Author's Notes: After being on hiatus for almost an entire year, I've updated this story three times in less than two months. I think I've finally figured out how this story will play out and we've still got a long way to go (at least 11 more chapters). Big hugs go out to: SerentiyMoonGodness, stephumz, Jenbunny, CharmedSerenity3, b. .worm, usagifan, Isis2010, mangamania, and nickybluejess for reviewing the last chapter. A lot of you hope that I have something up my sleeve to make Darien pay for what he did to Serena, and you know that I do. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. I also do not own the songs "What's it Gonna Be" by Orianthi and "Whataya Want from Me" by Adam Lambert.
On the Road
By: afallenblackrose
Day 28:
Tour Bus Awkwardness, Take Two & Denver, Colorado
He couldn't sleep that night. Not that he could even if he wanted to. Serena had confessed on television that she loved him. And he had been a total dick and told her that she was ruining his life. But that wasn't how he actually felt, that he knew for sure. Darien knew that he was in love with her too, and he had been for a long time. That's why it had hurt so much when she had refused to fight for him and their relationship.
Or, at least, that's what he kept telling himself all night. Darien knew that he cared for her, that much was true. Hence why he didn't sleep with anybody until she refused him. A really, really stupid thing to do now that he thought about it. Serena had done that interview the day after their fight and he had gone back to his playboy persona not soon after. She must have felt like crap as he paraded girl after girl in front of her in the tabloids while she held onto this secret that she was in love with him. But now that he knew the truth he had to make it up to her. He had to make her see that he was still the guy she fell in love with and not the one she had been seeing for the last two weeks.
The only question was how was he going to fix this? Serena had declared her feelings publicly. Maybe he could do the same? He pondered on that thought for a while before he called on the members of his band. It was four in the morning, with any luck, he would have this figured out before the show tonight. And hopefully, by the end of the night, Serena would be back in his arms. Hopefully.
Lita, Paul, and Nick got the call earlier than they had been expecting. They thought that Serena would be in Darien's arms all night after that television special. But when the phone rang at four in the morning, they exchanged looks. This couldn't be a good sign, could it? Lita answered the phone, and instantly felt dread in her stomach. Serena didn't answer with words but with sobs. Things had not turned out the way she had expected them to.
"Serena, don't worry, we'll be there soon," Lita said into the phone before hanging up. Nick and Paul looked at her, concern written on their faces for their dear friend. "Something went wrong. She was sobbing." She quickly explained as she headed towards the door with the two men at her heals.
Out in the hall, they ran into the members of Darien's band. They looked at each other wondering what was going on. They knew about the television special having seen it for themselves, so why were they being called to their respective friend's rooms at four in the morning?
"Oh, god, what did that dick do," Raye muttered as Lita, Paul and Nick stopped at Serena's door and knocked. The door opened slowly to reveal a haggard looking Serena. Her hair was thrown back messily into a ponytail, her eyes were rimmed in red and the tears that she had been crying for the last six hours were dried on her face.
"Serena, what happened?" Lita cried and gave her friend a hug.
"He didn't…" she tried to respond but hiccupped instead. She tried again. "He didn't even watch it. He doesn't care. He thinks I ruined his life." She collapsed into Lita's arms. Mina, Raye, Mark and Jason exchanged looks. Darien had really done it this time and even though they were a part of his band, they felt like they should stay and console Serena. She had become like a sister to them over the last month and they hated that it was because of Darien that she was hurting this bad.
"I'm going to kill him," Mina seethed as she turned and walked off to Darien's room. The others took Serena into her room as the blonde pounded on his door. Things were about to get really messy. He opened the door looking almost as bad as Serena had. This stunned Mina for a second but not for long.
"You are an asshole, Darien Shields," she said emphasizing each point with a poke in his chest. "How could you do that to such a sweet girl? If anyone has ruined someone's life around here, it's you." He was shocked that she was screaming at him. Darien hadn't expected that when he opened the door. But how had she already known what he had said to Serena? He looked down the hall and saw the door to her room was open. His band must have run into her or her band or something his logical brain thought.
"Mina, let me explain…" he sighed.
"No, I don't think so. I let you prance around with all these girls the last few weeks because you were hurting. But this? Darien, Serena doesn't deserve this. Stop hurting her!"
"I'm not trying to hurt her on purpose. How was I supposed to know about what she said in that interview? I'm not psychic, Mina." Darien sighed. The headache that he'd been fighting from his hangover and this mess was finally starting to get the better of him. Not that he didn't deserve it, but how was he going to make things right if this headache kept decapacitating him?
"Wait, you watched it?"
"Yeah."
"Then you're an even bigger idiot!" She made to slap him, but he interceded and held her wrist in a death like grip.
"I watched it after I screamed at Serena. I had to know what would cause Anne to leave like that. But you're right, I am an idiot." He let go of her wrist and Mina looked at him. He looked like shit and he looked absolutely miserable.
"Okay, at least you know you're an idiot. So, what do you want to do to get her back?" She crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at him. Darien was shocked at how quickly her moods changed.
