Title: Price Check, Aisle Three
Author: Lillie Bell
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Takeuchi-sama owns Sailor Moon, not I.
"Price Check, Aisle Three"
(OR: Styrofoam Phones and Poker with the Kids)
Serena was running a routine price check in the third aisle of the
grocery store where she worked. The blonde was listlessly scanning bar codes
with little enthusiasm when a small sound caught her attention. Turning
around, Serena saw a small child wiping her tears from her cheeks. With a
quick sniff, the girl looked up at Serena with bright eyes. Her orbs were
soft lavenders, filled with pain and frustration. Her chubby hands were quick
to displace the tears cascading down her ruddy cheeks. She wore faded, worn
overalls with a white shirt. On her feet were dusty sneakers worn from days
on the playground. Her hair was mussed and tangled, as though she had been
running, and salty from the tears that had leaked onto the delicate, black
strands.
Serena bent to the young child's height. She ran her hand through the
girl's hair, trying to comfort her. The teenager smiled an encouraging smile
and the child seemed to trust the sales attendant unconditionally. "What's
wrong, sweetie?" Serena asked softly, saddened by the girl's disheveled
appearance.
With a heavy sniff, the child replied, "I lost Mama. She left."
Serena's blue eyes grew large with wonder. This child's mother just left
her here, in the middle of a grocery store? How cruel! Well, maybe she hadn't
realized her daughter's absence? Maybe she would come back for her? With
these thoughts, Serena smiled at the young girl. "What's your name,
sweetheart?"
"Rena."
Serena smiled dazzlingly. "All right, Rena, let's go into the office and
call your Mom."
The girl looked away from the deep gaze of the elder, ashamed. "Momma
won't come."
"WHAT?"
"Momma never comes. Papa will come. Papa never forgets."
Serena looked sadly at the child and suddenly understood the frustration
that floated through her transparent orbs. Through the girl's eyes, Serena
could see this wasn't the first time the child had been forgotten, left
behind for someone else to worry over. The worker's guess was the person who
ended up worrying about Rena was her father. Serena plastered a smile on her
face. "All right, then. We'll call your father and have him pick you up."
The child smiled and took Serena's outstretched hand. The pair trooped
through the store, came to the registers, and Serena steered them toward a
small door near the bathrooms. On her way through the door, Serena turned and
waved at her manager. She whispered secretly to Rena, "This is a hostage
situation, right?" and winked. The child's face brightened and broke into a
grin.
Serena shared her smiled, then turned to the short, burly man coming to
her. "Lee, this little girl's parents left her here accidentally. I'm going
to call them and we'll wait in the employee lounge."
As she said this, the manager nodded. His brown toupee flopping wildly
in the lift he created. He peered at the young girl and his eyes became
pensive. The two examined each other as Serena talked above them. With a
simple gesture Lee commented, "The number's on the billboard."
Serena, who had turned to leave, spiraled on her heel and jerked her
face to his. "This has happened before?" she bellowed. Her gentle eyes were
filled with horror and anger. Would it be better to return this poor child to
her parents? Certainly, they would simply forget her once again, in another
store.
"Yes," he answered softly. The sadness in Lee's voice made the teenager
reconsider her previous thoughts. Lee was a quiet man, never seeming
compassionate. He was reserved, staunch, almost stoic but still gentle at
heart. He would not return Rena if he feared she would be abandoned again.
Serena's belief of this was reinforced when he smiled at Rena and pushed them
toward the white door tenderly. "You take her inside the lounge," he amended,
"I'll phone home."
Serena nodded and led Rena into the employee's hideout. She smiled down
at the child, "So, what do you want to do?"
are you there, over?" Serena said in a commanding voice into the Styrofoam
cup before her lips. Across the room, huddled in a corner, she heard the
sudden gasp of giggles as the child heard the message through the vibrating
string joining the cups.
"Sere, that's a great toy!" Rena said, jumping out from her corner. She
ran to Serena and enveloped her in a loving hug. For the umpteenth time,
Serena found herself smiling at the child's vivaciousness. Through routine,
she looked to the clock on the wall.
"We have thirty more minutes!" Serena smiled to her new friend. "What
can we do in thirty minutes?"
"New game!" The child smiled and jumped happily clapping her hands.
Oh, the possibilities.
"Royal Flush, beat that!" Rena said triumphantly spread her hands before
the dazed Serena's gaze.
That's the fourth time! Serena thought. This can't be beginner's luck
anymore.
"Pay up, Sere," the child said cheerfully. Reluctantly, Serena pushed
her stack of LifeSavers toward the grubby, stretched hands ready to hoard
away the candies. Rena was chuckling at the morose look on Serena's face when
she saw someone walk into the room, behind and undetected by Serena.
A grin as large as the ocean graced her features and her arms spread
like the wings of a hawk. Full-force, she ran to the person at the door,
"PAPA!"
Serena turned quickly to see a man in his early twenties bend and hug
the child tightly. Lee was behind the pair and nodded perfunctorily at
Serena. The man on the floor seemed to notice her for the first time and,
taking Rena with him, stood to greet her.
