Heartbreak and Forgiveness

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. If I did, the Sailor Stars season would have been English dubbed a long time ago. Furthermore, it would have been done right.

Serena glanced at her father worriedly. She knew he'd taken her mother's leaving hard, but she also knew they had to move on. As far as she was concerned, there had been nothing going on that would cause her mother to run off with the butcher and leave her family behind. It had hurt all of them. She'd cried several nights in a row, and she still did, as well as comforting her brother Sammy. Now, a new emotion was driving out the pain. It was a thing called anger.

Usually when she (Serena) felt anger, it faded quickly, but what her mother had done was unforgivable. No decent mother would leave her husband and children in a moment of passion. Serena had thought her mother loved them, but it appeared that they meant nothing to her.

With a sigh, Serena set the breakfast down on the table, like she'd been doing every morning for a month. She watched her father eat, making sure that he swallowed every bite. Her cooking wasn't the best, but it had improved, and she didn't want her father to collapse at work from malnutrition. She glanced at the clock, and quietly dismissed herself. She had to get to school.

She'd been showing up to school on time for about two weeks now. She didn't want her father to worry about more than he had to, and that meant coming to school on time and getting better grades. So far, she'd stayed out of trouble. Her friends wondered what was going on, but she'd simply told them she wanted to save her future and end her existence as an airhead.

When she sat down, she heard a voice full of arrogance ask, "Still sticking to your resolution, Odango? Seems like a lot of work."

"Stuff it, Seiya," she grumbled. Oh, great. It was going to be one of the bad days. 'Thanks for destroying my chances of a semi-normal life, Mom. Because you had to go and run off with the butcher, I'm stuck being the leopard that's changing its spots, and everyone thinks I've gone nuts!'

"Okay, Odango! Calm down! Guess I caught you on one of your bad days. I'll leave you alone."

Serena sighed and opened up her notebook, as well as removing a pencil from her bag. It was going to be a long day.

When the time for lunch finally came around, Seiya joined Serena at her table and asked her what her deal was. She replied that life sucked. That statement sent Seiya into a state of shock. It was bad when Serena of all people made that statement. And, judging from her friends' faces, it was the first time she'd ever said that. Naturally, they all launched an investigation.

Unfortunately, it all came to naught. In response to their inquiries, she merely repeated over and over again that life simply sucked. There was nothing wrong in her life. Life was simply a dull, uninteresting, suck-fest of an experience. Nothing anyone could say or do made any difference. Serena refused to relent. Eventually, they all gave up, unsatisfied by their friend's replies and realizing that for once in her life; Serena was able to keep something from them.

Only Seiya remained on the alert. He'd seen something in the blonde's eyes that worried him. He'd come to love his Odango, for in her eyes, up to this point, he'd always seen light and purity that never failed to amaze him. But lately, that light had gone out. Now, he saw a never-ending gleam of wrath and pain that was almost completely hidden by a shadow in those angel eyes. The sight made him tremble with rage at whoever had hurt her. No one had the right to damage someone as pure and sweet as Serena. He wouldn't forgive them.

As she walked to her next class, Serena knew she would have to be even more secretive and speak even more lies. She'd seen the look in Seiya's eyes, and she knew he would persist in the quest for the truth. She'd have a devil of a time preventing him from discovering the truth. She couldn't allow him to do so, as it would bring shame to her family. She silently cursed her mother for disgracing the Tsukino family.

Even though he knew he'd probably be considered a stalker after this, Seiya followed Serena after school. When he told Yaten and Taiki his intentions, they rolled their eyes and told him to do what he thought he had to do. To his surprise, Serena didn't go straight home. First, she stopped at another school. A boy of about eight years was waiting for her. Seiya realized that it was her brother. He listened as Serena softly inquired about her brother's homework load. He was even more surprised when he heard Sammy (Serena's brother) reply with absolute civility, without a trace of mockery or animosity.

