1Foolish Heart

Disclaimer: Don't own Sailor Moon. Was inspired by Teresa Medeiros' After Midnight.

Chapter One: The Letter

Serena closed the door to her beat up Ford and walked towards the front door of her house; dreading what mail she would find on the other side of it. She knew it was the first of the month and that meant her credit card bill would be there. Though she had assured her sister they had the money for her to go to school, she didn't expect the rent to jump like it did. Though after she had turned their landlord for a date again, she had a feeling it would. Opening the door, she looked down where the mail always landed after it was pushed through the slot in the front door. Serena quickly stacked and picked up the mail, deciding not to look at it until she had fixed herself something to eat. Putting the mail and her purse on the table, Serena turned her attention to finding something to eat for dinner. Opening the refrigerator door, Serena's face fell. It looks like she was having a small salad for dinner tonight. As Serena fixed her salad, she yet again wished her life had turned out differently. She remembered the day when her life changed so drastically.

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Serena's mother's car had broken down last night. So her parents had car pooled to work and Serena was to pick up Mina from practice after her study group. Serena pulled into the high school parking lot and honked her horn. As she waited for Mina to end her conversation with her teammates, Serena's phone rang.

"Hello?" Serena answered.

"Hello, Serena?" A woman's gentle voice asked from the other side of the line.

"Hi, Dr. Mizuno. Did Amy not get home?" Serena asked, worried that her friends wasn't home and her mother was searching for her, "I offered her a ride, but she insisted on walking."

"Oh no, Amy's home. She called me. It's nothing like that. I'm still at the hospital." Dr. Mizuno replied softly.

"Ok, what's wrong then?" Serena asked, trying to figure out why Amy's mother would be calling her.

"It's about your parents, there was an accident." Dr. Mizuno said as gently as she could.

"Ok. ... I ... Uh... I just need to pick them up right?" Serena asked brokenly as she honked for Mina again.

"Serena, it's pretty serious. You and Mina should get down here as soon as possible." Dr. Mizuno informed her.

"What?" Serena whispered, afraid that if she asked louder her body would shatter.

"Please Serena, come to the hospital." Dr. Mizuno said firmly, yet gently.

"Ok, we'll be there soon." Serena said in a rush as she hung up before the other woman could say anything else.

Opening her door, Serena yelled, "Mina, we have to go. Now."

Hearing the urgency in her sister's voice, Mina said a quick good-bye to her teammates and ran to the car, "Sere, what's up?" Mina asked a little breathless.

"I'm not sure, but we have to go to the hospital." Serena answered as she put the car in drive and pulled away from the high school.

It seemed like it had taken hours for them to get to the hospital, at least it did for Serena. They quickly walked into the hospital and asked the front desk where their parents were. That's when Dr. Mizuno walked to them.

"What's wrong with my parents?" Serena asked quickly.

"Serena, Mina, maybe we should sit down." Dr. Mizuno advised carefully.

"No, I want to know what's wrong with them now." Serena demanded, worry making her think irrationally.

"Ok, ok. You're parents were involved in a car accident. From what I can gather from the police, the other driver was under the influence of alcohol and ran in to your parents car at a high speed." Dr. Mizuno explained slowly, making sure they understand.

"But our parents are ok, right?" Mina asked.

"I'm afraid your father died on the scene." she then broke softly.

"What about our mother?" Serena whispered as she held Mina to her.

"Your mother is, she's... She has sever injuries, girls. It's mainly internal. We can't save her." Dr. Mizuno told them brokenly then putt her arms around them as they both began to cry.

"Can we see her?" Serena asked shakily after she had regained some of her composure.

"Of course." Dr. Mizuno replied, "We've given her a lot of morphine to try and make her more comfortable, but she is still conscious and can communicate." added as they walked to their mothers room.

"Thank you." Serena said as Mina rushed into their mothers room, tears slipping down her face.

Serena could hear her mother trying to comfort her sister, telling her it would be ok as the door closed.

"I'll have a couple of beds brought in for you and your sister. And if you want, I can go to your house and pick up things if you need them." Dr. Mizuno offered.

"That would be nice." Serena nodded as she placed her hand on the door knob.

"Ok, I'll be out here when you're ready. You also have to fill out some paper work, but that can wait until later."

"Ok." Serena answered as she pushed open the door.

"Serena, you should know. Your mother signed a DNR." Dr. Mizuno stated intellectually.

"DNR? I know it sounds familiar, but my minds blanking." Serena mumbled.

"A Do Not resuscitate order. If her heart stops, by law, we cannot try to get it started again." Dr. Mizuno explained.

"I see. Thank you. At least I can be prepared for it now." Serena said as she pushed open the door and walked into her mothers room.

After about an hour of crying, Mina had fallen asleep on their mother's bed next to her. Their mother's arm around her baby. Serena sat next to her mother in a chair, holding her hand but looking out the window. Serena felt a gentle squeeze and turned to look at her mother.

"Serena, you know I love you so much. I hate to make you take this on." Serena's mother whispered.

"I know mom. I know you love me. I love you too. Mina and I will be fine." Serena assured her mother, trying to erase the lines of worry from her face. If anything, Serena believed her mother should die peacefully and confident both her daughters would be fine.

