blueeyeddevil06 thank you for editing this chapter!

Chapter 36 – Sunday

It was Sunday, and Serena and Darien had called a meeting. She was regretting it, and it wasn't even happening for another six hours. She rolled over and settled into Darien's arms.

"I really don't want to leave this bed at all today. Can't we call them and tell them we were kidding about the meeting?" Serena asked.

Darien smiled and said, "Your uncle and the guys will know you didn't come home last night and will want answers anyway. This way they show up when we are ready for them."

She sighed, "I guess you're right." She then pressed her body up against his. "But I am enjoying myself right… here."

"Oh, I know just where you like it," he stated and then leaned in to kiss her. "Who knew you had such a dirty mouth in bed?"

She giggled and smiled at him. "I didn't hear you complaining."

"Hell no! I thought I showed you how much I liked that and the fact that you're a screamer."

"I can't believe the neighbors called in a noise complaint!" Serena still was embarrassed over that.

"Oh no, don't you get embarrassed about that." He gave an animalistic growl. "I get turned on just thinking about the noises you made, and it strokes my ego to know I could get you to scream like that." He smiled, "Don't you dare stop."

She smiled coyly up at him, "I liked being spanked and you like it when I talk dirty. We learned new things about each other last night."

"Let's see what we can learn about each other this morning." He then pulled her underneath him.

Six hours later, Serena was welcoming everyone with a huge smile on her face. Darien just smirked because he knew exactly what put it there.

They had so many people in his apartment that some were finding seats on the floor. The generals, scouts, Uncle, Andrew, Luna and Artemis were all there. Darien was glad they were moving into a big house; twelve people and two cats were a lot for his apartment to hold.

Kunzite spoke as they all sat, "Well, what's up? I am guessing it isn't about Wiseman since Andrew is here and Sapphire isn't." He then leveled his gaze at Darien, "Also, Serena didn't come home last night. Anything you want to say about that?"

Serena smiled up at Darien, and he nodded at her indicating she should speak. She smiled and looked at the group. "Well, we eloped yesterday."

Every single cat and person other than Darien and Serena spoke at the same time. Darien shouted for them to all settle down. Slowly, they quieted down.

Serena spoke again, "My parents were… less than pleased that I was getting married. Uncle, I have a feeling you know what I'm talking about?" Here, she paused and waited for him to nod. "I was worried that they would be a detraction from our wedding, and I had also come to realize that I could no longer get married at the temple where I had wanted my wedding to happen." She then kissed Darien on the cheek. "Darien then suggested eloping and said that some of you guys had even suggested it before."

Jadeite yelled, "Hey! That isn't what I meant! I just meant that even if Darien's nightmares had been true and you would have died at the wedding, he then should have just asked you to elope."

All of the boys nodded and grumbled.

Lita spoke up, "The real point is that Darien suggested it to spare Serena suffering brought on by her parents. That is really sweet and thoughtful."

"Damnit," Jadeite said, "Andrew and I will never know which one of us would have been picked as Best Man."

Andrew shrugged, "Jadeite, your feelings are spared this way since it would have been me."

Molly giggled. Jadeite looked at her and said, "Aren't you supposed to be on my side?"

Molly kissed his cheek and replied, "Hey, it was funny. What can I say? Plus, it is all a moot point. They're married." She turned to Serena, "I'm overjoyed for you both. Darien is a lucky man to have you as his wife. Your mother, Queen Serenity, must be so proud right now."

Mina spoke up, "Well, I still want to throw you a bridal shower soon. I won't be cheated out of that. Darien won't mind. We'll buy you really sexy lingerie. Oh! And, I call dibs on getting to buy her handcuffs!"

"Hey, you do all realize I'm here!" Her uncle said.

"Sorry." Mina murmured.

Darien made eye contact with Mina and just nodded at her and smiled.

Darien then looked at everyone and said, "I purchased that house down the street from Serena's uncle that she loves. We just need to furnish it and move in. Any help we can get moving in would be fabulous."

Kunzite commented, "Serena, just pack your things and set the boxes in the hall. We'll haul them to the house for you."

"Thank you, guys! That would be wonderful."

Darien looked at Luna, "Where would you like to stay now that Serena has moved out?"

Luna replied, "Well, I think I should give the newlyweds some time alone. I'll stay with the generals."

Nephrite said, "Luna, I hate to break it to you, but we aren't letting you go. You won't be ever living with Serena again."

Luna smiled, and her stomach growled.

That night, they all ordered take out for dinner and sat around the apartment, chatting and joking around. The marriage between Serena and Darien was not only a huge step towards their combined future, but also a fulfillment of thousand-year-old promises. They all looked to the future with hope and what a wonderful one it would be.

Raye sat in her room and cried. Her grandfather was really sick, and she was having a hard time accepting it. She had worked really hard the last couple of days to relieve his burden and to set up ways to make his life easier. She laid back on her bed and thought about what Mars had told her. She wondered if she had done enough to reach out for the sword again.

She closed her eyes and felt drawn to the sword. She got up despite her aching muscles and picked up the sword from its resting place, feeling it hum and grow warm. She closed her eyes and opened them up to the same beautiful spot she had been in before.

