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Diamohns are Forever	By : SailorSol Category: Sailor Moon > General Views: 22490 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
SUPPORT SYSTEM

It was nearly one in the morning before either search team returned. Aster had stopped crying and moved from tears to melancholy. She watched Akari organize dinner, then cleanup, and then baths before sending the girls off to bed.

They came out into the living room a few hours after going to bed, claiming that they couldn�t sleep until they knew that Haruka and Hotaru were alright. The living room was full of people in various stages of wakefulness, from ChibiUsa curled up asleep in Mamoru�s lap, to Akari and Usagi, fully awake and making things ahead of time for lunches and dinners. Aster watched everything with a lack of response that worried everyone. She didn�t fall asleep, but she didn�t move to help with anything, either.

Sean returned first, carrying Hotaru and followed by Eduard and Rei. He put the girl into Aster�s lap, and then sat down next to both of them.

Aster hugged the smallest Senshi tightly, and then looked her up and down.

�You look hungry, sweet pea,� she said. �Haven�t you had anything to eat?�

�I was too worried about Haruka-papa,� she said. �She left after she got me home, and she hasn�t come back yet. I left her a note when Kuma came to the house.�

�We�ve got someone looking for her,� Aster said. �If they don�t find her, then at least she�ll know that you�re safe. Maybe she�ll come here, and she and I can be miserable together.�

�Haruka-papa�s worried about you,� Hotaru said. �She said she was going to teach Pluto a few things about how to treat a lady.�

�I don�t think he�s interested in that, right now,� Aster said. �It looks like he�s picked a new lady. That�s fine. I don�t need him.�

Busy concentrating on Hotaru, Aster missed the shocked looks on the face of everyone that heard her declaration. Her love for Pluto was of nearly mythic proportions, almost like Mamoru and Usagi. Her denunciation of him made them realize that she was more hurt than she let on.

�Let�s get you something to eat,� Aster said. She started to get up with Hotaru still in her arms when Usagi pushed her back into her seat and put a tray in both of their laps. There was a dish of buckwheat noodles with strips of pork and vegetables for Hotaru, and a bowl of tea for Aster. Usagi left the room for a few moments, and then returned with larger bowls of noodles for Sean, Eduard, and Rei.

�Now, you all eat,� she said. �I�m sure Haruka will be found. You men should all go home when you�re done eating. Sleeping in a chair isn�t good for any of you.�

Aster�s eyes went to the green armchair, and her face twisted. She set her bowl of tea on the short table in front of the couch, and then moved Hotaru and her tray to Sean�s lap.

She carefully got up and walked over to the wet bar in the corner of the room. She found a small box and started wrapping the green-rimmed glassware in paper and putting it into the box.

She carried the box into the room she had opened for Takagi and put it on the bed. She came back out and retrieved the green coffee cup and tea bowl from the kitchen, and the green slippers from the entry. She took them in and put them next to the box of glassware.

When she came out again, her eyes were bright with unshed tears. She turned to Washino.

�Kage,� she said. �Help me with the chair, will you?�

�What do you want done with the chair?� he asked.

�I want it in the green room,� she said. �After it�s in there, I want the room closed up, permanently. If he doesn�t want me, then I don�t want him, either.�

�We�ll do it,� Robert said. He and Martin rose to their feet. They had woken from their doze when Sean had arrived, and this was a chance to do something, instead of just sitting around.

�Thank you,� she said. She watched, stone-faced, as the two Kishi picked up the chair and carried it into the green room. The only indication of her emotions was a single tear that trickled down her cheek.

When they finished, she fastened the latches at the top and bottom of the shoji walls, rendering them immobile.

�I�ll be back in a moment,� she said. She walked to the doors that led to the central garden, and went into the early morning light.

Concerned, Usagi went to the doors herself and looked out into the garden.

Aster was kneeling next to the pond, saying something. Usagi couldn�t hear what she was saying, but she was crying, her tears dripping into the still water.

After several minutes, she stopped talking into the water and threw herself down onto the moss next to the pond, her shoulders heaving.

�We better find Haruka fast,� Usagi whispered to herself before she closed the doors, giving Aster privacy for her grieving.

~*~*~*~*~

Nathan, Quentin, and Ami returned about an hour later. Nathan and Quentin were supporting Haruka, who was so drunk that she was practically comatose. Chimei was following behind them.

