I don't own Sailor Moon, nor did I create it. Naoko Takeuchi created Sailor Moon, this is just my alternate universe version, a sort of "If I created Sailor Moon" story...

Note: Any dialogue written like this is in a foreign language, the language, unless Japanese, will be specified.

CHAPTER 39: HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION #10

MEETING THE PARENTS #2: USAGI

JULY 20, 1987

Jerry Logue got up early, around 7:30. He made himself a couple frozen waffles for breakfast, topped with peanut butter, bacon bits, chocolate chips, and a tiny bit of syrup, and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. While the waffles were in the toaster, he made himself a glass of milk with Ovaltine. When the waffles came out of the microwave, he put more syrup on them, and ate, after eating, he rinsed off his dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Noticing it was full, he put soap in and turned it on. While the dishwasher was running, he made his bed, and later, he took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, and got dressed, wearing a heather gray Buckwheat Surf Team T-shirt, with the name on the left front, and on the back, a drawing of Buckwheat from Our Gang surfing, along with the caption "Waves o-tay, surf all day". He also put on a pair of turquoise jams shorts with abstract boomerangs and starbursts, white socks, and white leather Reebok high tops with an ankle strap on each ankle. Once he was dressed, he grabbed some cash, and walked to Usagi Tsukino's house.

Meanwhile, Usagi woke up around the same time as Jerry. She had a bowl of chocolate Malt-O-Meal for breakfast, along with an English muffin with butter and peach preserves, and a glass of Tang. She then rinsed off her dishes, and put them in the dishwasher, which was otherwise empty. When she finished breakfast, her cat Luna came downstairs. "Good morning, Luna," Usagi said. "Your usual for breakfast?"

"Of course," Luna said. "I'm supposing you already had breakfast."

"Yeah," Usagi said. "When I got up, you were taking a catnap."

"I bet either Jerry or John would point out that every nap Artemis, Armstrong, or I take would be a catnap," Luna said.

"You are cats," Usagi said, pouring some Meow Mix in Luna's food bowl, adding some cream, and putting fresh water in her water dish. Once Luna was fed, she went upstairs, where she nade her bed, followed by taking a quick shower, brushed her teeth, and got dressed. She wore a sleeveless pink polo shirt and white shorts hemmed a few inches above the knees.

"Aren't you going to put on shoes?" Luna asked, as she came upstairs.

"I will in a bit," Usagi said, grabbing a bottle of nail polish remover and some cotton balls. She removed the polish from her fingernails and toenails. "I wanted to do my nails first."

"I never got why women paint their nails," Luna said.

"I'm not sure myself," Usagi said, as she started painting her fingernails. "And it's not just women, there are a few guys who paint their fingernails, but usually, they only wear black polish. As for me, I just liked the way it looked when my mom did her nails, so I started doing mine."

"Usagi," Ikuko Tsukino, Usagi's mom, said, as she peeked into Usagi's room, "don't forget Jerry's coming over at 11, we're going out for lunch."

"I didn't forget," Usagi said. "I'm just doing my nails."

"So what time is loverboy coming?" Shingo Tsukino, Usagi's younger brother, asked.

"I told him 11," Usagi said.

"I know it's not the fanciest place in town," Ikuko said, "but your father and I want to take him to Sizzler."

"I let him know," Usagi said. "He doesn't have a problem with that. In fact, I think that's where he'd want to go anyways."

As Usagi finished painting her nails(she decided since she was wearing sneakers, she would only do her fingernails), she waited for them to dry, and once they were dry, she put on a white socks, and pink leather Reebok high tops with two Velcro straps on each ankle. She went downstairs, followed by Luna. Just as they got downstairs, the doorbell rang. As she was the closest person to the door, Usagi answered it. "Hey Jerry," Usagi said, when she opened the door. "Come on in, we'll be ready to go in a few minutes."

"Hi Usagi," Jerry said, giving her a kiss. "What's new, pussycat?" he said, as Luna allowed him to pick her up.

"Meow," Luna said.

"I think your cat likes me," Jerry said.

"Of course I like you," Luna said. "You know how happy Usagi's been since you two started dating?"

