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Awake

Two months passed with little improvement. Though Darien saw what little there was he realized that she was gone. He had lost her. Squeezing her hand he rested his head against her bed and closed his eyes to prevent the tears from falling from his eyes. Why did it have to be her? Why was she the one to suffer so needlessly?

As he sat there he began to drift off to sleep until he was welcomed with the much-needed blackness he avoided. Just as his form completely lost tension Serena's eyes slowly fluttered open. The blue orbs attempting to fix on something but unable to.

She felt tired, extremely tired, and sore. As if a bus had hit her. Attempting to lift her head she sucked in a sharp breath and lay her head back down while closing her eyes. She was dizzy too.

She tested her body, slowly moving her toes and fingers, one extremity at a time until she got to her right hand. Something was preventing her from moving and as she bravely opened her eyes once again and turned her head towards her hand she saw a sleeping man attached to it. Tenderly trying not to wake the owner, she removed herself from him and immediately found the nurse call button.

Serena felt scared as she looked around the unfamiliar place; but what scared her the most was not the location, but her lack of memory. She didn't know where she was, what had happened, or who was sitting in the chair next to her bed. All of these things called for an explanation and as the nurse walked in she near threw her clipboard in surprise. As Serena opened her mouth the woman ran from the room and began shouting at the other nurses to come in. The room was soon filled with medical people all attempting to be quiet as to not wake the man beside her.

"W…wh… where am I?" She whispered weakly, her throat feeling as though she hadn't spoken in ages.

"You're in the hospital. You were in a plane wreck." One nurse said with amazement.

"Okay, step aside… move!" Serena heard the voice of an irritated Doctor as he pushed his way through the crowd and immediately stopped when his eyes fixed on hers. "Serena! You're conscious!" He exclaimed and rushed forth to begin examining her. "How do you feel?"

"Tired, dizzy, and my throat's really dry." She whispered as one of the nurses rushed out of the room. "I was in a plane crash?" She asked hesitantly. He nodded as he looked her over and a nurse brought her a glass of water. She took it and drank it down with a thoughtful look. "This is embarrassing but… who is this man?" She pointed to Darien and heard everyone in the room gasp in shock.

"His name is Darien Shields." Dr. Mizuno said softly and stared into her eyes for any sign of recognition. She simply blinked and looked at Darien before looking back at Dr. Mizuno.

"Do I… know him?" She asked hesitantly. Mizuno simply nodded his head. This was not a good turn of events. The girl clearly had severe amnesia. "I do?" She stared at Darien for a long while. "Are you sure?"

"I'm very sure Serena." She blinked as if to process something then looked around the room and leaned forward ever so slightly.

"Serena's my first name… what's my last name?" She asked with a sad frown. "I can't seem to remember it." Mizuno bit his lip and looked at the nurses poignantly to tell them to leave. The women filed out, leaving Dr. Mizuno alone with Serena and a sleeping Darien.

"Your last name is Tsukino… you truly do not remember the man beside you?" He questioned and sighed when she shook her head from side to side slowly. "Oh dear… when he wakes, don't be afraid. He's going to be very excited that you are awake. He won't hurt you or any such thing but when he comes to…"

"Hm…?" Darien groaned and snapped his head up. His blue eyes fixing on Serena's then sparkling with excitement. "Serena!" He cried and leaped forward hugging her tightly. "I was so scared I…" He looked into her eyes then quickly moved away. "What's the matter?"

"Darien… may I have a word with you outside?" Dr. Mizuno asked cautiously and walked with Darien out into the hall. "I am sorry to have to say this to you but… Serena is suffering from amnesia. She didn't know her own name… much less yours or who you are."

Darien stared at Dr. Mizuno with disbelief. How can more than a decade of memories evaporate? "So she… doesn't remember… anything?" Darien sighed and looked at the ground. "This isn't fair… I don't believe you."

"Not much is fair Darien but I assure you she doesn't know who you are. The woman is suffering from acute amnesia and I'd say that all things considered; this is a fairly good outcome." Mizuno shrugged and walked away leaving Darien staring after him in disbelief. The man's bedside manner certainly needed some improvement that was for sure. Sighing, Darien walked back into the room where Serena was hesitantly looking at him.

