Well, here's part two - you guys all know that I don't own Sailor Moon and all this is totally not giving me any  profit and blah blah blah. I can't even begin to tell you how many wonderful letters I've gotten from you guys giving me feedback and I just want to thank you all sooooooo much for taking the time to write. I appreciate it a lot. So keep writing and be sure to tell me what you think - comments, flames, praise, any and all are welcome at Razzzberi@aol.com.  Also, a thanks to the archive administrators for posting my stories. And, everyone has to check out Sailor November's Fanfic page - it's way cool, her own SM fanfic, Destiny in the Moonlight, is great and her other SM sections totally rock.  It's at http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/8658/fanfic.html. Anyways - I'll stop randomly babbling now - enjoy!!


	"Oh, look at the ocean!" Serena exclaimed, pushing her face to the glass of the car and staring at the bright blue sea.
	"Are we almost there yet?" Reeny asked. Ilene sighed. 
	"Yes Reeny, we're almost there. Just have to find parking honey." Ken said, turning into the filled parking lot of Zuma Beach. Reeny stared behind her, looking for something.
	"Where's Darien? I thought he was driving here to meet us." Reeny said. 
	"He is Reeny. He knows where to find us." Ken said. Serena scowled.
	"I don't see why that creep has to come with us." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. Reeny stuck her tongue out at Serena.
	"Darien's not a creep. You're just a meatball head." she said. Serena stuck her tongue out at Reeny, who returned the gesture.
	"Girls stop fighting!" Ken said, exasperated. "Serena, Darien is going to help watch Reeny so your mother and I can actually enjoy this little trip. So I don't want you to be rude to him."
	"Yes Dad." She said. 
	'How did those two ever get to the point they were when we met him?' Ilene asked herself, shaking her head. 
	"We're here." Ken announced. Serena and Reeny immediately got excited and as soon as the car stopped, ran out as fast as they could, grabbing as much stuff as they could and headed towards the beach. 
	Serena and Reeny draped their towels over the sand, and Serena propped a long board up in the sand. Reeny looked at it, then at Serena.
	"What's that thing?" She asked. Her eyes ran over the 6 foot 3 inch board. She reached out to touch the glossy wax that shone on the front.
	"That's MY surfboard. And don't touch it." Serena said huffily. Reeny pouted.
	"Why not?" she said. "What do you do on it?"
	"You go out in the ocean and get pushed towards shore on a wave while you're standing on it." Serena said, trying to explain. Reeny looked at her skeptically.
	"You're gonna stand on that? Yeah right, you can barely stand on dry land." Reeny said, laughing. Serena's face grew red. 
	"Why you-" she said. 
	"Serena. Be nice." Someone reprimanded behind her. She twirled around, hair flying in near-lethal arcs around her head, to face the new arrival.
	"Darien!!" Reeny cried, and launched herself into his arms for a hug. 
	"Hey munchkin." He said affectionately. 
	"Hmph. Always take her side of things." Serena said, grabbed her board  and headed towards the ocean. Darien watched her lithe frame try and run without tripping, carrying the gigantic board under her arm precariously, her balance totally thrown off center.
	"Sorry Darien." Reeny said, noticing the wistful look on his face as he watched Serena leave. 'He looks so sad without her.' she thought. 
	"What's to be sorry for?" he asked, gazing down at her, though his eyes still seemed distant.
	"I made Serena mad at you. Now she won't want to go out with you." 
	"Oh, don't think that Reeny. Serena's going to hate or like me no matter what you say. So don't worry." He said reassuringly. 
	"You think?" she asked. Darien smiled.
	"I know." he said. "Now how about checking out those tide-pools. I hear they're full of pretty shells." Darien said. Reeny nodded and grabbed his arm, tugging him towards the rocks.

	Serena stood lazily, stretching her arms as she stretched. Naps in the sun had to be one of her favorite things. She felt all warm and relaxed. Times like these she envied Luna. Darien was off somewhere with Reeny, Sammy and her parents. They must have left while she was asleep. The water crashed against the sand, perfect curls just waiting to be caught. Serena began to walk slowly to the edge of the water, dipping her toes in. 
	"Are you going in?" Darien asked, walking up next to her. 
	"Are you?" she asked. He shook his head. 
	"I asked you first" he said. Serena smiled playfully.
	"I think you're going in the water." She said, and kicked her foot up in front of him, splashing him with a wave of water. He was soaked. 
"Hahahaha. Sorry Darien I just had to . . " She said, but trailed off as she noticed that Darien got a strange glint in his eye.  Serena backed away from him, sensing that something was up.
	"What are you looking at." She asked. He smiled.
	"I think you'd really like to go in the water." He said. Serena held her arms out in front of her defensively.
	"No I wouldn't" she said. Darien shook his head.
	"I don't believe you. You just need the right motivation." He said, taking a step forward. Before she had time to react, his arms had already shot out and darted around her waist, lifting her up into his arms. Serena shrieked.
	"What are you doing?" she yelled. "Put me down!" 
	"Here? If that's what you want?' He said, and leaned her backwards so her head was dangling over the water. She screamed again, and he brought her upright again. 
	"No, don't drop me?" she said, alternating between screaming and laughing.
	"Don't you trust me?" he asked, feigning hurt. He dipped her again.
	"No, AHHhhhh, stop, I trust you." she said, grabbing onto his forearms. He pulled her up close to him again. Serena threw her arms around Darien's neck, resting her head against his chest. She felt his arms tense, and looked up at him to see what was wrong. 
