A/N: this should hopefully be a pretty fun story I'm looking forward to writing it at least.
Serena fingered the locket that had hung around her neck everyday for the past six years. So much had changed since the night she and her one true love had discovered their past. She gave a small sigh and looked out the window of her empty studio apartment. Part of her thought she was foolish to come back, while another part insisted she couldn't just wait around for the end. Her gaze fell to the ring that rested on her left finger, a black diamond, it seemed so fitting.
She had come back for the night life. After leaving to America she had immersed herself in the underground culture, a culture that Tokyo was known for. Here the street rebels would welcome her black and silver ninja motorcycle and she knew they would devour her new club. She had finally saved enough money from street racing and had decided to custom build a new club from the ground up. The plans were entirely in her head but The Silver Moon was sure to lure in the nightlife crowd that she loved.
She flinched as the diamond upon her finger radiated suddenly before dying down and returning to its somber hue. He refused to give up on her and she knew one day she would give up on herself, at least when that day came she would be somewhat prepared for it.
"Rena?" Her head turned to the voice calling her from the doorway.
"Come in Andrew." Serena said for the first time in years she was for a moment her bubbly old self. Andrew ran up and embraced his old friend in a hug. He had missed her greatly and he anxiously awaited the moment when he could tell her how the girls and Darien had missed her.
"Your things are all downstairs and I have a crew down there getting ready to bring them up for you. So is the place everything I said or what? A spacious studio apartment with six bedrooms, a huge kitchen area and more space than my entire house for a living room not to mention just across the street from your building site so you can always keep an eye on it." Andrew beamed with pride at finding what he believed to be the perfect apartment.
"Yes Andrew I will hand it to you, the place is perfect. I hope it's a secret as well." Serena looked at Andrew with a raised eyebrow knowing his tendency to meddle.
"No I didn't tell them, but Serena they've missed you, they don't even know why you left or what happened, you gave them no reason at all." Andrew's voice was rising but he couldn't help but vent the emotions they had all shared during her absence, he may have been lucky to have found out a few months ago, but the rest still had to wonder.
"My reason is my own and it will continue to be so until I say otherwise. Things will be explained in good time Andrew, I promise. Until then I need to be alone." Andrew nodded and placed his arms upon Serena's shoulders.
"I love you and I'm glad you're back. I will tell you this though Darien has not fared well without you, the longer you wait the further he may fall."
Andrew gave her a soft kiss on the forehead before leaving and Serena could not help but wipe a small tear drop from her eye. She curled up on the window seat that was quickly becoming her favorite part of the apartment and became lost in her thoughts until another voice spoke up beside her.
"You're right down the street from them you can't honestly expect to never run into them." Serena's brow furrowed and she turned to the newcomer.
"I'm aware Malachite I need to be close to them to protect them both from Diamond and from the inevitable. "
The man gave a sigh and sat down beside the woman he admired more than any another. Everyday he was surprised by her strength and courage. He stroked her long silver hair and smiled down upon her.
"For the record warn us next time you have Andrew over, pretending we were your moving crew was not fun. Though it is a good way to get out of helping us move everything in." Malachite smirked at her and was surprised when she quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I never intended for you guys to do any of the moving." She went to the door and down the elevator to where Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoicite were staring at the mounds of boxes before them. After checking to make sure the place was deserted she closed her eyes for a moment and allowed her crescent moon to shine. When her eyes reopened the three men were staring where the mound of boxes once were.
"Right we knew you could do that." Jadeite murmured with a grin. "Let me guess everything's unpacked too right?"
Serena flashed him a smile before dashing upstairs. When she arrived Malachite was already comfortable in one of the couches and flipping through the channels.
"Anything good?" She called plopping down next to him. He shook his head in response looking to the door to see the three guys arriving at the top of the stairs.
"Well what do you say we take a walk? Andrew said the arcade is pretty deserted around this hour so we should be able to get some shakes without being seen." Serena looked to the other four for a response and for a moment she thought they shared a scheming look but shrugged it off in her need for a milkshake.
"Sounds like a good idea to me." Nephrite said pulling Serena up from the couch and motioning for Malachite to get up also.
The group arrived at the arcade in mere minute and Serena found herself bouncing up to the counter like her usual self. "ANDREW! One Chocolate Milkshake please!" Andrew came rushing from the back room milkshake in hand laughing as he set it down in front of her.
"Now that was something I'm not exactly sure I missed." Serena stuck her tongue out at him and laughed as well. The four men seated next to her shared curious glances. "Taking the moving crew out for shakes before they even get started?" Andrew asked motioning to the four men around her.
