Chapter One
Blue Blooms

 It was precisely 8:02 on a Monday evening when Amy came
into the hospital.  She wore her bulky overcoat over
conservative work clothes in order to keep out the chill;
for a moment, she paused to shake out a few flakes of the
power that fell outside.  Quietly she signed in, and then
moved to the elevator that would take her upstairs.

 She disembarked on the seventh floor; though normally
patients were housed on the second, they kept the more
unusual, care needy patients here.  She caught a whiff of
a clean, floral scent, and smiled; how unlike the coolness
of Tokyo General, the first place they'd been taken.  They
had been transferred, at Robert's request, to MacArthur
Memorial, smaller, more private and classy hospital
farther outside the downtown.  She wasn't sure of all the
reasons, but she knew insurance was a factor, as well as
the fact that he wanted Serena to have the best care.  He
seemed to understand how much Serena meant to his son.
 
 She signed in once more, the nurse giving her a friendly
smile.  They knew the troop of them--four young women and
their young men, the assortment of color that came with
them a rainbow of concern for their friends.  it was the
most interesting room in the ward, decorated with flowers,
cards, balloons, and more.  There had been assorted others
such as an older woman and her friend, a couple with a
teenage boy, and occasionally a redhead.  She didn't need
to remind any of the precautions to take around the
couple, or of the frequently crossed time limit.

 Upon entering the room, she took another deep breath,
taking in the crisp floral scent of it, faintly touched
with the fragrance of recycled paper and plastics.  The
normal antiseptic air had long been superseded, and in
fact there was something about this room that upliftied
everyone's spirits.  It also helped that Zachary--and here
her eyes glittered--had been teaching her the science of
details.  He was so senstivie to the world, to people
about him and things beyond and below that.  It was...

 She smiled; she just couldn't get her mind off of him
lately.  Her smile widened as she added her pale blue
cornflowers to what Nate called the "Shrine of the
Sleepers"--the roses and cups of flowers and cards and
small trinkets left to the pair in the room.  Though he
had been joking, she still had to wonder at this show of
devotion they have these two.  What had made them so
important--why did they care so much?
 
 <Must I ask?> she wondered as she moved to the Prince
first, carefully avoiding the midsection where their
fingers hung loosely together.  She marvelled once again
at the ability of the nurses here to deal with such
unusual circumstances; but, then again, that was another
reason they had been moved here.  She stared at him,
absorbing every detail as she had been taught.  He had
changed so very little; he had lost some of the color his
skin carried, and a bit of weight, but was still
attractive as ever.  A blush warmed her cheeks at this,
yet she still reached out and touched his forehead,
brushing away the few strands of black silk that hung over
it.  A small worry line crossed her forehead as she felt
his, and then took his free hand; both were warm, warmer
than they'd been when she'd last been here.  She checked
his chart at the end of the bed, and found nothing out of
the ordinary.  Her frown deepened, and she moved closer
again, studying him some more, using her faint, faint
senses to feel for anything.  She wished she could still
access her computer, but that was lost to her...she shook
off the feeling of depression that followed, and quickly
moved to Serena.

 If Darien had changed little, Serena had changed so much. 
She had not seen her friend since they had broken out, and
then she was Sailor Moon.  The next time she was...gone. 
Alive, but gone.  And she made a wonderful person in coma,
Amy thought, half-ashamed for it but unable to call it a
lie.  It wasn't; the angelic quality that attracted people
in life was magnified in death.  All commented on the
fragile, princessly beauty she exhibited, a Sleeping
Beauty with an IV.  Even the flourescent lights couldn't
harm her wonder; it was that incredible.  The group of
them hadn't had the courage to take the Crystal from her,
so it--and a calendar--lay on the table beside her.  It
was to her side that Amy pulled up a chair, sat, and took
Serena's hand.

 "It has been awhile since we last spoke, hasn't it?" she
began, voice soft.  "But I've been very busy...work and
all...and I've never felt very sane talking to you like
this."  She smiled, light glinting in her deep blue eyes. 
"But still, I feel better talking to you, Serena.  They
say that often people in...in your state can hear the
outside world, even if they can't respond.  So if you can
hear me, Serena, just know that I want you to know that
all of us...we're all just fine.  It's...important to me
that you do know."

 She took a breath, and then exhaled heavily, looking down
and smiling.  "I want to share something with you, Serena. 
It's a little hard to believe--and I've seen just about
everything--but...it's just incredible.  And I haven't the
girls yet, either; I like a secret sometimes.  Yet,
somehow you always get it out of me."  Her eyes were soft
and full of memories, the liquidy blue moistened by the
start of fresh tears.  Quickly she wiped her eyes, saying,
"And you always manage to get to me, too."
 
 She took another breath, pondering her words, feeling
suddenly nervous, as if someone had stuffed a microphone
in the room just waiting to catch it.  She resisted the
urge to search; it would be just like some trickster to do
that.  And she knew a few tricksters.  Still, she pulled
the chair closer to her, leaning over her head and
whispering.  
 
 "My life has finally fallen into place, Serena.  School
is going as well as usual (though I really need to look
over somethings), I have a good job to help with the
expenses, and I still have a good roof over my head. 
And...I have Zach, whom I love very, very much.  And who
loves me back..."
 
 "Serena, he asked me to marry him." 

