SPIN THE BOTTLE
By Princess Destiny
[princessdestiny@hotmail.com]




Chapter Eighteen



Usagi's eyes opened slowly. She felt warmth all around her. Her head 
was on something warm and soft that moved up and down in a rhythm. She 
frowned for a long moment, perplexed. ["Where am I?"] she wondered 
mentally. She moved her legs experimentally, then her arms and suddenly 
knew exactly where she was.

["In my arms-where you belong"] Mamoru's voice was sleepy and 
possessive.

Usagi flushed slightly, then stiffened as she remembered that Rei now 
shared their bond. She reached out tentatively towards the priestess' 
mind-and encountered a blank. Her eyes widened.

Mamoru's arms tightened around her shoulder, his other picking up a 
long lock of silver hair that pooled over his chest. "She's asleep-as 
is Makoto" he murmured just above her ear, playing with the silver lock 
gently.

Usagi relaxed, sinking deeper into his protective embrace. Strangely, 
she had taken no offense to his words about her belonging in his arms. 
She was beginning to see that he was right. ["Of course I am, Angel"] 
his voice was more awake now, filled with amusement.

Usagi's eyes skittered around the near-dark room and landed on the 
closed door between the kitchen and then lounge. If her dad should peer 
in on them to see if they're awake- ["He'll beat Mamo-Chan to a pulp!"] 
she thought, fingers curling tightly into his chest. ["I won't LET 
him!"] she narrowed her eyes rebelliously. There was no way in hell 
that her dad would hurt Mamoru!

["Easy! Down, Usako. He's your dad-remember?"] Mamoru said, laying a 
comforting hand over hers as it lay on his chest. Instantly, her 
fingers uncurled, realizing beneath his.

She moved closer, burying her face beneath his chin, into the warmth of 
his neck. Usagi purred in delight as his scent surrounded her. ["Nice"] 
she purred into his mind.

["Usako! We're not along here"] Mamoru's voice was strangled-even as 
his arms tightened possessively about her slender frame. ["Mine"] he 
thought, burying his face into her soft hair and breathing in deeply. 
She smelt of the night and flowers and-everything beautiful...

["I know"] she said silkily, possessed by the devil suddenly. She 
abruptly didn't CARE that Rei was sleeping just behind her, or that 
Makoto was on Mamoru's other side. It just made it more exciting-the 
thrill of not getting caught. Something started to coil low in her 
stomach, making her breath in little gasps.

["You're going to get me shot!"] Mamoru groaned mentally at her as she 
threw a leg over his and tried to pull him closer. Then, he felt her 
release him slightly and lean over. Her warm breath stirred in his hair 
and over his face tantalizingly.

"Kiss me, Mamo-Chan" she breathed into his ear, lips brushing the skin 
slightly. She moved her head back until she was positioned right over 
his lips teasingly. ["Don't you want to?"] she taunted him, eyes 
glittering strangely into his. She lowered her lips slightly till they 
just brushed his.

["Don't I WANT to?"] he asked her, half crazy with desire. His whole 
body was suddenly on fire and he could feel every inch of the angel 
leaning over his, pressed to his chest. ["To hell with the others"] he 
growled at her, his blue eyes darkening with desire. He reached up and 
hooked a hand behind her back, pulling her face closer to his so that 
their lips finally met in a searing kiss. His other hand snaked about 
her slender waist, pulling Usagi fully onto his body.

Usagi groaned into his mouth, in complete heaven. Her hands came up, 
reaching into his dark hair to cling to the locks desperately. She felt 
like she was drowning! ["I hope it never ends"] she thought to him 
blissfully, wiggling.

He stiffened, groaning into her mouth. ["Usagi, PLEASE don't do that! 
Kissing is fine-but there are other consequences to your actions that 
I'm not willing to take in front of the girls!"] he told her with 
exasperation, kissing her harder.

She melted in delight, fingers entwining into his dark locks tightly. 
["Consequences?"] she thought vaguely, easing off the kiss-she wanted 
to try something. She moved her head back until her lips were merely 
brushing his, then brushes her across his a few times teasingly. 

In response, his fingers dug into her waist and the hand at the back of 
her neck slid down slowly until his hands were comely about her tiny 
waist. ["Consequences, my angel"] he said, moaning mentally and 
verbally as she nibbled at his bottom lip with her little teeth. 
Mamoru's hands spanned her waist, then abruptly pulled her close into 
contact with him.

She stiffened in slight shock, pulling back to stare at him with wide 
eyes. ["What is that-"] she began, perplexed as she felt a hardness 
against her lower stomach. Whatever it was, it was sending the most 
delicious shocks of electricity through her body. Her eyes half-closed 
in delight, but her question still lingered in her mind.

Mamoru realized that he was going to fast with a VERY innocent girl-and 
promptly turned over, burying her beneath his body as he'd always 
wanted to do. The covers hid them from head to toe as Mamoru rested on 
top of the girl, their breathing erratic.

Usagi moaned, writhing beneath his body, trying to understand what she 
was feeling. She felt alive everywhere. All electricity and pleasure. 
She reached her hands up, running them slowly over his smooth chest. 
["Nice"] she said silkily, raising up her head slightly until her lips 
brushed his chest. Mamoru stiffened above her and she smiled 
secretively. Then her mouth opened and she flicked out her tongue 
quickly to taste him.

Mamoru almost lost control as he felt her small tongue touch the skin 
of his chest. He quickly pushed her down by the shoulders and pinned 
her beneath him. "If" he whispered into her ear seductively, "You're 
trying to drive me crazy-it's working" his words finished in a groaned 
as he again sought out her sweet lips and kisses her passionately.

