Lover's Last Breath
black beyond
black_beyond@hotmail.co,
Seeing Ghosts
~'~
hehehehehe, sorry it took so long, but this piece was a evil thing
to write. But I think you'll like it...
~'~
Twenty minutes into the meeting, and Hotaru and Minako still had not shown. The starlights had made an appearence, and were currently engaged in flirting with the other inner senshi. Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna were taking turns glaring at Mamoru and Keiko as they spoke in low tones.
"We have a photo shoot in half an hour." Yaten complained loudly. "Where's Minako and Hotaru?" He directed the question to the outer senshi. Haruka opened her mouth for a nasty retort, but never got the chance to deliver it.
"Heeeeeeeere's Minako!" The familiar blonde burst into the fire room, Hotaru following close behind.
"Yeah. Whatever." Hotaru swept the room with her intense violet gaze and then marched immediatly to her adoptive parents and said something that made all three of them forget about wishing for the death of Mamoru and grin widely.
"Okay, since we're all here..." Mamoru hesiated a little, and continued. "We can finally start the meeting. And this is impor--"
The door burst open, and another girl stepped into the room and slid it closed behind her. A black baseball cap was pulled low over her eyes.
"You were going to start without me, Mamo-chan?" She sounded wounded, moockingly hurt. "I'm absolutely shocked. Really, I am." He felt her eyes drift over the room. "Wow. All of you, in one room, without a fight. What a time to forget my camera."
As uncharacterisitic as anyone had ever seen the genius, Ami jumped to her feet with a squeal and tackled the newcomer, almost strangling her with a hug that rivaled Minako's.
"It's her!" Keiko shrieked, making the starlights jump. "She's the one that stole MY broach."
It was like a blizzard had suddenly decided to storm into the room. Everyone froze. Everyone except for the icey figure herself, who reached up, gracefully took the bill of her cap, and with a sweeping motion, pulled it off and shook her long, sunshine-gold pigtails down.
All eyes followed the streamers of hair up to a pair of yellow odango, set on top of a heart-shaped face they all knew too well.
"Usagi?" Rei asked stupidly.
"Who stole whose broach?" Usagi glared daggers at Keiko, who clutched a stock-still Mamoru's arm like a lifeline. "I think we all know who it belongs to, Keiko-san. And it isn't you."
"Go 'Sagi, Go 'Sagi, Go Sagi!" Minako chanted softly.
"Usa-chan..." Seiya stood up, smiling. He all but powerwalked to her and embraced her tenderly. She hugged him back, her scowl vanishing at the familar embrace.
"I missed you, Seiya." She whispered.
"I don't believe it." Makoto muttered, but raced Rei to Usagi anyway. They fought to hug her. Yaten stood back, but was grinning anyway as Ami rushed Taiki, dancing some weird jig.
"She's back she's back she's back!" Ami sang. "Back and back and back!"
"Your cousin, huh?" Rei asked a smirking Haruka.
"Hey, call it what you like." Haruka shrugged. "I tell some peopel Michiru's my cousin, too."
Michiru's eyebrows flew to her hairline and she turned on her koi. "You WHAT?"
Haruka had the grace to blush. "My mother would have died, Michiru. You've met her... and I heard you talking to your sister... I'm 'just a casual friend', am I?"
Michiru looked at the ceiling innocently.
"Hey, hey, everyone calm down for a moment." Hotaru shouted above the din, and Makoto reluctantly released her grip on the moon princess. "Besides her glorious return to Tokyo, Usagi has one more announcement." She grinned. "They're officially announcing it tonight, at some fancy banquet, but Minako here convinced Usagi that her closest friends deserve to find out before the rest of the world."
Usagi smiled, and Mamoru felt his heart climb into his throat and his stomach slam into his ankles. "Michael, my gorgeous, hunky boyfriend bought a ring. I'm really not supposed to know about it. But it's an engagement ring..." Her eyes glowed with the meaning of it.
Haruka's jaw hit the floor as everyone rushed-- everyone except Keiko and Mamoru-- to congradulate the happy blonde.
"HE WHAT?!" She sputtered. "But-- but-- but-- I'M BEST WOMAN, DAMN IT!"
"Mamo-chan..." Keiko tugged at Mamoru's arm. He hadn't moved, or breathed, since Usagi had removed her hat, but she had felt him tense at her announcement. Tense so tightly his muscles looked as though they might explode.