*	*	*	*
 Should someone have asked Zachary Petal the formula for
plaster of paris, he would've had to think for a
second...but he could've given it to you.  However, should
someone have asked when he figured out that he wanted to
marry Amy...that wasn't so easy.

 The men, when they had gotten all the way through the
changes, their powers and memories restored, had come upon
some serious questions.  There was the religious aspect,
as all were Protestant and therefore unsure how it all
related; and then there were the women.  Would they pursue
them, or not?

 Of course, the final answer came out to be "yes."  But
they never forgot that discussion--nor the fact that even
fated relationships occasionally don't work.  

 Yet, as the months passed, that argument faded in all of
their mind.  After all, it was bliss, that kind of
relationship that is never really quite settled, and never
really perfect, either.  Jade and Raye loved to fight--
'twas Jade's nature to thrive on that kind of conflict,
and Raye's to show her affection through screeching
concern.  The rest weren't quite as bad, though if Nate
and Lita fought, it usually ended up being some kind of
wrestling match in the end.  Mina and Kevin were actually
pretty calm, and while there was conflict, it was not
usually seen...though, lately, the two of them had seemed
more snappish.  As for he and Amy, they fought on an
intellectual battleground, employing tactics such as
unreturned phone calls and separations in order to get
their point across.  Inevitably, these were followed by
longish reunions and renewal of their relationship, since
the old adage "out of sight, out of mind" never seemed to
apply. He figured he couldn't even drink, drug, or
whatever her off his mind; she would show up somehow,
larger than life, and he would find himself still pining
for her.  

 Perhaps it was after one of these that he came to his
conclusion that he never wanted to be without her again. 
Or, maybe, it was his acceptances to various schools
within Japan and without, leaving only one last little
detail of his life to peg down: Amy.  

 The first person he told was Wesley, for he and Setsuna
had quietly "married"--though he doubted it was in any
Western sense of the word--that autumn, on a day when the
sun shown and the temperature was a lovely 65 degrees. 
They were good friends, possessing the same sort of
logical approach to life, as well as memories of theories
debated and conclusions drawn from a thousand years prior. 
Also, they both got to work early in order to get a head
start on the day, giving them a chance to chat before
everyone else trundled in.  

 The two were networking over accounts--no one had ever
dared to take the "Paperwork is Life" sticker down from
the wall--and casually chatting as they sifted through
numbers and formulas.  Quite casually, he messaged, |How
did you propose to Setsuna?|

 The man replied, equally as casually, |In Latin. 
Thinking of proposing to Amy?|

 Zach debated before hitting the keys, knowing he was
locking himself in.  A rapid scan through the pros/cons
list he'd devised for this marriage reminded him how lucky
he was, and so he messaged back, |Yes.|

 To his surprise, Wes said aloud, "Have you thought this
through?"

 "Made a list for and against," he replied, swiveling to
face him.
 
 "Good.  And have you really thought ahead to how it is to
be married?  Really?"

 "Of course!" he said.  "Is that surprise or concern
you're displaying?"

 "Surprise, really.  I would've thought the first pair to
go would be Mina and Kevin."

 "Yea, you would.  But there's been a little friction
between the two of them lately...or hadn't you noticed?"

 "I've been a little preoccupied," he said, an edge of a
smile on his face.  "But let me be the first to
congratulate you, then."

 "Actually, I was hoping you could help me..."

 His brown eyes quirked, a sign that he was unsure of what
he heard.  "Help you?" he asked.  "How?"

 "I need some advice on how to go about it," he said. 
"Romance is not really my forte."
 
 "I'd bet she'd have something to say against that," Wes
replied.  "She had to fall in love with something."

 "My stellar intellect."

 "Somehow, I doubt that was her first attraction to you,"
he replied dryly, turning back to this computer.

 "True," he said.  "But...but that doesn't really matter. 
I want to make this a memory for her, but I am completely
unsure how to go about it."

 "How did you do it before?" Unlike the others, Wesley had
a full knowledge of all the events of the Silver
Millennium, public and private.  Not necessarily details,
but events written plainly upon their minds..."Endymion
born.  Endymion's mother dead.  Endymion stranded with
Princess.." and the like.  Important events in people's
lives.  

 "Over a drink, actually.  She nearly broke the glass."

 "Thinking of repeating?"

 "No," he said.  "She has most of her memories, and I
really don't want her to see it coming."

 "Then be safe, and take her to dinner," he replied.  "If
you are really unsure about this, then I'd do it in
public.  It's hard to refuse marriage in public."

 "That's a little ruthless of you," he replied, bringing
back up his screen, idea firmly implanted in his mind.  

 Wes chuckled, a warm laughter he rarely produced. 
"Nothing's fair in War, but that goes double for Love,
Zach," he said.  "Now, what do you think of..." and the
two picked up their financial discussion again.

 A week later, again in the morning while the two were
alone, he produced a ring.  It was the traditional white
stone, fairly small but luminescent, and Wes nodded his
approval.  He didn't ask where the man had gotten it,
though, nor did he question the small circles beneath the
man's eyes.  They briefly discussed his plans for her, and
how to carry them off with very few hitches.  Setsuna was
let in on the secret for her input, but otherwise he told
no one else.  The thrill of keeping it a secret from both
sets of people was incredible, and for once he was glad
Serena wasn't around to pry it out of him.

