And we have yet ANOTHER fanfic.  =)  I decided to 
celebrate the season a little early, so here ya go.  Merry 
Christmas.  =)  
	Sailor Moon and Co. don't belong to me.  I'm borrowing 
them for a little, but I promise to put them back again.  
Eventually.  =)
	Okay, I'm using the Japanese names/words again, since 
I don't think I did too badly on my first try.  Um...I don't 
know how Christmas vacation works over in Japan, or even if 
they get any, but for my purposes Usagi is getting 2 weeks 
off of school, which is the normal vacation time where I live.  
	Oh!  And I need to warn those who are not into Religion, 
if you don't like anything to do with Christianity or the Bible 
or anything like that, don't read this story, because as I am 
a firm believer in Christ, and I believe in the TRUE meaning 
of Christmas and I intend to fit my beliefs into this story (at
least a little bit).  So, if you're offended by this, I DID 
warn you, and all flames about it will be used to make 
s'mores.  =)
	I have to warn you, this story is a little different in 
the ending.  I don't know if its any good or not, 'cause I've 
been trying to rush to get it posted (and I still didn't make 
it in time), so forgive any mistakes in grammar/spelling/ect...  
I tried to edit, but, you know...
Well, I think I covered everything, so on with the story.  =)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Promises
by Stormlight
rated PG(13)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Tsukino Usagi bounced into the arcade, humming a cheery 
Christmas song.  She paused and glanced around hopefully, 
searching for a certain someone, and when her eyes lit upon a 
green-clad figure hunched over at the counter, pouring over a 
text book, her smile grew even wider.  She watched for a moment 
as he turned a page, one hand coming up to bury itself in thick 
black hair, cerulean eyes studying the page thoughtfully.  As 
always, a delightful little shiver made its way up her spine at 
the sight of Chiba Mamoru, and she had to remember to breathe.

	Gathering her courage, she pasted a bright smile onto 
her face and skipped over to the bar.  "Merry Christmas, 
Motoki-san!" she sang, sliding onto a stool beside Mamoru 
and purposefully ignoring him.  "Can I have a milkshake?  
I'm really thirsty today!"

	Furuhata Motoki, who was standing nearby mixing a fruit 
smoothie, glanced up at the teenager as a smile lit his face.  
"Hey, Usagi-chan," he replied cheerfully.  "Sure you can have 
one.  Merry Christmas to you, too.  You sure are in a chipper 
mood today."

	She giggled.  "How can you tell?" she joked, accepting 
the chocolate shake he handed to her and taking a sip.  "Ahhh!  
Chocolate makes the world go 'round," she added wisely, taking 
another sip.  

	Motoki laughed and shook his head at her.  "So what 
happened that's made you so happy?  You're more hyper than 
usual," he asked teasingly.

	She giggled, her eyes sparkling.  "Come on, Motoki-san.  
I'm ALWAYS like this at this time of year!  You know that!" she 
scolded playfully.  "It's a week 'till Christmas, and Christmas 
break starts tomorrow!  I can't wait!  A whole two weeks of no 
school, no tests, and no homework!  That's the best present 
anyone can ever give me!"

	"A whole two weeks to pig out, laze around all day, and 
gain fifty pounds, eh, Odango Atama?"

	Usagi's eyes widened slightly at the sound of HIS voice, 
and a curious smile tugged briefly at her mouth before she 
managed to school her features into a look of annoyance, then 
turned around to face Chiba Mamoru.  "Hello, Mamoru-kun.  I 
didn't see you sitting there," she replied coolly.  "You are 
not going to ruin my good mood today, you know, so you might 
as well not try.  It's almost Christmas!"

	He snorted.  "Bah, humbug," he replied, taking a large 
gulp of the coffee he was holding.  "Christmas is vastly 
overrated."

	She looked shocked.  "How can you say that?!" she 
protested.  "Christmas is the most wonderful time of the 
year!"

	"I don't see what's so great about it," he muttered 
sourly.  "It's just an excuse for all the big-shot stores to 
jack up their prices and then put their items 'on sale' so 
that they cost just as much now as they do every other time 
of the year."

	"That's not true!  It's a time for people to think 
of others and to gather together to celebrate friends and 
family!" she huffed, glaring at him, suddenly feeling quite 
irked.  So much for him not ruining her good mood... **Well, 
it's your own fault for waltzing on over,** the nasty little 
voice in her mind scolded.  **YOU knew what you were getting 
into, but did you care?  Nooooo...**

	"Oh, shut up," she muttered.

	"What was that?"  Darien was looking at her askance.

	"NANI?!  Oh!  Uh...nothing, Mamoru-kun," she replied 
with an embarrassed giggle.  "Just...thinking out loud, is 
all..."

	He frowned at her slightly, looking less than convinced, 
but apparently decided-for reasons known only to him-not to 
press the subject.  Rather he grunted and sipped his coffee.

	"Oh, don't mind Mr. Grinch, here, Usagi-chan," Motoki 
was saying, giving Mamoru a poke in the chest.  "He always 
gets like this at Christmas; the complete opposite of you.  
Just put up with it."

	Usagi furrowed her brow as she studied Mamoru curiously. 
"But, why?" she asked softly.  She seemed to be genuinely 
concerned, much to Mamoru's surprise.  "What's so terrible 
about Christmas?"

	He blinked, opened his mouth to speak; found he hadn't 
any words, and gave a short laugh instead.  "Why does it 
concern you, Odango?" he sneered.  "Maybe I just don't like 
all the hype.  It just seems like a big show, just to get 
people to spend money."

	Usagi gazed at him intently for a moment before sadness 
flooded her eyes.  "Y-you've never had a real Christmas, have 
you, Mamoru-kun?" she said softly.  "Is that why you're so 
bitter toward it?"

	His face paled slightly, and he drew in a sharp breath.  
"And what would you know about that?" he snapped, more 
forcefully than he'd intended.

	Her eyes widened a bit, and she leaned back from him 
slightly, looking at the floor as she scuffed the toe of her 
shoe against it.  "I...I don't know.  I'm just...thinking 
that you couldn't possibly have had a happy Christmas, or you 
wouldn't be so bitter," she replied, a faint blush tingeing 
her cheeks.  "Gomen, Mamoru-kun.  I...I never meant to pry."

	He stared at her, then glanced up at Motoki, who raised 
an eyebrow, and pointedly walked away from them.  HIS message 
was clear, at any rate.  He sighed, rubbing his forehead with 
his fingers.  "I didn't mean to snap at you," he replied in a 
low voice.  "I just...don't like Christmas, that's all.  I'm 
glad that you're so happy about Christmas, anyway.  It makes 
me feel better to hear you laugh."

	"...Really?"  She finally looked up at him, a small 
smile on her face.  "Do you really mean that?"

	He blinked.  "Well...er...yeah," he replied.  "Why 
wouldn't I?"

	She clapped her hands together, making him jump slightly.  
"See?!  I KNEW it!" she squealed, her face lighting up 
like...well...like a Christmas tree.  "You're being NICE to me!" 
she accused, pushing a finger playfully against his nose, making 
him blink and go slightly cross-eyed.  "Even YOU can't escape 
the Christmas spirit, so you might as well give up and let 
yourself have some fun!"

	He gaped at her for a moment, before allowing a small 
grin to cover his own face.  "Purely accidental, I assure you," 
he replied with a chuckle.  "I promise to be meaner to you from 
now on, Odango Atama."
	
	She pouted, then stuck out her tongue at him.  "Don't 
do me any favors," she replied with a snort, then bounced 
to her feet and laid some money on the counter before 
skipping over to her favorite video game, singing, "You're 
a sly one...Mr. Grinch," just loud enough for him to hear.

	He chuckled again as he watched her leave, an almost 
tender light coming into his eyes.  Then, shaking his head 
in much the same way Motoki had done earlier, he turned back 
to the counter and took another swallow of the now-cold 
coffee as Motoki sauntered back over, a grin lighting his face.

	"So why are you looking so happy all of a sudden?" the 
young man asked him slyly.

	Mamoru blinked.  "Am I?" he asked, somewhat distractedly.  
"I didn't notice..."

	Motoki laughed and slapped his friend on the back.  
"Oh, come on and 'fess up, will ya?  Everyone knows how much 
you really like that girl.  Ya might as well quit lying to 
yourself about it," he teased.

	Mamoru, who had just taken the last swallow of his 
coffee, suddenly began to choke and cough.  Motoki, alarmed, 
pounded him on the back until he was finally able to breathe 
again.  "That was not funny, Motoki-san," Mamoru wheezed, 
glaring through watery eyes at his friend.

	Motoki's lips twitched.  "That's good, because I wasn't 
joking," he replied, deadpan.  At Mamoru's glare, he chuckled 
and scratched his head.  "Come on, Mamoru-san!  You can't fool 
me!  I see how you're always staring after her.  She's a sweet 
girl.  She'd do you a world of good...if you'd quit teasing 
her long enough for her to see the real you."  Then, slyly he 
added, "And if you'd turn around long once when she comes in, 
you might even catch her in the act of looking."

	"Do you WANT me to hurt you?" Mamoru asked wryly, only 
half in jest, having absolutely NO idea how he was supposed 
to interpret THAT little pearl of wisdom.  "Don't be stupid.  
Why would I even CONSIDER somebody like Odango Atama as a 
potential girlfriend?  I mean, she's just a kid, and an 
immature kid, at that!"

	Motoki snorted.  "If you say so.  But haven't you ever 
looked into her eyes and just...just lost yourself in that 
gaze of hers?  Haven't you ever wondered what it would be 
like to hold her?  Or maybe even to kiss her?"

	Mamoru felt a sudden, hot surge of jealousy at his 
friend's words, and he glared at him.  "Why?  Have YOU?!" 
he almost snarled, his hands clenching into fists.

	Motoki blinked at him in astonishment, then grinned.  
"Why, do mah eahs deceive me?  Ah DO believe that you ah 
jealous!" he replied, a la Scarlet O'hara, fluttering his 
eyelashes playfully as he pressed a hand to his chest.

	Mamoru rolled his eyes, opened his mouth to reply that 
of course he wasn't jealous, but then stopped himself after 
remembering that he WAS.  But why did the thought of his best 
friend embracing Odango Atama send him into near hysterics?  
It shouldn't matter; she was nothing to him, after all!  
But...it did matter.  Alot.

	Motoki took Mamoru's silence as a sign of consent, and 
his grin was smug.  "Hey, it's Christmas, pal.  Wishes have 
a way of coming true this time of year," he said wisely.  
"I bet I know EXACTLY what you want for Christmas, and it 
isn't something you can stick under a tree, either, or I'M 
Santa's Little Helper!"  He gave his friend one last clap on 
the shoulder, before going back to work.

