The Beauty Within Her 
Chapter 5
By: Jessica M. Moonflower
E-mail: salud731@earthlink.net
Rated: PG-13 for adult content
(Nothing big though) and language

Disclaimer: Too bad I don't own the
rights to Sailor Moon. Yes, it's true.
Naoko is the rightful owner so no
one better sue me! The only thing
I do own is the story idea. ^_^

ANs: Long awaited Chapter 5 of
TBWH! Sorry that it took so long,
but this girl has been way too busy
with school and exams! It's a 
nightmare!!! Oh, by the way, for 
those who are wondering about what's 
going on with my other fic, "Love's 
Got A Hold On My Heart," I'm still 
writing it and I have not abandoned 
it! ^_^ I think peeps have been 
starting to wonder if Jessica 
Moonflower has been alive after her 
several month absence in the fic world. 
I'm ALIVE! SEE! In the flesh! ^_~ 
Well, I have nothing else to say so 
enjoy! ^_~


"Love exists only in the hearts of those
who choose to acknowledge its existence."
*~Unknown Author*~


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	It was 11:06 AM the next day. Serena left
her house to meet up with Andrew and Lita to
pick up Rita at the airport. She was wearing
a simple floral dress and had her hair tied back in a
loose braided ponytail. She reached the door of the
mansion and rang the bell. She heard oncoming foot
steps on the other side of the door.

	"Who is it?" asked the person on the other
side of the door.

	"It's Serena."

	She heard the sound of the door being 
unlocked, and it opened to reveal Darien standing
on the other side of the door frame. He wore an
untucked, button down, white shirt with a pair 
of khakis pants.

	'He looks so handsome even when he's 
wearing casual clothes,' Serena thought to her-
self as she absorbed in the sight Darien made.

	"Serena? Serena? Are you in there?"

	"Huh? What?"

	"What happened to you? You've been
spacing out for the last five minutes. Where
did you go? The moon, or something?" Darien
teased. 

	"No, it's just that...I kind of expected
Lita or Andrew to get the door."

	"That's right! You're going with Andrew
and Lita to pick up Rita from the airport,"
he stated in realization. "Where are my 
manners? I didn't invite you to come in. Lita
and Andrew are in the kitchen finishing up
their lunch."

	"That's no problem. I'll wait." Serena
entered the house and strolled towards the 
living room. 

	"Did you eat?"

	"Yes."

	As Serena sat down on the couch to
make herself comfortable, she noticed that
the coffee table was cluttered with a bunch
of papers, a laptop, and a mug of coffee.

	"Darien, are you working while you are
on vacation?" Serena quizzically looked up at
him.

	"Yeah. It sort of gives me something
to do."

	"Isn't the whole purpose of a vacation
is to relax and not think about work?" she
inquired, a bit confused.

	"Um...that's true, but I'm not the type
to lay back and do nothing. I guess I'm so use
to working at the office that I hardly take a
break at all."

	"Everybody could use a break from work
once in a while. When you take a few days off,
it gives you time to do things you never normally
get a chance to do. When I was still in college, 
I would catch up on my painting whenever I had 
a vacation, or day off."

	"But I don't have a hobby to do on 
vacations."

	"Painting isn't exactly a hobby. It's what
I want to do for a living," Serena replied, feeling
a little hurt by his statement.

	Darien, immediately realizing his mistake,
began apologizing to her profusely.

	"I'm so sorry, Serena. I...I didn't know."

	"It's okay. I never told you anyway. Only
Lita, my parents, and Andrew know."

	'Obviously they all know what she wants
to do. They're all close to her. Serena and I
were never close growing up,' thought Darien.

	"Still, I should have been more careful
with what I say. I knew you were 
interested in the arts. I should have known 
painting might have been one of your 
interests."

	"No, really. Don't apologize. You didn't 
know like you said. Lets drop it, okay?"

	"Okay."

	Silence filled the room. Both couldn't
think of anything else better to say. Serena
fidgeted on the couch while playing with her
hands, and Darien mindlessly ran his fingers
through his silky hair.

