On A Moonswept Moor
A Sekkushiaru Roman Story
By Lady M. Harris
http://www.geocities.com/~ladymharris
Editor: Sun Princess

Part 9

        "Come on over tonight after your class gets out.  I'll cook you
dinner and then we can talk." Mamoru had whispered into her neck, sometime
in the early predawn hours of the morning.  He lightly kissed her arched
throat, his hands moving slowly over her body.  When she would have said
more, he rolled her over onto her back and plunged deeply into her,
provoking an incoherent cry from her.  And effectively cutting off any
comments that came to her mind, forgetting everything else except for the
way he made her feel.
        The new day dawned sunny and bright for Usagi.  Her students noticed
the difference in her attitude and took advantage of her good mood.  She
didn't mind, enjoying their enthusiasm and efforts to please their teacher.
Her attention in class drifted again and again towards the night before of
her and Mamoru together.  She told Mamoru about Seiya's wedding coming up
this weekend and asked if he would be willing to escort her to the event.
He relented, if somewhat reluctantly.
        When her class finally ended, Usagi rushed through grading her
students' papers.  Having finished early, she left class and made her way to
the bus stop.  On the bus trip to Mamoru's flat, she mentally counted how
many days had passed since her last menstruation.  A frown creased her
forehead as she furiously recounted the days again in her head.  Somehow the
week had come and gone for her due date.  How could she have forgotten so
easily, she thought to herself.  She shrugged off the worry, again recalling
that she had been late before.  Of course, she reminded herself, you weren't
sleeping with anyone either.  I'll worry about it later; she mentally
shrugged off the persistent thought of being p-r-e-g-n-a-n-t.
She smiled a gracious smile to the doorman, who returned the smile as he
hurriedly opened the door to the prestigious, residential flats where Mamoru
resided during the week.  Usagi hummed a tuneless melody as she rode up the
elevators, wondering what Mamoru was going to cook and what he wanted to
talk about.  She already had a feeling that something significant was going
to happen tonight.  She knew somehow, that they needed to bring their
feelings to the light about each other.
Usagi got off of the elevator and walked down the hall, halting abruptly as
she came to Mamoru's door, confused.  The door was slightly ajar and someone
was moving around in the living room.  Her body clamped still, her stomach
suddenly knotting with pain as her mouth dropped open in shock and
disbelief.  She shook her head in silent denial as sudden tears welled up in
her eyes.  She blinked them frantically away.  This can't be true, Usagi's
mind wretched in numbed shock as she recognized the woman moving about in
the room.  He wouldn't dare, she thought desperately!
Beryl went still, her hands still buttoning up her silk blouse as she
noticed Usagi standing outside of the slightly opened door.  Her burgundy
hair was mused up and in abundant disarray about her.  Her eyes went hard as
their gazes met, clashing.  There was a slight, perceptive twitch of a smug
smile to her lips as she noted Usagi's gaze trailing in disbelief over her
apparent dishabille.
"Could I help you with something, miss?" Beryl asked Usagi, pretending she
didn't know who she was.  "If you're looking for the owner, he's in the
shower.  But if you'd like to come back at a later time..." She trailed off,
leaving the sentence up in the air and speculation of what had just taken
place for Usagi to piece together.
"No...no," Usagi croaked, her voice sounding strange to her ears.  "I-I
think I have the wrong address," she lied, backing away from the door as her
body shuddered with the force of her emotions.  Her entire chest seemed to
blossom with pain, like sharp knives slicing away at pieces of her
vulnerable heart.  She whirled away and ran towards the elevators as the
tears fell silently from her eyes, despite her commanding them to stop.
Beryl closed the entry door in spiteful vindication.  She straightened her
hair, still listening for the bathroom.  Mamoru's maid was running the tub's
water as she cleaned it.  Unannounced, Beryl had slipped into the flat.  The
simple girl shouldn't have left the door unlocked, she thought.  Beryl knew
that the maid came at this time to clean his flat and Beryl had made it a
point to come there when he wasn't in residence.  To her up most
satisfaction, the young girl Mamoru was currently seeing just happened to
arrive at his doorstep.  How gratifying it was to chase her away, Beryl
thought, smiling inwardly.  The girl had no idea that Beryl had come to
collect her items that Mamoru said he would send with the maid earlier this
week.  She knew that the maid hadn't sent the items as she spotted them in a
small bag by the maid's cleaning cart.  Beryl had spotted Usagi when she
entered the building, a malicious and devious idea forming in her head to
get back at Mamoru and his blonde canary.
Earlier in the week, Mamoru and her had dined at her favorite restaurant.
With degradation and angry hurt, Beryl recalled how the conversation had
begun.  She should have known something was up, when all he ordered was a
cup of coffee....

