Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Listen I am getting married in a few months and its A LOT! ELOPE PEOPLE! Also, I just received another promotion at work… I know Sailor Moon FF writer… secret hobby. But I wish I wasn't busy! I'm working on Vegas but its hard! So I hope this tides you all over!

It was two years ago that Usagi had found her self in San Francisco. When she first moved to America she settled in Los Angels but it was too hard and not comforting. There was desperation for something familiar in her life. San Francisco offered it. The little Japan-town gave Usagi the food she was used to and added the feeling of home to her mundane life. She started to work in the library, which gave her access to English books as well. Six months of comfort in the small town allowed her let down her guard a little bit. She should have been paying closer attention to those around her. The travelers from Japan that constantly infiltrated the town but how was she to know how much influence the Yakuza held outside Japan.

Usagi, now Serena Smith, left the library one night to go and have a few drinks with some co-workers. A popular place in the town was Juuban Yakiniku. She entered the cooking place and the owners greeted her as Serena. They knew her well especially since Usagi came here a lot since it reminded her of home. Usagi scanned the room looking for her friends and she could feel eyes on her.

The third cooking table in had three bigger men grilling their meat. They looked at her like most men did. Usagi was lucky to have looked like a gaijin. Blond hair and blue eyes. Most Japanese men, which these clearly were, looked her up and down, one in particular not taking his eyes from her. She noticed the upside down, black crescent moon embroidered on the man's leather jacket. She looked away to where her friends were seated and tried not to let the fear show.

"Serena!" They called out and she smiled at them. After they heard her name one shrugged his shoulders. Usagi noticed that he placed a cell phone on the table not making a call that he was so obviously about to do.

Serena let out the breath she was holding and ran to the cooking table where she sat quickly apologizing for her tardiness. She wanted to leave but she knew that she would only look more suspicious.

Usagi turned the beef over smiling and laughing with her coworkers. The three men paid their check and were walking out of the restaurant. Usagi hoped they would leave faster when disaster struck.

"TSUKINO USAGI?" A familiar red head yelled out across the restaurant.

The three men stopped to see who shouted the words.

"Omigosh! Is that really you?" The girl yelled in Japanese coming toward Usagi.

Usagi spotted her grade school friend, Osaka Naru coming toward her trying to get a better look. She froze.

Seyia had been sitting at the bar for almost an hour now. He was undercover trying to take down the Black Moon clan's interference in San Francisco. When she walked in he almost couldn't stop watching her. She was beautiful but her face held a hidden sorrow or was it pain? He noticed other men's interest in her as well but not as much as his suspects eyed her. One nudged the other and Seyia watched the blond stiffen. One pulled out a cell phone and the blond walked faster past the men, he watched her sigh as her friends called out her name and the man put the cell phone on the table. "Serena." he thought. "What a beautiful name. "

"Interesting…" he said under his breath. Why would the black moon mobsters be interested in this American girl?

Seyia watched her as she ate and rarely paid attention to her chattering friends at the table. The girl, Serena, as her friends called her tried not to get caught as she watched the three yakuza the whole while. She faked conversation and smiled a lot. He wanted to see her truly smile. "I bet it is dazzling." He thought to himself again.

Fear was etched in to her beautiful face. He watched her relax as they got up and paid. It was his job now to watch the men and part of him felt protective of the small blond. He was almost sad that he was on a stake out or he would have gone and introduced himself.

"TSUKINO, USAGI!" A red haired girl called out.

He watched as the three yakuza turned to stare at the blond. Her name familiar to them he guessed.

"It's me, Osaka Naru! Where have you been? I can't believe you are here?" She ran to the girl with much enthusiasm.

"I don't know what you are talking about?" The blond named Serena said in English confusing the red head.

"Usagi. Seriously, stop playing. Chiba-san has been looking for you everywhere."

Seyia saw the red flags go off on the blond face and then on the three Yakuza. One was already on the phone, a wide smile on his face.

The blond stood up as the men approached. Seyia got up from where he sat at the bar throwing some cash down.

She darted toward the kitchen. The lackeys were after her in a heartbeat.

