Apassionata

Disclaimer: Hey minna, thanks for stickin with me, even if this chapter is just a couple months *coughyearscough* late... This final chapter is dedicated to my lil sis numbah 3, Katie! Anyway, Sailor Moons mine. So, on with the fic.
(Elephant tranquilizer seems to materialize in her neck)
BloodRose: -.0...
(Orderlies appear and drag body away)
Doctor: Sailor moon belongs to Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha and Toei Animation Ltd. The poem I Loved You Once belongs to Alexander Pushkin, all rights reserved. Have a Merry Christmas.
A BloodRose Creation

Apassionata:~ A Scar Once Healed

-
I loved you once, nor can this heart be quiet;
For it would seem that love still lingers there;
But do not you be further troubled by it;
I would in no wise hurt you, oh, my dear.
-

Christmas time had come again, bringing with it snow, laughter and good feeling. The chill wind nipped playfully at exposed ears, gently pulled at hair and kissed reddened cheeks as it danced along its way. Standing on the bridge overlooking the Kohaku gawa, Hino Rei smiled. Her over-large black trench coat was pulled tightly around her as she watched the children tug at their parents arms in a normally vain endeavor to lead them to a shop window. Her smile widened as their bright eyes widened in innocent wonderment and a small giggle escaped her lips. How long had it been, since she herself had been tugging at her mother's arm just as these children were? And how long would it be until she, herself was to endure this same childish wonder?

Snow began silently falling from a restful sky in large, fluffy flakes. They twirled and danced toward the already-coated ground, and every child seemed to notice at once. Tiny hands pointed upward and gleeful smiles lit little faces as the first flakes touched down. Rei's smile grew.

How long indeed, she mused and smiled fondly down at a ring on her left hand. It was a custom design; half a ruby heart set into rose gold was her engagement ring. Its mate was her wedding band, which closed the heart and completed hers. She and Jadeite had been married for four and a half years now. They had wed after a brief six month courtship, and soon after all of her old friends had followed suit.

"Rei-chan!"

Rei's head snapped up as she was torn from her reverie, and she glanced over her shoulder to see who had called her. She smiled again as she watched her husband jog toward her in the falling snow. His corn silk hair now fell to his shoulders in shining waves that framed his face handsomely, wore her favorite suit, gray silk the color of his eyes and a tie blue as a clear sky. His deep gray trench coat shone with moisture and the white cashmere scarf, usually worn as an accessory, was wrapped around his throat, breath puffed out in small white clouds that came in relatively quick succession. Jadeite stopped just short of his wife and smiled a small, embarrassed smile that made Rei fall in love with him all over again. Before he could speak, the miko huffed indignantly and put on her most put-upon expression.

"You're late, Jadeite-san." She empathized the honorific with a small internal giggle, and turned her back as her husband seemed to panic. He spluttered for a time before words finally seemed to return to him.

"Rei-chan, don't be angry! I couldn't get out of the, er, meeting! Meeting, that.. Wa..." The rushed apology tapered off into silence when the beleaguered man belatedly realized that the minute shaking of his beloved's shoulders was not fury, but barely contained mirth. He spun her around, ready to launch into a tirade of his own but when he saw her, beautifully pale face rosy and glistening with mirthful tears, that mischievous glint shining within her amethyst eyes... His face lit to match his mate's, and he kissed her lips gently in greeting.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

Jadeite took his wife's hand and led her from the bridge. After a moment she fell in step beside him, and her arm slid around his waist. In turn, his arm burrowed under the heavy fall of Rei's abundant ebony hair and her head came to rest on his shoulder. As the happy couple walked, Rei recalled their time together thus far in a cloud of warm content.

-
You must be an angel sent from above,
For you're my savior,
Saving me from my depression,
And saving me from myself.
-

"What were you doing, standing in the snow like that? You could have gotten sick, "Jadeite scolded gently. They were in the sitting room of the Hikawa Jinjaa, where Rei had first taken tea with him but a week before. She sat still in her gown, a towel about her shoulders. It seemed as though she had been standing by the river far longer than shed thought; her hair was soaked through. Jadeite was pouring tea and although he would speak of her recklessness now and again, Rei never heard him. Her mind continued to run through their imagined conversation of only an hour before.

