Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love
By Chibi J
Rated G
Alternate Reality
Edited by my darling Sailor Sista!
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or the characters. The "Bohemian Ideals" of truth, beauty, freedom, and love are known by many and are mentioned many times in books, songs, and movies. I, however, started writing this after watching Moulin Rouge. So, I suppose that I should credit the movie for sticking the ideals, which I believe highly in, back into my mind once more.
This is dedicated to everyone who ever believed that love would over come all obstacles.
*~*
LOVE
Serena paced around the house, to anxious to sit or do anything else. She was slowly losing her mind and could not tolerate to be in the house any longer. She had to get out, escape, from the high lifestyles of her parents that she hated so much.
Her father's heart attack was minor, as far as heart attacks go. He was ordered bed rest and a new diet. His medications would take care of preventing future issues with his heart.
So, with determination, she marched up towards his bedroom, where she knew he and her mother were.
Creaking open the door slowly, sure that he was awake, she stepped in.
"Serena." Her mother stood up and walked over to the door to greet her as if she were a guest and not their daughter. "What are you doing here?"
"Mother, Father, I came to inform you that I will be heading home tonight." She replied with a voice of steel. Serena knew that there would be protests and attempted to make no room for argument.
"No you're not." Attempted was definitely the appropriate word. Her father sat up in bed and repeated the statement. "No, you're not."
"Father, I appreciate your concern and love, but I am old enough to make decisions for myself." Serena said in a voice that was not quite a demand.
"Now look here young lady..."
"Good-bye Mother, Father." She cut him off. Turning, she walked away from her parents, whose eyes were wide with shock.
*
"Hey Ami." Serena said with a sigh as she plopped down into the booth at The Hourglass.
"Hey Serena. What's the matter with you?" Ami asked with concern for her friend.
"Nothing...just walked out on my parents." Serena replied with a slightly sarcastic voice.
"Serena...I'm...I'm sorry." Ami said as she took a seat across from Serena.
"That's okay. It was a long time coming." Serena sighed.
"Hey Ami!" Lita's voice called from a door a couple of tables away that lead to the kitchen.
"Just a sec!" Ami shouted back. "Look Sere, I have to go. But I'll come back in a little bit."
"Thanks." Serena replied absently.
"What were you doing?" Lita questioned Ami as she walked into the kitchen.
"Serena's out there and seems really bummed out." Ami replied as she grabbed her orders off the counter.
"Serena's here? I have to talk to her." With that, Lita quickly left the back room and walked over to Serena's table.
"Hey." Lita said as she sat down across from Serena.
"Hey." A lifeless voice answered back.
"What's up?" Lita questioned, to which Serena poured her heart out. She explained about her father's heart attack, about her fight before she left, and mostly about how much she was missing Darien.
"He stopped by today." Lita said, surprising Serena.
"He did?!" She asked, hope lighting up her eyes.
"Yeah. I told him that you were at your parents and gave him the address." Lita informed her.
"But, I'm not there!" Serena gasped and stood up to leave.
"Whoa girl, I'm sure that he'll try back at the apartment when he finds out you're not at your parents." Lita assured her.
"You're right." Serena said, her voice and body calming down somewhat. "But I better go home so I don't miss him again."
With that, Serena left the restaurant without even saying goodbye.
So it was with a heavy heart that Serena looked out the window of her apartment. It had been three weeks since Lita had said that Darien had come over. The housekeeper at her parents' house said that no one had come over that matched Darien's description.
In her mind, terrible things had happened to him. The simplest was that he had gotten sick again, the worse, that he was dead.
She easily recruited Lita, Mina, Ami, and Rei to help her search for him. They spent all of their free time searching for him and kept a close eye out for him while working. Although this didn't entail much for the four girls that worked at The Hourglass, Serena watched for him every moment that she was in her taxi.
Two weeks of searching lead to nothing. The other girls were losing hope for their best friend and daily searches were occurring less and less. Yet Serena did not give up. Every mop of black hair, every dark baggy coat, and in every pair of blue eyes she searched.
She refused to give up, yet her hope was fading. Darien was a wanderer, or so he seemed when they first met. Nothing held him to the city and he could go wherever, whenever.
"It's hopeless." Serena sighed as she and Lita were walking down the street. They had left The Hourglass and were walking back to their apartment complex. It was nearing four in the morning and the streets were very quiet.
"I'm sorry Serena." Lita knew that there was nothing she could do to comfort here friend.
"Ah-Choo!"
"Bless you." Serena and Lita both replied at the same time. They both turned to look at each other questioningly, wonder where the sneeze had come from, if not from each other.
Coughing soon followed the sneeze, coughing that seemed familiar to Serena.
"I think it came from the alley." Lita supplied, looking to the alley between the block they stood on and the next one, where their apartments were located.
