Disclaimers and author's note at the end of chapter two.
Sleeper
By: Masked Maiden
Chapter Two: Having Children
It was a tradition for the Tsukino Family to come together at least
once every other week. Ever since Shingo married Kayama Mika and moved
out a few months ago, it was, customarily, the only time Kenji and
Ikuko ever saw their children. The family would eat dinner, and then
afterwards they would sit in the living room and catch up with all that
was happening in their lives. Usagi and Mamoru took that opportunity
to tell everyone their little secret.
Ikuko was ecstatic. She wrapped her arms around her only daughter and
hugged her tightly, announcing in a tearful voice, "My baby is having a
baby!"
Shingo was lounging on the couch with his wife, snickering to himself.
"It's about time, Baka," he teased. "I thought you'd never live up to
your name!" Mika shot her husband a cold glare, and she took the
liberty of taking his baseball cap and whacking him with it a couple of
times. Shingo snatched it from Mika and placed it back on his head.
"All right, all right," he gave in. "Congrats!"
Kenji shook his head at the two newlyweds, yet he agreed with Shingo.
It was about time. He accepted years ago that his little girl was now
a young (and married) woman. He knew Usagi always wanted a husband and
children, and Mamoru wanted the family he didn't have when growing up.
Four years was a long time, at least to Kenji, for any woman who wanted
children to become pregnant. Good things came to those who wait, he
supposed.
"Let's just hope he's nothing like his father," Kenji kidded.
Mamoru smirked, "And let's hope he's nothing like his grandpa."
"Or she," Mika corrected. "It could be a girl. What do you think,
Usagi-chan? Are you and Mamoru-kun going to find out if it's a boy or
a girl?"
Usagi took her seat on the couch, next to her husband. She merely
shrugged and answered, "We haven't even talked about that. It doesn't
matter to me, though."
"That's right," Ikuko smiled. "As long as you give me a healthy
grandbaby then nothing else matters."
"You need to find out," Shingo urged, "because I need to know if I'm
going to be an aunt or an uncle."
Usagi rolled her eyes at her little brother. "Shingo, if you really
need to know for sure then go to the bathroom and drop your pants."
Shingo turned a beet red while everyone else in the living room rolled
with laughter. Even Mika joined in. She fell back into Shingo's lap
and continued chortling. He folded his arms and hung his head. No
respect, he mused, no respect at all.
"Shingo, you know we love you," cooed Usagi.
Shingo leered, "Sure you do..."
~*~*~
Tomoe Hotaru woke up to an odd, though innate tingling sensation. She
felt through the darkness for her alarm clock and turned it around so
to check the time. She groaned into her pillow. It was three o'clock
in the morning, and she had to use the bathroom.
Hotaru pushed aside the covers and swung her feet over the edge of the
bed. She stood, taking a break to yawn, and dragged her body toward
the bathroom. It just had to be on the other side of the hallway, she
mentally griped. Hotaru passed Setsuna's bedroom and Haruka and
Michiru's room before she stopped in front of the closed door to the
bathroom. She knocked on the door, thinking someone was inside. When
there was no response Hotaru opened the door, only to notice one thing.
The lights were already on.
Hotaru shrugged it off, suspecting that Haruka had accidentally left
the lights on. (And she was known to close the door behind her for...
lingering reasons.) Hotaru stepped into the bathroom and closed the
door behind her. From the corner of her eye, the light switch caught
her attention. Sleep melted away and her adrenaline accelerated. Why
were the lights on when the switch indicated they were turned off?
Her surroundings changed. Rivulets of steam emerged and thickened into
a moist fog that enveloped the closed off area and dampened Hotaru's
entire body. Hotaru attempted to open the door yet the knob would not
turn. She spun around, chest heaving and eyes expressing great
trepidation, and from the center of the room two silhouettes, one male
and one female came into view. Hotaru raised her hand and called for
her henshin wand.
"Saturn Planet Power, Make up!"
Nothing happened.
That was when she backed into the door and screamed for her family.
Haruka snapped form her sleep and climbed over Michiru as she hurried
to her daughter. Yet her feet became entangled with the bed sheets,
and as she leapt from the bed she fell face first on the carpet.
Setsuna and Michiru ran down the corridor. Haruka picked herself up
and followed them.
"Hotaru!" Haruka called out. "Hotaru, what's wrong?"
There was no response.
Michiru pointed to the floor. "Haruka, look!"
Fog billowed through the bottom of the door and concealed the hardwood
floor, coming up to the ankles of the three women. Haruka, Michiru,
and Setsuna stared at one another, all sharing the same thought.
"Uranus Planet Power, Make up!"
"Neptune Planet Power, Make up!"
"Pluto Planet Power, Make up!"
A kaleidoscope of colors and energies engulfed the women as they
henshin into the Outer Sailor Senshi. A transformation that seemed
long and extensive (and in combat, vulnerable) only took the blink of
an eye to complete. As the magic subsided, Sailorpluto stepped forward
and starting banging on the door.
"Hotaru, answer us!" she pleaded. The banging continued and now
included Sailorneptune trying to turn the doorknob. "Answer us,
please!"
Sailoruranus decided to take matters into her own hands, which meant
using the direct approach. Stepping forward she pushed Neptune and
Pluto aside. She balled her fist as if she were preparing to spike a
volleyball and positioned it dangerously close to the door. Golden
light radiated from her clenched fist, shaping into a sphere of
alchemy.
"World Shaking!"
The booming sound from the explosion filled the house. Wooden
splinters meshed with the opaque fog as it streamed into the hall. It
dissipated until all had vanished and darkness occupied the bathroom
once more.
Hotaru stood in the middle of the room, back towards the door and her
loved ones. Her violet eyes were fixated on the spot where the male
and female silhouettes appeared and revealed their identities. Her
mind reeled from what had just been exposed to her. A delicate hand
touched her shoulder. Hotaru turned her head and saw Neptune and
Uranus standing beside her, both of their faces etched with concern.
"Hotaru, what happened?" Neptune asked.
The young woman tried to find the words to describe the vision she had
witnessed, but all she could utter were three syllables.
"The Great Freeze."
~*~*~
Monday, two days later...
When Usagi graduated from Juuban High School, everyone assumed she
would marry Mamoru and not further her education. School had always
been a struggle for her. No matter how hard she studied for a test
Usagi never made the grades she desperately strove for. But after a
week or so of freedom from school, Usagi realized there was more to
life than marriage and waiting for the future to arrive. She wanted,
needed something that was only for her, and a college degree was the
perfect goal. She enrolled in the fall semester at Minato-ku Technical
College and three years later she earned her associate's degree in
early childhood education.
Nowadays Usagi lived in the suburbs with her husband and worked at a
local daycare center. Usagi loved her job, for it gave her a sense of
genuine fulfillment. As Sailormoon she knew she'd made an impact in
the world, but what had Chiba Usagi done? Her husband and friends all
had their answers to that question but Usagi now had one of her own.
She was setting a positive example for the future, the children she
cared for. It wasn't a glamorous job, or one that paid well, but Usagi
received her reward each time she saw that she'd made a difference in a
child's life.
"And in the international news, there are no updates concerning the car
bombing that occurred in South Africa. On Saturday afternoon two
physicians were killed in the bombing at Cape Town University Medical
Center. Authorities have yet to give out the identities of the
physicians, and so far there are no suspects or leads as to why--"
Usagi changed the radio station while waiting for the traffic light to
turn green. Once it did so she continued onward to the daycare. Her
mind was on one child in particular that morning, as it had been for
the past two days. It was her child, the one she'd been praying to
have for three years.
Now Usagi and Mamoru were well aware that ChibiUsa was their future
daughter. They remembered her days of training, when she lived amongst
them and the Sailor Senshi. But after ChibiUsa returned to Crystal
Tokyo, Usagi thought about how the knowledge of her future affected her
dreams. Before ChibiUsa dropped into her life and before she ever met
Mamoru, Usagi dreamed of getting married and having two or three
children, maybe more. But was ChibiUsa her only child? If she wasn't,
why didn't her sibling (or siblings) time travel with her to Tokyo
during the Black Moon attack? This puzzled Usagi and she eventually
shared her thoughts with Mamoru.
Mamoru saw his glimpse into the future as a security blanket. Despite
the war against the Black Moon Clan, he discovered that he would one
day have the family he longed for while growing up. But there were
still things about the future that weren't unveiled, and that was his
answer to Usagi's question. They concluded that nothing should affect
their dreams. The future was not set in stone. It was theirs to
create, and possibly theirs to change. So when Usagi and Mamoru got
married in September of 2000, they decided they wanted to have more
than one child.
During their first year of marriage Usagi and Mamoru did use
contraceptives. Mamoru was still in graduate school, a year away from
having his doctorate's degree in emergency medicine. Usagi was just
beginning her career at the daycare. They thought it was wise for them
to have at least one year to themselves, simply as husband and wife.
But when it was confirmed that Mamoru would carry out his residency at
Tokyo Memorial Hospital, he and Usagi seriously started trying to have
a baby.
It was easier said than done. After two years of trying Usagi wasn't
pregnant. Usagi grew concern, more than she let on, and decided to do
some research on the matter. But with every web site she visited and
every article for read, Usagi became somewhat paranoid. Was fate
simply telling her that ChibiUsa was her only child? If so then Usagi
could learn to accept that. But what if it was something else? What
if there was something wrong with her?
