Sailor Moon 1. Closing the Door

**Snapped**

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**Chapter 1**  
**CLOSING THE DOOR**

There's a saying that if a girl can learn to make good pancakes, she can learn to do just about anything. Rini frowned; Serena couldn't make a good pancake. But, she figured, she _could _make a good mess, which is always pretty cool. And this particular pancake-maker-failure could also fight for love and justice pretty well, and stand against a guy that four other Sailor Senshi couldn't touch.

Sure, Serena had needed Rini's help, but Rini wondered if just maybe the teenager might have beaten Rubeus without her around.

But one thing was for sure; there was a lot more to Serena Tsukino than one might first expect. There was a reason this girl had the Silver Crystal, after all; there was a reason she had a bunch of great friends; and there was a reason Rini would actually miss her, and her atrocious pancakes, when the time finally came to leave the 20th Century and go back home.

Which, of course, left her with one pretty immense problem. She'd stolen her mother's Silver Crystal, rendering her helpless in the future; and she'd stolen Serena's Silver Crystal, nearly causing the deaths of all her new friends and herself. Should she try again?

She put extra butter, about two sticks worth, on the next batch of pancakes to soften them up some, thanked the messy heroine, and decided that maybe there was a better way to help her mom besides stealing the Silver Crystal.

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"One, she was actually helpful—" Ami said.

"She _had _to help or we'd _ALL _be dead!" Serena fumed. "Self-preservation, right?"

Ami blinked momentarily at Serena's vocabulary [_she knew that word?_] but continued softly: "Two, she's a Lunarian like yourself—"

"Beryl was an Earthing like _YOUR_self," Serena countered, then wondered if they weren't all 'earthlings' these days. But no matter. Having a crescent moon on your damned head didn't make you an angel.

"Mercurian," Ami corrected gently, although she got Serena's point. Pushing on anyway, Ami said, "Three, she's EIGHT. She wants to help her MOMMY. _YOU _said you'd help her save her mother." Ami knew this point would be Serena's undoing, since Serena didn't go back on her word. Unless it was about food. Or studying.

"I made her pancakes!" Serena nearly barked, wondering if Rei was ever going to serve the damned chocolate she'd promised, or if she was just going to let Ami continue to rattle off all the great things about Rini.

"Your pancakes were _not _the help she needed," Lita said with a chuckle. "You're lucky she lived through it."

"Oh whatever... YOU guys help her," Serena said. "I'll follow your lead, but I'm not taking point on this, and I'm NOT hanging out with her."

Rei, finally serving the chocolate, reminded Serena gently, "No Rini, no accidental run-ins with ~_Darien_~!" Rei forced herself to keep her smile even while wondering where she'd picked up that hideous sing-song voice.

Serena glared at the Martian senshi. "And that's bad, WHY?"

There, she'd said it.

Rei rolled her eyes and reminded her friend gently, "You KNOW he's still in love with you. —Maybe he's just been brainwashed." '_Again_,' Rei left unsaid.

"Again," Mina nearly growled—

"Or just having PMS," Lita offered helpfully.

Ami whispered very, VERY quietly, "Guys don't have PMS, Lita."

"Some friends _you _guys are," Serena pouted.

Mina, taken aback, nearly squealed, "We've _tried_ helping you get though this every which way we can, Serena! We told you to get over him; we've tried encouraging you to be patient with him... We're TRYING here! Last we heard, you didn't _want_ to give up on him."

Serena harrumphed. "Well, maybe I was wrong." Glaring at the table of girls, she added, "Look at how many times I've been wrong before!"

"Not about people's hearts, sweetie," Mina offered gently.

"Yeah, just about your test answers in school," Rei said, lightly teasing. Then, more seriously, "Personally, I think you deserve better, but you're hung up on him. Sometimes I think your middle name must be 'self-flagellation'."

Serena stuck her nose up in the air, having no clue what Rei just said, but wanting to pretend like she did.

Ami whispered, "It's like 'glutton for punishment'."

And Lita whispered, "Which means you put yourself in positions to get hurt." And at Serena's baleful glare, Lita quickly perked up and asked, with great humongous hope, "Do you WANT to date someone else?"

Serena blanched, but after a moment's thought, she said, "I WISH I wanted to date someone else." And that was the absolute truth. What she wouldn't give to be able to get over Darien. Dammit, if she ever had a daughter, she wouldn't let her hook up with such a ..a ..a jerkface! Sometimes Serena wished she could air those thoughts, but they always flittered away before they left her mouth. Somewhere deep, _deep_ down, she STILL believed Darien loved her, even with all the evidence to the contrary.

Mina smiled at Lita. "There are SO many cute guys out there, Sere... you know, maybe if you could meet someone else—"

"There IS no one else," Serena said sullenly. "And even if there were, who's to say he'd be any nicer than Darien? Or that he wouldn't fall in love with someone else later on?"

Lita laughed, "That happens all the time, Serena! That's what makes it fun! You get to run through lots of boys until you find the right one!"

Rei slashed a finger across her throat at Lita, telling her silently to shut up before Serena went on about already having FOUND the right one.

Too late.

Serena moaned, dropping her head on the table beside her hot chocolate: "I _found_ the right one. He just HATES me."

"He's mean to you," Ami concurred. "I'm not sure I'd want the 'right one' either if he were that cruel." And, having lived through these arguments over and over the last few weeks, quickly added, "—even if there were a GREAT reason for him being that cruel."

Serena shrugged. Sat up. Drank her chocolate. "Maybe I should be a lesbian."

All four girls looked up, shocked, and then burst out laughing. Which Serena found contagious. Lita finally asserted, with _glee_, "TRUST me, you're going to like boys just fine." Beat. "I'm thinking someone closer to your own age."

Mina sneered, "Screw that." And when she had their attention, she said, "I'm thinking someone just as mature as your ex-'prince', but more ...fun-loving. Someone who couldn't be mean if his life depended on it. Preferably someone who could satisfy all your deepest desires for chocolate sundaes—"

"Oh, no!" Serena laughed knowingly. "He's got Reika; and I'm not even crushing on him anymore! That was AGES ago!" And seeing as how he was Darien's best friend, she'd rather die first.

Rei said wryly: "Yeah, a whopping six months ago _whoooo_! Yeah, Ancient. History."

Serena rolled her eyes. "None of this has ANYTHING to do with Rini, by the way. I'm still stuck with her; she's GOT to still want my Silver Crystal." She deadpanned: "I say we kill her."

The other girls laughed lightly at Serena's joke, but Lita gleamed and said, "Okay! Off with her head!"

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**Emerald's Figurine at the Sweets Shoppe!**

Days later, after Serena and the girls had suffered Emerald's flu, Rini had begged for an outing. Even though Rini had been pretty cute as a nurse, Serena still wasn't so interested in hanging out with the monster nightmare. The twit was talking about Darien non-stop, for one. Not once did Rini mention that the dashing Darien wasn't anywhere to be found on the UFO, of course. Just that he was the most perfect blah-blah-blah...

Serena finally had it. She knelt down in front of Rini and said, as kindly as she could muster, "Look, Rei really wanted to hang out with you today and take you to that new sweets shop, so let's head over to the shrine—"

"What are you going to do?" Rini asked, thinking this was supposed to be THEIR day.

"I'm going to the arcade. Wouldn't you say I deserve a bit of R&R, Rini?"

"But I thought you didn't have any money?" Rini retorted, feeling a bit hurt.

"Well, I really sorta don't, but Andrew lets me run a tab sometimes until I get my next allowance."

"Then I'll go with you to the arcade!" Rini smiled.

Serena smirked. "Andrew's great, but he doesn't let me run up THAT much of a tab, sweetie." Serena felt like she could choke on the term of endearment, but the kid was sort of getting to her, and she didn't want to particularly hurt her feelings. She just wanted some alone time. Well, alone from Rini.

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That didn't last long. Serena hadn't even gotten past the borrowed tokens before her communicator went off. Her head dropped to the counter, painfully, and Andrew laughed. "Come on, kiddo, what's wrong now? Just go play your games while I whip you up one of my new concoctions, the Tsukino Special—"

Serena had hopped up and waved sullenly at Andrew on her way out: "I've been summoned. But don't worry; I'll be back!"

"Famous last words," he yelled after her, laughing at his own cleverness. As the girl took off, though, a frown crept onto his features. He hadn't seen her in eons, it seemed, and she certainly wasn't the same sweet, bubbly thing she'd been just several weeks ago. Or was it months, now? Ever since her cousin came to town and Darien dumped her.

He set the fudge chunks for Serena's drink aside, and started taking more orders, when a news bulletin came on about a problem at the new sweets shop in town. He bit back his desire to do a happy dance, because even though the last thing he needed was competition from this new, popular confection shop, what really struck him was the nature of the 'attack'. It occurred to him that the clients being turned into pastries sounded just as outlandish as the UFO sightings a few weeks ago. "Man I HOPE we're not getting a new batch of monsters."

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Sailor Moon burst into the pastry shop at the ready, and immediately saw the confection-making droid dodging Sailor Mercury's attack. Rei was stuck in a ..a doughnut. A doughnut that Serena couldn't help but think looked mighty delicious. "Finally a droid I could get along with!" Sailor Moon announced in awe —right before she heard the most hideous laughter of all times. Her attention turned towards the floating, green-haired woman who happened to be close to a jelly gumdrop with Rini inside. 'Hmm, I could get used to Rini that way,' Serena thought—

A rose flew threw the air, stunning the droid: "SAILOR MOON! Use your Halation attack!"

Once her eyes rolled right again, biting her lips from saying "DUH, YA THINK?", she started her attack —and got drenched in pudding. Fury pulsed through her veins as she licked it off. But then, despite the dire situation, a bit of glee filled her soul: "_Oooh, yummy!_"

"SAILOR MOON—!" Tuxedo Mask urged, looking anxiously from her to the gum drop. "NOW, dammit!"

Of course. Tuxedo Useless was here to referee her along, and get mad when she didn't get it right... what if she didn't show up one day? AND WHY DIDN'T THE COOL DROID HIT CAPE BOY?

All of that took a second of thought; she was powered up and unleashed her attack on the droid, almost sorry to see her turn to stone and drop to the floor. Immediately, all the yummy pudding was gone, and the girls were upon her excitedly talking about Sailor Mercury's cool attack and the free cakes—

The green lady — Emerald, she confirmed her name — was apparently pissed at this turn of events, and the girls gathered round to launch an attack on her. But Emerald unleashed a laughter that would be the end of them all, Serena was sure, and then made some stupid speech and took off.

"That's our new enemy," Jupiter said, despairing. Hadn't they just polished off one? Weren't they here to celebrate?

But the Rini came up and started hollering about something. Serena wondered under her breath if Emerald might be Rini's long lost mother, but instead of voicing her thoughts, turned around and took off. She had a yummy milkshake and tons of Sailor V action ahead of her, and she'd be damned if the brat was going to get to her today!

Unfortunately, the paparazzi were following her. She had to leap on a rooftop and go in the completely wrong direction before she could find a safe place to detransform, and then she realized she was over ten blocks from the arcade.

And it had promised to be such a good day.

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**Senshi Meeting—A New Order**

"He asked about you," Rei smiled.

Serena looked around the table; they were all smiling. Giggling. Serena's mood was FOUL, though. She shook her head and said, "What, are you guys blind? Deaf? Did you hear what he said to me at the sweets shop?"

Ami offered, "What he always says?"

Serena bit back furious tears. She would not cry over that baka anymore. "Come on, I know I'm stupid—"

"You're not stupid, Serena," Ami interjected quietly.

"But seriously, I have, like, TWO attacks. Tiara. Halation. Did I really need to be TOLD what to do like some kind of ..of DROID?" She stood up suddenly, angrily. These were supposed to be HER friends; HER protectors. And all they could do... "You _GUSH _over him because he orders me around like some kind of human weapon?"

"We're hardly gushing!" Lita said, shocked at Serena's swipe at them. "We were —I don't know, teasing? I thought you'd LIKE to hear that he wanted to know where you were off to! He's getting more and more transparent! HELLO!"

Serena shook her head, headed for the door. Luna hissed at her to wait, the meeting wasn't over, but Serena turned and said, "I shouldn't have to put up with him anymore!"

"He SAVED you!" Luna argued. "From that dream! Just weeks ago!"

"No, wait," Rei said patiently, but sternly, to the cat. "Serena's right. He's always ordering her around, and then copping an attitude. Ever since he broke up with her, he's been cruel." Beat. "And I don't think HE'S the one who saved us all from Rubeus and TOOK DOWN the UFO!"

"Right," Serena said, somewhat mollified. "His little girlfriend did it — I'll give Rini that. She pulled the crystal. And I've said I'd help her if you guys led the way. And I know _he_'ll be fully involved with that. But I'm really supposed to put up with his rudeness just because he woke me up from a dream? HELLO! I wouldn't have HAD the dream if he hadn't been so mean to me!"

After a quiet moment, Ami said, "Maybe she's got a point. The nightmare she was stuck in _was _about Darien, after all."

Serena held a hand up, offering peace. "I don't mind if he shows up to help, but one of you _needs _to inform him that I don't need his stupid instructions. And if you think I do, one of my senshi can do it."

Luna said, "Serena, I think you're being a little cruel yourself, here." Before almost losing Serena to that dream, Luna might have agreed with Serena; but she felt like Darien had done Luna a personal favor by saving Serena from that nightmare. Something didn't add up with Darien; they all knew it—

"Luna, he's called me ugly, stupid, weak, fat... I won't even go on. I finally accepted he didn't want to be with me. ALL I asked was that he wasn't mean. And he's completely failed. —Oh, except that one time he woke me from a dream he was STARRING in. And even THEN he was mean afterwards!"

"You KNOW he's pushing you away for a reason—" Luna argued valiantly.

Serena stomped towards her cat: "And now I'm pushing HIM away for a reason. My SANITY. I give up! I'm throwing in the towel! There is now a person on this planet that I don't CARE to get along with." She looked up at her friends: "You all can be friends with him and Rini; you can marry him for all I care. I'm DONE, though. If you want to be my protectors, keep him AWAY from me."

After she left, Lita smiled at the group and said, "Cool!"

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The next day, Rini was texting her like mad. Where was she. When would she be getting home. At first, Ami did the responding, but true enough the number of texts got to be ridiculous. "You don't think she's in trouble, do you?" Ami asked.

Serena stood in front of Lita, then took a hard kick to the ribcage. And didn't flinch —_outwardly_, anyway. When Lita hugged her to congratulate her, Serena started breathing again, albeit with a heavy rasp of unadulterated pain. "Ouch," she coughed.

Lita said, "But at least you LOOKED good while taking that hit! If that old lady thinks she can get to us—"

Serena looked over at Ami, who was still brandishing the phone, and said, "Turn the phone the hell off."

Ami blushed at the foul language, and Rei whistled lightly. "Looks like our angel of light has learned a few maritime metaphors."

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"She didn't mention you at all," Rini said, munching on the cookies he'd set out for her.

Darien shrugged, "Well, it would sure be nice if they could clue us in on who Emerald is. How she fits in with Rubeus."

"Yeah, I hope there aren't any more UFOs," Rini sighed. She thought she could probably get that UFO-powering crystal out again, if need be, but these enemies were smart. And strong. Thoughts of which started to remind her of the destroyed Crystal Tokyo she'd fled last month.

"Don't worry, kiddo," Darien said, sitting close by her to give her a hug. He hated it when she worried.

He was a little surprised when she jumped away from him and ran to her beeping phone.

"What'd she say?" Darien asked, trying to act uninterested. No, BEING uninterested. Except insofar as it affected Rini, who had been clinging to her phone like life support, waiting for Serena to respond. No matter how often he'd consoled her that they must be busy training, Rini didn't seem pacified.

Rini dropped the phone. "She says she'll be home soon." Beat. "Except it was Ami again." Rini knew there was no way Serena's texts were THAT clear. Rini knew Sere's texts like the back of her hand. They looked much like her own, more numbers than letters, and lots of cutesy symbols just to spread the joy.

Rini knew Serena was completely avoiding her, and had been ever since Rini had stolen her Silver Crystal. Rini couldn't really blame Serena, not anymore, but she could be hurt that Serena wasn't even trying to let Rini make it up to her. To be friends.

The she got an idea. "Darien, will you take me to the arcade?"

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**One Friendship Revived, One Friendship Destroyed**

All the girls had packed it in for the day to follow Serena to the arcade, and were all happily surprised to see Andrew's obviously bubbly reaction to Serena. It really didn't do much for Serena's demeanor, but they all noted Serena's small smiles and possibly flirtatious responses to Andrew's outright flirting.

"What the hell!" Rei asked in whisper, as they watched Serena and Andrew banter lightly back and forth. He'd named a special milkshake after her - a disgustingly overwrought triple chocolate confection that required a spoon instead of a straw to consume. And Serena had paid off her borrowed tokens, but Andrew had pushed the money back to her, saying it was an early birthday gift.

Then, to Rei's utter horror, SERENA playfully pouted that she'd hoped for a little more than some stupid tokens for her birthday.

THEN, Andrew TOOK HER FREAKING HAND and said something in a whisper that none of the girls could hear from their booth.

Lita said, "Oh the hell with this! I'm heading to the front lines, guys!" Eavesdropping 101!

Mina, grinning widely, followed in haste. Opting to play it a little more cool than Lita, though, she didn't hop right up on the counter to listen in. She stayed a full one foot away from Serena, acting like she was looking at the menu.

Rei played with her straw, not really liking the obvious flirting at all. Oh, she wasn't jealous or anything; Andrew had never been her crush, her type, or even someone she thought about much. Mina, Lita, and Serena had fallen at his feet, though. And then he'd hooked up with Reika, who, to the best of all their knowledge, was STILL Andrew's girlfriend.

And Rei didn't want Serena hurt, especially not so soon after what Darien had pulled.

Ami broke into her thoughts: "Look at this, Rei." She pushed her display across the table and said, "If you line up all the points the droids have attacked so far, not including the times they tried to get Rini, then you can almost make out a pattern! There are a few points missing, of course, and the sweets store point doesn't really fit in either, but depending on the shape of the pattern, we might be able to deduce—"

"Deduce what?"

Darien and Rini were suddenly at their booth, Darien looming over them with what could only be characterized as a fierce anger.

Ami shut her display and smiled at Rini: "Hello, Rini! How nice to see you today!"

"Oh cut the crap," Rini said, which earned her a little tug from Darien instructing her silently to behave. Rini ignored the lout, but whispered, "I know you were pretending to be Serena texting me."

Darien, ignoring the drama, looked directly at Ami and said, "If you have any idea where they're going to attack next, you should tell me."

Rei and Ami stared at each other, and Rei said, coldly, "We don't KNOW anything, Darien." And when he moved to sit down by Ami, Rei said sharply, "Serena's sitting there."

Rini plopped down by Rei and said, "Serena's at the counter talking to Andrew and the girls."

Rei closed her eyes, seriously not knowing how to handle this awkward situation. But she was surprised when Ami made a move. Ami stood up and gathered her things: "I've got to get going." Beat. "I think we ALL have to get going?"

Darien stood, looking disappointed on top of angry. "You've got to be kidding me. We've got a serious threat and you're not sharing vital information." Beat. "Thanks." He turned to look at the counter, ready to go ring Serena's neck for starting this silly drama over their breakup —and was surprised to see her gone. How had she left the building without him knowing?

He looked around the arcade, then glared at Rei. Who, surprisingly, was glaring back at him.

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Serena was in the back, in Andrew's arms somehow. Crying, as usual. She was so upset at herself for not being able to see Darien without losing it, but she was equally thankful that Andrew had been so quick on his feet to have Mina take over the counter while he dragged Serena to the back before Darien could see her getting upset.

She apologized over and over to Andrew; and he held her tighter, telling her over and over that it was okay. "I'm in your corner, beautiful," he said lightly, kissing her wet cheek before holding her tightly again.

She took the comfort; reveled in it. Andrew was nice; Andrew thought about her; Andrew thought she was a good person. He was like a big brother to her, and she trusted him so implicitly. He'd put up with her silly schoolgirl crush without degrading her, like.. Oh, just the thought of Darien crushed her more.

What she didn't expect, however, was to find Andrew's mouth pressed on hers. She'd never been kissed by anyone besides Darien, and her first thought was that this man didn't taste like Darien at all. And then she felt guilty for WISHING she was kissing Darien, the man that so clearly never wanted to kiss her again. Shouldn't she try enjoying this kiss from someone who was obviously comforting her?

Still nearly sobbing, though now for more complicated reasons, her mouth opened for air. And Andrew's tongue invaded her mouth. It was warm, and loving; and she needed warmth, and loving. Suddenly, she didn't feel like she was kissing her brother; or like he SHOULD be Darien. Suddenly, she felt great love coming from Andrew, and she relaxed against his body and let him ravish her mouth. She reveled in his taste, so very different from Darien, but not in a bad way. Actually, that permeating coffee taste was missing; Andrew was all mint and vanilla. His kisses were —oh my God they were more demanding. She wasn't the one leading the way in this kiss; Andrew was. Andrew tasted her lips, her tongue, her face.. he deepened his kisses like he actually wanted to be kissing her.

She jumped back suddenly, a picture of Reika entering her mind and slaying her soul. She looked at Andrew, who looked hurt, and she apologized profusely with one sobbed-out word: "Reika!"

Andrew drew her into his arms again, but kissed her forehead gently. "I'm sorry, Serena," he whispered. "I've taken advantage—"

And then the door flew open wide.

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Darien had burst in to tell her to call a truce between him and her senshi. And had caught Serena holding Andrew, forehead to forehead. And he couldn't help himself: "Good LORD, Serena, he's with Reika!"

Serena nearly collapsed into Andrew's strong arms, who in turn glared at Darien and said, "She didn't _do _anything, Chiba. I brought her back here so she wouldn't have to look at you! And you can carry yourself out of here right now; this is private property—"

Darien nearly tripped over Rini in his bid to grab Serena away from Andrew. Ignoring the kid, he grabbed Serena's arm and said, "You're coming with me. _WE_'ve got some _BUSINESS _to discuss and we don't have time for your —your _DRAMA_!"

And that's when Darien caught a fist in his jaw. Upper cut, courtesy of his best friend Andrew, and Darien knew it was about the best punch Andrew had in him. Shaking his head, he moved to step towards Andrew and return the favor when Lita grabbed him from behind and said, "Get out of here, Darien. You're making a real ass of yourself." Beat. "Sorry, Rini."

Serena let go of Andrew and apologized again, shame covering her like darkness covered the Negaverse. To her utter horror, all her senshi, her fake cousin, and Darien had all crammed into the room to witness her worst disgrace. No, they didn't see any kissing, but they saw Darien's accusations that she was FORCING herself on Andrew.

So even though Andrew held her wrist before she could slip away, she shook free easily and pushed past her senshi before running out of the arcade at high speed.

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/AN/

I'm really interested in keeping Serena in character, even with just SLIGHTLY different circumstances (her visiting the arcade instead of wallowing in pity; having more vocally supportive senshi), she MIGHT decide to, oh, I don't know, **grow a backbone**. I'm starting the story after the girls take out Rubeus' spaceship, (after ep 76, or english ep 69, Invasion of Esmeraude), so they should have some major girl pride brewing. And Darien being a di€k _SHOULD _have encouraged the senshi to get Serena away from him... it's what friends _do_!

BIG THANKS to **Jay FicLover** (in the forums) for helping me understand some things about Rini (even though that's for yet another S2 fic I'm writing. Isn't it funny, my favorite SM fics are S1, but all the fics I write are S2, LOL!)


	2. Before The Storm

**Snapped**

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**Chapter 2**  
**BEFORE THE STORM  
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Rini sat still on the floor of the arcade's back room shaking, wishing she'd brought Luna-P back here so she could .._do _something. Mina was tending her now, wiping at the scrapes on her knees, then picking her up and rocking her gently. Everyone else was either yelling, or glaring, or — the worst of all — punching and hitting. Darien would move, Lita would punch. Andrew would jump at Darien, and Rei would strongarm him. Then everything would be quiet, but tense, and the cycle would start over again.

She'd been ignored, but she knew the situation was so tense that at any moment the punches and yelling could explode again. She didn't mind being in the middle of it so much. What she minded was that all these people had been best friends and even family, before she arrived.

"I said GET OUT," Andrew stammered, fury pumping through his veins more than he'd ever felt it before.

Darien nodded, finally. "Okay. Okay I'm going this time." He tried to shrug away from Lita's death grip on his elbows, which the amazon had pinned painfully behind his back.

"Oh no," Lita whispered, almost evilly, into his ear. "We've tried this before. You failed."

Darien blew, "WE CAN'T STAND HERE ALL DAY!"

"The hell we can't," Lita growled quietly. She knew damned good and well that Darien, if he reached for his real strength, could probably rip away from her easily. But she also knew that if he did that, he might attack Andrew with that super-human strength, and poor Andrew was just too pretty to mess up.

Too pretty, and too innocent. Andrew was just as embroiled in this testosterone fest as Darien, but he was clueless to being surrounded by super-humans that could squash him like a bug. Lita had caught Rei's look early on; Darien wasn't in his right mind, he'd even kicked over Rini in his attempt to grab Serena, and until they were SURE he was calmed down, he was, essentially, 'under arrest'.

Rini finally piped up and said, tearfully, "Can we go see Serena, _please_? She looked so upset—?"

Darien burst away from Lita in that instant and was on Andrew, hands around his throat. Lita was on the ground, having caught his elbow in her ribcage, but Rei and Ami had bowled the flying Darien over.

"NOW!" Rei screamed, struggling with Ami to hold Darien down—

—and immediately, Mina shoved Rini out the door and grabbed Andrew's hand. Andrew, shocked at Darien's murderous look, was hardly in a position to argue — Mina flew him out of the room and grabbed Rini again as the three raced out of the arcade.

Lita, meanwhile, kicked the door shut and bolted it. She grabbed her communicator and yelled, "Serena, you gotta get back here NOW!"

"Oh God _please_ no," Darien grumbled from the death grips of Ami and Rei. They had him pinned nearly face-down, but on his side, and he'd stopped struggling. The girls had saved his life; his friend's life, probably. He wasn't sure what had come over him, but he was calming down now.

He just didn't know if he could stay calm if Serena showed back up. Everytime he saw that hurt in her eyes, it made things worse. He was positive he was losing his mind.

"S'okay," Lita said, staring dumbly at her communicator. "She's not answering." Which was NEVER a good thing, but maybe at the one particular time, it wasn't so bad. She wasn't sure who she'd hate to face worse if she were Serena: Emerald, or Darien.

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"Just— just drive, Andrew. _Please_," Mina begged.

"I'm not just leaving the arcade—!"

"Yes the hell you are!" Mina said, trying her darned best to mimic Serena and use some bad language to get a little bit of respect. "Look, Darien's not in his right mind, and Rini's hurt." And when the cursing didn't compel him to hit the gas, she tried another tactic, "Lita's GOT the arcade, okay? Lita, and Rei! And Ami... just until we hear from them and they say things have settled down."

"We should call law enforcement," Andrew said, finally starting the car. Then, more sadly, he said, "We should find Serena!"

"What happened back there?" Rini asked, starting to weep again now that she was feeling a little safer. She'd grabbed Luna-P on her way out.. or rather, Luna-P had bounced to her arms as Mina dragged them out. "Why was Darien so mad? And why was Serena crying again?"

Mina shot Rini a 'shut up' look - not a bad kind, but a a secret, 'please don't blow our covers' kind. Thank God the kid took the hint and shut up.

But Mina was the one who was shut up when Andrew blurted out an answer to Rini's question: "I kissed Serena, and Darien got mad."

Mina KNEW she didn't hear that right. But she still asked, "On the LIPS?"

Now at a stop light, Andrew dropped his head on the steering wheel and said, "It just happened, I swear! I didn't plan it!" He looked over at Mina ..and despite the seriousness of the situation, almost laughed. It was so easy to forget that these kids were ..well, _kids_. Especially Mina, who could really act a lot older when she tried. But right now, she looked like she'd heard the most salacious rumor on the planet that threatened to get them all sent straight to hell in a handbasket.

"You LIKE Serena?" Rini asked from the back seat. 'No no no!' she anxiously thought. 'You can't! Darien likes Serena!' It was the elephant in the room that everyone knew and had to ignore. Darien liked Serena, even though he acted like he hated her. But Rini knew better. Everyone did, except maybe Serena herself. So how could ANDREW like her?

Andrew drove through the green light and turned towards Serena's district, assuming that her little cousin might want to get home and get bandaged up. He shrugged. "I ..I _ADORE _all you girls," he said. "But Serena's ..special. And she's just been so down lately, and then when Darien came in, she looked so upset. I don't know.. I couldn't stand to see her like that—"

"YOU ARE DATING REIKA!" Mina shrieked, loudly enough that Andrew momentarily lost control of the car. Then Mina really started freaking out. _THAT _must be why Darien was losing his mind. Seeing a parking space up ahead, she interrupted whatever Andrew was about to say and demanded, "Pull over! _NOW!_"

She'd nearly jumped out of the moving car and had her communicator out: "Rei? Yeah, get this — Darien saw them KISSING!"

.

.

Rei's eyes flew wide and she slammed the communicator shut. Too late, of course — the whole room had heard.

Rei looked down at Darien and saw his eyes shut tight. She said, "Okay, I'm going to get off you, but don't try anything or we'll have to stop you again." Beat. "Okay?"

Darien didn't respond. Rei stood up, praying with all her might that Darien didn't jump up and kill them all.

Ami stood up as well, and she joined Rei standing in front of Darien. A glance back at Lita showed that the Jupiter senshi still had the door blocked.

Rei put on a fake smile and said, "Well, this is pretty much what we were all hoping for!" She grumbled to herself for using that sing-song voice again. She was the FIRE senshi; she shouldn't sound like Mary Freakin Poppins! But she added, in a feigned ditzy voice, "You know, Serena moving on.. making new friends."

Ami bent down gently and picked up her computer. "Damn," she said, then quickly apologized and said, "Darn, I mean." Smiling awkwardly at the dead-looking man on the sofa, then at Rei, she held up her computer and showed the broken port hanging sadly by a few wires. Boy how she'd love to get her toolkit out and start repairing this thing, but—

Lita said, "You okay, Dare?"

And finally, Darien sat up, holding his head in his hands like he was fighting off a migraine. Very slowly, he growled out, "Thank you."

Rei, thinking Darien was relieved that Serena had moved on, nervously said, "Heh heh, it was actually Lita's idea that Serena should date again and ..boy we didn't know she'd move so fast! ..but yeah it's great isn't it—?"

Darien, keeping his eyes closed tightly, said, "No, I meant 'thank you' for stopping me from ..from hurting Andrew. Or anyone else."

Ami knelt down, albeit carefully so as to not be tricked into getting her head ripped off by the tightly-wound timebomb in front of her, and asked again, "Are you okay?"

Darien finally opened his eyes. Shrugged, and took a deep breath. He looked at Ami. "Yeah, I'm —really, all I wanted was to see if we could learn to work *_together_* to fight this enemy."

"And you saw them kissing," Rei said, understandingly. Sometimes feelings could be fleeting, she knew; maybe it was a force of habit—

"They weren't —" Darien broke off, his voice gruff. He swallowed and said, "I guess I'm just upset about the new enemy." He sniffed hard, forcing the image of Serena kissing Andrew out of his mind. "Andrew's with Reika," Darien muttered, defeated.

Lita's eyes were still wide, untrusting. Maybe because her rib still felt broken. She stepped away from the door and said, almost hostilely, "You scared the SHIT out of us, Darien! You know, you're all over the place these days. Ever heard the saying, 'Prozac can be your friend'?" She nodded at the crazy man warily. SOMEONE needed to say it.

Darien ignored her taunting, but conceded, "I was wrong to ...accost Andrew. I need to go find him and apologize, I guess."

Rei knelt down by Ami and said, "You know, Darien, it's not like we hate you or anything. But you can't just attack a normal guy like Andrew without doing some serious damage. We sorta have to watch each others' backs, you know."

"It won't happen again," Darien said with resolution. Tightening his jaw, though, he said to Rei, "Andrew's with Reika. Serena's vulnerable."

"I know," Rei said softly. "I don't think it meant anything, Darien. She's just trying really hard to get over you, and —well, she's hurt. I'm sure Andrew was just being nice." She completely left off on the earlier flirting she'd witnessed; funny how she and Darien had the same concerns about Serena.

Lita wasn't quite so sweet, though. "You said you needed to apologize to Andrew, and you do. But you completely left out apologizing to Serena." Her own jaw tightened and she said, "I HEARD what you said to her, and she was already feeling pretty bad before you burst in here and basically called her a pathetic SLUT."

Darien shook his head. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he said, voice croaking. He looked up at the ceiling and felt like he needed to get out of there fast. "You.. you'll see her before I do." Standing up and heading for Lita, for the door she was barricading, he ducked his head and said, "Tell her I'm sorry." Beat. "For everything."

.

.

Reika nearly screamed in frustration. Absolutely everything she'd organized to pack had gotten damp when the tub overflowed; as she'd hung her things up to dry, a lamp got short-circuited, leaving her pretty much in the dark; and everything was a complete mess.

Then a knock came at the door. It was just the WRONG time, but half-afraid it was one of her professors here to wish her bon voyage, she pulled her hair together and squirted some air freshener in the room. Then on herself —she was a complete mess.

"_Serena?_" she asked, truly shocked to see Andrew's friend at her door. She'd been over once for dinner, several months ago, but she hadn't seen much of the girl lately. Andrew had mentioned her several times, but usually just that his 'little sister' hadn't been coming around recently, even after that harsh breakup from Darien. Reika smiled warmly as she remembered how Andrew had labored to make a special concoction with Serena's name on it, just so her name would be a permanent part of his arcade.

But when this girl looked up, she hardly looked like the 'bubble of light' Andrew constantly described. Reika put a hand on the teen's shoulder and pulled her in: "Honey, what's wrong! —have you been hurt?"

Serena stood to her full height, which compared to Reika wasn't very much, but she was going to take the brunt of this. She opened her mouth, and ...burst into tears.

Reika had no idea where the impulse came from, but she grabbed Serena and pulled her close, then held her and rocked her gently: "It's okay, Serena. What's going on?"

Serena pushed herself away from Reika's comforting embrace and wiped her eyes furiously: "I don't really know, but —but it's terrible!"

Reika sat Serena down and listened to the most heart-rending confession she'd ever heard, and even though it ended with her kissing Andrew, then Andrew punching Darien, and even though Reika got a LITTLE TINY BIT FREAKIN CURIOUS about how Andrew responded to this confused girl's kiss, Reika was still compelled to comfort the girl and tell her it would all be alright.

Just in case Serena really still harbored a secret crush on Andrew, which Serena said she didn't THINK she did, Reika was careful not to hurt her feelings worse and say that Andrew thought of her as a little sister. Because, one, that could upset her even worse than she already was. But also, Reika wasn't one hundred percent sure that Andrew thought of her as just a little sister as much as he claimed to.

After all, there was no sickly sweet, popular concoction at the arcade named after Reika.

.

.

**Emerald Finds The Next Dark Energy Point—**  
**at a Promise Ring Shoppe for Kids!**

Emerald happily staked out her next target - a shop for promise rings! "_**Bwahahahahahah!**_" she started laughing... then grew angry as bystanders fell unconscious on the street. She walked up to the closest one and kicked him GOOD. At least HER prince loved the sound of her voice, and she laughed again.

The only thing she had to consider, in staking out this clap trap, was which among her perfect droids would best serve in this capacity. She stepped on the teenager who'd fallen in the doorway and sashayed over towards the negative energy point. Aargh, it was above her - on the damned roof. She turned, looking pensively - she'd need a droid who could pull off teaching, and yet could burst through walls AND hold off those silly beanpoles and their overdressed flower man. Hmm... one who could suck in all these stupid love-sick children and suck their lovely energy to start this teeny, tiny figurine growing.

Damn. The citizens were starting to rouse. She sighed, walked outside, and leaped to the roof in a single bound.

"Regalia! I choose you!"

.

.

.

**THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS**

Serena twisted and turned all night, and when she finally fell asleep, she was plagued with images of a wedding to Darien that normally would have set her heart aflutter, but now, even in her dreams, were bittersweet. Nay —_painful_! Everytime Darien looked at her, and said his vows, her brain reminded her what he really meant. Things like 'weakling', and 'burden'. 'Crybaby'. 'Ugly'. She knew this was a nightmare, but she couldn't wake herself up and started hyperventilating. Even dream Darien asked her what was wrong.

Which was weird, Serena thought. Because the groom was smiling and making jest in their happy bliss when a louder Darien voice boomed out,  
, **WHAT'S WRONG, SERENITY?**

The dream Darien kept walking down the aisle, smiling, and his lips hadn't moved with the booming voice of Darien. There were two Darien voices? '_Oh great, my dreams have bad Kung Fu voiceovers,_' she thought ruefully, turning around to look behind her.

Dream Darien kept pulling her down the aisle, everyone looked happy —and all Serena could think was how she shouldn't be dreaming of a wedding with a man who hated her! Why torture herself? She tried to break away from dream Darien; she turned around and around, thinking how similar to Rini's Crystal Tokyo this place looked, only nicer. What would _she _be doing in Rini's city a thousand years from now? Was this some sick, twisted fantasy she had going subconsciously? What had happened to her dreams of meeting a new man; a man that actually liked her?

Dream Darien grabbed her hand and kissed it; she cringed. That was it; first thing in the morning, she was going to talk to her mother about getting committed to an insane asylum. They could treat her, she was sure.

"Come on, love!" dream Darien smiled, trying to pull her down the receiving line now. This was all just -so wrong! Oh how much she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole!

And then, the ground opened up and started swallowing people whole! Serena smiled warmly; tears tinged her eyes. "Oh my God, I'm not insane!" she sighed. As people fell around her, she gleamed at them and said, "Bye bye, nightmare! —oh, Mom? Was that you? Oopsie daisy, gotta watch those crevices! Cya in the real world!"

Just then, the bad voiceover came back. A loud, prophetic voice boomed into her head and said:

, **SERENA, ****THIS IS YOUR FUTURE IF YOU MARRY DARIEN!**

Serena turned away from the dream Darien, who wasn't speaking at all, and looked up in the air where she could have sword the voice came from. "Huh?" she asked, yelling up at a dingy cloud.

, **THIS IS YOUR FUTURE IF YOU CONTINUE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH DARIEN!  
**, **SAVE YOURSELF! STAY AWAY FROM HIM!**

Serena saw the ground start to crumble beneath her, but didn't pay it much mind. When dream Darien grabbed at her arm, she looked back down and shook the mirage off, then yelled back up into the sky: "_DARIEN?_"

There was silence, absolute silence, for a bit, which really confused Serena.

, **UM, THIS IS NOT DARIEN.**

As dream Darien fell away from her, reaching for her, screaming, she rolled her eyes and looked back up at the sky: "Darien, I KNOW your voice, you stupid baka!" She walked around in the dream world, kicking the broken shards of crystal to clear a path, then inspecting the sky carefully again. "Where are you?"

After another bout of absolute silence, during which even the crackling crystal shards and screaming guests froze, Serena stamped her foot and said, "Darien Chiba, I KNOW that's you! Now stop this nonsense and come out!"

, **UM, THIS IS JUST A GUY WHO SOUNDS LIKE DARIEN.  
, BUT I AM NOT HE.**

Serena eyes bulged out; she scanned the sky for any sign of movement. "How are you doing this, Darien?" Although the better question, she knew, would be WHY he was doing this.

After more bouts of silence, she grimaced and sat down. Dream Molly came rushing by her, then dropped down a hole. Okay, THAT did it. She jumped up and said, "O Great Dari-_dud_? Cat got your tongue?" She just loved how he gave himself a big, God-like voice, while she had to look up at the sky and scream at him like Chicken Little. _IN HER OWN DREAM!_

, **I'M TRYING TO WARN YOU OF A DISMAL FUTURE!**

"Ooo-kay, Darien. _Gotcha!_" Serena said, then stomped off towards the altar. She looked up yet again and yelled, "I stay away from you, I don't have dismal future. Got it. —Are we good now? Can you take a flying leap OUT of my HEAD and let me get some sleep now? _Please_?"

, **UM, HOLD ON A MINUTE.**

Hold on? "HOLD ON? —Oh you've _got _to be kidding me!" she screamed.

And then it hit her: "—Wait, don't tell me, that stupid brat Rini is there telling you what to say, right? You two are having a good laugh, right? Break into Serena's dream; make me marry YOU so you can ridicule me for the rest of my life; make me watch my friends die. Boy, you know, there's something _REALLY SICK _about this!"

, **NO, YOU HAVE IT ALL WRONG! YOU HAVE TO BREAK UP WITH ME—HIM, I MEAN.**  
, **WE SEEM TO BE HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES...  
**, **UM, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK. JUST ..OKAY BACK IN A MINUTE!**

She heard nothing. She stared out as the dream Sailor Mars fell into the crevice, and started tapping her foot. "I can't believe that _Jerkwad _put me on HOLD! In a _DREAM_!" She looked around ruefully for Rini—if that little bitch was here, Serena was going to personally pick her up and throw her headfirst into the deepest crevice she could find.

.

.

A completely paralyzed King Endymion furiously pushed at a button connected to his index finger, many times. Many, _many _times. This automatic setup Setsuna had hooked up for him, for breaching into the dreams and memories of his and Serenity's past selves, was just not functioning correctly anymore! The teen-aged version of his wife was ..well, positively HOSTILE! She didn't seem dreamy happy about his lovely reproduction of their wedding; she had even seemed relieved when everyone started dying! And she seemed FINE with the idea of sacrificing their precious love just to save her life!

But worst of all, and probably the base of the whole problem, was that she Wasn't. Fooled! She _knew _the whole thing was a fake; she knew it was HIM talking to her; and ..and she was _angry _with him! Serenity, Angry, with HIM!

[[ _Yeah, what is it? —Your Highness._ ]]

Endymion grimaced at the grating voice, but demanded, "What the hell's happening with your equipment, Pluto? Are you following this? She's not scared at all!"

[[_ Actually I was trying to console your daughter, but had to put her to sleep to answer your call. —But come on, it's Serenity! What did you expect? I tried to warn you—_ ]]

"I didn't want her OVER ME, Setsuna! Just ..you know, to have the test. To see how much she loves me."

[[ _And you didn't expect her to fail. —Or is this passing? I never was clear on your '_test_'._ ]]

"She called her own daughter STUPID, Pluto! Something's amiss! This wasn't supposed to happen!"

[[ _—Oh shit. Excuse me, Your Heiny. -ness, I mean. You've got an emergency! You'd better get back there because Serenity just transformed, and she's aiming her Silver Crystal at the sky._ ]]

.

.

,** STOP THAT! YOU'RE NOT IN DANGER HERE!**

Sailor Moon looked around smiling. "Um, HELLO! Wasn't that the whole purpose of this dream, baka? To scare me away from you?"

, **WHY DON'T WE BOTH JUST FORGET THIS HAPPENED—?**

"And would you stop using that damned booming voice, Darien?" Serena begged. "You're giving me a headache!"

, **I THINK THIS IS THE ONLY VOICE I CAN USE HERE.  
** , **SORRY.**

Serena rolled her eyes. "Look, if this is about the thing with Andrew today, I've already apologized to Reika, and I plan to make it right with Andrew tomorrow after school. Okay? I'm avoiding you; I'm moving on... What more do you _WANT _from me?"

, **WHAT THING WITH ANDREW?**

Serena grimaced; the booming voice now sounded like a booming, _angry _voice. He was the one who'd invaded her dream, dammit; he had no RIGHT to get mad! She spat out, "Andrew and I _made out_. As you know, but what you DON'T know was that—"

, **YOU KISSED ANOTHER MAN?**

Before Serena could answer, she got another** HOLD ON**!

.

.

Setsuna lurched out of the Luna-P and BACK to the time gate. Again. She bowed her head as she moved through the door, pressed on as quickly as one could through the high-gravity portal, finally reached the control room, and GLOWERED as she hit the transmit button:

[[ _Your HIGH. NESS._ ]]

Endymion was furious. "Dammit Setsuna if I could move my limbs I'd wring your neck! She's back there kissing other men!"

[[ _Man. _One_ other man. Sir Andrew. Yes, I'm aware— _]]

"What the HELL'S happening? What have you DONE?" Endymion demanded.

[[ [biting back a frustrated sigh] _I believe she's failing your test, Your Highness. _]]

"How do I fix this?" Endymion asked. With monumental effort, he moved his finger to open the monitor to his lovely wife being protected by the Senshi. This was a living hell, but he'd still rather spend eternity here LOOKING at his wife, than imagine one day of her KISSING someone else.

[[_ It was YOUR test, Your Highness. I believe I strongly suggested against it._ ]]

Endymion yelled in anguish.

[[ _Ouch._ ]]

"Okay, get Serena to wake up, and stick me back in my younger self's head. Maybe I should level with him before he pushes Serenity away completely."

[[ _I'll **try **to wake her up, but you'd better get back to her before she fries her own brain and takes Crystal Tokyo with it. —Oh, and I don't think I'd suggest breaking into your younger self's dreams again, Your Highness. He's already starting to doubt the dreams, too, and he's ..pissed. But hey, I'll warn you if he really tries to kill himself. Now you just.. lie still._ [Heh.] _And try to get Serenity under control until I can wake her up. _]]

.

.

, **I'M BACK.**

"Whoopie!" Sailor Moon said, yawning, and getting up off the fake blood-ridden, fake crystal shards of Darien's dreamscape on which she'd apparently fallen asleep. "You know, why can't you just get in your damned car and drive over and talk like a normal person would? You're really starting to freak me out."

, **THIS ISN'T GOING WELL.**

"Ya _THINK_?," Sailor Moon shrieked. "I don't know what I did to piss you off so bad, but I get it, it's over, and I don't want to be with you anymore. In ANY lifetime. So you don't have to DO this! I want to be FREE of you! I give UP!"

, **WE WILL GET MARRIED, SERENA.**

Sailor Moon's jaw dropped, and then she laughed. "Um, did you just SEE the dream you showed me? Yeah, don't _think _so."

, **YOU MUST UNDERSTAND HOW STRONG OUR LOVE IS. THAT'S WHAT THIS WAS FOR!  
**

"Oh Lord," Serena mumbled, getting creeped out. "You know, when Lita mentioned Prozac earlier, I wasn't so sure, but NOW? —Hello! The dream was supposed to scare me away, remember? But now you're wanting to get married? One word for that, Chiba. Bipolar!"

, **RINI IS OUR DAUGHTER.**

Sailor Moon's eyes widened, and then she rolled over on the fake crackling crystals shards and threw up violently. When she opened her eyes, she was back in her bedroom, —and dammit there was puke all over her floor.

.

* * *

/AN/

Yeah so obviously, this is between the two episodes with the Sweets Shop attack and the Promise Ring attack (you know, the ep where Serena saw Darien's dream and they got back together —which, uh, AIN'T going to happen in the next chapter, even though this is a D/S fic). The big diff. in THIS dream is that Serena's sorta lost her day-dreamy hope of a perfect future with Darien, so she doesn't BUY the dream in the first place (it's not her 'big hope' anymore). Plus Endy even sounds a little nutty for telling her to give up Darien in this context. (And I had to throw in some Endy shock&horror at the Serena/Andrew makeout sesh. Heh heh.) I hope that, and the humor part of that, came across.

I've rewritten the ending of this chapter a few times, and finally just removed it to Ch 3 because I thought [my] Serena was coming off a little harsh (and I'm REALLY trying to keep her princess/messiah sweet and angelic, but with a backbone, brains, and some good friends). I mean, she's NOT back with Derwood (thanks Endora/Bewitched for that name!), and now she's been told that she and her EX are supposed to give birth to the little hellion that's made her life hell, almost killed her friends, and whose 'father' seems to have a crush on! I know I'D be tossing my cookies hearing that one! But I've got to write a believable Serena/Darien scene regarding her dream, and I'm struggling with that. (The stuff after it is nailed; but not the actual confrontation.)

Again, ANY IDEAS about how this confrontation should go, canonically, would be appreciated! As well as other constructive criticisms! Thanks!

.

* * *

_**Chapter 3 Teaser**_

.

"Reika and I cooled things off," Andrew spilled, not very happy delivering the news, but very happy to see Darien's face sink just a little bit. Which probably meant the man was completely crushed, as metal trash dumpsters tended to show more emotion than Darien.

"When?" Darien asked immediately, having a good feeling it was last night after Reika heard of Andrew's duplicity.

The last thing Andrew wanted was for Darien to taunt Serena with accusations of being a homewrecker. Not even Reika had suggested that last night, when she realized that Serena may have snuck into Andrew's heart. With her going to Africa this week, they mutually, albeit with heartache, decided it would be best to take a break now than try to live a long-distance lie.

Finally, Andrew said, "It's just none of your business, Darien. Maybe it wouldn't have seemed so sudden if you'd kept in touch—"

"That woman adored you," Darien spat out angrily. "And Serena's a kid. -a confused kid, at that."

Andrew considered telling the sour puss that Serena was a LOT more than 'just' a kid, but ultimately, he'd agreed with Reika to not make things worse for the poor teenage girl stuck in the middle of this mess. Darien wasn't acting like a man who was over hjs ex-girlfriend at all, and they were afraid that any hint of Serena moving on would really hurt Darien. And while at times that seemed like good payback for what all he'd done to Serena, Andrew ultimately didn't like imagining Darien suffering even worse with his inner demons than he already was.

So Andrew simply said, "Look, Darien, Serena and I are just friends. I care about her. And you really hurt her. I just wanted her to know she has someone in her corner. I don't have any ulterior motives."

"You _kissed _her," Darien said coldly. And Darien knew, from the way they'd been holding each other yesterday, it was probably more than just a friendly peck.

.

* * *

.

/AN/ See? Andrew still loves Darien like a brother, even though he thinks Darien's hurting Serena.


	3. Battles, Part 1

**Snapped**

.

.

.

**Chapter 3****  
Battles, Part 1**

Luna was on Serena quickly; the girl seemed to be having seizures on top of her violent retching. When Rini rushed over to Serena, Serena started crying and told them both the leave her alone.

Rini sat outside the bedroom door, crying lightly. Luna suggested she go get Ikuko, but right then then Serena opened the door: "I'm fine," she said, though she was obviously shaking and pale still. She walked on wobbly legs to the bathroom and started running hot water to clean up.

On her way back to her bedroom with hot soaking towels and a bucket, she stared hollowly at Rini and said, "Go back to bed, Rini."

"I can help you," Rini offered, still scared from seeing Serena in such a state. But Serena ignored her after that, and Luna and Rini sat in the moonlight cast into the room as they silently watched Serena clean up. Serena got the floor and rug cleaned, stripped her bed, opened the window, changed her pajamas, and finally took the cleaning supplies out of the room.

But she didn't go to bed. She called Darien at three in the morning, and when he finally answered sleepily, she said, "If you ever do that again, I _will_ hurt you."

"Do what?" Darien asked, somewhat alarmed. "Serena?" —he absolutely knew it was her, but he'd never heard her sound as angry as she had just now, almost like a machine. He sat up and ran a hand through is hair, looked at the clock. 3AM? He snapped to attention and asked, "Serena what's going on?" —the other end was dead. She'd hung up.

Serena sat the phone down and turned to go back upstairs, and almost tripped over Rini. Fuck it, she was taking the couch. She pulled a blanket over her and forced all images of Darien and Rini and particularly that stupid wedding dream from her mind. She instead prayed for help in her fight against Emerald; considered how earplugs might help all the girls in the battles to come; —considered offering Rini up as a sacrifice to Emerald! It was just a fleeting thought; a 'funny', really. Like, what if the next time the communicator went off, Sailor Moon grabbed Rini and ran to the battle, then deposited the bundle of evil before Emerald's feet! After all, why make a large figurine of evil energy when there was a perfectly portable one right there! 'Hey, Emerald, do you remember _RABBIT_? Take her to your leader; I'm sure he'll be pleased."

The phone rang, ending Serena's little fantasy. Since Serena was already on the sofa, and figured it had to be a certain angry ex-boyfriend of hers, she reached up and grabbed it: "Hello."

Darien didn't say hello back; he launched right in: "What's going on? Why'd you call me at 3AM?"

Serena was about to respond when Rini picked up another line: "Hello?"

Serena cringed and hung up the phone.

.

Upstairs, Rini's heart skipped a beat when she heard the click. "Serena?"

"I think she hung up, munchkin," Darien said. "Hey Rini, what's going on over there? Why are you all up this late?"

Rini thought hard before speaking. Grabbing Luna-P, she said, "I'm not sure Serena would want me to tell you." But then again, it didn't seem like that big of a deal. "She just had a dream. She woke up shaking really bad and throwing up." It was pretty gross, but even worse, it was scary like the Exorcist.

"Is she okay now?" Darien asked.

And something snapped in Rini. "Why would you care?"

Darien's anger almost burst, but he reminded himself this was Rini he was talking to, and not Serena. Not only did the girls share the same name, but they both gave him the same fits of anger at times. "Excuse me, Rini, but _she _called _me_. She sounded upset and I just wanted to make sure you all were okay."

"She called you?" Rini asked, rubbing her eyes. Then, quickly, remembering how Darien told Serena never to contact him again, she added, "I'm sure she didn't mean to. It was probably the wrong number. Just forget it Darien." And she clicked down the phone.

.

.

**Battle 1: Darien vs. Andrew**

Darien's eyes landed on what was now, he supposed, his arch-enemy. The guy he was supposed to apologize to —and would have, had he not found him lurking around Serena's street at the break of dawn. Well, at 7:30, when Serena was about to leave for school.

"Isn't today the day Reika leaves?" Darien asked, crossing the street to meet Andrew.

Andrew glanced up and audibly groaned, then paced away slightly towards his car like he'd been doing for the last ten or fifteen minutes. He turned and said clearly, "You know, for someone who wants nothing to do with Serena, you sure do POP UP a lot."

Darien wasn't expecting that. He wasn't expecting Andrew at all, of course, but he certainly wasn't expecting Andrew to be stalking Serena! At least Darien could always say he wanted to see Rini off to school; Andrew had no such excuse. Jaw set hard, Darien glowered, "I'm not **otherwise engaged**," and, approaching Andrew, forgetting all illusions of making an apology. "Unlike you—"

"And I'm not **unwanted** here," Andrew snapped, but with a smug smile. "_Unlike you_."

Darien stared Andrew down coolly and asked, "Did Serena call _you_ this morning?" Smile. "_No?_ Well, she called me. I wonder which of us is the unwanted party at the Tsukinos?"

Andrew hid his surprise, but wondered if indeed Serena had called the guy. And why. —He was fine, he assured himself, if Serena wanted to get back together with this maniac who'd tried to kill him yesterday. However, he wasn't about to take Darien's word for it. Serena's friends had all abandoned her before over Darien, and he wasn't about to add his name to the list. Even if it proved humiliating, he'd hear it from Serena herself before leaving her house.

"What are you doing to Reika, Andrew?" Darien asked. And yes, if asked, he'd admit that he was concerned about all parties involved, but particularly the girls Andrew seemed intent on two-timing.

"Not like it's any of your business, Chiba, but Reika and I decided to cool things off for a while," Andrew spilled, not very happy delivering the news, but very happy to see Darien's face sink just a little bit. Which probably meant the man was completely crushed, as metal trash dumpsters tended to show more emotion than Darien.

"When?" Darien asked immediately, having a good feeling it was last night after Reika heard of Andrew's duplicity.

The last thing Andrew wanted was for Darien to taunt Serena with accusations of being a _'homewrecker'_. Not even Reika had done that last night, when Andrew had admitted to Reika that he had initiated the kiss, and that it wasn't just a friendly peck. He'd even admitted to feeling desire for the little princess, even though she was so young. Young enough that he wondered if he weren't some kind of pedophile for suddenly turning the kiss into ..more.

But where Reika could have been nasty, spiteful, or in any way angry with him, she'd actually spoken to him like a best friend, pointing out that she'd always known Serena had a special place in his heart.

All of which made Andrew feel WORSE, especially when Reika had started silently crying as she continued to pack. She wasn't bawling; she was just sincerely sorry to be losing his affection, but pointed out that she would be losing it anyway with her study abroad in Africa. Andrew had tried to promise to stay true to her, but Reika let him off the hook. He'd tearfully argued that he wasn't sure he _wanted_ to be off the hook. But Reika had made so much sense — Andrew had some kind of feelings for Serena, who not even Reika could bring herself to dislike, and Serena would be here with Andrew every day. He'd already technically cheated on Reika once; and she loved him too much to make him a man of dishonor.

So they'd mutually decided they would take a break while Reika was in Africa, and promised each other that they'd stay in touch constantly, and immediately be truthful about any new 'developments' in their love lives.

"That woman adored you," Darien spat out angrily, breaking into Andrew's silent reverie. "And Serena's a kid. —a _confused_ kid, at that."

Andrew watched Darien's minor facial twitches, and finally saw what Reika had discerned—Darien wasn't acting like a man who was over the girl at all. Was he a sadistic prick who just enjoyed watching the most innocent, bubbly girl on the planet suffer as much as possible, then?

Andrew couldn't believe that, either. Nor had Reika. This was a man who was outwardly cold and uncaring, more so now than ever, and not just to Serena. But there was something brewing in him that was ..what had Reika called it? A personal demon? And ultimately, Andrew didn't like imagining Darien sitting alone in the dark suffering; he was too bright a man, with too promising a future, for that kind of self-pity. It just didn't make sense! But what Andrew could sense was that Darien was jealous, and while that seemed like pretty good payback for what all he'd said and done to Serena, Andrew ultimately didn't like imagining Darien suffering even worse because of some catty comments Andrew could throw his way now.

Plus, Reika had made him promise that, Serena or no, Andrew would be gentle with the angry giant. What if Darien had some sort of serious mental illness? Would Andrew want to be the one who pushed him beyond repair?

So Andrew cleared his throat and said, "Look, Serena and I are just friends. I care about her. You really hurt her, Chiba, but I know she still cares about you. I have no intention of doing anything other than being her friend—"

"You kissed her!" Darien said coldly. And Darien knew, from the way they'd been holding each other yesterday, it was probably more than just a friendly peck. "She's **fourteen**, Andrew, and you're just taking advantage of her right now!"

Andrew came close to punching Darien again, but shook his hands out of the balled-up fists that had somehow formed, and softly said, "It just happened, Darien. And Reika knows all about it. Serena left the arcade yesterday and ran straight to Reika to tell her the truth and ..to apologize. For any misunderstandings. —Actually, Serena shaded it to make herself look like she'd initiated the kiss, when I'm the one who surprised her with a kiss. Serena's a really special girl..."

