**********
The Way We Weren't
Part 16
Author: Usa
Disclaimers in Part 1
**********
Usagi sat quietly in the waiting room, Iku clinging tightly to her. She hated hospitals. Ever since Yuuta died she hated them. Now they were waiting on word from the man who saved Iku's life.
She looked up to see Mamoru walking over to her. She closed her eyes. *Yuuta, what should I do?*
"How's she doing?" he asked, sitting down.
"She's still a bit shaken, but I think she'll be fine. Are you all right?"
Mamoru sighed and sat back in the chair. "I'm still trying to wrap my brain around everything. I never would have imagined Mari would do something like this. I've faced so much evil in my life, yet this was the worst."
Usagi nodded. "I understand. When the one you love is against you, whether by force or free will, it's hard to accept and deal with."
"Gomen, Usa," Mamoru replied. "I didn't mean to--"
She smiled. "It's okay."
"Furato-san?" Usagi nodded as the doctor walked over to her. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."
"Kami-sama!"
"I'm afraid so. We did everything we could, but the bullet hit him in the chest and he lost so much blood."
Usagi was somehow able to stand. Bowing slightly, she murmured a thank you to the doctor. He nodded and left them. Usagi just stood there, about to drop Iku.
"Usa!" Mamoru said, taking the little girl from her distraught mother. "Answer me."
She shook her head as if to clear it. "Why? Why did he have to die? It's not fair, Mamo-chan, it's not!" Usagi looked down at the floor. "Gomen..."
Mamoru laid Iku gently on one of the couches, then walked back over to Usagi. "What are you sorry about?" he asked.
"Well, for one, I'm acting like a child and two, I-I called you Mamo-chan."
She was still staring at the floor so Mamoru lifted her chin. "You're not acting like a child, you're just frustrated, Usa. You are the strongest person I have ever met. I still..." he trailed off.
"Still what, Mamo-chan?" she asked, her heart fluttering in her chest. She had a feeling she knew what he wanted to say.
"Mama!" Iku cried, before Mamoru could reply. "Mama!"
Usagi rushed to her daughter's side. "It's all right, sweetheart, Mama's here."
Mamoru watched the exchange and smiled warmly. He suddenly heard a soft voice in his head. 'Protect them and love them, Mamoru.'
*I will, Yuuta. I will.*
*************
After putting Iku in her bed, Usagi joined Mamoru on the balcony. It was a peaceful night. She silently took his hand. "Usako," he whispered, turning to face her.
"Hai?"
"I wanted to continue our conversation from the hospital." Usagi nodded and smiled encouragingly at him. "What I was saying is that I still love you."
"I still love you, Mamo-chan. I think forgetting you has made my love for you stronger. Does that sound silly?"
He shook his head. "Not at all, Tenshi. I only wished it had helped me to believe your were still alive. When you didn't come home that night, I was so scared. You had asked me not to follow you and I listened. I felt horrible, wondering what I could have done to save you."
"You can't live your life wondering what could have happened, Mamo-chan. I know that now. I lived with Yuuta's cousin before we got married. I kept asking myself 'What if I hadn't lost my memories?', 'What if I had been somewhere else?'. I didn't understand the answers until now.
"I wouldn't have met Yuuta and I wouldn't have had Iku. I've learned to accept it and that's what you have to do."
Mamoru smiled. Usagi had never seemed more alive to him than at that moment. She had grown and matured in a way he never thought possible. *I guess this is what will make her such a wonderful queen,* he thought to himself.
"Mama." The couple looked down at Iku. She was rubbing her tired eyes. "I trying to sleep."
"Were we too loud, baby?" Usagi asked, bending down to pick her up.
Iku shook her head. "No, I had a dream. Papa told me Mamo-chan would take care of us. That true?" she asked hopefully.
"That's true," Usagi replied.
"Very true, Ikuko."
Iku grinned, holding her arms out to him. "Hold me!"
"You don't have to ask me twice."
