A/N Hi! This is my first fanfic, so please, be gentle. What I'm looking for is constructive critisism on how to make this better. I've discovered that there are far too few fanfics with Ami and Zoisite, so I figured I might as well try my hand at it. Let me know how I've done so far, all right? This is just a prologue, so don't expect any action until the first chapter; this's just a bunch of neccessary info. Have fun reading, and I hope you enjoy!

Liari

Disclaimer: I own many things (mostly books), but I do not own Sailor Moon, Ami, or Zoisite (how unfortunate!).

Laughter filled the room, bounced off the pale walls, and wrapped the five women in the same warmth and companionship that they'd shared since junior high. Ami smiled as she reflected on the faces of her closest friends, hiding her expression with one hand.

There was Usagi, lounging on an overstuffed beanbag, her mouth stuffed with a cupcake Makoto made, the chocolate smeared on her fingers and face as she tried to yell at Rei for calling her a pig. The instigator of the whole scene, Rei, sprawled on her chair as she laughed at the spectacle, her violet eyes gleaming. Makoto, also laughing while she offered Usagi a napkin. Minako was doubled-over with giggles as she attempted not to choke on her own cupcake.

"If you keep eating like that, Meatball Head, you're never gonna fit in your wedding dress!" Rei teased Usagi as the blonde chewed furiously, trying to empty her mouth enough to snap back a retort.

Makoto, still laughing, finally got Usagi to take the napkin. "Well, then our resident Goddess of Love will just have to take the dress out a bit, right?"

Minako snickered, then shoved the rest of her cupcake into her mouth when Usagi glared daggers her direction. The dress in question was just in the other room as it waited for its finishing touches that would be done sometimes this week. Designed and created by Minako, it was a rather stunning, sweeping gown of silver and white. Of course, this was no surprise, coming as it did from the mind of the now-successful fashion maven behind Love's Design.

"Mamoru loves me no matter what I look like, Rei! And I'll fit in my dress just fine!" Usagi finally got out after she swiped furiously at the remaining chocolate on her face. "You're just mad 'cause Jad hasn't proposed to you yet!" Ami stifled another smile at the vehemence in Usa's voice and the blush on Rei's cheeks, and wondered idly if those two would ever be at peace. She doubted it.

She looked around at them again, and this time let her smile show. They'd come a long way from junior high and teenaged dreams. All of them had grown and flourished, stayed friends, even when things were hard and they had to get through day by day. They were always there for each other.

Her smile twisted slightly as some of those hard times came back to her, then smoothed out again when she told herself that such thoughts had no place here and now. This was a celebration! Mamoru and Usagi were finally getting married. After years of antagonizing each other, the couple finally admitted to their feelings, and their relationship stabilized into something resembling normal. That was about four years ago, and when Mamoru proposed this last Christmas, the only one who'd been surprised was Usagi. Everyone else sighed in relief that they were finally going to make it official, and threw themselves whole-heartedly into making their wedding the most spectacular event of the year. Makoto's restaurant was handling the catering with Makoto herself as the head chef, of course, and Minako had taken over creating the wedding garb, designing each dress to make the most of the woman it was to gild. Rei was going to sing an original composition for the couple. The only one without a real talent to offer was Ami, and she felt that lack sharply. Admittedly, she was helping organize everything, but it just didn't seem like enough. Usagi had asked her to take photos of the wedding, but Ami was a little reluctant, reminding her that photography was just a hobby, and she did more landscapes, anyway.

She sighed under her breath, then twitched her lips back into a smile as Makoto turned an inquiring glance her way. Ami shrugged and mouthed I'm a little tired, and Makoto nodded understandingly.

"All right everyone, it's getting late, so let's get some sleep! This is our time before the wedding, so let's get our rest while we can, so that we can have all that more fun, okay?" Makoto ushered everybody off to bed while the other women laughed at her mothering and obeyed mockingly. Ami let her smile fall as she padded to her bedroom.

