Chapter 6

Usagi stood at the end of the street and stared down towards her home. The lights were on, and she knew that her mother would probably be preparing dinner, and her father would be working on a story for work. Shingo usually hung out with his friends until dinner time, and Usagi was hoping today wouldn't be any different.

Mamoru stood by her side, with Luna in his arms. It had been decided after some lengthy discussion that it would be best not to overwhelm the Tsukinos with all of the Senshi at once. Of course, that led to another lengthy discussion about who exactly should be with her when she told them. In the end, Usagi decided that it should be Mamoru and Luna with her.

"What if they don't want to see me?" Usagi asked quietly. Mamoru reached his free hand out for hers and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"You don't have to do this today," he reminded her. Usagi shook her head resolutely.

"No," she said. "It's already been a week. If I don't do this now…who knows when I'll have the nerve again."

"Okay." Mamoru lifted Usagi's hand and kissed it. "Then, we'll take this one step at a time."

"You'll be fine, Usagi," Luna assured her young charge. "We're with you all the way." Usagi smiled at them. Then she squared her shoulders and, with her fingers laced through Mamoru's, walked towards her home.

Kenji had left his briefcase in his car, and he had remembered just in time to see Usagi and Mamoru arrive. Immediately, his mind was flooded with things he had wanted to say to his daughter for the past week, and the fear, frustration and anger of not being able to reach her in all that time. When he opened his mouth to speak, though, none of it would come out. Usagi stood at the end of the drive way, one hand wrapped around Mamoru's, the other clenched tightly at her side. She met his gaze straight on, with tears in her eyes, and broke the silence first.

"Hey, Dad," she said shakily. "I…I need to speak to you and Mom." Kenji nodded dumbly and led the way inside.

"Is that Shingo?" Ikuko called from the kitchen. "Dinner's almost ready." Kenji didn't respond immediately. He watched Usagi and Mamoru with a thousand questions on his lips. Ikuko called his name again, and Kenji was finally able to speak again.

"It's not Shingo," he said distractedly. Ikuko poked her head out of the kitchen.

"What are you-" Ikuko started when she saw her daughter and gasped. "Usagi!" She looked torn between wanting to hug Usagi and wanting to remain stern. She cleared her throat and ran her hands down her apron. "Dinner will be done in a few minutes. Would you like to stay?" Usagi shot a quick glance at Mamoru, then turned back to her parents.

"M-maybe," she said. "I'm not really hungry, and I have to speak to you and Dad. Can we…um…"

"Let's sit in the living room," Ikuko suggested. "Kenji, come help me with drinks." Kenji followed his wife stiffly, while Usagi and Mamoru took their shoes off at the entry.

"You really should eat," Ikuko heard Mamoru tell Usagi. There was a strong tone of disapproval in his voice. "You haven't eaten since breakfast."

"I had a few protein bars," Usagi whispered back. "I'll eat more later."

When Ikuko and Kenji went into the living room, Usagi and Mamoru were sitting on the couch, their hands still clasped together as if for support. Luna was there, too, Ikuko finally realized. She hadn't seen the cat in weeks, but here Luna sat on Usagi's lap, as straight as a sentinel, watching the Tsukinos with an unnervingly direct gaze. Ikuko glanced away and set a tray of glasses on the table. Kenji set the pitcher of water and bottle of soda he had brought in beside them. Then they sat on the loveseat across from the young couple.

"How have you been?" Ikuko asked. The words sounded strange in her ears hollow. Usagi seemed almost surprised by them.

"I've…I've been fine," she replied. She didn't offer any elaboration, but shifted in her seat. Luna glanced back and placed her paw on Usagi's forearm as if to comfort her mistress. Ikuko blinked her eyes a few times.

"You said you have something to tell us?" she prompted when neither teen said anything. Beside her, she could feel her husband tense up. His hands had curled into the cushion with a white-knuckle grip. Ikuko discreetly placed her hand over his. They had discussed the possibility of having this conversation with Usagi, and she knew they were both as prepared as they would ever be for it.

