Moonlight Mirage
By Lady M Harris
Editor: Sun Princess


Part four

        "Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed.  He did not expect to find 
her standing on top of her house, waiting for him.
        "Who else were you expecting, Tuxedo Mask?  The Moon Princess?" 
Sailor Moon responded sarcastically.  She put her hands on her hips, his 
eyes following the motion to the short skirt of her fuku that was 
displaying her long, shapely legs encased within red boots against the 
silver-white light of the full moon.  
        "Certainly not Sailor Moon, that's for sure," Tuxedo Mask replied 
as he leaped onto the next house behind her.  He landed gracefully, like a 
large, agile black cat.
        "And just where were you heading to, Tuxedo Mask?" Sailor Moon 
almost purred.  "You weren't thinking of slipping into my room, were you?" 
she asked, her voice low and taunting.
        Tuxedo Mask flushed slightly under his domino mask at being caught 
red handed, glad that the shadows concealed his emotions.  As a matter of
fact, that was exactly what he had intended to do.  "Of course not, Sailor 
Moon.  I do occasionally check up on you," he said through clenched teeth.
        "Liar," Sailor Moon retorted.  "You dismissed that blonde," she 
continued, cocking her head slightly, a curious expression playing across 
her features, as a new thought crossed her mind. "Funny, I don't even think 
I know her name?" Sailor Moon questioned.  Then shaking her head, the 
girl's name didn't matter to her at all, "Well, you dismissed 
what's-her-name as soon as you dropped her off, didn't you?" she asked, 
grinning slyly at him.  I know you too well, Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon 
thought.  He stood completely still, watching her through his mask, eyes 
gleaming at her as they reflected the moonlight.  Still, she couldn't read 
what was there even as they stared at one another.
        Tuxedo Mask was piqued by the confidant stance she made in the 
night light, while his ego, on the other hand, was getting a bit battered 
and worn.  He wanted her to feel the ache and pain he felt over seeing her 
kiss someone else other than him."Perhaps . . . and perhaps not," was his 
acrid reply.  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them 
instantly, especially when her body stiffened.
        "Don't play games with me, Tuxedo Mask!  You've played far to many 
lately for me to tolerate any more!" Sailor Moon warned him, anger washing 
over her features.
        "Who's the one playing the games here, Sailor Moon?" Tuxedo Mask 
retorted harshly.  He  leaped from the house he had been standing on and 
landed lightly on his feet before her proud form.  The full moonlight 
silhouetted the two famous figures as they stood facing each other in the 
still night.  
        Sailor Moon carefully backed a step away from him, hoping he 
wouldn't notice how her legs  began to tremble from his proximity.
        "I didn't start any of this!  You did!  You're the one playing 
games with my heart!  First, you act like you can't stand to be around me, 
go out of your way to avoid me, and then . . ."  She shook her head, her 
frame trembling with the strength of her emotions.  "I don't know what kind 
of stunt you were pulling at the club tonight," Sailor Moon accused him,
not allowing him to get a word in edgewise as she continued her tirade.  
"And if you think that I'm going to allow you to slip into my room, have 
your way with me and then leave without so much as an explanation, you've
got another thing coming!" Sailor Moon huffed, pointing accusing fingers 
into Tuxedo Mask's silent face.
        She watched his eyes narrow, glinting at her like steel blades 
behind the mask, his face a cold marble statue.  "Another thing coming at 
me, eh?  How about this, then?" he ground out and reached for her arm, 
intending to kiss her.  But instead of grabbing her arm, his fingers 
managed to close around nothing but air.  He looked up, his head following 
the sound of her tinkling laugh above him as she jumped over him to the 
house he had previously been standing on.  He caught a tantalizing glimpse 
of her shapely derriere under her blue fuku skirt before she landed on the 
house, agile as a gazelle.
        "Catch me if you can!" Sailor Moon voiced her challenge over her 
shoulders.  The anger in her features was suddenly replaced by a
mischievous smile as she began to run like the wind.  
