Blueeyeddevil06, thank you for being my beta!

I really love when Darien and Luna collaborate! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Darien was startled by Luna running into the living room and leaping on his lap. "You need to go in there and help her!"

"What?" He asked, puzzled by the panic in Luna's voice.

"Serena, she's in the shower crying."

As soon as Darien heard she was crying, he dropped his book and was running for her. He threw the bathroom door open, stripped, and climbed into the shower. He startled her, but he had her wrapped in his arms before she could ask what he was doing.

"Why are you crying?"

"H-he almost d-died," she choked out. "I was so scared. I'm still crybaby-Serena. I was just able to hold off a b-bit."

He wiped the tears flowing down her cheeks. "You're not a crybaby. That was terrifying."

"You held it together."

"So did you. You were so brave. You have such a tender heart, though. Of course, it upset you. You were scared for him and Lita."

"A-and you. He's your friend. At least he will be. He belongs to us, and I didn't want to lose him. It was so scary to watch him choking on his own blood."

"We owe Raye so much right now. I was so panicked, I couldn't think of anything. She saved his life."

He felt Serena trembling, and he held her tighter. "Why were you in here crying?"

She didn't pretend to misunderstand. "I wanted to hide the fact that I'm crying again. I want you to think I'm brave. I don't want to be weak like this."

"You're not weak, Serena. You care about people. Don't try to change that about yourself, please. It's one of the things I love about you. I would hate it if you lost your loving, tender nature because of all this. Please don't let the Negaverse take your kindness and loving heart from you. And please don't use the shower to hide the sound of your tears. Come to me."

"I don't want to be a burden."

Darien turned off the water, ripped back the shower curtain, and wrapped her in the fluffy pink robe she loved. He then carried her out of the bathroom and laid her on his bed. "You're never a burden to me," he said, locking eyes with her. "Listen to me now. You're everything to me. You can't ever be a burden. I need you to need me. I want to be the man you come to every time you need someone. I want to be the man to comfort you, protect you, love you." He ran his hand hastily through his dripping wet hair. "Don't hide your tears in the shower please. Trust me enough to come to me."

"I do trust you," she objected.

"Then trust me with your tears. I love you, Serena, and you don't have to be some fake version of yourself to 'keep me'. That's not what I want! I want you. Flaws and all. You're perfect for me just the way you are."

Tears ran down her cheeks, but this time she was smiling softly. "I won't hide away again. I promise. I thought… no. I still feel like I need to live up to being Princess Serenity. I figured she didn't cry."

"If she didn't cry over almost watching a friend die, then she was a bitch. I absolutely believe she would have cried."

"I hadn't thought of it that way. I just figured she would be poised and have perfect manners."

"Ha!" Darien laughed. "She snuck to Earth, fell in love with Endymion, kissed him, seduced him… need I go on? I don't think she was a very proper princess at all."

Serena smiled up at him, "You never could resist me."

She then got a thoughtful look on her face. "How did you… Luna ratted me out again didn't she?"

"I told you. She's on my side in protecting you."

Beryl was furious, and she knew Elis was at an event with his daughter. She couldn't interrupt him right now. She decided that she'd take out her anger on some of the youma. She needed to burn off steam after losing every one of her generals.

Raye was trying to figure out how her father could be even more abrasive than before. When he picked her up for the latest event, he took one look at her and declared she was "showing" already and asked how far along she was. She dug her nails into the palm of her hands and calmly replied that it wasn't any of his business. He disagreed but let it go.

What really shocked her was that he was mildly abrasive with the people whose money he was courting. In the past, he'd been oily and slick with everyone who was of age to vote. Once you had a checkbook and even considered writing a check to his campaign, he was, in her opinion, sickeningly solicitous.

She was incredibly confused over his change in demeanor and asked him about what was going on. He replied that she needed to "mind her own fucking business." Raye decided to do precisely that. After all, what did she care if he tanked his chances of getting money out of people?

When he dropped her off that evening, he told her to buy a girdle so her baby weight wouldn't show next time. She just smiled at him and got out of the car. She shook her head once she closed the door and thought about how disappointed he'd be not to be able to fake being the doting grandfather. That thought always cheered her up.

When he abruptly pulled away, Jadeite, looking stricken, stepped out of the shadows of the shrine.

"What're you doing here?" She looked at him in confusion.

He turned his back on her and pressed his hands to his face. "Right now, I'm trying to calm down. What the hell were you doing with that man?! I thought you'd be with your father!"

She crossed her arms and glared at his back. "I was! What the actual fuck are you implying about me?!"

He spun around, and the horror showed clearly on his face and shocked some of the anger out of Raye. He said, "That is your father?! Please tell me that's not true."

"He is. Why?" she asked, searching his face for some clue.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed out. "Raye, he's a monster."

"Trust me, I know," she said with a tint of humor in her voice.

"No, I mean that man is the reincarnation of Elis." Jadeite reached out and pulled Raye into his arms, trying to comfort her after what he just said.

"Wait, Beryl is 'waking' him up. That's why he was acting weird tonight…." She looked up at him and stared into his eyes. "That's Endymion's father?" It was really starting to dawn on her who he truly was. He was their next enemy. The one Zoisite had been so terrified of he considered becoming evil again.

Jadeite wiped a tear from her cheek. "I don't want you going to any more events with him."

"I promised. How do you think I can get out of this?"

"I don't care, I don't want you alone with him again," Jadeite caressed her cheek and kissed her brow.

"No, I get that you want to protect me, but he won't hurt me. He needs me right now. I'm safe with him."

"Until he wakes up and realizes that he's not content, that he wants to rule the Earth again."

She shook her head, "I need to keep an eye on him, and you all need to tell me what to look out for to indicate that he remembers who he was." She then cocked her head. "Would he recognize me once he remembers being Elis?"

"No, trust me, we didn't bring any of you girls around that monster. We have to be careful. He would absolutely recognize me."

"That will make our wedding tricky since he has to sign the papers for me to marry."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. I'll do what I have to in order to protect you."

She huffed out a breath and said, "Well, that finally puts to rest why my daddy couldn't ever love me. He was born to be an asshole."

"Not a damn thing is wrong with you, Raye. You're perfect."

He smiled at her, kissed her nose, and said, "Okay, let's sneak me into your room, so I don't get an ass-kicking from your grandfather. I find I really like that man."

"It's weird to think he gave birth to the reincarnation of a past evil king."

"Our whole lives are weird, but you're right."

"Say that again?"

"What?"

"That I'm right. It's sexy when you admit that."

Raye realized the next morning how freaked out Jadeite really was by discovering who her father was. "You look like you didn't sleep."

"I didn't," he replied, focusing solely on her. "Last night, I snuck out for a while and informed Darien who your father was. I was pleased to see he didn't take it well either. We're both worried for you."

"I'm going to be fine."

"Of course you are," he readily agreed. "No fucking way would I let anything happen to you." He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "I will protect you."

She didn't point out that she could protect herself. She knew he understood how strong she was. Elis was the man who brought on all their deaths and instigated the events that led to the Silver Millenium's destruction. He succeeded in destroying them in the past. Jadeite was terrified of history repeating itself.

"We'll win this time," she promised. "And hey, you wanted to beat him up, and I said save it for the Negaverse. You get your way after all," she teased.