Author's Note: This story actually came from a request from PrincessSerenity, but I decided against putting it in my M Requests stories because I feel like it fits better in my Consequences category due to the content. Directly from the anime (except for the ages, cause a college guy and a middle schooler is just plain wrong)... but with my own twists.

While this is a break up story... it's not all about the break up. That's not my style. Bet you figured that out, huh? It is about friendship, family, love, and reunion. But this one seriously made me cry to write. The first half is rather depressing. At least you always know my stories have happy endings!

Personal Note: You all have probably figured out I don't like writing break ups. I really, really, really, really don't like writing them. It's not that I've had a lot of break ups. Only two major ones in my entire life, and I was the instigator of one of those. The other however was when I was only sixteen and it nearly destroyed me. It was a highly emotional time and the breakup came out of nowhere just when I was feeling the most vulnerable. Every time I write a breakup story, I get pulled right back into those turbulent emotions.

While my story ended far differently than Usagi and Mamoru's, I still got my own happy ending. As a matter of fact, the person who broke up with me eventually introduced me to my husband Steve, who is my soulmate, my best friend, and the one who makes opening my eyes in the morning worthwhile. So even through all of the pain and heartache, I still look back fondly at the one who broke my heart, and he is still a good friend to both of us.

Love isn't always easy. It's messy and sometimes you screw things up. But if it's real, there is a way. My husband is my best friend, and though we occasionally fight, I know he will always have my back. Even the thought of losing him is enough to destroy me. Fifteen years, and it hasn't been nearly enough time yet (eternity won't be enough honestly).

But... Sometimes people need a little bit of help to see the truth, and to heal the wounds. Friends and family make things easier, but no break up is completely without pain. So I hope this particular story brings my readers a bit of hope, and the knowledge that someone out there truly understands heartache and loss.


Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
A Consequences Story


"I'm going to kill Mamoru," Motoki muttered, staring across the counter to the table where Usagi sat, staring at the plate of food he had delivered ten minutes before. She hadn't eaten a bite.

Scrubbing his hands over his face, he wondered what he could possibly do to fix things. Mamoru was an ass. It was all he could think. There was no way he had suddenly fallen out of love with the girl, but that was what he'd told her, point blank, with no warning. And she believed him. That was the worst part, in his own mind at least. The girl truly thought she was unlovable.

Motoki knew something else had to be going on, but Mamoru refused to tell him what it was. He was hurting too, though he refused to let Usagi see it, and was destroying her further with his bad behavior.

Over the past two and a half months he had watched Usagi unravel. She didn't laugh anymore. She hadn't played a video game, run to school, had a fight with Rei, or eaten like the world was ending since that day.

He was the one who had found her in the phone booth after Mamoru tore her heart into pieces. She had been nearly unresponsive. He'd tried everything to get her to tell him what happened, and when she didn't speak, he had called Mamoru in a panic, only to be told that she was no longer his friend's responsibility.

"Responsibility my ass!" he grumbled. Usagi wasn't a millstone around the idiot's neck. She was the only person who had ever made him smile. Who knew a genius could also be a moron?

Ten minutes. Not a single bite. She was picking at the bun on the cheeseburger with her fingernails, taking out little chunks of the bread and dropping them on the plate. She didn't smile, or laugh, or talk loudly. She didn't do anything. She looked nearly dead.

He couldn't stand it. And he wasn't the only one. When his sister came in and saw her, she would try feeding her ice cream, point out the newest Sailor V game, and try to engage her in conversation. When the girls surrounded her they filled the silence with endless chatter and studying. When her parents looked at her, they seemed on the verge of tears. And her little brother Shingo had tried every prank he could think of to get a rise out of her.

Nothing worked. It was like she had died, leaving a pale, thin, weeping ghost in her place.

Mamoru's behavior was only making it worse. Parading in front of her with other women, talking and laughing with strangers, but constantly staying where she could see him moving on with his life. And if that wasn't bad enough, he'd taken to spending most of his spare time with the little pink-haired monster who treated Usagi horribly, letting the girl tease her cousin without so much as a word to stop her. If he didn't want to be with Usagi he needed to stay the hell away. Motoki had even considered banning his best friend from the arcade.

Motoki wasn't sure how many minutes passed before Usagi stood and took her tray to the trash, dumping the food. He almost gasped aloud when she hitched up her skirt. It hung on her frame, nearly falling off her hips. He could see the bones of them. Glancing down, he realized her legs and arms had thinned as well, and there was no childish roundness to her face anymore. She was far too thin. It made her eyes look huge, and the tears that shone in them were obvious.

Usagi met his eyes for just a second, then grabbed her bag, looking down at her feet as though she couldn't bear the thought of seeing the world that had destroyed her. He knew she was more afraid of seeing Mamoru with another girl than seeing the world though. The last one had laughed like a hyena and she'd looked up only for a second. He'd seen the pain that crossed her face. She had simply left then, and ever since her depression had grown into a frightening thing.

He wasn't sure how much more she could take. Something had to be done. He had no idea what it was, only that if someone didn't get through to her, she would fade away.

"Una!" he called, tearing off his apron. His sister hurried in from the back room. "Take the counter. I'm going to make sure Usagi gets home alright."

"Hie," she said, and took her own apron from under the counter.

Motoki rushed out of the Crown, and turned in the direction Usagi had gone. She'd made it only about ten steps before she'd paused on the sidewalk and he instantly realized why. Mamoru was standing across the street, his arm wrapped around the back of a brunette with long legs and large breasts. He knew the jerk was doing it on purpose. Parading women in front of his ex-girlfriend for some reason none of them could understand. Even from where he stood Motoki could hear the hoarse sob that came out of Usagi's mouth.

He didn't really think about what he was doing next. It was instinctive. The urge of a big brother to protect her. Crossing the distance between them, he pulled Usagi into his arms and held her tight, murmuring words of comfort. She nodded against his chest and took a small step back. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he led her away, walking slowly beside her towards her house.

"It will get better," he murmured. "Maybe not today, or this week, or this month," he said consolingly, "but someday it will get better."

Usagi nodded again, but otherwise didn't respond. Tears poured down her cheeks silently. She didn't sob or wail as she'd often done with smaller hurts. But Motoki could feel the bone crunching, gut wrenching, heart breaking sadness coming off of her in waves. She hadn't just lost weight. She'd lost hope. Her face was pale, her hair hung lank without it's usual bounce, and her eyes had lost their sparkle.

Mamoru was an ass. A baka. A jerk. A moron. How could he do this to such a sweet, loving, kind, considerate girl? How could he tell her one day that he loved her and wanted to be with her forever, and the next day tell her he didn't love her at all? Rage welled inside Motoki. She should be treated like a princess, not like a discarded piece of trash.

As they passed the park thunder rumbled in the distance. Usagi didn't flinch. That more than anything else told Motoki just how horrible she was feeling. Usagi was terrified of thunder and lightning. It took nearly three times as long to get her home as it should have with her slow plodding steps. She didn't look at the flowers, or giggle at the antics of the squirrels. She was vacant and empty.

When they finally arrived at Usagi's house, the little pink-haired brat came out. She threw her hands up in the air. "Took you long enough Usagi-baka!" she yelled, then crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the blonde.

Usagi didn't respond. Didn't so much as blink at being yelled at or called names by a child she obviously cared about. Motoki sighed and shook his head. He stopped Usagi and gave her another hug, then kissed the top of her head, silently praying that something would bring her out of the strange funk. When he released her she simply walked in the house without a word.