	Mamoru sighed and turned around to watch Usagi, who was 
currently involved in a heated argument with the Sailor V 
game; apparently she'd lost another round and wasn't too 
thrilled about it.  Just then, she drew back her leg and gave 
the machine a sharp kick...and immediately began to hop around 
on one foot, yelling in pain.  He sighed as a sweatdrop 
appeared, and shook his head, getting up and going over to her.  
"Don't you know anything about the laws of physics?" he asked 
wryly as he wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her to 
a chair.

	Startled, to say the least, all she could do was stare 
up at him.  She didn't even try to resist as he sat across 
from her and put her leg in his lap.  "Wh-what are you doing?" 
she squeaked.

	"I'm making sure you didn't break anything," he replied, 
affecting an annoyed tone.  "Maybe you should have used your 
head, instead.  I'm sure that wouldn't have hurt so much."

	She looked outraged.  "Why, of ALL the...!"

	He smirked.  "Be quiet, Odango," he commanded.  "You're 
ruining my concentration."

	She glared daggers at him, but she did shut her mouth 
as he carefully examined her ankle, pressing gently on the 
bruised flesh.  "Well, nothing's broken, at any rate.  You're 
lucky.  Tell me, did attacking the game actually do any good?"  
His eyes glimmered with humor when he looked up at her, making 
her breath catch in her throat for a moment.

	"It ate my money," she grumbled, somewhat shakily.  
She took a deep breath and tried her best to act normal.  
"I was trying to get it back, that's all."  He grunted, 
removing his warm hands from her ankle, and she felt 
disappointed.  She'd rather enjoyed having him touch her 
like that.  **Oh well, nothing lasts forever,** she thought 
with a sigh.  "Well, anyhow, thanks, Mamoru-kun," she told 
him as she stood up, carefully testing her ankle.  It was a 
little tender, but already it felt better.  **Must be 
Mamo-chan's magical touch,** she thought to herself with a 
little smile, then winced.  **You baka!  Watch how you think 
of him!  Don't you ever let him hear you call him that out 
loud, or you'll never hear the end of it, for sure!**  

	Mamoru felt a little uncomfortable as he watched Usagi, 
wondering what he should say next.  Why was it always so 
awkward to talk to this girl like a normal person?  Nobody 
else seemed to have a problem.  MOTOKI never had a problem-and 
that thought was quickly followed by another strange surge of 
jealousy-so why could he never say anything to her that didn't 
involve some kind of insult?  It wasn't that he didn't LIKE 
Usagi.  He did, now that he thought about it.  As much as she 
annoyed him, he couldn't help but like her.  Very much.  She 
was so unique; he'd never known anyone quite like her before, 
and just the thought of somebody else getting to have her all 
to himself-even if it was his best friend-was enough to make 
him want to punch said fellow's lights out.

	**What's the matter with me?** he thought to himself.  
**I've never been much of a violent sort.  Especially over 
some girl.  They're nothing but trouble!**

	Well...not trouble, really.  Usagi wasn't really any 
trouble.  Oh, sure, she was a crybaby and a complete air-head 
at times, not to mention a klutz, but it wasn't really all 
that bad, and all her good points more than made up for the 
bad points.  She was sweet, kind, and compassionate to the 
misfortunes of others.  And she was beautiful.  He'd have to 
be either stupid or dead not to notice how beautiful she was.  
Her figure was perfect, her features were perfect, her sweet 
lips were enough to make him melt...or to dream what it would 
be like to kiss them...

	He sighed and looked away from her, wondering when it 
had happened that this little odango had made herself so much 
a part of his life.  He'd never even seen it coming, but there 
she was, right smack-dab in the middle of it all...and he 
didn't mind it one little bit.  Maybe Motoki was right, after 
all, curse him.  So what if he DID care for Usagi?  Was that 
a crime?  Maybe he even...loved her.  Love.  Such an unfamiliar 
feeling, one that he'd never experienced before in his life; 
had never LET himself feel, knowing the kind of pain it could 
cause.  Pain that he'd much rather do without, thank-you-very-much.  
But now-all thanks to a clumsy little eighth grader-all that 
had changed, and changed for the better, he had to admit.  How 
dark his life had been without his Odango Atama's smile to 
lighten it.  How empty his heart, before her laughter had 
filled it with warmth.

	Now...if only he had some way to tell her this new 
revelation without making himself look like an idiot.  After 
all, what would someone like his beautiful Odango Atama see 
in a heartless fool like him?

*	*	*	*	*
	As Mamoru was lost in his thoughts, Usagi was having 
a few thoughts of her own; namely, how to tell a certain 
handsome upperclassman that he was just about the best thing 
to happen to her since sliced bread.  He was so kind and 
considerate; she would never forget the way his hands had 
felt when he'd examined her ankle, or when he'd wrapped his 
arm around her waist to help her to a chair.  She'd thought 
she'd died and gone to heaven!  So what if he acted like a 
jerk to her?  She still knew in her heart that there was 
more to Chiba Mamoru than he let anyone see.  Deep down, 
as he'd just proven to her, he was the most considerate man 
she'd ever known, and she didn't understand why he didn't 
let that kindness show more often.  He was so complex; a 
complete mystery, and she wanted more than anything to solve 
it.  She wanted more than anything to hear him tell her that 
she meant as much to him as he meant to her.

	**It's Christmas,** she thought to herself as she 
gazed longingly at Mamoru's bent head.  **Sometimes...miracles 
can happen on Christmas.  If I could wish on a star for one the 
thing that I've ever wanted...it would be for Mamo-chan to love 
me...**

	"What are you so serious for?"

	Startled out of her thoughts, she blinked at Mamoru, 
who had turned to catch her staring at him, a peculiar 
expression on his face.  Laughing nervously, a faint blush 
covered her face as she stuck a hand behind her head.  "Oh, 
uh...nothing!" she replied a little too brightly.  She 
glanced upward then, and he saw her eyes widen slightly before 
she jerked her gaze back to his, and a small smile suddenly 
darted across her face that made his heart rate speed up.  
Before he could guess what she was going to do, she leaned 
forward and pressed a quick, albeit soft, kiss right on his 
mouth.  

	Mamoru gasped, reeling back as though she'd hit him 
instead of kissed him, and stared at her as though he'd never 
seen her before.  "Wh-what was THAT for?" he stammered, his 
cheeks faintly glowing as his lips tingled where her own had 
touched them.

	A blush covered her face at his reaction, and she laughed 
nervously.  "Er...it's...tradition!" she explained sheepishly, 
pointing upward with her thumb.  Surprised, he glanced up...and 
found that he had unerringly sat right underneath a large sprig 
of mistletoe.  His jaw dropped-how in the world had he not 
noticed THAT before?-and he turned his gaze back to her...only 
to find that she had disappeared.  "Usagi-chan?" he yelped, 
jumping to his feet.  He looked around wildly and caught sight 
of two long ponytails vanishing out the door.  Watching her go, 
his hand reached up to touch his lips, and he felt a small smile 
spread beneath his fingers.  

	"Usako...?" he whispered.

*	*	*	*	*
	**Baka baka BAKA!** Usagi shouted to herself as she 
walked home.  **What a STUPID thing to do!  'It's tradition.'  
HA!  He probably thinks I'm a certifiable nutcase now, if he 
didn't already!**  Then her frown melted slowly into a smile.  
**Still...that kiss...WOW!**  She giggled and wrapped her arms 
around herself.  Who was she fooling?  She knew an opportunity 
when she saw one, and she couldn't have turned that one down 
any more than she could stop breathing!  She sighed dreamily 
as she remembered the touch of velvet beneath her lips, brief 
though it was.  **If only it had lasted longer.  If only...he'd 
kissed me back...** she thought dreamily.

	She frowned again and shook her head.  No use thinking 
about the If Onlys.  They would only get her hopes up, and 
she didn't need that.  Those hopes would simply end up 
crashing back to earth again if Mamo-chan ever found out 
about her feelings for him.  She walked through the front 
door and slipped off her shoes, calling out a greeting to 
her mother, who was in the kitchen.

	"Usagi, come here for a moment," Mrs. Tsukino called out.

	Usagi froze.  **Uh-oh.  What did I do NOW?** she 
wondered uneasily, slinking back to the kitchen.  "Whatever 
it is, it's all Shingo's fault," she announced firmly.  Well, 
if she was going down, she might as well take her obnoxious 
brother with her.

	"I HEARD THAT!" Shingo yelled from the living room, 
where he was busily whooping Enemy butt on the Sailor V game.

	Mrs. Tsukino laughed.  "Nobody's in trouble, Usagi," 
she assured her daughter.  "I just wanted to let you know 
that your father and I have had a discussion about the 
dinner party you wanted to host here, and I managed to 
talk him into taking me out one night next week, before 
Christmas.  Shingo will be staying with his friend that 
night, as well, so the house will be yours for awhile, if 
you wanted to have your party."

	"REALLY?!" Usagi squealed, clapping her hands and jumping 
up and down.  "You mean I can actually have a fancy dinner party 
with food and china and my friends and NO PARENTS?!"

	Her mother chuckled.  "As long as you promise not to burn 
down the house," she replied wryly.

	"Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Usagi squealed, throwing 
her arms around her mom's neck and giving her a kiss on the 
cheek.  "This'll be the best!  I even got the invitations and 
stuff, just in case you said yes!"

	"Better make sure you have an antidote for food 
poisoning ready, too, if YOU'RE doing the cooking!" Shingo 
yelled from the living room.

	"Awww...Moooommm!  Are you gonna let him talk that way 
to me?" Usagi whined, pouting.

	"Shingo, be nice to your sister," Mrs. Tsukino intoned 
automatically, and Usagi stuck her tongue out at him before 
bounding up the stairs to call her friends.  She had a lot of 
planning to do.

*	*	*	*	*
	"Konnichi'wa, minna-san!" Usagi sang as she skipped 
into the temple the next day, fifteen minutes late for her 
study meeting, as usual.  The Senshi, all long-used to her 
tardiness, mostly ignored her, except for one.

	"Well, it's about time you showed up," Rei exclaimed 
irritably.  "What's your excuse THIS time?"

	Usagi stuck out her tongue at the other girl and calmly 
handed her a red envelope, than grinned and handed one to each 
of the other Senshi, as well.  "I was busy writing out THESE," 
she replied smugly, perching on the end of a low table and 
propping her chin in her hands.  She watched eagerly as her 
friends opened the envelopes and read the invitations.

