Sorry this is later than my usual. It's also a bit short so to make up for that, I will post two chapters today. Maybe more. Thank you to all of you have reviewed, I really appreciate it! I think what tickles me the most is when I see authors reviews that I recognize. I realized recently that those whom I have read, reviewed, and loved have come and reviewed my work as well. It reminds me that this is a community and that we are supportive of one another. So thank you all again!

Also, I do like to respond to reviews if they aren't asking for spoilers or something or you aren't signed in as a guest. That said, a lot of you have expressed how you like the flashbacks, even though you usually don't in fics. To be honest, neither do I but I found myself liking them at times more than the story line. I felt a bit like Usagi, escaping to another world. I only included the flashbacks because, otherwise, there wouldn't be much romance as Usa and Mamo are broken. I guess that's why I like to 'escape' to them as well.

Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter Nine

"Even when a river of tears courses through this body, the flame of love cannot be quenched."

Izumi Shikibu

She had managed to hide away all her tears before she got back inside the Palace, running into Minako in the process.

"What was all that Serenity?" She was speaking of her behavior at breakfast.

"It was..nothing. I didn't sleep well last night, that's all."

Her cousin knew she was lying, she could read her like a book, "Is this because Prince of Earth asked to be considered?" She opened her mouth, surprised Minako even knew about it, "Don't look so surprised, your mother tells my mother everything."

Of course she did.

"But I don't understand, I thought you would be happy about this? He is gorgeous and he has a legitimate title. He doesn't need you to make him a King. He isn't after power like the rest."

"Everyone is after power Minako."

"Hmmm but I don't think he is. The way he looks at you?" She stopped and did a dramatic shiver, "And the way he danced with you last night…"

"He only did that to upset the other suitors…"
"Making a claim with them that you are his and to back off!"

"It's not like that Minako...its a point of pride with him. A game and I'm just a pawn."

"I don't doubt that you know when you are being used Serenity, but you don't know love like I do."

She could hear someone approach from the direction she just came, "I'm sorry cousin, but please cover for me."
"What?"

"Just PLEASE!"

She didn't wait for a response, she just hid in the first place she saw. She could hear voices, Minako's and Endymon's. She could hear Minako saying something about not seeing her, then asking what was wrong before Endymon stomped away.

Minako's face found it's way into her little hiding hole. Holding out her shoes to her, "Oh cousin...you have a lot of explaining to do."

She told them everything. Alone in the private garden, away from any other ears. From going to Earth, getting attacked, hiding from the Queen, the first kiss, finding out who he was, to last night on the terrace. Makoto and Minako just swooned. But Rei and Ami, always the more sensible, were not pleased.

"I can't believe you went to Earth Princess, that was so reckless of you!" Whenever Ami was angry with her, she called her 'Princess'. The last time was when she hid her books trying to force her to come out and play. They were 8.

"What if you had been found? What if that man had deflowered you? What if they held you for ransom?!" And when Rei was mad, she had a tendency to skip around on her points. It happened often.

Minako stood up in her defense, "You guys, you are missing the big issue here. She made it home safe and sound, but now we have a bigger problem."

"Endymon has asked claim on my hand."

Makoto jumped up in joy, "AWW that is so romantic! How is that a problem?"

"Well Serenity here thinks Endymon's intentions are not pure." Minako blabbed.

Ami, Makoto, and Rei turned their eyes on her and they spoke at once, "What?!", "Have you not noticed how he looks at you?", "That dance last night was pretty un-pure."

She stood, walking away from them and began to pace, "He doesn't make any sense. All he does is goad me on. And he is always so presumptuous about it too. Like he knows what I'm thinking or something."

She stopped and looked at them and they gave her a knowing look, "You think I overreacted?"

"YES," they all said in unison.

"But what about the Earth? All of its struggling? What about the power the Earth would gain if we were to marry?"

She had subconsciously began pacing again till Ami laid a hand on her shoulder, stopping her turning, "We are not saying that none of that is true. We are saying that he does not care. That is not why he asked. He is in love with you Serenity. We can all see it, why can't you?"

He loved her? If that was true….

The creak of the garden gate broke her from her thoughts. Her Mother entered the garden and the girls fell to their knees without thought.

"Please ladies, you do not have to bow to me, not here. Now if you would please. I need a moment alone with my daughter."

"Yes, your Majesty."

The Queen was silent until she was sure the girls had left and were out of earshot, "I'm afraid my dear, I must once again tell you something and I'm not sure whether it will good or bad news to you."

"What is it mother?"

"Prince Endymon has rescinded his request for your hand."

"What?"

"Yes. He came and asked me himself not less than an hour ago."

