That Special Magic
-by: the Yarnspinner-
the_yarnspinner@yahoo.com
http://strands-of-moonlight.my3gb.com
-or- http://strands-of-moonlight.6te.net
A Sekkushiaru Roman
featuring characters from the anime "Sailor Moon"> Chapter 20 - Return <
Mamoru steered his car along the highway back to Tokyo. Usagi sat beside him, asleep, her seat lowered into a reclining position. She was in her princess form, and the ginzuishou floated just above her chest, its energy flowing through her to minimize any potential motion sickness.
He glanced over at her and smiled, his heart warmed with feelings of love and protectiveness. His concerns for her youth remained, but they were both now accepting this, and a part of him was tremendously happy at the thought of starting a family with her.
Through their link, he could sense that she was dreaming, but he kept the link closed down to avoid distractions to his driving. Several minutes later, the ginzuishou began to pulse with energy, clearly responding to her. He groaned inwardly, fighting back an urge to open their link to learn what she was dreaming of. She stirred slightly, as pulses of energy continued to emanate out from the crystal.
Finally, he placed a hand on her arm. "Usako," he called softly.
She didn't respond. He softly squeezed her hand and let their link drift open.
"Usako," he called through their link. "Usako, wake up."
"Hmmm?" She stirred, and the crystal's glow faded. Her eyes slowly flickered open. "Mamo-chan?"
"You were dreaming, my princess," he said softly.
"It was a nice dream," she sighed.
"The crystal was reacting to it," he said.
Her eyes opened wide. "Oh, no," she groaned. "Not again... I was dreaming that everyone was completely accepting of us."
"Usako," he sighed. "We have to be careful about this. The crystal could be quite dangerous if you aren't careful with it."
"I know," she said softly.
She looked down at the crystal, still glowing softly, then closed her eyes. The crystal faded away.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next afternoon, Usagi sat in an examination room at her doctor's office. She had been there for almost an hour, and Mamoru was waiting for her in the waiting room. The door opened and Dr. Ogawa entered the room.
"I'm sorry this has taken so long, Tsukino-san," he said, taking a seat facing her. "I have your test results now, and I can confirm that your home test was accurate. You are pregnant."
Usagi nodded. "I didn't have much doubt about that, Ogawa-sama. Not anymore."
Ogawa glanced at reports again. "There's nothing unusual in the rest of it," he said. "And you seem to be fit and in good health. That's a good sign."
She remained silent.
"But there's still your age," he said. "Your body is still growing... Even though you're able to get pregnant, your body really isn't fully ready for it yet."
She nodded, feeling more anxiety rising in her stomach. "Does that mean I can't handle it?"
"No," he said, shaking his head. "It just means you'll be at higher risk than if you were, say, twenty-four... instead of fourteen."
She nodded again, but didn't say anything.
"OK... I guess the first question has to be, have you given any thought to whether or not you want to go through with the pregnancy?"
"Yes," she said. "My boyfriend and I intend to keep the baby. We couldn't bear ending it."
"You're both determined to go through this together?" he asked.
"That's right," she said.
"Well, that's a positive sign," he said. "You're not going to want to face this alone... But now, do your parents know about this?"
Usagi shook her head. "No. Not yet."
Ogawa frowned. "It has to be your decision, but I think you need to tell them."
"I know," Usagi said.
Ogawa looked at her face for a moment. "But now, I want you to start taking pre-natal vitamins. They're designed specifically for women who are pregnant. You should be able to find them at any drug store."
She nodded.
"Next, you should make an appointment to see an obstetrician," he said.
Usagi looked confused.
"That's a doctor who specializes in pregnancies," Ogawa explained. "I can give you several names if you'd like. You need to have regular checkups, particularly since you are potentially at a higher risk."
"OK," she said.
He scribbled some notes on a slip of paper. "You said your boyfriend was going to be with you through this?"
"That's right," she said.
"OK. Let's have him come back here. What's his name?"
"Chiba Mamoru."
Dr. Ogawa nodded, then picked up the phone and pressed a button. "Kiishi-san. There should be a young man in the waiting room, named Chiba-san. He's young Tsukino-san's boyfriend. Please ask him to join us, and have him shown to room three... Thank you." He hung up the phone. "Now, you know this will be difficult. Pregnancy puts quite a strain on a woman's body even under the best of circumstances."
Usagi nodded.
He looked at her thoughtfully, far from convinced.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and the nurse showed Mamoru in.
"Ah, you must be Chiba-san," Ogawa said, standing up. "I'm Dr. Ogawa."
