USAGI'S VERY IMPORTANT MISSION

A/N: Just to remind you guys, Naru is Molly's japanese name.

Chapter 11--

Rei grumbled as she attempted to block out the sunlight that was streaming through her window by pressing a pillow over her face. Too bad the pillow wasn't helping to diminish the intense throbbing headache as well. Already, she could tell this wasn't going to be a pleasant morning.

Sighing, she removed the pillow from her face and slowly sat up in bed so as not to aggravate her growing headache. As soon as her eyes caught sight of the daylight, she grunted and shielded her eyes with her hand. If she had to choose between this hangover and Usagi winning an argument against her, she would have chosen the latter.

"This really sucks." She muttered as she stumbled out of bed and headed for the kitchen. She needed to take some advil for this headache and fast. She slid open her door and turned left down the hallway, slightly swaying as she gripped onto table corners and doorknobs along the way to keep herself steady.

"Rei! What are you doing? Get back to bed!" Someone said with alarm from down the hall.

She slowly looked up to find Yuuichirou, a concerned look displayed on his face with a watering can in his hand, having just returned from watering the flowers outside in the garden.

"I need some water and an advil." She mumbled groggily as she shuffled past him, ignoring the command about getting back to bed.

She gripped the corner of a side table and made her way into the kitchen, heading straight for the medicine cabinet.

"I mean it." Yuuichirou said rather adamantly as he trailed behind her.

Rei only continued to ignore him and downed an advil along with a glass of water. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on top of the counter and leaned forward to rest as the trip from her bedroom to the kitchen was beginning to have a worsening effect on her headache.

Suddenly the phone rang, causing Rei's hands to shoot up to her ears as she attempted to block out the horrific shrill noise. "Answer it!" She bellowed with agitation. If she didn't know any better, she would have suspected that someone had somehow hooked the telephone up to amplifiers because today, they seemed to ring about ten times louder than usual.

Yuuichirou immediately obeyed and ran for the phone which was attached to the wall near the kitchen table. "Hello?"

Feeling a bubbling sensation in her stomach, Rei quickly brought a hand up to her mouth. "Oh no, please don't throw up." She pleaded as she felt a slight wave of nausea overcome her. She absolutely hated vomiting. Everything about it - the nausea, the taste, the feeling of acid burning your throat were all things she loathed like no other.

With the phone held to his ear, Yuuichirou gave Rei a worrying glance. "Sorry Ami, but Rei can't come and meet you at the arcade today. She's not feeling well from last night." He said firmly into the receiver. "Goodbye."

Rei brought her hand down from her mouth and placed it on her hip as she watched Yuuichirou put the receiver back in place. "Why did you do that?" She asked, annoyed that he had notified Ami she would be absent without even consulting her.

Taking a deep breath as if to gather his courage, Yuuichirou's face acquired a look of determination as he said, "Your condition isn't appropriate for you to be leaving the house."

Rei scoffed and gave a wave of her hand as if to dismiss his statement. "I'll be fine as soon as this advil kicks in. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

She didn't get to finish her sentence because another bout of nausea had come upon her. This time, she brought both hands up to her mouth, her eyes taking on a look of horror.

Yuuichirou immediately sprung into action. He quickly took his place behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders and ushered her hastily down the hall toward the bathroom. "Hang on just a second, Rei!" He said as he kicked the bathroom door open with his foot.

Just in the nick of time, Rei was bent over the toilet as disgusting gastric liquid poured from her mouth. The taste of it was enough to make her throw up again. Yuuichirou calmly stood beside her and gathered her hair in his hands, careful not to let any strands slip and come in contact with vomit.

After finishing, Rei quickly flushed the toilet so as not to have to look upon the sight of her stomach contents. Swiping her mouth with a tissue, she shook her head in disgust.

