Title: Kiss Me at Midnight
Chapter: Three
Rating: PG
By: Kas
E-mail: shenkoskyusa@netscape.net
Web URL: http://www.geocities.com/shenkosky/mypage.html

Authors notes at the bottom… 

Disclaimers: I don't own Sailor moon, The National Enquirer or any of 
the 
songs mentioned in this story.
I do own Mark though, as well as his lackeys and this story, so don't 
take them!  

On with the show.
***********************************************

Usagi studied her reflection in the full length mirror and smiled.

A powder blue sleeveless dress adorned her slight frame,
coming down to mid thigh.

High heels and a semi low neck line gave her the mature 
look she was going for.

Usagi smiled at her reflection a little more, she still couldn't 
believe it was her.

She just looked so… different.

The baby blue eye shadow she had applied seemed to make 
her eyes look bluer then 
normal, and the pink lip gloss made her lips look shiny and full.

Two golden locks tumbled down from her odangos with an 
extra bounce.
She hadn't been sure about curling them but it seemed to work.

Her hair was held in place by two shiny blue clips that 
matched her shoes perfectly.
And on her wrist she wore a thin golden bracelet.
In all her life she couldn't remember ever feeling this 
beautiful. 
Her skin just seemed to be glowing tonight.

There was only one thing missing…. The guy!

Where was he?  It was already going on six twenty five…
'Oh no, what if he backed out, what if he decided he didn't want 
to go to the party  with some immature kid? 
What if he stood me up?' 

No Usagi, you stop thinking like that right now!  Mamoru might 
be a jerk at times but he wouldn't do something that mean… 
besides he's not even late yet! 
I mean he still has five minutes to get here.'  

After rationalizing the situation to herself 
Usagi slowly walked over to her bed and sat down next to Luna, 
more then content to wait for him.

'Besides if he doesn't come tonight,  I'll kill him tomorrow…..'

Luna looked up from her spot on the bed to watch the young girl.
She frowned  slightly as Usagi twirled her hair through her 
fingers, a sure sign of nervousness.

"You look beautiful Usagi-chan, and don't worry so much, he'll 
come."

She looked down at her guardian and smiled a little, "I know Luna 
but this is Mamoru-san we're talking about here.
And I just can't seem to get the butterfly's out of my stomach."

"Well Usagi-chan, have you tried antacid?"   the cat snickered.
Usagi picked up a pillow and playfully hit the cat, "You know 
that's NOT what I meant."

Just then Usagi looked up to see head-lights through her window.
Her stomach did these crazy flip flops as she jumped from her 
place on the bed and ran to the window.
Looking out she watched as Mamoru drove up the driveway.

"Yes!"

Luna looked up from her spot on the bed and smiled, 
"Is he here Usagi-chan?"
Looking over her shoulder she nodded at the cat, "yeah, and I have 
to get down stares to meet him."

Luna smiled as she watched her ward grab her coat and purse before 
rushing out the door.   'I sure hope she has fun tonight.'


Usagi ran full speed down the steps as the door bell rang,
 "I'll get it!"
Coming to the door she suddenly stopped.  
'OK Usagi, take a deep breath and relax. 
We're just two friends "cough" going to a party together.
No romance, no attraction, nothing is going to happen tonight
so just relax! 
After all it's only Mamoru-san….  
Mmmm, some how that doesn't help.'

Cautiously Usagi ran a hand down her dress to smooth out any 
creases while eyeing the door in front of her. 
Turning the lock she slowly she opened the door and gasped.

****
Mamoru stood in front of the Tsukino's door pondering his position.
Here he was, eight teen years old, in his first year of collage and 
busy 
with a promising job. 
But instead of realizing that he should be concentrating on the things 
most important like the job and his grades,  he was standing in front 
of a
door waiting for a fourteen year old angel to open it.

Sighing he hid the single red rose behind his back as he stared at the 
unmoving door. 
He really hoped she would like it, silently he wondered if she even 
liked
roses.

Mamoru sighed again, he couldn't remember ever being this nervous.
Even when he asked a girl out for the first time it was nothing like 
this.
His heart was pounding, his palms were sweaty, and his stomach was 
even in KNOTS! That hadn't happened in over… 
God he couldn't even remember the last time that had happened.
    
He stood up straight as the door-knob began to move.
Holding his breath he waited as the door slowly creaked open and 
revealed a beautiful angel.