"A pleasure to meet you," Mamoru said. He glanced at Usagi with concern. "Is everything OK?"
"She doing fine," Ogawa said. "I've told her she needs to start taking pre-natal vitamins, and that she needs to see an obstetrician for regular checkups."
"That makes sense," Mamoru said.
"She said you've both decided to go through with her pregnancy and keep the child."
"That's right," Mamoru confirmed.
Ogawa nodded. "She's going to need help, particularly as she gets farther along... and because she's young and still growing, she falls into a higher risk category. That's why regular checkups and the vitamins are absolutely critical."
"I understand," Mamoru said, sitting beside Usagi and giving her a hug. "Are you OK with this, Usako?"
She nodded. "I'm fine," she said. "I have you with me."
"I think we're finished here," Ogawa said. "The receptionist will give you a list of obstetricians for you to consider... and one last time, Tsukino-san, I do urge you to share this with your parents."
"They've been out of town," Mamoru said, as he and Usagi rose to their feet.
"Thank you, Ogawa-sama," Usagi said to the doctor, as they opened the door.
"Just remember, Tsukino-san, you should start taking the vitamins right away, and you should set an appointment with an obstetrician as soon as possible," the doctor said.
"I understand," Usagi said.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
They entered Mamoru's apartment, having stopped at a drug store on the way back from her doctor's office. He took her jacket and she slipped off her shoes. She then walked into the kitchen to open the bottle of vitamin pills.
He sat down on the couch and turned on the television. She emerged from the kitchen and sat beside him.
"I've been giving some thought to what do about this mess with the crystal," she said.
Just then, a news bulletin came on the television, reporting sudden fires in several subway stations. The reporter said the police had closed the effected subway lines, and that an arson investigation was underway. As they sat there, Usagi's communicator beeped.
"The Dark Kingdom must be behind this," she said, reaching for the communicator, and pressing the button.
"I've traced three youmas," Rei announced. "We need to gather near the Tokyo Tower as soon as possible."
Usagi switched off her communicator and stood up.
"Are you feeling up to this, Usako?" Mamoru asked.
She nodded. "I may not be able to transform into Sailor Moon, but as the princess I can still use the crystal to finish off several youmas."
He kissed her. "Just be careful, my love."
They slipped their shoes back on and grabbed their jackets, then headed up to the roof. A quick examination confirmed no one was there, and they stepped back into the doorway. Energy swirled around Mamoru, transforming him into Tuxedo Kamen.
Usagi smiled at him. The crystal appeared, floating just above her brooch. Its glow enveloped her, washing away her clothes, before replacing them with Princess Serenity's flowing silver gown.
He scooped her up in his arms and leaped from the rooftop, moving rapidly north toward the tower's prominent spire. Minutes later, they descended into a park near the tower, where he set her down.
Energy flared ahead of them as three large youmas surrounded the other Sailor Senshi, holding them captive in a large glowing sphere. Jupiter unleashed a powerful lightning burst. The sphere held, but a noticeable ripple spread across its surface, and one of the youmas flinched.
Tuxedo Kamen produced three roses and hurled them at the youmas, striking each of them. The sphere flared, then vanished as the youmas recoiled in pain. Sailor Venus rolled to one side, then fired her energy beam at one of the youmas, knocking it off its feet. Sailor Mars unleashed a fire blast, forcing a second youma back.
Princess Serenity stepped forward and raised her moon stick. The ginzuishou covered her in a bright glow. She swung the moon stick in an arc in front of her, bathing the three youmas in its intense energy. As the glow faded, the youmas collapsed to the ground, transforming into three transit officers.
The other Senshi rushed toward Princess Serenity and Tuxedo Kamen.
"Sailor Moon... Princess," Mercury said. "Why are you in this form?"
"Well... that's not something we should discuss here," she said. "Let's return to the temple."- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Having transformed back to normal, they all sat around the table. Luna and Artemis sat on the table.
"So, tell us, Usagi. Why did you transform into the princess instead of Sailor Moon?" Luna asked.
"Well, for the time being, I'm afraid I can't transform into Sailor Moon," Usagi answered.
As the other girls look puzzled, Rei seemed to be studying Usagi closely.
"There is something different," Rei said. "I can sense it, but I'm not sure what it is."
Ami opened her computer and ran a scan. Her eyes went wide with shock. "Usagi's pregnant!" she exclaimed.
"She's what?!" Luna asked, stunned, as the others looked in equal amazement. "Usagi! How could you?!"
