Time and Time Again
Short Story
PG
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory
mallorys-girl@cinci.rr.com

Hey there peeps! Well... erm, I strike again! ^_^ This is basically to make
up
for the fact that there is no Cadre Sister for this week yet, and there
probably
won't be... hey! Don't kill me yet! ::sweat drop:: I come baring a gift...
maybe
two, depending on how my inspiration holds out. Anyway, big thanks to
Sakura, my
beta reader!

Meredith

Ps. This is for Kate, who emailed me the NICEST letter I have probably ever
received! ^_^ THANK YOU!! I tried to mail you back, but there wasn't an
email
address... so, Kate, if you read this, know that I own you a great BIG
thanks!

Legal Disclaimer: Me thinks thou doth protest too much... err.. SM ain't
mine
^_^


Time and Time Again 1/1
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory
mallorys-girl@cinci.rr.com

------------------------
Tokyo, Japan, 1985
------------------------

 Tsukino Iukuo hummed a happy song as she fairly bounced down the side walk.
Eight months pregnant, she had that glow only expectant mother"s can have.
It
highlighted her deep blue hair and sparkling brown eyes, making it seem as
though fate itself had smiled down on this young woman. Indeed, this was so,
though she had no idea yet. In her arms, Iukuo carried what her husband
teasingly referred to as her baby library, a huge stack of books, all about
infants, newborns and toddlers. Today was a very good day, she"d just gotten
a
job at the new Crown Arcade, which was run by a friend of the family. Not to
mention, Iukuo forced down a giggle, she"d received a very sweet letter from
her
husband, who was away on business in New York. Not looking where she was
going,
the young mother-to-be was rather surprised when she crashed into someone
full
force.
 "Gomen ne!" she cried as she attempted to get up, the added weight of a
baby
not helping her much. A strong hand came down and helped her to her feet.
 "Don"t worry about it," the stranger replied, his voice smooth. Looking up,
Iukuo locked eyes with a handsome young man, perhaps twenty two, or twenty
three. His midnight blue eyes were smiling at her affectionately, as if he
had
expected to run into her, though he ran a hand through his jet black hair in
a
some what nervous gesture. "Let me help you get your things," he offered,
bending down to pick her books before she could even begin to protest.
 "A-arigato," she replied, somewhat surprised as he handed her the books.
 "You have quite a collection there," he commented with a slight smile.
Iukuo
blushed, a hand going to her enlarged abdomen.
 "Hai, it"s my first," she said by way of explanation. He raised an eyebrow,
as
if in question, before a smile bloomed on his face.
 "Hmm.." he said, as though considering something. Iukuo could have sworn
she
heard him mumble; "Still bumping into you, odango." But she had no idea what
he
meant by it.
 "Um, well, thank you again," she said, realizing she would be late for
work.
 "Oh, yes, of course," he replied somewhat sheepishly.
 "Ja ne!" she called out as she rounded the corner, waving to him.
 "Ja ne, Tsukino-san!" was the return. Smiling, Iukuo resumed her walk. She
was
half way down the street when she realized she had not given the man her
name.
"How did he know then?" she wondered.

 The day was a busy one, and gave Iukuo plenty of reasons to forget her
strange
encounter. Instead her attention was focused on wiping down counters and
helping
the kids with the video games. Every now and then, Motoki, the owner"s four
year
old son, would run out of the back room to chat with Iukuo, or show her one
of
his new pictures. The Furuhata"s lived in a small apartment bellow the
Crown,
which they hoped to one day turn into a storage room once they found a place
of
their own. Motoki was great kid, and Iukuo enjoyed his company.

 It was around nine in the evening when Iukuo finally locked up and made her
way
down the darkened side walk, headed towards the post office, where she could
mail her letter to Kenji. The wind whipped around her mercilessly, making
the
trees move in the moonlight. The sound of leaves rustling together gave the
world an eerie aura, turning the familiar into the surreal. As she walked,
her
high heels clacking on the side walk, Iukuo watched the moon as it continued
it"s climb to the heights of the sky, the night was so beautiful. It would
have
remained that way, had it not been for the blood curdling scream that
shattered
Iukuo"s thoughts. From around the corner, another pregnant woman dashed,
followed closely by a hideous monster! Her hand instantly flew to her
abdomen as
Iukuo went into panic mode. The monster had spotted her, but, frightened as
she
was, Iukuo could not force herself to move. The monster aimed a blast of
energy
towards her, it"s black light emanating from a strange jewel in the center
of
its forehead. Just when the young woman despaired all was lost, she was
yanked
bodily into a nearby alley way. Frightened, she clung to the masculine form,
weeping tears of relief. In the distance, she heard a woman"s voice call out
"Dead Scream!", followed by a flash of light. The monster screamed in agony,
before once more the night grew silent, as though nothing had ever happened.
Able to think clearly at last, Iukuo raised her head to look her savior in
the
face. It was the man from earlier!
 "Konnichiha," he said, breathing heavily. Drawing back, Iukuo gasped for
breath, before replying with her own weak greeting.
 "A-arigato," she said softly, looking curiously into his midnight blue
eyes,
"You saved me." She forced a smile.
 "Don"t mention it," he echoed his earlier words, "But, Tsukino-san, I would
feel much better if you would allow me to escort you home?" he asked. His
words
were kind, and Iukuo nodded, she didn"t want to walk home alone, not after
that!

