Happy Birthday, Taro-love!

. . . . .

Minako and her friends celebrate her fiancee's eighteenth birthday.

This follows on from 'Someone to Watch Over Me' and occurs a few days later.

. . . . .

Chapter 1:

"Moshi moshi" a barely awake Kino Makoto yawned into her telephone.

A bubbly voice crackled back over the line. "Ohayou, sleepy head!"

"Minako-chan! Do you have any idea what time it is? It's..." The brunette squinted at her wall clock until its hands came into sharp focus. She groaned, "It's not even five a.m.!"

"I know!" Minako giggled. "Like they say, the early worm catches the bird!"

"Oh for heaven's sake! Why are you calling me at this ridiculous hour?" The brunette bundled her robe around herself and dropped into a kitchen chair, her mind still a fog of semi-consciousness. "This better be something important."

"Very important, Mako-chan!" The bubbly blonde sounded as hyper as ever and Makoto wondered where she found her seemingly endless supply of energy.

"Well? Are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess what kind of insanity you're suffering from this time?"

"Today is my Taro's birthday!" Minako proudly announced. "He's eighteen!"

"My congratulations to the birthday boy" Makoto grumbled. "But I already knew that. Tell me again why you woke me from a sound sleep."

"I need your help to pick out the perfect present for my honey-love."

"At five in the morning? Minako-chan, everyone knows you're hopelessly addicted to shopping, but this is really getting out of control!"

"Don't you remember the party we're having?"

"All I remember right now is how comfortable my pillow was" the brunette muttered. "Until the telephone rang!"

"We're having that big surprise birthday party for my sugar muffin at Mamoru's apartment tonight. Before we go pick him and Yuji up later, I need to find the right present, buy it and wrap it and then find a card! Then I have to hide it in-"

"Slow down, Minako-chan! You're babbling again!"

"Gomen! Anyway, we need an early start if we're going to track down the ideal gift."

"We?" Makoto groaned. "How is it 'we' all of a sudden?"

"Because I was hoping you'd have some new ideas, Mako-chan. It wouldn't be right to keep giving him sexy underwear or things like that as gifts. For his birthday I need a fresh new vision!"

"You definitely need a new something."

"So get yourself ready and I'll meet you downstairs in half an hour or so. I have to make another stop first. That should give you plenty of time to drink your nose and powder your tea. Oops!" she giggled. "That came out backwards!"

"Fine. I'll do it, but only because I'll never get back to sleep. There goes another good night's rest."

"Arigatou, Mako-chan! See you soon!" The call abruptly ended with a sharp click and Makoto hung up the receiver. She opened the kitchen curtain and peered through the window into the early morning gloom.

'Great!' she grumbled to herself. 'It's still dark, it's cold and it's pouring down rain! How do I keep letting myself get dragged into Minako's madness?' Sighing, Makoto switched on her electric kettle, rubbed the sleep from her eyes and shuffled off to the bathroom. She fumbled for the light switch and flicked it on.

"Damn these ants!"

. . . . .

The brunette walked downstairs and into her apartment building's lobby. Knowing it was futile, she checked her mailbox anyway and unsurprisingly found it empty. 'No one in their right mind is up at this hour!'

Minako's bright orange Toyota zoomed into the parking lot and slid to a stop at her front door, accompanied by a loudly blaring horn. Makoto hurried outside through a chilling, misty rain and slipped into the passenger seat. "Minako-chan, keep the noise down! You're going to wake the whole apartment!"

"Gomen!"

Makoto suddenly realized someone was sitting behind her. She twisted around to find Usagi fast asleep in the back seat. The odango-haired girl's head was tilted back, eyes tightly closed and her mouth hanging wide open.

"Usagi looks like she's dead" the brunette chuckled. A low drone from the snoring blonde said otherwise. "No. She's still with us. At least her body is."

"Ohayou again, Mako-chan! I really appreciate your help. Now let's go shopping!" Minako whipped the car around in a tight circle and pulled onto the road.

"Where are we headed?" the brunette asked.

"Akihabara. If that doesn't pan out, we'll have to try somewhere else." The blonde flicked her windshield wipers to full speed. "What a horribly dreary day for my Taro to have his birthday on!"

"It wasn't raining in my bed."

"Don't be such a killjoy, Mako-chan!" Minako said. "We'll be doing this again next month when it's your Yuji's turn."

"No we won't, because I don't leave everything until the last minute." The car swayed as Minako abruptly changed lanes to pass another vehicle. The other blonde behind the girls murmured in her sleep, "Oh Mamo-chan... do that again..."

Makoto snickered, "You know, we really should wake Usagi up before she embarrasses herself."

"Shhh!" Minako softly hissed. "I'm recording this."

"Nani? You brought your tape recorder along?"

"It was already in my car, Mako-chan" the teenager at the wheel whispered. "I taped my honey-love playing his guitar and singing to me yesterday. This reminder of him will help me through the lonely times when we're apart."

"That's very sweet, but you're still a lost cause, Minako-chan."

"So when Usagi started talking in her sleep after I picked her up, I thought I'd switch it on. Just in case she snores really loud or says something funny."

