So, in the prologue I forgot to mention that obviously, I don't own Sailor Moon. And the song I used was Faces Going Places by Jose Vanders. Check her out, she's awesome. Also, sorry that there are a few typos, I just got a new laptop, and for some reason Microsoft word won't use spellcheck. It keeps saying that I need to reinstall it. So, if anyone knows how to fix that, let me know!

Anyway, read and review! I'm not exactly sure where this story is going right now, so input is gladly welcomed.

CHAPTER ONE: Hide and Seek

Usagi half-heartedly chose her outfit for tonight's date with Mamoru. He had told her to dress up nicely, because they were going to a very upscale place. He had exciting news to tell her.

Usagi had scoffed at that, although not to his face. Mamoru's idea of exciting was wearing was wearing blue jeans instead of kakhis. Honestly, she felt bad for mentally tearing him down so often, but how bad could she truly feel? They both knew that their love had wained, that they had settled into a comfortable rut with each other. They both knew that under different circumstances, they would've drifted apart by now.

To his credit, he sucked it up and dealt with it like she did. They had a future together, a daughter together.

Sometimes, she wished that she had never met Chibi-Usa. It would be easier to alter the future if she didn't know whose life she would be destroying.

She studied her face in the mirror as she carefully applied red lipstick. She then tied two black ribbons in her traditional "odangos", as people called them. They looked strange and stark in her cornsilk hair, but she liked it.

The unmistakable sound of Mamoru's engine rumbled up her driveway. He honked the horn once, his signal that he was ready, so she had better be too. Usagi rolled her eyes. Typical. Just this once, couldn't he even pretend that they were dating? Possibly be a gentleman and goddamn knock?

Well, it wasn't worth getting fussy over it. She walked as gracefully as she could manage down the stairs into her foyer. Her family was not home, again, typical. She sighed and stepped outside.

Her eyes were assaulted by his headlights, she shielded her face, and he flicked them on and off. That meant hurry up. She scurried to get in the passenger side.

"Hello, Mamo-chan," she greeted.

"Hey Usako,"

He gave her a robotic kiss on the cheek.

"So what's this exciting news?"

"I'll tell you at the restaurant."

Usagi smiled at him, but there was no real feeling behind it. He did the same.

"Where are we going?"

"It's this trendy little place called London. The chef is said to be excellent."

"It sounds nice."

They lapsed into silence. After all, what was there to say?

Even before they turned off her street, Usagi felt as if she'd been in the car for hours. She pulled a CD from the case attached to her sun visor and slid it into the the stereo. It was a relaxed, easy-listening type of music, about as bland as the man who enjoyed it.

"Do you have anything more exciting?" Usagi asked.

"I have and Il Divo CD," Mamoru responded.

"You know what? I think I'll pass," Usagi said, frustrated.

"Your loss, Usako."

"I'll live," she murmured.

-

They reached the restaurant, and it was fairly crowded. Usagi and Mamoru got out of his car, and he took her arm. Automatically, smiles slid onto their faces. They walked into the building, arm in arm, the picture perfect happy couple.

A server looked up from his stand, "do you have reservations?"

"Yes. Mamoru Chiba."

The server gave a cursory scan of his reservation list.

"Ah, Chiba, party of two. Right this way, sir."

Usagi and Mamoru followed him to a private table in a corner of the restaurant. The server pulled Usagi's chair out for her, and she smiled genuinely and thanked him.

"Your menus, and a copy of the wine list. Have a lovely evening," and with that, he was gone.

Mamoru folded the wine list, tucking it away at the far end of the table. He was not a drinker, and Usagi wasn't old enough to be one.

"So what's this news?" Usagi asked, again, somewhat impatiently.

"Hold on there, Usako. Let's get our order put in first. There's a fair crowd here, we'll probably be here for awhile."

Usagi felt an all too familar rush of anger wash over her. Neither of them enjoyed their dates, why on earth would he try to prolong it? As far as she was concerned, they could skip the meal entirely as long this date ended as soon as possible. She studied the menu carefully, familarizing herself with traditional British cuisine. She did not look back to her boyfriend.

"Hello, I'm Daisuke, and I'll be your waiter this evening. May I get you anything to start off with?"

Usagi was relieved at the waiter's sudden inturruption, anything levy the silence.

"I'll have a water, please," Mamoru said. Ever the adventeruer, Usagi thought.

"Do you have chocolate milk?" Usagi asked sweetly.

"No, ma'am, I'm sorry we don't."

"Oh," Usagi said, slightly crestfallen. "do you have Sprite?"

The waiter smiled, "that we do have. So one Sprite and one water?"

