This is the second installment for this story (chapter 1 being posted
back in late December last year).

Any comments, C+C, flames etc welcome.

The first chapter is available at the URL

http://www.rakhal.com/AlexGray/ffml/duty1.txt

Cheers

Alex

===================================================
E-mail - mailto:hitomi@ndirect.co.uk
WWW home -    http://www.rakhal.com/AlexGray/    (or)
              http://www.geocities.com/alex_gray255/
ICQ#:     106361193
===================================================



*********************************************************************
Sailor Moon

The name Sailor Moon and characters here within are copyright of Naoko
Takeuchi and are used without permission. This story maybe freely
distributed as long as this header is quoted, the authors are
referenced, and the contents are not altered without permission of the
authors.

Warning:
----------
This is a Rei and Hotaru lime/yuri with just a dash of lemon. If this
sort of thing offends you, then _don't_ read it.

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

                    *       *       *       *

Duty
-----

A story in 2 parts.

(by Alex Gray/Sharon Wall -- 16/12/2003 -- Edition 1.2)


                    *       *       *       *

Part 2.


    Outside in the courtyard, Hotaru pulled on Rei's arm and tried to
get her to stop. "Wait up Rei-san, please. I'm not as fast as you. I
can't keep up."

    Rei came to an abrupt halt and just stood there stiffly as if she
were a statue. A worried expression flashed over Hotaru's face and
hesitantly, she reached up to touch the fire senshi's ashen face.

    "Rei... Are you..."

    "I love her, Hotaru..." Rei whispered in a broken voice. "Loved
her... she..." The fire senshi gave a great gulping sob and flung her
arms around the smaller girl, pulling her into a crushing embrace. "I
loved her..." and so saying, she collapsed into tears. Hotaru sagged
under the sudden weight of the taller senshi, but did her best to give
Rei the solace she so desperately needed.

    "Hush now, hush... I'm here..." Hotaru murmured as she constantly
rubbed the sobbing girl's back. "Please Rei..."

    "I love... loved her... Hotaru..." Rei sobbed as she clutched at
the other girl, burying her head into her hair. Why? Why had she not
seen this sooner? Why had she not realized that the warm, loving
person she had once felt so strongly for had become so... hard? The
Usagi of the past, her golden haired princess, would _never_ have sold
another into a loveless marriage simply for the sake of security. And
while Rei could understand the position that her Queen had to take,
the simple fact that it was _her_ Usagi making that declaration struck
her cold.

    That was not _her_ Usagi... Not her... Not anymore...

    Her Usagi was gone... Serenity...

    "Hotaru!" Rei wailed as she finally realized how alone she really
was. How the golden light which had guided her life for so long had
fluttered unnoticed and been replaced by a much colder flame. A flame
that shone twice as bright, but which gave no real warmth - at least,
not the type of warmth that lit the soul.

    As Rei cried out her name and seemed to fall to pieces in her very
arms, Hotaru panicked. She did not know what to do. Nothing like this
had ever happened to her before. Having someone clinging so close to
her in such a desperate state threw her completely. The pain inside
Rei was so overwhelming that Hotaru's empathic sense was swamped.
Nearly since the beginning, Rei had almost worshipped her beloved
golden haired princess and now... now...

    "Rei!" Hotaru cried out and lost on what else she could do, she
did the only that she could think of. Wrapping her arms around the
taller girl's neck, Hotaru yanked Rei's face down to hers and
stretching up, gave the young woman a kiss straight on the lips. She
meant it only to last for a second, to act as something to jolt Rei
out of her current state, but as soon as their lips touched, the fire
senshi seemed to go mad.

    Shuddering, Rei gave a small groan and abruptly crushed Hotaru
tight against her. The small girl gave a startled gasp and tried to
protest, but all sense abandoned her as Rei suddenly grabbed her head
and gave her a kiss that was so passionate in nature that Hotaru went
numb. The fire senshi's arms wrapped themselves tightly around the
small of Hotaru's back and the taller woman straightened, lifting
Hotaru so that her feet nearly left the ground. As her front slid up
Rei's, Hotaru could not help but give a faint moan as the movement of
silk against flesh sent hot flushes shivering up and down her body.
This noise however just seemed to act as a signal for egging Rei on
even further and Hotaru's eyes bulged as the hands of the other woman
started fumbling at the straps of her dress.

    "Rei... Sto..." she tried to protest as the fire senshi's tongue
slid into her mouth. The burning strength of the taller woman's
emotions were surging wildly through Hotaru's mind, burying her. It
was like Rei was consumed by a desperate passion that pushed
everything else aside. "Sto... Stop... Rei..."

    Lost in the burning emotions that flooded her, Rei gave herself
over completely to the warm body and silky feel off the slender form
buried in her arms. The pent up emotions that she had kept in check
for so long had finally burst free and she abandoned herself to them
totally. The clean, fresh smell that the small form gave off... The
soft, sleek touch of her skin... It drove Rei crazy and all she wanted
to do was bury herself in Hotaru's soft warmth. To let it fill all the
cold lonely places in her soul. To...

    "NO!" Hotaru screamed and with a surge of desperation she flung
the inflamed brunette from her, sending her spinning to the ground. As
she threw Rei from her a sound of tearing filled the air and Hotaru's
hands flew protectively up to cover her now bared front. A wracking
sob convulsed her body as shame, embarrassment and the aftermath of
passion flooded through her. She drew great gulping breaths of air
into her lungs and tried to control the tears that were flooding out
her eyes. She had never felt so... humiliated... wretched... cheap...

    Coldness...

    Crying...

    Alone...

    Rei's head slowly filtered these sensations one after another.

    Coldness...

    Crying...

    Hotaru... A name flickered through Rei's mind... Hotaru...

    The sound of a girl crying...

    Hotaru...

    Crying...

    "Hotaru..." Rei whispered. "HOTARU!" She bolted up and her eyes
looked horrified at the sobbing figure clutching at a half-torn dress.
An icy coldness bit at Rei's heart as she stared shocked at what she
had just done. A myriad of emotions flashed across her mind as her
eyes locked guiltily with those of the ashen faced Hotaru. Even at
this distance, the look of wretchedness... betrayal... shame...
burning in those wide eyes tore at her mind, robbed her will.

    Hotaru... Oh Gods... What... What had she just done?!

    Rei gave a piteous wail and grabbing at herself, curled up into a
small ball. Waves of disgust and self-loathing washed over her. What
had she done?! Oh by all the Gods... What had she done?!

    The sounds of running feet finally kicked some kind of sense back
into Hotaru's stricken mind, and she realized that the Palace guard at
last must have started reacting to the sounds of shouting. A sense of
cold detachment came over her and with a sweep of her hand, Hotaru
teleported the two of them to her private apartments.

    It was with this same sense of detachment that Hotaru turned her
back on the still sobbing form of Rei and crossed over to her bed.
Pulling back the sheets, she retrieved her nightie and headed over
towards the bathroom. Stopping at the door, she turned her head and
looked down at Rei. Swallowing, she spoke, pitching her voice just
loud enough for the senshi of fire to hear. "I'm going to have a
shower. When I come back, I want you gone. I never want to see your
face again."

    The sound of such icy coldness in Hotaru's voice broke through to
the sobbing Rei like a punch to the face and her head jerked up.
Emotions too fast to count flashed over her face as she tried to find
the words, any words that could get through to the smaller girl. "I...
Hot..."

    "I trusted you..." Hotaru hissed, her voice cracking under the
strain of the emotion she was trying to suppress. "I trusted you...
and you... you..." Her fists clenched at her side and she pulled open
the bathroom door. "Get out of here, Hino-san. Get out of here before
I..."

    "Princess Saturn!" Rei exclaimed running forward. "Princess
Saturn, wait!" She hurried over to Hotaru and fell down on a bended
knee before the silent girl. Taking a deep breath, Rei bowed her head.
"Princess Saturn, I, Hino Rei, Princess of Mars, do hereby pledge
myself to your service as my liege Lady. I beg... no, demand that you
accept my service. I..."

    Hotaru stared disbelievingly at the kneeing form of Rei and tried
to comprehend what the long haired senshi had just said. "What?!" she
burst out incredulously.

    "I said I, Hino Rei, demand that you take me into your service..."

    "You're mad!" Hotaru burst out. "You can't..."

