(This is the fic I mentioned in Camera Shy... Warning: This is *nothing* 
like it...)

*LONG* AN: Hi again! Long time no see since 'To Exist…', ne? I know that 
Mamo-chan is destined to be a king and a doctor (as Naoko-sama has him 
in the manga), but I couldn't help sticking him with something else 
here. This is a mix of the manga and the anime. Oh, and if this is 
sounding a little too ambiguous and not specific, bear with me, it's 
just another part of the story. As for their ages…Mamo-chan is 
probably around his mid 20's while Usagi would be as young as you want 
her to be, just not a teenager- meaning around her early 20's. 
(Contrary to popular belief, the number doesn't matter, it's how you 
are as a person ^_^) This alternates between romance and more serious 
stuff, not dramatics, but oh, I dunno. BTW, I know that 
some people kinda shudder at the term 'alternate reality', but I would 
really appreciate it if you would read this anyways and critique 
(comments, flames and otherwise) it for me, as a story more than a 
Sailormoon spin-off. Arigatou! ^_^

A *BIG* ARIGATOU to the very talented, awesome and wonderful Sakura-
chan, who preread this and really helped me to make a lot of decisions 
for this story ^_^ (Including picking this title out of my horrible 
grab-bag-'o-titles…hee hee)Arigatou, Sakura-chan!

A grand thank you to Eternal Angel...I got the story of the month for 
March 2000 with 'To Exist' on her site, Cherry Blossoms 
(http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Tower/6023/)! Arigatou!

**Quick translation notes: 
Ne?=Right? 				Hajimemashite=Nice to meet you.	
Ne= Hey				Sayonara=Goodbye
Arigatou gozaimashita=Thank you very much


**Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi= Sailor Moon
		  April Rayne= The Game is the Mystery, which uses Sailor Moon.
	        Put two and two together ^_^'  

(Don't look at me like that! I hate math with a *passion*- gomen to all 
you math lovers ^^;;;)

All I know of love is that love is all there is. 
					- Emily Dickinson 

**********************************
The Game Is The Mystery
Chapter 1 
Day 1- Let the Games Begin 
By April Rayne
Startear42@aol.com
**********************************


	'Must have it at all costs…'
	His footsteps echoed in the dark room, the only light coming from 
the the light reflected off the large green emerald in the display 
case. The precious gem gleamed with more intensity as he came closer 
and closer to the case, his gloved hands, greedy but held back with 
restraint, itching just to grasp the prize inside. 
	'Must have it at all costs…Must have it at all costs' 
emotionlessly and fervently ran through his head. 
	He worked slowly, trying to avoid contact with the laser security 
lines. Just one step closer, and he'd be able to…
	BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! 
	"Must have it at all costs…" he muttered under his breath as the 
overhead lights came on, blaring a blinking red. His hands selfishly 
going around the glass case, he never noticed the extra shadow that 
stood with his against the wall. With a tap on the shoulder, the black 
clothed burglar turned around, face expressionless. The burglar came 
face to face with his unknown companion, face stern, eyes hidden by a 
domino mask. He never knew what hit him when a cloth immersed in a 
sleeping concoction came to his mouth. As the perpetrator collapsed to 
the ground, deep in sleep, the other masked man knelt down, and placing 
the drugged burglar's arms behind him, tied his wrists together. 
Smiling mischievously to himself, he positioned the burglar against the 
wall, sitting up, and placed a deep crimson rose in his lap.
	He escaped just as stealthily as he had appeared, leaving many 
minutes to spare before anyone showed up at the scene.

*******
	
	"Hey! Why do I always get stuck with the odd jobs?" The 
attractive blue eyed blond muttered, turning around after opening the 
window blinds. Her companion sat down in a chair across from her.
	"Usagi, this is your *first* assignment here. Be happy you got it 
so quickly." The raven haired beauty corrected her. Flipping her knee 
length hair over her shoulders, she continued, purple eyes twinkling. 
"You're not *that* special, remember?"
	Usagi stuck her tongue out at her jokingly. "Rei-chan! Cut that 
out! I'm serious- What's my job? Looking out for some nutcase Zorro 
wannabe who leaves roses at the scene of the crime after he stops the 
bad guy?" She bent over to rearrange the flowers on her mahogany desk, 
deciding to take out a pink one and bring it to her nose. Inhaling the 
scent, she twirled it between her fingers and then lightly tossed it 
onto the desktop.
	"You know that I would've taken you as my partner, but this all 
came up in the middle of a big case…" She frowned. "Besides, you've 
always been the hopeless romantic, Usagi. And here's this news on this 
possible knight in shining armor, and you're not going 'ga ga' over 
him. Why the sudden change of heart?"
	Usagi looked down, her eyes again passing over the stray rose. "I 
have to remember what I'm here for, Rei-chan," she said solemnly. Usagi 
moved behind her desk, sat on her cushioned chair, and leaned back. She 
looked around at her office, empty, except for a few maps and bulletins 
up on the wall. A desk, cluttered with old file folders, was positioned 
in front of a window, the venetian blinds open to let in light from the 
sunny spring day outside. The only thing that brought a sense of color 
to the fairly sterile room was on her desk- the small vase of pink and 
white roses that she had picked up that early afternoon as Rei drove 
her there. Outside on the door, a paper that was taped over the opaque 
window said 'Tsukino Usagi- Private Investigator'. 
	"You do realize that this 'odd job' could lead up to the big 
break that we've been searching for."
	Usagi nodded. "I sure hope so." Her eyes continued to drift 
around the room until it stopped at the door on the left wall. Like the 
door on the right wall which joined her room to Rei's, it connected to 
another office. His. "Hey, what about him…?" Her curiosity was really 
getting the better of her. She hadn't met her partner yet…
	Rei followed Usagi's gaze to the door. "Mamoru-kun? Well, you 
probably won't end up seeing him for a while," she said, getting up out 
of a chair and moving to grab her coat off the wooden rack by the door. 
"He likes working alone. That's why we had this room separating the two 
of us."
	"Really?"
	"Yup. Come to think of it, he's always punctual…And this morning 
he mentioned getting a call last night on the burglary at Mako-chan's 
house- the one that she called us about before." A dark shadow of 
memory crossed her face, but as if to retaliate against it, she smiled 
wanely. "He should've been here by now." Her eyes widened as 
realization dawned on her. "He's probably at the scene right now!"
	Her blond friend froze, her eyes copying Rei's. "What?! What does 
he think he's doing, starting without me?! Let's go, Rei-chan." Usagi 
bounded out of the chair, grabbed her coat off the rack, and opened the 
door wide. They both ran out, Usagi stopping for a second to pick up 
the newspaper at her doorstep. Not bothering to take a closer look at 
it, she tossed it carelessly onto her desk before slamming the door 
behind her. 
	It landed with a slight 'thunk', opening to a random page. The 
headline read, 'Mystery Heiress Inherits Priceless Mythical Crystal'.