The little brat made to follow her, growling, but Motoki grabbed her arm and stopped her cold. She glared up at him but it didn't faze him in the slightest. He was going to have his say, and she was going to listen.

"I don't know what your problem is," he said, fighting not to scream at her. "I don't know what Usagi has ever done to you that you would be so awful to her. But now is not the time. Can't you see she's falling apart? Can't you see she's dying a little every day. She has been nothing but kind to you and you've been a little brat. You insult her, throw things at her, scream at her, and you keep running away and putting yourself in danger. Danger she saves you from time and time again no matter how cruel you've been. That girl loves you and you treat her almost as badly as Mamoru does. I don't know which one of you is going to kill her first."

She gave him a stricken look, but he refused to take back what he'd said. Even Rei at her most jealous had never been as cruel as Chibi-Usa was now. She tried to pull away but Motoki held firm. He pointed at the balcony window, where Usagi was resting her head on her arms, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she stared into nothing.

"Don't you see what you're doing?" he asked. "Can't you understand that her heart is breaking a little more every time you say or do something mean? I swear, between you and Mamoru its a wonder she gets out of bed at all." He shook his head and let the girl go. "I don't know why I'm bothering. You won't listen any more than he does. It would serve you both right to lose her forever."

With those words he turned and walked away, unable to stand the sight of Usagi's tears another moment. It took him only a few minutes to reach the Crown. He shook his head at Unazuki when she gave him a questioning look, and sighed.

"That bad?" she asked.

"Poor thing not only saw Mamoru with yet another girl, the moment she got home the brat started in on her." He shook his head at the unfairness of it all.

"Maybe Minako can help," Una said.

The other blonde had been the only one that had gotten through to Usagi at all since the breakup. Unfortunately, she and the other girls didn't seem to understand why Usagi was 'still' upset. They'd gotten less patient with her, and instead of supporting her, they were often trying to push her back into dating, or urging her to 'get over it,' like it was something that was actually possible.

Why they didn't realize she was missing half her soul, Motoki couldn't understand. It was obvious. Not to everyone perhaps, but to him and Reika, Naru and Umino, it was plain. They'd discussed it at length, and all of them had tried to help in their own ways, but there was nothing they could do but watch helplessly as she wasted away a little more every day.

No. She wouldn't be getting over anything. If something drastic didn't happen, she was going to wither into nothingness. She might die in the next droid attack, and he had a feeling she wouldn't mind. When she'd almost been hit by a car she hadn't even tried to get out of the way. His heart clenched at the thought of the world without her in it. Not just because she was Sailor Moon, but because she had always brought so much joy to others.

Another heavy sigh and shake of his head told his sister he wasn't going to be calling Minako, or anyone else. No one could help her anymore. No one but Mamoru.

"Speak of the devil," he murmured as his best friend walked in the door, the brunette suspiciously missing. Mamoru looked pissed off, but he didn't really care. The rage he had been feeling all afternoon welled up again until he could barely think. He saw red. Not stopping to question what he was doing, he stalked up to Mamoru and punched him as hard as he could in the face. He heard the satifying crunch of a nose breaking and smiled.

Everyone stopped and stared. He could hear the sounds of pixelated heroes dying on the screens and wanted to smile. There was one hero he'd like to kill at the moment, and he was standing in the middle of the Crown, staring at him in shock. Moron.

"What the hell Toki?" Mamoru shouted, blood spurting everywhere. "That hurt!"

"Good!" he growled, then turned on his heel and walked back to the counter, snatching his apron up and tying it on. "Now get the hell out of my arcade and don't come back until you grow the hell up!" he shouted.

"What?" Mamoru asked, sounding hurt. Motoki didn't care if he had hurt his feelings. Mamoru wasn't his primary concern at the moment.

"You heard me. Until you grow the hell up I don't want you in here. Isn't it bad enough you broke her heart? Now you're coming around trying to smash what's left under your boot! I won't sit here and watch it. You're killing her!" he shouted, the rage building up again. "Haven't you and the little brat done enough? If you don't stop she's going to die!"

Mamoru stood, speechless, staring at him. His eyes were open wide as blood spattered the floor. "What are you talking about?" he asked after a long pause. "Why would she die?" He looked devastated, but to Motoki's mind it was too little too late. And it wasn't enough. It never would be.

Motoki didn't care that everyone was listening to their argument. He didn't care that he was airing something private. He only knew that if Mamoru didn't stop this foolishness Usagi wouldn't last much longer.

"You are so stupid Mamoru! Haven't you even bothered to look at her? She hasn't eaten in weeks. She's lost at least twenty pounds, can't seem to function, doesn't laugh, doesn't seem to know where she is half the time. A few days ago she almost got hit by a car. If I hadn't been there she would have been. And do you know what's worse? She looked like it would have been a relief. You are the stupidest, most selfish bastard I've ever met!" His was breathing so heavily by the end of his speech that his chest hurt.

Mamoru's mouth was open wide, his eyes huge saucers in his face, but Motoki hadn't finished.

"Between you and the little brat you've torn her down into nothing. I'd be surprised if she lasts a week at this rate," he said, stomping closer. As he continued he punctuated his words with pokes to Mamoru's chest. "And you just wont quit! You think it's okay to parade around showing her just how you've moved on. Well the rest of us don't! We don't want to lose her forever, but you just keep pushing. And pushing. And pushing. So get the hell out and stay out until you grow the hell up. Stop being selfish and stupid. Stay the hell away from the damn kid who rubs it in her face that she gets to spend time with you, and stay the fuck away from Usagi!"

Mamoru's face went nearly white by the end of his tirade. Motoki shook his head and turned away. "I used to think you were a good person," he said sadly. "But you aren't. A good person wouldn't be needlessly cruel. Go away Mamoru. I don't want you here."

He felt more than heard his friend leave. Guilt swamped him, knowing he was Mamoru's only true friend and he'd just abandoned him. But he couldn't stand by and watch him make the worst mistake of his life. It was so obvious he was still in love with the girl, and if she died, he would too.

"Thank you," said a soft voice behind him. He turned to see Shingo standing there, tears in his eyes, though he didn't shed them. He looked almost as bad as his sister. Pale and worn and heartsick. Motoki pulled him in for a hug, trying to offer a bit of comfort.

"I don't know what else to do," he admitted.

Shingo shook his head and pulled back. "There's nothing else to do. It's in his hands now," he said, looking out the window. Mamoru had paused just outside the arcade, looking hurt and angry. Motoki hoped something he had said made it through to his friend.


Mamoru felt hurt, angry, betrayed, and just plain sad as he left the Crown Game Center. He'd meant to confront Motoki over the hug he'd seen him give Usagi, but the words he'd heard had left him cold. How could she die from a breakup? It made no sense. Maybe Motoki wanted her for himself. Maybe he was trying to keep Mamoru away from her so he had a chance. Anger and jealousy swirled through him.

Then he sighed. No. Not only was that not Motoki's style, his friend was in love with Reika and would never do anything to hurt her. But why would he say such awful things? Usagi couldn't die. She couldn't. That was the whole point of breaking up with her.

He shook his head in frustration. Motoki had very publicly berated him over his bringing other girls around, but he'd had no choice. Every time she'd seen him she had looked so hopeful. It had torn him to pieces. He'd had to prove to her that he had moved on so that she would too. There was no other way.