"It's kind of a long story," Usagi said. "But we weren't trying to."
"What do you mean?" Luna demanded. "How could you be so irresponsible?"
Before Usagi could reply, a silver-white glow appeared above the table, coalescing into the small form of Queen Serenity.
"Do not berate her so, Luna," the queen said softly.
"Queen Serenity!" Artemis exclaimed.
Queen Serenity nodded. "I bid you all greetings, my dear ones. You have done an exceptional job thus far, and I am very proud of you all."
"You are aware of everything we've done, your majesty?" Luna asked.
"Yes, I am," Queen Serenity confirmed. "And you are now approaching a very critical phase of your mission, but unlike a thousand years ago, events have now occurred to make your victory possible."
"I don't understand," Luna said.
"There was a prophecy of the Silver Millennium," Usagi said. "When Earth and Moon are made one by love, only then shall the coming darkness be defeated... It was meant to be fulfilled by Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion in their time, but they unknowingly thwarted it."
"After the fall of the Moon Kingdom," Queen Serenity said. "I sent you all into the future to live new lives, hopefully in peace. And though I made every effort to seal the Dark Kingdom away, I had to prepare for the possibility that they might succeed in finding access to our universe once again. Thus, I had to make it possible for you to be awakened as Sailor Senshi if that became necessary, and I had to provide the necessary conditions whereby the prophecy could still be fulfilled. I deeply regret it, but at this time, my daughter must bear this burden."
"You mean, she's meant to be pregnant?" Minako asked.
"That is correct," Queen Serenity answered. "The combining of her power with that of Prince Endymion, Mamoru, will give her the means to defeat the Dark Kingdom. It is the only way."
"And that's why I can't transform into Sailor Moon," Usagi added. "It's becoming too much of a strain now. I can only transform into the princess."
"How long will that last?" Makoto asked.
"Only for the term of her pregnancy," Queen Serenity said. "Soon after her baby is born, she will again be able to assume the form of Sailor Moon."
The girls sat silently for a moment.
"Usagi. What about your parents?" Minako finally asked. "What have you told them?"
"I haven't told them yet," Usagi answered softly. "They've been away, and I only just found out a few days ago."
"So, what will you tell them?" Rei asked.
"I'm going to tell them about it. I have to," she said. "I just haven't quite figured out how, or what I'll say."
Queen Serenity floated closer to Usagi. "You still need to take care of something first," she said very softly.
"I know," Usagi replied.
Mamoru glanced at his watch. "We should probably be going, Usako," he said softly. "Your parents should be home soon."
She nodded, and they stood up. "I will see you later," she said to the girls.
As the girls called their good byes, Mamoru and Usagi walked back outside.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Back in Mamoru's apartment, Usagi was once more in her princess form, kneeling on the floor. Mamoru, as Tuxedo Kamen, knelt with her, holding her hands. The ginzuishou floated just above her chest, its glow surrounding them both.
She closed her eyes and focused her thoughts. The crystal responded with pulses of energy.
"I wish all magic effecting my parents to be undone," she whispered. "I want their view of our relationship to be what it was before I made my first wish concerning this."
Waves of energy flashed out from the crystal, as they could feel it working its magic. As energy still glowed around them, he leaned closer and pressed his lips to hers. Finally, the crystal faded, and he drew his lips away from hers.
"Usako," he sighed. "I love you so much."
"I love you, Mamo-chan," she whispered.
He rose to his feet, and transformed back to normal. Looking down at this beautiful young woman he loved so incredibly, he felt the now familiar intense warmth swelling in his heart. He stepped back, then hurried to the bedroom.
"Mamo-chan?" she called. "What are you doing?"
He returned moments later, sitting back down on the floor in front of her. "You asked me if I was ready to be a father," he said.
She nodded, looking at him closely. "So..."
"And I said yes," he said. "But I want you to know that I'm ready to be even more, my love. I'd been planning all along to offer you this when we got back." He held up a small box, opening it to reveal a small but ornate ring.
"Mamo-chan!" she gasped, looking at it.
"It used to be my grandmother's," he said. "I want it to be my pledge to you that I will always be here for you, caring for you and for our child... I want it to be my pledge that I will stand beside you and with your forever... I know we can't really do anything about this for some time yet, but I still wanted to give you this anyway. I love you more than anything, Usako, and I want to be with you forever... When we're both old enough... will you marry me?"
"Oh, yes! Mamo-chan! Yes!" she cried. "You know there's nothing I want more... either in this lifetime or the last one... But why now?"
