Title: The BIG Wish-Prologue Rating: PG-13 due to mild language and sexual reference By: Lilac Summers Hi again! It's me, Lilac Summers, and this is my second excursion into fanfic world. It is not a continuation of "Final Truths," but instead makes a little foray into post-anime season, probably a bit after Sailor Stars ends. It is told in Usagi's point of view. This is different from my other story in that the genre could be mostly described as sexy humor. This is NOT a lemon or hentai by any stretch of the imagination, but it makes no qualms about Usagi and Mamoru's sexual relationship or, in this fanfic, *lack* thereof. I don't think this has been done before and, if it has, then I guess I'm not as original as I thought :( . In short, though, Usagi is out to seduce Mamoru, with a little help from the Silver Crystal. Will she succeed? Will Mamoru give in? Will Chibi-usa be born a little earlier than expected? Will Wal-Mart *ever* stock Sailor Moon stuff? Will I ever shut up? Tune in to find the answers to some of these mind-boggling questions! Okay, give credit where credit is due, I say. I thought of this after re-watching the movie _Big_. You know, the one with Tom Hanks? That's all I'm going to say. OH! And before I forget, I don't quite know the legalities in Japan for statutory rape or any of that. For that reason (and the fact that it fits my story) I am sticking to the U.S.' which claims 18 is the legal age for, well, you know. I hope this doesn't scare you away from reading . . . Disclaimer: Sailor Moon doesn't belong to me, but to Naoko Takeuchi. Tuxedo Mask, however, should belong to me, as he has left Naoko for me. He, in fact, is here right now. He says "Hi." * * * * * * * * * * * * * @>---;----'---- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The BIG Wish by Lilac Summers Prologue I have wished for many things in my life and, let me tell you, even with a super-powerful crystal in my possession, very few of those ever come true. Yeah, yeah, I know what you are thinking: I wished for all of us to be reborn and we were. Well, those are small potatoes indeed! How many times have I stared at the crystal and chanted over and over, "let me get an A on a test, let me get and A on a test, let me get an A on . . ." You get the drift. How many times has that happened? NONE! Zip, zero, zilch, nada. I also wished once for a ten-foot-long ice cream cone, and I never got that, either. Ditto for the blanket sized waffle, or the car sized cake. Sure, so once I wished to be a super-hero like Sailor V, or (every girl's dream) to be princess. Well, those turned out to be true, but they have been more of a chore than anything else! And, anyway, the Crystal didn't have a hand in any of that. That was all just destiny and my own good (or bad, depending on my mood) luck. But what I am trying to say is that I was justified in thinking that never, in a million years, would this particular wish come true. So, therefore, it is not at all my fault that I wished for what I did without thinking of the consequences. Hey, I still don't have a clue how the Silver Crystal works most of the time! It was a bad day! The Crystal is a fickle, fickle thing. I swear to you and posterity that, when I uttered the words, I didn't think the Crystal was paying attention. It never crossed my mind that it would hear me say and much less grant me my wish: "I want to be BIG." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have an absolutely brilliant explanation for this. I do, I swear. Just hear me out: Imagine that you are a 16 (going on 17) year-old girl who has been, for over a millenia, deeply, MADLY in love. Imagine, if you will, that your boyfriend is just as madly, DEEPLY in love with you as you are with him. Now, imagine that there is one eensy, teensy bit of a problem . . . He is 20 (going on 21). I suppose I could break out into a heart-warming rendition of _The Sound of Music_. "I am 16 going on 17, I know what I should do! You are 20 going on 21, I-I'll depe- end on you!" Well, you see, THAT was just the problem. I *couldn't* depend on him for one thing . . and I think you are starting to guess what that thing was. But in case you have yet to understand my dilemma, I guess I have to start from the beginning and give you an example. Oh, shoot, now I'm blushing. This is just more embarrassing to admit than I thought. *Sigh*! Okay, here I go: It was a beautiful Summer day. It was a beautiful *HOT* Summer day! Mamoru and I had spent a lovely afternoon shopping. We were like any other couple in love, arm in arm, laughing at each other's jokes, longing glances . . . the whole bit. The girls, i.e. the Senshi, had long ago claimed that another love-filled glance would make them retch and had gone their separate way (not before they shot me an array of sly winks and victory signs, of course.) We stopped at the park and we kissed, a kiss full of love and tenderness. We sat on a bench and kissed, another kiss full of love and tenderness. We went back to his apartment and kissed . . . with love and tenderness, of course. We sat on his couch and kissed . . . with a little more love and a tad less tenderness. Are you seeing a pattern here? I sincerely hope so because I don't think I can go on. The point of the matter is, after a while we were doing a *bit* more than kissing, all right? Not enough to actually have my father shoot Mamoru, but enough for him to have chased him with a baseball bat if he had seen us. Okay, maybe he *would* have shot him, but it wouldn't have been fatal. Of course, I was happy as a clam. Heck, I was a lot more than happy! This, um, randevouz was not an uncommon occurrence. However, the problem was that my Mamo-chan would usually end these little encounters before they got *too* out of hand. Well, this time it didn't seem as if he had any plans to call a sudden halt. Maybe it was the heat that got to him, or maybe the *really* short skirt I had worn to . . . to, uh, combat the heat, of course. *Blush* Anyway, *I* had no intention of stopping him. What was running through my mind was "FINALLY!!!" I don't think *anything* was running through his mind . . . That is, it wasn't until the phone rang. It never ceases to amaze me. Fate itself conspires against me, and I just don't understand it since it was fate that hooked me up to Mamoru to begin with. Yes, the phone rang. We ignored it completely. I don't think I even heard it until the machine picked up. We had no intention of breaking off to answer the damn machine. Mamoru's taped voice came on, beseeching all and sundry to leave a message, as he was either not in or busy at the moment. He was, indeed, very busy at the moment. The beep came on and I barely registered it through my befuddled mind. But, oh, I sure as heck registered the voice of my mother that came right after! "Usagi, honey, I guess you are still out shopping with Mamoru. When you and he get back, don't forget that you have to be back by 7 PM, okay? I want you to have dinner with the family. Your father keeps on complaining of how he hardly ever sees his 'little girl' anymore. Well, that's all. See you then! Take care and say hi to Mamoru for me." Click. We froze. The seconds ticked unbelievably loud all of a sudden from the clock on the mantel. Then Mamo-chan jumped away from me as if he had been scalded. Just POOF! One second he's beside me and the next he's across the room looking horrified at himself. I was NOT a happy camper. "Usako . . ." he began, only to groan and savagely run his fingers through his ruffled hair. I blew my bangs out of my eyes and let myself fall back on the couch, cursing phones in general. One step forward, two steps back. It'd be a week until Mamoru got the nerve to even touch me again. Darn it all, what did it take?!? "I can't believe what I almost did! What would your mother say!?" My mother would probably cheer her daughter on for finally getting some. "Your father would kill me!" True enough. "And you! Oh my God! I'm so sorry, Usako! I didn't mean to take advantage of you like that!" Wait a minute! Back up there for a second. "Advantage of me? ADVANTAGE OF ME!!??" He looked at me with those heavy-lidded eyes that did weird things to my stomach and gave me a sad smile. "Oh, Usako! You have no idea what was going on, do you?" No idea my a$$!! "Believe me, I know EXACTLY what was going on. I was enjoying every minute of it! And it was about time!" He had been enjoying every minute of it too, I guarantee. And if that smile lurking about his lips was any indication, he was quite aware that I had been completely willing and able. But, I bet, that wasn't what he meant. "That's not what I meant." Bingo! "What I meant was that you have no idea what repercussion could be!" In other words, he felt guilty because I was so young. "My God, Usagi, you're only 16!" Damn, I'm good! I could give Rei the Psychic a run for her money. "And I have your parents' trust that you will be safe in my keeping! Good grief, there are legal reasons too! There are laws in this country! It isn't even legal for me to, to . . .well, you know what I'm talking about!" I gave him a wicked smile. "No, I have no idea what you are talking about, just like, as you said, I had no idea what was going on before. Now, why don't you come back here and demonstrate exactly what it is that we shouldn't be doing so that I'll know for future reference?" I swear he looked tempted, but he shook if off and glared at me accusingly. "Usako!" he seemed scandalized. I was very frustrated by now. "For goodness sake, Mamo-chan! I'm 16, not dead! We've been going out for over two years, gone through things that couples married of fifty years would never go through . . . Hell, we even *know* we have a daughter in the future! What is holding you back!" Guilt was holding him back, and those damn gentlemanly ethics of his. Now, manners are all well and good in a guy, unless they are *really* getting in your way. "Usako," he sighed, sitting next to me and taking my hand (making darn sure he didn't touch any other part of me), "I can't forsake the responsibility your parents have entrusted to me. What's more, as figures who uphold the law, it would be unethical for us to break one of the laws that is set up to protect young girls like yourself. The fact is that you and I can't be together until you turn 18, and I owe it to your parents to wait until we are married. I will wait however long it takes until you and I can finally be together in *every* way, and I know you can too." Hell no! Not if I had anything to say about that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I went home. What else could I do? There was no reasoning with the man! I was no longer 14. I had had some harrowing adventures no teenager was ever expected to go through and survive, but I had! The simple truth was, I was thinking about all the danger that being Sailor Moon entails. So we hadn't had a fight in a while after the Sailor Stars left, but that didn't mean that this idealic peace would remain for long. I had waited for Mamoru's love for a thousand years. I had fought with him, gained him, lost him, forgotten him, regained him, and lost him again! Finally I had him with no threats, no future kids running around interrupting us, no memory loss or dreams separating us. I wanted him now before anything happened again. I wanted him, I deserved him . . . He was just so sexy! It was the man's own fault for being so hot! I was a responsible sixteen year old who finally wanted to cross that final boundary with her soul-mate. I may have been content with kisses and snuggling two years ago, but no longer! And I *knew* he wanted me. I could see it in his eyes often enough. The simple truth, however, was that I was going to have to break him down. But how? There were so many arguments standing in my way, but I sensed that the most weighty was my age. He felt as though he was taking advantage of a school-girl when he went too far. How could I change that? So that's when I got my great idea. Breakthrough, everyone! If I were only a little older . . . I had this picture of an older me in my head. Not exactly with a single age in mind, just a general picture of myself. I liked what I saw. I liked what being older would entail. How I would achieve this, however, never occurred to me. As I was saying, I wasn't consciously thinking it could happen. I ate dinner with my family. I got ready for bed. I looked at the picture of Mamoru and me on my dresser balefully and cursed all men in general. I tucked my locket under my pillow as I always did lest I need it during the night, and I fell asleep watching the moon travel the sky slowly. Somewhere in my mind I thought, "I want to be big." The Crystal heard, and granted. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ See? I'm being a good girl and keeping this as clean as possible. So it's fun for the whole family! C'mon, who can blame Usagi for wanting some action? You've *seen* Mamo-chan! Write me and tell me what you think, all comments and even flames are welcome! Please?! I LOVE E-MAIL MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF! But not more than Mamoru . . . :) salaices@leland.stanford.edu Title: The BIG Wish -- Chapter 1 Rating: PG By: Lilac Summer First off . . . I thank every single person who e-mailed me about this story. The feedback has been a balm to my soul, and I hope that I don't let anyone down with this chapter. Another HUGE thanks to Artemis and Luna and Andrea Hui for posting this. I BEG forgiveness to any of you who were waiting for Mamoru! You'll see he isn't in this chapter. WAIT!!! DON'T LEAVE! He *will* most definitely be a HUGE part of the story. Heck, the whole thing centers around him and Usagi. But, today I had to focus on all those loose ends called "explanations" so that I could set everything up. A seduction takes planning, darn it all! Finally, that stuff about 'Eve of Serene' is all, of course, made up by me, who has absolutely no concept of true astronomy. If I describe something that is totally outrageous and impossible, I humbly beg forgiveness. But answer me this: how many girls do *you* know who can transform into warriors by waving around big pens, huh? HUH?! Disclaimer: As always, Naoko Takeuchi refused my offer to buy Sailormoon from her. Thus, it *still* isn't mine. I'm using them illicitly (like a drug . . ooh, I feel like a rebel!) and with no hope of monetary gain. As much as I may need it . . . . Okay, okay! I'm done! On with the story. ************************* @>---;----'------ ************************* The BIG Wish By Lilac Summers Chapter 1 Streaks of pink and orange were barely coloring the sky when I awoke, feverish and disoriented. Luna snored peacefully as I groaned and turned over to glare through bleary eyes at the clock on my bedside table. 6:00 AM. I felt icky, heavy and unusually gangly, as if my limbs were disjointed. I rolled, or, more aptly, fell out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom, tripping over my hair in the process. The light, when I switched it on, struck my eyes like a million tiny daggers piercing into my brain. With a little yelp of pain I covered my eyes with a hand and fumbled towards the sink, keeping my eyes tightly shut as I turned on the water and began to splash my face. I dreaded looking into the mirror, fearing I would look as bad as I felt, but after the cold water dripped off my nose and I could sense that my eyes had adjusted to the light, I raised my face towards the mirror and carefully opened my eyes. "AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!" Thunk. The thunk, Luna later informed me, was the noise my body made as I fainted dead away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Luna was meowing furiously in my ear when I came to, sprawled with as much grace as a beached whale on the cold bathroom floor. Luna must have shut the door as soon as she saw what had made me scream, because I could hear my family questioning me anxiously from the other side. "Usagi, honey, are you okay? Usagi!? Answer!!! What's wrong!?" The doorknob jiggled dangerously as my mother tried to open the door, but Luna had locked it (though I am still at a loss as to how she managed *that* feat.) Whimpering, I sat up and brought my hands up to my head, where it encountered the root of my panic. My hair! It was *white*! "Luna!" I moaned, "look at me! My *hair*!" Luna did not seem suitably impressed. Instead, she hissed at me furiously, "that's hardly your problem right now! Tell your parents you are okay before they come barging in here and see you in that state!" I stood on unsteady feet and planted myself by the door, trying to sound as normal as possible to my mom with a voice that seemed strangely deep to my ears. "Uh, yeah mom?" I heard the sigh of relief straight through the door. "Usagi! Why didn't you answer? Honey, what's wrong?" Uh-oh. Excuse time. I was never very good with those. "Uh, nothing, mom. I-I slipped and fell on the floor, that's all." I could practically see my family conferring on the other side, trying to decide if this excuse was viable. It must not have been deemed so. "Um, Usagi, bunny, " that was my dad, "why did you scream?" I think the slipping excuse could have explained that one. Obviously, my parents did not think that a headlong flight towards cold linoleum was worth a blood-curdling scream. "A zit?" Silence. Then all three voices: "What?!" Think, Usagi. Make it good. "A zit. HUGE, daddy, really. Biggest darn zit I ever saw. You don't wanna see. In fact, I don't want anybody to see it." Let's add a bit of melodramatic teenage horror. "Dear God, my life is ruined! Everyone's gonna stare at me! Mamoru's gonna break up with me and leave me for a zit-free woman of the world. Wahhhhhhhhh!" Patented Usagi cry, three full decibels higher than any sound a human can stand. I could hear my family scurrying to get away from the door. My mother, the brave one, stayed close enough just to send the obligatory consolation speech. "Don't worry, Usagi. I'm sure it isn't that bad! You just see, in a day or two it'll be gone." My raised wailing was answer enough for her, and she no doubt thought that she would leave mothering to another occasion. Their running footsteps echoed all the way down the hall and each one barricaded themselves in their respective rooms, fearing the Great Zit-monster. My crying died an instant death and I slumped to the floor in relief, only to feel like crying in earnest when I saw the silvery strands of my hair that settled around me. "Luna!" I wailed. "Shush, Usagi! What did you expect, playing with the Luna pen again. You know you just have to transform to nullify it' affects. I don't see what the big brou-haha is all about." Brou-haha. She thought I was having a brou-haha, whatever that meant. It's annoying when your cat has a better vocabulary than you do. But I digress. "I DIDN'T use the Luna pen! You took it from me that last time when I wanted to see what I would look like as an exotic dancer, remember?" Luna stared at me in shock. "You didn't?" "NO! And why would I ask the Luna pen to give me white hair for anyway?" Luna's eyes had glazed over and she said, offhandedly, "the white hair is a sign of your maturity. Your mother had it, and her mother before her." Oh, no! "Maturity?! So I'm gonna be stuck with white hair forever? I'm gonna be the only 16 year old with white hair!" Luna was slowly going white, very difficult for a black cat to do, I assure you. "Usagi-chan, I don't think the white hair is your problem." "What!? Not a problem? Everyone is going to laugh at me when I go back to school." "Usagi-chan, did you look at yourself in the mirror?" I glared at a rapidly-fading Luna for a second and harrumphed angrily. "Why did you think I fainted? I saw my hair in the mirror!" "Did you notice anything else when you looked in the mirror?" "Oh my God! There's more? Do I *really* have a zit?!" I whirled and turned to the full-length mirror in one corner of the bathroom, trying my hardest to ignore the shock of silver hair that floated around me to the floor. With panicky glances I searched my face for the blemish. "Hey, Luna! Was that your idea of a joke? That was not . . . " Silver hair that fell to the *floor,* " . . .very . . ." Slanted blue eyes in an older face, " . . . nice . . ." Pajamas that rode high on my calves where before they had reached to my feet, " . . . of . . ." And most of all: BOOBS! " . . . you. " Thunk. Thunk. The second thunk, I believe, was Luna joining me on the floor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Keeping true to the recurring theme of that morning, when Ami first saw me this was her reaction: "GYAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Thunk. Somehow, I always thought Ami was made of sterner stuff than that. But then again, I thought *all* the girls were made of sterner stuff than I, but that morning when I walked into Hikawa Shrine, the effect was not unlike dominos. Rei: "EEk!" Thunk Minako: "Urgh!" Thunk Makoto . . . actually, Makoto didn't utter a sound. Her green eyes simply rolled to the back of her head and she fell on top of Minako. Great. Just dandy! Luna walked up to me, glancing dispassionately at the jumbled mass of arms and legs that were my friends. "Humph. They'll be awake soon enough." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 hour later "Soon enough, huh Luna?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 1/2 hour later. "Hey, Usagi . . . are you sure they're breathing?" They were. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 hours later. "Uuuuuuhhhhhh . . ." The first one to stir was Ami. She looked up at me, who had been patiently sitting by the table consuming anything edible, and got a strange faraway look in her eyes. Almost somnambulent, she disentangled herself from Minako's hair and kicked a leg (it looked like Rei's) out of the way. Somewhere along the way she also stepped on Makoto's hand, which elicited a grumbled "eech" from somewhere deep in the pile. This all went unnoticed to Ami, who stalked towards me with an almost predatory look of glee upon her usually placid face. The mad scientist had just found a subject. She whipped out her palmtop, wordlessly, and began to scan me from all directions, a fiendish smile creeping upon her lips and scaring the heebie jeebies out of me. Suddenly, three faces popped into view and made me lose what little hold on control I had after Ami's silent examination. "That's IT! I'm not some FREAK, you know!" Rei pushed an engrossed Ami out of the way and looked me up and down. I was wearing my longest skirt, a pink denim number that usually swept to my ankles. It now brushed the backs of my calves. The shirt I wore was usually lose and airy, and now seemed to constrict my breathing due to . . . to . . . . "HEY! Stop that!" I swatted Minako's curious finger, which had just poked my cleavage. Minako continued to look curiously at my bust, inquiring innocently, "are those real?" The other three gathered around me to add their opinions. "They seem real." "They look real." "Boy, is Mamoru gonna be happy . . . ." "Hello? HELLO?! I'm still here, you know," I grumbled. Makoto stood next to me and, for the first time, I noticed that she did not seem as tall as she usually did. Granted, she was still taller than I, but she no longer towered over me. "Yes, you are still here. And DAMN, girl! You are big!" "Indeed. Although I don't think the word 'big' is actually correct. I believe the term is 'old.' Twenty-one years old, to be exact." Ami, I just realized, has a great panache for the dramatic. Silence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . "@%$K! 21 YEARS OLD?! HOW the $%^# COULD SUCH A $#@#$%@ THING HAPPEN!" Luna, indeed, has a much more developed vocabulary than I. We were all a little more than shocked to hear the beautiful string of curses that would have made a sailor's mother proud fly out of Luna's mouth. Our ever-logical, ever-dignified Luna . . . I'm so proud . . . "Uh, yeah. What Luna said . . . sort of," piped in Rei. They all turned to look at me, as if *I* had any answers! "Don't look at me!" I wailed, "I just thought I was having a bad hair day!" Ami sighed, taking it upon herself to explain the unexplainable. "Well, girls, something has caused Usagi's growth rate to speed up tremendously." Rei cackled. "So, you mean she's gonna get even older? Hey, Usagi, if your hair is white at twenty-one, what color do you think it's gonna be when you're eighty?" That girl never did like me much. "No, actually, her growth rate sped up, but now it stopped. She isn't going past twenty-one, from what the computer says," Ami expounded. "But, wait. How do you know I'm twenty-one, exactly? What if I just went into a growth spurt? It could be a growth spurt, you know. I've heard that growth spurts . . ." I babbled on a little hysterically. "I'm afraid not, Usagi. I have a projected composite field diagram of all your expected physiological growth rates and any expected change thereof. You are most definitely twenty-one years old at the moment." Silence . . . . . .. . .. and blank stares . . . . . . . . . . "A big table with lots of numbers telling me what you'll look like at any age. It tells me you are twenty-one." "Oh," we all said. "Wait!" said Luna, sudden euphoria leaping into her face, "so, are you also saying that Usagi has matured into a twenty-one year old? Has her brain reached her mature potential!? THANK YOU, GODDESS!" "Uh, no." Euphoria waved good-bye at Luna and packed her bags, leaping off her face as quickly as it had gotten there. "Usagi's psychological readings remain in conjunction with those that are projected as her sixteen year-old norm." Silence . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ami threw her hands up in the air and chilled us with any icy glare. "I GIVE UP! She's as scatter-brained as always, okay?! Inside, Usagi is still sixteen-years old! GOOD GOD, people! Buy a dictionary, will you!?" Poor Ami. I like to think the stress was getting to her at the moment. I mean, surely she could have picked a nicer word than scatter-brained ... "Oh," we all said, again. Breathing heavily, Ami smoothed down her rumpled hair and brought herself under control. "What I can't figure out, is why." She turned to me, "Usagi, tell me exactly what went on in the past twenty-four hours." Okay. Easy enough. "Well, we all went to the mall, remember? And Rei got mad because she looked like a tomato in that red dress, and I escaped to the bathroom so Rei wouldn't roast me. Then Mamoru followed me to the bathroom and . . . " WAIT! I couldn't tell them *that* part! Backtrack, backtrack! They all looked at me, waiting. "And . . . .?" "AndhehelpedmetiemyshoelacescuzIcouldn'tdoitbymyself!" Phew! First rule of lying: if you talk fast enough, anything is believable! Minako looked at me with raised eyebrows. "He had to go to the bathroom with you to tie your shoe laces 'cuz you couldn't do it by yourself? Really, Usagi!" Okay. Note to self: think up a better rule number one. "ANYWAY, so we came back and you guys left because Makoto said she'd throw up if she saw Mamoru hug me one more time . . . which, by the way, Makoto, was pretty lousy of you." "Eh. Shoot me," shrugged Makoto, unconcerned. "So, Mamoru and I went to the park and he bought me ice-cream. And then a hot dog. And a soda . . . and cotton candy. Oh! And a hamburger, cuz I was a little hungry." Minako poked my cleavage once again and looked at the others knowingly as I swatted her hand away. "I got it, guys! THIS is where she stores all the food!" "Har har har! Very funny, Minako. As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, then we went to Mamoru's apartment and we . . ." ARGH! Can't say that out loud, either! Backtrack, backtrack! The girls waited. "You . . . .?" "We . . . uh . . . decided to . . . uh . . . *blush* . . . um . . . Hey, girls! How 'bout them Bulls, huh?" Well, what did you expect? I hadn't had time to think up of another 'rule number one.' Rei cleared her throat. "Well, I think it's safe to assume that nothing more happened . . . that required any talking, at least . . ." *BLUSH* "And, finally, I went home. Ate dinner. Got into bed and fell asleep watching the moon. Then, I woke up around 6 AM because I felt sick and weird, went to the bathroom, and realized that I was big!" "Hmmm. Well, I certainly don't see what could have caused the change, then," murmured Amy. Yeah. She was telling me! As if my day hadn't gone bad enough. First Mamoru gets all noble on me because I'm not big enough to be legal, and then I wake up and I have aged . . . have aged to . . . OH MY GOD! I WAS LEGAL! Heck, I was more than legal! I was twenty-one! I WAS OLDER THAN HE WAS! But how?! I mean, it wasn't every day that stuff you just wished for . . . stuff you wanted . . . uh oh. Luna was gonna kill me . . . The girls were in a football huddle, discussing any way that I could have aged five years overnight. I, however, had the sinking sensation that I already knew. "Um, guys?" Four pairs of eyes swung at me, three human, one feline. "I think, " I began in my cutest I-am-not-to-blame-here-cuz-remember- I'm-your-princess-and-you-won't-have-any-Crystal-Tokyo-if-you-kill-me- now voice, "I might have . . . uh . . . wished . . . *accidentally* wished, of course . . . that I were . . . well . . . uh, big." The four swayed alarmingly before Ami whispered a bit hoarsely, "How?" If you scuff your shoes and twiddle the ends of your hair, looking up through your lashes *just so* I have found that you reach such unprecedented cuteness levels, that even youma think twice before attacking. I used this skill to the fullest at the moment. "Well, I was just thinking (not wishing!!) that it'd be neat to be big. And the full moon was so pretty, and the Silver Crystal was underneath my pillow . . ." "AAARGH!" screamed Luna, flying for my face with claw outstretched. Guess my cuteness factor wears out with age . . . "WHY did you have to wish for something so lame-brained on last night of all nights! WHY!!!" I stepped to the side so she flew right by my face and made a "clunk" noise on the wall. "Why not last night? What was so special about last night? None of my other wishes ever came true!" Ami's eyes bulged nearly out of their sockets. "Oh my goodness, how could I have forgotten?" In a second she pounced upon her computer again, typing furiously. "AHA! I knew it! Yesterday was the Eve of Selene!" "Eve of Selene?" Luna limped out from behind me,hanging her head wearily. "I just never thought that it would matter . . . I didn't even think to tell you . . ." "WHAT?! What's so special about this 'Eve of Selene' thingy?" Ami drew in a deep breath, getting that look that signifies, to me, that it's exposition time. It's not unlike the look Wilma gets when she's figured out who the monster is on that American cartoon "Scooby Dooby Doo." "It's a very rare astronomical occurrence that happens only once every three thousand years. There are very few mentions of it in ancient Mayan tomes. On that night, the moon crosses the plane of Sagittarius and ends up in complete alignment with a little-known constellation called 'Lunasis.' I only know about it because the Mayan translations of that long-lost text are entered in my computer." Luna all but wept. "That's right. It's a night of very great power to the Lunarians, but I did not want to tell you because I feared you would do something stupid, Usagi." "Like wish to be big?" I asked. "YES!" "Just checking . . . " Rei spoke up, asking what was on all our minds. I was too scared to ask, personally. "So, is it permanent?" We held our collective breaths, waiting for the verdict. Ami, as I mentioned, seems to have this melodramatic streak, quite sadistic, actually, that pops out at the most angst-filled moments. She let the silence hang for a full minute, none of us daring to breathe . . . "The answer is . . . no." Ahhhhhhh! Fresh air! "The moon will move slowly out of alignment over time, and, since you did not consciously focus energy into the Crystal for the wish, the wish is quite weak. It should end when the moon goes back to its regular place." Makoto: "And when will that be?" Ami looked at us fearfully. The bearer of bad news . . . "Well, I don't actually know . . ." "WHAT?!" "The computer doesn't say! This phenomenon is so rare, it isn't properly documented. It could be a day, it could be a month! No more than that, I promise!" "A week? A MONTH?!" I wailed. "Where am I gonna stay! I can't be home like this!!" Rei looked at me apologetically, "and my grandfather would definitely find out." Minako: "as would my parents . . ." Ami: "as would my mom . . ." Makoto: "and my landlord doesn't let people stay over for more than a day . . . . ." So that left . . . . Ami, always the fast one, said, "hey, Usagi, just stay with Mamoru!" Mamoru! Of the blue eyes and raven hair! Mamoru of the perfect body and loving gaze! Mamoru, of the "I can't be with you until it is legal . . ." I don't think anybody actually *saw* the little devil that climbed up and sat on my shoulder, frankly booting aside the little angel that usually resides there. I don't think they heard us making our plans . . . Because, suddenly, I'd remembered why I wanted to be big in the first place! ********************************************************************************* Jeepers! I admit it straight up, I had to work through a major case of writer's block to get even this much, so I beg you, be kind! Send all comments to me, please! Even if it's a little one, like, "Jeez, I wonder where Artemis was," or *anything.* And, uh, as for the Artemis question, I forgot him, okay? Just imagine he was out chasing mice or something! Title: The BIG Wish - - Chapter 2 By: Lilac Summers E-mail: salaices@leland.stanford.edu Rated: PG Hello hello, everyone! Here it is, chapter 2. I hope you all enjoy. THANKS to all those great people who have e-mailed me their comments and good wishes. Particularly to some regulars who always make my day: the newly baptized Lady Mirage, Sidnei, Razzz, Jennifer Wand, Sailor Saturn, Sailor Pluto, Sonia-chan, Cynthi-moon and all the others. THANKS, GUYS! Again, sorry this one's short. Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any other characters mentioned in this story. They are property of Naoko Takeuchi and I mean them no harm, unless I'm really, really angry. And if anyone sues, I shall be very, very angry and henceforth litter my stories with bodies. Be warned! * * * * * * * * * * * @>---;---'--- * * * * * * * * * * * * The BIG Wish by Lilac Summers Chapter 2 I shall always treasure the memory of Mamo-chan's face when he first saw me. I admit, it was a tremendous ego boost. I could almost see the drool dripping out of the side of his mouth. And though you may not believe that drool is exactly sexy, let me remind you that this man didn't even *blink* when he saw me naked, with WINGS, no less, on our last battle. Not a twitch, not a sigh! That man takes "stoic" to new heights. And believe you me, I was most decidedly looking for a reaction that time! C'mon, how many guys can say their girlfriend--their naked, *winged* girlfriend--threw herself into his arms? Well, that day was a crushing blow to my ego. All the Stars were looking, and even Haruka was looking! But my darling, too-gentlemanly-for-his-own- good Mamo-chan never let his gaze wander below my neck. Focused. Bang! Right there, between the eyes. Damned man didn't even take a peek when I unfurled my wings simply for *his* enjoyment. But that is a story for another day and I'm getting off the point. POINT: Mamo-chan turned several shades of red and got decidedly, er, *uncomfortable* when he first saw me. And of course, I was going to help matters along . . . This is how it happened: Not long after Ami-chan's grand idea for me to stay at Mamo- chan's came along, Luna decided that there had to be a way of keeping me out of Mamo-chan's lair.... "No, Usagi-chan! It's not seemly! I will not permit you to stay at Mamoru-san's apartment, alone, *unchaperoned* (!), looking like you do right now." Luna can deflate a girl's dream faster than any rifle-totin' father. "Luna! C'mon, nothing's gonna happen!" Yeah, right. Not if I could help it . . ."We've been going out for over a year and nothing's gotten out of hand, "to my eternal disappointment . . . "What makes you think that something would happen now?" Luna glared pointedly at my new figure. "What do you think? And if nothing's happened, I'm sure that is due more on Mamoru's part than your own." Dammit, that cat knows me too well. "What's more," the lousy feline continued, "you two have hardly had that much time to, *cough*, _do_ much. Chibi-Usa was always with you, and when she wasn't here there was always another threat. It positively sends shivers down my spine even thinking of what trouble you two could get into by yourselves in his apartment." Yeah, well, it sent shivers down my spine, too, but for completely different reasons . . . . However, when it seemed that all was lost and I was doomed to miss out on my grand opportunity to seduce Mamo-chan, my friends came to the rescue! The first to catch on to my plan was Rei. I guess the decidedly wicked gleam in my eyes was her first clue. That, and the pointed kick I gave her under the table to intervene . . . "Luna," Rei began, kicking me back, "I just noticed that Artemis wasn't here. Don't you think he should know what's going on before we make any decisions?" We all looked around, for the first time realizing that the white furball wasn't with us. Minako had a clue as to where he could be. "Oh, darn that cat! Of all the days to, and I quote 'sharpen my hunting skills' . . . Oh, and he wouldn't tell me where the mighty 'hunter's grounds' were, so he wouldn't be disturbed . . ." Luna blushed slightly and coughed delicately. "Hmm, I might know where the neighborhood cats go hunting . . . by chance, of course! I'll go look for him now!" She streaked by, leaving the four girls looking at me curiously. "Okay, Usagi. Now, just what exactly is going on in that twisted brain of yours?" demanded Rei, rubbing her abused foot. "Well . . . er . . . guys, you just *have* to help me convince Luna that Mamo-chan's place is where I must stay!" "His apartment *is* the safest place for you to stay right now, but there could also be other solutions-" started Ami. I jumped over the table and prostrated myself before her, ready to beg to get her on my side. Luna always listens to Ami-chan. "NO, Ami! Look, just stop thinking right now, okay? Of all of us here, you are the one most likely to find another solution, and I don't WANT another solution! You get what I'm saying here, Ami- chan?" Ami looked confused. "But why do you care if I find another -" Minako cut her off, understanding dawning on her face. She stood and pointed her finger at me. "AHA! I get it now! Why, Usagi-chan, you wily little vixen! You're trying to get into Mamoru's pants!" We were all quiet, in various states of red after hearing Minako put it like that. "Minako-chan no Hentai! You don't have to put it so bluntly! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?!" screamed Rei. "Remember, this is holy ground!" Makoto managed to fan the color out of her face and looked at me with understanding, and even a little bit of pity. "Poor Usagi- chan! You mean that you still haven't managed to get Mamoru to give in? Well, I understand you now. However, before you can get into, as Minako lovingly put it, 'his pants,' you have to get into his apartment!" PRECISELY! Luna chose this moment to walk in, dragging Artemis behind her. "Found him! Okay, I explained everything along the way, and here he is!" She placed Artemis in front of her, before me, and waited for his reaction. It was neither long in coming, nor original. Thunk. "Well, that ought to keep him occupied for an hour or two. The important thing is that he now knows what is going on. AND he helped me think of a solution that I am quite surprised I didn't think of before. Usagi, all you have to do is use the Luna Disguise Pen to turn yourself back to normal for the duration. Then you can simply stay at home!" announced Luna. I could see all my plans crumbling into nothing. NO FAIR! The one time my wish came true and I wouldn't be able to take advantage of it. I looked at the girls beseechingly, begging them to intervene in this cruel, unjust decision. Minako took pity on me. "Luna, I don't think that would be wise." Luna's smug look of triumph faded. "B-but why, Minako-chan?" "Well, er . . . hmm." It looked like that was all from *that* corner of the arena. "The disguise magic won't work!" blurted out Ami. We all looked at her, the girls and I wondering what Ami-chan would make out of that one. "What?! But of course it will!" said Luna, fighting till the end. "Uh, yeah, it would work for a while . . . but the logistical data," and here she whipped out her computer and pressed some irrelevant keys, "shows that the pen's power is very unpredictable for long-term use. Uh, hmm, y-you see, the magic used by the pen is not unlike that of the crystal, that drains the user by degrees . . . sooner or later it would exhaust Usagi to keep up the disguise. Moreover, uh, er . . . Oh, yeah! The data shows that the length that a single transformation may last, if not aborted voluntarily, is unknown, so Usagi could de-disguise after only a matter of hours, and what would happen if she were in front of her family? Phew!" Ami-chan took a long breath after her lengthy fabrications and looked at us for approval. Thumbs up all around! Let's hear it for Ami-chan! I swore to make Ami-chan maid of honor at my wedding if this worked . . . "Oh," Luna said, disappointed, not questioning Ami's superior knowledge. "I guess you are right. We've never used the pen for extended periods . . ." With little hope, Luna glanced around for one last time. "Minna, are you sure none of you can take Usagi in?" They all shook their heads adamantly. "All right. Then I guess our only hope *is* Mamoru-san. But mind you, Usagi, you *will* behave!" Yeah, sure Luna. I'd behave . . . ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Mamoru opened the door that afternoon to an anxious group of girls. Learning from past mistakes, we had decided to call ahead and warn him that things would not be quite, well, *normal*. After working out some of the minor details with the girls and Luna, leaving Luna behind to care for the still unconscious Artemis, using the Luna Pen briefly to go ask my parents for permission if I could go on a *FREE* remedial summer-school camp out of town (with the girls standing behind me and nodding their heads sagely, bemoaning the fact that, alas, couldn't go with me to *camp*), and borrowing some slightly larger tops from Makoto, I was ready. Time to begin Operation Mamo-Chan. "Hello, girls, what exactly is the problem? And where is Usagi?" To further safeguard against any untimely "thunks," I had stayed behind in the hall, pressed against the outside wall, when he opened the door. No need to bring out the big guns just yet. The girls stepped inside and I heard Minako laugh nervously. "Heh, heh. Mamoru-san, it's Usagi-chan who has the little problem . . ." I distinctly heard Rei mutter at Makoto, "I think she means *two* BIG problems." And then Makoto answered back, "they're not gonna be problems for long, if you know what I mean." The audacity! My own friends talking behind my back . . . literally! Mamo-chan had, understandably, gotten a little freaked by now. "Usako? What's happened to her?! Where is she!?" I heard him stride rapidly towards the door, and then the shuffle of feet as the girls ran to intercede. "Wait, Mamoru-san!" said Ami, "I think I had better explain first that Usagi-chan is fine! What's happened to her is temporary and not dangerous--" "To her, at least. Now, to you . . ." quipped Minako. "Minako-chan, hush! Look, Mamoru, just remember that it's temporary--" "Though you'll wish it weren't . . ." "MINAKO!! Anyway, it's *temporary* and you are our only solution," finished Ami. I can only imagine what my poor Mamo-chan must have been thinking through that muddled explanation. No doubt he thought I'd suffered some hideous disfiguration, or lost all my hair, or something of that sort. So, I could feel him brace himself as Rei called me inside. "Okay, Usagi. Come on in!" I stepped away from the wall and stepped into the doorway. Pause. Now, in the few minutes I had had at my house, I had practiced this particular pose. Entrance is essential, boys and girls! Standing in silhouette against a doorway is a good beginning, and draws people's gazes straight to you. It's a wonderful strategy for gaining a youma's attention. This time I paused just inside, twisting one long silver ponytail in my hands for a touch of innocence. I'd changed my long skirt for a shorter one that usually hung a few inches above the knees but now seemed so much shorter! One of Makoto's sweaters completed the ensemble, and though I did not nearly do it justice as Makoto did, it still fit reasonably well. Hip cocked, left leg slightly behind the other . . . and head slightly bowed so I looked at him through my lashes. Of course, there are consequences to this out-on-the-prowl-yet-innocent pose. My back was killing me due to my unaligned hips, I was teetering on my dubious balance, and I was beginning to develop a crick in my neck. But it was worth it! Mamo-chan had effectively stopped breathing and was a millisecond away from becoming catatonic. His eyes were glued to me in shock and something else . . . I heard Rei snicker somewhere to my side and shot her a sidelong, deadly glance, then immediately forced my eyes to go soft and watery so I could look back at Mamo-chan, my chin trembling. "Mamo-chan!" I cried, "look what's happened to me!" Oh, he was looking, all right! "I-I just woke up . .a-and I realized I had white hair . . . and then I find out I'm *old*" stress that little important fact, "and I was so scared!" Crocodile tears and cute little sniffles to reel him in . . . I could see the girls had taken a seat and raided the refrigerator, ready to witness Usagi's grand acting debut. Mamo-chan was able to bring some coherence into his gaze long enough to walk towards me and sweep me into a comforting embrace, trying his darndest to "reassure" me. "It's okay, Usako. It's [gulp!] just temporary and your hair isn't white, it's silver." To both our surprises, we realized that, on tip-toes, my chin reached the curve of his neck exactly. My added height facilitated our embrace and I looked over his shoulder happily as he murmured somesuch nonsense into my ear. In my sights were my friends, who were clapping silently. I grinned and gave them a thumbs up while they mimed hooting and whistling, cheering for my success. However, the instant Mamo-chan turned us so they were within his sight, all traces of food and drink were gone and the merriment had disappeared. Minako held on to a pillow, giving Mamoru a watery smile. Makoto shook her head sadly and Rei and Ami fought to be brave. OH! Such adversity! How will our poor Usagi- chan survive being stuck as ... as *that*. You must be brave, Mamoru-san. For her sake! They stood as one and walked towards the door, whispering their "condolences" to Mamo-chan. "It'll be okay. Remember, it's not permanent," whispered Ami. "Yeah, enjoy it while it lasts . . . I MEAN, er, I don't think it's gonna last!" finished Minako. "Uh huh. Don't leave her alone. She's bound to be depressed," advised Makoto. "Yeah, you have to keep reassuring her. Take good care of her, " added Rei. They'd almost made it out the door when Mamo-chan realized what their comments meant. "WHAT?! Y-you mean . . . you're leaving!?" He looked down at me (who was quite comfortable in his arms, thank you very much) in horror. "She is staying *here*?!" "Uh, of course, Mamoru-san. Where else could she stay?" "Anywhere!" at my baleful look, he backtracked. "I mean, wouldn't she be more comfortable with one of you?" Slowly, ever so slowly, he was trying to disentangle himself from my grasp without making me aware of the fact. Of course, I *was* aware of the fact, and only held on tighter. He blushed. "Urgh . . . er, Usako, I don't think it'd be such a good idea you staying here, with me . . . alone . . ." Oh, bother! The man could try the patience of a saint. "Mamo-chan, " I said in my littlest voice, "don't you want me here? Don't you love me anymore?" Butter in my hands. I could *hear* him melt. "Of course I do, love." And then, under his breath, "too much. That's the problem." Then in a regular voice, "but I can't help thinking that this is gonna get us into trouble." "Girls, I'm sure you can work something out with--" He glanced all around the apartment. "Girls . . .? Where'd they go?" Looking over my shoulder, I realized my friends had made a hasty exit. You gotta love 'em. I stepped out of Mamo-chan's embrace and scuffed my slipper- shod toes sadly. "I promise I won't be any trouble, Mamo-chan. You won't even know I'm here." Then I sat down . . . and crossed my legs a la Sharon Stone. "Somehow," sighed Mamoru, "I doubt that." ------------------------------------------------------------------- to be continued That's all for this week! See ya the next, hopefully. Ooh, and lest I forget, the "naked with wings" part, for all of you who may not know, referred to the end of the animated series. Adios! Title: The BIG Wish -- Chapter 3 By: Lilac Summers Rating: I insist it's PG 13 for mild language and, er, sexual reference salaices@leland.stanford.edu For all you Mamo-chan/Usagi-chan lovers, this is the chapter you want to read. 100% pure Usagi mischief. I hope you enjoy it. And I will keep this story PG13 if it kills me! Thanks go out to all of you who continue to support me. I forgot Jade, Gerardo Rodriguez, XOXO546, Callista, and Sonia last time around . . . So THANKS, guys! SPECIAL thanks goes out to Lady Mirage, who has given me TONS of ideas which I am so grateful for. And Sidnei is a fellow Mamo-chan devotee who is writing this great story called "Kissing a Dream." READ it when it comes out, okay? Disclaimer: {Insert uproariously funny disclaimer right here. Lilac Summers is too tired to think one up.} Sailor Moon not mine. Naoko Takeuchi's. Don't sue. Me Tarzan. You Jane. ** ** ** ** ** ** *** @>--;--'--- ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** The BIG Wish by Lilac Summers Chapter 3 I suppose you could say it was all my fault. I suppose you could even go so far as to say that I deserved it. And I suppose you could say that Mamo-chan was an innocent victim. I suppose. That's all I'm willing to admit. If you want MY opinion, however, I'll tell you that what occurred was not solely my fault. It takes two to tango and all that. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Have I lost you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm just trying to establish my innocence from the very beginning, however. So let me fill you in on what happened. But remember, it takes two . . . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mamo-chan was at a loss as to what to do with me. *I* had a few suggestions as to what he could do with me, but I don't think he would have appreciated them. That's why, an hour after my pals had scurried out the door, he sat at the farthest end of the couch, miles away from me. We just stared at each other. Well, he stared at me and I contrived to look like the victim in all this. Yeah, the facts had been established. He now knew the finer details of my predicament, about the Eve of Selene, about my reasons (edited carefully to seem very benign, of course) for wishing to be big, and about my age. Ah, my age. That little tidbit had brought horror into his eyes. I watched him kiss his gentlemanly barriers good-bye. The reasons that were holding him back from doing what we both wanted him to do had been greatly reduced. I could see him thinking, too, that maybe getting killed by my father wouldn't be so bad . . . Oh, but my Mamo-chan is a stubborn one, and I could sense him clinging to the last dregs of his gentlemanly ethics with all of his determination. He was out to do the honorable thing. Obviously, treating me as if I had the plague was the only way of succeeding in this. Little did he know, of course, that I was already scheming on how to get rid of those cumbersome honorable intentions. Or maybe he did know that I was out to get him. I can't be sure. He watched me with a piercing wariness, I thought perhaps he was getting the drift of what my intentions would be. Of course, he would never ask me outright, and if he ever did I was ready to be righteous and indignant. The only thing I am sure about, though, is that the staring contest on the couch was a test. Who would be master of the household? Who would back out first? I knew this, he knew this. This is yet another reason that I think he suspected I was after his body from the minute I set foot in his apartment. Mamo-chan is, by nature, a hunter. But turnabout is fair play and so I could see that he sensed that he had suddenly become the hunted. You got it, baby. I had him right where I wanted him. All I had to do was pull the trigger, so to speak. Easy, huh? No, dammit, it wasn't. Mamo-chan's control is formidable. I was going to have to work for every point. Anyway, the battle of will was on. Ladies and gentlemen, on the left end of the couch in the blue shirt, undisputed champion of control, Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiba Mamoru! And on the other end, newly enforced with legality, in the short white skirt, the challenger of control out to do her mother proud, Tsukinoooooooooooooooooo Usagi! DING! And I was off, throwing the first punch! "Mamo-chan, I'm scared. I don't like this at all," actually, I was having the time of my life. "What if something goes wrong and I never get back to normal? I-I would never be ale to go back home . . . Oh, Mamo-chan, HOLD me!" And I literally THREW myself onto his lap. All right, Chiba Mamoru, deal with *this*. He froze. A poor deer caught in the headlights, or the sights of a hunter. A blonde-haired hunter. A blonde-haired hunter wearing a REALLY short skirt. A blonde-haired hunter wearing a really short skirt that had ridden up with the force of said hunter's attack . . . I could understand his problem. Now, he couldn't NOT hold me, because he loved me, after all, and would never deny me comfort if I needed him. Lucky for me, he is a sucker for a damsel in distress, especially me as a damsel in distress. However, if he was going to follow through with his proclamations of chastity till the wedding, he had to get rid of me... *fast*! Well, the damsel in distress routine won out, as I knew it would. His arms came around me and held me gently, smoothing my hair in an attempt to comfort but doing something altogether different. Okay, Usagi my girl, step two. You are where you want to be . . . now what are you going to do about it? Snuggle. Next most logical step, of course. So I snuggled. Wriggled *just so* to give the impression of settling in for a nice little crying jag. I was really good at those. I snuggled, however, with a few alterations. It involved wiggling a few strategic parts of the anatomy more than others. I assume you get the point. If you don't . . . er, well, use your imagination. I assure you, imagination works because I knew that Mamo-chan instantly began to use his. . . imagination. (What did you think I was going to say?!) I don't want to brag, but let's say Mamo-chan was instantly uncomfortable. Breathing had sped up, hands were clenched . . . the whole bit. Now I, as a perceptive girlfriend, could not act as if I couldn't sense what was going on. Step 3: acknowledging the situation but making it seem as if it was all his idea from the beginning. Guys are big on the "me first" concept, ladies. If you don't know that yet you should get out more. Guys like to take responsibility for all and any ideas that they will be directly involved in. If they didn't think of it first, then by darn it, it wasn't worth thinking of to begin with. I love my Mamo-chan but I know he has his macho moments just like any other guy. He would NOT take kindly to the idea that *I* was having my way with *him*, and *screw* his misguided ideas of chivalry. To achieve this, the tried and true "What is going on here? I have been busy thinking of bunnies, candy, and other innocent pastimes that have nothing to do with sex" look was my most reliable option. It involves an enlargement of the optical area of the face that, in regular mortals, is simply physically impossible. I, however, am Sailor Moon, and I can damn well do anything I please. You've seen Chibi-Usa's sickeningly sweet look, right? Who do you think taught it to her? So, applying this technique with a vengeance, I raised my head from where it rested on the crook of his neck and gazed at him wonderingly, effectively bringing my face nose-to-nose with his. "Mamo-chan?" I breathed. He looked at me, his gaze traveling my entire face before settling on my amazingly-innocent eyes. He loves my eyes, claims they are as fathomless as the ocean, as clear as the sky. Yes, my Mamo-chan is at times a poet. So I used my fathomless, clear-as-sky eyes for all they were worth and caught him completely, so I was in a prime spot to view all the thoughts running through his head and reflecting in *his* gorgeous eyes. He was no doubt rationalizing that a chaste kiss would hurt no one. Surely you can control a little peck . . . Never mind the fact that she's on your lap, a kiss is quite acceptable. Just. One. Tiny. Kiss. Rationalizations are wonderful things. Convinced of his powers of control, Mamo-chan gave in to the inevitable and kissed me. . . Now, I won't bore you with all the details of that earth-shattering kiss. In truth, all our kisses are earth-shattering. Luna once asked me what he tasted like, and I told her he was sweet, like something was melting on my tongue. His kisses are chocolate, warm and rich and addicting. At least, they always begin that way. Then they slowly morph into wildness. Mousse Flambe, if you will. He slowly began to . . . Oh, but what am I saying? I promised I wouldn't bore you with the details, so I won't. And I won't bore you with what happened after all his rationalizations flew like so much dirty water out the window and all I got was not "Just. One. Tiny. Kiss." Goodness, no! Did you actually put money on Mamo-chan on this one? You haven't been listening, have you? He had dearly underestimated me, and he was paying for it, although I don't think he was minding one bit . . . Curious, you say? Are you? Well, using my father's reaction as a scale, with one being a baseball bat and ten being a bazooka, I would say Mamo-chan and I were treading around the shotgun stage. In other words, for those of you not familiar with the "Daddy on a Rampage" scale, we were fully clothed still, okay? Yet slowly moving to the Magnum with a full clip stage . . . DING DONG! The doorbell was loud and no doubt working for the Negaverse. A careful ring would have been easily ignored, or not heard. However, that bullhorn of a doorbell that he has brought my attention right up in a snap, and wrenched Mamo-chan's attention onto what we were doing, and shouldn't be doing . . . Where once I was on his lap, I was now dumped unceremoniously onto the floor as he zoomed by, mumbling something about taking a cold shower and successfully barricading himself in the bathroom, leaving me to deal with whoever was on the other side of the door. But oh, I would deal! I would deal in spades . . . Stomping over to the door, I took a second to rearrange my clothing, and upon finding that, dammit, my clothes were in perfect order, I got even madder. "WHAT?!" The pizza boy who stood there cowered before me, holding up the pizza like a shield. "C-Chiba residence?" he croaked. At my furious nod he held up the pizza like a peace offering and shook with trepidation. "Y-you ordered a . . . a p-pizza t-two hours ago and . . . uh, because we took so long to deliver you get it for half prize." I only got more furious. My seduction . . . ruined by a pizza!!! When he saw the fire in my eyes, (heck, the furnace, more like it!), he simply gave up on his decision to brave the mad-woman and threw the pizza box at me. "I'm sorry! Sorry I was so late! Here, it's free!" and ran off as if all the furies of hell were on his tail, giving a crazy little shriek that echoed down the hallway as I slammed the door behind him. But then the steaming odor of the pizza pacified me. Food does that to me, so sue me. All right, so my first attempt had come to an untimely end. There was more than one battle in a war, right? Unfortunately, now Mamo-chan would be on the lookout. He would be extra, EXTRA careful. Okay, I could deal. I had a whole month, after all. I mean, I had destroyed Beryl, Wiseman, Pharaoh 90, Neherenia, and Galaxia, right? How difficult could it be to seduce the man who was already head-over-heels in love with me? All in all, seducing Mamo-chan should be child's play. Famous last words, everybody. Famous last words. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I had worked myself through most of Mamo-chan's pizza (seducing was tiring business!) when the second opportunity of the day decided to present itself. It seems my Mamo-chan had been rash in his haste to escape from me and had forgotten that all his towels were currently spinning happily in the gentle cycle of the washing machine. So he was left with the options of parading out of the bathroom gloriously naked (Hooray for option number one! Is this decision open to votes?), or asking his lovely girlfriend, whose intentions he was secretly starting to question being of a carnal bent, to find him something to dry himself off with. I was also all for option number two. It was a win-win situation, if you ask me. Option number two won out. "Uh, Usako? Usako!" I rounded a wall and came into view of the bathroom door, munching busily on a slice of pizza. "Hmmm?" Pizza was summarily forgotten when I saw Mamo-chan peeking through a crack of the open bathroom door. I could only see his head and catch a glimpse of tantalizing wet shoulder. I swallowed. "Uh, yes, Mamo-chan?" "Usako, could you get me a sheet or something to dry myself of with? I forgot all my towels were in the wash." "Sure, Mamo-chan. Er, don't go anywhere," I teased. "I won't," he smiled, visibly relaxing at my light tone. In case you wonder, I was not at this point planning anything fiendish. I was just going to fetch a sheet and take it to him. No ulterior motives. I chose a clean sheet from the linen closet and dutifully stepped up to the bathroom door, rapping lightly on the door with my knuckles. Here is where I prove to you that what happened next wasn't my fault. You see, it wasn't my fault that Mamo-chan had not completely latched the door after he called me, now is it? It is also not my fault that my light knocking was not so light that it didn't further open the door. It was not my fault that Mamo-chan was still so edgy at his loss of control on the couch that, when he saw me standing there, gaping, at the *open* doorway, he reached for the first thing to cover himself. It was not my fault that he reached for the shower curtain. I refuse all blame for the faulty bolt that held the shower curtain rod. No will of mine caused the rod to give out, throwing Mamo-chan completely off balance and making him slip back into the filled tub, where he promptly hit his head and passed out. The damn sheet still hung from my hand as I stared, open mouthed, at all the chaos my little knock had caused. It was perhaps thirty seconds later that I realized Mamo-chan had not resurfaced from the full tub. Then I was galvanized into action. I ran to the tub and peered in to see my very naked Mamo-chan knocked out in the tub and drowning. I dropped the sheet and plunged myself half in the tub to take him out, fighting to gain purchase on the wet tiles. Finally, perhaps as drenched as he was, I managed to lay him on the floor and begin mouth to mouth. I never even thought about his nakedness, sheer terror having gripped me the moment I saw him floating in the tub. He came to in a fit of coughing and I hauled him to my chest, thanking all the gods that Mamo-chan was okay, and he clung to me as he fought to take deep breaths. So you recall how I said it takes two? Well, it does. This is relevant because suddenly we were not alone in that bathroom. Eight girls gasped in unison and then stood paralyzed, seeing their wet naked prince burrowing his head into their equally wet princess' chest, both sprawled on the bathroom floor. Thunk Thunk Thunk Thunk Thunk Thunk Thunk Thunk It was not my fault, and that is all I have to say about that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ to be continued Oh, that was so much fun to write! What did you think!? Tell me, please! I was up all night writing this, so I want to hear honest opinions. I'm still trying to keep this as clean as possible, and it's getting hard, so please bear with me. salaices@leland.stanford.edu Title: The BIG Wish -- Chapter 4 by: Lilac Summers Rated: PG 13 (still!!) for language and sexual situations Hello! I'm back, as you can see. To those who've been asking for longer chapters, this is it! This is probably going to be the longest chapter, and, as it is, it isn't that long. Sorry. I just can't seem to write long chapters for this story. Thanks to all of you who continue to stick with me and write to me. Hmmm . . . who did I forget last time? Lynn, Callista, Akin Z, Commander Galos, and LdyPluto. Sorry I keep forgetting people! GREAT BIG thanks to Lady Mirage and Sidnei for always helping me out! This is dedicated to *Shi Lin Loh*, so that it cheers up her day. Keep on smiling, Shi-chan! Love, Nee-chan. Disclaimer: As I've mentioned before, Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. Not me, not you (unless you are Ms. Takeuchi, in which case, THANK YOU!!!). * * * * * * * * * * * @>---'---;---- * * * * * * * * * * * * The BIG Wish by Lilac Summers Chapter 4 I stared at the jumbled mass of colors by the door, deja vu stealing over me. Now, where had I seen *this* before? Gee, I wonder. Of course, it was just my luck that they had entered at a time like this. I mean, how much more sketchy could you get? Mamo-chan was leaning against me and, a fact that was just now starting to crash down on me, naked. *NAKED*! When I remembered this little fact, I gasped and instinctively looked down at him. Yuppers . . . naked as the day he was born! I could feel the raging red of a blush creep all over my face. Okay, so I was intent on seducing him, but deep down, after all, I am only sixteen! I never saw an honest-to-god naked man before! And not just *any* naked man . . . Mamo-chan! And oh. my. god. Wow! Mamo-chan weakly tried to bring his head up off my chest (though I personally don't think it was really necessary), and a fit of coughing took over again. My arms instinctively went around him to pat his back while his own hands flew up to his mouth. Well, of course, there could only be one outcome. Our arms tangled together and threw me, who was supporting most of his weight, right off balance. I fell back with a jarring thud and he landed, hard, right on top of me. For a second, little stars floated into my view as the back of my head made impact with the bathroom floor. Which reminds me, did I always have such an affinity for bathroom floors? It seemed like today I was getting more acquainted with the cold tiles of bathroom flooring than I had ever wanted to get. In any case, what ended up happening was that now Mamo-chan and I were nose to nose. At this moment in time, we couldn't care less. He was still making odd little choking noises and I was perusing the wonderful little galaxy that had bloomed before my eyes. But things are never that simple . . . "Good grief! Can't you guys stop for just an instant? I mean, at the very least, check to see if we are okay and all before you go back to your kinky bathroom games!" Rei's voice boomed into the bathroom. Startled, both Mamo-chan and I jerked forward, promptly banging our heads together. Hello, super nova! After a few more seconds of the light show, Mamo-chan rolled off me, groaning all the way, and tried to stand. Hello, Mamo-chan! I might still be seeing stars, but you're still naked, bud! At this point, my vision is *never* going to clear. "Mamo-chan!" I screeched as I caught sight of Rei's wandering, and appreciative, gaze. The other girls were stirring behind her. Oh, no you don't! This is for *MY* eyes, only! Without thought I jumped up and flung myself at a wobbly Mamo-chan. His "What?" was cut short as I slammed into him. Er, I guess you are pretty much guessing what happened next. I didn't mean it, I swear it! Good grief, I had just meant to shield him. In truth, I *always* throw myself into his arms with that much force. However, Mamo-chan usually isn't wobbly, wet, *naked*, and standing on slippery wet tiles . . . SPLASH! That's right! Back in the tub, everyone. However, learning from his previous experience, Mamo-chan quickly twisted in mid air and grabbed me, turning us sideways so that we landed into the tub full-length. So now, for your viewing pleasure, the sputtering Princess of the Moon, astride our handsome, also sputtering (have I mentioned naked?) hero, the Prince of Earth. I suppose it would be too much to ask that the other Senshi still be knocked out? I reared up and flung wet hair out of my eyes, blindly reaching out a hand to steady myself against Mamo-chan's chest. Cautiously I opened one eye and looked towards the door . . . I guess it *would* be too much to ask. Seven newly recovered and gaping girls stood once again at the door. Rei, having witnessed the whole thing, was sitting at the toilet and laughing at us until tears rolled down her eyes. "Usagi-chan!" Gasped a set of seven shocked voices. Glaring at them from my precarious position, I caught Minako, the most theatrical of all, readying herself for an encore of her melodramatic faint. I freed one hand from the sleeve of my sopping wet sweater and pointed it at her paling face. "Don't you dare! I've had about enough of all this! The next one to faint goes out the window!" Minako instantly recovered and pouted in my general direction. Now that I think about it, none of my Scouts were really looking at me . . . They were trying to look *under* me! "OUT!" I shouted, pointing that same imperious finger at the crowded doorway. "What? You think we are actually going to leave you two alone in here?" Haruka asked. I looked daggers at her. "Haruka, get! NOW!" She gave us a brief once-over and chewed thoughtfully on a thumbnail. "Okay, but how long are you guys going to take? I got stuff to do and I really can't be waiting around --" I reached into the tub for the shampoo bottle and threw it at her. The damned girl dodged it and laughed, actually *laughed*, at me! I saw red. Without hesitating I went for the conditioner, hurling it in her direction again. She ducked behind Setsuna and it ended up bonking Setsuna on the head, instead. "Hey!" roared Setsuna. Minako, of course, started giggling, which prompted Setsuna to round on her angrily. My next flying missile, still aimed at the ever elusive Haruka, flew past goggle-eyed Ami-chan, who yelped and ducked just in time to crash into Mako-chan, who had also ducked. Michiru, right behind them, reflexively reached up to catch the object . . . a rubber ducky. I looked down at Mamo-chan. "A rubber ducky?" He flushed and shrugged his shoulders defensively. "It's Chibi-Usa's." I cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, right." My attention was sidetracked, however, as I saw the telltale light-blonde head peeking behind a still-laughing Rei-chan. "Got ya!" I crowed triumphantly and threw a loofah at her. She dodged and there was a wet splat! as it caught Rei. Rei suddenly didn't think everything was so funny anymore. "It looks like your aim still only works for frisbees, Usagi!" taunted the unrepentant Haruka. Seething, I made one last grab into the water, reaching for the soap. And felt Mamo-chan go utterly still beneath me. "Usako," he croaked, "whatever you're looking for . . . that's not it." My eyes widened and my hands shot up in the air and out of the water as if I were being held at gun-point. However, I couldn't resist one little dig. I leaned forward slightly just enough to look into Mamo-chan's dazed eyes. "How do you *know* that's not what I'm looking for?" Mamo-chan took one look at me and then thundered at the group of grappling girls by the doorway. "OUT!!!!!!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I grumbled as I searched Mamo-chan's room for something to wear. Apparently, when Mamo-chan had said "Out!", it included me, too! The nerve! And after I'd saved his life, too . . . you'd think he would show just a *little* "appreciation." With increasingly bad humor I yanked open drawers for something to wear. I had no wish to enter the living room for my luggage and confront all of my friend's sly glances. No, if I was going to face the lions, Mamoru was darn well coming with me! And why'd they have to show up here, anyway? Maybe if they had never appeared, Mamo-chan would have been more "appreciative." I mean, the whole stage had been set! We'd be together, on the floor, he'd be grateful, he'd be naked . . . I stole a large, white, button up shirt from his closet and yanked it on, fuming all the while. But NO! Instead of THANKING me for saving his rotten life he had actually thrown me out! OUT! As if it had been *my* fault that the whole fiasco had occurred. Well, if he hadn't forgotten the damn towels to begin with, none of this would have happened. As far as I was concerned, the whole thing was *his* fault! To hell with the "it takes two" belief that I had been so willing, so *generous* to prescribe to! I stomped over to the mirror and swatted my straggling hair away from my face. It was drenched. After a few half-hearted swipes with a comb, I let it fall, dripping, to the floor. I debated whether or not to try to pull a pair of Mamo-chan's jeans on, but knew they would be too big. My underwear was still wet, too, but I was not about to take it off! I've got my modesty to think of, after all... Anyway, Mamo-chan's shirt hung a few inches above my knees and really did cover me adequately. Sigh. Well, I guess I just couldn't put this off any longer. I stepped out of the bedroom just as Mamo-chan stepped out of the bathroom. I take it he made use of the infamous sheet and then hurriedly slipped on the same clothes he had been wearing. He did not look comfortable. The minute our gazes met I blushed crimson. What did you expect? I mean, I really hadn't mean to see him in his birthday suit! At least, not at that particular moment... Quickly we looked away and walked silently towards the couch, which was immediately vacated by Minako and Ami. The room was eerily silent, and I could feel the girls' gaze boring into my back. I gulped audibly and sat down, Mamo-chan beside me. The one to break the silence was Haruka. I was not surprised. "Hey, Mamoru-san . . . I didn't recognize with your clothes on," she sniggered. Michiru promptly grabbed her by her short hair and dragged her to safety before I could blast her into next week. I could *feel* Mamoru go bright red beside me. Ami quickly tried to placate everyone. "Usagi-chan, we really don't want to know anything that went on --" "Speak for yourself, I really do want to mphhhhhh--" Minako struggled underneath Makoto's silencing hand. Makoto smiled warily at us. "Don't mind her. She's had too much sugar, today." Ami continued valiantly. "We were just bringing the Outers over here to see what had happened to you with their own eyes." And I bet they got an eyeful! "What I want to know, minna, is why you all showed up at the bathroom door, unannounced," I demanded. Rei looked suddenly guilty. "Uhh, that was my fault. We were approaching the door when I got a feeling of danger, or something, coming from you two. We kinda just barged in to see what was wrong. I-I don't know why I felt danger when all you two were doing was . . . I mean, when the two of you obviously weren't grappling . . . I mean, you *were*, but not with . . . Ahhh! You know what I mean!" "Good going there, Rei-chan. If you open your mouth a little wider, I think you can fit your whole leg in there. Please, don't feel you have to stop with just your foot!" said Makoto snidely. I guess Mamo-chan decided to clear the air once and for all. "Girls, what you saw in there, it wasn't what you think. I fell in the tub and blacked out, and Usagi saved me, that's all." A quiet voice which we had not heard up till now cut through all the "Yeah, right"s and "Uh-huh"s. "The Prince speaks the truth. I was trying to tell you that what you felt was not true danger, Rei-chan, but you all just took off." My gaze, and everyone else's, swiveled to the slim girl that stood by Setsuna. Hotaru has this tendency to place herself where she will draw the least attention possible. She never steps up until she has a revelation. The others stared at the twelve year old with dismay. "Well, great way to take the fun out of things. Why didn't you say something when we were in the bathroom?" Makoto asked. "Hey! I was just as shocked as you guys to see them on the floor! And I certainly didn't think I'd see the Prince na--" She hurriedly looked at Mamo-chan and turned cherry red. "Uh, forget it." I think that's the first time I ever saw Hotaru embarrassed. Setsuna, for her part, must have decided that it was time to steer the conversation in another direction. "Okay, now that that is all cleared up, shall we proceed with what we really came up here for?" Magenta eyes homed in on me. "Usagi." Everyone stilled as Michiru, Haruka, Setsuna, and Hotaru walked over and peered at me with avid curiosity. They circled me once . . . twice . . . "Okay, okay! I've been through this once already, now don't you four go freaky on me, too!" Three ignored my indignant protests while Setsuna stepped back with an