"I…"Usagi hesitated, cleared her throat. Her posture was too straight, Ikuko thought distractedly. She looked far too serious for the child Ikuko knew her to still be. She would spare her daughter this part.

"We know," Ikuko said. She dropped her gaze to her lap to hide the tears that had suddenly sprung up. She missed the surprised look she and Mamoru shared.

"You…you know?" Usagi gasped. "How...?"

"How far along are you?" Kenji asked. The apprehension left Usagi's face, replaced with confusion.

"How…far along…?" she looked from her mother to her father, trying to understand. "How far along in what?" Kenji pursed his lips and motioned towards Usagi's midsection.

"The…the baby," he forced out. Usagi went red, then pale, then red again.

"WHAT?"

"Mr. Tsukino," Mamoru spoke up. "You have the wrong idea. She's not…we're not…"

"I'm not pregnant!" Usagi almost shouted. "I'm only sixteen! And we haven't even...haven't…um…" Usagi buried her face in her hands. "This is not how this was supposed to go."

"You expect us to believe that you two haven't…" Kenji sputtered. "You haven't been staying with him?"

"I've been at Makoto's!" Usagi told them. "Honestly! All week!" Ikuko put a placating hand on Kenji's tensed shoulder.

"We didn't mean to jump to conclusions," Ikuko said levelly. "But you can't blame us for thinking it was a possibility. After all, you two have been very serious for a long time. And we haven't been able to reach you." Usagi bowed her head in shame.

"I…I lost my phone," she admitted. "I would have called you from Makoto's, but…I didn't think you wanted me to call." Ikuko started to protest- of course they wanted to hear from her- but she thought better of it.

"I understand," she said. She took a deep breath, putting her hands on her lap. "Well, if you're not pregnant, what is it you have to tell us?"

"I want to tell you the truth," Usagi told her parents. "About…everything." Kenji and Ikuko leaned forward in anticipation. "The night that…that you caught me sneaking back in, there was a youma attack at the playground by the school." Whatever Kenji and Ikuko had been expecting Usagi to say, that wasn't it.

"What has that got to do with anything?" Kenji asked. Ikuko nudged his side gently.

"My friends were there," Usagi continued. "They needed my help. I had to go…you see I'm…" Usagi cleared her throat again, "I'm Sailor Moon."

Usagi's parents stared at her uncomprehendingly. They looked over to Mamoru for some sort of reaction, or for a contradiction. He looked as serious as their daughter.

"That…that's nonsense," Kenji said weakly. "You… you can't be a…a superhero?" He turned to his wife. "Ikuko…what…?"

"It's true. Usagi is Sailor Moon." Luna stood up jumped onto the table, careful not to disturb the glasses. Ikuko shrieked and jumped back.

"…did the cat just speak?" She leaned towards Kenji and gripped his arm. "Did you hear that?" Kenji nodded mutely, and then quickly shook his head.

"This…this isn't real," he said. "This has to be trick…or something. There's a walkie talkie or a…a microchip…or-"

"I assure you this is no trick," Luna said. She sat on the table, and primly curled her tail around her feet. "As you can see, I'm not wearing a radio or…ahem…a microchip."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," Usagi said. She had shrunken back into the couch, clutching a pillow to her chest protectively. How could such a small girl be the superhero who was practically an urban myth, Kenji wondered.

"No…" he whispered. "This can't be true. Ikuko, you don't believe this?" Ikuko looked from her husband to her daughter to Luna, too stunned to reply.

"I can prove it," Usagi said. She set the pillow aside, and stood up. Mamoru caught her hand as she reached up for her broach.

"Usako," he almost whispered. "Are you sure." Usagi flashed a half smile.

"This is why we're here," she reminded him. He nodded and released her hand. She grasped the broach and shouted her henshin.

"Moon Crystal Power, make up!" There was a blinding flash of light, and an instant later, Sailor Moon was standing before the Tsukinos in Usagi's place.

"Oh, my…" Kenji gasped and clutched at his chest. Ikuko rose to her feet, reaching out towards Sailor Moon.

"Why can't I see your face?" she asked. She squinted her eyes, trying to peer past the odd veil of light obscuring her daughter's face.

