A/N: Hello once again. This is what I named chapter 5. A big thank you to all who have kept up with this story. And also a bigger thank you to LGCoffeeAddict who has been helping me out with this story. And another thanks (I know you're probably getting sick of this) to my friend Kacey who has been my slave driver. Well thats all the thanks I think I need to say. I am loving this story so far and I hope everyone will stick with me while I write it. And now on with the tale...
Disclaimer: I dont own Sailor Moon. Do you think I would be writing fanfiction if I did?
Chapter 5:
When lunch time rolled around, Serena was still locked in her office with her notes. Scanning every inch of the photographs, and then comparing them to what the team had found out about the victim. A shrill ringing startled the blonde from her work, though. Serena grabbed her bag and pulled out her cell phone. She clicked the button and placed the phone between her ear and shoulder.
"Serenity Parker," she said.
"Hey, Serena, it's me ,Molly," the brunette replied.
"Oh, hi, Molls. I was just thinking about you" Serena said with a smile. She then looked towards the door as Andrew entered. He sent her a silent wave and sat down.
"Sure you were, Serena" Molly said skeptically. Serena sighed dramatically and placed a hand over her heart. She then replied with a fake guilty tone.
"Alright, Molly. You caught me. I wasn't" As Molly chatted away Serena looked at Andrew and mouthed the words 'What do you want?' Andy rubbed his hand over his stomach and motioned to his watch, while mouthing the word 'lunch'. 'Do you wanna come?' he mouthed afterwards. Serena nodded and grabbed her bag from the desk. She placed the notes, pictures and files into her drawer and followed Andy outside.
Darien, Zach, Michael and Jay were all waiting for them. Serena still kept the phone to her ear as Molly regaled her about all the things her mother had her doing.
Serena thought back to when she had first met Molly.
Flashback...
Serena sat at her desk, furiously writing in her notebook. Her blue eyes would quickly glance up to check on the notes written on the board but apart from that they were glued to her page. As she wrote a shadow loomed over her desk. The teacher hadn't arrived yet so Serena knew it couldn't be Ms Haruna.
"What cha doing brainiac?" a voice sneered.
"Writing" Serena replied simply.
"What cha writing?" it said while taking the book from Serena.
"Hey! Give that back Ann!" Serena said finally looking at the girl. A pink haired girl with brown eyes was reading what Serena had written in her notebook. Ann was 15 just like Serena and unfortunately in most of the same classses. She was wearing a short mini skirt that left almost nothing to the imagination and a low cut top that was just as bad.
"Taking notes already? Talk about a goody goody two shoes" she teased. Others from the class were watching the exchange and many laughed or giggled at Ann's insult. Serena tried in vain to get her book back but Ann refused to release her 'captive'. Serena jumped up and as she did Ann pushed her to the ground. Serena landed with a thud and Ann threw her head back and laughed. The rest of the class joined in with her. All except a brown haired girl and boy sitting at the back of the class.
"Hey Melvin. Who's that?" the new girl asked gesturing to the floored blonde.
"Serenity Parker's her name, Molly" Melvin replied. Molly nodded and watched on as Ann tore Serena's book and then threw it at her.
"Try and work now braniac" she mocked. With that she walked away and took her seat at the front of the class. Molly saw Serena gather up her things and take her seat.
After class it was lunch time. Molly asked Melvin to introduce her to Serena, because Melvin was the only one who was friends with the blonde. The pair found Serena sitting under a tree all alone, surrounded by books.
"Hey Serena" he said as they approached. Serena looked up at Melvin and smiled.
"Hi Melvin" she said sweetly. Melvin took a seat beside Serena and gestured for Molly to do the same.
"Serena I'd like you to meet Molly. She's new here."
Serena looked Molly up and down before presenting her hand.
"Hello Molly, I'm Serena" she said. Molly shook her hand and took a seat.
"I saw what happened in class today" she said quietly. Serena looked up again at the brunette. She just shrugged her shoulders.
"Its okay. It happenes all the time" she replied calmly while reading her book. Molly took the book from Serena and closed it. She then placed a hand over Serena's small one.
"No it's not okay. What they did was wrong" she said. Melvin shook his head and joined in.
"She's right Sere. You're the smartest girl in this school and yet you get teased constantly" he said sadly. Again Serena just shrugged and looked at the brown haired boy.
