Author's note: Thank you SO much for the reviews. I really appreciate them. I'm sorry for the delay in updating - I finally got some time to update with this chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think in the reviews!

Chapter 21

Serena grabbed another handful of cookies and gobbled them down in a few short chews. Then she immediately reached for more, much to Lita's delight. Raye pulled a face at the crumbs shooting everywhere and she shifted herself over to avoid the spray, folding her legs underneath her carefully. Lita placed down a tray of lemonade in the middle of the table and the girls all reached for a cool glass each.

"Phew, it is so hot today!" Mina commented, gulping down throatfuls of lemonade.

"You have that right," Raye agreed, a book in hand to fan herself with, her long tresses of raven hair in her other hand, holding it away from her neck. The light occasionally touched her hair, catching the violet sheen that was ever present down the length of her back. "It's not even midday! Thank goodness we have the morning off school."

"Why is that again?" Serena asked, taking a swig from her glass.

"Study periods," Amy replied. "They hoped it would be a good chance for everyone to catch up on homework and prepare for upcoming tests."

Serena pulled a face.

"Don't say the t-word," she moaned. "I'm studying French with Darien later for the oral exam I've got on Monday."

"Why does your whining sound less like whining when Darien is involved?" Raye smirked.

Serena narrowed her eyes at her, turning her attention to Mina.

"You're looking so much better, V," she smiled.

"I'm feeling it, too," Mina admitted. "It's nice to be able to move around properly. I have the maths test later after school." She chugged down more of her drink, then slammed her palms down on the table. "After school!" she stressed. "I swear they're punishing me for being too unwell to be present for the test when it happened."

"I don't think they had any time for you to take the test during normal school hours," Amy reasoned. "Don't see it as a punishment. This is a good thing."

"How is a test a good thing?" Mina asked, then immediately backtracked. "Wait, what am I talking about? Look who I'm talking to?"

Amy chuckled.

"You're looking better, Raye."

"Thanks, Amy," Raye replied. The swelling and bruising was all but gone, the only evidence of the attack being a thin line down her cheek where the injury hadn't quite healed completely. "I'm feeling less like Frankenstein now."

"And you didn't before?" Serena teased, ducking as Raye launched a pillow at her head.

Amy nudged Mina in the side gently, causing the blonde to recoil from the ticklish touch.

"You're supposed to be studying," she reminded her.

"Well, what I'm supposed to do and what I do do are two very different things," Mina laughed.

"I'll say," Amy, Lita and Raye chimed in unison.

The girls all burst out into fits of laughter. Amy composed herself and tried again.

"Why not just try a few questions?" she suggested. "After all, this is our study period."

"But I'll be trying a few questions later," Mina protested.

"No, you'll be answering them," Amy corrected.

Serena leaned over to Lita.

"It's like watching a bad sit-com," she giggled.

Lita cleared her throat, taking up a cookie.

"Well, while Mina is procrastinating and none of us are particularly feeling like studying," Amy coughed meaningfully and Lita amended, "except Amy, then I want to propose a topic of conversation." She paused as she noted the invitation written across the girls' faces. "Has anyone noticed that it's been a few days since there's been any attacks?"

A silence fell over the room as they each contemplated the quietness they'd received following the attack on Sailor Jupiter, Venus and Killian and Neal. It was a welcome quiet and one they realised they shouldn't have taken for granted because the question remained: why? Was the creature licking its wounds? Or was there something else they hadn't considered?

"There's one thing I'm wondering," Raye piped up, "what is the connection between all the victims?"

"You mean like us?" Mina mumbled, swiping a cookie from under Serena's nose.

"I'm not sure we were the object of the attack," Raye mused. "It's just strange because there's not a particular group being targeted. They seem… random."

"Not completely true," Amy disagreed. "Before the four guys, they were all people we have saved before as sailor soldiers. That's what I thought was so odd when Zane was first attacked. I don't remember us ever saving them."

"Do you honestly remember everyone you've ever saved though, Amy?" Serena wondered. "I can't say I do. Think about it: we've saved everyone in some way, even indirectly. Maybe it's something else." She turned to Raye. "Are you doing a fire reading sometime soon?"

Raye nodded.

"This evening," she confirmed. "Chad is helping Grandpa, so they'll be out of the way."

"Can you do me a favour?" Serena hedged. Raye frowned questioningly. "Can you do a reading on me?"

"Whatever for?"

"What happened during our training session…" she trailed off helplessly.

