Because the size of the ending part I'm splitting this into four parts. If
for some reason you don't get a particular part let me know and I'll be
happy to send it to you. And yes Zen I'm going to be working on that Ranma
fic this weekend :) I'll be posting some author notes after this but that
won't be for a day or two.

Part XXIV - Stepping Stones of the Future

As Usagi hunted around the store for the suntan lotion, Chibi-Usa looked
around the other shelves. The decor tried to de-urbanize the store but
was only marginally successful. After several minutes of hunting, Usagi
located what she was seeking and headed for the counter to pay for it.

Suddenly Chibi-Usa's voice rang out with surprise, "Daddy?!?"

Whirling around, Usagi's started searching for Mamoru as she grabbed
Chibi-Usa's hand. What she finally discovered made her start to giggle.
There standing in the corner wearing nothing more than a black swimsuit,
black bow tie, top hat, and mask was one of the more interesting
inflatable Tuxedo Mask blow-up dolls. The bathing suit was so tight that
it was causing the typically well-figured plastic doll to develop "love
handles". The more Usagi looked at it, the harder she laughed.

"Nani?!?" Chibi-Usa questioned. She split her glances between her mother
who was starting to attract attention and the funny looking doll that
looked oddly like her father.

"It's nothing," Usagi said between giggles and walking over to the
counter, paid for the suntan lotion and quickly taking Chibi-Usa's hand,
left the store. "Oh gosh!" Usagi gasped, "I gotta show the others!!!"
Chibi-Usa's confusion showed. She could understand being scared... but
what was so funny about him?

"Mom..." Chibi-Usa stopped; it wasn't a time to play, "Onee-san,
wouldn't Daddy get cold?" Chibi-Usa asked softly. This caused Usagi to
increase her laughter. However, Usagi was never one for laughing and
walking at the same time; she fell face first into the sand and for the
better part of half a minute, tried to get sand out of her mouth.

"Usagi, weren't you going to get some drinks?" Rei asked as she came
over to her fallen friend.

"Hmm... oh gomen!" Usagi said as she desperately tried to calm herself
down, "I tell you what, let's all go back to the store and I'll buy all
of you a drink."

"Why should we go back?" Minako questioned, "I mean all of us. I can go
with you if you want."

"NO, all of you gotta come with me. There's something in that store you
JUST HAVE to see!" The girls looked dubiously at each other before
shrugging. It would be easier to play along. Chibi-Usa wasn't very
thrilled about going back to see her father but with the other girls
around, she felt fairly safe.

                                  ******

As they approached the store, Chibi-Usa let go of Usagi's hand and
slipped to stand behind Makoto. It was more of a defensive move than
anything else. Although Usagi had tried to tell her that it wasn't real,
Chibi-Usa didn't feel very comfortable confronting an image of her
stepfather. Even the thought of seeing her father was giving her
goosebumps. The same clerk was at the counter when the girls entered and
gave each of them a bored look before turning her attention back to the
magazine she was reading. It didn't take the other girls long to figure
out what Usagi was talking about and Minako was the first to burst into
giggles.

Minako giggled. "I can't believe it!" she managed to say between bouts
of giggling, "Where in the world did they ever come up with THAT
idea?!?"

"I don't know," Makoto said before giving a snort of laughter, "It's
ridiculous looking anyway; either that or that bathing suit is WAY too
tight!" This caused both Minako and Usagi to giggle.

Even Ami was finding this amusing although she held her laughter in
check. Her shoulders shaking with mirth, she shook her head. "Too bad
you didn't have a camera. Mamo..." Ami came to a halt and flushed
brightly. An awkward silence fell over the group.

"It's okay, Ami-chan," Usagi said softly, "I think Mamoru would find it
funny, too. I wonder where he is today?"

Rei was wondering the same thing. Although the display was comedic in a
way, something was bothering Rei and she couldn't shake the strange
feeling. She was about to change the subject when the hairs on the back
of her neck rose. <Something's not right here...> Rei thought as she
started scanning the room. Beside themselves, there were no other
patrons in the store. <What's the door doing closed?> Rei wondered, <And
where's the clerk?> Her sense of danger was starting to grow.

"Can we go now?" Chibi-Usa said. She was starting to feel uneasy.

"Why go now?" a voice from the back of the store questioned, "We're just
getting started." The others grouped together. Makoto turned and pushed
Chibi-Usa behind her. "Why don't you hand over the child..."

"No way!" Makoto snarled, "Who are you?!" The only response was a
high-pitched laughter. Wincing, Makoto looked around for the source.
"Come on out and fight, or are you a coward?"

Suddenly the laughter stopped. When the voice spoke, it was angry, "I'm
NOT afraid of any Senshi! Especially you, pip-squeak. NOW hand over that
abomination!"

"My child isn't an abomination!!!" Usagi shouted, her nostrils flared
with anger as she pushed forward past the others. "Apologize!"

"Or what?" the voice sneered, "You're powerless in the future. Why would
you be powerful here?!" The laughter started again but as Usagi plucked
her locket from her dimensional pocket, the laughter faded. "Nani?!?"
the voice questioned.

"MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!" In a torrent of light and color, Usagi
vanished and was replaced by Sailor Moon. "Apologize to this loveable
child or in the name of the Moon... I WILL PUNISH YOU!"

While the other girls also transformed into their Senshi roles,
Chibi-Usa had to fight down the instinctive urge to run, to run away
from the Senshi. She looked on with some awe as her mother and her
friends prepared to do battle with a bodiless voice.

<Maia would like this,> Chibi-Usa thought to herself, <I wish she coulda
came today.>

"Droid Solex!" the voice shouted, "Take care of these pests and remember
what Endymion-sama told us!"

"As you command, Esmeraudo-sama!" a female looking Droid said as she
floated into the air. The Senshi watched with some apprehension. This
Droid was very different. Unlike the other Droids, you could see through
this one; her skin appeared to be made of some dull, dark-golden brown
substance. It almost appeared to be sculpted or cared.

"Do you really think you can win?" Venus questioned the faceless voice,
"Are you a coward!?"

"Why you..." snarled the voice. A woman flitted into existence and
glared towards Venus. "Solex, take care of her first!"

"You should really get more sun; you're looking a little ill," Solex
said. With that, the Droid flew upward collapsing in some of the
ceiling. "Come out and catch some rays!" Her form disappeared within a
bright spot of light and there flowed a pillar of fiery whiteness as the
rest of the room was baked away.

Sailor Moon grabbed Chibi-Usa and taking a running leap, burst through
the window. She hit the ground and rolled a few times before coming to a
stop. The other Senshi also found their own ways out. "Mars, Mercury,
take care of her!" Sailor Moon directed. "Jupiter, Venus... Take out
that witch!"

                                  ******

The explosion and the appearance of the Senshi had one massive and
possibly fatal effect: People started to panic. Now normally when things
went badly, there were streets and buildings to funnel crowds away from
the action. A beach isn't really a funnel. As word spread so did panic
and both caused chaos to reign supreme.

"BURNING MANDALA!" Mars shouted launching her own attack against the
Droid. A bright spot shimmered where the Droid was and a beam of
superheated sunlight lanced down and removed the threat.

"Playing with fire might get you burned... but spending too much time in
the sun can have even MORE painful consequences!" With that, the Droid
launched her own attack scattering the two Senshi.

"SHABON SPRAY FREEZING!!!" Mercury cried. Crossing her arms, she
launched her attack to develop a thick billowing fog. <I can't use my
Aqua Illusion but she'd probably turn it into superheated steam and THAT
would bad.>

"The rising sun burns off the misty shrouds of deception!" Solex roared
as it started to burn away the fog, searching for the Senshi.

It was a good plan. The problem Mercury didn't realize until it was too
late was that people were fleeing and stumbling into the fog. She could
either dissipate it or risk the chance of some innocent getting hurt but
she and Mars needed time to regroup! Praying to Kami that most people
would be fleeing in whichever the direction the battle wasn't, she and
Sailor Mars started falling back towards the others.

