Disclaimers and author's note at the end of chapter two.













Sleeper



By: Masked Maiden



Chapter Two: Having Children







It was a tradition for the Tsukino Family to come together at least 

once every other week.  Ever since Shingo married Kayama Mika and moved 

out a few months ago, it was, customarily, the only time Kenji and 

Ikuko ever saw their children.  The family would eat dinner, and then 

afterwards they would sit in the living room and catch up with all that 

was happening in their lives.  Usagi and Mamoru took that opportunity 

to tell everyone their little secret.



Ikuko was ecstatic.  She wrapped her arms around her only daughter and 

hugged her tightly, announcing in a tearful voice, "My baby is having a 

baby!"



Shingo was lounging on the couch with his wife, snickering to himself.  

"It's about time, Baka," he teased.  "I thought you'd never live up to 

your name!"  Mika shot her husband a cold glare, and she took the 

liberty of taking his baseball cap and whacking him with it a couple of 

times.  Shingo snatched it from Mika and placed it back on his head.  

"All right, all right," he gave in.  "Congrats!"



Kenji shook his head at the two newlyweds, yet he agreed with Shingo.  

It was about time.  He accepted years ago that his little girl was now 

a young (and married) woman.  He knew Usagi always wanted a husband and 

children, and Mamoru wanted the family he didn't have when growing up.  

Four years was a long time, at least to Kenji, for any woman who wanted 

children to become pregnant.  Good things came to those who wait, he 

supposed.



"Let's just hope he's nothing like his father," Kenji kidded.



Mamoru smirked, "And let's hope he's nothing like his grandpa."



"Or she," Mika corrected.  "It could be a girl.  What do you think, 

Usagi-chan?  Are you and Mamoru-kun going to find out if it's a boy or 

a girl?"



Usagi took her seat on the couch, next to her husband.  She merely 

shrugged and answered, "We haven't even talked about that.  It doesn't 

matter to me, though."



"That's right," Ikuko smiled.  "As long as you give me a healthy 

grandbaby then nothing else matters."



"You need to find out," Shingo urged, "because I need to know if I'm 

going to be an aunt or an uncle."



Usagi rolled her eyes at her little brother.  "Shingo, if you really 

need to know for sure then go to the bathroom and drop your pants."



Shingo turned a beet red while everyone else in the living room rolled 

with laughter.  Even Mika joined in.  She fell back into Shingo's lap 

and continued chortling.  He folded his arms and hung his head.  No 

respect, he mused, no respect at all.



"Shingo, you know we love you," cooed Usagi.



Shingo leered, "Sure you do..."



~*~*~



Tomoe Hotaru woke up to an odd, though innate tingling sensation.  She 

felt through the darkness for her alarm clock and turned it around so 

to check the time.  She groaned into her pillow.  It was three o'clock 

in the morning, and she had to use the bathroom.



Hotaru pushed aside the covers and swung her feet over the edge of the 

bed.  She stood, taking a break to yawn, and dragged her body toward 

the bathroom.  It just had to be on the other side of the hallway, she 

mentally griped.  Hotaru passed Setsuna's bedroom and Haruka and 

Michiru's room before she stopped in front of the closed door to the 

bathroom.  She knocked on the door, thinking someone was inside.  When 

there was no response Hotaru opened the door, only to notice one thing.



The lights were already on.



Hotaru shrugged it off, suspecting that Haruka had accidentally left 

the lights on.  (And she was known to close the door behind her for... 

lingering reasons.)  Hotaru stepped into the bathroom and closed the 

door behind her.  From the corner of her eye, the light switch caught 

her attention.  Sleep melted away and her adrenaline accelerated.  Why 

were the lights on when the switch indicated they were turned off?



Her surroundings changed.  Rivulets of steam emerged and thickened into 

a moist fog that enveloped the closed off area and dampened Hotaru's 

entire body.  Hotaru attempted to open the door yet the knob would not 

turn.  She spun around, chest heaving and eyes expressing great 

trepidation, and from the center of the room two silhouettes, one male 

and one female came into view.  Hotaru raised her hand and called for 

her henshin wand.



"Saturn Planet Power, Make up!"



Nothing happened.



That was when she backed into the door and screamed for her family.  



Haruka snapped form her sleep and climbed over Michiru as she hurried 

to her daughter.  Yet her feet became entangled with the bed sheets, 

and as she leapt from the bed she fell face first on the carpet.  

Setsuna and Michiru ran down the corridor.  Haruka picked herself up 

and followed them.



"Hotaru!" Haruka called out.  "Hotaru, what's wrong?"



There was no response.



Michiru pointed to the floor.  "Haruka, look!"



Fog billowed through the bottom of the door and concealed the hardwood 

floor, coming up to the ankles of the three women.  Haruka, Michiru, 

and Setsuna stared at one another, all sharing the same thought.



"Uranus Planet Power, Make up!"



"Neptune Planet Power, Make up!"



"Pluto Planet Power, Make up!"