	"Wow!  A dinner party!  How posh!" Minako squealed.  
"Need any help with coordinating?"  She looked at Usagi 
hopefully, but Usagi shook her head.

	"I want to do this by myself," she replied seriously.

	"I could do the cooking," Makoto volunteered.  "There's 
a new recipe I've been wanting to try out."

	Again, Usagi shook her head.  "Nope.  I'm doing that, too."

	Right on cue, giant sweatdrops appeared on everyone's 
heads.  "Are you serious?!" Rei yelped.  "You?  COOK?!  Better
make sure there's an ambulance standing by!"

	Usagi pouted.  "It's my party!  I'm the hostess.  It's 
my job to set it up.  I don't expect my guests to do the work.  
But if you'd rather not come, that's fine with me.  I'll give 
your invite to someone else, instead!" she huffed, snatching at 
the card in Rei's hand.

	The Priestess snatched it out of reach.  "I never said 
I didn't want to go," she replied with a malicious grin.  "No 
way am I gonna miss out on Odango Atama putting on a party!  
Are you gonna use paper hats and streamers for decorations?"

	Usagi glared at her, then stuck out her tongue.  
"It'll be a great party!  As fancy as a grownup party, 
with formal dress and everything!  Just you wait and see!" 
she insisted.

	"So who are the other invitations for?" Ami hastily 
interrupted before the argument was turned into a full-blown 
tongue war.

	Usagi, luckily, was easily distracted.  She shifted 
through the pile in her hand.  "Um...Naru, of course, will 
be there.  I'm also inviting Andrew and..."  Here she paused, 
looking at the invitation in her hand.  More specifically...at 
the name printed carefully on the red envelope.  She didn't 
know what had possessed her to write HIS name on it; what with 
the way he felt about Christmas-not to mention herself-it was 
highly unlikely he'd actually come.  But there had been one 
invitation left, and even though her head kept telling her that 
it was stupid to waste it on Chiba Mamoru, her heart overruled 
her common sense.

	"And who, Usagi-chan?" Makoto was asking curiously.

	Startled out of her thoughts, she blinked and shrugged.  
"Um...nobody," she replied hastily, hiding the envelope behind 
her back.  "Naru and Andrew and...that's all.  My house is only 
so big, you know."  She giggled nervously.

	"Then who's THIS for?" Rei asked insolently, and the 
envelope was suddenly gone from Usagi's hand.

	"HEY!  Give that back!" she yelped, snatching at it, but 
Rei held it out of reach.

	"YOU invited CHIBA MAMORU to your party?!" she bellowed 
with disbelief.  "What made you think he'd actually come?!"

	Usagi felt her face turning red.  "GIVE IT BACK!" she 
yelled, suddenly furious.  Startled, Rei froze, then slowly 
extended the envelope to her.

	"Well, geez!  No need to have a coronary!  I was just 
teasing," she replied defensively.

	Usagi looked down.  "I-I'm not inviting him.  He hates 
Christmas, anyway," she mumbled, fighting back a sudden wave 
of tears.  She wasn't about to give Rei yet ANOTHER reason 
to tease her.  "It was just...an idea, that's all."  She 
walked over to a garbage can and, after a last, longing
glance at the envelope, dropped it inside.  She felt as though 
she was tossing away a cherished dream...but Rei was right.  
What had made her think that Mamoru-kun would ever want to 
come to HER party?  She took a deep, quavering breath.  "I 
have to go now," she told them, her voice subdued.  "I have 
to give Motoki his invitation..."

	"What about the study session?" Ami asked.

	Usagi smiled slightly.  "Another time, 'kay?  I...have 
to go.  Besides, it's Christmas vacation!  Why waste it 
studying?"  She forced a small laugh.  "Ja ne, minna!"  She 
picked up her bag and, with a half-hearted wave at her concerned 
friends, she walked out the door.  

	Walked, not bounced.  That in itself was enough to let 
everyone know that she was more upset than she wanted them to 
believe.  Minako frowned, turning to the raven-haired priestess.  
"Rei-chan, I love ya like a sister, which is why I can say this 
to you.  You're a complete BRAT sometimes, ya know?!"

	"Nani?"  Rei looked at the blond, openmouthed.

	"It's true, Rei-chan," Ami added calmly.  "That was
very cruel for you to say that to her."

	"Yeah!  Couldn't you see how much she wanted Mamoru-san 
to come?  It was mean of you to dash her hopes like that.  
Besides, how do YOU know that Mamoru-san wouldn't want to come, 
huh?" Makoto scolded.  "Are you dictating his life now, like 
you dictate hers?"

	Rei stared at each of them in turn, seeing the disapproval 
on their faces.  Suddenly, she felt ashamed of her hurtful words; 
wished with all her might that she could take them back...but, 
as usual, her pride refused to let her apologize for them.  
"Well...he...she...they can't STAND each other!" she protested 
weakly.  "I was just..."

	"Are you so jealous that you'd hurt your own best friend 
in order to keep the two of them apart?" Minako asked softly.

	Rei's mouth dropped open.  Her?  JEALOUS?!  The idea 
hadn't even occurred to her!  True, she and Mamoru had dated 
briefly, but it hadn't lasted more than three weeks, and she 
had known from the beginning that his heart wasn't in it half 
as much as hers was.  And, if she forced herself to be REALLY 
honest with herself, she also suspected she knew why.  So when 
he broke it off suddenly, again her pride had stepped forward 
and had forced her emotions to take a back seat as she watched 
him walk away.

	She knew that Usagi had a crush on Mamoru.  EVERYONE 
knew it...besides Mamoru.  As much as she protested his 
teasing her, then turned right around and stared at him with 
puppy eyes whenever she thought nobody was looking, it was 
obvious to a blind man!  Until now...Rei had never let herself
believe that maybe Mamoru returned Usagi's feelings for him, 
despite all the teasing.  Yes, the thought of them 
together...disturbed her somewhat...but...jealous?  She was 
a Priestess.  She was above petty emotions like that!

	Wasn't she?

	"I think...perhaps we should call it a day..." Ami was 
saying carefully.  "Nobody's really into studying right 
now...even me!"

	As expected, the other girls affected exaggerated gasps 
of shock and horror at this stunning revelation, which made Ami 
blush and giggle and caused the tension to evaporate.  When 
Minako suggested going Christmas shopping, they all agreed 
that it was a much more holiday-ish thing to do, and eagerly 
began counting their money.

	All except Rei.  "I have some work to do around the 
temple," she told them softly, her eyes downcast.  "You go 
on without me, okay?  I'll meet you all in the arcade later 
on."

	Makoto frowned and put her arm around Rei's shoulders.  
"We aren't mad at you, Rei-chan," she told her friend gently.  
"We'd like for you to come along."

	Rei smiled.  "I know.  But...I have some things that I 
need to do, okay?" she replied.  Walking over to the garbage 
can, she reached in and pulled out the discarded invitation, 
giving her friends a small grin.  "I have to deliver an 
invitation for Usagi-chan."

	Smiles appeared on their faces.  "In that case," Minako 
said cheerfully, "we'll come with you!  I bet I know where to 
find him, too.  Then we can find Usagi and get her to come 
along with us.  How does that sound?"

	Rei hesitated, then grinned.  "Sounds like a plan," she 
agreed, grabbing her coat.  She and the others left the temple, 
plotting all the way.

*	*	*	*	*
	Usagi sat by herself in a booth at the arcade, staring 
out the window at the crowds of shoppers that passed by.  She 
should be out there with them, she knew.  With Christmas only
a week away, she had mostly finished her shopping, but there 
were still presents she needed to buy.  Mostly, there was one 
certain present she wanted to buy for one certain person, and 
she wanted it to be the most special thing he'd ever received.  
She wanted to show him how wonderful Christmas was, that 
someone did care about him, and that he wasn't alone.  Because 
that was, she knew, his problem.  He had always been alone.  
She didn't know him well, but she had never heard him mention 
his parents and family, and she knew he lived in an apartment 
by himself.  Even Motoki had told her once that Mamoru was alone, 
although he refused to say more than that, and she'd never had 
the courage to ask the man himself.

	**I wish I hadn't thrown out that invitation,** she 
thought regretfully.  **I still could have given it to him, 
at least to let him know that he was invited, even if he won't 
come.  What's it gonna look like if he finds out I gave 
Motoki-san an invitation and didn't give one to him?**

	She sighed heavily and stirred her straw around in 
her glass, gazing down at her soda as if it held the key 
to the universe.

	"It isn't gonna disappear no matter how hard you stare 
at it, Odango Atama.  You're no David Copperfield."

	The wry voice, coming so suddenly from behind her, made 
her jump slightly and squeak in surprise.  Mamoru slid into 
the seat across from her, just as though he'd been invited, 
and grinned at her smugly.  She scowled.  "What do you want 
now?" she asked grumpily, and immediately felt ashamed.  
Here she was, thinking about how she was gonna show Mamo-chan 
that she wanted to be his friend, and that was the only thing 
she could say?!  Ah, well.  Old habits did die hard...

	Mamoru didn't look in the least put out, however.  He 
merely raised an eyebrow as he studied her curiously.  "Well, 
Bah Humbug to you, too.  What happened, Odango?  Did the Grinch 
steal your Holiday Spirit?"

	She wrinkled her nose at him.  "I don't know.  Did you?" 
she retorted.

	He laughed, his eyes twinkling.  "So what's got you so 
down in the dumps today?  Is Christmas over already?"

	She snorted into her glass.  "I'll bet you wish it was, 
eh, Mamoru-kun?" she replied with a small smile.  "It's nothing.  
Just a little fight with Rei-chan."

	He rolled his eyes and leaned back, draping his arms 
across the back of the bench.  "Oh, is THAT all," he replied 
drolly.  Then, he added slyly, "So what was that you gave 
Motoki-san when you walked in today, huh?  Some sort of love 
letter?"

	Usagi blushed beet-red.  He'd seen that?  Oh, great!  
"Of course not, you baka!" she almost shouted.  "It was a-an 
invitation to a dinner party!"

	He raised an eyebrow.  "Really?  Where?"

	She paused.  Just wonderful.  NOW what was she supposed 
to say?  "It's...um...at my place, on Friday evening.  I'm 
hosting it," she replied carefully.  Was it her imagination...or 
had that been a flash of hurt shining in his eyes?

	"Hope you have fun," he told her, both his voice and 
his face expressionless.

