I haven't really decided how quickly to post these yet, but I figured since the last chapter didn't have too much going on in it, I would post this one a bit quick. It does start to pick up I swear! Thank you to those who have already read and followed/favorited the story! Also, to those of you who have been waiting, I am going to start working on a sequel to The Customer if Always Right soon. I want to finish this one and my sequel to the Blood Countess first, simply because they are both so close to being finished. But it is next on my list. I also want to take a break from all the seriousness of these fics and write some fun fluffs, which I'm also working on right now. Stay tuned for more! Enjoy my lovelies!

Chapter 2

"Because no retreat from the world can mask what is in your face."

― Gregory Maguire, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Yukio sat on the couch under the lamp with her laptop out, typing away furiously, 'Working to keep the lights on' as she would say. Mamo-chan and Shingo sat side by side leaning over a text book that was placed on the small kitchen table. It sat squarely in the middle of the small kitchen leaving just enough room to maneuver around and work on food.

The two talked softly as they worked. Out of nowhere, Chibi-usa released her hand, walked over to the two of them, and climbed into Mamo-chan's lap like it was second nature. Stunned for a minute, Mamo-chan quickly recovered and relaxed, letting the child settle between him and the table.

Returning back to the task, Shingo continued to read the text from the page, "One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. 'Which road do I take?' she asked. 'Where do you want to go?' was his response. 'I don't know,' Alice answered. 'Then,' said the cat, 'it doesn't matter." Shingo sighed, frustrated, as he sat back in his chair., "This is just a bunch of crazy. It's like someone wrote while high!"

Mamo-chan, always the patient one, tried to explain, "Well that's how it's supposed to be. It's a fantasy."

"But it doesn't make sense, what does it even mean?" Shingo said, exasperated.

She had placed a sandwich in front of Chibi-usa, who wasted no time consuming it, and sat down with her own sandwich in front of her. She sat across from them and continued to listen to Mamo-chan try to explain but it was clear that he was more of a Math and Science man.

She swallowed her bite, "It means that if you don't know what you want out of life, then you will have to take whatever you get."

The two stopped and looked at her. Chibi-usa continued devouring her sandwich as if she hadn't eaten in days. She looked around curiously when her eyes settled on Usagi's sandwich, which was only half finished. Catching the girl's train of thought, she slid her plate and the rest of her sandwich to her. Looking up with surprise, she smiled graciously before digging in.

Shingo and Mamo-chan still had their eyes glued to her as she continued to surprise/scare them, "The story is a fantasy but it's more of a coming of age story. Alice wanders aimlessly through life just like she does in wonderland. Alice needs to learn to take control of her life, that is why she falls into wonderland."

Shingo looked down at the page before him and then back up at her, as if he wasn't sure he could trust her analysis. Not that she could blame him. Much like Alice, she had been letting her education future sit on the sidelines while she played around.

To prove herself, she continued on,

"The sun was shining on the sea,

Shining with all his might:

He did his very best to make

The billows smooth and bright

And this was odd, because it was

The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,

Because she thought the sun

Had got no business to be there

After the day was done

"It's very rude of him," she said,

"To come and spoil the fun!"

Shingo stared at her like he wasn't sure she was really his sister. Mamo-chan smiled, showing nothing but pride in her. And Chibi-usa….was asleep. She must have fallen asleep soon after she finished eating. Her plate clean, she rested her head next to it on the table amid the crumbs. As carefully as he could, Mamo-chan shifted and lifted the small child up into his arms and carried her towards her bedroom. Once he was out of sight she turned back to Shingo who was once again looking over the text with a concerned look.

"Don't take it all so seriously," she warned, "Just think of it as a story and drink in all the details. Your teacher doesn't expect you give a critique, he just wants you to read it and comprehend it the best you can."

Shingo nodded his head, shaking his hair all around, "Okay, I will try."

With that, he took his book and himself and headed upstairs as well. Mamo-chan reappeared as well.

"I should probably get going."

Not moving or looking up from her computer, "Thank you Mamoru, see you tomorrow." With a flippant wave of her hand, that was it, back to her work.

They both looked at each other again, "I'll walk you out," she added.

She walked just a few steps behind him as they made their way to his car a few feet away from the house. It was spring but it was early spring so the nights were still chilly. Goose flesh covered her bare skin and she cursed herself for not grabbing a jacket on the way out. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to stave off the chill.

They reached his car far too fast for her liking, but he turned to face her instead of jumping in and driving off as he usually did. He instantly noticed her lack of warmth and drew her into his arms. Placing his head on hers, she warmed instantly.

"So...what was all that? I didn't know you were such a big fan of Alice in Wonderland."

