"Darling..." Ah, that soft sweet voice whispering in her ear. Haruka smiled and

rolled over.

"Hmmm?" She purred as her eyes opened slightly.

Michiru planted a warm kiss her on her lips. "Happy birthday."

Haruka grinned and pulled the already dressed senshi into bed with her. "You know

what I want for my birthday?" Haruka was fumbling with the buttons on Michiru's

blouse.

"I have a good idea." Michiru closed the buttons her lover had already opened.

"But I have something else planned for you."

Haruka scowled, she was back to the top button and getting nowhere fast.

"Michiru...can't it wait until later?"

The smaller girl grabbed the roaming hands and kissed them. "After your surprise,

we will come home and do this the rest of the day."

"Really?" Haruka smiled brightly.

Michiru nodded. "We'll do anything you want."

This was too good to pass up. "Will you do a striptease for me?"

Michiru giggled. "If that's what you want."

"I want to make love in every room of the house too...even the garage." She'd never

agree to that!

"Whatever you like." Michiru smiled sweetly at her. "But first...your surprise!"

"Why are going to the medical building?" Haruka asked as she looked up from the

front seat of her car.

"This is part of your surprise." Michiru climbed out of the car.

Haruka was totally confused, people only went to the medical building when they

were sick. "Aren't you feeling well?"

"I'm fine." Michiru told her.

Haruka shook her head, just what did she have planned?

Michiru held her hands over the blonde's eyes and guided her down the hall. They

stopped in front of one of the offices. "Haruka, before I remove my hands, I want

you to understand that I'm doing this because I love you."

"Oh...that doesn't sound good!" Haruka replied in a nervous voice. "What are you

getting me into?"

Michiru left out a heavy sigh and removed her hands. Haruka got a good look at the

sign on the door. Dr.Lee...Gynecologist, her mouth hit the floor.

"NO WAY!" The tall girl stomped down the hall with Michiru fast on her heels.

"Haruka, wait!"

She swung around to face her partner. "Have you lost your mind? I'm not going to

spend my birthday letting some Doctor feel his way around my insides!"

"She happens to be one of the best Gynecologists in Japan!" Michiru grabbed

Haruka's arm. "All women should have a gyne exam when they reach eighteen."

"Not this one!" Haruka tried to pull away but Michiru had a good grip on her.

"Do you know how many women die of cancer in this country?" Michiru asked. "Too

many...and I don't want you to be one of them!" Her dark blue eyes grew misty.

"I want you to stay healthy, I want us to grow old together."

Haruka looked into the sad eyes of her lover. How could she be upset with her when

all she really wanted was what was best for her? Her face softened. "She?"

Michiru smiled and nodded. "She."

"Alright...but you have to stay with me." Haruka insisted.

The two sat in the tastefully decorated waiting room, this didn't seem too bad.

Haruka leaned over and whispered to Michiru. "You know the striptease isn't going to

be enough now."

"No?" Michiru looked a bit worried.

"No." Haruka smiled evilly. "I'm going to video tape you while you're doing it."

"What?" Michiru's eyes widened.

"You said I could have whatever I wanted!" She chuckled. "But don't worry, I'll

never show it to anyone else."

The green haired girl swallowed hard. "Why don't I believe that?"

"Tenoh-san?" The Doctor's nurse stood over them. "Would you come with me please?"

Both Haruka and Michiru stood, the nurse looked at them puzzled.

"She's coming with me." Haruka informed her. The nurse smiled and led them to an

exam room.

"Please remove all your clothes and put this on." She handed Haruka a disposable

gown. "The Doctor will be right with you."

Haruka held up the paper gown and shook her head. "I don't believe I'm doing this!"

Michiru smiled at her. "It won't take very long."

Haruka pulled off her shoes and socks. "Just for future reference..." She unzipped

her pants. "this is not the way I like to spend my birthdays!" She tossed her slacks

to Michiru. "Was this really your idea or did Setsuna put you up to it?" She handed

Michiru her shirt and slid on the paper gown.

"It was entirely my idea." She smiled at the birthday girl. "Haruka...all your

clothes."

Haruka moaned and pulled off her underwear. "It's cold in here!"

There was a light knock on the door. "Tenoh-san?" The door opened slowly to reveal

an older woman perhaps in her late fifties. "I'm Doctor Lee." She said warmly. "How

are you feeling today?"

"Fine." Haruka grumbled.

"I understand it's your birthday. Congratulations!" She smiled at the two girls and

pulled up a stool.

"Thank you." The senshi replied dryly.

"Do you have any questions you would like to ask me?" The older woman seemed to be

all business.

"None that I can think of." Haruka answered quickly, she just wanted to get this

nightmare over with. The Doctor pulled a folder with some forms in it onto her lap.

"This is your chart, I'm going to ask you some questions about your medical history

and put it down in here. First of all, how old were you when you first started your

menstruation?"

"Uh, thirteen...why?"

The woman smiled. "These are just routine questions to give me an idea of what's

normal for you."

"Oh." Haruka watched the woman write in the chart. "How many questions?"

"Just a few." The Doctor looked up at the blonde. "Are you cold?"

"Yes!" Haruka was shivering in the scant paper covering.