	She winced.  Well, that clinched it.  She couldn't 
leave him out NOW and not feel guilty about it for the rest 
of her natural life!  "There's one for you, too," she blurted 
out, before she could think better of it.  A faint blush 
stained her cheeks at his obvious surprise.  "Um...well...I 
DID have one for you, but it sort of...kind of..."

	"...fell out of your bag on the way over here, you 
baka!" an annoyed voice cut in right behind her.  Startled, 
she turned around to see all four of her friends standing 
there, a familiar red envelope dangling from Rei's fingers.  
Her eyes widened slightly, and she looked at her friend 
hopefully.  Rei gave her a small smile, and held out the 
envelope.  "Good thing I found it, huh, Odango?  Wouldn't 
want to leave anyone out of your party."  At Usagi's stare, 
she coughed and straightened, turning an impish grin on Mamoru.  
"Although," she added wickedly, "considering that Usagi-chan 
plans to do the cooking, I don't know if I'm doing you any 
favors here..."

	"Hey!" Usagi yelped.  "There's nothing wrong with my 
cooking!"

	Rei stuck out her tongue at her, but nobody missed the 
smiles the two friends quickly exchanged right afterward. 

	Suddenly nervous, Usagi turned back to Mamoru and held out 
the envelope with a slightly shaking hand.  "I know...you 
don't like Christmas...but I thought maybe you'd like to come.  
It's just gonna be us...and lots to eat, of course.  M-my 
parents and brother aren't gonna be there.  I-I'd really like 
for you to come..."  She trailed off, hardly daring to look at 
him as he took the envelope from her fingers.

	"You-you're inviting me to your party?  After everything 
I've said to you?"  The astonishment in his voice made her look 
up at him again, and when their eyes met something very much 
like an electric shock passed between them, leaving them both 
breathless.

	She took a shuddering breath and smiled faintly.  
"Yeah...well...you know.  It's Christmas."  Her face fell 
slightly.  "If...you don't want to come, I understand," she 
added softly.

	After a moment, she felt a warm hand grasp her own, and 
she looked up to once again meet a deep, cerulean gaze.  He 
blinked rapidly several times, almost as though he was blinking 
away tears, and gave her a smile that was so warm and gentle she 
felt it right down to her toes.  "I'd love to come.  Thank you, 
Odang-Usagi-chan," he replied softly, squeezing her hand gently.

	She stared at him a moment, and then her face broke out 
into a beautiful smile.  "You're welcome, Mamoru-san," she 
breathed.

	The sound of somebody clearing their throat abruptly 
reminded them that they had an audience.  Mamoru released 
Usagi's hand like it was on fire, sitting back in his seat 
as they turned their eyes to four curious faces regarding 
them with more than a little interest.

	Seeing their embarrassment, Minako grinned wickedly.  
"Oh, don't mind US," she told them sweetly, herding the other 
three girls with not-so-subtle nudges in the general direction 
of the door.  "We were just on our way to go shopping, weren't 
we girls?"

	Sly giggles were her only answer.  Embarrassed, Usagi 
jumped up.  "I...er...I'll go with you!" she exclaimed, trying 
to ignore the blush covering her face...and the feel of 
Mamoru's intense gaze fixed on her.  "Just let me get..."

	"You can't!" Makoto cut in.  

	Usagi stopped, her mouth dropping open as hurt flashed 
across her face.  "Well...why not?"

	"Because...because we're going shopping for YOUR present, 
baka!" Rei replied, wrinkling her nose.

	"Well...can't I come along if I promise to ACT surprised 
on Christmas?" Usagi asked hopefully.

	"Sorry.  Not happening.  Ja ne!" Minako exclaimed, 
giving her a wave as she and the other three beat a hasty 
exit.

	Usagi watched them go, openmouthed, before huffing a
sigh and dropping back into her seat.  "I can't believe they 
ditched me!" she grumbled, crossing her arms.

	Mamoru chuckled.  "Wonderful friends you have there," 
he teased.  When she merely sighed dejectedly, he frowned 
thoughtfully, fingering his invitation.  Then, with a small 
grin, he stuck it in his pocket and leaned forward, tipping 
her chin up so that her startled gaze met his.  "Come on," 
he said.  "I have some shopping to do myself.  Come with me, 
instead."

	Her mouth dropped open.  "Are...are you serious?" she 
asked, hardly daring to believe that she'd heard him correctly.

	He shrugged.  "Why not?"

	She eyed him suspiciously.  "But I thought you HATED 
Christmas," she pointed out smugly.

	He grinned.  "That doesn't mean I don't get presents 
for people, like Motoki and his family," he replied.  "So?  
Waddaya say?  Wanna go?"

	She pursed her lips, then smiled slyly.  "Sure...as 
long as you promise not to call me Odango Atama," she replied 
sweetly.

	He blinked at her, then laughed, feeling his heart warm 
within his chest even more.  "Okay, Usagi-chan," he replied 
softly, giving her a look that made her knees go weak.  "I 
promise.  No Odango Atama while we go shopping."

	She grinned and jumped up, holding out her hand.  "Deal!" 
she chirped.  He grinned back and accepted it, intending to 
give it a shake...but somehow, after that...he couldn't seem 
to let it go.  It was so small and soft and warm; it fit so 
perfectly in his own, as though she was made just for him.  
He took a deep breath, aware that she was staring at him 
curiously, and smiled somewhat shakily.  "Well, come on," he 
told her, pulling her along with him out the door.

	Neither of them noticed Motoki watching them from his 
post behind the counter, smiling after them thoughtfully...

*	*	*	*	*
	"Wow!  Is this place crowded, or what?" Usagi nearly 
yelled in order to be heard over the noise of the other shoppers.

	Darien grinned at her.  "Guess everybody finally 
realized that it's only a week 'till Christmas," he replied, 
leaning down to her so she could hear him better. His warm 
breath tickled her ear, making her hunch her shoulder and 
giggle.  His smile widened.  "Better stick close to me, 
Usagi-chan.  Wouldn't want a little thing like you to get 
squashed!" he teased.

	"Hey!" she protested, glaring indignantly.  "Who're you 
calling little?!"

	He merely chuckled and draped an arm around her shoulders, 
steering her through the mall.  "I think right now it's safer 
crossing traffic in the street than trying to cross traffic 
inside the mall," Usagi grumbled, hastily side-stepping a 
shopper who seemed to be in a great hurry.  "Rush, rush, rush!  
Ya'd think the world was coming to an end or something!"

	Mamoru chuckled.  "I thought you were the one who loved 
Christmas so much," he replied teasingly.

	She sighed and smiled, hunching her shoulders.  "I like 
it when it's calm and quiet, when you can actually hear the 
Christmas music playing!" she replied.  "All these people make 
me nervous.  We could lose each other, and I bet we wouldn't 
even realize it!"

	His lips twitched.  "I don't know.  Speaking from 
experience, I'm sure if you wanted my attention bad enough, 
you could certainly get it if you yelled," he replied, trying 
to sound serious.  At her insulted glare, however, he broke 
into a grin and winked at her, letting her know that he didn't 
mean it.  She pouted, before slowly relaxing and shrugging her 
shoulders in a "what can I say?" gesture.  Then she did 
something that completely surprised him, although he supposed 
he should have been used to surprises from her by now.  She 
reached out and slipped her soft little hand into his own, 
wrapping her small fingers securely around his.

	He stared at her in surprise for a moment, but she was 
innocently examining the decorations on a small Christmas tree 
and appeared not to notice that anything was amiss.  Still...he 
could see a faint glow in her cheeks as she reached out to 
touch a glass ornament.  His heart nearly melted into his feet,
and he was quite aware that the look on his face might only be 
described as "goofy"...but for once-and this surprised him as 
much as anything-he didn't care.  A few days ago, he might have 
pulled away in embarrassment at such a public display of 
affection...but not now.  Not now that he felt such a knowing 
in his heart that there was hope for him after all.  First the 
kiss-the one he'd dreamed about constantly since he'd received 
it-then the invitation to her party, and now this?

	With a soft smile, he took her shy gesture a step further.  
He closed his own fingers around her small, warm hand, shifting 
her grip so that he could interlace his fingers with her own, 
all the while watching her face for a reaction.  She didn't look 
away from the tree, didn't even blink...but he could see her
slow smile as plain as day, and the glow in her cheeks grew a 
little more pronounced.  She abruptly turned that glowing smile 
to him, bathing him in its warmth, and announced, rather 
breathlessly he thought, "Let's go to the toy store next, okay?  
I haven't gotten Shingo his present yet."

	Smiling, he nodded his consent and, hand in hand, they 
made their way through the crowded mall.

*	*	*	*	*
	If Usagi's spirits had been high before, they were 
soaring into heaven by the time Mamoru pulled into her driveway, 
three hours later.  She got out of his car-a rather nice-looking 
sports model as black as his hair-and turned to peer in the 
window, giving him a wide smile.  "Ya know, I never thought I'd 
ever say this in my life-and I KNOW the girls would keel over 
from shock if they heard me-but I actually had a pretty good 
time today," she told him with a giggle.  "Thanks for putting 
up with me...and thanks for helping me pick out a present for 
Shingo."  She shifted the gift bag, which contained a 
brightly-wrapped present, at her side.

	"Well, ya know what?  I had fun, too," Mamoru replied, 
returning her smile.  He laughed slightly at her feigned look 
of astonishment.  "I know.  Amazing, isn't it?  You actually 
helped make Christmas shopping seem more like an adventure 
than a chore," he added teasingly.

	She giggled.  "Well, what can I say?  Shopping with me 
IS an adventure!  Ask anyone I know!" she joked.  "NEXT time, 
though, we're gonna go into that fancy department store, and 
I'm gonna pick you out a new blazer to replace that ratty green 
thing you always wear."  She wrinkled her nose at him 
good-naturedly while he looked wounded.

	"What's wrong with my jacket?" he asked, pretending to 
be offended, and smoothed down the lapel of the green blazer.  
"It's a good jacket!  It's...comfortable."

	She snorted.  "Like an old shoe, right?"

	He raised an eyebrow.  "Are you saying you don't like 
my taste in clothes?" he growled.

	She smiled at him innocently, feeling surprisingly 
daring, and crossed her arms on the edge of the open window, 
resting her chin on them.  "And what if I am?  What are YOU 
gonna do about it?" she challenged.

	His grin was pure devilment as he suddenly lunged at 
her, making her squeak in surprise and leap back...but not 
quickly enough.  His hands caught her by the arms, and he 
started yanking her into the car through the window while 
she yelled her protests.

