I'm never disappointed when I log in and find all of these wonderful reviews waiting for me... You guys are awesome! I know I always say that, but it's true! And I KNOW you don't get tired of hearing it. I decided at the end of my chapters that I'm going to address individual reviews (when I have the time), just because I love you guys so much! Anyway, I'm posting this earlier than I expected, only because I actually had time to write more than half a page this weekend. Plus, I have finals next week, so I dunno when the next chapter will be coming out. So I hope you enjoy!
"You really know how to make a girl feel better, Duo," Usagi giggled at the joke
Duo had told her. Somehow he had convinced the doctor to let him stay in her room,
and he had been joking nonstop for the past half hour.
This was exactly what Usagi needed to help keep her mind off of her attack. And
indeed, Duo was the perfect person to distract her.
"Well, my dear Usagi, I am here to serve," he said in an exaggeratingly deep voice,
giving a bow.
"I'd watch it, Duo. She just might make you work," Quatre cracked as he walked
over to the bed.
"Quatre's right, Duo," she teased. "This servant thing just might suit you."
"No! Anything but manual labor!" he cried, running from the room.
Usagi laughed. Duo sure knew how to put on a show. "Well now," she started,
giving her attention to Quatre, "what's the word?"
"We can take you home now," he answered, stumbling a little when the girl threw
herself at him, hugging him tightly.
He smiled, wrapping his own arms around the girl in return. "Happy?"
"Mmm, yes," she murmured, nuzzling closer to him. "I have this thing against
hospital rooms."
"Most people do." He paused, briefly thinking of his deceased mother, who had
died giving birth to him. He quickly blinked this thought away.
Quatre could have stayed like this forever. Just having Usagi in his arms... he
didn't care about what had gone on. All that existed was this moment, where Usagi
was with him.
The moment was interrupted when Duo walked back into the room. "We can leave
now," he announced.
After thanking Sally, the gang piled back into the Explorer.
Heero drove once again, and Wufei took the passenger seat. Duo and Trowa were
in the middle, and in the back were Quatre and Usagi. Her head leaned on his
shoulder as she watched the scenery whiz by out the window, her hand loosely
entwined with his.
After a while she realized that something wasn't right. She sat up so she could
see out the window better.
Quatre stared at her, then out the window, wondering what had all of a sudden
piqued her interest.
"This isn't the way to my apartment," she said slowly.
"You're not going to your apartment. You're staying with us," Heero informed her,
as if he were just talking about the weather. At least, it would have been normal
conversational tone had it not been Heero who spoke.
By the tone of his voice Usagi knew that it was not an offer but a command, and
she certainly wasn't used to being commanded to do things.
"What makes you think I'll live with you?" she demanded, her anger starting to rise.
"You were attacked in your apartment, and we don't know why. For safety
reasons, you're staying with us."
Well, it sounded logical enough. "What about--"
"We packed some necessities of yours already."
She didn't know whether to be pissed or grateful, so she decided not to be either.
Yawning, she laid her head back on Quatre's shoulder and closed her eyes as sleep
overtook her.
The next thing she knew, she was being gently nudged out of her slumber. Her
eyes slowly opened as they came back into focus. "Quatre?"
"We're at home now," he told her gently.
Somehow it sounded less demanding coming from him than it did from Heero, and
she wasn't so angry anymore.
She blinked tiredly, then realized that she was blocking Quatre from getting out of
the Explorer. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried, scrambling over the seat and out onto the
driveway.
He chuckled, following her lead.
The others were already inside, leaving Quatre to wake Usagi.
They went inside, only to be met by Duo, who was standing at the bottom of the
stairs.
"They're preparing your room for you," Duo explained, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm not supposed to let you up until they're ready."
With that, they all heard shouts and a crash coming from upstairs.
Usagi looked at Duo, then giggled. "I didn't realize that preparing a room could be
so dangerous."
"You'd be surprised. It's almost like a test of survival," Quatre joked.
