounds great, Rei-chan. Thank you!" Usagi smiled broadly and hugged the Shinto priestess. Rei rested her chin on top of Usagi's head, still a bit taller from her perch on the counter. She noticed the sweet scent of Usagi's hair, the soft feel of it pressed against her skin. "But your going to have to do some work around here. It is a shrine, you know." "Yeah, I understand. I'll help with whatever I can." Usagi said dutifully. 'You can't cook, you can't clean, I can't even think clearly when your around.... But why do I feel you're perfect?' Rei asked herself. Hugging Usagi closer, she continued thinking about there situation. "And I do get busy a lot with things around here, so we can't just head off whenever you want. I have plenty I need to do." Usagi just nodded happily. "Hai, Rei-chan." "So I guess we'll be sharing a room from now on, so you better keep my stuff in order." 'Why am I saying all this? Its not like I could ever truly be mad at her. My angel,' Rei thought to herself. "And my manga..." Usagi looked at her in surprise. "But, Rei-chan, I thought since we were together now that we'd share everything," she said, trying to look sad so Rei would relent on whatever rules she had. "Then how come you didn't say anything till the manga?" Rei asked sticking her tongue out. "Because.... I wasn't thinking until just now. You were distracting me," Usagi argued sticking her tongue out at Rei. Rei slid off the counter, keeping up her raspberry war with Usagi. Neither woman quite understood how they wound up kissing passionately several moments later, but neither really cared. They couldn't remember which one had changed the rules of their little war, but it hardly mattered. Rei could taste syrup in Usagi's mouth, though she plunged ahead anyway. The wonderful feel of the blondes lips against her own sent chills down her spine. Usagi melted into Rei's arms, a passionate embrace that for so long been denied them finally allowed. She felt safe, warm in Rei's arms. As if nothing bad would happen. She just wanted to stay that way for the rest of the day, to forget the horrible things that had happened. Mamoru was always so cold. Rei was fiery and alive. Even when they argued, Usagi knew it was really nothing. Neither of them meant it. Why they did was lost to her, though she did know that Rei's prodding made her try to better herself, to prove Rei wrong, To show Rei who she really was. Holding Usagi to her, Rei took a deep breath. "We still need to figure out what to do about money, too. We need to find a way to support the baby when you have her. A priestess doesn't make a whole lot of money, you know." Rei thought deeply. She was worried about Usagi being pregnant. Things weren't as clear cut anymore. There were so many things they needed to get ready before Usagi had the baby. "Rei-chan, please don't worry," Usagi said comfortingly. 'But, princess, I have to worry. For you. I want everything to be perfect for you,' Rei thought. "Rei?" Usagi was looking at her strangely. "You keep doing that. You keep thinking to yourself." A knowing smile crossed her lips. "I'm making you nervous, aren't I?" Rei stared at her for a moment, taken aback. "Usagi-chan, I'm thinking about you and the baby. I'm trying to figure out what we should do." Usagi shook her head. "Your thinking about me, aren't you?" The blonde girl advanced on Rei a step. "What are you thinking?" Taking another step towards Rei, the blonde smiled wider. "I told you, I'm thinking about what to do with you and the baby," Rei replied. Stepping even closer to Rei, Usagi looked her straight in the eyes. "Really?" Rei closed her eyes and gave a small sigh. Usagi clapped her hands together joyously. "I knew it!" Usagi laughed when Rei looked away. "That's just good to hear after all these years, Rei-chan." Rei smiled warmly at Usagi. "Promise me we'll talk about all this later. I want to start working everything out for you." Usagi took Rei's hand and placed it on her cheek. "For us, Rei-chan." Leaning forward, Rei's lips met Usagi's and they forgot about what worries they had to come. ******* ChibiUsa yawned tiredly as she walked to school. Hotaru's hand was in her own, giving her some comfort for the coming school day. It was too early to be up and about. She should be back in bed with that beautiful raven haired girl. There were plenty of ways they could keep warm on a cold day like today. Her cheeks flushed as she started thinking of such ways absent mindedly. "ChibiUsa..." Hotaru said, as if reading her mind. Now that she had the pink haired girl's attention, Hotaru pointed to a tree up in front of them. "What are they doing here?" ChibiUsa looked around for a few seconds, but she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. A rustling branch caught her eye. Looking up she saw PallaPalla balancing on one of the branches. A little higher up was VesVes and CereCere. JunJun was no where to be seen. ChibiUsa nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand clasped her shoulder. Turning around, she saw the green haired amazoness grinning. "Don't scare me like that," ChibiUsa grumbled. "Especially not this early in the morning." "JunJun, she's your princess," Hotaru scolded. "Besides," she smiled, "I'm the only one who gets to scare her." Hotaru smiled at ChibiUsa playfully. ChibiUsa took the opportunity to sneak a kiss from the raven haired girl. The sweet taste of Hotaru's lips did feel invigorating on the cold morning. Then