 "So, um, I never did learn your name," Iukuo said quietly as they walked
down
the deserted sidewalks. She kept glancing at the shadows, fearful that
another
monster would appear, but it never happened. Each time, the young man would
give
her a reassuring, friendly smile.
 "Er," for the first time, the stranger actually looked flustered, "I"m
Chiba
Ma-" he paused, sucking in a breath, "Chiba Motoki."
 "Motoki?" Iukuo giggled, "That"s such a coincidence, my friend"s son is
named
Motoki too!" She smiled up at him, her brown eyes filled with amusement. She
noted, quite suddenly, that young Chiba Motoki also seemed amused, but, it
seemed, for reasons other than her little joke. Indeed, it seemed as though
he
was involved in some private amusement, from which his smile steamed. It was
a
nice smile though. They stopped off at the post office, Chiba waiting
patiently
while Iukuo mailed her letter, then holding the door open for her as they
stepped out once more into the cold night. "You"re quite the gentleman," she
commented teasingly.
 "So I am," Chiba replied smoothly. "So, where do you live?"
 "Ten'un Apartments, over in the Juuban district," Iukuo said, a grateful
smile
appearing on her features as she saw the large building she called home
rising
in the distance.
 "Oh," her companion replied, sounding rather surprised.
 "What is it?"
 "I thought.. perhaps you might live..." he trailed off, a blushing for some
strange reason.
 "Oh, it"s only temporary," she echoed her husband"s words, "I"m looking for
a
nice little house. Maybe over in Azabu."
 "Hmm.. that"s where I live," the young man said, "Why not stay in Juuban?"
 "I want to, but I can"t seem to find the right place. It has to be
perfect,"
Iukuo said.
 "Have you tried over near Cherry Hill?" Chiba asked gently, a knowing smile
playing on his lips. The blue haired woman beside him was confused. She felt
like this stranger knew her too well, for they"d only been aquatinted a few
short hours.
 "Uh, no, should I?"
 "Yes, it"s rather lovely over there," he told her. She noticed they"d
reached
her apartment building, and reached for her key.
 "Would you like to come in?"
 "Hai, arigato."
------

 "Is this your husband?" Chiba asked as he picked up the small portrait.
 "Hai, it is," Iukuo replied as she poked her head out of the kitchen. She
returned to the main room a few minutes later, carrying a tray of tea and
odangos. Chiba raised an eyebrow.
 "Odangos?"
 "Hai, I love the things!" Iukuo told him as she dug in. He joined her, his
pace
a little more reserved. "I... I can"t thank you enough for saving me
earlier,"
the young woman said in between bites, "I"ve never seen a youma like that
before!"
 "Hmm.. I"ve seen far too many," Chiba remarked, mostly to himself. To Iukuo
he
said, "You"re quite welcome, Tsukino-san, it"s my job." Surprised, the young
mother to be opened her mouth to ask him what he meant. It hadn"t been the
reply
she was expecting. However, before she could get a word in edgewise, Chiba
was
picking up his olive green jacket and heading for the door.
 "Thanks for the odangos, Tsukino-san, ja ne!" then he was gone, leaving
Iukuo
to mumble a surprised "ja ne", before shaking her head. As she cleaned up
the
dishes, she couldn"t help but wonder just who the mysterious Chiba Motoki
really
was.

-------

 "Konnichiha, Tsukino-san," a now familiar voice made Iukuo"s head jerk up
from
where she was wiping down the counters. Before her stood Chiba Motoki, hands
in
his pockets as he smiled down at her.
 "K-konnichiha," she stammered, her brown eyes filling with surprise. She
honestly hadn"t expected to see him again, though the look in his eyes told
her
she should have known otherwise.  "Can I get you anything, Chiba-san?"
 "Hai, just coffee, please. Black, if you don"t mind," he said. Nodding,
Iukuo
went about getting his order, nearly tripping over Furuhata Motoki as he
raced
out of the back room. "Please Motoki-chan, watch where your going!" Iukuo
admonished the young boy as she regained her balance.
 "Sorry, Iukuo-aneki (big sister), it won"t happen again!" the little boy
assured her as he raced around the counter. "Konnichiha!" he cried in a
friendly
manner, having noticed the young man also sitting at the counter.
 "Konnichiha, Motoki," the older boy said with a smile.
 "How"d you know my name?" the younger was confused.
 "Um, I told him," Iukuo said as she handed Chiba his coffee, "His name is
Motoki as well."
 "Really?" the blond child asked, eyes wide. At the older boy"s nod, he
smiled,
"Wow! That"s neat! I hope I"m as tall as you when I grow up!"
 "Oh, I"m sure you will be," Chiba replied with assurance, helping the boy
up
onto a stool. Beaming with pride, Motoki displayed his latest drawing, a
rather
comical blue bear, drawn in crayon.
 "Isn"t he *scary*?" young Motoki asked, eyes hopeful.
 "Oh yes," Chiba was all seriousness, "Terrifying," he glanced up at Iukuo,
a
smile on his face. The young woman smiled back, before picking up her rag
and
dowsing an empty section of the counter.
 "Will you help me play one of the games, Chiba-san?" the little boy asked
pleadingly.
 "Sure I will..."
 "Ahem," another, foreign voice, interrupted the conversation, and all three
looked up to see a tall, green haired woman standing in the doorway, her
hands
on her hips.
 "Oh," Chiba said, as though suddenly realizing something, "Perhaps another
time, Motoki-san," he patted the boy"s head affectionately, "I think I need
to
go. Ja ne, Tsukino-san!"
 "Um, ja ne," Iukuo replied, watching as Chiba and the strange woman took
their
leave.

