Sailor Moon does not belong to me.  
I wish it was so but keep on dreaming. Sailor Moon belongs to 
Naoki Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI Animation.  I want to say thank 
you to all those people who encourages me to write to continue writing.  
Especially to Jade and Fyrechild.  

I have been recovering from a car crash and a serious illness that
followed my accident.  

Remember to visit my page at 
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/9613/
I usually add my fanfiction there before I submit it.

I'm looking for some pre-readers.  If you are interested in becoming a 
pre-reader for me please email me. 

This is a spoiler.  It takes place after Sailor Stars.  It is a romance if 
you are looking for action this is not the right place for you.  I am using
the NA name because it is an alternate reality.
 
Wedding Rehearsal is a copyright of Serena Chiba@1998. 
Now on with the story.  

** means thinking
\\ flashback

Separation
by Serena Chiba  

Chapter Seven

	It was late when Serena returned home that evening-later 
than she'd intended, since tomorrow was a workday.
	She dragged her hand through her hair as she locked her 
apartment door and walked slowly toward her bedroom.  She was still 
more than half annyoed with Raye.  She had been all eveing, ever 
since sh'd arrived at the deesignated club expecting to spend a 
couple of hours alone with her friend, only to discover that she'd 
been set up.  Raye hadn's been alone.  Her boyfriend, Chad, had 
been there.  As had Chad's friend, Stan, the singer.
	Sending Raye a look that had promised retribution at the 
earliest opportunity, Serena had somehow managed to be gracious.  
Stan was a nice guy.  Amusing wiht his quick wit and slow drawl.  
Charming enough to make Serena relaz despite the ackwardness of 
the situation.  Raye had neglected a fact about Stan.  He looked 
exactly like Darien but completely different attitude.
	The whole point of the evening had been to keep her from 
thinking of Darien.  But Raye's scheme had backfired.  Although 
Serena had smiled and conversed and even danced a couple of times 
with Stan, she'd spent the whole evening thinking comparing him 
to Darien and knowing that this man would never replaced the one 
she'd sent away.
	She was begining to doubt that any man would ever fully 
replace Darien in her eart.  She was really pathetic, she told 
herself half angrily.  she'd broken up with Darien because she'd 
wanted something more, only to discover that he was all she wanted.
	Oh , she still wanted more.  She wanted it all.  But she wanted
 it with Darien, not without hiim.
	With some trepidation, she check her aswering machine.  
She expected to find at least one more querulous message from Darien.  
After all, he'd called her at least once a day all week, still insisting 
that she was being unreasonable.  he seemed convinced that he could 
make her change her mind about ending ehir engagement, even though 
he'd offered nothing more than he'd ever given her.  Obviously, he 
still hadn't even realized there was anything missing.
	Maybe it was her secret fear that he could change her mind 
that made her continue to avoid talking to him, cowadly as her 
actions might seem.  But there was no message on her machinge this 
evening.  Not even a hang-up.
	Darien hadn't called.
	She bit her lip, staring at the machine as though expecting 
it to explain the unexpected silence.  Maybe he'd been too busy at 
work to call.  Maybe he was giving her a bit more time to miss him 
before he tried again.
	Or maybe he'd finally gotten the message and conceded defeat.  
If, as she suspected, he hadn't really wanted to get marriend, anyway, 
it was possible that he'd put his bruised pride aside and convinced 
himself that it was best this way.
	She'd occasioally wondered if she even crossed his mind when 
she wasn't with him; maybe he hadn't even thought about her today.  
Maybe the significance of the date-their anniversary, of sorts-hadn't 
even ocurred to him.  Maybe he'd already written her off as one of 
his failed experiments and moved on to the next "project."
	Maybe he would never call her again.
	Since that was exactly what she'd convinced herself she 
wanted, she couldn't imagine why there were tears running down her face.