She shrugged, "Well back when I wasn't sleeping and I finished my homework, I took up reading more. I mean, I always liked it more than my other subjects. Alice in Wonderland was something my mom always told me I should read. She use to say that I reminded her of Alice….."

It hadn't even been a year yet since she lost her parents so it was safe to say the wounds were still fresh. Especially since she learned they were killed over her being Princess Serenity. But she was able to fight back the tears for the moment, since she had Mamo-chan in her life now. He squeezed her a little tighter, giving her the support she needed without needing to say a word.

Changing the subject, "Are you going to be able to handle Chibi-usa?"

She pulled away just enough to look at him, "I don't think she will be a problem. Do you?"

"I don't know. She seems harmless enough. She seems...lonely." Concern flashed across his face.

"Do you know her? She acted like she knew you, is she really a part of your family?"

He pulled away, getting angry, his extended family was a sore spot with him what with them leaving him to live alone, "I don't remember her but she would have been born long after my parents died and I lost my family."

"She seems to have lost them as well."

He turned away from her completely, facing his car, punched the roof, hard. A small dent remained from his outburst.

She grabbed onto the back of his arm and tired to turn him to face her but he resisted, ashamed of his outburst. "I wouldn't put it past them to leave a child. She is even younger than I was."

She wrapped her arms around him from behind squeezing him tight as if she could squeeze the pain and anger out of him forever.

He still refused to face her so she slipped around, placing herself between him and the car, "We won't leave her alone. No one deserves to be left behind and forgotten. Especially someone like you."

He finally looked at her and leaned in close so that they were eye to eye, "I think I missed you before I met you."

With that, he closed the small gap between them, kissing her hard. It deepened quickly and her whole body went ablaze. He pressed her up against the car, lifting her up to put them on the same level. She wrapped her arms and her legs around him without thinking, her body was in control now. She dug her hands into the hair at the base of his neck, holding on as tightly to him as possible. His hands gripped her shirt, pulling the loose folds tightly into his grip, his best attempt at trying to control them. A moan escaped her lips and whatever control his still retained was lost. His hands began to roam her body; her hair, her back, making his way to her bottom which was half exposed due to all the movement pushing her skirt up her thighs. HIs hand lingered there for what seemed like forever. She was secretly begging him to continue his exploration of her body. Then, slowly, his hands made their way to her thighs. Resting them on top with his thumbs dangerously close to her warmth, which was already warming up from all the action, but his with his hands so close it throbbed.

All at once, everything stopped. His lips left her and started a trail down her neck, to her chest, and down. Her breath caught in her throat as he continued down. But he stopped at the neckline of her blouse, right at the top of her breast. She was laid back on the car allowing him all the access to her body he desired. But just as quickly as they had started, he pulled it to a screeching halt.

He set her back down on the ground, brushed her skirt and shirt back into place, and kissed her on her forehead. Still in shock and wrapped up in the moment, she just stood there, both breathless and confused.

He chuckled and gently moved her back towards the house. She felt embarrassed, having been turned down. From what she wasn't exactly sure, she wasn't sure where she wanted the moment to go, she just knew that she hadn't been the one to stop it which caused her to feel dejected.

She moved to head back inside, now she was the one unable to face him. Grabbing her from behind, he gently turned her around and grabbed her chin, tilting it up so she was looking at him.

He laughed at the face she made, causing him to sweep her up into his arms again, kissing her lips, forehead, and nose until she giggled, releasing her hold on the negative feelings she had.

Placing her back on the ground, he leaned over to look her in the eyes as he spoke, "I don't want the first time we make love to be on the top of a car, and neither do you."

Now it was her face to catch fire as her blush raged unchecked. With that, he turned, got in his car, and drove away with her still standing there pondering his words.

Was that really where that was going? She honestly hadn't given much thought to it, having sex. Thinking back on what had just happened, the way her body reacted to him, clearly her body was more prepared than she was. She had completely lost control and acted on impulse.

She made it back up to her room, taking care not to wake Chibi-usa as she changed into her pjs and slid into bed. But sleep did not come to her as easily as it did her counterpart who was sawing logs across the room from her.

This would have been the kind of thing she would have talked to her mother about. As it were, she wasn't sure if she should talk to Aunt Yukio about it. Yukio was still new to motherhood but she was still a woman with experience. It was a tough call. Being her Aunt and her caretaker put her in an odd position. It would be almost unfair to mention it to Yukio. No she couldn't do that to her, she had enough to deal with.

