As he stopped speaking, the room fell silent. No one dared to speak, as the story that they had been told was so deep and touching. All the girls were crying, feeling sorrow and despair about the fate Reiko had had to face. "And you were all alone..." was the only comment Usagi could do. Mamoru hugged her, trying to comfort her as better as possible. Rei washed her tears away, her interest in the story growing with every minute: "Hiroshi-san, why weren't you with her later? What happened?" The man in front of her looked down, and whispered something to himself. He seemed to be in deep pain, as he remembered the events from so long ago.

"After... after I left her, I went into the factory. As I expected, it was a trap. We have been told there would be about ten men, but when I went inside, there were about fifty. I fought them bravely, but they were too many. Even if I had gone with Reiko, we wouldn't have stood a chance. They were too many. At last, when I was bleeding and injured in every part I can possible think of, by mistake, a man pulled the trigger of a bomb, and since the factory was the storage-place of an arm trading corporation, the building blew into a million pieces, with me inside. I don't know why or how, but I managed to survive... barely. I crawled out of the remaining ruins before the firemen arrived, and ended up on the river. There, a local family helped me. They told me I was almost a week unconscious, and I had to stay in bed for over a month, recovering from my injures. That's why I couldn't and still don't know what happened to Reiko after the explosion. I was expecting her to tell me, but... all this mess happened... and now, I don't know what to do--"

A soft sound interrupted him. A rustling was heard, and six heads turned towards the noise, and saw as the girl formerly known as Ami, and now called Reiko was awakening. She moaned quietly, and moved a bit, making the sheets rustle again. Everyone ran to her side, and urging voices said: "Reiko, are you alright?" "She's opening her eyes!" "Hey, look, she's waking up!"

Reiko was traveling in the world of dreams. She had revived almost all her life while she slept, and her memories had been specially vivid when they referred to her time as a spy. It was as if she was really re-living all those events. She had been so desperate while she watched as a silent spectator how she was induced to accept the job, and could do nothing to avoid it, knowing those actions were just parts of her mind... yet it hurt so much to watch herself making that mistake all over again... . but then, Hiroshi appeared on the scene, and her desperation immediately turned into joy, as she was able to see him again, as vividly as if it was real life. Hey, wait a second... when she had first seen him, Hiroshi was wearing different clothes... why was he using now a pair of blue-jeans and a white T-shirt?

She fluttered her eyelids, trying to get a better view, but that image remained there. She groaned in frustration. Why were her memories altering themselves? Was it a side effect of something she had eaten? And just wait a second, wasn't she supposed to be dead? Why did she feel so groggy? Was death like that? But why did she felt a softness under her, as if she was lying on a bed? Her other senses came back to her before her view did. She heard a lot of movement around her, and a lot of voices, all talking at the same time. Her head ached... why couldn't they just leave her alone? She wanted to sleep... but surely whomever was by her wouldn't let her continue. What was going on? She felt she was covered by a thin layer of something. Probably a sheet, she thought, as she realized she was lying on a bed. A very-well known smell filled her nostrils... antiseptic, clean, yet so familiar and unmistakable... she was in a hospital.

Her mouth felt pasty and dry. She recognized the symptoms as a sedative of some sort... that thought brought painful memories to her, so she brushed them away. Her neck ached too, as if she had been hit by one of those blows she had used on Minako... there was something strange on her right foot also, something heavier than a simple sheet... and besides, this thing was completely covering it... she tried to move her toes, but couldn't; I've got a plaster, why?. Just then, memories of the past evening came back to her. She had decided to jump of a cliff. She had paralyzed Minako. She had hit Makoto hard enough to bruise her. She had broken her right foot. She had thought of killing them. She had jumped. And then... what? None of the Senshi or even Tuxedo Kamen with their inhumanly speed could've been able to save her in time... they were too far away... her head ached too much to think any more.

