Title: Someone's Watching Over Me

Authors: Reesepbc KouUsagi and Umi Kane

E-mails: / PG-13

Disclaimer : Reese and Umi do not own Sailor Moon.

Ch. 11

Everything was dark when Serena finally opened her eyes. Sitting up she realized she was in a bed. Looking around she let her eyes adjust to the tiny fragment of light that was coming through from below the door. She pulled the covers off and got out of bed as she rubbed her eyes. She felt as if she had been asleep for days. Yawning softly she walked towards the door slowly. Just before she turned the knob, she heard a man's voice coming from the other room. Hesitating briefly Serena opened the door and made her way out in her purple pajamas. She noticed a young man sitting on the sofa in a pair of black slacks and a white t-shirt under a dark blue dress shirt that was unbuttoned. She then looked next to him on the suede sofa, and noticed the briefcase, jacket, and tie all thrown together on the cushion. For some odd reason Serena felt as if she belonged in this place.

Quietly she walked into the kitchen to get herself a glass of water. As she closed the door, she could feel the presence of someone behind her, turning around Serena came face to face with piercing blue eyes. She knew those eyes, they were Darien's eyes; but she knew something was different. Not sure what to make of the situation Serena smiled at him as she sat down on the barstool that sat beside the island in the middle of the room. A part of her wanted to have hope that this whole situation would be easier then she had thought, but something in the back of her mind told her that wasn't possible. Opening the bottle Serena took a long slow drink of water trying to think of something to say.

'What do I do? Should I say something or sit here like a goon?' Serena thought to herself. Giving up she sat the bottle on the bar and focused her attention on the young man in front of her.

Darien took a seat on the opposite side of the bar with his own bottle of water in hand.

"Hey Serena, we didn't wake you did we? Seiya was worried that you were working yourself to much, so he wanted you to sleep and we were just going to order some take out."

Serena stared at Darien for a second trying to register in her head a time when she and Seiya had lived together.

"Excuse me? You said you and Seiya?" Realization setting in that it was Seiya's voice she had heard in the living room.

Darien nodded, "He loves you Serena, so he worries constantly about you. I know he is worried something will go wrong, it's only 1 week from your wedding. So I think he is waiting for the ball to drop so to speak."

Shrugging it off Serena smiled politely. "It's ok. I know he has." Serena stopped quickly as she registered what Darien had just said. 'Married? Seiya? One week, what is going on here?' She thought.

Darien stared at her suspiciously as one of his brows raised in question to her reaction. Secretly he hated the thought of her marrying Seiya. Something just did not feel right to him about the whole thing. Yet he was supportive when Serena came to him and confessed her feelings for him. It was the hardest thing he had ever endured. He was sure Serena was the one person in this world that he just could not live without, but now it seems that he would have to. How could life be so unfair? He just could not understand it. Everything between him and Serena seemed perfect. He was planning to ask her to marry him. He had it all planned out. He picked out the ring, and even had reservations made at her favorite restaurant. Then the night Andrew had died Serena snapped. She did not want to lose Darien. So in turn, she left him. It made no sense to Darien at the time, but he respected her wishes. However, one year and four months later found him sitting in her kitchen that she shared with Seiya discussing her wedding. It was not fair. This should be his and her wedding.

'Dammit, where did I mess up so badly that he did so perfect?' He wondered as he sat there clenching his fist as he watched Serena's face in the light that was spilling in from the other room.

Serena was too lost in her own thoughts to notice him intently watching her. 'How can I be marrying Seiya? He married Kimi. She was there at the wedding, with Darien, and all their friends. This couldn't be happening.' Then reality set in as Serena remembered she was not in reality. She was in Darien's world.

Serena frowned sadly, as she reached over to take Darien's hand in her own. She wanted to tell him how she loved only him, but knew she could not. This was not the time or place.

Seiya walked in a few minutes later. He walked up behind Serena and wrapped his arms lovingly around her shoulders. He gently placed a kiss on her temple pausing slightly to take in her scent before resting his chin upon her shoulder.

Serena could feel herself stiffen against his touch. This was all wrong. She did not like being this close to Seiya, she felt like she was betraying her friend. Shifting her eyes to meet Darien's she noticed the flames burning deep within. She wanted desperately to be in his arms. To feel his touch, to taste his kisses upon her lips, but she could not. She was unable to take anymore of this. She had to get out of here the tension was just too much. She moved to stand up, but Seiya kept her planted in her seat.

"Where are you running off to sweetie? We were just about to order some take out." Seiya all but whispered in her ear.

Serena shivered at the coldness of his words. Something was defiantly not right. Seiya was not this cold. She had always known him to be gentle and kind, but this Seiya she could tell was not the same at all. Just what was Darien cooking up in his mind that would warp their friend this much?

"I was going to call the girls to see if they wanted to meet up for dinner tonight. It seems like forever since I last saw them." Serena said coolly as she managed to get free of Seiyas grip.

"Sweetie, you just saw them last night. Don't you think you should stay home one night with me?" Seiya asked quietly.

