Standard disclaimers apply.  I don't own Sailor Moon, or anything else I may mention that has been previously copyrighted.  I do own this story.  That's good enough for me.  Got a problem with that?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

It's Never Too Late

"Darien?  What are you doing here?"

"Hi Rei," he bent to kiss her cheek.  "Can't I come to visit my little sister?"

"Sure you can, but you never do.  Something wrong?"

"Nope, just wanted to chat."  They walked over and sat on the couch.

"But we just saw each other last night.  You didn't seem like you wanted to chat too much the way you took off so fast."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"It's ok.  Rena told me what happened.  Seriously, I didn't think you'd come around so soon."

"Yeah, well...where is she anyway?"

"It's her turn to cook, so she's probably picking up food."

"She can't cook?"

"Oh yeah, she can.  Like a pro actually, but she's usually so tired when she gets off from work that she doesn't feel like it.  Ooh, sorry Darien.  That came out wrong."

"Don't worry about it, Rei.  I know I've been giving her a hard time."

"Why is that Darien?  You're never been mean to anyone.  Why start now?"

"I don't know.  There's just something about her.  I really don't mean to say all those things to her, but it just comes out, you know what I mean?"

"Not really.  But I suggest you try to get control of that or something.  You're really hurting her, Darien."

"I know.  I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to her.  It's never too late."

Just then they heard Serena coming in.

"Hey Rei!  I'm home." She shuffled the bags in her arms to take off her shoes at the door.  She still hadn't noticed the visitor.  "Too bad we don't have any leftovers, I still feel like Italian, so I picked up pizza instead."  She walked into the kitchen, "I got margarita mix too cause I could use a drink after today, you want one?"

"Sure, Rena.  Better make that two," she called back.

"Two?  Had a hard day too?"

"No, we just have a vis--"

Serena popped in the living room.  "What're you doing here?"

"Lovely manners you have, Carroll-san.  Do you greet all of your guests like that?"

"Darien!" Rei smacked him.

"No, I only reserve good behavior for those I like.  I can barely tolerate you."

"I'm glad you limit yourself.  It just makes me thankful that all those guests didn't run out on my sister's party last night because of your conduct."

"Ooh!" she stamped her foot and pointed to the front door, "Get out of my house!"

Darien just relaxed himself even more, adjusted a pillow and propped his feet up on the coffee table.  "For an artist, you have a strange perspective on things.  You must know that this is an apartment, not a house.  And I most certainly won't leave--I'm visiting my sister."

"Rei!  Do something about your idiot brother!"

"Rei?  As your older brother I gotta tell you that I don't think your roommate is suitable.  Surely you can find someone better than Carroll-san."

"And now you're trying to get me kicked out?  Just because Motoki interrupted us this afternoon, don't think I won't hesitate to finish what I started, and get your feet off my table!"

"What happened this afternoon?" Rei asked, looking back and forth.

"Nothing!" Darien sat up and quickly removed his feet.

"What?  Don't want your sister to know how you treat me?  Well you should be ashamed of your behavior!"

"I'm not ashamed of anything, except that I have to put up with you, Carroll-san."

"Why do you keep calling her Carroll-san, Darien?  You two's relationship seems to be beyond that," said Rei.

"Don't try to change that, Rei," Serena announced, "It's the only form respect he shows me."

"I tried using her name, Rei, but she gets more than a little upset when I do."

"Your using my name doesn't upset me, it's the way you use it," said Serena.

"I'm just following your lead."

"Sure you are," she sneered.

"Rei, she refuses to call me by my name.  I tried to explain to her that anything other than a person's name in Japan is considered an endearment, but she just doesn't seem to be able to understand that so I thought I'd be kind and return the favor."

Rei, wide-eyed, viewed the two.  "What did you call her?" she asked suspiciously.

They ignored her.  "If you hadn't noticed, I called you Darien earlier today."

"Yeah, after you almost killed me today.  I told you were you getting too much food last night.  You could stand to go on a diet."

"ARGGH!" Serena screeched like a banshee and catapulted towards Darien.

"Whoa!" Rei caught her before she attacked.  "Darien!  Take that back!  You know better than to talk about someone's weight.  Besides, Rena is not fat!"

Seeing that Rei was holding his lovely nemesis back, he grinned as he continually taunted her, "But Rei, you weren't there!" he complained.  "I still haven't regained the strength in my arms.  They were numb for half an hour at the most."

Serena struggled in Rei's arms, trying to reach him.  She just wanted to wrap her hands around his neck and squeeze, even one scratch on his gorgeous face would be good enough--for now.