A kaleidoscope of colors and energies engulfed the women as they 

henshin into the Outer Sailor Senshi.  A transformation that seemed 

long and extensive (and in combat, vulnerable) only took the blink of 

an eye to complete.  As the magic subsided, Sailorpluto stepped forward 

and starting banging on the door.



"Hotaru, answer us!" she pleaded.  The banging continued and now 

included Sailorneptune trying to turn the doorknob.  "Answer us, 

please!"



Sailoruranus decided to take matters into her own hands, which meant 

using the direct approach.  Stepping forward she pushed Neptune and 

Pluto aside.  She balled her fist as if she were preparing to spike a 

volleyball and positioned it dangerously close to the door.  Golden 

light radiated from her clenched fist, shaping into a sphere of 

alchemy. 



"World Shaking!"



The booming sound from the explosion filled the house.  Wooden 

splinters meshed with the opaque fog as it streamed into the hall.  It 

dissipated until all had vanished and darkness occupied the bathroom 

once more.



Hotaru stood in the middle of the room, back towards the door and her 

loved ones.  Her violet eyes were fixated on the spot where the male 

and female silhouettes appeared and revealed their identities.  Her 

mind reeled from what had just been exposed to her.  A delicate hand 

touched her shoulder.  Hotaru turned her head and saw Neptune and 

Uranus standing beside her, both of their faces etched with concern.



"Hotaru, what happened?" Neptune asked.



The young woman tried to find the words to describe the vision she had 

witnessed, but all she could utter were three syllables.



"The Great Freeze."


~*~*~



Monday, two days later...



When Usagi graduated from Juuban High School, everyone assumed she 

would marry Mamoru and not further her education.  School had always 

been a struggle for her.  No matter how hard she studied for a test 

Usagi never made the grades she desperately strove for.  But after a 

week or so of freedom from school, Usagi realized there was more to 

life than marriage and waiting for the future to arrive.  She wanted, 

needed something that was only for her, and a college degree was the 

perfect goal.  She enrolled in the fall semester at Minato-ku Technical 

College and three years later she earned her associate's degree in 

early childhood education.



Nowadays Usagi lived in the suburbs with her husband and worked at a 

local daycare center.  Usagi loved her job, for it gave her a sense of 

genuine fulfillment.  As Sailormoon she knew she'd made an impact in 

the world, but what had Chiba Usagi done?  Her husband and friends all 

had their answers to that question but Usagi now had one of her own.  

She was setting a positive example for the future, the children she 

cared for.  It wasn't a glamorous job, or one that paid well, but Usagi 

received her reward each time she saw that she'd made a difference in a 

child's life. 



"And in the international news, there are no updates concerning the car 

bombing that occurred in South Africa.  On Saturday afternoon two 

physicians were killed in the bombing at Cape Town University Medical 

Center.  Authorities have yet to give out the identities of the 

physicians, and so far there are no suspects or leads as to why--"  



Usagi changed the radio station while waiting for the traffic light to 

turn green.  Once it did so she continued onward to the daycare.  Her 

mind was on one child in particular that morning, as it had been for 

the past two days.  It was her child, the one she'd been praying to 

have for three years.



Now Usagi and Mamoru were well aware that ChibiUsa was their future 

daughter.  They remembered her days of training, when she lived amongst 

them and the Sailor Senshi.  But after ChibiUsa returned to Crystal 

Tokyo, Usagi thought about how the knowledge of her future affected her 

dreams.  Before ChibiUsa dropped into her life and before she ever met 

Mamoru, Usagi dreamed of getting married and having two or three 

children, maybe more.  But was ChibiUsa her only child?  If she wasn't, 

why didn't her sibling (or siblings) time travel with her to Tokyo 

during the Black Moon attack?  This puzzled Usagi and she eventually 

shared her thoughts with Mamoru. 



Mamoru saw his glimpse into the future as a security blanket.  Despite 

the war against the Black Moon Clan, he discovered that he would one 

day have the family he longed for while growing up.  But there were 

still things about the future that weren't unveiled, and that was his 

answer to Usagi's question.  They concluded that nothing should affect 

their dreams.  The future was not set in stone.  It was theirs to 

create, and possibly theirs to change.  So when Usagi and Mamoru got 

married in September of 2000, they decided they wanted to have more 

than one child.



During their first year of marriage Usagi and Mamoru did use 

contraceptives.  Mamoru was still in graduate school, a year away from 

having his doctorate's degree in emergency medicine.  Usagi was just 

beginning her career at the daycare.  They thought it was wise for them 

to have at least one year to themselves, simply as husband and wife.  

But when it was confirmed that Mamoru would carry out his residency at 

Tokyo Memorial Hospital, he and Usagi seriously started trying to have 

a baby.  



It was easier said than done.  After two years of trying Usagi wasn't 

pregnant.  Usagi grew concern, more than she let on, and decided to do 

some research on the matter.  But with every web site she visited and 

every article for read, Usagi became somewhat paranoid.  Was fate 

simply telling her that ChibiUsa was her only child?  If so then Usagi 

could learn to accept that.  But what if it was something else?  What 

if there was something wrong with her? 