	'Maybe now is a good time to talk 
about what happened, or almost happened
here last night,' Darien silently told
himself as he mustered up the courage
to begin a conversation once again.

	"Serena?"

	"Yes, Darien?" Serena turned her
attention towards him.

	"Um...I need to talk to you about
something." 

	He walked over to the couch 
she was sitting on and sat down 
beside her.

	"About what?" Serena queried.

	"About what happened here, or
almost happened last night."

	Realization dawned on Serena as
she started blushing a deep crimson red.

	"Is it about our 'almost kiss'?"
she managed to blurt out.

	"Uh...as a matter of fact, it 
does." Darien shifted uncomfortably
on the couch.

	"Darien, I'm really sor--"

	"No, it's my fault. I was the
one who advanced towards you."

	"But I should have noticed it
sooner."

	"I should have been the one to
stop myself."

	"Darien--"

	"Serena--"

	Both didn't get a chance to 
finish what they were going to say
because Andrew and Lita walked in
the room.

	"Hey you, guys. When did you
come in, Serena? asked Andrew,
leaning casually on the door frame.

	"Hi Andrew, Lita. I got in a 
few minutes ago."

	"Did you have lunch?"
queried Lita, polishing off the
the remnants of her strawberry.

	"Yeah. My Mom made me
some before I left."

	"Okay, are you two ready
to go to the airport?" Andrew
got off the door frame and stood
up straight.

	"Yep," Lita chirped happily.

	"Yes," Serena replied with
as much enthusiasm as Lita as she
got up from the couch and strolled
over to where Andrew and Lita 
stood.

	"Hey, Dare, are you sure you 
don't want to come with us?" asked
Andrew.

	"Yeah, I'm positive. I have some
work that needs to be taken care of."
He shuffled some papers on the
coffee table.

	"Darien, you really should take 
those papers and laptop and burn them. 
This is a vacation! Have some fun!" Lita
urged.

	"Unlike you, Leets, I prefer work
over fun," he said dryly, looking up
from the papers to his sister.

	"Party pooper," Lita muttered
under her breath, walking towards 
the front door.

	"I heard that!" Darien sternly
replied.

	Lita turned and stuck out her 
tongue at her brother and left the 
house with Serena and Andrew following 
behind. Sweat dropping and shaking their 
heads along the way.

*~

	"Lita, do you still act like a bickering
little girl with Darien?" Andrew inquired 
incredulously as he drove his cherry red 
BMW on the highway.

	"So? Come on, Andy! He starts it! 
Besides, he's a total stiff. He never wants 
to have any fun at all!" Lita pouted in the 
backseat.

	"That's true, but I would think 
both of you would act more like your age. 
Not like a bunch of five-year-olds."

	"I can't if he acts like Mr. Stubborn
Crab all the time!"

	"This is worse than the times Darien
used to pick on you, Sere. He doesn't pick on
you anymore, does he?" 

	"No. He's actually more polite now."
Serena was sitting on the right side of Lita, 
looking out the window to see cars and 
buildings pass by.

	"I'm happy to hear that. If he wasn't
nicer to you now, I'd have to knock some 
sense into him until he does."

	"Andy! That's my brother you're 
talking about!" Lita jumped up in her
seat in shock.

	"Sorry, but if he does treat Serena
like dirt, he's asking for it." Andrew
tightened his grip on the wheel to prove
his point.

	"Andrew, please don't. Don't beat up
someone on my account. No matter how 
rotten someone is to me. That includes 
Darien."

	"Fine. I won't beat up anybody, but
only because you said not to."

	"Thanks, Andrew." Serena sighed in
relief.

	"Jeez, Andrew! I didn't think you
had such a temper! You're normally cheerful
and an easy going person!" Lita exclaimed in
disbelief.

	"I only get so riled up when someone
I care about and love so much gets hurt by
jerks."

	"One jerk we all know we can't stand 
is Francis Matthews," Lita bit out 
hatefully.

	"Who's Francis Mattthews?" Serena
asked curiously, losing interest with the
scenery outside the window.