"Who knows? It could be me," Mamoru once suggested, more serious than
he wanted to admit. "I've been beaten, stabbed, brainwashed... there's
no telling what else's been done to me."
Rei, Makoto, and Minako all attempted to ease Usagi's worries, and with
the best of intentions. Patience was a virtue, they told her, and if
it didn't happen she still had ChibiUsa. But Ami knew their comfort
didn't help matters, especially when Rei and Makoto were married with
children. Ami was a third year medical student at the time, with an
interest in obstetrics and gynecology. Everyday she saw women who were
in the same boat Usagi was in, including those who wanted a second
child. So she suggested for Usagi and Mamoru to meet with a fertility
specialist at Juuban District Medical Center.
The specialist was a woman who'd been in the same situation as most of
her patients, which was why several physicians spoke highly of her: she
knew exactly what many couples were going through. She went over
Usagi's medical and family history, along with Mamoru's medical
history. Then there were the embarrassing questions (at least to
Usagi), the tests, and finally the results. But after a month of
waiting for an explanation, the specialist concluded that there wasn't
anything medically wrong.
"It's unfortunately common," she told them, "and besides timed
intercourse there isn't a specific treatment."
That night Usagi could do nothing but cry. She was fed up with putting
on a one-woman show whenever she was around her friends, for inside she
was alone and dying. It seemed to her that everyone was either having
a baby or was expecting. Motoki and Reika had their little girl, who
was now five years old and starting kindergarten. Makoto and her
fiancé (now husband) had a baby girl six months ago. Rei and
Yuuichirou were married only five months after Usagi and Mamoru; they
had a three-year-old son.
Usagi remembered one incident involving Rei. It was when her son, Tomi
was going through the "terrible twos" stage, thus driving his parents
and great-grandfather crazy. Rei scolded Tomi for something -- Usagi
couldn't recall what -- and then vented her frustration toward her best
friend. Usagi listened, and when Rei was finished she smiled and said,
"You're still very blessed." Unintentionally her comment made Rei feel
guilty and afterwards Usagi wished she'd never said it, though a part
of her was thrilled she had.
When will it be my turn, she once thought. She wasn't the oldest but
she was the first to have a boyfriend, the first to be kissed and the
first to get married. She was supposed to be the first to have a baby!
But why hadn't she? Why hadn't she been blessed with a child yet?
Almost four months passed before Usagi and Mamoru went back to the
specialist at Juuban District Medical Center. As she'd told them there
were no specific treatments, but there were several alternatives and
they ranged from fertility drugs to in-vitro fertilization. Usagi and
Mamoru agreed to try the fertility drugs, though as their last resort.
If Usagi wasn't pregnant by the end of the treatment, they would
surrender to fate. So Usagi took six cycles of clomid, five days a
month for six months. Each month she took a pregnancy test, and each
month the results were negative. By the final month, Usagi assumed
fate had won.
And that's when she found out she was finally pregnant.
Usagi heard her cell phone chirp from inside her pocketbook. Keeping
an eye on the road and one hand on the steering wheel, Usagi dug around
until she felt her phone. She flipped it open and answered it. It was
Makoto.
"Usagi-chan, I hate asking you on short notice," Makoto apologized,
"but I'm in a bind. The babysitter called a few minutes ago and said
she was sick. Could you watch over Sumire for a couple of hours this
afternoon?"
Usagi smiled to herself. With Makoto managing a restaurant from noon
to eight o'clock, and with her husband working at a law firm an hour
away, the couple needed a babysitter to look after their daughter in
the afternoons. When the usual babysitter couldn't make it, either
Usagi or Rei would.
"I'll be at the restaurant right after work!" Usagi promised. "I have
something to tell you and everyone else this afternoon anyway. Could
you go me a favor and call Rei-chan for me? Tell her to meet me at the
restaurant around four. Have her call Ami-chan and Minako-chan to tell
them the same thing."
"Hey, are you keeping a secret from us?" Makoto teased. "You better
tell me. Come on, I won't say anything. I'll act surprise when
everyone else finds out."
"I'll tell you when I see you. Will you call Rei-chan?"
"Of course I will. It's the least I can do, and it's probably the only
way I'll find out anything! I'll see you in a few hours, Usagi-chan."
"Bye, Mako-chan."
Usagi pulled into the parking lot of the daycare center just as some of
the parents were dropping off their children. As she entered the
building she was greeted by one of the little boys she took care of.
There was a huge grin on his face, along with something green on his
finger, which he directly pointed in Usagi's face.
"Chiba-sensei! Look, look! I got a boogie!"
A squeamish grin etched itself on Usagi's face. Oh yes, she just
couldn't wait for motherhood.
~*~*~
On the third floor of Tokyo Memorial Hospital, in the annex designated
to obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Mizuno Ami was thankful she was going
home.
Her morning had not been a pleasant one. Passers-by could tell from
the expression on her face, from the look in her eyes. It was all she
could do to refrain from crying. She had to leave, find her place of
solace and release her tears.
She had performed an emergency cesarean section that morning. The
baby's heart rate became erratic, for the umbilical cord had wrapped
around his neck. During the cesarean Ami focused her attention towards
the baby, her mind infested with her typical fears and worries. But
once the baby was delivered and crying uncontrollably, Ami became more
at ease and the nagging thoughts in the back of her mind ceased. The
cesarean had turned out to be a textbook procedure. But then the
unexpected happened.
"... We couldn't stop the bleeding. I'm sorry, sir, but your wife didn't
make it."
Ami was not used to death, or better yet, defeat. Detached from her
surroundings she stepped into the empty elevator and relived the
memories, watching them second by second with her mind's eyes. She
knew death was the only absolute in life, but what was the purpose for
a twenty-eight-year-old woman to die before she even had the chance to
hold her firstborn? Ami couldn't think of an explanation, except that
she must have done something wrong.
"Ami?"
The physician had not noticed that the elevator doors were open, or
that a masculine hand kept them from closing. Ami raised her head and
stared into the gray eyes of one of the nurses who worked at Memorial.
The temporary walls she'd placed around her emotions started to
crumble, and a single tear fell down her cheek.
"Ami, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.
"Nothing," she lied.
"There's got to be something wrong. Come on."
The young man wrapped an arm around Ami's shoulders and led her to the
snack room located down the hallway. There he bought Ami a can of diet
soda and once more asked her what was troubling her. Ami sat down,
stared at the unopened aluminum can in her hands, and slowly retold the
events of that morning. She was careful to keep her voice from
cracking, though now and then she stopped to wipe the tears from her
eyes. Through it all, the nurse listened.
"Oh yeah, the Sakurai boy," he finally said. "He was brought into the
NICU a few minutes ago. I must have left before the father came in to
see him, though."
"Hideki, I feel like there's something I should have done," Ami
confided, and addressing the nurse by his given name. "It's like... I
was more worried about the baby. But I'm an obstetrician, not a
pediatrician. I should have paid more attention to the mother..."
"Ami," Hideki interrupted, grabbing a chair and sitting down next to
her, "I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You're not perfect."
Hideki Phillips was the oldest son of an American marine and a Japanese
schoolteacher. He was a military brat, living on the base in Japan
from almost twelve years. His family moved to America, where he
graduated from college and attended two years of college at Brown
University in Rhode Island. Hideki then decided to move back to Japan,
the only place he ever considered to be home. He entered the nursing
program at Tokyo University and now worked at Memorial as a RN for the
neonatal intensive care unit. Then almost eight months ago, he met
Ami. He loved her so much. Her determination and strife for
perfection was one of her many traits that he admired, and yet he could
also see how it was one of her weaknesses.
Ami just shook her head. "I know that, but--"
"I don't think you do," Hideki interrupted. "Ami, I know you're still
considered a rookie around here, but you have to accept that people
die, even in the field of obstetrics. And it's not your fault. It was
just her time to go. We can't change fate."
Ami rested her head on Hideki's shoulder. "So when does the pain go
away?"
"I don't think ever goes away. You just learn to not let it get to
you. But let's stop talking about death right now." Hideki put on a
cheesy grin and eyed Ami. "Let's talk about your lovely mother."
Ami broke into laughter. "What has Mom done to you now?" she inquired.
"Nothing, except that she's been interrogating me about that ring on
your finger. I know you want to wait until your father's in town, but
everyone else knows. Can't we just tell her that we're engaged?"
~*~*~
Kumada-Hino Rei strolled through the Hikawa Jinga's courtyard and
admired the sights of the cherry trees with their autumn foliage.
Golden yellow, flaming red and bright orange leaves fell gently in the
cool breeze and littered the ground. They were so tranquil and elegant,
yet they were a menace to her husband. Yuuichirou grumbled every time
a layer of fallen leaves formed in a place he'd just raked clean.
Tomi, their three-year-old son did not seem to mind the crackling
litter. He played in the leaves more than he helped his daddy.
Instead of dumping the leaves in the half-full garbage bag he tossed
them around, picked them up and then trashed them. Rei laughed and
stopped to watch her little boy. It brought her much joy just to see
him smile.
Yuuichirou soon noticed his son's unique game. With an impish grin he
dropped his rake and charged at Tomi. He grabbed him and carried him
over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. As Tomi hollered with
glee, Yuuichirou held him upside down and teasingly threatened to drop
him in the garbage bag.
"I'll throw you out with the trash!"
