New Sailor Story

Episode 21: Rei's Week pt. 3

On the second day it was Rei's day to be with Serena.
Rei wakes up.
She starts to get ready to go out.
"Rei. Let's eat breakfast and Serena will be here to get you soon."(Henrique calls to her)

Henrique prepares vegetable eggs and turkey sausage for Rei.
There goes a knock on the door and Serena enters.
"Are you ready, Rei?"(Serena)
"Yea,"(Rei)
Serena picks up Rei.
"Rei, first say goodbye to your dad."(Serena)
Rei visibly cringes at that word.
Henrique walks up to Serena.
"See ya later, my little firecracker"(Henrique)
Henrique brings his finger up to his mouth kisses it and rubs Rei's forehead with the kissed finger.
Serena leaves the apartment and walks pretty far from his apartment.
"Was that not dramatic?!"(Rei)
"Oh come on, don't blame him. He's working on you."(Serena)
Rei sighs.

They arrive at Serena's house.
"Let's just spend the day in my house."(Serena)

Serena brings Rei to the cats' room.
There Luna and Artemis were just loafing around but partly waiting for Rei.
Serena puts Rei down. She gently closes the door behind her And sits down.
"Go ahead and play. I just wanted to spend time together relaxed. Darien will bring lunch"(Serena)
Rei seriously doesn't know what she is supposed to do.
She walks over to Luna's unoccupied bed and sits in it.
"Rei, you silly."(Luna)
"So Rei. How was the mission?"(Artemis)
"It was nothing. It just took spying and us stopping something from being sold illegally. I don't even know why I was needed..."(Rei)
"I'll be honest Rei, it was on purpose."(Serena)
"Like everything else?"(Rei)
"Sure, but this is different. Why do you think that Henrique went with you this time?"(Serena)
"I don't know..."(Rei)
"Henrique told you about the meeting we had right? The reason why we are not allowing you guys to meet each this week?"(Serena)
"Yea"(Rei)
"But did you know that we decided from now on whenever you have a mission in the natural universe, you will be with a caretaker from now on?"(Serena)
Rei looked a bit confused.
"It's weird. Whenever all of you are present with a caretaker, you guys are pretty reluctant to even acknowledge their presence. But whenever you go on a trip or something with Henrique you look for him. You want to be with him. Who knows why, but we think it might make you closer and closer to Henrique."(Serena)
"I mean I do feel safe with him. I like when he's present."(Rei)
Serena's expression brightens.

Then there's a knock on Serena's apartment.
"Serena! We're here now!"(Amara's voice)
Rei panics internally.
She does not have the energy to see them.
Serena gets up and leaves the cat room to answer the door.
Rei gets off Luna's bed she lifts it up and flips it over. Then she crawls underneath it to hide herself.
"Rei, what's wrong?"(Artemis goes near Rei and slightly wedges his nose under the bed)?
"I don't want to see them."(Rei's muffled voice speaks)

Serena answers the door.
"Hey Serena. Wanted to comeback as always."(Amara)
"Of course come in. Sorry, I usually leave the door unlocked for you guys. I brought Rei and repulsively locked it."(Serena)
"So today's Rei's day to spend time with you?"(Michelle)
"Yea. She's in Luna and Artemis' room"(Serena)
They enter the cats' room.
Artemis was just sitting there and Luna was laying against the wall
They look around for Rei.
Then Amara caught the vision of a upside down cat bed.
Amara smirked and bumped Michelle's arm and gestured to the funny looking bed.
They both smirked.
"Rei, come out, before I pull you out."(Amara)
No reaction.
Amara took a step forward.
"Final Warning"(Amara)
No reaction.
Then Amara bent down and touched the bed and lifts it slightly.
Then a zap of fire shot out and hit Amara's shirt which only damaged her clothes.
Amara out of shock stands up.
Rei (who had transformed) pops her head out and looks up at Amara angrily.
"Next time, I'm burning this room down"(Rei)
"Dang who's getting spicy around here?"(Tristan enters the room)
"I don't have energy for fun and games"(Rei)
"Who said that we were playing?"(Amara said smugly)
"Whatever it is, I don't want it."(Rei)
"Let's go eat lunch, Rei"(Tristan)
"I'm not hungry."(Rei)
"You don't have a choice"(Michelle)
Rei is getting irritated.
Michelle bends down and reaches for Rei.
"Don't! I'll fly myself."(Rei backs up and then then changes directions and flies towards the kitchen)
She quickly arrives in the kitchen and just levitates in place.
"Rei? Are you okay?"(Serena was setting the table)
"I'm fine"(Rei says a bit angrily)
Then footsteps come behind Rei and she hears a snap.
She just transformed back and while falling she got caught by somebody.
"Oof!"(Rei looked up and saw who caught her)
It was Darien.
"Rei, calm down. Don't get so worked up."(Darien)

