TITLE: "Christmas Dreams" (Chapter Two)
AUTHOR: Dream Catcher
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon
A.N.: I would like to thank all the reviews. I love you! Another special thanks goes out to Jade, my new editor. Thanks Jade. I want to apologize to those who thought the last chapter was a little, uh, rough word wise. And I'm am sorry for giving a cliffhanger. I hate them myself, but I thought it was a nice place to stop. Well... on with the story.
Chapter Two
Darien sat on the cement sidewalk outside the service station, staring
blindly at the flashing lights of the police cars that filled the service station's parking lot. It all seemed so surreal to him.
He could think back to half an hour ago and see clearly in his mind what had happened. He could see the gun in the maniac's dirty hand. He could hear himself shouting before he saw himself tackle the girl to the floor. He could still hear the loud explosion penetrating ambiance of the service station, when the bullet left the gun's barrel. He could once again feel the milk that exploded when the bullet had passed through the jug sending the white liquid flying. Then he was once again hearing the eerie silence that was the aftermath.
The more he thought about it, the more realistic his thoughts became until it was like he was reliving the moment again.
He was lying on the floor, the blond girl under him. He could hear her
heavy breathing and the sound of the milk as it dripped of the counter, onto the dust covered floor that they laid on. In the background, Darien could faintly hear the singing of the Whose in Whoseville.
Darien laid there, protecting the girl. Darien heard from his position on the floor, the voice of the shooter as he told the attendant to empty the cash register. Then he watched the shooter's feet as he ran from the store with the money.
Everything had happened so fast, but yet it seemed as though it had been in slow motion. A fitting ending for his nightmare.
Darien looked inside the service station where the attendant was being
questioned. Through the glass door Darien could see the attendant was
leaning against a wall, a cigarette hanging from his lips while steady hands lit it with a lighter.
They would question him next, the girl having been interviewed first.
He returned to staring at the flashing lights until he felt the presence standing behind him. He glanced behind him, and his gaze followed up feminine, jean clad legs, to a tiny waist, up to the pretty face of the blond girl he had saved.
She held a coke can to her head, and when she sat down beside him, removing the can, he realized that she was using it as a icepack. When he had tackled her, he remembered, her head had hit the floor pretty hard.
When she sat down beside him, he returned his gaze to the parking lot.
Serena turned her head to look at her lonely looking savior. She had seen how lonely he looked from inside the store, but he looked even more so now that she sat beside him.
She had also noticed how cute he looked. His dark hair that contrasted
drastically with the snow that dotted it, was blowing in the wind. His face was stern, but it somehow managed to look sad. Serena remembered the way her heart had fluttered when he had looked over her when she had first came
outside. His eyes had fascinated her ever since she had first looked into them.
She remembered opening her eyes for the first time since she had heard the gunshot and was greeted by the endless blue that was her savior's eyes. It had been a moment unlike any other.
Time may have seemed to have slowed down during the robbery, but it had
stopped when she had gazed into his eyes.
She sighed and placed the coke can back on her throbbing head. She sat in silence beside her savior until she realized that he wasn't going to start the conversation that she so desperately wanted to have with him. It was up to her to start a conversation.
"Well, wasn't this the perfect way to start the Christmas season?" She
asked sarcastically.
Darien glanced at the girl beside him. She seemed to be taking the
situation well, he noted. He began to wonder if she was in denial. It wasn't uncommon for people in her situation.
Then, remembering she asked him a question, Darien said sadly, "My
Christmas was already heading down hill."
Serena wondered, could that be why he looks down?
"Why would you have a bad Christmas?" Serena asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.
Still staring straight ahead, Darien answered, "Personal reasons."
Serena slumped her shoulders. That wasn't the kind of answer she had been hoping to get.
Serena stared at Darien's profile for a moment. What could make such a
strong looking person such as him look so childlike? Serena had always been a person to let curiosity get the best of her. The saying "Curiosity killed the cat" came to mind. But then she reminded herself, I'm not a cat.
"Do you mind if I ask what those personal reasons are?" She asked,
immediately beginning to blush at how childish she must have sounded.
Darien turned to stare at the girl beside him. Her innocent eyes stared
into his, a mixture of curiosity and interest swimming in their depths. For some reason he was compelled to tell her. Maybe it would do him some good to get it off his back and tell someone. And, here was this girl who was
willing to listen.
Darien turned to her fully before telling her his tale.
Serena listened attentively, never interrupting him. She began to feel his confusion, bewilderment, and his resentment towards his father. She began to wonder what it would be like to be in his situation. When he was finished, Serena didn't know what to say to him.
She wanted to say something wise, something that would make him feel
better. She wished she could offer some comforting advice, anything but "I'm sorry." But that's just what she ended up saying.
A wry smile appeared on his lips. "Yeah, I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I'm
related to that bastard."
