Sailor Moon is copyright 1992 by Naoko Takeuchi.
North American Rights for Sailor Moon are owned by
D.I.C.

'Before You Go Tomorrow' is copyright 1999 Monica
Castillo Music (BMI), sung by One Voice.

Rating: PG

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

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Before You Go Tomorrow ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


     "I can't leave you
	But I know you can't stay
	I never thought our love could up this way
	And I can't imagine
	Living life without you now
	How could this happen
	That your love let me down

	I never thought I'd feel so much hurt inside
	So much to even let down my pride
	And I know it's over now
	So darlin' help me out

	(chorus)
	Before you go tomorrow
	Just love me today
	Whisper you'll stay with me
	Tread softly as you walk away

	My love of a lifetime
	Had left suddenly
	I thought 'I love you' could go on endlessly
	And I can't believe you
	That you could go on
	There's no way out
	I'm not that strong

	Now my thoughts are staring into your eyes
	And my heart just wants to ask you why
	Why did this have to be
	That you're leaving me

	(chorus)

	There's no sense in denying
	I know that I'm just
	Lying to myself
	I need your help so don't go away no, no
	Just give me one more night
	To help make things right
	'Cause I don't believe
	That you'd wanna leave
	And end it this way

	(chorus - 2x)

	Don't leave me now
	Just stay with me tonight
	For tomorrow
	We will say
	Goodbye"


^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^


	"JUPITER, MOVE!!"

	Faintly, Jupiter heard Mars scream at her.  She
was so dizzy, so tired.  She moved as fast as her
groggy mind could comprehend, which at the moment
happened to be too slow.  She turned to look through
blurry eyes at the attack that had marked her
'Target.'  She tried to stumble out of its way.

	Sailor Moon saw the struggling Jupiter and her
eyes widened.  She was closer than Mars was.  She
launched her body into Jupiter's and felt the dark
energy scorch her legs.  The two fell limply to the
ground.

	Sailor Moon heard Mars cry out in alarm.  She
heard, or more so felt the gush and sprinkle of a
water attack.  'Ami's here.'  She felt Jupiter
squirming, trying to get up.  'Because I'm on her,'
she recognized hazily.

	Painfully, she raised herself to her knees and
tried to help Jupiter out, holding her hand out
blindly, while attempting to clear her head of the
blinking white lights.

	The two stood up unsteadily, holding each other
for support.  Venus had finally arrived.  The three
senshi had managed to keep the youma's attention
focused on them.

	"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"

	The attack from behind surprised the youma, and
it staggered for a moment before turning its fury
upon the two senshi.

	"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

	The youma raised its arm appendages and struck
them down into the earth.  The ground vibrated with
the blast and threw everyone, except himself, off
balance.

	Sailor Moon hit the floor hard, landing on her
back and hitting her head.  She found herself waking
up, staring at the youma, who more or less grinned in
triumph.  Its tentacles reached out and wrapped
themselves around her elbows, pinning her firmly to
the ground.

	Her body convulsed violently as the youma
drained her energy.  Her body jerked fiercely in
every way.  Her skin seared and everything burned.
She felt herself weaken and consciousness began to
fade.  She heard Mercury stop someone's attack.
Something about hurting Sailor Moon.  'They're
talking about me,' she thought vaguely.

	Indistinctly, she heard, "Rin, pyou, tou, sha,
kai, jin, retsu, sai, zan! Akuryou taisan!"

	The youma froze, unable to move.  Venus's Love
Me Chain wrapped around its waist and she jerked
tightly.  It was forced to sit back onto its rear and
Sailor Moon was brought to her feet by the same tug.
She hung limply in the youma's grip.

	Mars yelled, "What do we do?  The spell won't
last forever!"

	"Mercury, freeze it!"

	Despite her pain, the imprisoned senshi had to
smile faintly.  'He came . . .'

	"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

	Sailor Moon felt the cold attack that touched
her slightly, but affected the youma more.