"What the fuck was that!" Seyia said in his head as he headed out the front door to his car. He had to get to her before they did.

Seyia sped around the parking garage as he spotted the girl running the men close behind. His back up was on the way but Seyia couldn't wait. They were gaining on her so he nailed them with his car.

"Oops." He smiled. The blond stopped running and looked at him. Her face flushed panic still in her eyes.

"San Francisco PD!" Seyia got out of the car badge raised.

Serena was catching her breath as another cop car pulled up. Two cops got out cuffing the yakuza that were injured on the parking garage floor.

"Thank you." She breathed looking Seyia.

"Don't mention it." He smiled at her. "I bet you want to get out of here before more show up."

"You read my mind." Serena said in relief.

A few years later…

Serena smiled as her and Seyia drove to Portland. It was a beautiful road trip from San Francisco through the beautiful woods of Washington. He was her best friend ever since he saved her a year ago. First they moved to Sausalito and then a few more places and now they were on a new adventure. Seyia hoped that moving to Portland would sate her urge to leave him.

Seyia smiled at her. She looked so much better that she had when they first met; still not as good as she could… but better. Not so broken. It wasn't their first run in with the Yakuza or even danger but Seyia saved her every time. Serena graduated from collage getting a degree in Children's Education. They were happy, two best friends who brought out the best in one another. And then they ruined everything almost a year later.

He knew she was planning on going back to Japan. He could see it in her eyes.

He knew more about her story than she ever told him. Serena only told him that her ex-boyfriend was a little controlling. Other than that she never said a mean thing about this Ex of hers. Sometime he would catch her smiling. Seyia knew she was thinking of him and it made him angry. Jealously would eat at him even though she made their relationship very clear. Friends and only friends.

"Seyia… I have to go back." Serena told him one day.

"No." Seyia gave her a curt reply.

She sighed. "You can't always protect me. Why do I have to stay out of the only place I want to be?"

This brought him up short. "Am I not enough for you?"

She looked at the floor. "It's not like that Seyia.

"Then what is it like, Serena! I love you! Can't you see that I love you so much? We are perfect for one another." He shook her shoulders and a tear fell down her face.

"Seyia, you're my best friend." She cried.

"I need more than friendship." And he kissed her greedily and in return she kissed him goodbye.

He saw her off after that. He said it would be the last time he would see her. He lied because here he was in Tokyo, a classroom over from her. She was already getting herself in to trouble as usual. He would make her see that's she loved him too. He would fight for her. Serena… no Usagi needed closure from the Yakuza boss. He held the flowers that he placed in a vase and prepared to give them to her. Red roses, despite the irony, were her favorite.

Pushed up on to the desk his Serena's mouth was being assaulted by the dark haired man. She had her hands tangled in to his hair and his hands felt up her back. Seyia saw red. He was more upset by this than when the pushy man pulled her from his arms earlier.

He was about to tackle the man when Serena pushed Mamoru off her and slapped him.

"Baka! Don't do that! This is a school." Her face was beautiful and flushed.

"I didn't see you hating it." He grinned.

"Your presence alone is making is possible that I could already get fired." She yelled. Mamoru placed a finger over his lips. "Someone is watching."

Seyia took his presence being found out as his time to knock.

"Seyia!" Usagi grinned jumping off the desk hoping he didn't see what just took place.

"Serena, you forgot to take your flowers. I put them in a vase." She smiled and took them searching his face for forgiveness.

Seyia smiled at her. "Is okay, dumpling. I'm not mad at you."

She let out a gasp in relief, "Promise… I was so worried, but I didn't want to call. I didn't want to bother you if you wanted me out if your life forever." She looked at the floor.

Mamoru watched the exchange in anger.

Seyia took a finger and lifted her face to meet his eyes. "Of course not. You need a lot of looking after. I figured that we could find a place together like old times."

Usagi became stunned but Mamoru broke her shock.

"What?" Mamoru asked pissed.

Usagi gave Seyia a dirty look.

"Serena didn't tell you that we lived together?" Seyia asked eyes wide and innocent.

"No… she didn't." Mamoru growled out… "Where exactly did you to live together?"

