Pretty in Peach

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own Toyko Mew Mew or any part of Tokyopop, etc. P

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Ichigo Momomiya played happily with her ribbon at rhythmic gymnastics practers, her cat genes flaring with excitement. As she finished, the team applauded her happily.

"Well done, Ichigo. You did good today, but now we all have to go home." The proud leader of the team hugged Ichigo and then left for the lockers. The team followed, already chatting about how the did that day, or what they were doing later, and, of course, the next competition.

Ichigo changed quickly in the locker, in a bit of a rush to get to work at Café Mew Mew. Everyone else semmed to be rushing as well, because when she was changed, only three people were still there.

"Momomiya-san?" a small voice appeared from nowhere, and Ichigo turned her head. It was the new member of the team, Blueberry Shigami. "My sister hasn't come to pick me up, can you wait with me until she gets here?"

Ichigo shrugged off a sweatdrop and smiled. "Please, call me Ichigo-chan. We're all friends here." She grabbed her bag and started walking with Blueberry towards the door.

"Thanks so much, Momo-cha- Oops!" The blue-haired brown-eyed first year blushed furiously. "I almost called you Momo-chan. That's my sister.. you two look so alike, except she's a little taller."

Ichigo giggled. "Oh, that's cute, Blueberry. No worries." She giggled with her, a little more nervously. They had reached the door to the schoolyard, and the new girl carefully opened it for her. "Thanks." They walked to the corner of the block and stood there, waiting. "So, what got you interested in rhythmic gymnastics?" she asked, to kill time by way of conversation.

"Oh, I dunno," said Blueberry, releasing her ponytail. This made her deep-blue hair look like a flowing ocean, which was quite beautiful. She sighed. "I guess it was watching your last competition. Everyone, especially you, looked as graceful as a flock of egrets." She smiled. "I wish I could be that graceful."

"Ah, well, it does take quite some practice. I try to work hard, but I guess other things get in the way." Ichigo sighed. "But it does come easy for me, though some of the other girls have a few weak points."

"Oh, I can tell it's in your blood," Blueberry grinned. "I wish it was like that for me." Ichigo's heart sank. If only she knew that it was wildcat genes doing the job.

"I- I'm sure it'll be alright for you." Ichigo smiled encouragingly. "So, what's Momo like?"

"Momo's the coolest!" Blueberry smiled a genuine smile of admiration. "She's so awesome. She's the greatest big sister, and she'll take care of anybody.. You'll love her."

Ichigo smiled. "Well, that's good to know."

"Blue-chan!" Someone called from a distance, and Ichigo turned around to meet Blueberry's sister. Momo was shining all over, from her bright red hair to her glowing skin to her glowing smile. She seemed to glitter around her. This was definitely one optomistic girl. Her eyes were a little darker than her little sister's, but her hair was literally the exact opposite color, though it seemed to have the same basic composition. Her bangs were almost the same cut as Ichigo's, which was uncanny. Her hair, unlike her sister's, was straight with a little bounce, and as her bangs were seperated from the rest of her hair with a black hairband, it was quite pretty in composition. Something about Momo triggered Ichigo's memory- apart from the same school uniform - and it tugged at the back of her mind for a minute. "Hey, Blueberry, please, introduce me to your friend."

Blueberry smiled. "Momo, this is Ichigo. Ichigo, Momo. You may have met already."

Momo bowed politely, as did Ichigo. "You're one of the waitresses at Café Mew Mew, correct?" Momo asked.

"Ah, yes, how did you know?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"Hello, I go there every day. It's a part of my daily routine. I always go to the café for some treats."

Ichigo blushed. "I'm so sorry!" She bowed again.

Momo giggled. "It's alright Ichigo-chan! I can call you that, I hope?"

Ichigo nodded. "Now, I have to go to work.." She began to cross the street, and turned back and waved.

Momo and Blueberry waved back. "See ya later!" she winked. "Get me a friend-of-employee discount!"

As she turned back round, all Ichigo could hear was a very excited Blueberry shouting "Shopping, Momo! Shopping! Let's get new clothes!"

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"You're late, Ichigo," Ryou frowned.

"Sorry, Shirogane-san!" Ichigo bowed twice quick before running off to change. She hurried frantically into her pretty work clothes and returned to see her fellow employees waiting patiently."Sorry guys.."

"Okay, ladies," began Keiichiro, the manager of the the café and fellow scientist to Ryou, "Today we're going to work extra hard to show how fun-"

"Ah, excuse me," Ichigo interrupted. "Do-"

"Hold on, Miss Ichigo. As I was saying, you must work hard to show enjoyable it is to work at this café."

The girls stared, confused. "Um.. why?" Zakuro asked.

"The two of us," Ryou continued, referring to the himself and Keiichiro, "have decided that we need to strengthen your team." The girls moved in closer. "We've decided.. to add a sixth Mew."

Ichigo and Lettuce squealed in unison, they were so excited. Zakuro just grinned, as did Mint. As Purin started to do cartwheels around the room, Ryou cleared his throat.

"I am not finished-"

"Wait, Shirogane-san, I need to ask-"

"Please be quiet, Ichigo."

"But-"

Ryou placed his hand over Ichigo's mouth, and she glared, "As I was saying, we have decided that the new Mew will be merged with a margay. Here's our specimen." He showed a small hologram of the animal. It looked like a miniature leopard, with ears like a house cat, and adorable brown eyes that glittered. The girls just fell in love.

"It's so cute!" They all squealed in unison.

"Whoever gets these genes is so lucky!" Lettuce smiled, stars in her eyes.

"Yes, well, we probably won't be finding the right girl for a while. It's hard to find someone whose genes are compatible with a certain Red Data animal." Ryou turned off the hologram and started to walk upstairs.