Darien froze; stopped listening to Andrew. This would be a good time for the Senshi to show up, he thought, glaring at the Tsukino door. Before he did some serious damage—

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**Battle 2: Rini Intervenes**

Serena came bolting out dragging her backpack, Rini on her heels, when she looked up and saw …_'oh Hell no_,' she said to herself. Darien, AND Andrew. She suddenly felt a little hand timidly link into her free hand, and looked down. Rini asked, "Want me to get Mom to take us to school, Serena?"

'_Mom_', Serena heard Rini say, then sneered as she remembered what Darien had told her in her dream. [**RINI IS OUR DAUGHTER**]. She threw up a little in her mouth, and made a point of switching her backpack to her Rini-held hand so Rini would have to let go. Then she glared at Darien and started walking, with Rini having to jog to catch up. As they approached the men, Serena said, loudly, "Great, Rini, looks like Darien is here to take you to school!"

Darien stepped up and, looking at Serena the entire time, said, "Rini, let Andrew take you to school. Serena and I need to finish our conversation." There was no smile on his face as he stared at Serena; if she thought he was letting her get into a car with the guy who just admitted to forcing a kiss on her, she had another thing coming.

Rini, strangely relieved by Darien's words, smiled and ran over to Andrew and decided to help get rid of a problem and maybe, _finally_, do a good thing her life: "Will you take me to school, Andrew?"

Serena glanced at Darien, but put on her happy face and said to Andrew, "I could use a lift, too, Andrew. But let me talk to Darien really quick, okay?" She looked angrily at Darien, the Dream Breaker, and snarled, "It won't take long."

Then they all heard the demon spawn screech: "No Serena I wanna go NOW! NOW _NOW __**NOW**_! Just because YOU get to school late doesn't mean I want to be a **failure** like YOU!"

Rini held her breath, both to turn her face as red as her eyes, and in the hopes that Serena wouldn't take her 'failure' jibes to heart too much. Really, she was just trying to get the right people in the right cars, and Serena really should go with Darien.

"That's quite enough, Rini," Darien shocked the whole city of Tokyo by firmly correcting the girl.

Serena's eyes bulged. Not only because Darien had said something less-than-glowing to the demon spawn, but because Oh HELL YEAH _that _had been his voice in her dreams last night! His voice right now wasn't 'booming' without his brainwashing equipment, she supposed, but everything else was the same; the tone, the pitch, the way he tried to sound angry and controlling but couldn't quite pull it off.

Andrew bent down to Rini and said, "We don't call people _failures_, sweetheart. Serena does the best she can in school; and anyone who does their best can hardly be termed a failure. Right?"

Rini sniped, "_**YOU'RE**_ a failure! I heard _Darien_ say you're way too old to be working at an arcade for babies and HE'S going to be a world-class _DOCTOR_! And he also said he was going to kick your ass later, I think." She smiled cutely at him again. "So now take me to school," she demanded of Andrew. She wasn't quite sure why he wasn't moving to take her to school. Did she say something wrong?

Serena dropped her bag and swiftly picked the bitch up and started wailing her behind until Rini was screaming and crying. Serena said, "You will speak when spoken to; you will RESPECT everybody; and you will at least TRY to act human!"

Darien, aghast, dragged Serena's arm away from Rini's behind, then picked Rini up and marched to his car. "Rini, get in my car. I'll take you to school." He opened the driver's side door, motioning Rini in, then opened the back door and looked at Serena. This hadn't gone the way Darien had wanted at all, but he couldn't let Serena HIT that sweet little girl just because she had said a few words out of line. He angrily demanded, "Serena, get in the damned car, NOW!"

Serena was about to try an Emerald laugh, but her eyes popped out of her head when Rini jumped on Darien's back and started BEATING him in the face. "_Oh, God!_" Serena exclaimed, running over with Andrew immediately to try to pry Rini off of Darien's head.

"I HATE YOU, YOU STUPID BULLY!" Rini yelled, punching Darien in the head, ripping his hair, and kicking his back and sides as fiercely as she could. When he bent to reach over his head for her, she bit his fingers. HARD. "You're MEAN to Serena and I hope you DIE, BITCH!" She'd heard that on TV and though it really drove home the point.

Serena and Andrew were both still trying to pry the spawn off of Darien's head; Serena demanded, "Come down THIS INSTANT, Rini! You're ruining your school clothes!"

"You let him KIDNAP me, Serena!" Rini screamed, trying to dig her fingers into Darien's eyes. "I HATE HIM! He's MEAN to everybody and tries to make me stay INSIDE his room all day instead of letting me play with kids my own age! If you loved me you'd never leave me alone with him!" Then, for the cherry on top, she screeched, "HELP!" throughout the neighborhood.

Darien, coughing in excruciating pain now, wondered if maybe Rini might need a spanking after all. Between he, Andrew, and Serena, they finally got Rini on the ground, and Ikuko rushed out and threw a bucket of water on the angry pink-haired girl.

Rini was still for a second, then took off sopping wet and, as if God had given her a sign, found herself a brick. A big, beautiful BRICK. She quickly picked it up and ran around Darien's car, all four big people trying to chase her down. When she finally got to the front of Darien's car, she launched the brick right at Darien's windshield with strength she didn't know she possessed.

Ikuko, stunned, stared open-mouthed at Darien's _ruined_ hood and scratched windshield — the very frame had been bent! Oh, and a dent on the roof on his car! — and, quite taken aback, said hollowly, "Rini's possessed!"

Serena finally caught up to Rini, and she, Andrew, and Rini sat on the ground and watched Darien's emotions play over his face. Was he going to really cry? Had he really just looked at Rini with *anger*?

Rini, crying, held onto Serena's neck for dear life, apologizing profusely. "Serena please let Andrew take me to school! I'll be _gooder_ I promise! I just hate that Darien, he's so mean to you, it's not fair!"

Ikuko grabbed Rini's hand and said, "We're changing you out of those clothes and going to school, young, um, ..lady." Sorrowfully, she glanced at Darien Chiba and said, morosely, "You can send us the bill." She dropped her head and went inside with Rini, who was now smiling. Now Serena would HAVE to get in the car with Darien to console him for the loss of his most prized possession. Hee hee!

Serena glared at Darien and almost cried. This was all his fault. But she had to get rid of Andrew to let Darien know it.

Darien said, "Your mom doesn't have to pay, for the car." He couldn't help it; his beautiful car was so hurt right now that Darien was near tears. He knew Rini had to be very upset deep-down to have …done something like _this_!

Serena glowered at him and took Andrew's hand to walk him to his car. "I'd better stay here with Mom, Andrew. But I did want to say how sorry I was for yesterday. I shouldn't let Darien get to me like he does." She smiled sweetly and kissed him on the cheek.

Andrew, glaring at Darien, said, "Why don't I just hang around and make sure everything's going to be okay?"

Serena shook her head. "I know I seem weak sometimes, but I have to handle this." She explained, "I think he just has some kind of sicko crush on Rini and can't let anyone discipline her." She sighed. "But I should've taken care of the Rini problem WAY before now."

"How?" Andrew asked, somewhat amused.

"She's got another home. It's time for her to go back, I think." Then, "I'll come by this afternoon, okay?"

Andrew smiled widely and pulled her over to kiss her on the forehead. Serena looked up at him and said, "I hope things are okay with Reika—"

They jumped as a brick crashed into Andrew's headlight, then both turned around to see Darien glaring at them. "Sorry," Darien said smugly. "I just tossed it off my car and wasn't paying attention—"

! Serena had to jump on Andrew's back and scream, "Please, please please please don't do this! —Just go, Andrew! I'll …I'll pay for any damages!"

Andrew had gotten within two feet of his smug ex-best friend, ready to pummel him to the ground, but figured Serena had seen enough excitement for the day. No, the morning! It wasn't even 8 yet! As he stopped his advance on Darien, and stood tall, Serena slid her lovely body down Andrew's back, and he grabbed onto her to make sure she didn't fall.

"Thank you," Serena said almost prayerfully, hugging him tightly to herself. "I'm _so _sorry, Andrew. This is all my fault—"

Andrew smiled at Darien with Serena in his arms; *_now_* he could enjoy watching his friend's facial tics go ballistic. Andrew said, "Whatever you want, Serena. I'll see you this afternoon." When Darien actually turned away, Andrew smiled even more widely and whispered, "Call me if you need me."

"I will," Serena said lightly, still thankful that he hadn't attacked Darien. She was going to have to consider telling Andrew about her being Sailor Moon—and baka being Tuxedo Mask. So Andrew wouldn't get himself killed.

And once again, to Serena's surprise, Andrew's lips were on hers and he was kissing her firmly. This time, though, Serena was slightly disappointed because she knew he'd kissed her for the wrong reasons. She backed away and smiled at him. "Goodbye, Andrew. I'll see you this after—"

**BAM!** —she found herself face-down on the pavement, head dizzy. She looked up, and through blurry vision saw Darien on top of Andrew, on top of Andrew's car, beating the EFF out of Andrew! She stumbled to her feet and ran at Darien, begging Darien "GET OFF HIM!"

Unfortunately, she hit the corner of the car and fell solidly to the curb.

Darien was over her in a second, picking her up.

Andrew got off the car and shoved Darien, "The fuck you did to her, man! You're a crazy ass—!"

And then Ikuko came out, with Rini in fresh clothes. And all hell broke loose. First, Ikuko's purse became a battering ram on Darien's head: "Put my daughter DOWN, you buffoon!"

Then, to Darien's dismay, Rini started wailing loudly after seeing Andrew's car. And _her _brick. "THAT WAS MY BRICK, YOU COPYCAT CRIMINAL!"

Serena's head was covered in blood, and this morning was just getting worse. As Ikuko's heavy-laden purse continued to beat his head, he figured he'd better take off while the getting was good —that is, before Rini slashed his tires. So he booked to his car with Serena in his arms and drove off without even closing the door. Serena was on his lap, looking fairly unconscious, and he was trying to move her to the other seat when **BAM!** - a brick hit his back windshield. He held Serena tightly and sped off faster, seeing the pink-haired little girl standing in the road behind him.

Was she flipping him OFF?

.

* * *

/AN/

Yeah, short chappie; that's why I had to make it "Battles Pt 1" and (the next one will be) "Battles Pt 2". It's all still the same night/day. I was having so much fun with "Rini's Antics" (heh) and Darien's complete lack of ability to discipline her, that it sorta grew into a chapter in its own right. Sorry!

So the NEXT chapter will have the remaining battles and the next Emerald battle. (See, if Serena gets to school today, which I'm working on, she'll see the Promise Rings, etc.)

I also rewrote to take **Light By Day**'s advice about Darien going to Serena's house for the dream conversation. (That was _all _in this chapter originally, but I got carried away with Rini..) Instead of Luna/Rini/Serena going to Darien's to BEG him about the dream, I had Serena call Darien in the middle of the night and threaten him, and he had to make the next move (which landed him in the confrontations with Andrew).

I hope Andrew didn't come off evil there at the end. He really likes Serena, loves Reika, and is between a rock and a hard place. (And Serena LOVES Derwood, but thinks the world of Andrew, too). Andrew's just having this testosterone fest going on with Darien, and I guess he did sorta want to push the kiss in Darien's face a bit. The girls (Reika etc) preach love and patience, and Andrew's _trying_, but ultimately he just wants to wipe the floor with Darien.

**XOXO**


	4. Battles, Part 2

**Snapped**

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**Chapter 4  
Battles, Part 2**

Serena slowly piled tissues onto her forehead as Darien raced down the road. As she was coming to her senses, she slurred out, "God, Darien, I can't believe you attacked ANDREW!" Her head lolled back against the headrest; she felt a bout of nausea. "He's your _best friend_!" Man, she wanted to roll the window down and get some cool air on her face.

"Keep the pressure on the cut, Serena," Darien said coldly. They drove in silence for a while, both simmering in their own angry thoughts.

.

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**Battle 3: Darien Versus The Revelation  
Keeping His Car In One Piece**

Sighing, Serena said, "Darien, you missed the turn."

"You can't go to school like that," he said simply. Then, cutting directly to the chase, he asked, "Why'd you call me last night? —And then hang up on me. _Twice._" He also wanted to ask why she and her Senshi weren't sharing their information about the Black Moon Clan, and, most particularly, why she'd let Andrew kiss her when Andrew was clearly in love with another woman. He sighed and said, "I know we've had our issues lately—"

"Issues," she said snidely, keeping her eyes shut against the bright morning sun. "You mean that silly ol' breakup because you can't stand me anymore. Or, ..or your trusting Rini even though she'd been plotting to steal my Silver Crystal from day 1. And when she succeeded, almost got all my friends killed and destroyed the world?"

Darien glared over at her. She'd need some water to clean that blood up; and real bandages, as well. Possibly ice to keep the swelling down.

Coldly, he reminded her, "Hey, _you_ called _me_". He found he still had to work to keep his guard up around her, knowing how easily she could breach his defenses if she knew he was still harboring hope for their future. Once he determined the source, and validity, of the prophecies he'd been plagued with, that is. He thought he'd done an admirable job of pushing her away without being too overtly cruel. So good a job, in fact, that he knew Serena never would have called him in the middle of the night on a schoolgirl whim, or due to a bout of PMS. And that, as far as he was concerned, was the issue at hand.

Serena slouched in defeat and dropped her hand from the tissues, which stuck to her bloody head without help now. "I want to go to Rei's" Serena said coldly. "She won't have to be at school this early, and the shrine is close."

"I think I've had just about enough of 'Serena's Protectors' bashing my skull in this morning," Darien said. "Rei would probably blame ME for your head wound."

"Well I'd remind you that most of that was Rini's doing, but you'd never believe it, so I'll keep my mouth shut." Her head was throbbing again. "PLEASE take me to Rei's. I can call Mom from there—"

"Rini said you had a dream last night," Darien said, ignoring Serena's wishes blatantly as they sped past the off-ramp that would land them at Rei's shrine. "And I'm just about sick of you and your Senshi keeping information from me. I need to know about your dream, especially since you threatened ME about it, so you're going to tell me FIRST, before anything else gets done today."

"I haven't had a chance to tell ANYONE about the dream; not even Luna. —and you should count your lucky stars for that, Mr. "I'M NOT DARIEN I JUST SOUND LIKE HIM." I can guarantee you that the Senshi are going to be quite ticked at you for breaking into my dreams."

"Okay, Serena, what the HELL are you talking about?," Darien nearly spat out, dropping into 5th gear as they sped past another off-ramp that would put her near Lita's. If she didn't start talking quickly, he'd take her to HIS apartment and just LET her be late for school again. Which didn't sound so terrible if it meant she'd get detention and be unable to 'hook up' with Andrew today.

Serena was boiling mad; not only did she NOT know where he was taking her, but he was still pretending like he didn't _give _her the damned dream! Taking a deep breath, she said, with measured patience, "I'm talking about you breaking into my dreams last night and trying to scare me to death with the stupidest sounding—!"

"I didn't BREAK into your DREAMS!" he laughed derisively. "Where'd you even get that idea?"

Hand back on the bloodied tissues stuck to her forehead, she turned and said, "You did, when _you admitted_ it," Serena said firmly. "Like I told you last night, _I know your voice_, Darien!. Sure, you disguised it a bit with that whole '**BOOMING LOUD PROPHET**' voice thing—"

Darien's blood immediately ran cold and the car instantly dropped to a crawl on the highway. He hadn't told a soul about that! How could she… 'No, it couldn't be...' Darien thought, horror filling his senses.

Serena looked over and jabbed his arm in alarm: "Darien, you're going to get us KILLED! —Hit the gas!"

Instead, Darien slowed even more, then pulled onto the side of the road before killing the engine.

Serena, hand holding her bloodied forehead, turned around frantically and watched the cars flying by. This had to be the most embarrassing thing that's happened to her in a long time. What if the cops pulled over? Or.. or worse, HER DAD?

Serena licked her lips nervously and said, "Okay, look, I don't get why you broke into my dreams, or why you seem to get off on showing me a wedding day we'll never have, or why you ..why you said _any_ of the things you said last night." She swallowed hard. "But if you get me off this damned highway, we can do like you suggested last night and just forgive and forget. —I mean, as long as you NEVER do that again."

.

Wedding? Prophetic voice? Darien dropped his head on the steering wheel miserably. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Serena," he said with the utmost sincerity. "Rini said you got really sick," Darien added, staring straight at the horizon, quite sickened himself. Why would she have to be plagued with the same prophecy he'd had? Could the fates really be so cruel? What would the purpose be in giving Serena the prophecy when he'd already taken care of it? Had he let up on her too much since the UFO attack? Had he been too friendly, and now the prophecy had moved on to her in the hopes she'd suffer until she, too, learned to push him away?

Serena glared at him. "You're SORRY?" Ouch, her head hurt still. She needed some aspirins. And to get to school! She turned and said, "You said some pretty mean stuff, Darien, even after you got rid of the stupid wedding and killed off everyone I knew. You just ..you LEFT me there to ..I don't even know. I thought you were talking to Rini because, _duh_, it was Crystal Tokyo, and Rini LOVES tormenting me."

Confused, Darien said, "But Rini wasn't in my dream."

'_HIS dream?_' She wondered angrily. Was he finally admitting to it? And yet still not apologizing? She laughed angrily and said, "Well her NAME sure as hell came up, didn't it now!" And it made her sick again just to think HOW that name had come up. Rini's 'mother' her ass!

"Um, ..no not at all," Darien said. He sighed, then chanced at glance over at Serena. She was looking ready to jump out of the car. He said, sincerely, "I'm sorry you started getting the dreams, too, Serena."

Serena's head turned on him fast. "Stop it. Just, stop it! I KNOW it was YOUR stupid '**BOOMING VOICE**', Darien!"

"That's not my voice!" he protested, hitting the steering wheel. "It didn't even sound like me! Plus anyway how could you tell when he just says the same thing over and over? **YOU'RE GOING TO ****GET SERENA ****KILL****ED**, over and over."

.

Serena stared ahead for a second. Maybe she'd hit her head a LOT harder than usual. "Um, yeah, my BOOMING VOICE said a lot more than that," she admitted. She really didn't want to get in this while sitting on the highway like stupid idiots, but bit her lip and explained, "You started talking a lot more when I accused you of being, well, _you_."

"The voice TALKED to you?" Darien asked, truly shocked. Darien had tried arguing with the voice, maybe even taunting it a little bit, but it had never acknowledged him! The voice was disconnected from him, it's only purpose to remind him, over and over, how a relationship with Serena would get Serena killed.

Serena shook her head wryly, not sure what to believe. Why was he referring to 'the voice' in the third person, like it wasn't _HIM_? She looked at Darien and said, very sarcastically, "He told me he just happened to _sound_ like you." She smiled and rolled her eyes, HOPING Darien could see how stupid that sounded. But he was just staring coldly at her, as usual.

She took an exasperated breath: "Then you—_he_ ..well, he put me on hold." She blushed lightly and said, "I guess that's when I accused you of consulting with Rini to really, _really_ make the dream worse, but it turned out Rini was with me all night, so I guess I don't really know what you,—_he _was doing whenever he took his breaks. I was just left in all the broken glass shards, along with the fake suffering wedding guests."

'Wedding', and 'broken glass shards', was all he needed to hear to know that, while the voice wasn't telling them the same things, the dream was the same. Their future wedding; lots of bloodshed. A real nightmare. But he stayed silent, wanting to hear what she'd gotten the impersonator to say.

She shrugged at his silence and continued, "When he came back the first time, he claimed…" She sighed, looking at the time. Ms. Haruna would keep her in detention ALL WEEK! "You know, this is a complete waste of time if you're not going to admit breaking into my dreams. You're not going to believe me, no matter what, and I'm going to sound crazy—"

"Try me," he said seriously, starting the car and heading to his apartment. "Mind if we go by my place? I feel like I could use some coffee."

Serena rolled her eyes angrily; normally, like, in any other day, Darien would be headed to the arcade for that coffee. But not since he started hating Andrew for daring to comfort her. "Whatever," she said, angrily. "But I've _got_ to get to school sometime," she said.

"Just one cup then," Darien promised. "Go on about your dream."

Serena fidgeted in her seat, staring at her thumbs. "Even if you believe I'm telling the truth, you'll probably just think I dreamed it up myself. Or that it was a random nightmare. It really doesn't matter, does it." She absolutely hated that Darien had turned ALL her overtures of friendship into some kind of attempt to get back together with him. If he indeed didn't send the dream to her, she was going to sound even worse than usual, and he'd be sure to be cruel to her.

He didn't respond to her at all, instead focusing on the traffic. She finally decided just to get it over with, and simply never confront him again about any future such dreams. "Okay, so you came back and told me that if I wanted to live, I had to break up with you."

Darien's face screwed up in confusion. "He wanted you to break up with me?" he asked. But they were already broken up! And—

"Um, no," Serena said. "What he SAID was, "**IF YOU WANT TO LIVE, SERENA, YOU HAVE TO BREAK UP WITH ME**."

"Damn," Darien yelled after having to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting another car. His car slid over to the guardrail, nipped it a bit, but they didn't crash. It had scared the shit out of both of them, though, and he didn't even want to imagine what the passenger fender looked like. "Dammit!" he cursed, running a hand through his hair and trying hard to calm his nerves. Why couldn't Serena have waited a few minutes till they were at his place before dropping _that_ bomb! That he, Darien Chiba, had an impersonator that was trying to drive HER as insane as it had driven him!

.

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**Battle 4: Serena's Recognition  
The Truth Reveals It's Ugly Head**

Serena freaked out at his reaction—something about him almost smashing up his car clued her in that he may not, in fact, have broken into her dreams last night at all.

As he righted the car and continued driving, he asked firmly, "Someone's impersonating me, you think?"

She said. "Oh, that's **not** what I thought!" At his perplexed look, she said, "I haven't even gotten to the shocking parts yet, Darien."

"I'm not sure I want to hear," he said, half-meaning it. "At least, not until we're parked." And sitting down in his apartment, with plenty of liquor available for his immediate consumption if the occasion called for it.

.  
So they didn't' say anything else until they were in the building. He casually put a hand on her back to guide her to the elevator, but his heart broke when she involuntarily jerked away from him. She glanced over and awkwardly apologized, but maintained a good distance from him. He'd become so odious to her that her natural reaction to him was repulsion.

Which was, he supposed, what he'd wanted for so long now — over a month, now, he was sure. TRYING to get the most angelic girl on the planet to give up on him and despise him with all her heart, so she wouldn't face such a cruel future.

And yet, between her hostile attitude towards him lately, and those ..those nightmare situations with Andrew yesterday and this morning, it crushed him even more that he was actually succeeding in his ploy to earn her hatred.

.

Once inside his place, they worked on cleaning up her wound and bandaging it. He sighed and said, "I didn't even see you there, Serena. I was going after Andrew, and I guess —I'm sorry I crashed into you like that."

She inspected the bandages, and kept rinsing the blood out of her blond bangs. "I guess we're even now," she said, referring to all the times she'd crashed into him.

"Not by a longshot," Darien smiled. Then, in horror, realized what he was doing and quickly backed off and got his cold demeanor back. "Hurry up with that."

When they felt she looked respectable enough, and she'd called her Mom's cell to tell her Darien had taken her to get her head checked out, she hung up and glanced at the clock. 8:30. Ms. Haruna was going to KILL her. Serena didn't even try to make herself comfortable until Darien insisted. She opted for the 'safe' kitchen table, so he couldn't ever accuse her of trying to hop his stupid bones, and waited patiently for him to brew his coffee. She ended up taking a cup of hot chocolate he'd made for her, albeit with feigned disinterest.

When he sat across from her, she asked, "Did you break up with me because of a dream like that?"

Darien choked on his coffee.

"Not that it matters," Serena said. "It's just, —oh, _nevermind_. I can't imagine what kind of dunce would fall out of love due to such a poorly constructed 'dream'." She sipped her chocolate, wondering why Darien looked beat red. He must've made his coffee way too hot. Idiot. Okay, finish this up. "Now the Black Moon Clan, THEY can construct a really vivid dreamscape with working buildings and active droids —no offense, but that's why I KNEW it wasn't one of the enemies' dreams. Those people KNOW how to make a dream believable."

She paused. "Darien, you look green. Are you sure you're okay?"

Darien shook his head and said, "I'm probably coming down with something. No big deal. Get through the dream so I can get you off to school."

"Fine," Serena said. "After, um, 'the voice' said I had to break up with him, of course I was even more suspicious. —Oh! And then he said he was having 'technical difficulties' and that he'd be right back."

"'Technical difficulties'? …you've got to be kidding me!" Darien said furiously. Could it really be that these dreams, these 'prophecies', relied on ..on _technology_? His hand started shaking in fury, but he clamped an arm over it and seethed. "Just, finish the dream, Serena."

Serena shook her head bitterly. She added, "God, I was so mad at you," looking almost through him, recalling the landscapes. "I mean, it was OBVIOUSLY Rini's Crystal Tokyo. All of us — well, not you, of course—the Senshi and I, we all had to go into Rini's dream to save her from that Black Moon attack from the future. The landscapes and buildings in that dream last night were virtually identical to Rini's Crystal Tokyo! —well, the backdrop, anyway." She re-focused on Darien and said, "Do you _see_ why I thought Rini was involved? I mean, everyone else from the future can DO a good dreamscape! And the only people from the present who saw Crystal Tokyo were the Senshi and myself. That left Rini."

"Well, —you're assuming the message was false, Serena. I ..I saw the crystalline city when I started having the dreams last month, before any of us knew where Rini was from." Darien drank his coffee and stood to get another cup. As he moved to the counter, he said, "But don't you find it unsettling that you're being haunted with these dreams when we're ..we're not together anymore?"

"Well, that was ANOTHER thing made the whole dream seem so ridiculous. Like, whoever was putting me in the dream wasn't exactly up-to-date. Either that, or it was a mean joke, which also made me think of Rini." She relaxed a bit more and sipped her chocolate, relishing the taste of the warm goodness as it slid down her throat. One thing she'd definitely learned since becoming Sailor Moon was to suck the enjoyment out of every blessing the world had to offer, and hot chocolate? —huge blessing.

She continued, "Actually, I'm pretty glad now that the dream was so amateurish, as long as _you_ really didn't send the dreams just to terrorize me," Serena said matter-of-factly.

"I wouldn't do that," Darien said gruffly, still pouring his coffee, nearly afraid to look at Serena right this instant. Surely she'd see his weakness, his complete unworthiness, and run screaming from his apartment without nary a glance back.

Serena thought bitterly how Darien had done PLENTY of things recently that she'd have never believed possible before. Unfortunately, yes, she absolutely _could_ believe that he'd send her a dream like that, especially if Rini talked him into it as a 'fun joke', or a way to permanently sever their love forever.

Serena couldn't respond to his statement without hurting his feelings, so she opted to say nothing about it, particularly attacking his best friend. Instead, Serena added, "Well, no matter who sent the dream, I don't appreciate having my brain invaded. In fun or not. But I'm glad you didn't do it," she finished. She should probably add that the fact he was innocent did NOT give her any ideas of getting back together with him. But if he couldn't figure that out on his own, then she wasn't going to enlighten him any further. It really, truthfully, DIDN'T matter anymore.

"They don't stop, Serena," Darien said gruffly. "The dreams. Once you start getting them, they're constant, and you can even get them in the daytime. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy," he said.

Serena shrugged, "Well, once you know it's not real, it's just more of an irritant than anything."

"You don't think they're real?" Darien asked.

Serena laughed wryly. "An overly-perfect wedding, a THOUSAND years from now, with everyone we know in attendance. Come on, Darien! What, did we stop aging? How would my mom look EXACTLY like she does today, a thousand years from now?" she asked sardonically. "And heck, even if it were perfectly real, it's TEN LIFETIMES away! I mean, hell, you gotta die SOMEtime! That's longer than a cat's nine lives!"

Darien hadn't yet turned around to face her again; he was _still_ fixing his cup of coffee, but it saddened him that the girl who dreamed of weddings ridiculed the most beautiful wedding ensemble he'd ever imagined. It's what had made his dreams so nightmarish, thinking that THAT wedding was Serena's perfect wedding, and HE was the one making her so happy, only to have it ripped away so painfully.

He opened another cupboard, for no particular reason—oh yeah, some chocolate. He could make her some more hot chocolate. "Serena, what if that weren't ten lifetimes away. What if it were just, like, a year off."

Serena's jaw dropped. She'd been so focused on Rini's Crystal Tokyo that it hadn't even occurred… "No," she insisted. "How does the city change THAT much in a year or two, Darien?"

"Silver Crystal," Darien answered quickly, not sure why that was the first image in his head.

Serena continued without paying much attention to Darien. "Whatever! I _KNOW_ it was a fake! I talked to y—_him_." She even giggled a bit: "The conversation got so ridiculous that, when I realized I was being watched by some self-styled 'overlord', and my Mom started falling away through some of that fake glass stuff, I waved and said, '_See you on the other side __M__om! Thanks for coming__ to the wedding Ta ta for now__!_'" She laughed, proud of herself. "Oh yeah, it obviously bothered _the voice_, that I wasn't acting the way he expected. You—he got really pissed off."

Staring at his back, Serena was tempted to ask if he was alright, but ..no, she wasn't going to get sucked in again. How many times had he started acting like he needed comforting, or like he cared about her, only to throw it back in her face.

She was starting to feel awkward now, so decided to go ahead and finish up the ugly parts quickly. "Yeah so anyway, I accused you—_the voice,_ I mean, of being mad about Andrew kissing me yesterday, and ..—oh." She realized something suddenly and lost her smile. "Oh, crap!" That caused Darien to turn around, which in turn caused her to gasp sharply; Darien's eyes were red.

"What?" he asked, miserably.

Reddened eyes or not, Darien was back to being cold. Thank God! Because she was getting just a little too tempted to comfort him. Which surely would have led to his cries of rape or something equally embarrassing. She looked at her chocolate and said, "Well, I was thinking it was .._you_, the whole time. I guess I wasn't thinking right." She looked up at him apologetically. "I forgot he didn't seem to know anything about Andrew kissing me yesterday." She looked away embarrassed. "He made me tell him what happened, but then he got all ..I don't know, possessive and crazy." She rolled her eyes, hating herself that tears were forming in them. She cleared her throat and said, "He actually said, **YOU KISSED ANOTHER MAN****?** and —oh boy, that's about when I told him Lita was right about you needing Prozac."

She stood. "Darien, I'm really sorry I thought that was you. I guess I was just really tired… they kept me locked in this ..damned dream, for so long! But when I think about it now, it's obvious you'd never say most of those things that guy said. He just ..he had me fooled. And I feel really stupid about it now." She squirmed, then turned and walked away to look out of a window, any window.

How fucking humiliating could one lifetime get. She was fourteen. FOURTEEN. And had had enough embarrassment to last her a lifetime. Now some future freak had her believing her ex-boyfriend was invading her dreams, and she had bought it hook, line, and sinker.

.

**DARIEN BUYS A CLUE**  
Darien watched her numbly. He supposed he'd realized some ugly truths in the car, upon hearing about Serena having the wedding prophecy, and especially 'the voice' insisting that Serena break up with 'the voice'. And then later hearing how the voice claimed 'technical difficulties'. Damn, he cursed himself, why hadn't he considered that his 'prophetic dreams' were akin to the nightmare attack against Rini?

But he supposed the final 'realization' that spelled it out to him, as clearly as a professional anchorman reporting the news, was 'the voice's' EXACT SAME REACTION he'd had upon learning that Andrew had kissed Serena. Nobody knew his shock and horror at the idea of Serena kissing another man. How COULD he share that? It DID sound deranged! He'd broken up with her, albeit to save her life, but still couldn't imagine that she'd allow, or God forbid _initiate_, another man kissing her, whether they were broken up or not! Serena was HIS, and he hers, and his exact and only reaction to seeing Andrew near Serena was 'YOU KISSED ANOTHER MAN!"

The voice …no, it wasn't a prophet. It was HIM. Because ONLY he would have said that.

And it amazed him, even now, how Serena had known immediately, without reservation, that the voice was his. It was so like Serena to never be fooled by him. To shake him up so much that his only defense against her was outright hostility! And the way she described that voice's reaction to her obstinate denial of his 'identity' seemed so FUCKING familiar.

.

Serena had insisted on leaving right away; there was no way she was telling him the really ugly parts. Like how she had to marry him one day, and how Rini was ..'related' to her. UGH! Never! Never would she tell him that, because if he thought she had ANY part in 'making Rini', he'd surely enter a loveless marriage just to make that come true. And she'd be stuck with that miserable brat for life! He'd never let her discipline the brat; they'd harass her to death. Oh, but no! She couldn't even look forward to death's door if that 'prophecy' were right! She'd be forced to spend an ETERNITY with that miserable, incestuous duo from HELL!

Maybe Darien would think the "shocker" was that 'the voice' was jealous of Andrew, or that 'the voice' wasn't all-knowing like he presented himself to be.

She found it odd that Darien barely spoke to her after that, although she basically apologized to him for accusing him. Maybe he believed, again, that she was trying to lure him back into their great love story. Heh. She felt like blowing him a kiss just to freak him out a bit!

"What?" Darien asked as they pulled up to the school.

"Oh, um, —I just felt foolish for telling you about the dream, I guess. Now I'm even questioning if I should bring it up at the Senshi meeting—"

"Oh, you absolutely MUST," Darien insisted. And then, as she opened her door to get out of his newly-banged-up prized possession, he asked, lightly, "And, um, …I'd really appreciate it if you could call your Senshi off me. I want to be there to help you; we need to fight this enemy together, Serena. You don't have to invite me to the meetings or anything, but maybe fill me in on the big things."

Serena half-smiled at him, but nodded, and even sat back down in the car. "I guess. But I'll tell you the truth, Darien, the reason we were cutting you out wasn't because of _you_. We really appreciate what you do." She was trying very hard not to choke on those words, which these days did little more than remind her of his overdressed, rose-throwing superhero outfit. "I don't trust Rini. And in fact, her behavior this morning really made me decide it was time for her to go."

"To GO?" Darien asked, shocked.

Serena looked away in shame. "I'm not trying to take her from you, Darien. But she's a danger to the team, and you can't see that. All you see is a ..wonderful ..little girl—"

"Serena, look at MY CAR!" Darien blustered. "I'm perfectly aware that she manipulated some things to her liking this morning. But you have to remember—"

"Oh please don't say it," Serena begged, tears and vomit threatening for real now.

"—she's just doing all this to help her Mommy, whom she LOVES. And MISSES."

"Oh, God grant me the serenity—" Serena prayed vociferously…

"And you remind her of her mother. She's TOLD me that. That little girl loves you, whether you can see it or not. And she's all alone here."

Serena turned and glared at him. He looked stunned to see the anger in her face, the pallor of her skin turning sickly green again, like she was going to be sick. "Are you sure you need to be in school today? You look a little green."

Serena grabbed her bag and slammed the door. She heard a clinking sound, and refused to look down at the side-view mirror that had just dropped off his door completely by accident, and probably due to shoddy workmanship, or his horrible driving. She stamped away, even as she heard his engine shut off.

.

**Battle 5  
Stopping The Bleeding**

Almost 9am! Serena ran into the classroom and slid into her seat, prepared to be yelled at. She was going to show her bandages, Ms. Haruna would forgive her—

Molly whispered, "You're safe; Ms. Haruna's late and they haven't taken roll yet!"

Sighing, Serena smiled and relaxed. "Thank you Molly!"

Serena opened her books and started doing her homework, but kept drawing little symbols on her paper. She hadn't even thought of it until looking at it later, seeing all these little black frowny faces everywhere on her paper. No eyes; no noses… just —black crescent moons.

Molly had her wrist on Serena's papers again, and Serena realized, belatedly, that Molly wasn't trying to hold hands or anything after all. She was wearing some new jewelry! "Oh Molly, it's really ..neat!"

"Yeah," Molly sighed, admiring it widely. "Melvin made it for me. There's this new shop in town —I think all the elementary kids are going to make them today. But Melvin and I are going tonight after dinner; I need to make him one. They say if you make such a promise ring for a guy, he'll, you know… love you forever!"

Serena's heart sank, but she made sure nobody could detect it.

"And the word around the school is that that hot arcade manager Andrew has the HOTS for you, Serena! Why don't you come with us and..who knows, maybe you can make one for him!"

Serena smiled, but her teeth were gritting inside. What everyone seemed to MISS here was that these rumors were damaging; Andrew and Reika were happy together, and they were so wonderful that they'd forgiven her a HUGE mistake that could have earned her a terrible reputation as a homewrecker.

"Molly, he's engaged to Reika, and she's really really nice. Andrew's just my very good, important friend!"

That's when Lita sat right on Serena's desk and said, "Oh no, hot shot, you don't have THAT excuse anymore!" She gleamed at Molly: "Haven't you told her yet?"!

Molly shook her head, but smiled at Serena: "Word is that he completely DUMPED Reika so he could go out with YOU, Serena! It's the most romantic thing I've ever heard!"

"What?" Serena said, tears forming in her eyes. She looked up at Lita: "I just talked to Reika! She said everything was great! Oh PLEASE Lita tell me this isn't true!"

"No can do!" Lita beamed. "And I got it straight from the horse's mouth, I did! I walked right up to Andrew and he told me ..the events of this morning." She cleared her throat, but winked at Serena. "Girl, you are so HOT!"

"But he LOVES Reika! And —when does her flight leave, Lita?"

"How could I possibly know that, Serena?" Lita said, not quite as amused as she had been just seconds ago. Why did Serena always have to throw a wet blanket on a potentially HOT love affair? "And I'm sorry, but if Andrew loved Reika, why would he be kissing you TWICE now?"

"He TOLD you that?" Serena shrieked, jumping up.

"He DID!" Mina chimed in from behind them all. "He says you've moved on from Darien, and what happened when Darien saw him kissing you this morning. He said your mom was VERY disappointed in Darien for throwing you to the ground."

"He didn't —that's not how it happened!" Serena said, jumping up and down trying to think of a way to clean up this mess.

Ami finally piped up: "Two hours."

Serena looked at Ami and …"The flight leaves in two hours? Can we make it?"

Lita said, "Oh HELL no, Serena! We've finally got you hooked up with one of the hottest properties on the market; you're GOING for it!" [Or I am!], Lita thought with glee.

"Reika's my FRIEND!" Serena insisted. "I didn't know—"

Ami smiled proudly at Serena and said, "You know, I never, NEVER, skip school. —but if we're going to make it in time we'd better get going!"

.

* * *

/AN/

Thanks for all the helps and suggestions! Btw, I made a boo-boo earlier by having Emerald's flu spread around right after then UFO exploded (chapter 1 afterthought), when really it happened many episodes later (after S/D reunited, even). Sorry! But now for something generally related to this chapter:

**RANT **about the stupid dreams Endymion sends:

Endymion - the ONLY thing that really makes sense to me is that Endymion hates Rini and plots to make sure she never gets born. Seriously, think about it! "Never marry Serena!" Yeah, SURE FIRE way (for S/D) to kill off Rini. And out of all the SM I've seen/read, I still say the _BIGGEST __**tests **_of their love were:

#6 Serena not having a power-up, and she and Darien make a moon rod together (can't recall the episode, sorry, but AWWW!)  
#5 Convincing Black Lady that she was loved _(but they would have done that regardless of the test, or they were TOAST!)_  
#4 mirror shard in Darien's eyeball, which is a lot like  
#3 Beryl's brainwashing of Darien (and does that even count since Endymion didn't 'test' that?)  
#2 Galaxia killing Darien and Serena believing he's alive all year (yes, this SUCKED and tested MY love of the story!)  
#1 Darien breaking up with Serena because of a dream

Maybe I'm forgetting something huge? ..but these are the "major tests" I remember, and **I still rank "the test" itself as the worst of the lot! ** I'd love to hear thoughts on this topic.

**XOXO**


	5. Chasing Serena

**Snapped**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Chapter 5  
Chasing Serena**

Darien had tried to follow Serena into the school. He didn't care about his damned car, which between Serena and Rini had lost about $10K in value in the last hour alone. What had left him speechless, and now utterly concerned, was how strongly Serena had reacted against his plea for Serena to be a little nicer to Rini.

He knew Rini had put her through a lot, but Serena was the most forgiving, understanding person he'd ever met, in any lifetime. For her to be so adamant against Rini just didn't equate. "It had to be the dream," he mumbled under his breath. The dream had driven him nearly mad, as well. And hers had been different; what if something in her dream was forcing her to be exceptionally cruel to Rini?

He stood in the principal's office patiently, checking his watch.

"Mr., um, Tsukino? Did you say something?" a secretary asked.

Darien turned: "I'm just wondering what's taking so long to find Serena!"

The secretary looked embarrassed. "Well, you see your niece's teacher is running late this morning. Serena's friends said she was in the bathroom, but, er, that was quite some time ago. If you'd like to take a seat—?"

"No," Darien said coldly. "No, thank you," he said, and left quickly, wondering where she'd gotten off to in the last half-hour!

.

Walking out of the school's office, he was quite literally run over by his Odango-headed princess. She leaped up and screamed, "Are you trying to KILL me?"

Thankfully, Ami took a little pity on him and helped pull him up. But she asked, "What are you doing here, Darien?"

As Serena took off running out of the school, Ami looked back apologetically and followed Serena. Darien immediately took off after them, expecting to learn that there was a droid attack somewhere. But once outside, he was surprised to find Serena back at his car, Ami squealing to a halt beside her. Ami turned to Darien and said, "Oh, my GOD Darien is this _your car_? What happened?"

"Rini happened," Serena glared. She looked at Ami: "Wanna ask _him_?"

Ami cringed, but turned to Darien, "Can you get us to the airport, like, _right now_?"

Darien glanced up at Serena, who was staring at nothing, then used his key fob to unlock the car: "Let's go," he said. Nevermind that it was a school day, or that he had classes he NEEDED to get to.

Serena instantly opened the back door and climbed in, which for some reason bothered him, but he'd play it her way. He opened the broken passenger door for Ami, and she stepped into the front seat. He walked around the car, thinking that maybe yes indeed his life had gotten pretty stupid since Rini showed up. Just.. stupid. Not that it was Rini's fault, of course; just that the timing was funny. Rini came; the droids started appearing; the nightmares. A UFO! People from the future with hideous laughs… his best friend turning on him like the four Shitennou had.

"So what's at the airport," he asked Ami, refusing to direct any questions to the brat in the back.

"Well, you see there was this misunderstanding and we need to ..to talk to Reika before she leaves," Ami said sweetly.

Darien chuckled. '_Misunderstanding_.' Out loud, he said, "Maybe you should leave Reika alone. Sounds like she's been through quite enough."

The car grew insanely quiet.

Darien asked, "Well, what do you plan on telling her? Sorry her boyfriend likes someone else; have a nice trip?"

Ami smiled coldly and said, "Serena just found out they'd broken up and she'd like to talk to Reika, that's all."

He glanced in the rearview mirror; Serena was staring out the window, completely ignoring the conversation.

Fine. He looked at Ami and said, "Did you ever make any sense of those attack points in the city?"

Ami opened her mouth, but then shook her head. "No. I think Rubeus had one set of plot points. Emerald hasn't hit us enough to find a pattern. All I can really tell is that she seems to have a new set of plans."

"Do you think she's still after Rini?" Darien asked.

"Possibly. Although she could have had Rini in her grasp in the sweets shop, but that figurine was more important. I think Rini is more like, icing on the cake now. Not her primary objective."

As they drove on in silence, Darien finally said, "So are the Senshi really going to send Rini back to her future?"

Ami's eyes went wide; instead of reacting vocally, though, she listened for any kind of movement from the back seat.

Then Serena said, "I haven't discussed it with the scouts yet, but after this morning, I've decided I want her to un-brainwash my family, and —just get out of my life."

Ami piped up quickly, "Um, Serena, I thought we'd decided it was best if we could keep an eye on her?"

"She's too dangerous to be around my family, Ami. She tried to throw a brick through THIS car, and guess who's responsible for paying that bill—!"

Darien gritted his teeth: "I've already SAID I won't hold you responsible for that, SE-REE-NAH!"

Ami cringed: "Well, Darien, she does have a point. If this hadn't been your car, they could have been sued—"

"WHICH MAKES ME THE NICE GUY!" Darien spat, speeding up to fly by all the traffic in his way.

Serena sighed and said, "Darien can keep her at his place. All she has to do is un-brainwash my family so nobody will miss her, and she'll still be safe. That's probably how it should have been all along—"

"Woah!" Darien said, "Woah _woah woah_, she's a nice kid, but I don't recall signing up for that duty!"

Serena closed her eyes. She'd tried so hard to hold her tongue. SO hard. But not anymore— "No, what you DID was sign ME up for that duty, knowing she was after me and my crystal all along, and not minding that she put myself and my family in danger constantly! Boy what a sacrifice YOU'VE made—!"

Darien turned angrily to yell at Serena, but she immediately screamed as the car jerked hard to the side; Darien quickly looked ahead as his car careened off the road. He jerked the wheel sharply to get back on the road, at which point they got t-boned by a car behind them.

.

.

.

"At least you were wearing your seat belt," Darien glowered at Serena, _still_ furious with her.

The paramedics had come and taken them all to the hospital, even though everyone had pretty much lucked out due to airbags and seatbelts. Of course, his car was now in two pieces somehow; it had taken two tow trucks to haul it off, and a third for the car that t-boned them. The police had actually asked how a brick got involved in the accident; it had taken Darien a second to remember Rini's antics from a few hours ago.

Ami was busy lying her ass off to everyone involved that they'd left school with Darien to go to the hospital because of Serena's "head injury", which, thank God, was actually a real head injury. Dr. Mizuno, Ami's mom, had questioned why the school hadn't sent Serena to the hospital, but another helpful little truth about Ms. Haruna being a no-show actually made Ami and Darien seem heroic instead of delinquent.

Serena was left sitting against the wall in a tiny ER room with Darien, waiting for her CT scan results. For her 'head injury'. She'd refused to lay in the bed; both were too stubborn to sit in the lone chair; so they plopped on the floor instead. Finally, Serena sighed. "Sorry about your car."

When he didn't respond, she rolled her eyes, thinking he had blamed HER for that, too, so she stood up to leave the freaking hospital—

Darien grabbed her wrist and pulled her down, catching her as she fell into his lap. "Serena," he said softly, then softly kissed her temple, pulling her tightly against him.

She automatically tried to push away from him, but he pulled her even closer and kissed the top of her head. "I shouldn't have let you go this morning," he said. "That's why I followed you into the school. I have so much to tell you. —I, I shouldn't have let you go at all."

"Let me _go_," Serena begged, heartbroken. She felt like she'd screwed up everybody's lives, and maybe Darien was just being nice, but it was sure to lead to even more heartbreak for her, because it just felt too good to be held by him, and she knew he wouldn't keep holding her. She had steeled herself for his next mood swing, and although she hadn't expected _this _much of a mood swing, she was a warrior and knew how think on her feet. Which, in this case, required her to get off his lap on ON to her feet.

That's when he surprised her and gently pulled her head back and kissed her. And kept kissing her, even when she started trying to scramble away. All she could feel was his vice grip around her arms, and a desperate-feeling tongue trying to push her mouth open.

Ami pushed the curtains open brightly and said, "I've got good news, and bad—OH!" ..and ran out.

The interruption was enough to startle Darien's grip loose, and more than enough for Serena to jump out of his arms. She looked around quickly, miserably, and jumped on the bed, pulling the lone cover over herself as if for protection from his cruel maneuverings. Then she picked up the nurse call button and held it in front of her like a crucifix, ready to use it if necessary.

Darien sighed, then got up and sat on the edge of the bed, trying to keep a respectable distance from her before she bolted from the room. He'd had more than enough violence for the day, and it wasn't even noon yet. "Yes, I broke up with you because of the dream," he finally admitted.

Ami walked back in with her mother at that point, looking completely mortified at first, but breathing a sigh of relief when she saw they'd ..righted themselves.

Dr. Mizuno said, "Serena, you've got a concussion, but you'll live." She walked over and sat on the other side of the bed, setting the chart on Serena's lap and flashing a light in her eyes. "I called Ikuko just now. She mentioned your.. 'fall', this morning." She gave her her best Dr. Serious smile. "Said you had it checked out."

"Well, um, —Dr. M, I was dizzy at first, but once I cleaned the wound it looked fine and I really, _really_ didn't need to miss any more school."

"You're on bed rest for the day; and you need to get another checkup in the morning. But I guess you can go home." She smiled warmly at the girl who'd brought so much light into her daughter's life. Ami had never seemed to have many friends before Serena, and now, Ami had tons of friends, places to go, even parties. And Serena was a good girl. Sure, _some_ of their friends seemed a little.. odd. Especially that quiet priestess that lived with that ..perverted old man who'd actually put his hand on her derriere one night when she showed up to give Ami a ride home. But the Tsukinos were great people. Poor Serena just needed a LOT of help in school. And apparently, some help in her gait. She suddenly thought of something and asked, "Have you always had an issue with falling?"

.

.

"That was NOT funny," Serena seethed at Ami as they walked out of the hospital. Ami was playing 'drunk Serena', and completely forgetting that of ALL the people to make fun of her in front of, Darien was NOT one of them.

Darien had called for a rental car, and dropped Ami off at school, following her to the door to instruct her quietly to get Serena's homework.

Ami looked at Serena sitting in the car—back seat, again—and said, "Darien, I know you mean well. Well, I _guess_ you mean well. But you really hurt her. She —she's going to need some time." Like, years.

Darien shook his head. "She hasn't told you about the dream yet, Ami. She had the same dream last night that I've been having for weeks! I thought it was prophecy—"

"Prophecy?" Ami said, slightly interested. "You know, Rini had a dream that was actually an attack—"

"It wasn't like that, Ami. It was a dream about the future; Serena and I were getting married, but then Crystal Tokyo fell, and Serena was dying… a 'prophetic voice' kept telling me that if I stayed with her, she would die horribly in that future."

"And she had that dream last night?" Ami said, confused. But then, realization dawned on her like getting hit by a bus. Or t-boned by a car. "THAT'S why you pushed her away? Darien? A DREAM?"

Darien ignored her rantings. "Ami, she had the same dream last night, only this time, the dream was riddled with errors! She told me about it this morning, and how she'd spotted it as a fake right away." He looked down, ashamed. "Well, she didn't really think it was a _fake_; she thought I'd sent her the dream. And she thought Rini was involved… it's a long story. But suffice it to say, she thinks the dream was manufactured, and I'm beginning to believe it, as well."

"Does she still think you sent the dream?" Ami asked, glancing over at the car to see what Serena was doing. Serena was starting to watch them now; they'd better hurry this up.

"No," he said. "When we were arguing about it this morning, something made her realize I couldn't have sent it. Even though it was my voice in the dream, or a facsimile of my voice. It seems the fake me didn't know about Andrew and got quite upset about it. Serena apparently didn't remember that detail until we were discussing it this morning—"

"_What?_" Ami asked, then stared at the car. "Darien, she's bolting—"

Turning around, Darien saw Serena running through parking off and took off: "Serena!"

.

.

.

**Turnabout**

When he caught up to her, she turned and pointed at him: "Stay AWAY from me, Darien!"

Darien grabbed her arms and said, "Just listen to me! We need to figure this out—"

Tears were streaming down her face now. "I've FIGURED it out, Darien!" She pushed him away and held her arms close to her chest. "You dumped me because you had a damned dream—"

"I didn't want you to DIE," he said, clenching his teeth to keep himself cool. "Serena, I love you! And I never stopped—"

She smacked him. Hard. "No, Darien, you DIDN'T love me. If you had LOVED me, you never would've done that to me! Hell even your BRAINWASHED 'Dark Endymion' self was nicer to me than YOU were." She backed up. "How DARE you claim to love me!" She angrily wiped her eyes and said, "I could have lived with being too stupid for you, or being too fat. Too clumsy. I could have lived with THE TRUTH! But you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth; you said all those things to push me away—"

"Serena, I'm sorry!" he pleaded shrilly. "I thought I was doing the right thing—!"

"THE DREAM DIDN'T EVEN LOOK REAL!" Serena screamed. She was breathing too hard, she knew; she stepped back again, pointing at him. "My GOD you had me running from you so hard that I MADE OUT with Andrew, and broke up his relationship with Reika! Now he's alone, too, since you're not even his friend anymore! —Andrew didn't deserve ANY of this! And you KNOW it!"

"I'll apologize to him, Serena! I didn't mean—"

"No, you DID mean it! You said it; you never let me go. You just made me _think_ that. You broke me apart, then PUNISHED Andrew for trying to comfort me. And …and RINI?"

"Serena, you're the most forgiving person I know and you HAVE to listen to reason here—!"

She'd stumbled backwards completely out of the parking lot, and now they were on the sidewalk. She glanced down to keep her footing, but kept backing up. Then she looked up at him hatefully. "You wanna know _why_ Rini's going to live with you, Darien?"

Darien shook his head. "I can't do that, Serena. And you can't do that to her. She loves you, and your family. Even if she undoes the brainwashing, SHE's not brainwashed! She'd MISS your family! And apparently she hates me now, judging by the brick, so she won't want that."

"That little demon spawn is your daughter, Darien," Serena said coldly, knowing it would shake him up. And definitely wanting to shake him up. "That's probably why you've felt so protective of her. And it's probably why she's such a fucking spoiled BRAT now! I bet you let her get away with murder in the future, and then sent her back when she .._get this_! STOLE MY FUCKING CRYSTAL in the FUTURE, so I'm laying around somewhere DYING! Not that I should complain since it's probably the FIRST peace I've had in a THOUSAND YEARS!"

Darien stood still. Perfectly still. He could see it now. Rini landing on Serena's lap; having the same name. Knowing about the Silver Crystal at all...! The hairstyle; the mannerisms. "You're her mother. You're Rini's mother."

"That's what you said last night in that damned dream!"

"Serena, you didn't tell me everything!" Darien said, shocked. "I KNEW you were leaving something out! I just didn't imagine—"

"How's it feel, Darien? You had your stupid fake dream and acted on it without telling me! Turnabout's fair play, right?" She stepped back again, not out of fear of falling into his arms, but out of fear of taking a human life. She seethed, "At least I let you off the hook in a matter of HOURS instead of MONTHS!"

"I thought I was SAVING you!" Darien said, growing angrier by the minute.

She sneered. "This is just RICH. You remember how you said you didn't want to be STUCK with me now just because we were together in the past—?"

"I was trying to save you!"

"Well I don't want to be STUCK with you because we're supposedly together in the FUTURE! If you can try to 'break destiny', then I sure as hell can too." She nearly leaped back ten feet when he sprinted at her. "I'm *_not_* living a THOUSAND FUCKING YEARS with YOU coddling that damned brat! You thought you could change the future? You just didn't try HARD enough! Me, I'll RIP OUT MY WOMB before I give birth to that thing! THAT oughta change a few things, right?"

Darien had stopped stalking towards her; something hit him that she wasn't thinking too clearly right now. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, he put on his best beside manner and said, very calmly, "Serena, we just need to calm down. Talk about this." He started walking steadily towards her, wondering – no, hoping! – that Ami had called the scouts. Serena seemed so upset that he was half-afraid she'd throw herself under a train if he didn't get hold of her.

"How would YOU like knowing you'd be STUCK in HELL for a thousand years, Darien?"

"Serena, if we made it a thousand years, it wasn't 'hell'. And don't you remember that Rini's back here to save YOU? Her _Mother_? _Y__ou're_ her reason for traveling through time, alone, when she's only _eight_ years old!"

"You know what it makes ME wonder? I wonder why YOU didn't come!" Serena spat.

"We don't know enough to even begin to guess the answers to these questions!" Darien said, finally rounding on her and grabbing her from behind. He'd had to transform to do it, but he had her, and that's all that counted right now.

.

.

"**What**," Luna intoned loudly, "**is going on here?**"

Serena and Tuxedo Mask looked up to see all four Sailor Senshi and the two cats standing immediately before them. Mars stormed up to the battered-looking duo and said, "Take your hands off her now, Mask."

Tuxedo Mask held his breath for a moment, then said, "I can't do that, Sailor Mars."

Sailor Mercury said, "Well, maybe we should at least get off the street."

Jupiter said, "It sorta does look like Tuxedo Mask is mugging a teenager."

Tuxedo Mask looked down; yep, his hand was over her mouth, and her teeth were sunk in his glove. She was kicking and, were it not for his hand, would be screaming. Definitely crying. He looked at Mars and said, "Well what would you suggest we DO?"

Sailor Venus neared Serena and held out a hand: "Wanna go over to my place?"

Serena nodded, calmly, and Tuxedo Mask let her go when she finally seemed to stop crying. Venus smiled at him and took Serena's hand—

And Serena ran through the group of Senshi and jumped onto a moving vehicle. The car hit it's breaks, until the driver looked back to see an oddly dressed group of—oh, the Senshi, coming at it full blast. As a bright pink light filled the air, the driver hit the gas and drove for all he was worth.

.

.

Tuxedo Mask took off to get her, but found himself bound arm and foot by the Senshi. And Luna was on his top hat. The tuxedo-clad man screamed, "She's GETTING AWAY! Go GET her!"

Sailor Mars, pinning his arm against a light pole, growled out, "And that's okay, Tuxedo Mask. Why don't we give her a little SPACE. I hear she's had a _ROUGH DAY_!" Although she couldn't imagine how things had degraded so much further after Darien had tried to kill Andrew yesterday at the arcade. Ami had just alerted them all that Serena was in trouble, and the only other information they had was that Darien had kissed her, then told Ami he had a dream. She muttered under her breath, "So did Martin Luther King. It didn't cause all THIS!"

Tuxedo Mask watched as Sailor Moon leaped off the car she'd been on, then disappeared among buildings. "Great." Then he turned to Sailor Venus: "You made me let go of her; YOU call her on that weird communicator—"

Luna tore the hat from his head and dropped it to the ground: "Oh **no** you **_di'int_**! Let me tell you something, Mr. _Project Runway_. That communicator spent _years_ in research and development and is perfectly designed for the tasks at hand. And someone who wears a hat like _that_ just doesn't gets to ridicule it. —now what did you do to her _this _time?"

.

.

.

**Promise Rings**

Serena detransformed, and ran. She found a tree and beat it up, leaving it for splinters. And then she ran some more. When her communicator went off, she threw it in the ocean. Not figuratively, either—she transformed into Sailor Moon, bound for the coast of Japan, blasted herself high in the air, and just as Sailor Mars came onscreen with some surly remarks about her coming out of hiding, she THREW it into the ocean. And hoped that little tsunami it caused wouldn't completely destroy that tiny little island it was heading towards.

And then she turned toward the elementary school, fury in her eyes. She flew past buildings and cars, DARING someone to be in her way. —well, she would have felt terrible if she'd mowed someone down, so was careful that nobody was in her way to begin with. But it still felt nice to think she was DARING someone to be in her way.