*******
	
	The reporters and photographers being herded out the door tried 
desperately to capture a few final photos for what would surely be the 
front page spread. They could see it now- "Silent Hero Foils Yet 
Another Jewelry Heist."
	A figure pushed against the flow of reporters, her pink lips 
pursed in a straight line. "Excuse me! Coming through!" The reporters 
didn't take heed of the lady trying to pass. "Please… Excuse… Outta my 
way!" Like a tornado, she stormed through the crowd, her friend farther 
away, only beginning to march up the large marble steps after staying 
behind to park her car. 
	When she got to the door to the very large, mansion-like home, 
the reporters, in their frenzy to get more info on the story, pushed 
her forward into another person, accidentally knocking both of them 
down. Usagi groaned, trying to get back on her feet. When she stood, 
she quickly brushed the dirt off her long gray coat and hoped that 
nothing had gotten on her light pink shirt and gray skirt. Apology 
written all over her face, she extended her hand. "Oh geez, Gomen, with 
this crowd-"
	He ignored her offer and stood up on his own, forcing her to tilt 
her chin up to look him in the eye, as he was a full head taller than 
she. 
	For the second time that day, locked with his blue eyes, she was 
frozen stiff. 
	"Can't you watch where you're going?" he commented wryly, 
brushing off some dirt from his long black coat. 
	Well, *he* certainly was a polite one.
	Falling out of her stupor, she sent him a hurt look. "I *said* 
that I was sorry." 
	Taking in her features, he focused on her face, her eyes, and 
finally, the crown of blond hair on her head, fashioned into two 
odangos with streaming pigtails. "Doesn't make up for a lack of 
direction…Odango Atama." 
	Usagi's mouth opened, closed, and opened again, searching for the 
right words to say. "…*What* did you just say?"
	"Odango Atama." He replied matter of factly, a shake of his head 
making his black bangs fall over his eyes. "Or is your hearing just as 
bad as your ability to ignore gravity?" 
	She fumed, something she wasn't used to except for her when she 
fought with Rei. Looking back at her friend, who was midway through 
climbing the steps, she remembered her reasons for showing up and 
decided that she didn't have time to deal with him-as handsome as he 
was. Giving him one last defiant look in the eye, she shot him her most 
saccharine smile. "*Someone* should get back to their reporting," she 
mused. "So if you'll excuse me, O *kind* one…" She pushed past him and 
through the large wooden doors, mumbling to another that she was with 
Chiba-san. She entered into the large foyer that she had been familiar 
with for years now.
	A tap on the shoulder prevented her from walking straight to the 
tall, graceful brunette that was talking with another individual. 
Turning around, she groaned again. "Not you, anyone but *you*," she 
mumbled. He was back again, this time restraining her by the arm. She 
jerked out of his hold, and glared at him defiantly. "Look-"
	"So you two have met already?" her friend jumped in. They both 
turned to Rei, surprise evident on both their faces.
	"What are you talking about? This guy's-"
	"Your partner." 
	The two in shock looked to each other, to Rei, and then back to 
each other again.
	"You're kidding," they said at the same time, monotone.
	Rei laughed at the sight. This would be interesting, to say the 
least. "No, I'm not. Since you two have already met, I'll leave you to 
get to work, cause I have to get back to mine. Usagi, since your car 
isn't working, I'll pick you up tonight at midnight, all right?" Before 
Usagi could respond, Rei swiveled around and quickly disappeared into 
the thicket of reporters. 
	"So you must be the ever-so-coordinated Tsukino Usagi."
	"And that would mean you're the elusive Chiba Mamoru, official 
pain in the-"
	"Konban wa, minna," the brunette interrupted. She smiled at the 
two of them. "I'm Kino Makoto. Call me Makoto, please. I'm glad you 
could make it." She bowed politely, and they did the same. Standing 
back up to her tall height, though still shorter than Mamoru, she gave 
the other lady a questioning glance, trying to mask what she knew. 
"Chiba-san… Who is this? You never mentioned that anyone else was 
coming."
	Usagi gave him another sideways glare.
	"Gomen nasai. This is Tsukino Usagi, my…partner." 
	Makoto's smile widened.  "Nice to meet you. Then if you'll both 
follow me, please." She turned around, and began to walk to another 
door, which adjoined them to a large room. It was almost like a classic 
library, with its many shelves of books, both worn, old, and others 
modern and new. Mamoru, seemingly ignoring his partner, went ahead of 
Usagi, not bothering to continue their little 'getting to know you' 
session. Makoto gestured for them to take a seat on the plush chairs. 
	They sat down, and smoothing down the folds of her green dress, 
she took a seat in the larger chair across from them. She cleared her 
throat, and Usagi refrained from mentally throwing daggers at Mamoru. 
	"This is my recipe library. I try to find only the best for my 
restaurant." Makoto stated proudly. "But…let's get back onto what 
you're really here for. You probably know that someone attempted to rob 
my house last night. What he was after was the only precious stone I 
have-  the Juno Emerald."
	They both nodded.
	"But what you probably don't know is that the suspect…was my 
fiancee, Neph Katarugi." 
	Usagi brought her hand to her mouth to suppress a gasp, while 
Mamoru continued to sit with a contemplative look on his face.	
	Makoto looked down, the hint of a tear in her eye, and continued. 
"But, I don't want to think about that too much now. What I really 
called you here for was to find out something else- the identity of the 
person who caught him."
	Again, Mamoru remained unaffected, except for the slight change 
in the expression of his eyes, which both ladies missed. While he sat, 
deep in thought, Makoto and Mamoru's eyes met, a sense of understanding 
passing through them both. "He, or she, showed up last night, and 
stopped him from getting the crystal, leaving behind a red rose."
	"A rose…" Usagi whispered.
	Sitting forward on his chair, Mamoru's eyes narrowed in 
concentration. "Hmm…that's the third one in the past two months. But if 
he's supposedly the one that thwarts these heists, why bother to find 
out who he is?"
	"Call it curiosity."
	"Curiosity killed the cat," he challenged.
	She took his challenge, and shot it back at him. "You may think 
so, but I think I should have the right to find out just who this Good 
Samaritan is…and exactly *how* he knew the burglary was going to occur. 
That is, if you think you can do it."
	He smiled. 
	"Of course we can do it!" Usagi, who had been watching the 
interaction in earnest, added happily. Mamoru looked at her, a 
surprised expression on his face, and Makoto laughed a bit. 
	"I don't doubt it."
	"But Makoto-san, don't you think that this all could've been 
chance?" Usagi continued.
	"Chance had nothing to do with this. Why doesn't he tell the 
police, why hasn't he stayed if it was most likely that he would end up 
getting a reward? It doesn't make any sense."
	'Some things aren't supposed to make any sense.' Mamoru told 
himself. Looking back at Makoto and then at Usagi, he tried to convey 
it through his eyes. 
	"We'll see what we can do, Kino-san. Is there any other 
information you can tell us about? Things we may have missed?"
	"There's nothing else other than the rose. I've asked the 
officers to disclose the rest of the information on…the suspect to you 
when they are done."
	Mamoru nodded, and shoved his hands back into his coat pockets. 
"If that's all," he said, sending her a look of finality, "then we'll 
get in touch with you when we find something." Giving her an 
affirmative yet polite nod, he turned around and swiftly walked out the 
library door, and then began to walk towards the exit, leaving behind a 
very confused Usagi, mouth agape. 
	"Wha…? H-Hey! Wait up!" she stammered, anger welling behind her 
azure eyes. Makoto's green eyes winked at her, and she shot Usagi a 
thumbs up sign. Trying to maintain a dignified air without looking like 
a helpless puppy, she sent Makoto a waning smile and quickly walked to 
his side. She had to double her pace to keep up with his long strides. 
	"And just *what* do you think you're doing?!" she fumed under her 
breath. He continued walking, not even acknowledging her.
	"Hey!" she hissed. When they were out the door and out of 
earshot, she grabbed his sleeve, and dragged him to the side, by the 
high hedges. It was there that she let him have it. "What on Earth was 
*that* all about?! Well, if that wasn't the most pompous, arrogant, pig-
headed-"
	"You never shut up, do you?" he interrupted, his blue eyes meeting 
hers. 
	Usagi froze, mouth open, jaw slack. This was only the second time 
that he had even recognized her very existence, and he just *had* to 
bring up her unruly knack for letting her mouth get carried away. Her 
lips pursed into a straight line, and then formed the beginning of a 
comeback. Rethinking her actions, she closed her mouth and sent him a 
sly look. 
	"Well, if *someone*," she stated calmly, "would bother to listen 
to his partner, maybe I wouldn't have to keep on trying to to get his 
attention!"
	He smirked, half laughing to himself. Giving her one final look 
over, he continued on the way to his black sportscar. (AN: If anyone 
else has any idea as to what type of/specific car Mamo-chan drives, 
please tell me- I'm open to all ideas ^_~)
	Her blood boiled as she watched his quickly retreating back 
travel down the marble steps. Her fists clenched until her knuckles 
turned white. Before he went out of view, she ran down the steps after 
him, yelling, "Baka! Yeah, you! Wait!" 
	Mamoru was already at the drivers side, and Usagi heard the beep 
of the alarm system, and the jingle of keys as they went into the lock. 
"Dammit…" she muttered, hastening her steps. He was already in the car, 
key in the ignition. Out of breath from yelling and running, she went 
to ride shotgun, where, surprisingly, the door was unlocked. Opening 
the door with more force then she had intended, she careened into her 
seat, and slammed the door behind her. Her stormy blue eyes focused 
upwards on his, and her anger was forgotten in a moment. Her heartbeat 
almost stopped. He had a playful hint of a smile dancing on his lips, 
his eyes dimly shining with amusement, the most she had seen from him 
since their collision. 