Together, Serena and Sammy walked home. After the homework inquiry, there was silence. No arguing, no bickering, just dead silence. Was that normal? Seiya doubted it. Something weird was going on. Curious, he followed. To his surprise, Seiya saw that Serena held a key to the house, and was letting herself in. Was nobody home? Where was her mother? In his experience, Serena's mother was always home.

The Three Lights singer knew he couldn't possibly follow Odango into the house unnoticed, so he concluded that he had better rejoin his companions. As he walked, he wondered what was going on. It was obviously something out of the ordinary, but there was no way to find out what was happening unless he pinned Serena against a wall and interrogated her like a criminal. And he had to face the facts; that course of action would have Amara, Michelle, and Trista on him faster than he could say 'Oops'. Furthermore, it would ruin his chances with Serena.

When he entered the apartment, Yaten asked, "So, what'd you find out?"

"I've drawn two conclusions. Either Odango has completely flipped her lid, or she's gotten a brain transplant. She picked her brother up from school and after she asked him about his homework load, and then there was dead silence," Seiya replied.

"You mean they didn't even argue about something dumb?"

"Exactly. It was just weird. Also, she had a house key."

"And your point is…?"

"Serena's mother wasn't home. Otherwise, she wouldn't need a key."

"Weird. Well, maybe Mrs. Tsukino was out shopping and knew she wouldn't be back to let Serena and Sammy in."

"It's possible, but if that were the case, why would there be dead silence? I had a feeling that they wanted to talk about something, but they didn't want to discuss it outside."

"I think you're reading too much into this."

"I have this feeling…"

"Face it, Seiya. You love her. You're obsessed with her. If you even suspect something's wrong, you tense up and launch a full investigation. Her friends tried that already. What makes you think you can get her to talk?"

"She wants to, but she's too proud. She'll have to break down eventually."

"All right, Seiya. Whatever you say." Yaten left the room, knowing he would never persuade Seiya to drop the subject unless he left the room.

Once Seiya was out of earshot, he joined Taiki in the practice room.

"He didn't learn anything, did he?"

"He caught a few weird details, but all the evidence that anything is wrong is purely circumstantial."

"Not necessarily. Serena has been out of sorts lately. Some days she seems fine, but other days, her mood makes one want to run for cover."

"Yeah. I still can't believe she had the nerve to tell Seiya to stuff it."

"That's because she's the only one who can. If it were anyone but Serena, they'd be dead."

"We get away with it."

"Only because we've known each other forever and he knows we could easily smack him around if he tried to do anything about it."

"True."

A few moments later, Seiya joined them, and they began to prepare for their next concert.

The next day, Serena seemed to be in a much better mood. She seemed to be back to her old, cheerful self. She still showed up to class on time and turned in homework, but she seemed upbeat and even apologized to Seiya for her rudeness the day before. Amy and Taiki discussed the sudden change in her attitude and concluded that she was bi-polar. Yaten silently agreed with them. Seiya, however, watched her carefully. He smelled something fishy, and it most definitely had nothing to do with the year-old tuna casserole that was warming up in the cafeteria. He watched her closely all through math, and as he saw nothing unusual, he was forced to conclude that perhaps he was becoming a little bit overprotective toward the meatball-haired blonde.

In Literature, however, he was right back to square one. For their homework, each student had been told to write a poem. It could be about anything, and have any structure, but using any coarse language in them would earn the person responsible an instant detention. Seiya, Yaten, and Taiki had all written about the same thing; searching for someone close to them. As usual, the girls were melodramatic, and the boys rolled their eyes.

However, when Serena's turn came to present, they were all surprised. Everyone had expected her to write some goofy, upbeat, bouncy poem about boys and food. Instead, they heard;

My days of bliss are always short,

Yet I've tried to hold on

To Hope.

But now, I fear,

All hope of Bliss

Is gone from me.

Forgiveness is divine,

But I cannot forgive.

I've tried time

And time again,

But now, when it matters most,

I cannot forgive.

