Disclaimer: Okay, I'm going to say this once and get it over with. The characters and places within this story do not belong to me, they belong to Naoko Takeuchi. With the exception of two very little characters, which will come in their own time.... You'll know who they are! -

Author's Notes: Okay... Some of you are not going to like this story o.o Try not to be too cruel with your flames. But review! - I need encouragement to finish a story!

Haruka ran. Her steps were sure, and her movements swift. She didn't watch where she was going, trusting her feet to carry her to her destination. Her inner turmoil tore at her soul, heartbeats seeming to chant out softly with its wild beating. Her mind was in obvious agreement, verbalizing her heart's words in her head.

No.

It's not true.

No.

No.

NO!

The last word screamed so loudly in her head that she stumbled and fell to her knees. The impact with the ground caused her to gasp, and her body welcomed the quick intake of breath. She unwillingly gave her body a moment or so to revitalize itself after running over three miles. In her lack of motion, her mind fell back to an event that had occurred just over eight months ago.

Eight months and some odd days earlier...

Haruka had returned home one evening to find her beloved sobbing on the couch. Going over to her immediately, she pulled the green-haired girl into her arms. "Michiru? Michiru, what's wrong?"

As if just realizing she was there, Michiru sat up to look at the blonde. "Oh, H-Haruka..." She lifted her left hand to wipe off her face, the diamond on her ring finger winking in reflected light briefly. "I should h-have told you right a-away... but I... I j-just couldn't..."

"Told me what, waga koi?"

"Y-you remember... that man at the jewelry store a c-couple weeks ago...?"

Haruka scowled darkly at the memory. "Yes. As soon as he found out I was a woman, he quit taking us seriously and started hitting on you."

Her companion nodded miserably. "Him... I r-ran into him a few d-days later, and-" Michiru paused as a sob choked her up briefly, but she forced herself to continue." H-he... Oh, Haruka, he raped me!"

The blonde's expression darkened. Murderous. It quickly faded, though, as she immediately remembered the need to comfort her fiancée. Holding to her tightly, she allowed Michiru to cry, tears soaking the front of her shirt.

"I-I tried to forget it, b-but... I was feeling s-sick lately, so I went to the doctor, a-and..."

The realization hit Haruka so hard, has she not been sitting, she would have surely fallen. "You're pregnant."

Michiru nodded miserably.

Haruka let her continue to cry, holding onto her lovingly, whispering words of comfort softly. He soft words did not match the look in her eyes. Had Michiru looked up then, she would have noticed the murderous glint in her lover's eyes.

Haruka rose and started running once again, despite the complaints from her body. She could not feel the wind's comforting embrace as it blew through her hair, nor could she hear the sounds of the night surrounding her as she sped through the forest. As she ran, she allowed her memories to wash over her once again...

The past eight months had passed in relative happiness. The couple tried to disregard the true origins of the life forming itself within Michiru's body, and just think of the child as their own. It was obvious, though, from her worsening condition that something inside Michiru just did not accept this. It had been painfully obvious ever since the trial.

When the jury had learned that Michiru was a lesbian, one could almost see their minds changing from the verdict that was so blatantly obvious to all of them. Despite her disappointment, and the surprise of all those around her (even the judge could not keep her own jaw from dropping, Haruka was not surprised at the jury's returned verdict of innocence after only a few minutes of deliberation.

Obviously as disgusted as Haruka and Michiru's friends and family, the judge had released the defendant without restricting herself in voicing her disappointment in the jury.

Michiru had refused to go through it again, even with promises of a new, more open-minded jury. She just wanted to go on with her life.

Haruka had killed the man, of course. In the time following when his death had been discussed on the news, everyone she knew gave her a knowing look.

The murder was never even brought to trial. The police, at every turn, had denied being able to find any evidence. Used to a life of fighting without leaving a trail behind, Haruka had left the scene of the crime clean, in that sense. But then Haruka had watched as the chief destroyed what little evidence they were able to find, and then filed the smaller folder in with other unsolved crimes. The man had even shaken her hand, and then that was the last time it was ever mentioned.

But today, Haruka had come home to a silent house. After a brief look around, she had first noticed a note lying on the coffee table. With an unexplainable sense of trepidation, Haruka had walked forward and picked the piece of stationary to read the words written on it.

My dearest Haruka,

I simply can't live like this any longer. It haunts me every day. Even you, my love, cannot make the pain I feel go away. You, I know, will find it difficult to live after this day is through as well. But I trust you will find reason, after all is said and done.

Even as the sea answers the call of its heart, waves cresting wildly in the wind, so to it must meet its end, and crash upon the shore.

I shall miss you, my love. Your smile will be what keeps me from despair, even as I walk through the fires of hell.

All my love to you for always,

Michiru

She had dropped the note, shock and disbelief holding her still long enough for her to watch the flimsy piece of paper flutter down to the floor. From there, it didn't take long for Haruka to find the trail of blood, leading out the door.

She didn't pause again until she got to her destination, stopping just before she splashed into the rushing brook. Ignoring her body's desperate cry for rest, she looked around frantically.

For a long moment, all she heard was an animal wailing into the night air. Then it struck her. That wail was a baby crying. Running toward the sound, she soon found a naked babe lying helplessly on its back, kept alive and warm only by the fire burning a safe distance away. Tears came to her midnight blue eyes as she noticed the soft, aquamarine tufts of hair atop the baby's head.

Then she jerked herself back from her reverie and looked wildly about. For a seemingly long time, she saw nothing. But then, there it was. Barely visible from around a small cluster of bushes, a motionless hand lay. Running forward, she began to see that the arm, then the body attacked did indeed belong to her beloved. Arm and hand both were covered with blood.

Dropping to her knees next to Michiru's unmoving form, Haruka could not do anything for a few moments. Then she noticed, ever so faintly, that Michiru's chest was still rising and falling beneath her nightgown, despite faltering now and t hen. She pulled her up to cradle her upper body in her lap, even as tears of resignation slipped down her cheeks. "Michiru? My love, please wake up..."

Stirring, Michiru groaned with pain as she came back to reality, her eyes opening slowly. "Haruka...?"

"I'm here, love." Haruka spoke tenderly, belying the raging emotions in her heart. Michiru was still for just long enough to scare Haruka. "Michiru! Don't leave me! I called an ambulance before I left, they'll be here soon..."

Ignoring her words, Michiru's gazed fixed to her's carefully. Lifting a bloody had slowly, she clasped her lover's hand as tightly as she could, even as blood still flowed from her wrists in a maddeningly slow manner, out onto Haruka's hand, then arm. "Take care of Nina, waga koi. She is all that I can leave behind in this world that has a chance of going untainted with sorrow..."

"No, no... Don't say that... we're going to raise her together, and-"

Michiru cut her off with a weak shake of her head as sirens could finally be heard making their way closer, but were still too far off to give any hope.

Drawing her gaze away from Haruka, she looked at a point just beyond her head. "Haruka...an angel... she's... perfect..."

Tears streaming down her face, Haruka bent over to press a kiss to her lips. "I hope Heaven's ready for an angel as beautiful as you..."

A faint smile formed on Michiru's lips, and remained there even as the siren's wails came to a halt a few yards away, and her body went limp.

Looking to the sky, Haruka didn't notice as the paramedics jumped from the ambulance, one headed toward the still crying baby and two coming to her and Michiru. Softly she whispered up to the sky, "Aishiteru, toutoi tenshi." Then all her strength finally left her, and she passed out.

Waga koi - my love

Aishiteru, toutoi tenshi - I love you, precious angel