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 60 - A Taste of Normalcy <
Mamoru awoke slowly, rolling over to find an empty space next to him. His eyes blinked open and he looked around. He could still feel Usagi's warmth in the sheets. Slipping out of bed, he pulled on a robe and walked out of their bedroom.
In the kitchen, he found his incredibly beautiful young future bride wearing one of his shirts as she worked at the stove. "Usako?"
"Mamo-chan," she exclaimed softly. "Did I wake you?"
He shook his head, slipping his arms around her from behind and kissing her cheek. "No. I just woke up to find you weren't there."
She smiled, enjoying the feel of his strong arms around her. "I wanted to surprise you with breakfast."
"You are the most wonderful woman, Usako," he said. "But you didn't have to do this for me."
"But I wanted to," she said again. "I think it's something a wife should do for her husband."
He kissed her again. "What about a husband doing things for his wife?"
"Oh, you already do so much for me, Mamo-chan," she said. "I just want to do something for you."
"You do quite a bit for me," he said softly. "You've taught me how to love again, and how to truly live. I love you so much, Mrs. Chiba."
She turned around, her smile growing even brighter. It still absolutely thrilled her when he called her that. "I love you, Mr. Chiba."- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ami and Ryo stood together in her kitchen. It felt like a lifetime since they had last worn their school uniforms. As he set the next batch of pancakes on a serving plate, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I love you so much," she sighed. "You are absolutely perfect."
Ryo grinned, then kissed her in return. "We're perfect for each other," he said. As she turned, he gently grasped her bottom in his hand through the fabric of her skirt.
"Ryo!" she protested softly but urgently, pulling away. "Mom could be down at any moment."
He nodded, chuckling softly. "Still worried about setting a good example?"
"What? That's not it at all," she said. "Now let's eat. We don't want to be late for school."
With a sigh, he picked up the serving plate and followed her to the table.
"It does seem a little strange to be going back to being students... after all we've been through," she said.
"I know," he agreed. "I really liked how it felt when we were in Hawaii. Going back to 'normal' is going to be tough."
She nodded, taking a bite of her food.
He smiled at her, knowing he was happier than he had ever been.
Several minutes later, as they were finishing up, they heard the sound of someone coming down the stairs.
"Ami?" Noriko called, now attired in slacks and a turtleneck.
"Good morning, Mom," Ami said. "We're just finishing up, but there's still more in the oven staying warm for you, and there is almost a full pot of coffee."
"Thank you, dear," Noriko said. "But you didn't have to go to all that trouble."
"It was no trouble, Noriko-san," Ryo said.
"Well... thank you again," Noriko said.
Just then, they heard another set of footsteps on the stairs. Noriko glanced up and smiled.
"Uhm, good morning," Toshiro said.
He was quite tall by Japanese standards, with broad shoulders, very close cut black hair, and a darker complexion suggesting he was from Okinawa or the islands to the south. His eyes, though, were a very pale blue, almost silver, instead of the dark brown that was the norm. He was neatly attired in gray slacks, a white dress shirt and a tie.
Noriko took his hand. "Toshiro, this is my daughter, Ami, and her boyfriend, Urawa Ryo," she said. "Ami. Ryo. This is Kurimoto Toshiro."
"It is a pleasure to meet you both," Toshiro said with a bow.
"And a pleasure for us, Kurimoto-san," Ami said politely, as she and Ryo bowed in return.
"Toshiro and I knew each other during my final year at medical school," Noriko said. "And we met again a few weeks ago at that conference I went to. He's now on the medical faculty at Tokyo University."
"We've had, uhm, a very pleasant time renewing old acquaintances," Toshiro said.
"So I see, Kurimoto-san," Ami said with a grin.
Toshiro glanced at Noriko, flushing slightly.
"I don't mean to be rude," Ryo said. "But Ami and I do need to be going."
"Oh, yes," Ami agreed, looking at the clock. "We can't afford to be late."
"It is nice to meet you, Kurimoto-san," Ryo added.
"It is nice to meet you both," Toshiro said.
"Bye, Mom," Ami said. "We'll see you after school."
"Good bye, dear," Noriko said.
Ami and Ryo slipped on their shoes, picked up their briefcases, and hurried outside.
"He seems very nice," Ryo said as they walked to the bus stop.
"Yes," Ami agreed. "And it's nice to see Mom looking so happy."- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rei had completed her morning prayers. It felt good to be back in this place of natural harmony, but no longer did she feel entirely complete here. She had caught sight of her grandfather several times during her morning routine, but he had always turned away, saying nothing.
Returning to her room, she carefully removed her robes, and began putting on her school uniform. She gathered up her books, then turned to her door.