 A half a week gone by, and the plan was set: that
Saturday night, he would take her out for Italian--she
liked pasta--and do it over dessert.  It was a rare fancy
date, and therefore the both of them would dress up,
lending ceremony to what would be (he hoped) a very
special occasion.  Sets was going to help her dress; Amy
had requested, something that caused an exchange of
glances around the workroom that day, and a few secret
smiles.  During the week, his mood increased by leaps and
bounds, and he took the time to dote on her a little more
than usual, appreciating fully what he had in front of him
more than ever.  She was glad to receive his attention,
for her mother had recently gone out of town for awhile,
and the stark loneliness of the house was banished by his
smiling eyes.  

 Saturday night, and the time for destiny was at hand.  He
paced his apartment nervously, Wesley watching him with a
smile, waiting for the signal from Setsuna to come pick
her up.  It was past seven-thirty, and with their
reservations just a little after eight, he was hoping Sets
had not decided to be frivolous with their time.  He was
in knots enough as it was; if this kept up, he would be
Pretzel Boy by the time she called.  

 "Calm down," Wes said quietly, leaning forward.  "It's
just the tying up of a loose end-everything will be fine."
 
 "Just THAT?" he replied, nearly scrubbing a hand through
his hair before he remembered how long it had taken him to
get it this way.  It slapped against his thigh, and he let
out a rough sigh, plopping down on the well worn chair
Serena had so loved...he gritted his teeth against the
thought, and turned his mind back to the present.  He
looked over at his companion, who seemed so infuriatingly
calm.  "How did you do it?"

 "I think I've told you this."

 "Yes, in Latin," he replied.  He paused a moment, then
looked back to him.  "Latin?  I thought I was archaic."

 Wesley's smile lightened, touching his brown eyes.  "It
seemed appropriate for what I asking her into."

 "Marriage?  But I thought..."
 
 Wes shook his head.  "What Setsuna and I have is more
than marriage, Zach.  It's a binding, a bonding, that is
legal as technical marriage but goes beyond it.  Setsuna
and I may not have been destined for each other as you and
Amy were, but through this we cemented ourselves in the
way you two will.  Do you understand?"

 "A life-bond?"

 "Or as close as we can get to it," he replied.  "That's
why I used Latin-to stress the formality of it all."  His
gaze seemed to cloud a touch, almost nostalgically, and he
whispered, "Will you share souls with me?" 

 "That was how you asked her?" 

 He nodded.  "Actually, she was quite flattered."

 "So, were you the one who set up the marriage ceremony
then?" he asked, his nervousness partially melting beneath
his curiosity.  

 "Her idea, really.  A little too much Heinlein, I think,
but it got it across.  Of course, we still had paperwork
to make it legal, but..."  He sighed, and Zachary could
almost trace his thoughts back to that day.  On a gorgeous
weather, beneath an arch of trees in a secluded area of
the park, the two had exchanged water, wine, and staffs,
each representing a piece of them: mind, body, spirit.  He
was familiar with Heinlein; he agreed with the thought.

 "I hope Amy doesn't mind something a little more
conventional," he said.  "No offense to you two, but..."

 "I doubt she would," Wes replied, brushing off the former
topic.  "After all, her father isn't Japanese; she's had
some European influence."

 "What did you say?"

 "Her father isn't Japanese, Zach; he's some European
artist.  Opposites attract, or something like that...she
rarely sees him now.  In fact, she was nearly Amy
Anderson," he replied.

 Zach's jaw came this close to dropping, and he had to
grip the seat in order to resist the urge to pull at his
hair.  Wes looked to him, noted his sudden change in mood
and pallor, and quickly asked, "Are you okay?  Or did you
suddenly become deathly ill?"

 "I...I didn't know that."

 "Know what?"

 "About her father!  Oh Lord, what else do I not know? 
Great...Wes, what am I..."

 "Zachary Petal, calm down now."  His voice was firm and
calm, his eyes softly brown but steely about the edges. 
"You cannot fly off the handle just because you didn't
know about her father."

 "But Wesley, that's her dad!  What other surprises
await?" he worried.

 "Plenty, actually," he replied.  "Do you think I know
everything about Setsuna?  No!  Will I ever?  I hope not. 
The learning everyday is just one part of marriage, Petal;
if you walked into this knowing everything about her,
she'd be..."

 "Predictable," he finished.  "Which is a bad thing, I
guess."

 "In government, no.  In marriage, yes," he said, the
smile returning to his face.

 "Why didn't I think of this?" Zach replied, leaning back
in the chair and closing his eyes.  

 "Because contrary to popular belief, you don't know
everything.  Almost, but not quite," Wes smiled.  "In
fact..."

 At that moment, Wes' pager went off.  Zach bolted
straight from his chair, and stood over him nervously as
Wes slowly unclipped the pager from his belt.  He made a
show of carefully raising it, and slowly reading the
numbers, driving Zach to say, "Wes, stop that before I get
Setsuna mad at me..."
 
 "It's them."

 "What?  Who?"

 "Them-Setsuna and Amy.  She's ready for you to pick her
up now," he replied.  He looked up, gave him a brief grin,
and added, "Good luck, Zach. I'm sure you'll do fine."

 "Sure, fine, yea," he replied.  "I'll be fine."  He
closed his eyes and sucked in one final and relaxing
breath, then turned to the door and calmly swept out of
it.  Wesley watched him go with his normal quirky smile,
sat back on the couch, and waited.