"It's a glamor," Luna explained. "To protect her identity." Kenji's eyes went from Luna, to Sailor Moon, to Mamoru at last.

"You…you already knew?" he asked. Mamoru nodded, twirling a rose between his fingers.

"I've been fighting with her for a long time," he told Kenji. He stood up beside Sailor Moon. His transformation was much subtler than hers had been. A tuxedo, complete with a cape, top hat and domino mask had suddenly appeared.

Ikuko sank back onto the loveseat next to her husband. They grasped each other's hands. Usagi and Mamoru dropped their transformations and sat down.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions," Mamoru said.

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know," Usagi promised them.

"I don't even know where to begin," Ikuko let out a weak laugh. "And here we thought you were just sneaking out to see him." Kenji didn't find the situation humorous at all.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked. Usagi fiddled with her broach.

"About two years," she said. "Luna found me when I was fourteen, and told me who I was." Kenji turned on Luna angrily.

"So, this is your fault?" he demanded angrily. "Why would you put my child in that kind of danger? Why didn't you pick someone else?" Luna recoiled indignantly. Usagi scooped her up and held her protectively.

"It wasn't Luna's fault!" Usagi sighed. "She didn't pick me. I've always been Sailor Moon. There was no one else."

"It also wasn't my choice to wake her," Luna added. "An old enemy had reawakened. Only the Senshi could defeat it. Believe me, if I could have left Usagi and the others to live normal lives, I would have."

"But if she hadn't woken us, then everyone would have died," Usagi said. "Or worse…" Kenji deflated. His face looked ashen grey. Mamoru poured him a glass of water. Kenji accepted it, feebly and took a distracted sip.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ikuko was suddenly fighting tears again. She found herself almost wishing that Usagi had been pregnant. "In two years…didn't you think you could trust us?" It was as if she had slapped Usagi. Her face was stricken.

"It's…complicated," she said. "It's not just my secret. I was worried that if I told you, I'd expose everyone before they were ready. I'm pretty sure if you know who one of us is, figuring out the rest is easy." Ikuko couldn't deny that. She already felt confident she knew who the rest of the Senshi were, even if Usagi hadn't confirmed it. "I didn't want you to worry about me, either."

"Usagi," Ikuko chided. "We're your parents. We worried anyway. Your grades were slipping, and you were sneaking out at all hours… How long did you think you could keep this from us?"

"Two years, apparently," Kenji muttered miserably. "That's how long it took us to catch on to her sneaking out. What kind of parents are we?"

"Good ones," Usagi insisted. "You trusted me, and…and I took advantage of that." Kenji seemed unconvinced.

"What do we do now?" Ikuko asked more of Kenji than of Usagi. Kenji gave a helpless shrug.

"Can't you just…stop being Sailor Moon?" he asked. Usagi shook her head firmly.

"I can't ignore people who need me," she said. "If you try to stop me…" she hesitated, but only a moment. "If you try to stop me, I'll leave for good." Ikuko gasped.

"Usagi…" Usagi turned her pleading eyes to her mother.

"I don't want to leave," Usagi told them. "I've missed you, and I want to come home…I mean, if you'll let me. But…I have a duty to protect people."

"But why does it have to be you?" Kenji demanded. His face crumpled in frustration. "You're a child. My child. Why can't someone else do it?" Usagi smiled sadly and shook her head.

"There isn't anyone else," she said.

"What about the rest of them?" Kenji pressed. "Isn't there a whole group of you?" Usagi nodded.

"Yes," she said firmly. "And they are my team. I can't abandon them."

"Usagi is the most powerful of us all," Mamoru told her parents. "We need her." Kenji couldn't accept that. He turned to Ikuko, expecting her outrage to match his own.

"Why don't you say something?" Ikuko shook her head.

"What can I say, Kenji?" She looked over at Usagi fearfully, but there was pride in her eyes, too. "You saved Shingo, I remember. There was that attack at the laser tag place." Usagi's cheeks flushed lightly, but she nodded.

"I wouldn't have let anything happen to him, powers or no powers," she said. A shaky smile made its way across Ikuko's face.