"Off to school, granddaughter?" her grandfather asked, as she emerged from the living quarters.
"Yes," Rei answered. "Atana said he would pick me up."
The older man nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "That is good," he said quietly.
She looked at him quizzically.
"Well, enjoy your day," he said.
Just then, Atana's car pulled up the service drive that entered the rear of the Temple grounds. Rei immediately waved to him.
"Bye, Grandfather," she called. "I love you."
"Have a good day," he replied. "Uhm, let me know if you and your friend have plans for after you finish your classes today."
She looked at him, not entirely sure she'd understood him correctly. "OK," she finally said, before turning and running to Atana's car.
"Good morning, beautiful," Atana said, as Rei slipped in next to him.
"Good morning, my love," she said, leaning over to kiss him.
"Good morning, Mommy," Kara exclaimed from her booster seat in the back.
"Good morning, honey," Rei said, leaning back to touch Kara's hand as Atana began to turn the car around.
"Did you sleep well?" Atana asked.
"I guess so," Rei said. "But not as well as I might have."
He nodded. "I know just what you mean."
Rei turned back to Kara again. "Are you looking forward to seeing your friends at school again, honey?"
"I guess so," Kara said softly.
"What's wrong?" Rei asked. "I thought you'd be excited to see your friends again."
"I'm afraid I had to put a bit of a damper on her mood," Atana said. "She wanted to tell her friends she now has a mother," he continued softly.
Rei's eyes widened. "You're serious?" she asked.
He nodded. "I reminded her that had to be a secret."
She reached back and gently squeezed Kara's hand. "I love you too, honey, but I can't tell anyone either. We all have to keep it a secret." She grinned at the daughter of her past self. "Do you think you can manage that?"
Kara nodded, a faint smile beginning to appear. "Will you come home with us after school?" she asked.
Rei glanced over at Atana and smiled. "We might be able to arrange that."
Atana looked over at Rei in surprise. "Really?"
"I think so," Rei said. "At least, I got the impression that my grandfather wouldn't be entirely opposed to the idea."
"That would certainly be nice," he said, placing a hand on hers.
"Yes. Very nice," she agreed softly.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mamoru parked his car in front of Juuban Junior High, leaning over to give Usagi a kiss.
"Have a good day, Usako," he said.
"You too, Mamo-chan," she replied. "I love you."
"I love you, my princess," he said with a smile.
She kissed him in return, then opened the door and stepped out of the car.
"Shall I pick you up after school as usual?" he asked.
She nodded. "I think so. I'll call if there's a change."
"That sounds good."
"You are such a wonderful man," she said, grinning at him. "And all mine."
"That's the best part," he agreed. "I'll see you this afternoon."
"I love you," she said again, before closing the door.
He waved, then slipped the car into gear and pulled away.
As Usagi walked toward the building, she heard the sound of running footsteps, looking back to see Naru racing after her.
"Welcome back... Chiba-san," Naru said, keeping her voice low.
"Hi, Naru-chan," Usagi said.
"Did you have a nice time?" Naru asked.
Usagi nodded. "Yes, we did. How about you? Did you and your mother have any problems from the earthquake?"
"Nothing serious," Naru said. "It made a mess of Mom's store. The glass shattered in most of the display cases, but we weren't hurt, and Mom's insurance covered the damage."
"Well, that's good," Usagi said.
"But I would have thought you might have called," Naru added softly.
Usagi glanced over at her, sensing her disappointment. "Well, I really couldn't," she said. "I couldn't even call my parents, Naru-chan. You couldn't call in to Tokyo for several days."
"They had our phone back on by the second day," Naru said.
"I tried calling my parents on the third day, Naru-chan, and the call still wouldn't go through," Usagi said.
Naru nodded as they climbed the steps and entered the building. They reached their lockers, removing their shoes and replacing them with their indoor slippers. "So... how are you... doing?" Naru asked quietly, glancing briefly down at Usagi's abdomen.
Usagi smiled, pausing a moment to look around. "I'm doing fine," she said, also keeping her voice low. "I had a checkup before we left. Everything was fine."
Naru grinned. She started to say something but stopped herself as other students walked past. After checking to make sure they were out of earshot, she leaned closer to Usagi. "When are you two going to make it... you know... official?"
"Naru-chan!" Usagi protested softly, glancing around.
"What's the problem?" Naru asked. "Mamoru will be twenty with the New Year, right? That makes him an adult... and your parents can consent for you."
"And you don't see any problem there?" Usagi asked, incredulous. "I still think it was a minor miracle that Mom got Daddy to go along with me moving in with Mamoru. I don't think either one of them would agree to us getting married."
