Title: Forget I Said That [Part 4]
Author: W. Bymeeh
Rating: PG
E-mail: Jhyunl@aol.com  
Website: http://members.tripod.com/jayhyun/sm/

*Author's Note: This series is done.  *Gasp*  I can hardly 
believe it myself.  Eeow, I'm sorry it took so long!  Comments 
are good!  Please tell me what you think, because I kinda 
struggle with first season fics, so I need feedback!  Hee hee.  
Maybe I should stick to alt. reality fics, eh?  {Hears a call for 
"Moon Dance" and runs for cover}  E-mail, k?  ^_^

*Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine...aiii yiii yiii...

			Forget I Said That
			   [Part 4]


	Serena was happily skipping home through the park, her 
golden hair flowing behind as a result of her energetic 
movements.  She was absolutely delighted with her day, and she 
could not hide the giddiness that spilled forth from her 
heart...like the sunlight that insisted on shining from behind a 
cloud.  A smile played on her lips as she wandered down a pebbled 
path and thought briefly over all the wonderful things that had 
happened to her.  
	Serena was one who had learned to take advantage of the 
small joys in life, and cherish it to the fullest.  Even with the 
smallest little coincidence, she took as the goddess of fortune 
smiling on her.  In her mind, she recalled how she had managed to 
skip over detention that day (Ms. Haruna must have a date, she 
mused), Raye had been too busy chasing Chad around the temple for 
some misdeed on his part to tease her, and Luna had been 
distracted from her usual lectures as she was discussing some new 
scout tactics with Amy.  
	The best thing, of course, had been her meeting with Tuxedo 
Mask.  She relived every word and every moment, visualizing the 
look in his eyes when he had looked at her thought that 
mysterious mask...the mask she had mocked the day before.  But 
that had been a low point in her day, when she had thought that 
he didn't care for her at all...when she thought that all he 
cared about was those crystals.  
	Her heart was dancing with joy as she basked in the feeling 
of knowing how *right* she had originally been...she had known 
that he would never hurt her, or be her enemy...and best of all, 
her guilty conscience had been silenced, as she and Tuxedo Mask 
had left on *good* terms for once...and her irrational fear that 
he had found out about her insulting him, her hero, was calm once 
more.    
	And then, her happy mood came crashing down.  
	There, sitting on the park bench was a familiar figure in a 
too familiar green jacket. 
	Instantly, Serena felt unwanted guilt wash over her.  She 
hadn't quite been able to forget the look in his eyes when she 
had finished bashing Tuxedo Mask.  Tuxedo Mask...he was a hero to 
many of the people of Tokyo, a magical figure as mysterious as 
well as romantic.  She shouldn't have been surprised that Darien 
was indignant that she had been making fun of him...Darien 
probably idolized Tuxedo Mask as well.  
	Somehow, that idea was accepted by Serena's mind, although 
there was something else about Tuxedo Mask and Darien that she 
couldn't quite put her finger on.  She did remember, however, how 
she had often seen Darien fiddling with the arcade game, trying 
to win the little Tuxedo Mask doll.  
	'Ah, well...' she thought, returning her thoughts to the 
present problem at hand.      
	It was one thing for her to pick on Tuxedo Mask...she and 
her friends were Sailor scouts, after all...they actually knew 
him.  But Darien didn't know that...How would she feel if anyone 
else ridiculed Tuxedo Mask in her place?  Or, even if anyone 
picked on Sailor Moon?  Never mind the fact that she was Sailor 
Moon.  
	And he didn't know that she had attacked Tuxedo Mask just 
because she was actually angry with herself; her own klutziness 
and childish behavior that must somehow reach Tuxedo Mask and 
disgust him from her.  That had been what she was thinking at the 
time, that there was something wrong with her that Tuxedo Mask 
was so cold.  
	Of course, Darien hadn't helped by infuriating her and 
bringing to light her own blaring faults through his usual 
insults.  
	But now the matter with Tuxedo Mask was resolved, Serena 
felt.  The way he looked at her, the words he said...as if he 
wanted to say more, but couldn't.  Serena felt that there was 
hope for them after all.   
	Now, she sought to soothe a burning conscience.
	"Hello, Darien..."
	Darien turned his head to see Serena approaching him 
calmly, an event that he made sure to take note of in his memory.
	"Hello, Meatball Head.  Glad you decided to make your 
presence known without giving me bruises..."  His words were 
casual, but his voice was rather cool, lacking the usual fire 
that Serena somehow missed.  
	Serena scowled at him, but didn't say anything.  Just for 
today, she thought to herself, no more fighting.  An image of his 
blazing blue eyes appeared before her, and she cringed inside. 
	She sat next to him quietly, and he looked at her in 
surprise.  They hadn't talked at all since he had heard her 
bashing his alter ego.  
	Unsettled by Serena's silence, he searched for something to 
talk about, tease her about.  He was irritated to find that the 
only thing he wanted to talk to her was Tuxedo Mask, and in 
exasperation he decided that he would just ask her what was 
bothering him.  The memory of Sailor Moon's reaction to his words 
encouraged him.  
	Slowly, casually, Darien began to speak.  "So, Serena, I 
couldn't help overhearing your fit the other day.  You're not 
love-crazy about Tuxedo Mask, like half the girls in this city?"  
At least, he thought it was half the girls.  
	She looked at him in surprise, and then smiled.  Luckily 
for Darien, she had a very unsuspicious nature, especially around 
Darien...who at times only seemed like a guy who tortured her and 
teased her mercilessly about her hair.  The image was so 
ingrained into her mind...  
	"I think he's wonderful," she said honestly, and there was 
no mistaking the sincerity in her voice or the sparkle in the 
depths of her bright blue eyes.  
	Darien smiled, his dark eyes unconsciously lighting up, and 
she asked him a question in return.  "What do you think of him?"
	He shrugged, and said, "Well, he's not quite the person who 