Serena flinched at what he had called his father. She could understand his anger, but she could never picture herself calling her sweet, kindhearted, overprotective father a bastard. I guess, she thought, that since my dad is so nice, I pictured everyone else's that way. She wasn't naive enough to believe that everyone had the perfect family, but she did like to picture it that way.
"What are you doing for Christmas?" Serena asked.
Darien sighed. He hadn't really thought about it before. He knew there
would be no chance of him visiting his dad. His mom, he knew, would probably be crying away her heartache into a bowl of ice cream the whole time. Maybe he could visit Andrew, a long time friend of the family.
Then after much thinking, Darien decided that if he visited Andrew's
family, questions that he didn't want to answer would be asked. He'd just stop by one day while Andrew was at work to give him his present
"I'll probably spend my Christmas alone." Darien finally answered after a long silence.
Serena was about to reply, when she heard someone call her name. She turned and saw her mother, father, and Sammy all running towards her. That's when she remembered the call she had made home explaining what happened and asking them to come to pick her up.
"Serena!" Her mother called once again before dropping to her knees and
hugging her daughter. Tears of worry and happiness making their way down her cheeks, onto Serena's coat. "We were so worried about you, and then you called-" She broke off, choked with tears.
"Mom, I'm okay. Really, I am." Serena tried to assure her mother.
Darien watched the scene in mixed emotions: wonder, mystification, and most of all, longing. Why can't my family be like that, Darien asked himself. He looked from mother to daughter, to a gentle looking father, to a sweet looking brother. He wanted what she had.
"Mom," Serena continued, "I'm fine. He saved me. See, no scratches."
Ilene moved back from her daughter and stared at her face, bewilderment
etching her every feature. "Who saved you, dear?"
Serena blinked. She must have forgot to tell her mom that minor detail when they were on the phone. Serena glanced at Darien.
Ilene followed her daughter's gaze. This was who saved her daughter? Serena was had been lucky in more ways than one. Gears began to turn in Ilene's mind as a sly smile made it's way to her face.
Darien squirmed under Serena's mother's gaze. It seemed to him that she was assessing him. Darien glanced at Serena's father and realized that Serena's father was doing the same, only his gaze was more threatening. He turned to the girl he now knew as Serena, and he found her smiling meekly at him.
Ilene stood up, brushed off her dress, and held a hand out to Darien,
"Ilene Mathis." She said smiling kindly.
Darien stood, shaking the hand she offered him. "Darien Shields."
"You know, Darien, tomorrow is Sunday, and well, every Sunday our family has a nice family dinner. I'd like to invite you to join us tomorrow, that is, if you're not busy. You can think of it as a thank you." Ilene explained to him with a warm smile.
Darien stared at the woman in front of him. She was smiling politely at
him. He wasn't too excited at the idea of eating dinner in a stranger's
home. Darien glanced at Serena's father, realizing that he was also not too happy with the idea. He was trying to figure out a lie he could tell the polite woman in front of him, but never got the chance to voice the lie.
"Here's our address and phone number." Ilene told him pulling out a piece of paper and pen from her purse to write on. Then after handing him the slip of paper she got another blank piece and handed it to him. "Write your phone number on this so I can call you and talk you into coming." She smiled.
Blindly Darien wrote his phone number on the paper without even realizing he was writing it. He was still shocked at the woman's openness. She had not even asked her husband of his opinion, which clearly told Darien who was the head of the house.
He handed the paper to Ilene, which she took before saying good-bye and
headed towards her car, literally dragging husband and son behind her.
Darien realized that she had left Serena alone with him.
Serena had sat watching the exchange between her mother and Darien,
completely unsurprised by her mother's actions. She was used to the
unpredictably of her mother, but she was sorry for anyone who wasn't used to
it.
Serena stood and turned, "I'm sorry about my mom. She's a little...well no words can describe what she is."
She turned and left, calling a goodbye over her shoulder.
"Bye." Darien whispered after he watched her get in their van and drive
away.
He turned, about to go into the store, but stopped to watch as the attendant came rushing through the door, carrying several bags full of gifts. The attendant began to yell at the Mathis' retreating van.
"That girl forgot her bags," The man grumbled after he realized that the family were not going to come back.
Darien turned and looked at where the van had been, and then his gaze
returned to the exhausted attendant.
"I'll take those," Darien said with a sigh.
The man turned a skeptical gaze at him, before sighing and handing over thebags he had found scattered all over the floor of his store. The bags weren't his problem anymore, and he didn't really care whether or not the girl got the bags because he was no longer responsible.
Darien grabbed the bags from the man and headed into the store; it was his turn to be interrogated.
TO BE CONTINUED
A.N.: Hoped you liked it. I love reviews; they make me so happy. I literally jump up and down when I get one. Well stay tuned for the next chapter.