"Who knows?  It could be me," Mamoru once suggested, more serious than 

he wanted to admit.  "I've been beaten, stabbed, brainwashed... there's 

no telling what else's been done to me."  



Rei, Makoto, and Minako all attempted to ease Usagi's worries, and with 

the best of intentions.  Patience was a virtue, they told her, and if 

it didn't happen she still had ChibiUsa.  But Ami knew their comfort 

didn't help matters, especially when Rei and Makoto were married with 

children.  Ami was a third year medical student at the time, with an 

interest in obstetrics and gynecology.  Everyday she saw women who were 

in the same boat Usagi was in, including those who wanted a second 

child.  So she suggested for Usagi and Mamoru to meet with a fertility 

specialist at Juuban District Medical Center. 



The specialist was a woman who'd been in the same situation as most of 

her patients, which was why several physicians spoke highly of her: she 

knew exactly what many couples were going through.  She went over 

Usagi's medical and family history, along with Mamoru's medical 

history.  Then there were the embarrassing questions (at least to 

Usagi), the tests, and finally the results.  But after a month of 

waiting for an explanation, the specialist concluded that there wasn't 

anything medically wrong. 



"It's unfortunately common," she told them, "and besides timed 

intercourse there isn't a specific treatment."



That night Usagi could do nothing but cry.  She was fed up with putting 

on a one-woman show whenever she was around her friends, for inside she 

was alone and dying.  It seemed to her that everyone was either having 

a baby or was expecting.  Motoki and Reika had their little girl, who 

was now five years old and starting kindergarten.  Makoto and her 

fiancé (now husband) had a baby girl six months ago.  Rei and 

Yuuichirou were married only five months after Usagi and Mamoru; they 

had a three-year-old son. 



Usagi remembered one incident involving Rei.  It was when her son, Tomi 

was going through the "terrible twos" stage, thus driving his parents 

and great-grandfather crazy.  Rei scolded Tomi for something -- Usagi 

couldn't recall what -- and then vented her frustration toward her best 

friend.  Usagi listened, and when Rei was finished she smiled and said, 

"You're still very blessed."  Unintentionally her comment made Rei feel 

guilty and afterwards Usagi wished she'd never said it, though a part 

of her was thrilled she had. 



When will it be my turn, she once thought.  She wasn't the oldest but 

she was the first to have a boyfriend, the first to be kissed and the 

first to get married.  She was supposed to be the first to have a baby!  

But why hadn't she?  Why hadn't she been blessed with a child yet?



Almost four months passed before Usagi and Mamoru went back to the 

specialist at Juuban District Medical Center.  As she'd told them there 

were no specific treatments, but there were several alternatives and 

they ranged from fertility drugs to in-vitro fertilization.  Usagi and 

Mamoru agreed to try the fertility drugs, though as their last resort.  

If Usagi wasn't pregnant by the end of the treatment, they would 

surrender to fate.  So Usagi took six cycles of clomid, five days a 

month for six months.  Each month she took a pregnancy test, and each 

month the results were negative.  By the final month, Usagi assumed 

fate had won.



And that's when she found out she was finally pregnant. 



Usagi heard her cell phone chirp from inside her pocketbook.  Keeping 

an eye on the road and one hand on the steering wheel, Usagi dug around 

until she felt her phone.  She flipped it open and answered it.  It was 

Makoto. 



"Usagi-chan, I hate asking you on short notice," Makoto apologized, 

"but I'm in a bind.  The babysitter called a few minutes ago and said 

she was sick.  Could you watch over Sumire for a couple of hours this 

afternoon?"



Usagi smiled to herself.  With Makoto managing a restaurant from noon 

to eight o'clock, and with her husband working at a law firm an hour 

away, the couple needed a babysitter to look after their daughter in 

the afternoons.  When the usual babysitter couldn't make it, either 

Usagi or Rei would.



"I'll be at the restaurant right after work!" Usagi promised.  "I have 

something to tell you and everyone else this afternoon anyway.  Could 

you go me a favor and call Rei-chan for me?  Tell her to meet me at the 

restaurant around four.  Have her call Ami-chan and Minako-chan to tell 

them the same thing."



"Hey, are you keeping a secret from us?" Makoto teased.  "You better 

tell me.  Come on, I won't say anything.  I'll act surprise when 

everyone else finds out."



"I'll tell you when I see you.  Will you call Rei-chan?"



"Of course I will.  It's the least I can do, and it's probably the only 

way I'll find out anything!  I'll see you in a few hours, Usagi-chan."



"Bye, Mako-chan."  



Usagi pulled into the parking lot of the daycare center just as some of 

the parents were dropping off their children.  As she entered the 

building she was greeted by one of the little boys she took care of.  

There was a huge grin on his face, along with something green on his 

finger, which he directly pointed in Usagi's face.



"Chiba-sensei!  Look, look!  I got a boogie!"



A squeamish grin etched itself on Usagi's face.  Oh yes, she just 

couldn't wait for motherhood.



