John:

While thinking idly recently, I realized a small flaw in LS.  While you
have Usagi and Rei as lovers, you never explain how it started.
Inspiration hit, and this flashback came about.  Monkey about with it as
you like, but I'm sure you can fit it in somewhere, perhaps in the scene
where Usagi finds an... interesting way to break the Moon Rod. :)

***************************************************************************

     [flashback]

"Here, Rei, I want you to hold on to this."

Rei looked at Usagi, dumbfounded.  Her fellow Sailor Senshi was holding out
the Moon Stick to her.  The Silver Crystal gleamed softly in the light of
the sacred fire at her temple.  They were sitting in front of it, talking.

"What?  Have you lost what little brains you had in that meatball head?"
she asked.  "You may need that tonight!"

For the past several days, the Senshi had pretended to be on the verge of
breaking up, constantly arguing and squabbling so that the Dark Kingdom
would believe that Sailor Moon might sell them out.  They hoped that this
would give them a chance to study a portal to the Dark Kingdom and maybe
get Mamoru back.  The Dark Kingdom had taken the bait, and Sailor Moon was
going to meet them tonight.

Usagi pressed the Stick into Rei's hands.  "Please, Rei," she said, tears
gathering in her eyes at her friend's sharp tone.  "It's too important to
risk losing.  If something happens to me--"

"NOTHING is going to happen to you!"

They both stopped short, amazed at the vehemence in Rei's voice.

"Rei-chan?"

"I mean, you're tempting fate, talking like that, Usagi.  Nothing's going
to happen.  You've got all of us watching over you."

Usagi took Rei's hands in her own, her touch surprisingly gentle, and
clasped the priestess's unwilling hands around the Stick.  "Rei," she said,
with all the authority of the Moon Princess, "you have to keep this safe.
Promise me you will, no matter what happens to me."

"I promise..."  Rei's throat had gone dry.  It still amazed her that her
friend held the essence of a Princess in her.  She was so clumsy most of
the time, and a crybaby, and a real moron at school.  Suddenly, she knew
that she'd miss all the things that usually annoyed her about Usagi if
something happened.

She swept Usagi into a sudden hug.  "Just you promise me that you'll be
careful, Meatball head."  The nickname was said without her usual rancor,
almost affectionately.

"I will, I promise," Usagi said, hugging her friend back and sniffling.  "I
was afraid... that you'd really want me gone..."

"What?  How can you think that?"

"Because we argue all the time and fight over little things.  I didn't want
that, Rei-chan because I always admired you, even from the first...
especially then..."

"Why are you telling me this, Usagi?" Rei asked, her heart beating so
quickly she was sure that her friend could hear it.  When she and Usagi had
first met, she had been jealous of the blonde girl from the start.  Usagi
was so beautiful, and she made it seem easy.  There was no way, she had
thought, that a klutz like Usagi could put herself through the grueling
preparations Rei did to face each day.  Fresh out of bed, Usagi always was
beautiful.  Rei looked like birds had been nesting in her hair.

The priestess had been suspicious of Usagi, but after she became a Sailor
Senshi, that had changed.  She had always felt it her duty as a priestess
to fight evil and suffering, but few of her friends could understand that.
Now she had two (and later four) friends who could relate to her.  And, as
Sailor Moon, Usagi had been unbelievably cool (at times).  Usagi had always
been so friendly, even despite the terrible things Rei had done to her at
first, like going on that cruise with Ami, even though she knew Usagi
wanted to go, or dating Mamoru.  Rei found herself becoming friends with
Usagi.  She found herself willing to risk life and limb for her friend, and
the depth of that feeling scared her.  She had kept up the bickering just
to keep Usagi at a comfortable distance.

"I'm telling you this because I want you to know that I love you, Rei,"
Usagi said sadly in a naive sort of way.  "I couldn't... face tonight
without telling you that."

Rei froze, trembling slightly.  Her mouth dropped open, but no sound came
out at first.  When she finally got her voice to work, it sounded harsh and
raspy.  "You shouldn't say things like that, Usagi... people might get the
wrong idea--URK!"

Usagi took Rei's face in her hands and kissed her, stopping the priestess's
speech.  Rei shook with surprise and sudden fear.  She broke away with a
startled yelp.

"Usagi!  What were you doing?" she screeched.

Usagi looked at Rei sadly.  "I hoped... I don't know why I did that, but...
I'm scared I won't come back tonight."  Tears glimmered in her eyes.  "Or
they'll brainwash me like they did Mamo-chan.  I couldn't leave you without
telling you."

"You love me like... THAT?  What about Mamoru?"  Rei bit her lip as soon as
the words were out, wishing she could take them back.

"I love him too, just as much," Usagi said, looking miserable.  "I love
Ami-chan, and Mako-chan, and Minako-chan, too, but they're just good
friends.  With Mamo-chan, and you, it's different."  She stood, twisting
her head this way and that, as if looking for an escape.  "I should go..."

"Wait!" Rei called.  She loves me, she thought to herself.  I never
expected this... Do I love her the same way?  I can't, can I?  She thought
of their times together, the bickering, the making up afterwards, the way
Usagi smiled and moved, the warm feeling she got when Usagi was over to
borrow manga or for a meeting...

"Usagi..." she said, in almost a whisper, "I... may love you, too..."

Almost immediately, Usagi's sad countenance changed to joy.  "Rei-chan!"
she yelled, glomping on her friend.  Rei was almost bowled over by her
enthusiasm.

"Whoa!  Watch it, Meat--" Her remark was cut off by another kiss, a less
frantic one this time.  Rei let herself melt into it and kiss back.  It
felt wonderful, exciting her.  Usagi was a far better kisser than any of
the boys she had dated, except perhaps for Mamoru.  Not that Mamoru had
ever really kissed Rei, however much she had wanted him to.  There had been
once, when he had tried to give her a kiss on the cheek and she turned her
head so their lips met, catching him by surprise.  He had let himself go
for one moment, and then had pulled back.  For that moment, she had been in
a heaven similar to this.

Oh, kamis, she thought as she felt Usagi's hands touch her breasts through
her robe.  She was terribly excited by this now, and knew that Usagi could
feel her nipples pressing against the fabric of her bra.  How far was Usagi
going to go?

She got her answer as Usagi began to pull open her robe.  Slowly, her
gentle hands ran over Rei's breasts, squeezing and caressing them.  Then
Usagi pulled one bra cup aside, letting her nipple pop out.  She broke the 
kiss then, looking deeply into Rei's eyes.

Rei's face was flushed and her breathing ragged, which caused her chest to
have up and down, much to Usagi's delight.

"I love you, Rei-chan," she said simply.  Then she waited, an unasked
question hanging in the air and showing in her eyes.
"I love you, too, Usagi-chan," Rei replied without hesitation, pulling her
new lover on top of her.

     [end flashback]

They had tried to make love that afternoon, but were not very good at it.
Still, they had a lot of fun experimenting, and their new love chased away
their fears until that night.  After that, they could only get together a
few brief times before the final battle with the Dark Kingdom.  There, Rei
had died for her love, and come back because of it.  Looking back on those
months with no memory of Usagi, Rei knew she had been in hell then, but
unknowing.  Something precious had been gone from her life.  After she got
her memories back, she and Usagi had gotten together as soon as possible.

***************************************************************************