Chapter Four: Roses like Daggers

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

As always, thanks everyone for liking the story. Here is the next chapter.

Eight hours later, Darien stood in the middle of Elena's office in the McQueen mansion. It was a large library filled to the top of the wall with books. At the end of the room sat Elena's desk and behind the desk was large picture window with dark curtains that showed a wonderful view of the rose garden. He was wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers with a leather jacket. He looked terrified as Mason, dressed in a sharply cut dark Armani suit, paced the floor angrily in front of him. Mason stopped in front of Darien and yelled angrily, "How in the world could you have lost the princess?"

Darien lost sight of the princess after school. He was standing by his car waiting for Serena to come out of her last class that day when Rebecca came towards him. Rebecca was Mina's friend. He hooked up with her last summer at a party. He was not serious about her or any other girl, but Rebecca was great in bed. He smiled when she came over to him leaning next him against his car as she asked him if he wanted to come over that night since her parents' were gone out of town to some charity ball and they would not be home until the early hours of the morning. He wanted to say yes to her since he had not gotten laid since the infamous birthday party that Mina threw for him a couple of weeks ago that ended up turning into orgy thanks to lots of alcohol and the drug ecstasy. Yet, he could not since he was on babysitting duty with Serena until Elena returned home and released him from his duty. He called home and asked Anna if Serena was there and she said she was not there. When he heard the rise of panic in her voice, Darien relieved her and lied and said everything was okay. He searched the area for her and could not find her. After nearly six hours of searching the town and texting Rebecca that he could not make it tonight, he finally returned home to face the anger of Mason.

As Darien was about to answer for this grueling session he has been in for the last hour and a half, Mason interjected, "How stupid can you be Darien? If anything happens to the princess, we don't have to worry about the Earth being destroyed because Elena will kill us herself! God! We have a mess on our hands."

Darien quickly interjected as Mason turned from him massing his temple with his hand, "I will find her Mason! I swear to God I don't know what happened."

Mason quickly turned to him and said angrily, "Maybe if you weren't so distracted with your tongue down the brunette's throat, you would have been able to do your job."

Darien asked stunned, "What?"

Mason snapped his finger. Mason walked away from Darien and around to the large finely crafted cherry wood desk that was Elena. He sat down in the large comfy chair behind the desk.

Mason yelled as he locked eyes with Darien, "Charisma Grey appeared."

A golden light appeared in the corner of the room. A beautiful young girl with caramel skin and hazel eyes appeared. She had a crescent moon on her forehead and long wild curly hair that fell to the middle of her back appeared. She was wearing a black sheath dress and heels.

Mason twirled in the chair towards Charisma as her hazel eyes landed on Darien then Mason. She asked, "Long time no see, my lord." Mason nodded.

Mason commanded turned back to Darien, "Could you show our dear Darien what he did wrong?"

Charisma said, "Yes, my lord." Charisma's hazel eyes turned golden as they started to glow. An image appeared in front of the three of them as Darien turned around with his hands tucked in his jean's pocket. Darien groaned in agony as he saw an image of him talking to Rebecca in class as she asked him about Serena and he automatically said Meatball Head. Rebecca thought it was hilarious. Darien became angry as he saw that Rebecca started telling everyone to call her by the nickname. He then saw himself making out with Rebecca at his car. He saw the hurt look in Serena's eyes like she was on the verge of tears. He felt a twinge of guilt inside and diverted his eyes from looking at the image. Charisma noticed him as the image disappeared in front of them.

Darien then quickly placed back on his face a look of indifference. He turned around and stared at Mason then asked, "So am I not supposed to have a social life?"

Mason said bluntly, "Who you sleep with or do not sleep with is not of my concern. The princess is."

Darien bit angrily pointing to himself, "And what about my life? My wants? My needs? Aren't they of any concern?"

Mason looked at Darien as if he was insane then answered outrageous, "No! They are not. You are a servant of the crown that you pledge your allegiance to. You should know that the penalty for betrayal is death. Or haven't you been a part of this family long enough to know that?"

Darien felt his anger start to rise. Darien said angrily, "I despise you."

Mason said coolly, "I honestly don't give a damn whether you like me are not." Mason smirked, "You are Elena's favorite. Yet, I don't think that would really matter if she comes back and finds out that the princess is gone or worse. So I suggest you get over your hissy fit and find the princess."

Darien said angrily, "I tried. I searched the entire city for her."

Mason said coolly, "Then, try again."

Darien turned his head trying to calm down his anger. Mason said, "I will give you three hours to find her. If you are do not find her, then I will have no choice but to kill you for your failure. Elena does not allow failure on her team. Yet, I think you know that too." Darien turned to Mason. He knew everything that Mason said was correct. He knew that Elena hated failure or betrayal. He had fully seen the extent of Elena's rage and in that way, she was as ruthless at Queen Beryl.