 He returned the next day, and every day after that. Iukuo came to expect
his
handsome visage sitting on the other side of the counter, most often staring
thoughtfully off into space. She found he was easy to talk to, and very
kind,
especially towards herself and Motoki. As they became better acquainted, she
took to calling him "Toki, so as not to get him confused with the younger
boy.
But Iukuo had a strange feeling Chiba Motoki was more interested in her baby
than the woman carrying it. He inquired daily as to the child"s health, and
sometimes he seemed ready to refer to it by name, though Iukuo had yet to
decide
what the child would be called.

 "Konnichiha, Iukuo-san," Chiba greeted her as he took his usual seat at the
end
of the counter. Iukuo smiled she looked up. 2:30 pm, he was right on time,
as
usual.
 "Konnichiha, Toki-san," she replied happily, "I have great news!"
 "Oh?"
 "Yes, I went and got an ultrasound today, and guess what?" her brown eyes
held
a great deal of excitement in their depths, "It"s a..."
 "Girl?" Chiba asked, raising an eyebrow. At her gapping jaw, he gave her a
knowing smile, shrugging his shoulders. Long since having learned to let
such
things pass, Iukuo went on with out missing a beat.
 "Well, now the name is a toss up between Midori, Himeko and Usagi," she
said,
watching as interest peeked in Chiba"s blue eyes.
 "I like Usagi," he said, taking a sip of coffee to cover his blush, "I like
Usagi very much. It"s a beautiful name."
 "Really?" Iukuo asked, her smile widening. As if answering, the baby within
her
kicked. "Oh!" the young woman cried, "She must like Usagi too, she just
kicked!"
 "Really?" Chiba"s eyes widened considerably.
 "Here, see for yourself," without thinking, Iukuo grabbed his hand and
placed
it over her abdomen. Again, the child kicked, and the blue haired woman
watched
as a huge, brilliant smile bloomed on Chiba"s face. Removing his hand, he
nodded
slightly, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Shaking her head, Iukuo went
back
to work.

 Later, as Chiba took out his wallet to pay, a small photo fell out of the
inner
pocket, along with some coins. Picking it up, Iukuo gazed on the smiling
face of
a young girl with shinning golden hair, wound up in twin buns. Her blue eyes
looked at the camera man fondly, her body clothed in a Juuban school
uniform.
 "Who"s this?" she asked. Oddly enough, the girl seemed very familiar,
though
Iukuo couldn"t recall meeting her.
 "That"s my girlfriend," Chiba replied with a sad smile, taking the picture
from
her and gazing at it lovingly before sticking it back in his wallet.
 "What"s wrong?"
 "Huh?"
 "Is there something wrong, Toki-san?" Iukuo asked, laying a gentle hand on
his
shoulder, "Does she make you sad?"
 "Oh no!" Chiba cried, as though appalled by the very thought, "She makes me
very, very happy," his face fell again, "It"s just that she"s very ill, and
I
can"t be by her side."
 "Why ever not?"
 "I have to stay here. It"s my job," he replied, echoing his earlier words.
 "What do you mean?" Iukuo had the courage to ask this time.
 "Gomen, Iukuo-san, I really must be going," Chiba said, before turning and
all
but fleeing the arcade. Perplexed, Iukuo waved goodbye, as the baby kicked
again.

