[Autumn 2003] "Thank you for joining us tonight, Ikuko-san, Kenji-san," Mamoru announced as they all sat down at the table. He had had to pull some strings in the newsroom to get reservations at such a high- class establishment, but this was a special occasion. As Kenji held the chair for his wife, Mamoru did the same for a radiant Usagi. Ever since they had come to their decision, she had glowed from within. "It's always good to see our daughter," Kenji replied a bit gruffly. The age difference between Usagi and Mamoru did not seem as horrid now that she was an adult, but Kenji was a father after all. "And you too, Mamoru-san," Ikuko added warmly. Though her husband remained clueless, Ikuko's motherly intuition had provided her a good idea of what the purpose of this outing was. "How's Shingo feeling, Ikuko-mama?" Usagi asked. Her brother, now a student at the same college which Mamoru had attended, had taken ill recently. "We're still waiting on the results of his last set of tests," Ikuko replied with some concern. Her only son had always been very healthy, so it had come as quite a shock when he'd grown sick. Usagi turned a worried frown to her fiance. Mamoru reached out to pat her hand reassuringly. Though she complained incessantly about her pesky little brother, he knew that she loved him dearly, as she did all of her family. Just then, the waiter arrived to take their drink orders. By the time he arrived with them, everyone had decided on what they wanted. Usagi regaled her parents with tales of her life throughout the initial courses, making her kindergarten teaching sound like the raw material of a summer blockbuster movie. Finally, Mamoru knew that the time had come. Everyone was polishing off their main courses and soon the check would arrive. Kenji and Ikuko sensed that something was up and watched him expectantly. Usagi squeezed his thigh under the table to show her support. "Kenji-san, we asked you here tonight not only because we enjoy your company. And yours, Ikuko-san," Mamoru began. Kenji nodded, beginning to sense where this might be going. He sighed inwardly. Truthfully, he'd been expecting this day for a long time now, ever since he'd reluctantly acquiesced to his daughter's decision to move in with her intended. "I believe you know how I feel about your daughter and I hope you have always known that my intentions toward her were honorable." "If not, I never would have let her move in with you," Kenji grumbled before getting kicked under the table by his wife. Mamoru took a deep breath and plunged on, ignoring the side comment. "Though I'm sure you've known for a long time about our plans, I have never formally asked for your approval or yours, Ikuko-san. Sir, madam, I love your daughter with all of my heart and I believe that I can make her happy and offer her a good life. I would like very much to marry her and I request your approval." That hadn't come out exactly the way he planned, but Mamoru hoped it would suffice. Kenji and Ikuko exchanged a long look. Finally, he turned back to Mamoru, ignoring once again the kicking. "I have to admit that I didn't approve of your dating, especially when my daughter was still in school. But, I also have to admit that you've treated her well and fairly, most of the time." He gave Mamoru a look that indicated quite clearly that he recalled the time that Mamoru had 'dumped' his daughter and caused her such heartbreak. He also managed to convey exactly what circumstances might befall Mamoru should such a thing happen again. "Is this what you want?" he asked his daughter. "Oh yes, Kenji-papa, more than anything," Usagi replied earnestly. "Very well, you have my approval. What do you say, dear?" Kenji turned to his wife who was beaming happily at her daughter. "Oh, don't be silly, you know I approve. Congratulations, sweetie!" As mother and daughter moved to exchange delighted hugs, Kenji and Mamoru shared a look inherent to all men everywhere. Kenji smiled and offered his future son-in-law a hand to shake. Suddenly, he broke out into a serious coughing fit. For almost a minute, he hacked and wheezed, trying to get his breath. "Are you ok, Papa?" Usagi fretted, moving over to kneel beside him. "I'm... fine..." he gasped, catching his breath finally. "Must be this damn cold." "I keep bugging him to go to the doctor," Ikuko complained, "but he just won't listen to me." "It's just a cold," Kenji declared. "I'm fine. I'm not going to run off to a doctor because of some coughing. Now, why don't we order some champagne to celebrate. Waiter!" Later that evening, back in their apartment, Usagi snuggled up against her now-official fiance. "Mamo-chan, do you think Papa is ok?" "I'm sure if it was serious, he would go to a doctor," Mamoru replied, though he was not certain of any such thing. He wrapped his arms around his Usako and pulled her close, stroking her hair and back gently. "Ikuko-mama will take good care of him, just like you take good care of me." Usagi smiled up at him and settled back into his arms until she finally fell asleep. ------------ During her last visit, Chibi-Usa had left behind a present for Hotaru. That was the good news. The bad news, as far as Hotaru was concerned, was that Chibi-Usa had given it to Haruka-papa with