	"Francis is nothing but a lazy, playboy,
money wasting, bastard, who's into cheap
women and partying!" (ANs: Sorry for the
language, but it was needed!)

	"He's a college friend of Darien's. 
He seems to be the only person dense
enough to be friends with the likes of him.
Darien seems to be unaffected by the life
style Francis tends to live. Why he is 
friends with Francis, it's beyond me," added 
Andrew.

	"Is he really that bad?"

	"Serena, you don't know how horrendous
the man is! He sleeps with every woman he
can sink his hands into then dumps them the
next day or week. He even seduces innocent
girls to bed! Tricks them into thinking he 
'loves' them when all he wants to do is get 
laid. He devastates half of these
poor girls' lives. He breaks their hearts
and shuns them out. He acts like he has
never seen these girls in his entire life.
The sluts he sleeps with, I feel nothing
but disgrace for them. They're the ones 
who literally throw themselves onto his 
bed. What's worse, is he tried to make a
move on Rita and me in one of our annual
garden parties two years ago."

	"When I found out that he tried to
hit on Rita, I punched him in the jaw that
night. He had no right to go after her when
when he already knows she is MY girlfriend."
Andrew clenched his teeth as he recalled
that night.

	"Besides, the jerk deserved it. He
just wouldn't give up his sleazy advances.
Especially on me! After Andrew punched him,
he decided to come crawling to me since he
knew he couldn't have Rita. I guess he 
figured he could get to me instead. Boy, did
he thought wrong! When he tried to kiss me,
I used one of my karate moves on him. Did he
go home whimpering! That'll show him to never
stick his paws on me. I'm not cheap and I'm 
not easy. The nerve of that guy! Hmph!" Lita 
crossed her arms over her chest, indignantly.

	"I can't believe Darien could be 
friends with such a man!" Serena shook 
her head in disbelief. "Does Darien know 
that Francis does these horrible things?"

	"He does, but he doesn't let it bother 
him. According to Darien, he says Francis
can do whatever he wants. It's his life
not Darien's," Andrew fumed.

	"Lita, doesn't he know what Francis
tried to pull on you during that garden 
party two years ago?"

	"Darien does, but CLAIMS that he 
was just drunk and didn't know what he was
doing. Yeah, right! Francis did not consume
any champagne that night. He knew exactly
what he was doing. Anytime there is a big 
party, he never drinks any alcohol. It makes
sense since he wants to be sober enough to
enjoy his time in bed with whatever woman
he brings with him."

	"Oh."

	"Serena, whatever you do, never get
involved with someone like Francis 
Matthews, okay?" Andrew warned. 

	"Of course, Andrew! Why would I? 
That man is nothing, but a scoundrel who
treats women like playthings."

	"I'm glad to hear that you won't get
yourself involved with a guy like him. Men
like him dishonor women," he stated
coldly.

	"But Serena, if he does harass you,
just come and get me and I'll pound him for
ya! I'd gladly be of service to you." Lita
pounded her fists to prove her point.

	"I'll be sure to do that." Serena
laughed nervously.

	"It sure pays to take those martial
arts classes. They come in handy for pigs
like Francis." Lita giggled while Serena and
Andrew agreed.

	They arrived at the airport around 
12:40. Andrew parked the car in the first
vacant spot he saw in the airport's huge
parking lot. All three exited the car and 
strolled over to the Delta Airlines terminal.

	"Andrew, what time is Rita's flight
coming in?" asked Lita as they all walked
over to Gate 22 where Rita should be coming 
out from.

	"About 12:45," he replied.

	Andrew, Lita, and Serena reached
the crowded gate and joined the other 
people eagerly waiting for their family or 
friends to come out through the gate. Some
were holding flowers, or balloons, and
others were holding signs with people's
names on it.

	"How do I look?" Andrew asked
the girls suddenly.

	"Fine, Andy." Lita gave him a
what's-with-you look.

	"Andrew, are you alright? You're
sweating and your hands are shaking."
Serena observed.

