Sailor Mars and Tuxedo Mask sprinted with everything they had. With every step the park felt further and further away.
"So when were going to tell us who you were!" Mars shouted.
"Not the time to discuss this!" Tuxedo Mask shouted.
"How long have you know who we were!?"
"Again focus on getting the girls and Serena!" He yelled.
Suddenly a flash of thunder went up into the sky and came back down.
"They're over there!" Mars pointed to the left.
With that Tuxedo Mask leapt and sored to the the sky. Going from tree to tree he needed to get to her. "Please, please let her be okay." He whispered to himself.
The two finally arrive on the scene.
"About damn time you get here!" Sailor Jupiter yelled.
"Jupiter this is not the time and place! We need to get Serena down!" Tuxedo Mask tried to reason.
"Sorry Mask boy but you are not needed here." Jupiter jumped up. "JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!"
"VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!"
Sailor Mars flipped over to her team. "MARS FIRE...IGNITE!
Before the girls could hit Zocite as she held Serena by her legs with her telepathic grip, Malachite appeared. He surrounded the three of them with a forcefield.
"What you had to bring re-enforements!?" Sailor Jupiter mocked.
"Yeah!? You couldn't fight your own damn battle." Sailor Mars shouted.
"Psshhh...I could take you guys on in on sna-"
"Zocite!" Malachite scolded. "Do not engage in these pitiful teenager mockery." He moved his hands to enforce the forcefield. "Stick to the plan."
"Oh right my love." Zoicite moved her hand to flip Serena back around. She was unconscious. "I have been so bored while you have been in hiding. But now that I ha-"
"MERCURY ICE BUBBLES...FREEZE!"
Tuxedo Mask threw a handful of roses at the frozen forcefield and it all shattered.
"Just in time Mercury!" Mina cheered. "VENUS LOVE CHAINS ENCIRCLE!"
Tuxedo Mask threw another handful of roses. While trying to dodge the attack Zoicite broke her concentration on Serena and her telepathic grip became undone. She started to fall again. The girls gasped. Malachite threw a blast throwing them all back. Tuxedo Mask again dove.
"She can't hit that ground. She can't hit that ground!"
"Ugh these kids ruin all of our fun!" Zoicite whined.
"Shut it! Retreat!" Malachite shouted.
"But. But...I was going to have some fun with blond bimbo!"
"I said Retreat!"
"Fine!" She looked back at the four scouts and Tuxedo Mask. "But I will be back for her. Mark my word! HAHAHHA."
The girls watched as she vanished in her swirl of pedals. Then they focused their attention on Serena. Tuxedo Mask was cradling her in his arms. "I am so sorry! I should have followed you when you left." He whispered. He lightly kissed her forehead.
"Tuxedo Mask..." Sailor Venus whispered as she slowly kneeled down to him and Serena. She lightly put her hand on Serena's leg. "We need to take her."
"No! I am taking her to my place tonight!"
"Over my dead body!" Jupiter squared up. "Now give her to us!"
"You heard Zoicite she will come back for her." He stood up. Still holding her as tight as he could. "I need to be there to protect her!"
"Jupiter. Let him take her." Mars tried to reason.
"We made a promise to keep her safe." Jupiter shot a look at Mars. "Keeping promises is a loyalty thing" She looked her up and down. "Something you aren't too familiar with."
"Guys not the time or place!" Mercury yelled. "Tuxedo Mask Serena will be safest with us."
"Really?" Tuxedo Mask pointed out the destruction around.
"Hey that was not our fault! We were ambushed!" Jupiter tried to defend her actions.
"Guys stop!" Mina yelled.
"I am taking her with me. I have already sat back enough." He looked Venues in her eyes. And then it all made sense to her.
"Darien."
"Darien!?" Jupiter took another step forward as he stepped back. "I should have known! Give her to me!"
"Jupiter stop." Mina stood between the two.
"We made a promise. We are taking her! Who knows what he will do to her!"
"I will protect her!"
"And I am supposed to believe that?"
"He said he will."
"No surprise there Pyro takes lover boy's side! You get no say in it!"
Mars looked at Venus for help. If there was one person to take her side it was the Goddess of Love.
"Jupiter. He will protect her." She turned back to him. "And we will get her back in the morning!"
