Author's Notes: So, let's ignore the fact that I haven't updated this story since October last year. There are tons of reasons, but the one you really care about is that this story was giving me so many issues when it came to plotting and the characters were being really stubborn! But I think I got everything worked out, hopefully and this chapter is rather lengthy (over 12,000 words!) so I hope that makes up for my absence! Big thanks go out to the following:

twiggirl006

Wonderwomanbatmanfan

Guest

SailorMoon489 – Thanks for your review! Big hearts in your eyes, huh? I hope this one leaves you feeling the same way.

Serenity Rein

Inspiredmusicalwriter

trish1573 – Thanks for your review! The masquerade part is next (and is in this chapter) and I hope it's still your favorite after you read it. :)

nickybluejess

audreabro – Thanks for your review! I'm glad you like my dark SM fics (I'll get to Shadows eventually, I promise!) Hope you like this one!

animegirl73

slightlyxjaded – Thanks for your review! Layers are a way of life! I always try to twist things, because what's the fun of being predictable? I hope I surprise you in this one!

Serenity312

darkphinix

SerenityMorrison

CrownPandora

For reviewing the last chapter. They seriously get me through when I'm about ready to give up on writing. I hope you like this one!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Beauty and the Beast. I don't own the song "Time to Dance" by Panic! At the Disco either. Some lime scenes (not quite lemon) in this one and some minor language. Enjoy!


House on a Hill

By: afallenblackrose

Chapter Eight:

Masks and Daggers

"Well she's not bleeding on the ballroom floor
Just for the attention 'cause that's just ridiculously odd
Well she sure is going to get it
Here's the setting
Fashion magazines line the walls now
The walls line the bullet holes"
~Time to Dance ~Panic! At the Disco


Serenity was trying to lose herself in a book, a week later, but her mind kept wandering off. Raye and the other girls had been busy doing something for the last week. Something that involved the other guys in the house. Being a romantic, she had hopes that her friends were finally getting some much-deserved love. But she knew better. One day last week she had come into the kitchen and had stumbled in on the eight of them. They were whispering and hadn't noticed her come in so she was able to take in the scene. There were pens and papers littered on the island and stacks of magazine surrounding Mina she knew that something more than romance was being plotted. She really wanted to know what, but figured that somebody was bound to tell her eventually.

But she wasn't too concerned with what was going on with the eight because that wasn't what her mind kept wandering off to. No, her mind was more focused on the dark and mysterious one. The one who barely came out of his study these days except for meals. He barely spoke except to talk business. He hadn't said a word to her, not since she told him the truth about her past. Although that wasn't quite true. He had said something to her, but not really to her. The night she told him the truth, Serenity couldn't really sleep. Her arm and stomach ached from her wounds and her mind was plagued by nightmares. Nightmares that started out with her time with Alan and morphed to her time with Diamond. She had just awoken from one of these nightmares when she heard the bedroom door open or close.

She opened her eyes, peering into the darkness when she saw a shadow of a form. She was pretty sure it was Endymion, even more certain when he started stripping. A small rush of warmth enveloped her at the thought of him joining her in his bed. But then he got closer and she smelled the liquor rolling off of him. He was drunk and wasn't looking to talk. He was looking for sleep, but why was he joining her? He had never stayed with her before. Was he that drunk?

He climbed into the bed and curled himself around her body. His warmth enveloped her instantly and her aching arm ebbed. She was about to fall asleep again when he spoke. "I love you," he whispered, which sent a jolt through her waking her up instantly. He had fallen into a deep sleep right after, but she stayed awake. Had he really just professed his love for her? But why? They hadn't known each other that long. He used her for sex. He…came for you and rescued you from Diamond's clutches. Besides hadn't she just that afternoon decided that there was something there between them? That she felt something for him other than hate?

She had spent the rest of that night and every day for the next two weeks thinking over those questions. By this point, Serenity was tired of thinking. She was tired of this stupid cast and she was tired of Endymion avoiding her. She wanted answers. But she couldn't get them because she didn't know how. The person to ask was Endymion, but he was locked away in his study. She could ask the other guys, but they were busy with the girls. So she was left to the isolation of the library where her thoughts flooded her. She closed the book she had been trying to read with a huff.

In the past, books would help her forget her troubles for a while. But for this it wasn't working. She would try diving into work, but after what had happened she had taken an indefinite leave of absence. Her life wasn't worth her company. "And you wonder why people go insane," she mused out loud.

"Well, talking to yourself isn't a good sign," a voice said from the doorway. A voice she knew well, but hadn't heard directed towards her in almost two weeks. Serenity sat up as she took in his appearance. His hair was rumpled and he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt for the first time that she could remember. He looked like he had just gotten up.

"So why exactly are you going insane?" He asked with a tentative smile on his face as he walked closer to where she was sitting.

"Not to sound whiny, but I'm bored out of my mind," she replied. "The girls and guys are working on something and my mind just won't focus to read."

"What about work?"

"Seriously?" She countered. "After everything that happened, I deserved some time off. I'm on a indefinite leave of absence." The small smile that had been on his face was no longer there as he leaned against the wall near her window seat. A silence lapsed briefly and she wondered what she had said wrong this time. Here he was finally speaking to her and she had to rub what had happened in his face. Smooth, Serenity, real smooth, she thought to herself. She was about to apologize when he let out a chuckle.

"No work, can't concentrate on a book and the others are working, I can see why you started talking to yourself for amusement. We should do something about that." He pulled himself from the wall and offered her his hand. She looked at it questioning. "I think some fresh air might do us both some good. Would you like to take a walk with me?"

She didn't even hesitate. She put her book aside and put her hand into his. "Yes," she replied with a smile as he pulled her up.

Serenity had thought that during her stay at the Chiba Estate that she had been in or seen most of the house. But as he escorted her down the stairs and into the main foyer she realized that the huge mansion hadn't revealed all its secrets to her just yet. She was led through the foyer and to the back wall where – she hadn't noticed until now – there was a huge wall of glass and in the center was an outline of a door. Endymion opened the door for her and she stepped outside.

She was instantly greeted with a wall of green shrubbery. "Um…so did I just step into Wonderland or something?" She asked.

"Not quite," he chuckled and took her hand in his again. He led her around the shrub wall and into a maze of the stuff. It's a good thing I'm not claustrophobic, she thought to herself and tried to remember the turns that he made. But it soon became impossible as he sped up. Wherever they were going, he knew the way well.

Eventually, after many twists and turns that almost made her dizzy, they stopped in what looked like the center of the maze. But Serenity wasn't too focused on that. Instead she was in awe for around the 'center of the maze' was a rainbow of flowers. "Oh, my," she whispered as she glanced around. All around the ground were flowerbeds that were in full bloom and on the walls surrounding them were vines of flowers. "How come I didn't know that this was here?" She asked moving forward to examine them more closely.

"Because you really haven't left the grounds," he replied and stopped as the words he didn't say hung in the air. Except that once, she finished for him. "Anyway, it was my mother's. She loved to garden and it was the one place on the grounds where she could think. Of course, when she died, my father maintained the area for her and when he died, I continued on the tradition. To have so much work go to waste would be a shame."