	Now if her heart would just jumpstart again, she'd be okay. 

	"I would've waited. Calm down." he said simply. 
	That was it? He had practically ignored her the whole time in the 
mansion, he wouldn't listen to her as they left, he leaves her behind 
as he goes to the car, and now he tells her to calm down?
	'Yeah, right.' "I can't believe you! I don't care *who* you think 
you are,but you have *some* nerve treating me like this."
	His semi-smile faded and he became the epitome of stoicism. He 
responded to her comments by turning the key in the ignition, and the 
starting of the engine snapped Usagi out of her angry reverie. "I'm 
your *partner*." She stressed the word, elongating it as you would to a 
learning child. "That means that there has to be *some* form of 
communication, don' cha think?
	Silence. 
	He kept his focus on the road ahead, and pulled out of their 
parking spot in the midst of news vans and moved forward. The mansion 
faded out of the reflection of the sideview mirror, leaving only the 
blur of the tree lined streets as they sped by.
	Fuming, she looked forward. "To solve this we have to work toge-"
	"I work alone."
	"Eh?"
	"I don't know what Rei has been telling you, but I don't work 
with anyone."
	"But-"
	"Deal with it," he replied with a haunting coolness.
	She froze. He was so…cold…unresponsive…Her anger flared, his 
words only adding fuel to the fire. Normally not one to take things 
quietly, Usagi was ready to retaliate, full force. However, something 
held her back. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Sitting back in 
her seat in silence, she came to a final conclusion. 'All right, Chiba, 
I don't care what you think…'
	"That's too bad…" she mumbled. "Because things are gonna change. 
Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me."
	Instead of responding, he kept his eyes on the road.
	The rest of the car ride was in silence.
	
	They reached HQ, and Usagi walked through the entrance corridor, 
uncomfortably aware of the commanding man behind her. They both stopped 
as they reached their office doors, and she turned to face him. 
	"So…now what do we do?"
	His first impulse was to tell her to go to work on her own, but 
he thought it over, slowly. In the car, he had come up with the 
conclusion that he didn't *need* a partner. He'd just explain to her 
that the only reason why he had agreed to the partnership in the first 
place because he owed Rei for giving him some major info in another old 
case he had dealt with. He'd find other ways to pay her back…
	But those blue eyes wouldn't stop sending him subconscious 
signals, and did unfamiliar things to him. She was pleading with him 
silently, and in his uncharacteristic confused stupor, she had the 
upper hand. "We…go back to researching the evidence."
	She smiled, delighted that he had used the word, 'we'. With a 
childlike energy, she nodded. "So, let's get cracking on the work 
then!" She turned and walked up the staircase to her right, leading to 
their private library and research facility. 
	He watched her, trying to suppress the temptation to smile.  He 
was beginning to wonder if he was softening up. Shrugging, he followed 
her. 'I hope I made the right decision.'

	Turning the knob to the wooden door, Usagi slowly opened the 
door. For such a small, private business, they sure had enough to pay 
for the right materials! Row upon row of books stood to the far end of 
the large room, and desks were set up to the right. Two computers were 
set up to the left, a welcome addition to the private computers in each 
of their rooms… Another separate area in the back was reserved for 
studying evidence, almost like a lab. She grinned when her eyes came 
upon the coffeemaker and mini refrigerator set up next to the sink. 
	As if reading her thoughts, he interrupted, "I always need a cup 
to keep me awake at night." She turned back to him, eyes gleaming. 
Looking back at the room, she walked in and took a seat at one of the 
desks. She felt so… professional. Following her, he approached a large 
file cabinet, opened a drawer and took out a manila file folder. He 
took a seat across from her at the desk, and placed it in front of her.
	"Here. Take a look at this."
	Her curiosity sparked, Usagi tentatively picked it up. Folding it 
open, she sifted through the contents. Her eyes grew larger. Copies of 
police reports, transcripts of his own discussions with clients and 
suspects, pictures… She stopped in the middle of her flipping, making 
sure she kept her finger in the right spot to keep her place. With awe 
and amazement showing in her blue eyes, she breathed, "How did you do 
all this? Where did you…?"
	"I have my connections," he stated blatantly, although in such a 
tone that she almost thought that he meant something more. Mamoru got 
up again, back to the same filing cabinet, except to open another 
drawer. Usagi drew her attention back to the pile and continued to leaf 
through it. She froze, and delicately picked out a group of papers held 
together by a paper clip. In the front was an 8' x 10'' picture of a 
woman with blue hair and blue eyes, dressed in a lab coat. Her eyes 
were bright, but there was something in them that made them look so 
sad… Usagi lightly mumbled to herself that she shouldn't have been 
surprised, that she knew all about this… Looking at the next photo, she 
drew in another breath. The picture jumped out at her just as much as 
the other, but this time it was of a teardrop shaped blue sapphire, an 
extremely rare find. Herme's Sapphire Tear…
	She looked back at the picture of the lady, and her eyes 
smoldered. Her mouth formed the words that her voice refused to carry. 
'Ami-chan…'
	"What are you looking at?" interrupted her thoughts and made her 
jump to attention, accidentally dropping the pile onto the desk. Taking 
a seat across from her, he glanced at the desktop. "Ah, Mizuno-san's 
case."
	"And…And that would be?"
	"Like Kino-san, someone close to her attempted to steal this 
crystal, which was supposed to have been a well kept secret, hidden 
from the public."
	She remembered it well. Ami-chan had been so happy recently, with 
the new developments at the medical lab, and her growing companionship 
with her comrade, Zoicite-kun.
	Who knew that he would be the one to try to steal it only a week 
later?
	"She wants you to find out who did it, right?" At least, that's 
what Usagi told herself.
	"No. Mizuno-san wants to know who caught him."
	"You mean…we're also supposed to find out about the rose guy for 
her, too?"
	He nodded.
	Confusion clouded her azure blue eyes. "So why not tell Kino-san 
that we're already on the case, and spare her the trouble?"
	"It would have been much easier, definitely… But there's 
something important in finding out a person's motives behind asking for 
help- they may not always be genuine."
	She was about to shoot out some indignant comment about how Mako-
chan was always truthful when she caught her tongue. He was just doing 
his job, after all. And after thinking it over, she realized that he 
was taking the smarter route.
	Boy, she had a lot to learn about this job.
	Interrupting her thoughts again, he added, "And I'm assuming that 
you already know about Rei's case."
	She nodded solemnly. Rei never wanted to talk about it. The eight-
cornered star jewel, Ares' Flame Ruby…Another exquisite gem that had 
been kept under wraps…It was secretly passed down from generation to 
generation. It had almost been stolen, had that masked savior not shown 
up. At the time, Rei had been drugged by the perpetrator, and with her 
impaired vision couldn't identify all the people in her room. She was 
positive that it was a tall man, dressed in a tuxedo. If the subject of 
the attempted robbery ever came up, Rei would just shrug it off. She 
never enjoyed the topic. 
	The perpetrators were, after all, her younger twin cousins 
Phobos-chan and Deimos-chan. 
	Taking the file folder from her hands, he pulled out another set 
of paper clip bound papers and placed it on the desk. Similarly, this 
had a picture of Rei on the top. 
	'They all want the same thing…and that's what they'll get.' 
Putting it aside, Mamoru placed the papers that he retrieved from the 
cabinet. 
	Peering closely at them, she mumbled the words, "Tentative 
Official File…Nephrite Katarugi". Below the title were a series of 
different pieces of data compiled on the same sheet. Heck, it even had 
down that he was allergic to kiwi! She looked up at him again, but 
didn't bother to ask him the question that had arisen in her mind. 
Sure, he had his connections. But with who, the FBI?!
	"Why are we looking at his file, if he can't possibly be one of 
the suspects?"
	"You're such a rookie, Tsukino. You have to look at all the 
evidence you're presented with. It's not just physical evidence, but 
motives, and connections. Katarugi-san may have a connection to all the 
other suspects, which, in turn, can possibly lead us to this masked 
man."
	"Tuxedo Mask."
	He gazed quizzically at her. "Hmm?"
	"Rei-chan said that he was wearing a tuxedo, and a mask. Hence, 
Tuxedo Mask."
	A look of amusement and disbelief crossed his face. Mamoru 
decided not to respond to her little remark, and continued. "Since 
you're already going over evidence… This 'Tuxedo Mask' has shown up at 
the past three jewelry heists concerning these precious gems, whose 
existence was kept hidden from the public at the owner's wishes. 
Instead of catching the prowler quietly, he allows for the alarm system 
to go off. Additionally, the past two suspects have been noted for 
denying any presence at the scene, or knowing of this masked man.  All 
he leaves is his mark, the red rose, and there's no sign of how he got 
in."
	"I wonder why he leaves the rose…" Usagi mused to herself out 
loud. "It seems like he's looking for attention…maybe not from the 
media…but from someone…"
	'How could…?'
	She shook her head and her eyes held an apologetic appearance. 
"Gomen…Don't mind my craziness." Changing the subject, she continued to 
leaf through the pile. "This is gonna be some job, huh? We really don't 
have the slightest clue as to who he is."
	'And it's better if it stays that way.' He coughed. "Okay, let's 
get started on the rest of the research, shall we?"