"Then I'm grateful for your powers," she told Usagi. "Otherwise, I might have lost both of my children that day."

"Usagi has saved countless other lives, too," Luna said. "Including yours." Ikuko swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. Then she got up, and went over to Usagi. With a gasping sob, she bent down and wrapped her arms tightly around Usagi.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "This must have been so hard on you." Usagi returned her mother's embrace.

"I'm sorry I lied.' Ikuko kissed the top of Usagi's head, and turned back to Kenji expectantly. He sat in an odd position, half off the couch, as if he was planning to stand up. He made no move towards them, though. Ikuko quietly urged him to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say.

"Well," Ikuko said, straightening up. "Your brother should be home soon. Will you stay for dinner?" Usagi and Mamoru exchange a brief glance.

"Yeah," Usagi agreed. "We'll stay."

"Good!" Ikuko exclaimed a bit too loudly. She paused on her way back to the kitchen and turned to Luna. "Um…is…is the cat food we have for you alright?" Luna swiped a paw across her face and seemed to be hiding a smile.

"That's just fine," Luna assured Ikuko.

"Good, good," Ikuko said distractedly. "And…I supposed we should discuss you coming home." Usagi looked at her parents hopefully. Kenji managed to nod.

"Does Shingo know anything?" he asked.

"No." Usagi shook her head. "You two are the only ones I've told. I'd honestly like to not tell him. At least not right now."

"Probably a good idea," Kenji mumbled. "The kid can't keep a secret to save his life." He stood up and followed Ikuko. Mamoru, Usagi and Luna went into the dining room.

"What do we do about this?" Kenji asked as soon as he heard the teens settling into their seats. Ikuko looked at him in surprise.

"Do?" She blinked at him. "About what?"

"About what?" Kenji gestured wildly towards the dining room. "About that! We can't let her keep doing…this! It's way too dangerous." Ikuko pursed her lips in irritation, and started pulling out serving utensils.

"And just what do you suggest we do?" she asked. "Forbid her from saving the world?"

"Well, why is that such a bizarre idea?" Kenji demanded. "We're her parents." Ikuko set a carving knife on the counter, and turned towards her husband with her hands on her hips.

"Kenji, were you in there a few minutes ago?" she asked. "Did you see what your daughter did? Did you feel that power? Howdo you suggest that we stop her? Didn't you hear what she said? She'd leave again if we tried." Kenji shook his head. It had been a miserable week for them both not knowing where Usagi was. He didn't want to live through that again. Kenji's shoulders sagged in defeat.

"What if something happens to her?" Ikuko dropped her hands and went over to Kenji.

"What if something worse happens because we try to stop her?" She put her hand under Kenji's chin and made him look up. "Kenji, don't you see? Usagi is part of something big. Bigger than us being afraid for her safety. Don't you remember all those stories we've heard? Sailor Moon and her friends have saved so many people. Our child has saved so many people. We can't possibly think of keeping her from saving more." Kenji's shoulders sagged, and he had to lean against the counter to stay on his feet.

"I know," he admitted. He pulled away from Ikuko, running his hands over his face. "I wonder if this is how Batman's parents felt."

"I'm pretty sure his parents were dead when he became a superhero," Ikuko reminded him. Kenji shook his head.

"Can you believe I'm actually wishing she had been pregnant?" Ikuko let out an involuntary bark of laughter. She pressed her hands over her mouth, trying to stifle her nervous giggles.

"Me, too," she whispered. A moment later, she managed to get herself under control. She motioned to the chicken she had made for dinner. "Take that in. I need to get them some plates." Kenji complied while Ikuko grabbed two more dinner placements, and a dish of food for Luna. As they started carrying dinner into the living room, the front door opened.

"I'm home!" Shingo called. "Is dinner ready?" Ikuko and Kenji froze with twin looks of horror on their face.

"What do we tell him?" Ikuko hissed. Kenji blanched.

"…Nothing?" he suggested. Ikuko favored him with a deadpan gaze, but she didn't have a better idea.

Shingo was standing in the doorway of the dining room, gaping at his sister and Mamoru when his parents carried in dinner.