        "Why you little tease!" Tuxedo Mask shouted to her as he leaped 
back onto the house he had just been on.  He could hear her answering 
laughter like musical bells, ringing sweetly with their silvery tones into 
the night.   She in return, cleared the space below her and landed on 
another house.  When did she learn to run like a cheetah, Tuxedo Mask asked 
himself as he continued to chase after her?  Her Senshi training was 
certainly paying off for her, he thought continuing to appraise his 
current situation.  She could almost run with leaps and bounds as well as 
he.
        Almost.  
        He smiled devilishly, closed his eyes for a moment, and a burst of 
energy surged through him, powerfully.  In an instant, his formal evening 
wear disappeared and in its place appeared: silvery armor, sword and 
scabbard, navy blue and black uniform, and great cape of Earth's warrior 
prince.  The surge of energy rebounded as Earth granted the Prince of 
Earth her harnessing powers to her human vessel.
        Prince Endymion caught Sailor Moon's arm with one swipe.  She 
shrieked in startlement as he spun her around and roughly pulled her back 
to him, her body nearly slamming to his.  Her hands landed on his hard 
chest, the crisp feeling of his prince's uniform under her palms felt 
invigorating.  Both of them stared at one another silently, the only sounds 
between them being their harsh breathing and the pulse of blood that was 
roaring madly in their ears from excitement as well at the recent
exercise.  The aura of Prince Endymion called to his princess, demanding 
her presence.
        Sailor Moon's transformation locket began to glow.   The brightness
of the light intensified until it totally enveloped Sailor Moon.  Within 
moments the light receded and Princess Serenity stood before her Prince.  
With the full moon's beckoning arms filling her with power, Serenity 
silently loosened Endymion's hold on her.  His eyes narrowed dangerously, 
immediately reminding her of a hungry panther prowling the nights for its 
helpless prey.  She took a hesitant step away from him, her chest heaving 
with excitement.  She watched as his eyes lowered, devouring the round 
curves of her figure, sheathed in fine layers of gold-embroidered silk, and 
silhouetted in the soft glow of the moon.  Serenity took another step back,
her own eyes trailing over his frame until they suddenly froze and widened; 
she gasped in shock.
        "You wouldn't dare!" Princess Serenity exclaimed as she continued 
to gaze down at the gleaming, silvery blade of his sword, now pointed at 
her delicate throat.  The blade slowly moved down and over the intricately
embroidered fabric at the top of her dress, seemingly caressing the point 
where the silky material met her creamy breasts.
        A grin erupted across Prince Endymion's face as he grabbed her 
slim wrist once again.  "No, but you're not running from me again," he 
drawled, sheathing his sword and began to pull her  toward him.  Unaware 
that she was perilously close to the roof's edge, she tried to take another
step back and lost her footing.  Endymion was also caught off guard and 
both fell from the top of the house, shouting in surprise.  Fortunately, it 
was only a short distance and soft grass padded their landing as they 
rolled down a slight hill, a flurry of silk skirts and armor.
        Serenity landed in a stunned, tangled heap of white silk and 
golden-white tresses beneath Endymion.
        He laughed triumphantly as his lapis blue eyes gazed down at the 
beauty he had captured.  Before she had a chance to utter a word, he 
slammed his mouth over hers possessively.
        He kissed her as if he was punishing her, knowing he was punishing 
himself.   For a moment, he felt her struggle against him and he deepened 
the kiss.  Savagely, his mouth covered hers, wanting to dominate her 
completely, to feel her unconditional submission to his desire.  Her soft 
body enveloped him and then suddenly he was kissing her desperately, like 
a man starved, drowned and hopeless all at once, as if she was the only 
thing keeping him sane while driving him crazy with desire at the same 
time.  He heard her moan against his mouth and felt victory soaring within 
him.    Victory only lasted for a fleeting moment as she pillaged him with 
the onslaught of her own daunting passion.  Her lips traced their own 
charted map over his lips,  tongue parrying his, only to dip again and 
again into his sweet nectar.  Her hands gripped him under his dress jacket, 
caressing and exploring his body to her heart's content.  She pressed her 
body against his, enjoying the contrasting feel of his heavy, formal 
uniform against  her thin, silk dress.  This time, she wedged her soft 
thigh between his legs, her clothed stomach coming into contact with his 
apparent hardness.   Serenity could feel her own thrill of victory at the 
sound of his husky groan as she pressed her body up against him.  
