Hey hey hey!!!!! It's done and up!!!!! It took me long enough, I 
know. Email me and tell me what you think! 
Thanks to…everyone who's reviewed and put in their 2 cents, I 
TOTALLY cannot thank you enough! Also thanks to Wong Kar-Wei for
providing the initial inspiration for this; I'm telling you guys, you
have GOT to go download the movie!!! "The Follow" on bmwfilms.com...
it's so cool.

Disclaimer- I don't own Sailor Moon. By writing this, I'm sure as hell
not claiming to own it, either. I'm still not happy with the title,
which was inspired/borrowed/taken from the title of the short film
follow. I'm also not claiming ownership of the initial concept, movie,
title, etc. That said, please enjoy the fic.

Now usually, I would be posting this on my website, but since 
Angelfire is being GAY I'm posting it here first. Also, go to my site
to see pictures of the beautiful cars these characters drive. Sign
the guestbook while you're there!
Ciao darlings, DR


Follow	-Chapter 2				Diamond Rouge
******************************************************

"Minako Aino, better known here in the states as Mina 
Loveless, age 26, only child of the late Edward and Lillian 
Loveless. Born and raised in England 'til the age of four, when a 
family emergency called the Loveless family over to- where was it 
again? Japan?"
The deep voice gently wound its way into Minako's 
consciousness, finally stirring her to a state of relative coherency.  
It continued.
"Yes, Japan. Over to Japan to mourn the death of your 
mother's sister – an American army officer, killed tragically in a 
car accident. Your family stayed for quite a stint, seven years to be 
exact, tying up loose ends for your deceased aunt, and then for a 
while simply because you and they enjoyed it there. It was there 
that you embarked upon your acting and modeling career, right? 
After changing your name to the more 'cultural' Minako Aino at 
age 6, you started modeling for local companies, and when you 
were 11, got an irresistible offer back in England. You went, alone, 
to stay with your uncle, a private investigator. I suppose that's 
where you got your "skills". His name was Artemis, was it? Funny 
name."
-We called him Art, moron,- Minako thought, becoming 
increasingly aware of the sun on her face, the warmth of the 
blanket, the soft vanilla smell of the sheets, and most of all, the 
splitting pain in her head.
"Right, so anyway, it was there that you got your 'big 
break'-" he stressed the words big and break, making them sound 
ridiculously important, "- as the job as the star of a live action, 
Saturday morning kid's show- Codename Sailor V. Funny thing is, 
I remember that show. It was stupid then, and oddly enough, I'm 
not thinking it's any different now."
-Hey asshole…it was just a job. Of course it was stupid, it 
was a little kid's show.- Her mind wandered off, wondering who 
this person was that was talking to her, where she was, and why 
her head hurt so badly. Unfortunately, she wasn't getting anywhere 
with thinking…so she just listened, wrapping herself up tighter in 
the downy blanket. The voice continued talking.
"It ran for a good, oh, two seasons, and then-" he said, 
drawing in a dramatic gasp, "Tragedy struck. At 13, the poor 
princess's world was shattered! When…your parents died – both 
shot in a hostage, hijacked plane crisis. They were coming to see 
you in your lead role in a school play, weren't they, Princess? Ah, 
yes, Sally from Cabaret…at 13, no less? Ah, well, once a whore, 
always a whore."
Minako couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, but if she 
could have, she would've shot daggers at the melodramatic jerk 
who was making light of her parents' death. It had never been an 
easy thing for her, even after the years that had passed and time 
had supposedly healed all her scars. She still wanted to cry at the 
mention of them; it had been so long since she had thought about 
them at all. Coming to America had helped immensely in stuffing 
down her pain and sorrow. It wasn't what doctors would call the 
best method of dealing with traumatic events, but it was an 
effective one…which brought up a good point. How did he know 
all this stuff? She had made sure to conceal the details of her life in 
Japan after she moved to America, altering much of her early 
history.
"How did you find all this stuff about me? And why?" she 
moaned groggily.
Eyes still closed, she felt someone sit down on the edge of 
the bed. She felt his familiar presence as he leaned over her resting 
head, and memories stirred as he breathed into her ear, much like 
he, or someone very much like him, had done sometime recent, she 
remembered…like, like- last night.