oddly satisfied smile on her lips. "She is, indeed, the very picture of the Neo-Queen. You were absolutely right, Ami-chan. Her body is that of her 21 year-old self." "Twenty-one, huh?" Haruka teased, plopping herself down smack between Mamo-chan and me. She stretched one long arm around my shoulders and smiled wickedly at Mamo-chan, baiting him. "So, busy tonight, Usagi-chan? I know this great little pla . . . OW!" Michiru grabbed one of Haruka's ears and yanked her off the couch. "You be quiet and pay attention, baka!" Amidst the ensuing giggles, I caught another smug smile about Setsuna's lips. "Setsuna, something tells me you know something we don't." She batted her eyelashes at me. "Princess, I *always* know something you don't know." With a wink, she transformed into Sailor Pluto and smiled blithely at the group. "Well, I must be off. Certain little *details* have to be seen to. I suggest we all leave the Prince and Princess to . . . rest." With the general chatter and mumbling following any mass departure, the girls migrated towards the door. On her way past me, Makoto grabbed me by the lapels of my shirt and hauled my face up to her so she could whisper hurriedly. "Don't forget to tell us everything! Don't leave out a thing and, for God's sake, take notes!" I nodded dumbly and she continued past. Somewhere in front of me I heard Rei ask Pluto: "Hey, Pluto, you can see anything through your gate, can't you?" I hear Pluto say, "*Everything*!" and blushed scarlet, watching Mamo-chan squirm beside me. I don't think my face is ever going to be it's normal color again! I'm sure I've never been so many varied shades of red in my life, and all in one hour, too! When the shuffling of feet ended, I looked up at the door, expecting to see the apartment emptied once more. To my complete surprise, Pluto stood still stood before us, swinging her time staff idly. "I just thought you two should know that everything is under control," she said. "ÔUnder control'? What do you mean by that? How can you control what's happened to Usako?" asked Mamo-chan. "I can't. But I *can* tell you that this little incident doesn't, in any way, alter the time continuum. Surely you must have given some thought to the dangers that such a change in Usagi-chan, the one on whom the entire future depends, could cause in the time corridor!" Mamoru looked slightly abashed. Apparently, my love had been thinking of nothing of the kind. In his defense, I admit that I had kept him preoccupied with other matters. "Oh. Well, then, thanks," he mumbled. I, on the other hand, felt like a great steamroller had just led the May Day parade over my head. To think that all this time my actions could have been affecting my future, and I hadn't even thought of it! I-I could have completely screwed up my life with this stupid wish to be big! I became oblivious to my surroundings as every "what if" resounded in my head. "Mamo-chan . . ." I whispered, stricken. He looked at me, concerned at my tone. "W-What if this really *had* been permanent? What if I had wished for something, anything, that might have altered anyone's future? How can I be responsible for such power?" Mamo-chan's eyes softened in sympathy and he drew me close to his side. It was not the first time that I had confessed my fears to him . . . my fears of being responsible for the future and well-being of this entire planet. "Usako," he sighed gently into my hair, "there is no one else that I would rather trust with that power. And you have nothing to worry about, now. This won't affect any of our futures." Slightly mollified but still unconvinced, I let the thought of my power crash over me. "Oh, Mamo-chan . . . sometimes I think I'll never be able to control it all . . ." "You don't have to. I'll always be here to help." Slowly, ever so slowly, his hand reached up to brush away a few stray tears, then lingered on my face, cradling my chin. My eyesight was filled with Mamo-chan as his lips drew nearer and nearer . . . The long-forgotten Pluto turned discreetly and swirled agilely as she made to go through her time portal, her Time Staff twirling and moving unerringly towards . . . Mamo-chan's head. "Oof!" he uttered and slumped back, once again out of commission. "Mamo-chan!" Pluto stopped her grand exit abruptly and looked down at Mamo-chan in dismay. "Oh!" She looked at me sheepishly. "Sorry! But don't be too worried. I doubt another knock on the head will harm him much after all he's gone through today, already." It occurs to me that Mamo-chan's poor memory and susceptibility to mind-games could be the effect of such a number of "harmless" knocks on the head. "Poor Mamo-chan," I said, settling his head comfortably on my lap. "Oh, it's just as well," said Pluto, beginning her departure once more. "It's probably the only way you were going to let him get any rest today, anyway!" Before I could question her as to what exactly she meant by that, she was through her portal. I looked down at the peaceful face of my Mamo-chan and sighed. Oh, well, it didn't look as if I'd make anymore leeway with Mamo-chan today. Might as well take a breather. Who knew if he would survive another assault? Scooting out gently from beneath him, I covered him with a blanket and made my way into the kitchen. If I remembered correctly, there was still one piece of pizza left. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ to be continued. And NO! Setsuna didn't do it on purpose . . . I don't think. Anyway, tell me what _you_ think! salaices@leland.stanford.edu ^_^ Title: The BIG Wish -- Chapter 5 By: Lilac Summers Rated: PG 13 (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .) Hiya! Got nothing to say this time around. I hope you enjoy it. Still PG 13. Thanks to all who continue to support me! Specially to Sidnei who was my sounding block for this chapter. It's freaky how much we think alike . . . READ AKIN Z's detailing of my "Daddy on a Rampage" Scale. He took the idea and just RAN with it. Really funny. I included it at the end of the chapter. Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon. She really, really does. You think I'm lying? I'm not. Really I'm not. Ask her! * * * * * * * * * * @---;---'--- * * * * * * * * * * * * The BIG Wish by Lilac Summers Chapter 5 Mamo-chan was out of commission for the rest of the night, to my everlasting disappointment. The knock on the head he'd received from Pluto must have been pretty harsh, because he only stirred long enough to give me a bleary look and say "I'd like the spaghetti and meatballs, waiter . . ." when I covered him up for the night. On the good side, the issue of who slept where was irrelevant, and I was able to snuggle into the warm comfort of his bed. Hopefully, I wouldn't be in there alone for long . . . The next morning, he was gone. I woke up to an overcast day and empty apartment. The note he'd left on the kitchen table claimed that he'd gone grocery shopping. I couldn't begrudge him that because, well, frankly I thought we needed more food around the house. If *I* was going to stay here, he'd *need* a well stocked kitchen! And although I immediately saw the foray as what it was-- and escape -- I had already decided that I would let Mamo-chan rest for the day. I admit, I was a little shaken by the multiple close calls we had had the day before. Two knocks on the head and one near drowning . . . you can't get any unluckier than that! He was gone for most of the day. I, myself, had not woken up till close to noon, so that wasn't saying much. (But ahh! The joys of being able to wake up whenever without your household pet screaming in your ear, "Usagi! Get up! You gotta do this, you gotta do that . . .!" I love Luna, but I'll be the first to announce that she can be a royal pain in the a$$. And I *know* all about royalty!). Meanwhile, I wasted away the hours watching TV and eating Mamo-chan out of house and home, though I prefer to think that I was making room in his pantry for the new groceries. The day was getting murkier and murkier, so that at around 5 PM the sky had darkened into a premature night. And then the thunder started . . . Now, anyone who knows me at all knows that I'm deathly afraid of thunder. I don't ask nor presume to know why, though my friends have tried to come up with multiple reasons. They don't seem to get that I just don't like it! Easy as that! It's loud and sudden and scary. How Mako-chan can put up with thunder and lightning (heck, she *bonds* with the darn things!) is beyond me. It positively gives me the willies, and makes me so nervous that I can concentrate on nothing else. When Mamo-chan walked in at 6:30, laden with bags and wet from the downpour that had begun an hour before, I was practically climbing the walls. "Mamo-chan!" I wailed, relieved, as I ran to throw my arms around him, "where have you been?!" He juggled the bags precariously as I snuggled up close to him and tried to pat my back awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Usako. I tried to hurry home as soon as I heard the thunder start up, but the traffic was terrible! It seems people lose all driving skills when a little rain falls." He tried to step back from me, but I wasn't about to relinquish my safe little spot by his side. Mamo-chan has the awesome ability of being able to take all the fear out of thunder and lightening. Somehow, I always feel secure when he's with me. So, seeing as I wasn't going anywhere, he ended up carrying both me and the groceries to the kitchen. I suppose my vulnerability at the moment took both our minds off what had happened the day before and the sexual tension that seemed to simmer below the surface nowadays. He saw me as his frightened little bunny that he had to cheer up and I was more than willing to let him try and get my mind off all the freaky noise rumbling right outside the windows. He sat me down on a kitchen counter as the rain pounded heavily outside. The apartment became a cozy little haven as Mamo-chan started to put away the groceries while we talked easily about any and all subjects. I swung my feet idly as I perched on the counter and, supplied with a roll of cookie dough by Mamo-chan, alternated in feeding myself and him the sweet confection. Life was good. Of course, all good things must come to an end. Of course, they usually do just when you are starting to enjoy them. Of course, that's exactly what happened then. The lights went off. The loss of light was also punctuated by a particularly vicious bolt of lightening that lit up the heavens and rumbled all the way down to hell. "MAMO-CHAN!" Instantly I performed a flying tackle that took me directly to Mamo-chan's back, which I then clung to with all my might. "Uuumph!" he groaned as 117 pounds of Moon Princess landed on his back, then "Ggggghhhhhr" as said Princess wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on. "Usako . . . ggghhh . . . honey . . . gggggghhhhheeeerrrr . .. let . . . go of my . . . *gasp gasp wheeze neck." I mumbled a "Gomen" somewhere and buried my head on the back of his neck, changing my hands to wrap head-band-style around his forehead. Now his head angled up as if he were perpetually looking at the ceiling. However, he probably found this an improvement as opposed to having his esophagus squeezed shut, so he kept quiet and began to lumber around the dark apartment blindly like some freakish humpback. Thump! "Dammit!" Crash! "Oh, hell . .. I loved that vase." Stub! "Yeowww!" Finally he made it to his bedroom, managing to stumble on every conceivable object in the way. I said not a word, simply tightening my deathgrip on him and wailing in his ear whenever the thunder wished to resume. I heard a drawer open, the contents shuffle, and then close again. Then we were on our way back to the kitchen. Thump! "Shit!" Crash! "Well, that one was a gift." Bonk! "Hey, Mamo-chan! Watch it!" Back in a pitch-black kitchen (at least, I assume it was the kitchen), I heard a few more rattles and then a flare of light as he turned on one of the burners on the stove. Within seconds, the long white taper that he had gotten from his bedroom cast a teeny light through the gloom. Armed with his teardrop of flame, he walked over to the couch and pried my white-knuckled grip off his head, then untangled my legs from around his waist. I fell with a thunk! onto the couch. Wheezing, he began: "Okay, Usako. Nothing to worry about. . . . just a little power failure. No doubt the landlord will fix it any minute . . ." The room exploded white for a second in a dramatic flare of lightning, thunder following fast on its heels. "WAAAAAHHHHH!" I grabbed the nearest pillow and pitifully tried to hide under it. "I don't WANT to wait for Ôany minute'! I want the light back on NOW!!!!" "Now Usako . . ." FLASH! RUMBLE! . . . Wide eyed in fear, I grabbed the lapels of Mamo-chan's shirt and pulled him down to my face. "NOW, MAMO-CHAN!!!" He disengaged himself gingerly and sighed. "Okay, Usako. If you are so scared . . . then I'll go down to the basement and check out the power box. I can probably find a backup switch or generator. You stay here and wait for me . . ." I shook my head vigorously. "Uh-uh! I'm not staying in here, in the dark, all by myself!" By the eerie light of the single candle I saw him lift one sardonic brow. "So you'd rather go into the basement? Into the *dark* basement?" Oh. Well, darnit! I didn't want to go anywhere near the basement. Everyone knows basements are the favored site of evil convergence! "Uh, no." "I didn't think so. Look, it will only take a second. I'd give you another candle, but I don't have another, and only God knows where the flashlight is. Just sit tight and remember that you are absolutely safe. Thunder can't do anything to you." Before I could start complaining, he had left the apartment and taken the only source of light with him. The apartment seemed instantly ominous. Pitch black until the sudden brilliance of lightening, so each shadow danced and swayed to the beat of the thunder . . . "I am absolutely safe . . . I am absolutely safe . . . Thunder can't do anything to me . . . I am absolutely safe, thunder can't do anything to me . . . unless it's a drum-wielding youma that's out to find me . . . and electrocute me . . . and did that coat-rack just move? I'm sure it wasn't there a second ago . . . NO, Usagi. Get a grip. It didn't move . . . see, it can't move, because coat-racks don't move, and anyway, that chair over there is blocking its path. See? Nothing to it . . . And boy, ever notice how much that chair looks like a gnome? Like a human-eating, pitch-fork carrying gno . . . MAMO-CHAN!" So how scary could a basement be, anyway? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Somehow I maneuvered down the ten flights of stairs. Yes, the stairwell was as dark as the belly of a dragon, but the thought that safety and Mamo-chan awaited me downstairs gave me strength. With little "Eeks!" and "Aaaaarghs!" at different, thunderous intervals, I stumbled all the way down until I saw the glimmer at the very last door of the very last floor. I skid to a halt before the door that would no doubt be marked "Basement" were there enough light to read it. It was opened a crack and the flickering light of what would no doubt be Mamo-chan's candle flared like a beacon in my proverbial night. "Mamo-chan!" I yelped in relief, swinging the door open and rushing through. The second before I tripped over some mysterious object, I saw Mamo-chan lift his head in surprise and yell at me with dawning horror, "Usako! Don't trip over the . . ." TRIP! I kissed concrete, as I so often do, and skid face-first into the room. In the silence following my fall came the soft "click" of the basement door shutting behind me, a soft draft of air from the closing door flowing over me gently before kissing the feeble flame of Mamo-chan's candle good-night. Bye-bye, light. Darkness fell, instantly and completely. Black of the blackest black. Not even the lightening could reach down here. "Um, Mamo-chan? I don't suppose you have any matches on you." Somewhere in front of me I heard what suspiciously sounded like a sob come from Mamo-chan, and then a dejected, "I don't have any." Completely blind, I struggled to my feet and, (in what I now realize was a useless move . . . I mean, who could see my skirt, anyway?), dusted off my skirt. "Oh, well! Guess we'll have to go back upstairs and relight it then." Unconcerned, I made off in the direction I guessed the door to be . . . click. click. click. The doorknob jiggled obstinately in my hand. Nothing. "HEY! Mamo-chan, I can't open the door!!" In the same flat, dejected voice, I heard, "I know. That's why I had the door propped open with that can . . . that you tripped on." I could just imagine him smacking his head on the wall. "Oh. Uh, sorry? Mamo-chan, you really should stop smacking your head like that . . . it could leave a mark." The discreet thumping stopped, to be replaced by a heartfelt sigh. "Don't worry, Mamo-chan!" I said, absurdly calm for my situation. But, you see, I was once more feeling safe with Mamo-chan, and you couldn't even hear the thunder all the way down here! "The landlord has to come down here sooner or later, right? We'll just wait." Of course, neither of us mentioned that his landlord was a lazy butt who wouldn't be bothered to come downstairs until God himself ordained it. The man would probably call the maintenance manager to come do it, never mind that the man lived in a completely different apartment complex . . . Oh boy. Mamo-chan wasn't going to be at all pleased if we were stuck in here for long. I had to establish my innocence fast! "Mamo-chan . . ." in my cutesy voice, "I'm sorry." Not a word. "I didn't mean to . . . I-I was just scared." Was that another sigh? Now, crawling toward the small sound, I continued, "I know I'm just a clumsy kid." Aha! Gotcha! Ready for the coop, I threw myself at Mamo-chan. Exuberantly I grabbed his hair for a properly repentant kiss. His hair was so thick and . . . I got a mouthful of it. Mouthful? Mamo-chan was shorter. . . and since when was his hair so ropy? I jumped back and he came with me . . . my Mamo-chan the mop! Thank goodness for pitch blackness! I don't think I could have lived that one down. All right, then, maybe in the other direction . . . "Mamo-chan, please! Say something! I know you're mad, but I really was just so scared . . .!" Where was he? Now I really was getting to worry! Was he not willing to forgive my honest mistake? Of course, little did I know that, at the same time that I looked for him, Mamo-chan had relented and started looking for me. I heard an exasperated "Usako!" somewhere to my right and then a crash of pail and mop. Ahh, the infamous mop had claimed its second victim! With a grin I turned about and retraced my steps. Or at least, I think I retraced my steps . . . "Mamo-chan!" Oops! That was a lawnmower . . . "Usako." Off to my left now, Mamo-chan no doubt comforting the broom. "Mamo-chan?" Yech! Old raincoat. "Usa . . .ko?" Nope, not me. That's it! No more of this. I turned and RAN towards the last direction his voice had come from. To hell with being careful in the dark! "Mamo-chan!?" "Usako!?" Thunk! I crashed into something. And from the familiar feeling of deja vu, I knew immediately that it was my Mamo-chan! Finally! Reeling, I fell back, but Mamo-chan was already reaching for me as he had countless times before. And as we had done, countless times before, we both ended up hitting the ground. And I, my friends, was back in business. Nothing like a floor beneath you and your