Disclaimer-Sailor Moon and Beauty and the Beast do not belong to me. The song for the chapter title is Come Together by The Beatles.

Chapter 10:

Was that what she really thought she was here for? Did she really think she could make him less of a monster? It was a lofty goal, one he wished her much luck with. As anyone in the house, including himself, would tell her, he was quite the piece of work. But as much as he thought her aspiration was ridiculous, he could help but hope she succeeded. He wanted to be a better person, whether it was for her or his family, he wasn't sure, but he just didn't know how. Maybe she did.

"What time is it?" she asked. They had both gone back to browsing the stacks, Darien high up on one of the ladders, skimming titles he hadn't seen in a while as Serena stayed on the ground, her eyes curiously reading the spines of well-read fairytales.

"Um, close to one, I think," Darien yawned before picking a dusty book off the shelf and climbing down the ladder.

"I've never read this one before," Serena replied, changing the topic of conversation as she turned to her companion and showed him the book she picked.

"It was my mom's. She told me it belonged her great grandmother. It's my favorite," he said as he took the book she was holding and handed her his pick. "I forgot where I put it."

"Let's read it," she shrugged as she walked over to one of the loveseats in the library and sat down, setting Darien's book on a nearby coffee table along the way.

"Read it?" Darien asked as he followed her to the couch.

"Yes, well, it is a book, what else would we do with it?" she asked teasingly.

"Shut up," he grumbled as he sat down next to her only to have the book plucked from his relaxed grip. "Hey, that's mine."

"No pouting," Serena warned as the disgruntled look that was forming on his face disappeared before she could turn to face him. She read him way too well for someone who had just met him earlier that day. It was unsettling. "Who's going to read this, me or you?"

"You," he replied wearily as he rubbed his eyes and leaned back against the couch, too tired to care. Beside that, over the course of the last hour he had come to realize that he liked the sound of her voice.

It was there, listening to Serena's soothing voice read his favorite book from his childhood, that Darien fell asleep.

Serena first realized he was sleeping when she heard him mumble something she couldn't quite make out. In confusion, she shifted her torso to find that while she was entranced with the story, he had clearly passed out a dozen pages earlier.

"Oh well," she shrugged as she curled up on the couch and continued reading the story, this time to herself.

Almost an hour later, Serena set the book aside. There were still many stories to read, but she couldn't quite keep her focus. She was too busy thinking about the man sleeping next to her. As much as she knew from minute one that she should keep her distance, she couldn't. Every time he told her a story about his parents or had a vulnerable moment, she couldn't help but feel for him and slowly gravitate closer to him.

"You're a confusing man, Darien Shields," Serena muttered as she glanced over at the man who shared a couch with her. "Which makes me like you even more." She shook her head at the thought and reached for the book again. This time she pulled her legs up onto the couch and set the tome on her lap, her body leaning towards Darien ever so slightly. It was only a matter of time before she fell asleep, just as the man next to her had.

"Where the hell is Darien?" Mina asked as she walked into the kitchen, an empty plate in her hand.

"Good morning to you too, Mina," Lita greeted, taking the plate from her friend and dropping it into the sink as she spoke. "Where did this come from?"

"Outside of Darien's room. If that's not weird enough, his room is empty and so is Serena's," Mina pressed on as Andrew kissed her cheek as a morning greeting, no matter how bleak the morning was.

"You don't think he killed her, do you?" Lita asked. "I mean, he clearly lost it last night, since all the other dishes they used last night are on the drying rack."

"Maybe Serena washed them?" Andrew suggested trying to make heads or tails of the situation.

"So he forced her to wash the dishes, killed her and ran away?" Mina asked thoughtfully as the idea played out in her head.

"I'm going to check the library," the blond haired man said as he shook his head at the two females in front of him. Sometimes they came up with the craziest theories.

"I'll come with!" Mina exclaimed as she hurried after him. The pair walked in silence, both eager to find their employer and figure out what had happened the night before. They knew it was dangerous for Darien to be left alone with a stranger and, even though they knew he would never physically hurt her, they worried that they would find Serena crying in a corner as their friend verbally abused her.

"You think he'll be here?" the tall girl asked softly as they approached the library.

"If he's not in his wing and he hasn't made a fuss in the kitchen yet this morning, I have to assume he's here," Andrew said as he nodded at the doors in front of them. He had to be there. If he wasn't, then Darien was missing and that wasn't something he was prepared to deal with.

"Well let's see," Mina shrugged as she pushed the big doors open to find the last thing either of them expected.

"Oh my God," Andrew mumbled, his eyes widening as he realized the position his two friends were in.

"Oh my God," Mina echoed, although she was quite a bit more excited. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! He's-she's-they're… Andrew!" she squealed as she grabbed onto her boyfriend's arm while jumping up and down.

"I know, Mina, I know. I see them but keep it down," Andrew whispered as he surveyed the scene in front of him. Not only were they sleeping on the same couch, but Darien was sprawled out of the couch with Serena lying on top of him, her arms wrapped around his waist while his were protectively covering her petite shoulders.

"Should we wake them up?" Mina hissed, her joy still present. Andrew felt it too.

