Hi guys!!  forgive me!!  This chapter is being written like 30 min.  before deadline!!  Ahhhh!!  So, I'm sorry if it's really bad  or if the grammar isn't so pretty!  ^^;  I'm really bummed anyway because I haven't gotten much email!!  Gosh darnit, people!!  EMAIL ME!!!  short-stuff@ix.netcom.com  Later!           ***********************************************************

Japanese Key
Arigatou:  Thank you
Gomen:  Sorry
Hai:  Yes
ogenkidesu ka?  : How are you?
genki desu:  I'm fine!
baka:  Idiot, stupid
chibi: small
fubuki: snowstorm
iie:  No
do Itashimashite:  your welcome
dozoyorashiku:  nice to meet you
minna:  everyone
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    SSSCCCCREEEEEEEEEEECHHHHHH......BAM!!!!  My car....No..Let's just say that this was definitely NOT my day...*sigh*  Okay, Chiba...you can deal with this. Doctors are clam and cool and collected.  Riiiiight.  Ouch!  My ankle hurt really bad and my car was totaled and now I'm lost. Great, just greeeeaaaat.  Now what the he-nooo calm, cool, collected.  Yes... calm , cool, collected.  I beat open the door to my now bashed in BMW to see a street covered in water that would soon be corrupted by the icy air surrounding it.  I saw  power lines beginning to freeze up....I saw trees bent under the cruel weight of slick icicles...I saw...I saw Usagi's house!!
    "YEEESSS!!!!"  I screamed to the still air around me.  My car's totaled but my mission has been accomplished.  God bless this car..I mean, how many times has it delivered me to Usagi's house?  Twice? I hobbled towards Usagi's house with the greatest speed I could muster, which to tell you the truth, wasn't much.
    "USAGI!!!"  I yelled, banging on the door.  BANG!
    "Huh?  What was that?"  I queried, looking down to the sharp icicle that had nearly punctured my foot.  Oh my...
    "USAAAAGGIIIIIII!!!!!!"  She better come soon or I'm going to be Swiss cheese!
    "Chiba?  What the hell are you doing here?"  Her intense glare penetrated every inch of my body and I shivered.
    "Ummm...my car broke...I mean I crashed into a..."  I muttered, pointing to my crunched up car behind me.  A small, evil smile spread itself over her face.
    "So you need a place to crash?"  She laughed.
    "Huh?  HEY!!  That's not funny, Usa!!  Let me innnnnn!!!"  I whined.  She sighed..
    "All right, Chiba, come on in."  I limped quietly inside, happy to know that she was her usual...ummm  "sharp as a tack" self.  I looked up to see a small flash of worry cross her face,
    "Hey, Chiba?"
    "Yeah?"
    "What'd you do to your foot?"
    "I dunno...It hurt after I hit that tree...."
    "Let me see it."  She said, motioning for me to settle myself on the couch.
    "Usa-"
    "Do it."
    "Yes ma'm"  She slowly eased of my shoe with hands that had seen long hours of work, but still understood how to be gentle.  So strong and bitter...but gentle at the core.  We both gawked at my now purple ankle and foot.
    "Gosh, Mamoru, I'm really sorry!!  Let me go get you some ice."  And with that she slowly swung her way back to the kitchen.  I took this time to look around the Touma family's comfortable living room.  Soft hues of blue were painted on the wall, with yellow and blue flowered curtains.  Everything showed the touch of a mother...it made me think of family and how a family made decisions.  How was I getting all of this from her living room?  I sighed as Usagi returned with a Ziplock baggie full of ice.  As she neared me, the bag slipped from her hands and fell to the floor.  We both reached for it and bumped heads.  We stared at each other for an awkward moment, until Usagi jerked the bag away from my grasp and placed it on my foot.
    "You know, Usagi, I know what you're going through."
    "Huh?  Know what I'm going through?  KNOW WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH??!!"  Her voice had become shrill sounding and unnatural as she screamed at me.
    "No.  You can't possible understand"  she whispered coldly, glaring at me from under her eyelashes.
    "Usagi...I lost my parents too."
    "What?"
    "It was a Saturday.  My birthday.  We had been driving out to pizza.  That's were I'd wanted to eat.  My mom and dad started fighting.  Again.  It had begun to rain.  And he slapped her. Hard. Across the face.  She wasn't looking at the road.  She didn't see the cliff.  I don't even know if Mamoru Chiba is my real name......  and it's all my fault.
    "Mamoru..."
    "Yes, Usagi...I killed my parents."
    "Mamoru..no.  It wasn't your fault."
    "I know.  And it's not yours that your parents were drunks.  It's not your fault that no one would listen.  So let it go...
    "I can't"
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You like?  You email me!  shortstuff@ix.netcom.com  Gomen that it was SO short!!  I'm sorry if it sucked!  You could at least email me and tell me that!!  Later!