"So… you have no idea who I am?" Darien asked and bit his lip as she shook her head from side to side. "Well, I'm Darien, we go way back." He smiled and held out his hand in a friendly handshake. She took his hand gently and shook it. "You've been in a coma for roughly five months now." He stated sadly as his mind flew into overtime. How could she not remember him? They had shared so much together, surely she remembered something?

"Are you okay?" Serena asked him with a hesitant tone as his eyes focused on her. He had been alone in his mind, thinking of something. "Look I um… I don't know you and I'm feeling uncomfortable with you here. Will you please leave?" Darien felt the wind leave his lungs as she made her request. Sixteen years of friendship had been erased. Everything that had happened, gone to some invisible place in the universe.

Just as he was about to respond the door opened and Ken Tsukino rushed into the room with a desperate look on his face. "SERENA!" He cried and gathered her in his arms. Her blue eyes widened in shock and confusion as the man continued to hold her. "Oh, my little girl… I'm sorry for everything I said to you that day. I was scared and…"

"She doesn't know who you are Mr. Tsukino. Serena has amnesia." Darien stated sadly and watched the elder man practically shove himself away from his daughter in shock. His brown eyes fixed on Darien's then on Serena once again.

"Well… surely you remember me Serena." Ken looked into his daughter's eyes hopefully. "You don't have to remember him but… your own father?" He cupped her face in his hands and sighed as her eyes remained murky with confusion. Ken stood up straight and looked at Darien in defeat. "Well, all those days of me wishing she'd forget you… I never thought she would forget me too."

"Sometimes you need to be careful for what you wish for Ken." Darien stated flatly and walked out of the room in order to uphold Serena's wishes. Closing his eyes he ignored the excited voices of her friends and mother rushing past him. This was not a day to be happy. She was alive yes but the woman he knew, the woman he loved, wasn't there.

~Flashback~

He leaned against the locker as she stared at him with wide eyes. He couldn't help but smirk slightly at her expression. True, she was shocked but he was beginning to think he'd scarred her for life. "So… will you go or not Meatball head?" He took the book out of her hands and placed it on the shelf in the locker.

"I… I don't know if Daddy will let me go… I mean… I'm only a freshman and… it's sort of a big deal considering… you know… certain… expectations." She gulped and turned her eyes towards the locker.

"Come on, it's me we're talking about. Your best friend! I'm tired of spending time with the idiots around here and I know we enjoy spending time together. What's the big deal? Get dressed up, and go hang out together. Nothing new." He shrugged nonchalantly and moved to the other side of her. "We can go anywhere you want for dinner. My treat." He leaned into her knowing food was the one thing Serena never turned down. He couldn't show up to this alone and he didn't want to go with any of the girls his age.

"Darien… It's prom… It's sort of a big deal." She glanced around and noticed a few eyes on her, mostly their group of friends. "I just… I don't know. I have to think about it okay?"

"Do you want me to ask your dad? Is that it because I'll have that done today. The guy loves me and, let's face it. You're safe with me, no one's going to hurt you, or hit on you, or try and do bad things to you." He reasoned calmly. If she didn't say yes he was doomed to go with Beryl and that was one girl he did NOT want to be seen with. She was crazy and clearly out to get him into bed. "I'll ask him okay?"

"Darien, it's not even about that! You know what I'm saying! The implications…" She chewed on the inside of her cheek as naughty thoughts invaded her mind. She wouldn't deny it if he asked her, she was definitely excited about the idea of being intimate with him, but they didn't have that dynamic. Like he said, they were best friends, that was it and if they went to prom together the whole school would get the wrong idea.

"Since when do you care what everyone else thinks? Screw them. We can go to prom together as friends and maybe even enjoy it more than a couple who's itching to leave to go and fuck one another. Since we aren't a couple and we have no plans on doing that we can stay for the whole thing and simply enjoy the dance. Right?" He stared deep into her eyes and saw her reservations. He hadn't thought about what the rest of the school would think but then again, he didn't care. They were immature and not worth his time.