 Within minutes, there was a faint sparkle within the
room, and Setsuna appeared.  He stood and gave her a brief
kiss; she smiled at him, keeping close.  Two months and
very little strain, and no sign of any in the future.  

 "How is she?" he asked, voice quiet.

 "How is he?" she replied, and he smiled.

 "Nervous," he said.  "Really nervous.  But I'm sure he'll
be all right."

 "Then all is well," she replied.  "Now, how about our
dinner?"


 <I can't believe he did this for me,> Amy thought as she
took a seat on the soft velvety chair.  <I wonder what
holiday it is...perhaps some American thing...> She
mentally ticked off dates in her mind, but the only thing
she could think of was Thanksgiving; yet, if she
remembered right, that was usually not celebrated like
this.  Yet, despite this mild puzzlement, she was
determined to enjoy herself, to treat this as a real and
true date.  He seemed intent for it to be that, anyway;
why not go along?  

 So she did, and to her surprise, she rather enjoyed it. 
Theirs had been quiet, private courtship up to this point,
consisting of dates at either of their houses, movies, a
few cultural things-which usually meant doubling with Lita
and Nate-and some group outings.  The formality was a
delicious change for her; she even managed to get over the
uneasiness she felt within her clothes.  The dress had
been a gift from her mother, and she had never thought
she'd have a chance to wear it out...yet here she was!

 Zach, on the other side of the table, was also enjoying
himself-or, at least, trying to.  He was still nervous,
and for a person who has never had to deal much of that,
he was handling it well.  Or as well as to be expected,
considering how he felt when he looked upon Amy.  He had
known she was beautiful, but somehow it never really
impacted him until now.  Perhaps it was the jitters of his
stomach, or the dress that Setsuna had selected-a semi-
formal blue affair that shimmered faintly in the light, so
she came with her own highlights.  Add to that the deft
touches of makeup carefully applied, and she glowed
incandescently.  How he had managed to keep up light
conversation and not stop and stare...well, he wasn't
sure.  Perhaps the ring that burned in his pocket tempered
him; every time he just wanted to gawk, he remembered his
purpose, and that straightened him out.  

 Over pasta, he suddenly realized that he never planned
when to ask her.  <Oh, LOVELY!> he thought as he set down
his fork, watching her carefully swirl pasta on her fork. 
She looked up and caught him staring at her, and rewarded
him with a brief smile that he returned.  <Feeding our
face is probably a bad time,> he reflected as he sipped
his drink, eyes still hazily focused on her.  <I guess
just before dessert...or after the check?  It seems rather
gauche to do that, present a ring while paying.  In that
case, dessert sounds great...but what if she doesn't want
dessert?  AHH! Next time I do this, I plan ahead!>  His
own thought frustrated him so much that he nearly spat his
water; his movements caused Amy to look up at him, and
inquire, "Are you all right, Zach?"

 "I'm fine, Amy," he replied quietly.  "I just...my epi
didn't close in time, I'd say."

 "I see," she replied, smiling.  <He's so cute when he
gets medical,> she reflected.  <I love that he can use his
intelligence.  *sigh*>

 <Whew,> he thought.  <Bought it-and hey! This is my last
marriage!  I'd never survive without her, much less dating
again.  Yeagh.>  A sudden burst of confidence swept him at
this thought, and though he never considered himself a
romantic, his thoughts wandered to happy home for a
moment.  He reached down and patted the ring, the key to
this wonderful-if fake-land, the key to opening a door to
a new life...

 A key that suddenly seemed to be missing.

 He nearly stood up and screamed.  As it was, a peculiar
expression came over his face, one Amy caught and
registered as almost panic.  "Zach, are you okay?  Is
something wrong?" she asked, genuine concern in her voice.

 "Wrong?  Oh no, Amy, everything's all right.  If you'd
excuse me for a moment..."  He nearly jumped from his
seat, managed to rein himself down, and as calmly as
possible walked towards the restroom.

 Amy, despite herself, giggled.  "He's so cute," she
whispered to herself.  

 Zach walked into the restroom and nearly dove into a
stall, frantically searching through his pants, his coat,
his shirt pocket, trying to recall where he'd last placed
the ring.  It wasn't in his coat; he remembered that
specifically, since he'd been worried she would see it
somehow.  He mentally ran over the places he'd ever placed
the ring-at the office, home in his room, home on the
table, home...

 Home on the table...

 He smacked his head loudly, and let out a groan. 
"Idiot!"

 "Hey, whatever it is, it can't be too bad," came a reply.  

 "You have no idea," he replied, minding not that he
talked with some complete stranger.  He stood for a few
moments breathing, trying to keep from hyperventilating;
when he finally felt calm enough, he straightened his
clothes with shaking hands, exited the bathroom, and
headed straight for the phones.

 Amy paused over her last bite of pasta.  <I wonder where
Zach is,> she thought as she carefully wound up the bits
of angel hair.  <He hasn't been too long, but you never
know when you live in Tokyo.  Especially being...having
been...what I was.>  She sighed, and forced the thoughts
away, determined not to let those sorts of thoughts spoil
this evening.  Senshi she had been, Senshi she would
always be, even without her powers; or so Setsuna said.