Except he hadn't moved on, and even the thought of her moving on made him want to howl in fury.

His heart ached and he rubbed it without really noticing. He wasn't allowed to be with Usagi. If he hadn't let her go, she would have died. Now Motoki was saying she would die if he didn't walk away completely. And he didn't want Mamoru around either. He had lost everyone who ever mattered to him. The only person left in his life was Chibi-Usa, and Motoki had told him to drop her too. But the little girl was the only connection he had left with Usagi.

He took a step towards Usagi's house. The pain hit him like a hammer. His head rung with it as the vision overwhelmed him again. Every time he thought about returning to her side it would come, the haunting image of her being torn away. Dying. Heart break couldn't be as bad as her death.

He stopped and the vision faded. But he had to know. He had to see for himself. Really see. Another step and the vision came back. This time the words came too. "You must stay away from Usagi or she will die."

Turning, he ran as fast as he could toward his apartment. He made it there in minutes, and walked inside, panting a bit, and entered the elevator. It dinged when it reached his floor and he walked to his own door, stopping suddenly when he saw the little girl curled into a ball in front of it.

"Chibi-Usa? What's wrong?" he asked, kneeling in front of her. The little one was sobbing, her entire body shaking with it.

She didn't speak to him, simply held herself tighter. He lifted her into his arms, unlocked the door, slipped his shoes off, and carried her to the couch. Sitting silently, he simply held her and let her cry. He didn't know what else to do.

After what felt like years the little one wiped her hands over her cheeks and looked up at him. "Usagi's sick," she said. She shuddered another breath in, and he could see she was fighting not to break down again, but his own mind was whirling with fear and pain. She couldn't be sick. He had just seen her and she'd been fine.

"What?" he croaked. It seemed he'd been asking that a lot that day.

"I didn't believe him when he said it, but I saw her. I saw!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, worry overwhelming him. Not just for Usagi but for the little girl. He'd always had a special bond with her, like she was his own kid, though that obviously wasn't true. He might pretend to date, but there was no way he could ever be with anyone except Usagi, and she was lost to him forever.

"Motoki told me she's dying," Chibi-Usa said, sniffling. "I didn't believe him. I thought he was just taking her side like always," she was whispering now and he could sense she felt guilty. "But I saw her. She was changing her clothes and she doesn't look right anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"She's too skinny." Chibi-Usa said.

Relief filled him. "Chibi-Usa, she's always been too thin. She'll be fine," he promised.

She shook her head and pulled away from him, climbing down from his lap. "Not like this!" she said, and sounded angry.

"Chibi-Usa, Usagi will be okay. She has to be."

The girl looked like she might argue, but there was a knock on his door and she hurried away to answer it. Mamoru stood and went after her, not knowing who it would be. As soon as the little girl opened the door he felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

Usagi stood on the other side. She didn't look up at him. She kept her eyes on her feet as she talked to Chibi-Usa. "It's time to come home now," she said softly.

"Okay," the little girl didn't argue for once. "Bye Mamo-chan," she called.

Even from a distance he could hear the sharp intake of breath as Usagi heard Chibi-Usa call him by her nickname. He watched a tear slide down her cheek, but she immediately turned away and started for the elevator. At least she was finally accepting that they couldn't be together.

She wasn't trying to offer him cookies, or give him anything. Pain welled inside him when he realized she wasn't going to try and get him back anymore. He sighed and gave Chibi-Usa a hug goodbye, then watched her leave, pulling the door closed behind her, leaving him completely alone.

A breath shuddered out of him and he sank to his knees. He couldn't handle staying away from Usagi, but he couldn't be with her either. How was he supposed to know she was alright if he wasn't allowed in the Crown anymore? He needed to see things for himself. Needed to protect her from whatever this threat was.

Had she really almost been hit by a car? What would have happened if Motoki hadn't been there? He had to stay close to protect her. Sobs broke out and he rested his head on the floor, pain and fear overwhelming him. He couldn't be with her, but he couldn't let her go. He was damned to an eternity of emptiness.

Alone in his apartment, he let the tears fall freely. He had lost everyone. Usagi had lifted him, made him whole again, and now he couldn't be with her. Heartache ripped through him. He wished he could just move on, the way he had been pretending to. It would never happen. Sometimes, for some people, there was only one true love, and Usagi was his.

He would watch her from afar then. Keep her safe until she finally managed to get past the hurt and pain, and then he would wither away and die as she eventually learned to love someone else. He was destined for a life of solitude. Perhaps he should have known. His parents had been taken from him, and the only nun in the orphanage who had ever cared about him had died of a heart attack when he was nine. Then he'd found Motoki, but he had just abandoned him. And Usagi.

He'd had to let her go. There had been no other choice. But that didn't mean he wanted to. And it certainly didn't make it any less painful.


Chibi-Usa was uncharacteristically quiet on the walk back home. Usagi glanced at her several times from the corner of her eye, but wasn't sure it was a good idea to ask if she was alright. She'd tried that in the past and it had only led to arguments. Arguments she could never win.

It seemed like the nicer she was to Chibi-Usa, the meaner the little girl, 'brat,' her mind corrected, was in return. She'd tried everything to become friends with her, and eventually had learned to just accept it wouldn't happen. Chibi-Usa picked and picked at her and no one ever bothered to stop it. When she would lose her temper and yell back she would get scolded, told she was being childish or selfish, or she was yelled at for being mean to a sad little girl. No one else seemed to realize the younger girl was always the instigator and wouldn't let up until Usagi finally snapped back.

Lately though, Usagi couldn't seem to find the will to fight with her no matter how cruel she had become. In spite of her jealousy over Chibi-Usa having so much of Mamoru's time and rubbing it in Usagi's face, or even when the girl called her names and broke her things and treated her like she was worthless, it just didn't seem to matter anymore. It hurt, sure, but it wasn't worth the fight. It wouldn't do her any good anyway. Nothing would change the fact that Chibi-Usa hated her.

She sighed as she took the corner close to her house, Chibi-Usa following silently. Habit kept her looking down at her feet. That was the safest way to get through the day. Every time she looked up awful things happened. Usually in the form of Mamoru hanging all over another girl. That was another thing Chibi-Usa loved to bring up, as often as possible. She hated it, and had begun simply tuning the child out as much as she could.

Usagi wasn't sure how much more she could take. She had decided that afternoon that she wouldn't be going into the Crown anymore. If she didn't see him at all, maybe she could get over Mamoru. Even the thought of getting over him pierced her heart. She couldn't survive much more of him being all over other girls though, and she'd long ago given up the idea of winning him back.

Everything seemed faded and washed out without him in her life. The sun didn't shine as brightly, and she never felt warm anymore. The birds chirping no longer seemed like a happy sound. The little animals in the parks weren't as adorable. Food tasted like ash in her mouth.

How was she supposed to go on living like this?

Somehow it had been easier when he had been kidnapped and turned evil, and even when his memory had been gone. They'd been separated, but this was different. This time he had chosen to leave her. He didn't love her anymore. Had only been with her because of who she had been in a previous life. He didn't want her. A new freshet of tears slipped down her cheeks. She swiped them away so Chibi-Usa wouldn't tease her about them.

Deep down she'd always believed that when she fell in love it would be forever. That when she found the special person who was the other half of her soul he would never leave her. That together they could conquer anything. Knowing she was wrong hurt. But finally understanding she was unlovable was another thing entirely. She wasn't the princess he wanted. The one he had dreamed about and prayed for. No. She was stupid, immature, loud Usagi, and no one could love someone like her.

