"CHIBI CHIBI!!"

"Having fun, Chibi Chibi?" Usako asked.

"Chibi Chibi!" As I watched my Usako playing with Chibi Chibi, I realized how much I would miss her when I went to college. We had decided that we would try to spend everyday of the summer together before I left. "CHIBI!!" I turned to look at them playing, and saw their pigtails bouncing up and down, and the huge smile that I love so much. I chuckled and leaned back on the couch. Usako was giving Chibi Chibi a piggyback ride and was bouncing her up and down as she walked. It was funny watching the pigtails streaming through the air like red and yellow ribbons.

"Mamo-chan, could you please get a glass of water for me?" I chuckled at the still bouncing girls and to get her a glass of water. "When Mamo-chan gets back, we're going to take a break for a second. Ok, Chibi Chibi?" I heard Usako say as I walked out.

I got a glass out of the cabinet and began to fill it when I suddenly heard a loud thud. I ran back to the living room to find Usako lying on the floor with Chibi Chibi next her, frantically trying to wake her up. "USAKO!!!" I shouted as I ran to her. "Usako, onegai, wake up, onegai!"

I ran to the phone and dialed 911. "Emergency Medical Services, what's your emergency?" I explained what happened and the woman said, "We'll send an ambulance over right away."

"Arrigato." I hung up and ran upstairs to find Shingo. When I reached his room, I opened the door and explained everything to him. He jumped up and ran past me, nearly knocking me over, then tore down the stairs. I ran after him as fast as I could. I was surprised at the look on Shingo's face when I told him what happened. For all the times that he and Usako fought, I had never seen so much concern on his face before.

When the ambulance arrived, Usako was still unconscious. The crew put her on a gurney and I picked up Chibi Chibi as Shingo and I jumped into the ambulance just before it pulled off.

***

As soon as we arrived at the hospital, I called Ikuko and Kenji. They said they were busy at the market, but would be there as soon as they could. Then, I proceeded to call the senshi. I figured it would be nice if we could all be there when Usako woke up, since she's afraid of hospitals. When I finished my phone calls, I sat down next to Shingo and tried to cheer him up. "Hey, you ok?"

"I'm just worried."

"Me too." I glanced at Chibi Chibi. She sat next to Shingo looking at a picture book. She looked at a picture and stared blankly at it. She had no idea what was going on in the book, and she probably had no idea what was going on around her either. I put my hands behind my head and leaned back as I sighed. I envied her youthful ignorance.

"Chibi Chibi?" I looked down to see Chibi Chibi staring at me and holding up the book she had been looking at.

"What? Do you want me to read it to you?" Chibi Chibi nodded. I picked her up, put her in my lap, and began to read to her.

Shortly after I finished the book, all the senshi and Usako's parents wandered in. As they approached me, questions started flying. I held up my hands for silence. "I don't know how she is, don't know what happened, the doctor is examining her, and he hasn't come out to tell me anything yet. Shingo and I have been here for about a half an hour."

"Mom!!" Ami shouted as I turned around. I knew Dr. Mizuno worked at this hospital, but I hadn't expected to see her.

"Ami." Dr. Mizuno acknowledged her and turning to the rest of us said, "I'm glad you're all here. I have examined Usagi and there is no internal bleeding. However, she is still unconscious. I have no idea if and when she'll wake up." I was relieved to hear Dr. Mizuno say that there was no internal bleeding, but her words about "if and when" scared me.

"You mean there's a chance she may never wake up?" Haruka asked. I could tell by the tone in her voice that she was just as scared as I was.

"None of want to accept that fact, but yes, there is." Dr. Mizuno stated. "I had them put Usagi in a larger room, so for now, you all may go sit with her."

Dr. Mizuno led us to Usagi's room. As I walked in, I glanced around the room. It was a white room with a large window in one wall. The sheer curtains were drawn back so that the afternoon sun lit the room completely. And there, against the wall lay Usagi. I slowly approached the bed. As I did, I had noticed how much she looked like her future self, Neo Queen Serenity. The only difference now, was that Usagi was in a hospital bed instead of being encased in quartz. I pulled up a chair and let the others enter the room.

About an hour later, the others began to leave slowly. The Tsukinos and I stayed until visiting hours were over.

"Mamoru-san, why don't you go home and try to sleep. If anything changes, we'll call you," Ikuko said.

I wanted to talk them into letting me stay, but I could feel myself falling asleep. "Alright, but I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning." Kenji nodded in understanding and walked me to the door.

"Arrigato for everything."

"It's nothing. Usako means as much to me as she does to you. She's the world to me. I know that she's young yet, and that I'm going off to college soon, but Mr. Tsukino, I'd like to marry your daughter." Mr. Tsukino looked at me for a moment. "I have every intention of waiting until she is out of high school before getting married." I added quickly. "I want to let her know I love her before I leave." Mr. Tsukino was still looking at me.

"Mamoru-san," Mr. Tsukino put his arm around me as we began to walk. "You're a fine young man. You have always been there for Usagi and I know she loves you with all her heart. So, when you return, I would be honored to have you as my son-in-law. There is, however, one condition."

I froze. "Hai?"

"You have to call me Kenji-papa from now on."

I sighed with relief. "I think I can do that."

***

The next morning I woke up to the sound of birds chirping at my window. "I must have fallen asleep on the couch," I said to myself. I got up and began to walk towards the bathroom to wash my face when I passed my mirror. "Man, I look like I've been to hell and back." My hair was incredibly disheveled and I knew it would take a while to fix it. My shirt was pretty much falling off of me, and my pants were unbelievably wrinkled. "I guess I didn't sleep much last night."

I continued into the bathroom and took a shower. Just as I was getting out of the shower, the phone rang. Throwing on a pair of pants, I ran to the phone. "Hello?"

"Mamoru-san, it's Kenji. Usagi's awake."

"Ok. I'll be right over, thanks." I got dressed in record time and ran all the way to the hospital. I was so glad Usako was awake. I now knew she wouldn't remain in a comma forever. In my pocket, I had the ring I was going to propose with. I was so happy she was awake that I didn't even notice that I ran the entire way to the hospital.

When I reached Usako's room, I found all the senshi, the Tsukino's, and Dr. Mizuno inside. Upon entering the room, Dr. Mizuno took me aside and whispered, "Mamoru, it's good that you're here." Dr. Mizuno took a deep breath as though she was about to tell me something terrible. "Mamoru, Usagi has complete amnesia. Last night, she woke up shortly after you left. We didn't call you because it was so late. Mamoru, she didn't even know her own name." All of this information came pouring into my mind even though I tried to force it out. "What I'm trying to say is don't overwhelm her. You can try to jog her memory by telling her stories, but take it slowly."

