Wow, this section seems dead! In the three years I've been gone, I guess Sailor Moon lost its popularity. I feel a bit nostalgic and sad, but I guess that's life. We've all grown up and moved on. I was reading through some of my older stuff earlier today and I had to cringe. At least I've improved! I must say, though, I really miss the kind of safety net that this place used to provide. It was pretty amazing. So many people helping you along and supporting you and giving suggestions as to how to improve your writing -that's tough to find in real life. I started writing when I was 13 and I'm going to turn 21 in a month and a half, meaning I've been a part of this site for seven or eight years now!

This story is a little slow to start, but I promise it'll get better from here on out! Enjoy :)

"So, Usagi, tell us your story. What are you doing on Chikyuu?"

Usagi blanched. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Pan giggled. "Your ki is nothing like anyone's on earth! I don't know how you hid it for so long, but you're an alien!" Usagi knit her brow together in thought. So they could sense energy signatures like she could –\that was normal for any true warrior. But to be able to tell if they were of the same planet meant that their sensing was more refined. Unconsciously, Usagi doubled the repression of her chi. "You don't have to hide from us. It's obvious you're not here to kill anyone."

Usagi offered a small smile. "I'm just trying to get home."

"How'd you get here?" Goku asked lightheartedly. She turned away from them, memories washing upon her mind in gentle ebbs, memories that no longer tortured her in her waking hours but consumed her in her sleep.

Her voice was soft when she gathered the strength to speak. "I'm not sure. I was kidnapped from Earth a while back –a different Earth than this one." No one said anything. Pan and Goku waited impatiently for her to continue her story, both leaning toward her in sparked interest. She laughed lightly at their expressions but Goku urged her on. "I'm from a different solar system, one light-years away. It took months to get here from what I could make of it. My solar system is relatively untouched, on the fringes of universal existence. We don't really get bothered by aliens too bad since most people don't know of its existence. Lately, though, aliens have been showing up pretty often since Earth is the only habitable planet." A lie, really. The other planets had once been habitable, long before her rebirth.

"It sounds a little like Chikyuu." Pan observed thoughtfully.

Usagi nodded. "It's a lot like this planet, except your technology is a lot more advanced and the flora and fauna are pretty different. I mean, you have fish and meat just like us, but you also have dinosaurs."

"Who kidnapped you? Why?" Goku narrow his eyes and Usagi could feel a righteous air coming about him. She could tell he was something like her –a protector of his planet. But something was off about him nonetheless and she wouldn't call him human, exactly. She wasn't sure how to explain her existence to him or why they had been after her, or more accurately, the Silver Crystal.

"I'm not sure who, exactly, they were or why they took me. But I managed to escape when they made a pit stop at a different planet, using one of their escape pods. I was able to program it to take me to the nearest habitable planet, and somehow, two weeks later, I ended up here." She hadn't really programmed it, just hit as many buttons as she could in desperation and pray to the higher beings that she landed somewhere relatively safe. After landing on Chikyuu, it had taken her two weeks at the home of some unknown Good Samaritan to regain enough health to be able to move around, and another week to gain full function of her body. From there, she thanked the old man, shoved the small amount of money she had into his hands, healed him of his ailments, and went on her way. Miles and miles of wandering brought her to this city and this was where she spent the rest of her time.

Goku nodded, processing the information. "How are you getting back?"

Usagi looked down at her empty plate with a sigh. She wasn't about to tell him about the magical Dragon Balls that existed on this planet; she needed them herself. "I'm not sure yet." Which wasn't a complete lie –she had no concrete plan after the collection of all the golden orbs.

"Come back with us!" Pan said loudly. Her eyes glittered with excitement. "It will be so much fun! You can stay with me; I know mom and dad will say yes. You can meet Bra and Marron, they're my best friends! Oh and then there's my uncle Goten and Trunks too. You can meet Mr. and Mrs. Briefs and Grandma and Mr. Krillen and there are so many others." Pan looked at her with so much hope in her eyes that Usagi giggled and looked away.