She moaned into his mouth. ["I drive you crazy?"] she thought, half-
pleased and half bewildered. ["Is that good?"] she questioned, opening 
her mouth beneath his. She started slightly as his tongue brushed hers, 
then closed her eyes and surrendered to the sensation.

["It's VERY good, Usako"] he told her, a hand moving down from her 
shoulders to her chest. It slid along the sides of her breast, then 
headed lower. He brushed tentatively over her hips, not wanting to 
scare her.

["You're not scaring me"] she told him, almost deliriously, burying 
everywhere. When his hand brushed her outer thigh she groaned at him, 
wiggling beneath his form.

Mamoru suddenly realized what he was DOING-and to a 14 year old! He 
removed his hand carefully from her leg and pulled back from her lips 
reluctantly. "You're too young" he murmured, dropping a light kiss onto 
her sweat-beaded forehead.

"Am I?" she said, disappointed. Her body still burned and yearned for 
his touch. As he rolled off of her and the blankets fell back to let in 
cool air, she quickly grabbed his hand and pulled it to her chest. "Can 
you feel my heart?" she breathed at him, forcing his fingers open and 
pressing his open palm just below her breast.

His eyes went wide, hand trembling slightly within hers as he felt the 
underside of her breast. ["You're trying to kill me! I KNEW it!"] he 
growled at her, yanking his hand back.

"What?" she gasped out, stunned by his words. "What do you mean?" she 
was bewildered, excitement quickly dying as she saw his eyes glittering 
at her angrily. ["What did I do?"]

["You know, Usagi-for a fourteen year old innocent girl, you're sure 
doing your best to seduce me!"] he said cuttingly into her mind, 
sinking back onto his back.

She eyed him in bewilderment, eyes filling. ["What did I do?"] she 
almost sobbed at him, starting to shake.

Mamoru held out for a total of three seconds-before groaning in self-
loathing and reaching out for the angel. He pulled her into his arms, 
wrapping them about her as if he'd never let her go. ["I'm sorry, 
Usako. Ignore me"] he told her soothingly, stroking her long silver 
hair. He kissed her forehead once-then twice and lay back down with he 
glued to his side. ["You didn't do a thing-you were wonderful"] he 
reassured her. He kissed her nose and then brushed his lips over hers 
lightly. Desire stirred again and he groaned at himself. ["This is 
bad"]

["You BET it is, buddy!"] Rei's voice growled furiously into Usagi's 
and Mamoru's minds. The two yanked away from each other, rolling to 
their knees. Rei sat there, arms folded across her chest and purple 
eyes glittering with suppressed fury. ["I was three seconds from 
knocking your lights out!"]

"Rei" Usagi tried, paling.

["You could have TRIED"] Mamoru growled back at her. ["You AREN'T 
keeping me and Usagi away from each other!"] he swore, prepared to back 
up his words with actions.

"AWAY from her?" Rei almost screeched aloud.

Makoto stirred and leapt up into a fighting position, green eyes wide 
and pony-tail askew. "What's wrong?" she demanded, looking around the 
room warily. When she saw that there was no danger, she stared at the 
three curiously, sinking back onto her blankets.

"Nothing-just an argument" Rei muttered, looking at Mamoru in 
exasperation and anger. ["I wasn't going to keep you AWAY from her, you 
jerk! I was going to knock you flat for telling her those things!"]

["WHAT?"] Mamoru and Usagi said at the same time, eyes going wide. Rei 
wasn't disagreeing to their kissing?

"Another argument? Oh, come on guys!" Makoto said with disgust, 
flopping back down to the floor and closing her eyes. "How about a 
little more shut-eye here?"

"Sorry about that, Makoto" Rei said with embarrassment, wishing she 
hadn't screeched her words out-loud. This was a big enough event 
without EVERYONE knowing. ["Especially Mr. Tsukino"]

["Especially"] Mamoru agreed dryly.

"Oh Rei" Usagi said quietly, feeling remorse. ["I'm so sorry you had to 
find out like this. I know you and Mamoru-"]

["Are just friends"] Rei said firmly, smiling. ["I'm happy for you-but 
I STILL want to KNOW when exactly this happened!"] she finished in a 
shout. ["What the heck did you two DO in that closet exactly?"] she 
paused, grinning slyly at Mamoru and then her friend. ["Or should I 
just guess?"]

["Reiiii!"] Usagi wailed at her mentally, mortified. Her cheeks flamed.

["We don't kiss and tell-how about you, Mars?"] Mamoru said 
seductively, reaching out to pull Usagi onto his lap. He felt her 
stiffen, then melt back into his chest-almost purring.

Rei watched with fascination, awed. ["Unbelievable. You two HATE each 
other for months-then in one night-you're making out like there's no 
tomorrow?"] she finished admirably. Only some of their feeling shad 
come through the link-in fact, she thought it was the thing that WOKE 
her, but what she felt from them was amazing in it's intensity. Desire 
had raged between the two as if it would set the room on fire. Rei 
flushed as she realized that Usagi and Mamoru were watching her with 
wide eyes, mouths gaping. ["I can't HELP it, okay!"] she flared at 
them, blushing as brightly as Usagi. ["Everything seems to come through 
this damn link!"]

["Everything?"] Mamoru said weakly, ardor cooling. There was nothing 
like a witness to his and Usagi's passion-to destroy it.

["It's not MY fault!"] Rei almost screamed at him, eyes burning into 
his. She was ready to erupt. ["IS it MY fault that you two can't keep 
your hands off each other?"]

