I Need You
by Phantasy Star
- - - - -

Chapter Three


"I guess I'll go home and get my things," Serena said.

"What do you mean?" Darien asked.

"We can't exactly let them stay here all night by themselves," Serena said,
"What if they wake up in the middle of the night and ask for their Grandma?"

"You're right," Darien agreed, "I'll go get my stuff when you come back."

"Okay," Serena said as she stepped on her shoes and pulled the front door open.

- - -

Darien came to yet another doorway and sighed in relief. He had finally found
the laundry room. He immediately spotted the cupboard the doctor was telling
him about. Kneeling down, he pulled the drawer open curiously.

"Holy-" he began as he found himself staring at hundreds of stacks of money.
Next to it lay a small, neatly handwritten note.

'In case something happens to me,' he read silently to himself, 'Use this to
take care of the girls. I thank you in advance. - Gale Muriel.'

He was about to check the back of it to see if there was anything else written
there, when a little voice interrupted him.

"Dar Dar."

He looked to the doorway to see the little blonde one there. She was the
youngest, he remembered.

"What's your name again?" he asked as he bent down to look at her at an
eye-to-eye level.

"I'm Mina," she said softly, "I'm scared, Dar Dar."

"I know," Darien said as he enveloped the little girl in a hug, "But your
Grandma will be all right. She just had a little accident."

"I'm glad you're here," Mina sniffled.

"Me too," Darien said with a gentle smile, "So, how old are you girls?"

"I'm five. Amy and Lita are six, and Raye is eight."

"Oh, so that's why your Grandma told me you go to a different school."

Mina nodded, "I'll go to the big school soon. When it's September next year."

"Then you'll be with all your sisters," Darien reminded her.

Mina smiled, "Yep."

"Now, let's get you back to bed," Darien said as he took her hand and led her
back to the bedroom she shared with Raye.

"Dar Dar," Mina whispered, tugging at his hand, "Grandma always read me a
story before I went to sleep."

"A story?" Darien said with a frown, "Mina, I don't... I don't know any
stories."

"Hey, I'll tell her a story."

Darien and Mina looked up and saw Serena smiling at them, standing at the
doorway with her sleeping bag and pink bunny pajamas.

- - -

"Did you check on them one last time?" Darien asked as he rolled over to face
her, his sleeping bag only allowing him so much room to move.

"Yes," Serena said impatiently, "You already asked me twice. Relax and go
to sleep."

"Okay... Good night."

Serena stared up at the ceiling in her own sleeping bag. She closed her eyes
and tried to get some sleep, not wanting to worry about tomorrow. What would
the girls have for breakfast? And how were they going to get to school?

Then...

"Um, Darien..."

"What?" he said groggily.

"You're... getting a little too close."

Darien's eyes flew open and found his arm resting on Serena's shoulder, with
her already backed to the far side of her sleeping bag.

"Sorry!" he said immediately, taking his hand off of her as if he had touched
a burning stove, "I... I don't think we should sleep together."

Serena's eyes widened.

"I mean!" Darien started again, his face getting hot, "Not SLEEP together
sleep together. Just not in the same room! You know what I mean?"

Serena looked at him uncertainly, then nodded, "I... I guess so."

She suddenly felt a little unsafe. What DID she know about Darien? She had
only met him a few months ago. Who knew if he wasn't some sicko who-

"Um... I'll sleep in the living room," Darien muttered, interrupting her
thoughts. He grabbed his sleeping bag and dragged it away.

"Um... Thank you," Serena said timidly.

"'Night."

- - -

Darien groaned when he felt sunlight pour into his eyes and a lot of noise
around him.

'Where am I?' he asked himself, then sat up and found himself in the living
room, where he had placed himself the night before.

His eyes began to focus and a blurry figure of Amy stared at him.

"Hey..." he said.

"Dar Dar," Amy whispered, "Wake up. Serena told me to come get you."

Then Serena appeared behind her, "Get up, Darien. You have to drive the
girls to school."

"What about breakfast?" Darien asked, rubbing his eyes lazily.

"I bought them breakfast at McDonald's..." Serena said.

