Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or associated characters. I do own
Barbara and Richard.
AN: This chapter is dedicated to everyone who reviewed and all of you who put me on your favorites list. You make writing worthwhile for me. P.S. I changed the formatting a bit, now change of scenery will be shown with *** instead of just changing it, so it will be less confusing. Let me know if you like it better this way. And please review. It would make me really happy.
"It's about time Serena. I've been waiting." Serena's bad tempered friend stood in the doorway to her apartment and watched as they walked toward her door. "Shut up, Raye." She leaned down and kissed Sammy on the cheek. "I have to go to work, baby. Call Grandpa Richard or Grandma Babs if you need anything, okay?" she asked, looking into his eyes. Sammy hated it when she left him with a babysitter. He didn't mind Raye or his foster grandparents much, but he hated being left with her friend Amy. His excuse, she only gave him celery to snack on. Serena smiled at the memory as she stood up. "Be good for Aunt Raye. Thank you so much for watching him on such short notice." Raye smiled, considerably softening her face. "It was no problem. I love Sammy. He's a doll. So, I'll see you at about.what? Eightish?" Serena nodded as she headed to the elevator.
***
When she got to work her foster brother Andrew took one look at her shirt and headed into the back room to get a t-shirt for her. "Serena, you know I hate it when you dress like that. It doesn't show the proper respect you have for your body." She smiled at him. "Andrew, you know I love you, but you can't tell me what to wear." He held out the t-shirt. "Please Serena." She looked into his deep blue eyes and sighed. "Fine." She pulled on the shirt and looked down. "Andrew, I look like a frump." "Smallest size," he replied with a mischievous grin, she matched his grin, rolled up the t- shirt and tied it under her breasts. He scowled and walked huffily back behind the counter. She followed, clocked in and got to work wiping down tables and game machines. "Ugh, how do kids manage to get gum under here. It's disgusting," she said, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. Andrew just shrugged, ignoring the fact that she couldn't see him. "You tell me, you have a kid his age. How is he, by the way?" Serena stood up and carried her bucket into the back to change the water. "He's good. Um, he got in trouble at school today. He was throwing paper balls at the teachers head." Andrew frowned. "That doesn't seem like something Sammy would do. You maybe," he said with a grin, ducking the cloth she threw at his head. "Anyway, on the way there he told me he hated his teacher." "Maybe you should transfer him out of that class." Serena shook her head at the suggestion. "No, I don't want him to get spoiled by letting him think I'll change something just because he doesn't like it." She scowled and Andrew frowned. "We're not talking about Sammy's school anymore are we?" he asked. "No, Sammy wants me to get married." Andrew's eyebrows shot up. "What?" She nodded. "Yeah." She looked toward the door and saw the flood of school children headed to the door. "We'll talk about it later," she said as she pasted on a smile.
***
She yawned as she unlocked her apartment door and led Sammy in by his elbow. She directed him to his room and walked unsteadily to the kitchen to check her messages. "Serena, this is Babs. Call me." Serena smiled. It was sweet and to the point. The next message was from her sister-in-law, Andrew's wife Lita. "Serena, we need to get together and talk.you know, about what you and Andrew talked about last night." Serena frowned and skipped that message. "Miss Seymour, this is Darien Shields, Sammy's teacher. Call me and we'll set up a suitable time to talk." He rattled off a number, but Serena ignored it and deleted the message. "Jerk," she muttered as she headed into her room and got into her pajamas. That night, for the first time in five years she had a nightmare. A nightmare about a day she had thought forgotten. She tossed as she heard the sirens. As she sat up in bed, covered in sweat she could have sworn she heard her mother calling her name. She covered her face with her hands as she shuddered. "Mommy!" she got up and ran to Sammy's room as she heard him screaming. "What is it baby?" she asked as she held him close. "I had a nightmare. It was awful!" Serena hugged him close as she stroked his downy soft hair, trying to comfort him. "Tell me about it." He nodded and Serena sat on the side of his bed, prepared for a long story. "We were at the Arcade and a man came in and he was wearing a mask, and he shot you and then he shot me." Serena frowned and hugged him tight, horrified. "It was just a dream, baby," she murmured. Soon enough Sammy was asleep and Serena headed back to her own bed, her eyes drooping. By morning both of them had forgotten the dream.