<4:31 P.M.>

	It had already been a good half hour since they started their 
work, and they had barely spoken to one another. Anything that was 
spoken had to do with only the case. 
	"Chiba?" She called to him from the computer, as she was looking 
up information on heists online. 
	He looked up from the copy of today's newspaper that he held in 
front of him. "Hai?"
	"What made you want to become a private investigator?"
	His head tilted to the side, surprised at her remark. "I don't 
know. I guess it was something that just…happened." Putting the 
newspaper in front of his face, he whispered, "My past…Destiny told me 
to do this."
	She had better hearing than he had expected. "Destiny? Past? 
Chiba…"
	Putting the newspaper on the desk, he interjected, "So what made 
you want to become a private investigator?"
	Her questions forgotten, she froze. 'Duty.' her heart replied.
	"Curiosity. It seemed interesting enough."
	"It is. Get back to work, Tsukino."

<5:19 P.M.>

	"All right. Arigatou gozaimashita. Sayonara."
	Mamoru grumbled as he got off the phone. Another call, another 
chance to get no answers. None of the jewelers in the area, even Osa-P, 
the main jewelry boutique in the area, had no information on any 
current jewel heists, or about any suspicious figures they might have 
encountered. In fact, there had been no reports of any heists since the 
last time he checked, after Rei was nearly robbed. 
	Going back to the desk, he looked at Usagi, who also looked 
frustrated. Taking a piece of paper, she wadded it up into a crumpled 
ball and tossed it into the wastepaper basket with a woosh. Taking out 
a fresh sheet, she began to furiously scribble notes again. She was 
definitely working diligently, and he felt remorseful about 
underestimating her as he did. He was sure that she wouldn't find much 
of a lead either.
	He had been 'working' on this case for a good two months, and 
there had been no evidence at all, new or old, that could help them 
pinpoint Tuxedo Mask's identity.
	Not that he minded.

<5:55 P.M.>

	Usagi looked at the clock. Usually, she'd be having dinner by 
now. Surprisingly though, she wasn't as hungry as she had thought she 
would be. (AN: Quite a change from bottomless pit Usagi-chan, ne?) She 
turned to Mamoru, who had found more information on each of the jewels, 
in addition to a list of other rare jewels, online. He was on the 
computer, transferring the info onto the hardrive and then printing it 
out for physical reference. She moved behind him, and glanced over his 
shoulder. At least he'd found something, however indirectly it would 
relate to the case. 
	He sensed her presence behind him and turned around. Meeting his 
eyes, she told him about the replies she had gotten from the tuxedo 
rental places. "Nobody reported seeing any 'shadowy' figures. And the 
owner of one of the places refused to give me information over the 
phone on recent rentals. So we might have to go there ourselves to find 
out the truth."  She sighed. "This is hard work."
	It was strange, this sense of strange admiration for the 
hardworking klutz behind him. He smiled.  "Do you want to take a break? 
There's not much in the fridge, but I can call out and order food or 
pick up something-"
	"No, that's okay- Unless you're hungry, that is. I just really 
want to get this done, ya know?" She smiled.
	Mamoru nodded. He knew exactly how she felt. "If you think so." 
Getting up from his place in front of the computer, he moved to the 
sink and turned on the coffeemaker.
	"Coffee?"
	
<6:14 P.M.>

	Taking a pile of papers from her already cluttered desktop, Usagi 
clamored to the file organizer. She put all the files in their 
respective places. (Thanks to Mamoru's labeling organization system, of 
course.)
	Wanting to continue with her work, she went through all the other 
drawers of the cabinet, and came across an unlabeled one at the bottom 
that wouldn't open when she furiously tugged and pulled at the handle.
	"Ne, Chiba. Why won't this one open?" 
	Turning around quickly, he responded with a stern and curt "Don't 
open it." Noticing that she was taken aback, his tone softened. "It's 
been jammed for a while. I suggest that you leave it alone, there's 
nothing important in it." He turned back to his desk, and continued 
with his work.
	"But what about the key?"
	"Lost. Just leave it alone, Tsukino." Then, he turned around.
	She was confused. He could tell, because her blue eyes always 
tried to look straight into his, as if prying for an answer to stop her 
confusion. Eyes shifting between him and the cabinet, her eyes strayed 
back to the bottom drawer. 
	Walking away, she mumbled, "I think I'll have another cup of 
coffee."

<6:43 P.M.>

	"I'm going to check to see if I left anything behind in my 
office. I'll be right back." 
	This was her chance. Picking up the phone, she quickly dialed her 
friend's number. 
	"Mako-chan…"
	"Hi Usagi-chan…"
	"How are you?"
	"Feeling better, I just got this new azalea plant from my next-
door neighbor…"
	"That's good…Ne, Mako-chan…" She swallowed, and was unsure of how 
to approach her with what she wanted to say. "I had no idea about 
Neph…It seemed so impossible… Gomen nasai…" She didn't want to ask her 
why she hadn't mentioned it the night before.
	She could hear her friend trying to smother the sob rising in her 
throat. "It's all right…"
	"Is there anything I can do? You know I'm always here for you."
	"You're already working on finding out about the mystery guy. 
As for everyone else, we're just about ready to execute the rest of the 
plan. I'm really okay, Usagi-chan. Really."
	"Mako-chan…"

	"Who are you talking to, Tsukino?"
	Her head swiveling towards the doorway, she froze, and mumbled 
into the receiver "Gomen-Gotta go-Ja ne!" Practically dropping it back 
on it's compartment, she ran to her desk and opened to a random couple 
of pages. Pencil in hand, she quickly scribbled down gibberish notes on 
a blank sheet next to her. 
	Mamoru appeared in the doorway. Usagi had to have been used to 
his questioning looks by now. "Who were you talking to?" he repeated. 
	"Eh…Myself. Yeah, I do that sometimes," she replied, not looking 
up from her papers. She had no idea what she was reading in the first 
place.
	He didn't believe her for a second. He'd let it slide though- 
he'd find out eventually. "Sure, Tsukino." Sitting across from her 
again, he added, "Here. Take a look at these and tell me if it helps at 
all-Just try not to think out loud, okay?"
	
<7:03 P.M.>

	Ring! Ring!