again, they always did. Hotaru blinked several times after ChibiUsa finally pulled away, a satisfied smile on the pink haired girl's moist lips. Hotaru looked at ChibiUsa questioningly, but the future princess only smiled at her. "I hope that was pleasant. Anyway, we're here to keep an eye on Small Lady. We want to make sure nothing happens," JunJun explained. The other three members of the Quartet deftly leapt out of the tree before walking over to where ChibiUsa and Hotaru were standing. "On the way to school?" ChibiUsa asked. "I can take care of her," Hotaru said firmly. "Sure. Just like you did last night?" VesVes mentioned. She shut up after Hotaru glared at her. Apparently the dark haired girl was still angry about that near disaster with ChibiUsa. "The point is that its our job to protect Small Lady, Hotaru," CereCere said. ChibiUsa rested her face in her hands. They were all squabbling over protecting her. Sometimes she really hated being a princess. "We'll be fine on our way to school. I'm sure last night was a fluke." ChibiUsa squeezed Hotaru's hand. The dark haired girl seemed a bit tense. She felt Hotaru loosen up before squeezing back. "Nevertheless, its our job to keep an eye on you," CereCere reminded her. "Even if it is only heading to school." ChibiUsa sighed in resignation. She looked at Hotaru helplessly. "Okay. But we have to hurry if we don't want to be late." The four girls started walking briskly towards the school, Hotaru and ChibiUsa still hand in hand. Up ahead, Momoko waved to them, a grayish purple kitten sitting on her head. "Why are the following ChibiUsa and Hotaru?" she whispered to the kitten "Because they're Small Lady's guardians. They're supposed to keep an eye on her," Diana replied. "That's so bizarre." Momoko shook her head as she saw the small entourage following her pink haired friend. She tried not to shiver too much, so the kitten could retain her balance, but the short Chinese dress she wore didn't protect much from the cold wind. "I'm glad she has them. It means I don't have to keep an eye on her so much. And that means more time with you, Momo-chan," Diana purred happily. Momoko smiled lopsidedly and pulled her backpack higher. "Hi, ChibiUsa-chan! Hotaru-chan!" Momoko ran up alongside them. She turned when she heard CereCere clear her throat. The Amazoness Quartet waited expectantly. Trying to remember the four girls' names, Momoko waved to them. "Umm... Hi, BethBeth, SeraSera, ParaPara, and JunJun." JunJun stared at her oddly and kept walking while PallaPalla giggled. "BethBeth?" VesVes repeated. She turned to CereCere. "BethBeth?" CereCere giggled as well. "You'd make a cute BethBeth," CereCere said teasingly. Finally stopping right outside the school, the Quartet waved their goodbyes. Diana was hidden away in Momoko's backpack so she could stay with her throughout the day. "Shouldn't you four have to go, too?" ChibiUsa asked, pausing before the entrance. "Nope. We're eternally young, remember. No reason for us to," JunJun said, stretching as if to show her relative freedom. "Besides, who'd want to repeat the same grade over and over again just because we don't get any older?" CereCere asked. "Yeah. You enjoy yourselves," VesVes said. "Have fun!" PallaPalla waved again. "So where are you going all day?" ChibiUsa asked, curious. "PallaPalla's going to play," PallaPalla answered. "The park," said CereCere. "Back home," VesVes said at the same time. They looked at each other and then back at ChibiUsa. "Just places." JunJun sweatdropped. "I thought we were going to the Crown Café." "Awww... that's not fair." Hotaru sighed. "I want to go to the Crown Café," a small voice said from Momoko's backpack. "You can have some of my lunch," Momoko offered, digging around for something to give the kitten. "Since I'm your princess and all, don't you four have to go to school if I tell you? And then you'd be able to protect me while I was here," ChibiUsa reasoned. A resounding chorus of negatives came back to ChibiUsa before the Quartet hastily left. ChibiUsa watched as they left, the school bell ringing behind her. "Oh well..." "Come on." Hotaru smiled and took ChibiUsa's hand in her own. The gentle touch did wonders for the pink haired girl's outlook on the day. "It won't be too bad." ChibiUsa took another look after the Quartet before walking through the school doors with her girlfriend. Hotaru and ChibiUsa walked home through the park. School was finally out for the day and ChibiUsa had managed to convince the Quartet that they didn't need to be escorted home. It was cold out, but the park looked beautiful. Most people were inside keeping warm, so the two girls practically had the whole park to themselves. They held hands and walked slowly through the park, enjoying their time together. A biting wind blew through the trees, causing Hotaru to shiver even under the coat she was wearing. ChibiUsa leaned against her, her arms going around the raven haired girl, offering some warmth against the cold. Hotaru smiled as her forehead pressed against ChibiUsa's. Violet eyes met crimson as they kissed. The biting wind seemed to disappear as Hotaru felt ChibiUsa's soft, lush lips against her own. She sighed at the marvelous sensation. ChibiUsa pulled away after a jogger ran by. Hotaru giggled. ChibiUsa smiled at her, but before she could say anything, something fell from the sky, crashing down on top of her. Hotaru grabbed ChibiUsa's arm and helped the other