I don't own the characters from Sailor Moon. Still. *cries*
Nor do I own the rights to "Psycho". Just a reference.
AN: Totally sorry for such a long wait. I had a LOT go wrong in my life over the past three years or so which is why I haven't updated in ages. I don't even recall where I was going with this story, as all my chapters were lost when the computer they were on crashed beyond repair. So, this is what I've got. I won't be making the chapters as long as they have been, but I hope to be updating fairly regularly…as in, not every three years. I hope you find this chapter to your liking. :)
R&R, if you're so inclined…
X-O-X-O
Night faded away, the bleak darkness giving way to the orange light of the new day. The street lights had disappeared many miles back, leaving only open lonely highway before them. Serena had dozed on and off the entire way, her eyes unable to remain open for very long at a time. She remained perched upon her companion's lap, her legs dangling over into the passenger's seat.
Her heart had finally stopped racing, though her mind was intent on remaining more than active. Had this night been real? Or was she trapped in some nightmarish dream? The events of the night before played out in her mind, causing dread to rise in the pit of her stomach. She'd bared witness to someone being killed. Not only that, but the killer had been none other than the man that had effectively stolen her breath and caused her heart to beat irregularly for the past several days.
'Not murder,' she corrected herself internally. He'd only done what he'd been forced to on her account, and unfortunately the end result had been severe.
Or had it been so simple? She still had no clue what had really gone on last night and was still too dazed from the whole ordeal to demand answers from the silent man she rode with. He'd not spoken a word since their departure from the city, an almost uncomfortable silence settling over them. Deciding it was time to break the stillness, she spoke.
"You're hurt. We should probably find a hospital, don't you think?" she wondered, carefully maneuvering into the passenger's seat in order to give his legs a rest.
"No need. It's nothing," he told her, only then noticing the aching in his shoulder. Truly, it was nothing he'd not experienced before, and this was only a flesh wound in comparison to some he'd sustained in his lifetime.
"No need, huh? Well, I'll take your word for it, I suppose. So…where are we going?" she wondered, stretching her legs out a bit in front of her to keep them from kinking up on her. He seemed to consider her question a moment before answering.
"West. We need to put as much space between ourselves and the city as we can, at least for a bit...until I figure things out," he told her, knowing the score of questions that must be nagging at the back of her mind.
West. So, she thought, he had about as much knowledge of their destination as she did. Looking at the dashboard clock, she noted that it was nearly eleven o' clock. By now, her friends would know something was up and she figured all hell had broken loose. They weren't exactly the most rational people alive, after all. But whatever outlandish idea they came up with would be trumped by reality in this case. Nothing could compare with what had actually occurred...whatever it was. Feeling the need for words, unnerved to no end by the silence, the weary blonde spoke.
"Are we safe?" she wondered, almost startled as his eyes met her own.
"With me, you are. Don't worry. Everything will be fine," he assured her, giving her hand a small squeeze. Though he found the words flowing forth from his lips, he couldn't quite bring himself to believe them entirely. Serena sighed, his warmth and words both reassuring her, though her mind would not be at ease.
"Darien, who were they?" she asked suddenly. He was quiet for a time before delivering his answer.
"Neither the world needed, Serena. Mankind was done a service last night, though I regret that you had to witness it. I apologize for that," he said, his tone a bit grave. She was never meant to be exposed to such things, though to his dismay, his world had ensnared her despite his efforts to keep that from occurring.
"You know...this kind of throws a wrench in the gears," she noted, causing a small smile to touch his lips.
"Yes, love. I suppose that it does."
X-O-X-O
"Look, I've told you already. I heard her SCREAMING, ok? What, do you think girls just let loose with blood curdling screams for the hell of it?" Raye demanded, slamming her hands onto the table before her.
"Miss, calm down. This is routine procedure and your attitude isn't helping anything," the young uniformed man said, his irritation more than obvious.
"Attitude? ATTITUDE? I'll show you...are you even old enough to BE a cop?" she nearly shouted, only to be restrained by Lita.
"Look, I apologize for her, but you've got to understand how upset we are. I mean, how would YOU react to this?" she asked, Raye breaking away only to pace a few feet from her.
Mina and Amy stood close by, both red eyed and beyond the point of being distraught. The officer sighed, holding up his hands.
"Alright, alright. Enough with the questioning, then. Can I get you ladies some coffee?" he asked, setting Raye off for the hundredth time.
"No, but thank you," Lita interrupted, stopping Raye in her tracks.
