TITLE: Finders Keepers.... AUTHOR: Aliyah E-MAIL: aliyah@connect.ab.ca RATING: PG-13 Part I Chapter V Serenity left the room and was heading towards the exit of the school when she felt herself being tugged roughly into the junior high school corridor equivalent of a cul-de-sac. "Oh my God, what the hell are you doing here, Jupiter?!" Serenity whispered furiously. "How did you get here?" "What are you doing, Serenity! You're allowing Raye to change the course of history - not to mention to take your man!" The taller woman towered over Serenity, even in super model form. "You should talk about disrupting history! You are going to kill the future! How did you get here!?" "Well, you didn't really order us to stay there-" "I didn't have to. It's understood, besides Venus's in charge when Endymion and I are absent." "About Venus-" "What were you guys thinking? How did you get the key?" "Well, Neptune kind of-" "Sailor Neptune is involved in this nonsense too!? Okay, Jupiter, let's have it out, how many of you are here?" "Well, all of us, actually." Sailor Jupiter answered rather sullenly. "Even Ami?" Jupiter nodded her affirmative cautiously. Serenity began to feel faint, "who is in charge of my kingdom?" Jupiter's response was unintelligible. "Huh? Repeat that." "Luna." "A cat! You left a cat in charge of the universe!?!" Jupiter winced, Serenity had long since given up her whispers, "well it's not as if she's a normal cat." "Oh, great! So an abnormal cat is ruling the universe. I can just see it; a royal decree that tuna shall be given no taxes and people should give every cat an individual house made of gold and be fed eighty times a day and-" "Serenity, this is really besides the point. We need to get a move on." "Out of the question; you and the rest have to go back." "We can't." "What?" "We can't - I don't know why - I'll leave that to Ami, but we have to come back with yourself and the king." "All right, we'll go but we'll talk about this later." Serenity shot her a reproving glance before she turned/ "Um... this may be a bad time to mention it but-" "Damn right it's a bad time! I'm thoroughly disappointed in you, Lita. How could you think that-" "Serenity, my outfit? Raye'll recognize me." "Oh yes," Serenity replied sheepishly. "There's that." * * * "What the hell have they done?!" Endymion entered their 'home base,' an cushy penhouse Serenity and he had rented upon their arrival. "Didn't they hear what Pluto said about - damn, I don't have much time, Darien will be expecting me soon." Endymion was usually very (to the point of idiocy) calm but when it came to his family he was very protective. "You'd better go, then. I'll speak with them and let you know what happens." "No, wait, what happened with you and Serena?" "Well, apparently Raye got her a dozen pizzas so that she wouldn't bump into Darien with that test, it never happened-" "I saw. That sneaky, no good-" Lita growled, unconsciously flexing her muscles. "Relax Lita, remember what I told you about your blood pressure. I have news as well," Ami announced calmly. "Okay, but mine first," Endymion interrupted. "Darien and I went to the café­¢ "Little Tokyo Café¿¢ Saturn asked. Mina's eyes lit up, "I haven't been there in ages - let's go sometime." "Sure, I miss that place," Lita agreed. "Enough!" Serenity quickly lost her calm, "I knew you guys would do this. Don't you understand the gravity of the situation and what you-" "Shh," Endymion pulled Serenity into his arms. "Shh, they understand, love. Now if you'll allow me to finish? Good. So, who should bump into us but-" "Raye," Neptune continued darkly. "Bitch," Uranus corrected. "Yes. She didn't really pay any attention to me but she focused it on him - actually he seemed kind of distracted. Anyway, she and he have a date tomorrow at the lake." "That cow! How could she-" This time it was Mina who was interrupted by Mina, "so, while I was gone, I went to the temple and guess who bought it?" "I think we can do without these long and difficult guessing games," Serenity clucked. "So, I tapped her phone line and also went into the database of TokyoTel -you know the security here is very sloppy, why, a child from Crystal Tokyo could hack in -anyway, she has been in constant communication with the Raye from now - she's even sent her faxes and though the temple is in her grandfather's name, I'm fairly certain Raye bought it." "Where'd she get all that money?" Saturn asked in awe. "Well, we do get paid on Crystal Tokyo but, really, the palace and royal transportation and property and other royal kick-backs provide for all our needs and wants - that woman must have been saving up for a thousand years," Neptune answered pragmatically. "I've gotta run, bye love, bye guys!" With a quick kiss with his wife Endymion/the hot vagabond was gone. Serenity then turned to her friends, her hands on her hips, a dark expression in her eyes, "all right, guys, why did you come here when I expressly ordered you not to?" "Well, we couldn't leave you here against Raye-" Mercury began. "All alone-" Neptune added. "And without our help or any support, besides we're your protectors and-" Mina chimed in with a characteristic grin. "We didn't want to be left out," Hotaru said with a small smile. "Can't let you two monopolize all the fun and-" "Had to keep you two out of trouble and from getting too distracted like we know you can, your royal milk-maiden-ness," Uranus laughed. They all turned to Jupiter who grumbled sullenly, "I just want to beat that bitch until she'll wish she were back on Mars." "All right, I give up," they gathered around Serenity for a group hug. "But I can't help feeling this is seriously going to screw things up," she sighed.