While Mercury and Mars were battling, Jupiter and Venus were trying to
attack Esmeraudo. Sailor Moon tried to help to some extent but
protecting Chibi-Usa was utmost in her mind.

"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"
"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"

The combined attacked sped on its way towards Esmeraudo but she flitted
out of existence. Warily, Jupiter and Venus looked around for their
elusive enemy. Suddenly with a cackle of laughter, she appeared between
the Senshi. Knocking Jupiter backward with a swipe of her fan, Esmeraudo
gripped Venus by the neck and started to squeeze.

"Does your planet hold sway over you?" Esmeraudo questioned. She
squeezed harder as Venus clawed desperately at the suffocating hands.

"Let her go!" Jupiter snarled.

"If you insist," Esmeraudo replied and turning swiftly, flung Venus
towards Jupiter. Jupiter sidestepped before reaching out to catch her
friend. Venus' momentum pulled both girls to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Jupiter questioned. Shakily, Venus nodded.

"You leave my friends alone!!!" Chibi-Usa demanded. Her voice drew the
attention of Esmeraudo and she started stalking towards her. Sailor Moon
stood her ground, ready to defend her child.

"Out of my way!" Esmeraudo snarled while lunging forward and knocking
Sailor Moon to one side. Chibi-Usa gave a scream and backpedaled. "Come
her you miserable little spore!" Chibi-Usa tripped and scrambled
backwards more as Sailor Moon began her attack. "Come with me!!!"
Esmeraudo demanded.

"NO!" Chibi-Usa cried, then her hand found something - a bottle of some
kind. Raising it above her head, Chibi-Usa grasped it with both hands;
in an overhead move, she flung the bottle towards Esmeraudo.

"Nani?!?" Esmeraudo questioned. She watched with shock as the bottle
sped towards her. She hadn't expected such retaliation. Then she
stumbled back as the bottle connected smashing into her forehead. "You
little bitch!!!" Esmeraudo snarled.

"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!" Sailor Moon cried sending her deadly crescent
moon speeding towards its target. Upon impact, Esmeraudo planted her
face into the sand.

"CRESCENT BEAM SHOWER!"
"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"

The attack sped and connected staggering Esmeraudo. Sailor Moon sprinted
past her and scooped Chibi-Usa up before retreating back to where her
friends were.

"Come on Venus!" Jupiter cried and ran towards Esmeraudo. Venus followed
but Esmeraudo flitted from sight and as they turned around to see where
the enemy had gone a bank of dense fog rolled in and covered them.

Breathing heavily, Esmeraudo silently swore. <Bitches!> she thought
savagely, <If they show me up, Endymion-sama may replace me...> That
thought sent a cold shiver running through her. <I won't let these
wet-nosed, wet-bottomed kids defeat me!> There was simply too much
riding on it. If she could complete this mission, it would ensure her
place at Endymion's side.

As the dense mist rolled in, the two besieged Senshi took the
opportunity to retreat towards where Sailor Moon and Chibi-Usa had been.
"That Droid's tough..." Mars whispered, "Any weaknesses, Mercury?"

"I have a plan but it'll be a long shot," Mercury said.

"Somebody's coming," Sailor Moon whispered as she saw two figures
approaching. She could feel Chibi-Usa tighten her grip slightly,
breathing ragged, face white with fear. The little girl was terrified
and in a way so was Sailor Moon.

"That woman's tough. Get the Droid first," Venus said as they approached
the group and the others relaxed.

"This won't last long," Mercury stated, "Jupiter, come with me.
Everybody else stay close. When I dissipate the fog, you'll have to
distract the Droid for a moment."

"Got it," Mars said and as Mercury and Jupiter moved off, the others
huddled together listening to the Droid snarling. The first screams
could be heard. Jerking, Mars shouted, "MERCURY! Hurry, that thing's
turning on innocent people!" A muffled reply could be heard, then the
mist started to dissipate rapidly.

"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!" Venus cried launching her attack towards the
Droid. Solex, whose back had been turned towards the Senshi, gave a yelp
of surprise as Venus yanked back on her chain.

"You incompetent fool!" Esmeraudo roared, "Must I do everything
myself?!?"

Mars never gave her a chance. "BURNING MANDALA!!!" The fiery rings sped
towards Esmeraudo and engulfed her in a gout of flame. Sailor Moon
turned her face and covered Chibi-Usa's eyes.

"Mistress!!!" the Droid snarled. It tried to fire despite its arms being
tangled up. Venus followed the possible trajectory of the attack and
screamed a warning to Mercury and Jupiter who were trying to lift
something from the sand.

Both Jupiter and Mercury dodged, the white, pulsing beam of heat hit the
object they had been endeavoring to lift and deflected off to the side.
"MARS!!!!" Mercury cried. Sailor Mars dropped straight to the ground and
felt the heat waft over her as the beam hurtled overhead. In an ultimate
show of luck, the beam struck Esmeraudo and without a scream, the woman
was reduced to nothing!

"Honey, I have to finish this," Sailor Moon said urgently. No telling
what a rogue Droid was capable of. Letting her daughter go, Sailor Moon
stood and pulling out her scepter, directed its deadly gaze upon the
still struggling and enraged Droid.

"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!!!" The deadly crescent beam streaked its way
towards the Droid and as the Moon eclipses the Sun so did the crescent
moon eclipse the life of the Droid. With one final protest, the Droid
disintegrated; somewhere within the now ruined storefront, a dark statue
fell and shattered into dust.

<This is real,> Venus thought, <I mean, I didn't believe it at first but
now this. To think Endymion would harm Usagi, or Chibi-Usa.> She was
feeling embarrassed. She had had her doubts though; now, however, she
was glad that her thoughts had remained simply that... thoughts. <It
seemed so surreal in a way. People from the future and all but now...>

Turning, Sailor Moon bent and hugged Chibi-Usa close. After nearly a
month of peace, terror had struck once again. <How long must we fight?
Another minion came after my mesume; will another agent come? Will
Endymion come back?> she sadly thought. The thought of Endymion coming
back to get Chibi-Usa sent chills up her spine. <How much longer until
my little one can live in peace?> Her only response was the wail of
sirens.

Chibi-Usa shivered as her mother lifted her into a hug. She was barely
aware of the Senshi moving away from the fight scene. <She was going to
take me to Daddy...> She shivered at the thought. Tightly closing her
eyes, Chibi-Usa tried to block the image of her stepfather. <He wants to
hurt me! He wants to hurt Mommy!>

                                  ******

Compared with Saturday, Sunday was turning out to be miserable. It was
cold, wet, and felt more like October than the middle of August. Makoto
was in a foul mood but not on account of the weather. Going to the beach
the day before and then to Rei's later on had meant pushing most of her
homework off until today. She had spent the morning working on her least
difficult assignments.

However, that just left two very difficult things to do. Math, which
Makoto didn't care for, and Literary Composition. Neither was her strong
suit and both were due the next day. As she slumped into her couch,
Makoto leveled a glare towards both her books.

"Well, might as well do the math first," Makoto sighed and retrieving
the book, started flipping through the pages. She had just found the
proper page when a knock at the door came. "Just a second!" Makoto
called while hefting the textbook to the side. Checking to see whom it
was, Makoto was surprised to see that her visitors were Chibi-Usa and
Usagi. <And why is Usagi carrying those two bags?>

"Hi Mako-chan!" Usagi greeted when the door swung open, "What's up?"

"Konnichiwa Mako-oneesan," Chibi-Usa said a little more politely, "How
are you?"

"I'm fine. Now come out of the rain before you both catch colds," Makoto
said while standing to one side, "Usagi, I thought you'd be doing
homework. And what's in the bags?" <Or sleeping... We WERE up pretty
late last night.>

Usagi's only response was to give Makoto a smile. Usagi had a pink
raincoat and Chibi-Usa's was a bright yellow. The shiny, almost
neon-like color clash between the pink and yellow was starting to turn
Makoto's stomach so she looked away for a moment.

