A Place To Call Home
Part Six
By Bonnie-Chan
Email: hunniebunny@aol.com
Web page: http://www.sailormoonrose.mirrorz.com
Today is: December 8, 2001

Yay, the next part is here! This is the last part I had written in July, and like I said before, I have an idea for the next chapter! As soon as finals are out of the way, I'm gonna get to work, promise! And I have until January 22nd when classes start again to write more! I have several stories to work on over break...some are multiparters! Whoo-hoo! And, also...I just did this MONSTER project for my writing class...it's in script format but I have to rework it to a novel form to try and publish anyway...it's "Sleeping Beauty" like you've NEVER seen it before!!! So, do y'all think I should publish it at my website and fanfiction.net, or no? Is there anyone even willing to read it? I may just keep it to myself awhile, ya know? But if y'all wanna read it......::grin::
Anyways, as for my second Christmas story? I know, I know....I honestly don't know that I'll get it out this year. My writing project took a LOT out of me, and I still have finals..then I go home, and my computer access will be all screwy cuz of the computer...I don't know how often I'll be able to get on ::poutpout::
But, I'll try, promise. I can't guarantee it though.
Anyways, let me stop jabbering, and read the latest installment in APTCH! It's a bit longer then the last couple, finally! Yay!

Thanks to everyone who has emailed me and reviewed me...you rock! You really make my day, whenever I see a review, no matter how small! Thanks so much! You leave me smiling all day!

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And since I'm in the holiday spirit, this chapter is light-hearted and not as somber as its predecessors, yay! I figured, it's time for a Happy Mamo-Chan~ ^_~ ^_^ ~_^

Disclaimer: On the first day of Christmas, Naoko gave to me...a Mamo-Chan in a black cape! I wish, right? ::backs away nervously:: It was just a song, he doesn't REALLY belong to me........he belongs to Usagi! Usagi!........oh, and Naoko, too.........darn...........they make a cuter couple anyway! ^_^