"Fine. I'll say yes only if Daddy agrees it's okay." She sighed. She trusted Darien, he had been her best friend since kindergarten. She didn't trust the other people in the school. Considering he was known as a bit of a player she did not want people thinking she was on his "conquered" list.

"Okay then." He smiled genuinely. "You're going to be late if you don't hurry." He grinned as her eyes widened with worry and she quickly threw everything she needed in her bag.

Darien had been so happy when Ken had readily agreed. The older man had a knowing smile on his face that had made Darien a little uneasy and when he'd asked Ken why he was smiling the older man had simply shrugged. "Well, I think you and my daughter have been friends for many years, I was wondering when you were going to ask her on a date."

"Oh… no… it's not a date!" Darien assured him. Ken wasn't listening though, the man kept patting his arm and laughing. "Really, it's not! We're going as friends. That's it. I don't have any intensions on…"

"Darien. It's okay, you don't have to be shy with me. You're practically my son anyway." Darien hadn't argued the point any further. If Ken wanted to believe that then he could. Darien had laughed when he thought about how surprised Ken would be when Darien brought Serena home at eleven sharp.

Everything had changed on the night of the prom. Darien had gotten there ten minutes early and was told, sternly, that Serena wasn't ready to go yet and that he would have to wait. Ilene had rushed upstairs quickly and Ken had simply sighed and called Darien into the living room. "Okay! She's ready!" Ilene sung happily as she grabbed Darien by the arms and hauled him into the foyer where Serena was standing shyly. The moment Darien's eyes were met with her appearance he felt his heart skip a few beats.

Up until that moment Serena had simply been Meatball head. His best friend of many years, but in that moment, she was the one he hadn't noticed. The way she delicately clasp her hands together, with that little blush on her face captivated him. Her eyes sparkled and her golden hair cascaded down her back in wavy curls.

Then there was her figure. Where she'd been hiding those perfect curves he hadn't known but in that simple pink silk dress, she was there for him to see the masterpiece she was. He could feel Ken and Ilene's eyes on him and smiled as he stepped over to her and handed her the corsage box. "As is tradition." He laughed playfully. She took it in her freshly manicured hands and looked at the delicate flowers with glee.

"Look at how pretty they are!" Serena had exclaimed and shown her mother. Ilene had laughed and helped the girl slip it onto her wrist. "Thank you jerk face."

"No problem Meatball head." He shrugged as Ilene suddenly grabbed them both by the arms and started hauling them into the formal sitting room.

"I simply must have pictures of this. You're both so adorable!" She smashed them both together in front of the fireplace and grabbed the camera. Darien stood next to her, unsure of what to do for a pose. "Come on Darien, it's just us, put your arm around her shoulder like this!" Ilene manipulated Darien's arm so it was gently placed around Serena's shoulder.

As Ilene snapped picture after picture of the smiling pair Darien couldn't help but marvel at how small Serena was, how fragile she felt in his arms. She was truly a beautiful angel and he was amazed at how he'd missed it.

With that thought Darien felt a ping of alarm rise within him. She was his best friend! Serena, this was his Meatball head and now, with this new discovery, he wondered if he would be able to remain just friends. He felt like ripping her dress off right then and there.

"We should get going if we're going to have enough time for Serena to scarf down her food." He smiled playfully making her parents laugh heartily.

"Okay okay, go on then. Get out of here." Ken ushered them towards the door. "No curfew, I trust you both!" Ken waved them off with one hand around his wife.

"Talk about embarrassing." Serena had blushed in the car. "I kept telling them that this wasn't a date and they wouldn't listen." She leaned back in the leather seat and sighed. "Sometimes I wonder about them." Her eyes had shifted to his dark ones and she immediately became alarmed. "What's wrong?"

"Maybe… this isn't… such a good idea." He offered politely and wanted to hug her as her eyes fell in disappointment. "I mean… maybe you're right about the people at school."