	Tuxedo Kamen rushed over and using his cane,
struck the youma's arms until they broke off like
icicles.  He lowered Sailor Moon to the ground and
unwound the youma's decapitated limbs from her body.

	"Cover her!" Mars ordered.

	Without knowing why, he did, crouching so his
cape covered both of them fully.

	"Burning Mandala!"

	Tuxedo Kamen felt the heat of the attack on his
back.  The youma had been incinerated.

	Under the velvet cover of the cape, Sailor Moon
smiled weakly and unsurely.  "You came," she
whispered hoarsely.

	He swallowed visibly.

	She tried to raise a hand to touch his cheek.

	But he turned his face away and stopped her
hand in its ascent.

	The pain of her battered body was nothing
compared to the pain of her soul caused by that
rejection.  She closed her eyes, with a stifling sob.

	Four guardians hovered over his shoulder.

	"Is she okay?" Mercury asked worriedly.

	Tuxedo Kamen raised his masked face to answer,
but had no need to.

	"I'm fine," she coughed out throatily.  She
struggled to sit up.

	She closed her eyes and pressed her palms into
the ground as dizziness overcame her.

	"She can't go home like this," Venus said.

	"I know.  But where can we send her?" Mars bit
her lip unsurely.  "We can't take her to the jinja.
My grandfather and Yuuichirou."

	"Jupiter, you're the only one who can take
her," Mercury decided.

	Frantically, Jupiter shook her head.

	Astounded, Mars asked, "Why not?"

	"_I_ don't know what to do with her!  What if
something happens?  I wouldn't know what to do.  I'm
not the doctor!  _You_ take her!"

	"I said, I'm fine!" The assertion came out
rather weak.

	"I can't.  My mom's at home."

	"I'll take her."

	The deep voice sent chills down Sailor Moon's
spine.  Her throat closed up.

	"There's no need," she replied shakily.  "I'll
be okay.  I just need to rest."

	"Your parents will freak if they see you like
this."  Mars looked at Tuxedo Kamen, unsurely.  "I
suppose if Mercury can't take you, then this is our
only other option."

	"Iie," she said weakly.  "My parents will never
know."

	"Don't be stupid," Mars tried to scold.

	Venus took a hold of Sailor Moon and hauled her
to her feet.  "C'mon.  You _can't_ go home.  You know
that as well as we do.  Merc can't take you.  You
have to go with him."

	Venus squeezed her hand reassuringly.  Now
Usagi, she looked at the senshi of love, begging with
her eyes.

	Venus knew the look that Usagi was giving her.
'Don't do this to me.  You know I can't go with him.
Please!  You, of all people, don't make me.'

	She reverted back to Minako.  Again she
murmured regretfully, "You have to."

	She slowly removed Usagi's arm from around her
shoulders.  She placed it around Mamoru's waist and
let the tall man take her place in supporting Usagi.

	"Try to get her back to her house around
sunrise," Ami requested quietly.

	Mamoru nodded his head once.

	Makoto went to Usagi, squeezing her arm
imploringly.  Usagi looked at her and smiled faintly.
Makoto knew that Usagi knew she wasn't doing this on
purpose.

	Mamoru turned his body slowly, holding Usagi
firmly around her waist.  Usagi noticed the movement
and took the hint.

	"I'll see you guys later," she said in a
defeated voice.

	The two proceeded slowly out of sight.  And
there was nothing for the remaining four to do,
except go home themselves and pray that their friend
would survive the night.


^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^


	Usagi felt dizzy.  She walked unsteadily.  It
was partially, mostly because of the attack.  But
there was an additional cause.

	Mamoru.

	It wasn't cologne.  It was just the way he
smelled.  Everyone had a certain odor, and Usagi
couldn't take the sweet scent of Mamoru, especially
after so long.  She stumbled over the uneven
sidewalk.  'Please, God, just let me get through
tonight.  Please, please, please . . .'