***
The next morning Serena dropped Sammy off at school as usual and headed to work. When she got there, Buchi, the owner, met her by the door. "Serena, I want you to train our newest dancer. Her name is Mina." A girl stepped out of the shadows and Serena gasped. They could have been twins. "Hi, I'm Mina," she said, holding out a hand. Serena looked her up and down. "You'll do." She took her hand and dragged her into the dressing rooms. "Here's where we change and put on makeup and costumes. This is my area." She motioned to a vanity with a mirror and a stool. The mirror was partly covered with pictures of Sammy and her, and Sammy and her foster parents (Richard and Barbara). "Cute kid," Mina said, leaning down to take a closer look. "Yours?" she asked over her shoulder. "Yup, he's my baby. He turns eleven in about a week and a half," she replied proudly. Mina nodded and smiled. "I have one of my own. His name is Artemis. He's about the same age." Serena smiled politely and led her further into the dressing room. "The closet is in the very back," she pointed to a dark corner. "You'll want to be in there first, for the better costumes." Serena had soon finished up the tour and they got to working on a routine for her. Neither of them noticed Buchi standing in the corner watching them. "Serena," he called. "It's time for you to go home. You'll be late to pick Sammy up" Serena smiled gratefully and went to change into her street clothes. "I'm gonna need the next few days off. My mothers birthday." Buchi nodded at her as she ran out.
***
When she got to the school the parking lot was empty, a bad sign. She ran, as fast as she could in heels, to his last class and prayed he was there. "Mommy!" Serena exhaled deeply and hugged him close. "Sorry I'm late, Uncle Buchi wanted me to show the new girl around." Sammy nodded. "I understand," he said with a wisdom that far surpassed ten years. "Hurry up. Get your stuff we're going to Grandma Babs' house for dinner." Sammy grinned at the enticement and gathered his stuff. "I hope I'm not interrupting." Serena turned to see the arrogant jerk standing in the doorway. "Yes, you are. We need to be leaving." As they left, Darien caught Serena's arm. "We still need to talk about his conduct." "Can it wait, I'm already late for my mother's birthday party." He let go and nodded. "I'll call you.again." Serena looked over her shoulder, highly annoyed. "I hope not," she snapped before walking quickly out the door with Sammy.
AN: Sorry, it's short. I have to work everyday this week and then I'm going to California for the weekend, so I probably won't update in a while.
AN: This chapter is dedicated to everyone who reviewed and all of you who put me on your favorites list. You make writing worthwhile for me. P.S. I changed the formatting a bit, now change of scenery will be shown with *** instead of just changing it, so it will be less confusing. Let me know if you like it better this way. And please review. It would make me really happy.
"It's about time Serena. I've been waiting." Serena's bad tempered friend stood in the doorway to her apartment and watched as they walked toward her door. "Shut up, Raye." She leaned down and kissed Sammy on the cheek. "I have to go to work, baby. Call Grandpa Richard or Grandma Babs if you need anything, okay?" she asked, looking into his eyes. Sammy hated it when she left him with a babysitter. He didn't mind Raye or his foster grandparents much, but he hated being left with her friend Amy. His excuse, she only gave him celery to snack on. Serena smiled at the memory as she stood up. "Be good for Aunt Raye. Thank you so much for watching him on such short notice." Raye smiled, considerably softening her face. "It was no problem. I love Sammy. He's a doll. So, I'll see you at about.what? Eightish?" Serena nodded as she headed to the elevator.
***
When she got to work her foster brother Andrew took one look at her shirt and headed into the back room to get a t-shirt for her. "Serena, you know I hate it when you dress like that. It doesn't show the proper respect you have for your body." She smiled at him. "Andrew, you know I love you, but you can't tell me what to wear." He held out the t-shirt. "Please Serena." She looked into his deep blue eyes and sighed. "Fine." She pulled on the shirt and looked down. "Andrew, I look like a frump." "Smallest size," he replied with a mischievous grin, she matched his grin, rolled up the t- shirt and tied it under her breasts. He scowled and walked huffily back behind the counter. She followed, clocked in and got to work wiping down tables and game machines. "Ugh, how do kids manage to get gum under here. It's disgusting," she said, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. Andrew just shrugged, ignoring the fact that she couldn't see him. "You tell me, you have a kid his age. How is he, by the way?" Serena stood up and carried her bucket into the back to change the water. "He's good. Um, he got in trouble at school today. He was throwing paper balls at the teachers head." Andrew frowned. "That doesn't seem like something Sammy would do. You maybe," he said with a grin, ducking the cloth she threw at his head. "Anyway, on the way there he told me he hated his teacher." "Maybe you should transfer him out of that class." Serena shook her head at the suggestion. "No, I don't want him to get spoiled by letting him think I'll change something just because he doesn't like it." She scowled and Andrew frowned. "We're not talking about Sammy's school anymore are we?" he asked. "No, Sammy wants me to get married." Andrew's eyebrows shot up. "What?" She nodded. "Yeah." She looked toward the door and saw the flood of school children headed to the door. "We'll talk about it later," she said as she pasted on a smile.