"You must be this boy everyone's been telling me is dating my daughter," Kenji Tsukino said, coming down the stairs.

"Guilty as charged," Jerry said. "I'm Jerry."

"Nice to finally meet you," Kenji said, offering his hand to Jerry, who shook it.

"Nice to meet you," Jerry said.

"I hope you don't mind," Kenji said, "but we're going to Sizzler.

"That's perfect," Jerry said. "I'm in the mood for Malibu chicken anyways."

"And I hope you don't mind that we're going to the one in La Habra," Kenji said. "You know where that one is?"

"On Whittier, between Euclid and Walnut," Jerry said. "That's my mom's favorite place. She takes my sister there at least once a week."

"Good," Kenji said.

"Hey dad," Usagi said. "You almost ready to go yet?"

"We're just waiting on your mom and brother," Kenji said.

"If you don't mind, we're going to walk over to Jerry's house and pick up his motorcycle," Usagi said.

"You didn't ride your motorcycle over here?" Kenji asked.

"I asked him not to," Usagi said. "I like walking over to his house. Anyways, would it be okay if Jerry and I went to Disneyland after lunch?"

"I don't have a problem with it," Kenji said. "What about Jerry's parents?"

"I figured Usagi would want to go," Jerry said. "My dad just told me to call home if we do go, and let either him or my stepmother know."

"How late are they open tonight?" Kenji asked.

"They're open until 1:00 AM," Jerry said.

"That's a little late, don't you think?" Kenji asked.

"We're not going to stay that late," Jerry said. "I have to work tomorrow, so the latest we're going to stay is 10, maybe 11 at the absolute latest."

"As long as you have her home by midnight," Kenji said.

"That's what time my dad told me to be home if we do go," Jerry said.

"As long as you have Usagi home by midnight," Kenji said.

"I will," Jerry said.

Jerry and Usagi left, and walked over to Jerry's house, where his Harley-Davidson SS-350 was parked in the driveway, next to his dad's Toyota pickup. Kenji, Ikuko, and Shingo drove by in Kenji's 1986 Honda Accord as Jerry kickstarted his motorcycle. After pulling out of the driveway, Jerry took off, riding to La Habra. He took Imperial Highway to Euclid Avenue, turning right, and taking it to Whittier Boulevard, and turning into the parking lot at Sizzler, parking next to Kenji's car. They went inside, where Kenji, Ikuko, and Shingo were waiting. When they were all there, they went to the counter to order. "Welcome to Sizzler," the woman behind the counter said. "What can I get for you today?"

"Steak lunch," Kenji said. "I'd like that medium rare, and a baked potato with butter and sour cream. And to drink, a Pepsi."

"Salad bar lunch," Ikuko said. "With iced tea."

"Steak lunch," Shingo said. "Medium, baked potato with butter and chives, and a root beer."

"Malibu chicken lunch," Usagi said. "Fries, and iced tea."

"I'll have the same," Jerry said.

The woman behind the counter gave their total, and as Kenji paid(Usagi insisted on letting her parents pay for lunch), she divided their drinks, flatware, and plates for the salad bar on two trays. "Don't forget to get a fresh plate for each trip to the salad bar," she said.

"I'll help with that," Jerry said, grabbing one of the trays.

"Thank you," Kenji said, grabbing the other tray. He noticed that the tray that Jerry picked up was the heavier of the two trays. They found a table for six, which they took. As they sat down, Kenji passed the drinks and salad plates, and Ikuko, Usagi, and Jerry prepared their tea. Ikuko made hers with sugar, Usagi and Jerry made theirs with lemon and Sweet-N-Low. "I guess we can all get out salads," Kenji said.

They went to the salad bar, Jerry got a salad with salad mix, corn, kidney beans, spinach, red onions, raisins, sesame seeds, bacon bits, cheese, hard boiled eggs, croutons, and 1000 island, with a couple potato wedges on the side. Usagi got hers with salad mix, red onions, cheese, cucumber, croutons, bacon bits, and ranch dressing. Shingo got his with salad mix, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, extra carrots, and Italian dressing. Ikuko got hers with salad mix, spinach, ham, hard boiled eggs, cheese, croutons, corn, and ranch dressing. Kenji got a Caesar salad, with romaine lettuce, shredded Parmesan cheese, croutons, hard boiled egg, and Caesar dressing.

