Wow! What is it with me and majorly spur-of-the moment
fics...this one is sweet and kind of serious and dark. 
Not in a bad way though. 
Almost like Obstacles. Oh dear. It takes place with
Mamoru and Usagi as a married couple. Usagi
has definetly changed since getting married,
so don't kill me if you don't like it :)
BTW, I know it
once again doesn't make up for the un-updated Endless
Waters....but at least this way you know I'm still
alive and plan to finish it soon...nothing like vacation,
huh? Alrighty then...ENJOY!

"Smile For You Forever" by Tess
Posted 6-2-02


	Usagi sat at the kitchen table,
trying to manage eating cereal and writing
a report for work at the same time. She didn't
look up as her husband sat in the seat across
from her. He propped his head in his hands and
just stared at her. Usagi didn't look up for about
five minutes. When she did, it was to give Mamoru
a questioning look and ask, "What? Is there something
on my face?"
	"Nope." 
	"Then why are you just...looking."
	"Just thinking."
	"About?"
	"My beautiful wife." Usagi blushed. It was amazing
that even after a year of marriage Mamoru could still make
her act like a bashful schoolgirl. "What? It's the truth."
Mamoru got up from his chair and made his way to Usagi.
He leaned down, so Usagi could feel his hot breath
on her neck. "I have the most beautiful, sweet, and
caring wife in the world." Usagi smiled. "A beautiful,
sweet, caring wife who works way too much." Usagi's
face fell.
	"What?" she whirled around. 
	"You work too much, Usako. It's a Saturday
morning and you're writing a report for work!"
	"It needs to be done."
	"No, Usako. You're going to hurt yourself if
you keep working the way you do."
	"I will not. Besides, I'm also busy with senshi
business."
	"Usako, we haven't had an enemy in four years.
You really need a break. That is why tonight, you and
are going out for a simple night at dinner."
	"Oh...Mamo-chan, I'd love to, but I really have
to finish this and that proposal."
	"No buts. I-" Usagi interrupted him.
	"Besides, nothing is ever simple with us."
	"This will be, love, this will be."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	"Honestly, Mamo-chan, I should be at home working"
commented Usagi as they drove to the restaurant. 
	"Usako, let's not discuss that again. I want you
to enjoy yourself tonight. No talking or thinking about work." 
	"So what, can you control my thoughts now?" Usagi
asked playfully. Mamoru gave her a mischievous grin. 
	"More than you'd think."
	"Oh really?"
	"Really."
	"How?" Mamoru pulled the car to a stop at a red
light. 
	"Let me demonstrate." Mamoru reached across the
car and wrapped his arms around Usagi. He then processed
to give a butterfly kiss on her forehead, one on each
cheek, and one on her chin, making her want to melt in
her seat. Mamoru reclined back in his seat as the light
turned green and began to drive again.
"Did you just think about work at all?" 
	"No...I thought of you." Mamoru grinned. 
	"I'm sure that I can try and keep your mind 
off work during dinner."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	Mamoru pulled the pink plush seat from under
the table at the restaurant. "Here you go, Usako" 
he said as he helped her sit down. 
	"Arigato, Mamo-chan." Mamoru sat down 
himself and began to read the menu. His eyes 
stared at the letters, but they didn't seem to 
make any sense. 
	"Um, Usako?"
	"Yes?" asked Usagi, looking up from her own menu.
	"Can you, um, read this?" She looked at
him quizzically. 
	"Of course." She leaned over the 
table to look at his menu. "Mamo-chan, 
you're holding it upside down!" She giggled. 
Mamoru gave her an evil look as he flipped 
the menu over. Imagine if any of his friends 
saw him. The brilliant Mamoru, not able to 
read a menu. It would not be good for his image.
	"Yeah, I, uh, knew that". Usagi gave 
him a Look and laughed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	"Isn't the view beautiful?" Usagi asked 
Mamoru before taking a bite of carrot cake. They 
were still at the restaurant, and the picture 
window next to their table gave a lovely view 
of the star-painted night sky.
	"Mm-hmm," Mamoru agreed, taking a sip 
of his coffee. He swallowed and then opened his 
mouth. "So, Usako, how does it feel to take a 
night off?" She smiled at him.