	"Yeah, I'm fine. Never better."
Andrew nervously wiped the sweat 
from his forehead. "Is it just me, or
did it suddenly get a little hot in here?"

	"Oh, it's you alright. They have 
the air conditioning system on in this
airport." Lita threw him another look
that said, 'you've snapped.'

	"Andrew, you are not fine. You're
a total mess. A nervous wreck. It's Rita
isn't it?" Serena guessed.

	"Yes," Andrew confessed.

	"Andrew, there's no need to be 
nervous. This is your fiancee! Your
soon-to-be wife." Lita tried to calm him
down.

	"You don't need to be afraid of
Rita. You asked her to marry you, 
remember?" Serena reminded him.

	"I'm not afraid of my own fiancee.
It's just that...I want to look extra 
special for her."

	"You look fine, Andrew. Just
dashing!" Serena was the first to comment
and assure him that he looked fine. 

	"Simply smashing," Lita added
with a faux English accent.

	"Thanks girls."

	"Ooh, look! People are starting to
come out through the gate." Serena nudged
her friends.

	Andrew took a deep breath.

	"Don't worry," Lita whispered. "You
look fine."

	A woman about 5'8" with green eyes 
and long wavy brown hair, waved at them 
and started walking towards them, hauling
one big roll-on suitcase and carrying a
black leather pocketbook on her right
shoulder.

	"It's Rita!" Lita squealed excitedly
as she waved back at her.

	Halfway to the group, Rita dropped
her bags on the floor and ran up to Andrew 
to give him a hug. Andrew embraced her for
a long time then moved in to give Rita a long
passionate kiss. 

	Lita and Serena just stood there in the 
background and sighed with stars in their eyes.
They were happy that the two love birds were
reunited once more. Rita and Andrew both broke
the kiss, gasping for air.

	"Sorry about that," Andrew apologized
to Lita and Serena.

	"That's okay, Andy. We don't mind," Lita
said in a sing-song voice.

	"We know that you wanted to show
each other how much you love and miss
each other. After all, you two have been
separated for a while now," Serena added.

	"Thanks for understanding, girls,"
Andrew replied. 

	"No problem," Lita and Serena said
smiling.

	"I didn't get a chance to say hello
to the both of you yet," Rita replied, feeling
guilty.

	"Like we said to Andrew, don't worry 
about it. You just missed your fiance and
couldn't wait to wrap your arms around him,"
Lita reassured her.

	"Since I already got reacquainted with
my fiance, why don't you girls come here and 
give me a hug?"

	Lita and Serena complied and both took
turns to hug Rita.

	"I really missed you, Rita," Serena
said.

	"I did, too."

	"I'm really glad that I came home
yesterday, otherwise, I wouldn't be able
to greet you today." Lita smiled.

	"Is Darien here?" Rita inquired.

	"Yeah, but he's back at the mansion.
Apparently, he didn't want to come with us
because he had work to do." Lita wrinkled
up her nose to show her annoyance for
her brother's lack of fun.

	"Oh, that's Darien alright. Such a
workaholic."

	"He really needs to have some fun 
once in a while," Andrew remarked while
picking up the luggage Rita had discarded
earlier.

	"Yeah, but that'll never happen. I'm
his sister and he won't have fun no matter
how much I nag him." Lita crossed her arms
defiantly.

*~

*Andrew's Car*

	"So Serena, did Andy tell you the
request I told him to tell you?" Rita asked
from the front seat of the car.

	"Yes, he did, and my answer is yes."

	"Really? That's wonderful! I'm so
happy that you agreed!"

	"Agree to what?" Lita asked 
curiously.

	"I asked her to go shopping with
me for a few things for the wedding. Now
that you are here, would you like to join 
in on the fun?"

	"You bet! I wouldn't miss a shopping
trip for the world!" Lita eagerly agreed.

	"Great! I have two girls to go shopping
with me. This is going to be so much fun! A 
girls day out!" Rita squealed with delight.

	"I haven't had one of those in ages!"
Lita leaned comfortably back on the white
leather interior of the seat.

	"When's the shopping trip?" asked
Serena.