I once had faith in you,

I had Hope for the future,

My heart could hold on to

My dream of Bliss.

But then you,

The one I trusted,

Shattered that dream,

Left me to pick up

The pieces.

Because of you, I lost my Hope.

I cannot find a guiding Light.

The stars have faded from my eyes,

I stumble, blindly,

Through the dark.

I am lost, all guiding stars

Are hiding from my view.

And this dark night,

My hope doth fade,

And I've lost all faith

In You.

Serena's voice as she read her poem softly caressed the words, and for a moment, she seemed to Seiya to grow older, and he could see her heart. This poem was a key to the darker reaches of that heart, an open wound, bleeding straight from the soul. Her voice made the words take on some meaning, and they haunted all who heard them. When Seiya looked into her eyes, he saw despair and pain that he realized she'd been hiding all along. The class was in a daze, the lyrical words awakening in them a melancholy that they'd never realized was there.

When the last word had been read, Ms. Haruna, stunned into silence by the hidden power and hopelessness of the words, managed to say, "Well done, Serena. I must say, I am impressed."

"Thank you, Ms. Haruna," the blonde replied quietly.

Seiya, Yaten, and Taiki exchanged looks of numb shock. None of them would have ever believed that Serena could be capable of writing such despairing words, but the idea of her actually feeling such despair was beyond their imaginations.

As Serena sat down, she silently kicked herself for turning that poem in. She'd written it the night after her mother had left, and stupidly, she'd decided to turn it in for Literature. Now, the fact that she was more thoughtful than anyone had thought would spread across the school like wildfire, and her friends would redouble their efforts to find out what was going on.

As soon as she sat down, Seiya immediately joined her, and to her surprise, so did Taiki and Yaten. Taiki commented, "That was an interesting poem, Serena. How'd you come up with it?"

"I watched a romance movie about a guy who left his girlfriend and how she took forever to forgive him," Serena lied. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Seiya raise his eyebrows skeptically.

"So you didn't just write it spur of the moment when you were depressed or something?"

"No." Actually, it had been spur of the moment.

"So it was something you spent hours on just for English?"

"Yeah. I knew everyone would be expecting a piece of crud, so I decided to take them by surprise and prove that I use my head for something besides a hat rack."

"It sounded more like it came from the heart than something you planned."

"That's' what happens when I apply myself."

Taiki gave up. Serena was a good deal smarter than she let on. Yaten glanced at Seiya.

Seiya asked, "Odango, is everything all right? You seem… serious."

Yaten rolled his eyes. 'Real subtle, Seiya,' he thought.

"I'm fine, Seiya. I'm just maturing."

Seiya knew then that he was going to get nowhere. If Odango wanted to talk, she'd do it on her own time. The killer part was that he couldn't even have Yaten ask Luna, because according to him, Luna had been staying with Mina and Artemis. Apparently, the blonde had covered all of her tracks. He had to shake his head in amazement. Serena had proved time and time again that she had layers, but just when they thought they'd figured her out, she'd introduce a new mystery.

"All right, Odango. I just worry about you sometimes."

"Everybody does. And that's part of the problem. If everyone would just stop babying me, my life would be easier."

"It'll be hard, but I'll try. And I'll pass the message on." As he said that, Seiya noticed that Taiki and Yaten were looking at him with expressions that said, 'You're seriously going to drop it?'

Surreptitiously, he shook his head. He wouldn't give up, but for now, he'd play Serena's game. His two friends rolled their eyes. They seemed convinced that nobody would ever convince her to tell them what was eating at her.

On the way home, Serena felt completely drained. She'd lied through her teeth so many times today that she felt like she'd lost the ability to speak the truth. With a sigh, she stopped and leaned against a lamppost, then slid down to the ground, her head in her hands. She remained in that position, trying to get control over the tempest that was quickly rising in her heart, trying to prevent the tears and wails that were rising in her from escaping.

Someone placed a light hand on her shoulder, and Amara, Sailor Uranus, asked softly, "Are you all right, my kitten?"