Seyia smiled. "Oh a few places… we moved around a lot." Usagi nailed him in the ribs causing him to cough.

"Ow, Sere." He rubbed.

Usagi laughed nervously. "Well. I think I am all done here. How about lunch?"

"I'm hungry." Seyia smiled placing his hand in Usagi's leading her toward the door.

Mamoru grabbed Usagi right out of Seyia's grasp and put her under his arm.

"Listen, Seyia-san." Mamoru was clearly angry and trying to hide it. Seyia had a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Don't touch her and Usagi we have lunch plans with the family."

"Don't act like pig, Mamoru. I do not belong to you anymore." Usagi frowned.

"It's okay Serena. Everything will be exactly the way it was before. I have plans too. See you tomorrow." Seyia smiled and walked out of the door. It didn't take him long to make it back in to his classroom where is true anger showed.

Mamoru walked so fast with Usagi trailing behind his hand tight on hers. He practically pushed her in to the Sedan slamming the door as he slid in next to her.

Usagi smiled in satisfaction. She was glad Mamoru was pissed. That's what he gets for lying to her but part of her didn't like to see him hurt. She didn't really want him to be hurt just angry like she was angry for years.

"Usako…" He hissed out. "Tell me once again about your background with this Seyia character."

"Background-check it yourself. I owe you no explanation." She shrugged.

He took her face in between his hands. She could see the pain in his eyes and she shrunk back. She really didn't want to hurt him. She did love him after all. That doesn't mean she had to tell him though. She sighed and gave in.

"Seyia was my protector in America. If he didn't save me one night well, Diamond, would have already had me. He moved me to keep me safe but I wanted to come back. It wasn't fair that the Yakuza would keep me from the one place I wanted to be. I didn't expect it to be like this." She sighed again but Mamoru didn't lessen his hold on her.

"I asked him to come but he only gave me an ultimatum. He wanted to be with me and I wasn't ready. I should have been. I should have been over you after all of your lies. I should be with Seyia. He is perfect for me but I couldn't. So I left and he let me go." The fire in Darien's eyes cooled a bit but they were still black so she continued.

"I am glad he is here. I am glad he is not mad at me. That I didn't hurt him when all he did was love me." A tear slipped down her face and Mamoru wiped it away with his thumb.

"How bad did I hurt you?" Mamoru asked sincerely, anger slightly entering his tone.

"Enough that I should have been dead." Usagi said truthfully.

The sedan pulled up to the restaurant. "I will make it up to you everyday." And Mamoru pecked her on the lips. She could feel how stiff he was.

"Don't hurt yourself." She mumbled as she was pulled again out of the limo. "Stop pulling me around like a child." She grumbled.

Mamoru led her in to the restaurant and in to an elevator.

"Mamoru, let me make something clear to you as well. I have no intention of being with you, either." She stated the moment the elevator doors closed.

"Usagi, let me tell you something. Your heart doesn't give a damn what your intentions are. It will do what ever it wants. And it wants and belongs to me." The elevator opened in to a private room where her friends had gathered sitting around a large round table.

"Look who finally made it." Raye said looking beautiful in a designer red dress.

Everyone looked up as Mamoru and Usagi approached the table. Two waiters pulled out chairs for them.

"Thank you." She murmured. She looked around the room and part of her was embarrassed that she was so shabby looking compared to her friends. This is the second time she compared herself to their beauty.

"How was school, Usa?" Ami asked.

"Fine." She mumbled looking over the menu. She was starving.

Mamoru groaned. "Usagi's boyfriend showed up. It was quite eventful like it always is with Usako."

Usagi flushed red hiding behind he menu.

Everyone raised his or her eyebrows.

"Boyfriend?" Mina asked in disbelief.

"I can't believe I missed that!" Jadeite yelled. "You have to let me go tomorrow! Please!" He begged Raye pulling on her arm.

"Shut up, Baka!" Raye yelled back. Jadeite cowered in fear.

"He is not my boyfriend." Usagi stated as casually as she could.

"Well he sure as hell thinks so." Mamoru muttered.

"Mamoru is jealous!" Nephrite laughed out loud.