�I made coffee,� Akari said, gesturing to the dining room.

�Oiahll taike a cuppa,� Nathan said. �Oih think she jus� needs tah sleep this off, if yah ahsk me.�

�Very well,� Akari said. �I think Aster said that the gold room was for her.�

�Roight,� Nathan said. He and Quentin took Haruka to the room, stripped her down to her underwear, and put her to bed.

The two Kishi came out to inform Akari of what they had done, and they saw Aster coming out of the central garden, her face streaked with tears, and her eyes swollen and red from weeping.

�Not a word,� she growled.

�Nevah,� Quentin said. �We brought Nathan�s pahtnah in, an� she�s sleepin� off one �ell of a drunk.�

�What do you expect,� Aster said, heading to the kitchen and pouring herself a cup of coffee. �Her long-time partner deserted her for the Knight of Time.�

�That don�t sound roight,� Quentin said. �Evah� since we met up wif� �im, Takagi�s been talkin� �bout you, an� �e nevah �ad anythin� t� do wif Neptune.�

�I know,� Aster said. �I guess they both decided to try something different. I�m glad you guys found her, and I owe you one. Why don�t you get some sleep, and I�ll fix a dinner to end all dinners tonight for everyone.

�Roight,� Quentin said. �You need anytin� else?�

�No,� Aster said. �I think you brought me what I need the most. Now that I know she�s safe, everything�s fine.�

She watched while the two left, taking the rest of the Kishi that lived in the larger house, except for Sean and Vincent.

She turned to look at her sister, and she walked over to hug her and kiss her on the cheek.

�Get some sleep,� she told her. �I think we�ll have a barbecue for dinner. I�ll go get supplies when dawn hits.�

�We will go with you, Aster,� Akari said. �You should not be alone at a time like this.�

�I�m fine,� Aster insisted. �I�ve gotten past it. Now, people need me, and I�m here to take care of them. Now, take your husband home and go to bed.�

�That sounds like a dismissal,� Sean said. He shifted Hotaru�s sleeping form out of his lap and he stood up.

�I do appreciate your help and moral support,� Aster said. �I can handle things right this minute. I�m going to bed myself, to try and get a few hours of sleep.�

�We will be back right after dawn,� Akari said.

�Don�t worry about eating,� Aster said. �There are several stand ups in the markets that we can grab a bite at. If the men can�t fend for themselves, then we can leave a note for Makoto. She�ll be happy to cook for them.�

�Robert can cook for �em,� Vincent said. �He�s not bad in t� kitchen. I �spect they�ll be over here anyways.�

Aster nodded, and waited while the three of them left, and then turned to the girls, who were all watching her warily.

�Let�s put Hotaru in with ChibiUsa,� she said. �Then let�s all get some sleep. You girls sleep in tomorrow. I�m sorry I kept everyone up.�

�That�s what friends are for, Aster,� Usagi said.

�Yeah,� ChibiUsa said, yawning. �I don�t wanna think about what Uncle Hosyu�s gonna do when he hears about this.�

�He�s not going to hear,� Aster said. �This is Business, and he�s not part of it, even though he knows about it.�

�Okay,� ChibiUsa said, walking over to Hotaru and shaking her shoulder. �But he�ll find out, you just watch.� She coaxed her friend to get up and led her towards the back of the house, where her room was.

Aster waited until all of the girls had gone to their rooms before she went to the door to Haruka�s room. She looked in on the sandy-haired Senshi, who was sleeping the sleep of the inebriated. She sighed sadly and slid the shoji doors closed before going to her own room, to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sometime after four in the morning, Haruka woke to the pressing need of nature. She found herself in an unfamiliar place, but she really needed to find the restroom.

Slipping out of the strange room, she padded down the shoji-walled hallway until she came to a wooden wall set with a modern door. Hoping that it was what she sought, she opened the door, and was rewarded with the toilet.

Her head still swam from all the alcohol she had consumed, but she managed to make it on her own. She had a vague idea where she was, if her hazy memory was correct, but she had never been in this part of Aster's house before. In fact, to her still-dizzied thoughts, she wasn't even sure that it was Aster's house.

When she had finished in the restroom, she exited the room, she found that she had lost her way and was now totally confused as to where she was. Her sleep-fogged mind was almost incapable of rational thought, but her nose caught the subtle scent of jasmine, Michiru's favorite fragrance.