"No these are my friends they came with me from L.A. they're actually the reason why I needed so many bedrooms." Andrew looked curiously at her companions and for a moment worried if Serena was attached to any of them. He pushed that thought away as he concentrated on seeing Serena devour her chocolate shake.
"Since Serena won't actually introduce us, I'm Nephrite, the blonde haired gent over there is Jadeite, the silver hair guy is Malachite and that other one is Zoicite. Now how about I come back there and help you get some shakes out for the rest of us?" Andrew was taken off guard by Nephrite's request but something about the look in his eyes caused him to accept.
The moment the pair was in the back Nephrite reached for the phone. "Okay I need their numbers." His hand was already prepared to dial before Andrew could figure out what was going on.
"Whose numbers?" He asked wondering how much Nephrite knew about Serena.
"Well lets start with Darien and then we can move on to Lita, Mina, Raye and Amy. Hurry Serena knows how long shakes take to make these calls have to be quick especially if they are to get here before she finishes that shake." Andrew immediately dialed Darien's number and then went to work on the shakes.
"Thanks, I promised I wouldn't tell any of them. Thanks for doing it for me." Nephrite flashed Andrew a wink and urged him to get back to the shakes.
"Hello?" For a moment Nephrite wondered about what to say but decided anything with the word Serena was bound to get the man's attention.
"If you want to see Serena again I suggest you head to the arcade before she finishes her chocolate shakes and runs off again." Nephrite hung up without another word to begin the same process with the four girls that knew Serena best.
The five of them were happily sipping shakes and reminiscing over Serena's past antics with Andrew when a very haggard looking Darien burst through the doors. His hair was still perfect and falling just over his eyes in an overly sexy manner, but his clothes seemed thrown on and his eyes betrayed his lack of sleep.
"Serena!" Serena froze hearing the voice that had plagued her dreams and the voice that she had feared to explain the past few years to. Slowly she turned allowing the tears to form in her eyes as she took in his ragged appearance and pained eyes. He ran to her side and took her in his arms ignoring everyone but her. "Oh Serena I've missed you!" Reluctantly Serena returned his embrace wondering if she would have the strength to push him away.
"Mommy!" Wrenching herself from Darien's arms she turned and held them open for the black haired toddler that was running towards her. Darien looked on in shock and sadness as he realized who the young girl was calling Mommy. At the doorway he saw a smiling man walking slowly towards Serena. As soon as the young girl was snuggled in her mother's arms Serena turned her attention the man approaching her.
"Thank you." Was all she said but the man graced her with a smile and a nod before turning away. As soon as the man had left the four men who had previously been completely absorbed in their shakes now rushed to circle the young girl and take turns giving her hugs and kisses. Finally with a glance at Serena Nephrite took the small child in his arms and led her to a booth. Serena's gaze never left that of her daughter until Darien touched her arm.
"Serena I…We…Can we talk somewhere?" With one last glance at her daughter Serena nodded. Darien slowly led her towards the door but he had not counted on yet another distraction.
"Serena!" was the shared cried as four women plowed into the arcade. With a small laugh Serena hugged each of them and gave a small sigh before inviting them on a walk with her and Darien.
They reached the lake and Serena sat down on the edge of the dock looking out towards the water as the girls wordlessly sat down beside her. Darien on the other hand could take it no longer.
"You have a daughter?" At this outburst the four girls sitting beside their friend gasped aloud and looked at her with shock.
Serena nodded and gave a small sigh. She knew the generals had planned this meeting, but she really wasn't ready to share the past five years with them. There was too much pain and too much she knew they would not forgive her for, too much she could not forgive herself for.
"Amaya is my daughter and she is approaching her fifth birthday." Serena knew there was more they wanted to know but that was all she felt comfortable telling at the moment. She had just returned to her friends she wasn't ready to lose them again once they discovered her past. But Darien was never one to leave his questions unanswered.
"What of the father and that ring upon your finger?" Darien's voice was breaking as he realized he may have gotten his Serena back only to discover he had lost her forever.
"The father is of no concern to you right now and the ring is a story for another day. Suffice to say I made a mistake and paid for it dearly." She knew that answer was not enough for Darien but the tears threatening to spill from her eyes kept him from prodding further. The girls as well sensed that Serena was not yet ready to share her past with them, so instead they filled her in on all that they had been up to and Darien simply held her firmly in his arms afraid to ever let her go again.
………………………………
Serena returned to the apartment just in time for dinner and was warmly embraced once again by her daughter. Amaya was glad once again to see her mother but quickly returned to watching a movie with Nephrite.
"So how did it go?" Nephrite asked not taking his eyes from the screen.
"They understood I wasn't ready to talk about it, so instead we talked about what they had been up to. It was nice but don't think I'm letting you off the hook for calling them. Where are the others?" Nephrite tossed her a smirk knowing she was actually glad he had called her friends hence her quick change of subject. For someone who prided herself on being secretive sometimes she was an open book.