AUTHOR: Dream Catcher
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon
A.N.: I would like to thank all the reviews. I love you! Another special thanks goes out to Jade, my new editor. Thanks Jade. I want to apologize to those who thought the last chapter was a little, uh, rough word wise. And I'm am sorry for giving a cliffhanger. I hate them myself, but I thought it was a nice place to stop. Well... on with the story.
Chapter Two
Darien sat on the cement sidewalk outside the service station, staring
blindly at the flashing lights of the police cars that filled the service station's parking lot. It all seemed so surreal to him.
He could think back to half an hour ago and see clearly in his mind what had happened. He could see the gun in the maniac's dirty hand. He could hear himself shouting before he saw himself tackle the girl to the floor. He could still hear the loud explosion penetrating ambiance of the service station, when the bullet left the gun's barrel. He could once again feel the milk that exploded when the bullet had passed through the jug sending the white liquid flying. Then he was once again hearing the eerie silence that was the aftermath.
The more he thought about it, the more realistic his thoughts became until it was like he was reliving the moment again.
He was lying on the floor, the blond girl under him. He could hear her
heavy breathing and the sound of the milk as it dripped of the counter, onto the dust covered floor that they laid on. In the background, Darien could faintly hear the singing of the Whose in Whoseville.
Darien laid there, protecting the girl. Darien heard from his position on the floor, the voice of the shooter as he told the attendant to empty the cash register. Then he watched the shooter's feet as he ran from the store with the money.
Everything had happened so fast, but yet it seemed as though it had been in slow motion. A fitting ending for his nightmare.
Darien looked inside the service station where the attendant was being
questioned. Through the glass door Darien could see the attendant was
leaning against a wall, a cigarette hanging from his lips while steady hands lit it with a lighter.
They would question him next, the girl having been interviewed first.
He returned to staring at the flashing lights until he felt the presence standing behind him. He glanced behind him, and his gaze followed up feminine, jean clad legs, to a tiny waist, up to the pretty face of the blond girl he had saved.
She held a coke can to her head, and when she sat down beside him, removing the can, he realized that she was using it as a icepack. When he had tackled her, he remembered, her head had hit the floor pretty hard.
When she sat down beside him, he returned his gaze to the parking lot.
Serena turned her head to look at her lonely looking savior. She had seen how lonely he looked from inside the store, but he looked even more so now that she sat beside him.
She had also noticed how cute he looked. His dark hair that contrasted
drastically with the snow that dotted it, was blowing in the wind. His face was stern, but it somehow managed to look sad. Serena remembered the way her heart had fluttered when he had looked over her when she had first came
outside. His eyes had fascinated her ever since she had first looked into them.
She remembered opening her eyes for the first time since she had heard the gunshot and was greeted by the endless blue that was her savior's eyes. It had been a moment unlike any other.
Time may have seemed to have slowed down during the robbery, but it had
stopped when she had gazed into his eyes.
She sighed and placed the coke can back on her throbbing head. She sat in silence beside her savior until she realized that he wasn't going to start the conversation that she so desperately wanted to have with him. It was up to her to start a conversation.
"Well, wasn't this the perfect way to start the Christmas season?" She
asked sarcastically.
Darien glanced at the girl beside him. She seemed to be taking the
situation well, he noted. He began to wonder if she was in denial. It wasn't uncommon for people in her situation.
Then, remembering she asked him a question, Darien said sadly, "My
Christmas was already heading down hill."
Serena wondered, could that be why he looks down?
"Why would you have a bad Christmas?" Serena asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.
Still staring straight ahead, Darien answered, "Personal reasons."
Serena slumped her shoulders. That wasn't the kind of answer she had been hoping to get.
Serena stared at Darien's profile for a moment. What could make such a
strong looking person such as him look so childlike? Serena had always been a person to let curiosity get the best of her. The saying "Curiosity killed the cat" came to mind. But then she reminded herself, I'm not a cat.
"Do you mind if I ask what those personal reasons are?" She asked,
immediately beginning to blush at how childish she must have sounded.
Darien turned to stare at the girl beside him. Her innocent eyes stared
into his, a mixture of curiosity and interest swimming in their depths. For some reason he was compelled to tell her. Maybe it would do him some good to get it off his back and tell someone. And, here was this girl who was
willing to listen.
Darien turned to her fully before telling her his tale.
Serena listened attentively, never interrupting him. She began to feel his confusion, bewilderment, and his resentment towards his father. She began to wonder what it would be like to be in his situation. When he was finished, Serena didn't know what to say to him.
She wanted to say something wise, something that would make him feel
better. She wished she could offer some comforting advice, anything but "I'm sorry." But that's just what she ended up saying.
A wry smile appeared on his lips. "Yeah, I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I'm
related to that bastard."