    "I can swear my allegiance to whomsoever I wish, my lady," Rei
stated firmly, raising her head. She reached up and took hold of one
of Hotaru's hands in her own. "Please Hotaru... I'm sorry... I...
I've..."

    "You... You assaulted me!" Hotaru exclaimed, her anger beginning
to boil through her astonishment at Rei's request. "You..."

    "Yes, I did," Rei said in a small voice. "I... I lost myself...
I..." Rei swallowed. "You're an extremely desirable young woman,
Hotaru-chan," she said finally. "And with Usagi... I..." She felt the
tears beginning to build again. "I..."

    Hotaru was torn. Her anger and sense of betrayal at what Rei had
done were warring with her need to no longer be alone and pity for
what Rei was going through. She had shared the strength of emotion
that Rei had...

    "Please, Hotaru-chan," Rei begged. "Give me a chance... please..."

    Hotaru closed her eyes and with a small sigh looked down at the
kneeling woman. "Saturn is a lonely place," she said at last. "An
empty and barren world. Are you really willing to just..."

    "If you'll have me," Rei answered. "I... Well..." she paused as
she tried to search around for the right words. "I'm drifting,
Hotaru... I... I don't think I can explain it any better than that. I
don't really know who I am anymore. I've been Mars, servant to Queen
Serenity for so long now that I've lost contact with who is the real
me. I know that sounds crazy, but today was the first time I realized
just how much I've been relying on her to define just who and what I
am. I mean..."

    A sudden knocking at the door made both girls jump with surprise.
Hotaru looked up startled towards the main door of her private
apartments and then back over at Rei. The taller woman frowned and
gestured for her to be still. The knocking came again and this time
Hotaru slipped passed Rei and made her way over to the door.

    "Who... Who is it?" she asked, trying to make her voice sound as
firm as possible.

    "Captain Huisen, Lady Saturn, royal guard," an apologetic voice
replied back. "I'm sorry to bother you, but her Majesty requests your
presence in the grand hall. She wishes to introduce you to the
ambassadors from Harven."

    Hotaru went white and she turned to look at Rei, uncertainty
flashing in her eyes. Rei gave a small curse and scrambled to her
feet. "Let me deal with this, my lady," she said walking over towards
the door.

    My lady? Hotaru wondered at Rei's sudden use of her title. Had the
fire senshi really been serious about swearing allegiance to her? She
pulled back from the door. "Rei... Were you... Are you serious? Do you
really want to swear fealty to me? You are a princess as well. You
can't..."

    "Go and get your shower, my lady," Rei said briskly, gently
pushing Hotaru away from the door. "I'll deal with this."

    "But..."

    "Go on, my lady, go," Rei repeated making a shooing gesture and
Hotaru, in a state of some bemusement, obeyed. Closing the door to the
bathroom, Hotaru took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself and
then anxiously pressed her ear to the door. The sound of Rei's raised
voice was not difficult to hear.

    "...I don't care what your orders are!" Rei was saying. "Lady
Saturn needs her rest and as the sovereign princess of Saturn, she has
every right to it!"

    "I'm sorry, my lady," the guard tried to hold his ground, "but my
orders come from the Queen herself. They must..."

    "Tell me, Captain Huisen," Rei interrupted calmly. "Do you know
the terms of the Treaty of Solace?"

    A moment of confused silence followed.

    "Then let me illuminate you," the voice of Rei continued. "The
Treaty of Solace outlines the terms of the alliance between the
planets of our kingdom. Personally, I'm not surprised that you've
never heard of it. It's a pretty obscure document, drawn up in the
beginning days of the Kingdom. Long before your time I know, but it is
still perfectly valid, I assure you."

    "Pardon, my lady Mars, but..."

    "The Treaty makes certain provisions about the rights and duties
of the sovereigns of each of the member worlds," Rei continued
undaunted. "And if you look under each of those clauses, particularly
clause 79, sub-paragraph 3, then you will find that unless we are in a
state of war, the monarch, i.e. the Queen, has no direct rights of
command over other planetary sovereigns - unless it is in a matter of
planetary security. And personally, Captain, I don't think an order to
a party is a matter of planetary security, do you?" The tone of Rei's
voice was slightly mocking now and Hotaru blinked.

    "I... I have my orders, my lady," the captain began to say, but
once again, Rei jumped straight in.

    "Then you are going to disregard one of the fundamental treaties
upon which the laws of the Kingdom are based, are you then, Captain?
Going to cause a planetary incident with both Saturn and Mars over..."

    "No... No, my lady, of course not," the captain protested, his
voice sounding now not quite so certain. "I..."

    "Then I would suggest that you leave, captain," Rei finished as
calm as ever. "Present my Lady Saturn's regrets to the Queen. Thank
her for her most generous invitation, but that at this time, my Lady
will have to decline."

    A moment of silence followed and then the man replied. "Very well,
my lady. I will pass on your regrets to..."

    "No, captain," Rei corrected. "Not my regrets, those of my lady."

    Another pause. "Your lady?" the man asked confused. "I'm sorry, I
don't understand."

    "Yes, captain," Rei confirmed. "_My_ lady, the Princess Saturn.
Ensure that you get your message correct."

    At these words, Hotaru's eyes widened. If this man passed on Rei's
message as the fire senshi intended, then both Pluto and Serenity
would get the full meaning of Mars' statement. Rei had effectively
just told Serenity that she quit her position on the Queen's staff. It
was a statement that made Hotaru go numb. The fire senshi had been
loyal to Usagi almost from the very first - a loyalty, that had
developed into a deep and abiding love. The fact that Rei had just...
well... broken that loyalty stunned Hotaru. She was not sure how she
should react. Hearing the sound of Rei closing the main apartment
door, Hotaru pulled her ear back from the door and considered what she
should do next.

    From what Rei had just said, it seemed that the young woman had
truly decided to pledge herself to Hotaru's service - insane, but
there it was. The question for Hotaru however was how should she react
to all of this? Did she... did she trust herself enough to open her
heart to another... To Rei...

    A soft tapping came from the door and Rei's voice spoke up.
"Hotaru? Hotaru-chan? Are you all right in there?"

    Hotaru paused and then she stepped back from the door.

    "Hotaru-chan?" Rei's voice asked again and Hotaru's lips tightened
at the sound of concern that the other woman had. She was unused to
such emotion being expressed over her and she was slightly nervous on
how to react.

    "Hotaru? Hotaru, answer me," Rei demanded trying the door. "Are
you all right?"

    The movement of the door latch bought Hotaru back to reality and
she coughed out a reply just as Rei popped her head around the door.
"Yes... Yes, I'm fine..."

    Rei smiled and pushed the door wider. "Do you need a hand?" she
asked innocently, and Hotaru blushed.

    "Hahaha," she said taking a step forward and pushing at the door.
"Goodbye, Rei."

    "Goodnight, my lady," Rei replied sweetly as the door slammed in
her face. "Sweet dreams."

    Behind the shelter of the now closed door, Hotaru raised her hands
to her furiously blushing face and hurried over to the sink to splash
herself with some cold water. After what had happened between the two
of them just ten minutes before, Hotaru was not one hundred percent
sure that Rei was only joking. She lifted a finger to her lips and
shivered as she remembered the emotions that had been burning through
the fire senshi when the woman had kissed her. Those had been real
enough, she could still feel...

    She gave herself another splash with the water and tried to decide
what the heck she was going to do about all this. Did Rei... Did Rei
really want... Hotaru took a deep breath. She was not exactly sure how
she felt about that. Earlier, when Rei had held her, had comforted
her, the sensation of warmth, of being cared for had made her feel...
so vulnerable... so... well, needed... It was the first time she had
felt like that for... She could not even remember for how long.

    Her hand went up to her chest. Her heart was beating like a drum
and her stomach felt like all the butterflies in it were having a wild
party. "Rei..."

    Turning off the tap, she straightened. She had to take this all
one step at a time - Rei, Harven, Serenity - everything. Take things
slowly and calmly. Raising her head, she looked at the pale face that
was staring back at her from the mirror. Two large eyes, dark and
luminous stared back at her. Eyes that seemed to draw you in, eyes
that were too big for the ivory face in which they were set. She
slowly closed them and leaned forward until her head was resting on
the cool plate of the crystal mirror. She had been alone for too long.
She could not remain this way. Once, in the old days, when she had
just purely been Saturn, then maybe, but not now - no. She was not who
her old self had been - Michiru, Haruka, Usa - they had all seen to
that. She was used to being part of a family and it was time that she
was part of one again.