Mamoru stood in silent awe as he gazed at the beautiful young woman 
before him, he had never in his wildest dreams imagined that 
she could look *this* amazing.
Her short blue dress came just up to mid thigh, giving an impressive 
view 
of her long shapely legs as it hugged all the right places.
Her skin looked (if possible) softer and more radiant then ever.
Twin wisps of hair that appeared to be flowing from 
two odangos curled at the ends and shined like gold in the light of the 
setting sun.

His eyes locked onto soft pink lips and he suddenly felt light headed.

 "Well?" she asked quietly from her spot on the porch.
"Wow…." he breathed in astonishment before grasping for 
something to say.
Finding himself lacking in the words department he instead smiled 
and produced a a single blood red rose for her approval.  

He felt absolutely giddy, it was a feeling he wasn't quite 
accustomed to, and he found himself giggling like a fool as he 
stared into her crystal blue eyes.
Quickly clamping his mouth shut in order to stop the nervous 
reflex he noticed her glance at him and had the good grace to blush.  

Well this certainly was a first, Chibi Mamoru, the upperclassman, 
the cool and composed man of mystery to all near and far, the loner, 
Tuxedo Mask himself was giddy and giggling like a girl in front of 
a beautiful junior high student.    
Silently he wondered how he got himself into these positions.

He felt as though his whole being was some how electrified as he 
watching 
her eyes light up when she spotted the flower he held out for her.

A sweet smile sprang to her lips and their hands touched as she 
plucked the delicate flower from his hand. 
Now holding the rose she bowed her head and brought it
to her nose deeply inhaling the sweet fragrance.
Breathing in the heavenly sent she smiled warmly up at him, and his 
breath caught.

'Beautiful'  he thought mesmerized as the petals brushed against her 
cheek.    
Smiling back at her he held out an arm for her to take.
"The night awaits,"  he tolled her as she hooked her arm in his, 
allowing 
him to lead her to the car.    
Looking up at him she smiled a little more.
'Something about this whole day has just felt magical.'  She mused 
silently to herself while trying to get over her initial shock.
She hadn't expected him to be so nice or to look so GOOD.
She couldn't help but think back to the first time they met.

He wore a tuxedo then and the dress clothes he was wearing tonight 
brought back memories of that little confrontation… 
This time however she wasn't throwing things 
at him and he wasn't criticizing her hair.
Just remembering the confrontation left her a little breathless, 
he had looked so handsome and breath taking, just like the way 
he looked tonight.
Suddenly realizing where her thoughts were taking her she blushed a 
becoming pink before stomping the thought down.

This wasn't good, she shouldn't be thinking of Mamoru this way.
After all, he was what, eight teen? and her mortal enemy.
No, romantic feelings would definitely be a bad idea where they were 
concerned.        
OK so maybe she did like him a little…or a LOT but still, those 
feelings 
weren't shared.'

And even if they were, both her and Mamoru were complete opposites.
It would never work.. Right?
But oh how she wished it could.

Sighing she realized he was leading her to the passengers side of a hot 
little sports car parked in her driveway. 
Staring in shock for a moment she barely even realized when he 
opened the door for her.

Blushing a little she allowed him to help her into her seat before he 
closed the door and walked around to the other side to get in himself.
She smiled a little to herself as Mamoru buckled himself into the 
drivers seat.
'Who knew Mamoru-san could be a gentleman?'  she mused while 
anticipating of the night to come.

Turning to her he smiled a little nervously before asking if she was 
ready to go,
when she answered with a quick nod he started the engine and puled 
out of the Tsukino's driveway.

Within moments they were out of the subdivision and heading 
for the party.
She smiled to herself as she clutched the rose in her hand.
She just knew tonight would be special.
Looking over to Mamoru she blushed when he noticed her looking 
and smiled at her.

The car ride was quiet as both Usagi and Mamoru relaxed in each others 
company.
Every now and then one of them would look over at the other then turn 
away with a blush once the other person noticed.
Usagi ran a hand over the edge of her dress to smooth out any 
rumples before looking back to the man driving.

Studying his profile she gave a little sigh.
His deep blue eyes were focused on the road and in his destination.
He really was quite handsome, even she couldn't deny that.
Strands of thick midnight black hair fell into his eyes and over his 
forehead in an oh so sexy way, a strong nose and high cheek bones 
complemented his features as full lips were pulled into a serious pout.

His large hands held the steering wheel into place as he 
maneuvered the car and concentrated on the road before him.  

