Well Neflyte is alive! We find out why his star crystal was reacting to Molly. Now, to see where the pair takes this now.

Sailor Moon is copyright © 1992 Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI Animation. English Language Adaptation © 1995 DiC Entertainment

The moment they made it to her room, Neflyte groaned and collapsed to the floor.

“Neflyte! Oh, are you all right? Please tell me.” Molly whimpered as she quickly knelt next to her love and helped to hold his body up.

“I’ll be all right. That transport … took more … energy than … I had first … speculated,” Neflyte answered haltingly as he struggled to remain awake.

Slowly, Molly was able to get him into her bed and laid him down. He was unconscious the moment his head touched her pillow, making Molly smile at how peaceful he looked when he was sleeping. It was the first time he was nearly completely relaxed before her.

She removed his boots and shirt, only thinking twice about removing his pants - deciding he should wear them in case that awful Zoicite would come back. Then she covered him with her sheets and blankets. Molly smiled as Neflyte settled down under the covers into a deeper sleep. For a few moments, she knelt there watching him sleep. Within her chest, she felt a shimmer - a connection to this weary man that felt as old as time. Could that be the sense that Neflyte described earlier, the link her mother had mentioned but not explained in any way?

Molly smiled at her only love - for she knew that without question now, Neflyte was the only man for her. She would have snuggled in under the covers next to him, but she felt filthy and really needed to ease her strained muscles. Molly got up, kissed his forehead gently, and brushed a stray hair from his exhausted face.

Then Molly quickly stole away to the bathroom down the hall. It was all still all so much for her to believe. First she found out the truth about her beloved Maxfield. Then that horrid youma kidnapped her. The three who guarded her didn’t think that Neflyte would come for her, but when he slowly made his way down those stairs Molly wasn’t at all surprised.

Once the water warmed, she stepped under the shower to wash his blood and the dust of that night off her. Molly saw him tear past those awful women, looking deep into her eyes when he pinned one of them to the wall next to her. She smiled as she remembered how they sat in the park talking, and he promised to take her out for a chocolate parfait.

Then Molly remembered that split second that the peace ended. In slow motion she remembered Neflyte shoving her hard and shouting her name. When she turned around she saw the thorns rip into his shoulder. If it hadn’t been for the Scouts showing when they had … well, Molly didn’t want to face that. After remembering how close their parting had come, Molly couldn’t help but let the tears and sobs finally let go again. Neflyte was still alive! She hadn’t lost him!

“Molly? Are you all right?” Neflyte softly whispered while she was under the water. Even in his fatigued sleep, he had heard her crying and woke to search for her. Obviously he loved her in some fashion.

Molly smiled at the thought of him climbing in with her to hold her through the now happy tears. But, she doubted that he’d ever feel that way towards her - romantically love her. “I’m fine. I’m just so happy that you’re here with me, and not … not …”

She couldn’t bring herself to say the word, as the tears fell down her face harder from the idea of losing her love. When his hand came from behind the shower curtain, she reached out with trembling fingers to touch his. She needed to be sure that he was there, and not a dream that she’d soon wake from. As wet skin met with skin, Molly felt a jolt of electricity and feelings that were unlike any she had ever felt before - she so desperately wanted to hold him at that moment.

“Molly, if you don’t mind, I’ll get in there with you until you calm down. I hate to hear you cry, my love.”

Molly couldn’t believe it! He would get in the shower with her - without his clothes on? And … oh, had he really called her his love? He must have meant love as in the girl who’d showed him that he didn’t need his evil society to exist, the girl who saved his life twice, all of which meant a friendship love.

“I don’t mind, Neflyte. I just don’t want to embarrass or force you into anything you don’t want to do,” Molly whispered. Was he only offering that only to make her feel better, or did he really love her? She was almost too afraid to find out.

After all, he was a grown man who’d probably invite her to be a bridesmaid at his wedding to some star or model, a woman who was closer to his age than she was. That thought tore her heart and brought out more tears and sobs - this time they were of pain, grief, and loneliness. She loved him so much that losing him to another … it was too harsh a thought to bear.

Without saying a word, Neflyte withdrew his hand. A moment later, Molly heard him remove the last of his clothing. He was really going to do it!

