Threads of Fate
	Part 1/1
	By Elisabeth James
	ejames000@ameritech.net

	My Mamo-day fic!  I have had this idea for awhile now but
never quite knew how to make it work :)  Enjoy!

	This was slightly inspired by Alicia Blade’s Hostage 
Situation.  I was reading it when I got this idea :)
	

	Disclaimer: I do not own sailormoon :)

	
	“Happy birthday Mamo-chan!” Usagi planted a soft kiss on
the corner of his mouth as she bounced happily into his apartment. 
Mamoru turned to his perky girlfriend with a huge grin.
	“I wasn’t expecting you for at least another 15 minutes. 
You never cease to amaze me Usa-ko.” she punched him playfully
in the arm and gave him a stern look.
	“I wanted to get here early to give you your birthday gift.”
she brandished a small silver box from behind her back and placed
it into Mamoru’s open palm.
	“Usa-ko, you didn’t need to get me anything.  Just having
you by my side on my birthday is enough of a present for me.” But
he kissed her just the same and set the gift down on the couch on
his way back to the kitchen.
	“You’re not going to open it now?” Usagi trailed after him,
the aroma of food that was now making it’s way throughout the
apartment made her stomach rumble.  Whatever Mamoru was
cooking, it smelled fantastic.
	“After dinner, it’s bad luck to open presents on an empty
stomach.” she narrowed her eyes at him, she had never heard
anything like that before.  Oh well, if he wanted to wait, he could
wait.  She hoisted herself up onto the kitchen counter and watched
Mamoru continue to make dinner.
	She peeked into the open pot that was simmering on the
cooktop, “What’s that Mamoru?” she sniffed the air slightly and a
savory scent invaded her nostrils.  “It smells delicious!”
	“Try it, let me know what you think.” he placed a wooden
spoon in front of her mouth.  She opened up and a mild spicy
flavor exploded in her mouth.
	She gasped and her eyes started to water, “It’s hot!” she
slid quickly off the countertop and over to the sink.  She turned the
cold water on full blast and let it sooth her burning tongue.  
	“I’m sorry Usa-ko, I didn’t know it would be that warm.”
he went place a hand on her shoulder when something started to
hum.  
	It was a soft noise at first, almost pleasant.  It grew louder,
and Mamoru could feel the energy coursing through the tiny
kitchen.  Usagi turned off the faucet and turned to him puzzled.
	“Mamo-chan, what’s that noise?” she grabbed his arm and
clung to him.  She knew something bad was about to happen.
	“I don’t know Usa-ko, stay close.” the noise was now at it’s
full peak, it reminded Mamoru of speaker feedback.  He tried to
cover his ears but it was too late.  A flash of white light blinded the
two of them.  As it slowly faded away, Mamoru and Usagi were
gone.
	