"I'm going to get straight to the point, Beryl, " he began, sipping from his
steaming cup of coffee.
She paused from lifting her fork and looked up at him, curiously.  Her hand
had trembled at the time, as she recalled his answer on Christmas day when
she had called his cell phone.  She had asked him if someone else was with
him that day and he had said yes, not elaborating.
"I'm sending the maid over with some of the items you left at my flat."
"What do you mean by that?" She began, frowning.  "I realize that you may be
seeing someone else.  But nothing has to change," Beryl stated, throwing her
long hair over her shoulders as she glared at him.  "I'm willing to share.
I did with Melissa," although, I got the better half of the share, she
thought to herself, crudely.
He chuckled deeply, his eyes unreadable in the din of the restaurant.  "You
know, I used to think that we were completely the same in our thoughts and
in our actions." Mamoru said, leaning casually back against his chair,
watching her.
She shrugged her shoulders, disdainfully. "We are.  You're still the same."
"Perhaps.  Perhaps not," he agreed and disagreed at the same time.
"Needless to say, I'm glad that you're not going to make an issue out of
this."
"Of course, I won't.  I don't cause scenes, " Beryl replied calmly as
seething anger exploded within her.  "Besides, when you tire of her, I'll
still be here," she smiled, her green eyes hard.
Mamoru's eyes narrowed slightly and then a chilling smile made its way
across his lips.  "Don't bother waiting," he stated and called for his
check, getting up from the table.
Beryl continued to stare at the spot where Mamoru had vacated after he left
her.  She burned with furious hate as the image of Usagi swam before her
eyes and determined that she would make Usagi pay for taking him away from
her.

