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Disclaimer: Sailormoon and all its characters do not belong to me. Any resemblance to any other story is coincidental and not intentional.

This story happened after the senshi defeated Beryl and *** deviates*** from the original version. It is a continuation of the story, Failure.

In this chapter, Mamoru is in America, studying in Harvard Medical University while Usagi and the senshi are still in Tokyo. Unlike the original manga/anime, Mamoru did not disappear and has been communicating with Usagi via mail for several months since he had gone. There have been no other attacks on the senshi since the Negaverse. Mamoru is currently 21 years old while Usagi is 15 ½ years old.

Chapter Two – Calling from the Heart

*** Few months later – Harvard University ***

"Hey, Mamoru, there's a phone call for you!" David called out to his roommate. Mamoru stuck his head out of his room in surprise.

"A phone call? For me?" he wondered out aloud.

David grinned wolfishly. "Yeah, and it's a girl – she sounds pretty nniiicceee."

Mamoru blushed and walked towards where David was standing with his hand covering the mouthpiece of the phone so that the person on the other side could not hear what they were saying. He took the phone with a wry grin.

"Hello, Mamoru Chiba speaking here."

"Mamo-chan!" the voice on the other side greeted him with a tone short of a shout.

Mamoru's face broke out in the largest grin David had ever seen from his roommate of several months.

"Usako! How? Where?" Mamoru stuttered out, looking a bit embarrassed in front of David. David grinned out his incompetence to speak. This girl must mean a lot to Mamoru, he thought.

Usagi, on the other side of the line, laughed. "Mamo-chan! I miss you so much! The girls decided to stop me from moping around the letter box and gave me the money to make this long-distance call," she explained.

Mamoru grinned once more, totally forgetting that his roommate was still there. In his mind, there were Usagi and himself in the world at this moment.

"I missed you too, Usako. This is a wonderful surprise! I guess letters weren't enough for both of us, was it? I was already thinking of calling you."

"Oh, Mamo-chan!" Usagi sighed. "I don't know how much longer I can survive this separation. I miss seeing you everyday."

"I know Usagi. There's never a moment that I don't think of you. But you know why I have to be here. . ."

Usagi sighed, interrupting Mamoru's speech. "I know, Mamo-chan. But that doesn't make it any easier! I want you to follow your dreams but I don't want you to leave either!" She started crying and it was audible through the phone.

"Usako! Don't cry!" he pleaded with her. "There are always holidays for me to come home and visit you. In fact, Christmas is coming soon and I can probably get home for a few days. Would you like that?"

Usagi stopped crying at once, except for a few sniffles here and there. "Getting home for Christmas? That would be wonderful, Mamo-chan! I'm so looking forward to it!" she squealed.

Mamoru smiled, almost able to see Usagi's happiness and brightness glowing again. "Now, Usako, I don't know for sure yet, but I'll try to get the time off, O.K.?

Usagi nodded, too happy to reply.

"Usagi? Are you nodding?" asked Mamoru from the other side.

Usagi nodded again.

"Usagi! You know I can't see if you're nodding or shaking your head!" Mamoru cried out in near panic.

Usagi snapped out of her happy-filled daze. "Oops, Sorry Mamoru!" She giggled. "And yes, I did say yes."

Mamoru sweat dropped and sighed in relief. "I'll call you in a few days to confirm the plans, O.K. Usako?"

"O.K. Mamoru. I better go now, the phone charges are adding up and Ami is waving to me with her watch."

Her voice seemed distant for a second while Mamoru heard her saying, "I know, Ami! I'm trying to say good-bye!"

Another voice could be heard. "I know, Usagi, but make is quick alright? This conversation has been going on for 450 seconds and with that is the cost which will mean . . ."

"Ami! You're dragging out the time of this phone call!" scolded Usagi.

"Oops, sorry, Usagi. I'll leave you to say good bye to Mamoru." Ami's voice faded out but another different one came closer and struggle could be heard between Usagi and the new person as they fought for the phone.

