Chapter 5

*******A Few Minutes Earlier*******

"Where ~is~ she?" Princess Rei of Mars demanded of the girl walking next to her.

Serenity shrugged. "How should I know? I haven't seen Ami since this thing started."

The Mercurian princess wasn't out of time yet, there were still five more minutes for her fellow senshi to hunt her down and hurt her for making them worry so much. Serenity and Rei had taken the east and south sides of the room, leaving the north and west to Makoto and Minako. So far, neither group had had any luck, and it was beginning to grind their nerves. "When I get my hands on that girl . . . " she muttered under her breath, her infamous temper rising.

Serenity sighed. "Rei, calm down. She's probably just on a balcony. You know how much she loves it there." Hooking her arm through her friend's she led her off to the east side of the ballroom where the balconies were located. Strangely enough she seemed to be the one taking control in the situation, usually it was her guardians having to calm her down. It was nice to be in charge for once, she mused, checking each balcony for sign of her friend. Not there, not there, not there, not . . . there! Serenity grinned as she halted in mid-step, yanking Rei back a few inches. "Check it out," she whispered, "She's not alone!"

The dark haired girl immediately wanted to see. "Is she holding a book?" she hissed, careful to keep her voice down.

"Shut up and watch!"

And so they did. Two pairs of eyes, one blue and one purple, watched the two people on the balcony converse. They couldn't hear what they were actually saying but they could see as the man said something and Ami dropped her head to the floor, obviously blushing. They giggled conspiratorially as he helped her to her feet, holding her hands for much longer than was necessary. They both flushed white under their already pale skin when he ducked to kiss her. Whiter still when she did nothing to stop him. And almost sheet-like when he kissed her again.

"This isn't supposed to happen," Rei whispered harshly.

Serenity didn't care, she was a total romantic. "If it wasn't supposed to happen Setsuna wouldn't have let them even meet," she deduced, "Besides, why shouldn't Ami be happy with a man? I have Endymion, you have Jadeite," Rei choked but Serenity continued, "And Minako and Makoto have found Kunzite and Nephrite. If I'm not mistaken, that's Third General Zoisite out there right now." Stepping back, she tugged at her friend's arm. "Come on, let's go. They know they're needed."

And indeed they did. Blushing furiously Ami pulled away just the slightest bit, resting her head against his shoulder but not bothering to disentangle her arms from his neck. "We have to go inside," she mumbled, her words vibrating against his throat. She didn't want to move, the warmth from his body and his arms wrapped around her waist was not at all uncomfortable and she never wanted to move. But her station demanded it.

Zoisite nodded. "That you should."

She shook her head. "Not 'I,' 'we.' Dance of the royals. I get to pick who I dance with."

"Are you supposed to dance with a suitor?"

A grin was his answer. "I didn't like them."

"Ah." And so he followed.

They drew a bit of shock as they reentered the dance hall, no one expected to see the princess of Mercury of all people alone on a balcony with a man. But in they walked, their arms linked and hands clasped, and not caring a whit about how the people around them felt. For Ami it was a feeling of almost freedom, to act however she wanted without worrying what other people thought of her. She was with the man she loved . . . 'Where did ~that~ come from?'

Smiling Zoisite kept his arm threaded through hers. There was nothing he enjoyed more than shocking the elite. Nothing perhaps, except being with Ami. She was like a fairy on his arm, one he hoped would never fly away. It felt like a dream to be holding in his arms the most beautiful and interesting woman he had met in his life and it was a dream he never wanted to let go of. Zoisite the ladies-man was falling in love and he didn't give a damn. The music started almost as soon as his feet hit the dance floor and as he took Ami once more in his arms he barely heard as all the couples were announced across the room.

"Princess Serenity of the Moon and Prince Endymion of Earth . . . Princess Minako of Venus and First General Kunzite of Earth. . . Princess Makoto of Jupiter and Second General Nephrite of Earth . . . Princess Ami of Mercury and Third General Zoisite of Earth. . . Princess Rei of Mars and Fourth General Jadeite of Earth. . . Princess Michiru of Neptune and Princess Haruka of Uranus . . . Princess Hotaru of Saturn and Prince Helios of the Sun* . . . Princess Setsuna of Pluto and First General Yuuichirou of Mars."

Ami didn't care who everyone else was dancing with, all she care about was the man whose eyes she lost in. The music swept her off her feet and held her content in his arms. She was in love, dammit, and she never wanted to let go. It felt too perfect, too good to be true, and she prayed it wasn't.

"How long are you staying on Mars?" he asked, his words tickling her ear.

"Another four or five days, why?"

Zoisite grinned devilishly. "We stay as long as we want. I was planning to leave tomorrow until I met you."

She blushed. Again. It was becoming a habit. "Then I will see you in the next week?"

"You'd better believe it, Ami my love."

'His love?' she thought in absolute shock, 'He loves me back? I've fallen in love at thirty minutes conversation and he loves me back?' "You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now," she whispered, standing on her tiptoes to bring her voice to his ear. "I thought my feelings were one sided."

His actions surprised everyone. Zoisite fit his hands around her waist and hoisted her into the air, spinning her in a wide circle before setting her back down on her feet. When he spoke his voice was just as hushed. "It's settled then. We're both head-over-heels in love and just like in all the fairy tales no one will allow us to be together."

Her words shocked him even more. "No one has to know. I wander away by myself all the time."

"And a general's work is never done. Not even on Mercury."

Ami couldn't help it. Just as he swirled them between the other dancers, amongst the waves of silk and satin that made up the wall of dresses surrounding them, she kissed him briefly on the lips, a touch light enough for him to notice but no one else to see. As the song drew to a close they watched as Endymion reluctantly drew back from his Serenity and called his generals to him.

"I'll find you," Zoisite promised in a whisper.

She let her fingers trail through his as he left. "I will wait."

It was too long until then.

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

you like? i know it's over but please review anyway. it makes the author feel much better about herself.

*i know he's chibi-usa's. but she's not alive yet.

FIN

if you want to continue the story yourself, email me, but other than that knock yourself out.