Foolish Heart
Disclaimer: Don't own Sailor Moon. Was inspired by Teresa Medeiros' After Midnight.
Chapter Two: Meeting
Serena called Mina that night. They decided that Serena was going to come up and visit during Spring Break. Serena assured Mina she could miss work for that week; even though their budget was a little tight this month. Spring Break was only two weeks after Serena had gotten the letter. Though in any other month, two weeks would seem very long and tough. Serena would work and go to school, work and school, that's it. But now, knowing that she would get to see her sister, the weeks went by quickly. Serena closed the door to the house, double checked to make sure the deadbolt clicked into place, picked up her duffle bag and began down the stairs to her car. That's when she saw William.
"Ms. Tsukino, just the woman I was looking for." William said in his attempt at suave voice.
"Hello William. I'm sorry, I can't talk now. I have to go." Serena tried to sound polite.
"I'll take just one second, Serena." William countered as he grabbed her arm.
"Ok, one second. But I really have to go." Serena sighed as she put her duffle bag down.
"I understand. I saw you paid your rent yesterday." William smiled as he let go of her.
"That I did. The check did go through, right?" Serena asked, though she knew it did; she checked this morning.
"Oh yes, it went through. But you never pay the rent this quickly." William pointed out.
"I'm going out of town this week. I thought I'd better pay it now as to be sure it wouldn't be late." And I wouldn't spend the money. Serena thought after she said it.
"I see. This may sound a little abrupt, but can I possibly see you when you get back from where ever you are going?" William asked.
"William, you are a... nice man, but I can't really have a relationship now. I also am not looking for a date. I've told you before. Please leave me alone." Serena said nicely as she picked up her bag.
"Hmm... Well then. I think the lawn needs some work. Please let me know if you change your mind." William noted as he turned and walked away from her.
Serena sighed as she knew what he meant about the lawn. Any time he said something needed work after she rejected him, the rent would raise. She just hoped this trip to see Mina wasn't going to cost too much.
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After a three hour drive, Serena looked up to see the ocean. The ocean was always a sign that she was close to her sister's school. Driving down the familiar roads to her sister's apartment. Serena's gaze drifted back to the ocean. The ocean always brought back memories. Memories of an easier time.
"That was the past." Serena told herself as she parked her car along the curb. Refusing to think of the easier times in her life.
Opening her door and grabbing her duffle bag and purse; Serena headed towards her sisters front door. Giving the door a quick knock, Serena stood and waited for her sister to open the door.
Mina quickly opened the door and threw her arms around her sister. Serena smiled as she pushed her sister away from her a little bit and looked at her.
"Ok, ok. Hang on a minute. Let me get a look at you." Serena smiled as she looked her sister up and down.
Like herself, Mina had blonde hair and blue eyes. Though Mina's hair was always longer and her hair held more of a golden hue. Her hair was down to her lower back now. Her eyes still held that twinkle Serena's had so long ago. Mina was only 2 inches shorter then she was, but wearing those heels made them the same heigh.
"Wait a minute. I should be saying that too you" Mina said as she did the same, "Hmm... you having money problems?" Mina then asked as she frowned.
"What?" Serena asked, a little shocked that her sister could tell that just by looking at her.
"You're clothes. They're wearing thin and you look smaller since the last time I saw you." Mina said.
"Money is fine right now. A little tight, I have to admit. But nothing for you to worry about." Serena told her sister firmly as she gave her a reassuring hug.
"If you say so." Mina whispered as she let go of her sister, "You have never been able to tell me if something was wrong." She added as she turned to go into her apartment.
"Well, you're the youngest; you shouldn't have to worry about these things." Serena argued as she followed her sister, "Anyways, I'm not here to talk about my problems. I'm here to meet this mystery man of yours."
"He really is great, Sere. He's smart and funny." Mina began listing.
"I bet he's also chivalrous and caring." Serena finished her sister's list with a laugh, "You always fall for those type of guys, Mina." She then added as she put her arm around her sister.
"Yeah, I do. But this one; he's a good guy, really." Mina assured her.
"That's good. How's school?" Serena asked, already tired about talking about Mina's new boyfriend.
"School's, well, school. You know how it is.." Mina said vaguely
"Mina." Serena responded sternly.
