Finally, the epilogue of this story.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.

EPILOGUE

His head on her lap, Rei plunged her fingers into his curly blond hair, whispering his name, "Junichi".

She observed him as he was deeply asleep, amazed by his beauty: short blond hair, curly to the point to look disheveled, cowlicks nearly covering his closed eyes, perfect nose and fine features, perfect lips. Nothing had changed in his appearance from his past life, neither his beauty nor his casual and somehow sloppy look: over-sized sweatshirt, blue jeans, old sneakers, a silver ring on his right forefinger and a leather bracelet on his right wrist.

It was three weeks since his awakening at the Hospital, three weeks of him coming at the Shrine, day by day, spending some time with her. Nothing had changed; like that ancient day at the lake, even now, after three weeks spent at the Shrine, he simply rested his head on her lap, old attitude of him, and she didn't kick him away because it felt natural and innocent.

Behind her, her grandfather's voice, "I am going to prepare some tea." The old man glanced at the guy sleeping, with a puzzled look. He accepted Junichi at the Shrine with no questions but just trusting her granddaughter, even if he couldn't completely hide his surprise at the vision of a stranger (a guy!) sleeping on her granddaughter's lap, and, even more, her granddaughter being fine with it.

Rei smiled, "Thanks, ojiisan," a soft red of embarrassment tingeing her cheeks as she noticed her grandfather's confusion. She perfectly knew that her grandfather, even if he never asked, somehow was aware of her true identity. Maybe, he wasn't perfectly aware that she was a Sailor Senshi but he sensed that her life wasn't just the Shrine and the T.A. Academy: he was aware of her psychic powers since she was a little child, after all, to understand that she was involved in something really important and magic, something also dangerous (something that already brought her away from him, even recently). So, her grandfather accepted Junichi at the Shrine because he knew that, being part of her granddaughter's life, for sure that guy had something special, and he was happy with it.

Junichi opened his eyes and sat up, yawning. He was pale.

"How do you feel?" Concern in her voice.

He stirred, "I am still a bit weak, but it's going better and better."

Soft voice with a pitch of hoarseness, quite a whisper: nothing had changed, neither his look nor his voice. But his name: Junichi.

"Do you want some tea, Junichi-san?"

Junichi-san. It was the way she called him, now, too early for calling him "Jun-chan", as in her vision.

They needed time to know each other in their present identity: Rei Hino and Junichi Higashi.

Rei Hino: 17 year-old, born in Tokyo on April 17th, Aries, daughter of Senator Takashi Hino, lived with her grandfather at Hikawa Shrine after her mother's death and she was going to graduate at T.A. Academy. She liked divination, meditation and ancient writing. Hobby: archery. She wanted to become a Shrine Priestess.

Junichi Higashi. What did she know about that guy? 21 year-old, born in Tokyo on November 18th, Scorpio, no family, grown in an orphanage, graduated at Setagaya Izumi High School. He liked occult sciences, Psychology and Philosophy. Hobby: photography. He wanted to become a Detective and he was going to attend Police Academy.

Junichi nodded and smiled, "Yes, thanks. I need some tea." He stood up and walked to the yard.

She observed his lean feature standing in the sun, his pale blond hair turning almost white.

He placed his hands on his hips and arched his back, taking a deep breath.

What did she know of that guy? And what did he know about her?

Rei was both excited to have him back and also scared. Was he going to accept her and love her as Rei Hino? And was she going to love Junichi Higashi? A shiver of pain and fear ran along her spine.

He turned around and looked at her.

He smiled. His boyish and sweet smile. In the sun.

And her concern vaporized.

She loved Junichi Higashi the way she had loved Jadeite, because Junichi Higashi was the present form of Jadeite. She knew they needed time in order to know each other, to know their present forms, and even if the path could be difficult (Usagi and Mamoru, too, had experienced confusion, insecurity and jealousy at the beginning of their new life together), this was the path she wanted to follow.

Rei Hino, the present form of the Guardian of Passion and Flame, stood up and walked to Junichi Higashi, the present form of the Knight of Patience and Harmony. She grabbed his hand and she drove him to the house, "Come on, Junichi," no more -san, a new step along the path, "let's go to have some tea."