Authors Note: Sorry it has taken a while for this chapter to come out, I've been a little bit busy with school and my other story, which I'm concentrating more on cause it's getting more reviews. No offence to anyone who like this one. Well anyway, here's another chapter for those of you who have been waiting for it, thanks for all your support and I promise I'll try harder to get this one written faster. Please remember to R & R. Tandem.

Disclaimer: I don't own sailor moon.

Chapter Eleven.

Serena looked up as the door to her room opened and shrunk back into the wall. Two people walked in, one carrying a tray, the other carrying the instruments of her torment yesterday.

" No, not again." She cried hoarsely.

Jadeite held out a bowl to her, but she shrunk away from it.

" Listen," Jadeite said roughly. " Either you eat this, or we are going to have to force you to."

" I can't." Serena cried. " Please, just leave me alone, let me grieve for the only friend I've ever had, in the only way I know how!"

" Starving yourself is not doing anyone any good. Cry, scream, throw things rant and rave, do what normal people do when they are grieving, but don't starve yourself, you're needed alive. And if the only way to keep you alive is to force food down your throat, then that is what we are going to do." Rei said.

Serena curled even further into the wall.

" We can't keep forcing food down her throat." Andrew said to Lord Darien.

" I know, ' her throat is raw and she won't be able to tell us anything if she can't talk...' I've heard it before Andrew. I just can't figure out another way to do it. I was hoping that after a few times she would give in and eat of her own free will, I never expected her to last a week!"

" None of us did." Andrew tried to reassure him.

" We're running out of time. I've got the other lords breathing down my neck, pushing me to get the information we need from her." Lord Darien said warily.

" Have you been in too see her yet?"

" No. I would probably lose control and start verbally attacking her, using the memory of Mina to force her to eat."

" Already been tried." Andrew said.

" That girl is too stubborn!" Lord Darien exploded. " Have you thought of giving her something of Mina's to have? Something she can hold close while she grieves?" Andrew asked.

" How would that help?"

" She's not eating because she is grieving. Maybe if she has something of Mina's to hold she might start eating again. It might be a bit of a long shot, but we can't force that pipe down her throat one more time or she's going to start bleeding."

" Try it!" Lord Darien said abruptly.

" What do you want her to have?"

" Take the necklace Mina wore." Lord Darien said decisively.

" I'll take it up with her next meal." Andrew said.

" No, I'll take it up to her." Lord Darien said.

" My Lord, she doesn't know you." Andrew pointed out.

" All the more reason for her to trust me over you." Lord Darien replied.

Lord Darien opened the door to the room where Serena was being held. He looked around for her and saw her lying in the corner, up against the wall, fast asleep. It was obvious she was having trouble breathing and it was obvious that the reason was the swelling around her throat area. He walked over, lifted her into his arms and walked over to the bed, making sure his movements were slow and gentle, so that if she woke up she wouldn't feel threatened. He laid her down gently and brushed her hair back. He settled in a chair next t0o the bed and waited for her to awaken, prepared to wait all night if it was necessary. It wasn't. Serena stirred about an hour after he had moved her and stared at him without the strength to draw away from him when he sat froward and brushed her cheek with his knuckles.

" You sleep like you're never going to wake up." Lord Darien said quietly.

Whatever it was she had been expecting him to say, it wasn't that. Her eyes collided with his and hers widened, asking him silently who he was.

" My name's Darien." He provided. "Your Serena and this..." He let a black, woven leather necklace fall from his hand to hang in front of her eyes." Is your friend Mina's." He found her hand and placed the necklace into it.

Tears filled Serena's eyes and fell onto the pillow. She clutched the necklace close to her heart and sobbed pitifully. Lord Darien watched her silently, noticing how strongly she grieved for her only friend. When she had quietened down a bit, he walked over to the door, opened it, bent down and picked up a tray, and brought it over to Serena. She looked at it, then at him.

" Your throat hurts because tubes have been stuffed down it three times every day for the last week. Your having trouble breathing because your throat is so swollen and despite everything you're feeling, your stomach is crying out for food. Don't you think it's about time you ate willingly?" Darien asked her, making his voice as gentle a possible.

Indecision seethed in Serena's eyes and Lord Darien saw it. He pushed the tray a little further towards her. She sat up slowly, looking at the bowl of soup on the tray.

Lord Darien walked out of the room with a satisfied smile on his face. He met Lita walking down the hall and smiled more widely at her.

" Well she's eating." He said, extremely satisfied with himself.

" How did you manage that?" Lita asked, brightening a bit.

" Secret." Lord Darien said and sauntered off down the hall.

Nephrite walked out of his room and stood next to Lita, watching Lord Darien walking away. He brushed at Lita's hair and rested his hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and looked at him.

" No more worrying until the next crisis OK?" He said playfully.

Lita laughed at him and promised.

Authors Note: Well there we go, that wasn't so hard. In my mind it was going to be a lot more horrible, but I couldn't do it. Well any way, Serena's met Lord Darien. Please send me a review and let me know what you think. Tandem.