I'll Cover You cpt 8

My name is Darien Shields. I'm blind and live with a woman I love dearly. However, in my past life I was a Terran prince in love with the princess of the powerful Moon Kingdom, which means I can't enter into a balanced relationship with said live-in woman, because she may not be that princess, and Destiny has dictated that I be with the missing Princess Serenity. Yup, I said missing. Everyone's been looking for her because she has some crystal with all these powers, so she was extra-hidden, I suppose. I still think we should just put an ad on a milk carton. Do they even do that anymore? I forget.

Oh, and said live-in woman...her name is Usagi, and she's really the superhero Sailor Moon, meaning she's one of the Princess's guards, and therefore I can't ever be with her. And when Sailor Moon gets into trouble, I regain my sight and turn into a goof in a tuxedo who throws roses (though now I have a real power!), and then I collect these little crystals that fall out of people who turn into monsters.

Just a recap in case you forgot.

So now, what do I do? I have to go back to America in less than a month. I have no story, I have no sight, and I have no princess. I don't even have the woman I love.

Speak of the devil, the door opens. "Darien, I'm home!"

"Hey, Usagi. What did you get at the store?"

"Plenty of healthy things for you! Lots of carrots, because they're good for the eyes, and lots of oranges and...where's Raye?"

"She had something to do, and she couldn't stay. It's okay, I'm fine."

"And she calls me irresponsible," Usagi mutters under her breath.

I suppress a laugh. Yeah, they really are night and day. "How are you doing, Usagi?"

"I'm fine, I guess. Why do you ask?"

And now I'm stuck in the same problem as with Raye. "I don't know...just because you kept complaining that your back was hurting from school. You know, just checking up on you."

"Yeah, I'm great. Can you tell me why you were passed out on the floor?"

"Just tired, I guess."

I know she doesn't believe me; I'm just buying time until I can come up with a real answer.

"Okay, one more question," she says, chopping carrots in the kitchen. "How did I get home? Last thing I remember, I was at the Crown Arcade, and then I woke up on the couch here."

"Oh, some guy in a tuxedo brought you here. You had had your own fainting spell."

She sits down next to me and hands me a bowl of carrot slices. "Mako-chan would have done it better, and wouldn't have cut herself, but for now you get me. Eat."

I smile and chew on my snack while Usagi flips through the channels on television. I wouldn't mind doing this everyday: sitting beside her, talking about our days, falling asleep curled up on the couch. Of course, I'd like my sight back while doing these things, so I suppose that means everything's almost perfect.

"Did Raye say what she had to do?" Usagi asks.

"What?"

"You said Raye left because she had to go do something. What did she have to do?"

"She didn't tell me. She did a little reading on the apartment to find out if something evil was keeping me blind, though."

Usagi laughs. "Did she find anything?"

Yes, she discovered I'm Tuxedo Mask and told me I could never be with you because you're a superhero, not royalty. "No."

"That's good, I guess." More silence as she flips through the channels. "Darien?" She turns off the TV.

"What?"

"The man who brought me home...how did you know what he was wearing?"

Oh hell. "Um, he said his name was Tuxedo Mask. So I just assumed what he was wearing." PleasebuythatPleasebuythatPlease.

"Oh, okay. Did he say anything else? Anything about crystals? I mean, because, um, I think I lost an earring."

She's about as good at covering up things as I am. "No, no he didn't."

"Mm."

We sit in silence for a few more minutes before conversation shifts to our days (both recounts heavily edited). As night falls, Usagi yawns more and more, before finally saying she's going to fall asleep. That's my hint to go, but I wish I didn't get the hint. I want to fall asleep with her in my arms again.

Well, you can't always get what you want, I suppose. If it's in a song, it must be true.

I hum some more Rolling Stones as I crawl into bed, a line repeating itself in my head.

But if you try sometimes, you may just find, you get what you need.

Now if I only knew what I needed.

A flowery scent fills the air, and I hear familiar soft footsteps come out of the bathroom. "You smell good."

"I should, that perfume cost a fortune," Usagi says as she sweeps past me, trying not to trip over her pile of shoes (I know I've done it plenty of times).

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Out."

"Uh-huh. And when will you be back?"

She giggles. "You sound like my parents when I was still in high school. Mako-chan and I are going out to a club. I'll be back before dark, I promise."

"How sneaky of you: you know I can't tell when it's dark."

She giggles again. "Drat, you've foiled my evil scheme to ahhh!"

