Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any character involved with it. It belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.
Chapter 15
Serena would have loved to spend the rest of her life, just sitting on Seiya's lap, listening to the rhythm of his heart beat.
"We should get dressed," she said lazily, keeping her head to his chest.
As Seiya's hands slid down her back, he said: "I could think of something I'd rather do," he grinned, and gave her butt a gentle squeeze.
She raised her head to scowl at him, but when she saw the beautiful grin on his face, she had to smile.
"Luna expects us to be right behind her," she mentioned, as she reached back to pull his hands off her.
"I don't care," he beamed.
"I do," she replied, standing up, and taking the quilt with her.
He reached out to Serena, but she took a step back.
"I'm getting dressed," she told him, and smiled sweetly before heading over to the bed area to find her clothes.
Seiya reluctantly got off the couch, and turned a knob on the fireplace, making the fire go out.
As Serena pulled her sweater on, she gazed out the window: "I should have brought a coat."
"I turned the fire off so we could cut through the gardener's tunnel," Seiya mentioned, as he jumped into his pants.
"Turned it off?" Serena queried, as she spun to look at the darkened fireplace.
"It's a gas, and wood fireplace," he explained. "You can use the gas to start it. The gas also gives a low heat. If you want it hotter, you add wood. There are ashes in there, so it was burning wood last night. The gas was left on to keep the cabins warm once the wood was done."
"And I was trying to figure out how to lit a fire on Friday night," Serena sighed.
"Let's go get breakfast," Seiya smiled, and took her hand.
They stopped at the wine cellar stairs, which lead into the kitchen.
Seiya pilled Serena close, and they kissed passionately for several minutes, before going up the steps.
The chef was surprised to see someone emerge from the cellar door.
Seiya smiled at him.
"Hi," Serena smiled, and gave a little wave.
Everyone except Yaten was already seated.
"Enjoy yourselves?" Yaten sarcastically remarked in a whisper, when he came up behind them.
"Morning," Serena happily smiled at everyone seated at the table, not really hearing what Yaten had said.
Serena didn't really make eye contact with anyone. Instead, she focused on the high stool Luna was perched on.
"Your own little seat," Serena grinned at Luna, as she sat down beside her.
Seiya sat next to Serena and he eyed the food rather then notice if anyone was looking at him.
"Didn't you find it cold out in the cabin?" Kakyuu asked Serena, as she passed her the serving platter of pancakes.
"I think I was too tired to notice," she replied, and put a pancake on Luna's plate. "I didn't get much sleep this weekend."
Serena heard Yaten quietly snicker, as she loaded her plate.
"They were asleep when I took Luna out there," Maliki mentioned, as Serena handed the platter to Seiya.
"She wanted to stay out there with Serena, so I lit a fire to warm the cabin," Maliki continued.
Serena kept her head down, concentrating on her pancakes. She began to wolf them down.
"It's amazing how warm that little fire made the cabin," Luna remarked. "I found it quite comfortable."
"Looks like we could be in for some bad weather," Sikora noted. "Maybe I should take Serena and Luna home after breakfast."
"I'd like to visit with them for awhile," Kakyuu mentioned. "We can always take them home by other means than a car."
"I'd like to stay and visit," Serena smiled at Kakyuu.
"Maybe we could sit in the hot springs, and watch the snow fall around us," Kakyuu said with excitement.
"Water, and snow," Luna grimaced.
"I could show you some of the new information on that planet we were talking about," Taiki told Luna.
"Now that I would enjoy," Luna answered.
"I think I could go for a nice quiet, relaxing soak," Sikora smiled.
Kakyuu leaned forward, and looked down the table: "We'll be wearing bathing suits, if you want to join us Yaten."
"Thank you," Yaten grinned. "But I have homework to finish."
"Maliki, want to watch it snow?" Sikora laughed.
"Seiya and I have a few things to talk about," Maliki replied, and looked over at Seiya. "I might join you later, if you're still in there."
Serena noticed Seiya's body sigh and he stopped eating.
"I don't have a bathing suit," Serena told Kakyuu.
"I'm sure we can find one for you," Kakyuu answered.
"At the rate she was, and still is eating, you might need a very big one," Luna snickered.
"I haven't really eaten all weekend," Serena scowled at Luna, and stuffed her mouth with the rest of the pancakes off her plate.
"There's no rush to finish," Sikora said to Serena, as she watched Serena cram her mouth.
"Rush," Luna spouted. "I've never seen her eat this slowly."
Serena made it look like she had accidently knocked her napkin to the floor, while she scowled at Luna.
As Serena had hoped, Seiya turned to watch her pick it up. She looked up at him, and he gave her a big bright smile.