As I walked further in, I saw all the senshi introducing themselves to Usako. I must have caught her eye because she rolled over and smiled at me. It was such a warm, cheerful smile. "Hello." She said softly. "Who are you?"

"My name is Chiba Mamoru."

"How do you know me?"

"I'm a friend of yours."

"I have a lot of friends. You all must like me very much," she said as she looked at all of us.

"Especially Mamoru," Makoto whispered. I began to blush, so I looked down in order to avoid anyone's gaze. It had been a long time since I had blushed for any reason.

We all stayed with Usako for a while as we tried to jog her memory by telling her of things that had happened in the past. She drank up the stories like a sponge mopping up water. I was amazed how well she retained everything we said.

Around lunchtime we left Usako and went downstairs to the lunchroom to eat. I got a vegetable tempura lunch box and sat at a table a ways away from the senshi. Normally I would have sat with the girls, but today I was not in the mood.

I thought back to when I had amnesia. I was merely six years old at the time, but I was so scared. I was all alone and couldn't remember anything until Usako came along. When I finally remembered everything, I felt free.

"Mamoru-san?" I snapped back to earth and noticed Ami standing in front of me with her lunch tray in her hands. "May I sit with you?" I nodded and pulled out the chair next to me. "Arrigato." She sat down and asked, "Are you alright? You look quite worried."

"I'm scared, Ami. What if Usako never gets her memory back? I know she intently listened to all we said, but will she ever truly remember anything?" I could feel the tears begin to form behind my eyes, but I pushed them back.

Since Dr. Mizuno told me that Usako had amnesia, I decided not to propose. I didn't have the heart to ask someone who didn't remember me to marry me. It didn't feel right.

"I don't know, Mamoru. My mom said that if we keep talking to her and reminding her of things, she is more likely to regain her memory. But I think you are the key to her regaining her memory."

***

A few days later, Usako went home. I was so happy; I started acting younger than Shingo. I was hoping that by surrounding her with things that were important to her might help her regain her memory.

Shingo and I ran up the stairs ahead of Usako as we led her to her room. Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino were smiling amusedly as they walked up the stairs behind Usako.

"Come on, you're almost there," I said as I helped Usako up the stairs while Shingo ran ahead. She reached the top of the stairs and Shingo flung open the door.

"What's that black thing on my bed?" Usako asked.

"That's your cat, Luna." Shingo answered. I had told Luna of Usako's memory loss, so when Shingo picked her up and brought her over to Usako, I wasn't surprised when Luna simply licked Usako's hand.

Suddenly Usako gasped. "Usagi dear, are you alright?" Mrs. Tsukino asked.

"Did you remember something?" Mr. Tsukino asked.

"I don't know." Usako thought for a moment. "Mamoru, may I speak to you for a moment?"

I looked at Mr. Tsukino who nodded. "Sure." Shingo handed Luna to me as he and Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino left and Usako closed the door. "Are you alright Usagi?"

"I remembered something. I saw me, I was flying and I was wearing a sailor fuku, and I had wings. And.I was carrying Luna." Usako paused. Then she looked at me. "I don't know why I decided to tell you. I felt like it was something I couldn't tell my parents or my brother, but you.I don't know why, but I feel like I can tell you anything. We have a very strong bond and the fact that I don't know why is driving me crazy. You, the friends who keep visiting, .and that cat." Usako looked at Luna who was curled up in my lap, listening to our conversation.

***

That night, I was awakened by Luna jumping on my stomach. "Luna?" I gasped. "Why do you always jump on my stomach when I'm sleeping?"

"Mamoru, this is important. Right now, Usagi is asleep. And I don't know what she's dreaming about, but for some reason she suddenly said, 'Tuxedo Kamen-sama.' I think her subconscious still remembers being Sailor Moon." At this I sat up. "Tomorrow morning I'm going to try the Luna mind meld."

"Do you think it will work?"

"I don't know, but it's worth a try." Luna turned to leave.

"Luna?" She turned back towards me. "What if it doesn't work?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it will work." With that, Luna left via my window. Although she didn't say it, I could tell that she was just as worried as I was.

***

The next day at work, I had the hardest time staying awake. After Luna left, I was awake the rest of the night. I couldn't stop thinking about what could happen if Usako didn't get her memory back and a new enemy appeared.

"Mamoru, what's wrong with you? Get moving! Table three is waiting!" I sleepwalked my way to table three and took their order without thinking about what I was saying or doing. To my surprise, however, the people at the table must have liked it because they gave me a relatively generous tip.

After work, I changed and stopped at home on my way to Usako's house. I figured she might like a rose, so I stopped in my garden and got her a rose that was in half bloom. I put on my helmet, got on my motorcycle, and took off for Usako's.

***

When I got to Usako's, Haruka and Michiru were leaving. "She still doesn't remember. Luna's mind meld didn't work. What now?" Michiru asked Haruka. She looked as though she was ready to cry. I noticed Michiru's violin case in her hand.

Haruka tenderly kissed Michiru on the forehead and said, "Don't worry, it will all work unfold in time." Michiru sighed as Haruka put her arm around her and they walked off together.

I knocked on the door and waited. Suddenly the door opened and Usako stood in the doorway. She looked was wearing a blue shirt with white buttons and a white collar with, and a short white skirt. For all the times Usako had fallen on the ground, I was amazed that skirt stayed so white. "Mamoru- san, this is a nice surprise, will you come in?" I nodded as Usako led me to the living room. "What's that?" Usako asked, pointing to the long white box under my left arm.

"Oh, this is for you." I said as I handed her the box. She sat down and began to open the box.

"A pink ribbon! I love pink!" I chuckled.

"Open the box. The gift's in there." She opened the box and gingerly picked up the half blooming rose I had picked for her.

"Oh, wow! It's so beautiful!" Usako suddenly gasped.

"Are you alright, Usako?" Usako turned to me.

"Why do you call me Usako and everyone else calls me Usagi?" I knew that eventually I would end up call her Usako to her face, but until she got her memory back, I tried not to.

"It's a nickname I've always called you." I couldn't bring myself to tell her about us.

"Oh, ok." Usako paused. "Is there a nickname I call you?"

"Usually you call me Mamo-chan, but don't feel obligated to call me that until you're ready to."

"Ok."

