Title: Time Apart

Author: Lady of Flame

Genre: Romance

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: *looks nervously at the burly cops that are standing by her* I do not own Sailor Moon... so please don't hurt me... I'm just using the characters for my story! This story was created from the depths of my own, twisted imagination.... however the show Sailor Moon and all its characters are copyrighted to Naoko and DIC.

Hey Everyone!

Wow! It sure has taken me a long time to get this chapter written. I apologize, but I had yet another writer's block. I seem to be getting them more often then I'd like! Any way, Chapter 4 will be out as soon as I finish it. Thanks for the Reviews... and as Always thanks to Polgara for your insight and help with editing.

~*~ Flame

"The Most I Can Do For My Friend is Simply To Be His Friend."

-Henry David Thoreau

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Time Apart

By: Lady of Flame

Chapter 3: Reunion

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Serena stepped out of her apartment building and stopped short.

"Darien," She whispered, naming the man who was standing in her path, only two feet away.

"Hi Sere," Darien said softly, his eyes taking in every inch of her appearance.

Serena just stared, unable to believe it was Darien. As she stood there frozen Paul came up behind her and gently laid his hand on her shoulder, breaking her trance.

"Why Sere, aren't you going to introduce me to your cute friend?" Paul asked playfully.

Darien's eyes narrowed as they focused on Paul. Noticing this Serena took action.

"Paulie this is Darien Chiba, my ex-fiancé. Darien, this is Paul McDonald, my roommate," Serena said, introducing them.

"Oh so you must be the father," Paul said, matter-of-factly.

"What of it?" asked Darien menacingly.

Serena's hand instinctively flew to cover her rounded stomach, a maternal gesture of protectiveness toward her unborn child, "Darien, cut it out."

"Sere can I talk to you?" Darien asked. "Alone?"

"I have to be going anyway. I have to meet Jared for our date," Paul said, kissing Serena's cheek, then walking away.

Darien stared after Paul, slightly shocked at his openness with his personal life, then shrugged it off and turned back to Serena.

She sighed, "I will only talk to you if you come with me to the hospital, since you scared Paulie away."

"Are you sick? Injured? Are you okay?" Darien asked worriedly, studying Serena intently for any sign of illness.

"No! I'm fine, I'm just going for a sonogram," Serena said softly, turning and walking toward the hospital.

"Oh... okay then," Darien said, catching up with Serena and keeping pace with her. "Sere..."

"Please call me Serena, we are no longer a couple."

Darien flinched at the tone in her voice, the continued, "Everyone misses you."

"Then they shouldn't have kicked me out of the scouts."

"They didn't want to," Darien said softly. " I didn't want them too, but Rei had a premonition that... well that you'd save them in a battle, only to die yourself. So they kicked you out of the scouts, thinking that was the only way to protect their Princess."

"They should have told me," Serena said stubbornly. "It should have been my decision."

Darien didn't reply to that, he couldn't, and the rest of the walk to the hospital was silent. Serena led the way into the hospital and got directions from the security guard at the front desk. Then she quickly navigated the halls until they got to Outpatient Registration. Once there, she was registered and then they waited until a sonogram technician came for them.

"Serena Tsukino?" She asked.

"That's me, is it okay if Darien comes with me?"

"Is he your husband?"

"No, but he is the baby's father."

"That's fine. I'm Mary," She replied, leading them into the sonogram room.

Serena was told to lie down on the bed, where the technician pulled up Serena's shirt to just under Serena's breasts. Then Mary spread the sonogram cream on Serena's swollen abdomen.

Serena gasped at the coldness of the cream, and Darien went to her side taking her hand in his.

"I'm okay Darien, its just cold," she said evenly as the technician started the sonogram.

Then Serena's gaze was riveted on the pictures of the baby that were coming up on the screen.

Oh, the baby is so beautiful, Serena thought to herself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Darien stared at the sonogram in wonder, awe, and astonishment. There was a new life growing in his Sere, and it was their child. He looked down at Serena, loving being near her even if she was mad at him.

"Well, that's it!" Mary said. "Your doctor will give you the 'official' results but off the record, the baby looks very healthy. Do you know what sex the baby is?"

"Not yet, but I had the amniotic fluids tested and the doctor said that she'd give me the results as soon as she found out," Serena replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Mary handed Serena a cloth to wipe the cream off her stomach with. Serena did so, and afterward Darien helped her off the table. They paid the required fee and returned to Serena's apartment

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Serena thought the whole walk back to her apartment building. Trying to decide whether or not to invite Darien up for coffee and a snack. By the time they got to their destination she had decided.

"Would you like to come up for coffee and a snack?" She asked softly, looking down at her feet.

"I'd love to," Darien replied, with such sureness that Serena was surprised at first.

The doorman opened the door for them and Serena led Darien to the elevator that took them to the seventh floor. They then proceeded down the hall, and Serena unlocked the door to her apartment, shutting the door behind Darien.

She led Darien to the kitchen where Luna was sitting at the table reading a newspaper.

"Hi Luna," Serena said, going to the coffee machine and starting a pot.

"Hey Sere," Luna replied, not looking up from her paper. "How did the sonogram go?"

"Great! The baby looks really healthy!"

"That's wonderful. Doctor Henderson called, she asked that you call as soon as you can."

"I'll call her in a bit, I'm hungry," Serena said, taking a bowl of fruit salad on the table and setting out two bowls and spoons.

Throughout this whole exchange Darien stood in the doorway, staring at Luna. He hadn't known that she could transform into a human, and he was a little shocked.

"Luna? As in the cat Luna?" Darien asked.

"That's utterly ridiculous! How could a cat be in human form? " Luna asked turning to stare at Darien. She said his name in a shocked whisper, "Darien?"

"Yeah, so I guess it is possible for a cat to be in human form."

"Yeah."

"How are you?"

"I'm fine," Luna said, smiling warmly at Darien. "Well I'll leave you two alone. Sere, I'll be in our room if you need me."

"Okay Luna."

Luna left, her newspaper tucked under one arm. Serena sat down at the table across from Darien, filling her bowl with fruit. Darien also put some fruit in his bowl, but to a smaller extent.

They ate for a while in silence, Serena only getting up once to get them each a cup of coffee.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eventually, Darien couldn't take the silence anymore. He set down his coffee and looked at Serena intently, "So do you hate me?"

"I can't. hate you. Darien, you are the father of my child. but oh I can't forgive you either. You hurt me," Serena said softly.

Darien slowly nodded, accepting her answer. for now, but he knew with certainty that he would win her back, at all costs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That's all for now!! Sorry guys! But know that as you read this I'm working on the next chapter and I'll get it out as soon as possible!!! Please review this story or send me an email!! Thanks!

~*~ Flame