"Shirogane-san, wait!" Ichigo grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

Ryou rolled his eyes. "What is it?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"This girl Momo has been coming here a while. Can she get a discount for being my friend or something?"

Ryou laughed and put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "Don't be silly. She's just another customer."

Ichigo glared.

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"Hey, Ichigo-chan! Can I get a table?" Momo called from the front door. It was about an hour later, and the café wasn't very busy, to everyone's surprise. Lettuce was cleaning a table where two customers had just left a cakey mess. Ichigo led her to an empty table and handed her a menu. "Thanks. Did you get me a discount?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No, sorry, owner's a jerk," Ichigo said plainly.

"He seems nice to me," Momo said optimistically. "I mean, he gave you all the cutest outfits, pays you ten bucks an hour, and gives you free sweets!" She sighed dramatically and sat back in her chair. "I'd love to work here. I'd do anything to get the chance to."

Ichigo laughed nervously. "If only you knew how he picks the waitresses."

"Ichigo, stop chatting before someone catches you being lazy on the job." Mint was chiding from a back table, where she was sitting, drinking tea.

"Just who are you calling lazy, huh?" Ichigo growled as she went to go help the other customers. Lettuce walked over to Momo's table and got her order, which Ichigo didn't hear because Purin was cheering and doing flips for no apparent reason and Zakuro was shouting at her to cut it out, please.

Momo was in the middle of eating her strawberry shortcake when Ryou came out of nowhere with a tray with a large slice of apple pie. He put the pie in front Momo, who was staring at the bringer, and smiled at her. "This is a gift from the café," he said bowing gracefully, and Momo blushed. Ichigo blinked. It was so out of character. "Don't worry, take it, it's our way of saying thanks for coming here every day for the past two months. We love you here."

Ichigo glared. "He's never that nice to us," she mumbled. "Not like Momo deserves bad treatment, but.." She continued to sweep the floor by the back tables.

Mint chuckled. "It's funny, she's been here every day and Ryou is the only one who notices."

"What makes you say that?"

Keiichiro came out of the parlor. "You guys didn't start eating the pie I left out for you, did you?" He looked confused.

Ichigo and Mint just looked at each other and then at Ryou and Momo. Ryou was grinning, and then he said goodbye, taking the tray with him. Momo waved goodbye and continued on her shortcake, blushing. Ichigo couldn't help but feel jealous. Unknown to anyone else, she had developed a sort-of crush on Ryou, which she couldn't explain, since she was already in love with Masaya.

Suddenly, she found Ryou in front of her, handing her the tray. "Bring this back to the kitchen," he ordered, and walked back upstairs to the lab. Lettuce and Mint were quick to hold Ichigo down during the coming tantrum.

"YOU LAZY BUM! GET DOWN HERE AND PUT THIS AWAY YOURSELF!" Ichigo slammed the tray onto the floor.

Momo giggled. "Wow, you two really need some therapy." She grinned before taking her last bite of shortcake. After chewing slowly and swallowing delightfully, she turned her sights onto her next victim: the pie. "Pie time!" She shouted happily. Mint went slowly back to her tea, and Lettuce started to tend to some other customers that weren't being dealt with by Purin or Zakuro. Momo dipped her fork into the flaky, gooey mess, and got ready to take a bite, but then she looked back at Ichigo. "You want a bite?" she asked kindly.

Ichigo calmed down immediately. There was something about Momo's playful personality that just forced smiles out of you, even in a bad mood. Ichigo wondered if she ever was sad. She walked happily to Momo's table and sat own across from her. "Lettuce, would you be so kind as to get me a fork?" she asked from behind her.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Momo insisted. "We can use the same fork, ne?" She grinned. "No biggie, Ichigo-chan."

Ichigo smiled. "Ok, great." She opened her mouth wide to get a bite.

Momo giggled. "Alright, cutie." She fork-fed her new friend. "Is it good?"

Ichigo's face went bright red. "It's hot! It's hot! It's hot!" Tears went into her eyes.

"Awww.. sorry, Ichigo-chan. I guess it was fresh-baked. You're so cute!" Momo patted her head.

Ichigo blushed, glared. She turned and went back to work, tongue burned. Momo grinned and ate her pie, blowing on it before each bite.

Momo got up as soon as she finished. "This was delicious! Thanks so much!" She put her money on the table and started for the door.

"Goodbye, Momo-chan!" Ichigo, Lettuce and Purin said in unison as they waved goodbye. Mint waved too, and Zakuro just nodded her head as she got her plates and silverware. Momo waved back, and quietly left the cafe.

Thump thump thump thump thump! Ryou and Keiichiro ran downstairs into the café. They were breathing havily from excessive running. "Damn! She left!" Ryou complained, throwing his hands in the air.

"What happened!" Ichigo asked, confused like the others.

Keiichiro looked around and raised his hands. "I apologize, but we are unexpectly closing the café early today," he said loud enough for all to hear. "Please leave your food as it is and exit in an orderly fashion. You don't have to pay anything. Once again, I apologize."

The customers looked around and shrugged, leaving quickly. They all were chatting and yelling and complaining. The girls looked around, totally confused. As the last group of people left, Keiichiro closed the door and sighed.

"What's happening?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Purin asked.

Ryou sighed. "I still can't believe it, really."

"What, Shirogane-san?" asked Lettuce.

"Well, it seems we have our new Mew."

They gasped.

"You mean.. Momo is our new hero?" asked Ichigo, bewildered.

Ryou nodded.

"Wow.." Ichigo got lost in thought. I guess she'll get to work here after all...

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Wewt, Chapter Two is up, so keep reading.