Deception - Chapter 1 (PG-13)
by Christina Anton

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine. Takeuchi Naoko made it, so it stands
to reason that it is owned by her and not by me. However, the characters
that are not in Sailor Moon, but are in this story, ARE mine.

I don't know why anyone would want to sue me for using made up characters
anyway, because they wouldn't get much out of me.

Warning: Cursing and some violence.

	When Maria was sixteen, she joined the Japanese exchange program. 
She had taken Japanese language classes ever since she had gotten into 
high school, even taking the summer classes. With the exception of her 
American accent, her Japanese was almost perfect. Her motive in doing 
this: to get as far away from Anthony Levantine as she could.
	She would be going to school there until the end of their school 
year, and staying until the end of their summer break, and Anthony 
couldn't come up with a plausible excuse to stop her.
	He could, however, make her life at her home in America even move 
miserable that it already was, and he did.
	In the three years since this had started, he had always made sure 
that she couldn't resist him. Which meant he either drugged her somehow 
or knocked her unconscious. In the week before she was to leave, Anthony 
had cracked three of her ribs and broken two of her fingers, both 
explained to her mother and hospital staff as a fall down the stairs.
	Maria cursed as the hand that had her two broken fingers bumped 
into her dresser. She looked at the picture of the Japanese family she 
would be staying with. Well, it was sort of a family. Four women lived 
there: a lesbian couple, their adopted daughter who was the same age as 
Maria, and a good friend of theirs. Ten'ou Haruka, Kaioh Michiru, Tomoe 
Hotaru, and Meioh Setsuna. It surprised her that the people running the 
student exchange would have a lesbian couple house an exchange student, 
but Maria didn't mind at all. Why be prejudiced when there were more 
serious concerns in the world? She didn't care where she lived as long 
as it wasn't near Anthony. It was sort of a relief that no men lived in 
what was soon to be her new home, at least for a year anyway.
	Maria had an aversion to men. She had never had a boyfriend, 
though she knew many guys were attracted to her. She didn't have many 
friends either. Three years of enduring what Anthony put her through, 
hiding it from her mother and others, and studying so she could get away, 
left Maria with little time or energy to make friends and have a healthy 
social life.	
	Maria started as a voice cut into her reverie. "Don't 
think that your leaving to Japan will get rid of me for long Maria dear." 
Anthony purred from her open doorway. Her face adopted a blank, enduring look 
as he stepped towards her and caressed her cheek. "You'll come back to 
me. Like it or not, you'll always be stuck with me." She squeezed her 
eyes shut and hissed in pain as he took her injured hand and squeezed it 
mercilessly. He waited until a few tears were running down her cheeks and 
her knees started to buckle before letting go. He chuckled as he walked 
out the door.
	Maria sat down on her bed, cradling her throbbing hand. "I'm gonna 
make you pay someday bastard." she whispered when she was sure he was 
out of earshot. Anthony had almost extraordinary hearing, but he 
apparently hadn't heard her. She thanked the heavens that her mother 
would be home tonight and that she would be leaving tomorrow.

						* * *

	"Explain to me again why we're doing this?"
	"Because it is a good thing to do Haruka."
	"And?" The blonde haired driver pushed.
	"And Setsuna said that it would be a good idea to do this. It also 
feels right to me, like we are supposed to do this. Plus, it will be good 
for Hotaru-chan to have a friend around who is her own age. Or at least 
her apparent one." Michiru said as her partner pulled into the airport 
parking lot.
	Haruka grunted in response to Michiru's explanation.
	The senshi of the ocean looked over at Haruka. "You agreed to this 
before, why are you having doubts about this now?"
	Haruka looked back at her. "Because she's something new. Every time 
something new comes, we have to fight. I was hoping that we would have 
peace and quiet for a while longer, perhaps until Crystal Tokyo comes to 
be."
	Michiru nodded in understanding, and said, "I don't think that 
will be the kind of help she needs, if she needs any, and I really don't 
feel any danger from her. If we do have to fight, it won't be for a long 
while." she glanced down at her watch. "Come on, her plane should be in, 
let's go greet her."
	
