They all thought she was crazy. She wrote so many letters to her mother (at least one a day), and she'd only left a month ago…

Dear Mom,

I miss you a lot… I wish you could help me, be here. I know that you still are watching me, but it's so hard going through things like boys with only Dad to help. He's not the best one for helping… when he isn't drunk or asleep, I wouldn't dare approach him anyway. I have to work now, to help pay the rent. It was so much easier with you here…

I'm doing worse in school. I work so late into the night, trying to get enough money for food, heat, and to keep the apartment we've moved into, that I don't have time to do projects or homework. My teachers are noticing, but I can't tell them about Dad. They'll take him away and make me live in an orphanage.

There's also the senshi… they need me, too, and I can't leave them on their own.

I wish you could be here to help! I'm so tired that I can't even think anymore… I need to go to sleep now, Mom, but I'll write again tomorrow.
Love, 
Usagi

Dear Mom,

I'm crying now… Dad just beat me because I wasn't able to get enough money the past week to pay for the heating. The electricity and phone have been gone for a long time now, but I still try to keep the heat. It helps in this cold weather.

I'll go take a quick shower now… it's been four days since I last did. I try to keep the water bill down so I can handle it, and I can't use the school showers too often…

Love,

Usagi

People at school had begun to notice how she looked grubby, her clothes unclean, her hair matted and straw-like. They also noticed how she used the showers in the gym locker rooms, which everyone usually avoided at all costs. They all knew what had happened, but didn't think she'd realized. If only they knew the address she put on her letters…

Dear Mom,

It's been four weeks now. I know you probably don't get my letters, but I still think it would be nice if you could talk to me, help me. Life was so much easier when you were around! I'm too young to have to grow up and take this responsibility. I think that maybe I should tell someone about Dad… an orphanage couldn't be worse than this so-called life.

I cut my hair. It's to my shoulders now, so it doesn't take as long to take care of. I nearly cried when I saw all the hair left on the floor…

I'm going to send this now, Mom. I hope you'll get one of these, and come and help.

Love,

Usagi

Usagi stood up from beside the fireplace, and folded the letter over. She addressed it:

Mom

Somewhere in Heaven

And threw it in the fire. She stared into the dancing flames as they hungrily ate her letter, and saw the ashes that were the remains of her only contact with her mother fly up the chimney, up to heaven.

Dear Sweetie,

Don't give up hope. I know you, and I know you can pull through. I'm watching over you every day from the clouds, and you have no idea as to how proud of you I am.

Stay strong, Sweetie, and you will survive. Keep out of your father's way, and he won't be able to hurt you like he hurt me.

Love,

Mom

The tears dripped silently from Usagi's eyes as she bent over the letter she had found at the end of her mattress. A memory of the horrible night her mother had died came back to her…

"What are you doing, spending all our money on clothes for that spoiled girl?" Kenji yelled at Ikuko.

"She needed them! She's been wearing rags for the past year. And it's my money. I am the one earning it all. If you'd only help-" Ikuko never got to finish her sentence.

Kenji had been drunk, and slapped her. He grabbed a nearby chair and cracked it over her head. Blood oozed from a wound, and Ikuko fell, never to get up again.

Usagi was still surprised that her father hadn't been arrested… he'd simply said they were moving furniture, and that the chair fell through a weakened part of the ceiling. He'd punched out a hole to make it believable.

"Don't worry, Mom. I won't get in his way. I'll stay strong for you. Thank you," Usagi whispered through her tears. Her mother had died defending her, and she wasn't about to lose the life that her mother had paid so dearly for.

She never stopped writing the letters, and though she got no more response, she knew her mother was there, watching over her. She stayed strong and worked hard, keeping the secret for a long, long time. But that was before Mamoru came to her…
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A/N: I know that it's really short, and not likely that someone would get a letter back, but I got this idea… suddenly in school, actually. I also know it's not overly realistic that a girl Usagi's age would be able to work and pay for rent, but she did. REVIEW! Please? Oh, and let me know if I should go on with it ;-)

To Saishoku, who reviewed this before it changed: Thank you for reviewing. Very evil Daddy… good glaring.