Chapter 3 – Second Feelings

AN: Sorry about the wait guys. It has been a long time however I have had extreme writer's block for a while.

DISC: I do not own Sailor moon just borrowing the characters to create this story.

Darien just continued to stare at the redheaded beauty for what seemed like ages, until a tiny voice coughed, startling the two of them.

"Sorry to interrupt your staring contest but could one of you get me some more water please?" the little girl said from her bed.

Darien had turned to look at the girl blankly for a moment then nodded.

"Sorry Jenny." He said as he poured her a glass of water from the pitcher beside her bed.

"That's okay. Selia?" she asked as she turned to the young volunteer.

"What is it Jenny?" her angelic voice echoed through the quiet room, for which Darien looked at her again, his heart thudding in his chest.

He had only felt like this whenever Serena had entered a room. Now two years later that feeling of peace, contentment, and joy he had always felt with Serena seemed to come back as he looked at this pale young woman speaking with a gentle look in her eyes as she looked at Jenny, the caring tone she used when she spoke to her and those eyes that held some sadness at thought of what this little girl was going through.

He felt alive again, as if his soul had come back from the dead.

Was it love at first sight?

No! His mind screamed as he recalled all the times he spent with Serena and the love they shared. He still loved her, still mourned her. This feeling wasn't right!

Still. As he looked at her the feeling in his heart didn't change.

He had to get some air. Perhaps she reminded him of Serena and that was why he was feeling what he was feeling, the thought that Serena had come back to him.

"Excuse me Jenny. Miss Morris but I have to get going. I have class in the morning."

"Bye Darien!" Jenny waved.

"G-Bye Mr.…I don't think I caught your last name." Her angelic voice interrupted his thoughts once more.

"Shields." He said as he extended his hand.

At the moment their hands touched, an electric jolt ran through both of them.

Selia's eyes grew big as she seemed to feel something. Darien's own body experienced a jolt that went from his hands up his spine and into his head. His heart raced frantically and his body fused with heat.

He really had to get some air.

"Excuse me." he uttered and raced out of the room and made his way out the front entrance and into the night.

Morning came to the Cherry Hill Temple, as Rae was busy doing her morning chores before the temple opened for the seasonal tourists and temple wishers. Looking around she noticed her two friends sitting in the tree cawing into the air as if they had heard something.

"Demos? Phoebos? What is it? What do you sense?" she asked, her mind quickly expanding its senses looking for any evil in her midst.

"They probably only sense me Rae. It's been awhile since they have seen me." Replied a familiar masculine voice from behind her.

"Darien?" she questioned as she turned around, almost not quite believing her ears.

Turning around there stood a man dressed in that familiar green jacket with a black shirt and black pants. Rae looked at his still astonished at the sight before her. Yes this looked like Darien of old but she could tell that he had grown thinner, and looked colder when his eyes gazed upon her, a chill immediately running up her spine.

Still, she had to keep a cool head, this was her friend who was still probably deep in pain.

"It has been a long time Darien. You never showed the other day." She stressed on each of the words and smiled.

Not even smiling, he approached her and sat on the steps to the main temple entrance. Sighing, Rae shook her head in dismay and followed his example taking a seat beside him.

"What can I do for you Darien?" Rae asked getting to the point.

Taking aback, Darien ran his hand through his hair and spoke. "What makes you think I want something? Maybe I just wanted to visit. After all it has been a long time as you said."

Shaking her head, her eyes gazed sympathetically on him. "You made yourself perfectly clear the last time we were all together, you wanted nothing to do with us, the life, or being the Prince ever again. Something must be important if you broke your own words to ask for my help."

Nodding he took a deep breath and let it out to settle himself. "Is it possible after Serena's death she could have been immediately been reincarnated?"

Rae stood still for what seemed like hours. She had expected many questions, but this was not one of them. With her eyes narrowed in concentration she finally spoke but very carefully.

"After the incident, the Inner Scouts along with Hotaru, Amara and Michelle tracked down Sailor Pluto and asked the same question. Her response was this. "The future has become cloudy and my contact to the future has been severed. I have looked at all possible ways to try and see what is to come. Its like the powers of Time and Space are no longer my own. I have sensed others being reincarnated after her death, however I have not sensed her. As her guardians, we will know immediately when she returns to this world."" She finished quoting her.

Darien's eyes seemed to lose the spark he had when the question was being asked. Now they grew again dull and lifeless as he mumbled a barely audible "I see."

Putting her hand on his shoulder in comfort. "We all miss her. However we must continue to live: To live for her, as she would have wanted us to. Now Darien, why did you ask that question? Do you think you have seen the little rabbit?" she asked jokingly.

"Yes I think I may have, or I think my heart has. I am not sure." He told her, in which Rae immediately sobered up and brought her head closer to Darien.

"And you want me to do a fire reading on her?"

Darien just nodded. "And Rae this is between you and me. I do not want the other girls to know I was here."

At this Rae nodded her promise and stood up. She slowly made her way to the room where she had always invoked the fire. When she felt she wasn't being followed she turned her head back to Darien and said, "Well you coming? The Girls won't be here until noon. After all today is Saturday."

Darien just nodded and followed Rae into the sacred room.

To be continued…