						* * *

	In one of the few times in her life, Maria was happy. She was 
exhausted, her still mending ribs hurt, and she had a headache, but 
when she stepped off the plane, she was incredibly happy and relieved. 
She was in a place where Anthony wasn't and she could relax. Now she just 
had to find one of the four people she would be living with in this crowd.
	Maria had never liked crowds. Bunches of people bumping and 
brushing against her. Crowds made her feel uncomfortable and nervous. 
She didn't like being touched, and given her situation, it was 
understandable. But, the world didn't know this, and as the world often 
is, what it doesn't know about, it seems to like to make worse. That 
thought made perfect sense to Maria, but most likely little to the world 
at large.
	Maria was tired and hurting, which made her irritable. The bumping 
brushing crowd didn't make things any better. She felt a spark of anger 
as a passing man hit her injured hand in passing, and she quickly snuffed 
that spark out. She wouldn't let herself become angry. Anger just made 
things worse. She shuddered at the unbidden memory of what happened the 
last time she had gotten truly angry. Don't think about that Maria, she 
thought. It's in the past and it won't be coming back for a long time. 
Think of the _now_ instead of the then.
	She was snapped out of her thoughts by someone calling her.
	"Levantine-san!"
	She looked around for the source of the voice and saw the 
turquoise haired woman and the blonde, short haired woman that looked 
like a man from her picture of them. Maria struggled her way through the 
crowd towards them. Thankfully, the area around them was mostly clear of 
people.
	"Pleased to meet you Kaioh-san, Ten'ou-san." Maria greeted in Japanese.
	"No need for formalities Levantine-san, just call us Haruka and 
Michiru. We are also pleased to meet you." Michiru said with a smile. 
Haruka just nodded, studying Maria.
	They don't seem too bad, Maria thought. "Then just call me Maria."
	"Alright Maria-chan. You must be tired, and I'm sure you are 
anxious to see your new home." Michiru responded warmly.
	For the first time, Haruka spoke. "Let me help you with your bags." 
Maria had a suitcase, a duffel bag, and her backpack. She hadn't packed 
much for a year, but she had been reluctant to bring things that would 
remind her of Anthony, such as the clothes he had bought her. Maria 
was more of a t-shirt and jeans person than a person that would wear 
dresses and skirts like Anthony liked to buy for her.
	Haruka took her suitcase and duffel bag, and Maria winced as her 
injured hand got caught in one of the straps.
	"What happened to your hand Maria-chan?" Michiru asked her in a 
concerned voice, while Haruka showed her concern through her slightly 
crinkled brow.
	She hated lying to people, especially ones that seemed genuinely 
concerned like Haruka and Michiru were, but she couldn't very well tell 
them, "Oh, this? My asshole of a stepfather sexually assaulted me and beat 
the shit out of me. Oh yeah, it's been happening for three years now." So, 
she told the well versed lie. "Oh, nothing. I just fell down the stairs a 
few days ago. Nothing much besides some body bruising and this." She said 
while extricating her hand from the offending duffel bag strap. She wanted 
to laugh at herself. Body bruising? Yes, there was bruising, but thanks to 
that bastard Anthony, she couldn't bend over without her ribs hurting like 
hell. Not to mention her hand feeling on fire from his treatment the night 
before.
	Michiru gave her a considering look, and then let the subject drop. 
Haruka led them to the car after getting Maria's bags settled. Maria 
definitely like their car. A sleek yellow convertible with tan upholstery. 
Even though she had a driver's license, Maria didn't own a car. She had 
been too wrapped up in her studies and daily life to get a job to pay for 
one. Anthony probably wouldn't have let her get a job anyway. As she slid 
into the back seat along with her bags, she found that it was comfortable 
too. She thought about letting herself fall asleep, but decided it would be 
too impolite to do so. The cool breeze as the car was driven to its 
destination helped clear her headache and keep her awake.
	"So how do you like Japan so far Maria-chan?" Michiru called back 
to her.
	"It seems like a great place to spend a year." she replied.
	Maria wasn't much of a conversationalist when whe was tired, and in 