"Don't you think that's being a little too rude?"

Usagi's mumbling became louder. "A beautiful rose! Arigatou, Tuxedo Kamen!" With a snort, her voice again faded away.

"I don't want to imagine what that girl is dreaming about" Makoto snickered, though she felt guilty for listening in.

"I think we both know!" Minako giggled. Spying a stretch of empty road, she gunned her car forward.

"Yes! Faster, Mamo-chan! Faster!" Usagi murmured. "I love it that way!"

Makoto glared at her evilly grinning future sister-in-law. "Where's that recorder? I'm turning it off."

"It's under my seat. You can't reach it until we stop, Mako-chan."

"Wonderful. It's bad enough we have to hear-"

Still deep in her dreams, Usagi blurted, "I'm going to punish you, Mamo-chan!" She giggled, "So very hard!"

"I can't take any more of this!" Makoto groaned as the blonde's utterances became increasingly intimate. "Usagi-chan! Wake up!"

"Huhhh...?" Her friend's eyes slowly fluttered open. "Oh hi, Mako-chan. Are we at the shopping center yet?"

"Not yet, Usagi-chan" Minako giggled. "Why don't you get a little more sleep?"

"Good idea." Usagi immediately tilted her head back and reclosed her eyes.

"You're evil" the brunette growled, keeping her voice low. "You'd better remember to erase that part of the tape when you get home."

"Don't worry, Mako-chan, I will. I promise."

. . . . .

The large parking garage was filling up fast when the girls arrived at the outskirts of Tokyo's famed 'Electric Town' district. Makoto roused Usagi from her slumber and the three teens made their way down the already bustling street. "Minna, I can't shop on an empty stomach" Usagi complained. "Can't we eat breakfast first?"

"I'm sure we'll find somewhere to grab a bite" Makoto reassured her friend. "Try to hang on."

"It won't be easy" Usagi replied, her tummy growling in protest.

"Ok, so we're here, Minako-chan. What exactly did you have in mind to get Taro for his birthday?"

"I'm still not sure, Mako-chan. My sugar plum has so many interests! I was thinking about an electric razor. Or maybe a camera. Or something musical. He's so talented!" Minako boasted with a giggle. "In every way you can possibly imagine!"

"There are some things I don't want to imagine" Makoto shivered. "Can't you narrow it down a little more?"

"What does Yuji like?" Minako asked. "They're brothers, and you know your lover boy so well, maybe it will give me a hint where to start shopping for my man."

"Well... my Yuji enjoys gardening" Makoto mused. "He likes being outdoors, hiking on trails and stuff like that. So he could probably use a utility knife or a good compass. Oh, and he's fond of animals too. I think he'd appreciate a pair of binoculars for bird watching."

"Bird watching?" Minako exclaimed. "What's the big deal with birds? In my opinion, if you've seen one bird, you've seen them all."

"Really? Tell me, have you noticed many chickens flying past your house lately?" the brunette teased.

"Mmmm! Chicken!" Usagi's mouth began watering.

"Why do you take everything I say so literally, Mako-chan?" Minako grumbled. "How was I to know chickens can't really fly like normal birds? Next thing, you'll be telling me turkeys can't fly either!"

"Utterly hopeless" Makoto sighed. "You're beyond help, Minako-chan."

"Turkey would be good too" Usagi nodded. "Or noodles. Or rice-"

"Now I'm feeling hungry" the tall brunette muttered. "Arigatou, Usagi-chan."

"Minna, let's try this place first." Minako lead her friends into a small camera shop and was soon bewildered by the uncountable number of items on display.

"You should have brought Rei along" Makoto said. "She knows a lot more about cameras than me."

Usagi strolled over to a shelf and picked up a camera sporting a long lens. "This looks a lot like Mamo-chan's. No... on second thought, his is much bigger."

"I bet it is!" Minako giggled while playfully nudging Makoto's side.

"Minako-chan! Get your mind out of the gutter!" the brunette scolded. She peered at the price tag dangling from the camera Usagi held. "Good grief! That thing costs a fortune! Whatever you do Usagi-chan, don't drop it!"

A sales clerk stepped up from behind the counter. "Konnichiwa. May I help you ladies?"

"Just window shopping at the moment" Minako told the man. "I'm actually looking for a birthday present for my fiancee."

"Ah. Does he currently own a camera?"

"No. This would be his first."

"Then may I suggest something a little more basic than the one your friend is holding?" the clerk offered. "This type, for example." He handed Minako a compact red Fuji. "It has all of the best features."

"Do you have it in yellow?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Hmm..." Minako pondered. She suddenly held the camera up close to Makoto's face and pressed the button. "Mako-chan, say cheese!"

"Agh! I'm blind!" The brunette staggered back as the bright flash dazzled her eyes, bumping into a display of film. Boxes clattered across the floor behind her.

"Gomen nasai!" Makoto blushed. "I'll tidy that up for you."

"Mako-chan, you really should be more careful!" Usagi chided her embarrassed friend. "Look at this mess you made!"