Slowly, she focused on the voices, which hadn't quieted in all the time she had been checking on herself. A high toned one, with a familiar shriek every now and then: no other than Usagi-chan. A deeper one, with so much caring on it... only Mako-chan. Another one, so similar to Usagi's, yet with a decibel more in the scale: Mina-chan. One filled with mystery, yet so worried about her: Rei-chan. A manly one, which she had heard so many times, unconsciously she related it to a rose, and grinned to himself as she realized it was Mamoru-san. They were all there, after all the horrible things she had done to them... they were there... with her... after what she had done... they still cared... she wept to her insides, when she discovered she had been about to loose all that true friendship because of... just wait one second. Why in the name of Mercury had she decided to jump? She remembered something about feeling depressed... but she had overcome depression long ago... it was something with not liking her life... but it couldn't be... I mean, she liked her life, not adored it, but never hated it enough to commit suicide for that! What had impelled her to kill herself then? She couldn't think of anything. It was as if for the past weeks she hadn't been herself, as if she had been controlled by something... something that she no longer had, something that had been taken away... and for that, she was forever thankful.

She then tried to open her eyes, trying to look at the people who were hovering over her. As her eyes were quivering while trying to open completely, the voices started talking louder and louder, with encouraging tones and words. "Come on Reiko-chan!" "You can do it girl." "Come on, open your eyes for us!" Into her clouded mind, one thought popped up: Reiko-chan? They were calling her by her true name? Who on Earth had told them? An icy hand grabbed her heart, as she considered the possibility of all this being a lie. What if she did open her eyes, and around her only were the doctors and the boss of the agency? Perfectly well they could've disguised their voices as the ones of her friends. It was a piece of cake of them. But, she recalled she had told them herself up on the Aragosai Cliffs. She felt so relieved, her eyes opened widely almost by themselves, and she stared a bit confused at the five faces looking down on her.

"Reiko-chan, are you alright?" Makoto was the first one to speak. Reiko smiled weakly, and nodded, too tired to even pronounce one word. "You're feeling still tired by the surgery, aren't you?" Mamoru's voice shocked her more than she had ever expected. Surgery? She had been taken into surgery? When? How? Why? So many questions, and not one simple answer. She tried to stand up, but a gentle hand forced her back into the pillows. "Don't try to move yet, Reiko, you're too weak." She followed the hand on her chest, and ended looking up to a pair of blue eyes, and a smiling face. "Mina-chan," her voice sounded dry and harsh. She coughed, trying to clear her throat. She needed to speak now, later, it could be too late. "Mina-chan... I... I'm sorry." She couldn't continue, her throat ached too much. But, Minako seemed to have gotten the message. "For that? Nahh, don't worry. It was just an accident."

Reiko felt better now that she had received forgiveness. But, there was still two other people to tell she was sorry. She turned her head to the other side of the bed, and stared at Makoto, too weak to speak, but her eyes talking for her. "Take it easy, Reiko-chan. No harm done. But you'll have to teach me those moves of yours!" The tension between them both broke, and Reiko smiled whole-heartedly now. Shyly, she turned her eyes to Mamoru, and felt relieved as she saw he shrugged, and said: "Reiko-chan, don't even think about apologizing. I deserved that, for being such a jerk. So, forget about it!" "Thank... you." She had trouble speaking, but every time she did, her throat ached a little less. One question though kept nudging her. Where was Usagi-chan? She looked around the little space she had over her, and immediately saw her by Mamoru's side. "Usagi-chan, do... do you forgive me too?" Usagi had tears on her eyes, and no one could stop her as she launched herself to her friend, and hugged her fiercely. "Of course I do!!" Although the hug was a bit stronger than Reiko would've liked, she returned it as best as she could. "Thank you, Usagi. Domo arigato to all of you!" were her words, a bit muffled by Usagi's stream of hair all around her.