She felt much better when, as Serena Tsukino, regular girl, she waited outside the elementary school for Rini to come out. She smiled and waved at Rini, then grabbed her hand so they could walk.

"Did Darien take care of your head?" Rini asked warmly with a big smile.

"Oh yeah," Serena said, somewhat sarcastically. "He took care of things alright."

"Did you get Andrew and Reika back together?" Rini asked hopefully.

That startled Serena. Serena had forgotten all about how she'd screwed up their lives, too.

Rini, suspecting the answer, said, "Well, I know how we can do it! You see, there's this promise ring shop with free lessons so even you can afford it! Everyone's getting one, and they really work! Look!" She showed Serena the bracelet around her wrist. "I've already gotten one! What you do is, you make a promise ring for someone, and if they really love you, the ring will come apart!"

Serena glared at her: "I don't want anyone to love ME, Rini. I want Andrew to love REIKA again. And only her. The way it should be!"

"Well you could TRY, Serena! We'll just make one for Reika, and just to be safe, _I'll_ give it to Andrew and tell him Reika wanted him to have it."

Serena let her frown subside, and actually smiled a little. "You really think that could work?" —but then she remembered, this was Rini. "Andrew will probably fall in love with YOU, Rini."

Rini harrumphed. "Well, that's better than him being in love with YOU, isn't it?"

"He's not _in love_ with me!" Serena said. "He felt sorry for me. And —did you even SEE Darien attacking Andrew this morning? It's like everyone who's nice to me gets hurt."

Rini sighed. "I know how that feels."

They walked quietly. The Rini screamed, "Oh look, Serena! There's Molly! And her boyfriend Mundane! "

"Melvin," Serena corrected.

Molly ran up to the two: "What happened to you today? Your uncle showed up but they couldn't find you!"

"Car accident. Didn't Ami tell you?" Serena asked.

Then Serena remembered that Ami couldn't have had the chance to actually get back into school today. She quickly added, "We were at the hospital, but they let us all go. We're fine."

Rini looked up at Serena with concern: "Car accident?"

"Long story, kiddo," Serena said flatly, remembering all too well exactly why she'd gone to confront Rini in the first place.

But Molly grabbed Serena's hand and pulled her into the crafts store: "You came to make promise rings, right?"

"YES!" Rini lit up, grabbing Serena's other hand and jumping up and down.

.

.

.

**Brainstorming**

"Well, that's it, then," Lita said. "Rini's got to remove that brainwashing and leave the Tsukino household."

"Yeah, Serena sorta gets a BIG say in this one, guys," Rei agreed.

"For the LAST time," Darien growled, "they don't have to PAY for the CAR! —forget the car!" Darien was completely frustrated. "You can't do this to her. Not just to Rini, but to Serena. Because she's going to come to her senses one day, and hate herself for kicking her own DAUGHTER to the curb!"

Ami shook her head, looking at her computer display. "I don't get the thousand years thing, but they do share DNA. It's not a reincarnated Serena that gives birth to that child." She sat back, tapping her pen. Turned to look at Darien. "Here's what we're going to do. We're going to extract some of her ova, freeze it, and just the _possibility _of you being able to fertilize the eggs one day will keep Rini's existence possible, so she won't disappear." Beat. "Then you and Serena don't _have _to get back together, regardless of the prophecies and destinies and whatnot!"

They all stared at Ami blankly, but Luna said, "You know, that MIGHT be comforting to Serena."

Lita laughed, "Sucks to be Serena right now, that's for sure." Darien had made his case to them once they reached his apartment, and they grilled him for details, enough so that everyone was pretty clear on what had happened this morning.

And Lita had smacked Darien, hard, for stopping Serena's spanking of Rini. Not one of the girls or cats were on Darien's side in this, which distressed him. "I'm just not a fan of corporal punishment, I suppose."

Rei said, "You can't blame her for cringing at the thought of her future, Darien! You've been HELLISH to her —and don't say a WORD about that dream. And Rini almost got us all killed."

"Trying to SAVE HER MOTHER!" Darien insisted again, for the billionth time. "Which is EXACTLY what our jobs are!"

.

.

.

**A New Understanding**

The strangely-dressed instructor stood over Serena and asked, "So who do you want to love you?"

"Nobody!" Serena spat. Then swallowed. "I mean, this isn't for me. This is for a friend of mine who broke up with his girlfriend, but they still love each other, and —"

"Silly girl," Regalia said, ripping the instructions from Serena's hands. "You make him fall in love with YOU." She shifted through a folder of instructions and pulled one out: "Here, THIS is for a third party!"

Serena ripped the instructions from the strange instructor's hand and started winding the strings together.

Rini said, "You're tying yourself in knots, Serena!" She jerked the strings from Serena's hands, or at least tried to, and somehow they ended up tied together.

Serena screamed, "You've cut off the blood supply to my fingers!"

Rini pulled harder: "I'm TRYING to get it out, stop MOVING!"

As the girls started ripping their hands apart, Molly showed up and clipped the binds with scissors, then helped them pull the strings away from their hands. "I'm almost finished the one I'm making for Melvin. Want me to do yours?"

Both Serena and Rini glared at Molly, who shrunk back with an apology. And then the bell rung, and Regalia screamed, "GET OUT! Go, wear your creations and—"

"I didn't get one!" Serena screamed.

But she was shoved out bodily by a laughing Regalia, and Rini was tossed unceremoniously into Serena's lap. Molly bent down to ask if they were okay, but saw how mad Serena was and took off, saying she'd see her at school the next day.

"I'm sorry, Serena," Rini said softly, walking beside her just as morosely as Serena was.

"Whatever," Serena glowered.

Rini said, "Hey, you think if we just went to the arcade and TOLD Andrew that you're into Darien—"

"I'm NOT!" Serena said, then spun on Rini and grabbed her wrist, pulling herself down to eye level with Rini. "Look, I used to ..care, about ..him," she wasn't sure why it was so hard to even spit out his damned name. "But I don't anymore. Not at all. I would rather DIE than be with him. Do you understand me?"

Rini started weeping and said, "Is it because of me?"

Serena glared. This little brat was looking all pitiful, which Serena had SEEN her use a thousand times to get her way, and …and it was working. "AARGH!" Serena said. "Look, maybe you and I can get along. Is that what you want?"

Rini nodded, but still looked sad.

Serena smiled coldly, but let the little girl's arm go free. But she stayed kneeling to face Rini eye-to-eye: "Fine. Here's the thing. I don't want to be treated like he treats me—"

"But, Serena!" Rini started whining.

"NO!" Serena said. "No BUTS. He used to be nice; he's STILL nice to most people. But he's not good for me; we're not good for each other. And you know that as well as I do. If you want to be friends with me? —keep any mention of Darien out of my earshot. I don't want to hear it. He and I aren't even friends anymore." She smiled sweetly. "I'll work with him to keep you safe, just like I'll work with the other Senshi. But that's IT." She breathed deeply, PRAYING that Rini understood this completely. "Okay, Rini? Can you do that for me?"

Rini said, "It's because of me."

"No," Serena said, again, feeling like she was explaining the same thing over and over to Forrest Gump. "It's because Darien and I don't belong together. It's because if I EVER go out with another guy again, he'll be NICE to me. He won't think I'm fat; or stupid; or clumsy —even if I am."

"You'll never find a guy like that, Serena," Rini said, sadly.

Serena's eyes bugged out, but she swallowed her fury and said, "Then I won't go out with any guy. I have plenty of friends, and —well, like Lita says, there's always one-night-stands! Play the field; have fun! Because life is …" she choked briefly. "_Short._ Life is short, Rini." Or it sure as hell SHOULD be short.

"But my Mommy's lived a long time, Serena! You might too! And me, too!" Rini said happily.

"All the more reason to not get stuck with a guy that hates you, right?" Serena smiled. "I've set a horrible example for you in the way I've handled this thing with Darien," Serena said.

"And school," Rini added. "And homework, and your mom, and the droids—"

Serena glared at the brat and stood up, dragging Rini down the street and towards their home. "Okay, just remember I'm fourteen and am allowed to make a few errors."

"Your other friends are fourteen or fifteen and they don't—" Rini shut up as Serena started screaming at her.

.

.

.

**Truce?**

Darien was dragged into the arcade by four girls, and followed by two cats. They'd spent the last hour or more at his apartment going over both his dream, and Serena's interpretation of her dream. And now they'd decided that, regardless of what they did with Rini, maybe Darien had a point about Serena's immediate mental state.

But since the one thing that seemed to bug Serena even more than Rini being her daughter was what had happened to Andrew during all this drama, they almost unanimously decided that fixing up Darien and Andrew's friendship would be a good start to fixing things with Serena.

"This is stupid," Darien said, trying to turn to leave. But Lita was behind him, and, with a wide smile, she said, "Do it."

Darien rolled his eyes and walked ahead, straight into Andrew. Who was glaring at him: "I thought I told you never to set foot back in here again."

Mina went to hang onto Andrew's arm with a wide smile, but ended up face-first over a barstool as Lita shoved her and grabbed Andrew's arm instead: "Darien wants to apologize for everything."

Darien backed up a step, right into Rei, who shoved him back towards Andrew. "Yes," Darien said. "I was out of line and am very sorry," he said robotically.

"Oh that sounds sincere," Andrew rolled his eyes.

"It is," Mina said, sitting up and pulling her skirts back down. "He's very ashamed of how he acted. He's been under a lot of stress and needs Prozacs—"

"Mina, I can talk for myself," Darien said haughtily, pulling his jacket out of Rei's grasp and straightening it up over his shoulders. He looked at Andrew and started to say something, then closed his mouth.

Andrew sighed, then asked, "How's Serena? Ikuko called and told me—"

"I-KU-Ko?" Darien asked in a strangling voice.

Andrew nodded and said, "Yeah, Serena's mom."

Darien said, "I know who the hell she is, you—"

Rei blasted from behind him, "Darien's just ..**feeling guilty** about Serena getting hurt this morning, Andrew."

Andrew muttered, "Maybe he shouldn't have CREAMED her trying to get to me, then."

"THAT was an ACCIDENT, Andrew, and—" Darien pushed Rei off him, "GET OFF ME! I can speak for myself!"

Rei was startled; she hadn't seen this side of Darien in at least 24 hours. She glanced over at Lita, who, along with Mina, was hanging onto Andrew's arms, bodily protecting him. So Rei nodded, and stepped back. Cautiously.

Andrew shrugged. "I shouldn't have kissed her in front of you. It's somewhat my fault, I guess."

Darien's eyes turned from blazing red back to a more normal bleeding red, and he straightened up a bit. Nodded his head. "Well, no, I shouldn't have reacted so strongly."

Andrew agreed. "Especially since she's not your girlfriend anymore."

Lita cringed as Rei and Ami both grabbed Darien's jacket to hold him back. Sighing, she said, "Look, you guys need to chill out and be friends or Serena's never going to be happy." She didn't trust that Darien really cared about Serena's happiness, but she felt Andrew did.

Ami, shoving mightily past Darien without losing her grip, said, "It seems Darien's still interested in her. Maybe. And since you're his best friend maybe we shouldn't try to snipe at each other so much."

"Are you serious, man?" Andrew asked Darien.

Lita bent over and whispered into Andrew's ear, "P R O Z A C."

Darien said, "I'd like another chance to make it work."

Rei's eyes exploded, and she punched Darien in the back, then dragged him outside. "Excuse us!" she yelled as the door clanged behind them.

.

.

"Oh, HELL no!" Rei said. "You can't do this!"

"It's how I feel," Darien said, somewhat ashamed. "I never wanted to let her go to begin with, but if the dreams were manufactured—"

"And what if they WEREN'T?" Rei spat out. "What then? You just dump her again in the future? I go through this again?" She laughed, "Oh, HELL to the no!"

"Why don't you let Serena decide what she wants to do, Rei?" Darien asked. "We have a child together—"

"And that makes things WORSE, you IDIOT!" Rei yelled. "Don't you SEE that?"

"No?" Darien said, seriously not seeing that.

She smacked his chest: "She already thinks you hate her, and I'm not so sure she's wrong. But if you want to date her NOW after you've learned that RINI is your DAUGHTER, can you IMAGINE how that would make her FEEL?" She shoved him hard. "Like a baby-making machine! And she deserves a LOT more than that. In case you've forgotten, she's not just some normal chick out here you can play your mind games with. You'd better be DAMNED sure you want her back before you even make that play again."

.

.

.

**REGALIA'S RINGS**

Serena and Rini were nearing the arcade when Rini screamed out in pain; Serena immediately grabbed her and saw the promise ring was glowing with Dark Energy. She transformed and ripped the offending bracelet from Rini's wrist, then said, "Get to the arcade; I've got to go—" and bolted back towards the crafts store.

Rini ran and ran, blasting past the last two corners and ran directly into Rei, who was beating Darien.

"What's wrong, pumpkin?" Darien asked, picking Rini up as much for protection as to comfort the scared little girl.

Rei heard screams coming from inside the arcade and ran in, only to see Mina and Lita ripping bracelets off their arms. "What the hell is that?"

Rini came running in and said, "Serena went back to the bracelet store. My bracelet did that, too!"

Andrew jumped up and said, "Mina, can you cover—?"

Mina knocked him back and said, "You stay, loverboy; we've got this." And with that, the four Senshi were out of the arcade and transforming, Luna telling them to try to contact Serena.

.

.

Sailor Moon arrived to see Regalia on the roof, relishing in the dark energy transferring from the evil bracelets into one of Emerald's little idols. "Oh WHY should I be surprised the tacky instructor is a droid!" She pulled out her Moon Rod and said, "Time to get hit the with Fashion Stick!"

Regalia turned, and laughed: "Who the hell are you supposed to be? Yankee Doodle who Lost Her Noodle?" Powering up a dark ring, Regalia yelled, "There's no room for Red White and Blue in the this dark energy gate!"

Serena steamed, aiming her Moon Rod at the ugly dark power ring Regalia was cooking up. Who the hell was Yankee Doodle? "Um.. how DARE you turn people's hopes for true love to EVIL!" Regalia's ring grew bigger yet, then took a flying leap at Sailor Moon. Moon screamed and dodged the thing, just as Luna hopped up to the roof.

Regalia laughed even more and said, "This is the PERFECT promise ring for the noodle with too many boyfriends! May they ALL love you and destroy each other forever!"

The rooftop exploded in front of Sailor Moon and Luna; they leaped back and Sailor Moon said, "Damn, she's serious!"

"Stand UP, Sailor Moon!" Luna hissed.

Sailor Moon stood up, only to have to dodge another evil ring. As the ring was airborne, Regalia yelled, "This Ring promises to leave your womb barren FOREVER!"

—and Sailor Moon stopped, staring at the ring flying at her. "Does that mean what I think it does—?"

Luna jumped at her just then, screaming "MOVE!", when a flying rose hit the ring and shattered the evil promise ring.

Tuxedo Mask stood bravely on the rooftop, and started his important speech: "**A promise ring is the pure heart of a girl, and I won't forgive****—**"

Tuxedo Mask faltered when he got sucker-punched by a powerful ring.. only this wasn't an energy ring thrown by Regalia - it was a tiara! A Moon Princess tiara, in fact! Head zinging, he spun to see Sailor Moon catch the tiara and then turn to fume at him: "_YOU_ don't get to talk about saving the pure hearts of girls, Mask."

He angrily cleared his throat and re-aimed his rose, yelling at Sailor Moon, "I'm trying to HELP you here."

Regalia had jumped into the air, confused as hell at the Sailor Upstart throwing her own rings at the masked man. "Who the hell is this Bat Boy?" She laughed, comprehending, when she saw the one called Sailor Moon glaring at the giant bird guy. "You helped me out; allow me to help you! Yo, Caped Canary! TRY THIS promise ring," and she started forming the darkest of rings yet, "SURE to guarantee that the man it hits will be forever separated from his true love!"

Tuxedo Mask deflected the ring with his cane, albeit unfortunately sent it flying right into the newly-arrived Sailor Jupiter. Jupiter freaked out, but the ring dissipated harmlessly. "Good, cause I'm SOOO not a man!"

"That's arguable, but no matter! —The power keeps growing!" Regalia gleamed, aiming several dark energy rings at Sailor Moon.

—who was aghast. The rose hit Regalia at the same time as Sailor Moon was yelling, "Oh, HELL no! Do you robots have NO sense of priority here? I HELPED you, you scantily-clad metal witch!"

Regalia said, "Sorry, Bat Boy deflected. You're on your own! And you're _IN MY WAY_!"

Crap, an energy ring was upon Sailor Moon —as was Tuxedo Mask. They rolled several times from the force of his hit, and Sailor Moon freaked when she saw the destruction on the roof where she'd just been standing.

She shoved Mask away: "Oh get OFF me!" and jumped up, just as the rest of the Senshi got to her. The warriors looked up aghast at the size of the towering statue.

"We've got to slow down her attacks so Sailor Moon can get in a hit!" Mercury insisted, dropping her computer for the second time in the last few days. She almost cried at the sight, but re-focused on the droid. "_**NOW!**_"

"On it!" Sailor Moon said, powering up.

Regalia was almost gleeful as the scouts spread out and started tossing powerless attacks at her rings. USELESSLY! This was pure joy!

Tuxedo Mask's cane blocked ring after ring, but they started rolling back towards him, still fully charged with the evil spells.

However, when he saw that Mercury's super-charged attack had finally completely frozen Regalia's rings, force of habit had him shouting, "Sailor Moon—"

The Healation attack was off; all Moon had to do was hold still a minute longer. And ignore the annoying commands of her ex-ex-SUPER-ex-never-again-in-a-million-years-EX boyfriend. "_Focus_ - _focus_ - _focus_," she chanted to herself, never letting her eyes off the droid.

.

.

.

When Regalia deformed into a little black jewel that tinkered to the ground, Sailor Jupiter rounded on an exhausted Sailor Moon and picked her up in a bear hug: "WE DID IT! —Damn, I thought _for sure_ we'd lost that one!"

Luna, appearing out of nowhere, sat down by her exhausted charge and said, "Mercury's attack was VERY effective tonight." She cleared her throat. "But, um, Sailor Moon, I think your tiara throw ..was a little off it's intended target."

"Yeah THANKS for that!" Tuxedo Mask said sarcastically, huffing and puffing like he had single-handedly blown the statue down. The figurine was shrinking on its own, but the effect was the same. Sailor Moon glared at him wondering what the hell he was tired from. Eh, maybe the roses were heavier than they looked.

An angry Emerald appeared in the sky just as Sailor Mars was re-joining the group. "Oh not this again—" Rei thought, even as the laughter started:

"_**EEEE-bwahahahahaha!**_" Emerald gleamed, staring down at the runts. She continued her promises of destruction, building to her crescendo masterpiece that would surely drive them insane! _**".**__**..and Crystal Tokyo will be DESTROYED! Beyond all repair!**_"

Sailor Moon stood up and shouted angrily, "I've had it about up to HERE about 'Crystal Tokyo'. If someone doesn't destroy it soon, I'LL see to it myself!"

"_**Ex-cuuuuuuuseeeee ME?**_" Emerald said, somewhat shocked. And actually landed on the rooftop to confront the Sailor Scout. "Let me tell you something, Missy. This is MY job. NOT yours."

As the Scouts, Tuxedo Mask, and the cats did a double-take of Sailor Moon, the Moon Princess sauntered over to Emerald and bopped her on the head with her moon rod.

"_**OOOOoowwwwww!**_" Emerald said, rubbing her scalp and backing up a step. "Easy there; JUST got the hair did, beanpole!"

Sailor Moon wagged her moon rod at Emerald and was about to give her the where-fore, when Emerald jumped up and disappeared.

From far above, Emerald screwed up her face in consternation. Crossed her arms. Put her arms on her hips. Wondered. Then her eyes flew open wide. The hair! The eyes! -well, not the boobs, but... "_**YOU!**_" she screamed, filled with horror.

.

* * *

.

/AN/

See, it's called "Snapped". Serena's NOT evil. She's confused, terrorized, and [let's face it] _**fourteen**_. She's warming up slowly to Rini on her own terms; she'll continue to work to defeat the BMC (only now Emerald thinks/imagines that Serena is active competition for Diamond's affections, since she's seen Diamond's obsession with NQS and now believes SM=NQS).

Anyway, YAY! got through the Promise Rings and tried to shove the main points of canon in there (Serena's confronted Darien about the dream; he wants her back and goes OOC a bit to make that clear; and Emerald's still failing w/ her droids).

What might not have come clear:  
1. Darien's just as shocked about living a thousand years, he just couldn't show it because he thinks Serena's bonkers.  
2. Rini wants Serena happy _with Darien _(her hateful actions were her twisted-thinking plots to get S/D back together).  
3. And while Serena's completely in love with Darien, she thinks her love and faith in Darien has been a weakness that's hurt everybody she loves (including Darien). She still believes in true love; she just doesn't believe it's for her. (She's "Snapped". Which is OOC since she's perfect, but it's just for a short time, and hopefully gives her backbone.)  
4. Darien's rental car is just the most, worst boring middle-aged SEDAN one can imagine. Hmm, maybe a mini-van! LOLs!

Oddball twists (sorry!): SM's not really on Regalia's side against TM; she knew the tiara bop wouldn't hurt TM, but just found his speech a tad hypocritical. HEH.

And she's heard so much _bad _stuff about Crystal Tokyo lately, and is genuinely HORRIFIED that she lives 'forever' in the incestuous love triangle from hell, that when Emerald (_**not canon**_) brags about destroying Crystal Tokyo, SM is almost BEGGING for her to do so. (Remember, "snapped" — she hasn't thought it through, but all her experiences w/ Crystal Tokyo have been NIGHTMARISH, from Rini's dream to Endy's fake prophecies.)

But Serena doesn't really want to destroy anything; she's just temporarily insane. :) And my fave character! (I'm also a Lita and Rei fan, in case that doesn't come through.)


	6. Stoned Sober

**Snapped**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Chapter 6  
STONED SOBER**

.

_Moon wagged her moon rod at Emerald and was about to give her the where-fore, when Emerald jumped up and disappeared._

_From far above, Emerald __screwed up her face in consternation. Crossed her arms. Put her arms on her hips. Then her eyes flew open wide. The hair! The eyes! -well, not the boobs, but... "__**YOU!**__" she screamed, filled with horror._

_._

.

Emerald was near tears. That insolent little brat had threatened her position more readily than Prizma, and sure as hell with a better chance at it, since Prince Diamond —_EMERALD's prince!_ — kept rotating three-dimensional pictures of the Neo-Queen floating all over his palace. She stifled a sob as she recalled sitting on the toilet in his master bath, getting ready to do her business, when all of the sudden a life-sized NEO-QUEEN popped up and started doing some fairy dance in front of her! Emerald had opted out of doing her business, pulled her dress down, and went to flush, only to have a little tiny Neo-Queen pop up and say, "_Allow me, my one and only love!"_

Screeching, she had escaped Diamond's creepy quarters and run outside to get some smoky black air. She'd fully known Diamond had a little 'thing' for the Neo-Queen after that initial meeting. It hadn't bothered her too much at the time; all men stray at times, but Hey! Emerald and her Jewels were usually MORE than enough to win them back in short order.

Then Saphir had claimed Diamond's 'harmless crush' was more like a dangerous 'obsession'! She might have paid him more mind if Saphir hadn't started whining about Wiseman pulling the wool over their eyes. As if! But whatever, the important part was that Diamond had seemed 'obsessed' with his greatest enemy! She had run to Diamond then with her concerns, but Diamond had assured her not to worry her pretty little head about it. The little images were just to keep his focus on totally dominating the Neo-Queen; there was no sexual interest there at all.

But Emerald. Was. Not. Stupid!

How could she have not seen all this before? Same hair, same beanpole build …well, the boobs were off, but otherwise, she'd been battling with the younger form of the Neo-Queen ALL THIS TIME! The dead giveaway? The girl's absolute insolence towards a clearly powerful enemy. Usually, enemies just cowered; sometimes, they'd crap off some long-winded speech about love and trust. But bopping her on the head with the very talisman that utilized such a powerful crystal, without even USING the crystal when she had a chance? INSOLENCE!

Serenity's MIDDLE NAME!

Then all the pieces fell into place. Sailor Moon was the younger version of Neo-Queen Serenity.

And worse than that! Prince Diamond MUST have known all along that Sailor Moon was the Neo-Queen, and he had USED Emerald to locate the bitch for him! She glared at the rooftop again, looking for any sign of the Rabbit. Because Diamond KNEW the Rabbit would run back to Mommy! '_Find the rabbit_! _Find the rabbit_!' HA! Diamond didn't really care about the Rabbit, except insofar as the brat could get him his Neo-Twit!

She cringed with confusion. How could she have been so blind?

She thought about going to Wiseman, but what the hell could he do? She felt that creepy old bag of bones was in love with Diamond anyway, and would probably agree with anything Diamond wanted.

No more laughter was dripping from her lungs; the man who'd bedded her was using her to hunt down the woman he REALLY wanted to call his queen.

She'd been used by Diamond just as surely as Prizma had been used by Saphir! …And Emerald had _laughed_ at Prizma's stupidity!

For the first time in her entire life, Emerald actually cried.

.

.

Sailor Moon felt Emerald's recognition, and shivers went down her spine. She initially froze in fear; swallowed. She could feel Emerald's presence even though the woman was out-of-sight. Moreover, she could feel an emotion coming from Emerald that felt so familiar, yet slightly off. _Betrayal_. It was beyond her why Emerald would feel that emotion from her nemesis Sailor Moon! How on earth would Sailor Moon have 'betrayed' Emerald?

Suddenly, her head ached beyond all reasonable measure; she felt blinded; she was sucked into …"_Oh hell no,_" she spoke blindly on the rooftop.

Her protectors were surrounding her immediately, and Sailor Mars grabbed her arm: "Sailor Moon, what did she do? Are you okay?"

Sailor Moon could FEEL Mars' hand on her arm, but she was LOOKING at the stupid fake dreamscape constructed by fake Darien again.

**, SERENITY! MOVE!**

Sailor Moon grabbed her head and spun away, stared at where the rooftop should be. Saw more broken shards of crystal from the evil and poorly-Photoshopped dreamscape. Mentally, she screamed, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU … fake Darien! Hello! In the middle of a BATTLE here!"

**, I told you, you are Small Lady's mother, the Neo-Queen Serenity! —you can't just stand around as an open target!  
, what IS it with you and standing below members of the Black Moon Clan while they're attacking?**

Mentally, she tried to boom back, "_I've never done this before! I'm not a queen; I don't even see the resemblance to Rini. But I sure as hell don't stand much of a chance with you blocking my vision while _in a battle_! Whose side are you ON?__!_" She told herself to ignore him; she started powering up a Halation attack, even though Lord KNOWS what she'd attack while blinded by the dream!

**, ME? ****YOU**** JUST THREATENED TO DO EMERALD'S JOB FOR HER!****  
**** , **_**You're acting like an insolent little CHILD!**_

Sailor Moon shook her head vigorously, then turned again and pointed her Moon Rod into the air where Emerald had been. Of course, she still saw a sunny dreamscape with the fake wedding —oh Lord, Molly just walked by and looked at her weirdly— but she could FEEL she was really still on the rooftop where Regalia had fallen, and over which Emerald was hovering. She could STILL feel Emerald's anger boring down on her. Mentally, she yelled, "_You'd better move it, fake Darien! I'm charging my attack!_"

She still saw the fake dream world, but now she could feel something _else_ coming from Emerald. It was .._doubt_. She was so confused: Emerald suffering _b__etrayal_ and _doubt_.

But of what? Moon wondered. She supposed Emerald had to know that Rini was the daughter of Neo-Queen Serenity, and maybe Emerald had discerned that Sailor Moon was the very woman her clan was attacking in the future. Sure, that would be startling! —but where does _betrayal and doubt_ fit into that? It couldn't be that!

"Sailor Moon, are you okay?" Sailor Jupiter demanded, approaching her princess and trying to see whatever Moon was looking at in the sky. "What's going on?"

Tuxedo Mask was near her, as well, spidey senses alert to discover whatever his love was studying so hard. But he faltered when Jupiter spoke, and looked at Sailor Moon. "Emerald's gone, honey," he said, slipping an arm around her waist, desperately wanting to comfort her in what seemed to be a complete mental break.

And just that fast, the crystal dream world went away, and Sailor Moon launched something that surprised even herself:

**MOON * HEALING * ESCALATION!**

Sailor Moon jerked away from Tuxedo Mask, then stared at the black hole left by Emerald's portal.

Everything was quiet; Mask was standing behind her again, trying to hold her.

"The dream," she whispered hollowly to her ex, gasping for breath. "He came back."

"What? The wedding dream? _**During a battle?**_" Tuxedo Mask said, alarmed. Maybe the dreams were designed to drive them insane, turn them against each other!

Luna snapped, "Okay, it's time we had an actual MEETING. We've got some huge things to clear up, like, NOW! Like, whose side we're on, and why the hell you tried to heal a hole—!"

Sailor Moon looked at Tuxedo Mask, somewhat ashamed of her own actions earlier, and choked out, "Sorry about the tiara. That was completely out-of-line." She bent at the knees, trying to get her energy back, and wondered if that tiara attack on Tuxedo Mask was why creepy fake Darien had pulled her into that dream so suddenly? _OH_ she had to figure out a way of dealing with him!

Tuxedo Mask still tried to hold her, and although she stiffened at his touch, he knelt by her and said, "Sailor Moon, we've got to work together to overcome every obstacle, to protect our city—"

"Yeah whatever," she said, somewhat exasperated, then glanced back up at the sky; was it possible she'd let her emotions give some pertinent bit of information away to the enemy? But if so, what? She couldn't even begin to guess what that might have been. _Betrayal_, and_ doubt_? Maybe Emerald was really just _**that into**_ her hair, and expected 'a queen' wouldn't have bopped Emerald's hair with a moon rod?

She seethed; all this Queen stuff, and especially the 'Mom' stuff, was beginning to wig her out. "And it's just HAIR!" she yelled to a non-existent Emerald in the sky. Earning her several scared looks from her Senshi.

"You think you healed her hair?" Sailor Jupiter asked, then looked at the others with concern.

.

Luna asked Sailor Moon something, but then it seemed like Sailor Jupiter did as well, and then Sailor Mars again… Sailor Moon started feeling dizzy. She'd never be able to explain to these people what had just happened. Hell, she wasn't sure herself! But she was sure of one thing; she HAD to find out more about this future. _Someho__w._

Sailor Moon looked at Tuxedo Mask. It infuriated her that whenever she needed a moment of peace, she automatically looked to him. She couldn't trust him though; he'd hurt her too much with his breakup, and over that.. that _photoshopped dream_!

When he noticed her staring, he grabbed her arms and whispered, "Let's go; we need to talk—"

But Sailor Moon suddenly turned to Sailor Venus and said, "I –I need you to interview the four Black Moon sisters again. Catzi, Bertie and whoever—"

"We've DONE that," Sailor Mars said before Venus could respond. "All Catzi talked about was her unrequited love for Rubeus, the very freakazoid who tried to get her to kill herself! She's _still_ hung up on him, even though I told her how TOAST he was!" Sailor Mars never understood why telling people comforting facts seemed to upset them WORSE; Catzi hadn't celebrated Rubeus' death after the UFO went down at all!

"Find out MORE!" Sailor Moon snapped, then dashed off the roof and out-of-sight. Tuxedo Mask ran to take off after her—

Sailor Mars grabbed his arm and said, "Mask! You have to give her some space! Please!"

Sailor Mercury agreed heartily: "Just yesterday you were calling her pathetic; today you were kissing her, and now you're manhandling her again! You've got to stop invading her personal space like you two are _married_ or something!"

Sailor Jupiter rounded on him and added, in a conspiratorial whisper, "And she just tried to heal Emerald's hair, Mask." She circled her finger around her ear a few times: "We can't have a nutty princess!"

But Luna hadn't agreed that Sailor Moon needed space, not at all; it just wasn't appropriate for the Moon Princess to offer to do the bad guys' job for them! She'd taken off running after Sailor Moon the minute Moon moved.

.

After running full-speed for close to ten minutes, Luna finally found Serena by a lake in the park. De-transforming might have fooled the Senshi, and possibly Tuxedo Mask, but not her protector. Luna took a moment to calm her breathing and watch her charge sitting there in the dark, staring at a moonlit lake—

And saw with horror that Serena Tsukino was SMOKING! "_**SERENA!**_" Luna yelled, charging the teen with the ferocity of a bull having seen a red cape.

Serena turned to her cat and blew out a puff of smoke. Then coughed miserably, nearly falling over on the grass from the allergic reaction.

"What the hell are you doing?" Luna demanded, snatching the offending cigarette and tossing it in the lake. "Trying to trim a few decades off your life?"

Serena laughed wryly. "Oh yeah, like that's going to happen." Serena added, "Actually, the package said it was bad for pregnant women."

"YOU'RE NOT PREGNANT!" Luna yelled, incredulous. Sure, she had a kid, and she hadn't given birth to the kid yet, but how on earth could the mentally-stunted girl believe _that_ made her pregnant?

Luna sat by the solemn teen. They hadn't talked since before all this dream stuff had happened, and Luna was not pleased by that fact alone. So much of this confusion and anger might have been avoided had Serena come to her _first_. So Luna said, "Okay, first, you should have come to ME with your dream. Not your ex-boyfriend! That's number one."

"I was mad," Serena said slightly, opening a can of Red Bull and sucking it down—

"Oh I don't THINK so!" Luna said, kicking the energy drink out of Serena's hand. "The last think you need is _SPEED_! What are you trying to DO?"

"Be different. Change things," Serena spat. Then she flopped back onto the ground. "Luna, how much of this future stuff did you know about?"

"Absolutely none of it!" the cat said, offended by such a query. "Very little." She sniffed and turned her nose up. "Well there was a _hope_ of course that you'd make a peaceful kingdom—"

"A 'hope'," Serena repeated. "You know what doesn't make much sense to me, Lune? Check this out. I'm supposed to be this princess, right? Heir to some throne of a dead moon? Cool crystal that's sorta powerful. Supposedly important enough that I have to have 'protectors'? Right?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Luna said. "And you're responsible for the safety of the earth since only you can draw on those powers to defend against—"

"Okay, wait. So this kid comes along, demands my crystal, takes my boyfriend, brainwashes people to think she's always been a part of my family…" Serena pulled out a Michelob Light and twisted off the cap, before continuing. "Lies to my friends, tears up my room—"

"You are FOURTEEN, Missy!" Luna said, kicking the offending beer out of Serena's hand, and wondering what ELSE was tucked away in her sub-space pocket. Then she whispered the secret they'd just found out today: "_And that little girl is your daughter!_ Is it any wonder we felt the need to protect her?"

Serena shrugged, pulled a little baggie full of grass out, then started rolling a joint. Luna watched, not really sure what Serena was up to, but hoping it was some sort of homegrown origami she was constructing to calm herself down. Origami and other paper projects could be good for that sort of thing at times.

Serena continued casually, "So what I'm wondering is why, from the very first day, Rini was loved and protected by everyone who are supposed to be MY protectors, you know." She pulled out a cat cage, shoved Luna inside and latched it, then lit up her joint.

"What on EARTH are you smoking, Serena?" Luna yelled, horrified!

"I mean, I asked Darien all this. He couldn't possibly answer." Serena blew out the smoke. "Maybe he was brainwashed, too. He tends to get that a lot."

"_**Or**_," Luna stressed, "as I said before, maybe he felt some kinship to this young girl who landed in your lap and wanted to help _her Mom__my_?"

"Yeah, maybe," Serena said, taking another hit. She blew some smoke into Luna's cat cage.

"So I start thinking, there's this '_other Darien'_ who's in another universe or whatever, he sends these really badly-depicted dreams to Darien, who supposedly LOVES me so much that he breaks up with me."

"That's his story," Luna said, starting to feel pretty relaxed. Too relaxed, maybe? The stars were really, _really_ pretty tonight. "I mean, don't expect ME to defend that shi—excuse. I'm just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, ya know." Beat. "Woah! Shootin star!" as a shooting star soared overhead.

"Darien starts seeing visions of Crystal Tokyo, and although the name sounds nice enough, I don't think any one of us have heard a positive thing about it." Serena said. "Some Utopia, right?"

"Eh, Crystal Tokyo is being attacked, Serena," Luna giggled, falling over in her cage.

Serena took a long hit from her joint, then nodded. "Yep. Okay, now follow me here. So this ..great, wonderful place is being attacked by these big bad guys, and the future people, they do _what_? Toss 'my daughter' back into to past? To steal MY crystal? For the SECOND time!"

"I dunno," Luna said, trying to stand again. The cage was filled with more smoke. "Srena," Luna slurred, "whatcha doin, dude?"

Serena started giggling again. "No no …FOLLOW me, Luna. LIS-SEN." Serena cleared her throat. "So this kid just FLIES back through time, and these _bad guy__s_, well they chase her back. And now everyone's here. Who knows what's even left in the future besides a half-dead me, if you believe Rini."

"Rini doesn't know you're her _Ma Ma_," Luna said, focusing hard on clearing her head. "Hey! Lemme out of this cage!"

"It's just, WHO KNEW to protect this kid?" She turned on Luna. "It's not like she came with a sticker on her forehead, or an owner's manual. I mean, you seemed concerned about her wanting the Silver Crystal. But what, we were 'keeping an eye on her', and fighting the droids and Rubeus ..and now Emerald, whoever's after her. But none of us know what's going on really. S_upposedly_."

"If you're suggesting I knew anything—!" Luna spat, then fell back down.

"Oh I think I thought that. And I could sit here all night and come up with conspiracy theories. —No, what I'm getting at, Luna, is that there's this ...this other bitch. I call her 'the bitch in the ball'."

"Luna-P?" Luna sighed loudly.

"_YEP!_" Serena laughed. "That's her! And I was standing out there with Emerald tonight, and you know what I was thinking, Luna? —I want to talk to that bitch in the ball." Beat. "You know her, don't ya? Luna-P?"

"Setsuna? I mean, WHO? No, I have no idea —well," Luna looked down, and almost fell. "Those are matters for Control, Srena!" Luna slurred. "You're not s'posed to worry your pretty little head about these things!" She giggled, then threw a paw towards Serena like Serena MUST be joking.

Serena stubbed out the joint and unlocked the cage. "It's time for me to pick up Rini, Luna."

Luna stumbled out of the cage and fell flat to the ground, feeling real good. She didn't know where she was, but man it was cool here. She wanted to stay here forever!

Forever was quickly interrupted by Artemis: "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

Luna immediately fell onto Artemis and started giggling. "Oh Artie, we really, really need to, you know. STOP that girl!"

.

.

**OBTAINING ANSWERS**

Serena burst into the arcade, smiling widely at Andrew and Rini, who were playing a hand of cards at a booth. "_Heeeey!_" she yelled, waving her hand. Through her smile, she spotted Luna-P by Rini, and sashayed over to their booth. "Bracelet wars over! All's well again!"

Andrew jumped up and ran over to her: "You're stumbling, Sere!" He didn't smell alcohol. "It's your head injury from this morning, isn't it?"

"No, I'm high," she smiled, wrapping an arm around his waist for support. "Oh by the way! Reika took off before we could get to her," — Serena started giggling inappropriately, embarrassing even herself. She stopped her laughing and said, very seriously, "I mean, we _tried_. It's the Jamaican giggling. I LOVE Reika, maybe more than you! But she just TOOK OFF and FLEW AWAY —"

Andrew had grabbed her, then noticed she was acting a bit ditzier than usual, then heard 'Jamaican', and freaked out a bit. Serena? REEFER! He hushed her with a finger to her lips: "Serena, Serena, it's okay! I've talked to Reika tonight. We're going to keep in touch."

Serena's flashed him a winning smile, which, almost disturbingly to him, made his heart skip a beat. She said, "You DID? Aww, Andrew, THANK you!" and she hugged him fully. "You're my knight in shining armor, after all!" She wanted to kiss him again; he'd tasted so good… but she giggled, remembering OOPS! that's how this whole mess got started to begin with. So instead, she whispered in his hear, "I'd LOVE to kiss you right now, but I don't want to start anymore fights." She kissed his ear instead, and her heart started palpitating with his heady scent. "Damn, I've GOT to get away from YOU! *Whew!*"

Andrew's jaw was on her shoulder, and he chanted to himself, "She's high, hentai! HIGH! She doesn't mean this! …she wants to kiss me! …She's high, hentai! HIGH!"

Rini stood and walked over to Serena, very unhappy with the scene before her. Bricks and Uzis and nuclear bombs started flashing through her mind; but no, she'd PROMISED Serena she wouldn't interfere with Serena's personal life. But confusion reigned—didn't Serena want Andrew back with Reika?

"Um, hi Serena," Rini said quietly. "Guess who called while you were out, yes, REIKA! His true love!"

Serena pushed Andrew aside and said, "RINI!"

Andrew winced and said, "We're getting some coffee into you, sweetheart." He was going to have to have a sit-down with Serena soon about his ..growing urges towards her, but he certainly wasn't going to try when she was high? She was HIGH?

Serena smiled as Andrew went to get her coffee, then she glared down at Rini. She knelt down and, as soberly as she could manage, said, "We need to talk." It was WAY past time to drag a few secrets out of this kid, but she'd never be able to do it with the others around, because things might get ugly, and protectors or not, the Senshi seemed to think she was hard on Rini at times. And they hadn't seen anything yet—!

"Oh _hey_!" Rini said, pointing at the door, waving. "There's *_Darien_*! And _the girls_!"

Serena's head dropped momentarily in frustration, but she stood up, seeing that Rini had left Luna-P alone at the booth. Serena sauntered over to the booth, thinking maybe she could get Setsuna the hell out of there for a little 'one-on-one', instead of relying on Rini's help.

She almost had her hand on the ball when an iron-clad grip landed on her wrist. She looked around to see a very serious-looking Darien staring at her. "Oh, Hey Darien!" she smiled, casually sitting down in the booth.

"We need to talk," he said sternly, seriously concerned about her threatening her OWN future utopia. He sat down across from her; noticed her eyes were glassy. Ignored it for the time, since at least the girl was smiling at him. A little more softly, he said, "We have a future to protect, Serena. Regardless of whatever else is going on with us. We have to overcome all obstacles together—"

"Sure!" Serena giggled, scooching over closer to Luna-P.

Darien was shocked silent; was he actually _getting somewhere_ with her, without her going ballistic? When Ami and Rei headed over towards them, he quickly motioned them away. Then he looked at Serena again, who was strangely focused on the hand of cards on the table. "Serena?" When she snapped to attention and smiled at him, almost every question he'd had fled his mind and he smiled back at her. He reached over to grab her hands: "About this morning—"

Serena glared at the man and said, as lightly as she could manage, "Forget about it. No biggie, okay!" —just as soon as she figured out how to shake that bitch out of Rini's ball. "We'll work together, everything will be ...just the way you want it to be." Which seemed to change by the minute, so she didn't want to try to _define_ what he might want at that point in time and end up in a pointless argument. Not when she had bigger fish to fry.. She pulled her hands away from his, fake-stifling a yawn. Then she stretched, allowing her hand to rest dangerously close to the Luna-P ball.

"So… you understand why I had to break up with you, then?" Darien asked, astonished, but maybe a little suspicious of her curiously happy mood.

Serena's face snapped closed. Oh yeah, _that_. What, did he want her to just forget that and get over it? Steeling her face, but keeping her hand near Setsuna, she sniped, "Yes, I believe it was because I was slow, stupid, fat, ugly…"

"Serena, now I explained all that to you—" his voice getting angrier again.

"You fell out of love with me. I remember it well," she said with a tight smile, daring him to defy her.

"_Annnnnd_ here's our coffee," a husky male voice dripped down from above them. Andrew set her coffee down and said, "Seriously, let's drink up, Sere." He looked over at Darien and put his fingers in front of his mouth, mimicking smoking a joint. Then winked at Darien.

Darien glared at Andrew; had he just offered Darien some marijuana? WTF? Moreover, Andrew's timing was seeming just a little convenient. Wait until he inadvertently gets a happy Serena angry about their breakup, try to push some drugs on them, then try to stick his lips on Serena again. Not on Darien's watch!

"Talking here," Darien spat out.

Andrew held his hands up in the air, backing up. He'd keep an eye on them from the counter, but it irritated him that Darien, who'd declared his interest in Serena _again_, didn't seem to care about Serena smoking GANJA! And he was supposed to be a med student!

.

Serena's finger was fully on Luna-P now, and she glanced over at Rini, who was playing with Rei and Mina.

Darien grabbed her hand again and said in a hushed whisper, "I know I hurt you, but you have to understand the position I was in. I was being warned that staying with you would be your death! I pushed you away—I didn't know the dream was manufactured!"

Serena bit her tongue; this baka was too weak-minded and Rini-oriented to do what needed to be done, to REALLY stand for love and justice. He'd believed some stupid-ass dream and crushed her. He'd been willing to trade the future for a dream. And after everything he'd been through with Beryl, for _shame_!

Serena started rolling Luna-P around slightly with her fingertip, testing it to see if it would shock or bite her if she manipulated it. It was cool. Then Serena looked up at Darien. "You did what you had to do, I guess," she sneered. "Own it."

"I'm TRYING!" Darien glowered. "If we could just start with being civil to each other…? We do have a common goal. And the girls agree with me," he said off-handedly.

Serena hadn't bothered giving her side of the story to anyone; she sorta didn't care enough. If they didn't trust her at face value, she wasn't going to beg them. No… she'd have a little talk with the ball bitch, maybe figure out where fake Darien hailed from, figure out why Emerald would feel betrayed tonight. There was a big lie in here somewhere, and SHE was going to find it, or die trying.

Darien stuck his hand out: "Friends? We can just be friends if that's what you want."

Damn; he'd stuck his right hand out, which would require her taking her right hand off Luna-P. She awkwardly stuck her free left hand out instead and grasped his hand; not a handshake, but it would have to do. "Fine," she said. "Friends." Now to get Luna-P in her sub-space pocket…

"**MEOW MEOW!**"

They all looked over to Luna, who'd just come running in with a random customer, found Serena near Luna-P, and almost SAID something. As did Artemis. Until they saw Andrew nearby, and several random customers milling about. So all the cats could do was cause holy hell with mews of complaint.

Rini ran over and picked Luna up and said, "Hey Luna! How'd you get in here?" She walked over to Andrew, "This is my kitty, Luna!"

"Aww, named after your ball!" Andrew said.

Rini glanced at the table where Serena and Darien seemed to be making up, and figured a LITTLE meddling wouldn't hurt… "Luna only likes special food and she's hungry!"

"**MEOW MEOW!**"

Rini said, "See? So will you take me back and help me make her something special, Andrew?" And without giving him a choice, she grabbed Andrew's hand and dragged him to the back room. She winked at Serena on the way back.

.

Serena initially glared at the little girl who'd SWORN to her she wouldn't try to intervene in Serena's personal life. But then Artemis jumped on the table and said as quietly as he could muster, "You stay AWAY from Luna-P!"

Before Darien could even looked offended at such a charge, Serena smacked the cat off the table, grabbed the ball, and took off.

.

.

.

**CHASE**

Serena transformed and shoved Luna-P into her sub-space pocket, then ran like the wind.

"What the hell?" Tuxedo Mask asked, running alongside her. "That's Rini's toy, Serena!—"

WHAT WAS HE DOING THERE?

He reached for her arm; she turned and yelled without slowing, "I've got a little **interrogation** to do that you don't have the stomach for, so GET OFF ME!" She tried shoving him away as they dashed through the city streets, but he hung on like a leech.

"Serena, STOP! —I think you need to talk to someone! You just kidnapped your daughter's PLAYTHING!" Mask yelped.

She tried to run him into a parked car, but he leaped over it, taking her with him. She could feel his momentum trying to pull her hard left, and sensed he was going to take her back to the arcade to return the damned ball to Rini. She pulled the other way, and soon the two superheroes were headed towards oncoming traffic.

"JUST LET ME GO!" she screamed, then dove hard left and landed on the sidewalk.

Tuxedo Mask landed hard beside her, then rolled and rolled until he crashed into a brick wall. By the time he'd leapt up, she was standing and getting ready to move as well. Breathing hard, he gasped, "Just give me Rini's toy, then!"

"That's all you want? Her damned TOY?" she growled, frustrated tears threatening. "Fine!" she said, jerking Setsuna out of her sub-space compartment and throwing it at him. "That's Rini's _protector_, asshole. Someone from the FUTURE who could tell us what's going on. That Luna and Artemis don't want me to talk to—"

"It's a BALL, Serena! —granted, a special toy that has technology to protect her, but it's NOT a person!" Tuxedo Mask railed. "You can be mad at ME all you want; but you can't torture that poor little girl or her toys. I won't LET you."

Serena, defeated, dropped her transformation and turned around to walk home. Soon, Darien fell back into step with her, calling the arcade: "Andrew? Yeah, tell Rini we have Luna-P and we're returning it now."

Serena was tempted to scream "HELP!", but recalled that was (1) evil, since it could get Andrew mad at Darien again, and (2) exactly what Rini had done this morning when trying to get away from Darien. The LAST thing she wanted to do was remind herself or Darien of Rini's biological parentage.

When he clicked the phone shut, he said, "Andrew said Rini was in the back with him and didn't even know Luna-P was gone. So you got away with one, Serena."

Serena gave up. "Take her," she said.

"Rini?" he asked dryly. Darien shivered in disgust. "We've been through this," he responded, not quite as evenly as he'd hoped to sound.

"I can't live like this, Darien. I had made a temporary truce with the br-Rini, but I already know she won't or can't tell me anything about the future. So I was going to ..to ask her fucking BALL a few questions. Like about my dream."

"Serena, we'll learn what we need to know when we need to know it. When Rini's ready to talk—"

"Take her," Serena pleaded, more softly this time. She was defeated; hands tied. "Take her, or I'm going to end up saying something that hurts her."

After walking in silence a few more minutes, Darien gave the ball back to Serena. "If it'll make you feel any better, just —don't destroy her toy, Serena!"

Serena shook her head. "No, I don't even care anymore."

Darien had stopped walking; Serena had dropped her head and was continuing on towards the arcade. From where he stood, he yelled, "Dammit Serena! STOP!"

And when she didn't, he alighted on her and grabbed her forcefully. "You've got to snap out of this! Your new ..cursing! Your abuse of Rini! —and her toys! Running away from your friends—"

She glared at him. "And just TAKE it, huh? Have ALL this information at our fingertips that could actually HELP us, but not DO anything about it so we don't offend *_her_*." He'd actually stepped to embrace her! And she pushed him away, fully aghast, then said, "You know what I saw tonight, Darien? I saw Emerald, squirming at me, and she felt BETRAYED! Then your stupid other self broke into my mind again and started ordering me around! I couldn't even see Emerald anymore!"

"We've got to find out the source of these dreams—" Darien smoldered, remembering the pain Sailor Moon had felt on the rooftop. He'd figured Emerald had just laughed and Sailor Moon's super hearing picked up on it.

Tears stung Serena's eyes. "You just don't get it, do you? You're so HUNG UP on Rini that you don't see SHE has information. I wanted to know why Emerald would look at me and feel BETRAYED, Darien. You know, it might actually HELP us in a battle! But I knew I couldn't interrogate Rini, because she's SPECIAL. So I went to get some air, figure out what I might be missing. And figured out that Luna isn't telling us everything either! She blamed it on "Control", but as far as I know, those are the guys sending dreams and future babies, TORTURING me, making me fight with one hand tied behind my back!"

"Control?" Darien asked. "No, Serena, you probably misunderstood—"

"She KNEW Luna-P!" Serena spat, wiping the single tear of extreme frustration from her eye. "Her name is Setsuna; I've SEEN her, but Luna _knew_ her! Then tried to deny it."

Darien nodded uncomfortably. "Serena, we could figure this out together if you'd just try! You know, share information—"

"Sure, but only with YOUR rules," she spat. "And Luna's. And God's! And whoever is controlling my dreams! Which means, we WAIT for answers to fall into our lap instead of GETTING the answers and stopping the bleeding!" She turned away and started walking. When she felt him following, she added, "That woman KNEW who I was, Darien."

"What woman?" Darien asked. "Rini's ball?"

"EMERALD!" she yelled, turning back to him. "She *recognized* me; and for a moment, I could feel how she felt. That's how I knew she felt betrayed, and other things." She backed away, then started walking forward again. "So since I can't actively seek answers, and am fighting with one arm tied behind my back, Rini's probably SAFER with you, anyway. So just take her—"

Iron-fisted grasp on her arm again, only this time she was against a brick wall. "What do you mean, she _recognized_ you?" But instead of waiting for a response, he held Luna-P near her face: "Fine; we'll …do what you need to do. But we'll do it **together.**"

Serena looked up at him. Skeptically, she asked, "_You_ want to interrogate Rini's 'toy'?"

"If you think it'll help," he said, still holding her firmly in place against the wall. "Whatever you think will help."

.

* * *

/AN/

Not much... at least I have another chapter baked and ready to go!

Aside: biggest issue converting old fanfics? For some reason, I think of all the names in the Japanese (Chibiusa, Motoki, Koan, Petz, etc), but I tend to write for S2 anime, so yeah, I make a mess of the names. I'm working hard on changing the original names to the dub names (EXCEPT some that are just unacceptable, like, 'Trista'). Sorry if that bugs anyone; I'm _trying_! I'm looking up the dub names (like, "who's Calaveras in the dub")... hth did they come up with "Avery" for "Calaveras"? Takes time!


	7. The Fall of Emerald

**Snapped**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Chapter 7  
THE FALL OF EMERALD**  
(AND DARIEN'S RENTAL CAR)

The girls stood around the arcade awkwardly, not really knowing where Serena and Darien had run off to, or why they'd smacked Artemis to the ground to get there. Mina had picked Artemis up, but immediately started talking to a random hunk from school, and just rubbed Artemis' head really, _REALLY_ hard when he fretted. Because dammit they'd DONE their job tonight; scared off Emerald; and it was time for a little Mina Time!

Rini was in the back of the arcade, and actually happy for a moment, so the other Senshi weren't jazzing to interrupt _that_ blessing. Instead, they were enjoying some shakes while Ami played with her computer.

Finally, Ami's computer spat out an answer, Ami shrieked, and Rei grabbed the whole enchilada to read: "Korea?"

"I just FIXED that!" Ami protested, watching her computer with fear. "AGAIN!"

Andrew finally walked out of the back with Rini. Luna, who was now being held by Andrew, went, "MEOW!" at the name, 'Korea'.

Rei said, "Oh shut up Luna—"

"I just talked to Darien," Andrew said. "He told me he and Serena were on their way back. Nothing about 'Korea'," Andrew laughed. Andrew laughed at the thought of them using either Darien's "rental car" to get even outside city limits. "I'd have to guess your computer's not so fixed, Ami!"

Rei said, "Um.. well, I think Ami's computer meant 'Little Korea'."

"In New York?" Andrew asked, laughing.

Rei smacked the side of Ami's computer to make sure it was functioning correctly. The display fell off and hit the ground.

Lita answered this one: "Oh no. It's the name of ..a .._restaurant_. Downtown Tokyo. —and Serena's just too …young and innocent to be out this late with ..with _Darien_, in a romantic restaurant! We've heard he's a real perv! …so we'll be seeing ya!"

Rini grabbed Luna from Andrew and screeched, "I WANNA GO HOME NOW! _NOW! NOW! **NOW!**_" She smiled inwardly; that ought to buy Serena some time alone with Darien! —although she wasn't quite sure why Serena would need Luna-P. But she figured a Luna for a Luna; maybe she just needed to trust Serena; run with the plan. Maybe Luna-P was going to be used as a big beautiful bed tonight!

Rei grabbed Rini's hand and dragged her towards the door. "Darien's not here, brat, so if you don't shut your face I'll shut it for you."

"DARIEN AND SERENA WILL KILL YOU _STUPID_!" Rini yelled at Rei. "Luna and I want to go home NOW! If stupid Serena gets stuck with Darien, it's her own stupid fault! TAKE ME HOME ****NOW****!" She spat in Rei's face.

Rei stood up and said, "Imma kick her ass if I were we don't get out of here ASAP—!"

Ami dragged Rini out of the arcade, saying, "We can't take Rini and the cats if we transform, but! We've got Darien's rental car!"

Rei saw the keys in the seat and said, "Let's go!"

"I'm not getting in that Grandpa Car!" Rini said. "I'll WALK home first!"

.

Mina stayed behind a moment to comfort Andrew: "I promise, we'll call you when we find her. Don't feel out-of-the-loop or anything; it's just, you have this WONDERFUL arcade, and you should stay here—"

Lita grabbed Mina by the hair and snipped, "Oh I don't THINK so, Mina. He's completely spoken for, by several women."

Mina frowned and turned on Lita: "Reika's gone, and Serena's got a kid with Darien, so he's perfectly free!"

Andrew sat down hard: "Serena's _pregnant_?" That idiot got her PREGNANT? That's it; Darien had gone TOO FAR. Well that explained his sudden change of heart alright! But there was no reason Andrew couldn't talk to her; give her a ride to the clinic, and take care of that issue. If Darien wanted to despoil a young teen, it surely wouldn't be Serena!

Lita kicked Mina out the door, then turned and smiled warmly at Andrew. "Gotta watch Mina, dude. I know you're rebounding, but, just between you and me? *_cough_*Herpes!*_cough_*."

Andrew looked at Lita with horror, but then she grabbed him and kissed him full on the mouth. "I'll call you when we get back."

.

Rei opened the driver's side door of Darien's rental car. With great effort. "Damn, what's this door made of?"

Ami, Lita, and Mina collaborated to get their back door opened, then climbed in, slammed the door shut, and locked it. Rini stood outside the car and started screaming.

Rei rolled the window down: "Get in, Rini, if you want to see Luna-P and your pare-.. your _friends_ again!"

Rini considered if it was shorter to walk to Korea, or walk around the rental car and get in. Sighing, she walked around the car, GLARING at the girls in the rear window as they giggled and waved at her. Luna was following Rini and said, "You can look at ME as your Luna-P if you'd like, Rini."

Rini couldn't stop crying, but kept walking around the back of the car. Luna jumped up into Rini's arms when the trek started tiring her out, and as they finally made it to the front door, Rini opened the latch and jumped back as the door started slowly swinging out into the street. "EEEP!" mewed Luna.

Rei rushed them on, so they climbed in. And sat. The front seat was the size of a small ocean liner, and she could barely see Rei, which was probably a good thing since she'd sorta remembered her dad from the future telling her that spitting in people's faces wasn't much appreciated in some circles, and this must be such a circle.

"Rini. The door," Luna said.