'This has all the makings of another really bad day' the tall brunette thought glumly.

. . . . .

Chapter 2:

Unable to decide if a camera was the perfect birthday surprise for her Taro, Minako left the shop empty-handed and decided to try her luck elsewhere. The earlier drizzle had increased to a steady rain and Usagi opened the umbrella she had brought along. Minako promptly joined her beneath its cover.

"Hey! What about me?" Makoto asked. "I'm getting kind of wet over here."

"I thought you liked the rain" Minako innocently replied. "Isn't that a big part of being an outdoors girl?"

"It sure is" the tall brunette muttered sarcastically while snugging up the zipper of her green jacket. "There's nothing like an early morning soaking to make me feel at one with nature."

Usagi waved her under her umbrella. "You can fit in here too, Mako-chan. There's enough room for three if I hold it higher."

"Arigatou." The threesome strolled on, sheltered from the elements by a pattern of pink and white rabbits with only Makoto's brown ponytail poking past the cover into the rain.

"Minna, let's try this place next" Minako pointed. The girls trooped into a music shop and stood gawking at the instruments on display.

"My Taro already has a guitar, but maybe there's an accessory or something I can get for him."

Another clerk, this time a middle-aged woman, hurried over to Makoto. "Excuse me, miss. Would you mind moving? Your hair is dripping all over that keyboard, and it's quite expensive."

Makoto stepped away from the instrument, immediately disliking the clerk's snobbish attitude. "That better?"

"Hai. That's much better" the female employee replied through a forced smile. "Now... what can I do for you girls?"

While Minako told the woman about her fiancee's music interest, Usagi tucked her umbrella under her arm and ventured over to a rack of shiny brass instruments. She picked up a trombone and studied it curiously for a moment. Raising the mouthpiece to her lips, she took a deep breath and blew into it as hard as she could.

BWAAAA!

Everyone in the store was startled by the horrific off-key noise, and the frowning clerk scurried across the room toward Usagi.

"Sounds like mating time at the zoo!" Makoto chuckled. "Or in Minako's bedroom!"

Usagi lowered the instrument and grinned. "Hai! She really should get one of these, Mako-chan. Then blow it every night at bedtime to call Taro to her!" Both girls began laughing but the shop clerk was not nearly as amused.

"Young lady! Please don't handle the musical instruments if you aren't properly trained in their use" she reprimanded the odango-haired girl.

"I was just testing it out" Usagi replied haughtily. "I'll have you know I'm a professional tromboney-thing playing... person."

"I see" the woman said. She reached for some nearby sheet music. "As a... professional... perhaps you would like to try the instrument with this famous piece. I'm sure you must be familiar with it."

Usagi peered at the page, crowded with incomprehensible notes and symbols. "Thank you, no." She waggled her finger at the clerk. "I havenkt had breakfast yet and I make it a point never to perform on an empty stomach."

"Such a shame."

"Minna, let's do our shopping somewhere else" Makoto urged. "I don't appreciate the attitude we're getting in this place."

The woman frowned again. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me" the brunette growled. The other two girls agreed and left the store, but as Makoto walked past the keyboard she flicked her damp ponytail, spattering a little more rainwater onto the instrument.

"It needed a good cleaning" she told the clerk. "It's too dusty in here. Not to mention too stuffy." Wearing a satisfied grin of triumph she joined her friends on the sidewalk. "That'll teach that stuck-up old-"

"Minna, I really have to eat something soon!" Usagi insisted.

"Ok, I can take the hint." The nearest restaurant belonged to a popular American fast food chain, and with great reluctance Makoto followed the two blondes inside.

. . . . .

A few minutes later, the girls sat with their orders in a corner booth. Usagi attacked her meal with gusto while Minako nibbled on a muffin and Makoto sipped her coffee.

"How do you like the coffee here, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked between bites of her sandwich.

"It's warm. At least it has that much going for it" Makoto sighed. "I still don't know how you can eat this kind of stuff, Usagi-chan. It looks so artificial." She stole a fry from Usagi's tray and tasted it. "Ugh. Like salty rubber."

Minako also took a fry and bit into its end. "You're right, Mako-chan. Put enough of these together and you could make a tennis ball!"

"If you don't want it then give it back to someone who does" Usagi muttered. "Don't be so picky!"

"Open your mouth and I'll serve it to you" the second blonde offered.

"Nani? Ok!" Usagi did so, and Minako playfully swatted the fry toward her friend with the palm of her hand.

Makoto turned away in mock disgust. "Children playing with their food! I'm going to pretend I don't know either of you."

The blonde's aim was off and the fry hit Usagi just below her left eye before disappearing under their table. "Ow!"

"Gomen, Usagi-chan!"

"The salt! It burns!" Usagi wailed. She snatched up a napkin and gently dabbed her eyelid. "Ahh! That made it worse!"

"Serves you right" Makoto chuckled. She asked the other teen, "Minako-chan, how could you miss such a big target?"

"Excuse me?" Usagi glared at the brunette. "You're getting more like Rei every day, Mako-chan. And that's not a good thing! Although... she has been extra nice to me since that fire at your house."