Following the scent, she soon found a shoji door and opened it. The smell was stronger in the darkened room beyond, and her befuddled mind imagined the missing Michiru in the bed inside. Her heart filling with love and need, she stumbled to the bed and crawled in behind the occupant, wrapping her arms around the warm body.

Only then did she know by the scent of sandalwood mixed with the jasmine that it wasn't her koibito that lay there, but the other woman that she dearly loved - her Sun-Face, and that was just as good at the time.

Aster woke slightly when Haruka slipped in to her bed, and she held herself still as the strong arms held her firmly. When she felt the taller woman snuggle closely and whisper something incoherent, she couldn't stand to remain as she was any more.

Moving as if she was still sleeping, she rolled over inside the confining arms, to come face-to-face with the still inebriated woman. Once her move was complete, she was surprised when Haruka kissed her in a sleepy, yet loving manner. Thinking that the older woman was dreaming that she was in bed with her koibito, Aster said nothing, but her heart felt as if it were ready to burst from that simple action.

"Love you, Sun-Face." Haruka said softly, telling Aster that, at least somewhere in her mind, the taller woman knew exactly where she was and who she was with. "Never leave me. I don't do alone very well."

"Haruka." Aster sighed, her breath catching in her throat. "You're still drunk. I think that I should take you back to your room so you can sleep it off."

"No, Aster." the taller woman shook her head slowly. "I don't want to be alone. I love you, and I need you right now."

"Oh, Speedy!" Aster said softly, not trusting her voice to make any sounds louder than a mere whisper. "You can't know how long I've waited to hear that! I love you too. That's why I made that room just for you. It was all I had."

"Not any more." Haruka smiled in the darkness, but her voice conveyed what the eyes didn't register. "I'm here now, and I love you. Now, hush."

And she suited her actions to her words by kissing the golden-haired woman deeply and passionately. Though this also startled her, Aster soon responded to the embrace, wrapping her arms around the other woman and holding tightly onto her as if she expected her to vanish at any moment. Haruka took the active role, and soon trailed a line of hot kisses across Aster's face, ending at the soft skin of her neck, where she began nibbling, licking and kissing the entire area, including her earlobe.

Aster softly moaned in pleasure at these ministrations, her golden eyes half-closing as she rode the feelings upward. In all of her fantasies of this moment, not one of them could compare to the actual presence of one of the two women she most loved in the entire world. The only thing that could have made it better would have been if both of them were there with her. Thrusting that thought from her mind, the golden-haired woman threw herself into the moment, reveling in the sensations of Haruka's searing lips on her own heated skin. When gentle hands began pushing her down onto the futon to lie flat on her back, Aster allowed the motion, her mind reeling with the knowledge that this was really happening.

The sandy-haired woman then slowly began opening the pajama top that Aster had worn to bed, one button at a time, softly kissing the skin underneath as soon as it was exposed to the night air. When she reached the area of her large, up-standing breasts, she bared the area completely, and then gently fastened her lips to the darker central spot on the one nearest to her. Aster gasped at this, her breathing becoming very rapid and shallow, and soft moans soon began escaping from between her full lips.

Unable to stay still, she reached up and started stroking Haruka's back, feeling the way the hard muscles rippled under her fingers. These were not the same as those of a man who spent a great deal of time working with his hands and upper body, but rather it was the form of a highly trained athlete, and she could tell the difference. And the way her breasts were treated told her that her new lover knew exactly what to do to drive her wild with desire. Then the hands, callused from many years of holding the handlebars of a motorcycle, began caressing her ever so softly, the fingertips leaving firey trails of sensation behind, and causing her to want even more.

As if she was aware of the need that was building inside her, Haruka then started moving downward, trailing her hot kisses across Aster's flat stomach. As she neared the area that nestled between her firm thighs, which were already unclad since Aster did not make a habit of wearing panties to bed, the long legs spread, allowing her access to the region of her Royal Pavillion, and she caught the sharp tang of her savory salt. Dipping down like a swooping hawk, the sandy-haired woman found the slit-like opening in the thatch of tight golden curls, and took her first, long, loving taste.