"Your just as bad as Jed. Shut up!" Makoto nudged Nephrite.

"No one is that bad." Zoisite disagreed.

"Hey!" Jed yelled.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Raye looked at him. "I want to hear about Usagi's boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Usagi stated loudly.

"Then who is he?" Kunzite asked actually interested, though it was only because Mamoru looked furious.

"He's my best friend." Usagi stated. "Now, I am hungry. Why did you even bring it up Mamoru-baka?"

"Because I felt like it." He argued.

"Your such a child. If you have a problem with it then I'll just move back in with him." She stated calling the waiter over to order. She was so hungry.

"You lived with him!" Jadeite couldn't help but to blurt this out. All eyes were on Usagi again.

"Yeah. So what… for like two years." She turned to the waiter. "I think I will have the filet, medium rare, with the demi glaze. Thank you."

Everyone was still staring at her with their mouths open.

Serena looked at the waiter. "I guess they are not hungry." She shrugged.

"No, wait! We will order." Mina stopped him from leaving. The waiter nodded.

After they all ordered and regained some composure the subject was approached in a more practical fashion by Kunzite.

"Usagi, It would really help if you gave us some background on this boyfriend of yours so that we can at least try to protect him from the Black Moon seeing that he is important enough to you to show up in Tokyo."

Usagi laughed. "He can handle himself. He was a detective for the Portland Police Department and he worked in San Francisco too."

Mamoru nodded to show them why he was so clearly irate by this man's presence. Usagi sure could pick them.

The waiter brought around salads and Usagi was the only one who started to eat. Everyone was still in shock.

"Is this Seiya you are talking about? Mina asked attention now in her.

"You knew that Usagi lived with another man?" Mamoru asked anger in his already aggressive tone.

"I knew Usagi was here in Tokyo of course I knew she lived with a man." Mina said agitated.

"But you didn't know where she was? Nor that the man was a COP!" Ami asked this time.

"No… she didn't tell me." Mina said with an edge in her voice. They had had this conversation before.

"This salad dressing is amazing!" Usagi gushed.

"Raye, this is all your fault!" Jadeite said looked at Raye with irritation.

"How is this my fault!" Raye put her hand to her chest in shock.

"If you just would have let me go this morning I wouldn't have missed all of the action."

Raye's face went red but Kunzite knocked him upside the head this time.

"OW!"

"Thank you, Kunz." Raye said taking a bite of her salad.

"Anytime." He turned his conversation back to Usagi. "So, Usagi… you lived in Portland."

Mamoru was slamming his fork in to his salad so hard that Usagi was sure that the plate would crack in half.

"Yes… why?" She asked clearly confused.

"OKAY! Enough I can't stand this. I need some air." Mamoru pushed away from the table and headed to two double doors that lead out to a balcony. He slammed the door shut.

Usagi cowered in fear but did her best not to show it outwardly. She had seen him act this way before and she was scared someone would get hurt.

"Don't be scared, Usagi. He would never hurt you." Ami said looking knowledgeably in Usagi's direction.

"I know… but why is he so mad?

Everyone looked in the opposite direction.

"What isn't everyone telling me?" Usagi insisted.

"Well…" Ami started.

"Well…" Usagi put her hands on her hips.

Zoisite sighed loudly. "We have people all over Portland."

"And San Francisco." Nephrite added quietly.

Usagi laughed. Everyone glared at her.

Usagi giggled again quietly and sighed out a laugh.

"What's so funny dango brain." Raye spat.

"Oh nothing. Some big bad yakuza you are. Can't find the girl that lives with the cop." She muttered.

Mina kicked her under the table and she stifled another giggle.

The waiter came in and Usagi drooled at the sight of her steak.

"Oh! This looks so good!" she smiled taking a bite ignoring Raye who was staring. Lita even had a look of annoyance on her face.

Mamoru walked back in to the room. Usagi swallowed her bite and smiled at him… not the smile he loved. It was almost condescending in a way. He frowned at her.

He sat down still angry but Usagi could tell that the cold air did some good.

"This looks very good." He stated before picking up his utensils.

