"I began to think that maybe Nephrite didn't survive after all," Kunzite complained. Plus today, Nephrite had been missing for five days and reporters were bugging them around which Kunzite thought was very annoying. Sometimes, he really wished that Nephrite was here because all these years, he was the one who deal with those bosy reporters. He really had the urge to stand in front of an enormous speaker and shouted 'Mind your own goddamn business!'.

"I know what you mean," Jadeite rubbed at the back of his neck wearily. "Can you believe it? I thought we managed to get away from reporters by staying at the summer house! How the hell did they get our phone number?" Jadeite demanded. All the night the phone rang and he swore that he saw somebody sneaking around. What the hell did he sneak around for?

"I'm as clueless as you. Do you have the key?" Kunzite buried his hands in the pocket, searching for key.

"I have it. Now, I really need a good sleep before I off to the office," he mumbled. But as soon as the door was opened, both of them were as stll as statue, gaping in incredulity when they saw a very familiar figure sleeping very soundly on the sofa. The atmosphere was so still and silent that they could her the sound of clock ticking.

"Am I too tired or my eyes are mistaken or that sleeping man is Nephrite?" Jadeite spoke up slowly.

"I don't know. I saw him too," Kunzite at Nephrite in amazement. He finally found the energy to walk toward him, to make sure once again.

"Jadeite! Oh, my god! This is really Nephrite!" he shouted esctatically. Like a flash of light, Jadeite was beside him.

"Wake up, man!" Jadeite hold Nephrite's shoulder. He stirred and opened his eyes a little and saw two men were grinning widely.

"What a great start," he groaned. Kunzite exchanged knowing look with Jadeite.

"This is Nephrite, alright,"

"What else did you think? A cow?" Nephrite retorted. He sat up, trying to remember what had happened. One name popped up from his head. Lita.

He wondered what Lita would think of him, when she woke up and found she was in the hospital. She would ask him a hundred of questions and gave him a thousand of accusations. She would looked at him in total disgust and hatred if he told her about his identity and she would never believe him if he told her how their togetherness on the island had brought such an unidentified feeling to him. The feelings to protect her, to comfort her whenever she needed him were so intense. He really need to see Lita, before she made any conclusion about him.

"What's the time now?" he asked. He felt that he had been sleeping for a eternity.

"9.00 a.m You better go freshen up. We have a really great story to tell you during your absent," Kunzite urged him. Watching Nephrite walked wearily to his bedroom, Jadeite remarked. "And he really has an interesting story to tell us,"

* * * * * *

Lita opened her eyes. Her body was protesting for every move she made and her leg was the worst. For a while, she was dumbfounded at her surrounding. It wasn't the usual beautiful scenery of beach it was a...hospital! She was in the hospital. Lita abruptly sat up, ignoring the pain.

"How, in the world, did I get here?" Lita said slowly. All she remembered was a snake bit her and then world went black. When she tried to remember back, it was blurred and she tried harder to remember her head was throbbing painfully. She turned around, hoping to find Maxfield, so that he could explain her doubts.

If he told her that a miracle crossed by that coincidentally, a ship passed by and saved them, she would looked at him skeptically. A poison like snakes' did not wait that long to effect. Only two or three minutes, the victim would die. She was not that stupid to believe that kind of reason if that was he gave her.

Lita had an awful feeling that Maxfield wasn't being honest to her. It was as if he was hiding a horrible, terrible and dark secret from her. She hoped if there was, he wasn't her enemy, who was playing with her heart, to use her for certain reasons. She didn't know if she can take his rejection as rational and as ignorant as she had received hundreds of time before.

Drawing her legs close to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and buried her face within them, letting her hair fall like a heavy curtain. She hoped with all her heart that she was mistaken because whatever his secret was or how horrible it was, she couldn't change the way she had felt for him. Because deep in her heart, she knew she was helplessly and completely in love with him.

* * * * * *

Are you telling me that they know our existance?" Nephrite demanded. Jadeite had just finished telling him what had happened when he was gone. And Nephrite was certainly unpleased with his story. It was unbelievable! He had only been away for five days, and his life had turned upside down.

Jadeite bit his lips. Seeing his reaction-angry and disbelieved but not shocked or suprised, he knew instantly that he didn't that Lita was one of the scout. But he needed to be certain. "How do you know Lita?" Nephrite was stiffened a little.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. I want to know lot of things such as how long you've known her..."

"Why do you ask?" Nephrite interrupted, repeating his earlier question.

"What if I tell you that I know something about her that you don't know," Jadeite word brought Nephrite's brows closed, frowning, as he lifted his hot cocoa.

"Like what?" Jadeite's offer was interesting. What could he know about anything when he never met her? Nephtire thought, taking a sip of his cocoa.

"Like she is Sailor Jupiter?" he clarified. Nephrite's body went rigid at his statement. The shock of knowing her true identity nearly made him choked his cocoa. After all they had been through, he could not believe Lita was one of the scouts. She certainly is good in keeping secret. Nephrite thought grimly.

"I guess you really don't know anything about her, do you?" Jadeite put down the mug that he had been holding. "Which remind me, where's she?"

"She's in a hospital," Nephrite mumbled. Lita is a scout? Why haven't seen her before? He let out a sigh and pushed the thought away. When he meet later this evening, he'll ask her.

Nephrite ran his hand through his thick brown hair. "If I appeared suddenly, the reporters will be puzzled and they will haunt us more often and do you know what does that mean?" he leaned back and crossed his arms over his broad shoulder. "It means our life is over. They would not stop until they are satisfied and by the time they did, our secrets will be no secrets anymore."

"What are you suggesting?" Kunzite asked him. He could imagine how deceitful their life would be.

"I will not show myself in the public for another day and I want you to call Sinclair and if you can manage, make a deal with any ship company to tell the reporters that one of their ship passed by and they had found us," Nephrite ordered. Living as one the presidents of a large company had gave him many experience to deal with the press.

"The minute Sinclair is here, I will him that I had called him from Hokkaido to fetch me up. Jadeite, can you tell Zoisite that. I don't our story to be mixed up if we have to press conference,"

"Sure thing," Kunzite and Jadeite stood up and headed to the door. "By the way, do you want me to tell our prince?" Kunzite paused at the door. Our prince. How would he react when he saw me? Nephrite wondered. It had been along time since they had seen each other. It will very awkward if he met him by sudden. He needed sometime. Everything was moving too fast for him. But first, he had to see Lita.

"Not yet. I have to do something first. Then, I'll see him by my self," Nephrite decided. Seeing him was so weary, Jadeite look at Kunzite, telling him to leave Nephrite alone.

"We'll see you in the morning," Jadeite told him. In a flash, they both gone.