Tomi giggled, "Daddy, you wouldn't..."
"That's right, Daddy, you wouldn't," Rei called out.
Yuuichirou set Tomi on his feet (before all the blood rushed to his
head) and gave his wife a kiss. Tomi went back to playing with the
leaves, occasionally putting some in the garbage bag when he thought of
it.
"You know, I think he's hindering you more than helping you," Rei
commented.
Yuuichirou just shrugged. "Ah, let him play. You're only young once.
Besides, in a few minutes he'll get bored and start bothering Grandpa."
He picked up his rake and continued raking leaves. "So what is it you
want to ask me?"
"What makes you think I want to ask you something?"
"I don't know. Just a feeling that I have... Well, that and I know you
too well."
Rei laughed. "Well, if you must know, Mako-chan called a few minutes
ago. Usagi wants everyone to meet her at the restaurant this evening.
It sounds important, whatever it is, and I'm supposed to call Minako-
chan and Ami-chan and inform them about the meeting. I just wanted to
know if you had any plans for today. I don't think it's a meeting Tomi
can tag along on."
"Nope, I don't have anything planned. Although..." There was a
mischievous twinkle in Yuuichirou as he stared at his wife. "I may
have some plans for tonight. I have reservations to this very nice
French restaurant and I need to find someone to go with me. You don't
know anyone that would like to go, do you?"
Rei picked her jaw up from the ground. "What's the occasion?" she
inquired. "Not that we need an occasion..."
"The occasion is I finally saved enough money to take you there. I
wanted to take you for our anniversary, but that's five months away and
I knew I'd spend the money by then."
That was a horrible lie, Rei mused. Yuuichirou was very conservative
with his money. He'd created a budget when he and Rei were married and
he followed it to the minor details. She, however, was the one he
loved to spend money. She didn't always follow the budget.
"I think there's more to your story," Rei pointed her finger at
Yuuichirou. She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Come on. I'll give you a kiss if you tell me."
"Mommy! Daddy! What are you doing?"
~*~*~
Mamoru loved his job. Ever since he was eight years old he wanted to
be a doctor, to save the dying and heal the sick. Yet there were a few
things concerning his profession that he despised. The perfume that
several nurses were known to wear was one thing. It was overwhelming,
with the strength to suffocate anyone who walked by, and Mamoru knew
there were asthma patients who did not deserve such torture. Then
there was his on-call duty every five weeks, when he had to stay at the
hospital for 30 hours straight, sometimes more. He always came home
and "pulled an Usako", which meant sleeping for 10 hours or more. But
the number one thing Mamoru loathed was when another doctor dumped his
or her patients onto him. They were usually the simple cases, the ones
the medical students should have been given. But for some reason,
Mamoru always seemed to receive his share.
This one, however, Mamoru did not mind as much. It took him to the
pediatric ward of the trauma center. All morning Mamoru had dodged
Motoki, hoping against hope that his friend wouldn't find him and
demand to know why he left Saturday... and not come back. Not that he
didn't want to tell Motoki the good news, he just didn't have the time
until his lunch break.
Mamoru reviewed the medical chart and entered the examination room.
His patient was a little girl, six years old, who sat in her
grandmother's lap. She hid her face when he sat down on the swiveling
stool in front of them. Mamoru didn't blame her. Every child had two
main phobias whenever they visited the doctor: "Is this going to hurt?"
and "Am I getting a shot?"
"She accidentally knocked down a vase when she was helping me clean the
living room this morning," the child's grandmother explained. "When
she tried to pick up the broken pieces she got some of the glass stuck
in her hands. I tried my best to clean her hands but I think there's
still some glass in them."
Mamoru scooted closer to the child and tickled her under her armpit.
She didn't smile, though she slightly turned her head and started at
him with her big brown eyes. It was the same look Mamoru saw in many
children. All they wanted to do was go home. They didn't care if
anything was wrong with them. Everything was scary and they just
wanted to go home.
"Hey there," Mamoru warmly greeted. "What's your name?"
The girl mumbled, "Yumiko."
"Yumiko-chan, it's nice to meet you. My name is Dr. Chiba. Can I look
at your hands for a few minutes?"
Hesitant at first, Yumiko unwillingly offered her hands. Mamoru
unwrapped the bandages and inspected the cuts. "That doesn't look too
bad..." Most of the cuts were superficial and there was slight bleeding,
but there were still shards of glass embedded in the wounds. Mamoru
took a pair of tweezers and carefully picked out each piece one by one.
"You're a very brave girl, Yumiko-chan," Mamoru praised, "but now you
need to prove how brave you really are. You see, while your grandma
did a good job cleaning your hands, you need a couple of stitches, and
you do need a shot. Now don't cry, okay? We don't want your hands to
get infected."
Yumiko asked the most famous question. "Will it hurt?"
"It might for a second or two. But if you're brave girl and don't cry,
I'm sure your grandma will take you out for ice cream." Mamoru was
always cautious with using the bribing method. He remembered that his
father used it on him when he was little... and it never worked.
Thankfully Yumiko became quite excited with the idea of having ice
cream before lunch. She was stitched up and then poked with a needle.
However, she received two shots instead of one, one in each hand.
Mamoru cunningly concealed the second shot and threw the needle away
before the girl realized she'd been tricked. With one patient down and
several more to go, Mamoru headed back to the main section of the
emergency room.
"So that's where you've been hiding."
Mamoru paused and looked over his shoulder. Motoki stood less than a
meter away from him, arms folded and an inquiring expression written on
his face. Mamoru inwardly groaned. No matter what he attempted,
Motoki wasn't going to leave him alone until he told the complete
truth.
"So you found me..." Mamoru muttered.
"This ER is only so big, you know..." Motoki smiled and cocked his head
to the side. "It's almost noon," he said. "Want to grab a bite to
eat?"
~*~*~
Aino Minako sat on a stool next to a stainless steel counter that was
located in the kitchen of the restaurant owned by her dear friend,
Morioka Makoto. She had the urge to punch Makoto. She wanted to grab
her by the throat, strangle her and tear her into shreds with her two
bare hands. Afterwards she wanted to cry out savagely and dance around
Makoto's remains, maybe even throw them into a raging incinerator and
dump her ashes down the toilet. Or maybe she could just strap her to a
747 headed for Antarctica. Makoto always hated airplanes.
But of course, it was all illegal, and impossible. Minako was the
leader of the Inner Senshi, yet Makoto was more physically apt than she
was. In other words, Makoto could beat the crap out of her! And this
was all because she said, "It doesn't do you any good to get upset.
You should just ignore your mother and live your life the way you want
to."
For the past six years, Mrs. Aino had dropped subtle hints of her
aspirations concerning her only child. They were not wishes for Minako
to reach the stars and follow her dream of becoming an actress and
singer, but practically demands for her to settle down with a suitable
husband and give her a grandchild or two. In truth, Minako would
probably give up her dreams if it meant finding her true love. She
still had the fantasy of a handsome man who would give her a bouquet of
flowers and say to her, "Young lady, will you go out with me tonight?"
She wanted what Ami had with her fiancé and what Usagi, Rei, and Makoto
had with their husbands. Yet it seemed love always passed her by. Was
she really cursed?
Cursed or not, her mother never helped matters. "Minako, you're a
beautiful woman, but you're not getting any younger," she would say.
"You need to find a husband. If your so-called career doesn't pan out,
who will be there to support you?" Who could possibly ignore that? A
great actress, Minako told herself. Ignoring was only acting. If it
were any other person Minako could ignore them, but she could not put
on a show when it came to her mother, no matter how much she desired
to. Her words pierced her too deeply.
Makoto sensed her friend's frustration, and she understood how it felt
to be lonely. She once thought she would never find a man who could
love her. She was not the ideal woman, more of an oxymoron: strong and
athletic yet the example of the perfect homemaker. But that was three
years ago. Makoto now had her husband and her daughter. She just
wished Minako could find someone.
"You okay, Minako-chan?" she asked.
Minako shrugged with indifference. "I guess so," she sighed. "Just
because I can't stand my mother at times doesn't mean my life is a
complete living hell." She glanced at her watch. "I should head for
the studio. I have a photo shoot in thirty minutes."
"I wish you could make the meeting this evening. Usagi-chan sounds
like she has some big news to tell us. What do you think it could be?"
"Knowing her it could be anything. I just hope it's good news and not
bad news. I'll call her tonight and find out."
"Well before you go... Ami-chan and I were talking this morning. She
knows this guy who works at Minato City General." Makoto smiled. "We
think he would be perfect for you."
Minako perked up, acting more like herself. "Is he a doctor?"
"No..."
"A nurse? Hey, those male nurses look extremely sexy in those
uniforms. Especially Hideki-kun, but don't tell Ami-chan I said that..."
"No, he isn't a nurse. He's an organ transplant coordinator for the
hospital."
Minako raised an eyebrow, terribly dumbstruck. "He's a what?"
"He's the person who finds hearts and lungs and other organs for people
who need transplants. His job keeps him busy most of the time but I'm
sure he would love to go out with you. If you're interested, I'll tell
Ami-chan and she'll work something out."
Minako jumped in the air with enthusiasm and giggled with glee. She
then ran up to Makoto and fiercely hugged her, nearly knocking the wind
of out her. It was all Makoto could do to keep from hitting some sense
into her friend. But then it wasn't every day Minako was guaranteed a
date.