Darien bowed then said, "Yes, my lord." He then turned on his heel and walked out closing the double doors behind him.

Mason watched the doors for a moment in deep thought. Charisma watched him. Mason said without looking at her, "Help him. Make sure he does not fail."

Charisma said with a smile, "You've grown soft in your old age, Mason."

Mason turned to her then said disdainfully, "No, I haven't wench. I just see the bigger picture. Now, off you go."

Charisma bowed saying as she disappeared with golden rays appeared around her as she started to become smaller, "Yes, my lord."

Darien walked towards the garage which had a row of some of the most luxurious and classic cars on the planet. He hopped into a red Porsche. He thought, "Serena, where are you?" The garage doors opened and he zoomed out of the garage and off the McQueen property as the iron gates instantly opened for him.

Serena ran through the dark streets and was completely lost. She felt completely stupid for running off like that in a strange city not knowing where she was or where she was going. Somehow, she wandered off into a bad part of town full of homeless people, alcoholics, and drug addicts, and even prostitutes, who tried to get her attention. She wrapped her arms tightly to her chest in the cold night with her head bowed. She felt someone behind her. She quickly turned behind her and saw two dark figures behind her. She saw a glimpse of something silver. She figured it was a knife. When she felt them gaining up on her, she started to run. She felt them chasing after her. She started to scream but no one was around and the few people that did see her pretending like they did not, not wanting to get into any trouble.

She yelled, "Help me! Help me!"

On the nearly empty interstate, Darien gasped as he heard her voice say, "Help me! Help me!"

He quietly said, "Serena."

He shifted gears in the Porsche and increased his speed not seeing a police officer cruising next to him. The police quickly placed on his sirens and chased after Darien. When Darien would not slow down, the police officer called for backup giving out the license plate number on the back of the car. Darien found the exit he was looking for and quickly cut his wheel moving in the right lane causing a driver in that lane to angrily blow his horn at him and curse him out. The police officer missed the exited and called on the radio yelling out the exit Darien took.

Darien yelled out, "Serena, hold on!"

Serena gasped as she heard Darien's voice in her head telling her to hold on.

Serena looked in front of her and saw an abandon building that looked like an old movie theater having nowhere else to go. She heard men voice's saying, "Come on! She went this way."

Serena quickly walked towards the double entrance doors that were boarded shut. She tried to pull them open but they would not bulge. She started to panic. She then heard a meow sound to her left.

She looked down and saw a black cat with golden eyes with the crescent moon symbol on her forehead. Serena asked quietly confused, "Luna?" 'How did her cat get here?' she thought.

The cat simply meowed then looked like it was motioning her to follow it with its head. Serena was confused. Yet, she heard the voices coming closer. The cat ran around the corner of the building. Serena quickly followed. It led her to a broken window on the side of the building. The cat leaped effortlessly through the window. Serena climbed through the window scraping her knee on broken glass causing her to wince in pain. She continued to follow the cat as it led her through aisles. It scratched on a theater door. Serena glanced up and saw that it had a poster of War of the Worlds on it with the movies times still on it on top of the entrance. Serena pulled opened the door and was relieved when it opened. The black cat followed her inside.

Serena raced up the stairs with the cat behind her and got on her knees and hiding in one the rows. The black cat hopped into her arms and Serena held her tightly. Serena's heart beat rapidly.

The hoodlums searched through the movie theater for her. She heard their voices and one of the men said they knew she was hiding somewhere.

Serena slowly rose up and peeped over the seat she was hiding behind. She saw one of the men walked into the theater she was in. He had a gun in his hand. She quickly ducked. The floor squeaked beneath her. Serena panicked. She hoped the man did not hear her. She did not hear a sound. She looked upwards again and saw that the man was gone. She sighed in relief.

Her eyes widened when she felt a presence behind her. She slowly turned around and screamed when she saw the man behind her.

He smirked when he saw her. The black cat quickly leaped out of Serena's arms and attacked the hoodlum's face clawing him in the face. The man screamed as Serena quickly got up and ran down the stairs. She stopped when she saw another man stepped out quickly in front of her blocking her exit. Then she saw four other men come through the other entrance all smirking at her.

Serena gulped as she felt her chest heaved. He said, "Give up, little rich girl." They all started to surround her. The man that the black cat attacked finally pulled the black cat off of him and tossed the cat down the seats injuring the animal. Serena gasped as saw the cat land on the hard step of the stairway. She tightly held her hand on her book sack's strap.
When the man in front of her reached for him, Serena hit him hard with her backpack knocking him a little off balance. She tried to run around him but he quickly grabbed her arm.