Naru frowned, reluctantly nodding in agreement.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Atana was at the museum, waiting outside the curator's office.
The door opened and Takeshita stepped out, bowing. "Ah, good morning, Magi-san," he said. "I am so sorry to keep you waiting."
"That is not a problem, Takeshita-san," Atana replied, bowing in return. "There was a message on my answering machine..."
"Yes," Takeshita said, nodding. "It is nothing serious, I can assure you. Following the earthquake, however, we wanted to assure you that your exhibits are undamaged."
"Thank you," Atana said. "I was out of town at the time. I only just returned to Tokyo yesterday."
They walked back to the exhibit hall where Atana's artifacts were on display.
"Was there much damage?" Atana asked.
"Some," Takeshita said. "Most of it was minor. Just a few broken light tubes. Most of the exhibit covers are plexiglass and our display cases all contain special shock-absorbing bases."
"What about the building? I understand it is an older building."
Takeshita nodded. "We completed a major renovation five years ago to bring us up to the latest earthquake codes. It was a necessity, both from our obligation to protect our collection and those of our contributors, such as yourself, and also from an insurance standpoint." He gestured toward the case containing Atana's artifacts. "As you can see, Magi-san, they are undamaged."
Atana stepped closer, looking over his collection of masks and wood carvings. "Yes. They look fine, thank you."
"We continue to receive inquiries from other scholars about your artifacts," Takeshita said. "Some inquiries are rather more... unusual than others."
"Indeed?" Atana asked.
"Yes," Takeshita said, as they headed back toward his office. "There has been an effort of late to uncover kernels of truth that lurk behind most legends. It is an admirable cause, but there are a few who at least seem to be taking it a little far."
"A little far?"
"I think so," Takeshita said. "At least, the speculation about the legends does not yet seem to have substantive evidence to support it."
"I see," Atana said.
As they reached the main lobby, Atana saw a list of coming programs.
"Excuse me, Takeshita-san. What is this?" He indicated one of the items on the list. "Mystic communities of ancient Edo?"
Takeshita nodded. "We know there were several small religious communities here, even before the Tokugawa clan made it the capital. Some of them have records of mystical practices. This exhibit is based on an archaeological site that was discovered when several old warehouses were demolished. It was a most fortunate discovery, as so much of the old archaeological record has been lost to modern development."
"Is there any historical record of these communities?" Atana asked.
"Very little," Takeshita said. "There are a few obscure legends that the Tokugawas had a secret base of power among the mystic communities, but there is no truly reliable evidence to support that. One theory suggests the Tokugawas kept it as one of their most closely guarded secrets, either because they believed it or because they found it a useful legend to make other clans think twice about joining a rebellion."
"What would have happened to the Tokugawa records on that?"
"If they even existed, they probably were taken into the custody of the emperor Meiji," Takeshita said. "But there has never been any suggestion of such records in the private Imperial collection."
"But if the Tokugawas had classified it as top secret, might not the new Imperial government have decided to keep the secret, whatever it was?" Atana suggested.
"Entirely possible," Takeshita conceded. "And several of the more speculative theories claim just that, that there is a hidden truth buried in the private archives."
"From your professional experience, is there really that much of a secret archive anymore?"
Takeshita frowned. "I don't think so. Since the end of the Second World War, quite a bit of the Imperial collection has been loaned out to museums as part of the emperor Showa's effort to demystify the person of the emperor. Nevertheless, there remains a strong custom of giving deference to imperial privacy, and the curators of the Imperial collection generally do not comment on the more speculative theories."
"Which only allows those already inclined to believe such stories to claim that the Imperial collection is hiding something," Atana said.
Takeshita nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. But I am a scholar, Magi-san, both by training and personal disposition. I cannot place much confidence in claims so entirely lacking in hard supporting evidence. I am quite prepared to consider new ideas, but I need to see evidence to back it up. The integrity of my profession, and of the museum, demand no less."
"I quite understand," Atana said.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mamoru sat alone in a corner of the student union, with his cell phone to his ear. "You want to get into what?"
"The private Imperial collection," Atana repeated. "I think I've found a lead."
Mamoru shook his head. "Atana, I don't have the type of pull needed to get you access to the Imperial collection."
"But the Chiba Foundation..."
"You'd have to submit a written request," Mamoru interrupted. "And I seriously doubt you want put down on a public document just why you want to search the collection. Besides which, such a request would be rejected out of hand by the Imperial curators, assuming the Foundation even agreed to have anything to do with helping submit it."