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A Place To Call Home
Part Six
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"Wow, Usagi, I'm surprised that you fit into that dress what with the way you're always stuffing your face."
Usagi whirled around in surprise, her eyes narrowing at the man standing before her. "You know, Mamoru, for a guy who is so disgustingly perfect that he never does less than perfect in school, you sure don't seem to have a really good daily-life memory, do you? Your memory must be so chock-full of statistics and formulas that there's no room for anything that isn't school-related to be absorbed and remembered. After all, it was only this morning that we called a truce, yet here you are, less than 24 hours later, acting as though it never happened."
Mamoru held up his hands in surrender. "Next time let me finish before you start flipping out on me. It would be wrong for me to compliment you before I tease you."
Usagi rolled her eyes. "Oh, of course. How could I possibly have forgotten?"
He shrugged his shoulders and smiled innocently. "Beats me, I mean, how could you possible forget anything about me?"
"Oh, it's a bit easier than you may think."
"Now that bullet hit a whole lot harder than the last one did."
"Good."
"It's alright, though, I didn't expect you to remember everything about me anyway. You never have before, so why start now? To actually expand your mind? What a tragedy that would be!"
"Why, you little-"
Mamoru laughed as he watched Usagi quickly advanced towards him, then held out his hand when she was only inches away, effectively causing her voice to die down mid-rant. He gestured towards her dress and raised an eyebrow. "Be careful in that dress, Usagi, otherwise you might trip and hurt yourself."
"Gee, thanks a lot, Mamoru."
"I'm serious, Usagi. It's such a pretty dress. I would hate to see it get ruined, and I'm sure that you would, too."
Usagi looked down at the dark maroon dress she was wearing and frowned. "I guess you're right."
"Of course I am. After all, I am the 'disgustingly-perfect' Mamoru, am I not?"
"Yeah…" Usagi bit at the inside of her lip to keep from laughing and quickly changed the subject. "So, Mamoru, what brings you to the fair?"
"Why, I came to see you, of course."
"Of course you did. I can see that you brought your over-inflated ego along to the fair as well, ne?"
"Usagi, whenever I'm around you, my ego acquires this absurd tendency to deflate."
"Huh?"
He laughed at her perplexed expression and shook his head. "Never mind." He smiled down at the petite girl standing before him. "So, Usagi, I didn't know that you had a job here at the fair."
She shrugged her shoulders. "There are a lot of things that you don't know about me, Mamoru."
"Well, maybe in the future I'll learn more about you. We've never truly given each other much of a chance, have we? We've always been too busy going at each other's throats."
"Now that we've called a truce, maybe things will change."
"Things will only change if we let them change, Usagi. So, what do you think? Are you willing to let go of your pride and make amends? I know I am."
She nodded slowly. "Alright, Mamoru. If you're willing to change, then so am I."
He smiled, and his face lit up with an uncommon display of joy.
"Wow, Mamoru, you should smile more. It gives your face character."
He raised an eyebrow. "Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment."
"Mamoru!"
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." He smiled again, though this time, it didn't quite reach his now-somber eyes.
"How about we start over again and really give this truce a chance?"
"Start over?"
"From the beginning." He held out his hand. "Hello, my name is Chiba Mamoru."
She giggled softly before slowly shaking his hand. "Hello Mamoru, my name is Tsukino Usagi."
"It's very nice to meet you, Usagi." He smiled down at her. "So, Usagi, what brings you to the fair?"
"I have a job here. I play the part of a noble girl in King Arthur's court. Basically, I just walk around the grounds and mingle with all the people. It's a good thing I'm not camera-shy because everyone is always coming up to me to get a picture taken! I also have a small role in the play that the fair puts on every night."
"That sounds really interesting."
"It really is. What about you, Mamoru? What brings you to the fair?"
"To tell you the truth, I didn't particularly want to come here, but my so-called best friend conspired with my grandfather to bring me here and give me something to do besides mope around doing nothing. My grandfather guilt-tripped me into going, then Motoki swung by and dragged me here."
"I never knew you lived with your grandfather."
"There was never a reason for you to know."
"Oh." Usagi paused, sensing that Mamoru didn't want to talk about his grandfather, and quickly changed the subject. "So you snuck away and ditched Motoki to come see/visit me?"
"I wish, but no, he had to go the bathroom, and I just happened to run into you while I was waiting for him to come back. He'll show up sooner or later."
"Mamoru, there you are! I never would have expected you of all people to wander away!" A girl with a wavy red ponytail stormed over to Mamoru, scowling angrily.
"I only walked a few feet away to say hello to someone, Unazuki."
She pouted in annoyance. "Still!"
"So, what happened to Motoki, anyway? Did you finally succeed to finally push him over the edge of insanity?"
She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "I don't know what happened to him, and I really don't care, either."
"I'm sure you don't."
The girl turned around and flushed a rosy red. "Ummm…oops?"
A tall young man with buttery blond hair raised an eyebrow condescendingly at the embarrassed girl before him.
"Now there's a look you must have picked up from Mamoru. I hate to say it, Motoki, but that look really doesn't bode well for/with you. It makes you look so…mean, and you don't have a mean bone in your body!"
Motoki turned his head to the left, and a warm smile flitted across his face as he noticed the girl who was standing beside Mamoru. "Tsukino Usagi, what in the world are you doing here? I haven't seen you in ages!"
Usagi giggled lightly. "I'm working, actually. That's why I haven't been around much lately."
"Well, who would have guessed? Our little Usagi is growing up so fast!" He leaned his left hand lightly on Mamoru's shoulder and wiped away an imaginary tear with his other hand.
Usagi wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at Motoki.
"You really have been hanging around Mamoru too much!" She giggled playfully.
"So, what about you, Motoki? What brings you to the fair?"
"Well, I got connived into going by my devil of a sister, and I though that it was only fair to drag Mamoru along with me-after all misery loves company, ne? Besides, Mamoru has been spending way too much time cooped up inside lately, and I felt that it was my duty as his best friend to drag him outside before he turns into a vampire."
Mamoru grimaced and looked pleadingly at Usagi. "Now do you see why I had to get away for a while?"