"It was just a friendly tease, Usagi-chan. Please don't take it personally."

"Even if it is true!" Minako laughed.

"Ohh! Fine friends I have!" Usagi fumed.

"Usagi-chan, finish eating your unhappy meal and let's get this shopping trip back in action" the brunette urged.

They eventually left the restaurant and continued wandering down the street, relieved that the rain had all but stopped. Nearing an electronics store, Usagi's eyes sprang hugely wide. "Minna! Look at all those video games! It's like... heaven!" She pressed her nose against the window. "I could spend a fortune in there!"

"My Taro doesn't play many video games, Usagi-chan" Minako said. "As much as I'd love to look around, we can't waste any valuable time here today."

"But... Minako-chan... we have to!" her friend pleaded. "Please!"

"Some other time" Makoto agreed, to Usagi's deep dismay. "Let's keep going." She walked off, stopped when she realized she wasn't being followed, and went back to the window, grasping Usagi's arm. "We have to stick together or we'll lose each other in the crowd."

"Ohh! You two are no fun at all today!" the blonde sulked. "Even worse than Luna!" She raised her voice to a high mocking pitch. "Usagi-chan, don't waste your money on junk food! Don't go to the arcade! Stay home and study! It's criminal what I had to put up with from Luna that first year! Thank heavens my Mamo-chan rescued me from death by her constant nagging!"

They walked on, passing shop after shop of electronic gadgets and toys. Finally they stumbled upon a store specializing in grooming and beauty products. "That electric shaver thing may be my last hope" Minako mused. "I'm nearly out of ideas."

They found themselves in a long narrow warehouse-like structure, filled with row upon row of hair dryers, curling irons and other assorted beauty aids. Minako paused to pick up a folding travel mirror. Opening it, the blonde gazed at her reflection. "Mirror, mirror in my hand. Who's the fairest in the land?" She giggled, "Me, you say? Mirror, you are so right!"

"And to think I could be at home watering my plants" Makoto sighed.

The girls split up, wandering around the store in search of other gift ideas. Usagi found herself staring at a display high above her of what looked like stretchy face masks. "Nani?" She hissed, "Mako-chan! Get over here!"

The brunette walked up behind her. "Find something interesting, Usagi-chan?"

"What are those things?"

Makoto reached for the nearest package, studied the picture for a moment then flipped the box over. "According to this it's a beauty face mask, Usagi-chan. You're supposed to wear it around the house."

"Why would I do that?" Usagi puzzled.

"It says on the package it fights wrinkles and keeps your face muscles firm. It's probably not meant for younger girls like us."

"I don't believe it!" the odangoed blonde scoffed. "If that thing really worked, every old obaasan in town would be wearing one. Here, let me see."

Makoto handed her the package. "I don't think you're supposed to open it until after you buy it, Usagi-chan."

"That's ridiculous, Mako-chan! How can anyone decide if they like something if they don't try it on first?" Unheeding her friend's caution, she pulled the bright red elastic mask out of its box and slipped it around her twin odango, then stretched it down over her eyes. "Ow! This thing is really uncomfortable! It's squeezing my face too tight!"

Makoto's chortle quickly became a full-fledged laugh. "If only Mamoru could see you now!"

"Why?" Usagi asked. "Does it make me look sexy?"

The tall brunette cackled uncontrollably. Finally catching her breath, she wheezed, "No! You look more like a bank robber. One with a really bad fashion sense!" Makoto noticed a store employee walking up the next aisle toward them. "Someone's coming, Usagi-chan! Quick, take it off!"

Usagi grabbed the mask and peeled it from her face. "Ohh! The stupid thing is tangled in my hair!"

The employee spotted the two girls a moment later, one still laughing madly while the other fumbled to free her odango from a bright red mask that drooped down behind them. Usagi's forehead and cheeks were deeply creased from the mask's pressure. He merely rolled his eyes, sighed and walked on.

After he left the blonde whispered, "Mako-chan, do you think he noticed?"

Chapter 3:

Makoto and Usagi met up with their indecisive friend at the front of the store. "You still didn't buy anything, Minako-chan?" Usagi groaned.

"Not yet. I'm not convinced an electric razor would make the right gift, Usagi-chan" Minako said. "I want my first birthday present for my honey-love to be something really extra special. Something he'll never ever forget. Let's keep looking."

"My feet are getting sore" Usagi muttered. She kicked off a shoe and wiggled her toes. "We've been walking around Akihabara forever. I hope I don't get blisters!"

"Ask your Mamoru to give you a nice foot massage later, Usagi-chan" Minako suggested. "When my Taro rubs my feet it's so relaxing!" She giggled, "And sexy too! But feet are just the beginning! Next, my honey-love relaxes me all over with-"

"We have a pretty good idea what comes next" Makoto snorted. "No need for details."

"I was only talking about a body massage, silly!" Minako winked slyly at the brunette, "What happens after the massage is so much better! But I'm sure you and Usagi already know all about-"

"Hai. We know. We just don't blather on about it every five minutes."