"Oh. It's good! Even better than the steaks in San Francisco. Once Seyia took me to Harris Steakhouse it was so good! This is just as good."

Mamoru kept eating but said, "I know. I've been there."

Usagi stopped eating and everyone else continued to eat in silence.

"Really?" She asked… "When?"

"Two years ago."

"Hum. Small world." She went on eating.

"Not small enough." He muttered.

"So, Usagi. You never told us about school." Ami asked trying to divert the conversation.

"Oh. It will be great. You should have seen Mamo-chan trying to hang poster board. What a baka." She laughed and nudged him in the side.

The moment he heard his nickname he relaxed. He shouldn't focus on the fact that he could have found her earlier just the fact that she was here now.

"What did you do today?" She asked actually curious.

"We were mostly at the office. Kunzite and Minako were at the club." Lita explained.

"Oh. Good to know." Usagi took another bite.

"I want to take you shopping, Usa." Minako smiled.

"NO!" Mamoru said loudly.

"Jeeze. We will take body guards. Plus what trouble could we get in?" Minako looked irritated.

Mamoru just looked at her and Kunzite rolled his eyes.

"Where ever you are going… I am so in!" Jadeite smiled.

"They are going nowhere." Mamoru stated simply.

"Mamo-chan! I can't stay locked up all the time." She pouted at him. Usagi really didn't want to go shopping. She didn't want anything from him, but looking so shabby next to him and his family was not an option.

"No! Don't do that Usako." He looked down at her frowning.

"Please…" She did the pout.

"Oh that is just too cute! Let her go Mamoru!" Jadeite whined. Mamoru shot him a look.

"Someone please tell me what happened to my scary bad-ass yakuza boyfriend went!" Raye yelled.

Nephrite had to put his head down and laugh.

"I think Mamoru is right. It isn't safe yet." Kunzite agreed.

"But Kunzie!" Minako gave him the same pout.

"Oh my kamisama that look is inherited." Zoisite noticed. "They both have it!"

All eyes went from Usagi's pout to Minako's. It was identical. Even the waiters were about to give in before Mamoru said "Fine, Fine."

Usagi and Minako smiled and went back to eating at almost the exact same time.

Before they finished Raye said "Oh, I almost forgot!"

Raye pulled out a small jewelry box from her purse. "This is for you, Usagi."

She slid it across the table.

"For me?" Usagi opened it up to find a small rose pendent hanging on a gold string.

"It is for protection. We all wear it. Cops, city officials, military and most of Japan understands its significance. No one should mess with you."

"Aside from the Black Moon Clan." Ami mentioned.

"Yeah and the principal who will fire me and Seyia who knows these symbols quite well. I am sorry. I can't wear it." Usagi sighed pushing it away from her.

"Usagi, you can wear it." Minako pushed it back toward her. "Just hide it and take it out if there is trouble. Please, just do as we ask."

Usagi sighed taking out the necklace and clasping it around her neck. She hid her inner joy of being an equal. She also hoped that Seyia would never see the necklace. She would become the enemy then.

"Sir, there are Rose members everywhere. We need another plan." Rubeus said to Diamond who was laying on his stomach in the small room. An older man knelt over him working on the intricate tattoo on his back. Like most yakuza, Diamond's back was almost fully complete. It is a process called Irezumi. Classical tattooing with hand made needles, tools, inks and always a skilled tattoo master. Though the Rose Clan avoided tattoos, which Diamond thought was blasphemy, to be a Black Moon member one must be tattooed with the upside-down crescent moon no matter what. The pain and the symbol made them brothers. Together they could all join in to the good life.

"Bring me, Koan." Diamond ordered.

"Koan?" Rubeus asked confused.

"Get me Koan and then watch and learn." He growled.

A few minutes later Rubeus appeared with a petite woman with black permed hair. She bowed when she entered the room.

"Oyabun, you summoned me?" She asked as she kneeled next to him.

"Koan, you are one of the rare educated Black Moon Nee-san. I need you to do me a favor." Diamond asked moving his head to look at her.

"Anything, Oyabun." She bowed again.

An evil smirk came to Diamonds lips.