Usagi kept busy for the rest of the afternoon, needing the distraction from both her impending lesson and fleeting thoughts of the girls that never failed to send a jolt of pain through her heart. She missed them so horribly and wished she could lament over this lesson with them, but the only one who was not currently terrified of her blindness was Ami. Knowing the kindly erudite, while she would offer an ear, the rest of her efforts would go into encouraging Usagi to be open-minded about Mamoru and to try her best to learn from him, which was not exactly the sympathy the blonde teen was looking for at the moment. Usagi sighed morosely. The wandering around her upstairs, memorizing the angles of the walls and leveling underfoot, helped to stifle her anxieties... for now. But 3:30 came far too quickly, as dreaded obligations are wont to do, and too soon Usagi was listening to the sound of the front door opening and Ikuko practically falling all over herself with greetings. Usagi swallowed thickly, unconsciously rubbing the pad of her finger which had become rough and rippled ever since its brush with the burner. It didn't hurt per se, it just felt funny, and the difference in sensation was helping to steady her like little else.

"Usagiiiiii! Mamoru-san is here!"

Ikuko sounded entirely too chuffed about the whole thing for her daughter's liking, and Usagi frowned in petulance, wishing her mother would quit fawning over the jerk. But she steeled her nerves, overriding that inner annoyance with the determination that had been building inside her all day, and adjusted the straps of her favorite pink overalls. What to wear had been a long and deliberating affair, but Usagi finally settled on the overalls because she figured they would give her the range of motion a skirt or dress wouldn't. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself in front of Mamoru... though it was probably inevitable, she amended glumly.

She shuffled to the stairs and carefully eased her way down, one step at a time, hands white-knuckling the railing. It was so much less frightening going up than down. Down, there was a stomach-dropping sense of imbalance in every movement, an unknown awaiting her with every footfall, and definite peril at the bottom should she slip up. But miraculously, Usagi did not trip, and she ambled cautiously into the entryway with a very polite and very fake smile plastered onto her lips.

"Good afternoon, Mamoru-san," she said with a small bow, completely for her mother's benefit. "Thank you for coming."

Ikuko sounded like she was beaming in utter delight as she tacked on, "I'm glad my daughter didn't chase you away yesterday, Mamoru-san. She can have a bit of a temper sometimes, but she has a heart of gold."

Usagi wanted to sink into the floor, gritting her teeth. "Mama. Please!"

"What? It's true!"

Mamoru's voice was a model of control as he replied, "It's no problem at all. Like I said, I'm here to help."

Ikuko clapped her hands together. "Well then! I think I'll leave you two to it. Please let me know if you need anything!"

The chipper blunette strolled away to go clamor around in the kitchen, leaving the pair alone in the vestibule, an awkward silence descending in her wake. Despite having been the first to initiate an apology, Usagi truly didn't know what to say now, and she could still feel the lingering tension that festered between them. Speaking over the phone was one thing, but when he was looking her in the face - and when she couldn't see him back, to discern his expression - it was incredibly disconcerting. Mercifully, Mamoru seemed to understand this, and was clearly better prepared than she as he stepped forward with something akin to resolve in his advance.

"You do seem different today, Usagi-san," he commented, quietly. Usagi started at the use of her real name. "It's... well. It's good to see you in better spirits. This isn't going to be easy, and the more positive your outlook the more results we can achieve."

"Er... yes." Usagi was still trying to comprehend the sound of her given name coming from Mamoru, the jerk who never budged an inch when she used to demand it from him before. She could only imagine it was because, despite how loudly her mother was maneuvering about the kitchen, there was a decent chance she was making all the excess noise in a poor attempt to disguise her eavesdropping. The apple didn't exactly fall far from the tree. The younger Tsukino had to quickly batten down her urge to chuckle as hesitantly, she asked, "Is there... anywhere else we could have our lesson? I'm just... feeling really cooped up right now. Fresh air would be a welcome change."

There was a moment where Usagi imagined Mamoru was taken aback, because he didn't respond at first. Then -

"Oh. Well... that could work. Actually... that would work very well. Was there somewhere you had in mind or...?"

Usagi blinked, a vision springing to life, and as soon as it materialized she could not shake the intense desire to be within the comforting safety of its confines, the relaxing breeze and wafting aroma so close to mind she felt as though the next breath would transport her there. Her heart stuttered at the thought of sharing this private oasis with the man who was without question the bane of her existence, but the need for peace and quiet eclipsed all and more than that, she was slightly afraid that if she did not learn how to navigate it now, sightless, she would never learn at all. And then the magic would be gone...

"So there's this place..."

As Mamoru led Usagi to his car, barely touching her elbow, he had to admit... his interest was piqued.

It wasn't every day you learned about a "secret" garden that sounded like it was straight out of Frances Hodgson Burnett's book. The way Usagi told it, this place had been abandoned for years, a run-down mansion left to the cruel machinations of time. And yet, hidden within the unsuspecting, crumbling old fortress was a sanctuary more alive than ever, boasting all forms of creature and vegetation. He had to wonder how Usagi stumbled across it in the first place, but really, he didn't have to ask. The girl loved nothing more than to stick her nose any place it didn't belong, though - grudgingly - Mamoru wasn't sure he would've been able to resist the temptation either, had he known the undisturbed wonder the mansion was hiding.