Usagi had noticed as well. Flashing her most beautiful smile at him, the small crowd parted as she stepped forward, and her face went serious. She was not acting now.
"Mamoru, I just want you to know I don't harbor any more hard feelings towards you. I've gotten over it, and moved on. I don't want to completely destroy your dignity or insult your intelligence by asking if we may 'just be friends'... but I'd like for you to be happy for me. Please?"
It was complete silence as everyone, even the little cricket in the corner, held their breath.
Mamoru let his breaht out little by little, and it took all of his years of discripiline to look his ex-girlfriend in the eye and nod as tightly as he could. "Alright, Usagi. I'm... Happy.... for you." He had to choke the words out, but he managed it.
Usagi flew into his arms, giving him a hug. "Thank you!" She smiled, and then stood back, giving Keiko the kindest glare she could. "Same for you, Keiko. It isn't your fault."
Keiko looked up at Mamoru. He did not look happy. She looked back at Usagi, and sighed, taking Usagi's extended hand. "Sure, Usagi. Besides, I've heard so much about you... it'd be nice if we could attempt being civil to one another."
Usagi's smiled lasted as she nodded, and turned back to the senshi.
"Somebody call for pizza! We're throwing a party. Anyone got a bone against sake? Because Hotaru... cough cough... just *happens* to have some..."
Half an hour later, several boxed of pizza were stacks around the room, someone had turned up the music to an almost unbearable level of sound, and Usagi and convinced Seiya to dance with her. And it didn't take a fool to see that Mamoru, sitting stiffly in a corner, was bordering between fury and heartbreak.
He had never imagined this.
He'd always expected Usagi to come back: he *knew* she couldn't stay away. But he'd expected his innocent, sweet, little-a-girl, bubbly blonde, which was his first mistake. The woman teaching Seiya how to dance to punk rock music was neither bubbly, nor sweet, nor innocent. And in the six years she had been gone, her figure had matured completely, leaving her with a body that could melt a glacier.
The second mistake was that he had expected her to forgive him and run back to his arms. She had-- but in a completely different way than he had wanted. *He* should be the one marrying her. Him, damn it!
MInako saw him glaring at Usagi and brought a box of pizza with her as she went to sit beside him. She offered it to him.
"Pepperoni and pineapple." She told him cheerfully, shoving the box him his face. He looked at her like she was crazy, forgetting he was evilly and insanely mad for a moment.
Minako shrugged and started on a slice. "You know," She remarked, following his glare as it settled back on Usagi. "she really is happy with Michael, Mamoru. Happier than I've ever seen her. Happier than I expected to be." She looked up at him. "You really didn't expect her to run back to you, did you?" She questioned. "You hurt her in so many ways."
"I didn't mean to." Mamoru muttered.
Minako's jaw hung loose for a second, and a flame was struck in her eyes as she closed it. "I think that you need to get over this. She has. And you seemed *quite* happy with Keiko." She stomped away angrily.
The exchange did not go unnoticed by Haruka. She took a long glance at Minako, who was stuffing pizza into her mouth as she fumed, and then at Mamoru, who was barely bothering to blink as he tried to maim Usagi with some sort of an eye laser-- oh, sorry. He was simply glaring so feircely his eyeballs might pop out. Excuse her.
"I don't think Mamoru is very happy." She commented to Setsuna, who sat beside her. Michiru was across the good-sized room trying to convince Ami to dance with her, just for one song, it couldn't hurt.
"What do you expect?" Setsuna chortled. "He's just learned that she wasn't dependant on him after all. It's a major crush to his extremely handsome ego."
"I'll second that. If looks could kill, Usagi would have never been born." Yaten took a seat behind the duo. "I mean, wow."
"Keiko's not taking it well, either." Setsuna indicated to the corner with the stereo, where the redhead was fumbling angrily with a pair of earplugs. "She knows that Mamoru still loved Usagi. This is the worst hour of her life. She has no idea if he'll keep her or drop her."
Yaten shrugged. "It's not really her fault, you know. She told Taiki awhile ago. She had no idea that Mamoru already had a girlfriend. And he offered the broach to her after she saw him turn into Tuxedo Kamen. She had no idea."
