Till Someone Comes Along Chapter 12. Don't own SM or SLY. Please R&R. Sittin' together...

"Okay, so the bitch gets dumped by her boyfriend who wants to fuck every girl that passes by, and she doesn't know, but crawls back to him, and she's the expert on romance? Move over Dr. Mason." Minako scoffed. "Fuck no!"

Minako, Mamoru and I were sitting in the Bull and Beer Bar, playing pool. I had told them all about how Setsuna had cornered me with her beliefs, and how she was starting to be as modest as Mamoru. He grimaced. Minako laughed, and started going into her rant.

"I mean, she's an old cow! It simply can't be done. All we have to do is fine-tune our senses just a bit, and go for men we're simply not attracted to."

"Hold up, hold up, what?" Mamoru said.

"Well, once upon a time, I was attracted to you. But thanks to Dr. Mason, I can proudly say that you don't cross my mind."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

She was flirting. BIG time. I wouldn't be surprised to see her come up to our apartment, then into his bed. I would have been a little upset, maybe, but not surprised.

"Okay," Mamoru said, a smile coming over his face.

She put her hand down on his shoulder, and let it drop down to his chest. "I need a drink," she whispered, and walked up to the bar.

Mamoru pointed his thumb at her after she left. "If someone wanted to play pool, they could just grab the cuestick from up her ass."

I shook my head. "She's right. Setsuna's the old cow. He cannot go back to her!"

"Don't tell me you believe this crap!" Mamoru cried.

"So what if I do?"

Mamoru started at me, then narrowed his eyes. "For fuck's sake, Usagi! These are people! Not hoofers!" he cried. He threw money down on the bar table, and walked out the door. I followed him, leaving Minako looking for us.

"Mamoru, you don't understand-"

"The only thing I don't understand, Usagi, is why you bought into these theories from this sideshow!" he cried, opening the door to the apartment. He walked in and threw his jacket on a chair. Inu-chan jumped up to greet him, but Mamoru pushed him down.

"Don't hurt him!" I cried. Mamoru picked him up, and held him up for me to see.

"Look at him, Usagi. This is a quadruped. He has four legs. Look at yourself. You are a biped. You have two legs. Two legs, four legs. You are not a quadruped, and no one is a cow!"

"It's a metaphor!"

"Who gives a shit?" he cried. "She's a quack!"

"She is not!" I screamed, and stormed off to my room. He followed me, and yelled, "These theories are all bullshit, Usagi! Why do you listen?"

"Because."

"Because why? Because-"

"Because they have to work!"

"Why?"

"Because if they don 't work, then nothing makes sense."

"Wake up Usagi! This is life! Nothing makes sense!"

"It's not life! He can't go back to her!"

"It is life! Life is one big lie after another!"

"What, like you and Mitsune, huh?"

"Yes, like me and Mitsune. Exactly like me and Mitsune, and you and Motoki!"

"Well, this is the first person to make sense of it all!"

"That's just it - she doesn't make sense!"

"She does too!"

"You know, behind the cover of these theories, there's a part of you that wants Motoki back. 'Men are evil, men are cowardly asses, but please Motoki, take me back and make love to me'!" he said, mimicking me.

"STOP MOCKING ME!" I screamed tearfully.

"Then why do these theories need to work, Usagi?"

"Because then men don't leave all women, Mamoru! Okay? They only leave me! All men want to leave me! It's probably in one of their stupid little black books - always leave Usagi Tsukino!"

Inu-chan put his head on my lap for reassurance. I scratched him behind the ears softly. Mamoru didn't say anything as he saw silent tears run down my cheeks. He sat down next to me, and held me close.

"Listen. No, no, listen," he said as I started to whimper. "I understand exactly where you're coming from. I've been there. That's probably why we can never let go. We think something so beautiful, so precious, can't happen to us twice, like lightning. But Usagi, there's someone out there for you. Trust me, okay? Trust me. This won't be your only chance. Motoki isn't the last man on Earth. You have to meet some rotten eggs before you find the right one."

I couldn't help it. I burst into tears onto his shoulder. He held me closer and started stroking my head.

"It's okay. Shh, it's okay," he said soothingly as I curled up in his embrace. I felt like a little girl who lost something, like her favorite stuffed animal. I sobbed harder and harder, but he never left.

"Hey," he said. "You're going to find someone."

"No one wants me," I sobbed.

"No, that's not true," he said, brushing my tears away. "You're beautiful and talented. I've never seen anyone do as many amazing things as you can do. You're beautiful, and you're true," he said. "You're alive. And Motoki is not the last guy that's going to be in your life."

I broke down as he held me. He was honest, he sounded honest, and he as caring. This was a side of Mamoru I hadn't seen in a long time. And it was his good side, too.

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(A/N: If there's any guy out there that would really like to comfort me like that, let me know. There are no good guys in Virginia. At least, where I live. Anyone know where they are?)

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I opened my eyes, and shut them again. Double take, and I saw my hand clasping Mamoru's hand, and Mamoru sleeping gently beside me. I looked around worriedly, and was relieved to see that our clothes were still on. I had to get out of his embrace, even though it felt so good. He looked so cute with his mussed hair, and he had been holding me...all night...

I took so much time thinking, I didn't even realize that I'd suddenly moved to have my back to Mamoru, with his arms holding me around the front, and his hands on my breasts. I cringed. He must be a playboy while sleeping. I needed to get out, so I wiggled out of his arms, and sat on my chair. I hugged my knees to my chest, and waited for him to wake up. He turned and opened his eyes to see the sunlight through my window. Then he turned to me. "Morning." he said.

I nodded. "Hi."

He looked around, and ran a hand through his hair. He smiled.