"So, are you alright?" Usako nodded. "Did you remember something?"

Usako paused. "I also saw a woman who looked like me, but with silver hair. She was in white and I was beside her. We were walking down a long corridor. I saw the earth. I was on the moon looking at a picture of you. You were wearing armor. Why do I see such weird things?"

"I don't know." If Luna's mind meld didn't work, then I was going to force her to remember things. At that moment Kenji-papa walked in.

"Ah, Mamoru-san, I didn't know you were here."

"I came in just as Haruka and Michiru were leaving." I suddenly got an idea. I approached Kenji-papa. "May I take Usagi for a ride on my bike? Perhaps I could take her to a few places that may jog her memory?"

"Go right ahead."

I walked over to Usako and asked, "Would you like to go for a ride?" I offered my hand. Usako took it and stood up.

"You do have an extra helmet for her don't you, Mamoru?"

"Hai, Kenji-papa. I don't even ride without a helmet." Turning to Usako, I said, "You can leave the flower. You don't want it to get damaged." Usako nodded and put the flower back in the box. I led Usako out to my bike and handed her my extra helmet.

"A pink helmet!"

"Check out the back of it."

" 'Usagi.' You mean?"

"That is now officially your helmet. Whenever you go ridding with me, you can wear it. Put it on and let's get going." Usako put on the helmet and hopped on the back of my bike. "Hold on to me tightly. You don't want to fall off." I said before putting on my helmet. I stepped on the gas and we were off.

"How about an ice cream?" I asked when we got to the first red light.

"Yeah! I love ice cream!"

"Alright then. Off to the Crown Fruit Parlor."

"Yeah!" Usako shouted as the light turned green.

***

"Could I get a chocolate parfait?" Usako asked when we got there.

"Sure. Whatever you want." Usako's eyes lit up. We ordered our ice cream and were surprised when Kuna returned with it almost immediately.

"Here you go, Mamoru," she handed me a bowl of chocolate ice cream. "And for you, Usagi, a chocolate parfait."

"Arrigato." Usako said as she plunged the spoon into the glass of ice cream. Kuna smiled and walked away as Usako took the spoon out of her mouth and turned to me. "Nephrite. What happened to Nephrite? What is that green stuff in his chest? Why is Naru-chan crying? Who is that other guy? What has he done to Nephrite?" Usako paused. "Who is Nephrite?" Usako stared at me, wide-eyed and almost frightened.

I had no idea how to begin to answer the slew of questions that had just been flung at me. The main reason being that I didn't know whether or not to tell her that she was Sailor Moon. "Nephrite was a general of an evil woman named Queen Beryl. He died when another of Queen Beryl's generals, named Zoicite, stole a crystal. That green stuff you saw is what Zoicite's minions used to kill Nephrite. Your friend, Naru, was in love with Nephrite and that's why she was crying."

Usako simply looked at me. "How do you know all this?" She asked.

I began to stammer. "Sailor Moon told me. We're fairly good friends."

"Oh, ok." Usako looked like she remembered something else. "Who's Sailor Moon?"

I wanted to pound my head on the table. "She is the champion of love and justice. She rights wrongs and triumphs over evil on behalf of the moon."

"You mean she comes from the moon?" Usako looked surprised.

"Yes, in fact, she's the princess of the moon."

"WOW!!" I kept wishing that my words would jog her memory and that something more would come back to her, but nothing did.

After Usako finished her parfait, I took her over to the arcade. "Usako, this is my friend Motoki."

"Konnichiwa, Motoki-san."

"Konnichiwa, Usagi." Motoki replied.

"What's that?" Usako asked as she pointed to one of the games.

"That's the Sailor V game." Motoki stated.

"It used to be your favorite," I added.

"Here, have a few tokens."

"Arrigato." Usako reached out to take the tokens from Motoki. As soon as she touched his hand, she gasped and pulled her hand away, dropping the tokens. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I'm such a klutz." Usako stooped down to pick up the tokens.

"That's ok, Usagi." Motoki said.

"It happens." I added as I bent down to help you.

Once all the tokens had been collected, Usako dashed off to the Sailor V game. Motoki and I followed her. "Maybe this will help her remember something." I said to myself.

About twenty minutes later, Usako turned to me and said, "That game was pretty easy."

I looked at the game screen and saw it flashing "GAME OVER, YOU WIN!!" and Sailor V dancing around the screen.

"Usagi," Motoki started. "It's taken you two years to get to the last level, and you've never gotten past the last monster."

"Really? Well, it wasn't that hard."

"How did you do it?" Motoki couldn't believe what had just happened.

"I don't know. It felt like I had done it before." Motoki simply stood next to me, wide-eyed and slack jawed. "It was fun though. Thank you for the token. Here are the extras." Usako handed Motoki the extra tokens. Motoki took them and Usako and I left.

"Where are we going next?" Usako asked.

"To your old school. The one you just graduated from." When we arrived there Usako didn't seem to remember anything. "Next stop, your new school." We drove over to the high school and I decided to take her over to the track. As soon as we got there, Usako stopped dead in her tracks.

"Haruka is Sailor Uranus, and Michiru is Sailor Neptune."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I saw Haruka. She was driving and Michiru was in the front seat next to her. I'm in the back seat. It's my birthday and." Usako broke off. "You're Tuxedo Kamen."

I nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Don't worry," Usako said. "I won't tell about you, Haruka, or Michiru."

Taking Usako's hand I said, "Thank you. Now come on, it's time to get you home."

***

"You know the worst thing about Usako's having amnesia is that even though she's right here, I miss her. You know what I mean?" I turned to look at the person I had been talking to, but Jordan only stared back at me and blinked cluelessly. "No," I sighed. "I guess you don't know what I mean." Jordan's parents were on a three-day cruise, so he was staying at my place again.

Suddenly Jordan came running up to me and grabbed hold of my leg. "Call Odango-atama," he blurted out. I stared at him and realized the simplicity of his response. I got up to call Usako when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" I asked Jordan as I turned towards the door. Jordan just looked up at me and shrugged.

I opened the door and saw Usako standing outside with a box in her hands. "Usako, can I do something for you?"

"Well, not really. Mama taught me how to make brownies from scratch and I wanted to ask you if you something, so I thought I'd bring the brownies with me." She held up the box.

"Come on in," I said as I opened the door wider. I showed Usako to the couch then proceeded to the kitchen for some milk.