Haruka turned to give Yaten a dirty look. "Are you saying it's okay?" She demanded, daring him to argue.
Yaten laughed nervously, fearing for his life. "Uhm, no! Of course not! I was jsut saying..." Her eye twitched and he wisely chose to close his mouth.
"So... have they set a date yet?" He asked, and nearly melted with relief when Haruka stoped the death glare and actually smiled at him.
"Not yet." She answered.
Setsuna watched as Seiya almost fell over, partially from the dancing and mostly from the sake. "Usagi is visiting her parents day after tomorrow, because tomorrow she and Michael are going to a banquet. She and Michiru is going to spend the eariler part of tomorrow touching up Michael's Japanese, so that he won't say something that will make Kenji break a baseball bat over his head."
Setsuna suddenly chuckled mysteriously. "I don't think we'll have to worry about baseball bats."
Haruka frowned at her. "What do you mean?"
At the same time, Yaten wondered, "Aren't you suppose to keep those things secret?"
"I'm on vacation, damn it!" Setsuna cackled. "And no, there will be no baseball bat in two days. There will be an automatic shotgun, though." She began to hum the tune from Mission: Impossible and went in search of more pizza.
Yaten shook his head. "I think I missed something."
Haruka nodded slowly. "Me, too."
~'~
"Koneko, aren't you ready yet?"
"ALMOST! Leave me alone!"
"But Usa, we're going to be late!"
Hotaru answered for Usagi as she added a final touch of make-up to her princess's face. "EVER HEARD OF A WOMAN SCORNED?" She shrieked, pulling Usagi to her feet and spinning her around, straightening the slinky red dress at a rate that would have made Calvin Kline faint in jealousy.
Setsuna stepped forward, and together she and Hotaru inspected their handiwork.
"Well, I must say, your mother would kill me for letting you wear this." Setsuna remarked.
Hotaru grinned wickedly. "Mike's going to have to carry a club to beat the other guys off, Usagi. This dress is a knock-out." She whistled.
"What;s going on up there?" Michael called.
"Patience!" Setsuna muttered. Giving Usagi a final lookover, she smiled. "Alright, princess. You're good to go."
Usagi smiled, and looked in the mirror one final time.
~'~
She remembered when she was fourteen and had no confidence. Mamoru had never helped with that... he was a college guy, handsome, debonair, and utterly elegant, whereas she was the dumpy kid going through puberty and wondering why the hell she was on the arm of a god.
She was twenty-four now. Michael smiled warmly at her as he gave her his arm, and the butterflies that had errupted in her stomach, sending her back to fourteen, were hit with a can of Raid.
"Do you think I should take a baseball bat in with me?" He asked her, looking genuinely worried.
Forgetting how good of an acter he was for a moment, she frowned. "Why?"
Grin. "I'm going to have to beat the other guys off of you, Usa-chan. You're the most beautiful woman in the world."
She blushed, and hooked her gloved arm around his, and reached up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "Flattery gets you everywhere." She murmured in his ear, causing him to grin wolfishly.
She remembered the look he gave her as she waltzed down the stairs. SHe remembered the look *Haruka* had given her, and Haruka had already seen her in the dress.
She had gone accessory shopping with Setsuna. After a hour and a perfect pair of red stilletos, black gloves, and a necklace that would justify everything short of mass murder, she even had to admit that she was a knockout. It was sexy, but conservative enough to wear to the banquet without scandalizing too many people.
"I'm so nervous." She whispered to him, as they walked towards the huge glass doors, where two doormen in snazzy uniforms were at attention, ready to leapt to open the doors. "I know some of these people."
He smiled again. "Usagi, you're gorgeous, you're smart, and you're mine. You've got nothing to be nervous about... but if you feel uncomfortable, just catch my eye and I'll come rescue my damsel."
"I always wanted a knight with blonde curly hair." She teased.
She held his arma little tighter, though, as the doors were opened befoer them and Michael led her though.
She had been to several of these, but they were all in America, where the men in suits were unfamilar and all spoke several different accents of English and smoked cigars. The women were all older than she, more refined, more used to having everything offered to them on silver platters, and were never flustered to had to search for a word while covering their accents. The music had been strange, the food was even more so, and whenever Michael wasn't near she always felt like an intruder.
The strains of music that floated to her ears now was very familiar, ait soothed her a little. "I know this song." She said, smiling, the last of the butterflies vanishing. "It's my mother's favorite song."