    The sound of the shower finally being switched on at last made Rei
pull back from the bathroom door. With everything that had gone on
today she had been worried that Hotaru might have gotten herself into
a bit of a state. Rei was well aware of how sensitive Hotaru was to
such things, and today would have been difficult for anyone. Turning,
Rei gave a small sigh and made her way over to Hotaru's bed. Pulling
back the covers, she took out the girl's nightie and laid it out. The
smell of fresh linen and faint flowers that arose from the sheets
bought another small sigh from Rei's lips. Flowers...

    Bringing the nightie to her face, Rei took a small sniff. The soft
garment smelt of spring, flowers and made the fire senshi take
another, longer smell. Roses. That was it. The soft fabric smelt
vaguely of roses.

    How like Hotaru, Rei mused to herself as she rubbed the sweet
smelting cloth back and forth across her cheek. Just like a rose,
Hotaru was extremely beautiful, but she was also armed with defenses
that would cut at anyone who tried to come too close. Not that Rei
could blame her. As Saturn, the poor girl had been forced into a role
that no sane person would want, and for someone like Hotaru...

    No.

    Rei shook her head. She could not blame the girl at all. In fact,
she was amazed that Hotaru was not even more defensive and bitter than
she already was, and Rei found herself looking forward to helping the
girl find her balance once more. And maybe her almost impulsive demand
to enter Hotaru's service was part of that, a recognition that both of
them needed something from the other.

    For Hotaru, that need was simple - a companion. Someone with whom
the girl could open herself up, someone to whom she could trust. For
Rei, that need was much the same. For although she had invested so
much of herself in loving Usagi, after today, Rei realized for the
first time that what she had been... well, worshipping was just an
image. The face behind the mask had changed with the years, but she
had refused to recognize that simple fact. For her, Usagi had always
been the same bright wonderful girl that she had first been, and lost
in that image as she had been, Rei had lost something of herself as
well.

    Rei clutched the nightdress to her and straightened. Now was the
time that she had to find herself once more. Now was the time when she
had to realize that she mattered as well. Usagi had grown up and so
had she. Rei needed to accept that simple fact and move on. Perhaps,
that was not the best way of putting it, but at this moment, that was
the only way that Rei could think of expressing how she felt. She had
to grow up, grow up and move on. Her life had changed, _she_ had
changed and...

    The sound of the bathroom door opening startled Rei and she jerked
her head up in surprise. "Ho... Hotaru..." she gasped, realizing that
she must have been lost in her own thoughts the entire time Hotaru had
been taking her shower. Now however, the girl was just standing there,
gaping at her with eyes wide and an almost shocked expression on her
face. Rei frowned - why the heck was Hotaru staring at her like that?
She looked back at Hotaru and then down at herself.

    Oh, shit.

    It was then that Rei realized why Hotaru was looking at her in
that way. Hotaru's nightie. She was still holding Hotaru's nightie. In
fact, she was doing more than just holding it, she had it raised up to
her face and her nose buried in it. Giving a small curse, Rei laid the
garment out on the bed and stood back blushing furiously. "Ah... I
was... ah... just laying out your bed for you, Hotaru. I... err..."
Rei's mind went a complete blank and she just stood there, trying
desperately to think of something sensible to say.

    Hotaru clutched the towel tightly around herself and walked over
to stand by her wardrobe. She swallowed. She was beginning to see
sides of Rei that she was not sure she wanted to know existed, and had
no idea how she should react to it. Being naked except for a towel in
the presence of someone sniffing at her own nightwear was not exactly
a position Hotaru had ever imagined herself being caught in and it
made her as nervous as hell. "Ah... Rei," she finally began. "I'm not
exactly sure what you are expecting, but... well... I..." she colored.
"Rei... I like you... but... I... Well... I'm not ready for that
kind..." and at this point, her nerves clamped down on her throat
completely and she just stood there, her eyes flickering nervously
around the room, going everywhere except on Rei.

    Rei's eyes bulged as she realized what Hotaru thought she had been
doing and threw up both her hands in protest. "No! No! Great gods,
Hotaru! I didn't mean anything like _that_! I..." she flushed and
spinning around headed towards the door. "I'm sorry, I'll leave right
now. This..."

    "Rei, wait!" Hotaru started after her. "Please, I didn't mean it
to sound quite like that. It's just... well... so many things have
happened today that I'm not quite sure of anything at the moment.
It's... I... I haven't been close to anyone for so long that..."

    "You're not to blame yourself in any way..." Rei began but Hotaru
cut her off.

    "Please Rei, let me finish. I need to say this. I need you to
understand what things are like for me. If you are..." she paused for
a moment before continuing. "If you are really serious about
wanting... about wanting to be with me, then you have to understand
that nearly everyone in the entire Kingdom welcomes me as much as they
welcome death. If... if you try to share my life, then it is probable
that you will become a social outcast like me as well. Do you..."

    "You're not an outcast..." Rei tried to interject, but the small
girl cut her off dead.

    "You know nothing, Rei! Nothing!" the smallest senshi exclaimed
bitterly. "All your life has been lived in..."

    "You're wrong, Hotaru," Rei answered back quietly in a tone that
commanded the girl's attention. "You're not the only one who has
suffered alone," she walked over to Hotaru and touched the girl's
still damp cheek. "Do you seriously think that you are the only one of
us who has suffered under the weight of being what you are? The only
one who has wished, no, prayed for your life to be different?" Rei
pulled her hand back. "I didn't think that you were that selfish,
Hotaru. What gives you the right to wallow in your own self pity when
the rest of us have to bury ours, eh?" She turned and took a few steps
back leaving Hotaru feeling confused and uncertain how she should
react.

    "And what about your own parents, eh?" Rei continued unabated. "Do
you think Pluto enjoyed spending the majority of her life trapped on a
cold, lifeless planet forced to watch the centuries tick by? And what
of Michiru and Haruka? They are virtually exiled to the outer rim,
having to spend nearly all their time simply watching and waiting. Do
you imagine that that was their first choice for the way that they
wanted to live their lives? Or Mina? How she..."

    "Stop, Rei..." Hotaru whispered. "Please. I..."

    "You're not alone, Hotaru-chan," Rei said gently. "That's all I'm
trying to say. Each of us has had to live under the weight of who and
what we are, and while your burden is greater than the rest of us, it
still..."

    "You don't understand at all, Rei," Hotaru whispered, her eyes
downcast to the floor.

    "Don't I?" Rei said simply, just watching Hotaru. "Is that really
what you think?" and something in the fire senshi's tone of voice made
Hotaru wish that she had just bitten her tongue. There was a pain
reflected in the private depths of Rei's eyes that made the small girl
almost stretch out her hand to comfort the other woman.

    "Rei..."

    "So, do I serve you or not, Saturn-sama?" Rei abruptly changed the
subject. "Because if I do, then my first task is to get that glum look
off your face and a smile back on it." She grinned and held out her
hand. "Come on, I'll help you dry off."

    The sudden change of topic made Hotaru painfully aware that she
had touched on a nerve, a nerve that the taller woman was not yet
ready to talk about. So, putting a deliberate look of indignation onto
her face she growled, "I'm not a child, Rei. I can take care of
myself, you know."

    "Really?" Rei smirked as she took hold of the immortal teenager's
hand and led her over to the bed. "Sit," she ordered.

    "Rei," Hotaru blushed. "Damn it. I can look after mys..."

    "Silence," Rei commanded as she went over to the bathroom and
retrieved another towel. "Let me fuss over you just this once, eh?
I..." her smile faded slightly as a look of pain flashed once more in
her eyes. "Please, Hotaru-chan... I... don't want to be alone at the
moment..."

    Hotaru reached out and hesitantly took the taller woman's hand in
her own. "You... you really love her, don't you?" she asked gently,
taking a good guess at the source of Rei's pain.

    The fire senshi froze and Hotaru bit her lip. Fool! She should
have remained silent. "Rei..." she began to say when the other woman
suddenly burst into tears and threw herself at Hotaru.

    "Usagiiii!" the woman wailed as she clutched tightly at the
smaller girl. The weight of the taller woman's momentum pushed Hotaru
down to the bed, jerking her towel loose. Hotaru however only held the
woman close and tried to comfort her as for the second time that
evening, Rei broke down into tears.