	Surprised, Usagi sat back and quickly picked up the phone. "Moshi 
moshi?"
	"Hey, Usagi-chan!"
	"Mina- ah…Who is this?" Looking down at the caller ID, she 
gratefully realized that nothing had shown up on the LCD screen.
	The bubbly blond on the other end of the line giggled. "Oops. 
Sorry, I forgot about that." Coughing, she added formally, "May I 
please speak to Chiba Mamoru-san?"
	Trying hard to suppress a smile, Usagi covered the mouthpiece, 
got up, and moved over to Mamoru, who had gotten up to put back a file. 
"It's for you."
	He took the phone, and gave Usagi a suspicious look. Why was she 
grinning so strangely? Then, he began to speak. "Moshi moshi?
	"Chiba-san?"
	"Hai."
	A woman's voice responded. "I know this sounds more than 
suspicious, but I have to keep quiet over the phone. Just, please, wait 
for something to come through your fax machine, and then follow the 
instructions. It's about the attempted jewelry heists…"
	"Who is this?"
	The sound of the dial tone was the only thing that he heard.
	Usagi had watched his expression through the short conversation, 
and now her brow was furrowed with worry. "What's wrong?" she asked. 
Just then, the buzz of the fax machine went off, and a printed paper 
emerged out of the slot. Brushing past Usagi, Mamoru picked it up. On 
it were directions, a small map, and a scribbled address in the lower 
right corner. It was on the outskirts of Tokyo, but wasn't too far 
away. Scrutinizing the paper, he found another set of written notes in 
the top left corner. 'I'm sorry the call was so short, but it was for 
security reasons. Please come to the address specified by 8 o'clock. I 
need your help. Arigatou.' There was no name to identify the caller.
	Usagi went over to his side and tried to take a peek at the 
sheet. "What's this?"
	Mamoru thought everything over, and moving to the exit, he 
motioned for her to follow him. "C'mon, we've got somewhere to go." He 
disappeared out the door, again leaving her behind. 
	"Going where?" She heard his footsteps go down the stairs, and 
she hurriedly tried to catch up with him. "Hey, wait!" she called, 
closing the door behind her. 

	In the car, he tried to explain everything to her, and she 
nodded, understanding.  She tried to ask him more info on the subject, 
but he just showed her the fax.  '*Someone* was playing this game a 
little too far,' she thought. Nothing much was said past that, and 
after another few minutes of silence, she turned on the radio.

	Traffic. Of all the times for the streets of Tokyo to get majorly 
congested, it just had to be *now*. It had only been 20 minutes, and a 
very *long* 20 minutes at that. Usagi looked at the clock. "21 
minutes…" She looked at Mamoru, whose handsome profile was lit up by 
the slowly passing lamposts. Why was he so damned quiet? As if reading 
her thoughts, he turned to her. "Stupid traffic…" Noticing her look of 
boredom, he smiled wryly. "Don't worry, we should be there soon."

	Forty five minutes later, tired, sleepy, and 20 minutes late, 
they pulled up to the steps of the large mansion, the lamposts at the 
side and the lights on in the house illuminating the night. It was one 
of the lone houses in the area, large and Victorian styled. They walked 
up the second set of marble steps that day, taking a couple of looks 
around at the gardens, and the white flowers at the front of the grand 
entrance, blooming underneath the light of the moon. There was 
something…different…about this place, and Mamoru wanted to find out 
just what that was. Usagi, on the other hand, didn't really want to 
think much about it.
	Right when they were about to ring the doorbell, the door opened 
to reveal a young woman, only a little older than Usagi. Her blue eyes 
flashed with recognition of the two, and she opened the door wider, and 
gestured for them to walk in. "Hajimemashite. My name's Luna." Mamoru 
and Usagi bowed, and she did as well, her long, wavy black hair, held 
up halfway in odangos, falling over her shoulders. Another young man 
with long white hair, around Mamoru's age, walked up behind Luna, and 
placed his hand on her shoulder. Noticing the two newcomers, he bowed 
and smiled. "My name's Artemis. Nice to meet you." Mamoru returned the 
smile and looked around at his surroundings in the main hall. Before 
them lay a large staircase, complete with black marble banister, with 
plush scarlet carpeting. Halfway to the top, the staircase split into 
two spiral stairs, leading to the left and right wings of the second 
floor. The whole entrance was lighted by the large crystal chandelier 
hanging from the ceiling.
	Just as he looked up, another woman approached them, coming down 
the stairs. Her blond hair was tied halfway up, and she looked the part 
of a person of importance- That is, until she noticed the two standing 
at the door and began to hurriedly run down the steps, like an excited 
child. "I'm so glad that you could make it!" she called out.  Stopping 
at the bottom and regaining her air of royalty, she regally walked 
towards the duo. Bowing as they did before, she apologized for her rude 
phone conversation, mentioning something about maintaining security, 
and then got down to business. 
	"Aino Minako. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Mamoru and 
Usagi shared a curious look with each other. "Would you like to sit 
down?" The investigators shook their heads. She nodded.
	"What did you call us in for?" he asked.
	A doubtful look crossed her light blue eyes. "You have to help 
me. You see, I need…protection."
	"We specialize in investigation, not being bodyguards."
	"Your work will help protect me from the burglaries."
	A short silence followed, and again, he shared another look with 
his partner. "I understand that you're very wealthy, Aino-san, but these 
particular burglaries only involved-"
	"-Jewels. I know. If you'll follow me, please." Turning around, 
she led them up the winding staircase before them, taking a turn to the 
right. As they walked, Mamoru skeptically looked around at the 
furnished surroundings, taking in as much info as he could from where 
Aino-san lived. 
	Usagi, on the other hand, looked quite unfazed by the ornate 
furnishings, a twist from the look of awe she produced at the Kino 
home. He shrugged mentally. "Women. Go figure." (AN: He's JOKING, don't 
take dear Mamo-chan seriously! ^_^')
	Usagi had her hands in her coat pockets, balled into fists. She 
prayed to God that Mamoru wasn't noticing the way her eyes would 
sometimes dart behind  her, trying to maintain eye contact with Luna 
and Artemis. As the thought about it, he looked back at her. She sent 
him a slight smile, and he returned to his inspection. She breathed an 
inward sigh of relief. 
	"Right here." Minako concluded. She took the knob of the door 
tentatively, and without a sound, it opened. Gesturing for the duo to 
walk ahead, they stepped forward while Minako followed them. It was a 
spacious and beautiful bedroom, full of grandeur, with a large canopy 
bed in one corner of the room, next to a window and entrance to a 
balcony overlooking the mansion gardens. Scanning the room, Mamoru 
began to speak. "I don't seem to notice…" he trailed off as his eyes 
came upon a light glinting from a glass case upon a marble pedestal. As 
he approached the structure, his eyes widened. His steps slowing, he 
finally came to a stop one foot in front of it. "This is…"
	"The Imperium Silver Crystal (AN: Maboroshino Ginzuisho)…" Minako 
finished, coming up from behind him.  Usagi trailed closely behind her, 
eyes expressing a mixture of strange emotions as she looked upon the 
jewel. When Mamoru turned around to respond, his eyes met Usagi's. She 
started, the tiny hint of a blush coloring her cheeks. She forcibly 
focused her sights on the case and Mamoru followed her gaze.
	The crystal, shimmering and glinting under the showcase light, 
held an aura of wealth and power. The black velvet backing accentuated 
it's features-the perfect cut, the silver color contrasting with it's 
diamond-like clarity in the light. It seemed like an expensive jewel on 
the outside, not as large as the other jewels he had encountered, but 
worthy of high value just the same. 
	But that wasn't all. There were stories, myths…little rumors 
passed around about his elusive crystal. The only known one of it's 
kind, it was said that it's origins, although untraced, were supposedly 
connected to an old dynasty… the Tsukidai dynasty of Japan. The crystal 
possessed incredible powers, according to legend.
	But it was *just* a myth, right?
	"I see that you've been doing your research, Chiba-san." Knowing 
what questions would arise, Minako continued. "Unfortunately, someone 
has found out about this secret, and ever since then, the media has 
slowly but surely begun to hound us." She saddened. "I don't know how 
much information you have on this crystal, Chiba-san, Tsukino-san…But, 
the matter is way past one of material wealth. Please understand, if 
you take this task, and try to find out just who's behind all of this, 
more than a simple crystal is at stake."

