"Usagi!"

The voice in her ear, so amazingly different from the one in her daydream, jolted her swiftly back into uncompromising reality. The intruding sound was much higher pitched and sharper than the pleasant murmur in her imagination. Usagi felt a pang of resentment at being pulled away. She shifted unwisely at her desk to look up at her teacher, involuntarily gasping as a stab of pain shot through her insides.

"Usagi, you're daydreaming again!"

She could only lower her head slightly and blush - since there was no defense against the truth. Daydreaming about the night before, Mamoru's voice in her ear and his hands stroking her body. Like birds, her thoughts scattered to the winds again and she looked up mutely as her teacher scolded her for her inattention. Realizing she was preaching to the deaf, Ms. Haruna wound down and repeated the question on the blackboard for Usagi's benefit. The distracted girl managed some stumbling answer and mercifully the teacher moved onto her next victim.

Usagi slumped at her desk again, her body softly protesting against the hard chair under her tender thighs. Her normal vigor felt drained with the lack of sleep the night before but her mind was hyperactive, alert and focused in an endless self contemplation.

It seemed so horribly unreal now, dreamlike and absurd. But any movement brought the physical reminder of the truth, and she remembered what he had said about a child, and trembled. His baby. That was a most precious thing - she could even now be carrying his baby. Unconsciously, her hand stole her middle and she touched herself, wondering if it could possibly be true. It had been so perfect, so natural, as if it had been inevitable from the very instant of their first eyes' meeting. As if it had been unavoidable from the moment she had met him. For self-preservation she tried to keep at least a part of her mind on the teacher, but it was a nearly fruitless task. She could think of nothing else but him, remember nothing else but the smiling curve of his lips, the color of his voice, the way he had felt underneath her, bodies straining to meet.

In the classroom, Usagi suddenly shivered violently and unaccountably blushed. Ami saw the odd reaction and watched in confusion as Usagi studiously bent her head to her schoolwork, obviously trying to hide her flushed cheeks. Ami had called Usagi's house the night before only be be informed that Usagi had been staying over at Rei's house. Ami had been silent a moment before thanking Usagi's mother and had gently hung up the phone. Ami had just spoken with Rei - and there had been no mention of Usagi sleeping over. Something was definitely up, and Ami wondered if her bubbly friend would tell her. Under the stern eye of the teacher, Ami bent her own head to her work.

"Hey, Usagi-chan, let's eat over here!" Ami smiled at her and waved an arm to attract Usagi's attention. With an only slightly obvious hesitation, Usagi changed her aimless direction to walk over to where Ami stood near a small stand of trees on the grounds. Ami smiled into the oddly subdued face of her friend but ignored the glum look on purpose. The two girls sat down and began to eat their lunches. The air would normally have been filled with Usagi's sunny chatter, but today it was Ami playing the role of commentator. With growing concern Ami watched her usually bright friend out of the corners of her eyes. Although Usagi didn't look particularily depressed, something was obviously going on behind her blank blue eyes. She studied her friend's sad face, wondering if she should say something to try and find out what was wrong. Usagi shifted a little under Ami's suddenly intent scrutiny and winced a little at the dull pain the movement brought. Ami saw the expression and looked sharply at Usagi's fluttering hands. She was suddenly sure that she saw small bruises on her friend's arms.

"Usagi, what's the matter?" she said softly, reaching out to still her friend's sudden startle. "You're really out to lunch today, you're not talking, and, well..." Ami trailed off uncertainly but then reached out to her friend's arm, turning it over so that the ring of small marks visible on her wrist was clearly shown. Usagi looked down blankly at the marks, mouth working soundlessly. With the thumb of her other hand, she hesitantly rubbed at the betraying darkness, as if she could erase them away. "Usagi," Ami implored urgently, "is something wrong? Who hurt you like that? It looks like somebody grabbed you!"

"It's ok, Ami, really. Don't worry about it. It's really nothing to worry about." Although her voice started to sag a little in the middle, she firmed it up by the end of her words. "Ami, really! It's nothing at all."

It was such a bald faced lie that even gently Ami, the one least likely to pry at secrets felt the need to challenge it. Ami pulled out her ace card, hoping that Usagi would open up a little and tell her what was really going on.

"I called your house last night." Ami looked sideways at her friend who had suddenly gone paler than normal. "I know you weren't at Rei's last night because we were all with Rei most of the day. Usagi! What's going on? Something is really wrong - you're in pain, and you have bruises on your wrists ... did someone hurt you? Please Usagi, please don't shut me out!" Ami reached out her hands to clutch as Usagi's shoulders. The human contact and the deep concern in Ami's eyes was enough to push Usagi into some needed and confused tears.