'He was tall' she thought silently, 'about 6'1 maybe, with a strong 
lean frame and the reflexes of a cat' no, it was no wonder why so 
many girls found him attractive,
and for that same reason she couldn't deny that he was indeed 
handsome.'
Well even if he had been her mortal enemy she would have had to 
be blind to not notice it' she thought silently.
     
And even if she was blind there was still a chance she would notice it, 
after all he did have that deep and smoky voice after all.
You know, the kind that makes you turn to goo at the first syllable, 
yeah I thought so.

Sighing she leaned back in her seat and watched the road go bye.
She shouldn't even be thinking about him in that way.
He wasn't even a friend for God's sake, and yet here she was 
once again thinking of how absolutely fine Mamoru-san was.

No there was no question in her mind about weather she found 
Mamoru attractive or not.
It also irked the hell out of her that she did find him so damn 
attractive.
At night she had recently found herself dreaming of men with dark hair 
and 
mysterious blue eyes.
She had scared herself witless one day when he had said something 
identical to the dream Mamoru.
She had ended up babbling about getting home before dinner and 
bolting right out of the arcade in a panic. 

Her attraction to him was not good.
It messed her up and played with her senses, and it was all *his* 
fault.

Yes you heard right! It was all Chibi Mamoru's fault.

From the moment they met she had considered him handsome and 
attractive, it wasn't as though
his looks were some startling new revelation.
She had wanted to put their differences aside at least three times 
after 
they had first met but every time she went to make the first move in 
the right direction he would open that mouth and spew venom
in her general direction. 

Well that was months ago and she'd be damned if she tried to do 
that again, even if he was acting quite different from the 
Mamoru-san she had grown accustomed to.

No, she had her pride to think about.
How would he act if she suddenly said: so 
Mamoru do you think maybe we could put all this 
stuff behind us and start fresh? 

She could just imagine the weird look she would receive from 
him and rightfully so.
Her and Mamoru were enemy's, enemy's that were going to a 
valentines party together but enemy's none the less.

Looking out the window again she decided it best not to be 
thinking of these things at the time being.
She had already decided to only think of him 
as an enemy and get rid of all her girly attraction to
the blasted man.

The last thing she needed was to get hurt by someone 
she cared for but who didn't care for her in return.  
In truth that was her only real reason for all her emotions in this 
instant.

She was almost scared to be with him tonight.

If he continued to act charming and sweet then she feared 
all those giddy love struck feelings 
would come back all to quickly.  
She was scared that if he swept her off her feet she may fall 
and not get back up, for tomorrow held
the cold and distant Mamoru-kun.

She feared the feelings he stirred in her, not even Rei-chan could get 
a rise out of her the way he could in a fight, and she had never known 
anyone who could make her happy with a simple glance or a cocky smile.
It was alarming to say the least, that she felt so strongly about her 
tormentor.   

Mamoru looked over at the petite blonde to his right.
While keeping an eye on the road he watched her with wonderment 
clearly written across his face.
She was being so quiet, he wondered if he had said something, but 
after searching his brain he came up empty handed.
Signing he turned the wheel and pulled into a parking lot.
Searching for a place to park he sent a worried glance in her 
direction before pulling into an empty spot.

Usagi's eyes darted around the car once she realized that they had 
stopped.
When her eyes landed on Mamoru he smiled gently at her and she 
could FEEL a sigh at the back of her throat.
'How did he do THAT?!'
"You ready?" he asked quietly, almost as to not disturb the calm that 
had settled over them.

She gave him a tight smile before grabbing her purse and moving to 
unlock her door.
A warm hand on her wrist stopped any movements.
Her eyes grew huge when Mamoru started to move closer to her, 
she gasped when his face came within an inch from hers.
His arm stretched out and his hand flipped the lock on her door.
She looked at him with wide expressive eyes and she could have 
sworn he was blushing.
"Sometimes the lock sticks" he explained quietly before slowly 
backing away from her.
Usagi's face was glowing red.
She couldn't believe she had thought Mamoru was going to kiss 
her! 
'No baka! he was unlocking the door for you!'
"Uh thanks Mamoru-san.."
He was avoiding her eyes now as he spoke to her.
 "Um, no problem Usagi-chan.. Just uh, you wait there." 
And with that he flew out of the car like his pants were on fire, 
quickly shutting the door behind him he made his way over to the 
passengers side.