"No, no, let them sleep. Serena seemed really tired last night. Besides, when was the last time Darien looked so peaceful?" Andrew asked, pondering the question he had just asked.

"I think I was too young to remember," Mina said, voicing the answer neither wanted to admit to.

"Let's go," Andrew said, stating the obvious course of action. Nothing was going to wake the pair before they were ready, not unless they wanted to die a painful death at the hands of a very unhappy blond couple.

"I'll ask Lita to leave them food," Mina suggested brightly as they walked back down the hall.

"And I'll keep Diana and Raye out of the area," Andrew added, glad to be able to contribute to the efforts.

"Raye gonna be so mad," Mina gushed, a dreamy look washing over her face. Andrew could only begin to imagine what crazy scenarios she was concocting in that adorable head of hers.

"She usually is," Andrew muttered to himself, a sigh escaping his mouth as he draped an arm around Mina's shoulders. He was less than excited to mediate a fight between Raye and his girlfriend, but he had volunteered himself and now it was too late.

Darien yawned widely as his body began to wake up, his eyes still closed as he thought about the blissful night's sleep he had finally managed to wrestle away from the sandman. The only odd thing about the situation was the weight he felt pressing down on his chest.

"What?" he mumbled as his midnight blue orbs opened hesitantly to the dim lighting of the room. Without shifting his head, he glanced down to find a blond head resting on his chest. "Serena," Darien breathed as the events of the night before came rushing back to him, the relief pumping through his veins as he realized she was still there. He didn't really enjoy the fact that he had become so dependent on someone else in such an incredibly short amount of time, but it was too late to deny it. Well, at least out loud he would, but inwardly there was no way.

"Where am I?" a soft, disoriented voice asked as her small head lifted off his chest, the lack of weight and warmth on his chest sending an irrational twinge of loss pulsing through him. "Oh. Now I remember," Serena said matter-of-factly as she lifted her head and laid eyes on Darien. "Hey, how'd you sleep?"

"Really well, actually, how about you?" he asked as he noticed his arm was still draped around Serena. It almost made up for the fact that he would probably never be this close to her ever again.

"It was nice," she replied with a small smile. "I'm still tired though. Can we go back to sleep?" He would have acquiesced to her request gladly if not for the loud gurgling noise coming from the stomach of the petite woman who was still lying on top of him.

"It sounds like you're hungry, so maybe we should find some food instead," Darien replied reluctantly. Just because she was hungry-not to mention his own desire for food-didn't mean he had to be happy about getting up.

"Mmm," she hummed thoughtfully as she bit down on her lower lip, an action that made him want to kiss her, an urge he had never felt before in his entire life. "Okay, but we have to finish this book before I leave," Serena warned, her blue eyes serious as she stared him down.

"Bring it with. Just don't get any food on it, alright?" Darien requested. He was joking but at the same time, he wasn't. From the look on her face, he was pretty sure she understood.

"I won't if you don't," Serena shrugged as she pushed herself off of Darien and onto her feet, grabbing the book as she went.

"Sure, sure," he replied as he got up, his whole body missing the feel of her against him. A feeling he loathed for more than one reason.

"Point me in the right direction, oh wise one," she requested as they stepped out into the hallway.

"Sure thing, my dear village idiot," he teased as he offered his arm to Serena, laughter in his voice, hoping his sneaky way of regaining physical contact with the girl walking next to him would work.

"Hey!" Serena complained as she slapped Darien's arm and then slipped the same hand she had used to attempt to hurt him into the crook of his proffered arm, much to his delight. "I'm not stupid, thank you very much."

"No, but it seemed appropriate," Darien shrugged honestly, their playful banter slipping into comfortable conversation. "The truth is, I don't know very much about you."

"Well what would you like to know?" Serena asked curiously.

"Your favorite color, your favorite food, your favorite book, what you do in your spare time, who your best friends are, where you hang out, your fears, your dreams, what your happy place is like," Darien said, doling out the different basic facts that he knew about the people he was close to.

"Wow, that's a lot of things you'd like to know about one person," she replied. It was, but he really did want to know. "Well, my favorite color is pink, my favorite food is well, most anything, as Andrew will tell you. I'm kind of a human garbage disposal. But I think my favorite is pasta. I don't really have a favorite book. I just like to read. I'll read a book I like a dozen times, which is good, because the library in town that I go to is kind of small. I know it seems weird that I don't go to a bigger one, but one of my best friends, Ami, works there. My other best friend, Molly, the girl from last night, Ami and I all came to live here for college. Well, Molly doesn't go to college, she's working on her jewelry, but she lives with me while Ami lives closer to school and the library."

For the rest of the short walk, Darien listened to Serena detail her life to him. She told stories that explained the main facets of her personality, discussed her likes and dislikes, opened up to him and let him into her life. How she managed to get in that much information into ten minutes, well, she talked really fast.

"You're really working up that appetite, aren't you?" he teased as they reached the kitchen, the clattering of pots and pans echoing through the hallway, signifying that Lita was probably up to no good.