I dream about at night.  But I guess he's what every guy would 
like to be..."  He looked away from Serena and focused on the sun 
that was setting in the distance, carrying a casual air about 
him.  
	Serena responded quickly, "He's a real hero..."  She 
blushed then at her own enthusiasm, and Darien looked at her with 
curiosity in his eyes and secret delight thrumming in his heart.  
	"I thought you didn't like Tuxedo Mask...the way you were 
going off at the arcade," Darien carefully said, knowing he was 
going through delicate territory, and unsure of what response he 
would receive.  
	Serena turned crimson then, and then poked Darien in the 
arm.  "I didn't have the greatest day...and then you made fun of 
me.  I was just taking it out on Tuxedo Mask..."  She prayed that 
he would accept her story. 
	"Why Tuxedo Mask?"  
	She grinned.  "Because I thought you weren't there, and I 
always make fun of you first." 
	An idea formed in Darien's head..."Since you make fun of 
Tuxedo Mask and you think he's wonderful, does that mean you 
think I'm pretty great too?"  He grinned teasingly, but strangely 
enough...he wasn't sure why he wanted her to answer positively. 
	Flushing, Serena immediately shook her head.  "Are you 
crazy?  Where'd you get that idea?"  And yet, even as she was 
denying it, she felt her heart begin to beat faster at the idea.  
It was strange, this feeling...it was so nice being with 
him...without fighting with him.  She felt different around 
Darien...he was someone separate from all of her friends, 
everyone she knew.  
	But how long would this truce last?  
	Darien felt disappointment, and he didn't wonder at the 
reasons his previous discontent was settling over him once again.  
	Before he could say anything, Serena regretted her rash 
words.  Remembering the words Tuxedo Mask had said to clarify 
everything between him and Sailor Moon, she blurted out, "Let's 
just forget I said that, all right?  All of it..."  Her eyes 
sparkled merrily as she thought of the irony of her choice of 
words, and she turned to smile at Darien.  
	It seemed as if a wall sprung up and encircled them both, 
locking the rest of the world away, as Darien turned and found 
himself locked in Serena's eyes.  The only thought in his mind 
were the words that Serena had spoken, and they echoed within as 
he felt overcome by the feeling that they were somehow 
familiar...
	There was something there, so...so right between them.  For 
both of them, there was only the existence of the other...and a 
flood of emotions and feelings came over them both.  Something 
was clicking into place, the words, the feelings, the person...It 
was too much at once, strange thoughts running through their 
heads.  
	An image ran through each of their minds.  Serena saw a 
vision of Tuxedo Mask, smiling at her through his mask...telling 
her that he would never hurt her.  The image dissolved away to be 
replaced by one of Darien, his eyes angry as he turned and 
stalked away from the arcade, leaving her holding a wilted daisy 
in her hand.  
	Darien saw Sailor Moon, smiling at him with forgiveness in 
her sparkling eyes...her sweet voice telling him, in unsaid 
words, that she trusted him.  And then she disappeared, and a 
picture of a familiar Meatball Head appeared in her place, in the 
arcade and holding a paper mask to her face.  Out of her mouth 
came mocking words, but in her eyes...in her eyes, there was 
hurt.  Pain, confusion.  She did not really mean to make fun of 
Tuxedo Mask...
	"Could she possibly be..."  "Could he possibly be..."  
	It seemed so right, somehow.  If it were really so... 
	Darien spoke first, in a husky voice.  "Forget about 
what..." he repeated her previous words, slowly, as he bent 
closer to Serena's face and looked further into her blue eyes, 
reflecting the rays of the setting sun.  He felt drawn to her by 
some force running in his heart...and strangely enough, he knew 
she felt the same way about him.     
	Serena had time to say, "Forget I---" before he leaned 
closer and tilted her head up to meet his. 
	And both of them forgot about everything else, as all they 
could feel was the other's lips on their own...and the only way 
to describe what flowed between them...was magical.  
	After long moments, they pulled back from each other, 
breathless.  
	Trembling from the kiss, Serena asked, "Do I have to forget 
this?"  
	Darien chuckled softly, pulling back only slightly from 
Serena, who had somehow ended up *very* close to him.  "Only if 
you want to..."  
	Serena softly said, "No, I don't think I do..."  She 
paused, and took a deep breath.  She somehow felt that this was 
the right thing for her, and she chose her words carefully, like 
she had never done before.  "If Sailor Moon could forgive Tuxedo 
Mask for confusing her...and making her wonder about his 
motives...do you think Darien Chiba could forgive Serena Tsukino 
for being angry and confused with the world?"  
	Darien's breath caught.  She had said it...out loud.  
Somehow, it made everything seem more real...voicing out the 
thoughts in his own head, the questions, the possible answers.  
	He whispered, "Serena, we have so many things to 
forgive...from the very first day we met and you bonked me on the 
head with a test paper and I called you Meatball Head.  From the 
times that I left you behind for the sake of a crystal...because 
I was too afraid to trust you, and work with you as a team.  I 
never did want to hurt you, Serena..."  His last words echoed in 
Serena's mind, reminiscent of her encounter with Tuxedo Mask.  
Same words, same man...same feelings.  Darien caressed the side 
of Serena's face and smiled at her tenderly.  "Serena, why don't 
we just forget about everything that went wrong?"  
	Serena smiled, and Darien was reminded again of when Sailor 
Moon had forgiven him so easily.  The same forgiving heart beat 
within Serena, a heart that was filled with caring for 
everyone...including him.  "I think we can do that...as long as 
we start making up the time we missed right now."  
	As she placed her hand in his, she looked up at him 
trustingly...and for one kiss more, both of them forgot about 
everything but the one that they were with.  And it was all they 
wanted.  
	 

