I don't own the characters of Sailor Moon. For reals. But oh, how I enjoy borrowing them and placing them in totally out there situations…

Sorry for the wicked cliffy last time. I hope this chapter will make it up to ya'! Still not super sure where I'm going with this, but bear with me. Hopefully, I can make some sense of it soon. Not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but future chapters will be more exciting. I think. ;P

Semi-lemonish thing herein. Not too graphic, though…

X-O-X-O

Serena nearly reeled backwards, her hands gripping his forearms to keep her from doing just that. The want in his kiss was unmistakable, the same that she'd experienced on several such occasions prior, and she found herself to be positively pliant in his grip.

Her towel fell completely away, leaving her fully exposed and feeling like a lamb in a lion's cage. His hands were moving over her bared skin, down her arms and along her sides, sending chills racing along her spine. Serena felt her mind going completely blank, the feeling of his tongue coaxing her lips open nearly driving her mad. She knew that she should've been terrified of him, completely disgusted by him, but something stuck in her mind: he had saved her from a wicked fate. If he hadn't laid waste to the man intent on taking her life the night before, she wouldn't be alive.

Heavy thoughts were interrupted as he laid her down upon the bed, his knees planted between hers as his kiss threatened to overtake her. Arms moving to pull him closer, she felt something akin to an electric current surging through her entire body, the feeling of his naked skin against her own almost more than she could bear.

Darien's lips broke from hers before beginning to trail over her exposed skin, and he could hear the soft sounds escaping her, her hands resting upon his back. He'd resisted these urges before, had suppressed the feral beast which dwelled within him. But now, he felt it surging forth, digging…clawing to be freed. He no longer held control over himself, as he always had before he'd come to know this girl.

He was vaguely aware of his hand tearing at his belt before unbuttoning his pants, his fingers then sliding down the zipper, his urgency surprising even Darien himself. He wanted to feel her skin against his, to feel her warmth permeating his body. Looking down upon her, he saw her eyes, hazy with a lust that matched his own.

Ignoring the dull, nagging ache in his shoulder, he managed to shed the rest of his clothing, leaving his almost menacing form looming over her. She realized she was staring, unconsciously wondering if her mouth was agape as she ogled his body. He was the perfect specimen of a man, the lines and sinews of his body well defined.

She gasped as his lips touched her bare chest, her eyes closing as he began an all out assault on her naked skin. Her fingers tangled in his jet black hair, holding him close, his lips touching her breast. The heat of his mouth upon her flesh was ungodly, her body moving of its own accord as he paid homage to her.

He heard her voice breathe his name, urging him on, causing the flames licking within him to grow. Serena allowed him to commandeer her entire being, her eyes lidded as she felt his lips sliding down her body, his hands shoving her thighs apart almost roughly. She gasped as his fingers touched her, his eyes on her face, the man pleased by the expressions crossing it. She was so beautiful laying there, her fingers still tangled in his hair, eyes closed and head tilted back as he continued teasing her. He left her suddenly, her body aching, craving what she knew only he could grant. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading.

She heard the rustling of a bag, only then realizing that he was retrieving a much needed necessity. She'd been so caught up in the moment that she'd neglected to even think of such a thing, grateful that he'd been so reliable. Still, that meant he'd been planning for this, though Serena couldn't find it in herself to be shocked nor bothered, for she longed for this more than anything she'd ever known. Somehow, this man had done what none other ever could. He'd stripped her of her every defense, leaving her totally pliant in his hands.

Soon, he loomed over her once more, her small hands gripping his forearms as his eyes nearly tore her apart. She prepared herself, knowing full well that there would be no going back after this night. Already, she found herself lost in a world she'd never known to exist, feeling utterly helpless. If not for the calm in his eyes, she was sure she would feel utterly alone in the darkness.

Her breath caught as he lowered himself upon her, poised to claim her as his own. As he began pushing forward, a realization struck him suddenly. Much to his surprise, he realized that she'd not been taken before, a thought that perturbed him to no end. He'd been driven by lust, the haze surrounding him quickly chased away by this new discovery. He pulled back, unable to commit such an act.

"Darien?" came her confused voice, his heart paining him as their eyes locked.

"I can't do this to you," he told her, moving to put space between them. To his surprise, her hands gripped his arms, halting his retreat.