"Hey, Shingo," Usagi greeted him awkwardly.

"Hey," he replied. He shifted from foot to foot, unsure of what to say. "Are you…staying for dinner?" Usagi nodded.

"They are," Ikuko said. Kenji set the chicken down on the table, and Ikuko gave Usagi and Mamoru their place settings. "Have you washed your hands?"

"Not yet," Shingo mumbled. Ikuko waved him off.

"Go get cleaned up," she ordered. "I can see the dirt under your nails from here." Shingo shot one last questioning look at his sister, then ran upstairs to the bathroom. When the door shut and they heard the water turn on, Ikuko and Kenji closed in on Usagi and Mamoru.

"What do we tell him?" Ikuko asked.

"I don't know…" Usagi said. "I mean, do we have to tell him anything?" Kenji gestured wildly at her with his hand.

"That's what I said," he hissed.

"I think he's going to have some questions," Mamoru pointed out. Ikuko nodded with a pointed look at Kenji and Usagi.

"He will," Ikuko told them. "He's not stupid. He's going to ask why you're coming home."

"We could just tell him I apologized," Usagi suggested. "He doesn't really need to know the details, does he? I mean, I know he's going to ask, but that doesn't mean we have to tell him anything." It was the best plan any of them had. At any rate, there was no time to think of anything better. The water shut off, and a few moments later Shingo tramped down the stairs. The older four fell silent when he entered the room, making him pause mid-step.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh!' Ikuko laughed. "It's nothing, sweetie. Have a seat." Shingo watched his family, as he carefully sat in his chair. His mother and sister tried to fill the awkward silence with polite small talk. When Ikuko asked them both how school was, Shingo was genuinely surprised to find out that Usagi had not only still been going, but had even been doing well. She went to grab her latest science quiz to show her parents her score.

"85%!" Kenji exclaimed. "That's very good."

"Yeah." Usagi blushed. "Ami's been tutoring me. But since I didn't do so great on my midterm, I'm probably only going to get by with maybe a C." Ikuko reached out and touched her hand.

"You're doing your best," she encouraged her daughter. To Shingo's surprise, Ikuko nearly leapt from her seat and rushed off to the kitchen. He thought he had seen tears in her eyes as she left. Shingo looked from Kenji- who was wearing a mask of forced calm- to Usagi-who looked troubled. Neither of them met his eye. Finally, Shingo turned to Mamoru. His face was impassive as stone. When Ikuko finally returned, Shingo had gone from concerned, to concerned and irritated. He slammed his fork on the table.

"Someone has to tell me what's going on!" he demanded. "Why are you all being so weird?"

"It's nothing, Shingo," Kenji said. "We just…had a talk with your sister." Shingo narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and then turned to Usagi.

"So, what's going on?" he asked her. "Are you pregnant?" Usagi threw napkin on the table frustration.

"No!" she yelled. "Why is that everyone's first guess?" Shingo huffed.

"Well, what then? Did you two elope or something?" Kenji and Ikuko's eyes flew towards Usagi and Mamoru, wide as saucers. Mamoru's impassive face, suddenly flushed a deep red.

"No!" Usagi's conscience prickled as she turned to her parents. "No, we did not elope."

"Then tell me what's going on!" Shingo shouted for the third time. Silence fell over the table. No one knew what to say.

"Well," Ikuko said at last, "we had a talk with your sister this afternoon. She's…she's coming home." Shingo furrowed his brow and looked around the table.

"Okay…" he said, still eyeing everyone suspiciously. "Why is everyone acting so weird then?" Kenji stepped in then.

"We…well…we…er…It was a pretty intense talk," he managed to get out. "You know how it is right after you clear the air." That seemed reasonable to Shingo. He still thought his family's behavior was strange, but then again, they were strange in general. Finally, he noticed Luna watching from the corner of the dining room over a bowl of cat food. Shingo scowled at her.

"Ugh! When did that come back?" Shingo asked. "I thought we'd gotten rid of that flea ball."

"Don't be rude!" Ikuko chastised him sharply. Shingo started in surprise, and he could have sworn Luna looked smug.

"So~orry," he muttered, picking at his food. "Geeze."

