All right, so I went back and RE-spaced "The Rescue" and submitted "The Encounter" but at the time I'm writing this, they aren't up yet, so I have to wait and see if I'm going to have to fix "The Encounter" as well. I've calmed down a lot and I'm sorry if I offended anyone in my anger, but I did have a right to be angry, and the spacing problem didn't help me any. Anyway, I apologize, and I'm not going to let one imbecile who makes himself/herself feel better my putting down other people's hard work stop me from writing. I do this to improve my skill and, now, for the people who are so kind to read what I've written. Personally, I don't think I would have gotten so angry if people bothered to even read it before flaming, you know? At least then you can give an educated critique instead of sounding like a moron. I know I have some errors, but that's because I'm not good at typing. Believe it or not, I'm in an AP English class, have been for going on four years. I am on staff for my school's award winning literary arts magazine, and I've won so many awards for writing that I can't keep up with them, so it really makes me angry when people try to put me down, because I know I'm pretty good, and I've spent this whole summer trying to make myself feel more confidence in myself, you know?

Anyway, that's about all I have to say. Gee, that was long. I'm writing this in standard novel format, if it doesn't post right, I'll go back and fix it. Once again, I'm sorry for my temper tantrum, please don't let it affect your reading.

With one last glance in the mirror to ensure she looked all right, Usagi forced a big, cheerful smile onto her face and swung open the door to her apartment. "Konbanwa, Minna-chan!" She greeted cheerfully.
There then passed a few moments of flurried hugs and hellos and how have you been's. For a short moment Usagi felt as if she would be okay seeing them again. She felt no more pain; her annoyance with them when she had been Tenshi was just a distant memory. These were her friends, the girls she had laughed and cried and grown up with. For a moment, the old familiarity was back, and she couldn't be happier.
Then she spotted the tall, dark figure who stood outside their warm group. As the girl's chatter died down and they moved away from the cluster they had formed around Usagi, Mamoru stepped forward, a Cheshire cat smile on his face.
"Hello, Usako." He greeted smoothly, reaching to hug her.
Warmth gone, Usagi avoided the touch. "Hello, Mamo-baka." She answered emotionlessly.
For a moment the tall, handsome man who was used to getting whatever he wanted looked surprised. After all, they had had their fights while they were together, but Usagi had never before used that tone of voice with anyone, much less him.
"We brought some food." Minako said with forced cheerfulness, breaking the tense moment. Each of the girl's help up plates of food, and Usagi's annoyance grew.
"You brought too much. I cooked for us, didn't you know?"
"We knew."Rei muttered quietly.
Usagi clenched her teeth into a smile and stepped away from the door. "Come on in, this is my apartment. The kitchen is this way, and." She stopped when she realized they weren't following. They were bunched in the doorway, staring in fear at something on the couch.
Usagi looked, but all she saw was Vegeta.
"Minna?" What could have them so frightened? The couch was a little ugly, but it was nothing to be rude about. So why.? It took her a few seconds, but realization dawned on her. She had grown used to, and even fond of, her mate's usual scowl and/or death glare. But the girls and Mamoru weren't used to it, and he really despised them. Usagi thought she could have felt his hatred even if she hadn't been connected to him in the way that she was. "Oh, Minna-chan, this is my husband, Vegeta."
Their heads swiveled in her direction and they stared at her as if she had grown horns and announced she was planning on dancing naked with Beryl in a field of molten lava.
"Husband?" Makoto ventured. "That?"
A low, dangerous growl began to emit from Vegeta's throat. Usagi hadn't realized how scary he could be when he wanted to.
"Yes," Usagi held up her left hand to display the proof of her ties to the man who had her old friends terrified. "I have been for quite a while. Vegeta, you know the girls, right? Do I need to introduce them?"
"I know them." He growled. "And that.that thing that calls himself a man."
"Good. Okay, follow me, the kitchen is right over here." They were only too happy but to follow, moving as if they expected Vegeta to jump up and tear them all to pieces, which Usagi wasn't completely sure he wouldn't do. Mamoru, who felt he had to prove himself as a man, took a careful seat on the edge of one of the armchairs and watched the Saiyan prince warily.
When they were in the kitchen and Vegeta went back to ignoring them, the girls relaxed.
