Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine.
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MYSTERIOUS WATERS
Chapter 1
Rosegalaxia
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Pitter... patter. Kennedy Lyle Williamson III, with two centuries of breeding and class bred into his very bones, crouched there, behind the trash cans, in a dark alley, where the nauseating smell of urine and alcohol teased unpleasantly at his nostrils. He tried to ignore the smell and the sounds of the drops of water which dripped steadily from the leak in the pipe overhead. His ears were tuned beyond the alley, desperately listening for any sounds of his pursuer. He knew the man was close by somewhere, his clammy hands, racing heart, the sharp grind of panic in his head attested to that fact. But where was he?
Crunch! The noise sounded behind him and for a moment, Kennedy froze and tasted death in his mouth. In the next moment however, his survival instincts kicked in and he leaped to his feet to start running. But alas! It was too late, for even as he brought his hands up to his head protectively, he saw a steel pipe flashing towards him from the corner of his eye. He half turned to face his attacker before the blow knocked him to the ground. His eyes stared blankly upwards and all he saw were huge, unblinking pools of stormy blue eyes. Blue. They were so blue.
His last thought as the steel pipe flashed downwards again, blackness closed in and his vision dimmed, was that, please god, would he keep his little girl safe.
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Two days later, in a small town newspaper, a tiny article appeared which stated that a male body had been found in a ravine in the nearby group of small mountains. The victim had died after repeated blows to his head when falling down the steep slope. It was termed an accidental death and so, the local police station wouldn't be pursuing the matter any further. Case closed.
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A week later, the police detective who had handled the case, retired at the grand old age of forty-one, went on a luxurious round-the-world- cruise, bought a villa in Spain and settled there to live out his days in what could only be termed, an extravagant way. His ex-colleagues wondered how he had been able to afford everything. A police detective wasn't paid as high as would be required to afford the things this police detective evidently could. Where had he gotton the money from?
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Accidental death.
The world carried on undisturbed. The brutal murder of Kennedy Lyle Williamson III was regarded as an accident. Soon, everyone forgot about the poor man who had fallen to his death.
Accidental death.
The poor man who was actually beaten to death.
Murder.
Nobody cared. Nobody remembered. Except for two people. That killer with the bottomless pools of deep blue eyes and the young beauty. The one with the silver hair, who mourned her father's untimely demise and grieved at the injustice of it all. She vowed on her father's grave that she would never forget what had happened and she wouldn't rest until justice was served. And what a rocky, twisting, dangerous, deceitful that road to justice would be.
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2 years passed.
The world carried on undisturbed. Couples got married. The government increased taxes. Babies were born. Global warming continued. Couples became parents. A huge campaign started on animal rights. Couples became grandparents. Kennedy Lyle Williamson III was still dead, still un-avenged. But not for long. For she had a plan. She would have justice. She would bring peace to her father's spirit. No-one would get in her way. No-one would stop her.
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Serena Caroline-Ann Drake-James Williamson tightened her grip on the strap of her purse and keeping her head down, quickened her pace so that she was almost running. She was late, so late! She'd set her alarm to wake her at 6 o'clock. It had. She'd even woken up after pressing the snooze button only three times. But oh nooo. Her bad luck always reared its ugly head wherever she went. It just didn't leave her alone.
She had found out, after slowly taking a shower, lazily getting dressed and then calling up for a light snack, that she had forgotten to turn her watch one hour forward when she had landed in Italy. So, she had had to hurry. Like run. Really fast. In the state she was in, she had failed to see the waitress coming towards her with the quite large cake held on a tray in her hands. Serena had an excuse for what happened next. The silly waitress didn't. Yup. They had bumped. Collided with each other. And guess what else happened? Uh-huh. The cake had landed all over Serena. Her expensive suit. Her groomed hair. Her beautifully made-up face.
So, she had to go back up to her room, take another shower, which was very quick though not due to much effort on her part. The hot water had run out. Who'd have thought that happened in hotels? But then she wasn't exactly in the Ritz. Then she found out that the other suit she had luckily brought with her... was wrinkled. Badly. God, what HAD it been doing in the suitcase? It hadn't been in that state when she'd put it in. Anyway, after a panic filled phone call to the reception, she had received an iron. Then, well, then she discovered that you weren't supposed to iron silk the way she was ironing silk. So, that suit was ruined. And the only other item of clothing she had brought with her were pink, bunny pyjamas (she didn't feel as homesick with them), and a pair of jeans and a pink t-shirt. Guess which she chose? No choice.
