By Haruka

Kenshin placed a cup of green tea in front of his wife and she smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, dear."
"Have you seen the children yet this morning?" he asked her, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
"Kurama has already gone out. He said he was going to have breakfast with Yui at the doughnut shop," Setsuna said. "Michiru hasn't come down yet."
Kenshin sighed. "I'm worried about her," he admitted. "She seemed upset and on edge all day yesterday."
"I know," Setsuna agreed. "I think there was some trouble at Haruka's, but right now it's just a suspicion."
Michiru entered the kitchen looking like she hadn't slept very well. Her ocean-blue eyes were downcast.
"Good morning, sweetheart," Kenshin said, studying her with concern. "Are you not feeling well?"
To their surprise, Michiru lowered herself to her knees, stretching out her arms in front of her in the lowest bow possible.
"I beg of you," she said, "please release me from being grounded. I'll do anything else you want, but I just can't remain in here any longer when Haruka needs me." Her voice broke. "Please ...."
Setsuna got out of her chair and crouched beside her daughter, stroking her hair. "Honey, what's wrong with Haruka? Are you sure you're not overreacting-"
"No!" Michiru said vehemently, her forehead still lowered to the kitchen floor. "She's suffering both mentally and physically. Kurama won't tell me the details, but I can feel her pain." She looked up at her mother with moist, pleading eyes. "Mama ... she's hurting so much I'm afraid for her. Please!"
Setsuna exchanged a quick, anxious look with Kenshin. As Sailor Pluto, she had a link with Neptune and Uranus and she could tell that Michiru was telling the truth, both about her feelings and Haruka's crisis. Kenshin saw this in Setsuna's ruby eyes and he nodded.
"All right," Setsuna said. "We'll release you."
Michiru threw her arms around her mother. "Oh Mama, thank you!" She jumped up and embraced her father. "Thank you, Papa! I'll never forget this!"
"Neither will we," Kenshin said with a chuckle. "Our friends won't let us - they already think we're too permissive."
"You're not permissive, you're reasonable. There's a difference." Michiru smiled, wiping her eyes.
"I don't know if anyone else would call this reasonable," Setsuna said. "It wouldn't make sense to someone without a psychic link to you and Haruka."
Michiru met her eyes worriedly. "Then you feel it, too?"
"Yes." She nodded. "Whatever's wrong isn't life-threatening, but it's tearing at her enough to send out psychic waves of despair and that's not like Haruka. Wait until you're sure everyone's up in the house, then go see her."
Michiru hugged her again. "Thank you, both!" she said, then sighed with relief. "I think I can actually eat something now that I know I'll be seeing her."
"Then sit and eat," Kenshin said firmly. "You certainly didn't have much last night."
Haruka, Michiru thought, wishing she were telepathic. I'll be there soon.

The phone rang in the Kou house and a tall, thin man with wild blue hair reached it first. "You lucky person, you get to talk to ME!" he greeted the caller. "But in case I'm feeling generous, you can tell me who you're calling for."
"Uh ... my name's Hawk Eye. I wondered if Taiki was there?"
"Taiki? You mean my beautiful red-haired son? The one who's smarter than all of us put together?"
"Um, yes?"
"I'll see if he's home. And I want you to know that I'm not holding a grudge, even though you obviously would rather talk to him than to me."
Hawk Eye couldn't help chuckling. "Thank you."
"Taiki!" he heard the man calling. "Better come quick! There's a young man on the phone for you! I'll keep him on as long as I can so he doesn't get away, but-" "PAPA!" came Taiki's horrified voice in the background along with laughter from Seiya and Yaten. After a muffled exchange, Taiki came on the line. "Hello?"
"Hey Taiki, it's Hawk Eye."
"Oh God," Taiki moaned.
"That's not quite the reaction I hoped for."
"No! I'm sorry, Hawk Eye," Taiki said, sounding flustered. "My father delights in embarrassing us - we try not to let him answer the phone. I'm surprised you didn't hang up."
"I thought he was funny," Hawk Eye said. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to help me look for that guy Haruka met. Fish Eye says you're not working today."
"He's right, Yaten and he are working, I think. Wow, poor Fish Eye working with Yaten without Seiya or I to act as a buffer ...."
"Hey!" Yaten protested and poked Taiki in the back.
"Fishie'll be okay," Hawk Eye said. "So ... do you want to?"
"Sure, that's a good idea. When do you want to go?"
"Right away, if you're ready."
"Give me ten minutes and I'll come by your house. See you soon, Hawk Eye."
"Bye!"
Taiki hung up and looked over at his brothers. "Don't say a word," he warned.
"We don't have to." Seiya grinned. "Anyway, I'm off myself. I'm going to drop Yaten at work then scout around for the guy with the braid. I won't even ask if you and Hawk Eye want to ride with me." He winked. "I'm sure you'd rather be alone."
Taiki gave him a Look, but Seiya laughed and darted off. The redhead turned his warning gaze on Yaten, who shrugged.
"Hey, I give up trying to advise you two in your love lives," he said. "I have to get to work. Good luck."
Taiki watched him go, wondering if his final words referred to their search or to he and Hawk Eye. Either way, it wasn't like Yaten to let an opportunity slip by like that. Taiki smiled to himself. Maybe the time spent with Tiger Eye at the pet shop yesterday mellowed him toward the Sagara boys.
Stranger things had happened.

