Author's Notes: This story goes along with my "Friends Forever" series, so if you want some backstory 
on the families the senshi have in this one, check out "Undying Love", "Silence", "Inner Turmoil", 
"Alone", "Deceived", "Consequences", "To Love Again",  and "Captive". Otherwise, I hope you can 
read this alone without getting too lost.
Time: About 3 years after "Captive." 

--Motherhood--
By: Tisha

Chapter 1: Children

	It was quite an amusing sight to anyone who may have been watching. The first thing you 
would have seen would be six children of random ages running in all directions after the ducks that 
scattered as the many hands came after them. Next you would see five exasperated women running 
in the same various directions trying to round up the herd of kids.

	"Ducky!!!" Kioshi barely managed to miss his mother's arms as he ran after one of the ducks 
that had just flown away. On his way to the duck he managed to distract Ami from her task of catching 
Kado, and Kioshi called for the other little boy to follow him. "Let's get ducky!" Ami and Makoto 
exchanged looks as their little boys, both in their terrible twos, teamed up together. 
	A streak of bright pink hair went between the two and Usagi stopped next to them a minute 
later. "Chibi-Usa, leave Kado alone!" She watched as her daughter hesitantly dropped the handful of 
dark hair she was holding and Kado ran to escape from her. She had been pestering him from the day 
he was old enough to grab at her toys and Chibi-Usa made it a point to show him that she was in 
charge.

	Usagi shook her head and looked to Ami. "I'm sorry, I just can't get her to stop."

	Ami just smiled at her. "He shouldn't have tried to take her toys in the first place. I sometimes 
wonder where he gets the rowdiness." She sighed and watched her son play with the other children. 

	Minako was the only one who was resting peacefully as she talked with Rei. Takara was old 
enough to know how to play safely and she also served as a good baby-sitter for her younger sister. 
When Aiko had been younger, Takara was extremely jealous and was always causing trouble. Lately 
though, she had matured and watched over her as if she were her mother. Not that Aiko needed 
much watching- she was quite a shy, peaceful child.

	Makoto finally caught Kioshi before he tracked through a muddy spot. Her two children were 
very different in looks and personality. Naomi looked a lot like her with her dark hair, but she was 
more like her father- calm and sophisticated. Kioshi was blonde and he had his mother's wild spirit.

	Chibi-Usa's favorite playmate was Aiko. Although Aiko was more reserved than she was, Chibi-
Usa could get her to act up and they had been accomplices on many little "missions." 

	The six kids together, even with five adults to watch them, always turned out to be quite a 
show.

	Ami heard a squeal and looked to see Kado following a duck right into the lake. "Kado, you're 
getting all wet!" She ran after the boy who sported her dark blue hair and caught him just before he 
dived in headfirst. "Oh no, your pants are soaked!"

	"I've got an extra pair." Makoto spoke up and grabbed her bag. "Kioshi is always messing up his 
clothes so I brought an extra." She found the desired object and handed them to Ami, who thanked 
her.

	Usagi looked around to see what everyone was now doing. Minako was sitting in the grass 
with Aiko in her lap. Makoto was trying to get both of her children to stop chasing the ducks, or at least 
the few of them that hadn't flown away. Ami was explaining something to Kado. Takara was sitting in 
the grass. Usagi suddenly realized something was wrong and she looked back over the group, realizing 
her own daughter was missing.

	She gasped and ran to where most of her friends were settled. "Where's Chibi-Usa?" Her 
frantically stated question caused all eyes to search for the little girl. Rei stood up and went toward 
Usagi. 

	"Calm down, she was just here. We'll find her." She tried to comfort Usagi with a hand on her 
shoulder while the others started to call out for her. Usagi was not to be comforted though and she 
joined in with the shouts. There was no answer and Usagi noticed a soft pulling on her skirt. She 
looked down to see two-year-old Kioshi looking up at her. 

	Makoto came up to them. "Kioshi, what is it?"

	The little boy turned to look at his mother. "There." He pointed his finger toward the other 
end of the park. "Ice cream." Usagi and Makoto both squinted to see the ice cream cart.