She finally trips over her pile of shoes, and I catch her right before she lands on me. Our noses touch, and our lips are millimetres away. Her breath feels cool in my mouth. She lingers just a moment too long before pushing herself up. "S-sorry. I'm so clumsy. Raye's right about me."

"You're not clumsy, Usagi," I reply. I kick one of the offending shoes. "These things are all over the place. That means you're lazy; there's a difference."

"Well, then, Raye's still right about me." I hear her give me a raspberry. "Seriously, I'll be back in a couple hours, I promise." She gives me a kiss on the top of my head. "See you later, blue eyes."

The door closes, and I touch a finger to my lips. Does she feel anything for me? She must...anyone else would have helped themselves back up the second they fell.

Now I'm really getting arrogant. Am I going to expect that every clumsy girl in the world is really madly in love with me? Get it together, Shields.

But it's not the first evidence I've had that she has feelings toward me. Is it Florence Nightingale syndrome? Or is it Usagi in love?

Our TV evenings on the couch have become much closer. It's not uncommon for her to rest her head on my shoulder, or my arm to be around her shoulders. But every so often, she'll pull back, as if burnt. Does she know who I am? Has Raye given her the same speech about destiny?

And what the hell is destiny? Didn't they teach me in school that we shape our own futures? Mine seems to have been moulded long ago by an ancient queen that I'm not even sure exists.

Life sucks.

So a week has passed. Yup, and nothing happened. I got to spend as much non-violent time as possible with Usagi. Hurray. Of course, it also means I'm another week closer to going home to America. Dammit.

I'm having strange dreams again, but they have less to do with Princess Serenity and more to do with Richardson threatening to behead me if I don't immediately have a story. He already has me on a guillotine. Oh, and then in the background, Corinne is in a white dress, telling me she's my princess.

That's it; no more late-night carrots.

I have to keep reminding myself that I'm on assignment, and have to go home soon.

The other day I called Andrew to see how the office was, and the phone was shanghaied by an eager Corinne.

"Hey, Andy, how's everything doing?"

"Pretty good, Darien. We really could use you back here, though. You can't imagine what the President just did! Listen to this: he--"

"Is that Darien? Lemme talk, lemme talk! Hello?"

"Uh, Corinne?"

"Hi, Darien! Don't worry, Andrew didn't have anything important to say, anyway. How are you! I so want to come visit you, but you'll come home soon enough why can't you come back now aren't you done with your story yet I miss you so much Darien how's everything in Japan I hope you haven't met any nice girls there because I'm still available!"

"Uh, Corinne?"

"Oh, but look at me forgetting you have a girlfriend oh but that's right she dumped you oh my gosh I'm sorry for bringing that up but anyway I was thinking that when you get back we have a little party for you just you and me and we'll go out for dinner and a movie and it'll be splendid just great!"

"Corinne!"

"What?"

"I need to talk to Andrew."

"Oh fine I get it boy talk. Well, see you in two weeks, Darien! Smooches!"

"Sorry about that."

"So, Andy. Is there any way you think Richardson would let me have an extension?"

Andrew laughed. "Of course! He probably forgot you're even there! Amanda, on the other hand..."

"What? Why would she care? Or, of course, has she joined Corinne's Darien fan club?"

"Keep dreaming. She'll join the Corinne fan club before that ever happens. Anyway, Amanda's going crazy without you here! She was against you leaving in the first place, and she's been using these interns to go out and take pictures for her because no one else around here knows what they're doing."

"What? I've been replaced by interns?"

"That's how crazy it is here. She's hoping one of them will have 'natural talent' to replace you while you're gone."

Terrific. "Can you talk to her for me?"

"No way, buddy. She's your wildcat, not mine. I have a different boss, remember?"

"Yeah. Can you at least send my call to her or something?"

"Sure, hold on."

I shifted my head from side to side to the tune of something by Barry Manilow. "Collins."

"Hey, Amanda, it's me, Darien."

"Oh, thank God. Are you back? Work, now!"

"No, I'm in Japan, actually."

"I'll pay for your ticket home. No, dammit! Can't you even load the fucking film the right way? Sorry, Darien, you were saying?"

"Uh, I was wondering if you would mind me being gone a few more weeks. I'm working on a big story."

"I don't care if motherfucking Godzilla's attacked, you get back here as soon as possible, got it?"

Such a lady.

"Do you realise you wasted money on an education you could've gotten from reading a Fisher Price camera manual? Well, I'm sorry, but I need you back here, Shields."

