The Family Not Known
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Sailor Moon › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
6
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2,281
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14
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Currently Reading:
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Category:
Sailor Moon › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
6
Views:
2,281
Reviews:
14
Recommended:
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 One - And They Meet Billie Merlin
A/N: This fic takes begins a couple of weeks after Rei\'s 17th birthday.
Ages: Serena-16, Darien-21, Rei-17, Ami-16, Lita-16, Mina-17, Hotarou-11, Trisha-26ish, Amara-19, Michelle-19, Billie-25, Kolt-28.
9/29/04
@}~`~,~~
Serena Tsukino and four for her best friends, Ami Anderson, Rei Hino, Lita Kino, and Mina Aino had been invited to a private magic show at the Crown Arcade by Andrew, the son of the owner. Andrew was best friends with her boyfriend, Darien Shields. The show was to celebrate the upcoming opening of the opening of a family sit down restaurant that had been built in the rooms above the Arcade (the family owned the whole building and had been using the upstairs as storage until recently). The family had a magician new to the area doing it.
“What is the name of the magician, again?” Mina asked.
“Billie Merlin,” Ami answered.
“I wonder if he is cute,” Lita said sighing. The other four girls rolled their eyes to the sky and shook their heads.
“Why was it again that Darien didn’t come with us?” Rei asked Serena as they entered the arcade.
Looking around Serena answered, “He’s helping to set up for the magician. He’s working.”
“So where is he?”
“I’m not sure,” she answered, looking around again. “But there’s Andrew, he should know,” nodding her head in his direction at the counter.
The girls all looked and saw the young blonde man, and they couldn’t help but notice the slightly
older brown haired guy talking with him. “Who’s the hottie?” Mina and Lita asked.
I don’t know. I’m gonna go see if Andrew knows where Darien is.”
Rei, Ami, and Lita nodded and moved to the games to wait for her to come back, as Serena started towards the counter. They all stopped and looked questioningly at Mina when she followed Serena.
“Interested by Andrew’s friend are you?” Rei teased.
“Mina blushed. “What? No! I...just...need ...a drink of...water...that’s all.”
“Suuurrre,” Lita said grinning. They all turned and headed for their destinations laughing at the
still blushing Mina.
“Hey Andrew!” Serena and Mina called to him when they get close.
“Hey you two! Where are the other girls?”
“Amongst the games,” Serena answered.
Steeping up to the counter, Mina asked, “Andrew, can ve ave a glass of cold water, please.”
“Sure thing Mina! Coming right up!” He turned and got her the drink and them put it in front of
her. She drank it slowly, wanting to catch any information that she could about the magician that
was performing today.
Serena asked Andrew if he knew where Darien was.
“I think that he’s still setting up for the magician, upstairs.” He turned to the other man, “Kolt, is
Darien still upstairs?” The man nodded yes.
“Oh, by the way, these two are friends of mine.” Pointing to each in turn, he introduced them,
“Serena Tsukino, Darien’s girlfriend, and her friend Mina Aino. I’ve told you about them.” The
other man nodded hello. “Girls, this is Kolton Walker, Billie Merlin’s boyfriend.” Mina just about choked on her water.
“They had just be friends,” the man named Kolt teased. “I’d hate to have to beat you up for
hurting Rita.” The two teenagers looked at him confused. “Rita’s my cousin.”
“Oh,” they said.
Serena extended her hand to Kolt, “It’s nice to meet you Mr. Walker.”
He grasped her hand in a handshake. “Please call me ‘Kolt’, I don’t respond too well to ‘Mr. Walker’ unless I’m working. I feel like you are talking to my father,” he said with a smile.
“Kolt then,” she agreed, smiling back. Releasing his hand, she turned to Andrew, “Can I go find
Darien? Or would I be in the way?”
“I don’t know Serena.” Andrew looked at Kolt, “Would that be a problem, Kolt? Would she be
interrupting?”
“Tell you what, I’ll take you upstairs to where he is, alright? That way Billie won’t be interrupted
during meditation by you looking for Darien.”
“Alright.” Serena looked at Mina, “You coming too?”
“No thanks, I think I’ll find the other girls,” she said, politely declining.
“I can help you with that,” Andrew offered. “When we’ve found them, I’ll show you to the table
where you’ll sit. Kolt can show Serena and Darien,” turning to Kolt again, “right?”
“Sure thing.”
They all nodded in agreement and walked away, Andrew leading Mina, and Serena following Kolt.