Duo only gaped at his blonde companion, but Usagi grinned in delight. Quatre
made his second joke of the day! Yes, she was definitely starting to have an effect on
him.
"Maxwell!" Wufei's yelling boomed down the stairs to them.
"Ready to go? That was the signal," Duo explained as he bounced up the stairs.
The other two followed.
"This is Trowa's room, but you knew that already," Duo pointed to the first door on
the left, giving her a tour of sorts as they continued down the hallway. "The room next
to it is mine, and Quatre's is the next one. Wufei's room is across from Trowa's, and
Heero's is next to that. Bathrooms connect all of the bedrooms." He stopped at the
third door on the right. "And this one is yours."
Opening the door, Usagi's eyes widened in shock as a feeling of impending doom
overcame her.
There, in the middle of her new bed, was an extremely angry Luna. She was
unprepared for when the cat launched herself at Usagi, making the girl fall against the
doorframe. She hugged the cat to her chest, looking up questioningly.
"We couldn't just leave her there," Trowa explained.
"Arigato," she murmured. Well, they sure didn't know what they were getting
themselves into with that move. Now, she supposed, was the 'right time' she had been
dreading. She and Luna needed to have a long discussion.
Faking a yawn, Usagi said, "You guys are wonderful, you really are. But would
you mind if I rested for a while? I'm a bit tired."
They all took the hint and left. Usagi turned back to Luna, who had jumped out of
Usagi's arms and back onto the bed.
Sitting down beside her, Usagi grinned sheepishly. "I guess we need to talk?"
"Do you know how much restraint it took me not to claw out their eyes?" Luna
demanded angrily, tail twitching back and forth in quick, jerky movements. "What is
going on?"
"Luna, I know you're mad at me, but I can explain. Wait a minute... You came
here willingly?"
Luna looked away in embarrassment. "I was kind of... sleeping..." Kami, she
didn't really want to tell Usagi that she had picked up the girl's sleping habits.
Usagi looked like she wanted to laugh, but she didn't, since that would make Luna
even more angry. She told her guardian the entire story, interrupted only by Luna
screeching, "You were shot??" and "They know you're Sailor Moon??" She looked like
she was about to faint dead away! And this last part about Usagi being attacked in her
own apartment? No, Luna was not happy.
But Usagi had to give her credit. After she finished her tale, Luna only closed her
eyes and sighed. "What now?"
"Now we call a senshi meeting for later today."
Luna's eyes snapped open. "Is that wise?"
Usagi had been thinking about this for a while. She knew it had to be done. She
just didn't think it would have to be done so soon. "This affects them too. They should
be aware of what is going on."
"If you think that's best... I'll go contact the senshi right now," Luna said as she
leapt off the bed toward the balcony door.
"Don't forget the Outers."
Luna blinked. Did she hear right? "Usagi-chan?"
She only nodded, moving to open the door for Luna, who left on her mission.
Despite the events gone on, Usagi was quite calm. In fact, she was rather looking
forward to the meeting. Then she would finally be able to tell them what had been
weighing down her conscience. She hated keeping secrets from them.
Usagi decided that, since she'd be here a while, she might as well make herself at
home. She began unpacking her suitcase, stuffing her clothes into the mahogany
dresser next to her bed. As she came across her undergarments, red stained her
cheeks at the thought of Heero seeing them.
Once the chore was done, she shoved the suitcase under her bed. Grabbing her
stuffed rabbit off of her pillow, she stepped out onto the balcony.
She had always loved balconies. There was just something about gazing up at the
stars, the tiny lights sprinkling the dark sky.
Swinging her legs over the side of the balustrade, Usagi sat on the cold stone,
hugging her stuffed rabbit to her chest.
The sun was just starting to rise, the sky skimming with faint hints of pinks and
golds. Usagi dwelled on the sight with admiration. She was never up for sunrise, so
she wanted to relish the moment. If she could have captured the peacefulness of the
moment and bottled it up for another day, she would have.
