Ok, here goes... Disclaimer: Nope! Not my Sailor Moon!

~One Year After The Starlight's have gone~

Usagi sat down to dinner with Mamoru. She had not wanted to come to dinner tonight but could not bring herself to call and cancel. Lately things had been different between them. At least on her part.

" Good evening Usako. You look beautiful tonight," Mamoru said with a warm and loving smile on his face.

" Thank you Mamo-chan"

An uncomfortable silence began. Usagi really had nothing she wanted to discuss with him and she was tired of hearing about his dreams when he had no consideration for hers. How could they be together forever when they were not even going in the same direction now? When he had left her for America she had a lot of time to think. To remember, to dream and also to plan. She had begun to think of a career in politics, although she had yet to inform anyone of this. Truthfully she was afraid of being laughed at. No one but her mother seemed to think she had any talent besides eating and falling down. Only her mother had seen her grow, age, mature into a more confident person. She was now seventeen years old. Soon she would be an adult and a woman. But sometimes she had to wonder if any of her friends realized that.

" I love you so much Usako"

Usagi couldn't help but wonder if he said that only to break the silence. She smiled in return but said nothing. She wasn't sure if she was still in love with him. She cared about him, and always would... but love? He had been gone for so long and even now was so busy she wasn't even sure she still knew him.

Mamoru sat back in his seat and stared at his Usako contemplatively. For sometime now he had been concerned about her. No longer did she welcome his advances. He could no longer tempt her smile with random, silly, cuteness. He would even swear that at times he saw annoyance flash in her eyes. Perhaps he was being melodramatic. After all, they were destined to be together, forever. It was expected. And he knew his Usako. She would do what she must to ensure the future of crystal Tokyo, even if she did not love him, even if she could barely tolerate their future daughter. He sat up straight as a new thought occurred. She did still love him didn't she? He tried to remember how she replied when he told her of his love. Honestly he couldn't remember, maybe he hadn't been paying much attention. When the same thing is said over and over again and the same response if given you kind of ten to take it for granted. However, he was sure she given the same response as always. He relaxed again as he reassured himself, " Of course she still loves me..."

After dinner Mamoru suggested a walk in the park and Usagi reluctantly agreed. There was no moon out tonight which suited her fine. It somehow seemed wrong to have a romantic walk under her moon when she was so unsure of her feelings. On this night stars seemed to want to make up for the moon and twinkled brightly in the nighttime sky. Usagi loved the stars. Often she would sit outside on her parent's lawn and watch them. They always seemed so constant and enduring, unlike the earth, which seemed to always be in turmoil, always changing. Only in a place deep within her heart would she ever admit another reason. She would never willing let her secret out. Too much pain would be caused by it; more pain then there was already.

Mamoru spun her around and into his arms. She gasped and as he was about to take advantage of the situation the communicator went off.

"Usagi we need you! There's an enemy attacking civilians near the arcade!"

Mamoru cursed the luck that would bring an enemy after so much peace and on his special night with Usako.

Usagi smiled half-heartedly.

"Guess we better go..."

Good...yes? No? I know it's a slow beginning but things must go slow before they can go fast!