["REI!"] Usagi wailed loudly, making Rei and Mamoru wince in slight 
pain. ["We CAN too keep our hands off of each other!"] she shouted back 
furiously, jumping off of Mamoru lap and towering over the priestess.

["But we choose NOT to"] Mamoru added in amusement, watching as Rei 
leapt to her feet also and faced it off with his angel.

]"Mamoru! You're NOT helping, you idiot!"] Usagi hissed at him, putting 
her hands on her hips and regarding them both haughtily. ["You're just 
jealous"] she told Rei smugly.

["JEALOUS"} Rei screeched mentally, outraged. ["I'm NOT jealous, you 
Odango Atama! Anyhow, I have...Yuuchiro! So there!"] she stuck her 
tongue out.

["Ah ha!"] Usagi crowed triumphantly. "I KNEW you had a thing for him!"

Rei swallowed, realizing her mistake too late. ["Oh no!"] she groaned, 
sinking back onto her blankets weakly. She'd never hear the end of 
this!

"A thing for who?" Makoto muttered half-asleep. Right after her words, 
she fell into a doze and began to store.

The three stared at her for a long moment, then suddenly burst into 
hysterical laughter.

["Oh Usagi! This is just too rich!"] Rei said, laughing hard. ["You and 
your worst enemy making out on your parents lounge room floor!"]

Usagi and Mamoru threw each other a guilty look, then simultaneously 
looked nervously towards the closed door. It made Rei laugh even 
harder.

["You can't tell anyone!"] Usagi said urgently, laughter draining out 
of her.

Rei eyed her uncertainly. ["Why?"] she said, puzzled.

["Her homicidal father, for one"] Mamoru said pointedly.

["AND?"] Rei went on, still confused. Why on earth would the two want 
to hide their relationship?

Mamoru and Usagi exchanged a slightly confused look, not understanding 
it themselves.

"Please, Rei?" Usagi murmured pleadingly to the girl.

"Please Rei?" Mamoru said in a sweet voice, similar to Usagi-then 
batted his lashes at the dark-haired girl.

Rei's lips twitched uncontrollably. ["Okay, I surrender"] she gasped at 
them, then fell into laughter again. "But you OWE me now, Odango!" she 
added slyly.

Usagi groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I knew it!"

Later on, they gathered in the kitchen for lunch. Ikuko had cooked a 
lot of food with Makoto's help and the table-top was covered in 
delicious food. Kenji and Shingo were missing, but Ikuko said that 
they'd gone out for something. 

Mamoru took a cup of coffee and sat there, drinking quietly and 
reflecting on the near-disaster of earlier. He'd practically JUMPED 
Usagi-a 14 year old girl. And right in front of her best friend, no 
less! He was damn lucky that Rei was so understanding about it!

["Yes you are"] Rei said in satisfaction, smirking at him. ["I'll make 
sure you treat her right-or else!"]

["Or else-what?"] Mamoru said silkily, turning his eyes to look into 
hers. As he was sitting right beside her, he was quite close. 

Rei still felt something for him and felt herself blushing, but then 
remembered Usagi and was angry. ["Just make sure you don't stray, 
Romeo. Or ALL the Senshi will make you pay"] she promised him.

Ikuko looked at the clock on the wall. "It's almost time" she said to 
Rei.

Rei stiffened, throwing a panicked look at the clock also. "Oh no" she 
moaned slightly, biting her lip.

"Don't worry, we're here" Usagi said soothingly. She squeezed Rei's 
cold hand and then reached for a piece of toast. She loaded it on with 
food and then brought it back to her plate.

Rei was about to make a crack about Usagi's eating habits when the 
silver-haired girl got the strangest look in her eyes. She picked up 
the toast and begin to scrape the food back onto their respective 
plates, a frown on concentration on her pretty face. Rei exchanged a 
bewildered look with Mamoru, Makoto and Ikuko, who watched with open-
mouth. "Usagi?"

"Hmm?" Usagi said, making sure that there was the smallest of amounts 
of egg and mushroom left on her piece of toast. She brought it back to 
her plate and absently picked up a knife and fork from Mamoru's plate.

"Er-you aren't hungry?" Ikuko asked her daughter, bewildered. Usagi 
ALWAYS loaded up her plate to the brim!

Usagi cut off a piece and raised it to her mouth, then put it inside 
and chewed delicately. They watched in complete silence as she ate 
slowly, every movement graceful. And when she had finished she EVEN 
took up a napkin and wiped off her mouth gently. Then she placed the 
knife and fork back onto her plate and places her hands into her lap 
demurely.

Mamoru blinked at her, suddenly seeing double. Another vision pushed 
itself on top of the one of Usagi sitting there and he seemed to see a 
girl in a long flowing dress, laughing at something. Her face was 
alight with laughter, lips curved enticingly. He had a sudden urge to 
kiss her...

Rei felt a strange sensation in her mind and suddenly realized that 
Mamoru's presence was gone. She glanced at him sharply and saw that his 
eyes were glazed over, resting squarely on Usagi. She almost said 
something scathing-but didn't see any desire in his gaze at all. ["It's 
like-he's transfixed"] she thought worriedly.

"Usagi?" Ikuko said sharply, looking at her daughter.

Rei quickly switched her gaze to her friend and saw that Usagi eyes TOO 
had glazed over...and she was staring right at Mamoru with a half-
smile. ["Usagi?"] she murmured in her mind-but Usagi's presence too was 
gone. Her eyes widened in shock and panic as Mamoru and Usagi continued 
to gaze at each other...lovingly. "Oh no-not again" she said aloud, 
realizing with dismay that her friends were going into a trance again.

"Is she okay?" Ikuko said worriedly, taking a sip of he tea to calm 
herself.