~*~*~



On the third floor of Tokyo Memorial Hospital, in the annex designated 

to obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Mizuno Ami was thankful she was going 

home.  



Her morning had not been a pleasant one.  Passers-by could tell from 

the expression on her face, from the look in her eyes.  It was all she 

could do to refrain from crying.  She had to leave, find her place of 

solace and release her tears.



She had performed an emergency cesarean section that morning.  The 

baby's heart rate became erratic, for the umbilical cord had wrapped 

around his neck.  During the cesarean Ami focused her attention towards 

the baby, her mind infested with her typical fears and worries.  But 

once the baby was delivered and crying uncontrollably, Ami became more 

at ease and the nagging thoughts in the back of her mind ceased.  The 

cesarean had turned out to be a textbook procedure.  But then the 

unexpected happened.



"... We couldn't stop the bleeding.  I'm sorry, sir, but your wife didn't 

make it."



Ami was not used to death, or better yet, defeat.  Detached from her 

surroundings she stepped into the empty elevator and relived the 

memories, watching them second by second with her mind's eyes.  She 

knew death was the only absolute in life, but what was the purpose for 

a twenty-eight-year-old woman to die before she even had the chance to 

hold her firstborn?  Ami couldn't think of an explanation, except that 

she must have done something wrong. 



"Ami?"



The physician had not noticed that the elevator doors were open, or 

that a masculine hand kept them from closing.  Ami raised her head and 

stared into the gray eyes of one of the nurses who worked at Memorial.  

The temporary walls she'd placed around her emotions started to 

crumble, and a single tear fell down her cheek.



"Ami, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.



"Nothing," she lied.



"There's got to be something wrong.  Come on."  



The young man wrapped an arm around Ami's shoulders and led her to the 

snack room located down the hallway.  There he bought Ami a can of diet 

soda and once more asked her what was troubling her.  Ami sat down, 

stared at the unopened aluminum can in her hands, and slowly retold the 

events of that morning.  She was careful to keep her voice from 

cracking, though now and then she stopped to wipe the tears from her 

eyes.  Through it all, the nurse listened.



"Oh yeah, the Sakurai boy," he finally said.  "He was brought into the 

NICU a few minutes ago.  I must have left before the father came in to 

see him, though."



"Hideki, I feel like there's something I should have done," Ami 

confided, and addressing the nurse by his given name.  "It's like... I 

was more worried about the baby.  But I'm an obstetrician, not a 

pediatrician.  I should have paid more attention to the mother..."



"Ami," Hideki interrupted, grabbing a chair and sitting down next to 

her, "I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  You're not perfect."



Hideki Phillips was the oldest son of an American marine and a Japanese 

schoolteacher.  He was a military brat, living on the base in Japan 

from almost twelve years.  His family moved to America, where he 

graduated from college and attended two years of college at Brown 

University in Rhode Island.  Hideki then decided to move back to Japan, 

the only place he ever considered to be home.  He entered the nursing 

program at Tokyo University and now worked at Memorial as a RN for the 

neonatal intensive care unit.  Then almost eight months ago, he met 

Ami.  He loved her so much.  Her determination and strife for 

perfection was one of her many traits that he admired, and yet he could 

also see how it was one of her weaknesses.



Ami just shook her head.  "I know that, but--"



"I don't think you do," Hideki interrupted.  "Ami, I know you're still 

considered a rookie around here, but you have to accept that people 

die, even in the field of obstetrics.  And it's not your fault.  It was 

just her time to go.  We can't change fate."



Ami rested her head on Hideki's shoulder.  "So when does the pain go 

away?"



"I don't think ever goes away.  You just learn to not let it get to 

you.  But let's stop talking about death right now."  Hideki put on a 

cheesy grin and eyed Ami.  "Let's talk about your lovely mother."



Ami broke into laughter.  "What has Mom done to you now?" she inquired.



"Nothing, except that she's been interrogating me about that ring on 

your finger.  I know you want to wait until your father's in town, but 

everyone else knows.  Can't we just tell her that we're engaged?"



~*~*~



Kumada-Hino Rei strolled through the Hikawa Jinga's courtyard and 

admired the sights of the cherry trees with their autumn foliage.  

Golden yellow, flaming red and bright orange leaves fell gently in the 

cool breeze and littered the ground. They were so tranquil and elegant, 

yet they were a menace to her husband.  Yuuichirou grumbled every time 

a layer of fallen leaves formed in a place he'd just raked clean.  



Tomi, their three-year-old son did not seem to mind the crackling 

litter.  He played in the leaves more than he helped his daddy.  

Instead of dumping the leaves in the half-full garbage bag he tossed 

them around, picked them up and then trashed them.  Rei laughed and 

stopped to watch her little boy.  It brought her much joy just to see 

him smile.



Yuuichirou soon noticed his son's unique game.  With an impish grin he 

dropped his rake and charged at Tomi.  He grabbed him and carried him 

over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.  As Tomi hollered with 

glee, Yuuichirou held him upside down and teasingly threatened to drop 

him in the garbage bag.



"I'll throw you out with the trash!"



Tomi giggled, "Daddy, you wouldn't..."



