Okay people! So here it is, the chapter that will make or break me! cringes I hope you like it, but this isn't the end… OH NO there is a lot more to cover still. Enjoy!

Chapter Sixteen: A birthday surprise.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY USAGI!" Her family and friends shouted, shaking the house. Usagi blushed as she blew out the candles. She closed her eyes, wishing that her birthday wish would come true.

'I wish that Mamoru and I will be together forever.' She smiled not making eye contact with him. He was really happy that she was happy, it had been a week since he saw her smile like that. He hoped that whatever she wished for would come true, and that all her wishes came true. Usagi's mother helped her cut the cake and feed it to her as Umino took pictures. The girls huddled together and tried to cake Usagi in the face, leaving a hilarious picture for the ages. Kenji and Shingo took the next picture with her, followed by Naru and Umino. Mamoru stuck quietly to the corner admiring her beauty. He wondered how he was able to contain himself all this time. He had always thought of her as cute and pretty, but now she was looking more like a woman.

"Mamoru, take a picture with Usagi." Ikuko suggested, pulling on his arm and practically dragging him to stand closely beside Usagi.

"Isn't that a bit close honey?" Kenji deliriously laughed feeling a bit embarrassed to see his daughter with Mamoru. Ikuko just smiled.

"No, it's just perfect." She whispered, giving Umino a slight nudge to take the picture of the blushing couple. Shocking everyone, and practically killing Kenji, Mamoru put his arm around Usagi's shoulder. He wasn't thinking, it was reflex. Kenji fell over to the ground, no one seemed to care that he toppled over and was twitching.

Ikuko was a bit shocked too, but recovered and smiled happily. Usagi blushed, her body stiffening. Umino took the picture and the flash knocked Mamoru back to the world and he realized what he was doing. Embarrassed, he quickly moved his arm off her Usagi in time to notice Kenji standing up. His eyes were warning him and Mamoru took a few steps away from Usagi.

"Lets eat!" Ikuko shouted, getting the girls to help bring out a large table full of food. Usagi was in heaven, it was all her favorite food. The excitement was too much and she started to gobble the food like there was no tomorrow. Though disgusted by her horrible display of table manners, they were all glad to see Usagi back to the way she was. Ikuko wondered how Usagi was able to get out of bed after what happened to her yesterday. She had expected that Usagi would be afraid and need time to get out of her room again, but somehow she was making a fast recovery. She looked over to Mamoru smiling at her, like nothing else in the room existed but her. She could see the love in his eyes.

'Of course with a man like Mamoru always there to protect you…you wouldn't be afraid of anything.' She thought. The day pressed on and after a fantastic round of movies at home with her family and friends, the gang headed to the amusement park. Mamoru said his apologies to Usagi and headed home, insisting that he needed to get something very important done. Reluctantly Usagi said goodbye, missing him the very instant her stepped out of her home. The amusement park fun made her forget about the feeling and she enjoyed herself with her friends. Even Rei was lightening up to Usagi more.

The sun was setting, and the girls were all sprawled out in the arcade, happily exhausted after a wonderful day. Usagi was thanking Motoki for her gift, a stuffed bunny and a free ticket to the movies.

"I'm glad to see you happy again Usagi-chan." He smiled. Usagi smiled back and than leaped into a hug. Motoki was surprised but returned the hug, he was really happy that she was back to herself now. Perhaps it was because the police had taken Akio into custody and a large investigation was going on now, or perhaps it was Mamoru finally admitting to her.

"Usagi-chan, Mamoru wanted me to give this to you." He pulled out an envelope addressed to 'Odango atama'. Usagi smiled angrily at the name but opened it. She read it.

'Odango, I'm not sure if you'll be able to, but if you can, please come to my apartment today at 7. Alone. Mamoru'. She wondered what he wanted.

'What if he wants to tell me that last night was a mistake….'She was suddenly worried.

"Usagi-chan?" Motoki lightly shook her shoulder, waking her up. Usagi beamed him a large smile and got ready to head home with the girls.

………………………………..

"Hm, are you sure you want to go Usagi-chan?" Luna asked, jumping up to the table in Usagi's room. She didn't know if they could still trust him a 100 percent. He still had three crystals and was obviously going after the last one. Usagi sunk down into her bed, sulking. Just when things were starting to finally look like they were great, something had to change it.