Aster nearly exploded as the sensation of those lips and tongue touched her in such an intimate manner, and she began to moan with every rapid, heaving breath. Her own hands were touching as well, one still on her lover's back, while the other was twined through the short, sandy hair, reveling in its fine, silken texture. Moving even lower, Haruka then found the now-erect nodule just emerging from its fleshly sheath, and she fastened her lips around it, sucking it gently even as she ran her agile tongue around it.

Now, she did explode, the searing sensations of her pinnacle flooding through her, temporarily blinding her to everything else. Never before had she reached climax so quickly, and it confused her somewhat, but as she was already well on her way to the next plateau, that thought was soon lost in the overwhelming desire that coursed through her body and soul. Haruka continued to tease the rigid nodule, but she soon added a new sensation to the equation. One of her hands slipped into the area and began softly stroking inside the heated folds, dipping slightly into her searing well as if to gather her tangy honey, then repeating the process again and again.

Aster could no longer hold still, no matter how hard she tried. Her full hips began to buck against Haruka's face, and her hands reflexively grasped rhythmic at whatever was beneath them. The taller woman seemed to smile at this new development, but she never ceased her actions. If anything, she increased the rhythm, and then moved even lower to softly lap up all of the tangy fluid that flowed from the searing Golden Well. She kept her strokes long and even, knowing the effect that it would have on the golden-eyed woman.

In the years that she had known her, she had fantasized about making love to Aster, and now, all of those dreams had finally come true. She was indeed there, and Aster was there, and that was all that mattered at the time. She found that she loved the feel and taste of her new koibito, and was glad that they had finally found each other at last. Granted, the way they had connected was not the path she would have chosen, but there would be time to fix that situation later. Now, all that mattered was this moment, and her love for the wonderful woman that writhed so sensuously beneath her.

Reveling in the sensations of her lover, and feeling her reactions, Haruka continued, running her lips, tongue and teeth all over the heated folds, slick with the sweet-salt moisture of Aster's pleasure. With every stroke, she heard the golden-eyed woman moan out her feelings, and felt her nearly frantic motions as she fought to reach the pinnacle yet again. Though she had yet to be touched so intimately, she still felt everything that her partner experienced, and it thrilled her that Aster seemed to love what she was doing.

To Aster, however, that night was easily the best that she had ever experienced. Haruka was quite literally driving her out of her mind, and right then, she didn't care if she ever came down. The pressures continued to build within her, growing ever stronger as time went on, and she shrieked out her feelings to the skies, her body arching and rocking in time to her koibito's actions. Finally, she hit the plateau again, her massive release thundering through her, threatening to overwhelm her senses. As the tremendous climax roared in every fiber of her being, she felt Haruka shudder violently, as if she had reached her pinnacle as well.

As they both began to come down, Haruka left the super-heated area, and turned around to gaze down at her new koibito. Aster also looked up, her love shining in her golden eyes, and their eyes met squarely for the first time ever. All at once, it seemed as if they were drowning in each other. To Haruka, she fell into the depths of the sun, burning with her great love and desire, and she never wanted to come up. Here beneath her was literally the missing part of her soul, for that was what it felt like, as if she had been incomplete before that time. If that was what had happened to Michiru, then she completely understood everything now. As for Aster, it felt as if she were drowning in the wind, unable to catch her breath, yet she found that she really didn't want to do so. Her heart and soul felt so full now, for it seemed that a piece that had been missing was found at long last, though she hadn't known that it was gone in the first place.

With the blending of souls came other information, details of the other's life, private experiences, knowledge of things that most people would rather be kept secret, identities of family members, feelings about close relatives and friends. Yet, at the same time, they each knew that the other would never divulge what was learned in that single eternity/moment.

It was as if they had literally become one soul that just happened to live in two separate bodies. Without conscious volition, their lips met again in a feverish kiss, and the two of them shared the taste of Aster's passion fluid in that one act.

They basked in the warmth of one another, and their shared bond, until Haruka sat bolt upright.

�Hotaru!� she said, suddenly alarmed. �I left her alone at home!�

�She�s here, Wind Dancer,� Aster said, drawing Haruka back down next to her.

�I forgot all about her,� Haurka said, pulling Aster into her arms.

�What happened?� Aster asked. �Did you find out what happened to Michiru?�

�She left me a note,� Haruka said bleakly. �She said she�d found her soul mate, and she�d see me in a few days.�

"I thought that you were her soul's mate." the golden-haired woman said soothingly. "You two were always so close."