After a few moments, Usagi rocked back on her heels, away from the comforting embrace of her best friend. "I don't know why I'm crying," she sniffed. "This should be the happiest day of my life but I'm just so all turned around I don't know whether I'm coming or going."

"Happiest day?" Now it was Ami's turn to look confused. "You looked so strange today, I thought for sure something really terrible had happened."

"Ami..." Usagi started out hestitatingly, looking imploringly into her friend's eyes. "If I tell you something, will you promise to keep it to yourself. I mean, not tell anybody?" Ami could see the urgency in her friend's eyes, the need of Usagi to tell her what was going on but needing the promise also.

"If it's that secret Usa-chan, I promise not to tell a single soul." Ami's face and voice were very serious.

"Last night ... last night ..."

To Ami's increasing bewilderment, Usagi trailed off and a shy, blushing grin stole over her face. She was suddenly happy again and Ami blinked in astonishment at the change.

"Last night, WHAT?" Ami cajoled.

"Last night I stayed over at ... a boy's place," Usagi whispered in a rush. She knew she probably shouldn't even be telling Ami this much, but she desperately needed some advice.

"A boy's place." Ami repeated. A look of growing comprehension and concern fell over her features. "All night?!" she nearly squealed. She clutched at Usagi who was frantically trying to shush her. Ami's eyes were as big as saucers and Usagi was nearly giggling with the relief. "Usagi-chan, are you crazy?! What possessed your parents to ...oh, right, the Rei thing." Astonished at her friend's duplicity, Ami rocked back on her heels a little to stare at Usagi's face. A suspicious thought crossed her mind and wormed its way to her tongue. "Where were his parents?" she asked.

The smug look told her everything she needed to know before Usagi even opened her mouth. "Let's just say they weren't around," Usagi said primly.

"Usagi ... Usagi, what possessed you to do that? I mean, lying to your parents, staying over all night with a boy ... Usagi, this just isn't like you!" Ami's bright blue eyes were still in astonished saucer mode. Her open, trusting friend, skulking around in the middle of the night, staying over where she wasn't supposed to be, nobody home to chaperone... Ami suddenly wondered if staying over was all Usagi had done, and who this boy was that he could convince Usagi to do something that out of character. Ami knew all the mechanics of reproduction since her mother was a doctor after all, but she wondered with a suddenly sinking heart if Usagi did.

"Usagi-chan," she started helpless, wondering what she could say to allay her sudden, deep fear. "You didn't .. I mean, you and he just sort of.. I mean, you know that..." Ami trailed off, horribly flustered.

Now it was Usagi's turn to maintain her composure. "I'm not a child, Ami, I knew what I was doing. Well, most of the time anyways," she said quietly, trying to will her friend to understand. "I am not a child anymore," she reiterated strongly.

There was no mistaking what Usagi was trying to say. Ami raised faint hands to her cold face. "Oh Usa..." she whispered. Usagi reached out to pull Ami's hands down, clutching them tightly in hers.

"It was wonderful Ami, beautiful and perfect and ..." Usagi couldn't think of words to describe it without betraying things she couldn't say.

"Who was it, Usagi? Someone I know?"

Her blushing friend shook her head. "I'm sorry Ami, but I can't tell you who it was...I promised it would be a secret. I probably shouldn't even be telling you this much, but I just had to!"

Ami's reply was troubled and slow. "You can't tell me who it is because its a secret? Usagi, I can understand why you wouldn't want to tell me .. but not that it's a secret."

"There are reasons Ami-chan and that's why I can't say. I'm so confused about this, happy and scared and sad all at the same time."

"So... are you two dating? I mean ...it seems to me that since you don't have a steady boyfriend or anything, it's really peculiar that you ... well, spent the night with someone you've never even dated for awhile."

"I love him Ami-chan, more than I can say, and I knew it as soon as he kissed me the first time. I'm only surprised that I didn't know it sooner..."

"Oh! Usagi!" Ami's eyes widened again as a stray thought struck her. "What about," and she leaned in to nearly whisper the words, "Sailor Moon?"

Usagi's expression crumpled a little at that. "I don't know Ami, I don't know what to do about ..that. I mean, it's not like I can tell him, right?" Ami's frantic head shaking stilled that incipent thought. "No, I can't tell him I guess. These secrets are so hard to keep track of!" she nearly wailed. "Who I am, who he is, what I can't tell him, what I can't tell you - it's all so confusing!" Usagi rocked back and forth a little in impending anguish.