    "Shhh... Hush now, hush now..."

    "I love her, Hotaru," Rei wept as she buried her head in the soft
nape of the girl's neck. "Love her!"

    "I know, I know..." Hotaru whispered as she stroked Rei's back
comfortingly.

    "She's gone, Hotaru!" Rei sobbed, clutching tightly to the smaller
girl. "Gone! Serenity killed her! Killed her!"

    "Now, don't be silly, Rei..." Hotaru began but Rei carried on
unceasingly.

    "My Usagi! Serenity killed my Usagi, Hotaru! I loved her and now
she's gooonn..." the words broke down into incoherent sobbing and
Hotaru gave a small gasp of pain as Rei's grip suddenly turned into a
death crush.

    "Rei! Please! That hurts!" Hotaru exclaimed as Rei's body pressed
painfully against hers. "Stop! Let me go!" and she struggled to push
the other woman off her. "Please!"

    The sensation of movement beneath her and the words of pain coming
from Hotaru jerked Rei back to reality and with a curse, she let go of
the smaller girl and pulled back. Hotaru was lying half-naked on the
bed, the towel she had used to wrap herself in now pulled all askew.

    Rei's eyes could not help but widen at what they saw.

    Creamy milk white skin... Two small but perfectly formed
breasts... A thin tapering neck covered by soft black hair... A
slender but perfectly shaped torso...

    Rei quickly averted her gaze as her eyes seemed to be lingering in
places where they should not. Her heart was pounding heavily in her
ears and not for the first time she was enchanted by just how
beautiful Hotaru was. A beauty that was not just skin deep, but like
Usagi used to be, a beauty that shone from the very soul. Rei smiled
and a warmth of emotion for this kind, dark-eyed girl filled her
heart. Standing up, she picked up the nightie that she had laid out
earlier and passed it over to the still sprawled out teenager. "I've
decided. You're going to be stuck with me, Hotaru-chan," she
announced, letting her smile bloom. "From now on, I'm going to be your
shadow and I don't care what you say about it. I'm sticking to you
like glue." She wiped her eyes and picked up the smallish towel she
had retrieved earlier. She grinned wickedly, "and now, the task of
drying you off..."

    Hotaru suddenly felt very nervous and grabbing at the nightie,
scrambled into it as fast as she could. "I'm... I'm fine thank you,
Rei," she said trying to control the blush from exploding furiously
over her face. "I... I'm tired now and I think I'm going to bed..."

    "But your hair will get the pillows all wet," Rei said still
grinning evilly. "At least let me dry it off for you."

    "I... I can do it myself!" Hotaru started but stopped as Rei
plopped the towel gently over her head and started to briskly dry her
hair. "Rei!" she protested. "I'm not a child! I can do that myself!"
She tried to push the towel off, but Rei simply brushed her hands
away.

    "Now, now, my lady," Rei answered, wagging a finger. "Not many
people can say that they have had the princess of Mars dry their hair
for them, so stop fussing and let me do my job."

    "But..."

    "Shush," Rei ordered.

    "..." Hotaru muttered something under her breath but let Rei carry
on. After a few moments, she felt herself begin to relax as Rei gently
used the towel to massage her scalp. Today had been emotionally
draining in far more ways than one and the fingers of Rei were able to
work a wonderfully relaxing magic that made her feel warm and
comfortable, and without realizing it, she gave a small sigh of
pleasure.

    "Feeling better?" Rei asked in a soft voice as she pulled back the
towel and began to massage the girl's tense shoulders.

    "Mmmm..." Hotaru purred back as the warm feeling started to spread
throughout her body and a huge yawn broke free from her mouth.

    "You're feeling pretty tense there, Hotaru-chan," Rei commented as
she worked. "Are you worried about what Serenity said regarding
Harven?" At Rei's statement, Hotaru stiffened and she turned her head
to look up at the woman just beside her. "You are, aren't you?" Rei
said with a small sigh. Wrapping an arm loosely around the girl's
neck, Rei gently pulled her back so that Hotaru now lay settled up
against her. "Don't be," she whispered as she lightly ran her fingers
through the girl's hair. "Serenity can't make you do anything you
don't want to - no matter what people might think. The power of the
Queen is really not as absolute as all that."

    "What do you mean?" Hotaru asked, feeling oddly comforted by the
warm shelter of Rei's arms.

    Rei gave a small laugh. "Remember, it was me and Ami who helped
draft the initial treaties upon which the Kingdom is based in the
first place. Our intention was to make the Kingdom more of an
alliance, or confederation, rather than a strict monarchy." She smiled
at the memory. "Ami's quite the political scientist when she wants to
be."

    "Hmm?" Hotaru murmured as she closed her eyes and relaxed in Rei's
soft warmth. "How so?"

    "She really has this thing about checks and balances," Rei
answered softly as she adjusted herself on the bed to make Hotaru more
comfortable. "I remember how she used to go on about it all the time.
She had this grand vision of trying to ensure that each planet and
each institution of government was balanced in some way by another.
She used to insist on lecturing me about it nearly all the time." The
memories of Ami's stern countenance from those times made her smile.

    "Mmmm..." Hotaru replied as she repositioned herself slightly to
make herself more comfortable and a huge yawn erupted from her mouth.
"S'nice..."

    A fond look crossed Rei's face as it was obvious that Hotaru was
coming near the point of drifting off to sleep, so she just started to
gently stroke the girl's arm and hum. Hotaru's face relaxed and she
snuggled closer to Rei as another yawn broke loose from her mouth. Rei
moved her hand up and traced it across the girl's forehead still
humming softly and continued this movement until, with a deep
exhalation of breath, her charge fell asleep.

    As Hotaru dozed off, Rei edged herself back into the pillows of
the bed and wrapped her arms protectively around the sleeping girl.
Closing her own eyes she settled back into the comfort of the bed and
let the warm presence of Hotaru relax her. It had been far too long
since someone had rested so trustingly in her arms like this and the
sensation was heavenly. The truth be told, Rei was lonely and had been
so for a long time. Oh, she loved Usagi and had lots of close friends
and such, but somehow, those did not fill her as much as she thought
they should have. No one looked at her with eyes that were just for
her alone, and when she went to sleep every night, no one held her
like she was being held now. She was alone.

    Alone.

    Hotaru murmured something in her sleep and a small frown crossed
her face as she began to shift about in an agitated fashion. At the
movement, Rei broke off from her glum thoughts and gently shushed the
disturbed girl back into a more peaceful rest. Giving a small sleepy
sigh, Hotaru's face relaxed once more and whatever dream had been
troubling her vanished under Rei's ministrations.

    A small smile graced Rei's lips as she watched the now innocently
sleeping face of the senshi of Destruction. "I could very easily get
used to this, Hotaru-chan," she told the sleeping girl as her fingers
idly played with a stray lock of Hotaru's hair. "Too easily
perhaps..." She inhaled a deep breath and pushed her head back onto
the pillow. Her mind was beginning to go places she was not sure it
was wise to go, but yes, holding the warm soft form of Hotaru like
this was something that she could get used to very easily.

    Very easily indeed.

                    *       *       *       *

    "Well," Serenity remarked to Pluto with an annoyed look on her
face, "that went well, didn't it? Not only have I lost one of my key
advisors, insulted the ambassador from Harven with a snub from Saturn,
I've now gone and broken one of my fingernails as well. What a bloody
wonderful evening..."

    Pluto raised an eyebrow at the comparison but then just gave a
small sigh. "Yes," she remarked. "Not exactly one of our better days,
was it?"

    "So what now?" Serenity asked biting at the splintered nail. "What
do you suggest we do to resolve these minor little issues? Club Hotaru
over the head and drag her here?"

    "Ha, ha," Pluto replied slightly sarcastically. "Not exactly." She
gave her head a small shake. "To be honest, I'm not sure at the
moment. I wasn't exactly expecting this sort of thing to happen."

    "You mean you didn't foresee this minor screw up?" Serenity
queried with a hard look at the Time senshi. "That's unlike you."

    Pluto gave a small shrug. "Hey, I'm not perfect you know. People
do have this thing called free will. That can slightly bugger things
up sometimes."

    "Bugger?" Serenity looked up from nibbling her nail. A smirk
crossed her face and she gave the Time senshi an amused look.