@}~`~,~~~
It didn’t take Mina and Andrew long to find the other girls. They were gathered around the game that Rei and Lita loved to play together. Ami watched and offered advise when the other girls seemed to be having difficulty. Mina quietly walked up behind her friends and said, “How did I guess that I would find you all here?”
The girls jumped at the sound of her voice. They all turned around, and Lita said, “Thanks, Mina,
that was our last life and we were almost at the end of the level!”
“Sorry,” the blonde answered, trying to suppress her giggles. “Andrew said that he’d take us to the table we’ll be sitting at.”
Looking around, Rei asked, “Where’s Serena?”
“She went upstairs with Kolt to find Darien,” Andrew answered.
“Kolt?” Lita, Rei and Ami asked in unison.
“Kolton Walker. He’s a cousin of Rita’s.” Andrew responded
“The guy talking with Andrew when we came in,” Mina added.
“Oh!” said the three said.
Don’t get your hopes up girls! Mina thought. He’s taken...by Billie Merlin. She then wondered what the other girls will think when they find out that little bit of information.
The five friends walked to the second floor and Andrew took them over to a table (it was really two tables pulled together) set up for eight people.
“Eight?” Mina asked, a bit confused.
“Yeah,” Andrew said, “you four girls, Serena, Darien, Kolt, and myself. That’s eight people.” He helped all the girls get seated then said, “I’ve got to go make sure everything is alright downstairs and that the extra help is here. Is there anything you need before I go?” The four girls shook their heads. “Alright. See you shortly. The show starts in about an hour, and you are just the first to arrive.” He turned and walked away from the table.
When he was out of earshot, Mina leaned forward and said, quietly to the other girls, “That guy, Kolt. Andrew didn’t tell you everything!”
“Really? What do you mean?” Rei asked.
“He’s taken...” she watched as their faces fell a bit at the knowledge. Now to drop the real bombshell! she thought. Then she said to her friends, “He is the boyfriend of none other than Billie Merlin!”
The other girls gasped. They all knew of that kind of lifestyle. In fact a couple of fellow scouts were in that kind of relationship with each other. Sailor Uranus, Amara Tenoh, and Sailor Neptune, Michelle Kaioh. They just didn’t know any guys like that.
@}~`~,~~~
***Flashback***
Kolt heard a couple of people coming up the backstairs to the arcade. He shut the door to the
staff room where Billie was meditating in, preparing herself for the act. The lack of sleep that she
got the night before required that she meditated longer to be ready. He stepped away from the
closed door and watched the top of the stairs.
He first saw his cousin’s boyfriend, Andrew. “Shhh!” he said. “Billie’s meditating.”
“Sorry,” Andrew said quietly. Then he turned to the man behind him. “Have to keep it down Darien, Billie’s in meditation.”
“No problem,” Kolt heard the other man say. When he saw the other man’s face crest the top of
the stairs, he was surprised. Billie, are you pulling one of your illusions on me? When he was introduced to the man that thought went out the window.
“Kolt, this is Darien Shields, my best friend. Darien, this is Rita’s cousin Kolton Walker. You’ll be helping him with the equipment for Billie’s magic show.” They shook hands and Kolt could feel the warmth that only a real being could project. A being not touched by Billie’s magic. He had quickly grown accustomed to the feel of her illusions from when she practised her illusions on him.
Well, he’s real, but I can’t believe how much he looks like Billie. I’ve heard that everybody has a double out there somewhere, but I thought that went for gender too. Wait a minute, he looks to be a few years younger than Billie, he can’t be a double.
The two guys worked together in a comfortable near silence, talking just enough the set-up that Billie used. When they had all the equipment placed, Kolt excused himself. With just the wires to
connect, they would be in each other’s way. Darien seemed much more adept at it than he did, and he had hooked them up a number of times. Darien went out to the floor to run the speakers’ wires, and Kolt went downstairs and talked to Andrew until they noticed two blondes approach the counter. One had her hair tied back in a bow and the other had her hair in pigtails with what looked like pom-poms at the tops of them.
***End Flashback***
Kolt led Serena up the back stairs to where the preparations for the magic show taking place. They walked down the hallway that led past, on one side, what in a few days would be a busy kitchen, and on the other, storerooms, walk-in coolers, and walk-in freezers. At the end of the hallway was where the wait-staff would leave the orders and get the food, then go thought the double doors to where the customers sat waiting to eat. Now, though, there was sound equipment on the counter, a stereo, a couple of CD players and a tape deck that were setup. She heard somebody moving about around the corner and smiled when she heard that same somebody bump something and utter a quiet curse.