Since they were all staying at her summer house for the week on a mini-vacation from wedding plans, she had her own room, with all her little touches. She'd ended up redoing everything in the house after being left alone, unable to stand seeing reminders of her mother everywhere she turned. The condominium had been sold and she moved into her own little apartment in the city, but she couldn't give up their summer cottage on the beach. So, she remodeled vigorously, scouring every piece of her mother from the house, adding an office, a porch, painting all the rooms in different colours, selling the old furniture and buying new. The only thing that remained of the woman she'd adored was the single room she couldn't bring herself to touch. The library still held all her mother's books and knickknacks, and the ghost of Pure Grace perfume seemed to linger in the air. Sometimes, when the world was just too much, Ami would go to that room and curl into the leather chair her mother had loved so well, and pretend that her mother was there holding her.

Her mother's death had changed everything. Killed by a patient in the throes of opium-induced psychosis, Shizuka Mizuno inadvertently left her twenty-two year old daughter motherless and broken. When the hospital called, their words echoed in Ami's mind, crystallized, then shattered, taking her world with them. She was old enough to not need a guardian, and well-taken care of financially, but her dreams had been laid to rest as she watched the smoke from her mother's shrine drift towards the ceiling. Her father hadn't even come for the funeral service.

The girls had been the only support she'd had. Luckily, they were enough to keep her above water, if only barely. They understood when she quit medical school, when she tore the house apart, even when she eventually retreated to the cottage for several months. They helped her slowly start to piece herself back together again, brought her cookies, held her when she needed the contact, loved her without hesitation. She watched them chase their dreams and find them, watched as both Minako and Makoto built businesses from the ground up, as Rei started selling her songs to big stars, as Usagi finally got her teaching degree so that she could teach kindergartners. Watched as they each found someone to share their dreams with.

Yet, in all of this romance and achievement, she still didn't know what to do with her own life, much less how to share in someone else's. She'd picked up a camera one day because she wanted the distance a lens could give her. It was easier to look at the world through glass, find beauty and not be a part of it, to just be the one behind everything, like always. She took some photography courses as her interest grew, and now had a little studio of her own as well as a Nikon D2X for digital and an F6 so she could develop her own film, but it was still no more than a hobby in her eyes. She just enjoyed capturing the moments she saw. The way the waves touched the beach, how the sun kissed the horizon, a bird in perfect stillness, a tree's strength, all held in timelessness imparted by her.

She sighed as she turned the doorknob and walked into her room. Normally the cool blues and silver would soothe her, but tonight her heart ached horribly. She absently rubbed at her breastbone, the sensation almost a physical pain. Sapphire eyes sought comfort, looked at the picture that stood on her vanity. Even the image of her mother smiling wasn't enough to distance her from the hurt. She sighed again and climbed into bed. Maybe, with a good night sleep, it would seem better in the morning. At least then she'd be able to keep herself busy again with the others. She turned off the light and settled in, closed her eyes and waited for the night to be over.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morning came gently, and a soft breeze from the open window woke her with a caress. Ami yawned and stretched, then glanced at the clock. Six eighteen. She smiled; perfect. The light would be gorgeous as it slowly crept across the waves. Out of bed in a flash, Ami threw on some jeans and a blue t-shirt with the word Fly scrawled on it in loopy black lettering. Her teeth brushed in record time, a hand dragged through her hair, then she was ready. She snagged her F6 and headed for the door without bothering with shoes. This was comfortable, this was normal, this was what she did for those months spent here to regain her balance.

The sand was silky and cool beneath her feet, the wind brisk and sweet, and happiness swelled inside her quietly, infused her with calm. She always felt like this when she was out here catching moments. This was why she did this. For the perfect instant of peace it gave her when she clicked a new picture.

She laughed as the wayward breeze ruffled her navy locks, and brought the camera up to her eye. There it was; there was the moment she was looking for. A snick of the camera and she had it; an exquisite portrait of the sun coming up over the waves with a lone bird a dark shadow against the paling sky. Perfect.

After an hour of snapping photos, Ami finished with a last shot of the waves as they touched the sand and slid over a sparkling white shell. She stooped and delicately scooped up the little shell, examined it as it sat in her palm. It was incredibly fragile-looking, the gleaming curve of it lovely in her eyes. A smile slipped across her lips. This was something to take back and cherish. Maybe she could string it onto a necklace. With these thoughts she turned back to the house, ready to face everyone again.