"Hello?" Serena asked cautiously as she stepped into the alleyway. The only response was more coughing.
Serena crept forward, Lita standing behind her protectively, and move towards where a person was lying with a blanket made out of a broken box.
"Hello?" Serena tried again, still receiving no answer. With a trembling hand, she reached down and lifted off the box.
"DARIEN??!!!" She gasped as his face came into view. "Oh My God! Lita...Help!" Serena pleaded as she bent down to Darien's side.
His eyes were shut, preventing Serena to see into their blue depths. Instead, she was forced to look at his thin face, the bruises on his face and arms, and the blue tint that his lips held. Although it had warmed some in the last month, it was still winter and the air was still harsh, especially at night.
Serena attempted to wake him, but he didn't respond. She touched his forehead to find it as hot as fire and yet his hands were as cold as ice to her hand. Serena attempted to sit him up, but his head dropped to the side when she did.
"Lita, we got to get him inside." She said with urgency. Lita nodded her understanding and the two joined together to pick him up.
"He's lost weight since the last time we did this." Lita said in a sorrowful voice.
"Oh, Darien." Serena moaned. Then she steadied herself. It would do him no good for her to lose her head.
Lita and Serena entered the apartment building and carried Darien up the stairs to Serena's apartment. Together, the two girls took care of the sick man until well past dawn. Serena fell asleep sitting on the floor next to the bed, holding his hand. Lita had fallen asleep in the kitchen after setting some soup to simmer on the stove.
A few hours later, the banging on the door to Serena's apartment woke up both girls. Lita, being the closest to the door, opened it to find Rei standing there with a worried look.
"Where have you been?" Rei asked Lita with a slightly scared voice. "Jimmy sent me to look for you."
"What do you mean?" Lita asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, totally confused.
"You were supposed to be at work three hours ago!" Rei practically screeched, her earlier worry gone.
"Sorry." Lita began. "We had some complications after work last night." She pointed over to the bed where Serena was wiping a damp cloth across Darien's head.
"Is that Darien?" Rei asked in surprise.
"Yeah. We found him last night." Lita responded. Then she turned back to look at Rei and whispered. "He's really sick, I'm worried."
Rei nodded her understanding and walked over to Serena's side while Lita went to check the stove. The soup had evaporated to nearly nothing and Lita was glad that she didn't burn the building down.
"Serena?" Rei quietly spoke to her friend. "Are you okay?"
"He won't wake up, Rei..." Serena said while tears were falling from her eyes.
"It'll be okay Serena, I promise." Rei assured her friend. "But it won't do any good for him to wake up and see you like this. Go lay down, I'll take over for a bit."
Serena looked up to her friend and was truly grateful. I have the best friends, she thought to herself. "Thank you." Serena said and walked into the kitchen to get something to eat.
Rei looked down at Darien and sighed. "You better get better." She whispered the threat. The last thing Serena needed was to suffer from the loss of Darien again.
Five days past and yet Darien slept on. Mina and Ami became part of the nursing team, as well as helping Serena cope. She often refused to sleep; afraid he would awake when she was asleep. Her exhaustion, however, would take it's toll and sleep would claim her, but not without a struggle. Jimmy was understanding and allowed one of the girls to skip work every night so they could be with Serena.
"Ami, I'm gonna watch some TV." Serena informed Ami, who was reading a book in the kitchen.
"That's fine Serena." Ami told her as she stood to take the seat by the bed. Ami knew that once Serena would sit in front of the TV, it would only be a matter of moments before she fell asleep.
Ami was right and Serena was dosing in less than five minutes. Her soft snores were the only sound in the apartment and Ami found her book very peaceful and relaxing. However, Ami was startled out of her book by a sound other than herself or Serena.
"Serena." The voice moaned softly. Ami looked over to find Darien tossing fitfully in his sleep. Beads of sweat were dripping down his face as he moaned her name over and over again.
Ami reached out a hand to his forehead and found it wasn't as warm as it had been. His fever was breaking as he struggled through his nightmare.
"Serena!" He yelled out and shot up in the bed. Ami jumped back in shock. She stared at him and his blue eyes stared back. Footsteps sounded behind Ami and she turned to see Serena walking over.
"What's going on Ami?" Serena's voice faded to a whisper as she saw Darien sitting up and staring at her. "Darien?"
"Serena?" He whispered in a voice that matched hers.
Without waiting a moment, Serena leap over to the bed and took Darien into her arms. "Oh Darien, I was so scared."
"Serena." He held on as tight as his weakened body would allow. "I'm never letting go." He softly said into her ear. However, his exhausted body could not hold on and he slipped back into unconsciousness.
"Darien?" Serena asked, feeling his body go limp in her arms. "Darien?"
"He fell asleep again." Ami reassured Serena and helped her lower him back to the bed.