"Sometimes brains are a curse Melvin," she replied. Molly answered before Melvin could.
"They should be praising you. Not teasing you" she said, "Brains are a gift that should be cherished. Think about it Serena. When people like Ann are living in the gutter, you'll be solving crimes or discovering the cure for cancer. In the end what do they have? Popularity? That won't get them anywhere once high school ends. But you and your brains will be reaching for the stars that poeple like them can only dream about. And there will come a day when they will be so in awe that they dont have the guts to look down on you. They'll be like "Wow. Look at how smart she is" and they'll be thinking "I wish I could do that". But when it comes right down to it, Serena, you dont need people like them. You shouldn't care what they think about you, because as long as you are smart, and you know you are, people like Ann will only hold you back."
Serena and Melvin were stunned at the intensity of her words. Molly's serious face then melted away and was replaced with a smile. She then wrapped an arm around Serena's shoulders and pulled her close.
"I can tell we're going to be the best of friends" Molly said happily.
End Flashback...
And they were. Serena loved Molly like a sister and, thanks to her brunette friend, Serena was indeed doing something that people were in awe of.
Ever since that day Serena and Molly were joined at the hip. Well they were when Serena wasn't joined to Mina's hip. Molly was never very concerned about her looks. Sure she was pretty, anyone with eyes could see that, but Molly kept her hair a simple, natural brown. And her chocolate brown eyes were open to all. Melvin and Molly had started dating after graduation. And they were now happily engaged. Molly occasionally took breaks from their arrangement but Melvin loved Molly more than anything.
'That's why they always get back together' Serena thought. Molly's words finally got through to the blonde.
"...washing, cleaning, dusting. I tell ya, Sere, unless you like cleaning, visiting my mother is not a recommended holiday destination," she said finally. Serena erupted in a fit of laughter which drew the attention of the guys. They sent each other odd looks which Serena selectively ignored. They all climbed into their separate cars.
Darien and Andy rode together in one car whereas Jay, Michael and Zach rode in another. Serena climbed into her own car and followed the guys as they drove through the streets. Serena couldn't help but nervously glance in her rear view mirror as she drove, not wanting a repeat of this morning.
When they finally arrived at their destination, Serena recognized it as the same diner to which she had taken Amy yesterday. The guys entered and took a seat in a booth.
Jayden sat in the middle with Zach and Michael to his left and Andy and Darien on his right. The only space left was beside Darien and, despite her better judgement, Serena took it. She placed her bag on the table and finally actually listened to what Molly was saying.
"And Melvin and I are going back out when I get back into town," she finished.
"That's great, Molly. I'm so happy you and Melvin worked things out," Serena said. 'Again' she added silently.
"Thanks, Serena. So tell me. Has that scumbag, Allan, shown his face yet?" Molly said spitefully.
"No, Moll. That scumbag, as you so delicately put it, won't come near me. I told you I'd shoot him if he did," she said, forgetting where she was. All the guys heads snapped around to look at the threatening blonde.
'What?' she mouthed with a shrug of her shoulders. The guys shook their heads and refocused on their menus. A waiter approached the table and swore loudly when he realized Serena was at the table.
"So when will you be back?" Sere asked. Molly said she'd be back in 2 days and with that they said their goodbyes and hung up.
Darien eyed the guy suspiciously as Serena chattered away. When she finally hung up she looked at the waiter sweetly.
"Oh, hello, Rubeus. Hows the phone?" she asked just as sweetly. Rubeus' face turned tomato red with anger at her mocking words.
"Why you little bitch! That phone was really expensive!" he yelled. Darien made a move to stand from the table and knock some sense into the guy but Serena stopped him.
"It was probably as cheap as your pick up line," she said. Rubeus took their orders while grumbling at Serena, who just sat their smiling like an angel. Darien ordered a black coffee, Michael and Zach ordered the fish special, Andrew ordered a hamburger and Jay ordered a steak and gravy. Serena just ordered a plate of chips to quell her grumbling stomach. When Rubeus finally walked away, Serena threw a death glare at his back. An uncomfortable silence engulfed the group which lasted until their food arrived. Another waitress brought it out which the entire company were grateful for.
"So what was that all about?" Andrew asked eventually. Serena rolled her eyes.