***********The End*******

It's over!!!  Oh, my goodness, it's over!  I can't believe it!  
It's over!  I can't believe it's over!!!  

*breathes in deeply*  Ah, how sweet it is to finish a fic.  
However, this 'fic is very different from all of my other 
ones...not very complex, rather just short and simple (well, part 
4 was longer than all the others, but still).  It didn't end the 
way I intended it too, but oh, well.  If you liked it at all, 
please tell me!  First season fics are a genre of their own, and 
I'd like to know if you guys enjoyed this one (my first series 
for a first season, ya know).  

	A couple of notes...
		-->  I dropped a few lines about the Raye/Darien 
thing in part 1.  I decided it had no place in my fic and I 
"forgot about it".  Basically, Raye was the farthest thing from 
Darien's mind, because it wasn't even that serious 
anyway...(IMHO)  
		-->  I realize the flow is *strange* in between the 
chapters...but oh well.  I'm not changing anything!  
		-->  I first posted part 1 about two months ago...and 
it was one of the first series that I started in general.  
Obviously, my writing style has changed a great deal since then, 
especially in comparison to my other fics.  You can interpret 
this as either good or bad. 
		-->  This is the end...if you didn't like it, don't 
flame me because this 'fic has driven me up a wall, and I just 
wanted to finish it!!!      

My next first season fic, for those interested ^_^ is "Class 
Trip".  But I've got no less than three alternate reality/silver 
millennium series that I must finish before those readers kill 
me.  So, I'm off!  I'll start publishing Class Trip...oh...well, 
before the summer starts.  ^_^  It's a new idea, so I'll be 
taking my time about it.  I have no other first season fics 
planned, so unless I get a random idea for a short story, it'll 
be awhile before I post a first season 'fic.  But I still love 
those stories, hehe, I just have a hard time being original.  Ah, 
well.  ja~
 

w. bymeeh  
jhyunl@aol.com 

Completed 12.17.99.  Author: JL (aka W. Bymeeh)  All rights 
reserved.