"But Luna-chan, now that we know who he is, we can ask him for the crystals?" She wondered if that would really work. Why was he collecting the crystals and why did he have to find the princess too. It didn't make sense to her. She thought about it, she hoped that he was not her enemy, she didn't want him to be. Now that Mamoru was not her enemy, Tuxedo Kamen could be.

"I have to go Luna-chan." Usagi stood up with her fist balled, a determined expression and a small tear drop down her head. Luna sighed.

"But you have to stay outside of the apartment Luna, he asked me to come alone." Usagi added. She pulled out the star locket from her pocket, remembering the day when Mamoru gave it to her, and when he revealed himself to her.

'It's fate.' She blankly listened to the locket play.

…………………………..

She was standing outside his door, looking at it for awhile. Her mind was clouded.

'What if Tuxedo Kamen-sama really is my enemy…' She wondered. Life was going back to being complicated and she hated this lost uncertain feeling.

'What if he's going to break it off with me…' She shook her head, sighing loudly. Finally, she conjured the courage to knock the door. He opened to see her blushing face, timidly standing there with a small smile.

"Come in." He smiled, letting her in. The room was still very dull looking, but the curtains were all open for the first time in years, the place looked brighter, more welcoming. Usagi was still walking in when Mamoru ran to the kitchen to get her his surprise.

"Here. I didn't know what else you liked, but I knew I couldn't strike out with food." And her presented a chocolate cup cake with a little bunny iced in it. Usagi looked up to him and than back to the kitchen. It was a disaster in there, and there was still smoke coming out of somewhere.

"You made this for me?" She asked surprised. From what she understood, Mamoru didn't know how to cook, thanks to Motoki's adventure stories in the kitchen with Mamoru. He looked a bit embarrassed.

"Well yeah. I hope you like it." He smiled. Usagi took the cup cake in her hand feeling so happy that he went through all the trouble and possibly a small fire to make her something. She took a small bite, relishing the taste.

"HMM it's so good!" She shouted happily and than munching down on it. Mamoru's smiled down at her, satisfied.

"There's one more thing. I don't know if this is too early, but I had to get you something to show you that …I'm …I'm serious." Mamoru looked sternly, but his eyes still beaming with love. Usagi gulped the last bite of cup cake in her mouth, wondering what he could have for her. He pulled out a long box, opened it and turned it to Usagi. Her eyes widen.

"Is this for me?" She asked stuttering. Mamoru nodded.

"Do you like it?" He asked taking the thin silver necklace with a small heart pendant on it. Usagi didn't know what to say, no one had ever given her something so beautiful. Her hands came up to her chest, as if to try to calm her heart down as he put the necklace on her.

'I've done this before….' He said to himself.

Something happened to slow him down. His head was feeling fuzzy, like he was about to transform, but this time it was different. His heart was running a mile a minute and his legs felt limp. Usagi was experiencing a smiliar sensation and as the necklace touched her skin, resting on her collar bone; she fell to her knees with Mamoru.

Suddenly a bright white flash carried them to look on to a couple standing on a balcony. It was night, and they were in a beautiful white castle. They could see earth in the distance. Mamoru and Usagi tried to speak but their words never came out. They watched the couple, the princess from his dream give a tall dark man in heavy armor the star locket. His eyes widen in panic. This was the princess he was dreaming about before Usagi consumed his mind.

Usagi watched the handsome man pull out a silver necklace with a small heart pendant and he was placing it on the princess. She recognized him, his face. It dawned on her who they were. Her eyes shot open and Mamoru gasped into consciousness They were laying on the floor, he was holding on to her tightly.

Shocked they stood up to face each other. Both their eyes glassing with tears.

"Princess Serenity…" He whispered faintly.

"Prince Endymion…" She whispered back. He was overwhelmed and so was she, with this longing and such an intense love that before any other words were shared, they leaped into a tight embrace. They held on to each other tightly, frightened that something would tear them apart.

"I remember now…I remember everything now Serenity." Mamoru whispered, inhaling her scent. He longed to be with her all this time, he tried to forget her, push her away; but he was already destined to be with her.