"He tried to hit on me yesterday so I dropped his phone in a glass of water" she replied calmly while picking at her chips. The others finally spoke up.
"Don't you think that was a bit harsh?" Zach asked. Before Serena could reply Jay did the honors for her.
"Of course not, Zach. He tried to hit on her, man. Anyone would have done the same thing," he said.
"Well yeah," Serena said quietly "But anyone wouldn't have kicked him into a wall."
Darien spat his coffee out as he looked at her.
"You did what?!" he almost yelled.
"I uh, kinda kicked him into a wall," she replied nervously, averting her gaze and biting her lip.
"Why the hell did you do that?!" he yelled again. Darien stood up at his words.
"The jerk was hitting on me!" she replied harshly. Darien scoffed at her.
"That's no reason to kick the guy through a wall! No matter how cheap his pick up lines may have been!" he yelled at her. By now the pair had drawn the attention of every person in the diner. Including Rubeus. Serena rose to her feet and stood firm as he ranted. When he finished her voice was low and calm, but everyone detected the malice in it.
"You know nothing about me Darien. Every man that has ever hit on me or gained my trust has betrayed me. They've hurt me, taken advantage of me or just plain lied to me, so when you tell someone they're being extreme and over the top, make sure you know who and what you're talking about. I have been alone my entire life. My parents practically abandoned my sister and me, and Mina had to give up everything so that I could be where I am today" she said, her voice growing louder with every word.
"My last boyfriend cheated on me and then told me I wasn't good enough. That I'd never be worth anything! Do you know how that made me feel? Of course you wouldn't. You've never been dumped or cheated on. You're always the one doing it!" she yelled finally before grabbing her bag from the table and leaving.
Darien and the guys stood in shock as Serena's words finally registered. The others just sat in silence and Darien was stunned. His mouth was open and closing but he just couldn't make himself speak. Michael's words broke him from his daze.
"You gonna go after her?" he said not looking up from his plate.
"What?" Darien replied. As Michael met his gaze, for the first time since they had met, Darien saw an emotion ripe in his eyes. Concern.
"You are my friend, Darien, but you need to apologise for what you said. You know I usually don't get involved in things like this, but that girl," he said gesturing to the doors Serena had just walked through, "is something special. And if what she said is true, we need to help her understand that not every guy is like that. And your little outburst is not going to do that."
All of the guys sat staring at Michael. He never showed interest or concern about anybody. Not that he was selfish, but Michael was just indifferent and it took something big to faze his cool exterior. Obviously Serena was that something big.
Within an instant Darien was gone, straight out the doors. Michael just shook his head and returned to eating. The rest of the guys sat speechless but continued eating nonetheless.
(With Serena)
Serena had exited the diner in haste and she now found herself wandering the streets. The constant click of her heels was swallowed by the busy sounds of the passing world. She clutched her bag as she headed for one place she hadn't been in years. The one place she could always find silence. The park.
Serena had always loved parks. Mina had always taken her, no matter what. They both loved the green grass, the swings, the playgrounds and the fresh air, but Serena had stopped going to parks when she was 16.
And now the blue eyed blonde was perched upon the deserted swings, swaying back and forth while she gazed out over the lake. Soft sounds emitted from the birds and the trees rustled in the wind but apart from that, Serena was completely alone. No one would ever guess she was sitting in the middle of a city. Serena let her thought wander to what she had said in the diner.
'Why on earth did I tell him that? Now they're all going to think I'm some helpless damsel in distress who can't take care of herself' she thought as she covered her face with her hands. 'Oh, Molly. I need some help right about now.' Serena's began to glisten with tears and she made no move to brush them away or hide them from view.
'I haven't felt like this since I was 16' she thought sadly. The tears made their way down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and thought about the day her parents disappeared.
She was 16 the last time she saw her parents. Mina had been 17. Mina was old enough to live on her own but Serena was still considered underage. So the government had wanted to put Serena into foster care but Mina refused. She left school, got a job and bought an apartment so that Serena could stay with her. Mina had worked day and night to give Serena a proper education and get her through college. Serena thanked Mina everyday for what she had given up for her little sister. but of course, Mina just shrugged it off and wouldn't make a big deal out of it.