"I thought so too." Haruka nodded morosely, scrubbing her free hand across her face. "I thought that we were going to stay together forever. I once told her that I'd sell my soul to the devil just to stay with her, and I meant it. I still would, if it would change anything."

"I know." Aster sighed heavily. "There was a special chemistry between you two. When you were together, there was no room for a piece of paper between the two of you. It was a beautiful thing to watch."

"There was room there for you, Sun-Face." the sandy-haired woman said softly. "We were just waiting for you to drop the other shoe. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"You had something so wonderful." the golden eyed woman replied in a quiet voice. "How could I jeopardize something that incredible? I've seen too many relationships break-up when they tried to add a third. I loved you both far too much to even think about risking something like that!"

"We both loved you too, Aster." Haruka admitted, her voice sounding like the other always remembered. "There was always room for you. We wanted you to join us. It wouldn't have broken us apart. But, I guess that's a moot point now. I'm all alone now, and I find that I don't do alone very well anymore."

"Not any more." Aster smiled warmly, standing up and holding out her hand to the taller woman. "You can stay with me for as long as you like. I promise you that I'll never leave you. Not for anything."

***** *****

True to her word, Aster was up at dawn, after only a little over an hour of sleep. She slipped out of the bed, covering Haruka carefully with the covers. She penned a note for her koibito, and then carried her clothing to the bathroom, to shower and dress for the day.

She went out to her car, to find Akari and Vincent waiting next to the open footgate. Outside was Akari�s conservative car, much more appropriate for going to the farmer�s market, the slaughterhouse district, and the fish market than Aster�s Ferrari or Rolls Royce.

�You can drive, Aster,� Akari said, handing her younger sister her keys.

Aster led the way to the powder blue sedan and slid behind the wheel while her sister and brother-in-law got into the car, then she put it in gear and drove them off to shop.

~*~*~*~*~

Haruka woke some time after Aster left, and she was alarmed until she saw the note. She smiled a bit as she read it, and then she grabbed a robe and went to dress for the day.

After eating some breakfast, and turning down the offer of more from Makoto, Haruka went outside. She wandered the back yard for a while, and then decided to climb one of the trees, to more fully feel the breeze she could hear moving the treetops.

She found a platform in the tree she had chosen, and she settled down, with the breeze teasing her hair and the branches swaying around her. She realized that most of the larger trees had platforms in them, many of them visible from her perch. She settled back against a branch that seemed to almost be made for use as a backrest.

Something tickled her cheek. She reached up and touched a hair, drifting across her face. She traced it back to where it was caught in a rough spot of the bark. To her surprise, it was not red-gold and curly, or golden, or even black with purple highlights. It was such a pale color that it almost seemed incandescent, even in the shadows of the tree.

�Kunzite,� Haruka whispered. She curled the hair around her finger, and slipped it into her pocket. She knew a jeweler downtown that made custom rings. She could have the hair set under a piece of crystal, and made into a ring for Aster, or perhaps a locket.

She leaned back against the branch again, and closed her eyes, listening to the voice of the breeze that stroked her face. She could feel, in the back of her mind, that Aster was enjoying her shopping trip with Akari and Vincent. She let Aster�s excitement and the breeze relax her, and she drifted off to sleep.

She awoke abruptly to a threatening voice in the wind. She let out a cry of alarm as she overbalanced on her backrest and felt herself falling out of the tree, and she closed her eyes against the impact that was sure to hurt. She was surprised when her fall was arrested by a pair of strong arms.

She opened her eyes to see who her rescuer was, to meet a pair of emerald orbs that almost immediately widened in shock.

Haruka felt something click into place, just like it had with Aster. She was flooded with information that told her that the large Irishman had more in common with Hotaru than just Planet Power. With the information also came a completely unexpected, and unwelcome, feeling: desire.

�No!� she cried, struggling out of his arms.

He let her go without any resistance, too surprised at the turn of events to even think of objecting.

Haruka ran into the house, barely pausing to drop her shoes at the door, and all but threw herself onto the living room sofa. She was shuddering in both shock and the effort of tearing herself away from the Kishi she had just bonded to. She also had a blossoming headache. She reasoned that it was probably from both conscious and subconscious rejection of the new bond.

She had just stopped shaking when she heard the back door open and close and an unfamiliar, heavy tread come from the back of the house.

She looked up as Sean came into the room, and then got up to back away from him.