"That's it," Mamoru said. Daisuke the Waiter scurried to the back to fill his drink order.

The two lovers returned to determinedly ignoring each other, until Daisuke brought their drink orders back. They thanked him profusely, both eager for a distraction from their empty relationship.

"Are you ready to order?" He asked.

"I know I am. Usako, are you?" Mamoru asked.

"Yes, Mamo-chan"

"Well, I'll have the rib-eye, medium well, please," Mamoru said, folding his menu and handing it to their waiter.

"Could I please get the Porterhouse?" Usagi asked.

"How would you liked that cooked?" Daisuke asked.

"Medium rare."

"Usako!" Mamoru exclaimed, "underprepared meat is a leading cause of foodbourne illness! She'll take hers medium well, too,"

Daisuke cast a glance at Usagi, whose hands were clenched under the table in tight fists. "That'll be fine," her voice overly cheerful, her eyes filled with a kind of hatred.

"Okay, well I'll get that out to you as soon as I can."

Daisuke left quickly. Usagi was livid. Now other people get to choose what she eats?! She can't even have a slightly pink piece of meat without Mamoru jumping in to decide what she really needs?

Mamoru, oblivious to her venomous anger, took a sip of his water, then wiped his lips with his cloth napkin.

"Now, Usako, to tell you why I brought you here," he began. Usagi was interested in spite of herself. With great effort, she squashed her anger into a little ball, suppressing it deep inside her.

"I was accepted to medical school!" Mamoru exclaimed, obviously proud of himself.

"I'm very pleased, Mamo-chan!" Usagi said, leaning in to give him a quick, and insincere, peck on the lips.

"Thank you, my Usako," he said, smiling, pleased. His expression became somber quickly. "However, this particular medical school... Well, it's in America."

"Excuse me?"

"Usako, I was accepted to UCLA! It's in America, and it's one of the best schools for medicine! It's a great move for our future, Usako. Think about it. When I'm earning a doctor's salary, you won't have to work at all. Won't you like that?"

Usagi's rage had increased ten-fold, and was coursing through her veins.

"You mean to tell me," she said through gritted teeth, "that you're leaving for God knows how long, to get a medical degree that will ultimately be useless because our futures have already been decided for us? Is that what you're telling me?"

Mamoru started at her. "We aren't to rule Crystal Toyko for a long time, Usako. We have to have some ways to pay the bills until then. This is an excellent opportunity. We can start a college fund for Chibi-Usa now and-"

"A college fund? Are you serious? Our daughter will be royalty, she won't need a college fund, Mamo-chan!"

"Well... that's true."

Usagi was more angry now than she'd ever been at anyone in her life. "Mamo-chan, we struggle through this relationship because we know that it's critical to the lives of the people on this planet. We put our own happiness aside and do these silly little dates just to keep up appearances. You know and I know that we don't even like each other anymore. But we still pretend. We pretend because people need us to be together. And we hate every minute of it." Usagi took a breath, then continued, "and now you're saying that you're just jetting off to America, where no one is going to be supervising your every move, making sure you don't screw up the future! You can do what you want in America and no one will be the wiser, and you won't have to put up this ridiculous act for the senshi and the people we know. And I get to stay here and keep it up? I get to spend my time pretending to pine for you, and having no fun?"

"Usako..."

"You know what? I really don't want to be here right now. If you can go to America, then I can at least go home." Usagi stormed from the table, leaving Mamoru stunned. He didn't think that Usagi had ever, ever been that eloquent in her life thus far.

-

Usagi was so angry. She could not even begin to comtemplate the extent of her anger at that bastard. How could he? It wouldn't be so bad if they actually loved each other, but to put up the farce of missing him while he probably had the time of his life? No! She was not going to put up with that.

She wasn't going to put up with that.

Usagi stopped in her tracks, a block away from the restaurant.

She wasn't going to put up with that.

She felt something. Something that she had never really felt before. It was a strange, heady feeling that made her stand taller. She felt empowered.

"I won't," she said aloud, "I won't!"

Usagi began to sprint. She ran as hard and as fast as she could, outrunning the frustrating, long-dead relationship. Outrunning the friends that only expected one thing from her. Outrunning the sterotypes. Outrunning the preconceived notions.

And suddenly, she was on a train. She didn't even remember buying a ticket, but there it was in her hand. Her legs were wobbly, she felt the blood rushing through her veins, the thud of her hammering heart in her chest. She was doing this.

The doors closed with a polite ding, and the train began to move. South, farther than she'd ever gone before. She was escaping. She violently ripped the ribbons from her hair, taking the traditonal Usagi odangos out. She rubbed the lipstick from her face.

And then she cried.