It was nice to have Usako here again, but it wasn't the same as when she had been here before. "So what did you want to ask me?" I asked as I returned from the kitchen. I found Usako looking at a bunch of photos I had taken when I took a summer photography course two years back when I had first met her.

"I didn't know there were so many roses in the world."

"Yeah, I love roses." I laughed embarrassedly.

"What are all these?" Usako asked as she pointed to a shelf filled with tapes.

"It's a part of my photography class." I picked out my favorite video and put it in the VCR. "We were working on time lapse photography." Usako and I sat down on the couch with Jordan on my knee.

"Wha's dat?" Jordan asked.

"It's a way to watch slow things faster." I had no idea how to explain it to Jordan, but he seemed to accept it.

The tape began to play and Usako watched it as though it was the first thing she had seen in her lifetime. "That's amazing." She said.

***

Later that evening, Usako was still over. "Wow," I said as I looked at my clock. It's already 9:30."

"Oh my gosh! I had better get home!"

"Call your parents and ask if it's alright for you to spend the night."

"Ok." Usako went off into the next room to call her folks while I put away the video we had just finished. Usako arrived around 7:30 and we had been eating brownies and watching movies since.

".Well, he would drive me home, but Jordan's asleep and he doesn't want to leave him by himself." I could hear Usako from the next room. ".Ok. Thank you." Usako walked back into the living room. "Apparently ChibiUsa's already asleep and Dad is asleep too which means there's no one to come get me." Usako smiled slightly as I chuckled slightly.

I walked over to my armoire and pulled out a T-shirt. "Here," I said as I threw the T-shirt to her. "You can wear this tonight. I'm going to the bathroom and since Jordan's asleep, you can change in here and still have your privacy. Just knock on the door when you're done." Usako nodded and I walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind me.

A few moments later, there was a knock on the bathroom door. I walked out and over to the closet and pulled out a blanket and a pillow and then back to the couch. "You can have the bed. It's far more comfortable than the couch." Since Usako had lost her memory, I had gotten quite used to the couch.

"Are you sure?" I nodded. "Arrigato." Usako got into the bed and said good night. I checked on Jordan and went to turn off the lights. I looked at Usako asleep in my bed. She was so beautiful. Wisps of hair were coming out of the neatly wrapped odangos. Her breathing was steady as though she was having a good dream. I bent down and gently kissed her forehead. She rolled towards me and smiled.

"Good night, Usako. I love you." With that, I turned off the lights, took off my shirt and threw it in the closet, and went to sleep on the couch.

***

Three hours later, I woke up to Jordan crying. I sat up and turned around to see Usako leaning over the side of Jordan's crib. "She's got him. I can go back to sleep." I thought to myself. I laid down and closed my eyes.

"What's the matter, Jordan? Huh? Come here." I could here Usako talk to him as she picked him up. "What's wrong? You hungry? Let's go to the kitchen and get you some milk. How's that sound?" Jordan must have shook his head because the next thing I heard Usako say was, "No? Not hungry? Ok. Then what is it?" I could hear Usako begin to move around the apartment. "Then we'll just walk around. Ok?" Usako moved around so quietly that it surprised me when I heard her voice right above me. Usako sighed. "Look at him, Jordan. He's so cute. He's been so sweet to me. He looks like a little boy. Do you know what I mean, Jordan? I get this feeling when I'm around him. It's a different feeling then when I'm with the girls. It's a feeling that I don't want him to go away. And when he does, I want him to come back. I want to be with him forever. It's like we've been together before, and we'll be together in the future. I love him, Jordan. This must be what love is." My eyes almost shot open. She loved me. She said that she loved me. I wanted to get up and start dancing. "Oh, Jordan. You've fallen asleep. Well, it's alright. I'd be embarrassed if someone had heard me." Usako walked over to the crib and put Jordan inside it. Then I heard her approaching the couch. "I love you, Mamo-chan." Usako kissed my lips, "Good night." She stood there for a moment. I wanted to sit up and take her in my arms and never let her go. "You're more than cute."

Suddenly her head was on my chest. It was so hard to keep my eyes closed and pretend I was asleep. Her hair tickled my chest. She must have stayed like that for at least five minutes. When she finally got up, she pulled the blanket up to my neck. "As soon as I get my memory back we'll be together." She moved some stray hairs out of my face and kissed my lips again. I couldn't help myself and I kissed her in return. It wasn't enough for her to notice and make her think I was awake. "I love you, with al my heart." She said.

***

*CRASH* "Oh, No!!!" *BOOM*

"What the.?" I sat up suddenly.

"Good morning, Mamoru!" Usako smiled sweetly. In her left hand she held a huge pan. Her face was covered in flower. She looked like a Kabuki actress who had just put on her white base make-up. "I made pancakes for breakfast. I thought you might like some. ChibiUsa taught me how to make them." I looked at Jordan who was sitting on my neatly made bed, drinking from his sippy-cup.

"Sure. Thank you. Just a moment." I got up and went into the bathroom to wash my face. I was amazed at how out of it I was. I looked in the mirror and noticed my hair was messed up. Usually I would have combed it, but today the thought didn't even phase me.

I walked into the kitchen to get a glass of milk. I opened the refrigerator and looked on the bottom shelf, but it wasn't there. "Usako, where's the milk?"

"It's out here on the table." I turned around and saw Usako sitting at the table, with Jordan next to her, happily munching on a pancake.

I walked to the table and sat down next to Usako. In front of me was a large stack of pancakes with margarine and syrup on them. "Hurry up and eat, before they get cold," Usako urged. I took a bite of a pancake.

"Chocolate chip! My favorite!"

Usako smiled. "I know."

"Really? Who told you?"

"No one. I remembered it myself." Usako looked so proud of herself.

"You remembered it? Great! Before you know it, you'll remember everything." At that thought, Usako began beaming with pride. I have to take Jordan back to his parents today. Would you like to come with me?"

"Sure!" Usako and I quickly ate and then she took a shower as I cleaned up.

"Ok. Ready to go?" I asked when I saw Usako dressed.

"I am, but I don't think you are." I looked at myself and headed straight for the shower. Ten minutes later, I walked out and headed for the armoire.

"What shirt today, Jordan?"

"BLUE!!!" Jordan giggled. I pulled out my best blue shirt and threw it on then walked over to Usako.

"Do I pass inspection?" Usako wiped a few drops of water away from my fore head. "Thank you," I whispered.

"Sure." Usako replied. I was so close to her. I could have kissed her. I wanted to, but I knew I wouldn't.