girl to her feet. "Are you okay?" she asked, worried. "Onee-chan!" a younger girl's voice yelled happily. The girl that had landed on ChibiUsa hopped up to her feet and hugged the pink haired girl. "I missed you!" the girl squealed. "Kousagi-chan? What are you doing here? I thought mom said you couldn't come back to the past. One of us is dangerous enough if anything happens to the timeline." ChibiUsa rubbed her head. "I told them I missed you and they said it was cute and let me go." She winked at ChibiUsa. "See, when you're younger they want you to get along with your sister." The younger girl shrugged. "And now I'm here." "Excuse me," Hotaru said politely. "Odango-chan, what's going on?" Hotaru was confused by this turn of events. She'd never heard anything about a sister. "Oh, umm..." ChibiUsa sweatdropped. "Hotaru, this is my sister, Kousagi. Kousagi, this is Hotaru." Hotaru smiled to the other girl and put her hand out, but the little girl ignored it, hugging her instead. "I've heard so much about you when ChibiUsa was back in the future. You're practically all she talked about. She was always asking if she could go back to the past and see you." ChibiUsa blushed when Hotaru turned to look at her. "I've been waiting to see you for a long time. I already feel like you're my sister-in-law." ChibiUsa blushed deeper after her sister finished. She hadn't thought her sister had actually been listening to her all the time. "Really?" Hotaru asked, smiling back at the pink haired girl. ChibiUsa hastily changed the subject. "Anyway, she's my little sister. She's eight." "Nine. You missed my birthday," Kousagi said, sticking her tongue out at ChibiUsa. "Odango-chan, you never told me you had a sister," Hotaru said as she watched the younger girl pick up a bag of clothes she'd brought with her. ChibiUsa laughed nervously. "Well, I hadn't really thought too much about it. I kinda thought you knew." Hotaru stared at her oddly. "I figured Setsuna would have said something about it, so I never thought about bringing it up." "Aww, you didn't even mention me?" Kousagi pretended to pout. Hotaru giggled. She did remind her of ChibiUsa. ChibiUsa sighed. "So where are you staying, Kousagi?" The little girl smiled. "I thought I'd stay with you two. You've got an apartment right?" "Not exactly," Hotaru answered. "We're still too young. I live with the Outer Senshi and ChibiUsa lives with Kenji, Ikuko, and Shingo, Usagi's family." "Really? Where's Usagi-mama?" Kousagi asked eagerly. "She usually stays at her apartment with Mamo-chan, but she's been at Rei's temple for a few days now. Usagi and Mamoru got into a fight from what I heard, but Usagi won't tell me about it." ChibiUsa said. "Oh good. I'll have to go see them both later," Kousagi said. ChibiUsa stood in thought for a moment. "Hmm... Usagi's family still thinks I'm her cousin, so I can just tell them you're my sister. I don't think I'll even have to use the Luna-P." "So I'll be staying there with you?" "Yeah. Since Usagi's gone, there's an extra room, too. I've been using the attic room since I got used to it, so you can probably use Usagi's old room." ChibiUsa nodded. "That should work." Kousagi smiled. "Sounds good. Thanks, Onee-chan." "Don't mention it. I'm still surprised to see you here," ChibiUsa said, sneaking a glance at Hotaru. How come they were always being interrupted when they were alone lately? "We'll talk tonight, Odango-chan," Hotaru said as if reading her thoughts again. "Maybe we can do something then." "Hai, Hotaru-chan." ChibiUsa smiled at the dark haired girl. Hotaru smiled back before ChibiUsa turned to her sister. "Come on. We'll go home for now and I'll try to get things set up." "Arigato." Kousagi hefted her bag over her shoulder and started following ChibiUsa. Before going two steps, another little girl fell on ChibiUsa. When Hotaru turned around to her prone girlfriend, one fell on her as well. The two girl's quickly got off the older ones. "Oh yeah," Kousagi spoke up. "These two told me they were your daughters." "Shisa?" ChibiUsa asked in shock. "Selene?" Hotaru's eyes went wide. "What are you two doing here?" The twin daughters they had met briefly in the future were now standing in front of them, moments after Kousagi had arrived. Hotaru had known she'd see the twin girls again, but she'd assumed that it would be when she and ChibiUsa finally had them. The two girl's seemed to be around six years old, younger than ChibiUsa's sister. They'd definitely grown from when Hotaru had seen them. "We wanted to see you two back when you were younger," Shisa said. "And ChibiUsa-mama said it would be great for us to see the past, even if only for a little while. She said it would give you two some time alone to catch up on work," Selene finished up. "Work... Uh huh." Hotaru glanced over at ChibiUsa. For some reason she didn't quite think work was what her lover's future self had had in mind. "After we saw you in our time, we've been asking Hotaru-mama and ChibiUsa-mama a lot about when they were younger. They said it might be nice if we could see. Grandma Setsuna said it was okay, so we got to come here." Shisa smiled at the younger versions of her parents. ChibiUsa giggled. "Grandma Setsuna? That was nice of her." Hotaru sweatdropped. "I had no idea we had such an extended family in the future." "Me neither." ChibiUsa shook her head in disbelief as she looked at the two younger girl's. Kousagi was standing slightly off to the