Rei held a hand to her heart and gave a laugh that sounded more like a relieved sigh. "Sweet Kami, I don't think I've ever been so frightened in all my life." She breathed. "Usagi, what were you thinking, marrying something like that? The man's a complete beast."
"You're right. He is a beast. A big old cuddly Teddy Bear." She smiled, cracking open the oven to check the meal cooking there.
"What? You're crazy."
"He was kind of cute though." Makoto muttered under her breath. She received funny looks from everyone but Usagi. "What? Didn't you see that body? What is he, a body builder? And I don't even like the muscle-bound type. Yummy."
"Yes. He is." Usagi agreed, trying to think of a good way to tell the girl's everything she wanted to tell them.
The room was filled with an awkward silence.
The girls stared as a small lavender haired boy strolled right past them into the kitchen, paying them no more attention than if they were furniture. "It smells good in here, Usa-momma." He said with an adoring smile up Usagi. "When can we eat?"
"Soon, why don't you go change out of those smelly training clothes and wash up?" She suggested, glad for the break from the girls she didn't really know anymore. She could feel their stares on her as she handed Trunks a roll and shooed him out of the room.
"Who was that little cutie?" Minako asked. "He's going to be a heartbreaker one day, I tell you what. You babysitting or something?"
"No, that was my stepson, Trunks."
"Stepson?!?"
"Hai." She cracked open the oven again, and, satisfied, put oven mitts on her hands and took out the chicken. "I brought all of my new family so my parents could meet them." She informed the girls, pouring white parmesan sauce over the chicken. "You all should tell me the excuse you told them when I was captured so that I can be prepared for any questions they might ask." When the girl's didn't answer, she turned to face them, heart sinking. "Dear Dende, you didn't make them forget me, did you?"
"No, we decided that would be unwise." Ami answered reluctantly. "We told them.we told them you quit school and went to America to become a movie star and they think you're a waitress at some pancake joint in Hollywood."
"You WHAT?"
"Well, they wouldn't have believed us if we told them you were transferred to Harvard, you know. And we couldn't just tell them the truth so."
"Enough! I can't listen to this anymore. You all really never had any respect for me, did you?"
"Usagi, that's not."
"Nevermind. That's not important, let's just eat so you can leave. You can eat whatever garbage you brought if you want to, but my family will chose to eat what I made because, believe it or not, I learned how to cook. Amazing as that might sound, it is possible that some things might have changed since I've been gone. But hey, what do I know, I'm just a baka ondango atama, right? Che, I should have known this would happen."
"Usagi.we're sorry."
She didn't answer for a long time. Finally she took a deep breath and forced a smile. "This is supposed to be a fun day. You guys go ahead and start getting your plates, I'll call everyone else." She informed Mamoru and Vegeta that is was time to eat, then went down the hallway to tell Trunks and Veggie. She took the time with her precious boys to regain her composure and by the time she returned, Veggie on her hip, she felt much better.
"Minna, this is my son, Veggie." She announced, walking into the kitchen. "And, I believe you've already met my stepson, Trunks."
"Can I eat in my room, Usa-momma?" Trunks whispered. "I don't like these people."
She nodded and went to set Veggie in his chair. She could feel Mamoru's eyes on her, burning holes in the back of her head.
"You have a son?" He asked quietly when she deemed to glance at him.
"That's right. You shouldn't be surprised though, we did break up before I left all of you, remember? What, did you think I'd spend the rest of my night mooning over you?"
"I.that is.."
"Hn. Fool." Vegeta snorted, regally taking a seat next to Veggie.
Mamoru swallowed, looking around for any way to save face, and suddenly his eye fell on Veggie and he smirked. It wasn't as attractive on him as it was on Vegeta.
"While I'm glad you have found a new life for yourself, Usako, dear, I'm afraid to tell you your kid's deformed."
"He is not!" She glared.
"He has a tail."
Usagi glared. "He's half Saiyan you dimwit." She snapped. "Vegeta used to have a tail, too. It's genetics."
"Saiyan?" The girl's gasped, horrified.
Usagi realized she should have mentioned that more tactfully. The Saiyan race existed in this dimension too, of course. During the Silver Millennium they had threatened the entire Silver Alliance, and because it was difficult for magic to fight physical strength, and physical strength to fight magic, there had been on ongoing feud between the people of the alliance and the Saiyans until Queen Selenity declared a policy of isolationism and sealed off their corner of the galaxy. Children of the millennium had grown up hearing horror stories about the horrible, rabid Saiyans.
Usagi only wished she had remembered that little tidbit sooner.

To be Continued