Serena shook the offered hand as she gazed into the deepest haze of
lapis blue she had ever seen. The man's dark, black hair was enhanced by his
tan complexion. Serena felt the muscles in his hands and saw the muscles in
his arm as they contracted and loosened when he shook her hand. It was a
powerful, assertive, yet gentle handshake, and from it Serena knew she was
going to like this man.
"Darien Chiba," he said breathlessly, giving rise to Serena's attention
to his flushed cheeks and heaving breaths. He looked as though he had just
run a marathon, and indeed he had. "My car was in the shop to-day, so I had
to ride the bus here. The stop is about a mile or two away."
Serena smiled. He had run the entire way, full-throttle, in order to
rescue his daughter. The teenager's smile slipped some. He was her father,
but he couldn't have been more than twenty-two years old! Darien seemed to
see the thoughts running through her mind and looked away, embarrassed. "I'm
twenty. Rena's three."
Seventeen, Serena silently sounded off in her head. He had had a child
at seventeen. But, that's how old she was! Serena mentally shook herself, not
able to comprehend having a child at her age. And married too, no doubt! She
looked back to him and found he was preoccupied with Rena dragging him to the
table. Somewhere between her thoughts, he had put the little girl on the
floor once more and now she was taking him to the table. Serena looked at the
overturned cards and suddenly flushed.
"Poker?" Darien said incredulously. Then, to the surprise of everyone,
he laughed whole-heartedly. It was a deep and throaty laugh, and an air
settled about the room that suggested the sound was foreign and rarely heard.
Dancing oceans looked at Serena and she felt her cheeks grow brighter under
his cheery gaze. "You taught Rena how to play poker?"
"Papa, look!" The girl held up her hand.
"A Royal Flush, too?" He chuckled deeply and Rena giggled with him.
"What a time you two had, maybe we should come back and visit sometime?" He
asked Rena, teasingly.
"You don't live around here," Serena stated, curious. Suddenly, she felt
drawn to this man--to his adorable smile, shining eyes, strong body. There
was something about him that kept all of her attention locked onto him.
"No," he said softly, scooping Rena into his arms once more. He sent the
child a loving smile before turning back to the teenager. "We live almost an
hour away. Rena's mother lives near here."
Serena was confused. Certainly a man and woman with a daughter are
married? "You don't live together," she said slowly. In her voice it was
evident that such a relationship was odd and seen as uncommon.
Darien's face drained of its happiness. Rena became restless in his
arms, aware of the cold calm that had crept into his body, into his eyes,
into his heart. With detachment, he stated, "We were married at first, then
we settled for a divorce. At first, she could see Rena whenever she wanted
but then she started to leave her. She forgot her at the dental office, the
gym, and the auto shop. The courts didn't like it, so they restricted her
visitations. Now, she'll come and take Rena home with her. They'll run
errands and go shopping, and you'll think that everything's all right this
time. You'll think that Rena isn't going to be dropped somewhere.
"But it always happens. Rena does something that she doesn't like and
suddenly, Rena's mom isn't there anymore. No, she's down the street, in the
gutter, smoking and drinking her life away while Rena's wandering through a
restaurant, wondering if her mother's out of the bathroom yet.
"It's disgusting how Rena's treated, so I try to keep her away from her
mother as best I can. But, I'm a college student and I work to provide for
Rena, so I'm not around a lot. I drop her off at daycare in the mornings and
pick her up. Sometimes it's late when I get over there, but the owner knows.
The owner knows what my life's like and how much I do for Rena, so she
doesn't mind spending an extra thirty minutes or hour with my little girl.
She's very nice and sweet. The problem is, she's not always the one working
when everyone else comes to pick up his or her children. No, the daycare gets
hectic then and no one knows if Rena leaves or not. To-day they knew after an
hour, when the crowd had died down. They called me and I waited. All the
businesses in this area have my number and Rena's description. I don't want
her to think that no one loves her, because that's not true."
Rena climbed higher onto his should, tilted her head to the side, and
closed her eyes. Darien viewed her sideways and smiled. "You two must have
had fun, normally she's not tired 'til nine or ten." Rena smiled and the man
kissed her forehead. He turned back to Serena, "Thank you for staying with
her, I really appreciate it. I'm hoping soon I'll be out of college and will
be able to take better care of her. But now, it's all I can do. Without a
degree, I can't get a decent job. Without a good job, I'll never give Rena
what she deserves: quality food and clothing and shelter. They're the things
I never had when I was growing up; the things I want her to have."
Darien smiled inwardly and turned to go but Serena pushed out her hand
and hurriedly suggested, "If you need a babysitter, I'm available."
Darien stared at her a moment, then thought about it. "It's far," he
started.
Serena smiled and shrugged. "There is no measurement to the lengths a
person will go to for a friend."
Darien shared her smile. "It's your funeral," he said with a hint of
mischief in his eyes.
"But I'm warning you, she's not always an angel. She has her moments."