	Mamoru glanced down at the faltering girl.  He
was inclined to wrap his arms around her lithe frame,
sweep her off her feet, hold her close to his chest,
apologize until his heart was free of the guilty
burden that the Fates had bestowed upon him, kiss her
until she knew what she meant to him, until she knew
all the frantic passion that his heart pumped through
his veins for her, only for her . . .

	But he couldn't.  It wouldn't be fair.  Not if
things couldn't stay that way.  And they couldn't.
Not until he had figured out those God-forsaken
dreams . . .


^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^


	Usagi sat trembling on Mamoru's couch.

	"Are you cold?"

	She shook her head.  'Cold?  COLD?  What kind
of question is that?'

	He went about his task once more, knowing she
wasn't cold; that she shook because of him.  He
applied more cream to her calves.  Although the youma
had drained energy out of Usagi more than anything
else, if hit by the dark energy, the afflicted area
ended up as a slight burn.


^ ^ ^ Usagi ^ ^ ^

	Tiny tremors rushed through my body as Mamoru
carefully applied the cold cream to my burning skin.
He hadn't even looked at me directly once.  I became
entranced with his dark hair, looking at it
longingly.  I remembered the silky strands that had
yielded to my touch when I had entwined my fingers in
his hair as he cupped my neck, forcing me to tilt
upwards and respond to his ravaging lips-

	"Usagi!"

	I snapped out of my thoughts to look directly
into Mamoru's impatient, worried gaze.

	"You spaced out.  Are you okay?"

	"Hai," I squeaked, looking down.


^ ^ ^ Mamoru ^ ^ ^


	She had had a glazed tint to her eyes.  She had
looked as if she were experiencing a pleasant dream.
As she said, "Hai," her cheeks reddened in
embarrassment.

	Not only had I rejected her, but I had
humiliated her.  I hadn't meant to.  But I couldn't
stand looking at her like that.  She had looked so
picturesque.  So charming and beautiful that I was
afraid if she stayed like that much longer, I
wouldn't be able to restrain myself from touching
her.


^ ^ ^ Usagi ^ ^ ^


	"Usagi, I should apply the cream to your elbows
as well."

	I nodded, grimacing as I remembered that the
youma's arms had singed my skin in taking my energy.

	As I tugged my sleeve up above my elbow, I
began to feel drowsy.

	He knelt on the floor, leaning against the
couch to apply the medicine.  It stung slightly.
Soon, it became a dull pain.

	My surroundings became rather hazy.  I felt my
eyelids drift down and I jerked myself awake.  I
looked at Mamoru, who pretended not to notice.  I
kept my half-open eyes on him.  Too tired to care
when he returned my gaze.

	I felt mentally exhausted, and my body ached
all over.

	"Tired?"

	I nodded sleepily.

	"C'mon."

	He stood up, his tall frame looming over me.
He held out his hand and I took it, holding it
loosely.  I stood up and looked at him.

	He slowly led me to his bedroom.  I stumbled
along, the floor tipping this way and that
occasionally, Mamoru gripping my hand to steady me.

	As soon as we were through the door, I released
his hand and dragged myself to his bed.  I crawled to
the middle of his king-sized bed, not bothering to go
under the sheets.  I was beat and needed my sleep.  I
curled up into a fetal position, hugging a pillow.

	"Just wake me up at 2," I mumbled into the
pillow, closing my eyes and drifting off into the
beckoning darkness I so desired.


^ ^ ^ Mamoru ^ ^ ^


	As she staggered to my bed, I prayed that she
was not as bad as I thought she might be.

	I nodded once to her statement and waited until
I could hear her steady breathing.  I stood beside
the bed, watching her inhale and exhale.  In her
school uniform.  Her hair disheveled and tangled.
Her face old and tired.  Her tiny body curled up into
a little ball.

	And although I knew what a heavy sleeper she
was, I refrained from touching her.

