Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owner.
A/N: This will be chapters 9, 10, and a very short and crappily made Epilogue.
I just really need to finish this story so I don't have to worry about it. :O)
Enjoy!

Here I Am
Chapter 9

Serena walked into the kitchen, and sat quietly down in a chair across Amy.
Amy had the newspaper positioned out in front of her on the kitchen table, her
attention intent on what she was reading. Serena looked at her for a moment,
and then placed her hands on her lap, turning her face to the small window
overlooking the neighborhood. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes became
distant.
'Could it be?' She asked. 'Then someone was here this morning, I did hear
the door close,' she said to herself. 'I knew this was too good to be true!
Something always have to come up, and...ruin everything.' Her eyes dropped
down to the ground, a tear barely forced back into its hiding place.
'What do I do?' she asked herself. Surprisingly a small voice answered her
question in this tiny timid way of uncertainty, but was quite confident in its
own way.
'Do the right thing, that's the only thing you can do," it said.
'What is the right thing?'
'You know as well as I, that Darien deserves to know that you're here, that
you somehow kept your promise. He deserves to know why you never told
him, and if...'
'If what?'
'If you still love him, isn't that what he's worried about?'
'I don't know,'
'Yes, you do know. You can't hide forever from destiny.'
'Destiny?...This has nothing to do with destiny...'
'Then what?'
'Oh destiny doesn't control life...life control's destiny, a person can control
destiny.'
'Then why don't you choose the destiny where you will always be happy,
safe, and loved? Why not control your own?'
'Because...'
'Because what?'
"Serena? Serena? Are you okay?" Serena's thought was interrupted by a soft,
worried voice. She looked up from the ground, and across the table.
Amy was looking worriedly at her, "Are you okay, Serena?" she repeated.
"Yeah, I'm fine...I guess, I'm just a little bit tired," Serena laughed. She
cleared her throat and took a deep breath, putting a smile on her face in the
process. "So, when do we get going?"
"Right now! Raye is finally ready! So, come on, I am starving!" Mina said
rushing to the two of them. She grabbed Serena to her feet and did the same
to Amy.
"Mina, calm down, we're coming," Amy laughed amused.
"But I'm so hungry!" she said, putting on a teenage puppy face.
"Okay, we're coming, who's driving?" Serena asked.
"Uh, well, my car is still in the shop," Lita informed her.
"And uh...we didn't bring any of our cars," Mina covered, not wanting to say
that Darien had given them a lift the night before.
"How did you guys get here last night then?" Serena asked them, looking
each of them in turn.
"Bus?" Amy said when Serena had looked at her.
"Oh, right...that's how I got here. So, I guess we're walking there?"
"Walk! Oh, come on, I am so hungry!" Mina whined. Lita and Amy shook their
head, while Serena smiled in amusement, her eyes fixated on Raye.
'What are you thinking about, Raye?' she asked quietly in the comfort of her
mind. She noticed Raye's silence...and Raye, finally looking up to meet
Serena's eyes, noticed her suspicion. The raven-haired woman smiled
innocently at her, sighing and rolling her eyes to show her impatience about
Mina's whining.
"Mina, come on, your acting like you're still a teenager!" Raye commented.
"I wish I was!" Mina remarked. The others laughed. Finally, Mina caved in and
allowed the idea of walking to sink in her hungry stomach. They walked out of
the apartment one by one, Serena's eyes still fixated on Raye.

'Listen, Darien, you can think what you want, but you won't know the truth
until you ask, will you? If you don't take the risk, then what will you learn?
Nothing. You'll just keep wondering about it until you go insane. Do you want
that? Maybe she's as scared as you are, did you ever stop and think about
that? I'm your friend, and I'm her friend...I'm not going to let fear break both of
your hearts. Life is short you know, and when you find that somebody that
can love you as much as you love them, don't let them slip away from your
life. Think about it.'

