Invalid Response - Chapter 12

by Una Moonstar

ANs: Thanks, thanks, and more thanks to all my loving and faithful readers! You guys are the best! And now some romance and action for the latest installment - enjoy!

(fade out...)

(begin chapter...)

Serena, Lita, and Amy were sitting alone in the locker room still in their last dresses when Raye and Mina rushed in. "Oh, you guys were just great!" the blonde newcomer gushed. "You deserved every clap!"

"You guys really were good. I'm glad I came." Raye smiled.

"Mina, did you really have to run?" a shaken up voice from the blue duffel bag whined.

"You did bring the cats!" Serena said stepping over to her quickly.

Luna stuck her head out. "I have to wonder if it was a good thing or not. The show was great, but worth risking our lives?"

The meatball-headed blonde laughed and pulled her guardian out of the bag and into a hug. "I'm glad you were here, Luna. That means a lot to me."

The black cat purred a bit as she nuzzled her charge. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Artemis said as he poked his head out. His expression grew thoughtful. "Although that sounds really good right about now..."

"Oh, we're happy to see you too," Lita said as she walked over and pulled the white cat out into the open air.

"Are you guys going to change?" Raye asked, shaking her head at her friends' antics.

"No," Amy answered. "This outfit's warm enough, and we all showed up in the dresses we were wearing first." The blue-haired girl blushed. "Well, if you don't count that first performance."

"That was funny, Ames! No need to be embarrassed!" Mina enthused. "I'm so glad you asked me to help."

"Couldn't think of anyone better," Lita said with a shrug and a smile.

The red-bow-bedecked blonde wasn't sure how to take that one while the others laughed.

"Well, you look good at any rate. And Serena, you really were wonderful. I didn't realize you could sing so well."

Serena's jaw dropped at the unexpected compliment from her raven-haired friend. "Thanks, Raye. I've improved a lot since taking this chorus class."

"You've improved all around, all of you," Luna said proudly.

"Thanks, Luna." The tall brunette then looked down at the white cat she held. "Did you slip her some catnip or something? She's... relaxed," she whispered into his ear. It was all he could do not to burst out laughing.

"Why don't we go out? Your parents and the others are waiting to congratulate you." Raye said smirking, having caught the softly spoken comment.

"Right," the others said in unison, grabbing their coats.

As Amy opened the door and was about to lead them out, a few voices reached their ears, causing them to freeze in their tracks.

"Can you believe the blonde ditz got all that applause? It's not like she's all that special. I mean, she sounded like a cat in a blender!"

"And her two friends weren't any better. I don't know why Miss Taylor dotes on them so much."

"Did you see the way Serena was all over that guy in the wheelchair? You'd think she'd have some respect for someone in that condition. I'm sure she traumatized him for life!"

The five nasty girls stood just down the hall to the right of the impromptu dressing room, two of whom were wearing the girls' swing choir dresses. Serena, Amy, and Lita felt their jaws drop as they listened to what their fellow choir mates were saying about them behind their backs. Mina and Raye, on the other hand, were about ready to beat them to a pulp. Luna and Artemis, sensing this, were in full agreement.

"No kidding. Can you imagine anyone being interested in the airhead, much less the stud she threw herself at? Now if that had been me we'd be talking about a totally different story."

"Well, Karen, if you'd bothered to try out, you could have found out. But since you didn't, Juuban has to put up with Tsukino, Kino, and Mizuno. We have a few competitions coming up after the start of next school year, and it should be interesting to see how they manage to screw them up."

"Speaking of Mizuno, can you believe that mini-solo of hers during the weirdo trio's bit during the second program? I can't believe she thought it would be entertaining!" The blue-haired girl's dark blue eyes filled with tears at the comment.

"And listening to Kino start that acapella Christmas song you have to wonder why she wasn't thrown in with the basses considering how deep her voice is. She certainly doesn't sound like a female." Lita's eyes widened, and her form - tensed in an attempt to keep herself from pounding the backstabbers into the ground - slumped drastically, her head bowing to her chest.

"And who was that thing they dragged on stage with them for the distraction number at the beginning? The whole idea was embarrassing enough, but that melodramatic stage hog made it even worse. I don't know how I'm going to face my parents and friends, having to be associated with that bunch." Mina gasped softly, torn between being angry and hurt.

One of the three brunettes patted the blonde in the group on the back. "I guess this will teach Taylor not to give you the solos you deserve. She's going to have to live with this fiasco on her record for a long time."

Serena looked at her friends and saw the tears in their eyes. Not that she was all that happy with what they had said about her - in fact she was about ready to cry herself, her doubts and insecurities coming to the fore - but nobody but nobody dissed her friends. And they certainly didn't make them cry! She handed Luna to the extremely ticked off Raye at her side and stormed forward.

"That's enough!" the petite blonde cried as she shoved the other blonde soloist across the thankfully relatively empty hall. "If you ever had a problem with Miss Taylor's choices for performers you should have said something instead of just bitching about it behind her back! And now I most certainly will not let you talk about my friends that way! Say what you want about me, but don't you dare take out your jealousy on the people I care about!"

"Jealous nothing!" the girl responded, pushing Serena back into the opposite wall. "I don't know what you did to pay off the woman, but you definitely did not deserve those solos! I'm a much better singer than you could ever be!"

Sapphire blue eyes narrowed as they glared at her opponent. "That's not the issue here," she growled. "My issue is that you felt the need to hurt my friends. I'm not going to put up with that from people who don't have the guts to say something or try out, or have the talent to earn the spotlight!"

Amy rushed forward and grabbed Serena's arm. "Stop it, you two! It's not worth this! Serena, their opinion doesn't really matter to us. It just surprised us, that's all. Now why don't we go out and talk to our parents and friends?"

"Yeah, listen to the nerd, ditz. Take the other losers with you too." The soloist's smirk changed abruptly into a grimace of pain as she yelped. Luna, who had been set down by Raye so the raven-haired priestess could back up her leader, strutted away from the suddenly red, scratched ankles of the pompous blonde.

"You brought cats in here?" one of the non-choir adversaries said incredulously. "Wait until I tell Miss Taylor!"

Artemis looked at Luna and they nodded. The pair took off, quickly disappearing from sight. "What cats?" Mina asked innocently.

"We're all witnesses, Queenie," one of the others sneered.

"So are we," Lita said menacingly, having recovered from her bout of shocked depression. She cracked her knuckles in a threatening gesture.

"And we'll just say we have no idea what you're talking about. Since I have a flawless record and am quite well respected by the principal and administration, they'll be sure to believe me over any of you." Amy smirked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So shove it," Raye growled.

Serena merely smiled superiorly. She loved her friends.

It was that smile that made the soloist continue the confrontation. "So what possessed you to embarrass that poor guy in the wheelchair, Serena? Some people might think that he would actually be willing to be seen with you in public or something. His reputation will be ruined thanks to you."

"Yeah," the other swing choir member chimed in. "What would a stud like that see in an ugly ditz like you, anyway?"

"You'd be surprised," a familiar deep baritone said suddenly from behind them.

(cut to...)

(scene change...)

While Darien had sat bemused by his revelation, he had noticed Raye and Mina make their way backstage, bouncing the entire way (well, Mina was, at least). He thought he had heard them say that they were supposed to meet the other girls in the dressing room so that they could be found in the crowd of people that was bound to back there - and that wasn't including visitors. So Darien rolled off after them, casually looking for a door wide enough to fit through.

It took him almost ten minutes, but it was finally done and he was on his way to tell Serena, the girl he loved with all his heart, just how much he had appreciated her performance. He rounded the last corner, finally having gotten through the crowd making its way to the band and choir rooms and reveling in the sudden space. He stopped when he saw a group of five girls between him and his objective and heard what they were saying.

"Can you believe the blonde ditz got all that applause? It's not like she's all that special. I mean, she sounded like a cat in a blender!" Midnight blue eyes blinked in utter surprise. He would have been willing to bet his bottom dollar that Serena was universally loved. Then again, he had always been a bit biased.

"And her two friends weren't any better. I don't know why Miss Taylor dotes on them so much." Darien rolled his eyes. Ah, the stirrings of jealousy.

"Did you see the way Serena was all over that guy in the wheelchair? You'd think she'd have some respect for someone in that condition. I'm sure she traumatized him for life!"

"No kidding. Can you imagine anyone being interested in the airhead, much less the stud she threw herself at? Now if that had been me we'd be talking about a totally different story."

The ebony-haired young man growled under his breath. Not only were they pitying and patronizing him for his "condition" as they said, they had the audacity to assume Serena wasn't worthy of someone's loving attention. Obviously they didn't know her at all. His blood was beginning to boil.

"Well, Karen, if you'd bothered to try out, you could have found out. But since you didn't, Juuban has to put up with Tsukino, Kino, and Mizuno. We have a few competitions coming up after the start of next school year, and it should be interesting to see how they manage to screw them up."