"You ok now?" Yuuichirou asked gently as he softly patted her back. She closed her eyes momentarily and inhaled deeply. Her head was still pounding as if a thousand bricks were being dropped onto it every two seconds. Her throat was dry and burning. Without even uttering a word, Yuuichirou slowly and carefully led her down the hall towards her room.

"You should lie down. I'll look to see if there's any medicine for your nausea and I'll bring you a glass of water too." He said as he pulled her along gently toward her bedroom. Rei decided she didn't have the energy or the will to argue due to her throbbing headache and recent vomiting episode so she simply stayed silent and complied.

As soon as her head hit her pillow, Yuuichirou pulled her covers over her and lightly stroked the top of her head. "I'll be right back with your water." He said with one last look at Rei as he stood up.

It wasn't until after she was left alone in her room that Rei began to realize that perhaps Yuuichirou wasn't so bad after all.

--

"Usagi, we told you to stay home!" Ami said with concern as she shot up from her seat and ran toward her staggering friend. Makoto extended a hand for Usagi to grab and they both helped her slide into the booth.

"I'm not a quadriplegic, you two. I can still move." Usagi replied stubbornly despite wincing as she leaned back against the seat.

"But you're going to make your ankle worse!" Makoto exclaimed. In a hushed tone, she added, "It's already bad from last night."

"Excuse me ladies," A male voice entered the conversation. "I couldn't help but overhear. Odango, how is it that your ankle is worse today than it was the day you slipped?" Mamoru stood by their table, awaiting the reply to his inquiry. Pushing his luck, he added, "What did you do last night to make it worse?"

The three ladies attempted to hide their surprise at Mamoru's upfront questioning probably because the answers he wanted could not be openly given. Biting the inside of her cheek, Usagi thought quickly. "I was dancing way too crazy last night at the halloween party. I overdid it." She added a triumphant nod afterward.

Makoto and Ami nodded vigorously to back her up. "Yup, dancing crazy." Makoto repeated in a mumble.

Mamoru only scrunched his eyebrows, a look of suspicion crossing his features. "But I thought you weren't feeling well. Motoki told me you had a headache."

Speechless, Usagi quickly glanced at Ami and Makoto silently pleading them to help her out. "I..." She looked up at Mamoru as he waited and then quickly gave Ami and Makoto another pleading look.

"Luckily, I had some tylenol with me!" Ami blurted out quickly.

Makoto and Usagi bobbed their heads up and down in a nod to show that the explanation was legitimate.

"That's right." Usagi went on. "After the tylenol, I was good to go." She looked up at Mamoru and attempted to give him a convincing smile.

Mamoru seemed to contemplate this for a moment before nodding and saying, "Oh ok. Well take it easy on the ankle from now on then." With that, he turned around and headed for the exit.

As soon as his head of dark hair was seen going out the door, the girls all breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't the first time they had to make up explanations on the spot. It had been done many times for parents, siblings, teachers, and friends.

Usagi let out a long sigh which earned a questioning look from Makoto. "Usagi, something's been on your minds since last night. Is everything alright?"

Usagi only let out another long sigh which caused Ami and Makoto to exchange glances. Usagi hadn't been able to get the events of last night out of her head. Staying at home only served to be a prison for her with her thoughts so she had limped all the way to the arcade, quietly muttering unpleasant words the entire way.

Finally after a few silent minutes, Usagi confided, "I was so sure that Motoki was Tuxedo Kamen. It turns out I was completely wrong." Usagi sighed again with dejection as she rested her chin on the table.

Makoto gawked at her. "You thought Motoki was Tuxedo Kamen? I can't believe I didn't think of that!" But then her face and fell and she added, "But he's not right? Are you sure?"

Her chin still resting on the table, Usagi nodded as best as she could. "I'm very sure. Motoki and Tuxedo Kamen are not one in the same."

Ami gave her friend a compassionate look. "Sorry that you were disappointed, but we have to focus on our own task. Tuxedo Kamen made it very clear that he is not our ally. Maybe one day you'll find out who he is, but for now, our number one goal is to find a way to defeat Queen Beryl.

