Disclaimer: These characters are not mine...
On her way back to the hotel, Serena decided to take a detour through the park. She needed to clear her head. Walking down the path to her favorite bench, however, she discovered that it was already occupied. 'Who is that?' she wondered. But she already knew. That ebony hair, the green jacket... Darien... "I know you're there," he said suddenly, not looking up. Serena jumped. "H-how did you know?" She took a step closer. "I'm in tune with your thoughts." "What?" she cried, sitting next to him. Darien chuckled. "I was joking. Actually, I saw you here yesterday. Well, I didn't know it was you at the time. Anyway, I took a shot that you might come back." "Why? What now?" she eyed him suspiciously. "Why the distrust? I just want to catch up. It's been a while." "Yeah, no kidding." "So what have you been up to?" he prompted. "You know, just living life." Darien stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. She returned his gaze. "What do you want me to say? My life there is just fine. I have a great apartment, a good job, nice friends... Although they're no comparison to the ones I left here. But it's like I'm a whole new person." Darien's eyes flickered instantly with an unreadable emotion. "It sounds like everything is in order," he responded quietly. Serena noticed his change of tone. "For the first time in a long time, things were going right. But when I think about it, I was never truly happy. There was something missing. I had no sense of home. As much as I love it there, I know it will never be home to me. I'd miss everything- and everyone- too much." "Then why don't you move back?" "Because of y-" she stopped quickly, then spoke again. "Because I needed to learn to take care of myself. I had to prove a point." "Point well taken," Darien smiled wryly at her slip-up. "Your plan worked well. We can all see that you value your independence." "You're right. I don't need anyone." Serena paused at his fallen expression. "I didn't mean that." She placed a hand on his arm. "I know. It's late. I should be going." He gave Serena a quick hug, much to her surprise. He stood. "Hey, would you meet me for coffee tomorrow?" Dumbfounded, Serena could only nod. "I'll see you later then." Serena watched him leave. 'What am I getting myself into?' ********** "Surprise!" Darien brought a bouquet of flowers from behind his back and presented them to Serena. "Flowers! For me?" she exclaimed, delighted. "What's the occasion? It's not our anniversary." "But it is," Darien corrected her. "A year ago today I was hit in the head with a crumpled ball of paper, thrown by an absolutely gorgeous creature with an attitude that impressed even me." "You remember the day we met?" Serena was awed. "How could I not? Since that day, my life has never been the same. A minute had not gone by that I didn't think about my Meatball Head." Serena's cheeks colored at her nickname. "You're so sweet," she murmured, embracing him. "When did I get so lucky?" "I'm the lucky one," he whispered before brushing her lips with his. "I love you so much." She wrapped her arms around him tighter, if that was possible. "I love you too." ********** Serena's eyes flew open. She could feel the tears running down her face. She glanced at the clock next to her bed. Three in the morning. These dreams had to stop. Not wanting to go back to sleep, Serena trudged into the tiny kitchen to make some coffee. In a way, this dream was worse than the others. She hated being reminded of her past, especially the good times. They didn't last very long. But she couldn't understand why she was having these dreams now. Sure, she was back home to the place where she had spent most of her life, but why dream about her failed relationship? Serena took her coffee to the table and sat down, resting her chin in her hands. She sighed. "Is a night of sleep without any disturbances too much to ask?" she spoke aloud. "Of course. You should know better," a voice said from behind. Serena whirled around in her chair. "Who's there?" she asked, looking around. She didn't see anyone. "You should know," the voice said again. "Where are you?" Serena grew frightened. "Look up," the voice commanded. She obeyed. Glancing up, she was face to face with her reflection in the antique mirror hanging on the wall. "What?" she stepped closer. "There's no escape," her reflection said. Serena screeched, jumping back. Her reflection had an amused smile. "You act like you've never seen yourself before." "Wha...? How... Why..." "That's not important. We need to talk." "What about?" Serena finally gave in. "You. Your life. Or rather, what your life could have been." "I don't understand?" "Of course you don't! You spend too much time trying to forget the past instead of trying to understand it." "You don't know-" "Of course I know!" the reflection interrupted her. "After all, I'm you! But now I'm beginning to wonder... You need to evaluate your life. Why do you think it is that you've never had a successful relationship in the past two years?" "It takes a while to find someone..." "That's bull!" her reflection exploded. "You had someone. Hell, you still would if you tried! Do you know what caused that breakup?" "We-we were fighting a lot," Serena stuttered. "We