"I meant MY breakfast," Darien said.

"Drive the girls to school and we'll see about that afterwards."

"Crazy Meatball Head..." Darien muttered barely audibly as he stood up.

"What was that!?" Serena raged.

- - -

During the week, the girls got used to the two new caregivers. They went
to school as usual, with "Dar Dar" dropping them off in the morning and
picking them up after school. Serena would buy them breakfast, lunch, and
dinner. Soon, they didn't think of Grandma quite as much.

Darien stepped through the sliding door that led into the kitchen from the
backyard. He put his motorcycle helmet on the counter.

"Hey, you're back late today," Serena said, not turning from the vegetables
she was cutting.

"Yeah, and I'm tired too. You know I'm not used to getting up so early in
the morning. That's why I scheduled all my classes at night."

"Well, the girls aren't old enough to walk to school by themselves yet,"
Serena reminded him, "Ouch!"

"What are you doing?" Darien said, taking off his black jacket, "Are you
cooking?"

"I'm trying to," Serena whined, "We can't use up Mrs. Muriel's savings too
quickly. It's not cheap eating out every meal, you know."

"That looks..." Darien said, taking a peek at the food, "...disgusting. The
girls aren't going to eat that, Meatball Head!"

"Hey, I'm trying my best!" Serena snapped back, "Try this!"

Before Darien could protest, Serena had stood up on tiptoe and stuck a spoon
into his mouth.

"Erk!" Darien reacted. Then his brows furrowed, "Hey, it's not that bad."

"Ha!" Serena exclaimed, "I knew it. Now go upstairs and tell the girls
dinner's ready."

- - -

"All right, we're flying!" Darien declared as he ran into the dining room with
Mina and Lita on his shoulders.

"Not so fast!" Serena yelled, carrying a bowl of rice from the kitchen, "And
can't you give them piggyback rides one at a time!?"

Darien laughed as he knelt down on the floor to let them off, "Come on, look
how much fun they're having. You should try it!"

Serena rolled her eyes, then turned to the stairs, "Amy! Raye! Come on down!"

"Yummy!" Mina said as she took one of the meatballs on the table and stuffed
it in her mouth.

"Slow down," Darien reminded her, then looked up at Serena. "Wow, poor Mina's
too young to understand what tastes good and what doesn't."

Serena's proud smile disappeared from her face as she reached for a ladle to
throw at him.

- - -

After dinner, the girls had settled down and played together in the living
room. Soon, Amy excused herself and went upstairs to read.

"All right," Darien said after a while, "It's nine. You girls should get to
sleep."

"Okay, Dar Dar," Mina said, "Come on Serena."

She grabbed Serena's hand and dragged her upstairs for her nightly fairy tale,
with Raye and Lita following closely behind them.

Darien let out a deep breath and sat himself down on the couch, grateful for
brief moment of peace and quiet. Just then, the telephone rang.

"Mrs. Muriel's residence," he said as he picked it up.

"Hi, is this Darien Chiba?" a female voice on the other line asked.

"Yeah."

"You called earlier this morning to ask about Mrs. Muriel's condition. I'm
afraid to say... it doesn't look good."

- - -

"Good night, Serena," Raye whispered. Mina had fallen asleep before Serena
could finish her story.

"Good night," Serena said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, "I won't
wake you up early tomorrow. No school on Sundays, right?"

"But we have church," Raye said.

"Oh," Serena said, surprised, "Well, I guess Dar Dar will have to drive us.
Sweet dreams."

She shut the door gently and walked downstairs just as Darien put down the
phone.

"Hey," she said, "Guess what, we're going to church tomorrow morning. Looks
like we'll have to wake up at eight again."

Then she noticed Darien's worried expression. "What's wrong?"

"That was the hospital," he said quietly, "Mrs. Muriel isn't recovering as
well as they had hoped. She... may not make it."

"What?" Serena whispered.

"The doctor asked us to go see her tomorrow," Darien said gravely, "It may
be the last time."


- Author's Notes:

Hope you people are still enjoying this
story. Looking forward to your feedback.

Phantasy Star