"I'm fine," Serena managed to reply.

"I think you and I both know that's a lie."

"PMS," she gasped. That was a desperate lie; she hadn't even had her first one yet.

"Oh. That explains things. Need a ride home?"

"No. Just indulging in a cry that came on for a reason I don't even know," Serena sobbed. Okay, a few tears had escaped; maybe now she could get a handle on it. Yes; she could. She stood and faced Amara, plastering an angelic smile on her face. "I'm okay now. My hormones are just winding up, that's all. At least it's not menopause."

Amara replied uncertainly, "If you say so…"

"I'll be fine. I just needed to indulge my hormones for a minute; I'm fine."

"If you sure…"

"I'm fine."

"All right. But if you need anything, even a sympathetic ear, you know how to reach me."

"Okay. I'll see you around." Serena began walking away, waving cheerfully, keeping up the façade.

She hurried to Sammy's school, and once again, they began their silent walk.

Sammy asked, "Do you think things will ever get back to normal?"

"Anything's possible. I mean, if I can study, Mom can come back."

"That's what I was thinking. Do you think anyone's guessed that something weird's going on?"

"I don't know about you, but my friends think something's up. I've managed to cover it up, but if I know Seiya, he's just biding his time, like they all are. They're starting to ask questions."

"I know how you feel. My friends' moms have noticed that Mom hasn't been seen around for a while, and they're asking where she is."

"What do you tell them?"

"Grandma got sick and she's taking care of her."

"Nice. My friends think I'm in a perpetual bad mood and asking me what's going on."

"What do you tell them?"

"I'm PMSing."

"You haven't had that yet… have you?"

"No. But that's the best I can do. I've already used all the other stories. They don't buy it."

"That's because you can't lie."

"I've gotten better. Amara believed me."

"That's progress."

"Come on, let's get home."

"All right." And so, the silence reasserted itself.

When the two got home, Serena made sure Sammy started his homework, and she began to do hers. At half past five, she began to make dinner. The menu for tonight was chicken and rice, along with a salad and rolls. While the water boiled for the rice and the chicken baked, she set the table, and then made the salad. When her father got home, she was just setting dinner on the table. Her father offered her a tired smile, and Sammy came downstairs to eat. The meal passed in dead silence, and then she brought out the dessert; German chocolate cake.

Eventually, her father broke the silence and asked, "What have you two been doing lately?"

Sammy answered, "Nothing, really. Just goofing around, playing video games, that kind of stuff."

"And you, Serena?"

"Nothing," she answered. "Just trying to pull my grades up and improve my study habits."

"Good for you."

"What's work like, Dad?" asked Sammy.

"The usual. Thankless boss tells me what to do, and then adds more to it as time goes on."

"Sounds like school. The teachers load us down with homework, and continue to add more."

Mr. Tsukino chuckled, but said nothing. The silence descended again.

When the meal ended, Serena retreated upstairs to her room. The silence around the house was depressing, and she was sick of it. Sighing, she turned on her stereo and blared Heather Dale's "Mordred's Lullaby" out of the speakers. It was refreshing to feel someone else's bitterness besides her own. Even if Morgaine LeFay was a fictional character. Serena allowed the sorceress' bitterness to mask her own, and sank into the mists of Avalon and the world of Arthur Pendragon.

She was rudely jolted out of her Heather Dale-induced daze by the sound of her phone ringing. She felt irritation set in, but pushed it away, and turned down the music. "Hello?" she said.

Mina was on the other end. "Hiya, Serena! What's up?"

"Nothing. Just chilling."

"Amara told us that you told her you were on your period. I didn't know you'd started."

Serena stifled a groan. She should have known that lie would come back to bite her. "Yeah, I did."

"That explains why you've been in such a bad mood."

"Yeah. Sorry I took it out on you guys."

"It's okay. We know now that you couldn't help it. What a relief. We were starting to think something was seriously wrong."

"Something is seriously wrong," Serena muttered.