Then Rei hears all the others arrive in the kitchen.
Rei grabs Darien's jacket and covers herself with it.
"Huh?"(Darien)
"Rei, what is wrong with you?"(Amara came in front of Darien)
Rei uncovers herself a little bit.
"Don't act like that. You keep wanting to bother me."(Rei)
'She's not wrong. Her adorable frustration just makes me want to bother her more'(Amara smirks)
"Let's just eat lunch relaxed shall we?"(Darien)
Lunch was a traditional Japanese spread(Rice, fish, vegetable stir fry, etc)
Rei had her own little plate of rice and vegetables.
She sat near Darien who every now and then gave her a piece of grape.
"Are you guys going to leave after lunch?"(Serena)
"I don't know, should we stay? We have a meeting to go to around 6 but we can hang out till then"(Tristan)
"I think we should stay a little longer."(Amara)
For some reason everyone looked at Rei for her reaction.
Rei just continued to sip her tea normally like she didn't care.
'If they stay, I'm just going to stay with Artemis and Luna. I'm going to assume that they aren't going to touch me'(Rei)
Until the other senshis left, Rei perched on Serena's shoulder and they did the normal things that they apparently do together which was just sitting in a circle and talk about life. Rei didn't speak that much throughout the day.
Then at 6pm they left and the house was quiet.
"Why was I here, Serena?"(Rei)
"I like just being with you. And this week I just wanted to hang out with each of you guys one by one."(Serena)
"What was the difference between me being with you and not being with you? I wasn't even talking with you."(Rei)
"I just like the company and seeing you. Looking at you makes me happy."(Serena)
"Why does Amara just bother me like that?"(Rei)
"I don't know, Rei. But are you ready for dinner?"(Serena says gently like a mother would)

Darien once again cooked dinner. He made white pasta with salad.
He chopped little pieces for Rei.
They sat at the table and Rei was on the table as usual eating her Pasta.
"Rei, what did you do with Henrique yesterday?"(Darien)
"We just went to the mall and the cafe. But he said some weird things at the cafe."(Rei)
"Like what?"(Serena)
"He's my dad now? I mean, that's so weird. He told me why but, it's really hard to accept it."(Rei's eyes turned in to sad eyes)
"Is it?"(Darien)
"I had to accept so many things throughout these times."(Rei)
"Well do you see him as someone that loves you and takes care of you? He makes your every meal and he tries to make you happy. It's still hard for you to accept that?"(Darien)
"I think it's just weird to possibly have to call him dad."(Rei)
"You don't have to call him dad. We just want you to get comfortable enough with him to open your heart to him."(Darien)
"Face it, Rei. You guys closed your hearts to all of us. We are trying to open your hearts one person at a time. And we thought it'd be best to start with your dads since you see them all the time and they all are dedicated."(Serena)
Rei visibly cringed at the word.
"Ok, whatever"(Rei)
Then there was a knock on Serena's apartment.
Luna and Artemis let Henrique in.
"Hey Henrique. Want some chow before you go?"(Serena)
"Sure, why not."(Henrique)
Henrique takes a plate eats some pasta, has a conversation with Serena and Darien and then picks up Rei and then walks out of the apartment.
"So Rei, how was it?"(Henrique)
"Terrible. Absolutely suffocating."(Rei says it not so seriously but more with a kid tone)
Henrique smiled and chuckled.
"Was it really? But wasn't it nice to spend some time with Darien and Serena, at least?"(Henrique)
"It was. But Amara was there."(Rei says angrily)
"You don't like her?"(Henrique)
"I don't like it when she's around"(Rei)
"Aww. It must've been irritating"(Henrique says with a more playful tone)