'God Mamoru! What were you thinking! You almost kissed her! 
If you want to get in her in your good graces you don't attack 
her in an empty parking lot on the first date!'
Reaching her door Mamoru took a moment to bang his head a
gainst the top of the car and call himself stupid a few dozen times.

Reaching down he pulled open the car door and held his hand out to her.
She blushed becomingly before placing her hand in his and allowing him 
to 
pull her up.
'Well,' she thought lightly after taking in Mamoru's flustered 
appearance.
'Maybe I hadn't been that off about the kiss.'

Suddenly feeling giddy she smiled up at him with an expression 
resembling that of a child that knew a secret.
He smiled back, unsure of the look but not being able to stop being 
a little smitten with the blonde.
She arranged her purse strap on her shoulder and took a moment to 
observe the building.
It had that elegant appeal to it, long pillars stood proud and true at 
the 
entrance while crystal like class for the windows sparkled and 
shined under the light coming from within.

'It was tall' she mused as he eyes drifted upward to the third floor.
The building itself looked to be hand crafted all the way up, it had 
twists and turns in the stone of the walls, giving it a castle like 
feel.
She smiled as Mamoru began to guide her towards the entrance, the 
more she let herself feel instead of think about tonight, the more she 
liked the idea of being here, of being with him.
A slow smile came to her face as she realized he had not yet let go 
of her hand, if anything he was intent on only holding it a bit 
tighter.
The notion pleased her more then words could say, for a minute she 
could actually forget that she shouldn't be here with him, she 
could actually forget about everything but having fun tonight.
With a quick decision she decided to do just that.
'Who cares what tomorrow brings? Who's to say you can't 
pretend for just one night, that Mamoru and you could be more 
then enemies?'

With those being the only thoughts in her head that she liked 
she decided to go with them.
Tonight she'd be a normal girl going to a normal party with a 
normal guy.
Yeah, she liked that idea, liked it a lot.

Mamoru opened the solid oak door with ease and they walked 
into what must have been a dream.
Usagi gasped in quiet awe, if she had thought the outside was 
elegant she hadn't seen anything yet!
Crystal chandeliers hung from high ceilings, reflecting light pinks 
and blues on their shiny surface.
The floor was a deep dark marble that almost appeared to be glass 
in all it's royal splendor.
Candles reflected of the crystal wine glasses and sterling sliver 
utensils.
There were no gaudy paper hearts or little candy's that said 
'Kiss Me, I'm Yours!'
Instead there was embroidered table cloths and catered deserts.
Usagi positively glowed and realized she would have missed 
what was sure to be the most amazing night of her life if 
Mamoru hadn't asked her to come with him.

She squeezed his hand a little tighter and smiled up at him, 
when he looked down at her she wrinkled her nose and stood 
on tip toes to give his cheek a light peck.
His eyes widened with surprise, "what was that for?" He asked bemused.
She blushed a little. "For asking me to come."  He smiled down 
at her with laughter in his eyes.
"I guess I'll have to ask you out more often then." She giggled 
and nodded without really thinking about it.
His smile grew a little before he laced their fingers together and 
guided her around the large room.

There were tons of people dancing to a soft song and laughing 
in pure delight as the party got going.
"They really went all out for this," she stated as they stopped 
at the table that held all the chocolate treats.
"Mmm hmm, I heard this was supposed to be the biggest 
Valentines party to ever take place in Tokyo."
She smiled a little at the easy conversation right before she 
spotted a chocolate chip cookie that was just begging to be eaten. 
Still holding on to his hand she reached over to capture the 
chocolate treat when all of a sudden her favorite song started 
to play through the big ballroom.
The melody of the music drifted over her and she smiled to 
herself, she LOVED this song.

"Maybe it's intuition 
But some things you just don't question
Like in your eyes
I see my future in an instant
And there it goes
I think I've found my best friend
I know that it might sound more than a little crazy
But I believe.."

Mamoru noticed her stillness and took a step closer to her.
"Are you alright?" he asked a little worried.
She blinked and looked up at him with a faraway smile.
"Oh yeah, it's just that I *love* this song… 
It always takes my breath away.."
He smiled down at her lovingly and held his arm out in 
a gentleman's fashion.
"Would you like to dance Usagi-chan?"
She smiled at him delighted and more then happy to agree.
Nodding she took his hand and they drifted onto the 
dance floor.
He held her close and secure, pressing their bodies 
together and taking the lead.