"We all feel that way when it's that time of month."

"Yeah."

"I understand why you didn't want to tell Seiya that. I mean, that's an incredibly awkward thing to explain to a guy."

"Yeah."

"So, what's up? Besides your, ah, delicate condition, I mean."

"Nothing really. Just doing my homework and listening to music."

"What kind of music?"

"Heather Dale."

"As in that Irish singer who's all about King Arthur and that stuff?"

"Yeah."

"Weird… I mean, I didn't think that was your type of music."

"It wasn't until recently." She'd discovered Heather Dale on You Tube a few weeks ago.

"What's your favorite song by her?"

"Mordred's Lullaby."

"I've never heard it."

"It's kind of a downer, but I like it. It's got a cool beat."

"I'll have to listen to it. Seiya told us about the poem you read in English. He seems to think you're going to go suicidal or something."

"That won't happen."

"I told him that, too, but he doesn't seem to believe it."

"He doesn't believe anything I tell him."

"Frankly, Serena, you have been acting weird lately. I mean, you're showing up to school on time, you're doing your homework, and getting good grades."

"I'm trying to salvage what's left of my future, Mina."

"You don't need to do that! You're going to be Neo-Queen Serenity in a few centuries!"

"Key word; centuries. I don't want to spend the rest of my high school career being considered a ditz."

"That's understandable…"

"I'm fine, Mina. Like I told Seiya, I'm just maturing."

"Did you ever consider that maybe some of us don't want you to mature?"

"No. All I ever hear is 'Grow up, Serena.' And now, when I'm trying to do that, you're telling me not to."

"We're frustrated when we say that. We love you the way you are."

"Life's about change, Mina. My life is changing, and the changes have already been set in motion. I couldn't stop them if I tried."

"Could you be a little more cryptic?"

"I'm sorry. I'm still figuring things out and finding myself. I'll tell you what's going on as soon as I'm aware of what's going on. Love you like a sister. Bye." She hung up.

Mina stared at the phone in her hand, numb with shock. Serena had actually been cryptic! She had actually withheld information and remained steadfast in her determination to keep it that way.

Artemis walked in, took one look at Mina, and asked, "Do I want to know?"

Mina whispered in shock, "I can't believe it. The world is ending. Are pigs going to start flying now?"

"Are the Three Lights breaking up?"

"No."

"Did you run out of makeup and hair products?"

"No."

"I'm out of ideas."

"Serena's keeping secrets."

"WHAT?"

At the sound of Artemis' yowl of shock, Luna walked in and asked, "What's happened, Mina?"

Artemis gasped, "Serena is…keeping…secrets."

Luna looked concerned and said, "That can't be good. When she keeps things from us, it means that something is terribly wrong."

"Actually, Luna, she said she's trying to grow up, and I guess she's serious, because she's shown up to school on time consistently, done her homework, and actually done well on a few tests."

"That's a good thing, though, isn't it?"

"Academically, yeah, but it isn't Serena. The Serena I know doesn't care."

"Actually, she did. She just preferred the fun parts of life."

"I never see her anymore. All she does is go home, and I haven't seen her at the arcade in weeks."

"That's odd."

"But I guess I'll have to accept it. Maybe I'm just not willing to let Serena grow up, like she said."

"It's possible. I wouldn't worry about it, though. She's matured a little already, and a little more won't hurt."

"You're right." Mina lay down and went to sleep.

However, the night was not quite over for Serena. She had taken a shower and was now brushing out her golden locks, a thoughtful look on her face. The phone rang again. She reached for it, but her dad's voice asked, "Hello?" downstairs, so she let him do the talking. She heard him give a bewildered, "What?" and then, his voice dropped, and finally, silence descended yet again.

Worried, she ceased brushing her hair and walked downstairs. Her father had hung up, and he was sitting in his recliner, his face pale.

"Dad, what is it?" she asked softly.

"Your mother has filed for divorce. She wants me to keep you and Sammy."