�Stay away from me,� she demanded.

�You�re knowin� I�m not that kind of man, lass,� he said seriously. �I came in to talk this through with ye. I�m knowin� that ye�ve got a bond with Sailor Sol already, and I�m not wantin� to come between the two of ye.�

�You can�t come between us,� Haruka said. �She needs me. Pluto left her, and took Michiru with him. What I don�t understand is why you bonded with me. I�ve never been interested in men.�

�Except for Endymion,� Sean reminded her.

�That�s different,� Haruka said, flushing in embarrassment. �Endymion is irresistible to everyone, even people who normally aren�t interested in men.�

�That�s true,� Sean admitted. �My point is, that we can sit down an� discuss this like adults. There�s nothin� that says we have to be fallin� in bed with one another.�

�That�s good,� Haruka said. �That�s not going to happen.�

�I know you�ve no interest in men,� Sean said, moving forward and sitting down on the couch. �Now come over here and sit down. We need to figure out why this happened. You and I never connected before, why now?�

�I think I might know,� Haruka said, moving to sit on the opposite end of the couch from Sean. �I think it�s Aster.�

�Aye,� he said, nodding speculatively. �I canna remember her bein� the way she is now. She was always the most confident of the Senshi, almost arrogant �n� aggressive.�

�Yeah,� Haruka said, smirking. �Everybody thought I seduced her. It was the other way around. I went into my room at the palace, and there she was, spread across my bed. I thought she was the most glorious sight I�d ever seen. I never told Michiru that. I never told her that I maybe loved Sol a little more than her.�

�Aye,� Sean said. �I think we all loved her a bit more than we shoulda. It didna stop me from lovin� your Sea Sprite more than a wee bit, though.�

�You weren�t the only one,� Haruka said. �I was always amazed that she stayed with me, and I often thought that if it wasn�t for our Soulbond, she would have left me for one of her Satellites, or mine, or yours, or even you.�

�I canna believe that she left you,� Sean said sadly. �I thought you two were the other halves of one another.�

�Sun-face said that, too,� Haruka said.

�She�s right, as usual,� Sean said. �She�s always right. So, why do you think we bonded because of Sol?�

�Her stepfather,� Haruka said. �He was very abusive, in ways I won�t describe. That�s for Aster to tell. She doesn�t feel that she�s worth anything. She doesn�t trust most men. Pluto told her that she wasn�t in Crystal Tokyo.�

�Now, why would he be doin� a daft thing like that?� Sean demanded.

�Not him,� Haruka said. �Sailor Pluto. She told Aster that the only Kishi in Crystal Tokyo was Endymion.�

�That�s not what Takagi said,� Sean said. �He says we�re all there, sleeping in some giant crystals. He said that if he touched one, he could talk to whoever was inside it. He said that all the Satellites and Planetary Kishi were there. He and Endymion were the only ones out of crystals. He said that the only Planetary Senshi still asleep were Terra, Sol, and Chiron.�

�I met Chiron,� Haruka said. �She�s something else. The two of them make their living as construction workers. Aster told me that they did all of the renovations on the houses.�

�Speakin� o� which,� Sean said. �What are we gonna do about her?�

�I don�t know,� Haruka said. �I�ve got to reassure her that nothing is going to change for her. She�s been abandoned enough.�

�I�ve got no intention �o comin� between ye,� Sean reiterated. �I know I was bonded to her before, but that was an emergency.�

�This is too,� Haruka said. �Takagi left her the night the Shitennou brought back her sister. She feels like he abandoned her because he was tired of her insecurities and her infidelity.�

�Infidelity?� Sean asked, amazed. �She loves him, but if he thinks that�s gonna give him exclusive rights, he�s got another think comin�. She was never one for keepin� herself to just one, not even Atlas.�

�No,� Haruka said, shaking her head. �You could never accuse her of being exclusive. I don�t expect her to be. I just don�t want her to think that I�m going to leave her because of a bond with you.�

�If you and I bonded because of her,� Sean said, raising his eyes to meet hers again. �Is it possible that there�s something lurking out there for her and me?�

�Before today,� Haruka said. �I would have said that it was completely impossible to have more than one bond at a time. I still feel the bond with her, though. I also feel the bond with you. I don�t understand this.�

�No more than I do, darlin�� Sean said. �One thing�s fer sure, none of ye are goin� to want for anythin�.�

Haruka smiled, and then chuckled.