	He was staring down on her, his eyes watching her closely, mirrors of strange mixed emotions that she couldn't quite recognize. She met his gaze, her eye's wide, and for a moment, she felt something, a flash of a memory that faded just as quickly as it had come, but still, she could feel the penetrating stare of his eyes. She felt warm, yet, she realized she was trembling, acutely aware of where she was, the position she was in. She blinked repeatedly, shook her head, turned her eyes away from him, a blush spreading across her face. He put her down quickly, the smile that had played across his features gone without a trace. Darien wouldn't meet her eyes; his head bent down to look at the sand. 
	"Um, Darien?" she asked. He looked up, hope, fear in his eyes. 'Why can I see what he feels like I'm linked with him or something?" she wondered. 'I hope he doesn't know that I think he's not that bad. Actually he's a total hottie.' She thought, giggling. But, if he knew that she thought that, she'd have to die right there.
	"Yeah  Serena?" he asked. 
	"Do you want to surf?" she asked. He shook his head.
	"No thanks. I don't know how." 
	"Well, I could teach you. It'll be fun." She said. "And you can borrow my board and I'll take Sammy's." she said, her blue eyes sparkling. 
	"All right." he said. "But don't laugh when I completely fall off that thing." He said. Serena laughed and went to retrieve the boards.

	"So you got all that?" Serena asked. Darien nodded, hoping that Serena's quick how-to-surf lesson was enough. Serena paddled back in some, leaving the calm area they had been floating aimlessly in. Darien thought that that had been the best part of the ocean and didn't want to have to worry about crashing waves and under-toes and rip-tides. Just the peaceful, placid calm that existed right past the break point, where they could rest on their boards, was enough for him. But, it was time to test his flippers, and see if he was surfer material. He flipped himself over so his chest was pressed against the top of the board and began to paddle out to right where the waves began to crest. Serena paddled over next to him.
	"The waves aren't that big today, but there's a strong under-toe, kay." She warned. "Follow my lead and remember what I said. I'm going for that one coming in on the outside." She said, pointing to a wave just at the horizon whose crest was just barely rising. She turned her board around to face the shore and began paddling.
	"Where are you going?" Darien asked, paddling to catch up.
	"If we don't go now, we'll get caught as it crashes. We're going to catch it." she explained, her arms rotating rapidly. 
	"What! But that wave's huge!" he said. 'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.' He thought, shaking his head at yet another predicament Serena had gotten him into.
	"It's nothing. Only a 4 footer. Come on or you'll miss it." she said, picking up speed. Darien starting paddling faster, although he didn't seem to be making much progress; the water seemed to be sucking him back towards the wave.
	"Um, Serena,? Am I supposed to not move." He asked, doubling his efforts. He never knew that this was such a hard sport. It looked so easy watching from the beach.
	"Don't worry. Just keep paddling and when I stand up, push yourself up and stand." She said, her head ducked down in determination. Darien felt himself rise higher than he had been before, and saw white foam behind him. 
	"Get up!" Serena screamed. He tried, and he felt the board shift from side to side as he clumsily tried to keep his balance on the board. Then, he felt himself being pushed forward, the ocean the driving force behind his motion. 
	"This is kinda, whoa - Sere-" he began, but then, he felt something go wrong, the slight slip in concentration knocking him off, and he felt himself slip off the board, the water crashing over him. Something attached to his leg ,'the leash' he remembered, which tied the board to his foot, kept him close to the surface and he swam to the top of the water, gasping for breath. Serena paddled up close to him, her hair, which was tied around her buns, hardly wet at all. She laughed and helped him turn his board right side up.
	"Not bad, for a beginner." She said. "But, you need to step  back. Your position on the board was too forward and you made the tip dive down under the water, throwing you off the board. You need to stand here or else you'll pearl again." (authors note - to pearl is a surfer term used  when the front of board dips too low in water, making the end fly up high, and flips you off) She tapped the middle of the board to illustrate. "So was it fun?" 
	"Yeah, except for the falling off part." Darien said, hopping onto the board. 
	"It gets easier if you do it often." She said. 
	"SO how did you get to be so good at this?" Darien asked. Serena glanced out towards the incoming waves, and, deciding that there was nothing coming in from the outside that could crash on them, dangled her legs to either side of the board, sitting erect with the tip of the board poking out of the water.
	"I don't know. I feel like I'm totally in synch with the waves. Don't know why, but hey, why ask why, ya know. I mean, I can barely walk without falling, but I can balance myself on a board? It's pretty weird, but that's cool. At least I can do this one thing without falling on my face." She said,  her hand dancing in the water.
	"Yeah, it's pretty cool. I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this thing." Darien said, annoyed. Failure was not something he liked very much. 
	"Don't worry. I'll teach you, if you want. Just don't ask me to do tricks or anything. Just standing is hard enough." She said, laughing. Then, she flipped her legs up and leaned against the board, once again in the paddling position. 
	"Where do you think you're going now?" he asked, glancing warily at the slight movement of the water behind them.
	"Come on, Scaredy-cat, let's go. I want to catch this set. It's going to be a killer bunch of waves." She said. She narrowed her eyes as something caught her eye.
	"What is it?" he asked. Serena pointed to the left.
	"See that white foam trail. That's a rip tide. If you get caught, it'll take you out into the ocean. Careful when you go that way." she said, then began to paddle hard. Darien followed her lead and began to go. He felt the water build behind him, and he pushed himself up. Standing was easier this time, and he held his arms out to keep his balance, but he felt the front of his board sink some. And the back of it rise! Darien pitched forward, head over the front of the board, into the water. The water was especially turbulent, and he tumbled underwater, over and over again. He tried to swim towards the surface to get air, but he couldn't seem to find it and when he finally did, he could only stay afloat for mere seconds before the water pulled him under again.

	Serena screamed in excitement, the adrenaline pumping through her leaving her tingly. 
	"Wasn't that so cool Darien." she asked. When she got no answer, she turned around.
	"Darien?" she called. She didn't see him. No board, no Darien, nothing.