"Oh, Ami!" Serena gushed and grabbed Ami into a hug.
"It will all be okay Serena." Ami comforted her.
Of course, Ami was always right. The girl was a genius and only worked at The Hourglass to earn extra money while she was in college. So when Ami assured Serena that everything would be okay, Serena knew that she could depend on her.
Over the following days, Darien was awake for brief periods of time. After three days, he was actually able to sit up and feed himself without help. After a week, he was complaining about cabin fever, pestering his "nurses" to allow him to get up and move around. Serena had never been happier to hear someone whine.
"It's so beautiful out!" Darien practically shouted when he went on a walk in the park with Serena.
"You're just glad to get out of the apartment." Serena said with a laugh, knowing that he had been sick of being indoors.
"True, but it is a nice day." He said with a smile. Serena smiled back at him and he once again realized why he could never live without her. "I'm sorry Serena."
"Huh? Sorry for what?" She asked, confused.
"For everything. For leaving you mostly." He confided.
"Darien..." She started, but he cut her off.
"Serena, I don't deserve you. But I'm going to prove myself worthy of you." He insisted to her.
Serena smiled at Darien, content to always be by his side, no matter what. Yet it made her so happy to hear him say that. To know that he felt the same way as she did.
"I have an interview tomorrow at the hospital for the pediatrics ward." Darien told her with a smile.
"Oh Darien, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you." She smiled. Not being able to resist her happy face, Darien bent down and captured her lips with his own.
When he finally released the kiss, he looked down into Serena's beautiful crystal blue eyes. He saw all the love, passion, and hope that he always dreamed of.
"I love you, Serena."
"And I love you, Darien."
*
Darien got the job at the hospital, although Serena was mad that he would never let her visit him there. He said that he was busy and would prefer for her just to wait until he came home to "visit" with him. At first she was upset, but found that "visits" at home were quite enjoyable.
After six months of not talking, Serena's parents had called a truce to the war between them. Grateful that they would accept her as she was, Serena agreed and was happy to have them in her life. Especially since when they were fighting she couldn't visit with her niece, Nikki. Sammy's daughter looked a lot like him, although she had her mother Miaka's personality.
Both Serena and Darien had decided that it was best to wait for Serena to introduce Darien to her family. She knew that he now knew of her family's wealth, and that it mattered none to him, but she was never sure of her family's reaction.
But for everything else in their lives, they were happy. Darien worked almost everyday and Serena would only keep the same hours as him. They spent endless hours talking, walking through parks, or just hanging out together. The Hourglass was visited at least once a week, sometimes more, with Darien often requesting that his girlfriend grace the stage. Unlike his earlier jealousy, when Serena danced, he knew that she was only dancing for him and no one else.
Months went by and many wondered how the two lovers had failed to live without each other for their entire life. It was as if one would forget to breath if the other weren't there to remind them. It was truly beautiful.
"Happy Anniversary!" Darien shouted as Serena entered the door.
"What?" She asked, confusion written across her face.
"It's our anniversary! Exactly one year ago you found me in your car." He said as he walked up to her and gave her a kiss.
"Well, that is a reason to celebrate." Serena said with a beautiful smile. They shared another kiss when the phone rang, cutting off the romance.
"Damn." Serena muttered as she walked to the phone. She knew who it was before she even answered. "Hello?"
Darien watched on with an adorable smile. She was so cute when she was mad and he loved it.
"Hello Father." Serena said with a sigh, while Darien laughed. "No, I can't tonight. I have plans." A pause indicated that her father was speaking. "With a guy." She paused again with a face to Darien that screamed 'kill me'. "Bring him?" She asked into the phone, as if not believing what she heard. Darien's face took on a look of shock. "Okay Father, I'll see you soon."
She hung the phone up on the receiver and looked over at Darien, who looked a little nervous.
"He wants you to come." Serena informed him, incase he hadn't guessed.
"Okay." Darien replied slowly. "I can do that."
Serena nodded her head, accepting his reluctance, and began to get ready.
Stepping out of Serena's taxi, Serena looked over to see Darien looking up at the mansion nervously.
"It will be okay." She informed him as she grabbed his hand and led him to the front door.
Serena pushed the doorbell and they both waited for their fate.
"Serena, dear." Serena's father answered the door, much to her surprise.
"Hello, father." She replied with a soft voice as he hugged her. She stepped into the doorway and Darien followed her. "Father, this is Darien, my boyfriend."
Serena's father gave Darien a brief look over before extending his hand. "Nice to meet you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stanton." Darien replied, hoping that the man would accept him.
"Come, your mother is in the dining room." Serena's father walked ahead of the couple into the dining room. Serena held Darien's hand, which he held onto like a life preserver in rough waters.
"Darling, Serena is here with her boyfriend, Darien."
Serena stepped forward to hug her mother. "I'm glad you came dear." Her mother said with a cheerful voice.
