So what is really going through this head of mine?

[bloodsong1]

Sarah tugged the tank top over her head, looked down and sighed as she smoothed the fabric over her stomach. A wolf head tattoo looked out on her left side, between her collarbone and her breast, green eyes seemingly intent, face watchful without showing teeth. Her finger gently traced one pricked ear.

"What am I going to do?" She asked softly. The Senshi had been so incredibly helpful and friendly and kind and welcoming and it was still boggling her mind. Mako-musume calling her Kaa-san, Usagi-imoto calling her Nee-san, Rei-chan wanting her to teach something she honestly didn't know HOW to teach, as the communion with the Great Fire had been mostly on the Fire's part. Ami-chan and Minako-chan hadn't had heart to heart talks with her yet, but she suspected they would and soon. Especially with the honorable titles being thrown around.

Part of Sarah's mind honestly believed this was all some kind of weird, jet-lag induced dream and she was going to wake up any minute with her children pinching her and the subway stop missed by miles. She looked at her hands, and the burn on her left thumb from accidental contact with the rice cooker. It still hurt and she didn't remember a dream having that kind of pain. Occasional pleasure/pain and the feeling of being trapped, like that vampire dream where her ex had bitten her thigh, yes. She understood those kinds of dreams. This. This was all too real. Scents, textures, voices, writing, all came through clearly.

She pinched herself.

"Ow."

Yeah, pretty sure this wasn't a dream and she was trapped in Takeuchi Naoko's magical girl world. The scary part was, the fangirl part of her didn't want to leave. Even knowing that there was going to be fighting and dying and massive destruction and the more then zero chance that she and her kiddos could be caught in the middle of it. Kevin was dead. She had finished her certificate work and was qualified to work in the billing department of any US based physician's office. What did she have to go back to? Besides a house and a snake and a really good support network that provided free daycare and really good friends who loved her dearly and there were about two dozen people she could think of off the top of her head that would be very sad if the threesome were declared dead?

"Everything happens for a reason," She reminded herself out loud. Destiny, karma, Fate, whatever you wanted to call it, a Higher Power had reached across the Void and yanked them to this dimension, this time and place. Obviously there was Something Important to be learned here or to do. Now all she had to do was figure it out in about 12 days. No pressure. Sarah clapped her hands.

"Right! Time for a sleepover. Gods, how long has it been?" Shaking her head, she quickly folded the thin futon and blanket into an easy to carry bundle, stacked her pillow on top and piled the remaining Inner Senshi bracelet threads on top of that. On an instinct, she grabbed her shiny new emergency inhaler. Picking up the bundle, she walked out of the spare room and two doors down to Rei-chan's room. Ami-chan waved her in.

"Set up wherever you'd like, Sarah-san!" She called. Sarah nodded and put her bundle just beside the door. She grinned as she joined the five teenagers sitting around the low table.

"So! What are the plans for tonight?" She asked, folding her legs and helping herself to a Ramune soda.

"Um, Sarah-san," Minako said, reaching for the bottle. She snatched the hand back when Sarah opened the bottle with a hard smack against the plastic plug. "How did..."

"They sell Ramune in the States. Marc and I like it," She explained and took a long drink. Ami-chan perked up.

"I have some news about you," She said.

"Coolness! What did you find?"

"Well, there's weird energy signatures in the subway system. Some are at platforms and a few are in the tunnels themselves. Based on what you told me about your train ride, I've narrowed it down to two places. We can't get to one, because it's in the middle of a tunnel, but the second is coming from the Azabu-Juban platform on the Oedo line."

"How many energy signatures are there, Ami-chan?" Mako-musume asked. Rei-chan and Minako-chan were frowning. Sarah felt a frown slip into place as well.

"I've found about a dozen. The two that show enough of a similarity to Sarah-san and her family are the ones I just mentioned. The others are putting out different frequencies, although..." Ami broke off and bit her lip, looking at the gaijin. Sarah promptly stood up with her soda.