"Chibi-Usa wants to ask you something."

"Nani?" Makoto questioned looking towards the little girl who was
slipping on a pair of guest slippers.

"Um... well," Chibi-Usa said while shuffling her feet, "Would you help
me make a cake?" She lifted her head and looked hopefully towards
Makoto.

"And who's the cake for?" Makoto asked suspiciously while looking
between Chibi-Usa and Usagi. Usagi didn't miss the implication and
glared at Makoto.

Chibi-Usa hesitated again. She turned to look towards Usagi for a moment
before saying, "It's for Mommy... It's her birthday today." Chibi-Usa
grinned, "I like eating cake."

"Sure, I'll help you. Now you go wash your hands really well," Makoto
said while crouching down and tussling Chibi-Usa's hair.

"Really?!?" Chibi-Usa questioned. At Makoto's nod, she bounded towards
Makoto and gave her a hug before sprinting off towards the bathroom.

"Why do I get the feeling that I've just agreed to something I don't
really understand?" Makoto questioned Usagi who shifted uncomfortably.

"We couldn't bake at my house. That would have given away the surprise
so we came here. I sorta said that you'd be HER helper."

"In other words," Makoto said, "You want me to turn my kitchen over to
an eight year old?" Makoto winced internally at Usagi's grin. <I'm never
going to get my homework done!>

"These are the ingredients," Usagi said while handing one of the bags to
Makoto. Both girls then entered the kitchen. Makoto muttering darkly
about Usagi's sneakiness all the while. Once she had placed her bag
down, Makoto turned to Usagi and gave her a stern look. "Nani?" Usagi
questioned upon seeing the look.

"What's wrong with Chibi-Usa?" Makoto questioned, "She looks... tired, I
suppose. There's something else that's bothering her, ne?"

Silently Usagi started placing the contents of her bag on the counter.
After a brief pause, Usagi said, "Chibi-Usa, well... I think yesterday
upset her." Usagi paused again and said, "She's made her best argument
for me being Mommy... It just won't wash though."

"What did she say?" Makoto asked gently while looking at Usagi with some
concern.

"Well she said that I HAD to be Mommy because she needed me to protect
her. She doesn't think my mom can protect her... at least not from those
monsters!" Usagi slammed her fist down. <Damn it!> "She's mad at me
because I'm insisting I'm her sister." Usagi turned to face Makoto and
leaned back against the counter. "I keep thinking about what that woman
said. She knew Endymion, she's working for him, and she was going to
take Chibi-Usa BACK?!?"

Makoto nodded in understanding, "So you think that there could be
another attack?"

"Hai," Usagi said, "I think we all know there's going to be more; what
I'm scared about is that Endymion will send someone back who'll
succeed."

"Do you think he'd come back for Chibi-Usa?" Makoto asked, a look of
concern spreading across her features. <Kami-sama, I hope not. With
Mamoru missing-in-action and Endymion having a loyal base of
followers...> "He knows who we are," Makoto whispered out, "Endymion has
an advantage that none of the others did. He knows WHO we are and WHERE
we live."

Usagi nodded silently. Griping the sides of the countertop, she felt a
small trickle of tears start to flow. "I know... that scares me the
most. To think that one of these days, some monster could come to one of
our houses and hurt us... even while we sleep. Hurt our family,
friends." Usagi shuddered and wrapped her arms about her. Makoto walked
over and hugged her friend. Sniffling, Usagi returned the hug before
wiping away the tears. "Can't let Chibi-Usa see me cry. She'd get
worried that something was wrong." Giving another sniffle, Usagi turned
back to unpacking her bag.

"Usagi-chan, there's something else, ne?" Makoto asked while gently
placing her hand on Usagi's shoulder, "We talked about this."

"Luna said she was up half the night," Usagi said again, "I think she
was scared but didn't know where to go to get comfort." It bothered
Usagi terribly, knowing that she could simplify everybody's life yet
realizing that it was unrealistic. "I want to take Chibi-Usa up in my
arms, hear her call me `Mommy' or `Mom'. Feel her warmth sleeping as I
take away her nightmares." Usagi wiped a new set of tears away and shook
her head, "But I can do those things as a sister. I NEED to do those
things as a sister."

Makoto could tell that Usagi had more to say but either didn't know how
or didn't want to talk about it. Deciding to change the subject, Makoto
said, "Go see what's taking Chibi-Usa so long. And wash your hands; you
AND her are going to make an excellent cake for your mom, for her mom."
Giving Usagi a little push, Makoto gave her friend a smile of
encouragement. Usagi gave her friend a soft smile in return before
walking down the hallway.

                                  ******

As the rain came down and beat out a pattern on Makoto's windowpane, the
apartment soon filled with the smells of baking. As they waited for the
cake to bake, Usagi decided to help Makoto with her homework while
Chibi-Usa watched a movie.

"Mako-chan," Usagi said softly. Makoto raised her head and followed the
inclination of Usagi's head. "She's sound asleep," Usagi added when she
saw a small smile on Makoto's face. Chibi-Usa was curled up on one end
of the couch, fast asleep. Her breathing was slow and regular.

"I'll put her in my room," Makoto said softly and stood. Gently lifting
the little girl, she padded softly down the hall and into her room. <Oh,
you're so kawaii,> Makoto thought as she placed the child onto the bed.
Slipping off the slippers, Makoto gently drew the comforter up around
Chibi-Usa and smiled. "You have a good nap," she whispered softly before
quietly leaving the room. As she pulled the door closed, Makoto paused.
<I wonder what it would be like to have a sister... or a brother?> Not
pulling it completely shut, Makoto gave herself a little shake and moved
down the hall to sit back on the couch.

"What were you thinking about?" Usagi questioned.

"What it would be like to have family," Makoto said after a long pause,
"Chibi-Usa's so kawaii; especially when she's asleep. It's hard to tell
that she has so many worries." Usagi shifted uncomfortably but remained
silent, "Well I know what I'm going to write about though," Makoto said
with a little more cheerfulness, "Besides, we need to wait for the cake
to get done and there's no telling how long Chibi-Usa's going to sleep."

"Hai," Usagi said then gave an expansive yawn of her own. Makoto giggled
and shook her head, "Nani?"

"I think I'm going to have two sleeping Usagi on my hands... not just
one."

"Wanna bet?" Usagi challenged, eyes gleaming.

"What'll I win?" Makoto questioned.

"If I fall asleep, I buy YOU and Chibi-Usa the `triple banana fudge
special', and I won't have anything... I'll have to sit and watch you
two eat it all. If I don't fall asleep, you have to buy it for ME and
Chibi-Usa."

"I don't feel right about taking your money, Usagi, but you got yourself
a bet." And the deal was sealed with a handshake.

                                  ******

After supper on Monday found Chibi-Usa and Maia sitting in Chibi-Usa's
room. Maia had pleaded, begged, and promised unimaginable things to be
allowed to have supper at Chibi-Usa's. Her reason was that she wanted to
find out what had happened at the beach. However, there was a far more
secretive reason why. Maia wanted to know what had happened on hers and
Chibi-Usa's favorite television show that day. Having spent the time
before supper pumping information out of Chibi-Usa, Maia was content to
play although her earlier behavior was causing Chibi-Usa no small amount
of curiosity.

"Mommy fought off a bad monster," Chibi-Usa said as they were playing,
"We were at the beach and a bad monster tried to take me away."

Maia's eyes grew wide and she looked with awe towards Chibi-Usa. "Why'd
a monster want to take you away?" Maia questioned.

"It was going to take me to my daddy," Chibi-Usa said, shivering as she
did so.