One day word ever came back about their parents disappearences. The police had found out that Serena and Mina had been abandoned by their parents who were into drugs. And no matter how many times they told her, Serena had refused to believe they abandoned them. But when Serena and Mina saw them for their own eyes, with a new family, the reality finally sank in.
She was brought from her thought as a hand brushed away her tears. Serena popped her eyes open to come face to face with a pair of violet orbs brimming with concern.
"Dont cry" the raven haired girl said. She offered Serena a hankerchief which she gladly accepted and wiped her eyes with. The beauty smiled and grasped her hands.
"There you go. You're to pretty to be crying like that" she said kindly. Serena smiled and let a small laugh escape her. The girl sqeezed her hands and laughed too.
"That's better. When I think about the girl I met in the park, I want to remember her smiling. Not crying" she said. Serena watched as she got down on her knees, dirtying her nice jeans in the process.
"Thank you" Serena said, handing back the hanky. The girl just shook her head and claimed the cloth.
"It's all right" she said before standing to go. Serena caught her wrist before she could leave.
"Wait, aren't you going to ask me what's wrong?" she said. The girl smiled but shook her head.
"No. If I ask what is wrong, you will feel obligated to tell me something. And I don't want that. If you do tell me what is the matter, I want it to be because you trust me enough to. People who ask what is wrong, when they don't know you, can never really help. They are just taking pity on you because you look upset" she replied.
"Why are you helping me?" Serena asked. The girl turned and smiled at the tear streaked blonde.
"Because I want to be your friend" she said simply. Serena was taken back.
"But you don't know anything about me. I could be a serial killer for all you know" Serena reasoned. The girl just shrugged.
"So?" she asked. Serena blinked a few times and then stuck out her hand.
"My name's Serena" she said.
"Raychel. Or Raye" the girl replied while shaking her offered hand. Raye then swiveled back around and took the swing beside Serena.
"So now that we know each other, what's the matter?" she said looking at the downcast blonde. Serena released her breath and began speaking.
" I just had a fight with someone I work with." Raye nodded understandingly.
"What about?"
"I um kind of kicked a waiter through a wall. After dropping his phone into a glass of water" Serena replied. Raye threw back her head and laughed.
"Why did you do that?" she managed to ask between gasping for breath.
"He was hitting on me" Serena replied with a small smile. This girl's laughter was cheering her up already. Another bout of laughter sprang forth from the girl and she almost toppled from her seat on the swing.
"And who were you fighting with?" she asked once she had stopped laughing. Without thinking Serena began to rant.
"My boss. He is so stuck up. He thinks he's mister high and mighty just because everyone see's him as the team leader. That man wouldn't know a snake even after it bit him. Sure he's okay looking but his attitude is the worst. Do you know he called me meatball head? For no reason he just started insulting me! And I'm new to the team too!"
" 'Meatball head'? " Raye interrupted.
"Yes. Meatball head!" Serena confirmed. Her eyes were now clear and her entire being seemed to have sprung to life over this boss of hers.
'Interesting' Raye thought to herself.
"And then he starts having a go at me because I was defending myself. In the middle of a crowded diner nonetheless!" she finished in a shriek. Raye's long black hair swayed as she shook her head.
"That wasn't very nice" she said quietly. Serena scoffed.
"Believe me. He isn't very nice" she said with a venomous tone. The moment of silence was broken when Serena's cell phone began to ring.
"I'm sorry I have to take this" she apologised to Raye. Raye just reassured her it was fine.
(With Darien)
The raven haired man ran along the crowded sidewalk, barely avoiding people in time. He was panting from the exertion but Darien didn't notice. All he could think about was finding Serena. He had first gone to her car and breathed a sigh of relief when he found it untouched. After that he was baffled. She was right. He knew nothing about her. He didn't know where she liked to hang out with her friends, if she had any, and he didn't know anything about her in general. Apart from what her file said, but a file can only tell you so much.
Darien searched the nearby shops, stalls and streets but he had no luck in finding the blonde. He swore as yet another shop didn't yield his prize. He dug his hands into his hair as he searched his head for an answer.
'Where could she be? She can't have gotten too far' he thought rationally.
'But she does have a pair of legs on her' his other half replied.
'Why am I even bothering? She insulted me' Darien thought.