Ha! If anything, those three should take them over the top! Darien bit the inside of his cheek to keep his anger in check.

"Speaking of Mizuno, can you believe that mini-solo of hers during the weirdo trio's bit during the second program? I can't believe she thought it would be entertaining!"

"And listening to Kino start that acapella Christmas song you have to wonder why she wasn't thrown in with the basses considering how deep her voice is. She certainly doesn't sound like a female."

"And who was that thing they dragged on stage with them for the distraction number at the beginning? The whole idea was embarrassing enough, but that melodramatic stage hog made it even worse. I don't know how I'm going to face my parents and friends, having to be associated with that bunch."

"I guess this will teach Taylor not to give you the solos you deserve. She's going to have to live with this fiasco on her record for a long time."

Red was all the wheelchair-bound young man could see. But before he could move forward and forcibly correct the snobs' attitudes, Serena had dashed out and shoved the main culprit into the wall. He was thoroughly shocked on a few different levels. First, he had no idea that Serena and the others had been listening. The uppity crowd must have blocked his view of them in the locker room's doorway. Second, he'd only seen his Meatball Head that angry when dealing with Dr. Nyx. And third, she'd actually used physical violence against somebody! That topped it all! And that's when he realized that he'd never really seen her angry. That their arguments and banter previous to his accident were part of a playful give and take even at their nastiest gave him hope that he had a chance of her returning his feelings.

The goofy smile that had overtaken his features faded as he returned his attention to the argument going on before him. "Yeah, listen to the nerd, ditz. Take the other losers with you too." He inwardly cheered at Luna's response. He'd have to make sure he had some special treats for her when she stopped over next.

"You brought cats in here? Wait until I tell Miss Taylor!"

"What cats?" Darien chuckled to himself at Mina's quick response to the two cats taking off. If he didn't know any better, he would say the pair of felines knew what was being said and left to keep the girls out of trouble.

"We're all witnesses, Queenie."

"So are we." Damn straight, Lita, he thought viciously, eyeing the distance between himself and the confrontation. If the tall brunette needed to go through with the threat her cracking knuckles promised, he wasn't going to sit by and watch.

"And we'll just say we have no idea what you're talking about. Since I have a flawless record and am quite well respected by the principal and administration, they'll be sure to believe me over any of you." Darien blinked then smiled wickedly as he silently cheered for the blue-haired genius. He wasn't nearly as surprised as he would have been had Serena not been telling him about some of the things she had done at the prodding of the others, along with her performances that evening.

"So shove it." He nodded in agreement with the priestess' conclusion.

"So what possessed you to embarrass that poor guy in the wheelchair, Serena? Some people might think that he would actually be willing to be seen with you in public or something. His reputation will be ruined thanks to you." Midnight blue eyes flashed as he started to move forward. That was enough of that. He sure as hell wasn't going to let them make her doubt his feelings and intentions.

"Yeah. What would a stud like that see in an ugly ditz like you, anyway?"

Look who's talking, he thought before adding his two cents worth. "You'd be surprised."

Serena and the others finally noticed their unseen ally as the other five girls shifted themselves against the wall opposite the locker room door. Only the soloist stood slightly ahead, obviously still spoiling for a fight with the meatball-adorned blonde in front of her.

"Darien!" Serena said in surprise. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." He maneuvered forward to place himself next to the reason he was there in the first place.

"Ouch! Hey, watch it!" the uppity soloist cried out as the wheel of Darien's chair rolled over her feet. "Those were my toes!"

"Oh, your toes?" Darien asked in a dangerously bored tone.

"Yes, my toes! What's the matter with you?"

"Damn." He shook his head. "I couldn't tell you, really. I was aiming for the arch."

His friends started to grin and snicker as they rallied around him. Serena in particular was having a hard time controlling herself as she saw the outraged expression on the soloist's face.

"You said I'd be surprised," the last snob that had spoken before Darien's entrance said with a sneer as her friends helped the hopping soloist balance herself. "So surprise me. What could you see in an ugly ditz like Serena Tsukino, anyway?"

Serena shuddered as she noticed Darien's midnight blues had darkened to almost black. Only Nyx had been able to get that kind of reaction out of him before to her recollection. "First, let's get a couple things straight. Serena is far from ugly. In fact, I'd say she's downright beautiful, inside and out. And if you didn't know, she's been improving her grades quite dramatically, not that I ever thought she was stupid. So that ditz title is inappropriate as well."

The other girl scoffed as the girls surrounding the young man stared at him in shock. "The grades don't prove anything. She probably just got Mizuno to do her work and take her tests for her."

Amy snapped her attention toward the accusation and started to step forward. She stopped in her tracks when Darien held up his hand, never taking his eyes from the blustering redhead. "Oh, I don't know. On the completely off chance that she would do that - which neither one of them would do by the way - I'd say that would prove a modicum of intelligence. I mean, if you can't do it yourself, find someone who will. And why settle for less than the best?" He eyed up his opponent. "I have to wonder how you'd know to make that kind of accusation. Unless of course that's the kind of thing you were doing to get by in school."

The redhead began to sputter as he continued. "But that's not what you asked me, is it? You asked what I could see in Serena Tsukino. I see a beautiful young woman with a heart bigger than anyone else's who is trying to live up to her true potential. I see someone who is willing to feel for someone without pitying them. I see someone who is so loyal to those people she cares about that she is willing to put aside her natural aversion to violence and confrontation to defend them. I see a person with a wonderful and playful sense of humor. In short, I see Serena, and I wouldn't want her to be anything other than what she is. And I guarantee you I much prefer her and her friends to anything you could even claim to be. So if you'd be so kind as to stay out of our way, we have somewhere to be - anywhere you people aren't." He glanced over his shoulder to where a certain petite blonde stood blushing with her jaw on the floor. "Serena, if you would?" She merely nodded dumbly and began pushing his chair away, the other girls following in the same stunned silence.

"Okay," Raye said, stopping in her tracks as soon as the six of them had gotten away from the gym and were out in the open halls of the school, "who are you and what did the aliens do with the real Darien Shields?"

"Not that it wasn't a wonderful performance," Mina added quickly. Amy and Lita nodded their agreement while Serena continued to stand behind the wheelchair completely flabbergasted.

"Who was performing? Everything I said was the truth." Darien shrugged, his midnight blues twinkling with merriment. "And if I was an alien, Raye, do you really think I would tell you?"

"You'd better," the raven-haired priestess growled as she clenched her fists. "Otherwise you may find yourself eating the fire of Ma..." She was cut off by a frantic Amy's hand over her mouth.

The ebony-haired young man just chuckled. "Don't you people have parents to talk to?"

Amy blushed. "That's right. I suppose they're all waiting for us in the gym," she replied, still keeping her hand over her fuming friend's mouth.

"Serena, are you alright?" Lita asked a bit worriedly. Darien turned sharply in his chair to look over his shoulder.

Serena blinked a few times and focused on her brunette friend. "I... I guess so. That whole scene just threw me. I never expected that."

"Well, they shouldn't have started it," Darien said firmly but softly.

"Speaking of, that was a good one, Darien. 'I was aiming for the arch.'" Mina broke down into giggles.

"I was," he said through his own chuckles.

The others laughed as well for a few moments before settling down. "Okay, I have to ask," Raye said once the last chuckles had died. "Does the fact that Serena isn't surprised by the wheelchair mean you've been the mysterious patient she's been taking care of?"

Darien sighed while Serena stiffened. "Yes, Raye. I asked her not to tell anyone. The only one who knew besides the medical staff was Andrew, and he was bound by the same request. I, uh... decided it was about time I stopped hiding." He looked over his shoulder and gave Serena a small smile of gratitude.

"I'm glad you did," Mina said firmly.

"Me too," Lita added, Amy and Raye beside her smiling their agreement.

"Me too," Serena whispered softly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Darien just covered the petite blonde's hand with one of his own and gave them all a shaky grin. Then they all made their way back to the gym where everyone else was waiting for them.

(fade out...)

(scene change...)

"Oh, Serena! That was absolutely wonderful!" Ilene Tsukino gushed as she rushed forward and took her daughter into a huge bear hug when the sixsome entered the gym.

"Thanks, Mom," the petite blonde's muffled voice managed to get out.

"You were all wonderful," Janelle Aino said with a smile, giving her daughter a wink as she flipped the tresses she had passed on to the girl back over her shoulder.

"I had a good time," the taller brown-haired young man said as he stepped up to Lita.

"Thanks, Ken. I'm glad you could be here."

"My parents would have been here too, but they had a dinner planned with my dad's boss. They said to wish you good luck - not that you needed it." Lita merely blushed slightly.

"I never knew you could sing so well," Greg said as he moved next to Amy.

"I don't, really," the blue-haired girl said, blushing furiously.

"You do, darling. Don't ever doubt it. You wouldn't have been part of the second program if you didn't," Victoria Mizuno said with a smile as she hugged her daughter.

"Oh, Mom," Amy responded as she returned the embrace.