side, letting her sister handle this for now. "Yeah, and ChibiUsa-mama's pregnant again," Shisa said, trying to be helpful. ChibiUsa turned to glance at Hotaru. The dark haired girl just shrugged, not sure what to say herself. "Again? You mean Hotaru and I have three daughters?" "Yep. Well, you will have three. The baby hasn't been born yet," Selene said, her maroon odangos gently swaying in the wind. "You two were talking about us growing up too fast and wanting a little sister for us." ChibiUsa looked faint. She hadn't thought much about having children other than when she'd learned about having the twins. The idea of mothering three children while being Neo Queen seemed like a very daunting task. Then again, they were her and Hotaru's children so she felt a warm feeling flood through her as she looked at the twins. These were her kids, her children. These were a little bit of her and Hotaru. The thought of raising a family together made ChibiUsa pause for a second, trying to visualize what it would be like. "We need to find some place for the two of you to stay," Hotaru said thoughtfully. "What about with me? I'm sure Haruka-papa, Michiru- mama, and Setsuna-mama wouldn't mind and the house is big enough." The two girls smiled. "Thanks, Hotaru-mama." "Arigato, Hotaru-mama." "You're welcome," Hotaru said, smiling back at them. ChibiUsa giggled and whispered to the raven haired girl. "Hotaru- mama. That suits you rather well." Giggling as well, Hotaru answered. "Oh, stop it. Its creepy enough hearing it from them." "We better get used to it because when we do finally have them, we'll probably be hearing it a lot." Louder, ChibiUsa said, "Kousagi and I will walk with you back to your place before going back home. Maybe we can go someplace tonight." Hotaru looked a bit disappointed. "I'd love to, but it looks like we might wind up having to babysit tonight." She mover her hand in a sweeping gesture, indicating the twins. "The again, at least we'll be together if we're both watching them," Hotaru said optimistically. ChibiUsa sweatdropped. Hotaru was right, but it wasn't exactly the perfect date either. "Sounds good. I'll come back after I get Kousagi settled at my house." "Come on, girls. We're going to Hotaru's house," ChibiUsa said. Selene grabbed onto ChibiUsa's hand while Shisa grabbed onto Hotaru's. Hotaru smiled down at the smaller girl holding her hand. Shisa smiled back up at her. Kousagi sighed off to the side. She wanted to see her parents after all this. Hotaru felt a warm feeling inside as she began walking with what would be her future family. These little girls were her daughters. And she would one day be married to ChibiUsa. Her future seemed very bright indeed. Glancing over at ChibiUsa, Hotaru was surprised to see that she looked a little more mature, a bit more grown up now. Hotaru grinned to herself. Maybe the twins were bringing out a bit of ChibiUsa's maternal instinct. Whatever it was, Hotaru liked the feeling of her own family. She couldn't remember much of her life as the Princess of Saturn back in the Silver Millenium, but she did remember the lonely life she'd had with only her father on earth. Her life had been a lot happier when she'd grown up with the Outer Senshi. Life's lessons had taught her to cherish what little or what strange family she had. Eventually she'd be starting her own. The thought was a bit frightening because of what a huge step it was, but Hotaru was sure she'd be happy to make it when the time came. The young, double odangoed girl rushed down the street, intent on finding her parents. She wandered helplessly though the streets. The beautiful blonde woman that always told her she was beautiful. The spirited priestess who always seemed to make things right. She was even scared that her onee-chan was nowhere to be found. She really shouldn't have ran off like that, she thought to herself. Frustration built up inside her as she failed again and again to find the women she was looking for. At least her sister would know where to look had she stayed. Kousagi wasn't used to this place. She came from the future, so everything around her seemed strange. "I can't believe your pregnant, Usagi-chan!" Rei exclaimed she puzzled over the doctors examination papers that proved the tale was true. She looked up at Usagi and felt the girls stomach. "Is it really Mamoru's?" "Of course it is dummy," Usagi said. "I thought I was in love with him remember? Of course we made love." "Hey, I was just asking." Rei said, "I am your guardian, am I not? It's my duty to know these things. Besides.." she pulled Usagi into a deep embrace, "... I love you. I'll take care of you if need be." "It must be ChibiUsa," Usagi said, "He loves ChibiUsa dearly, I know he'll be good to her." "So what are you saying?" Rei asked. "I think it's time we speak to ChibiUsa." "Usagi-mama, Rei-mama!" a young girl's voice resonated in their ears. A young girl was grinning happily and running up to them. "Usagi-mama..." Rei asked. "Rei-mama....." Usagi murmured terrified. "Oh no not this again..." But it was too late. The tiny girl jumped into Usagi's arms and hugged her furiously. "Usagi-mama, I hate onee-chan. She said you and Rei-mama weren't together. I knew she had to by lying." she smiled triumphantly, and Rei and Usagi almost face-faulted into the ground. "ChibiUsa!!!" Usagi yelled. ******** "We have to find her, Taru-chan!" Chibi-Usa was holding onto Selene and Hotaru was carrying Shisa