	"Darien? Oh my God, Darien, where are you." she screamed. She immediately untied her board, her fingers fumbling with the velcro of the leash and ran out into the waves, diving under them like a dolphin and swimming out to the point halfway between the breaking point and the shore line as fast as she could. She turned around in a complete circle, treading water as she scanned the ocean. She took a breath of air and ducked under the water, opening her eyes. She ignored the stinging of the salt, as she searched through the murkiness for a familiar body. She couldn't see. She came up to the surface and searched, her eyes tearing from the salt and from her fear for Darien.
	"I need to get a lifeguard." She said aloud, then turned back and began to swim as fast as she could for shore. As soon as she reached a place she could stand, she began to gasp, panting for breathe. 'Oh please, please, please let him be all right. Don't let him be dead. I promise I'll be nicer to him, just don't let him die.' She said to herself, trying to bargain with whoever governed that stuff. 
	"Please be all right Darien." she said aloud. 
	"Never knew you cared Serena." Serena whirled around to see a bedraggled Darien, clutching his board under his arm, his hair wet and extremely tousled, behind her. Serena beamed, her tears over-flowing, and rushed into him, hugging him tightly.
	"Oh, I thought you'd, you'd I thought that you'd d, d drowned." She said between sobs. He looked down at her, and smiled, wrapping his arms around her as well. 
	"Hey, it's ok. Don't cry Serena. See, I'm fine." he said softly. This just made her cry harder, and her grip on him tightened. 
	"I'm sorry for making you go out. You weren't ready and I could have gotten you killed. I'm so sorry, please don't hate me, I'm sorry Darien." she was crying into his chest now, standing as close to him as she could. Her head was tucked under his chin, a perfect fit, and he could almost smell the blend of her flower shampoo and the salt of the sea. He held her close until her sobs subsided.
	"Come on meatball head." he said, hoping to get her to stop. "Everything's all right. There's no reason to be sad." He said comfortingly. Serena's head jerked up at the use of the hated nickname, and she unconsciously stepped back, air rushing between  them. He let go of her as she glared at him, still wiping the tears from her eyes.
	"You know, you're lucky I was so scared that I had killed you." she said, sniffing. 
	"Why is that?" he asked. 
	"Because that's the only reason I'm letting you get away with calling me that." she said, beaming a bright smile that dazzled Darien. He had missed those. Those, and so much more.

	Serena walked forward, her head pointing straight up into the sky. The sunset was gorgeous, the sun painting the sky warm oranges and soft pinks, and cotton candy clouds were soaked in rich tones of violet. Unfortunately, her lack of attention to the path in front of her caused her to miss seeing the remains of a sand castle, and her foot got caught in the soft sand, causing her to fly forward. She landed with a soft thump on the sand. Scowling, she wiped some sand off her face.
	"Are you all right?" Darien asked. Serena frowned.
	"Yeah yeah, laugh it up." she said, waiting for him to begin laughing. He didn't. Serena was confused, and even more so when he held out his hand. Serena cautiously took it and he pulled her back up to her feet. She looked at him quizzically. 
	"Thanks." She said, shrugging. She continued to walk, her head still pointed upwards. She didn't notice that she hadn't let go of Darien's hand.
	"Isn't it so pretty Darien. The beaches always have the best sunsets. Don't you think?" Serena asked, bubbling along.
	"Yeah, they're great." Darien agreed, although he wasn't paying close attention to the nature surrounding him. Serena dragged him closer to the whitewash, skipping around in the water. 
	"Come on, you don't look like you're having fun." Serena said to Darien as she noted his calm countenance. "You're always so serious. You need to have fun. Skip or run or scream or something."
	"Skip?" he asked uncertainly. Serena giggled at the wonder in his voice.
	"Of course. Come on. Skip." She ordered. "Unless you're afraid." She teased, and began to skip down the beach. Darien looked around quickly then began to follow her example, skipping down the beach at a break-neck pace. He quickly caught up to Serena and grabbed her around the waist, spinning her around to face him. Her eyes danced, and she smiled breathelessly.
	"Caught you." he said. Serena giggled.
	"Didn't even know you knew how to skip. You should loosen up more." She stated. 
	"So you don't like me?" he asked. Serena looked alarmed and blushed quickly.
	"Oh no. That's not what I meant. I mean, I like you, I mean, well, not like that - like a friend like, not like like and I mean, what do I mean?" she asked, confused. 
	"Come on." Darien laughed and began to walk down the beach. Serena ran and began to match his pace.
	"Where are we going?" she asked. Darien smiled cryptically.
	"It's a surprise." He said. Serena immediately got excited and began to beam happily.
	"Oh, I love surprises." She exclaimed. "What is it? Oh, tell me."
	"We're almost there. Just wait for a little longer." he said, pointing towards the cave in front of them. Serena grabbed Darien's hand and dragged him forward to the cave, splashing water all over them. 
	"Hurry up." she said as she scrambled between the rocks and into the heart of the cave. Darien followed her at a slower pace, and watched her amazed face as she stared at the scene in awe.
	The walls of the cave shimmered with quartz, and large rocks were scattered around the inside of the cave. Light shone from a small hole in the top of the cave, dancing against the shadows.  In the center of the cave a large, flat rock sat, about one foot tall and two small sacks rested on either end. 
	"Wow! It's beuatiful." Serena said, dumbfounded. Darien smiled and knelt on the soft sand in front of one of the sacks. He motioned for her to join him, and she sat down across from him. She opened her sack quickly and gave a happy cry as she realized it was filled with food.
	"All right! Food! Thank you so much." She said, digging into the chicken strips. 
	Darien took a bite of his own meal, watching Serena as she ate. 
	"Wow, this is way yummy. Where did you get it?" she asked between enormous bites.