-------

 Walking home from work, Iukuo decided to take the short cut through the
park.
After Chiba left, the day had gone down hill. A bunch of boys had gotten
into a
fight because of a video game, and Iukuo had been forced to throw them out.
On
top of that, a strange woman with bright green hair, a red fan and dark
glasses
had arrived on her break, asking if she was Tsukino Iukuo. Stunned, but not
knowing what else to say, Iukuo had told the truth. Without saying another
word,
the strange woman had gone, leaving the young mother with a very uneasy
feeling.
She supposed she shouldn"t have given her name so freely, but it was just so
confusing... A sound in the bushes jarred Iukuo from her musings, and
frightened, she let out a small squeal. To her relief it was only a bunny
and
her family, out searching for a midnight snack.
 "Geeze, Iukuo," she said to herself, "You really need to calm down." With
that,
she resumed her walk through the park, trying to shake the feeling that she
was
being watched. "Calm down, calm down," she repeated internally, over and
over
again. It didn"t help, and finally, something within her snapped, and she
broke
out into a run. Without warning, something jumped in her path, and with a
scream, Iukuo realized it was another monster, wielding a large blade...
pointed
at her abdomen!
 "No, no, please, LEAVE ME ALONE!!" Iukuo cried, backing away in terror. A
shrill laugh sounded, making the young woman want to cover her ears, but she
was
too frightened to think about moving. In the air, a woman materialized, and
Iukuo recognized her from earlier at the arcade.  "You!"
 "Ah, so you remember me, Tsukino-san," said the woman, "I"m touched. But
you
and your child are not getting away from me this time!" She turned her
attention
to the youma, "Bladia, get her!" With another scream, Iukuo turned to run,
but
the monster caught her by the wrist and held fast. Convinced it was the end,
Iukuo closed her eyes, not wishing to witness the inevitable, tears spilling
out
from under her dark lashes. She felt the monster begin draining her energy,
and
struggled as hard as she could for her child"s sake, but found her strength
was
leaving her. Just when she thought all was lost, the youma cried out
suddenly
and let go. Iukuo fell to the ground, barely managing to turn so the baby
would
not be hurt. Looking up, the young woman saw a rose embedded in the youma"s
torso
 "Picking on pregnant women now, Esmerude?" a deep, almost mocking voice
asked
from the tree tops. Turning her head, Iukuo saw a man in a tuxedo, his face
obscured by a domino mask, outlined against the brilliant moon light.
"Geeze,
how low do you sink!?"
 "Tuxedo Kamen!" the woman- Esmerude- cried out in alarm, "What are you
doing
here?! How did you find me!?"
 "We have our ways," another voice piped up. It was the same green haired
woman
Iukuo recalled from the arcade a few days before- the one who"d left with
Chiba.
She was dressed in an odd, tight parody of a sailor fuku, a long, silver
staff
clutched in her hand.
 "Sailor Pluto!" Esmerude was *not* happy, "Why is it that were ever I go
I"m
plagued by Sailor brats!?"
 "Because I will not allow the likes of you to take my Usa away!" Tuxedo
Kamen
cried, letting loose a barrage of roses. In a blink of an eye, Esmerude
vanished, only to rematerialize a short distance away.
 "Missed again, cape boy!" she cried triumphantly, "Bladia! Get them!" The
recovered youma leapt at the unfortunate Sailor Pluto, but the green haired
senshi wasn"t even phased.
 "DEAD SCREAM!" she cried. By now, Iukuo was seriously considering that this
was
either a dream, or she had lost her sanity. Either way, she was terrified,
and
watched in mute horror as the battle ensued. It was short, Pluto and Tuxedo
Kamen tag teaming the enraged Bladia, but soon, Iukuo felt her body becoming
faint. Unconsciousness seemed so very inviting at the moment, but she didn"t
want to pass out, not knowing if she was safe... or if her mysterious
saviors
could even defeat the monster. However, her dismal projections didn"t come
true,
and with one last "death scream", the youma dissolved into a pile of dust.
Closing her eyes, Iukuo began to weep tears of relief, when she heard Tuxedo
Kamen and Esmerude arguing
 "I"ll get you for this, Tuxedo Kamen!" the enraged woman cried. She was,
quite
frankly, seeing red.
 "I"m sure," the man replied, his tone mocking, "Tell me, Esmerude," his
voice
took on an angry edge, "Does your prince know just *who* you are trying to
kill?" His opponent must have blanched, for he went on, "I thought not. How
will
he feel when he figures out you are making attempts on Serenity"s life? I
don"t
think it"ll go over so well..."
 "Oh, what do you know!?" Esmerude vented, before disappearing
 "That wasn"t necessary," Pluto admonished.
 "They will *not* take Usa from me, Pluto, they will NOT!" the tuxedo-ed one
said, his voice like steel.

 A moan from the fallen woman jarred the two super heroes from their
conversation. Bending over her, Tuxedo Kamen lifted Iukuo into his arms.
Hearing
her whimper, he only handled her more gently than before.
 "Shh," he whispered comfortingly, "It"s all right, you"re safe now."
Assured
that, indeed, she and her child *were* safe, Iukuo succumbed to the
darkness.

------
She awoke to the dull murmur of voices above her, and at first thought
she"d
just fallen asleep with the T.V. on. But soon, the head ache pounding in
Iukuo"s
temples forced her to return to wakefulness, and she realized this was not
so.
Opening her eyes, she found herself in the back seat of an unfamiliar car.
Panic
raced through her, but the sound of Chiba"s voice pulled her back from the
verge
of fresh tears.
 "Esmerude is getting desperate," she heard him say.
 "Hai, this is not good," another voice replied. Craning her head sideways,
Iukuo saw Pluto- the strange woman from the arcade. "So it wasn"t a dream"
she
thought uneasily. Her life had most certainly taken a strange turn. "Nothing
is
set in stone, Mamoru-san," Pluto went on, "The future is changing. "Mamoru?"
Iukuo thought, "Who"s that?"
 "They won"t win, Setsuna-chan," Chiba replied harshly, "I won"t let them."
Now
Iukuo was really confused, and she let out a groan as she attempted to
adjust
her resting position.

 "Iukuo-san, you"re awake! Are you alright?" Chiba asked, concerned. Placing
a
weary hand to her forehead, the young woman drew a deep breath before
replying.
 "Hai Toki-san," she said, "I think I"ll be alright... what was that?"
 "It was... not good," the other woman replied.
 "Uh, Gomen, Iukuo-san, this is my friend, Setsuna," Chiba introduced them
briefly, his eyes fixed on the road.
 "Uh, konnichiha, Setsuna-san," Iukuo greeted the other woman tenatively.
Setsuna looked back at her and the expectant mother felt as though she was
staring into some ancient being, lurking just behind the other woman"s ruby
eyes.  "Um, where are we going?"
 "Back to your apartment," Chiba replied with ease. Again, the passengers
lapsed
into silence and, tired from the rather strange turn her day had taken,
Iukuo
soon fell asleep.

