A few days passed. Usagi and Mamoru fell into a sort of routine, with he picking her up every day at 3:00. They would then drive out to the garden, and practice whatever new activity Mamoru had developed to fine tune any of her senses that did not rely upon sight. She was surprised to find that everything - from tying her shoes to fielding different floor plans - was starting to come that little bit easier. Movements more fluid, memory stronger, better control of her reflexes, and a greater understanding of spatial awareness. It was truly an incredible difference even from last week to now... and she had him to thank.

Not that she would ever admit this to his face. Or that, sometime along the way... she actually started to look forward to their lessons.

It was probably just because she didn't really get to go places anymore outside of these lessons. The streets were still too dangerous for her to navigate without accompaniment, so seeing Mamoru was often her only escape from the doldrums of her family's house. Which is why, when he called her that Wednesday out of the blue to hurriedly say he couldn't come that day... she found herself feeling more than a little put out.

"Usagi. Would you please stop kicking that stand!?"

Her mama was bustling about the living room, giving it a thorough clean, and Usagi had draped herself across the couch with an audiobook - one headphone in, one out. She wasn't really listening to it anymore; had instead zoned out thinking about Mamoru and his strange golden aura. In fact, it was a little disconcerting just how much time he spent in her mind, lately. But she couldn't help it. It was weird. Why did Mamoru have a freaking color and nothing else!? Just what was she seeing, that no one else could? When she told the girls about this odd new development, she had seriously thought Ami was going to wet herself with excitement. But despite the dozen or so theories the erudite posed... they were still no closer to an answer than Usagi had been before. It was a complete mystery. Nearest they figured, Usagi's latent Senshi powers were at work in some way...

"Did you hear me? Feet on the floor! You're about to knock over the lamp!"

"Soooorry!"

Ikuko sighed, tickling Usagi with the end of her duster. The teen yelped. "You know... if you're bored, Naru-chan mentioned wanting to come by with Umino-san when you were up for a visit. They miss you! And they're probably out of school by now."

Usagi sat up, pulling out her earbuds and dumping them onto the coffee table. She smiled; it had indeed been a long time since she saw them. Apparently they had finally become an item in her absence, and she was so happy that they'd finally realized they were head over heels for each other. People in love could be so dense sometimes! "That's a good idea. Can they come over, Mama!? Pleeease?"

Ikuko laughed, sounding pleased to have lit a spark in her daughter. "Didn't I just say they could?"

Usagi didn't need telling twice. She leaped off the couch with renewed bounce.

oOo

The much-needed catch up with her old school friends was a blast, but Usagi was a popular girl today, which helped stave off any lingering dismay that Mamoru had cancelled on her. Almost as soon as the door closed on Umino and Naru, Makoto rang and asked if she could bring Usagi to Fruit Parlor Crown. They had an update... and a dire craving for milkshakes.

How could she say no to that?

"Another rogue?"

"Yeah, this afternoon. Totally out of nowhere! We were on our way home," Makoto said over her malted chocolate shake, giving it a stir. "Ami-chan noticed it first..."

"It was attacking the library. The library!" Ami exclaimed, thoroughly appalled. As if this were the most heinous act yet. Usagi was fairly certain she was not the only one stifling a snicker. The Dark Kingdom better watch out now!

"What was curious though was that Tuxedo Kamen was there," Rei piped up, and that got Usagi's full attention. She nearly toppled her Neapolitan-Oreo-Hot Caramel shake leaning forward so quickly.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!?"

"Yeah, but it was weird. He just... showed up. Then left. Just like that. It was like he was looking for something," Rei said contemplatively.

"Probably to see if there was a Rainbow Crystal holder there and when there wasn't he skipped town," Makoto grumbled, a definite edge of bitterness lacing her tone. It made Usagi very uncomfortable.

"Please Mako-chan... we don't know that," Usagi pleaded.

"All I know is I don't trust him one bit," Makoto replied. "He grows shadier and shadier by the battle."