He opened the door and was about to assist her into the car when she coolly swatted him away. "I got it, I got it. I'm not an invalid, I do remember how to buckle myself."

Mamoru cocked a brow, the sarcasm heavy in his rebuke. "Please, do forgive me for attempting to be a gentleman."

"Gentleman? Ha! My big toe wearing a top hat would still be more of a gentleman than you!"

Mamoru was about to holler something about where she could stick her big toe when he took a deep breath, realizing with a rush of dismay how quickly this was beginning to devolve and they'd only just walked out the door. It was way, way too easy for them to fall mindlessly back into their old ways, and wasn't he supposed to be the one taking the high road here, no matter what his patient threw at him? Mamoru closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. When he opened them again, he silently observed the sight of Usagi, arms crossed, having just finished securing herself into the seat. She stared straight ahead, a fiery, fuming expression of dislike etched all across her features and Mamoru saw there the proof of his failures laid bare. He grimaced.

"I'm sorry, Usagi-san. I meant only to help."

She didn't say anything, still affecting her stony glare. Mamoru sighed, shutting the passenger side door and coming around to the driver's. He slid into his own seat and was tangling with the buckle when Usagi spoke up at last.

"Why do you keep calling me Usagi? You're not within earshot of my mother anymore. You don't have to pretend to be nice."

Mamoru shot the blonde a side-eye, noticing that the frown on her face had become more ruminating than angry, now. It amazed him how quickly she could flip the switch, though, he didn't doubt things could turn testy fast, depending on what his response was.

"I thought that's what you wanted to be called?"

"Well... yeah, I guess, but... it's weird."

"Do you want me to call you Odango Atama?" Mamoru was perplexed now, trying to make sense of this girl who, oddly enough, seemed just as confused as he.

"I mean... no! But... you always call me Odango," Usagi pointed out.

Mamoru rubbed his face, exhaustion at this circular conversation threatening to beat him down and leave him bedraggled in a ditch. "Yes, and it doesn't really seem appropriate anymore, given the roles we now find ourselves in. If you haven't noticed, I'm trying very hard to keep the peace between us. It's not an act. There's a professionalism I need to maintain if I'm to do my job properly, a trust that has to be earned between teacher and student, doctor and patient, and... well. I haven't exactly done spectacularly in that regard so far, have I?"

Mamoru tried to hide it, but he couldn't keep the spiraling note of self-condemnation from out of his tone. When Usagi pursed her lips, clearly still thinking on his words, Mamoru looked away and put the car into gear, pulling out of the Tsukino's. He knew roughly where to go thanks to Usagi's description, but he was also going to need more detailed directions soon. The man opened his mouth to inquire along that line of thought, ready for a change in topic, when Usagi spoke first - surprising him.

"Trust is a tricky thing. It has to come from both parties."

Mamoru wasn't used to such wisdoms from the usually ditzy blonde. He gazed at her out of the corner of his eye as he drove, curious at how serious she looked all of a sudden. "It does," he hedged, carefully. "And I know neither of us has really given much reason to trust the other. Quite the opposite. So perhaps... more than trust, what we need right now... is a truce."

"A truce, huh?" Usagi said, slowly.

Usagi mulled the thought over in her mind, but it seemed almost risible, the idea of the two of them agreeing to get along. She honestly didn't think they were capable, at least not in the long term. Fighting was just... their thing. She didn't know any other way to be around him. But that wasn't to say the possibility didn't have its appeal. It was tiring to always be experiencing such intense emotions around a person, especially when now she already had so much else to be dealing with.

"Maybe," she murmured, rubbing her burnt finger again. She would try... she just didn't think they would succeed. Mamoru could never resist a barb at her expense just as she could never resist an affronted comeback. Somehow, Usagi doubted that that would just cease to happen ever again.

"Um - Cherry Hill intersection. Right or left?"

"Right," Usagi said decisively. The rest of the car ride was mostly her instructing Mamoru, and that was fine, because there was hardly anything to bicker over when they each had their jobs to do. Mamoru appeared to have dropped the matter on trust and truces, instead keeping up a running line of commentary about what they were passing, and Usagi actually found herself feeling grateful - it gave her imagination something to go off of. She knew they had arrived when Mamoru suddenly let out a breathy,

"Wow."

A deep pain lanced through Usagi's heart as she realized what he must be admiring, the slate gray cobblestones and crippling steepled roofs against a lush of greenery, a house forgotten as nature rose to reclaim it. She remembered wondering who owned it, and what happened to them.

They got out of the car and the smell of forest immediately assaulted Usagi's nose, that intoxicating combination of sweet pine sap and ancient maple, and she could imagine now the way the trees must be swaying as the wind picked up. It was a long walk to the mansion, down a winding driveway that slowly became more and more wooded as it got closer to the house. Mamoru decided they would walk, just in case his car didn't handle the rough terrain well, he didn't want to stall out too far from the main road. Usagi could tell from the way he spoke that he was one of those guys who cared a lot about their car, which made her want to snicker, until she remembered he owned a frigging Ferrari and suddenly it dawned on her that she just rode in it.