"It's good to see such good girls have such good voices," Raye's grandfather said expansively, winking at the singing trio. They laughed, Raye and Mina joining in.

"So this is Darien?" Ken Tsukino asked a bit guardedly, looking over the young man in the wheelchair Serena and Ilene stood behind. Darien stiffened under the scrutiny.

"Yes, Daddy. Darien, this is my father, Ken Tsukino. And the lady with me is my mother, Ilene." Serena swallowed nervously. She could only hope her father would lighten up before Darien crawled back into his shell.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ilene said as she stepped around in front of him and offered her hand.

Darien shook it, a wary look in his eyes. "And you as well," he said quietly.

The woman with the long, dark navy blue hair turned to her husband and gave him a stern look. Ken sighed and extended his hand. "Sorry about that, Darien. I'm just not used to my daughter dealing with a young man on a regular basis. I guess my protective streak got the best of me."

The ebony-haired young man shook his hand as well, the wary look still there. "I understand, but I'd never hurt her, I swear."

Ken looked deeply into the midnight blues sitting before him before letting go off the hand he held. He smiled. "No, I guess you wouldn't at that. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Darien smiled slightly. "A pleasure."

Serena released the breath she'd been holding. That had to be some of the most intense moments she'd ever experienced outside her escapades as Sailor Moon! But at least her dad was okay with Darien. Maybe that meant that he'd be okay with her dating him...?

"Oh, I suppose I don't count for anything," a younger sandy blonde boy said irritatedly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Serena grinned. "Yeah, that's about it."

"Serena!" Ilene said, shocked, as the others snickered.

"Oh, alright. Darien, that's my little brother Sammy, otherwise known as the fungus. Call him whichever you like."

Darien's smile became completely genuine. "Hi, Sammy."

"Hey." Sammy looked the young man over, having been quite curious for a while now about the guy his sister had been spending so much time helping. She had even improved her grades! As it sat, he wasn't disappointed, although he could see the way the two of them kept shooting the other one looks. He could only hope his dad would take this better than he expected. Otherwise the house was going to turn into a war zone.

"So why'd you do that first song, guys? It was funny, but it didn't really fit in," Chad said as he hovered around Raye.

"It certainly wasn't planned. We needed to entertain the crowd while they fixed some problems with the instrument microphones. We'd been listening to these funny tapes for the last few weeks in class while we weren't rehearsing, and I got the idea to do one. So we did." Serena shrugged and smiled.

"So how hard did she have to twist your arm, Amy?" Lita's friend Ken said slyly.

"No comment," Amy said shyly, amusement sparkling in her dark blue eyes.

"Well, I suppose. It's pretty late, and we should all be getting home. Coming, Mina?" George Aino said smiling. Mina nodded. "You girls were wonderful. Thanks for inviting us. We'll see you soon." He, his wife and daughter all left with a wave.

"Remember, Monday is our Christmas get-together!" Mina cried just before she disappeared from sight.

"I'd better get these two home too," Raye said with a smirk as she grabbed Chad and her grandfather. "I'll see you guys Monday for sure."

"You bet, Raye. And I'll be over a little early to do some last-minute cooking," Lita called as the temple threesome headed for the exit. Raye waved in response.

"My parents should be here by now to pick us up," Ken said to Lita.

"I thought they had a dinner date with his boss."

"Well, yeah, but they used the excuse that they had to pick us up to keep it as short as possible. If I know my mother, they should be out there as we speak. She really doesn't like Mr. Tamada, and she likes his wife even less."

The tall brunette girl laughed. "That sounds like your mom. Let's go. I'll talk to you guys later." The pair left.

Victoria Mizuno stepped up to Darien. "It was good to see you here tonight, Darien. I hope you enjoyed yourself."

"I did, thanks, Dr. Mizuno."

"We'll have to talk later. But for now, have a merry Christmas, and I'll see you next week. Serena, it was good seeing you tonight as well. You all put on a wonderful show."

"Thanks, Dr. Mizuno. I'll see you Monday, Amy? Greg?"

Amy blushed. "Yeah, we'll be there."

"Can't wait," Greg added with a small smile.

The three of them gave one last wave and left. Once they were gone, Ilene smiled at Serena. "So you'll be spending tonight with Darien then?"

"That's what I was planning on, yeah."

"It's Christmas Eve, Serena. You should spend it with your family. I'll be fine." Darien looked back over his shoulder and gave her a heartfelt look.

"Don't be silly, Darien. We already talked everything over. We're going to do our Christmas celebration on Monday morning. And you're welcome to join us as well," Ken said, smiling.

Serena's heart started pounding at the invitation. Her dad was going to be okay with this!

"I... I don't know..." Darien stuttered, thoroughly shocked by the offer.

"Well, you don't have to decide right now," Ilene said quickly, sensing his distress. "Think it over and tell Serena before she leaves tomorrow night. There's always enough food and love to go around."

Darien blinked. "Okay," he said softly.

"I hope you come, Darien," Sammy said, smirking. "Then the guys can outnumber the girls for once."

"They still won't, you know. Luna's a girl."

"Yeah, but she's a cat, Dweeb. That doesn't count."

"She sure seems to think so, Fungus."

"Okay, okay, that's enough of that. Are you two going to be okay walking? We can figure out a way to give you a ride if you need it," Ilene offered.

Serena leaned forward slightly. "It's up to you," she whispered into his ear.

Darien shuddered a bit before responding. "I think I'd rather walk. The weather doesn't seem to be too bad and there isn't any wind. We'll be taking major streets to my apartment building so we should be okay."

Ken looked at his daughter who nodded. "Alright. If you're sure..."

"I am."

"We'll be okay, Daddy. I do this almost every day. It really should be fine."

"Okay. But call us when you get in, alright?"

"Yes, sir. I'll make sure of it," Darien said respectfully.

"We'll be counting on that then. We'll see you when you get home tomorrow night, sweetheart. And hopefully you Monday morning, Darien," Ilene said with a motherly smile. The three Tsukinos then left.

Serena looked after them and sighed. "They've been really great about this."

"I can tell. Are you sure you don't want to just skip tomorrow? I'll be fine by myself, I promise."

The petite blonde moved around to the front of the chair and knelt down to look her charge in the eye. "That's just it, Darien. No one should be alone on Christmas. And my family is willing to move our celebration back a day. So I'll be with you tomorrow. I want to be there."

"But..."

Serena cut him off by pressing a finger to his lips. "No buts. I'm going to be there. You're the only one with a single objection here, and it's totally unfounded. No one else minds. And I know you don't really want to be alone. Right?"

Darien could only nod as he got lost in the earnest sapphire blues gazing up at him. Did she even realize how beautiful she was?

Serena smiled at the confirmation of her suspicions then proceeded to unwittingly follow along the same path her companion had just begun to travel. His midnight blues were so deep, so intense...

They began to come together, their gazes never wavering. But before their lips met, they were startled out of their reverie by the necessity of Serena moving her finger out of the way. They both snapped back to reality, and she threw her arms around his neck, burrowing her face in the crook of his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her waist automatically. "Thank you for caring so much about me," Darien whispered, breathing deeply to regain his composure.

"Like I can help it. It's so easy!" Serena giggled a bit and finished straightening to her full height. "We should get going though. It's already pretty late."

"Yeah."

Serena gazed at him for an extra moment longer before positioning herself in her customary place behind the wheelchair and the two of them made their way back to Darien's apartment.

(fade out...)

(scene change...)

The stars twinkled merrily on their walk home through the brisk night air, and both were happy to find themselves inside Darien's warm apartment at the end of their trek. Serena quickly called her parents to reassure them of their arrival then flopped down on the couch. "I am so pooped!" she declared.

Darien laughed from his position in front of the balcony doors facing the back of the sofa. "I wonder why. Although it's interesting to see there's a limit to even your energy."

"Very funny. I think I'm going to get ready for bed, though. Did you need anything?"

"No, I'm okay. You don't mind if I sit here a while, do you? I just needed some quiet time to think."

"Feel free. I'm pretty good at falling asleep in just about any kind of conditions."

The ebony-haired young man chuckled. "You may want to think about changing," he said after a minute or two when Serena had made no apparent attempt to do so.

"That's exactly what I am doing - thinking about it. I told you I was pooped."

"Oh, come on, Serena. There has to be at least one more burst left in you."

She sighed and got to her feet. "Well, what do you know?" she said as she turned to face her companion with a sly smile on her face. "There was one more burst in me."

"I suggest you make your way to the bathroom before it gives out on you." Darien returned the expression with his own classic quirky grin.

"Good point." Serena grabbed her duffle bag and stepped quickly into the bathroom.

When she came out, Darien was facing the glass doors staring off into the clear night sky. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

He didn't even flinch. "Yeah. Go to bed. I'll be fine."

"As long as you're sure..." Her voice trailed off as she pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and snuggled under it.

He turned to look in her direction. "I'm sure. Good night."