Maia wrapped her arms around Chibi-Usa and gave her a hug. "I'm glad you
didn't go away," Maia said, "I like you." Chibi-Usa giggled and returned
the hug. "Your sobo said you made her a cake." She giggled as Chibi-Usa
looked nervously towards the door. <Chibi-Usa's supposed to call her
sobo `Mommy'... and her mommy `Onee-san' or `Usagi'...> Covering her
mouth, Maia giggled her eyes flashing with mirth. Chibi-Usa sent a
warning look towards Maia before responding.

"Hai, Mako-oneesan let me do most of it. She and Mommy helped me,"
Chibi-Usa said puffing out her chest with pride, "Sobo said it was a
great cake..." A sly smile spread across her face as she added, "Too bad
it wasn't chocolate!" She smiled again and sighed, "Mommy really thought
I did a good job and she did a good job helping me."

"You're lucky to have Sailor Moon as a mommy," Maia said.

The girls fell silent for several minutes concentrating on play rather
than talking. Glancing over, Chibi-Usa noticed that Maia was looking
slightly somber. "Maia-chan, what's wrong?"

"Nothin'..." Maia responded after a short pause. Her voice dragged out
in a show of reluctance.

"How come you couldn't go to the beach with me?" Chibi-Usa asked while
fixing her friend with a concerned look.

"'Cause of my baka otouto!" Maia said forcefully but whispered it out.
<I was kinda mean to him,> Maia thought. Shifting uncomfortably for
several seconds, she added softly, "The TV got broke." A light blush
tinged her cheeks and she squirmed slightly. Chibi-Usa's eyes enlarged
in some wonder but didn't say anything. "Even if it wasn't broken I,
couldn't watch it."

"How come?" Chibi-Usa said in a soft voice.

"My otouto was being a brat!" Maia said with venom, "He was bugging me
so I took his truck!" She turned to look towards Chibi-Usa who was
looking at her with something akin to disbelief, "That baka truck...
baka Otouto. He wouldn't leave me alone..." Maia stuttered to a stop and
blushed even more. Turning her head, she looked towards the ground.

"What happened?" Chibi-Usa asked, the supper she had eaten turning into
a ball of ice in the pit of her stomach.

"I took his truck," Maia said softly.

"That wasn't very nice, Maia-chan," Chibi-Usa said, "I bet your mommy
was mad, ne?" The look Maia gave her plainly said she didn't understand.
"Maia-chan, your otouto is younger than you, ne?" Maia nodded but still
looked dubiously at Chibi-Usa. "And Mie's younger than you, ne?" Again,
Maia nodded. "So you should be nice to your otouto. You're older than
Mie but you're nice to her; you're older than your otouto so you should
be nice to him."

"I guess so," Maia said after a short pause. <Mommy did say I was being
mean; I shoulda told her that he was botherin' me... That's what Mommy
says.>

"So was your mommy mad?" Chibi-Usa questioned.

"I took the truck and threw it," Maia admitted softly. Chibi-Usa gasped
in astonishment and stared with large round eyes. The admission was a
real shock to her. "It hit the TV. I broke it. Daddy said we couldn't
get a new one." Maia lowered her head and gave a little sniffle.

"Oh Maia-chan," Chibi-Usa gave a little cry. <If I did that, Daddy would
be really mad!> She shivered. <He'd really hurt me for bustin' the TV.>
Giving another shiver, Chibi-Usa gave Maia a hug and asked, "Are you
okay?" It was Maia's turn to look concerned but she gave Chibi-Usa a
reassuring nod. "I bet your daddy spanked you really hard, ne?"

Maia stared at Chibi-Usa. <How come she's worried...> Maia thought.
Chibi-Usa was looking rather concerned. <I shouldn't throw things.> She
studied her best friend for several seconds. Over the course of several
months, Maia had asked her mother some difficult questions about
Chibi-Usa. <She said that Chibi-Usa's daddy hit her cause he thought she
was bad,> Maia thought, <Mommy said that Chibi-Usa's daddy hurt her a
lot.> She gave that a little more thought, <Chibi-Usa said her daddy hit
her with his belt...> Slowly, realization dawned on her. <Chibi-Usa's
thinks Daddy hit me with his belt.> Now Chibi-Usa's concern was starting
to make some type of sense. "Daddy didn't hit me with his belt," Maia
said hoping that it would alleviate Chibi-Usa's concern.

"Nani?!?!" Chibi-Usa demanded. Now her face contained both shock and
worry.

Maia gave a little sigh of exasperation. <My daddy isn't like hers.>
"Chibi-Usa-chan, Daddy took me to my room and put me over his knee. He
spanked me but ONLY with his hand." Maia assured Chibi-Usa, "I had to
stay in my room all weekend except to eat. I had to promise to be EXTRA
good today if I wanted to come here."

"You're not hurt?" Chibi-Usa questioned, her voice still held doubt and
her eyes showed concern and a small amount of fear. <I know what Maia's
daddy's gonna do,> she thought as she remembered her own experiences,
<He's gonna... gonna...> "Maia-chan, is your daddy gonna spank you
again?!" Chibi-Usa said while getting up, "I don't want you to get
hurt!"

"Chibi-Usa-chan," Maia said getting up, "I'm not in trouble; Daddy loves
me and he ISN'T gonna spank me again... at least for brakin' the TV."
She took Chibi-Usa's hand and sent a pleading look towards her. However,
Chibi-Usa had started down a dark corridor; Maia was almost convinced
that Chibi-Usa was going to be okay when her friend jerked from her hold
and ran out of the room. "Chibi-Usa!" Maia called and ran after her
friend.

Several minutes and one very complicated talk later, Chibi-Usa was
satisfied that Maia wouldn't be punished further. At first, Chibi-Usa
had sped into Usagi's room. Once inside, she had demanded that Sailor
Moon and the Senshi help save Maia. Usagi, at first, was rather
flustered by her daughter's demand. She became even more confused when
Maia came running into the room demanding to know what was wrong with
Chibi-Usa. Sorting that particular mess out took a few minutes and Usagi
still didn't understand it all.

It took another five minutes to calm both little girls down enough to
have any semblance of a real conversation. Maia was both angry at
Chibi-Usa for blabbing to Usagi and worried about how upset Chibi-Usa
was acting. Chibi-Usa was concerned for Maia and agitated that Usagi
seemed to be delaying any help the Senshi would give Maia. Usagi tried
her best to reassure Chibi-Usa that her best friend wouldn't be punished
again. Although somewhat effective, it took Chibi-Usa talking to Maia's
parents to be completely reassured.

Although Maia's parents weren't overly thrilled to hear what had caused
the commotion, they were at the very least understanding. A strong
friendship had formed between the two parental units. Something that
they enjoyed and with Chibi-Usa's healing still a long way from over, it
was beneficial to have someone to talk to and to have a little girl of
her own age around.

                                  ******

The following Saturday was mostly sunny with the occasional powder-puff
cloud dotting the sky. A gentle breeze was keeping the temperature at a
pleasant level causing those that could, to move outside to enjoy the
weather.

Usagi was just about to turn into the living room when she heard a knock
at the door. Going over to the door, she discovered Makoto waiting for
her. "Hi Mako-chan," Usagi said softly and waved her friend inside once
the door was open.

"Why are we whispering?" Makoto asked as she entered the house. "And why
the fancy dress?" she asked while indicating the white blouse and navy
blue skirt Usagi was wearing, "We're just going to an ice cream parlor."

"Oh and I suppose you didn't buy yourself that new dress?" Usagi
retorted as she closed the door. Makoto glanced down. She was wearing a
pale yellow sundress with a small white bow in the back. <All that's
missing is a hat.>

"I bought this to look nice. How do you expect me to attract any guys?"
Makoto responded. <Besides, I like this dress.> "And why are we
whispering?" Usagi didn't answer. Instead, she placed a finger to her
lips in a shushing action then motioned for Makoto to follow her. She
softly padded towards the living room and gestured for Makoto to take a
look.