And then, suddenly, this feeling of warmth overtook her. She closed her eyes,
leaning back. Her head met a strong, muscular chest, and she smiled. "Heero."
"I knocked, but you must not have heard," his rich, throaty voice swam through her
senses, making her tingle.
"I love balconies," she sighed, opening her eyes once again to see the sun starting
to peek over the city.
Although he didn't tell her that, Heero liked balconies also. And not just because
they were convenient for a quick exit. He liked the feeling of looking up into space and
knowing that he and the other pilots had created peace for the colonies and their
inhabitants, even if there was a possibility that it wouldn't last.
He felt Usagi's hand reach behind her and grasp his own, still leaning back
contentedly against him. Unconsciously he raised his other hand and absently stroked
it through her hair. A thought briefly flashed thought his mind as he wondered what she
would look like with her hair down instead of in those odangos. And then he began to
wonder what it would feel like to have her silken hair flutter around them both, her
golden strands caressing his skin...
But then he realized what he had been thinking and mentally slapped himself. He
couldn't think of her that way, wouldn't think of her that way.
He gently pulled his hand away, making her turn around to stare at him, silent
questions in her eyes.
"I have to go," he told her almost reluctantly. The voice in his head was screaming
for him to wrap his arms around the unsuspecting girl, but he fought the action all of his
willpower.
"Ok," she said, turning back around.
Heero could see the disappointment that shadowed her eyes, and it wrenched at
his heart, only confusing him more. He made one last attempt to restore her mood...
Even though he had only been there for a few minutes, that was enough to affect
her feelings. She had wanted him to stay and watch the sunrise with her. She
shivered, the chill of the early morning getting to her.
She almost fell forward in surprise as she felt a soft, warm garment drape around
her shoulders. Looking down, she recognized Heero's jacket. She turned around to
thank him, but he was already gone.
Heero closed the bedroom door softly behind him, leaning against it. Unbeknownst
to her, she had projected that last thought out to him. It was quiet, but he had still
heard.
"Don't worry, Usa, there will be other sunrises," he answered to himself before
disappearing down the hallway.
Thanks to:
Firefly Princess: Wow, that was a really good idea you came up with! Kinda like they did with Spike on BTVS. But nope, that's not what happened to Usa...
Maddy: :::whistles innocently::: I'm not going to say a THING until it's time...
Za Kaze no Nisou: Don't worry, all will be revealed about the blood...
Dragon: I agree! Luna definitely had some explaining to do! But did you really think that they would have done something to her?
Silvrei: Well, we'll see the girl's reactions soon enough. As far as her father goes, I didn't have any plans to include her immediate family... But I bet he'd go ballistic!
Li-chan: The needle marks will be addressed in the coming up chapters.
Moon-bunny-87: I know, if work and school weren't kicking my butt right now, I'd be writing more, hence, posting more... I'll try to work on that!
LeaD: How can I leave it like that? You should be used to it by now! But don't worry, I'll try to make up for it with my upcoming chapters!
SerenityMoon: Did this chapter come out soon enough for you? I know, I'm evil with my cliffhangers, everyone keeps saying so... Hehe, I believe someone a few chapters back wanted to torture me to death with Pauly Shore movies... But that's too cruel a punishment for anyone!
Eternity: The senshi are gonna show up soon, don't worry! As far as romance goes, I'm still debating that... But it looks like a definite possibility!
Akiko: Yeah, poor Heero... He always speaks in monotone and threatens everyone (BTW, did anyone notice that I haven't had him threaten to kill anyone yet?), so I thought hey, let him show a little bit of human-like qualities for a change... But more oh-so-wonderful Heero moments are coming up!
And thank you to Sailor Bree, Darlana, MarsMoonStar, MiraiXenia18, Moonangel, Asia-chan, SakuraMona, and Saturn-gal13 for their words of encouragement!