Zoisite put down the dish towel and went to answer the ringing doorbell. He was more than a little surprised to find Michiru there.
"Hello Michiru," he said. "Do your parents know you're here?"
"Yes, they do," she answered. "They released me from my punishment. Is Haruka here?"
"She's upstairs." Zoisite stood aside. He didn't say anything about her release, but Michiru could see that he wanted to. She wisely passed by him and hurried up the stairs.
Haruka's door was closed, so she knocked on it softly. At first she wasn't certain anyone was inside, then Haruka said, "Come in."
Michiru opened the door and peered into the room. Haruka was standing by the window, looking outside. Her eyes were so sad, it made Michiru's heart ache.
"Haruka?"
The blonde spun around. "Michi!" she cried, the sorrow vanishing temporarily. "But ... you shouldn't be here - your punishment ...."
"They let me go." Michiru went over and wrapped her arms around her. Haruka squeezed her girlfriend tightly and Michiru felt some of the psychic tension ease within her.
"I'm so glad you're here," Haruka murmured.
"It's been terrible for you," Michiru said softly. "I still don't know what's happened, but I know that much." She drew back and looked at her. "Can we go somewhere and talk? I don't want to stay here."
"Me either, let's go." Haruka took her by the hand and together they left the house.
They walked in silence for a while. Michiru knew Haruka would talk when she was ready, and in the meantime, she was content just to be there for her. It wasn't until they'd reached the park and Michiru sat down on a bench when Haruka hesitated.
"I can't," she said.
"Can't what?" Michiru asked.
"Can't sit." Haruka turned away. Michiru felt a wave of horrified realization, then fury. She fought it down and stood up to wrap her arms around Haruka from behind, careful not to press against her bottom.
"I didn't know," she whispered. "Are you all right?"
"I will be, I guess." Haruka turned to pull her into her arms. "It helps that you're here."
"Your father doesn't usually spank you so hard that you can't sit the next day, Haruka," Michiru said, trying to keep her anger in check. "What happened to make he and your mother so angry? Kurama was so vague about it all - I only knew you needed help and the other kids were getting together to discuss it, but I couldn't go."
"Mama was nearly run down in a crosswalk at the strip mall yesterday, and he said I was the one driving the car." Haruka ran a hand through her tousled hair. "I was at the video arcade at the time it happened, and the only person who can prove I was there is a stranger with long brown hair in a braid." She gave Michiru a weak smile. "Not a good alibi, is it?"
Michiru was frowning. "Why would your mother think you were the driver? I don't understand."
"None of us do." She shrugged. "He says he saw the driver very clearly and it was _me_."
"But it wasn't."
"No."
"Then there must be someone around who looks very much like you," Michiru said logically.
"Enough to fool my own mother?" Haruka sounded skeptical. "He said it would have to be an exact double."
"That should make her easy to recognize then, hm?" Michiru smiled.
Haruka chuckled. "Funny, none of us thought about looking for the double - just the guy I met in the arcade."
"Either one would do to corroborate your story," Michiru said. "Besides, aren't you just a little curious about this look-alike?"
"Actually, I'm kind of uneasy about it all," Haruka admitted. "I don't want to think there really is someone out there who looks enough like me that people will think I'm doing the things she is." She smiled at Michiru. "Anyway, isn't one of me enough for you?"
Michiru's eyes twinkled. "There can never be too much Haruka for me."
Their lips met in a long, tender kiss and they embraced.

"Okay," Kanna said as she referred to the piece of paper in her hands, "we need bread, eggs, dish soap, laundry soap, milk, tomatoes, butter ... aw heck, we need some of everything!"
"That is what happens when you move," Maria told her as she guided the car down unfamiliar streets. "You need to restock."
Kanna looked up and surveyed the area. "Are you sure you're going the right way?"
"I think so ... wait, yes, there is the park!"
Kanna breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, the grocery store isn't far then - just up at the strip mall, right?"
Instead of answering her, Maria stopped the car so suddenly that Kanna was grateful for her seat belt. She turned to the Russian girl in the driver's seat. "Hey, what's the big idea?!"
"Look over there," Maria said, her expression grim. Kanna followed the direction of her gaze and her eyes widened. There in the park stood Amara, sucking face with a lovely green- haired girl.
"Wow!" Kanna breathed. "Who's _that_?"
"I do not know who the girl is," Maria said firmly. "But I know that Amara is making a spectacle of herself in public. Come," she opened her car door, "let's go get her."

End of chapter 18

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