Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon in any way.. :(

My Daughter

By ChibiUsa20

A thousand years.

A thousand years of searching.

Searching to find the right person to raise my darling daughter… my dead, but sleeping daughter…

I knew it was wrong. I should let fate decide where she would be born - who would love her, cherish her as I did… but as a mother, I couldn't help but want to know who would see my little princess grow properly into womanhood…

…and begin her life as Sailor Moon.

But then, I heard a voice calling me… and Serenity's life force started to respond…

Ikuko's heart sank as she stared at the object in her hand. This was what felt like the hundredth pregnancy test she had taken, and it was negative. Again.

What's wrong with me…. She thought, as she slipped the test into the trashcan. Kenji would be so upset… Oh, Kenji, why can't we seem to get pregnant on our own?

They had been married for almost two years and had been trying to have a child ever since. Ikuko knew that she would someday be married to a loving man and wanted a house full of children to go along with it… but it just wasn't happening naturally.

They had been to the doctors before, and we both deemed healthy enough to get pregnant on their own. Doctors had predicted it might take as long as a year… but two? She didn't understand.

Ikuko stood and looked at herself in the mirror. Her blue eyes were cloudy, with her tears that were threatening to fall any moment…

"Ikuko! Honey! I'm going to be late!" Kenji called from the bottom of the staircase. He didn't know what his wife was doing.

Ikuko wiped her face with a washcloth, smoothed her light purple hair down and put on her best smile. Urgh… surely he will see right through me. She didn't want to disappoint him with another negative test, so she wouldn't tell him. Like she had done several times before.

"I'll be right down, sweetie!" She called back, turning away from her broken image and closing the bathroom door. She slowly walked down the staircase and spotted her husband.

His messy brown hair and jam-covered mouth made her laugh out loud.

"Jeeze, Kenji, could you slow down when you eat? You have food all over your face!" She reached out and kissed the side of his mouth, removing the jam that had been stuck there. "Mmm. That's good."

Kenji smiled innocently at his young wife.

"Maybe I do it on purpose to get extra kisses from my lovely lady," He replied, reaching his arms around her. "I love you, Ikuko. You know that right?" His eyes saddened a little.

Ikuko felt the tears welling again as she pictured the negative test in her mind… nodding her head, she cuddled against Kenji.

"I love you too. Now you better get to work before you're late!" She gently pushed him away and passed him his suitcase. "Have a great day honey!"

Kenji planted a small kiss on her forehead, resting his own there for a moment. He quickly checked his watch, jumped up at the time and ran out the door, leaving his emotionally drained wife.

Ikuko sighed. It was time for her to take care of her home, but it was getting lonely. She longed for the day when her child would make their appearance…

Later on that night…

"So how was your day honey?" Ikuko asked, as she placed his supper in front of him. He had been unusually quiet since coming home from work. She couldn't help wondering if he had figured out what she had been hiding… his brown eyes looked up at her.

"It was okay… I had an interesting conversation today with one of my new hires."

Ikuko matched his gaze and smiled.

"Oh, about what?"

Kenji's face turned serious as he reached for her hand. Grabbing it, he squeezed hard.

"Well, you know how we haven't been able to get pregnant… they suggested getting treatment… and using medical intervention…"

Ikuko's eyes widened at his reply. She did not want to use any form of intervention when it came to making her children… she believed that a child should be conceived naturally and through love… if she couldn't have a child on her own, it might be God's way of telling her that she wasn't ready… or didn't deserve one…

She shuddered.

"What's wrong, Ikuko? Do you think it's something to look into?" Kenji's eyes were curious at his wife's response. He knew how she felt, but it had been two long years. And he was yearning just as much as she was to have a child together. This seemed like the only option for them…

Ikuko stood up from the dining room table, her hands in fists.

"I can't believe you would suggest this Kenji… if-f-f we can't get preg-pregnant alone, maybe we aren't meant to be parents! Some-something must be wrong with me!" She cried, turning away from him and running towards the door.

"Ikuko! No, that's not what I meant!" Kenji yelled, but it was too late. His wife was already gone.

As Ikuko walked the streets of Japan, she came across a playground. She spotted a swing and sat down, gently pushing herself back and forth with her feet… back and forth… back and forth…

Suddenly, she glared up at the sky… wanting to scream… shout… cry… anything. She was tired of feeling… feeling lonely, empty, and without a child…

But her feelings of sadness suddenly stopped as her eyes were met with the most beautiful full moon that she had ever seen. It was as if the sky would explode with light at any moment… and she felt peace. She knew, one day, she would have a child if she kept on believing.