"Mother, this is Darien." Serena said as she stepped aside to allow her mother to see Darien.
"Dr. Shields?" Her mother questioned him, causing a startled look to come to Serena's face.
"Hello again Mrs. Stanton. How is little Nikki doing?" He asked, avoiding the look of shock on Serena's face.
"Oh she's fine!" Serena's mother gushed. "Serena, you didn't tell me you were dating Dr. Shields."
"I...I...I..." Serena could not make a coherent sentence as her mouth opened and closed like a fish.
"Dear, you remember when Nikki swallowed that quarter? Dr. Shields was her doctor." Mrs. Stanton informed her husband.
Mr. Stanton looked onto Darien with new eyes. He again stretched out his hand. "Well done, son."
Serena's mouth continued to impersonate a cod while Darien simply stared at her with amusement in his eyes.
"Would you mind if we took a walk? I need to talk to Serena a little before dinner." Darien asked. With their nods of approval, Darien swept Serena from the dining room.
"Perhaps you would like to take a walk in the gardens?" Darien asked Serena, although he knew he would get no answer.
Some minutes later, the couple was seated on a bench in the garden. Serena's mouth had stopped moving, but was still having difficulty forming a sentence.
"How? When? Where? HOW?" Serena questioned, really unsure of anything going on.
"I was going to tell you tonight, Serena. I didn't want to tell you before because I was embarrassed." Darien said as he looked at his hands, which were folded in his lap.
"Huh?" Serena replied with very little grace. "How could you be embarrassed?"
Darien looked up into Serena's eyes and took her hands into his. "When we met, I was nothing. I had let go of everything in my life. I was struggling to survive because I made a stupid choice." He once again dropped his eyes from hers and his voice dropped to a whisper. "I let a little girl die. There was nothing I could do, but I couldn't help but blame myself."
"Darien." Serena said his name with such love that he couldn't refrain his eyes from meeting hers. She reached up a hand and gently stroked away the tears that were forming in his eyes.
"I quit my job and allowed myself to wallow in self pity. My editor dropped me, refusing to take submissions from a bum. I was ready to die when I met you. I wasn't worthy of you, so I left. It was the biggest mistake I ever made."
"Darien, I forgave you a long time ago. Why did you keep this from me?" Serena asked in a hushed voice.
"I know you did, but I needed to become sure of myself again. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to make it as a doctor again. I didn't want to tell you only to disappoint you. I needed to know that I wouldn't let you down." Darien replied, hoping that Serena wouldn't be upset with him.
"And are you sure now?" Serena questioned him.
"Well, I suppose I should be since the hospital promoted me to assistant head of the pediatrics ward last week." His eyes shone with pride.
"Oh Darien!" Serena leapt forward and embraced him in a hug. "I'm so proud of you."
"Serena." Darien whispered, as if a normal voice would wake him from the wondrous dream that he was living. "Thank you, Serena."
"Promise you'll never keep anything from me again?" Serena pleaded.
"I promise." Darien agreed and kissed Serena gently on the cheek.
"Well, I suppose we should get back inside." Serena suggested and stood from the bench.
"Oh, Serena, there is one more thing that I need to tell you." Darien said, not moving from his seat.
Serena stopped and turned back to him. "What's that?"
Darien stood from his seat, only to kneel down in front of Serena. Tears sprang to Serena's eyes at the sight before her. "Serena, I love you. I want to be with you always. I want you to have my children. I want you to be my wife."
Serena gasped as Darien reached into his pocket to produce a black velvet box. He opened it slowly, and then turned it so that she could see it. A beautiful one-carat diamond sparkled in the moonlight.
"Serena, would you do me the greatest honor in the world and become my wife?" He pleaded from his spot on the ground.
Serena dropped down to her knees and grabbed Darien into a fierce hug. She pulled back and grabbed his lips into a long, seductive kiss.
"Yes! YES! A thousand times, YES!" She yelled to the heavens. Darien wasted no time and claimed her lips again.
From a window at the back of the house, a woman and a man watched on in interest.
"Darien can be quite sneaky, can't he?" Mr. Stanton asked as he wrapped an arm around his wife.
"I think he got the idea when I told him of how you proposed." Mrs. Stanton said with a smile, remembering how her husband had refused to see her for a week before he asked her. She had been a nervous wreck, thinking that he didn't love her anymore.
Mr. Stanton leaned over to his wife and whispered into her ear, "Well then, perhaps I should follow his idea and just kiss you senseless." Mrs. Stanton giggled as he approached her and did just that.
"Darien." Serena whispered his name as their kiss came to an end. "I love you."
"My darling Serena, I love you, always." He reassured her before leaning down to kiss her again.
The moon shined down, illuminating the new lovers and the old in its beautiful light.
~*~
The End.