The Doctor pulled open a drawer next to her and handed the young woman a small

blanket. "Here, maybe this will help you."

"Thank you." Haruka wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.

"Now, would you consider your cycle to be light, normal or heavy?"

Haruka shrugged. "Normal I suppose."

"Okay..." She jotted that down in the chart. "how long do they last?"

"About three days." Haruka relaxed a little, this woman appeared to be very

professional and genuinely warm.

"Do you do monthly breast exams?"

Haruka glanced over at Michiru and smiled. "Ah...well..." Haruka scratched her head,

this was a tricky question.

"We check each other." Michiru volunteered.

Haruka turned scarlet. "MICHIRU!"

"Oh for heaven's sake, she's your Doctor...not a tabloid reporter!" Michiru teased.

The Doctor laughed at the two girls. "The only thing I'm concerned about Haruka-san,

is your health." The Doctor stood in front of Haruka. "I'd like to do a breast exam

now." She undid the back of the gown and slid it to Haruka's waist. The poor girl's

eyes rolled up towards the ceiling.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. I showed my two daughters how to do their

exams."

"You have children?" Haruka looked into the gentle face.

"Yes, I do. Two boys and two girls. My oldest daughter will be starting high school

next year." She smiled at the blonde and pulled the gown back on her shoulders. "I

didn't feel anything abnormal, but if you should feel a lump...no matter how small

it is, I want you to make an appointment."

"Okay."

"Now, I want you to lay down on the table. I'm going to fell your pelvis."

Haruka did as she was told. The Doctor pressed gently but firmly on the girl's

pelvic area.

"Does this hurt?"

"No." She answered.

"Here?" The Doctor continued to press on different spots.

"No, not at all."

"Good!" The Doctor pulled an instrument wrapped in plastic wrap from a cupboard

shelf. "I'm going to do an internal exam now. This is called a 'speculum'." She

unwrapped it and showed it to the girls. "I'm going to put this inside of you..."

"OH NO!" Haruka sat up fast "I think you've done enough!" She swung her legs over

the table.

"Haruka!" Michiru started.

"Does this make you uneasy?" The Doctor asked.

"No...what you intend to do with it makes me uneasy!" Haruka reached for her

clothes. Michiru took a step away from her.

"Haruka-san..." The woman said gently. "it won't hurt you. All you'll feel is a bit

of pressure."

Michiru put her hand gently on Haruka's arm. "Do you think I would let anyone harm

you?"

"I would hope not!"

"Haruka, she does this every day to all sorts of women." Soft comforting blue eyes

reassured the taller girl. "Please, let her examine you." She relented and sat back

up on the exam bed.

"That's good, you'll see...it won't hurt!" The Doctor snapped the stirrups into

position.

"Oh my god!" Haruka could only gape at the Doctor.

"Here we go." The woman gently guided one foot into position, then the other. The

brave senshi pulled the blanket over her head and prayed for a quick death. "Just

relax, the speculum just helps me to get a better look."

She felt the plastic instrument slide gently into her, then she heard a few clicks

as the Doctor adjusted the width of the instrument. There was a slight feeling of

pressure as the Doctor said there would be. "Haruka-san, what I'm going to do now

is use a cotton swab to take a few cells from your cervix. These cells are going to

be checked for any abnormalities, such as cancer...this is called a 'pap smear'."

Haruka hardly felt a thing. Aside from the embarrassment, the entire exam had

been virtually painless. "All done." The Doctor announced.

"That's it?" Haruka asked from under her blanket.

"That's it, unless you have any questions you would like to ask."

"NO...no...can I go home?" She didn't want to give the Doctor a chance to change her

mind.

"Yes, you can." She gathered up the specimens she'd taken and tossed the speculum

in an orange bio hazard bag. "You'll get your test results from the pap smear in

the mail, in a few weeks." The woman smiled at her gently. "Have a good birthday!"

She left the pair alone.

Michiru pulled the blanket from her face and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"You see, it wasn't so bad was it?"

Haruka stood in the waiting room with Michiru. "I'll never understand you."

"Oh?" The smaller girl asked.

Haruka's eyes narrowed. "I thought you were too jealous to ever let another woman

touch me!"

Her sweetheart laughed. "And I got to watch too." She said wickedly.

"Still, it is a good idea isn't it?" Haruka asked. "Getting an exam I mean."

"I'm glad you see it that way." Michiru took her arm.

"Just a moment." Haruka walked over to the reception area. "Could I see your

calendar?" She asked the receptionist. "I'd like to make an appointment with

Dr.Lee."

"Certainly." The woman handed Haruka the desk calendar.

"I'm very proud of you Haruka...making an appointment for next years checkup

already!" Michiru hugged her around the waist. "My brave little senshi!"

Haruka smiled down at her and handed the book back to the receptionist. "I'd like to

make an appointment for March 6th."

Michiru's head snapped up. "What?"

"Morning or afternoon?" The receptionist asked.

"Early morning would be fine." Haruka smiled.

"What are you doing?" Michiru stared at her lover.

"Making an appointment for your first gyne exam of course!" The evil senshi of the

sky leered at her girlfriend. "What better way to start your eighteenth birthday?"