Discalimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its character's

Chapter 1 - Running Away

"This can't be happening!" the petite blonde girl shrieks. She begins to run her hand nervously through her hair not believing what she is seeing yet knowing in her heart it is true.

"Serena is everything all right?" her black cat Luna asks from the doorway. Serena abruptly hides the object of her displeasure behind her back

"No everything is awful." she replies.

"Oh Serena. I had thought you were finally okay after your and Darien's break up." the cat jumps up on the bathroom counter, suspicious of her charge. The blonde turns her face towards her guardian with tears running down her cheeks.

"It's not just that Luna. It's worse than that. Much worse." Serena's voice is but a whisper.

"If that's not why you're upset then what could possibly be the reason Serena?" the cat is growing concerned. Serena sniffs and holds out what she has been concealing from the feline. In her hand she has a pregnancy test bearing a small pink plus sign. Luna lets out an enraged shriek. "How could you be so irresponsible as to let this happen Serena? You're only sixteen! You can barely care for yourself let alone a child!"

"I know that Luna! I don't know what I'm going to do! My parents will be so disappointed in me and the girls, oh god the girls!" the sailor scout is now sobbing profusely. It was not eight weeks ago that she had lost her virginity to her soul mate, or so she thought, and not even two weeks later he had broken up with her to go away and study in America. Now she finds out she's pregnant with his child and it isn't like she can just call him up and tell him.

"You have to tell Darien and your parents, Serena." A look of sheer terror crosses the young girls face.

"I can't! I won't Luna and you can't make me!" Serena turns and marches back to her bedroom the cat hot on her heels. Serena pulls a duffel bag from her closet tossing it to the floor and begins to shove clothes inside of it. Her tears had ceased and the sailor scout of the moon now held a look of determination on her features.

"What do you think you are doing Serena?" Luna asks jumping onto the bed. She watches as the girl continues to throw what seems like random articles of clothing into her bag.

"Packing. I am running away Luna. I can't tell anyone that I'm pregnant, my parents would make me give up the baby or worse, the girls wouldn't understand and Darien would come back and resent me for the rest of our lives for ruining what might be the best opportunity he has ever had. I have to leave, even if it's just until I can figure out what I'm going to do." she says this with so much conviction and maturity that her beloved guardian is briefly shocked into silence.

"Serena think about what you're saying." Luna demands after regaining her composure. "Where will you go? How will you survive?"

"I have this to start with." Serena produces a rather cumbersome wad of money from beneath her mattress. "There is 500,000 yen here I figure I have enough to get me by for a few months in Canada. Once I'm there I can use the lunar pen to make me look older and I can get a job to help cover my expenses."

"Canada! You plan to go to Canada!" Luna begins to pace the length of the bed. "Have you lost your mind Serena? You will know nobody there."

"Well I can't go to America when Darien is there now can I? Plus the whole point of my running far away is that I will not know anyone." Serena continues to pack seeming calmer than ever before.

"Fine but if you're leaving them I'm coming with you." the cat says.

"No Luna, you need to be here for the girls." the guardian has never heard her charge speak so rationally before.

"Artemis will be here and I will be sure to keep in contact with him. There is no debating this Serena. If I cannot stop you from leaving the least I can do is go with you and help you in your time of need. I wouldn't be a very good guardian if I didn't."

"Then it's settled. Now help me pack." Luna sits staring at Serena for a moment surprised at how easily the blonde gave up on her argument. She hops off of the bed and begins using her teeth to carry some items over to the bag for Serena to pack. In less than twenty minutes they have finished packing her bag and Serena pulls out a couples slips of paper and a pen before sitting down at her desk.

"What are you doing now?" Luna asks looking skeptically at the girl.

"A note for the girls." Serena puts pen to paper and begins scribbling words down quickly. "I just need to let them know that nothing has happened to me." The cat nods soberly knowing that if Serena saw any other way she wouldn't be running away like this. "Okay, let's go." The two make their way downstairs and out the door and the girl is grateful that none of her family members are home at this time. As they reach the end of the walk Serena turns to look back at her childhood home. I'll be back… One day. She silently promises before turning and making her way out of the gate.

"Now where to?" Luna asks looking to her for direction.

"The arcade. All of the girls are at school but we are supposed to be meeting there later. I'll give the letter to Andrew, I know he'll see that they get it. After that we will head to the airport." Serena looks back at the road ahead of her as her guardian stares solemnly at her retreating form before continuing after her.

"Hey Andrew is Serena here yet?" the raven haired girl asks the cute blonde boy behind the counter.

"Oh, hi Rei. Um, no she was here earlier but she left. She asked me to give this to one of you girls and said to tell you to open it when everyone is here." Rei's violet eyes scan the boy quizzically before grabbing the envelope from his hand and seeing "My Friend's" written in Serena's writing.

"Thanks." She says giving him a small smile before turning and heading towards their regular booth. She continues to look over the envelope for a few minutes until she hears the sound of her friends making their way over to her.

"Hey Rei, watcha got there?" Mina asks, her baby blue eyes scanning over the envelope unsuspectingly.

"Andrew gave it to me. He said Serena was in here earlier and asked him to give it to us." She looks up and meets the Lita's concerned green eyes.

"Serena was in here today? She wasn't at school." This comes from Amy who is looking at the item with curiosity.

"Should we open it then?" Rei asks looking to each of her friends. The others nod, taking their seats. Rei tears the envelope open to pull out a letter. She begins to read aloud.

"To my dear friends,

I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye…"

"Goodbye?" Lita interjects. "Let me see that." She grabs the letter from Rei's hands

"Hey!" Rei shouts earning a glare from the tall brunette.

"I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye to you all in person but I fear you would have stopped me from leaving. I am writing this so that you will know that nothing bad has happened to me but that I had my own reasons to leave. I cannot tell you why I am leaving only that I know I must go and for that I am also sorry. You have no idea how much I will miss you all and I hope that I will be able to come home soon.

With all of my love,

Serena "

"What? What does she mean leaving?" Mina shrieks. She stands abruptly and begins to pace, blonde hair swinging back and forth.

"It appears that Serena has run away." Amy says pushing a lock of teal hair away from her ocean blue eyes.

"Yeah but why? This makes no sense." Rei says trying to keep her calm.

"Who knows? I guess all we can do is hope that she contacts us." Mina says retaking her seat. The others nod in unison all looking solemnly at each other. What are the Sailor Scouts to do without their leader?