	**~**~**~**~**
	 
	They were out in the middle of nowhere, far away from the
harsh lights of Tokyo.  The air was cleaner and a strong wind blew
through the tree that surrounded that area they had been
transported to.  One lone car was on the desolate road at this time
of night, it’s headlight’s pierced through the darkness.  Mamoru
opened his eyes and threw his hand up off his eyes to block the
glare that was staring him down.  He knew that Usagi was no
longer in his arms, her warm presence had been taken away from
him.  He stood up, his eyes slowly adjusting to the bright light.  He
walked closer to the car, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
	“Mamo-chan!” Usagi’s anguished cry echoed through the
still night air.  Her hands clutched the cold metal bars that
surrounded her, her knuckles turning white under the stress.  Tears
streamed down her cheeks leaving trails of salty dampness on her
cool face.  She slid to the floor of the tiny cage and watched her
boyfriend walk farther away from her.
	“It can’t be...” disbelief echoed softly in his voice. 
Mamoru ran his hand over the smooth outside of the red station
wagon that sat before him.  The tinted windows were rolled up and
Mamoru couldn’t see inside.  Usagi’s tortured cries finally broke
the spell of amazement that had held firm since the second they
had arrived here.  Her small form was crouched at the bottom of a
cage, shaking like a leaf.  He looked over his shoulder once more
at the gleaming red car and then ran toward Usagi’s miniature
prison.
	“Stop right now Chiba Mamoru.  Or the entire future you
know could be destroyed.”  Usagi stopped crying and listened to
the booming voice that seemed to surround her.  She stood up and
spun around, looking for any other signs of life.
	“I know that voice!” Usagi suddenly exclaimed, she turned
to Mamoru.  “It’s Sailor Pluto!” Mamoru’s features were twisted
with anger.
	“Where are we and why is Usagi imprisoned like that?” he
shouted into the sky.  Pluto materialized in front of him, a calm
smile spreading across her dark features.
	“Stay calm Mamoru-san, nothing will happen to her.  I just
needed to keep her out of the way for awhile.  I can’t have her
interfering with your decision.”
	“What decision?  Where are we?” he asked again, his voice
growing colder every second.
	“We are here, the place where your parents died so long
ago.  Time has been stopped only minutes before the car lost
control and went over the cliff.” Usagi gasped and watched
Mamoru sink to his knees.
	“Why have you brought us here?” he asked her softly, he
looked at the station wagon sitting behind him.  He now knew who
was in that car.  He could still picture his father behind the wheel,
whistling a happy tune as they continued their road trip through the
mountain pass.  His mother was seated next to him, singing softly
to him in the backseat.  Tears crept into the corners of his eyes and
he stared up at the amazon woman in front of him.
	“You have a decision to make Mamoru-san, your parents or
Usagi.” her voice held sympathy for the young man, if it were up
to her this entire test of love would have been left out.  It was only
to uphold the time continuum that she had brought the couple here
and forced Mamoru to choose.
	“What?” the air was still now, the wind had stopped.  Usagi
didn’t speak, she only watched Mamoru silently glanced at her and
then back to the car.
	“Your parents’ lives can be saved if you are willing to give
up Usagi.  I can make that station wagon stay on the road and
continue on it’s merry way.  You’ll never have to be an orphan,
when I send you back to your time everything will be different.”
Pluto touched his shoulder, “I am sorry Mamoru-san but this
decision has to be made.” he nodded numbly.  The thoughts raced
through his head like wildfire.  How could he choose?
	He looked at his girlfriend crying silently in her cast iron
cage.  She didn’t speak, she couldn’t, this was his choice, if he
wanted her gone there was nothing she could do.
	“What happens if I choose Usagi?” he asked Pluto, his eyes
never leaving his princess’s.
	“I will send you back to your apartment, and time will
continue on as planned.  You can continue celebrating your
birthday as if nothing happened.” she tapped her garnet rod
impatiently in the dirt.  She already knew who he would choose, it
was just a matter of waiting the decision out.
	He stood up slowly and walked over to the car.  He turned
to Pluto, “May I?” she nodded and he opened up the car door.  As
he slid inside, he could smell the two scents of he could remember
most from his childhood: his mother’s soft rose perfume and his
dad’s aftershave.  He leaned up into the front seat, his mother’s
laughing face was the first thing he noticed.  She was always
happy, a smile was like a favorite piece of jewelry to her, she never
took it off.  He touched her hair softly, taking in every second of
this moment because he already knew exactly who he was going to
choose.  
	Mamoru smiled at his father who was from a Styrofoam
cup filled with coffee.  It was that cup that would cause the fatal
accident to take place when his father spilled it all over himself. 
He would become distracted and not watch the road.  The car
would lose control and fly over the cliff, killing both Mr. and Mrs.
Chiba and severely injuring their six year old son.  He wished he
could take that cup of coffee and throw it out the open car door. 
He wished that he could change everything that was about to
happen.
	Finally he turned to the little boy sitting next to him, his
tousled black hair hung in his blue eyes.  He held an open book in
his lap, not knowing of the terrible events about to take place. 
Mamoru smiled at the younger version of him.
	“I know you can’t hear me right now but I’m going to say
something anyway.  When mom and dad die, it’s going to be bad. 
Everything you used to know will be gone forever and you’re
going to feel alone and scared.  It’s going to be like that for a long
time but after you meet her, everything will get better.  She’s our
guardian angel, she’s our savior.  She means everything to me,
she’s the person who made me what I am today.  She’s our past,
present and future.  She is the reason why I can’t choose to let our
parents live.” he sighed, “Just be strong little guy, everything turns
out okay in the end.”
	He got slowly out of the car and walked back over to Pluto. 
Tears gleamed softly in his eyes, pain reflected a thousand fold in
those blue orbs.
	“I can’t do it Pluto.  I have lived all these years without my
parents, alone.  I survived and now I have a life, a future and a
girlfriend that I can’t bear to give up.  Usagi means the world to
me, I need her more than anything else.  She makes me happier
than anyone else in the world ever could.  Even if I didn’t have to
grow up alone, I would never be complete if she was gone.  That’s
why I can’t choose my parents over her.  The world would be a
much darker place without my Usa-ko around.” The cage around
Usagi faded away and she ran into his open arms.  They embraced,
tears ran down her cheeks and dripped into his black shirt.  He
rocked her back and forth, loving every moment of her skin
touching his.
	Pluto smiled, “You made the right decision Mamoru-san. 
This is just another testament to your undying love for one another. 
Never forget that you can always rely on one another, even through
your toughest times.” Mamoru turned away from the girl he held
tightly in his arms.
	“Thank you Pluto, for the chance to see my parents again.”
she nodded.
	“I’ll send you home now.” a bright light settled over them
once again.

**~**~**~**~**

	Usagi opened her eyes to Mamoru’s apartment.  They were
back in the kitchen, as if nothing had happened at all.
	“Mamo-chan.” she snuggled closer to him, and sighed. “I
love you.”
	“I love you too Usa-ko.” they stayed like for a moment, just
savoring one another’s warmth.  She finally pulled away from him
and ran into the living room.  She returned with the small silver
box in her hands.
	“Please open it now!” she pleaded with him, her eyes were
smiling, the tears of a few minutes ago forgotten.  He smiled and
took the package from her hands.  He untied the bow and smiled
when he saw what was inside.
	A pair of rose shaped cufflinks rested neatly inside the box.
	“I figured with all the formal wear you own, that you could
always use something like that.” she told him nervously, “Do you
like them?” 
	“They’re wonderful Usa-ko.” he kissed her with enough
passion to start a fire in the small apartment.
	“Wow, They’re just cufflinks Mamo-chan.” she told him
softly.  He chuckled and pulled her closer to him
	“You mean everything to me, you know that right?” she
nodded, tears filling up in her azure eyes. “And that if you ever
disappeared from my life, I would hunt you down and make sure
that you never left my side again.”
	“Oh Mamo-chan.” she buried her face in his shoulder and
inhaled the scent that was etched in her brain.  The soft smell of
roses that clung to him no matter what he wore.  “Happy birthday.”
	
	The End!

AWWW!  *big collective sigh from group* wasn’t that sweet? 
WAFFy to the core!  Well hopefully I get more feedback on this
then I did on Forbidden Hearts, was chapter 5 that bad?!  *sighs*
oh well...
	Special thanks to: Clare-chan, SB, Kelly, Usako, and Meredith :)