**Sailor Moon and her friends aren't mine, but the storyline is. Please read and review, thanks!! If you want an email letting you know of updates, please include your email in your review!**
It had been a few months since the last communication. Each time they tried to reach Usagi, their attempts were futile. She seemed to be ignoring her communicator. The whole situation was taking its toll on all of them, Mamoru especially. He seemed to be more withdrawn since she had left.
The girls needed to concentrate on their studies. And even though Ami was always studying, it was agreed upon that Ami would take care of keeping an eye on Mamoru. After all, she knew all the study material anyway.
Ami stood outside Mamoru's door and stared at it for a moment. Out of all of them, he was taking Usagi's leave the hardest. Who could blame him really? He cared about her just as much if not more then the rest of them. But it hurt Ami to see Mamoru this way.
"Mamoru? It's Ami," She called through the door after her knock was unanswered. "Mamoru?" Ami called as she reached for the doorknob, turning it gently. "Mamoru? Are you here?" Ami called softly as she peaked her head through his open door. Mamoru stood, his back to the door, staring out the large window in his living room as he had done many times when the girls came to visit.
"Mamoru?" Ami's voice broke the silence of his apartment. Mamoru shifted his weight slightly. Ami frowning walked around the couch and stood next to him. "Mamoru?" She said softly as she placed a hand gently on his arm. Mamoru slowly turned to look at Ami, his eyes red from lack of sleep.
"Ami," He said softly, his voice free of emotion. Ami tried to smile, but Mamoru's eyes were dark and blank, and her smile quickly turned to a frown. He was pale. He looked as if he had been inside since she had left. His eyes seemed hallow and sunken from lack of sleep.
"Mamoru?! Have you slept at all?" Ami asked as she gently reached up and brushed away a few strands of hair that had fallen in his face.
Mamoru didn't answer. He didn't have to. Ami knew the answer. He had not slept and hardly had eaten since she left. The sight of Mamoru standing before her pained her heart. "Oh Mamoru," Ami cried softly as she reached up surrounding his shoulders in a warm embrace. She hated seeing him like this. She wanted to see him happy again.
Mamoru dreamed of Usagi doing the same thing, wrapping her arms around his waist and calling out his name. She had when they were at the cabin. If he had known...
"You are thinking about her aren't you?" Ami's voice broke his thoughts. Mamoru looked down into Ami's large concerned eyes. Mamoru nodded and gently ran a finger down the side of her face, letting it linger about the base of Ami's neck. Usagi used to look up at him the same way. When he was lost in thought, she would be there, her sparkling blue eyes staring back up at him. He would run a finger down the side of her face and let it linger about the base of her neck as well. Ami stared at him, confused. He stared at her as she had seen him do with Usagi and yet there was pain in his eyes as well.
Ami let her arms drop from around him and watched him. Mamoru stood a moment and continued to stare at Ami as if she was Usagi. "Mamoru? Are you ill?" She asked. Mamoru smiled lovingly. "Mamoru you are starting to worry me."
Mamoru frowned and walked around the couch, flopping down in the corner of it, sinking into the soft cushions.
"Sorry Ami. I miss her so much and it pains me that she won't talk to me and tell me what's bothering her," Mamoru said, sounding more like himself. Ami sighed and sat down in a chair opposite Mamoru.
"I know. It is killing the rest of us as well," Ami said softly. Mamoru continued to frown as he reminisced about their weekend at the cabin. It was the last time they had been together since she had been gone. It was the last time they had been together happy.
"Mamoru, can I ask you something?" Ami asked, hoping he would be willing to help shed some light on this mystery.
Mamoru nodded, "Sure."
Ami thought a moment before speaking, "What happened that night you and Usagi went to the cabin?"
Mamoru's frown seemed to lift slightly before returning. "Why do you want to know?" He asked. That was a question he was hoping to avoid.
"Honestly, I believe it was the turning point in Usagi. Something happened that night that sparked this change in Usagi. Something happened that made her flee..." Ami paused a moment before continuing, "And you are the only one who knows."
Mamoru sighed; he too had been thinking the same thing. But nothing happened out of the ordinary. "Ami, if I knew what sparked her to leave, I would have been the first to tell all of you. But the truth is, I don't know. We did the same thing we have always done. Spent time together away from everyone and everything. We ate together, watched the sunrise and set, made love, swam in the lake, went for hikes. It was the same we have always done when we went away together."
Ami thought a moment. It was true. Usagi always told the girls about their evenings together as well as their weekend getaways. Every time she talked about it, she made it sound like some soap opera. But what made this one so different? "Nothing else happened that weekend?" Ami asked. Mamoru shook his head.