Rini held her temper as she climbed BACK out of the car to get the door, then walked the door back to the car. Sitting down again, she put both hands on the handle and pulled with all her might. And the door almost latched.

Rei was suddenly laying in her lap, re-opening and then slamming the door shut, muttering something vile under her breath as she did so. Then, when she turned the machine on and started to pull out, Rini realized in absolute horror exactly WHY all the other girls had piled in the back. "EVERYBODY CAN SEE ME!" she shrieked. The downtown lights were on, lighting the front seat up like an airport landing strip. Was that Molly and Melvin standing there, pointing and laughing at her? Wide-eyed, she turned to Rei and begged, "HIT THE GAS!"

"Pedal's on the floor, Rini," Rei said, somewhat embarrassed herself. But just to make sure Rini didn't have a point, she pumped the pedal a few times, hard. "There, we're getting up to about 5 mph now. It's moving."

"Woah, we're almost pulled out into the street!" Rini snapped sarcastically. "Look out world!"

Luna had climbed into Rei's lap to look out the window and tell her where to go, but Rei yelped, "The CLAWS, Luna!" turning the wheel violently as she tried to remove the cat.

Fortunately, the car stayed straight on the road, rolling straight towards the first stop light ever-so-slowly.

Mina asked, "Want us to get out and push?"

Lita had already jumped out to help move things along, but she heard Rei say 'No'. Lita stood still in disbelief as the Grandpa Car slowly rolled away from her. Sighing, she walked ahead a few steps and sat back down in the car. "Ready?" she asked Ami.

"On it," Ami said, as both girls grabbed the door handle and launched themselves backwards into Mina's lap, closing the door.

"Okay," Rei announced. "If Ami can get her display fixed, we can get a bead on Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask and see what they're up to!"

"Display's on the floor of the arcade," Ami whimpered.

A few minutes later, though, Luna looked out of the car and saw Artemis walking alongside them, display in his mouth. "Oh Artemis! He's got the display!"

"Stop the car!" Ami squealed in delight.

"No, don't bother," Lita said, stepping out of the car as it kept rolling. She picked up Artemis and stepped back into the car. Artemis dropped the display on Ami's lap, and then Lita warned the girls: "Gotta close this door again."

*_**BRING BRING**_*

The girls looked at Ami's computer. Ringing. Like a cell.

Ami blushed and said, "I had all our numbers programmed in… long story!" *Blush* "Um, hello!" Ami answered.

Rei grumbled, jerking the steering wheel hard left to get on the interchange they needed. The car just didn't TURN! Well, it almost turned left, but she had to brake to stop it from mowing through the corner supermarket. *Sigh* She threw it in reverse and started backing up into the intersection—

"You can't drive!" Rini yelled.

"No, the car can't be DRIVEN," Rei snapped, throwing the gear back into forward and twisting the wheel all the way left again. She sighed when the car completed the left turn after the second try. Now to get it back up to speed….

"Um, hold on a minute, I'll be right back!" Ami said, then closed her computer. "GUYS! That was freakin CATZI and GUESS who came to dinner!"

Mina asked, "Who? Serena? Is she okay?"

"Well," Ami said, "She wants us to ..um, get Sailor Moon over there a.s.a.p. What should I tell her?"

Rei turned around in the seat, leaving the car rolling forward with its own mind, and yelled, "JUST TELL US WHO CAME OVER, AMI!"

Ami, Lita, and Mina all winced from the back seat when they saw Rei's ugly expression. Ami quietly answered, "Emerald. She's over there now and has some questions about her own Black Moon Clan. And Serena. —but the big news? Apparently she can't travel back to the future and she's on to Wiseman's tricks!"

"She's healed?" Luna asked from the front seat.

"No —that's why they want Sailor Moon over there a.s.a.p. They're not sure what's going on. And Emerald's in an, um, er, testy mood."

"Sounds like a trap," Rei seethed, with a smile on her face. "Okay guys, look, NEW PLAN. One, we're dumping this car."

"What?" Luna asked, appalled. "It's Darien's rental—"

"I'm doing him a favor; everyone, get ready to jump!" and then she hit the gas, heading straight for the guardrails of a bridge perched over a lake.

The girls all jumped out as the car moved through the guardrails, but then Lita remembered Artemis was asleep in the backseat. "Shit!" She ran to the car, jumped in, grabbed Artemis—

Ami yelled, "My computer, Lita!"

Lita tossed the cat out on the street as the front of the car started to dip down, then grabbed the computer. When she stepped out, the car was stuck, teetering between the road and the lake below.

Rei glared and transformed:

_MARS BURNING MANDALA!_

"_NOOOOooooo_!" Ami shouted, knowing what might happen if fire hit the gas tanks of that monstrosity—

.

.

.

**BALL TO THE WALL**

Finally deciding on and quickly arriving in Korea, Sailor Moon pulled the ball out and started beating it on a rock, much to Tuxedo Mask's horror: "Serena! It's a TOY! It's RINI'S TOY! Honey, I think we're not acting reasonably—!"

Serena ignored him, instead yelling, "Get the FUCK out of there!" she yelled. Bam, bam, bam: "GET OUT _GET OUT_ _**GET OUT**_! Setsuna! I SUMMON you Setsuna to GET OUT OF THAT BALL!"

That hadn't worked. Tuxedo Mask sank down beside her and worried about her sanity. Decided that either way, he needed to be with her. Maybe he could get a residency in a mental institution—

Serena put the ball on the ground and pointed her scepter at it, talking about, "_**In the name of the Moon, I will punish—**_"

Tuxedo Mask jumped, "Serena, it's a TOY, sweetheart—!"

Setsuna popped out in a hologram ball, hands out, hoping to calm the loony girl. "**Okay, okay.. Sailor Moon. I'm out!**"

Setsuna stood proud, especially given how exhausted she was, and just glared at the girl, thinking how very little she'd changed in over a thousand years. Both she and that nagging Endymion. —Then she saw Tuxedo Mask standing beside her. _Uh oh._ The both of 'em.

Setsuna set her concerns about Rini and the Black Moon Clan and Crystal Tokyo aside for a moment, and finally, after holding her tongue for eons, held a finger up to Sailor Moon's scepter and snapped, "You guys realize I'm not _**IN**_ the damned ball, right?" She glared at Tuxedo Mask. "Any more than I'm _**in**_ a little button! You push your little button and expect me to pop up immediately, like I'm a damned genie! Oh I can't **wait** to get you two into the time portal so you'll realize it takes TIME and SUPERHUMAN EFFORT to move through that portal!" It was a big enough pain trying to get to the bathroom in time. Fortunately, she had great insight and could tell the need was coming hours before the actual need arose.

Tuxedo Mask chuckled uncomfortably and said, "Um, I don't believe we've met—"

"Oh I WISH we hadn't met," Setsuna sneered. Followed quickly by a barely heard, "_y o u r - h __i __g __h__ n e s s_" Okay, this wasn't THAT Endymion. But stick a little purple on him, and he was close enough.

Sailor Moon glared, still aiming her scepter at Sailor Pluto. "One question, sweets. WHO do you answer to."

'Sweets' curled her lip, but said, somewhat robotically, 'a wise and wonderful princess who saved the world and brought peace unto countless generations, Our Lady Neo-Queen Serenity."

Sailor Moon grinned and said snidely, "_Me._"

Setsuna couldn't hide her horror. A definite feeling of 'oh shit' came over her features, surely allowing the past version of the Neo-Queen to discern the truth. She cleared her throat and fought hard to keep her cool, stamping out all evil thoughts about what that damned psychotic Endymion had 'inadvertently let slip'. She suddenly was riddled with a thousand questions, but the first thing that popped into her mind was about her biggest worry. "Does Small Lady know?"

.

Tuxedo Mask's stare was on Sailor Moon, whom Setsuna had just agreed was Neo-Queen Serenity. "You're the queen in the future." —then kicked himself. Of course she was. He knew, and still hadn't quite processed, that Serena was Rini's mom in the distant future. He'd even known that Rini had called herself a princess. But …he stared at Serena and asked, "Wait, then the dream wasn't faked! You ARE in trouble in the future!"

Sailor Moon sneered at Tuxedo Mask: "Oh who the hell knows what to believe. But don't worry either way, okay? You're free to date whomever you please, regardless. As am I." She looked back over at Setsuna and said, "We saw Rini's mom in the dream; I thought she was safe—"

Setsuna broke in here: "Safe, for the time being, yes. But you're not in the best state, my.. _Queen_." Yes, that was hard for Setsuna to get out. But if she dared called the angry girl 'Sailor Moon' and it pissed her off… it took a lot to upset the little Queen, but it wasn't an experience one wanted to relive. She smiled weakly and continued, "The Black Moon Clan, some of whom you've met, are actively attacking you in the future; your Senshi have been shielding you, but you haven't awoken. Nobody knows why." She bowed her head sincerely: "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news."

"Whatever!" Sailor Moon snipped. "Darien, meet the woman that sent you your dreams. Broke us up. Encouraged Rini to steal my Silver Crystal—!"

Tuxedo Mask's mind was swirling with confusion, adrenaline, and finally anger… but he had to stop Sailor Moon there: "Rini wants the Silver Crystal to save _you_." THAT much, he'd put together easily.

"I've heard all that," Sailor Moon said. "_But you're missing the point!_ THIS is the person that sent Rini back in time, gave us the nightmares —the one Luna didn't want me to speak with!"

Tuxedo Mask glared at Setsuna, charging, "_YOU_ sent the dreams."

"No!" Setsuna said firmly, if a little bit shrilly. While she generally prided herself on being anything BUT shrill, spending enough time in a time portal with bratty royals calling you back-and-forth, back-and-forth, and having several sets of different orders from different timeframes, tended to make one's voice a little shrill at times.

"You DID TOO!" Serena spat. "It could ONLY have been you! You dropped RINI on me, so you knew damned well who I was. The flake here broke up with me almost immediately after Rini got here because of your _stupid_ dream. —Do you know what kind of HELL I went through over those dreams? Oh I promise you ONE thing, if I really do live that long, someone's going to hear from ME. I think a little PAYBACK'S in order!"

"It wasn't a party for me, either," Tuxedo Mask said angrily to Setsuna. But somehow, Setsuna didn't look very real, much less very interested. What were they, arguing with a ghost or something?

"I provided the **equipment** that was requested," Setsuna growled, knowing she couldn't possibly lose her temper with these young versions of the grown idiots she served. That just wasn't done.

"_WHO_ requested it?" Tuxedo Mask demanded, fiery anger coming from his voice.

Which impressed Sailor Moon, almost like the old days. He wanted to know who'd punked him, instead of just rolling over like a dog? Well, thank _goodness_! She'd begun to think she was the only one who didn't like being brainwashed and mentally invaded!

Setsuna blanched. Impossible situation. "Um, well, uh… _you_ requested it, _Your Highness_," Setsuna stumbled, knowing she'd possibly broken a solemn vow to Endymion that she'd never reveal what Endymion was doing, breaking into their dreams. But since this was Endymion himself asking, and knowing how highly the Old Endymion thought of the Young Endymion, she was sure she'd be punished no matter what she did. She'd probably end up dead soon, regardless. But no matter; they'd drag her back to life just to execute her again, probably. Ah the joys of working for the royals.

"He requested it? _**WHY?**_" Sailor Moon seethed, just as angrily at Setsuna as at her ex-boyfriend. "Why would HE ask YOU to send HIMSELF dreams?" She backed up a step, her moon scepter now pointing more liberally at them both.

"I didn't do it, Serena!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed. He turned on Setsuna: "You mean, the me of the future." He smiled a wide, fake smile that DEMANDED this scout had BETTER answer correctly.

"Of course," Setsuna breathed a little more easily, almost WISHING someone would put her out of her misery.

"_**WHY?**_" Sailor Moon asserted again. "Did he get sick of me? Don't we have divorce court in the 30th Century?"

Tuxedo Mask grabbed Sailor Moon, ignoring the moon scepter in his face, then ducked the weapon and said, "I'd never want to divorce you, Serena."

"You BROKE UP with me, after you SENT YOURSELF a dream TELLING YOURSELF to do so!" she yelled, pushing him away and turning to Setsuna. Sounded like a way to get out of some huge alimony payments to her!

"Eh, no, he's right," Setsuna said. When Sailor Moon's evil glare turned to her, Setsuna shivered a bit and was suddenly not that upset about being doomed to eternal solitude. She raised her voice and said, "You're sort of in a coma in the future, and Endymion's pretty .._angsty_ about it. I think he hoped Rini could lure you to the future to help defeat the Black Moon Clan, but ..well as for the dreams he said all this stuff about testing your love for each other." She sighed. "As for why, I really I don't want to guess. I never believed it was a good idea. I didn't want to set up the dream equipment to begin with! I was fully honest with him about that—"

"Why didn't he just come back himself, then?" Sailor Moon asked, not really believing a word of this. The woman looked WAY too much like Emerald. Plus, what kind of planet was 'Pluto'? Hadn't the universe just let that one go to another solar system?

Setsuna stumbled. "You don't know," she stated, realizing only now that this young Serenity hadn't actually *seen* Endymion. _This_ Serenity didn't really KNOW anything, except that she was the future queen, and Small Lady was her daughter, and some form of Endymion was somehow involved with the dreams.

"Don't know WHAT?" Sailor Moon said, turning purple with her fury.

Wincing slightly, Setsuna said, "I'm sorry, Serenity. King Endymion was completely paralyzed from the neck down in trying to defend you," Setsuna said. "He lies in state, much like yourself, but he's conscious. His abilities are very, very limited. The city is sacked, and the palace stands only because of the remaining Senshi, who are constantly working to shield you and that palace. The Black Moon Clan is continuing to grow in power, and …things look bleak."

.

Sailor Moon grew quiet for a full minute, then stepped back. "He's paralyzed?" she asked, haunted, wracking her brain to find the lie in this. Why wouldn't he have SAID something about that while haunting her brain? Could that explain his bad Photoshopping?

Tuxedo Mask, who had already been prepared for some pretty bad news about their future, immediately moved to Sailor Moon, grabbing her up as she nearly collapsed: "It's okay. It'll be okay," he soothed, kissing her hair and making promises he wasn't sure he could keep.

Setsuna had seen the stricken look on Sailor Moon's face, and cursed herself for forgetting that the girl wasn't that much older than Small Lady right now. Stoically, Setsuna announced, "I have to warn you that Small Lady is unaware of her father's condition. We developed a hologram so she could communicate with Endymion, because we didn't believe she could suffer seeing both of you in your current conditions—"

Serena dropped her transformation and, allowing Tuxedo Mask to hold her, asked, "A _**hologram**_?" Immediately her thoughts swam back to the destruction.. not the poorly-Photoshopped crap that the poor crippled Endymion had tried to pass off as dreams, but the dream the Black Moon Clan had made for Rini, where the city was destroyed, and so many were dead. Suddenly Serena gasped, "But if he's a _**hologram**_, and I'm ..in a 'coma' …who could hold Rini? Comfort her?"

Setsuna bowed slightly and said," I became her primary caretaker." Beat. "There was nobody else. Small Lady held vigil at your bedside, where the Senshi were protecting you, but you couldn't communicate, and ...she was rather inconsolable."

"She'd thought I had just abandoned her?" Tuxedo Mask asked, trying to keep Serena on her feet, and not doing so good a job of standing himself.

"Small Lady believes you're actively fighting the Black Moon Clan, holding our position until her mother wakes up. —I'm sorry, but it gave her hope, Your Highness."

Serena, who'd been weeping, blindly reached for Tuxedo Mask's face and choked out, "I didn't ever want you hurt—!"

Something overcame Tuxedo Mask when he saw a look of pure, unadulterated love in Serena's eyes. "I know that," he choked out, then kissed her powerfully, drawing immense strength and hope from the sensation of her kissing him back for the first time in months. Saddened that it was under such tragic conditions; finding out that they were both basically corpses in the future, and that their daughter was utterly alone.

.

Setsuna felt a little awkward at this moment. Of course, she was sorta used to this; when they weren't in a coma, the Neo-Queen and King were given to making out at the most improper times in the history of the world. But they weren't lusting for each other this time; they were miserable. She took a deep breath and broke a sacred rule: "You know he'll be completely healed if we can just get Serenity to wake up."

Serena wasn't paying any attention, feeling so physically _hurt_ imagining Darien stuck in his body without being able to move, or help her, or protect their city..."How long has he been paralyzed?" Serena sobbed, pushing away from Tuxedo Mask's embrace and holding herself miserably.

"Just a few months," Setsuna soothed. Or tried to soothe, anyway; Serenity gasped and turned away from them completely.

"But why send me a dream warning me to stay away from her?" Tuxedo Mask asked, reaching subconsciously for Serena, but unable to leave the source of some long-needed answers. "Did he really want to change our fates—?"

"Change your..? Absolutely not!" Setsuna blustered, but watched Serenity as she started to slowly disappear down the beach, apparently no longer interested in having her questions answered. She turned her attention back to Tuxedo Mask: "Endymion wouldn't risk losing his family. —I believe he said it was .._a test_. Of your love." She cringed.

Anger coursed through Tuxedo Mask's veins: "A TEST? That makes no sense! Why tear us apart now?"

Setsuna stood to her full height in her hologram bubble: "No, he never intended to tear you apart, Tuxedo Mask. In fact, he threatened to tear ME apart when he learned that Serenity was back here kissing another man." She held her breath a second, STILL pissed that Endymion could blame HER for that. "He apparently wanted you to prove your love to each other. To make you both stronger, prepare you for what may come if you indeed decide to visit the future and help defeat the Black Moon Clan." Beat. "I can't say it makes sense. I asked, '_Why not just TELL them'_, but he reminded me of my _inferior intellect_." She rolled her eyes, then caught sight of the young teen nearing the ocean: "Um, Tuxedo Mask, are you aware that your Serenity is IN the water? I think she's leaving—"

Tuxedo Mask turned and flew to Serena, almost knocking her down in the wet sand as he rounded her: "Serena! Where're you going? Isn't this what you wanted? A chance to confront Setsuna about the future?"

Tears were streaming down her face; she looked up at him.

He hugged her tightly and said, "Serena, c'mon. You were right; we should have been on the offensive, asking questions!" He kissed her head. "I NEED to find out why the hell this 'King Endymion' did this to us! Why he sent our daughter back to the past—"

"I can't!" Serena cried into his cape. The dream was right; if they got married, Darien would end up a vegetable stalking his past girlfriend with poor Photoshops. Oh, and tossing his daughter haplessly into the past —what was Rini to him? LURE? BAIT? A way to win a war? —no, something had happened to Darien's mind that made him insane. That was the only explanation.

"Don't you want to find out how we can help Rini? Stop this Black Moon Clan?" Tuxedo Mask insisted, begging.

"My God, Darien!" she cried, "THEY don't know or they wouldn't be sending back to US for help!" She looked up at him, grabbing his cape in both little fists: "They're princes and princesses and stuff, and THEY couldn't hold off the Black Moon Clan! We're struggling with their stupid _droids_!"

"But YOU already took out Rubeus! —you and Rini, together, with the scouts! Maybe whatever our future selves have in mind is working! We have to have faith that we can do this!" And before she could argue, he kissed her, as much to bolster his own faith as to increase her own.

.

Minutes later, Mask walked Serena back to the Setsuna hologram, who seemed to be quite anxious when Tuxedo Mask demanded that she tell them all she could about the Black Moon Clan, and how the Silver Crystal might have assisted Rini.

Setsuna opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again. "It's probable that had it not been for King Endymion's sacrifice, Serenity would BE the queen of the Black Moon Clan. —Non-consensually, of course." And at their sudden, and equally furious, glares, Setsuna added, "The acting leader of the Black Moon Clan is obsessed with the Neo-Queen, and the Black Moon Clan is POWERFUL. Prince Diamond is not waiting for the Neo-Queen to die; he's waiting for the Senshi shields to fail, so he can make her his queen." Beat. "It's just a matter of time."

"Give me a name," Tuxedo Mask snapped. "I've got this."

Setsuna smiled patiently, "I already did. '_Prince Diamond._' Want his address? Right now he's residing in a big black monolith right beside the Crystal Palace that houses Serenity."

Setsuna glanced at the innocent before her, then at the masked superhero protecting her. "Prince Diamond's brainwashing capabilities make your old enemies' abilities look like kids' play." She licked her lips, then stressed, "Diamond Almost Won, single-handedly, with your court at FULL POWER. Facing him now, as you are, you'll be risking not only your natural future, but Small Lady's existence, and …well I'm limited in what I can divulge—"

"Then go away!" Serena snapped, done hearing this heart-wrenching news.

Setsuna moved towards her abused portal, the Luna-P ball. "Off the record, the King really believes you and the Senshi from the past can help defeat the Black Moon Clan. And I hope you can, as well. —But just remember, Small Lady's been through a lot. You were idealistic parents; you left matters of the state to others and were always together as a family. Knowing you couldn't bear more children until Small Lady grew up, she and her mother kept Small Lady young, for centuries, because they were so happy! You both almost took off Endymion's head when he suggested she age normally."

Tuxedo Mask smiled, WIDELY, at Serena, who was GLARING at Setsuna.

Setsuna continued, "But now Small Lady's lost everything she held dear. We're all fighting for her, and of course for you. Small Lady deserves to have both her parents back, and to continue to grow in that loving environment; to help make Crystal Tokyo strong again—"

Serena suddenly FELT her Senshi calling her. She reached for her communicator—before realizing that it was at the bottom of the ocean. She turned back to Setsuna: "You don't have a communicator on you, do you?"

Setsuna said, blandly, "Hologram."

Serena nodded, then transformed: "I'm being summoned. Get back in the damned ball and let's go—"

.

.

.

Emerald took a long, deep drink of the green concoction Sailor Jupiter served her. "There's always Saphir. He has a thing for me."

Catzi's eyes popped out of her head, and she jumped up and followed an angry Prizma out of the room.

Emerald almost got her laugh back on, but who was she to laugh at a jilted woman. SHE was a jilted woman. Who was she kidding, anyway; she didn't want that twit Saphir; she wanted DIAMOND! "Damn!" she spat.

Sailor Mars jumped up suddenly, and Emerald stood and formed a dark energy ball threateningly: "Don't think so, Princess. Sit your ass back down, NOW!"

"Well why could _they_ leave?" Mars asked, disgruntled, pointing to the door through which Catzi and Prizma had fled.

The four Sailor Senshi sat, uncomfortably, with Emerald at Catzi's house, a large boarding house where all four sisters had moved after being purified and getting their beauty licenses in order.

Andrew tried to stand: "Look, I swear I don't have a pony in this race, don't KNOW you women, don't GET anything you're saying—"

Emerald smiled deliciously at Andrew: "You don't have a pony in this race? **_EEEbwahahahah_!**" she laughed. "—Honey, you ARE the pony!" She licked her lips seductively and stood up, dropped the top of her dress, and said, "See these, Andrew? That makes ME the race and YOU the pony!"

Andrew tried to avert his eyes, and threw up a little in his mouth—Emerald didn't exactly look natural at all, especially with the steel points shooting out of gnarled skin.

Sailor Jupiter protectively jumped up and matched Emerald's movements: "See THESE? Hello! _And_ I can cook! —But I can't land _any_ man I want! He has to LOVE you!" She sat down again closely beside her pony (Andrew) and watched while Emerald covered herself again.

Andrew cleared his throat and looked at Sailor Mercury, who was always safe, it seemed; Sailor Jupiter rolled her eyes before pulling her dress back up, sensing that she'd made Andrew uncomfortable.

A wide-eyed Sailor Mercury said, "I'm going to die. And that won't be a bad thing."

Sailor Venus said, "Well, Your ..um, _Emeraldness_, we don't get Jerry Beads here. There's more to love than having certain physical attributes—"

"Spoken by someone who has _no_ physical attributes," Emerald snarled.

Avery cleared her throat and said, "I know you many not appreciate Sailor Venus' wisdom in the matter—"

"What does SHE have to do with ME?" Emerald snapped. "I revel in the dark energy! NOT the usurped Moon Crystal crap that rendered humanity into a bunch of worthless automatons who can't feel emotion! ..who can't stand on their own two feet!"

"Not this again," Sailor Mars growled, dropping her head in her hand, bored.

Avery said, as gently as she could, "Regardless of dark or light energies, Emerald, if Prince Diamond LOVED you, he wouldn't have had all those psycho stalker three-dimensional images of the Neo-Queen everywhere! Right?" She looked around the room: "Do I lie? Can I get an _'Amen_'?"

Emerald glared at her and said, "But all this —our whole MISSION! —was to get our brains wrenched away from the Moon Bitch! Right? So Diamond goes and falls in love with _her_? FOR REAL?" She stood and paced. "Everything we've fought for! All for NAUGHT! Because '_he's in lurve_'. Love is for girly people and fairies."

Bertie said, "Excuse me, Emerald. But when we were purified, we realized we'd been fooled by Wiseman all along! He never intended to make a new world order! He USED us—!"

"Now you sound like that wimpy Saphir," Emerald glowered.

Bertie said, "But what I'm saying is, while you still have that little black moon on your head, you're thinking what Wiseman WANTS you to think! There's HOPE without it! Prince Diamond would be a new person without it, and so would you! FREE!"

Emerald dropped her head, and started crying again, once again confusing everyone in the room. And the wails of Emerald were almost as bad as her laughs; everyone in the room buried their heads in pillows and cushions. Andrew had to dodge Jupiter's "pillows" and stuck his head between the seat cushions.

.

.

.

When Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask landed in front of her house, Mask stopped her and said, "I know it's asking a lot, but tonight, after we handle this next battle, would you spend the night at my place—"

Sailor Moon's eyes told him the answer would be a resounding NO!, but he quickly pleaded, "I won't hurt you; I just want to talk to you. And I want you to get a good night's sleep. If you have that dream again at least I could be there…"

Rini ran outside with Luna screaming, "I KNEW you'd back come for me!" she squealed, hugging Tuxedo Mask and latching on possessively onto his cape.

Sailor Moon threw up a little in her mouth, but without preamble, told Luna, "Lost my communicator; where are the Senshi?"

"Hey Serena!" Rini smiled, then jumped off of Tuxedo Mask and onto Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon held Rini's head away from her legs, trying to hear Luna. Luna said, "We really, _really_ need to have a talk about the importance of these communicators!" But she pulled out her own communicator and tossed it to Serena. "They're at Catzi's. But they're NOT ALONE. There's a little problem—."

Tuxedo Mask interrupted, "Are they in trouble, Luna?"

Rini turned in Sailor Moon's grasp and yelled at Darien, "Rei WRECKED your car and dragged me home, Darien!" Then she turned to Serena: "They just dropped me off here, and they even threatened to KILL me! And—Serena what's an abortion?"

Luna growled quietly, "A legal right."

But Tuxedo Mask quickly pulled the little girl away from Sailor Moon and said, "Rini, they were probably just stressed and joking with you, to ease the mood!"

Sailor Moon said, "Okay, I'm off to Catzi's, I guess," then turned to leave—

Tuxedo Mask grabbed her and said, "Wait, I'm coming with you, Sere!"

"ME TOO!" Rini yelled out, grabbing Sailor Moon's hand while holding onto Tuxedo Mask's hand.

Sailor Moon was about to protest when Luna said, "Serena, er, um, Emerald's there. And the Senshi have been out of contact for a little while—"

Sailor Moon said, "On it," and turned to Tuxedo Mask: "Why don't you just stay here with Rini?"

But Luna growled, "Put the damned kid down, Mask. — _**Rini, get in the house!**_"

"NO!" Rini yelled, then stomped Tuxedo Mask's foot. He knelt in pain, then fell forward to grab Rini just before she drop-kicked Luna.

Sailor Moon, holding onto the last teeny tiny bit of her sanity, knelt down to Rini: "_Emerald _is the one that wants to take you back to the future and kill you mother, so if you could just stay out of sight—"

The brat started crying; "YOU SAID YOU'D BE MY FRIEND!" and slapped Sailor Moon hard across the face.

Sailor Moon gritted her teeth and looked up at Tuxedo Mask. He looked shaken up.

Luna, however, brought a length of rope, and Moon and Luna had Rini hog-tied within seconds, then gagged her. Sailor Moon said, "And when I get back you're going to _WISH _Emerald had you, stupid brat!"

Tuxedo Mask stared stupidly at Sailor Moon, but followed her when she took off.

.

.

.

Serena Tsukino stood outside the Ayakashi's boarding house at 10:00 pm. On a school night. Tuxedo Mask was hiding in a tree behind her as she knocked, his rose at the ready for an ambush.

"_**EEEEEBwahahahahahah!**_" they heard before the door opened, causing Serena to transform and Tuxedo Mask to land at her side instantly. "They weren't kidding," Sailor Moon whispered.

The door swung open and Emerald said, "Well? No '_Trick or Treat'_? Those costumes sure deserve SOMETHING!"

Sailor Mars and Jupiter were instantly behind Emerald; Tuxedo Mask was instantly in front of Sailor Moon, knocking her back a step. He grabbed a hand behind him to catch her, then pulled out his cane and pointed it at Emerald: "Let our friends go, Emerald!"

Emerald glared at him and mimicked, "_'Let our friends go'_ _'let our friends go'_…", but then she noticed what a nice hunk of beef she had standing before her. Finally, she said, "I'm not HOLDING your friends. I merely visited some old friends, when _your_ friends showed up." She imagined what this man might look like if she could bleach his hair… give him some shoulder pads… add a little BLING to his funeral parlor outfit.

Sailor Moon stepped out from behind her 'hero' and looked at Emerald; Emerald wiped her drool and focused on Sailor Moon. Then the green old lady teared up slightly, and stepped back: "Please, where are my manners. Come in."

Sailor Moon shoved by Tuxedo Mask and walked in… then stopped in front of Emerald whose back was dramatically flung against the door. She reached out gently with her white-gloved finger and wiped off the black moon emblem on Emerald's forehead. "Eyeliner?" she said. "Oh my God! You're not Black Moon anymore!"

Emerald instantly started wailing and crying, fell to the floor, banged her hands on the floor in her absolute misery.

Sailor Mars put a protective arm around Sailor Moon and said, "Are you sure _SHE'S_ not Rini's mom?"

Mars, Venus, and Moon all slowly looked at Tuxedo Mask, who blushed and stared at the green heap of misery on the floor. "Oh, I'd demand a DNA test for that one. Maybe if I got brainwashed, and killed, and something got extracted—"

Sailor Moon shrugged: "Get her feet…" then she knelt down by Emerald and went to pull her up.

Sailor Mars said, "Moon, she's still EVIL! She almost hit me with a dark energy ball, and she showed Andrew her boobs!"

"Andrew's here?" Tuxedo Mask asked, then considered de-transforming. Then considered not. Well, maybe it was time to come out of the closet.

Sailor Moon, on the other hand, spun away from Emerald to find Andrew looking at her. She smiled at him and asked Jupiter, who was draped over the arcade owner, "What's he doing here?"!

Andrew nearly fell forward to Sailor Moon; he could see the street lights outside and knew he was so close to freedom. "Please, I don't know any of these people! Sailor Moon, PLEASE get me out of here!" He glanced at the green woman on the floor making all the wailing noises: "Is that Rini's mom? I mean, that's the ONLY name here that sounds familiar, and I barely know Rini! See, I helped Rini feed her cat Luna this evening, and THAT'S ALL! THEN the Senshi picked me up, I guess they thought Rini's mom was pissed at me—?"

Sailor Jupiter said, "I CAUGHT Emerald watching him from afar, Sailor Moon. I was PROTECTING him!"

Andrew said, "Then they brought me here, and Rini's mom is apparently upset because of some guy, I guess Rini's dad? —I don't know how Serena Tsukino is related to any of these people—!"

All the girls jumped at that, but it was Sailor Jupiter who saved the day by landing a wet, sloppy kiss on Andrew's mouth to keep him from saying any more secret identities.

Emerald stood on her own power, though, and stared at Andrew. Then at Sailor Moon. "The Rabbit's living with 'Serena Tsukino'?"

.

.

"Great, Catzi, I thought you were my FRIEND!" Sailor Mars yelled.

"I AM!" Catzi smiled. "I'm not the one who dragged some random guy into my house! I TOLD you Emerald was here!"

"Oh SHUT UP!" Emerald said, fully in control again. She and Sailor Moon were seated across from each other, and each had a cadre of four girls 'on her side'. Except, that's just the way the kitchen forced them to stand, and the Senshi weren't about to let Sailor Moon sit near Green Evil without them.

Emerald continued. "Things were fine, you know," and started weeping again. "Damn, and I never did THIS! This WEEPING thing, until you attacked me!"

"She didn't ATTACK you," Sailor Mars stated. "She HEALED your nasty ass! She SHOULD have attacked you. This is unprecedented!"

Emerald was confused.

Sailor Moon was confused, but had been confused for days. "I almost hit you with the Halation, but …well, it's a long story, but this guy from the future keeps invading my mind and putting me in a poorly-Photoshopped Crystal Tokyo," she wasn't about to tell Emerald any real information!, but wanted to explain, and try to understand how she was able to 'heal' an unwilling Emerald. "And then he was yelling at me—"

"Wiseman!" Emerald wailed, crying again.

"No," Sailor Mercury said, "I don't think it's the same guy." She swallowed. "Believe me."

Sailor Moon continued, "ANYWAY!" She cleared her throat: "I didn't know why you didn't leave as you usually do, but then I got confused because you felt …_betrayed_. By ME! I changed my attack to an Escalation instead." Beat. "It was a whim. I didn't want to kill you if you weren't evil."

"AS IF!" Emerald spat out. But then she stood and pointed at Moon: "I can't get BACK to my life!" she screamed. "I've got the dark crystals," and she dangled them in front of Sailor Moon. "But I guess without that Black Moon Clan emblem, I can't get in and out of the portal!" She bent over the table, her boobs putting out the candles Prizma had just set out for the occasion, and cried, "I am separated from MY SOULMATE by CENTURIES! You have GOT to fix this!"

"I don't know HOW!" Sailor Moon winced, motioning awkwardly for Sailor Mars to put out Emerald's boobs.

Sailor Mars glowered, "I *start* fires, not put them out."

.

Prizma said, "Won't Saphir come looking for you?" HERE. Where she'd keep Emerald as long as possible so she could see HER soul mate again? She smiled in crazy anticipation.

"That wuss is too scared… well, wait," Emerald turned. Thinking. Everybody's eyes widened when they saw her dress smoking at the chest. Sailor Mercury picked up a glass of water and tossed it on her. Emerald looked down, then back up at Sailor Mercury. "Thanks. —anyway, if nobody wipes if off this time, I can draw that moon BACK on my head, then get through the portal with Saphir, and THEN tell Wiseman what happened—"

Sailor Moon said, "I thought you didn't trust Wiseman anymore?"!

"Well I don't!" Emerald said. "But how else can I get my black moon back permanently? My boyfriend would _never_ trust me if he thought I was out of the _family_!" she whined. "I mean, all the Ayakashi sisters are on their hit list," she whined more, then blanched. "Sorry," she said, glaring at the Ayakashi sisters, although they shouldn't be surprised.

Sailor Moon said, "Look, why don't you just LURE your boyfriend Saphir here, and I'll try to do an ELIMINATION on him, too!"

Emerald and Prizma both shrieked harshly: "HE is not MY/HER boyfriend!"

But then there was Prizma's blush, and Emerald's silence. Emerald had started thinking… Diamond, minus the black moon. Maybe the twits earlier WERE right; and if she could get rid of Wiseman's hold on Diamond, he might get rid of his obsession with …She looked at Sailor Moon. Goofy girl, no assets, gangly, yet short. "You think you can get the spell off of Prince Diamond? —I mean, you KNOW who he is, right?"

Tuxedo Mask stood outside the kitchen, back against the wall. Serena was going to HEAL the man who single-handedly tried to destroy Crystal Tokyo? "I don't like it," he said out loud, turning to face the group.

Sailor Moon smiled tightly and said, "Excuse me. Can you ladies put Emerald up for the night? I've got school—"

"Of course!" Emerald laughed, though not her usual confident laugh. "But you just remember, Ms. Tsukino, if you want me to keep YOUR little secret, you've got to keep mine!" She pointed to her blank forehead to make her point.

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* * *

/AN/

Yeah, I'm not sure how the Luna-P ball works. Sorry! Thought it was cute this way. And I'm completely clueless (hah!) about healing Black Moon people! So let me try to explain MY take on Serena "healing" Emerald: Emerald started questioning everything she believed to be true (moment of weakness, like the Ayakashi sisters), so she was vulnerable. But Emerald's still _Emerald_ – unbrainwashed, but still evil! And she's got the dark crystal earrings allowing her some dark energy attack power. But (this is Sailor Moon so…) all she needs is love. (GAG! But there you have it.) I'd like to keep her focused on winning her man back (because Petz still wanted Saphir! Canon!)

Am I writing Rini too crazy? She doesn't know S/D are her parents, she loves them, but she gets jealous of them, and she's .._Rini_. Am I capturing her incredibly awful [anime] personality? Or am I going way _way _too far? (Eh, it feels genuine somehow.) I could tone it down a notch.

And I'm wanting to show Darien struggling to deal with getting Serena back, AND dealing with being "too easy" on Rini (since that's his character in the anime), but I'm finding it very hard to REDEEM him and keep him somewhat in character, even though it's my own story! LOL! I don't know, he might have to backhand Rini pretty soon. I'm struggling! If only it weren't for S3 anime showing he's STILL blind to Rini's 'antics'. Aargh!

.

/Response to anon review!/

**Bunny16()** re: last chapter's review: aww, yeah I know Serena wouldn't smoke/drink/smoke pot… the idea was more that she was stumbled through crack city on the way to the park, shoved a crackhead's bag into her subspace compartment, then started experimenting when she caught the "not good for pregnant ladies" warnings on some things (Red Bull, cigarettes) cause she really didn't want to have a baby ever.

But then her idea was to go all Mission:Impossible on Luna. In my thinking, Serena didn't want to get high, but intended to get Luna to talk by using the pot as a "truth serum". She was affected 'accidentally' more than anything, because she wasn't sure how to use it. (In fact, I tried to portray that she didn't THINK she was high when she left the park, but pot's tricky—you think you're good, then you start giggling, so by the time she got to the arcade, she accepted she was high and had to work around that.)


	8. Trust

**Snapped**

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**Chapter 8  
TRUST**

Andrew ran into his apartment and locked the door. He turned on the lights, grabbed some chairs, and shoved them firmly against the doorknob. Closing his eyes to rid his memories of ..geez, what might be any man's fantasy, what with having a few girls kiss him, being kidnapped by the sexy Sailor Senshi, being deemed a "pony" in a race that included all sorts of supernatural hooters!

How'd he get into their sights? Had it been his stunt as a surfer a few weeks ago? Maybe there was some kind of superhero/supervillian control center where they could find human mates—?

He freaked; opened his closet, pulled out some boards, and started nailing the windows closed. Satisfied with his safety, he went to the bathroom and …Reika and Serena would KILL him! He had LOVE BITES on his cheeks, neck! All from either Lita, Sailor Venus, or Sailor Jupiter. He ran a hot tub and sank into the bath, determined to get all evidence off of himself before going to bed. Reika had thought it was so sweet of Serena to try to stop her flight to Africa that morning; now he was afraid that with his luck, Reika would come walking in tonight!

And the thought of seeing another boob did NOTHING for him.

.

"Yeah he seemed a little freaked out," Mina said, having detransformed along with the rest as soon as Andrew was safely back at home. "Although it's no wonder, what with Lita and Emerald FLASHING him all night!"

Darien stayed behind the pack, looking bored to the average bystander probably, but inwardly fighting with himself. Serena hadn't let him get close to her since they'd arrived at the Ayakashi sisters' home. Of course, Serena was scared—they all were—of Emerald, who was still swinging with the dark crystal earrings, and now the knowledge of Serena's identity.

Serena was walking beside him suddenly. Her besties Lita and Mina were leading the pack and near coming to blows over which girl would make a better mate for Andrew. Rei was behind them, ignoring them. And Ami was behind everyone, ostensibly entering all the data she'd picked up tonight on her trusty, thrice-broken computer.

"I suppose I should get home; it's almost 11pm," she said.

Darien casually tried to hold her hand; she casually had to fix one of her buns. "Guess I got my answer," he said, none-too-happily.

"I can't .._spend the night_ with you, Darien, even if we were .._together_," Serena said. And then she asked, "Do you think we should tell Rini?"

"That we're ..!" Darien startled. He blushed, then finished his thought: "_her parents?_"

Serena sighed. "I have no idea what Rini's doing. She's gotten worse, Darien, not better."

"She does seem to be acting out a little more," he said. Trying to hide his anger; hadn't he ADMITTED to her that he'd questioned Rini's emotional health when she bricked his car this morning? Didn't he get credit for talking firmly to her? For abducting and interrogating Rini's toy Luna-P this evening? For standing by as Serena and Luna _hog-tied_ Rini earlier tonight?

"She spat at Rei, Darien. Rei was telling me about Rini's outbursts after we left the arcade tonight." She bit her lip, then looked at Darien. "I don't think she's wholly evil, Darien. I think she needs some ..some strict discipline." VERY strict. The kind that Darien just didn't seem to be able to handle—

Darien smiled wickedly at her: "According to Setsuna, YOU'RE the one who didn't let her grow up, against MY better judgement."

Serena's jaw dropped, and she almost got shrill on him, but quickly contained herself to keep this quick-and-dirty conversation somewhat private. "I'm not sure how much I trust Setsuna, OR Endymion, for that matter. —heck, at least Emerald seemed honest tonight, even though she's bat-shit crazy. But okay, let's say I was the horrible parent! Then it's time I mend my ways."

Darien turned on her and said, "Hasn't it occurred to you that MAYBE, just MAYBE, some part of me would LOVE to really let Rini have it, but I don't out of respect for YOU?"

.

That little outburst shut up even the warring Lita and Mina. The girls smiled at each other and slowed their paces, almost overtly turning around to listen to THIS fight.

And Ami quietly turned on her webcam and amplified the mic. Right now, it would be private, but who knows what useful information could come out of a catfight between Serena and Darien right now!

.

Darien had continued by telling Serena about his horrible experiences as a child. "...and if I spoke out of turn, that was a spanking. If I spoke too loudly, THAT was a spanking. —I just really don't like spankings!"

Serena kept walking, biting in lip in consternation. "You're really going to play the orphanage card on me." It wasn't a question.

Darien threw his arms in the air: "Okay. I'll give you that she's been acting out a little more lately, but I think it's pretty apparent she's trying to keep you away from Andrew! SHE doesn't understand her feelings! She just wants her parents back together—"

"Darien," Serena said lightly, "she doesn't KNOW we're her parents." She smiled at his idiocy. "This is getting us nowhere. I'm going home; I'm going to _**gently remind**_ her that she has enemies we're TRYING to protect her from, and then we're going to have to talk about having her remove the brainwashing on my family." She turned to him: "She'll love moving in with you! You guys get along .._great_." Again with the almost choking, but she was getting used to it. "And she'll be _safe_."

"I've thought of that," Darien said. "But YOU have to be part of this, Serena. Bring her over after school; be with her—"

Serena nodded, but was frustrated. "Darien, —whatever. This _isn't_ a long-term solution. She's not going to be back in the past forever; she's _GOT_ to go home—"

Lita sing-songed, "Or she might not even get BORN!" **_Smiles_**

Rei, trying to pretend she was ignoring the Darena fight, giggled slightly, then tried to make it sound like a cough. *Dammit* they were talking more quietly now. She slowed her pace so she could hear better.

Darien took Serena's arm and walked closer to her. He whispered, "Do you want that? Do you want Rini to never get born?"

Serena closed her eyes tightly; she angrily whispered back to him, "You have no idea how many times I've asked myself that question today." Opening her eyes, she admitted, "Actually, I was asking that question even _before_ I found out I was her m- mo- m-other." She cringed; _eww!_ she didn't even want to think about how that had happened.

Darien glowered. How couldn't Serena see how special Rini was? What a bright light she shone for not only their lives, but the whole world! "Serena, it would KILL you to lose Rini."

Serena deadpanned, "You lost me there, Darien."

She continued walking, and even continued letting Darien hold her arm, but said, "I don't want to take anyone's life, but IF there's a ME that thinks of her as a daughter, that ME is in the future. The FAR future. That ME got a chance to DATE her boyfriend, fall in love, get married, make a home, destroy some youmas, and THEN raise a baby. THIS me hasn't had any of that yet! Can't you understand that?"

Darien's face screwed up royally. "Well, yeah, I sorta thought of that—"

"Hold on!" Ami called from behind them.

Darien and Serena turned to look at her, alarmed. Ami typed in a few things, then said, "testing? Testing? 1 2 3 testing?" Then she looked back up at the dueling duo and said, "Okay, thank you. You many continue."

Serena shrugged. "I'm not so sure I want to do this again. You were …you were my knight in shining armor, Darien! I loved you so much!" She smiled warmly and hugged herself, remembering their two days of bliss between killing Beryl and getting Rini. "And you know I still do. I probably always will!" She was about to say her 'but'—

"I love you, too, Serena," Darien said huskily, grabbing her with both arms and lifting her up to the sky, smiling through tears. "You mean everything to me," he added as he pulled her back down and into his arms. She opened her mouth to speak, but he pulled her in for a kiss—

"SORRY!" Ami freaked as she bumped into them, then immediately backed off a step. "I wasn't paying attention!" She typed without looking, then said, "Please, continue!"

The moment was long gone; Serena had backed off to arm's length —almost right into Mina, as she disturbingly discovered. She looked and realized that the whole group was surrounding them, and …"Ami ARE YOU TAPING US?"

.

.

.

**DREAMS**

Serena grumbled as she moved Rini off HER side of the bed. She'd gone to the bathroom to change into her favorite flannel PJs, turned the light off, and found herself checking Rini's little arms and legs to see if she'd been injured by the hog-tying. Luna-P was in her arms, and Luna was curled up over her head, sleeping peacefully.

Luna opened one eye and growled, "What's he doing here?"

Serena shushed her cat and said, "…um, er, …oh _hell_ I don't know, Luna! Just —keep it down, please!"

The girls wouldn't let them have any privacy; and she'd refused on account of her honor to go to HIS place with 'the Rabbit'; so she finally agreed to let Darien come to HER house. She'd snuck him in rather easily, and unlatched the window in the event he needed to make a hasty retreat. Then she moved Rini over, and wondered how this would work.

Hand on her head, she handed Darien an extra pair of her sleep pants and said, "I don't know how I get talked into things like this!"

Darien had dropped his pants and tried sliding into her sleep pants, wondering pretty much the same thing.

***Rrrrriiiiiippppp***

Serena didn't turn to look: "Those were my favorite bunny PJs!"

"They're fine!" Darien whispered, then jumped around in them to demonstrate how they weren't coming off. They were ripped at the waist and derriere, and came up above his knees, but they covered well enough with his tightie whities on. However, when she handed over a girly-looking matching tank, he declined angrily. "The pants are enough. I'll sleep with my shirt on, okay?"

Serena sighed, then climbed into bed beside Rini. Then stopped breathing as Darien climbed into bed behind her, snuggling up closer than she snuggled to her own mattress! A sharp elbow later, and he was on the floor.

"SERENA?" Ikuko called. "Are you okay?"

Serena freaked! Luna giggled, "_You're in for it NOW!_"

Serena smacked her cat then said, "Yeah, mom! Just klutzed out of my own bed!"

Rini stirred then, and turned over sleepily to see Serena knelt over her, and Darien behind Serena. She grumpily turned back over and went back to sleep.

"Sorry!" Serena whispered to Darien, sliding into bed again and scooching up REALLY close to Rini this time. She sighed in humiliated defeat as Darien climbed into bed and draped an arm over her waist.

Darien started fumbling with her hairpins and said, "You can't sleep with odangos, Odango."

Fine! She sat up again and started pulling her hair down, Darien gladly providing an assist. When her hair was loose, and he'd set the hair pins on the sidetable, she asked, "Okay now?"

His hands were running through her hair, and he pulled her close: "Perfect."

She cringed as she let him kiss her lightly, and then they lay back on her bed, this time face-to-face. Not exactly as she'd planned it. But now that it was nearing midnight, she wasn't going to argue; she wanted to sleep. She opened her eyes and saw him staring at her; she blushed and closed her eyes again.

Within moments, he'd made them more comfortable, sliding his thigh snugly between her legs and pulling her flush against his chest. She was so glad they were laying down because she was sure she'd have passed out otherwise.

"You okay?" he whispered, pulling her face up against his face.

"Yeah, why?" she answered, trying to sound as sleepy as she could muster, even though her racing heart told her she wouldn't be able to sleep like this.

"You're breathing so hard," he whispered again.

She could freakin FEEL his sneer even though the room was dark.

His lips were on her eyelids, nose… "Stop it," she whispered raggedly, then pushed herself down to his chest again. She wasn't sure how awesome this would look to her dad or Rini, but using his right arm as a pillow wasn't as bad as it sounded. She snuggled closely and let her dreams take her.

;

;

.

**THE POLITICS OF CHAOS**

Wiseman sat in his cramped little hole where he made his so-called existence, but from which he could focus his energies on all his subjects. He had big subjects, such as Diamond, who were his most needed assets for now; and he had smaller subjects, such as the few he'd appealed to in the 20th Century who didn't even KNOW of the Black Moon Clan from the far future. Spies; they were more like spies. And then of course he was the soul pumping through ALL the droids, which the Black Moon Clan just treated as robots to do their bidding. And then there were objects he controlled; computers, buildings; doors; elevators; everywhere he could permeate his energies.

Of course, Wiseman was immediately aware when Emerald had been 'purified'. It had been laughable, and yes that was a pun. Women like Emerald were the ones who, even once 'purified', would come back looking to be brainwashed again. They went in knowingly to begin with. They were not problems, even if they were 'purified' of his direct thought control.

And then there were those like Diamond, and Rubeus; those who thirsted for some righteous, lofty cause or another, and would sell their very souls to attain those ends, as long as they didn't know that they were in fact 'selling their souls'. And by the time they figured it out, they were usually in too deep, and had to keep up the front because they were too stubborn to believe they MIGHT have been wrong in the first place.

Wiseman sighed. Diamond was fully his; Emerald, even without her insignia, was also fully his. But then there were the Saphirs of the world; those who'd come into the family through, quite literally, family ties. They'd never been completely sold on anything; didn't care too much about anything. Followers. The _MEEK_. Ugh, how Wiseman hated the meek. They were the ones who'd been conned into corrupting the human soul with the Silver Crystal 'purifications'! They didn't mind being led around like cattle, as long as there was a general consensus that things were 'okay'. No passion; no strong feelings at all. Did they even truly _live_, Wiseman wondered? What DROVE them?

And Wiseman knew that Emerald's unfortunate purification, while not hurting Emerald herself except for her travelling capabilities and a loss in power levels, that stupid lady's purification would prove to be Saphir's downfall. Because Saphir couldn't think OUTSIDE the BOX; he'd have to go 'save' Emerald, because that's what the rules were! Well, save, or kill. But while Diamond would probably be tickled at having Emerald killed, Saphir — if he had a passion at all, which was still doubtful — would HAVE to go get Emerald, and 'rescue' her.

And that very rescue would be their undoing, because Saphir would have his surprisingly smart and accurate suspicions proven correct. The black crescent on their foreheads represented Wiseman's control of their thoughts. And Saphir would tell Diamond, and Diamond would probably kill his own brother.

The only problem with that was it didn't leave many people in the Black Moon Clan at all. Diamond would realize this and start wondering if his brother had been right about Wiseman, and then Diamond would do something either very smart, or very stupid.

And Wiseman couldn't take this chance. He was TOO CLOSE to having the Silver Crystal in his control, which was his entire purpose. Because with that, he could control the whole universe!

And so it was that, at this meeting, Wiseman had to put the blame for Emerald's 'demise' on Prince Diamond, and demote him. And promote the very one that doubted Wiseman the most.

Saphir laughed: "You want ME to be the Prince of the Black Moon Clan!"

Diamond was quiet; completely silent. Glowering.

Wiseman said, "We've lost the Ayakashi sisters, Rubeus, and nearly lost Emerald, all under Prince Diamond's reign. There have already been suggestions that Diamond's been a little too… _obsessed_, was it? …with the Neo-Queen? All I'm doing is ..moving some pieces around the board, if you will. We'll let Diamond take point on this; I have every confidence that he can both win back the Ayakashi sisters, save Emerald, OBTAIN Sailor Moon—" he smiled through his blanket at Diamond, sending lots of positive thoughts into Diamond's mind as he let this point hang in the air. "—and the Rabbit, of course, and ultimately bring our mission to a successful close!"

"And I can't recover Emerald and the Rabbit?" Saphir growled. He'd never been given a chance!

"Are you devoted to a woman, such as Diamond is?" Wiseman asked. "The question, Saphir, is which of the two of you is best suited for seeing the big picture, and not getting lost on some details here and there. Either of you could do this work; but I've deemed only ONE of you is capable of leading without distraction."

Diamond's eyes were filled with images that Wiseman had put on the display; images of this 'Sailor Moon', apparently captured through Emerald's vision somehow. Images of this 20th Century superhero displayed side-by-side with his images of Neo-Queen Serenity. _Super-imposed _images, even, showing the incredible likenesses. His mind was spinning with the implications.

Saphir yelled at Diamond: "And you're just SITTING STILL for this?"

"Wiseman is, once again, correct in this, brother," Diamond said firmly, with an authority which carried decades of experience and sophistication behind it.

"Oh!" Saphir said, amused. "So when you DO win your Neo-Queen, she'll become MY woman? Rule with me?"

Wiseman felt Diamond's anger boiling, but gently sent a new message to Diamond, which soothed the former Prince.

Diamond smiled and said, "It is Emerald who shall be queen, brother. She's one of US, after all! Would it be right or even MORAL to allow the Neo-Queen to have such a role in our family's rule?"

Wiseman positively gleamed as he read Saphir's thoughts. Yes, that boy was SOLD on Emerald being HIS queen! Saphir was already imagining ruling the universe with Emerald at his side! Oh, not that the meek Saphir had any actual THOUGHTS of what to do with a universe, or even a city street. But Saphir fantasized about the nights in bed with Queen Emerald, fantasies that would have made even Wiseman blush if he'd had skin on his bones to do such a thing.

.

.

.

Darien had quickly grown tired of his little angels kicking each other as he tried to cuddle Serena and get some rest; how did they LIVE like this? He dropped some blankets onto Serena's floor, then eased Serena down to the floor with him. Rini had quickly rolled over to take up the space they'd left. He smiled; this wasn't so bad. He could see Rini, but hold Serena.

He had also learned that both girls snored. But while that might normally drive him crazy, tonight it was almost like music to his ears. He snuggled more intimately with Serena, pushing himself intimately against Serena in ways they'd never get away with if she were awake. And definitely enjoying her subconscious squirming against him, trying to pull him even closer to her, for reasons she couldn't possibly discern yet. 'Not yet, my love,' he thought to himself. He chuckled, enjoying the warmth of her body against his, but thinking how he'd need to bathe in ice for a week to get this night out of his mind.

Serena snuggled against great warmth, but grimaced when she was getting married again in her dreams. "Please don't. I need sleep…" she protested quietly.

Darien pulled her closer yet; Serena felt a warm hand on her face, and the wedding dream started dissipating…

**, Serenity? —I don't see you!**

Serena felt warm lips on her forehead; she opened her eyes to the fake Crystal Tokyo rendered by crippled Endymion. Laughing softly, she walked around with a smile on her face; apparently this was early part of the 'dream' where people hadn't died yet. Her dream self told her Mom 'thank you' for making this such a special day. Ikuko hugged her and told her what a beautiful bride she was.

Serena stepped away from her mother and looked up at the sky. In her dream, she asked the sky, "Are you okay, Endymion?"

**, ****I'm worried for you. ****Are **_**you**_** okay****, Serena?**

"No," but she smiled at the sky. "I don't like knowing you're hurt." She spun around to look at another cloud. "Does it hurt?"

**, [chuckle] In ways you can't imagine.**

"Huh?" she asked the sky. Then she let Molly and Rei hug and kiss her cheeks. After they left, she looked up again and said, "You don't have Rei right, by the way. Her nose is usually wart-free."

**, Yes I've heard you think my skills are inadequate.  
, I'm sorry.  
, How do you feel about young Darien now?**

Serena shivered. "Honestly, I think he's a bit too fond of your daughter."

**, Small Lady is a wonderful child.**

**, …  
, She might have been more wonderful if you'd let her sleep in her own bed.**

"Believe me, bucko, that's going to change," Serena seethed.

**, No, it won't. But that's okay. If it makes you happy, I'm happy.**

"I can't imagine being happy with a husband who wouldn't spank the br-Rini."

**, Is that a 20****th**** Century colloquialism? What is a Brinie?**

"What is a colloquialism?" Serena asked, half-smiling. "Nevermind. I was referring to Small Lady."

Serena felt the strangest sensation while looking up at the voice of King Endymion. She felt… What was that—? "Oh no! I'm being kissed! You have to get me out of here!"

**, What?**

"Sorry," she said, looking around her environs as she felt ..she guessed 'real Darien's' tongue against her mouth. "Woah; he didn't used to be quite so bold!"

**, I've decided to execute Sir Andrew.**

Serena smiled as she felt hands on the sides of her real body. Somebody was being quite insistent, and she wasn't sure why she wasn't angrier about the molestation in her sleep— "WHAT?" she freaked as she let Endymion's words sink in. "Andrew!"

**, I will die if you're letting him kiss you now.  
, Do you know how late it is?  
, Aren't you only fourteen?  
, You must get away from that fiend!**

Hand on the rear; hand on the rear! "Um, —_woah_! Okay, _Endymion?_! That's so not Andrew doing .._EEP_! _Touching_ me in my sleep! It's YOU!" She turned viciously on her ..her dad? "Hey dad!" her dream self smiled, then tried running in her wedding gown, but somewhere in the real world octopus hands were still going places they surely shouldn't go even if one had been married for a thousand years…. "EEP! Get your younger self's hentai octopus hands _OFF_ me, Endymion!" She seethed to the clouds above: "Oh, he'd BETTER be asleep!"

**, ****Are**** you sharing a bed with me, Serena? This soon?**

"Not the way _YOU_ think!" Serena screeched, still trying to run away from some definitely invasive sensations. She was pushing at invisible hands that she could surely feel, and getting nowhere. Well, nowhere she wanted to be, anyway. She turned ten shades of red and glanced up at the clouds wondering what HE could see. "It's supposed to be —he's just supposed to be _EEP!_ …protecting me! And that's ALL!"

**, ****Oh.**

Serena screeched when she felt something PINCH her rather hard, and ran for the lovely giant fountain in the center of the courtyard.

