Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon

11:17 PM Friday - Juban District - Tokyo, Japan

Tuxedo Kamen stood on a thick branch of the tree, one hand resting on the trunk as he assessed the action below him. Sailor Moon had arrived almost the moment he had and was obviously trying to discover a weakness in the Youma she fought.

Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury were off to one side, the fire Senshi standing in front of the bluenette, obviously as a form of protection. The tall one, Sailor Jupiter, who was newest to the group, was attempting to pick herself up off the ground, having been blown backward by a sickly-sweet wind filled with sticky chunks of taffy.

Sailor Moon, closing in behind the Youma, pulled off her tiara and with the words "MOON TIARA ACTION" she threw it like a discus at the monster. The taffy-looking…thing, was uninjured, the cut closing over with more of the sticky candy. It turned on Sailor Moon and lunged, but the Senshi was too fast. She really has been getting better, he thought.

Sailor Mercury looked up from her little computer. "I think you have to hit the wrapper on the forehead," she shouted.

"Think you can MANAGE that MOON?!" Sailor Mars asked in a snarky, mean voice. Tuxedo Kamen looked at the girl incredulously. "Can't do anything!" she continued. "Always late, always klutzing out… I mean seriously!"

Face white, Sailor Moon pretended not to hear. She reached for her tiara again, but the Youma was still advancing on her, sending spray after spray of taffy, until one caught her foot, and she was trapped where she stood. She fell backward with a cry of pain, but even before she hit the ground, Tuxedo Kamen had leaped into action. In one swift movement he launched himself towards her, simultaneously releasing two blood-red roses. The sharp spikes cut through the sticky goo, and seconds later he had pulled her into his arms.

"Seriously!" Shouted Mercury. "You can't lie around on the job!" Tuxedo Kamen shook with anger. How dare that girl say such a thing while hiding behind Sailor Mars, who wasn't even in the fighting herself.

"You okay?" He asked, feeling Moon shaking in his arms.

She just nodded, and as soon as he put her on the ground, she screamed "Moon Twilight Flash!" and her tiara caught the glow of the moonlight, amplifying the white light and streaking across the field. A second later she yelled, "Moon Tiara Action," and with deadly accuracy the tiara followed the light, hitting a tiny square wrapper on the forehead of the creature.

A breeze picked up the dust as the Youma fell apart. Mars and Mercury stood together talking. Sailor Jupiter looked at Moon and gave a tentative smile, unsure what to say or do. She had tried to fight and been blown down, stuck to the grass as though superglued. But even after Sailor Moon had been knocked over she had fought. The girl seemed strong and capable to her, but the others didn't seem to see that. She took a step closer to where the Senshi of the Moon stood, noticing the masked hero hovering just beyond her shoulder.

Mars and Mercury finally stopped talking and stepped forward into the moonlight. Mars had a scowl on her face. "Why the hell were you so late?" She demanded irritably.

"Because," sighed Sailor Moon, "my mother was in my room talking to me. I had to get her to go away, unless you want me to transform right in front of her. We talked about this. I won't put my family in danger!" Tuxedo Kamen could see the girl visibly trembling with anger and hurt. And finally, he had had enough. More than enough. He growled.

"I am sick of this!" He growled again. "Mars, do you realize you did absolutely nothing the entire time? Mercury, you just hid behind Mars with your stupid computer. The only one helping Sailor Moon was Jupiter, and she is still untrained. You pick and pick at your leader and I have just had enough!" By the end he was shouting.

He picked up Sailor Moon before adding. "I will bring her back the moment you actually realize what you've lost, and not a moment sooner." The girl struggled in his arms, but he held tight. Looking down at her he growled, "sit still! I'm doing this for your own damn good!" And without another word he leapt away.

For a few minutes the other Senshi chased after him, Sailor Jupiter screaming for him to bring the girl back. She chased him the longest, her long legs eating up the distance, but he lost her when he jumped onto a high building. Sailor Moon was still struggling a bit, upset by her friend's plea for her return, but eventually she stilled.

Tuxedo Kamen didn't stop, and he didn't go to his apartment. Though Usagi (Sailor Moon) had promised not to tell the others who he was, he was sure they could find out if they looked hard enough. Maybe they could even trace her. He looked down at the girl, now sleeping in his arms. He took her broach, and suddenly she seemed smaller and more precious. He removed her communicator as well and put both into his subspace pocket where he knew, from experiments with Motoki, they could not be traced.

He raced out of Tokyo and into the countryside beyond, passing farms and orchards as he traced a route only he knew.

The home where he had spent the first six years of his life, was about thirty miles outside the city, and no one, not even Motoki, knew of it. He owned the property now, along with his inheritance, which was steadily growing in stock portfolios, but he had been unable to talk about the home when he had finally been handed the keys. A manager had been maintaining the place for years, coming once a month to clean, run water and electricity, and do some gardening.

As he reached the property line he took a flying leap and one foot lightly rested on the stone wall before he was over it and racing towards the house. The yard smelled of roses. He had come here to practice when he first became the masked hero, and roses were the first weapon he had learned. Now he could create almost anything that grew, and he was proud of the way his talents had enhanced the property.

He held the girl tighter, reaching into his subspace pocket for his keys, and opened the door. He carried Usagi up the grand staircase and into a large bedroom, mostly done in pink, and pulled back the comforter before placing her in the bed. He lifted the blanket back over her, bent, and kissed her on the forehead before turning and walking out of the room.