By the time they reached the house the table was set and everyone was waiting for them so they could eat dinner. She took her place at the table and put food onto Chibi-Usa's plate before taking a little for herself. The others talked, but Usagi was distracted.

Mamoru had looked sad. She couldn't have been imagining that. She hoped everything was okay. Sliding a piece of chicken back and forth across her plate, Usagi wondered what could have been bothering him. Had he failed a test? Had a fight with Motoki? Broken up with his new girlfriend? Whatever it was she hoped he worked it out soon.

Even though he had hurt her, she still wanted him to be happy. How stupid was she that his happiness was more important to her than her own? A sigh slipped out and she prayed no one noticed.

Sometimes she thought it would be better if she had never met Mamoru. In spite of the pain though, there were some things she never wanted to forget. The way he'd looked at her when they had been riding to the top of the elevator to face Zoicite and Kunzite. The way he'd reached for her when they had been trapped by the Makai tree. Or how it had felt to hold his hand, or be kissed by him. Those things were imprinted on her memory and she wouldn't let them go. But she had to admit, if only to herself, that sometimes she wished she could forget him completely, like she had forgotten before.

It had to be easier for the other girls. They didn't have their memories of their true loves. They barely had any memories from their former lives at all. Except Minako. And even Minako hadn't seemed to realize just who Kunzite was. Usagi knew. She knew everything. How they had been together, but that the men had been taken and forced into evil by Metallia, then turned on them.

Was it right for her to have her soulmate when they suffered on in silence? Perhaps this was her punishment for not saving the Shitennou. She hadn't known who they were at the time, but that didn't make it any better. They would go the rest of their lives without the ones they loved. And now Usagi would too. Maybe that was the destiny of the Senshi. To remain forever alone and unloved so they didn't lose focus on saving the planet.

But she wasn't focused. She hurt, deep inside. It was like a gnawing hunger, but it couldn't be fed through food. She would forever be in love with Mamoru, and she knew she could never have a husband or children without him. So she would be alone.

Now that all of her dreams were gone, what was left but an endless series of battles and new enemies. She would never become a teacher. She would never get married and have children. She would never have a normal life where there were no monsters to fight or people with evil vendettas. She would be alone, and hopeless, for eternity.

"Eat Usagi," her father commanded.

Startled, she looked up at her dad and met his eyes. He seemed worried about something. Not wanting to make his life harder, she took a bite, nearly gagging on the cold chicken. Food no longer held any appeal for her. She couldn't remember the taste of chocolate. Her dinner tasted like ashes in her mouth. She wasn't very hungry, but she didn't want to disobey either. She took a bite of rice next, and then a bite of her mixed vegetables. That done she cut off another piece of chicken, but she wasn't sure she could eat it without running to the bathroom to be sick.

"I'm not feeling very well," she said after several long, quiet minutes had passed. "May I be excused?"

Her father gave a soft sigh. "Okay," he said, sounding sad. Usagi couldn't figure out what was wrong. It seemed like everyone was sad or angry lately. Maybe it was just her imagination. Perhaps misery really did love company.

Or could it be they were sad because they had to put up with her? If Mamoru, her actual soulmate, couldn't love her, then why did she assume anyone else could? He had made it perfectly clear that she was a waste of space.

She stood and cleaned her plate, then hurried up the stairs to her room. It was her only refuge from the world. The only place she could be absolutely certain there would be no Mamoru showing up with other women, and no one yelling at her for losing her temper after an hour of Chibi-Usa's teasing. She needed that more than ever after the day she'd had.

Picking up a stuffed bunny her mother had gotten her years before, Usagi sat on her bed and scooted over to look out the window at the moon, which was just rising over the city. No one could see her face now, so she let the tears fall freely, grateful that here she didn't have to hide her pain. She wished she could go to the moon. The city there might be dead, but she could reminisce about what it had felt like to be loved completely.

Would anyone ever love her? Shaking her head sadly she focused her mind on what she would do the next day. If she couldn't hide at the Crown, she would have to find another refuge from Chibi-Usa. A place where she wouldn't go. Perhaps the library. But no, she might run into Mamoru there. Unless she went to the library at her own school. He wasn't a student there, so it would be a safe place.

Ami might be there, though she seemed to have more cram schools than ever now. She could handle Ami though. Her friend was the quiet kind. Even though she and the others seemed to be frustrated with her, Ami at least didn't push or pressure her to date someone she didn't want to date. She only said things like 'time heals all wounds,' or 'the heart is the strongest muscle,' which were meant to be comforting, but only sounded trite.

Heaving another sigh, Usagi leaned her head on her hand and focused on the bright cold orb floating above the planet, wishing for some of the peace it used to bring her.


Chibi-Usa sat silent at the table, watching the sad, worried faces around her for any sign, any hint, of what she should do. Had they seen what she did? That Usagi didn't eat? Had they seen it all along while she had been so busy trying to get her way that she'd forgotten Usagi was a girl too? They were quiet for a long time. No forks scraping on plates, no words crossing their lips.

Shingo let out a heavy sigh. "Motoki yelled at him today," he said, his voice full of sorrow.

"What did he say?" Ikuko-mama asked, looking worried.

"He told him to grow up, and not go back to the arcade until he does. That he broke Usagi's heart and is making it worse the way he acts. He said he's killing her. He sees it too," Shingo went on. "The weight loss, the listlessness, the fact that our Usagi is gone. He told him about the thing with her almost getting hit. He said Mamoru was being needlessly cruel and wasn't a good person, that he didn't want him there anymore."

"How did Mamoru react?" Kenji-papa asked, looking sad. "That seems a bit harsh."

"He left, but he looked hurt." Shingo sighed. "I know I should be mad at him, but Motoki is his only real friend." He shook his head.

Chibi-Usa wasn't sure what was going on. Why were they all so upset about Mamoru when it was Usagi who was thin and sick. Would she really die? None of the others around the table seemed to doubt it.

The older man frowned. "Has anyone figured out what he's hiding yet? Why he did it?"

"No," Shingo said sadly. "Rei is looking, but something has been blocking her. So whatever it is, its from an outside source."

"I can find out," Chibi-Usa said, startling herself. She hadn't intended to speak. The words flew out of her mouth without thought. "I don't want Usagi to d-die," she finished lamely. Before that very afternoon she hadn't given it much thought. But even if Usagi wasn't her future mother, she wouldn't want to lose her.

"Unfortunately I don't think he'll tell you either," Shingo said. "He's too used to taking care of everything on his own."

"But-," she broke off when Kenji-papa looked at her. He looked stern, like he wanted to say something to her. She looked at her plate. She hadn't eaten much more than Usagi. "I feel bad," she whispered.

"That's a good thing," Ikuko-mama said softly. "It means you've learned something. But the truth is, we've all tried to help them in our own ways, and nothing is working. I think they have to figure this out on their own."

Chibi-Usa frowned. She didn't think Usagi had that kind of time.

She focused on the way she had been behaving towards Usagi, and the way Mamoru had too. She knew she wasn't always nice, and if she was honest, it was hard to be nice to Usagi for a lot of reasons. Mostly it was because she didn't act like the mom she remembered from her own time. Usagi's parents didn't know the truth about her though. She wasn't sure any of them had figured it out, though sometimes Mamoru looked at her the way her daddy did. Like he would protect her, and always be there for her.