Usagi nodded to show her agreement despite the overwhelming curiosity inside that relentlessly yearned to know whose face was behind that mask.

--

Mamoru lightly laughed to himself as he drove through the intersection on the way home. It was such a ludicrous notion to think Usagi could possibly be Sailor Moon. "No way." He said out loud. "There's just no way." It absolutely had to be a coincidence that both Usagi and Sailor Moon had an injured ankle. Usagi had claimed that she had aggravated her injury by dancing. It was a plausible explanation, but thinking back, Mamoru couldn't help but notice her nervousness upon discussing her ankle.

What boggled his mind now, however, was the memory of last night when Sailor Moon had acted as if she no longer knew his identity. He remembered so clearly that she had asked him who he was after last night's battle. He recalled her expression which was a mixture of disappointment and genuine curiosity. Perhaps she had assumed him to be the wrong person and had realized last night that he was not who she thought he was. If that was the case, he knew he should just let it go and move on, but oddly, this only intensified his need to know who she was.

His thoughts reverted to Usagi's injured ankle. It wasn't impossible that Sailor Moon had also injured her ankle right before the battle. He knew that it was ridiculous and absurd, but maybe, just maybe there was the tiniest possibility that Usagi was Sailor Moon. Sighing, he shook his head in disbelief as if to dismiss the entire possibility. Although he had begun to see Usagi in a different light these past few weeks, it just didn't add up. Usagi could never be the defender of love and justice. She could never look danger in the eye and not cower away. Despite this, the smallest inkling of a doubt seeped its way into his mind. As he made a right turn at the light, he made a decision that would end these nonsense thoughts once and for all. He was going to prove that Usagi wasn't Sailor Moon.

--

"It's been so long since we've been able to spend time together outside of school." Naru said with a smile after taking a sip of her mocha. Across the table, Usagi was shamelessly and loudly slurping on her large hot chocolate. Drinking warm beverages in a quaint cafe downtown was proving to be a pleasant experience on this chilly November day after school.

"I know. I'm so glad that we're finally hanging out." Usagi said cheerfully. After downing another gulp of hot chocolate, Usagi's face brightened and a sly look overcame her features.

Setting down her mug, she said, "Word has been going around at school that you and a certain someone," she paused for a moment to witness Naru's reaction and sure enough, a look of slight embarrassment made its way onto her face. "whose name I won't mention," Usagi brought her hand up to her mouth and coughed into it while saying "Umino!" She resisted the strong urge to laugh at Naru's stunned expression upon hearing that name. Continuing, she said, "Have been having secret rendezvous during lunch behind the big sakura tree in the courtyard."

Usagi couldn't help it any longer. She burst into uncontrollable laughter upon watching her friend's face turn two shades darker than scarlet. "Really Naru," Usagi said, her words barely distinguishable due to her laughter. "How long did you think you could keep this a secret?"

Her face still flushed, Naru stared deeply into the bottom of her mug as she clutched it tightly. "I guess not. He confessed his feelings to me last week." She calmed and a look of peacefulness replaced her embarrassment. "Beyond his exterior is a really nice, genuine guy. It doesn't matter to me if everyone else can't see past that."

"Oh Naru." Usagi said as she placed a hand on her friend's forearm. "You have my support."

Naru looked up into Usagi's face and gave her a shy, but grateful smile. "Thanks, Usagi." This time, it was Naru's turn to develop a sly expression. "So what about you, Usagi? Any guys knockin' on the front door of your heart?"

This earned another explosion of laughter from Usagi. "Knockin' on the front door of my heart?" Usagi sputtered as she laughed. "Where do you come up with these things?"

Naru laughed along with her. "Yeah, corny I know. But come on, tell me. Anyone at all?"

Usagi let her laughter die down with a long sigh. After a few moments in contemplative silence, she replied quietly, "He wasn't who I thought he was." At this, Usagi became noticeably lost in her thoughts as she stared at a spot on the table.