"You never really talk about your parents," she said watching him as he approached a rose bush. He picked one – a red one – and handed it to her with a smile. She accepted it with a smile of her own.

"It's not really a subject I like to talk about," he replied. "My mother and I were really close, so when she died I took the loss hard. My father and I weren't as close. In fact, he was pretty much a dick. He didn't really care for my sister and me, Raye less so than me. With me he saw his legacy continuing on. With Raye it was just a girl to live off of his money until she got married."

"And yet, he left Raye nothing when he died."

His head snapped up and his eyes landed on hers before an ironic smile crossed his face. "Indeed. Guess you could consider it his push for her to find someone. Bastard."

"But you helped her? You gave her money so she could finish school."

"I did, because unlike my father I knew the way the world works. Women don't need to marry a successful businessman; they can be the successful businesswomen themselves. If they have an education."

They lapsed into silence as Serenity continued to look at the flowers. There was a question on her tongue that she desperately wanted to ask, but she was afraid to. After not talking to her for weeks why was he spending so much time with her today? She didn't want to say anything though and make things awkward.

But that didn't stop him from doing it. "Serenity," he began. "I feel like I need to apologize to you for my distance lately, and for the way I reacted when you told me about what happened to you in the past. It was very…well, it was a very dickish move and I shouldn't have done it. I'm sorry."

"You know, I don't really blame you for how you reacted," she replied trying her damndest not to look at him. She didn't want to lose her courage. "There was a reason I didn't tell you or have Zoicite tell you. But the silence thing afterwards was definitely shitty. So why didn't you speak to me?"

He sighed. "Honestly? Because I felt like shit for how I treated you. Here you are telling me about your history with BDSM and how it hurt you, and I made you enter into a relationship that was almost like that again. A relationship filled with triggers for you. I couldn't look at myself in the mirror."

This time she laughed. "Are you kidding me? You think that what we had is anything like what I had with him? Because I can tell you it wasn't. You made sure that I was okay with what we did and that I was okay afterwards. He didn't do those things."

"But I didn't stay with you."

"He didn't either and at least you were in the same house. He would always leave. Believe me if I thought for just one second that you were anything like him, I wouldn't have continued on. I would have ended it."

He looked like he had something to say in response, something where he didn't agree with what she said but she wouldn't let him get it out. She waved him off and continued on. "Trust me, Endymion. I promised myself after I got out of rehab that I would never allow myself into a dangerous relationship again. Besides, even if I had, do you really think Raye would have just stood ideally by and let me?"

"Point taken," he replied with a small smile. "That still doesn't excuse what I did to you on your second night here. We had barely known each other forty-eight hours and I took you like that against the wall? My mother would be pretty ashamed of me. So I apologize."

"Wow, this time apart made you really think, didn't it?"

"It really did. So I propose something. Why don't we start over?"

"Start over?"

"Yes, we got into things a little bit too quickly. I think we need to wipe the slate clean. Get to know each other without having business relations or past histories getting involved. What do you say?" He turned to her his azure blue eyes searching her cornflower blues.

She thought it was an insane idea. They had already had sex and knew each other's bodies thoroughly. He had already declared to her – not knowingly of course – that he loved her. And he really thought it was a good idea to start over? To get to know one another as if they were on a blind date? But at the same time, maybe it was a good idea. She couldn't know how she truly felt about him if she didn't know him. "Okay, let's start over." She finally agreed.

He stuck out his hand with a smile on his face. "Hello, I'm Endymion Chiba and you are?"

She put her hand in his the same shocks going up her spine like they did the first time that they had met. "I'm Serenity Tsukino. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied placing a kiss on her knuckles. "So, Serenity, tell me about yourself." And that's exactly what she did.


Elsewhere in the house the girls and the guys were trying to put together the party of the century. They only had a few more days until the party was scheduled to begin and yet there were still many more things to do. Mina was sitting at the dining room table surrounded by catalogs and pictures of dresses, shoes, and other various decorations while she flipped through more catalog pages. The silence of the room was occasionally interrupted by her pulling the pages out. Since she was the resident party girl and the fashionista of the group she had been put in charge of decorations and the dresses for the girls (she thought the guys had a pretty good sense of fashion and didn't really need her help in that department). And although she had thought he would have been too busy to help her out, Kunzite had elected to be her second set of hands for her in this. This mostly just entailed him getting her magazines and confirming whether or not Endymion had any pull in certain stores.

He was bringing her another stack of magazines, when she closed the one in front of her and pushed back from the table with a smile on her face. "Done," she declared as she took a look at her inspiration boards. There were about fifteen boards around the table. Each had a specific purpose. Five boards had ideas for dresses – with various colors – for each of the girls. Five more boards had ideas for shoes and the other five had all the decorations that Mina wanted to use for the party. She had even gone so far as to mock up what she wanted the rooms to look like. It had taken days to get everything together and now she just needed to put everything in place.

Kunzite was looking at the boards over her shoulder with interest. He was particularly interested in one of the dress boards. He pointed at a dress with thick straps, a beaded waistline and a Greek style skirt. "You'd look lovely in that," he murmured into her ear causing goose bumps to appear on her skin.

She turned her head to the side to get a better look at him. "How did you know that was the one I was thinking about wearing?" She whispered. But he didn't answer her. Her lips were so close to his own and this had been the closest that they had been in weeks…He couldn't resist the temptation anymore and even though he knew better, he lowered his lips to hers anyway. The kiss was intoxicating to both of them and despite both knowing that they needed to pull away from each other before things got too heated, they continued kissing. Mina turned her body so it was flush against his and put her arms around his neck. His arms encircled her waist and he pushed her backwards against the lip of the table. He hoisted her so she sat astride the surface and placed himself between her legs.

Their lips broke apart so that they could both catch their breath, but he refused to stop touching her skin. His lips trailed along the line of her jaw and down the curve of her neck. At the juncture between her neck and her shoulder, he placed one chaste kiss before he picked up his head and stepped away from her. "Should I get Amy and Zoicite?" He asked trying to control his raging libido and his inner beast.

She blinked at the sudden change in direction. "Uh…yeah…we have a lot of calls to make to get these dresses, shoes and the decorations here." She found her bearings and jumped down from the table. She looked behind her to make sure the boards hadn't been too mussed in their heated exchange.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and kissed her cheek before leaving the room. She sighed and pretended for a second that she wasn't angry with him. She knew that she shouldn't be, it wasn't his fault that he had been cursed and it also wasn't his fault that he was trying to protect her from that curse. But damn it, if Serenity and Endymion could be together without him hurting her, than why couldn't Kunzite be with her? Because he's afraid, the sane part of her argued and she knew that part was right. Kunzite had told her about his nightmares of her being hurt because of his beast. He cared for her too much to have that happen, and if that meant not being with her – even though he desperately wanted to – until the curse was broken than he was going to do just that. If only to keep her from being hurt.