Once Serena sat back up, Kakyuu said: "Let's go find you a suit."
Everyone stood up when Kakyuu moved her chair away from the table.
"You've found a planet?" Serena inquired, as the three ladies made their way to the hot springs.
"Possibly," Kakyuu replied. "A team of scientists went there on Friday to begin a test."
"Oh," Serena sighed.
"We're not leaving you quiet yet," Sikora put her arm around Serena.
"I'm sorry," Serena looked at Kakyuu. "I should be happy for you."
"All you have to remember is that we are only a phone call away," Kakyuu smiled.
"A phone call," Serena giggled.
"Sort of," Sikora told her. "I'm sure Ami, and Taiki will find a way for your communicator to contact us."
Kakyuu removed her robe, and put it in a little wooden box that sat near where she got into the hot spring, Sikora did as Kakyuu had, then flicked a switch on the side of the box.
"It's heated to keep our robes warm," Sikora told Serena.
With her robe now in the box, Serena held up her hair, as she walked over to the other side of Kakyuu. She sat down, and threw her hair over the high backed rock she sat against.
"This is much better standing in my room watching the snow," Serena smiled. "Everything always seems so peaceful when it snows."
"I will miss this," Kakyuu sighed.
"You'll have to keep the estate," Sikora said to Kakyuu. "That way you will have somewhere to escape to, when you need a break."
"Yes," Serena shouted. "Keep it, keep it," she bounced up and down in the water.
"I can imagine the girls will keep an eye on the place for us," Sikora commented.
"We'll have to lock up the wine," Kakyuu teased, smiling at Serena.
"I don't think Mina will ever drink that wine again," Serena snickered, laying her head back, and watching the snow fall on her face.
"If you like the snow, why didn't you go skiing with the girls?" Sikora asked.
"I like watching the snow fall, sometimes I like to play in it," Serena responded. "But spending the weekend falling on my butt into it is not what I call fun."
"What is skiing?" Kakyuu inquired.
"Sliding down a hill on slippery pieces of wood strapped to your feet. You have a pole in either hand for balance, and to speed you along," Serena informed her.
"I'd like to try that," Sikora remarked.
"Ami's grandfather has a cabin at one of the ski resorts. The girls go up all the time in the winter. If you ask them, they'll take you next time they go." Serena said, and then looked at Kakyuu.
"They can go fall in the snow, while you and I watch the snow fall," Kakyuu giggled.
All three ladies had their heads reclined in the neck support of their rock seat, and the water lapping up over their shoulders.
"Normally at this time on a Sunday, I would still be asleep," Serena lazily commented. "I use to get up..." she paused.
"Serena," Kakyuu sat up.
"I was just thinking, I have a lot of homework to do," Serena mentioned quietly, her head still relaxed.
"You will always find little things that remind you of Darien," Kakyuu said softly. "You two were together for quiet sometime."
"I didn't say anything about Darien," Serena remarked, and sat up.
"I'm sorry," Kakyuu replied, and put her arm around Serena, and held her close.
"He ruined our Sundays," Serena began to cry."He ruined our future. He attacked Seiya, when Seiya was defenceless, and had his back turned."
"Seiya is okay," Sikora gently rubbed Serena's head. "Sometimes jealousy makes people do things they wouldn't normally do."
"Jealousy," Serena yelled, and sat up. "I am the one that should be jealous," she screamed. "I found him in bed with another woman," she continued to yell through her tears. "Seiya and I didn't do anything till after..." Serena shut up, pulled away from Kakyuu, and submerged herself until only her meatballs were above the water.
Sikora pulled Serena up: "Maliki told me about last night,"
Serena could not look at Sikora.
"I'm happy about it," Sikora said calmly, as she got Serena to sit back down.
Kakyuu moved over so Sikora could sit next to Serena.
"What's done is done," Sikora spoke softly. "I can't say I didn't know it would happen, sooner or later. I would have preferred later."
"I love Seiya," Serena looked right into Sikora's eyes.
Sikora had a big smile: "I know."
"When Seiya said he thought we were being followed, I should have been keeping an eye out. I should have answered Darien's repeated phone calls. I should have been able to protect Seiya," Serena snapped. "I need to find Darien." Serena stood straight up.
"Why don't you wait, and talk to the girls," Sikora suggested, as she stood up.
"Darien will not hurt me," Serena said. "I'm going to get Luna. I'm sorry I can't stay. But I've put this off for too long already," she grabbed her robe, and slipped her feet into her sandals, and ran down the pathway.
Serena did not know Sikora and Kakyuu were not far behind her.
Serena burst in through the family room French doors, scaring the hell out of Yaten.
"What the hell are you doing?" Yaten barked at Serena.
"Just getting my stuff," she replied, and kept going.