"If you're embarrassed by me then…" She hesitated as he shook his head feverishly back and forth. "Then what is it? Why do you suddenly care what they think?" She asked hesitantly. His eyes were so dark and seemingly troubled as he seemed to mull something around in his mind.

"The truth is… I… it's not you at all. It's me. I'm… having some difficulties." Her face twisted in concern as she looked him over carefully. "I'm not sick. I just. Okay, look, please don't freak out on me okay Serena, but right now, I'm, very attracted to you… sexually." Her eyes widened in shock and she turned her face to look straight ahead. "I don't want this to continue on right now because I know that if we go I won't be able to keep my hands off of you."

"I don't care." She whispered shyly and looked down at her clasp hands. "I've been attracted to you sexually for a long time now." She admitted uneasily and looked out her own window in order to avoid his prying eyes. "I say we go and… wherever this night takes us, we'll follow."

"If we do that, I need you to understand that I'm not a relationships guy. You know that. You won't be my girlfriend." He looked at her and wished she'd look at him. "I can't love you like you deserve to be loved Serena."

"I'm okay with that." She turned her head towards him. "I love you more than enough to make up for you not loving me." He nodded and started the car then began to drive away.

That night had been wonderful, they went to dinner, danced, then somehow wound up at his apartment in his bed where he'd been with so many others. The difference this time came with Serena. The kisses they shared were the most passionate and addicting kissed he'd ever experienced. She was beautiful and addicting, every noise that escaped her lips set him on fire, made him want her more.

Not only did he want her, he wanted to satisfy her like he'd never satisfied any girl before. He wanted to hear her call out his name breathlessly and plead for him to make her fantasies come true. His hands roamed over the silk of her dress and finally to the slit along her leg.

The second his fingertips touched the unbelievably smooth skin of her thigh he lost any and all thoughts of not taking her. He moved his hands to her inner thigh and brushed his fingers along her silken panties, just about having an orgasm as she yelped out his name in glee.

They continued, and when they were finally both undressed Darien paused as she whimpered underneath him and looked up into his eyes with worry and a hint of pain. That was when he remembered she was a virgin. Leaning away from her a little he bit his lip and leaned his head onto her chest. He couldn't do it. He couldn't take her virginity, not his Meatball head. "No." He gasp breathlessly and moved off of the bed trying to quell his lusty needs. "No… I can't."

"What? Dare… I… I want…" She propped herself up on her elbows inadvertently pushing her breasts up a little. "I thought…"

"I can't do this, not to you." He shook his head guiltily. "Get dressed I need to take you home." He had demanded weakly and began to gather his clothes. She remained silent, her blue eyes watching him carefully as she tried to understand his sudden shift in moods.

When he did look back at her she was staring at her hands with tears in her eyes. That pose, that wilted, insecure pose had frozen him solid. He hadn't meant to hurt her by any means. "Please?" She asked timidly and looked up at him.

~End Flashback~

The rest was history and now it was all gone. She didn't remember that night, she didn't remember everything they'd been through. It was unfair, all of it. He'd been unfair to her, life had been unfair to him, and now, everything was ruined. How could he get her back now? How was he supposed to love her when she didn't know what they had or who he was? How could either of them love a stranger?

"Thank you for calling us." A sharp semi-masculine voice pulled him from his self-loathing. "Is there some reason as to why we just found out about Serena's accident?" Darien sighed as he looked Amara in the eyes. She looked furious with him and Michelle didn't look any better.

"I expected more from you Darien." Michelle shook her head much like a mother would when administering a guilt trip. "Of all the people in the world, I trusted you to at least call us and let us know that our friend was in a coma."

"Well, her not returning a week after she left should have been a good indicator. You act like I'm the only one at fault for your ignorance!" Darien felt guilty by yelling at them but at the same time he knew his words were true. They shared in the guilt.

"Why you…" Amara moved forward threateningly before Michelle firmly placed herself between her lover and Darien. Amara simply glared at Darien then marched down the hall towards Serena's room. Michelle simply nodded her understanding of Darien's outburst and followed Amara down the hall.

With all the people rushing to see Serena no doubt the woman would be confused and overwhelmed. She didn't know any of them… at least, he hoped not.