By Chibi J
Rated G
Alternate Reality
Edited by my darling Sailor Sista!
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or the characters. The "Bohemian Ideals" of truth, beauty, freedom, and love are known by many and are mentioned many times in books, songs, and movies. I, however, started writing this after watching Moulin Rouge. So, I suppose that I should credit the movie for sticking the ideals, which I believe highly in, back into my mind once more.
This is dedicated to everyone who ever believed that love would over come all obstacles.
*~*
LOVE
Serena paced around the house, to anxious to sit or do anything else. She was slowly losing her mind and could not tolerate to be in the house any longer. She had to get out, escape, from the high lifestyles of her parents that she hated so much.
Her father's heart attack was minor, as far as heart attacks go. He was ordered bed rest and a new diet. His medications would take care of preventing future issues with his heart.
So, with determination, she marched up towards his bedroom, where she knew he and her mother were.
Creaking open the door slowly, sure that he was awake, she stepped in.
"Serena." Her mother stood up and walked over to the door to greet her as if she were a guest and not their daughter. "What are you doing here?"
"Mother, Father, I came to inform you that I will be heading home tonight." She replied with a voice of steel. Serena knew that there would be protests and attempted to make no room for argument.
"No you're not." Attempted was definitely the appropriate word. Her father sat up in bed and repeated the statement. "No, you're not."
"Father, I appreciate your concern and love, but I am old enough to make decisions for myself." Serena said in a voice that was not quite a demand.
"Now look here young lady..."
"Good-bye Mother, Father." She cut him off. Turning, she walked away from her parents, whose eyes were wide with shock.
*
"Hey Ami." Serena said with a sigh as she plopped down into the booth at The Hourglass.
"Hey Serena. What's the matter with you?" Ami asked with concern for her friend.
"Nothing...just walked out on my parents." Serena replied with a slightly sarcastic voice.
"Serena...I'm...I'm sorry." Ami said as she took a seat across from Serena.
"That's okay. It was a long time coming." Serena sighed.
"Hey Ami!" Lita's voice called from a door a couple of tables away that lead to the kitchen.
"Just a sec!" Ami shouted back. "Look Sere, I have to go. But I'll come back in a little bit."
"Thanks." Serena replied absently.
"What were you doing?" Lita questioned Ami as she walked into the kitchen.
"Serena's out there and seems really bummed out." Ami replied as she grabbed her orders off the counter.
"Serena's here? I have to talk to her." With that, Lita quickly left the back room and walked over to Serena's table.
"Hey." Lita said as she sat down across from Serena.
"Hey." A lifeless voice answered back.
"What's up?" Lita questioned, to which Serena poured her heart out. She explained about her father's heart attack, about her fight before she left, and mostly about how much she was missing Darien.
"He stopped by today." Lita said, surprising Serena.
"He did?!" She asked, hope lighting up her eyes.
"Yeah. I told him that you were at your parents and gave him the address." Lita informed her.
"But, I'm not there!" Serena gasped and stood up to leave.
"Whoa girl, I'm sure that he'll try back at the apartment when he finds out you're not at your parents." Lita assured her.
"You're right." Serena said, her voice and body calming down somewhat. "But I better go home so I don't miss him again."
With that, Serena left the restaurant without even saying goodbye.
So it was with a heavy heart that Serena looked out the window of her apartment. It had been three weeks since Lita had said that Darien had come over. The housekeeper at her parents' house said that no one had come over that matched Darien's description.
In her mind, terrible things had happened to him. The simplest was that he had gotten sick again, the worse, that he was dead.
She easily recruited Lita, Mina, Ami, and Rei to help her search for him. They spent all of their free time searching for him and kept a close eye out for him while working. Although this didn't entail much for the four girls that worked at The Hourglass, Serena watched for him every moment that she was in her taxi.
Two weeks of searching lead to nothing. The other girls were losing hope for their best friend and daily searches were occurring less and less. Yet Serena did not give up. Every mop of black hair, every dark baggy coat, and in every pair of blue eyes she searched.
She refused to give up, yet her hope was fading. Darien was a wanderer, or so he seemed when they first met. Nothing held him to the city and he could go wherever, whenever.
"It's hopeless." Serena sighed as she and Lita were walking down the street. They had left The Hourglass and were walking back to their apartment complex. It was nearing four in the morning and the streets were very quiet.
"I'm sorry Serena." Lita knew that there was nothing she could do to comfort here friend.
"Ah-Choo!"
"Bless you." Serena and Lita both replied at the same time. They both turned to look at each other questioningly, wonder where the sneeze had come from, if not from each other.
Coughing soon followed the sneeze, coughing that seemed familiar to Serena.
"I think it came from the alley." Lita supplied, looking to the alley between the block they stood on and the next one, where their apartments were located.