Usagi did her best to ignore her answering machine the next day.  She
couldn't recall how she made it home the night before.  Her eyes were
swollen red and puffy from crying all night.  Mamoru had called and finally
after getting her answering machine twice, left an exasperated message on
her machine.  Telling her to call him and that he was worried about her.
Worried about her, yeah right--she thought to herself as she remembered how
provocative and beautiful Beryl had looked standing inside of his flat.
After he had just made love to that-that despicable woman!  How dare he say
that he's worried over her, she thought to herself as more tears welled up
in her eyes and spilled down onto her cheeks?
Determined not to speak to Mamoru, Usagi got up early the following day.
Blurry-eyed and mournful, she threw on some sweats and left her apartment.
She made her way to the Tenth Street Park and generally spent the entire day
there.  Walking aimlessly around in a depressed daze or sitting by herself
on a quiet bench, crying silently.
It was just beginning to get dark, when she finally left the park.  With her
stomach growling loudly despite her inward protest at her state of
depression, she made her way slowly back to her apartment.  When she got
home, she was surprised to find Hiromi standing on her doorstep.
"Ah, so there you are, Usagi-chan," Hiromi greeted her, his sharp eyes not
missing her puffy, red eyes and dark frown.
"Chiba-sama," Usagi bowed respectfully and addressing him more formally.
She looked up into his lined face and said, "I'm not marrying Mamoru."
"Whoa, Usagi-chan!  Could we discussed this in your apartment?" Hiromi
asked, his hand coming up as if to ward her anger off.
Usagi stared at him for a moment, complementing whether or not she should
hear what he had to say.  After a moment she turned away, sighing at the
same time as she unlocked the door to her apartment.  She left the door wide
open to invite Hiromi in.  She walked straight to her kitchen and opened the
cabinets, reaching in to pull out a container.  Hiromi followed her slowly
into her living room, looking around curiously.
"What is it that you wanted to talk about that was so important?" Usagi
began as she measured some cocoa into her cup and a cup for Hiromi.
"Well, I'd like to know what happened between the two of you, first of all."
Hiromi asked as he watched her warm some milk on her stovetop.
"Perhaps you should ask your grandson.  He would know better," she said,
stiffly.
"I don't know.  He spent most of the day at the estate with my lawyers and
then he said he had to meet with you at the flat.  He came back to the
estate a couple of hours later and promptly got drunk.  What happened, did
you guys argue?"  He asked again, looking at her.
"I didn't see him.  Beryl was his flat," she said, her voice cracking.  She
didn't elaborate on Beryl's appearance.
Hiromi's face went hard as he heard Beryl's name mentioned.  "Why that
rat-faced bitch," he stated quietly to himself.  He had a feeling that she
was somehow involved.  His brain ticked away trying to figure out exactly
what happened.  "What time did you get to Mamoru's flat?" He asked,
carefully.  By God, if that witch caused any more problems for him....  He
could think of more ways than one to bring to her down from her high-horse
pedestal.  She interfered too many times, in his plans.
Usagi shrugged her shoulders, stirring the milk to keep it from congealing
in the saucepan.  "What difference does it make?  I probably got there about
three something."
"Well, then that doesn't make any sense.  Mamoru didn't leave the estate
until after five.  It was already after dark and he said that he tried your
apartment to get a hold you because he was running late.  We didn't know you
the two of you had plans.  My lawyers and I had asked him if he wanted to
join us for dinner earlier." Hiromi said nonchalantly, glancing over at her
stiff shoulders.
Usagi's hand covered her mouth, thinking rapidly.  It was still daylight
when she arrived at Mamoru's as the possibility dawned on her that maybe
nothing happened.  Her heart beat rapidly, feeling as if it was turning
upside down within her chest.  "You said that Mamoru got drunk?" She asked,
wondering why he would do such a thing.  Of course, she had thought of doing
the same a couple of times.  Perhaps, not to get drunk, but to forget.
"Mamoru's never been one disclose his feelings very well.  That was mostly
due to his mother." Hiromi began, still watching her steadily.
"His mother?" Usagi asked with surprise as she poured the hot milk into two
mugs.
"Yes, Akane was a two-faced bitch." He sighed, accepting the hot cocoa.
"Like any other child, he expected someday that she would return his love.
It never happened.  She told him and me the day her and my son died in the
car crash, that he was nothing more than unwanted accident."
Usagi gasped with sharp pain.  "I don't understand, how-how could a mother
do such a thing to her own child?" When she thought of times she wanted to
have and hold her own child in her own arms.  To love, nurture and protect
that child of her own womb.  How could a woman be so-so...? She couldn't
even describe the words.  She thought briefly of her mother's warm and
loving touch.  So many times, so many countless cherished moments in her
life, her mother and her father were always there.  Loving her,
unconditionally.
"It still doesn't answer why Beryl was at his flat, like she lived there."
She stated, sipping her cocoa.
"Beryl doesn't like you, Usagi-chan.  Mamoru fired his maid the day you were
supposed to come to the flat.  He didn't understand why she had let Beryl
into his apartment when he wasn't there.  Especially since, he had left
specific orders not to allow anyone in his flat, except for you.  At least,
that's what the girl told me, when she begged me for her job back.  She
didn't know that Beryl had been in his flat, except for when she called
Beryl's residence and spoke with Beryl's maid and that Beryl already picked
up her earrings that she had left at his flat, awhile back.  That was before
you were even an interest in Mamoru." Hiromi added as he noticed Usagi's
stiffening shoulders.
"She knew I was coming?" She mused out loud.
"Perhaps, but I really don't know.  Perhaps, you should ask Mamoru.
Although, he's no good at the moment." He chuckled at Usagi's hopeful and
confused expression.  "I think you should wait until tomorrow.  He's still
passed out.  When you didn't answer his calls today and then he came by your
apartment, he started-well you know.  At least, I know he came by your
apartment, based on what Tetsueo said."
"How do you know so much?" She asked, curiously.
"Well, he's been locked up in the library most of the day and I could hear
him cursing and throwing the phone against the walls.  It's been very hard
to concentrate on work with him finally blowing up like a water heater.
After I spoke with the maid, I came straight over here.  I did check on him
before I left and found him, snoring blissfully away on library couch."  He
said, finishing up the cocoa.  His stomach was pleasantly full.  And it
seemed as if there was hope for grandson and his fiancée after all.
"Maybe-maybe, he didn't know about her being there...." Usagi thought out
loud, finally giving Mamoru the benefit of the doubt.
"Well, I should get going.  Thank you for the cup of cocoa.  Please, talk to
him.  I want his happiness more than anything in this world.  I love him
with every fiber of my being, Usagi-chan," his voice cracked at this point.
"And I know you do, too.  There's a certain peacefulness and harmony within
him when he's with you.  He may not have said it, but he loves you." Hiromi
stated his blue eyes now soft and gentle as they bore into her soul.
Hiromi walked beside a now silent and thoughtful Usagi to her entry door.
He said his good-bye to her and added another comment that blew her mind
away.  "By the way, Usagi-chan," he said as he opened the door.
She looked up at him, wondering, and "The will... there is no stipulation
pertaining to Mamoru marrying for love." Usagi's mouth dropped open,
stunned.  "I told him that last week," he continued, smiling mischievously.
"He's known all week and hasn't broken off the engagement..." He trailed
off, straightening his coat and winking at the same time.  "Sleep on that,
daughter-in-law.  You're not getting rid of us so easily." He smiled again
and then he left her staring after his retreating back in the hallway.