He kissed her again, then slipped the ring onto her finger. "I'd wanted to give you a sign of my commitment to you and our love. But now we're about to start a family together, Usako, which makes the time seem even better. When we tell your parents, I want it to be clear to them that I'm going to remain with you, and that we're both committed to raise our baby together."
She looked down at the ring, then threw her arms around him and kissed him deeply. "Mamo-chan! You make me so happy!"
He smiled at her. "That's part of my job, Usako, forever and always."
She giggled happily. "Just a few months ago, I never would have thought any of this was possible."
He felt another flash of concern. "I know we can't do much about your pregnancy, but is the rest of this too fast for you? I mean, if this is too much too fast..."
She shook her head. "Definitely not, Mamo-chan. I just love the thought that we're engaged, especially now."
He kissed her again. "I just want to make you happy, my love."
"You do. You make me very happy," she sighed.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mamoru pulled his car up in front of the Tsukino home, and he and Usagi got out. They walked inside and slipped off their shoes.
"Mom?" Usagi called.
"Hello, dear. I'm in the kitchen," Ikuko answered.
They walked into the kitchen.
"How was your trip?" Usagi asked.
"It was fine," Ikuko said. "We had a great time. Did you have a nice time?"
"Yes. Pretty much," Usagi said. "Uhm, is Daddy home?"
"No. With this subway bombing, he went in to the magazine. The editorial staff wanted to have a meeting."
"Oh, I see," Usagi said quietly. "Well, Mamoru and I wanted to talk with you both."
Ikuko turned, her eyes immediately noticing the ring on Usagi's left hand. "I guess you do," she said, a serious expression forming on her face. "Just what do you want to say?"
"Ah... well... we just found out... uhm... that I'm... pregnant," Usagi stammered.
Ikuko stiffened and frowned. Her hands clenched and her gaze fell to the floor. "Pregnant?" she finally asked.
Usagi nodded.
"I'm very sorry, Ikuko-san," Mamoru said, bowing deeply and formally. "This was all my fault..."
"Oh please, Mamoru-san," Ikuko interrupted. "I know the etiquette books say the man should take full responsibility with the girl's parents, but we all know this wasn't just your doing."
Mamoru nodded.
"We didn't plan it this way, Mom," Usagi said. "It was an accident."
"That part genuinely was my fault," Mamoru said. "I should have been more careful."
"It was as much my fault as yours, Mamo-chan," Usagi said.
Ikuko raised her hand, shaking her head. "Usagi... I must say... this does strain the bounds of what I can accept... You know your father and I insisted that you had to be responsible about this."
"Yes... I know," Usagi said, her voice hushed.
Ikuko took a slow breath. "Are you alright? And are you sure?"
Usagi nodded. "I saw Dr. Ogawa earlier this afternoon. He confirmed it, and said I was doing fine. He told me to start taking pre-natal vitamins, and said I had to see an ob... obsta..."
"Obstetrician," Ikuko completed.
"That's right," Usagi said. "He gave me several names."
"Just how did you find out?" Ikuko asked.
"When we were up at Mamoru's house in the mountains, I woke up with really bad stomach cramps," Usagi said. "I thought I couldn't be pregnant because I'd only just had my period... but the caretaker's wife told me that wasn't true."
Ikuko nodded. "I should have told you that, but I guess I didn't expect it to become necessary so soon," she said softly. "That happened to me. My period continued for several months when I was pregnant with you, and again when I had Shingo."
"I took a home pregnancy test, and it showed positive," Usagi said.
Ikuko took Usagi in her arms and embraced her. "Your father's not going to be happy to hear this, you know. I have to admit, I'm not very thrilled with it either. But at least you're alright... I take it this explains your ring?"
"Oh, no," Mamoru said. "At least, not completely... What I mean is, I intended to give her that when we returned from our trip, long before I knew she was pregnant... I tried to explain some of the options to her, and a little of what she might be facing, as best as I could..."
"I could never bear to end my pregnancy," Usagi said firmly. "This is a part of both of us, and I just can't throw that away."
"She and I are both prepared to go forward with this," Mamoru said. "I've already said I intend to marry her, and I will stay with her, and support her, and together we're going to provide a family for our baby."
Ikuko blinked. "You mean... you intend to keep the baby and raise it yourselves?"
"Mom!" Usagi protested. "I could never give it up!"
"But Usagi... you're only fourteen," Ikuko said. "You're not supposed to become a parent at your age."