“Sound equipment?” Serena asked, a bit puzzled.
“Yeah, Billie’s a true illusionist, doesn’t use the props that other’s use. No projectors, no cameras, just music for timing and to get a flow going.
“True illusionist? No props?” Serena asked. She was beginning to wonder how good the show was going to be.
“You bet! No smoke and mirrors here!” Kolt said proudly.
“How does that work then?”
“Just wait and see. I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”
Darien had heard the as they rounded the corner and looked up momentarily at Serena and smiled.
He went back to work and finished connecting the remaining wires in just a few moments, then
made his way towards them.
Kolt watched on as Serena moved forward to meet Darien as he neared. As they hugged, Darien lifted Serena off of her feet, because of the difference in their heights. Setting her back down, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Ah, Kolt thought, you can tell by looking at them, they were made for each other.
Serena pulled Darien closer to Kolt and said, “You’ve met Billie’s boyfriend, Kolt, right?”
“Boyfriend?” Darien asked, “I thought that you were the manager.”
“Nope. Billie handles everything, I just help out on the weekends,” Kolt answered. Then he saw the puzzled look that Darien had, one that matched his girlfriend’s. The realization that they both thought Billie was a guy, struck him as funny and he started to chuckle.
The couple in front of him looked at him questioningly. The looks on their faces just made him laugh harder. He couldn’t stop for a few moments, though he tried to keep the noise down out of
respect for the woman meditating down the hallway. Serena and Darien started to worry.
Once Kolt got himself under control, he explained what was so funny. “Billie’s not my boyfriend.” The pair in front of him really looked lost now. “Billie’s my girlfriend! It happens all the time. Sorry to confuse you, but Billie in this case is female, note. e. B-i-l-l-i-e. I guess that I should have said something sooner.” He had realised that the whole time talking to either of them, he had not given any gender reference to Billie whatsoever. I really should stop doing that. One of these days I’m going to get the shit kicked out of me by somebody who is violent and doesn’t approve of homosexual relationships, he thought to himself.
“Like Rei,” Darien said laughing quietly, feeling foolish. Serena nodded and giggled too.
“Rei?” Kolt questioned. “She’s the one who lives at the temple on Cherry Hill, right?” The younger man looked at him suspiciously. “Andrew told me about you and your friends. He mentioned that, I believe.” The two looked to Serena for confirmation.
Serena remembered a comment along those lines and nodded.
“Oh no!” Serena gasped as a thought struck her when she thought of the others. Then she started
to giggle.
“What is it?” Darien asked, a bit alarmed and concerned, as he and Kolt looked at her. Laughing out of the blue is catching today, Darien thought.
“The other girls...they must...by now...think...” she said, not quite able to finish the thought through the giggles quietly erupting from her.
“They must think what?” Kolt asked, puzzled.
Darien understood what she meant before she said it, “That you two are a gay couple.” Neither guy could help but chuckle a bit too.
Well then, they are in for a shock, aren’t they?” asked a female’s laughing voice from the corner,
behind them. Surprised, they all turned and looked at the woman with shoulder-length black hair,
wearing a deep purple, strapless gown.
“Billie! You’re ready! We didn’t interrupt you did we?” Kolt asked.
Darien looked into the woman’s face and when their eyes met, they both felt as though they could
have been looking into a mirror.
Serena was surprised at the similarities between the woman and Darien. They look like they could be family. Come on Serena! You know that’s not possible! Surely something like that would not have gone unnoticed by the doctors at the hospital Darien was in, as a child, after the accident that took his parents, she couldn’t help but think. Then another thought occurred to her. What if she wasn’t in the car? Then where was she? Serena shook her head. It can’t be possible. Or else that picture Darien has of him with his parents, would have had another child in it as well, wouldn’t of it?
Kolt moved to Billie’s side and carefully wrapped his arms around her, so as to not wrinkle her dress and hugged her.
“You guys didn’t disturb me. I didn’t even hear you until I was getting dressed,” Billie said, then turned her face from Darien’s and looked into her boyfriend’s eyes, “What kind of greeting was that?” She put her arms on his shoulders and laced he fingers behind his neck. She then pulled his face down to hers and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.