Usagi searched the crowded church entryway.  The church was full of people
arriving for the Seiya and Mina's wedding.  She sighed wearily and flicked
away some imaginary lint off of her silk, cream dress.  Although she had
asked Mamoru if he would escort her to the wedding, she wasn't so sure if he
would arrive, considering how things had turned out.  She tried this morning
to get a hold of him at the estate and at his flat.  His cell phone wasn't
picking up and she sighed, still frustrated.
Usagi knew that she had to meet with Rei and Molly soon as she was told that
they were already inside of the church.  Ami was actually in the wedding
ceremony as one of Mina's bridesmaids.  She straightened her skirt and took
a couple of steps up towards the church.
Her gaze touched on the news vans that were quickly pulling up.  She
recognized FEN (Far East Network) and some of the other more popular news
channels covering the event of the year.  There were even a couple of
entertainment magazines such as the popular J-Pop and Inter-EntertainTV news
crews arriving to the cover one of the largest weddings of one of the most
popular music entertainers of Japan.  Usagi smiled slightly as she noticed
that the security guards were having a wonderful time trying to keep the
press from entering the church to get an exclusive.
Lots of fans of the Three Lights were also trying to get in or get a look of
their favorite singer.  Usagi curled her lip with a chuckle and wondered if
she had ever been so childish as to worship an idol singer.  Especially when
her glance skimmed over some of the girls in the audience who seemed to be
on the verge of weeping over the fact that their favorite singer would no
longer be a bachelor.  She laughed to herself out loud and knew that at one
time, when she was a teenager, she had been exactly the same.
Suddenly, there was a loud commotion to the right of her and she turned her
head in the direction of the news crews and the sudden rush of people
forming in a large group.  It was literary impossible to see through the
large crowds of heads as Usagi tried standing on her tiptoes.  A huge surge
of people swept her towards the church entry.  Once again, as Usagi made her
way inside the church, there was shout from one of the side church doors.
Someone hollered out: "There's a fight goin' on!" The man announced, unable
to contain his excitement to those seated in the already crowded church.
"It's Kou Seiya and Chiba Mamoru!"  He shouted over the loud gasps of shock.

Mamoru gaze locked for a moment on Usagi standing before the church.  His
hard gaze softened perceptively as he noted the dark circles underneath her
usually bright eyes.  Then there was a rush of people crowding before her
and she was swept into the church.  He looked back over at the crowd of
newscasters suddenly spotting him by himself.  They rushed forward towards
him and he sighed with exasperation.  He wondered where the hell the
security guards were hiding.  He spotted Seiya coming out of a side door and
also grimaced with impatience as the man started towards him.
Unfortunately, the news people caught sight of the handsome groom and nearly
ran the poor guards over in their haste to get an exclusive interview of
their favorite music entertainer, Kou Seiya and the handsome bachelor of the
year, Chiba Mamoru.
"Look man, I'm sorry about the kiss with Usagi.  I know you're pissed---"
Seiya began, when he reached the scowling Mamoru.
"What the--!" Mamoru exclaimed.  An inexplicable and boiling anger erupted
from within him.  How dare that piece of --- touch her, he thought with
sudden possessiveness.  I don't give a hoot whether or not he was once her
boyfriend; no one touches her, but me!
"I swear I didn't force myself on her---I'm apolo--" Seiya tried to explain,
his hand coming out in an apologetic manner.  He didn't see the right fist
that slammed into his face.  It landed with loud thud, connecting to his
jaw.  He grunted loudly, his whole body turning into the force of the punch.
The crowd before him gasped with shock.  He landed on one knee, his nose
suddenly bleeding and he saw bright stars swirling endlessly in front of
him.  He got up slowly, the pain in his jaw and face almost unbearable.
"Shit!  I said--" Seiya burst out in growing anger, he ducked this time as
Mamoru swung towards him again, throwing and landing his own punch, solidly
into Mamoru's stomach.  The other man grunted with pain.
The beautiful bride, Mina, dressed in a western traditional style, white
wedding dress ran outside, her hands covering her face in horror and shock.
This can't be happening at my wedding, she moaned as she watched her
Seiya-chan and Chiba-san throwing punches at each other.  The crowds of
on-lookers erupted into gasps of shock, stupefaction and jarring laughter.
She even noticed some guys moving surprisingly fast among groups of people
as bets were placed on the outcome of the winner.
"Come on, Usagi-chan!" Ami said suddenly next to Usagi and grabbing her arm.
"Quit standing there with your mouth hanging opening and go stop the fight!"