Finally, a voice came on the line. "Mamoru! This is Mina, senshi of love. Don't forget your duties as Usagi's boyfriend!"

"Don't wo. . ." Mamoru tried to answer but was cut off by another person.

"Mamoru Chiba! If you see any cute guys that looks like my old boyfriend, give him my number!"

Ah, that must be Lita, Mamoru thought but before he could answer, he could hear another struggle on the other side.

"Give me the phone, Rei!" That voice belonged to Usagi.

"No! I need to speak with Chib-san! It's important!" Rei replied. She took the phone forcefully from Usagi and spoke into it. "Mamoru! This is Rei and I'm warning you! If you hurt one hair on Odango's head while you frolic with the American girls, I will fry you to bits! And don't think the distance will make any difference to the heat of my flames!" The struggle with the phone began again with more shouting in the distance.

Mamoru sweat dropped and tried to reassure her of his loyalty to Usagi but Usagi came back on the phone again.

"Sorry, Mamo-chan. All the girls wanted to say something to you. And I know you won't cheat on me." Her voice was suddenly muffled like she was covering the mouthpiece but Mamoru could clearly hear Ami's voice reminding Usagi of the time.

"Sorry again! I'm back!" Usagi squealed happily after a few seconds.

"Alright, Usako. I better let you go or Ami will start lecturing you on the process of telephone calls and their charges," Mamoru smiled.

Usagi sighed and mumbled. "She's already doing that."

Mamoru laughed out loud but sobered again. "Remember, Usako, I love you." Mamoru said.

"I love you too, Mamo-chan. Forever," replied Usagi and with that, hung up the phone.

Mamoru pressed the 'Talk' button on his phone to hang up and with a silly grin on his face, turned around. However, he had forgotten David was there and with a small jump of surprise, nearly dropped the handset while he juggled it within his hands like it was a bar of slippery soap.

"David! What are you still doing here? I thought you left the room!" Mamoru exclaimed as he finally controlled the bouncing phone.

"Nah, I thought I might hang around and question you about this mysterious 'Usako'" David answered with a smile. "Is this girl the reason why you haven't accepted any girl's invitations to dates?"

Since arriving in Harvard, Mamoru had been inundated with invitations from many women to go out with them. His tall, dark and handsome features with the added bonus of being foreign and reserved had created a mysterious air surrounding him, which drew many females on campus to him. However, Mamoru had declined every single one of them, claiming he was already spoken for.

Mamoru blushed, "Well, yeah."

David sat down on the sofa and pried. "So, what's her name and where and how and everything!"

Mamoru cleared his throat; he did not think it was appropriate to tell his roommate about the senshi and Sailormoon. "Um . . . Well, there isn't much to tell, David."

"You know I'm going to continue to ask you questions, Mamoru. It's better to confess now or be pestered later," warned David. He had the campus's reputation of being one of the most inquisitive of minds, academically and socially.

Mamoru sighed, knowing that David was speaking the truth. He had seen first hand the type of hounding David was able to do when he wanted to find out something. It was one of the things Mamoru liked about him but had never thought it would be him that would be target of David's questions. He sat down on the other sofa in the room, deciding to be at least slightly comfortable while answering David's inquisition.

"Well, her name is Usagi and she's my girlfriend from Tokyo. We've known each other for years."

David kept on pumping the information out. "How old is she? How did you meet? Is she cute? What is she like?"

Mamoru sweat dropped at the rate the questions were coming out. It was like a machine gun on a mission.

"Well, uh. . .  We met on the streets of Tokyo and weren't really friends until a few months ago. She's very beautiful." Mamoru gazed off in the distance, remember the last time he had saw Usagi.

Flashback

"This is the last boarding call for Flight 126 to the United States at Gate 10. This is the last boarding call," a voice repeated throughout the airport.

"Oh Mamo-chan!" Usagi held on tight to Mamoru's waist for a final hug.

"Usako. . ." Mamoru said.