"Thank you!" Minako exclaimed. It was all she could possibly say.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
~*~*~
It was twenty past three o'clock before Mamoru and Motoki were able to
escape from the emergency room. A mugger snatched a woman's purse just
before running into the street and colliding into a sports car going
over 90 kilometers per hour. He would probably never regain all the
use of his legs. Then came a lady who suffered severe stomach pains,
which turned out to an ectopic pregnancy. She was given to the chief
obstetrician and was now in surgery. It was days like this one that
made Mamoru remember why chose emergency medicine instead of his first
choice, genetics: each day was different, and each day brought new
challenges. There was no way he could ever become bored.
For lunch Mamoru and Motoki went to the hospital's cafeteria, which
sadly reminded them too much of their high school days. Yet because
the emergency room was busier than usual (if anyone could believe
that), neither wanted to eat lunch off the hospital's premises. Once
the two were seated, Mamoru retold Saturday's events to Motoki, who
paid close attention to every word spoken.
"Usako finished her last cycle of clomid a couple of weeks ago and
Saturday she wanted to take a pregnancy test." Mamoru went on to
explain, "The original plan was for her to buy the test, take it and
call me at work when she found out the results. I knew I had to come
to work because of the disaster drill. But Usako called and said she
just couldn't take the pregnancy test alone. I didn't blame her one
bit, and I was glad in a way because I wanted to be there as well. So
I found a way to leave work early. And before you even ask, we didn't
say anything because we didn't want to get anyone's hopes up,
especially ours."
Motoki nodded, finished chewing his bit of salad and swallowed. "So
what was it?" he asked.
"What was what?"
The blond rolled his eyes. "Don't start playing this game with me, Dr.
Chiba. You know what I asked. Is Usagi-chan pregnant or not?"
"Oh..." Mamoru slouched in his chair and thrust his hands in his pants
pockets, appearing so solemn and crestfallen. It took all the strength
he had to keep a straight face as Motoki expected to hear the worst.
"It's terrible..." Mamoru complained. "I mean, we've only known for two
days and we're already debating over baby names!"
Motoki nearly choked on his food. "You're kidding!" His eyes narrowed
as Mamoru started laughing. Motoki balled up a napkin and threw it
onto Mamoru's tray. "You better *not* be kidding!"
"No, I'm not," Mamoru smiled. "Usako's pregnant!"
"Well it's about time!"
"You know, that's exactly what Shingo said."
"Well, it is. You and Usagi-chan have been trying for, what, three,
four years?"
"Three years. We've been married for four years." Mamoru took a sip
of his soft drink. "I have to honest, Motoki, I really wasn't
expecting this to happen. I was hoping it would happen, but as hard as
Usako and I tried to have a baby, and with all the previous pregnancy
tests that were negative... well I was ready to give up. I just assumed
this one wouldn't be any different."
Motoki smirked, "And yet you went home Saturday afternoon."
"Yeah... You're right, I did."
Mamoru remembered that night when Usagi could do nothing but cry. It
was when the fertility specialist at Juuban District told them there
was no answer to why she couldn't get pregnant. Mamoru couldn't stand
seeing Usagi so upset. He held her for hours, comforting her and
telling her they would find a way. They stayed up past two o'clock
asking themselves why... Why did they have to fight for everything?
Couldn't something come easy to them for once? Yet Mamoru supposed
that fighting for something showed just how much a person wanted it.
They really wanted this baby.
Motoki dug into his coat pocket and took out an envelope. "I almost
forgot about this," he said, taking Mamoru away from his thoughts.
"This came for you Saturday."
Mamoru took the envelope and looked at the return address. "Duke
University?"
"Didn't you apply to their medical school?"
"No, but I did think about it. What do they want with me?" Mamoru
tore open the envelope, took out the letter and read it silently to
himself.
And though it was of no significance to him yet, Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl
had signed the letter.
~*~*~
"You're what?!"
Ami, Makoto, and Rei all shouted the very same reaction at the same
time. They stared at each other, completely shocked. Then they turned
their attention to Usagi, who immediately became the target of a
million questions and comments, each one flying a hundred kilometers
per hour.
"When did you find out?"
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"I should have known!"
Usagi sat on one of the tables in the restaurant's kitchen and started
to nibble on cookie from the plate Makoto set out for the group. She
was enjoying this way too much. "I've only known for two days! Give
me a break, guys, I wanted to tell my family first."
"Minako-chan is going to hate you," Rei commented. "She had to work
this evening and so she'll be the last person to know."
"Well, I haven't called Haruka-san and Michiru-san yet. I'll make sure
Minako-chan finds out before they do."
The baby monitor on the end of the table alerted Makoto. Her daughter
just woke up from her nap and was now probably hungry. "Uh oh, baby
duty." Makoto arose and headed for her apartment upstairs. Before
leaving, however, she turned to Usagi and grinned, "No wonder you
agreed to baby-sit Sumire. You now need the practice!"
Ami looked at her watch and stood from her seat as well. "Usagi-chan,
I hate leaving so suddenly. But Hideki and I are having dinner with
Mom tonight. We're finally going to tell her the truth about this."
She pointed to her engagement ring and then smiled. "She's probably
figured it out, though."
Usagi snickered, "Sure you hate leaving... Goodness knows you rather
spend time with me than that cute fiancé of yours."
"Usagi-chan, you know I love you." Ami walked up to her and gave her a
hug. "Now make you sure that you make an appointment. I want to see
you sometime this week, okay?"
"Yes, doctor."
After Ami left the restaurant, Rei sat next to Usagi on the table.
We've changed so much, she mused. They were no longer schoolgirls
waiting impatiently to grow up, but women living in the read world, and
sometimes wishing they were teenagers again. Yet despite the changes
in their lives -- which ranged from careers to motherhood -- Usagi,
Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako were still close friends, perhaps closer
than ever before. And in many instances, their friendship was all they
had. Rei cherished her friends. They were part of her family, and she
hoped nothing would come and take her family away.
Usagi rested her head on Rei's shoulder. "Rei-chan..." she said, "I'm so
happy about this baby, but I'm also scared to death."
Rei smiled, "Don't worry, that's normal. Mako-chan and I can tell you
that. And I'm happy for you, Usagi. I know you'll make a great
mother."
"I hope so. I wasn't exactly the best role model when ChibiUsa was
here."
"I'm sure this will be a lot different." Rei patted Usagi's now flat
tummy. "A little prince or princess... which do you think it will be?"
"I don't know, but I think Mamo-chan wants a boy. I know it really
doesn't matter to him, but if he had his way..."
"Most men want boys," Rei pointed out, "but now Yuuichirou wanted a
girl. Maybe next time we'll have a girl. Of course, next time won't
be for a while..."
"Well it's a 50/50 chance. If I want a girl and Mamo-chan wants a boy,
then at least one of us will get what we want. I don't really care,
though. I'm just happy I'm pregnant!"
Makoto entered the kitchen once more. Her six-month-old daughter was
in her arms, now wide-eyed and awake, observing everything going on
around her. The sounds of customers chattering, the chefs cooking
their specialties, the teenager working at the cash register, her
mother's gentle voice... Sumire soon noticed Usagi and pointed at her, a
toothless grin on her face.
Rei shook her head, laughing. "She always favors Usagi over me..."
"Hey, sweet pea," Usagi cooed at Sumire. "You want me to hold you?"
Sumire made a noise that seemed to say, "Yes, please!" Makoto handed
her little girl to Usagi and started cooking. Rei saw it as her cue to
leave. She waved farewell to Usagi and Makoto and left the restaurant,
in hopes to make it home in time to get ready for her evening with her
husband. Usagi headed upstairs to the apartment so Makoto could work
in peace. Sumire was content in Usagi arms, totally fixated with
pulling on her necklace. No doubt she would grow up to love jewelry.
A dreamy smile etched itself on Usagi's face. Oh yes, she just
couldn't wait for motherhood.
======
End of Chapter Two
07.28.02
Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi
Sailormoon" are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha,
etc. "Sleeper" is inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy
in the World" written by Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and
World Publishing. I do no have ownership and I do not make any profits
from the use of Sailormoon or the novel in this fan fiction.
Author's Notes:
First of all, many thanks to Meara and Mikazuki for editing and beta-
reading for me. You ladies are the best! And everyone should read
Meara's newest story "The Quest". I can assure you that you will not
be disappointed! :)
The purpose of chapter two was to give everyone a look into the lives
of the Sailor Senshi as adults. Except for Hotaru, all have graduated
from college. They're no longer schoolgirls, but career women, lovers,
wives, and mothers. That to me is more interesting than a brand new
enemy and battles. I'm sorry if chapter two seemed long and without a
lot of action, though. I promise you that chapter three will be a bit
more entertaining...
Mikazuki pointed out that Minato-ku Technical College is an actual
school. I had no idea it was! I thought I was being creative. Oh
well, thank you, Mikazuki, for telling me.
Duke University was chosen for a reason. I happen to be a North
Carolinian and I wanted to bring this fan fiction to my home state.
(It's the closest thing to a self-insert that I'll ever do...) Since
Duke University is famous for its top rated medical center (and for its
basketball team, which I'm a huge fan of -- Go Blue!), I thought it
would be a great setting for the medical seminar. Plus is gives the
story the *international feel* I'm striving for.
Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com
Web Site: http://miracleromance.cjb.net/
Sleeper
By: Masked Maiden
Chapter Two: Having Children
It was a tradition for the Tsukino Family to come together at least
once every other week. Ever since Shingo married Kayama Mika and moved
out a few months ago, it was, customarily, the only time Kenji and
Ikuko ever saw their children. The family would eat dinner, and then
afterwards they would sit in the living room and catch up with all that
was happening in their lives. Usagi and Mamoru took that opportunity
to tell everyone their little secret.
Ikuko was ecstatic. She wrapped her arms around her only daughter and
hugged her tightly, announcing in a tearful voice, "My baby is having a
baby!"
Shingo was lounging on the couch with his wife, snickering to himself.
"It's about time, Baka," he teased. "I thought you'd never live up to
your name!" Mika shot her husband a cold glare, and she took the
liberty of taking his baseball cap and whacking him with it a couple of
times. Shingo snatched it from Mika and placed it back on his head.
"All right, all right," he gave in. "Congrats!"
Kenji shook his head at the two newlyweds, yet he agreed with Shingo.
It was about time. He accepted years ago that his little girl was now
a young (and married) woman. He knew Usagi always wanted a husband and
children, and Mamoru wanted the family he didn't have when growing up.
Four years was a long time, at least to Kenji, for any woman who wanted
children to become pregnant. Good things came to those who wait, he
supposed.
"Let's just hope he's nothing like his father," Kenji kidded.
Mamoru smirked, "And let's hope he's nothing like his grandpa."
"Or she," Mika corrected. "It could be a girl. What do you think,
Usagi-chan? Are you and Mamoru-kun going to find out if it's a boy or
a girl?"
Usagi took her seat on the couch, next to her husband. She merely
shrugged and answered, "We haven't even talked about that. It doesn't
matter to me, though."
"That's right," Ikuko smiled. "As long as you give me a healthy
grandbaby then nothing else matters."
"You need to find out," Shingo urged, "because I need to know if I'm
going to be an aunt or an uncle."
Usagi rolled her eyes at her little brother. "Shingo, if you really
need to know for sure then go to the bathroom and drop your pants."
Shingo turned a beet red while everyone else in the living room rolled
with laughter. Even Mika joined in. She fell back into Shingo's lap
and continued chortling. He folded his arms and hung his head. No
respect, he mused, no respect at all.
"Shingo, you know we love you," cooed Usagi.
Shingo leered, "Sure you do..."
~*~*~
Tomoe Hotaru woke up to an odd, though innate tingling sensation. She
felt through the darkness for her alarm clock and turned it around so
to check the time. She groaned into her pillow. It was three o'clock
in the morning, and she had to use the bathroom.
Hotaru pushed aside the covers and swung her feet over the edge of the
bed. She stood, taking a break to yawn, and dragged her body toward
the bathroom. It just had to be on the other side of the hallway, she
mentally griped. Hotaru passed Setsuna's bedroom and Haruka and
Michiru's room before she stopped in front of the closed door to the
bathroom. She knocked on the door, thinking someone was inside. When
there was no response Hotaru opened the door, only to notice one thing.
The lights were already on.
Hotaru shrugged it off, suspecting that Haruka had accidentally left
the lights on. (And she was known to close the door behind her for...
lingering reasons.) Hotaru stepped into the bathroom and closed the
door behind her. From the corner of her eye, the light switch caught
her attention. Sleep melted away and her adrenaline accelerated. Why
were the lights on when the switch indicated they were turned off?
Her surroundings changed. Rivulets of steam emerged and thickened into
a moist fog that enveloped the closed off area and dampened Hotaru's
entire body. Hotaru attempted to open the door yet the knob would not
turn. She spun around, chest heaving and eyes expressing great
trepidation, and from the center of the room two silhouettes, one male
and one female came into view. Hotaru raised her hand and called for
her henshin wand.
"Saturn Planet Power, Make up!"
Nothing happened.
That was when she backed into the door and screamed for her family.
Haruka snapped form her sleep and climbed over Michiru as she hurried
to her daughter. Yet her feet became entangled with the bed sheets,
and as she leapt from the bed she fell face first on the carpet.
Setsuna and Michiru ran down the corridor. Haruka picked herself up
and followed them.
"Hotaru!" Haruka called out. "Hotaru, what's wrong?"
There was no response.
Michiru pointed to the floor. "Haruka, look!"
Fog billowed through the bottom of the door and concealed the hardwood
floor, coming up to the ankles of the three women. Haruka, Michiru,
and Setsuna stared at one another, all sharing the same thought.
"Uranus Planet Power, Make up!"
"Neptune Planet Power, Make up!"
"Pluto Planet Power, Make up!"
A kaleidoscope of colors and energies engulfed the women as they
henshin into the Outer Sailor Senshi. A transformation that seemed
long and extensive (and in combat, vulnerable) only took the blink of
an eye to complete. As the magic subsided, Sailorpluto stepped forward
and starting banging on the door.
"Hotaru, answer us!" she pleaded. The banging continued and now
included Sailorneptune trying to turn the doorknob. "Answer us,
please!"
Sailoruranus decided to take matters into her own hands, which meant
using the direct approach. Stepping forward she pushed Neptune and
Pluto aside. She balled her fist as if she were preparing to spike a
volleyball and positioned it dangerously close to the door. Golden
light radiated from her clenched fist, shaping into a sphere of
alchemy.
"World Shaking!"
The booming sound from the explosion filled the house. Wooden
splinters meshed with the opaque fog as it streamed into the hall. It
dissipated until all had vanished and darkness occupied the bathroom
once more.
Hotaru stood in the middle of the room, back towards the door and her
loved ones. Her violet eyes were fixated on the spot where the male
and female silhouettes appeared and revealed their identities. Her
mind reeled from what had just been exposed to her. A delicate hand
touched her shoulder. Hotaru turned her head and saw Neptune and
Uranus standing beside her, both of their faces etched with concern.
"Hotaru, what happened?" Neptune asked.
The young woman tried to find the words to describe the vision she had
witnessed, but all she could utter were three syllables.
"The Great Freeze."
~*~*~
Monday, two days later...
When Usagi graduated from Juuban High School, everyone assumed she
would marry Mamoru and not further her education. School had always
been a struggle for her. No matter how hard she studied for a test
Usagi never made the grades she desperately strove for. But after a
week or so of freedom from school, Usagi realized there was more to
life than marriage and waiting for the future to arrive. She wanted,
needed something that was only for her, and a college degree was the
perfect goal. She enrolled in the fall semester at Minato-ku Technical
College and three years later she earned her associate's degree in
early childhood education.
Nowadays Usagi lived in the suburbs with her husband and worked at a
local daycare center. Usagi loved her job, for it gave her a sense of
genuine fulfillment. As Sailormoon she knew she'd made an impact in
the world, but what had Chiba Usagi done? Her husband and friends all
had their answers to that question but Usagi now had one of her own.
She was setting a positive example for the future, the children she
cared for. It wasn't a glamorous job, or one that paid well, but Usagi
received her reward each time she saw that she'd made a difference in a
child's life.
"And in the international news, there are no updates concerning the car
bombing that occurred in South Africa. On Saturday afternoon two
physicians were killed in the bombing at Cape Town University Medical
Center. Authorities have yet to give out the identities of the
physicians, and so far there are no suspects or leads as to why--"
Usagi changed the radio station while waiting for the traffic light to
turn green. Once it did so she continued onward to the daycare. Her
mind was on one child in particular that morning, as it had been for
the past two days. It was her child, the one she'd been praying to
have for three years.
Now Usagi and Mamoru were well aware that ChibiUsa was their future
daughter. They remembered her days of training, when she lived amongst
them and the Sailor Senshi. But after ChibiUsa returned to Crystal
Tokyo, Usagi thought about how the knowledge of her future affected her
dreams. Before ChibiUsa dropped into her life and before she ever met
Mamoru, Usagi dreamed of getting married and having two or three
children, maybe more. But was ChibiUsa her only child? If she wasn't,
why didn't her sibling (or siblings) time travel with her to Tokyo
during the Black Moon attack? This puzzled Usagi and she eventually
shared her thoughts with Mamoru.
Mamoru saw his glimpse into the future as a security blanket. Despite
the war against the Black Moon Clan, he discovered that he would one
day have the family he longed for while growing up. But there were
still things about the future that weren't unveiled, and that was his
answer to Usagi's question. They concluded that nothing should affect
their dreams. The future was not set in stone. It was theirs to
create, and possibly theirs to change. So when Usagi and Mamoru got
married in September of 2000, they decided they wanted to have more
than one child.
During their first year of marriage Usagi and Mamoru did use
contraceptives. Mamoru was still in graduate school, a year away from
having his doctorate's degree in emergency medicine. Usagi was just
beginning her career at the daycare. They thought it was wise for them
to have at least one year to themselves, simply as husband and wife.
But when it was confirmed that Mamoru would carry out his residency at
Tokyo Memorial Hospital, he and Usagi seriously started trying to have
a baby.
It was easier said than done. After two years of trying Usagi wasn't
pregnant. Usagi grew concern, more than she let on, and decided to do
some research on the matter. But with every web site she visited and
every article for read, Usagi became somewhat paranoid. Was fate
simply telling her that ChibiUsa was her only child? If so then Usagi
could learn to accept that. But what if it was something else? What
if there was something wrong with her?
