Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, than you should not read this.

Chapter 236

The room was silent. The atmosphere was charged with tension. Kurumu and Mizore held each others hands and watched with shining eyes. Tsukune was down on one knee in front of Moka. With ring in hand, he had just proposed to her. Ruby's eyes were shining as she covered her mouth with both hands. Inari watched, dry-washing her hands together, her facial expression screwed up with emotions. They were waiting for Moka's answer.

Tsukune had just proposed to her... Moka's mind was racing. Tsukune had just proposed to her. The sweet boy that had been her first true friend had just proposed to her. The boy she had first fallen in love with. The person who's life she had ruined. The friend that she had tried to kill. The person that she had tried to run away from. The friend for whom she had not been able to admit her own love and desire for so long. The man she had grown to love deeply enough that it frightened her. The man that she had held at a distance until she was more afraid of a life without him than of her love for him. The man that had become a leader and a fighter for her sake. The man that could stand up to her father in a fight, but still remain gentle and caring. Tsukune, her best friend, her boyfriend, her lover... Tsukune had just proposed to her.

"I..." Moka's voice was a choked whisper. "We..." Her brain was having trouble getting her mouth to work. She could feel the tears running down her face. Her entire body felt numb.

"Tsu..." Moka tried again. "Yes. Yes! Tsukune, yes. I will marry you."

Moka's body couldn't move. She felt like she was trapped in a wooden doll. All she could do was watch as Tsukune pulled the ring from the box. He lifted her hand and put the engagement ring on her finger. He then looked up and gave Moka a smile. Moka realized that she was smiling back. Tsukune stood up, tall and proud and confident and opened his arms to her.

Moka fell into his embrace and held Tsukune close. She tried to kiss him while smiling and shedding tears of joy. Her mind was still racing as she processed what had just happened.

'Tsukune proposed,' Moka thought. 'He still wants to be with me.'

'He wants to marry me...'

'He will be mine for real.'

'I will belong to him.'

'We will be together,' Moka cheered.

Xx

As Moka's mind finally started working at something close to normal again, she became aware of more than just herself and Tsukune. The Me sisters had appeared with tissues to share. Including them, six women were shedding emotional tears. Moka still had trouble believing that Tsukune had proposed to her.

Moka had hoped and dreamed of this happening. She had thought that she would have to wait until after getting her degree. Or maybe Tsukune would hold off until he got his planned company started. But she didn't have to wait any longer. It had happened. She held on to Tsukune tightly, and over his shoulder she held up her hand so she could see her engagement ring.

"Tsukune..." Moka asked. "How long... I mean...when..."

"I have been thinking about it for over a year," Tsukune answered. "There is a jeweler in the Mononoke Arcade with two children still going to our school. He helped me with the designs and I have been making payments."

"Oh..." Moka blinked. Her heart fluttered at the though of Tsukune spending so much time thinking about marrying her.

"After all that has happened," Tsukune said. "And after Kyouko helping me to understand how much of... That I have been foolish and selfish and short sighted."

"Oh, Tsukune..." Moka wanted to protest out of reflex.

"I am still selfish," Tsukune said. "There is no way I could let go of any of you, but I need to take responsibility for my own weakness. When we visit my parents tonight, I am going to tell them about the relationship that we have." He stole a quick look around the room. "That we all have." He looked back to Moka.

"In case..." Tsukune started. "I know my mother can be very emotional at times. In case she says anything... extreme, I wanted you to know that I am not going to let it come between us."

Moka just kissed Tsukune again. The kissing went on for a while, but finally Moka excused herself to freshen up. Mizore and Kurumu followed her. As soon as the trio was out of sight, they could be heard talking excitedly. Tsukune wondered how late he was going to be in getting to his parent's house.

XxxxX

The car service that Inari arranged for was proving to be a reliable one. Tsukune was glad that such a service was available, but realized that he needed to think about how he could avoid the expense in the future. While not all of his building's units were rented out at the moment, Ruby had assured him that they were still enjoying a positive income. He had been glad of that, not only for the car service, but for his ability to pay off the rings he had ordered, well ahead of schedule.