The second the words left her lips, she heard another voice exclaim, "Oh, I just love this song, Shingo-chan."
She twisted around and got the second largest shock of her life. The first would come a few hours later.
It was her mother, on the arm of her much older, much more matured brother. Michael turned as well, curious to see what had caught his girlfriend's attention.
"Do you know them?" He asked quietly.
"Mama!" Her voice was a half squeak, half squeal.
Ikuko's blue eyes, which had been gazing into space, suddenly focused on the blonde woman in front of her, who was looking almost as startled as her date.
She felt her heart screech to a stop. "Usagi?!" She released her son's arm and tore her daughter away from Michael, hugging her as hard as she could. "Usagi!" She cried.
"Mama..." Usagi whispered, hugging her back, not caring about all the strange looks she was getting. "Oh, I missed you."
"How long--" Ikuko began, but Usagi answered.
"Just a couple of days. I was coming to see you tomorrow... but.... oh my god... Mama..." She hugged her again.
Shingo was standing, stunned. Michael was about the same, and he noticede Shingo.
"Hello, I'm Michael Stanton." He extended his hand. Shingo was confused for a moment, and then shook it warmly.
"I'm Shingo... Tsukino." His eyes were locked on his mother and his sister. "Geesh. Odango Atama grew up. She's actually pretty."
Michael followed his gaze. "Yeah. Pretty." He echoed, chuckling. "You're her..."
"Brother." He eyed Michael warily. "And you?"
Michael looked surprised. "Usa-chan never mentioned she had a brother. She's my girlfriend." He looked at Shingo closer. "You don't look at all alike."
"Flattery!" Usagi had overheard it.
The name finally registered with Shingo. "YOU'RE Michael Stanton?" His vocie held a note of excitement. "Hey, Odango, how did you manage to get one of the best diplomats in the free world as your date?"
"Six years and you haven't matured a bit." Usagi hugged him happily. "But you did grow." She added, dismayed to learn that she had to look up at him.
"Hn. You're just short."
"Shingo, be nice to your sister." Ikuko ordered sternly, and then giggled. "You're both grown adults and I have to treat you like a couple of squabling preteens." She wiped away her happy tears with a hankercheif and smiled at Michael. "Now, Usagi, why don't you introduce me to this dashing young man?"
Shingo leapt in.
"Mama, this is Michael *Stanton*, the guy that Father had been raving about. He's the one who drew up all those proposals and treatywork. He wrote a flawless contract between the government and the hospitals so that things would run smoother."
Michael pulled Usagi close. "None of it would have happened if it were not for this beautiful woman right here. She's behind all of it, I tell you."
Usagi went red. "Michael, I am not. Stop embarrassing me in front of my own mother."
"You had no qualms about seaizing every chance to embarrass me in front of mine--"
"Your sister and your mother both helped me!" She protested, looking up at him with an innocent pout. He melted.
"Alright, alright." He bowed respectfully to Ikuko, who returned it. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the family of the love of my life. I was beginning to think she just fell from heaven."
Usagi blushed an even darker shade of fushia and Ikuko smiled.
"Usagi? Heaven?" Shingo snorted. "Yeah. And I'm the king of the trolls."
"Sirs? Madams? You're blocking the doorways, please." An overly polite bellhop nervously broke up the minmature reunion. Michael nodded.
"He's right. Let us resign to our fate." He joked.
The four of them alked into the hall and were immediatly swarmed. Usagi was swept away into a sea of women that she vaguely recognized, and Michael was in the center of a throng of men who were all congradulating him. Usagi watched him bow and shake hands, helpless, before turning her attention to her own questions and hugs.
Ikuko watched her daughter answer all the questions gracefully and politely. This was the happiest day of her entire life, she was sure. She'd all but given up hope on ever seeing her daughter again, and then here she was, happy and content.
MIchael was completely at home, amazed at how little changed when you were on the other side of the world and there were still cigar-smoking politicians congradulating on the beauty of his date.
A man speaking Japanese with a heavy French accent winked at him. "You should tie the knot with that one before she gets away, Stanton."
"I plan to." Michael fingered the box in his pocket. "Believe me, I plan to."