She sniffled, thinking of all the times when she'd been small and had bad dreams when Mommy and Daddy would come and sit with her, talk to her and tell her stories. She loved her parents and wanted to help them, but she didn't know how. The whole day had felt like a bad dream, and Chibi-Usa was afraid.

Daddy had always said to tell people about bad dreams because sometimes they meant something. And sometimes they could take everything from you. She bit her lip and tried to remember more. Daddy had once told her that he'd had bad dreams that her Mommy would die and had lost her because of them. He said he had been foolish not to tell her and had hurt her lots.

Gasping out loud, she stood up. "I have to talk to Mamo-chan!" she said excitedly.

"Not tonight," Ikuko-mama said.

"But I think I know!" she wailed.

"Know what?" Shingo asked, starting to look as excited as she felt.

She sat back down and looked at him. "The dreams. Dreams telling him he has to stay away. That if he doesn't, she will die."

"How do you know about his dreams," Shingo asked.

"I can't tell you," she pleaded with her eyes for him to understand. She wanted to help Usagi, but she couldn't tell the secret. Puu had been very clear that it could ruin the timelines. She wasn't supposed to change anything. Biting her lip again, she waited for him to yell at her, but he didn't.

"I'll take her," Shingo offered. "It isn't too late yet."

"Be back before nine," Kenji-papa said quietly.

"Okay," Shingo agreed, and they both raced away from the table. Chibi-Usa could hear Ikuko-mama yelling at Kenji-papa about it not being safe after dark, but they hurried out the door before anyone could change their mind.

They put on their shoes and ran the whole way to Mamoru's apartment. Chibi-Usa pounded on the door several times before it opened, and Mamoru peered out at them with red-rimmed eyes. He had been crying. She hated that he was so sad. He stood in the doorway, staring at both of them, looking back and forth between her and Shingo.

She wondered what he was thinking and hoped he didn't believe they were there to be mean. "We have to talk to you," Chibi-Usa announced.

Mamoru said nothing, simply stood back and held the door wider so they could enter his apartment. Finally, after they'd removed their shoes and sat together on the couch with Mamoru standing across the room from them, she heard him speak.

"Is Usagi okay?" he asked, his voice hitching like he might start to cry.

"She will be," Shingo answered. "Once we fix this."

Mamoru let out a heavy sigh. "There isn't a way to fix this," he said sadly. "But I promise I'll stay away if that will make her better."

"No!" Chibi-Usa and Shingo shouted together.

Mamoru's eyes widened as he stared at them. Chibi-Usa couldn't take it. He looked like he was going to cry again and she wanted him smiling. And Usagi. She couldn't hold on to her feelings of anger over something she had no control over. Usagi didn't act like her mom because she wasn't her mom... yet. There was no point in being angry about it. And if she and Mamoru didn't get back together, there would be no one to be angry anyway.

"The dream is a lie," she said quietly.

The shock on his face told her she'd been right. This had to be what he had been talking about when he told her the story as a little girl. Maybe he had been hinting something to her. Maybe he had wanted her to help them.

Mamoru tried to mask his shock, but they'd both already seen in. "What are you talking about?" he asked in a strangled voice. "What dream?"

"I don't know what the dream is exactly, but it's scary," Chibi-Usa said, and bit her lip nervously. Puu said not to mess with the timeline, but just this once she had to. She had to save them both. Decision made, she decided to tell part of the truth. "I know it's a lie though, cause you told me."

A frown marred his features and he sat heavily in the chair. "I haven't told anyone anything," he said finally.

Chibi-Usa looked over at him. "You haven't told me yet. You will though. You'll tell me all about it one day."

"Why would I do that?" he asked, and she wanted to give him a hug, but stayed where she was.

"I can't tell you," she admitted.

He looked at her skeptically. And Chibi-Usa felt heat welling up inside her. "I just know you told me to always tell people about my bad dreams because they could mean something, and that sometimes they could lie. You said you had a dream that she would die and you listened and almost lost her."

She heard Mamoru's deep inhale and knew she'd said the right thing. She grabbed Shingo's hand and pulled him up. "The dream really is a lie," she said one last time, then the two of them left the apartment and started the slow walk back home.

Chibi-Usa wondered if she had done the right thing. Puu had been very careful about telling her not to mess up the time-line. She bit her lip, looking over at Shingo. There were so many things she had wanted to tell all of them, and she couldn't. Now she had given away a major hint and she could tell her uncle was thinking it through.

Puu had been so kind to her she didn't want to let her down. It had been a miserable life, being an only child of the most powerful couple in the Solar System. She'd been teased unmercifully because she didn't yet have access to her Senshi powers, because she wasn't growing older like normal children, because her hair was bubble-gum pink, and for dozens of other reasons she didn't really understand. Whenever her mom and dad couldn't be there for her, Puu had been. She didn't want to disappoint her friend, but she'd had to do something.

She knew even before he spoke that he'd come up with the answer. "You're from the future," he said. It wasn't a question. "Usagi. That's your name. Not Chibi-Usa. You're Usagi, and you are my sister's daughter."

Hanging her head in shame she whispered a silent apology to Puu, then nodded. "I can't tell you any more."

But then Shingo had picked her up and twirled her around, laughing. Confused, she looked up at him, wondering what was going on. He seemed very happy suddenly and she couldn't figure it out.

"What?" she asked.

"If you're still here," Shingo said, "that means they're going to get back together. And they can't get back together if she dies, which means she is going to live." Suddenly he was crying and holding her really tight until her ribs ached. "Thank you!" he whispered. "Come on, lets go tell Mom and Dad everything is going to be okay."


Tuxedo Kamen leapt from the balcony of his apartment, his mind racing. He wasn't sure if he could believe Chibi-Usa, or if she had made everything up based on something she had overheard. He had been careful not to speak of the dreams to anyone, but maybe he had fallen asleep around her and she had realized he had nightmares.

But after everything that had happened over the course of the day, he had to check on Usagi. He had to see for himself that she was alright. He turned in the direction of Usagi's house and had to pause for several minutes on a rooftop as the dream and the whispered words overwhelmed him. But he had to see her. He had to know she was okay. The way they'd said she 'would be' okay rather than she 'was' okay worried him.

Was she really as sick as Chibi-Usa thought, or had the imagination of the little girl run wild with her?

Four more times the vision overwhelmed him and he had to pause, but then he was in her neighborhood and leapt to the tree in her yard, slipping unseen into the branches, where he would be completely hidden. He could see her, sitting against the windowsill. She looked miserable, staring up at the moon.

He sat in the tree outside Usagi's room, watching her cry. His heart broke for her, and for himself. It was unfair that they could never be together. Unfair that they could never hold hands, or kiss, or touch. He loved her more than anything, and he had to stay away for her own protection.

But what if Chibi-Usa was telling the truth? He refused to let his mind dwell on the answer. He couldn't bear any more heartache.

After a time, Usagi stood and went to her closet. He was about to turn away and give her privacy when she whipped her shirt off over her head and he gasped in horror. He'd seen her in a bathing suit before, and her bra covered about the same amount. That wasn't the issue. The problem was that he could see just how much weight she had lost. Her skin had an unhealthy grey tinge to it, and she looked very sick.

Motoki's words came racing into his mind. His friend had been right. He was killing her. He couldn't let this continue. He knew he couldn't stay away from her. And being apart was killing them both. He could see it clearly now.