 <Or Serena would've.>

 <Now that's a nice way to get stuck in sadness, Amy. 
Cheer up!  You're out for Italian with a man you love,
everything has been perfect so far, so don't spoil it,>
she reprimanded herself sternly, eyes quirking inward. 
The little pep talk seemed to work, for the beginnings of
sadness lifted from her, and when Zach came back, she
greeted him with a smile.

 He returned it brightly, finally feeling as if something
was going right.  Wesley had seen where the ring was, and
had promised that he and Sets would stop by; Amy had left
something trivial as well, and it was a good excuse to get
it to him.  He had also talked with Setsuna, and the
combination of their calm voices and rational relief had
eased his mind more.  Now he was able to truly sit down
and enjoy himself.  

 The couple made it through the rest of the main course
and were enjoying a small, casual salad when Wesley and
Setsuna arrived.  Amy was still trying to decide on
dessert, eyes rapidly skimming the menus and weighing
choices, even when they lifted from the menu to give him a
furtive glance.  Their meal had drifted into the less
conversation-more smiling area, and Zach had relaxed
himself into a psyched up mode.  It was as if his trip to
the bathroom had catalyzed the confidence reaction;
before, he had factored in her saying no, but now he
couldn't conceive of it.  He was quietly revising his
speech when the two showed up, each dressed to the nines
and wearing knowing smiles.

 "Wesley! Setsuna!  What a surprise," Amy said, folding
the menu down and looking up with an almost anxious energy
in her eyes.  "I didn't think we'd see you again this
night."

 "Neither did we, Amy," Setsuna said with a smile. 
"Hello, Petal."  She had picked up that habit from too
much contact with the other Gens.  

 "Sets, Wes," he nodded.  Wesley caught his eye and nodded
slightly, and he felt every muscle in his body relax, and
his confidence rocket.  Everything was all right.

 "So, what's...um...going on?  This is unusual," Amy said,
nervously playing with her glass.  

 "Nothing big, Amy," Wesley replied.  "And nothing
dangerous-everything is fine."

 "Oh," she replied, and for a moment a downcast look
crossed her face.  Then, she bucked up and smiled at all
of them, adding, "That's great."

 "Yes."

 "But why..."

 "You forgot something, Amy," Setsuna replied, reaching
into her elegant handbag and pulling out a small item,
which she placed before Amy.  The woman blushed, and for a
brief wrenching moment he wondered if she had planned for
the same thing that he had.  Yet, he could cheat, and did,
letting a trickle of power ease out and brush the box. 
Relief coursed over him; it was just a trinket of some
sort, probably something she had long forgot with Setsuna.  

 "I did, didn't I?  I'm sorry, Setsuna, I was..."

 "It's all right, Amy.  We were already heading out-and I
wanted to see how you were doing.  Besides, it's human to
forget things-right, Petal?"

 He smiled quietly, not taking her barb, and replied, "No,
it's not.  Just a factor of being human."  He met her eyes
with ease, and caught the sparkle within them.  <Touch(,>
he thought quietly.

 "Well, thank you then.  You've saved me some
embarrassment," she replied.  He barely managed to keep
from laughing aloud, and glanced at Wesley, who was also
hiding a smile.  

 "I believe that's our exit cue, love," Wesley murmured
quietly.

 "Very true.  Good night, both of you," she replied with a
small wave, touching his shoulder as she passed.  He
smiled back, feeling confidence bloom within him even
brighter now; <Now I have to remember her birthday,> he
thought dryly.  <I owe her that much.>

 "That was nice of them," Amy said as she watched them go,
eyes slowly trailing back to him.

 "Yes, it was," he replied, patting his pocket.  The case
was there, and had been there ever since Setsuna had put
out the box Amy had brought.  He eyed the one sitting on
the table, then looked up with a sly light in his eye. 
"So, what's in the box?  Something...important?"

 "Oh, no...well, not really.  It's just...well, you said
this was going to be a special occasion, so I bought you a
gift," she managed to get out, as soft as the blush on her
cheek.  "But if..."

 "No, Amy, don't," he replied.  "I bought something for
you, too."  

 "Really?"

 He nodded, slipping the soft box out onto the table, its
deep blue nearly matching her eyes.  "So, would you like
yours first?"

 "No, I think we should open them at the same time," she
replied decisively.  "It'd be fair, wouldn't it?"

 "As the fair lady wishes," he replied, scooting his
closer to her.  She looked down at hers for a moment, then
pushed it closer as well. There was a moment when their
hands brushed as they reached for the others, and a soft
tingle ran through the both of them, causing nervous
smiles to appear.  Finally, with the items in front of
them, they looked down...then up.  Zach smiled and said,
"You first."

 "No, no...you, Zach," she replied.  "It's special."

 <You have no clue,> he thought, then tipped her a nod in
acquiescence.  "As my lady wishes."  He carefully cracked
the maroon sheath open, and a cloud of tissue paper
greeted his vision.  Anxiously, she licked her lips as she
watched him search gently through it, fingers as gentle
tweezers as they pulled it all apart.  She hoped he would
accept it, and understand its significance...
 
 He drew a breath as his fingers touched upon it, and
carefully brought it out.  His trinket assumption hadn't
been too far off, for it was an unstrung pendant of
loosely constructed wire which formed itself into a
flower.  In the center, peeking from beneath the blue
tinged metal, lay a small pink stone, roughly cut and
gleaming in the low light.

 "It's zoisite," she said softly.