"How? That's none of your business. And why have I done 
it? Well," he whispered harshly, "it's all the better to manipulate 
you with, my dear."
Immediately she sat up straight in bed, shoving her captor 
away, madly trying to make sense of what was happening. The 
assignment, the man, her capture, the escape…it all came rushing 
back to her consciousness. Whatever her headache had been from, 
it was gone now, pushed violently away by her spontaneous wash 
of anger and urgency. Minako moved to get up from the bed…the 
huge bed, she noticed, having to practically bounce on its fluffiness 
in a most unceremonious way just reach the edge of it. Once there, 
however, she was promptly flattened again, forced horizontal by 
the same man who had restrained her last night. To her relief, it 
wasn't sexually threatening – he wasn't advancing on her with any 
other intent but to keep her down. As she tried to yell at him, it 
occurred to her that she still didn't know his name.
"HEY YOU STUPI-" she cut herself off mid-sentence. 
"Who the fuck are you anyway?"
"A good question, isn't it?" he answered smugly, his arms 
pressed against her shoulders. "Do you really want to know?" he 
added mockingly.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do, and if you don't tell me, 
maybe the police will have better luck when I tell them you 
kidnapped me and raped me," Minako replied, throwing her 
ultimatum at him angrily. "I can be quite a convincing 
actress…you said so yourself."
She was sick of this guy and his superior attitude, and 
wasn't about to keep playing the victim role, either…it wasn't her 
style. This was business, now. Last night had been a slip in 
judgment for her; Ms. Tsukino hadn't warned her about the 
seriousness of this case and she had been caught up in his devilish 
good looks. But now, well, now she was serious. And mad. The 
resulting combination of the two didn't usually prove to be a 
pleasant experience for those her emotions were aimed at…namely 
her anonymous kidnapper.
He simply raised one eyebrow and smirked in amusement 
at her threat.
"How charmingly idle…though it's certainly good to see 
you've ditched the 'scared starlet' charade. That really wasn't 
becoming on you."
"Fuck you. I'm not interested in playing your little games 
anymore. You tell me who you are and what you want with me, 
and maybe then I'll begin to consider doing something other than 
killing you as soon as I get half a chance. And why don't you get 
your hands off me, too? Do you honestly think I'd be stupid 
enough to run right now? You insult me." She pushed with all her 
strength on his chest, successfully managing to push him back 
enough to slip out of his grasp and slide off the bed, rounding to 
face him, assuming a defensive stance. He gritted his teeth and 
clenched his fists, looking poised to hit her.
"Listen, all you need to know about me is that I'm stronger 
than you, I'm smarter than you, and I don't take nicely to little 
girls who want to piss me off." 
He growled out the last three words and shot out his hand, 
grabbing Mina's throat, turning her ninety degrees and pressing her 
against the wall. Minako gasped for breath as his hand pressed 
harder, the fight for oxygen becoming more difficult as he spoke. 
"If you want to stay alive, I again remind you not to fuck 
around with me. I've been more than generous with you, and if you 
continue to push my limits then I assure you, the resulting actions 
will not be pleasant. Remember Princess, I know more about you, 
your family, and everything you hold dear than anyone else you 
know, and I'm not afraid to do what I have to do in order to get 
what I want."
Mina held her resolve, continuing to fight for air, and 
managed to choke out a response.
"I just…want…your fucking….name," she whispered 
hoarsely.
He released her roughly and she dropped to her knees, 
grasping for her throat and inhaling the precious air with relief.
"You don't deserve it," he said, staring down at her with 
contempt.
Minako resisted the urge to throw something vulgar and 
rude back at him. She stood back up again, staring into his eyes. 
They lacked the warmth they'd had last night when they were 
dancing, but also the malice that they possessed later that same 
night; she was secretly amazed at how this man could turn his 
emotions on and off like a light switch. Just a moment ago he had 
looked to her with hatred and rage, and now as she stood before 
him, his eyes mirrored only seriousness and authority.
"I don't like you any more than you like me, but I need 
information from you. You're going to give me this information 
because if you don't-"
"Oh let me guess, you'll kill me?" Minako predicted 
sarcastically. That threat was really getting overused.
"You catch on fast," he said sarcastically. "Now, down to 
business."
