by Saun

Rated: PG

Haruka

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon & Company do not belong to me. I just

borrowed them for a bit.

Don't blame my editor for typos... this too was an unsupervised expedition:-D

Makoto snuck a glance at the other end of the dinner table where her blonde

guardian was picking at her meal. The brunette had rushed downstairs that

morning angry and full of questions, but Setsuna had quietly addressed her

concerns.

"She's a woman!"

"So are you or rather you will be someday soon." Setsuna had pointed out.

"The whole world thinks she a man. She's a celebrated race car driver!"

"Does what the world think take anything away from her talent?"

"Well... no...I guess not." Makoto mumbled. Setsuna was an oasis of deep

calm and it was hard not to be sucked into it.

"You two just need to get to know each other." the butler said thoughfuly as

she smartly folded a napkin.

'I don't want to get to know her.' Makoto had mused darkly.

When she had come home from school it seemed that cooler heads had indeed

prevailed and now she and Haruka were having dinner together but that

hadn't meant they had to talk or even look at each other. Setsuna came

in and cleared away their soup bowls adn placed yest another steaming

course in front of them. Makoto had the suspicion that the garnet eyed

woman was drawing this out so that they would have to spend the maximum

amount of time in each other's company. She stifled a sigh and dug in.

Comissioner Chiba answered the phone in his kitchen. He and his family

had been eating a late dinner, but he knew if a call came in now it

had to be urgent.

He listened as Police Chief Hino filled him in.

" A maitenance man saw someone picking the lock at the back of the Tokyo

Science Museum. You'll never guess who it was..." As Mamoru listened his

coutenance grew even more troubled.

He was silent absorbing the information, then he sighed. "It sounds

like you had better call Batman."

In the other room Ami dropped her fork.

Setsuna was bringing out the meat dish when suddenly the phone on the

wall began to emit an urgent beeping and the red light on top blinked.

Makoto saw Haruka and Setsuna exchange a glance and Haruka excused

herself and went into the next room presumably to take the call. That

was another odd thing about this house Makoto reasoned. There were

phones in nearly every single room. She couldn't understand going

to that amout of trouble just to make sure you didn't miss a call.

Hadn't these people ever heard of '69'?

Haruka returned and she addressed Setsuna but her gaze also

lingered for a moment on Makoto.

"It's an emergency, I have to go." she said.

Setsuna nodded understandingly "Of course. I'll keep a plate warm for

you in the oven."

Haruka nodded her thanks."Thank you, Setsuna. Makoto, I'm sorry we weren't

able to finsish our dinner together. Maybe some other time." and with that

she was gone.

Makoto thought about the blonde's parting words and then dismissed them

'Yeah right.' she thought.

Catwoman darted through the empty museum. She was very pleased with

herself. It had been so easy to slip past the security system. So

antiquated...they really should fix that. Maybe they would after her

little impromptu heist.

Her thoughts turned to more serious topics. This would ingratiate

her to them. While she had been contemplating other things they

had grown far more powerful than she could have dreamed possible.

They had demanded a token of her fealty and she feared what would

happen if she offered something they deemed unworthy. She tuuk out

a tiny atomizer and sprayed the exhibit, exposing the hidden laser

beams. Sweat trickled from under her mask as she worked in silence

only to pull back giddy with success. Grabbing her cache she prepared

to go.

Unseen and Unoticed, Haruka eased up behind her adn caught her

wrist. She placed her mouth near the woman's ear. "Now what do we have

here?"

The black clad beauty arched her back against Haruka firm body armor

and purred "I was hoping you'd come."

"I don't like to disapoint." the blonde said silkily.

Catwoman spun then and pulled Haruka to her, kissing her fully on her

chiseled mouth.

Suprised, the racer growled low in her throat, sucking Catwoman's lower

lip into her mouth and biting it sharply - drawing blood. Catwoman drew

back stunned, but only for a moment. Quick as lightening her hand whipped

across Haruka's exposed cheek.

"Damn you." she spat.

"Now now You know you can't take a man's heart by force, Dear."

Haruka's hooded eyes watched detachedly as her words twisted the knife.

Catwoman's hand was at her mouth, gently inspecting her injured lip.

"So what do you want from me,Batman?"

"I want you to put back the micro chips you have tucked in your cleavage

and come quietly to jail."

"Off to the pound with all the other unwanted kitties? It doesn't

suit me." She laughed bitterly.

Haruka took hold of her elbow firmly. Under her cowel she cocked her

head thoughtfully perhaps this woman could help her on her quest. She

cleared her throat.

"Yesss?" the feline fatale hissed.

"I'm looking for a man..."

Her captive suddenly brightened. "I knew it! She turned toward the caped

figure, her blue eyes triumphant. "No man with your physique could

possibly be straight!." she lamented.

Haruka's mouth quirked at that canny observation.

The pretty neko continued. "I wish I could stay and help you, but I

have somewhere else to be."

"Don't worry I intend to escort you to your next appointment myself."

Haruka said firmly.