on her back. "Why did she run off in the first place?" "Because I told her that Usagi and Rei aren't lovers in this time!" ChibiUsa rounded another corner. "She was devastated." "Well, then you shouldn't have said anything. She was really looking forward to seeing her parents and you just told he they didn't even love each other yet." then what ChibiUsa had said woke her up. "Rei and Usagi are what? Oh man, so she really is your sister isn't she? Then she was born the same way Selene and Shisa were?" "Yes!" But, ChibiUsa wasn't paying attention and crashing headlong into a warm body. When she opened her eyes she realized who she'd bumped into. "He-hello Rei-chan." "You have some explaining to do ChibiUsa." "What are you doing, Mars?" PallaPalla stepped in. "Hey I told you not to call me that!" Rei yelled. The rest of the Amazoness Quartet were there staring down at where ChibiUsa lay. Usagi ran up holding Kousagi's hand. "PallaPalla, JunJun, CereCere, VesVes!" Hotaru exclaimed. "The Sailor Quartet!" Selene and Shisa yelled. "You came too?" "Huh?" VesVes asked, "Who are they?" "No dummy," Selene argued with Shisa. "They're from the past." "Hey you called for them too!" Shisa yelled. "Alright you two can it!" Hotaru sighed. "I'm not cut out for parenting." "Why are you guys with Usagi and Rei?" ChibiUsa asked. "We where looking for you, princess," Jun-Jun said, "We were afraid you would get into trouble again." ChibiUsa blushed and set Selene down. "I see," she said. "Enough of that. ChibiUsa we march back to Rei-chan's place and you explain everything. And everyone!" "Yes, ma'am." ChibiUsa said for once being scolded by Usagi. Everyone sweatdropped at the idea and walked silently to the temple. ChibiUsa took a deep breath and looked around the large table she and the others were seated at. The Quartet stood behind her, as if trying to back her up. She held Hotaru's hand under the table, squeezing it tightly. Shisa, Selene, and Kousagi sat clustered around the table. Usagi and Rei sat across from ChibiUsa, staring at her questioningly, wanting answers. Taking a nervous glance at Hotaru, ChibiUsa found the other girl to be equally nervous. Neither were quite sure how to explain things. "So what's going on?" Usagi said, her eyes never leaving ChibiUsa. Gulping worriedly, ChibiUsa began, "It's kind of complicated and has a lot to do with the future and people's daughters and things." Usagi nodded from the other side of the table, waiting for her to continue. "Umm... Well, I'm not really an only child." Usagi glanced at Rei for a moment, shock passing between them. "I have a half sister," ChibiUsa continued, "who I thought wasn't supposed to come back to the past." She cast a quick glance at Kousagi, but her sister was staring intently at the two women who would one day be her parents. Sighing, ChibiUsa turned back to Usagi. "This," she gestured to Kousagi, "is my little sister, Kousagi." Smiling shyly, Kousagi waved to Usagi and Rei. Usagi stared at the younger girl, not seeming to understand for a moment. "You mean... But..." She shook her head, trying to think. Rei seemed to recover first. Looking intently at ChibiUsa, she asked the question that had been burning through her mind. "You said half-sister, right? Who's the father?" "I don't have one," Kousagi spoke up. Everyone turned her way. "I have Usagi-mama and Rei-mama," she said happily. She ignored the stare she got from her older sister. ChibiUsa may not want them to know yet, but Kousagi hated the idea of her parents not being together. She wanted them to know as soon as possible. She vaguely remembered something Setsuna had told her about not mentioning certain things, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. Rei had heard Kousagi call her that before a short time earlier, but the reality of it made her mind spin. She and Usagi had a daughter in the future? The thought of actually being able to reach that unattainable goal, that shining star that was always out just beyond her grasp, sent a tsunami of emotions crashing through her. Usagi seemed to think about it for a moment. She smiled and waved at Kousagi. "Hi, Kousagi-chan. I guess I'm your mom, huh?" Kousagi nodded, smiling back at her. "You look kinda like Rei-chan." Usagi said thoughtfully, her head tilted to the side. Rei laughed. "I think she looks more like you, Usagi-chan." Kousagi blushed as the two women gawked at her, mentioning little things about their future daughter. Kousagi smiled happily, glad that ChibiUsa had been wrong about them not being together yet. "I'm so surprised we have a daughter," Rei said, shaking her head. Hotaru laughed. "I was surprised to hear ChibiUsa-chan had a sister. We met her on our way home from school." Focussing her attention back to ChibiUsa, Usagi looked from Shisa to Selene. "Now, who are they?" ChibiUsa sweatdropped nervously. How was she supposed to explain this? "Cousins?" "ChibiUsa..." Usagi's gaze hardened. ChibiUsa tried to smile convincingly. "Kousagi's your daughter right? Shisa and Selene are my daughters," ChibiUsa tried to explain. "And mine," Hotaru added. Usagi's gaze went from the pink haired girl to the dark haired girl and back. "How can they be both of your daughters? Ohhhhh!" Usagi smiled broadly. "One of them is yours and the other is Hotaru's! I bet they're best friends, too, just like the two of you. That's so cute." She grinned at the two girls sitting by ChibiUsa and Hotaru. "I bet the one with the