"Let me know when business is over," She said and quit the room. Heading out to the porch facing the shrine steps, she sat down and drank. Sailor Moon Super. Third in the series, involving Daimons and talismans from pure hearts and the introduction of Sailor Uranus and Neptune. Since Chibi-Usa was already here, they were past the halfway point. Hotaru-chan may or may not be in the picture. Near as she could remember, the Witches 5 were in full swing, or were they down to the Witches Four? Pure hearts were being stolen with guns, or with cormorant-based Daimons or...whatever the last type was.

"I wonder if the grail has been found yet?" She murmured, tipping her head back. The light pollution was too high to see many stars. A faint smile tugged her lips and refused to leave. "Still, it's a beautiful night."

"Um, Sarah-san?" Sarah waved at an upside down Ami-chan.

"Safe for civvies, now?"

"Um, well, we're done with Senshi business, but Rei-chan and Usagi-chan are having a tongue war over you. Did you really agree to be Usagi-chan's Nee-san?"

"Unofficially adopted as a big sister and a surrogate mother for Mako-musume," Sarah rolled her head forward and stood up. She leaned against a pillar and crossed her ankles, dusting off the bunny-print sleeping pants. "If it's going to be a serious problem, I can stop calling them that, but...they asked." Ami-chan nodded.

"I can understand that. Mako-chan has been without a mother figure for several years and you are so kind and affectionate. Usagi-chan, well..."

"She'd adopt just about anyone," Sarah filled in, drinking.

"Yes, she would."

"What about you?"

"Wh...what?" Ami-chan stuttered, turning pink. She really did blush so easily.

"What do you need, Ami-chan?"

"N...need?"

"Is there a role for me in your life? Sister, cousin, second cousin three times removed?"

"Is that...a joke?"

"Yes and no." Sarah finished her soda, letting the bottle dangle in her fingers. "You're the Senshi I always related to, the smart shy one, although my grades were never first place. I'm honored that Usagi and Makoto have gifted me with the relationships they have. I want to be there for all of you. I want to be the shoulder anyone can cry on when the stress gets to be too much. I want to be the comforter when things go sideways. I want to protect all of you. I want to clap and cheer for you when you're victorious. You give so much of yourselves and none of your loved ones know about it. I want to BE HERE for you." Sarah watched Ami-chan's face. The bluenette was faintly pink-cheeked, but her eyes were clear and solemn.

"My vacation time is over in about 12 days. After that, if I'm still here, I'm going to have a lot of work to do. But I don't know that. I don't know if we'll all just disappear on the next subway ride, or if only I disappear and my children are left behind, or vise versa. It's terrifying to think about, but I have to consider all the possibilities. It's what I do. At the same time, I'm selfish enough to want to leave something of myself with you, something tangible. Not only as thanks for all of your caring and courtesy, but also to remind you that in another world, there's one woman who loves you all so much!" Tears pricked Sarah's eyes and she looked at the roof, blinking hard.

"Thank you," Ami-chan said softly. Sarah swallowed her tears and lowered her gaze. The blush was gone and Ami-chan had a bright smile.

"Thank you, Sarah-chan, for loving us. Thank you for wanting to take care of us when our families can't. Thank you for being here and showing us a bright future." Ami-chan walked over and hugged her. Sarah choked back a sob and held Ami-chan tightly.

"Sarah-chan works too," She whispered. Ami chuckled.

"I don't need a sister or a mother or a cousin. What I need is a friend. A friend that understands me better then the girls." Ami-chan released Sarah and stepped back, grinning. "Everyone does their best, but there are things they just don't get that you do."

"I'm honored to be your friend, Ami-chan," Sarah said and quickly wiped her eyes. "The offer to talk about anything and everything applies to you too. Don't forget."

"I won't. Now let's go back inside. The tongue war..."

"REI-CHAN!!! YOU'RE SO MEAN!!!" Usagi's shriek rent the night air.

"Should be finished," Ami concluded. Sarah chuckled and waved the genius forward with her bottle.

"After you, Pretty Sailor Soldier of Water. You're the one with the superpowers!"