"I'm already a stranger on this planet. I don't want to be a burden, too." But more than that, she wanted to, needed to prove to herself that she could make it on her own. Despite the hardships and torture and pain, this was her last real "adventure" before she had to tie herself down to Earth and become its queen. Mamoru was waiting back home, his sizzling passion reduced to a lukewarm companionship. She realized that he just wasn't in love with her anymore, just that he loved her and stayed with her out of comfort. They had grown far apart over the last year. He wanted her to remain pure and innocent and she needed to grow up and face the music. She shook her head free of the thoughts of Mamoru. "I have the ropes down. I've been living here for almost a year."

"How'd you go so long without getting caught? I mean, your ki is pretty unique. I don't think I've ever felt anything like it."

"Different? How so?"

"It's more… I don't know. White. Or pure maybe."

Usagi laughed a little. "That's why I'm an alien. I can hide it pretty well. But…" She bit her lip, a little afraid because she wasn't sure whether they were interrogating her out of curiosity or suspicion. "I'm not evil, I promise. I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just want to go home, that's it." If any alien, regardless of who it was, landed on Earth, the senshi would be on them like bees on honey to protect the planet. She understood the sentimentality; one can only handle so many attacks and remain open-minded.

"What? We're not suspicious!" Goku laughed loudly and scratched the back of his neck. "Don't worry, we'd know if you were a threat. I just feel kinda bad, ya know? It's tough landing on a planet where you know no one. You did pretty well so far." Pan grabbed a hold of Usagi's hand and nodded at her in support. Usagi nearly burst out crying.

"Thanks! You don't know how much that means to me." Her voice cracked at the end and she cleared her throat. "I was so scared that people here would wanna kill me when they found out I wasn't from here. It –it's been so lonely. I've never been on my own before but this is just so… so confusing." At that, Usagi couldn't hold back herself and sniffled, crystalline tears dripping down skin that had once been fair. She cried as Goku gently rubbed her back and Pan strengthened her grip on her hand. Her heart constricted and she turned into Goku, her face pressed against his abs, loud sobs shaking her body, reminiscent of her teenage years. Goku looked to Pan in terror and his granddaughter shrugged, mouthing 'comfort her' in response. Goku awkwardly patted the much younger girl's shoulder, allowing her to soak his red training uniform.

Usagi eventually calmed down, the occasional hiccup shaking her frame. She felt so much lighter, a year and a half's worth of pressure and sorrow and fear breaking free. "I'm sorry. Thanks, Goku-san."

Goku's eyes softened as he looked down at Usagi. She was so much like Gohan. "No problem. Why don't you come with me? Chichi would love to see another girl at dinner."

"Didn't you just eat dinner?" Usagi asked curiously. Goku paused and then burst out laughing. Pan giggled.

"Grandma's rule is that everyone eats together at dinner, even if we ate somewhere else. But Gramps is always hungry. Let's go!" Pan helped Usagi clear the table off and allowed the older girl to quickly change into cleaner clothes –just a pair of black leggings and a mid-thigh length dress that she saved for days she wanted to look pretty. It wouldn't hurt to socialize for a little bit –right? After all, both Goku and Pan had decided she was trustworthy. And she was curious about their family. They seemed close knit.

Outside, Goku and Pan both floated immediately, waiting for her to follow. A blush rouged her cheeks. "I can't fly." Both of their eyes widened as they turned to look at her. Clearly, she was a warrior, but they didn't know of any warriors that couldn't fly. Pan smiled quickly and held out her hand. Usagi accepted it without hesitation to show her trust and Pan's gentle energy quickly enveloped her. She felt herself float and giggled at the freeing sensation. Without warning, they plunged through the sky, rising and rushing past wisps of fog that made up the clouds. Dewy perspiration blanketed Usagi, only to be evaporated as they descended to Chikyuu at breakneck speeds. When they landed, they were in front of a medium-sized cozy home made up of logs. It was cute, with a chimney that chugged out smoke and in the middle of a large, free yard completely surrounded by forest.

Goku entered the house without hesitation. "Chi –" He abruptly ducked as a shoe went sailing past his head. Usagi wasn't as quick and it nailed her right on the forehead, causing her to squeal and topple backwards.