 "Iukuo-san, you need to wake up," a voice penetrated her dreams, and with a
groan, Iukuo fought for wakefulness "Come on, as soon as you get inside, you
can
sleep."
 "Toki-san?"
 "Yeah," he said, shrugging as he helped her out of the car, "I"m really
sorry
about what happened earlier, I should have been there sooner."
 "Toki-san, it"s not your fault! I"m so very glad you were there,! Arigato,
you
saved me again," Iukuo replied, all traces of sleep vanishing from her
features.
 "Please, Iukuo," Chiba"s eyes wore intense as they bored into her own,
pleading, "Please, don"t go out alone at night... I"ll walk you home from
the
arcade. Just.... promise me you"ll be careful."
 "I... I promise," Iukuo swallowed, hard.
 "Good, arigato," he seemed very relieved, "When is your husband coming
home."
At this, the young woman sweat dropped.
 "He was supposed to come home this week, but he"s been detained," she
looked
away, "I miss him." Chiba nodded slowly, placing a comforting hand on her
shoulder.
 "Everything"s gonna be fine, Iukuo-san," he told her earnestly, "I will
protect
you and the baby, I promise." Then, before Iukuo could react, he was
climbing
back into the car. With a slight wave, he started the ignition and drove
off.
Iukuo stared after them in their wake, her hand going to her abdomen. Quite
suddenly, she had the overwhelming feeling that the child she carried was
something...special.

-------

 True to his word, Chiba arrived at precisely quarter "till nine, his green
jacket slung over his shoulder and a grin plastered on his face. He wasn"t
fooling anyone, Iukuo could see the sadness in his eyes, the worry hidden in
those midnight blue depths. Folding the letter she"d just received from
Kenji,
Iukuo placed it in her pocket and went to greet her friend.
 "Is something the matter, Toki-san?" Iukuo asked as she laid a friendly
hand on
his shoulder. The young man looked up at her, and for the first time, the
young
woman noticed how weary he seemed.
 "Hai, Iukuo-san," he hung his head sadly, "My girlfriend, her condition is
only
getting worse. I... I couldn"t bare it if she left me."
 "Oh! Gomen, Toki, I had no idea," she felt bad for bringing up a sore
subject,
"Is there anything I can do?"
 "Hai," her friend replied, his gaze resting briefly on her abdomen before
returning to her concerned brown eyes, "Just stay safe, please." Though she
had
no idea what her safety had to do with Chiba"s girlfriend, Iukuo nodded, and
with one last reassuring smile, went to get her coat. When she returned,
Chiba
was not alone.
 "Setsuna-san," the young woman was surprised, "I didn"t hear you come in."
 "Gomen, Tsukino-san, I didn"t mean to trespass. I hope you don"t mind if I
accompany you home tonight, with Ma- er, Motoki-san, of course." Nodding,
Iukuo
consented, and after locking up, the three some made their way towards the
Juuban district.

 They stopped in an all night bakery, Iukuo"s craving for odangos having
come on
full force. For some reason, Chiba found her fixation with the scrumptious
little deserts rather amusing.
 "You know, they say what you eat during pregnancy affects your baby," Iukuo
considered as they stood in the short line.
 "So you"re saying your baby will have an affinity for odangos?" Chiba
asked, a
smile lighting his face for the first time that day.
 "Hai, that"s what they say."
 "Huh, well, who ever said it is a genius," Chiba remarked, mostly to
himself.
That little comment earned him an elbow in the stomach from Setsuna, who was
beginning to remind Iukuo of a supreme, omnipotent force.
 "Well," Setsuna began, but she never finished. In that instant, a loud,
high
pitched screech, pierced the air, and Iukuo watched the terror filter into
Setsuna"s red eyes. Before she could say anything, Chiba yanked her- rather
roughly- towards the back room, just as a huge explosion rocked the
building.
The tendrils of flame raced outward, and Iukuo"s body paralyzed with fear.
Later
she would thank the heavens that Chiba was more level headed than she, but
for
now, the abyss called.

 There was a pain in her abdomen, Iukuo realized as she opened her eyes
again.
Her muscles were clenching, moving in a down ward motion... With a gasp, she
righted herself. The world around her was dim, but she could make out the
familiar form of Chiba, resting against the wall, rubbing his temples
wearily.
 "Tsukino-san, how do you feel?" Setsuna"s voice asked through the darkness,
penetrating Iukuo"s shadowy world.
 "Fine..." she ignored the feeling in her middle. The baby wasn"t due for
another week, and besides, she"d heard a lot about false contractions,
"What,
what happened?"
 "Esmerude blew the building up, isn"t that tactful of her?" Chiba said, the
annoyance and anger in his voice incredibly apparent.
 "Who *is* she?" the young woman found the courage to ask, "What did I ever
do
to her? I don"t understand this at all, I"d never met the woman before
yesterday..."
 "Iukuo," Setsuna"s voice held firm command, "Know only that she is the
enemy..."
 "Shimatta! Stop feeding me these... I don"t know what they are, but I"m
sick of
it! Why am I being kept in the dark and what the hell does this have to do
with
my baby?!" Iukuo knew she was being emotional, unreasonable and down right
difficult, but she just couldn"t take it anymore. She *knew* all of this
wasn"t
focused on her, it was focused on the child that grew inside of her, and she
had
a right to know why.
 "Iukuo," Chiba knelt beside her, his voice kind and compassionate, not at
all
like the domineering Setsuna. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gave her a
reassuring smile, "I"m sorry you had to be involved in all this. Esmerude...
is
the enemy. She wants to kill you because your daughter has a very important
destiny.  Please trust us, I can"t tell you much because the future is at
stake
here but..." he trailed off with a shrug, " you"re just going to have to
trust
us."
 "How do you know this?" the young woman persisted, brown eyes burning, "Who
*are* you?" Now Chiba smiled, it was wistful, ironic, and somewhat sad.
 "A friend, Iukuo-san, just a friend." Realizing she wasn"t going to get
anything more out of him, especially with the way Setsuna was glaring her,
Iukuo
let it go.
 "Where are we?" she asked, looking around the dark, dusty room. No light
entered at all, though she realized that could partly be because it was
still
night.
 "In the basement," Setsuna replied, "We pulled you down here just before
the
blast reached us. We can"t get out though, the debris is blocking the door."
 "Best I can tell, we"ll be here until at least dawn, or until some one
calls
the police," Chiba added, his gaze thoughtful. Nodding, Iukuo forced back a
gasp. There was that feeling again! It really wasn"t painful, at least not
yet,
it was more like she might have a bowel movement or... The young woman
closed
her eyes and prayed really hard that it was a false contraction.






















































