Mina wandered over towards the glass window just to get her mind away from the party and thoughts of Kunzite. But it didn't stop her mind from going there anyway. Everyone in that house needed the curse to be broken for some reason or another. The only way it was going to be broken was if Serenity fell in love with Endymion. The two hadn't been speaking for weeks and the deadline to break the curse was drawing nearer. It was May, Endymion's birthday was in August. They didn't have much time. But how were they going to break the curse when they weren't even speaking? They had to get thrown back together and Mina had hopes that this party would be the way to do that. She had been surprised when Endymion had so readily agreed to the masquerade, but she was happy for it. It meant that he wanted to sort things out with Serenity again and this was his chance to do so. Or so that's what Mina hoped he had thought in agreeing to this. Now she only had to think of how to get those two together at the dance.

That's when a hint of yellow caught her eye in the distance. She knew that color anywhere, it was almost the same shade as her own, but what was Serenity doing outside? She turned her head and felt her mouth drop. Serenity was outside all right, but she wasn't alone. The master of the house, the raven-haired man himself, was at her side and they were smiling and laughing with each other. What was going on here? Maybe getting the two of them back together was going to be easier than Mina had thought!


Down in the basement of the mansion, Raye had locked herself in the theater as she tried to figure out music for the dance. There were stacks of CDs around her, most were legit bands but others were bands that were trying to make their big break. As a Chiba, the possibilities were endless for her to find someone to perform. But most of the CDs that she had listened to just didn't have the right vibe and hiring a DJ was so not an option. They weren't throwing some raving mixer, it was a masquerade dance. There were going to be CEOs there and other potential business connections. Besides, Mina would absolutely kill her if she even thought about hiring a DJ.

She was listening to one of those CDs – a metal band, how about no? – when Jadeite walked into the room. She didn't hear him come in, which he was thankful for because it gave him a few moments to just look at her without her knowing it. They hadn't seen much of each other since everyone had agreed to plan this thing. He had only been in contact to hand her more CDs, which was a good thing. He had wanted to spend less time around her because if he did then there was a lesser chance of the curse trying to get the best of him. But it was a bad thing too because after six years apart and knowing that she was right there made him ache for her. He had missed her during her time away at school. He still missed her even though they were living in the same house, but he couldn't get close to her. He couldn't even try to be her friend, because of this stupid curse. But that didn't stop him from catching glimpses of her whenever he could, but he needed to go before she caught him.

"You know, you're not the best at sneaking around," he heard her say as he slowly came back to his senses. He had let his mind wander off and now the music had stopped and she was looking right at him.

Fool, he thought to himself. He should have known that stopping and staring wasn't the best idea that eventually he would be caught by her the raven-haired girl. She was just like her brother in that way. Always aware of their surroundings and whether or not they were being watched. But now that he had been caught there was only one thing left to do. He had to flee. If he didn't flee then he was going to do something really, really stupid.

"I think I need to write this day down," she mused. "May seventeenth, the day that Jadeite was finally at a loss for words and the world begins to end." A small smile erupted on her lips and Jadeite couldn't help but smile back.

"Don't get used to it," he quipped back. "I was just lost in thought, that's all. Now, if you'll excuse me." He went to move around her, but she refused to let him leave so easily. He tried again, and she blocked him. She was not on board with his plan to flee.

"You're not going anywhere. Not until you tell me why you've been watching me like this for the last few weeks. It's bad enough when my brother sulks around watching Serenity, but I won't have you do it too. So tell me, why are you watching me?"

Lie, was the immediate response in his brain. But he knew that he couldn't do that. Raye knew when people were lying to her and she would give him so much shit for doing it. He was better off telling her the truth. Especially since it was a truth that she knew well. "You know why I've been watching you."

"I want to hear you say it."

"I'm watching you because it's killing me to know that you're in the same house as me, to have these feelings for you, and not being able to act on them. But if I see you, I can somewhat ease that tension I'm feeling. Because if I don't watch you, see you, then the next time I lose control of my beast I'm coming for you and I don't know if I'll be able to stop." He bit his lip as the truth came out and he watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep shaky breath. It was blunt, but to the point. Watching her was as close as he could get without putting her in danger until Endymion broke this curse this was what Jadeite was stuck with.

"Okay," she said her voice strong but the look in her eyes said differently. She was fighting something too and the wait was killing them. Being this close to her – the closest that they had been in weeks except for meals – was intoxicating. Even now he felt his control slipping. He had to leave, now. Before he did something that he would end up regretting later.

He made his third attempt for the door, but Raye still refused to move. He looked at her exasperated. Didn't she understand that he couldn't be there right now? That every second he was there with her, breathing the same sexual tensed air, she was one step closer to being hurt? Or worse dead? But he knew that look in her violet eyes all too well, she had the same look when they were kids and she was determined to get what she wanted. He stood there holding onto his control with all his might as she leaned in to him and brushed her lips against his.

With the brief touch, the beast roared in his ears and he snapped. He pulled her in close and deepened the kiss, possessing her mouth completely. He felt more than heard her gasp of surprise as he backed her up to the door and pinned her there with no way out. What are you doing? The sane part of him asked. He knew that she had only met for this kiss to be a brief one. One to get him by, but she was going to pay for that thought. His lips chafed against hers as his fingers delved underneath the dolman top she was wearing and felt the heat off of her bare skin. She moaned into his mouth, which excited him to keep his fingers going upwards. He was almost at her bra…

"RAYE!" Someone exclaimed from the other side of the door and followed it with a sharp knock. Jadeite jumped back to his senses and was across the room within moments. He looked on in horror of what he'd done. Raye was still holding herself up against the door, her top wrinkled and out of place and her mouth was swollen from his kiss. He had almost taken things too far. Thank goodness for whoever had interrupted them.

"Raye?" The voice came again. The girl straightened out her shirt and with – what Jadeite only assumed was practice – put on a straight face to open the door. On the other side were a baffled Amy and Zoicite. They both took in the situation and wisely didn't say anything. Zoicite threw a questioning glance Jadeite's way, but he only shook his head.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" Raye asked her voice somehow normal.

"You guys have to come upstairs and see this," Amy replied. "I think we're not going to have to do that much plotting to get Endymion and Serenity back together." With a raised eyebrow Raye quickly followed the blunette out of the room. Jadeite followed behind her wondering what this could be about and Zoicite fell into step beside him.

"Do I want to know what we just walked in on?" He asked.

"Have you ever lost control of your beast despite your best efforts?"

The response was immediate, "Yes, yes I have." Which left Jadeite to wonder what exactly his friend – who was usually the most collected out of the five – had broken his control on?


As Amy was used to running errands for the Chiba household and because she had no immediate connection to Serenity and her group of friends, she was allowed to come and go from the house as she pleased. This made her the perfect person to go out and get things for the masquerade. When Zoicite first heard that Amy had been elected the group's gopher he hadn't been too concerned. The girl was used to getting things for the house, but then he thought about it. Yes, she wasn't directly connected with Serenity, but she was connected to the Chiba household and knowing Diamond he wouldn't care. If he thought holding Amy would get him Serenity he would take her. With that thought in mind he breached the subject of going with her just as a precaution to her directly.