"Do what? I'm sorry that I…haven't done this before, but I don't want you to stop," she told him, her eyes pleading for him to take up the position he'd previously held. His hand smoothed along her cheek, her eyes effectively tearing down his will. It was those same cerulean eyes that had managed to steal the heart he'd never known himself to possess, to cause so many foreign emotions to grow within him.

"Please," she said, her arms lacing about his neck, pulling him down upon her once more. He was shocked as her lips claimed his, her legs lacing themselves about him as she prepared for the pain to come. She'd never before met a man that she'd wanted to share all of herself with, having never known what it was like to join with another. Her heart racing, Serena watched as he broke their kiss, his body settling into position.

"Try to relax your body," he coaxed, not wishing to bring her any more pain than necessary. He felt her small hands, warm fingers tracing along his cheeks. Her eyes, wide and full of both longing and a bit of fear, stared up at him, heat burning within his chest as he beheld them. His hands took hold of her hips, her voice crying out in pain as he pushed past the last barrier between them. Her painful cry nearly ripped his very soul apart, though he knew that he was far past turning back. Darien remained still for a time, leaning down to taste her lips, her fingers gripping his arms tightly.

"Go on," she urged, her limbs tightening around him as he moved within her, his invasion causing her body to feel as though it were being torn apart. The man wasn't used to such things, his usual exploits with women that had long been acquainted with the acts of desire. He'd never imagined a girl as beautiful as she to be a virgin. He wondered to himself how she'd managed to keep her virtuousness intact for so long, knowing it must've been a constant struggle to do so. Darien was momentarily overwhelmed by the thought of another man laying his hands upon her, something he swore to himself would never occur.

He continued, his movements restrained until her sounds of pleasure reached him, her body moving with his as he allowed himself to become completely lost inside her. He soon realized that this was much different than any other coupling he'd experienced, the feeling of being so enveloped by her warmth almost more than he could bear.

Darien felt her fingernails digging into the muscle of his back, her legs wrapped about him tightly. With each stroke, he sank deeper within her, a pleasure unlike any he'd known. Sex had never caused such emotions to rage within him, a new and altogether bewildering experience for him. He found himself wanting to possess her…all of her. Her body, he realized, wouldn't be enough. For the first time in his life, Darien felt himself coveting the heart of another, something that he'd never expected.

"Darien," she breathed, his name pure heaven as it left her lips. It was as her body tightened around him, her head tilting back, that he felt himself falling, allowing the void to take him in as he met his end, her body clamping down hard around him.

His body came to rest atop her, his lips trailing along her bare skin as he felt her shiver beneath him. Her breathing was labored, her eyes full as she loosed her grip on him, allowing him to leave her for a time. Serena laid there, her mind unable to comprehend what had just occurred. Her body ached, though the pleasure that had followed the initial pain had been enough to wash it from memory. She was vaguely aware of his body stretching out beside her, of his arms drawing her small body close in against him.

Her head came to rest upon his shoulder, her palm smoothing along his cheek. She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead, tucking her in under his chin as silent moments passed them by. The man had never held anyone before, much less longed to do so, until he'd known the angel in his arms. His own thoughts threatened to overwhelm him, his mind absolutely abuzz with them.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you," he said after a bit, his fingers running absently through her golden hair.

"It's ok," she assured him, comfortable in his strong embrace. She found herself feeling totally protected, despite their current predicament. At that moment, she realized that he'd spoken the truth. She was safe with him, safer than she would be anywhere else. Her next words sank deeply within him, assuring him that despite all that had occurred, there was yet hope.

"I don't care where we go, Darien. I don't care what you are or what happens, as long as I'm with you. I know you'd never hurt me and I trust you. I'll go anywhere with you," she told him, her heart having been stolen away by the man she lie against. Though nothing made any sense, her words insanity in bloom, Serena had allowed her heart to take the lead, all rational thought having abandoned her the moment her eyes had locked with his turbulent blue gaze.

"I'm glad to hear that, little one. I wish you to be nowhere but by my side," he said, "where I can watch over you. I won't fail you again."

"You've never failed me. You saved me, Darien. I owe you my life," she protested, her cerulean eyes seeming to look him through.

"I'll find a way out of this, baby. I promise you, everything will be fine," he told her, his arm drawing her closer. She lay there, comfortable in his embrace, her thoughts drifting to those that she'd left behind.

X-O-X-O

Amy paced across the carpeted floor, unable to contain her own emotions for once in her life. Normally, the azure haired girl was the perfect example of poise, though the latest developments on the disappearance of her longtime friend had her in complete knots. Kidnapped. What on Earth had Serena managed to get herself tangled up in?