"Don't we all?" Serena parried.
Darien smiled. He most definitely liked this girl. She was lively and
quick, not to mention his insides turned to cream whenever she smiled. He
felt dazed when she laughed softly and felt the gentle noise creep into his
own body and produce a small array of chuckles from himself. He grinned,
remembering the awakenings of love.
"Would you be willing to do that?" he said softly, moving closer to her.
He passed it off as trying to assess her, but he knew he came within inches
of her face so that he could see the blue skies that were her eyes more
clearly. She smiled and turned away from the naked honesty of his eyes, and
Darien felt himself longing to tilt her chin to his gaze.
"I already told you so."
Darien smiled and nodded. He turned to leave, "Call me to-morrow and
we'll arrange something."
"How are you getting home?"
"Same way I got here: the bus."
"Why don't you let me drive you home?" Serena asked impulsively. "That
way, I'll know where to go to to-morrow."
"You'll start to-morrow?" he repeated, disbelieving. Was this girl
really that loving, that kind? "On such short notice?" he added, awestricken.
Serena smiled at his surprised face. "Yes," she nodded for emphasis. Her
smile enlarged and she watched as it crept to the corners of his mouth. His
lips spread across his cheeks and showed his white teeth. Serena walked
forward and caught his elbow with her hand. She turned him and the trio
headed to the parking lot. Over her shoulder, Serena heard Lee shout, "I'll
clock you out and leave you off the schedule for a couple of days. Tell me
when you know what kind of hours you can work!"
Serena smiled and waved to him just as the double doors opened
automatically. Outside, she drew in a cleansing breath and admired the
strong, corded muscle beneath her palm. She stole a sideways glance at the
man beside her, observing the small smile upon his lips. The smile reflected
on her own face as she stopped before the driver's side of a beaten Volvo.
car. They had driven to his apartment complex, a trip of almost forty-five
minutes. The complex was made of old brick with water stains running down its
edges. The roof and windows were a faded red. Serena sighed inwardly, it was
a horrible place to live, let alone grow up.
She smiled and turned to Darien. "No need to thank me, Darien. My life
was getting boring anyway."
"Are you sure you can manage this?" His voice was soft and full of
concern. "You go to school, too, don't you? This isn't going to affect your
studies?"
Serena smiled and laughed. "My studies are almost non-existent."
Darien smiled as she winked at him. The stirring at his shoulder brought
his attention. "Good evening sleepy head," he cooed to the drowsy Rena.
The girl smiled and hugged him. She turned to Serena and Darien joined
her gaze. He bent his lips to the girl's ear. "Serena's gonna take care of
you while I work, Rena. Isn't that nice of her?"
Rena smiled at the teenager and stuck a finger on her mouth. "Thank
you," she said happily. Darien pulled the hand away, but Rena kept her smile.
Serena giggled and tousled the girl's hair with her hand. "You're very
welcome, Rena." She watched the little girl lean forward with her hands
outstretched. Serena smiled as she gave Rena a gentle hug. As she pulled
away, the girl kissed her cheek.
Rena turned to her father, "Papa no say thank you."
Darien chuckled and nodded to the teenage girl before him. "Thank you
very much, Serena. I really appreciate what you're doing for me."
Serena pouted teasingly. "What, don't I get a hug, too?"
Darien chuckled, but made no move to hug the beautiful blonde. Rena
squirmed beside him, pulling the front of his shirt. He peered at his
daughter. "You want me to, too?" he asked the young girl on his shoulder.
She smiled and nodded. "Kiss, too!" she said excitedly. She giggled a
little as Serena and Darien blushed.
"Well, I certainly wouldn't want to disobey my princess."
Serena giggled as Darien stepped forward and wrapped one arm around her
waist. Her own arms enveloped his neck. A sudden sense of severe comfort
washed over the two and reduced their smiles to simpers. As they pulled away,
Rena gave an annoyed grunt. Darien chuckled and rolled his eyes. He moved to
kiss Serena's cheek, but Rena pushed his cheek at the last second. It
surprised them both when Darien's lips touched Serena's. A flutter went
through their stomachs, but both refused to end the kiss. A nervous
apprehension settled upon them, but was forgotten in the utter bliss of their
chastity.
Darien chuckled as a blush smeared across his cheeks. "To-morrow, you
said?" he voice was nervous and quiet. Serena saw the sudden loss of
confidence and smiled. "To-morrow." Darien smiled and kissed her cheek before
turning toward his apartment.
"Bye!" yelled Rena, over his shoulder. She waved and Serena waved back.
The teenager shook her head as she opened the door to her Volvo, though her
lips were in a smile. "This is the best mistake I've ever made," she said
softly, realizing what reaction her parents would have. Not every seventeen
-year-old meets a breath-takingly gorgeoous guy everyday, especially not one
with a little girl. And of all those girls out there that do, none of them
would have volunteered for what Serena just had. She must be crazy. Serena
laughed, turning up the radio, knowing that it wasn't that she was crazy. It
was much more. The girl smiled and nodded, she was falling in love.