"Are you really that concerned?" Amy asked. "Or is this just an excuse to spend time with me?" She laughed at the look on his face. "Of course, you can come with me, Zoi. Besides I could probably use the hands. Have you seen the lists Mina and Lita have given me?"

And she had been right. Lita and Mina had given her extensive lists and they had spent the last few days getting everything together. There had been no problems whatsoever either, not that he had really expected anything. It was commonly known that he was the calmest member of the group of five who had been cursed. But that still hadn't stopped him from trying to put distance between Amy and himself. All it would take was one slip of his control and things could be over. He wasn't willing to risk it. But with every day that they spent together – especially in the cramped space of a car for an hour – feelings were starting to brew that couldn't be ignored. And Zoicite was starting to feel the tension.

Today they were on another journey for decorations, it seemed that Mina had made a few tweaks to the color scheme and she needed some last minute things. When Amy had told him this during breakfast, he had been half tempted to tell her to go alone. It was such a small list there wasn't any need for him, but a little voice in the back of his mind protested worrying about her safety. Besides what could possibly go wrong? As it turned out, almost everything.

It started in the car. Something had been brewing since they had come back yesterday and it had picked up again before they had even started out. Most of the time they could have a quiet silence and not have it be awkward, but today was different. The silence between them was full of awkwardness. And neither of them knew how to fill it. When they showed up at the store they were very cautious around each other, which made shopping stressful. Zoicite didn't know what to do to ease the tension and he wondered if it was all in his head.

He was reaching for a tablecloth when Amy finally broke the silence. "Okay, did I do something?" She asked which caused him to falter. He looked up at her.

"What?"

"You haven't talked to me all morning, and I'm starting to think that I did something to offend you. What's going on, Zoicite?"

"Nothing," he said with a sigh. "I just…I don't know something is off today. Don't you feel it?"

"Yes, that's what I'm trying to tell you," she replied worked up. "It started at breakfast and I don't know what's going on. You're usually so up front with me."

"You're right, it's just that… I think I'm struggling with something…" he trailed off not sure how to go on. This was a subject that hadn't been breached before with them. It had been an unacknowledged fact that the two of them had had feelings for each other since they were kids. But nothing had ever been said about it, especially after the curse had hit. The curse had never really affected him before, not like with the others. Until now. How was he supposed to tell her that he was fighting his beast?

She laid a gentle hand on his arm. "You know you can tell me anything."

Her touching him was seriously not helping. The beast was screaming inside of him to do something about this sexual tension even if it was in the same aisle as the table clothes and helium tanks. "Amy…" he nearly growled out. This caused a flash of alarm to go through her eyes, but she didn't back away. This only fueled him on. He covered her hand with his and took a step closer to her. One little step that gave her time to back away again, but she didn't. This time he lowered his head and covered her lips with his.

It was a stupid move. The tentative control that he had on the beast within was broken with the brief touch and he found himself pressing her toward the shelf of tablecloths and centerpieces. She went easily enough and he felt her kissing back. He broke his lips away from hers to allow her to catch her breath as he trailed his lips down the column of her neck. He was at the collar of her shirt when he heard someone clear their throat. Both of their eyes snapped to the worker standing at the beginning of the aisle.

"Uh, folks, can you please take that somewhere else?" The worker said with a blush staining her cheeks. This had to be a first for her. Not many people probably came for decorations and got distracted by a make out session.

Zoicite cleared his throat and stepped away from Amy whose cheeks were stained red. She wouldn't look him in the eye and looked down at the crumpled piece of paper in her hands. "So what's next on the list?" He softly said to her.

"Balloons," she replied her voice barely above a whisper. He nodded and started pushing the cart down the aisle.


They barely got through the rest of the list and the ride back to the mansion was as silent as the ride out. They grabbed the stuff from the back of the car and walked into the house. Mina was in her usual place of the dining room, but instead of sitting at the table her face was glued to the glass window at the back of the room. Zoicite took the bags from Amy and she went to figure out what the blonde was looking at.

"What's going on, Mina?" She asked looking out the window.

"Look at them!" The blonde pointed in excitement. Amy followed the direction her finger was pointing in and found something surprising. It was Endymion and Serenity and they were sitting, talking and at some points laughing. Amy raised her eyebrow. Well, this was new. Without even having to say anything she could already feel Zoicite at her back and his eyes took in the scene.

"When did this start?" He asked.

"I don't know! I was finishing up the dresses and accessories boards, when I took a glance out the window. My eyes caught her hair and they've been like this for the last twenty minutes. This is so exciting!" She turned around with a new light in her eyes that the two hadn't seen before. "We have to show Raye!"

"I'll get her," Amy offered since she knew where the raven-haired beauty was. Mina nodded and turned back towards the window.


In the kitchen, Lita had taken over every available surface to plan out what she was going to serve at this masquerade dance. She had been planning for the last week, but she kept changing her mind. Right now she had the dinner entrée set and three of the four appetizers, but it was the last appetizer that she couldn't figure out. She was consulting another cookbook when she felt someone walk into the kitchen.

She thought it might be Mina coming in to sample her choices, but she had no sample today. "Sorry, Mina, I don't have any samples for you to test out today."

"That's too bad," a voice that wasn't Mina's said with a slight hint of humor said. "Because I've been smelling you're amazing cooking all week, and I've only been able to get into the kitchen now."

Lita looked up from her cookbook and her eyes met Nephrite's. Oh, she thought with an inner sigh. She hadn't seen much of the mysterious man since he told her about the curse and why he had to stay away from her. He'd leave her ingredients outside the kitchen door every so often and she'd see him during breakfast and dinner, but they had never been alone. Until now and she had forgotten how delicious he looked and today he looked even better. For the first time that she could recall he wasn't wearing a suit. Instead he was wearing a hunter green button up shirt and a pair of jeans. God, he looked like sex… She shook herself out of it. These feelings towards him were probably why he was staying away. One false move and they could end up in bed together or worse…

"I can always whip something up," she smiled. "You've got a taste for anything in particular?" She turned away from him and began taking down a mixing bowl from the cabinet.

"Yes," he replied. "You."

The bowl slipped out of her hands and fell to the ground. Before it could hit, Nephrite's hands swept in and caught it. She looked up startled and watched as he placed the bowl on the counter and turned back to her. His green eyes were burning with need for her. Oh no…she thought.

He took a step towards her and she took a step back until her butt brushed against the island. He caged her in with his arms as he leaned in close to her. His lips were close, but she leaned away.

"What brought this on?" She asked her voice low. "I haven't spoken to you since you told me about the curse, and now you're in my kitchen telling me that you need me? Get a grip, Nephrite."

He leaned away and looked at her slightly amused. "I'm trying to get a grip, Lita, but I can't, not when I keep thinking about you. You want to know what brought this on? It's the fact that I've been keeping my distance, but I've smelled your cooking all week. It's in my nose and knowing you're in here making all this food…that you're so close…" he took in a deep breath. "Then there was the dream this morning that left me gasping."

"Dream? Tell me about it."

"We were in this very kitchen," he began. "You had just finished making those cookies you made a few days ago…"

"The chocolate chip swirl?"