Dinner continued in a mix of awkward attempts at conversation, and long stretches uncomfortable silence. Shingo watched his parents exchange nervous glances with each other, and shot worried looks at Usagi, who for her part pretended not to notice with admirable consistency. When dinner finally ended, Usagi and Mamoru got up to leave, to the entire family's surprise.

"I left my things at Makoto's," Usagi explained. "I have a history assignment due on Monday, and she's got all my books."

"Do you want me to take you?" Kenji offered. "It may be easier than carrying everything yourself. And this way you can come home tonight." He cleared his throat and turned to Mamoru. He became a bit more hesitant, but he met the young man's eyes steadily. "Mamoru, I can drive you home, if you'd like." Usagi thought for a moment, then beamed at her father.

"I do miss my bed," she admitted.

"I really appreciate the offer," Mamoru said. Ikuko smiled at her husband. Then she saw Shingo watching the exchange with a strange look, and stood up herself. "Well, while why don't I clear the table? Shingo, do you have any homework?" Shingo shook his head slowly, afraid that this was his mother's preamble to asking him to help her clean up.

"No," he said. "But I'm supposed to meet some of my friends online for a game." He prepared to plead with his mother not to make him late for his appointment with chores, but to his surprise, Ikuko shooed him away almost eagerly.

"Well, go on," she told him. "You can take that machine up to your room tonight." Shingo gaped at her. All of his instincts told him not to question his mother, but she never allowed him to play videogames in his room. She liked to keep an eye on what he was playing.

"Really?" He asked. Ikuko nodded.

"But just tonight," she said. "I have to make a call, and I really don't feel like competing with the noise your game makes." That was all Shingo needed to hear. His feelings of something being off had dissipated in the face of the excitement of this one time treat. He rushed past his sister and Mamoru, racing to grab his X Box before his mother changed her mind. With a hurried goodbye to their company, he disappeared upstairs to his room, shutting his door tightly behind him.

"That'll come back to haunt you later," Kenji warned. Ikuko nodded.

"I know," she said. "But I have some questions for Luna." The cat looked up from her dish of food.

"I figured you might." Ikuko said goodbye to Mamoru and started clearing the table.

The ride to Makoto's was deafeningly quiet. Mamoru sat up front with Kenji, while Usagi stretched out on the back seat. Kenji's eye flitted from Mamoru to Usagi in the rearview when he wasn't keeping his eyes trained too hard on the road. Occasionally, he would clear his throat, as if preparing to speak, but he never did.

"You can ask questions, Dad," Usagi assured him after the tenth clearing. "It's okay." Kenji glanced at her reflection with a furrowed brow. For a moment, Usagi didn't think he'd say anything, but then he asked her one question that had been on his mind for hours.

"Do you…" he paused and cleared his throat again. "Have you ever been…hurt doing this?" Usagi exchanged a look with Mamoru. He nodded imperceptibly, and Usagi sighed.

"Sometimes," she confessed. "But I heal pretty quickly. Usually." Kenji stopped the car at a light and turned to face Usagi.

"Usually?" he repeated. "What does that mean?" Usagi's face colored lightly.

"Well…" she started to explain. "When I use my powers, it drains me, and sometimes if I've used a lot, it takes me longer to heal." She saw the horrified look on her father's face and hurriedly added, "But Ami and Mamoru figured out what was wrong with me. I just need to eat more. Honestly, I'm okay." The light had turned green, but there were no cars behind them just then, so Kenji ignored it.

"When was the last time you got hurt?" Usagi lowered her eyes and fiddled with her thumbs. She didn't reply right away, but Kenji pressed. "Were you hurt that night we kicked you out?"

"Umm…yeah," she reluctantly admitted. "When I snuck out to fight that youma in the park, I…got hit. It…it took a while longer than it should have to heal. But I'm fine now, I promise."

A week earlier, Mamoru would have given a lot for Usagi's parents to understand what exactly they had put her through. But now Kenji knew what had happened to Usagi before their final confrontation and Mamoru had never seen a man look so broken. Usagi put a hand on her father's shoulder.