"Ah but you've forgotten soemthing important." her hand shot out quick

as lightening and a single sharpened nail raked across Haruka's jaw.

"The cutest kittens have the sharpest claws." Haruka fell to her knees

as the toxin took immdediate effect. She sucked in deep steadying

breaths. True to her word her captive was already gone. There was

no way she could drive the Batmobile like this and who knew how long

it would last. She tried to look around her but the room bathed in

shadows swirled in a magnificent palette of grays. Trying to clear her

head, she began analyzing her symptoms and narrowed it down to a family

of hallucinagens. Her long fingers fumbled with her utility belt and pulled

out pill case. Her head drooped as popped open one of the compartments

praying that it was the right one. She slipped the little pink pill

under her tongue and almost immediately her nausea quelled and her

vision cleared. She stumbled outside, sucking in deep lungfuls of air.

That had been stupid she admited. She had the batcuffs for a reason...

besides Catwoman seemed the type to fall for something kinky. Now she had

to tell the Comissioner that she'd failed the city this time. It wouldn't

be the first time a criminal had gotten lucky. It was very rare, but no one

ever got away from her twice.

As the grogginess left her, rage surfaced in it's place and she slunk

away into the darkness to find suitable prey to assuage her growing fury.

Haruka was up before noon the next day discussing the evening events with

Setsuna. the butler had refused Haruka's invitation to sit down in favor

of standing with her hands clasped before her. The green haired woman was

dressed formally today. She looked quite somber in her tux with tails.

They both knew the significance of this day.

"I'll be attending tonight." Haruka aswered the question Setsuna had

not yet asked, but when she stepped into her bedroom her things were

already laid out. She allowed herself a smirk as she quickly dressed for

the gala.

Haruka arrived fashionably late and strolled in affecting a debonair

attitude. From a vantage point near the buffet tables she was able to survey

the room, searching for anything an anyone suspicios.

The police chief was there attired in a red dress and jacket with

imposing shoulder pads. Haruka wondered idly if she was ever able to

seperate her position from her personal life. Her husband was also in

attendance. A large ruff looking man that she recognized as a

local martial arts instructor.

Comissioner Chiba looked the part in his tux and his lovely wife was

wearing a smooth white satin gown that gave her an almost regal

bearing. When the dark haired man spotted her he made a bee-line for Haruka.

"I'm glad to see you here, Tenoh-san"

"It is a pleasure to see you again Comissioner." Haruka returned the

greeting formally. She saw concern in his eyes and she wanted to

shrink away from it. Surely he rememebered that night 8 years ago,

when her world had collapsed around...

"What happened to your neck?" He wondered aloud still pondering the

cut that the concealer she had used apparently failed to

completely hide. Startled, Haruka reached up and stroked her

fingers over Catwoman's calling card.

"I cut myself shaving." Haruka replied dryly.

Chiba-san smiled. I used to do that too. Until I got an electric

model. You've got to try one..."

"Mamo-chan." a soft voice interrupted them.

The commissioner immediately turned to his wife. "Hai Usako?"

his eyes drank in her beauty and it was at once obvious to

Haruka how in love the man was with his wife. Strangely she felt

no envy, only satisfaction in his happiness. That surprised her.

The lovely blonde lady laid her hand on her husband's arm. Mamo-chan

I'd like for you to meet Aino Minako an old friend of mine from

school. I didn't actually bring her over to meet you though, she's

been begging me all night to introduce her to Tenoh-san." she finished

coyly.

"Usagi -chan!" the young woman behind her called out, shocked.

Haruka finally noticed the lady standing there. This was not the first

time the racer had been sought out by a lady.

"It's all right. " Haruka assured her, turning on the charm. "It's

always a pleasure to meet a lady as lovely as yourself." She found

that for once it was actually true. No one could compare to Michiru,

but this lady's features combined in such a way as to make her fair

to the eyes.

Minako blushed.

Ever the gentleman Haruka offered her arm and the lady in question

took it. They briefly spoke of mundane things until Haruka gallantly

offered to get Minako a glass of punch.

Returning, she pressed the plastic glass in her newfound escort's

gloved palm.

Haruka sampled her cup. someone had gone a little wild with the

pineapple juice. This stuff was acidic. She wrinkled her nose in

distaste.

Minako sipped of her own glass and drew back suddenly wincing and

sucking air over her lip.

"What's wrong?" Haruka asked, concerned.

The blonde smiled. "Nothing...really.. I know it's wrong to

speak of such things but it's just a canker sore. I apparently get

them when I'm out too late at night." her voice had taken on a cold

note.

Haruka looked at her in askance, but they were interrupted by

Commissioner Chiba tapping his glass with fork. A hush fell

over the crowd and Haruka involuntarily tensed. She felt uneasy

tonight...very uneasy...

Notes: I am really tired so I may change parts of this one.

More Recent Notes: I got myself stuck here, but I have great

stuff for later chapters. I hope this is somehwat entertaining

I am trying to get my website up so I can post more of my

unfinsihed works. Let me know what you think!