How much time had passed, Iukuo wasn"t sure, but silence had descended for
quite a while. Setsuna was hunched over in the corner, seemingly asleep, but
Iukuo wouldn"t put anything past the strange green haired woman. Chiba,
well,
the young woman was convinced he was praying, what for she did not know. But
in
his hands he clutched something- perhaps a piece of jewelry, for it gleamed
gold
in the dim room. Iukuo closed her eyes, those feelings were becoming more
painful and... suddenly, something wet flooded through her, and, with
horror,
the young mother realized that her prayers had not been answered.
 "Toki-san?" he didn"t answer, seemingly too wrapped up in his thoughts.
Normally, Iukuo would have let him be, but things were a *little* urgent.
"TOKI-
SAN!"
 "Huh, what?"
 "We have a problem," she stated simply. She watched as his eyes widened in
fear, and he managed to choke out;
 "What is it?"
 "Um... it"s the baby."
 "Did it get hurt?"
 "No."
 "Then what"s wrong..." he trailed off, seemingly answering his own
question,
for his eyes raised to the heavens, as though pleading. "Please tell me it"s
not
what I think it is?"
 "She"s gone into labor," Setsuna stated simply. Iukuo"s gaze shot over to
the
woman. "I *knew* she wasn"t sleeping."
 "But I thought the baby wasn"t due for another week!?"
 "She"s early," Iukuo remarked on the obvious. Chiba rolled his eyes and
attempted to regain his composure. He didn"t due a very good job.
 "Odango!" he cried to the heavens in frustration, "Why"d you have to be
early?
Why can"t you just be late, like usual?" That vented, a calm seemed to flood
over the young man, and the next thing Iukuo knew, he was ordering Setsuna
to
find some blankets, and hunting around for a sink to wash his hands. "I"m in
training to be a doctor," he said, by way of explanation
 "I *hope* you know what you"re doing!"

 "Soon," Chiba assured her, patting her hand. It really didn"t help much,
Iukuo
could see the wild fear in his eyes, "Soon. Press down, Iukuo-san, press
down
HARD."
 "I can"t!" she wailed as another contraction ran it"s course on her body.
It
was even more painful than the last one, and the young woman had been
positive
the pain could not increase! Screaming, she groped for Chiba"s hand, and
clutched, hard. Laying on her back on a pile of blankets Setsuna had found,
Iukuo was seriously considering throttling her husband, that was, if she
lived
through this. "KENJI!" she cried at the dratted man who was still an ocean
and
half a continent away, "This is all YOUR fau...AHHH!" Another contraction
hit,
more intense.
 "Squat," Setsuna ordered. Looking up, Iukuo"s brown eyes met with the other
woman"s red ones, and she wondered detachedly how she could be so cold.
 "I did, I did!" Iukuo protested, "Until I was so tired I..." Five hours of
doing this. Five hours of squatting and screaming and taking brief naps
between
the longer contracts... until Setsuna would nudge her awake and demand she
squat
again. She was really starting to detest the green haired woman.
 "Setsuna"s right, you need to get up," Chiba said, much more gently. There
was
a pleading light in his eyes, the only thing that motivated Iukuo to raise
from
her flat position and squat once more.
 "Now. Push. Push harder!" Setsuna was urging her on.
 "Slave driver," Iukuo hissed through clenched teeth.
 "Please, Iukuo," she looked to find, with much shock, that Chiba was
crying.
Salty tears coursed down his cheeks as he helped her to squat again. Iukuo"s
world tilted slightly... she"d never seen a man cry! As Chiba held her small
hand in his, something passed before the young woman"s eyes. She saw Chiba"s
girlfriend, racing down the street and into his arms, she saw a tall woman,
an
older version of the girl, a crown adorning her golden locks. She saw a city
made of crystal, and a little pink-haired girl, sweet as sugar and willful
as
iron."Please," Chiba repeated, "I need you to do this for me."
 "Alright," she gasped for breath. From somewhere deep within, a renewed
strength coursed through Iukuo"s body, and she kept those images in her mind
as
she squatted with every fiber in her body.
 "Work, woman!" Setsuna barked, "We can not have this child for you!" For
some
reason, Iukuo found that statement hilarious, and began to laugh.
 "You...try.." she gasped for breath, "having a...baby... then come...talk
to
me!"
 "Setsuna," Chiba "s eyes never left the spoiled blanket he was laying
aside,
"Ease up a little, she"s trying." The green haired woman growled a little,
but
kept her mouth shut.
The set of contractions passed, and Iukuo fell into a somewhat exhausted
sleep.
Barely had she closed her eyes- it seemed- when Setsuna was lifting her back
into a squatting position. Screaming, Iukuo bore down once more, gripping
Chiba"s hand like it was her last link to the world. None them heard the
search
team rummaging around above them, seeking the source of Iukuo"s screams.
They
were focused on this one point in time.
 "This has gone on so long," he said worriedly, "Can she take much more of
this?"
 "Queen Serenity survived," Setsuna stated simply.
 "Who the..." Iukuo began, but another contraction hit, and she was too busy
screaming.
 "I see the head!" Chiba cried triumphantly, "Come on, Iukuo, one last push.
Give it all you"ve got!" Laying back so Chiba could catch the baby, Iukuo
did as
commanded, watching over her deflating abdomen as he drew the baby out, as
though afraid he might break her. Taking a deep breath, one blond haired,
blue
eyed baby girl thew back her head and howled, announcing herself to the
world.