"You didn't know," she said gently. Kenji stared at her for a moment, then he pulled the car off to the side of the road and leaned against the steering wheel.

"I…I," he struggled to say. "I don't think I can handle this." Usagi's entire body slumped.

"Maybe I shouldn't have told you," she said quietly. "I'm sorry." Kenji shot up and spun around in his seat.

"No!" he nearly shouted. Mamoru and Usagi jumped in surprise. "No. I'd rather know. I…I just…need time to…get used to it, or something." Kenji looked away and rapped his hand erratically against his seat. "Usagi, you have to understand, as your father, everything in me is screaming at me to not let you put your life in danger."

"I get it," Mamoru told him. Kenji looked up at him in surprise. "I don't want to see her hurt, either. But Usagi is one the strongest people I know. And I know a few very strong people. We are, all of us, a team, and we fight to make sure that we all make it back alive." That seemed to comfort Kenji, but only slightly. Usagi- and for that matter Mamoru were just barely not children anymore.

"Why does it have to be you?" he asked at last. Usagi blanched. This was a question she had been dreading; the real reason she had been afraid to tell her parents her secret. With a sigh she sank against the door.

"It's complicated," she told her father. "I'd rather tell you and Mom together." Kenji looked as if he were going to say something else, but a high-pitched beeping cut him off. Usagi's spine stiffened.

"What is that?" Kenji asked when she pulled what looked like a small pink palm pilot from her pocket. Usagi looked at her father apologetically.

"Trouble," she told him. She pressed a button with a grim look on her face. "Venus! What's wrong?"

"At Ueno Park," came a familiar sounding voice. "We've got a nasty one. Can you come?" Usagi glanced at her father, who nodded reluctantly.

"We're on our way." Without another word, Usagi and Mamoru scrambled out of the car, and ran into a nearby alley. A moment later, Kenji watched as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen streaked past the car towards the park.

There urge to follow them to the fight was strong, but Kenji fought it. If he was going to prove to Usagi that she was right to trust him and Ikuko with this knowledge, he would have to stay out of her way. He wouldn't be anything but a distraction if he rushed in, and he wasn't certain he was ready to see his daughter in battle. So, he waited.

The night grew deeper around Kenji. It had been nearly an hour since Usagi and Mamoru had left, and he wasn't sure what to do. Ikuko would probably be calling soon. He was certain she must have expected them back by now, though maybe her conversation with Luna was keeping her distracted.

"What are you doing here?" The question was accompanied by a sharp rapping at the window that sent Kenji's heart slamming against his chest. The police officer shined a light into the car, and it seemed to Kenji that he was intentionally directing it it at his eyes. He turned the car on so he could lower the window.

"I'm just…waiting," he said. The officer lowered the flashlight, and Kenji could see his face. He was eyeing Kenji suspiciously.

"Waiting for what?" he asked. Kenji's mouth opened and closed a few times.

"For…um…nothing," he said at last. The officer's his badge revealed that his name was Himura. He couldn't have been more than twenty-two. A rookie beat cop. Kenji wondered if his parents had ever sat waiting for him to come back from a shift. He must have been staring oddly, because officer Himura frowned, and leaned in closer.

"Are you drunk, sir?" he asked. Kenji shook his head.

"No." Himura's eyes narrowed.

"Are you aware that this area is known for drug activity?" Ordinarily, that would have been a horrifying discovery for Kenji, but at the time all he could do is shrug.

"I'll let you know if I see any dealers," he said. Immediately he knew that was the wrong thing to say. Himura's suspicious stare became an outright scowl. The last thing Kenji wanted that evening was to have to call his wife to bail him out of jail, so he thought quickly.

"I'm sorry," he said contritely, the lie coming easily from his tumultuous mind. "I just had a fight with my wife. I've been sitting here trying to decide if I should risk going home, or find a motel room for the night." Himura's posture changed immediately. His brow softened in sympathy.

"I know how that is," he said. "I've been married a few years myself. But, look, sir. You shouldn't sit here for too long. It's not the best area." Kenji resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but thanked the officer for his concern. Once Himura had disappeared around the corner, Kenji drove off towards home, distractedly and slowly.