'After you insulted her' a voice, that sounded suspiciously like Andrew' replied. Darien shook his head.
"I shouldn't have gone off at her like that" he said aloud with a sigh. Suddenly he had an idea. He pulled out his cell phone and called his office.
Bella picked up on the second ring.
"Agent Darien Shield's office. Bella speaking" her voice cooed.
"Bella. It's Darien" he said briskly. He then began walking back towards the diner.
"Darien? Why are you calling your office?" she asked.
"That's not important right now. I need you to get me a cell phone number, and I need it right away," he replied quickly. he could hear Bella get a pen and paper ready.
"Name?" she asked.
"Agent Serenity Parker" he supplied. Bella sighed but went about it nonetheless.
"Okay. I'll call you back" with that she hung up as Darien re-entered the now empty diner. Obviously the guys had left and headed back to the office.
'Traitors' he thought jokingly. Darien took a seat at the now vacant booth and couldn't help but tense as the waiter Rubeus appeared.
"It's about time someone put that wench in her place. She had no right to attack me" he said smugly, sliding into the seat beside Darien. Darien kept his voice calm as he addressed the ignorant man.
"Listen. You have no right to talk about Serena like that. She's not some wench or little bitch that refused to give you her number. She's a beautiful woman who can obviously tell the difference between a gentleman and a sleezebag like you" he said, stressing every word through gritted teeth. Rubeus scoffed and ran a hand through his flame red locks.
"Then why were you going off at her before? I heard that it was about how she treated me" he said. Darien clenched his fists beneath the table in an effort to resist throttling the man before him.
"Then you heard wrong" he lied. The smug look that would've crossed his face if Darien had told the truth was just a little more than the raven haired man was willing to bear right about now. He silently thanked the heavens when his cell phone rang before Rubeus could call his bluff.
"Bella?" he quizzed.
"Yes. I've got you that number," Darien took a pen from his shirt pocket and wrote the number on a nearby napkin. He made sure that the napkin was tucked into his pocket before Rubeus could get ahold of it.
'If Serena didn't want to give him her number, I'm not going to either' he thought. With that Bella hung up and Darien rose from the table. He quickly left the diner and stood on the curb. He dialed the number and almost shouted in triumph when she answered on the third ring.
"Serenity Parker" her voice wafted through the phone.
"Serena, where are you?" he asked.
"Darien? How did you get my number? And why are you calling me?" she questioned. Darien ran a hand through his own ebony bangs as he answered her questions.
"1: Yes it's me Darien. 2: I'm a detective, where do you think I got your number and 3: I was worried about you. You disappeared without a word of where you were going Serena. I looked for you for ages," he told her. Serena was quiet for a moment before speaking.
"You don't need to worry about me Darien. I'm fine" she said quietly. Darien could tell she was lying through her teeth.
"You were right Serena. I don't know anything about you" he said hesitantly, after all, it's not often Darien Shiels admits that he is wrong, "But I do know when you're lying. You seem to withdraw. And you act as though you are doing some great thing wrong. I can hear it in your voice." Darien silently questioned himself as to where that had come from but despite his searching he found no answer.
He heard Serena sigh through the phone.
"Im sorry about what I said bef-" she began but Darien interrupted her.
"It's okay Serena but this isn't a conversation I want to have over the phone. Where are you?" he asked before she could continue.
"Angan Park" she replied. Before she could argue Darien had hung up and was heading for Angan Park.
(With Serena)
Serena's next words were cut off as she heard the dial tone through the phone. She quickly placed the phone and turned to face Raye.
"I'm sorry about that. Someone was looking for me" she said apologetically. Raye waved a hand casually through the air as she spoke.
"Oh don't worry about it" she said reassuringly. Raye glanced at her watch and gasped at the time.
"Sorry Serena, but I have to go. I was supposed to meet my brother 10 minutes ago. It was nice to meet you though" she said quickly. Serena nodded.
"Okay and it was great meeting you too" she said as Raye waved. She then walked away, leaving Serena, alone again, to wait for Darien.
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A/N: Well there is chapter 5. I hope everyone liked it. Dont forget to review, and I must give a big thank you to all those who have already reviewed. And a big thank you to LGCoffeeAddict who has been editing for me and helping me with the plot. Chapter 6 should be up very soon. As in within a few days, if that. Bye for now.