	"Mamoru-san!  Let GO of me!  What's my mom gonna say 
if she looks out the window?!" she squealed as she kicked 
her legs, knowing it must have looked quite a sight with 
her front end vanishing through a window and her back end 
still sticking out of the car.

	"Looks to me like nobody's home," Mamoru replied with 
an evil grin, completely unrepentant.  He pulled her further 
in, his hands moving from her arms to wrap around her waist 
until she was pulled across his lap, facing the ceiling.  When 
he began to tickle her sides, she started shrieking in laughter, 
trying to wriggle away, but with Mamoru on one side and the 
steering wheel pressed almost painfully against her other side, 
movement was well nigh impossible.

	"All right!  All...RIGHT!  I...GIVE...UP!" she shrieked 
between giggles.  "STOP already!  I'm...gonna...have a 
heart...attack soon if...you keep...it...up!"

	His grin was malicious, and those gorgeous blue eyes 
were filled with laughter as he tickled her sides.  "What do 
you say?" he teased.

	"P-please?" she gasped, still trying vainly to escape.

	"And?"

	"Y-you have...wonderful taste...in clothes!  
You...should be...a fashion...designer!"

	He grinned, quite satisfied with himself as he ceased 
his torture, folding his hands and resting them on her 
quivering stomach, gazing down into her face.  "Why, thank 
you, Odango Atama.  What a sweet thing to say," he told her 
smugly.

	She glared at him through watery eyes as she caught her 
breath, her chest and stomach still heaving.  "You...said you 
weren't gonna...call me that...anymore," she wheezed.

	His grin widened, if that were possible.  "While we 
were shopping," he added smugly.  "I said I wouldn't call 
you that while we were shopping, but we're done shopping, 
aren't we?"  He looked innocently down at her, while she 
gave another short laugh and slapped a hand against his 
chest.

	"You are obnoxious!  Has anyone ever told you that?" 
she asked, thrusting her lower lip into a pout.  "Can I get 
up now...preferably before somebody comes along and sees my 
feet sticking out of the car?"  She glanced at the passenger
side, where her feet were, indeed, hanging out the window.

	He laughed.  "But you look so cute," he teased.  "I bet 
they'd only think you were a giant doll or something..."

	"Giant DOLL?!" came the outraged shriek, and she began 
to struggle anew.  He laughed as he slipped an arm around her 
back and helped her into a sitting position, where she promptly 
turned to let him know EXACTLY what she thought of him.  But as 
soon as her eyes met his, the words died in her throat.  His 
face was only inches from her own, those deep, mysterious eyes 
staring into and through her, and she suddenly found it hard to 
breathe.

	"I...I have to go now..." she whispered, her eyes very 
wide as she stared back at him.  "Th-thanks for shopping with
me..."

	"You already said that..." he replied, his voice barely 
above a whisper.  Turned to face him as she was, they were 
pressed close together thanks to the steering wheel, and he 
could feel her heart pounding against his chest...as fast as 
his own was, he was sure.  **Let her go,** a small voice in 
the back of his mind warned insistently.  **Help her out of 
the car and get the heck out of there, before you do something 
you'll regret later on.**

	**Too late...** another part of him-he suspected it 
was his heart-replied, and almost against his will, one hand 
came up to touch her flushed cheek.  Her eyes widened even 
more, and he stifled a soft moan.  **I can't let her go now,** 
he thought almost despairingly.  **Not without...without...**  
Slowly, he lowered his head as she stared up at him, 
anticipation and uncertainty glowing the azure depths of her 
eyes.  He hesitated, and when she didn't pull away, he leaned 
in just enough to feel the briefest touch of silk against his 
lips.  That soft touch nearly undid him-nearly made him forget 
his restraint.  Slowly, he reached up to cradle her face in his 
hands, gazing down into her eyes again, and she gazed back in 
wondering silence.  "Usagi," he whispered, lowering his head to 
kiss her again...

	"Hey!  Usagi!  What're you doing in there?!"

	The shout came from directly outside, and a boy of about 
ten years old peered curiously in through the window.  His jaw 
dropped when he saw Usagi sprawled across the lap of a strange 
man, and he pounded on the door.  "Hey!  What are you doing to 
my sister?!" he yelled.  "Better let her go, or I'll make you 
regret it!"

	His presence jerked both of them back to their senses as 
effectively as a bucket of icy water being dumped over their 
heads.  Usagi squeaked and scrambled off Mamoru's lap quick as 
lightning, glaring out at her brother.  "Of all the rotten luck!  
Shingo!  Don't you have someplace you need to be?" she growled.

	"Shingo" sniffed.  "Yeah, at home, and so do you!  Boy, 
wait'll I tell dad about you two!  He'll flip!"  Laughing 
evilly, he turned and hightailed it into the house before 
she could grab him.

	She sighed and leaned her head back into the seat.  
"Great.  Just perfect.  I just HAPPEN to be having a good 
time, and HE comes along!  It's a plot, I tell ya," she 
grumbled.  Turning to face Mamoru again, she sighed.  
"Anyhow, guess I'd better go inside," she added wistfully.  
"I have to go kill my little brother now."

	He smiled at her slightly, his eyes searching her 
face.  She was embarrassed at his sudden scrutiny, and 
refused to meet his gaze.  "Well, uh, guess I'll see you 
at the party on Friday then.  I hope you can come.  Gotta 
go now.  Ja ne!"  And with that, she quickly got out of 
the car, scooping up her package and skipping to the house.  
Mamoru watched her go before putting the car in gear and 
taking off.  His fingers came up to brush at his lips, a 
smile softly touching his mouth as he whispered, "Usako..."

	Unbeknownst to him, Usagi was doing almost exactly 
the same thing on the other side of her front door, sighing 
blissfully and murmuring his name.  "Mamo-chan..."

	It had been an interesting day, indeed...

*	*	*	*	*
	On Friday, the day before Christmas Eve, Usagi came 
bounding down the stairs at ten o'clock, sharp, humming a 
Christmas tune cheerfully.  She ignored the shocked stares
her parents and brother gave her-after all, it was something 
of a phenomenon to see Usagi up and about before the crack of 
noon-grabbed a bagel off the counter, and bid them goodbye.  
She had a lot to do that day, including cooking an elaborate 
meal and decorating the house.  Her parents had been invited 
to a Christmas party at her father's boss' house, which was a 
mansion out near the country, and Shingo was staying at his 
friend's house for the night, so she pretty much had the place 
to herself.  Even Luna promised she'd take off for the night to 
give Usagi some peace.

	As she strolled the isles of food in the grocery store, 
Usagi frowned, examining her list closely.  **Maybe I should 
have enlisted Makoto's help for this cooking thing, after 
all,** she thought.  Then she shook her head.  **No, this 
is MY party and I'm doing things on my own!  It's just cooking!  
How hard can it be?  All I have to do is follow the directions 
in the cook book, and viola!  Instant meal!**  She nodded to 
herself, grinning smugly.  **And I cannot WAIT to see the look 
on Rei-chan's face when she sees I cooked a meal all by myself!  
She'll be eating her words!**

*	*	*	*	*
	Mamoru hesitated outside the door at Usagi's house, 
fighting down sudden panic.  Taking a deep breath, he fingered 
the small box tucked into his pocket yet again and repeated to 
himself all the reasons why he had come.  

	Number one: She'd invited him.  

	Number two: He wanted to.  

	Yup.  That pretty much covered it.  

	He wouldn't even let himself contemplate the possibility 
that she'd only invited him in the first place because she'd 
invited his best friend and didn't want to make herself look 
bad in Motoki's eyes by leaving him out.  No, definitely not 
that.  He closed his eyes and took another deep breath.  **I 
wonder if it's too late to leave?**  He wasn't a people-person, 
after all, and this was a PARTY, for heaven's sake!  He wasn't 
a party-person, either.  His idea of fun was to sit at home and 
read a book.  **Or maybe sit at home and cuddle on the couch 
with someone while watching a good movie...**  He had someone 
perfect in mind for that...but, unfortunately, she was hosting 
a party tonight.

	Taking yet another breath, he raised his hand and 
rapped on the door.  He'd not seen Usagi for awhile, not 
since he'd dropped her off the other day and had left in a 
daze.  What should he expect from her now?  Was she mad at 
him about taking advantage of her like that?  Although...she 
certainly hadn't seemed to mind it at the time...and HE 
certainly had nothing to complain about!  Too bad her little 
brother had chosen that moment to interrupt...

	He heard footsteps coming and straightened abruptly, 
his full attention fixed on the door before him.  What was 
he to expect from her?  What would he see in those beautiful 
eyes of hers?  Anger?  Resentment?  Or maybe...

	Slowly, the door cracked open and a large, blue eye 
peered out at him.  The eye widened when it fixed on him, 
there was a muffled squeak, and the door abruptly slammed 
in his face.

	He blinked.

	Well...that certainly answered THAT question...

	Frowning, he knocked again.  "Um...Usagi-chan?" he 
called through the door.  "Are...are you okay?"

	"Go away!" she replied, her voice muffled.  "You're 
an hour early!"

	He blushed.  "Yeah...I know, but...well, I thought I 
could maybe...ya know, help out or something..."

	"No, thank-you," came the abrupt reply.  "Please go away."

	He frowned.  Something didn't seem right.  He didn't 
know what it was, but... "Are you sure you're okay in there?"

	"YES!  Get lost, will ya?!"

	Now he KNEW something was wrong.  She wasn't usually 
that rude, even to him.  And was that...smoke he smelled?  
Alarmed, he knocked once more.

	"WHAT?!"

	"Open the door, Usagi-chan," he demanded.

	"I'm busy!" she retorted.  Before he could reply, there 
came a muffled "whoomph!" from somewhere in the house, a noise 
that sounded suspiciously like a small explosion, and she 
screeched.  "Ohhhnoooooooonotthemeatloooooaaaaf!" she wailed, 
and he heard her footsteps swiftly retreating.  Raising an 
eyebrow, he reached out and tried the doorknob.  It turned 
easily in his hand...and the door swung open with a low groan, 
exactly like those cheap special effects in old horror movies.

	Black smoke poured out of what appeared to be the 
kitchen, and he could see Usagi standing there, futilely 
beating at it with the apron she wore.  Alarmed, Mamoru 
rushed to help her, yanking open a window and turning on 
a small fan to help blow the smoke outside.  "Here, turn 
off the stove," he commanded, waving the remaining tendrils 
of acrid smoke out with a towel.