"Ok. If you'll excuse me for a moment," he said, before disappearing, leaving the four occupants of the room to speak beyond the reach of his ears.
"Raye, you need to chill out. This really isn't helping Serena," Mina said, laying a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder.
"I know. I know it's not, but I don't know what to do. I just don't," she admitted, sitting down in the nearest chair.
"How long before her parents get here?" Amy wondered.
"Shouldn't be too long now. Her poor mom is beside herself. But who wouldn't be? Hell, WE are," Lita noted, sighing mightily as she shoved her hair from her eyes. Moments later, the officer returned, the chief investigator on his heels.
"Ladies," he greeted, taking a seat across from Raye.
"What else did you find out?" she asked, preparing herself for whatever news was to come.
"There were signs of a struggle, but there is no evidence that your friend has come to any harm. But," he began, "we believe she may have been abducted. By whom is still unclear, but we're doing all we can to find out."
Lita swallowed hard, thoughts racing in all directions through her mind. One struck her, nearly numbing her entirely. Darien. Could he...No. Mysterious though he was, it was clear that he cared for Serena. At least, it seemed that way. But, as she'd witnessed many times before, appearances could be deceiving. She was brought out of her reverie by the investigator's voice.
"Believe me when I say that we're doing everything we can to bring your friend home safe and sound. Are her parents here yet?" he asked the officer.
Just then the door opened, and in walked Serena's mother, her arms immediately outstretched to receive the girls that were much like daughters to her.
"Mrs. Draven," Lita breathed, feeling the small woman shake in her arms.
"Girls...thank you for being here. What've they told you?" she asked, her husband appearing behind her, a grim look upon his face, his eyes full of worry.
"You're her parents?" the investigator asked, rising from his seat.
"We are. What's happened? Where is she?" Serena's mother asked, eyes brimming with tears.
"Your daughter...she may've been abducted."
X-O-X-O
The sun had long been high in the sky when they pulled over, having previously stopped only for gas fill ups. She had no idea how far they'd gone, though it seemed as though hundreds of lonely miles had passed as they drove along the highway.
Her feet touched the ground, her legs feeling a bit wobbly beneath her. A strong arm was soon around her, holding her upright. She looked up to find those impossibly blue eyes piercing through her. His hand smoothed along her cheek, a most comforting feeling. He looked her over, a frown touching his lips. Her knees were caked with dried blood, his shirt hanging loosely about her. Her lip was split and a tad swollen, though it did little to detract from her beauty. Still, she was a mess, and all on his account. He cursed himself inwardly, for allowing her to be exposed to the darkness he'd always known.
"Where are we?" she asked, noticing that nothing but trees surrounded them.
"About nine hours from the city," he replied. She looked around, realizing that they were nowhere near anything that could be considered civilization. Suddenly, her formerly menial existence seemed fairly tempting to her.
"And what exactly are we doing?" she wondered, gazing up the highway stretching out before them.
"I haven't worked out the details, but for now, we're going to keep moving. We need to find something for you to wear and somewhere to get you cleaned up. Does it hurt?" he asked, kneeling before her. His fingers touched her knee gently, causing her to wince a bit. He noticed her discomfort, his face softening.
"Mostly my feet. Running barefoot through the city wasn't exactly my idea of fun," she told him, gasping as fell to his knees, his arms going about her hips, pulling her in close against him. Her hands strayed to his hair, running through his raven black tresses. She felt quite numb, unsure of so much and yet unable to tear herself away from the man that had effectively stolen her breath in the days before.
"I'm sorry, Serena," he said, looking up at her with the only eyes that had ever managed to peer into her very soul.
Normally the model of calm collection, Darien was so tense, so unlike his usual self. It disturbed her a bit, though she could understand why. They were facing quite a difficult situation and with a bit of shock she then realized that the only one she had to rely on was him. She knelt down, her hands resting on his knees.
"Look, know this isn't good. I know that I saw something that I was never meant to see. But whatever it was...I believe in you. I know you won't let anything hurt me. I believe in you," she said, her words touching his very heart.
"How's your shoulder?" she asked, knowing that despite his façade, he must be in great pain. It wasn't likely that he'd been shot and was feeling no ill effects from it.
"I've been worse. No need to worry about me," he told her, reveling in the feeling of her warmth as it permeated his being.
"Come," he said, standing and offering her his hand. She frowned, seeing the dried blood on his outstretched hand.
"I still say you could use some medical attention," she noted, cringing as she saw the many lacerations marring his knuckles, the outcome of breaking out his window that very morning.