 He looked up at her again, then down at the pendant. 
Suddenly, it hit him where they had first met, and how he
had come into the possession of her handkerchief...and he
sighed.  "It's beautiful, Amy," he said quietly.  "And I
understand...I understand your choice."

 She beamed at him, the smile lifting his spirits.  "I
knew you would," she said.  "The others may not, but
you..."

 "Open yours, Amy," he prodded gently.  "It's special,
too."

 She smiled, nodded, and then carefully thumbed open the
box.  Now it was her turn to react, and her eyes widened
as she gazed upon the simple gold ring inset with a
gleaming white stone.  She looked up at him, her eyes
beginning to fill with tears, then back at the ring. 
Finally, she managed, "Zach..?"

 "Amy, we've known each other for some months now, and in
that time I have come to find that my life before this was
incomplete.  But it goes beyond that; we have truly known
each other for a millennia plus...and in that time, I have
never forgotten you.  I never could get you completely out
of my dreams, and the moment Serena revealed you to me
everything seemed to click.  The moment I met you, knew
your name, I felt something click into place," he said
quietly.  Reaching across the table, he took her hand, and
softly added, "I just want to make it final."

 "Oh, Zach..." she whispered, looking back to the ring
before her.

 "Amy, will you marry me?"

*	*	*	*
 Sitting beside Serena that day, Amy smiled, then looked
down at her princess again.  "I was in shock," she
admitted quietly.  "I couldn't believe this was happening
to me.  Me! Mizuno Amy, the half-breed, blue haired,
genius freak, the weakest of the former Senshi, was being
asked for her hand.  I don't know how he took it to watch
my face like that, except it was quiet for awhile after
that."

 She shifted her place, and clasped Serena's hand.  "I
started immediately thinking of ways to say no; I wasn't
ready.  We weren't ready!  I thought...but suddenly,
everything seemed to flood back to me.  I saw him on the
plain, that first meeting so many hundreds of years ago;
and I remembered our first kiss, and that feeling of loss
as I died.  Of meeting in the park; of his eyes in the
storeroom."  She brushed at her eyes; they were starting
to tear again.  Her voice had dropped to a near whisper, a
soft quietness automatically assumed by her mind.  "And my
objections melted away.  I looked at the ring, then looked
at him..."

 She shook her head.  "Zachary has the most incredible
sense of timing, Serena.  He looked at me, squeezed my
hand, and said, 'Amy-chan.'  That's all it took, Serena-
'Amy-chan'!  It's been one of my dreams to hear that from
someone I love, and when he said it I knew for sure."

 "So I said yes, Serena.  I am officially engaged to
Zachary Petal."  She lifted her hand and looked at his
ring, smiling; she never wore it to work, but outside she
quietly flashed at the unassuming people, her happiness
casting a glow about her.  "I wish you could see the ring,
Serena; he has done something quite incredible with it. 
It was a white stone, and I thought it was a diamond...but
once I put it on, it turned blue.  He says it's meant for
me and only me, and that's his way of showing it." A
goofy, fond smile slid onto her face.  She absentmindedly
cast a glance at her watch, and started; she was going to
be late if she kept this up!  

 Calmly, she rose, and squeezed her friend's hand for the
last time.  "So that's what has been going on with me,
Serena.  I wish you could be here for it; I wish you could
see this.  I hope something...something will happen before
the wedding.  It's in May, by the way, just in case you
wanted to know.  Don't be late, Serena; we both need you
there."  Slowly, she let her hand slip from her grasp and
stepped away, happiness decreased some.  "Bye," she
whispered again, nodded to the Prince, then made her way
out of the room.

 Serena's expression had not changed since she had entered
the hospital; that same angelic softness and bedridden
beauty had possessed her from the day Darien had lain
beside her and was put down with her.  Yet, now, there
seemed to be a twitch, a contraction, a pull...and the
right corner of her mouth pulled a fraction up, so it
seemed as if she was smiling.

*	*	*	*
 Amy and Zach had decided that night that they need not
tell the others right away; there were too many plans to
make, too many things to discuss, dates to set, etc. etc,
before they revealed anything.  Besides, it would be a
distraction; they'd best prepare something before the
secret got out.  There was also, perversely, the thrill of
trying to keep something hidden within the close knit
group; it was almost a game, an amusement to help
alleviate the sudden addition of work they had taken on.

 Mind you, a wedding is a festive occasion.  But has
anyone ever seen what it takes to plan one?  Zachary had
done some reading beforehand, and Amy had truly done her
research back when they were still fighting Queen Beryl. 
They had much to decide and do, and their first decision
was to keep quiet as long as possible.  Usually, this
would be seen as an abnormality; after all, the more
people told, the more help one could get, right?  But this
was Zach and Amy, a pair of list orientated, independent
people who felt that they needed to accomplish something
before looking to their friends.  

 However, this was a close knit group, and there were
problems.  First of all, both glowed in each other's
presence; it was inescapable.  They were also a little
giddy, very happy, and even noticeably in the clouds-so
much so that Zach made a few simple mistakes in
bookkeeping.  Yet, no one could pry out of them the source
of their happiness, nor could they get answers from
Setsuna or Wesley without knowing smiles.  Secondly, there
was the time they were suddenly spending with each other,
and the weird items they were checking into and getting. 
The day Zachary pried Lita with catering questions had all
of them shaking their heads; when Amy and Setsuna got into
a long conversation about designs, the others did a double
take.  After all, neither had ever truly showed an
interest in their topics, so what gave?