**, Calm down, Serena, please! I wanted to talk with you.**

When she saw dream Darien running to her for a hug, she full-hand slapped him: "Keep you paws OFF me, you FREAK!" then dove into the fountain head-first. After swimming around her a while, getting quite the stares from the wedding guests, she finally started calming down. Or at least her body was becoming numb.

**, What are you wearing now?**

"What?" she asked, looking down in the fountain. "A wet wedding gown?"

**, No, I mean, in real life. **

"Pajamas, and—" oh that pervert! Even completely paralyzed he was a pervert! "You can't be SERIOUS!"

**, I'm sorry! It's bee****n a while.**

Serena woke up suddenly under Darien, his tongue working vigorously against hers as his hands seemingly grabbed her everywhere at once! "Darien!" she whispered frantically when she got her head turned away from his kisses. But his eager kisses just moved from her mouth down her neck. —HER PJ SHIRT WAS OPEN! …and she KNEW she'd put some sleep pants on earlier!

And he was awake! He looked down at her with a big fat smile on his face. "Did I wake you?"

.

.

.

**GOODBYES**

The next morning, she woke up while it was still dark, and somehow Rini had climbed in between them. Rini was splayed over both of them, knocked out cold… until Serena stirred to get out from under the blankets and quickly to the bathroom. By the time Serena made it to the bathroom, a little hand was slipping into hers again. Serena turned around to see Rini, and was shocked: the kid was actually _smiling_.

.

Serena was almost disappointed when they returned to her room, showered and fed, and Darien was gone.

"You okay?" Rini asked.

Serena shrugged. "I guess so, Rini." She went over and sat on their make-shift 'bed', then patted it so Rini would sit with her.

Rini asked, "Why are you crying?"

Serena shook her head, "I'm not—oh," she blushed. For her, a tear or two didn't count in her thinking. She took a deep breath and said, "You know how confusing it was for you to, um, have to leave your home to come back in time to get ..help? To save your, um, ..your Mother?" Rini stared at her stone-faced. "And then you got here, and you didn't know anybody—" DAMN this was harder than Serena had imagined.

"I've got you guys," Rini smiled. "And I don't know why Darien broke up with you." Rini looked down at her feet. "I know you think he loved me. I thought so, too—"

"He does," Serena smiled gently.

Rini glared at her. "You're acting so _smug _again. I COULD take him from you, you know! He LOVES me!" She'd stood up angrily, then marched over to the dresser. "He does! It's just that… well, he sorta likes you too." She turned back to Serena, who was still looking at her smugly, and it made her mad.

"Rini," Serena said, "I think he's completely into you." She could tell that Rini thought she was being patronizing, because Serena usually felt most of her friends, and especially Darien, had been patronizing her throughout the last year. She remembered HATING that feeling. But it took her a long time to even put into words why she didn't like their smugness. Ami had finally told her the correct terminology: 'patronizing'. When you feel that people are saying things to you just to shut you up, because they think you're stupid.

And she didn't want Rini to feel that way.

Rini nodded. "Well, you're right. He IS completely into me. But ...he likes you, too, and he was very sad when he broke up with you. I didn't even know WHY he broke up with you, to tell you the truth."

Serena patted the blankets again, and Rini joined her, and hugged her. Then Rini said, "He's too old for me anyway. I just don't think it would work. It probably just got him all confused, you know, to have us both to love?"

Serena shrugged. "I don't know, Rini. I was confused about Andrew, and I still like Andrew, but I don't think I'd ever be mean to Andrew. You know?"

Rini thought on that hard. "We had to work really hard to get Andrew away from you. I don't think you should hang out with him too much, Serena."

"You don't like Andrew?" Serena teased.

Rini crossed her arms and huffed. "He's stupid, Serena. Darien's much better for you."

"Darien can be very nice, too," Serena said. "But Rini, I have a big problem I need to talk to you about, and it DOES have to do with Darien."

Rini shrugged: "What is it?"

Serena said, "Well, first of all, you remember that bad lady Emerald?"

Rini said, "Black Moon Clan, bad laugh, gotcha."

Serena sighed. "Yeah." Why couldn't Rini have been a little more reasonable and cute over the last few days?

Serena smiled and said, "Well, she's after you, and you know if she catches you, you can't help your mother, right?"

Rini's face became unreadable, but Serena pressed on. "She found out last night that you live with me, Rini." She cut to the chase. "But she doesn't know where Darien lives, or even WHO Darien is—"

"HOW!" Rini demanded, near tears. "Did you TELL her?"

Darien dropped into the room, fully showered and dressed, and said, "Emerald put two-and-two together when a third party blew Sailor Moon's cover. That party didn't even KNOW Sailor Moon's identity, but what they said enabled Emerald to figure a lot out. You're in danger here. Serena's very upset about it."

Serena had stood up and started making her bed. She listened as Darien told her that just leaving the Tsukinos without changing their memories back would hurt them very much. Serena refused to turn around and watch them gather her things; she refused to listen to Rini's alternate plans and plots. But when Rini asked if Serena would still help her get to school, Serena turned around. And actually bent down to let Rini hug her: "Of course, silly. We're still going to protect you, just like Darien said."

And then the two girls left through the main part of the house as if it was a normal day at school, and let Ikuko hug them both goodbye. When they were outside the house, Rini turned around and threw Luna-P into the air: "Goodbye, Aunt Ikuko".

.

.

.

After they'd walked Rini to her school, Darien commented, "You handled that very well."

"Oh shut up," Serena said, wiping a tear from her eye. "I'm never good with goodbyes. I even cried when Beryl died. So shut up."

"You're coming by this afternoon?" he asked. "I mean, for Rini's sake."

Serena shook her head. "Not today. She needs some time to get used to living with you." Not to mention it would make her sick to see Rini happy in a new home so soon.

"THAT," Darien declared, taking her arm in his, "wasn't part of the deal, Serena Tsukino! You promised you'd help her make the transition, and that means walking her to my place, staying for dinner." He gleamed. "I think you ought to tell your parents you're staying with Rei or Ami for a few nights, too."

THAT …got her attention. She glared at him and said, "No way. That was a one-time emergency Rini-was-asleep thing and you took complete advantage of the situation." She jerked her arm away from his and picked her pace up a bit. Whispered, "Hentai!"

Darien glared over at Serena with a wide smirk and said, "You enjoyed every minute of it!"

"And YOU are sick in the head!" she seethed. "You KNEW he was invading my dreams and took complete advantage!"

He chuckled, "Serena, *_advantage_*? If anyone took advantage, it was you! I tried to calm you down a little, and you were all over me!"

Serena blushed and looked away. "There's no way!"

He smirked, "Not to mention, you didn't complain! And it got the job done, didn't it?" He'd kept her 'nightmare' from lasting too long.

She cringed, wondering if he'd meant he'd gotten her pregnant! She couldn't wait to get to school library and get that book that showed the mechanics of getting pregnant again. Sure, he'd denied it last night, but he laughed and smirked so much that she couldn't tell when he was being serious. 'Got the job done', indeed! If he did…! She'd KILL him! No… no, worse, she'd turn Emerald onto him!

He'd followed her to her school, carrying her backpack for her and talking like nothing out of the ordinary had happened! Which irritated her to no end! She finally turned and spat out, "You're NOT my boyfriend."

Darien grabbed her hand again and said, "Yes I am. You don't let just anybody snuggle up with you all night."

When she went to yell at him, he kissed her. He dropped her backpack, and held her head tightly against his, kissing her until she stopped yelling into his mouth. When he let her go to get some air, she was dazed and confused. Then angry again when she saw his smirk.

.

.

.

**CHIRAL AND ACHIRAL**

Prince Diamond, as he would always refer to himself, stepped through the portal completely bored. He pulled out his computer, found one of the negative energy points Emerald had failed to even start on, and dropped some droids there. "Okay, you guys, um, …Doom and Gloom, you guys get this one started, start getting the negative energy going, blah blah blah, I'm off to find Emerald." He started walking off. Turned around: "Please don't bore me with the 'superheroes' of this age; don't care, you're stronger. Capiche?"

As he walked away, he smiled as some terrible brats who'd been holding hands started fighting. This would be _too_ easy, he smiled.

He consulted his computer again… THERE were Saphir's dark crystal earrings! Boarding house… A bus pulled up and opened the doors; the Prince looked in, and the driver asked, "Where to?"

Diamond laughed and pointed a finger, annihilating the bus, then transported himself to the boarding house.

"Looks like I've hit the jackpot!" he gleamed.

Avery turned around with her pot of boiling water and stared. Then screamed.

.

Emerald was upstairs at the boarding house, re-applying her black crescent moon, when the screams started coming. She rolled her eyes; she had NO idea Saphir would be THIS quick. "Coming!" she yelled out, then hoisted her skirt to sit on the toilet.

.

Mina, Lita, and Ami were talking to Serena at school before the bell rang, and after hearing about the previous night's sleeping arrangements, were RELENTLESS in teasing her about her new gait.

"I am NOT walking funny!" Serena snapped, and if her face dared blush, she'd slap it herself.

Mina giggled, "Let me demonstrate!" and quickly pulled her hair into odangos and spread her legs. "OUCH," and took a step, "OUCH", and took a step, "OUCH—"

Lita was rolling on the floor laughing, and Ami had her face buried in her computer, blushing. Serena glared at her friends and raced off to class. If her walk was strange, it was because she slept of the floor with her ex-boyfriend sandwiched over her.

Lita yelled, stopping Serena's almost-successful grand exit. Serena felt Luna's communicator go off at the same time, and flipped it open. "The Park?"

But Lita said: "Worse—the boarding house!" Lita wasn't looking at her communicator; she was on her cell.

As they all took off running, Mina pointed to Serena: "You, Rei, boarding house—"

"They might need backup!" Lita said, still running. ""I think Catzi was trying to tell me that Saphir was there!"

Mina pointed to Ami: "You, Lita, and I are going to the park! Sere call us if you need us! Otherwise, get to the park as soon as you can!"

.

After transforming and heading for the boarding house, though, Sailor Moon got a call from Luna: "There's something going on at Rini's primary school, Serena! Very negative energies here; and we spotted a droid—"

Sailor Moon swallowed, still heading towards the boarding house. "Call Darien, Luna!"

"No cell, Serena! I'm a cat! Get over here NOW!" and the communication was suddenly lost.

.

As Sailor Mars met Sailor Moon at the boarding house, Moon said, "We need someone at the Primary School!"

"Okay; you go in and try to heal Saphir; I'll wait for Tuxedo Mask and one of us will get to the school!"

.

.

.

Sailor Jupiter launched attack after attack at Doom. Or Gloom. Whichever the hot one was. She had really pissed Mercury off by hesitating the first time, but Sailor Mercury just had to learn to understand how hard it was to send scorching earth assaults at such natural beauties.

"THEY'RE DROIDS, JUPITER! THEY'RE NOT NATURAL!" Mercury had screamed.

Jupiter figured Ami had been hanging out with Rei just a little too much; their temperaments were just about the same when it came to men. Or rather, a girl's fascination with the hot male physique.

Sailor Venus had Gloom tied up well in an Venus Chain, but he'd broken through so easily, then zapped her painfully with a bolt of green shit from his eyes. She'd run and run while Jupiter and Mercury were fighting each OTHER more than the droids.

And finally, when the park was nearly so destroyed that the Doom and Gloom twins were bored, they disappeared.

And all three Senshi knew at once that they'd been decoyed; the real battle must be either at the school or at Catzi's boarding house.

With Moon at the boarding house, they opted to defend the school until they heard otherwise.

.

.

.

Diamond laughed as he wiped the pathetic attempt at a black crescent moon off Emerald's forehead. "That's so cute! You got 'healed'!"

"Well I –I didn't mean to," Emerald said haughtily. She was near tears, something her Dream Prince would never stand for, so she turned away. She had to fight to draw on the evil; what would she NORMALLY have said to Diamond in this situation?

"Where's your brother, Prince Diamond?" asked the starry-eyed Prizma. "He's okay, isn't he?"

Diamond flipped open his handheld: "Gotta give it to you, Emerald; your twin droids are causing quite the stir!"

Emerald couldn't think. DAMMIT! She'd walked down the stairs at her own good time, fully prepared to cow over that little whelp Saphir, when she'd nearly had a heart attack. Her dreams come true! Only, she wasn't prepared for this. No, not at all. And she was still stumbling over her words.

Finally, Emerald responded, "Well, they SHOULD. They're MINE. MY creations!" Then she attempted her cruel laughter: "_**Hee hee hee!**_"

Avery shook her head wildly at Emerald, so Emerald turned her 'laughter' in a cough: "_**Hack hack hack.**_" She blushed and said, "Damn, um, _cigarettes_."

Diamond walked around her as he continued consulting his computer. He shrugged at her cough, then said, "Down on your knees, Emerald. I'm bored, and have a few minutes to kill."

Emerald choked. Backed up. Blushed, and looked at the girls.

Diamond's eyes widened: "My God you ARE 'purified'!" He looked at the pathetic 'happy' sisters and said, "Is she as bad as YOU guys?"

The girls blushed. Avery elbowed Bertie and whispered, "_Get down and show him some love, Bert. Quick. Before he destroys us all._"

Bertie yelled, "I WILL NOT!"

Diamond, disappointed at the severity of Emerald's change, opened a portal directly to Wiseman: "Yes, we've got a problem here—"

Wiseman slammed the portal closed, initially infuriating Diamond. But within second, Saphir opened one.

And when Saphir appeared to Diamond, Prizma jumped up and screamed in rapturous joy. Diamond looked at Prizma: "Oh would you shut up!"

Saphir drawled, "Brother! Problems already?"

Diamond bowed slightly, slightly irritated at his brother's air of superiority, but calmly said, "Prince Saphir, it appears that Emerald is as 'purified' as the rest—"

Emerald had bowled Diamond over to get in front of the portal: "You're a PRINCE now? Well, do tell!" She could use this! She could use this to PROVE to Diamond how much he NEEDED her to keep idiots like Saphir from usurping control.

Saphir stared as first Diamond, then Emerald, got bowled out of his vision and he ended up looking at …Prizma? "_Prizma?"_

Prizma's knees squeezed together and she tried to curtsy: "Your Most High," and she batted her eyelashes. "I've MISSED you so much! We were hoping to see you today!"

Saphir shut the portal down. This shit was NOT good.

Emerald turned on Prizma and shot a beam of dark energy at her. Prizma ducked it, but Emerald was over her again instantly: "You'd better remember the hierarchy in this family, missy! —well, even though you're not 'family' anymore. You, my dear, are an UNDERLING. And will always BE an underling!" She tried her evil laugh again: "_**Hee hee hee…**_", then almost burst into tears.

The door was burst down, and everyone turned to see Sailor Moon, an attack fully-powered.

She looked over at Emerald and said, "Is he ready?"

"NO!" Emerald screamed, letting her tears fly freely. She'd forgotten COMPLETELY about this purification stuff. First, Diamond shows up unexpectedly; then she can't bring herself to service him when requested; NOW THIS! Her life was ruined!

.

Diamond turned around, and was face-to-face with Sailor Moon. "Why, Emerald, we've been hoarding the goods, haven't we?"

Sailor Moon pointed the mood rod at the man who wasn't a THING like the girls had described; the Halation wouldn't hurt him, and a Healing Escalation wouldn't touch him with that kind of confidence exuding from his pores. So she did the only thing she knew to do: she bopped him on the head with her moon rod and tried to run.

Diamond's hand was on her wrist, though, and he smiled. "Nuh uh."

.

.

.

"RINI!" yelled Melissa. "Oh, RINI! Come your ass HERE! Crybaby scaredy-pants!"

Rini was hiding from her BFF with tears streaming down her face, hyperventilating. That mean Rei had SAID something about karma; she supposed this was it. Finally, she was getting some of what she'd been given. And she'd probably have an abortion next, whatever that was! And... "Luna?" she whispered to the cat. "Rei said she saw in my future that I was going to marry a HORSE!"

"If you get out of this alive, Rini, which I'm sure you will, maybe the idea of a farm animal for a husband won't seem so bad?"

.

Tuxedo Mask had been drawn strongly to the boarding house; but Mars had sent him to the school, where indeed, all hell had broken loose. He'd managed to stun the droid with a rose, for a moment, but then saw them split into two; then surprisingly felt an even stronger pull to the boarding house.

Chaos reigned in the schoolyard; he decided he'd find Rini and get out of there. There was nothing he could do to stop the droids without Sailor Moon, anyway, and she was calling him HUGE.

Running into the school, he tripped over a mass of bodies. He moved to stand when he caught a glimpse of a Sailor Fuku. —three of them, and a broken computer. He scrambled over to the nearest one, Sailor Jupiter, and grabbed her communicator. He jammed the Moon symbol and yelled "SERENA!"

Sailor Mercury tried to talk: "Use the cat symbol…" but Mask couldn't hear her; she blacked out again.

.

Rini heard Tuxedo Mask, as did the cats: "Serena's in trouble!" she deduced, and got up and ran.

Melissa was blocking her way, so she burst through her former BFF and into the hall.

The cats ran ahead of her to the fallen Senshi, and Mask announced, "They're alive, but exhausted. They must have been fighting Twiddle-Dumb and Twiddle-Dumber out there for a while, but Sailor Moon needs our help NOW—"

"You get to her; we'll revive the Senshi!" Artemis said.

But Rini screamed bloody murder: "I want to help find Serena, too! I know I can help!"

Tuxedo Mask grumbled, but keeping his calm, said, "We discussed Emerald before, Rini. That's where Serena is; you HAVE to stay here—!"

"NO!" Rini screamed, trying to run past him and the fallen Senshi. When he grabbed her, she spun and kicked him in the shins: "LET ME GO! LET ME GO! You're so LUCKY I don't have a BRICK!"

This time, Tuxedo Mask picked her up by the back of her uniform and soundly spanked her. Twice. "Now YOU STAY HERE, RINI!"

When he moved to take off, though, Rini exploded in pink light—

.

Wiseman almost fell out of his bone sack: "Did you feel that, Saphir!"

Saphir winced. "The Rabbit," he said, looking at the same damned screen Wiseman saw, if in fact Wiseman had eyeballs at all. Saphir didn't 'feel' anything; but he saw a spike with the Rabbit's signature.

Wiseman said, "HER! GET _HER!_"

Sighing, Saphir walked away and opened a portal to Diamond: "Yeah, how's it going. Look, change of plans. Drop what you're doing and go get the Rabbit. Compliments of Wiseman. Cya."

.

Sailor Mars had burst through the doors the minute she saw Sailor Moon turn to run outside. The door slammed, but Mars went through it anyway…

Some white-haired Black Moon Clan guy was holding Sailor Moon tightly against him, his arm around her waist, and was smiling lewdly and .._whispering into her ear_!

So Sailor Mars held her rod up and said: "Don't DO that, hentai!"

Somehow, Mars was tossed through the air into the sofa with ..ugh, Emerald. And the other four sisters were sitting across from them.

The sicko introduced himself as a Prince, which Emerald whispered conspiratorially to Mars, "_That's not exactly __the case anymore._ Seems like SOMEBODY made a power play!" Then Emerald went, "_**Hee hee hee..**_hack, hack" Emerald's face darkened, then went blank. "Smoking. Don't ask."

Mars couldn't have cared less.

Diamond dragged an unwilling Sailor Moon over to the sofa and said, "Now now now, Sooooo many delightful choices, so few portals. Should I first take Sailor Moon and make her MINE? Or should I get Emerald healed first? And then there's Sailor Mars, here… she'd look SO CUTE smelting the metal on that new asteroid we just discovered." He sighed. Yes, today was a good day.

That's when Saphir broke him out of his beautiful quandaries with a message to get 'the Rabbit'.

.

Diamond froze when Saphir blinked out. Here he had all he'd ever wanted, and he was supposed to drop her and chase that damned brat—?

"HA!" Sailor Moon screamed, smashing her head back into Diamond's. "You HAVE to let me go!"

He let her go as blood started pouring from his nose, but when she'd whirled around on him and glared, his heart almost stopped again. "You're JUST. LIKE. Her!" he smiled. Smitten.

Emerald had had enough. "Ooooh, you stupid Sailor Snot! **NOW!** _NOW'S_ the time! He's in _LURVE_! He's weakened!"

Still, nobody moved!

Emerald walked over to the dazed-acting Sailor Moon, picked her moon rod up off the floor—nearly dropping it as its anti-dark-crystal power sizzled her hand—and shoved the rod into Moon's hand. "_DO HIM_, you stupid idiot!"

"Oh!" Sailor Moon said, taking her mood rod from Emerald as Diamond held her stare. "Well, give me a minute—"

Diamond finally realized what was about to happen and yelped, "_No!_" then started punching invisible buttons in the air, trying to reach Saphir.

Emerald glared back at Sailor Mars: "Well? You GOT anything? _Now_ would be the time—!"

Sailor Mars whizzed a Mandala right by Emerald's head even as Emerald had spoken, knocking Diamond back against the wall with considerable force. Smiling, Mars yelled, "Now, Sailor Moon!"

**MOON * HEALING * ESCALATION!**

.

Wiseman dropped his drawers, causing Saphir to wretch. "It's too important, Saphir! _YOU_ go get the Rabbit, and you get her NOW! Or you're TOAST!"

.

Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mercury's broken computer, Sailor Venus, Artemis, and Luna all stared at Red Rini from the heap she'd made of them. The girl had literally TURNED RED — she really didn't like spankings! — and shot pink energy out wildly, pretty much blasting all her 'protectors'. And now she stood, confused, talking about finding a 'Melissa'.

Tuxedo Mask dropped to a knee: "Rini! Rini, look at me!" He tried not to blanch in horror as she turned to him.

Rini started turning a more normal color, then felt weak. "Darien?" she asked, confused, looking around. "What happened to the school?"

As Tuxedo Mask slowly made his way to his future daughter, still a little bit wary, he was blasted back again as a portal opened.

Saphir stepped out and admired the work of Emerald's droids.

Sailor Jupiter sat up and said, "Dude, he looks _just _like Tuxedo Mask!" She didn't add her fervent thought, '_I'd hit that!_'

"Who _are _you?" demanded Tuxedo Mask, drawing his cane in a threatening manner which he'd practiced every night in front of his mirror. It scared the hell out of _him_, so he knew it had to have an effect on this creepy lookalike of his.

"What the hell do you care?" Saphir sneered, then grabbed the Rabbit by the scruff of her neck and stepped back into the portal.

With Rini screaming, Tuxedo Mask dove in head-first as the portal closed.

And then they were gone.

.

* * *

/AN/

AARGH! Do you know how long it took to find out Moto-chan's name in English is freakin 'MELISSA'? **cries** (And man those are some annoying dubs.)

Note: thanks for the advice re: Rini being a bit over-the-top! Yeah, she really was—just a case of me having too much fun! :D ...But I tried to make a few sweet scenes for Rini in this chapter (before the real ugliness starts, and ya'll probably know what I mean. I'm writing ch 9 now, and my gag reflexes are getting the better of me. Some things you just can't inject humor into.)


	9. Wiseman's Ways

**Snapped**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Chapter 9  
Wiseman's Ways**

Prince Diamond opened his eyes with an incredible headache, looked up, saw a cacophony of strange beings surrounding him, then passed out cold.

He felt himself being moved. Oh, he knew who was moving him alright—her steel-tipped attributes were scratching his face as she bent over him to hoist him up. The one he'd marked for smelting metals on an asteroid, Sailor Mars?, had his feet. Someone got under his butt as he was lifted up the stairs; he couldn't guess which one that was, one of the sisters, but what did it matter.

His mind peeled away from his skull and he was left with a painful realization that he'd been someone's butt-monkey for the past, say, few decades, and the damages wrought through his sickness might be more than a soul could bear.

As he was dumped lovingly on the bed, he tried opening his eyes again, and saw an out-of-breath blonde vision that both eased his spirit, and brought back memories he wasn't ready to deal with yet.

He closed his eyes again. He wasn't ready to deal with those memories yet; but deal with them, he would.

.

**A HELPING HAND**

Kicking and screaming, yelping and crying, a human-sounding wail finally pierced the air: "_LET GO OF ME!_"

This was hell personified. She'd lost her one true love, who was in love with _Serena_ and always would be it seemed. She knew she'd never be loved by anyone if not by him. She cried miserably. And NOW, she was being forced to do things that went against her very nature, even human nature. And these mutants were even attempting to CON her into wanting to help the wrong side! They'd changed her physical appearance; they put her through the worst miseries and humiliations, and it seemed that was NEVER going to stop.

Again, she _**WAILED**_, "_Let GO of me!_"

She could wail with the best of them, and dammit she knew it!

Sailors Moon and Mars were literally dragging Emerald to the primary school, and Moon said, "They're YOUR droids; YOU are going to stop them!" Then, after another piercing scream, Moon kindly begged, "Please stop that wailing! All we're asking is for you to clean up your own mess! Or HELP us do so!"

Emerald dragged her feet harder, screaming, "_You_ need help? _Sailor Moon_, Lover of fighters and judges, right?"

The three girls froze. Emerald felt a strange sense of camaraderie with Sailor Mars for an instant when the Senshi's face lit up and she tried to hide a chuckle. Sailor Moon turned almost as red as the Rabbit's eyes and said, "Can't you get even THAT right, Emerald? I'm a Fighter, *FOR* Love and Justice! GEEZ you Black Moon idiots are .._idiots_." Then Moon shot Sailor Mars a glare that made Emerald think the two might be long-lost fire sisters.

After several more minutes of being dragged, Emerald finally gave up and said, "Okay okay, hold up… now my HAIR is getting involved in this, all dragged on the ground. I don't want to look all _raggedy_ when Prince Diamond wakes up!" Her eye twinkled. Moon and Mars saw the twinkle and dropped her in fear.

Emerald stood on her own two feet and ran her fingers through her hair. She gleamed; she didn't need a mirror to tell her she was Fabulous! "_**Hee hee**_…" she started, but realized she sounded like the arcade owner from last night. "Nevermind," she grumbled. Oh how she missed her laugh!

"Whatever! Let's MOVE!" Sailor Moon said, insisting that Emerald match their pace.

On foot. As IF! "Have you seen these heels? Don't you 'good guys' have a decent portal anywhere? I mean really: on FOOT? My Louboutins are being RUINED!" Emerald started crying again. "Just ..go on ahead of me—"

But then something amazing happened. Oh Lord! Emerald saw her beautiful droids from afar. They were doing their jobs, exactly as programmed. —and Emerald burst into tears. "Oh my God! My BOYS!"

Sailor Mars grabbed Emerald's wrist and twisted it painfully: "Just go stop them while we try to find the rest of the Senshi!"

Sailor Moon had run on ahead, and readied a nice Halation to take care of Gloom, when she heard a soul-searing screech from the soul …of _Emerald_? Moon turned around, shocked that Emerald had a soul.

As Emerald flew by Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars walked up to Moon and said, "Let me see your moon rod."

"No," Moon said, tucking her rod safely away from Mars.

"I think something's wrong with it," Mars declared. Then more softly, she added, "It's not healing people, sweetie!" She stared at her sadly. "It's turning them into CRYBABIES! It's giving them FEELINGS!"

"Well it didn't do that to Catzi and the girls," Sailor Moon pouted. "I think it's just an Emerald thing!"

"Well we'd better see how Diamond turns out before you go busting a heal on anyone else from the Black Moon Clan, mmm'kay?"

.

Emerald was running now; she'd kicked off her Louboutins and RAN in front of Sailor Moon, arms outstretched: "Come to Mama!"

Gloom put the cell tower he was about to crush into the schoolyard down, then held his arms up and ran for mommy, tearing down landlines in the process: "MOMMY!"

"Baby!" Emerald cried, then jumped sky-high under the power of her dark crystal earrings, and landed in Gloom's grasp.

Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon looked at each other, then turned away from each other and retched.

Sailor Mars wiped her mouth with her arm: "Isn't that, like, a no-no? Gross?"

"Sick," Sailor Moon mimicked her. "Disgusting?"

Luna ran out of the destroyed Primary School then, huffing and puffing, about to tell some big news! …when she spied the Gloom droid with Emerald, cuddling and —"Incestuous!" she hissed, adding to the Senshis' litany of negative epithets for the strange scene before them.

.

Before too long, Doom and Gloom were both kneeling at Emerald's feet, their big heads on Emerald's lap. She held them in place as Sailor Moon toppled the two figurines that had grown enormous; Emerald cuddled them, at least until Doom started crying at seeing all their hard work being torn down.

The other Senshi had slowly made their way over to Sailor Moon, with Jupiter being the one hanging back the most, watching the touching scene with Emerald and her droids. Or icky scene, depending on your point of view. Jupiter thought the others were just being silly. And she thought Gloom was just about the hottest thing since sliced bread.

Sailor Mars looked around at the destroyed playground. "_Sooo_…. Well, Sailor Moon, I know we've gotten a bit _testy_ about who tells whom what to do when and all, but, um, er, it's not like a Venus Love Chain is going to finish this job!"

"AHHH! You CAN'T! They're so cute!" Sailor Jupiter said, jumping in front of Sailor Moon.

Moon was teary-eyed herself; what had initially seemed like incest was probably just due to Emerald—anything-_plus-Emerald_ had a tendency to look, just, _WRONG_.

Alas, Doom and Gloom were droids.

Sailor Moon sighed, then finally asked, "Where's Tuxedo Mask?" She knew he'd have saved Rini by now from this disaster area of a school, but sometimes she felt more confident having his advice in gray areas like this.

The Senshi looked at Moon and Mars in sudden shock, but it was Luna who quickly announced, "Sailor Moon. I'm sorry, but one of the Black Moon Clan captured Rini about an hour ago—"

"WHAT?" screeched Sailor Mars. "Dammit, that's something you TELL us IMMEDIATELY!" Her glare went from Luna, to Artemis, to Sailor Venus. She purposefully avoided looking at the figure of her sullen best friend at her side.

.

Moments passed before Sailor Moon jumped up and ran towards Emerald. Moon rod held out towards Doom, she choked out, "Can you get me to your time, Emerald?"

Sailor Jupiter was immediately behind her: "Serena, wait! Let's not do anything rash here!"

Emerald stood up from her droids and looked Sailor Moon up and down: "What do you have to do with the future, Beanpole? Diamond's here now; without him, the attack on Crystal Tokyo will probably come to a standstill—"

"THEY'VE GOT RINI!" Sailor Moon shouted, stepping so close to Emerald that the green woman's eyes popped open and she leaned back.

Emerald wanted to laugh with victory, but didn't want to embarrass herself in front of her youngin. Finally, Emerald said, "But I can't open a portal! You've SEEN me trying! I'm *stuck* here with the lot of you!"

"What about that Diamond guy?" Sailor Moon insisted.

Emerald sneered at Moon; Sailor Moon had been so blind to Diamond's obvious affections that it didn't surprise her too much that the girl didn't equate 'healing Black Moon' with 'no time travel portals'. "What, do you think the healing hasn't 'set in' yet? That there's a GRACE PERIOD on the evil portals, Moon? SERIOUSLY?"

While Sailor Jupiter held her princess back, she made eye contact with Gloom, and swooned. Sailor Mars was there to hold Jupiter up, but added: "Sailor Moon, Luna just told us that Tuxedo Mask jumped through the portal, too."

.

Sailor Moon tore through town, jumped into her room without bothering to detransform, and dug under her bed, pulling out a chest she'd just used this morning. "_Future key, future key_," she chanted, pulling out the one reminder of Rini she'd decided to keep this morning when they were packing Rini up to leave forever. She held the large, golden key by its chain, then punched the Mercury symbol on Luna's communicator.

.

.

.

DESCENT

Tuxedo Mask landed with a thud, then rolled down a cold, wet, rocky corridor. He smashed into a facing wall, then tried to look around in the pitch. "Rini?" he called out uncertainly. The only sound he heard in this icy, barren cove was the distant sound of dripping water. He stood on unsteady legs, then started moving, ignoring the searing pain in his leg. He didn't have a connection to his daughter, at least nowhere near the one he had with Serena, but his brain told him that Rini was in trouble, and he needed to find her and help her. The thought of returning to Serena without her daughter was ..unbearable. She'd JUST taken Rini into his custody, not even two hours ago! He would not fail Serena in this; he would find Rini, and get her out of the evil clutches of Prince Diamond that Setsuna had warned him about. And somehow keep Serena safe from the evil prince, as well.

.

Saphir had dragged the brat into the portal, seen the masked hero following, and dropped the portal to face the dungeons of Nemesis where Tuxedo Mask should be comfortable for the time being. Or at least, out of _his_ hair. Saphir closed the portal and looked down at the screaming pink Rabbit in his fist, wondering if it was too late to toss her in behind Mask… but no, HERE was his proof that he could excel where the others had failed!

He dragged the Rabbit into Wiseman's cove and tossed her at him. Unfortunately, the Rabbit rolled over and over, screaming the whole way, and smashed into the bag of bones. Wiseman's covering flew off, and his bones collapsed. Saphir, without thinking, said, "_Strike_."

There was silence in the room; Saphir cursed himself. He wasn't sure what the hell was wrong with him; THIS was not a funny situation; his overlord whom he distrusted with his life was laying scattered on his own covering, with the Rabbit covering his bones, and HE, the new Crowned Prince of Nemesis, had to make a joke.

If he didn't diffuse this situation quickly, he was sure Diamond would be raised back to Prince again to rule alongside Queen Emerald, and he, Saphir—the one who actually nabbed the Rabbit—would be hanging out in the dungeons of Nemesis with the overdressed young Endymion. They'd probably have to turn to each other for comfort, and …and it was too horrible to think about.

But even as these political implications were forming in his mind, Saphir watched in horror as Wiseman's bones start coming back together, as if he were merely sitting up, and then the covering floated itself back down over Wiseman. And over the Rabbit! —"_It's not my business, it's not my business_" he chanted quietly to himself then ran out to make a cup of tea.

.

.

.

HELPING HAND

Sailor Moon had grabbed the time key and ran like the wind to the boarding house. By the time she got there, she was in tears all over again, worrying over so many things at once: the Droids she hadn't dusted; Rini being caught by the Black Moon Clan; Tuxedo Mask jumping into the portal; Emerald on the loose; and this new guy she'd just healed—Prince Diamond. She screamed in agony, thinking out loud how she'd let Rini go for her own protection; how the hell had they caught her? Why did the Clan suddenly attack in two, maybe three, places at once. Why two figurines at a time now?

Was it some kind of sick punishment because she'd healed TWO of their 'generals' in the last 24 hours? Or had Emerald given her up after all, and told Wiseman where to find Rini that morning, even though Emerald shouldn't have had that information?

How had she so ultimately failed in such a short amount of time?

She'd burst in through the already-destroyed front door of the sisters' boarding house, and frantically yelled out for anyone. "Catzi! Bertie? —ANYONE?"

Hyperventilating, she collapsed in the empty living room where the last portal she'd seen had appeared.

She cried. The lines between evil and good used to be so simple: black crescent moon, Halation, problem solved. And then Emerald had to go and feel _betrayed_, and the next thing you know, Sailor Moon 'healed' Emerald. Or at least made the black moon insignia disappear.

And everything had gone completely haywire ever since.

Heavy footfalls filled the staircase; Serena had long since detransformed, laying in the floor looking up at the spot where that portal had formed, and seriously couldn't have cared less if King Kong walked upon her and squished her flat. She was missing something; something huge. And she couldn't piece it together.

.

Back at the still-chaotic Primary School, Sailor Mercury quietly asked, "Jupiter, put the sign down. PLEASE. The reporters are coming around."

A beautifully-smiling reporter made her way over to Sailor Jupiter's single-person picket line, fixed her hair, made a dramatic smile, then stared directly into the camera: "Sailor Jupiter, you're carrying a sign that reads, 'Droids are people, too!'. Are we to take this to mean that the Sailor Senshi are no longer willing to battle these energy-draining monsters from alien worlds who want to take over our planet?" The reporter shook her hair out and glared at the camera, demonstrating her prowess and intelligence.

Sailor Jupiter burst out, "Well? SOMEBODY has to take a stand! These two particular droids have been ..less destructive than others. And we don't know their souls! LOOK AT THEM! They aren't only docile now, but they look like Greek Gods come to life! And I ask, who are WE to decide their fates? We're not GODS!"

The reporter, without even glancing at Sailor Jupiter, smiled wryly into the camera and said, "But you're the only ones who _can_ battle these droids." The reporter shook her hair out again and smiled at the camera. "We wonder, what does the viewer think? Should these droids have the civil right to LIVE? To exist?"

Sailor Venus sighed and stepped up to Sailor Jupiter: "Look, all we've got is Sailor Moon's moon rod. It's the only way WE have to remove that black crescent moon. So please put the sign down, and let's go talk to our Princess. Okay?"

Sailor Jupiter jumped at Venus: "YOU KNOW that moon rod will turn these poor, _POOR_ boys into …" she picked up a fistful of gravels: "ROCKS!" She stepped before the camera herself and held up the gravel: "Is THIS right? Well, I don't know, but I'm not comfortable turning THAT—" and she pointed to Gloom's abs, and motioned for the cameraman to zoom in on the musculature of this fine specimen, "—into THIS!" She shoved the fistful of gravel into the camera's lens.

"And if we don't?" Sailor Venus insisted, "Jupiter! A gateway to HELL almost opened, BECAUSE of them! AND STILL COULD!"

Gloom stood up and walked to the picket line, then picked Sailor Jupiter up in his giant hand. "Mama Emerald said you try to help us. We go back to Nemesis, live happy ever after?"

Sailor Jupiter swooned: "Okay!" She turned around and bent over, yelling to the Senshi: "I think I'm ENGAGED guys!"

Sailor Venus yelled, "Okay! Meeting! Senshi-only! Let's go!"

.

The Senshi met her at the destroyed school entrance, and Venus held her fist out. She kept it out until they all mimicked her. "Okay, ready?" The girls nodded and pumped their fists: "Rock, paper, scissors."

"Look," Sailor Mars said uncomfortably. "Serena doesn't want to dust these guys."

Sailor Mercury added, "And she said she _thought_ we could get us to the future!"

"But Luna-P is GONE!" Luna snapped. "The so-called 'healed' Black Moon Clanners can't operate the portal anymore—"

Sailor Mercury said, "Serena left to go get Rini's time key, which she'd swiped from Rini this morning for whatever reasons." Stealing was stealing, but in this case, Mercury was willing to overlook a misdeed or two. At the blank stares, Mercury said, "_Serena took that key from Rini's belongings!_ The key we caught Rini trying to use before the UFO strike!"

"It didn't work for Rini," Sailor Mars stated blandly.

Mercury said, "Sailor Pluto apparently listens to Sailor Moon a little bit more than Rini. —Hey, it's a possibility!" And unfortunately, so was a certain someone who still had clout with the Nemesis people, who happened to be carrying a torch for Serena. _Prince Diamond_. She shivered. "Plus, I don't think Saphir isn't finished with us yet. Prizma seemed sure he'd come back around."

"Prizma's in love," Mars spat. "She HOPES Saphir's coming back around. But me, I think it's been clear all along they've been after the Rabbit, and they've got her. Their mission here is probably OVER, except any particular hell they might want to visit on us just for FUN."

Mercury said, "Okay, the Clan's plans? Not the point! The point is we've got to try to get to the future—AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS we've got a couple of their generals, they've been purified, PLUS a couple of droids with bone fide black crescent moons on their heads. And a TIME freaking KEY! I say we don't dust anyone that could help us! Instead, we _use_ them. We use everything we've got—"

.

.

.

Prince Diamond stumbled as he made it to his princess. "Serenity," he gasped in pain, before collapsing beside her. He grasped her hand, even as she sobbed uncontrollably. He tried to smile and said in a pained, quiet voice, "You're acting like YOU were the one purified, my love."

"What did they want with Rini?" Serena asked through sobs, turning to look at him.

Diamond closed his eyes. "Before you removed Wiseman's taint, we believed whatever he told us. All of us did; except Saphir, I suppose."

"WHY?" Serena screamed, sitting up, leaning over the pained Diamond. "_**WHY RINI**_?"

Diamond cringed in pain, but smiled up at her. "Do you know how I've longed _just_ to be in your presence?"

Serena shook her head, stilling shaking with anger and sobs; was this nut HITTING on her? She grabbed his shiny lapels and begged, "Please, _help me_! Help me rescue Rini and Tuxedo Mask! You HAVE to! You started this—"

His large hand was on her face; he nodded. "I'm weak; so listen. Saphir. He hates Wiseman. He'd tried warning us about Wiseman for months now, but —I couldn't see it. He sounded insane."

Serena's eyes went wild: "_**Will Saphir help us, Diamond?**_"

"You know my name," he mused weakly, closing his eyes. As she sobbed and dropped her head to his chest, pleading, he was able to finally put a hand in her hair, as he'd so often dreamed. How he wished he could ask her to take her hair down. Yes, he'd help her do anything, anytime.

He pulled her tiny body over his and whispered into her ear: "We were going to change the past, so my family wouldn't be exiled to Nemesis. But now I see, Wiseman never intended to help my family. He wanted the Rabbit not just to increase the power of his Dark Crystal. He wanted to have complete control of both your crystal and the Dark Crystal, but not to right a wrong. I think he intends to destroy us all, Serenity. The Rabbit is his weapon. Against _you_."

.

Serena had tried to calm herself, even in the clutches of this deranged man she'd healed earlier. She asked him for information about the dark crystals, and learned her Silver Crystal would be nullified somewhat around great sources of dark energy. But the reverse was true, as well. Those little ding dong earrings would be no match for her Silver Crystal, especially if she could draw a lot of power from her crystal.

As for the time travelling, Diamond didn't seem too impressed with her 'key', especially since she didn't know how to use it. And he believed that, as Emerald said, the attack on Crystal Tokyo may have been halted. However, he wondered if the real battle wasn't supposed to take place back in the 20th Century all along. He couldn't remember where the idea of changing the past had come from, but he knew that if Wiseman hadn't approved of the idea, the idea probably wouldn't have stayed with them all this time.

He held her hand sadly: "My love, Wiseman wants to destroy *you*. You must wait until I'm stronger before acting. At least I may be able to help in some small way…."

Then Diamond passed out. At her wit's end, Serena miserably rolled away from him and checked her phone. _Andrew_ had blown up her phone, and it wasn't even afternoon yet. Was it possible he'd heard from her loved ones? Or the Senshi? Had something happened to Reika? —She quickly dialed the arcade, then tried to control her raspy voice: "Andrew? Hey, it's Serena! I saw where you called—"

"What happened to you last night?" Andrew asked, obviously concerned. "Rini stayed with me for a while, but you never stopped by."

Looking out the boarding house's windows for any sign of the sisters, or Emerald returning, or ANYONE, Serena nearly sobbed when she heard Rini's name. She said, "The bracelets; Andrew, they were evil, and let's just say I got caught in the crossfire, but made it out okay. I was exhausted after that. I have the Senshi to thank for that."

Andrew nearly choked, not really wanting to fill Serena in on _his_ night with the Senshi. He quickly got to the point: "Look, we need to talk. I know what's happening with you and Darien, and I just wanted you to know that I'll be in your corner no matter what. I was hoping you'd come by sometime today. Just have another few minutes of 'back to normal'. Will you? For me?"

Serena's tears were streaming down her face now; she imagined Darien with one of those black moon insignias on his head; she imagined Rini being beaten up and forced into service for this Wiseman. —she imagined Rini being separated from Darien, alone, as had apparently happened in the 30th Century before she came back in time.

Near sobs, she said, "Andrew, Darien _needs_ you as a friend, no matter what—"

"And I NEED you as a friend, Serena. I want to be there for you, even if you want to give things a try with Darien. And if he treats you well, I'll have no problem with him." He cleared his throat. "I know about the pregnancy. And I mainly want you to know there are other options! LOTS of other options. You don't have to put up with him if you don't want to!"

Serena's eyes blinked closed. "Oh Andrew, I'm so sorry. It's not .._like that_, though. Darien just spent the night to protect me and Rini, and —well to be honest I wasn't even awake…" She started crying again; he would think she was a horrible slut!

"That's RAPE!" Andrew growled out. "Okay.. okay, Serena, we'll handle this together, just you and me!"

And then the phone went dead. Andrew was on a mission.

.

.

.

That afternoon, Serena had dozed off by Prince Diamond on the floor, after an hour or more of waiting and sobbing. Staring at the key. She had dropped the trinket and wished she were with Rini now, if only to get her hands on Luna-P again and find out how to use the key.

She reached out mentally for Darien; all she could 'feel' was a cold, dark emptiness. Either he was cut off from her, or …or the unthinkable.

As she dozed off, she opened her eyes to a field of dreams …"Endymion?" she asked hopefully, running through the fields and staring up at the sky. But there was no wedding here; no guests; no crystal buildings. "Damn, just a regular dream," she said, sitting in the field.

**, You're back!**

Serena got spooked and screamed! "DAMN!" She jumped up, looking around over her head at the clouds. "Can't you _WARN_ a person?"

**, Sorry. I'm sorry, Serena. I know about Darien—I can feel him. He's on that evil moon, Nemesis.  
, A thousand years from you.**

Serena dropped her head, needing to control her emotions and get useful information. "And Rini? —Small Lady?"

**, She needs your help. She's in the city in my time, now. There's something bad happening to her, Serena.**

Serena closed her eyes, blocking out evil images, and went to hold up the key to Endymion. Then realized she was in a dream and didn't have access to it. She felt Diamond's arm circling her back comfortingly, and relaxed a bit. She looked up at what she now thought of as 'the Endymion cloud' and said, "I have a key to Setsuna's time portal, Endymion. I don't know how to use it—"

**, Fuck a key; who are you squirming against?  
, It's Andrew, isn't it?**

Serena's eyes went wide at his outburst. "Huh? —Oh, no no, Endymion! That's just this guy we healed today. I'm hardly 'squirming' against him. He's really nice." She walked around the fields, waiting for instructions for using the key. "Prince Diamond. He's in pretty rough shape, but I think he'll be able to help us—."

**, Serena, stand the fuck up and get away from him! HE'S the one we've been protecting you from here!  
, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?**

Suddenly, Serena was awake, and it was a painful awakening, like a rubber band snapping her to consciousness. Endymion usually let her dreams go quickly, but not THAT quickly, so as to force her eyes open immediately.

Just then, Prizma burst in, saw Diamond holding Serena in the floor, and said, "Oops! Sorry!"

Serena jumped up and ran after Prizma—"Have you heard anything form Saphir?"

Prizma looked Serena up and down; "No." But then she just couldn't help it; she pulled Serena into the bathroom and started running water.

"What are you doing?" Serena asked, confounded.

"Look, if we're going to be fighting EVIL and whatnot," she patted cleanser onto Serena's face, "we should look our very best."

.

.

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**NOT THE WISEST CHOICE**

Wiseman kissed the woman deeply. She felt a rush of power flow through her body, and pulled away from the cloaked entity and smiled… but spit out a bone that had gotten lodged in her throat. 'Eww, hope that wasn't tongue,' she thought to herself. She licked her lips and smiled at her cloaked Jabba the Hut hero. But what was that dusty sand taste in her mouth?

"THIS," Wiseman announced, "is what you've been born to! A TRUE successor to the Neo-Queen Serenity!" He moved her before the display, where she could see her reflection. "All those people who were mean to you, treated you like a fat child with a loud mouth, didn't want your interferences—"

"Didn't appreciate my brick!" Black Lady added, leering at her hot self in the display. She reached for her boobs… boobs that would rival even Lita's! Or Emerald's! Except hers not only had spikes on the ends; they also had nails coming out from every direction, truly enhancing her cup size.

"You're BETTER than your mother could ever hope to be! —for all the things she called you, SHE's the weak one! SHE couldn't live with the competition you presented, my Lady! Now you know why they wanted you dead!" Wiseman gleamed.

Black Lady glared at some of Diamond's 3-D holographic displays of the Neo-Queen floating around… then smacked one, sending it flying across the room like a tennis ball.

"You tried so HARD to help her, to be like her," Wiseman soothed. "But all she ever wanted was to be away from you."

At Wiseman's direction, new images appeared from her brain directly onto the display; images of Serena spanking her; yelling at Darien to take her away. Images of the Senshi having secret meetings, ignoring her when she popped up to help out. Images of Darien breaking up with Serena, which should have been enjoyable —only he cried like a damned baby about it.

"Why'd he do that, anyway?" Black Lady asked. "Get rid of her, then—"

Wiseman tried to fast-forward through that frame, but Black Lady rubbed up against his cloak and said, "Nuh uh, go back one."

Wincing, Wiseman retrieved the image of Darien breaking down after breaking up with Serena. "Hmm… well, Prince Diamond had a theory that your father of that age was bipolar," Wiseman said softly.

"That explains a lot," Black Lady glared. "Like why he liked me and _her_. Did he even know I was his daughter?"

Wiseman ramped up the power on the black insignia on Black Lady's forehead: "Of course! And I think he really liked YOU all along."

Black Lady saw images of Darien walking her down the street, smiles streaming from his face like the sunshine. Then Wiseman showed her how upset Darien would get when Serena would pop into the picture, if only for but a moment's passing. Then he turned to—

"You're not showing the whole thing," Black Lady complained.

"Excuse me?" Wiseman said, ramping up the power in her black insignia AGAIN. This stupid runt was argumentative!

"Well," Black Lady glared, "Even AFTER Serena would accidentally bump into us and then leave, Darien would be bummed out for the rest of the day. He would forget to take me to the park; or the zoo." It infuriated her even more now than it did then. "He just couldn't let GO of her!" she spat.

Wiseman nodded with trepidation, then slowly said, "Okay, let's go with that," He had this 'Darien', her very father, wandering aimlessly in the dungeons of Nemesis, ready for her uses! And HIS uses… the breaking of the Neo-Queen's spirit! "He's here now, and believe me, once he gets a gander at you, I'm SURE he'll be able to let her go now."

Black Lady shrugged. "Yeah, you know, Wiseman, I was all into that until you said Darien was MY DAD. I get the wanting to break my mom down so you can use her crystal properly, but I think he should get a little misery, too. You know, just for fun. Did you see how he SPANKED me?"

"Believe me, child," Wiseman snarled, "If you do as we've planned, he WILL be miserable!"

Black Lady shook her head. "Nope; I know what will _really_ break them!"

Wiseman's eye sockets went blank; Black Lady gleamed at him: "I want the horse."

Wiseman's eyes bulged. Again with trepidation, he said, slowly, "You want to have _a farm animal_ for your mate? But— but Black Lady, that's not the plan at all!"

"Rei Hino said I was going to marry a horse! She saw it in her fires!" Black Lady gleamed. "Serena almost lost her lunch at the thought." She turned on Wiseman. "I want my HORSE, Wiseman! That'll show 'em. That'll show 'em ALL! "

"Um…" Wiseman's bones blanched, and it's hard for a bone to get much more blanched than it already is. "What exactly will it _show_ them?"

'That they raised me to mate with a farm animal!" Black Lady smiled triumphantly. "Just imagine their shame and hurt! —I know Serena, she'll want to stab herself through with a sword if she sees me with my horse!"

As Wiseman made some wretching sounds, Black Lady laughed. "It even makes YOU squeamish!" She stalked away from him on her heels, flicked another Neo-Queen ball, then said, "Get me my HORSE! NOW! I'm going to give it the hook up in downtown Tokyo, which will weaken EVERYBODY, then you'll be able to ..do your thing, blow up the world, whatever."

.

Wiseman summoned Saphir.

Saphir came in warily, merely sticking his head into the den of iniquity. The things Wiseman had done to that Rabbit to get her to grow up would be a blotch on his brain forever. Wiseman's bones with that Rabbit wasn't imagery he could live with. In fact, Saphir was headed out to join up with his brother and Sailor Moon to get HIS insignia wiped off in the hopes of forgetting everything …when Wiseman called.

Wiseman smiled, curling his gnarled 'finger' as if to motion Saphir inside.

Saphir shook his head ruefully: "No, I'm good here. What can I get you now? More carpentry materials? Maybe a staple gun?"

Black Lady pulled Saphir into the room, into her arms. He screamed in misery as nails pierced his chest. She shoved him back: "Oh, sorry. Still working on the seduction part."

Wiseman threw a rag to Saphir to wipe up the blood, and used the black crystal energy emanating from his form to staunch the wounds. "Saphir, are you aware of ..a _horse_, that this girl is destined to marry?"

Saphir kept a straight face, with much effort. He had to turn his head to wipe a laugh off his face, though. He punched himself brutally in the eye to get himself under control. Clearing his throat, he turned back to the sick duo: "Yes I am, um... Helios, I believe it is? Guards the golden crystal—?"

Black Lady steamed, "Oh _**sure**_, I can't even get a workhorse; I get a girly guardian horse! Is he even a horse? I bet he's a PONY! WELL? Does he even LIKE sorta-human women, or will I have to seduce him, too?"

Saphir choked, "He's not exactly a black stallion, but —" Then he looked at Wiseman: "Look, Helios isn't a 'horse' in this age, Wiseman. You're looking for Helios of the 20th Century, I believe. Back when there was this curse from some angry broad." Thoughtfully, he started listing off angry broads: "Not Beryl, don't think Metallia, or Galaxia… wait a minute! It was 'Nehellenia' or something like that! Fashioned herself the 'real' queen of the Moon. Now that was one crazy broad—!"

Wiseman's blobby body rose off the floor and gained an angry red, spinning aura. "Black Lady, that's not a HORSE! That's _Pegasus_!" Wiseman spat, remembering a time long ago when he himself was… he shook his memories clear of that time "It's a _**girly unicorn**_! You're not going to HORRIFY anyone with a one-horse show using _Pegasus_! You're going to get Twihards falling over in rapture, proclaiming the virtue of romance, and maybe even sending SUGAR DREAMS to people. Which is exactly the OPPOSITE of what our mission is!"

Plus, Wiseman thought, that unicorn would probably heal Black Lady just as sure as an uncorrupted Silver Crystal might. "DON'T you understand our mission? HAVEN'T I spent enough time with you, growing you into what you are now? You are supposed to want to COMPETE with your MOTHER! Then destroy the world she loves so much if only you weren't IN it!" Wiseman was near tears. "It's so damned simple it HAS to work!"

Black Lady turned on him, a little creeped out by the emo. "Well you'd like me to do my father, and THAT'S not happening. THAT'S sick, and it's _sooooo_ Woody Allen. Old hat!" She angrily wondered if _Wiseman_ had a long lost love she could do, but then remembered that awful masturbation she'd been forced to witness; the xylophone-like sounds of clacking …"AARGH!" she screamed. "You said you'd get RID of the painful memories, Wiseman! I still hear the clack-clack-clackety-clack of—"

"TEE EMM EYE!" Saphir wretched. "_Way _T.M.I.! —Now if you'll both excuse me," Saphir said, trying not to lose his lunch, "I really need to check the portals, so, um, er, the goody two shoes we all hate can't ..breach the future and, um, ..other bad things!" Saphir made a portal and left quickly.

.

Wiseman turned on Black Lady, then really, REALLY ratcheted the juice up on her brainwashing. Her eyes went black; his black energy poured INTO her black crescent moon. "If you want to be rid of the painful memories, you MUST destroy the earth!" He finally collapsed back to the ground, purposefully letting his bones rattle violently to send goose shivers up Black Lady's spine with the painful memories.

"Can't I just go destroy the planet and be done with it?" Black Lady glared at the heap.

"NOT without destroying your mother's will to live, or she'll just beat us again." Wiseman winced when he let the '_again'_ slip, but Black Lady was too busy stomping around the den of iniquity to worry with him.

"Okay, idea here. You've got Pop locked up in the dungeons of Nemesis, right? Send him some images that'll drive HIM crazy, make HIM break up with my mom! Two birds, one stone, supports your plan—"

Wiseman held a gnarled finger in the air. "Don't you remember, CHILD, that your father already did something like that, to 'test their love'? They're not going to buy into false imagery anymore. Really, you're going to have to think outside the Photoshop box!"

"Well the horse thing was good!" she wailed.

"Please! Pegasus bowing to his Maiden would make kittens happy, you idiot!" Wiseman spat out. "Your mother would stand up and CHEER! So you'd better get yourself all revved up for Daddy, cause it's almost show time!"

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SAPHIR CAVES

Tuxedo Mask hurled himself at the sudden appearance of Saphir, knocking the lookalike back into the wall and wrapping his hands around his neck;

Saphir blasted him easily with a beam of dark energy, then jingled the earrings at him. "I made these; I don't normally wear them, but thought it might be a good idea today. So you might want to put that toy stick away and play nice."

"Where's RINI!" Tuxedo Mask asked, wiping the blood off his lip and wielding his cane dangerously, ready to charge again.

"You'll see her soon enough," ...no matter what happens here, Saphir thought wryly. At Tuxedo Mask's horrified glare, Saphir said, "Oh don't be such a drama queen. You have NO idea what I've been through today. They had WANTED me to get a 20th Century HORSE from your daughter's DREAMS and bring him to her as a MATE. Like I can bust into a dream, kidnap a dream unicorn, and somehow materialize his ass into the 20th Century so her mother could witness it and have a cow. *_Right_.*"

"What?" Tuxedo Mask spat. "Rini can't '_mate_'! She's only EIGHT, you perverted instigator of trouble! Take me to her! I want to see her! She needs me!"

"You better hope that's not the case," Saphir said, throwing up a little in his mouth. He looked down at his chest which, while physically healed, still stung from the nail pricks from Black Lady's 'breasts'. "Look, let me lay it out for you —most of MY family is with Serenity now, and I'm joining the club. I was going to leave you here, but then thought if you came with me, it would be a decent peace offering to Serenity—"

"You want me to willingly go with you to be your hostage so Sailor Moon will do your bidding?" Tuxedo Mask raged. "NEVER! And I'm not going back without our daughter. So take me to Rini, now!"

Saphir sighed. "_Oookay!_" As they walked into the portal, Saphir said, "Don't say I didn't warn you—" and shoved Tuxedo Mask into Wiseman's quarters. Then he opened a portal into the 20th Century boarding house.

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* * *

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/AN/

Not may favorite chapter! I wasn't into writing this aspect of the story (Wiseman/Rini/Darien), but hey, I tried!

I wasn't into the canon incestuous grossness; Darien's already changed in my story (he spanked Rini!), plus all the circumstances are different. Imo, a Darien who doesn't have Serena _coddling _him would be too strong to GET brainwashed enough to hook up with anyone, esp if the purpose is to destroy Serena. He's All About Serena. It's just that Rini is a corollary to Serena; they're the family he never had; he wants them all happy and together.

Note to those who asked: Serena didn't have sex w/ Darien last chapter; he was trying to distract her from her dream [and got carried away, completely in private, and with a girl who denies wanting him back still, but it was just kissing and some mild feeling her up!]. But SERENA'S not sure what happened (she was in a dream w/ Pervy Endy), and is maybe at times _paranoid _that Darien might have "made a Rini" in her while the getting was good.