Naru gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Oh, Usagi. Is it Motoki? Maybe he just needs more time to get over Reika."

Usagi shook her head softly. "No, it's more than that."

Before Naru could ask more, Usagi abandoned all signs of despair and excitedly said, "Let's go down to that bathing suit store down the block! HUGE sale!"

Naru gave her friend an inquisitive look. "Usagi, it's almost winter. Why are you--"

"Exactly!" Usagi exclaimed as she stood up from her seat and motioned for her friend to get up on her feet. "That is why they are having a huge sale. You'll never find prices cheaper at another time of year. Come on, let's go!"

Naru laughed, but complied. "Ok Usagi, but if you buy a bathing suit, aren't you worried that it might not fit by the time summer comes around? And besides, what about your ankle?"

"Naru! That's so mean. Are you implying that I'm fat? And my ankle's fine now, thank you." Usagi asked attempting to sound offended, but she obviously wasn't. Naru's attempt to convince Usagi that she didn't think she was fat faded off as the girls made their way down the street.

At a nearby table, Mamoru carefully placed the newspaper that had served to obstruct the sight of his face from the two girls down on the table. So far, no valuable information had made its way to his ears and he had no idea how long he could bear this high school girl talk. Leaving some money on the table, he slowly made his way in the direction the girls had headed making sure to keep a good distance behind them. He had to admit that he felt really foolish following Usagi and her friend. If any one of his friends was doing this, there was no doubt he would laugh in their face.

Making sure to keep himself concealed within the swarm of walking people, he kept his eye on Usagi and Naru. This is to prove Usagi isn't Sailor Moon. He reminded himself of that and so far, nothing had led him to believe that she was. Except for her injury. But that could have been pure coincidence he reminded himself quickly. He would stop this as soon as he had the proof. Maybe just like Rei, he would see that Sailor Moon and her were two different people doing two different things at the same time.

"So cuuute!" Usagi squealed as she touched the baby blue two piece bikini with a pattern of hibiscus flowers.

"Yeah it is!" Naru agreed. "Ooh and so cheap! You're right Usagi, this is the cheapest you'll ever find it. Try it on. Come on, it wouldn't hurt."

The door opened and the saleswoman was heard greeting someone. "Hello sir. It's seventy-five percent off everything in the store."

Mamoru looked around uncomfortably. It was an all woman's bathing suit store. If he was seen, he would never be able to live down this embarrassment. He quietly ducked behind one of the racks inhabited by hawaiian wrap skirts that was close enough for him to hear Usagi and Naru. Mamoru shook his head in disbelief at his current situation. Without even knowing it, Usagi was making a fool out of him.

Usagi sighed. "But if I try it on, I'll buy it for sure! Then all my lunch money for the week will be gone."

Naru laughed. "Then I'll share my lunch with you. Come on, try it on!"

"So pushy! You're always bossing me around." Usagi said with a smile as she opened the curtain of the dressing stall. Her friend only smiled back knowing that it wasn't meant as an insult.

Mamoru waited, squatting down behind the hawaiian skirts. A minute passed and there was no conversation. Two minutes passed. Three minutes. Still nothing. Already his legs were beginning to cramp up. Had they left without him noticing? He wanted to see what was going, but he couldn't see a darn thing behind all these skirts! As discreetly as he could, he used his hands to make a parting in the skirts that allowed for a very thin opening. After looking through his make shift peep hole, he spotted Naru who was simply standing around. But where had Usagi gone to?

Suddenly, the curtain of the one of the dressing stalls was pulled aside to reveal Usagi scantily clad in a light blue flowery bikini.

Mamoru's brain instantly halted to a stop. Heat instantly rushed up to his face and his lungs refused to release the breath that he was holding. It was as if all logic and reason had abandoned him and he couldn't think to move, much less do so at the moment. Usagi and bikini were the only two words that circled around in his mind at this point in time.