Even though Reiko's senses were pretty clouded, she still could feel something strange on the room. There was something different. A presence, no, a person. There clearly weren't six people in the room, but seven. And that seventh guy or girl, wasn't by her side. She stopped hugging Usagi, and whispered into her ear: "Usagi-chan, there's someone else in here." She felt her friend look at her, and then a huge grin appeared on her face. "Oh, right. I completely forgot about him!" What? Usagi knew about this? Everything was too weird for her to understand right now, so she just look dumbfounded at her friend. "Hey!" she said, to whomever was hidden, "Come out! She's awake!"

Reiko felt as someone moved, and approached the bed. Her brain prepared for anything, but for what came next. Minako and Rei moved aside, leaving a path for the person to move near her. Steps, quiet steps, started walking to her, and at the same time awakening old memories... she used to walk like that a long time ago... and only one other person did... a smell hit her nose, a smell like... like the forest... Then, a pair of legs appeared in between Minako's and Rei's, but she didn't dare to look up. It was so good to be true. It just couldn't be. No. It was another trick of her mind. Yet another painful memory.

The legs came nearer and nearer, filling her visual angle. The smell was very strong now. She didn't look up. The forest was there. She couldn't look up. Inside her room, with her. She was too afraid to look up. "Reiko-chan, I'm here." That voice... THAT voice... no... it was a dream... it couldn't be... he had died... he was dead... he couldn't be talking to her... it was impossible... but it was happening, she had heard it... he was back. Ever so slowly, she started looking up, her gaze traveling from the legs, to the chest, and then to the face. Like lighting, it hit her. Green eyes, brown hair... "Hiroshi," she whispered, right before everything went white, and she passed out.

"Reiko!" His cry never reached her ears, since they were disconnected, just as her brain. She had fainted, and fell back onto the bed. Minako giggled, and said: "Seems you were quite a surprise!!" Hiroshi blushed. "Hey! It wasn't my fault!" "How long will it take her to recover?" asked Usagi, her eyes showing a bit of worry. "Not more than a minute or two I hope," answered Hiroshi, sitting on a chair next to her. The others followed his example, and sat too, waiting for the girl to re-wake up. No talking was needed, as they were trying to recover from the many impressions they had received. Through the window, the first rays of sun shone, lightning the room and everyone's faces. As they were illuminated, they seemed to awake from a long dream. The blinked several times and two of the girls (you guessed it, Usagi and Minako) yawned, as they stretched in every possible way.

"Thank God we were going to have a sleepover at your house Mako-chan. I don't wanna know how my parents would be if I hadn't shown up at home by now!" said Usagi, thanking in her insides about that. Rei grinned, and added: "Yeah! Grandpa would've called the army, the police and the navy!!" Everyone laughed, brushing every stream of sleepiness out of their bodies. Mamoru had yawned too, hiding it by a fit of coughing. "So, Hiroshi-san, you still haven't told us what that black crystal was." The young man stopped looking at Reiko, his eyes without a single trace of weariness and as alert as they had been more than three hours ago. Man, how does he do that? He's been awake as long as we have been, and he is as ready as a bunny!, was what Mamoru thought.

"Well, it's just a theory I have, but first, I need her to tell me what happened after the explosion." As they talked, Minako was pacing around the room, checking on the little non-medical things that were on it. That's how she reached the night-table by Reiko's bed, and saw the pendant, shinning brightly as a sun ray stood right over it. She opened it, and looked at the picture again. "Is this how she looked like, Hiroshi-san?" she asked, looking at the young man. He didn't even look at it, having lived with the original for over two years. "Yes. And that's one of her ugly pictures." "Ugly? She looks like a princess!!" answered Makoto, taking the pendant and scanning it briefly. She didn't get an answer immediately, and when she did, it was more like a whisper: "To me, she's an angel...."