As Makoto watched, a slow smile spread across her face. Shingo, his head
lolled to one side and mouth partially open, was asleep on the couch.
<He doesn't look like such a bad kid,> Makoto thought, then her smile
got a little bigger. <How'd she manage that?> Makoto questioned.
Chibi-Usa was sitting beside, or rather leaning against, Shingo while
watching television. Makoto was about to call out a greeting when a
knock sounded at the door.

Turning to see whom it was, she followed Usagi down the hall. For a
moment, Makoto couldn't tell who was at the door but when Usagi stepped
aside with a large grin on her face Makoto had a funny suspicion. It was
confirmed as Mika entered the house. Mika was, at least by Shingo's
telling, only a friend; to most of the people who knew Shingo, it was
more than just friendship. Both were in love. Usagi had the audacity to
call it puppy love and that had earned her dark looks from Shingo for
almost a week.

"Hi Mika-chan," Makoto greeted then giggled, "Maybe I should wake Shingo
up."

"No let me," Mika giggled and she slipped past Makoto into the living
room. "Hi Chibi-Usa-chan," Mika called softly. Chibi-Usa turned her head
and was about to say something when she remembered that Shingo was
sleeping. Gently getting up, she padded over to Mika before speaking.

"Hi Mika-chan," Chibi-Usa said softly, "Are you coming to get ice cream
with us?"

"I might, if Shingo treats me... I might," Mika said, "I gotta wake him
up." Chibi-Usa watched with some trepidation as Mika moved over to the
couch and, leaning close, gave Shingo a kiss on the cheek before calling
out, "Shingo..."

Shingo's reaction was not what any of them had expected. Rolling his
head to one side, Shingo mumbled out, "Usagi, your breath stinks." Usagi
growled deep within her throat and started towards her brother when Mika
raised her hand.

"Shingo," Mika called again while touching the tip of her nose to his
and waited.

Shingo raised his hands as if to push the annoyance away and then found
the face. Tracing it up to the hair, his hands grouped slightly for a
moment before stopping. Slowly he opened his eyes and... "MIKA?!?!" he
shouted trying to scramble backwards. <Baka Onee!> Shingo thought darkly
as he heard Usagi and Makoto laughing. Even Chibi-Usa was grinning.

"Now, does my breath stink?" Shingo rapidly shook his head and blushed a
deeper shade of red. "So you'll treat me to an ice cream?" Mika queried
again while blinking once. She gave Shingo a soft smile and winked.
Shingo gulped and, turning his head, glared towards Usagi and Makoto.

"Oh Kami-sama, that was great!!!" Usagi laughed while clutching her
sides, "The look on your face!"

"Baka Onee," Shingo growled, "Gomen Mika, I ah... I'll be glad to buy
you an ice cream. If we can sit with my sister."

"Nani?" Mika and Usagi questioned.

"Shingo!" Usagi protested, "You don't have to gloat."

"What's going on?" Mika questioned.

"My sister and Makoto made a little bet. If Usagi fell asleep, she'd
lose the bet. If she didn't fall asleep, she'd win the bet."

"You lost, Usagi-chan?" Mika questioned.

"We don't know," Usagi admitted while blushing slightly, "If it's any
indication, Chibi-Usa came out and found both of us asleep. So to be
fair, Makoto and I decided that we BOTH lost."

"That means that while Chibi-Usa gets to eat two `triple banana fudge
specials', they have to watch and not have ANYTHING! This is something I
just have to see!" Shingo gloated while looking towards Usagi who glared
in return.

"Shingo, be nice," Mika warned, "You shouldn't pick on your onee,
especially with your imouto in the room." Stepping closer, Mika
whispered, "Besides, you can be nice to your imouto by being nice to
your onee..." Giving an evil smile, she added, "And I LIKE you being
nice to your imouto." Shingo gulped again and slowly nodded after a
brief pause.

Chibi-Usa seeing that her brother was being set upon walked over and
tugged at his arm. When Shingo bent down to see what she wanted
Chibi-Usa wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. Shingo froze
for several seconds before returning the hug.

<Chibi-Usa isn't so bad...> Shingo thought while looking covertly
towards Mika, <I mean she likes me and I sorta like her.> He looked
toward Mika again but this time for a little confidence boost. <Mika and
I are getting along better, too, since Chibi-Usa came.>

"Aw... ain't that just so kawaii!" Usagi cooed.

Shingo fought the urge to growl and, letting the hug go, straightened
up, <Even Usagi's growing up since Chibi-Usa got here; too bad she's
still a real PAIN sometimes.> Shingo gritted his teeth for a moment at
Usagi's smile before relaxing. "Well let's go, I want to see this. My
sister, the one who loves chocolate, is going to have to sit and watch
her imouto eat." He felt another little tug on his arm and he looked
downwards.

"Aren't I your imouto, Onii-chan?" Chibi-Usa questioned, her eyes had
drooped slightly and a small pout had formed on her face.

Mentally Shingo kicked himself and, crouching down, said, "Hai, you are
my imouto too."

Giving her brother a brilliant smile, Chibi-Usa launched herself
knocking Shingo over. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him
on the cheek and declared loudly, "I love you, Onii-chan!"

Shingo blushed brightly and then blushed even more when the other girls
started to giggle. <Once an Usagi, always an Usagi,> Shingo darkly
thought as he stared up at the ceiling, <Both of them are pains!> But
for good measure, he hugged the smallest of the pains in return.

                                  ******

Deep within the Crystal Palace, Neo-Queen Serenity sat silently. A fresh
bruise had closed one eye. She paid no heed to the fur-covered creature
that crept slowly across her bare feet. Nor did she feel the hard cold
stone against her aching flesh. She was trying to remember but couldn't;
the diverging timelines were creating conflicting facts and it was hard
to separate what would be from what had been and what would change.

The sound of the door opening drew Serenity's attention. She squinted in
the sudden illumination. "Stand up!" the voice commanded. Serenity only
briefly considered resisting but did not. Instead, she stood with
dignity. Trying not to shy away from the guards, they entered her cell
and shackled her. "Come with us." The order was firm and strong.
Struggling forward, weak not only from lack of food but from the
memories of the tortures she had witnessed, Serenity left her cell for
the first time in ten days.

The pace was halting and rough. Each step seemed to take an eternity to
complete and the stairs were a monumental undertaking. After some time,
they halted in front of a room. "You are to be presented to the King,"
the lead guard told her, "Endymion-sama has commanded that you be
cleaned up. You can do it yourself if you like."

She parted her lips to lick them trying to form the words. After a
moment, she breathed out, "Hai."

"In there then," the guard said, "You'll find a set of clothes and a
furo. You'll have one hour." Unlocking the door, he opened it and
stepping aside, allowed Serenity to enter. Once inside, her shackles
were removed and the door closed behind her. The locking mechanism slid
into place, sounding almost final.

<Endymion, Usagi...> Serenity thought as she slowly removed the tattered
and unkempt clothes. Undoing her hair, she slowly walked into the
washing stall and sitting down, she started to gently wash herself. But
as the seconds passed, Serenity could feel the tears starting to steak
downwards. Covering her face with one hand, Serenity wept. How much
longer could she continue on like this? Why hadn't the timeline changed?

She was soon run dry of tears but her heart was heavy with sorrow.
Sinking slowly into the furo, Serenity tried to relax, to work some of
the stiffness out of herself. Soon however, it was time to dress. It was
plain white in color, loose fitting. There was even some food in the
small room and Serenity ate it hungrily. She felt refreshed but soon it
would be time to face Endymion again. Exactly one hour later, a knock at
the door came before it opened. The guards entered and reshackled
Serenity before leading her down the hall to the Throne Room. Serenity's
hair trailed. She had no means to put her hair into their stylistic
odangos so she left it to flow down her back on onto the floor.