I took a deep breath. "I-"

"No, no, no. You're not going to be an analyzing bitch. When you do, you miss out on all the great wonders of life."

"There's one great wonder I'd like to avoid," I said.

He laughed. "I'm getting a kick out of having you in my arms all night as we fell asleep, you looking quite angelic for once, and I didn't even cop a feel."

I knew then that he didn't love me, and I was stupid to even think so. I looked down at my knees, and heard him continue.

"Well, maybe one. Or two."

I smirked at him, and he smiled back. "I was worried," I admitted. "I knew you probably would have shown your colors soon."

He looked confused, and looked down at his shirt. "It's red."

"Your character colors," I said. "Men never fail to do-"

"What is in their nature to do," he said with me. "Christ, Usagi, I've heard this a million times from you, Minako, and every other woman who's read that quack's article." He stood up and flicked me on the ear.

"Ow!" I cried.

"That's for being an analyzing bitch," he said. He walked out of the room and slammed the door. I got off the chair and collapsed into bed when the phone rang. I picked it up and said, "Yeah?"

"Usagi?" a small voice asked.

"Shingo? What's up? Listen, can you call me on-"

"Usagi, Natsumi's in the hospital," he said quietly. "It didn't work. We lost the baby."

I sat up quickly, unable to believe the news. "What?"

"We lost it," Shingo said, sounding like he was going to cry.

"Hold on, Shingo. Where are you guys?"

I found myself on the way to the front door, trying to hop while putting my shoes on. I grabbed my jacket and threw it on as I ran out the door, down the stairs, and grabbed a taxi.

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I walked in through the sliding doors, looking around frantically for any sign of my brother or sister. I ran up to the front desk and said, "Natsumi Tsukino's room?"

"Are you a relative?"

I nodded. "Sister-in-law."

I was directed and steered, and found myself face to face with a door. I opened it and looked tentatively inside. Natsumi was lying on a bed, looking at the wall. I knocked softly, then put my coat on a chair as I watched her turn around. Her eyes were red, and her cheeks were puffy. Looking at her, I felt devastated. "Hey, hun," I said cheerfully, trying to make things seem a whole lot better. It was such a feeble attempt. It sucked.

"Hi," she said. "You look good." Her voice was hoarse.

I went over and hugged her. "You do too," I said.

She laughed, but her laughter sounded hollow. She looked at me, and sighed. "Sit with me, please."

I came onto the bed and held her. She smiled. "I remember the first time we met after Shingo brought me to meet you and your family. We hated each other. It was horrible. We were always sniping and yelling."

"Shh..." I said softly.

"But, you've become one of the best friends I've ever had, Usagi. I can tell you anything, and you're always there...for me..." she said, choking up.

"Natsumi..." I said, holding her tighter.

She sniffled. "Last weekend, your brother woke up in a panic. He said he hadn't gone shopping for the baby. So, he got up and ran out the door, and was gone for about five hours. He came back, and had a small bag. I thought...well, you know how he really wanted a boy, so I thought he'd be loaded down with...sports equipment and assorted male-oriented things, but he only had that little bag."

I was listening so hard, I started crying.

"He told me that he'd been looking all day for this, and when he opened the bag, in...inside was this...this perfect little...teddy bear..." she said, bursting into tears. "It was a-a pink teddy bear...with little fluorescent wings...he told me that h-he wanted it to be a g-girl. Usagi!" she said, openly sobbing in my arms. I held her as she cried. Natsumi's last chance to have a child was gone, and she was in so much pain. All I could do was be there for her.

Shingo entered the room, holding a bucket among other things. "Okay, I have ice, magazines, blankets, video tapes..." he said, trailing off and looking at us. He sat down on the bed, and put his hand on Natsumi's leg. He rubbed up and down, stroking to make her feel better as she sobbed.

"Look at her," he said, gazing at Natsumi. "Look at my wife. Isn't she the most beautiful woman in the world?"

She laughed a bit. "Shut up, you psycho." she said, hitting him playfully. She dried her eyes and hugged Shingo tightly as I sat and watched them. Perfect. Happy. In love. Great tragedy has become them, yet their love still stands.

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I took a long walk that evening, thinking. Motoki, Mamoru, his harem, Setsuna, Minako, Shingo, Natsumi-Dr. Mason. Everything I'd been doing since I met Motoki, and Dr. Mason's New Cow Theory. Mamoru had been right. I'd been waiting for Motoki to come back and prove these theories wrong. But why had I wanted him back? He had cheated on me, he had cheated on Setsuna, he had cheated on Minako, who knows how many girls he had cheated on. The low life even changed his name to cheat. Why did I want him back? I was just lonely. I needed someone, no matter how awful they were. Was I going to keep on pretending to be Dr. Mason, or should she just fade away? My mind was spinning so much, I didn't realize that I was about to walk into traffic. I stepped back onto the curb, and went to the nearest pay phone. I closed myself in the booth, and stared at the phone. I knew what I was supposed to do, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Finally, I picked up the phone, put in some change, and dialed.

"Hey, Setsuna? Usagi. Listen, I found Dr. Mason."

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I sat on the couch in the apartment, where Mamoru was staring at me."You mean, Minako found Dr. Mason?" he said, staring at me oddly.

I nodded, unable to look at him. "Yeah. She's going to be on the show."

He kept staring. "Really. What-" He stopped. I looked up at him. "What are you hiding?"

I laughed. "Nothing. What you see is what you get."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, and I'm Mickey Mouse."

"Fine, you rat. Start squeaking." I said, and walked to my room, shutting the door softly. I sighed. This was going to be a lot harder than I thought-especially pulling this part off. This was going to be even harder with Mamoru trailing me.

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I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and I hope no one has come down with the flu. See you at chapter 13.

EternalSenshi