"We should only be a few miles from the next town. We'll see what we can find there," he told her, his thoughts heavy and body aching despite what he'd told her. Suddenly, a smile touched his lips, and her brows furrowed.
"What? Do I have something in my teeth?" she tried, before mentally slapping herself for uttering such a lame attempt at a joke at such a time.
"It's nothing," he said, leaning over towards her. His lips touched hers lightly, causing them to tingle.
"Come," he said again, leading her back to his Jeep. With that, they started back down the highway, her hand resting upon his thigh.
X-O-X-O
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she wondered, pulling the borrowed shirt in tightly about herself as she stared out the window. Only then did she realize the chill surrounding her, her meager clothing offering little protection.
"We have to rest sometime. My tank's almost dry again, and I need to gather myself," he admitted, before opening his door.
"This should only take a few minutes," he said, making his way around to the only signs of life they'd seen for more miles than they could recall.
It was an odd sort of place, what seemed to be an old motel with gas pumps out front. She wondered if it was even inhabited. From the looks of it, there weren't many people that frequented the place these days.
Serena watched him as he walked, her eyes catching sight of the older man that came out to meet him. They exchanged words for a few moments before she saw Darien proffering the man a bill from the money clip he'd removed from his pocket. She looked away as she saw the man's eyes land upon her, fixing her gaze on her banged up knees. Now that he'd mentioned it, they did sting pretty fiercely.
Darien came back shortly, and she watched him through the side mirror as he filled the gas tank. Soon he'd disappeared through a door of the motel, an 'Office' sign hanging above it.
Serena sighed mightily, pinching the bridge of her nose. What the hell were her friends doing, besides panicking? She was sure they'd informed her parents of her vanishing act by now and it hurt her heart to think of them all worrying themselves to death over her. With a start, she realized that the police would most likely be involved by now as well. She hoped to any god that would pay her any mind that they hadn't given her family, both blood and otherwise, the wrong ideas to dwell upon. Her phone had also been lost in the struggle and she cringed as she thought of what whoever called must've been thinking after hearing her scream as she had.
Serena was startled from her thoughts as the driver's side door opened, Darien sliding onto the seat smoothly. She looked him over, noticing for the first time how tired he seemed.
"We'll be staying here tonight," he informed her, as he pulled around to the back of the motel. He'd made sure to get a room out of sight, where no one would see Serena in her current condition. He walked around to the passenger side, opening her door. Helping her out, she surveyed their surroundings. Within a couple of seconds, the movie "Psycho" had come to mind.
"Ohhhh," she drawled, taking in the mom and pop motel they'd come upon. It looked just like the building portrayed in the old horror movie, right down to the creepy old house on the hill behind it.
"Swank," she said under her breath, immediately wondering if she'd sounded ungrateful.
"We won't be here for long," he promised, lacing an arm around her and starting towards the old building.
She walked with him, his arm still around her, until they came to their room. He unlocked the door with his borrowed key, allowing her to enter first before closing it behind them.
"So," she began, "are you going to tell me what really happened back there?"
"Which part?" he wondered, pulling her a bit closer. She felt her breath catch, his touch enough to insight an all out riot of her senses.
"Everything from the beginning would be awesome," she managed, her hand reaching out to clear his dark hair from his piercing eyes.
"In due time," he said, his palm resting gently upon her cheek.
She paused, his warmth radiating throughout her. He was so gentle with her, unlike anything she'd ever known. And yet, she'd seen it with her own eyes…seen him kill. She was so conflicted by her own emotions that she wasn't sure of anything anymore.
"For now, if you'll do this for me: I need you to stay here for a bit. You need some clothes and there are a few things I need to take care of. I won't be long," he assured her, his heart paining him as he took in the sight of her, clad in nothing but his shirt and a bit of black lace. Still, she looked so innocent standing there, a sight that made him determined to ensure that she would be subjected to no more of the violence she'd witnessed the night before. She was so much better than anything he'd ever be, that he was sure of. And now he'd drawn her into this web of deceit, her very existence now in jeopardy. She'd seen far too much, but there was no way he could leave her to her fate. He knew what he had to do, but for now, seeing to her safety and comfort was his top priority.
"Ok. I'll wait here for you," she promised, only then noticing the ache from the wounds she'd sustained the night before.
"I think I'll take a shower. I need to wash this grime off," she said, fingering the crusted blood on her knee.
"But first, you should let me have a look at your shoulder," she said, starting to lead him into the bathroom. When he didn't follow, she turned to look at him, a puzzled look upon her face.