Tormenting him even further, she reached out to grip his buttocks under his 
dress jacket and cape, her hands pressing his hardness even further against 
her stomach.  Further inflaming his desire, she rocked her hips and stomach 
against his already rock hard member.
        With another growl, Prince Endymion lifted Princess Serenity into 
his arms, her silk skirts trailing to the ground.  He leaped back up onto 
the house, like a fleeing hawk, and practically flew toward Serena's house. 
He landed silently on her open window with precision, sure and powerful 
strides taking him straight to her rumpled bed.  He threw her down onto 
her bed, and before she had a chance to, silenced any protest with another 
deep kiss.  His swordbelt fell to the carpeted floor with a muffled thud, 
forgotten.
        Endymion broke off their kiss, staring down into  Serenity's 
passion-glazed eyes.  He reached between them and gripped her locket, held 
together on a thin, golden chain, nestled between her breasts.  The slight 
pressure of his hand caused Serenity's dress to disband suddenly.  Long, 
red ribbons of what had been her dress spilling forward, floating out and 
away from the bed.   Serena lay beneath him in all her golden, naked glory.
        "What do you think you're doing, my prince?" Serena gasped out in 
alarm, her mind clearing a little from the desire laden haze that clouded 
it, as she looked over his shoulder to her closed door.  Her parents were 
asleep just down the hall.  "What if my father came in and found you here?  
He'll kill you!" she whispered.  Dazedly, as if she were in a trance, she 
watched his hands as he unzipped his pants.
        "You're right, Serena," Endymion groaned quietly as he freed 
himself from his confining pants.  "This has got to be the stupidest, 
most insane thing I've ever---" he gasped out the last word, "--done!" 
pushing himself deep into her tight, wet channel.  Ah God, but she felt 
like heaven, Endymion thought as he began moving his hips slowly, driving 
deeply in her.
        "Aaahhh---!" Serena moaned and grabbed his face between her clasped 
hands to kiss him deeply, passionately.  She raised her hips, meeting him 
thrust for thrust.  The burgeoning heat of her desire spinning wildly out 
of control within her.  Lost to the rising tides of flaming fire, her 
supple, young body undulated to the music of his body.  "Do you have--" 
Serena breathed out in between his thrusts, nipping his ear in the process 
with her teeth. "any idea what this--" she cried out as he drove deeper 
into her, sinking them both deeper into her bed. "would look like, if-if--" 
she staggered, her eyes squeezing shut to the overwhelming pleasure soaring 
throughout her, "if my father walked in on ussss!" she gasped out through 
clenched teeth, the last word coming out in a  hiss of air against his hot
ears as she bit back the urge to scream; her arms clutched him closer to 
her.
        "Yeah," Endymion groaned as he increased his tempo, driving even 
deeper into her than he thought possible.  "He'd just wonder, how the hell 
I got in and kill me for fucking his daught----!"
        "Aahhhhh!"  Serena cried out as her body began to convulse, her 
hips rising completely off the bed.
        "under his nose!" Endymion nearly shouted and then muffled both of 
their cries with his mouth as he joined her, groaning quietly as his body 
shuddered powerfully over hers.  He could feel his seed spilling deep 
within her as he continued to pulse inside her.  Energy spent, he collapsed 
on top of her, his body transforming back to Tuxedo Mask.



        After what seemed an eternity, Tuxedo Mask managed to get control 
of his limbs and slowly pushed himself off Serena's limp body.  
        She reached up with a trembling hand and touched her locket.  
Instantly, the ribbons changed and morphed back into her PJ's.  We just 
made love and he still has his domino mask on, she thought hazily.  She was 
ready to drop off, feeling meticulously satiated.  She watched Tuxedo Mask 
through lowered lids as he refastened his pants and tucked his dress shirt 
back into the waistband.