Serena flinched at what he had called his father. She could understand his anger, but she could never picture herself calling her sweet, kindhearted, overprotective father a bastard. I guess, she thought, that since my dad is so nice, I pictured everyone else's that way. She wasn't naive enough to believe that everyone had the perfect family, but she did like to picture it that way.
"What are you doing for Christmas?" Serena asked.
Darien sighed. He hadn't really thought about it before. He knew there
would be no chance of him visiting his dad. His mom, he knew, would probably be crying away her heartache into a bowl of ice cream the whole time. Maybe he could visit Andrew, a long time friend of the family.
Then after much thinking, Darien decided that if he visited Andrew's
family, questions that he didn't want to answer would be asked. He'd just stop by one day while Andrew was at work to give him his present
"I'll probably spend my Christmas alone." Darien finally answered after a long silence.
Serena was about to reply, when she heard someone call her name. She turned and saw her mother, father, and Sammy all running towards her. That's when she remembered the call she had made home explaining what happened and asking them to come to pick her up.
"Serena!" Her mother called once again before dropping to her knees and
hugging her daughter. Tears of worry and happiness making their way down her cheeks, onto Serena's coat. "We were so worried about you, and then you called-" She broke off, choked with tears.
"Mom, I'm okay. Really, I am." Serena tried to assure her mother.
Darien watched the scene in mixed emotions: wonder, mystification, and most of all, longing. Why can't my family be like that, Darien asked himself. He looked from mother to daughter, to a gentle looking father, to a sweet looking brother. He wanted what she had.
"Mom," Serena continued, "I'm fine. He saved me. See, no scratches."
Ilene moved back from her daughter and stared at her face, bewilderment
etching her every feature. "Who saved you, dear?"
Serena blinked. She must have forgot to tell her mom that minor detail when they were on the phone. Serena glanced at Darien.
Ilene followed her daughter's gaze. This was who saved her daughter? Serena was had been lucky in more ways than one. Gears began to turn in Ilene's mind as a sly smile made it's way to her face.
Darien squirmed under Serena's mother's gaze. It seemed to him that she was assessing him. Darien glanced at Serena's father and realized that Serena's father was doing the same, only his gaze was more threatening. He turned to the girl he now knew as Serena, and he found her smiling meekly at him.
Ilene stood up, brushed off her dress, and held a hand out to Darien,
"Ilene Mathis." She said smiling kindly.
Darien stood, shaking the hand she offered him. "Darien Shields."
"You know, Darien, tomorrow is Sunday, and well, every Sunday our family has a nice family dinner. I'd like to invite you to join us tomorrow, that is, if you're not busy. You can think of it as a thank you." Ilene explained to him with a warm smile.
Darien stared at the woman in front of him. She was smiling politely at
him. He wasn't too excited at the idea of eating dinner in a stranger's
home. Darien glanced at Serena's father, realizing that he was also not too happy with the idea. He was trying to figure out a lie he could tell the polite woman in front of him, but never got the chance to voice the lie.
"Here's our address and phone number." Ilene told him pulling out a piece of paper and pen from her purse to write on. Then after handing him the slip of paper she got another blank piece and handed it to him. "Write your phone number on this so I can call you and talk you into coming." She smiled.
Blindly Darien wrote his phone number on the paper without even realizing he was writing it. He was still shocked at the woman's openness. She had not even asked her husband of his opinion, which clearly told Darien who was the head of the house.
He handed the paper to Ilene, which she took before saying good-bye and
headed towards her car, literally dragging husband and son behind her.
Darien realized that she had left Serena alone with him.
Serena had sat watching the exchange between her mother and Darien,
completely unsurprised by her mother's actions. She was used to the
unpredictably of her mother, but she was sorry for anyone who wasn't used to
it.
Serena stood and turned, "I'm sorry about my mom. She's a little...well no words can describe what she is."
She turned and left, calling a goodbye over her shoulder.
"Bye." Darien whispered after he watched her get in their van and drive
away.
He turned, about to go into the store, but stopped to watch as the attendant came rushing through the door, carrying several bags full of gifts. The attendant began to yell at the Mathis' retreating van.
"That girl forgot her bags," The man grumbled after he realized that the family were not going to come back.
Darien turned and looked at where the van had been, and then his gaze
returned to the exhausted attendant.
"I'll take those," Darien said with a sigh.
The man turned a skeptical gaze at him, before sighing and handing over thebags he had found scattered all over the floor of his store. The bags weren't his problem anymore, and he didn't really care whether or not the girl got the bags because he was no longer responsible.
Darien grabbed the bags from the man and headed into the store; it was his turn to be interrogated.
TO BE CONTINUED
A.N.: Hoped you liked it. I love reviews; they make me so happy. I literally jump up and down when I get one. Well stay tuned for the next chapter.