	"Good night, Usako," I whispered, before
quietly stealing out of the room.


^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^


	Eventually, Mamoru drifted off into sleep on
the couch.  Only to be awakened several hours later
by a noise.  He groggily acknowledged that it was
coming from his bedroom.

	He quickly threw his blanket off his body and
hurried to the room.

	Usagi had thrown her own blanket off.  It lay
tangled among her legs.  Her hair was spread and
twisted about her body.  Her head thrashed from side
to side.  Her face contorted in pain.

	She was crying in her sleep.

	Quickly, Mamoru sat on the bed and grasped her
shoulder, shaking her a bit.

	"Shhh.  Wake up, Usagi.  It's only a dream.
It's okay," he whispered tenderly, placing his free
hand on her cheek.

	She woke up; her eyes opened slowly, frightened
and disoriented.

	When her eyes focused on him, she began to sob.
She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to curl
up into a ball again.

	But Mamoru wouldn't let her.

	He sat her up gently.  "What's wrong?" he
asked, one hand on her shoulder, the other by her
side pressing into the bed.

	She bent her head, sniffling, and shook her
head quietly.

	"Usagi . . ."

	She began to weep harder.  At a loss as to what
to do, he wrapped his arms around her loosely.
Immediately, she moved closer to him and cried into
his chest, still embracing herself.

	"Onegai . . ." she pleaded, the request muffled
by his shirt.

	He drew back slightly, afraid of her words.

	Her tear-filled eyes looked at him, begging.
"Please . . ." she said again, throatily.

	"Please what, Usagi?" he asked, pulling her
hair away from her face.

	"Don't leave me . . ." she whispered.

	He drew away.  "Usagi."

	She grabbed onto his shirt desperately.  "Just
for tonight.  Please," she began to sob again.
"Onegai, don't leave me tonight.  That dream . . . it
was . . . I don't . . ." She looked at him, having
let go of his shirt to wrap her arms around herself.
"Don't leave me, tonight.  Don't leave me alone.  I
can't be alone . . . I can't . . ."

	Her shoulders shook and she rocked herself back
and forth, seeking solace.

	Mamoru was torn.  He had never seen her so
frantic and despondent.

	But what about his premonition?

	Her soft cries drew his compassion.  She was so
small.  So helpless.

	He knew that feeling.  He knew first-hand what
it was like to wake up afraid because of a dream.  He
knew the dread, the terror, the fright . . .


^ ^ ^ Mamoru ^ ^ ^


	Just for tonight.  I'll do this, just one
night.  She needs me.

	That's what I told myself to excuse my actions.
But the truth?

	_I_ needed her.

	The last excuse I gave to the rational section
of my mind:

	To hell with it.

	I sat down next to her and hugged her close.
She turned into me and clung to my shoulders, weeping
still.  I began to stroke her soft hair.

	"It's okay, Usa.  I'm here.  I won't let
anything happen to you."

	She sobbed even harder.

	"I don't know what to do," she cried.

	"Don't do anything.  Just cry.  I'm here.  I'll
take care of it."

	Any and all inhibitions to stay away from her
flew through the door.  All that mattered was making
sure she was all right.  Caring for her.  Loving her.

	She pressed her face into my shirt and breathed
deeply.  Trying to calm herself.  Her arms dropped to
my waist.

	I leaned so we fell into the pillows.  I laid
there, stroking her back and holding her tight.

	Eventually, she fell asleep again.  When I
finally noticed, I began to move away.  But Usagi's
grip on me tightened.

	Her eyes popped open, startled and anxious.
"You said you were going to stay," she said
desperately, on the brink of tears.

	"I am," I quickly replied.  "I am."

	I moved back to my previous position to prove
myself.

	Several hours later, she began writhing again.
She cried out, anguished.

	I held her firmly in my arms, while calling to
her.

	"Usagi!  Usako!"

	She calmed without waking.