        "Where are you going?" she asked him, her eyes drooping lazily.
        "Home.  I can't stay here," he said, looking down at her.  He 
picked up his top hat and placed it on his head.  She looked simply 
adorable in her pink, bunny pajamas, sitting up slightly to retrieve the 
blue, moon and stars comforter that was lying on the floor.  Her sheets 
were the only blankets that retained a tentative grip on her bed due to 
his hasty coupling with her.
        "Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked after a moment.  Her eyes 
caressed his caped figure as he moved to her open window.  He turned his 
back to her.  Still looking out her window, he refused to meet her eyes 
and Serena felt a familiar stab of pain, her heart dropping again before 
the words even came out of his mouth.
        "I can't, Serena.  I told you before and--I'm sorry this happened.  
It'll never happen again," he apologized, frowning as he stared out into 
the night.  Oh God, I can't stand this, he thought as he heard her pain 
filled gasp followed by an anguished sob.  Darien knew that if he turned 
around, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from gathering her into his 
arms, from trying to erase her tears with soft kisses and washing away her 
pain with warm words and promises of undying love.  Forcing himself not to 
look at her, he jumped onto her window sill and leaped forward, away from 
her tears before his own could join hers.



        The sun tentatively shed its warm rays of light over the horizon as 
Rei tiptoed quietly across the hallway from where her grandpa slept to her 
room.  She closed the screen door and giggled silently at herself after 
letting out the breath she had been holding since she got back home.  She 
hugged herself tightly as she thought back to the incredible night she had 
spent in Chad's arms.
        Rei had awoken early that morning, alone in Chad's bed.  Her face 
had flushed a deep crimson as she looked down at her naked body, her blush 
deepening at the memory of how his large hands had trailed over her curves.
Remembering the feel of how her breasts had felt as he cupped them, his 
fingers doing wicked things to her nipples before his mouth followed where 
his fingers had been.  And last, but the most wonderful feeling of all, was 
how it felt being one with him.  She had fallen back against the covers, 
relishing how he had felt, deep within her, taking her where no man ever 
had before.  She now understood the expression that would occasionally 
steal over Serena's face and that certain infliction in her voice when she 
would say Darien's name.
        When Rei had dressed and opened the door to the flat, a different 
bellman from the previous evening was standing beside the door, waiting for
her.  A limo was also parked outside and waiting to take her home.  The 
bellman handed her a folded piece of paper; should Rei needed anything,  
please call Mr. Takashiro at this number.   A little dazed, she had nodded 
her head and thanked him, feeling the heat creep up into her face, turning 
it beat red.  The limo driver opened the door for her and she hurriedly got 
in, her face still red.
        Rei opened the piece of paper that had been stuffed into her purse 
and laughed quietly as she read the note.  She threw off her dress and 
pulled on her nightgown.  She got into bed quickly and grabbed her pillow, 
hugging both the note and pillow close to her heart.



        "Hey, where's Serena?  She hasn't been this late in ages," Lita 
asked as she glanced at her watch to check the time.
        "I don't know," Amy replied, gazing toward the direction of 
Serena's house.  "Rei's late, too," she pointed out.  She's never been late 
for anything, Amy thought, a little concerned at the lack Rei's presence.
        "What about Mina? --is she coming today?"  Lita asked.
        "No, she's got a modeling session scheduled for this afternoon and 
she wanted to sleep in this morning.  She mentioned something about Luna 
and Artemis keeping her up half the night trying to figure out the reason 
for the change in enemy attacks," Amy replied.
        "Well, if Serena and Rei aren't here in another 15 minutes, I'm 
going to go and look for them," Lita said, frowning.
        "Right." Amy nodded her head, agreeing with Lita.  She looked down 
the street toward Rei's temple, still wondering what was taking her and 
Serena so long.




 Earlier that morning . . . 