    Pluto cleared her throat and gave her smirking queen a glower.
After a moment, she straightened her back. "I'll speak with Saturn
tomorrow. I'm sure I'll be able to make her see sense. And as for
Mars..." her face frowned slightly. "Well, that I think would be best
left up to you. Rei nearly worships you, so if anyone has a chance of
reaching through to her, then that would be you."

    The smile on Serenity's face faltered and was replaced by a look
of sadness. She looked down and slowly shook her head. "No," she said
in a quiet voice. "Rei's choice must be hers alone. She... she needs
someone who will treasure her as much as she deserves. Someone...
someone who will love her..." she stopped and sighed before falling
silent.

    Pluto waited for a second and then filled the gap. "Love?" she
queried with a frown. "You think it has gone that far already?"

    Serenity raised her head. "Not yet maybe, but it will. I know Rei,
perhaps better than she knows herself and believe me when I say that
young Hotaru-chan will definitely capture her heart." She raised a
hand and brushed it through her hair. "I've often thought of Rei as
being like, well, a shield I suppose is the best way to describe it.
She... She needs to protect things. If something threatens those she
loves, then she will always try to protect them in any way that she
can - even if it means her own death..." A sad smile crossed the
woman's face. "It is nearly instinctive in her and is both her
greatest strength and her greatest weakness."

    "What do you mean?" Pluto asked, slightly taken aback by what
Serenity was saying.

    "Rei needs to feel like she is of use," the golden haired woman
answered slowly. "I know that that is a bad way of describing it, but
it is the only way I can think of putting it. She, well, she has to
believe that she has a place, a purpose. If she doesn't..." Serenity's
face tightened. "If she doesn't, then she starts to lose some of her
sense of worth and faith in herself. Rei needs people who need her,
and more than that, she needs to believe that those people need her.
If she doesn't, then... it's almost like she starts to turn in on
herself. All her doubts and worries build up and..." she made a small
gesture with her hands. "Rei's heart is a blazing flame, and fire does
not rest easily. It is as simple as that."

    Pluto gave her queen a long look and slowly shook her head. "You
do your mother proud, your Majesty," she said in a quiet voice.

    "I had a wise teacher," Serenity responded before turning around.
"Hotaru is a difficult person to understand or like, but she projects
an aura of vulnerability and pain that will draw Rei to her like a bee
to honey. And if Hotaru has already let Rei touch her heart, then
those two will become inseparable. Both of them have wounds that will
call out to the other, and I can almost assure you that they will."

    "Possibly..." Pluto said, her voice unconvinced. "I'm not so sure
though. Hotaru is not exactly someone who can open up her heart to
others that easily, and as for Rei..."

    "Rei needs someone who needs her back," Serenity continued, "and
Hotaru, for all her strengths, is simply a girl alone." She smiled,
"oh, I think they will, Pluto, believe me. Rei can be very focused
when she wants to be and in this, I think she will have a great deal
of motivation."

    "How can you be so sure?" Pluto asked. "You sound like it was
certain."

    "It is," Serenity said simply. "When Rei sent her message about
going into service for Saturn, then her meaning was perfectly clear.
She's staying with Hotaru - permanently."

    "But that does not mean..."

    "Oh, but it does," Serenity cut her off. "Believe me, it does. Rei
does not stay with someone unless she believes and trusts in them from
the heart." And here Serenity paused, her expression sad. "With
Hotaru, Rei will find what she could not with me and I will not deny
her that chance. I owe her that much at least..." Her last words were
a near whisper that Pluto only barely caught.

    "Not even for the Kingdom?" Pluto asked quietly.

    "No, not even for the Kingdom," Serenity answered. "What kind of
monarch would I be if I forced either Rei or Hotaru do to something
that neither of them could stand. Duty is one thing, but a
dictatorship is something completely different. Duty only has a
meaning if that which it serves is undertaken of its own free will. If
I forced them, then I would become exactly the thing we fight
against."

    "But Harven..."

    "Can go to hell," Serenity finished. "Oh, you are welcome to ask
Hotaru if you think you can convince her, but if she says no, then
that is it, Pluto, end of story."

    "I..."

    "I mean it, Setsuna," Serenity said in a tone that was final. "You
can ask Hotaru once, but if she says no, then it is ended. I'll deal
with Harven then myself." She looked over at Pluto. "Understand?"

    Pluto sighed and nodded her head.

    "Good."

                    *       *       *       *

    The cold winds of Saturn blowing fresh through the vast portals of
the entrance hall made Hotaru shiver and she quickened her pace though
the ancient hall. Echoes from her soft footsteps were immediately
consumed by the ancient silence that haunted this vast place and made
the small senshi hasten herself even more.

    The silence and gloom here was almost oppressive and the way the
wind made the ancient tapestries stir in the shadows was enough to
send shivers up and down Hotaru's spine. She hated this place, _hated_
it! And while it was supposed to be _her_ castle, _her_ home, it was
more like living in a huge gothic mausoleum, with nothing but shadows
and silence for company. The ancient engineers who had designed and
constructed this place had done so more with ideas in mind regarding
_who_ the castle's sole occupant was to be, rather than her character.
This place had been created to protect. To protect her from the evil
forces of the galaxy, but also, to protect the galaxy from her.

    This place was no home.

    Pulling her cloak tighter around herself, Hotaru left the brooding
silence of the main entrance hall and entered a smaller, more narrower
hallway. Pale mage-light flickered into life around her as the castle
lit up the passage for it's diminutive master. Hotaru's eyes flickered
up briefly to look at the empty black walls that made up the majority
of the castle's construction. Ahead of her, archways led off from both
left and right leading down similar black passages that were filled
with nothing but silence and gloom. Nothing stirred here, nothing but
her and the wind.

    This place was a tomb.

    The soft sounds of crying awoke Rei from a deep slumber and she
blinked sleepily as confusion as to where she was momentarily clouded
her mind. A small sob sounded from the person lying next to her and a
look of worry crossed Rei's face as she abruptly remembered what had
happened earlier. "Hotaru?" she whispered as she sat up. "Hotaru-chan,
what's wrong?" She used her power to lighten up the darkened room and
rolled over to have a better look at the crying girl.

    Hotaru's white face was damp with tears and her eyes moved rapidly
under her lids signaling that the small girl was dreaming. Her head
was jerking back and forth as she cried and she was murmuring
something in her sleep that sounded like a protest. Rei's mouth
tightened in concern and she hesitantly reached out a hand to lightly
brush over the dreaming girl's cheek.

    "Oh Hotaru..." she whispered as a wave of concern flooded through
her heart and she sighed. Lying down again, she slipped her arm under
the fretting girl's body and as gently as she could, rolled Hotaru
over. The girl's head now rested on Rei's shoulder and their bodies
were pressed closely together under the sheets. Brushing her lips
lightly across the dreaming girl's dry forehead, Rei ran her fingers
in small circles around the sensitive skin of Hotaru's shoulder's and
began quietly to talk.

    She told the dreaming girl the story of her own life from the days
before she had discovered that she was a senshi. She spoke of her
relationship with her father, her grandfather, and the loneliness that
she had felt during that time. She whispered secrets of her heart that
she had never confessed to anyone. Of regrets and hopes that had never
come to pass and that now, would never come to pass. Long she spoke,
telling of things that made her, her and all the time she kept Hotaru
pressed up close against her, giving the girl reassurance that someone
was still there - that she was not alone.

    Light was shining in from the morning outside when Rei finally
stopped. She felt completely drained and yet wonderfully relaxed and
peaceful at the same time. It was like the talk had replenished her
spirits in ways that she had not realized she needed, and a smile of
wonder settled on her face. She turned her head and looked down at the
now innocently sleeping face of Hotaru. A soft sigh broke from her
lips. "I think I'm going to fall for you, Hotaru-chan," she whispered
almost to herself as she stared at the girl's lovely heart-shaped
face. "Insane, isn't it? I known you for years but it's only in the
last few hours that I've really realized just how special you are..."
She gave a small shake of her head. "What an idiot..."