	"Lita made it." he said. Serena pouted. 'Lita!' she thought, alarmed. 'Why's she making Darien food?' 
	"Lita?" she asked.
	"Yeah, I asked her to make it for us. I thought you might like it." he said. "So just enjoy." 
	"Oh, okay." she said. She was confused at her own emotions, the sudden rush of random anger, the flash of dark warmth and the knotting in her stomach when he said Lita had made the food. 'But why should I care if Lita made him something anyways?' she wondered. 
	"Um so . . ." Serena said as she finished the last bite of her food in record breaking time. "We're friends, right?" she asked. Darien stopped eating, putting his food down, and looked at her seriously.
	"You tell me." he said in a maddeningly esoteric tone. Serena furrowed her brow in mild annoyance. 
	"Of course we are. Aren't we?" she said uncertainly. Darien smiled warmly.
	"Yes, we are." He said. Serena seemed to sigh with relief.
	"And friends do nice things for each other, right?" she asked again. 
	"Right." Darien said slowly, questioningly.
	"And that's the reason you did all this, huh? 'Cause friends do stuff for each other?" 
	"Yes, but Serena I don't really get where this is going?" he said, leaning in closer to her, hovering over the table. 
	"So if you hated me, you wouldn't have done this." she said shyly. 
	"Serena, I don't hate you." he said, dismayed. 'Is this what she thinks I feel?' he wondered, worried. 'I couldn't have been this bad to her.' He got up and walked around to the other side of the table, sitting next to her. She turned on her knees to look at him.
	"Do you hate me?" Darien asked. Serena thought. Something inside her told her to stay away, to hate him, to do anything but get near him. But another part of her said the exact opposite. And, he had done this wonderful dinner that was just so incredibly sweet. And then there was this other thing, this part of her that said he was way too cute to be just friends with. Dinner in a cave was totally romantic and he had done it just for her. How many other guys would have done that?  She was just too confused.
	"No way! I don't hate you. But, you can be the most annoying person I've ever met sometimes." She said, then her hands flew to her mouth, covering it.
	"Oops. I didn't mean to say that!" she said, flustered. 
	"Hey, it's cool. We're friends, and friends can say whatever they want to each other and know that they'll still be friends." Darien said. Serena smiled.
	"Yeah. Hey, that's right!" she exclaimed happily. She leaned over impulsively and gave him a big hug. 
	"So," she said, releasing him from her grip and settling back on the sand. "Are you going to eat the rest of your dinner?" she asked. Darien laughed and pushed his food towards her. '
 
	Lita was impressed. Darien had an incredible kitchen. Actually, his whole apartment was great. She turned on the oven for the meal she was making for her Darien.
	"So I heard you to got close at the beach this weekend." She said, as she beat the batter. 
	"Not really. She's still seeing that guy." Darien said. He came up and stuck his finger in the batter, tasting it. 
	"Don't do that." Lita said, swatting at him with a spatula. Darien jumped back and held his hands out. 
	"Okay, okay, sorry. Don't kill me with that thing. Oh yeah, By the way, you're dinner tastes great so far." He said. 
	"So what exactly happened at the beach then that got Reeny so excited?" Lita asked. Darien sighed, the memory of what he had come so close to having painful. She was just within reach, but still so far away.
	"She thought I drowned and when she found out I was all right, she gave me a hug. You know how Serena gets." He explained. "It was nothing really. What's so funny?" he asked, as he noticed Lita trying to contain her laughter.
	"Drowned?" she asked, incredulous. "You're Tuxedo Mask. How could you drown?" 
	"Hey, don't laugh. I almost did. You ever been knocked off a surfboard before? Kinda reminds me off the turbo-spin cycle on a washing machine." He said, shaking his head as though it was still turning.
	"Well, at least she was glad you were all right." she offered. Darien snorted.
	"She'd feel the same if anyone she thought was dead was alive. Besides, she's happy with that other guy. Why should I get in the way?" 
	"Are you sure that she didn't seem happier with you? Maybe that hug was something more?" Lita asked. Darien shook his head.
	"Nothing  more than usual. Look, it's just not something that's going to work out. I'm not about to go fighting over her with some high-schooler. This is her decision to make. And there's nothing we can do to make her change. Let her live the life she wants, even if it's without me, just so long as she's happy, I'll manage. " He said stubbornly. Lita sighed in defeat.
	"If you say so Darien." she said. 'But I have a plan that's not going to fail!' she said happily to herself. 

	Serena held up a black strapless dress up to her front, trying to see how it would look on her.
	"What do you think?" Serena asked. Luna sighed.
	"It's nice. Just like the last five you asked me about." Luna said, nestling down on her pillow. Serena threw a stuffed bunny at the cat, but missed. 
	"You just don't understand. Matt got tickets for this ball, and it's totally elite. So I have to look right." Serena said, grabbing a simple gold necklace with a tiny diamond teardrop charm dangling from it. 
	"Would this look good?" she asked, holding it against her throat. 
	"Yes Serena. It's very pretty."
	"You didn't even look Luna!" Serena said, pouting. She grabbed the black dress and padded into the bathroom. When she came out, (2 hours later) she was fully dressed for an evening on the town. Her hair fell in soft curls from her two 'meatballs' that floated around her head. Her from fitting dress accentuated everything detail, the high slit on the side  added just the right touch of sophistication she needed, and the tiny diamond that hung in the hollow of her neck glittered brightly.
	Serena looked at Luna to ask her opinion, but the cat was fast asleep. Serena patted the cat affectionately on the head then headed down the stairs to wait for her date. 
	"Serena!" Reeny called, running into the living room. She sat down next to Serena on the couch.
	"Hey Reeny. What's up?" Serena asked. 
	"Um, Matt called while you were in the bathroom. He says he can't make it, and that you should just go without him." Reeny said. Serena blinked, not comprehending.
