(no subject)
Title: Reunion VII - At Long Last
Author: Raya
Theme: All In the Family / Reunion
Genre: Drama / General
Version: Manga (post StarS / pre Crystal Tokyo)
Rating: G
Word Count: ~TBD
Disclaimer: Ikuko, Kenji, Shingo, Mamoru, Usagi, and ChibiUsa belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I have merely cut out these photographs, stuck them on popsicle sticks, and used them as puppets in my old fashioned home theater.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism and general comments. Please let me know if you see something that you like or that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
Reunion VII - At Long Last
Usagi studied the good looking, middle aged man in front of her with frightened yet wondering eyes. 'It can't be... Shingo... Shingo is at work. The reunion was last week. It can't be them. It can't...' Usagi tore her eyes away from her brother's concerned face and looked at the other people behind him.
No one looked familiar. Until, that is, her blue eyes found the gaze of the elderly woman seated on a folding chair next to the blanket. Those witchhazel eyes were easily recognizable despite the tears and age that clouded them. “Mama...” Usagi's gaze jerked to the frail, elderly man sitting next to her. Yes, those green eyes, so like Shingo's... “Papa...”
“Usagi...” Ikuko called in a trembling voice as she tried to push her way up out of the chair. “Oh... Usagi!”
Still concerned that he had accidentally frightened the young woman, Shingo turned towards his mother, and then quickly walked to her side to help her. “No, Mama, not Usagi. Usagi's daughter. Um...” He flushed a little as his mind scrambled to remember his niece's name.
“ChibiUsa?” Ikuko said questioningly as she began to walk towards the small family on the path. “No... That's Usagi. I would know her anywhere!”
Usagi pressed back into Mamoru once more, trying to escape. He held steady, his hands gently squeezing her shoulders in reassurance.
“No, Mama, she's too young to be Onee-san,” Shingo replied as he shook his head. He looked back towards the couple, hoping that his niece had calmed down. “But it's incredible. She looks so much... like...” His voice trailed off in disbelief as he finally got a good look at the man standing behind Usagi.
No. It was impossible. There was no way it could be. Shingo stumbled to a stop, staring wide eyed at the tall, dark haired man in shock. “Chiba-san?”
Mamoru's gaze flicked to his brother-in-law, and then returned to his wife's mother as she came to a stop beside the pram. “It's good to see you again, Tsukino-san,” he said quietly as he gave the elderly woman a smile.
“You... You set this up.” Usagi stiffened, and then jerked away from her husband. Spinning around, she faced him furiously. “How... Why?! Why did you do this! Why?” Her tone changed from angry to hurt and bewildered as her shoulders sagged. “Why?” In the pram beside her, ChibiUsa began to cry.
“Usa...” He reached for her, but stopped and let his hand fall when she flinched away. He tried to think of something to say, some way to reassure her, but nothing came to mind. Fortunately, his mother-in-law had no such problem so with relief Mamoru turned to comfort the baby instead.
“Usagi,” Ikuko cried as she wrapped her arms around her long lost daughter. “Oh Usagi, is it really, really you? I can't believe it. It's been so long! So long!”
Tentatively, Usagi turned and reached her arms around the elderly woman. “Mama? Oh Mama!” Dropping her head onto Ikuko's shoulder, she tightened her grip into a fierce hug and began to cry. It had been so long since she had felt that achingly familiar touch, smelled that wonderful fragrance that equated to comfort and safety in her subconscious.
A gentle touch on her head made her lift it, and she stared into her father's eyes for one long moment. Then, with a wordless cry, Usagi threw herself at him. Mamoru reached out quickly to steady the elderly man, and then let go with a smile as Kenji was supported by both Ikuko and Usagi in a three way hug.
Shingo watched the surreal scene wondering if he had somehow fallen asleep. It was not possible. Usagi was almost sixty. Mamoru was even older than that. And yet... And yet... The couple standing there looking younger than his children was definitely his sister and her husband. Swaying a little, he fell into his mother's abandoned chair.
Just one more to go, I think... :/ Hope you liked this part. For some reason, it was difficult to force out...