It took a few minutes after she had heard her husband's car for Ikuko to wonder why Kenji and Usagi hadn't come inside. Luna suggested that father and daughter may just be talking.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Luna told her. "She's been wanting to tell you two about all of this for a long time." Ikuko pursed her lips.

Luna had told Ikuko all that she thought she thought it would be proper for her to hear from Usagi's advisor. It had been enough, though, to teach Ikuko how many times Usagi might have not come home. How easily one day she may not.

"I'm going to check on them," she said. On her way to the front door, Ikuko paused at the foot of the stairs, with her head tilted towards the upstairs hallway.

"Oh, he's still playing his game," Luna assured her. The cat jumped up on the hallway table and licked her paw. "I can hear him." Ikuko muttered her thanks, and looked out of the front window.

The light from the driveway light left the passenger half of the car in shadow. All Ikuko could see was Kenji, leaning against the steering wheel. He didn't seem to be speaking to anyone. Ikuko felt her stomach sink, thought it took her a moment to realize why. Then, she peered harder into the dark and realized what was wrong. Kenji was alone.

"Where is she?" Ikuko fell against the hood of the car and peered inside. Once his start had passed, he looked out of the window at his wife with haunted eyes. A moment later, he stepped out of the car and wrapped his arms around is wife.

"They got a call while we were on the way to Makoto's," he told her. "I haven't heard from her since."

"She's got to be alright," Ikuko whispered. Her fingers clutched desperately at his shirt. "Luna was telling me how many battles she's survived. She'll be okay." Kenji couldn't speak around the lump in his throat. It had been over an hour, and he hadn't heard from Usagi. Before Ikuko arrived, he had been listening to the news, hoping for any word of where the Senshi were. Ikuko pulled away and listened to the weather forecast for the week.

"She went to Ueno Park," Kenji explained. "I guess they must not have drawn too much attention yet." Ikuko wasn't sure if that was good news or not. She rested her forehead against Kenji's chest.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

"You could try not to worry so much." Ikuko and Kenji spun around towards the gate. Usagi leaned against a pillar with a wan smile on her face.

"Oh!" Ikuko gasped and ran over with Kenji right behind her. They both wrapped their arms around her.

"Are you alright?" Kenji asked. He felt her nod her head beneath their arms.

"I'm fine," she said.

"Was it the Dark Moon people?" Ikuko asked. Kenji shot her a strange look, and she almost blushed. "Luna was explaining to me about some of the… invaders you've fought." Usagi shook her head.

"Am- er…Mercury doesn't think anyone in particular is behind these attacks," Usagi explained. "She says it's probably leftover youma from the Dark Moon Clan's failed plots." Usagi's stomach let out a loud rumble just then. Ikuko pulled back slightly.

"Luna said something about you needing to eat often," she said. "I'll fix you a plate." When she let go, Usagi stumbled and bit back a hiss of pain.

"You're hurt?" Kenji asked. Usagi tugged at her skirt with a wince.

"Couple of scratches," she admitted. Her parents could see the end of an angry looking gash just above her knee. It seemed to extend up her thigh, and it looked like it needed medical attention. "It doesn't feel great, but I'll be fine in the morning. Honestly."

"O…okay." Ikuko forced a smile through the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"How about I fix you a bath?" Kenji offered. "While you're eating, I'll fix you a bubble bath, just like when you were a kid. I'll even use your mom's special soap." Usagi grinned.

"Sounds great, Dad." She yawned and looked at her parents apologetically. "I really wanted to talk to you guys tonight, but I don't think I'm going to have the energy."

"Shingo's going to the amusement park with his friends tomorrow," Kenji said hurriedly. "We can all sit down and talk then. Right now, you just relax and focus on getting well." Usagi stared at her parents for a long moment. Then she leaned forward and clung to them. She was so tired, and the urge to weep in gratitude was powerful.

"Thank you," she said, with a shallow, shuddering breath. Kenji and Ikuko wrapped their arms around either side of Usagi and helped her inside.

That's the end, folks. I hope you enjoyed this short story. Please review! And if you liked this story, check out my others.