Disclaimer:
I don't own Sailor Moon or anything related to it. Please don't sue.
Thanks to all my reviewers! =]
Friends First
- Chapter 11 -
'Mmm...' Serena mumbled, as she tried to shake the haziness of sleep away. She yawned, and then stretched out her arms, not making a rush to get out of bed. It was such a nice bed, all nice and comfy, with a fluffy white comforter and soft, plump pillows and...wait. Fluffy white comforter? Her eyes widened, and she bolted upright. Last she recalled, her comforter was a nice soft shade of lavendar. Could it turn white overnight? She thought not.
Looking around frantically, Serena realized she didn't recognize the room she was in. She scrambled out of bed quickly. But as soon as she set foot on the ground, she noticed something else...
"Why do I feel like I'm swaying?"
She quickly walked towards the end of the room where a window was located and pushed back the curtains. What she saw made her gasp. Through the window, she had a marvelous view of the vast open ocean. The water was a beautiful hue of clear, deep blue. The waves rocked against the side of the room, which would explain why she felt the subtle rocking motion in the first place. But then, how could she be so close to the ocean? Unless she was on a...ship.
Before she could contemplate it anymore, the door to the room opened, and in walked Darien. In a place that was unknown, she had never been so happy to see a familiar face. Without thinking, she ran straight across the room and into the arms, giving a sigh of relief. She buried her head into his chest and let out a muffled sigh, feeling safe now.
"Mmm...Darien, where are we? What happened?"
"We're on the royal yacht. And what happened is: you were exhausted. I thought you needed some rest and relaxation, so I brought you here. Of course, no one knows, or they might've tried to stop us."
"What?!"
"Don't worry, I left a note."
"But the wedding?"
"It's being post-poned. I don't think you would've liked to fall asleep at your own wedding, right? Besides, it's practically planned. When we get back, all we have to do is go through with the ceremony."
Serena nodded and then smiled. "Um...thanks."
Darien smirked back. "I just didn't want my wedding to be ruined."
Serena smacked him on his shoulder as she stepped out of his embrace.
"By the way, breakfast is ready."
--------
Rei had her ear pressed against the door, near the keyhole, trying to hear every word that was being said. She could, although the words were slightly muffled.
"What do you mean they're missing?!"
"Your Majesty, I don't know. This note was found and, on later inspection, the royal yacht seems to also be missing. That's all we've found so far. Would you like me to read the note to you?"
"No, no. Give it here. I'm fully capable of reading it myself."
"What would you like me to do about the situation, Your Majesty?"
As the queen read over her son's note, she mumbled, "Nothing...for now."
As soon as Rei heard her mother dismiss Ruth, she instantly jumped back from the door and walked quickly away. She found Jed in the dining room, having breakfast, and decided to share her news. When she finished relaying her information, the first words out of Jed's mouth were...
"Kyle's going to kill me."
Rei looked confused. "What?"
"Kyle, Serena's older brother. He sent me in his place, -commanding- me to take care of Serena. And now, she's missing...and I wasn't even the first to know!" Jed ran his hands through his hair in a nervous gesture. "What am I going to do?"
"First, calm down. He can't be that bad."
"You don't know Kyle."
"He's your cousin, I'm sure he won't -kill- you. And next, I think I know where they're going. So get off your lazy butt and let's take a ride."
--------
They landed at a dock about an hour after Serena finished breakfast. From there, they walked through an empty field, towards a forest. The forest was dark and eerie—the trees so tall and heavy, they bent over to entwine their branches with each other, creating a cover that let hardly any light in. Darien found a worn dirt path, and Serena followed. She made sure to keep her eyes on Darien, so as not to get lost, and made conversation to keep her occupied as they walked."So, where are we going exactly?"
"Well, I've got some patients to attend to, and then, the rest of our day is free."
"I see. Is it at the same place we went the day before?"
"Yes, for now."
"For now?"
Darien nodded. "I'm trying to start up a free hospital in town, to help those who cannot afford medical care on their own. It will have better accommodations and be more efficient, with more staff at hand to serve to the patients' needs. I've already asked several fellow physicians, and they've agreed to help me, as long as I fund it."
"Wow!" Serena exclaimed. "That's great. I wish I could do something like that. You're going to help so many people."
"I hope so." He decided to change the subject, not wanting to jinx anything. "Anyway, I'm going to marry you, and yet, I have no idea about your personal background."
Serena smiled. "Well, I've got a mother and father who want me married. You already know that part. But I also have an older brother and a younger brother."
"Mm...I'm a middle child as well. An older brother, who is the rightful heir to the throne, and a younger sister, as you know."
"An older brother? How come I've never met him?"
"He's not in the country at the moment. Actually, he's traveling around the world as an ambassador to Erent. My mother sent him to gain experience, for when he is crowned king."
"Oh. Will I see him at the wedding?"
"I'm not sure."
They continued their conversation, getting to know each other, all the way until they reached the clinic. After that, they parted ways; Darien to attend to his patients, and Serena to help whenever and wherever possible. Mostly, she stayed in the waiting room, talking to the patients waiting for care, and trying to help them get comfortable whenever possible. She would never have guessed it, but she really liked doing this. It made her feel so helpful. Maybe her true calling was to be a nurse?