He looked angrily at her and slapped her harshly across the cheek, he yelled angrily, "You dumb bitch!" He then tossed harshly against the wall knocking the wind out of her.

He said angrily, "It's time I teach you a lesson, little girl!" He pinned a distorted Serena against the wall as some of the other hoodlums surrounded her.

Serena said weakly, "Don't do this…"

She shivered frightening as she felt the man start to grope her body as she became emotional feeling helpless as to what was to come. Tears started to fall down her cheeks as she begged him to stop as she felt his hands go underneath her skirt.

He said huskily as she felt his arousal pressing against her, "You know you want this little girl. I'm about to make you feel really good. We are all going to have some fun with you tonight."

Serena gasped as she looked at all of them staring at her with lustful eyes and rubbing their hands together in excitement. She cried out when he ripped her blouse revealing her white bra. He groaned lustfully when he saw her firm breasts. He reached to touch it when he screamed as a sharp rose pierced through his hand.

One of the other men yelled, "What the-"

They looked up and saw a masked man dressed in a tuxedo with a cape.

Another hoodlum asked, "Who the hell are you?"

Tuxedo Mask said in an imposing voice, "Who or what I am is irrelevant. But tonight you can call me the Grim Reaper."

The man stabbed with the rose yelled, "Kill that bastard! Shoot him!"

The men took out their pistols and began shooting at Tuxedo Mask. Tuxedo Mask leaped in the air quickly twirling his cane easily knocking the bullets away. The hoodlums gasped as Tuxedo leaped up doing a cartwheel in the air and landed on his feet a few feet away from them. He extended his cane knocking the guns out of their hands. They looked dumbfounded at him as he simply smirked. He beckoned them to come to him.

They looked angrily at him and charged towards him as the man with the pierced rose through his hand grabbed Serena's arm so hard she flinched in pain.

Tuxedo Mask engaged in hand to hand combat with all five of the men at once. Serena watched in amazement as he defeated all the men effortless. He knocked down the last once with a spinning kick.

When he was done, he looked up. He said calmly with five unconscious men's bodies on the floor encircling him, "I suggest you let her go."

The man asked, "And what if I don't?"

Tuxedo Mask said indifferently, "Then you die."

The man pulled out his gun as Serena weakly tried to move away. A rose appeared in Tuxedo Mask's hand. The man started to pull the trigger as Serena screaming hoping that Tuxedo Mask would not get shot.

Before the man could fully press the trigger, Tuxedo Mask tossed a rose that pierced the man's forehead and extended through the back of it. The man fell to the ground releasing his hurtful grip on Serena. Serena's eyes widen as she looked down. Without thinking, she quickly raced over to Tuxedo Mask as he unconsciously embraced her in his arms. They heard police sirens outside.

Tuxedo Mask angrily pulled her away from him and held her at arm's length as he yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you? You know they would have raped you or worse."

Serena cried out loud shaking her head, "I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing. I don't know what I am doing. I just wanna go home and be with my parents."

Tuxedo Mask said, "Serena, this is your home now. Your parents are gone. They're not coming back."

Serena started to cried hysterically. Tuxedo Mask looked at her messy hair, swollen lips, bruised cheek, ripped blouse, and bloody knee. His heart wept for her and his anger receded as he pulled her into his arms tightly as she cried.

Tuxedo Mask said, "We have to leave now."

Serena opened her eyes nodding. She looked around and saw that the black cat was gone.

Serena slowly pulled away from Tuxedo Mask's embrace. She gasped then looked up at him and said, "The black cat's gone."

Tuxedo Mask looked down at her confused. He asked confused, "What are you talking about?"

Serena said worried, "The cat that helped me is gone. If it was not for that cat, they probably would have…." Serena froze as she started to cry again. Tuxedo Mask gently pulled her into his arms again. He heard the cops in the building now. When he looked at his gloved head, he saw blood on it. He looked down at her head and saw blood mixed up with her blonde hair. She was bleeding. Tuxedo Mask heard Serena sighed as she lost consciousness in his arms. Tuxedo Mask became emotional as her body felt lifeless in his arms. He saw the police search lights coming through the doors. He scooped Serena in his arms and leapt up. When the police walked into the theater, they saw nothing but five unconscious hoodlums and a dead man with roses through his hand and head.