"I wish I knew." He said.
It had been a few months since the last communication. Each time they tried to reach Usagi, their attempts were futile. She seemed to be ignoring her communicator. The whole situation was taking its toll on all of them, Mamoru especially. He seemed to be more withdrawn since she had left.
The girls needed to concentrate on their studies. And even though Ami was always studying, it was agreed upon that Ami would take care of keeping an eye on Mamoru. After all, she knew all the study material anyway.
Ami stood outside Mamoru's door and stared at it for a moment. Out of all of them, he was taking Usagi's leave the hardest. Who could blame him really? He cared about her just as much if not more then the rest of them. But it hurt Ami to see Mamoru this way.
"Mamoru? It's Ami," She called through the door after her knock was unanswered. "Mamoru?" Ami called as she reached for the doorknob, turning it gently. "Mamoru? Are you here?" Ami called softly as she peaked her head through his open door. Mamoru stood, his back to the door, staring out the large window in his living room as he had done many times when the girls came to visit.
"Mamoru?" Ami's voice broke the silence of his apartment. Mamoru shifted his weight slightly. Ami frowning walked around the couch and stood next to him. "Mamoru?" She said softly as she placed a hand gently on his arm. Mamoru slowly turned to look at Ami, his eyes red from lack of sleep.
"Ami," He said softly, his voice free of emotion. Ami tried to smile, but Mamoru's eyes were dark and blank, and her smile quickly turned to a frown. He was pale. He looked as if he had been inside since she had left. His eyes seemed hallow and sunken from lack of sleep.
"Mamoru?! Have you slept at all?" Ami asked as she gently reached up and brushed away a few strands of hair that had fallen in his face.
Mamoru didn't answer. He didn't have to. Ami knew the answer. He had not slept and hardly had eaten since she left. The sight of Mamoru standing before her pained her heart. "Oh Mamoru," Ami cried softly as she reached up surrounding his shoulders in a warm embrace. She hated seeing him like this. She wanted to see him happy again.
Mamoru dreamed of Usagi doing the same thing, wrapping her arms around his waist and calling out his name. She had when they were at the cabin. If he had known...
"You are thinking about her aren't you?" Ami's voice broke his thoughts. Mamoru looked down into Ami's large concerned eyes. Mamoru nodded and gently ran a finger down the side of her face, letting it linger about the base of Ami's neck. Usagi used to look up at him the same way. When he was lost in thought, she would be there, her sparkling blue eyes staring back up at him. He would run a finger down the side of her face and let it linger about the base of her neck as well. Ami stared at him, confused. He stared at her as she had seen him do with Usagi and yet there was pain in his eyes as well.
Ami let her arms drop from around him and watched him. Mamoru stood a moment and continued to stare at Ami as if she was Usagi. "Mamoru? Are you ill?" She asked. Mamoru smiled lovingly. "Mamoru you are starting to worry me."
Mamoru frowned and walked around the couch, flopping down in the corner of it, sinking into the soft cushions.
"Sorry Ami. I miss her so much and it pains me that she won't talk to me and tell me what's bothering her," Mamoru said, sounding more like himself. Ami sighed and sat down in a chair opposite Mamoru.
"I know. It is killing the rest of us as well," Ami said softly. Mamoru continued to frown as he reminisced about their weekend at the cabin. It was the last time they had been together since she had been gone. It was the last time they had been together happy.
"Mamoru, can I ask you something?" Ami asked, hoping he would be willing to help shed some light on this mystery.
Mamoru nodded, "Sure."
Ami thought a moment before speaking, "What happened that night you and Usagi went to the cabin?"
Mamoru's frown seemed to lift slightly before returning. "Why do you want to know?" He asked. That was a question he was hoping to avoid.
"Honestly, I believe it was the turning point in Usagi. Something happened that night that sparked this change in Usagi. Something happened that made her flee..." Ami paused a moment before continuing, "And you are the only one who knows."
Mamoru sighed; he too had been thinking the same thing. But nothing happened out of the ordinary. "Ami, if I knew what sparked her to leave, I would have been the first to tell all of you. But the truth is, I don't know. We did the same thing we have always done. Spent time together away from everyone and everything. We ate together, watched the sunrise and set, made love, swam in the lake, went for hikes. It was the same we have always done when we went away together."
Ami thought a moment. It was true. Usagi always told the girls about their evenings together as well as their weekend getaways. Every time she talked about it, she made it sound like some soap opera. But what made this one so different? "Nothing else happened that weekend?" Ami asked. Mamoru shook his head.
"I wish I knew." He said.
