A Christmas Angel
By: BeckyJoe
AN: Ok, I've had a few people read some of my other stories and ask me to write longer stories. Well, this is my first attempt at that, so please don't be too harsh. As usual, I'm asking for thoughts on my writing, and I'll gladly take praise, flames, or any other comments. Thanx, hope ya like it!!
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Christmas at the Tsukino house was usually a special treat. The smell of the baking turkey and stuffing, chewey chocolate chip cookies and tasty gingerbread men on the table. A huge pine tree decorated lovingly with crystal ornaments and a few of the classics: the shining star at the very tip of the tree, all of the hand-crafted ornaments from Serena and Sammy, and the most special of all, the glistening angel that Mrs.Tsukino found on her doorstep on Serena's first Christmas. Colorful presents for everyone piled in mountainous stacks under the tree, and cheery mistletoe hung in the doorframe. And most of all, the company of the family, gathered together, talking and sharing their love for one another. But this Christmas was going to be different. Very different. Serena's aunt was very, very sick. Her mother had her sister moved into their house, temporarily, she had said. The house was no longer cheery and bright, but a sad place. Her racking coughs could be heard throughout the house, and dimmed lights gave her room a creepy feeling. Mrs.Tsukino had little time to waist decorating the house, and all that stood to remind them of the fact that Christmas was fastly aproaching was the small, hastliy decorated tree in the corner of the living room. Since her aunt had come to stay, the house stayed mostly devoid of Serena's silver laughter. She tended to stay out until dark and even when she was home, she was in her room, radio as loud as her mother let her play it. Today was an especially bad day for her aunt Julie. Serena was deffinately not staying home.
The sky was a beautiful shade of blue, and the clouds overhead were light and fluffy. Serena pulled her coat tighter around her as she walked down the sidewalk, lost in thought.
How can it look so beautiful out here? How can things seem normal when they're not? Why does she have to be sick? I wish it wasn't Christmas.... Serena walked, the characteristic bounce in her step missing, her silky hair dragging sadly on the ground. She was snapped from her sad thoughts as she ran, hard, into Darien. She fell to the ground and, rather than jumping up and fighting with him like usual, she just stayed on the ground and began to cry. Darien's heart was nearly ripped from his chest when he saw how sad she looked. He bent down and spoke gently to her.
"Meatball Head? What's wrong?" He said as he helped her stand up, tears still streaking down her face. She didn't even try to stop crying, she just cried and cried, and in a moment, she was in Darien's arms. He stood there, shocked, as Serena stood crying sadly into his shoulder. He gently stroked her hair and held her. Her crying eventually faded to spaced sobs, and finally her tears stopped all together. She, for some reason she couldn't fathom, was completely comfortable in his arms. She stepped back from his embrace and looked him in the eyes, and she blushed. His face showed his worry, and his eyes most of all, caught her heart and made it warm. She made as if to speak, but Darien silenced her.
"Serena, why don't you let me buy you some hot chocolate at the arcade? Its kinda cold out, and hot chocolate would warm us right up," he said kindly, hoping to cheer his little Meatball Head up. She smiled a little, a real smile, and nodded.
"Sure, that sounds great!" she said. They walked slowly to the arcade in a comfortable silence. When they walked into the doors together, Andrew nearly spit out the water he was drinking. He looked at them, confused, but decided to leave it alone...for now. Darien would have to explain it to him later.
"Hey guys, what can I get for ya?" Andrew asked with a smile. Darien ordered two hot chocolates, and him and Serena snagged the booth in the corner. They sipped their cocoa, and they were mostly silent.
"Serena," Darien finally said, "Why have you been so sad lately? His eyes showed concern for her, and she saw it.
"Oh, its nothing to worry about really. Just...well, its nothing you'd wanna hear about. I'm ok,really," she said, trying to sound the part at least, but Darien saw right through it. He shook his head.