odangos is yours, right, ChibiUsa-chan?" ChibiUsa didn't answer for a moment. If she left it like that, she wouldn't need to explain about her and Hotaru. She cleared her throat to get the others attention. "Actually, they're both our daughters. Hotaru-chan and I.... We get married in the future and have them." Standing up, her chair getting pushed back, Usagi stared directly at ChibiUsa, making the younger girl wince. She had been totally caught off guard by that last statement. "What? Who are you married to?" "Hotaru-chan..." ChibiUsa said nervously. For some reason, she was seeing Usagi not as she usually saw her, but as her mother back in the future. "You? And Hotaru?" Usagi sat back in her chair. She would have fallen if Rei hadn't pushed it back behind her in time. "Mom, I..." ChibiUsa began. "Why didn't you tell me?" Usagi asked suddenly. "That is something I'd like to know. I worry about you, ChibiUsa-chan. Was this new to you? Did you just find out when the kids told you? Is that why you didn't tell me?" Then it hit Usagi. Had ChibiUsa called her mom? She never called her that, preferring to think of Usagi and Neo Queen Serenity as two different people. Relief washed over ChibiUsa. She'd been so worried about telling Usagi, she'd just about decided to wait and tell her mother when she went back to the future. "We've been dating for a while now." "But she fell in love with her a while before that," Kousagi said, grinning wickedly at her sister. "I never heard the end of it back home." Usagi looked hurt. "You've been going out and you still wouldn't tell me? Don't you think I'd want to know when you found someone?" Staring down at the table, ChibiUsa felt ashamed of trying to hide her being in love from Usagi for so long. "I'm sorry, Usagi. I thought that maybe you wouldn't understand. I was afraid you might not agree with me in falling for Hotaru." "ChibiUsa-chan, love is love. It doesn't matter who it is and whether or not it's a man or a woman. As long as it's the most important thing to you, as long as you truly love that person, that's all that matters. You shouldn't run from it." Usagi looked sidelong at Rei, who returned her gaze. Turning back to ChibiUsa and Hotaru, Usagi smiled gently at the two of them. "As long as you're happy, so am I. That's all I want for you, ChibiUsa-chan. And Hotaru-chan, watch out for my little girl." Hotaru smiled and nodded. "Always, Usagi-san." Getting out of her chair, ChibiUsa ran to the blonde woman. They came into a hug as soon as she reached Usagi. She felt the other woman's arms pull her close. She felt like she was back home with her mother. "Mom, thank you." ChibiUsa said, her voice full of emotion. Usagi blinked back some tears of her own as she held her future daughter. "ChibiUsa-chan, you should never be afraid to tell me anything." ChibiUsa didn't say anything, just holding on to her mother. Hotaru and Rei ushered the twins and Kousagi to another room, so they could leave the mother and daughter to talk. The Quartet filed out behind them. ******* Kousagi giggled, picking up one of the stuffed bunny dolls off of ChibiUsa's bed. "I guess you're still working on your bunny doll collection back here in the past," she said, gesturing to the many types of bunny memorabilia around the room. ChibiUsa busied herself with trying to clean the messy room, picking up some clothes off the floor. "Yeah. There are a lot of cute ones here I've got for my collection." She paused before correcting herself. "Okay, Hotaru's bought me a lot of cute ones for my collection." Kousagi smiled. "I'm glad I finally got to meet her. Especially after hearing about her from you so much. She's all you talked about until mom let you go back to the past." "Was not." "Was too." "No, I was just telling you that I missed Hotaru. I talked about plenty of other things," ChibiUsa explained. "Oh, sure. Like how pretty she was, how smart she was, how nice she was..." Kousagi trailed off. ChibiUsa grinned. "She really is pretty. Now you can finally see what I was talking about." She sighed, glancing to a picture of Hotaru and herself. They were hugging and smiling at the camera, ChibiUsa's fingers out in a victory sign. Kousagi followed her older sister's gaze to the picture. "She's perfect for you. I've never seen you so happy, onee-chan." ChibiUsa sat down on her bed beside the double odangoed girl. She smiled to herself, cuddling one of the stuffed bunnies Hotaru had bought her. "Yeah. I love her so much. I was pretty shocked at first when I found out." Kousagi shook her head. "Mom says you already knew. She said you just didn't admit it to yourself until something happened back here with the two of you." ChibiUsa winked at her younger sister. "Well, mom seems to understand these things a lot better than I thought." Pausing for just a second, Kousagi looked up at ChibiUsa. "So what did happen with you two? First I hear you talking about her all the time and you keep begging mom to let you go back to the past. And then a little while after she lets you she tells me you two fell in love. What happened?" ChibiUsa blushed slightly and laughed nervously. "I'll tell you when you're older." Kousagi blinked curiously. "Why not now? I wanna know." "Things got pretty confusing for a while. We were both acting strange around each other, but we pretended nothing was up. I was having a hard time realizing what was going on, but after I spent the night at Hotaru's house and we managed