Blueeyeddevil06, thank you for being my beta and spending so much time helping me with this story.
Queen Beryl hissed at Nephrite, "You failed me again! You're just lucky that wasn't the Legendary Silver Crystal after all. That is the only reason I'm still putting up with you!"
Kunzite stepped out of the shadows, laughing and mockingly said, "I knew you'd fail her too. You'll disappoint her and then die just like Jadeite."
Zoisite hadn't been hiding, but he didn't say anything. He was waiting and watching. He had six more days to get information from Beryl before Darien had ordered him out.
Beryl scowled at Kunzite. "I'm not holding out hope for any of your performances. I'm not impressed with my Dark Generals."
"I won't fail you, my Queen!" Kunzite insisted. "I'm more capable than that," he pointed disparagingly at Nephrite.
She sighed in frustration, "I keep hearing promises, but what is there to show for it?!" She banged her fist down on the arm of her throne. "Nephrite, get me something! A dead scout would be perfect to cheer up your queen considerably."
He bowed low before her and smiled. He had the perfect idea.
She rubbed her eyes with her hand and said, sighing, "At least I have one other I could awaken. One who could serve me better than you all. Don't fail me!"
Nephrite exited the room to put his plan into action as Zoisite reeled from that information. He found he had stopped breathing. There was another who Beryl could call upon? He actually had something to give Darien and Serena, proving it was worth sending him back undercover. He was glad he was able to serve them well.
Darien was glad to have the evening off from studying. He'd worked hard on the big test in Chem that he'd just taken that day, and now he was going to surprise Serena with a romantic evening. He'd asked for help from Andrew and Rick to make it perfect. He didn't want to leave anything to chance.
Serena entered the apartment holding up a Tupperware container that Lita had given her earlier that day. She smiled and said, "Guess what's for breakfast tomorrow. Lita is amazing."
Darien smiled at her, "And how is she?"
"Getting back to herself. She'll be pissed by now, which is good. I should probably take her out clubbing or bar hopping tonight so she can punch someone." He rolled his eyes. They were underage. There wouldn't be any bar-hopping on any night.
He chuckled and shook his head, "Tonight, you're mine." He then stalked towards her and pulled her into his arms.
"Don't you have to study? I wouldn't ever get in your way." She looked up at him with such a sweet expression he kissed her lips.
"I studied extra so that I would have tonight with you, Princess." He gently ran his hands over her back in a soothing motion. "I need tonight. I need to spend time with you. My books don't make me feel whole like you do." He caressed her face and then wrapped his arms around her. "Let me take you out to dinner then for a moonlit walk. I love you."
She smiled into his shoulder and nodded her head, "I would love that."
He then led her out for a romantic evening. If he hadn't already owned her whole heart, he would have swept her off her feet before they even got to dinner. He was charming and flirty and so incredibly sexy. Their teasing banter was there, but it was laced with love and respect.
Dinner was perfect, and Serena just loved her meal. She teased Darien that it was important to get the food right since she liked food so much. She winked at him then.
He loved the happy faces and sounds she made as she ate. He never felt so alive as when he was with her. She lived her whole life out loud, and it brought him joy. He was swept up in her love of life, and it felt incredible.
After dinner, they went for a walk, not in the park. They'd spent way too much time there fighting youma. He would never see it as a sweet innocent place again after the battles they'd had.
What he'd found, well, actually Andrew did, was a cute little garden area that was full of beautiful roses. She loved it just as much as he'd hoped she would.
When they arrived, she spun and faced him. Her eyes were full of tears that hadn't fallen yet, "This is beautiful! Do you know that roses already make me feel safe? You use them to protect me." She gently touched one bloom. "I love being surrounded by them."
"Red roses symbolize love and romance, my Princess. I have a feeling that there is a reason behind the flowers I can summon. I protect you with my love."
She smiled up at him. "It's all so perfect, isn't it? I can't believe I get to have you in my life. A man who loves me so much." She got up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm overwhelmed right now."
He snorted, "You're overwhelmed? You have no idea how much I love you, Serena. I don't even have words to express my love for you. Before you, I couldn't even fathom loving anyone a fraction as much as I already love you. I have no idea how to tell you the depth of my feelings."
She playfully rolled her eyes at him. "It doesn't matter. I can't imagine being happier or more loved than I am. This right now with you, the man who made sure to make time for me when he doesn't make time for anyone. It's so perfect. How can I not feel like the most important woman in the world right now?"
Darien reached into his pocket. He had a habit of carrying her ring with him. It had almost become like a talisman of their love to him. Yet, one other reason he carried it was he wondered if he'd find the perfect time to propose by accident. Here, in the rose garden, with her so joyous over his love, felt like the time.
"You're it for me, Serena, and I don't just mean the woman I will love for all time. You're my life. Without you, I don't have anything. I want to be the man who loves and supports you. The one to protect you. I want to hold you and tell you I love you for the rest of our lives."
He gently and lovingly caressed her face then lowered himself to one knee. "I want you to feel safe with me like you do in this garden. I want to be your safe harbor. Serena, will you marry me?" He then opened the ring box and showed her the beautiful ring he'd purchased.
Tears sprang to her eyes and slid down her cheeks. She nodded and choked back a happy sob. "Yes. Yes, my love, my life. I will marry you happily!"
He slid the enormous three-carat, princess cut, solitaire ring onto her finger and kissed her hand. "I love you."
Zoisite wanted to curse. He couldn't find any information on who Queen Beryl would be able to awaken and have on her side. He wanted to be able to give his prince more than vague warnings. He wanted to be able to prove himself to Darien.
Darien didn't remember the past and how capable he was. He desired to get him to be able to rely on him again for his brain. He remembered how often Endymion would come to him for things that needed his clever mind. He wanted to serve Darien in this life as he had in the past fully.
"Shit." Out of frustration, he gave in to his desire to curse. He couldn't figure out who this mysterious source was and how it linked to this new general. He realized that Beryl would have one Dark General who kept failing and Kunzite at the end of the week's deadline. He would be gone. That would mean that she would institute her backup plan sooner rather than later. But what, and more importantly, who was it?!
He ran his fingers through his auburn hair and tried now to think about Amy. He had thought that infecting himself with dark energy was difficult before. Now, he realized staying away from Amy was so much harder. He missed her so much he felt like he could even feel it in his bones.
He was so completely in love with her. She was everything he could want. She was so much more uninhibited with him than her past self—a woman he loved completely. But now, she was perfect, and he had to sit in Beryl's cesspool of vileness in D Point.
He was miserable.
When it got difficult, he thought of Amy and her beautiful warm smile. At night, he thought of her warm body and her beautiful moans—the way she gave herself freely to him and how she really was his water nymph.
If only he could discover the secrets Beryl held. He wanted to make this time in darkness away from his prince and Amy worth the suffering and loneliness he was going through.
When the time came a few days later, he wished he could take it all back. He now had important information, but he didn't like the news he had to give to them about Nephrite. He'd succeeded in serving Beryl, and Zoisite worried that he'd be too late and that the Sailor Scout was already dead.