"Really?" Usagi asked with excitement in her voice. "I couldn't possibly eat them all, how about we split the cookies?" Usagi asked Mamoru.

"Do you have any milk, or tea?" "either one would be good with cookies." Usagi commented.

She walked over and sat down. "Did you need any help Mamo-chan?" she asked. (about the beverages and cookies)

When Usagi stated that either milk or tea would be good with the cookies, Mamoru realized that he had some tea bags remaining, but not any milk.  So he got out his tea kettle and filled it about half-full with water, then put it on a stove burner on High power to start it boiling.  By then, Usagi had asked if he needed any help.  "Kind of," Mamoru pleasantly smiled towards Usagi.  He elaborated as he put away the two beverage glasses he had previously gotten out "I plan to have the cookies be self-service - that is, whenever you want one, you may take it off the cooling plates here.  Now let me get out all the tea bags I have, and you can come over and pick out which kind you want."  By the time he finished saying that, Mamoru was starting to get out two teacups, and the saucers to put them on.  After he had put them down next to the stove, he got out all of his remaining tea bags, so Usagi could see which kinds he had and easily pick her preference.

OOC :

Usagi got up and walked back into the kitchen to see wat tea Mamoru had. Usagi chose a peppermint tea, it was her favorite tea. "This one," Usagi said as she pulled out the tea bag she wanted and handed it to Mamoru.

Usagi thought for a moment how nice a day she was having. Due to their busy schedules, her and Mamo-chan hadn't seen much of each other, so she was thankful to be able to spend this time with him. She didn't realize how lost she was in her thoughts until a little later. 

"Sorry bout that Mamo-chan," Usagi said, a small blush forming on her cheeks. "I was just thinking how nice it is to be able to spend some time together."

Usagi smiled at Mamoru's comments. She had been working extra hard not to be so klutzy, and also was trying to exert more self control over sweets. 

She was trying to be more conscientious of her figure and eating a lot of sweets wouldn't help her in that area.

She was also working on being less like a child and more like a woman, she had been doing a lot of thinking and wanted to not be as embarrassing as she had been at times when she was with Mamo-chan. She wanted to be more lady-like and she was glad that he complemented her on that.

...but she was slightly thrown off by his comment, Usagi sat twidling her fingers before she spoke.
"I love you too Mamo- chan she said with just a hint of confusion in her voice, I guess I am just wanting to start acting more lady like for when I become queen, she said with a smile on her face.

Usagi sat for a moment taking in Mamoru's words. She remembered him telling her that he had applied to study abroad. It had been one of his dreams for awhile now. Usagi had to set her tea down to avoid making a mess. "Really that's great." Usagi said with excitement in her voice. She was very happy for Mamoru. She trailed off though, "a whole year, wow that is a long time," said as she laid back relaxing on the sofa, strtching her legs on the floor. She looked up at him. "Well then you better make sure to write and call" she said  in a serious yet playful tone while tapping his chest.

Usagi was truly happy for Mamoru and she was planning to throw a surprise party for him before he left for America. Her thoughts ran wild, but at the same time she was thinking how much she would miss seeing Mamo-chan, but she would never let it show.

She asked in a timid tone, "when do you have to leave?"

Makoto's stop was next and she stood up.

"If you will ladies will excuse me, this is my stop. I will see you all tonight!" Makoto said goodbye to her friends and exited the bus. The contest was less than a block from the bus stop. She was surprised to see how long the line was. There were some many entries and she hoping that her pier would stand out. Makoto filled out the form with her contact info and left the pie with the judges. The closet grocery store was several blocks away and she would have to move quickly in order to make it home in time.

"Let's see, Ami likes sandwiches, Minako likes curry, Rei likes fugu." Makoto's mind ran through the foods that her friends like. She wanted to make everyone's favorites dishes. 

Makoto checked her watch and picked up her pace. She had a lot to do.

Mamoru was relieved when Usagi responded to his news with excitement in her voice (at least at first).  "I'm glad you agree," he smiled in response to her saying it was great.  When Usagi tapped his chest and told him to make sure to write and call, Mamoru replied semi-nervously "I'll do my best.  Though it might be difficult, at least at first, because I'll be busy with my studies, and getting settled in."

When Usagi timidly asked him when he had to leave, Mamoru meekly replied "Tomorrow."

"T-tomorrow" Usagi said in a minor state of shock, it was so sudden. She sat for a minute staring ahead, the room feeling like it was spinning. She was happy for him of course, but she thought she would have a little more time with him before he left for America. 

She was a little set back when Mamoru had said he would try to write, Usagi knew he would be busy, so she hoped he would find some time to write him. She would write him even if he was unable to write back. In her mind she was thinking of how she would have reacted before she had become so mature, she would have probably thrown a little, fit, but the new Usagi was going to be strong.

She took a deep breath as she turned to face him once more as she asked "Do you think I could come with you to the airport tomorrow, to see you off?"