This time, she immediately sat down to wait for Mars. She tried not to keep track of how much time he was taking to get there, but she failed. About fifteen minutes after she arrived, she heard his voice. She turned her head as he was speaking.

He had been saying, "Actually, it was sixteen minutes and twelve seconds."

She then got up and held out the sword for him to take, "It's your sword, and you can take it anyway. You might as well take it from me now."

He chuckled and took the sword. She noticed it grow sharp the moment he touched it again.

"My grandfather is really sick, and I'm terrified. I've been talking to him about how he's doing and helping around the temple." She felt silly telling him things she was sure he already knew, but she didn't know how else to start.

He swung the sword in huge beautiful looping arcs through the air several times and stopped when the sword was pointing at Raye. "It's a start." He then brought his arm with the sword down to his side, "It's a good start though."

"What should I do next?"

"You acknowledge that I can command you?" He cocked his head to the side and observed her.

"Yes, well. I am in your world using your sword. It seems like what I should do." She replied.

"You were using power from the Silver Crystal, yet you refused to follow Serena. I have the right to be surprised," he replied.

"My power really was from the Silver Crystal?"

"You were foolish to think it was your power brought out by your own abilities. Well, you have lost it now. I admire Serena. She didn't want to appoint a new Sailor Mars, but she finally came to recognize that she was honoring your decision to make Molly the new Sailor Mars."

"What?! How the hell was that honoring my decision?! Like I wanted that Sailor Mars wannabe to take my place!" She was incredulous.

"You didn't want to follow Serena and acknowledge her as the Moon Princess. She let you choose not to be one of her scouts." He calmly told her.

"It isn't like she was a very good Moon Princess! What makes her so special?! I'm smarter and prettier than she is. Why do I have to follow her?!" Raye was furious.

"That's my point. You don't have to follow her. Whomever is acting as Sailor Mars has to follow her, so she released you from that responsibility and got someone else to take your place that wanted it." He then pointed the sword at her, "You're responsible for your own reactions to her. You're not responsible for her behavior, only your own. Your own behavior was what caused you to have to give up being Sailor Mars."

"But she should have…"

"NO!" He yelled, interrupting her. "You can't keep passing off responsibility for your behavior. You are the reason things went as they did."

"How was I supposed to follow her?" She was exasperated.

He shook his head, "You still aren't asking the right questions," he said calmly.

"Fine. What is the right question here?" she crossed her arms.

"The correct question is how are you supposed to follow anyone? You are really too selfish to follow anyone no matter how much they are able to fulfill your ideal." He lowered the sword again and held it at his side.

Raye stood and thought about what he had to say, "I'm not selfish. I have just learned from an early age that, if I don't watch out for myself, no one will."

"Gosh, do you actually listen to yourself? You're a daughter of Mars, not a daughter of that selfish politician who calls himself father when it suits him. You have used that man as an excuse for too long. Grow up and realize that Serena never once ignored your feelings or your needs. She accepted you just as you were and would have forgiven you your cruelty had you merely said sorry." He looked at Raye and looked disgusted.

"But, she wasn't a good leader!" Raye yelled.

"She was fourteen when she got the role, and she was barely eighteen when you gave up on her! She was a child! She was learning, You were supposed to help guide her. She was supposed to be better because you were in her life. Happier, not torn down!" He shook his head.

Raye sat down hard on the grass and looked up at him. She felt like all of the air had been sucked out of her lungs, and she was reeling. "Why? Why her and not me? I want to be seen as special. Why does she get all of the attention?"

"You're missing what was right in front of your face, Raye. No one diminishes you except you. You were special to all of them and especially to Serena. She asked for order and discipline, never blind adoration. Blind adoration was what you wanted."

"But…" she sighed and dropped her face into her hands. "Why doesn't my father love me?"

"Finally, you're asking the right questions. He doesn't love you because he is an ass and a horrible father." Mars held out his hand and helped her to stand up. "You did nothing wrong; you didn't do anything to make you not loveable. If only you had really looked, you would have seen that you and Serena could have helped each other. Her parents only care about appearances just like your father. She feels as loved by her parents as you do by you do by your own father."

"What?! But she lives with both her parents and…."

"And, they are as good at keeping up appearances as your father is. You of all people should know appearances can be deceiving." He looked Raye in the eyes, "I speak the truth. Your jealousy of her is misplaced."

"She has so many other people to love her though." Raye felt she needed to remind him.

"She has opened up her heart and cared for others. That was her choice. Just like becoming selfish was your choice. Others love her because she loved them first. Name one person in her life she didn't love first." He challenged her.

"I really wouldn't be able to gauge who loved who first," Raye said.

"Then I will tell you since I know for sure. Not one. Not Molly, not Amy, not Lita, not Mina, not the generals, not Andrew and not even Darien. Not one. How do you think that really feels for her? Sure, it's nice to be chosen back, but how would that make you feel?"

Raye stood there thinking and couldn't reply. She was reeling from everything Mars had said.

"That's what I thought. You have had enough for now." He handed her back the sword and he said, "Come when the sword calls you again."

All of a sudden, Raye was back in her room in front of where the sword always rested. She set it down and went to the Great Fire. It was the first time she ever sat in front of it to just think rather than to wait for a vision. She sat and tried to process everything, and the heat and light from the fire soothed her.