	"What?" she said dimly.
	"Your date canceled. You have to go to the party alone." Reeny said again. Serena's began to wail pitifully..
	"What am I going to do? He can't do that. I can't go alone. I won't know anyone and - oh, I'm going to call Matt and tell him what I think of him and what he can do with those-"
	"No Serena. Don't. I have an idea." Reeny said. Serena calmed down.
	"What?" she asked. Reeny smiled brightly.
	"Why don't you call Darien. He's going too. And he never has a date. SO why don't you just ask him to take you?" she said. Serena thought for a minute, then smiled. 
	"But he wouldn't want to go with me. He probably has a date and I'm only in junior high and he's in college." Serena protested.
	"I'll bet he'd love to take you. Just call. It can't hurt." Reeny said.
	"Sure. That would work. Hey, not a  bad idea, for a kid." She said. Reeny frowned.
	"I'm not a kid. I'm eight." She announced proudly. Serena laughed.
	"All right. Sorry. So what's Darien's number?" Serena asked, grabbing the phone.

	The doorbell rang. Serena could hear her father warmly greet someone, their voices low yet amiable. Serena listened from her room, ear pressed against the door. Reeny, who was sitting on Serena's bed, jumped off and walked next to her.
	"Why are you still up here? Darien's here." Reeny asked. Serena laughed.
	"I have to stay up here for a few minutes. Make them wait. It's the way you're always supposed to do this stuff. It's like a tradition." Serena said in a matter of fact tone. Now it was Reeny's turn to laugh.
	"You really are a ditz. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. If you don't hurry, you'll miss the party." Reeny said, opening the door. Serena glared down at the little girl, then, nose pointed high in the air, stomped down. As she approached the stairs, her step became more graceful, although, being Serena, that's not saying much. But, as she walked down the stairs, she smiled at the reactions from the two men seated on the couch. Her father got a bit teary eyed, flashing that my-daughter's-growing-up look that annoyed Serena to no end. Darien looked completely bewildered, and there was that sad look again. Serena wondered why he was always so sad, and never mean anymore. She wasn't sure which one was worse. 
	"Are you ready?" Darien asked. Serena nodded, and grabbed her jacket. He took her arm and led her outside to his car. Serena gasped, then timidly got in. 
	'Never been in this nice a car. I hope I don't  mess it up or something.' she thought, strapping the seatbelt carefully, afraid that she might break it.
	"Um, thanks for taking me Darien." she said, trying to start a conversation after ten minutes of an uncomfortable silence.
	"It's no problem." He said, his eyes darting from the road to her to the road again.
	"Are you sure you don't mind. I mean, I'm only 15. I'm probably not the most interesting date." She said. 
	"Don't. Serena, don't belittle yourself. You are probably going to make every guy in there jealous. I couldn't have asked for a better date for tonight. So stop worrying and have fun." He said. "Starting now." Serena giggled at his commanding tone. Still the slight joking he used to have, but that sarcastic side had softened. She wondered why, what had changed him so much.
	The rest of the ride was spent in silence, but this time it was a mutual silence that both enjoyed. When they drove up to the hotel, a place fancier than Serena had ever been in, she could see the lines of expensive cars and limosines  and beautiful and famous and important people. Suddenly, Serena felt inadequate, young, just out of place. 'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I don't fit in.' she thought, marveling at the expensive designer dressed compared to her simple back outfit that hadn't cost over 100 dollars. She reluctantly got out of car as the valet opened it for her. 
	"What's the matter, meatball head?" he asked, linking arms with her. 
	"I don't know about this. " she said, ignoring the use of the hated name.  It didn't seem to bother her as much. She felt his arm hand cover hers.
	"You are the most beautiful girl here Serena. Don't worry. You're going to impress them all so much, I'm probably going to have to keep you close all night, or else someone just might want to steal you." he said. Serena beamed. 
	"Really?" 
	"Really. Ready to knock them dead?" he asked. 
	"You bet." She said excitedly. The two walked in confidently, and Serena truly felt like a princess. 'Maybe this night will be fun after all. Even if I am only with Darien.' 

	Serena sat at the table, eating as little as possible, as neatly as possible and trying not to cry. The last thing she wanted was to look like a slovenly pig. Darien was talking to one of his professors, who had invited him. They were talking about some mysterious crystal from the moon that had suddenly disappeared. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, except for Serena. She was all alone. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder.
	"Would you like to dance?" he asked. Serena turned around quickly, hiding her forming tears. Darien looked down at her, holding his hand out. She smiled gratefully.
	"Yeah!" she said enthusiastically. She let him lead her out onto the dance floor, and uncertainly took his one hand. He placed her other arm around his neck, then, put his arm around her waist. 
	"Um, are you sure you want to dance with me? Aren't you worried I'll step on your feet and break your toes or something." she asked, glancing behind her. She didn't remember ever dancing like this. It was so formal and strange and . . . romantic?
	"Stop talking like that and just enjoy the evening. If you want, we don't have to dance." He said. She tightened her arm around his neck.
	"No, no. It's not that. I just don't want to mess up." she said quickly. He laughed.
	"I guarantee you won't 'mess up. Is this about me leaving you? Because if it is, I'm sorry. I didn't want to but I had to speak to my professor. He invited me and-" Serena put a finger to his lips before she even had a chance to wonder where she got the courage and confidence to do that to him.
	"It's not. I don't mind that." she said. Darien looked down at her skeptically.
	"Well, not much." She conceded. "But I just don't want to ruin your night." she said again. He sighed, and pulled her closer until her cheek was almost resting against him. 