"MUUUUWA!!! SMOOOOCHIE!!! EEEW!!" Jordan teased. I don't know that Usako was embarrassed as I was, but I had to turn around as I could feel the color start to invade my face. "Mamoru RED!!" Jordan continued.

I walked over to Jordan and picked him up. "That's it mister. You're going home right now," I teased.

"Yeah!! Home!!!" With that we picked up Jordan's things and left.

***

"Aw, look at the cute little family." Minako and Makoto were walking towards us.

"You make a cute couple," Minako added.

"I'll give you a couple, Minako. A couple of black eyes!" Suddenly Usako gasped. "This has happened before.Jordan's mother was hurt," Usako turned and pointed a finger at me. "You didn't like me very much. Anne tried to help you with Jordan. He spit up on her and she left. I arrived as she was leaving. I thought you had found someone else to help you with Jordan, but you begged me to stay."

I thought about what she had said and realized I had begged her to stay. Even though I couldn't remember at the time that we had been in love in a past life, my subconscious told her to keep her there, with me.

"Anne and Ail were draining people's energy to feed a giant tree. Sailor Moon healed them and the tree," Usako paused. "Did I just remember all of that?" Usako sounded shocked. Minako and Makoto just nodded. "Why do I keep having visions of Sailor Moon?"

Minako looked at me. "We don't know why you keep seeing her." Minako lied.

"There's got to be some reason." Usako looked as though she were about to cry. "Do I know her somehow? Am I going crazy?" Usako's eyes became glassy as tears welled up in her eyes.

"No, no, you're not crazy." Makoto said as she placed an arm around Usako's shoulders. "We'll find out why you keep seeing Sailor Moon. We'll help you get your memory back. Don't worry." Usako sniffled and nodded.

***

After dropping off Jordan, we went back to my apartment. "Why do I feel like all of my friends, including you, know something I don't?" I felt like I couldn't hold it in anymore. I wanted so badly to tell her that she was Sailor Moon. It had been a month and she kept remembering things from having been Sailor Moon. I could clearly see that it was upsetting her. She called me or came over almost everyday to ask me to help her remember things. When she first lost her memory it didn't matter to her much, but now all she wanted to do was regain her memory.

"Remember the day at the arcade when you introduced me to Motoki?" I nodded. "When he tried to hand me the tokens, I accidentally dropped them because of what I saw." I shifted forward on the couch, resting my elbows on my knees and my chin hands, which I had formed into fists. "I saw Motoki hanging from ropes around his wrists." She paused. "Makoto is Sailor Jupiter, isn't she? She and Sailor Jupiter look a lot a like. She began to run towards him and the other senshi tackled her to keep her from getting to him because it was a trap. She got to him and a bunch of women with wings captured and killed her." She paused again. She covered her face with her hands and began to cry. "I'm not crazy! I'm not!!" The tears came faster.

I moved towards her. "Usako, you're not crazy." I put my arm around Usako's shoulders. She looked up and straight into my eyes. Her eyes were so blue. At that moment all I could think about was dancing and how much I wanted to dance with her.

Suddenly the phone rang. I rubbed Usako's back for a brief second, gently kissed her forehead without thinking, and got up to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Mamoru, it's Motoki."

"Hey, what's up?"

"I had an idea for a party, a costume party for Usagi. Have all of her friends there. Perhaps it will help her remember something. I was talking to Kuna. She inspired me, so what do you think?" I was speechless. I thought it was a great idea. "Mamoru? You there? I was thinking that it could be a surprise for her. OOWWWW!! Kuna!!!! She just punched me." There was an odd clicking noise.

"Mamoru, it's Kuna. Don't make it a surprise party. We might scare the rest of her memories out of her. Don't listen to Motoki. BAKA!!!" Kuna must have been yelling at Motoki. "Let me know what you think. See, I was thinking a formal ball slash costume party. We'll treat her like a real princess."

I chuckled slightly. "It sounds like a wonderful idea. When will it be?"

"Two weeks from today and it can be in the banquet hall beneath the fruit parlor."

"There's a banquet hall in crown?" I was amazed.

"Yeah, we usually rent it out to people."

"Oh, ok." I was still surprised.

"So get Usagi to dress up, and you have to dress up too." Kuna giggled for some reason. "AAAHHHH!!! Motoki! Go away!! No, don't tickle me!! We haven't had a tickle fight since we were kids. Remember the mess we made? Mom nearly killed us! Mamoru, I have to go.Motoki and I.have been fighting.for.control of the.phone. Go away, Motoki! AH!! No! Mamoru, help, my brother's going to kill me!!!" At this point I burst out laughing. "Good bye, Mamoru. Seven o'clock, two weeks! AHHHHHGGG!!!!!" Kuna gave out an almost blood curdling scream and there was a clicking sound as she hung up. I turned around and walked back to Usako.

"Motoki and Kuna are throwing a party for you." Usako's eyes lit up. "I take it you like the idea." I sat down next to her.

She looked at me and said, "Haven't I been to this kind of party before?"

"Yes." I told her of the party for Princess D of D land.

"Were you there?"

How was I supposed to answer that? Of course I had been there, but I was dressed as Tuxedo Kamen. She already knew the truth about me, perhaps I should just tell her. "Yes, for a little while."

"Did we dance?"

"Yes, but I don't think you recognized me. It was a costume ball."

"Oh," Usako looked sad suddenly.

"Come here," I said. I turned on my stereo. Usako walked towards me. I turned on a slow song and began to dance with her. I enjoyed dancing with her, and from the slight smile on her face, I think she enjoyed it too. It felt heavenly, just holding her and having her in my arms again. As we danced, Usako began to fall asleep, just like she did two years ago.

I picked her up and carefully carried her over to the bed, placing her within it and pulled the covers over her, tucking her in. "Good night, Usako." I gently kissed her forehead and turned off the table lamp.

I went into the next room and called her parents. "Kenji-papa, it's Mamoru."

"Mamoru-san, what can I do for you?"

"Usagi is here and has fallen asleep."

There was a small chuckle from the other end. "Again?"

I chuckled as well. "I'm afraid so."

"Don't bother to wake her up. Let her spend the night there if it's alright with you."

"Yes, Sir."

"Mamoru, I have a name."

"I'm sorry, Kenji." I couldn't help letting out a nervous sigh.

"It's alright. Sleep well then, Mamoru, and give Usagi a kiss good night for me."

"Alright, Kenji. Thank you."

"Good night, Mamoru."

"Good night, Kenji." I hung up and gave Usagi her father's good night kiss.