* * * * * * * *

At first, Neflyte had no idea where he was. It wasn’t his own bed, because he looked up and noticed that the skylight was missing - also the bed was much smaller. Yet, the room looked familiar. After a beat he realized that he was lying in her bed - Molly’s bed. Seeing his bloody shirt and boots nearby brought the memories of that night back to him. Gods, he’d almost lost her - and then came so close to leaving her at Zoicite’s mercy.

He still felt miserable, and his body was screaming for rest. He had been asleep, but what woke him? Then he realized that Molly wasn’t there. Where was Molly!

Just as he was about to summon the powers of the stars to find her, he heard what had woken him. Sobbing … Molly was somewhere nearby weeping.

Then he noted the sound of water and surmised that she had gone to take a shower. Not a bad idea considering he knew that she had his blood all over her from the attack and rescuing him, along with dust covering her from the battle the Scouts had with the youmas. She had to feel pretty disgusting - though, in his eyes, Molly would always be beautiful.

The one sound however that he just couldn’t take was of her weeping. It was ripping his heart that she would be in tears. He couldn’t stay in her bed as she cried. Molly needed him, and he would do whatever he had to just to be there for her.

With muscles shrieking for him to remain still, Neflyte fought his way out of her bed. It took nearly all of his energy, but he made it out of her room and followed the sounds of the water and her sobs until he at last was standing in the bathroom.

He had to fight off the image already forming in his mind of her standing naked and wet under the stream of water. He wasn’t here to gain her in that way - one day, when she was ready for him … maybe, but not now. Right then she was in agony, and he’d do whatever she needed him to do to take that pain away.

When she told him that she was crying in happiness because he wasn’t dead - though she couldn’t bring herself to say the word - he felt a little better. Just as long as his Molly wasn’t hurting - but she still sounded lost and lonely, and that tore at him. He reached in to find her, and was pleased when he felt her wet fingers softly press against his own.

The touch sent shivers into his soul. It felt as if something had come full circle for them, something he just couldn’t remember. Yet, that feeling proved to his doubts that this young lady was indeed his wife reborn - as Queen Serenity had promised. He felt so ashamed for what he did, but knew that there was nothing he could do to reverse all the evils he had done. All Neflyte could hope for was that his beloved would somehow … someday forgive him of his past.

He could hear her still crying, and offered to get in with her until she calmed down. It was as it had been the night they snuck away to wed on Earth. Then she had been terrified that they would be torn apart before they could consummate their marriage … making it void, and she could be married off to another. He was waiting then for her to ready herself for him, but her frightened tears had cut his heart deep.

Now it felt as if she feared he didn’t feel true love for her. Neflyte closed his eyes in pain and thought to himself, ‘Oh Molly. How could you ever allow yourself to consider the idea that I would not love you as you deserve to be loved? You are the only one to have ever found a way into my heart and soul - just as you did a thousand years ago … my beautiful wife.’

The second she said it would be all right, his heart leapt for joy. But when she added that she didn’t want to force or embarrass him, it fell again. She didn’t know how deep his love for her was. That settled it! He was going to show her that she was his only, even if they could not be as sensually close as they once had been … yet.

As he removed his clothing, Neflyte thought of how the world around them had changed in those thousand years.

In their time, Molly was in a prized age for marriage. He was in the best position to take her as his wife, being able to proved and protect her.

Now they were in a different world. Women were to wait until they were older, past their prime ages for birthing, and they rarely married outside of their age group. Molly was still considered a child, and he was a grown man. In this world their age difference would condemn any relationship they’d want outside of friends or maybe student/mentor - Neflyte would be seen as a dirty child molester … he was twice her age in years.

But, he forced those thoughts out of his mind. The only thing he worried about was that his only love was hurting.

He carefully slid into the shower behind her and began to rub her shoulders to see if she was skittish. After a moment, Molly relaxed against his chest. Neflyte took it as a sign that she was comfortable with it; so he gently rubbed her arms … gaining a contented sigh from her.

Molly took his hands and pulled him so that his arms were wrapped around her ribs. He brushed his lips against her ear, causing her to gasp in delight. “I won’t hurt you anymore, Molly … and I’ll try to never lie to you again. Do you believe me?”