"I can't help myself, Mako-chan! Remember who you're talking to here. I'm Venus!" She swooned, "When it comes to all things love related, I'm a goddess!"

"More like hopeless."

"Hmph!"

The girls' travels eventually brought them to a sidestreet containing many smaller shops and boutiques. "I haven't been this way before" Minako thought aloud. The other girls followed her around the corner and the teens strolled along, peering through random windows until Minako abruptly stopped dead in her tracks. "I have to come back here tomorrow!" she promised herself.

Makoto chuckled, "I thought by now you would've memorized the location of every sexy lingerie shop in Tokyo, Minako-chan."

"Not this one I haven't!" the excited blonde answered. "Look at that filmy black chemise in the window!"

"I can see right through it!" Usagi exclaimed.

"It doesn't leave very much to the imagination" Makoto agreed. She grinned, "I wonder if my Yuji would like to see me making dinner while wearing something skimpy like that..." The brunette's thought trailed away when the store's front door opened and a teenage girl appeared. She glanced around nervously, her blue eyes darting left and right before she cautiously stepped outside. A small shopping bag bearing the store's name was tucked snugly under one arm.

Usagi gasped. "Ami-chan?"

"Oh dear!" Ami gasped, her pretty face instantly turned five shades of crimson. She stuttered, "Ohayou, minna."

Her three friends descended on the blushing blue-haired girl like a flock of vultures. "Well well well!" Minako giggled. "Looks like someone else has been busy shopping today! What's in the bag, Ami-chan? Can I take a peek?"

"Um... it's quite personal, Minako-chan. I'd rather you didn't look, if you don't mind."

"One thing's for sure" Usagi laughed. "It isn't a bunch of boring old books! Because this is no library!"

"Usagi-chan! Please!" Ami begged.

"That's enough, you two" Makoto scolded the blondes. "You should both be ashamed of youselves for picking on Ami like that."

"Arigatou, Mako-chan" Ami smiled gratefully through her deepening blush.

Minako ignored the brunette's warning. "Ami, Ami, Ami!" she tittered. "You never cease to surprise me."

"I bet the biggest surprise will be Ryo's!" Usagi snickered. "Later on tonight!"

"I said knock it off!" Makoto growled. "Ami-chan, would you care to join us? Minako still hasn't made up her mind about Taro's present and she could use some good, sensible advice."

"I would, Mako-chan, but... uh... I really must be going now" Ami mumbled. "Rei and I have to finish decorating Mamoru's apartment for the birthday party."

"Oh! Don't forget the balloons!" Usagi reminded her. "Lots of balloons!"

"We won't forget them, Usagi-chan. See you this evening." Still blushing, she scurried away, leaving the girls with huge smirks on their faces.

"Well! I never would have expected our prim and proper Ami to shop at a place like this!" Minako exclaimed.

"It's always the quiet ones" the brunette mused, grinning.

"Your Yuji is a quiet boy, Mako-chan" Minako teased. "Does that mean he's wild in bed too?"

The smile that graced the tall brunette's lips spoke volumes. "Mind your own business, Minako-chan."

. . . . .

Late that afternoon, Minako once again inflicted her unique brand of wheeled terror upon the drivers of Tokyo as she wisked her fiancee and his brother into the city. She took a different turn than usual, heading away from the road that lead to Makoto's apartment.

"We're not going to your place for dinner, Mako-chan?" Taro asked.

"Not this time" Makoto spoke from the rear seat.

"I have a different plan for us tonight, honey-love!" Minako smiled happily. She drove on, frantically weaving her way through rush-hour traffic until they eventually arrived at Mamoru's apartment.

"Ah, I see" her fiancee said, still unaware of the party. "We're having dinner with Usagi and Mamoru. That's very nice of them to invite us, my sweet."

Minako's car screeched to a lurching halt in the visitor's lot, narrowly missing Rei's parked red Mercedes. Makoto squeezed her fiancee's hand. "We cheated death again, Yuji honey."

Ignoring her friend's gibe, Minako sprinted around her car and flung open the passenger door. Taking her love's hand, Minako was about to lead the group to the elevator. "Oops! Almost forgot!" She stooped to retrieve her tape recorder from its hidden place under the seat and Makoto gave the blonde a suspicious look.

"Why are you bringing that thing?"

"I want everyone to hear how well my Taro plays his guitar, Mako-chan." She swooned, "His fingers are simply... magic!"

Yuji began snickering but was playfully glared into silence by his older brother.

"I honestly don't think my guitar skills are good enough to entertain anyone, Minako darling" Taro said modestly. "I'm happy just to play for you."

"Nonsense, sugar-muffin! You're incredible!"

"Where have I heard that line before?" Yuji pondered. "Wait, I remember! It was during the cruise-" Another glare from his blushing brother quieted the grinning teen yet again.

Minako steered the couples to the nearest elevator and stabbed a button vigorously. After piling into the elevator, the group soon arrived on the correct floor. Reaching the apartment, Taro was about to knock when Minako said, "Go on in, honey-love. The door is open."

"It is?" The young man entered a dimly lit room. The lights suddenly sprang on, followed by a loud cheer from his waiting friends.