"I told you, I'm fine. It only grazed me," he told her, a bit of relief washing over her.
"You keep saying that, but I can't believe it's not bothering you," she said, her heart missing several beats as he drew her closer, until she was pressed against the front of him. Despite the trauma she'd experienced not so long ago, Serena still felt the same heat rising within her as his arm held her close, her hands pressing against his chest. Though wishing for the moment to last forever, she was disappointed to feel him pull back.
"I'll be back soon. We should be fine for now, but humor me and keep this with you," he asked, producing a small handgun from his boot.
She took it cautiously, turning it over in her hands. She'd never shot one of these beastly things before, her question coming swiftly.
"What am I supposed to do with it?"
"This one's fairly simple to handle. You aim and then pull the trigger. But it's merely a precaution," he assured her.
"Sure thing. Be careful, ok?" she asked, leaning up on her toes.
Her eyes closed as their lips touched, her heart fluttering within her chest. All too soon, he pulled back, his eyes dark as he stared her through. The same hunger she'd seen before lingered in his eyes, almost frightening to her. Smoothing his palm along her cheek, he turned, making his way to the door.
"Lock the door," he told her, and she did as he bade, watching his retreating form before shutting and locking the door behind him.
X-O-X-O
"Let me get this straight. You're telling me that one of my men is dead, and that you let the bastard responsible get away?" the light haired young man roared, slamming his drink down so hard that his glass shattered, the shards slicing into his hand. His scowl deepened, his fingers beginning to dig the glass from his palm.
"At least tell me you've disposed of the body. All we need is to have the police sniffing around," he said, receiving zealous nods in response from his underlings. At least, he thought, they'd had enough brain cells functioning to erase the evidence.
"Gentlemen, this makes me very unhappy. I don't appreciate being unhappy. Not in the least," he continued grimly, his hand bleeding profusely as he spoke.
"Boss, it's not our fault. There was this girl there…she threw me off!" his henchman protested, his clothing stained red with blood. Maddox considered for a moment, his tongue darting out to lap at the blood seeping from his palm.
"A girl, you say. Well, seems Darien has an accomplice. You are to find them…both of them, and bring them to me. Alive. Seems we've finally found a weakness in him," he said with a dark smile.
"But boss, who the hell knows where they got off to by now," the man said, a shot ringing throughout the room. His subordinate stood motionless, the bullet having just missed his head.
"Find them," he said again, holstering his still smoking weapon.
"Sure thing, boss. I'll find em'. I'll bring you that pretty little girl, and you can show that bastard just what you think of her."
"Good. Now get out of my sight," he barked, the man disappearing out the door.
He smiled again at the thought. Anything to make that bastard beg.
X-O-X-O
The warm water rushed over her, the grit and dried blood disappearing down the drain as she soaped her body, her aches and pains very real.
Her thoughts were racing, her mind unable to wrap around all that had occurred. She stood there, steam rolling out of the shower around her, thoughts straying again to the night before. Palms against the shower wall, Serena closed her eyes in a vain attempt to chase the all rogue thoughts from her mind. After a time, she stepped out of the shower, toweling herself off before going about the somewhat daunting task of drying her long hair.
Before she realized it, a knock came at the door, and she immediately went to investigate, gazing out the peep hole to ensure it was who she was expecting. She opened the door, Darien appearing with a few bags in his hands and a smirk upon his face.
Still wearing only her towel, color rose to her cheeks, the need for modesty seeming juvenile to her after what had occurred between them the previous night. She locked the door behind him, watching as he deposited his burdens on the lone bed against the wall.
"It's nothing special, but I got you something to wear so you can be seen in public without feeling naked," he mused, watching as she began digging through bags, drawing out the clothes he'd brought her. She couldn't help but smile, imagining how daunting the task of guessing what clothes would fit her must've been for the man.
"I hope they fit. I got small things, since you are rather small," he noted, watching her with intent as she turned to him, a smile gracing her lips.
"I'm sure they'll be fine," she said, gasping as he stopped just in front of her, his breath beating down upon her brow. Looking up at him, she felt her control again slipping away, vaguely aware as he went about removing his coat, tossing it onto the floor next to the rest of the articles he'd brought back with him.
Serena grimaced as she saw that blood had seeped through the bandages wrapped around his shoulder, her hands immediately touching him gently. It pained her to see him, bloodied and seemingly exhausted despite how stoic he attempted to remain.