"I know that. We both know that," Usagi said. "But it has happened, and now I'm carrying our child... The only option now that's acceptable to us is to have our baby and provide it with a loving home."
"I have to agree," Mamoru said.
"Usagi, being pregnant is no easy thing," Ikuko said. "It is physically very hard and uncomfortable as you get farther along. You're going to find many of your friends won't treat you the same, and you'll have to give up a lot of the things you do with your friends. And that will continue after the baby is born. Caring for a baby is a full-time task. I'm sure Mamoru can afford child care for while you're both in classes, but even so, much of the responsibility will still be yours."
Usagi nodded.
"And you still have to keep your grades up," Ikuko added. "You still have to have a good education, Usagi. You cannot let this be an excuse for letting your studies go unattended."
"I understand that," Usagi said. "But I also know Mamoru and I could never bear to give up our baby."
Ikuko sighed. "I think I'd better be the one to tell your father," she said, shaking her head. "But I want both of you to think long and hard about just how you plan to handle all this. And I want you to keep us informed. That's not negotiable for either of you. Usagi, I want to know when you have an appointment set with an obstetrician, and it needs to be soon. And Mamoru, I want to know how you will be involved and how you will be supporting her in this."
Mamoru nodded. "Well, I can say right now that I am quite prepared to provide for the monetary expenses involved. In the next day or two, I'll start making arrangements with my trust fund so that I can provide for a family. As for the rest of it, I am prepared to provide as much physical help as I can. Some of that, however, will depend on how much you permit me."
"I don't understand," Usagi said.
"I'm willing to drive you to school, to take you to doctors appointments, and any other help that might be necessary as you get farther along, but that will depend on how much we can be together," Mamoru explained.
"We'll have to see about that, Mamoru," Ikuko said. "As Usagi gets farther along that will probably become necessary."
"You mean I might move in with him?" Usagi asked excitedly.
Ikuko held up her hand. "We'll discuss that possibility later," she said sternly. "There's still much that has to be dealt with first. I want to make it unmistakably clear that I am not happy with this. I had expected better from both of you."
"I know that," Usagi said quietly, once more subdued. "I'm sorry."
Mamoru nodded. "But it has happened," he said. "And we needed to tell you."
"Yes," Ikuko agreed. "And you'll need help from all of us for this, Usagi... But right now, I think you two had better go. It will be better if your father and I are alone when I tell him. For the next week, however, I want you here at home each night, Usagi. After that, we'll just have to see what happens."
"Alright," Usagi said softly.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kenji sat down on the sofa, and Ikuko brought him a cup of tea.
"How was your meeting?" she asked.
He shook his head. "The authorities are more concerned with avoiding a panic. We've received faxes from the city officials, the office of the governor of the prefecture, and even the Ministry of the Interior, urging us to stick with the official line that this was an isolated incident and that the police have everything well in hand."
"Do they?"
"Perhaps. So far we don't know that it wasn't an isolated incident," he said. "But at least we did get something in return. The police have agreed to let our top crime reporter follow their special operations team for a few days. Our Tokyo editor believes it will lead to a major story, and of course it should keep the authorities happy by showing how the police are able to respond."
She sat there quietly as he sipped his tea.
"Is something wrong?" he asked. "I didn't mean to be going on about this business..."
She shook her head. "No, that's not it," she said. "Usagi and Mamoru were here earlier, while you were out."
"So? Is there a problem?"
Ikuko looked at him for a moment, remaining silent. "It seems their trip was not uneventful," she finally said. "Apparently, Usagi had some stomach trouble."
"Is she alright?" he asked, sitting up.
"She seems to be doing fine," she said. A slight smile formed on her face as she looked at him. "But you and I... are about to become... grandparents."
"What?! Grandparents?" he asked, stunned. "Are you serious?"
Ikuko nodded. "Usagi is pregnant."
"Damn it all! I knew this was a bad idea!" he declared angrily. "Where is she? She's not still with him, is she?"
"Kenji, please calm down," Ikuko said quietly. "Shouting isn't going to help this any."
"How can you be calm about this?"
"Because losing my temper won't do any good," she replied.
"I don't want her seeing him any more!" he declared.
"We can't do that, Kenji," she said firmly.
"Why not?" he demanded.
"Because the fact remains that Usagi is pregnant... and she's determined not only to go through with the pregnancy, but also to keep the baby," she said. "She can't do that on her own, nor should she have to. Mamoru says he is fully prepared to stand with her and support her through this. And in addition, he has given her an engagement ring."