	"Serena, believe me when I tell you that you are the only person I'd want to be at this thing with. Now let's just enjoy this dance. Don't worry." He said, then fell quiet. She could feel his eyes watching her, but she didn't worry about it much. She smiled contentedly, and simple danced, the two seeming to move as though they were one. Serena felt like she could have danced forever. She felt safe and happy and a strange feeling of calm pass over her. But, the music ended. She almost didn't notice, but she felt Darien's arms untangle themselves from her, and when he took her hand, she didn't even realize that he was taking her outside into the immense and beautiful gardens.
	They walked, arm in arm, down the path, past the rose bushes and majestic trees, until they came to a marble bench in the middle of lilies and roses. Darien sat down, and Serena followed his example. He gazed at her for a moment, before his head darted in the other direction, his face turned away from her. She looked to see what had caught his attention. 
	"What are you looking at?" she asked, unable to see what held him in rapt fascination. 
	"The moon. Isn't it beautiful tonight?" he asked, not diverting his gaze from the full moon, shining silver in the sky. 
	"Yeah. I love it when it's like that. You really like to look at the moon?" she asked. He nodded.
	"I think it's one of the most beautiful things in the world." He said solemnly. She watched his face carefully. She could see faint lines on his perfect visage, lines of sadness and hardship. Something shimmering caught her eye.
	"Darien, are you crying?" she asked.
	"No." he said quickly, turning even further from her. She leaned over to get a better look. His eyes were full of pain and tears gathered in them. One small tear managed to break free and trickle down his cheek. She timidly brushed it away.
	"Why are you so sad?" she asked, her voice full of compassion. He blinked, trying to clear his eyes.
	"It's nothing." He said. Serena didn't believe him, and grabbed his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
	"Please. You can tell me. It'll make you feel better." She said earnestly. That seemed to brighten his mood, and he smiled at her sadly. 'I could never say no to you Serena.' he thought as he looked at her shining blue eyes. 
	"Was it a girl?" Serena asked when he didn't respond immediately. He was staring at her strangely.
	"Very perceptive, Serena Tsukino." He said. Serena smiled. Then, her expression went serious.
	"What happened? Did you love her?" She asked. Darien turned to look back at the moon, his hand tightening. She had forgotten that she had still been holding it. It was so oddly normal for her hand to be in his that the action, the touch of him, didn't even alert her senses.
	"I loved her very much." He said, his voice low. "She was the most important thing in the world to me. But, she, we, . . . grew apart. She forgot." 
	"Forgot what?" Serena asked.
	"Me. She forgot me." he said. Serena didn't know what to say; his story was so sad. She flung her arms around him and began to cry.
	"Why are you crying Meatball head. This is my sob story." He joked. She continued sobbing.
	"That's so sad. How could she have been so cruel?" she said. He shook his head.
	"She wasn't cruel. She had the biggest heart of anyone." He said. Serena stopped crying, confused.
	"Then why did she forget you?" 
	"I wish I knew." 
	"How could you stand it? She left you all alone. First your parents, and then she left you? She couldn't have - Darien, what's the matter?" 
	"How did you know about that?" he asked fiercely. Serena almost shrank back away from him. 
	"What do you mean?" she asked. He put his hands on her shoulders and spoke in an even, calm tone.
	"How did you remember about my parents? When did I tell you about them?" 
	Serena gave him a blank look, thought hard, blinked.
	"I don't remember. It's like, I try and remember and I can't but that just popped into my head like I always knew because I didn't mean to remember." She said, disappointed. She had been so hopeful. She finally remembered something, only to lose the rest of them as easily as it had come. Serena began to cry softly in disappointment, her arms wrapped tightly around Darien's neck. He held her close, trying to comfort her as she had for him.
	"Is this what it's like, to not remember your past? Because I don't think I can do it. Everyone is so careful around me, afraid to say the wrong thing and there's so much I've missed and I just want it back. I hate this so much." She said. 
	"I know. But Serena," he said, putting a finger under her chin, tilting her head to face his. "You just remembered something else." 
	"What." she asked, her tears stopping quickly. Darien always wondered how she could stop and start the waterworks like that.
	"You remembered that I forgot my past too. I didn't tell you that recently either. You are remembering. You just need to give it time, and you'll get it all back." He said. Serena smiled brightly and hugged him tightly.
	"You're right. Thank you!" she said happily, never knowing just how happy this revelation made him as well. 
	"Hey, are you planning on letting me breathe?"  Darien asked. Serena let go, embarrassed. Darien tried to hide a chuckle. 
	"Sorry." she squeaked. He smiled at her, then took her hand. 
	"Would you care to dance?" he asked. Serena looked around, noting the setting.
	"Here?" she asked, pointing to the bushes and flower beds. 
	"Why not?" We can hear the music from here." He said. Serena shrugged, then stepped into the position they had taken earlier. They began to step in time with the music, the slow piano and strings resounding softly through the garden. Serena sighed peacefully, and let herself melt into Darien's arms, perfectly content to let him lead her in wide, looping circles around the garden. For some reason, this felt so familiar to her, so right. She looked up to see if she could see what Darien felt, but he was staring off at the moon again, sad again. He was so unhappy, and yet, he still managed to take her out and make sure she had a good time. 
	"Oh Darien." she murmured sadly, feeling his pain as though she were somehow a part of him. Her hand crept up his neck until she could pull his head down closer to hers, and when it was directly facing her, stood on the tips of her toes. Her lips brushed against his, and she closed her eyes, deepening the kiss as she let her heart take over. He was surprised at first, she could tell, but when he held her, his arm tensing around her, and he returned the gesture with more intensity and emotion, she knew that this was right and he could tell too. A long moment was spent like that, locked together, needing, loving each other. Serena dazedly let go, and slowly opened her eyes. Darien was watching her carefully, his mouth not quite completely shut. Again that strange expression. Serena hugged her arms around herself. 
