Disclaimer: Ahem. As you all surely can guess- Sailor Moon is still not mine.

Notes:

Wow, I'm on favorites lists! Woo-hoo! I'm sorry these chapters are taking so long… I'm trying to figure out stuff like how to do the whole reunion thing with minimal cheese. And also plotting the various ways to torture Darien. *grins evilly at D, who runs away screaming*

Tera: *blushes* awww… you definitely know how to get an author to update! J

bAbY sTaR aNg3l: Thank you and don't worry. I'll pair her up with whoever I decide I like best… *looks from Theirry, to Ash, to Darien* Okay… one of y'all's gonna have to be uglified or something… *Darien screams and swoons*

Chapter 8

'Oh, Diary! I can't go back. I can't! It's tomorrow. Tomorrow I board the plane and go back. I've tried everything. EVERYTHING. And daddy is still making me go. I don't want to- I'm afraid it'll go back to just the way it was. Me, stupid, ditzy, clumsy little Serena. Always good to laugh at. Always good for getting in the way.

Thank the Goddess the Court will be there next week. All I have to do is survive for a week and then they'll be there to rescue me. It's only a week… How much can happen in one week?

….

'I'm on the plane now diary. I can't sleep, and I've already watched the movies on my console twice. Well… sort of. I don't actually remember anything from them. I was so happy to get rid of being Sailor Moon. And Darien. And the Moon Kingdom. Even Luna and Artemis and the Scouts. I wonder if they'll recognize me? What am I kidding? As soon as I step off the plane I'll just be stupid little Meatball Head, whether I have my pigtails or not. Pleasepleaseplease Lady, let this week be fast…'

She stepped off the plane at the Tokyo airport, made her way through customs, security, and finally through the gate. She spotted her mother and Sammy almost at once and hurried toward them. Sammy was staring at her with a very strange look…

"Mom! Sammy!" Serena gasped, coming to a stop in front of them. Her mother blinked, taking a moment to recognize her.

"Oh, Serena! My little girl!" Ilene said, beaming. She hugged her daughter tightly. "You- you're so grown up!" Sammy was still staring. Finally he managed to smirk.

"Good to see ya. Hey, you finally got normal hair!" Serena grinned and hugged him, bringing a tomato red blush to her brother's cheeks. Then she kissed his cheek. "EEEEEWWW! YUCK!"

"I missed you too Sammy." She looked back at her mother. "Sorry I didn't get a chance to call before I left."

"That's okay. Oh, come on, honey- you look dead tired. Lets get you home before that jetlag really hits you."

As the family walked through the airport, Serena told her mother about her friends and how they would all be coming to Tokyo later on. She was also thanking her lucky stars for Virtual Bellhop, a service of her father's company which had sent her luggage ahead of her, freeing them from the hassle of baggage claims.

Ilene was watching her daughter closely. Serena had changed so much- and the changes went deeper than the new hairstyle and fashion sense. Serena had an aura around her, one of confidence and happiness, but also of mystery; as if the girl had her own private world to attend to. Ilene couldn't help thinking she really didn't know her daughter anymore… and maybe she never really would. But she shook off those terrible things as Sammy started trying to bait Serena into a fight. Poor Sammy; he had missed his sister so much, and been so lonely with no one to fight with.

Serena was oddly quiet as the three of them drove back home, only speaking when asked direct questions. Ilene decided she was suffering from jet lag. When they pulled up in front of the house where Serena had spent her childhood, she avoided looking at it. Inside she found the furnishings were all different, newer and much more modern.

"Do you like it, honey?" her mother asked. "I thought the house could use a change so I redecorated it! Not to worry, your room is still the same. But if you'd rather we changed it too, just tell me!" this was said as they were walking down the hallway to her room.

The door was closed. Run, Serena, something inside her was yelling, Runrunrunrunrunrun… Instead she took a deep breath and opened the door. Her mom hadn't been kidding. It was still the same. The same awful duvet with bunnies and moons, the same bedroom set…. It was like walking into someone else's room. She stared at the stuffed animals. If she had to spend the summer like this! "Mom, I think I would love to redo my room." She turned to her mom. "We could do it together! A quality time project or whatever!" she said smiling. Ilene laughed.

"All right, honey. We can go looking for new things tomorrow!" Serena hugged her mom tightly.

"Thank you."

The next morning a groggy, worn Serena woke up and stumbled down the stairs. Her mother was making breakfast. Sammy was in the living room watching TV. "Good morning, honey," Ilene said.

"Morning…" Serena mumbled, as she made her way to the coffee machine. "Caffeine…"

Ilene laughed. "Well some things never change." Serena nodded.

"I hate mornings."

After Serena had downed some coffee and had started on a Diet Coke, breakfast was served. She was much more awake, and no longer resembled a zombie. Sammy spouted off about Pokemon and other cartoons as they ate, even telling Serena about the latest version of the Sailor V games.

"The Crown just got the newest one in," he said. "You ought to go see it!"

"Maybe later…" she smiled. "Thanks for telling me though. Sounds like a blast."

Before Sammy could respond with another in depth analysis, Ilene spoke. "Serena, after we finish shopping today, why don't you look in on your friends? Every time I saw Ami she asked about you."

Serena nodded. "Sure mom. Sounds like a good idea… by the way, where is Luna?"

Ilene looked uncomfortable. "Well… after you left, she was so, er, depressed, that we gave her to Mina…" she and Sammy both looked at Serena anxiously waiting for the explosion. Several tense hearbeats. Serena kept eating her pancakes.

"Oh. Cool." She pushed her chair back. "Need any help with the dishes?"

"No. No, there aren't many. I'll do them later."

"Okay. I'm going to go get dressed. I'll be back in a sec!" Serena smiled and hurried back upstairs. They heard her door shut.

"She didn't throw a tantrum or anything!" Sammy said gaping at the stairs. "Are you sure that's Serena?"

Ilene frowned at him. "Of course it's Serena! She's just grown up, Sammy." Without us, she silently added.

Serena dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of hipster jean shorts, a midriff Tommygirl tee, and slipped into a pair of white sneakers without heels. She twisted her hair up, and clipped it into place. A touch of pink gloss, some silver eye shadow, peachy blush, small silver hoop earrings a silver Celtic knot ring, and she was done. She skipped down the stairs, bursting with energy. Shopping! And no more moons and bunnies!