"Well, I had this idea, but we're going to need some help from Serena's band to pull it off."
Mina whistled knowing how difficult that was going to be. "That might be hard, but I should be able to get them on board. So tell me what your big plan is."
"I want to…"
After much coaxing and a cup of hot tea, Serena finally went to sleep. The members of her band had to keep their heated discussion quiet so as not to wake her. Mark, Jason, and Raye watched all of it silent. They really didn't know what to say. Darien had really screwed things up and was really close to losing Serena. Not only as a possible girlfriend but also as an opening act as well.
"This is exactly what Serena was afraid of two weeks ago," Nick hissed. "Now we're going to have to leave the tour."
"Do you really think she's going to want to leave?" Paul asked.
"I don't see why she would want to stay. I mean, yes, it's a great opportunity for her career, ours too, but how can she stand to be near him for the next two months?"
"I don't know, Nick. Serena might surprise you," Lita replied. "I mean, we didn't think that she would be able to survive Royal Oak, not to mention sing. But she did. She's stronger than we're giving her credit for."
Nick didn't bother replying because his girlfriend had shocked him into silence. Serena was strong. He didn't think she was going to be able to handle performing in Royal Oak. Not in front of Alan. But she had and she had done the songs from her past. She was a powerhouse. He just hoped that she could be that strong again.
Mina chose to come in on that point. The quiet three from Darien's band looked up at her entrance. Lita, Paul and Nick also looked up. They had forgotten that she had gone to 'kill' Darien.
"So, what did he have to say about all of this?" Mark asked his girlfriend.
"Let me guess, he made up an excuse?" Raye deadpanned from the corner. They were all used to his antics by now, so they didn't really feel any remorse.
"He didn't make an excuse," Mina replied honestly. "He admitted that he was an idiot for yelling at Serena, especially because he watched the special."
"He watched it?" Everyone seemed to say at once in shock and disbelief.
"Yes, but not until after the damage had been done. He feels really bad about what he's done."
"As he should!" Lita exclaimed.
"I'm not trying to make excuses for him," Mina said calmly. "But I've never seen him this miserable. Not even when he was getting into those arguments during the production of his second album. He's really torn up about this and he wants to make it up to her."
"Well, he'd better have something big planned if he wants to win her back over," Paul commented.
"He kind of does," she smiled sheepishly. "But he needs your help to do it." She pointed to the three other members of Serena's band who looked up at her shocked.
"He can't be serious," Lita said. "Does he really think that we would help him after what he's done to her?"
"Darien knew that this was going to be a long shot…"
"Lita, calm down," Nick soothed the feisty woman. It wouldn't hurt to help out Darien, because even though he was putting Serena through so much pain right now, Nick could see that he was really good for her. They were meant to be together. "What does Darien want our help with?"
The following afternoon, Serena finally woke up to the sound of the hotel phone ringing. She groaned and picked up the headset with caution. "Hello?"
"Serena, do you know what you've done? The media is going nuts!" Sapphire yelled so loudly that she had to pull the phone away from her ear.
"Look, Sapphire, I don't want to talk about the interview, okay? So tell the media that they can shove their questions where the sun don't shine." She slammed the phone down, and then sighed. That probably wasn't the smartest idea that she had had, but it was just another on her long list. The first being that stupid interview. While she had slept she had time to think about what she had done. And stew she did. Serena was no longer heart broken about what had happened the night before.
Okay, maybe she was, but now she was more pissed than anything. And an angry Serena was always fun to deal with. With her newfound energy she walked around her hotel room, collecting all her stuff and throwing it in the appropriate bags. Once that was done, she grabbed a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt and walked into the bathroom. A good shower would help her get ready for the show that night, and it would wash away what was left of the tears that she cried over Darien Shields.
As she wiped the steam off the bathroom mirror she looked at her hair, the last streak of brunette was being stubborn and didn't want to wash out. At the moment it was in the center of her hair on the left side and it looked randomly placed like her neon-streaked hair that she had in high school. Her hair now fell to right at the top of her shoulders and she made a note to get it trimmed and to pick up some pink hair dye when they went to the next town. She picked up her curling iron and began the process of getting it just so. When she was done, her hair was slightly curled and there was only one strand that remained straight.
She made her way down to the hotel lobby, her black sunglasses already on and the hood of her zip-up hoodie already on. Lita, Paul, and Nick met her at the concierge desk and they didn't know what to say to her. The media was already buzzing outside waiting for her and her band to come out to ask them questions about, what else? The interview. What they didn't know was that Serena had already said her piece to the media about that interview. Or at least, she had said it to Sapphire.
Across the entrance hall they saw Darien and his band and they were staring at Serena. Well, at least, Darien was staring at her. Serena felt it but chose to ignore it. He was probably still pissed at her about last night. Not that it mattered if that was the case, not anymore. She was also pissed at him and had every intention of putting that anger towards her music. Speaking of…
"Hey, remember that new song we've been working on?" She asked her band and they turned their attention back to her.
"Yeah," Nick replied. "What about it?"