"Let me go, Rei!  You can see he deserves it.  Forget he's your brother.  Show some gumption, woman!  For the love all womankind, let me go!"

"Rena!  Do you hear yourself?  Calm down!"

"It's no use, Rei.  I stand by my first opinion that she sign up for anger management classes," Darien complained.

"Ohhh!!" Serena continued to fight Rei off, getting closer and closer to her target.

"You're not helping, Darien!" Rei exclaimed.  "If you don't quit it, I'm going to turn her loose and they'll be hell to pay."  She looked meaningfully into Darien's eyes, willing their earlier conversation to come back to mind.

Apparently he understood.  The mischievous light left his eyes and he sat up straight and looked away.  "Right."

Rei still held on to Serena.  "Now, Rena, I'm going to let you go.  Remember what we talked about last night and your promise?"  Serena stopped struggling a bit at Rei's words.

"Yeah, I remember," she answered as lightly as possible.

"Can I let you go?"

"Sure.  I'm fine now, as long as he doesn't open his big, fat mouth."

"Ignore him," Rei laughed and hugged her friend.  "I have."

"Yeah, but you have a lifetime's experience."

"Hate to interrupt this girly bonding ritual or whatever it is, but I'm hungry," Darien commented.  In reality, he was delighted by the fact that his sister and the blonde pixie were such good friends.  Just like sisters.

"And your point is?" Serena reluctantly returned her attention to him.

"The point is that you brought pizza, and it's getting cold.  Personally, I don't like cold pizza, but I could always put a slice in the microwave."

"Who invited you to eat with us?"

"Does it matter?  I'll take a margarita too, with a lemon.  I like it extra tangy."

Serena turned wordlessly to Rei, who shrugged with a 'there's nothing I can do about it' look.  Serena scoffed and turned towards the kitchen.  "Whatever.  Rei, you take care of your brother," she disappeared in the kitchen, "I refuse to get involved any further."

Rei smacked Darien on the head. "Ouch!  What was that for?"

"For being such a jerk.  What did we just talk about?" she hissed.

"You saw how she was!" he whispered defensively.

"Yeah, I also saw who started it.  Is it like that all the time?"

"Of course it is.  Every single day."  Rei smacked him again.  "Ouch!  Quit that!" He took a few steps away from her.

"Every day, Darien?  She tells me what she goes through, but I never knew it was this bad."  She rubbed her aching shoulders, "God, that girl is strong.  Almost ripped my arm out of my socket."

"Imagine having all that fall on top of you."

"Darien!"  Rei advanced towards him again to take another swipe.  Darien dodged just in time.

"Whoa!" he tripped on the edge of the sofa.  "What's your problem?  This is not a good day for me."

  "What's my problem?  What's your problem?  How could you say that about her weight?"

"I didn't mean it!"

"Didn't come across that way!  You march in there and apologize to her.  For everything!"

"But Rei--"

"NOW!"

Meanwhile, Serena was hurrying making the margaritas.  Just when she thought she'd be able to relax after dealing with that baka maniac Darien at work, she comes home to see him in her private domain--with no intention to leave, no less!

On her way home, she had resolved not to let him bother her ever again, to just ignore his presence and treat him as civilly as possible.  After all, it worked after that chair incident.  That brilliant idea burst into flames as soon as she laid eyes on him.  And what was he doing here anyway?  Of course she remembered that he was Rei's brother after all, so he sort of had a right to be there.  It was just so annoyingly inconvenient that they were family.  'Why did I have to be so unfortunate to have a roommate with the baka, of all people, as a brother?' she thought.  'It's a shame you can't pick out your friend's relatives.'

"Rena," Rei called walking into the kitchen, tugging the baka with her. "Darien has something to tell you."

Serena paused her work and raised an eyebrow at the pair.  "I think I've heard all I ever want to hear from him."  She turned her attention back to the blender.

"Seriously, Rena.  Listen."  She pushed the quiet man further into the room.  "Go on!" she whispered.

"Carroll-san.  What I just now was uncalled for.  It's just so easy to goad you--" he winced as Rei pinched his side, "but that's no excuse for my treatment of you.  I promise to back off."

"I've heard that before," she muttered. 

Darien overheard her and grinned.  "I also regret what happened today at the studio," he grimaced at the memory of what transpired in his office and the reason behind it.  "And for what happened in here last night."

"What did happen?" asked Rei.

"It doesn't matter," Darien answered.  He looked Serena in the eye. "Some things are best forgotten."