"Darien, your shoulder…"
"I'm not concerned with it," he said, cutting her off as he touched her face, an attempt to prove to himself that she were in fact there with him, that he hadn't imagined the entire thing. He was trapped in some surrealistic nightmare: the golden seraph before him couldn't have been witness to the gory events of the preceding night. And yet, as reality painfully reminded him, she had been witness to it, and now it was on his shoulders to tell her the truth, whether he wanted to or not.
"Serena," he began, ushering her over have a seat on the bed, "you asked me for the truth. I don't know that you're prepared to hear it just yet," he said, holding her hand with a gentleness that he was unaware of possessing.
"You don't think that I have to know? Darien, I saw you…" She couldn't finish, knowing the words would burn her tongue should she speak them. He saw the pain wash across her face, a sight that nearly tore him in two.
"I'm not completely clueless, you know. Bartender, my ass…I just really need to hear it come from you," she told him, her fingers trailing lightly along his injured hand, which he'd managed to bandage up in his absence.
His words should've shocked her to her very core, but Serena found herself numbed by them as they echoed in her ears. She was sure she was stuck in some vivid nightmare. This man that had taken her thoughts over since first they met was telling her what she never wanted to hear.
"I'm a contract killer," he said bluntly, no emotion to his voice. She knew she was staring at him, though she couldn't look away. He watched her, watching him, hoping that she wouldn't be bolting for the door at any moment. The dismay that crossed her face was heart wrenching to him, and he hated knowing that he'd been the cause of it. After a bit, she spoke, her voice a bit broken as she tried to control the emotions that had been unleashed from within her.
"You…kill people for money," she said, more of a statement than a question. Serena felt her heart thumping within her chest, almost painfully so. She wasn't sure how long his words would actually take to register, as much as her mind raced to keep up with them.
"Yes, baby. I do," he told her, killing her slowly with his sentiment. She looked away, not wanting him to see the emotions pour from her, her eyes welling with tears that she would never allow to fall.
Struggling with her own emotions and what had just been revealed to her, Serena forced herself to look at him, shocked to see the distress written across his face. She wasn't used to see him in such a way and the sight only caused her to be more ill at ease.
"How the hell does that even happen?" she asked, a small part of her wanting to put a bullet in him and run back to the life she'd known before he'd come around. But his eyes held her in place, their control over her both astounding and terrifying.
"It's something I was born to do, as was my father before me. I grew up knowing it, and it's what I've become. It's all I've ever known…until I found you," he continued, and only then did she realize that he was still holding her hand, just as gently as before. How could a man such as this be capable of softness? The question rang loudly through her soul, all their moments together flashing through her mind as she sat silently, positively numbed. His last words permeated through the veil of fear that had shrouded her since the night before, her eyes staring into the depths of his, dark like the night ocean.
Despite what he'd told her, as she searched his eyes, she saw something in them soften. The longer she searched, the more she realized that there was no malice within them.
"So what, you were just going to keep this from me? Or were you only toying with me for a bit?" she asked, hurt by both notions.
He sighed, running his free hand through his raven hair in frustration. Perhaps, he thought, the one unprepared for this conversation was him.
"I would never dream of toying with you, Serena," he said, his voice steady despite what his eyes revealed.
"So you were just going to assume that I was a total moron that would never catch on to you, then?" she wondered, the venom lacing her voice shocking him a bit.
"Nor was that my intention," he corrected, realizing that this would be the most difficult conversation that he would ever have with another human being.
"What, then?" she demanded, rising with a sudden fury that nearly left him breathless. As she did so, her towel chose to come loose, dropping to her hips as she stood there, mouth agape, unable to move.
He was up in an instant, towering over her, his arm pulling her flush against him as she gasped aloud. Though he realized this was no time for seduction, he couldn't help himself after baring witness to her bared flesh, which seemed to beckon him to bless it with his caress. His fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her head back more sharply than he'd intended, his lips hovering dangerously close to her own.
"Damn it," he cursed, before she found her breath escaping her, his lips crashing down upon hers like a wave against the shore.
I know, I know…"Die, Cosmic, for your all your damn cliffies!" ;P I'm so bad.
So there's the first update in FOREVER. Seriously, it's been over three years, peeps. That's sad. :( I'll be attempting to update on a more regular basis, but it won't be weekly or anything. I've got a LOT of fics going and I can't come up with new ideas that quickly.
In the meantime, feel free to check out my other *newly updated* Sailor Moon fics, Rhymes WithoutReason and Ancient Obession and my newly updated Vampire Knight fic Fragile. Yay!
*Cosmic Moon Baby*