She smiled at the gentle tone. "Night." Five minutes later she was off in the land of dreams.

Darien turned back to the view from his balcony doors and watched the stars sparkle against the velvety backdrop of the night sky. His thoughts were of nothing specific, which was comforting in its own way. Finally his mind returned from its wanderings, and he shifted his gaze once again to the direction of the young lady on his couch.

He couldn't see her over the back of the sofa, but he could picture her perfectly. Her golden blonde hair, sapphire blue eyes, heart-shaped face... He sighed and rolled himself over to where he could watch her slumber. "No matter how exactly I can recall how you look, how you act, nothing can compare with the real thing," he whispered as he fought the urge to get closer and run his hands through the hair overflowing the cushions and pooling on the floor. "I love you, Serena. It's scary how much I do."

Serena sighed and rolled onto her side in her sleep so she was facing him. "Oh, Darien," she murmured, smiling.

Darien grinned and shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know why you dream of me, Serena, but I can't help but be happy that you do. I suppose I should try to get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." With one last wistful look at the girl camped out on his couch, he turned and wheeled himself into his bedroom and went to bed.

(fade out...)

(scene change...)

The night itself passed relatively uneventfully, but Darien woke up with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed. He fought to catch his breath, his eyes wide. "What... what was that?" he gasped. "It seemed so real... but it was only a dream, wasn't it?" His brows furrowed and he doubted that conclusion. But there was only one way to be sure...

With a nervous swallow, the ebony-haired young man reached into his extra-dimensional pocket and pulled out the Rainbow Crystals he had there for safe-keeping. He kept his eyes closed and his fist clenched. Finally, he opened both and looked at what he held in his palm. Three crystals, one orange, one green, and one violet, sparkled slightly in the daylight that managed to get through his covered window. "Oh, gods," he choked out. "It was real. Those were memories. I... I can walk while I'm transformed. And Serena... Serena is Sailor Moon." He blinked a few times in amazement. "Serena..." He began to smile as he remembered how she had trusted him with one of the Rainbow Crystals after the youma at the bus station had been defeated. "She completely trusts and believes in me. How absolutely amazing."

Just then the sounds of church bells ringing through the cold morning air reached his ears and he remembered what day it was. "I don't have a present for you, Serena. I can only hope my heart will do." He grinned as he came to an inner conclusion, and resolved to put it into action as soon as possible that day.

(fade out...)

(scene change...)

Serena lay staring at the ceiling after she woke up that Christmas morning thinking of nothing in particular. Her mind flitted from thought to thought and memory to memory. But most of all, different pictures of Darien popped up before her mind's eye, tracing their relationship from the first day they had met. She still had that test she had hit him in the head with, although not for any real sentimental reason. Her mother had insisted she keep it so she would always have a reminder of how horrible her tests could get in hopes that would encourage her to do better. She grinned as she remembered that all it had really done was remind her of how aggravating Darien was.

The petite blonde sighed. She remembered the argument they had the day of his accident and grimaced as she thought of the comments she had made to the other girls after he had left. "He's always screwing up my life!" She shuddered as the words echoed through her head, knowing now that nothing could be further from the truth.

She started a bit then as she heard Darien's bedroom door open and close. As the sound of the bathroom door shutting reached her, she decided to try to get a little more sleep - or at least pretend to - to avoid the questions she was sure he'd ask if he found her awake so early in the morning. The girl snuggled up under the blanket and rolled onto her left side, closing her eyes, and soon enough had dozed off.

(fade out...)

(scene change...)

Darien rolled into the living room a little while later and came to a stop on the other side of the couch where he could see Serena curled up under the blanket asleep. He smiled gently at the peaceful expression on her face, his hand itching to brush back the golden bangs that fell slightly into her closed eyes. Finally he sighed and went into the kitchen to get himself something to eat.

When he returned Serena was still asleep, curled up even tighter. He chuckled a bit and decided he'd better wake her up. He knew his courage wouldn't hold out if he waited too much longer. "Serena," he called softly, reaching out and shaking her shoulder slightly.

"I'm awake, Ms. H. I swear I am," the girl mumbled as she turned over onto her back.

Darien shook his head at that and decided to try again. "Serena," he said a little louder as he shook her a little more forcefully.

"The answer's 42." She still didn't wake up.

The ebony-haired young man grinned and leaned over close to her ear. "Do you want a detention, Miss Tsukino?"

"No!" Serena cried as she sprung up into a sitting position, her eyes open wide. "I have to be at Darien's by..." Her voice trailed off as she realized where she was. She turned to face Darien, who was barely keeping himself from laughing hysterically. The girl sighed. "Well, it beats yelling at Luna I suppose."

"Yelling at Luna?" he said through suppressed snickers.

"My cat tends to wake me up in the mornings and I tend to yell at her for it. So when people wake me up and I'm talking in my sleep I usually yell at them like I would Luna." She grinned sheepishly. "I've even done it to Ms. H. before."

Somehow Darien managed to control himself enough to just chuckle for a bit before responding. "Serena, you are something else."

She smiled. "I most certainly hope so. I try hard enough. Now why did you wake me up?"

His expression grew serious. "I need to talk to you. I... realized something when I woke up this morning, and... I need to share."

Serena threw the blanket covering her aside and swung her legs around so she was completely facing the wheelchair-bound young man. "What is it, Darien? Whatever it is, you can tell me."

He took in a deep breath and released it slowly as he maneuvered his chair away from her and positioned himself behind the couch. "I remembered, Serena. I remembered the battle at the bus station and retrieving one of the two rainbow crystals there. I remembered that you're Sailor Moon and you know I'm Tuxedo Mask." He finally looked over his shoulder and saw Serena kneeling on the sofa facing him, biting her lower lip nervously. He smiled slightly. "I know I told you not to say anything, and I guess I'm glad you didn't. I'm also glad that I can still protect you somehow when you need me. And I have to thank you for trusting me so much. You believed me when I told you I wouldn't remember and then let me have one of the crystals even though you knew your teammates don't trust me." He paused and dropped his gaze to his lap. "The girls - Mina, Amy, Raye, and Lita - they're the other scouts, aren't they?"

Serena sighed. "Yeah, they are. But they'd kill me for telling you."

"I know. But now that I know you're Sailor Moon, the rest of the facts just click into place." He looked up with an odd expression on his face. "That's why you all wanted to get Dr. Turner in the park. And why you asked Raye if he'd mentioned Tuxedo Mask in his article in front of me. And why Amy practically choked to get you to stop talking - you were about to say, 'Doesn't he realize what I go through?' weren't you?"

The petite blonde smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yes to all those points. And it took me a bit to realize what Amy was getting at too."

His face relaxed into a smile. "And you knowing who I am is why you grinned and pointed at me when the band started playing Tuxedo Junction last night, isn't it?"

"Guilty as charged."

"You little devil. I never even suspected. Although the way you threw me my baseball cap the first Friday we walked to the hospital reminded me of your tiara toss. Now I know why."

"I was about ready to freak out with the way you looked at me. And I think Luna was about ready to hyperventilate too."

"Luna? You mean your cat? What does she have to do with anything?"

Serena weakly chuckled guiltily. "Um, yeah... You may not believe this, Darien..."

An ebony eyebrow rose. "Try me."

"Well..." Serena sighed again before continuing. "Luna can talk. In fact, she's the one who gave me my transformation brooch and told me how to use it. I... thought I was dreaming. At least I did until I got hurt fighting the first youma I ever faced in Molly's mother's jewelry shop. Then I realized it was real and I was scared out of my mind. And then you showed up and encouraged me to fight, told me I could do it. And I did. All thanks to you and Luna." Her soft smile of remembrance faded as she saw the confused look on Darien's face. "Darien?"

"What are you talking about, Serena? I don't remember any fight in the OSAP."

She blinked. "You don't? But you were there! I had just scraped up my knee scrambling away from all the possessed customers who were coming after me when the rose appeared in front of me, stopping them. You told me to find the warrior within and that you'd fight with me. You really don't remember that?"

Darien shook his head. "No, I don't. I guess I was Tuxedo Mask longer than I thought I was. The first battle I remember was the one for the orange rainbow crystal. Everything before that is a blur."

"Wow."

"That's putting it mildly. Although that does explain some of the strange dreams I can remember having over the past six or so months."

"That's just strange. I wonder why you can't remember."

"I do too," he said softly, his gaze dropping to his lap. "And that brings me back to what else I wanted to talk to you about. But I'm still a little scared to do it, I guess."

Serena rushed over to the distraught young man and hugged him. "You don't have to be scared of me," she whispered into his ear. "And if you really feel that uncomfortable you don't have to tell me anything. I'll understand."

Darien returned the embrace wholeheartedly, pulling the girl into a seated position on his lap. "No, I do have to tell you. You've given me so much without asking for a thing in return. The least I can do is tell you everything. You deserve that much."