During the ride over to his parent's house, Tsukune found himself watching Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore with a smile on his face. The three were talking happily, and kept looking at each others rings. Their happiness was almost enough to distract him from what was waiting for him.

"My agent is going to be so upset," Kurumu said with a giggle at one point. She held out her left hand, palm out, and spread her fingers, making a show of looking at her ring. "She is always telling me to keep my relationship as much of a secret as possible."

"You should," Moka said. "You don't want to cause Tsukune any problems."

"Nori isn't worried about him," Kurumu said, turning her had to watch how the light played over the settings. "She is afraid that if too many people know I am really with someone, that the Sweetheart Chef will lose popularity." She giggled.

"Tsukune," Kurumu gave him a mock pout. "I hope you don't mind if I wear my ring on a necklace sometimes."

"That's fine," Tsukune replied.

"I am never taking mine off," Mizore said proudly.

"That's fine for you," Kurumu countered. "But there are going to be times in the kitchen, when I'm working, or even at home, when I won't want to risk something happening to it."

"I am sure you will take good care of it," Tsukune said.

XxxxXxxxX

Kasumi was as happy as ever to welcome her son and his friends into her home. The excited looks that they shared among themselves told her that something good had happened. She looked forward to learning just what new drama had unfolded among the young women, but first she wanted to make sure Tsukune was alright.

"Tsukune," Kasumi hugged her son. "I'm so glad you made it..."

Tsukune endured the onslaught of his mother's attention. It was almost as I she was worried something could have happened to him in the single day since he had called her. He knew that at lest some of her anxiousness came from what had happened at the masquerade, where the media had made a production of showing the heroes of the night, including him.

Eventually the initial excitement of their arrival settled down, and Tsukune and his companions were allowed to gather in the living room. Even as Kasumi tried to protest, Ruby headed for the kitchen, with Inari following her. The pair quickly took over the job of seeing to refreshments and finished the preparations fur supper.

"Mother, Father," Tsukune said before anything could distract him. "There are somethings I need to tell you."

"Really?" Kasumi questioned, perking up at the chance to hear something juicy. "Honey, come sit with me." She grabbed her husband by the hand and pulled him over to the couch. She made him sit down before sitting down close beside him, still holding his hand. After taking a moment to smooth her skirt she gave her son a smile. "What is it Tsukune?"

"Mother," Tsukune said as he held out a hand to Moka, who was quick to accept. He drew her close as he continued speaking. "As you know there has been some..." He took a deep breath to stall, making sure of his choice of words. "Some excitement in my life. From the time I first applied to high school, things just did not go the way they were expected."

"But your father found you a school to go to," Kasumi said brightly. "So it all worked out."

"Yes," Tsukune agreed, withholding his own feeling of frustration. "Things did work out, in some very special ways. I met Moka on my first day of school and we became friends. She became my most important friend. For the next three years she has helped me. She has helped me to be a better person; a stronger person. She inspired me to do my best at everything I could."

"No matter what had happened," Tsukune went on. "Moka has made my life something special. Something I would have never imagined without her." He held her left hand out towards his parents just a little. "And I never want to imagine my life without her, so I asked Moka to Marry me."

"Ohhh Tsukune!" Kasumue cheered.

"And she said yes," Tsukune hurried to finish.

"Moka..." Kasumi beamed, her eyes shining. "Congratulations. I am so happy to have you join our family. Oh, this is so wonderful." She turned to her husband with so much excitement that she almost bounced into his lap. "Isn't this wonderful honey?"

"Congratulations," Tsukune's father said with an approving nod.

"Oh my son," Kasumi turned back to Tsukune. "When..."

"Just a moment," Tsukune said firmly, cutting his mother off. "There is more I have to tell you."

"Oh my..." Kasumi's eyes went round. She looked past Moka's engagement ring and to her slim waist. "Are you.."