"This is Moto Mona of CNN-jp broadcasting to you, live from the Tenth Street
Church.  Going on right now behind me--is an all out brawl!  Two of Tokyo's
most elite is yes, you guessed it--are duking it out!  It's hard to tell
which one is Kou Seiya, the famous, singer-artist and sensei-guru and heir
to the Chiba Financial Corporation..." The newscaster announced with
excitement, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she was caught up in the
fight.  A silly grin erupted from her face as she backed up and gave the
camera crew full view of the brawl taking place on the church lawn.

Both men were tiring.  It was amazing to the say the least, but they were
both still standing.  Their faces were swollen, with cuts and scrapes.
Seiya was still nursing a bleeding nose and broken nose, while Mamoru's
eyebrow was swelling over his left eye.  Their clothes hung off of their
bodies, torn and dirty.
"God-damnit, Chiba-san!" Seiya mumbled, his body slightly swaying as he did
his best to keep standing.  "I just kissed her."
"That's more than enough to warrant another punch in the face." Mamoru
continued, wiping the blood that was beginning to bleed from his mouth.  He
fought to stay standing as his legs began to buckle.
"Mamoru!" Usagi rushed forward, catching him as he began a decent backwards.
Likewise, Mina caught Seiya as his legs buckled underneath him.  "You
idiot!" She yelled at him, unladylike.
"I know, I am an idiot, Mina-chan." Seiya chuckled, lifting his hand weakly
to touch her jaw, tenderly.  "But I realized that day, that I was trying to
hold onto a childhood infatuation.  There's only been one woman for me.  And
that's you, Mina-chan.  I love you.  Please forgive me for being such a
fool." He asked bluntly as he stared into her gentle, blue eyes.
"There's never been a doubt in me, Seiya-chan.  There's nothing to forgive."
Mina answered, softly.
"While we're in confession here.  I've got my own confession to make,
Usako." Mamoru began smiling weakly as Usagi tenderly held Mamoru against
her.  She pushed a sweaty lock of black hair away from his eyes.
"You don't have to say a thing, Mamo-chan." Usagi laughed quietly, as he
groaned in pain from the movement of her body.
Her eyes went wide in apprehension, stilling her movements.
"Suffice to say, where women are concerned this must be said, " He stated,
staring into her deep, fathomless eyes.  "I don't know what happened the
other night--but when Seiya said that he kissed you--" he said over Usagi
loud gasp of dismay.
She stared at Seiya with that look that said--why did you go and tell him
that when it meant nothing--look.
Seiya grinned sheepishly back at them.
"I realized then that I loved you, Usako.  Perhaps, I loved you then, when I
saw you with your nose pressed up against that windowpane, craving that blue
dress.  The way a child would crave a tempting sweet.  Or maybe it was when
you so trustingly looked at me when I examined your tattoo--" he stated,
grinning.  If a little painfully.
Usagi smothered a gasp, stunned, as tears formed in her eyes.  She stared at
him as pure, wild joy flowed through her as she listened to him say the
words that she so longed to hear.
"I love you--Usako," he murmured quietly, lifting his fingers to gently
trace the contours of her face as tears of happiness flowed down her cheeks.
"Marry me.  I ask you, humbly."
"Mamo--I love you," Usagi tenderly kissed his cheek and then staring deeply
back into his eyes, "I will, this time for all the right reasons, " she
whispered profoundly as his gaze softened.