"It's what I do best," Serena shrugged as they entered the room, their arms detangling unconsciously as they went.

"Good morning Lita, Luna, Artemis, Diana," Darien greeted as he took stock of who from his staff was loitering in the kitchen. "I don't think all of you have met our guest. This is Serena Tsukino."

"Hey, I'm Lita, it's nice to meet you," the tall, brunette who was stirring something on the stove said, taking her eyes off of her concoction long enough to get an eyeful of the blond.

"I'm Luna, but we met last night, however informally," the dark haired woman said as she reached forward to shake Serena's hand.

"I'm Artemis, Luna's husband, and this is Diana, our daughter," Artemis said primly as he reached forward with his free arm and copied his wife's greetings.

"Hi! I'm Diana," she chirped needlessly from her father's arms, causing Darien to smile, however slightly. "Are you Uncle Darien's new friend? Uncle Andrew and Aunt Mina were talking about you sleeping with him in the library this morning. I don't like the library. It's really big and really scary. Mama always goes to pick out my bedtime story so I don't run into the monsters that hide between the books. They bite off your fingers if you get too close."

"That's enough Diana," Artemis said kindly, an insistent tone in his voice as everyone in the room had the decency to look shocked from the mouthful the little girl had just said. Well, everyone but Serena.

"The library's not so bad, Diana. Besides, all you need to do is learn how to scare off those monsters and they'll never come near you again," Serena informed kindly. Darien turned to the blond, his surprise magnified due to the manner in which she had handled the situation. He hadn't expected that.

"Can you teach me?" Diana asked excitedly as she wriggled herself out of her father's arms and ran over to Serena, her eyes wide with hope and trust.

"Of course I can, but first I think your Uncle Darien and I need to get some breakfast," Serena said as she knelt down to the little girl's level.

"Serena's right, Diana," Luna informed. "Besides, you have some toys to put away sweetheart."

"Do I have to Mama?" Diana whined with a pout on her face as Serena pulled herself back up to standing position with very little grace. "I want to play with Serena!"

"Diana, you heard your mother," Artemis said sternly as he picked up the little girl and carried her squirming body out of the room, Luna following her small family closely.

"But Papa!" Diana complained, her voice fading as they exited the room and made their way down the hallway.

"You should know that Mina and Andrew saw you two sleeping in the library," Lita said bluntly, stating the obvious as she set two plates full of breakfast foods on the kitchen counter for the pair.

"And now the whole house knows," Darien groaned as sat down heavily on his stool. He hated when people knew his business before he had a chance to tell them.

"Obviously," Lita shrugged as she went back to the stove to pull a batch of cookies out before they burned. "These are for dinner, no snacking," she warned without turning around as she slid the cookies onto the cooling rack.

"Hey, what's going on with the storm outside? I don't hear anything," Serena asked curiously as she sat down next to Darien for breakfast.

"The rain stopped sometime last night and then it started to snow a few hours ago, just enough time to freeze a nice layer of ice on the ground for the snow to stick to. There's about three inches of snow on the ground and it's like a blizzard out there," Lita replied informatively as Darien cheered inwardly. Ok, so maybe it seemed a little like Serena was his prisoner, but he was just happy she didn't have a choice as to whether she could stay or go. God knows she would leave if she had the chance.

"Huh, well, it's not like I was going to rush out of here or anything," Serena shrugged, defying every last assumption Darien had made in the last thirty seconds, much to his complete and utter disbelief.

"Don't you want to go home?" he asked incredulously, not believing his ears.

"Home will always be there for me to go back to. I'm sure Molly's keeping it nice and warm. This book, on the other hand, is not at home. And neither is this delicious food or the excellent company I've found myself in. Besides, I promised Diana I would teacher her how to get rid of those monsters," the blond assured as she polished off her breakfast and picked up the book.

"That must be a record," Lita mumbled as she took Serena's plate and began walking to the sink. "You don't want anymore, do you?" the brunette checked.

"No, I'm okay until the next meal, I suppose. That was amazing, thank you," Serena laughed lightly as she eyed Darien, the excitement on her face silently urging him to hurry up. He couldn't help but comply. He still couldn't shake the assumption that she would bolt out of there the minute it was safe and he wasn't going to waste a single moment of their time together.

"Anytime," Lita replied as Serena and Darien got to their feet, picked up their book and left the kitchen. He didn't know what was going to happen next and in that moment he decided he would really stop trying to guess. It wasn't worth the effort, especially since he knew he was probably going to be wrong anyway.

A/N: I wish all men would make such a decision... I hate when guys assume they know me...

Anyway, sorry this one took me so long. I've been incredibly busy/tired/lazy/blocked. I know that this is mostly filler, but I though the Darien/Serena moments would be enjoyed. Once again, I adore, enjoy and cherish every since review and hit I get for this story, so thank you to all for contributing to that and please keep it up!

Next chapter has more Diamond! Get ready for the crazy ego. I can't wait to write it, even though it probably won't be done until late next week. I'm sorry about that in advance... if you want more updates on my writing, I rework my profile more than I add to my stories so if you're lucky, you'll find something useful there.

Love and Luck,

Gaby