"Yes," he breathed. "You had dough left over and you offered me a spoonful to see if I liked the taste. I loved it so much that I told you that the only thing that could make it better is if I could lick it off every part of you."

A shiver ran through her at the thought of it and she felt him against her stomach. Yes, she could definitely see why Nephrite would come in here like this after a dream like that but he should know better than to act on this feeling. "Well," she said her voice breathy. "Then I'll have to make sure I make a batch of those cookies when the curse is broken."

It was the right thing to say. With the mention of the curse, he backed away, but his eyes were still burning with need. "You're right, and I apologize for my forwardness. Can I help you with anything?"

"There's no – "

"Lita!" Raye exclaimed running into the kitchen. "You're not going to believe this! Come with me, right now!" She pulled on the brunette's hand and dragged her out of the kitchen. Nephrite was right on her heals. They came to the dining room and to a small gathering of the household. Mina, Amy, Zoicite, and Jadeite were all standing at the window and looking out at something in awe. Raye dropped her hand and pointed to what they were looking at. It was Serenity and Endymion talking.

"When did this happen?" Nephrite asked from behind her.

"It's been a half hour," Mina replied. "I think they're not going to need as much of a push as we thought." Her blue eyes caught Kunzite's in the reflection on the glass. He had just walked in, but even he knew what this meant. If things between Endymion and Serenity were good again, then maybe, just maybe they were on their way to breaking the curse.


The library was draped in every fabric and color known to man a few days later as the girls gathered to try on dresses for the party. Mina, Raye, and Lita were trying not to bombard Serenity with questions about what her and Endymion had been up to over the last few days. The whole house had watched with abated breath as they spent time with each other. The day after the garden incident they had been together in the library. Yesterday they had been watching a movie in the basement. They desperately wanted to know how things were going and just what exactly they were doing. Were they mending their relationship? Was there even a relationship? But all three girls kept their mouths closed knowing it was better for Serenity to come to them about what was going on.

Serenity herself wasn't paying attention to the multitudes of taffeta that were being thrown about. She could really care less if she wore lace or cotton. Her mind was in the clouds and focused on a certain broody raven-haired male. The last few days had been…well, amazing for lack of a better word. Endymion had been right when he had thought that maybe they needed to start over. And start over they did. She knew almost everything about him. His favorite color was black although every now and then he was drawn to the color of deep crimson. His favorite book was the classic The Great Gatsby. And she even knew his favorite movie, in fact they had watched it yesterday when she admitted that she hadn't seen it in a while.

It was cute to know that he liked a Disney film, it actually made her like him a little bit more to know that such a serious man had such a soft side, but it was what he said before the film had started that made her question everything. "I kind of relate to the prince." That made her frown. Why would Endymion relate to the prince in Beauty & the Beast? He wasn't heartless or selfish as far as she could see and he definitely didn't have a curse upon him that made him into a beast. Unless he was talking about his beast like tendencies in the sack. But that was just being silly, right? She was going to write it off as just her mind trying to play tricks and make her see things that weren't there when she remembered waking up in his room after she had been taken by Diamond. The rose that was on his dresser. The rose that glowed.

No, she thought to herself. Now she was just making up reasons. This wasn't a Disney movie. Endymion wasn't cursed to be a beast and she wasn't Belle, the girl who would break the spell. Sure, she liked to read and wanted something more for herself than what life had dealt her, but… She sighed. No. She needed to stop thinking about this. Everything would seem coincidental if she thought about it long enough, besides they were there to try on dresses for the dance tomorrow night and…

"What do you think?" Mina asked as she stepped out from the dressing screen and twirled. It was the orange Grecian styled gown that she had been eyeing and that Kunzite and her had talked about. As she thought, she looked fantastic and the girls couldn't help but smile.

"Mina, you look like a goddess," Lita replied.

"I know! When I saw this in the magazine I just knew this was the dress," she gushed.

"If you knew this was the dress than why did you order so many others?" Serenity asked with a smile.

"For you guys, silly!" She went back behind the screen to change back. The others looked at each other before erupting into giggles. The blonde was just so full of enthusiasm it was hard not to laugh at her antics. She popped back out again and pointed to the bluenette.

"You're up, Ames."

Amy blushed at the nickname and went behind the screen. "So, I'm not used to dressing up so fancy. What do you think will work for me?"

"Something in blue or teal for sure, to compliment your hair," Mina replied and went over to one of the several racks that were in the room. The others joined her. Raye held up a strapless sky blue number and placed it over the screen. Within moments the gown was over her head and in place. She stepped out and all four girls shook their head. It was definitely not her. The dress showed off way more skin than Amy was going to be comfortable with. Sighing, Amy stepped back behind the screen and waited for the next selection. Serenity flipped through the dresses and stopped at one. She pulled it out and held it out for the others to see. They gasped and nodded.

"Here, try this one," Serenity said and handed it over. A few minutes later, Amy stepped out and twirled to model the dress. The dress had thick straps and the top half was embroidered with silver sequins. The bottom was made of silk, flared out into an empire waist and was a deep midnight blue.

"Oh my…" Mina gasped with a hand held up to her mouth.

"You're a babe!" Lita exclaimed.

"They're right," Serenity nodded when Amy sent her an unsure glance.

"Well, Ms. Pots, I didn't think you had it in you! Zoicite is going to be blown away!" Raye exclaimed and Serenity stiffened at the name. Amy herself blushed and ducked behind the screen to change again.

"Zoicite is so going to flip," Mina gushed.

"He already has," Lita said with a wave of her hand.

"WHAT?" The three exclaimed.

"You guys didn't know?" At their stunned expressions the brunette continued. "A few days ago when they were at the party store, Amy and him made out by the balloons. They haven't really spoken since."

Serenity, Mina, and Raye exchanged shocked looks but couldn't say anything more as the aforementioned Amy came back out with the dress held over her arm. Raye smiled and grabbed the dress she'd been looking at from the opposite rack and went behind the screen. Mina opened her mouth to ask about the make out session that Amy had, but both Lita and Serenity shot her an evil look. She walked away pouting. Serenity went over to the rack that had mostly black dresses and started flipping through them. Nothing really caught her eye, but then again she was barely paying attention. Her mind was too focused on what she had just heard even though she was telling herself that she was crazy for even thinking this. There was no way that she had somehow wound up in a crazy twisty fairy tale. This was not a Disney movie – her life never had been – this was real life. There was no curse on Endymion. The rose that glowed that she saw in his room was just a trick of the light.

"You okay?" Lita asked from beside her.

"Yes, no," she replied then sighed. "I don't know. I think I might be going crazy."

"Does this have anything to do with Endymion?" Serenity didn't answer and just looked at the brunette. Lita took her hand and pulled her towards the other. With a look they knew something was going on too and gathered around her as she took a seat on one of the couches.

"What's wrong?" Mina asked.

"I think I might be going crazy," she repeated.

