AN: Don't ask me where my ideas come from. I do not own Sailor Moon nor the characters within.

Luna was in trouble. Yes, she had found the warrior of the moon, trained her and given her all the tools she needed to vanquish the evil. She had watched over her and provided companionship, helped her hone the powers she had. She had found other warriors to fight alongside her. She had helped in saving the world countless times.

And she liked doing it.

But that wasn't the problem. Usagi wasn't the problem. No. But she WAS the reason Luna had gotten in trouble.

Actually, to be fair to the blonde, the one she could honestly say was responsible would have to be Queen Serenity. But by that token, perhaps she should blame Queen Beryl instead. If not for her attack, Serenity wouldn't have had to send her to the future to prepare Earth's defense. But if it was true that Beryl had been driven to attack because her spurned love for Prince Endymion had been twisted into dark power by Queen Metalia, she could choose to blame either the prince or the demon entity. But actually… Metalia wouldn't have reason to manipulate Beryl if Enydmion hadn't loved Princess Serenity, so it was actually the princess' fault. Which meant it actually WAS Usagi's fault.

Oh god. She was giving herself a headache. Groaning, the small black cat covered her eyes and shook her head.

Maybe she could make it simpler by just blaming Artemis. When she had needed him the most, the mangy white cat had been off with Minako, gallivanting around as Sailor V's advisor. She had missed his (sometimes) mature presence, his adult experiences she could relate to. While she loved the teenage girls she watched over, sometimes she just needed grown up time! Even if she was technically only in her early twenties in Mau years.

When Usagi had first brought her home, Luna had been prepared for anything. If she would have to skulk around and hide from the members of the girl's family, so be it. If they wanted to pamper her and provide endless petting and laps, all the better. But it had turned out to be a bit of both. Usagi's father ignored her, not being home for most of the time. Usagi treated her like a best friend. She'd had to win over Shingo, but in the end, she let him learn the places she loved to be stroked best. And Usagi's mother…

Luna sighed, jumping down from the windowsill she had been sunning herself on. She pushed herself out of the door Usagi had kindly left ajar for her and made her way down the stairs. The enticing smell of baking bread drew her to the kitchen. She mewed softly, alerting to her presence, leaping gracefully onto the counter.

Surprised, a pretty blue haired woman turned towards her, setting down the bowl she was getting ready to run water into. Her brown eyes smiling, Ikuko looked pleased to see her. "Luna! There you are, you silly cat. You didn't come when I called for you earlier! You must have been sound asleep, huh? Lying in the sun, I bet. Yes, you're nice and warm, aren't you?"

Luna purred, pressing her head into the woman's hand. She accepted a full body stroke, leaning into the pressure, knowing she'd fall over if the wonderful sensation withdrew. Out of everyone in the Tsukino family, Usagi's mother had the best hands. Sorry Usagi-chan, she thought without putting any regret into it, but it's true.

Ikuko chuckled and rubbed her knuckles under the black cat's chin. It felt divine, she moaned in her head. Her red eyes closed into half moons in pleasure, letting the woman know just how much the attention was appreciated. Luna did not often turn into her human form because, simply put, of this. While it also took WAY too much energy to transform frivolously, that body just wasn't as sensitive as this natural one.

Wait, what? Oh no. That was the ending pat. The touch that meant Ikuko was done. That was all the petting she was going to get? Surely if she looked cute enough, Ikuko would continue! Luna mewed, using her head to butt against the woman's hand. Pet me, she said with her eyes. Aren't I a cute kitty? Pet me?

Luna had realized long ago that humans responded more favorably to sickeningly sweet expressions and behavior than to when she didn't dumb herself down. She'd made her peace with it and moved on. But this time, her wide eyes and lowering of her ears didn't seem to be working.

"I'm sorry, Luna, but I need to get back to making dinner." Ikuko patted her again and bent down to pick up her food bowl. "Look, see? I left you some turkey I had for lunch."

Luna sat back on her haunches and looked at the food bowl that was so close to her nose she had to cross her eyes. It did smell delicious… But no! Luna shook her head, looking back up into pretty brown eyes. She wasn't going to let food get in the way of happiness! Tensing her back legs, she jumped onto Ikuko's shoulders, immediately draping herself around the back of her neck. The woman had nicely put her deep blue hair in a bun, which meant Luna didn't have to tangle her way through it. She settled in to purr noisily.

Luna knew she was able to get away with the maneuver because she was naturally small, she was normally calmer than Earth cats, due to her human-like brain, and Ikuko appreciated her company. Luna knew that was the main reason. Laying her chin onto fuzzy paws, she snuggled in, trying to give the woman some companionship.

Huffing softly in exasperation, Ikuko reached up to give her ears a quick stroke, tsking a little before she continued getting ready to feed her family. With barely a stoop to the woman's shoulders, Luna was very comfortable.

The first time Luna had bounded up Ikuko's arm as she knelt down to pet the black feline, it had been as much of a shock to her as it was to the woman whose neck she hugged. While she and Usagi had gotten quite adept at the maneuver, Luna really hadn't tried to do it with anyone else besides Ami. But, claws gently digging into the yellow shirt, she had known Ikuko needed it.

Her friend's husband was becoming distant, off to work every day, tired when he was home. Her daughter was hardly ever home anymore, running off at all times of the day doing something Ikuko knew she'd just have to live with, even if she didn't know what it was. Usagi also usually dragged her cousin along, meaning Chibi-Usa didn't need her either. And her son was becoming a teenager who wanted barely anything to do with her. She had gladly given up her job to become a stay-at-home mom, but her children were becoming older and needed her less and less. She put on a brave face nevertheless, completed the chores she had every day, and smiled at her family whenever they looked at her. But inside, when she let herself slow down, alone in the house, Luna on her lap, sitting on the couch and looking around the living room she had spent most of the happiest times in her life, Ikuko Tsukino knew she was lonely.

She had been a young mother. Not yet 40, she was in the prime of her life. She was a beautiful woman with a whole life ahead of her. But she didn't have the means to go out and do anything substantial for herself. Lack of necessity had kept her from learning how to drive. Everything she needed was close enough she could take a bus or walk if her husband couldn't drive her. And even though she had close friends, they were from college, and lived far away. Ikuko felt like she was destined to do nothing but keep the house running. She loved her husband, and she loved her family, and if she could go back and live her life differently, she wouldn't change a thing. But depression had started creeping in.

Being a simple housecat, Luna was privy to all of these secrets. As Usagi had grown older, she had needed a guardian less and less, leaving Luna time to do whatever she wished to do. And what she wanted to do…

Was spend her time with Ikuko.

Luna was in trouble, and there was nothing she could do about it.