After that, when she had gone down, fully expecting her taxi to be waiting there, she had found out that it had left. Two-and-a-half hours ago. So, she wasted a further 20 minutes waiting for another taxi to get to the hotel. And then thankfully they were on their way... on their way... STILL on their way... TRAFFIC JAM! She had found out that this was always the way traffic was in Rome. Mid-afternoon, afternoon or late afternoon. A whole half a day was rush hour. And she was stuck in the middle of it.
One hour later, finally, she reached her destination. Three hours and fifty-eight min- oh alright- four hours late for a meeting which was so important that she shuddered to think what would happen if she missed it. She prayed that the people were still there. Though what a bad first impression. Nooot good. Nop.
She hurried forward and put her hand out just as the elevator doors were about to shut. Letting out a quick sigh of relief, she started to step into the elevator... and then stopped. For it was jam-packed. So full that, in the back of her mind she amusedly noted that the man with the... polite word, polite word, oh yeah- paunch... was holding his breath in tightly so that the doors would close.
Nop. No space for little ol' her. More time wasted. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she gave the occupants of the lift a tightly controlled smile and stepping back to let the doors shut, she resisted the urge to bodily throw some of them out of the lift. But no. That would be impolite.
Hopping from one foot to the other, her eyes on the numbers at the top of the lift doors, she disbelievingly let her breath out as she noticed that the lift had been coming down... and now it was going back up again. Ohhh! She'd pressed the button first! The stupid lift! It didn't work! It was broken! God! She should complain! What the hell were they doing letting people travel in the broken lift? Uhhh...!
Her angry mutterings subsided as she registered the low male chuckling coming from slightly behind her. Whirling around, she glared at the culprit... and looked... and gazed... and stared... How could she not?
He was tall; she had to uncomfortably crane her head back to look at the man. He was big; she could seriously bet that his whole hand would span her face... including her mouth (even though her friends did say that her mouth was unrivalled in size). He was handsome. So... sooo...
He gave her a lazy, predatory smile as she continued to gape at him. "Staring is rude ma'am." He grinned. "But you may look as much as you want, provided that I can look my fill as well."
Serena tore her gaze away from him and focused on his open collar where her eyes riveted as she looked at the slightly tanned skin revealed. "I- I..." She licked her dry lips and tried again as the hot colour flooded her cheeks. "I'm sorry, sir. I apologise." She was going to say some more, perhaps make a flirty inconsequential remark that would ease the tenseness of the moment but her brain remained blank and so she just turned around again and faced the lift.
God, please let the lift come now. Now, now, now. And let the man not get on with her. Please please please... the lift doors opened with ding and a more welcome sound she had never heard. Quickly stepping inside she pressed the relevant button and continued with her prayer... please please plea- no such luck. He calmly stepped in after her and pressed the button she had just pressed. She could sense him looking at her but she kept her gaze firmly on where the two doors of the lift met. From the corner of her eye, she could see him leaning casually against the side of the lift, one arm draped across the rail and the other's thumb tucked into the pockets of his trousers.
She was still blushing, her cheeks, her ears, probably even her neck from how hot it was feeling. God! What was happening? She never had such a strong attraction to any man before. Though to be honest, this didn't exactly feel like sexual chemistry. It was just that he was so handsome and she was a woman who appreciated beauty. And the way he looked at her, like she was the only female in the world and he wanted her and he would have her, nobody could stop him. She shivered slightly at the thought even thought she tried not to. She didn't want him to see; the man was still looking at her.
But still, all that combined, a woman was bound to make a fool of herself. Though she wasn't like that. Never had been. Never wanted to turn into one, a melted, gooey, extra-sweet puddle of stuttering, blushing, female. No way. She valued her independence and free-will too much, thank-you kindly.
So she had to get her mind back on track. The meeting. Four hours late. Embarrassment. At the worst and most probably with her luck, the men concerned never wanted to meet with her again. Her plan would never be fulfilled and she would never get the justice she wanted. Oh. Maybe keeping her mind on the man next to her was more preferable. Definitely vastly more pleasurable.
Suddenly though, the lift jerked to a stop and Serena let out a little yelp as she stumbled and nearly fell. The man in the lift with her quickly grabbed hold of her shoulders and helped to steady her. And then, as if things weren't bad enough, the lights went out.
Leaving her alone in the lift. With a strange man.
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Rosegalaxia
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