Serena felt her heart sink down through her feet and into the floor. Her mother was leaving them all permanently, abandoning her husband and children. She wanted to wail and scream, wanted to shout that it couldn't be true, that they'd work it out somehow. But she knew she couldn't do that. So instead, she knelt next to him, and she said, with surprising solemnity, the same words that Victoria of England had said when she realized that she would be queen someday. "I will be good."

Her father smiled down sadly at her, and replied, "You already have, and I thank you for that. I'm proud that you're my daughter. Who's going to tell your brother?"

"I'll tell him. Tomorrow. I suspect it will be a family day."

"You're right, daughter. I'll call the school and my boss in the morning. We need a day to sort things out, and we all need to start communicating."

"That sounds fine. I'll be up bright and early to make breakfast. Sleep well, Daddy."

"Sleep well, daughter."

Serena did not sleep well. She cried half the night, and she realized that for all her talk of not being able to forgive, she'd been holding on to some small hope that her parents would be reconciled with one another, and that things would be normal again. Now that her mother had filed for divorce, she let go of that hope, and she had to admit that it was almost relief to finally… finally give up.

The next morning, Serena rose from her bed, got dressed, and began to make breakfast. It was to be a marvel; scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and jam, the works. She was setting the table when Sammy came tearing downstairs.

"I'm going to be late!" he panicked.

"Actually, Sammy, Dad called the school. We aren't going today."

Sammy stared at her like she'd lost her senses, but, seeing the look in his older sister's eyes, he didn't ask questions. He simply sat down.

"It's about Mom, isn't it?" he whispered softly.

"Yes. She… she… well, she filed for divorce."

"She did?"

"Yeah. I guess that son of a bitch butcher really swept her off her feet."

"No kidding."

"Dad wants us to talk about what's been going on in our heads since all this started."

"Are we allowed to swear? That's the only way I'll be able to do justice to my feelings."

"Better to ask forgiveness than permission."

"Dad would kill me if I cursed."

"It's possible."

"It's guaranteed."

Just then, their father joined them, and they ended the discussion. In silence, they ate breakfast, and then they all sat down in the living room.

"So, kids… we've had a rough few weeks, and now your mother has taken the final step."

"I hate her," muttered Sammy.

"I understand, son. Believe me, I do. But hate won't do you any good. Serena, do you have anything to say?"

"Well, I guess I'm mad at Mom because she abandoned us, but in a way, it's kind of a relief. At least now I know what kind of person she really was."

"And what is that?"

"She's a selfish rhymes-with-witch!"

"That's fine. I appreciate your efforts not to curse."

"Anything else anyone wants to say?"

"Can I go shoot that butcher?" asked Sammy.

"No. we've already got one legal bill to pay. The last thing we need is another one because you committed murder, Sammy," their father replied.

"Can I slice his testicles off and run them through a cheese shredder?" Serena asked.

"No! Absolutely not! And if I ever hear you suggest something like that again, I'll find out exactly where you got that idea and lock you in your room for a month!"

Serena lowered her eyes, and Sammy edged away from her.

'Yikes. Note to Sammy; don't piss Serena off!' Sammy thought.

"Does anyone have anything to say that doesn't involve murder, cursing, or genital mutilation?"

"No," replied Serena.

"No," muttered Sammy.

"Hey, Dad; you've asked about us, but you haven't told us how you feel," said Serena.

"I guess I feel the same way you two feel. I loved your mother, but I wonder if I ever really knew her. I never thought she'd do something like this, but now that she has…"

"Yeah, we know," answered the two siblings.

"So… what do we do now?" inquired Sammy.

"We try to pick up the pieces and carry on," replied Mr. Tsukino.

"Good idea," replied Serena.

"Can I tell the truth now?" asked Sammy. "I'm sick of lying, and Serena can't lie worth a darn anyway."

"Go ahead. We've nothing to lose," answered their father. "Serena, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing. I'll work on saving my future, and I'll keep my mouth shut. I've dug myself a hole of lies so deep to keep my friends from finding out about this that if I came clean now, they'd throttle me."