"No," Moka answered. "I am not going to have Tsukune's children until after I have had a chance to build a career for myself."

"Oh..." Kasumi blinked, unsure if she was relieved or disappointed.

"Mother, Father," Tsukune spoke up. "This next thing is going to be hard for you to understand, but please, do not think bad of me."

"What is it?" Tsukune's father asked.

"You see," Tsukune tried to explain. "Over the last few years, a lot of things have happened. Not all of it was good. During that time, Kurumu, Ruby, Mizore, and finally even Inari had all become close to me. We have all helped each other during some of the hardest times. When all of... Everything was happening, we all became closer. You know that Ruby had decided to stay with me, because of what has happened, because she doesn't have a family of her own."

"Oh yes," Kasumi nodded, remembering what Ruby had told her in the past.

"Inari has also decided that she wants to stay with me," Tsukune went on. "We work together now. In the future, I hope to have my own company. Inari has promised me that she will do her best to work with me, and when I start my own company, she will work for me."

"Tsukune has taken on many responsibilities," Moka spoke up to support him, even as her eyes shined with emotional tears waiting to fall. "Ruby and Inari will help him."

"Oh..." Kasumi had a look of confusion in her eyes.

"Inari will help me with work," Tsukune said. "While Ruby will help at home. Between work and school and... everything else, they will help support me, so that I can do best for Moka... For my family."

"Alright," Kasumi said, even though she really didn't understand.

"When I say family," Tsukune said, feeling himself starting to sweat. "I mean more than Moka and myself."

"What?" Kasumi tensed up, still feeling confused, but detecting something more to add to the excitement of the evening.

"I have not always been proud of myself," Tsukune said. "I have shown bad judgment and acted very poorly at times. In spite of my weaknesses, not only has Moka stayed with me, but so have Mizore and Kurumu. We have been through so much together. We have shared so much with each other, that we have become a part of each others lives."

"I am sorry if this upsets you," Tsukune gave his parents a respectful bow. "Please do not think badly of them, but I have asked Mizore and Kurumu to continue to be a part of my life. More than just as friends... and as lovers... They are a part of my family now."

"Ohh my..." Kasumi thought her heart was going to stop. She felt weak all over.

Tsukune held out an arm. Mizore followed by Kurumu moved in to be close to Tsukune, opposite from Moka.

"Tsukune," His father spoke up. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," Tsukune said with a firm nod. "It is the only thing I can do."

"And you?" The senior Aono turned his attention to the young women around her son.

"I can think of nothing I want more than to be Tsukune's wife," Moka said with conviction.

"Tsukune is the only one for me," Mizore declared.

"I will never be happy with anybody else," Kurumu said. "Tsukune holds a piece of my soul. I cannot live without him."

"And just like that," Tsukune's father shook his head with a sigh. "I have three daughters." He mopped his face with his hand. "I hope you will remember me in my old age. Some day you three will be helping to look after me." He shook a finger at them. "And you tell me if my son doesn't treat you right."

"Yes Father," Moka said with a Smile.

Kurumu and Mizore traded looks. It was one of the things they had in common; an absence of a father figure in their lives. Happy tears started to well up, making their eyes shine.

"Yes Father," Mizore said with a bow.

"Thank you Father," Kurumu said with a smile and a wink.

"Ohh..." Kasumi shook her head. "Tsukune, you are not getting off that easy with me. Do you hear me? I want all of them to call me mother from now on. That includes Ruby. And even Inari."

"Mrs. Aono," Inari protested from the doorway. "Tsukune and I don't have..."

"None of that," Kasumi cut her off. "My Tsukune said you are close to him, so if you want to be welcome in my house, you need to call me mother. You here me?"

"Yes... Mother," Inari said with an embarrassed smile.

"There is one more thing," Tsukune said with a pained expression.

"What else could there be?" Kasumi demanded.

"Mizore and I are going to have a baby," Tsukune said quickly.

Kasumi fainted.