Raye's voice echoed in Serena's mind. She didn't know why she had
somehow felt as if she needed to hurry Raye along with her phone call. She
had stood outside of Lita's room, a door in between what was being said
inside, and herself. Serena knew she wasn't supposed to hear that, it wasn't
even right for her to listen. Yet, when she heard the name "Darien," her entire
body stood rigid, as if expecting something to arrive. What did he think? What
would he wonder about? All those questions popped into her head, as Raye
continued talking on the phone. When she heard footsteps inside, she knew
Raye had finished, and that was the time her body decided to move. She
walked away slowly...not wanting Raye to hear her own footsteps.
'Life is short you know, and when you find that somebody that can love you
as much as you love them, don't let them slip away from your life.'
Raye was right, and Serena knew it.

''''''''''''''''''''''

Darien walked out onto the balcony, the noon sun bathing him in its warm
light.
"Life used to be so much simpler...now, all I do is sulk around this place.
What's wrong with me?"
'Nothing,' appeared a reply. Darien sighed.
"Then why do I feel like jumping off this balcony?" He looked down from
where he was. He was up pretty high, and a picture of him lying sprawled on
the ground, blood seeping from his entire body to the open pavement
suddenly flashed through his thoughts. He shuddered.
'It's heartache,' his conscience said, sounding sickened.
"I want it to go away," he commanded.
'It won't go away,' it said in a straightforward manner.
"Why not? I can't even control my own emotions?"
'Not in the matters of love,'
"Love, what is so different that love has to be unique?"
'Everything that comes with it,'
"What's that?"
'Happiness, comfort, safety, and fulfillment...the list goes on.'
"You can get that from anywhere, anything...anyone."
'Can you?' Darien wasn't sure...he always thought he could.
"Well, aren't you missing something?" Darien said impatiently.
'Heartache, pain, lost...?'
"Yes,"
'Love is not evil...heartache only comes because when someone you love
leaves, everything seems empty without meaning. At one time, when all you
knew was acceptance, it did. Pain only comes because you once knew the
feeling of pure bliss, and when it left, pain took over its place, because every
other feeling doesn't compare to it. Lost comes, because you once knew who
you were and what it felt like to have everything, now you don't, not without
that special someone. It may sound evil, but no, it is only life. Without pain
you wouldn't know when to be happy. Without lost, you wouldn't know the
preciousness of what you have found...'
"It doesn't matter...it doesn't matter," Darien interrupted himself, he couldn't
believe that even his own conscience would give him a lecture.
'Doesn't it?' He knew it was right. It seemed weird how one side of him
always had to argue with the other.
"What do I do now?"
'What you were afraid to do before...you want it to stop? Death won't make it
stop.'
"I want it to stop...but it's harder said than done."
'Isn't everything?'
He shook his head and took one last look at the ground. Turning around, he
walked back inside his bare apartment. The clock on the wall reminded him of
the time, it was early into the summer evening. Where would they be now?
He took a breath and picked up the phone, dialing Lita's number.
"Hi, you have reached Lita, but unfortunately I am not home right now. If you
would kindly leave a message, your name and phone number, I will get back
to you as soon as I can...BEEP."
The answering machine clicked, and Darien placed the phone back down.
"This is either a sign, or..."
'Don't rely on fate to bring you happiness, catch it yourself.' He hated himself,
where did all this wisdom suddenly come from? It was like another part of him
had just been awakened.
"I wouldn't know where to find it..."
'Where you would expect her to be,'
"I don't know where that is, I told you!"
'Okay, I'll tell you...try her parents house, maybe they know her address!' He
cringed...would her parents want to speak to her? He searched around his
bedroom to find his old address book. Under T. there it was, her name. He
picked up the phone, and slowly dialed the number.