Serena and Darien looked at each other and smiled. Even though they barely knew the two in front of them, they could see that the couple was very much in love with each other.
“Now, my dear,” Billie whispered to Kolt, “who are your friends?” She then looked to Serena and Darien. Winking at Serena, she added, out loud, “I’m not goin hav have to start worrying about you trying to find yourself an new younger woman, am I?” Then she pouted. “Tired of me already?”
Kolt looked at her and started to sputter, trying to find something to say, then he realised that she
was teasing him. He started to chuckle, Darien joined him, and the two girls giggled.
These are fiends of Andrew’s. Darien Shields is his best friend and Serena Tsukino is Darien’s
girlfriend.”
Darien, Serena, this is Billie Merlin, star of tonight’s show....and the love of my life!” He grinned as he saw the blush creep over her face.
Looking at his watch, Kolt noticed that there was about half an hour left until show time and commented as to such. He watched as Darien did a last minute check to make sure that all the equipment was plugged in and connected properly.
“Billie, did I get these right for you?”
She walked over and saw that everything was as it should be. “Perfect!” she said.
“Good! Then maybe I should get these two out to the table with their friends.” Kolt said as he walked up behind Billie and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He gave her a quick squeeze
and then kissed the crook of her neck. “Break a leg, love!”
“You’re not coming right back?”
“Sorry, but I’m gonna take these two to the table, and if Andrew’s not there, I’m gonna go find him and drag him from where ever he would be and then join him and his friends at the table.”
“See you after.” Turning to Darien and Serena, she added, “You two come back too, and bring
Andrew and your friends too.”
“We will,” Serena answered. “I can’t wait until they see you on stage!” The younger girl giggled
and the older one grinned.
“See you after,” Darien said smiling, he couldn’t wait to see his friends’ faces either.
Billie watched as Kolt led the couple out the doors to where the audience was waiting for the show, her show, to begin. She took a calming breath, but just couldn’t shake the feeling that she had met those two before, long ago. Come on Billie! Bury the feelings! You need to be centered and focussed! You won’t be if you keep thinking about this now. She then promised herself that she would try to figure this out later. After the show, after she was home again. Looking at the clock on the wall, she saw there was five minutes to show time. She went to the sound equipment and got ready to begin the show. She pushed play on the tape deck, starting the blank tape, the silent countdown. Once the tape reached the end, the first CD player would begin playing, and between that machine and the next, there was more than enough music for the show. Then she stepped to the double doors and waited for the lights to turn off to begin.
@}~`~,~~~
Kolt led Darien and Serena out to the crowded floor and took them to the table that Andrew had showed him earlier. As they made their way closer, he saw that Andrew was already sitting there with the other girls.
Kolt was a bit surprised that the girls stood up when they got closer. They moved around the table in such a way that put Serena sitting at the end farther away from the stage. Almost like royalty, he thought to himself.
@}~`~,~~~
As Serena sat down, she couldn’t figure out why the other girls had gotten up and let her sit at the
“head” of the table, they had never done anything like that before. To Serena’s right sat Darien,
then Rei and Ami followed by Andrew. To her left was Lita, and Mina, then Kolt.
Once everybody got themselves situated, Serena introduced her friends to Kolt, Pointing to each one in turn, “Kolt these are my friends, Rei Hino, Ami Anderson, and Lita Kino. You already met Mina. Girls, this is Kolton Walker.” Kolt reached across the table to shake hands with Rei and Ami, then arounna tna to shake hands with Lita.
Serena saw Darien lean towards Rei, Ami and Andrew and knew that he was telling them about being invited backstage after the show. She then leaned in close to Lita and gestured to Mina to
lean in too. “The five of us girls, Darien and Andrew have been invited to go backstage after the
show.”
“Invited? Backstage? By who?” Mina asked.
“Billie Merlin,” Serena answered.
“You two met Billie Merlin?” Lita asked. Serena just nodded.
What’s he like?” Mina asked.
Kolt had heard the question and looked to Serena to see what she would say. She looked at him
and as the lights went down, and gave him a quick wink. All she said was, “You’ll see.” He smiled, but in the near darkness nobody could see it.
@}~`~,~~~
The whole crowd looked to the stage when the music started. Everybody in the room, but Kolt, jumped when a big explosion sounded and a puff of smoke appeared in the front of the room. As the smoke started to clear and Mina lifted the cup in front of her to take a drink, a voice that sounded like Kolt’s said, “Good day Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope that you enjoy the show!” When the smoke cleared, a figure of a woman in a long dark strapless gown was standing in the spotlight. She raised her hand and suddenly there was a microphone in it. “I am Billie Merlin, and the magic has just begun!”