By the time he had gotten himself under enough control so he didn't break down sobbing in the tree, she was dressed in her flannel bunny pajamas and had peeled back the comforter on her bed. Instinct made him leap to her balcony and he climbed in through her window, reaching out for her.

Usagi gave one startled cry as he pulled her into his arms, but within a moment he had her wrapped in his cloak and was pulling her out the window. He raced through the darkness with her held tight and safe in his arms, leaping from one roof to the next and the next. She didn't utter a single word of protest, but she didn't relax into him as she would have done months before. He only hoped it wasn't too late.

Finally he had reached his apartment. He couldn't think about anything but the girl in his arms. The girl who was more precious to him than his own life. The girl he had finally realized wouldn't die because he was with her, but because he wasn't. Chibi-Usa was right. The dreams were a lie.

He opened the sliding glass door and carried Usagi to the kitchen table, settling her on one of the wooden chairs. He released his henshin and went to the cupboards, pulling out all of her favorite snack, which he hadn't stopped buying even after breaking up with her. The sight of them in his cupboards had made him feel closer to her.

"Eat," he ordered, piling food in front of her.

Usagi stared up at him as though he had lost his mind, and she might well be right. He had lost his mind if he'd thought he could ever leave her. He hurried to the stove and grabbed the kettle, filling it with water and putting it on to boil while he prepared two cups of cocoa. When it was done he added milk to cool it and set one mug in front of her, sitting in the chair next to her with his own.

She hadn't touched any of the food. "Eat," he said again, pushing a package of rice balls closer to her. They had little bunny ears on them and little pink noses. They'd made him smile and think of her.

Usagi still didn't pick up the food, so he opened the package and took one out, lifting her hand and putting the rice ball in her palm. He even lifted it to her mouth, and still she didn't take a bite. Frustrated now, and worried, he growled at her. "I said eat. Please!"

Shaking her head, Usagi sat the rice ball back into the package and stared at him. "What is going on?" she asked, her voice shaking. "You kidnap me in the middle of the night to make me eat?"

"I didn't kidnap you," he growled. Though perhaps it might have seemed that way to her. He had no rights to her anymore. He couldn't just pick her up and carry her away as he had done when they were dating. Mamoru sighed. "Okay, so maybe I did kidnap you, a little."

"A little?" Usagi's eyebrows rose. "There's no 'a little,' about it. You do something or you don't. Why are you trying to make me eat. I don't want to eat."

While he could understand not wanting to eat, she had to, or she would die. She couldn't afford to lose as much weight as she had. And he wasn't about to let her die. Not now, not ever. She was his to take care of, and he was going to stop messing around and do it.

It occurred to him that he hadn't had a single flash of the dream since he had pulled her into his arms. He was doing the exact opposite of what he'd been ordered, and yet he knew it was the right thing. Chibi-Usa had definitely been right. The dream was a lie.

Usagi stood up, swaying slightly, and headed to the front door. He realized he hadn't answered her. With a sigh, he stood, using his added speed to catch her and bring her back to the table.

"You aren't leaving."

She started to cry. "Haven't you tortured me enough?" she asked.

Mamoru's heart shattered into a million pieces at her words. Whoever had sent that message was going to pay. He couldn't bear her tears. Pulling her into his arms, he held on tight.

"I've tortured both of us enough," he said, his own voice hitching. "No more. I can't do it. I can't let you go. I can't live without you."

Usagi stiffened and started struggling in his arms. She pulled back and stared at him. "What the hell are you talking about? You broke up with me, remember?"

"I didn't think I had a choice," Mamoru explained. "I couldn't bear it anymore Usako." Her sharp intake of breath told him he was starting to get through to her. "I lied. I never stopped loving you. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I can't take it anymore. It's killing us both and what's the point of saving you if you're just going to die anyway?"

"Saving me?" she asked incredulously. "You broke my heart to save me?" She sounded angry, which was better than listless as she'd been when he first brought her, but he didn't want her to be angry with him.

"Yes," he explained. "The dreams were telling me if I stayed with you then you would die, and I-"

His head rung like a bell, snapping backwards at the suddenness of her slap. Bright dots flashed in his vision and he could feel her handprint stinging on his cheek. He would never tell Motoki, but Usagi was a hundred times stronger than him, and her simple slap hurt much worse than a broken nose, which had healed even before he'd left the arcade. Worse though was her anger.

"A dream?" she screamed, making his ears ache at the high pitch and loud decibels. "You broke up with me over a dream? Baka ne! (you fool!)"

"Yes!" he shouted. "I thought you were going to die!" he realized he was panting as though he'd run a race and tried to calm himself.

He saw the second slap coming and grabbed her wrist, then the other as she tried to hit him with the other hand. Holding her though, he realized she had lost even more weight than he'd believed, and it tore him apart. He put both into one hand and ran the back of his other over the apple of her cheek.

"Usako, I know I'm a baka. I should have come to you or gone to Rei, but I didn't and I've hurt us both. Gomen," he said, then brushed his lips over her forehead in a tender caress.

"Hurt us both?" Usagi asked incredulously. Then she laughed. It wasn't the bright tinkling sound he remembered, but the precursor to a sob and he let go of her wrists to pull her tightly into his arms, to surround her with himself in a silent promise never to let her go again.

"At least you knew what was happening. At least you knew I still l-loved you," she whispered brokenly.

Mamoru cursed himself. He couldn't believe how horribly he had messed things up. Rocking her slightly in his arms, he whispered apologies and promises, but she was still stiff and unyielding. He wondered if she could ever find it in her heart to forgive him, and worried that he had broken them both too badly.

"Let me up," she said after a long moment. He let her go, carefully helping her to her feet. Instead of racing to the door, she sat in her chair and lifted the mug of hot chocolate to her lips. He mimicked her, tasting his own. It had cooled, but still tasted good. He watched as Usagi picked up the rice ball he had tried to feed her and took a bite. She chewed thougtfully, staring at him.

"How long have you been having these dreams?" she asked finally.

"Since shortly after Chibi-Usa appeared.

"Hmm." Usagi didn't continue, and didn't explain what she was thinking. Instead she picked up a second rice ball and ate quickly. He could tell she was thinking rapidly however, and wondered what was on her mind.

"Why did you change your mind?" she asked.

"Between Motoki punching me, Chibi-Usa thinking you were dying, and then Shingo and Chibi-Usa coming to tell me the dream was a lie," he explained, "something changed. And then when I saw you take off your shirt-," he cut off at her startled squeak, both of them blushing. "I realized I wasn't protecting you. I wasn't doing either of us any favors. Did you really almost get hit by a car?"

Usagi nodded. "Did Motoki really punch you?"

"Yes, and he banned me from the arcade."

"Wow." Usagi grabbed a piece of jerky and bit into it. Her eyes scanned his face as though she was trying to memorize it. "You look terrible," she said finally. "I didn't realize that before. I saw what you wanted me to see, didn't I?"

He was about to answer when she held up a hand and shook her head. They were both quiet for a time as she devoured the jerky then dug into a box of chocolate pocky. Finally she seemed unable to eat another bite, though he had seen her eat ten times as much in a sitting before. She pushed the food away and turned to face him fully.

"How did Chibi-Usa know the dream was a lie?" she asked.

"She claims I told her, but I didn't. Then she said I was going to tell her, which makes no sense at all."

"It does actually," Usagi said with a snort. "It makes a hell of a lot of sense. She might be a brat, but she's a clever brat. Don't you remember the day she appeared?"