        Dense fog swirled mystically before parting slightly to reveal a 
much older Princess Serenity facing a large mass still hidden in the 
swirling mists behind her.  The shifting tendrils suddenly dissipated, 
revealing an immense palace made entirely from crystal.  Its corridors were 
dark and the crystal spires  loomed ominously over the Princess.  Suddenly, 
the skies darkened, shadows seeming to spring to life and cover the palace 
like ghostly apparitions.  Princess Serenity turned, slowly looking over 
her shoulder, sorrow and grief clearly etched in her expression. 
Crystallin tears formed and began to fall from her solemn face and 
then . . . the ground began to shake.  Still she continued to look over her 
shoulder, the tears falling heedlessly.  Large cracks split the ground 
apart violently as it continued to rumble and shake, heaving forth molten 
rock and black ash as the earth opened up and began to swallow the palace 
in the background.  Suddenly, Princess Serenity was encased within a large 
crystal which, like the earth, began to crack and shatter into shards of 
glass.  And still, she continued to cry, even as the crystal around her 
face began to crack. . . .

        "Noooooo!"  Serena screamed out as she sat up in bed, horrified.  
She gulped in huge breaths of air as tears streamed, unchecked, down her 
hot cheeks.  She ran a trembling hand through her tangled hair, belatedly 
realizing that she was completely drenched in sweat.
        My God, is that my future, Serena thought, still trembling.  I've 
got to tell Darien about this, she thought suddenly.  She knew he didn't 
want to see her, but news like this couldn't be shrugged off.  Serena had 
a bad feeling about the dream, like it was more of a warning of sorts, a 
premonition--if you will--of forbidding doom than a normal nightmare.
        Fifteen minutes later, she was standing in front Darien's apartment,
nervously knocking on his door.  Please, please don't be at work, she 
begged.  Before she had a chance to think of anything else, the door opened 
quickly.
        "Serena?" A bedraggled Darien asked, as he stared down at her.  His 
eyes hardened and he asked a little bit harshly, "Why did you come here?"
        "Please, don't close the door on me, Darien." Serena pleaded as she 
put her hand on his door.  "Can I come in?  It's important."
        He sighed in resignation and opened the door wider, backing away to 
let her in.
        She took a deep breath and said, "Darien, I-I'm here because of 
last night," she began.
        "Serena, I told you that I'm sorry about last night," he 
interrupted her.  "It won't happen again."
        "No-no.  That's not what I'm talking about," she said, shaking her 
head for emphasis.  So, things hadn't changed, Serena thought sadly, her 
heart plummeted as a familiar tearing pain maid itself known in her chest.  
How she wanted so much to feel his arms around her, just holding her like 
he used to do.  "I-I mean, I had a dream last night," she stammered.  
        Darien turned toward her, his body coming completely still as he 
listened to her relate her dream.
        "It-it didn't seem like a dream.  More like a premonition, of 
something terrible about to happen," she said.  Encouraged by his silence, 
she continued, "I saw myself as the princess, only, I was much older.  And 
there was this palace in the background and-and it was made of crystals.  
And I'm standing there, crying--"
        "Crying crystallin tears, looking sadly over your shoulder as 
everything around you begins to break up, falling apart." Darien finished 
for her, his voice low and taut as he stared at her.
        "How-how did you know?" she stuttered, her eyes wide and frightened 
at the same time.  "You've had the same dream?" she asked, wondering how 
she managed to keep her voice from trembling.
        "A thousand times over, Serena.  It's the only 
dream--no nightmare--I ever have!" He ground out, frustrated at the same 
time.  "This voice, keeps warning me to stay away from you and that if I 
don't, that will be your future.  Because of me, your life is in danger," 
he sighed as he continued to stare at her, his expression both taught and 
painful.
        "You mean, it's because of this dream?  This is why we're apart?" 
she said softly, taking a step closer to him.  She shook her head in 
disbelief, still gazing at him.  "Oh God Darien, why didn't you tell me?" 
she whispered.
        "Don't you see?" he said, still frustrated.  "I'm endangering your 
life, your future, by being part of it!"