The Throne Room was empty except for Endymion. He smiled warmly towards
her but it was deceptive. As they approached the dais, he rose and,
descending, waited for them. When Serenity stood before him, he said, "I
see you are learning your place. With more good behavior, I might find a
place for you by my side." He reached out but Serenity shied away from
him, "Bah! Why I ever loved you... I suppose it was that innocence that
drew me to you. But when you slept with that villain, then your
innocence wasn't supported."

"Endymion, what are you going to do?" Serenity questioned, trying to
sound submissive. <Answer me, you feral piece of guano!>

"I'm going back to the past, and you will sit here and wait for me to
return," Endymion said, "Then..." he trailed off and smiled. Lowering
his voice, he said, "Then I'll pick up with that abomination's
punishment where I left off. Then all three of us are going to discuss
your actions."

"You monster!" Serenity cried while raising her hands but she was caught
in his iron grip, "Leave her alone!"

"Now what type of father would I be if I didn't discipline `my' child?"
Turning, he roughly dragged Serenity up the steps of the dais and shoved
her into the throne. "Now you're still my wife, so I suppose I have to
treat you to SOME acceptable level. So I'll let you sit in my chair."

Serenity cried out, trying to flail her arms, trying to hurt him. Her
moves were with a mother's desperation fueled by fear, terror, and
anger. "Endymion, I swear by Kami-sama that one day... one day I'll be
free of your brutality." She looked deep into his eyes and her blood ran
cold. Softly, pleading, she said, "Endymion, please, fight this
sickness, this illness within you. Free your soul from its grip."

Serenity grunted as Endymion tightened his grip on her. Leaning close,
he whispered dangerously, "Serenity... Usako... Our vows were to life
eternal. We will spend the rest of our lives together. Souls bonded to
one another and no matter HOW much you hate me, I am your husband. No
matter HOW much you want to believe that I am the monster, you did
something far worse by breaking those vows. Love is a terrible thing to
some people, especially those who hold so little value for it like you."
He smiled now and said, "Don't you see, I'm trying to help you get past
this stain on your life. Pretending that you aren't responsible is no
reason to accuse me of monstrous acts."

Letting her go, Endymion stood back and stepping down, said without
turning, "Guard her. Allow no one to speak to her until my return."

"As you command, Your Majesty," the lead guard said while bowing low.

"Be seeing you, Serenity," Endymion said before lifting a small key from
around his neck. "I'll give your regards to the past." And after sending
a mental command out to the Time Key vanished. Serenity covered her face
and silently wept but no tears fell. She would not give Endymion the
dignity of her tears.

Like a rolling wave, it came. As reality rippled, the waves grew in
intensity. But after what seemed only like a second, the waves subsided
and disappeared as the new timeline exerted itself.

"Serenity?" someone asked softly, "Are you all right?"

                                  ******

Endymion looked warily around as he approached the Gate of Time.
Searching and then the expected voice came. "Halt!" the commanding voice
of Pluto came from the depths of the nether. "No one may approach the
Gate of Time."

Drawing his sword, Endymion replied, "I am YOUR king, Pluto. You are
under me." A shadowy figure ran towards him and as the Staff of Time
roared down from above, Endymion swung and deflected it. Snarling, he
lunged forwards and aimed a blow towards Pluto but she wasn't there.
Spinning around, he snarled, "Coward!!!"

"You dare fight me in my own environment? I could take your key and trap
you within the nether. You would never die nor find your way out." Pluto
materialized and sent a striking blow towards Endymion who dodged.
Positioning herself, Pluto whispered, "Dead Scream." This close to her
power source, the attack doubled and then doubled again in strength.
Flinging the attack towards Endymion, she drove him back.

"Damn you!" Endymion spat out, a trickle of blood running from one
corner of his mouth, "You'll pay for that!" Carefully circling, he
waited and then lashing out with his sword. He caused Pluto to block. In
a flash that was nearly impossible to follow, Endymion materialized a
rose and sent it through Pluto's arm.

With a scream of pain, Pluto dropped to her knees and tried desperately
to stanch the blood that was coming from her arm. She heard him approach
and raised her head when she felt the cold tip of steel press against
her neck.

"Allow my passage," Endymion said softly, "Or I will kill you."

Pluto considered for a moment before responding, "Very well," she
whispered out then winced as the point jabbed her. Shakily rising, she
gritted her teeth and pulled the rose from her arm. "Follow me," she
directed and led him to the Gate of Time.

As Pluto unlocked the Gate, Endymion felt his heart speed up. The rush
of anticipation and the excitement of what was to come caused him no
small amount of pleasure. Carefully, Endymion backed through the open
gate. Making a decision that could have been fatal, Pluto lunged and
smashed the sword aside before wrapping her arms around Endymion's neck.
With a heave, he sent Pluto sprawling backwards. Advancing upon her, he
raised his sword then thought, "I'll be back for you, BITCH!" Turning,
he ran through the portal. Quickly Pluto rose and, exerting her power
over time, "bumped" Endymion off-course to a later date. Then Pluto
smiled.

"You won't be back, Endymion," Pluto said softly as she raised her hand.
>From it dangled the Key to time that Endymion had worn about his neck.
"One to Rubeus, one to Esmeraudo, one is safely in your vault, and this
one was to be around your neck." A smile spread across Pluto's face,
"The only Key left is Princess Usagi's and you won't get that... or I
shall stop time and kill you myself."

                                  ******

When the first "triple banana fudge special" arrived at the table,
Chibi-Usa's eyes opened wide. The dish was in the shape of a small boat.
Its sides lined with half a banana. The middle portion was filled with
ice cream of varying flavors. Small pieces of fudge separated the
different scoops for ice cream and everything was covered in a thick,
chocolate fudge sauce. The occasional strawberry slice floated between
the peaks of ice cream and the banana walls. The finishing touch was a
small mound of real whipping cream on each ice cream scoop. And on top
of the whipping cream was a single cheery.

Slowly, Chibi-Usa scooped a bit out, and carefully raising it to her
mouth, tantalizingly put it in. She let the taste mix and swirl over her
tongue. She chewed once to crush some of the banana and another flavor
was added. <Yummy!!!> Chibi-Usa thought as she sat, her eyes closed, a
huge smile on her face.

To say that Usagi was tortured was an understatement; she watched the
little girl take a slightly bigger spoonful and deposit it into her
mouth. Usagi stifled a groan of distress. <That looks SO good!> Usagi
thought as she watched her daughter swirl a cheery into the sauce before
popping it into her mouth. <Oh!!! Why'd I have to fall asleep?!> She
could feel her taste buds wanting to wrap themselves in that sumptuous
chocolate, feel the gentle bite of the cherry. "Hmmm..." Usagi said and
licked her lips.

Makoto was also having problems. <Why'd I ever agree to say that we both
lost?!> Makoto was regretting her decision, <I could have been eating
one of those instead of just sitting watching Chibi-Usa eat.> Trying to
pull her mind away from the teasingly close pile of sweetness, Makoto
turned her attention back to the previous Sunday. <It's a good thing
that Chibi-Usa woke us up or that cake would've been burnt to a crisp!>
It had certainly been a close call. Then Chibi-Usa gave a burble of
contentment. Turning back, Makoto saw that Chibi-Usa had scooped up a
large spoonful and, depositing it in her mouth, was chewing slowly, eyes
tightly squeezed shut to concentrate on the taste. <Oh Kami-sama...
please let her be full by the end of this one... I don't think I could
stand to watch her eat two!>

By the time that Chibi-Usa was working through the second of her treats,
Shingo and Mika were looking a little green. Shingo and Mika couldn't
understand how Chibi-Usa was able to eat SO much. Usagi, and to a lesser
extent Makoto, were shocked at the sheer amount of food Chibi-Usa could
put away. Usagi was also nearing her breaking point as she watched
Chibi-Usa eat one spoonful after the other in a slow and deliberate way.
Several times Chibi-Usa had asked Usagi and Makoto if they wanted some
and both of them were finding it harder to resist each time.