I don't know what to think, thought she with a frown. I know my subconscious was trying to tell me to... To let Yuuichiro go. But, She looked at the man sitting opposite her and her frown grew to crease the area between her eyebrows. Why him? A man I barely know.

Without a word, the blond man placed a steaming cup of tea before his silent hostess. Rei noticed that the steam was rising from her cup in a perfect straight line, another sign of good luck. Her frown lessened. The previous omen had not failed her, it would not do to waste this one. She stared down into the thick green liquid and sighed.

I wish... She glanced up at Jadeite, who had not spoken in some time. She blinked, and her eyes took on a mysterious quality. I wish that... my scars would heal. She raised her cup and sipped slowly. She was pleasantly surprised; this strange foreigner made tea almost as well as she herself did.

"You have a strange name."

The despondent man who had, against all odds, become Rei's guest started at the sudden break in the heavy silence. He looked up slowly, almost timidly, but the woman across from him was looking down into her tea. Jadeite blinked as her words registered, and a small smile touched his lips.

"It is strange, isn't it? I've found that it never fails to start a conversation."

He shot a hopeful glance in Rei's direction and was relieved to see the ghost of a smile hover over her blank expression. Silence again settled between them, but this time it was not quite so heavy. After a moment's time Rei placed her cup on the table and met her guest's eyes.

'So do you have a last name? Or are you just Jadeite, like that Madonna person." Jadeite blinked. For a moment there was silence, then his rich laughter spilled into the air and Rei smiled in earnest. When he caught his breath, he smiled in the raven haired woman's direction.

I like her much better this way, he decided.

"As a matter of fact, I do have a surname. It's Horatio." Rei's smile widened. "I know, very Shakespeare, you can fall into my arms any time you like." He winked and his companion could not help but laugh.

They spoke easily for a long time. It was light conversation, but with every moment Rei and Jadeite felt more and more at ease. At one pause in the conversation Rei caught Jadeite's eye. They shared each other's gaze for a long moment, and smiled.

-
You must be a prince from the past,
For you're my knight in shining armor,
Who is always there to rescue me,
And bring me out of harm's way.
-

A furious Rei stormed down the Hikawa Jinjaa steps in a swirl of sable hair. Her long legs carried her forward at an alarming speed, but she never stumbled. The light spring jacket that was tied about her narrow waist was lashed forward and back with every step, and was quickly coming undone.

"Rei-san!"

She ignored him. Hurried footsteps could be heard on the stone steps behind her, but Rei paid them no heed. Not after what he'd said.

"Rei-san, wait!"

Jadeite was going as fast as he dared, but the last thing he needed was to trip and fall down these treacherous steps and break every bone in his body. It was afternoon, the busiest time of day at the temple, and patrons peppered the steps going in both directions. If he did have the bad fortune-and how ironic would that be-to trip, he was almost guaranteed to hurt someone in the process. And wouldn't that just complete his day.

Jadeite and Rei had been engaged in one of the arguments they had become notorious for. Tempers were high and hot enough to add a summer-like quality to the day despite the mild spring weather. In the midst of the tirade, Rei had easily been carried away on the wave of heated debate and said something inexcusable. Jadeite, being a man, would not let the wound to his pride go unpunished, and had reciprocated. Hence, their present game of tag.

Rei had finally reached the bottom, but she did not stop. She continued toward the street, legs scissoring rapidly, and headed toward the crosswalk at the corner. Jadeite followed, and was able to kick up his pace when he cleared the steps. The light was red as Rei approached the corner, and Jadeite thought he might finally catch up with her when suddenly her jacket came undone, tangled in her long legs, and she tripped to plunge head-long into the afternoon traffic.

Confusion and surprise were the first emotions to surface when the miko found herself falling toward the asphalt and the sound of cars and trucks rushing by intensified. But shock and comprehension soon took their places to widen Rei's eyes. There was a car heading straight for her. Her eyes clenched shut in anticipation of the impact, then shot open at the sensation of strong arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her back. Said arms turned the girl, and she found herself looking up into a pair of fog-gray eyes with a slightly glazed expression.

