I know… I KNOW I shouldn't be writing another story when Troubadours and A Moment In Time are still incomplete…. But this always happens to me and probably most writers out there. I literally dreamt this story last night and it wouldn't leave me along all day. I kept following me around like a beaten puppy with puppy eyes all like WRITE MEH! So yea… I'm a marshmallow…. The story won…. –dies-
"Usako the plane leaves in an hour, and the taxi will be here soon!" A deep voice called to Usagi from down the hall.
"Okay," she called back picking up the roll of clear packing tape and sealing the last of the boxes strewn about her bedroom.
It was hard to believe that Mamoru and she were leaving Japan, but there was nothing left for either of them here. And Mamoru had been given a position as a surgeon in the United States, at Travis Air Force Base, in California. Usagi pushed herself to her feet and bent down retrieving the quilted tote with the a picture of a white rabbit sewn onto it, she then turned toward the door of her bedroom pausing only briefly before turning off the lights and rushing down the hall.
She refused to allow her eyes to settle on the various picture frames still lining the hallway walls, held within their glossy depths were captured memories of happier times for both Mamoru and Usagi. Usagi smiled sadly as she continued down the hallway that held the memories of her childhood. Pictures of her and Mamoru sitting on a porch swing playing cards, or in one picture of her and him rolling down a hill while a large black dog bounded after the children. Hundreds of similar memories and frozen moments stared out at her from the picture frames, and as much as she tried to avoid stopping the hallway turned and she came face to face with a picture of herself and Mamoru as children standing in front of a happy couple, the woman with raven colored hair and blue eyes holding a tiny baby swaddled in a blanket. The man had brown hair and blue eyes and wore a white lab coat and name tag, he stood with almost a military alertness, which would make sense since he had been in the military. With a sigh Usagi's eyes traveled over the people in the picture and she removed the frame from its peg stuffing it in her tote bag before hurrying down the hall.
"Mamo-chan I'm ready whenever you are," she said smiling brightly though the emotion didn't reach her eyes.
"About time Usako," said a tall man with dark raven hued hair and midnight colored eyes.
Usagi opened her mouth to respond by the loud blaring of a car horn from outside stopped her and the two people hurried to gather their belongings before rushing out the door, and into the Taxi. As the vehicle pulled away from the two story home and picked up speed, Usagi turned to look out the back window of the taxi wondering if she would ever see her childhood home again.
"Don't worry Usako, we'll be back eventually." Mamoru said smiling at the younger girl.
Usagi turned on the seat and sighed softly, "I know. But traveling over half way around the world is terrifying Mamo-chan." She said her fingers worrying the strap of her tote bag. "And you're sure the movers will send the rest of our stuff to the right location? America is such a huge place what if it doesn't show up?"
Mamoru pulled Usagi's head down so it rested on his shoulder and set his hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry so much Usako. We're just going on a new adventure, who knows what will happen in the future?"
Usagi allowed him to pull her head against his shoulder and nodded in agreement though her hands stilled twisted and worried the handle of her bag. After a couple minutes of fretting she finally allowed her personal exhaustion to overcome her and drifted off to sleep.
Mamoru felt Usagi's body relax into sleep and felt some of the tension in his own body seep out, he'd been worried about her the last couple weeks. It wasn't easy to just pick up and leave everything you knew behind. But she had done well, and done it because he'd asked her to, not that she'd had much of a choice. He watched the scenery fly passed the taxi's window a frown marring his features as the terminals of Tokyo International Airport came into view. He wondered for the umpteenth time if he made the right decision by agreeing to take this position, his frown deepened and he shook his head. He had to believe that what they were doing was for the best; otherwise nothing would work out in the end.
The taxi came to a stop in front of the airport and Mamoru carefully removed himself from the backseat before paying the driver, then he reached into the backseat again lifting Usagi into his arms and snagging her bag with his little finger.
"Please get the rest of the luggage and follow me," he instructed one of the airport porters as he carried the sleeping teen inside the building.
The man in an airport employee uniform rushed to follow Mamoru's instructions with a nod, and Mamoru moved into the building still carrying the sleeping girl in a princess hold easily. He ignored the stares and whispers of other airline passengers as he walked through the terminal, though he did allow himself to grin slightly knowing that Usagi would have been mortified had she known he was carrying her in such a way. He paused at the check in counter and smiled at the redhead behind the desk; though like Usagi the emotion didn't reach his eyes, in fact if possible the smile made Mamoru look cold and distant.
"I would like to pick up reserved tickets for myself and my sister…."