"That's right, Daddy, you wouldn't," Rei called out.



Yuuichirou set Tomi on his feet (before all the blood rushed to his 

head) and gave his wife a kiss.  Tomi went back to playing with the 

leaves, occasionally putting some in the garbage bag when he thought of 

it.



"You know, I think he's hindering you more than helping you," Rei 

commented.



Yuuichirou just shrugged.  "Ah, let him play.  You're only young once.  

Besides, in a few minutes he'll get bored and start bothering Grandpa."  

He picked up his rake and continued raking leaves.  "So what is it you 

want to ask me?"



"What makes you think I want to ask you something?"



"I don't know.  Just a feeling that I have... Well, that and I know you 

too well."



Rei laughed.  "Well, if you must know, Mako-chan called a few minutes 

ago.  Usagi wants everyone to meet her at the restaurant this evening.  

It sounds important, whatever it is, and I'm supposed to call Minako-

chan and Ami-chan and inform them about the meeting.  I just wanted to 

know if you had any plans for today.  I don't think it's a meeting Tomi 

can tag along on."



"Nope, I don't have anything planned.  Although..." There was a 

mischievous twinkle in Yuuichirou as he stared at his wife.  "I may 

have some plans for tonight.  I have reservations to this very nice 

French restaurant and I need to find someone to go with me.  You don't 

know anyone that would like to go, do you?"



Rei picked her jaw up from the ground.  "What's the occasion?" she 

inquired.  "Not that we need an occasion..."



"The occasion is I finally saved enough money to take you there.  I 

wanted to take you for our anniversary, but that's five months away and 

I knew I'd spend the money by then."



That was a horrible lie, Rei mused.  Yuuichirou was very conservative 

with his money.  He'd created a budget when he and Rei were married and 

he followed it to the minor details.  She, however, was the one he 

loved to spend money.  She didn't always follow the budget.



"I think there's more to your story," Rei pointed her finger at 

Yuuichirou.  She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his neck.  

"Come on.  I'll give you a kiss if you tell me."



"Mommy!  Daddy!  What are you doing?"



~*~*~



Mamoru loved his job.  Ever since he was eight years old he wanted to 

be a doctor, to save the dying and heal the sick.  Yet there were a few 

things concerning his profession that he despised.  The perfume that 

several nurses were known to wear was one thing.  It was overwhelming, 

with the strength to suffocate anyone who walked by, and Mamoru knew 

there were asthma patients who did not deserve such torture.  Then 

there was his on-call duty every five weeks, when he had to stay at the 

hospital for 30 hours straight, sometimes more.  He always came home 

and "pulled an Usako", which meant sleeping for 10 hours or more.  But 

the number one thing Mamoru loathed was when another doctor dumped his 

or her patients onto him.  They were usually the simple cases, the ones 

the medical students should have been given.  But for some reason, 

Mamoru always seemed to receive his share.



This one, however, Mamoru did not mind as much.  It took him to the 

pediatric ward of the trauma center.  All morning Mamoru had dodged 

Motoki, hoping against hope that his friend wouldn't find him and 

demand to know why he left Saturday... and not come back.  Not that he 

didn't want to tell Motoki the good news, he just didn't have the time 

until his lunch break.



Mamoru reviewed the medical chart and entered the examination room.  

His patient was a little girl, six years old, who sat in her 

grandmother's lap.  She hid her face when he sat down on the swiveling 

stool in front of them.  Mamoru didn't blame her.  Every child had two 

main phobias whenever they visited the doctor: "Is this going to hurt?" 

and "Am I getting a shot?"



"She accidentally knocked down a vase when she was helping me clean the 

living room this morning," the child's grandmother explained.  "When 

she tried to pick up the broken pieces she got some of the glass stuck 

in her hands.  I tried my best to clean her hands but I think there's 

still some glass in them."



Mamoru scooted closer to the child and tickled her under her armpit.  

She didn't smile, though she slightly turned her head and started at 

him with her big brown eyes.  It was the same look Mamoru saw in many 

children.  All they wanted to do was go home.  They didn't care if 

anything was wrong with them.  Everything was scary and they just 

wanted to go home.  



"Hey there," Mamoru warmly greeted.  "What's your name?"



The girl mumbled, "Yumiko."



"Yumiko-chan, it's nice to meet you.  My name is Dr. Chiba.  Can I look 

at your hands for a few minutes?"



Hesitant at first, Yumiko unwillingly offered her hands.  Mamoru 

unwrapped the bandages and inspected the cuts.  "That doesn't look too 

bad..." Most of the cuts were superficial and there was slight bleeding, 

but there were still shards of glass embedded in the wounds.  Mamoru 

took a pair of tweezers and carefully picked out each piece one by one.



"You're a very brave girl, Yumiko-chan," Mamoru praised, "but now you 

need to prove how brave you really are.  You see, while your grandma 

did a good job cleaning your hands, you need a couple of stitches, and 

you do need a shot.  Now don't cry, okay?  We don't want your hands to 

get infected."