"Usagi-chan, how are your lessons with Mamoru-san going?" Ami inquired a touch loudly, in a clear change of subject. Usagi was grateful. As desperate as she was to hear about Tuxedo Kamen, she didn't want it to become an argument.

"Pretty good! Yesterday we did this cool balancing thing..."

Mamoru cast aside his pencil, rubbing his eyes. His studying notecards for the big upcoming test in his human anatomy course were only half-completed, as they had been for most of the day. Because apparently, there could never just be peace - and it was hard to be productive when the Dark Kingdom kept sending their minions to wreak havoc on Tokyo mid-cram session. He picked up on the attack via police scanner, and after a quick apologetic call to Usagi went racing out the door incognito. The library was a healthy distance away, so he was not surprised in the slightest to see the Sailor Senshi already there and launching an offensive against the energy-sucking beast soon as he arrived on the scene.

All of them... except Sailor Moon.

Again.

Mamoru had stayed only long enough to scan the room for her, but when his search came back sans blonde warrior he had ducked back into the shadows. The Senshi had this fight covered - he went looking for the victims.

He always looked for the victims.

Under a desk he found a high school student; a girl, probably only in her first or second year, trembling and crying as silently as she could. She had a number of superficial scratches and her fingers were white-knuckling an upraised book, but he was not daunted. He reached out for her.

"Come with me. It's alright. Let's get you to safety."

A couple more sweeps and it appeared he'd gotten everyone out. The Senshi meanwhile had gained ground and were gathered around the Crescent Moon Rod - about to strike down the youma with their combined powers. He'd seen that move employed last battle, too. It was only now he was starting to realize the implications.

Tuxedo Kamen went home an uncommonly unsettled man, that afternoon.

Sitting here now, notecards strewn in utter disarray around him, Mamoru was finding it impossible to focus on anything else. That was her rod. Why were the Sailor Senshi using Sailor Moon's weapon - twice? Could she not wield it herself, anymore? Was she in hiding? Or worse?

A million queries plagued Mamoru until he simply gave up, retreating into the kitchen for a cup of the stiffest black coffee his machine would make. He felt so useless. Was there no way to find out what had happened to the missing moon Senshi?

He sipped at the liquid stimulant and shivered at how strong it was. He reveled at the sensation of it pooling hot and hearty in the pit of his stomach; at the clarity that was slowly starting to seep into the cloudy recesses of his tired, so tired, brain.

Maybe... maybe there was a way.

"I mean... it's a foolhardy plan," he mumbled to himself. The first sign of insanity. "But I have to at least try. I need to know she's okay."

Details formulating, the medical intern-in-training nodded to himself and wandered from the kitchen, nursing his coffee such that he nearly tripped on an object that had fallen into his path.

"And how did you get there?" he chuckled, bending over to replace the would-be cause of injury from where it had initially rested, before the nosedive. "Stay put now. You need to remain in one piece for Odango tomorrow."

Mamoru straightened up, still with a smile brightening his features as he gazed upon Usagi's gift.

"Hope she likes it."

Usagi was fairly bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for Mamoru to arrive, the following day.

"You know..." her mother's voice floated over to her, in a mercilessly teasing tone. "For not liking that boy, you're sure excited to see him."

"Mama!" Usagi screeched. "I do NOT like him!"

"What's all that hollering in there about?" Kenji called from the living room, muting the television.

"Nothing, dear!"

"Nothing, Papa!"

Usagi huffed, praying her face returned to its normal hue before Mamoru walked in the door, and cursing her mama for making her feel so awkward in the first place. The woman was being ridiculous. She absolutely positively DID NOT have a crush on Chiba Mamoru!

"Don't say things like that," she groused, glaring daggers Ikuko's direction.

"Like what?" the Tsukino matriarch replied cheerfully, undoubtedly the picture of innocence. "Oh, here he comes now!"

Usagi nervously smoothed out the creases in her skirt and gave her odango a quick tug when she heard the front door being beckoned inward.

"Welcome, Mamoru-san!"

"Good to see you, Tsukino-san."

"Ikuko-san."

"Sorry. Ikuko-san." Mamoru sounded appropriately chagrined but Ikuko laughed it off with warm, motherly affection.