	There was no turning back after Minako's offer, and the duo 
quickly agreed to work for her. They spent a few minutes discussing the 
conditions and payment, to which Minako agreed that she'd pay for all 
fees, including anything needed to complete the task. At this point, 
Minako suggested that they split up, Mamoru left to wander the mansion 
with Luna and Artemis, who had been watching the transaction between 
the three quietly up until then. They would show him around the grounds 
so that he would be more familiar with what would occur if a burglary 
took place. Aino-san then added that Usagi go with her, to find out 
more about the crystal, seeing as Mamoru already knew a decent amount 
of info on it. 
	Quickly pointing out the security technology in the bedroom, the 
couple led him out of the door and to other rooms of the mansion. The 
library had mechanisms where a book removed from the shelf when the 
alarm was on would set off a piercing, shrill sound. The den, foyer, 
sitting room and every single room in the home also had special 
security laser lines set up around all the windows and other possible 
entryways. They had taken a lot of consideration into the extent of 
their security, but Mamoru would always point out something lacking, 
like protection in the vent system, or the chimney (They quietly joked 
about catching Santa Claus on his way down during Christmas), or other 
small openings. Noting his specifications, the couple shared looks of 
approval. They had picked the right man for the job.

	When the three of them left for the tour, Minako practically 
dragged Usagi to sit down on the bed and loudly whispered "Ne, Sere-"
	"Keep it down!" Usagi added, looking at the door to check if 
anyone was in earshot. 
	Minako sighed. "Okay, Usagi-chan. Is the plan working?"
	"We're not secret spies, Minako-chan," Usagi mumbled. "No 
whispering, no special 'I can't reveal my identity' calls-"
	"Right, but the way that this is going, you'd think that we 
were!" she laughed. 
	"We've already been through all of this research. We've called 
jewelry stores, tuxedo rental places, experts on jewels…None of it adds 
up. There's nothing to tie us to Tuxedo Mask! And all the work that 
we're doing for this…What if we don't find out who's behind all of 
this? Who knows what could happen?"
	She put a comforting arm around her friend's shoulder. "This is 
all for protection, Usagi…Think about who we have working on this. 
Minna…and your new partner. We'll definetly find out the truth before 
anything can happen."
	She glanced at the jewelry case, and got up, deftly maneuvering 
the electronic number pad key lock to open the case. "It felt so weird, 
not to have this with me today…" She took out a locket from her coat 
pocket, and gently handling the crystal with reverential care, she 
placed it inside the locket, where a special compartment had been made 
just for that occasion. 
	"Look, Usagi-chan…" Minako said, getting up from the bed. I 
really don't think that you should take it with you…"
	"You said yourself, all of this was for my protection. So if I'm 
protected, so is this. The whole point of this mission is to protect 
*this*, not just me."
	"But-" She gave up. Usagi could be just as stubborn as Rei 
sometimes, when she felt that something was right. "Okay. Just tell 
everyone else that it was *your* idea-That way they won't kill me." 
	Usagi stuck her tongue out at her friend, and then glanced back 
at the locket, which was now resting on a necklace. She became 
uncharacteristically taciturn, and her eyes saddened.
	Minako didn't like to see one of her best friends look so 
defeated…It wasn't like Usagi. She decided to take a totally different 
approach to the case. "So… How is everything working out with the hunk 
over there? You two look awfully cute together."
	"Eh?!"
	"Spill, spill!" 
	Usagi sweatdropped. "There's nothing to tell." Blushing, she got 
off the bed and walked to the door, "He's an arrogant baka though." she 
smiled. Proceeding down the corridor, she found Mamoru, Luna and 
Artemis by the entrance. Noting that Minako was right on her heels, she 
practically flew down the steps, calling out, "Mamoru-san! It's getting 
late, don't you think it's time to go now?" She reached the bottom of 
the steps, and he looked at his watch. Ten o'clock. 
	"It's not too late-"
	"Oh, yes it is! Ja ne, minna-san!"  She grabbed his arm and made 
it out the door when Minako's voice, and a few extra laughs stopped the 
both of them in their tracks. 
	"Please wait, wouldn't you want to stay for a late dinner?"
	Usagi shot her a look that could kill. "No, I really don't think 
we could impose-"
	
	Grrrr.	
	
	Usagi's stomach growled, again a reminder of all the time and 
energy she had put into today. They were so busy that they hadn't even 
gotten the chance to eat anything, only having a few cups of coffee 
while they did their research. And she was always the first person to 
perk to attention at the mention of the word food, although she'd 
rather eat later than face Minako's questioning.

	"Well, that would be a yes, I'm guessing. Follow me." They didn't 
get the chance to respond as she turned through another doorway to 
their right.

	The dinner, the first either of them had ever had with a client, 
was quiet, peaceful… and unbearably awkward.  

	Minako sat at the head of the long dining table, with Usagi and 
Mamoru to one side of her, and Luna and Artemis at the other. "A really 
good friend of mine, she owns her own restaurant, you see, came by 
earlier to drop off this wonderful dinner and we hadn't gotten the 
chance to eat so…" Usagi's eyes met hers, and she shut up. "I should 
keep quiet and let you get to the food!  Enjoy."

	Usagi shifted uncomfortably in her seat. He was gonna *kill* her 
for having her stomach go off at a time like that.

	All you could hear was the clatter of the silverware. Luna 
coughed, and Artemis put his hand on her shoulder. They shared an 
understanding look and then faced forward to stare intently at Mamoru. 
He cringed, and Usagi looked over at him. Their eyes met, and locked 
again. 
	He'd been civil that night… not the normal, annoyingly private, 
crass pain in the butt she was used to. And she could tell that there 
was something different in his eyes too…

	Luna coughed again, drawing their attention to her, and this time 
it was Minako-chan giving the glaring looks. 

	She tried to start the small talk while bringing her fork to her 
mouth. "So how long have you two been working together?"
	"Actually, this is our first day together."
	"Wow…And everything's going okay?"
	They looked to each other, resisting the urge to laugh, and 
nodded. 
	
	Quiet.

	"So about the case…"
	As Minako asked more questions about his knowledge and his 
experience, Mamoru answered accordingly. Soon, Usagi put her elbow on 
the table, leaning against her hand, looking at Mamoru as he deftly 
went over all the information he knew about the crystal, which was the 
basics of the crystal itself, next to the legend. Usagi realized 
subconsciously that, for someone who knew only of those three jewel 
heists, Mamoru sure knew a lot about the Imperium Crystal…	
	"And Usagi-san…"
	"Huh?" Pulled out of her reverie by Minako's voice, she sat up, 
and in doing so, knocked over her fork. 
	"I'll get that," she and Mamoru said in unison. Bending over from 
where they sat, they both tried to retrieve the object, their hands 
brushing. He got to it first, and as they got up, Usagi had a slight 
blush on her cheeks.
	Mamoru wasn't too altogether with it, either. "Um…Here you go…"
	
	*Cough* *Cough*

	"Luna! Artemis!" Minako said through clenched teeth.  Why don't 
we go into the kitchen, get Usagi-san another fork, and get something 
for that *nasty* little *cough* of yours? Excuse us." Getting out of 
her chair, she motioned for the two to follow her, and they did, but 
not without looking at Mamoru again before the door closed behind them. 


	Usagi and Mamoru looked at each other, bewildered, when they 
heard a light 'What do you-?!', another cough, and then silence. 

	Only a minute later did the trio come out, Minako with a smug 
smile plastered onto her face, the other two returning to their seats 
quietly. The 'coughing' had stopped.
	
	"So…Nice weather we're having here, huh?"

	
	Finally, it was time to leave. After thanking them, Mamoru again 
bowed to them politely, and made his way out the door.
	Suddenly realizing that Usagi was not behind him, he turned to 
find the two women conversing at the doors. He stopped and watched 
them, trying to decipher their words. He was quite unsuccessful, for 
she quickly ended the conversation with an enthusiastic nod and a 
smile. 
	Running to catch up with him, Usagi slowed to a walk and her 
happy smile dimmed as she realized that he had been watching her the 
whole time. When she reached his side, her smile, although less 
radiant, appeared again. They walked silently side by side.
	It wasn't until they were in the car that he decided to confront 
her about her post-discussion with Minako. "So, Tsukino, what did you 
talk to Aino-san about?"
	"Eh?" She gulped, the idea that she was in the clear flying out 
the window. "I just…ummm…asked her a little bit about the crystal. 
That, and I wanted to know who did her hair." She almost smacked 
herself after the last careless remark. What had she been thinking? He 
must have thought that she was the most incredulous woman in the entire 
world. Oh well, that's what you get when you start to spin a web of 
deception… "I didn't get much info, though…her hairdresser isn't 
anywhere near my area." She laughed to herself a little, knowing that 
her less than knowledgeable answers were treading on thin ice with this 
stoic character. 
	Meanwhile, Mamoru looked at her skeptically. She was lying, and 
he knew perfectly well that she could sense that her little story was a 
*little* less than believable.  Part of him prompted him to ask her 
why she was acting this way, another tried to convince him that maybe 
she had a good reason not to tell him the truth, and that it would all 
come into the light sooner or later. 
	The latter won out.
	"That's too bad," he commented wryly, his voice suggesting that 
he knew more than he let on. "Maybe next time, huh?" 
	She grinned at him, grateful that he didn't ask her anything. 