Chapter 10

"Hello?" a soft voice finally answered the ringing phone. Darien imagined the
smiling face of Mrs. Tsukino on the other line as she waited patiently for an
answer.
"Good evening, Mrs. Tsukino...it's Darien," he merely said, hoping she would
not hang up on him. He heard scuffling, then a sigh as Mrs. Tsukino made up
her mind about what to do.
"Good evening to you too, Darien," she finally answered. "How have you
been?" He sensed coldness in her voice...he understood why, but couldn't
help feel the stabbing pain in his heart. He respected her more than she
knew.
"I'm been better..." he could only answer as his throat turned dry. He quietly
cleared his throat, and continued on. "I know, I'm probably the last person you
thought you would ever speak to again...but..." He looked down at his shoes,
as if she was standing in front of him.
"...I'm sorry for everything, Mrs. Tsukino. You have no idea...how sorry I am."
He heard a sign on the other line, and then another moment of silenced
passed between them.
"Everything has been forgiven, Darien. Thank you for apologizing," Darien
smiled, and took a seat on the couch close to him.
"I wanted to inquire about something, Mrs. Tsukino."
"About Serena you mean?" He wasn't surprised that she knew whom it was
he called about. She always was the one to understand people's problems.
"Yes,"
"Well, she's not here right now, but I'll tell her you called,"
"Oh no, please...I'm actually wondering about her current address. I think it is
time to solve whatever this problem is, face to face."
"You're probably right. All right, I've seen enough heart ache to last a life
time..." Darien didn't know what she meant by that...how could she have
known what he was feeling. For a long time now, they haven't seen each
other, nor talked to one another. It was strange that she would know...
'Of course she would know, she knew how much you loved her daughter.' His
conscience gave him an answer. As he sat there, listening to the address, his
mind raced about what he would say. Different possibilities of what would
happen played like movie previews in his mind. One after another they
flashed, some ending happy, others ending sadly. He hoped it wasn't the
latter.
"Thank you, thank you for everything,"
"Don't let fear stand in the way of true love, Darien...would you do that for
me?"
"Huh? Yes, I will,"
"Thank you...good night, dear."
"Good night," He slowly placed the phone back on the receiver. He sat there
for a while, memorizing Serena's new address. He knew she wouldn't be
home yet; she would still be out with the others. He would get ready for now.

'''''''''''''''''''''

Serena dropped her bag onto the wooden chair beside the door. The small
round clock on the wall read 1:00 AM. She would've stayed at Lita's again
tonight, but she wanted some time for herself after what she had overheard
earlier in the day. Slowly she took off her shoes and set them aside, and then
she grabbed her bag once again, this time heading for her room. She placed
it just under the queen-sized bed occupying it.
She brushed a loose hair from her eye, and walked to the window. Folding her
arms across her chest she stared at the outside world. The sky
was cloudless, and so the full moon seemed to shine brighter than usual.
Stars enveloped the black space, and it was beautiful. For a while she forgot
about what she wanted to think about. For a while, all she saw were the stars
and the moon.
'It's amazing,' she thought.

*Music in the background starts: ("Chance" by: ME!)*

= I wonder where you are tonight
why I find myself alone in the darkness
I wonder how the night can be so beautiful
When all I feel is loneliness, heavy in my heart =

It was a silent night; everyone had probably gone to sleep. She could hear a
dog bark from somewhere down the street, but it was all she heard.

= Oh I close my eyes and see you standing there beside me
I wonder if your thinking about me too
I close my eyes and then I see you kissing her
And I wonder if you love her, is it true? =

She took a seat at a cushioned chair, just on her right, her eyes still gazing at
the stars.

= I've cried tears of sorrow
I've known pains of tomorrow
All I see is you walking by, and I wonder...=

For minutes she sat there, her legs crossed, her hands holding one another,
just staring at the sky. Her face glistened under the moonlight, as tears began
to freely flow from her eyes.

= Is there a chance, that I can feel happy?
Is there a chance, that I will feel your arms around me?
A chance when we're together,
A chance when we're forever,
A chance, a hope, that we find one another?
oh... =

She didn't notice them, or questioned why her vision just suddenly blurred.
The scene before her had mesmerized her just like that.

= Is there a chance, that I can feel happy?
Is there a chance, that I will feel your arms around me?
A chance when we're together,
A chance when we're forever,
A chance, a hope, that we find one another?
oh... = (music fades)