	Rita took out a black leather bound
planner from her pocketbook and flipped 
through the pages to check her calender.  

	"How about Monday? I don't seem 
to have anything scheduled that day."

	"Fine by me," replied Serena.

	"Me, too!" Lita piped in.

	"Um...Rita, darling?" asked Andrew.

	"Yes, sweetie?"

	"Tomorrow my parents and the 
Garrisons will be throwing us an 
engagement party."

	"Wow! And I just got in today, too.
They certainly work fast! Didn't you
just get in yesterday, pookie?"

	"Mmhm. Well, as soon as I told
my parents, my aunt, and uncle about 
the engagement, they started working 
non-stop yesterday to put this party
together. They're still making calls 
and getting stuff delivered at the mansion
right this moment."

	"I can't believe they'd go all out for
this party." Rita had a look of surprise on
her face.

	"I'm not. Our family always does 
stuff like this," Lita spoke up.

	"Yeah, they do. When it was my 
birthday, they went all out. They even
asked my parents for all the phone numbers
of my friends and invited them. It was a
HUGE surprise party and I was very 
grateful to them," added Serena.

	"They really are thoughtful to go all
out for any special occasion," Rita commented.

	"Yes, they are. That's why you got to
love them for it," Andrew remarked.

	"I'm glad that I bought a new dress
last week. If I hadn't, I would have nothing 
to wear for tomorrow's engagement party,"
Rita said relieved.

	"Ooh! Show us your new dress, Rita!
Please?" Lita begged.

	"Of course I'll show you and Serena."

	"Serena, you're invited to the party as
usual," Andrew stated.

	"I don't think I should go," Serena
said reluctantly.

	"Serena, you hardly go to any of the 
parties we invite you to. You really need 
to attend some for once," Lita tried to
convince her.

	"I don't have anything to wear."
	"That's no problem. The party
doesn't start until nighttime so we can
go shopping in the morning. We'll pick
out an exquisite dress for you," Rita
offered.

	"I don't know..." Serena trailed
off with a bit of uncertainty in her
voice.

	"Come on, Serena! We'll pay for
the dress if you're worried about the
money. All you have to do is pick out
the dress you like. Say yes, please?"
Lita did her best puppy dog face.

	"Fine." Serena threw her arms
in defeat. "I can never resist that face."

	"Yup! I'm the best when it comes to
making people see it my way."

	"Whatever!" Serena stuck her 
tongue out at Lita while she returned
the gesture and Andrew and Rita chuckled
at their antics.

	The mansion was a few miles within
their view and Andrew drove through the 
opened iron gates. Patches of green trees and 
shrubs whizzed by them as Andrew drove 
straight ahead on the paved road.

	"Serena?"

	"Yes, Andrew?"

	"I have a big surprise for you back
at the mansion, that is, if it gets there on
time."

	"A surprise?" Serena asked shocked.
"What's the occasion?"

	"No occasion. Actually, the surprise
involves you and Lita as well."

	"Me?" Lita took her attention away 
from the window and turned to look at Andrew.

	"Yes. I'm sure you two will love it."

	"Hmm...I wonder what it could be..."
Serena contemplated.

	"Same here," Lita agreed.

	Andrew drove towards the mansion's
driveway and parked the car. He turned the
key in the ignition off and everyone got out.
Andrew walked to the back of the car where
the trunk was located and opened it up to 
unload the luggage. As Serena, Lita, and
Rita walked up the walkway, Darien came
out the front door to greet them, hands
in his pockets.

	"Hey everybody. Rita, it's so good
to see you."

	"Darien, you get more charming
and handsome than the last time I saw
you." Rita walked over to give him a hug.

	"Not really." Darien smirked,
returning the hug.

	"Don't be so modest. You know
you're cute so stop denying it." Rita 
slapped his chest playfully.

	"Alright, I give up! I can't argue
with the lovely Rita Blake. If you say
I'm cute then I'll have to agree 
with you." Darien kissed Rita's cheek
lightly.