"Chibi-Usa, if you're getting full, you don't have to finish it," Makoto
said while licking her lips.

"I'm not full, Mako-oneesan," Chibi-Usa said and turned and grinned a
chocolate fudge covered face towards her. "Arigato, I really like
these!"

<Hai, she's an Usagi all right,> Makoto thought, <What's Usagi doing?>
She looked closer at Usagi and saw that her friend was gripping the edge
of the table, eyes firmly shut. "Are you okay, Usagi-chan?"

"Hai," Usagi breathed out, "But if I watch her eat one more bite..."
Usagi trailed off and grimaced.

"Onee-san," Chibi-Usa called with mischief in her eyes. When Usagi
opened her eyes and looked towards Chibi-Usa, the little girl popped
some of the treat into her mouth and chewed happily. She then giggled
when Usagi muttered darkly. "But you said you had to watch," Chibi-Usa
defended herself. Turning to Shingo, she asked, "Onii-chan, want some?"

"Ah, no, arigato," Shingo said hurriedly, "Mika, would you like to go
for a walk?"

"Hai," Mika responded and after bidding their good-byes, both left the
ice cream parlor. On their way out, Mika whispered something to Shingo
and he blushed in response. Unfortunately, Usagi didn't see it; neither
did Makoto. Both sets of eyes were fixed on Chibi-Usa; both sets of eyes
were filled with horror. If this little kid could eat THIS much when she
THIS young, just imagine how much she could eat when she was older!

Unknown to either Usagi or Makoto, Chibi-Usa had somehow managed to
avoid eating lunch. She knew she was coming to the ice cream parlor and,
in her opinion, ice cream was just about as healthy so why spoil your
appetite?

After a couple more spoonfuls, Chibi-Usa started to feel guilty. <This
isn't very much fun,> Chibi-Usa thought, <I bet Mommy would like some
and I think Makoto would too...> Although she was certainly enjoying the
treat, Chibi-Usa thought it would be better if the other two could join
in, except they couldn't. After inserting another spoonful, Chibi-Usa
took a few deep breaths. <I'm gettin' full... but I gotta finish it all
'cause Onee and Makoto bought 'em for me.>

                                  ******

As the Tsukino family ate supper, Ikuko looked with some concern towards
Chibi-Usa. The little girl had started out at her typical pace of eating
but has now slowed down to a crawl. What was making the situation even
more curious was that Ikuko knew it wasn't the food. She had served at
least two of Chibi-Usa's favorite items but they simply lay there on the
plate.

"Chibi-Usa-chan, do you feel okay?" Ikuko finally asked. Chibi-Usa
raised her head from her eyes to look at Ikuko and shook her head before
going back to picking at her food. <Something isn't right,> Ikuko
thought to herself. Reaching out, she felt Chibi-Usa's forehead and
after a few seconds, said, "Well you don't have a temperature."
Chibi-Usa lifted some food to her mouth and then, pausing briefly,
lowered it again. "Does your tummy hurt?"

"No Mommy," Chibi-Usa said softly. <I don't wanna waste the food.> But
she felt so full. There was also another strange feeling but she
couldn't understand it.

"Chibi-Usa, why don't you go lay down for a little bit," Ikuko said,
"Maybe you'll be hungry a little later. I can save this for you."
Chibi-Usa seemed reluctant but complied. Sliding off the chair,
Chibi-Usa slowly left the room and headed up the stairs. Ikuko watched
with some concern and then, turning back to the table, noted that Usagi
was looking guilty about something. Turning slightly, Ikuko said,
"Usagi... Chibi-Usa was with you this afternoon. Did she have anything
to eat?"

Usagi shifted uncomfortably in her chair and looked anywhere but at her
mother. After a few nervous seconds, Usagi said, "Hai... me and Makoto
took her out for some ice cream." She raised her eyes and her
nervousness increased as Ikuko gave her one of her harsher parental
glares.

                                  ******

Early Sunday afternoon the Senshi gathered at Rei's to discuss plans of
action. They wanted to talk without Usagi hearing. Some of the more
controversial ideas that were being put forth by the Senshi would
certainly be vetoed by Usagi.

Ami looked around at the others before saying, "We have to be prepared
for what's to come."

"I still say we go back into the past and warn ourselves," Minako stated
firmly, "That would simplify everything."

"Mina, it wouldn't," Artemis said with exasperation, "I've tried telling
you going back to warn ourselves would only give us more trouble than
benefits." He chose to ignore the dark comment Minako muttered. "So what
do you suggest, Ami?"

"What we were meant to do - guard Usagi and Chibi-Usa," Ami said.

"That's going to be hard," Rei said, "I mean, wouldn't Usagi NOT want us
to do that?" She could tell that Makoto didn't like that thought. <Come
on, can't you see it, Makoto?> "We can't guard her twenty-four hours a
day."

"Look, it's the nights we have to worry about," Makoto said, "Luna and
Artemis can follow Chibi-Usa around school. Me and Ami are with Usagi at
school. We need to take turns to watching her."

"What, us lose sleep so she can get some?" Rei retorted but there wasn't
much fire in her response. "Kami-sama, Luna is there... Couldn't you
detect anything strange?"

"If it was a power, hai," Luna said, her tail twitching, "But Mamoru can
mask his powers like the rest of you. I can't detect Endymion if he's
shifted out of the Endymion form. You girls are her Royal Guard.
However, it has to be a team decision. If you don't want to protect
Usagi, tell me now. I'll need time to find suitable replacements."

"You're kidding, ne?!?" Minako demanded.

"Certainly not," Luna sniffed, "How unreliable do you think I'd allow
the Royal Guard to get?" She fixed Minako with a cold gaze and added,
"You're the leader of the Senshi after Usagi. It's up to you."

"Luna, you're being silly!" Rei exploded, "Do you expect us to guard
Usagi while that... that... Baka Odango Atama sleeps?!?!"

"If that's what it takes!" Makoto retorted.

"Well Luna does have a point," Minako said softly.

"Nani?!?" Rei questioned, "Minako, are you sure you don't have odangos
too?"

Minako bristled but before she could say anything, Usagi's voice floated
into the room, "Rei, what are you yelling about?"

"YOU!" Rei shouted and crossing her arms glowered at the door.

"And here I thought you liked me," Usagi said sarcastically as she
entered, "Hi gals, didn't expect to find everybody over here. So what
were you talking about?" The room fell silent. The other girls shifted
uncomfortably under Usagi's questioning look. "Nani?"

"We were ah... talking about when Rei was going to ask Yuuichiro out,"
Minako offered. That earned her a cold look from Rei who seemed to glow
with anger, "So Rei, are you going to wear that skimpy little number you
bought?"

"MINA!!!" Rei yelled, now flushing brightly, "Of all the air-headed
things to do! That was supposed to be a secret!!! And besides, I TOLD
you it wasn't mine!"

Minako giggled, "Well, if Grandpa Hino wears it, we're in REAL trouble."
She giggled again, "Although... Yuuichiro WOULD look kinda kawaii in
it." Her eyes sparkled as she picture Yuuichiro wearing that...
<Hmmmm... Oh yeah!>

"Baka Mina!" Rei grumbled, "Yuuichiro's mine... I mean not yours... I
mean... GRRRH!!!" Getting up, she stomped out of the room trying to
ignore the gales of laughter coming from the other girls.

"So how was Chibi-Usa last night?" Makoto asked, "I mean she polished
off those two treats and then went home for supper." She made a sour
face and said, "I tried calling you last night but your mom said you
were busy and couldn't talk."

"I couldn't," Usagi confirmed as she grimaced, "Chibi-Usa got sick...
and I'm not just talking a tummy ache." The other girls gave Usagi
disgusted looks, "Mom said it was my fault 'cause I made the bet and
then let Chibi-Usa eat two sundaes that I had to take care of her."
Wrinkling her nose, Usagi added, "That included trying to clean the
carpet in her room."