A soft knock from her apartment door broke the night's spell. She took a deep
breath and frowned. Bringing a finger to her cheek; she felt the wet marks her
tears had left as they trickled down from her eyes. She quickly wiped them off
and stood up from where she sat.
Another knock came, a little bit louder, and she suddenly remembered why
she was getting up.
"Who could that be?" she wondered. She made her way to her door, and
grasped the doorknob.
"Who is it?" she whispered, not wanting to wake any of the neighbors.
"It's me," was the only answered she received. It was enough for her to know
who it was. She braced herself, and threw open the door.
Darien Chiba stood in front of her, a sad smile on his face, and a dark
glaze over his eyes.
"Come in," she said, stepping to the side to give him room. He nodded and
stepped inside. He was greeted with a simple apartment, clean and
surprisingly organized. Serena closed the door behind him, and told him to sit
down.
"Can I get you anything?" she asked him, avoiding his eyes.
"No thanks," he answered, sitting down in the couch facing the small TV in the
room. She sat down beside him, leaving a gap in between them. She played
with her hands, not understanding why he was here...how he was here...
"How are you?" she heard him ask. She smiled, and cleared her throat.
"I've been better, but I can't complain either," she told him, although her reply
didn't really answer the question. "And you?" It was then that she brought her
eyes to look at him. She saw him staring towards the outside of the balcony
doors. He must've caught a glimpse of the night sky. For some reason
unknown, she didn't recognize him. His shoulders stooped, his hands in tight
fists. She swallowed, and took another deep breath, turning her gaze back to
her hands. It was a while before he answered.
"I've been better." There was an awkward silence that passed through the
room as Darien continued to gaze at the night scene, and Serena at her
hands.
"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" she asked, as silence finally exited out of the
room.
"Yes, it is, I didn't really notice it until now," Darien said as if he was dreaming.
"What brings you here, Dare?" Serena finally asked, not wanting another
awkward silence to find them.
"I don't know," he simply said, still gazing at the stars.
"Oh," she brushed another loose hair from her eyes, placing it behind her
ears.
"I talked to your mom, she gave me your address, just in case you were
wondering," he informed her.
"I see." It was the only thing she could say, she was speechless at this point
in time. This time, she couldn't help but let silence pass by again. Silence
stayed longer though, as the two of them sat there, deep into their own
thoughts.
"Darien, what are you really doing here?"
"I just wanted to see you, that's all," he said finally taking his eyes off of the
night sky. He turned his gaze on the blank TV screen, and watched Serena's
reflection.

(music starts again, second verse)
= I don't want loneliness to hold me forever
I don't want happiness to leave me altogether
I don't want pain to follow me wherever I go
And I don't, no I don't want emptiness,
to hold my hand when you're not there =

"I'm sorry," she said to him.
"I don't think you owe me any apologies, Serena."
"Don't I? I hate myself, Darien. I let fear, and stupidity rule my thoughts, my
heart. It wasn't right of me to let you hope, interfere with your life, and make
you wait for me. So I'm sorry, from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry." She
could feel his eyes on her, but she couldn't summon up enough strength to
look back.

= And I don't, no I don't want emptiness,
to hold my hand when you're not there =

"Isn't it funny how one misunderstanding can change so much?" Darien
laughed. Serena stared at him, and watched him as he grinned. He
looked at her again, but this time met the bluest eyes in the world. He sighed,
feeling content just to look at those eyes, but she frowned at him.
"No, it's not funny...it hurts," Serena whispered, her eyes telling him more than
she was willing to. He felt a pang of pain in his heart, as he glimpsed the tears
trying to escape from her eyes now.

= Because I love you, I need you
I can't live without you,
Because I know you, you need me
You can't live without me too...=

"I can't expect you to forgive me, but please, don't laugh. How many people
did I hurt, because of one stupid mistake? Because I was irresponsible, and
unwilling to listen or even act like an adult and find out what was going on?"
Serena caught herself and turned away. This was not what she imagined to
do when she finally saw him again. She wanted him to see how strong she
was, not how little she had changed.
"I'm sorry, Serena, I didn't mean to laugh," Darien apologized; still breathless
from the blow of pain he had felt seeing her so hurt.

= I've cried tears of sorrow
I've known pains of tomorrow
All I see is you walking by, and I wonder...=

"It's pretty late you know," was the only thing she said in response. He took a
quick look at the time, she was right, it was late, but he needed to see her so
badly.
"I know,"
"I'm pretty tired,"
"I see," Serena felt that just because she was tired, Darien would not leave.
"I was supposed to be at Lita's tonight," she told him.
"Really? What are you doing here then?"
"I needed to think,"
"Why?"