"They're in a trance again" Rei said in a hushed tone, watching the two 
carefully.

Usagi began to hum suddenly, her voice beautiful and melodic. It was a 
haunting tune that neither Ikuko nor Rei had ever heard-but it made the 
hairs on the back of the priestess' neck stand up straight.

["Princess-may I have this dance?"] Endymion said, smiling at his love.

["Of course you may, Endymion"] Serenity smiled at him, lips curving in 
excitement. She loved when she and her Prince danced together.

He got to his feet and extended a hand to her courteously, half-bowing.

She got to her feet gracefully and took his hand, laughing low in her 
throat as he kissed the back of her hand lingeringly. He led her out 
and they began to dance, taking absolutely do notice of the room around 
them. Serenity was in heaven.

Rei and Ikuko watched with eyes wide and gaping mouths as klutzy Usagi 
danced like a pro around the kitchen-area. She practically seemed to 
float within Mamoru's arms-and they never took their eyes off of each 
other. "Er-Ikuko? Did you get Usagi dancing lessons?" she asked in a 
strangled tone, watching as the two floated gracefully together, 
oblivious to the surroundings. Suddenly, she felt deja vu as she 
watched the two-and she KNEW that she'd seen them dance 
before...somewhere. Rei went pale with realization.

"No-as a matter of fact" Ikuko's voice was similarly strangled as she 
gazed with shock at her forever-klutzy daughter. "We tired last year, 
but she kept tripping and stepping on the instructors feet" she 
finished weakly.

"That's what I thought" Rei murmured, mind seething with thought. Her 
purple eyes narrowed. "In that case-I think that they've been taken 
over by spirits" she said slowly. "I can't feel their minds at all"

"Spirits?" Ikuko exclaimed, jerking in her chair. She looked at Rei 
with shock. "My daughter is POSSESSED?!"

"No-well...I don't know" Rei said truthfully. "I can't feel any danger 
and all they seem to be doing is dancing" she shook he head at the 
bizarre sight of the two enemies dancing so close together and gazing 
into each other's eyes with love. "This is weird"

"Tell me about it" Ikuko said weakly, a hand coming to her cheek.

Usagi and Mamoru came to a halt. She curtsied low to him and he bowed, 
kissing her hand in a courtly manner-then both stiffened and blinked 
around in a daze. Immediately agonizing pain hit Rei and the other two.

"Usagi!" Rei gasped out, staggering to her feet. She made her way 
around the table, hardly able to see.

Usagi had no idea what she was doing, but stumbled towards her friend 
with Mamoru at her side. The three came together and fell into a pile 
of limbs, clutching at each other.

"What happened?" Mamoru demanded, a hand about each other the girl's 
waists. They both leaned on him, panting. His arms tightened about them 
protectively as he abruptly remembered EXACTLY what had just happened. 
Blue eyes narrowed.

"I don't remember leaving the table" Usagi said fearfully, bewildered. 
She DID in fact remember-and clearly. But not HOW it happened. She 
looked up at Mamoru's face, silently seeking reassurance.

He smiled at her, but neither said anything mentally, knowing that Rei 
would hear them.

Ikuko and Rei exchanged a look and came to a silent decision.

"Don't worry about it, Usagi" Rei murmured, reaching around Mamoru to 
clutch at one of Usagi's hands. "You just had another trance"

"Oh" Usagi said, unconsciously burrowing closer to Mamoru's chest.

In response, he pulled her even closer and rested his head upon her 
head, deep blue eyes troubled as the stared at nothing. ["I don't know 
what's going on, but I'll protect you both-I swear it"] he told them, 
voice full of confidence.

Usagi nodded. ["I know you will, Mamo-Chan"]

Rei said nothing, but smile-still startled by the events of a moment 
before. ["Let's hope it doesn't come to that, Mamoru"] she murmured 
thoughtfully.

Ikuko watched her daughter with a smile. ["Those two must be love, but 
don't realize it"] she thought happily. She couldn't have chosen a 
better guy for her daughter, herself. Tuxedo Kamen, no less! And her 
best friend was Sailor Mars. Usagi would always be safe.

The three held each other silently for a long time, Makoto and Ikuko 
watching and waiting. Finally, it was Usagi who pulled away. "We have 
to clear the table" she said brightly, smiling all around.

Mamoru and Rei followed her closely about the table, collecting plates, 
while Ikuko watched in astonishment. ["Usagi....helping to clear up?"] 
she gasped across the table at the deadly silent Makoto, who's green 
eyes were glazed. She'd not said one word in all the time that Usagi 
and Mamoru were in their trance, nor after. She seemed to be-in shock. 
"Are you all right, dear?" Ikuko asked her, worried.

Makoto blinked and then grinned sheepishly-but her eyes were haunted. 
"No, nothing. I'm fine" she got to her feet to help the other three. 
["It's just that-for a moment when they were dancing...I seemed to 
remember seeing it before"] she thought, bewildered.

Usagi went to the sink, with Rei close and Mamoru hanging slightly back 
as he put jars and packets away in the cupboards.

"You wash and I'll wipe" Rei suggested lightly, trying to shake the 
haunted feeling hanging over the room.

"All right" Usagi said, frowning slightly at the cloth on the bench. 
She picked it up slowly and stared at it-as if she'd never seen one 
before. She shrugged and smiled, waiting for Rei to fill the sink. As 
the first plate was passed to her, covered in water and suds, she 
suddenly began to hum under her breath. In her mind, she heard the 
words clearly...
When the Earth and the Moon,
With loving grace,
Meet under the stars and take their place,
And true loves power takes a hold...
Usagi's eyes glazed over slightly and she completely missed the 
startled looks everyone was giving her. "Destiny's path will unfold..." 
she finished aloud, in a clear voice. She turned slowly to face Mamoru 
and Rei, who were watching her as if she were a stranger. "What is 
happening?" she whispered, feeling stirrings of fear.