"I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life…"

She smiled as their fingers laced together.
Her head was swimming and she didn't want it to stop, not 
this feeling of belonging.
Not the feeling of warmth that encircled her whenever he 
took her hand or held her this way.
He was holding her so close, she couldn't remember ever 
feeling as alive as she did now.
It was like she fit perfectly into his arms, almost as though 
they were made for one another.
It just fit.

"There's just no rhyme or reason
Only this sense of completion
And in your eyes
I see the missing pieces
I'm searching for
I think I've found my best friend.."

Mamoru could have sworn he was dancing on a cloud, 
it just felt so magical to hold her.
Like the pieces that have been missing all his live were 
found.
He smiled with a warmth only reserved for her when she 
laid her head on his shoulder.
She just fit.

"I know that it might sound more then a little crazy
But I believe…"

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, he loved her.
Completely and totally, he loved her.
His whole body hummed with energy as he allowed them 
to drift through the other couples.
He had never known how to distinguish the feeling before, 
but he did now.
Looking down at the angel in his arms he realized he couldn't 
live without her, he simply couldn't function without her.
Somehow she had become his life, his reason for living.
And he could never let her go now.

Usagi smiled into his jacket, they were drifting more then 
dancing now but it didn't matter.
She might as well have been dancing on a cloud.
She smiled up at him as he twirled her around, loving the feeling 
but hating the distance between them she smiled when she 
returned to his arms.
'God, she loved him',  the realization of her thoughts shocked 
her beyond words.
'but how could I love him? we don't even know one another 
that well and..' her thoughts ended abruptly as she looked up 
at him.
She did love him, despite their fights and the lack of time they'd 
known one another she loved him.
She loved him.   
She loved everything about him, the good and the bad and now 
that she knew this wasn't just some simple crush she didn't know 
how she was going to ever let him go.


"I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life…"


Suddenly Mamoru found himself relating to the song, he had 
loved her before he met her.
She was the one he had always been waiting for without even 
knowing it.

"A thousand angels dance around you
I am complete now that I've found you…"

She had been waiting for a prince charming and now she had one, 
like it or not she loved this man.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she always had.

"I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life….."

The song ended and the two looked at each other as though in a daze.
Electricity flowed between them as their eyes locked, slowly they 
drifted towards one another.
Mamoru cupped her face in his hand and moved closer to her.
She sighed and inched closer to him.
And then… "USAGI-CHAN!!!!"

The two jerked away painfully as a blond whirlwind came out of no 
where and latched onto Usagi's arm.
"You came! I'm so happy! I was so afraid you wouldn't make it.  
Me and the girls were taking bets but I voted for you and look!" 
She stopped to point to Mamoru, "you came!  So I guess I won! 
Oh will Rei-chan be mad, she just lost ten big ones."
Usagi smiled apologetically at Mamoru, he smiled and winked at 
her from over Minako's head.
A bright red blush tinted her cheeks.
A cheery Minako didn't miss the looks the two were giving one 
another and smiled wickedly.
But before she had a chance to try out her match making skills 
Rei walked up, accompanied by Makoto and Ami.
Usagi smiled at them and Makoto beamed.
"Oh Usagi! I love that dress!"

The blonde blushed a little deeper and smiled at the brunet. 
"Thanks Mako-chan, I love yours to, it's so pretty and you 
look beautiful."
Makoto smiled and eyed her own green dress.
Thin straps held up the silk dress that went all the way to her 
ankles with a flourish. 
It shined under the lights and clung to her curves delicately.
She also wore her rose ear rings and a golden link necklace.
The green high heeled shoes she wore gave her a half an inch. 
She had to admit, she was feeling rather beautiful tonight.
Rei smiled at the other girls and eyed Mamoru, she noted 
with a little happiness that he hadn't taken his eyes off of 
Usagi since they had arrived.