"Since you are back they should be back any minute. They went to see how things were going with you and the girls, and by that I mean they went to see how the girls looked." Serena didn't know whether to laugh or be angry and figured she would just let it go and took a seat next to her daughter to watch the end of the movie. Amaya seeing her mother had sat down crawled into her lap for a better seat.
"So why didn't you go to check out Lita?" Serena asked loving the feel of having her daughter in her arms.
"Someone had to be responsible and keep an eye on Amaya." Serena laughed knowing full well any of the four men would have gladly stayed to watch the child they adored.
"Meaning what you goaded the other three into leaving you alone with her?" Nephrite tried not to blush as he nodded.
"Well lets hope they at least return with food, they'll have to think of some sort of excuse as to why they were not here when I got home, seeing as you of course would not rat them out." The pair shared a knowing grin wondering how the other three generals never realized that Nephrite and Serena never kept things from one another.
Moments later the three generals burst proudly through the door bringing more pizza than ten people could possibly eat. Serena raised an eyebrow at the numerous boxes of pizza, the generals may be pigs but that much pizza meant they were up to something. For a moment they tried to avoid her stare but Jedeite soon crumbled.
"Okay we followed you to the park and after you left we invited everyone over here for pizza. Please don't be angry I just wanted to talk to Raye and we figured it was only fair since Nephrite didn't get much of a chance to see Lita." To their surprise Serena burst out laughing and was still laughing when the doorbell rang announcing the arrival of their five dinner guests.
Jedeite opened the door and beckoned for everyone to find a seat, personally taking the hand of Raye and placing her in a chair beside him. Serena watched the general's antics with each of their past loves as Darien walked up to her. He embraced her softly and then looked toward where one little girl looked lost among all the new faces.
"May I meet her?" Darien asked softly in her ear. Serena gave a small nod and went to introduce her daughter to her friends.
"Guys this is Amaya, Amaya these are Mommy's friends, that's Raye, Amy, Lita, and Mina. And that man is Darien." The girls all waved at the cute girl before having their attention quickly taken up by the men beside them. Amaya followed her mother back to Darien's side.
"Say hello Amaya." Serena said encouraging her young daughter.
"Hello Darien. Are you the Prince?" Serena blushed as Darien laughed at Amaya's greeting.
"What makes you say that little one?" At his question Amaya ran off and down the hall to what must have been her room and returned with a picture. Serena sighed and decided that there was a conspiracy of everyone deciding to meddle in her life.
Handing the painting to Darien she cocked her head. "Because you look like him." Darien took a close look at the picture and realized he was a painting of him and Serena up in the moon kingdom. His fingers gently traced over her silver hair and radiant smile. "Mommy painted that for me to go with all the stories she tells me. She tells me all about my family on the moon, what she was like on the moon, what my grandmother was like on the moon, and what my father Prince Endymion was ---." Serena could not clamp her hand over her daughter's mouth fast enough to stop the words from coming out. Darien's face paled with the realization of what Amaya had said.
"She's MY Daugher?" The shout caused all other conversation to stop. In a flash Nephrite scooped up Amaya and began ushering everyone else out of the room. "Hey guys its such a nice night why don't we eat in the park?" Jedeite and the others quickly took the hint quickly grabbing the pizza and everything needed to eat out and running out the door. In all this time Darien did nothing but stare at Serena. When they had slammed the door did he finally awake from his reverie.
"You left without telling me you were pregnant with my daughter?" The words were harsh and hurtful. Serena felt tears welling up in her eyes.
"I had to. I had to run what would have happened if the Negaverse had discovered I was pregnant or could you imagine me fighting as Sailor Moon and being eight months pregnant? I had to go where they couldn't find me at least not until I was ready and if I told the rest of you, you would have wanted to come with instead of staying here and distracting Diamond until I had Amaya. I was wrong I realize that now I managed to stay hidden for most of my pregnancy, I hooked up with the guys and they took care of me through it all. I went to the moon to deliver her so that she could be born full lunarian and with all the powers her birthright entatiled. I didn't realize that when I returned to Earth that she would not be able to hide her lunarian identity. The negaverse tracked her energy source for a year, they discovered both of our identities and one day they took her from me when I was ill prepared for battle. I went to the negaverse and was able to rescue her but I paid the price."
Darien softened as he listened to Serena's story, she was scared after all who wouldn't be scared to be pregnant at fifteen not to mention having to worry about the negaverse. But he still worried about the ring and the price Serena mentioned but he was willing to let that go for another day. Right now he relished the idea that Serena was back in his arms and that he was a father.
A/N: Let me know what you think!