	"Hey man! Quit flirting with my
fiancee. She's mine," Andrew teased,
joining them up the walkway with the
luggage.

	"Oh, pumpkin! You know you're
the only one for me." Rita gave Andrew
a long lingering kiss on the lips.

	"Okay, okay. Get a room you two.
We get the hint that you're made for
each other. No need to put it on display."

	"Sorry, Dare. Anyway, did my 
surprise for Serena and Lita arrive yet?"

	"Right on schedule, Drew.  It's
sitting on the living room couch."

	"Go ahead, girls," Andrew nudged
them towards the front door. "Go
see what your surprise is."

	Serena and Lita both nodded
in reply and entered the house, heading
straight for the living room with Darien,
Rita, and Andrew following closely behind.
Serena and Lita took a deep breath and 
opened the doors to the living room.

	"Surprise!" Andrew exclaimed
cheerfully, putting the luggage down 
near the side of the doorway.

	Serena and Lita both stood by
the doorway in utter shock because
sitting on the couch were three girls.
One with short blue hair and sapphire
blue eyes, the next with long raven
hair and violet eyes, and the last
with long blond hair that was tied
back in a big black bow and sky blue 
eyes.

	"Amy, Raye, Mina? Is it really
you?" Lita was the first to regain her
voice.

	The three girls' only response 
was a bright smile.

	"Oh, my god! I missed you guys 
so much," Serena said through tear filled
eyes as she walked over to them to give
them a big group hug with Lita in tow.

	"We sure missed both of you, too,"
Mina replied first.

	"Yes, it's been a very long time,"
agreed Amy.

	"Almost ages since we last saw you 
two," added Raye.

	"It's still great to see all of you
again." Lita sniffed.

	"Andrew, how did you get the girls
here?" Serena broke from the group hug.

	"Well, the girls are my friends as 
well so I invited them to my wedding and
begged them to fly in a tad early so all of 
you can catch up on old times. They're a 
nice edition to the house anyway."
Andrew grinned at her.

	"Thanks so much, Andrew!"
Lita ran up to hug him.

	"You're welcome, Lita."

	"A reunion! We are 
definitely going to catch up on
old times!" Serena exclaimed.

	"Yeah! We can gossip about
guys, talk about our lives, go shopping,
pig out...it'll just be like high school!"
Lita agreed. "Lets go to my room and
start!"

	"Sure!" all the girls agreed.

	"Where are all of you staying?"
Serena asked.

	"I already arranged the staying
arrangements--Mina and Amy will stay
here with us and Raye will stay with
Serena," Andrew explained.

	"Raye, it'll be so cool! You're
staying with me."

	"I know. I have so much to 
tell you about like Paris and Chad. I 
love it there!"

	"I can't wait to hear about it."

	"Rita, I don't believe you have
met Raye, Amy, and Mina." Lita noticed.

	"No, I haven't, but I'm pleased to
meet all of you."

	"Same here," the girls said in unison.

	"How about that gossip session?" Mina
queried.

	"Yeah, lets go!" Lita almost pushed the
girls upstairs.

	"Do you want to join us, Rita?" Serena
asked at the top of the staircase.

	"No, it's okay. I'll just stay with my
pookie for a while."

	"Okay, see you later!" All five
girls ran up the stairs the rest of the way  
and into Lita's room.

	"Those girls. They still act like
teenage girls sometimes instead of
grown ladies." Andrew chuckled.

	"I guess they never want to
grow up." Darien shook his head in
amazement.

	Darien took a seat on a plushy
white arm chair while Andrew and Rita 
snuggled together on the couch.

	"The two love birds together 
again. You two must be very happy,"
commented Darien.

	"You can say that again. It
has been two months since the
last time we saw each other. Now
that Rita has lots of time off, we
can plan our wedding and catch up
on a lot of things like being together,"
Andrew said as he gave Rita a quick
peck on the lips and nose.

	"Ugh! You guys are way too
mushy for me."

	"Darien, you'd be too if you
were in love," Rita pointed out.

	"I'm certainly glad that I'm
not. Being in a position that you two
are in, I think I'm going to be sick."