    Rolling onto her side, she wrapped both her arms around the
sleeping girl and pulled her close. The flowery scent that Rei had
first noticed last night filled her senses once more and Rei sighed as
she rested her head on Hotaru's soft hair. The small girl murmured
something in response and wrapped her own arms around Rei before going
still once more. The shared warmth and closeness of the two of them
made Rei's heart flutter, and she could not stop herself from
alighting a soft feathery kiss on Hotaru's lips. The sensation of it
sent a delightful shiver of emotion through Rei's body, like she was
doing something forbidden. Hotaru just looked so enchanting lying
there that Rei was kissing the girl again before she even realized it.
This time however, her kiss was much bolder than anything she had
tried before. It was a kiss strong enough to communicate everything
that she felt flooding through her at that point in time.

    Hotaru bolted awake and gave a startled squawk as she abruptly
realized what it was that had torn her so suddenly from her sleep. She
tried to roll away, to push the larger woman off her, but Rei's hold
was firm and the nature of the kiss was so warm and intimate that
Hotaru's struggles soon died away to nothing. No one had ever kissed
her like this before and the sensation of it was both confusing and
wonderful at the same time.

    Someone was actually kissing her...

    Someone actually cared for her, _really_ cared for her and the
emotion of it made her feel, well, alive for lack of a better word.

    The hold of the other woman lessened and slowly, as if frightened
by how the girl would react to her sudden impulse, Rei pulled back.
The fire senshi almost looked like she was scared and Hotaru felt a
shy smile blossom on her face. She was not sure if she should be mad
or what. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears and her eyes were
wide as she just stared up at Rei, too confused to say anything.

    "I..." Rei swallowed. "I'm sorry, Hotaru-chan... I... I don't know
what came over me..." She looked at the girl's beautiful surprised
face and felt a rosy blush begin to overcome her. Oh Gods... Hotaru's
eyes were just so deep...

    Rei jerk her eyes away from Hotaru's face before she...

    One of the sleeves from Hotaru's nightdress had slipped down
revealing a pale white shoulder, and Rei found that no matter how hard
she tried, it was impossible to tear her eyes away from that sight.
That simple exposure of flesh drained Rei's will more effectively than
any monster or spell. She just could not tear her eyes away from it.

    "Ahhh... Rei?" Hotaru queried in a concerned voice as the older
woman just seemed to stare intensely at her. "Rei?"

    The fire senshi continued to stare at her slack mouthed.

    Frowning, Hotaru got onto her knees and reaching out...

    "Gods you're sexy, Hotaru," Rei suddenly announced making the
small girl blink.

    "Wha..."

    "And I love you," the fire senshi finished and with that
statement, she reached out and dragged Hotaru down into a deep kiss
that blew the small girl's mind. Hands reached up, pulling her down to
the soft warmth of the bed and a moist tongue slipped into her mouth.
Lost in the sudden flood of sensations, Hotaru gave issue to a soft
moan and her arms returned Rei's embrace. At first she was uncertain,
but as her emotions took hold, instinct drove out her inhibitions.

    "You're so warm..." Rei whispered, her hands sliding up the girl's
silky legs. "So beautiful..."

    A sudden sharp knocking at the apartment door made Rei jerk her
head up in surprise. She pulled Hotaru protectively to her and gave a
small curse as she sat up.

    "Lady Saturn?" a voice queried. "May I enter? I'm here on behalf
of Lady Pluto - I would like to speak with you if possible."

    "Damn it!" Rei swore looking down at the rosy face of Hotaru. The
small girl blinked nervously and her wide eyes met with those of Rei.
The fire senshi smiled and with a flick of her head, she caused her
hair to flow down over the younger girl's face. "Wait for me, sexy,"
she grinned as she gave the white cheek a small lick. "Love you," she
whispered and so saying, she stood up and ran over towards the
bathroom.

    "R... Rei..." Hotaru began and the fire senshi stopped just short
of the bathroom door.

    "A small sample for you, cutesy-pie," Rei giggled as she slipped
off her dress and let it fall to the floor. Her pants and bra followed
quickly afterwards. Throwing an arm up to cover her breasts, the tall
brunette tossed her head around to have a look back at the now stunned
girl. "Get rid of them, kitten," she said softly, "and I'm all yours."
She struck up a small pose and gave her bottom a shake. "_All_ of me,"
she finished, and with a last seductive look, Rei closed the door
behind her leaving a bewildered teenager boiling with emotions and
hormones she did not understand.

    "Lady Saturn?" the knocking at the door repeated. "Are you..."

    "Go..." Hotaru cleared her throat and with trembling legs got to
her feet. "Go away!" she nearly squealed, as trancelike, she headed
towards the bathroom.

    "Pardon?" the voice replied. "Did you..."

    "Get the hell out of here!" Hotaru almost snarled as she
hesitantly pushed the bathroom door open. Inside, Rei was standing in
the switched off shower unit, her arms still wrapped protectively
about herself. The fire senshi smiled and made a small 'come here'
gesture with a finger and before Hotaru had even mentally processed
the situation, she found herself standing in the shower kissing the
naked Rei for all she was worth. Her mind was enflamed by needs and
desires she had never imagined herself capable of and they guided her
actions instinctively.

    Rei gave a groan of unabashed pleasure as the slender form of
Hotaru pressed itself passionately up against her own. With hands made
clumsy by desire, she reached across to pull the nightdress off the
still clothed smaller senshi.

    "Lady Saturn!" the voice behind the door called out again and this
time the knocking became a banging. "Are you all right in there?!"
Both girls however, lost in the hold of each other ignored the voice
completely.

    Rei swore as she tried to get Hotaru naked. The buttons and other
fiddlely bits of the nightdress seemed to be deliberately mocking her
and it was driving her nuts. "Damn it!" she cursed, breaking her kiss
with Hotaru. "What the hell is wrong with this..."

    "Lady Saturn!" the voice now exclaimed loudly and it was joined by
another set of voices and yet louder banging as the messenger at last
must have attracted the attention of the palace guards.

    "Fuck!" Rei swore as she broke off her struggle with the evil
nightdress and turned instead to look at the now shaking main
apartment door. Glancing down at the passion flushed face of Hotaru,
Rei cursed again and slowly pushed the heavily breathing girl back.
"Fuck it to hell! Why now?!"

    "Lady Saturn! Please, answer me! Are you all right in there?!" The
door cracked under the weight of a heavy impact.

    "Shit!" Rei slipped passed Hotaru and rushed to grab at her
scattered clothing. Slamming the bathroom door shut, she started to
get dressed as quickly as she could. "Am I cursed?!"

    Still breathing heavily, Hotaru closed her eyes and tried to fight
off the effects of all the crazy hormones still rampaging throughout
her system. The sight and touch of the naked Rei had unlocked more
reactions than she had experience dealing with and the sensations
flooding her body were driving her cuckoo.

    "Hotaru," Rei hissed, giving the spaced out girl a shake. "Get out
there, love. Those idiots aren't going to leave us alone until..."

    "Do you mean that, Rei?" Hotaru suddenly demanded, grabbing hold
of the woman's arm. "Do you really love me?" Her voice was intense and
her wide eyes were locked exclusively on Rei.

    Rei smiled and she stopped dressing. Reaching out a hand she ran
it gently down the girl's white cheek. "Oh yes..." she whispered in a
husky voice as she leaned over and gave the earnest girl a long kiss.
"I love every little bit of you, kitten, every little sexy bit. For
now however, I think we have more pressing matters, eh?" She nodded
towards the closed bathroom door beyond which a lot of commotion was
still coming. "Do you want to take care of them or shall I?"

    "Let's both do it," Hotaru said and she smiled, a smile that made
Rei start. It was so full of happiness and joy that for a moment, Rei
was stunned. She had never expected that her words would have such an
effect on the girl. It was like Hotaru had suddenly had her dearest
wish granted and was ecstatic. "I love you too, Rei," the girl replied
firmly. "I _love_ you." She laughed, and jumping over flung her arms
around the older woman and kissed her. "Love you!" she exclaimed
loudly. "Love you!"

    Her shout drew the attention of those who had forced their way
into the main room and an instant later, the bathroom door smashed
open as four large looking men in uniforms burst in.

    "Lady Sa..."

    "Oh..."

    "Pardo..."

    With a speed that belayed their stocky forms, the four red faced
guards exited the room, slamming the door as best they could behind
them. The sound of the slamming made Rei break her kiss and look up.
The smaller girl at her side made a sound of protest and dragged Rei
back down to resume it. This bold move and the demanding nature of
Hotaru's kiss startled Rei slightly, and when she felt the girl's hand
start to fondle her bottom Rei actually gasped in astonishment.
"Hotaru! What..."