~'~
Not a single word about the next chapter from me! It's a bit plot piece, and completely evil! You'll see!
black beyond
black_beyond@hotmail.co,
Seeing Ghosts
~'~
hehehehehe, sorry it took so long, but this piece was a evil thing
to write. But I think you'll like it...
~'~
Twenty minutes into the meeting, and Hotaru and Minako still had not shown. The starlights had made an appearence, and were currently engaged in flirting with the other inner senshi. Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna were taking turns glaring at Mamoru and Keiko as they spoke in low tones.
"We have a photo shoot in half an hour." Yaten complained loudly. "Where's Minako and Hotaru?" He directed the question to the outer senshi. Haruka opened her mouth for a nasty retort, but never got the chance to deliver it.
"Heeeeeeeere's Minako!" The familiar blonde burst into the fire room, Hotaru following close behind.
"Yeah. Whatever." Hotaru swept the room with her intense violet gaze and then marched immediatly to her adoptive parents and said something that made all three of them forget about wishing for the death of Mamoru and grin widely.
"Okay, since we're all here..." Mamoru hesiated a little, and continued. "We can finally start the meeting. And this is impor--"
The door burst open, and another girl stepped into the room and slid it closed behind her. A black baseball cap was pulled low over her eyes.
"You were going to start without me, Mamo-chan?" She sounded wounded, moockingly hurt. "I'm absolutely shocked. Really, I am." He felt her eyes drift over the room. "Wow. All of you, in one room, without a fight. What a time to forget my camera."
As uncharacterisitic as anyone had ever seen the genius, Ami jumped to her feet with a squeal and tackled the newcomer, almost strangling her with a hug that rivaled Minako's.
"It's her!" Keiko shrieked, making the starlights jump. "She's the one that stole MY broach."
It was like a blizzard had suddenly decided to storm into the room. Everyone froze. Everyone except for the icey figure herself, who reached up, gracefully took the bill of her cap, and with a sweeping motion, pulled it off and shook her long, sunshine-gold pigtails down.
All eyes followed the streamers of hair up to a pair of yellow odango, set on top of a heart-shaped face they all knew too well.
"Usagi?" Rei asked stupidly.
"Who stole whose broach?" Usagi glared daggers at Keiko, who clutched a stock-still Mamoru's arm like a lifeline. "I think we all know who it belongs to, Keiko-san. And it isn't you."
"Go 'Sagi, Go 'Sagi, Go Sagi!" Minako chanted softly.
"Usa-chan..." Seiya stood up, smiling. He all but powerwalked to her and embraced her tenderly. She hugged him back, her scowl vanishing at the familar embrace.
"I missed you, Seiya." She whispered.
"I don't believe it." Makoto muttered, but raced Rei to Usagi anyway. They fought to hug her. Yaten stood back, but was grinning anyway as Ami rushed Taiki, dancing some weird jig.
"She's back she's back she's back!" Ami sang. "Back and back and back!"
"Your cousin, huh?" Rei asked a smirking Haruka.
"Hey, call it what you like." Haruka shrugged. "I tell some peopel Michiru's my cousin, too."
Michiru's eyebrows flew to her hairline and she turned on her koi. "You WHAT?"
Haruka had the grace to blush. "My mother would have died, Michiru. You've met her... and I heard you talking to your sister... I'm 'just a casual friend', am I?"
Michiru looked at the ceiling innocently.
"Hey, hey, everyone calm down for a moment." Hotaru shouted above the din, and Makoto reluctantly released her grip on the moon princess. "Besides her glorious return to Tokyo, Usagi has one more announcement." She grinned. "They're officially announcing it tonight, at some fancy banquet, but Minako here convinced Usagi that her closest friends deserve to find out before the rest of the world."
Usagi smiled, and Mamoru felt his heart climb into his throat and his stomach slam into his ankles. "Michael, my gorgeous, hunky boyfriend bought a ring. I'm really not supposed to know about it. But it's an engagement ring..." Her eyes glowed with the meaning of it.
Haruka's jaw hit the floor as everyone rushed-- everyone except Keiko and Mamoru-- to congradulate the happy blonde.
"HE WHAT?!" She sputtered. "But-- but-- but-- I'M BEST WOMAN, DAMN IT!"
"Mamo-chan..." Keiko tugged at Mamoru's arm. He hadn't moved, or breathed, since Usagi had removed her hat, but she had felt him tense at her announcement. Tense so tightly his muscles looked as though they might explode.