	She complied, coughing as she waved a hand around her 
face.  Now that the alarm was over, Mamoru finally got a good 
look at Usagi...and did she ever look a sight!  Her hair was 
mussed, her face and the front of her apron so smudged with 
flower that she resembled the Pillsbury Doughboy.  He couldn't 
help but laugh, especially when she took a pot holder and 
pulled the charred, bubbling remains of what apparently was 
supposed to be a meat loaf out of the oven.  Not only was the 
that ruined, but there was a pot sitting on top of the stove 
that contained some thick, gooey, brownish-white substance 
that resembled mashed potatoes.  

	Barely.

	There were a million remarks sitting on the edge of 
his tongue, a million witty, cutting insults that were just 
dying to leap out of his mouth...but he swallowed those 
comments and his laughter when he saw how dejected Usagi 
looked.  It was difficult, but he did it.  Instead, he walked 
over to her and wiped a smudge from her face, gazing down at 
her tear-filled eyes.  "Usagi," he began gently, "have you 
actually ever cooked before?"

	She winced and pouted at the same time.  "How hard 
can it be?" she asked dejectedly.  "You just follow the 
directions, right?  Just follow the stupid recipe, and you 
get a meal that Chef Boyardee can envy!"  The sarcasm dripped 
from her tongue as she glared at the ruined meal, but her lips 
were quivering.  "It was going so well, but then the...the 
noodles started to boil over...and when I was cleaning THAT 
up, the potatoes started to burn!  And NOW the meatloaf 
just...just exploded!"  She caught her breath on a sob.

	"What am I going to DO?!" she wailed, collapsing onto 
a chair.  "The party's in an HOUR and I'm not ready or ANYTHING 
and now there's nothing to eat!"  She swiped at her eyes.  
"It's ruined!  It's all a mess!  Rei was right!  I can't do 
ANYTHING right!  It's bad enough YOU saw my failure.  Now 
everyone else'll laugh at me and say I told you so and...and..."  
She took a shuddering breath, looking down at her hands folded 
tightly on her lap, weeping quietly.

	Mamoru stared at her, not certain what to do.  He'd 
never seen her looking so dejected before.  "This party 
really means a lot to you, doesn't it?" he asked quietly.

	She shrugged, wiping her eyes again.  "Sorta.  I 
just...wanted to be the graceful, gracious dinner host 
for once.  Minako-chan is always throwing fancy parties, 
and she's so good at it.  I wanted to be able to do it, 
too, I guess..."  She trailed off, her voice wistful.  "I 
should have known I wouldn't be able to pull something like 
this off.  I'm just a clumsy idiot, after all.  I'm not 
beautiful and graceful like Minako-chan and Rei-chan, or 
a good cook like Makoto-chan, or smart like Ami-chan..."

	"Stop it."

	Mamoru's voice was so stern that she blinked and 
actually obeyed, looking up at him with wide eyes.  He 
knelt before her, reaching up to touch her face.  "I don't 
want to hear you say such awful things about yourself, you 
hear me?  Besides, they're all lies!  You can do anything 
you put your mind to, including hosting your party," he told 
her firmly.

	She swallowed.  "B-but I can't even make a simple 
meal!" she protested.

	He looked at the ruined meatloaf.  "This wasn't really 
a simple meal you were trying to make," he told her.  "I mean, 
for someone who's never cooked before, that is..."

	"I've cooked before!" she replied, offended.  

	He raised an eyebrow.  "Yeah?  What?  Oatmeal and toast?"  
Her blush let him know that he was closer in his guesses than 
she wanted to admit.  He sighed and smiled, reaching out to 
muss her hair playfully.  "Look, this isn't the end of the 
world.  Just start all over," he suggested.

	She glared.  "With what?  Cat food?  I've only got an 
HOUR, Mamoru-san," she replied testily.  "How am I supposed 
to cook another meal and clean up and change clothes at the 
same time?"
	
	His smile was patient as he picked up the phone and 
began dialing.  "It's called take-out, and believe me, I 
know just the place to call," he replied slyly.  "Get this 
place cleaned up, and then get yourself ready."

	Her brow furrowed.  "But...I don't have that kind of 
money.  I used it all buying the first meal," she replied.  

	"It's my treat, okay?" he replied, waving away her protests.

	"B-but takeout is hardly the same thing as a home-cooked 
meal!  Rei will still gloat when she finds out what happened!"

	He gave her a searching look.  "Does Rei's opinion mean 
that much to you?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.  
"I didn't think...you were the type to care what other people 
thought of you..."

	She blushed and looked away.  "I'm not as immune to 
hurtful comments as I let everyone believe, Mamoru-san," she 
replied quietly.

	His heart slammed into his chest.  "I-including...mine."  
It wasn't a question.

	She shrugged and rubbed her arms uncomfortably.  "Guess 
I'd better clean up this mess, huh?" she said with forced 
cheerfulness, trying to change the subject.  "Boy, who knew
cooking could be such a disaster?"  She giggled and took off 
her apron, shaking out the flour outside.  "Hmmm...maybe 
there's some frozen eggrolls I can heat up or something.  
And I'm sure I saw Mom stash a gallon of almondcream ice-cream 
in the freezer in the basement.  So we have appetizers and 
dessert, anyhow."

	She shook the flour out of her hair, as well, all the 
while chattering inanely, trying to sound cheerful.  But 
words abruptly died in her throat when she felt a pair of 
arms circling her from behind, wrapping her securely in a 
warm embrace.  "Gomen," Mamoru said softly in her ear, "for 
every hurtful thing I've ever said to you.  I never knew...I 
never stopped to think about...what you were feeling.  I wish 
I could take it all back again, but I can't.  All I can do is 
ask for your forgiveness.  I never wanted to hurt you."

	Usagi's breath caught in her throat.  Mamo-chan was 
actually apologizing...to HER?  Suddenly, she felt very warm.  
His arms were still around her, his face beside hers, chin 
resting on her shoulder.  His breath was warm where it brushed 
her cheek.  She stifled a shiver at the memory of the last time 
they were in such close proximity, when he had kissed her.  And 
would have kissed her again, if Shingo had kept his nose out of 
it.  She smiled slightly at the memory, craning her neck to look
at Mamoru, and let her smile grow.  "Of course I forgive you, 
Mamoru-san," she breathed.  "I can never stay mad at you!"

	His own smile appeared, and he seemed to breathe a sigh 
of relief as he let her go.  "Arigato, Usagi-chan," he replied, 
then grinned.  "Now...how about you go get ready for your party, 
ne?"

	She frowned.  "But...I still have to cook dinner, and 
clean up the kitchen..."

	"Don't worry about a thing," he assured her confidently.  
"I'll take care of everything!  You just go do whatever you 
need to do."  He hesitated.  "That is...unless you don't WANT 
my help..."

	She stared up at him, then smiled shyly and shrugged.  
"At this point, I'll take anyone's help," she replied, and 
giggled.  "All right, Mamoru-san.  I trust you.  I'll go get 
ready."  She stood on tip-toe and kissed his cheek, before 
turning and bouncing upstairs to her room, calling "Arigatou!" 
over her shoulder.

	Mamoru watched as she left, smiling softly, before 
turning his gaze to examine the natural disaster that used 
to be a kitchen.  He sweatdropped slightly.  Better get to 
it, then.  He had a LOT of work to do...

*	*	*	*	*
	**There,** Usagi thought as she applied the finishing 
touches to her hair.  **All ready, and in only forty-five 
minutes!  Minako-chan would be proud!**  She giggled to 
herself as she arranged the last curl, then stood back to 
examine herself in the mirror.  She was quite proud of the 
results.  Her dress was a beautiful creation of pale silver.  
The velvet bodice clung softly, and the full satin skirt swept 
to the ground.  Her hair was out of its usual style, piled on 
top of her head in an arrangement of curls that cascaded down 
over her shoulders, held in place with several silver clips.  
Her makeup was light; Minako always said that less was more, 
and had shown her several handy tricks to enhancing natural 
beauty rather than covering it.  This was the first time Usagi 
had taken them into effect, having never really bothered with 
makeup before.  She'd never had a reason to, after all.

	**Wonder what Mamo-chan'll say when he sees me?** she 
thought, smoothing down the skirt.  She smiled as she pictured 
his reaction.  **Maybe he won't even recognize me without the 
odangos!**  Her smile widened, then faded as she opened her 
bedroom door and walked down the hall.  A wonderful smell 
permeated the house, and she sniffed.  "Is that...turkey I 
smell?" she wondered out loud as she headed downstairs, 
praying that she wouldn't trip over her feet on the way.

	The sight that greeted her left her stunned.  The kitchen 
was spotless, the decorations back in place...and a feast was 
spread out on the dining room table that made her mouth water.  
She gaped in silent wonder, wondering how much this must have 
cost Mamoru.  A few empty cartons with the name of a prominent 
restaurant were sitting by the door.  It must have cost a small 
fortune!

	She heard a startled gasp behind her and turned to see 
Mamoru had appeared in the dining room.  He was staring at her 
with gaping mouth and wide eyes, the tray of rolls in his hand 
forgotten.  Her own eyes widened and she reached out to take it 
from him before it ended up on the floor.  "I can't believe you 
did all this!" she exclaimed, gesturing around the room.  "How 
much did this cost you?  I'll pay you back when I can..."  She 
trailed off; he was still staring at her.  "Um...Mamoru-san?  
Are you okay?"  She looked down at herself, wondering if maybe 
she hadn't dipped her elbow in the gravy or something.

	"U-usagi?"  Mamoru's mouth moved to speak, but nothing 
more came out.  He looked her up and down, and she was 
beginning to feel a little annoyed.

	"Oh, come off it, Mamoru-san," she snapped irritably, 
crossing her arms.  "Am I that ugly?"

	He blinked.  "N-nani?  Oh, no...that isn't...I 
mean...you're...beautiful."  He rubbed his hand over his 
hair, his cheeks suspiciously red.  

	She looked at him incredulously, then giggled.  
"You're blushing, Mamoru-san," she told him wryly.  "And 
thanks for noticing.  I'm glad you approve."  Then she took 
a good look at him, smiling slyly.  "Speaking of which, YOU 
look pretty good in that tux," she added.  "Tell me, is the 
frilly apron an accessory, or are you just trying to make a 
fashion statement?"

	He laughed nervously as he removed said apron.  "Ha, 
ha, Odango.  Very funny."

	"Ah-HA!" she shouted, pointing at him.  "You can't 
call me Odango tonight!  I'm not wearing them!"  She laughed 
gleefully as he smiled back at her, reaching up to bury 
his fingers carefully in her soft curls.

