Hello my wonderful readers, I'm sorry I've wandered away from updating. Here's another chapter in our little adventure! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Leave me some more notes on where you want this to go!

Disclaimer: I am Sailor Moon, and in the name of the Moon, I will punish you! -I wish-

"PUT THAT JERK DOWN!" Darien flinched as he heard a familiar voice say something very uncharacteristic. He groaned and wanted to fall back into the darkness from the pain on the right side of his head, but he knew Sailor Moon was in danger. But hey – who was this jerk she kept shouting about?

"How dare you touch innocent people? I mean sure, they like to torture us with their teaching sometimes, but you have no right to touch their energy! Not even the jerks!" Sailor Moon cried out as she struck her pose, trying to avoid another run in with the monster's flailing tentacles. She threw herself to the right as she dodged another attack and tried to get up before it advanced on her again.

Groggily, Darien watched in horror as Sailor Moon was thwacked clear across the room by the oozing youma. She began to wail.

"Oaaaahhhhh, it burns it burns it BURNS!" Sailor Moon screamed, trying to scratch the ooze off the exposed skin of her leg. Foolishly she let her guard down and wasn't aware of the creature's advance on her slouched form.

Without thinking, Darien reached into his shirt pocket and sent a razor-sharp rose at the beast. It yowled in surprise and spun around, creating enough noise to alert Sailor Moon.

Shocked, she noticed the rose sticking out of its back and jumped up, looking around anxiously for Tuxedo Mask. When she couldn't find him, she panicked again, the pain gnawing at her as she continued to jump out of the way of the thrashing youma. Having had enough, she grabbed her Moon Wand, called upon the light and energy of Sailor Moon, and clearly said in an angry voice,

"Moon Healing Power." The youma screeched its final last cry and shriveled into dust. The ooze vanished from Sailor Moon's leg, leaving the flesh raw and gnarled. Zoicite growled as the swirling ball of energy dissipated.

"You'll pay for that, Sailor Moon!" He shouted, hurling a giant shard of stone for the girl.

Before she even realized what was happening, she felt herself whisked away in someone's arms, hearing their cry of pain as they ran out of the cafeteria. Sailor Moon was shoved into an abandoned, dark classroom. She swirled around, expecting Tuxedo Mask.

Her jaw dropped down, her eyes bulged out of her head, the largest sweat drop known to man formed on her brow. Even the dumplings on her head seemed to stand up in shock.

"D-d-DARIEN?" The college student spun around in shock.

Shit! He yelled at himself and unconsciously smacked himself in the forehead. Pain kaleidoscoped its way over his vision. He had forgotten to transform before rescuing Sailor Moon!

"Uh…" Great going, Cape Boy, how do you get yourself out of this one? He nearly passed out from frustration and embarrassment right there.

"It was you? You threw the rose?" Her eyes were HUGE. Her voice was barely a whisper, but he could feel the wail building up in her.

"Sailor Moon, I uh, I found that rose on, uh, a um…" Suddenly he couldn't breathe. She had called him Darien. How did she know who he was?

"What did you call me?" He gasped, his eyes bulging to meet hers halfway. She paled. She made a strange noise resembling a hiccup.

The blood stopped in his veins. Where was Serena? He hadn't seen her when he had pulled his body off the floor.

PUT THAT JERK DOWN! He paled. He heard himself hiccup and insanely he suddenly wished for a steaming hot cup of coffee. The voice had been slightly different, deeper somehow, but he knew just who was standing in front of him.

"Serena?" Her eyes glazed over. He suddenly panicked; afraid she was going into shock. The ugly flesh of her leg was starting to bleed and ooze.

"Serena, please. Can you hear me? I need you to focus on my voice." He reached out to touch her shoulder and he suddenly found himself on the ground, his arm wrenched painfully behind his back. He cried out in surprise.

"Wow, Lita wasn't joking when she said that would work!" He heard Sailor Moon mutter.

"Serena, let me go!"

"There is NO WAY in HELL, whether it be flaming or freezing, that such a pig headed, arrogant know-it-all could be the sweet, dark, mysterious and incredibly dreamy Tuxedo Mask. In fact I refuse to…," he cut her off by flipping her over his back and head. As he attempted to pull himself up into a standing position, he fought insanely for balance…and lost.

Darien stumbled and fell on top of Sailor Moon. Out of breath, he gave up and just lay there, panting for air.

"And I'm supposed to believe that some cry-baby klutz and pest is Sailor Moon? No way in hell I saw that coming." He growled. He felt his heartbeat race as he noticed just how blue her eyes sparkled. He took in the pout of her full lips and tiny button-like nose. When the hell did she turn so cute? He thought, clearly vexed at himself.

"Would you get off of me, you brute? I can't breathe with your fat crushing me," she grunted in response. And the fact that his eyes are just so gorgeous isn't helping either! She shook herself, wondering just where such horrible thoughts could come from!

Darien felt her shake and suddenly frowned.

"You're hurt. If you don't bandage that, it'll get infected." He sat up quickly, trying to ignore the dizziness he still felt, and bent to look at her burnt and angered skin. His cold hand touched her leg and he grabbed on tight as she tried to pull away from him.

"Would you get off me? Don't you dare worry about me, jerk! There's something I have to take care of right now." And trying not to wince, Sailor Moon grabbed onto the wall and pulled herself up. Before he realized what she was doing, she threw open the door and limped her way back to battle Zoicite. What she didn't want to admit to herself was the strange fire that had traveled up her leg at Darien's touch. She felt herself blush as she struggled back to fight.

"Damn, damn, damn. This is the twilight zone, isn't it?" Darien muttered. Without another thought he grabbed his transformation rose and in seconds Tuxedo Mask dashed after Sailor Moon, ready to face the Nega-trash.

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"Serena, stop the homework and come to bed." Luna called out to her charge, still curled up on the pillow. The bed was still cold beside her. When no response came from the girl, Luna peeked out of one eye just to reassure herself that the girl had just fallen asleep at her desk.

The cat sprang onto all fours, hissing, and fur standing on end. She surveyed the scene. There was no sign of Serena. The bedroom door was still closed. The window was wide open. Her transformation brooch was gone. She eyed up the fallen communicator and panic swept through her. She jumped down to flip it open and pressed the call button. In seconds, a sleepy Ami came into view.

"Serena, it's nearly three thirty. What's wrong?" Her eyes widened in shock when she realized it was Luna.

"Hi Luna, is there a youma attack?"

"Ami, Serena's snuck out of her room. Can you scan the area to find her?" With a brisk nod the girl whipped out a small mini-computer and got to work. She gasped.

"Oh Luna, her energy is weak! She's moving, rapidly, at…Juuban School? What is she doing there? Oh no! There's major Nega-energy at the school! We better go help her! Call the other scouts!" And before the startled cat could reply, the communicator screen went blank.

Did Serena go scouting on her own? The Nega-verse didn't steal her out of bed, did they? But no, the bed sheets hadn't been turned down. Luna quickly called the other scouts and jumped down from Serena's window.

Ooh, I hope you haven't walked into a trap. She growled to herself as she raced to her charge's rescue.

Tune in next time for the next chapter of SHATTERED COFFEE CUPS.

Now review, gosh-darn-it! Or I'll...I'll...never come back!