Usagi had noticed as well. Flashing her most beautiful smile at him, the small crowd parted as she stepped forward, and her face went serious. She was not acting now.
"Mamoru, I just want you to know I don't harbor any more hard feelings towards you. I've gotten over it, and moved on. I don't want to completely destroy your dignity or insult your intelligence by asking if we may 'just be friends'... but I'd like for you to be happy for me. Please?"
It was complete silence as everyone, even the little cricket in the corner, held their breath.
Mamoru let his breaht out little by little, and it took all of his years of discripiline to look his ex-girlfriend in the eye and nod as tightly as he could. "Alright, Usagi. I'm... Happy.... for you." He had to choke the words out, but he managed it.
Usagi flew into his arms, giving him a hug. "Thank you!" She smiled, and then stood back, giving Keiko the kindest glare she could. "Same for you, Keiko. It isn't your fault."
Keiko looked up at Mamoru. He did not look happy. She looked back at Usagi, and sighed, taking Usagi's extended hand. "Sure, Usagi. Besides, I've heard so much about you... it'd be nice if we could attempt being civil to one another."
Usagi's smiled lasted as she nodded, and turned back to the senshi.
"Somebody call for pizza! We're throwing a party. Anyone got a bone against sake? Because Hotaru... cough cough... just *happens* to have some..."
Half an hour later, several boxed of pizza were stacks around the room, someone had turned up the music to an almost unbearable level of sound, and Usagi and convinced Seiya to dance with her. And it didn't take a fool to see that Mamoru, sitting stiffly in a corner, was bordering between fury and heartbreak.
He had never imagined this.
He'd always expected Usagi to come back: he *knew* she couldn't stay away. But he'd expected his innocent, sweet, little-a-girl, bubbly blonde, which was his first mistake. The woman teaching Seiya how to dance to punk rock music was neither bubbly, nor sweet, nor innocent. And in the six years she had been gone, her figure had matured completely, leaving her with a body that could melt a glacier.
The second mistake was that he had expected her to forgive him and run back to his arms. She had-- but in a completely different way than he had wanted. *He* should be the one marrying her. Him, damn it!
MInako saw him glaring at Usagi and brought a box of pizza with her as she went to sit beside him. She offered it to him.
"Pepperoni and pineapple." She told him cheerfully, shoving the box him his face. He looked at her like she was crazy, forgetting he was evilly and insanely mad for a moment.
Minako shrugged and started on a slice. "You know," She remarked, following his glare as it settled back on Usagi. "she really is happy with Michael, Mamoru. Happier than I've ever seen her. Happier than I expected to be." She looked up at him. "You really didn't expect her to run back to you, did you?" She questioned. "You hurt her in so many ways."
"I didn't mean to." Mamoru muttered.
Minako's jaw hung loose for a second, and a flame was struck in her eyes as she closed it. "I think that you need to get over this. She has. And you seemed *quite* happy with Keiko." She stomped away angrily.
The exchange did not go unnoticed by Haruka. She took a long glance at Minako, who was stuffing pizza into her mouth as she fumed, and then at Mamoru, who was barely bothering to blink as he tried to maim Usagi with some sort of an eye laser-- oh, sorry. He was simply glaring so feircely his eyeballs might pop out. Excuse her.
"I don't think Mamoru is very happy." She commented to Setsuna, who sat beside her. Michiru was across the good-sized room trying to convince Ami to dance with her, just for one song, it couldn't hurt.
"What do you expect?" Setsuna chortled. "He's just learned that she wasn't dependant on him after all. It's a major crush to his extremely handsome ego."
"I'll second that. If looks could kill, Usagi would have never been born." Yaten took a seat behind the duo. "I mean, wow."
"Keiko's not taking it well, either." Setsuna indicated to the corner with the stereo, where the redhead was fumbling angrily with a pair of earplugs. "She knows that Mamoru still loved Usagi. This is the worst hour of her life. She has no idea if he'll keep her or drop her."
Yaten shrugged. "It's not really her fault, you know. She told Taiki awhile ago. She had no idea that Mamoru already had a girlfriend. And he offered the broach to her after she saw him turn into Tuxedo Kamen. She had no idea."
Haruka turned to give Yaten a dirty look. "Are you saying it's okay?" She demanded, daring him to argue.