She could talk to the girls about it but none of them have ever mentioned getting close to that base. They had kissed guys but if they had gone any further, they hadn't told a soul. Minako had traveled a lot and has had a lot of boyfriends. Plus, they were cousins in another life. She would probably be able to give her some advice.

Once she decided to talk to Minako, she was left with her thoughts on her situation. Had Mamo-chan always been so quick and chaste with his goodbyes for fear of going too far all this time? They hadn't been going out that long, was it really okay to take that step with him so soon? Of course, they had known each other for years before now and they were together in their past lives. That time counted too right? It did to her and she would be damned if she cared what others thought.

Even though he usually did, she was sure Mamo-chan would not be making an appearance at her window tonight. But she was thankful for that tonight. She had too many thoughts swimming around in her head about them and their relationship. And she wasn't too sure she could control herself even though she hadn't made any decisions on just how far she was ready to go with him.

Had the two of them had sex in as their former selves? She didn't remember but she was still getting more and more of her memories from that time back. She laid back on her pillow and closed her eyes, willing herself to forget about it for now and just fall asleep. But her mind was an endless sea of thoughts and images. What would it be like to be with him, how he looked naked (which wasn't too hard to imagine since she had seen him in boxers before), what she looked like naked with him (that thought sent her over the edge with brushing). She sat up in her bed, all but giving up on sleep at all.

Her eyes were drawn to the movement coming from Chibi-usa's bed. Even in a twin sized bed, her form was small under the covers, but she could still see her tossing and turning violently amongst the sheets. Rising from her own bed, she made her way over to Chibi-usa, who was saying something so softly she had to lean in the understand.

"...mmm….mo…...mommy….no…...no…...no don't…..stay away...from...me…"

She thrashed more and more and her words got clearer and louder, "No….don't go….you can't leave me…YOU…..stay away….stay away from me…..NO!" She bolted up in her bed.

In an instant, her eyes met Usagi's, then filled with tears that quickly overflowed. Whether she wanted it or not, Usagi pulled her into a hug. Answering her, Chibi-usa moved into her lap and let herself be consoled. Chibi-usa buried her head in Usagi's chest. Usagi thought back to what her mother use to do when she was upset or had a bad dream. Wrapping one arm around the shuddering child, she used the other hand to gently stroke her back. Then she made calming 'shhhing' sounds while rocking the two of them back and forth on the bed.

After a few minutes, the child stilled, fallen back to what Usagi hoped would be a dreamless sleep. Slipping her off of her and back into her bed like a pro, she then made her way back to her bed. Now she couldn't stop thinking about what slipped out of the child's mouth. What kind of hellish nightmare was the poor thing having? If they were anything like the ones she had after losing her parents, then she truly felt for the girl.

Sighing in exasperation, she turned over yet again trying to find comfort and solace within her sheets. But sleep would not find her tonight so easily.

It had been a while before she felt the need for coffee in the morning but last night was a long one. She made her way like a zombie over to the mugs, grabbed the first one she saw, and filled it a little higher than usual. She took a sip, unthinking due to grogginess, and nearly choked on the boiling hot, bitter liquid. The mistake woke her up a bit, making her next move to the sugar and then the milk. She tried it again this time finding it tolerable.

"Rough night?"

Noticing for the first time that she was not alone, she turned to find a concerned looking Mamo-chan sitting at the table. He had a cup of coffee in his hands and another half empty cup sat close to him. Aunt Yukio must have just been there but was nowhere in sight now. He continued to scrutinize her, surely concerned given her track record with 'rough nights'.

She put up her free hand defensively, "It wasn't like that. At least not for me. Chibi-usa had a nightmare that's all."

He raised an inquisitive brow, "And that's all?"

Her blush returned as she remember what else kept her up last night, "Uh huh." Clearly she was unconvincing as his stare only intensified, "I promise, it wasn't anything for you to worry about. It was just...my thoughts keeping me up."

He smiled devilishly, "Must have been some interesting thoughts."

She felt her blush deepen and did her best to turn away from his gaze.

He turned his attention halfway back to his coffee, "However, unless you want my thoughts to get interesting, you should go get dressed."

Confused, she looked down to see she still had her night shirt on. It was an old one, soft from all the wear and wash, but that made it a bit on the see-through side especially with the morning light shining brightly behind her. It also stopped just below her buttocks, leaving very little to the imagination. She blush covered her entire body at the realization of her mistake. She was one thin piece of cloth away from standing in front of him naked. She quickly set down her coffee and b-lined her way to the stairs. But instead, he caught her around the waist. Before she could react he had pulled her into his lap. Wrapping both arms around her waist so she couldn't escape, she was left at the mercy being his captured prey. He let one of his hands fall and rest on her exposed thigh, causing the heat from last night to return to her. She crossed her arms over her chest in both anger and to cover her bra-less breast from sight.