Dammit. "But you see, I'm working on this great story about these female superheroes in Japan."

Silence on the other line. "Female superheroes. Darien, are you on drugs right now?"

"No, I'm serious. They fight crime in Japan."

She laughed. "Shields, you're a good enough reporter that you could have finished ten stories in the time you've already had there. We need you here. You're coming back in two weeks, or I'll rip your balls off with a 35 millimeter camera. Got it?" She hung up.

And she wonders why she's single.

As of right now, I'm soaking up the peace I have left. The world needs more peace. Especially for the weary caped crusader and his harem of sailor-suited women.

Okay, considering I don't know who three of them are yet, they're not exactly my harem, but you just wait.

And because the world really is as wacky as a Seinfeld episode, just as I'm enjoying the peace, I feel my sight return and a hat fall upon my head.

Just two more crystals, I tell myself as I rush towards Tokyo Tower. I know that there are two more because the five crystals collected so far have been in the order of the colours of the rainbow. I make a mental note to go tell my first grade teacher that she was right: I would use that knowledge someday.

Up ahead, Mars, Moon, and their friendly neighborhood blurs are battling it out with a monster and a man with white hair. The man is dressed similarly to Zoisite, but with a bit more decoration to his uniform. That means he's either a pouf, or a higher in command. Either way, he's trying to hurt some ladies I'm rather partial to, and that means he's gonna get hurt by me.

I call out my attack, aimed at whitey, then jump and land near the senshi. "Hey, ladies."

"About time you showed up," Mars mutters.

Sailor Moon asks Sailor Mars why she talked to me in English. We exchange glances, and then I throw Moon out of the way of the attacking monster.

"We need a better way of meeting, my lady."

Moon giggles and blushes, then gasps. "Look out!"

But, as these things always go, it's too late.

The monster of the day has some nice sharp kitty claws, and has decided to test them out on me. Goody gumdrops. They hurt like hell and I'm doing my best not to scream like a girl, not to cry, and to look all manly.

Dammit, it hurts.

Sailor Moon gets up and changes the thing back into a cat (a cat?!), meaning I'm released from its grip. It still hurts like hell.

"Are you okay?"

"Sure, peachy keen."

Shit. I used English again. Usagi's not stupid. I'm seeing the traces of recognition on her face.

"Let me check him." Sailor Mars rushes to my side. "You're looking pretty bad. This isn't going to go away with some band-aids."

"I'll be fine, just help me up."

"No!" she whispers. "They're going to have to find out."

"No, they can't!" I whisper back. "It's not time yet. She can't know."

"She'll have to, Darien. We can't take you to the hospital like this; they'll ask questions."

"Then take me back to the apartment and I'll just convalesce until I'm better."

"No, Darien. We can help you. She can help you. But you have to let them know."

The pain is overwhelming, and that makes me concede.

"Okay then." Mars stands and moves to Sailor Moon. "We're taking him back to your apartment. We'll help him there."

"My apartment? What about Darien?"

Mars laughs. "I don't think Darien will mind, trust me."

I weakly reach out and grab the crystal near my head. It's purple. That must mean it's the last one, but when did another appear?

Then I remember a few days ago when Usagi returned home late, back pain kicking in again. I hadn't thought a thing about it. I guess she handled a fight all by herself. Good for her.

And good for me. Does that mean we have them all? Does that mean the Silver Crystal will appear?

Does that mean Serenity will appear?

Destiny, here I come, I think before closing my eyes.

I wake up in my bed. Dammit, there's blood on the sheets now, isn't there?

"No, we made sure to wrap you in towels to try to soak up your blood," someone replies. I know the voice. Ami?

"I said that aloud, didn't I?"

"Yes," Ami replies. "You're awake, so you should be okay now. The bleeding's slowed since we covered your wounds." I can't see, which means I'm just good ol' Darien again.

I roll onto my side, in the direction of her voice, and find that I can see blurry outlines. I also feel a warm aura. The seven crystals. "Are those all of them?" I whisper.

"Yeah," Usagi replies, melancholy.

"Why do you sound so sad? I hope you're not worrying about me; you know I'll be okay, Usagi."

I hear Makoto whisper to the other girls, "I think we should leave them for a little bit."

Raye adds, "Remember, Usagi, you're not her." The bedroom door opens, and four sets of footsteps tiptoe out.

"I will worry about you, Darien." She pauses to take a breath. "And I worry about me, too."

