4

Usagi stared at the ring as her eyes sparkled with excitement. Right now she was about to go out and scream at the top of her lungs. Tell every one how lucky she was. Tell them that she would soon be Mrs. Chiba. "Oh Luna!" she squealed. "Come over here! Look! Look!" Usagi now had the excitement of a five year old waking up on Christmas morning to find that they had gotten every single thing they wanted. A school girl getting her first kiss. Winning the gold metal at the Olympics. All the above!

"You really shouldn't be going through his stuff," Luna said as she hopped up onto the table in front of her. She then looked at the ring. "Oh my, that is pretty," she said. The ring was a simple gold band with a diamond in the center and a sapphire on each side of it.

"Hey," Usagi said picking up a piece of folded paper. She opened it up and read out loud. "Usako, this ring has a special meaning. The gold band is simple, yet beautiful in every way. The diamond is pure and can easily hold a special place in anyone's heart, but only one person is lucky enough to get a hold of it. The two sapphires, like the eyes of an angel that sparkle in the light. Happy 18th birthday Usako."

Both Usagi and Luna stared at the paper for a moment. There was a small meaningful smile on her face as her eyes started to water. She then placed everything back to it's original spot and closed the door. She stood back and stared at the table. "Now there is definitely never going to be any chance of me marrying that man back at home," she said to herself.

Mamoru walked into the apartment. He had been gone a couple of hours. Putting the bags down, he found Usagi sleeping on the couch. He closed the door behind him and smiled. She looked like a little girl. Sweet, innocent, and calm. He walked over and covered her up with a blanket and then gently kissed her on the forehead.

Luna sat on the counter in the background as she watched. It made her want to go see Artemis. There was an underlying jealousy to the entire thing. Then again, she had just seen one of the sweetest love letters.

The next morning Usagi awoke to the smell of bacon. She slowly lifted her head up from the pillow and looked over at Mamoru. He was cooking for her, he made sure that she was warm. She had just realized that he had taken her in. He was now taking care of her, and she loved it. "Good morning," she said.

Mamoru turned around. "Good morning. I'm surprised at you," he said.

"What?" Usagi asked.

"You made it through the night without dinner," he said. Usagi looked offended for a second but then playfully grabbed the pillow and threw it at him. "Okay, if that's how it goes," he said. Mamoru walked over and started to tickle her belly and sides.

"Mamo-chan!" she squealed as he was kneeling above her body. "Stop it!" cried out while laughing.

"Why?" he asked. Usagi started to turn to her side which caused them to both go over the side of the couch. "You okay?" he asked as he sat up.

Usagi sat up and slightly smiled as she stared into eyes. He could see a hint of longing. "I'm okay," she replied as she leaned over and locked her lips with his. He lifted his hand and gently cupped the back of her head. She wrapped her arms around him. The sun shone through putting a soft, warm light on the two as they kissed. Neither of them wanted to let go of each other. Right there and then, it was perfect. Some how it had seemed as if every trouble or worry had just vanished. That all they needed was right there in each other.

There was a knock at the door that caused them to slowly separate. "Could you get that while I go make sure that our breakfast doesn't burn?" he asked seeming to be over come by a feeling of lust.

"Yes," she answered with a similar tone and then slowly got up and watched him as he made his way to the stove. She loved him. That love wasn't chosen, it was a true feeling for each other. Not one forced upon them. Usgai slowly opened the door.

"Mom? Dad?" she gasped seeing who was on the other side of the door.

"Usagi! What are you doing in a boy's apartment?" Kenji yelled.

Usagi slowly back up. The next thing she knew, she found herself pressed up against Mamoru with his hands on her shoulders.

"I thought I made it clear who you were with now," Ikuko said.

Usagi stood back in Mamoru's hands. The thought of going back with her parents to the man that they chose for her to love made her cringe. Her future was in her hands, but that was slowly beginning to change.

"Mrs. Tsukino, with all do respect, doesn't Usako get a choice in who she loves?" Mamoru asked.

"Now see here," Kenji started.

Usagi just stood there as she focused her attention on the table where she had earlier found the ring. It wasn't even the ring that mattered. What mattered was what he said. What he had intended to do. Now he was standing up to her parents for her. This was beginning to become too much. She was Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice. How could a soldier of the moon just stand there and let her boyfriend argue with her parents for her? "Mom," she called out quietly but sternly as she raised her head. The room became silent. "It's my life and I choose to stay here," she said and then looked up at Mamoru. "Here with the man I truly love, not the one chosen because he has a good job," she said and then looked back at her parents.

"You know you don't to make that decision until you are twenty, and not a second sooner," Ikuko coldly stated.

"Now get your things and come on home," Kenji ordered.

Usagi pulled away from Mamoru's hold and glared at the two. She had never felt like she did now. She had just been betrayed by her own parents. "I'll grab my things, but there is no way that I am coming home with you two," she said and then grabbed her suitcase.

"Usagi!" Ikuko snapped.

Usagi got the door way where they were standing and stopped for a second. She looked her Ikuko straight in the eye. "You may think that choosing my husband is the right thing to do, but I know that you and Daddy chose each other," Usagi said and then walked past them out of the apartment.

"Usagi Samara Tsukino! Get back here!" Ikuko yelled.

Usagi ignored her. She ignored her parents for the entire way through the hallway. She had made it half way down the road when it had started to rain. She was getting wet and it was starting to get cold, but she didn't care. For the first time in her life, she just didn't care how she felt, or that she had no where to go. If she went to her friend's houses, her parents would find her, and there was no way that she could just show up at a stranger's house.

Usagi came to a bridge and sat down underneath it. She had looked around and noticed that Luna wasn't with her. She was all alone in the rain. There was a streak of lightning and a crash of thunder that made her jump. Curling herself up against the wall, she cried. If there was one thing that scared her, it was thunder, and now she was out in the middle of one with no one else around. "This was not what I wanted," she said to herself.

Gathering her composer, as if it really matter, she looked out over at the other people. Even in rain, the little street lined with shops was still busy. There was another loud crash of thunder that this time caused her to scream.

"Hey, it's okay,"

Usagi turned and saw Mamoru sitting down next to her. "How, how," she tried to ask.

"This was where you came the last few times you were upset and I knew that this time instead of being on the bridge that you would be hiding," he said.

The two sat there during the storm. He knew that she didn't want to go any where, so he just stayed there with her. She snuggled up against him as he wrapped his arms around her. Holding her closer anf tighter each time there was a crash of thunder.