"I finally got the lyrics for it and I want to perform it tonight," she said passionately. They exchanged looks, not sure how to take this. They had never performed a song before without practicing it vigorously first. They were now concerned. Had what had happened the previous night affected her more than they had previously thought?
"When during the set?" Paul asked her.
"The last song, instead of 'If I Had You.'" Now they weren't concerned for her. They were concerned for Darien. 'If I Had You' had always been her rebellious song, the one he hated to hear her perform but loved it anyway. If she was taking it out of their set that meant only one thing. She was pissed at Darien.
Oh boy…tonight's show was sure going to be interesting.
After surviving the media parasites without any injuries, the groups went to their respective corners and sat discussing silently the night's show. Darien though, couldn't help but think that this trip was almost just as awkward as the one from almost a month ago. Almost, but not quite. There was no shyness emanating off of Serena, this time it was anger and somehow he couldn't blame her. But he was going to make it right tonight. That much was true.
BAGTHFan4Ever: OMG! I'm just so excited for tonight's show!
SerenaIsDaBest: I know, do you think Darien will sing with her again?
AngelsDoGo2Hell: He better, after that confession Serena made last night!
BAGTHFan4Ever: We'll just have to see, won't we?
Denver was in love with Serena and Beautiful Angels Go to Hell. They had been screaming so loud all night that she could barely hear the music in the background. But now it was time for the final song of their set for the evening and her band was nervous about playing it considering they'd only done it once – without lyrics. Serena smiled reassuringly at her band and motioned to the crowd to quiet down. They did so immediately, and as soon as it was quiet someone shouted, "I love you, Serena!" She only smiled wider, no one knew that she was harboring such a deep anger for another pop star.
"I love you, too," she said into the microphone. "In fact, I love all of you guys. You've been amazing tonight but unfortunately, we've come to our final song of the evening." The crowd booed. "Don't worry though, I'm sure we'll be back again soon. Now, we usually do 'If I Had You' as our final song. But in response to certain events, I have a new song for you guys tonight. It's called 'What's it Gonna Be.'"
A guitar riff blasted through the theater and the crowd continued to cheer.
Well, he don't need me, 'cause he wants to be free
Well, he left me right, walked out the door last night
When he calls me 'cause he needs me
I feel torn inside
So what's it gonna be this time?
'Cause all you wanna see is me cry
Yeah, I don't wanna stay around
'Cause all you do is keep bringing me down
So what's it gonna be, baby now?
The crowd realized what the song was about quickly and they couldn't believe that Darien had done that to her. They continued cheering because the song was awesome but they were also plotting what they were going to do to Darien when he came onto the stage.
Well, I don't need you, 'cause I've thought this through
Yeah, I left you with
With everything I could
When you text me, 'cause you need me
I just won't reply…
Darien stood backstage frozen. It was killing him to listen to this and do nothing. But it was what he deserved. He had hurt her and now she was making him pay for it. God, he was going to be sick if he didn't make this right soon. The song ended and he heard her say, "Thank you and good night," before she walked past him. Totally ignoring him. Nick winked at him as he passed by to let him know that he was going to go through with the plan they had come up with that morning. Darien sighed before heading out onto the stage.
And walked out to a room full of boos. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who had understood the meaning behind her song. Well, this was going to be quite difficult to work with.
"Hey, Denver!" He exclaimed into the microphone only to get more boos in return. "Come on, Denver, please don't be like this. I know you've probably heard about the TV special and how I reacted to it. But, in my defense, I didn't watch it, until after I made an ass out of myself." The crowd's boos stopped, now entirely interested. So, he hadn't done it on purpose? "And, if you guys could help me out with my apology, maybe we can get Serena back out here, to help me sing this song." The crowd cheered at that and the music began.
Who the hell was he trying to fool? Serena thought bitterly backstage. He was always making an ass out of himself and to add insult to injury he now claimed that he had seen the special. God, he was pompous, egotistical… the music cut in and Serena shrieked in anger when she realized what song he was singing.
Hey, slow it down
Whataya want from me?
Whataya want from me?
He was an asshole. Serena was now thoroughly done with Darien fucking Shields. He wanted her to sing this song with him? Oh, was he ever going to get his wish fulfilled and then some.
"Get me back my mic," she yelled at a stagehand that went scurrying. He brought her mic back and handed it to her. She took it and waited…
Just don't give up on me
Where was Serena? Darien thought desperately. She should have been up here by now, singing with him. The plan must have gone wrong…
No, I won't let you down
It was Serena's voice. Darien turned around and smiled as she walked back out on stage and the crowd cheered louder.
So what
Just don't give up, no
Please don't give in, I won't let you down
Oh, it messed me up
I need a second to breathe
Just keep coming around
Hey, whataya want from me
He finished off the song and then he saw her expression on her face. Something nagged in the back of his head. It looked like it wasn't going to be that easy to get back into Serena's good graces.
"Look, Serena, I'm - " He tried to apologize but she cut him off.
"Don't even," she breathed. "You know what I want from you, Darien? I want you to stop fucking up my songs, because while you have a life beyond music with your little 'playmates,' my music is all that I've got." And with that she turned on her heal and walked off the stage.