Yaten laughed nervously, fearing for his life. "Uhm, no! Of course not! I was jsut saying..." Her eye twitched and he wisely chose to close his mouth.
"So... have they set a date yet?" He asked, and nearly melted with relief when Haruka stoped the death glare and actually smiled at him.
"Not yet." She answered.
Setsuna watched as Seiya almost fell over, partially from the dancing and mostly from the sake. "Usagi is visiting her parents day after tomorrow, because tomorrow she and Michael are going to a banquet. She and Michiru is going to spend the eariler part of tomorrow touching up Michael's Japanese, so that he won't say something that will make Kenji break a baseball bat over his head."
Setsuna suddenly chuckled mysteriously. "I don't think we'll have to worry about baseball bats."
Haruka frowned at her. "What do you mean?"
At the same time, Yaten wondered, "Aren't you suppose to keep those things secret?"
"I'm on vacation, damn it!" Setsuna cackled. "And no, there will be no baseball bat in two days. There will be an automatic shotgun, though." She began to hum the tune from Mission: Impossible and went in search of more pizza.
Yaten shook his head. "I think I missed something."
Haruka nodded slowly. "Me, too."
~'~
"Koneko, aren't you ready yet?"
"ALMOST! Leave me alone!"
"But Usa, we're going to be late!"
Hotaru answered for Usagi as she added a final touch of make-up to her princess's face. "EVER HEARD OF A WOMAN SCORNED?" She shrieked, pulling Usagi to her feet and spinning her around, straightening the slinky red dress at a rate that would have made Calvin Kline faint in jealousy.
Setsuna stepped forward, and together she and Hotaru inspected their handiwork.
"Well, I must say, your mother would kill me for letting you wear this." Setsuna remarked.
Hotaru grinned wickedly. "Mike's going to have to carry a club to beat the other guys off, Usagi. This dress is a knock-out." She whistled.
"What;s going on up there?" Michael called.
"Patience!" Setsuna muttered. Giving Usagi a final lookover, she smiled. "Alright, princess. You're good to go."
Usagi smiled, and looked in the mirror one final time.
~'~
She remembered when she was fourteen and had no confidence. Mamoru had never helped with that... he was a college guy, handsome, debonair, and utterly elegant, whereas she was the dumpy kid going through puberty and wondering why the hell she was on the arm of a god.
She was twenty-four now. Michael smiled warmly at her as he gave her his arm, and the butterflies that had errupted in her stomach, sending her back to fourteen, were hit with a can of Raid.
"Do you think I should take a baseball bat in with me?" He asked her, looking genuinely worried.
Forgetting how good of an acter he was for a moment, she frowned. "Why?"
Grin. "I'm going to have to beat the other guys off of you, Usa-chan. You're the most beautiful woman in the world."
She blushed, and hooked her gloved arm around his, and reached up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "Flattery gets you everywhere." She murmured in his ear, causing him to grin wolfishly.
She remembered the look he gave her as she waltzed down the stairs. SHe remembered the look *Haruka* had given her, and Haruka had already seen her in the dress.
She had gone accessory shopping with Setsuna. After a hour and a perfect pair of red stilletos, black gloves, and a necklace that would justify everything short of mass murder, she even had to admit that she was a knockout. It was sexy, but conservative enough to wear to the banquet without scandalizing too many people.
"I'm so nervous." She whispered to him, as they walked towards the huge glass doors, where two doormen in snazzy uniforms were at attention, ready to leapt to open the doors. "I know some of these people."
He smiled again. "Usagi, you're gorgeous, you're smart, and you're mine. You've got nothing to be nervous about... but if you feel uncomfortable, just catch my eye and I'll come rescue my damsel."
"I always wanted a knight with blonde curly hair." She teased.
She held his arma little tighter, though, as the doors were opened befoer them and Michael led her though.
She had been to several of these, but they were all in America, where the men in suits were unfamilar and all spoke several different accents of English and smoked cigars. The women were all older than she, more refined, more used to having everything offered to them on silver platters, and were never flustered to had to search for a word while covering their accents. The music had been strange, the food was even more so, and whenever Michael wasn't near she always felt like an intruder.
The strains of music that floated to her ears now was very familiar, ait soothed her a little. "I know this song." She said, smiling, the last of the butterflies vanishing. "It's my mother's favorite song."