"So polite! Aren't you a dear. Have fun today, you two!"

Ikuko swept from the room, leaving Usagi a brief moment in which to duck her head and compose her features. It really was embarrassing having a mother who fawned so obviously over her frenemy's every word. Frenemy... was that what they were now? She really didn't know how to define them anymore.

Usagi shook herself of the confusing thoughts and stepped closer to Mamoru, or, the gold speck that was currently masquerading as Mamoru.

How utterly crazy would he think her if she told him that?

"Hey."

"Hey."

"I heard something different when you came in," she commented, inclining her head.

"Did you now?" Mamoru countered, and she could tell - he was beaming. At her improved hearing? She felt a sudden rush of pride.

"Yeah. Like a tapping? When you were coming up the stairs."

"Impressive," Mamoru complimented, giving the foyer a few taps for good measure. "What you heard is... well, I brought you a gift."

"A gift?" Usagi perked up, countenance alight.

"It's not just from me. I had a little help from your friend Mizuno-san. But I gave her the idea and she ran with it," Mamoru chuckled, moving closer. "We've been working on this for a couple days."

Usagi's heart struck up a frantic rhythm as she felt Mamoru's hands brush hers, and he passed something long and smooth and slender into her unsuspecting grip. The teen gasped. "A cane!" she marveled, tapping around on the floor with unbridled excitement.

"Bright pink," Mamoru said, a playful inflection to his voice. "We figured you'd appreciate that. But the coolest thing... come over here."

Mamoru led and Usagi complied.

"Try the cane here, near this shoe rack."

Usagi did, and once more another gasp was pulled from her throat. "It- it vibrated into my palm as soon as I got close! Just a teeny bit but I still felt it."

"Yep. That was my idea. Mizuno-san made the adjustments. It detects your obstacles, anything above a certain mass, and sends the low frequency vibrations as a warning to you that it's in your path. You can turn the feature on and off with the small switch a little lower down, but I figured... I mean given that you're just starting out, getting used to it... maybe it would be helpful to you."

Usagi was touched, hardly knowing what to say. This was one of those few instances where she was actually grateful for her damaged tear ducts; she was pretty sure had they been operating as they should she would've been a wailing mess right now. As it was, she rapidly blinked back the insistent tickle. "I... I can't believe you did this for me. It's amazing. Thank you so much!"

"Not just me," Mamoru deflected, sounding like he was fighting off a serious blush. "Mizuno-san too. I couldn't have done it without her genius."

Usagi nodded, fingering the handle of the cane with something akin to awe, mingled with lingering disbelief, swelling in her chest. "Say... do you think we could take this baby out for a test drive to her cram school? So I can thank her properly."

"I was waiting for you to ask that," Mamoru grinned. "C'mon... let's teach you how to be street-savvy with your sweet new cane! The first lesson... how to conk slow pedestrians over the head with it!"

Usagi laughed, actually laughed aloud at Mamoru's joke. An overwhelming joy was burgeoning fierce inside her...

The world was opening up to her again.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note: I thank you all for your patience! Over the hiatus my husband and I had our honeymoon in Aruba. It was bliss beyond words but now we're home safe and sound in the buckets of snow that fell in our absence. I miss being served pina coladas under a palapa surrounded in sand, sun, and palm trees! *pitiful whimpers* This chapter took unreasonably long to plot out but I'm finally happy with it. You're starting to see a different side to Usagi and Mamoru... ;) DON'T BE SHY... WHATCHA THINK?

Last chapter James Birdsong, TropicalRemix, tryntee13, MyIndy13, Guest (x2), moonwrite, NikkiBC, Moon Bunny, Ruk, karseneau1, Xo, Daire123, Rei0ki, lisasailor, Jenbunny, Aya Faulkner, mtillm21, Asj Johnson, Rufael, TinkStar87, and SaphireShimmer ROCKED MY WORLD with their reviews so thanks for that and hope you'll keep me apprised ;) I really love hearing what your favorite parts are and your theories as to what's next!

Hugs,

AngelMoon Girl