Okay - it's sappy, but we can't help it ^_~
Usual disclaimers that no one reads here...
HUGE thanks to Meara *hugs* inserted here...
HUGE Thanks to everyone who emails us here... *HUGS*
I don't have much time to mail this in so
no long author's notes ^^
Luva!
Bethany and Patch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As I sit in my kingdom - waiting, always waiting;
I finally find out that indeed I did NOT suceed. 
However, I have the edge I need - I have penetrated
the senshi's homes and lives. I know who they
are and how to crush them.

Not long my dear Princess... not long at all.

                       -Unknown.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't Let Me Go: Apparitions
Chapter: 4
By: Bethany and Patch
Edited by: Meara
Email us!!!!!
We will take comments, suggestions,
praises ^_~, Tiggers, Cheese cubes 
and Bethany will take any furniture 
cause she has a new house and nothing
to sit on.
Bethany212@aol.com
Patchkhan1@hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	The bright light was hurting her eyes. She 
turned her head, trying to avoid it, but to no avail. 
She made a small noise of discomfort and tried to 
bring her hand up but it was like her hands were glued 
to the bed she was lying on. She shifted a little and 
whimpered again, hoping someone would hear her.

	She stilled when she felt someone brush her hair 
away from her face. Licking her cracked lips, with her 
eyes still closed, she whispered, "Mama?"

	"Iie... it’s me Usako."

	Panic rushed through her veins and she whimpered 
again, trying to rise off the bed.

	"No, Usako, don’t. You’ll hurt yourself."

	She felt his arms hold her down gently and could 
feel his breath on her face as he leaned forward. In the 
next second she felt his lips place a feather light kiss 
on her forehead and her eyes immediately opened.

	She saw him sit back on a chair beside her bed. She 
watched as he took hold of her hand and grip it tightly 
within his own.

	"You’re not real," she whispered. Her head seemed to 
be spinning unmercifully in every direction and her vision 
blurred slightly as she tried to look up at him.

	"But I am Usako. I am; see?" he brought her hand to 
his cheek and she moved her fingers just enough to feel the 
beginning growth of his stubble. He then brought her hand to 
his lips and kissed her knuckles, "I’m real.  I’m alive."

	Tears ran down the sides of her face to wet her pillow 
and she bit her lip to stop herself from sobbing out loud.

	"This isn’t possible. Who are you really?" she asked. 
Her voice sounded horse and each sound she made hurt more than 
words could describe.

	He fell back a little and hurt shone in his eyes as if he 
weren’t expecting her question. But he couldn’t blame her, she 
had thought he was dead... well he had been, sort of.

	"Usako, I know you’re really confused right now. You 
thought I was dead and I know you thought you would never see 
me again. But that’s not true.  There’s a reason for all of this. 
It’s a long story and I promise you, you’ll know everything as 
soon as you’re feeling better."

	She shook her head and would have said something, but he 
stopped her. "Not now baby, I need to get the doctor and tell 
your parents your awake - they are all very worried."

	"I... " Mamoru shook his head and gently kissed her forehead
before running out the door after a doctor. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Ikuko stared in complete amazement at the man pacing back 
and forth through the lobby. She wasn't sure how, but he seemed 
to be in perfect health. A part of her told her not to try and 
explain how he was here, but to just be thankful - the rest of her 
wanted answers then and there. Unfortunately, the decision was not 
left up to her.

	Kenji cleared his throat in front of Mamoru, effectively 
stopping his nervous march. "Can I have a moment?"

	The younger man looked confused and looked back towards Usagi's
room. "Ano?"

	"Just a second of your time, I promise you'll see Usagi before
the night's done." Kenji almost barked these orders out and they seemed
more of a threat than a sign of kindness. 

	Mamoru took one last helpless look towards her room before following
his only love's over-protective father out the door. For some reason the
thought of bringing some Senshi with him crossed his mind.

	They stopped outside on a balcony over looking Tokyo.  People  
were scattered here and there smoking cigarettes. The eldest stood 
in silence for a long moment, a small smile of satisfaction crossing 
his face briefly as he watched Mamoru grow ever more nervous by the 
second. Finally, after what seemed an eternity to Mamoru, Kenji turned 
and let out a long breath. 