While closing her eyes, she pressed her hands together and prayed silently to the moon.

Please… let me have a child. A child to love, cherish and watch grow… I have been waiting patiently… and will continue to wait until the time is right.

"Ikuko Tsukino…"

Ikuko's eyes snapped open at the sound of her name. She looked from side to side but saw no one. Frightened, she stood from the swing.

"Who's there?"

When no one responded, she turned to start her journey back home, but what stood in front of her made her jump.

"Do not be frightened, Ikuko."

Before her stood the vision of a beautiful woman, with silver hair and sparkling blue eyes… her dress and hair seemed to flow continuously around Ikuko has the image grew closer… Ikuko blinked.

"Wh-Who- What are you?" She yelled, wishing she had never left the security of her husband's arms and her home.

The spirit smiled. "I do apologize, I should have introduced myself. My name is Queen Serenity… I lived on the Moon over a thousand years ago and I have been searching for you."

Ikuko started in disbelief. "You're…a Queen from a thousand years ago… and you want… me?" Ikuko stepped back, unsure.

Queen Serenity's smile softened. "Please do not be frightened. I know you don't understand what this means. I have heard your call for a child… I… need your help."

Ikuko matched her gaze to the Queen's eyes and could see her need.

"What… kind of help?" Ikuko dared to ask. She felt like running, but something about this woman made her want to trust her…

Queen Serenity closed her eyes and suddenly a bright light emerged from her palms. Ikuko raised her arm to shield her eyes and when she brought it away, there was a tiny bundle in Queen Serenity's arms. She urged Ikuko to come closer. Out of curiosity, she did, and what she saw made her heart melt.

"This is my daughter, Serenity - heir to the Moon Kingdom."

Ikuko's mouth opened in awe. The little girl was beautiful. She had blonde tuffs of hair on her head and had big cerulean eyes that shined like diamonds. Ikuko went to touch the baby, but her hand went right through her… Confused, Ikuko looked at the Queen.

"This is her life force, which you cannot touch. This little girl was once a grown Princess. But our Kingdom was attacked and my darling daughter was killed, along with all of her guardians and her love…" Shaking her head, the Queen locked eyes with Ikuko. "I need you to be her mother now. My life is over. I died so she could live. I have been searching for the right person to raise her. And I choose you."

Ikuko stared, not really understanding. "You… how…? I don't understand."

The Queen smiled.

"I will give my daughter's life force to your body and you will become pregnant. Have no fear; she will be yours and your husband's child… Yet she is still my daughter. There will be trials for her. She will face many things as she grows. She is special… please, let her live a normal life as long as she can."

Ikuko stared again in disbelief. She surely must be dreaming right now… maybe she hit her head or something… this didn't feel real. She watched as the Queen kissed her daughter goodbye, one last time.

"I will see you again, Princess Serenity. I love you." The Queen turned the bundle towards Ikuko and let the spirit of her daughter flow into her. Ikuko felt strange… but warm. This must really be happening. She looked up at Queen Serenity.

"Please look out for my daughter. You will be an amazing mother. Never give up on your dreams, Ikuko. That is why I chose you. My daughter needs you."

That was the last thing Ikuko remembered before fainting onto the hard, cold ground.

Hours later, she awoke in bed with a cold washcloth on her forehead. She sat up and realized she was in her own bed at home. Hmmm… I had a strange dream…

She heard Kenji rummaging in the bathroom and decided to check on him. Getting out of bed she called to him. "Kenji! What are you doing?"

She stood in the doorway and saw the pregnancy test in her husband's hands. Oh, no… He looked up at her with tears in his eyes.

"Ikuko… why didn't you tell me?"

She reached for him.

"I'm sorry! I…"

"You're pregnant!" He beamed, flipping the tests for her to see. He was right. There were two lines… two strong pink lines… her dream… it HAD happened!

She started to cry and flung her arms around her husband.

"Oh, Kenji! We're going to have a family together!"

14 years later…

Ikuko Tsukino smiled at the memory of the creation of her baby - a girl they decided to call Usagi. A few years later, they miraculously were able to become pregnant with their second child, a son they named Shingo.

"AHHHHH! MOM! I'm going to be late AGAIN!" A voice wailed from the top of the stairs.

Ikuko sighed.

Oh, the joys of raising her daughter…

I hope you liked it! :)

Love, ChibiUsa20