Kenji rubbed his hand across his forehead and took a breath. "This is... just unbelievable... So what do you want to do about it?"
"They've said this was an accident, but they both seem ready to face the consequences," she said. "I think Mamoru has a better idea of just what those are than Usagi does. That's why I'm pleased to see that he intends to support her."
He nodded, still frowning.
"I told them I was not happy about this," she continued. "Usagi's staying with him tonight, but I told her she will be coming home each night for the next week, and that only then would we look at that question. I said I wanted them to keep us informed. Usagi's been to see Dr. Ogawa already, and now has to see an obstetrician. I made clear that she had to tell us when she had an appointment, and that it had to be soon."
"What about Mamoru?" Kenji asked.
"He said he will soon be making arrangements with his trust fund so that he can financially support a family," Ikuko answered. "He is also willing to drive Usagi to school and checkups. And we already know he's been helping her with her studies."
"That's true," he conceded.
"There is one other thing," she said. "We don't have to deal with it right away, but eventually Usagi is going to need considerably more help. As that time approaches, we should consider if it would not be better for Mamoru to provide her that help."
"Are you suggesting...?"
"Yes," she said, cutting him off. "You have your new job. You're not going to be able to spare the time to help the way you did when I was pregnant. And we have to think of Shingo as well. Just because we're displeased with this particular development in Usagi and Mamoru's relationship is no reason to let this effect Shingo. He still needs to be able to get a full night's sleep, and to be able to continue his studies. And ultimately, Mamoru is the baby's father. It makes sense that he should be the one to help Usagi with this, rather than us."
He shook his head. "I just can't agree to that," he declared.
"What's the alternative?" she asked. "This is a situation that's going to happen, no matter what we say about it. She's going to need extra help, and it is a fact that you and I are not going to be able to provide that."
"Every time something major has happened with their relationship, we've essentially gone along with it," he said. "When do we just say no?"
"We can say no, but it will have serious consequences, Kenji," she cautioned.
"We're her parents. If we say no, that's it."
"No, that's not it," she said firmly. "We still have to deal with the facts. A girl her age usually doesn't fall in love that seriously, but she has. Us saying no will not change that. If anything, it will only drive her away."
"So again we just have to go along with it," he muttered, shaking his head.
"It has already happened. She is in love with him, and she is pregnant," she said. "It sounds to me like you want to wave some sort of magic wand so that none of this ever happened and she'd again be just a little girl."
"Now, wait. I didn't say that," he protested.
"That's the impression you've been giving just now," she countered. "And it's not unusual for a father to resist the idea that his daughter is growing up."
"But she's only fourteen, and this has gone much too far," he insisted.
"But it has happened," she said again. "And remember, they came to us and told us about their relationship. They certainly didn't have to do that. Mamoru went out of his way to try to ease your concerns. Again, he didn't have to do that. And finally, they only learned that Usagi is pregnant a few days ago. They cut short their trip so that she could see Dr. Ogawa, and then they came here to let us know right away. That all sounds like very responsible behavior to me. They've said this was an accident..."
"Do you really believe that?" he asked.
She scowled, her jaw setting with determination. "Kenji. I'm sure I don't need to remind you about our scare when I was seventeen," she said. "We thought we'd taken precautions. In our case, it was a false alarm, but even the best precautions aren't one hundred percent effective... In their case, the most important thing is that he is ready to support her through this. Not many young men Mamoru's age would have been so responsible, I'm afraid."
He nodded his head in agreement. "But we've already made it clear we wanted to be kept informed. It didn't prevent this. How will repeating those demands help now?"
"Requiring them to keep us informed was never going to prevent something like this," she said. "The purpose was to make sure they did keep us involved, but in the end we still have to rely on their good judgement."
"Which hasn't been all that good," he muttered.
She shook her head. "You're focusing on the fact that she got pregnant, which they said was an accident. I look at how they've dealt with learning that she is pregnant, and that they are determined to face it together. There's nothing we can do to change the past, so now we have to focus on the future."
He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I still don't like it."
"You don't have to like it, dear. I'm hardly thrilled with this myself," she said. "But we do have to live with this, I'm afraid."< To be continued >
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NOTE: Still more to come.Always remember, good gentles, that a yarnspinner works from and within existing legends and stories. The characters of "Sailor Moon" belong to others. In spinning my yarns, I do not seek to infringe on their rights of ownership, but merely to join with other fans to spread the legend still further. "The moonlight carries a message of love." Enjoy.
-10.12.2001