'Yep, he loves her.'
Smiling she realized that she didn't feel jealous in the slightest, 
but more then anything else happy for them.
'I just hope everything works out for them.  Besides' she 
thought silently. 'I already have a date.'
And with thoughts of Chad she smiled.
He sure did seem to be knocked away be her dress, she 
remembered with clarity that his mouth had hung open a 
full three minutes. 
Yep, the little red strapless number she was warring had sent 
poor Chad into a mumbled state.
She tapped one high heeled red shoe against the floor as she 
looked over and examined Minako, her yellow dress shined like 
gold under the light from the candles.
It was form fitting on top but flowed out in waves at her hips, 
the dress came to her knees with lace and silk.
High heeled yellow shoes gave the blond an extra inch in height.
It was definitely Minako's style.  
Ami was warring a navy blue dress that made her look more 
beautiful then Rei had ever seen her.
The velvet of the dress looked smooth and rich, it started with a 
high neckline and long sleeved arms then moved down to her waist 
where it held her comfortably before flaring out in rich waves of blue.
The dress showed her slender frame and modestly covered her at the 
same time.
Deep blue shoes gave her friend an extra inch in height while her 
diamond ear rings shone brightly. 
"Oh Ami!" Almost as though just noticing her friend Usagi came 
through the crowd of girls to look at the blue haired girl.
"Ami you look beautiful!" she told the blushing girl with a touch 
of awe in her sweet voice.
"I don't think I've seen anyone who looks half as beautiful as you 
do tonight!  Your date must be counting his lucky stars!"
Ami's blush intensified three fold at Usagi's gentle complements.
"Thank you Usagi-chan, you look very pretty to."   
Usagi smiled at her, "I'm having fun, how about you? Is your date 
keeping you happy?"
"Yeah, he's great."
Usagi smiled at her before Rei walked up to intrude.
"Speaking of dates, we need to get back to ours and Usagi and 
Mamoru probably wouldn't mind a little time alone."
The other girls nodded while Usagi and Mamoru blushed.
They all started to leave when Ami turned around to look at Usagi, 
"I'm really glad you came tonight, have fun Usagi-chan." 
And with that she hurried to catch up with the others. 

Usagi smiled after them a moment before glancing back towards 
Mamoru.
He was smiling at her, she noted the look and smiled back.
"You seem to get along really well with them."
His observation had her ready to burst into another conversation.
"Oh, yeah! We're always doing stuff together, and Ami! Didn't 
she look pretty today! I didn't even know she owned a dress that nice.
But Rei looked nice to, and Makoto wow…"

He listened to her jump from one topic to the next.
Her energy was becoming contagious.
Mamoru smiled and leaned closer to the blonde as she talked about 
a science project that had gone horribly wrong a few months back.
The way she switched topics was almost enough to make your 
head spin, one minute she was talking about a picnic the next it
 was about a dress.
He smiled knowing he'd get used to this.
He could almost picture them sitting down at a dinner table and 
having her tell him about the day she had, had.
That thought was more then a little appealing.

Smiling Mamoru took her hand in his, surprising both of them he 
leaned down and placed a single kiss on her palm.
Just as their eyes met the song 'The Power Of Love' 
by Celine Dion began to play.
"May I have this dance?" he asked hoping to hold her again.
She giggled lightly before nodding and following him onto the 
dance floor once more.  
'Something had changed' she mused silently, something in his 
eyes and the way he looked at her.
He was more cautious when he took her into his arms, almost as 
though he was afraid she'd brake.
His movements were slow but precise, he turned her to the sound 
of the music and she lost herself to his touch.
This was the second time she had felt whole tonight.

Mamoru smiled, perfectly content with holding her in his arms for 
the time being.  
He loved this girl and he was intent on making her fall head over 
heels for him as well.

"You do look beautiful tonight Usa-chan."
She gasped at the endearment and smiled at the complement.
Blushing she laid her head on his shoulder, "thank you 
Mamoru-san, you look pretty good yourself."
He laughed a little and twirled her around in time with the music.
"I wasn't expecting to have this much fun tonight, but I'm really 
enjoying myself."
She looked up at him then, a small smile hovering around the 
corners of her mouth.
"You are?"
Locking his gaze onto hers he smiled gently at her, "yes I am, 
thanks to you."
She ducked her head to hide the blush.
"As a matter of fact," he continued.
"I'd love to do it again."
"Oh?"

He cleared his through, "yeah, maybe we could go to the 
movies.. or dinner…"
She giggled at the way his voice faltered, he was nervous!
The thought pleased Usagi immensely. 
"Why Mamoru-san, we're not even done with this date and 
you're already asking me on another, that is, if this is a date."
Mamoru coughed nervously for a moment.
If he didn't know any better he'd almost say she was being a 
tease.
"Yes Usa-chan, this *is* a date, and yes, I guess I'm asking 
you out again."
Smiling to herself she nodded. "Then I'd love to go out with 
you again."
"Really? Why?"
She giggled a little.
 "Well, I guess I'm having a lot more fun then I expected too."
A quirky smile lit his face, "O' so you can tolerate me huh, Tsukino?"
"Yeah, amazing isn't it?"
"Definitely."
With skilled movements he twirled her around the dance 
floor once more, 
she squealed at the abrupt movement before braking into 
laughter.