He indicated to a small table in the corner of the room. 
"Sit," he ordered.
Minako did as she was told, making sure to shove past him. 
It was a bit immature, she knew, but she didn't want to give this 
jerk the impression that she was going to peacefully comply with 
all his little orders. He ignored it, and sat down across from her.
"Now, tell me everything you-"
Minako cut him off.
"No. You tell me something first. Why did you kidnap 
me?"
"I'm asking the questions."
"And I'm not answering them…until you answer mine."
"Wrong. You answer my questions, and I consider letting 
you go. You don't answer, and-"
"Here we go again. You kill me."
"No, I keep you here until you decide to talk."
"I'll escape."
"Not if you can't move."
"The cops will find me."
"Not if they don't know you're missing."
Minako was silent, but not out of fear. She wasn't afraid of 
this man anymore; she had put up her guards and was now simply 
concerned in finding a way out. 'Never tell anyone what you know 
about me,' she remembered Ms. Tsukino telling her on numerous 
occasions. She decided then to just stay quiet, lest she say 
something wrong.
Despite her anger and frustration, she genuinely did want 
some of her own questions answered; more and more she felt like 
she really had no idea what was going on with this "job"  Ms. 
Tsukino had assigned her to. She knew Ms. Tsukino's law firm 
was a little shady, but for something like this, well, she would 
think she had stepped into a mafia ring.
-Maybe I have,- she thought, eyebrows furrowing in 
contemplation. –That would at least make a little sense.-
"So are you going to cooperate with me?" he asked. 
Minako wondered if she was annoying him; it certainly seemed she 
was. He ran a tense hand through his hair, which was now down, 
sighing when she remained silent. Internally, she was struggling. 
Should she answer his questions? For a minute she thought that 
maybe she should; it would get her out of there quicker…she 
didn't know, really. He could be lying about releasing her and just 
kill her once he had his information. If she could get out of there, it 
would definitely be better to get out without having to spill the 
beans to him. She was fairly sure the questions would center 
around Ms. Tsukino, considering his previous show of interest in 
her, and if that was the case, she would have to think of a bunch of 
lies which could later come back and slap her in the face. If that 
was the case, it was better to say nothing at all. Ms. Tsukino 
wouldn't take nicely to Minako saying anything about her, lies or 
not. She was contemplating all this when he spoke again.
"Fine," he said, interpreting her silence as noncompliance, 
"Have it your way."
-You're going to answer my questions?- she thought, 
looking to him anxiously.
He rose from the table.
" I get what I want. I'll be back later, and I won't be as 
nice. Enjoy your stay," he said, and walked out the door. It clicked 
shut softly and she heard the sound of a lock turn.
-Guess not,- she thought. –And just my luck, the lock's on 
the outside. Oh well, it's nothing I can't deal with.-
Looking around the lavishly decorated room, she 
determined the first thing to do would be to try to identify where 
she was. She stood and went to the room's one large window, 
pulling the sheer gauze curtain back and lifting the wooden blind. 
It opened out to a beautiful view looking down on what Minako 
assumed had to be his back yard, a gorgeous, expansive stretch of 
gardens and pools. The huge house's sliding doors that led outside 
were solid glass, as was much of the wall around them. The large 
porch reminded her of a café she had seen in Paris once on 
vacation as a child, very picturesque with its wrought iron chairs 
surrounding a matching glass topped table. Candles seemed to be 
the only thing that would have provided light, save a hanging lamp 
that was attached to the porch's roof. The roof was also a large 
balcony for a room on the second floor. In the waning light of the 
evening, the entire backyard was lit with a reddish glow that 
glinted off the icicles on the foliage's branches.
-How long did I sleep??- Minako wondered in 
astonishment. –It's already evening.-
One huge, U-shaped pool flanked the sides and front of the 
yard, separated from the white privacy fence  and the porch by 
concrete walkways and evergreen bushes. A bridge with the same 
wrought iron railings as the rest of the decorations crossed over the 
middle part of the U, allowing access to what would have been 
gardens, were it not freezing cold. The pool was covered by a huge 
tarp, and Minako wouldn't have been surprised if the water 
beneath them was frozen solid. This hadn't exactly been a mild 
winter. The fence ran along the two opposite sides of the yard, 
ending at a waterline of what she assumed was the bay. To the 
right she could see the Bay Bridge, flooded with cars coming and 
going from the business hub of the town. There weren't as many 
cars as usual, though, even for a Saturday, Minako noticed. The 
skyscrapers on the other side of the bay were mostly dark; only a 
few lights of the rooms on the upper floors were on, as well as the 
Christmas lights that decorated the top of the buildings. 
