Pregnant 10

Michiru set off to Haruka's room after Malus had been properly tended to. As Malus had said, she was also detecting the aura of the Crystal, which was yet another reason to kill Uranus. Not only had she assisted in the isolation and destruction of her kingdom, she had injured her mate, and had the audacity to touch her as if she were someone familiar.

 The Silver Crystal was a formidable weapon, as they had all seen in the past, but now they had something more powerful. Still, it would be better if such a power no longer existed. 

Michiru had no idea of how Uranus had gotten hold of the crystal to begin with; she remembered it as something that could only be wielded by a female member of the White Moon family. Michiru ignored it and continued to head toward the room without giving it another thought. 

Michiru unlocked the door to the holding cell. Her nose was greeted with a rather pungent odor as she did so. Sailor Uranus had transformed back into her civilian clothing and appeared to be napping at the far end of the room. She had left a rather large pile of vomit right in front of the door, which was where the retched smell was coming from. 

 Michiru, more than a bit disgusted, walked around the pile. Sailor Uranus didn't stir as she approached. It would have been an easy task to kill her while she slept, but she wanted Uranus to suffer.
Haruka awoke to find Michiru standing over her. She was holding a knife covered in dried blood in her right hand. Michiru's left was clenched in a fist. Her lips spread into a vicious smile.

"Did you sleep well?" Michiru asked quite sarcastically.

Haruka rubbed at her eyes. "Michiru? Michiru! What- why are you-""

"Stop mumbling, you fool," Michiru ordered, digging the toe of her white shoe into Haruka's side. "Get up."

Haruka, wincing, did as she was told. "Michiru," she said slowly, as to prolong her life, "I don't know what's happened to you, but I'm going to get to the bottom of this. You're going to be okay."

Michiru decided to wait a moment before she put the knife in Uranus' heart. She was so desperate about helping her that it was amusing. She was the one who would be needing help. Michiru grinned wider, showing nearly all of her teeth. Haruka place her hand on Michiru's abdomen and no longer doubted that her partner was pregnant.

"Michiru, I know this was an accident, so I am not going to hold this against you. We can keep the baby. You always wanted a family right? I always thought that you'd make a wonderful mother."

During the time she had spent in the room, she had realized that a gentle approach would be best. It wasn't Michiru's fault to begin with, and no mater how angry she might have been, she would never stoop so low as to punish Michiru with violence or neglect.

Haruka knelt before Michiru and brought the aquamarine ring from her pocket. She took Michiru's hand, which was startlingly cool, and slipped the band on her finger. Haruka stood up again and wrapped her arms around Michiru.

"I want you to marry me. I love you so much, Michiru. I always wanted to be with you. That day- what I said on the cruise- you know I didn't mean a word. I'll never look at another woman, I swear. Just please say that you'll ma-"

Michiru brought her knee sharply into Haruka'a stomach and pressed her fingertips into her chest to push her away.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch me?" Michiru asked, glaring at the doubled-over form. The vibes from the Crystal fell to nearly a whisper. Michiru didn't question this reaction. She was beginning to become annoyed, and it was about time to end this nonsense. 

Michiru knelt down next to Haruka and placed the blade of the knife against Haruka's throat. She straddled Haruka's thighs with her own to prevent a struggle.

"Mi-chan. It's me. Haruka," she pleaded. "I love you."

Michiru pressed the knife harder, drawing blood, but not cutting anything vital. Michiru dropped the knife and got up. She kicked Haruka in the side with an angry cry and then stormed out of the room. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to kill Uranus. There was something in her eyes that seemed so familiar. So kind.

---

Rei could no longer feel the warm light that Usagi had always given off, but she could sense a similar presence that she hadn't felt before. Ami had picked something up from a nearby dimension that could be nothing other than the Sliver Crystal.

 Haruka and Michiru's signals were also being picked up from the same area, although Michiru's was somewhat different than usual. Minako and Makoto were deeply devastated, although not so much as Mamoru who was sentenced to remain hospitalized for some time. 

The fire had shown Rei something the night after Usagi's death. She had seen Usagi, sitting by the TV, a figure behind her coming toward her and stabbing her in the stomach. The vision had ended before she could see the face of the murderer, but she believed it to be a woman. 

 Haruka and Michiru always seemed to detect the enemy before them, and if this had something to do with the Dark Moon, they would have been there first. Setsuna was ready to transport the five of them into the dimension.Rei held her hand out, ready to fulfill her duty as the new lead of the inner senshi. Holding down a sobs, the rest of the senshi, pilled their hands on top of hers.

"Let's do this."

Makoto gave Rei a very understanding glance. "Let's."

Pregnant 9

"Dear, are you alright?" Michiru asked yet again, cradling the man in her arm. Michiru's eyes brightened as Malus slowly came to.

A moment later an attendant rushed into the room to see what the commotion was about. Michiru pointed to her fallen partner on the floor.

"Get that out of my sight. I will deal with her later."