Mamoru could tell he had blindsided Usagi with the news about when he would be leaving.  So he told her in a tone that showed he felt guilty about it "I'm very sorry, Usako."  During the ensuing pause, Mamoru was thankful Usagi had become more mature over the years.  Not that he didn't love the old Usagi - in fact, he did - but it was a little trying on him to make her happy (which he always wanted to do) when she was fussing and things like that.
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When Usagi asked if she could come with him to the airport tomorrow, Mamoru smiled pleasantly at her "No problem.  In fact, I would enjoy it if you could, Usako."  Then he told her he would be leaving from Tokyo's Narita Airport, as well as the departure time of the flight and the airline carrier he would be using, so that she could easily find him tomorrow.

"That sounds great." Usagi said a big smile forming on her face. "I'd better get going pretty soon then, I am sure you have some things to do before tomorrow, and you probably will need rest too, Is the flight to America long?" Usagi asked hoping it wasn't a dumb question.

She rose to gather her belongings to get ready to head out. She had a few stops to make on er way home and the cold weather was just starting to come through Japan, so she wanted to get home before it got too late and too cold.

"Well I am off, I will see you tomorrow," Usagi said as she walked back over to give Mamoru a hug before leaving.

"Yes; I understand," Mamoru replied to Usagi stating that she should probably go.  "And yes, the flight is long - long enough that I will even have to change planes along the way."  Even if he had thought of it as a dumb question, he didn't show it in the tone of his voice or his facial expression, because Usagi was the kind of girl he always wanted to show patience for.

Mamoru finished his tea as Usagi gathered her belongings.  When Usagi said she would see him tomorrow, Mamoru replied with a smile "I am looking forward to it."  And when she hugged him, he replied "Awww," in a sweet tone and hugged her back.

When she released the hug, he released her, and followed her to the front door of his apartment.  After he saw her off, Mamoru went back to packing for his trip.  And because of Usagi's visit, he made sure to pack a special photo of the two of them together that he kept in his apartment.

Usagi started walking home, she had a few places to stop on her way. She stopped in the local photo shop. She carried this picture with her in this wallet that Makoto had snapped of them at her last birthday party. The photo was a candid shot of her and Mamo-chan. He had his hands over her eyes, and her hands were over his and she was trying to peek through his hands. He was kissing her lightly on her cheek and the smile on Usagi's face was very genuine. It was one of her favorite pictures, and she knew Mamoru had not seen it. She had the worker make a larger copy of the photo and Usagi bought a frame to place the photo in.

Usagi thanked the worker and made her way to the next stop. She had her eye on a watch for Mamo for some time, she was planning to buy it him for his birthday, but he would be getting it earlier. She found her way to the jewelry and watch shop. he watch Usagi had her eyes on was still there. the watch was black with a black band, but the background on the face of the watch looked galactical, and had a small crescent moon on the end of the second hand. She used the last of her allowance money, but it was worth it for Mamoru.

Usagi got home shortly after and ate her dinner. She went up and took a bath. After her bath she sat down at her desk, she wanted to write Mamoru a letter, hopefully he would be able to write back at some point, but she just thought it would be good for him tohave something to read on the plane, not that he wouldnt sleep, or have a book with him, but Usagi loved all the little things in their relationship.

Her letter read:

My Dearest Mamo-chan,
     Wow! you are off to live your dream. I am so proud of you. You are going to make a great doctor. I will be cheering you on from here. I hope America is kind to you. I hope you don't forget about me while you are over there. I know I am not the smartest girl, but I am trying my best. Mamo-chan you inspire me to do my best. I hope I can go to college too one day. I hope your flight is safe and you are able to get some rest before your plane lands in America.  Write back when you have the chance  

The next day, Mamoru arrived at Tokyo's Narita Airport about 2.5 hours before his flight was due to leave, to make sure to err on the side of being too early (rather than too late).  He didn't want to be rushed for departure of such a big trip - plus he wanted to have adequate time to say good-bye to Usagi.

Mamoru soon found the ticket counter where he was to check in.  After checking in for his flight and giving the ticket agent his baggage to check, Mamoru started walking towards the gate where his flight would leave from today.  He did this walk at a moderate pace - not too fast, and not too slow.

Usagi woke the next morning and began to get ready to go meet Mamoru at the airport. She went and took a shower. After her shower she went and looked in her closet deciding what to wear. She decided on a light purple pleated skirt with a black and white blouse. she paired a purple scarf with bunnies on it with her outfit. The scarf was a gift from Mamoru from a past holiday.

Usagi blew her hair dry and decided to style it in her usual odangos, but she did place a single braid in her ponytails that peeked out through her pony tails. She grabbed her purse and Mamoru's gift and headed out to catch the bus to take her to the airport.

She had the directions written down, but she got lost 3 times and was beginning to feel frustrated. Luckily someone saw her apparent lost-ness and pointed her in the right direction. 

Soon enough she found the area Mamoru had told her he would be it, she wandered around until she found him. 
She walked up and stood next to him, "Hi, sorry I am so late, I got a little lost back there." She said laughing, feeling a bit embarassed that she couldnt follow his directions. A small blush rose to her cheeks.

Mina and Rei bid Ami good bye and made their way to finish a few errands and start gathering things for the party. Soon they found that it was time to head to the party. They gathered their things and on the way Mina called Usa.