Atana sighed. "There's a possibility the secret records of the Tokugawa shoguns' wizards are there, being seized by the emperor Meiji."
"That's possible," Mamoru said. "But it's far more likely the Tokugawa wizards, if there still were any by then, destroyed their own records and then committed suicide for having failed to successfully protect their master. A position of both such trust and secrecy would have demanded no less."
"I guess so," Atana conceded reluctantly. "But what if they are there?"
"I seriously doubt they would still survive," Mamoru said. "I'm sure the emperor would have ordered them destroyed."
"Meiji?"
"No. Showa," Mamoru said.
"Hirohito? Why?" Atana asked.
"If he didn't destroy them, along with any records of the Imperial family's own wizards, when our own military took over the government in the 1930's, he certainly would have had them destroyed in 1945," Mamoru explained. "It's widely believed the emperor Showa expected the Americans to remove him from the throne, and he could be certain that the cultural traditions and taboos that would keep a Japanese officer out of the private Imperial sanctums would not stop American and Allied investigators looking for evidence of weapons and war-crimes."
"I see," Atana said slowly. "So, I guess we just have to let this lead go."
"I'm afraid so," Mamoru said. "There've been too many opportunities over the last half century for information like that to leak out, even with the great respect given to imperial privacy. I just don't think such records could be there anymore."
"Alright," Atana acknowledged.
"But don't give up your search," Mamoru said. "The Tokugawas weren't the only ruling clan in Japanese history, and there is still quite a bit of history buried out there. You might not find anything here in Tokyo, but perhaps at Kyoto or Kamakura."
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind, but the most important magic point at the moment is the one here in Tokyo, and that's the one I really need information on," Atana said. "I will talk to you later, Mamoru-san. Good bye."
"Good bye, Atana-san," Mamoru said, switching off his phone.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Usagi and Makoto were in the locker room, changing for athletics.
"Are you up to this, Usagi-chan?" Makoto asked softly. "I'm sure the nurse would give you an excuse."
"I'll be fine," Usagi said as she undressed.
Just then, they heard a burst of giggles from nearby.
"Hey, Usagi-chan!" Megumi called. "All those extra snacks you've been sneaking must be catching up with you. Looks like you're getting a bit pudgy there."
"Give it a rest, Okada-chan," Makoto said, raising her voice a bit as she moved next to Usagi.
"I wasn't talking to you, Kino-chan," Megumi retorted. "I'd think Usagi-chan's fiance would be helping her to work some of that off."
The other girls burst out laughing.
"I'm sure you wouldn't even know, Megumi-chan," Usagi said. "Do you even have a boyfriend?"
Megumi scowled.
"Most of us have had several," another girl said.
"So we've heard, Nozomi-chan," Makoto said. "Although the count seems to be different every time one hears the story. What is it today? 25? 30?"
"You'll never know," Nozomi declared. "Mine have all been real men, not Junior High boys."
"There's more to being a real man than just age," Usagi said.
"Yes," Makoto agreed. "I know a number of 'real men'... in fact, my boyfriend is definitely one... and none of them have much interest in a girl who is either all talk... or who can't keep her legs together."
"You bitch!" Nozomi screamed, lunging at Makoto.
As Nozomi moved to strike her, Makoto caught her wrist easily. "If you can't stand the heat, Nozomi-chan," she said, as the other girl winced in pain from Makoto's strong grip. "And if you take a poke at me or one of my friends, I'll have to respond."
Usagi, now dressed in her gym clothes, stepped up next to Makoto. "She's not worth it," she said softly.
Makoto nodded, pressing her thumb into Nozomi's wrist and bringing a soft gasp of pain from the girl, before releasing her grip.
"What is going on back here?" one of the female athletic coaches demanded, rounding the corner of a row of lockers. She looked at Makoto. "Kino-san?"
"I'm sorry, Fuchida-san," Makoto said politely, bowing. "We had an argument that got a bit louder than was appropriate. I must apologize for my part in that."
Fuchida scowled. "And what about her wrist?" she demanded, indicating Nozomi.
"I'm afraid I can't say for sure, sensei," Makoto answered. "I didn't see what happened."
Nozomi was about to protest when one of the other girls squeezed her arm.
"Nozomi-chan tripped over the bench, Fuchida-san," the girl said. "I think she hit her wrist on the locker. As for the argument, what Kino-san said is true."
Fuchida glared sternly at all of them. "Very well then. I think you all have someplace to be."
The other girls returned to their lockers to hurriedly finish dressing.
"Is it just me, or have we been through something like this before?" Makoto asked.
Usagi sighed and nodded.
"Tsukino-san!" Fuchida called. "Are you gaining weight?"