When all the patients left, they met up again at the entrance.
"That was fun!"
Darien smiled. "Never had anyone react that way before."
"First time for everything. So, what's next?"
"If you want, we own a house near by the ocean. We can have lunch at one of the many restaurants on the boardwalk, and then retire to the villa for a nice little nap."
"Ooh! Two of my very favorite things! Sounds like a plan. Let's go!"
--------
Jed whistled low, as they came upon a mansion with an ocean front view. "Nice!"Rei smiled proudly. "Thank you. It's even better inside."
She took his hand and dragged him inside. She was right. The outer appearance of the house peaked your interest, but the interior reeled you in. It had wide, open, airy rooms that were beautifully decorated in rich colors and had a throrougly modern feel to it.
"What is this place?"
"It's our summer home." Rei replied, as she walked through one of many doorways. She called out Serena's and Darien's name with no reply.
"Are you sure they'd come here?"
"Yes."
"But wouldn't it be too easy? I mean, someone could just come here and bring them back to the palace, right? And then what would be the whole point of getting away in the first place?"
"Exactly!"
Jed looked confused. "Huh?"
"It's too easy. Parents...they think to much. My mother will have thought they concocted this horribly elaborate scheme to get away. She would never think to look here. Darien knows how my mother thinks, which is why I think the most likely place they'll come to is here. They probably stopped somewhere to get a bite to eat."
Jed still looked skeptical. He tried to cut in, but Rei continued talking, before he could.
"Speaking of which, I'm starving. Let's go down to the boardwalk. They have plenty of great restaurants there."
Once again, she took his hand, and dragged him away. Would it always be like this between them? Rei commanding and Jed following? Jed didn't mind, as long as he got to do the commanding in other aspects of their relationship.
--------
"That was delicious!"
Darien smirked. "I can tell."
Serena blushed. She knew she overdid it sometimes with her passion for food. But if you didn't have a passion for some things, then life would be such a dull world. Sucking up her embarrassment, she decided to do the only thing she could—she stuck her tounge out at him, which caused Darien to laugh.
"Very ladylike."
"Hmph...So, to the nap we go?"
"Sure. This way."
They maneuvered through the crowded boardwalk, stopping whenever something caught Serena's eye. And, by the time they reached the end of the boardwalk, Serena had finished up three double scoop cones of chocolate ice cream, two churros, and one lightly salted pretzel with mustard. She had also aqcuired several tiny knick-knacks for souvenirs and two hawaiin-ish wrap arounds with floral print—one in a light pink for herself and the other in a forest green for Lita. Just as they stepped on a walkway, that Darien said would take them to the beach house, a familiar pair of voices met their ears.
Serena glanced over her shoulder to see Rei running through the crowd, pulling Jed behind her, while trying to catch up with them. She motioned for Darien to stop, waiting for them to catch up with them. By the time they did, Rei had a nice rosy glow on her cheeks and was slightly out of breath, while Jed looked like he was ready to collapse on the floor.
"There you guys are! We've been looking all over for you." And then she turned to Jed and said, "See, told you I was right!"
Jed just shook his head, amusement in his eyes. "Fine. Whatever."
No questions asked, the four of them began making their way to the summer house, Rei and Jed following Serena and Darien. Serena's reaction to the house was basically the same as Jed's, except a little more enthusiastic. She loved the interior of the house and went through every room, taking in every detail. It was gorgeous, and it was all designed by Rei, and her friend, Mina. Serena made a mental note to ask if they could decorate any house Serena planned to buy in the future.
As soon as she finished giving herself a tour, she met with the other three by the entrance, where they decided what they wanted to do. Serena opted for the nap Darien had mentioned earlier, as did Darien, while Rei opted for some sun bathing, and Jed for some surfing. Jed and Rei, clad in their swimwear and towels in hand, left soon after, leaving Darien and Serena alone. Instead of making conversation, like she usually did, Serena went upstairs without another word. She was still tired from overexerting herself for the wedding-that-was-to-be-postponed; she didn't think Darien would mind. Going past several rooms, she entered one that she noticed, earlier, had an extremely comfy looking bed in it, in fact it looked to be the most comfy in the house.
The room was colored with darker shades than the rest of the house, and was also decorated slightly different than the rest of the house. This information niggled at something in Serena's head, but she quickly shoved the forming idea out of her head, and went straight to the bed. She climbed under the covers, and let her head sink into the fluffy pillows, sighing in contentment. Her eyes fluttered close, as she was swept away into the oblivion that is sleep.
Not a second later, Darien entered, just as tired himself, only to find his bed already occupied. Instead of thinking of any other option, he climbed into bed next to Serena, and snuggled down. They were getting married anyway; they'd have to get used to it. He moved closer to Serena, one arm going on around her waist possessively, as he maunevered them into the spooning position. Feeling content, his last thought, before drifting off, was, 'I could get used to this.'
A/N: Had some time before I left, and was on a roll. What do you think? Good? Bad? Needs improvement? Please review, and/or leave some constructive criticism. =] But leaving tomorrow, so now it's really unlikely there will be anymore updates until [maybe when] school starts.