"Hey Ami, did you see that?!"
Ami's blue eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously.
"Yeah! Just look at them, I can't believe how well their 
getting alone, I would have thought for sure that they 
would have either killed each other by now or stormed 
out in an argument.
"I don't know, I was sure they'd hit it off if they just got 
out of their normal routine."
All eyes landed on the brunette in disbelief as she looked 
after her meatball headed friend.
"WHAT?!!"
"Well come on you guys!" Makoto raised an elegant hand 
in the direction of the girl in question and her 'date'.
"Just LOOK at them! If I had that much fire and had half as 
much outrage in a fight as Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san do 
I would have… Well I would have at least guessed that it meant 
something a little deeper then everyday hatred."
Three pairs of eyes focused on the tall amazon in bewilderment.
"Wait a minute!" piped up the blonde.
"I think I understand where Mako-chan's going with this."
Rei rolled her eyes in annoyance, "then please O' great one, 
tell us so that we can stop dying of anticipation."
Minako pouted a moment. "I don't think I care for your sarcasm 
Rei-chan."
Rei sighed in exasperation, where was Chad with her drink 
anyway?!
"As I was saying" Minako continued.
"Mako-chan means that opposites are compact!" 
"Oh' God!"
"Minako, Minako, Minako… My dear Minako…"
Rei looked over at Minako and sighed once more, 
she could feel a twitch coming on.
"Minako-chan, sweety, I think what you meant to say 
was that opposites attract… Not Compact!"
"Oh…he, he, sorry."



"Hey Mark, isn't that Usagi Tsukino dancing with some 
guy that's.. not you!"
The red head broke into laughter at his own attempt at a 
joke while a few other boys laughed with him.
Mark narrowed his eyes at the couple on the dance floor 
before turning his attention back to his lackeys.
Throwing an evil glance at Usagi and her 'date' he pined 
the red head with an evil glare.
"You know Dave..." he started.
"I wouldn't get to cocky on me just yet, the games not over 
till the loser with red hair ends up dead."
He smiled as Dave gulped under his intense gaze.
"Besides" he continued.
"she might have come with him, but who says she'll leave with him.. 
especially if our friend Mamoru-san has an accident?"
The boys smirked, knowing all to well what their leader meant.


  
Sighing in complete and utter happiness Usagi smiled into the lapels 
of Mamoru's jacket as he guided her around the ballroom.
"So what's your brother like?"
A few muffled gagging noises escaped her lips and Mamoru 
laughed light heartily. 
"That bad huh?"
"Much worse!"
They had been talking about everything and anything for the 
past hour and we're currently on the topic of Usagi's family.
"So.." he began while pulling her just a little bit closer.
"Why don't you two get alone?"
"Have you ever had a little brother?" she asked incredulously.
Chuckling Mamoru shook his head and she continued.
"Well don't!, they can be a real pain sometimes."
At his questioning look she went on.
"Like for starters, they have the tendency to mess around with 
the bathroom scale, so that when you get on it you weigh three 
hundred pounds!"
"And" she continued while ignoring his fits of laughter.
"They have this way of *always* knowing exactly when to mess 
with the water heater while your in the shower! 
One minute the waters fine, the next your either an ice cube or burnt.
And they LOVE to listen in on your phone calls or to hit you up for 
money the moment they know something you don't want your 
parents to find out.
Yet another reason why they listen in on phone calls.
And did I mention that you can't have a diary in the same house 
as a brother? Or that.."
"OK, OK, I think I get it."
"Well you asked." She pointed out with a smirk.   
He nodded in acknowledgment of his own mistake.
"What about your parents?"
"Now That's a different topic altogether…" 
Usagi trailed off as a chill swept over her.

She had the distinct feeling that someone was watching them.
With her Sailor Moon instincts kicking in she scanned the 
ballroom with an intense gaze.
Something was wrong.
She watched as couples swirled along the dance floor in harmony 
to the soft music.
Lovers lounged against the food and drink displays while some 
sat in the darker corners holding one another, obviously off into 
their own dream world.
Seeing nothing out of the ordinary she shrugged before snuggling 
deeper into Mamoru's embrace.
Passing off the odd feeling as paranoia she relaxed into his arms 
and let the music guide them.