I know, major OOC for Heero, but even he deserves to be OOC once in a while... Don't worry, though, because the fun has yet to begin! I have an idea for a chapter coming up, and I just started writing it, and I know as soon as I post it you guys are gonna go CRAZY! Believe me, you'll know it when you read it. Anyway, please review!! Motivation is a good thing!
"You really know how to make a girl feel better, Duo," Usagi giggled at the joke
Duo had told her. Somehow he had convinced the doctor to let him stay in her room,
and he had been joking nonstop for the past half hour.
This was exactly what Usagi needed to help keep her mind off of her attack. And
indeed, Duo was the perfect person to distract her.
"Well, my dear Usagi, I am here to serve," he said in an exaggeratingly deep voice,
giving a bow.
"I'd watch it, Duo. She just might make you work," Quatre cracked as he walked
over to the bed.
"Quatre's right, Duo," she teased. "This servant thing just might suit you."
"No! Anything but manual labor!" he cried, running from the room.
Usagi laughed. Duo sure knew how to put on a show. "Well now," she started,
giving her attention to Quatre, "what's the word?"
"We can take you home now," he answered, stumbling a little when the girl threw
herself at him, hugging him tightly.
He smiled, wrapping his own arms around the girl in return. "Happy?"
"Mmm, yes," she murmured, nuzzling closer to him. "I have this thing against
hospital rooms."
"Most people do." He paused, briefly thinking of his deceased mother, who had
died giving birth to him. He quickly blinked this thought away.
Quatre could have stayed like this forever. Just having Usagi in his arms... he
didn't care about what had gone on. All that existed was this moment, where Usagi
was with him.
The moment was interrupted when Duo walked back into the room. "We can leave
now," he announced.
After thanking Sally, the gang piled back into the Explorer.
Heero drove once again, and Wufei took the passenger seat. Duo and Trowa were
in the middle, and in the back were Quatre and Usagi. Her head leaned on his
shoulder as she watched the scenery whiz by out the window, her hand loosely
entwined with his.
After a while she realized that something wasn't right. She sat up so she could
see out the window better.
Quatre stared at her, then out the window, wondering what had all of a sudden
piqued her interest.
"This isn't the way to my apartment," she said slowly.
"You're not going to your apartment. You're staying with us," Heero informed her,
as if he were just talking about the weather. At least, it would have been normal
conversational tone had it not been Heero who spoke.
By the tone of his voice Usagi knew that it was not an offer but a command, and
she certainly wasn't used to being commanded to do things.
"What makes you think I'll live with you?" she demanded, her anger starting to rise.
"You were attacked in your apartment, and we don't know why. For safety
reasons, you're staying with us."
Well, it sounded logical enough. "What about--"
"We packed some necessities of yours already."
She didn't know whether to be pissed or grateful, so she decided not to be either.
Yawning, she laid her head back on Quatre's shoulder and closed her eyes as sleep
overtook her.
The next thing she knew, she was being gently nudged out of her slumber. Her
eyes slowly opened as they came back into focus. "Quatre?"
"We're at home now," he told her gently.
Somehow it sounded less demanding coming from him than it did from Heero, and
she wasn't so angry anymore.
She blinked tiredly, then realized that she was blocking Quatre from getting out of
the Explorer. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried, scrambling over the seat and out onto the
driveway.
He chuckled, following her lead.
The others were already inside, leaving Quatre to wake Usagi.
They went inside, only to be met by Duo, who was standing at the bottom of the
stairs.
"They're preparing your room for you," Duo explained, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm not supposed to let you up until they're ready."
With that, they all heard shouts and a crash coming from upstairs.
Usagi looked at Duo, then giggled. "I didn't realize that preparing a room could be
so dangerous."
"You'd be surprised. It's almost like a test of survival," Quatre joked.
Duo only gaped at his blonde companion, but Usagi grinned in delight. Quatre
made his second joke of the day! Yes, she was definitely starting to have an effect on
him.
"Maxwell!" Wufei's yelling boomed down the stairs to them.