	In the car, they quickly discussed what Mamoru had learned about 
the security system, and they didn't go over much about the crystal, as 
Mamoru, from extra research, had known a lot about it already. 
	During the rest of the quiet ride, he glanced over at her, and 
noticed something different about her. 
	"Ne, Tsukino."
	"Mmmhmm?"
	"Since when did you have that necklace?"
	She blushed. "This thing?" she asked, taking the heart shaped 
locket at the end of the gold chain and fingering it. "You sure are 
some investigator, Chiba, if you hadn't noticed me wearing this the 
whole day."
	He *knew* that she didn't have that on earlier. But, who knows, 
maybe he was just so crazy from the lack of his usual solo time that he 
was beginning to lose track of things.
	Oh well…

***
	When they reached the office, they decided that they would split 
up for a while, each of them working in their designated offices. He 
took his coat and placed it on the rack. This had been a long day… He 
sat back on his chair behind the mahogany desk, situated between two 
large bookcases at each wall, filled to the brim with books of all 
types-his personal collection. Sitting back to the point where the 
chair almost fell backwards, he looked up at the ceiling, looking for 
some sort of answer to the questions running through his head. 
	Those questions didn't focus only on the case…
	Looking back down at the desk, comparably neat and ordered 
compared to hers, he noticed a red light blinking on his black 
answering machine. Startled, he moved forward to push the button, and 
looked at the display screen next to it- two messages. With muttered 
words, he scolded himself. He'd never been so careless as to just walk 
into his office without checking his answering machine and his memos. 
	This must have been a crazy side effect from being…
	"Hi, this is Lieutenant Takashi from the local police department. 
We were told to disclose the information on Katarugi-san to you as soon 
as possible by our charge. We tried interrogating the suspect, but 
unfortunately, he refuses to cooperate and claims that he doesn't 
remember anything. Hope this helps you-if you have any questions, don't 
hesitate to call us at…"
	He clicked the button to get to the next message. It started, but 
he wasn't paying too much attention to it.
	'He refuses to answer…claims not to remember anything…' His 
suspicions were right. The last few suspects that were caught by the 
mysterious stranger also claimed to have a total lack of memory 
recollection. These weren't random crimes, either. Each one was 
carefully planned, the patterns were becoming more and more prevalent 
with each move. He knew more about this than anyone could fathom… 

	'Well, that wasn't *so* bad.' She sighed, taking a look at the 
clock. 'Wow,' she mused. 'We spent more time there than we had 
expected.' This new job would be a big adjustment-Not only to the lack 
of eating time, or the workload, but to her new partner… She reminisced 
about all the work they had accomplished that day, and her thoughts 
again laded on her partner, who kept ro himself more than she liked. 
'Why do all the cute ones have to be so horrible? What am I saying?!' 
 She smacked herself on the forehead, mentally scolding herself.
	"And if I want to get the mission over and done with, that means 
*focusing*." she muttered under her breath while the grin she had tried 
to stop began to spread. "Usagi, focus…" 
	She finally noticed the newspaper on her desk, already opened to 
the article on the crystal. Her brows knitted in concern, her mouth 
slightly agape. She was here for a reason, and she was going to complete 
her 'mission', no matter how long it took, no matter how many 
meals she missed…
	No matter how many times she'd get that really strange, 
unfamiliar feeling around her new partner…
	The phone, which had been hidden underneath the newspaper, began 
to sound with a shrill ring. Jumping to attention, she picked it up and 
quickly brought the portable to her ear. "Moshi moshi?"
	Silence.
	"Ne, moshi moshi?" 
	The words came as if mumbled. "Who is this?" she continued. 
	"Usagi-baka! Turn the phone right side up!" Rei's muffled yell 
called out.
	Blushing with embarrassment,  Usagi flipped the phone to it's 
proper position, and sweatdropped. "Gomen, Rei-chan! I'm new at this!"
	"You're new at being a detective, not answering the phone!"
	"You surprised me!"
	Rei continued to drive her red sports car, her cell phone cradled 
between her neck and her shoulder. The car came to a stop at a red 
light, and she took her hand off the steering wheel and used it to put 
the phone to her ear. "Usagi, I'm going to be late, there's a lot of 
traffic, and the meeting with my client turned out to be much longer 
than I anticipated," she said, a grin forming on her lips with the 
memory. "Do you mind?"
	Usagi, taking another desperate look at the clock, didn't argue. 
"It's not a problem, I can wait."
	"I'll drive her home," a masculine voice interrupted. Usagi's 
blush flamed. "Mamoru-san!" 
	"Ne, Tsukino, is there a button on the phone that says 
'conference call' next to it?"
	She looked down in shock. "Hai."
	"Is it pressed?"
	"…Hai," she grumbled.
	"Make sure you check it next time, ne, Tsukino?" 
	Rei listened intently to the discussion. 'So he already had a 
'pet name' for her, huh?' This was something totally new. Of all the 
years that she had known Mamoru, he never showed any interest in women 
other than friendship, despite futile attempts from women that fawned 
over him. He *never* talked to women as casually or informally as he 
talked to 'Tsukino'. Maybe calling her by her last name, something she 
hadn't heard from him before,  was, in his own way, affectionate. His 
voice sure sounded like it. It had only been one day with Usagi, and he 
was opening up at an amazing rate. 
	Unbeknownst to them, Rei had a devilish scheme forming in her 
head, going a little off tangent to her friends original plan. Okay, 
going off on a *big* tangent.  
	"That's a *wonderful* idea, Mamoru-kun. I'd *really* appreciate 
this. Well then, I'll be off. Call you later Usagi. Arigatou, Mamoru-
kun!" The traffic light turned green, and cars behind her began to beep 
their horns at her delay. "Sayonara!" She put her foot on the gas 
pedal.
	"But Rei-chan."
	Click.
	"Mamoru-kun…Mamoru-kun!  Hey, are you listening to me?" she said 
into the phone. 
	"I could hear you from a mile away, of course I'm listening," he 
joked, walking through the door adjoining their rooms." He was already 
wearing his coat, the keys jingling in his hand. "Ready to go?"
	'Rei-chan was right when she said that he was punctual. Geez.' 
Putting the phone back, she got up and swiftly moved to the coat rack, 
her back facing him. She took her time, letting the blush on her cheeks 
die down a bit before turning to face him. "Okay, let's go," she 
mumbled, brushing past him to go out the other door. 

	The silent car ride that would pass, where Usagi would turn on 
the radio and they'd mumble a few words to each other, was almost 
becoming tradition with these two. Almost. When they neared Usagi's 
apartment, she started to laugh a little, joking about the dinner, and 
Luna and Artemis' tendency to watch others…like hawks. By the time they 
reached her home, they were in the middle of a dispute about how many 
times Minako had butted in with another corny joke to lighten the mood.

	Usagi stood outside the car door, silently taking in the night 
atmosphere. The wind blew, shifting her hair so that it briefly 
flittered in the air, the light of the moon making it shimmer. He 
caught his breath. 
	She bent down towards the open window. "So… It's been quite a 
day, eh, Mamoru-baka?" She slipped in the last part, more as a joke 
then anything. 
	He smiled, a pure, genuine smile. "Yeah…"
	"I'll see you tomorrow morning then?"
	"Bright and early. We have a lot of work to do. And you better be 
there on *time* this time, Odango."
	"Stop calling me that! Fine then. I'm gonna go in." She turned 
around, quickly retreating from her uncomfortable position to the 
warmth of a home. "And don't decide to grow *too* tyrannical on me 
overnight!" 
	"Oh, I'll try, Tsukino." He called to her from the car.
	She froze, and looked over her shoulder. "Good night, Mamoru-
baka."