The girls exchanged looks before allowing their friend to continue. She explained what had happened between Endymion and herself and his whole idea of 'starting over,' how well that had been going until the other day with the viewing of his favorite Disney movie and how he related to the Beast. She explained then how she was starting to see connections to his real life and that movie as well. The glowing rose. Amy's last name. At the end of her tale, the girls sat in stunned silence not really sure what to do. They couldn't tell their friend that she was correct in her observations and that there was something going on in the house, right? Because that was Endymion's job to tell her, not theirs…

"I knew it," Serenity sighed after a few minutes of silence from her friends. "I knew I was going crazy. How ridiculous is it to think that Endymion is living something straight out of a Disney movie?"

Mina nodded enthusiastically. "Seriously, Sere. Your imagination is really getting the best of you. It must have been all that looking for symbolism shit that you learned in your English classes or something."

"I figured as much," she got up and started to go back over to one of the dress racks when she stopped. "But how weird is it that he has a glowing rose in his bedroom? Or that Amy's last name is Pots? Or…" She trailed off as she thought of a conversation she had with Raye back when she first was brought here. How Endymion hadn't been the person she grew up with and he caved to his darkest desires. The desires of a beast.

The raven-haired girl saw the spark of connection in her friend's eyes and sighed. Endymion was going to kill her for this… "Shit. All right, Sere, you better sit down again. We have a lot to tell you." The other girls gave her indignant looks.

"Raye!" Mina exclaimed.

"Oh, come on, guys, look at her. She isn't going to let our bull shit excuse stand. She's going to think about it and keep thinking about it until it ends up getting warped. We're better off telling her the truth now."

Lita looked over at her friend who took back her original seat and sighed. Raye was right. But man, were the guys ever going to give them so much trouble for this. "She's right, ladies. Okay…" She took a deep breath – all four girls did – and tried to figure out the best place to start.


In Endymion's study, the guys had gathered to pretty much do the same thing just with way less taffeta. Endymion's tailor was in attendance and making the right alterations to their tuxes. Kunzite, Jadeite, Zoicite, and Nephrite were burning to ask their friend just what he had been up to with Serenity during the last few days, but knew better to ask. They didn't want to be like the girls. But that didn't stop them from gossiping like them.

"So, Z, what the hell is going on with you and Amy?" Jadeite broke the ice first.

The auburn haired man flushed a little at the question. "Nothing is going on, why do you ask?"

"Don't lie to us, Zoi," Endymion said from his desk chair. "Not when you're blushing like a school girl and we all can't help but notice that anytime Amy walks into the same room, you make an excuse to go elsewhere. What happened?"

He sighed and got up to walk to the drink cart. He poured himself a drink and took a sip before he replied, "I lost control."

The room froze at the admission. Even the tailor – Mr. Smith – stopped his pinning of Kunzite's pant leg to look at him.

"Mr. Smith," Endymion said calmly. "Have you finished?"

"Er…yes, I just need the pants and I can have all of this done tomorrow."

Kunzite sensing the turn of mood went behind the screen to take off the only thing keeping the tailor here. He flung them over the screen and hurried into his jeans before stepping back out. Mr. Smith had gone and everyone had congregated around Zoicite, drinks in hand.

"What do you mean, you lost control?" Endymion was the first to speak.

"Just the way it sounds," he shrugged. "Amy and I went to the party store the other day, we got into a conversation, she challenged me and because there was enough frustration going on I just snapped. I almost had her against a shelving unit with balloons." He downed the rest of his drink.

"Fuck," Nephrite muttered into his glass. "I can't believe it. The stoic Zoicite almost snapped. You know we've hit a turn if that happens."

Endymion almost choked at the subtle twist of topic. Jadeite leaped at the opportunity. "How is wooing our salvation going there, Endymion?"

"It's going well," he replied. "Really well. In fact, I think, I'm going to tell her. At the masquerade dance."

"Tell her?" Kunzite asked. "Tell her what?"

"Everything."

The four were stunned into silence.

Zoicite was the only one who dared to say anything. "Things must be progressing well if you're going to tell her the truth."

"Yeah, how did that happen? You two could barely be in the same room a week ago. What have you been doing?" Jadeite added on.

"I had a discussion with her, where I apologized for my behavior and we decided that maybe we got into things to fast, that maybe we need to start over. So that's what we did. We've been dating. It's actually been…" he smiled. "It's been really nice."

"Who are you and what have you done with Endymion Chiba?" Nephrite asked with a straight face. The others laughed.

"I'm happy for you," Kunzite said. "And I wish you luck in telling her the truth. She's not going to be happy that we've been lying to her since she's been here, but hopefully she'll understand. Her acceptance will either set us free or doom us all."

Endymion nodded in agreement. He knew that he had a tough road ahead of him. Telling Serenity the truth wasn't going to be an easy feat, but he had seen the way she looked at him. She felt something towards him. And he had also seen the way she had watched Beauty and the Beast a few nights ago. She had been accepting then. His only question was whether or not she would be accepting now. Her answer could either save him or kill him. Not to mention what it would do to his heart.


Five minutes before the masquerade was supposed to start, Mina was in the ballroom trying to find any last minute details that needed attending to. She was fixing a black crepe streamer from falling off the wall when Kunzite spotted her. She was a beauty in the pale orange Grecian gown that they had talked about days ago. Her hair was done in slight curls and hung down her back, and – as she turned to face him – she wore a pale gold mask that was embellished with white crystals and on the right side had a small hibiscus flower. When her sapphire blue eyes met his, he couldn't help the sigh of longing that came out of his mouth. He was ready for this curse to be over, and with any luck, it might be broken tonight.

"You look amazing," he said huskily.

Her eyes racked over him. He wore a simple black and white tuxedo with a silver mask. "You do, too. You clean up really well." She replied with a smile. "So what do you think? Is everything ready for tonight?"

"I think you've outdone yourself. The investors should be pleased."

"Good. But that's not who I was hoping to please…"

He immediately got her meaning and lightly touched her wrist. "I am pleased, I just…have to be careful, Mina. You know that."

"I know," she sighed. "But hopefully not for too much longer. How are things going on that end, anyway?"

"Depends on who you ask. All of us can agree that it's going better than a few weeks ago. But…not well enough for him to…" he looked around to make sure that they weren't in hearing range of any of the wait staff. "Tell her the truth. Tonight."

If Kunzite was hoping to shock Mina, he was severely disappointed. His statement didn't even phase her, but what she said to him did. "Well, this is going to be fun. Considering, she already knows."


Barely ten minutes into the ball and Jadeite was already wishing that it were over. He hated wearing tuxes, and honestly, he was tired of schmoozing with these investors. Hadn't he already done enough of that over the last three months trying to put this deal together with the others? The icing on the cake though was when he had finally extracted himself from one of the investors who had cornered him, and gotten himself something to drink he looked out onto the dance floor and felt his heart stop beating. For on the dance floor was a vision of fire. Raye was out there looking to die for in a flame red gown with a neckline that plunged way further down than was appropriate. Her raven black hair was done up in a perfect chignon with a few pieces floating down to frame her face. Not that it needed to be framed considering the mask she wore. It looked like a butterfly from where Jadeite was standing, a black butterfly with red gemstones on the tips of its wings. It was beautiful.