She slipped back into the house quietly, then to the kitchen to make breakfast and start the tea after depositing her camera and the shell on her dresser. Everybody else was still asleep, so Ami hummed softly to herself as she made pancakes, eggs, and bacon. She may not be the cook that Makoto was, but at least she could make her way around the kitchen. Usagi and Minako had gotten better about many things over the years, but they were both still walking disasters when it came to culinary creation. She chuckled under her breath as she flipped the pancakes, the mound of fluffy goodness growing steadily.

"Mmmm…" Makoto followed her nose to the kitchen while her stomach rumbled eagerly. She stared at the table, laid out with a platter of bacon, a dish of scrambled eyes, the plate of pancakes, tea mugs and glasses for juice. "Ami, did you do all this?" Makoto walked over to the petite woman's side and took the bowl of fruit from her and set it down on the table.

Ami blushed. "Well, yes. I know I'm not as good a cook as you are, Mako, but I can, and I was up, so I thought I'd make breakfast for everyone." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, embarrassed.

"Breakfast? Sounds good, Ames, what'd you make?" Rei's curious voice piped as she wandered into the kitchen. Her violet eyes were still sleepy, and her dark hair was mussed, but she looked gorgeous, thought Ami, amused. Unlike herself, who looked rumpled no matter what she did. "Oooh, pancakes! I'm going to grab some before the bottomless twins wake up."

Ami and Makoto looked at each other and burst into laughter. Rei just grinned, grabbed a plate and piled it high. She was about halfway through the eggs and Ami and Mako had gotten their own plates, when Minako and Usagi stumbled in as they rubbed their eyes and yawned. Both blondes perked up at the scent of food and immediately dove in. While they stuffed their faces they all spoke about the activities of the day.

"I wanna go to the fair today!" Usagi chirped. She polished off the last bite of pancake on her plate and sat back with a content and eager look. "It looks like so much fun. They have rides and games and food booths…" She bubbled happily and gestured expansively with her hands.

"Sure, we can do that this morning, and then hit the public beach in the afternoon! How does that sound to everyone?" Mako looked around at all of them, green eyes bright with anticipation.

Rei shrugged. "Sounds fine to me. Shopping in the morning and relaxing in the afternoon; actually, sounds more than fine, sounds great." She grinned.

Minako nodded enthusiastically. "Ooh, I've been wanting to go to the fair, too! I wanted to pick up some of that handmade jewelry they make around here."

"That sounds like a good plan, Mako," Ami smiled. "The afternoon here gets pretty warm, so spending time at the beach will be nice."

"Ames, you should bring your camera! I want pictures of all of us having fun, you know?" Usagi beamed at Ami, a slight, softly wistful edge to her smile. "I mean, I know this won't be our last fun vacation together, but it just feels…different. I'm getting married in a week, and even though I know it doesn't really change anything, it feels like it does, in a way…" She blushed. "Am I even making sense?"

Rei opened her mouth, then shook her head and grinned wryly. "Strangely enough, meatball, yeah, you are. It was weird enough when we all got guys…" She flushed and glanced at Ami. "I mean, not all of us, but you know that it kinda changed things when we weren't all just single girls all together, but there's nothing wrong with being single, and…oh, god, I've put my foot in it, haven't I?" Embarrassed, Rei gave a little laugh and sent an apologetic glance Ami's way. Ami just smiled.

"It's okay, Rei, Usagi, I know what you guys mean. Look, just because I'm the only single one doesn't mean that we're so different. Yes, things change, but that's just a part of getting older and growing up. Our lives can't stay the same, and we're all going to find things that take us away from each other a little. It's all right, though, because we'll never lose each other. So, let's get ready, I'll bring my camera, and let's just have some fun!"

Minako cheered. "Way to tell 'em, Ames! Just 'cause we're all taken and you're fancy free doesn't mean we've forgotten how to have fun! Let's go, girls!" She jumped up from the table and immediately tripped over her chair, tumbled into Usagi, and sent both of them sprawling to the floor.

They lay there for a minute, stunned, and then everyone broke into laughter as the other three scrambled over to try and help the two up with questions of "Are you all right?" Once everybody was back to rights, the girls scattered to get ready to go. Giggles and opinions sounded out as they prepared to leave, outfits were tried on and discarded, jewelry was borrowed and make-up shared. Soon, they were all set and eager to get out the door.

"All right, everyone! Let's hit the road!"