	"I, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have." She said in a small choked voice, her face flushing bright pink. She turned around and began to run, trying her hardest not to trip in her high shoes. Darien stood there like a fool  for a few seconds, not quite sure of what had just happened. Then, he ran after her, stomping through the woods, not caring how loud he was, or who he bothered. All that mattered was  catching Serena He burst into the ballroom, and scanned the crowd for her. She wasn't there. He went back outside to look for her in the garden.

	Serena saw him leave, and got up from her hiding spot behind the wall and ran to the phones. Her hands were shaking! Her heart was racing, and she felt so scared. She didn't understand this at all. She fumbled with the phone, dialing the numbers, although she wasn't sure if she hit the right numbers. Five rings later, someone answered groggily.
	" 'lo" Lita said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. It was midnight, and she had been having a nice dream about this gorgeous boy who, oddly enough, didn't look a thing like her last boyfriend. 'This had better be important.' She thought to herself.
	"Lita, it's me, Serena." Serena said. Lita perked up.
	"Aren't you supposed to be at that party?" she asked. 'You should be. I worked really hard to get you to think you were going with Matt so you'd end up with Darien.' she thought, smiling at the brilliant plan she had thought up. Of course, Reeny had helped immensely, giving messages that she claimed Matt had sent to Serena. 
	"I'm still here. But I did something really stupid." Serena said, biting her lip nervously at the memory that left her with a tingly, sweet feeling. 
	"Well, spill girl. It must be pretty good for you to call me while your still at the party. Does Darien know what you did?" 
	"That's the problem. I kinda sorta kissed him." Serena said. She waited for a response on the other end, but it was completely quiet. 
	"Whoohooo! All right. You go girl." Lita screamed. 
	"But I shouldn't have!" Serena said. "He probably thinks I'm just a stupid little kid and I just made a complete fool of myself and he probably doesn't even want to be just friends anymore." 
	"How do you know that? I'll bet he was so psyched that you like him." 
	"But he didn't say anything at all when I kissed him. He just stared at me like I was some sort of weirdo."
	"How do you know you didn't leave him completely and totally lovestruck?" Lita asked. Serena laughed.
	"Yeah right. I'm just a kid. He's got better things to do than hang out with me."
	"Don't sell yourself short Serena. Hey, if I was a guy, I'd ask you out in a minute." Lita said. Serena shook her head.
	"Thanks. You're a real friend." She said. "But what about Matt? I still like him too. But I like Darien too. What am I going to do? Oh God! I can't believe I did that!" 
	"Hey, Serena, not so loud. I'll bet everyone at the party can hear you shrieking. Listen, I think that you should just follow your heart. Which guy feels right to you?" 
	"I don't know which one?" Serena complained. 
	"Well, go hang out with one of them. Why don't you go see how you feel with Darien, and if he isn't 'the one' then go for Matt." Lita advised. 
	"I don't know about that." Serena said slowly. Lita sighed.
	"Come on. It's a win win situation. You have a guy no matter what. Wish I had that problem." Lita said. Serena giggled. 
	"Are you sure?" She asked, uncertain. 
	"Positive. Go find Darien and you'll see that I'm right. And then, tomorrow, you have to tell me every little detail." she said. 
	"Thanks! I'll see you tomorrow. Night" Serena said, hanging up the phone. Lita replaced the receiver and smiled to herself. 'Bulls-eye.' She thought, and went back to bed.

	Serena walked through the gardens, peering out into the darkness. She wished she hadn't chosen to wear such uncomfortable shoes, but there was nothing she could do about that now. She had walked back to the bench that she and Darien had been sitting on earlier. 
	"Darien?" she called out meekly to a man she couldn't see well that was sitting there. The man turned. She walked forward into the moonlight. 
	"Darien? Is that you?" she asked, squinting in the darkness to see his face. She could make out a face, two horns protruding from the forehead. 'Two horns!' She thought, stepping back in fear. The creature stood and ran towards her, it's head low, horns pointing directly at her. She screamed and ran to the side, as it ran into a tree, getting it's horns stuck in the trunk. 
	She felt someone grasp her hand tightly and she looked up into familiar gray-blue eyes.
	"Darien!" she cried out happily, hugging him impulsively. Darien glared at the monster that was trying to free itself. 
	"What is that thing?" he asked. 
	"I don't know. Come on, we have to get out of here." She said, pulling him away towards the forest. 'I have to get you someplace safe so I can transform.' She thought. She tugged his arm, leading him deeper into the forest, unsure of which way was the right way back to the ballroom. Suddenly, a blast of light in the distance not too far off shone in a bright beam heading straight up towards the moon. 
	"What's that thing?" she asked breathlessly, halting mid-stride to watch the strange phenomenon. 
	"Reeny." He said quickly. Serena looked confused, but there was no time for explanations. He could head the youma crashing through the forest behind them. 
	"Come on, we have to go?" he said, as he started running. She followed him, wondering what he meant. 
	'How could that blast be  related to Reeny's? And why is that youma here?' she asked herself silently. But first, she had to find a way to transform without Darien seeing. He was holding her hand too tightly for her to slip away unnoticed. Serena brightened as she saw a building in the distance. Maybe help would be there. But, it turned out to only be a gardeners shed. 
	"Darien, where are we going. It's catching up." she whined. 
	"I know. We just have a little further to go." He said. Suddenly, his hand shot out and pushed her head down, covering her with his body as a blast of energy flew inches above her head. Serena had had enough of this.
	"Come on, we can hide in there." Serena said, running inside the shed. 
	"Serena, wait." Darien called, chasing her. He ran inside the shed to catch her, but as soon as he stepped foot inside, the darkness blinding him, he heard the door close behind him. He turned around, pounding loudly on the door with his hands, trying to open it. Someone had locked it. 
	"Serena! Let me out!" he yelled, pushing against the door with all his weight. But, it wouldn't budge, not in this form.