She dashed into the washroom she had used to change in, grabbing her locket, and leaving her clothes. She was in a rush, and changing into her clothes would take to long.
When she exited the washroom, she was transformed into Sailor Moon. She ran down the hall to the computer room: "Luna, we have to go."
"What's wrong?" Luna jumped down off the stool, she had been perched on.
"I have to find Darien. You can stay if you want," Sailor Moon told her, and turned away from the doorway.
"I'm coming," Luna replied. "Thank you for showing me the information on that planet," Luna yelled back to Taiki, as she ran across the room to catch up with Sailor Moon.
"I can take you to wherever, you need to go, faster then you can fly," Sikora told Sailor Moon, as she stood in front of the door. "I will not stay with you, unless you want me to."
"It would be warmer to travel Sikora's way," Luna told Sailor Moon.
"Okay," Sailor Moon agreed, and scooped Luna into her arms.
In the blink of an eye, they were in Darien's apartment building.
"I know he kept his apartment when he left," Sailor Moon told Luna. "I assume he would come here if he was in town." She stood staring at his apartment door.
"Sikora, and I will wait here in the hallway," Luna said, and backed away from Sailor Moon.
Sailor Moon began to pace back and forth in front of the door, while Luna and Sikora stood back and silently watched her.
It took several minutes of pacing before she finally knocked on the door.
Darien opened the door, and smiled brightly when he saw his princess.
Sailor Moon wanted to run into his arms, to be back where she belonged. She was having flashes of what used to be, what was supposed to be. She felt tears try to gather in the well of her eyes, as they stood silently staring at each other.
Darien put his arm around her, and pulled her into his apartment, not even noticing Luna or Sikora.
Sailor Moon rested her head on his chest, closed her eyes, and let herself be guided.
"Once behind closed doors, Darien tenderly placed his hand under her chin, and tilted her head back, so he could kiss her.
At first, she did not resist.
It took a few moments for her to realize the arms that held her, these lips that kissed her, did not carry the love and passion she had found in Seiya, and she pulled away.
"I just want things to be the way they were," Darien softly spoke, and tried to pull her back into his embrace.
"That can never be," she scowled.
"You would throw away our future for that guy?" Darien scoffed. "I'm the one you are meant to be with. I am the one who truly loves you."
"You threw away our future," she snapped.
"That was a brief lack of good judgement. I don't love Jenny, I love you," he stated.
"Please," he dropped to his knees in front of her. "Take it back," he held out the ring.
Sailor Moon gazed at her shiny ring. It was the most important thing that had ever been given to her. She longed to see it sparkle on her finger in the sun light. She wanted to feel the warmth in her heart whenever she looked upon it.
Her eyes drifted from the ring, to the man holding it.
No longer could she hold back her tears, her rage, her feeling of being betrayed.
"No," she barked. "I may still love you, but I am not in love with you. My future has changed."
"Don't do this," Darien yelled, and jumped to his feet. "I made a mistake, tell me how to fix it."
"I don't know how," she cried. "I just know it can't be fixed, not now, maybe not ever."
"I'm supposed to sit back and watch you enjoy yourself with that boy, and hope that you will come back to me one day?" He glared with eyes of ice.
"I have chosen to share my life with Seiya," she bellowed.
"You slept with him?" Darien bit with rage.
"You are not a part of my life right now, and you need to accept that," Sailor Moon bit back.
"Did you sleep with him?" Darien snarled, and emphasized each word, as he spoke it.
"Whether I did or whether I will, is none of you business. I gave you back the ring. I am free to do as I want," she stated.
"I don't want you around him," he ordered, and grabbed her arm. "We can fix this if he's not influencing your mind."
"You do not own me. You do not tell me what to do," she screamed. "Let go," she demanded, yanking her arm away.
Darien looked at his hand like he didn't know he was holding her, and quickly released her.
"I'm sorry," he said timidly.
"If you truly love me, like you say, then let me be with the one I now love," Sailor Moon said calmly.
Darien walked over to stare out the window.
Sailor Moon came up, and softly put her hand on his back, and stood beside him.
Seeing him cry tore her apart. But she knew she had to stand her ground.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, holding back her own tears.
"Does he mean that much to you?" He wept. "Enough that you would give up your future for him?"
"The future is what you make of the present. My future is unwritten."
"You've grown up so much," he turned, and looked into her eyes. "I am sorry for what I did, both to you, and to him. I will not cause you anymore pain," he gave her a weak smile, and undid his chain.
He slipped the ring onto the chain, and did it back up: "It's to remind me to never lose focus of what I truly want."
Then he gave her a tender kiss on the cheek.
Sailor Moon wrapped her arm tight him and gave a little squeeze.