The phone rang for a moment before it went to voicemail. "Hey Usa!" Mina's cheerful voice flooded into the speaker, "We're having a get together tonight and you have just got to be there!" The solider of love gushed about all the fun they were going to have and how it wouldn't be worth any of it if Usa wasn't there. "So we'll see you there!!" Mina called and hung up the phone with a smile and her heart lifted. They needed this, it would do them good to see each other again, it had been far to long since they had hung out and now that they didn't have to fight they should have all the more reason to but they always got pulled in different directions, so it made hanging out harder than it should be for friends like the 5 of them.

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Ami continued on the bus until it got to K.O. University.  Then she went into the library there, followed by setting her watch alarm to 5:00PM, so she wouldn't continue studying right through the party.  After that, she got out her books and notes and started studying her science class material.

When her watch alarm sounded at 5:00PM, it surprised Ami - she had gotten so into studying that she had forgotten about setting that.  Then she remembered the party Makoto had proposed, and smiled.  She had gotten far enough ahead in her science class material that she could feel good about the progress she made today.  Now it was time to reward herself.

Ami packed up her books and other notes, then headed out of the library.  She went to the bus stop for the route that would take her to Makoto's apartment.  While on the bus, Ami decided to call Makoto on her cell phone (since she always wanted to be doing something).  When Makoto picked up, Ami replied "Moshi moshi, Mako-chan.  Ami here.  I hope I'm not interrupting your last-minute preparations."

Usagi thanked Mamoru for his complements. She agreed to go sit down. She suddenly felt nervous, she wasn't sure why. She had been with Mamoru enough to not be nervous around him, but maybe because he was leaving and wouldnt be back for a year or possibly longer, it made her a bit nervous. She did her best to hide it. 

She pulled out the bag with his gift and as she handed it to him she said " I got you a little going away present."  She sat smiling waiting for him to open his gift.

ooc:

While Usagi walked over to the nearest available seats, Mamoru thought he saw a braid peek out from one of her ponytails.  So after they sat down, he asked her about it with great curiosity, and some admiration, in his voice "Was that a braid I saw inside one of your ponytails, Usako?"

When Usagi handed him a bag and told him it was a going-away present, Mamoru was surprised.  He replied sweetly "Awwwww, you didn't have to.  But thank you anyway."  He reached over to hug her, then after the hug, he opened the bag.  The first thing he saw in it was a box; then he saw a wrapped, flat present also inside the bag.  He reached in, and took out the box first.  Then he proceeded to open the box.  When he saw the face of the watch inside the box, he couldn't help letting a short whistle of admiration pass through his lips.  "Awwwww, Usako, it's beautiful.  Thank you very much.  I'll make sure to wear it when I'm at the university," he told her sweetly.

Then Mamoru took the flat wrapped present out of the bag, asking with curiosity "I take it I can unwrap this now, also?"

Usagi was playing with her hair when Mamoru asked about the braid. She answered his question, "yes i had some extra time this morning so i decided to add in the braid." 

She was happy he liked his watch, and hoped it would help him to stay on time.

She saw him pull out the wrapped package and told him he could open it, she hoped he would like the gift. She sat and waited with a smile on her face for him to open the gift.

ooc:

OOC :

"Ah.  It looks nice; I like it," Mamoru said about Usagi's braid with admiration.  Then he asked with curiosity "Was it a difficult hairstyle to make?"

After Usagi told him he could open the flat, wrapped package, Mamoru proceeded to do so.  Once he had it open, he saw that it was an envelope with another flat, wrapped package.  "Wow - you really put a lot of work into this, Usako," Mamoru chuckled lightly.  Then he looked at the envelope; when he saw it said Do not read until later, he placed it back in the bag.  He followed that up by opening the slightly-smaller package.  Upon seeing the framed picture, Mamoru couldn't help chuckling again, then saying sweetly "Awwww, it's darling.  When I get to my room, I can put it with the other picture of us that I packed."

After all that was done, Mamoru reached into his inside coat pocket while smiling "And now for your going-away gift."  He pulled out an unwrapped locket similar to the other one he had given her a few years ago but fancier-looking.  When Usagi opened it, she found out that, like the other, this one also played a tune when opened.  But this locket's tune was longer.

OOC again :

Usagi opened her gift. She opened the locket and heard the melody. She saw memories of their past lives as Serenity and Endymion as well as the memories of the past few years ago. She would treasure this locket forever and planned to keep it close to her at all times during Mamoru's absence. 

She looked up at him as she said in a soft tone "thank you Mamo chan, I love it." She placed the locket around her neck.  She didn't relaize there were tears running down her cheek as she thanked him. She tried to swallow the tears, but a few more came out. She turned away, not wanting him to see her tears She figured it was finally setting in her mind that Mamoru was going to be gone, and while she knew he would return safely and he was pursuing his dream, and she wanted to be happy for him...she was happy for him.

She looked back up at him, "I am sorry Mamo-chan. I don't know why I am crying, I should be happ for you and should see you off with a smile, " she said as she met his gaze once more.