Usagi rolled her eyes.
"Perhaps you should see the nurse about a diet plan," Fuchida continued. "It's not healthy for a girl your age to suddenly put on a lot of weight."
Before Usagi or Makoto could reply, Fuchida turned and left.
After a moment, Makoto grinned. "It's not healthy... unless the girl is pregnant."
Usagi grinned in response and ran a hand over her abdomen. With her sweat shirt on, the slight swell that was only just starting to appear was no longer noticeable. "Yes," she sighed. "Pregnant... and very happy... and engaged to the most wonderful man in the whole world."
Makoto put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Mrs. Chiba. We don't want to be late."- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Usagi saw Mamoru's car pull up and rushed toward it.
"Hi, Mamo-chan," she said, slipping into the car, then leaning over to kiss him. "How was your day?"
"It was fine, Usako. I have a bit of catching up to do yet, but nothing that's impossible," he said. "How was your day?"
She sighed. "I had a little bit of trouble with several girls in the locker room this afternoon. They saw me when I was changing, and accused me of getting fat. One of the coaches saw me, and assumed the same thing."
Mamoru frowned and nodded, slipping the car into gear. "We knew you couldn't hide this forever."
"I know."
"Was there any more to it than them thinking you're getting fat?" he asked.
"Not really," she said. "One of the girls made a really stupid comment that you should be helping me work off the weight, but Mako-chan put her in her place."
Mamoru rolled his eyes. "I hope she didn't injure anyone."
"What? Of course not, Mamo-chan. She can be quite restrained when she needs to be," Usagi said.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that," he said with a grin.
She lightly slapped his arm. "You know her well enough now not to believe that nonsense about her having such a temper and always fighting."
He nodded. "That's true."
She was silent for a moment as she sat there, gazing at him. "I love you so much, Mamo-chan," she sighed.
"I love you, Usako," he replied, smiling as he glanced over at her.
"You are such a wonderful man," she said, a happy lilt in her voice. "And all mine."
"And you're all mine, my beautiful, sexy princess," he said, placing a hand over hers.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Minako stepped off the bus at the university and walked to the student union. Going downstairs, she found Geoff sitting on a sofa, with several books and a cup of coffee on the table next to him.
He looked up and smiled. "Hi, honey. How was your day?"
She frowned. "It was alright... considering."
"First day back at school," he said, nodding. "I found it a little rough getting back into the rhythm of classes as well. Do you want to play some volleyball before we head home?"
She shook her head, sitting down beside him. "Not today, thanks."
"Is something wrong?" he asked, looking at her closely.
"My period started today," she said. "I must have miscounted the days. I wasn't expecting it for two more days. I had to run to the infirmary for pads because I was totally unprepared."
He nodded. "Is there anything else you need?"
"I need to stop at the store," she said. "I know you don't have pads, tampons, or Midol at the apartment."
"I'm afraid I'm fresh out," he said with a grin. "I haven't had any real experience with this... at least not in this lifetime."
She smiled, despite the crampy and bloated feelings that were running through her. When she'd had her period the month before they hadn't been staying together on a regular basis. "I love you, Mr. Kelley," she said in English.
He leaned over and kissed her. "I love you, my beautiful Mrs. Kelley," he replied. "I love you more than anything. But now, let's head to the store and stock up on what you need."
She kissed him. "I'm so glad I've found such a wonderful man," she sighed.
"And I'm glad to have found such an incredible young woman," he said. "Truly Venus." Absently, he placed a hand on her thigh.
She gently slid his hand away. "Just now, I don't even want to think about that," she said softly.
"I'm sorry, honey. I didn't think," he said. "Like I said, I'm not experienced with this. You'll help me with what you need?"
"Of course I will," she said with a smile. "I plan to spend the rest of my life with you."
"What a coincidence, my beautiful Venus," he said. "I have the same plans with you."- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rei sat in the lobby of Kara's school. She was still in her school uniform, and was drawing some curious looks from other parents. The woman at the desk, in particular, had given her a very close scrutiny. Rei wished she'd had time to change.
Just then, the door opened and two faculty members escorted a group of children out, including Kara. A bright smile formed on Kara's face as she saw Rei.
"Ma..." Kara started to cry out, but quickly slapped her hand over her mouth. As the teacher looked down at her sudden gesture, the little girl raced to Rei and threw herself into Rei's arms. "I'm glad you're here!"
Rei embraced the little girl, sighing at the close call, as it was unmistakable to her what Kara had been about to cry out.
"I missed you," Kara said quietly, but bouncing excitedly in Rei's lap.
"I missed you," Rei said softly.