After having a light snack, I brushed my teeth and went to sleep on the couch once more. I was getting quite used to and rather fond of the couch. I now knew exactly how to lie down on the couch and be completely comfortable on it. I knew where every spring was placed inside it and which ones were the bad ones that could make you sore in the morning. I was amazed at how well I knew my own couch, even though it sounded incredibly stupid. The moment I laid down on the couch, I could tell that it would be a comfortable night.

***

About a week later, all the senshi were over. We were all working on our costumes. Makoto had already finished her costume and was now helping me with mine. "Just because you are a guy doesn't mean you can get out of learning how to sew."

I sat there gawking at Makoto. My fingers had bandages all over them from having stuck myself with the stupid needle so many times. I had about had it with her. "I'm just not meant to sew! Why can't I transform into my outfit?" I don't normally get this frustrated, but my hands hurt so badly.

"No. If something goes wrong and you unmorph from Endymion to Tuxedo Kamen, we're going to have a problem."

"But Usako already knows that I'm Tuxedo Kamen!" Everyone stopped.

"She knows?" Minako asked.

"How does she know?" Rei inquired.

"She remembered it. But she still doesn't remember that she's Sailor Moon." I answered.

"What else does she remember?" ChibiUsa asked.

"She knows that Haruka and Michiru are Uranus and Neptune." Michiru and Haruka looked at each other, somewhat proud. "Makoto, she knows that you're Sailor Jupiter and that you like Motoki." Makoto blushed slightly and turned back to her sewing. Minako giggled until Makoto shot her a look and she stopped immediately. "She even remembers about having gone to parties like the ones that Queen Serenity used to have on the moon. You should see her when she remembers things. She usually looks so happy afterwards. But when she can't figure out why she is seeing something, it hurts so badly. I wanted to tell her. I wanted to tell her everything. It hurts knowing that I can't. It drove me nuts when I couldn't remember things from my past life. But here she is, trying to remember things from having been Usagi, Sailor Moon, and Princess Serenity." I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I had had it. I didn't want to wait anymore. I wanted to run up and tell her so that it wouldn't break my heart any longer. So that it wouldn't break my heart to see her so unhappy.

"Papa, don't cry." I blinked and saw ChibiUsa had sat in my lap. "I want Mama to remember too. If she doesn't, I won't exist in the future."

I paused and realized the truth to ChibiUsa's words. Then I rethought them. If Usako never got her memory back, then ChibiUsa would cease to exist, but ChibiUsa was still here, so that means that Usako would get her memory back.

Then another thought dawned on me. What if Usako never did get her memory back, but we still fell in love and got married anyways. I was so confused. I shook my head trying to clear it.

"You know, Mamoru. Another reason you can't morph into Endymion is because if something happens and you unmorph into Tuxedo Kamen, Kuna, Motoki, and everyone else will be there. They would find out." Ami pointed out. She sat with a pattern book in front of her and her dress sprawled out in her lap. Setsuna watched her, admiring her work.

I sighed, realizing she was right. I picked up my costume and started sewing. With that, I stuck myself square in the palm, drawing a few drops of blood. "Darn needles," I muttered as I looked at my hand.

"Perhaps we all had better go." Michiru suggested. The senshi picked up their things.

"Why don't you come with me, ChibiUsa?" Minako offered out her hand and ChibiUsa took it. They walked out.

Makoto walked up and took the needle from me as I stared at my hand. "I can finish this for you, Mamoru." I nodded absentmindedly and let her take the lump of fabric from me. Once they all had left, I washed my hand and put a band-aid over that too. My hands looked horrible.

***

A few hours later, Usako came over. "Konnichiwa, Mamoru!"

"Konnichiwa, Usako. Come on in." She came in and set down a small bag. I had a feeling she brought it in case she ended up spending the night again.

"Papa said that if I fall asleep again, don't worry about calling him, so long as it was alright with you."

I chuckled slightly. "If you want to spend the night, you're more than welcome."

"Arigatou, but tonight you can have the bed. I'm sorry that I've been such a bother these past two months. I've been taking up your entire summer. I'm very sorry for that. I know you're getting ready to go to America and I shouldn't be taking up your time like this."

"It's fine, Usako. I don't mind."

She looked as though she was about to cry again. "Rei said that you were tired of me and my bothering you everyday." Tears started to fill her eyes.

I quickly strode over to her and wrapped my arms around her. "No, no. I'm not tired of you. You're not bothering me." I stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. Tears began to steadily flow from her eyes. "If I were tired of you coming here then why would I always let you in?"

"Rei said you were just trying to be nice."

I smiled to myself. It sounded as though Rei was jealous for some reason, though I couldn't imagine why since she was going out with Yuurichiro. "You should learn not to take what Rei says to heart." I wiped away a tear from her eye and gently kissed her forehead.

After having settled down, we watched a few movies and talked about things that might have helped her regain her memory.

Soon after the second movie, I could see her getting sleepy. I was sleepy too. I yawned and she said, "Sleepy, huh? Me too. I'm going to get ready for bed." I nodded in agreement. We prepared to go to sleep. We debated over who would sleep in the bed. Eventually, I consented to sleeping in my bed. "Good night, Mamoru."

I smiled slightly. "Good night, Usako." I turned off the lights, got into bed and quickly fell asleep.

***

"Mamoru. Mamoru." I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. I saw it read 2:30 AM.

I rolled over and looked at Usako. "Usako, what is it? What's wrong?" From the sniffling sounds coming from her, I guessed she had been crying.

"I can't sleep now."

Without thinking, I said, "Lie down next to me. It'll be ok. Bad dream, right? Tell me about it." Usako lied down next to me and I pulled the sheet up, over her. "Tell me about your dream."

"There was a guy, he looked like a prince. He had silvery, white hair and a purple cape and a white shirt with a blue design." I realized her description sounded like Diamond. "He kidnapped me. He tried to kiss me, but you came and then you and he fought. Later, he was arguing with a guy in a black cloak and guy in the black killed him." The tears began again. "He was protecting me. He died trying to protect me."

I pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "It's ok. It'll be alright." She wrapped her arms around my neck. She felt so warm in my arms. Not a hot, sickly warm, but a good, comforting warm. She moved towards me, placing the top of her head just beneath my chin. She looked up and stretched towards me, settling herself higher on the pillow.