Christmas…
"Hey wait a second," Minako mused aloud, "It's 
Christmas!"
For a moment she was extremely put out that she was 
spending her Christmas this way, but then realized what the 
alternative was – sitting alone on her couch watching "It's A 
Wonderful Life," drinking overly spiked eggnog, and crying for 
the families that she left behind in Japan and England. She became 
slightly grateful for not being there like she had been for the five 
years before, but then remembered who her captor was and how 
precarious of a situation she was currently in.
-I swear, if he threatens to kill me one more time, I'm going 
to take out a gun and do it myself.-
Her thoughts were interrupted by a small pang of curiosity 
and…what was that? Pity? Yes, she could almost detect the notes 
of compassion regarding her captor's possible situation, but she 
quickly squelched them, going back to her more sarcastic approach 
to things.
-Maybe kidnapping women is a regular Christmas ritual for 
him. Or, more likely, he doesn't celebrate Christmas…he's 
probably off sacrificing a goat right now. -
Still, though, for some reason, the realization that it was 
Christmas had softened Minako a bit; not enough for her to not 
want to beat him within an inch of his life, however.
-Of course, I could be bound with duct tape and stuffed a 
trunk right now,- she reminded herself jokingly.
-Leave it to me to be optimistic,- she laughed, –But I really 
do have to get out of here.-
She walked over to the door to check the type of lock on it, 
her long black gown swishing around her legs uncomfortably. She 
had hardly realized she still had it on during her last conflict with 
her stone faced captor, but it was really starting to get annoying. 
Minako wasn't one for playing dress up as it was, and this dress 
was quite formal, to say the least. She altered her course and 
headed to what looked like a closet, a large oak door a few feet 
away from the door that led out of the room. 
-He kidnapped me, I think the least he owes me is a pair of 
clothes to wear home.-
She pulled it open and switched on the light, immediately 
astonished by all the clothes it contained. For being what Minako 
assumed was a guest bedroom, the man had a ton of clothes stored 
away.
"I'll bet he's gay," she muttered as she casually looked 
through the racks of garments, thinking about the immaculate 
interior design of the house as well as the beautiful landscaping 
outside. After about five minutes of searching, she came up with a 
pair of polar fleece running pants that wouldn't fall off her waist. 
A little more searching and she found a hooded sweatshirt from 
some "Chiba Technology Corp." that looked like it wouldn't hang 
down to her knees. The plain Hanes tag on it and the gym shorts 
were a stark contrast to the rest of the brand names hanging in the 
closet. Helmut Lang, Donatella Versace, and Giorgio Armani had 
to be personal friends of his, she decided after checking out the 
tags on his belongings. She sighed in awe as she changed out of 
her dress and into the decidedly more comfortable clothes she had 
found, disappointed that Dolce and Gabbana didn't make his 
running pants and wondering if perhaps she should snag a few 
shirts or pairs of shoes on her way out. She decided against it, 
though, predicting that at no time in her life would her foot expand 
to a male's size 11, nor would her chest expand to that of a large 
men's shirt.
-Not that my chest is small or anything,- Minako assured 
herself, looking down proudly at her well endowed breasts. Vanity 
really was her weakness.
She exited the closet and draped her dress on the bed, 
hoisting herself up beside it, deciding what she would do to get out 
of the house. Getting out of the room would be easy enough; she 
could pick nearly any lock, but from there she didn't know what 
the best plan of action would be. After a few minutes of 
contemplation she decided that probably the best, least dangerous 
and  least violent way out would be to just answer his questions, 
but she was already pretty fond of the idea of sneaking out. Years 
of tracking with her Uncle Art had taught her a thing or two about 
stealth, and she was confident in her abilities. Rational thought 
may have been telling her otherwise, but Minako was a fan of 
danger. 