TECH DETAILS:

- can't figure out how the figurines/droids work together, and I've tried re-watching to no avail! LOL! I'm assuming it's POSSIBLE the droid can live but the statuette thing can die if the energy stops feeding it? If not, OOPSIE! :D (I know, big stretch there! But Chiral and Achiral are pretty hot droids.)

- the BMC healings... Serena didn't even have to hit someone with the healing activation for them to get unbrainwashed, right? And like Nephrite, both Saphir and Diamond lost their black moons when they [magically?] turned good? So I'm playing with this a bit. 'What if' they lived. :-) So I'm assuming that as long as the BMCs are wavering, a healing activation could remove the brainwashing (though not necessarily the evil). I'm also assuming they can't make portals (Wiseman powered), but the dark crystal earrings give them SOME measure of dark power. (You know, keep em strong so everyone has to stay on their toes!) Hey, maybe if they all join hands they can share dark earring energy and transport! (LOL!)

Thanks for reading. Next chappie gets a bit more angsty though (into S3 we go!), but it's time to get some romance back in here.


	10. Close a Chapter, Get to the Next

**Snapped**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Chapter 10****  
****Close A**** Chapter****, Get to the Next****  
**_Will It EVER End?_

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The Sailor Scouts had all returned to the boarding house with Emerald, Doom, and Gloom in tow, not really knowing where else to 'store' the droids that Sailor Jupiter felt needed civil protections. Unfortunately, neither Doom nor Gloom could fit into the boarding house, even with the door busted out — they were too big. Jupiter had refused to leave them alone, although Emerald had kindly offered to put them down until they were needed again, so she went around back with them and got to know Gloom a little better while Doom started tearing down trees to make a more suitable shelter.

Emerald had run into the Ayakashi home and attached herself firmly to Diamond, begging to have a little private talkie. Unfortunately, Diamond was too enamored with 'Serenity's' everything: her thoughts, movements, wailings, cryings, life stories, manga, teeth, feet, cats, parents, friends, and moon rod. He was _trying_ to act only mildly interested, but the drool sorta gave him away, and it pissed Emerald off to no end. She'd tried showing Diamond HER feet, with the blisters. But no, the only interest he had in her at all were the answers to questions posed by Sailor Moon about her damned 'feelings'. That is, how the healing had worked.

And Emerald had answered the questions, even though she was supremely annoyed with that Sailor Mercury chic taking notes and asking for clarifications. Did Emerald feel any difference in her feelings towards Wiseman? Hell no! He was still nasty, but man did he make a good portal. Did she feel angry at Wiseman? Yes, for abandoning her in the past with these dorks. Was she still in love with Diamond? Yes, he was hot property and they would rule the world together one day. Etc etc etc.

Diamond then asked, almost with an amused sneer, "So would you actually, _go back_? To Wiseman?"

Emerald shrugged. "Well I guess so. I haven't thought that much about it." But when Diamond's eyes darkened, she added, quickly, "IF you told me to, of course. I mean, we're a FAMILY, like you've always said. We stick together!" She smiled widely.

And Diamond smiled back at her somewhat warmly, melting her heart just a tad bit.

Whew! She got away with one there—

But suddenly Saphir jumped through the portal and landed ungracefully …in front of Emerald. His heart skipped a beat on seeing his dream queen.

And her heart skipped a beat, too: "He's got a portal!" …and she ran to Saphir and jumped into his arms.

.

Sailor Mars had her hands pointed threateningly at the sudden intruder, although anymore she wouldn't be surprised if he were the Messiah and Serena was destined to marry him. He did favor Darien a bit... But just in case, she yelled outside, "Jupiter, in here, NOW" and the Senshi formed a barrier around Sailor Moon.

Saphir stood up proudly, holding his beautiful green-haired prize, and looked around the room. Eyes falling on a speechless Sailor Moon, he said, "Sailor Moon! I request a purification!"

Luna _fell out_. That shit hadn't happened before. Like, ever.

Diamond stood to shake Saphir's hand, but Emerald jumped out of Saphir's arms and smacked Saphir upside the head: "NO!" she wailed. "Are you KIDDING ME!" She pointed at his active black crescent moon: "Guys, that's not EYELINER! Isn't this what you ALL have been whining and nagging about all day? " She mimicked them, "'_Help us get to the future, Emerald._' And '_Help save that sniveling Rabbit, Emerald!_'" She stood between Moon and Saphir, then announced proudly, "HELLO! WAY to the FUTURE, you HAIRBRAINED. IDIOTS!"

Then Prizma came out from the kitchen to see what the commotion was, just as Saphir was backing away from Emerald. Prizma squealed loudly and put her arms around him from behind: "Saphir! You've come back! I KNEW you'd come back!"

Saphir shook the girl from his back and glanced at her dismissively, then at Emerald, and finally at Sailor Moon. "I want a healing, QUICK! Before that sicko Wiseman tracks me down!"

Sailor Moon tried to elbow her way past Mars, gave up, but said loudly, and as smoothly as she could after hours of sobbing, "I'll help you. But you took my —..Rini. And Tuxedo Mask followed you. I hate to say it, but Emerald's right. You're our only ride to the future."

Saphir looked at Diamond with horror. "Um, HELLO! Just escaped by the skin of my teeth! A little HELP here?"

Diamond shrugged: "We do what the lady wants."

Then Jupiter finally burst in, at the ready: "Okay! I'm here!"

.

.

.

Tuxedo Mask rolled into the corridor, then heard voices. He snuck up to the only open door and …_saw Serena_! A little tiny bubble with a dressed-up Serena in it, rather; and she was smiling and dancing like a wind-up toy. "Diamond," he growled, having heard more than enough about the evil prince's obsession with Serena, but never having imagined anything quite like _this_.

"So who's going to drop the black crystal?" a female voice sounded off from inside the room.

"Saphir can do this—" a dark voice dripped.

"Saphir couldn't tie his own shoe, much less plant a crystal in the ground!" the angry female spat back. Tuxedo Mask figured this must be Emerald's sister. He stayed low until he could hear anything about Rini.

"Okay, YOU can drop the damned crystal then," the dark voice drawled. "It's not hard to DROP something."

Tuxedo Mask dared move the Serena hologram ball and peek in. DEFINITELY Emerald's sister, judging by her dress. And then she turned around, and his face fell off. The lady's face was almost identical to Serena's, but the pink hair… "Rini?" he stammered aloud.

.

"Oh look what the cat dragged in," Black Lady drawled, glaring at Tuxedo Mask in disgust.

Wiseman floated over to Tuxedo Mask as the man robotically entered the room, staring in horror at Black Lady, obviously trying to figure out a way to 'save' her. "Welcome, Endymion! Please, join us! We've been waiting for you! —I take it this means Saphir opted against the horse?"

Tuxedo Mask stepped further towards the deformed, tortured form of his daughter. "Rini, what –what the **hell** have they done to you?" His eyes fell down her body, disgust filling him at each pointed metal object poking out from her skin. "Did they make you a_.. a DROID_?"

"They made me your mate, Mate," Black Lady sneered. "Just to freak your Old Lady out, but still—"

Tuxedo Mask turned on the blob in the floor: "What did you _do_ to her?" he asked in horror.

Black Lady rolled her eyes. "Do you SEE what I put up with? The whining, the crying… ugh." She stepped towards him and announced proudly: "He grew me, Pops! He made me desirable!" She glanced over at Wiseman and winked, then turned back to her father: "C'mon, give us a little kiss?"

Tuxedo Mask backed up a step: "Where are your LIPS?"

Wiseman gleamed: "Isn't it brilliant? I'd love to take the credit, but it was her idea entirely! I wanted to do a few piercings, but she ramped it up to hundreds of little tacks, thinking whomever she kissed would be stuck to her for a while. You know, ramp up the erotica! —oh, I wouldn't suggest you let her trying anything '_oral'_, if you know what I mean. It would be like going through a shredder!"

Tuxedo Mask dove at the talking bag of bones, yelling, "FIX HER BACK, Diamond!"

When Tuxedo Mask landed, however, he was splayed on the floor as if he'd jumped onto nothing; he saw that Diamond was nowhere to be found.

Wiseman made a strange sound from above, drawing Tuxedo Mask's attention. "Hmm… maybe Black Lady was right about showing you where your wife is now." Heh, _WITH_ former-Prince Diamond! But maybe he'd keep that morsel a secret for now. Instead, he made some more angry sounds, then announced, "You can call me WISEMAN. Diamond is no longer with us—"

"But — Diamond's the leader! You're LYING!" Tuxedo Mask growled.

"As of this moment, the young, handsome Prince Diamond is ..'purified', thanks to Sailor Moon. He's with her this very instant, in fact. I believe they are co-habitating… Normally, I'd try to get one such as himself back under my control, but he's having SO MUCH FUN with your Pretty Suited Sailor Senshi! HA HA HA HA HA!"

Tuxedo Mask wielded his cane and started jumping up, swinging at Wiseman. Until he actually hit the guy, and a bone fell out and popped him on the head.

Black Lady yawned, bored with the piñata game. When her lips closed however, she screeched, "Ouch!" She still wasn't used to keeping her mouth open all the time. She glanced up at Wiseman, who immediately tossed her a rag to sop up the trickles of blood.

Wiseman, who'd floated above the angry daddy, said, "There's actually value in all that metal in her new body besides making her irresistible; it makes her an excellent conduit for energy, especially DARK energy!"

"A little bloody," Black Lady drawled, "but—"

"You're BLACK MOON!" Tuxedo Mask gasped at his daughter, having closed his eyes to her 'conduits', only to look again and see the black moon insignia on her forehead. "Rini! —okay, now I'm usually not a fan of corporal punishment, but this is TWICE today that you've seemed to deserve such treatment! I'm going to have to mention this to your mother, and you know how strict she can be!"

Black Lady laughed lightly, "Oh Darien, you always WERE such a card! Look, Wiseman! Daddy wants to SPANK me!"

Mask was still reeling: "This isn't like joining the Skulls or whatever street gang you kids join up with these days!"

Black Lady walked over to him and dragged her knife-blade fingertips over his chest: "I'm not _just_ Black Moon, Daddio! I'm the **QUE****EN** of the Black Moon, Pops! Aren't ya just _proud_ of me!" Then she pushed him away, inadvertently stabbing him several times in the chest.

"Do it," Wiseman simmered with glee, watching, waiting, to see if this charm he'd taught her was really as irresistible as he'd hoped.

"Mmm-kay!" Black Lady smiled up at him, then glared at Tuxedo Mask. She slowly, seductively, stuck the bloody knives of her fingertips onto her lips, then tried to lick her father's blood off her fingers.

Tuxedo Mask had stood; yelled, "STOP!", but it was too late; Black Lady had gotten her blade fingernails stuck in her prickly lips, and then sliced her tongue when she tried to yell.

Mask stared up at Wiseman and yelled, "Would you HELP her? _**Please?**_"

Wiseman was back on the ground, and produced a gigantic magnet out of his covering. "Tuxedo Mask; save your daughter from her agony. Turn on the magnet! HA HA HA HA HA!"

"It'll rip her to shreds!" Tuxedo Mask said, backing up. "You'll KILL her!"

Black Lady went over to the magnet, fingers still stuck up in her wide-opened mouth, and kicked it on. Tuxedo Mask screamed in horror as the blades from her face, chest, and hands came flying to the magnet, ripping her skin to shreds.

At least it freed her hand though.

Tuxedo Mask grabbed his cape and swung it over her body, hoping his cape might staunch some of the bleeding… then the cape flew off and Black Lady was back, smiling widely. "TA DA!" she squealed, wiggling. "My piercings REPRODUCE! —_nanotech_, old man. WAY ahead of your time, I suppose—"

Black Lady suddenly felt dizzy; Wiseman likewise felt a huge surge of power drain through the black crystal.

Wiseman wondered for a moment if Saphir had successfully started their plot in 20th Century Tokyo, hours before they were truly prepared; anger coursed through his bones as he and Black Lady approached the display to discover the source of the power drain—

.

.

.

**STEALTH—Not So Much**  
Sailor Moon and her Senshi jumped through Saphir's portal and into a large black hallway. As they moved ahead, Saphir was made to keep the portal open for some freakin cats. Sighing, he moved to close the portal when Diamond walked through with a curt 'Thank you, bro'. Then all four Ayakashi sisters moved by him, as well. And finally, he felt a tongue snake down his throat as Emerald embraced him mid-portal. He happily returned the kiss, finally reveling in his rightful Queen's embrace… that is, until his energy drained from a sudden expansion of the portal. Doom and Gloom came barreling through, dopey smiles on their faces.

"Shh!" Sailor Mars yelled back; they were trying to sneak up on this Wiseman tool who was Very Dangerous®. Mars figured it shouldn't be so hard since there had just been screams of agony and maniacal laughter coming from the opened door ahead. For the first time in a long time, Mars thought, '_Poor Rini!_' She prayed Sailor Moon could hold it together long enough for them to ambush—

Prizma had turned back to see Emerald kissing Saphir, and screamed bloody murder: "Oh **HELL** NO!" before running back to the portal, bowling people down to grab Emerald's hair and jerk her off HER man. "Those cheap hair extensions are MINES, bitch!" and she started jerking at Emerald's hair. Which apparently _wasn't_ a weave, after all.

Jupiter dropped her head as the hallway burst into noise. "Oh, crap."

Mercury and Venus jumped into Wiseman's cove right behind Sailor Mars, and saw a pink bladed woman with a nasty bag of bones.

Sailor Moon flew in behind them, looking every which way: "**RINI?**" But primarily she saw little bubbles with some lame-looking fairy in it, dancing a jig. The chic had a cute hairstyle, but those WINGS…! Oh she'd just DIE if she ever ended up looking like that!

Mercury's computer blipped as she scanned Black Lady and the bone man: "Uh oh … Sailor Moon! That IS Rini!"

Tuxedo Mask yelled, "SERENA! RUN!" as he extended his cane and jumped on Wiseman. Who, it turned out, was _bouncy_; Mask hit him like a trampoline and went flying.

As the suddenly-crowded room went chaotic, Sailor Moon remained transfixed on Black Lady. Diamond slid up beside her and slipped his arm around her waist as they glared at Rini. Diamond shook his head. "Damn."

"Senshi! _Positions!_" Sailor Venus yelled, hoping to get the Senshi spread out for their oft-practiced combination attacks. As they moved, though, beams of black energy started pelting them with precision, sending them face-first to the ground and rolling.

Wiseman started growing, expanding into a cloud of terrible-smelling gas, and laughing at his falling comrades and their new goody-two-shoes friends. Ignoring the Love Chains and Mercury Bubbles bouncing off his cloak, he forced his dark energy into Black Lady and commanded, "Black Lady, NOW!"

Black Lady held her hands in the air and bent over, expelling her infernal gases the old-fashioned way, filling the room with Dark Energy…

"Quickly, Sailor Moon!" Diamond commanded.

"Uh…right away, Prince Diamond!" Sailor Moon said, lifting her Moon Rod and drawing deeply on her Crystal to battle the dark energy surrounding them all now, but thinking how she didn't really want to _hurt_ Metallic Rini. Still, Diamond was right; she had to do something about the dark energy—

Tuxedo Mask jumped up angrily on hearing the exchange between his Serena and the evil, much-maligned Diamond. He couldn't believe his EARS! "Oh ..oh, WAIT a damned minute! HE can order you around and that's just fine, but let ME make a suggestion and it's all '_don't tell me what to do_—'!"

Diamond elbowed the encroaching Tuxedo Mask and said to Sailor Moon, "Ignore him! Save your Rabbit, Bunny!"

'_Bunny?_' That was **IT**. Tuxedo Mask tackled Prince Diamond to the floor, and the two started punching each other's lights out.

Black Lady screamed at Sailor Moon: "YOU NEVER LOVED ME!" She wailed miserably, then started throwing spears of dark energy at her mother and friends. One hit Artemis in the butt, and he muttered, '_wonder why'_.

Gloom jumped in front of Sailor Jupiter and took the spear meant for his love, which had the incredibly erotic effect of making Jupiter's knees wobbly. Gloom wasn't sure how things were going to work out with Jupiter, since he was ten times her size, but MAN he hoped they worked out. And soon. If only he could figure out what he should be doing, or even whose side he was supposed to be on….

Sailor Moon looked at Jupiter, then Emerald… then back at Black Lady. Understanding suddenly what needed to happen, she screamed, "**Get your droids OUT of here, Jupiter!**" This wasn't planned, not at all, but the amount of Dark Energy surrounding them now was weakening her at a rapid pace, and she didn't have time for chit-chat with Formerly Rini, much less time to focus the Silver Crystal's energies around the better-behaved bad guys. Her Silver Crystal was about to blow, and it wasn't going to take any prisoners.

Jupiter yelled for Gloom to leave, but he wouldn't leave without her—

Sailor Moon held her Silver Crystal over her head and activated it, struggling to fight against the Dark Energy already present in the room. One of Mars' damned scrolls hit her on the head, and then she got blasted with Mercury Bubbles, knocking her forward several steps too close to her Metallic Rini's ..._chest_. She jumped back to avoid that particular awkward situation, and tried hard to ignore the chaos, but then Diamond bowled into her legs after a particularly rough Tuxedo Mask punch. At her wit's end, Sailor Moon screamed, "DO YOU ALL MIND? Trying to work here!"

Doom ran in front of Sailor Moon to protect her from a Black Lady spear of evil —and was instantly dusted by her Silver Crystal energy. Serena watched his glittering jewel drop, then turn black, right in front of her; she heard Emerald's wail from behind her. Sailor Moon started crying, but still she held the Silver Crystal up, focusing primarily on Formerly Rini. When she had Black Lady's eyes, she loudly asserted, "Rini, when we're done her, you're getting the WORST SPANKING EVER!"

"**AS *IF*!**" Black Lady boomed out, sneering at her so-called 'mom'. "Gimme more, Wiseman! Fill me up with your power! Faster! Harder! Let's get 'er done!"

Tuxedo Mask, who was on the ground being pummeled by Prince Diamond, held up a finger for a time out: "Serena, I do wish you could CONSULT me at least before threatening physical violence against our daughter—"

His arm was entangled in a Love Chain, and he was jerked out of his time out, at which point Diamond slipped on his diamond-encrusted brass knuckles and gleamed at Tuxedo Mask's face, readying a punch that the self-styled Zorro would never forget—

Sailor Mars landed flat on Prince Diamond, who was smashed into Tuxedo Mask, who was already laying on what was left of Doom—that sharp black jewel. "Sorry," Mars coughed out, barely able to move now.

Luna saw the white energy from Moon's Silver Crystal battling the black energy from Wiseman and Black Lady's combined attack; Luna turned, and saw Jupiter and Gloom pulling each other back and forth, arguing if they should stay or go. The Silver Crystal energy was going to quickly make it a moot point.

And then a brilliant white light filled the room, and the decision was made for them: Sailor Moon somehow _BECAME_ Neo-Queen Serenity as she got a second wind _from somewhere_, and then the Neo-Queen grew larger than life. Black Lady screamed, then exploded—literally. The shrapnel from her body took out Gloom before the Silver Crystal did, and were it not for Tuxedo Mask's cloak, would have taken out Mars, Diamond, and Mask, as well.

Sailor Jupiter screamed and hugged Gloom's blackened jewel to her heart. She decided then and there she'd hang him on a chain and keep him around her neck forever, or until her next boyfriend came along, at least.

"_**Get out get out get out!**_" Emerald was yelling, pushing her friends out, and stomping on the Senshi to get to the door.

Diamond yelled after her: "Em, the white stuff won't hurt us now! Stay! _Fight!_"

"With what?" Emerald sneered. Just then, as she was enveloped in the white light from Serenity's crystal, an 8-year-old pink-haired kid landed in her arms. Emerald screamed: "THE RABBIT!" She decided she'd skedaddle and put the Rabbit on eBay then send her to the highest bidder. She smiled at herself as the white light enveloped her completely: she loved that about herself, how she could always see the silver lining even in the darkest energy ever.

The kid started crying though, and, to Emerald's absolute horror, she cried out tear that turned into a second Silver Crystal, which landed on Emerald's arm. Which made Emerald scream in defeat. Rini said, "Let me down, Auntie Em! I can use this to help Mama!"

Emerald, in absolute disgust, DROPPED Rini and ran out of the room. In the hall, she saw Saphir and the four Ayakashi sisters cowering in a darkened corner. "Oh Thank GOD!" she sighed, running to Saphir. "Make a portal and get us the hell out of here! —hey, what do you say we hit the Crystal Palace again and…" she had run upon the scaredy cats and saw the worst news of the day yet. Saphir had been inadvertently fucking PURIFIED! NO PORTAL! She was back on FOOT!

.

.

.

**HOME, PLEASE**  
Setsuna was shaken from her sleep by warning alarms. Alarms that NEVER went off! She grabbed her glaive and slogged through the high-gravity portal towards the door, ready to open a can of whup-ass on whomever dared to …—

She stood staring out the window on the Time Door.

THIS wasn't in the instruction manual.

.

Sailor Moon knocked, and knocked, and knocked some more. "HELLO! Anyone home? SetSOONah! It's your QUEEN! Yoo hoo! Need to get home, you're the only WAY!"

Setsuna saw that Emerald — the horrible Black Moon Clan woman who styled herself QUEEN of Nemesis! — was immediately behind Serenity! Her breath caught, thinking that they must have Serenity under a compulsion spell…

Setsuna heard Emerald complaining about the fog around the portal blotting out the gleam of her newest Louboutins. The woman's high-pitched scream, apparently her normal talking voice, came through clearly: "Our portals were _soooo_ much better than this damned time door." Emerald stamped her foot. "Chronos never had any TASTE! I don't care what ANY of you say; Wiseman knew how to make a portal."

Setsuna readied herself with a spell sure to set Serenity free of any compulsion, even if it took Setsuna's own life. She slowly opened the door, glaive before her—

And saw the remaining strange group: Tuxedo Mask was standing behind Sailor Moon, and Sailor Mars was there, along with Sailor Mercury and her computer, …but then there was Saphir! And he was holding up an injured Sailor Venus! And there was Luna, but she was being held by PRINCE DIAMOND, who was patting her head! Artemis was beside a Sailor Jupiter who was bent over crying…? And those girls who worked for Rubeus, all four of them, were standing by idly, looking at their nails and stamping their feet! Setsuna didn't have a spell for anything like this at all!

It must be a nightmare!

That was it! ENDYMION was playing with his dream machine again, and this time, SHE was the victim. He was testing HER? SAILOR PLUTO! Oh… oh HELL no. Paralyzed monarch or not, Endymion had gone too far this time.

"Hey!" Sailor Moon said, waving.

Setsuna stepped back and deadpanned, "I'm going to need some I.D."

Sailor Mars stepped forward: "Look, bitch, she's the Princess, SHE runs this portal, the kid YOU sent back to us is safely home now, because we SAVED Crystal Tokyo and defeated Wiseman, so MOVE before I shove a flaming sword up your—!"

Sailor Mercury stepped up in front of Mars and apologized. "I know we look a little suspicious, ..we must! But we come with King Endymion's blessing."

"I'm sure you do," Setsuna glared, then looked up at the sky as she'd seen Serenity do when Endymion visited her dreams. Heh, if _Serena_ _Tsukino_ didn't get fooled by those idiotic dreams, there was no way in hell SHE, Sailor Pluto, Gatekeeper of Time!, would fall for it!

"And a key!" Sailor Moon said brightly, swinging the key around she'd nabbed this morning.

Sailor Moon looked up to see what Setsuna was looking for. Then it hit her: "Oh! Oh, Setsuna, this isn't a dream. Seriously! Believe me, if it were, Endymion's voice would be blowing us out of the water by now."

"He breaks into your dreams?" Diamond asked, consciously pulling closer to her. "No wonder he wins."

Sailor Moon turned around and glared at Diamond: "He was physically HANDICAPPED, thanks to YOU. —I guess he got bored or something and wanted some company." AS IF any Black Moon Clanner had room to talk about breaking into people's minds.

Tuxedo Mask glared at Diamond, then craftily extended his cane into Diamond's gut without Serena even noticing. Unfortunately, he hit Luna as well, who yelped and turned on Mask. Well, at least Diamond ought to have a broken rib or two.

Setsuna swallowed hard. She pointed her glaive at Diamond and said to Sailor Moon, "You know he's the bad guy, right? Sailor Moon, Serenity, whomever you are?" The girl had definitely called him out on attacking Crystal Tokyo, but was still talking to him like a long-lost friend.

"Healing escalation; check out their foreheads," Sailor Moon smiled, then bent forward and kissed Setsuna on the cheek. "We really need to get together and go shopping one day soon."

"Sounds fun!" Sailor Venus said, approaching the door and smiling. "Looks like we could use a wardrobe update!" and the love Senshi WINKED at Setsuna.

Emerald rolled her eyes: "Like YOU have room to talk? _**Hee hee… **__hee_." She blushed furiously and looked at her shoes. Damned laugh.

Setsuna frowned. "Alright, back up a minute. You say Small Lady's in the 30th Century? But she hasn't passed through here!"

Emerald stamped forward: "Keep your finger on the script, Creeper! Wiseman's goal was to get 'the Rabbit', remember? YOU hid her, but THEY found her."

Setsuna looked at the green-haired witch and said, "Then how'd ALL OF YOU get to the 30th Century without my knowledge? Why don't you go back the way you CAME, if you're telling the truth." She looked up at the sky again: "IF THIS ISN"T A DREAM!"

Sailor Moon frowned at Emerald's tone, then told Setsuna in a much more humane fashion, "Saphir grabbed Rini while the droids were attacking us." Saphir took a step forward and bowed his head slightly, acknowledging that he was the guilty party. Moon continued, "We ended up using his portal to get to the future and save Rini because we didn't know how to use the key."

Setsuna rested her glaive on the ground, then squeezed her closed eyes with her fingers, warding off a coming headache. "This can't be happening."

She stepped back and swung her glaive towards the door.

.

.

.

**~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ Weeks Later ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~**

.

Rei sat up unsteadily from her nightmare. Serena grabbed her hand, laughing, teasing her for not studying; Rei couldn't help but stare at her friend in abject horror. She mimicked a smile, then looked down at her books. She'd be okay. It was just a nightmare, and after the last few weeks, OF COURSE she'd be having nightmares.

The girls were really trying hard to focus on Ami's lectures—Ami was more than prepared for her exams, but the rest weren't quite so much. Every now and then, they'd hear a whining yelp from elsewhere in the shrine, demanding something or another. Rei almost burst into tears. But, she was a strong priestess, a mighty warrior, a Sailor Senshi. A Sailor Senshi who was GOING to sit here with her friends for their study session come hell or high water.

'Just ignore,' she told herself. 'Just ignore—"

Emerald burst in with Grandpa in hand, laughing and giggling: "Rei," she shrieked, "I've been CALLING you!" She tiptoed up to Rei as the priestess dropped her head onto the table. "We could use some tea, sweetie. Thankies!" Emerald air-kissed Rei's cheek then ran back out of the room with Grandpa in tow.

The room grew intensely quiet.

A blushing Ami looked up: "I've never seen your grandfather so happy, Rei. Maybe it's working out."

Lita picked up her necklace, and rubbed a thumb over her Black Moon Clan family member turned stone. She started crying uncontrollably. Again. Mina hugged her and told her it would all be okay.

Rei grimaced and said, "Let's just study, please. I'd like to pass these exams as much as the rest of you."

Serena smiled widely at Rei, which made Rei remember the dream she'd been having. Rei figured that bringing the so-called 'purified' Black Moon Clan back to the 20th Century was surely the very thing causing her new premonitions. Maybe it was an overactive imagination, though; after all, only she and Darien were the ones 'put out' with new roommates. Rei had Emerald; Darien had initially had Diamond and Saphir, although the brothers had moved out within a week after finding amazing financial success somehow. Serena was content that, like the Ayakashi sisters, the new _intruders_ would quickly get their own lives and move on; she'd been right about Diamond and Saphir. Unfortunately, Rei was stuck with Emerald, who seemed happy as a clam at the shrine. Of all places.

.

The next day, Serena was walking to the shrine with her horrible test score bunch up in her hand, FREAKING OUT about how she'd tell her parents. And Rei, who would probably be MORE pissed than her parents, since they'd worked so hard on studying. Man, this was the FIRST time she was tempted, _really tempted_, to take Diamond up on his offer to "help her out" out of any problems she might have. Ever.

But no; she couldn't do that. She recalled that day on their way through the portal when Diamond had drawn a sword on Sailor Mars and almost lopped her head off, simply because Mars had called Sailor Moon a dingleberry or something. Diamond's excuse had been that one doesn't address royalty as Mars had—apparently on Nemesis, the royal family had had very strict protocols that, if not followed, were worthy of death.

Serena shivered at the memory, and how Mars had then 'challenged' Diamond… Actually, all Sailor Mars had done was shot off her mouth about Diamond's sword-bearing ways. But to Diamond, Saphir, Emerald, Prizma, Catzi, Bertie, and Avery, the Martian Senshi had just challenged Diamond to a duel to the death to determine who would be the leader of the Clan.

Sheesh; no wonder the Black Moon "family" didn't have many members left.

Sailors Venus and Moon had instantly thrown themselves between Diamond and Sailor Mars, with Venus explaining that Sailor Mars had NO intention of becoming a leader of anything, much less a family she'd known less than 24 hours. Everyone except Emerald seemed to accept that, and they had made it back to the 20th Century without too many further incidents. Although Emerald kept talking about it; she apparently couldn't understand why anyone but a complete retard wouldn't want to be Queen of _something_, and was Rei retarded? Which Rei didn't take kindly to, but kept her mouth shut so they could get all the way home.

So no, Serena wouldn't ask for Diamond's help even with this test grade; she had an eerie feeling that Diamond's solution would be her teacher's death. Or the Junior High being blown up. Serena couldn't let anyone else suffer because she didn't understand the material—

*SMASH*

Darien was on top of her, smirking down as her face blushed tomato red against her wishes. "Just the girl I was looking for!" he smiled devilishly at her, then moved to help her up. The girl was speechless as he wrapped her hand around his arm and took off in the opposite direction she'd been traveling.

"I'm supposed to be studying," Serena muttered weakly, but not jerking away from him to get to Rei's shrine. With her free hand, she pulled her test paper out and bopped him on the head with it, then held it out for him to take.

"Ouch," he grimaced, glancing over her test answers. "Seriously? One of the planets is ANDROMEDA?"

"Well!" she screeched. "There are so many!"

"Well," he retorted lightly, "I'd understand if the one you missed wasn't one of your SENSHI! You forgot *Jupiter*?"

Even with her arm wrapped around his, she still managed to cross her arms and pout. "Well! Darien, they're both BIG."

"Andromeda's not even a planet, Sere!"

"But it's BIG!" Serena pouted.

Darien folded the paper and tucked it into his own pocket, then walked them over to a nearby fountain in the park. Growing more serious suddenly, he asked quietly, "Serena, …do you miss her?"

Serena almost choked, but put on a slight smile. "Um, ..sure!"

"You don't," he said, more lightly than he felt.

She looked away uncomfortably. "I guess you could say she grew on me." '_Like a fungus__'_, she thought, but left that unsaid.

As the light mood dragged into areas of great discomfort for Serena, especially after seeing a flash of Darien's deep angst cross his features as he watched the fountain, Serena added, "_You_ do."

Darien looked over at her, a quick glance, then looked away in pain. He'd thought the pain would ease over time; how on earth could one night, spent squeezed up in a teenager's twin bed with his future wife and daughter, so forever alter his entire outlook on life. Now he spent his days obsessed with getting that night back somehow, no matter what it took.

He guessed it was because he'd never had any sensation of a 'family' before that night. Even his Silver Millennium memories didn't include his and Serenity's children—there hadn't been time for that before their deaths. And while he'd had Andrew, and then Serena as a girlfriend, it wasn't until he started thinking of Serena and Rini as HIS family, and slept in that tiny room full of unconditional love and acceptance, did he understand what 'it' was all about. His desires for fighting evil alongside his Princess, becoming a doctor, possibly even becoming a ruler of a planet? All of those former dreams paled in comparison to having the serenity of a wife and children to care for, and to be cared for by.

He wanted that back.

And yet, Serena was 'unsettled', to say the least, at the thought of being a mother. Serena was fourteen, and had friends, and went home every night to her own parents' perfect family life. Rini was a thousand years into the future, supposedly happy with the future versions of themselves. Darien was left with a cold, empty apartment and some damned books. And a single memory of the one night he'd been truly content.

"I miss _us_," Darien said finally, choked up and not ashamed of it. He didn't want to put pressure on her, but she'd asked.

Serena shuffled her foot, staring in great interest at the ground under her. But then she slowly reached for his hand, and interlaced her fingers into his large man-fingers. She felt pretty sure, NOW, that Darien wanted her for more than a Rini-making machine. Before Rini had run off to her real parents, after they'd defeated Wiseman, Rini had asked Serena to take care of Darien; she was concerned for him. And that's why she'd bricked his car. She'd said, '_He wasn't happy with just me, Serena. He likes me, but he NEEDS you. Seeing you with Andrew hurt him really bad._'

Unfortunately, Serena felt sure she couldn't give Darien what he really wanted, either. Things might have been just fine had their future DAUGHTER not come back in the past and thrown a monkey wrench in the works. Now it wasn't just a matter of dating Mr. Dream Guy; 'Endymion'. Now he wanted her to be a mother who never spanked, and probably a lady, and a good student….

Darien had turned around to sit on the fountain, then pulled her close, opening his legs to pull her as close to him as possible. He sighed in contentment when she didn't freeze up or back away. Then he stopped breathing when she bent over and pressed her lips gently onto his head. Absolutely the most intimate gesture she'd shown him since returning from the 30th Century.

He breathed onto her chest, then mumbled, "You miss _us_, too."

Serena had swooned into his embrace against every cogent thought in her head. Lord how she'd missed him. And she hated herself for it. HATE. ED. Because it wasn't that long ago that he'd broken her heart, left her high and dry, and while she'd known something wasn't right with that breakup, it had still hurt her. A lot. And then he'd lavished all his attention on Rini. But for all that pain, she felt he was in worse pain now than even she had been at her most depressed. She just didn't know how to fix it. —or rather, she was afraid she knew how to fix it, and it involved getting Rini back to the past, where she most assuredly DIDN'T belong. Not with Serena in Tokyo still, anyway.

So to his statement about missing 'us', she replied, "Of course I do," allowing herself to revel in their first truly intimate contact since the morning Rini was kidnapped.

"Then why won't you give me another chance?" he asked softly, definitely with a frog in his throat. Again, he didn't try to hide it.

She buried her face in his hair and said, "I just don't want to go through all that again."

"It hurt me, too, Serena," Darien murmured against her chest, feeling the shivers it sent through her body as he did so, and loving that he had that effect on her.

Her hands started running lightly through his hair; she smiled inwardly as he audibly groaned from such a simple touch.

"So what do you want to do?" Serena asked, her voice a helluva lot more shaky than she'd intended it to be.

"I've told you; I want us to be together," Darien said firmly, then pulled her tighter against him. "That's ALL I want."

She suddenly pulled back a little, but just to sit on his thigh. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Okay." Then smiled at his astonished look.

"Okay," he repeated, stunned. His eyes squinted at her, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because from the moment they left the 30th Century, until now, he'd asked, hinted, begged, sent flowers, serenaded, bribed, and even took his greatest enemy into his own home in order to convince Serena to give him another chance. He wasn't sure, even now, if she'd been more afraid of trusting him again, or of the prospect of motherhood, but whatever her fears, they had kept her at arm's length from him for weeks. She'd been perfectly polite, but always unavailable for a moment alone. Hell, he'd started considering making some of his own monsters just so he'd have a shot at 'saving' her; he'd almost asked Saphir for a helping hand in the prospect….

"Yeah," she smiled through barely-hidden watery eyes. "I don't know if we can change the future or not, for real," she pondered, "but maybe if we start working on it early, you can be taught that children absolutely HAVE to have spankings at times. And they don't get whatever they want when they want. They speak when spoken to." She kissed his cheek.

Darien's jaw dropped, but he held his tongue. Had she forgotten that Endymion said _she'd_ been the one to spoil Rini? Did she know _he'd_ spanked Rini just before Rini got kidnapped? As long as she never discovered that his problem with her spanking Rini was his fear that Serena was too YOUNG to be administering discipline to an 8 year old, 'mother' or not. Rini's temper was indeed quite bad, but Darien could see where the kid had gotten her temper from.

However, he would concede this point, if it would help him earn some trust back.

She continued, "It really IS harder on the parent to spank a child than it is on the child, but you DO it because it makes them better people. And if you don't, you get delinquents who toss bricks through car windows."

He shut her up by pulling her down for a kiss. As she nervously let him deepen the kiss, he wondered how he could ask if she'd like to spend the night with him without sounding hentai. —but then he wondered if he could spend the night with her without BEING hentai. No, he wouldn't ask. He'd take the crumbs she threw to him with a smile on his face. For now.

She giggled when his kisses moved down her throat again—another reminder of that last night with Rini, after he'd dragged her to the floor and started making out with her. "Darien," she said, thoroughly enjoying the attentions, "I *have* to get going!"

"I'll go with you!" he said, pulling her back firmly into the kiss, this time planting his hands on her face to hold her in place. She quickly lost her previous thoughts as his tongue started tangling with hers in the most erotic way she'd ever, EVER experienced.

But then she heard the scream. She jumped back, to Darien's disappointment —until he saw her transform. "Darien, I heard Rei screaming!" and took off. She was long gone by the time Darien transformed.

.

.

.

**REBOOT**  
Sailor Moon got to the scene to see a horrid-looking creature pinning Rei to the wall around the shrine. Moon immediately announced herself, and let the candy-cane-striped tree thing know that she was going to get PUNISHED for trying to take Rei's heart!

"_Pure_ heart, you idiot!" Mikuji said, then happily offered to read Sailor Moon's fortune. "Uh oh! It's BAD!" —and sure enough, before Sailor Moon could even kick off a decent Halation, the monster had used her huge, candy-cane-striped hair to capture Sailor Moon and swing her bouncing across the yard and into a wall.

"Now!" Mikuji said, refocusing her dark energy ray on Rei's pure heart—

But then she saw three more girls running at her. "Lookie there," Mikuji said, half-bored. Big day for fortune-tellers! Mik rolled her eyes and sent the other Senshis' fortunes flying, and surprise of surprises, their fortunes weren't very good either! Each fortune turned into a vine that fastened the girls to trees, unable to move, and writhing in pain.

.

Emerald came running out suddenly. Angrily, she looked at the monster, talking about, "Who is YOU?" Indeed, she'd have to call her handsome prince Diamond about this development. A monster, not a droid, that was all kinds of weird. More chemical and organic than metallic and programmed. Her dark crystal earrings danced in her ears, as if responding to something it wanted to hit. Just as bad as it wanted to hit anything Silver Crystalish.

But Emerald didn't get an answer from the strange monster, so she opted to sit and watch. She pulled out her cell and started recording for posterity's sake.

.

Mikuji ignored the green-haired fashionista who wouldn't know a pure heart if she saw it, but felt another threat coming to this pure-hearted girl's aide. Yep, she didn't even need to look this time, being psychic and all: yet another interloper, a well-dressed one standing in a tree looking like Big Bird going to the prom. But this one threw a rose into her hair!

At first, Mikuji wondered if he, like the green-haired woman, might not be a foe after all; roses complimented her look, after all. But then Mik sighed as Tuxedo Mask started a long speech about her being a ruffian in spring flowers or something. Now, this guy didn't DO anything, unlike the others; he just stood there talking a good game. Finally, she caught him looking over at Sailor Moon with worry in his eyes, even though his words bespoke confidence beyond measure. And then the man yelled, "_**NOW, Sailor Moon!**_"

Mik smiled; okay, he was to Sailor Moon as her mistress, Kaolinite, was to her! Sailor Moon must be daimon, too! Just working for the wrong team. Mik grumbled; Kaolinite didn't warn her about needing to fight other daimon! Mik turned expectantly on this fallen Sailor Moon daimon, knowing now that her true power hadn't been seen yet.

Moon figured her head had been hit pretty hard… '_duh, yeah, stand up, Serena'_. She powered up her Halation and sent it flying, almost feeling the monster being dusted before it happened—

But then something new happened; this monster sent tarot cards flying at her, either before or during the Halation, and suddenly it had Moon picked up and slammed against a tree like her friends. When a pained Sailor Moon looked down, the monster was BITING her brooch, and the Silver Crystal _went out_. Moon's transformation snapped away from her suddenly, leaving her tied to the tree in her civilian form, weakened and feeling like general crap.

.

Emerald shouted, "Holy CRAP!" She knew the power of Serena's Halations just fine, and yet it hadn't touched this bitch! DAY-UM! "And I've got it recorded on my cell!" Should she send it to Gossip Girl? Perez? …nah, this was going up on eBay, for sure! Diamond wasn't the ONLY one who could figure out how to turn a buck in this world!

Oh, but it wasn't over! Emerald quickly pointed her cell up; Tuxedo Mask yelled "Serena!"—okay, maybe Emerald would have to edit the name out, as she didn't need to bite the hand that fed her—then Mask got hit with about a billion fortune telling sticks, sending him toppling back over the trees! Emerald was cracking up, rolling over on the grass laughing.

SHE HAD IT ON TAPE! *YES!* Could her day GET any better?

Luna and Artemis, _the last defenses_ Emerald supposed, attacked the monster's head, but they got knocked back to the same trees as these Senshi. Emerald watched in fascination as Rei's heart was pulled OUT of her body, and turned into a really pretty crystal. "Wonder what they need these girls' hearts for?" she spoke into her recording cell phone. But suddenly, she wondered who 'they' might be. —dammit, if that damned prince of hers was doing something to secure the family without letting HER in on it, there would be HELLZ to pay! This had BETTER not be cool new Black Moon Clan work!

Emerald was about to walk up on this heart-eater and tell her WHO the Queen of the earth really was—namely, Emerald! And then let the monster know that it probably worked for her anyway, and demand to know her supervisor's name. But then Emerald got another surprise—

Two strong attacks she'd never seen before hit the monster. Emerald stood and watched the area where the attacks originated, and could have sworn she saw sailor fuku in the shadows. She turned momentarily to see that the monster's attacks had dissipated; all the Senshi were free and running towards Dead Rei. The monster itself became a little tiny egg that split into two pieces and expressed a dark spirit; definitely not droid tech! Like, _Ewww!_ Hello, make sure your tech has a nice ending, like beautiful jewels. For a moment, Emerald glanced over at Lita, and saw the girl was still wearing the jewel from her Gloom droid. A tear came to her eye; yes, THAT is a fitting ending for your minions. Gloom would be forever remembered by this girl. At least until Lita got a new boyfriend.

Sighing, Emerald looked back up at the shadow Senshi, and saw they had captured, then _released_, Rei's heart crystal thingie! Damn, she hadn't gotten THAT on her cell; the attacks were too bright, and the shadows too dark, for her cell to pick up on anyway, but that would have been some good footage.

How interesting. These new shadow Senshi had returned Rei's heart, but only after they EXAMINED it first, as if there were a decision to be made before saving Rei Hino, Sailor Mars. Emerald hurried on over to the beaten Senshi to get in on the lovin. She picked up a random stick to make it look like she'd been doing her part beating on the monster. As she bowled Serena out of the way and hugged her new bestie, she considered telling the girls about the shadow Senshi. But then figured she'd hedge her bets and keep her mouth shut, for now. She'd show them the pics of the monster's attacks, though. It wouldn't do them any good, but it was some damned funny footage and should lift their spirits seeing how completely pwned they got. They'd HAVE to ask for the Black Moon Clan's help. Hee Hee!

.

.

.

Serena had left Rei's miserably after seeing the priestess was okay. This new monster, a 'daimon', Ami had called it, was intensely stronger than the Senshi; seeking good hearts that would, once removed, **kill** the owner. They'd almost lost Rei. It was a complete miracle that Rei had lived, at all; that her pure heart had been returned and accepted back into her body. Emerald had some video that the other Senshi were looking at now, but it was all just too much for Serena. Rei had almost died; and Serena couldn't wrap her mind around the miracles that had saved Rei; maybe saved them all. Couldn't have been her piece of junk Silver Crystal this time, since that thing _broke_.

Darien jumped out ahead of her, scaring her to pieces. But before she could yell at him, he'd lifted her in the air, and held her tightly against his chest. She was glad she didn't have time to protest; it felt good to sink into his arms now. She had felt like she was crawling out of her skin after being OWNED by that daimon. They'd gotten their asses handed to them, no matter how you looked at it; and Rei, who had so much good to do in the world… —truly, one whose future counterpart had protected the Neo-Queen up until a few weeks ago, and had obviously lived a thousand years doing _something_ positive. A truly important future! And yet Rei's pure heart had almost been snatched by an enemy they couldn't touch….

Had it always happened this way, Serena wondered miserably? Or had they changed something significant about the future and Rei was no longer 'destined' to live? Should she try to bug that poor, harried Setsuna again, even though the Gatekeeper just started taking anti-depressants for her sudden bouts with anxiety attacks?

Serena couldn't tell Darien any of this. But she could make one quiet admission: "I thought about Rini." She couldn't tell him Rei's hopes and dreams, as that was between herself and Rei. But she had realized in that instant when her Silver Crystal died, that she, Serena Tsukino, _did_ hope to have Rini one day. —Oh, in a **natural** way, not with more time traveling. And she not only hoped to have Rini one day, but also to be the best mother she could possibly be. And the best wife. She wasn't so sure about being a queen, like, EVER. But the wife and mother part she could finally imagine being… and that revelation had smacked her upside the head just as hard as the daimon had.

Something told her, in those painful moments after the Silver Crystal broke, that the future couldn't possibly be set in stone. Heh, she hadn't even liked the idea of her future until she witnessed how easy it would be to lose it.

Darien held her tightly: "I always think about you and Rini." He kissed her face several times, then set her down. "These new enemies are strong; we just have to be stronger."

Serena grimaced, thinking he'd copped that line from Luna just minutes ago. She almost blew up at him that no, Darien, YOU have to be stronger because my Silver Crystal is busted, idiot! Maybe get rid of that ridiculous cane and nab a sword like Diamond's!—

But then she saw tears in Darien's eyes, and realized he was a bit unnerved, too. She changed the subject to something she thought might make him feel better: "Do you think Diamond or Saphir may have been the ones who helped us out?"

Serena had been questioned, and secretly questioned herself numerous times, about the veracity of bringing 'convicted felons' (really, _descendants_ of felons) who'd attacked Crystal Tokyo (really, under _Wiseman's_ _brainwashing_) back into the past. (_Because Endymion had apparently said he'd be damned if he'd let them breath Crystal Tokyo air; what choice did she HAVE?_) But maybe, if Diamond and Saphir had been the ones to _save_ everyone today, her idea would look brilliant; maybe even _inspired_. Worthy of a future queen, maybe even!

Darien's face turned dark. "Hardly. If they had saved anyone, it would have been with live news coverage only."

She slapped Darien's arm: "Oh Darien! They're not like that!"

Darien bit his tongue once again, and smiled through his anger at her naiveté, even though he KNEW Diamond would have done exactly that. Or, at the very least, jumped down to let Serena know that he, 'Prince Diamond', had saved the day, and would she marry him.

"Would you like a milkshake?" Darien asked, trying quickly to change the subject before he sought out the interloper and killed him with his bare hands.

Serena winced at the thought of going to the arcade. When they'd returned a few weeks ago, one of her first missions had been to seek out Andrew. Well, to see if he'd put Saphir to work at the arcade. But then Saphir had slapped her silly for even making such a suggestion, which of course had caused another Major Battle® between Darien, Diamond, and Saphir, with Emerald egging them all on. Andrew had once again pulled Serena into the back room for some serious talk about her pregnancy, at which point she had spilled that she was a virgin and not pregnant at all. She'd told Andrew that Lita had picked up on the 'sleeping together' part to roll that rumor into something juicy. Serena hadn't liked throwing Lita under the bus, but Lita had almost blown Rini's cover — ALL their covers, actually, since the only other explanation would have required her outing their identities to Andrew.

Andrew was happier when Serena announced that while she and Darien were friends again, they were not dating. The 'sleeping together' had been purely innocent, and just to protect Darien's niece (the NEW story Rini had hypnotized people with). Serena had added that Darien wasn't very good with children and had needed all the help he could get. Andrew had suggested that Rini's arrival might have caused Darien the stress that caused him to lose his mind and break up with her. Serena had choked on how close Andrew was to the truth, but nodded, although she added that Darien's "stress levels" didn't excuse his evil actions towards her after the breakup.

But before Andrew could ask her out, Serena had said she would be taking a little breakie from the dating scene for a while. She liked Andrew, A LOT. And he had seemed so perfect for her in so many ways. He was easy-going, always happy …definitely willing to kiss her like a woman! And she was sure he wouldn't have broken up with her under pain of death, much less after a poorly-Photoshopped dream. He hadn't even wanted to break up with Reika; Reika had done that, and Andrew had opposed her! But… Serena had known deep down that as perfect for her as Andrew was, he was also perfect for Reika. She had decided she was going to let time heal these wounds—

But now she was back with Darien. And Darien wanted to parade her in front of Andrew, and would surely mention their hours-old status of being "back together again". She just couldn't. She'd have to tell Andrew herself, first. So she looked at Darien and shook her head 'no'. Then quickly added, "Raincheck? Please? It's just been too long of a day… and you know how much studying I have to do! I don't want Rei disappointed in me."

Darien watched her run off. She was the love of his life, his very soul —she was also sometimes just CUTE. But this cuteness was shutting him out. Not only was something wrong with her Crystal, an elephant in the room if ever there was one; but she'd actually hoped Diamond had been her savior. And even though they'd just gotten back together again, she, Serena Tsukino, had refused a milkshake, opting instead to study. Something inside him reminded him she was only 14; she couldn't help she was still crushing on Andrew.

Darien turned around and headed back to his apartment. Alone.

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* * *

.

/AN/

Sorry, I know the text is LABORED. I realized early on that I had TOO MANY CHARACTERS going, but I was just having so much fun. Well, I WANTED the whole 'final battle' to take place in the 30th C just for laughs, and I wanted Wiseman's "cove" to feel overcrowded for the whole 'final battle', and people bumping into each other, etc. But mostly, I wanted that final Setsuna portal scene _bad_ (although originally I had the droids trying to pass through, too, but I couldn't think of a way for them to live through Wiseman's demise.) Btw, I know she doesn't have the glaive (Saturn's Silence Glaive), but it just sounded cool.

**Embarrassing admission:**  
My INTENTION with this whole story had been to get Serena through S2 and up to Rini's next appearance in S3, and have Serena really throw down the gauntlet just as she and Darien started dating again. But truthfully I _forgot_ how much story was between Rini in S2, and Rini in S3. I knew about the cute romantic "let's make a moon rod together" scene for S/D; but I thought that Rini came back almost immediately after that, and that the Rini/Hotaru crap lasted MOST of the season. (See how a little Rini can BLOT OUT so much S3 goodness?) But I'm sorta stuck now—I can't just skip over half a season w/ Kaolinite and get to Rini's return; that's some GOOD sailor moon in between! Maybe I'll bring Rini back early. Cause I've got an awesome gauntlet for Serena to throw. I mean, it was the whole purpose of this stupid story! **bangs head**

I admittedly GOT SIDETRACKED with bringing the BMC in, and now trying to keep them in the story (cause I LOVE them!), and blending them into the whole of S3 is fun (which is what writing fanfic is supposed to be about!). In this chapter alone, I had to hack out a whole section of Diamond taking over Honda and renaming the Honda Accord to the Serenity Law (to get people used to the idea of Serenity becoming the world's regent)! *sigh* And something with Emerald wanting to be a Senshi too and using her black earrings to TRY to become Sailor Black Hole. **Cries**

I'm open to suggestions! (Really!) I've got way too much going on. It sucks. :p


	11. Darien's Love Rod

**Snapped**

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**Chapter 11****  
Darien's Love Rod****  
**

/AN: _I swear this isn't rated-M __…__but maybe a little __**T+**__ towards the end. _:D/

**Suitable Transportation**  
The elegant, long-legged woman jumped when, while watching the strange pair picking out cars, a smooth, slender finger barely touched her thigh and slid dangerously up her mini-skirt. She grasped the hood of the car in front of her, inhaling sharply, as her partner backed off and chuckled. She bit back hurt tears; she hated being teased mercilessly by her new 'partner', who was so incredibly hot, yet also so frustratingly aloof that she could never feel sure of her place. She wished she could act as aloof; but anyone with any sense would know it was simply an act. It was driving her insane. She squeezed frustrated tears back into her head and huskily said, "Those two over there? The girl was the one at the shrine yesterday."

Haruka had definitely noticed. The cute girl walking around with the guy that was several years too old for her was being _way_ too cute now for Haruka not to notice. The blonde Odango was dragging the old man around the lot to all the 'hot' cars that Haruka herself appreciated, while the man with her was clearly more interested in the sedans. Haruka laughed again, thinking how she'd love Michiru to pull HER around like that, begging for something. She had to LURE that side of Michiru out; Michiru was very …_reserved_. The beautiful woman who, for all outside appearances was very self-confident, was quite frankly uncomfortable in her own skin. But Haruka was working on that, trying to get her partner to be a little more ..self-aware. It was a full-time job to get her new partner to loosen up, but it was a job she was happy to attempt.

.

Darien gently nudged his finally-on-again girlfriend up against the hood of the car she hated so much. He leaned in, getting dangerously close to her, and smiled wickedly at her: "Say you like it."

"I hate it," Serena said, not allowing herself to be swayed by his closeness, or his aroma. Or his delicious breath near her lips.

"Why," he challenged, not really asking. He leaned in further, still refusing to let his lips even brush against hers. His hands moved from her waist down to her hips, and he pulled her closer yet—

"Stop," the teenager pleaded as her eyelids fluttered closed, imagining Darien holding her like this in a much more private place. Her stick-in-the-mud boyfriend would probably break up with her AGAIN if he knew where her imagination was going with his 'teasing'. She KNEW he was playing with her, trying to get her to agree to a horrible car. But she didn't think he could imagine how his little 'teasing' games affected her. He probably imagined that a sweet peck on the lips would put out the fire that he was unknowingly fueling inside her, a fire she didn't understand, except insofar as it would offend his sensibilities if he knew he was kindling it inside her, she was sure.

They hadn't been back together more than a day, really, and all she had to go on was how he'd treated her before he'd broken up with her. He'd always held her at arm's length, a safe distance. And now, she wasn't quite sure how to take his advances, his relentless teases. They couldn't just pick up where they'd left off; unfortunately, a LOT had happened in their several-month breakup, including, most frightfully, newfound knowledge that they would have a child together. A child he was very fond of, but whom she hadn't quite hit it off with. And she feared that it was because of this child that Darien was picking dopey-looking old man cars instead of replacing the sizzling sports car his 'daughter' had bricked.

Darien pulled back and watched her bite her lip in frustration from his teasing touches. A frustration he felt all too well, but would never let it show, because of her youth and innocence. However, he needed to remember to be careful playing these little games with her, because while it was easy for him to weaken her incredible willpower with these suggestive touches, he was finding his own self-control ebbing —and was afraid one day he'd lose his own little game. She'd saved his life in more ways than one, but his desire to unleash his deep, passionate appreciation couldn't be dared on such a young innocent as Serena without the risk of destroying the very thing he was thankful for. He needed to temper his temptation, yet exult in her proximity. Surely, he'd find a way to strike this balance, at least until she got older.

Her finger was on his chest: "Why _not _this car?" she asked incredulously. "Because," she licked her lips and shrugged, fighting the embarrassment of being turned on by the baka, "It's not _you_. It's not the car _you_ want to drive. You said you wanted to _replace_ your car—"

Darien almost growled in temptation as she sat on the decidedly large car hood kicking her legs around his, playing with her hair, her lips, his chest… she was being so adorably innocent, thinking about the car buying decision, and he'd found he wasn't thinking about cars at all, even though he sorely needed one. He found himself imagining how to get her into his apartment and ravishing her little body for all he was worth.

When Darien just stared coldly at her, Serena harrumphed: "Fine; it's YOUR car, get what you want." She was sure he was getting what her parents would approve of, or, _ickier yet_, what would be 'safe' for a family. But she feared that one day he'd wake up and curse HER for his ugly grandpa car. If he was going to curse her for a car, it would be because he couldn't make the payments on a hot, fast car she'd talked him into buying!

When she tried to jump down from the grandpa car, he suddenly grabbed her and kissed her, shocking her senseless. He rarely kissed her in public, especially when making purchasing decisions. When he titled her head back and started passionately Frenching her, she tried to stop him with wildly flailing arms and muffled protests, even though she'd love to give in to her wildest desires. However, Darien wrapped his arm around her and pulled her more fully onto his body. He kissed her crazy until she gave in and started kissing him back, oblivious to their location. When he slowly pulled away from her face, he huskily said, "I want what you want."

Her mind was butter. Had she intimated that she liked this ugly car? Or was he talking about …? Breathlessly, and clearly confused, she stopped the bullshit and said, "You never kiss me like that." It was a challenge, meant to be serious, but she found herself unnerved by his sudden attentions, and blushing in both desire and shame as she slowly wiped his drool from her mouth. He'd never take her seriously if she couldn't hold her own now, in whichever game he was playing with her.

He looked at her darkly, until she finally breathed out a question, "What?'"

He leaned over her and whispered gruffly in her ear, "You're so sweet and innocent; so fragile. A real princess." He backed up and gently rubbed the back of his fingers against her cheek, staring at her with that same, mind-numbing black stare that sent warning alarms off in her brain. He finished rather weakly, though: "Sometimes I look at you, Serena Tsukino, and I truly, _truly_ feel sorry for you."

She was stunned as the words set in —her jaw dropped, and her eyes popped open wide with indignation. Had he just kissed her brains out, then called her weak and stupid?

He pressed his body further into her before she could protest and added softly, "…Because one day, I'm not going to be able to control myself." He gently touched her shirt, barely brushing against the side of her breast, then running his fingers up along her collarbone.

She had calmed her angry words quickly, and was listening intently as he continued. "One day, Serena, I'm going to unleash on you," he said in soft words that didn't fit with the words he was saying. Then he air-brush kissed the corner of her mouth, and inhaled deeply, as if drinking in her scent. With a tight voice, he added, "And take what I've been wanting for so long,", before lightly kissing the other corner of her mouth. He looked up to see her face blanching white, and said in all seriousness, "And on that day, I'm not going to hold back; not at all."

