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No One's Fault

Part 2

By: Usa and Emiri

Disclaimer in Part 1

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As they were driving home, Usagi and Mamoru passed by police and an ambulance.

"Mamo-chan..." Usagi got a really bad feeling all of the sudden.

"Hai, Usako?"

"I don't know. I have this really bad feeling inside me." Usagi peered at the tangled mess that was a car. It looked vaguely familiar.

"Don't look, Usako."

Usagi eyed the car, it looked familiar. "Mamo-chan... that's... that's..." she gasped. "Kami-sama, that's Papa's car!"

"It can't be, Usako. I bet he's at home waiting for you."

"Look at your watch! It's past 8:30! He was probably on his way to pick me up!" Usagi shook her head.

"I"m sure it's just a car that looks like his," Mamoru reassured her.

Usagi nodded and remained quiet. Mamoru was right, Papa was sitting in his recliner at home watching TV. He wasn't serious when he said he was coming to get her. Content, Usagi sat back and watched the rain fall.

"So, did you have a nice night?" Mamoru asked.

"Haaii!" Usagi smiled. "Arigatou, Mamo-chan! This was the best christmas present ever!"

"Daisuki desu, Mamo-chan."

Mamoru pulled into the driveway. Neither of them paid attention to the fact that Kenji's car was gone. "Arigatou, Mamo-chan," Usagi said again.

"You're welcome." Mamoru smiled, and kissed her.

"Oyasumi nasai, ouji-sama!" Usagi exclaimed, running to the front door.

"I'm home, Mama!" Usagi called. It was eerily quiet. "Mama?"

"Usagi?"

Usagi found her mother in the living room. "Mama!" she smiled. "Mama, I had such a wonderful time! Where's Papa, I want to thank him for letting me go."

"He went out for a moment, said he'd be back soon."

Usagi's heart skipped a beat. "Went out? To get me?"

"He didn't say. I'm sure he'll be back soon. So, how was your dinner?"

"It was good, demo... Mama."

"Hai?"

Usagi sighed. She couldn't get that accident out of her mind. The phone rang, making her jump.

Ikuko answered. "Moshi moshi."

"Is this Tsukino Ikuko?"

"Hai, who is this?"

"Sumimasen, but I have some bad news, Tsukino-san."

"May I ask who is calling?" Ikuko repeated.

"My name is Iruka Hoishi, I'm a police officer."

"Hai? What is it you want to tell me?"

"You're husband was in a car accident early this evening."

"Nani? Is he alright?"

"Sumimasen," Hoishi repeated. "I'm afraid he died on the scene."

"Iie..." Ikuko dropped the phone as she sank to her knees.

Usagi rushed into the hallway. "Mama?" she picked up the phone as Ikuko wouldn't answer her. "Moshi moshi?"

"Is this Tsukino Ikuko?"

"Iie, this is Usagi, her daughter."

"What happened to your mother?" the officer asked.

"How should I know? She just fell to her knees!" Usagi shouted. "What did you tell her!"

"Please calm down. I'm Iruka Hoishi, a police officer. Your father was killed in an accident around 8:30 PM this evening."

"N-nani yo..."

Thoughts were swimming inside Usagi's head. She was finally able to end the conversation with a bit of respect. She sank next to her mother. "Mama..." Usagi didn't want to cry yet. She had to make sure Ikuko would be all right first.

Ikuko just shook. "Can't be..."

"Mama," Usagi said again, hugging Ikuko.

"What is it, Usagi?"

"Will you be all right... Is he really gone?"

"He can't be..."

Usagi swallowed over the lump in her throat. "Gomen ne, Mama, he is." She hated to admit it, though.

"Can't be...he can't be..."

"I..." Usagi didn't know what to say. The one who had always comforted her was becoming unglued. How could she help her own mother?

"You LIARS!!!" Ikuko screamed, throwing the phone at the wall.

Usagi couldn't take it anymore and broke down into tears herself. She wasn't only mourning for her father, but her mother as well. "Mama..."

"He's not dead. Not dead. Not dead. " Ikuko repeated that as she stood up, and got her shoes and jacket.

"Mama, where are you going?" Usagi asked.

"I'm going to find Kenji."

Usagi got up and ran to her, grabbing her arm. "Mama, he's not out there. He's gone!"

"Not gone."

"Mama!" the young girl exclaimed. "He is!" Usagi did something she never thought she would. She slapped her mother across the face.

Ikuko began to cry, and sank to the floor again. "Gomen, Mama," Usagi whispered. She knelt next to Ikuko and covered her face. "Gomen..."

"What's going on down there?" Shingo called. "Some of us are trying to do homework, ya know."

Usagi's head snapped up. She had almost forgotten about Shingo! She assumed he was at a friend's. "Ne, Mama, I'm going to talk to Shingo. Will you wait for me in the living room?"



Ikuko contined to sob on the floor. "Mama, onegai?"

"Baka, what's going on?" Shingo yelled down the stairs.

"Shingo," Usagi said, swallowing the huge lump in her throat. She promised herself she wouldn't cry in front of her mother or brother. "Come here."

"Nani?"

Usagi had somehow gotten Ikuko onto the living room couch. She looked up at Shingo when he came in. "What's the matter with Mama?"

"Ano, Shingo... Papa is... Papa..."

Usagi took a deep breath. "Papa was in a car accident."

"Nani yo? Can we go visit him? Is he gonna be okay?"

"Gomen ne, Shingo." Usagi took his hand. "Papa didn't make it."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" She faced Ikuko. "Does she?"

"Iie..." Shingo shook his head, then ran upstairs to his room before Usagi could do anything.

Usagi sighed. "Mama..." she began, but Ikuko had cried herself to sleep. Grabbing a blanket, Usagi covered her mother.

Usagi walked into the hallway. She felt as thought she were in slow motion. The house was getting way too hot for her. There were too many memories in there. She had to run away from them. Usagi grabbed her shoes, and tore out of there.