Mamoru locked eyes with hers, feeling strange emotions spiral through 
him at the sweet sound of her FAMILIAR voice-and the words too, he had 
heard before. "We'll find out" he said softly. Sure that it was as 
certain as the sun rising.

From the kitchen doorway, Luna stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief. 
She'd come downstairs with the weirdest feeling that something was 
going on-and had witnessed Serenity and Endymion dancing gracefully 
about the room. ["Great Serenity! This is getting out of control"] she 
thought with horror. At this rate, there was no way to hide the changes 
that Usagi and Mamoru were going through. She sighed, watching as they 
washed the dishes. At least Mamoru didn't seem to be changing as fast-
however, Serenity was fast overcoming Usagi's personality. 

"I have to contact Central" Luna murmured, turning to leave. And that 
was when Usagi began to hum. The cat spun back, red eyes glazing over. 
["That's Serenity's voice!"] she thought incredulously. She was even 
more panicked when Usagi said the last line out-loud. She shook her 
head, reluctant to leave her Princess-but.. "I HAVE to get to Central 
Command!" she quickly spun and raced from the kitchen, as if the devils 
of hell were after her. ["I can't do this alone...."]

The three Tsukino's sat on one couch, Makoto in an arm-chair to the 
side and Usagi, Rei and Mamoru were on the couch across the coffee 
table. Mamoru and Kenji were facing each other and Usagi's dad kept 
throwing death-glares at the hero every few moments. Rei's Grandfather 
and Yuuchiro would be there any moment-and the air was thick with 
tension and worry. 

["This is not a good idea"] Rei said mentally to Usagi and Mamoru, 
tensing herself. ["This is really not a good idea"]

Usagi sighed and leaned over Mamoru to take up Rei's closest hand into 
a warm grip. "Don't worry about it Rei" she said reassuringly. "It'll 
all work out-you'll see" she smiled brightly at the raven-haired girl, 
who returned a tentative smile of her own.

Mamoru restrained himself with difficulty as his angel leaned over him 
closely, almost in his lap-and right in front of her PARENTS, no less. 
["Er, Usako?"] he said quickly, eyes on a seething Kenji. ["You're dad 
is about to throttle me-you better sit up"] he said, rather nervous.

Usagi and Rei looked up to the couch across the small table from them. 
Sure enough, Kenji had 'I'm gonna kill you, Chiba' look written all 
over his face. His hands were gripped tightly together until they were 
white, eyes blazing wrath at Mamoru.

["He wouldn't hurt you Mamo-Chan"] Usagi said rebelliously, almost 
glaring at her father.

Rei glared also, fiercely protective of her best friend's budding 
relationship with her so-called worst enemy.

Mamoru rolled his dark blue eyes. ["Of COURSE he would, Usako! He's 
been trying to kill me ever since the first time I put my foot inside 
his house"]

Kenji blinked as he was confronted with three pairs of accusing eyes. 
"Er-is something wrong, honey?" He asked Usagi, swallowing hard.

"You BET there is, dad!" she burst out, outraged at her dad's behavior 
towards Mamoru. "Stop looking at Mamoru as if it's all HIS fault!"

"But it IS!" Kenji shouted, pointing an accusing finger across at 
Mamoru.

"Kenji, please" Ikuko said, sighing. She reached out and grabbed her 
husbands hand, pulling it onto her lap. "Try and get along with Mamoru-
for Usagi's sake?"

"No-wait a minute. HOW exactly is it Mamoru's fault?" Makoto broke in, 
eyes flickering eagerly from face to face. ["What did I miss?"]

Kenji's mouth opened, then he paused and suddenly looked uncertain. 
"Well-I don't KNOW...yet! But I'm sure it's his fault!" the man 
blustered at Makoto, looking annoyed that he'd been caught out with NO 
particular reason for hating the hero.

["See what I mean?"] Mamoru said wearily, leaning back more comfortably 
against the cushions. He crossed one long leg over the other and raised 
a hand to rest along the back of the couch. His fingers were in the 
perfect position to touch Usagi's beautiful silver hair and he absently 
picked up a lock, feeling it between his index finger and thumb. 
["Usagi? Have you brushed your hair since last night?"] he asked her 
curiously, feeling the strange soft texture of the girl's locks.

She turned to look at him, eyebrows raised enquiringly. ["No-at least, 
I tidied it when we got up, but didn't give it a brush"]

["Why?"] Rei asked him, afire with curiosity. Mamoru had the strangest 
look on his face. Almost tender and unfocused as he continued to stroke 
a lock of Usagi's long hair between his fingers.

["I don't know-it feels slightly different for some reason. Softer"] he 
frowned lightly, giving a mental laugh of embarrassment. ["I thought 
that long hair like this would take constant brushing-but your hair 
looks as neat and tidy as if you'd just spent an hour brushing it"]

Rei and Usagi stared at him for a moment with identical expressions of 
surprise, then both burst into giggles.

Makoto watched as her two friend's began giggling uncontrollably, eyes 
watering. She looked at Mamoru, who looked patiently tolerant, eyes 
glinting with amusement as he watched the two girls. "Okay, give. What 
were you three talking about?" the brunette demanded enviously. She 
REALLY wished that she were linked with the other three!

"Nothing-much, Makoto" Rei gasped out, clutching at her stomach.