"Serena, it's okay," Mina assured her. "Look, we all gain new abilities. Maybe this is yours."

"You were so sure it was pure moonlight," Serena accused. "Why would I have this now?"

Mina shrugged.

"Only Queen Serenity would know that," she replied.

"Yes, she wouldn't, wouldn't she?" Serena murmured.

"Serena," Lita said sternly, "you cannot be thinking of using the silver crystal to talk to Queen Serenity."

"It's my connection to her," Serena defended herself. "It won't harm me."

The girls exchanged glances but realised they couldn't say anything to dissuade her from it.

The smell of chlorine was strong in the air, the damp invading everyone's nasal passages as they watched the swimming races from the side-lines. Amy felt the adrenaline rushing through her veins as she watched Zane at the poolside, waiting for his turn to dive into the pool as the anchor in the relay race. He had earphones in, and he was completely lost in his music. He'd told her that it was his way to prepare for a race, to cope with the pressure, anxiety, and excitement. Amy stared at him, ignoring the noise from the crowd cheering their encouragements at the swimmers and she observed his relaxed stance as he bobbed to the music in his ears. Then his coach nudged him, and he slipped off his nylon swimming team's robe from his shoulders, exposing his trim waist, strong shoulders, and the abs down his toned stomach. She gulped, sitting on the edge of her seat as she watched him step forward and up onto the platform, bending his knees, letting his arms hang in front of him as he prepared for the slowest swimmer to make the pass. Then his teammate reached the wall and he dived in.

Without thinking about it, she was now on her feet, cheering hard for Zane to swim harder. As the fastest swimmer on the team, he was in the perfect position as anchor during the relay. She was suddenly thankful for their training yesterday as he was swimming freestyle and he wasn't allowed to swim the strokes that have already been used by the previous three swimmers. The water flew in every which way direction as he propelled himself forward, surpassing the team that was taking the lead before he joined the race. She cheered harder, knowing he was about to win. Another five seconds, and his hand reached out, touching the pool's wall. His head shot out of the water with a broad grin on his face, as he slapped his hand on the pool's edge in victory. The rest of his team erupted into cheers of their own, grabbing each other's hands and pulling themselves into a brief hug in celebration. The coach leaped forwards and offered his hand to Zane, pulling him out of the pool, throwing his arms around him, totally oblivious to the water on Zane's skin. Amy was grinning ear to ear, thrilled for him as she clapped for the team.

Time seemed to pass everyone by as the trophy was handed to the team, congratulations were exchanged, and the poolside was vacated as everyone filed out. Amy made her way to the changing rooms where Zane was going to meet her. She was shocked to find Zane already stood outside, still wet, a towel around his waist, grinning at her.

"Why aren't you changed?" she exclaimed in shock. "I was just coming to congratulate you on your win."

"I'm not changed because we have a surprise," he told her.

"We?" she echoed, her eyebrows raised quizzically.

"We," he smirked, taking her hand, and dragging her through into the changing rooms.

"I can't be in here," she hissed. "This is the boys' changing room!"

"You only can't be in here if you aren't invited," he countered. "Coach agreed to this."

"Agreed to what?" she urged.

"Joining the team for a swim."

Amy's eyes left Zane's figure striding ahead of her, pulling her along with him and she spotted the third swimmer in the relay stood at the front of the team, who were all sat on the benches, the coach out of sight. She looked at Zane uncertainly.

"I told the team about you," he admitted. "I want you to join us all in a race."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because they are going to help me convince you to join your school's swimming team," Zane stated as a matter of fact.

"And this is how you're going to do it?"

It wasn't a question, but a statement. Amy looked round at them all a little incredulously. She was amazed by the lengths Zane was going to, so that her school experience wasn't one big exam. He was bringing her into a social space where there was camaraderie, a place to enjoy a sport that will fulfil her in ways studying can't and a family outside of her usual friends. The very idea warmed her at her core.

"You have your swimming costume on you, right?" Zane challenged, raising an eyebrow at her.

She swallowed, rolling her eyes playfully. He knew she always had a swimming costume on her… just in case the need arose. She reached into her bag and pulled out her sapphire blue one piece and smiled tentatively.

"Okay," she said, "I'm game. Let's do this."

"I gotta say, mate," Neal remarked, "you're looking better than you were."

Jackson rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Damn," he replied, "you know, I'm grateful to feel it. I'm getting my good looks back."