	Serena leaned against the door to the shed on the outside. "I'm sorry Darien. But I have to keep you safe." She said to herself. Then, she thrust her fist into the air to transform.
	"Moon Prism Power!" she called, feeling the transformation take place. The youma blinked in surprise at her. 
	"So the little girly thinks she can defeat me?" It asked, laughing.
	"Why do you nega-creeps always laugh at me?" she asked indignantly. The youma reared its head and charged, lethally sharp horns pointed right at her. Sailor Moon backed up, then reached up and scrambled up the tree as the bull crashed into the spot she had been standing in. It butted the tree and she flailed her arms, trying to keep herself steady. It didn't work and she fell, landing hard on her back. She closed her eyes, thinking how nice it would be to just quit. But then, Darien's face popped into her mind. She couldn't leave him locked up in that shed. She dazedly stood up, taking a defensive stance. 
	"I am Sailor Moon, and I am sick and tired of nega-trash like you. In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" she said, waving her arms. 
	"Moon Tiara Magic!" she called, throwing the disk at it. It was mangled on the horns of the youma. 
	"Hey, you can't do that! No fair" she complained, her voice high and whiny. The youma ducked it's head, a bright ball of energy forming between it's horns. Suddenly, it let loose, the balls veering towards her. Sailor Moon jumped out of the way, and the blast harmlessly hit the gardeners shed. Sailor Moon screamed. 
	"Darien!" she shrieked, running to the door and trying to open it. It had begun to catch fire. She had to get Darien out before it was too late. She tugged at the door, but the blast had jammed it. 
	"Darien!" she screamed again. "Hold on, I'll get you out." The youma smiled, sensing her weakness. Sailor Moon didn't even notice him as he sent another blast flying at her. 
	"Sailor Moon!" A voice called with exaggerated urgency. Tuxedo Mask, his voice horrified, stood in the tree to the left. Sailor Moon  turned around to check out the new player, but instead was met with the image of the blast. She refused to move out of the way. It was the only thing she could think of to keep it from colliding with the shed and completely destroying it. The ball smashed into her hard, and she screamed, as she was knocked a few feet away from the shed.
	Darien." she moaned. Tuxedo Mask leaped down from the tree and  knelt beside her, shaking his head. Then, he turned on the youma, his eyes flashing with rage. 
	"You will not escape." He said menacingly, throwing rose after rose at the youma. It kept advancing; his roses were not effective enough. The youma roared in pain as a ball of yellow light crashed into him. 
	"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask cried, smiling. She was standing, tears streaming from her eyes, another tiara ready in her hand. 
	"What, did I make the Sailor sad. Maybe I should do it again." the youma taunted, and threw a ball of dark energy at the shed. It exploded in bright white light, caving in on itself and disintegrating into small pieces of dust. 
	"Darien! NO!" she screamed. Oddly enough, she wasn't crying anymore. She stared at the spot where the shed had been, where Darien had . . . She turned a cold eye back at the creature, her face hard and determined. 
	"Moon Tiara Magic." She screamed. 
	"Moon Tiara Magic, Moon Tiara Magic, Moon Tiara Magic, Moon Tiara Magic, Moon Tiara Magic, Moon Tiara Magic." She repeated over and over again, throwing one after another. Tuxedo Mask complimented her barrage with one of his own, his roses embedding themselves deep into the creatures back. With an anguished cry, the youma disintegrated into moon dust. Sailor Moon stared at the pile, her face completely blank. Then, the air above it began to waver, and a man with red hair materialized.
	"Well, not bad Sailor Moon. You're attacks are a bit weak. But, not bad, for someone who should be dead." Rubius laughed. 
	"Who are you?" Sailor Moon asked. 
	"Why, don't you remember. I am Rubius, your conquerer." He said. 
	"Not likely." 
	"Ah, such spirited words. That is perhaps why my minions failed to kill you in the first place.  And, why my youma couldn't defeat you."
	"You. You killed him!" she cried, lunging forward as though she were going to kill him with her bare hands. Tuxedo Mask grabbed her shoulder, holding her back.
	"What do you want Rubius?" Tuxedo Mask asked darkly. 
	"Why, the crystal of course."
	"We will never give you the crystal." Tuxedo Mask said. 
	"What crystal?" Sailor Moon asked. But no one seemed to hear her question.
	"You will give it to me, if you value the rabbit's life." Rubius snapped his fingers, and suddenly a bound and gagged Reeny was hanging in front of her. Her eyes were wide in terror, as though begging Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask for help. With a wave of his hand, Rubius made her disappear again.
	"Give me the crystal tomorrow at noon, at the Tokyo Tower, and perhaps, she will live a longer life than whoever it is you say I've killed. It is your choice. Until we meet again, Sailor Moon." Rubius laughed, then with a wave of his hand, disappeared. Sailor Moon sunk to her knees, her calm completely breaking down as she dissolved into tears. 
	"Reeny! Darien!" she sobbed. "Oh Darien, I'm so sorry." she said softly, putting her face in her hands and crying. She heard approaching footsteps but didn't care. 
	"Sailor Moon?" Sailor Venus asked. Sailor Moon looked up at her. 
	"I killed him. Darien. I let him die." She cried, putting her face in her hands again.
	"What?" Mars said loudly, sounding surprised. Sailor Mars looked at Tuxedo Mask, confused. 
	"Sailor Moon." Tuxedo Mask said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She didn't even acknowledge him. "Sailor Moon, please . . . Ser-" he looked at Sailor Mercury, who was shaking her head vehemently. He sighed, then began again.
	"Don't cry Sailor Moon." he said. She turned around, still crying and shakily stood up. But, her knees wouldn't support her and she sunk back to the ground. Tuxedo Mask caught her, and she rapidly descended into a deep sleep.