Usagi threw a wary look across at her dad and hastily nodded. "Nothing 
much" she agreed innocently.

But still Kenji KNEW something was up and proceeded to glare again at 
Mamoru menacingly.

Makoto's mouth turned down slightly at the corners. She sank back 
against her seat and folded her arms, slightly hurt. Usagi and Rei were 
keeping secrets now. And the Senshi ALWAYS told each other everything. 
She sighed in a slightly melancholy way, disappointed at the bond that 
the two girls were now sharing-and that Makoto was not a part of. 
"Okay" she said slowly.

"This is just really weird" Shingo said, voicing everyone's thoughts. 
He'd watched his sister and Mamoru and Rei get the weirdest expressions 
on their faces, before the two girls burst into laughter. ["Having a 
psychic bond must be WAY cool!"] he thought, grinning across at the 
three on the other couch. ["But WEIRD!"]

"You said it" Makoto said, helplessly grinning at the situation. 
Instead, she should be feeling sorry for MAMORU! ["The poor guy"] 
unconsciously, she grinned wider-looking right at him with sparkling 
green eyes. ["Linked to the Odango and the spit-fire!"] a giggle 
escaped her mouth, before she could stop it.

Someone knocked on the front door then, and everyone tensed, smiles 
disappearing rapidly. Everyone one looked at each other, wondering if 
they should answer it.

"I'll get it" Ikuko murmured, getting up and walking calmly into the 
front hall. She opened the door and saw three people standing there. 
"Ami-oh good!" Ikuko said with relief, welcoming another calm person to 
the meeting. Ami had a good head on her shoulders. The blue-haired 
genius smiled briefly, then passed Ikuko and went into the house to 
speak with the others.

"Good day, Mrs. Tsukino. You can call me Grandpa-and this is Yuuchiro" 
the small old man said, grinning cheekily.

Ikuko looked startled for a moment, then smiled kindly at the old man, 
then at Yuuchiro. "Please come in. And do call me Ikuko"

"When I got your call, Ikuko, I admit that I was bewildered" Grandpa 
said, as he and Yuuchiro followed Ikuko down the hall and into the 
lounge, where the others were gathered. "You didn't say why-" he 
trailed off as he saw the large group gathered.

"Hi Grandpa" Rei said somberly, having her left hand at him nervously, 
eyes filled with apprehension.

"Rei! I didn't know that you were here" Grandpa said, throwing a 
surprised look back at Ikuko. Then, he caught sight of Rei's forehead 
and his eyes boggled.

"I didn't mean to be so mysterious when I rang you" Ikuko said, smiling 
with embarrassment. "But it's very important-and concerns Rei"

"I see" Grandpa said, looking at everyone searchingly. He suddenly 
leered at Rei. "Did you get a tattoo? Is that it? And you were afraid 
to tell me?" he said boisterously. "You can't exactly hide what's on 
your forehead"

Rei blushed furiously, then glared. "Get a life, Grandpa!" she snapped 
at him, crossing her arms. ["As IF I'd get a tattoo!"] she shouted 
mentally.

["Well-it might have looked nice....depend upon what it was...and where 
it was"] Mamoru said suggestively, turning to look Rei in the eyes.

Both Usagi and Rei stared at him in shock, mouths open.

"MAMO-CHAN! HENTAI!" Usagi suddenly screeched, face going red as a 
tomato. She leapt to her feet and stood towering over her 'boyfriend' 
menacingly. Her dark blue eyes blazed with wrath.

Rei wasn't to be out-done and quickly leapt to her feet also, looming 
over the smirking Mamoru. "YOU JERK!" Rei screamed at him, waving a 
fist under his nose.

Everyone else watched with wide eyes.

"Why do I get the feeling that I just missed something?" Yuuchiro said, 
confused. He peered around from under his shaggy blonde bangs.

"But-that young man didn't SAY anything" Grandpa said, blinking at the 
three. When he'd been invited mysteriously over to a stranger's house, 
he didn't expect to see his grand-daughter and her best friend 
shrieking like banshees at a grinning young man.

"You get used to it" Makoto said, nonchalantly, blowing gently on her 
nails.

"Get used to what?" Grandpa demanded, getting the distinct feeling that 
he was being left out of a big secret.

Usagi and Rei finished glaring threateningly at an unrepentant Mamoru 
and turned to face Grandpa. The two girls exchanged a sideways glance. 
["I'll do it"] Usagi said, then took a deep breath and let loose. "It's 
like this, Grandpa-ReiandIandAmiandMakotoaretheSailorSenshi 
andsomeofus-includingReiarepsychicallybonded-andit'snotmyfault!" she 
finished this amazing speech with a wail, looking unhappy.

Yuuchiro's eyes had glazed over, but miraculously, Grandpa had managed 
to follow every word. "You WHAT? A Senshi? Who said that you could be a 
Senshi Rei? You're grounded till your twenty, young lady!" he paused, 
calming. "A psychic mind-bond, you say?"

Rei stared at her Grandfather, astonished by his calm behavior after 
such a heated outburst. "Er-yeah" she muttered, sinking back onto the 
couch beside Mamoru.

Usagi did the same, panting hard. ["That was easy"] she congratulated 
herself smugly.

["Your lucky he spoke gibberish, Odango Atama"] Mamoru drawled.

She turned her head to glare at him. ["EXCUSE ME? What did you just 
say?"] she bellowed at him, glaring daggers.

"Which part?" Mamoru said teasingly, watching her slowly-turning red 
face with some interest.

"I've TOLD YOU not to call me Odango! And what do you mean gibberish?!"