"Are you alright?" Jadeite was panting lightly and worry furrowed his clear brow as he hurriedly checked for any possible injury. His hands passed over Rei's arms, back, over her cheeks and even through her hair before the woman gently caught them and locked her shining violet gaze with his.

"I'm sorry."

His expression softened into a smile, small but genuine, and he folded his arms around her in a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, too," he murmured into her hair and breathed deep of its heady scent, eyes closed tight. Over and over he replayed the scene in his mind, the knowledge that he had very nearly lost everything close at hand. Finally, the words he'd been longing to say for the past few months trickled from his lips in a heated whisper. "I love you."

At first, Rei went very still. She held her breath, and her heart even seemed to cease its beating. Then that moment passed, and her arms tightened around Jadeite's body. She pulled back, looked into his eyes and seemed to find what she was looking for. Their lips met in a brief but loving kiss, and with a smile in her voice, Rei spoke.

"Thank you."

-
You must be one of the bright, night stars,
For you're my leading light,
Leading me into a path of happiness,
And giving me a wonderful, bright future.
-

It was just like Jadeite to do something like this. It was a beautiful April night, the slight breeze played with the loose ends of Rei's long, long hair and caught the hem of her ankle-length cocktail dress. A smile hovered over crimson lips as amethyst eyes gleamed with the light of the spectacular Tokyo skyline. Jadeite had reserved the balcony solely for them, and though she usually enjoyed the experience of dining in a crowded restaurant, Rei had been pleasantly surprised.

Mako-chan had the right idea, building the restaurant so close to the shore, Rei thought as she counted the stars. Drops of Jupiter was located in downtown Jyuuban, just a mile or so away from where the docks and the loading district began. It was very high traffic which brought in plenty of business, and its balcony directly faced one of the best views in the city.

Makoto had taken the time to check in now and then all through dinner, which she had taken the opportunity to prepare herself. At her last appearance, Jadeite had curiously disappeared. And now as Rei finished off the last few bites of Makoto's famous red bean ice cream, he sauntered nonchalantly through the balcony doors and took his seat opposite her at the small table. He spared her a small smile before turning his attention to the view.

"It's beautiful, isn't it," he said after a long moment of silence. Rei glanced at him curiously, but smiled and followed his gaze.

"Yes," was her simple reply and she and took a deep, contented breath. Another silence followed, and this time Rei was the one to break it. "You truly outdid yourself this time, Jade."

Jadeite grinned, pleased both at the compliment and the use of the pet-name. He winked saucily and began to rise.

"Ah, but the night's not over yet, my dear."

Jadeite managed to completely baffle his girlfriend by going to one knee in front of her and taking her hand. For once his expression was serious, though that same mischievous glint lit his eyes. He playfully ran his thumb over Rei's pale knuckles and luxuriated in the simple pleasure of her before he spoke.

"You know, ever since the first day we met, I've been expecting to wake up." he mused, an endearingly timid smile lighting his features. "No one could ever really be this happy, right? Or find someone so perfect or beautiful, someone who shines so bright as to put the stars to shame. Not in this world. So, it would almost have to be a dream." He dropped his eyes for a moment to follow the path his thumb was tracing over Rei's hand. He was silent for a moment, and when he finally spoke again it was in a quiet tone.

"It got to the point that I was almost afraid that I would wake up one morning to find that no time had passed at all. That none of this had ever happened. But I was so happy, I was almost delirious that every time you were still there." His smile returned, and his eyes found Rei's again. "I decided that I didn't care. If it was a dream, then I would enjoy it. Because it's the best dream I've ever had."

Jadeite's eyes closed briefly and his smile grew sweet and certain. His left hand disappeared into his suit coat pocket for a second, and reappeared a moment later. It was closed around something, but before Rei could even begin to wonder what it might be, his eyes opened. They shone like a winter fog, and Rei was surprised but touched to find tears trembling at the edge of release.

