"5-9-5... Damn it, what was the rest of that code?" Darien cursed under his breath. His gloved hand was slowly turning the lock on a safe. He was so close to being so rich... only the metal was standing between him and the biggest treasure human eyes had ever laid eyes on.

His face began to turn red and a bead of sweat trickled down his face underneath his mask. If he didn't get this done soon, the police would come and... well, he wasn't going to think about that.

Ever so slowly, he reached his hand into his back pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper.

Safe Code: 3-8-9-7-2-5-9-5-2-4-0

Darien's eyes lit up looking at the paper. Just three more numbers...

2....

Thinking he heard a noise, Darien stopped momentarily, listening for breathing or creaking floorboards. Silence.

4....

His grin grew wider as he savored the moment one last time. He was going to be so rich!

0....

Just as the safe door flew open, a voice rang out behind him.

"Hold it! This is the police!'

Darien's back stiffened and his face grew emotionless. Ruined. It was all ruined. All that work, that expensive equipment... to spend who knew how long in jail. It just wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair... and he wasn't going to let it happen so easily. His hand quickly reached for his gun and he grabbed it, standing up and whirling around with it in his hand.

He got one quick glimpse of... her. She was wearing the normal police uniform. She had a rather nice figure and very long legs. Her blue eyes were staring at him in hatred, and she had a loop of golden hair on either side of her head.

Darien was so stunned by her beauty that he forgot to shoot. Unfortunately, she didn't.

Bang!

He felt it hit him like million knifes... inches from his heart. His eyes grew wide as he felt the pain and he staggered, placing his hand over the wound. Looking down at his hand reluctantly, he saw his hand covered in blood.

Blood. His worst enemy. His one weaknesses. His eyes suddenly rolled into his head and he fainted onto the ground.

~

There was a loud thump as his body hit the ground. No matter how evil he was, Serena always felt bad hurting anyone so badly. And there was especially something about him... No. She shook her head, clearing it of thoughts. He was just like all the rest of the scum on the streets. The type that killed her parents, robbed her friends, abused her... Scum. All of them. And so what if he looked so pathetic when he looked at his own blood? So what if he just wanted a bit of money? So what if this wasn't his fau- Yes it is his fault! Serena screamed at herself.

She slowly lowered her gun as she saw him lightly twitch on the ground. Oh God, he's going to die! She thought immediately, rushing over to him. So what? That's why you shot him, idiot! She reminded herself. Oh what am I doing? I can't kill someone! I've got to help him! No! I can't! But I have to! Just because he was robbing a bank doesn't mean he needs to die! Yes it does! Oh God I'm so confused!

The girl had no idea what to do. Her job was to kill him... wasn't it? Serena looked down at his face... his closed eyes, slightly parted lips... and realized that he looked just like a little boy.

She suddenly began thinking. When he was a little boy, did he know he would turn out like this? Laying, half dead, on the floor of a bank with a cop standing over him trying to figure out whether to kill him or save him?

She thought of the happy memories he must have had... right? Everyone had to have some happy memories... it just couldn't be possible to go through childhood without being happy. She knew she was always happy... but was she the only one?

Snapping back to reality, Serena realized that she couldn't. She couldn't take the happy memories that this "Darien Shields" person might have away from him. Though she had been on the police force for nearly five years, Serena still had a big heart... even when it came to the people she was shooting at.

The girl kneeled down next to him and placed a hand on his cheek.

"It's going to be all right. We're going to get you to a doctor." She whispered, picking up his wrist to check his heartbeat. She gasped as she could actually feel it slowing down, and as she could hear his breaths coming in short, rasping gasps.

Oh God, he really IS going to die! She panicked, then suddenly remembered CPR. It was her only hope to save him, and if he did die than she at least would have her decision made for her.

Serena unconsciously licked her lips before closing her eyes and quickly pressing her lips to his.

~

"Damn it Serena, I've told you so many times... stop caring so much about the people you shoot! It was bad enough that you just felt bad, but now you're actually giving them CPR to save them? And covering the wounds with the sleeve of your police uniform? Those things aren't cheep! What's the point?"

"Sir, I'm really very sorry, I just..."

"I don't want to hear excuses, Serena. If anything like this happens again, I'll see that you'll never be a police officer anywhere."

"Yes sir."

"Do you know what the doctor said?" Silence. "He said that if you hadn't given him CPR and stopped the blood flow, he would have died. Darien Shields is one of the most wanted criminals in New York, you should have let him die!"

"I'm sorry sir."

"You should be."

"Um... sir?"

"What is it now?"

"How's he doing?"

"SERENA TSUKINO!"

"Sorry sir."

Darien Shields? Were they talking about him? Was he one of the most wanted criminals?

Darien lay in a hospital with his eyes half opened, listening to the conversation that was going on on the other side of his door. He was very confused as to what was going on. Someone... had tried to save him? Who would want to save him? It wasn't like he was worth anything to anyone.