"Give them a little more credit than that, Serena," reprimanded Mr. Tsukino.

"Trust me, I know. You've never been on the receiving end of Rae's wrath. I have, and if I tell her I've been lying about a big piece of my life, she will strangle me and feed my brains to the sharks."

"Aren't you being a little melodramatic?"

"No. I mean, she's already come close to throttling me."

"All right; do what you want. I'll stay out of it."

"Thanks, Dad."

"And you, Sammy?"

"I'm coming clean. I'm running out of stories to tell people," answered Sammy.

"All right. Two of us are going to start telling the truth; one is going to dig herself an even bigger hole."

"Thanks for the support, Dad," Serena commented sarcastically, and walked upstairs. The family spent the rest of the day in quiet meditation.

A few days later, Seiya got to school and realized that the entire student body seemed to be waiting for someone. His attention was called to a group of girls whispering. He approached silently, and leaned casually against a tree.

"Is it true?"

"Yeah. My sister heard it straight from her brother's mouth."

"Geez, no wonder she's been acting weird."

"I know. It's crazy. I've met Mrs. Tsukino. She didn't seem the type…"

Seiya felt his interest rise when he heard Serena's last name. So, he asked, "What's going on, ladies?"

Naturally, the girls warmed to his attention, and one of them asked breathlessly, "You mean you haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" he asked flirtatiously.

The girl whispered excitedly, "Serena Tsukino's mom ran off with the butcher and now her parents are getting a divorce!"

Seiya barely managed to keep the flirtatious smile on his face to mask his shock. That explained everything. It explained why Serena was so moody, that poem she'd written, the silence on the way home, and why she hadn't been to the arcade recently. She'd been coming to terms with the fact that her mother had betrayed her family.

Quietly, the Three Lights singer excused himself, and joined Taiki and Yaten. When he reached them, they looked at him with looks that said, "You were right. There was something wrong."

"What did you hear?" Seiya asked.

"We heard that Serena's parents are getting a divorce, but we don't know why," replied Yaten.

"Apparently, her mother ran off with the butcher, or least, that's what I heard," added Taiki.

"That would explain why she's been acting weird," observed Yaten.

"I'd like to hear the story from the source," Seiya stated calmly.

"Well, here's your chance. She's on her way over here," Taiki answered.

Seiya turned. Sure enough, Serena was making her way through the crowd, seeming calm and in control of herself. She didn't appear to be aware of the whispering going on around her. With incredible ease, she avoided those who would ask her directly if the rumors were true. She passed by Seiya, and he got a gentle but firm grip on her arm. She frowned, but followed him to a quieter area of the school yard.

"Odango…"

"Go ahead, Seiya. Strangle me, smack me, mock, jeer, 'cause frankly, I just don't care anymore. I don't give a damn."

Seiya was taken aback. "Odango, why would I smack you or do anything to hurt you?"

"Rae is going to be pissed, so she'll do the physical attacks, and everyone else, well… you know. You've seen them whispering behind my back."

"I'm not going to do any of that. I'm hurt that you didn't trust me enough to give some clue as to what was wrong, but I guess you didn't trust anyone with this."

Serena whispered, "I was embarrassed, and no would ever have believed me. They'd just think it was drama and call me a liar, or worse… don't you get it? I'm a leopard that's trying to change its spots! Nobody has any faith whatsoever in me, and they'll always think I'm just some airheaded bimbo!"

"I don't think that. I would have believed you."

"Really?"

"I wish you could see in yourself what I see in you, Odango."

"What do you see?"

"I see a girl who's just on the brink of womanhood and trying to find who she is. You may feel lost and alone now, but when you finally find yourself, you'll feel so much better, and everyone else will realize how beautiful a soul you have."