Yumiko asked the most famous question.  "Will it hurt?"



"It might for a second or two.  But if you're brave girl and don't cry, 

I'm sure your grandma will take you out for ice cream."  Mamoru was 

always cautious with using the bribing method.  He remembered that his 

father used it on him when he was little... and it never worked.  



Thankfully Yumiko became quite excited with the idea of having ice 

cream before lunch.  She was stitched up and then poked with a needle.  

However, she received two shots instead of one, one in each hand.  

Mamoru cunningly concealed the second shot and threw the needle away 

before the girl realized she'd been tricked.  With one patient down and 

several more to go, Mamoru headed back to the main section of the 

emergency room.  



"So that's where you've been hiding."



Mamoru paused and looked over his shoulder.  Motoki stood less than a 

meter away from him, arms folded and an inquiring expression written on 

his face.  Mamoru inwardly groaned.  No matter what he attempted, 

Motoki wasn't going to leave him alone until he told the complete 

truth.



"So you found me..." Mamoru muttered.



"This ER is only so big, you know..." Motoki smiled and cocked his head 

to the side.  "It's almost noon," he said.  "Want to grab a bite to 

eat?"



~*~*~



Aino Minako sat on a stool next to a stainless steel counter that was 

located in the kitchen of the restaurant owned by her dear friend, 

Morioka Makoto.  She had the urge to punch Makoto.  She wanted to grab 

her by the throat, strangle her and tear her into shreds with her two 

bare hands.  Afterwards she wanted to cry out savagely and dance around 

Makoto's remains, maybe even throw them into a raging incinerator and 

dump her ashes down the toilet.  Or maybe she could just strap her to a 

747 headed for Antarctica.  Makoto always hated airplanes.



But of course, it was all illegal, and impossible.  Minako was the 

leader of the Inner Senshi, yet Makoto was more physically apt than she 

was.  In other words, Makoto could beat the crap out of her!  And this 

was all because she said, "It doesn't do you any good to get upset.  

You should just ignore your mother and live your life the way you want 

to."



For the past six years, Mrs. Aino had dropped subtle hints of her 

aspirations concerning her only child.  They were not wishes for Minako 

to reach the stars and follow her dream of becoming an actress and 

singer, but practically demands for her to settle down with a suitable 

husband and give her a grandchild or two.  In truth, Minako would 

probably give up her dreams if it meant finding her true love.  She 

still had the fantasy of a handsome man who would give her a bouquet of 

flowers and say to her, "Young lady, will you go out with me tonight?"  

She wanted what Ami had with her fiancé and what Usagi, Rei, and Makoto 

had with their husbands.  Yet it seemed love always passed her by.  Was 

she really cursed?



Cursed or not, her mother never helped matters.  "Minako, you're a 

beautiful woman, but you're not getting any younger," she would say.  

"You need to find a husband.  If your so-called career doesn't pan out, 

who will be there to support you?"  Who could possibly ignore that?  A 

great actress, Minako told herself.  Ignoring was only acting.  If it 

were any other person Minako could ignore them, but she could not put 

on a show when it came to her mother, no matter how much she desired 

to.  Her words pierced her too deeply.



Makoto sensed her friend's frustration, and she understood how it felt 

to be lonely.  She once thought she would never find a man who could 

love her.  She was not the ideal woman, more of an oxymoron: strong and 

athletic yet the example of the perfect homemaker.  But that was three 

years ago.  Makoto now had her husband and her daughter.  She just 

wished Minako could find someone.  



"You okay, Minako-chan?" she asked.



Minako shrugged with indifference.  "I guess so," she sighed.  "Just 

because I can't stand my mother at times doesn't mean my life is a 

complete living hell."  She glanced at her watch.  "I should head for 

the studio.  I have a photo shoot in thirty minutes."



"I wish you could make the meeting this evening.  Usagi-chan sounds 

like she has some big news to tell us.  What do you think it could be?"



"Knowing her it could be anything.  I just hope it's good news and not 

bad news.  I'll call her tonight and find out."



"Well before you go... Ami-chan and I were talking this morning.  She 

knows this guy who works at Minato City General."  Makoto smiled.  "We 

think he would be perfect for you."



Minako perked up, acting more like herself.  "Is he a doctor?"



"No..."



"A nurse?  Hey, those male nurses look extremely sexy in those 

uniforms.  Especially Hideki-kun, but don't tell Ami-chan I said that..."



"No, he isn't a nurse.  He's an organ transplant coordinator for the 

hospital."



Minako raised an eyebrow, terribly dumbstruck.  "He's a what?" 



"He's the person who finds hearts and lungs and other organs for people 

who need transplants.  His job keeps him busy most of the time but I'm 

sure he would love to go out with you.  If you're interested, I'll tell 

Ami-chan and she'll work something out."



Minako jumped in the air with enthusiasm and giggled with glee.  She 

then ran up to Makoto and fiercely hugged her, nearly knocking the wind 

of out her.  It was all Makoto could do to keep from hitting some sense 

into her friend.  But then it wasn't every day Minako was guaranteed a 

date.