	"It's okay, baby," I murmured into her hair.
"I've got you.  I'm here."

	And we curled up to sleep once again.


^ ^ ^ Usagi ^ ^ ^


	I woke as dawn broke.  It was a beautiful
sight, at least what I could see of it shining
through the windows.  I didn't want to move from my
position.  I was in the arms of my love and, God, he
looked beautiful.

	I touched his cheek gently, once only as I did
not want to wake him.

	I nearly wept at the thought of leaving him.
And my heart wrenched as I thought of what he did for
me during the night.

	I knew I had had a fever.  And amidst the haze
of memories, I knew I had begged him to stay . . .
and he had.

	I swallowed as I recalled the night.  After I
fell asleep, I had dreamt.

	There was a darkness.  A looming shadow.  It
chased me through the foggy dream.  Threatening to
consume me as well as the ones I loved.

	I felt it invade my body.  Suffocating me.
Strangling me.  Coldness overcame me.  I shivered
when a cold, strong wind blew by.  I felt goose
bumps.  I felt weak and tired.

	I felt like I was dying.

	I began to cry, unable to produce sound.  I
attempted screaming and yelling.  To no avail.

	And then I heard his voice.  Pulling me
through.

	And I woke up.  And he was there.  And he
wouldn't leave me.

	He didn't love me.  He had claimed it wasn't
meant to be.  He had said it was better that way.

	And I had cried and I had wept.  Not knowing
why.  Not knowing if I could handle why.  Never in my
life had I felt as alone as when he said that to me.
I had wanted to die.

	But not anymore.

	Because he didn't leave me.

	Slowly and carefully I inched out of his bed.
He stirred as I did so.

	I bent over, tilting my head as I gazed at him
wanting to remember him this way, at this moment.  I
smiled, sadly.

	"Arigato, Mamo-chan," I whispered.  "Thank you
for loving me last night.  Because now," I choked a
bit.  "Now, at least I have that."


^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^


	Usagi crept to the front door.  She slipped her
shoes on quietly.  She could hear the birds chirping
at each other outside.

	She looked sorrowfully about the apartment once
more.  As if saying a final good-bye.

	'Thank you for last night,' she said mentally.
Not really knowing whom she said it to.

	She closed the door behind her and as she
walked down the hallway, her vision became a watery
blur.  She struggled to keep walking and not turn
back.

	"At least I had last night."

	And she knew that was enough to give her
strength for the upcoming battles - whatever they
might be.

	Because hope is all the strength one ever
needs.


^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

	"I can't leave you
	But I know you can't stay
	I never thought our love could up this way
	And I can't imagine
	Living life without you now
	How could this happen
	That your love let me down

	I never thought I'd feel so much hurt inside
	So much to even let down my pride
	And I know it's over now
	So darlin' help me out

	(chorus)
	Before you go tomorrow
	Just love me today
	Whisper you'll stay with me
	Tread softly as you walk away

	My love of a lifetime
	Had left suddenly
	I thought 'I love you' could go on endlessly
	And I can't believe you
	That you could go on
	There's no way out
	I'm not that strong

	Now my thoughts are staring into your eyes
	And my heart just wants to ask you why
	Why did this have to be
	That you're leaving me

	(chorus)

	There's no sense in denying
	I know that I'm just
	Lying to myself
	I need your help so don't go away no, no
	Just give me one more night
	To help make things right
	'Cause I don't believe
	That you'd wanna leave
	And end it this way

	(chorus - 2x)

	Don't leave me now
	Just stay with me tonight
	For tomorrow
	We will say
	Goodbye"


~ ~ ~ End ~ ~ ~


Author's Notes:

	Isn't that such a beautiful song?  *sigh*

	Well, it wasn't as angst-y as I had hoped it
would be but eh.  Whatcha gonna do?

	Thanx for reading guyz!  Ciao!!!

HoNeY
hnymustd@hotmail.com
hunilove01
03/04/01