	"I know not what happened while you were gone - and I'm not even 
sure I want to know.  But I do have something I need to say to you now
that you are..." here he hesitated. "Alive." Mamoru started to speak, 
but Kenji cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I know how much Usagi 
loves you. I refused to see it for years and I'm sorry I did. I viewed 
you as the person stealing my little girl away from innocence, not the 
man that loved her more than life. I see that now. I see it in the way 
you talk about her, how you long to be beside her instead of with me at 
this moment.  But you need to hear this as much as I need to say it. 
Mamoru," Kenji looked up and meet his eyes squarely. "I've been a fool, 
and I'm sorry. I welcome you to my family with open arms as long as you 
continue to love my daughter like you have for these past few years."

	Silence followed. Mamoru was having trouble quiet believing what 
his ears were telling him. He didn't snap out of it until Kenji 
offered his hand out. "I expect you to take the best care of her... 
son."

	A smile played on Mamoru's lips as he shook Kenji's hand. "Arigato
Tsukino-san."

	Kenji laughed slightly and slapped Mamoru on the back, causing 
him to wince a little. "None of that, you can call me Kenji."

	The two men walked back down the hallway - both feeling just 
a slight bit better at the future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	"I’m sorry sir, but visiting hours are over."

	Mamoru looked up through heavily eyelids to see a short woman 
with a pad of paper at the door of Usagi's room. "I have to check 
on her now because of her concussion - and I need you to leave also."

	Mamoru rubbed his eyes and looked over at Usagi. Slowly he 
eased his self out of the chair and proceeded to shake Usagi gently.  
"Come on baby, talk to me," he said gently, pushing some bangs off 
her forehead. 

	Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around for a second trying
to make sense of the blurrily images she was seeing. "Mamo..?"

	"Hai, it's me baby. Just making sure your okay. You feel alright?
Need anything?" he said in a soft, soothing voice.

	"Just you," she whispered, her voice cracking.

	"I'm going to go for a while - if that's okay with you. I think 
I'm in need of a coffee refill," he joked lightly, brushing the tips 
of his fingers over her bruised face. 

	Mamoru tried to get up but suddenly Usagi gripped his hand with 
surprising strength.

	"Iie," she whispered. "I want you to stay."

	The nurse looked more than a little agitated. "Now Tsukino-san, 
that is against hospital regulations and I-"

	"He will stay," Usagi ordered, her voice hoarse and it was 
something in the tone of her voice that had the nurse back away.

	"Fine, but I won’t be getting into trouble for this. I had nothing 
to do with this, not me," the nurse said, closing the door behind her.

	Mamoru turned back when he felt Usagi tug at his hand.

	"I...I want to know," she began, and then licked her lips before 
continuing, "I want to know everything. I want to know where you’ve been all 
this time. I want to know why I’ve been made to suffer for so long. I...
I want to know why you put me through all of this hell," she 
finished, her voice cracking from the effort it took to say so much.

	Mamoru took a deep breath and sat down. "Okay, okay. I’ll 
explain everything. But remember, I had no control over anything 
that happened..." he went on to explain everything, everything that 
Queen Serenity had told him as Usagi listened carefully.

	"So that’s how I came to be here," he said finishing. He took 
a deep breath and watched her face as he waited tensely. When she said 
nothing he spoke again, "I know...I know this is almost too fantastic 
to believe; but Usako, I would *never* hurt you on purpose; stay away 
from you and make you suffer so."

	A tear slipped down the side of her face and she let his hand 
go and closed her eyes. Mamoru looked at her for a long moment before 
retreating once more to the chair beside her bed. His eyes drank in 
the sight of her for a long moment, "Usako, I love you."

	Somewhere in the back of his mind as sleep claimed him, he heard
her whisper in the darkness. "I love you Mamo-chan."

~~~~~~~~~
there ya go ^_^ all is well in Tokyo tonight... maybe.
The next chapters are going to focus more on the enemy, 
if you are lucky you'll find out who the man is that is
tied up ^_~
Email! Email!! Email!!! I'll sing the email song! I will!!
and you don't want that!!! *lol*
Luva!
Bethany
and 
Patch
Bethany212@aol.com and Patchkhan1@hotmail.com