 Together, Setsuna and Chiba cleaned the baby off as best they could,
wrapping
the child in Chiba"s green jacket before handing her to her beaming mother.
The
instant Iukuo held her little girl, the pain of the last six hours faded
from
her mind, to be replaced with such motherly love that she thought her heart
might burst. Almost as exhausted as the mother herself, Chiba and Setsuna
sat
back against the wall, breathing heavily.
 "Toki-san?" Iukuo asked at last, still gazing into her baby"s bright blue
eyes.
 "Hai, Iukuo-san?"
 "I"ve decided on a name," she looked up, meeting his midnight blue gaze,
"It"s
Usagi. Tsukino Usagi." In all her years, and all the years that would come,
Iukuo would swear she"d never seen such a brilliant smile as the one that
adorned Chiba"s face. "Would you like to hold her?"
 "Me?"Chiba looked shocked, "Are you sure? She"s so small... I"m afraid I
might
break her, or squash her or something." Iukuo laughed.
 "I"m sure you won"t, here," she moved forward, allowing the young man to
cradle
her child. She watched his face as he looked down at the little miracle,
eyes
wide. The child stared straight back at him, giving him a toothless smile.
 "Konnichiha," his tone was breathless with wonder. Usagi"s tiny first
wrapped
around one of Chiba"s large fingers, and she tried to put it in her mouth.
Chuckling, Chiba handed the little girl back to her mother. "Arigato, Iukuo-
san," he said earnestly.
 "For what?"
 "For giving her...to the world." There was no time to ask him what he
meant,
for at that moment, the last piece of debris was hauled away from the
basement
door, and the rescue team shoved the barrier open.

 "Hey! Are you alright down there?" some one called out.
 "Hai! Come and help us!" Setsuna replied impatiently. From the portal
above,
another face appeared. It was a young man, staring down at the four-some in
shock.
 "IUKUO-CHAN?!?" he cried, eyes wide. At the sound of his voice, the
blue-haired
woman looked up, her brown eyes filling with joy.
 "KENJI-CHAN!" she squealed happily, "Come down here this instant and meet
your
daughter!" She didn"t have to tell him twice, Kenji was racing down the
stairs
and bombarding her with a hundred questions in an instant.
 "Oh koibito (sweetheart)," he murmured as he embraced both wife and
daughter,
"I"m so sorry I wasn"t here sooner, and oh,you poor thing, you had to give
birth
down here and..."
 "It"s all right!" Iukuo assured him though happy tears, "I"m fine!"

------
------

 "I owe you my deepest gratitude, Chiba-san," Kenji said later on as the
five of
them stood in the hospital waiting room. Iukuo and Usagi had both passed
with a
clean bill of health, much to everyone"s relief. The doctors had even
congratulated Chiba on doing such an excellent job under such adverse
conditions, to which he had mumbled something unintelligible
 "Don"t mention it, Tsukino-san," Chiba replied, "It was the least I could
do.
She"s a beautiful little girl. I"m sure she"ll grow up to be just as
beautiful,"
his smile was knowing, and Setsuna"s elbow connected with his stomach once
more.
 "We really must be going," Setsuna said authoritatively, "It"s rather late,
and
I"m sure you  want to get home."
 "Hai, thank you again," Kenji replied.
 "Say good-bye, Usagi," Iukuo giggled as she puppeted a wave. Chiba smiled,
waving back.
 "Ja ne, Princess," he said cryptically. Turning, he began to walk towards
the
door. Setsuna hung back, and,to Iukuo"s ever lasting surprise, impulsively
threw
her arms around the other woman's neck in a brief hug. Drawing back, Setsuna
looked sheepish.
 "Gomen for being harsh with you, Iukuo," she said, "You"re a very strong
person, I admire you." Then she was walking towards the door, catching up
with
Chiba.
 "Sayonara, Iukuo!" he called out to her. Iukuo waved, then stopped, when
his
words sunk in. "Sayonara? Good-bye?", she thought.
 "Wait, Toki-san!" she called out, "I"ll see you in the arcade tomorrow,
right?"
 "Gomen, Iukuo-san," Chiba shook his head with a little smile, "I can"t
stay. My
girlfriend is waiting for me." With that he turned and walked out the door.
Iukuo watched him go, looking down at her daughter, only to realize she was
still swathed in Chiba"s green jacket.
 "Toki, your jacket!" she said, realizing he was already gone.
 "Don"t worry about it," Setsuna said, pausing at the door, "His girl friend
has
been bugging him to get a new one anyway." A smile briefly touched her lips,
before she too was gone.