	Usagi ran off in that direction, knowing that Chibi-Usa loved ice cream. As she expected, Chibi-
Usa was trying to jump up and see the flavors in the cart. The man working there gave her a disturbed 
face. "This your kid?" Usagi just nodded as she picked Chibi-Usa up.

	"You should watch her closer."

	"Thank You." Usagi tried to be kind as she turned away.

	"Mama, I want ice cream."

	"Well the next time you want ice cream, you ask me. Don't go running off like that. Your 
punishment will be to have no ice cream."

	The three-year-old scrunched her nose and crossed her arms. "You're mean. I'm gonna tell 
daddy."

	Usagi smiled at the comment as she made her way back to her friends. "You go ahead. I'm sure 
he'll be a lot tougher about it than I was."

	The little girl's eyes widened at the thought and she stuck her lip out. "Sowwy Mama."

	Usagi smiled, not being able to resist her daughter's childish charm. "Just don't do it again." An 
idea came to her that Chibi-Usa was sure to like. "How about we go see Grandma?"

	Chibi-Usa immediately brightened up at the mention of it. "Will Uncle Shingo be there?"

	"No, he's still away on work. You can see Grandma and Grandpa though." It was enough for 
Chibi-Usa and she couldn't sit still until Usagi told the others goodbye and headed in her car for the 
house she grew up in.


•••••••••••••••••••


	The doorbell rang and Ikuko moved toward it, wondering who it could possibly be. She pulled 
it open and was ecstatic to see her daughter and granddaughter. "Oooh!" She squealed as she 
reached down to pick up Chibi-Usa, who didn't protest.

	"Look who's here!" She shifted Chibi-Usa on her hip and looked at Usagi. "She's getting so 
heavy!"

	Usagi nodded and came in. "She's been growing so fast."

	Ikuko looked out the door and turned back to Usagi. "Where's Mamoru?"

	"Working. I was just at the park with the girls and I thought I'd bring Chibi-Usa over for a 
while." Ikuko closed the door as the three of them went into the living room. Ikuko sat down with 
Chibi-Usa in her lap and Usagi sat in the recliner across from them. "Where's dad?"

	Ikuko sighed. "Also working. You two should visit me more often."

	Usagi smiled at her mom. "You know, we really should. It's been hectic lately though."

	Ikuko nodded in understanding. She thoroughly enjoyed any time she spent with her 
daughter and only grandchild. "So, what are you and Mamoru planning for your anniversary?"

	Usagi shrugged. "Nothing really big. Mamoru mentioned something about getting a babysitter 
while we went on a trip. I figured it wouldn't be hard to find a babysitter but I don't know what he had 
in mind."

	"Well you two should go somewhere. I think you need a little time off. I'll be happy to watch 
Chibi-Usa of course." She smiled at her daughter, thinking of how mature she had become with the 
responsibility of being a mother. To Ikuko it hadn't been a surprise when Usagi announced her plans to 
marry Mamoru, but she had still had doubts. She was very happy with the way it had turned out 
though. It was obvious they had a mature love and it hadn't been too soon for them to get married. 
They had been married for eight full years and had been very happy. 


•••••••••••••••••••
	

	"Mama?" Minako looked down at the word and smiled at Aiko.

	"Yes Dear?"

	"I wanna go school." She widened her eyes in anticipation of her mother's answer and waited 
as Minako put a lid over the pan she was cooking in. 

	Minako then kneeled down in front of her daughter. It amazed her how much Takara and Aiko 
looked alike even though they had different fathers. They both took after Minako with the full blond 
hair, but they also had green eyes, acquired from their respective fathers. "You want to go to school 
like Takara does?"

	Aiko nodded causing her blond curls to bounce. Minako smiled and then forced a sad face. 
"Well if you were at school there would be no one to keep me company all day." Aiko just kept staring 
at her and Minako laughed. "Don't worry, it's only a year until you start school."

	Aiko's green eyes lit up and she smiled, turning to leave again. Minako smiled at how 
wonderful her kids were. She was really happy with her life. She returned happily to the meal she was 
cooking.

	"There's my beautiful wife." 