*****
	Usagi locked the door, leaned against it, and sighed. Boy, what a 
day. She felt the energy seem to drain out of her. She kicked her shoes 
onto a nearby pile of newspapers strewn across the floor. She followed 
the pile to the funnies opened on her living room table, and a pile of 
unopened mail. 
	'This place is a mess!' she thought to herself. Sure, you could 
always count on her room to be a total pigsty when she was younger, but 
she had matured and taken on her responsibilities. But she was just so 
busy this past week with everything that had come up that she had no 
time to work on her new home.
	She stepped over the mess to get over to her room, passing over 
an article entitled,' The Eternal Senshi-Fact or Fiction?'. Giving 
herself a mental note to read that later, she lay back on her bed. 
	Just then, she noticed the blinking red light on her dresser 
drawer. Leaning over to press the button, she was greeted with a 
familiar voice. "Hey, Klutz!"
	She smiled when she heard her, even if Rei *was* making fun of 
her. "So, how are you doing? No, this isn't a prank call I just wanted 
to make sure…see how you are doing. Look, I have to tell you something 
important but-"
	Click.
	"Stupid tape!" she cried as she realized what had happened. Her 
tape was full. 'Yes, this day could get worse…Well, it must be 
important…I guess I should call her back and see what's up.' As her 
finger touched the cordless phone, it rang, and she jumped back. "Ahh!"
	'Geez, she must be a better psychic than I thought.'

	"Good to see that you got home all right."
	"Rei-chan! Hi!"
	"So…she chided with childlike curiosity, "How was the ride home?"
	"It was…okay."
	"Just okay?"
	"Yeah…Why do you ask?"
	"Just wondering. How was your first day on the job? Find any 
information on this guy?"
	"We tried. And Minako-chan started *Phase II*."
	"Good, I wanted to make sure that she did."
	"Rei-chan…I don't think we're going to find any leads."
	"Why do you say that?"
	"Is Mamoru-kun being a good partner?"
	"You should've warned me that he could be a real *jerk* 
sometimes."
	"Oh really?" What did he do now?"
	"Well, first he leaves to check up on the case without me, and 
then he's like Jack Frost for the rest of the day. I honestly think 
that sometimes he doesn't want to work with me. And it just doesn't 
feel right for me to be there when he's so distant."
	She heard Rei sigh aimlessly on the other end of the line. "If 
you'd been here on time, maybe he would've waited."
	"Not my fault I overslept- since Ami-chan is in Germany, we ended 
up talking really late last night, and then there was that whole thing 
with deciding on not using my car for the next couple of weeks."
	"Someone will figure out something from the car-that's 
unavoidable."
	"I know…But what about Mamoru-baka? Even the car rides are 
strange."
	"Usagi, you gotta understand more about Mamoru-*kun*." Another 
sigh escaped her throat. "You're right, I should've talked to you 
before about this, but it was so sudden… You see, he's more of 
the…strong, silent type. He keeps to himself a lot. That's just the way 
he works." 
	"Then why did he agree to the partnership?"
	"Usagi…he owed me…a favor."
	"Oh."
	"Gomen ne. I didn't mean to stick you in a situation like this, 
but you know how important going through with this plan is, and I 
didn't think that something like this would be affecting it." 
	"No, it's fine…"
	"Don't worry about it, Usagi. I have to tell you, I really think 
that you and Mamoru will work well together so that we can figure out 
everything. Just give it time."
	"Sure."

	Beep.
	
	"Rei-chan, can you hold on a sec, I have another call."
	"Hiya girl."
	"Hi Minako-chan! I have Rei-chan on the other line, do you wanna 
talk to her?"
	"Yeah!"
	"Hey Minako-chan."
	"Ne, Rei-chan, why didn't you ever tell me that your co-worker is 
gorgeous?!"
	"Minako-chan…"
	"Oh, don't worry, Usagi-chan, he's all yours." 
	Usagi envisioned Minako-chan smiling like a Cheshire cat. "No 
way!" She groaned, and looked over to her bedside table to see a framed 
picture of her and all of her friends. Picking it up, she examined it 
more closely. Friends since they were in middle school…Destined to mean 
more to each other than they each realized. 
	Looking at the picture of Makoto, she froze. "Minna…I need to 
talk to you…It's about Mako-chan and the burglary."
	There was a silence at all ends of the line, and taking a deep 
breath, Usagi spilled all the info that she knew on Neph's involvement 
in the robbery. 
	They already knew about it.
	Minako mentioned that Makoto looked weary when she came to the 
mansion to drop off a dinner she had prepared for no reason. Makoto had 
just said she was tired for a late night. 
	Rei said that she had stopped by Mako-chan's place earlier, but 
she never said anything, at first. 
	Eventually, Makoto had told them, and each of them tried to 
comfort her. Minako didn't want to mention it to Usagi at the time 
because of Mamoru's presence. They knew that Mako-chan might need some 
time alone, but they all made a vow to talk to her the next day 
together, because,  well, sadness from heartbreak is not a burden one 
can handle alone, as much as the person may want to.
	Speaking of getting friends together…
	"What about Ami-chan?"
	They also discussed the fact that Ami-chan was supposed to return 
from Germany either tomorrow or the next day, leaving the decision to 
whether or not she felt that her work was done. They continued to go 
over that, and decided to send Ami a fax concerning the progress on the 
mission, in addition to what they knew about Makoto.

	After a strange silence, not one often found in a conversation 
between them, Minako coughed, and mumbled, "Everything's going 
according to plan, so there isn't really anything to worry about."
	"But what about the burglaries?"
	"We're working on investigations ourselves, so if you two don't 
find out what's going on, we will, okay?"
	"Sure…"
	"Now get a good nights rest."
	"Yeah, yeah, I know, bright and early tomorrow. Goodnight guys."
	"Good night," they chimed in unison, and hung up. 
	Shutting off the phone, she silently got up, took a quick shower, 
and dressed into her nightgown, emitting a small yawn every now and 
then. Taking the already discarded necklace and gently placing it on 
her night stand, she plopped herself back onto the bed and stared at 
the ceiling. 
	After a good five minutes of nothing, she frustratingly picked up 
the TV remote to her side and clicked the power button. The screen 
flashed on, the words "Attempted jewel heists" forming at the news 
anchor's mouth. She groaned, and shut the TV off just as quickly as she 
had turned it on. Turning onto her side, she sighed. Her thoughts 
drifted. What would tomorrow be like? Would Mako-chan be all right? 
	Getting her optimism back, she thought about tomorrow as a better 
day, where they'd solve what they wanted to solve, their problems would 
be over and done with, and she wouldn't have to go around hiding things 
behind a certain person's back. After traveling into deep 
contemplation, she fell into a deep sleep. The last vision she had 
before she closed her heavy eyelids left a contented smile across her 
sleepy face.

	Before going home to his apartment, Mamoru went back to HQ to 
lock up. Upstairs in the research room, he was putting stray papers 
away when his eyes drifted back to the phone. He remembered that incident 
earlier that day when Usagi was 'talking to herself'.
	Temptation hit, and as much as he told himself that he shouldn't-
that it wasn't right, he did it.
	Moving to the phone, he looked at the caller ID and pressed the 
button to go back to previous calls. There was the call from Rei, the 
call from the precinct and that second call, an unidentified caller 
(which was probably from Aino-san) and then…
	Bingo. Kino Makoto.
	'Tsukino has some explaining to do.'

End Day 1
~~~~~~~~~


If you made it this far through this really really long part, 
congratulations, and arigatou! 
(Sorry, no prizes ^_^')

What's the rest of the plan?
Is anyone wondering what's in that damned bottom drawer? 
Or what Mamoru's second message was? 
How many cups of coffee can the duo go through without hitting a pure 
caffeine high?
Am I ever going to write this much for a one day description ever again? 
AHHH!

Well? What did you think? 
::goes on hands and knees:: FEEDBACK!!!! Feedback for the crazy lady, 
PLEEEZE!!!!!!

Startear42@aol.com