man on top of you to remind you of your priorities . . . Oh, my. Er, perhaps that wasn't quite the best way to phrase things. Look, um, do me a favor and don't tell anyone I ever said that, okay? Luna would kill me . . . Anyway, I instantly knew what had to be done! Usagi, my girl, this is no time to lose your opportunity! So, yes, I had been planning on taking this day off, but what else could this be but a sign from God, I ask you? Locked in a dark basement for an indeterminate amount of time, with nothing to distract us except for . . . Well, I should certainly hope you can fill in the blank! Beginning to lever himself away from me, Mamo-chan asked, "Usako, are you okay?" Ooh, dilemma dilemma. Do I say "yes" and have him get off me? Or do I lie and keep him down here with me for as long as possible? Ooh, I wonder. "Ouch!" Mamo-chan stilled instantly above me. "Usako? Usako, what's wrong?!" I whimpered in mock-pain. "M-my thigh. I think I {Quick! What can you possibly do to your thigh? Break? Bend? Sprain? Cut? . . . Bruise! } fell on it weird. It really hurts." Mamo-chan scrambled to take his weight off me. "Oh my god, I'm sorry honey! Let me--" "NO! Don't move! I mean . . . you just jar it more!" That's it! The guilt trip always works. I could sense Mamo-chan running through his extensive medical knowledge, trying to decide which course to take. In the end I guess he went for the tried and true "don't budge the injured!" credo. With gentleness that would have made me feel like a wretch if I were at all willing to pay attention to my conscience, he shifted his weight off my "injured" thigh and settled, instead, more fully against the rest of me. This was, of course, fine with me. "Where does it hurt, baby?" Without thought I pointed to my upper thigh, forgetting he couldn't see in the dark. "There," I said randomly. "Uh, Usako . . . I can't see a thing. You have to show me." Well, well, well! What have we got here? Looks like this fabrication was working better than intended. Ask and you shall receive . . . Ooh, decisions decisions again! Life's so shock-full of Ôem, huh guys? Well, I might as well make this good. I tentatively took his hand, miraculously finding it on my first try, and gave a martyr's sigh. "Mamo-chan, I'm not sure this is proper . . ." HA HA HA! "Don't worry, Usako. I just need to see if it's broken." God, I love the way doctors think! Now, the question is, do I have the guts to do this? Hmm . . . I eased his hand to the high curve of my thigh just an inch above the hem of my miniskirt. Guess I do have the guts for this. Was there ever any question? Mamo-chan's hand stilled at once. I heard him take a deep breath. Hell, I took one, too. And then he began to kneed . . . Now, I don't know if all doctors do this or what, but I have a feeling those of the medical profession would be much more popular if they all touched like this. "Does that hurt?" queried Mamo-chan huskily. I think I had lost all possible power of speech. Let's assume, for the sake of history, that I said yes. The truth is, Mamo-chan wasn't listening and I wasn't talking. Capicce? I'll leave off any details for any youngsters out there. I can only assume that Chibi-Usa will one day hear this story and . . . My, would that be embarrassing or what?! For those of you, however, who still need some information, let us refer back to the ever popular "Daddy on a Rampage" Scale. I'd rate this a magnum with full clip stage. Yes, most definitely a magnum . . . or perhaps, just perhaps, it had progressed to the hunting rifle stage . . . Well, all I know is that the fact that we were stuck in a dark, dreary basement was long forgotten. In fact, the darkness had receded into a hazy mist . . . and then I was seeing lights, and so was he! A flashlight, to be exact. "Goshdarnit! How'd you two get down here? Don't you people have an apartment for that sort of thing?!" Mamo-chan and I fought our way back to the realm of the thinking and blinked at the jump-suited man illuminating us, in our ignoble position, with his high-powered flashlight. Slowly, while I turned five different shades of red, Mamo-chan inched his hand off my thigh and moved off me. I think poor Mamo-chan had, for a terror-stricken second, thought the man was my father. He'd no doubt been wondering just how long he had to live. The portly man at the door went off on a tirade, spouting prophecies of hellfire and brimstone as he jammed the door open and marched over to the long-forgotten power box. Mamo-chan and I tiptoed carefully to the door. Ahhh, freedom . . . "And in MY day, we sure didn't go around breeding like rabbits . . ." Mamo-chan choked on that one. I helpfully pounded on his back. I wonder what set him off? "We had MORALS! Yes ma'am, MORALS!" He turned a baleful eye at Mamo-chan. "And you got a ring on a lady's finger before you went dragging her off to some basement!" Just creep along . . . maybe he won't notice. Yes, just a few more feet. . . "But you youngsters never listen to your elders nowadays. Don't seem to realize that you people aren't immortal, that there are responsibilities to be met before it's all fun and games. AND, by golly, if you are going to go sneaking off, don't go without a light! No doubt break your necks on those stairs!" The maintenance manager picked up Mamo-chan's candle and flicked out a lighter, setting the tiny flame and handing it to Mamo-chan with a disgusted "Hmmph!" Sensing our reprieve, we turned and dashed for the door . . . "WAIT!" Oh, so close! We turned dutifully. "If you aren't going to listen to me, then at least be careful! Can't be too careful nowadays." He dug into one of the multiple pockets on his suit and came up with a wrapped square, tossing it at Mamo-chan who caught it by reflex. "Remember, it's not right sex unless it's safe sex." We drew our eyes to the little package in Mamo-chan's hand. With eyes wide as saucers we looked at each other, only to look away in horrified discomfiture. Then we turned and ran. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We climbed the stairs in silence. The rain still pounded on the walls, but if lightening blasted and thunder screamed, I was unaware of it. Instead, I cursed my rotten luck. What were the odds? I mean, really! H-How is it possible that seduction can be such hard work? I had the time, I had the motive, I had the moment all set up, and I STILL couldn't succeed! And now, to make matters worse, I had to walk up ten flights of stairs with a faked limp. (I'd seen Mamo-chan cast a dubious glance at my thigh and had remembered my "injury." I hope he bought it.) Of course, by the time we reached the tenth floor I had begun to remember the whole cause of my little trip to the basement. Here, up so high in the building, I could almost FEEL the electricity crackling in the air. I only prayed that any really loud displays of "nature's grandeur" would wait until the lights had been turned on again . . . Mamo-chan carried the flame of the candle high in the air as we approached his apartment door. He grasped the handle and shoved it open as I waited quietly right behind him. Well, at least we'd made it *this* far without mishap. Perhaps things were going to start looking up. FLASH! RUMBLE! Thunder and lightning, very very frightening . . . "EEK!" Witness my flying tackle onto Mamo-chan's back . . . Witness Mamo-chan's graceful nose-dive into the carpet! Witness the magical flying candle, able to soar multiple feet across a room to land . . . to land . . . in all its fiery splendor ... on Mamo-chan's old, highly-flammable couch. Oh! What a pretty little blaze! Mamo-chan, grab the marshmallows! Mamo-chan and I lay in a heap on the carpet of his lightless apartment. Perhaps I shouldn't say "lightless." I mean, the flaming couch was giving off pretty good light. "AAAHHH! My couch!" Delayed reaction kicks in. Mamo-chan bolts from underneath me to the kitchen and the couch gets a good dousing with a pitcher of water. It was a sad Mamo-chan indeed that stood by the charred, soggy couch. I, myself, gave a moment of silence to the ruined couch that had seen me through many cozy moments. But then I, of course, turned to more practical matters. "So, Mamo-chan . . . Where are you gonna sleep tonight?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To be continued . . . Don't forget to read "Daddy on a Rampage" Scale below BWA HA HA HA! That's all I can say. Poor, poor Mamo-chan! Anyway, I have a treat for you all! It has come to my attention that perhaps some of you may need a full guide to better understand the beauty of the "Daddy on a Rampage" Scale, or "DOARS", for short. Akin Z has been kind enough to detail it out for us all: "Daddy On A Rampage" Scale -- DOARS As outlined by Akin Z 0.- Glare - Barefist: He's a stranger who's asking for the time. 1.- Baseball Bat (iron): He's a friend who's holding your hand to help you get off the bus. 2.- Hockey Club (sharp): He's a very good friend who's giving you a birthday hug. 3.- Small Gun (.33): He's a very, very good friend who's kising you in the cheek (the friendly way!). 4.- The Family's Sword: He's kissing you. On the lips. He's your boyfriend. He's doomed. 5.- Shotgun (single barrel): He's kissing you, you are kising back. Very intimate. (double barrel): Watch your hands you two! 6.- Magnum (.45): He's not watching his hands. Neither are you. 7.- Hunting Rifle (for rhinos): Phew! It's getting hot in here! 8.- Tommy Gun (classic design): It's getting TOO hot in here! 9.- Chain Gun (doom like): Last warning... 10.- Bazooka: 11.- Satellite Beam: That's gross!!! AND DADDY SAW IT!!! XX.- Tuxedo Suit: Oh well... It happens in the best families... ^-^ (Happy ending!) Title: The BIG Wish -- Chapter 6 By: Lilac Summers Rated: Pg 13 salaices@leland.stanford.edu VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! Lady Mirage, a very great pal o' mine, has FINALLY deigned to post her most awesome story, "S Addiction." It's really really really beyond good and puts me to shame. She's got twists and turns in that thing that you wouldn't believe! I urge you all to read it because it's just great! Okay! So, after my two week break, I got rolling again. Let me tell you straight up that this chapter is a setup chapter. I'm getting everything in place. I hope I don't bore you. To make it good for you, though, I added some good ol' fashioned Usagi mayhem. Enjoy! Ooh! MUCHAS GRACIAS to Sidnei. The wacky, wacky writer who lets me rant and rave all my ideas and adds a few of her own. Bunched of oats to all of you who continue to write to me. I love you all! You keep me going. And you might not believe it, but this section is actually PG! Oh, I hope it doesn't turn some of you naughty people away. Believe me, I'm saving up all the naughty stuff for the next chapter. (Still gonna be PG 13, peoples! No need to panic.) Disclaimer: Sailor Moon does not belong to me, but to Naoko Takeuchi. By the way, got MILK? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @>---;---'--- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The BIG Wish by Lilac Summers Chapter 6 I doubt Mamo-chan heard my flippant question. He was too immersed in sorrow to do much more than just stare sightlessly. He stood silently in the darkness over the black bulk that was the couch. Random intervals of lightning lit the room just long enough to throw the scorch marks on the fabric into stark relief, as the scent of burnt polyester fibers wafted through the air. I flinched at every bolt and rumble, but stubbornly kept by the door, hesitant to intrude on Mamo-chan's moment of mourning. However, I couldn't help myself from gripping the door-frame tightly as the thunder got louder and the wind higher. The only plus I could find in this hell of a storm was the fact that the loss of light kept Mamo-chan from seeing the complete destruction of the couch. The lights flickered weakly and then proudly turned back on, showcasing the scorched couch in glorious detail. Damn the stupid maintenance guy. When I'm Queen, he'll be the first to go. At his first clear, honest to goodness glance of the couch, which was generously adorned with large, black, ashy splotches and drooping soggily from the water, to boot, Mamo-chan buried his head in his hands and groaned. I think he was about to cry. It scared the hell out of me. "Mamo-chan . . ." I began, stepping softly over the thresh-hold. His head whipped up and he looked at me in horror, as if I held a time-bomb in my hands. "Don't move! Just. Don't. Move. My god, you are dangerous!" I stopped, stricken and so very very hurt. I hadn't meant it! I really hadn't! It was an accident! Slowly, I backed up until I could clutch at the doorway again, drawing a little comfort from the solid feel of the wood. I could feel my eyes start to water and tried to blink away the tears. "I-I'm so sorry, Mamo-chan. You know I didn't mean it, right? Right?!" At his dubious look, I felt myself crumble just a little more. Oh god, I could feel my lower lip trembling. I bit down on it to keep the rebellious thing still. "I know it's all my fault. If I weren't so clumsy . . . I know I'm a klutz. Gomen, Mamo-chan! Gomen . . ." I kept my eyes down, not wanting to look at him. He'd never forgive me for this . . . The sky exploded into white electricity, booming through the city. I stifled a shriek and clung to doorway, pressing against it and hoping that Mamo-chan wouldn't see . . . Staring resolutely at my feet and clenching the mouldings, hearing the soft thump of footfalls on the carpet, I didn't blame him at all if he wanted to go to his room and get away from me. I was a menace. It seemed that everything I tried to do went wrong. I couldn't even seduce my own boyfriend! One tear slipped by my defenses. I clenched my eyes shut to keep the other ones in. When I opened my eyes, I noticed I had four feet. I frowned. Wait, that's not right. I'm no whiz at anatomy, but I do know I don't have four feet. Slowly, my gaze traveled up, beyond the other pair of feet before me, past long legs, slim hips, and broad shoulders, to settle on Mamo-chan's face. He stood before me quietly, waiting until I met his eyes. It took all my courage, but I did it. And then he smiled. That warm, beautiful smile that he reserves only for me. "Hey, Usako," he whispered, "it's okay. I can always buy another couch. I'm sorry I snapped at you . I'm just a little . . . *stressed*." I smiled back, not quite sure I deserved such an easy reprieve. "No, Mamo-chan . . . you're right. I *am* dangerous. I'm always breaking things." The thunder rolled again and I dug my nails, as inconspicuously as possible, into the wall. Slowly, as if afraid he might spook me, he unclenched my hands from the doorway and settled them on his shoulders. As if on cue, lightning clashed outside the windows and I instinctively sought refuge in his arms. "Usako," he murmured against my hair, "that's not what I meant when I said you were dangerous . . ." I was too comfortable to do more than raise my head so that I could look up into his eyes, thoroughly confused. "What do you mean?" He looked down at me, trying to figure out if I was kidding. I wasn't. His last comment had gone completely over my head. Smiling slightly, he settled my head firmly against his shoulder once more. "Nothing, Usako . . . don't worry about it. That's gonna be my job, it seems . . ." I kept quiet, not sure of what he meant. But then it hit me, and I understood. I grinned against his throat. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He cooked a small dinner and we ate it in companionable silence before the TV screen, watching the weather man go on and on about the storm, discreetly trying to adjust his toupee all the while. "Mamo-chan, this is boring." He grimaced as the weather man gave another vain pull at the recalcitrant hair piece. "You're right. But there is nothing else to watch at this hour." That drew my attention to the clock on the mantel. It was 9:45. Too early for my regular bedtime. However, who said I need to sleep? So you thought I'd forgotten? Well, of course not! But I hadn't been about to try my luck after I had gotten through that couch mess without a scratch! And yes, I had felt awful when I had burned his couch. You can't expect a girl to launch into a plan of passion when she feels like the lowest member in the food chain, right? But, Mamo-chan had been a real sweetheart about it, and had been trying to make me feel better since then. So now I wanted to repay his kindness . . . if the bull-headed man would just give me a chance!! But this was a chance in a lifetime. The soggy, steaming couch was out of the question, and that only left Mamo-chan's bed. I looked at Mamo-chan furtively as he took our dishes to the sink and began to wash them. Oh, he was just so cute! When I first met him, I would have never thought that that cold, collected upperclassman was so domestic at heart. Now, the only thing missing from this warm, domestic household was the wife. Woohoo! I'm ready to apply for the position, Mr. Chiba! One eensy, teensy little problem, though . . . One thing stood between me and sharing a bed with Mamo-chan . . . One vast, flat, carpeted thing. The floor. Goodness, THINK, Usagi, Think! This is a once in a life-time opportunity! You can't waste it! And even Mamo-chan won't be able to put up much of a fight if he is trapped in the same bed . . . Umm, heh heh, I mean, er, he won't be so *obstinate* if he *shares* the same bed. Can't have you people thinking I was taking advantage of poor Mamo-chan! Believe me, everybody, this was for his own good. He'd thank me afterwards! Wouldn't you? But, anyway, how to get rid of the floor. Well, I suppose an explosion could do it, but seeing how upset Mamo-chan got about the couch, I don't think he'd take his floor going up in flames as kindly. Hmmm, gnats and fleas? Not in Mamo-chan's apartment. I blinked owlishly as Mamo-chan came to join me in front of the TV again. Goodness, for a moment I'd forgotten he was even here! Now if that isn't ironic, I don't know what is . . . *click* Mamo-chan turned off the TV and stretched out on the floor beside me, crossing his arms behind his head. He looked too comfortable by half. Any moment now he'd tell me-- "Okay, Usako. I think I'll turn in now. You can take the bed, I'll be more than comfortable on the floor." Aaargh! Too soon! Not enough time to plan things out! "Er, are you sure, Mamo-chan? I don't want to force you to sleep on the floor..." Take the hint, you stubborn man! "I'll be fine. I'll just go get some blankets." For an instant I thought of brazening it out and just telling him we should share the bed, but he would never break the proprieties so blatantly when he could so easily sleep on the floor. Ooh, this was all gonna get ruined . . . Mamo-chan levered himself off the floor and disappeared into the bedroom. Meanwhile, I fixed my gaze on the storm outside and commanded myself to think of a plan. ANY plan would do! Really, I'm not picky! The rain hit the windows like miniature bullets suddenly, a particularly hard gust of wind driving them into the window. Startled, I spilled the glass of water I had been sipping on, and it splattered on the carpet. Stupid water seemed to ruining everything today . . . And then, it hit me. An idea -- NAY! An epiphany! It was brilliant, sheer brilliance! And if this worked . . . I dove for my purse, leaving the water to soak into the carpet. Soon, it wouldn't make a difference. Rummaging around I threw lipstick, compact, and tissue over my shoulder. Where was it? Had I left it at home? It *had* been so peaceful lately. Maybe . . . NO, there it was! I held up my communicator like a trophy, until I realized that if Mamo-chan saw me he might get a little curious. Stealthily I crept to the bathroom and barricaded myself in. "Ami!" I whispered into the tiny clock-face harshly. "AMI! Come in, Ami." The clock-face wavered until it became a tiny screen, showing an alarmed Ami-chan. "Usagi? Usagi-chan, what's wrong?!" "SHHHH! Not so loud! Ami-chan, I need your help." "Oh my god, what happened? Youma attack? I'm on my way . . . and why are you whispering?" "No! Look, just listen, okay? There's nothing wrong, no attacks, I just need you to do a little something for me." Ami-chan's teeny, concerned face turned suddenly suspicious. "Help with what? And why didn't you just call on the phone?" "Look, Ami-chan, things aren't going as they should. Well, they are, or they *will*, if you just do this one thing for me . . . I need you to flood Mamo-chan's apartment." Her gasp came in clearly through the communicator. "USAGI, ARE YOU --" I shushed her furiously, "insane? Why on earth would you want to ruin his apartment?" "Not ruin it! Just wet it. Slightly. Enough. You just have to drench the floor of his apartment, Ami-chan." "I most certainly will do no such thing! And a shame on you for even asking, Usagi-chan! Why *would* you even ask?" I wasn't about to tell her it was because I wanted Mamo-chan in my bed! She would never help me then. "Ami-chan, the less you know, the better you will be. As Minako would say, what you don't know, won't give you indigestion." "Usagi, that's Ôwhat you don't know won't hurt you." "I know. Look, Ami-chan, it would only take you a second, and then you can forget this little conversation ever occurred," I pleaded. "Absolutely not. No way. Never." She turned her nose up at me. Oh my, time to bring out the big guns. "Okay, Ami-chan, if that's the way you want it. I didn't want to do this, but . . . Ami-chan, if you don't do this teensy eensy little favor for me, I'll tell the girls what you and Taiki were doing at the park right before the Three Lights left." Ami-chan's usually placid face turned murderous. "YOU WOULDN'T!" "I would. Desperate times, Ami-chan, call for the big guns." "That's Ôdesperate times call for desperate--" "I know." I heard Mamo-chan's footsteps come towards the bathroom and knew I had spent too much time in there already. "Ami-chan, just get over here." "But how am I going to flood his apartment? Usagi, you shouldn't be doing such foolishness, it's not important! And I was going to call to tell you--" "I'm leaving that up to you. See ya in a few, and DON'T let Mamo-chan see you! Come through the balcony!" I closed the connection on her furious sputtering. "Usako, are you okay in there?" Mamo-chan knocked discreetly on the door. Thinking quickly, I splashed water on my face and grabbed a towel. I opened the door, hiding my communicator beneath my sweater. "Fine, Mamo-chan," I said, breezing by him, "just washing my face." I made a show of patting it dry and then walked into the living room, noticing with disgust the blankets arranged on the floor. He'd pushed the coffee table aside. Striving for nonchalance I walked idly to the kitchen, rummaging around for nothing. "A-are you going to sleep then, already?" "Yeah, just going to get ready for bed. I moved your bags into the bedroom, Usako. They're on top of the bed." I nodded weakly as he made a beeline for the bathroom. How long did I have? Ten, fifteen minutes, perhaps? I ran for the balcony in the bedroom, pacing before it. Hurry, Ami, hurry . . . . Five minutes later a bedraggled, drenched, exhausted, and thoroughly pissed off Sailor Mercury vaulted onto the balcony. I dragged her inside. "When I'm through with you, Usagi, you are going to wi--" "Shh!" I clamped a hand over her frowning mouth and pulled her into the living room. "Quiet! I don't have much time! Hurry up and flood it!" She grumbled and stalked to the kitchen. "Well, with all the *notice* you gave me," she whispered sarcastically, "I thought up a plan as I ran here, IN THE RAIN, at your behest, princess." She continued to mumble as her head disappeared beneath the sink. Creeping over to her I murmured in her ear, keeping one eye on the hallway lest Mamo-chan enter the room. "What are you doing, and can you HURRY IT UP?" Mercury fiddled with the valves of the kitchen sink and explained through gritted teeth. "I'm increasing the water pressure going through the pipes, and using a little bit of magic to manipulate the water. Then I'm going to freeze it as quickly as possible. When water freezes, it expands. Hopefully, with an added bit of my own magic, I can make it burst through--" "Okay, okay. I get it. Kinda. Whatever. Just do it!" I commanded, wringing my hands. After a few more seconds, she stood up. "It's done." I looked at the faucet expectantly. Nothing happened. "Ami-chan, maybe you better pick up those physics books again cuz nothing is happening." She glared at me, daring me to question HER over sciences and, particularly, HER element. "It'll work. It's gonna take a bit, though." We stood here for a bit, and then I thought to ask, "why wre you gonna call me?" She bared her teeth in a caricature of a smile. "Jeez, I forgot." And then, horror of horrors, I heard the bathroom door open. I shoved Mercury under the sink again and vaulted over the counter, dashing madly towards the hall. Just in time to ram into Mamo-chan. "OH! *There* you are, Mamo-chan! I've, uh, been looking madly all over the place for you!" As madly as anyone can search a three room apartment. "Oh?" he said, confused. "What do you need me for, Usako?" Hmm. If you only knew, darling. But, for now: "I, er . . . uh, I . . . . uh . . . . need you . . . to look at . . . .at . . . .uh, oh! I need you to look at my thigh!!" WAY TO GO, GIRL! What a save, everyone! Admit it, that one was good. Mamo-chan blanched. "Your thigh?" he squeaked. "Um, what is wrong with your thigh?" "I don't know. I did something to it down in the basement. Remember, silly? Now, come into the living room where there is more light." I turned around and quickly dug my nails into my allegedly hurt upper thigh, scraping lightly and praying to the gods that it would leave *some* mark. I walked over to the coffee table and plunked myself down on it, looking at him expectantly. A tad dazed, he walked over to me hesitantly and kneeled before me. I heard him swallow. GULP! "Okay," he began, no doubt chanting his mantra of control. "What happened to your thigh?" Enjoying myself now that I had his undivided attention, I pulled my skirt up high on my thighs, to the very last step before indecency. "Well, you tell me." SNAP! Wood cracked. Looking around in surprise, I noticed Mamo-chan had gripped the coffee table so hard he had cracked the wood edging. His eyes were riveted on my thighs (at least, I think it was my thighs ^_~). On the top of my upper right thigh, a tiny reddish splotch appeared, thanks to my impromptu mauling. I waved my right hand in a shooing motion at Sailor Mercury, who stood open-mouthed by the sink. She looked in disbelief at Mamo-chan's head, which had lowered minutely to inspect the raw, red patch of skin on my thigh, and then raised her eyes to me with new respect. She gave me a thumbs up sign. I almost keeled over. Who would have known Ami-chan had it in her? With no further prompting she streaked by my engrossed soulmate and went into the bathroom, mouthing "You owe me BIG." A couple of minutes later I heard the balcony door open slightly, and then shut. Okay, time for me to enjoy my "inspection," then. I looked down at Mamo-chan's head just when he was raising his, eyes slightly unfocused. He shook his head slightly and managed to clear them. I heard him mutter "dangerous" ever so softly under his breath before he met my eyes. "Well, it seems like you just scratched it on something. I don't see how it could have hurt you all that much when it first happened, though." Er, oh, yeah. I had made it sound just a tad more life-threatening down in the basement, hadn't I? "Oh, well, you're the doctor. I must have struck a nerve or something, huh? It still hurts a little." He ran his fingertips lightly over my skin and I managed to turn an "Ooh" into an "Ouch." Just barely. He cleared his throat and stood up abruptly, moving away from me quickly and turning his back to me. "The skin wasn't broken, so I don't see how infection could set in. You might develop a bruise if you banged it up when you stumbled into whatever it was that scratched you, but that's it. Make sure to wash the scrape with soap and water, and it will be fine." So clinical, my Mamo-chan can be. I would have been fooled were it not for the fact that his hands trembled when he scraped his hair back. And then all hell broke loose. It started with an audible "PING!" as the valve underneath the sink exploded loose and flew into the wall. Next thing I knew, water began to gush out from under the sink as the pipe that fed the sink exploded open. More than a little surprised, even after expecting it, I leapt atop the coffee table. Mamo-chan had already turned and looked in disbelief at the widening pool of water that was quickly flooding the kitchen floor. "What the... oh, F(edited for younger viewers)K! What now?!" He slipped and slid over wet linoleum to the sink, vainly trying to cover the leak with his fingers. The water continued to gush steadily, as if someone had turned on a waterhose inside the apartment. In a matter of seconds the water spread beyond the kitchen and moved on to the living area, where the carpet soaked it up greedily. "Usako, my tools!" Amazed by my what I had asked for, and more than a little daunted by the quantities of water that gushed forth, I swung about and stepped down from the table, running from the room. "Right!" I called. Then stopped. Turned. Backtracked. "Uh, Mamo-chan? Where *are* your tools?" "In the . . . in the . . . OH, F(again edited for younger viewers)K! I don't have any tools!" He swore and opened a kitchen drawer to expose the extent of his "tool set". Two screwdrivers, a pair of pliers, and a wrench. The wrench was too big to fit around the pipe. Looking past me, he jumped up and grabbed a soggy blanket from the floor, running with it through the hall and to his bedroom door. He slammed it shut and shoved the blanket in the crack left beneath. "Well, maybe that'll keep the water out of--" A distinctive "PING" came through the door. Ami had also tampered with the sink from the bathroom. Eyes wide, Mamo-chan undid his handiwork and flung the door open, to see water pouring from the bathroom into the bedroom. We stood there, shell-shocked. Well, he was shell-shocked and I was just thinking, "Man, when you give Ami something to do, she sure does it right." The carpet was squishy beneath our feet when, for no reason whatsoever, the water stopped coming out of the burst pipes. It just STOPPED. Man, when you give Ami something to do, she really really *really* does it right! "Erm, Mamo-chan? It's stopped." I said gently. He looked around slowly, walked over to the bed (his feet making a sucking, squishy noise on the carpet) and collapsed on it. "Why me?" he groaned. You might wonder if I was feeling guilty. Maybe. A little. I mean, it's one thing to envision something, and it's quite another to see that something actually happen. So guilt? Maybe just a tad. Okay . . . not really. This was war, I tell you. And Mamo-chan *was* on the bed. Just had to keep him there now. I made my way to the bed and sat beside Mamo-chan, patting his head softly. "It's okay, Mamo-chan . Tomorrow I'll have Rei the Pyro come and dry everything up. Hey, maintenance might even have to give you new carpet! See? It'll all work out. None of your stuff was ruined." He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He sighed. He sighed again. Then he brought me down to lay gently beside him, stroking my hair. Really, this was TOO easy. "Ah, Usako, you're good for me. You always manage to make me see the bright side of things. What would I do without you?" Probably have a usable couch and dry carpet. Oooookay, *here* was the guilt. A LOT of the guilt. A way, WHOLE LOT of the guilt. Now I couldn't live with it. "Oh Mamo-chan, you are really gonna hat--" He pulled me closer and buried his face in my hair, hugging me tightly. Okay, so maybe I could live with the guilt a little longer. I wiggled in closer, feeling myself relax in his warmth as the minutes ticked by. Maybe now was the time to bring sleeping arrangements into the scene. Subtly, of course. "I'll get ready for bed," I said. "I'll be back soon." He nodded sleepily and let me go. I was getting my shirt (not that I'd need it if everything went right) when he processed everything. He sat up abruptly. "WHAT?!" Innocently clutching the white shirt of his that I had purloined from the day before, I waited. "What what?" "What did you just say?" I repeated it. "I said, I'll get ready for bed. Wait here, I'll be back soon." "Y-you'll be back soon . . ." he repeated. He stared down at the soaked floor and then at me. The floor, then me. The floor, then me. "I think I have some more dry sheets in the closet. I'm sure it can't be all *that* wet on the floor." He marched for the closet. Oh no he wasn't! "Oh no you don't! I'm not about to let you sleep on the wet carpet! You'll get sick!" And I'd go postal. He sputtered a protest as I pulled him away from the closet. "No, really Usako, I'll be fine! Anyway, t-the bed isn't big enough for . . . uh, for both of us." It would be the way *I* planned to use it. I folded my arms beneath my chest and put on my "resolved" expression. "If you are sleeping on the floor, then I am too. It's not fair for you to sleep on the soaked floor in YOUR apartment!" Now, of course he would never let me sleep on the floor . . . "Usako, I would never let you sleep on the floor! Don't be silly--" "NO! Don't *you* be silly! Now, that bed is just fine for the both of us. Really, I don't see why you are making such a fuss." I was just DARING him to admit he was afraid he'd lose control. Come on, Mamo-chan, say it! Silence. I thought so. Mamo-chan's shoulders drooped in defeat. I pushed him towards the bed and left him staring at it as I retreated into the wet bathroom to change into his shirt. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To be continued.... What shall happen next?! Will they? Won't they? You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around, that's what it's all about! . . . Oooookay. Stay tuned for next week, when we find out just what Mamo-chan is REALLY made of ! BTW, I prefer to use the anime version of Mamo-chan's bed where it is a single, for, er, *storyline* purposes. Title: The BIG Wish --Chapter 7 & Epilogue By: Lilac Summers Rated: A hefty PG 13 salaices@leland.stanford.edu A certain "hermanita" of mine claimed that author's notes are your own announcement board. I agree. ^_^ Hellooooo, everybody! This is it, the last BIG chapter and the epilogue, to boot! I'm taking a break after this, because, horror of horrors (!), I'm going back to school next week. So, I'm going to take a few weeks to get settled in. P.S. Still PG 13!! BIG thanks to all of you who have e-mailed me and kept me going. I hope I don't let any of you guys down. Gracias, Sidnei, for letting me rant and rave. I'm waiting for the worm, Sid. Same to Lady Mirage, who's story "S Addiction" is beyond awesome! Read it if you haven't, Ôkay? Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon. I have taken BIG liberties with her characters but intend no infringement. Please don't send a BIG corporate lawyer to come sue me, okay? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @>---;---'--- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The BIG Wish by Lilac Summers Chapter 7 & Epilogue Question: How does one dress for a seduction? I mean, do you have to accessorize, as for any formal event? To be honest, though, all I had to work with was a man's white shirt and my doubtful charms. Sure, so I may have been stuck in my future 21 year old body, but I was 16 at heart. Sixteen year-olds, at least *this* sixteen year-old, do not have much experience in seduction. In any case, I had to hurry if I wanted Mamo-chan to be there when I exited the bathroom. I feared that, left to his own devices, he would get into trouble trying to wiggle himself out of the trap I'd set so carefully. Finally, I just gave up trying to do anything radical and changed into the white button-up shirt from yesterday. I undid my odangos, as I usually do for sleep, and inspected the effect in the mirror. Not bad, if I do say so myself. A few feet of silvery hair hanging to the floor seemed to add plenty of appeal. My face was clean, free of makeup. I debated over adding some powder or something, but my purse was outside and my exit had to be grand and final. In concession, I brushed my teeth furiously until they practically *twinkled* back at me, and then blew into my hand and tried to inhale the scent . . . Hmmm, no bad breath here! How embarrassing if I were leaning in for the kiss and Mamo-chan keeled right over . . . from my breath! For good measure, I gargled generously with some minty mouthwash. So now I'd go out smelling like one big breathmint, but it was better than the alternative, right? Some lotion on my face, my hands . . . and I was ready. Watch out, Mamo-chan, here I come! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As I suspected, Mamo-chan had made a hasty retreat as I dawdled in the bathroom. When I walked out I found the room empty. For a moment, I feared that I had driven Mamo-chan too far and that he had left me alone in the apartment without a word. A little desperately I ran into the living area . . . and found him looking at his dining room table speculatively. He held a bundle of sheets and cushions in one arm. "Mamo-chan, what are you doing?" He didn't turn to look at me, but instead began spreading the blankets over the hard wooden surface. "I've decided, Usako, that you would be much more comfortable if you had the whole bed to yourself. And *I* would be more comfortable knowing you were comfortable." Well, at least he didn't make the mistake of saying that he would be more comfortable sleeping on a table than he would sleeping on the same bed with me. Now *that* I would not have forgiven. "Mamo-chan . . ." I began. "No, no. Don't try to talk me out of this, Usako. I've made up my mind!" "Mamo-chan, I can't take the bed while you sleep on your own dining room table! It's perfectly ludicrous!" I said this in my best mother-hen imitation. Really, Mamo-chan, I'm not trying to get you into my bed so I can ravish you . .. I just want you to be comfortable. Really. Mamo-chan turned to look at me while he slowly began to smooth out the sheets on his makeshift bed. "Usako, you don't . . ." His sentence tapered off. He stared, slowly, from the tips of my feet to the top of my head. I resisted the urge to look down and make sure I hadn't spilled toothpaste on my (well, his) shirt or dragged some toilet paper out with my heel. The shirt came to mid-thigh and yet I felt strangely naked within the white cotton, and without eight or so Senshi monitoring the room. Apparently, so did Mamo-chan. He groaned and turned from me rapidly, giving the tumbled mass of sheets a few furious tugs and jumping on the table, giving all the semblance of tucking himself in. Settled, he looked at me from beneath the cover of two or three blankets, blue eyes looking somewhere in my direction, obviously not chancing to look at me again. He gave me a determined smile. "See!? Perfectly comfortable. You go on to bed now." I stared, trying my darndest not to laugh at the picture he made. He was way too tall for the rectangular table, and his feet hung off the edge in what looked to be a very uncomfortable way. What was more, I could see the wood strain under his weight. I coughed. "Mamo-chan, the table is going to cr--" "No! Really, I insist, Usako. Take the bed. *Enjoy* the bed! I've really always wanted to try this out, anyway. Really. Go on now." If he had not been cocooned in blankets as if it were the middle of winter, I'm sure he would have made little "shooing" motions with his hands. Oh, well, I guess some lessons have to be learned by oneself. I turned and walked out of the room, calling over my shoulder, "Well, if you are sure. Goodnight, Mamo-chan." I really wanted to stay and see, but I figured I could spare him the embarrassment. Anyway, this would give me time to figure out my best pose on the bed. I turned off the light and left a small lamp by the bed on. After a few minutes, I was satisfied with my result. I'd managed to plump the pillows to perfection, and then had spread my hair all over them in what I hoped would be a seductive way. Then I began to count. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. . . CRACK! THUMP! "AH, F(you getting used to this, yet?)K! Of all the ______, ________ luck!! You are against me, aren't you!? This is all a conspiracy!!" Some more swearing and thumping ensued as I bit the sheets to keep from laughing. Then Mamo-chan went quiet abruptly, probably remembering that his sweet, innocent Usako slumbered in the other room. He was wrong on all counts save one, and I planned on getting rid of that "innocent" bit soon enough. When I heard the Ôsquish, squash' of his footsteps on the saturated floor I dutifully closed my eyes and feigned sleep. Mamo-chan came inside and stood by the bed, I could see through the cover of my lashes, quietly debating with himself. He must have come to some decision because he got a determined look on his face and stalked to the beaureu, opening drawers silently as possible and stuffing things into a duffel bag. He looked quickly at my "sleeping" form and began to undo the buttons of his pajama shirt, no doubt intending to get dressed. Well, that just wouldn't do! Not the undressing part, I could definitely do with that one, but the part of him getting ready to leave. I waited for him to make the slightest noise to excuse my abrupt "awakening," and seized the sound of the zipper of his duffel closing. "H-Huh? Mamo-chan? W-what?" I did my very best to look sleepy and disoriented as Mamo-chan froze with a look of pure distress. "Oh, uh, Usako . . . I didn't mean to wake you!" He cast a dagger-like look at the duffel bag. I don't suppose it occurred to him in his state that if the sound of his dining room table collapsing under his weight hadn't "woken" me up, the sound of a zipper hardly would. I sat up and brought the sheet to my neck, the very picture of feminine modesty. "Mamo-chan, where are you going?!" "Ah, well, I decided I should just go to Motoki's house and crash there for tonight. The table . . . uh, the table wasn't too comfortable and I didn't want to bother you while you slept." Yes, I'm sure that a table smashed into kindling wouldn't be much fun to sleep on. However, *I* would be lots of fun to sleep on! But I decided to keep this little observation to myself. "You were going to leave me here?! ALONE?!!! Mamo-chan, it's the middle of a storm!" Not that it had thundered for the last half hour. But that wasn't the point. "Usako, you managed to fall asleep just fine a minute ago," he pointed out as he hastily re-did the buttons on his pajama top. Don't bother, deary, you won't need it for long . . . "But that was because, at the very least, I knew you were here in the apartment with me! I could never fall asleep if you left! Mamo-chan, you wouldn't leave me here, scared and alone, all night . . . would you?" The right touch of trembling to my lower lip guaranteed his answer. His shoulders slumped in defeat. "No, I suppose I wouldn't." BIG grin from me. "Good! Now stop being silly and get into bed so we can both get some." His head snapped up. "Some?!" Tee hee. Oh, did I leave something out? Ooh, do excuse me! "Sleep. Some sleep," I supplied. His breath came out in one big "whoosh." I snuggled down into the sheets as he stepped up to the bed. Finally, with nowhere else to go, he lay down beside me, as FAR away from me as the single mattress permitted. Which, of course, wasn't that far. Mamo-chan was quite right about the bed being very small. This was going to be so much fun! Usagi, my girl, now's your chance. The bedside lamp still burned brightly, situated on Mamo-chan's side of the bed. I was about to ask him to turn it off when a delightfully naughty idea occurred to me. With no warning I sat up and leaned fully over Mamo-chan. He went totally still. "Usako! WHAT are you doing?!" A flashed him an innocent grin, noticing happily that his face was mere centimeters from me. His gaze flew to my lips. "Why, turning off the lights, silly! I was scared before when you weren't in the room, but now that you are here, I don't need the lights anymore." I grinned even wider. His eyes snapped up to mine, dazed and not just a bit suspicious. Uh oh, can't have that! I snapped the lights off and the room was plunged into darkness. Slowly, *slowly*, I moved back to my side of the bed. Mamo-chan seemed to be gasping for breath. I decided to give him a minute to relax. . . . . . . . . . Oookay! That's long enough. It's time to move in. With all the patience in the world, I proceeded to move towards him, to just rearrange my position so that I got closer and closer. I shifted a leg and came into contact with his. I moved my arm and touched his shoulder. I edged a -- He scooted a centimeter away from me, breaking all contact. So, I followed. A little bit more . . . and I followed. A little bit more . . . I followed. A little bit more . . . and THUMP! "Mamo-chan," I asked, looking over the edge of the bed, "what are you doing on the floor?" "Contemplating suicide." "WHAT?!" "Nothing . . ." He raised himself off the floor and touched the large wet spot the floor had left on his pajama top. "Damn." I heard another few choice expletives muttered under his breath, along with some words that sounded like "honor," "patience," "saint," and "dangerous." He stalked over to the closet and ripped out a T-shirt, shoving it over his head after discarding the wet pajama shirt. Wide-eyed I watched him stalk back to the bed and lay back down, resolutely closing his eyes. And then I was stumped. If I tried our modified tag game again, I didn't doubt we'd see a repeat of what had happened. I continued to sit up, chewing my knuckles thoughtfully, as Mamo-chan made every pretense of sleeping. What I needed here, I decided, was some well-placed thunder. BROOM! RUMBLE! Well, how absolutely accommodating! I think I'm going to end up liking thunder and lightning before this is all through. "AHH!" I shouted, only half acting. I shoved my head beneath the covers and glomped onto Mamo-chan's shoulder, plastering myself along his side. Mamo-chan's eyes flew open and he looked down at my huddling mass in trepidation. "Usako!" Peering up from my position at his shoulder, I whispered, "I hate storms, Mamo-chan. I'm glad you're here . . ." He was summarily trapped. No way for him to get out of this one. I saw the knowledge whirl in his eyes before true panic set in. All his muscles tensed when I snuggled in closer. "U-Usako . . . why don't I . . . uh, why don't I go get you some hot milk . . . or something," he pleaded. I gripped him tighter. "NO!" Oops, that was a little harsher than necessary . . . I gentled my voice and batted my eyelashes up at him. "No, I just want to be near you. You make me feel safe." Then I gave a silly little sigh of contentment and set my head on his shoulder. For about five minutes it felt like I was cuddled up right next to a big, warm boulder. He was stiff and unyielding, hardly daring to breathe. After ten minutes, I felt him begin to relax. He even managed to bring one strong arm around my shoulders. So, of course, I got a little more daring. I moved my hand to rest flat on his chest . . . and he didn't even seem to notice. Good! I settled my head deeper into the crook of his neck . . . and nothing. Finally, I moved one of my legs over his thigh . . . THUMP. In a thrice he shot off the floor, where he had fallen a second time, and began to back away from the bed. The small light from the balcony that managed to pierce the gloom lit his face. He looked beyond alarmed. "Oh, god, Usako. I'm sorry. Really, *really*, sorry. It's not your fault, honey. You don't have a clue what you're doing . . . It's mine. I-I can't be in the same bed with you." I couldn't believe it! He didn't want to sleep with me?! What was the matter with me? Was I *that* ugly? Couldn't he bring himself to sleep with me, even though he loved me? My face must have been showing my complete shock and bewilderment, because he rushed in to explain. "Usako, I know you don't have a clue what I'm talking about." He raked a hand through his hair, starting to pace the wet floor. "There you are, frightened and just so . . . aaaargh!" He threw his hands up in the air. Meanwhile, I was on the edge of breakdown. What *was* I doing wrong?! Was the idea of staying with me so awful? "You see . . . there are times when a man . . .well, when he can't just be . . ." he was saying. Was he turned off by my silver hair? If so, I could dye it. If he asked me to, I would dye it whatever color-- "And it would be practically impossible for me to just lie on that bed and not . . ." My body maybe? Sure, so I was no Makoto, but I'd never gotten any complaints before. Was I getting fat? I could cut down on the dumplings, I suppose-- "So, even though I know you don't mean to be doing any of it, I can't help but be, er, *attracted* to you . . . in that way." He ended up kneeling by the bed and grasping my cold hands. "Do you understand?" he asked, earnestly. I came out of my thoughts a bit dazed. "Huh?" He looked into my totally unresponsive face and wailed into the bed. When he looked back up, it seemed as if all his frustration had finally won. He stood and began to shout. "I'm saying that I can't hold back anymore! I've been waiting for years! YEARS! I've been dreaming of you for a lifetime! I've never even been *near* another woman, because I knew that I would find you sooner or later! And these past two years have been HELL for me, just wanting you constantly but holding back and doing the right thing . . . the *honorable* thing!" Oh my god! Was I actually *hearing* this?! I pinched myself. Ouch. YES! I'm awake! He was still at it. "And then you show up, looking like," he gestured at me wildly, "*that*. And I try to keep doing the right thing because I know that it's just a facade and that you wouldn't be ready, otherwise. But it would be so, so *legal* and so *easy* to just seduce you right now and . . ." And I jumped him. Just plain jumped him. One minute I was on the bed and the next we were rolling on the wet carpet. "Yes, please," I said. Fighting to keep his weight off me as we rolled to a halt, he looked down at me in shock. "Please what?" "Seduce me. Go ahead and seduce away!" I begged. His eyes got even wider. He opened his mouth and choked on the first word. He tried again, "Usako! I-I can't just . . ." I grabbed his shirt and pulled him down sharply. "Yes you can! You hard-headed, blind, wonderful man! What do you think I've been trying to do these past few days?! Do you have ANY idea how much trouble I've gone through to seduce you?" He gaped. "*Y-You* seduce *me*?!" "Yes! BINGO!! You baka! LOOK at me!" I ordered. He looked. "You see?! I'm perfectly, *perfectly* legal! You've got NOTHING to worry about! And I'm perfectly READY. BOY, am I ready! So, if being this old is what it takes to finally make you let go of those annoying gentlemanly ethics of yours, I mean to enjoy the time I have as an adult before I go back to being 16 and you avoiding me like I have the plague until I'm finally legal again!" I don't know what part of the speech did it. I don't know if maybe he was just pushed beyond relief or whatever. I don't know if maybe he's just turned on by wet carpet. What I *do* know, is that he finally, FINALLY gave in. Right there on the damn floor I was almost attacked by him. His hunger was immense, but I answered the call happily. We were rapidly climbing the rungs of the "Daddy on a Rampage Scale." And then the lightning, that wonderful, speedy, timely, rotten, good-for nothing, damn lightning cracked the sky in two and lingered long enough to light the room . . . and my long, wet, *golden* hair. All at once, I felt dizzy and disoriented, then the room stopped spinning and Mamo-chan was looking down at me, on the verge of tears. I knew, instinctively, what had happened. I didn't need to look at my blonde hair or my somewhat reduced charms to know I'd gone back to being sixteen. I stared up at Mamo-chan as he fought against his ethics once more. Yeah, having your way with a 21 year-old is one thing, but a 16 year-old . . . I closed my eyes, expecting the worst. There it was, the smallest waft of air as his weight began to move off me, the smallest sound of muscle lifting . . . "Oh, to hell with it," he muttered. And he was back! And I was happy. Hell, beyond happy. Joyous! Blissful! Elated! Delighted! Jubilant! Sublime! But there was just one thing... "Mamo-chan?" I gasped as he nibbled on my neck. "Hmmm?" "Mamo-chan. I changed my mind. I'm *not* ready for this." I don't suppose I could have shocked him more if I had declared myself Elvis in disguise. He lifted his head and looked down at me with utter horror, then torturously started to roll away from me millimeter by millimeter. I grabbed him. "Mamo-chan?" He moaned, sounding as if he were in mortal pain. "Yes, Usako?" I grinned. "Just kidding!" "You tease!!" he accused, with endless relief in his voice, as he attacked me once more. Hey, I'd always wanted to do that. And it is my story. So, sue me! After all, it'd be a shame to let the maintenance guy's lovely gift go to waste . . . And now, if you will all excuse us . . . ^_~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EPILOGUE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The city was bright and clean after the rain. At approximately 2:45 PM I sauntered into Rei's temple. "YOU are late!" Rei shouted. "Good morning to you, too, Rei," I chimed in happily. "That's Ôgood afternoon', Usagi-chan. I don't see how you could be late when *you* are the one that called this meeting." Ami had looked up from her book just long enough to say that. What I wasn't going to tell anyone was that I had been waylaid on my way out the door . . . Er, but I'm not going to tell *you* guys either, so you can just get your minds out of the gutter. "So," Makoto began, "I see you are back to normal." "Yeah!" piped in Minako. "And a good thing, too, cuz it was getting freaky knowing a twenty-one year-old Usagi was loose in the city!" "That's why I called the meeting," I said. As an afterthought I added, "hey, where are Luna and Artemis?" "They're staying at Setsuna's condo. She invited them over and I haven't seen them since yesterday afternoon." Hmmm, I wonder if she knew . . . "All right. Anyway, I just wanted Ami-chan to tell me if this is permanent or what. I mean, it's only been two days since the Eve of Selene!" I informed them all. "Yup," said Ami. "The spell was set to be broken last night at midnight." Every other Senshi, including me, was shocked. "Ami-chan, you *knew* this?" asked Rei. Ami had the grace the blush. I began to stalk Ami around the room. "Yeah, Ami, answer the question! Did you know this at, oh, I don't know, around 10 o'clock last night when you were so kind to visit me? Tell me, how does, and I quote Ôa week to a month' change to two days?!" "H-Hey!" protested Ami. "I *told* you that I didn't know much about the Eve of Selene and its effects!" "Yes, but you could have *told* me your new finding last night!!" "Well I would have if you hadn't *ordered* me to flood Mamoru's apartment!!!" shouted Ami. It's scary, actually, how fast those girls can move. In a thrice Ami and I were surrounded by Rei's, Makoto's, and Minako's curious faces. "Flooded his apartment?!" "You *ordered* her to do that?" "Hey . . . where did Mamoru-san sleep?" Ami looked at them and then turned back to me, understanding her role in all this. "Yeah, Usagi-chan. Where *did* Mamoru sleep?" "Hey girls," I protested, "I don't kiss and tell!" Well, that was the wrong thing to say. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was veritable HOURS later that I managed to escape, thoroughly embarrassed yet unscathed. My only consolation was that Mamo-chan didn't know that he'd been the topic of conversation for the past four hours and all through lunch, and if he ever noticed the other scouts looking at him kind of funny . . . well, I'd cross that bridge when I'd get there. The sun was already going down when I returned to Mamo-chan's apartment. I'd asked Rei if she could somehow dry his carpet, and she'd agreed to give it a try the next day. However, the carpet was no more than moist as I took off my shoes and walked inside. "Mamo-chan?" I called. He had known that I would spend the day with the girls, so maybe he wasn't home . . . "Out here," he called from the balcony. Smiling, I walked outside and joined him at the rail, where he put his arms around me as we watched the sun set and moon rise. "So, did you have fun?" he asked. If you think having your sex-life dissected is fun, then maybe . . . "Of course!" I said. "What did you girls talk about for so long?" You and the wonders of wet carpet. "Oh, the usual. And I asked Rei to try to do something about your carpet." Well, it wasn't a complete lie! "By the way, Mamo-chan," I broached the topic delicately, "the girls and I decided that I couldn't go home for a few more days, or my mother would get suspicious about my 'summer camp.' So, if you wouldn't mind my staying a few . . ." He hugged me tightly. "Say no more! You are welcome as long as you wish." He smirked down at me boyishly. "And since I have let you throughly ruin my reputation and make me a *fallen man*, I can relax and just enjoy any more of your seductions." I blushed red but couldn't hold back a giggle as I settled into his arms comfortably. We were quiet then as we admired the beauty of an early moon, offset by the bleeding colors of the sunset. Life was good. I looked over my shoulder at my love. Idea . . . "Oh, Mamo-chan! I wish --" But suddenly his mouth was on mine and my wish was cut off. Oh, well, it was all for the better. What would I do with a house-sized cupcake, anyway? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE END ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The moral of the story, boys and girls: if you are going to wish, wish BIG! Did you like it? It's done, finished! AND I DID IT! KEPT IT PG 13! Yahoo! THANK YOU ALL FOR STICKING WITH IT! Anyway, going to take a little break from story telling while I get settled in at college again. If you are interested, my next story will be about Usagi and Mamoru *before* they knew who each other was and all that. It shall be as much fun as you can have in a mall! See ya in a few weeks.