"I am the princess. I'm the moon princess we've been looking for, and you are….the prince from earth." She tried to look up to him, but he didn't want to let go of her body, even if it meant not looking at her. He didn't want to loose his grip on her. He worried that if he let her slide even just a bit out of his reach, he would loose her again.

"All this time. And you were right here with me." He whispered. He had never cried before in his life, not even after hearing about his parents accident when he was a young child, but he cried now. They died on the moon loving each other, for each other; and now that he had a chance to be with her again, he vowed nothing would stand in his way. He pulled her, grabbing her face in his hands, a bit tightly.

"Usako, don't ever leave me. Don't ever leave me. I won't be able to." He grabbed her back into his arms.

"I won't be able to live without you." He whispered tenderly. Usagi's eyes filled up again with hot tears. She was so happy. Finally, after all this time, she was with him again. They could love again.

"I won't Mamo-chan." She smiled, digging her body into his. She never wanted this moment to end, and neither did he. After so long, he was able to finally hold her. And he didn't part, he kept her there, locked in his arms until it was time to go.

……………………………

He drove her home, still holding on to her hand, he now understood his crazy possessiveness of Usagi, he need to always be there with her. It wasn't just because she was Sailor moon, she was his love. It all made sense now. He had always wondered why it was only for Sailor moon that he risked his life for, and now he knew; it was the woman he loved. The woman he lost his life for.

"You were right Mamo-chan…" Usagi interrupted their cloud of silence that seemed to have followed them from the apartment. He turned to her after he stopped his car in front of her house.

"This is fate." She smiled. He smiled back. He came around to her side as she got out, wondering why he was out of the car too. He stood in front of her, not caring who saw, because he was finally happy.

"Usako…" he whispered softly leaning in for a kiss. It would the first kiss they shared after re-calling their true identities.

"Mamo-chan…" She whispered back closing her eyes as he engulfed her into his arms and gave the most deep passionate kiss he had ever given. He wanted to drop to his knee, propose to her, give her his last name and love her for life. But he knew that was going far. She pulled back from the kiss, sighing happily to him. He smiled, allowing her to rest her head on his chest. He loved that feeling.

"I should go inside Mamo-chan." She smiled, noticing the lights in her house were still on. Luna was standing outside of the house, waiting and watching, wondering why they were doing all this lovey dovey stuff in front of the house.

'Is she crazy…what if her father see's.' She angrily muttered. Usagi finally convinced Mamoru to let her go, and she waved good bye as she entered the house. Mamoru felt his body get colder without her there. But he was still feeling like the happiest man alive. He smiled and drove off.

Usagi sighed, closing the door.

'Finally, after all this time.' She thought as she got ready to walk up the stairs to her room, of course where the mad cat disease would have (by now) taken over Luna. She giggled, thinking about how she would tell her that she was the princess. But she heard her father, angrily speaking to someone.

"Well that's just ridiculous! What kind of law do we have in this country!" He shouted, pausing for a moment for the party on the phone to talk. Usagi peeked through to the kitchen, noticing her father pacing around madly in the, while her mother sat sadly at the table. She seemed very disturbed.

"FINE! You better do something to protect my little girl!" And he hung up. Ikuko stood up, her hands cupped together at her chest, hoping to hear some good news; she already knew it was bad. Kenji sighed heavily looking down to his feet. He looked over to his pleading wife.

"They let Akio out on bail. His father, apparently is the owner of Bodai enterprise…they're moving to drop the charges…" Ikuko was shocked. She knew that it was bad, but never did she think that the law would allow Akio scott free and on top, allow his lawyers to ask for the charges to be dropped.

"This can't be…" Ikuko started to gently cry as her husband brought her into his arms.

"Its' okay honey, we'll figure this out." Kenji consoled, wondering if there was something that could be done. Usagi was shocked and heart broken. She couldn't believe that his rich father was able to pull strings like that.

"What's going to happen to our little girl." Ikuko asked sobbing. Kenji sighed hopefully.

"I just hope that Mamoru is always there." His words alarmed Usagi. She blushed, feeling confident. Mamoru was going to always be there, no matter what. She would be safe, even if Akio is out.

"Mamo-chan." She whispered, going up the stairs to her room, where she would have to explain to Luna that she was not just Sailor moon; she was the moon princess too.