to talk a bit, we both understood how we felt," ChibiUsa explained cautiously. Kousagi seemed to contemplate what she'd heard for a bit. "How come all anybody does is talk? Didn't anything else happen?" ChibiUsa laughed, sticking her tongue out at the younger girl. "You watch too many soap operas." "Do not." "Do too." "Oh, mom wanted me to tell you something," Kousagi said, suddenly remembering. "I think it was... She wants you to know that you shouldn't worry about being in love with Hotaru. She loves you no matter what and she's thrilled that you've found somebody. She said your love for each other is the strongest thing you have and that you have to remember that. Something about being tested." "Tested?" ChibiUsa asked worriedly. "Not by her. She doesn't have anything to do with it. She just knows its going to happen." ChibiUsa sat in silence for a moment. "So mom already knows about us? And she's happy? That would have come in a lot more handy if you'd told me that before I told Usagi about us. I was so worried." Kousagi reached past ChibiUsa to pick up one of her sisters stuffed rabbits. "You shouldn't have been. Its still mom, even if she and Rei-mama aren't queens yet." "I know. I was just getting way too worried about things for a while. Tested, huh? As long as I'm with Hotaru, I'm sure it will be fine. And mom seems to think so, too," ChibiUsa said, trying to reassure herself. She knew deep down that everything would be alright as long as she and Hotaru stood through it together. "Yep. You shouldn't worry about it too much." "Wait, did mom just tell you to tell me all that? She usually sends letters," ChibiUsa raised an eyebrow. Kousagi sweatdropped and giggled sheepishly. "I.. umm... I lost it. I had it with my bags, but I couldn't find it when I got here, so I just told you what I could remember now." "I hope there wasn't anything important it said that I was supposed to read," ChibiUsa said worriedly. "I think that was just about everything," Kousagi said helpfully. She sat and watched the pink haired girl thinking in silence. "Its so strange hearing everybody call you ChibiUsa." "Why's that?" ChibiUsa asked absentmindedly. "'Cause its not your name, Usagi," Kousagi answered. ChibiUsa smiled. "Ohhh... Yeah, but I can't go around as Usagi. Mom and I have the same name, so I'm stuck with being called ChibiUsa in the past." Kousagi grinned mischievously. "Bet you don't mind when Hotaru calls you ChibiUsa." "Nope. She can call me that forever if she wants." Even if she wasn't exactly 'chibi' anymore, she had grown used to the name. She may not be small anymore, but it would take a while to get used to being called Usagi rather than ChibiUsa when she went back tot he future. "I'm starting to think our family has a thing for falling in love with dark purple haired girls," Kousagi said thoughtfully. "First you and Hotaru and then mom and Rei-mama falling in love." "I hadn't thought about that," ChibiUsa said with a laugh. "Better watch out for dark haired girls, onee-chan." ChibiUsa winked at her sister. "And best friends, while you're at it." Kousagi smiled back at her. "At this rate, I better." Both sisters giggled. Hotaru carefully repositioned one of her lamps on her dresser. "There," she said, taking a step back to see how it looked. She nodded in approval when she saw how it looked next to her other lamps. "You have a big lamp collection, Hotaru-mama," Selene commented, glancing around the dark room. "Where are all the bunnies, though?" "Bunnies?" Hotaru repeated. "Those are ChibiUsa-mama's. They don't share a room yet, Selene," Shisa explained. "Oh yeah. I'm just used to seeing the lamps and the bunnies," Selene answered. She looked around the room again, trying to place what bunnies went by what lamp in the future. "The pink and white one goes by that one, remember?" She pointed to one of Hotaru's decorative lamps. Shisa giggled. "Yep. Of course I remember that one. We almost broke it." Hotaru sweatdropped. "It didn't break right?" Shisa smiled. "Nope," Hotaru breathed a sigh of relief. It was one of her favorites. "Not that one." After that ominous remark, Hotaru kept herself from asking about the fate of her other lamps. "So," she began, curiosity gnawing at her. "When do we get married? Sometime soon, right?" Before Selene could answer, Shisa nudged her in the side. "Can't tell you. You told us not to answer anything like that before we left." "Unfortunately," Selene added. "Its no fun not being able to say anything. Her maroon odango bobbed up and down when she hopped off the bed. She ran up beside Hotaru reaching for the gray kitten that was lying sleepily on the carpet. "Unless..." The little pink haired girl's eyes lit up mischievously. Shisa adjusted her glasses and smiled. "Hotaru-mama told us not to say anything, right?" "Yeah," Selene answered half heartedly as she snuck up on the sleeping kitten. "Well, Hotaru-mama's right here. If she says its okay, then we can tell her everything," Shisa said triumphantly. "That'd be fun," Selene said, smiling at her sister. She lunged forward, grasping Diana in her small arms. The kitten woke up in surprise. Try as she might, she couldn't escape the little girl's grasp on her. Selene pet Diana with her free hand as she made her way back to the bed. "Good kitty." "Hotaru-chan..." Diana looked desperately at the dark haired girl as Selene continued to pet her. Hotaru giggled and shrugged helplessly at the kitten. "She's just