***
She yawned as she unlocked her apartment door and led Sammy in by his elbow. She directed him to his room and walked unsteadily to the kitchen to check her messages. "Serena, this is Babs. Call me." Serena smiled. It was sweet and to the point. The next message was from her sister-in-law, Andrew's wife Lita. "Serena, we need to get together and talk.you know, about what you and Andrew talked about last night." Serena frowned and skipped that message. "Miss Seymour, this is Darien Shields, Sammy's teacher. Call me and we'll set up a suitable time to talk." He rattled off a number, but Serena ignored it and deleted the message. "Jerk," she muttered as she headed into her room and got into her pajamas. That night, for the first time in five years she had a nightmare. A nightmare about a day she had thought forgotten. She tossed as she heard the sirens. As she sat up in bed, covered in sweat she could have sworn she heard her mother calling her name. She covered her face with her hands as she shuddered. "Mommy!" she got up and ran to Sammy's room as she heard him screaming. "What is it baby?" she asked as she held him close. "I had a nightmare. It was awful!" Serena hugged him close as she stroked his downy soft hair, trying to comfort him. "Tell me about it." He nodded and Serena sat on the side of his bed, prepared for a long story. "We were at the Arcade and a man came in and he was wearing a mask, and he shot you and then he shot me." Serena frowned and hugged him tight, horrified. "It was just a dream, baby," she murmured. Soon enough Sammy was asleep and Serena headed back to her own bed, her eyes drooping. By morning both of them had forgotten the dream.
***
The next morning Serena dropped Sammy off at school as usual and headed to work. When she got there, Buchi, the owner, met her by the door. "Serena, I want you to train our newest dancer. Her name is Mina." A girl stepped out of the shadows and Serena gasped. They could have been twins. "Hi, I'm Mina," she said, holding out a hand. Serena looked her up and down. "You'll do." She took her hand and dragged her into the dressing rooms. "Here's where we change and put on makeup and costumes. This is my area." She motioned to a vanity with a mirror and a stool. The mirror was partly covered with pictures of Sammy and her, and Sammy and her foster parents (Richard and Barbara). "Cute kid," Mina said, leaning down to take a closer look. "Yours?" she asked over her shoulder. "Yup, he's my baby. He turns eleven in about a week and a half," she replied proudly. Mina nodded and smiled. "I have one of my own. His name is Artemis. He's about the same age." Serena smiled politely and led her further into the dressing room. "The closet is in the very back," she pointed to a dark corner. "You'll want to be in there first, for the better costumes." Serena had soon finished up the tour and they got to working on a routine for her. Neither of them noticed Buchi standing in the corner watching them. "Serena," he called. "It's time for you to go home. You'll be late to pick Sammy up" Serena smiled gratefully and went to change into her street clothes. "I'm gonna need the next few days off. My mothers birthday." Buchi nodded at her as she ran out.
***
When she got to the school the parking lot was empty, a bad sign. She ran, as fast as she could in heels, to his last class and prayed he was there. "Mommy!" Serena exhaled deeply and hugged him close. "Sorry I'm late, Uncle Buchi wanted me to show the new girl around." Sammy nodded. "I understand," he said with a wisdom that far surpassed ten years. "Hurry up. Get your stuff we're going to Grandma Babs' house for dinner." Sammy grinned at the enticement and gathered his stuff. "I hope I'm not interrupting." Serena turned to see the arrogant jerk standing in the doorway. "Yes, you are. We need to be leaving." As they left, Darien caught Serena's arm. "We still need to talk about his conduct." "Can it wait, I'm already late for my mother's birthday party." He let go and nodded. "I'll call you.again." Serena looked over her shoulder, highly annoyed. "I hope not," she snapped before walking quickly out the door with Sammy.
AN: Sorry, it's short. I have to work everyday this week and then I'm going to California for the weekend, so I probably won't update in a while.