-Let's see…I don't really know where I am, I don't have 
my car keys, I'm not dressed for the cold, I don't know my way 
around this house, and I have no idea where he will be when I'm 
trying to make my daring escape,- she thought, weighing her 
advantages and disadvantages. –Screw it, I'll just wing it.-
That was another of her problems, getting an idea in her 
head and sticking to it, no matter what. Sometimes it was an asset, 
but at times like this, it was a hindrance. With her mind made up, 
she bounced off the bed, forgetting her heels and dress and heading 
to the door. 
-He can have the dress and the shoes…if he IS gay, then 
he'll be thrilled.-
In the back of her mind, she knew her so called "plan" 
wasn't guaranteed or safe, but the spark of confidence and zeal had 
already pricked her mind and senses…she was in "Mission: 
Impossible" mode now. She retrieved a bobby pin from her hair, 
suddenly glad she decided to wear it partly up the night before, and 
darted to the bedroom door, crouching down so that she could 
comfortably reach the lock. The silence, in any other case, 
would've been unnerving, instead Minako found it comforting, a 
way to stay focused on the task at hand. Her ears perked, listening 
for the slightest traces of sound. Other than the scraping of her 
bobby pin in the lock, there was nothing. No television, no voices, 
no footsteps…it was a relief, but also frightening. He had been 
sneaky the night before, he could easily be sneaky again…for all 
she knew he was expecting this. The lock was opened in barely a 
minute; her skills were proved competent again. She sighed, half in 
disappointment at the ease with which she opened the lock, and 
half in an attempt to calm her nerves. She stood and tossed her 
golden hair over her shoulder, taking a deep breath and hoping the 
hinges were well oiled. A squeaky door would be all she'd need to 
ruin her plans. Holding her breath, she opened the door, timidly at 
first but then more quickly when she saw the house was almost 
completely dark. Rosy light drifted in through the large windows 
on each floor, but other than that it was shady. She stepped out 
silently, like a deer on padded feet, shutting the door behind her. It 
didn't squeak, and she rejoiced silently. The house was every bit as 
magnificent as she had imagined it to be; three splendid stories 
with gaps in the center that opened to display a huge, dome shaped 
atrium in the middle of the cathedral ceiling. The atrium was a 
leaded glass constellation model of the night sky, made up of 
hundreds of pieces of blue, gold, and white glass, joined together 
by the dull pewter-colored lead to form a gentle, swirling pattern of 
stars. The second and third stories' large, circular openings that 
created the atrium effect were lined in the same curly, French-
looking wrought iron railing as the porch furniture and bridge, as 
well as the spiral staircase to Minako's left, which she assumed 
had to lead up to the third floor. To the right, she could see another 
identical staircase, leading down to the bottom floor. She glanced 
across the railing at two huge sets of Mahogany double doors, a 
beautiful compliment to both the matching molding and the deep 
wine carpet. They were both closed and curiosity crept into 
Minako's concentration; she contemplated briefly as to whether 
she should check out what lay beyond them first.
-I can't,- she reminded herself, -I have to get out of here as 
quick as I can. Besides, what if he was behind them?- She pulled 
her eyes away from the beautiful house's interior (-He really must 
be gay,- she affirmed.), and quickly made her way to the stairs, 
passing a few more closed doors on her way. She descended the 
flight of twisted iron, feeling the slight chill of the metal beneath 
her feet but nothing that would alarm her alert senses. The closer 
she got to the bottom floor the more she slowed down, her breath 
following suit, until she was creeping along, assuring her total 
silence. Her breathing had almost totally stopped, too; it was 
shallow and quiet, a result of her need to go undetected and her 
pervading uneasiness. She looked intently into the room she had 
come upon, identifying it as a formal foyer by spotting the French 
doors to her left that led to the outside of the house. The open, airy 
room was decorated richly with framed posters on the walls, 
mostly French, as well as the occasional wall lamp or wall-mount 
vase. The floor was made of what she could only assume were 
Mahogany and Oak, and she only guessed that from the rich 
colors.
