"Mistress Celeste, it's good to have you back." Bob looked quizzically at Celly for a moment, a question in his eyes.

Celly smiled and shifted the load she carried in her arms. "It's good to be back, Bob. Don't worry, I'll explain everything. Do you know where Dion and my brother are?"

"We're right here," Dion answered as he and Mamoru entered Special Ops. He would have swept Celly into an embrace, but the load in her arms prevented that. He stared at the object in confusion, then shook his head and leaned over to give her a brief kiss instead. "How did you get back?"

Celly accepted a kiss on the cheek from Mamoru and grinned. "Don't worry, I told Bob that I would explain everything. Let's go to the main conference room. I told Remy and Mercy that we would meet there. So, how are things going on this side?"

"As well as can be expected, imouto-chan," Mamoru said. "Despite your disappearance, Lambda Project went through without any major problems. All major objectives were accomplished."

"I take it you headed the missions, ‘nii-chan?"

"Yes. You were right about London and Los Angeles though. We couldn't pin them down at all."

"Hmmm..." Celly replied as the doors to the main conference room opened in front of her. Mercy and Orion were already in the room, seated across from each other As Celly sat at the head of the table and shifted her load to her lap, Remy entered with a worried looking P-kun on her heels. Celly waited until everyone took their seats before she began.

"I know what the big question tonight is. ‘How the hell did you get back?' Well, the answer is very simple. You can owe our safe return to this..." Celly reached through the neck of her fuku and pulled out a small key on a silver chain.

Mamoru's eyes widened. "That's..."

"A Crystal Time Key. Yes. Let's just say that Setsuna owes me a few favors. You can also thank this little girl for bringing the Key." Celly looked down and smiled at the little girl who was sleeping in her lap She shook her gently. "Sweetie? It's time to wake up now. We're home."

The little girl yawned and rubbed her eyes as Celly helped to sit her up. "We're home?" the little girl asked.

Around the table, everyone except for the Otaku and the three mind-trapped Bishounen stared at the girl in shock. She was small, only around five or six years old. Her hair was raven black and drawn into two short ponytails. A long white streak that went through her hair and she had blue-grey eyes, which were still blinking sleepily. Most remarkable about her, however, was who she looked like.

Mamoru opened and shut his mouth a few times before he asked. "Is she who I think she is?"

Celly smiled. "Hai. Sou desu. Minna-san, I'd like you to meet Sorano. Tsukino Sorano. She's from Crystal Tokyo."

Sorano had gotten over her grogginess and immediately focused on the man sitting to the right of Celly. "Chuchuei!" she said happily and reached over to hug Dionysus. Dionysus sat in shock, even as his arms moved to automatically hug the girl back. His mouth moved, but no words came out. However, it was obvious he was repeating: "Me? A father?"

Sorano finished her hug and then waved at Mamoru. "Endymion-ojii-sama! Konbanwa!"

The three Otaku had started laughing at the stunned looks at the two men's faces. "Poor Dionysus," Mercy giggled. "He doesn't look like he's going to snap out of it. Don't worry, Dionysus. When Celly found out, she fainted."

Dionysus snapped out of his stupor and stared at the girl sitting on Celly's lap. "Is it me, or did things just start to get really weird?"

Remy laughed. "Just start, Dionysus? If it weren't for Sorano, we would probably still be stuck time-tripping. She was the one who brought the Crystal Key which brought us back here to our right time. And it was lucky too, I don't think I could stand having these three," she tapped her head, "in my head any longer."

"Well, how is Sorano supposed to get back to Crystal Tokyo?" P-kun asked.

Sorano's eyes widened. "What? Go back so soon?! But Small Lady always tells me about how fun it is when she goes back! Watakushi... watakushi mo! I wanted to stay too!" Sorano tugged on Celly's fuku with her small hands. "Onegai, Hahauei! Don't send me back yet... you and chuchuei said I had something important to do.."

Celly frowned for a moment before casting a glance at Dionysus, who shrugged his shoulders. "Well... I suppose it's okay if Sorano-chan stays for just a little while" The little girl beamed in her arms. "But... I want you to always be close to either me, or your father, or your Uncle Endymion. Some scary things could happen and I don't want you to get hurt. Do you understand me, Sorano-chan?"

Sorano nodded solemnly. "Hai, hahauei. I understand."

Celly hugged the little girl who would someday be her daughter. Suddenly aware of the silence in the conference room, Celly looked up to see everyone leaning their elbows on the table, staring avidly at her with silly grins.

"What are you all looking at?!?" Celly snapped.

Everyone sat up immediately, and as one, answered, "Nothing, mother..." in sing-song voices.

Then the laughter broke out. These were going to be interesting times.

TBC...