For the second time that day, Mina choked on her drink.
Ages: Serena-16, Darien-21, Rei-17, Ami-16, Lita-16, Mina-17, Hotarou-11, Trisha-26ish, Amara-19, Michelle-19, Billie-25, Kolt-28.
9/29/04
Serena Tsukino and four for her best friends, Ami Anderson, Rei Hino, Lita Kino, and Mina Aino had been invited to a private magic show at the Crown Arcade by Andrew, the son of the owner. Andrew was best friends with her boyfriend, Darien Shields. The show was to celebrate the upcoming opening of the opening of a family sit down restaurant that had been built in the rooms above the Arcade (the family owned the whole building and had been using the upstairs as storage until recently). The family had a magician new to the area doing it.
“What is the name of the magician, again?” Mina asked.
“Billie Merlin,” Ami answered.
“I wonder if he is cute,” Lita said sighing. The other four girls rolled their eyes to the sky and shook their heads.
“Why was it again that Darien didn’t come with us?” Rei asked Serena as they entered the arcade.
Looking around Serena answered, “He’s helping to set up for the magician. He’s working.”
“So where is he?”
“I’m not sure,” she answered, looking around again. “But there’s Andrew, he should know,” nodding her head in his direction at the counter.
The girls all looked and saw the young blonde man, and they couldn’t help but notice the slightly
older brown haired guy talking with him. “Who’s the hottie?” Mina and Lita asked.
I don’t know. I’m gonna go see if Andrew knows where Darien is.”
Rei, Ami, and Lita nodded and moved to the games to wait for her to come back, as Serena started towards the counter. They all stopped and looked questioningly at Mina when she followed Serena.
“Interested by Andrew’s friend are you?” Rei teased.
“Mina blushed. “What? No! I...just...need ...a drink of...water...that’s all.”
“Suuurrre,” Lita said grinning. They all turned and headed for their destinations laughing at the
still blushing Mina.
“Hey Andrew!” Serena and Mina called to him when they get close.
“Hey you two! Where are the other girls?”
“Amongst the games,” Serena answered.
Steeping up to the counter, Mina asked, “Andrew, can ve ave a glass of cold water, please.”
“Sure thing Mina! Coming right up!” He turned and got her the drink and them put it in front of
her. She drank it slowly, wanting to catch any information that she could about the magician that
was performing today.
Serena asked Andrew if he knew where Darien was.
“I think that he’s still setting up for the magician, upstairs.” He turned to the other man, “Kolt, is
Darien still upstairs?” The man nodded yes.
“Oh, by the way, these two are friends of mine.” Pointing to each in turn, he introduced them,
“Serena Tsukino, Darien’s girlfriend, and her friend Mina Aino. I’ve told you about them.” The
other man nodded hello. “Girls, this is Kolton Walker, Billie Merlin’s boyfriend.” Mina just about choked on her water.
“They had just be friends,” the man named Kolt teased. “I’d hate to have to beat you up for
hurting Rita.” The two teenagers looked at him confused. “Rita’s my cousin.”
“Oh,” they said.
Serena extended her hand to Kolt, “It’s nice to meet you Mr. Walker.”
He grasped her hand in a handshake. “Please call me ‘Kolt’, I don’t respond too well to ‘Mr. Walker’ unless I’m working. I feel like you are talking to my father,” he said with a smile.
“Kolt then,” she agreed, smiling back. Releasing his hand, she turned to Andrew, “Can I go find
Darien? Or would I be in the way?”
“I don’t know Serena.” Andrew looked at Kolt, “Would that be a problem, Kolt? Would she be
interrupting?”
“Tell you what, I’ll take you upstairs to where he is, alright? That way Billie won’t be interrupted
during meditation by you looking for Darien.”
“Alright.” Serena looked at Mina, “You coming too?”
“No thanks, I think I’ll find the other girls,” she said, politely declining.
“I can help you with that,” Andrew offered. “When we’ve found them, I’ll show you to the table
where you’ll sit. Kolt can show Serena and Darien,” turning to Kolt again, “right?”
“Sure thing.”
They all nodded in agreement and walked away, Andrew leading Mina, and Serena following Kolt.