Mamoru remembered the day vividly. They'd just gotten out of the boat and he had pulled Usagi into his arms and kissed her.

"Not the kiss," Usagi growled, "the fact that she pulled out a fake gun and demanded the Silver Crystal. Which begs the question, how did she know I had it? And she seemed to know other things too. She arrived at my house before I could. How did she know where it was? And her name... Usagi."

Confused, he simply stared at Usagi, unsure what she was trying to say. "What about it?"

She threw her hands up in the air. "Aren't you paying attention? She told you that you are going to tell her about the dream. She knew things she couldn't have possibly known, she fell out of the sky, and she has my name!"

Still uncomprehending, he waited for more of an explanation. He knew she was getting to a point, but not what the point was or why.

"Baka," Usagi muttered. "When she cries, how do you feel?"

"Protective. Like I do with you."

"I feel the exact same way, even though she's been nothing but rude to me." Usagi shook her head. "She has my name."

Mamoru gasped, suddenly understanding. "You think she's..." he was afraid to say it.

"Our daughter. From the future. Why else would you tell her something so personal. How else would she know I have the Crystal, or how to find my house, or everything about my family? Why else would we feel like we would do anything for her when she's honestly been a bit rude and bratty to both of us and doesn't listen when she's told what to do?"

"Wow," Mamoru breathed. "Okay." He stood, pacing back and forth across the room, occasionally looking back at Usagi. "Wait," he said, stopping in front of her. "That means you're going to forgive me!"

Usagi snorted. "I already did. I wasn't planning to tell you for a bit, but yeah. I forgive you. I love you Mamoru-baka!"

Mamoru laughed, sitting down heavily. "You still love me?"

"Of course."

He reached out and plucked Usagi out of her chair, pulling her into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he clung tightly, holding her as close as he could get. His mouth met hers and they feasted on each other, relearning everything they had lost. He couldn't get enough of her. He didn't care that several tears fell as he realized how close he had come to losing her. He didn't care that they were both squeezing hard enough to leave bruises. He only cared that she was there in his arms again and that he was never letting her go.


Now that she had her arms wrapped around Mamoru, Usagi wasn't planning to let him go. Not that night or ever again. She would never let him be such an idiot and walk away for a stupid reason like a dream in the future. She loved him more than life itself, and she was bound to him in every way that mattered.

She squirmed until he released her, looking a little sad to let her go, but she wasn't going far. She stood and pulled him up by the hand, dragging him down the hallway to his bedroom. She was going to have all of him. When they reached the bed, she turned him slightly and shoved hard on his shoulders. They both knew she wasn't strong enough to really push him down, but he let himself fall to the mattress.

She crawled over him, moving to straddle his hips with her own, and bent to kiss him. His fingers dug into her scalp, pulling a bit on her buns. She hurriedly loosened them, letting her hair fall around them both like a curtain. Immediately he plunged his hands into the mass of it and pulled her down again, kissing her with a passion that heated her blood and made her feel as though she was flying.

Her hands tugged at the jacket he wore over his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders, before she attacked his buttons with a fervor she couldn't begin to explain. She was going to have all of him, tonight. Giving up on the buttons she used her strength to tear the sides apart, little pings telling her the rest of those dratted buttons had gone flying.

Mamoru gave her a wolfish grin and she smirked at him as she pulled him up and tore the jacket and shirt off of him. Her hands found his chest, digging into his muscles, and she kissed her way down his neck and chest to his stomach before reaching for the button of his slacks.

Before she could do any more, Mamoru pushed her over until she was lying on her back and scrambled off the bed, hastily pulling his pants and boxers off and kicking them away. Before she could blink her own bottoms were gone and he had lifted her slightly to pull her top off. When she was exposed to his sight she felt nervous, but he stared at her for a moment, and then his head lowered to her breast and he was pulling her nipple into his mouth.

She cried out in shock and pleasure and heard him groaning as he sucked harder, his hand going to the other breast to tweak the budded nipple. He pressed her into the bed, using one hand to hold both wrists above her head.

"You might want to relax," he whispered. "This is going to take a while."

She bucked under him grumpily. "No fair," she muttered. "I was in charge."

Mamoru laughed, sending goosebumps flying over her skin. Her nipples hardened even further, peaking almost painfully. Her breast almost felt like they were swollen and they seemed to ache for his touch. Between her legs she could feel herself getting moist with need, the blood rushing to the area. Her entire body seemed to pulse with an endless ache that wouldn't be fulfilled until his body joined hers.

"Mamo-chan!" she whined, lifting her hips as he took his sweet time playing with her breasts. He let go of her wrists and trailed his hand down between her breasts and across her stomach to find her curls. Moving past them, he found the heated center of her and slid his finger into the wet slit. She cried out in pure ecstasy, lifting her hips until she was grinding her core against his hand.

"Now!" she ordered. "Right now!"

Mamoru shook his head. "I don't want to hurt you," he whispered.

With a growl, and more strength than she thought she possessed, she flipped him over onto his back and crawled over him, rubbing her slick folds against his hardness. Then she gasped in shock, looking down at him. He was much bigger than she'd expected. Somehow her mind had conjured an image the size of a tampon, which didn't hurt too much, but what she saw now terrified her. She squeaked in fear and pulled away.

"Let me help you get ready Usako," Mamoru murmured.

She lay on her back again and reached for him. "Don't make me wait. Please?"

He chuckled then, and rolled over to kiss her gently. "I won't make you wait any longer than necessary," he promised. "Your body is built for this, but it can hurt the first time," he explained.

"But I want you," she whined, then gasped when he slipped two fingers inside her and ran his thumb over a bundle of nerves that made her whole body jump in shocked pleasure. "Oh kami!"

Mamoru growled and bit her earlobe gently, holding it hostage between his teeth. Then his lips trailed the side of her neck and he bit into the tender flesh there before sucking lightly to leave his mark on her skin. She felt possessed by him, and by an aching need to be filled. Her legs opened and closed on their own, as though they had no connection to her brain. She gasped in pleasure as he added pressure to the swollen bundle and his fingers slipped in and out of her rapidly. He spread them open slightly, then closed them together and turned his hand further until he pressed on a spot inside her that had her flying through a field of stars screaming his name. Her entire body buzzed with pleasure and then she fell limp against the mattress.

When she opened her eyes, Mamoru hovered over her and she gasped as she felt the tip of his engorged member touch her most private place. "Now?" she pleaded.

"Now," he said, and pressed into her, moving slowly, inch by inch, until he met the barrier. "Just a pinch and then it wont hurt anymore," he promised.

Usagi nodded, trusting him to make sure she didn't get hurt. She felt him pull out slightly and then he thrust through. She hissed at the sting of it, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as she had been expecting. She loosened her muscles, and ran her fingertips over his arms as he knelt down and took one of her nipples into his mouth. Moaning at the sheer pleasure of it, she lifted her hips slightly.

"You sure?" he asked, lifting his head to stare into her eyes.

"Yes, please," she whimpered. She needed more of him. All of him.

He pulled back and she held onto his hips with her legs, not wanting him to leave her, but he only pulled partly out and then pushed deeper inside her until their bodies were joined completely. It was the most beautiful moment of her life. Bright silver and gold lights seemed to circle them and the heavens seemed to play a melody. Ribbons, silver and gold, danced around them, circling their bodies and drawing them closer together as he pulled his hips back and slid home again.