She and the other three panic stricken teenagers had returned to the apartment at the instruction of the officers working on her case, her parents having retreated to a local hotel to await further news. They'd been completely devastated by the news, Serena's father trying in vain to push his own emotions aside in order to comfort his nearly hysterical wife as she wept in his arms.

Now, the four girls sat at various locations around the living room, Raye perched upon the arm of the couch, her eyes darting to the nearby phone what seemed to be every few seconds. Inwardly, she desperately hoped for it to ring, for Serena to be on the other end assuring her that she was safe. They all had their cell phones close by as well, in case she were to call one of them instead.

"This is driving me crazy," Mina muttered, wringing her hands in her lap as Raye put a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"You know what keeps going through my head? That Darien has something to do with this," Lita chimed in, the eyes of the others upon her.

"You don't seriously think…" Mina began, only to be cut off abruptly.

"Everything was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happened, and then he came along. Now this. Don't you think it's a pretty hefty coincidence that this magically happens after he comes into her life?" she asked, Raye soon to speak up.

"If he's gotten her into this…" she said, unable to complete her thought as pure rage took her over. Of all the women he could've had, he'd chosen her. He'd seemed suspicious to her from the start, like someone that had much to hide from the world. Perhaps, she thought, he really was a dangerous man. Perhaps he'd stolen Serena away, doing god only knew what to her at that very moment. Raye struggled with her own thoughts, pushing them from her mind before they could take her over completely. She knew that for Serena's sake, she needed to have a clear head. Jumping to conclusions and succumbing to hysteria wouldn't do anyone a damn bit of good.

Suddenly, they all jumped as Lita's cell phone rang, the brunette nearly sending it crashing to the floor as she dove to answer it, hoping to God that it was some word on Serena. To her dismay, it was only Andrew.

"Hey," she answered, the others watching her all the while.

"No, no word yet. Sure, if you want. We'll all be here. Ok, bye," she said, sitting her phone back on the coffee table.

"It was Andrew. He's coming over," she announced, settling back in on the couch.

He'd been pretty upset himself when Raye had come barreling into the club shouting for help. Though they'd only known him for a bit, Lita was sure his presence would help to soothe her. Andrew was a calm, level headed guy. She was sure he could talk some sense into them, if in fact it could be done.

X-O-X-O

Serena awoke sometime after night had fallen, her eyes blinking in an attempt to adjust to the dim light. The bathroom door was open, light cascading across the floor as the sounds of the shower running reached her ears. She gasped as Darien's tall, lanky form emerged from the bathroom, still naked from their earlier intimacy, her eyes tracing over him. They settled on his gunshot wound, exposed for the first time, the man having removed the soiled bandages. Serena cringed, unable to believe he'd been able to deal with such an injury so silently. Still, she thought, it was all part of his…profession. She repeated the word in her mind, a grave reminder of the severity of her current situation. But, she'd already decided what path she would follow, and there was no way in hell she'd go back on her word, not after so much.

Her protests were soon silenced as his arms enveloped her, lifting her off the bed as he carried her into the bathroom. Sitting her on her feet, he stepped into the shower, drawing her in under the running water as well. The warmth felt heavenly against her skin, the ache in her body more pronounced as she stood, his hands beginning to move over her. Her breath left her suddenly, his hand snaking between her thighs, helping to wash away the evidence of their coupling. Serena watched the traces of blood swirling on the shower floor before disappearing down the drain, still unable to comprehend that this was her reality and not some blissful nightmare.

She looked up at him, his fingers trailing along her cheek, his thumb brushing against her bottom lip, still split from the night before. The girl appeared positively drained, Darien noticing how pale her cheeks appeared as his eyes swept over her.

"What are we gonna' do? What the hell can we do?" she asked, her voice soft and unsteady. She appeared as though she would break at any moment, and the man realized that it was all on his account. Never should he have given her a second thought or glance. He wondered silently why fate had the habit of being so incredibly wicked, his hands taking her face between them.

Her eyes closed, his tongue lapping at her lip as if to mend it before his lips touched hers ever so gently. Serena was sure her heart had shattered, that nothing save a gaping hole remained where it had formerly resided.

"Tell me it's all a lie," she whispered, a pain unlike any he'd ever known throbbing within him. He sighed, his forehead touching hers as his thumb stroked her cheek.