It didn’t take Mina and Andrew long to find the other girls. They were gathered around the game that Rei and Lita loved to play together. Ami watched and offered advise when the other girls seemed to be having difficulty. Mina quietly walked up behind her friends and said, “How did I guess that I would find you all here?”
The girls jumped at the sound of her voice. They all turned around, and Lita said, “Thanks, Mina,
that was our last life and we were almost at the end of the level!”
“Sorry,” the blonde answered, trying to suppress her giggles. “Andrew said that he’d take us to the table we’ll be sitting at.”
Looking around, Rei asked, “Where’s Serena?”
“She went upstairs with Kolt to find Darien,” Andrew answered.
“Kolt?” Lita, Rei and Ami asked in unison.
“Kolton Walker. He’s a cousin of Rita’s.” Andrew responded
“The guy talking with Andrew when we came in,” Mina added.
“Oh!” said the three said.
Don’t get your hopes up girls! Mina thought. He’s taken...by Billie Merlin. She then wondered what the other girls will think when they find out that little bit of information.
The five friends walked to the second floor and Andrew took them over to a table (it was really two tables pulled together) set up for eight people.
“Eight?” Mina asked, a bit confused.
“Yeah,” Andrew said, “you four girls, Serena, Darien, Kolt, and myself. That’s eight people.” He helped all the girls get seated then said, “I’ve got to go make sure everything is alright downstairs and that the extra help is here. Is there anything you need before I go?” The four girls shook their heads. “Alright. See you shortly. The show starts in about an hour, and you are just the first to arrive.” He turned and walked away from the table.
When he was out of earshot, Mina leaned forward and said, quietly to the other girls, “That guy, Kolt. Andrew didn’t tell you everything!”
“Really? What do you mean?” Rei asked.
“He’s taken...” she watched as their faces fell a bit at the knowledge. Now to drop the real bombshell! she thought. Then she said to her friends, “He is the boyfriend of none other than Billie Merlin!”
The other girls gasped. They all knew of that kind of lifestyle. In fact a couple of fellow scouts were in that kind of relationship with each other. Sailor Uranus, Amara Tenoh, and Sailor Neptune, Michelle Kaioh. They just didn’t know any guys like that.
***Flashback***
Kolt heard a couple of people coming up the backstairs to the arcade. He shut the door to the
staff room where Billie was meditating in, preparing herself for the act. The lack of sleep that she
got the night before required that she meditated longer to be ready. He stepped away from the
closed door and watched the top of the stairs.
He first saw his cousin’s boyfriend, Andrew. “Shhh!” he said. “Billie’s meditating.”
“Sorry,” Andrew said quietly. Then he turned to the man behind him. “Have to keep it down Darien, Billie’s in meditation.”
“No problem,” Kolt heard the other man say. When he saw the other man’s face crest the top of
the stairs, he was surprised. Billie, are you pulling one of your illusions on me? When he was introduced to the man that thought went out the window.
“Kolt, this is Darien Shields, my best friend. Darien, this is Rita’s cousin Kolton Walker. You’ll be helping him with the equipment for Billie’s magic show.” They shook hands and Kolt could feel the warmth that only a real being could project. A being not touched by Billie’s magic. He had quickly grown accustomed to the feel of her illusions from when she practised her illusions on him.
Well, he’s real, but I can’t believe how much he looks like Billie. I’ve heard that everybody has a double out there somewhere, but I thought that went for gender too. Wait a minute, he looks to be a few years younger than Billie, he can’t be a double.
The two guys worked together in a comfortable near silence, talking just enough the set-up that Billie used. When they had all the equipment placed, Kolt excused himself. With just the wires to
connect, they would be in each other’s way. Darien seemed much more adept at it than he did, and he had hooked them up a number of times. Darien went out to the floor to run the speakers’ wires, and Kolt went downstairs and talked to Andrew until they noticed two blondes approach the counter. One had her hair tied back in a bow and the other had her hair in pigtails with what looked like pom-poms at the tops of them.
***End Flashback***
Kolt led Serena up the back stairs to where the preparations for the magic show taking place. They walked down the hallway that led past, on one side, what in a few days would be a busy kitchen, and on the other, storerooms, walk-in coolers, and walk-in freezers. At the end of the hallway was where the wait-staff would leave the orders and get the food, then go thought the double doors to where the customers sat waiting to eat. Now, though, there was sound equipment on the counter, a stereo, a couple of CD players and a tape deck that were setup. She heard somebody moving about around the corner and smiled when she heard that same somebody bump something and utter a quiet curse.