"All I know is that yellow is definitely my color!, well that and 
orange."
"I never said it wasn't Minako, I just thought that pink might really 
look nice on you."
"It might.  But I'm still glad I picked this dress over the other one."
"Now come on, I think the pink strapless one I picked out would 
have been even…"
"No you don't! I thought we got over this yesterday Mako-chan."
The amazon sighed, "Alright, I was only stating a fact and.."
"I'll pout, I swear I will!"
"Alright!, I give up already."
"Good."

"Would you two please shut up?"
The tone of Rei's voice had both girls looking over at their dark 
haired friend.
"What's wrong Rei-chan?" Minako asked in sudden suspicion.
"I'm not sure, I feel something but I can't pin point it."
"Oh I knew something would happen!  Why can't we go to just 
ONE party without some nega creep showing up?!"
"Minako-chan, hush up! Besides I don't think it's like that."
"What do you mean Rei-chan?" Minako's blue eyes focused 
on the other girl who now held her complete attention.
"It just doesn't 'feel' like it's the normal kind of threat, like it's 
coming from a human or something."
Makoto's eyes widened.
"You don't think someone was possessed or something, cause 
I read about that in the National Enquirer and they said that people 
can be possessed all the time when.."
"Mako-chan! please be quiet, I'm trying to find out where this 
energy is coming from."
"Oh, sorry Rei."

Minako smiled brightly before leaning in closer to Makoto.
"Hey Mako-chan?"
"Hmmm?"
"Did you read last months issue about the woman that had the 
three hundred pound alien baby?"
Smiling brightly she nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, that was great!"

*******************************************************************************

OK, I know that I told everyone that this would be the vary last 
chapter.
I also told everyone that this would be out MONTHS ago.

~~ Kas bows in forgiveness ~~~~

I'm so sorry it took so long to get this out.
Believe me when I say that no one is more upset about that 
then I am.
I wanted this over and done with months ago, but alas my life 
is ever so full and I'm way swamped with life's little problems.  
As you might have guessed this is NOT that last chapter, there 
will be another as soon as I find the time to write it.
Also I'd like to formally apologize for the amount of time it has 
taken to get this chapter out.
I'm still getting e-mailed every other day about this story and 
I'm so happy you all like it so much!
It means the world to me.
I would also like to apologize to anyone I may have neglected 
to e-mail back.
So MANY people have been e-mailing me that it all got vary 
confusing as to who I hadn't e-mailed back and who I did. 
BUT DON'T LET THAT STOP YOU FROM E-MAILING ME!!!
I love e-mail! I live off the stuff and ALL your letters have been 
wonderful and encouraging to say the least.
Thank you!


As for when the next chapter will be done:  As soon as possible!
I love writing and I have no intention of stopping this story or 
'How to Drive'
By the way, in the next chapter of 'How to Drive' Haruka 
will teach Usagi.
Yep, on a scale of one to ten, nine percent wanted Haruka 
to teach Usagi.

Also that little National Enquirer thing I through in was an 
idea I had when sitting at the check out lane waiting for the 
cashier to ring up the bill.
When shopping with my mother she always picks up the 
magazine and says "WOW, I can't believe that happened!"
My mother believes EVERYTHING she reads.
I have no idea if the National Enquirer ever published 
anything about a three hundred pound alien baby being 
born or about people being possessed, that's just something 
I threw together.

Also the song ' I Knew I Loved You' is a song in the CD 
AFFIRMATION by SavageGarden.
I LOVE those two!
And 'The Power of Love' is a BEAUTIFUL song sung by 
Celine Dion and can be found in her CD 
'All The Way… A Decade Of Song'
As all of you know I don't own any rights to these songs 
and I don't claim to.

And lastly,  this chapter wasn't in the best of 
conditions when I sent it in.
For one, it took me months to get this out.
That pretty much means that I started months ago and 
every few weeks came back to write more… so if some 
parts don't really match up I'm very sorry!
And I didn't have any time to go over it and check 
grammar or double words.
Please forgive any errors, I've been so busy I'm lucky I 
got any time to finish it.
Send *all* e-mail to shenkoskyusa@netscape.net
And don't forget to check out my Website, everything 
I write ends up there first.
http://www.geocities.com/shenkoskyusa@netscape.net 

OK, that's it for now!
Kas-chan