"Something unintelligible" Ami supplied helpfully from the side.

Usagi's glare grew. She pointed a finger at Grandpa. "HE understood me 
fine!" she announced.

"Now dear, calm down" Ikuko said soothingly, regaining her seat beside 
her husband.

"What did you do THIS time?" Kenji thundered at Mamoru, leaping to his 
feet. He was pulled off balance as Ikuko latched her fingers into the 
back of his trousers and yanked. He tumbled back into his seat, 
glowering.

"He called me, Odango Atama!" Usagi shouted, infuriated. And just when 
she thought they'd gotten past this stage! ["YOU CREEP!"] she shrieked 
at him.

"QUIET!" Rei shouted at everyone, clapping hands over her ears. "This 
isn't solving anything-and Mamoru, WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT TALKING TO 
USAGI THAT WAY?!" she bellowed at Mamoru.

Usagi sniffed. "Thank you, Rei" she said, smiling.

Rei calmed, lips twitching. "Even if she IS an, Odango" she said under 
her breath.

"WHHHHHHAAT?" Usagi screeched, using her full lung capacity.

Mamoru winced, touching his fingers to his temple lightly. "I shouldn't 
have opened my mouth" he muttered sourly.

"You didn't open you MOUTH, you creep! it was what you THOUGHT!" Usagi 
yelled at him, putting her hands on her hips. "And YOU, pyro!"

"Me?" Rei said innocently. She smiled at her grandpa. "I think you can 
guess the nature of the bond, by now. Usagi, Mamoru and I are linked by 
minds. We can hear EVERY thought any of us have"

"ANY thoughts?" Kenji growled, glaring daggers at Mamoru and ready to 
leapt to his feet.

"Just what are you implying?" Mamoru growled back, glaring also.

"You're a nineteen year old guy! You know EXACTLY what I'm talking 
about!" Kenji leapt up, face mottling with rage. "My poor little girl! 
So innocent!"

Usagi flushed-and then Rei.

Makoto watched with interest, then threw a look at Ami inquiringly.

"This is interesting" Grandpa said with fascination, looking Rei, Usagi 
and Mamoru over thoroughly. "Especially your glowing foreheads. Hmm"

"They're our planet symbols" Ami said helpfully, sidling over to 
Grandpa.

He smiled at her pleasantly. "While the rest of them fight, why don't I 
pull you over to the side and you can tell me all about it?" he 
suggested, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Ami blushed, then sighed and followed him into the kitchen.

"Innocent?!" Mamoru roared back. "Let me tell you how many times we've 
made-oomph!"

["MAMORU!"] Usagi shrieked at him in horror. ["WHAT are you doing, you 
idiot?"]

His words were cut off as a fist caught him solidly in the chest, 
knocking him backwards. He flew over the back of the couch, legs caught 
on the back. He lay half on the floor and half in the air as his legs 
dangled over the opposite side of the couch. His vision swam for a 
moment, everything spinning. ["Thanks, Usako"] he groaned at her, 
deciding not to move-for his own safety.

Usagi and Rei hastily scrambled onto the couch to keep in close contact 
with their 'victim'. The two peered over the back, hands resting on 
Mamoru's sprawled legs, which were hanging over the back of the couch.

"Are you okay, Mamoru?" Rei asked, stifling a giggle.

"Owwwww?" Mamoru said, moving gingerly. He glared up at the amused face 
of his angel, who was surrounded by a halo of silver hair. "We REALLY 
have to talk about this, Usagi" he growled at her. "There are some 
things that you just don't do to your boyfriend!"

"BOYFRIEND!" Kenji roared from behind them. "I-I'll KILL him!"

"Now-Kenji! Please dear!" Ikuko said, throwing herself onto her 
husbands back and slowing him down to a crawl. "It's not nice to kill 
the guests!"

"What did he touch?" Kenji demanded, trying to dislodge his wife and 
murder the hero.

Mamoru quickly leapt to his feet and walked around the couch to stand 
next to Rei, eyeing Usagi's dad warily. He tensed in case he had to 
defend himself from a homicidal father.

"GIRLFRIEND?" Rei, Ami and Makoto screeched from different positions 
around the room.

"I KNEW it!" Makoto yelled triumphantly.

"I didn't expect him to come right out and say it" Rei muttered under 
her breath, resentful. So much for secrets. And here she'd looked 
forward to knowing some things that the others didn know! ["Darn it!"]

"U-Usagi and Mamoru are going out?!" Ami exclaimed, eyes wide. "But-
they HATE each other!" she finished, flabbeghasted.

"Not since last night" Usagi said uncertainly, wringing her hands 
together and avoiding everyone's eyes.

"Ah ha!" Makoto crowed. "So GIVE, girl!" she ordered. "Exactly WHAT 
happened in that closet?"

"CLOSET!?" Kenji bellowed, trying to waddle towards the couch, murder 
in his eyes. And his wife hanging off of him in a strangle-hold.

"Closet?" Yuchirro said intelligently. His eyes widened with 
realization. "Dude! You played Spin the bottle!"

"WHAT?" Ikuko screeched, sliding limply down her husbands back. She 
glared at Usagi accusingly. "You WHAT, Usagi?"

"I didn't know what it waaaaaaas!" the silver-haired girl wailed, 
upset. The signal on her forehead began to glow brighter.

"You are grounded, young lady!" Kenji and Ikuko said simultaneously.

Shingo had been silent throughout the proceedings, watching with great 
interest. "Er-what's spin the bottle?" he demanded curiously.

"Never mind!" his parents shouted at him.

"I can't believe you were so irresponsible" Ikuko went on, fuming.