Serena met his stare; he was definitely not talking about car-buying. Licking her lips to bring herself back to reality, she swallowed and glanced across the lot. She let her eyes close again as he kissed her neck, but when she started breathing again, she slid down his body until her feet hit the ground. She awkwardly grabbed his hand, and forced herself to steady her breathing. She was so confused about his actions and words; but she would NOT let him buy a grandpa car. She would put out her own fires first, even if it meant running over to the dealer's sprinkler and hosing herself down.

She almost stumbled as she took her first step away from him — should she ask Ami why a man's kisses and promises could make her body turn to Jell-o — and then she dragged him uncertainly over to the first RED car she saw: a red two-seater convertible that sat low to the ground. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and pointed, "This."

Darien had clumsily followed his waif, although his gait wasn't any more cooperative than her own. He let her lead him to the sports car, somewhat afraid he'd scared her since she was clearly ignoring everything he'd just said. But when his eyes finally focused on the chic magnet she was pulling him to, he shook his head ruefully with a disappointed chuckle. "Nope." If he put a dime of money into a vehicle, it would be one that could keep her safe.

.

.

Michiru stalked around the next cars, still watching the odd pair whose goal seemed to be to kiss, or actually make out, on each car in the lot. However, Michiru KNEW this battle: the man was teasing the girl mercilessly, just as Haruka teased HER mercilessly. Only this guy wasn't nearly as good as Haruka at hiding his …_troubles_. She purred proudly, "The only reason that girl isn't in the car she wants is because she's too innocent to be playing this game with him." She then growled angrily, "He's a predator." And yes, she meant that for her partner as much as she meant it for the cute girl's boyfriend.

Haruka couldn't peel her eyes from the cute girl. Michiru or no, Haruka had an inkling to go knock that guy out and take the cute teen to heights that the guy clearly had no intention of fulfilling. Haruka was a tease, but she hated 'real' teases—those with NO intentions of easing a girl's needs. This guy was acting like he owned the cute girl; and while the girl was trying to hold her own, she had no chance. Because she wasn't even aware of what her needs _were_. And he had no intention of enlightening her. This guy was playing her like a fiddle, and knew it.

Michiru saw Haruka's scowl, and it made her uneasy. She looked away shyly, pretending to be interested in the rear bumper of an SUV. Why was Haruka so drawn to the poor innocent girl? Was she attracted to her? Jealous of the guy playing with her? —no, probably Haruka was taking notes from him, either to use on her, or on the girl.

But they were both surprised when the pair finally stood before a small, sporty SUV and made the purchase. "Huh!" Haruka said, truly surprised that the guy was actually BUYING a car, and a car he didn't want. The cute girl must have more awareness of herself than Haruka had imagined.

"See how it's done?" Michiru said, proud of the girl. Sure, she was younger, and more innocent, and completely clueless about the older man's machinations. But she'd forced a compromise somehow; one which made them both happy, judging by the smiles and holding of hands. No more battling kissing wars; they were simply satisfied, and simply happy.

.

**To the Crack Den**  
"I'm miserable," Serena said as Darien took off in his new SUV.

"I thought you liked it!" he laughed.

Serena looked at him, shocked. "Oh! Oh, I _do_, Darien! It's —it's a great car that fits you." At least better than that grandpa car.

"It fits *us*," he reminded her gently.

She shrugged. "It's not the car. It's … Luna said that if I talked to you, I'd feel better about not being a Senshi anymore."

Darien beeped angrily at the slow assholes in front of him. Yes, passing them was easy in this SUV, but not quite as easy as it had been in the car his daughter Rini had bricked. But it was _DEFINITELY_ easier than it would have been in the sedans he'd been looking at. And yet, he smiled to himself, all the safety features were here; plus he could climb mountains in this car and stop on a dime, the handling was smooth… "I love it," he said, tempted to flip a bird to the cars he'd just passed.

"You LOVE that I'm not Sailor Moon anymore?" Serena whined, then collapsed into a ball in her seat. Evil asshole!

His hand reached over and touched …almost touched her backside, because she was curled up into a ball facing away from him. "Serena! Sit up!" he demanded. He reached over more acutely and grabbed an arm: "You're still Senshi! Just watch; everything will work out. You just have to believe!"

She sighed, but sat up. "I do. I believe I broke the Silver Crystal and can't fight anymore," she grumbled.

"And Rini believed she'd stolen your future Silver Crystal," he reminded her gently. "That thing seems to have a mind of its own, Sere." He had to let go of her to turn.

"Where are we going?" she asked skeptically, since they were pulling into what looked like a crackhouse. "Dare? Is this ..safe?"

"C'mon, I want to show you something," he smiled, hopping out of his side of the spanking new SUV. He couldn't help but admire the new machine's smooth lines and kick-ass angles as he sprinted around to get his girlfriend out. He loved knowing that just gracing this ugly lot with his new SUV would bring smiles to the poor unfortunates who lived in this area.

Serena followed him through a busted out hole in the crackhouse den's wall: "Darien, um —look, if this is about that … _stuff _you said at the car dealer's …you know, that '_unleashing'_ stuff; well, you have an APARTMENT." Dolt. She would have blushed if she hadn't been so horrified by the drug paraphernalia lying about.

Darien reached down a picked up a kitty: "Serena," he said, presenting her with the fluff ball, "if we go to my APARTMENT now, we'll be getting Rini back way sooner than you're ready for." When she was appropriately shocked and blushing, he smirked at her and pushed the kitten into her hands.

Serena took the kitty and fell in love, but was secretly hiding her horror at his Rini obsession. Did the girl have to come up in every conversation? But…uh oh! What if… She steeled herself and asked, "_She's_ not at your place now, is she?" She snuggled the kitty and smiled, but thought about how short a time it had been since she'd dumped Rini in the 30th Century. What, a few weeks now? If Rini were back so soon, Serena was positive that meant their future selves couldn't stand her, either.

Darien shook his head, but handed her another kitty. "There are all these kitties here, and the place is about to be torn down. They won't have anywhere to go."

She looked at Darien sideways. Was he kidding her? She loved kitties just fine, and puppies, and even some of the cuter youma they'd defeated. But …"If I don't get my Silver Crystal up and running, Darien, _NOBODY_ will have anywhere to go. Capiche?"

Darien was taken aback by her abruptness. "Um… well I was just hoping that if we focused on kitties, it would help you center yourself. Maybe give you some ..hope?"

She dropped the cats and said, "Hope? _HOPE_, Darien? My friends could be dropping like flies around me, and all I could do is… oh, oh _wait a minute!_" She **gleamed**. Sometimes Darien was a freakin GENIUS! She picked up an air pellet gun that local kids probably used to shoot the poor kitties: "You're right! I don't need the Silver Crystal to fight back! I can get a 10mm! —or maybe an automatic rifle would be more appropriate? —I mean, this is pretty brilliant!" She gleamed. "Thanks, Darien!"

"A GUN!" Darien blustered. "NO! _No!_ That wasn't what I brought you here for!" He grabbed the air pellet gun from Serena's hands and tossed it to the ground. "You're Sailor Moon! Senshi don't use GUNS!"

But Serena had crouched into a Mission Impossible stance, and shot a pretend round at the fuzz ball kitty playing in the yard. "BANG BANG!" Serena said, smiling widely.

"Okay," Darien conceded, completely dejected. Sometimes he wondered if he'd broken her _too_ much last month; if her hopes and dreams were dead because he'd broken up with her; if meeting Rini had killed her spirit. He sighed sadly, near tears. "This was an Epic Fail." He turned to leave, but when he looked behind him, Serena was GONE.

"She went in the crackhouse?" he fretted, then took off after her, half-scared she'd be firing up a crack pipe when he found her.

.

.

.

**Black Sailor Moon****  
**"No," Luna said sternly.

Rei was ignoring the whole stupid thing, focusing instead on her fires, trying to suss out if her premonitions and dreams might have some real apocalyptic meanings to them.

Mina giggled lightly, but said, "I think you look cute."

Emerald smiled widely. She was wearing a mostly-black sailor fuku that she claimed could make her 'Sailor Black Hole'. "Well, thank you. Now if you can just fashion my dark crystal earrings here into one of those rods the rest of you have, I'll actually have POWERS, too! Maybe even a transformation dance so I can scare the shit out of anyone who attacks me! _Then_ I could REALLY help while the beanpole is out of commission."

Artemis sneered at Luna: "And how did .._**Emerald**_.. GET this sensitive, Senshi-only information about the Silver Crystal?"

"SHE SHOT THE VIDEO!" Luna snapped, incredulous because Artemis was _there_! Albeit probably asleep. Luna turned to the ridiculous-looking Emerald and said, "ONE, we would NEVER use DARK POWER to battle dark power!"

Emerald sneered, "What you call what that priestess Mars uses, huh? You think her fire circles thing comes from the light of the sun? Hell no!"

"TWO," Luna continued, "the fuku do NOT have silver pointy metal cones over the ..the chest area!" Luna's eyes closed, trying to find some inner peace before she slayed this woman whom Serena had worked so hard to 'rescue'. Luna continued with a smile: "Fukus have BOWS in that area."

"And an actual skirt on the waist," Artemis added, blushing at Emerald's lack of any kind of bottom covering besides black lacy panties.

"Hate to say it, Em, but you sorta do look like Sailor Hooker," Lita smiled. She'd found a soft spot for the woman who'd made one of the most beautiful droids ever known. She sighed again, thinking about how she lost Gloom, and thumbed what was left of his soul that was hanging around her neck, feeling very Angelina Jolie at the moment….

"I could live with that," Emerald said. "_Sailor Hooker_ works for me." Beat. "Where's that planet, anyway? I hope it's not one of those stupid asteroids—"

Emerald turned on the cat who seemed to run the show. "Luna?" Emerald screeched. "LUNA! —Um, Rei? Something seems to be wrong with your cat. She's all laid out like she's dead." Emerald helpfully kicked Luna to see if she were stiff yet. Oh. "Guess not; she just passed out!" Beat. "Hey Rei? Can you show me how you use those fires—?"

.

.

.

**Just What She Needed?****  
**Darien ran into the crackhouse at the sound of screams; he caught his breath when he saw a little girl screaming at Serena, who was holding her ears and quite freaked out herself. Then Darien noticed another damned pellet gun in Serena's hand, reached over, and jerked it away. "Serena, she thought you were going to shoot her kittens!"

The little girl huddled over her kittens as Darien and Serena approached carefully, and Darien made calming small talk about the kittens. They learned that the little girl, Miharu, was caring for the abandoned kittens, but needed help finding homes for them before the crackhouse was torn down. Serena happily took on the mission herself to help little Miharu find homes for the kittens. Darien smiled widely that he'd gotten her mind off her broken crystal, then escorted her out of the crack den and into their new family-oriented but still sporty vehicle.

.

Which, impressed the crap out of Rei when Serena was dropped off at the shrine. As Darien drove off, Serena was almost buffaloed into looking at Emerald's 'replacement' Senshi fuku, but merely had to mention 'kittens' to get the Senshi-wannabe running off. After Emerald was back in the shrine, Serena and all the girls went back to the crackhouse to see what to do with these cutie-pie kittens, and to talk about Serena's new car experience.

At the crackhouse, Serena explained how Darien was kissing her a lot more than ever before —perfectly reasonable, Mina said, being that they had just gotten back together. "Make up make out!" But when Serena described their last kiss, and how Darien wanted to unleash something into her, and how it made her feel all squiggly inside, all the girls fell silent.

Well, all but Rei, that is. Rei was playing with the kitties when she suddenly squeezed one too hard and belted out: "He threatened you with SEX?" And on standing, she reiterated: "THREATENED?"

"Sex?" Serena asked, as Mina and Ami quickly commandeered Rei's squished kitties from the priestess' death grip. "Oh, no I think it was mostly about the car, Rei!" Serena lied her ass off to calm the priestess down. "You see, I don't know if you remember that first rental car he got—"

"REMEMBER IT?" Rei sputtered. "I had to DRIVE the damned thing."

Lita was rolling on the ground with the kittens, laughing: "Yeah, come on Sere! That's the car she ditched over the bridge, but it was too heavy to move, so she tried to blast it with her fire powers!"

Ami added sternly, "Well, that _was_ a very bad vehicle. The emissions on that one car alone probably damaged our atmosphere beyond repair, and we barely made it five blocks." Beat. "There's no way Darien would opt to PURCHASE such an environmental hazard—!"

"Not to mention it was an embarrassment to be seen in," Lita kept laughing as she and Mina started picking out the cutest kittens.

Serena sighed, trying to explain herself so Rei wouldn't blast Darien the next time she saw him, when all the kitties suddenly took off into the house. Silencing them all. Serena thought the kitties had picked up on Rei's temper, but Mina suggested they follow, just to be sure.

Serena and Mina led the way into the house, and immediately heard the little girl, Miharu, screaming, then noticed that the tyke was being attacked by a purple catwoman daimon! As the other girls fell in, Rei transformed, trying not to focus on her own past experience with the heart-stealer daimons, and that horrible video Emerald showed them demonstrating the power of this new enemy: MARS STAR POWER, MAKEUP!

Serena found she couldn't transform, but watched as the others did, and then as Mars and Jupiter combined an attack at this catwoman daimon —only to have the attack reflected back on all four Senshi! Shocked in despair, Serena ran at the daimon herself, hoping to at least distract it long enough to stop the sweet Miharu's torture. The daimon easily tossed Serena to the wall, then continued her extraction of Miharu's pure heart.

.

"Same girl," Sailor Uranus said slyly, as she and Neptune readied their attack. As soon as they blasted the daimon into a thousand puzzle pieces, they approached the quieted girl and looked at her pure heart.

"Not the talisman," Neptune noted, gently sending it back towards the little girl. She looked over quickly at Serena, wondering how this cute girl drew all these pure-hearted friends. Birds of a feather…? If so, that wouldn't bode well for the sweet teen.

Sailor Neptune noticed that Uranus had gone on ahead of her, but was also looking back at the cute girl. With consternation. Neptune looked away from Uranus, but followed her out, thinking boy, it's amazing that women, most especially her partner, could be male chauvinist pigs, too.

"STOP!"

Uranus and Neptune turned around just in time to see one of the girls standing up to admonish them. Another cute blonde argued that they were Sailor Senshi, too; the daimon wasn't dead; they couldn't battle it alone; please stay and help.

Uranus was adamant, though: "We have our own mission."

Neptune knew that was true; but what in the hell reason couldn't they stay behind to help these Senshi battle a daimon that was clearly beyond their abilities.

Uranus growled quietly to Neptune, taking her hand to leave: "They'll never grow strong enough to battle it if we coddle them."

As they left, Neptune spat quietly, "We could at least stay around to see if they need help." Beat. "It's inhumane to leave them with that daimon."

.

**A Rod of Love****  
**Nekonneru, clearly not pleased at this interruption, finished pulling her puzzle pieces together and blasted into being again, then immediately attacked the remaining Senshi. Serena got up and ran to protect Miharu, knowing this was probably going to be her last day on the planet, but unable to just ignore Miharu's need for help. Serena turned to see her Senshi down, beaten, and about to be killed, when Neko's tail grabbed her neck and grabbed her and the little girl she was holding across the floor.

The stranglehold suddenly disintegrated as a rose broke Neko's tail apart into puzzle pieces. Finally able to close her eyes in some kind of relief, she tried getting up to move the little girl outside, if nothing else. Tuxedo Mask landed in front of her, then extended his cane across the room into the daimon's tails attacks, rending the remaining tails into puzzle pieces, then pinning Neko to the wall.

Serena almost cried in relief, until Neko smiled and snapped Mask's cane. At which point, all hell broke loose: Neko evolved into an angry-looking purple cat from hell, and jumped onto them claws-first. Mask tried to protect Serena and the girl with his cape, but this daimon's claws proved to be too much for his cape, and punctured Serena's hero nearly to death. Serena shrieked when she saw Tuxedo Mask fall… _why_ didn't she let Emerald come? she cried to herself. Why didn't she keep Diamond's number on speed dial?

"Get out, Serena!" Tuxedo Mask demanded through pained breaths. "Save yourself!"

Her eyes teared up in anger at herself. Why didn't she grab that Uzi from her dad's gun case before heading back over here? She cried, and jumped over Mask before the daimon could strike again, which would surely kill him this time. "No," she breathed. "I'm staying—"

"It'll do no good!" Tuxedo Mask argued, trying to stand through broken ribs to push her away, towards the door, hopefully towards safety—

She grabbed his hands, near tears: "I'm staying. I'm fighting, Darien." Because her love and her friends were here, and she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she left them to their deaths by puzzle-piece 'Neko'.

He collapsed onto her with his broken frame; if nothing else, he'd protect her body with his. She struggled, trying to roll him off of her, and as they struggled, she felt jerked into another time — if this was that _damned Endymion_ playing with his dream machine now, and he ended up getting himself killed accidentally in the past, she'd …beat the shit out of Setsuna, she guessed, since Setsuna made the dream machine to begin with. This was simply not the time for a chit-chat with her future husband in one of his weird ass dreams!

But no… this 'dream' was different; Darien, the real thing, was with her in this impossible space. They were before an Imperial Castle, standing hand-in-hand. She wondered what in the hell the evil catwoman daimon was doing back in the real world, and forced her eyes away from this dream Darien's before she got lost in the dream forever.

She quickly realized Darien must still be enjoying the dream, though. The last thing she thought as the daimon was running at them claws first was what an odd time it was for Darien to get a _stiffie _as he lay over her frame to protect her.

"Serena," Tuxedo Mask gasped in pain, lifting himself off her. "It's ...legendary rod, born of our love!" In the dream space, he placed his hand on it, accepting the Spiral Heart Moon Rod and all its implications, namely, that they would protect the planet together through their love. But Serena seemed to have dropped out of the dream space. He choked out, "Put your hand on the rod, Serena. Let's hold it together!"

Serena's eyes almost popped out of her head —she loved him dearly, but she wasn't so sure now was the time to be talking about his 'rod' stuck between them …but suddenly a blast shot out from their clasped hands, blowing the hell out of the puzzled catwoman. "Woah," Serena said, "that's better than an Uzi anyday!"

Luna, who with Artemis had seen the reactivation of the Silver Crystal, screamed, "Serena! You can transform now! HURRY!"

Tuxedo Mask smiled at her a little strangely, but she ignored it and stood up to transform; and the crystal actually worked! Her new transformation finished with the Spiral Heart Moon Rod in her hand, and she fired a shot of hearts straight into the daimon with a Moon Spiral Heart Attack. Okay, the method of destruction wasn't quite as cool as it would've been with the Uzi, what with the girly hearts instead of hollow-point bullets, but eh, it was better than roses at least. She jumped for joy as her fallen Senshi struggled to stand and congratulate her.

Rei said, "NOW, we've got to find those bitches who left us high and dry!"

Lita agreed wholeheartedly. "Yeah, if they don't fight WITH us, they're AGAINST us! I say we show them what your new stick can DO!"

Ami sighed: "Well, normally, I'd say we should practice restraint until we know their mission. But they're after the pure hearts, just like the daimon are. Maybe they're EVIL Senshi?"

But Serena disagreed. "They're probably just stupid or something, guys! They'll come around! I mean, even Emerald came around."

Rei attacked Serena pretty viciously then, new spunky moon rod or not, but everyone else pulled the girls apart and went to feed the kitties. On the way out, Darien held back until he was alone with Serena, then pushed her against the wall. What had happened between them just now could never be adequately expressed by words, but he attacked her mouth with his passionately, pouring into her all the love he'd felt as they'd made the Crystal Heart Moon Rod.

…until Rei came back in and used her transform stick to beat Darien on the head: "We need to talk, bucko. About exploding stuff into OUR Moon Princess."

"Go," Serena whispered to him.

And he didn't need to be told twice; he was outta there through the upper window after transforming back into Tuxedo Mask.

Rei tried to drag the dreaming girl along, but Serena stayed still, watching his tight body as it escaped through the window. Without thinking, she murmured to Rei, "I felt that rod exploding with power, Rei." Knees wobbly, she said, "I really need to talk to Ami—"

Rei exploded: "No, YOU need to talk to a PRIEST and do a few Hail Marys!" She jerked the teen fool out of the building and demanded Serena pick up some kitties, stat.

.

.

.

The following day, Rei marched in to Saphir's new apartment. DAMN. 14,000 square feet for one dude? It was …"Wow," she said.

"What may I do for you, Mars?" Saphir asked, bored, consulting his handheld computer to keep an eye on his stock options.

"Heh," Rei said, suddenly quite out-of-place in the place. She stuck her hand out and said, "Um, well, er, okay Serena wants you to have a kitty to ..to hold and love." Her face burned bright.

"What is it, cuisine?" Saphir sneered, picking it up by the scruff of its neck, and turning it around to inspect it. "It's all HAIR! It'd hardly make an appetizer if you skinned all that hair off of it!"

"No!" Rei said, shocked that he could even think such a thing. "It's a ..a PET! You know! Like…"

"Like Prizma?" he asked.

Rei glared at him. Then, before she could stop herself, SHOVED his arm. "That woman has feelings for you, God KNOWS why, and even if you don't return those feelings, you should respect HER enough to…"

"Screw her?" he finished for Rei. "Okay, I respected her a lot last night. Happy?" He shoved the kitty back towards Rei.

Rei was speechless. She wondered, FOR REAL, if Serena's Silver Crystal hadn't been acting up WELL before that heart-sucking daimon bit it and broke it. Because this guy didn't seem 'purified' any more than Emerald did.

But Rei finally smiled and pulled her Diamond card. With GLEE this time: "PRINCE Diamond said you'd be HAPPY to honor SERENITY's wishes."

Saphir glared at Rei, then glared at the kitty still between his fingers.

"And SHE'S going to check on its general health and happiness next week; here's a brochure on how to keep a kitty; and GOODBYE!"

Saphir stomped after her: "Do you SEE why we rejected her rule in the first place? KITTENS! We are MEN, dammit! We don't DO kittens! —that damned brother of mine has gone just TOO far this time…"

She ignored his rambling as she walked gracefully for the ten minutes it took to get to his front door. She passed several servants on her way out. GEEZ these Black Moon people were scum.

But the servants looked incredibly kitty-free, she gleamed. She'd have to bring a boxful back later on, after their study session.

.

.

.

**Andrew—The Talk****  
**The following day, Serena opted to take one of her kitties to the arcade to see if Andrew wanted one. Plus, she had to talk to Andrew about Darien; something she really wasn't looking forward to doing. But Darien was safely tucked away in one of his classes now, and the coast was clear—

"MINA?" Serena yelled, chucking the cat and running into the arcade. "I can't believe you're here throwing yourself all over…" she blushed and looked at Andrew …"the countertop! …when you should be either giving away kitties or studying! _HELLO!_" She blushed at Andrew, who smiled wickedly at her and popped a special Tsukino shake on the counter.

Mina nearly growled at Serena, who was CLEARLY dating Darien again and shouldn't be acting jealous! She wondered if Andrew was aware of that…?

Andrew took Mina's hand and said, "You really should be studying. I guess the both of you should?" and looked askance at Serena, but with a smile on his face.

Serena gulped as Mina said SHE'D be studying alright—back in the game room _ha ha_! Serena followed her bestie with her eyes, but turned back to Andrew, smiling awkwardly. "Um, heard from Reika?" she asked, trying to think of a way to broach the subject at hand.

"Sure have," he gleamed. "I told you, we talk almost every night! She's sending some awesome pictures of the safari she did last week, and told me to share them with you."

Serena bit her lip, blushing. Damn. "She still asks about me?" Serena asked.

Andrew reached over and gently pulled one of her streamers of hair: "Of course, Odango. I told you, I don't keep anything from her." Beat. "Or you."

Serena guiltily sipped her shake, then realized she needed a spoon for it. Andrew handed her the spoon; and she thought she saw him looking at her lips. She looked away, but wondered anxiously if telling Andrew about Darien wouldn't leave him vulnerable to Mina's attentions, or maybe even Lita's! Not to mention Emerald, who had asked about the 'arcade owner' more than once. No! she shook her head furiously; to FIX this, she had to keep Andrew 'safe' while he waited for Reika's return! But HOW? She couldn't tell Andrew who to see! She couldn't warn him of the perils of—

"Anything wrong, Serena?" Andrew asked as he studied her almost comical mix of emotions playing across her face.

She bowed her head. "I —I told Darien that we could give it another try, Andrew." Looking up quickly, she added, "I'm sorry."

Andrew was taken aback, not quite sure what to say. He'd known it might happen all along, but… "What happened to your '_break from dating_', Sere? Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked gently. Disappointed. _Hurt._

Serena looked away. "I'm .." and taking a deep breath, hoping he'd understand, added, "his family." She looked back at Andrew and reiterated, "I'm his family, Andrew. And I do love him. And he loves me."

Andrew chuckled, albeit with a little angst. "Look, Sere, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I said I'd be your friend no matter what, and I just want you happy."

She smiled appreciatively at him. "I know," she meekly said.

"But you're fourteen! Your 'family' is your parents, and your little brother!" He angrily dropped his rag on the counter and said, "Darien? Sure, he needs a 'family'… but you're just too young to be ..THAT, to HIM!"

Serena had no way of explaining this. She looked down in defeat.

"Why'd he break up with you?" he challenged, maybe a bit too loudly.

Serena's mouth opened, then closed. She shrugged. "Let's call it temporary insanity?"

Andrew nodded. "Fine. And if he goes 'temporarily insane' again? Are you going to stop coming around again, and …stop being yourself again?"

"Probably," Serena winced. Seeing the concern on his face, she grabbed his hand and said, "Andrew, you're, like, SERIOUSLY one of my best friends ever. I was wrong to even try to go out in public after he'd upset me so much! I was a complete mess, and nothing I can do now can fix everything I've screwed up—"

"It's not YOU, Serena," Andrew said angrily. "It's HIM. You shouldn't have to HIDE OUT from your friends after your boyfriend DUMPS you!"

Serena jumped up, trying to placate him: "I didn't mean that, Andrew! I mean… _you're right_. But next time, I'm not going to fall into someone else's arms for comfort." She smiled sadly, then ran around the counter and hugged him. Tightly... "Is it my fault you're so tempting?" she smiled, tears forming in her eyes.

He smiled gently and pushed her away slightly. "You're sure about this?" he asked.

Serena closed her eyes and nodded. Oh how she wished she could tell him everything. Just as they were smiling at each other, a glass shot by their heads and hit the wall. They looked over and saw Mina smiling at them from the game room. Mina said, "Thought you had to STUDY!" and stuck her tongue out.

.

**Mina's New Love****  
**Serena chatted with Andrew a little more, then begged off, telling him it was past time to get Mina and go to Rei's and study, but then —

CUTE GUY!

WITH MINA!

She literally jumped over a table running to Mina —to SAVE Mina, of course, from the obvious charms of this beautiful Greek Adonis who was just beautiful to look at.

Andrew stood back watching the two girls drooling over this guy, and swore off 14 year olds forever. He stomped away to write a long love letter to his true love Reika, having decided that Darien was bipolar, and Serena deserved better, and maybe his 'infatuation' with her mixed in with his protectiveness of his 'younger sister' had gotten him confused for a while. It wasn't entirely true. In a way, Serena HAD his heart, his love. He wanted to touch her; and THAT wasn't sibling-like feelings. And he knew, whether she wanted to admit it or not, he had at least PART of her heart. But he knew he was beaten; the girl had at least had the decency to let him know that. He couldn't be with Serena if Serena held a torch for Darien; and she held a torch for Darien. So the decision was made. It was done. The rest would be up to Reika.

He'd decided to never mention the other passel of 14 year olds that had been kissing and pawing at him; Reika could handle Serena, because Serena was ..Serena. But if he mentioned that nearly all of Serena's friends were kissing him, then dammit he'd just look like a cradle robber! And those others simply weren't his fault! Without Reika or Serena, he was beating them off with a stick!

.

**Friend or Foe?****  
**On route to Rei's, while Mina and Serena _just happened_ to be following the new guy 'Haruka' and the beautiful woman by his side, Mina had decided that the woman _MUST_ be his sister. Her overprotective friend and princess, however, had decided otherwise, so Mina shoved Serena into traffic playfully. But seriously, Mina was FURIOUS that the girl had tried to hook up with THREE guys in ONE day.

"I absolutely did not!" Serena argued. "And even if I did, which I _didn't_, you did too!" Serena spat back.

"No, only two for me!" Mina growled.

"You're forgetting the CAT DAIMON today!" Serena said, shoving the former bestie into a nearby fruit stand, toppling the entire display of fruits, and forcing them to run like Senshi to escape the angry owner.

"Fine!" Mina said, catching her breath as they finally found Dreamy Haruka sitting in a coffee shop with his SISTER. As they both ducked down to spy on the pair, Mina breathed, "Let's do a REAL count then and throw 'Prince DIAMOND' into the mix!"

"That's .SO not fair! —I'll give 'im to ya. You and Diamond would make a lovely couple, anyway," Serena sneered.

Mina sneered, "Sure! Like I want a guy who BOUGHT _HONDA_ and renamed the Honda Accord to the 'Serenity Law', for ..what was his reasoning?"

"Shut up," Serena growled.

"OH yeah," Mina pretend-remembered, "so the WHOLE WORLD could get used to having Neo-Queen Serenity be the world's regent, and have to follow her rules and laws on threat of DEATH! Yeah, _THAT_ sounds like the guy for me! One that's completely infatuated with a so-called 'queen' who doesn't even EXIST yet!"

The girls were quiet for a while, and then Mina insisted, "Okay, look, you chose Darien. Or you can change your mind and choose Andrew. _I DON'T CARE._ But THIS one is MINE!"

Serena shrugged: "I think he's already GOT a girlfriend, Ms. Senshi of LOVE who can't see straight!"

Mina glared at Serena malignantly as the green-haired 'sister' left the coffee shop: "I see the woman LEAVING, so I'm going to go try to talk to him." She stood up and straightened her skirts: "Now you go on to Rei's and study. I'm gonna land me a man. Mmm'kay? Cya!"

.

Haruka arrived at the auto repair shop to talk to a guy that had just as much love for a smooth engine as she did: Mr. Kameda. Haruka made small talk for a minute, then, excitement building in her, she turned on her 'hidden' admirers and said, "Come out, my little kittens." Even Haruka blushed furiously as the two blondes eased out from behind an oil barrel; they were _adorable_. She half-wondered if she could get them both to her apartment for a little birds-and-bees action.

She introduced herself, then finally learned the cute Odango's name. Serena Tsukino. Haruka talked with the star-struck Mina for a bit, but then turned on Serena and leaned in closely: "Where's that old guy you've been beating around town with, sweetcakes."

Serena didn't hear a word. She stared lovingly at the beautiful hunk in front of her, and said, "Mrrph."

Then went flying; Mina had 'accidentally' sent poor Serena flying into a bucket of oil, then took her place in Haruka's face. "And who was that woman YOU were hanging out with today? Is she your ..sister? Girlfriend?"

Haruka laughed as the oily, angry Serena got out of the bucket, but Serena's anger dissipated as Haruka teased that 'Michiru' might be way more than a friend. Or not. Michiru's status could be dependent on either of these two beauties, Haruka teased, then grinned slyly as both girls looked about to die.

.

Michiru walked up, completely unable to believe her eyes. She wouldn't act hurt, though. If that's how Haruka wanted it, that's how it would be. They were friends, with a mission they shared, and sometimes they shared …_more_. But Haruka was a player, and these two sweet girls would learn it the easy way, right now. When the trio spotted her, just as Haruka was telling them they had a CHANCE with her regardless of Michiru, Michiru said, "Haruka says that to all the beautiful girls." She smiled at the teens and, feeling their hurt, soothed, "And you ARE both beautiful girls. Haruka is quite the charmer, no?"

Haruka glared at Michiru, somewhat impressed that she wasn't coming off as jealous, but sure that Michiru WAS jealous. Michiru was proving to be quite the actress. "You go too far, Michiru. I merely said they should never give up hope."

Serena peeled Mina off the ground, insisting they find out NOW the truth so Mina didn't pull a Serena-last-year and moon after a guy that had a girlfriend all along. So set, they turned on Michiru, who'd been very nice to them, and asked, "Is he your boyfriend? Are you lovers?"

Michiru smiled. "No," she said pleasantly. It was, more or less, the truth. They were partners. They'd dabbled in love, maybe, but clearly Haruka had some things to work through.

As the foursome talked, Haruka's issues became apparent to them all, including Michiru. Haruka's dreams of becoming the best driver in the world was now replaced by something that only Haruka could do, and absolutely NOTHING, including Michiru apparently, would stand in her way. Michiru knew Haruka wasn't lying. It had been that way from the get-go, from the time they were awakened to their missions. And Michiru felt pretty much as strongly; only she and Haruka were very different in the ways they went about meeting their goals. Michiru, in particular, would WANT to complete her mission without hurting anyone, if possible. And, unlike Haruka, she wouldn't mind a full-time lover with whom she could share her life. Monogamously.

.

Haruka froze as the daimon explosion came from within the repair shop. Michiru, her sweetheart partner, wanted to somehow ease her pain from the reality of their nasty mission—to find and secure the talismans, even though they could only be found in the purest, rarest of souls. The ones Haruka was close to. And in this case, Mr. Kameda, Haruka's idol practically, was the 'victim'.

Haruka shrugged off Michiru's loving glance and steeled herself to do whatever was necessary.

.

Serena and Mina knew exactly what was happening, even though it still scared the crap out of them both. These heart-stealers were popping up _everywhere_! But they had to be sure—they took off into the shop to see a car-looking daimon aiming at the shop owner, but then the girls slipped on MORE oil and went flying.

By the time the climbed out of the debris, Haruka, and the daimon, and everyone was gone except the heartless Mr. Kameda. The girls grabbed a bike and pedaled after the daimon, intent on getting Mr. Kameda's heart crystal back. But when they found the daimon in the canals, and after Serena transformed, she saw the new Senshi send attacks at the daimon.

Attacks that, while initially impressive, failed. Mina yelled to Sailor Moon to finish the daimon off quickly to save the heart, and Sailor Moon fired off her Heart Attack and quite easily defeated the daimon. But both Sailor Moon and Mina were stunned when the short-haired blonde Senshi coldly grabbed Kameda's heart, dismissed it as useless, and THREW it at Sailor Moon. TELLING her where she could stick it.

Mina whispered, "I don't think she meant it that way."

Moon, however, was disheartened. She'd seen the anger in the blonde Senshi's eyes, and all of her usual explanations for human frailty escaped her. This bitch was just heartless. "She's probably looking for a heart for HERSELF," Moon spat out.

Mina said, "Whatever; let's get this heart back to Mr. Kameda, Moon."

.

.

.

**True Love**  
"So it was a girl all along," Darien chuckled, hiding his suspicion that Serena was doing more than just 'protecting' Mina from this tenth grader.

Serena smiled, leaning back into his sofa and sipping her soda. "Yep! And the best part was that Rei and Lita completely fell for her, too, AFTER nagging Mina about chasing boys all day." She glanced up at him: "Michiru's really nice, too."

"You sure she's a SHE?" Darien asked whimsically. At her glare, Darien removed Serena's soda and set it down on the table, then took her into his arms, kissing her hair. She may never know why, but he appreciated the hell out of her ditching her friends and spending some time with him. After choking down those 'cookies' when she was bummed out, and after figuring out she'd been chasing boys around, he figured it was time for her to do a little love-proving. He moved in for a kiss—

Serena turned away. "You don't understand, Darien. Michiru… she's REALLY great. She's beautiful—" she turned and looked at him. Beautiful like him. "And she has all these talents! She plays the violin! And she took me to an art gallery, and it turned out she's a famous painter, as well! She's very elegant." Beat. "And did I mention she was beautiful?"

Darien scrunched his nose at his Odango. "You're not saying you're _interested_ in her." Hell no. In both lives so far, Serena/ity has been all about him. Except for that hellish time of his future self's 'test', when Andrew came into play. But Andrew was a guy, at least.

Serena rolled her eyes. "No, Darien." She flipped the concert tickets onto the table. "She wanted me to bring somebody tonight. She's …really special." She blinked away tears while turned away from him. "You'd love her."

"I love you," Darien said, getting a little frustrated. He jerked a pigtail until she fell over towards him, then had his mouth over hers, not allowing her time to argue. He lay back on the sofa and pulled her down over top of him, never breaking the kiss—

She jerked her head away stubbornly, then dropped her head on his chest. "You can DO better. You deserve better, Darien."

Okay, so she wouldn't kiss him; he'd hold her. He pulled her up snuggly to his chest and said, "Sere, you're 14. Give yourself a little time! As for me, believe me, you're all I w-.. —" oops. "You're everything to me."

_Ugh_, she thought. He just didn't get it. She was sure he felt tied to her because of the promise of Rini; of COURSE he'd say whatever to shut her up.

But the truth was, she knew she'd never be as stylish as Rei, or as domestic as Lita. Nevermind as beautiful as Mina, and surely not as smart as Ami. And even non-Senshi were better than her by a mile: Haruka was ..just fucking hot regardless of what sex she was, and a brilliant racecar driver. But Michiru? She was ..she was everything Serena wanted to be. A conglomeration of all the Senshi, rolled up into one perfect woman. Who, if Serena _really_ loved Darien, she had to admit would make Darien happier than she ever could. She just had to prove that to him.

And that ova-freezing thing Ami had mentioned, THAT could keep Rini possible. Rini probably deserved a better mother like Michiru was sure to be, and for someone as wonderful as Darien, Serena was sure that Michiru would carry Rini. And probably not spoil her like Setsuna and Endymion suggested Serena had.

"Let's just go to the concert, Darien," Serena said.

Darien was at a loss. He wasn't about to spill, or maybe remind Serena, that he could sense her emotions so clearly. But even so, what could he do about them? She didn't believe that he was perfectly content just spending the evening with her, alone in his apartment, maybe talking a little more about the Spiral Heart Moon Rod their love had formed.

Or maybe talking about what she'd thought that rod was initially, he chuckled.

"Serena," he sighed, keeping her flush against his chest. "I want to stay home tonight."

He'd started massaging her back, enjoying the sensations he was causing them both by rubbing her back as she lay flush over his body. When she started relaxing, finally, he moved his hands to her hair and started undoing her buns, gently pulling them out and finger-combing her long hair until it covered them both as a blanket.

"Feels good," she murmured, purring into his chest as her eyes grew sleepy.

Darien didn't say a word; he gulped, hoping she hadn't heard it and guessed his intentions. Which he himself wasn't exactly sure of. Except to spend a little alone time with the love of his life; make her feel a little better about herself. Actually, as he closed his eyes against his building excitement, he thought how he'd like to let her see herself through his eyes. He worked her hair slowly away from her back, bunching fistfuls of it on either side of them, then started massaging her back again.

"Darien?" she asked softly, drowsing against his chest, but now her fingers were moving against his biceps. He had such strong arms…

Arms which were moving lower and lower as he massaged her back.

"Shut up," Darien said softly, then shifted her body up closer to his neck. His hands started pulling her shirt out of her skirt, merely so he could simply touch the baby-smooth skin underneath the clothing. He kept rubbing her lower back, but now, instead of her breathing getting deeper like she was falling asleep, she was breathing shallowly, and her heart was racing against his body.

"You feel good," Darien murmured, eyes closed, as his massage moved her entire body up and down his body just ever so slightly, allowing him to feel more now than he'd thought he'd be able to so soon.

She didn't feel so good… she'd felt relaxed against this perfect man, and now she felt …things she was sure she shouldn't be feeling. Her head twisted so her face was against his chest. She pressed her lips into his shirt, the slight show of affection he was allowing her in this position. Her hands seemed to move of their own accord to his shirt buttons. She just wanted to feel his skin against her face, but she wasn't sure he'd allow it.

Darien groaned audibly as he moved his hands to his shirt and started unbuttoning. When her lips pressed against his flesh, he didn't immediately move his hands to her back again, but instead pressed her face into his chest. Her hands found their way under his unbuttoned shirt, and the minx pushed his shirt off over his shoulders. He groaned again, at first in mild protest, and then in ecstasy as he felt her tongue tasting his body.

His hands immediately moved to her backside, and he thrust his body up against hers as she continued nipping and licking his chest. When she moved up and actually tasted a new area of his chest, his mind exploded. He wanted to do several things at once, but found himself enjoying her touches just a little too much to stop her. She was driving him insane, but he was loving it.

He finally couldn't stand it anymore, and lifted her body up and let her kisses fall to his mouth, and this time their kisses weren't met with hesitation or protest on either side. They were devouring each other's mouths, moreso than any kiss he'd ever shared, or ever even imagined possible. His hands were quickly in her hair, mussing it ruthlessly as their tongues tangled. He wasn't sure if she was arching her body down into his on purpose, or if it were purely instinct, but either way it was well played and their bodies moved against each other in perfect rhythm. As they started lapping at each others' mouths with mad abandon, he grabbed her with finality and picked her up, carrying her to their bedroom.

.

* * *

.

/AN/

Just imagine the cute scene coming up with Unazaki where she is all "have you had a first kiss?" and Serena is all "Hee hee" because shame of shame Serena ran right by first base and scored a home run! The trick for D/S will be keeping it an absolute top secret from everyone.

And, um, yep I kept the Outers' real names, because I don't know their fake names (who the h*** is TRISTA?), plus in the anime they're [_cousins_] which is so beyond stupid that I just blot it out of my mind, and mix S2 anime names with S3+ manga. My SM world view is screwed. Sorry. I can do all-manga names more easily, but then U/M don't have the same "issues" that anime S/D do, and it just feels wrong to say Mamoru broke up with Usagi and other insanities. That's my reasoning. :p


	12. Impure

**Snapped**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Chapter 12****  
****Impure**

.

.

**Rude Awakening**

_He finally couldn't stand it anymore, and lifted her body up and let her kisses fall to his mouth, and this time their kisses weren't met with hes__i__tation or protest on either side. They were devouring each other's mouths, moreso than any kiss he'd ever shared, or ever even imagined possible. His hands were quickly in her hair, mussing it ruthlessly as their tongues tangled. He wasn't sure if she was arching her body down into his on purpose, or if it were purely instinct, but either way it was well played and their bodies moved against each other in perfect rhythm. As they started lapping at each others' mouths with mad abandon, he grabbed her with finality and picked her up, carrying her to their bedroom._

.

Serena lay splayed out over her soundly sleeping boyfriend, wondering what the hell she'd just done. Well, not 'just', since it had happened a few hours ago. The first time. Then, when she was about to ask to go to the hospital, Darien started worrying over her, and before she knew what was going on, it happened again. Now she was almost scared that if she tried to move off his body, to which she was soundly pinned by his gigantic arms, he might wake up and .._do it again_! And she wasn't sure she'd live through another time.

So this was love. UGH! —Oh, at first, she was ALL into it. She'd been swept away like Cinderella at the ball, with her own knight in shining armor and everything, and she'd known just what to expect because of Lita's romance novels! Kisses she got completely lost in; explosive touches in places she didn't even know she had…! Her mind had collapsed in ecstasy as Darien took control of their bodies; she had been sure it was the end of the world and she was in heaven!

—and then came the parts they conveniently left out of the romance novels. Because when Darien had gotten down to business, she was all elbows and knees as she realized in horror that _so__r__ry!_ things didn't fit right and maybe she was born a man and her parents had wanted to spare her the embarrassment and she was just finding out now the hard way and Darien was going to have to find a real girl—

Darien had chuckled at her, before pronouncing she was ALL female and his undying love and other crap. Then he took her in earnest, seemingly ripping her insides out. Seriously, she wouldn't be surprised if she looked down and saw her stomach and kidneys hanging on her belly.

Laying there now, reminiscing over the last few months, she wondered if Darien hadn't just _pr__e__tended_ to be a boring stick-in-the-mud all this time, just so she'd never suspect what was hiding beneath his stoic exterior. He had warned her that he pitied the day he 'unleashed' on her. Now she could understand that just fine.

But still, as she lay there remembering her first time—_times_—, she melted a bit thinking about how happy Darien had seemed. And seemed now, asleep under her.

And completely NAKED. Again, she wanted to reach for at least a sheet or something, if not find her clothing and try to get into them, but her new rule was, _No Wakey W__a__key Darien_.

Unfortunately, not everyone was aware of that rule. Luna's communicator sounded a living hell bullhorn: all lights were blinking. She HAD to answer it. If only she could move her rubbery, pained limbs fast enough to get over to it.

.

.

.

**Violin Recital**  
Octave was creaming everyone when Sailor Moon finally arrived at the violin recital; the daimon had frozen everyone, even the Senshi, with a piercing sound attack, and apparently had the pure heart. And Sailor Mars was fighting to move away from a treacherous beam of energy that was cutting through the ground. Mars was hit and went down hard just as Sailor Moon landed beside her. Tuxedo Mask's rose broke up that particular beam, and Moon should have attacked the daimon right then, but she couldn't take her eyes off of Mars' eyes, which were filled with a mixture of panic, pain, love, and ultimately, _di__s__appointment_. Sailor Moon was too stunned to do anything.

Tuxedo Mask screamed Serena's name, getting her attention after he'd stunned the violin daimon itself with a sharp rose. Sailor Moon was beside herself with grief—Mars was shredded to pieces, making two times in the last few weeks that Rei was near death. Moon refocused on the Daimon, but couldn't even get her promises of punishment in the name of the Moon out. She glared at the stunned Octave and belted out a **Moon Crystal Heart Attack**, then watched numbly as Octave devolved into a regular violin, then its daimon egg fell out and split in half.

But Moon's fury was not spent.

.

Sailor Mercury was beside Mars and Moon instantly. Sailor Moon watched as Mercury scanned the Martian Senshi… Mars had a broken rib and a punctured lung, lacerations all over her body, and her breathing was obviously labored.

The new Senshi, who Venus said had introduced themselves as Sailor Senshi for the planets Uranus and Neptune, were on the daimon egg like white on rice, and had grabbed the pure heart—

Moon stood to call them for help, and immediately felt a hand on her shoulder, and leaned into it, turning to cry into Tuxedo Mask's arms. In the same split second, though, she saw the brilliant silver jacket. She instantly came to her senses and jerked herself straight up. _Prince D__i__amond._ She wasn't quite sure what to do; he bent to her ear without flourish and said sternly, "Serena, I can help your friend."

"Go," Sailor Moon said to Diamond, glancing at Tuxedo Mask out of the corner of her eye. He was glaring at her; she dared look at him directly for just a moment before she knelt down by Sailor Mars. _It was Rei! How couldn't he understand?_

"We need a distraction," Diamond snapped loudly, seeing the media encroaching upon them rapidly.

Tuxedo Mask was beside Sailor Moon, hand on her arm, as Emerald and Prizma followed Diamond's orders and decided to start some shit with Sailors Uranus and Neptune. Moon was near tears over both Sailor Mars' injuries, AND the new Senshi being yelled at by the former Black Moon women. Tuxedo Mask insisted, "Serena, you can't let this guy heal her with dark energy!"

Sailor Moon glanced up at Mask: "I'm sorry! I can't let her suffer, Dare!" She dropped her head onto his chest, wishing for just a second that they were back in bed, problem-free, sleeping and comforting each other.

But he pushed away from her almost instantly, then asked the victim, "Can you hang on, Sailor Mars?"

Sailor Mercury shoved her handheld into Mask's face: "She'd live, but she's suffering _now_, Tuxedo Mask."

Prince Diamond had opted to ignore the dark-vs-light debate around him, since power was power, and focused his energies through the dark crystal earrings. Although the primary source of their power was scattered in orbit a thousand years into the future, with intense focus he could still utilize the potential energy from the small crystals due to the potential of the dark crystal being yet in the future. He had his hands on Mars' worst injuries, near her ribs.

As Mask was about to stop him, Moon moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his back. "He wouldn't do anything to hurt me."

Mask accepted her embrace, but nearly growled back at her, "Not intentionally. But it's Dark Energy—"

There was a loud explosion behind them, which turned everyone but Diamond and the ailing Mars around. Diamond commanded, "Tell Emerald to calm the hell down, please."

"On it," Sailor Moon said, wanting to do SOMETHING useful. She and Luna took off and saw… oh hell, a Deep Submerge was headed straight for them. _Sailor Neptune's attack_, she winced. Clueless about other options, Moon threw her tiara at the ocean wave and simultaneously yelled, "**Sailor Jupiter!**", hoping Lita would somehow just know how to blast through attacks coming from these mystery Outer Planet Senshi without causing civilian injuries.

Ahead of her, Emerald laughed as loudly as she could: "**Hee hee!** HEE! _HEE HEE!_" Sailor Moon watched in horror as Emerald ramped up another 'distraction' that she probably felt would leave Diamond thrilled with her abilities.

Sailor Uranus laughed at Emerald's laugh: "Oh my, what is that laugh? TINKERBELL?" ..and started preparing her World Shaking attack!

Sailor Moon screamed out to Emerald and the Outer Senshi: "PLEASE! Stop attacking! This is a crowded area; you could hurt someone—!"

Moon stood helplessly with Luna in her arms now, watching a World Shaking coming her way. It wasn't aimed at her; it was aimed at Emerald, but 'world shaking' doesn't really discriminate. She crouched, figuring Rei's idea about a few Hail Marys wouldn't be so inappropriate after all, and hoping Sailor Jupiter was going to be able to counter the World Shaking somehow.

Emerald pulled all the energy she could manage from her earrings and threw a mega dark energy ball furiously at the new Senshi, unfortunately missing the Earth Shaking that was headed towards Diamond and the fallen Senshi. But the dark energy smacked Sailor Neptune directly. While Emerald couldn't laugh well anymore, she could screech a loud, celebratory, "_**YESSSSSSS!**_" and she jumped up to high five Prizma, who was dancing a jig herself.

"Sparkling Wide _PRESSURE_!" Sailor Moon heard from behind her, then saw Jupiter's attack hit Uranus' attack. —Then she saw blackness; she held onto Luna, who was screaming as loudly as she was, as they went flying backwards.

.

Zinged, Moon looked up in time to see Sailor Uranus pick up Sailor Neptune and run away, but Sailor Moon knew the latter was hurt. She turned back to Prince Diamond and yelled, "Hurry! We've got another one down you'll need to help!" She didn't mention that it was 'friendly fire'; that made her want to die just thinking about it. She was SO not handling the diplomacy part of her job well, trying to keep her Senshi from attacking the Outers, and everyone to keep from attacking the Black Moon family.

"Injuries thanks to your DISTRACTION!" Tuxedo Mask hissed at Diamond as they left the newly-healed Martian Senshi in Sailor Mercury's hands and took off towards Sailor Moon.

.

By the time Sailor Moon had caught up with the Outers, Sailor Uranus was holding Neptune and rocking her in the shadows.

Behind Moon, Sailor Venus appeared and said, "Sailor Uranus, please let us help you!" Beat. "We have somebody that can help you."

Moon reached behind her to grab Venus' hand, squeezing it in appreciation for her help, because Moon didn't think she could speak without bursting into tears.

Uranus growled at Sailor Moon: "I don't know what the hell you have going on here, but I'm not sure we can accept your help. You seem to have gone astray" She lay Neptune down and angrily shook her fist at Sailors Moon and Venus: "Your friends hit us with Dark Energy? SERIOUSLY?"

Moon knelt down, sobbing: "It's … a long story. Emerald was just trying to cause a distraction, Sailor Uranus." She wiped her eyes and said, "So Sailor Mars could be healed without getting caught on camera. —Please let us help Sailor Neptune!"

Diamond got there just then, lightly grasping Moon's pigtail as he ran directly for the fallen Senshi. "This is easier to deal with than the daimon's attack."

Uranus didn't even watch; she was glaring at the sad, but apparently ever-hopeful, Sailor Moon and her boyfriend Tuxedo Mask. Moments later, Sailor Neptune sat up, and Uranus saw that Neptune was healed through Moon's eyes as the blue orbs lit up like a supernova. Sailor Moon jumped up and ran to Sailor Neptune, embracing her fitfully with plenty of apologies.

Diamond stood up and looked at Sailor Uranus. Then down at Sailors Moon and Neptune. He smiled knowingly, then pointed to his love as he asked Uranus: "You're saying, you don't know who SHE is?"

Before Uranus could respond, Diamond had laughed and turned away. He needed to go collect Emerald and Prizma and get them out-of-sight quickly. But he heard his love calling him, and he turned slowly towards her.

"Thank you, Prince Diamond," Sailor Moon said, somewhat shyly, and with a slight bow.

Diamond glanced sideways at an angry Tuxedo Mask, shrugged, and waved goodbye to Sailor Moon. As he left, he said under his breath, "Anything for you, my love."

Knowing she, and only she, could hear it with her Odangos in her Sailor Moon glamour.

.

An angry Uranus produced the pure heart that didn't have a talisman in it after all, and prepared again to toss it at Sailor Moon. But Sailor Neptune sat up gingerly and held a finger up: "Please, Uranus. That heart belongs to a gentle soul who makes beautiful music—"

Uranus reached for Neptune's hand, trying to manage a smile, then said, "Let's take care of it, then." Sailor Uranus left Mask, Moon, and Venus with quite an evil glare, then took off with Neptune in hand, headed back into the building to return the heart.

.

.

.

**Goodnight**  
After all the excitement had died down, the Senshi started detransforming and chatting almost idly about the Outer Senshi and the Octave daimon. Tuxedo Mask put a hand on Sailor Moon's back before her friends caught up to them: "We should go." While the getting was good. He knew Sailor Moon would hate to leave without saying goodbye, but she nodded—

"Where are you going?" Mina came running, complaining loudly enough to get the media back if she weren't careful. The cats and Lita were right behind her, followed by Ami and a slowly-moving Rei. Mina insisted, "We all came tonight to apologize, Sere! We thought you were here until Octave attacked us and you didn't show up! We were worried about you!"

Rei nodded: "I'd be more than happy to help you learn to wear kimonos." She reached over and hugged Sailor Moon. Then she stepped back and looked carefully at Moon, then over at Mask. Who hadn't detransformed yet.

Lita said, "And cooking? You got it, girl! I'll teach you! I just didn't know you were that serious earlier when you asked—!"

Tuxedo Mask stepped in front of Sailor Moon and said, "We really must be going; you can talk to her tomorrow." He turned and grabbed Sailor Moon's arm.

Which was already latched to Ami: "I'll tutor you as much as I can, Serena! I still think you should start slowly, with high school level chemistry, or even just passing basic junior high science, but we'll get you to genetic engineering in NO time—!"

Lita pushed Ami away: "IN BETWEEN her learning how to whip up a good soufflé, you mean."

Rei spat, "AS IF she could do that while learning how to move around in a kimono like a LADY!"

Mina added, "She can do ALL that, but it'll be IN ENGLISH! So she can learn English. Which means all the rest of you need to learn English if you're going to teach her anything!" She smiled at Serena: "I believe in complete SUBMERSION in the language you're learning, Serena—"

"Fortunately, science is a language of its own, not dependant on English!" Ami interrupted.

Tuxedo Mask started growing angry and spat, "**Are you all TRYING to be as daft as Em****e****rald? WE need to LEAVE!**"

.

All the girls and cats freaked, hair springing up and jaws dropping. Even Sailor Moon's head dropped in mortification.

Ami had noticed earlier that the couple hadn't detransformed, but now shyly said, "We're sorry; you were probably on a date."

Sailor Moon's eyes went wide; Tuxedo Mask blushed against his will, and he stammered, "Um, no, well.. we were—"

"FIGHTING!" Sailor Moon spat out quickly, wide-eyed. "Yes, we had a big, and I mean REALLY big… fight…."

Tuxedo Mask nodded slowly. "Uh, well… a disagreement, maybe." He glanced at her quizzically; she glared fire rays at him. And maybe growled; he couldn't be sure.

Lita glared at the grumpy man: "What'd you do THIS time? Have another BAD DREAM, Tux Boy?"

Tuxedo Mask stepped forward angrily, "Alright, now I'm just about done with that dream being thrown up in my face every two minutes. We've worked through that and you just need to leave it alone!"

Lita stepped back aghast, but Sailor Moon said, "Um, we have?" As he turned on her, she said, "That's ..debatable! And," she smiled widely at all her girls, "that's exactly what we were arguing about."

"It was?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

Sailor Moon elbowed him hard: "See? He can't even agree on what we were arguing about!"

Mina senses were going wild, telling her all sorts of different things at the same time. She simply had NO CLUE what the hell signal she was getting about this couple, so she ignored her instincts and took the easy way out: "I'm sure it was all just a misunderstanding!" And she smiled widely

Rei rolled her eyes: "And WHY are you still in your transformation?"

Tuxedo Mask sorta let go of Sailor Moon, and she stammered, "I was, um.. shower..-ing, in the, um, shower. When you called."

Sailor Moon glared at him; he smiled weakly, looked at his pretend watch, and said, "Um, —gosh darn, look at the time!" then took off.

.

Rei watched him leave and stamped over to Serena: "Now you go fix things with him. This should've been a nice date for you and you had to go bring up that damned dream again."

Mina shoved Rei aside and said, "She's naked under there; if she goes to him _**now**_… well, you know, he might be ..tempted!"

Sailor Moon squeaked. Then smiled impishly.

Ami said, "They're going to wait until they're married, Mina. Get your mind out of the gutter."

Lita laughed and put an arm around Sailor Moon: "Yep; you don't have to worry about these two doing _**that**_! BUT, Mina's got a point. Go finish your shower, and maybe give him a call. We don't need another few months of you being all mopey on us!"

.

.

.

**Who Dat?****  
**A few days later, Serena was en route to Rei's to study when Luna started nagging her about having no social life. "Are you and Darien still fighting?" the nosy cat asked. She'd seen plenty of texting between the two, and witnessed plenty of hushed phone conversations, but Serena was uncharacteristically throwing herself into her schoolwork and Senshi workouts. She hadn't picked up a manga, tried to run off to see her boyfriend, or even stopped into the arcade to play a game.

"I told you we made up," Serena snapped. "It's just I really have to pass the entrance exams, Luna. And, um, these daimon are hard to beat."

"Well I must insist that you at least ..go visit your friend Andrew at the arcade, then. It won't take long, and you need a break!" The cat knew Serena TOO damned well to think everything was just fine with her sudden attention to everything she used to despise, like responsibilities.

Serena was about to argue when she saw Darien speeding down the street on his motorcycle. He had seemed really worried about her reaction to the other night, and even accused her of being mad at him for real. She'd tried to assuage his fears, and they'd made plans for some 'alone time' this evening.

But then Serena saw a woman hanging onto Darien on said motorcycle, and froze. Luna, her smartass caretaker, pointed out, "You see? You drop out of having a social life, that's what you can expect. If I've told you once, I've told you a million times, if you don't use it, you'll LOSE it."