Killian pulled a face at the pair of them in disgust.

"Please," he complained. "We just ate."

"If I knew you envied it so much, I'd have served me up on a plate for you," Jackson laughed.

Neal sniggered at the horrified expression on Killian's face. He shook his head in amusement and leaned back in his chair.

"So, remind me," he wondered, "why did we give Zane's swim meet a miss?"

"Because we've been to like a million of them," Jackson exaggerated.

"Because he had plans with Amy," Killian returned with a sensible answer. "He's made it his mission to get her to join a swimming team."

"Why?" Jackson frowned. "Seems a little overkill, don't you think?"

"Well, I get it," Neal admitted. "It was through sport that I met Lita."

"And look how that started!"

Neal threw a snickers bar at him and watched in satisfaction when it bounced off Jackson's forehead. He thew his hands in the air in victory.

"I don't need another bruise," Jackson grumbled, rubbing his head.

"Well, shut your trap then," Neal retorted. "Anyway, Zane is just looking for an excuse to get closer to her. He's normally pretty shy about this kind of thing."

Jackson choked on his can of Fanta, spraying his drink across the table in front of him, catching Killian's hair in the oncoming shower. Horror and revulsion crossed Killian's features and he got to his feet in disgust.

"Jack!" he growled. "You idiot!"

He turned down the corridor and disappeared into his bathroom. Neal was biting his lip so hard, he was afraid that he was going to draw blood. Honestly, he was dying to burst out laughing at the look on Killian's face. He looked at Jackson who was looking a little shamefaced.

"Oops," Neal commented with a grin.

"Great," Jackson groaned. "I'm going to be in the doghouse for weeks."

"It's a good thing that Zane wasn't here when that happened," Neal chortled, shaking his head. "He would have wet himself."

"Ha! And you call him shy!" Jackson pointed at him.

"What?" Neal insisted. "He is! Or at least when it comes to girls."

"That makes no sense. There's not many guys who rock abs."

"Do you want to date him?"

"Oh, shove off."

Neal chuckled again, taking a sip of his drink right as Killian appeared with freshly dried hair and a new shirt, a towel in hand. Silently, he wiped up the Fanta remains from the table, then disappeared again to get rid of the offending item. After another moment, Killian joined them at the table and turned his attentions to Jackson.

"Zane has always been reserved when it comes to someone he likes," he input into the conversation. "It doesn't happen often."

Neal nodded in agreement then sighed. The guys frowned at him.

"Nothing," he responded. "It's just I was thinking… isn't it weird that we've all been attacked by something that is a mystery to us?"

The two of them exchanged looks, pursing their lips in thought.

"I guess half of us got off better than the other two," Killian said, nodding his head at Jackson.

"I'm just wondering…" Jackson trailed off.

"About apologising, I hope," Killian interrupted, narrowing his eyes.

Jackson rolled his eyes and continued.

"Do either of you feel like there's something about the sailor soldiers that is kind of… familiar?"

Neal and Killian gaped at him and Jackson nodded slowly.

"So, you feel it too?" he checked.

"Well, blow me," Neal whistled. "I thought it was just me!"

"I wish I could say yes," Killian raised his eyebrows. "I don't know what it is. It's almost like I know them somehow. Or I've been in their company before… only I haven't."

The guys agreed, the room falling silent as they each got lost in their own thoughts.

"Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?"

Darien's eyes widened and his eyebrows rose so high that they disappeared into his hairline. He visibly paled before her eyes and she cocked her head to one side.

"Was that right?" she asked.

"Erm," he hesitated, shuffling his notes in his hands, "you just asked if I wanted to sleep with you tonight."

It was Serena's turn to pale and her bright blue eyes to go so wide that Darien could have dived into them and swam the length of the vastest ocean.

"So, no," she deduced in a small voice.

"You were supposed to ask if I wanted to go to the cinema with you tonight," Darien reminded her. "While your French was flawless in its delivery, the translation was wrong." He stared at her. "What exactly have you been watching?"

"Nothing!" she exclaimed, offended. "I guess I must have heard the phrase somewhere."

Darien noted the blush still present in her cheeks and smiled to himself in amusement.

"Now you're laughing at me?"

He shook his head, patting her hand resting on her notebook sympathetically.

"Look, not everyone is gifted at picking up languages like other people," he acknowledged. "It just takes work, like your maths test. With hard work and effort, you retain the knowledge of the subject you're doing." He offered her a small smile. "Your French oral exam will be fine, Serena. Remember: the goal isn't to come out with a 100%. We've proven already that you can pass an exam. Now we just want to push your limits and challenge you. You'll see that you are capable of going further."