	"Yeah, I'd noticed," he told her softly, gazing into 
her eyes with an intensity that made her knees go weak.  
Drawing her closer to him with a mere touch, he slowly lowered 
his head to hers, more than ready to take up where they'd been 
forced to leave off two days before...

	DING DONG!

	They jumped apart like a pair of startled rabbits, 
hearts pounding.  Usagi blinked, looking strangely 
disappointed.  "Th-that's probably the guests.  I'd better 
go let them in," she said.

	"Yeah.  I'll get rid of these boxes awhile."  He looked 
at the empty cartons, then back at her, and winked.  "No need 
to let anyone else know where the food REALLY came from, eh?"

	Her eyes widened, and a smile lit her face.  "R-really?  
You really won't tell?" she asked hopefully.  "Oh, Mamoru-san!  
Thanks so much!  I could kiss you for this!"

	He grinned at her wickedly, his eyes gleaming suggestively. 
"I certainly won't try to stop you," he replied in a low voice. 
She blinked at him, blushed prettily, and with a soft giggle 
turned and ran to answer the door.

*	*	*	*	*
	Rei's reaction to the sight of a perfectly-set table 
laden with food made all the torture worth it.  Usagi watched, 
quite satisfied with herself, as the priestess' jaw dropped and 
her eyes bugged out at the sight of the beautiful spread.  "I 
DON'T BELIVE IT!" she bellowed.  "YOU DID ALL THIS YOURSELF?!?"

	Usagi smiled slyly.  "With a little help from my guardian 
angel," she replied, shooting Mamoru a coy glance.  Startled, 
he raised his eyebrows.  Was she actually...flirting with him?  
"Well, no need to let it get cold!" Usagi added, ushering her 
friends inside.  "Have a seat!  We can eat right away."

	The girls and Motoki came in, all decked out to the 
nines, exclaiming over the festive appearance of the house.  
Usagi beamed as she took their coats, tossing them into a 
spare room and ushering them into the dining room.  "Sit down, 
everyone," she invited.  "Glad you could come!"

	"I have to admit, I really wasn't sure you could pull 
something like this off," Mokoto said sheepishly as she took 
her seat.  

	"Yeah, same here," Minako added.

	"I, too, had my doubts," Ami finished mournfully.  "I'm 
sorry I doubted you, Usagi-chan.  I should have known you could 
do it."

	Usagi blushed, squirming guiltily.  "Eh...think nothing 
of it," she replied with nervous giggle, shooting a glance to 
Mamoru, who merely smiled and sipped his drink.

	Dinner went smoothly from then on, and nobody suspected 
that a near-disaster had occurred only an hour before.  Well, 
almost nobody.  Usagi caught Rei sneaking suspicious glances 
at her and Mamoru several times, but she did her best to act 
her part as dinner hostess and keep her guests' minds on other 
things, praying that Mamoru had done a good job of hiding those 
takeout cartons.

*	*	*	*	*
~~Two hours later~~

	"Usagi-chan!  This is JUST what I've wanted!" Minako 
squealed, throwing her arms around her friend and cutting off 
her air supply with a tight hug.  "How did you know?"

	"A little cat told me," Usagi wheezed, grinning at her 
friend's enthusiasm.  "Um...Mina-chan?  A little air here...?"

	Minako giggled and sat back, hugging the angora wool 
sweater close to her.  The other girls chattered incessantly 
as they admired their presents from each other, while Motoki 
and Mamoru watched them from the couch, carefully keeping out 
of their way.  "Never get in the way of a girl and her gifts," 
came Motoki's joking comment, to be followed by a whack in the 
knee by Minako.

	"Keep that up, and YOUR gift'll get returned to the 
store!" Usagi threatened good-naturedly, grinning as she 
waved a box in front of his face.

	"Gimme that!" Motoki growled, lunging forward to snatch 
the box from her grasp, making her squeal with laughter.  He 
eagerly attacked the paper as she looked on nervously, sighing 
with relief when he beamed at the video in his hands.  "Hey, 
this is great, Usagi-chan!" he exclaimed.  "I've been looking 
for this documentary for a long time!  How'd you even know I 
wanted it?"

	Usagi blushed.  "Er...Mamoru-san suggested it when we 
were shopping," she replied, twiddling her thumbs together.

	That was the wrong thing to say.  Immediately, five pairs 
of eyes turned to her, and Makoto asked evilly, "Speaking of 
WHICH...how did that shopping trip go?"

	Usagi sweatdropped.  "It went...fine," she stammered, 
glancing at Mamoru, who looked like he was about to bolt.  
"Say, how about another game of Charades?" she asked hopefully.  
"Or Scattergories?  We have Taboo..."

	"Actually, I have to leave," Motoki said regretfully.  
"I promised my family I'd be home early.  We're heading to my 
grandparents to spend Christmas with them, and we leave early 
tomorrow."

	The girls groaned with disappointment, making him blush 
as he stood up.  Usagi rose, too, and went to get his coat.

	"Come on, Motoki.  Don't leave me here alone with them 
by myself," Mamoru wheedled, chuckling, as he walked his 
friend to the front door.  "I won't be able to fend them off 
forever!"

	Motoki laughed.  "I'm sure Usagi'll do a great job fending 
them off for you, pal," he replied slyly.  

	"What's that supposed to mean?" Mamoru yelped.

	Motoki laughed again.  "Do I have to spell it out for 
you?  Don't think I didn't see the looks you two kept shooting 
each other all through dinner," he told him.  "I have a feeling 
the other girls'll be making their excuses pretty soon, too.  
So it'll be just you and her.  Then you can give her that present 
you've been fingering in your pocket all night."  He grinned at 
Mamoru's startled expression.  "So what did you get her?  Jewelry, 
right?  A necklace?  Or maybe...a ring, perchance?"

	"NANI?  Are you out of your gourd?!" Mamoru yelped.  
"I...she...we hardly know each other!"

	Motoki smiled slyly.  "Methinks the gentleman doth protest 
too much," he replied slyly.  "Whatever it is, I hope she likes 
it."

	Mamoru opened his mouth to reply, but just then Usagi 
appeared, bearing Motoki's coat.  "I wish you could stay 
longer," she told him.  "Thank you so much for coming, 
though."

	"Hey, I had a great time, and you hosted a beautiful 
party, Usagi-chan," Motoki replied.  "I don't know why some 
lucky guy hasn't snatched you up already.  Hey, if it doesn't 
happen soon, I might have to apply for the position, myself!"  
He shot Mamoru a teasing glance, noting with satisfaction that 
the other man was practically snarling at him.  As for Usagi, 
she merely giggled and blushed as she handed Motoki his coat 
and bid him goodnight.

	"Well, we better be going, too."

	Usagi turned around to see all four girls standing 
there, donned in their jackets.  Her jaw dropped.  "Already?  
But it's only ten o'clock!" she whined.  "Is my party that 
boring?"

	"Oh, no!  The party was great!" Mokoto exclaimed.  "I 
had a blast, and the food...manufique!"  She kissed her 
fingertips and grinned.  "But I have to get some sleep, 'cause 
tomorrow's Christmas Eve, and I'm spending it with my best 
friend's family."  She grinned at Usagi's dejected expression.  
"Hey, girl, don't look so down.  I'd say your party was a 
smashing success!"

	Usagi brightened.  "Really?"

	"Yeah, I agree," Minako added.  "Couldn't have done better 
myself!"

	"You're a good hostess," Ami encouraged.

	"Yeah," Rei agreed grudgingly.  "I have to admit, you 
sure surprised me.  I really enjoyed myself tonight...and I 
even liked the food."

	"Arigatou, minna!" Usagi replied.  "I'm glad you had 
fun, and I'm glad you liked the gifts I gave you!  Thanks for 
all YOUR gifts, too!"

	"Well...anyway, guess we'd better hightail it home then.  
We'd help you clean up but...you know...it's your party and all," 
Mokoto said teasingly.

	Usagi wrinkled her nose at her.  "Thank you SO much!"  
They made their farewells and left, and she shut the door and 
leaned against it, sighing.  Then she glanced up at Mamoru and 
smiled.  "Guess you'll be taking off now, too, huh?" she said 
wistfully.

	He shrugged.  "Actually...I thought maybe I'd hang 
around awhile, if that's okay.  I could help you clean up," 
he offered.

	She waved a hand.  "Oh, you don't have to do that," she 
replied.  "I'll clean up.  But..."  She looked at the floor.  
"I'd like it if you'd stay.  My family will be gone for awhile 
yet, and I wouldn't mind some company," she added shyly.

	He smiled to himself as he followed her into the dining 
room, where she began to clear away dishes.  He helped her 
carry them into the kitchen, both of them working in 
companionable silence, and he even helped her wash them, 
despite her protests.  Neither of them said much, but it 
wasn't a stilted, uncomfortable silence.  It was...peaceful.  
When the work was finished, they drifted into the living room 
where paper still littered the floor from the gift-giving.  
Mamoru sat down on the couch, and she stood before him for a 
moment, before suddenly walking over to the tree and reaching 
around to the very back of it.  When she stood up, in her hands 
she held a package.  He watched curiously as she stopped before 
him and held it out.

	"Gomen, Mamoru-san, for not giving this to you earlier.  
But...I wanted to be alone with you when I explained to you 
what it was," she said.  "I didn't think...the others would 
appreciate it like you would."  He took it from her, looking 
somewhat astonished, and she knew that it wasn't often he 
received gifts.  He'd gotten one from Motoki, and one from 
Rei, but that was it.  Clearly he had not been expecting one 
from her, as well.  She sighed and sat down beside him as he 
carefully opened it, biting her lip anxiously.

	He lifted the lid off a shoe box...and a puzzled 
expression crossed his face.  "It's a...doll house..." he 
said, sounding almost disappointed.

	She giggled despite herself.  "No, it isn't!  Here..."  
She lifted out a crude, wooden structure that resembled a 
small barn and set it on the coffee table.  He eyed it 
curiously, but then turned his attention back to Usagi, who 
was carefully lifting several wrapped figures from the box, 
as well.  She unwrapped one of them to reveal a porcelain 
figurine of a woman kneeling in prayer.  She was dressed in 
blue robes and a long, white veil, and her expression was 
serene.  Usagi carefully set her in the little barn, then 
unwrapped another figure.  

	This one was of a bearded man, again wearing robes with 
a calm, peaceful look on his face.  He held a staff in one 
hand, and a lantern in the other, and he, too, was kneeling.  
Usagi set this one beside the woman, and unwrapped yet a third.  
By now, Mamoru knew that this was a nativity set, like he'd 
seen in store display windows.  He could also see that this 
one was rather old.  The painted figures were faded in some 
places, and one of the sheep's ears had been broken and glued 
back on by childish hands.  As Usagi placed the last little 
figurine in the barn-Baby Jesus, of course-he turned his gaze 
to her, waiting for her to speak.