all knew that! But why were you fighting?" When Serena didn't answer, the reflection continued. "It's so obvious. You were scared! Both of you!" she shook her head and muttered," I hope I never become this dense." Serena watched with silent tears. "You're just a reflection. You don't know." "Oh, but I-" "You don't!" Serena screamed. "You're just a reflection! You didn't cry yourself to sleep every night for the past two years. You didn't have to cope with the horrible things said that day! And you certainly don't know how it feels to have your entire life slip away because of a few pointless arguments. I lost my love and strained the closeness with my friends. I lost my heart." "You can get everything back," her reflection said softly. Serena brushed the tears from her eyes. "How?" "Remember." "Remember what?" "The good times. Remember them." "But what..." Serena's voice trailed off as she glanced at the mirror. Her reflection was staring back at her, lifeless once again. 'What happened? Where did she go?' she wondered. 'Am I losing my mind?' Darien entered the cafe, glancing around for Serena. He spotted her in a booth in the back. "Thanks for meeting me," he said as he sat down across from her. "You need to stop thanking me," she told him. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be." "Right. Sorry." The waitress came and both ordered coffee, which arrived shortly. They sat in silence, sipping their coffee. Darien suddenly asked, "Why didn't you keep in touch?" Serena looked taken aback. "With you?" "With anyone." "I just... Well, I guess... I was so busy..." Darien looked her straight in the eye. "That's great. Now give me the real reason." Serena lowered her gaze. "I can't." He took her hand. "Yes, you can," he said gently. "Everything was so complicated!" she burst out. "When we started fighting, it killed me. I became quieter, more drawn back. I thought about writing or calling, but a link to even the girls was just too painful. I was even in debate over taking this trip." "What made your decision?" "I missed home. I needed to come back. Something was drawing me back." "Well, whatever the reason, we're happy you decided to visit." Serena just smiled at him. Darien paid for their coffee and the two left the cafe, aimlessly walking. They ended up at the park, strolling down the path by the lake. They talked as if she had never left. They both laughed more than they had in their lives. Even when they weren't talking, the silence was comfortable. While walking down the narrow path, Serena's old nature took over as she tripped and stumbled forward. Darien swiftly grabbed her hand and steadied her. She smiled gratefully. As he pulled his hand away, she quickly entwined her fingers with his. She blushed, and he grinned. Their hands remained clasped. An old familiar feeling Wraps its arms around the moment, And he said, So many times I've tried to call. Well, you think it's been a lifetime. It's been two years since I've seen you, But it seems just like no time's gone by at all. There's nothing like a real love To give you back the feel of someone, Just like before. And right there for a minute, I forgot that you don't love me anymore. And how far we'll travel For a place to heal our hearts. We watched it unravel, So why's tonight the hardest part? During the next couple of days, Serena and Darien were inseparable. They joined for breakfast each morning and didn't part until the moon was shining bright in the night sky. Serena met the girls at the temple for a catch-up session. She walked in, the last to arrive. Everyone greeted her. "Serena, you're glowing!" Mina exclaimed. "Am I?" she laughed. "Well, I'm having a great vacation!" "Does this sudden good mood have anything to do with, oh, I don't know, a certain tall, handsome man we all know?" Lita asked mischievously. Serena's eyes glittered. "We've been getting along so well these past few days! Our friendship is going strong." "That's great to hear," Raye commented, smiling. "We're so relieved that everything is working out for you," Amy piped up. "We were worried there for a minute." "No need to anymore. I always bounce back!" "We know!" everyone said, laughing. "And we watched the sky for hours looking for shooting stars," Darien was telling Andrew at the arcade. "Sounds like you two are getting along beautifully," Andrew grinned. "I knew everything would be all right." "I've never had two more perfect days." "Those aren't words of happiness," Andrew observed. "What do you mean?" "Those are words of love. You still love her." Darien opened his mouth to argue, yet any attempt would be pointless. "You're right," he admitted. "I still love her. Despite our harsh breakup, I want her back." "Did you ever try to tell her that?" "No. I can't. I can see how happy she is with her new life. I don't want to ruin it." "How can you ruin anything with love?" Andrew argued. "You'd be surprised. She's leaving for the States tonight. God knows when we'll see her again." "You can't-" "I can! I have to let her leave without telling her. As much as I loathe the idea, I just can't stop her."This part had a bit more action than the last. So what did you think? Write me back! Tell me anything, even if it's bad. I accept bad comments too!
~Sailor Grape~