"What?" I push myself up and feel pain. Best to stay lying down.

"You're Tuxedo Mask, aren't you? The dashing hero who's come to my rescue all those times..."

"I think you already know the answer to that, Sailor Moon." My sight is somewhat back. Everything's blurry, but I can make out the basic shape of my meatball-headed heroine.

"Have you known all along that I was Sailor Moon? Is that why you've done this to yourself? Trying to protect me?"

"Usagi, I don't know why I've been doing this, honestly. Something mystical or magical or whatever you want to call it took me over. Every time you're in danger, I just have an urge to go to you and save you."

"Why save me? I'm just a silly girl. A silly, silly girl." She laughs bitterly and curses. It sounds odd coming from her. "Have you been faking blindness? How can you save me as Tuxedo Mask, then come home as Darien and bump into things?"

"I get my sight back as Tuxedo Mask. I don't know why. It just happens. And don't call yourself a silly girl. You're much more than that. You're--"

"Please stop."

"No! Listen to me!" I search for the words. "You're the only thing keeping me in Japan! If it weren't for you, I would have gone home long ago. You're beautiful, you're funny..."

"Stop it, Darien, please."

"...and I love you."

I said it. Wow. Silly of me to expect a happy responce.

"No, no you don't! You can't! I thought Raye told you all about that! I thought...I thought you knew about Serenity, and about your destiny, and the princess!"

"I do. I still love you."

"You can't! You're not allowed! I'm not her!"

"I don't care."

"Don't you get it? I know you can't be with me! Raye knew! That's why she stayed here after she found out! She was ready to go back to you! But she...she realised she couldn't! I/ knew! That's why I...I didn't...It's unfair for you to tell me these things!"

"Why?"

"Because I...I think I love you, too...I couldn't help it! I fell in love with Tuxedo Mask, and now to find out...to find out he's the one man in the world I can't have..."

My ultimate hell. Usagi and I admitted we love each other, but under the knowledge that there's a ghostly figure in a white dress disapproving the entire time.

Usagi chokes back a sob. "I have to go, Darien. For good. I'll get Makoto or Ami to take care of you until you have to go home, but I can't stay here. I...I have to go."

My bedroom door opens, and I hear her walk out.

"Usagi, stop!" I call. She can't leave, not now. I pull myself out of bed, not giving a damn how much it hurts. My front door opens and closes. Every second, she's getting farther away. I'm guiding myself with my sense of touch and my warped sense of sight. Something at the door blocks me from going any further, and in a second, I realise it's...me.

You know this is wrong, Endymion states.

"I don't know right from wrong anymore. Right is loving some ghostly woman who has yet to show herself. If I know who I am, why doesn't she, if she loves me so much?"

She's hidden, you know that. And you have to keep faith that she'll appear soon.

"Faith? Faith in what?" I realize I must look bizarre, standing in my doorway in pants and a towel, talking to someone only I can see. "I was killed, then brought back to life to have two women I love taken away from me? For what? This Serenity, this woman no one really remembers? Tell you what, in this life, I'm making my own choices, and I choose Usagi. If you don't like that, why don't you just kill us all again, and bring us back to life later? But I promise you that in the next life, I will still hunt down Usagi over my 'destiny,' and I'll do it a thousand lives over until you and all the 'powers that be' get it! It'll be a cold day in hell when I decide to stop loving her for some arranged marriage with a disappearing princess!"

I don't know how, but I know Endymion is smiling. It's time, is all I hear before he disappears, letting me out the door. Usagi is waiting for the elevator, crying. With a hand on the wall, I run to her, calling out her name.

She turns around just as I reach her. "Darien, get back to bed! You can't--"

I cut her off with a kiss. I take my time, knowing that as soon as she gets out of it, she'll still leave. I feel like we're in the middle of the sun, the hallway around us has gotten so warm. My hands, formerly cupping Usagi's face, rise into her hair. It feels like silk. Was it always this soft?

The air is bright with colours. I feel like I'm being lifted off of the ground as millions of images race in my mind. The red-headed woman with the evil eyes. Ancient Earth. Visits to a lush, life-supporting moon. White dress. Soft white fabric, everywhere.

I pull away, knowing that one of us needs air. I open my eyes and see Usagi. Quite clearly. Every single feature is there. But something's different...

She opens her eyes wide. "Endymion?"

I breathe a laugh, realizing what's different. "Serenity?"

Between us is the source of the light and heat: the Silver Crystal.