Haruka moaned as the man pulled her out f the room by her armpits. Nothing felt broken, but she had no doubt that if Michiru had pushed her any her harder, the impact would have sent a number of ribs into her lungs. 

Still, the pain in her back and head were almost too much to bear. The man continued to drag her down a long white hall until they came to a room that resembled the first one she entered, except this room had a rough floor of granite-like stones. 

The man pushed her into the room and quickly closed and bolted the door before she could find the strength to pick herself up. Haruka didn't attempt to escape or even plan her exit. As she rested her head on one of the less-jagged stones, she thought about what had just happened.

Haruka remembered that one of the girls had mentioned something about Michiru being a bearing a child, but she had hoped to find her before any such thing befell he, however, Michiru had to be at least four months pregnant. Haruka still couldn't understand how anything like that could have happened and was debating with herself about whether Michiru was truly pregnant. First of all, Michiru was faithful and honest.

 Even if she didn't want to be with here anymore, she would have said so and at least waited until she moved out to start a family with the mystery man. Michiru had been acting a bit odd lately, but she was often more irritable when she was on her period, which Haruka knew she was from the tampon wrappers in the trash. 

Haruka couldn't just ignore what the girl had said, what Katinka had said, and not to mention the lump in Michiru's abdomen. Also, why had Michiru been wearing a robe identical to the one Katinka had worn?

Before Michiru had arrived in the room, Haruka had felt a pain in her heart, as if she had lost something very important to her- even more painful than the loss of Michiru's faith. Either way, she was going to kill that man the instant she got out of the room. 

Haruka tried to force it out of her mind, but the facts were clear; Malus had impregnated Michiru and most likely done something to turn her lover against her. Haruka finally managed to stand, but the moment she did, she was overcome by nausea. Haruka retched twice and emptied herself of the grapes she had been hand-fed earlier. Haruka had never felt so sick.

---

"Excuse me."

Rei jumped at the voice and then paused her sweeping to turn toward the schoolgirl holding up two of the friendship charms sold at the shrine.

"I'd like to buy these, please."

"Yes, of course," Rei said kindly, although still rattled. She accepted the money from the girl's hand and waved as she walked down the steps.

Rei had been quite nervous since the previous night. The fire had given her a warning of some sort, but she hadn't been able to comprehend the meaning.

 Although she didn't completely understand, she had a feeling that Usagi was in danger. She had called Usagi every hour, startling her pregnant friend with the concern that she didn't often bother to show. Rei finished sweeping the front steps and went into her room to call Usagi again. She didn't answer the first time, which wasn't unusual because she was often too busy eating to talk, but by the third time, Rei knew that something was wrong.

 Usagi also had a bad habit of talking while she ate, and Usagi would still pick up the phone if she were in the middle of one of her many daily meals.

Rei rushed to her car and began to speed the ten mile distance to Mamoru and Usagi's house. Four police cars and an ambulance blared past her on the way to the house, and though she prayed otherwise, they pulled onto the exact street that she was headed for. Rei nearly crashed when she saw the scene in front of the Chiba residence.

 Mamoru, who had only gone to the ice cream parlor instead of work to surprise his wife, had returned less than fifteen minutes later to find Usagi in the condition that Michiru had left her in. Mamoru himself hadn't made the call for help, but the neighbors who had received an earful of Mamoru's anguished screams. 

A group of paramedics burst into the house, but one stayed behind, along with two of the police to help contain the frantic man and get the facts. The surrounding neighbors were also being interrogated.
Rei ran to the house and ducked under the tape they had surrounded it with. One of the officers grabbed her arm before she could get any further.

"Miss, you're going to need to step behind the tape."

Rei angrily shook his hand off of her, but didn't go any further in fear of what she might see. "W-what happened?" she asked shakily, tears persistently leaping from her eyes. The man solemnly shook his head, his amiable face falling into an expression of sympathy.
"Mrs. Chiba had and accident."

"IS SHE OKAY?" Rei shrieked, clutching her hands to her heart.
"It appears that she was preparing dinner. Her hand must have slipped."

The tears fell even harder. Rei was about to question further when they brought the lifeless body from the house. Michiru had carefully placed a cutting board and arranged meat and vegetables on it in a sloppy manner that could have perfectly passed as the beginning of the dish on TV that Usagi had been trying to make. 

Rei watched in horror as the body was heaved past her on a gurney. Before they had a chance to completely zip the body bag, Rei caught a ghastly glimpse of Usagi's face. She was still smiling that pretty, semi-spaced out smile of hers. Even her blue eyes, although cloudy, seemed to be happy. 

Rei knew that Usagi wasn't that foolish. Sure she was a klutz, but she had the sense to not cut with the knife facing her body. In fact, she didn't think that Mamoru kept any sharp knives in fear of Usagi's safety. Rei could only watch as the body of her best friend was loaded into the ambulance out of view. This was not an accident. Rei was sure of that