 With no Serena to pry it out of her-one of the few times
the both of them were grateful for her absence-the
remaining three pairs had two options: call them on it, or
beat them both up in hopes of extracting the information. 
For awhile, option two was heavily discussed, for the two
were not only intelligent, they were STUBBORN; yet,
finally, three weeks into December, Jade and Kevin came up
with a plan to take on the two of them.

 It began simply and pleasantly enough; that morning, Mina
approached Zach and asked, "Hey, the six of us were
thinking of going out after work tonight, and we were
wondering if you would like to come."

 He swiveled about to face her, and eyed her curiously. 
"You're asking us?"  he asked.

 She seemed surprised.  "Yea, why not?  We all know you
and Amy have been busy lately, and it seemed the POLITE
thing to do."  She grinned.  "You know the culture,
Zach..."

 "Sometimes yes, sometimes no," he admitted.  "But...well,
I'll check with Amy, but I think it'll be no problem." 
<Besides, it'd be nice to take a break,> he thought
quietly.  <And maybe we'll get some ideas.>  He sighed,
and a lazy smile crossed his face.

 Mina noted it, and grinned to herself.  <Gotcha,> she
exclaimed to herself.  <Hook, line, and bobber!>

 Amy was approached by Kevin in much the same way-friendly
invitation, confusion when suspicion was expressed, and
acceptance provided it was all right with Zach.  <Gotcha,>
Kevin thought, grinning to himself.  <Hook, line, and
bobber...ahh! Now I SOUND like Mina!> 

 <As if it's such a bad thing.>

 He refrained from commenting, withdrawing to personal
thoughts that had kept him occupied for months.  The
deadline was drawing near, and he still had no clue what
to do about it.

 Amy and Zach did agree to the dinner-they asked each
other at lunch, which caused more than a few giggles-and
so it was set that they would meet at the shrine before
going out.  Neither suspected that the others had any
intention but to go to dinner, and they didn't catch the
little clues that Wesley and Setsuna-just to be fair-
dropped.  They were lost in their own little world.

 The air was soft and chilly that night; Tokyo gets little
snow during the winter, but that doesn't mean it has
pleasant weather.  They were not the last to arrive-that
honor fell to Lita and Nate, since she had to stay later
that night.  Even after her absence due to the Dark Trio
and her injuries, Lita had walked back into work still
clutching her heir apparent status.  Now, as her boss
turned more and more reins over to her, she was staying
later and later; not so much as to be a problem, but it
did put a damper on her life.  In a way, this outing was
better for her than for the whole group; she got to see
someone besides Nate and Mina for once.

 "Hey ya'll!" she said as she came in, grinning cheerily. 
Zach sighed to himself; she was picking up Nate's accent
now.  <Great,> he thought.  <We're not supposed to give
the natives problems...>  The woman, though, didn't catch
it or didn't care; they swarmed her with hugs, and
compliments, while Nate joined the rest of them.  The
congregations fell apart into same sex groups for awhile;
the women chatting at each other, the men either quietly
comparing notes or quietly watching them.  They
occasionally grinned at each other, especially when Zach
checked his watch.

 <He is going to flip out,> Jade thought with a smile. 
<Which serves him right, I think.  Never letting us know. 
Getting as bad as Kevin!>  He grinned widely now, first at
Kevin, then at Zach, so that both man exchanged confused
looks with each other.  That set off Nate, and soon the
four of them were in pairs, one grinning crazily, the
other puzzled.

 Finally, Amy softly inquired, "Shouldn't we be going
now?"

 "It is starting to get late," Zach quickly picked up.

 The two groups ceased all of their internal squabbling
and turned on them with pointed looks.  "We are not
leaving," Raye announced.

 "Not until you tell us what's going on," Jade added.

 "What do you mean?" Amy asked, confused.

 "You think we wouldn't notice?" Nathan said.  "You've
left a trail of clues that an infant could follow."

 "Huh?" Zach replied.  The two of them now stood together,
the other six sitting, eyes all fixed on them.  

 "Ames, we all thought you were smarter than this," Lita
added, voice disappointed.  "But I've made a lot of food
with smaller bread crumbs than you've been using."  She
winked at Nate; he nodded back.

 "But what are you talking about?  What trail?"  Amy said.

 "I second.  I'm confused," Zach replied.

 "Big admission," Jade said.

 "No kidding," Nate replied.  "Zach, stop playing
innocent; you're never confused."

 "Amy, you can't stand there and tell us nothing's up!"
Raye said.  "It's as plain as the blushes on your faces."

 To their embarrassment, they both blushed deeper.

 "We all knew Mina could act, but I would've never
suspected this from you," Lita said.  "Quite a talent to
hide it all this time."

 The two looked at each other, but they couldn't speak. 
For some reason, they were being accused of something, but
what could they have done that would merit...

 Oh.  Yes, they had done something, hadn't they?

 An air of ice, like the snow that refused to fall,
suddenly fell about them; their blushes disappeared, and
they faced the group calmly.  Immediately, the six cursed
themselves and their lost advantage; for a brief moment,
they flicked glances at Mina and Kevin, who had sat
quietly throughout this.  The two received the glances;
Kevin nodded, Mina winked-a sign that they knew their turn
was coming up next.