"Who knows? It could be me," Mamoru once suggested, more serious than
he wanted to admit. "I've been beaten, stabbed, brainwashed... there's
no telling what else's been done to me."
Rei, Makoto, and Minako all attempted to ease Usagi's worries, and with
the best of intentions. Patience was a virtue, they told her, and if
it didn't happen she still had ChibiUsa. But Ami knew their comfort
didn't help matters, especially when Rei and Makoto were married with
children. Ami was a third year medical student at the time, with an
interest in obstetrics and gynecology. Everyday she saw women who were
in the same boat Usagi was in, including those who wanted a second
child. So she suggested for Usagi and Mamoru to meet with a fertility
specialist at Juuban District Medical Center.
The specialist was a woman who'd been in the same situation as most of
her patients, which was why several physicians spoke highly of her: she
knew exactly what many couples were going through. She went over
Usagi's medical and family history, along with Mamoru's medical
history. Then there were the embarrassing questions (at least to
Usagi), the tests, and finally the results. But after a month of
waiting for an explanation, the specialist concluded that there wasn't
anything medically wrong.
"It's unfortunately common," she told them, "and besides timed
intercourse there isn't a specific treatment."
That night Usagi could do nothing but cry. She was fed up with putting
on a one-woman show whenever she was around her friends, for inside she
was alone and dying. It seemed to her that everyone was either having
a baby or was expecting. Motoki and Reika had their little girl, who
was now five years old and starting kindergarten. Makoto and her
fiancé (now husband) had a baby girl six months ago. Rei and
Yuuichirou were married only five months after Usagi and Mamoru; they
had a three-year-old son.
Usagi remembered one incident involving Rei. It was when her son, Tomi
was going through the "terrible twos" stage, thus driving his parents
and great-grandfather crazy. Rei scolded Tomi for something -- Usagi
couldn't recall what -- and then vented her frustration toward her best
friend. Usagi listened, and when Rei was finished she smiled and said,
"You're still very blessed." Unintentionally her comment made Rei feel
guilty and afterwards Usagi wished she'd never said it, though a part
of her was thrilled she had.
When will it be my turn, she once thought. She wasn't the oldest but
she was the first to have a boyfriend, the first to be kissed and the
first to get married. She was supposed to be the first to have a baby!
But why hadn't she? Why hadn't she been blessed with a child yet?
Almost four months passed before Usagi and Mamoru went back to the
specialist at Juuban District Medical Center. As she'd told them there
were no specific treatments, but there were several alternatives and
they ranged from fertility drugs to in-vitro fertilization. Usagi and
Mamoru agreed to try the fertility drugs, though as their last resort.
If Usagi wasn't pregnant by the end of the treatment, they would
surrender to fate. So Usagi took six cycles of clomid, five days a
month for six months. Each month she took a pregnancy test, and each
month the results were negative. By the final month, Usagi assumed
fate had won.
And that's when she found out she was finally pregnant.
Usagi heard her cell phone chirp from inside her pocketbook. Keeping
an eye on the road and one hand on the steering wheel, Usagi dug around
until she felt her phone. She flipped it open and answered it. It was
Makoto.
"Usagi-chan, I hate asking you on short notice," Makoto apologized,
"but I'm in a bind. The babysitter called a few minutes ago and said
she was sick. Could you watch over Sumire for a couple of hours this
afternoon?"
Usagi smiled to herself. With Makoto managing a restaurant from noon
to eight o'clock, and with her husband working at a law firm an hour
away, the couple needed a babysitter to look after their daughter in
the afternoons. When the usual babysitter couldn't make it, either
Usagi or Rei would.
"I'll be at the restaurant right after work!" Usagi promised. "I have
something to tell you and everyone else this afternoon anyway. Could
you go me a favor and call Rei-chan for me? Tell her to meet me at the
restaurant around four. Have her call Ami-chan and Minako-chan to tell
them the same thing."
"Hey, are you keeping a secret from us?" Makoto teased. "You better
tell me. Come on, I won't say anything. I'll act surprise when
everyone else finds out."
"I'll tell you when I see you. Will you call Rei-chan?"
"Of course I will. It's the least I can do, and it's probably the only
way I'll find out anything! I'll see you in a few hours, Usagi-chan."
"Bye, Mako-chan."
Usagi pulled into the parking lot of the daycare center just as some of
the parents were dropping off their children. As she entered the
building she was greeted by one of the little boys she took care of.
There was a huge grin on his face, along with something green on his
finger, which he directly pointed in Usagi's face.
"Chiba-sensei! Look, look! I got a boogie!"
A squeamish grin etched itself on Usagi's face. Oh yes, she just
couldn't wait for motherhood.
~*~*~
On the third floor of Tokyo Memorial Hospital, in the annex designated
to obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Mizuno Ami was thankful she was going
home.
Her morning had not been a pleasant one. Passers-by could tell from
the expression on her face, from the look in her eyes. It was all she
could do to refrain from crying. She had to leave, find her place of
solace and release her tears.
She had performed an emergency cesarean section that morning. The
baby's heart rate became erratic, for the umbilical cord had wrapped
around his neck. During the cesarean Ami focused her attention towards
the baby, her mind infested with her typical fears and worries. But
once the baby was delivered and crying uncontrollably, Ami became more
at ease and the nagging thoughts in the back of her mind ceased. The
cesarean had turned out to be a textbook procedure. But then the
unexpected happened.
"... We couldn't stop the bleeding. I'm sorry, sir, but your wife didn't
make it."
Ami was not used to death, or better yet, defeat. Detached from her
surroundings she stepped into the empty elevator and relived the
memories, watching them second by second with her mind's eyes. She
knew death was the only absolute in life, but what was the purpose for
a twenty-eight-year-old woman to die before she even had the chance to
hold her firstborn? Ami couldn't think of an explanation, except that
she must have done something wrong.
"Ami?"
The physician had not noticed that the elevator doors were open, or
that a masculine hand kept them from closing. Ami raised her head and
stared into the gray eyes of one of the nurses who worked at Memorial.
The temporary walls she'd placed around her emotions started to
crumble, and a single tear fell down her cheek.
"Ami, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.
"Nothing," she lied.
"There's got to be something wrong. Come on."
The young man wrapped an arm around Ami's shoulders and led her to the
snack room located down the hallway. There he bought Ami a can of diet
soda and once more asked her what was troubling her. Ami sat down,
stared at the unopened aluminum can in her hands, and slowly retold the
events of that morning. She was careful to keep her voice from
cracking, though now and then she stopped to wipe the tears from her
eyes. Through it all, the nurse listened.
"Oh yeah, the Sakurai boy," he finally said. "He was brought into the
NICU a few minutes ago. I must have left before the father came in to
see him, though."
"Hideki, I feel like there's something I should have done," Ami
confided, and addressing the nurse by his given name. "It's like... I
was more worried about the baby. But I'm an obstetrician, not a
pediatrician. I should have paid more attention to the mother..."
"Ami," Hideki interrupted, grabbing a chair and sitting down next to
her, "I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You're not perfect."
Hideki Phillips was the oldest son of an American marine and a Japanese
schoolteacher. He was a military brat, living on the base in Japan
from almost twelve years. His family moved to America, where he
graduated from college and attended two years of college at Brown
University in Rhode Island. Hideki then decided to move back to Japan,
the only place he ever considered to be home. He entered the nursing
program at Tokyo University and now worked at Memorial as a RN for the
neonatal intensive care unit. Then almost eight months ago, he met
Ami. He loved her so much. Her determination and strife for
perfection was one of her many traits that he admired, and yet he could
also see how it was one of her weaknesses.
Ami just shook her head. "I know that, but--"
"I don't think you do," Hideki interrupted. "Ami, I know you're still
considered a rookie around here, but you have to accept that people
die, even in the field of obstetrics. And it's not your fault. It was
just her time to go. We can't change fate."
Ami rested her head on Hideki's shoulder. "So when does the pain go
away?"
"I don't think ever goes away. You just learn to not let it get to
you. But let's stop talking about death right now." Hideki put on a
cheesy grin and eyed Ami. "Let's talk about your lovely mother."
Ami broke into laughter. "What has Mom done to you now?" she inquired.
"Nothing, except that she's been interrogating me about that ring on
your finger. I know you want to wait until your father's in town, but
everyone else knows. Can't we just tell her that we're engaged?"
~*~*~
Kumada-Hino Rei strolled through the Hikawa Jinga's courtyard and
admired the sights of the cherry trees with their autumn foliage.
Golden yellow, flaming red and bright orange leaves fell gently in the
cool breeze and littered the ground. They were so tranquil and elegant,
yet they were a menace to her husband. Yuuichirou grumbled every time
a layer of fallen leaves formed in a place he'd just raked clean.
Tomi, their three-year-old son did not seem to mind the crackling
litter. He played in the leaves more than he helped his daddy.
Instead of dumping the leaves in the half-full garbage bag he tossed
them around, picked them up and then trashed them. Rei laughed and
stopped to watch her little boy. It brought her much joy just to see
him smile.
Yuuichirou soon noticed his son's unique game. With an impish grin he
dropped his rake and charged at Tomi. He grabbed him and carried him
over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. As Tomi hollered with
glee, Yuuichirou held him upside down and teasingly threatened to drop
him in the garbage bag.
"I'll throw you out with the trash!"