Even she had to admit... that was pretty cool.

Mamoru started his sojourn up to the mansion but as Usagi took her first couple steps, she felt immediate fear rush into her limbs. She froze, suddenly unsure how to proceed. The path was a little rocky underfoot and she had no idea where she was going. This absolute blind terror must have shown on her face because Mamoru was by her side at an instant.

"It's okay, Usagi-san. You're okay. I just want you to follow the sound of my footsteps, okay? We're gonna work a little more on honing your sense of hearing but for now I'll walk close and we'll go slow."

Usagi wasn't entirely convinced yet, and she gasped, "But what if I were to wander off into the woods, I wouldn't even know!?"

"First of all, I wouldn't let that happen. But come - feel." Mamoru gently grasped Usagi's elbow and led her over a few paces. "Rub your feet over the ground, feel the difference in texture. That's grass. You'll soon learn to pay rapt attention to your surroundings and infer your location from all the other senses you possess, and as Chiryoshi-sensei said, they'll only grow stronger as a result."

They got back onto the path and Mamoru let go of her, which Usagi found with great concern was a disconcerting feeling. She knew rationally that she couldn't just hold onto somebody for the rest of her life, walking where they walked, but the prospect of doing it alone was just so daunting. She tried her best to listen for the sounds of Mamoru's heels clacking against the rocks to judge his trajectory, but there were definitely a few times she tripped over unstable stones or veered wildly off course. It was so much more difficult than she thought. She tried to ignore the insistent welling in her throat and the accompanying desire to just sit down and give up.

Mamoru must have sensed her increasing frustration because he began to fill her ears with inane chatter. It actually helped her gauge his distance.

"This place is incredible. You never see anything like this in the city. How the hell did you find it?"

Usagi could hardly tell him it was as Sailor Moon, after that awful night Nephrite died in Naru's arms. That was definitely the worst moment she'd ever endured as a Senshi. It had hit home for all of them just what they stood to to lose if they failed this war, the goodness that would be stolen from the world, but even more than all of that... Usagi had felt responsible. She knew objectively it hadn't been her fault, Zoisite was the one who cast the youma upon them, but she still felt like she should have been able to do something. It was always her who saved the day. Her with the mystic power to heal those affected by the Dark Kingdom. But that night, there had been nothing she could do but watch on as her best friend lost the love of her life. It was horrible, and later, it had been impossible to just go home and carry on as if all was well. When they parted ways, Usagi didn't run to the safety of her bed - she just ran. Ran and ran and ran until her feet ached and her bones wanted to sag with the weariness of it all, the burden of this power she never asked for.

That was when she stumbled across the house and its secret. And somehow - within the sanctuary of its walls and the beauty of its garden, sitting there alone among the flower beds until the sun came up - she found her peace, and the strength to face Naru the following day.

"Erm... my hairdresser lives a little further up the road. Just saw it one day and decided to explore."

She wanted to cringe at the lame explanation, but then again, prevarication had never been her strong suit.

Mamoru seemed to accept her little white lie without a second thought. He made an interested "Hmm"ing noise but then other matters captured his attention, namely, how they were going to access the garden. Usagi quirked her lips, relishing in knowing something he didn't, and the ingenuity of the design. She followed him much as she had on the path to around the back, where she knew the garden was enclosed by a large wall, fifteen feet high and impossible to get a glimpse over. As Sailor Moon she had bounded this obstacle with ease, then once inside discovered the hidden door that a normal human would use. It was carefully shielded on the outside by two large bushes, and looked exactly like the rest of the wall it was a part of. Those who knew it existed, only had to push aside some of the brush to access the handle. When Usagi shared this with Mamoru, he deadpanned,

"And you just stumbled across this in your explorations?"

"Yes."

"Strange girl," the man murmured, and Usagi heard him go rustling about in the bushes, looking for the way in. Usagi allowed herself the smallest smile.

Stranger than he knew.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note: Hope you guys were paying attention, cause there's a whoooole bunch of plot bunnies dropped in this chapter that we'll be picking up again later ;) What do you think of the mysterious mansion and its garden so far? You may recall it's briefly mentioned in the first chapter by Usagi to Naru but I figured what better place for Usagi and Mamoru to practice in privacy? Hehe... privacy has its perks as you will eventually find out...

PLEASE PLEASE drop me a line, I'm dying to know what you guys think! Hopefully the pacing is alright, it is after all a slow burn and there's much to do before we get into the real action of the story. But I promise, everything will resolve itself in time :) You WILL see the girls again soon!

Much thanks and virtual cookies for those who sent me love last chapter! That's karseneau1, Roxypockets1, phillynz, Moon Bunny, and cindermane. I love you guys SO MUCH and am immeasurably grateful for your kind words. Every review makes my day and encourages me to update faster :) I like to think I made good time on this one - for once, LOL!

AngelMoon Girl