	"Great. I guess it is possible for us 
to have a simple night at dinner".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	On the drive home after their 
less-than-eventful dinner, Usagi and Mamoru 
chatted about mindless things. Right in the 
middle of one of their discussions about 
where to get the best ice cream in Tokyo when 
the car screeched to a halt. "Mamo-chan?" 
questioned Usagi. But her husband had frozen, 
staring at something on the dashboard. 
"Mamo-chan? Mamo-chan, what's wrong?" She 
didn't get an answer and began to panic. 
Her voice rose slightly as she shook Mamoru 
slightly on the shoulder and continued asking, 
"Mamo-chan? What's wrong?" 
	"Of course," Mamoru's low voice 
finally came.
	"What? What?"
	"I forgot to fill up on gas. Argh. 
How could I have been so stupid!" Usagi hadn't 
said anything.
	"Oh, gosh, Usako. I'm sorry. Here 
I go, trying to plan a romantic night for 
us, and I forget GAS!" Still, he was met
with silence. He leaned over to get a glimpse 
of Usagi's face and was greeted with a woman 
desperately trying not to laugh. "Usako, are 
you *laughing*?" That did it. Usagi collapsed 
into giggles. "What, what's so funny?"
	Usagi tried to speak between laughs. 
"It's just that....you...are...always...so...
perfect...and... you didn't....remember...to 
fill up.....on gas!" 
	"So you're not mad?" Usagi shook her 
head, shaking with laughter. 
	"Of course not. So, now what?" 
	"Well, I thought that I could maybe..." 
Mamoru was cut off by his wife once dissolving 
into laughter. He just looked at her.
	"Sorry" she mumbled, then looked up at 
him.
	"Well, we could walk up to the service 
station a little ways up from here and get some 
gas." Usagi once again burst out laughing.
	"Mamo-chan, could you do me a favor?"
	"Sure" he replied, sounding slightly annoyed. 
	"Could you check what's in the center console?"
	"Huh?"
	"Just check." Mamoru opened the black 
console and almost gasped at his own stupidity. 
Of course. His cell phone. He glanced at his 
still-giggling wife, who was saying,
	"Forgot gas...forgot cell phone." Usagi 
caught Mamoru looking at her and cleared her 
throat. "Sorry about that." Mamoru gave a small 
smile as he dialed 411 for the phone number to 
the service station. 
	"What city?" asked the annoying computer 
voice on the other end of the phone.
	"Tokyo" replied Mamoru.
	"What country?" 
	"Japan."
	"What list-" Suddenly, the annoying 
computer voice was cut off by a loud beep that 
was followed by yet another annoying computer voice. 
	"Your phone no longer has service." Mamoru 
threw the phone back into the console, frustrated. 
	"What's wrong?"
	"It doesn't have any service. Figures, 
since we're in the middle of nowhere!"
	"Calm down, Mamo-chan. Let's just go 
with your original plan."
	"Yeah, but what about the car?"
	"I'll stay here, and you go get the gas."
	"No way."
	"Why not?"
	"A beautiful twenty one year old girl 
like you sitting in an empty car in the middle 
of the night in the middle of nowhere? That's asking for trouble."
	"Not if I keep the doors locked...and you'll 
know if anything's wrong. You always know. Besides, 
there isn't going to be anyone out here". The couple 
bickered a little longer until Mamoru finally gave in.
	"Ok. I'm going to run to the station, get the 
gas, and I'll come right back. Stay in the car, 
keep the doors locked, and if anything happens, 
I'll be here as fast as I can."
	"Ok. Mamo-chan, it's not that big a deal. 
I'll be fine. Besides, what's the worst that can happen?"
	"That is something I don't even want to imagine. 
Usako, I just don't want anything to happen to you. 
I love you, and if you get hurt because I forgot gas, 
I'll never forgive myself."
	"Mamo-chan, calm down. Nothing's going to 
happen." 
	"Ok..." he said uncertainly. He gave Usagi 
a quick kiss on the lips, then got out of the car and 
began sprinting towards the service station. As the 
locks on the doors clicked shut, Usagi closed her eyes. 
	'He really worries too much,' she thought as 
she drifted off to sleep. 'I mean, honestly, what could 
happen?'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	Mamoru ran to the service station as fast as 
he could. Its four gas pumps were dimly lit by light 
from a red awning. He walked to the door and a cold 
blast of air hit him as he went inside. An old American 
song from the early nineties was playing in the 
background. 'Love shack or something like that,' 
he thought. There appeared to be no one there. 