-------------------------
Tokyo, Japan, 2000
-------------------------

 "Usako!" a male voice cried out as Chiba Mamoru rushed in the hospital room
and
straight into his girlfriend"s arms.
 "Mamo-chan!" Usagi squealed, "Oh, I missed you," she hugged him with all
the
strength her still recovering body possessed. Amused, her friends and family
looked on, well, all save her father, who was being restrained by her
mother.
 "I"m so sorry I couldn"t be here," Mamoru apologized as he cradled her
close,
kissing her hair, "I came as soon as I could..."
 "It"s all right, Mamo-chan," Usagi drew back, smiling and crying happy
tears,
"I"m just glad you"re here!" With that, they kissed, despite the fact both
of
them knew Usagi"s dad was seeing red.
 "Man, Setsuna-chan, you look beat!" Makoto commented as the green haired
woman
entered the room.
 "Remind me never to have children," Setsuna remarked tiredly, rubbing her
temples as she flopped in a chair.
 "Whoa..." Minako said, "Mamoru-san, you didn"t!" The four girls looked at
one
another, all sharing some common knowledge Usagi"s family was not privy to.
 "Hai, Minako-chan, I did!" Mamoru said, Usagi resting comfortably in his
embrace.
 "Wow, that"s weird," Rei commented, before turning to Ami and inquiring if
that
was actually possible.
 "For once, Rei-chan, I have no explanation," Ami said with a shrug. The
girls
giggled, before excusing themselves to give the love birds some privacy.
 "Come on, Kenji," Iukuo said, pulling her husband along, "Leave them
alone."
The disgruntled father merely mumbled something about the "evil boy who
stole
his baby", but allowed his wife to drag him out.
 "Yuck! Mushy stuff!" Shingo cried as Usagi and Mamoru shared a much more..
involved kiss. Claiming to have a headache, Setsuna left as well, off in
search
of some Advil. The room was empty, save the couple, when Iukuo stuck her
head
back in. Sighing to herself, she closed the door, ensuring the two would be
left
alone.

-----------------------
Two Weeks Later
-----------------------

 Outside, the rain pummeled the sidewalks relentlessly, letting loose on the
earth it"s refreshing, life giving water. Inside, Tsukino Iukuo was bored.
She"d
planned on working in the garden today, but the rain was preventing that, so
she
was at a loss for something to fill the time. After the scare with Usagi,
life
had returned to what passed for normal. Iukuo was still trying to figure out
just what had assailed her daughter, who had been so vibrant and alive one
minute, then hovering on the edge of death the next. Spotting the huge stack
of
photos on the dinning room table, the older woman decided to do something
about
it. After all, Kenji was at work, Shingo was at a friends, and Usagi was off
some place... with Mamoru, no doubt.

 "Maybe I should start working again," Iukuo considered, "Sometimes I really
miss the Crown." But she shook her head. She was a little too old to be
working
with teens again.. she had enough adolescent angst with Usagi! Grabbing a
cup of
coffee, Iukuo sat down with the photos and several albums, most waiting to
be
filled. As she flipped through one of the older ones, an envelope fell out
from
one of the pages, landing on the floor. Bending down, Iukuo picked it up and
opened it, drawing out a few old snapshots. Smiling, she gazed fondly on a
few
of her and young Furuhata Motoki, at the Crown arcade. Her smile only
widened as
she found one of herself, Toki and Motoki, leaning towards each other in
front
of the camera. Gazing on Chiba"s face, something occurred to Iukuo, and she
felt
her heart skip a beat. Reaching for one of the more current photos from her
stack, she looked at one of Usagi and her boyfriend. Mamoru had his arms
around
Iukuo"s daughter, smiling as if he had never been happier, while Usgai
mischievously gripped the lapels of his green jacket... Glancing from photo
to
photo, Iukuo looked from Chiba Motoki to Chiba Mamoru, and back again...
 "Still bumping into you, odango"
 "I"m Chiba Ma-, Chiba Motoki"
 "I like Usagi, I like Usagi very much. It"s a beautiful name."
 "She makes me very, very happy. It"s just that she"s very ill, and I can"t
be
by her side."
 "They will *not* take Usa from me, Pluto, they will NOT!"
 "Your daughter has a very important destiny."
 Iukuo"s blood ran cold in her veins, and she suddenly felt very, very
faint.
The same black hair, the same midnight blue eyes, the *same green jacket*.
 "Kami-sama!"

{*^*^*^*^END*^*^*^*^*^*}









































































































    Source: geocities.com/tokyo/villa/6303/FICS/MeredithBMallory

               ( geocities.com/tokyo/villa/6303/FICS)                   ( geocities.com/tokyo/villa/6303)                   ( geocities.com/tokyo/villa)                   ( geocities.com/tokyo)