"This is Moto Mona of CNN-jp, coming to you live at the largest event of the
year.  We are standing on the steps of the Tenth Street Church and about to
come out of the church as we've been covering earlier, is Japan's hottest,
singer-artist's Kou Seiya's wedding." The anchorwoman, Mona elaborated
excitedly into the digital television set of the Tsukino's house.
"Oh, I missed this earlier," Ikukko sighed, sitting on the couch in their
living room.  She'd been cleaning the house all day, and decided to sit for
a spell.  She needed the break.  She could start on a late lunch in a
moment, she thought silently to herself.
"Mmmm.  Mizohu-ku is supposed to be covering that for the paper, " Kenji
replied taking his eyes off of the bills in front of him at the kitchen
table, to glance at the TV.  He returned his attention back to the bills
again, "Isn't Usagi-chan there, too?" He added.
"Yes.  She told me she wou-" Ikukko replied, before her mouth dropped open
in disbelief as she stared at the TV before her.  Scenes from the brawl on
the churchyard were being recanted as Ikukko choked and stuttered.  She
watched as her daughter's fiancé and Usagi's former boyfriend beat each
other to a near pulp before collapsing in their respective girlfriend and
bride-to-be arms.  She finally found her voice and nearly spluttered with
appalled shock as the anchorwoman announced that instead of just Kou getting
married, apparently Chiba had decided to join the ceremony.  Two couples ran
out the church and into the crowds of fans, news casts crews and well
wishers.  Two lovely brides smiled happily into their equally, happy and
swollen faces of the grooms.
"OH MY GOD!" Ikukko screamed, jumping up from the couch and scaring her
husband in the process.  "I'M GOING TO KILL HER!" she continued to shout.
"My baby, my baby," she babbled on, nearly crying as she collapsed back onto
the couch.
"What? What?" Kenji shouted back in alarm, rushing over to where his wife
sat staring at the TV with a dazed look on her face.
"Your daughter, that's what!" Ikukko moaned and pointing to the television
set.  "She got married.  She didn't even wait for a big wedding!" Ikukko
sniffed out as Kenji patted her on her back.
He stared into the TV and a silly grin split across his face as he watched
his daughter's face and her new husband's glowing.  He knew that Hiromi-sama
was probably watching the whole event with the same feeling of joy running
through his veins.

Epilogue

        "Do you think that your parents will be terribly upset?" Mamoru said
quietly into the darkness of their room at the elegant hotel they were
staying at for their honeymoon.  His brow creased deeply into his forehead
as he racked his brain with good excuses to give to Usagi's parents about
their elopement.
        Usagi sighed contently, her arms tightening around his waist.  Her
head lay on his shoulder, her fingers lightly caressing his warm, naked
skin.  "Fine time to be worrying about my parents reactions, " she giggled.
        He chuckled with her, his deep voice resonating within their room.
"It is a little late."
        "I'm sure my Okaa-chan and Ojii-chan has already witnessed the event
on TV, along with everyone else in Japan," she added, smiling.  "Including
Hiromi-san.  I hope he's happy."
        Mamoru sighed, smiling, "I'm sure he is."
        Earlier, Usagi recounted the confrontation with Beryl and her to
Mamoru.  She remembered with a sour taste to her mouth, the smug look that
had come over Beryl's face as she told Usagi that Mamoru was in the shower.
When in fact he was not.  He was, as Hiromi explained earlier to her that he
had been indeed at his estate.  Mamoru's reaction to the tale was not what
she expected and completely opposite.  She witnessed again for the third
time, his enraged, cold anger.  His body went stiff and his eyes had
narrowed to sharp points of blistering, cold anger.  She remembered telling
him not to do anything irrational to Beryl.  After much prodding and
entreating, he agreed with her, but his eyes stayed discerningly, hard.  And
Usagi was left wondering whether not he was just pacifying her so that she
wasn't troubled by what Beryl had done to the both them.
        "My parents will forgive me, I think, when we present them with a
grandbaby, " Usagi said carefully into his chest, before looking up into his
face.
        Mamoru lifted his head and stared down into her earnest eyes.  Even
in the cool darkness of the room, he was able to see the blueness of her
eyes.  "Are you saying...?" He asked roughly and hoarsely, the reverence in
his voice obvious.  He recalled the conversation between his grandfather and
him, discussing the very subject of being cautious.  He shook off the funny
feeling of Hiromi's haunting intuition.
        Usagi nodded her head, a slow smile spreading across her face.
        "May I?" Mamoru asked, his hand shaking as Usagi turned over onto
her back and presented him with her flat stomach.  He laid his warm hand
over her stomach, and with a sense of great wonder, gently caressed her
stomach where the tiny life lay nestled within her.  He felt Usagi's warm,
hand close over his and looked back up into her face.  He found a smile of
contentment on her face.  "Have I told you how much I love you, lately?" He
whispered softly to her.
        "Yes, about a hundred times, " she laughed, quietly.  "But a lady
never tires from hearing it," she added.
        "Well then, I must obey my lady's wishes," he said as he shifted his
body carefully above hers, their hands entwining and murmured the magical
words again, "I love you, Usako."

The End.