        "Dammit, Darien!" she exclaimed. "Can't you see that you're already 
a big part of my life?  I can't function normally without you!  And you're 
NOT pushing me away because of  some dream that keeps plaguing you.  I 
won't let you!  Not this time.  I'm staying as part of your life and if 
that means, endangering it, then that's the way it has to be.  I don't want 
to live my life without you in it," she said, flinging herself into his 
arms.  She felt his arms wrap around her and she closed her eyes, relishing 
the feel of his warm embrace.  "We'll work this out together, Darien. . . ."
She felt him tighten his grip, holding her firmly against him.
        "Oh God, Serena . . ." He pulled back to look into her eyes, as he 
ran a trembling hand through her golden mane.  Her eyes glistened with 
unshed tears, the lovely blue orbs filled with love.  "I love you, Meatball 
Head," he whispered hoarsely.
        She flung herself back into his arms, crying and laughing at same 
time.  "I love you too, Muffin," she whispered back.



        "What is it?" Serena groaned quietly.  She was laying beneath 
Darien on his living room rug.  Her hair lay in tangled disarray beneath 
her,  blouse halfway unbuttoned, her heavy breasts, sheathed within her 
lacy bra, were cupped within one of Darien's large hands.  Her skirt was 
pulled up to her hips and Darien's fingers were beginning to pull down her
satiny panties.  Darien was making up for his behavior the last couple of 
weeks, dimly wondering how he could have stood being away from her for so 
long.
        "I thought I heard something." Darien said, his body completely 
still above hers.  
        She ran her hand down his back and to his hard buttocks, also 
listening for whatever Darien had heard. Serena lifted her thighs slightly, 
enjoying the feel of his hardness against her stomach.
        "Hey!" he exclaimed softly.  Smiling lazily, he ground his hips 
against her warm stomach in response.
        "You're torturing me, Darien!" she muttered huskily, lifting her 
hips as he moved his against her at an agonizing pace, enjoying the 
contrasting feel of his clothed body against hers.
        "Am I?" He smiled devilishly as he flicked his thumbs slowly over 
her erect nipples, and kneaded her breasts at the same time, pulling down 
the lacy material of her bra.  "Well, I guess . . ." he said as he lowered 
his head toward her breast and ran a lazy tongue over her puckered, pink 
nipple, ". . . I am," and began to suckle the nipple hungrily.  He heard 
her moan as he continued his quest of desire, fingers slowly rolling the 
straps of her panties back and forth against the heated flesh of her 
thigh.
        Unexpectedly his door bell rang, knocking them abruptly out of 
their little world for two.  It was followed by the sound of Lita's 
concerned voice on other side and she began to knock on the door 
insistently.
        "Darien?" she called out on the other side of his door.  "Have you 
seen Serena recently?  We can't find her anywhere!" Lita said anxiously on 
the other side of the door.
        "Ah Christ!" Darien muttered, exasperated by the Senshi's timing.
        Serena giggled in response under Darien.  She pulled her panties 
up, sighing at the lost moment.  "And just when we were getting to the best 
part, too."  She laughed quietly, her eyes twinkling with merriment as she 
gazed up into Darien's frustrated face.
        "Yeah," he grinned back at her as he helped her hastily button up 
her blouse.  "Their timing is absolutely incredible!"  He laughed as he 
pulled her up from the floor, then looked down at his gray sweats and 
groaned at the sight of himself.  Not only did he feel uncomfortable, but 
he had a noticeable telltale bulge at his groin.  The knocking only got 
louder as the occupants on the other side of the door heard noise within 
his apartment.
        Serena giggled.  "Just stand behind me until-until you . . . 
uh . . . get a hand on things . . . down there."  She was making a valiant
effort not to laugh at his current predicament, but failed miserably as 
she gazed helplessly at his bulge, her face flushing becomingly.
        He groaned in response to her gaze, feeling himself hardening 
again. "Easy for you to say.  You're not the one with a hard-on!"  She 
giggled again, still flushed, and grabbed his hand before they turned and 
opened the door.