"Oh, Darien," she sighed, adjusting herself so her head rested on his shoulder, her arms still loosely around his neck.

"Well, I guess the best place to start is the beginning," Darien began in a soft, hesitant voice. Serena could feel him trembling. "The reason I was so depressed at the hospital after the accident was because I've been there for a long period of time before. I was six at the time, and I had been in a car accident with my parents. They... they died in the crash, and I was in a coma for two weeks. When I woke up, it turned out that I had amnesia. Not only had I lost my parents in that crash, but I lost all my memories of them as well."

The petite blonde stifled a gasp, knowing that she couldn't interrupt his story without making him lose his courage to tell it. She gave a little nuzzle while he took a few deep breaths to quiet his shaking. She didn't know it, but that show of affection and support gave him the confidence he needed to go on.

"It also seemed I didn't have any other family. So I was sent to an orphanage where I stayed until I was fourteen. Then I got a letter from a lawyer saying I now had control of the interest on a trust account in my name. I used the money to get out and get my own place. A couple of months later I was emancipated from the state, and here I've been ever since."

There was a minute of silence before Serena took a deep breath and asked the question that was bothering her. "You have my sympathy, Darien, and I wish I could have been there for you then. But what exactly made you so depressed this time in the hospital? Was it memories of losing your parents?"

Darien sighed and nuzzled her neck slightly. "Partially that, but mostly it was the way I got treated. I was treated like a burden. I even overheard the doctors talking outside my room saying that they were overworked and having to find me a place was too much for them. They always talked like I wasn't in the room with them, and when they did talk to me it was almost always condescending. And if it wasn't that way, there was nothing but pity. It was incredibly hard to feel human in that place. Then I got sent to the orphanage where I was treated the same way. I grew sullen, bitter, and withdrawn. I didn't really show a lot of respect to the people in charge of the place since they weren't showing me any, and the other kids all saw I was different and rejected me out of hand. I was always getting sent to counselors and social workers, every one of them trying to figure out why I acted the way I did.

"I suppose that's why I reacted so negatively toward Dr. Nyx at first. Not that she hasn't deserved it since, but the whole idea set me off. And the nurses all treated me the same way as the ones eleven years ago. And not only did I feel like a burden, I felt useless on top of it. It all added up. But then you found me out and made the effort to be my friend. I want you to know that's made all the difference in the world. And I thank you for it. Thank you so much, Serena." The ebony-haired young man's words ended in a barely-audible whisper and he held her even closer, receiving a bear hug in response.

Serena found she could say nothing; she was too choked up. All she really knew was that if she hadn't been in love with him before she would be now. Her heart swelled with the emotion and her eyes overflowed with tears. This is what he had been holding back from her. And now he felt he could trust her enough to share. She had never felt so proud in her life.

Darien didn't know how, but somehow he managed to keep the tears from flowing even after feeling Serena's on his neck. As he sat and held her close, marveling at how much better he felt now that he had told her everything, he suddenly realized how long the girl in his arms had been sitting in his lap. He shifted her without thinking about it, causing the petite blonde to draw back her head and look at him confused.

"Darien, what's wrong? Did I do something?"

He smiled in an attempt to relieve the fear he saw in her sapphire blue depths. "No, you didn't do anything. I just needed you to move a bit because my upper thighs were getting a bit uncomfortable."

She smiled in return before laying her head back on his shoulder. "Oh, okay."

A couple of beats passed before either one of them realized what Darien had just said. They both gasped and Serena jumped off him, both of their gazes falling on his sweatpants-encased legs. "I... I can feel my upper thighs," Darien whispered in awe, afraid to move in case that would break the spell that made it all possible.

A thousand-watt grin lit up Serena's features as she brought up her sparkling eyes to look at her charge's face. "That's wonderful, Darien! What a Christmas gift!"

The ebony-haired man finally brought his head up, the corners of his mouth twitching. "I can feel my upper thighs," he repeated, a bit of happiness mixed in with the awe.

The petite blonde laughed. "Yes, you can! And pretty soon you'll be feeling everything else and be up and about like you were before, I just know it!" She threw herself back into his lap and hugged him fiercely.

He gave her a quick squeeze then pulled her back to look her in the eye. He was smiling hugely. "I can feel my upper thighs!" he practically shouted before pulling her back in for a kiss.

Sparks flew as their lips met, and both melted quickly into the sensations. Darien held her as close as he could, and Serena was doing her part to help. Her fingers began to play with the short hairs at the nape of his neck while his hands gently massaged the muscles in her lower back. Eventually their mouths opened and both took the invitation to explore the sweetness of the other.

Soon enough however they were forced to separate due to lack of air. Darien's hands immediately flew to the sides of Serena's flushed face, and he looked deeply into her sapphire blue eyes. "Serena, I..." His voice trailed off as he couldn't find the words to express how he was feeling at that moment.

Tears welled up in Serena's eyes as she realized she had let herself lose control once again. "Darien, I'm sorry. I shouldn't..."

He quickly cut her off with another kiss, this one short and sweet. "Don't be, Serena. I don't regret it. Not one little bit. I came to a realization last night, after I watched you shine so brightly during the concert. I finally realized what I feel around you, for you. And when I remembered fighting alongside you at the bus station as Tuxedo Mask, the way you trusted me so much, it just made me..." His words cut off abruptly as fear - make that terror - flashed in his eyes and made his body tremble.

Serena bit her lower lip as she examined his eyes to try to find out what he was trying to say. He was surprisingly open - and vulnerable, she realized. And that's when she saw it. There was an emotion he was trying to hide behind the fear, behind what was left of his wall that shielded him from all the hurt he had been exposed to when he was younger. And what she saw made her smile.

At the unexpected expression, Darien let his hands fall from her smooth, tender cheeks and come to rest on her waist. And no matter how he tried, he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from hers. "Serena, I..." he stuttered, still struggling to put everything together somehow.

She cut him off by placing her finger gently on his lips. "Shush, Darien. Let me say something," she said quietly. "I realized something a while ago myself. I realized that I had fallen in love with you." His eyes widened as she continued. "But I knew I couldn't tell you then, because I knew you weren't ready to hear it. That's why I was so upset when you pushed me away when you had started kissing me in your sleep. It hurt, although I know you didn't mean for it to. But since you decided you could trust me so completely, and because of what I can see in your eyes, I decided I could tell you now. I love you, Darien, and I think I always have. I know I always will." She let her hand drop into her lap and unconsciously held her breath waiting for his response.

She didn't have to wait long. "You mean it, Serena? You're sure you aren't just feeling sorry for me?" She gave him a scathing look then smiled and nodded. His expression turned to one of wonder as he took some time and examined every one of her features. "Do you realize how beautiful you are? You're gorgeous, inside and out. And..." He squinted his eyes shut for a moment, took a deep breath, and opened the lids again to gaze directly into Serena's sapphire blues. "I love you too."

His admission was no more than a whisper, and Serena could tell it took every ounce of his courage to say it. She grinned and threw her arms around his neck once again. "You've just made me the happiest girl in the world, Darien! I promise I'll love you forever and ever!"

He returned the embrace, squeezing her as though he were trying to make them one. "I promise too, Serena. I promise you my heart until death and beyond. I promise."

They stayed there in each other's arms for another fifteen minutes or so before they pulled apart slightly to be able to look at one another. "So what do we do now?" Darien asked softly, his eyes trying to memorize every detail of his beloved's face.

Serena giggled. "I'm not sure. I've never had a boyfriend before."

The ebony-haired young man blinked. "You have got to be kidding me. Someone as beautiful and loveable as you has never been asked out before?"

"I didn't say that. All I said was that I hadn't had a boyfriend before," she responded a trifle indignantly.

He smirked at her. "So what about that one kid with the glasses? Melvin, isn't it?"

Her look turned sour. "Oh, please. Give me some credit for taste. I mean, he's a nice enough guy, I guess, and I don't want to begrudge Molly in any way, but... ewww." She stuck her tongue out and shook her head in disgust. "But what about you? What about Raye?" she asked once she had recovered.

He jumped a bit in surprise. "Raye? What about her?"

"Weren't the two of you dating? Why wouldn't you know what comes next?"

If he didn't know better, Darien would have guessed his Meatball Head was jealous. He decided to keep that little fact to himself for the time being however. "We went on a couple dates I guess, but she wasn't my girlfriend. She's a nice enough girl, but..." He laughed a bit at himself and shook his head. "I guess the only girl I ever wanted was you. I could never get you out of my head. In fact, I was thinking about you when the accident happened."

"Oh, Darien..."

He saw the guilt in her eyes and quickly moved to head off that line of thinking. "Don't you dare feel guilty, Serena. It's taken me a while to come to this conclusion, but the only one to blame here is that driver. The kid never should have been behind the wheel of a car much less driving against the lights like that. I know I waited for the lights to change, although I don't really remember much else of the accident. So none of this was your fault, whether I was thinking of you at the time or not."