"Mom-" Usagi whined unhappily. Her head drooped, long ponytails pooling 
onto the floor in a silken heap.

"It wasn't her fault" Mamoru cut in, looking unimpressed by Usagi's 
parent's venting against his angel.

"Then it was YOURS!" Kenji said triumphantly, throwing his wife an 'I 
told you so' look.

"Well...yes" Mamoru admitted.

The Senshi gaped at him.

"I knew it!" Kenji said, pointing an accusing finger at the young man. 
"What did you touch?!"

"Why do you keep on harping on that?" Mamoru said scathingly, running a 
distracted hand through his dark hair. He gave the older man a cool 
look. "And why do you ASSUME that I'd TELL you what I did to Usagi's 
delicious body?"

Usagi shrieked in mortification, disbelieving. "Mamoru! How could you 
SAY that!" she wailed at him, tears pooling in her eyes. ["You creep! 
You jerk! You-you HENTAI!"]

["Oh please"] he said sardonically. ["You enjoyed every minute!"]

"Arrggggggh! That's it!" she screamed at him, body filled with pure 
rage. "I'm going to KILLLLLLL you, Endymion!" after voicing her fury 
incoherently, she launched herself at him. She hit him full-on, 
knocking them both backwards onto the couch. She lay sprawled over his 
long body, a little dazed, but still furious. "How could you say those 
things?" she demanded, eyes filling with embarrassed tears. "How can 
you be so cruel!" a strange inflection had crept into her voice, 
noticed only by Ami and Grandpa.

"Endymion?" Rei said loudly, eyes wide. "Why did she call him that?" 
But no one heard her, they were too interested in the drama unfolding 
before them.

"I-" Mamoru looked bewildered for a moment, as if uncertain about what 
was happening. Then he looked right into the eyes of the angel above 
him-and was lost. "I'm sorry, Serenity" he whispered to her, reaching a 
hand up to stroke her wet cheeks. "I'd never willingly hurt you, my 
love. You know that" he said louder, oblivious to their audience.

"My LOVE?" Makoto, Ikuko and Kenji uttered in shock, eyes boggling.

"They don't know what they're saying" Rei murmured, eyes on the couple. 
She knew for a fact that it was NOT Usagi laying plastered from head to 
toe over the gorgeous Mamoru. No-it was someone ELSE. "It's a trance 
they both keep going into. They're taken over by someone else"

"Possessed?" Grandpa said sharply, lifting his head to smell the air 
sharply. He frowned. "It doesn't seem to be an evil entity"

"That's what I thought" Rei said eagerly. Before she could say 
anything, the two on the couch began to speak again.

"I know you would never hurt me, my Endymion" she murmured to him, 
leaning closer. She closed her eyes, lips brushing his lightly.

Endymion closed his eyes also, lifting his had slightly to close the 
distance between them. Their lips met and touched tenderly, then with 
more passion.

There were multiple gasps from around the room, as everyone watched 
Mamoru and Usagi kiss.

"Oh my" Ami said, eyes wide with astonishment.

"Woo!" Makoto breathed in awe. She never thought she'd see the day when 
the two enemies would be making out-she stared closer as the kissing 
became more urgent and passionate. ["What am I SAYING? It WAS kissing"] 
she watched them admirably as the two proceeded to devour each other's 
lips, fingers tangling urgently in hair. ["This is full on making 
out!"]

Kenji stood there, gaping like a fish as his little girl french-kissed 
the hero of Tokyo. "Gah" he managed, then went back to gaping, his eyes 
impossibly wide.

Ikuko was startled at first, then happy...then exasperated as the two 
didn't come up for air. "HOW long can they keep this up?" she asked no 
one in particular.

"Don't know" Makoto uttered, never taking her eyes off the couple on 
the couch.

Usagi and Mamoru suddenly stopped, bewildered. They blinked, then 
stared at each other's faces, which were VERY close. They realized a 
few things simultaneously. One, they were in a VERY compromising 
position. Two, they were KISSING like their was no tomorrow and three-
her PARENTS and friend's were watching!

["Oh no"] she groaned at him, in horror.

["He's going to kill me for sure, this time"] Mamoru thought back, 
reeling with shock. ["Exactly how did we go from 'bashing Mamoru' to 
'kissing like there's no tomorrow'?"]

["That's what I want to know!"] Rei broke in, utterly stunned. ["Yeesh, 
Usagi! I never thought you'd kiss someone in front of your parents!"]

["Please let me die now"] Usagi wailed mentally, unlocking lips with 
Mamoru reluctantly. She hesitantly turned her head to view seven pole-
axed people and a smirking Rei.

Mamoru turned to look also, deeming it the time to make a run for it. 
In moments, he'd reached into his pocket and clutched desperately at a 
rose. Then, he'd brought it out and transformed into the dashing hero 
Tuxedo Kamen within seconds. Before anyone could say a word or gasp, he 
reached out and slung a hand around Rei's hips and yanked her into his 
arms. Then he grabbed Usagi the same way and pulled her in close. The 
two girl's feet dangled a foot above the floor as he strung them like 
sacks of flour over each shoulder-then bolted to the stairs. He was up 
them in seconds and down the hall, sprinting like a pro towards Usagi's 
room...and safety. As soon as the shock wore off, Usagi's parents were 
going to MURDER him!

["Not if WE kill you first"] Rei said ominously, thumping his back 
hard.

["I get first dibs! He's MY boyfriend!"] Usagi said menacingly.

Tuxedo Kamen skidded round the corner into Usagi's room, whirled and 
locked the door. He groaned and let the two girls slide down his chest-
then turned bravely to face the firing squad.