And it was also in the arms of another. Something that made him very jealous. So jealous, that he didn't even wait for his drink, but instead strode across the dance floor to interrupt. He tapped the gentleman on his shoulder and with only a raised eyebrow cut into the dance. He was not someone to be denied right now.

"Raye," he growled.

"Jadeite," she replied back with a small smile on her face. "You look quite handsome."

"Cut the act. What were you thinking dressing like that?"

"What? This is a masquerade dance, isn't it? It's not like my outfit is inappropriate for the occasion."

"You know damn well it is," his voice was stern as he twirled her around the floor. "I'm barely keeping it together as it is, and to see you dressed like that and in some other guy's arms is not helping the situation!"

"I'm sorry," she replied after a beat. "I didn't realize…"

"No, don't apologize," he said his voice somewhat normal. "I'm the one who's sorry. You're right, you shouldn't have to change the way you dress just because I'm an asshole who can't control himself."

"But it's not your fault. It's the work of the curse…"

"True and thank god it's almost over."

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon, Raye, you can't tell me that you didn't talk to Serenity about what's been going on between her and Endymion? How they decided to start over and that it's going really well?"

"Of course, I know that, but what does that have to do with the curse being almost over?"

"It's going so well, that Endymion is going to tell Serenity the truth tonight. The whole truth, including how he feels about her."

This didn't get quite the reaction that Jadeite had been expecting from her. She didn't even seem phased by it. He looked at the raven-haired beauty for a few moments waiting for her to say something. When she didn't he had to ask. "Raye, why aren't you more excited or surprised by this?"

"Honestly?" She asked. "Because, Serenity already knows the truth about the curse." Jadeite stopped dancing in the middle of the floor, causing her to miss a step and stumble into him. He caught her with ease and she looked up at him, especially at the tight way he was holding her. It wasn't an intimate hold. He was angry about something.

"What do you mean, she knows?" He hissed.

"Exactly what I said. She knows everything." He let go of her shoulders for a second before grabbing her hand to drag her off the dance floor. Raye went only to not cause a scene and waited until they left the ballroom before she snatched her hand away. "What is the matter with you?" She seethed. "You think you'd be happy to know that she knows the truth. I mean, everything rides on her now." He didn't say anything in response and just kept walking away from the party, she barely was able to keep up in her heals and long train of her gown.

"Jadeite, where are you going?" But he didn't answer her. Not until he stalked into the kitchen and froze at the door. Raye bumped into him again and peered around him to see what the commotion was. It was Lita, Amy, Nephrite and Zoicite. They were all wearing aprons with smiles on their faces, and there was a smudge of flour on Zoicite's nose and in Nephrite's hair.

"Well, it looks like you guys are having your own party," Jadeite broke the silence and walked deeper into the kitchen so that Raye didn't have to keep hanging out by the door.

"What are you guys doing here?" Nephrite asked as he took a towel to his hair.

"Oh, no, did something go wrong with the waiters? I knew I should have handled this!" Lita exclaimed and took off her apron revealing the dress she had on underneath. Raye, who had seen the dress she had picked out earlier, was still shocked to how beautiful it was. It was a strapless gown that was tight through the bodice but flowed out in small tiers at the waist. The bodice also had a wrapped look to it and was darker green but the colors lightened as it got closer to the bottom.

"No, that's not it," Jadeite shook his head and put up a hand to stop Lita from advancing. "Trust me, the food is great and everyone loves it. The waiters are doing an amazing job. That's not what the problem is."

"Then what's the problem?" Zoicite asked as he took off his apron revealing a gray suit underneath.

"The problem is…" he paused as the kitchen door opened behind him. He didn't want any of the waiters overhearing about the curse, but when he looked back it was Mina and Kunzite.

"We saw you two leave the dance floor and figured we'd see what was going on," Kunzite explained. "What is going on?"

"I don't know," Nephrite replied. "Jadeite was just about to tell us about this problem we have."

"Oh, does it have anything to do with…" he exchanged a look with the blonde and nodded in understanding.

"Anyone else feeling left out here?" Amy commented.

"Right," Jadeite began again. "The problem is, Serenity knows."

"Serenity knows," the brunette repeated. "What does she know?"

Jadeite didn't bother to answer. Neither did Kunzite. Nephrite was puzzled and it wasn't until a few minutes of the Look that Zoicite finally got it. "Wait. Do you mean she know knows?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

"How is that possible?" Nephrite exploded. "She wasn't supposed to find out! Endymion was going to tell her everything!"

"Seriously, who told her?" Zoicite asked.

"I don't know. Ask them." Jadeite pointed at the four girls who were standing together and had the decency to look sheepish.

"You guys told her?!" Nephrite and Zoicite both exclaimed.

"Not intentionally," Lita admitted with a shrug.

"What do you mean not intentionally?"

"Well, to be honest, she was really close to figuring it all out anyway. You forget she's very smart and Endymion sure didn't help things." The guys didn't say anything and waited for them to go on.

"Apparently, my brother – the smooth guy that he is – watched his favorite Disney movie with Serenity a few nights ago. And do you happen to know what movie is his favorite?"

"I don't know," Jadeite replied. "The Lion King?"

"No, you idiot, Beauty and the Beast."

"Okay, I still don't understand how she could have figured it out from that," Zoicite said.

"Think about it, Zoicite," Amy replied. "It's about a prince who gets cursed by a witch for his selfish ways."

"Then Endymion admitted that he could relate to the Beast," Lita chipped in.

"And my last name is Pots."

"So?" Nephrite asked. "I still don't see how she made the connection."

"You forget," Raye replied. "She was in Endymion's bedroom a few weeks ago. She saw the rose. She saw it glow."

"Shit," Jadeite mumbled. "No wonder. With all those variables her brain was probably on overdrive. She must have thought that she was…"

"Crazy?" Lita supplied. "Yes, and when she told us, we tried to play it off as just something in her head, but, she just wouldn't let it go."

"So we told her."

"And how did she take it?" Jadeite asked. "Was she happy? Sad? Shocked? In denial?"

"Well…" Mina replied. "That's the thing. She had this expression on her face that I can't really describe and she sat there for a few minutes before saying 'oh' and then looking at some more dresses."

"Okay, but that was what? Two days ago? Have any of you spoken to her since?" Kunzite asked.

"She seemed all right earlier," Raye shrugged. "In fact, she looked downright amazing. I'm not sure what my brother is going to do when he sees her later."

"Actually," Lita said looking at the clock on the oven. "She should be making her appearance, right about now. C'mon, let's go see what happens." The eight left the kitchen in a swirl of taffeta and flour. They made it into the ballroom just as the band was in between songs. The crowd had vacated the dance floor and was milling about the various tables. Endymion was at the bar with a drink in hand looking around the room. He looked like he was just taking everything in, but the others knew that he was looking for someone.

"Where is she?" Zoicite muttered. "She should have made it out here by now."

"You don't think she ran, do you?" Nephrite whispered back.

"Stop it, you two!" Amy hissed. "Serenity isn't like that!"