"Hello?" Serena asked cautiously as she stepped into the alleyway. The only response was more coughing.
Serena crept forward, Lita standing behind her protectively, and move towards where a person was lying with a blanket made out of a broken box.
"Hello?" Serena tried again, still receiving no answer. With a trembling hand, she reached down and lifted off the box.
"DARIEN??!!!" She gasped as his face came into view. "Oh My God! Lita...Help!" Serena pleaded as she bent down to Darien's side.
His eyes were shut, preventing Serena to see into their blue depths. Instead, she was forced to look at his thin face, the bruises on his face and arms, and the blue tint that his lips held. Although it had warmed some in the last month, it was still winter and the air was still harsh, especially at night.
Serena attempted to wake him, but he didn't respond. She touched his forehead to find it as hot as fire and yet his hands were as cold as ice to her hand. Serena attempted to sit him up, but his head dropped to the side when she did.
"Lita, we got to get him inside." She said with urgency. Lita nodded her understanding and the two joined together to pick him up.
"He's lost weight since the last time we did this." Lita said in a sorrowful voice.
"Oh, Darien." Serena moaned. Then she steadied herself. It would do him no good for her to lose her head.
Lita and Serena entered the apartment building and carried Darien up the stairs to Serena's apartment. Together, the two girls took care of the sick man until well past dawn. Serena fell asleep sitting on the floor next to the bed, holding his hand. Lita had fallen asleep in the kitchen after setting some soup to simmer on the stove.
A few hours later, the banging on the door to Serena's apartment woke up both girls. Lita, being the closest to the door, opened it to find Rei standing there with a worried look.
"Where have you been?" Rei asked Lita with a slightly scared voice. "Jimmy sent me to look for you."
"What do you mean?" Lita asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, totally confused.
"You were supposed to be at work three hours ago!" Rei practically screeched, her earlier worry gone.
"Sorry." Lita began. "We had some complications after work last night." She pointed over to the bed where Serena was wiping a damp cloth across Darien's head.
"Is that Darien?" Rei asked in surprise.
"Yeah. We found him last night." Lita responded. Then she turned back to look at Rei and whispered. "He's really sick, I'm worried."
Rei nodded her understanding and walked over to Serena's side while Lita went to check the stove. The soup had evaporated to nearly nothing and Lita was glad that she didn't burn the building down.
"Serena?" Rei quietly spoke to her friend. "Are you okay?"
"He won't wake up, Rei..." Serena said while tears were falling from her eyes.
"It'll be okay Serena, I promise." Rei assured her friend. "But it won't do any good for him to wake up and see you like this. Go lay down, I'll take over for a bit."
Serena looked up to her friend and was truly grateful. I have the best friends, she thought to herself. "Thank you." Serena said and walked into the kitchen to get something to eat.
Rei looked down at Darien and sighed. "You better get better." She whispered the threat. The last thing Serena needed was to suffer from the loss of Darien again.
Five days past and yet Darien slept on. Mina and Ami became part of the nursing team, as well as helping Serena cope. She often refused to sleep; afraid he would awake when she was asleep. Her exhaustion, however, would take it's toll and sleep would claim her, but not without a struggle. Jimmy was understanding and allowed one of the girls to skip work every night so they could be with Serena.
"Ami, I'm gonna watch some TV." Serena informed Ami, who was reading a book in the kitchen.
"That's fine Serena." Ami told her as she stood to take the seat by the bed. Ami knew that once Serena would sit in front of the TV, it would only be a matter of moments before she fell asleep.
Ami was right and Serena was dosing in less than five minutes. Her soft snores were the only sound in the apartment and Ami found her book very peaceful and relaxing. However, Ami was startled out of her book by a sound other than herself or Serena.
"Serena." The voice moaned softly. Ami looked over to find Darien tossing fitfully in his sleep. Beads of sweat were dripping down his face as he moaned her name over and over again.
Ami reached out a hand to his forehead and found it wasn't as warm as it had been. His fever was breaking as he struggled through his nightmare.
"Serena!" He yelled out and shot up in the bed. Ami jumped back in shock. She stared at him and his blue eyes stared back. Footsteps sounded behind Ami and she turned to see Serena walking over.
"What's going on Ami?" Serena's voice faded to a whisper as she saw Darien sitting up and staring at her. "Darien?"
"Serena?" He whispered in a voice that matched hers.
Without waiting a moment, Serena leap over to the bed and took Darien into her arms. "Oh Darien, I was so scared."
"Serena." He held on as tight as his weakened body would allow. "I'm never letting go." He softly said into her ear. However, his exhausted body could not hold on and he slipped back into unconsciousness.
"Darien?" Serena asked, feeling his body go limp in her arms. "Darien?"
"He fell asleep again." Ami reassured Serena and helped her lower him back to the bed.