Since he appeared to have listened to her and actually made the first step, Serena supposed it was her turn.  "I guess I should apologize also for almost hurting you in there," she waved in the direction of the living room.

"There's no need for that," he waved her apology away, "you couldn't hurt me anyway," he replied nonchalantly.

Serena narrowed her eyes at him.  "You should never underestimate your opponent, Darien."

"I can afford that luxury when that supposed opponent doesn't show the skills needed to beat someone like me."

 "Usually the battle's victor searches for a weak point and patiently waits to use it against him."

"I don't have one."

"Everyone has a weakness.  I just think yours is a secret.  You don't want anyone to find out, so you've hidden it very well.  It'll come out sooner or later though, and what will happen when it does?"

Darien's eyes widened at her words.  What if someone found his sketches of her in his office?  Or worse, what if Serena herself found them?

Serena caught the look and triumphantly returned to blender.  'Let him stew about that a little while.  Be afraid, Darien.  Be very afraid.'

Forgetting Rei was watching, Darien stepped closer to Serena and covered her hands on the blender with one hand and took her chin in the other to make her look at him right in the eye.  "Get your hands off me!"

"You don't want me for an enemy, Serena," he murmured, "I can promise you."

Serena jerked away from him, her chin and hands tingling.  "We're already enemies, and if you don't back up--"

"More threats?" he taunted.

She picked the blender container up and raised it threateningly.  "Try me."

He backtracked, "You wouldn't dare."

An evil glint appeared in Serena's eye.  "Oh, I dare, Darien," she smirked, throwing his words from last night back in his face.  She advanced towards him, raising the container higher.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rei cried.  "You two were just getting along a moment ago.  And I swear, if you make a mess in this kitchen after all the work we did cleaning it up, I'll make you eat whatever starts flying, wherever it lands!"

Serena turned to Rei, "You're right.  Wouldn't want to waste a good margarita anyway."  She replaced the container or the blender and took out two glasses and two plates.  "Here ya go, Rei.  I got two large pizzas, one cheese and the other pepperoni.  I would've got supreme, but the bellpeppers..."

"Yeah, I remember what happened last time," Rei replied.  "We don't want to go through that again."

"What happened?" asked Darien.

"I still say it was just that pizza place," said Serena, ignoring Darien.  "We'll have to try someplace else just to make sure."

"Just one slice for you next time.  You never know."

"What had happened?" Darien repeated.

"One slice, I promise," Serena laughed.  "It's a shame, because I love supreme too.  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it."  She fixed her plate and grabbed her margarita.  "I'm eating this in my room, my movie is coming on."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," answered Rei.  She looked at the clock.  "Hey, you better hurry up, it's almost on."

"What movie?" Darien tried again.  Serena just kept walking.  The Chiba pair just watched her disappear.  Darien grudgingly turned to his sister, "Why does she keep doing that?"

"Doing what?" Rei asked innocently.

"You know what I'm talking about!  That's the second time she's done that to me today."

Rei rolled her eyes and started fixing her food too.  "Can you blame her?"  When she received no response, she looked over at him only to see him still frowning at where Serena just disappeared.  "What are you thinking about?"

"Serena.  What else?"  He got a glass out the cabinet and poured himself a margarita.  "What's her problem anyway?"

"Her problem?  Darien, I've seen you two go at it twice today, and I gotta tell you, you're the one who starts it."

"Right, Rei."

"I'm serious!  You started the arguments both times.  She wouldn't have to retaliate if you didn't goad her.  And you already admitted that you like doing that.  What I want to know is, is why?"

"You sound like Motoki."

"Doesn't that tell you something?" She started fixing a margarita too.

"Not really," he answered.

"And you haven't gotten an answer yet?"

"It's fun."

"It's fun?" she repeated.  "Grow up, Darien.  I sent you in here to apologize.  You were off to a good start and then you royally screwed it up!"  She was so upset that she turned and splashed him with the cool liquid.

"Whoa!  Calm down, Rei!"

"I won't say I'm sorry because I think you deserved it."

"For what?"

"For the sake of Rena!  You always do everything right, how could you possibly mess up with a person like Rena?  She's awesome!  The best roommate I ever had."

"Hey!  I'm offended.  Besides you only had two roommates, you lived with me and that girl before Serena."

"I know."

"So what are you saying?  That you didn't like living with me?"  He was starting to feel hurt.