Before she could react, Reiko moaned again, and her eyes fluttered open, revealing a pair of blue orbs going from one side to another, not quite because of fear, but because of anxiety. "Hiroshi... . he was here!!" were her first words, and as soon as she said them, bolted up in the bed. "Yes. I'm here Reiko." Being right beside her, Hiroshi could talk without being seen right away. Her head turned to him quickly, and her eyes opened as big as plates while her mouth opened and closed. He noticed this, and the sudden paleness of her skin, evident symbols she was about to faint, and run to her side. He grabbed her shoulders and her right hand, preventing her from falling again. "Don't pass out again Reiko, it's me, it's really me!" Her eyes were wide, and if it wasn't for the rhythmic falling of her chest, she could surely have passed for a stone statue

The room was silent. The couple on the bed can't be disturbed, were the thoughts of the Senshi. They kept quiet, just looking at the scene developing in front of them. No sound filled the room, only a singing of some bird outside disturbed the quietness... and even them fell silent, as if respecting and giving the privacy needed to what was about to come. "Don't." The faint whisper appeared to have come from nowhere, but Hiroshi had felt it's origin. Reiko had spoken, and her eyes we looking down, at the white sheets of the bed, and they could clearly see as tears were coming out of them. Her hands were twisted around the sheets, wrinkling them everywhere, in an effort of steadying herself. "Reiko! It's me! Look at me!" said Hiroshi, trying to make her look at him. He felt as she was slowly drifting away, refusing to believe what was happening. "Please. Not again. It hurts too much." The whisper reached everyone's ears and were very confused about it. Why was Reiko denying the obvious? Her love was standing right beside her, and she wasn't looking at him, and even was trying to push him away! "Reiko, what are you saying?" He couldn't understand what was going on. "You've come again. Don't you have a heart? Don't you see it hurts too much to see him and then realize it's just a trick of my mind?"

He then got what was happening. She thought everything was a dream, an illusion... that was why she didn't believe he was there. Oh, angel, it's really me! I'm back! He grabbed her chin, and moved it slowly towards him. "Would and illusion do this, my angel?" he whispered, drinking into her crying eyes the happiness of being able to hold her again. He then kissed her, savoring the salty taste of her tears, and putting all his warmth on that simple yet so full of non-spoken feelings gesture.

Reiko immediately stiffened as their lips made contact. It's just a ghost. A specter of the past. He's dead. He can't be here. He can't be kissing me. But... his lips... they taste as... as him! No other time had an illusion kissed me... less had they had his smell... and his warmth... Reiko hesitated a bit, but then brought a trembling hand up, and caressed Hiroshi's neck. When she knew he wouldn't disappear, she pushed him against her, mixing their lips more and more, tears still coming out of her eyes, but this time, of complete joy.

The girls and Mamoru were stunned. Was this really their friend? The so calm, quiet, and the one the one who even blushed at the mention of a boy? Was this the same girl hey knew, the one that was now passionately kissing a guy? And a guy almost four years older than her? It sounded so bizarre, yet that was the scene they were watching. Their kiss went on and on, they were so reluctant to let go... the only thing they wanted was to be together forever, on each other arms... kissing... enjoying the presence of the other... but as much as their minds wanted that, their bodies needed air.

They separated, although the distance they kept from the other was no more than a couple of centimeters. Reiko cried silently, her lips quivering in emotion. Hiroshi's eyes were wet too, as for the first time in three years he was able to see her again, to love her again, to be with her again. Reiko caressed every inch of his face, yet not believing what was happening was true... but if in fact it was a dream, it was such a lovely one, she didn't want to wake up... now she understood why the ancient poets wrote about how pleasurable it was to die on your lover's arms... Both of them were so lost on their own pink world, that never noticed as Usagi stood up, and motioned for the rest of them to leave. The girls left, walking soundlessly and quickly out of the room.

"Hiroshi...," she whispered, the emotion she was feeling too big to speak any louder. "I... I love you." Those three simple words, which had crossed between them so long ago, sounded now so fresh and true... he just nodded, and whispered: "I know...." Words choked in his throat, and he had to stop talking. Why was it that whenever he was with her he felt so emotional? Because you love her, silly, muttered a little voice on his head. Love? And I that thought I could never love because of that stupid job I had... but now, I'm here, with the woman I love, and we'll never be separated again.