Serena looked at him silently for a few moments, Darien doing the same, before wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling her face into the crook of his shoulder. "I'm so glad I didn't lose you," she whispered.

He grinned as he felt the small smile form on her face against his skin. "And I'm just as glad I didn't lose you. I really need to thank Lita for her quick thinking." Serena nodded.

From there their conversation traveled the gambit from Serena's childhood (she thought it was only fair) to what they had really been thinking during their confrontations. And the morning passed, Serena never leaving Darien's lap, both people starting to get to really know each other like they had never taken the time to do before.

(fade out...)

(scene change...)

Later that Christmas afternoon, Serena - who had finally showered and changed - was making them an early supper consisting of TV dinners while Darien sat and stared out his balcony doors, brooding over the fact that he didn't have a gift to give his Meatball Head. Of course, she hadn't given him an official one yet either, but that was irrelevant. He sighed. He had wished before that he had a present to give her, but now it seemed doubly important - it would be the first official gift he would give his girlfriend.

Serena hummed Christmas carols to herself as she pulled the two dinners out of the oven and set them up on trays to be eaten in the living room. She had a gift wrapped and ready in her duffle bag, and, although she thought he might be a little uncomfortable (she figured he didn't have a present for her), she couldn't wait to see his face when he saw it. She giggled a bit and took Darien his supper.

Once the both of them were done eating, Serena pushed him over to the sitting area of the living space and told him to wait. Then she disappeared into the bathroom where she had left her bag earlier. The ebony-haired young man did as requested, and the petite blonde noticed the curious look she got when she returned. She giggled.

"I had to get your Christmas present, silly. And I want to be able to sit down when I watch you open it." She pulled out a medium-sized box wrapped in white paper decorated by numerous twigs of mistletoe and holly.

He took it a bit reluctantly, guilt truly beginning to eat at him. "Serena... thank you, but I... I don't have anything for you..."

She smiled gently. "I figured as much. But that doesn't matter. I want you to have this. If it really bothers you just get me something later. I don't need anything, but if it makes you feel better..." She shrugged as her voice trailed off.

He grinned ruefully and shook his head. "You amaze me, Serena. But it won't exactly be a Christmas present if I don't give it to you today."

"Like that matters. As long as it's from you, I'll treasure it forever. Besides, you already gave me the best Christmas present a girl could ask for - your heart."

Darien saw the sincerity in her sapphire blues and decided to put it behind him. It wasn't worth it to ruin a beautiful moment like this. "Well, I really don't need this since you did the same for me in return. Your heart is everything I could ask for."

Her eyes twinkled with pleasure and mischief. "As wonderful and romantic as that was, open your present! I want to know if you like it!" She scooted to the edge of her seat eagerly.

He laughed and began to tear into the pretty paper, finding a blank cardboard box beneath. He finally managed to break through the tape that held it shut and found a lot of packaging materials. "Styrofoam? You gave me Styrofoam? How sweet." He grinned.

"Yes, I'm a true romantic," she said dramatically. Then she dropped her pose and hopped up and down. "Just get to the good stuff!"

Darien chuckled again and dumped the plastic popcorn onto the coffee table. Then he pulled a blue plastic wrapped bundle out of the box. "Am I ever supposed to get to this present?"

"I didn't know about the Styrofoam or the plastic bag, I swear. But the tape on the box was me." She grinned.

"I'll get you later." He managed to pry open the bag and gasped when he saw what was inside. He pulled out a gorgeous ceramic piece in the shape of a golden crescent moon with roses intertwined around it on a black-painted wooden base. The box fell to the floor unnoticed as he gazed at the gift reverently. "This is beautiful, Serena. Where did you find this?"

"At a small little gift shop just outside the downtown shopping district. It was on sale, and I thought it was way too appropriate to pass up. Do you like it?"

"What a silly question. Of course I like it - I love it! And you're right; it's amazingly appropriate." He looked at her slyly. "How were you going to explain your choice if I didn't remember? I would have freaked out."

"Oh, I had something in mind. I thought I remembered you saying something about liking roses a while back, and I have a thing for the moon, so I thought this was a neat way to signify our friendship." Serena grinned triumphantly.

Darien laughed. "You did have all your bases covered. I would have had to buy that one, although I still would have been suspicious. I think I'll keep this in the bedroom though."

The blonde girl blinked. "Why?"

"First off, it's something from you - neither Nyx nor the world needs to share in what I feel for you. It's not that I'm ashamed or embarrassed," he said quickly, cutting off the hurt protest he could see forming on her lips. "My feelings have always been private, only to be shared with the people closest to me."

Tears welled up in her eyes regardless. "Are you willing to let people know we're together?" Her voice was soft and broken.

His heart melted. "Of course. I want every guy out there to know that you're taken, that you're mine. I want everyone to know just how lucky I am. But the special things are just for you and me."

She sighed and smiled slightly. "I guess I can live with that. I just want to run out and shout how much I love you from every rooftop. Of course, I've always been one to tell everyone how I'm feeling." She blushed and dropped her gaze to the floor.

Darien reached out and lifted her chin with his fingertips. "That's one of things I love about you. Maybe - just maybe - we'll balance each other out. And it'll all be good."

"Yeah," she breathed, lost in his intense look.

As though they were being pulled on strings, the new couple leaned in toward each other, their lips meeting quickly in a softly passionate kiss. Serena absently stood, never breaking the lip lock, allowing Darien to sit back in his wheelchair and wrap his arms around her waist once he had somehow managed to put his present on the table beside him. Her arms folded around his neck as he pulled her into his lap, the kiss getting deeper as he did so.

Soon Darien was trailing hot kisses across her cheek and down her delicate neck, causing her to moan out his name and let her head fall back, giving him as much access as he wanted. He came around to the hollow of her throat, nuzzling it slightly with a few butterfly touches of his lips, while his right hand buried itself in her golden strands to hold her head steady and glory in the silken texture.

He started to make his way back toward her waiting mouth when suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks and pulled her close, burying his head in the crook of her shoulder. Serena blinked a few times at the abrupt halt in activities as the hand that had been in her hair dropped to her waist to join the other. Before she could say anything, she was completely thrown by Darien's sudden outburst of quiet sobs, the tears running hotly down her shoulder and under the white blouse she was wearing. "Darien, what's wrong? What happened?"

It took a few moments for him to calm himself enough to respond. "It's... it's all just so overwhelming," he whispered, his voice muffled by its position against Serena's flesh. "I've never felt this way before and it has me euphoric and scared and confused and worried and awed all at once. Oh, gods, Serena, it's almost too much to take!"

The petite blonde held him tight. "Then we'll take it slow. Slow and steady until you get used to it all. It's not like we have to be in any rush here. I'll wait as long as it takes for you to be ready for this. As long as it takes." Her hands rubbed his back soothingly as he continued to cry.

Ten teary minutes later, Darien's sobs lessened and his breathing grew deep and steady. Serena pulled back slightly and gazed down at his now-peacefully sleeping face and smiled. She was glad he could rest - it had been an emotionally draining day so far.

She wanted to get up and take care of the mess they had left from dinner and the opening of his Christmas present, but when she tried to remove herself from Darien's lap, his arms tightened and his brows furrowed. The girl sighed and snuggled back against him, resigned to her fate. "I can see already you're going to be the possessive type," she muttered ruefully as she felt him relax at her actions. She chuckled a bit and let her mind drift as she breathed in the scent of her beloved.

(fade out...)

(scene change...)

She had nearly dozed off herself when the sounds of screams caught her attention. She quickly wrestled her way out of Darien's grasp, causing him to frown and toss and turn a bit, and rushed over to the balcony, where she slipped outside to see if she could pinpoint a direction. Her ears steered her gaze toward the small park at the bottom of the hill she and Darien always passed on their way to and from the hospital on Fridays. There were flashes of blue light mixed with a blackness and a heavy feeling of dread descended on her. The Negaverse was at it again.

Serena ran into the bathroom where her communicator lay in her duffle bag and pressed the all-call button on the pink calculator-like device. She gave a brief explanation and directions then grabbed her brooch and said the three magic words: "Moon Prism Power!"

Darien started from his sleep at the intense jolt tugging at his soul and almost instinctively reached for his transformation rose. Not long after, Tuxedo Mask rose from the wheelchair and turned his eyes quizzically toward his bathroom door. "Serena?" he whispered.

The door burst open revealing the champion of love and justice herself, Sailor Moon, about ready to dash for the front door. But she stopped in her tracks when she saw her caped protector waiting for her. "Darien... I mean, Tuxedo Mask! I... I guess I wasn't expecting to see you like this..."

The ebony-haired hero smiled. "That's understandable. Now let's get going. I believe we're going to be needed."

"Right." The meatball-headed heroine led the way out of the apartment and toward the park.

(fade out...)

(scene change...)

Darien had been more than right; they were definitely needed. When they reached the small haven of nature amidst the glass and steel of Tokyo, they found a large crowd of people - a group of carolers by the looks of their outfits and the sheet music strewn haphazardly around the grass - pale and unconscious in various places about the park. There was no youma to be seen.