"Tanjoubi omedetou, Taro-chan!"

"Wow! This is a wonderful surprise!" Taro exclaimed before bowing deeply. "Minna, arigatou gosaimasu!"

"Here's my birthday greeting, honey-love!" Minako promptly spun her fiancee around and flung her arms tightly around him, kissing her boy with wild abandon while everyone applauded. After nearly a minute the applause had died down but the passion continued on.

"Minako-chan, don't suffocate the poor guy!" Makoto laughed. "At least not on his birthday!"

Their kiss eventually finished and a breathless but beaming Minako escorted her young man to the sofa. "Sit right here, Taro-honey!" She promptly planted herself in his lap and slipped an arm snugly across his shoulder.

"You've really gone all out with the decorations" Taro complimented his frends. "I'm impressed!" Colorful streamers hung from every wall, held in place by clumps of balloons. A large sign above the television bore the kanji 'Happy Eighteenth' while flowers and paper decorations covered nearly every surface. In one corner of the living room sat a small collection of brightly wrapped gifts.

Mamoru strolled over with Usagi now nestled comfortably under his arm. "Congratulations, Taro-chan! Eighteen is a big milestone."

Rei and Yuuichirou, then Ami and Ryo also wished him their best. Yuji walked up to his older brother wearing a huge grin. "Happy birthday, grandpa! Try not to overdo it during your party tonight. Remember to take your medicine and be in bed by nine."

"I like that last part!" Minako giggled.

"Yuji-chan, some day you may finally say something funny" Taro smirked, "but this isn't that day."

Spotting his beloved Makoto emerging from the kitchen, Yuji announced "Minna, pay no attention to that decrepit old man on the sofa! Here's the real star of the party." He watched his fiancee enter the living room carrying a large double-layer cake, painstakingly decorated in orange and white by the skilled young chef the previous day. She carefully placed it on the coffee table directly in front of a deeply appeciative Taro.

"Mako-chan, I'm honored!"

Usagi's eyes bulged. "Ohhh! That's the most yummy looking cake I've ever seen! Quick, someone cut me a piece! And make it a big one!"

"My birthday boy gets the first slice, Usagi-chan" Minako admonished her with a sternly waggling finger.

"Fine!" the hungry blonde blurted. "Then I'll have the second one!"

Amid the laughter that followed, Yuuichirou waited for the inevitable wisecrack from Rei but the raven-haired girl standing by his side remained strangely silent. The apprentice immediately picked up on his fiancee's subdued mood. "Rei darling, I'm surprised you missed that opportunity. Are you feeling ok?"

"I'm fine, honey. It's just that lately I've been thinking that Usagi deserves a lot more respect than I've been showing her." She smiled, "Don't worry. Knowing Usagi as well as I do, I'm sure she'll give me plenty of reasons to get mad at her before this party is over."

Yuji appeared with a tray of champagne glasses and a large chilled bottle of bubbly. "Mamoru-san, do you have a corkscrew we can borrow?"

"Hai! Let me go find that for you, Yuji-chan." After Mamoru had left, Usagi wandered over to Makoto.

"Mako-chan, we really need to do something about Rei. She hasn't even been picking on me or anything lately. I'm getting worried about her."

"I thought you'd be relieved she wasn't, Usagi-chan" Makoto grinned, but her smile quickly disappeared. "Maybe being trapped in that bathroom during the fire has changed Rei somehow. She has been awfully nice to you this week."

"Wel..., I won't stand for it!" the blonde decided. "I miss our old Rei and I'm bringing her back somehow! Today!" She hurried away to collect her slice of cake.

"Oh oh! I'm getting that bad feeling again" Makoto muttered to herself.

. . . . .

Chapter 4:

"And this gigantic piece, with plenty of extra icing, is for Usagi." Taro handed the waiting blonde a plate containing a massive slice of the cake. "Enjoy Mako-chan's latest delicious work of art, Usagi-chan!"

"I will, Taro-chan! Arigatou and happy birthday!" Usagi joyfully sat beside her fiancee in their love seat and jabbed her fork into the treat with vigor. "Mamo-chan, this is exactly what we need around here. More birthdays!"

"Even if it means we're all getting older, Usako?"

"I don't want to get old, Mamo-chan. I just want the food that goes with it!" As she ate, she watched Rei return to her chair beside Yuuichirou with a small portion and take a bite. "Isn't it delicious, Rei-chan?"

"Hai. It certainly is, Usagi-chan."

Usagi found the miko's warm, friendly smile somewhat unnerving. 'If I want our old Rei back' Usagi thought, "I need to come up with a good plan... hmmm...'

"There's that look again" Mamoru chuckled. "What are you scheming now, Usako?"

"Me? Hehe! Mamo-chan, you're too paranoid!"

After everyone had enjoyed their sweet snack, Minako set aside her empty champagne flute, eased herself off Taro's lap and after enlisting Mamoru's help in moving the coffee table and the remaining cake aside, stood in the center of the room. "Minna, it's time for my birthday boy to dance with his fiancee, soul mate and personal love goddess!" she announced, adding with a giggle, "That's me, by the way!" Paying no attention to Makoto's faint groan in the background, she asked, "Mamoru-san, could you play us a little romantic music on your stereo, please? Everyone, feel free to join us!"