	She finally did so, not looking at him.  "I didn't know 
what to get you, Mamoru-san," she said softly.  "I looked in 
all the stores, but I wanted to get you something special, 
that nobody else could give you, and I came home and saw 
this in my room..."  She sighed and leaned back against the 
couch, tucking her knees up under her dress and wrapping her 
arms around them.  "I know that...that you've been alone for 
most of your life.  Motoki...he hinted, but he never really TOLD
me what had happened, and I understand that.  I mean, it isn't 
my business, after all.  But...whatever happened to you, it 
must have been so terrible that it made you hate Christmas, 
and I can't help...feeling bad for you, Mamoru-san."

	"I don't want your..." he started to snap, but then she 
turned glittering eyes to him, and he realized that she didn't 
pity him.  In her eyes there shone simple compassion, and 
nothing more.

	She turned to stare at the nativity scene again.  "I was 
seven years old when I got this," she continued.  "It was a bad 
year.  My father had lost his job, and money was tight.  I 
remember overhearing my parents talking one night, my father 
saying that he wouldn't be able to buy Christmas presents this 
year for me and Shingo, and I remember that my mother was crying.  
I don't know if...if we were really as bad off as all that...but 
to me, anything that could make my mother cry was a tragedy."  
She giggled slightly.  

	"Anyhow, on Christmas morning, I got up, fully expecting 
to find our Christmas tree empty underneath...and when I went 
downstairs...it was."  She grinned when she looked up at Mamoru.  
He'd seemed almost disappointed.  "But THEN my mom opened the 
back door...and there, right on the doorstep, was a huge box, 
FILLED with presents, and even a Christmas dinner!  There was 
a card in the box, too.  Turns out that all the gifts were from 
a missionary pastor from America who had been living with a 
family down the street.  He was a really nice man, although I 
don't think my parents liked him much, because he was always 
preaching and my family isn't really religious or anything.  
Anyway, he'd heard about what happened, and he'd gone out and 
bought all these gifts, just for us.  The card said that...that 
sometimes bad things happened to good people, but not to be 
discouraged, because God loved us and was looking out for us, 
and to have a Merry Christmas."

	Mamoru listened quietly, mesmerized by the play of 
emotion across Usagi's face as she told the story.  A complete 
stranger had come given her presents, just because he wanted 
to?  HE had never met any such person in his life, although 
he'd met plenty of missionaries at the orphanage, preaching 
about "God's Love".  He'd never believed a word of it, of 
course.  Any God that could let him lose not only his family, 
but all his memories of them as well, couldn't have been that 
loving, in his opinion.

	Usagi was looking up at him again.  "This nativity scene 
was in the box, as well."  She picked up the figure of Jesus 
and looked at it.  "The story goes, that God sent his son, 
Jesus, to be born of the Virgin Mary.  And the reason for 
that was so that Jesus could grow up to do great things.  
All the miracles he did...and he loved people no matter how 
bad they were, and he even died for them, eventually.  It 
gives me hope.  It helps me to remember that I'm not alone, 
no matter how bad life seems, and I'm always reminded of that 
pastor, who helped us when he didn't need to, and made Christmas 
special for my family.  I guess that's why I always try to help 
people so much, because I want to somehow pay back that 
missionary's kindness."  She looked up at him again.  "I...was 
hoping that maybe, whenever you looked at this, you would 
remember that, too.  That there IS someone who loves you, no 
matter how bad life seems."

	He squirmed uncomfortably.  "That's a pretty tall 
order," he replied mockingly.  "I've never held much faith 
in that religious talk, and believe me, I've heard all there 
is to hear."

	Her brow furrowed slightly and she looked away.  "Well, 
then...if you don't want to believe that God loves you...will 
you at least believe that...there's someone here on earth who 
does?" she asked softly.

	His breath caught in his throat and he stared down at 
her.  Was she saying...what he thought she was...?  "Is 
there?" he asked in return, gazing at her intently.  
"Are...you that person?"
	
	She shrugged, shifting uncomfortably, wondering if she 
just hadn't stuck her foot in it, big time.  "Well...I mean, 
I do care about you, Mamoru-san," she replied.  "I just want 
you to know that...I mean...if we could be friends, I'd like 
that.  And you can tell me anything, you know.  I've got two 
perfectly good shoulders, if you ever want to borrow one to 
cry on.  My ears are in pretty good shape, too."  She smiled 
faintly, shrugging one shoulder again.

	Mamoru slowly lowered himself from the couch to sit 
beside her, reaching out to pick up Baby Jesus again.  He 
examined the little figure thoughtfully, before placing it 
back in its spot again, and then turned to face Usagi and 
enveloping her in a warm hug.  "Arigatou, Usagi-chan," he 
told her softly.  "This is the best gift anyone has ever 
given to me.  I'll treasure it always.  And when I see it, 
I'll always think of you, and I'll think of the story, as 
well."  His hand brushed her face in a light caress.

	She smiled.  "Arigatou," she whispered.  "It would mean 
a lot to me.  I just...want you to know that...you aren't alone 
anymore..."

	"I know," he replied softly.  "When I'm with you...I'm 
never alone..."  He lowered his head so that his forehead 
rested against her own and gazed deeply into her eyes.  
"Maybe you're right, Usagi-chan.  Maybe God really does love me.  
After all...he was kind enough to send you to me.  I-I've wanted 
to say this to you...but I've been afraid to tell you..."  He 
took a deep breath.  "Aishiteru, Usako," he whispered, closing 
his eyes.  "I...never thought I'd ever say that to anyone, but 
somehow...it seems fitting that you should be the first 
person to ever hear it from my mouth.  You were the first 
person...who ever truly cared about me...and even if you 
don't return my feelings...please, let me love you, anyway."

	When she remained silent, he opened his eyes and was 
stunned to see silent tears streaking her face.  "Usako...?" 
he whispered, reaching up to wipe them away.  His heart 
slammed into his chest.  "Have I...was I wrong...to tell 
you this?  Gomen..."

	"Arigatou," she suddenly whispered, her lips curling 
into a lovely smile.  "Mamo-chan...you just made my wish come 
true..."  She sniffed and wiped her eyes, laughing through her 
tears.  "I thought before...that if I could have any wish...it 
would be for you to love me, and it...came true..."

	He smiled, nearly melting with love as he held her 
close.  "I'm glad I made your wish come true," he whispered 
in her ear.  "Will you make mine come true, as well?  Will 
you tell me...that you love me, too?"

	She swallowed her tears and nodded, whispering, 
"Aishiteru, Mamo-chan.  I will always love you..."

	Anything else she might have said was silenced as Mamoru 
leaned over her, taking her lips in a deep, soul-binding kiss.  
His hands wound into her soft hair and stroked her face as he 
pressed soft kisses over her eyelids and cheeks and neck, 
whispering softly in her ear.  She sighed and closed her eyes, 
relishing this new closeness, wondering if she was dreaming, 
and praying that she would never wake up.

	Finally, after another soft kiss, Mamoru released her 
and sat back, reaching to pull a small, velvet box out of his 
jacket pocket.  "I...wasn't sure whether or not to give this 
to you," he told her softly, "but you've removed any doubt from 
my mind.  Open it."

	With trembling fingers, Usagi carefully pulled the gold 
ribbon from around the box and opened it.  Her breath caught
on a gasp; a silver ring cut into the shape of a rose lay 
nestled on a bed of black velvet, gleaming softly.  
"Oh...M-mamo-chan..." she breathed.  "I...it's...this is the 
most...beautiful gift..."  She looked up at him, half delighted 
and half terrified.  "This isn't...is it?" she asked hesitantly.

	He chuckled, shaking his head as he removed the ring from 
the box.  "An engagement ring?  No," he replied softly.  "I know 
you're much too young for that.  This is...this is a promise ring.  
It means...that the one wearing it pledges her heart to the one 
who gives it to her, that she'll save herself for him, and no one 
else."

	"But...how is it different from an engagement ring?" 
Usagi asked hesitantly.

	He thought for a moment, then shrugged.  "I guess...not 
much," he replied with a chuckle.  "Except maybe a few hundred 
dollars.  Normally, it's a girl's parents who give her the ring, 
or so I was told, and the promise is made to them.  But this 
is...kind of special.  You see...I do want to marry you, Usako.  
I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

	"Mamo-chan!" she gasped, her face paling.

	He held up his hand.  "I'm not saying right now," he 
added hastily.  "I mean...later, once you're grown up a little.  
In four or five years, you'll be old enough to make your own 
decision.  I want you to take those years and really think about 
whether or not you want to spend the rest of your life with me, 
because I know that I want to spend mine with you.  And if you 
DO decide that you and I are meant to be...then I'll 
replace this sliver rose with a diamond.  But it's your call, 
Usako.  I know it's asking a lot, for you to pledge yourself to 
me now, when you have so much growing up to do.  Heaven knows, 
you'll be getting asked out on a lot of dates, and if you'd 
rather wait...then I'll understand."

	He waited breathlessly, his heart slamming in his chest 
as she stared at the ring he held between his fingers.  Her face, 
for once, was devoid of all expression, and he wondered if he'd 
made the right decision.  What if he was wrong?  What if she 
wasn't ready for such a serious step.  The ring WASN'T a true 
engagement ring...but it might as well have been, for what he 
was asking her to do.  If she said no, he'd completely 
understand...but it would break his heart, nonetheless...

	Finally, Usagi blinked, focusing on him with eyes gone 
dark with emotion.  "Mamo-chan," she breathed, "I hardly know 
what to say...except..."  She took a deep breath, and smiled.  
"I accept," she finished.  "I'll wear the ring, and...and 
I know that...someday I want to spend my life with you, too.  
I don't care about other boys.  All I ever wanted was you..."

	Mamoru's breath left him in a rush, and he smiled 
brilliantly as he took her hand and slipped the ring on 
her finger, where he knew there would be a diamond resting 
in the future.  "Usako, I swear that I'll make you happier 
than you could ever imagine," he whispered, gazing again into 
her tearful eyes.  His own eyes were wet, but he could have 
cared less.  "You and I are meant to be, ashke, and we will 
always be together.  I promise you."  
	
	"Together forever," she whispered as diamond tears slipped 
from her eyes.  "I promise..."	

	And with those words, she fell into his embrace and they 
sealed their sacred promise with a kiss.

					~~Finis~~