"I wish I could, baby…but I can't. I can't," he managed, his throat feeling as though it were closing up, cutting off his supply of air and positively choking him. Her arms slipped around him, hands resting upon his back as she buried her face against his chest. The man could do nothing, could only stroke her back in a vain attempt to soothe her as she allowed her fear and anger to escape, her body shaking as she cried. Never before had he been in such a position, the girl having managed to cause him to become unsettled as she was so apt to do.

He'd been exploring the idea in his mind as she slept, his heart and mind at odds with one another as he attempted to decide what was best to do at this point. Part of him, the sensible part, understood that the proper plan of action would be to leave her somewhere out of harm's way and to travel back to the city alone to put a bullet through the head of the man that had seen her face. Afterward, he knew that he should put her on a train back home…back into the arms of her friends and family, who were surely in nothing short of hysterics due to her sudden disappearance. That would mean moving on, forgetting the innocence swimming within her impossibly blue eyes…forgetting her smile and the way her body felt as he held her in his arms.

His heart, however, had completely different urgings. His rogue heart, which had been in a dark hibernation for his entire life, had awakened as of late, solely on her account. It called for him to keep moving, to take her as far from harm as necessary until she was safe once again. He could give up the life he'd lived for so long, could be with the girl that had caused all reason to leave him entirely. They could start life anew in a new place, leaving the chaos far behind.

Bitter laughter had nearly escaped him as he thought such things, Darien grimacing as his thoughts continued to plague him. He could never live a normal life. The stench of death would always cling to him, ruining any chance of him attempting to nail a stake through the heart of the profession that had both kept him alive and made him wish for death. His heart pained him as he thought of letting her go, though he knew that ultimately, he would have no choice but to do so. This was no life for such a beautiful, intelligent girl to live. If not for his carelessness and lack of self control, she'd never have realized that his world even existed, much less have been exposed to it firsthand.

He knew what had to be done. They would continue on until they reached the city that had been his father's turf so many years ago, where the only man alive he trusted could be found. He would assure her safety and then, the raven haired man would finish it…clean up any loose ends that remained before sending her back to her own world. He was sure she would be taking his heart along with her, though he realized that without her, he would have no need for it again.

But now, as she stood clinging to him, the feeling of her naked skin against his own, he knew it would be nothing short of an epic struggle to release her from the fate that had stolen her away from all she'd ever known. In truth, he wanted nothing less than to be selfish, to greedily keep her to himself for as long as he was able. If he thought of it for too long a time, the anguish would overtake him, and that he could not allow, not while she was in his care. He had to maintain composure, to keep his wits about him as he always had. He'd not have gotten through life as well as he had, should he have allowed himself to lose them.

Serena pulled back, her clouded eyes looking up at him. His hand cradled her head, Darien unable to restrain himself as his lips found hers, the man loving her in the only way he knew how.

X-O-X-O

A knock came at the door, Raye's head snapping up, her eyes landing upon it as Lita got to her feet. She opened the door to reveal a concerned Andrew, a hard line drawn across his usually cheerful face.

"Hey," Lita said, surprised as he captured her in a hug.

"I'm really sorry, Lita. If there's anything I can do to help, just tell me, ok?" he asked, receiving a nod in return. He released her, Lita ushering him over to the couch before taking a seat next to him.

"Any more news?" he wondered, Lita shaking her head.

"Not a damn thing. This waiting is torture," she said, his hand rubbing along her back in comfort.

Just then, the apartment phone rang, nearly scaring them all witless. Mina recovered first, picking up the receiver with a somewhat shaky hand.

"Hello? Yes. We need to again? Ok. Ok, sure. Bye," she said, before hanging up the phone and turning to her anxious companions.

"Well?" Raye prompted, impatient as ever, four sets of eyes fixed on Mina.

"They want us to come back down to the station for more questioning. He said they're piecing things together, but they need to get some more information," she informed them, all of them seeming to sigh in unison. This was going to be a long day.

X-O-X-O

Down at the station, four of the five sat around the lobby, having been individually grilled on everything but the color of Serena's underwear. Now, it was Lita's turn, the brunette unable to sit still in her chair, her fingers tapping against the cold metal table before her.

"Did anything strange happen before she went missing? Anything or anyone out of the ordinary?" the head investigator asked, her fingers becoming still as the man looked at her over his glasses.

"Miss?" he prompted, Lita's mouth slightly agape as she allowed her previous thoughts to flow forth.

