Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was nothing special-- just a small, slightly outdated diner decorating the corner of one of Destiny City’s quieter streets. Once upon a time it was a local hot spot, and a favourite midnight stop amongst truckers. The roof, at one time a bright and gaudy pink, had lost much of it’s original luster. Damage from the sun had made it lame, and turned it the colour of cooked salmon. Maybe the walls could use a fresh coat of paint and maybe the table legs were a little scuffed from decades of wear and tear.

None of those things mattered.

It was owned by one of the friendliest families Vanessa had ever known, and the food was fantastic. She had never found a better cheeseburger anywhere.

Whatever the little restaurant lacked in finesse it made up for with charm, and the latter was more important anyways.

Vanessa sat in her favourite booth, beside a massive window that flooded her table with light, facing away from the door. The tip of her nose and her cheeks, bitten by old man winter, were rosy. She shivered, because it was cold, but was otherwise happy, and fingered the handle of her coffee mug.

Kam had agreed to meet her for lunch. Nervous butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach, and made it difficult to swallow. It had been a couple of days since she’d seen him, but it wasn’t the distance, or the time, that made her anxious-- and it was a good sort of anxious, besides. Being with Kam, whether they were laughing or kissing or discussing serious things, brought Vanessa a special sort of joy.

He wasn’t her boyfriend.

But he was her best friend. It was simple, and it was fun, and it was good.

She was excited to see him, and obsessively checked the time where it blinked on her cell phone.

"Of course I know what I'm doing," Vanessa, sounding properly scandalized, made a face and dismissed the idea that she would invite Kam any place dangerous without at least warning him first. "This place may not be super fancy, but their burgers are to die for. And the forks are always mostly clean."

Each of these things were true.

"I've been coming here since I was a kid. Dad is good friends with the woman who owns this place. They went to high school or something together."

A mischievous light glinted in Vanessa's eyes. She put her elbows on the table, leaned closer to Kam, and whispered at him in conspiring tones. As though the thing she was about to reveal held real significance. "If you asked me, I'd say that she's in love with him."

She was babbling, a little. But that had less to do with nerves than it did her inner nature. Vanessa had always been good at talking a person's ear off. She was an animated speaker, and gestured gently with her hands every once in awhile.

"But that doesn't matter. I mean, Dad dates, but I think his heart will always belong to my mom."

Something in her demeanour changed then. It was subtle, and would be easy for Kam to miss if he wasn't paying much attention. Vanessa cleared her throat, clinked her spoon gently against the side of her coffee cup, and glanced away from him-- towards the waitress that was headed their way.

Underneath the table, her foot bumped his.

It was an accident. She pulled it away, flushing faintly because everybody knew that when a pair of people touched shoes like that they were playing footsie.

Wait a minute.

A playful smile started on Vanessa's lips, and she nudged Kam's foot with hers once more. The pressure was gentle, but very deliberate.

It disappointed Vanessa when Kam pulled his foot away from hers. She blinked at him for a moment, lips parted slightly with surprise, and briefly considered pushing her little game farther. Kam was a big man, but she liked it when he invaded her personal space, and would never have called him a lug. It would have been so easy, to slip her foot out of her shoe and stretch her leg underneath the table.

But something about his body language made her hesitate. She searched Kam's expression carefully with her bright eyes, and then took a sip of her coffee.

Her feet remained where they were, tucked safely away from his.

"What can I get for you kids?"

Their waitress was an older woman with lines on her face and greying hair. Her uniform was the same off-pink colour as the roof outside. The smile she offered them was kind, and brightened up her face. Vanessa thought that she must have been quite a beauty, when she was young. The name tag pinned to her collar read, 'Carla.'

She waited, politely, for Carla to ready her pen and paper and then ordered the biggest, juiciest burger on the menu. Sans onions.

"Oh," Vanessa gestured with her empty mug, "and more coffee, please!"

It wasn't until Carla left them, after taking Kam's order and promising that she'd be back shortly with both of their drinks, that Vanessa turned her attention back to him.

She cocked an eyebrow. "You think we should hook my dad up with Rosie?"

Kam looked so beautiful when he smiled.

It pleased Vanessa, who had taken note of the tension in Kam's shoulders, to see him relax. And she offered him a grin of her own. It was sweet, but thoughtful, and marred slightly by the things that he said. This time it was her turn to look uncomfortable.

Mr. Rae had both seen and dated women since the passing of his wife. Vanessa even recalled, with fondness, some special occasions where he'd taught her how to fasten a tie.

But she had never actively considered setting him up with anyone before.

"You're right," Vanessa agreed with Kam after a long moment. "It would be good for him. To find someone."

She ran her fingers through her hair, glanced out the window, and lost herself in contemplation. Becoming Super Van and assuming the lifestyle of a superhero had opened up a rift in Vanessa's home life. Since becoming a senshi that gap had only widened.

For the safety of her father and little brother, Sailor Vulcan simply could not be a part of their family.

Vanessa had recognized a certain wisdom in separating herself from them, and felt the ache of that loss now. Mr. Rae could remarry.

Have another daughter.

"Alright. I'll do it." Vanessa turned her bright gaze back on Kam, and braced her elbows on the table. It was clear that she'd come to some sort of decision. "Tell me about this fancy idea of yours."