	Minako smiled at her husband's warm voice and turned to him. He had a single yellow rose in 
his hand and Minako shook her head at his sweetness. He was always bringing her and the girls gifts. 
She gratefully accepted the rose and the kiss that came with it. Her life was so much fuller with Shiro in 
it. They had been married for over five years. There was a time Minako had been ready to accept 
being a single mother for the rest of her life. She never expected or planned on meeting Shiro, but she 
was very glad that she had.

	Minako closed her eyes, savoring the feel of Shiro's embrace. "Do you know how much I love 
you?"

	He pulled back to look at her face. "It can't possibly be as much as I love you."

	Minako cocked her head to the left in a playful way. "Oh yeah? I love you a WHOLE lot!"

	Shiro smiled. "And I love you two whole lots."

	Minako laughed. "Well then I-" He silenced her by putting a finger to her lips.

	"Let's just call it a tie." 

	Minako smiled and kissed him again before getting back to the dinner she was cooking, 
realizing that it was going to burn. "I think there are two little girls waiting for you in the next room." 

	Shiro didn't have to be asked twice. He was out of the kitchen seconds later and Minako heard 
a young voice exclaim, "Daddy!"


•••••••••••••••••••


	Jifu walked through the door and almost instantly felt the impact against his leg. He bent down 
and hoisted his young attacker into his arms. "Does that mean you're glad to see me, Kioshi?"

	Kioshi just smiled, happy to be in his dad's arms. Jifu went deeper into the room where he 
found Naomi. She was sitting on the floor, silently playing with a doll. "Hi Naomi."

	She looked up at her father rather seriously. "Oh, I forgot!" With that she took off up the 
stairs. Jifu frowned and sat on the couch, expecting her to return. Makoto came into the room then.

	"I thought I heard you come in." She stood across from him. "Any reason you're just sitting 
here?"

	"I'm waiting for Naomi. I think she went to get something."

	Makoto nodded, knowing what Naomi was up to. She looked at Kioshi, who was still being 
held by his father. "I've got your cookies ready. They're in the kitchen."

	Kioshi wriggled out of Jifu's arms and headed around the corner for the kitchen. The kitchen in 
their house was very large. Jifu had been sure to look for that feature as a surprise for Makoto. As he 
had expected, she loved it. She enjoyed cooking even more now that she had a husband and two kids 
to cook and bake for.

	Makoto sat next to her husband and put her arm through his, scooting up against him. "How 
was your day?"

	"About the same as every other." They both turned to the soft footsteps on the stairs as 
Naomi re-appeared. She came up to her father with a piece of paper and shyly handed it to him.

	"Here Daddy, I made this for you."

	Jifu smiled at her and took the paper. It was a drawing of a cat. A cat that just happened to be 
black with a yellow moon on its head. Naomi loved animals and of course the talking cats were her 
favorite. Jifu smiled at her. "It's beautiful. I think you're going to be an artist."

	Naomi just smiled and walked away, heading for the kitchen to get some cookies. Her parents 
exchanged smiles and resumed their talk of the day's occurrences.


•••••••••••••••••••
	

	"Noooooooo!" A very naked two-year-old made his way down the hallway as fast as he could. 
He simply hated bath time, and this was his way of showing it. Ami followed him around the house 
remembering Usagi's words. 'Whatever will you do with him? You are so reserved and he is so... wild.' 
It was certainly true that Ami wasn't used to chasing children all over just to get them to clean 
themselves.

	Kado rounded the corner and climbed onto Ami's bed, trying to corner himself in the 
headboard. Ami smiled as she approached him, giving him no way to escape. "I've got you now Kado; 
you are going to take a bath."

	Kado, desperate for a way out, decided on another approach. He stuck his lip out as far as he 
could and tried his very hardest to make a pouting face. "I scared of water."

	Ami almost giggled. "You really are my opposite." She gathered her son in her arms anyway 
and carried him toward the bathroom. "But you will be a clean little boy."

	Kado began wiggling again, realizing his plan wasn't working. He made a loud squeal as Ami 
tightened her grip and he finally stopped his fighting, facing up to his doom. He looked at Ami and 
crossed his arms. "Oh well, you win."

	Ami shook her head, amazed at the things his two-year-old mind came up with. She finally got 
him to cooperate with his bath and got him cleaned up. Once he was tucked into bed, or at least Ami 
hoped he was still in bed, she snuggled in on the couch with a book.


To be continued....