"I am passing my classes; so there's nothing to worry about. My scholarships are still valid and financial aid is still coming in. My GPA and grades won't be that low. Just a little under what they were last semester." Mina assured.
"Ok. If you say so." Serena answered with a sigh as she plopped her duffle bag down in her sisters cozy living room and sat on the small sofa.
"So Sere. I hope you don't mind, but we're going to go out to dinner with my mystery man tonight." Mina shyly informed.
"Tonight? Mina, I would have liked a little more warning then this. What time?" Serena demanded; knowing she must look a little ridiculous with her hair in a quick twist on the top of her head and her worn t-shirt and jeans on.
"In, uh... 15 minutes." Mina grimaced, "But don't worry, we're just going to a laid back hamburger joint. No need to dress up or anything." Mina added quickly.
"Mina." Serena said in a warning tone as she looked at her, Serena's eyes narrowing as if she were looking in to Mina's soul.
"Sere, he really wants to meet you. And, for some odd reason, seems really impatient about it." Mina tried to reason.
"I'm going to go and change into something I haven't been sitting in for three hours and brush my hair. I must love you or something." Serena shook her head as she took her duffle bag into the bathroom and closed the door. Shaking her head the entire time.
"You're my favorite sister Serena." Mina yelled.
"I'm your only sister." Serena replied as she pulled out a wearing thin blue button up blouse that she would have to ware a tank top under and a hole-less pair of what used to be dark blue jeans.
Taking her hair out of the twist she had put it in while she was stuck in traffic earlier, Serena quickly brushed out her long blond hair. Once it was down, Serena looked at it. She never could have the healthy golden shine Mina did and it was always naturally curly. She could never have her hair down and simply ties with a bow like Mina did. It would curl and frizz. No she had to always have it up. Tonight, she decided to put it up in pigtails. Since she hadn't done that in a long time.
"Serena, he's here." Mina called as Serena finished putting up her hair.
"Ok, I'll be right out." Serena answered as she took one last look in the mirror and turned to open the bathroom door.
"Sere, this is Max and Darien. Max, Darien, this is my sister Serena" Mina introduced them.
Serena stepped forward to shake their hands. The first man Mina introduced, Max, was tall. Taller then Serena, though that didn't say much. He looked to be about 5'11, maybe 6'. He was well built. Probably worked out a little bit. His blond, almost white hair was shoulder length and hung loosely and his eyes were a light blue. Almost as if someone had matched the blue sky on a sunny day to his eyes.
The second man, Darien, was just as tall as Max. But he seemed more imposing. Where Max could fit into any crowd, Darien would draw attention. He was also well built, if not more so; but she couldn't tell with his blazer on. He had short trimmed black hair, a little longer then a military crew cut. But the major difference between the two men was their eyes. Where Max's were a light sky blue, Darien's was a dark midnight blue. Like a fathomless pool you could fall into.
"It's nice to meet you, Serena. Mina can't stop talking about you." Darien said as they shook hands.
Serena could have sworn she felt electricity jolt through her at his touch, but when she looked up to meet his eyes, she could see no tell-tale sign that he felt it too.
"Really, what has she been saying? Nothing too bad I hope." Serena responded with a smile as she glanced to Mina.
"Sere, you know well enough what I say when I talk about you. How you took care of me. How you've been my rock all these years. How I would never have made it this far without you." Mina answered with a smile as she came to hug her sister.
"Oh Mina. Come on. Let's not get all sentimental now, we have to go to dinner." Serena said softly as she hugged her back.
"Of course. We better get going." Mina sniffled.
"Has Mina told you about the place we are eating?" Max asked once the sisters had parted.
"Kinda, she said it was a small burger place." Serena answered as she picked up her jacket and purse from a chair.
"Yea, it's pretty popular. It's also really good and near campus." Max said.
"Cool. I don't mind mingling with the younger crowd. As long as they're not more then, oh, 10 years younger. Then again, that would mean they're in high school." Serena smiled.
"High school crowd?" Darien asked.
"Yea, I'm 25. Six years, six months older then Mina." Serena answered.
"Oh." Darien responded quietly as he climbed into the back seat of the BMW that sat outside Mina's place.
Mina climbed into the front passenger seat, leaving Serena to sit in the back with Darien and Max driving the car.