Ami struggled to find a way to comfort her friend without expressing her own deep concerns and fears. Her somber blue eyes appealed the heavens for a moment but then returned again to the tight face of her friend. She was spared the need to saying anything by the shocking ringing of the school bell.

"Has it been that long already?" she asked astonished to no one in particular. Usagi jumped up from her position, Ami following more slowly before the two girls walked back to their classrooms.

After school, Ami tried to get Usagi alone but her friend was obviously feeling the need to distance herself from the too initimate revelations of the early afternoon. Ami tried to catch her before she left but was blocked by the crunch of students in the hallway. Frustrated, she watched as Usa skipped down the front steps unhindered. She had cram school now, she didn't have time to chase her wayward friend. Cursing mildly to herself, Ami let the moment slide.

Once she was sure that Ami wasn't going to follow, Usagi slowed her steps until they were nearly dragging. Head down, she avoided everything by autopilot, not seeing the people or the streets she crossed.

She wasn't sure really how she felt, it had been less than a day since everything had really started. Two days ago she had despised him for his superior attitude, his unmerciful comments, the sardonic grin that was always plastered on his face when she was around. Yesterday, even looking at him had caused her heart to pound uncontrollably, his every look as important as spring sunshine is to grass. Last night ... last night she would have cheerfully traded the rest of the life away for. But it had only been two days, a single weekend that had turned her feelings on their heads. Her emotions just couldn't get a grip on the sudden changes, the feeling of something like terror when she thought about him. It had been so perfectly clear last night, the need for secrecy and her promise to keep it. And now, less than a day later, if she hadn't broken that promise, she had certainly bent it nearly to breaking. Ami would figure it out, Usagi knew, as soon as she saw them togther if not before. Nothing was clear anymore, least of all what she really felt. The only certain thing was that she loved him, needed him more with every step she took. She wondered desperately when she would see him again. She could just go to his apartment, but she didn't know if that was allowed, if he would be angry at her for presuming that much.

Confused, excited, thinking that this was almost more dangerous than fighting youma, her thoughts came to an immediately and chaotic halt as a familiar sound roared up behind her. Turning slowly, afraid to hope, Usagi looked over her shoulder. An anonymous figure sat on the motorbike at the curb, engine winding down now to an idle purr. The blank facemask gleamed silently at her, giving nothing away at all.

Then strong hands reached to pull away the concealing helmet and his shock of black hair fell haphazardly into place. He smiled almost shyly at her before she ran the few steps into his arms.

"Woah, baby, these bikes aren't easy to pick up you know!" She looked up at him in sudden worry but the soft smile was still on his face and his voice held no cruelly remembered edge. She hugged him harder, his leather jacket creaking, and his long arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace, his lips moving in her hair.

Reality seemed quite distant when she finally raised her head out of the comfort of his chest. Leather continued to assault her senses even as she looked up dreamily into his eyes. In accord, he leaned down as she stretched up, and he watched her beautiful eyes fluttering closed before his followed suit. He kissed her with all the longing of the separation that morning had made him feel and her lips were still sweet with promise.

Reluctantly he pulled away, watching dazedly as her eyes opened, mirroring the thrill he also felt through his bones. "Usako," he breathed, "I don't have that much time. I have to be at work in twenty minutes. I tried to catch you as you were leaving class but I must have missed you. Look," he said, taking a deep breath, "I don't have to work tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted to do something after school."

A flushed stained her cheeks delicately. "That sounds heavenly, Mamo-chan. Should I ..." she said almost shyly, "should I go to your place?"

"It's a little far to walk by yourself," he said, not able to resist those pink lips a moment longer. He leaned down and gave her another kiss which nearly became as reality distorting as the first. "Uh," he said intelligently as they came up for air. "Um .. tomorrow," he stuttered, trying to remember what he had been saying. "How about I pick you up by that one tall tree, where the school ground ends, with the corner store just across? I thought maybe we could go for something to eat, maybe walk around a little?"

Usagi felt a pang of disappointment when he made no mention of going back to his place, but quickly shrugged it off as unworthy. They didn't really know each other that well, maybe it was better if they weren't in his apartment alone again. But a flash of heat in the pit of her stomach told her exactly where she wanted to be.

"Man, I gotta fly," he said suddenly, checking his watch. His kiss was hard and fast, but his fingers lingered on her face for a few precious seconds. "I'll pick you up tomorrow, Usako, don't be late!" He donned his helmet swiftly and then merged confidently into the flow of traffic, leaving Usagi standing bemused and stunned on the street.