slight pain from sitting up, and Michiru seemed to sense this. Nothing much 
else was said except between Haruka and Michiru for the rest of the 
fifteen minute drive.
	Maria was jerked out of her light doze by the convertible stopping. 
She lifted her head to see that they were parked outside of a large house. 
Not large enough to be called a mansion, but it looked large enough to 
house five people comfortably. In the description of the family she would 
be living with, it hinted that they were well off, but she never would have 
imagined that they were _this_ well off. Then she remembered hearing a 
bunch of race fans at school talking about a Haruka Ten'ou.
	"Ten'ou Haruka, famous racecar driver." she blurted out, surprised 
that she hadn't realized who the blonde was before she even came to Japan.
	Haruka grinned and added, "And Kaioh Michiru, famous violinist and 
artist."
	Stunned silence.
	"Close your mouth Maria-chan." Michiru told her amusedly.
	They got out of the car, Maria moving stiffly and still surprised 
that she was going to be living with two famous people. Haruka took her 
bags and said with a smile, "Welcome to our humble abode, Maria-chan."
	Looking at the large, two-story house that Haruka called "humble", 
Maria laughed weakly and said, "I'd call it beautiful instead of humble, 
Haruka-san."
	"Why thank you Maria-chan. Why don't we go inside?" Michiru 
replied.
	Maria nodded, and they went inside. Upon entering, Maria found the 
place comfortable. She felt like she was home; like she had lived there 
all her life. Looking at the entry hall, she knew that Michiru had 
decorated it, or at least helped to. A hardwood floor with a royal blue 
Venetian rug, decorated the floor, white walls with various paintings and 
a beautiful tapestry of a mermaid coming up from the surface of a 
beautiful sea. A crystal chandelier lit up the room. She had never truly 
seen the beauty of things. Always too wrapped up in worry about what would 
or could happen during the day (and night), and being so completely 
focused on getting away from the bastard that the fates decided to make 
her stepfather. Now she had the time and freedom to actually see beauty 
and appreciate it.
	She was broken out of her reverie by the arrival of a tall, green 
haired woman and a pale, dark haired girl who looked about her age.
	"Welcome Maria-chan. I am Setsuna and this is Hotaru-chan." the 
green haired woman said.
	"Pleased to finally meet you Setsuna-san, Hotaru-chan." Maria 
tried to stifle a yawn, but miserably failed. "Please excuse my rudeness." 
Maria said, blushing.
	Michiru smiled and put a hand on her arm. "It's alright, you must be 
tired after that long flight. How about we forego the tour until morning, 
so you can get some rest?" Maria had flinched a little when Michiru had put 
her hand on her arm, and hoped that none of them had noticed. Maria still 
had a strong aversion to being touched by anyone, except for perhaps her 
mother at times. Nonetheless, she nodded at the pleasing idea of 
undisturbed sleep.
	Haruka and Michiru led her up to her room, which was next to 
Hotaru's room they told her, and let her get settled in. It was a spacious 
room with cream colored walls and burgundy carpet, which was very pleasing 
to Maria's eyes. It even had a large window that, when opened, led out 
onto a balcony. The walls were mostly undecorated except for a stunning 
picture of a sunset over an ocean. Michiru must have painted most of the 
pictures in this house, she thought. A dresser, bed, and a nightstand made 
of a dark wood were the only furniture in the room. Plenty of room to 
personalize.
	Maria decided to explore more when she put her clothes away in the 
morning. Now, she was just too tired to do anything other than sleep. 
When was the last time she had been able to sleep without fear of Anthony? 
Much too long for her liking. She didn't even bother getting undressed 
other than pulling off her shoes, before pulling back the covers and 
getting into her new bed. Sleep quickly came, and left a small smile 
on her face. She was home.

End Chapter One

Author's Note: Yes, it is coming along slow, but this isn't going to be a 
fast paced story... at least I don't think it will be. Emailing me and telling 
me your thoughts on this story will be very appreciated, and you're always 
welcome to drop by my site at http://angelfire.com/anime2/dayanjell/home.html

Until next time readers.