"Hello?" he called out. He got no response. "Hello?" he tried again. 
	"BANG BANG!" from the radio was his response. 
	"Geez!" he cried out. 
	"BANG BANG!" the radio screeched again. 
	An old man with short gray hair and buck 
teeth had appeared behind the counter and turned 
the radio as high as it could go. He picked up a 
lighter and sang into it, his eyes closed, 
dancing around behind the counter, 
	"BANG BANG! ON THE DOOR BABY! BANG BANG! 
LOVE SHACK L-L-LOVE SHACK!" By now Mamoru was annoyed. 
	"HELLO!" he shouted over the irritating 
music. The surprised old man opened his eyes. He 
hastily put the lighter back on the counter and 
turned the radio down. 	"Sorry about that...uh..how 
may I help you?" he asked. 
	"My car ran out of gas about a mile back 
and I need to get a container and fill it now. My 
wife's waiting there."
	"Right..ok...car out of gas...knife...six 
miles back" the man repeated.
	"No! Not knife! My *wife*. And it was 
about one mile back, not six. And *quickly*."
	"Ah right," replied the man, and proceeded 
to slowly walk around the counter to a display of
gas containers. "What color would you like? Red, 
blue, black, purple, pink? We've got a special, buy 
2 get 1 free!" 
	"I'm not trying to get a bargain out of you! 
I don't care what color or what price! I just need a 
container filled with gas!" Mamoru blew up at the man. 
	"Yes yes of cour...ooh! Listen! My favorite 
song is on!" The man turned up the radio was again and 
began to sing loudly, "What I like about you! You hold me tight...."	
Mamoru rolled his eyes exasperatedly. 
It looked like he'd be stuck here for a long time...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	Meanwhile, back in the car, Usagi's 
eyes shot open. Someone was knocking on the window. 
Usagi's heart beat wildly as she slowly turned 
her head. A tall, skinny man with light-colored 
hair raised his hand to the window and knocked 
again. Usagi just stared at him, her eyes wide 
with fear. Suddenly, she heard a faint clicking 
noise. The lock inside the car was shaking! Usagi 
looked outside the window in horror when she 
realized the man was trying to pry the lock open 
with something. 
	Tears welled up in her eyes as the lock 
finally clicked. The man opened the door, and 
Usagi cowered back in her seat. "Hello, dearie,"
he said. His voice was rough and scratchy, 
like sandpaper. Usagi cried out as he undid 
her seatbelt and swiftly grabbed her around 
the waist. 
	"Mamo-chan!" she screamed. "Onegai, 
Mamo-chan! Help me! Mamo-chan!" 
	"I'd shut up if I were you," said the 
stranger, clamping his hand over Usagi's mouth. 
He roughly pulled her into the woods on the edge 
of the road and held her tightly in front of him, 
facing forwards. Tears poured down her cheeks as 
he whispered in her ear, "Now we're going to 
watch your sweet little boyfriend come back for 
you, angel."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	Mamoru rushed out of the service station. 
The idiot had chosen to give him a hot pink 
container.  He was batting a thousand tonight. 
First the menu, now the hot pink container. If 
anyone saw him, his cool image was as good as 
gone. The buck-toothed man was standing in the 
door, waving.
	"Come back soon!" Mamoru ignored him, 
anxious to see Usagi. Suddenly, an excruciating 
pain ran through his entire body. "Oh...no..." 
he moaned. He could hear her voice. 'Onegai! 
Mamo-chan, help me!' Mamoru ran back to the car 
as fast as his legs could carry him. The sight 
that greeted him there was an awful one. The 
passenger-side door was opened, and there was 
no one inside the car. Mamoru rushed to that 
side of the car to see Usagi's seatbelt carelessly 
sprawled across the seat, and a few golden hairs 
stuck to it. He furiously grabbed the hairs and 
stepped outside. "Usako!" he screamed. "Usako! 
Oh, Usako....I never should've left you alone 
out here....this is all my fault. Usako!" Mamoru 
leaned against the car and buried his head in 
his arms. "Usako...please forgive me...I promise 
I'll find you." 