"Of course I'm not saying that," she turned walked towards him and gave him a hug.  He wrapped her in his arms too.  "I had a blast!  But it couldn't last.  We were both getting older and we needed space.  I'm pretty sure you got tired of having me around sometimes.  If you wanted to bring home a date or something, I wouldn't want to be in the way."

"You weren't in the way!"

"Please, Darien, I was there.  I know I drove you crazy when you wanted to study and I wanted you to take me to the mall or something."  She tightened her arms around him.  "It couldn't stay that way.  Sooner or later we would've gotten on each other's nerves."  She looked up at him, "You were starting to get on mine."

"Well I like that!"  His embrace turned into a headlock.  "I'll make you eat those words little sister!"

"No you won't!" she laughed.  She twisted and squirmed her way loose and stuck her tongue out at him.  "I've been taking lessons!  HA!"

"Lessons, huh?  You would need them to beat me!"

"Again with the battle talk?  You'll be at war with every woman in the building if you keep that up."

Darien sighed and bit a slice of pizza he confiscated from Rei's plate.  "I thought we were through talking about She-ra in there."

"That discussion will never be over as long as we're friends and you two don't start getting along."

"I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"That's because you won't let it.  Rena seemed like she was perfectly willing."

"Serena seems like she's capable of many things."

"Oh believe me, she is capable."

Darien thought about the conversation between his sister and the bewitching blond a few moments ago.  "What had happened the last time she had pizza?"

"The supreme pizza?"

"Whatever it was?"

Rei grimaced as she recalled it.  "Let's just say that she had a reaction."

"A reaction?  What do you mean?"

"Well, I had brought the pizza last time, and one was supreme cause you know I love supreme pizzas.  Rena does too.  We were sitting around, I was on the sofa and Rena was stretched out on the floor in front of me, watching t.v. when I started hearing a strange noise."

"What kind of noise?"

"It's hard to describe.  I guess it was a cross between a cough and someone clearing their throat."

"Weird.  What happened?"

"I realized it was Rena.  I tried to ignore it, but it wouldn't go away.  I looked at her and asked if she was alright.  She didn't answer, and by then she was sitting up clutching her chest."

"Was she choking?"

"I thought she was!  I rushed over to her to do the heimlech, but she was breathing.  I didn't know what was wrong.  I handed her drink to her, but she didn't take it.  Finally, I crawled in front of her, and her face was all red and splotchy.  I could literally see her skin turning red and it was traveling down to her arms."

"An allergic reaction?"

"Yeah,"

"What did you two do?"

"I rushed her to the hospital, of course.  We found out it was the bellpeppers that was causing it."

"She's allergic to bellpeppers?"

"She said she isn't.  That's why she suggested that it was that pizza parlor's particular pepper."

"Ease up on the tongue twisters, Rei."

She smacked him.  "Anyway, that's why she wants to try somewhere new.  I don't want her to eat a full slice though, just in case.  But knowing Rena and her appetite, she probably couldn't resist."

"She's sure a healthy eater."

"You got that right.  Loves everything but Mexican food."

"Why Mexican?" he asked.

"Because she had a bad experience with it when she was little.  She probably had a bad burrito or something.  Whatever had happened, she won't go near the stuff now."

"Strange girl."

"She is not strange.  She's interesting."

"Among other things," he commented wryly.

"Well I still think you ought to try again.  She's really a great person, Darien.  I wish you two would be friends."

"I don't know, Rei."

"C'mon, Darien, please?  For me?  It would sure make life easier if you at least tried to act civilly to one another.  Just for a moment's peace."

"I promised to ease up on her, and I will.  But you won't make friends out of us.  I think I've messed that up."

"I don't know about that.  I saw great potential."

"Motoki said the same thing."

"Well there you go.  And here's a piece of information that will prove to you that you should be the best of friends:  She's watching Galaxy Quest."

"That's on?  And I'm missing it?"

"Yup, and it's Rena's favorite movie too!" she grinned.

Darien hurriedly piled pizza slices on his plate and grabbed his margarita and rushed out the kitchen.

"Hey!  Where are you going?"

He popped back in the kitchen and grinned.  "To Serena's room."

Oh why can't he leave Serena alone?  Can't Darien get it through his thick head that she wants to be left alone, if only for one night of peace?  Well, maybe I'll have him do something to fix that in the upcoming chapter.  And for all "Kissable Magic" fans, I haven't forgotten about it!  I promise!!  There will be an update soon.   And if you haven't checked it out already, feel free to do so.  And while you're in the generous mood, why don't you leave a review!  Just hit the "Go" button, and well...Go!  Thank you!!