Suddenly, I felt getting nervous of being so close to her. Her body was right next to mine. It felt wrong knowing that she couldn't remember her past, but it felt right being there with her. I began sweating uncontrollably. I rolled away from her slightly and took off my now seemingly sweat drenched pajama shirt. Not knowing what else to do with it at the moment and not wanting to leave Usako, I dropped the shirt on the floor and rolled back over to her.

Usako looked up at me. The light from the street shone in and illuminated her eyes. They were filled with longing and something else that I couldn't identify. It surprised me, but I liked it. I wanted to fill that longing with the love I had for her.

She smiled at me. Her smile was warm and my nervousness and perspiration ceased.

I blinked and upon opening them, her lips were pressed against mine. At this point, I saw no sense in hiding my feelings any longer. I returned her kiss and that one lead to another and another.

***

Morning broke and I slowly awakened. I looked down at Usako who was fast asleep with her head on my chest and our arms around each other.

As I lie there, I thought about the night before and smiled to myself. My heart swelled at the remembrance of last night. It was a wonderful feeling to be able to lie there with her as we simply kissed. She began to wake up and my grip tightened slightly. I didn't want to let her go. I looked down at her and smiled. "Morning."

She smiled sweetly. "Morning, Mamo-chan." I noticed what she had said, but didn't make anything of it.

"Sleep well?"

She snuggled closer into my chest. "Yeah, you?"

I nodded and stretched, then kissed the top of her head. "How about some breakfast?"

"No, I'm happy like this." I smiled as she wrapped her arms around me tighter. "Mamoru, did I have a boyfriend before I got amnesia?"

"Yes."

"Well, I don't love him anymore." My heart sank with confusion. "I love you." The emphasis she put on the word 'you' made my heart soar. I didn't know what to say. She still loved me. I wanted to get up and run around the room. I felt like I had a pair of those huge white feathery wings. I felt as though I could have flown to the moon and back.

"Mamoru? Mamoru?" Suddenly Usako was waving her hand in front of my eyes. "Mamoru?"

I blinked and looked at her. "Huh?"

Her stomach suddenly started growling. "I think I'm ready for breakfast now." I chuckled and got up. I proceeded to make some breakfast while Usako got dressed.

***

The day before the party, I was walking around downtown, enjoying the day. At the corner of Third and Main, I glanced in a window of a store and saw a pair of hair clips and matching earrings that were perfect for Usako. The clips were three pearls each. The earrings were one pearl each. I ran inside and bought them for her immediately. That wasn't something I would usually do, but they were so perfect for her.

After that, I drove my motorcycle over to Usako's and knocked on the door. The door opened. "Yeah?" Shingo looked at me. "Oh, hi, Mamoru."

"Hey, Shingo. Is Usagi home?" My hand felt to my pocket. I could feel the box through my pocket and leather gloves.

"Yes, but she's trying on the dress Mama made for her for your party tomorrow. You can come in if you want to see it." Shingo took a step back, opening the door wider.

"No, it's ok. I'd like to be surprised." I took the box from my pocket. "Could you give this to her?"

Shingo took the box and nodded. "No problem."

"Thanks. Tell Usagi I'll see her tomorrow."

"You're picking her up, right?"

"No, I can't. I've got a commitment that ends shortly before the party and I'll barely be able to get there on time." Shingo looked oddly disappointed. "Haruka and Michiru will be picking her up."

"Oh, ok. Well, I'll give her the box."

"Alright. Thank you and tell her I'll see her there." Shingo nodded and closed the door behind me.

***

The next day, I couldn't sit still. The commitment I had had been cancelled, so I went to Crown early to help set up.

I was amazed at how much the Crown banquet hall looked like the great hall back on the moon. There was a grand staircase leading from the arcade level of Crown down to the basement.

We set up a small reception table with some punch and a few snacks. It seemed as though we had set things up with the exact same layout from the moon. We even had some nice music going.

Before I knew it, it was time to change into my costume. I quickly changed and walked back into the hall. Most of the girls had arrived by the time I returned. Makoto walked up to me and looked at my costume. "It looks good. Fits nicely."

I smiled, "Thank you." Makoto walked over to the refreshments. As she walked, I noticed she was wearing a simple green dress. I looked around and noticed all the other girls were wearing their respective colors. Makoto in green, Rei in red, Minako in orange, Ami in blue, and so on. Their elegance was simple, yet beautiful. Haruka and Michiru had not yet arrived with Usako. As I waited for her, my heart began to beat faster.

I turned to the refreshment table for a glass of water to help calm myself. I wanted to see Usako, to know how she looked. My whole body was tense. I was surprised at how unlike me this seemed to be. I usually felt so calm and collected.

Yuurichiro walked up to me. "Hey, you look frightened. You ok?"

"Yes, just nervous."

"Nervous? About what?"

"About what Usagi will look like."

He slapped me on the back and started laughing. "She'll look nice. Like you always say she does." I sighed and nodded, trying to relax.

Suddenly, I heard the soft click of a door. I turned to look at the top of the stairs and saw Haruka standing on one side of the stairs and Michiru on the other. They both looked nice, but I felt myself jump slightly with the knowledge of who was to come down the stairs behind them.

Haruka and Michiru walked calmly and gracefully down the stairs behind them. Haruka walked over to Minako and whispered something in her ear. Minako giggled and quickly ran up the stairs.

I looked confused, I'm sure. I had expected Usako to be right behind Haruka and Michiru. "Where is she?" I asked myself.

"Mamoru, you're sweating bullets. Are you alright?" Motoki asked as he and Kuna walked up.

"No, I'm a nervous wreck. I want to see her and it's taking forever."

"You look as nervous as a groom at his wedding," joked Kuna. I looked at myself and realized she was right. I was quite embarrassed.

"I don't understand what's wrong with you." Motoki looked worried.

"I don't understand either. I guess I just want to see her more than anything right now."

Kuna began to tease me, "For as many times as you're refilled that cup, I'd think you'd want a bathroom more than anything else by now." She began to chuckle, but Motoki signaled for her to stop and she did so immediately.

"Since Usako's gotten amnesia you seem different some how."

"I do?" Motoki nodded.

Suddenly a bit of fanfare music began. As a reaction to the music, I looked at the CD player that the music was coming from, but there was no one anywhere near it to have changed it.

I turned to look at the stairs and saw Minako step off the stairs as Usako appeared at the top of the stairs.

She looked amazing. Her mother had made her the dress she had worn during the silver millennium. She also wore the hair clips and earrings I had given her. She looked exactly like her past self. Usako wore a matching bracelet on her left wrist.