"Rei-chan, these past four months I've felt more alive than in all my life. Every moment with you is like a new beginning, the dawning of a day I never want to end. If this is a dream, then I won't regret anything." He took a deep breath and chuckled a bit when Rei covered her mouth with her free hand. The tears that trickled down her face shone with the starlight and only made her more beautiful.

"At least, I won't if I'm with you, and you marry me before the dream is over." He opened the velvet box in his hand and delighted in the shock that rippled over Rei's features when the stone caught the light. "Hino Rei, will you be my wife?"

Rei could not move. She could not speak, could barely breathe. No matter how she tried, she just could not seem to tear her gaze from the ring in Jadeite's hand. He took the ring from the box, noted with amusement that Rei's eyes followed it, and slid it onto her left ring finger. She did not protest-in fact, the action seemed to cure her paralysis and in a quick movement she slid from the chair and ended up straddling her boyfriend as he sprawled on the floor of the balcony with Rei attached to his lips. The kiss continued for a long moment and when it finally broke, Jadeite smiled wolfishly up at his fiance.

"I'll take that as a yes."

They both looked over at the sound of applause, but only Rei was surprised. With a quick yet graceful motion she lifted herself from the floor and brushed her hair back over her shoulders. Jadeite followed suit and laughed heartily as Makoto shot forward to crush her friend in an intense hug. Over the chef's shoulder, Rei could see, of all people, Mamoru holding a camcorder as a crying Usagi held a handkerchief to her mouth. A quick scan found all of her friends, and the warmth in Rei's heart grew.

-
For all of those good deeds that you've done,
I'd like to thank you for being there,
And give you something in return,
Something that you've been wishing to hear.
-

"I do."

"And do you, Hino Rei, take this man as your love, friend and companion, to love and to cherish from this day forward until you part from this world?"

Rei smiled demurely at her groom through dusky lashes and recalled their brief yet full time together. Her eyes shone darkly and her smile widened.

"I do."

Before the priest could continue, Jadeite threw his arms wide and grinned his most charming grin.

"Then come on and kiss me, baby!"

Laughing, Rei complied and the laughter in the temple was accompanied by whistles and applause. They broke the kiss and smiled lovingly into each others eyes.

"Are you awake yet?" Rei asked playfully and twined her fingers in the growing strands of her husbands hair. His smile was gentle as he pressed his forehead to hers tenderly.

"Oh, no, " he intoned quietly and cupped her cheek. "This dream's just starting." Their lips found each other again, and the world slowly narrowed until it contained only them two, the kiss and the sweet promise of many, many more.

-
I love you,
I love you with all my heart,
And I promise to always be there for you,
Like you've been there for me.
-

Rei smiled as she scanned the large ballroom. It was typical of Usagi, to throw an affair like this; it was one of the things she loved her for. Rei's eyes traveled to a table near the center of the room to find Usagi and Mamoru doting over their nearly six month old daughter, who everyone lovingly called Chibi-Usa. The girl truly did look just like her mother, and Rei was proud to be her godmother.

Rei's eyes found Ami and her fiance talking quietly by the refreshment tables. She still found it funny, even so many years later, that her friends boyfriends had all known each other. Not only that, but they had all moved from America together and co-owned a large company, which Mamoru just happened to be affiliated with. Zoicite Morgan was tall with long, wavy blond hair and arresting green eyes. He was also fiercely intelligent and, in Rei's humble opinion, gorgeous. He was perfect for Ami in every way, and she was pretty sure Ami knew it.

Minako and Kunzite Alaric were still dating, but everyone knew they were in love. Kunzite's long, bleached hair just reached his waist and Minako loved running it through her fingers. He had icy blue eyes that shone with a familiar mischief, and just by looking at the couple, you knew they were perfect together. At the moment they were joining the growing crowd of admirers that surrounded the Chibas and their new daughter. Minako squealed in delight when Chibi-Usa reached up and grasped her finger, and Kunzite smiled as his arm snaked around the blond's shoulders. No doubt, theirs would be the next engagement, and the wedding would probably take place before even Ami's.