"Uhm, excuse me," the faculty member said in English. "I need to see some identification, miss."
Rei nodded, having already retrieved her ID card from her bag, and showed it to the woman. "There you are," she said.
The woman looked at Rei's ID, checking her name against the list. "Thank you, Miss Hino," she said.
"You're welcome." Rei slipped her ID back into her wallet, then hugged Kara again. "So, did you have a good day at school?"
Kara nodded.
"Were your friends happy to see you back?" Rei asked.
"Yes," Kara said. "And we did painting today."
"Painting?"
Kara nodded. "Do you want to see?"
"Of course I do, honey," Rei said.
Kara pulled a piece of folded paper from her back pack and handed it to Rei.
Rei carefully unfolded the paper, seeing that it was a finger painting. The picture was a series of green, brown, and blue streaks, around a vaguely house-shaped form.
"It's our home," Kara said proudly.
"Yes," Rei said softly, feeling a lump in her throat as she looked more closely, seeing three figures in front of the house. "I can see that."
"Where's Daddy?" Kara asked.
"He had some things to do, so he asked me to pick you up," Rei said, folding up the painting again and putting it back in her pack. "You don't mind?"
Kara shook her head. "I'm glad you're here," she said.
"Are you ready to go?" Rei asked.
"Yes," Kara answered, nodding.
Rei helped the little girl off her lap, then slipped her back pack onto her. Standing up, she took hold of Kara's hand and they walked to the door. They left the building, going down the steps, and Kara skipped happily as they walked to the bus stop.
"Are you staying with us tonight?" Kara asked, looking up at her hopefully.
Rei smiled, gently squeezing her hand, then nodded. "Yes, I am."
"Yay!" Kara cheered, jumping with excitement.
Rei enjoyed seeing the little girl so happy, just as much as she enjoyed being with both Kara and Atana. She loved the sense of family that came from being with the man who was her lover and soul-mate, and the young girl who was the daughter of her past self.
Soon, the bus arrived and they climbed on. Rei sat down, and Kara promptly slipped into her lap.
"I love you," Kara whispered in her ear.
"I love you, honey," Rei said softly.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Makoto arrived at her apartment to find Shinozaki had already returned.
"Hi, sexy," she said with a grin. "Have a good day?"
He nodded. "Not too bad. How about you?"
She removed her shoes and joined him on the couch. "I actually had a pretty good day, considering we've been gone for a while."
"That's good," he said. "My parents called. You just missed them."
She saw a bit of a frown on his face. "Is anything wrong?"
He sighed. "I told them our relationship had... progressed."
"I see," she said with a nod.
"Dad said he was happy for us, but I could tell he had reservations... and Mom went on that we were both so young," he said.
"Do you think they're going to want you to move back?" she asked.
"I don't know yet," he said. "I'm not all that certain that they've made up their minds yet."
She nodded, feeling more than just a bit of anxiety for the possibility he might not be able to stay with her. "Are they coming back soon?"
"They should be home tomorrow," he said. "Dad has to get back to work. He's been able to do some of it online, but he expects to have quite a stack waiting for him."
"So... any ideas on how to handle this?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Not yet... I guess I hadn't expected serious trouble," he said. "And we don't even know for sure that it is serious. I mean, we could find they've accepted it by the time they get home."
"True... Or they might be opposed," she said. "But I hope you're right. I really don't want to have to think about you not being here."
"Neither do I," he said, leaning over to kiss her.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Tsukino Kenji sat in a chair in his attorney's office, reading through a sheaf of papers.
Watanabe was a broad-shouldered, slightly portly man with silver hair and bushy mustache. His almond-colored eyes observed his client over a pair of gold-rimmed half-moon glasses perched low on his nose, his fingers steepled in front of his face. "You are not pleased, Tsukino-san," he commented.
Kenji glanced up, a scowl on his face. "That is true, Watanabe-san," he said. "I see no accountability in any of this. This gives away our prerogatives entirely."
Watanabe nodded slightly in acknowledgment. "That is the nature of the thing," he said calmly. "Once you agree, the transfer is total. There is no retained legal interest."
Kenji slapped the papers down on the table. "We're not talking about selling an automobile or a piece of real estate here..."
"No, we are not," Watanabe agreed. "But the law is very clear in this situation, Tsukino-san. From a purely legal standpoint it is essentially just a release of interest."
Kenji shook his head in disgust.
"Perhaps you need to give this more consideration," Watanabe said. "It appears you are not yet prepared to go through with this."
"Not like this," Kenji said, indicating the papers.
"It is not a matter where you are at liberty to set conditions," Watanabe said. "The terms of this are predefined by law."