Usagi gasped and clung to him, her eyes locked on his as their bodies moved in a rhythm as ancient as the sea. Each time his body became flush with hers they both let out sounds of ecstasy. Their pace increased as did their cries of pleasure until she screamed and he roared, pressing harder than ever before. His hips bucked wildly into her as she flew over the precipice into an orgasm that made her entire body stiffen and her mind go blank.

Then she felt more pressure inside as he pressed deep and something flew out of him and into her body. It was hot inside her, and wet, sticky even, and it coated him as he pressed in again and again until he was spent and had nothing left to release. His hips bucked a few more times and then he was still, his member twitching and shrinking inside her,

Suddenly she could feel him in her mind, his thoughts and feelings open to her and she realized just how much he truly loved her, needed her, and wanted her. Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him down to lay on top of her, holding him close. His face buried into her neck and he sighed happily. Usagi looked up and realized the ribbons of light hadn't been in her imagination. They were still wrapping them tightly together, pulling them closer and closer until she was sure he wouldn't be able to pull out of her had he wanted to. And since she could feel his emotions she knew he didn't want to.

"Wow," she said finally.

Mamoru chuckled. They were both still breathing heavily. "I'm never letting you go again Usako. Not ever!" he added, squeezing tighter.

"Good. You wouldn't get very far if you tried," she told him, giggling. As her body shifted, she felt him begin to twitch again inside her. "Really?" she asked, her eyebrows lifting in question.

Mamoru blushed and Usagi couldn't help giggling again and tightening her inner muscles. When he groaned she repeated it and felt his hips jerk in response. Staring up at him, Usagi knew it was going to be a long night.


Mamoru groaned and looked at the clock as the pounding on the door continued. It was just past six in the morning. Usagi was still wrapped in his arms and he didn't want to let her go. Grumbling, he released her, trying to tuck the blanket around her body, but she woke and clung to him.

"What? Morning?" she groaned, stretching.

His body tensed in response and for a moment he forgot someone was beating their fists on the door to his apartment as he bent to kiss the love of his life, his Soul-Bonded. She giggled and blushed as he dug his face into her neck and nipped at her.

Then he heard the shouting of a very irate pink-haired little girl. "You had better open this door right now or I'm calling my grandfather!" she shouted.

Usagi gasped and Mamoru groaned as they both realized exactly who she meant. Kenji would not be thrilled to learn his baby girl had been in Mamoru's bed the whole night. Not thrilled at all.

"One minute!" he shouted at the top of his voice while he searched the floor for his clothing. He and Usagi stumbled around each other as they pulled things on. She giggled when he had to grab a new shirt after two attempts to button the one he'd worn the night before. Only after that had he realized the shirt was destroyed.

They both stumbled to the door together, and he grinned when he realized Usagi was walking a little funny. She gave him a glare and reached for the knob, pulling the door open.

Chibi-Usa didn't give them a chance to speak. She just pushed past them, Dragging Chibi-Mamo along with her. The boy's purple hair was a mess, and he was still wearing his pajamas. "Took you long enough," she grumbled.

"Watch your attitude," Mamoru muttered, closing the door behind them. He hadn't had so much as a sip of coffee yet, and he wasn't in the mood for her comments.

"Seriously?" Chibi-Usa screamed. "You think this is an attitude issue?" She let out a little scream, both hands covering her mouth as she looked around them wildly. "I am in so much trouble. Puu is going to kill me!"

"We can protect you," Usagi said, getting upset at the thought of their future daughter in danger. They might have only realized who she was the night before, but they still cared about her dearly. He could sense her maternal instinct kicking into overdrive and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"I doubt it since you'll probably both be lining up to join her!" Chibi-Usa shouted. "Oh Kami! What have I done?"

"What are you talking about?" Mamoru asked, growing worried.

"Him!" Chibi-Usa shouted. "My brand new twin brother!"

Shock raced through his body like a lightening bolt and he stared at Chibi-Usa and then the boy, then back. "I don't understand," he said. "You've always had a twin brother."

"No!" Chibi-Usa shouted. "Chibi-Mamo is brand new. At least to me. Everyone else seems to remember him!"

Usagi's brow furrowed. "Did you sleep wrong?" She put a hand on the little girl's forehead. "Maybe you've been a bit stressed," she continued. "It's okay though Mamo-chan and I are still back together, so everything is fine. You'll still get born. Don't worry."

Chibi-Usa stared at them and Mamoru could tell she was in shock. "I know I'll get born," she said, her tone rising with every word. "In exactly eight months and seventeen days!"

Mamoru wasn't the least bit surprised when Usagi fainted. He caught her and carried her carefully to the couch, having to sit down himself as his legs were suddenly shaking uncontrollably.

"Eight months?" he asked, feeling a bit like he was floating in space. "Eight months?"

Chibi-Usa groaned. "Yes! When I should have been born in exactly five years, eight months, and seventeen days! And now I have a twin brother. And the longer he's here, the less I remember my life without having a twin. I have memories of us growing up together!"

Mamoru nodded. "Eight months?" he asked again.

Chibi-Usa's frustrated scream could have woken anyone in the world... except Usagi who was still passed out in shock on his couch. 'Eight months,' he thought wildly, and his vision went black as he joined her.


Motoki knocked on Mamoru's door a few minutes after eight. He'd received a frantic call from Chibi-Usa. The door swung open and he waved to Chibi-Mamo, hurrying inside the apartment. He wondered why the twins were there.

"What's going on?" he asked, and then he turned the corner and saw Usagi on the couch and Mamoru near her, having obviously fallen to the floor from a seat on the couch. His face was on the hardwood, his butt sticking up in the air. "Kami," he shouted. "Mamoru, Usagi!"

He turned to Chibi-Mamo, who was usually the calmer of the twins. "What happened?" he asked.

The boy looked at him with wide eyes. "Well first Chibi-Usa didn't remember me, and dragged me all the way here in my jammies," he said. "Then, she goes ahead and tells our mom and dad we're getting born in eight months and seventeen days, and they both passed out. She claims I didn't exist until now," he said, lip quivering.

"You didn't," Chibi-Usa said, but she didn't sound convinced. "Or I thought you didn't," she added. "Maybe it was a nightmare. It would be horrible being an only child. It wasn't just you," she whispered. "None of our brothers or sisters were born either."

"Did you say eight months?" Motoki asked, worriedly. He stepped over to Mamoru and lifted him from the floor, grunting as he pushed him up so that he was leaning on the couch. As soon as he let go, his friend slumped over onto Usagi's legs. "I guess that means they got back together," he mumbled. "If that was all it took, I should have punched him sooner."

Shaking his head he pulled the throw blanket down from the back of the couch and covered them both up. "The eight months part of it is a bit of a shock though."

"You're telling me," Chibi-Usa whispered.

Chibi-Mamo ran to the kitchen and came back a moment later with two rice balls, handing them to his twin sister. "Here," he said. "Maybe you had bad dreams cause you didn't eat much for dinner. I know you were worried. We all were. But she's going to be okay now," he said, then gave her a hug as she munched the food.

"Yeah," Chibi-Usa said, frowning. "It must have just been a bad dream.


Final Word: I really hope this ending gave you a bit of a laugh. I got so depressed and moody writing the beginning that I just couldn't stand it, so when I thought of the twist with Chibi-Usa changing the timeline I had to do something a bit humorous with it. Tell me what you think!

Sailor Silver Ladybug
Tori