"I'm serious Serena, what's wrong? You can tell me, I promise I'll listen. Tell me about it, it'll make you feel better." Serena looked into her cocoa for a moment, watching the curls of steam rise and dance away.
"Well, ok," she said, making up her mind to tell him. "Its just that my aunt Julie got really sick a while ago, and my mom brought her to stay with us. My mom's stressed, and she's not at all like she usually is. She doesn't even ask me about school! And the house seems so gloomy now. Aunt Julie's always coughing, and I'm worried she'll....well I'm scared she won't make it. And now that Christmas is coming, it makes it worse. Usually we make a big deal out of Christmas, with the tree and presents and people, but this year, it looks like we won't even have a Christmas! I just wish things would go back to normal!" She looked down into her cocoa as a tear slipped down her cheek. Gently, Darien wiped the tear from her face, and she looked up, startled.
"I'm sorry Serena," he said, "I wish things were better for you. If you need anything, I'm here for you." Serena smiled, her heart suddenly light again, but not the same. She felt...well, she felt for Darien. But what did she feel? She had no idea anymore. She glanced at her watch and nearly jumped from the booth.
"Oh my gosh!" she cried, "I'm supposed to be home! Oh, I'm gunna be in so much trouble!" She got up to leave, when she felt Darien's hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked up into his face.
"If you want, I can give you a ride home," he offered. Serena nodded yes, and they walked out of the arcade and down the sidewalk to where his car was parked. It was a flashy red sports car, and it looked as expensive as it was. They climbed in and Darien started the car. He headed in the general direction of Serena's house, and they remained mostly quiet.
"Ok Serena," Darien said, "Now I need your directions. Which way do I go?" Serena pointed out the direction, and they turned into her driveway. As she got out of the car, she turned to say good bye.
"Thanks Darien," she said, " not just for the ride or the cocoa, but thanks for letting me whine. You were really cool today. See ya around I guess." She gently shut the door, missing his last remark.
"I'll make sure of that."
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~Chapter two of A Christmas Angel is in the works, so be lookin for it!~
By: BeckyJoe
AN: Ok, I've had a few people read some of my other stories and ask me to write longer stories. Well, this is my first attempt at that, so please don't be too harsh. As usual, I'm asking for thoughts on my writing, and I'll gladly take praise, flames, or any other comments. Thanx, hope ya like it!!
***************************************
Christmas at the Tsukino house was usually a special treat. The smell of the baking turkey and stuffing, chewey chocolate chip cookies and tasty gingerbread men on the table. A huge pine tree decorated lovingly with crystal ornaments and a few of the classics: the shining star at the very tip of the tree, all of the hand-crafted ornaments from Serena and Sammy, and the most special of all, the glistening angel that Mrs.Tsukino found on her doorstep on Serena's first Christmas. Colorful presents for everyone piled in mountainous stacks under the tree, and cheery mistletoe hung in the doorframe. And most of all, the company of the family, gathered together, talking and sharing their love for one another. But this Christmas was going to be different. Very different. Serena's aunt was very, very sick. Her mother had her sister moved into their house, temporarily, she had said. The house was no longer cheery and bright, but a sad place. Her racking coughs could be heard throughout the house, and dimmed lights gave her room a creepy feeling. Mrs.Tsukino had little time to waist decorating the house, and all that stood to remind them of the fact that Christmas was fastly aproaching was the small, hastliy decorated tree in the corner of the living room. Since her aunt had come to stay, the house stayed mostly devoid of Serena's silver laughter. She tended to stay out until dark and even when she was home, she was in her room, radio as loud as her mother let her play it. Today was an especially bad day for her aunt Julie. Serena was deffinately not staying home.
The sky was a beautiful shade of blue, and the clouds overhead were light and fluffy. Serena pulled her coat tighter around her as she walked down the sidewalk, lost in thought.