Serena really did not feel that he was asking her, but more like commanding her. She was not sure what to expect of this Seiya so she just smiled sweetly and excused herself to her room, claiming to have a headache.

Seiya watched her leave the room before turning to Darien. "You don't know how lucky I feel to have her in my life. I feel so blessed that she agreed to marry me."

Darien nodded. "Well you know sometimes when you win, you lose."

Seiya smirked slightly at his friend. "Are you talking about Kimi? I know you and her hit it off wonderfully that night at Rei's party."

Darien shrugged slightly. "She's not really my type."

Serena stood at the edge of the wall and listened to them as they talked. She was confused now. Somehow, everything seemed too flipped around now. She felt she was in an alternate universe. Shaking her head, she decided to give up and go to bed.

Serena walked in the room and flipped on the light. She was relieved to see that the room was only hers. She could not fathom the thought of sleeping with Seiya. It would not feel right. She turned the light back off and climbed in the bed pulling the covers over her and fell fast asleep.

Later on, she woke up from the ringing of a phone. Adjusting her eyes Serena reached over and grabbed her cell phone that sat on her nightstand. "Hello." She said as she stifled a yawn.

"Serena? Hey, this is Darien. Is it ok for us to talk?" He smiled as he heard her yawn once more. How he missed hearing her voice.

"Hi Darien. Yeah its fine. What time is it?" She half asked him and herself.

"It's close to 2am. I did not mean to wake you. I just needed to talk to you about something." He said softly into the phone.

Serena smiled at his nervousness. She had to admit his insecurity made him cute.

"No it's ok. I wasn't really sleeping, more like napping." She lied. Truthfully, he had waked her from a great sleep, but she could sleep later. Right now she had the chance to talk to the man she truly loved.

"You're lying, but I appreciate the gesture. If you want we can talk tomorrow."

Serena laughed at that, "No really it's ok. I can talk."

Darien smiled into the phone. "Well if you insist. I'll make this quick, promise."

Serena silenced another yawn, and propped herself up on her pillow at the very edge of the bed. 'I love how his voice sounds so raspy in the early hours.' She thought as she laid there with her eyes closed picturing Darien lying there on his sofa with his feet kicked over the back of the sofa and his head resting on the armrest.

Darien hesitated briefly not sure, how to word what he was thinking; finally, he just gave up and came out with it. "Listen Rena, I know this isn't important now, but I have to tell you. I love you."

Serena dropped the phone as she slipped off her bed hitting her head on the nightstand in the process.

Darien started to worry when he heard all the noise coming from the other end of the phone. He was starting to regret telling her his feelings this late in the game. "Serena, are you ok?

Serena sat up rubbing her head, and gaining her composure as she held the phone back to her ear. "Yes, Yes I'm fine. I just. Well I fell off my bed."

Darien sat there shocked, "You fell off your bed?"

Serena shook her head, "Well what did you expect me to do? I was not expecting you to tell me that you love me. Therefore, it took me by surprise, and don't you dare laugh, it's not funny. It hurt."

Serena only heard silence on the other end of the phone, then without warning Darien started laughing, "Well they always say love hurts." With this Darien dropped his own phone from his ear as he continued to laugh. He could imagine Serena sitting there beside her bed with a baffled look on her face.

Serena's brow twitched slightly as Darien laughed at her on the other end. 'Well I'm glad someone finds this so amusing.' Serena thought as she sat there rubbing her head.

Darien finally gained his composure, "Listen Rena, I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh. It's just well I find it funny. Only you could manage to fall off your bed."

"Shut up Darien. Is there anything else you wanted? I have to get to bed." Serena snapped as she listened to his banter.

Darien smirked, "Yes. Meet me tomorrow for lunch at the café across the street from the coffee shop. Please."

Serena perked up at this slightly. "Lunch you say? Sure why not, I can meet you there at noon."

Darien smiled into the phone. "Maybe after that we can head down to the river and take a walk and talk. Just you and me, we can hang out like we use to."

Serena smiled at the thought. "That sounds nice Darien. It's a date, but for now I must get some sleep. So goodnight and I will see you tomorrow."

Darien stood up from his sofa and walked to his room. "Sure thing, I'll see you later. Bye Rena." As Darien hung up his phone he looked out the window to the side of his bed. 'Maybe this can work out. Maybe I can get her to change her mind.' With that Darien fell back in his bed and fell fast asleep.

Serena sat there for a moment more, before pulling herself into her bed. She was just about to fall asleep when she heard footsteps move from her door. Glancing at the door, she shrugged it off as her mind playing tricks on her. Once more she pulled her covers over her and fell back to sleep with thoughts of Darien in her mind.

On the other side of the apartment, an angered Seiya sat in his room with the windows open, and the blinds drawn. 'Just what in the hell does Darien think he's going to accomplish?' Seiya wondered. He was not in the mood to play trivial games. Serena was his now, and she was going to stay that way. Seiya stared out the window as a sly smile spread across his face. Tomorrow would defiantly be an interesting day.