"Ewww!" Minako said, "I really didn't need to know that."

"She was scared," Usagi said, "I never knew being sick would be a scary
thing... though I suppose for a little kid, it can be that way."
Deciding to change the topic, Usagi said, "Ami-chan, can you explain
that math to me? I've looked at it several times and I can't make any
sense out of it." Happy for the change of subject, Ami nodded and the
girls got down to work while Minako went off to coax Rei back into the
room.

                                  ******

Kenji sighed contentedly as he stretched out in his favorite chair.
Besides for Chibi-Usa, who was outside playing, he had the house all to
himself. Ikuko was out with a few of her friends, Usagi was over at
Rei's, and Shingo was over at Mika's.

<Silence,> Kenji thought to himself, <Beautiful silence.> Quietly
turning the paper, he breathed in deep and expelled his breath in a long
drawn out sigh. It had been a hectic time ever since Chibi-Usa came and
although he certainly didn't mind the little girl being there, it was
still a shock to his system. Having two kids in the house was one thing
but adding a third one to the mix was something else.

A slow grin spread across Kenji's face as he lowered his paper. <Usagi's
certainly improved.> He had begun to despair that his first daughter
would never amount to much. <I'm ashamed of thinking that,> Kenji
thought guiltily, <But Usagi just seemed to want to coast through life.>
That irritated him considering that if Usagi truly wanted to do
something she would.

He was about to turn back to his paper when he heard a muffled yell from
outside. Jumping at the noise, he listened. <Chibi-Usa?> Kenji
questioned. However, he was already in motion running to the front door
he looked outside and found Chibi-Usa face down and wailing. Opening the
door, Kenji rushed outside and over to the little girl.

"Chibi-Usa?" he questioned, "What's the matter?" The little girl's
response was garbled with tears and difficult to understand. "Come on,"
Kenji said gently and rolled Chibi-Usa over. "Kami-sama... how on earth
did you do that?" Kenji questioned as he finally saw the damage.
Somehow, Chibi-Usa had skinned both knees and her chin,

"It hurts!" Chibi-Usa cried.

"I know," Kenji said softly moving to scoop the little girl up, "Let's
go in and get you cleaned up." Carefully, he lifted Chibi-Usa up and
headed towards the house. The little girl alternated between hugging him
and trying to clutch her knees. After coming inside, Kenji sat Chibi-Usa
at the kitchen table before retrieving the first aid kit from a nearby
drawer.

After gently wiping away the blood, Kenji examined the injured area.
"How'd you manage to do this?"

"I don't know," Chibi-Usa whined out and pouted slightly. It certainly
wasn't her fault!

"You mean to tell me that you hurt both your knees and your chin and
don't know how it happened?" Kenji asked in a tone of disbelief.
Chibi-Usa nodded her head. "Well then, I'll just have to blame the
ground; it came out of nowhere and attacked you." Chibi-Usa giggled then
winced. "Well, I'll go get a facecloth and some soap. We gotta clean the
dirt off." Getting up, Kenji headed for the bathroom. Once inside, he
wobbled slightly and clung to the sink. <Kami-sama, it would be when
Ikuko's out.> Kenji hated the sight of blood; even the smallest amount
made him queasy.

"Are you all right, Daddy?" Chibi-Usa asked a few moments later. Kenji
who had been endeavoring to clean the one knee had started to wobble
slightly.

"Hmm?" Kenji questioned, "Hai. Are you done with the right one?" At
Chibi-Usa's nod, Kenji closed his eyes and took a deep breath before
swinging his gaze over to her other knee. "You did a good job," he
complimented.

"Arigato," Chibi-Usa said, a look of concern on her face. <Daddy looks
like he's gonna fall down.> Kenji wobbled a little and then stood before
pulling a chair from around the table.

"I'm going to put some antiseptic on those scraps. It'll hurt," Kenji
said. <Why on earth tell a kid that something isn't going to hurt when
it will?> Kenji thought as he reached for a bottle of antiseptic and a
clean cloth.

"Oowww!!!!!" Chibi-Usa cried out at the first stinging bite of the
medicine. She jerked her leg trying to move it away from the offending
stuff but Kenji had it firmly wedged between his. "It hurts!" Chibi-Usa
stated and made a whimpering noise.

"There we are, one down," Kenji said after having applied a gauss
bandage, "One knee and one chin to go."

"No," Chibi-Usa said firmly, "they're okay!" She held her hands up as if
to ward off any further application of the antiseptic.

<I know how to handle this,> Kenji thought, <Usagi used to say the same
thing.> Smiling, Kenji placed the bottle of antiseptic onto the table
and said, "Okay Chibi-Usa." Getting up, Kenji headed over towards the
phone and picked it up.

"Who you callin'?" Chibi-Usa questioned curiously, a wary expression on
her face. <What's he doin'?">

"The doctor," Kenji said turning to look at Chibi-Usa. At the little
girl's quizzical look, Kenji said, "Well if I don't stop the infection,
you'll have to go to the doctor." Chibi-Usa shrugged; she didn't mind
going. Although some of the tests were uncomfortable, she liked her
doctor. "Well the doctor'll have to use a needle. We can't have you
getting an infection, ne?"

"Needle?" Chibi-Usa questioned, her eyes enlarging. If there was on
thing she ABSOLUTELY DID NOT like about a trip to the doctor's, it was
getting a needle.

Smiling internally, Kenji hung the phone up and walking back over to his
chair, sat down. "Hai," he said, "It's oh... four or five inches long."
He fought the urge to chuckle. Chibi-Usa's eyes appeared ready to
explode, a look of terror residing in them.

Gulping, Chibi-Usa lifted her arm and looked at it. She studied it for a
moment before saying, "But it would go in the top and come out the
bottom."

"Did I say they'd stick it in your arm?" Kenji queried. Chibi-Usa gulped
again and, after several seconds, handed the antiseptic back to Kenji.
Hiding a smile and feeling just a little guilty for being deceitful,
Kenji proceeded to use the antiseptic on Chibi-Usa's other scraps.
Chibi-Usa tried to brave it out but didn't manage to stifle any of her
cries of protest; by the end of it all, Chibi-Usa was seriously
wondering if the doctor with that dreaded needle would've been easier.
"There we are," Kenji said after applying the last bandage to
Chibi-Usa's chin, "All done."

Chibi-Usa looked at Kenji for several seconds before a soft smile
appeared on her tear-stained face. Gingerly sliding from her chair, she
stepped towards Kenji and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. <You're
a great daddy,> she thought. Her smile grew a little bigger when Kenji
bent to return the hug. <I want you as a daddy.>

"Shhh..." Kenji said softly, holding Chibi-Usa close, "Why are you
crying?" He had seen a newly shed tear trickle down her face. The little
girl only snuggled closer. Picking her up, he moved into the living room
and sat on the couch. Settling her on his lap, he wrapped his arms
around her comforting. "What's the matter?" he questioned again.

Laying her head on his chest, she closed her eyes and listened to his
heartbeat, its steady breathing, and the concerned tone in his voice. <I
don't know,> Chibi-Usa thought. She just felt like crying. <Daddy before
wouldn't help me.> She sniffled, <He didn't love me and I was really
good.> She felt Kenji gently wipe away a tear. <I want my daddy... This
daddy!> Opening her eyes, she lifted her head to look at Kenji. His face
was filed with concern and love and that gave her a warm feeling, close
to her heart. She said softly, in a thick voice, "I love you, Daddy."

"And I love you, Mesume," Kenji replied while holding her close and
gently rubbing her back. He felt the hug and smiled. "You're a kawaii
little girl." That earned him a soft smile and a tighter hug, "Now what
if I read you a story."

"'Kay," Chibi-Usa said and closed her eyes again. She didn't really care
what they did. She was content to sit and feel the love, the love of a
father who cared about her.

                                  ******