 But wait...just a moment...just one more moment.

 "Actually, you're right," Zachary began, taking Amy's
hand and exchanging a private look with her.  "But we
can't talk about it right now, eh Amy-chan?"

 She smiled for him, and then looked out at the rest with
soft but secretive eyes.  "Not now," she promised.  "But
later."

 "I don't think so!" 

 This from Mina, who stood up and walked right towards
them.  Shadowed from the back was Kevin, who wore an
expression on his face that showed up from time to time,
usually when it was best not to trifle with him.  The
momentary juxtaposition of the two would've been perfect
for the canvas; however, it was spelling out a certain
word in their minds to the tune of T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

 "Amy, Zachary, you have kept us in the dark long enough. 
There is no thing that you could've gone and done that
would be so horrible or wonderful that you couldn't share
it with us!" Her words were fiery; her eyes, ice.  Despite
their relationship to the colder side of the elements,
watching her made both of them shiver.

 "It's not the right time yet, Mina-chan," Amy replied
quietly.

 "That's not an excuse, Amy," Kevin said, emphasizing her
name.  "Not in this case.  Perhaps if you could give us
some sort of disarming clue, then we would back down."

 "There are no disarming clues, Kevin," Zach replied. 
"You'll have to trust us."

 "This isn't about trust! This is about concern!" Mina
spat back.  "We all trust each other, right?  I don't know
everything about you, and you don't know everything about
me, but it's okay because there is a mutual trust between
us.  However, when you two start acting like you're
planning a bank robbery, it worries us."

 "Remember the signs of drug use, Zach?" Jade called out.
"Sudden change in lifestyle, tiredness or irritability,
excess of energy..."  He trailed off, seeing his point had
been made.

 "Whatever is, it can't be too bad," Kevin added.  "You
two have brains in your heads which are probably smaller
than ours, and we all know it.  You two are also some of
the most fixed people in the world, which is why this is
so odd."  He moved closer to Mina, putting a hand on her
shoulder.  "It's why we've chosen to confront you like
this."

 The two were stunned, and that icy air of confinement
slowly oozed away.  They looked at each other and then
back at the group, weighing their options.  On one hand,
their friends did have a point; perhaps it was best to let
them in on this.  On the other hand, there was still a lot
to be done...

 "Don't make me pull a Serena on you," Kevin warned
quietly.  "I am prepared to, if necessary."

 Zach paled a bit; Amy looked startled.  "What's a
Serena?" Raye quietly asked Jared.

 "A proven way to get information out of any of us," he
replied.  "She used her authority, and it worked."

 "Serena pushed you around?"   There was more surprise
than malice there.

 "I'll have to explain it later," he replied with a grin.  

 The silence extended for so long, and stretched with so
much tension, that Lita began to get antsy.  She hadn't
planned for this reason; she would prefer to get this out
as quickly as possible.  She felt Nate's reassuring
presence, and it calmed her a bit; however, if they didn't
get anywhere soon, it would be...

 "Amy, it's not like you're getting married or anything! 
Just fess up!"  Mina finally exploded, her voice
exasperated beyond patience, normally rosy face contorted
in doctor's office agony.

 The two froze once more, looked at each other, then
grinned.  She stepped even closer into his embrace, until
it seemed that they were trying to siphon warmth from one
to the other.  He smiled; she smiled; the other five
looked at Mina as if she was crazy.

 "Mina!  A few months and you've already succeeded in
marrying them off," Raye retorted.

 "I don't see why not!  It's fated, isn't it?" she snapped
back.

 "Give us time, love," Kevin whispered to her, and she
blushed a little.

 "Truly.  After all..."
 
 "She's right."

 The world may not have stopped, but the people in the
room did.  They turned from bickering, quibbling, and a
little astonishment to look at the pair, snuggled together
as if born that way.  Their jaws nearly hit the floor;
even Mina, who had suggested the idea, seemed as if she
was ready to pitch over.

 It lasted about a minute or so.  Then, as one, the girls
whooshed over to Amy, captured her from Zachary, and set
off to congratulate her in proper romantic fashion.  Zach
was left with a kind, silly grin on his face, a proud
smile, one of almost relief, too.  He supposed it would've
probably been better to tell them sooner, but then they
wouldn't have had such a...interesting...demonstration.

 He turned back to grin, and perhaps shrug, at the guys;
however, the expression on his face quickly changed as he
noticed them all glaring at him.  He turned around quickly
to make sure that there weren't any surprise enemies
about, then asked, "What?"

 "Zach, I'm sure it's going to be a lovely wedding," Nate
began.  "However, it's going to be a tossup whether the
groom makes it or not."

 "Oh no...come on, you know I didn't mean to cause any
trouble!  I told you that we need time!" he protested.

 "But did you try and stop us?" Jade asked.

 "YES!" 

 "Zachary, you have a point," Kevin quickly broke in.  "As
does Nate.  However, neither of you have considered the
true question at stake here."

 "Which is?" Jade prompted.  "Don't be dramatic, Kev-not
now."

 He sighed.  "How we're going to survive until this
wedding."

 At once, all of them began to protest; then, it hit them
what he meant.  Quietly, all sat back, and Zach took a
seat as well, thinking to himself, <Now what have I done?>

 END CHAPTER ONE: BLUE BLOOMS
 DECEMBER, 199_