Kenji frowned, remaining silent.
Watanabe opened a file folder and turned several pages. Finding a notation, he turned his attention back to Kenji. "You still have time to consider this, Tsukino-san. Based on what you've told me, this cannot be completed until after the New Year."- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
At Atana's apartment, Rei helped Kara out of her school uniform, and to change into shorts and a t-shirt.
"Thanks, Mommy," Kara said, throwing her arms around Rei. "I'm so glad you're staying with us."
"So am I," Rei agreed, embracing the little girl.
Kara bounced excitedly on the bed.
"Do you want to help me surprise your father with dinner?" Rei asked.
Kara nodded. "Sure! I want to help!"
Rei smiled. "That's great."
"What are we going to cook?" Kara asked.
Rei cringed. Her cooking skills had improved recently so that she could handle more than just heating up packaged food, but she still lacked the confidence to prepare something really special for the man she loved, especially without any advance preparation. "Uhm... I was actually thinking of picking up something, honey. I know a place just down the street. They have really good food. OK?"
Kara nodded.
"Great," Rei said. "I need to change, and then we'll have to hurry to be back before your father gets home."
The little girl giggled.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rei had changed into a button-down shirt and a pair of slacks, with her purse over her shoulder, and her hair tied back. She walked through a small market, with Kara holding her hand, as they waited for their order.
"Order for Magi," the man behind the counter called.
"That's us!" Kara exclaimed softly, squeezing Rei's hand.
Rei nodded, walking to the counter with Kara, and presenting her order slip.
The man read the slip, then placed a plastic bag on the counter. "Here you are, Magi-san," he said. He looked at her and the little girl. "You and your daughter enjoy your meal."
Kara grinned happily.
"Thank you, sir. We will," Rei said, finding a particular pleasure in being acknowledged as Kara's mother. She paid for their food. "Let's go home, honey," she said to Kara.
"OK, Mommy," Kara said with a grin.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Atana opened the door and stepped inside. "Hello?" he called.
"Daddy!" Kara cried, running to him.
"Hi, honey," he said, embracing her. "Did you have a good day?"
Kara nodded. "Mommy and I have a surprise for you," she said, giggling.
"Oh, really?" he asked, slipping off his shoes.
Rei stood there, enjoying the feeling of family that came from being here with them. "Yes," she said.
He took Rei in his arms and kissed her. "I love you," he said softly. "And I love coming home to find my entire family here." He kissed her again. "Is that the surprise?"
She shook her head. "No. Kara and I picked up dinner," she said. She leaned closer. "And I've arranged to stay here tonight."
He smiled. "Now that is wonderful," he said, embracing both Kara and Rei. "I don't think I could be happier just now."- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ikuko entered Kenji's home office, carrying two cups of tea. She set one down on his desk, then sat down. "Busy?" she asked.
"A little," he said softly, looking up from his computer. He took a sip of the tea and nodded. "This is good. Thanks." He glanced at the cup. "This is the set Mamoru gave us."
She nodded. "Yes, it is."
He frowned. "Well... it's still good tea."
"Kenji," she said, softly and reprovingly.
He looked back up at her, recognizing the tone in her voice.
"He's going to be our son-in-law," she said. "And perhaps sooner rather than later, am I right?"
"Wh, what are you talking about?" He immediately regretted his question as he saw her pained expression.
She took another sip of her tea. "You've had three meetings with Watanabe-san over the last ten days. Your contract is settled, and we haven't had any family business to refer to him since we purchased this house."
"Well, we did talk about updating my will to reflect the increase in my income," he said.
She looked at him for a moment. "That doesn't require three meetings in ten days, Kenji," she said.
He hesitated, then nodded.
"You've been discussing the possibility of Usagi and Mamoru getting married, haven't you?"
He leaned back in his chair and sighed, then nodded again. "It's not an easy matter."
She raised an eyebrow. "Us giving consent? Or coming to terms with letting your little girl go?"
He scowled for a moment. "It's hardly that simple," he muttered sourly. "We have to give up most of our parental rights."
She nodded. "What did you expect? Marriage involves legally sharing all aspects of your life with another. How can she do that if she still has to get our consent for any major decisions in her life?"
"But she's only fourteen," he objected.
"And she will very soon be fifteen. Just as Mamoru will be twenty," she said. "But tell me this. Would you seriously want them to have to wait for our consent for treatment if Usagi were to encounter complications? That is one of the implications."
"But she is still underage, and still our responsibility," he said.
"If we consent, then we are giving some of that responsibility to her, and the larger part of it to Mamoru," she said.