	"Love is a wonderful thing to
be invol--" Andrew started.

	"No more lectures or sonnets
about love, Drew," Darien cut him off.
"You and my parents have done enough
already. I'm really sick and tired of
hearing the same thing being said
over and over again. Give up already.
You can't change my views on love."

	"Fine. I won't say anything
anymore. I'll leave it up to your 
parents."

	"That's a relief. I know that
my parents are going to lecture me 
sometime this week anyway on the
topic."

	"Darien, Andrew, I made
some cookies if you two want any."
Mrs. Banker walked into the room, 
wiping a cup with a dish towel.

	"Great! We'll be there in a
minute," replied Andrew.

	"Hello, Daisy!"

	"Oh, Rita! My goodness, dear,
I didn't see you! Andrew is so tall 
sometimes that he blocks the shortest
people. But I don't recall you being short."

	"I'm not short at all. I was leaning
deep into Andrew's shoulder and heard
your voice."

	"At least come here and give me a
hug."

	Rita complied and walked over to
Daisy. (AN: Haven't you noticed that people
have been hugging or smiling almost all 
throughout this chapter? Well, when you 
greet people it requires hugging and some 
smiling. It's a very huggy and smiley chapter
I know, but hopefully in my next chapters not
too much. ^_~)

	"You are so beautiful, Rita. I know
you'll make a beautiful bride at your wedding."

	"Thank you, Daisy." Rita blushed.

	"Lets go into the kitchen and get 
some cookies. You three must be famished.
Especially Rita after that long and tiresome
airplane ride. Andrew, please call the girls
from upstairs would you?" Daisy led the
way into the kitchen with Rita and Darien
following her.

	A few minutes later, Andrew
entered the kitchen with five 
giggling and gossiping girls behind 
him.

	"What's so funny?" Darien
asked the girls curiously.

	"This guy that Mina works with,"
answered Raye, a hint of mirth in her voice.

	"You don't want to know," Amy
simply replied.

	"It sure smells good in here!" 
commented Mina.

	"It's my Mom's cookies of
course," Serena proudly answered.

	"Just start digging in everybody.
I made these cookies for all of you to
munch on." Mrs. Banker took another 
batch out from the oven.

	Everybody took a cookie from
the plate at the center of the counter
and began eating while Mrs. Banker
poured everybody a glass of milk.

	After taking a sip of the milk,
Andrew began to speak.

	"I don't think I told you girls
that tomorrow is our engagement party."

	"No, you haven't," Mina answered
for Raye and Amy while munching on
another cookie.

	"It's tomorrow night and you three
are welcome to come."

	"A party! This is wonderful! I can't
wait to attend," Raye beamed.

	"Same here," Mina agreed while Amy
nodded her head.

	"Tomorrow I'm going on a shopping 
spree with Serena and Lita and you're welcome
to join as well," said Rita.

	"We'd love to join you," all three girls
said.

	"Perfect," Rita replied.

	The kitchen was filled with laughter,
eating, and talking. The girls still in their
gossip session, or Andrew and Darien teasing
a few of the girls. After everybody was done 
eating, they helped clean up the table and wash
the dishes. Then the group split up to go in their
separate directions--Andrew was with Rita 
to help her unpack her things, Darien in
the library to make a few business calls,
and the girls were taking a stroll into
the Garrisons' garden. Much of the
afternoon went by without much excitement,
except to look forward to tomorrow night's
engagement party.

To be continued...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That's all minna! Took me long
enough, huh? I want to thank all 
the people who have been e-mailing 
me and urging me to get the next 
chapter. Especially Silver Bunny and 
her spatulas! Can't hurt me now! =P Oh, 
yeah and Chibi Cori, we had a deal! Got 
my next chapter out so you give me the 
next shortie! ^_^ Don't make me
wait too long! ^_~ And one more 
announcement before I go, I have 
created a Sailor Moon group and the 
address is:groups.yahoo.com/group/friendsandlove123
People are welcome to join! And e-mail 
me please! Ja ne peeps!

Completed April 18, 2000