He let out a chuckle, leaned into to her, letting his lips touch her ear as he spoke, "'Interesting thoughts' kept me up all night too."

The heat of his breath on her skin sent a shiver down her spin as she took in the meaning of his words. Then he kissed her neck just below her ear and set her back up on her feet. The mixture of sleep deprivation and the rollercoaster of emotions she was on had her dizzy. She almost fell back into his lap but he helped her steady herself with a laugh. She continued her task of heading upstairs although now she had forgotten just why she needed to get up there. She was slow to move and before she made out of the kitchen, Yukio reappeared for the rest of her coffee no doubt.

"Whoa Usagi-chan, you feeling alright? You look flushed?"

Still in a haze, she looked at her Aunt's concerned face while Mamoru just laughed behind them, "Huh?...Yeah...I just..didn't sleep well last night that's all."

Yukio looked unconvinced, "Okay, well, you better put some clothes on. You can't go out like that!"

Looking down again, she suddenly became very aware of her lack of clothing once again. She rushed back upstairs.

Chibi-usa was still asleep. So calm and still. She took a minute to watch her small face as the sunlight danced across it. As quietly as she could, she dressed in her work uniform, making sure to pack a change of clothes for when she got off later that day. She had the morning shift today. It wasn't the greatest way to spend her Saturday morning but at least she always made a bundle in tips. And it wouldn't be all day. She still had the evening and Sunday to spend with Mamo-chan and the girls. Really it was the best time to work if you have to work on a weekend.

Once downstairs, she sat on the bottom step and pulled on her white keds. She could hear Mamo-chan and Yukio talking in the kitchen from where she sat.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry. But you know we care about you Mamoru, so I just have to ask."

"It's okay Yukio. It doesn't bother me. I just don't remember."

"I guess in a way that is better. At least you don't have nightmares like Usagi-chan."

"Is she still having nightmares?"

It would appear that Mamo-chan did not believe her story of how she lost sleep last night.

"No, no I don't think she has in a long time. But I think I might have heard Chibi-usa last night. I guess we just attract broken kids here." Yukio said with sorrow dripping from her voice.

"I can't think of a better place for them."

She could almost hear her Aunt smile from his words, "Thanks. Speaking of Chibi-usa, since we can't contact her parents and you don't know how long she will be here, we need to figure out some kind of school or daycare for her."

"Oh don't worry, I'm on it. I have a few friends in high places that I can get to help me get her in somewhere great."

"Oh thank goodness. I hate to think she didn't have anywhere to go…..I just don't understand who could leave a small child like this."

"Me either Yukio, me either."

The conversation slowed so she decided to reveal herself, "ready to go?" She said looking at Mamo-chan.

Without a word he stood up and pushed his chair in. Saying their quick goodbyes and promising to be home right after work, they settled into Mamo-chan's car and took off. They were barely down the road when Mamo-chan started in.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop."

Of course he had known she was there the whole time, "It's also not nice to distrust someone."

"You don't exactly have the best track record for honesty."

She shot him a look. His eyes were on the road but she knew he felt it cause he bristled in his seat. She crossed her arms firmly over her chest and resigned herself to spending the rest of the ride in silence. Afterall, her mother taught her that, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all.

They arrived at the cafe in no time without a single word spoken between them. Her anger only fueled by his silence, she tried to get out of the car. As soon as she got her door open, he reached over and pulled it shut again. He didn't remove his arm, instead he kept it on the door incase she tried to escape again. This gave her a feeling that she wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"I'm allowed to worry about you aren't I?" He asked, his voice dripping with concern.

While hers was filled with indignation, "Yes, but when that worry turns to distrust, we have a problem."

"You have kept secrets from me before. Secrets that almost got you killed, remember?"

"Of course I remember. But that was different. I didn't know who you were outside of Mamoru Chiba. And even then you were still a mystery to me."

He released the door and sat back just enough to look her in her eyes as she spoke, "Things were hard for me then, and I know it wasn't that long ago but it was still a lifetime for us. We have gained so much since then, our memories and each other. I couldn't cut you out of any part of my life now even if I wanted to." She grabbed his face to make sure he heard her words, "We belong to each other, body and soul. I won't keep secrets from you anymore."

He took her hand and kissed her palm before sitting back, completely releasing her from his hold, "Okay, I trust you."

Giving him a small smile, she left the car and disappeared into the cafe.

I realize this chapter doesn't have a ton of action in it either. But at least it has a little bit of a hot kiss in it. You can take that as a precursor to future chapters.