= Is there a chance, that I can feel happy?
Is there a chance, that I will feel your arms around me?
A chance when we're together,
A chance when we're forever,
A chance, a hope, that we find one another?
oh... =

"I heard Raye talking to you,"
"Oh,"
"I'm not angry...I think I'm glad,"
"Are you?" Darien closed the gap between them as Serena's voice softened
to the point that he could barely hear her. She turned to look at him and found
his face so close. She didn't pull back; she merely stared at his eyes.
"Yes," she said. His eyes warmed a little, as the glaze began to melt.
"I guess you heard everything then?"
"You guess right,"

= Oh I've cried tears of sorrow
I know pains of tomorrow
And all I see is you walking by, and I wonder
Oh chance, can't I just feel happy?
Chance, can't he just hold me? =

"It hurt, Serena, when you didn't come back after you promised. It hurt to the
point that I wanted to kill myself. I'm not telling you this because I want you to
feel guilty, no, I'm telling you this because I have to. Every second of every
minute, every hour of every day I thought of you. There was no one else. It
hurt so badly because I woke up every morning and you weren't there. It was
like loneliness all over again, except this time it was even more painful
because I was lost without a light in the dark. Everywhere I turned there was
an invisible wall, and I couldn't go anywhere. I saw nothing; heard nothing, felt
nothing...I was empty. I waited for you, not because you asked me to, I
waited for you because I needed you. There would've been no one else to
guide be out of the darkness except you," he paused to search her eyes. He
saw surprised and doubt in them, but also admiration...yes, and love.

= Is there a chance, that I can feel happy?
Is there a chance, that I will feel your arms around me?
A chance when we're together,
A chance when we're forever,
A chance, a hope, that we find one another?
oh... =

"You were the one to find me long ago, to bring me out of that darkness
where I had grown up in. You were the only one who had succeeded in trying.
I wanted to give up, and I did give up...but it was no use, I still needed you,
still...love you." Tears now flowed from Serena's eyes, as her entire being
was flooded with the feeling of pure happiness. She shook her head, and
looked away.

= Oh chance, bring us together, =

"Why me, Darien?" He closed his eyes, and grabbed hold of her hands.
"Because real love was all I needed, and I found it there in your heart."
She looked at him once again. Darien brushed loose hair from her face,
placing it back behind her ears. His hand traced her jaw line and settled on
her cheek. Serena closed her eyes, and wondered...

= Oh chance, give us forever, =

'How can it be this easy? After all the pain I've caused?'
"I love you, Serena," Darien whispered to her ears as he brought her close to
him, wrapping his arms around her. She brought her own around his neck,
and sobbed into his chest.
'Love forgives all,' was the answer to her question.

= Oh chance, oh hope...protect our love =



Here I am
Short Epilogue

"Mommy! Daddy's home!!" A little girl of 4 ran up to Serena and pulled gently
at her apron.
"Honey, I'm home!" A man's voice came from the door.
"We're in the kitchen, Darien!" She shouted back at him, pushing her child
gently to greet his father.
"Uh-oh," he heard her husband say, chuckling to himself.
"Oh, Darien!" Serena frowned at him as he came in sight. He smiled and
came over to her, the little girl in his arms. He lightly kissed her lips, winking
at her.
"Eww...Daddy, Mommy!" The little girl said. They laughed, and Darien placed
her back down on her feet.
"Is the babysitter here yet?" He asked her.
"Not yet, but..." The doorbell interrupted her, "There she is now."
"Good," Darien headed towards the door.
"Can I stay up late and watch the meteor shower?" The little girl asked looking
up at her mother.
"Now, honey, you know today's a school night," Her mother told her, licking
her finger and wiping the pen mark off her child's face.
"But, it's a work night and you two are staying up!"
"Well...that's different,"
"How?" Serena rolled her eyes and laughed.
"Okay, all right, if you can stay up that late, then you can."
"REALLY, Mommy?"
"Yes, really," Serena knelt down on her knee and gave her daughter a hug.
"What was that for?"
"Nothing, can't a mother just give her child a hug?"
"Well, yes, unless it's in front of my friends!"
"Haha, okay, I know that rule, come on, let's go see if that's the babysitter."

THE END

A/N: I am not very good at endings, so, please forgive the crappy ending of this story.
Now, back to my homework, and studying for a test. :O)