"Usagi mentioned you have a motorcycle," Kenji said. "What kind of motorcycle do you have?"

"Harley-Davidson SS-350," Jerry said.

"A spaghetti hog," Kenji said. "In other words, a bike made for Harley-Davidson by Aermacci in Italy. I bought an SS-250 just before I got out of the Air Force, around the time Ikuko and I got married. I had it for a few years, I sold it just before Ikuko found out she was pregnant with Shingo. I had a lot of fun riding it, I was thinking of getting myself a motorcycle again."

"What kind of bike are you thinking of getting?" Jerry asked.

"Something not too big," Kenji said. "Something between 250 and 500cc."

"If you ever want someone to go riding with," Jerry said, "Usagi has my number.

"I'll keep that in mind," Kenji said. "Anyways, what do you have planned for after high school?"

"I was thinking of enlisting in the military, serving my country for a few years, and going to film school on the GI Bill," Jerry said. "Of course, that's my plan for now. I figure that if being a filmmaker doesn't pan out, I'll at least learn a trade, and a lot of employers look favorably on military service. Then again, I may decide to make the military my career."

"I think it's admirable you want to serve this country," Kenji said. "I served in the Air Force, and before me, my father served in the 442nd Combat Regiment during World War 2. My father was decorated a couple times for bravery under fire, and also earned a purple heart, for what later earned him the Medal of Honor, after his actions ended up saving a Marine patrol. While recovering in a VA hospital, several of the nurses were sisters of the men he saved. One of those nurses fell in love with him, and after the war ended, they got married, and I was born 9 months later."

"I've heard of the 442nd," Jerry said. "My mom had several friends in high school who are Japanese-American, and a few of their fathers served in the 442nd. Anyways, there are two main reasons I want to serve. First, the line from John Kennedy's inaugural speech. "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Second, I see it as my way of honoring the brave men and women who died defending this country over the years."

"You're not just serving to take advantage of the GI Bill?" Ikuko asked.

"No," Jerry said. "Getting back to what JFK said in his inaugural address, serving in the military is what I can do for my country."

"A very admirable sentiment," Ikuko said.

"Thank you," Jerry said. "The GI Bill and possibly having a few cool war stories to tell my grandchildren and a chest full of medals are just icing on the cake."

After a while, their food arrived, except for Ikuko, who just got a salad bar. When they got their meals, Jerry and Usagi got ketchup for their fries, Shingo put ketchup on his steak, while Kenji put steak sauce on his. As they ate, both Jerry and Usagi dipped their cheese toast in Malibu chicken sauce, which was mayonnaise mixed with mustard. "I thought I was the only person who ever did that," Usagi said, as Jerry dipped his cheese toast in the Malibu chicken sauce.

"Funny," Jerry said. "I thought I was the only person who did that."

"I bet there are a lot of things you two don't know about each other," Shingo said.

"True," Ikuko said. "But it will be fun to learn."

"If you ask me," Jerry said, "Usagi's one of the most kindhearted people I ever met. That was the first thing that attracted me to her. It wasn't just her looks, she's beautiful inside and out. That's who I fell in love with, the whole person, not just the outside."

"One thing I like about Jerry is that he's not afraid to be himself," Usagi said. "And he's not one of those people who are too hung up on being popular."

"I could be one of the in crowd if I wanted," Jerry said. "But if I did that, I'd be something I'm not, and I'd rather be myself. Way I see it, if someone has a problem with how I live my life, it's their problem, not mine."

As they finished lunch, Jerry went to the bathroom, and to let his dad know he and Usagi were going to Disneyland for a few hours. "I like Jerry," Kenji said, while Jerry was in the bathroom. "I can't put my finger on it, but I can just sense he's a good guy."

"That's what I thought about him as well," Ikuko said. "He seems like a nice guy, and he does make Usagi happy."