"Of course, Minako-chan. I know just the thing."

The young lovers held each other close as they rhythmically swayed together to a gentle ballad. Ami and Ryo quickly followed their lead and before long, everyone but Rei and Yuuichirou was slow dancing together. Instead of taking the floor with her fiancee, the raven-haired girl walked outside onto the apartment balcony. She stood quietly in the deepening twilight, gazing thoughtfully across Tokyo's endless ocean of twinkling lights.

"Don't feel much like dancing, honey?" Yuuichirou walked up behind the miko, slipped his arms around her slender waist and placed a tender kiss on her neck.

"I do, darling. It's just that..."

"Looks to me like you're still really shook up about that fire. I am too."

Rei nodded. "If it hadn't been for Usagi and you, I wouldn't be here today."

"You are here, my love. You're safe and sound with all your dearest friends, and the guy who will forever be so madly in love with you. And that's all that matters." Yuuichirou kissed her cheek then added with a smile, "We're missing out on a very nice song in there."

Rei smiled back and took his hand. "You're right, lover. Let's go dance."

"Aren't I always right?" The Shinto apprentice chuckled at the look Rei gave him. "I guess that means no."

. . . . .

Half way through the third song, Usagi suddenly dragged her fiancee back to the love seat. "Wait right here, Mamo-chan. There's something important I have to do." She held her index finger to her lips and lowered her voice. "Shhh! Don't say anything!"

Wondering what his fiancee could possibly be up to, Mamoru watched his girl remove two balloons from the wall, hide them behind her back and slink up behind Rei and Yuuichirou, all the while sporting a wickedly evil grin. The couple's eyes were closed and Rei's head rested against her young man's shoulder while they slowly swayed from side to side. Tucking one ballon under her arm, Usagi held the second as close as she dared to the miko's head and extended her finger toward it.

'She wouldn't!' Mamoru thought.

POP!

'She would' he sighed.

"Aahhh!" The startled miko jumped within her love's embrace. "Usagi-chan! Why did you do that?"

"Just having a little fun, Rei-chan" the blonde replied, her voice as sweet and innocent as she could manage.

"Well... please don't do it again."

Rei turned her back on Usagi and asked her chuckling fiancee, "Now... where were we, darling?"

"We were-"

POP!

This time the raven-haired girl's violet eyes had lost much of their warmth. She whirled around, her temper rising. "What did I just say, Usagi-chan? Didn't you hear me?"

"You said something, Rei-chan? Gomen. I wasn't paying much attention."

"Don't disturb us like that again!" A familiar edge had returned to the miko's voice, but she somehow held her temper in check. "Please!"

Mamoru tried discreetly waving his fiancee over, but Usagi was a girl on a mission. 'It's working!' she cackled softly to herself. 'I just have to keep the pressure on a little longer!'

The odangoed blonde next picked up a leftover piece of cake from the coffee table and tiptoed back toward the young couple from the Hikawa Jinja. Mamoru now realized what his fiancee was trying to accomplish and grew worried the girl was going too push things a bit too far. Usagi had no such concerns as she executed her next move.

With the song nearing its end, Rei tilted her head back and sensuously parted her lips to kiss her man. "I love you, my Yuuich-"

"More cake, Rei-chan?" Usagi interrupted. She thrust the plate toward the miko's face.

"Cake?" Rei slowly turned to face the blonde as everyone in the room stopped dancing, expecting the raven-haired girl to finally blow her top.

"Here we go again" Makoto muttered. "Hang on, Yuji honey."

"Why that's very kind of you, Usagi-chan" Rei smiled. "I'll have it later. Just leave it on the table, please."

"Nani? Aren't you going to get mad at me?" the stunned blonde asked. "You know, like you always do when I'm pestering you?"

"Of course not" the miko said. "Why on earth would I do that?"

"Ohh!" Usagi stormed over to the table and dropped the plate with a clatter. "Rei-chan, you're so... infuriating!"

"I am?"

"Hai! You are!" Usagi steamed.

"I know what you're trying to do" Rei told her friend. "So why don't you give up these sorry attempts at making me upset and just enjoy the party?"

"Because...!" The song ended and Usagi stomped back to her fiancee. "It didn't work, Mamo-chan!"

'Good!' her relieved fiancee thought.

"Minna, now it's time for a very special treat!" Minako removed the cassette from her tape recorder and loaded it into Mamoru's stereo. "I'd like everyone to hear just how well my Taro-love plays his guitar! Give me a minute while I set things up." Fumbling with the unfamiliar controls while the other couples retook their seats, she struggled to rewind her recording. "There! That should be far enough! Minna, listen to this!" The blonde pressed the play button and quickly scurried over to sit in her fiancee's lap as the tape began playing.

'Faster, Mamo-chan! Faster! I love it that way!'

"Nani?" Minako gasped. "That's not you, honey-love!"

"I just knew something like this would happen" Makoto sighed.