“Sound equipment?” Serena asked, a bit puzzled.
“Yeah, Billie’s a true illusionist, doesn’t use the props that other’s use. No projectors, no cameras, just music for timing and to get a flow going.
“True illusionist? No props?” Serena asked. She was beginning to wonder how good the show was going to be.
“You bet! No smoke and mirrors here!” Kolt said proudly.
“How does that work then?”
“Just wait and see. I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”
Darien had heard the as they rounded the corner and looked up momentarily at Serena and smiled.
He went back to work and finished connecting the remaining wires in just a few moments, then
made his way towards them.
Kolt watched on as Serena moved forward to meet Darien as he neared. As they hugged, Darien lifted Serena off of her feet, because of the difference in their heights. Setting her back down, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Ah, Kolt thought, you can tell by looking at them, they were made for each other.
Serena pulled Darien closer to Kolt and said, “You’ve met Billie’s boyfriend, Kolt, right?”
“Boyfriend?” Darien asked, “I thought that you were the manager.”
“Nope. Billie handles everything, I just help out on the weekends,” Kolt answered. Then he saw the puzzled look that Darien had, one that matched his girlfriend’s. The realization that they both thought Billie was a guy, struck him as funny and he started to chuckle.
The couple in front of him looked at him questioningly. The looks on their faces just made him laugh harder. He couldn’t stop for a few moments, though he tried to keep the noise down out of
respect for the woman meditating down the hallway. Serena and Darien started to worry.
Once Kolt got himself under control, he explained what was so funny. “Billie’s not my boyfriend.” The pair in front of him really looked lost now. “Billie’s my girlfriend! It happens all the time. Sorry to confuse you, but Billie in this case is female, note. e. B-i-l-l-i-e. I guess that I should have said something sooner.” He had realised that the whole time talking to either of them, he had not given any gender reference to Billie whatsoever. I really should stop doing that. One of these days I’m going to get the shit kicked out of me by somebody who is violent and doesn’t approve of homosexual relationships, he thought to himself.
“Like Rei,” Darien said laughing quietly, feeling foolish. Serena nodded and giggled too.
“Rei?” Kolt questioned. “She’s the one who lives at the temple on Cherry Hill, right?” The younger man looked at him suspiciously. “Andrew told me about you and your friends. He mentioned that, I believe.” The two looked to Serena for confirmation.
Serena remembered a comment along those lines and nodded.
“Oh no!” Serena gasped as a thought struck her when she thought of the others. Then she started
to giggle.
“What is it?” Darien asked, a bit alarmed and concerned, as he and Kolt looked at her. Laughing out of the blue is catching today, Darien thought.
“The other girls...they must...by now...think...” she said, not quite able to finish the thought through the giggles quietly erupting from her.
“They must think what?” Kolt asked, puzzled.
Darien understood what she meant before she said it, “That you two are a gay couple.” Neither guy could help but chuckle a bit too.
Well then, they are in for a shock, aren’t they?” asked a female’s laughing voice from the corner,
behind them. Surprised, they all turned and looked at the woman with shoulder-length black hair,
wearing a deep purple, strapless gown.
“Billie! You’re ready! We didn’t interrupt you did we?” Kolt asked.
Darien looked into the woman’s face and when their eyes met, they both felt as though they could
have been looking into a mirror.
Serena was surprised at the similarities between the woman and Darien. They look like they could be family. Come on Serena! You know that’s not possible! Surely something like that would not have gone unnoticed by the doctors at the hospital Darien was in, as a child, after the accident that took his parents, she couldn’t help but think. Then another thought occurred to her. What if she wasn’t in the car? Then where was she? Serena shook her head. It can’t be possible. Or else that picture Darien has of him with his parents, would have had another child in it as well, wouldn’t of it?
Kolt moved to Billie’s side and carefully wrapped his arms around her, so as to not wrinkle her dress and hugged her.
“You guys didn’t disturb me. I didn’t even hear you until I was getting dressed,” Billie said, then turned her face from Darien’s and looked into her boyfriend’s eyes, “What kind of greeting was that?” She put her arms on his shoulders and laced he fingers behind his neck. She then pulled his face down to hers and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.
Serena and Darien looked at each other and smiled. Even though they barely knew the two in front of them, they could see that the couple was very much in love with each other.
