Welcome people! I'm very happy that your reading my story!! Merry,Merry Christmas!! (As I've been saying for, like, two weeks. ^_^) I justwant to thank Kell, Sailor Eclipse, Nana, Chibi Tc, Roswell Katt, Rosegirl, Sailor Starlite, and Badtz for giving me feedback on this story!! Itmeans so, so much!! Thanks you guys! All right, I'm leaving now! *Standard disclaimer * Remember: "The moonlight carries the message of love!!" -Usagi ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *sigh* Did I mention how much I hated Christmas? Well now, I hateit more. Why should I believe in God or goodness, or caring people? Usagi...I found her, yet I didn't. I am sure that face I saw in the window wasnot just my imagination. Why was she so scared of me? Had I ever doneanything to hurt her? Or am I just not good enough? I wonder if she is thesame Usagi who wanted a friend? I had sent in a huge pink teddy bear to thegirl who wanted a friend. Could they be the same person? Na. Coincidenceslike that just don't happen. Well anyway, here I am on my balcony, lookingout at the silent streets on Christmas Eve. All is calm, all is....dark. The power is out, the heat is off, the phones are down. Not that I haveanyone to talk to anyway. But still..Now don't start feeling sorry for me! I don't need your pity. I just need someone who truly cares. I've been forgotten in the rush of decorations, trees, ornaments, and presents. Maybe people should stop for a moment and think about what's truly important. Those who are neglected, those who need love...those who are alone. Itis getting colder now, the snow has made a thick crust on the entire cityof Tokyo. Beautiful really, but somehow sad. Snow is only fun when youhave someone to share it with. Hmmmm...Someone dropped something gold inthe snow. It's moving in the wind. Wrapping paper? Or...? The horrific realization hit me like a ton of bricks...angel! No. This is nothappening to me. Without thinking, I ran down twelve flights of stairs, racingto find what I hoped could not be true. The closer I got to the goldenstrand, the more I realized that it was indeed her. "USAGI!!!!" I wailed as I picked her petite form out of the snowdrift. She was wet from head to toe and her body shimmered because of thelayer of frost. But she had a pulse. That's all that mattered. Again I ranacross the twelve flights of stairs, this time racing up, carrying my precious cargo close to my body. Her coldness crept up my neck until I toobegan to shiver. Once inside my apartment I could really find out what waswrong. Her leg was bent unnaturally beneath her and I knew it was broken. Whyher? She truly didn't deserve this. Blankets! I need blankets! A thousand thoughts ran through my head asI began to help her. The heat was off, so I wrapped her in all theblankets I could find in my house. For once in my life, I was overjoyed at thefact that there is a huge fireplace in my room. Tacky as it was, it gaveoff a multitude of heat. Before I wrapped her in blankets, I had anotherproblem. Her wet clothes. Hmmmm.. Well, you gotta do, what you gotta do. Plus, I am a doctor. Sort of. Once she was in my Pjs and wrapped up tightlyin blankets, I could worry about her leg. It wasn't an open fracture. That was good, but when she awoke, she was going to be in pain, a lot ofpain. So, the best thing for me to do now was to put it in a splint. Butthings didn't work out as planned.....@-->-->-->--- "But, Tenchi!" "Usagi, no!" "Please?" "NO!" "But Tenc-" *wap* "Ohhhhhhh.." "Got what you deserved, brat." I was running, running from Tenchi. He was chasing me!! With a...a knife! Omigoodness! He's trying to kill me! And I'm so cold andalone!! No one will help me!! "HELLLLLLLLLLLPPPP!!! AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" @-->-->-->--- Just as I reached for some bandages and was about to make a splint... "AIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!" "Usagi!" "Noo..no!" "C'mon, Usako!" "Huh? Don't you EVER call me that!" "But...." She dragged herself against the back of the bed like a frightened animal. She looked at me with wide, scared eyes that were beginning to gather tears. Tears? "That's what my mother called me! Don't call me that!" "Oh, Usagi..angel...." "I'm not your ang-ohhh...ohmigosh," she said placing a hand overher mouth, "I'm sorry Mamoru. I came over here to apologize to you. Andto thank you." "Thank me?" "For caring." "Huh?" "You cared about me, when no one else did, and for that I am ever grateful..." "No, Usagi, you helped me realize that I can't live life all by myself.I need help, I need friends." "I wanted a friend too.." "Tsukino Usagi?" "Yes.." "Age 15, wants a friend...my God..." I snapped out of my reverieas I remember Usagi's leg. How could I be SO stupid?? "Usagi, I have toput your leg in a splint now and, well...it's going to hurt..a lot." "It's okay. Do what you have to do." I began to line up the bonesas best I could, but I felt so sorry, when I heard her gasp and begin tocry. I worked on, the beads of sweat running down my face as I concentrated. And then, there was silence. "Usagi?" Oh no. She had fainted. That was very bad. But whatcould I do, except wait it out? @-->-->-->--- "Ohhhhhhhhhh.." "Angel?" "Mamoru?" "Yeah." "Arigatou*." "It's okay." Just then the lights came back on. I looked at mywatch, only to see that it was Christmas morning! "Usagi, you need to call your...um..parents," I said, handing herthe phone next to the bed. @-->-->-->--- "Hello?" A scared voice answered the phone. "Iuko?" "Usagi?! Omigosh!! Thank God! Where are you? What happened? Are you okay?" I explained everything to her and she told me that she had an ambulance on the way, but it would take awhile because of the icystreets. "And Usagi...," she hesitated. "Yes?" "We'd like to adopt you, if that's okay." "Yes. It would be all right. YES!!" I cried, tears streaming downmyface. "I love, Usagi, the ambulance will be there soon. Make sure youthank Mr. Chiba." "I love you too, ...Mom" "Oh, Usagi! Bye!" "Bye...." "Usagi?' "Yes, Mamoru?" "Friends?" "Friends," I said, as the first real smile I'd experienced in along time covered my face. Things were going to get better. "Merry Christmas, Mamo-chan!" "Merry Christmas, Angel!" THE END Merry Christmas, y'all!! God Bless! Thanks for your support!! Email: joeharps@ix.netcom.com AIM: starbunny816 * Arigatou means thank you Ja ne!