"You'll have to forgive me if I begin nodding off; there was a lot of traffic on the drive up here." Serena explained quietly to Darien as Max and Mina argued over what to listen to.
"Did you come up just to visit Mina?" Darien asked.
"Well, in a way. I'm also here to meet this mystery man Mina has a crush on." Serena whispered with a wink.
"Oh, she hasn't told you about him?" Darien hinted flatly.
"No, only that he is a professor here and he's very nice. And from what I can tell, he is a good guy. But I need to get to know him better." Serena answered as she looked at the back of Max's head.
"I see." Darien agreed.
"What do you think of him?" Serena asked.
"He's a great guy. I mean, we've been friends a long time now. He's like my brother." Darien smiled softly.
"I can see that." Serena smiled back, clearly seeing the compassion in Darien's eyes.
"So, what do you do?" Darien asked, trying to make conversation.
"As of right now, I'm working as a waitress at one of the local diners, a florist and am a part-time student at the local college." Serena answered.
"Wow, and I thought I had it bad with one job." Darien said as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Well, it's worth all the stress." Serena smiled lovingly as she glanced in front of her at Mina's head.
"I thought she received financial aid." Darien commented, a little surprised that Serena was working more for her sister's education then her own.
"She does, but financial aid doesn't cover housing and living expenses. And if I can pay for it and not have her working; she'll actually finish college." Serena explained quietly.
"How far along are you in your education?" Darien asked, suddenly curious about it.
"Let's see, I'm taking 10 units this semester... I should be at a junior level... I hope." Serena answered after she gave it some thought.
"Mina's going to be passing you in academic standing." Darien pointed out.
"I know. And I'm proud of her. IF anything, I have given her a chance to have a better life." Serena told him.
"You really love her, don't you?" Darien asked, though he already knew the answer.
"She's all I have left. I have friends of course. But she's the only family I have left. I'd do anything to make her happy." Serena said honestly.
" I believe you would. Are you only in town to visit Mina?" Darien asked, hoping to get away from the topic of Serena's family, or lack there of.
"In a way. Mina said she had met a guy and I felt the need to meet him as well." Serena laughed a little, "It's very mother like of me. But I am very protective of her."
"If I were in your situation, I would be too." Darien agreed, "Do you have a guy at home, one that Mina has or needs to meet?"
"No, I don't have time for a boyfriend." Serena shrugged, acting as if a relationship were a necklace in a store window. Something she'd like to have, but wasn't a necessity of life.
"Would you like one?" Darien asked.
"I. Uh." Serena began to stutter, a blush staining her cheeks.
"I mean, as in, would it be nice to have one?" Darien re-phrased his question.
"I don't know. I mean, I am very busy. And I have Mina to look after." Serena pointed out, "It's not like I sit around and do nothing. I work, study, and go to school."
"Of course you do. But don't you wish that for once, you had someone to lean on after a hard day? Have someone to hug you and hold you after a long, hard day at school and work?" Darien asked in a whisper near her ear.
"I wish there were a guy out there that would understand my position in my sister's life and wouldn't require all of my attention as many of the guys around where I live do." Serena answered, whispering as well.
For a moment, Serena allowed herself to think of it. Allowed herself to think of coming home to someone there. This someone had jet black hair and bottomless blue eyes, and happened to be sitting next to her. Serena smiled in spite of herself when she thought of that. To finally have someone take care of her for a little while.
"We're here." Mina announced, snapping Serena out of her little dream phase.
Getting out of the car, Darien and Max walked around the car to meet up with the girls. Serena expected Max to take Mina's hand. Thinking that Max was Mina's mysterious man. Sending a smile to Darien, Serena moved forward to meet him. Only to see him pass her quickly and take Mina's arm gently.
"Oh Sere, I forgot to tell you. Darien's an English Professor. Aren't you still trying to get credentialed to teach English?" Mina asked.
"Yea, Mina." Serena said slowly as she looking what her sister just said.
'Darien's an English Professor' Rang through Serena's mind as she thought back to Mina's letter, ' Did I mention he was a professor here?'
"I'm so forgetful, Sere, Darien is my 'mystery man' as you like to say it. I hope you didn't tell him any embarrassing stories while we drove here." Mina smiled as Serena's stomach dropped and her dream turned into a nightmare.