"Where? Where did you see him last mother?"

"Why, in the Southeast end of the Palace, in the butterfly garden. I was showing some of our guest…"

"Please excuse me mother," she gave her a quick peck on the cheek, "Thank you."

She ran. It was very unlady like. Many of the guest gave her funny looks but she didn't care. She had to catch Endymon before it was too late and he was gone. She paused and removed her shoes, holding them in her hands as she ran faster and faster.

She made it to the garden in record time and slowed to a walk to catch her breath. She searched the whole garden looking for Endymon, but he was gone. Her heart felt like it might rip out of chest. She checked the last part of the garden, the back end. There wasn't much there save for a bench and few hedges. It was private and on certain days, it was the perfect spot for viewing the Earth.

Her breath caught in her chest as she rounded the corner to spy black hair sitting behind a hedge. He was busy looking into the sky, lost in his thoughts.

"If you are looking for the Earth, tomorrow is a better day for it."

He turned, startled by her sudden presence, but quickly recovered, "Thank you, your highness. I will keep that in mind."

He took his eyes off of her and back to the sky before him, so she moved a little closer while he wasn't looking, "Why did you take back your consideration?"

He sighed, but did not look at her, "It was a mistake, I never should have in the first place."

His words put a crack in her armor that she had created to be brave and face him, but she pressed on regardless, "You don't want to be a suitor?"

Now he looked at her, "No, I wanted to be your husband. I didn't want to be another one of those pricks chasing your skirt hoping to force your hand and tame the wild beauty that you are."

"I'm a wild beauty?"

He stood, standing before her, "You sneak down to Earth and then even in the face of danger, you worry more about the lesser people than yourself," his voice was full of anger, "You speak your mind even in front of important dignitaries, and you constantly keep everyone on their toes worried of what you will do next. Your people love you that they would gladly die for you, they are bewitched by you."
"I would never ask them to…" she whispered.

"And you are maddeningly naive."

He grew silent. She looked up at his beautiful face, "Is that all?"

"I didn't ask for your hand to make this life more difficult for you Serenity."

His face grew sad. She had never seen him without his brash smile before, and she didn't like it. She reached up, stroking his cheek with her hand. He leaned in heavily on her hand, taking her hand in his and pulling it away from his face, but not letting it go either.

Her heart raced, still unsure of herself, "Even before I understood the meaning of it all, I've had men asking for my hand."

He squeezed her hand that he still held, "This hand? But you just gave it to me without me asking."

He was teasing her again. She pulled her hand away from his grasp and turned away from his stare, "You drive me mad! You are constantly teasing and pushing me. You are always so cocky, so confident, as if you know everything. You know nothing your Highness. And the things you say to me...I am not naive! I know how the universe works! I will pick a husband and we will rule together."

"Oh but choose wisely little rabbit," he moved so that he stood right behind her, "Because if you choose Zedd, you will keep all your power, forever in the company of your little pet. Or, you can choose Phoebe or Phobus who will keep you up all night chasing you around your bedchamber, waiting till your guard is down and make you bare an aire. The old man might be a good choice, you would surely out live him. Goddess forgive if you were to pick any of the others, they would chain you down till all the light was gone from you and then tote you around like a trophy while they sat on your throne and made everyone else's life miserable."

She turned on her naked heel, coming after him and his words, "You don't think I know that? You think I've been letting them chase my heels for fun?" Tears burned in her eyes.

"Then what are you going to do about it Serenity?"

"I don't know!"

His hand reached up, wiping a tear that had fallen down her cheek.

She pulled away, confused and angry, "Your actions do not match your words sir."

"And that drives you mad doesn't it?"

She huffed, wiping away another tear, "Not like you may want. You may get the other girls to swoon with your antitics, but not me."

"Is that why you doubt me? There are no other girls, no one like you."

Her mouth dropped open and she threw her hands up in frustration, "Why do you say things like that?"

He grabbed her hand pulling her in, "Because it is true."

"I don't believe it. You would say anything to get…"
"To get what? Your kingdom? I don't want it, I want you!"

"Even though I'm impulsive and loud and...wild?"

"Yes. Your heart is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

"My heart."

"Your heart is in love with me, no matter how much you try and deny it."

"Why are you so...arrogant?!"

He pulled her tight to his chest, "Tell me I'm wrong," he gently gripped her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes, "Tell me you don't love me and I will leave you alone forever."

She looked into his eyes deeply. More than anything she wanted to tell him he was wrong, just to say it. But the thought of him leaving her alone forever felt as if a hand made of ice was squeezing her heart. It was true, her heart seemed to love him, but her head told her it was dangerous. Too many times she had been fooled into thinking someone cared for her in honest when all they wanted was her favor.