        "It took you--Serena!" Lita exclaimed as she looked up and into 
Serena and Darien's faces.
        "We've been looking all over for you!" Amy scolded her from behind 
Lita, noting the high flush on Serena's cheeks.  Darien, as always, looked 
cool, calm and collected.  How he managed to look so nonchalant, puzzled 
Amy.  Must be a guy thing, she thought.  She wondered again--for what must 
be the hundredth time--if Serena and Darien have ever gone all the way.
        The only person who didn't look concerned about Serena's 
whereabouts was Rei.  Rei certainly understood the meaning behind the 
delayed timing of the door opening.  Last night, Chad told her about 
their little agreement to get her jealous.  Of course, yesterday, she 
wanted nothing more than to strangle her best friend for kissing Chad.  
Today, she wanted nothing more than to hug Serena for being the best 
friend ever, and for making her face up to her real feelings toward Chad.  
Rei definitely understood how the two lovers felt.  If she had been Serena,
she wouldn't have even bothered answering the door.  Yet, Serena was a 
true friend, even if meant interrupting her and Darien's time together.  
Rei looked over Amy's shoulder at winked at the couple, smiling in 
understanding.  Serena blushed again, giving away exactly what they 
had been to doing together to Rei.  "I came over here first thing this 
morning to talk to Darien," she began.
        "And as usual, you forgot about us!" Lita said, rolling her eyes 
upward,  her arms folded over her chest.  "Looks like you guys have finally 
made up," she added, ready to grill the couple for all the details.
        "Yeah, well Rei forgot about the meeting too." Amy injected into 
the conversation, hoping to derail Lita's imminent interrogation as Serena 
stared at Rei, wondering.
        "What about Chad?" Serena asked, concerned.
        "Chad left for Kobe this morning." Rei stated, smiling.
        "Yeah, where's that two-timing jerk, anyway?" Darien asked almost 
at the same time, his voice dangerously low as he started to get angry, 
remembering the scene he witnessed last night: Rei and Chad driving away in
a car together. The girls gaped in astonishment over Darien's choice of 
words. 
        "Oh!" Serena gasped out, remembering that she hadn't told Darien
about the whole charade with Chad yet.  "Oh, Darien.  I forgot to tell 
you," Serena began.  Bracing herself for the explosion, she continued, 
"Chad isn't really my boyfriend, at all.  He--"
        "What?!" Darien exclaimed, the incredulous look on his face at the 
announcement was quite comical.
        "He's my boyfriend, Darien." Rei stated, quietly.
        Darien's eyes grew even wider as he realized who Chad was.  "You 
don't mean . . . Chad from the temple?!" He exclaimed again.  Rei simply 
nodded, still smiling blissfully.  He would never have guessed it in a 
million years.  Chad, of all people.
        "You went through all of that, just to get me jealous?" Darien 
nearly whispered to Serena, his tone surprisingly soft.
        She wasn't prepared for the tenderness and warmth in his voice as 
she stared up into Darien's face.
        "Yes," she whispered back to him as her gaze, full of love, locked 
with his.  Slowly, she brought herself back to reality, and turned away 
from him to face Rei, "I'm so sorry that he left, Rei," Serena began.
        "Oh don't be," Rei laughed, shrugging her shoulders, still 
smiling.
        "But he didn't even leave you a number, Rei," Lita said sadly.
        "Of course he did!" Rei said, digging into her purse to read the 
note Chad had given her.  "He said that I could reach him at his office and 
if he doesn't answer there, to try his cell, or his house in Kobe; oh and 
then there's his pager.  Let's see . . . uh . . . and if that doesn't work, 
he said to try his private jet and I even got his E-mail address here
too. . . . And the number to his flat is here . . . somewhere!"
        "His cell?!"
        "Number to his private jet?!"
        "His office?  Since when did he start working?!"
        "He's got a house and a flat?  Is he really that loaded?"
        "Rei, you've got some explaining to do!"


 The end, for now . . . Lady M Harris