"Oh, Ami!" Serena gushed and grabbed Ami into a hug.
"It will all be okay Serena." Ami comforted her.
Of course, Ami was always right. The girl was a genius and only worked at The Hourglass to earn extra money while she was in college. So when Ami assured Serena that everything would be okay, Serena knew that she could depend on her.
Over the following days, Darien was awake for brief periods of time. After three days, he was actually able to sit up and feed himself without help. After a week, he was complaining about cabin fever, pestering his "nurses" to allow him to get up and move around. Serena had never been happier to hear someone whine.
"It's so beautiful out!" Darien practically shouted when he went on a walk in the park with Serena.
"You're just glad to get out of the apartment." Serena said with a laugh, knowing that he had been sick of being indoors.
"True, but it is a nice day." He said with a smile. Serena smiled back at him and he once again realized why he could never live without her. "I'm sorry Serena."
"Huh? Sorry for what?" She asked, confused.
"For everything. For leaving you mostly." He confided.
"Darien..." She started, but he cut her off.
"Serena, I don't deserve you. But I'm going to prove myself worthy of you." He insisted to her.
Serena smiled at Darien, content to always be by his side, no matter what. Yet it made her so happy to hear him say that. To know that he felt the same way as she did.
"I have an interview tomorrow at the hospital for the pediatrics ward." Darien told her with a smile.
"Oh Darien, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you." She smiled. Not being able to resist her happy face, Darien bent down and captured her lips with his own.
When he finally released the kiss, he looked down into Serena's beautiful crystal blue eyes. He saw all the love, passion, and hope that he always dreamed of.
"I love you, Serena."
"And I love you, Darien."
*
Darien got the job at the hospital, although Serena was mad that he would never let her visit him there. He said that he was busy and would prefer for her just to wait until he came home to "visit" with him. At first she was upset, but found that "visits" at home were quite enjoyable.
After six months of not talking, Serena's parents had called a truce to the war between them. Grateful that they would accept her as she was, Serena agreed and was happy to have them in her life. Especially since when they were fighting she couldn't visit with her niece, Nikki. Sammy's daughter looked a lot like him, although she had her mother Miaka's personality.
Both Serena and Darien had decided that it was best to wait for Serena to introduce Darien to her family. She knew that he now knew of her family's wealth, and that it mattered none to him, but she was never sure of her family's reaction.
But for everything else in their lives, they were happy. Darien worked almost everyday and Serena would only keep the same hours as him. They spent endless hours talking, walking through parks, or just hanging out together. The Hourglass was visited at least once a week, sometimes more, with Darien often requesting that his girlfriend grace the stage. Unlike his earlier jealousy, when Serena danced, he knew that she was only dancing for him and no one else.
Months went by and many wondered how the two lovers had failed to live without each other for their entire life. It was as if one would forget to breath if the other weren't there to remind them. It was truly beautiful.
"Happy Anniversary!" Darien shouted as Serena entered the door.
"What?" She asked, confusion written across her face.
"It's our anniversary! Exactly one year ago you found me in your car." He said as he walked up to her and gave her a kiss.
"Well, that is a reason to celebrate." Serena said with a beautiful smile. They shared another kiss when the phone rang, cutting off the romance.
"Damn." Serena muttered as she walked to the phone. She knew who it was before she even answered. "Hello?"
Darien watched on with an adorable smile. She was so cute when she was mad and he loved it.
"Hello Father." Serena said with a sigh, while Darien laughed. "No, I can't tonight. I have plans." A pause indicated that her father was speaking. "With a guy." She paused again with a face to Darien that screamed 'kill me'. "Bring him?" She asked into the phone, as if not believing what she heard. Darien's face took on a look of shock. "Okay Father, I'll see you soon."
She hung the phone up on the receiver and looked over at Darien, who looked a little nervous.
"He wants you to come." Serena informed him, incase he hadn't guessed.
"Okay." Darien replied slowly. "I can do that."
Serena nodded her head, accepting his reluctance, and began to get ready.
Stepping out of Serena's taxi, Serena looked over to see Darien looking up at the mansion nervously.
"It will be okay." She informed him as she grabbed his hand and led him to the front door.
Serena pushed the doorbell and they both waited for their fate.
"Serena, dear." Serena's father answered the door, much to her surprise.
"Hello, father." She replied with a soft voice as he hugged her. She stepped into the doorway and Darien followed her. "Father, this is Darien, my boyfriend."
Serena's father gave Darien a brief look over before extending his hand. "Nice to meet you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stanton." Darien replied, hoping that the man would accept him.
"Come, your mother is in the dining room." Serena's father walked ahead of the couple into the dining room. Serena held Darien's hand, which he held onto like a life preserver in rough waters.
"Darling, Serena is here with her boyfriend, Darien."
Serena stepped forward to hug her mother. "I'm glad you came dear." Her mother said with a cheerful voice.