“Yes. I know that you only see me as a friend …” Molly started with a hint of disappointment in her voice and new tears of agony threatening to fall from her eyes.

Neflyte covered her lips with his to quiet her. After a few moments, he pulled back to look at her reaction - she sighed and her eyes showed the nervousness and confusion that were in her heart. He smiled as he lovingly brushed his fingers down her cheek. “I love you, Molly. Not as my friend, but romantically. You are the only one to have ever found the way to my heart. But, if you’d rather I didn’t pursue you as my heart’s desire …”

“I want to be yours, Neflyte. I love you.” Molly wept as she took the moment to kiss him with all of the longing and love she felt for him.

At first Neflyte was shocked by the intensity of the kiss, but soon was giving it back to her with an equal force. His tongue swept into her mouth and explored her intimately as she moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to deepen the kiss. Neflyte combed his fingers into her hair and pulled her lips harder against his, both groaning and gasping at the rush this simple act of kissing was giving them.

After a long eternity of devouring the other, they broke apart to catch gulps of air into their lungs. Their eyes were dark and heated, and he knew that she was willing. Still Neflyte closed his eyes and shook his head of thoughts of taking her as his so soon. He waited once, and he would again - for her sake alone.

“I love you, Molly Baker. I have for longer than you know, and I will until the end of eternity until we can properly be together again - as husband and wife,” Neflyte hoarsely pledged as he fought to control the hungers he buried a thousand years before. He waited that long to regain her heart, he could wait a few more years to gain her hand properly.

Molly jumped into his arms so that he would look into her eyes. “Better or worse, I am yours alone. I love you, my Neflyte. Forever.”

That was all it took. Their pledges of eternal love awakened a spell Queen Serenity placed upon them both when she sent Molly and their baby into the future. Now, the truth would be faced and recognized by them both.

They both gasped as their pasts returned to their minds, and then felt a joining that made what happened out of their own sight be revealed to one another.

* * * * * * * *

Queen Jessica smiled as she slipped into the apartment she and Molly shared. Hearing the water running she silently walked past the closed door to Molly’s bedroom. Sticking her head in she saw that Neflyte’s shirt and shoes were on the floor and the bed covers were messed up from someone climbing roughly out from under them.

Jessica nodded; it was all coming about as she had seen it in her vision. She just wondered why her second sight hadn’t given the name Maxfield as being Neflyte? Well, she never did get everything from her powers - nor did they work every time. Jessica was only glad that the vision of Neflyte returning before Rudolph could rape Molly was coming true.

She went on down the hall, and prepared for the long night ahead of her. Her children were together again, and soon both would remember their shared past.

She knew just how the world would see her for allowing this relationship. She also knew the difficulties they might soon face. However, none of that mattered to her. For now, Jessica had it in her mind to make certain the two lovers would never be divided again.

Rudolyn may have been her husband then, and forced upon her as so in this life as Rudolph Baker, but Jessica would forever hate him for that awful day a thousand years ago and the near miss eleven years ago.

He hadn’t dared return after she had him arrested for nearly raping Molly at the age of three. He would never return to their lives, Jessica was determined of that. The pair in the bathroom loved for the sake of the one they loved. Rudolyn never understood or saw that truth a thousand years ago. Jessica and Molly had luckily left him before he remembered the past.

Still that last nightmare of hers remained to haunt the former Queen of Solaris. There was a very slight chance that Rudolph was only biding his time until he could attack. Once, that would have spelt Molly’s doom or worse. But now Jessica was certain that Neflyte would keep her daughter safe.

Now Neflyte had returned and was changing for her daughter’s sake. He was all Molly would need soon enough … provided that she’d still accept him. That was the final hurdle the pair faced, and Jessica couldn’t interfere with it.

“Just hope that this will change what is ahead of us, my old friend,” she whispered up to the Moon - the tomb of Queen Serenity and what was once the Moon Kingdom. “He might have changed it all then, if they had been given the chance. Now we will need that same advantage we needed so long ago - to protect the girls and both of our daughters, possibly even the little one that never had a chance to live.”