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Love Will Still Live On
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	The day seemed to be dragging. Each second that went by did nothing
to ease Darien's pain. The fact that Serena would never again hear was simply
too much to bear. Hotaru and Melody had rejoined the group. Melody was 
standing by the window, shrouded in shadow. Hotaru stood in a dark corner.

	Serena was propped up against the pillows. The room was totally
silent. Serena had learned sign language sometime during her school career, 
but nobody in the group knew it. She sighed and closed her eyes. She was
bored, bored, bored.

	A doctor walked into the room and checked Serena's vital signs. He
grinned at her and said, "Good news. You're alive."

	"She can't hear you," Darien said flatly.

	The doctor looked over at Darien. "Oh.. I'm sorry to hear that. I'm
not her doctor. Dr. Anderson should be in soon. I believe that this young 
lady will be going home today."

	Even that didn't cheer Darien up, but he faked a smile and said, 
"That's great."

	The doctor had a puzzled look on his face when he left. It was pretty
obvious he didn't understand what the hell was going on. Well, he wasn't 
alone, for Melody only understood a small bit of it.

	What seemed like an eternity later, the door opened, and in walked
Dr. Anderson, with Amy in tow.

	"Hi, everyone," said Dr. Anderson warmly. "Would you please leave 
while I examine Serena? It will only take a few minutes."

	Silently, everyone filed out into the hall. Amy and Hotaru held a
hushed conversation with Darien. Melody stood apart from the group. She 
looked awful - her face was pale, her eyes were red. People walking down the 
hall would think it was she who was sick.

	Finally, the trio broke. Darien wandered over to Melody while Hotaru
and Amy waited. "Hey Mel, we're going to the cafeteria to get some lunch..
do you want to come?"

	"I guess so," she said. Her voice was listless, like she didn't care
if she never ate again.

	The cafeteria food was, to say the least, not very good. Melody's
spirits rose a bit and she made jokes about the food: "Hey, I thought I saw
this dead on the street!" she cracked. A cafeteria worker gave her a dirty
look, and when he turned his back, she gave one right back to him.

	Amy laughed, "That's the cook. He dosen't like it when people make
fun of his food, but we do it all the time." 

	Hotaru and Darien laughed. "It's worthy of being made fun of," said
Hotaru.

	Darien led the way to a table, but said nothing. That horrible sorrow
was still in his eyes, the haunted look that forced you to turn your gaze
elsewhere, as a few young ladies discovered. Melody sat down enough away from
the group that she wouldn't have to talk to them. Nobody noticed.

	She didn't really eat, it was more like she played with her "food":
rearranging it and moving it around. She was too busy thinking. For the 
first time in her life, she actually felt close to someone. That someone was
Darien. He was so much like her, and yet, he was very, very different.

	"It's crazy," she said aloud. Hotaru, Darien, and Amy looked up.

	"What's crazy?" Asked Darien.

	Melody blushed and ducked her head. "Um, nothing, I was just thinking
about.. stuff. Look, I'm not hungry," she said in a rush. "I'm going to go
take a walk." She jumped up and ran out of the hospital.. so they couldn't
see the tears in her eyes.

	It was still nice out, even though it was about nine at night. Melody
walked with her head down, her hands in the pockets of her windbreaker. Her
hair had come out of the clasp it was in and blew slightly with the breeze.

	"Hey, Mel! Wait up!"

	"Hm?" She turned around and looked up. Darien was jogging towards 
her. She stopped to wait.

	"Is something wrong?" He asked, when he had reached her. "You left in
such a hurry, I thought.."

	"I'm fine," she interrupted. "Why did you come after me?"

	"I.. I don't know.. I just thought you were hurt or something."

	She laughed bitterly. "Hurt? No. I'm fine. You should go back to
Serena. She needs you more than I do."

	"Mel.. tell me what's bugging you.." He looked into her face, his
blue eyes quivering.

	"I.." She closed her eyes and turned away. "I don't know. It's really
hard to explain."

	Darien gazed at her. "Tell me."

	"Darien..." She looked away. "No."

	Darien looked at her, wounded. Then he turned away. "I'm going back
to the hospital now. I don't want to deal with this.. not while Serena.." He
shook his head. "Bye."

	Melody watched him start to walk away, green eyes filled with tears.
She couldn't move, even if she had wanted to. She jumped when someone tapped
her on the shoulder. "Wha?"

	"Hey, purty thing.. why doncha come with us?" A gangster leered at 
her. With a gasp, she stepped back, only to bump into another one.

	"I.. no way! I'm NOT going with you! Let me GO!" She looked around at
the circle of thugs.

	They laughed. "Let you GO? Haha, that's a good one. Let me go, she
says!"

	One grabbed her by her hair and pulled her close to him. He smelled
like cigarette smoke and alchohol. "We're gonna party.. and YOU'RE coming
with us!"

	"No! DARIEN, HELP ME!!!!" She screamed as loud as she could. The thug
looked surprised.

	Startled, Darien looked up. He turned around and saw Melody, his
friend, being held by a thug. "What the.." He sprinted back as fast as he
could. Upon arrival, he surveyed the situation. He balled his hands into
fists, and his eyes darkened.

	"This bitch is comin with us to a party. Ya got a problem with that,
preppy boy?"

	"Of course I do! You're not taking her ANYWHERE!!" yelled Darien. 
Controlled completely by rage,  he jumped  forward and knocked the gangster 
out. The others charged him, and he fought them with an animal fiercity. 

	When all the gangsters lay unconcious at his feet but the one that
held Melody, he turned to him. The gangster pulled a gun and put the muzzle
to Melody's temple.

	"Freeze," growled the thug. "Or the bitch dies."

	Darien obeyed. His eyes were so dark they were almost black, rage
burning in them. Anything he did would get her killed. "Let her go," he 
hissed, "or you will regret it for the rest of your life."

	The thug looked at him and burst out laughing. "Now there's a good
one! Hah! I'm not letting her go, prep. Maybe I'll shot YOU instead!" He 
turned the gun on Darien.

	"Go ahead, shoot me, see if I care," defied Darien. "Let her live."

	The thug grinned. "Very well. I'll see you in hell!" He drew the
hammer back.

	Melody jumped free. The gun went off.. and she fell to the ground 
with a pathetic cry. 

	"MELODY!!!" Darien screamed. The thug ran off, scared to death of 
Darien. He rushed forward and took her in his arms. It was too late, however.
She was already gone.

	"M.. Mel? Hey, wake up! It, it's not funny! Come on, wake up! Please,
Mel, for the love of God.. Wake UP!!" Darien shook her, trying to get her to
awaken, to get up and smile and say it was only a joke. But she didn't move.
"Melody.." His eyes filled with tears. He lowered his head, and pressed his
forehead to hers. "Please don't go.. Don't leave me.."


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Attend the funeral in part 5-2.. see you there.
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Tiga Shadow
http://members.tripod.com/~PaladinStar/index.html
Tiga2@hotmail.com