	
		*	*	*	*	*	*


	Serena was determined not to let the date get to her again 
on Friday.  Okay, so it was February 14.  Valentine's Day.  Big deal.  
Romance could not be dictated by a calendar and a few greeting-card 
companies.  There was no need for her to be depressed just because 
she no longer had anyone special with whom to share the event.
	Not that she would notice much difference, she told herself 
grimly.  Last year, Darien hadn't even known it was Valentine's Day 
until she'd reminded him.  He'd taken her out for a nice dinner, but
only because they'd had a standing date for Wednesday evenings, the 
one night when neither of them had regular commitments.
	Once he'd become aware of his lapse, Darien had covered 
quickly by claiming th dinner had been intended all along to mark 
the occaion-he'd even ceremoniously bought her a rose from a woman 
at a sidewalk stand outside the restaurant-but Serena had known the 
truth.  He hadn't remembered.  It simply hadn't been important to him. 	
	So, as far as Serena was concerned, February 14 was just 
another day.  Nothing at all special.
	Unfortunately, the rest of the world seemed to disagree 
with her assessment.
	Raye  entered during her lunch break.  She rather nervously 
cleared her hroat, obviously expecting a cool greeting.  "Er-have you 
forgiven me yet?"
	Serena shrugged.  "I know you meant well, Raye, but I wish 
you'd just told me what you had planned.  It was really unfair of 
you to catch me off guard that way."
	"I'm sorry."  Raye looked genuinely contrite.  "I acted on 
impulse.  I thought once you'd met Stan, and saw how nice he was, 
you might give him a chance."
	"Stan is very nice, Raye.  I liked him.  But I'm just not 
interested in dating him."
	"Or anyone else, except Darien," Raye commented.
	Serena winced.  "Okay, so I'm an idiot.  I'm trying to get 
over that.  And I will, eventually.  Just don't....push me 
anymore, okay?"
	"I won't," Raye promised.  "And I really am sorry about 
last night."
	Serena never could stay mad at Raye for ong. 
	"Apology accepted," she said lightly.  "And I did have a 
nice time.  I just wish he hadn't been whispering into my ear the 
whole night."  She smiled wryly.  "But you were right .  It was 
much better than sitting at home alone moping.  Just don't do it 
again."
	Raye solemnly crossed her heart.  "How're you doing?" she 
asked then, with the melting sympathy one would display toward the 
recently bereaved.  "Are you okay?"
	"Of course," Serena replied brisly.  "Why wouldn't I be?"
	"Well, it is Valentine's Day-"
	"Yes, and I've had a lovely one."
	Raye still looked a little bit wary.  "I know this day can't 
be easier for you than yesterday was."
	Serena shrugged.  "Darien never made a fuss over Valentine's 
Day.  I'm sure it seemed quite foolish to him."
	"You'll be okay this evening?"
	"Of course.  There's a program on the arts-and-entertainment 
channel that I'd like to watch this evening, and I plan to order 
take-out for a lay evening in front of the TV.  I'll be fine."
	"Fine.  So, how about if we get together tomorrow afternoon?  
Just the two of us this time, I promise.  We can check out some of 
those cute little boutiques on your street and pop into Valentine 
Delights for something sinful and fattening afterward.  Maybe see 
an early movie at the discount theater."
	Serena hesitated.
	"Please," Raye added.  "I need to know you aren't still 
mad at me about last night.  I want to make it up to you."
	Serena would have been a real heel to trun her down after 
that.  She smiled.  "I'd like that."
	She held her smile as she watched her friend rush off to 
prepare for a romantic evening with Chad.  It was only when she 
was alone that she allowed her cheerful expression to fade into 
an unhappy frown.


		*	*	*	*	*	*


	Serena arrived home only a few minutes later than usual.  
She checked the answering machine.  No messages again.
	She sighed and went into her bedroom, where she stripped 
out of the cherre red-and-white pantsuit she'd worn today for work.  
She replaced it with her baggy black sweats and white socks.  
It really didn't matter what she wore this evening, she thought 
glumly.  The only person likely to see her would be the delivery 
person from the Chinese take-out.
	On her way to the liveing room, she stopped by the washer 
to put in a load of towels.  Might as well accomplish a few things 
during the evening, she decided, especially since she would be 
spending the next afternoon shopping with Raye.
	Doing laundry and eating take-out in front of the TV.  
	Alone.
	On Valentine's Day.
	The tears she'd been holding back all day suddenly flooded 
her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.  She was furious with herself 
for crying over her broken engagement again-after all, she'd spent 
all last weekend doing so and sh'ed intended that to be the end 
of it.  But she couldn't seem to help it.
	She missed Darien desperately.  So much, at times, that 
it was tempting to call him and beg him to come back to her-to be 
willing to take whatever crumbs of affection he deigned to toss 
her way.
	But, no. She drew a deep breath, mopped determinedly at 
her eyes and headed for the telephone.  She wasn't particularly 
hungry, but she was going to order  all her favorite dishes, curl 
up beneath her afghan and have a lovely self-indulgent evening alone.
	She would survive this, she told herself for at least 
the thousandth time.  She wouldn't waste much more time moping 
over Darien Shields and futilely wishing things had been 
different between them.
	As for Darien-well, he was probably already over her.  
Probably involved in a new, potentially world-changing research 
project.  Still a bit bewildered, perhaps, about her illogical 
behavior, but getting on with his life.
	Just as Serena intended to do.
	With another touch of bitterness, she told herself that 
she'd never really made much difference in his life, anyway.  
He hadn't allowed her to.  He rarely talked about his past, never 
talked about his inner-most feelings, gave her not even a glimpse 
inside him.  It wouldn't take him long to find an attractive woman 
to accompany him to his obligatory social functions, and to be 
available when he wanted a bedmate.
	She told herself tha it wouldn't actually kill her if she 
ran into him with another woman on his arm.  It would just fell 
like a knife had been rammed into her heart.
	She was still sniffling into a tissue when her doorbell 
rang half an hour later.  She glanced at her watched.  The dinner 
had arrived earlier than she'd expected, considering the occasion.  
She snatched up the bills she'd laid on the coffee table and moved 
toward the door, automatically running a hand through her hair and 
pasting on an artificial smile.  She was always very careful about 
confirming who was at her door before she opened it, but this time 
she simply forgot.  Maybe because there was so much more on her mind.
	"You made good time," she said brightly, opening the door.  
"I wasnt' expecting you for another-"
	Her voice died away.
	Dr. Darien Shields stood just stood outside her door, 
impeccably dressed in a dark suit and a gorgeous tie, his thick hair, 
for once, immaculately combed.  His rms were loaded down with a dozen 
red roses wrapped in green florist's paper, an enormous silver box 
tied with burgundy ribbon, and another gift beautifully wrapped 
in reds and golds.
	He'd been smiling when she first opened the door, but her 
words made him frown.
	"You were expecting someone else?" he asked coolly.



Author's Note
So how do you like this??  Is it good, bad, or I could have done better??  
Please send your comments, flames, and critisism to me at 
serena_chiba@hotmail.com
Ja ne.

Character List

Tsukino Usagi			Serena Moon
Chiba Mamoru			Darien Shields
Hino Rei			Raye Hino
Kou Seiya			Stan
Yuuchirou			Chad