'Thoughts'

[telepathy] – Usagi and Mamoru have an open link due to their Soul Bond so ALL their thoughts will be done like this.

"Speech"

The above may change if I run into issues as I have previously with formatting not saving when uploading to

Chapter 1: Celebrations

It was early April. The Tsukino family had moved back into the newly repaired and renovated family home a couple months previous. Usagi had finished her courses online to catch her up to what her transcripts reflected, which was easier than she thought all things considered and the senshi had all passed their High School entrance exams and were about to start grade ten later this month.

Usagi looked at herself in the mirror wondering if she should change for the fourth time that afternoon. Tonight, her friends and her were going to go out and celebrate their accomplishments and Rei's birthday. Jason, Nathan, Mamoru and she had enjoyed the graduation ceremony earlier in the week and Rei's birthday was later in the week so it worked out that this weekend would be the perfect time to commemorate it all.

[You look beautiful as you are.] Mamoru said coming up behind her as she looked herself over in the full-length mirror. She was wearing a pink knee length sleeveless dress. [Then again you looked beautiful in the blue dress, the red skirt with black top and the white dress that looked like your Queen dress only shorter.] He laughed.

She pushed him away and twisted to look over herself again. [I could wear a paper bag and you would say I was beautiful.]

He shrugged, [You aren't wrong, but if you don't hurry, we will be late.]

Usagi sighed, "Alright, let's go." She said and took the time to see how he looked in his white button up with black pants. They were going to dinner at an upscale restaurant before going out to some party bars, despite most of the group wasn't able to drink.

Mamoru took her hand and spun her as they left their bedroom, even after almost 6-months it was still hard to believe it was THEIR bedroom. After the crystal had aged his princess so they were the same age; actually, he laughed, she was a little over a month OLDER than him, they had a little trouble adjusting. The last birthday that they remembered celebrating was her 15th and now here she stood at 18 in all her womanly glory.

They made their way to the lobby where the Shitennou, Senshi, Celeste, and Rhea waited. "Everyone ready?" The group nodded and waved good-bye to the building manager, Yoshi, and their night of celebration began.

Rhea had made reservations at Gordon Ramsay's as it was hard enough to get a table there let alone one for twelve, but tonight the gang was pulling out all the stops. Their table took up a quarter of the dining room and had two designated servers. [The Rhea family has a lot of reach and pull in so many areas.] Usagi said as she tasted her champagne.

[Being such an old family has its perks.] He laughed. [How is the champagne?] The two were communicating through their link as it was easier to make out what the other was saying over the noise of their friends and the other patrons of the restaurant.

Despite the many months since the adjustment there were still many advantages of being eighteen that she had yet to experience, alcohol being one of those things. She wriggled her nose. [I think I will go back to iced tea.]

[Just make sure you don't order a long island iced tea.]

[Why? What is so special about a long island iced tea?]

Again, Mamoru laughed, [My sweet innocent naive Usako. You still have much to learn.] He looked at her as he moved her champagne away from her and motioned for the server. [Long island iced tea is an alcoholic drink.]

She blushed at her naivete as the server arrived, "My girlfriend isn't a fan of the champagne. Can you please bring her an iced tea?" The server nodded.

While she waited for her drink, she looked around the table and tried to catch titbits of the several conversations around the table. The teens were talking about what they expected from the new school, plans for the school year and how high school would be different from junior high school.

After supper arrived they were surprised by Gordon Ramsay himself coming to their table, "I hear we have a lot to celebrate over here."

The group chorused, "Yes!" and nodded.

"We have a birthday?" They all pointed to Rei. "Let's get some cake over here." He motioned for his sou chef to bring over some cake.

"Happy Birthday, m' girl!" He said as the group sang "Happy Birthday"

"There are also some new graduates?" another chorus of "Yes!" as they four graduates were pointed out and champagne was brought out with some sparkling wine. Mamoru then stood and whispered something to Gordon. "Oh, EVERYONE SHUT UP! This young man needs to ask an important question."

The whole restaurant became quiet with whispers and the table turned to Mamoru who took Usagi's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Usako, we have been through so much in the last two years and through it all you have been my light, my guide, my heart." He got down on one knee and held up a small box. "Will you do me the greatest honour of becoming my wife?" He asked as he opened the box to reveal a pink heart-shaped diamond ring.

Usagi gasped and looked around before shouting, "Yes! Of course, I will. Oh, Mamo-chan!" She screamed as he put the ring on her ring finger and got to his feet as she all but knocked him back down as she jumped into his arms.

The restaurant erupted in cheers and applause as Gordon showered the couple in champagne. "Congratulations! To the happy couple."

Usagi didn't really pay attention to much besides her new fiancé for the rest of the time at the restaurant and as she all but danced her way down the streets as they headed to the bar where the celebrations were to continue. Once inside the group danced the night away in happy celebration and bliss.

It was early hours of the morning as the group made their way back to the apartment completely exhausted and dead on their feet. Usagi was still high on her excitement of having being proposed to. He hadn't told her that he had asked her parents more than a month ago for permission and surprisingly her father had agreed to it, he then asked Rei because he didn't want to hurt her feelings by doing it on her birthday, but she was just happy that he was asking after all this time. The girls couldn't wait to start planning the wedding and Mamoru was just letting Usagi ramble in her happiness as they got back to their apartment, Mamoru closed the blinds to keep the sun that was just starting to show beneath the horizon from waking them and the couple collapsed on their bed.

Late afternoon found the ten teens and two adults slowly rousing themselves as they got coffee and breakfast started. The Shitennou were only going to be in town till the end of the week as they were going to go on a backpack tour of Europe, Zach being the only one left in school was going to be doing it through correspondence. Rhea had to go back and prepare the ranch for the coming chaos of the Rhea family birthday bash for someone turning 21 (Rhea) and was insisting that Roselyn join her as she was going to "need all the help she could get". So, with the group was making the best of their last week together and the couples were attached at their hips as they wouldn't be together again until August, just in time for Rhea and Mamoru's birthdays which would be held at the family ranch.

(AN: Sorry this chapter isn't as long as I was hoping but I wanted to cover some of the mundane events before getting back into senshi business and the main storyline.)