Usagi giggled again. "As much as I hate to leave you here in agony, Mamoru, I'm afraid that I have no other choice."
"You're a very sadistic person, Usagi. To turn on me now after berating me for teasing you after calling a truce? What a hypocrite."
Usagi rolled her eyes. "Cut the melodrama, Mamoru, you're no good at it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really do have to get back to work." She looked past Mamoru's shoulders at the young man standing before him. "Motoki, Unazuki, it was nice to see you again. Maybe I'll see you again later tonight. The play starts at 7 p.m. in the Enchanted Grove's amphitheater. You're all welcome to come. I'm sorry that I can't stay longer, but I really do have to get back to work." She smiled apologetically before whirling around and scurrying off, quickly disappearing into the throng of people enjoying the fair.
Motoki raised an eyebrow inquisitively at Mamoru. "So you two finally decided to play nice and get along?"
"Mm-hmm."
Motoki smiled cheerfully. "I'm very proud of you."
Mamoru rolled his eyes. "Thanks, I was really looking for your approval."
"I know."
"Guys, can we go eat now? Please? I'm starving!"
Motoki laughed at his sister and nodded, then the three of them headed off in search of a concession stand.
~~~
"The crowd really seemed to like us tonight, didn't they?"
Usagi smiled at the brown-haired girl walking beside her. "Yeah, they did. That's the most receptive audience we've had all month!"
"It's really a rush, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Usagi smiled wistfully. "It's hard to believe that as of Monday, this will all be over. Whatever will we do with ourselves?"
"We'll sit back, relax, and enjoy our vacation, of course!"
Usagi smiled mischievously. "You forgot something, Naoko { }."
"What's that?"
"We won't have to worry about homework! School, either, for that matter!"
Naoko raised an eyebrow. "Like you would worry about your school work any other day."
Usagi turned and wrinkled her nose at Naoko, then smashed into somebody and began apologizing immediately. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to run into you, honest!" She looked up to see who she had hit this time, and quickly backed away to where Naoko stood with a hand covering her mouth, trying hard not to laugh.
"So you've decided to walk into innocent trees now, have you?"
Usagi spun around and glared at Mamoru, who had appeared out of nowhere.
"It was an accident, Mamoru, and technically, I did apologize to the tree." She tossed her head indignantly. "Where did you come from, anyway?
Mamoru stared calmly down at the flushed girl standing before him. "I came from my mother's stomach, Odango. Now you, I'm not so sure about. Your manners indicates that you were quite possibly raised by wolves."
"Very funny, Mamoru, especially the Odango part-I thought that maybe after all that's happened recently, you'd finally remember my name."
"I remember it, but Odango just seems to fit you better."
"Mamoru!"
"It's a cute nickname, Usagi! And he's right, it really does suit you!"
Usagi glared at Naoko. "Traitor!"
"So, Usagi, who's your friend? Are you going to introduce us, or keep standing here being rude?"
"For you, Mamoru, I always have time to be rude. But since you asked so nicely, this is Naoko. She also plays the part of a noble girl in King Arthur's court."
"Speaking of which, you did a very nice job out there tonight."
"Thanks…" She eyed him suspiciously, wondering what trick lay in store for her next.
"I'm serious, Usagi. You're not a bad actress at all…in fact, you're pretty good!" He smiled at her, and she hesitantly smiled back before frowning again.
"This is just a ruse so that I'll forget I asked you a question, isn't it? Well, sorry, Mamoru, but I'm not falling for it this time. What are you doing, stalking me or something?"
"Actually, I've been waiting here for you to come out from backstage so that I could say hello and you did a good job. We all came to see you."
"We?"
"Yeah, Motoki and Unazuki are here, but they had to go to the bathroom when the play ended. They're going to meet us here when they're done."
"You waited for me?"
"Mm-hmm. I could hear you coming from a mile away, too! You and your friends always have the loudest conversations!"
"You were listening to us?"
"I wasn't eavesdropping on you, I just happened to overhear you."
"Same difference."
"Not really. Besides, I didn't hear any of your secrets, so don't worry…let's see, the first thing I heard was, 'The crowd really seemed to like us tonight, don't you think?' See, nothing embarrassing."
Usagi shook her head. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you, Mamoru."
"Who said you had to do anything?"
She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a voice behind her.
"Hey, Usagi, you did a great job out there!"
Usagi turned and smiled at Motoki. "Thank you."
"Do you need a ride home?"
"I was actually planning to walk…"
"You can't walk home in the dark!"
"Why not? I have every other time I've worked here."
"Well, not tonight, I'll drive you home."
"You don't have to."
"But I will because you're my friend. So, are you ready to go?"
"Yeah…" She turned towards Naoko. "I'll see you on Monday, Naoko!"
"Alright, have a good day off tomorrow."
"You too!" She turned and began walking off the fair grounds with Motoki, Mamoru, and Unazuki.
"Do you work here a lot?" Motoki asked as they reached his car and he unlocked the door.
"I work every other day. The management schedules us that way so that we can have a day to recuperate-at first, it really killed me to walk around all day, not to mention the fact that I have to be up early in the morning and get home after midnight!"
Motoki chuckled and turned towards Mamoru, who sat beside him in the passenger seat. "So, Mamoru, are you coming back to my house for awhile or going home and crashing?"
"Actually, do you think you could drop me off at the hospital? I want to check in on my grandfather and make sure that he's okay."
"Uh, Mamoru? It's after midnight, and visiting hours were over a long time ago."
"I know, but-"
"They're not going to let you in there, so don't even think about it."
"We have to go there anyway, Motoki. I left my grandfather's car in the parking lot when you came to get me."
"Fine, I'll drop you off, but I'm going to follow you to make sure you get home alright."
"You don't have to do that."
"But I'm going to anyway."
Motoki pulled into the hospital's parking lot, found the car, and Mamoru reluctantly got out, searching through his pockets until he found his keys, then slamming Motoki's car door shut and opening his own. He stuck the key in the engine and slowly drove away, watching Motoki's headlights through his rearview mirror all the way home.
~~~
So, what did ya think, what did ya think? In the name of the holidays, please tell me.......please? It would be a WONDERFUL gift to know what you think!
You can email hunniebunny@aol.com, or leave a review at fanfiction.net ^_^
Ja ne, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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