-Jesus Christ, that must've cost a fortune,- she breathed, 
gripping the pole on the middle of the staircase harder, still not 
stepping off the final metal step. The rest of the room's decoration 
was equally lavish, consisting of heavy-looking, deeply cushioned 
furniture, covered in cream and scarlet brocade. The chairs were 
arranged in a semi-circular pattern atop a crimson rug, surrounding 
a matching glass-topped coffee table. The furniture arrangement 
opened to the back of the house, where Minako quickly identified 
the huge windows and sliding glass doors as the same she had seen 
in her view from the bedroom window, the ones that led to the 
outside area. She couldn't help but stare in awe. Sure, she was rich, 
and her penthouse on the top floor of one of the ritziest apartments 
in the area was huge, but this…well, damn. It was gorgeous. But 
despite its beauty, she couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of 
foreboding at the sight of the shadowy corners. Closed doors 
lurked and dark hallways sunk into the other two walls, the blood-
like crimson and cream color scheme adding to the sinister 
atmosphere.
-And not a Christmas decoration in sight,- she noted, 
rolling her eyes a moment later at her own senselessness. She 
could not lose her focus, not at a time like this. The silence was 
now almost intimidating. Where was he? He couldn't have 
possibly left. That would be foolish. She dismissed the thought and 
kept her guard up, reminding herself that she should be thankful 
that there weren't hardly any noises to distract her from her 
constant lookout for him. There was one noise that pricked her 
ears, however, a comforting sound amongst the uneasy 
atmosphere. Though it was soft, there was a telltale sign of a 
shower, running in a room that branched off of a hallway to the 
left; she didn't know what room it was in, but it was definitely 
there. Still, she proceeded uneasily off the last step and onto the 
cool wooden floor, sliding her hand off the staircase's pole as she 
tepidly stepped out into the room.
-Keys, find your keys. Get them and go,- she thought as she 
wandered cautiously, silently around the foyer. She scoured each 
small table that lined the room, though most of them contained 
only a pot or vase of flora, and thoroughly checked the area around 
the door. She was exceedingly cautious in her effort to not touch 
anything, feeling like a child in a crystal shop. Her hands wrung 
behind her back nervously, as if one touch would set off an alarm 
or shatter the entire piece. She wondered about alarm systems. Did 
they make touch sensitive alarms? Would he have thought to set it? 
Her thoughts were chased away as she finally she found what she 
was searching for. It was nestled unsuspectingly beside a large 
Calla Lily vase on the main foyer table, thrown haphazardly on top 
of a pile of what looked like mail, which in turn was thrown on top 
of a pile of a few magazines. She cheered silently when she saw 
the distinctive glint of metal and practically ran over to it, stopping 
short of the table and bending over to where she could get a good 
look at both the keys and the papers underneath them. She was 
right, it was mail, and opened, too. She picked up her keys ever-so-
slowly, making sure they didn't jingle as she lifted them from the 
table, and promptly clasped them tightly in her hand. After 
listening to make sure the shower was still running, which it was, 
she glanced down at a piece of opened mail on the counter, the 
ripped envelope addressed to "2103 Auroure Blvd., Keishi, NY, 
99087." 
-Cool, now I know his address.-
The rest of the envelope was blank, no addressee, no return 
address, only a stamp and an illegible postmark. A handwritten 
note was tossed to the side of it, and Minako picked it up, 
deciphering the scrawled, hurried handwriting:
"Hey-
Arigatou for all your help on the case – you're invaluable. 
Expect me in on the 28th; I'm enjoying my vacation. Cancel the 
plane ticket…I bought a car and fully intend on driving it home. 
You're going to die when you see it. Can't wait to get back to 
Keishi. 
- Merry Christmas, MC"

-How cryptic,- she thought as she returned it to its place. 
The case? That was the only thing that really stuck out in her mind 
about it; she wondered if kidnapping her was somehow part of  
"the case." And who wrote it? A sound, or rather, a sudden lack of 
sound from behind her startled her out of her thoughts; from down 
one of the hallways the shower ended. Time was running out, now, 
she realized; it was time to go. She padded lightly to the front door, 
pausing a minute as she realized she had no shoes on. She began 
debating whether she should find something to cover her feet with, 
but was interrupted by the distinct sound of footsteps. They 
weren't close, yet, but she certainly didn't have time to wander 
around the house looking for some slippers. In a silent rush that 
she knew her toes would later be very upset about, she pulled the 
front door open quietly and shut it behind her.