He was watching her as her mind worked, his smile growing as her silence gave him the answer he hoped for.

He leaned in closer still, till his face was inches from hers and stopped, "What does your beautiful, impulsive heart say, little rabbit?"

She listened to her heart, letting it take over. And it pushed her mouth onto his, his warmth washing over her in an instant. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into her as deeply as possible. His hands wrapped around her waist, grabbing on tightly to the cloth of her dress. It was as if her heart had been set free, caught in a cage she didn't realize she was keeping it in. Emotions overflowed, causing her to cry again, but no longer in fear or sadness or anger.

He pulled away, kissing her tears off of her face and tickling her nose with his lips. A soft giggle escaped her mouth and he caught it in his as he took her lip in his again. He lifted her up off the ground and set them both on the small bench, pulling her into his lap.

They pulled their lips apart, their breath ragged, but they still laughed and smiled at each other. His arms still wrapped around her but now they had loosened so he could look at her face. She held onto his neck, her shoes still dangling in her hand, now noticed by him.

"Did you run here?"

She blushed, "Yes."

He laughed, "Wild little rabbit."

"I didn't want to miss you."

"And what a tragedy that would have been."

He grabbed her lips again, unable to be apart any longer. Her fingers twisted in his hair while his stayed planted on her back, pushing her into him. He left her lips, laying little sweet kisses down her neck and shoulders making her laugh happily.

"I love you Serenity. More than anything or anyone."

"I love you too."

"Marry me."

"I can't marry you. You haven't asked my mother for my hand. You are not a suitor anymore."

He picked her up off his lap and placed her back on the ground, "Well we'd better get going then."

Stunned and confused, she struggled to find her balance at first, "What? Why? Dinner isn't for another hour."

He took a quick step back to her, "You really want to spend the hour alone with me?"

His grin was cheeky so she slapped playfully on the chest, he made his way back, meaning to leave the garden right that instant, "I need to find your mother before dinner."

She knew why, but she wanted to hear him say it anyways, "Why?"

"To ask her for your hand….again."

She woke up unwillingly again. The clock laughed at her, 1:34 am, and she had to physically stop herself from hurling it across the wall. Reality of her surrounding set in too quickly and she felt the loss of her former life hard. And the loss of her former and current love even harder. She couldn't breathe, she was drowning again but this time it was her misery choking the life out of her.

She ran as quickly and as quietly as she could, throwing the window open and thrusting her head out into the cool night air. She leaned over the seal, taking deep steadying breaths.

"Bad dream."

His voice cut through the silence so sharply, she almost fell out of the window. He sat in the tree just outside her window, casually as if it was normal. His eyes gave away his concern though.

She sat down in the window seat, "I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. Did you draw the short straw for tonight or something?"

"Or something."

She looked down and around at the garden and then up at the moon, anywhere that he wasn't. She could feel his eyes on her and she could not handle his crushing blues right now. Or at any time for that matter.

Chib-usa snored behind her and she envied the girl for her naive bliss.

"Goddess forbid you get attacked at night, your pjs would give the enemy such an advantage over you."

She looked down to see her shirt had slid up, revealing her thighs, she quickly pulled it back down, but the damage had been done, "What would you have me sleep in? A suit of armor?"

He grunted in response and grew silent again. This was the first time they had been alone in what felt like forever, but was actually a week. Part of her wanted him to jump in her window and hold her, promising they would never be apart again. But the other part.

"You and the Senshi know that I can take care of myself right?"

Again, he grunted, which was really starting to tick her off, "Look, THIS Princess is stronger than the one from the past. And THIS Princess would like for all of you to back off."

He shifted in the tree, turning cool blue eyes on her, "THIS Princess almost died in the last two battles we had…"

"I didn't almost die at the shoe store…"
He ignored her interruption, continuing, "THIS Princess, can't seem to keep herself out of the enemies' crosshairs!..."

"I can't help it if they have it out for me…"

"USAGI...we watched you die tonight! We sat around you, helpless as you drowned inside your bubble!"

"Like you would have known that the bubble wouldn't have popped. You need to stop treating me like a child…."
"Then stop acting like one!"

Her mouth opened at his cruel words. His words weren't even the cruelest thing someone had said to her, but coming from him it was a hundred times worse. She stared at her hands, hoping to control the onslaught of tears threatening to fall.

"It's late….you should get some sleep."

She didn't fight him on it, she silently stood and shut the window, walking back to her bed all while refusing to look at him. He had been right. They weren't Serenity and Endymon. Endymon loved Serenity, her, the way she was. He loved her wild heart.