'"If my opinion counts for anything," Usagi said, "I love him, he loves me, and for us, that's all that matters."

You two going to Disneyland? Ikuko asked.

Yes, Usagi said.

Your father and I want you home by midnight, Ikuko said.

If something happens and we're going to be late, Usagi said, we'll call. Besides, Jerry has to work tomorrow, he doesn't want to stay out too late.

As they left the restaurant, Jerry and Usagi rode to Disneyland. When they got there, the first ride they went on was Peter Pan's Flight, where Usagi stole a kiss while they flew over Never Land. Next, they went on Storybook Land Canal Boats, followed by It's a Small World. Next, they went to Frontierland, where they rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, followed by Pirates of the Caribbean. Next, they went down to the end of Main Street, where they rode the Disneyland Railroad once around the park, before calling it a day. On their way home, they stopped at In-N-Out for dinner, they both got Double Doubles, Jerry's with extra spread and grilled onions, Usagi's with pickles. They also got fries and chocolate shakes. After eating, they went home. Jerry parked his motorcycle in his garage, and went in to let his dad and Bonnie know he was home. "You're early," Bonnie said.

"We weren't planning on staying all that late anyways," Usagi said.

"We just wanted to go on a few rides," Jerry said. "Anyways, Usagi wanted to call her parents, let them know we're back home, we wanted to take a walk for a bit."

"Okay," Bonnie said.

Usagi went to the kitchen, and called her parents. "We're back at Jerry's house," Usagi said. "We're going to take a little walk, and I'll be back home in a bit."

"So what did they say?" Jerry asked.

"They said okay," Usagi said.

Jerry and Usagi went for a walk around their neighborhood. "I think my parents like you," Usagi said. "I'm kind of relieved, to tell you the truth. I know I'm adopted, but my dad can be kind of overprotective of me sometimes. I was afraid he'd do something like force you to dig your own grave at gunpoint then beat you to death with the shovel."

"Which is pretty much what I would want to do to anyone who hurt you," Jerry said. "That's how much I love you. I love you from your blonde hair to the polish on your toenails."

"My toenails are currently unpolished," Usagi said. "But I know what you mean. You love every bit of me. And I love every bit of you."

"What I said at Sizzler is the truth," Jerry said. "I'm not in love with you just because you're a pretty face, I'm in love with you because inside, you're the most beautiful person I have ever met. You're kind, and you see the good in people. And you also make my life more beautiful just by being in it."

"And I love you because you're not afraid to be yourself," Usagi said. "It's like sometimes you don't care what anyone else thinks."

"Sometimes, it helps not to care what anyone else thinks," Jerry said. "For example, you would never catch me dead at a Barry Manilow concert, but there are a few songs he does that I like."

"See what I mean?" Usagi asked. "That's something not every guy would admit to."

"I'm not every guy," Jerry said.

"I didn't fall in love with every guy," Usagi said. "I fell in love with you."

"And I fell in love with you," Jerry said. "In this and every other lifetime."

"Yes, there is that," Usagi said. "We were meant to be together."

"One other thing," Usagi said. "Before you found it in you to talk to me, I felt like a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle, but with only 499 pieces. You're that final piece that completes me."

"And you complete me," Jerry said. "When I'm having a cloudy day, you're that one beam of sunlight that breaks through the clouds. That's why I love you."

"And I love you," Usagi said.

They walked around the neighborhood, and eventually made their way back to Usagi's house. "I have to work tomorrow," Jerry said.

"What time do you work?" Usagi asked.

"I work 1 to 10," Jerry said. "I take my lunch break at 5:00. I usually go to Carl's Jr., but on rare occasions, I hit the food court at the mall. But tomorrow, I think I'm just going to Carl's."

"I'll be there around 5:00," Usagi said. "I'd like to have lunch with you."

I'll be waiting," Jerry said, as he walked Usagi to her front door.

"Here's something to look forward to," Usagi said, as she kissed Jerry.

"I love you," Jerry said, as Usagi opened the front door and entered the house.

"I love you," Usagi said, as she closed the door.

À SUIVRE...