    "What am I doing?" Hotaru giggled. "Why, I'm collecting my prize
of course, silly. You promised remember. If I got rid of them..." she
smiled. "Don't think you can just wiggle that cute little ass of yours
at me and then escape scot free." Her smile curled up in a way that
made Rei's eyebrows twitch.

    "Now, hold on a minu... ahhh..." Rei's protest turned into a soft
moan as Hotaru's mouth suddenly descended on one of her breasts.
"Hota... Ohh...." Sensations swamped her body as the smaller girl's
fingers went to work in a way that drove all sense from Rei's mind.
Roused herself now, Rei grabbed at Hotaru and the two of them stumbled
backwards into the shower which had still not yet been switched on.
Rei's hands now tore at the nightie still covering her lover's form
and with a passionate groan, lost herself in Hotaru's soft body.

    Of the time that followed, Rei remembered little but when sense
and reason eventually returned, the fire senshi found herself lying
sprawled out on the floor of the bedroom with a softly snorting Hotaru
stretched out next to her. Rei gave a small groan as she struggled to
sit up. Her body felt like she had just run a marathon...

    A smile of unguarded joy bloomed on Rei's face. Wonderful... She
felt absolutely wonderful... Her heart was fluttering like a school
girl's and her body felt warm and sated in ways that she could never
describe...

    Wonderful...

    She looked down at the innocently sleeping figure next to her and
gave her head a small shake. Who would ever have imagined that the
cute, shy seeming... Rei's heart fluttered and her body shivered with
the aftermath of their shared passion. Oh Gods... It had been an
experience that had blown her mind and looking down at the now
sleeping girl, Rei was shocked to find that she was trembling.

    She wanted Hotaru.

    Again.

    And again.

    Rei swallowed.

    Hotaru just looked so sexy sleeping there that Rei wanted to...

    Stunned at the hunger of the desire boiling through her, Rei
gulped down a deep breath of air and forced herself to stand up. It
was one of the most difficult tasks of her life. Both her mind and her
body were telling her to...

    "Enough!" Rei hissed and hurried towards the bathroom as quickly
as she could. This was the first time she had ever felt this kind
of... well, lust for a lover before and the sheer intensity of it was
throwing her. It was like her body was trying to catch up for all the
years she had hankered after Usagi in only a few hours and Rei was
having great difficulty trying to suppress it. Taking a moment to
relieve herself, she moved over to the shower and switched it on. The
water came out hot and fast and Rei stepped cautiously in.

    Her body shivered as the water ran fast and furiously over her and
Rei fancied she could feel every drop as it struck her skin. For some
reason, her body felt ultra sensitive and the sensation of the water
flowing over her bought to mind the feel of Hotaru's skin brushing...

    "Oh shit..." Rei swore softly as her nipples suddenly became hard.
What the hell was up with her?! Giving her head a shake she raised it
and let the water wash over her face. Relax, relax, she had to relax.
She could not let herself become...

    "Mind if I join you?" a soft and sultry voice suddenly spoke from
behind her making Rei squawk with astonishment and spin around.

    "Who..." the rest of her words died in her throat as Hotaru pushed
herself forward into the shower and pulled the startled Rei into yet
another deep passionate kiss.

    "Gods, I want you, Rei..." the smaller girl whispered in a husky
voice as her hands glided over the fire senshi's sensuous curves. "I
want you..."

    Rei tried to answer but all that came out of her mouth was a low
moan and instinctively, she pulled Hotaru into a tight embrace
forgetting everything else. Flesh pressed against wet flesh and the
sensation of the slick body rubbing against her's drove Rei crazy,
making her grind herself into the smaller figure as hard as she could.

    "Reeiii..." a hoarse voice groaned in her ear and the sound of it
ignited a fiery lust that tore through the last of Rei's conscious
mind. Grabbing at all the parts of Hotaru that her hands could reach,
Rei abandoned herself to the fires of lust now blazing unfettered
within her.

    Pain.

    Pleasure.

    Sensation so intense it was almost like torture.

    Fire. Building. Pain.

    Building...

    Building...

    Fire... Heat... Flame...

    Harder... Pain... Building...

    More...

    Building...

    Building...

    BUILDING!!

    "HHOOOTTTAAARRRUUUU!!!" The scream of release torn from Rei's
mouth was nearly primeval in natural and at the moment of its release,
Rei knew what it was to die. Everything, _everything_ went into that
single scream and the cold body that was left collapsed to the ground
like a lifeless shell.

    Floating...

    Darkness...

    "..."

    Nothingness...

    "..ei.."

    Floating...

    "..Rei!.."

    Light...

    "Rei! Rei!"

    Sensation... Light...

    "Rei! Please! Rei!"

    A voice, urgent, calling...

    "Rei! Rei! Please! Say something!!"

    Light, blinding... Too bright...

    "Damn it, Rei! WAKE UP!"

    PAIN! PAIN!

    With a shriek, Rei bolted straight up, her eyes wild and staring
as excruciating pain flooded her body. Her mouth opened to scream but
as abruptly as the pain had appeared it vanished, being replaced by a
small sobbing bundle that clutched at her desperately.

    "Rei! Rei!" the bundle cried. "Oh, Gods! I thought you had died!
Rei... Rei... Reeiii...." The sobbing bundle burst into hysterical
tears and the arms around her tightened as the girl cried out her
name.

    "Hota... Hotaru?" Rei groaned softly as she slowly reconnected to
the world. "Love? What... What happened?"

    "Rei!" the small girl blubbered as she clung desperately to her
lover. "Rei! You're alive! You're alive! Reeiii!"

    What the fuck was going on here?! Rei thought frantically to
herself as she tried to work out what had just happened. Hotaru... She
and Hotaru had just... well... Rei did not even know how to put it.
Sex was one thing, but... Rei almost shuddered at the memory of what
she had just experienced. _That_ had never been like any sex she had
ever imagined. It had felt, well... She had no way of putting it into
words. It was almost like she had just died and then been forced back
to life...

    If that was what having sex with Saturn was like then...

    "Hotaru-chan..." Rei whispered as she dragged the crying girl to
her and kissed her hard. "Oh, love, don't cry... Don't cry... I'm
fine, I'm okay - I promise. Shhh..." She kissed the girl once more. "I
love you, Hotaru-chan, I'm not going to leave you - ever." She wrapped
her arms around her little firefly and rocked the sobbing girl back
and forth.

    Locked in the warm security of Rei's arms, Hotaru quietly wept as
she tried to let out all the fear and emotion that was still boiling
away inside her. The sight of Rei screaming like she had and then
suddenly just collapsing had ripped through Hotaru's heart like a
knife. Her mind had panicked and the thought of Rei dying had
frightened the small girl more than anything else imaginable. "Rei..."
she cried. "I love you! Please, don't ever leave me! I need you. I
_need_ you!"

    The rage of emotions shaking through the small girl in her arms
honestly made Rei quite worried. It was as if the whole focus of
Hotaru's life had suddenly become her, and this made Rei both
wonderfully happy and genuinely concerned. Yes, of course she wanted
this wonderfully warm and lively bundle to love her, but not to the
exclusion of everything else. Life was about balance, not...

    "Mars, Saturn," a calm voice suddenly announced loudly from the
main bedroom. "I need to speak with you both. Can you come out here
please?"

    Rei jerked up and gave a small gasp at the sound of S6etsuna's
voice. Shit! What the hell did Pluto want here and now of all times?
Lowering her head, Rei gave Hotaru a small kiss and whispered,
"Hotaru? Love? Can you get up?"

    The small girl gave a loud sniffle and raised her face. It was
white and streaked with tears. A sight that made Rei's heart flutter
and she could not help herself from lowering her head to softly kiss
the girl's lips. "Don't worry, kitten," she whispered. "I'm not going
to leave you alone, ever." She gave Hotaru a reassuring smile and then
putting her arms around the girl, stood up.

    "Rei..." Hotaru said as she clutched at her lover. "I'm scared...
They're not going to let me stay with you, are they? Mama... I mean
Pluto, she's going to make us separate... I... Rei..." Tears started
to run down her face once more and the small girl sobbed out in
anguish. "Rei! I couldn't stand that! I don't want to be alone, Rei!
Not now! Please! I can't stand it! Not again..."