The rest of the night was spent securing the property, growing vines that hid the gate, and others that blocked the windows from opening. He created a barrier at each of the doors and windows that Usagi could not pass though, even going into the attic to block that way. Every vent, every crawl space, and anything else she could use to leave he covered. He had changed the makeup of the vines so that if they were tampered with they would grow bigger and they would gently ensnare the girl until he could collect her.

He didn't feel even remotely guilty. Once, he had been Usagi's worst tormentor. Until the day she had learned about his parents. That one moment had changed the way he saw the tiny blonde. He had found her, laying across their grave, sobbing for their loss because it made Mamoru sad. Seeing her in that moment he had fallen desperately in love. And he had comforted her, telling her he had friends now. She had held him for a long time, and kissed his cheek, and offered her own family to him.

She hadn't been bluffing either, he knew. She had invited him to dinner several times since then, and when he had seen her transform, he shared his own identity with her. Now they were close, actual friends, though he hoped one day to become her family for real. One day he would brave her father's wrath and ask for her hand.

His work complete, he went upstairs and checked on Usagi before going to his own room. As tired as he was, it was a long time before sleep overtook him. No, he did not feel guilty, but he really hoped Usagi wouldn't hate him for what he had done.

When Usagi awoke the next morning, dim sunlight peeked through the windows. She was famished, and for a moment confused. She didn't recognize the room. It wasn't Mamoru's apartment, she had been there, and none of his rooms had pink lace in them. She giggled. She wasn't at home either. That upset her. She worried her parents would be frightened. It was Saturday morning, and though she hadn't had any real plans, she knew Luna and her mother both would be upset if they didn't see her. She hoped the girls had been sensible enough to come up with an excuse.

She climbed out of the tall bed and looked around. The bed itself was a four-poster, made of cherry wood, and it was much higher than her own. It was also much bigger. The dresser and armoire matched the bed. The canopy above, and the blankets and sheets on the bed were silk, in a dusky rose color. There were three large windows, all of which opened outwardly.

She tried opening each one, but they wouldn't budge as large vines locked them tight against the house. She went to the bathroom, cleaned herself up a bit, and then explored. No window would open, and the doors were covered in vines both inside and out. She got close and one of the vines quivered, as though it would reach for her. With a gasp she stepped back and it went dormant.

Finally, she made her way to the kitchen, hoping for a snack. A bowl of fruit stood on one tall, granite countertop. She opened the fridge to find mostly healthy foods, but also muffins and doughnuts and other little treats. In the cupboards she found pancake mix and other dry and canned goods. Making her decision, she began preparing pancakes for herself and Mamoru.

She had to admit she was a little angry at the man. He should have asked her what she wanted. And it was obvious she was technically his prisoner. She wasn't afraid though. He wouldn't hurt her. He would never touch her in violence.

He walked into the kitchen just as the coffee-maker stopped churning, and grabbed a cup for himself, looking a little bleary-eyed. He too was only wearing pajamas. She grinned, seeing how mussed his hair was. He had little lines on his face from either a pillow or a blanket, and his eyes were mere slits against the bright light.

She slid a plate of pancakes in front of him. He murmured his thanks and reached for the butter and syrup while she turned back to make her own breakfast. It was one of the few meals she could prepare, and she was proud of the way they turned out. She enjoyed cooking in this kitchen, which was large, open, and full of light.

Finally, she slid into the chair across from him and doctored her own stack of pancakes. After a few bites she looked over at him. He seemed more awake now, and was frowning out the window.

"So," she asked, bringing his attention to her, "are you bringing me back home this morning?"

"No." He made it sound final, but Usagi couldn't leave it.

"Why not," she was quiet, not wanting to argue with him. "You know they need me. None of them have ever fought without me."

"That's why," he answered in a maddingly calm and reasonable tone. "They don't even know…" he trailed off and looked straight into her eyes. "They have never realized either how much they need you, or how bad they treat you. You would lay down your life for them… or me, and they don't even know."

"But…"

Mamoru cut her off. "No Usako," his nickname for her slipped out, "you wont be going back until they learn three things. One," he paused and held up a finger, "how much they need your help. Two," another finger raised, "how to actually fight the battles on their own. And three," one more finger up, "that if they don't protect you and love you and treat you well, they will lose you." He frowned. "You could die. I don't think they've ever given that much thought. I have."

Usagi felt guilty. She hadn't meant to make him worry, or upset him in any way. She stood and went around the table to hug him. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He jumped at her words. "Wait, why are you sorry? You did nothing wrong. I mean, yeah, your first few fights you were a bit of a wreck, but you have gotten better and better, especially after we started training together. You befriended those girls when no one else would, treated them with dignity and respect, and they don't deserve you as they are right now."

Usagi was shocked at the vehemence of his words. He sounded angry, maybe frustrated. "They can learn. I have been trying. I mean, I know I still don't do everything right, but I don't quit, and that has to count for something." She sighed as she sat back in her chair. "I really hope they're okay without me."

"They will be. Once they realize what a fight is like without you taking the lead and me for back-up, they will work harder, train more, and hopefully start treating you with the respect you deserve! And you do deserve it Usako! You have earned it."

Usagi smiled again. "Thanks Mamo-chan. I have to admit I'm worried, and part of me still wants to sneak out the moment your back is turned. But I can't really be mad, because even though I don't think this is the right way to solve the problem, you are only doing what you think is right."

And with that the two went back to their breakfast, and their talk changed to more pleasant things.