instructions that she should not let Hotaru open it until a very specific date. At the time, it had seemed as if that date would never come, but time flies, especially for children, and so the date had finally arrived. Haruka and Michiru watched with amusement as Hotaru ate her dinner with an atypical ferocity. Knowing that there was little hope of delaying the anxious young girl at all beyond dinner, they had decided to wait on their own meal until the gift opening was complete. Finally, enough of Hotaru's bowl was empty to signify that "after dinner" had arrived at last. Haruka and Michiru shared a fond smile as their young ward hastily excused herself and dashed off to wash up. "Shall we?" Setsuna asked, gesturing toward the living room. "I'll bring coffee while you two fetch the present." "Thank you, Setsuna-chan," Michiru replied, rising slowly. "Ruka, will you get the box? I'll fetch Luna and Artemis." "We're here!" Luna announced, crawling out from under the kitchen table. "Yeah, and we're almost as anxious as Hotaru!" Artemis added. "Diana didn't know anything about the gift, just that Chibi-Usa had brought it with her all the way from the future." Eventually everyone gathered, sitting around Hotaru in the other room. After a typically dramatic pause, Haruka entered the room with the small white box held gingerly before her. On it, there was a small card, attached with a ribbon of purple and pink. As her family, human and feline, watched, Hotaru carefully removed the ribbon and opened the card. As she finished reading, her eyes lifted up, finding Michiru's. "Michiru-mama, Chibi-Usa says that she won't be seeing me again for a very long time," Hotaru exclaimed in a trembling voice. Immediately the mood in the room shifted. Michiru extended her hand and Hotaru wordlessly gave her the card. "May I?" Michiru asked. Hotaru nodded, trying to fight back the tears that welled in the corners of her violet eyes. "Dearest Hotaru-chan," Michiru read, "The time has finally come when I can't visit you in the past any more. Everyone tells me that if I came back after this point, it could cause lots of problems, for me and for everyone. Mommy's memory isn't very clear on exact dates, so she told me to play it safe. For me, all I have to do is go to visit you today or tomorrow and we will be together, but I know that, for you, it will be a long time. I'm sorry for that. Giving gifts across the time stream is kind of tricky. I know that you have one of these, and I'm pretty sure I gave it to you, but you've never come out and said so. You've always kept it a big secret, but I think I know why. Make sure to write down everything that happens to you and include lots of pictures. I don't want to miss anything, even though I can't be with you. All of my love, always, Chibi-Usa." "What's in the box?" Haruka asked gently, trying to rouse Hotaru from her depression. Hotaru looked down at the box in her hands, as if seeing it for the first time. Carefully, she lifted the lid and pulled out what was inside. "It's a blank book," she announced. Setsuna nodded, "A diary, as she implied." The older woman shifted on the couch so she could take Hotaru in her arms. "Now, Hotaru, you've known that at some point Chibi-Usa would not be able to come visit. This must mean that she is going to be born soon." "I know, and I know I'm not supposed to say anything about what we've experienced together. That's going to be hard, though." Michiru shot a glance over to Haruka and then to Setsuna. They knew each other well enough to be able to tell that they were all on the same page. It would be time soon. Later, after Hotaru had finally decided that Chibi-Usa's pending birth was a good thing and had gone to bed in somewhat better spirits, the rest of the house's inhabitants gathered in the kitchen over coffee. "You all realize what this means, don't you?" Luna inquired directly. Artemis simply frowned, unhappy at dealing with unpleasant topics. "Of course, Luna, we've known this day was coming. Do you have any idea what the nature of the threat we will face is?" Haruka replied. "None whatsoever, though we have been getting some strange readings from the sun lately," Artemis supplied. "It may not have any connection to this, though." Michiru sighed, "I suppose it is safe enough to put off until after the wedding." "Not too much beyond that, though," Setsuna advised. "Though the details are unclear, there is no question that we must take up our duty stations once again." "I'm going to miss it here in this old house," Michiru sighed. "And I'm going to miss the girls. They're all starting to come into their own. I wish I could be here to see how they progress." "We'll have time to visit," Haruka suggested. "Besides, if I don't miss my guess, most of them will be coming to us at one point or another soon enough." Michiru's laugh lit up the room. "You're probably right. Now, before we start packing our bags, I'd like to enjoy every moment of this wonderful place that I can." "You two go ahead," Setsuna chuckled. "I'll take care of these." As she gathered up the coffee cups, Michiru took Haruka's hand and led her outside into the garden where a clear, starry night awaited the two of them.
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