Mamoru's expression grew increasingly puzzled as the teens heard more muffled talking from the stereo speakers. Moments later the familiar voice rang out again:

'I'm going to punish you, Mamo-chan!' Usagi's giggle was unmistakable. 'So very hard!'

Ami's growing blush deepened to almost match Usagi's. "Oh my!"

Mamoru's mouth dropped open. "Usako? Is that you?"

Rei grinned, "This is getting interesting. Let's hear more!"

"No!" Usagi gasped. "Turn it off now!" She sprang from the love seat and ran toward the stereo, stumbling into the coffee table in her haste. The leftover cake slid off and overturned in a heap on the carpet, along with several empty champagne flutes.

"Clumsy baka" the miko muttered. "She's at it again."

The red-faced blonde stared at the complicated electronic device in a state of near panic. "Where's the stop button on this stupid thing?" She jabbed randomly at the controls but instead of silencing the recording, she made it louder.

'Ohhh, Mamo-chan! You're so-'

Mamoru leapt at the stereo and punched the power button with his fist, stopping the tape just as Makoto's recorded yell woke Usagi.

"You were right, Minako-chan!" Rei laughed. "That was the most unique guitar playing I've ever heard!"

Usagi screamed at the other blonde. "Minako-chan! I'm so furious with you!"

"Gomen, Usagi-chan!" Minako grinned sheepishly. "I must've played the wrong part by mistake! Silly me!"

"The wrong part? Just how much of this is there?" Usagi fumed. "That's it! You're in deep trouble!" She stormed across the room and picked up a leftover piece of the toppled cake. "You want to see me punish someone, Minako-chan? Try this on for size!"

"Usagi-chan, what are you doing with that-" Minako cringed just as Usagi angrily flung the dessert at the second blonde's face.

"Take that, you evil sneak! Ha!"

Minako slowly wiped the icing from her eyes and scowled back. "It's so on!"

"Food fight!" Yuji blurted.

"Sweetheart, please don't!" Taro begged his girl.

"Excuse me for a minute, Taro-love. I have a little score to settle." Minako stood and scooped a clump of ruined cake into her hand. Her eyes narrowed. "Two can pray at this game, Usagi-chan."

"Don't you dare!" Usagi warned. She ducked just in time, but the messy flying weapon found another target behind her, splattering Yuuichirou on his neck and chin.

"Gaaa!"

Rei's low, threatening growl caused both blondes to freeze. "Stop. It. Now."

"But-"

"I said no more!" Rei screamed. "Between the two of you, you've just wasted nearly half of Mako-chan's delicious cake, made a complete mess of Mamoru's living room and my fiancee, and spoiled Taro's birthday party! Are you both satisfied?" She passed Yuuichirou a tissue from her purse. "Here, honey."

Still deeply embarrassed, Mamoru mumbled "I'll go find some towels" and quickly fled the room.

"I'm very sorry, Usagi-chan" Minako apologized again. "I never meant to record anything as personal as that! I just wanted to catch you snoring and play it back to everyone later as a little joke. Please forgive me."

Usagi's angry scowl slowly became a smile. "Well... in that case... ok. I forgive you." The two close friends made up with a hug.

"That's much better" Rei said. "Now, clean up that ridiculous mess on your faces and the floor, and give Taro his presents, Minako-chan."

"Let me help you" Usagi volunteered. "It's my mess too." She chuckled to herself, 'At least that took care of Rei. She's her grumpy old self again! I'm a genius!'

. . . . .

Ten minutes later the blondes' feud had been all but forgotten and calm had returned to the Tokyo apartment. Minako handed Taro the final present from the pile. "This gift is from me, sugar muffin! I really hope you like it!" She added with a smile, "I did get you another present too, just in case you didn't like this one."

The young man tore away the gift wrap. "It's perfect, sweetheart! I've been wanting my own camera for years! Arigatou my love!"

The happy blonde kissed him. "And now for your second surprise gift! I actually got the idea from Ami."

"From me?" the blue-haired girl puzzled.

Before Minako hurried down the hallway and into the bedroom to change, she winked at her fiancee, "Stay right there for a minute, sweetie. This won't take long!"

"This is all very mysterious!" Taro chuckled. His curiosity continued to grow until Minako's sultry, melodic call reached his ears.

"Come here, my little love muffin! Your present is waiting for you!"

Taro promptly went looking for his future bride. "Oh... my... goddess!"

"Do you like it?" Minako giggled.

"Oh yes darling! Do I ever! Wow!"

From where they sat, Ami and Ryo could see only part way down the hall. Curious, Ami craned her head for a better view, gasped in shock and immediately tightly covered Ryo's eyes with both of her hands. "Don't look, Ryo-kun!"

"What was the second present, Ami-chan?" Rei asked her blue-haired friend. "From the sound of things, it must be something a lot more personal than a camera."

"It certainly was!" Ami replied. The girl genius made a mental note, 'I'll have to be much more careful the next time I go shopping!'

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Note: Next in this ongoing Sailor Moon tale is 'Fun in the Sun' (in four parts).