"Ready to go? That was the signal," Duo explained as he bounced up the stairs.
The other two followed.
"This is Trowa's room, but you knew that already," Duo pointed to the first door on
the left, giving her a tour of sorts as they continued down the hallway. "The room next
to it is mine, and Quatre's is the next one. Wufei's room is across from Trowa's, and
Heero's is next to that. Bathrooms connect all of the bedrooms." He stopped at the
third door on the right. "And this one is yours."
Opening the door, Usagi's eyes widened in shock as a feeling of impending doom
overcame her.
There, in the middle of her new bed, was an extremely angry Luna. She was
unprepared for when the cat launched herself at Usagi, making the girl fall against the
doorframe. She hugged the cat to her chest, looking up questioningly.
"We couldn't just leave her there," Trowa explained.
"Arigato," she murmured. Well, they sure didn't know what they were getting
themselves into with that move. Now, she supposed, was the 'right time' she had been
dreading. She and Luna needed to have a long discussion.
Faking a yawn, Usagi said, "You guys are wonderful, you really are. But would
you mind if I rested for a while? I'm a bit tired."
They all took the hint and left. Usagi turned back to Luna, who had jumped out of
Usagi's arms and back onto the bed.
Sitting down beside her, Usagi grinned sheepishly. "I guess we need to talk?"
"Do you know how much restraint it took me not to claw out their eyes?" Luna
demanded angrily, tail twitching back and forth in quick, jerky movements. "What is
going on?"
"Luna, I know you're mad at me, but I can explain. Wait a minute... You came
here willingly?"
Luna looked away in embarrassment. "I was kind of... sleeping..." Kami, she
didn't really want to tell Usagi that she had picked up the girl's sleping habits.
Usagi looked like she wanted to laugh, but she didn't, since that would make Luna
even more angry. She told her guardian the entire story, interrupted only by Luna
screeching, "You were shot??" and "They know you're Sailor Moon??" She looked like
she was about to faint dead away! And this last part about Usagi being attacked in her
own apartment? No, Luna was not happy.
But Usagi had to give her credit. After she finished her tale, Luna only closed her
eyes and sighed. "What now?"
"Now we call a senshi meeting for later today."
Luna's eyes snapped open. "Is that wise?"
Usagi had been thinking about this for a while. She knew it had to be done. She
just didn't think it would have to be done so soon. "This affects them too. They should
be aware of what is going on."
"If you think that's best... I'll go contact the senshi right now," Luna said as she
leapt off the bed toward the balcony door.
"Don't forget the Outers."
Luna blinked. Did she hear right? "Usagi-chan?"
She only nodded, moving to open the door for Luna, who left on her mission.
Despite the events gone on, Usagi was quite calm. In fact, she was rather looking
forward to the meeting. Then she would finally be able to tell them what had been
weighing down her conscience. She hated keeping secrets from them.
Usagi decided that, since she'd be here a while, she might as well make herself at
home. She began unpacking her suitcase, stuffing her clothes into the mahogany
dresser next to her bed. As she came across her undergarments, red stained her
cheeks at the thought of Heero seeing them.
Once the chore was done, she shoved the suitcase under her bed. Grabbing her
stuffed rabbit off of her pillow, she stepped out onto the balcony.
She had always loved balconies. There was just something about gazing up at the
stars, the tiny lights sprinkling the dark sky.
Swinging her legs over the side of the balustrade, Usagi sat on the cold stone,
hugging her stuffed rabbit to her chest.
The sun was just starting to rise, the sky skimming with faint hints of pinks and
golds. Usagi dwelled on the sight with admiration. She was never up for sunrise, so
she wanted to relish the moment. If she could have captured the peacefulness of the
moment and bottled it up for another day, she would have.
And then, suddenly, this feeling of warmth overtook her. She closed her eyes,
leaning back. Her head met a strong, muscular chest, and she smiled. "Heero."
"I knocked, but you must not have heard," his rich, throaty voice swam through her
senses, making her tingle.