Tomi giggled, "Daddy, you wouldn't..."
"That's right, Daddy, you wouldn't," Rei called out.
Yuuichirou set Tomi on his feet (before all the blood rushed to his
head) and gave his wife a kiss. Tomi went back to playing with the
leaves, occasionally putting some in the garbage bag when he thought of
it.
"You know, I think he's hindering you more than helping you," Rei
commented.
Yuuichirou just shrugged. "Ah, let him play. You're only young once.
Besides, in a few minutes he'll get bored and start bothering Grandpa."
He picked up his rake and continued raking leaves. "So what is it you
want to ask me?"
"What makes you think I want to ask you something?"
"I don't know. Just a feeling that I have... Well, that and I know you
too well."
Rei laughed. "Well, if you must know, Mako-chan called a few minutes
ago. Usagi wants everyone to meet her at the restaurant this evening.
It sounds important, whatever it is, and I'm supposed to call Minako-
chan and Ami-chan and inform them about the meeting. I just wanted to
know if you had any plans for today. I don't think it's a meeting Tomi
can tag along on."
"Nope, I don't have anything planned. Although..." There was a
mischievous twinkle in Yuuichirou as he stared at his wife. "I may
have some plans for tonight. I have reservations to this very nice
French restaurant and I need to find someone to go with me. You don't
know anyone that would like to go, do you?"
Rei picked her jaw up from the ground. "What's the occasion?" she
inquired. "Not that we need an occasion..."
"The occasion is I finally saved enough money to take you there. I
wanted to take you for our anniversary, but that's five months away and
I knew I'd spend the money by then."
That was a horrible lie, Rei mused. Yuuichirou was very conservative
with his money. He'd created a budget when he and Rei were married and
he followed it to the minor details. She, however, was the one he
loved to spend money. She didn't always follow the budget.
"I think there's more to your story," Rei pointed her finger at
Yuuichirou. She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Come on. I'll give you a kiss if you tell me."
"Mommy! Daddy! What are you doing?"
~*~*~
Mamoru loved his job. Ever since he was eight years old he wanted to
be a doctor, to save the dying and heal the sick. Yet there were a few
things concerning his profession that he despised. The perfume that
several nurses were known to wear was one thing. It was overwhelming,
with the strength to suffocate anyone who walked by, and Mamoru knew
there were asthma patients who did not deserve such torture. Then
there was his on-call duty every five weeks, when he had to stay at the
hospital for 30 hours straight, sometimes more. He always came home
and "pulled an Usako", which meant sleeping for 10 hours or more. But
the number one thing Mamoru loathed was when another doctor dumped his
or her patients onto him. They were usually the simple cases, the ones
the medical students should have been given. But for some reason,
Mamoru always seemed to receive his share.
This one, however, Mamoru did not mind as much. It took him to the
pediatric ward of the trauma center. All morning Mamoru had dodged
Motoki, hoping against hope that his friend wouldn't find him and
demand to know why he left Saturday... and not come back. Not that he
didn't want to tell Motoki the good news, he just didn't have the time
until his lunch break.
Mamoru reviewed the medical chart and entered the examination room.
His patient was a little girl, six years old, who sat in her
grandmother's lap. She hid her face when he sat down on the swiveling
stool in front of them. Mamoru didn't blame her. Every child had two
main phobias whenever they visited the doctor: "Is this going to hurt?"
and "Am I getting a shot?"
"She accidentally knocked down a vase when she was helping me clean the
living room this morning," the child's grandmother explained. "When
she tried to pick up the broken pieces she got some of the glass stuck
in her hands. I tried my best to clean her hands but I think there's
still some glass in them."
Mamoru scooted closer to the child and tickled her under her armpit.
She didn't smile, though she slightly turned her head and started at
him with her big brown eyes. It was the same look Mamoru saw in many
children. All they wanted to do was go home. They didn't care if
anything was wrong with them. Everything was scary and they just
wanted to go home.
"Hey there," Mamoru warmly greeted. "What's your name?"
The girl mumbled, "Yumiko."
"Yumiko-chan, it's nice to meet you. My name is Dr. Chiba. Can I look
at your hands for a few minutes?"
Hesitant at first, Yumiko unwillingly offered her hands. Mamoru
unwrapped the bandages and inspected the cuts. "That doesn't look too
bad..." Most of the cuts were superficial and there was slight bleeding,
but there were still shards of glass embedded in the wounds. Mamoru
took a pair of tweezers and carefully picked out each piece one by one.
"You're a very brave girl, Yumiko-chan," Mamoru praised, "but now you
need to prove how brave you really are. You see, while your grandma
did a good job cleaning your hands, you need a couple of stitches, and
you do need a shot. Now don't cry, okay? We don't want your hands to
get infected."
Yumiko asked the most famous question. "Will it hurt?"
"It might for a second or two. But if you're brave girl and don't cry,
I'm sure your grandma will take you out for ice cream." Mamoru was
always cautious with using the bribing method. He remembered that his
father used it on him when he was little... and it never worked.
Thankfully Yumiko became quite excited with the idea of having ice
cream before lunch. She was stitched up and then poked with a needle.
However, she received two shots instead of one, one in each hand.
Mamoru cunningly concealed the second shot and threw the needle away
before the girl realized she'd been tricked. With one patient down and
several more to go, Mamoru headed back to the main section of the
emergency room.
"So that's where you've been hiding."
Mamoru paused and looked over his shoulder. Motoki stood less than a
meter away from him, arms folded and an inquiring expression written on
his face. Mamoru inwardly groaned. No matter what he attempted,
Motoki wasn't going to leave him alone until he told the complete
truth.
"So you found me..." Mamoru muttered.
"This ER is only so big, you know..." Motoki smiled and cocked his head
to the side. "It's almost noon," he said. "Want to grab a bite to
eat?"
~*~*~
Aino Minako sat on a stool next to a stainless steel counter that was
located in the kitchen of the restaurant owned by her dear friend,
Morioka Makoto. She had the urge to punch Makoto. She wanted to grab
her by the throat, strangle her and tear her into shreds with her two
bare hands. Afterwards she wanted to cry out savagely and dance around
Makoto's remains, maybe even throw them into a raging incinerator and
dump her ashes down the toilet. Or maybe she could just strap her to a
747 headed for Antarctica. Makoto always hated airplanes.
But of course, it was all illegal, and impossible. Minako was the
leader of the Inner Senshi, yet Makoto was more physically apt than she
was. In other words, Makoto could beat the crap out of her! And this
was all because she said, "It doesn't do you any good to get upset.
You should just ignore your mother and live your life the way you want
to."
For the past six years, Mrs. Aino had dropped subtle hints of her
aspirations concerning her only child. They were not wishes for Minako
to reach the stars and follow her dream of becoming an actress and
singer, but practically demands for her to settle down with a suitable
husband and give her a grandchild or two. In truth, Minako would
probably give up her dreams if it meant finding her true love. She
still had the fantasy of a handsome man who would give her a bouquet of
flowers and say to her, "Young lady, will you go out with me tonight?"
She wanted what Ami had with her fiancé and what Usagi, Rei, and Makoto
had with their husbands. Yet it seemed love always passed her by. Was
she really cursed?
Cursed or not, her mother never helped matters. "Minako, you're a
beautiful woman, but you're not getting any younger," she would say.
"You need to find a husband. If your so-called career doesn't pan out,
who will be there to support you?" Who could possibly ignore that? A
great actress, Minako told herself. Ignoring was only acting. If it
were any other person Minako could ignore them, but she could not put
on a show when it came to her mother, no matter how much she desired
to. Her words pierced her too deeply.
Makoto sensed her friend's frustration, and she understood how it felt
to be lonely. She once thought she would never find a man who could
love her. She was not the ideal woman, more of an oxymoron: strong and
athletic yet the example of the perfect homemaker. But that was three
years ago. Makoto now had her husband and her daughter. She just
wished Minako could find someone.
"You okay, Minako-chan?" she asked.
Minako shrugged with indifference. "I guess so," she sighed. "Just
because I can't stand my mother at times doesn't mean my life is a
complete living hell." She glanced at her watch. "I should head for
the studio. I have a photo shoot in thirty minutes."
"I wish you could make the meeting this evening. Usagi-chan sounds
like she has some big news to tell us. What do you think it could be?"
"Knowing her it could be anything. I just hope it's good news and not
bad news. I'll call her tonight and find out."
"Well before you go... Ami-chan and I were talking this morning. She
knows this guy who works at Minato City General." Makoto smiled. "We
think he would be perfect for you."
Minako perked up, acting more like herself. "Is he a doctor?"
"No..."
"A nurse? Hey, those male nurses look extremely sexy in those
uniforms. Especially Hideki-kun, but don't tell Ami-chan I said that..."
"No, he isn't a nurse. He's an organ transplant coordinator for the
hospital."
Minako raised an eyebrow, terribly dumbstruck. "He's a what?"
"He's the person who finds hearts and lungs and other organs for people
who need transplants. His job keeps him busy most of the time but I'm
sure he would love to go out with you. If you're interested, I'll tell
Ami-chan and she'll work something out."
Minako jumped in the air with enthusiasm and giggled with glee. She
then ran up to Makoto and fiercely hugged her, nearly knocking the wind
of out her. It was all Makoto could do to keep from hitting some sense
into her friend. But then it wasn't every day Minako was guaranteed a
date.