"SON GOKU I SWEAR THIS IS THE LAST STRAW! WHEN I TOLD YOU TO SPEND TIME WITH PAN I DIDN'T MEAN TO BEAT HER UP! AND YOU ARE LATE TO DINNER! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, KEEPING EVERYONE WAITING LIKE THAT?" God-awful screeching burst out the front door, assaulting Usagi's ears. She winced, wondering if she sounded like this when she bitched and whined to her senshi. She made a mental note never to act this way again. Pan peered down at her and whispered an apology.

"Chichi! You hit our guest on the head!"

"What? What guest? Stop bringing home strays, Goku!" A head popped out from behind the door as a middle-aged woman looked around. Finally, her eyes settled on Usagi's form and softened immediately. "Sorry there, dear. Didn't mean to hit you. Are you alright?" The motherly woman picked Usagi up swiftly and brushed the dirt and grass off of her clothes. She checked Usagi's face for any outstanding injuries. Goku quickly made his escape, waving a goodbye behind Chichi's back. "That Goku! I told him to give me a warning last time. But he's brought back a pretty young thing, hasn't he?" She smiled good-naturedly at Usagi, who turned bright red at the compliment.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Usagi," Usagi bowed her head politely. Chichi beamed at her.

"You can call me Chichi. Come in, come in!" Chichi ushered her in and she observed the older woman. Her dark hair was cropped short but even in her age, she radiated strength and authority and warmth. The inside of the house was well-sized, enough for a family of four or five to live comfortably in. Pan followed them, pausing in the kitchen to grab a steaming cookie off of a cooling rack. Chichi led them outside to the back, where two long picnic tables were set up, completely loaded with food. Usagi's eyes widened at the sheer amount of food –they could feed an army three times over with that much. Chichi noticed her look and laughed. "Oh, trust me, it's barely enough food. My boys have an appetite like no other." Her voice was tinted with pride.

"I'd imagine. Pan and Goku-san had dinner at my place –hope you don't mind," Usagi added hastily.

"How'd you manage to feed them?" Chichi giggled. "I bet you regretted it pretty quickly."

A wistful smile tugged her lips upwards. "Not at all. I missed having company. I had plenty of food."

Chichi nodded, not exactly sure of her story. Goku had a habit of bringing back whatever poor soul he found during the day –more often than not, it ended up being a human frightened out of their minds, shaking in fear of the much larger man. Chichi clucked her tongue and ushered Pan and Usagi to a bench. They were the only ones at the table. Pan looked at her with a smile.

"That's Grandma," she whispered loudly as Chichi left. "She can be scary but she's nice."

"I can tell."

"I think everyone else is training right now. But they'll be here soon." Pan turned to pick a hot dinner roll off of a steaming basket and bit into it. "They're all pretty nice. You don't need to worry."

Usagi relaxed a little at her words. Nervousness twisted her stomach and set her heart beating. "Thanks for letting me come with you. I appreciate it. I really do."

"Come on," Pan playfully punched her arm. "It's no big deal! The boys are sooo annoying so it's awesome to have another girl to hang out with."

Her heart flooded with warmth at the statement. She hadn't realized how lonely she had truly been –communication with the other senshi was completely cut off, save for the rare text that her computer managed to capture, but those were sparse and far between. She abruptly hugged Pan. "I'm so happy I met you, Pan." Pan laughed and returned the hug.

"So sappy!"

"Hey, I was just showing my appreciation!" Usagi pouted, settling into the familiar routine of teasing and being teased.

"Didn't realize that being molested equaled appreciation."

"What! I'll show you molestation." Usagi got a twinkle in her eye that caused Pan to gulp and inch away. Without warning, her hands attacked the girl's sides, and Pan screamed with laughter, but just as quickly, the tables were turned. It was Usagi's turn to be tickled mercilessly and she screamed, unable to breathe, her ribs cramping with the effort to gasp for breath. "Ok! T-truce!" She panted heavily as Pan backed off; the younger girl was grinning with triumph.

"You're pretty ticklish."