"I don't know. I mean, the only thing I can think of that was anything new was this guy," she said, trying to choose her words carefully.

"Ok…what guy?" the investigator asked, furiously scribbling as he took notes on the interview.

"Serena met this guy not long ago. They kinda' started seeing each other," Lita told him, the man still writing down the details revealed to him.

"What's his name?" he asked.

"Darien. I don't know his last name," she said, cursing herself for not having been a bit more nosy concerning her friend's personal life.

"And this Darien…where does he live?" the man wondered, still watching her over his glasses.

"I have no clue. I mean…look, she just started seeing him. I've only seen him a couple of times myself," she answered, the investigator pinching the bridge of his nose. He wondered how they'd managed to miss such information when the girls had been questioned before.

"Describe him for me."

"He's tall, maybe 6' 2". Kinda' lanky, but broad shouldered. He's got black hair that's short in the back and sorta' hangs in his eyes in the front. Each time I've seen him, he had on this long black leather coat," Lita told him, wondering if she'd inadvertently made Darien a suspect.

"We've still got her phone as evidence and it's shot, so we can't tell if he's called her. Think he'll show up when he can't reach her?" the man wondered.

"I suppose so. I mean, that'd make sense, for him to come to the shop looking for her," she said, hoping to God the interview would soon be over.

"Well, here's the deal. You keep an eye out for this Darien guy. If he shows up at the shop, you let me know ASAP so we can question him, too. We need to know everything we possibly can if we're gonna' find your friend," he told her, popping his neck with a sickening "crack".

"So…are you thinking he may have something to do with all this?" Lita questioned, the man leaning forward, his hands clasped in front of him.

"It's possible. You say she's only known him for a short while, so that means she's not very well acquainted with him. We're not gonna' jump to any conclusions here, but until we find him and question him, I'm gonna' consider him a "person of interest" in this case," the investigator informed her, Lita's heart sinking to her feet. Deep down, she hoped against hope that their suspicions were totally wrong, that Darien had absolutely nothing to do with Serena's disappearance and that he'd show up looking for her soon. Sure, the guy was mysterious, but could he really be capable of bringing her harm? He'd seemed so genuine, Lita recalling the time he'd shown up at the shop with a rose for Serena.

"So, is that it?" she asked, pushing her thoughts aside.

"For now. Stay by the phone, just in case," he told her, both sliding back in their chairs and getting to their feet. She rejoined the others, all of them looking a bit haggard.

"Let's go. I think we've done all we can for today," Lita said, leading the way, her thoughts still heavy as she pushed through the door.

X-O-X-O

He lay there, exhausted but unable to sleep, his shoulder giving him much grief and his conscience wreaking more havoc still on the jet haired man. In his arms lay a treasure more precious than any he'd yet to know, having cried herself into a fitful slumber. Never could he recall feeling so helpless, unable to conjure the correct words to put her at ease. He could only cradle her in his embrace, his fingers clearing a strand of hair from her face as he watched her sleep.

Darien hated himself, hated what he was. Hated himself with a blind fury for having been the cause of her tears. He wondered how long it would take for Serena to grow to hate him as well, a thought that did nothing to help his current state of mind. His mind racing, he bowed his head, his lips touching her forehead softly. Soon, she stirred, looking up to see him watching her.

"Sorry to wake you," he said, the backs of his fingers brushing her cheek.

"It's ok. I wasn't sleeping very well anyway," she told him. Somehow, the warmth of his fingers against her cheek helped to settle her nerves, which were nothing short of shot from the shock of all that had been revealed to her not so long before.

"How's your shoulder?" she asked, her fingers tracing along the fresh bandages she'd helped him apply after they'd vacated the shower earlier.

"I'm fine, baby. You should try to sleep. We have a long drive ahead of us," he said, his arms pulling her in a bit closer against him. He wished to savor each and every moment spent in her company, for he knew that one day soon, he would no longer be allowed such luxuries.

"So where are we going?" she asked, hoping to receive an actual answer from him this time.

"To see a friend," he replied, her confusion only growing. Even so, Serena was much too tired to continue grilling him, the girl accepting his answer for the time being. Eventually, sleep claimed them both, chaos unable to follow.

Hope you enjoyed this seventh (god, are we there already?) installment of Whispers of Night. I'm trying to come up with where this story is going, and I'm slowly getting there. I'll try to update ASAP, but I'm working on several other fics right now, so it may take me a little while. Thanks for reading!

*Cosmic Moon Baby*