"How do you know?" Zoicite asked. "You haven't known her all that long."

"Yes, but I have," Raye and Lita said together. "And Serenity isn't the type to run."

"Hey," Mina interrupted. "Look, at the top of the stairs!" Everyone – and indeed it was everyone – turned their gaze to the staircase in the middle of the ballroom and stared. At the top, was a beauty. Serenity was in a black gown with thick straps and a v cut neckline. The bodice looked like it was made of lace, but the girls (mostly Mina) were pretty sure that it was an illusion. The gown's skirt was slightly pleated and didn't inch out as much as Lita or Amy's. Her golden hair was mostly up in a bun except for some tendrils that shaped her face and brought attention to the mask she wore. It was a simple black curly cue of design with a few crystals to establish it from the others. It was Serenity to a T. The girls were so happy for her, and were all waiting with abated breath to see what Endymion thought about her.


Endymion was in awe. He had known of Serenity's beauty before – God knows – but this was a whole other level of beauty. She was ethereal. She was grace. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest with the knowledge that after tonight she could be his forever. Or, if he wasn't so lucky, she could be lost to him forever – which wouldn't be that long for him anyway. He shakily took a drink from his glass before putting it back on the counter and walking forward towards the stairs. She reached the bottom just as he reached it and looked up into her shocked eyes.

"May I have this dance, fair maiden?" He asked as he offered his hand.

She let out a small giggle – oh how he loved that sound – and put her hand into his the usual spark of something flaring between them at the contact. "You may," she said her voice low. He lead her out onto the dance floor, as the rest of the crowd watched in awed silence, the band coming back from a small break played something sweet and slow. He pulled her into his arms and they began to waltz their way across the floor. Other couples soon joined them and the party continued.

Endymion was reveling in the feel of having Serenity back in his arms. It had been a while – since their dates had only consisted of handholding and the smallest of kisses – and he forgot how much he missed it. "You look beautiful," he whispered to her as he brought her in close for a dip.

"Thank you," she replied on her way back up. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"This old thing?" He asked with a smirk on his face. "To be honest I haven't worn it since the last event like this, which was a very long time ago." The black tux was classic and the red rose boutonnière was too. He'd gone a little bit more adventurous with his mask. It was silver and looked ordinary except for the two gargoyles that were located above his eyes. It looked intimidating, but it fit him to a T.

"The mask too?" She asked with a hint of amusement.

"No, that's new," he replied. The music came to an end and they stepped away from each other and off the floor. He was getting ready to lead her away to somewhere a little bit more secluded so that way he could really talk to her, when one of the investors came scurrying up to his side.

"Mr. Chiba, a moment, if you please?" He asked.

He sighed and looked with regret to the blonde. "Go," she replied. "This is a party to celebrate your company's accomplishments after all."

"But I was really hoping to talk to you," he said.

"I'll be around," she said with a smile and a wave as she disappeared amongst the crowd. Endymion sighed again and turned to the investor hoping that this wouldn't take up too much of his time. He really needed to talk to Serenity and the sooner he did it, the sooner he'd know whether or not he would be able to live.


It was close to midnight, as Serenity made another lap around the room with Raye at her side. The last they had looked, Endymion was talking to yet another investor and she was getting rather tired of waiting. She knew that he wanted to talk to her about something although she had a good idea of what that something was, and she wanted to talk to him. She had a lot to say. But every time she turned around, there was another person (investor, coworker, etc.) attached to his side talking his ear off. She thought that with a masquerade dance, it would have been harder for these people to find him in the crowd, but apparently she wasn't the only one who knew him on sight masked or not.

"I'm thinking about calling it a night," she whispered to her friend. "I can't keep standing here in these shoes and if I have to fend off one more guy asking for a dance or whether or not I'm Serenity Tsukino I'm going to scream."

"Give him five more minutes," Raye pleaded. "If I have to I'll punch out the next investor who even tries to approach him. You two really need to talk. Tonight."

She sighed knowing that her friend was right. "Okay. I'm giving him five minutes, but if he's not here I'm going to my room." They kept walking, but only for a few seconds before someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around prepared to give her, "no, I'm not interested," spiel, when her eyes landed on the gargoyles on his mask.

"Come on," he said and she followed him out of the ballroom and outside into the fresh cool air. It may have been May – with summer right around the corner – but it was still rather chilly out at night. Serenity felt the cold immediately and goose bumps erupted on her skin. Endymion shrugged out of his tux jacket and put it around her shoulders before he led her to a secluded area out on the balcony.

"This mansion astounds me everyday," she whispered as she took in the little area. She had no idea that this was here.

"It is rather a large place," he replied. "But that's not what we should be talking about."

"Oh, and what is it that you wanted to discuss with me?"

With a strangled sigh and a hand thrown through his hair, Endymion was at a loss of how to start. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you, but I wasn't sure how to. Or how you would take it. But I think, you might be ready now."

"Ready for what?"

"The truth," she cocked her head to the side and signaled for him to continue. "Okay, I'm not sure how best to start this, so I'm going to start from the beginning. On a March night two years ago…"

Serenity listened to his story without showing any emotion or interrupting. It was actually kind of nerve-wracking for him, he had no idea what she was feeling. But it had to be a good thing that she hadn't walked away yet. Right? At the end of his tale, he paused and waited for her to ask any questions. He wasn't disappointed.

"And why did you think I was ready now for the truth?"

"Because you've gotten to know me, warts and all, and you didn't run then. I'm hoping that you won't run now." He took in a deep breath knowing the next big revelation was coming. "And…I'm hoping that you really are the one who will break this curse, because if I learned anything from the last few months, Serenity, it's that I can't live without you. I love you."

Serenity had to bite her lip to keep the tears within her at bay. It was a huge romantic gesture, and she didn't want to leave him in suspense. But sometimes things aren't meant to be.

Just as she opened her mouth to end his torment, and hopefully break the curse that was on him and the others in the household, they heard screams from the ballroom. Endymion jumped up and ran towards where they had exited and came across Kunzite waiting for him.

"What's going on?" He asked when he noticed the grave look on his friend's face. "What's with all the screaming?"

"Where's Serenity?" She peeked out from behind Endymion.

"What's going on?"

"You both need to see this." He turned and walked into the room, Serenity and Endymion on his heals. He stopped a few feet from the center of the floor and what they saw there shocked them both. It was Sapphire, only his clothes were stained with blood and one of his eyes was swollen shut. There were bruises almost on every inch. Zoicite was over him, trying to figure out the extent of it when they approached.

"How did he get here?" Endymion asked.

"He crawled in," Kunzite replied. "He has a message for you, Serenity."

She looked surprised as she took a step forward before kneeling next to him. "Sapphire?" She whispered.

"Serenity?"

"Yes, it's me."

"I have to warn you," he croaked. "Diamond…" he coughed. "Diamond has your father. And unless you go to his home by tomorrow afternoon, you'll never see him again."


Author's Notes: Big dramatic drum roll here. And you thought things were going to end happily, didn't you? Sorry, we've still got a bit to go before that can happen…if that happens. Hehehe. Anyway, please review and I'll try to update soon!