"I love balconies," she sighed, opening her eyes once again to see the sun starting
to peek over the city.
Although he didn't tell her that, Heero liked balconies also. And not just because
they were convenient for a quick exit. He liked the feeling of looking up into space and
knowing that he and the other pilots had created peace for the colonies and their
inhabitants, even if there was a possibility that it wouldn't last.
He felt Usagi's hand reach behind her and grasp his own, still leaning back
contentedly against him. Unconsciously he raised his other hand and absently stroked
it through her hair. A thought briefly flashed thought his mind as he wondered what she
would look like with her hair down instead of in those odangos. And then he began to
wonder what it would feel like to have her silken hair flutter around them both, her
golden strands caressing his skin...
But then he realized what he had been thinking and mentally slapped himself. He
couldn't think of her that way, wouldn't think of her that way.
He gently pulled his hand away, making her turn around to stare at him, silent
questions in her eyes.
"I have to go," he told her almost reluctantly. The voice in his head was screaming
for him to wrap his arms around the unsuspecting girl, but he fought the action all of his
willpower.
"Ok," she said, turning back around.
Heero could see the disappointment that shadowed her eyes, and it wrenched at
his heart, only confusing him more. He made one last attempt to restore her mood...
Even though he had only been there for a few minutes, that was enough to affect
her feelings. She had wanted him to stay and watch the sunrise with her. She
shivered, the chill of the early morning getting to her.
She almost fell forward in surprise as she felt a soft, warm garment drape around
her shoulders. Looking down, she recognized Heero's jacket. She turned around to
thank him, but he was already gone.
Heero closed the bedroom door softly behind him, leaning against it. Unbeknownst
to her, she had projected that last thought out to him. It was quiet, but he had still
heard.
"Don't worry, Usa, there will be other sunrises," he answered to himself before
disappearing down the hallway.
Thanks to:
Firefly Princess: Wow, that was a really good idea you came up with! Kinda like they did with Spike on BTVS. But nope, that's not what happened to Usa...
Maddy: :::whistles innocently::: I'm not going to say a THING until it's time...
Za Kaze no Nisou: Don't worry, all will be revealed about the blood...
Dragon: I agree! Luna definitely had some explaining to do! But did you really think that they would have done something to her?
Silvrei: Well, we'll see the girl's reactions soon enough. As far as her father goes, I didn't have any plans to include her immediate family... But I bet he'd go ballistic!
Li-chan: The needle marks will be addressed in the coming up chapters.
Moon-bunny-87: I know, if work and school weren't kicking my butt right now, I'd be writing more, hence, posting more... I'll try to work on that!
LeaD: How can I leave it like that? You should be used to it by now! But don't worry, I'll try to make up for it with my upcoming chapters!
SerenityMoon: Did this chapter come out soon enough for you? I know, I'm evil with my cliffhangers, everyone keeps saying so... Hehe, I believe someone a few chapters back wanted to torture me to death with Pauly Shore movies... But that's too cruel a punishment for anyone!
Eternity: The senshi are gonna show up soon, don't worry! As far as romance goes, I'm still debating that... But it looks like a definite possibility!
Akiko: Yeah, poor Heero... He always speaks in monotone and threatens everyone (BTW, did anyone notice that I haven't had him threaten to kill anyone yet?), so I thought hey, let him show a little bit of human-like qualities for a change... But more oh-so-wonderful Heero moments are coming up!
And thank you to Sailor Bree, Darlana, MarsMoonStar, MiraiXenia18, Moonangel, Asia-chan, SakuraMona, and Saturn-gal13 for their words of encouragement!
I know, major OOC for Heero, but even he deserves to be OOC once in a while... Don't worry, though, because the fun has yet to begin! I have an idea for a chapter coming up, and I just started writing it, and I know as soon as I post it you guys are gonna go CRAZY! Believe me, you'll know it when you read it. Anyway, please review!! Motivation is a good thing!