"Thank you!" Minako exclaimed.  It was all she could possibly say.  

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"



~*~*~



It was twenty past three o'clock before Mamoru and Motoki were able to 

escape from the emergency room.  A mugger snatched a woman's purse just 

before running into the street and colliding into a sports car going 

over 90 kilometers per hour.  He would probably never regain all the 

use of his legs.  Then came a lady who suffered severe stomach pains, 

which turned out to an ectopic pregnancy.  She was given to the chief 

obstetrician and was now in surgery.  It was days like this one that 

made Mamoru remember why chose emergency medicine instead of his first 

choice, genetics: each day was different, and each day brought new 

challenges.  There was no way he could ever become bored.



For lunch Mamoru and Motoki went to the hospital's cafeteria, which 

sadly reminded them too much of their high school days.  Yet because 

the emergency room was busier than usual (if anyone could believe 

that), neither wanted to eat lunch off the hospital's premises.  Once 

the two were seated, Mamoru retold Saturday's events to Motoki, who 

paid close attention to every word spoken.



"Usako finished her last cycle of clomid a couple of weeks ago and 

Saturday she wanted to take a pregnancy test."  Mamoru went on to 

explain, "The original plan was for her to buy the test, take it and 

call me at work when she found out the results.  I knew I had to come 

to work because of the disaster drill.  But Usako called and said she 

just couldn't take the pregnancy test alone.  I didn't blame her one 

bit, and I was glad in a way because I wanted to be there as well.  So 

I found a way to leave work early.  And before you even ask, we didn't 

say anything because we didn't want to get anyone's hopes up, 

especially ours."



Motoki nodded, finished chewing his bit of salad and swallowed.  "So 

what was it?" he asked.



"What was what?"



The blond rolled his eyes.  "Don't start playing this game with me, Dr. 

Chiba.  You know what I asked.  Is Usagi-chan pregnant or not?"



"Oh..." Mamoru slouched in his chair and thrust his hands in his pants 

pockets, appearing so solemn and crestfallen.  It took all the strength 

he had to keep a straight face as Motoki expected to hear the worst.  

"It's terrible..." Mamoru complained.  "I mean, we've only known for two 

days and we're already debating over baby names!"



Motoki nearly choked on his food.  "You're kidding!"  His eyes narrowed 

as Mamoru started laughing.  Motoki balled up a napkin and threw it 

onto Mamoru's tray.  "You better *not* be kidding!"



"No, I'm not," Mamoru smiled.  "Usako's pregnant!"



"Well it's about time!"



"You know, that's exactly what Shingo said."



"Well, it is.  You and Usagi-chan have been trying for, what, three, 

four years?"



"Three years.  We've been married for four years."  Mamoru took a sip 

of his soft drink.  "I have to honest, Motoki, I really wasn't 

expecting this to happen.  I was hoping it would happen, but as hard as 

Usako and I tried to have a baby, and with all the previous pregnancy 

tests that were negative... well I was ready to give up.  I just assumed 

this one wouldn't be any different."



Motoki smirked, "And yet you went home Saturday afternoon."



"Yeah... You're right, I did."



Mamoru remembered that night when Usagi could do nothing but cry.  It 

was when the fertility specialist at Juuban District told them there 

was no answer to why she couldn't get pregnant.  Mamoru couldn't stand 

seeing Usagi so upset.  He held her for hours, comforting her and 

telling her they would find a way.  They stayed up past two o'clock 

asking themselves why... Why did they have to fight for everything?  

Couldn't something come easy to them for once?  Yet Mamoru supposed 

that fighting for something showed just how much a person wanted it.



They really wanted this baby.



Motoki dug into his coat pocket and took out an envelope.  "I almost 

forgot about this," he said, taking Mamoru away from his thoughts.  

"This came for you Saturday."



Mamoru took the envelope and looked at the return address.  "Duke 

University?"



"Didn't you apply to their medical school?"



"No, but I did think about it.  What do they want with me?"  Mamoru 

tore open the envelope, took out the letter and read it silently to 

himself.



And though it was of no significance to him yet, Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl 

had signed the letter.  



~*~*~



"You're what?!"



Ami, Makoto, and Rei all shouted the very same reaction at the same 

time.  They stared at each other, completely shocked.  Then they turned 

their attention to Usagi, who immediately became the target of a 

million questions and comments, each one flying a hundred kilometers 

per hour.



"When did you find out?"



"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"



"I should have known!"



Usagi sat on one of the tables in the restaurant's kitchen and started 

to nibble on cookie from the plate Makoto set out for the group.  She 

was enjoying this way too much.  "I've only known for two days!  Give 

me a break, guys, I wanted to tell my family first."



"Minako-chan is going to hate you," Rei commented.  "She had to work 

this evening and so she'll be the last person to know."



"Well, I haven't called Haruka-san and Michiru-san yet.  I'll make sure 

Minako-chan finds out before they do."