"I know you believe this was your fault. It wasn't honey. And I know your father is saying the same thing in heaven." Her mother said suddenly as she squeezed Serena's hand again.

"Huh? How did you know?" Serena asked, a bit shocked.

"A mother always knows." She said it with a smile as she let go of Serena's hand and cupped her cheek. Using her thumb to wipe away the tear falling from her eyes.

"But how could it not? If I hadn't been so selfish and let you or dad take my car. Both of you would be asleep in bed at home right now." Serena sobbed quietly.

"Shhh. It's ok. It's not your fault. You needed your car. Don't for one minute, Serenity, think you caused this. A person using poor judgement did. But if you insist on doing something, take care of Mina." Her mother whispered as she brought Serena's head down to her shoulder, hoping to comfort her and make sure both her daughters knew how much she loved them.

"I promise mom. I'll take care of her, and she'll go to college and be successful." Serena vowed between her sobs.

"I know you will, I know. I love you both so much." She whispered as her grip began to loosen.

"Mom?" Serena asked as she looked up.

"I love you both." Their mother whispered as she gave one last smile as her arm fell away from Serena and the machines began to flat line.

"Mom? Mom!" Serena yelled as Mina woke up.

"No, mom." Mina cried as Dr. Mizuno walked into stop the beeping.

"Help her!" Mina yelled as a nurse walked in after Dr. Mizuno.

"Mina, they can't. Come on. Let's leave them to their work." Serena said softly, sadly.

"What do you mean?!" Mina yelled, "Mom's dying and they aren't helping her."

"Mina, mom didn't want them to help her. She signed an order that won' allow them to help her." Serena explained as smoothly as she could.

"What?" Mina asked, shocked.

"Would you have been able to save her?" Serena asked Dr. Mizuno.

"I don't think so. Her wounds were too sever. I'm sorry girls." Dr. Mizuno answered, "I think you should leave."

"No, I want to stay here." Mina said flatly.

"I do too." Serena stood with her sister.

"Ok. Time of death, 1:35 am. May 10th." Dr. Mizuno stated clearly as the nurse recorded it on the chart she held.

"Do you want some time with her?" Dr. Mizuno asked.

"Yes, please. Just to say good-bye." Serena answered for both of them as Mina threw herself on their mothers body and cried her grief.

"Ok, just, come out when you're ready." Dr. Mizuno said as she gently patted Serena shoulder and motioned for the nurse to follow her out.

Serena went to where Mina laid and knelt next to the bed.

"I will keep my promise mom." Serena whispered as she kissed her mothers cheek, "Come on Mina. We need to let them do their work."

"I love you mom." Mina whispered as she pulled her self away from their mother, kissing her cheek as well.

"Bye, mom. I love you. Send our love to dad too." Serena said as she held Mina to her and walked out of the quiet hospital room.

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Serena looked up from her salad that she had made, rubbing her eyes to get the tears that had run un-checked down her face. The past six years had passed rather quickly in retrospect to how long that night had felt for her. But they had. Mina had graduated from high school and was now in her sophomore year of college. While Serena was hopefully finishing her junior year of college this year. Serena had been a freshmen in college at the time of the accident and luckily she was over 18 when the accident had happen. She was able to take custody of Mina and become her guardian in the eyes of the state. With help from Amy and her mother as well as a few more of her friends, Serena was able to get Mina through high school. But now, Serena felt bad for taking their generous gifts and began insisting on not accepting their gifts of money; though she needed it. It's not that she was ungrateful for the money, it was just too much. So now Serena worked two minimum wage jobs and went to school part time. It was hard, but she's able to afford Mina's tuition, the rent and bills for the house, and her car payment. Serena had become a master at saving every penny and shopping the sales for things they needed. But after their kindly old landlord had decided to move to Miami and give the complex to his son, things has gotten harder. He continuously hit on Serena and every time she would turn him down, the rent would jump 30 to 50 dollars for that month. Heaving a sigh, Serena took her salad to the kitchen table and decided to stop putting it off. Serena looked through the mail and was relived to see her credit card bill, the one that held the amount she had spent on Mina's tuition, was not here yet. Continuing her search through the junk mail, Serena found a letter with familiar hand writing on the front and a return address that made her smile.

It was a letter from Mina.

Letting herself smile for the first time in a long while, Serena opened the letter and quickly read what her sister had wrote. A startled gasp escaped her lips as the letter floated out of her hand and to the kitchen table. The words Mina had written echoing in her mind.

"I've met a guy. He's sweet and chivalrous. And it seems he owns a lot of stock and has become quite rich over the past few months. Did I mention he was a professor here? Anyway's he wants to meet you, since you're considered my 'parent'. I don't know why though. We only met a few weeks ago, but he seems really in to me. Who know's I could be married in a few months!"

With her head spinning, Serena sat down.

I guess I should call Mina tonight and see when I'm going to visit. Serena thought as she began to eat the salad she had fixed. Grateful for once that there was not food in the house, figuring that Mina would want her to drive up to see her as soon as possible.