"You're pretty ugly, Pan." A new voice responded to Pan and a young man slid into the seat across from them. He was really cute, with dark eyes and short black hair and a muscular physique. Usagi felt immediately attracted to his easy grin and had to fight back a blush when his curious eyes landed on her. "Another of Dad's little projects?"

"No," Pan rolled her eyes. "This is Usagi. Usagi, this is my uncle."

"Hey, Usagi. I'm Goten." Goten's grin grew wider. "At least he picked a babe this time." Pink tinged her cheeks and she smiled shyly.

"You have a girlfriend!" Pan glared at him, fully aware of his flirtatious ways. Usagi couldn't help but giggle. They were more like siblings than uncle and niece.

"Where's Gohan and Videl?" Chichi asked as she came around. She carried two pitchers of lemonade to add to the ten at the table. She let out a breath of relief and wiped the sweat off of her brow.

"Here, mom," Another male, looking almost identical to Goten, appeared, arms around a petite woman with dark hair.

"Mom! Dad!" Pan squealed and leapt at her parents. They hugged her back, and spotting Usagi, raised their eyebrows in unison.

"How was your play date with your Gramps?" The male asked.

"It was great! I met someone awesome today. This is Usagi; she's my new friend." Pan proudly showed off the blonde to her parents and they both assessed her.

Chichi laughed a little. "This is my son Gohan, dear, and his wife Videl."

"A pleasure," Usagi said diplomatically as she bowed her head. They both nodded at her and she could tell that Gohan didn't like her very much from the start. Undoubtedly he was a bit more aware of the nature of her aura. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Maybe it was a bad idea coming here. Getting caught up in her sudden companionship was stupid of her –she had one goal and one goal only: to find a way back home and get back as peacefully as possible. Faintly, she wondered why Setsuna hadn't located her yet, but shoved that thought from her head immediately; knowing the direction her thinking would take next.

"Everyone's here?" Goku came in next, plopping down next to Gohan. He sent his son a happy grin and ruffled his hair. "Hey, kid. How's everything going?"

"Everything's fine, Dad. Videl and I went house shopping today," Gohan said proudly. He and Videl exchanged a look of contentment. "We found a pretty good deal right outside Satan City."

"So we'll be seeing you more often!" Goku exclaimed gleefully. "You've met Usagi?" He turned with soft eyes to Usagi.

Gohan nodded curtly, causing Usagi to shrink against his glare. Shame flooded through her being and she stared down at the empty plate in front of her, unable meet eyes with the rest of the family. It felt a lot like overstaying her welcome or coming in uninvited –awkward and tense. She cleared her throat as Chichi bustled about, oblivious to the going-ons of the table.

"Usagi really helped me today," Pan spoke up quietly, her eyes focused on her father's expression. "She more or less saved my life."

Goku nodded in agreement. "You should've seen her! She stood up to me even though she was scared out of her pants. It was pretty funny, this tiny little girl standing between me and Pan." Pan giggled at the image it produced in her mind, and Gohan eased the tension somewhat. Chichi returned with the final basket of dinner rolls and took her place across from Goku. "Thanks for dinner, Chichi!"

"Oh please, Goku, I do this every night." But the tone of her voice was warm and Usagi could feel how deep her love for her husband and her children ran. "Come on Usagi, let's eat."

Usagi smiled at the motherly woman and chose a dinner roll and small cut of meat; she was still full from her previous dinner but didn't want to seem rude. The gentle lull of small talk overtook the table and she felt at peace. She loved to eat, but she loved eating with people the most. It was always during meal-time that she felt the loneliest, without her senshi admonishing her for her eating habits, without Luna yelling at her for her clumsiness, without Mamoru asking about how her day went. And even if Gohan didn't like her and Videl was suspicious, she found that she didn't really care. Goku and Pan both trusted her and that was enough. For now, at least.

So Usagi meets the Son family. Next up: the Briefs! I wonder how that'll go?

As always, reviews, concrits, and flames are welcome :) Please do leave a few words telling me what you think of this -it really helps me figure out places for improvement and where my writing is the weakest!