"Mother, this is Darien." Serena said as she stepped aside to allow her mother to see Darien.
"Dr. Shields?" Her mother questioned him, causing a startled look to come to Serena's face.
"Hello again Mrs. Stanton. How is little Nikki doing?" He asked, avoiding the look of shock on Serena's face.
"Oh she's fine!" Serena's mother gushed. "Serena, you didn't tell me you were dating Dr. Shields."
"I...I...I..." Serena could not make a coherent sentence as her mouth opened and closed like a fish.
"Dear, you remember when Nikki swallowed that quarter? Dr. Shields was her doctor." Mrs. Stanton informed her husband.
Mr. Stanton looked onto Darien with new eyes. He again stretched out his hand. "Well done, son."
Serena's mouth continued to impersonate a cod while Darien simply stared at her with amusement in his eyes.
"Would you mind if we took a walk? I need to talk to Serena a little before dinner." Darien asked. With their nods of approval, Darien swept Serena from the dining room.
"Perhaps you would like to take a walk in the gardens?" Darien asked Serena, although he knew he would get no answer.
Some minutes later, the couple was seated on a bench in the garden. Serena's mouth had stopped moving, but was still having difficulty forming a sentence.
"How? When? Where? HOW?" Serena questioned, really unsure of anything going on.
"I was going to tell you tonight, Serena. I didn't want to tell you before because I was embarrassed." Darien said as he looked at his hands, which were folded in his lap.
"Huh?" Serena replied with very little grace. "How could you be embarrassed?"
Darien looked up into Serena's eyes and took her hands into his. "When we met, I was nothing. I had let go of everything in my life. I was struggling to survive because I made a stupid choice." He once again dropped his eyes from hers and his voice dropped to a whisper. "I let a little girl die. There was nothing I could do, but I couldn't help but blame myself."
"Darien." Serena said his name with such love that he couldn't refrain his eyes from meeting hers. She reached up a hand and gently stroked away the tears that were forming in his eyes.
"I quit my job and allowed myself to wallow in self pity. My editor dropped me, refusing to take submissions from a bum. I was ready to die when I met you. I wasn't worthy of you, so I left. It was the biggest mistake I ever made."
"Darien, I forgave you a long time ago. Why did you keep this from me?" Serena asked in a hushed voice.
"I know you did, but I needed to become sure of myself again. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to make it as a doctor again. I didn't want to tell you only to disappoint you. I needed to know that I wouldn't let you down." Darien replied, hoping that Serena wouldn't be upset with him.
"And are you sure now?" Serena questioned him.
"Well, I suppose I should be since the hospital promoted me to assistant head of the pediatrics ward last week." His eyes shone with pride.
"Oh Darien!" Serena leapt forward and embraced him in a hug. "I'm so proud of you."
"Serena." Darien whispered, as if a normal voice would wake him from the wondrous dream that he was living. "Thank you, Serena."
"Promise you'll never keep anything from me again?" Serena pleaded.
"I promise." Darien agreed and kissed Serena gently on the cheek.
"Well, I suppose we should get back inside." Serena suggested and stood from the bench.
"Oh, Serena, there is one more thing that I need to tell you." Darien said, not moving from his seat.
Serena stopped and turned back to him. "What's that?"
Darien stood from his seat, only to kneel down in front of Serena. Tears sprang to Serena's eyes at the sight before her. "Serena, I love you. I want to be with you always. I want you to have my children. I want you to be my wife."
Serena gasped as Darien reached into his pocket to produce a black velvet box. He opened it slowly, and then turned it so that she could see it. A beautiful one-carat diamond sparkled in the moonlight.
"Serena, would you do me the greatest honor in the world and become my wife?" He pleaded from his spot on the ground.
Serena dropped down to her knees and grabbed Darien into a fierce hug. She pulled back and grabbed his lips into a long, seductive kiss.
"Yes! YES! A thousand times, YES!" She yelled to the heavens. Darien wasted no time and claimed her lips again.
From a window at the back of the house, a woman and a man watched on in interest.
"Darien can be quite sneaky, can't he?" Mr. Stanton asked as he wrapped an arm around his wife.
"I think he got the idea when I told him of how you proposed." Mrs. Stanton said with a smile, remembering how her husband had refused to see her for a week before he asked her. She had been a nervous wreck, thinking that he didn't love her anymore.
Mr. Stanton leaned over to his wife and whispered into her ear, "Well then, perhaps I should follow his idea and just kiss you senseless." Mrs. Stanton giggled as he approached her and did just that.
"Darien." Serena whispered his name as their kiss came to an end. "I love you."
"My darling Serena, I love you, always." He reassured her before leaning down to kiss her again.
The moon shined down, illuminating the new lovers and the old in its beautiful light.
~*~
The End.