He nodded, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes, having already heard this from Watanabe. "She'll have a little more standing than an ordinary minor, but not quite that of legal adulthood. That's how Watanabe described it."
"I'm sure he would know."
He replaced his glasses and stared at her. "And you think we should agree to that?"
She took another sip of her tea. "I think we should do what is best for Usagi," she said softly. "And if that means we surrender our legal guardianship before she turns twenty..."
"That doesn't seem just a bit extreme to you?" he interrupted.
"No," she said calmly. "It doesn't. It used to be the norm when arranged marriages were more common and women didn't enjoy legal equality. Even now, I've read that there is a small but still significant percentage of marriages where the young woman has not yet reached twenty, and her parents have to consent for her."
He nodded, having seen statistics on that as well. "But eighteen or nineteen is very different from fourteen or fifteen."
"In most cases, yes," she agreed. "But I don't think this situation is like most."
He leaned back again and shook his head. "How can we be sure her best interests are protected if we surrender our guardianship?"
She paused to drink more of her tea. "Sometimes the best thing we can do is let go," she said. "We know how close she and Mamoru have become. It would hardly be in her best interest to keep them apart. I have no doubt that it is in Usagi's best interest for her to be with Mamoru, and for the next five years until she reaches adulthood, he can help her look after her interests, and those of their child, better than we can."
He frowned, removing his glasses again. "If you think this is such a straightforward decision..."
She shook her head. "We've already been through this, Kenji," she said sternly. "I am not going to have you passing this off on me simply because you can't bring yourself to do it, and I won't have you sulking over it, resenting Mamoru, or resenting me, because it did happen."
He sighed. "I could never be resentful of you."
"I'm not going to take any chances on that," she said. "It's not good for any of us."- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Usagi sat on the floor in their living room, dressed in one of Mamoru's shirts. She was hunched over a low table, working on her homework. Dropping her pencil, she groaned in frustration and reached for her eraser.
Mamoru looked over from the computer desk, where he sat, wearing a t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. "Are you alright, Usako?"
She sighed. "It seems like this has all gotten much harder since we've been away."
He sat down next to her. "May I help?"
She nodded. "This is what we're working on," she said, pulling her math book closer.
He looked it over, then looked at what she had been doing. Taking out a fresh sheet of paper, her started to make some notes. "Let's try it this way," he suggested.
She watched what he was doing.
"Want to try it now?" he asked.
She nodded, working through the next problem. A grin formed on her face. "That does help. Thanks, Mamo-chan." She leaned over and kissed him. "I love you."
"I love you," he said softly, kissing her in return.
"I'm so glad we're together," she said, leaning against him.
He slipped his arms around her. "So am I. Now that I have a family again, I couldn't bear to not have you with me."
She nodded, sighing softly.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Not really," she said. "But today... Naru asked when we were going to make it 'official' between us."
"Official? You mean getting married?"
She nodded. "I told her that couldn't happen any time soon." She sighed again.
He kissed her cheek. "But you would like it, wouldn't you."
She turned to look into his face. "Of course I would. I want so much to be Mrs. Chiba, and I'd really like that to happen before our baby is born."
He nodded, kissing her. "I'd love to see that too," he said. "But it's out of our hands, I'm afraid. Your parents would have to consent to it, and even then, it's totally out of the question until I turn twenty."
"But that's not that far away," she said. "Barely two months."
"That's true," he said. "But you'll still be five years away from adulthood, Usako, and until then, we can't get married without your parents' permission."
She sighed, nodding. "Five years," she whispered. "I can't believe they'd stand in our way that long. I certainly hope not."
"So do I," he said softly.
"If they did give permission, would you do it? Right away?" she asked.
He nodded. "As soon as I'm twenty and you have their consent, I'd do it right away," he said.
She grinned happily. "So would I, Mamo-chan. Right away."
"However..." he said softly, considering.
"What?"
"There's also a good argument for not just running to a magistrate right away," he said. "Your parents might like it if we had a ceremony, and anything we can do to promote goodwill should make them feel better about all this."
'That does make sense," she agreed.
"But we still can't do any of that until they consent."
"I know," she said softly, leaning back against him once more.
"I do love you," he whispered. "And I'm so happy to have you here with me, my beautiful princess." He caressed her abdomen. "And to be making a family with you."
"So am I, my wonderful prince. So am I."< To be continued >
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NOTE: Sorry for the long delay, but real-life has intervened several times to keep Hopeless Romantic and I very busy and unable to write. More to come.Hopeless Romantic and I now have a message group to notify our readers when we post new stories/chapters. Those who are interested can sign up at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/strands_of_moonlight/ .
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.
-06.28.2003