Naru gasped at the sight of her friend. "I love it!"

Usagi giggled, her face bright and cheery. "Me too! I have to get it. I can't leave the store without it."

"Excuse me, sir. Can I help you?"

That jolted Mamoru back into reality as if he had been shocked with fifty thousand volts of electricity. He all but jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice and quickly whirled around to face her, his expression menacing as he put a finger to his lips to indicate silence.

The saleswoman gave him a confused look, but decided to obey in response to the look on his face. Bending down, she whispered, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Mamoru took a deep breath to calm down his nerves. He nearly had a heart attack and if he did, it would prove to ruin his plans because then the ambulance would have to be called and surely, Usagi and Naru would find out that he was in the store.

"No thank you. Just looking." He replied in a whisper so as not to give away his presence to the girls he was following.

The saleswoman merely raised an eyebrow as she looked down at him. "Yes, I see that. Just looking." She gestured toward the space that had been created in the rack of hawaiian wrap skirts.

His eyes widening, Mamoru shook his head. "No, no. It's not what you think." At the front of the store he could hear the cash register ringing up a purchase soon followed by the door opening and closing.

"Exactly what were you looking at sir?" The saleswoman wasn't relenting.

"I assure you, I wasn't spying!" Mamoru's face suddenly fell into a pensive expression. "Well, not really..."

The woman crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Do you guys have some kind of sick group or something?"

Mamoru furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding what she was asking.

"You're the third man this week! That's it, we're moving the hawaiian wrap skirts rack!" She said with frustration as she took hold of the rack and pushed.

Mamoru took this as a cue to leave and like a fox quickly dashed for the door.

--

Rei shot Mamoru a winning smile as she took a seat near him at the arcade. "My birthday's in two days." She said as if it were no big deal, but obviously, it was. "I'm having a little get together for only really special people." At the word special she looked closely at Mamoru.

She cleared her throat to ensure she had his attention and said, "You can come if you want." She tried her very best to make it sound as if she really didn't care whether or not he attended.

Mamoru sighed. "I don't think I'll be able--"

"Oh good, you're over your hangover!" Usagi said brightly as she popped up behind Rei.

Rei looked over her shoulder and gave Usagi a glare. "How was I supposed to know there was alcohol in the punch?" She said through gritted teeth.

Usagi shrugged. "Oh I don't know. Maybe you would have suspected when you noticed it smelled funny." She gave Rei a friendly smile and then added, "But that's just me."

Rei narrowed her eyes at her friend and grumbled, "It happens to the best of us. Right Mamoru?"

There was only silence and no answer. Slowly, Rei turned to face Mamoru only to find that his face had turned a deep shade of red as his eyes focused intensely on the table in front of him. "Are you alright Mamoru?" Rei asked slowly.

He cleared his throat and said, "Yeah. Just um, it's really um, hot in here." He swallowed.

Rei and Usagi looked at each other, both dressed in winter jackets to keep warm from the November cold. Mamoru was only wearing a thin long-sleeved shirt.

"Aw, poor you." Rei said with concern. "Maybe you're catching a fever!" She rested her hand on Mamoru's forehead which caused him to jerk back.

"No, no. It'll pass." He said quickly, still not looking up.

"I'm going to get you a glass of water!" Rei said as she quickly stood up and made her way to the front counter.

Usagi decided to take her seat and slid into the chair across from Mamoru. She let her eyes roam his face wondering about his reluctance to look up. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Mamoru merely nodded, still fixated on the table.

"Ok. If you want to talk, I'm here." She offered warmly. "Besides, I owe you for putting up with me during the whole Motoki thing which I'm giving up on by the way."

This was enough to lift Mamoru's eyes off the table. "You are?" He asked with surprise. After his eyes landed on her face, his eyes widened and he quickly reverted his gaze to the table.