How can it look so beautiful out here? How can things seem normal when they're not? Why does she have to be sick? I wish it wasn't Christmas.... Serena walked, the characteristic bounce in her step missing, her silky hair dragging sadly on the ground. She was snapped from her sad thoughts as she ran, hard, into Darien. She fell to the ground and, rather than jumping up and fighting with him like usual, she just stayed on the ground and began to cry. Darien's heart was nearly ripped from his chest when he saw how sad she looked. He bent down and spoke gently to her.
"Meatball Head? What's wrong?" He said as he helped her stand up, tears still streaking down her face. She didn't even try to stop crying, she just cried and cried, and in a moment, she was in Darien's arms. He stood there, shocked, as Serena stood crying sadly into his shoulder. He gently stroked her hair and held her. Her crying eventually faded to spaced sobs, and finally her tears stopped all together. She, for some reason she couldn't fathom, was completely comfortable in his arms. She stepped back from his embrace and looked him in the eyes, and she blushed. His face showed his worry, and his eyes most of all, caught her heart and made it warm. She made as if to speak, but Darien silenced her.
"Serena, why don't you let me buy you some hot chocolate at the arcade? Its kinda cold out, and hot chocolate would warm us right up," he said kindly, hoping to cheer his little Meatball Head up. She smiled a little, a real smile, and nodded.
"Sure, that sounds great!" she said. They walked slowly to the arcade in a comfortable silence. When they walked into the doors together, Andrew nearly spit out the water he was drinking. He looked at them, confused, but decided to leave it alone...for now. Darien would have to explain it to him later.
"Hey guys, what can I get for ya?" Andrew asked with a smile. Darien ordered two hot chocolates, and him and Serena snagged the booth in the corner. They sipped their cocoa, and they were mostly silent.
"Serena," Darien finally said, "Why have you been so sad lately? His eyes showed concern for her, and she saw it.
"Oh, its nothing to worry about really. Just...well, its nothing you'd wanna hear about. I'm ok,really," she said, trying to sound the part at least, but Darien saw right through it. He shook his head.
"I'm serious Serena, what's wrong? You can tell me, I promise I'll listen. Tell me about it, it'll make you feel better." Serena looked into her cocoa for a moment, watching the curls of steam rise and dance away.
"Well, ok," she said, making up her mind to tell him. "Its just that my aunt Julie got really sick a while ago, and my mom brought her to stay with us. My mom's stressed, and she's not at all like she usually is. She doesn't even ask me about school! And the house seems so gloomy now. Aunt Julie's always coughing, and I'm worried she'll....well I'm scared she won't make it. And now that Christmas is coming, it makes it worse. Usually we make a big deal out of Christmas, with the tree and presents and people, but this year, it looks like we won't even have a Christmas! I just wish things would go back to normal!" She looked down into her cocoa as a tear slipped down her cheek. Gently, Darien wiped the tear from her face, and she looked up, startled.
"I'm sorry Serena," he said, "I wish things were better for you. If you need anything, I'm here for you." Serena smiled, her heart suddenly light again, but not the same. She felt...well, she felt for Darien. But what did she feel? She had no idea anymore. She glanced at her watch and nearly jumped from the booth.
"Oh my gosh!" she cried, "I'm supposed to be home! Oh, I'm gunna be in so much trouble!" She got up to leave, when she felt Darien's hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked up into his face.
"If you want, I can give you a ride home," he offered. Serena nodded yes, and they walked out of the arcade and down the sidewalk to where his car was parked. It was a flashy red sports car, and it looked as expensive as it was. They climbed in and Darien started the car. He headed in the general direction of Serena's house, and they remained mostly quiet.
"Ok Serena," Darien said, "Now I need your directions. Which way do I go?" Serena pointed out the direction, and they turned into her driveway. As she got out of the car, she turned to say good bye.
"Thanks Darien," she said, " not just for the ride or the cocoa, but thanks for letting me whine. You were really cool today. See ya around I guess." She gently shut the door, missing his last remark.
"I'll make sure of that."
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~Chapter two of A Christmas Angel is in the works, so be lookin for it!~