"Thank you!" Minako exclaimed. It was all she could possibly say.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
~*~*~
It was twenty past three o'clock before Mamoru and Motoki were able to
escape from the emergency room. A mugger snatched a woman's purse just
before running into the street and colliding into a sports car going
over 90 kilometers per hour. He would probably never regain all the
use of his legs. Then came a lady who suffered severe stomach pains,
which turned out to an ectopic pregnancy. She was given to the chief
obstetrician and was now in surgery. It was days like this one that
made Mamoru remember why chose emergency medicine instead of his first
choice, genetics: each day was different, and each day brought new
challenges. There was no way he could ever become bored.
For lunch Mamoru and Motoki went to the hospital's cafeteria, which
sadly reminded them too much of their high school days. Yet because
the emergency room was busier than usual (if anyone could believe
that), neither wanted to eat lunch off the hospital's premises. Once
the two were seated, Mamoru retold Saturday's events to Motoki, who
paid close attention to every word spoken.
"Usako finished her last cycle of clomid a couple of weeks ago and
Saturday she wanted to take a pregnancy test." Mamoru went on to
explain, "The original plan was for her to buy the test, take it and
call me at work when she found out the results. I knew I had to come
to work because of the disaster drill. But Usako called and said she
just couldn't take the pregnancy test alone. I didn't blame her one
bit, and I was glad in a way because I wanted to be there as well. So
I found a way to leave work early. And before you even ask, we didn't
say anything because we didn't want to get anyone's hopes up,
especially ours."
Motoki nodded, finished chewing his bit of salad and swallowed. "So
what was it?" he asked.
"What was what?"
The blond rolled his eyes. "Don't start playing this game with me, Dr.
Chiba. You know what I asked. Is Usagi-chan pregnant or not?"
"Oh..." Mamoru slouched in his chair and thrust his hands in his pants
pockets, appearing so solemn and crestfallen. It took all the strength
he had to keep a straight face as Motoki expected to hear the worst.
"It's terrible..." Mamoru complained. "I mean, we've only known for two
days and we're already debating over baby names!"
Motoki nearly choked on his food. "You're kidding!" His eyes narrowed
as Mamoru started laughing. Motoki balled up a napkin and threw it
onto Mamoru's tray. "You better *not* be kidding!"
"No, I'm not," Mamoru smiled. "Usako's pregnant!"
"Well it's about time!"
"You know, that's exactly what Shingo said."
"Well, it is. You and Usagi-chan have been trying for, what, three,
four years?"
"Three years. We've been married for four years." Mamoru took a sip
of his soft drink. "I have to honest, Motoki, I really wasn't
expecting this to happen. I was hoping it would happen, but as hard as
Usako and I tried to have a baby, and with all the previous pregnancy
tests that were negative... well I was ready to give up. I just assumed
this one wouldn't be any different."
Motoki smirked, "And yet you went home Saturday afternoon."
"Yeah... You're right, I did."
Mamoru remembered that night when Usagi could do nothing but cry. It
was when the fertility specialist at Juuban District told them there
was no answer to why she couldn't get pregnant. Mamoru couldn't stand
seeing Usagi so upset. He held her for hours, comforting her and
telling her they would find a way. They stayed up past two o'clock
asking themselves why... Why did they have to fight for everything?
Couldn't something come easy to them for once? Yet Mamoru supposed
that fighting for something showed just how much a person wanted it.
They really wanted this baby.
Motoki dug into his coat pocket and took out an envelope. "I almost
forgot about this," he said, taking Mamoru away from his thoughts.
"This came for you Saturday."
Mamoru took the envelope and looked at the return address. "Duke
University?"
"Didn't you apply to their medical school?"
"No, but I did think about it. What do they want with me?" Mamoru
tore open the envelope, took out the letter and read it silently to
himself.
And though it was of no significance to him yet, Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl
had signed the letter.
~*~*~
"You're what?!"
Ami, Makoto, and Rei all shouted the very same reaction at the same
time. They stared at each other, completely shocked. Then they turned
their attention to Usagi, who immediately became the target of a
million questions and comments, each one flying a hundred kilometers
per hour.
"When did you find out?"
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"I should have known!"
Usagi sat on one of the tables in the restaurant's kitchen and started
to nibble on cookie from the plate Makoto set out for the group. She
was enjoying this way too much. "I've only known for two days! Give
me a break, guys, I wanted to tell my family first."
"Minako-chan is going to hate you," Rei commented. "She had to work
this evening and so she'll be the last person to know."
"Well, I haven't called Haruka-san and Michiru-san yet. I'll make sure
Minako-chan finds out before they do."
The baby monitor on the end of the table alerted Makoto. Her daughter
just woke up from her nap and was now probably hungry. "Uh oh, baby
duty." Makoto arose and headed for her apartment upstairs. Before
leaving, however, she turned to Usagi and grinned, "No wonder you
agreed to baby-sit Sumire. You now need the practice!"
Ami looked at her watch and stood from her seat as well. "Usagi-chan,
I hate leaving so suddenly. But Hideki and I are having dinner with
Mom tonight. We're finally going to tell her the truth about this."
She pointed to her engagement ring and then smiled. "She's probably
figured it out, though."
Usagi snickered, "Sure you hate leaving... Goodness knows you rather
spend time with me than that cute fiancé of yours."
"Usagi-chan, you know I love you." Ami walked up to her and gave her a
hug. "Now make you sure that you make an appointment. I want to see
you sometime this week, okay?"
"Yes, doctor."
After Ami left the restaurant, Rei sat next to Usagi on the table.
We've changed so much, she mused. They were no longer schoolgirls
waiting impatiently to grow up, but women living in the read world, and
sometimes wishing they were teenagers again. Yet despite the changes
in their lives -- which ranged from careers to motherhood -- Usagi,
Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako were still close friends, perhaps closer
than ever before. And in many instances, their friendship was all they
had. Rei cherished her friends. They were part of her family, and she
hoped nothing would come and take her family away.
Usagi rested her head on Rei's shoulder. "Rei-chan..." she said, "I'm so
happy about this baby, but I'm also scared to death."
Rei smiled, "Don't worry, that's normal. Mako-chan and I can tell you
that. And I'm happy for you, Usagi. I know you'll make a great
mother."
"I hope so. I wasn't exactly the best role model when ChibiUsa was
here."
"I'm sure this will be a lot different." Rei patted Usagi's now flat
tummy. "A little prince or princess... which do you think it will be?"
"I don't know, but I think Mamo-chan wants a boy. I know it really
doesn't matter to him, but if he had his way..."
"Most men want boys," Rei pointed out, "but now Yuuichirou wanted a
girl. Maybe next time we'll have a girl. Of course, next time won't
be for a while..."
"Well it's a 50/50 chance. If I want a girl and Mamo-chan wants a boy,
then at least one of us will get what we want. I don't really care,
though. I'm just happy I'm pregnant!"
Makoto entered the kitchen once more. Her six-month-old daughter was
in her arms, now wide-eyed and awake, observing everything going on
around her. The sounds of customers chattering, the chefs cooking
their specialties, the teenager working at the cash register, her
mother's gentle voice... Sumire soon noticed Usagi and pointed at her, a
toothless grin on her face.
Rei shook her head, laughing. "She always favors Usagi over me..."
"Hey, sweet pea," Usagi cooed at Sumire. "You want me to hold you?"
Sumire made a noise that seemed to say, "Yes, please!" Makoto handed
her little girl to Usagi and started cooking. Rei saw it as her cue to
leave. She waved farewell to Usagi and Makoto and left the restaurant,
in hopes to make it home in time to get ready for her evening with her
husband. Usagi headed upstairs to the apartment so Makoto could work
in peace. Sumire was content in Usagi arms, totally fixated with
pulling on her necklace. No doubt she would grow up to love jewelry.
A dreamy smile etched itself on Usagi's face. Oh yes, she just
couldn't wait for motherhood.
======
End of Chapter Two
07.28.02
Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi
Sailormoon" are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha,
etc. "Sleeper" is inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy
in the World" written by Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and
World Publishing. I do no have ownership and I do not make any profits
from the use of Sailormoon or the novel in this fan fiction.
Author's Notes:
First of all, many thanks to Meara and Mikazuki for editing and beta-
reading for me. You ladies are the best! And everyone should read
Meara's newest story "The Quest". I can assure you that you will not
be disappointed! :)
The purpose of chapter two was to give everyone a look into the lives
of the Sailor Senshi as adults. Except for Hotaru, all have graduated
from college. They're no longer schoolgirls, but career women, lovers,
wives, and mothers. That to me is more interesting than a brand new
enemy and battles. I'm sorry if chapter two seemed long and without a
lot of action, though. I promise you that chapter three will be a bit
more entertaining...
Mikazuki pointed out that Minato-ku Technical College is an actual
school. I had no idea it was! I thought I was being creative. Oh
well, thank you, Mikazuki, for telling me.
Duke University was chosen for a reason. I happen to be a North
Carolinian and I wanted to bring this fan fiction to my home state.
(It's the closest thing to a self-insert that I'll ever do...) Since
Duke University is famous for its top rated medical center (and for its
basketball team, which I'm a huge fan of -- Go Blue!), I thought it
would be a great setting for the medical seminar. Plus is gives the
story the *international feel* I'm striving for.
Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com
Web Site: http://miracleromance.cjb.net/