a little girl, Diana-chan." Diana sighed and stopped struggling in the younger girl's crushing embrace. "You're smaller here than you are in the future, Diana-chan," Selene grinned. She scratched behind the kittens ear. Diana found herself purring despite herself. "I'm probably not a kitten anymore by then. Finally. I'm older than my mom and dad were when they were training Usagi-sama and Minako-sama, but I'm still not a grown cat yet." "Growing can be a strange thing, Diana-chan. I went from a baby to a ten year old in six months," Hotaru pointed out. Diana gripped on as Selene hefted the kitten onto her lap on the bed. "Yeah, but that's different. And my human form aged normally." The kitten felt Selene petting her purplish gray fur before dragging her back on her lap when she felt Diana slipping off. "The girls seem to think you're cute as a kitten," Hotaru said smiling at the kitten. "I'm not so sure that's a good thing," Diana replied unenthusiastically. "And I'm sure Momoko doesn't mind that you're a kitten. Trust me, if she's over the fact that she's in love with a cat, then she probably doesn't mind at all." Hotaru tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I fell in love with the rabbit, afterall." Diana laughed. "That's figurative. I really am a kitten. Just because ChibiUsa has odd hair doesn't make her a rabbit." Diana paused for a moment. "Momoko dealt with it really well after the initial shock of it all." Hotaru smiled softly. "Yeah, that's surprising. It took me a while to get over the shock of finding out I was in love with ChibiUsa. And I already knew a lot about her. Momoko had just found out you were a kitten. She seems to deal with things really well. Like finding out about ChibiUsa and me and about falling for you." "Yep," Diana said happily. She meowed as the younger girl continued to pet her. "I'm still a little disappointed that ChibiUsa didn't tell me about you two. I am her guardian, after all. I should know these things." "Oh, she wasn't telling anyone. Don't worry about that. It took forever to convince her to tell my parents," Hotaru sat down on the bed beside the two girls and the kitten. The two younger girls listened intently as the older girls talked. "While we're on the subject of girlfriends, I think I'm supposed to be seeing Momoko about now," Diana said suddenly, trying to stand up in Selene's grasp. "Awww.... You don't have to go, do you, Diana-chan?" Selene asked sadly. Diana took a look at the younger girl's sad lavender eyes and sighed in defeat. "I'll stay," she said, slumping down on the younger girl's lap. "Oh good," Selene said giddily, hugging the kitten. "So how does that sound, Hotaru-mama?" Shisa asked her future mother. "How does what sound?" "You can tell us its okay, and then Selene and I can tell you everything that happens," Shisa explained, petting the kitten that her sister was holding. Hotaru brushed some dark hair from her eyes. She was sorely tempted. She could find out so much from these girls. They were her daughters, hers and ChibiUsa's. "No, that's alright. Thank you anyway, Shisa," Hotaru said reluctantly. 'I'll find out eventually,' Hotaru thought to herself. 'When it happens.' Shisa pouted. "Are you sure?" Selene looked over to Hotaru as well. "It could be fun finding out." "I know it would girls. And I would love to know. But if my future self said not to tell me, I'll trust that," Hotaru smiled at the two girls, trying not to rethink her answer. She looked from one of her daughters to the other. They reminded her so much of ChibiUsa. She couldn't help but notice herself in them as well. She loved the thought of the twins being their children. "Hotaru-mama?" Selene spoke up, shaking Hotaru from her thoughts. Hotaru smiled at the little girl calling her mama. Much the same way she did with Michiru and Setsuna. "Yes, Selene?" "Could you tell us a story?" the younger girl asked, yawning. "Yeah," Shisa added excitedly. "About you and ChibiUsa-mama?" The two girls looked at Hotaru pleadingly. Hotaru nodded. "Sure. I'm not too sure I'd be very good at telling a story. And I'm not sure you'd want to hear one about me and Odango-chan." "No, you're really good at telling stories, Hotaru-mama. Its great when you and ChibiUsa-mama tell us stories together. I like hearing it from both of you. But you're really good," Selene said. She didn't notice that Diana had fallen asleep on her lap. "Yeah. And stories about you and ChibiUsa-mama are the best ones." Shisa giggled. "I can try, at least," Hotaru said. "What would you two like to hear about?" "When you first met." Selene smiled, remembering the story she'd heard many times. "No, when you fell in love," Shisa argued. "That one's better." "Uh uh. The time when Hotaru-mama saved ChibiUsa-mama from Nehelenia was a lot better," Selene protested. "Nope. What about when they went to the antique store and Hotaru was possessed by a genius locci? That was really good." "Not as good as when they went to the masquerade party." "But you always fall asleep during that one," Shisa pointed out to her sister. 'So? Its still a good story. Maybe I'll hear the end this time," Selene said, sticking her tongue out. "What about when they switched places?" "I liked that one a lot," Selene said happily. "Yeah, lets hear that one!" Shisa grinned. Hotaru sweatdroped nervously. She had no idea when that happened, but she knew it hadn't happened yet. 'Odango-chan, where are you?' she asked silently.