As she descended the stairs, smiling slightly, I walked over to the side of the steps. I caught her hand as it glided down the banister. She turned and looked at me. I bowed to her. "Princess, may I have this dance?" She smiled broadly then nodded.

We continued to hold hands as she walked down the rest of the stairs. As we began to dance, I felt as light as a feather. Usako looked up and smiled at me. For the first time since she had lost her memory, Usako looked carefree.

When the song ended, Usako looked up at me. "Arrigato, Mamo-chan." I was surprised. Again, she had called me Mamo-chan. Was she getting her memory back? "It's just like it was at home," her vice quieted. "Back home on the moon."

***

"She remembered?" Asked ChibiUsa.

"She what?" Rei questioned in shock.

"How?" Started Haruka.

"When?" Makoto queried.

"How much?" Setsuna finished the onslaught of questions that had just been flung at me.

"Yes, she remembered. She remembered everything. She's been remembering things bit by bit, but last night did it. She seems to remember everything about her being Sailor Moon, about living on the moon, about all of it." I felt an onset of freedom, knowing she remembered so much. "The only thing she doesn't seem to remember is how she got amnesia."

"So if Usagi-chan remembers everything, does that mean that Chibi Chibi still has to stay with us?"

"No, I'm sure the princess will wonder where she is." Haruka answered. I looked around confused. I didn't understand what was going on with Chibi Chibi.

Michiru must have noticed this, "Chibi Chibi seems to be afraid of Usagi, so we simply asked if we could take care of her. We figured Ikuko did not want to have another child on her hands." Michiru explained. "She's been with us all summer." I nodded in understanding.

We all sat in the Crown Fruit Parlor discussing the party. Usako was at Dr. Mizuno's to make sure she was alright. Ami had gone with her.

My mind wandered back to Chibi Chibi. She had not been around most of the summer and Michiru was right, Chibi Chibi did seem to be a bit afraid of Usako for some reason. My guess is that it had something to do with Usako's having fallen.

Makoto looked at her watch and said, "We better get going if we're going to pick up Chibi Chibi and then get over to Usa-chan's house." We quickly paid for our ice cream and went over Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, and Setsuna's to pick up ChibiChibi.

"Chibi Chibi," Chibi Chibi seemed reluctant to see Usako.

"But she wants to see you," ChibiUsa explained. Chibi Chibi just shook her head.

The front door opened and in walked Usako, Ami, and Ikuko-mama. We all looked at the three questioningly. ChibiChibi stood behind me, clinging to the back of my leg. It felt as though she was shaking.

Rei stepped forward. "What did Dr, Mizuno say?"

"She asked me a lot of questions about stuff that happened, but I still can't remember how I got amnesia in the first place." Usako explained.

***

"Mother says that it is sometimes too traumatic for a person to remember such a thing."

I felt Chibi Chibi shudder as she clung to my leg.

"Usagi, we have someone we would like you to see." Michiru said. Usako's eyes lit up with excitement. ChibiUsa and Hotaru gently urged Chibi Chibi out from behind my leg. Chibi Chibi resisted, pulling on my pants leg.

Chibi Chibi poked her head around my leg and Usako saw her. She gasped at the sight of Chibi Chibi. Seeing Usako's reaction, Chibi Chibi hid behind my leg again. I put my hand on the back of Chibi Chibi's head, trying to calm her, then I looked at Usako questioningly.

"Chibi Chibi. We were playing and I lost my balance. I fell and hit my head while giving her a piggyback ride. Do you think it's your fault, Chibi Chibi?" Chibi Chibi peered out from behind my leg and nodded. Usako bent down to be at Chibi Chibi's level. "It's not your fault. I lost my balance." Chibi Chibi took a step from behind me. Usako looked up at the rest of us. "As I fell, I turned my body so that I wouldn't hurt Chibi Chibi. I hit the side of my head. I was so afraid Chibi Chibi was hurt. I tried to see if she was alright, but I passed out just after I fell. The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital."

Chibi Chibi took a few steps forward as she held onto my pants leg. "Chibi?"

"I'm sorry if I scared you Chibi Chibi. Do you see that it wasn't your fault?" Chibi Chibi took a few more steps forward, still holding onto my pants, forcing me to walk forward as well. "Do you forgive me for scaring you and making you worry?" Chibi Chibi walked forward until she and Usako were face to face, Chibi Chibi's little fist was still clenched around my pants.

Suddenly, Chibi Chibi let go of my pants and ran towards Usako, arms extended. Chibi Chibi seemed to have understood that she was forgiven. "Chibi Chibi." Usako hugged her in return. I was overwhelmed that Usako had all her memories back. I wanted to run around shouting for joy, I wanted to cry; I wanted to express every joyful emotion I had. Now that I knew that I could leave for college and that Usako would remember everything about us.

I was leaving in a week and was very ambivalent. I was excited to go, but I didn't want to leave behind my friends and the one I loved most.

Now that Usako remembered everything, I had nothing to stop me from proposing to Usako. I began to get restless, so I got up, put my shoes on, and went for a long walk. By the time I got back, the sun had set. I walked up to the door of my apartment and found Usako curled up asleep, leaning against the door.

***

I looked at Usako and moved a piece of hair from her face. She shifted and woke up and looked at me. "Mamoru?"

I smiled at her, "Hai. It's me."

She stood up and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep out here."

"It's alright," I smiled and looked at her. "Would you like to come in since you're here?" Sleep was in her eyes still. I opened the door and let her go into the apartment first.

"Where were you? I was worried," her voice trembled slightly.

"I went for a walk for the heck of it." She nodded as I walked into the kitchen. "Can I get you something?"

"Some water please." I got her a glass of water and handed it to her.

"Are you hungry?" Her eyes light up and the sleep disappeared from them. "I'll take that as a yes. What would you like?"

"Odangos!!"

I laughed. "Alright. Would you lie to stay here or go with me to get them?"

She took a step forward and looked me in the eyes. She smiled at me. "I change my mind. I'm not that hungry." I took a step towards her. "Aren't you?" She just shook her head. "What do you want then?"

A look in her eyes seemed to say 'You'. She seemed almost calling to me. She suddenly ran towards me. I wrapped my arms around her waist as she stretched upwards and kissed me.

As we continually kissed, we slowly sank to the floor. Her body was pressed against mine, all of her weight on top of me. I wrapped her in my arms, holding her close, not wanting to let her go. I was too afraid to even think of letting her go.

As we began to fall asleep, I remembered the sweet taste of her lips against mine and I knew then that I would never have to leave Usako.

THE END