Serena sighed sadly, looking down into her lap, tearing her eyes away from Darien's hand on top of hers. His touch was setting her skin on fire. She felt his fingers squeeze her hand gently.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied, convincing nobody. She peered at his face and saw the disbelief there. "Alright. It's just you're being so nice to me."

"And you'd prefer that I wasn't," he concluded.

"No, it's not that," she promised with a shake of her head. "It's just you're spending so much of your time helping me. I suppose I just wonder what you're getting out of it. Why are you helping me? Surely, you have better things to do than take pity on a meatball head."

Darien burst into a peel of laughter, pulling his hand away from hers so that he could run his fingers through his bangs. She glared at him, affronted.

"Serena, you're being obtuse," he teased. "You're right that you're a meatball head, but it's not about what I get out of it. I excel at school and I don't like to see others struggling when all they need is a little helping hand." He took up his glass of water and observed her over the rim. "For the record, I've grown fond of your company."

Her gaze met his stormy blue eyes and she found herself entranced by them. If she were to remember something forever, it would be these eyes. He felt the intense electricity between them and released her gaze, flicking his eyes back to his notes. She tore her eyes away from his handsome face, feeling a tingling sensation go up and down her spine. For the second time, she found herself looking at the blanket thrown haphazardly over the couch, the usually neatly placed cushions squashed and situated away from their usual places in the corners and centre. He followed her eyeline and understood why her eyes had found their way there again.

"I'm not the most excellent of sleepers," he told her.

She turned to him, a smirk at her lips.

"So you don't excel at everything?" she purred.

He blinked, swallowing, trying in vain to ignore the sudden flutter in his stomach.

"No," he agreed quietly, "I don't excel at everything."

"So, why aren't you sleeping?" she asked, though not wholly unexpected of her.

He looked at her uncertainly and after a moment's hesitation, decided to answer carefully.

"I just have weird dreams," he confessed. "The same thing every night."

A frown pulled at Serena's delicate eyebrows. This seemed far too familiar to her for comfort. After their reincarnation on Earth, and Serena's first transformation into Sailor Moon, Darien had experienced prophetic dreams that led him to her. She was afraid that he was having to go through that same pain again. She could handle her own pain, so long as he wasn't sharing it.

"What is it?" she breathed.

"I've no idea," he admitted. "I just… feel like something has been trying to come to me for weeks and it's keeping me awake."

"Why don't you try getting to sleep and just letting your brain do the work?"

He looked at her, shocked to find that all of her attention was on him. He felt stupid admitting that he wasn't sleeping because he was having strange dreams that he forgot upon finding his way back to the land of the conscious, let alone that he was having crazy thoughts. He hadn't expected that she would be so attentive.

"I don't seem able to fall into a deep sleep," he smiled.

"You fall deep enough to dream," she pointed out.

"But light enough to forget them upon waking," he countered.

She grinned.

"You know, when I can't sleep," she revealed, "I imagine myself in situations where I'm perfectly content and at peace."

The image of being in Darien's protective and warm embrace flashed through her mind. The idea of his lips brushing against hers made her heart flutter a little faster. The way his eyes would rest on her face, looking like he couldn't believe that she was his. Lying in bed with him on top of the duvet covers, talking softly together into the night. Eventually he would pull a blanket up over her and his arms would wrap around her, his fingers brushing against her forehead so softly that it was but a whisper. She mentally shook herself before her mind was overwhelmed by the things she was missing in her life.

"Oh yeah?" Darien wondered. "So, what do you imagine?"

She felt her breath hitch in her throat when her eyes met his intense stare that looked at her with such interest that her dream felt more real.

"Sleeping," she replied shortly.

He frowned, unsatisfied.

"You've got to be joking," he complained. "Help me out here!"

"I offered you a way to drift off!" she argued.

"Sleeping, really?" he repeated. "I don't believe that simple sleeping brings you so much peace that it will send you to dreamland."

"Well, without our dreams, we won't work through our issues of the day and go to a better world than the one we're living in," she replied.

"So, you suggest finding a better world," he surmised.

"I don't suggest it," she clucked. "I highly recommend it. There's no better feeling than losing yourself in a world that makes you warm."

Darien found himself smiling fondly at Serena, unaware of the affection on his face.