Tears pooled in Usagi's eyes as she watched Iku tell Mamoru a joke. They were going to be all right. *Arigatou, Yuuta, for everything!*
The Way We Weren't
Part 16
Author: Usa
Disclaimers in Part 1
**********
Usagi sat quietly in the waiting room, Iku clinging tightly to her. She hated hospitals. Ever since Yuuta died she hated them. Now they were waiting on word from the man who saved Iku's life.
She looked up to see Mamoru walking over to her. She closed her eyes. *Yuuta, what should I do?*
"How's she doing?" he asked, sitting down.
"She's still a bit shaken, but I think she'll be fine. Are you all right?"
Mamoru sighed and sat back in the chair. "I'm still trying to wrap my brain around everything. I never would have imagined Mari would do something like this. I've faced so much evil in my life, yet this was the worst."
Usagi nodded. "I understand. When the one you love is against you, whether by force or free will, it's hard to accept and deal with."
"Gomen, Usa," Mamoru replied. "I didn't mean to--"
She smiled. "It's okay."
"Furato-san?" Usagi nodded as the doctor walked over to her. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."
"Kami-sama!"
"I'm afraid so. We did everything we could, but the bullet hit him in the chest and he lost so much blood."
Usagi was somehow able to stand. Bowing slightly, she murmured a thank you to the doctor. He nodded and left them. Usagi just stood there, about to drop Iku.
"Usa!" Mamoru said, taking the little girl from her distraught mother. "Answer me."
She shook her head as if to clear it. "Why? Why did he have to die? It's not fair, Mamo-chan, it's not!" Usagi looked down at the floor. "Gomen..."
Mamoru laid Iku gently on one of the couches, then walked back over to Usagi. "What are you sorry about?" he asked.
"Well, for one, I'm acting like a child and two, I-I called you Mamo-chan."
She was still staring at the floor so Mamoru lifted her chin. "You're not acting like a child, you're just frustrated, Usa. You are the strongest person I have ever met. I still..." he trailed off.
"Still what, Mamo-chan?" she asked, her heart fluttering in her chest. She had a feeling she knew what he wanted to say.
"Mama!" Iku cried, before Mamoru could reply. "Mama!"
Usagi rushed to her daughter's side. "It's all right, sweetheart, Mama's here."
Mamoru watched the exchange and smiled warmly. He suddenly heard a soft voice in his head. 'Protect them and love them, Mamoru.'
*I will, Yuuta. I will.*
*************
After putting Iku in her bed, Usagi joined Mamoru on the balcony. It was a peaceful night. She silently took his hand. "Usako," he whispered, turning to face her.
"Hai?"
"I wanted to continue our conversation from the hospital." Usagi nodded and smiled encouragingly at him. "What I was saying is that I still love you."
"I still love you, Mamo-chan. I think forgetting you has made my love for you stronger. Does that sound silly?"
He shook his head. "Not at all, Tenshi. I only wished it had helped me to believe your were still alive. When you didn't come home that night, I was so scared. You had asked me not to follow you and I listened. I felt horrible, wondering what I could have done to save you."
"You can't live your life wondering what could have happened, Mamo-chan. I know that now. I lived with Yuuta's cousin before we got married. I kept asking myself 'What if I hadn't lost my memories?', 'What if I had been somewhere else?'. I didn't understand the answers until now.
"I wouldn't have met Yuuta and I wouldn't have had Iku. I've learned to accept it and that's what you have to do."
Mamoru smiled. Usagi had never seemed more alive to him than at that moment. She had grown and matured in a way he never thought possible. *I guess this is what will make her such a wonderful queen,* he thought to himself.
"Mama." The couple looked down at Iku. She was rubbing her tired eyes. "I trying to sleep."
"Were we too loud, baby?" Usagi asked, bending down to pick her up.
Iku shook her head. "No, I had a dream. Papa told me Mamo-chan would take care of us. That true?" she asked hopefully.
"That's true," Usagi replied.
"Very true, Ikuko."
Iku grinned, holding her arms out to him. "Hold me!"
"You don't have to ask me twice."
Tears pooled in Usagi's eyes as she watched Iku tell Mamoru a joke. They were going to be all right. *Arigatou, Yuuta, for everything!*