The Family You Choose

By Bashfulglowfly

Chapter Four

Not long after they left Usagi's apartment, Minako turned to Makoto. "What did you and Nephrite talk about?" she demanded.

"Not here. Let's go to the temple. It's private there."

Makoto settled on the cushion with a sigh.

Rei's violet eyes were snapping with impatience. "We're here. Start talking, Makoto."

Makoto sighed and tugged on her ponytail. "Don't interrupt me until I'm finished. If you interrupt I might forget something. The first thing he said to me was 'Usagi has no idea as to who she really is!' I was startled but I managed ask what he meant. He told me that he knows who we are. He recognized us the minute he saw us. Nephrite asked if we felt anything when we were around Usagi. I told him that we felt close to her. That being around her was wonderful and the right thing and that being near her was the right place for us to be.

"That's when he told me who she was. She's Serenity. The Princess of the Moon. Beloved of Endymion."

The others gasped and stared. Mamoru lowered his head to his knees. "That explains a lot." He muttered. He thought of the very explicit dreams he'd been having recently.

"No kidding." Said Ami.

Makoto continued. "Usagi is in Tokyo because her mother's husband hates her. Usagi doesn't know it but her 'father' is not really her father. Her mother got pregnant when she was at university but doesn't know who got her pregnant. So her parents married her off to Kenji. But Kenji has never bothered to hide the fact that he's not happy raising some other man's child. But, like I said, Usagi doesn't know the reason why.

"No matter how hard Usagi tries, she can't do anything that will please her father. If her mother is pleased with her, she doesn't show it because Kenji will disapprove. Her brother, her half brother on the other hand is the pampered prince. He can do absolutely no wrong. That's why he's attending a private school and she's attending a public one.

"Nephrite said that he thinks that Usagi will eventually remember who she really is. And when she takes her rightful place, there is no way in hell he is EVER going to let her so-called family get anywhere near her. That's it. That's all he told me." Said Makoto.

"So he didn't explain why he's even alive?" asked Mamoru.

Makoto shook her head. "Nope. I didn't even think to ask. What I did tell him is that Usagi doesn't have a cell phone and that we think that she's looking for a part time job and that we don't think that she has much in the way of clothing."

"Well. It's a start." Said Minako.

"What do you mean?" asked Ami.

Minako looked at her friends. The normally bubbly blonde was extremely serious. "If Nephrite is alive…what about the other Shitennou?"

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Nobuyuki called out. "Usagi, why don't you take your bath? It's been a long day and you've studied hard. You're probably tired."

Usagi peeked out of her room. "Thank you. I will. It has been a long day."

Nobuyuki waited until he heard splashing coming from the bathroom then entered Usagi's bedroom.

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Usagi came out of the bathroom still drying her hair and walked into her bedroom…and froze.

Nobuyuki was sitting on her bed gazing at her open closet and drawers to the dresser. He turned his head and looked at her. His blue eyes were cold. "Two school uniforms, one dress, one pair of jeans, two t-shirts, one pair of school shoes, one pair of sneakers and not even a week's worth of panties, bras and socks."

He stood up and walked over to her. "You told me when you got here that your mother would be sending the rest of your things later on. You lied to me didn't you? There isn't anything else. This is all that you have."

Usagi began to shake and tears rolled down her face.

Nobuyuki's face melted and he wrapped his arms around his niece pulling her close. "Oh, Princess. My poor Princess."

Usagi clung to him and began to sob. "Why don't they love me? What did I do wrong? I don't understand!" Then she couldn't talk past the tears.

Nobuyuki moved backwards until he was sitting on the bed again with Usagi in his lap. He cradled her and rocked her back and forth while she broke down. He held her as tight as he could and pressed gentle kisses in her hair. Eventually Usagi's emotional storm settled down and he could hear her shuddering breaths. Rubbing her back with one hand, he tilted her face up to his with the other. In a firm voice, he told her. "It was nothing that you did. YOU did absolutely nothing wrong."

"But why don't they love me like they do Shingo?"

Nobuyuki sighed. "It's about time you were told the truth." He looked into Usagi's eyes, the same blue as his own. "You are your mother's daughter but you are not your father's." He could see that she didn't understand. "Ikuko got pregnant with you when she was at university…but Kenji is not your biological father. She doesn't know who got her pregnant. And when she told our parents, they married her off to Kenji to 'hide the shame.'"

"He's not my father?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Nobuyuki pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and silently handed it to her.

8888888

Kenji was turning a page of the newspaper when the phone rang. He picked it up, not bothering to look at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Hello, it's Usagi."

"What do you want?"

"Are…are you my biological father?"

"No." Kenji hung up the phone.

Ikuko looked over at him. "Who was that?"

"No one important to this family."

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Usagi handed the phone back to Nobuyuki. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "All he said was 'What do you want?' and 'No' then he hung up." She looked up at him. "They don't love me. They never have." She buried her face against his chest.

"But, I love you. I love you so very, very much. And the others love you a lot too." Nobuyuki kissed the top of her head. "And if you let them, I bet that Minako-chan, Ami-chan, Rei-chan and Makoto-chan will love you bunches and bunches too. I'll even let Mamoru-kun love you…within limits."

Usagi gave a watery giggle at the last comment.

"Look at me." He smiled into her sad eyes. "Sometimes it is NOT the family that you were born into who loves you the most. Sometimes it's the family that you choose to have that that loves you, supports you and is the best for you."

"The family that you choose?"

"The family that you choose." He said firmly. Nobuyuki sat Usagi on the bed and turned towards her. "Now!" he pulled a credit card from his shirt pocket. "This came in the mail today. It has your name on it. On Saturday, I want you and the girls to go shopping for clothes for you. And I don't want you coming back into this apartment with less than twenty bags of new clothes!"

"Nobuyuki-nii!"

He held up a hand. "AH! I don't want to hear any objections! I can afford this shopping spree. And you deserve it. And while you are at it, buy some things to spruce up this room. It deserves it. It should look like a 16-year-old girl lives here. We will discuss how much of an allowance you will have but tomorrow since it's late. I know that you've bought food and drink when you've been with the girls…where did that money come from?"

Usagi fiddled with the edge of the comforter. "From jobs that I had back ho…in Nanae. But I'm almost out." She jerked her head up looking at Nobuyuki. "But I'm trying to find a job here…"

Nobuyuki shook his head. "I don't want you worrying about a job." He raised a hand to stop her objections. "I don't want you working. I want you studying. You can worry about a job after you graduate from university. Your job now is to get good grades and to have fun with your friends. Understand?"

Usagi sighed. "Yes, Nobuyuki-nii."

Nobuyuki stood up and kissed her on the forehead. He raised an eyebrow. "Now, Saturday! Shopping! No less than twenty bags! And I'm calling Minako and telling her just that! Oh, and I'll get a cell phone for you tomorrow. I don't want to get arrested because you don't have one. It's probably against the law in the city of Tokyo for a teenage girl NOT to have a cell phone."