Half an hour later, Tuxedo Mask landed on top of Serena's balcony window with an unconscious Serena in his arms. His eyes started to glow golden and the balcony's doors unlocked. He carried her to her bed. He gently laid the unconscious girl on her bed as she moaned. He stood up and looked down at the unconscious girl as he detransformed before her and became Darien once again. He gently sat down next to her on the bed as he sunk into the soft bed. He slowly caressed her soft face with his hand. Even if she looked bruised up, she still looked angelic. He softly caressed her hair as his hand started to glow. The wounded in the back of her head healed. He softly caressed her lips and cheeks as her lip and cheek healed. He then ran his hand over her body not touching her as her entire body started to glow. He looked down as saw the cut on her knee start to heal.

Darien watched as Serena's body started to rise and her eyes started to fluttered open.

She whispered disorderly, "Darien…where am I?"

Darien smiled softly at her then said warmly, "You're home." She smiled at him then her cornflower blue eyes closed as she fell into a deep sleep.

When Serena woke up, she looked up at her ceiling. She turned to the window and saw that it was day time. She noticed her backpack sitting on a lounge chair next to the window. She stayed quietly as images of last night flashed through her head like a movie. She remembered everything. She saw the black cat helping her, the hoodlums attacking her, and a mysterious masked man saved her. She remembered waking up and seeing Darien smiling down at her. She saw up and touched the back of her head. She was not bleeding anymore. She was wearing satin cornflower blue pajamas matching her eyes. She pulled up her leg and noticed the cut was gone. She swung her legs out of bed and ran into her bathroom and saw face looked normal again.

When she walked out of the bathroom and noticed a medium sized pink box on her dresser. It had a post-it note on it. It read: "To Meatball Head." She rolled her eyes as she opened the box. A big smile crept on her face.

She ran to her balcony and saw Darien and Mason talking to a police officer in the rose garden. An hour later, Serena raced downstairs with her hair in a messy bun wearing a tank top and jeans and flip flops. She saw Darien in the rose garden tending to the garden. She stopped when she saw him and nervously placed her hands in her jean's pocket.

He asked without looking up, "Serena, how are you feeling?"

Serena asked stunned, "How did you know it was me?"

Darien smiled as patted down the soil, "It's a gift. What's up?"

She held up her new smartphone and said with a smile, "Thanks."

Darien quickly glanced over at a smile Serena and snorted before continuing to tend to the flowers. He said, "Mason and I totally agree that every teenage girl deserves a smartphone."

Serena said, "Wow, we finally agree on something, loser."

Darien said working with the soil, "The house number is saved in the contacts along with Mason's cell and 9-1-1 in case you do not know the number. I know it's kind of difficult with a brain the size of yours." He then added, "Oh, and most importantly, my number is also programmed in there in case you decide to get lost again. You are really lucky girl. Most women would kill for access to that number." He quickly turned to her and winked before turning back. Serena rolled her eyes with an amused smile still plastered on her face. She crossed her arms across her chest.

Serena asked aloof, "How lame! So loser, why were you in my bedroom last night?"

Darien smirked then said with phony fatigue, "Serena, you really have to stop dreaming about me. It's kind of becoming pathetic."

Serena frowned at him and said, "I know it was real."

Darien sighed in amusement as he lifted himself up and wiped his dirty hands against his jeans.

Darien said seriously, "I was in your room three days ago."

Serena asked stunned, "How long was I asleep?"

Darien said, "For about two days." He turned to her concerned.

He asked, "How much do you remember?"

Serena lied, "Not much. Just bits and pieces."

Darien asked, "Well, I am glad you are safe again. So how are you feeling?"

Serena answered not taking her eyes off of him, "I'm okay."

Darien asked, "Good, so how are you really feeling?"

Serena stared at him for a moment as he looked at her intently as they blue eyes locked with each other. She then answered, "Angry, violated, piss off…I never want to feel that weak again. If you are asking if last night had scarred me, then you're right it has. I would never forget what those bastards did to me or how they made me feel. Yet, if you are asking me if I will be okay after last night, then I will."

Darien smiled at her and said, "Sometimes, I forget how strong you really are, princess."

For a moment, they simply stared at each other feeling a sense of serenity from being in each other's presence. Darien then broke the trance and said with after a quick bow, "Well, milady. I have plans today so I'll catch you later, while you have two days of homework to catch up on."

Serena groaned in agony.

He smiled then turned around as he started to walk off.

Serena asked, "Why were the police here?"

Darien said continuing to walk off, "They thought one of the cars here was in a high speed chase, but they had the wrong license plate."

Serena glanced at the roses and remembered the rose striking the hand of the hoodlum that molested her. They were no ordinary roses. They were more like daggers.

She glanced at Darien's retreating form about to turn a corner. She pictured him as the masked man in the tuxedo last night.

She glanced at the roses again then back at Darien, who was now gone. She smiled then said, "Thank you, Tuxedo Mask."