The second the words left her lips, she heard another voice exclaim, "Oh, I just love this song, Shingo-chan."
She twisted around and got the second largest shock of her life. The first would come a few hours later.
It was her mother, on the arm of her much older, much more matured brother. Michael turned as well, curious to see what had caught his girlfriend's attention.
"Do you know them?" He asked quietly.
"Mama!" Her voice was a half squeak, half squeal.
Ikuko's blue eyes, which had been gazing into space, suddenly focused on the blonde woman in front of her, who was looking almost as startled as her date.
She felt her heart screech to a stop. "Usagi?!" She released her son's arm and tore her daughter away from Michael, hugging her as hard as she could. "Usagi!" She cried.
"Mama..." Usagi whispered, hugging her back, not caring about all the strange looks she was getting. "Oh, I missed you."
"How long--" Ikuko began, but Usagi answered.
"Just a couple of days. I was coming to see you tomorrow... but.... oh my god... Mama..." She hugged her again.
Shingo was standing, stunned. Michael was about the same, and he noticede Shingo.
"Hello, I'm Michael Stanton." He extended his hand. Shingo was confused for a moment, and then shook it warmly.
"I'm Shingo... Tsukino." His eyes were locked on his mother and his sister. "Geesh. Odango Atama grew up. She's actually pretty."
Michael followed his gaze. "Yeah. Pretty." He echoed, chuckling. "You're her..."
"Brother." He eyed Michael warily. "And you?"
Michael looked surprised. "Usa-chan never mentioned she had a brother. She's my girlfriend." He looked at Shingo closer. "You don't look at all alike."
"Flattery!" Usagi had overheard it.
The name finally registered with Shingo. "YOU'RE Michael Stanton?" His vocie held a note of excitement. "Hey, Odango, how did you manage to get one of the best diplomats in the free world as your date?"
"Six years and you haven't matured a bit." Usagi hugged him happily. "But you did grow." She added, dismayed to learn that she had to look up at him.
"Hn. You're just short."
"Shingo, be nice to your sister." Ikuko ordered sternly, and then giggled. "You're both grown adults and I have to treat you like a couple of squabling preteens." She wiped away her happy tears with a hankercheif and smiled at Michael. "Now, Usagi, why don't you introduce me to this dashing young man?"
Shingo leapt in.
"Mama, this is Michael *Stanton*, the guy that Father had been raving about. He's the one who drew up all those proposals and treatywork. He wrote a flawless contract between the government and the hospitals so that things would run smoother."
Michael pulled Usagi close. "None of it would have happened if it were not for this beautiful woman right here. She's behind all of it, I tell you."
Usagi went red. "Michael, I am not. Stop embarrassing me in front of my own mother."
"You had no qualms about seaizing every chance to embarrass me in front of mine--"
"Your sister and your mother both helped me!" She protested, looking up at him with an innocent pout. He melted.
"Alright, alright." He bowed respectfully to Ikuko, who returned it. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the family of the love of my life. I was beginning to think she just fell from heaven."
Usagi blushed an even darker shade of fushia and Ikuko smiled.
"Usagi? Heaven?" Shingo snorted. "Yeah. And I'm the king of the trolls."
"Sirs? Madams? You're blocking the doorways, please." An overly polite bellhop nervously broke up the minmature reunion. Michael nodded.
"He's right. Let us resign to our fate." He joked.
The four of them alked into the hall and were immediatly swarmed. Usagi was swept away into a sea of women that she vaguely recognized, and Michael was in the center of a throng of men who were all congradulating him. Usagi watched him bow and shake hands, helpless, before turning her attention to her own questions and hugs.
Ikuko watched her daughter answer all the questions gracefully and politely. This was the happiest day of her entire life, she was sure. She'd all but given up hope on ever seeing her daughter again, and then here she was, happy and content.
MIchael was completely at home, amazed at how little changed when you were on the other side of the world and there were still cigar-smoking politicians congradulating on the beauty of his date.
A man speaking Japanese with a heavy French accent winked at him. "You should tie the knot with that one before she gets away, Stanton."
"I plan to." Michael fingered the box in his pocket. "Believe me, I plan to."
~'~
Not a single word about the next chapter from me! It's a bit plot piece, and completely evil! You'll see!