Usagi furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at this reaction. "Yeah, I think it's about time I stopped this silly school girl crush." She paused for a moment before asking, "Are you sure there's nothing you want to talk about?"

Mamoru thought for a few moments. "Is there any way you can get Rei to stop her silly school girl crush?"

Usagi gave a light laugh. "Let me guess, she invited you to her birthday."

Mamoru confirmed this with a nod.

"Well then that's perfect! Think about it, Mamoru. It would be the perfect opportunity to carry out your plan. Remember? Be all the things Rei doesn't like in men."

Mamoru's eyes brightened and he lifted his eyes to Usagi's face. "You're brilliant, Usagi!" He chuckled, but then stopped short as images of Usagi in a baby blue bikini filled his mind. She gave him an inquisitive look as he gaped at her with wide eyes.

Without warning he abruptly stood up and began to make his way to the door. "Tell Rei I had to leave and that I'll see her at her birthday party." He said over his shoulder.

Mamoru sighed as he stepped out of the arcade. Following Usagi hadn't brought him any closer to the conclusion that she was not Sailor Moon. All it had done was confirm the fact that she looked very good in a bikini.

A/N: All I'm going to say is that I'm hoping to finish this story before May 10th. Thank you for reading and I really appreciate the reviews I've gotten - almost 100!

shantie1984: So sorry for leaving you hanging! Hope this chapter sort of made up for that.

Nandini709: I'll say it again: you are awesome! I can't wait to see what you think of this chapter. The hotness meter between the two of them is going up and I will tell you that it will only keep going up! Eep, can't wait!

SailorMoon/Serenity28: Yes, I too have read quite a few stories where Usagi was drunk. Truth be told, I didn't really think of Ami and Makoto's costumes. I was too wrapped up in the way Mamoru would realize Rei wasn't SM and the way Usagi would realize Motoki isn't TM so I sort of didn't think of Ami and Makoto's costumes. As far as your question about Mamoru thinking Usagi is sexy, I think this chapter answered that question! hehe.

sailormoon-is-eternal: I know the fact that usagi is SM hasn't been confirmed yet, but don't worry. Mamoru will uncover more soon.

empty-spaces: Wow, then you are one smart cookie for predicting the right things! I assure you that there will be more discoveries and attraction to happen.

mouse: Aw, thanks for loving the story! Sorry about the cliffhanger, hope this chapter sort of eased that.

Jingy5: I'm glad that you really liked the last chapter! Lol, I suppose we have the same sense of humor! And cue the dramatic music! You were right about Usagi deciding to stop attracting Motoki! In this chapter, she confirms that she is giving up on him mostly because the biggest reason she continued to pursue him was because she thought he was TM. I cannot wait to show you guys how ridiculous Mamoru will be in the next chapter all to unattract Rei. Operation escape Rei will be in effect.

starangel07: Your wish is my command.

SmTwilight: Aw, that's such a nice compliment! Thanks. Lol, yeah don't worry. She knows that Motoki isn't TM now. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

supersaiyanx: Mamoru is soon to uncover more...and so will Usagi.

Unknown reader: Operation escape Rei will be in effect for next chapter and I can't wait until you guys read it! Hehehe. You're right, Usagi still doesn't suspect that Mamoru is Tuxedo Mask. But maybe something will happen that will make her suspect. Your question was answered about Usagi giving up on Motoki now that she knows Motoki isn't Tuxedo Mask. In this story, one of the biggest reasons she continued to pursue him is because she thought he was Tuxedo Mask, but now that she knows he isn't and she knows that he's still in love with his girlfriend Reika, she is deciding to give up.

bunnykim89: Mamoru has put two and two together, but he still has his doubts! Now all we need is for Usagi to extinguish those doubts!

markus777: Crazy Mamoru, he still doesn't want to believe it's her. But don't worry, we'll make him see differently.

monstermunch3435: Wow, thanks for the compliment! I hope this update satisfied you.