As Seiya spoke, he realized that he believed that, more than anything, and that he'd never realized that Serena doubted herself as much as she did. After hearing her reasons, he understood how she felt. It was true; everyone, including himself at times, had doubted her, and now, when she'd needed them most, they hadn't been there.

"Seiya?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now what do you say we face the wolves? I'll protect you from Rae, don't worry. She won't lay a finger on you if I can help it."

That afternoon, Serena sat in a booth at the local diner, slurping down a milkshake. Seiya smiled down at her softly. She'd had a crazy day, after all, but she'd pulled through like the strong girl she was, whether she knew it or not. However, she'd insisted on avoiding Rae's temple.

Seiya understood. Rae's temper was a force to be reckoned with, and it was highly advisable to avoid rousing it at any cost. He suspected that it was also a way to avoid facing her friends. It had been hard enough for her to face down the student body. Taiki and Yaten were not a problem. One look from Seiya and they'd kept their mouths shut.

Softly, he said to her, "You know you'll have to face them at some point."

"I know," she replied quietly.

The two sat for a few more minutes in silence, and finally, they headed to the temple.

As soon as they got there, Seiya knew it was going to be a madhouse.

All of the Sailor Scouts were sitting there waiting for her.

Rae exploded, "Serena, I can't believe you didn't tell us what was really going on! And don't you DARE try to deny it, because I asked your brother, and he says it's so, so if you deny it, I'll smack you!"

Amara softly inquired, "Is this the reason for your tears, kitten?"

Serena stared at her feet. It was time to swallow her pride. "Yeah, it's true. The selfish bitch I used to call 'Mother' ran off with a mother fucking butcher and left my father, brother and I to fend for ourselves."

Seiya and the other Sailors were rendered speechless by Serena's blunt and crude admission. They'd never realized that she might have a potty mouth.

Trista, who was also known as Sailor Pluto, finally managed a feeble, "Mind your language, Princess. Hotaru's ears aren't going to be pure for long if you keep up that filth. Besides, that's no way for a future queen to talk."

"To hell with that," snapped Serena. "You want to hear something really disgusting? I don't want to just sit back and hate the guy; I want to do something about it!"

"Such as what?" asked Amara. "Or do I want to know?"

"Probably not, but I might as well just keep being honest. My brother wants to kill him, but I have a more…lasting way to express my hatred towards him."

"Cover Hotaru's ears, Michelle," broke in Trista. "I don't want her to hear this bit. It's going to get ugly."

"I want to slice his testicles off and run them through a cheese shredder, then feed them to the whales."

"Poor whales," mumbled Michelle. She looked a little green.

Seiya felt ill. He hadn't realized Serena was capable of conceiving those thoughts. And, judging from the looks on the others' faces, this kind of outburst was unheard of.

Amy finally managed to ask, "Serena, where did you hear about that sickening image."

"I watched "Valentine's Day"."

"I knew we shouldn't have let her go with us to see that," Lita whispered to Mina.

"Serena, I'm sorry that this happened, but aren't you being a little too extreme in expressing your feelings?" Amy inquired.

"It's possible," Serena relented.

"Are you done with the foul mouthed and crude part?"

"Yeah. I'm just so mad. I can't believe my mom would do that to me, or to my dad. To Sammy!"

"I know."

Seiya quietly excused himself. He had to let Odango handle this on her own.

Months passed, and Serena's wrath faded, and all of the events with Chaos and Galaxia came to pass. As soon as the Starlights had gone, Serena felt a pang in her heart, and briefly wondered if she'd made the right choice in letting Seiya go. However, she pushed it away.

That lasted until she went to bed. Then, she began sobbing, and felt a stab of loathing. She cursed her mother, but then, she realized that she hadn't thought about her mother for months. She hadn't meant to forgive, but she had. So why was she feeling hate? Disturbed, Serena attempted to think it over, but could not put the pieces together. She ended up falling asleep.

The End

AN: I just dropped a massive hint that there would be a sequel. I am all for Serena and Seiya, but I won't post a sequel unless you're good and review, kapeesh?