"Promise!"
"You guys have got to be kidding me! How do we even know we can trust him!?" She threw both hands over her face. She could not believe what the girls were saying. "You guys are literally letting some ass-"
"Jupiter!" Mercury scolded.
"Sorry." She put her hand over her mouth. "Some guy we barely know take our friend!" She turned to Mars. "Maybe not your friend."
Mars hung her head down.
"Jupiter just have some faith." Venus put her hand up to calm her down. "She will be in good hands."
"I promise I will take care of her!"He nodded at the girls. "I will see you all in the morning."
He started off towards his apartment as the three girls watched. Jupiter stood there with her hands balled up in fists.
He kissed her cheeks every chance he could. She was still out. When he arrived to his apartment he walked to his room and slowly placed her on his bed. He then untransformed. He watched as she laid there peacefully. Zoicite didn't leave any new bruises. He counted her breathing to make sure she was not declining. He kissed her forehead to feel if she was still warm. He knew he could have just used his hands but he wanted her to know that he was there.
One chance was all he wanted from her. Just one chance to show how much he loved her. One chance to prove that there was nothing between him and Raye, or any girl for that matter. Just one chance was all he wished for as he watched her sleep. He slowly started to doze off when her head suddenly hit his. He popped up watched as she stirred around.
"hmmmmm? Where am I?" She tossed and turned then finally turned to see Darien right next to her. "Darien? What the hell?! How did I get here!?" She remembered this room oh to well. The smell. The feel of the bed. Everything. She started to panic.
"Serena calm down."
"How am I here? Last I remember I was in the park with my shake...We weren't supposed to take any detours, but I just wanted to be at the park. I love the park..."She ran one hand across her forehead. She then remembered. "We were attacked! Are they okay? Where are they!?"
"Serena please calm down." He put both hands on her lab as she sat up on the bed. "The girls are fine! Sailor Mars and Mercury were able to get to you guys. They are fine and you are here, safe. No new bruises."
"Why am I here? Why would they let me come here if I didn't have anything wrong?" She looked around.
"I wanted to make sure you were safe?"
"What?" She looked confused. "No I need to go." She threw the blanket off her and started to climb out of the bed.
"I am not letting you leave at this time. Especially with Zoicite promising to come back for you!"
"Why do you suddenly care Darien?! For god sake you're with Raye! Remember her? Your date today?"
"For the last damn time! I AM NOT WITH HER! And it was not a date!" He was starting to get frustrated with the way this was going. "She was just there and so was I."
"You know what? I don't care who you love or date or whatever! You owe me no explanation! And you have no right keeping me here!"
"I NEVER LOVED HER!"
"Could have fooled me. Now move!" She tried to push him away but he didn't move. She tried to go the other way but again no budge. She looked up at him. "I am not staying here!"
"Yes, you are!"
"You are holding me hostage! Let me go!" She started to get loud. "What surprised a dummy like me would know that word?"
"No this is me protecting you! Why are you so damn stubborn to see that!"
"Gee..." She threw both hands up. "Maybe because you have done nothing but torture me since we have met! You dated one of my friends."
"I never dated her."
"Right." She looked away. "Please just let me go."
"No." Darien stood firm. "I cannot watch you get hurt again!"
"Why does it even matter to you!? Earth to Darien Shields, up until a few months you hated me!"
"I never hated you! I loved you!"
Serena stepped back. Mouth slightly opened and eyes widened.
"I mean I love you. S-still do.. I...I mean." He started to stumble his words. "I am not the best at expressing my feelings and when you stopped talking to me and the day Lita and Mina brought you in...the night I brought you here...I can't lose you without you knowing or the last thing I said was you were not worthy of being Sailor Moon, when it is obvious you are."
"I don't want to have this conversation. I want to leave."
"You are not leaving."
"You can't ma-" Before she could finish he took one giant step forward, grabbed her face and pressed his lips against hers.
The surprise lasted for barely a second. She didn't want to melt with his kiss, but she did. She slowly moved two of her hands up to his chest.
"Please don't leave..." He begged as he tilted his head to kiss her. "I never loved her. I never meant those things I said."
"I will never be as perfect as her." She pulled back from the kiss, only for him to pull her right back in.
"You're perfect to me..."