Author: Raya
Theme: All In the Family / Reunion
Genre: Drama / General
Version: Manga (post StarS / pre Crystal Tokyo)
Rating: G
Word Count: ~TBD
Disclaimer: Ikuko, Kenji, Shingo, Mamoru, Usagi, and ChibiUsa belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I have merely cut out these photographs, stuck them on popsicle sticks, and used them as puppets in my old fashioned home theater.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism and general comments. Please let me know if you see something that you like or that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
Reunion VII - At Long Last
Usagi studied the good looking, middle aged man in front of her with frightened yet wondering eyes. 'It can't be... Shingo... Shingo is at work. The reunion was last week. It can't be them. It can't...' Usagi tore her eyes away from her brother's concerned face and looked at the other people behind him.
No one looked familiar. Until, that is, her blue eyes found the gaze of the elderly woman seated on a folding chair next to the blanket. Those witchhazel eyes were easily recognizable despite the tears and age that clouded them. “Mama...” Usagi's gaze jerked to the frail, elderly man sitting next to her. Yes, those green eyes, so like Shingo's... “Papa...”
“Usagi...” Ikuko called in a trembling voice as she tried to push her way up out of the chair. “Oh... Usagi!”
Still concerned that he had accidentally frightened the young woman, Shingo turned towards his mother, and then quickly walked to her side to help her. “No, Mama, not Usagi. Usagi's daughter. Um...” He flushed a little as his mind scrambled to remember his niece's name.
“ChibiUsa?” Ikuko said questioningly as she began to walk towards the small family on the path. “No... That's Usagi. I would know her anywhere!”
Usagi pressed back into Mamoru once more, trying to escape. He held steady, his hands gently squeezing her shoulders in reassurance.
“No, Mama, she's too young to be Onee-san,” Shingo replied as he shook his head. He looked back towards the couple, hoping that his niece had calmed down. “But it's incredible. She looks so much... like...” His voice trailed off in disbelief as he finally got a good look at the man standing behind Usagi.
No. It was impossible. There was no way it could be. Shingo stumbled to a stop, staring wide eyed at the tall, dark haired man in shock. “Chiba-san?”
Mamoru's gaze flicked to his brother-in-law, and then returned to his wife's mother as she came to a stop beside the pram. “It's good to see you again, Tsukino-san,” he said quietly as he gave the elderly woman a smile.
“You... You set this up.” Usagi stiffened, and then jerked away from her husband. Spinning around, she faced him furiously. “How... Why?! Why did you do this! Why?” Her tone changed from angry to hurt and bewildered as her shoulders sagged. “Why?” In the pram beside her, ChibiUsa began to cry.
“Usa...” He reached for her, but stopped and let his hand fall when she flinched away. He tried to think of something to say, some way to reassure her, but nothing came to mind. Fortunately, his mother-in-law had no such problem so with relief Mamoru turned to comfort the baby instead.
“Usagi,” Ikuko cried as she wrapped her arms around her long lost daughter. “Oh Usagi, is it really, really you? I can't believe it. It's been so long! So long!”
Tentatively, Usagi turned and reached her arms around the elderly woman. “Mama? Oh Mama!” Dropping her head onto Ikuko's shoulder, she tightened her grip into a fierce hug and began to cry. It had been so long since she had felt that achingly familiar touch, smelled that wonderful fragrance that equated to comfort and safety in her subconscious.
A gentle touch on her head made her lift it, and she stared into her father's eyes for one long moment. Then, with a wordless cry, Usagi threw herself at him. Mamoru reached out quickly to steady the elderly man, and then let go with a smile as Kenji was supported by both Ikuko and Usagi in a three way hug.
Shingo watched the surreal scene wondering if he had somehow fallen asleep. It was not possible. Usagi was almost sixty. Mamoru was even older than that. And yet... And yet... The couple standing there looking younger than his children was definitely his sister and her husband. Swaying a little, he fell into his mother's abandoned chair.
Just one more to go, I think... :/ Hope you liked this part. For some reason, it was difficult to force out...