	Little did he know that she was much 
closer then he thought. She was squirming 
against the man, struggling to get free and 
run to Mamoru. "What a sap," commented the 
stranger lowly. She glared at him and continued 
struggling with him. "Sweetheart, stop moving!" 
he hissed, tightening his grip on her. He moved 
in to kiss her neck, but in response she bit his 
hand. Hard. He flung his hand back in pain.
	"Mamo-chan!" she cried out. "I'm back here 
Mamo-chan!" She began running towards him at the 
same time he began running towards her voice.
	"Oh no you don't" the man said fiercely, 
cradling his injured hand. With his uninjured hand, 
he reached out and grabbed Usagi's ankle, causing 
her to fall into the dirt. 
	"Mamo-chan!" she sobbed. A minute later, 
Mamoru appeared, catching the man by surprise and 
punching him. He let go of Usagi, who scrambled to 
get as far away from him yet be as close as possible 
to Mamoru.
	"What do you think you're doing?" asked Mamoru 
furiously, punching the man again.
	"I'm sorry man, it was an accid-," the cowardly 
man replied. 
	"An accident, huh? So when I hurt you I 
can say its an accident!" Mamoru was red with fury. 
Catching him off guard, the man suddenly retaliated 
and punched Mamoru in the face.
	"Mamo-chan!" screamed Usagi. Mamoru's blue 
eyes were ablaze with fury. He punched the stranger 
square in the face one more time. He fell backwards 
and hit his head against a tree, knocking him 
unconscious. The woods were silent except for 
Usagi's violent sobs. Mamoru looked up at her 
dirt and tear-stained face, his lip bleeding.
	"Usako..." he whispered, rushing towards 
her and holding her. "Usako I'm so sorry." She 
just sobbed in his arms. Mamoru stroked her hair.
	"Shh...it's ok...you're safe now Usako," 
he whispered. "Let's go home, ok?" Usagi nodded.  
When they reached the car, Mamoru helped Usagi into 
the car, then quickly filled up the tank, got in the 
car, and began to drive. By now Usagi's sobs had 
quieted down, and silent tears ran down her face as 
she shook in her seat. Seeing her like that broke 
Mamoru's heart. He reached across the center console 
and squeezed her hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	When they reached their apartment, Mamoru 
helped Usagi sit down on the couch. He made her 
some hot tea and sat down next to her. She took a 
sip of the tea and then continued to stare into 
space. "Usako...please say something," he pleaded 
with her. "Please." She turned to him with watery eyes.
	"I...," she began in a soft tone, almost 
a whisper. "I...I'm trying." Mamoru looked at her 
gently, as if to say, 'go on.' "It's just...every time 
I'm about to open my mouth...I see him. I see him 
prying the lock open and taking me out of the car...then 
I hear him. I hear him calling me sweetheart and 
angel...then I see him punching you..." Usagi 
once again dissolved into tears. "And I see you 
saving me..." Mamoru put his arm around her 
shoulders. "You always save me...thank you 
Mamo-chan, and I'm sorry I'm such a hassle for you." 
	"Usako..." he said lowly. "Don't 
ever say that...you're never a hassle. You're a blessing."
	"It's just that...you always put me 
first and I-I don't deserve that."
	"Yes yo-," Mamoru began, but Usagi 
had gotten up from the couch.
	"Stay there," she interrupted 
hoarsely, walking to the kitchen. She 
emerged about a minute later, a towel 
in her hand. Kneeling down in front of 
Mamoru on the couch, she gently pressed 
the cloth to his lip.
	"You're still," she began. 
"You're still...bleeding." A tear coursed 
down her cheek as she continued to cleanse the wound. 
	"Usako...," Mamoru whispered. "So are you."
	"No...no I'm not." Mamoru gently 
took the cloth from Usagi and took her 
hands in his own. 
	"Yes you are. You're bleeding on 
the inside. And I'm going to take care of you. Forever. 	
"Mamo-chan...I want to take care of you too."
	"I love you," they both said 
at exactly the same time. They exchanged 
a smile and laughed lightly. 
	"I love it when you smile, Usako."
	"Mamo-chan, I will keep smiling for you forever."


The End.

Well then...not much to say...hope you enjoyed it...feedback-it's a wonderful thing ;)
~*Tess*~