“Now, my dear,” Billie whispered to Kolt, “who are your friends?” She then looked to Serena and Darien. Winking at Serena, she added, out loud, “I’m not goin hav have to start worrying about you trying to find yourself an new younger woman, am I?” Then she pouted. “Tired of me already?”
Kolt looked at her and started to sputter, trying to find something to say, then he realised that she
was teasing him. He started to chuckle, Darien joined him, and the two girls giggled.
These are fiends of Andrew’s. Darien Shields is his best friend and Serena Tsukino is Darien’s
girlfriend.”
Darien, Serena, this is Billie Merlin, star of tonight’s show....and the love of my life!” He grinned as he saw the blush creep over her face.
Looking at his watch, Kolt noticed that there was about half an hour left until show time and commented as to such. He watched as Darien did a last minute check to make sure that all the equipment was plugged in and connected properly.
“Billie, did I get these right for you?”
She walked over and saw that everything was as it should be. “Perfect!” she said.
“Good! Then maybe I should get these two out to the table with their friends.” Kolt said as he walked up behind Billie and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He gave her a quick squeeze
and then kissed the crook of her neck. “Break a leg, love!”
“You’re not coming right back?”
“Sorry, but I’m gonna take these two to the table, and if Andrew’s not there, I’m gonna go find him and drag him from where ever he would be and then join him and his friends at the table.”
“See you after.” Turning to Darien and Serena, she added, “You two come back too, and bring
Andrew and your friends too.”
“We will,” Serena answered. “I can’t wait until they see you on stage!” The younger girl giggled
and the older one grinned.
“See you after,” Darien said smiling, he couldn’t wait to see his friends’ faces either.
Billie watched as Kolt led the couple out the doors to where the audience was waiting for the show, her show, to begin. She took a calming breath, but just couldn’t shake the feeling that she had met those two before, long ago. Come on Billie! Bury the feelings! You need to be centered and focussed! You won’t be if you keep thinking about this now. She then promised herself that she would try to figure this out later. After the show, after she was home again. Looking at the clock on the wall, she saw there was five minutes to show time. She went to the sound equipment and got ready to begin the show. She pushed play on the tape deck, starting the blank tape, the silent countdown. Once the tape reached the end, the first CD player would begin playing, and between that machine and the next, there was more than enough music for the show. Then she stepped to the double doors and waited for the lights to turn off to begin.
Kolt led Darien and Serena out to the crowded floor and took them to the table that Andrew had showed him earlier. As they made their way closer, he saw that Andrew was already sitting there with the other girls.
Kolt was a bit surprised that the girls stood up when they got closer. They moved around the table in such a way that put Serena sitting at the end farther away from the stage. Almost like royalty, he thought to himself.
As Serena sat down, she couldn’t figure out why the other girls had gotten up and let her sit at the
“head” of the table, they had never done anything like that before. To Serena’s right sat Darien,
then Rei and Ami followed by Andrew. To her left was Lita, and Mina, then Kolt.
Once everybody got themselves situated, Serena introduced her friends to Kolt, Pointing to each one in turn, “Kolt these are my friends, Rei Hino, Ami Anderson, and Lita Kino. You already met Mina. Girls, this is Kolton Walker.” Kolt reached across the table to shake hands with Rei and Ami, then arounna tna to shake hands with Lita.
Serena saw Darien lean towards Rei, Ami and Andrew and knew that he was telling them about being invited backstage after the show. She then leaned in close to Lita and gestured to Mina to
lean in too. “The five of us girls, Darien and Andrew have been invited to go backstage after the
show.”
“Invited? Backstage? By who?” Mina asked.
“Billie Merlin,” Serena answered.
“You two met Billie Merlin?” Lita asked. Serena just nodded.
What’s he like?” Mina asked.
Kolt had heard the question and looked to Serena to see what she would say. She looked at him
and as the lights went down, and gave him a quick wink. All she said was, “You’ll see.” He smiled, but in the near darkness nobody could see it.
The whole crowd looked to the stage when the music started. Everybody in the room, but Kolt, jumped when a big explosion sounded and a puff of smoke appeared in the front of the room. As the smoke started to clear and Mina lifted the cup in front of her to take a drink, a voice that sounded like Kolt’s said, “Good day Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope that you enjoy the show!” When the smoke cleared, a figure of a woman in a long dark strapless gown was standing in the spotlight. She raised her hand and suddenly there was a microphone in it. “I am Billie Merlin, and the magic has just begun!”
For the second time that day, Mina choked on her drink.