Makoto and Nephrite Kitoshi were long since married. With his long brown hair and shining chocolate eyes, Nephrite was Makoto's perfect match. He was strong, handsome and kind, and one of the only people who could match the girl in a fight. Their wedding had taken place just a few months after Rei's, and Makoto had taken a two month hiatus from the restaurant upon Nephrite's wedding gift to her: a chefs tour around Italy. It was their honeymoon, and when they returned, Makoto was the happiest any of them had ever seen her. The couple were at a table not far from the new parents, lost in each others warmth. It was a heartening sight.

Rei was brought out of her reverie a moment later when a warm hand fell on her shoulder. She turned to see her own husband smiling down at her.

"They're ready for you."

Rei smiled and squeezed his hand. With her usual grace, she took several long, gliding steps into the center of the room and just as she paused, the delicate chime of silver on crystal silenced all present. All eyes were on the miko, and she smiled.

"In honor of everyone present and most of all to Usagi, Mamoru and their new baby, I'd like to play a song for you all."

The announcement was met with gentle applause, and Rei moved to take her seat at the baby-grand piano that had been provided. Before she laid her fingers to ivory, she spoke into the microphone.

"This is dedicated to my husband."

And the music was upon them. With deft fingers and a content heart, Rei spoke in the only way she had ever known her heart to be free. The room filled with her hearts warmth, and Jadeite's soul burned with her fire as the notes seeped inside him.

The only song that sustained her passion.

Apassionata.

The song ended, and Rei bowed to thunderous applause. Silently she made her way back to her husband, who kissed her deeply and lovingly upon her return. Rei obligingly took her place in his arms, and turned so that her back was pressed against him. Her smile was small but bright as her hands curved over her full, pregnant belly and Jadeite's soon covered hers.

"You played it for me?" His voice was a throaty rumble that made Rei shiver despite his warmth, and she leaned her head back on his shoulder.

"For us. Merry Christmas, Jade."

His hands suddenly left her belly, and a moment later Rei felt something cold being placed around her neck. She glanced down to see a gold locket resting on her chest and smiled.

"Merry Christmas, koishi."

Rei's eyes closed as Jadeite's hands once again came to rest on her belly. She allowed his warmth to seep into every part of her being as content settled on her like an old friend's embrace.

Scars show us that the past was real, she thought and opened her eyes to watch the play of light through the crystal chandelier. But a scar once healed fades into memory. I'll remember you, Yuuichiro.

Jadeite kissed his wife's neck tenderly and ran his hands over her belly, which in a matter of weeks would be their child, in comfortable circles. Rei swept the room once again, drinking in all the love and happiness she saw and holding it close to her heart.

I'll remember you. And I'll pray you find the peace you're searching for.

"I love you." Rei murmured softly as her husband and future father of her child leaned down to place a kiss on her temple.

"I love you, Rei-chan."

Rei smiled gently and rested her hands over his.

"How long?"

Jadeite moved to wrap his arms around his treasure and whispered into her ear, the promise he'd made every night for four and a half years.

"Until the dream fades, and much, much longer."

The snow fell silently outside, but the full moon shone bright and proud. Christmas had come to Jyuuban again, its gifts more precious than could ever come in any package, and too vast for any ribbon to ever hope to fit around. And over the carpeted city drifted a breeze, rising and falling with the notes of a song thrumming with a passion that threatened to melt the snow before it could fall.

Apassionata.

-
I loved you without hope, a mute offender;
What jealous pangs, what shy despairs I knew!
A love as deep as this, as true, as tender,
God grant another may yet offer you.
-

Apassionata:~ A Scar Once Healed:~ End

BloodRose: There you have it. I hope you liked it, I worked hard on it. And while caught in the jaws of every writers worse nightmare: Writers Block!
Thanks to everyone who took their time to read this.
This chapter is dedicated to my li'l sis Katie, who wrote the central poem of this chapter, 'What You Mean To Me'. Couldn't have done it without you darlin'. Merry Christmas, everyone. Thanks for stopping by.
All questions, comments, whatever can be sent to bleeding_rose12986 (at) yahoo (dot) com.
All flames will be used to roast the marshmallows.

December, 2005
Revised April 8, 2010

~:~EXEUNT~:~