Serena felt oddly vulnerable and alone as she carefully wandered around looking for who or whatever caused the disturbance, even knowing that Darien haunted the tree limbs somewhere above her keeping the element of surprise. She turned a sharp corner on the path she was following and stopped short with a gasp. There, on the lip of the fountain in the center of the clearing, sat Malachite, general of the Negaverse, sitting as though he had been waiting patiently.

"Welcome, Sailor Moon. I figured you'd show up soon, although I expected your little friends to be here first." The white-haired man stood, causing the light of the late afternoon sun to glint off a sapphire blue gem resting in the hollow of his throat.

Serena stood on guard, trying to prepare herself for any move the man before her might make. "Well, surprise, surprise. Believe it or not, every now and again I'm faster than they are."

The general shrugged. "Or got caught in traffic, whichever story you'd prefer. Either way, you're mine." His gaze suddenly bore intensely into the blonde hero, revealing a frightening lack of sanity in the ice blue depths. Her eyes widened. "You'll pay for what you caused to happen to Zoicite. You'll pay slowly and painfully. And I will enjoy every yell, every scream, every tear. You can count on that." His deep bass came out as a growl as a mix of blue and black light began to surround him, the aura growing with every passing moment.

"And you can count on us not letting you!" a rich, familiar female voice called from the opposite side of the clearing. "Mars Fire Ignite!"

"You can say that again! Jupiter Thunder Crash!"

"Don't forget me! Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"

The three attacks from the other three cardinal directions converged on the surprised general. But just before they connected, he teleported out of the way, reappearing above the point of impact as the energies fizzled off before they hit the trees. Malachite's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of three of the other four scouts standing defiantly at the edges of the clearing. "All this will do is prolong the inevitable conclusion. I will not leave here without my revenge!"

"Psst! Sailor Moon!" a soft whisper came from behind the blonde hero. Serena was about to spin around to face it when it spoke again. "No! Don't turn. Maybe if I stay hidden I can help a little better. I've already managed to finish a scan this way. There's a focal point of power centered on that blue gem hanging around Malachite's neck. I think it's the blue rainbow crystal."

"Does that mean I have to use the wand on him?" the petite blonde asked quietly without moving her lips as she watched the others banter with Beryl's insane servant. The look on her face was as defiant as the rest, not giving away her actual state of confusion and nervousness.

"If it is the crystal, yes. It's your most powerful attack either way, so it would be best to use it no matter what. But you'll want to wait until he's worn down for the best chance at success. We have our work cut out for us."

"Well, he said he wasn't leaving without his revenge, whatever he's talking about, so it's not like he'll leave without giving us our chance. Thanks, Mercury. I'll do what I can."

"I'm going to move now. I shouldn't stay in one place too long if I want to stay hidden and effective."

Serena merely nodded and stepped forward. "Okay, Malachite," she called out in a louder tone of voice. "That's enough. You've totally disrupted a beautiful day filled with joy and good cheer for all these people just to draw us out so can you can get some sort of revenge for something. I don't have any idea what you're talking about, but we'll just run with it. There's no way I'm going to let you hurt any of my friends, and you already need to pay for what you've done to these innocent people. So, on behalf of the moon," she started to do her traditional motions and pose, "I'll punish you!"

The white-haired general laughed, the sound convincing the latest arrivals of what Serena already knew: the man before them was not playing with a full deck. "I have to admit I admire you for your youthful enthusiasm, Sailor Moon, but that will do nothing to stop me." He turned to face the meatball-headed scout. "You've been lucky so far, but that stops here. I will have my revenge... and I'll have it now!" His left arm shot out, throwing a crackling blue-black bolt of energy toward Mina, who stood - like the others - in complete shock at the turn of events.

The taller blonde gave a startled "eep" of surprise and managed to dive out of the way in the nick of time, the energy exploding mere inches away from her feet. "Hey! Watch it!" she yelled from her position on the ground.

He turned toward her. "Do you really want me to?" he sneered before his right hand shot out to repeat the process - this time toward Serena. She, being a little more prepared for the move, scrambled out of the way a bit more gracefully.

"That would be the nice thing to do," Mina said a bit sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest.

"But since when has Malachite been nice?" Lita questioned as she got into a signature stance. "Jupiter Thunder Crash!"

The bolt of electricity was met halfway by another bolt of blue-black energy. "Tsk, tsk, Sailor Jupiter," the man scolded as he turned to face her. "There's no need to be rude. At least wait until I'm looking at you before attacking." He threw a bolt at Raye with his left hand.

"I hate double standards," the fire scout snarled as she rolled back to a standing position after dodging the blast. "Mars Fire Ignite!"

The white-haired general turned to face the Scout of Fire with an insanely wicked smirk. The fireball that had been streaking toward him dissipated harmlessly around a sudden blue-black shield that formed around him. "You seem to hate a lot of things. I guess we have a lot in common."

"Not likely," Raye shot back as she saw a fuming blonde silently charging the man's exposed and hopefully unprotected back.

The next thing any of them knew, Malachite slammed to the ground face first, Mina triumphantly atop him. "Mars may not like them, but I'm all for double standards!" She gave him a quick jab at the base of his neck and jumped back before any retaliation could come her way.

The general snarled and deliberately made his way back to his feet. He was facing an alert Serena, but turned to look at the retreating Venus over his shoulder. "And I thought the Sailor Scouts would always fight fair," he practically purred.

"Shows what you know," Lita muttered. "Jupiter Thunder Crash!"

Finally one of the scouts' attacks got through, as Malachite's attention was trained on Mina at the time. The lightning bolt connected solidly with the center of his back, causing a slight yell of pain to escape the man's lips. When he straightened, he kept his eyes shut, and all four girls were wary. "You'll pay for that, Jupiter," he growled. "You will pay dearly!" Lita prepared herself for a physical attack as she saw his muscles go taut. But they were all surprised when he did a 360 degree spin and dove at Serena, his arms extended. He caught the startled girl around the throat, the force of his momentum driving them both to the ground, Malachite on top of the struggling blonde.

"No!" the other girls, including the hidden Amy, screamed as Serena was jolted with a large blast of the blue-black energy the general had been attacking with. The blonde was trying to gasp for air, her hands struggling to loosen the grip of her enemy. She had a leg free, and was working to get it between them, but the panic of her lack of oxygen was obviously getting to her, most of her motions becoming a wild thrashing.

Raye was seeing nothing but red as she threw herself at the man who was slowly killing her best friend. The impact sent all three of them rolling, the final result being Malachite in the same position he had been in before but breathing a lot more painfully, Serena not quite as panicked as she had managed to get a couple breaths during the tumble, and Raye glaring at the general after a wince of pain since the other pair had rolled over her.

Lita took advantage of the older man's distraction and dashed forward to pull him off Serena, Mina joining her. Before the pair reached their fallen leader, Malachite once again blasted the meatball-headed scout with a strong jolt of blue-black energy. The petite blonde was fading fast but managed to tip the scales in her own favor when Lita and Mina grabbed her attacker and yanked. Serena had gotten her feet into the man's midsection before the tumble was over, and now she pushed out with her legs, giving her friends the last oomph they needed to pull Malachite off of her. As she succumbed to the darkness playing about the edges of her vision, she heard a distinctive voice cry out, "Mercury Bubbles Blast!"

(cut to...)

(scene change...)

Darien had been watching it all from his perch in a nearby tree with his heart in his throat. The only thing that had kept him from jumping down and pummeling the snot out of the insane general was the fact that the girls had moved in so fast. His violent reaction scared him a bit though. He knew he had always felt protective of the petite hero - and of Serena too actually - but this went over the top. The ebony-haired hero shook off the feelings to be dealt with later, his focus brought back to the immediate matter at hand by the sudden fog that filled the clearing. He smiled. Trust Mercury to have impeccable timing.

He could just make out a shadowy form dragging another toward the trees and guessed it was Amy getting Serena out of harm's way while she had cover. Once the standing girl went into hiding once again after quickly checking the unconscious hero's vitals, Darien silently leaped down from his perch and went to do some checking of his own. The bubbles were just beginning to disperse when he crouched beside the petite blonde hidden in the underbrush. A gloved hand unconsciously reached out and brushed her cheek, and the midnight blues hidden behind his mask were soft. "Serena," he called barely above a whisper. "Oh, gods, please be okay. I couldn't take losing you now." He squeezed his eyes shut to keep himself from crying.

His efforts to keep his emotions in check, however, also kept him from noticing Serena's eyelids starting to flutter. They hadn't quite opened when she tried to speak. "Have to... wear him down... to use the wand..." she managed to get out past her bruised throat.

Darien gasped at the sounds that just reached his ears as his eyes popped open. "Don't... don't talk. Wait until..."