    Rei silenced the crying girl with a passionate kiss that cut her
off completely. "Hush, little one," she eventually said when the kiss
ended. "Believe me, love, I'm not going to let anyone take you away
from me, ever. It's taken me over a thousand years plus to find you,
Hotaru-chan, and I'm sure as hell not going to lose you now. No matter
what anyone - and I mean anyone says - you are staying with me." She
smiled and then gently pushed the small girl away. "Now, how about you
and me put on some towels and go and see what that busy body Pluto
wants, eh? Somehow, I don't think she just came here to see us naked
now, do you?" Her smile turned to a smirk. "Pluto doesn't exactly
strike me as being into that kind of thing. Although, the way she
hangs around Serenity does make me wonder sometimes..."

    This gentle poke at Pluto bought a smile to Hotaru's face and she
giggled making Rei reach out and fondly ruffle the girl's hair. "Pass
me a towel will you, love?" she asked, holding out her hand.

    "Hai," Hotaru beamed as she turned and pulled two towels free from
the airing cupboard. She presented one to Rei and her smile widened
slightly as she watched the woman wrap the towel around herself. Rei
noticed the girl's avid attention and made a show of shuffling her
body.

    "Like the view?" she asked Hotaru casually as she ran her hands
slowly over her body.

    "..."

    "Well?" Rei asked as she slowly stretched out her right leg.
"What..." The rest of her words however were cut off as Hotaru jumped
her literally and dragged her down to the floor. Hands grabbed at her
towel and then at the flesh underneath, and Rei could not help but
give an involuntary moan as Hotaru's hands sent shivers of delight up
and down her spine. "Hotaru... Oh Gods! I want..."

    The door to the bathroom suddenly opened and a stern faced Setsuna
stood there looking down at them. Rei gave a startled curse and jerked
up, pulling Hotaru with her. Giving Pluto an evil glare, she grabbed
at the towel Hotaru had just pulled away and tried to cover herself.
Setsuna said nothing but simply turned and left and Rei could see her
just standing and waiting.

    Cursing once more, Rei wrapped the towel tightly around herself
and smiling encouragingly at Hotaru, lead her slender lover out into
the main bedroom. Sitting the girl down on the bed, Rei then turned
her attention back towards Setsuna. "You wanted to talk, Pluto," she
said, her voice cold. "So talk."

    Setsuna's eyebrows rose slightly at the barely concealed sound of
challenge in Mars' voice. It seemed that Rei had already taken up the
role of protector just as Serenity had predicted, and the sight of it
bought a number of mixed feelings to Setsuna's heart.

    Hotaru had a lover. After all this time her daughter had found
someone who genuinely loved her as much as she deserved.

    Why?

    Why did it have to be now?

    As that thought flickered through her mind, a feeling of disgust
overcame Setsuna. Had she really fallen so far?

    "Well?" Rei demanded and Setsuna realized that she must have
drifted off there for a moment.

    "Yes. I wish to talk to you, Rei - you and Hotaru together." She
straightened and ran a hand through her hair buying herself a moment
in which to gather her thoughts. This was not going to be easy but...
"I'm not going to beat around the bush because now is not the time for
it and neither would it help. So, I will just say what I have to say
and we'll take things from there. Three months ago, the Emperor of
Harven, an empire of great military power, proposed an alliance
between the Kingdom and his Empire. The terms of the treaty were very
simple. The Emperor wanted a wife for his son, and in exchange he
would personally guarantee the safety of the Kingdom. It..."

    "Safety..." Rei hissed incredulously. "Safety... You... You sold
your own daughter in exchange for..."

    "Sell..." Setsuna whispered in shock. "You think I would..." her
voice died away as expressions of both rage and disgust crossed her
face. "You... You..."

    "Then what the hell do you call it?!" Rei shouted loudly storming
towards the older woman. "What the hell do you call that sort of
betrayal?! A mother's right?!"

    Rei's words made Setsuna blanche and she jerked back as the tall
brunette was suddenly all over her.

    "Who the hell do you think you are?!" Rei screamed, pushing
Setsuna physically back. "Is _this_ what we senshi have become?!
Selling our own kind for..."

    "Rei! Stop! Please!" Hotaru burst out jumping to her feet and
running forward to wrap her arms around Rei. "Please... Stop it..."
She buried her head against the soft skin of the fire senshi's back.
"Stop..."

    The young girl's sudden action made Rei immediately forget about
Setsuna and spin around to wrap her arms about her slender lover.
"Hotaru?" she whispered as she stooped down so that her face was at
the same level as the white faced girl. "Love? What's wrong?" She
raised her hand to gently stroke the girl's cheek. "Love?"

    Two large lavender eyes raised themselves up and locked onto Rei.
"Mama... Mama wouldn't do something like that, Rei. She... she just
wouldn't..." The girl turned her head to look over at Setsuna and the
Time senshi felt her stomach clench in reaction.

    The wide eyes, the pale face, the short black bob-hair...

    Hotaru, her adopted daughter.

    A small shiver ran through Setsuna's body. What... What had she
become... Her daughter... Her own daughter...

    Setsuna turned and left. Her mind was blank, she could not think.
The only thing that was going through her mind was that single image
of Hotaru's eyes staring at her. The eyes of her _daughter_ staring up
at her...

    Her daughter...

    "Setsuna! Setsuna! Where the hell are you..." Rei started to call
out, but the Time senshi just left. Setsuna just left.

    "What the hell..." Rei swore.

    "Mama..." Hotaru whispered and Rei immediately forgot all about
Setsuna and turned instead to the small girl.

    "Hotaru? Hotaru... are you all right?" she asked, putting a hand
on the slender girl's shoulder. "Love?"

    Hotaru did not answer at first but simply stared at where Setsuna
had been standing.

    "Hotaru-chan?" Rei tried again and Hotaru looked up at her.

    "Mama left, Rei," the girl just replied. "She left."

    Rei nodded slowly and gave the girl's shoulder a small squeeze.
"Forget about Pluto, love. We've got much more important things to
occupy ourselves with." She smiled and traced her finger down the line
of Hotaru's neck. "Hmm?"

    Hotaru gave a small shake of her head and then smiled. Leaning
back, she rested her head on Rei's shoulder. "What's Mars like, Rei?"
she asked, wrapping an arm around the older woman's waist. "Would I
like it?"

    This sudden question made Rei pause and then a warm expression
came over her face. "Yes," she replied softly. "I think you would.
Mars is a pretty dry world even now, but its people are the warmest in
the whole galaxy."

    "Do... Do you think they will accept me?" Hotaru asked hesitantly
as worry flickered across her face. "Accept us?"

    Rei smiled and she brushed her fingers gently across the smaller
girl's face. "I won't lie to you, love, I don't know. I honestly don't
know." She lowered her head and gave the white faced girl a long kiss.
"I love my people, Hotaru-chan," she whispered, "but I love you as
well and so will they." Her smile turned cocky and her face lit up
with an intense look. "I mean, when they see how sexy we are together
how could they not? Hmmm, sexy?"

    The gleam in Rei's eyes bought a sudden blush to Hotaru's face and
she looked down. "I..." Abruptly, she surged forward and wrapping her
arms around the astonished woman, kissed Rei with all her might. "I
don't care, Rei!" she exclaimed loudly. "I don't care anymore! I love
you! I'm not going to let you go!" Her hold tightened. "No matter who
or what tries to stop me, I'm not going to let you go!"

    The tone of absoluteness in Hotaru's voice made Rei pause for a
moment as she remembered just who this small girl really was - Saturn,
the Avatar of total destruction.

    Saturn - the girl that she loved.

    Rei smiled and closed her eyes as she just relaxed in Hotaru's
tight embrace. Hotaru loved her, needed her, and that was all that Rei
cared about. The future would be difficult, sure, but they would face
it together and in the end, that was all that mattered. Her duty to
the Crown, her people, her friends, they were important yes, but what
of her duty to herself, her duty to the one she loved?

    "Rei..." Hotaru murmured in contentment from the shelter of Rei's
arms and the fire senshi felt a great surge of emotion flood through
her heart. Love. She _LOVED_ Hotaru! Nothing. NOTHING would stand in
the way of that.

    This was her duty.

    To simply love the one she loved.

    To be true to herself.

    That was all.

                    *       *       *       *