Epilogue: Forever

AN: Don't worry, dear readers…this story may be ending, but I'm already working on another one!

Serena stared at Seiya in horror, unable to believe what she was hearing. She couldn't be hearing this; it was too dreadful, too horrible to contemplate. She looked to Yaten, silently begging him to tell her it wasn't true, but he shook his head and went back to making out with Mina. Rae was snickering in a corner, laughing at her friend's horror. Seiya was smiling at her tenderly, with a twinkle of humor in his eyes. Taiki was grinning…which reminded the blonde how serious this situation was. She turned her baby-blue eyes to Trista, begging the stoic woman to save her, but Trista shook her head with a faint smile.

"I did not say that!" the blonde insisted with a pout.

"Yes, you did. I believe your exact words were; 'I love you more than Edward Cullen, Antonio Banderas, and Orlando Bloom put together'," Mina giggled.

"Oh, gods! Trista, make them stop teasing me!"

"Unfortunately, Serena, you did indeed say such a thing. But yes, Mina, you must stop taunting her; she was exhausted."

"Thank you," the petite blonde sniffed. She was mortified about the things she'd said while suffering the aftermath of having used the Silver Crystal. She was glad that Seiya knew she loved him, but to blurt it out in such an embarrassingly idiotic way was mortifying. She smiled at her raven-haired angel, temporarily forgetting her embarrassment. She was glad Princess Kakyuu had released the Starlights from their duties; she had been prepared to go with him to Kinmoku, but she had not been looking forward to arguing with the Outers about it. Relations were better, but things still had a ways to go before the Outers and the Starlights could be in the same room with one another for more than twenty minutes.

One problem in particular was Seiya and Amara. The blonde couldn't help but internally shudder as she thought about the feuds that lay ahead. The main problem was that they were far too alike on two levels that really counted; they were both overprotective of her, and they both tended to have a twisted sense of humor. Then, there was the whole alien issue, and the fact that Seiya still hadn't forgiven Amara or Michelle for their stunt with Galaxia. It was generally understood that they'd done it in an effort to save the world, but Seiya was convinced that they could have found another way. That was probably true, but no one had been able to come up with any better ideas at the time.

"What are you thinking about so intently, Odango?" Seiya's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," the blonde replied. She wasn't going to say what she'd been thinking about…that would be suicide.

Seiya smiled softly at her, and the blonde practically felt herself melt. She loved that smile…it always made her feel completely secure, like nothing could ever hurt her…

It had been about a week since her final confrontation with Guilt, and she had no regrets. Any she might have had had been dispelled by Seiya and the rest of the gang. Now she had to face the ultimate test; she had to face her dad in court. Not only was there a divorce to worry about; she also had to testify against her dad for battery. That was a frightening prospect, but she knew that Seiya would be there for her, and that he would make sure she got through this.

"I know you better than that, Odango. Are you worrying about facing your dad in court?"

"A little," she admitted. "I hear defense attorneys can be really rough."

"They've got a mountain of evidence against him," Amy said practically. "The defense has their work cut out for them if they want to make a real case."

"Mostly, it's the fact that every time I look at him, I remember when I found out what he was really doing when he said he was working late…" the blonde grimaced.

"We're all sorry you had to see that," Lita said quietly. "No one deserves that. Least of all you."

"I'll be okay…it just grosses me out sometimes. I just hope it'll be over soon. My mom said that it would be pretty much an open-and-shut case, but considering my dad's temper, I'm not sure."

"If your dad blows up in court, he'll get hauled out of there by the bailiff so fast that it won't even be funny," Rae said.

"They might need two bailiffs," Serena muttered. "Oh, well…I guess there's no point in freaking out…I've got better things to do."

"Like what?"Mina asked cluelessly.

"Like this." Serena took Seiya's face in her hands and kissed him passionately. All of the Outers groaned, and Mina muttered something about being sorry she'd asked. Seiya didn't care; he was consumed by love along with Serena. The kiss deepened, and Yaten decided he'd seen enough.

"GET A ROOM!"

The End