"No!" The choked cry cut him off. "Listen. We... have to wear him down. He has a... rainbow crystal. I have to use... the wand. Please..." Her eyes opened halfway as she finished her plea.

The ebony-haired young man's heart shattered at the look of pain and determination. "Okay, Serena... Sailor Moon. If that's what has to be done, so be it. But stay here and hidden until you're ready to face him." He smiled. "And stop talking. I don't want you to lose that beautiful voice, no matter how temporary it might be."

Serena couldn't help but smile in return as she gave him a shaky but silent thumbs up. He shocked her in the next moment by leaning down and kissing her firmly but quickly on the lips before jumping back into the tree limbs above. The girl couldn't help but shake her head and quietly chuckle. Then she relaxed and concentrated on breathing and listening to the sounds of the battle that had continued to rage on during her interlude.

And rage on it had. While Amy had hidden the leader of the scouts and Darien had talked with her, things had reached critical mass. Blows and attacks had been exchanged, and although the white-haired general was definitely the worse for wear, he was also winning. Lita was down and almost unconscious, Mina was moving slower with a definitive limp and blood running down her right leg, and Raye was finding it hard to breathe after taking a powerful blast to the chest - although she continued to fight like nothing had happened. Even Amy had taken a couple stray blasts the couple of times she had been caught in the middle of her scanning, causing her to have to start all over again. As Darien returned to his usual vigil, waiting for the time he would be most needed, another blast hit the Scout of Love's leg and she went down with a scream of agony. She did, however, get off one last "Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" that nailed the general in the left shoulder before giving in to the state of unconsciousness that beckoned her.

Malachite spun to face the last remaining scout he could see, half due to the hit to his shoulder, snarling with pain. Darien could see the beads of sweat that had already formed on the fire scout's brow and her labored attempts to keep breathing normally. He gritted his teeth as he realized the time for his entrance was at hand. Well, at least he knew what the game plan was.

Raye glared at the general through cold violet eyes as the two of them maneuvered around each other. She dodged a small bolt of the now-familiar blue-black energy and returned it with an attack of her own. "Mars Fire Ignite!"

The fireball was met in inch or so away from the older man's face by a ball of dark energy. Malachite grinned evilly as his counterattack started to press the fire back toward its maker. Darien, hidden in the foliage above the scene, knew he had to act fast, and before the large mass of energy crossed the halfway point. He formed a steel-tipped rose and aimed carefully.

Raye struggled to keep up her fire, hoping beyond hope that she could somehow force it past the strong barrier that was reversing the flow. However, she was hampered by her shortness of breath and her weakened state. Just before she gave out completely, she was saved by the appearance of a perfect rose. But it hadn't been aimed at the ground at the feet of her opponent and meant to distract and dissipate the energy. As soon as the projectile met the struggling interaction of attacks, the whole thing exploded, sending Malachite flying backward. Fortunately for the raven-haired scout, Darien had followed his throw, grabbing and shielding her from the blast.

Darien glanced over his shoulder once he felt the last of the heat wave wash over him and saw that Malachite was sprawled out on the ground dazed. He took advantage of the fact by turning to examine the girl he held in his arms. "Mars, are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Raye's breath was short and quick as her eyes managed to flutter open. She smirked slightly. "I think I always wanted to hear you say that to me, but now that I have, I realize it's just not right. You should save it for Sailor Moon."

"I don't regret saving you; we're on the same side after all."

"Are we?" Her eyes closed as she tried to take a deeper breath, her body shuddering in response. "One way or the other," she continued before Darien could bring himself to respond, "I need you to promise you'll take care of Sailor Moon. I don't think I can stay awake too much longer."

"You pushed yourself too hard," Darien said with a small smile.

"Maybe so," she conceded with a shrug. "Either way I need that promise - before Malachite shakes this off. Promise me!"

The ebony-haired hero started at the intense gaze the scout he held gave her. "Of course I promise, Mars. And we are on the same side. I don't think I could ever fight against you, not of my own free will."

"Beware that last statement, Tuxedo Mask. It may come back to haunt you," Raye said distantly, her violet orbs losing focus slightly. She blinked a few times and her eyes cleared. "Thank you. Now keep her safe." Her labored breathing grew steady and deepened slightly, and her eyes fluttered shut.

Darien laid her out gently on the grass. "Of course I'll keep her safe, Raye," he whispered. "Serena holds my heart." With that he stood to his full height and turned to face the rising general, missing the slight start of surprise before the Scout of Fire completely faded into unconsciousness.

"Tuxedo Mask," Malachite growled, eyeing up his new opponent. "I see you're fashionably late, as always."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," Darien responded coldly.

"Oh, am I glad to hear that. Now I can take care of you the way Zoicite wanted." The wildness in the ice blue eyes grew.

"How touching." Midnight blue eyes grew even frostier.

"How dare you mock her!" Malachite screamed, rushing forward and pulling the thin iron rod he had assaulted Darien with at the bus station out of an extra-dimensional pocket.

Quick thinking and lightning-fast reflexes got Tuxedo Mask's cane in place in time to block the wild swing that easily could have caved in his skull. "So she wanted to beat me with a stick? I thought she had a preference for ice spears," Darien grunted, his arm shaking with the effort of holding back the blunt weapon his opponent was pressing toward him.

Malachite withdrew suddenly, giving the masked man a glare that would have turned him to stone had the general the power. Darien stumbled back a few steps at the release of pressure against him and watched the white-haired man warily. "And your favorite little girl likes disks of light. To each their own, although I've always had a preference for women who were brave enough to get up close to do their dirty work. I mean, where's the courage in hiding as you attack?" A wicked sparkle gleamed in the ice blue eyes as he saw the shot hit home with the furrowing of the ebony brows before him.

"Sailor Moon's courage isn't really in question here. She faced you down alone, didn't she? I'd say she was just more intelligent. She's still around to face off against people after all." The smirk that overtook his expression was one of victory.

His riposte most definitely one-upped the blow he had received, and Malachite did not roll with it. "Then I'll make you watch helplessly while I change that!" the white-haired general screamed as he charged forward. Darien watched as the last thread of sanity snapped in the powerful general and belatedly thought it might not have been the best of ideas to push things that far with someone who had obviously been that close to the edge. He found himself immediately on the defensive, blocking blow after blow as though the pair were truly fighting with razor-edged swords instead of the blunt objects they actually held.

Every now and again a blow slipped through, causing Darien to flinch in pain. He realized he needed to do something to get back on the offensive, or he was eventually going to tire and definitely get his head crushed - leaving the vengeance-seeking general a clear shot at Serena. He wasn't sure if the white-haired man was weak enough to succumb to the Moon Crescent Wand's attack, which spurred the masked hero on even more assuredly. He finally got his chance when Malachite paused a little too long to put extra pressure against the cane that still blocked the blows more often than not and the shaking arm that held it. Darien took advantage and pushed back with all his strength, which fortunately hadn't been depleted enough to affect the distance he caused the general to stumble back in surprise.

Darien quickly switched his cane to his left hand and threw a steel-tipped rose with his right. It imbedded itself in Malachite's left shoulder, only causing him to stutter a couple of steps on his way to continue the ferocious battle. The ebony-haired young man gritted his teeth, switched his weapon back to his dominant hand, and met the other man halfway, continuing his offensive. The "sword fight" was rejoined.

This time things were a little more even, both parties taking periodic blows amidst feints and parries, flips and dodges - it almost looked like something scripted for a movie. But the blood and bruises were real, and both knew that there were only more to come. Both fought for the honor of a woman, one a tortured, twisted memory, the other a new, blossoming love to be protected at all costs. There would be no backing down for either of them.

It was a dirty trick that turned the tide of battle. Malachite blinded Darien with a blue-black blast of energy then hit the younger man's cane out of position, causing him to do a ninety degree turn. That was quickly followed by a sharp crack against Darien's now-exposed lower back. An agonized cry escaped the stricken man's lips and he fell to his knees, barely blocking the second swing aimed for his weak spot as he let his weight fall onto his left side.

After that, it was all Darien could do to keep the insane general from doing any more damage. His legs' movement was sluggish, and he knew he wouldn't be able to support himself steadily. Blow after blow he blocked, rolling every now and again to escape a particularly nasty one. He had lost his hat early on in the fight, but the mask stayed on, much to his surprise. It was one of the few blessings he could still count.

But it didn't last. Finally, Darien didn't move quite fast enough as he tried to roll out of the way of the meanest blow he'd seen yet, and it connected once again with his lower back, near the place he had been hit before, sending the mask flying. A scream tore from his throat, and he found he couldn't move for the agony that coursed through him. Glancing up quickly out of the corner of his eye, he saw the wicked gleam that glazed over the ice blues glaring at him from above and knew Malachite was about to finish this once and for all. The general's arm rose swiftly, preparing to land the blow that Darien realized would not only defeat him and leave Serena open to attack, but would also completely overcome the magic that bridged his injuries and eliminate all the progress he had made in the past two months. And all he could do was watch as it happened.