The baby monitor on the end of the table alerted Makoto.  Her daughter 

just woke up from her nap and was now probably hungry.  "Uh oh, baby 

duty."  Makoto arose and headed for her apartment upstairs.  Before 

leaving, however, she turned to Usagi and grinned,  "No wonder you 

agreed to baby-sit Sumire.  You now need the practice!"



Ami looked at her watch and stood from her seat as well.  "Usagi-chan, 

I hate leaving so suddenly.  But Hideki and I are having dinner with 

Mom tonight.  We're finally going to tell her the truth about this."  

She pointed to her engagement ring and then smiled.  "She's probably 

figured it out, though."



Usagi snickered, "Sure you hate leaving... Goodness knows you rather 

spend time with me than that cute fiancé of yours."



"Usagi-chan, you know I love you."  Ami walked up to her and gave her a 

hug.  "Now make you sure that you make an appointment.  I want to see 

you sometime this week, okay?"



"Yes, doctor."



After Ami left the restaurant, Rei sat next to Usagi on the table.  

We've changed so much, she mused.  They were no longer schoolgirls 

waiting impatiently to grow up, but women living in the read world, and 

sometimes wishing they were teenagers again.  Yet despite the changes 

in their lives -- which ranged from careers to motherhood -- Usagi, 

Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako were still close friends, perhaps closer 

than ever before.  And in many instances, their friendship was all they 

had.  Rei cherished her friends.  They were part of her family, and she 

hoped nothing would come and take her family away.



Usagi rested her head on Rei's shoulder.  "Rei-chan..." she said, "I'm so 

happy about this baby, but I'm also scared to death."



Rei smiled, "Don't worry, that's normal.  Mako-chan and I can tell you 

that.  And I'm happy for you, Usagi.  I know you'll make a great 

mother."



"I hope so.  I wasn't exactly the best role model when ChibiUsa was 

here."



"I'm sure this will be a lot different."  Rei patted Usagi's now flat 

tummy.  "A little prince or princess... which do you think it will be?"



"I don't know, but I think Mamo-chan wants a boy.  I know it really 

doesn't matter to him, but if he had his way..."



"Most men want boys," Rei pointed out, "but now Yuuichirou wanted a 

girl.  Maybe next time we'll have a girl.  Of course, next time won't 

be for a while..."



"Well it's a 50/50 chance.  If I want a girl and Mamo-chan wants a boy, 

then at least one of us will get what we want.  I don't really care, 

though.  I'm just happy I'm pregnant!"



Makoto entered the kitchen once more.  Her six-month-old daughter was 

in her arms, now wide-eyed and awake, observing everything going on 

around her.  The sounds of customers chattering, the chefs cooking 

their specialties, the teenager working at the cash register, her 

mother's gentle voice... Sumire soon noticed Usagi and pointed at her, a 

toothless grin on her face.  



Rei shook her head, laughing.  "She always favors Usagi over me..."



"Hey, sweet pea," Usagi cooed at Sumire.  "You want me to hold you?"



Sumire made a noise that seemed to say, "Yes, please!"  Makoto handed 

her little girl to Usagi and started cooking.  Rei saw it as her cue to 

leave.  She waved farewell to Usagi and Makoto and left the restaurant, 

in hopes to make it home in time to get ready for her evening with her 

husband.  Usagi headed upstairs to the apartment so Makoto could work 

in peace.  Sumire was content in Usagi arms, totally fixated with 

pulling on her necklace.  No doubt she would grow up to love jewelry.



A dreamy smile etched itself on Usagi's face.  Oh yes, she just 

couldn't wait for motherhood.



======

End of Chapter Two







07.28.02







Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi 

Sailormoon" are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha, 

etc.  "Sleeper" is inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy 

in the World" written by Dean Briggs.  It is property of the author and 

World Publishing.  I do no have ownership and I do not make any profits 

from the use of Sailormoon or the novel in this fan fiction.







Author's Notes:

First of all, many thanks to Meara and Mikazuki for editing and beta-

reading for me.  You ladies are the best!  And everyone should read 

Meara's newest story "The Quest".  I can assure you that you will not 

be disappointed! :)



The purpose of chapter two was to give everyone a look into the lives 

of the Sailor Senshi as adults.  Except for Hotaru, all have graduated 

from college.  They're no longer schoolgirls, but career women, lovers, 

wives, and mothers.  That to me is more interesting than a brand new 

enemy and battles.  I'm sorry if chapter two seemed long and without a 

lot of action, though.  I promise you that chapter three will be a bit 

more entertaining...



Mikazuki pointed out that Minato-ku Technical College is an actual 

school.  I had no idea it was!  I thought I was being creative.  Oh 

well, thank you, Mikazuki, for telling me.



Duke University was chosen for a reason.  I happen to be a North 

Carolinian and I wanted to bring this fan fiction to my home state.  

(It's the closest thing to a self-insert that I'll ever do...)  Since 

Duke University is famous for its top rated medical center (and for its 

basketball team, which I'm a huge fan of -- Go Blue!), I thought it 

would be a great setting for the medical seminar.  Plus is gives the 

story the *international feel* I'm striving for.  







Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com

Web Site: http://miracleromance.cjb.net/