"Sir, may I please go in and see him?"

The man's voice sighed, and suddenly Darien heard the creaking of his door being opened. Deciding it was best not to let her know he was awake, he closed his eyes quickly.

~

Closing the door behind her, Serena was almost sure he had moved... but it was more than likely just her imagination.

She silently took a seat in a chair next to his bed. Looking down at his face, she smirked. Yesterday when he had been out of it, his mouth had been opened. Now it was closed. He was awake. Well, I might as well play along for a little while...

"Oh Darien! I've wanted to meet you for so long! I've always heard about you at all the bars... My heart stopped every time I heard your name... I had to be with you! I've never believed in destiny, but without even seeing you, I've always known we were meant to be together. That's why I saved you. Because I love you! Don't die!"

Serena began to get very melo-dramatic, remembering a movie she had seen recently, which had had a very similar scene in it.

~

"Because I love you! Don't die!" It was taking every bit of will power Darien had not to start cracking up. She had no idea that he was listening to every word she saying!

And besides, it had been so many years since the last time someone had said they loved him... and they hadn't even meant it. So obviously, she didn't mean it either.

Suddenly he couldn't hear her voice anymore. Curious, he almost opened his eyes... then decided against it. Light washed over his eyelids as he heard the sound of creaking blinds, and realized she was more than likely looking out the window, so he let himself steel a glance at her.

She was, indeed, looking out the window. The girl no longer had her hair in loops but was letting it cascade down her back, reaching all the way to her ankles. Her police uniform was replaced by a pair of jean short shorts and a white tank top, and on her feet were a pair of platform sandals, making her legs look even longer, and her shorts look even shorter.

The sunlight was framing her body and her face, making her look like an angel with a very nice figure. It was incredible. This angel, standing so close to him, looking out the window forlornly with her hands in her pockets, had shot him and then saved his life just yesterday?

Maybe she did have feelings for him? Otherwise, why would she have saved... Stop it Darien, idiot! No one cares about you! If you get much softer you'll actually feel bad about robbing banks and the rest of that crap you do.

But, no matter how much of a thief he was, he couldn't help but feel something strange while she was standing there... something he hadn't felt before.

It made him feel... playful. An evil grin appeared on his face as he prepared to talk and tell her that he had heard her confessions. However, just as he opened his mouth, she spoke.

"Before you say anything, Mr. Shields, I just thought I'd let you know that I've been aware for quite some time that you are awake." She said. It was the first time she had spoken to him, and his heart skipped a beat. He immediately cursed to himself, trying not to let this girl have those kind of effects on him.

"I didn't mean anything I said. I was just playing with you." She added suddenly, and Darien had to bite his tongue from yelling out.

Damn it Darien, stop being so emotional!

Not quite sure how to respond, he didn't for quite some time. However, when he finally said something, it was something he had been wondering since he had woken up.

"Why?" He asked.

"Why what?" She replied, turning from the window to look at him with crystal blue eyes. Eyes with such innocence... like she had never done anything bad... not the same kind that had looked at him when she was holding the gun.

"Why did you save me?"

She sighed, then turned back to the window, not replying. She may have been looking outside, but she wasn't really looking at anything. Everything was black, and she kept seeing the previous night's events playing before her eyes.

Suddenly, she turned and walked away from the window and behind a curtain in the room. When she re-appeared, she was holding a bouquet of flowers and a vase. Serena carefully placed it on the table beside his bed.

Figuring that she wasn't going to answer any time soon, he said something else.

"I don't understand you." The girl's eyes shot toward him immediately, like it had been some type of threat. He returned the stare steadily, his face emotionless.

"No one does." She commented quietly, resuming her place at the window, leaning her elbow on it and watching the cars pass below the now setting sun.

"Yesterday you were shooting me and today you're bringing me flowers." Darien finished, gesturing towards the vase. He looked over at the flowers and smirked.

Blood red roses.

Those were his mark. If he had been there, there were roses. Darien didn't know why, but there was something about the flowers. They were mysterious, dangerous and beautiful all in one, and he felt connected to them.

From the window, Serena smiled, knowing he had just noticed the roses.

Two hours had passed without a word from either. The sky had turned gray and rain had begun falling. Darien had been watching the police officer the whole time, allowing his eyes to drift over her body more than once.

Serena's eyes remained glued to the window, watching the sky turn from pinkish-purplish to gray, and trying to ignore the feeling she was getting from Darien's eyes boring into her back.

Then, without a word, Serena turned from the window and walked towards the door, grabbing her coat before turning around to look at him one more time.

He was asleep.

"Because you're special." She whispered her answer to his first question before silently stepping out the door, closing it so softly that it had barely creaked.

She didn't notice both his lips closed together tightly.

~

I know it's short, and that it's not exactly romantic yet, but I already have the second part done… and I'll submit it if people like this part J So please r/r and tell me what you think! Oh, and if you're going to flame, please make it slightly constructive… Thanks!

~ The author