�Money has never been a problem,� Haruka said. �My parents were always very well off. Aster�s family is very wealthy. Her mother left her a large fortune, and she�s increased it with investments and such.�

�Well,� Sean said. �Nobody�ll be after sayin� you�re a gold digger.�

�Not a chance,� Haruka said.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Tokyo fish market, Aster reeled when Haruka fell from the tree. She lost track of the bargaining between her sister and the fisherman who was selling them a whole shark. The eviscerated fish was laying on a bed of ice, with its jaws and fins arrayed separately around it. Nearby, there was a huge tub with newborn shark pups swimming around in it.

Aster groped for a place to sit, and ended up on a wooden crate. She could feel Haruka�s surprise, and then shock and dismay, and then she felt the new bond.

She didn�t know how long she sat there, fear freezing her in place. Haruka had a bond with Kishi Saturn. How long would Haruka stay with her?

She was pulled out of her ruminations by her sister�s voice.

�Aster,� Akari said. �What is wrong? Are you not feeling well?�

�I�m not feeling well at all,� Aster said. �I have this terrible feeling of impending disaster.�

�What is causing this feeling, Aster?� Akari asked.

�I don�t know,� Aster lied. She did not want her sister upset, when she was finally living a normal life again.

�Maybe we oughts to git back,� Vincent said. �We already got enough t� feed an army tonight. We�re gonna have to put a lot of it away, as it is. There was no reason for Akari to buy that whole shark, you know.�

�I got a good deal for it, Taiyono,� Akari said. �You will be thankful later.�

�I think we oughta get her home before she gets sick,� he said. �If we forgot anything, then we can go get it.�

�Very well, Taiyono,� Akari said. �We will take Aster home.�

The trip back to the House of the Sun seemed to take forever. Most of the meat that Akari and Vincent had purchased was being delivered, so only the vegetables and other items that they purchased were in the car.

Aster sat numbly while Akari drove back to the house. She could feel Haruka�s growing comfort with her new bond, and wondered if she would find her lover or an empty house when she returned.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived at Aster�s house, she sluggishly climbed out of the car and headed to the house without a word to her sister. She could hear Akari calling her, but all that mattered was seeing for herself that Haruka had found someone else.

She opened the door and kicked off her shoes, and then padded into the living room without bothering to don her slippers.

She stopped in shock when she saw Haruka and Sean, sitting on opposite ends of the couch.

�What�s going on, Speedy?� she asked.

�You know what�s going on, Sun-face,� Haruka said. �Something happened that hasn�t ever happened. I can still feel the bond with you, but I have a bond with him, now. I don�t understand it.�

�We�ve got a theory, though, lass,� Sean said, rising to his feet. �If you wouldna be mindin�, I�d like to be tryin� it out.�

�Fine,� she said. �What�s the theory?�

�You�re bein� the theory,� Sean said, approaching her. �Now, if you�re not mindin�, I�d like to be seein� if your eyes are as lovely as they were back then.�

�That�s easier said than done,� Aster said. �I had a very strict father, and he had very specific notions of behavior.�

�Then I�ll be givin� you some help,� Sean said. Before either Aster or Haruka could protest, he took her by the chin, raised her face, and lowered his lips to hers.

Aster�s eyes flew open as he kissed her. Golden orbs met emerald, and she knew a kind of silence that had nothing to do with audible sound.

She drifted in it for a long time, absorbing information about a country she had never visited, a musical instrument she had never seen, and a family she did not know. She saw a red-headed mother, a father leaving, a sister and the sister�s female lover. She knew them like she knew her own family. She felt what Sean felt for them.

She surrendered to the bond, realizing that she had with him that she never had with Takagi. Sean was a part of her, now, just like Haruka. He was part of Haruka, as well, so she knew there would never be a problem with that relationship.

She wrapped her arms around Sean�s neck and responded to his kiss, closing her eyes. She did not see him beckon to Haruka, but she was aware when Haruka came up behind her and slid strong arms around her waist.

�I�ll never leave you, Sun-face,� Haruka whispered in her ear as Sean released her from the kiss. �Neither of us will. We�re with you forever.�

Aster was so overwhelmed by Haruka�s declaration and the new bond, that she completely discounted the headache that started in the back of her brain.

TBC
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Diamohns are Forever