Usagi looked up at her boyfriend who was looking at her with love shining bright in his eyes.

"I'll only be gone for a year."

"A whole year?" asked Usagi, tears glistening on her eyelashes and cheeks. "I should be happier for you. You're going to Harvard! It's awesome that they picked your essay! You should be proud."

Usagi paused and looked down. "I'm sorry. I promised myself I'd send you off with a smile."

"Usagi," Mamoru said on a small sigh. He tipped her head up with his finger. "I'll write to you and I'll call you too. Usagi, promise me you'll reply."

"I'll write to you and I'll call you a lot too," replied Usagi. "Come home once in a while."

"I will," promised Mamoru and he bent down to kiss her, long and passionately.

Suddenly, the mechanical voice announced the flight once more. The couple broke up and with a final gaze at each other and a final touch; Mamoru picked up his bags and left towards the gate.

End of Flashback

David started feeling uncomfortable while he saw the look on Mamoru's face. He must be remembering something sad, David thought as he glimpsed a glisten of tears near Mamoru's eyes.

Mamoru quickly blinked away the tears that threatened to fall as he remembered that last day. Suddenly, a throat cleared which snapped Mamoru out of his trance and brought him back to the present.

"So, man? How old is Usagi? What is she like?" repeated David.

It was Mamoru's turn to clear his throat once more. "Well, Usagi is. . ." Mamoru began. He did not know how David would take it if he knew Mamoru was dating a minor. Well, technically Usagi was not a minor in Japan. She became of age six months ago at her fifteenth birthday, he thought. What the heck, David's not going to stop hounding him if he kept it a secret. Best if Mamoru told him now.

"Mamoru?" questioned David.

Mamoru looked in his roommate's eyes and truthfully stated, "Usagi's fifteen and a half. She's the most wonderful person I know, always kind and considerate and I consider her to be my family now."

David looked at Mamoru in surprise. "She's fifteen? Woah. . . That's young, Mamoru. But it's alright in Japan, right?" he said, remembering some of the differences in laws between Japan and America.

Mamoru nodded. "We've been promised to each other."

Even more surprised now, David continue asking questions. "What do you mean by promised to each other? Does that mean you're engaged?"

Mamoru nodded again. "Kind of. We both felt Usagi was too young to be actually engaged so instead of an engagement ring, I gave her a promise ring," explained Mamoru.

David leaned back in the sofa; amazed at the news Mamoru had just told him. He had never once guessed in all the months they had been roommates that Mamoru was engaged. No wonder he was so reserved around any females.

"So what was this talk about Christmas? Were you thinking of going back to Tokyo for a break?" asked David.

"Yeah. Do you think I can handle it? Or will it be too many assignments due in?" replied Mamoru. He had no idea what kind of procedures Harvard had for the holiday season.

David gave it some thought. "Well, there aren't any assignments, most of the professors also take a break for the season. However, if you want to finish the course within the year, you might need to do extra credit projects, which usually occur during Thanksgiving and Christmas."

Mamoru's face fell at the news. "Extra curricular projects?" Mamoru had always knew if there were any extra credits available, he would have to take them if he wanted to stay only for a year and not need to extend it. He did not want to be apart from his Odango Atama so anything that kept his time here in Harvard short was a godsend. However, if this were the case, Usagi would be majorly disappointed at not being able to see him for the holidays. Christmas was always a big deal for Usagi and she loved to celebrate it with all the gusto she could muster. And this was also the first major holiday they would celebrate together. Mamoru sighed.

"But hey, man. Don't take my word for it," David said. "Why don't you ask the counsellor about it? I'm sure he would have more concrete plans for you."

Mamoru looked up and smiled at his friend. "Thanks, David. I'll go do that now!" He quickly got off the sofa and left the apartment.

David got up as well and chuckled as he realised something.

"I wonder how Mamoru would handle when he notices that he is still wearing his pyjamas."

Next Chapter – Visiting the Holidays