Serena almost spat out that she'd already lost 'it', but really, that was a top state secret as far as she was concerned. However, she was truly about to lose it again when Darien pulled up to her and waved. It took every bit of patience she could muster to not rip that waving hand off his arm and beat him with it. He took off his helmet and said, "Serena, you've met Unazuki, right?"

"Una-_who_?" Serena sneered, then 'helped' the bitch off Darien's bike. THAT'S how it was going to be, huh? If she didn't put out, he'd find someone who would?

Unazuki picked herself up off the ground and brushed her butt off: "Hello, Serena," she smiled, embarrassed. "Boy, you sure have a strong handshake."

Darien gulped and coughed out, "She sure does!" He glared at her and said, "This is _AN__D__REW'S SISTER_, Serena. She needed a ride to take Andrew something he forgot, and then to her work—"

Serena held a hand up: "Why don't you just take it to him yourself. Una-whatever and I'll just have a little walk, mmm'kay? Get to know each other a little," and she dragged Unazuki down the street.

Darien almost jumped off his bike to chase after them, but Luna jumped up on his lap and said, "Let the girl do something besides schoolwork. Sheesh!"

.

**Friend****s**  
Serena chilled out considerably as Unazuki started rambling on about some guy she liked at school; Serena worried a bit about her own sanity at that moment. Was she really that jealous of a person? …well, hell yeah. But this was Andrew's sister.

Unazuki said, "I've heard so much about you from Andrew—"

"Yeah, …about that," Serena said, "I tried to stop Reika from leaving, you know. But then we had this big accident and Reika's plane took off anyway."

"Why would you want to stop Reika's semester study abroad?" Unazuki asked, appalled. "She worked so hard to get that scholarship! —I'd love to be able to study abroad." Beat. "Oh, here's where I work!"

Serena recognized it as the coffee shop where Haruka and Michiru had stopped in the other day. She wondered idly if Haruka might show up soon. Serena said, "Great, I could use a …well, I don't drink coffee."

"I'll make you a frozen mocha if you'd like!" Unazuki said while tying on her apron. Serena took a seat at a table and waited for the girl to do just that.

She was quickly joined though. She looked up as Michiru sat down by her: "Serena?"

Serena blushed—this was the perfect woman she'd wanted to hook Darien up with, but had just learned that seeing Darien with another girl wasn't exactly her idea of a good time, after all. "Hey!" Serena smiled. Well, Michiru wouldn't have a problem finding another guy, and Serena did adore this woman completely. "Sorry I missed the concert the other night."

"Yeah, we didn't think we saw you there," Michiru smiled. Which was truly odd; she and Haruka had begun to believe that this 'cute girl' Serena was around EVERY time a daimon popped up, but she surely hadn't been at the concert when Octave had attacked. Or when the Sailor Senshi's strange friends had attacked her, then healed her, with dark energy. She cleared her throat and said, "I'm sure you heard on the news how the auditorium was attacked that night; maybe it was for the best you didn't come."

Unazuki finally brought the iced mocha, and took Michiru's order. It was then that Michiru noted, with no small amount of shock, that the 'cute innocent' Serena had a hickey the size of a freakin golfball on her neck which she was trying to cover up with a scarf. When the waitress left, Michiru tried to lead the conversation to where Serena could confess if she'd been attacked or something. "I really expected to meet that man I've seen you around town with."

Serena choked on her mocha, grabbed a napkin, then stared at Michiru with absolute fear. Michiru might have normally found her reaction 'cute', but given the hickey… "Serena? Are you okay?"

"Fine!" Serena spat out quickly, then turned beet red. "Darien."

"Darien?" Michiru asked, leaning in closely to get the dirt she could feel was about to be dumped on the table.

Serena nodded. "Yeah." Serena bit her lip and started fumbling with her napkin nervously. "He's very nice."

Michiru smiled and said, "I saw you with him last week, at a car lot. You two seemed very, um, '_close'_." When Serena looked around the room uncomfortably, Michiru couldn't stand it anymore—she reached over and adjusted Serena's scarf a bit so the coverage would actually work. "If you tie it a different way, it might cover the whole .._'mark'_," she offered kindly.

Serena nodded and took and took another large gulp of her mocha.

Michiru bit her lip, then said, "You know, when I met Haruka a few months ago, I was sort of ..um, swept away."

"Yeah I can see why," Serena said nervously, looking around to make sure the hunky 'girl' wasn't around to listen, much less Unazuki.

"Sometimes, I'm afraid I got too involved with her too quickly," Michiru continued quietly. "She was my… um, my '_first'_." She met Serena's stare directly. "Don't get me wrong," the beauty smiled, "everything about Haruka is magical. But …I sometimes wish I would have looked before I leapt, if you know what I mean."

Serena smiled with complete understanding, but said, "I have no idea what you mean." She gave her idol her most sympathetic look; Michiru might want to be talking to someone else about this.

Michiru smiled warmly at Serena: "Serena, your 'Darien' was playing with you last week at the car lot. But you weren't…" she pointed to Serena's scarf, "THAT intimate last week."

Serena's eyes grew wide as saucers.

Michiru shook her head lightly: "No, unless you were forced, don't be sorry or ashamed. You're young, maybe too young—"

"I'm fourteen!" Serena agreed with a gasp.

Michiru shrugged. "Soon to be 15, I'm sure. Then 16. But no matter when it happens, Serena, your first is always going to be ..your FIRST. And if you enjoyed it, and he is the right person, you shouldn't be ashamed of it. Just give yourself some time; speak your mind to your partner. Don't let anyone push you, but don't feel ashamed for …being _'very close'_ to someone you love." Beat. "You DO love him, right?"

Serena looked out the window. "Of course I do," she said quietly. "But—"

"No buts," Michiru said smartly, patting Serena on the hand. "The whole world may question you, and if he's anything like Haruka, you might question yourself sometimes. BUT you shouldn't be ashamed for expressing love."

Serena blushed deeply, then drank some more of her mocha as Unazuki served Michiru's drink. And when the coast was clear, Serena whispered, "It's not just that."

Michiru squinted, eyeing Serena closely. "Scared you're pregnant?"

Serena almost laughed, but held it and shook her head. "Oh no. Darien doesn't know it, but the minute I found out …that I might get … well, I went to the nurse and got some pills last month." When the doctor refused to rip out her womb.

Michiru smiled at the girl's nervousness. She WAS cute. "So what's the problem, then?"

Serena took a deep breath, looked around conspiratorially, then whispered harshly. "_It hurt._"

Michiru set her drink down and stared at Serena with all seriousness. "Did you TELL him it was ..uncomfortable?"

"Well I thought he KNEW!" Serena whined loudly, then literally ducked her head like she'd just announced her life to the world.

Michiru said, "Well, to be honest Serena, I haven't …had that experience." Michiru hadn't been sure why she hadn't been that interested in any of the 'hot guys' at school; it was like she'd been waiting all her life for Haruka to show up and show her what she was all about. In fact, when this very girl and her friend Mina had asked if she and Haruka were lovers, Michiru hadn't been sure how to answer that question honestly. Haruka was her first, and at that time, they'd gotten very friendly, but at what stage are you 'lovers'? At that time, most of what she and Haruka had shared might have been shared by any best friends or even cousins, only with kissing. And ..yeah, a little more. But since then, Michiru could hardly consider herself a virgin anymore.

Serena was still fidgeting with her napkins. She was near tears now. "I love him, but …Michiru, it just doesn't happen like those romance novels say." She turned on her new confidante and grabbed her hands: "There's blood. Sweat. PAIN. And it's almost like they forget you're even there and your body's being RIPPED in two!"

Michiru couldn't help it; she leaned over and embraced the poor girl and hugged her tightly. She whispered, "Nothing's like it sounds in the romance novels, Sere. But it gets better." She pushed away from Serena and looked her in the eyes: "Just think, if it didn't get better, there'd be NO people on the earth; no prostitution problems; no porn; no STDs…."

Serena chuckled, embarrassed, just as Haruka put a hand on Serena's back, causing her to jump a bit. Haruka bent over and told both girls, "I see interesting possibilities here."

Serena blanched at the innuendo, having finally put a few things together about Michiru and Haruka.

But Michiru turned red and a bit angry, then stood up and said, "Excuse me, Serena. It's gotten a bit stuffy in here for me." And she left.

Haruka stayed bent by Serena, though. "Nice hickey," she breathed into Serena's hair. Then stood up and followed Michiru out.

.

**Unazuk****i's Problem**  
Serena was standing up to leave when Unazuki appeared and sat down: "Hey! So you know Michiru and Haruka?"

"Do YOU?" Serena asked, surprised.

Unazuki shrugged: "I've seen them in school. They're both very talented at everything they do. Michiru's very popular."

Serena said, "I can see why. She's pretty awesome."

Unazuki said, "Serena? You're dating Darien, right?"

Serena's eyes narrowed; if this bitch was going to ask if Darien were free—

"Have you ..well, _you know_? With Darien yet?" Unazuki asked.

Serena wondered, 'what am I wearing a sign?' —then remembered the scarf, which was actually covering the signs.

Unazuki saw her eyes widen, then said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I just thought since you were dating, maybe you'd shared a first kiss with him."

"Absolutely NOT!" Serena snapped, then realized belatedly what Unazuki had asked. Serena blushed, then clarified quickly, "A first KISS with Darien?"

Unazuki dropped her head sadly: "I'm sorry, you're so much younger than I am, and I should have known you weren't ready for that yet." She smiled at Serena; Unazuki could tell Serena was clearly offended that she'd even made the suggestion. "I'm sorry. But you can appreciate how much a first kiss means, Serena, even if you haven't kissed a boy yet. Right?"

Serena looked around the ceiling for a hidden camera; she could feel it in her bones. She was being PUNKED. Ashton Kutcher was about to jump out any minute now…

"Serena?" Unazuki asked.

Serena's head snapped back to Unazuki. "What."

Unazuki squirmed in her seat, fidgeted with Serena's shredded napkin, banged her head on the table.

And Serena felt guilty. This 'girl', who was several years OLDER than she was, wanted to know about kissing a boy. Serena slumped over and said, "Just kiss him and get it over with."

Unazuki got a little angry and said haughtily, "Well why haven't you done it with Darien yet if it's no big deal!"

There was a LOUD snicker behind them, and they turned back to see Haruka had returned to the coffee shop with Michiru in tow, and sat on a higher level than them but could apparently hear what they were talking about. Serena GLARED at Haruka, then looked at Unazuki with her face burning bright red.

Serena said quickly, "Look, yes it's important, and you want it to be a big deal. Just make sure he's the right guy." She wanted to yell out, 'and not a FAKE guy' to sorta get back at Haruka, who was STILL leering at them both; but Serena held her tongue.

Unazuki's face brightened, "So you don't think I'd be a complete slut if I kissed this guy? On the LIPS?"

Serena jumped up at Haruka's next bout of laughter; she glanced up to see Michiru slapping Haruka's hand, but Serena was NOT about to be outed right now.

Haruka had to greet the cute girl who was dreaming about her first kiss; Michiru followed behind and looked apologetically at Serena. Haruka said, "How sweet, dreaming of your first kiss."

Unazuki blushed, knowing Haruka had probably kissed plenty of people already. Haruka said, "You know, there are all kinds of kisses. RIGHT, SERENA?" She smiled and put her arm around Unazuki, "There's the sensual butterfly kiss on the lips where you lips barely brush each others'—"

Unazuki smiled, "THAT sounds nice."

Haruka added, "Then there's the kind where, in the heat of passion, someone sucks your neck so hard that you're left with marks everywhere."

Michiru smiled and punched Haruka in the back, sending her flying across the room. "There's also things like 'love taps', where you shut someone up before they make a complete ASS of themselves." Michiru smiled at the cute girls before stepping off to drag Haruka out of the coffee shop.

Serena took a deep breath and said, "Let's just worry about the first kiss, Unazuki. I've got to go study before my friend Rei kills me, but no, I don't think it's a bad thing to kiss a boy if you really like him a lot, and the timing is right."

Unazuki breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Serena! Hey! Would you like to come over later?" Serena was about to beg off until Unazuki mentioned cake.

.

On her way to Rei's, Serena texted Darien that Unazuki wanted to know if she'd kissed him yet.

Darien:  
**n0t enuff**** for my liking**  
&TM ROCKS&

Serena:  
**Haruka noticed hickeys**** and tsed me****.****  
****M sooo embrssed.**  
_**Dare+Sere**_

Darien:  
**wat did u say?**  
&TM ROCKS&

Serena:  
**Mich helped w scarf****,**** UNA didn't C****  
**_**Dare+Sere**_

Darien:  
**u still coming tonite after Rei's?**  
&TM ROCKS&

Serena:  
**tonit after Unas…she has cakes!**  
**_Dare+Sere**_

Darien:  
**good you can kiss me more**  
&TM ROCKS&

Darien:  
**txt me when you need ride**  
&TM ROCKS&

Serena:  
**get rid of stupid sig pls**** b4 u blow secret ids thx**  
_**Dare+Sere**_

Darien:  
**bite me**  
&TM + SM&

Darien:  
**please**  
&TM + SM&

Serena:  
**don worry will be plenty of pain**  
**_karma bites_**

Darien:  
**counting the mts****  
****_I bite back_**

.

.

.

**Let Them Eat Cake****  
**Serena practically slunk to the Furuhata's apartment. The other girls were GIDDY about the cake party at _Andrew's_, and about Unazuki gearing up for her first kiss. Lita and Mina were giddy about being near Andrew's bedroom. But leading the way, and the reason Serena was slinking, was their new buddy Emerald, who'd heard 'cake' and threatened pain of death if she couldn't come. She promised to be very good. Serena had known better, but after the battle with Octave, knew she and the Senshi had to try a little harder with Emerald to integrate her into polite society, so she'd agreed that Emerald could visit Unazuki with them for cake.

"Bitch ain't here," Emerald snapped, punching the doorbell numerous times before banging furiously on the door itself. Serena and Rei pulled Emerald back, and noticed the door was opened slightly. Emerald was looking through the window to see if anyone was hiding cakes. "You know, maybe we can just bust in through here and find that cake?"

Serena said, "Emerald, put the rock down!" DAMMIT! Was she doomed to have a Rini-like person in her life forever? She glared at the over-dressed Emerald and said, "The door's OPEN!"

Rei and Mina entered first, with Serena behind them, hand on Emerald's wrist. Mina gasped, just as Serena saw Unazuki laid out on the floor, an all-too-familiar sight for them all now. Artemis was the first to voice their fears, that Unazuki's pure heart was burned out of her chest. Luna ran over quickly with Ami and said, "Quick, we've got to find the daimon and her heart crystal!"

"Trying…" Ami said, pounding furiously at her handheld's keyboard.

.

Sailors Uranus and Neptune were on the job already, following the daimon who'd been taken, then lost, the heart crystal. Uranus grumbled about Serena being around for yet another pure heart robbery, but Neptune reminded her gently, "She wasn't at the violin recital, Uranus."

Sailor Uranus frowned. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Sailor Neptune."

Uranus had become very, VERY fond of her partner quickly, and that fondness had developed into a lot more very quickly, but Uranus was afraid Neptune was losing sight of their overall mission. They needed to look out for ANY common elements in these daimon attacks; they couldn't afford to allow the daimons to find and abscond with a talisman just because Michiru had her head up her ass. This wasn't a job for wussies. Sometimes, Uranus questioned if Michiru was the right person for this job. It pissed her off to no end, although she wasn't quite aware WHY it would get under her skin that bad.

"We didn't see Serena there," Neptune repeated with finality.

"Well even YOU have think it was quite a coincidence that all her friends were there. All except herself and that guy she hangs out with." Uranus snapped back. And then she remembered the hickeys she'd seen on Serena's neck today, which had also pissed her off. Michiru had accused her of being jealous. But Haruka had felt it wasn't jealousy at all; it was .._protectiveness_. Serena was a cute girl; an innocent. The guy she was with reminded her a bit of herself, but without the class and the flair. Haruka simply didn't want Serena used and tossed aside, for some reason.

Sailor Neptune turned suddenly and dove, leaving Uranus confused and flying the wrong way. Uranus called for Neptune, who'd long since noticed that the vacuum cleaner daimon had found the pure crystal heart and was immediately below them.

.

Ami had located the daimon several kilometers away, but couldn't give them even a street name; Luna said they'd have to split up to find it. Just as the girls prepared to leave, though, Unazuki started waking up—and THAT hadn't happened before when someone had lost a heart crystal, so the girls were pinned to their spots, wondering what the hell was going on.

Unazuki stood up with glazed eyes, and Emerald pushed her ass back down: "You're sick, just lay there and shut up till they can find your stupid heart."

Serena blanched and said, "Emerald, we REALLY need to have a talk about how we address our friends."

Lita and Mina had to nearly jump on the heartless girl, though, because she kept trying to stand up and talk. "Kiss! Must have first kiss!"

Lita shrieked as Unazuki started trying to kiss her, and as the other girls jumped trying to pull them apart, Emerald decided to impart some first kiss wisdom to the zombiefied girl: "Look here, sweets, a first kiss? **Hee hee!** You're going to kiss so many guys after that you won't even remember any first damned kiss! Heck, I think I Frenched my brother first, but then you think, _does he even count?_ Since, you know, brother." She smiled. "I've Frenched YOUR brother, in fact. That arcade owner—"

"ACK!" Serena, Lita, and Mina screamed in disgust —but Rei was on this: she used a special spell scroll to slap across Emerald's mouth so no more advice could come out, especially the kind that turned their stomachs.

Emerald mumbled through the scroll at Rei, though: "You're just upset that I Frenched your boy Yuuichirou!"

"_HOW CAN SHE SCRE__E__CH THROUGH THAT SCROLL?_" Rei fumed.

Lita was pushing away from the zombiefied Unazuki, begging for help, and a hurt Rei finally stuck a scroll on Unazuki's lips and pushed the heartless girl on the bed. Then the priestess glared at Emerald.

Serena wanted to turn around and unload a heaping pile of what for on Emerald, who probably really HAD kissed Rei's sorta boyfriend. They'd have to grill Yuuichirou about it later, but Rei was hurt _now_, and that pissed Serena off.

But Rei was ignoring everything now, except Unazuki and the spell scroll across the girl's lips. She said, "They took your pure heart crystal because you've never kissed a boy before; we have to protect your innocent heart, Unazuki. Just give us time—"

Serena's heart fell out even when she heard that: "You mean, if you just kiss someone, you don't have a pure heart?" Geez, no WONDER the daimons hadn't come for her!

Rei turned on the girls and said, "Go! And HURRY! You'd better get that pure heart back before she really goes nuts and starts sleeping with a guy before they're married!"

"Right!" Lita said, thinking, "But you know, she could probably GET BY even if we didn't recover it—?"

"Yeah, and be a whore in the Red Light district!" Rei shot back angrily. She knew Lita was the most liberal-thinking amongst them all about how far a girl could go with a boy, true love or just hot boy, but this was ridiculous. "Just get her pure heart crystal back! The reason they're so valuable is that it hasn't been stained with a first kiss! Just IMAGINE if a girl were to have …I won't even say it. It's not proper to say in polite company."

.

Serena stumbled guiltily down the street; she was so tainted that she probably shouldn't be anywhere NEAR Unazuki's heart even if she FOUND the thing! When Ami called her on Luna's communicator, she let Moon know that she was the closest to the daimon. Serena almost fell over with misery, but agreed to get right on that.

She turned and started running to the landfill when Darien pulled up: "Serena! Hop on!"

She hopped on, reminding herself that this was for Unazuki, and she couldn't repair her 'pure' crystal heart with all the Hail Marys in the world.

.

Upon arriving at the landfill, they saw Osouji battling Sailors Uranus and Neptune. Serena transformed and told the vacuum daimon that she couldn't have the pure crystal heart… which pissed Osouji off, and the latter nailed Sailor Moon with a blast of vacuum exhaust before turning on the other two Senshi.

Tuxedo Mask suddenly appeared and stunned Osouji before she could finish off Sailor Moon, and told Moon to hit the vacuum now so they could help Unazuki. Sailor Moon swallowed her 'duh' — she _had_ been in sort of a reverie feeling sorry for Unazuki and other pure-hearted people who were just hoping for a first kiss with a special boy. She stood up and easily dispatched the daimon with her Spiral Heart Attack, then moved to get the pure heart left floating in the air.

Unfortunately, Sailor Uranus snatched it up first. Sailor Moon screamed that her friend needed it, and charged Uranus with her Sailor Kick. Sailor Uranus tossed the heart to Sailor Neptune, who caught in just in time for Tuxedo Mask to materialize before her. She took off and jumped down to Uranus, who'd easily dodged Moon's kick. As Sailor Moon got up, the Outers had decided that this heart didn't have a talisman, and tossed it back to Moon, who grabbed it without hesitation and moved to get it back to her friend.

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**Fitting In**  
Emerald stamped into the Ayakashi boarding house, an overnight bag in hand. And burst into tears. Catzi was quickly beside the former general of the Black Moon Family, and listened as Emerald spilled about how impossible these 20th Century fools were.

Catzi interrupted: "You kissed Yuuichirou?"

"IN HIS SLEEP!" Emerald spat out. "And let me tell you! —he was way into it. If I weren't trying out this 'pure heart' crap to try to win Diamond's ever-loving devotion to me instead of that beanpole, Yuuichirou would be de-flowered!" Emerald stood and paced, steam coming out of her ears. "I mean, I just wanted a little something to tide me over, ya know? And that Rei priestess …slapped me! IN MY FACE!"

Catzi grimaced. "Um, yeah, well, she doesn't seem to acknowledge her feelings for the chimp. You have to remember, that Yuri kid is the very reason they fought me so hard and I got purified to begin with. I couldn't understand why he kept throwing himself under the bus for her when she didn't return the feelings."

Emerald gleamed: "He's got PLENTY to return, too, if you know what I mean!" She winked lustily at Catzi. "You wouldn't know it to look at him!"

Catzi said, "So you're here for the night?" She'd need to go set up another bed in the already-crowded boarding house.

Emerald shrugged: "I guess so. I'd go to Saphir's since he's got plenty of guest rooms—"

"Oh HELL no!" Catzi bristled. "Please don't do that!"

Emerald sniped, "I know. Prizma would have a cow, like a little loving would ruin her thing with Saphir. —which, by the way, isn't a 'thing'. He still wants ME. I'm just being NICE to her like you and the beanpole suggested. Although I really believe she'd be better off if someone just told her that Saphir is just using her."

Catzi winced. "We don't know what the truth is. Saphir might actually like her." She mumbled, "Just like Diamond might actually like you."

"HE DOES!" Emerald screeched. "And I'd be there NOW if he weren't trying to keep up that pristine 'reputation' so he can take over Japan!"

Avery came in and dropped her makeup bag on the sofa, then pulled out a lipstick for a touch-up: "It's not called 'TAKING OVER JAPAN', Emerald." Damn, she laughed and messed up her lipstick application.

Catzi agreed: "He's running for President. It's very different back in this age."

Emerald rolled her eyes. "What. EVER. You'll notice he DID take me to the violin concert the other night." She gleamed at them. "He knows beanpole's out of his grasp; he's got me; one day we'll marry and I'll STILL be QUEEN OF THE WORLD! _**Hee hee!"**_

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**Balcony Scene**  
Serena stared out at the night sky, thinking about Rei and Yuuichirou. Rei hadn't accepted Emerald's statement that Yuuichirou's first kiss was still open since Emerald had kissed the boy in his sleep. Rei threw Emerald out, and went to throw Yuuichirou out as well, until Mina and herself had talked her down. It's possible Yuuichirou wasn't ever aware of what had happened in his sleep. Serena winced as she thought about Rei's cruel words afterwards. Rei was clearly hurt.

An arm snaked around her waist, but she'd been expecting it. Darien's mouth was close to her ear when he said, "You saved Unazuki's first kiss, Serena. You should be proud."

"I'm happy for her," Serena said morosely. "Emerald tried to say it wasn't a big deal."

"It is for Unazuki," Darien responded, pulling her against him tightly from behind. "It was for you." He wanted to kiss her neck, but some freaky scarf was in his way and he ended up with a mouthful of cotton. He let go of her and slowly pulled the scarf off. He noticed her stiffen, and even try to struggle with him to keep the scarf on.

But he teased the material out of her hands, and the let the scarf fall to the balcony. He saw the marks he'd left on her and pulled her even more tightly against his body, groaning with the memories of how she'd gotten them.

Serena felt his reaction, and, as usual for her now, felt a confusing rush of both shame and desire. She'd known all day what would be happening tonight if she came over; they'd texted about it. But since then, her friends had defended 'innocent maidens' who hadn't even kissed yet, and while they'd teased her mercilessly for sharing kisses with Darien, they'd also talked amongst themselves about how Serena wouldn't even go to second base without a ring on her finger.

She ran her fingers over her neck; the marks actually hurt, especially the ones hidden by her shirt. They had a rough feel to them, as well as looking bruised and ugly.

Darien suddenly turned her around, ready to kiss her. His arms rested on her shoulders, and he was smiling widely at her when he noticed she didn't seem quite so taken by the moment. "Hey, I thought you were okay with this?"

Serena winced at the sound of worry and concern in his voice. Yes, they'd talked, and talked, and texted, about a thousand times about their first time together. Mostly, it was her telling him that she was okay, she loved it, yes she felt like one with him whatever that meant, yadda yadda yadda. Because he'd truly freaked out about it, maybe worse than she had. And as usual, it all boiled down to her age. Heck, SHE'D had to use their future knowledge and Rini's existence to assuage his fears about his ruining everything.

"The girls just ..they said some things," Serena said softly, looking at his neck. Strangely mark-free. A mean streak in her wondered how HE'D like to walk around town in the dead of summer with a turtleneck or scarf on.

Darien said, "You didn't tell them, did you?" He imagined being hauled off to jail for statutory rape, and his breath caught.

Serena rolled her eyes: "Of course not, you dolt." She put a hand on her forehead as she fought for the right words…"All this 'first kiss' business, and of course they know we've kissed, so —they started talking about girls who go all the way." She turned back around furiously embarrassed. "I could never tell them."

Darien cradled her again, not wanting to ruin the mood he'd set out so hard to make perfect. He soothed, "They're ..they're not like us, Serena. They couldn't understand what we have."

Serena felt his kisses on her neck, and a part of her started warming up immensely. She said, "I told Michiru."

Darien choked. He turned her back around: "What? That woman who hangs out with Haruka?"

She nodded. "I told you that Michiru saw the marks," she blushed. "She guessed, and then we talked about ..well, Haruka."

"Haruka," Darien said, staring into her eyes, wondering what other little bomb Serena had to toss out at him tonight.

Serena shrugged. "Michiru's very nice." And she pushed a finger into Darien's chest: "And she'll keep my secret. It was just nice to have someone older to confide in and not judge me."

Darien was about to say how he didn't go blabbing to Andrew, but she looked up at him and asked, out of the blue, "Do you remember our first kiss, Darien?"

He stammered. He started going over all their kisses in his mind… would the one at the ball count? Or the one in the Negaverse?

"Darien!" she spat out, slapping his arm. "I mean so little to you that you can't even recall the first time we kissed—?"

Darien pulled his shirt sleeve up and shoved his wrist into her face: "See that?"

Serena nearly died.

After several seconds of trying to breathe, she screeched, "Are you INSANE?" She grabbed for the tissues and wet them, then started scrubbing his wrist furiously.

"It's the date of our first time together, Serena!" he said haughtily.

Serena's jaw was on the ground: "TATTOOED! With my NAME, Darien! And a crescent moon, and a freaking rose… PENETRATING the moon!" She wanted to slap him silly. "And a date from TWO DAYS AGO! You don't think that's a little _**O**__**B**__**VIOUS**_, baka?"

"I didn't want you to be the only one marked," Darien said, swooping her up and carrying her inside quickly, before the mood was completely gone. He was going to take his time tonight, and truly make her feel how right this was, regardless of their ages and her friends' opinions. He pressed her into the bed and started kissing her slowly. When she finally started returning his kisses, he eased off a hair and rolled over, leaving her complaining at the loss of his touch. He smiled as she climbed over his body to resume their kisses. Because this time, he was going to make sure that she was the one taking the initiative.

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/AN/

Only one note this time: sorry it wasn't clear that Wiseman was truly defeated in Ch. 10. I might re-write some of that, but I just didn't want to focus too much on Rini/Wiseman. Looking back, I'm already walking a thin line with the BMC's dark crystal earrings still working, and maybe that's why I left some of that up in the air. I tried to make Wiseman a joke of a bad guy (rattling bones, trampoline effect, etc); and showed that Rini got the future Silver Crystal back to help Sere w/ the destruction of Wiseman. I just didn't spell it out.


	13. A Very Big Day

**Snapped**

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**Chapter 13****  
****A Very Big Day**

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**Breakfast**  
Darien had nervously somewhat maybe over-prepared breakfast for her. This was only the second time Serena had been able to spend the whole night with him, and like the first time, he felt like he was auditioning for the role of perfect husband and dad. He flipped the 15th blueberry pancake onto the stack, which was lined up neatly next to the strawberry and banana pancake stacks. And the turkey bacon, to show he cared about cholesterol, but also the plate of pork bacon, to show he was flexible. Along with sausages, breakfast steak, and potatoes fixed several ways. The eggs would have to be prepared to order, but he had those lined up ready for any imaginable egg combination she could want.

Serena, meanwhile, was laying in bed, enjoying the yummy breakfast aromas assaulting her senses, but not wanting to move just yet. It had been a week since she'd first slept over at Darien's, but that following morning had been so perfect that she now counted it among the best mornings of her life. She had woken up feeling so secure and loved that part of her was scared it would never happen again. Darien had been so wonderful that night after Unazuki's that, when he'd noticed how nervous she was, they ended up just _sleeping_ together: cuddled up, kissing, but then just falling asleep. When she'd woken up in his embrace the next morning, she'd found herself wanting to get much closer to him. Much, _much_ closer. And they had. It had still been 'uncomfortable' initially, but not a fraction as much as her first time, and afterwards, she slept the sleep of queens, completely unencumbered by worries and daimons and anything except the sounds of him making her a delicious breakfast.

She knew — they both did — that staying overnight wouldn't be a common thing. The main problem wasn't her parents, since they'd grown accustomed to her sleeping over at her friends' houses. _Her friends_ were the main problem, because they were her protectors as Senshi, and they knew all the tricks she used to explain her whereabouts to her parents. So now she was faced with lying to her friends that she was staying at home with her parents, and using her parents to cover for her, all without anyone knowing anything. Seemingly impossible, but Darien helped her last night by cutting the landlines to her parents' house and kidnapping Luna, who was safely tucked away in a cat carrier in Darien's living room.

Of course, that hadn't meant they couldn't have a little quality time between sleepovers. After Lita had been attacked by that strange scarf daimon, and Serena had been so upset about her getting into a battle with the always-angry Sailor Uranus, Darien had swooped her back to his apartment for the loveliest surprise. No, not sex. He'd put a lavender comforter and accents in his bedroom, and even set up a giant stuffed bunny in the corner of the room, all to make her feel more at home! Serena had asked why lavender; he'd responded he just wasn't man enough to do pink, and to consider it a compromise.

Okay, _then_ there was sex. But not because he'd initiated it at all; he'd surely just wanted to show how loving and kind he was. She'd nearly felt guilty for what happened next — their third time — since sex was the furtherest thing from his mind that day. She'd had to drop so many hints that she'd started thinking him retarded again. Well, not retarded, since he was clearly very smart. She'd later asked Ami for the correct term to describe a _brain dead genius_, and Ami had finally come up with the perfect term: idiot savant.

Yes. Darien had had no clue that Serena might want a quickie, even after she'd pulled out every seduction secret she could think of. She'd jumped on the bed and asked him to cuddle up with her; she'd slyly pushed every button she could in cuddling up against him. She'd 'allowed' her shirt to come undone; stretched out languidly… basically put herself on a silver platter for his taking!

When he'd pointed out that Rei was blowing up her phone with reminders of their study session that afternoon, she threw her phone off the balcony and said she was tired and wanted a nap. THEN the baka had left her in the bedroom alone to go take a shower. She bit off almost every one of her nails before deciding, screw it, she was going to take a shower too. WITH him. Whether he liked it or not. She'd stripped down and jumped in the shower with him at Senshi speed. By that time, she'd been prepared to transform and knock him out with a little tiara magic if that's what it took. Thankfully, he'd finally gotten the hint, and she'd indulged in some afternoon delight.

But last night, he'd introduced her to a few new concepts of lovemaking. He was more gentle than she'd even imagined possible, and Serena could ALMOST see herself letting this guy get her pregnant with demon spawn one day in the far future. She could ALMOST imagine putting up with Rini in exchange for an hour to two alone with Darien Chiba.

Almost. imagine. it. ALMOST. At the very least, that was years off, and she pulled her purse over to make sure her birth controls were still perfectly in order. It was funny; he hadn't asked about it—had he imagined she really had gotten her womb removed? Or maybe he just figured that since she wasn't very old yet, she couldn't get pregnant. Whatever; didn't matter what his thinking was; she HAD this squared away. No Rini. Heh.

She glared over at the picture she hated with a passion: she and Darien with the pink-haired chibi doppelganger between them. She wasn't sure why, but it seemed like her memories of the girl had become WORSE over time, not better. She'd considered how all her friends had died for their Moon Princess, put up with tortures for her, and _**never not once**_ had they turned on her and become Pinhead's Bride like Rini had. Serena shivered thinking that her daughter had lost her virginity to that smelly bone demon, Wiseman, before Serena had lost her virginity to Darien. Time travel was just *wrong*. Maybe she WOULD visit Setsuna and just slap her upside the head. Eh, better yet, she could maybe figure out a way to get the Silver Crystal to remove her memories of the spawn. Heh, that'd be the only way she could imagine ever assenting to give birth to such a beast.

Enough negative thoughts; she stretched languidly and played the night's events over and over in her mind, as she knew she would for the rest of the week.

And finally, Darien came in with a tray and a smirk on his face. All thoughts of the previous evening flew out of her mind as her stomach focused on the meal. "You're kidding," she murmured, then grabbed the tray and started digging in.

He then dropped the newspaper on the bed and sat down. "I know you don't usually enjoy reading the news, but I have a feeling you'll just _love_ this," he said with sarcasm.

Serena glanced over and almost spit out her pancakes. She grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her mouth, then said, "Oh my God, he's LEADING in the polls? Does that mean he won? Is he 'President Diamond' now?"

Darien raised an eyebrow at her: "Um, election's not for a few months, Odango." He chuckled and pulled his fingers through her hair as she grazed. "It just means he COULD win." Beat. "You doubted he'd do well?"

"Duh! Didn't _you_?" she said, a smile still wide on her face in complete disbelief. "I mean, he hasn't even been IN TOKYO for much more than a month and he's —this is just _insane_!" She was so proud of the guy.

Darien shrugged. "Don't you find it odd?" He smiled faded a bit. "This is what he wanted in the future and couldn't get; now he's getting it here?"

Serena gleamed, swallowing her mouthful of pancakes, then saying: "Hey, I guess you could say he was one of those men born behind the times?" She got a confused look on her face. "No," she considered, "it's good if you're born ahead of your time, not —oh well anyway! It just goes to show what some honest hard work can do for you!" She started munching on the bacon strips, the morning newspaper long forgotten. "My dad thinks he's smart and has some good ideas or something."

Darien opted to change the subject. Everytime he'd even broached the subject of the Black Moon families' _successes_, Serena had defended them all except Emerald, who was, pretty much, indefensible.

It thoroughly disgusted him how simple she could be sometimes. One mention from him that Diamond's family had been exiled for a _reason_, by her future self, somehow inexplicably made _her_ feel responsible for the whole Wiseman debacle that had nearly destroyed them all. Why? Because had her future self not exiled them, the Black Moon family wouldn't have been brainwashed by Wiseman and become bad guys.

She just didn't get it. But he knew, whether she wanted to see it or not, Serena was ignoring what might prove to be an immense problem for her own future kingdom. His mind swarmed with thoughts of them causing their own problems over-and-over again through some damnable timeloop from hell. Maybe Diamond always came back to the past, got purified, raised himself to power, refused Serenity's rule, got exiled, and got brainwashed, in some sort of wicked time loop that would go on for eternity.

And worst of all, he couldn't talk to anybody about it! Serena had even Andrew thinking these people, except Emerald, were just the Bee's Knees! He knew she felt responsible for them in a way, and was truly happy that they weren't causing trouble, and indeed that they were even assisting them against the daimons at times. She was in an unfortunate position for a girl her age, having to defend a decision she made primarily because Lita was horny for a stupid droid. He shook his head ruefully, deciding to piece that all together at a later time.

After she'd scarfed down her food, she had to run home to spend the afternoon with her family. While the Tsukinos were out, Darien was going to sneak in and fix their landlines, if they indeed hadn't been found out already. They let the steaming Luna out of her cage, and found she was quite beside herself at the knowledge of what had transpired that night. Darien tried bribing her with a kitty treat; which further delayed their departure as they had to bandage the future doctor's poor hand afterwards. But ultimately, Serena assured him that Luna would keep her kitty mouth shut, at least to the other Senshi.

"And I KNOW I'll see you tomorrow, right?" Serena gleamed, ready to sneak out into the morning sunshine.

She seemed chirpier than he could account for, but her smile was contagious, and he heartily agreed, thinking what a sweet, _sweet_ girl he had.

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**Oh No You Di'int**  
The next day, Serena bitch-slapped him for no reason, then ran off. It was about the strangest five minute encounter he'd ever had with her, in, like, EVER. He ran after her, still holding his face, calling her name.

It had started out simply enough; he'd run into her, she'd showed him some crap she liked, he toyed with her that it wasn't Christmas yet, SLAP.

He moped about the street, wondering about her sudden mood-swing. Some red-haired woman had stopped him and pointed out some Jimmy Choos that she swore Serena had been ogling. He ignored the woman until she suggested he couldn't afford real Jimmy Choos, because 'otherwise such a pure soul shouldn't be denied even her tiniest wishes!' Darien had backed off from that strange bitch quickly—he'd heard of hard sales before, but that had been ridiculous.

He went back to his apartment to stew it over more, hoping Serena might pop up and explain her damned self soon.

And then it hit him. Could the extreme mood swings possibly be explained by…! He picked up his cell and dialed the priestess, who seemed to know everything about Serena most times, and straight out asked her, "Is Serena pregnant?"

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Kaolinite had followed her prey with glee; the girl was, indeed, the OBVIOUS choice for a pure heart crystal that held a talisman. **One**, as she'd heard the mystery Senshi discuss, the girl was at nearly all the battles. If her friends were excellent specimens, well, *duh*, she'd have to be one, too! But moreover, **Two**, she matched up with Dr. Tomoe's specifications for a girl so in love with a guy that she'd do anything for him. Kaolinite had done some spying and found out the particular guy she loved had completely dumped her just a few months earlier for apparently no reason—and she'd taken him back! That green-haired banshee in the arcade had been such an excellent source of information, what with her big mouth and derogatory talk about the 'beanpole'.

**Three**, this was Kaolinite's last chance. She _HAD_ to be right this time, or at least completely wipe out the Sailor Senshi so the daimon could work without obstacles. No more girls who loved to study, or hoped for a stupid kiss, or a new boyfriend. No, Kaolinite had to have a person who'd give their very souls for their true love. Yuuichirou was close, but the girl he loved was such a bitch that what she'd assumed was 'true love' was probably actually 'retardation'.

Kaolinite had smiled with glee, thinking how this would be like taking candy from a baby: the girl was standing before a store window, ogling some glass slippers she wanted for her birthday! HEE! Game-set-MATCH, baby!

Only the big oaf of a boyfriend hadn't gotten her clues. Kaolinite had done what she'd never done before: tracked down that stupid man and spelled it OUT for him. But he still hadn't gotten it. She was left with some Jimmy Choos infected with a daimon that might never see the light of day. She had to pray that the girl would get OVER herself and do what girls do best: do whatever it took to get the Choos. So she waited.

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**Party Prep**  
Emerald was so excited; she was helping Rei and the girls prepare for the beanpole's surprise birthday party, and had picked out the most awesome gift for a 15 year old girl, like, EVER! She had wrapped it up tightly and stuck it in the middle of the table of gifts, then put a big sparkly bow on the very top.

The other girls fell silent. Emerald gleamed; they were SO going to love her for this.

"**HELL. No!**" her roomie-again Rei snapped, ripping the gift off the table and shoving it back at Emerald.

Lita grabbed at it: "Can I ..um, _see_ it?"

Mina blushed: "Lita, it's.. it's..—" she couldn't say it.

Ami said, "How strange. It seems to be in the shape of male genitalia. I'm usually fairly adept at guessing gifts, but this one has me baffled. What _is_ it, Emerald?"

Rei stripped the wrapping off and shoved it in Ami's face.

Ami stared at it, wondering for a moment if perhaps Emerald had given Serena an educational model of human anatomy. Then she thought another second, _**screamed**_, and jumped up and away, falling backwards over a chair in the process. She kept _**screaming**_, even after Mina came over to calm her down.

Emerald retaliated furiously: "You ruined my wrapping, Fire Bitch! _NOW_ what am I supposed to give her?" She stamped over to Rei's gift and penned her name onto the tag, so it read, "Love, Rei _AND EMERALD_." She had no idea what the gift was, but— "_OR!_ I know, I could give her a chip off my dark energy earrings!" She jumped up and down with that idea. "She'd be indebted to me forever…!"

Ami was murmuring to herself, "What would _any_ girl want with that? Does she think Serena is gender-confused? I don't get it!"

"QUICK! HIDE IT! SHE'S COMING!" Lita said with glee.

Emerald sneered, "No, she WOULD be coming, but you guys had to go mess up my GIFT, thank you very much."

Serena opened the door to "SURPRISE!" — Sere's eyes went to what Rei was holding up in her hand, but Rei quickly tossed it into the fires. Emerald screamed, Lita tried to dive into the fires, but the strange group finally pulled themselves together enough to look back at Serena again and yell, again, "SURPRISE!"

Serena shook her head momentarily, thinking what a strange day her birthday was turning out to be. But she quickly pasted on a smile and said, "Thank you!"

Emerald was first on the birthday girl, arm dragging her over to a table-full of birthday cakes. Emerald blushed: "Figured the more the better!" Beat. "So how's it feel to hit the big TWELVE?"

Serena grimaced. "_Fifteen_."

"Whatever, LET'S EAT!" Emerald said, grabbing plates and cutting herself a half of a cake. When Rei slapped her hand with the spatula, she meekly offered the plate to Serena, who politely shook her head and said, "You go ahead, Emerald. I'll take the next piece!"

"Okay!" Emerald said happily and started sucking cake down.

Rei was beside her next with a smaller piece of cake, and sitting her down. Rei whispered, "We need to TALK." Beat. "_Princess_."

And then Rei had a thermometer out and in Serena's mouth.

Serena mumbled, "Rei, I'm noth thick!"

Ami, who'd been pulled up by Mina and Lita and dragged over to the table, quietly wished Serena a happy birthday. Then handed her a present: "I'd like for you to open mine first." Because she didn't think she could bear to sit through seeing what the other girls had gifted Serena with. Catzi, probably some makeup. Avery, who knew. Prizma? Oh geesh, she just couldn't imagine. And didn't want to.

Serena took the present from Ami, and started unwrapping it.

Emerald announced, "Now how's that any different than what I got her?"

Ami's head crashed to the table.

Serena said, "Thank you, Ami. Um, wow, _Operation_! I love it!"

Mina growled, "There's more than ONE BONE in THIS game, Emerald."

Serena scrunched up her nose: "Emerald got me a bone?" Thoughts of Wiseman seeped into her mind unbidden; she threw up a little in her mouth, but winced as Rei shook out the thermometer and declared her healthy. Before she could hear Emerald's gift, though, Rei said, "OKAY! I've got to talk to the birthday girl here for a sec, but we'll be right back!"

"What?" Serena asked, confused, being pulled from the table by an anxious Rei.

"NOW!" the priestess said, suddenly seeming a little angry.

Emerald blanched as Rei took Serena to the bedroom, then quickly yelled, "Uh oh; I put MY name on that gift, Rei. MIGHT want to be taking my name off it now. I didn't mean to sign on for all that—"

The door slammed.

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"Rei, are you okay?" Serena asked, worried.

"Uh huh," Rei nodded with exaggeration, walking around Serena and trying to not blow her top. "I'm fine." She grabbed Serena's wrist and pushed her to the bed: "Now I want some straight answers, Missy."

Serena's eyes bulged out: "What, did Darien call you?"

"You know he did!" Rei glared.

Serena harrumphed. "You can forget it. We're broken up now, and that's all there is to it."

"You're BREAKING UP with him for this?" Rei asked, actually quite shocked. Rei was still getting used to the idea that this kid wasn't a virgin anymore, much less possibly _with child_. THIS certainly wasn't the time to break up with the Baby Daddy! Rei quickly, soothingly added, "Serena, these things happen! I'm sure he just forgot—"

"You're damned RIGHT he forgot," Serena sneered, hurt. "How COULD he?" Serena started crying even though she'd said she wouldn't.

"Now hold on there, Serena. I know he's partially to blame, but you're accountable, too!" Rei insisted.

"How can you blame ME?" Serena cried.

"Okay okay!" Rei said, giving up entirely. It was the girl's birthday, Darien had knocked her up, and she was her best friend. "Look, okay, it's his responsibility, but … but I'm sure Darien was just caught up thinking about Rini."

"Rini?" Serena spat. Serena hadn't thought of that.

"I'm sorry, Sere. I know it's hard to hear, but I bet he's always thinking about Rini. He's fairly fond of his daughter." Surely that's why he'd gotten her BFF knocked up. Rei sighed; poor, poor Serena.

Serena's anger flared: "What the hell does RINI have to do with him forgetting MY birthday! What, he can't remember my birthday because it might make a future brat angry?"

Rei blanched. Darien HAD hung up pretty quickly when Rei mentioned her birthday being today. Rei shook her head and asked, "Serena, are you pregnant?"

Just as Emerald burst in: "The beanpole's knocked up? DAMN!"

Serena jumped up: "No!" Then looked at Rei: "He thought I was _pregnant_?" And he called REI?

The bedroom was soon swarming with girls. Emerald laughed, "Guess she didn't need MY gift after all! Sheesh! And I thought _I'd_ started young!"

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She was gonna kick his ass. Nevermind that he was bigger, and stronger —he had singlehandedly ruined her birthday, the whole town was going to know she was sexually active now, and he hadn't remembered her birthday!

Did she CARE that she'd never told him? HELL NO.

When she saw him running TOWARDS her like a giant fool, she stopped and considered all the ways he'd hurt her, over and over again, and that was before the damned sex. Okay, the sex had picked things up a bit —but only due to her confuzzled brain.

He reached her and cringed; she looked really pissed off. "I'm sorry, Serena! Happy Birthday! I got you the shoes you wanted."

Did he really think she could be bought off with SHOES? When he knelt down to slip her Mary Janes off, and actually pulled one of the Choos out, her heart _did_ flutter. A TINY tiny little bit. "Choos!" she gleamed.

And then all hell broke loose.

Serena's first thought was that, to put the icing on the proverbial birthday cake, Darien had thought to stick a bomb in her shoe, probably in retaliation for that little love tap she'd given him earlier. And now she'd be an amputee. Fun times.

But then she was blasted back against the wall, and a daimon was before her.

She was FLOORED. Tears welled up in her eyes as she asked it, "You think ..-I? ..have a pure heart?" And on her birthday! YES! FINALLY! Now those other Senshi twits couldn't brag about THEM having pure hearts and wonder why Serena hadn't been hit yet. They'd been nagging at her about that, and she'd started believing it, too. Just like Mina, except Serena had REASON to believe she didn't have a pure heart. And without being attacked, she felt like the girls had reason to have reason to believe the same thing. So she was a tad bit ..flattered! And thrilled she'd be able to throw it in the girls' faces that yes she, too, had a pure freakin heart!

.

Darien had ignorantly tried to attack this giant Choo with his fist, which had only landed him a few streets away through a brick wall with some granny yelling at him for knocking her over. He shook his head, transformed into Tuxedo Mask, and took off after that daimon.

Serena was about to bust away from the daimon, when she realized that nobody was here to witness this attack. She decided she'd let the daimon at least leave a few burn marks on her skin before transforming and whacking her — daimons had almost become simple to destroy with her Spiral Heart Rod, but if she did it too quickly, nobody would believe her that she'd actually been attacked. ESPECIALLY not with that pregnancy rumor floating around.

"Okay, let's do it," Serena sighed, splaying her arms back against the wall dramatically.

"What?" laughed the daimon. "You're just going to let me TAKE it?"

"Well I'm going to let you _try_," Serena said smugly. "So go ahead. Pull out the beam thing and get to work."

Ouch; the daimon hadn't wasted any time. Serena could appreciate that; most monsters always had to do some long speech, which actually gave the Senshi time to get powered up to attack. She wondered if she were making a slight error in judgment, and pulled out her compact.

"What?" the daimon laughed, "you're going to hit me with THIS?"

The daimon slapped away the compact and started removing Serena's pure heart crystal.

And it was a doozie!

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.

"The fuck is she doing?" Sailor Uranus glared. They'd watched their friend Serena get attacked, but then the girl had seemingly had a conversation with the daimon. And THEN she'd opted to put on some makeup.

"I don't know," Sailor Neptune said. Truly upset. Her little friend had gone through a lot in the last few weeks, including, as only she and Haruka knew, losing her virginity to the guy who'd just disappeared when his girlfriend got in trouble. Pretty much all of her friends had been attacked by daimon; and Serena had tried prying two of her innocent friends away from the ever-flirtatious Haruka. Haruka had bragged that Serena was jealous! —Michiru knew otherwise, though. Yes, Serena had probably been somewhat attracted to Haruka from the beginning, like everyone seemed to be, but Serena had learned that Michiru was in love with Haruka, and the truth? Serena didn't want to see Michiru hurt.

What Michiru had tried to explain to Serena was that if Haruka didn't want to stay with Michiru, no amount of 'protection' was going to keep Haruka down. Serena couldn't very well tail Haruka for the rest of her life to keep Haruka in line; and neither could Michiru. Sometimes, you just had to face facts. Haruka was still looking for something, something that Michiru couldn't fulfill within in, and Serena was just going to have to accept that. Of course, Michiru had hope that Haruka's focus was on the talisman, but she wasn't stupid; there were lots of nice boys in the world, and Haruka didn't flirt with them to see if they might have a pure heart crystal with a talisman.

Anyway, the sentiment was clear; Serena was truly Michiru's friend, and Sailor Neptune couldn't bear to stand here and watch Serena get her heart ripped out.

Unfortunately, when Sailor Uranus was likewise about to move to stop the daimon, Neptune caught a glimpse of Serena's heart crystal. And her own heart fell. "Uranus, stop." She grabbed her arm, forcing her back behind the shadows. "Her pure heart crystal. It's _different_." Meaning, they might not be able to return this one.

.

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Tuxedo Mask used a rose to break the daimon's beam, then attacked viciously with a wall of roses to imprison the daimon. He was at Serena's feet as she collapsed into his arms, heart crystal restored, but the danger not over. She couldn't speak. He grabbed her tiny body up and jumped to the roof, looking around for trouble — he, too, had seen her pure heart crystal, and knew damned well it didn't look like the others. If there was ever a pure heart crystal with a 'talisman' in it, of course it would be Serena's, and of course the daimon would know that.

And probably those two foreign Senshi who seemed just as adamant about obtaining the talisman as the daimon.

As she stood on her wobbly knees, he grabbed her: "Transform!"

She shook her head, pointing ruefully down to the street below. "My compact, Darien —it's down there. We have to go back."

She looked down just in time to see a red-headed woman picking up her compact; Tuxedo Mask grabbed her like a football and leapt across the rooftop, knowing he had two sets of enemies on his tail, trying to take his entire family from him. Just this once, he needed an escape, and just this once, he wasn't sure he'd get it. Tuxedo Mask was scared.

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Serena stomped down the stairs leading from the roof as fast as she could, pushed along by Tuxedo Mask. But she quickly realized she just didn't have it in her; she was about to collapse. She was probably the fastest girl in her school, but she needed her transformation to keep up this pace. "I'm sorry—"

She collapsed; Mask instantly swooped her up and kept running down the winding staircase. To his horror, that daimon had dropped down through the staircase and was near the door just as he opened it. He had maybe half-a-step on it, but threw himself and Serena through and made a mad dash for the next door.

That's when the saleslady shimmered into being, right ahead of them. "There's no use running," she said with complete confidence, just as the daimon blew through the door behind them.

Serena finally remembered Luna's communicator and activated it, calling for help, but Kaolinite's hair swung tail-like to Serena's wrist, snatching the offending device and smashing it to the ground. Kaolinite then smiled and let them really understand the gravity of the situation; even if they ran now, it would be no use: "Your friends can't help you now, _**Sailor Moon**_."

Tuxedo Mask backed them both behind some parked cars, then told her he was going to cause a distraction. That she should run when she got the chance.

"But won't they just come after me anyway?" she asked, scared, but thinking his idea was stupid.

However, he was acting all alpha male on her, and there's no talking to them when the get like that. She watched as he jumped out and challenged the mean red-head; but it was the daimon who grew a sword out of her arm and attacked.

And not for the first time, Serena cursed that damned stick Tuxedo Mask carried around. Last time with the cat daimon, it had gotten broken. Serena had kindly suggested they visit a nice sword shop because, hello, Japan! Tons of swords here. It's sorta a Japanese thing! But like that ugly green jacket, his extending cane seemed to have a way of coming back, and he was wielding it not against cat claws, but against a fierce looking sword. "We are SO dead," she cried, dropping her face into her hand, unable to watch.

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.

Uranus and Neptune knew this was the real deal. Kaolinite rarely showed up except to cackle a bit; now she fully involved. Uranus cursed the day she'd met Serena; she cursed the day she talked to the girl. She cursed girls everywhere. She just cursed.

Neptune flared, "Would you shut up before you get us all busted?" Damn, it was hard enough watching her friend suffer now, but watching Uranus freak out when she was normally so cool—Neptune wondered yet again if Haruka had developed some real feelings for this particular girl. "Shouldn't surprise me," she glowered quietly, thinking how any girl was a good piece of ass to Haruka. But right now, if her angsty sometimes-girlfriend didn't get herself under control, she'd be out there like that overdressed idiot with a cane, trying to battle daimon and Kaolinite when he was truly out-of-his-league.

They watched Serena jump up and run, then cringed when Kaolinite landed before her. Kaolinite was ASKING Serena to willingly give up her heart crystal, but Serena was diving for Kaolinite's shoes.

"Damn," Uranus growled. She'd known there'd been a lot of drama with Serena and her shoes today, but this was NOT the time to be shopping Choos. Serena, "cute girl", was quickly devolving into "ditzy blonde", and Uranus just couldn't understand it.

"Uh oh," Neptune intoned, watching as the tuxedo-clad man actually WON a battle against the daimon and made a mad dash for Serena.

"Yeah, he's probably pissed she's only concerned about the shoes, too," Uranus said. And this girl had a TALISMAN?

Neptune growled, "Kaolinite is stepping on something that means a lot to Serena, you idiot."

They both cringed as Tuxedo Mask learned the hard way that winning the battle did NOT mean the daimon was squared away. This daimon got pissed off something royal and blew Mask into a glass coffin, at which point Serena finally gave up on Kaolinite and dove after the glass-enshrined man.

"Just, damn." Uranus said, ready to move, unsure what to do. "Hey, wasn't she into that old dude last week? Why's Serena freaking out about Tux Boy?"

Neptune wasn't sure, but she thought she could suss it out. Especially given what was under Kaolinite's shoe.

And then the other Sailor Senshi showed up. Kaolinite and her daimon laughed at their entrance, then told them if they wanted to save Tuxedo Mask, they'd have to come get him at Tokyo Tower.

.

.

Which is exactly where Serena had run off to. Uranus and Neptune couldn't believe it. And then just as quickly as the martyr-wannabe had shown up, she'd fallen, almost like she wanted her freaking heart crystal out. Uranus half-wondered if the girl was hoping the loss of a pure heart crystal would free her inhibitions and let her truly wild side show; but when she mentioned that, Neptune cracked her in the ribs with an elbow.

"It's out; let's go!" Neptune said, and they rushed the daimon and saved Serena Tsukino. Sailor Uranus was relieved to find that Serena's heart crystal wasn't a talisman, while Kaolinite cursed this day and stomped around. Uranus happily returned the heart crystal to Serena and waited for her to revive.

But then Kaolinite laughed, and said to the weak girl, "Yours may not have been the talisman, but you shall still die this day!"

Tuxedo Mask stared at Kaolinite in horror. Of course, that's just the way he was frozen.

Kaolinite stamped forward and held out the compact dramatically: "_**—Sailor Moon!**_" Damned if SHE was going to look like a fool in front of Tomoe again.

Neptune, even though she'd suspected, was truly shocked. She asked, "Serena?" —and then caught Sailor Uranus looking a little TOO happy with the news. _One of these days…_

Then the real Sailor Senshi showed up, and Serena was shocked. Uranus was relieved that this was no longer their fight now that the real Sailor Moon was here, and knowing Kaolinite would probably lose interest in Serena, she looked up at Neptune and said, "Let's go!"

But Kaolinite wasn't having any of that: she tossed Serena's compact to the ground as junk, then challenged Uranus and Neptune. The Outers took off, saying they would accept that challenge.

.

Serena watched Sailor Venus-as-Sailor Moon at first, in amusement, then in horror, as all her so-called 'friends' started slamming Serena as being too awkward and stupid to be a Senshi. As Venus started attacking the daimon, Luna ran up and shoved Serena's transformation compact to her: "Transform, Serena! They can't kill the daimon."

"Oh yeah," Serena smiled, somewhat embarrassed that she'd taken their words to heart. "Right."

And a Moon Spiral Heart Attack later, the daimon was gone, and Tuxedo Mask was free.

And then the roof caved in.

Sailor Moon looked up and said that they had to go help the Outers. And her friends asked her why.

"Why? Um," Sailor Moon started, "just try to wrap your minds around the fact that Kaolinite attacked ME, knows my _real _identity, and if Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune are defeated, we'll just have to fight Kaolinite anyway. AARGH! I don't have time for this!"

But she did have time to get Venus out of her idiotic-looking Moon disguise.

.

Uranus had spun off a World Shaking at the red-headed and red–heeled Kaolinite, but it had not only completely missed the woman, but she'd gotten in a good hit on Uranus.

Uranus looked back to Neptune, warning her that the witch was strong.

Kaolinite laughed, even as she'd detected that her daimon had been destroyed. Which, now that she looked back on it, *duh*. Why leave Sailor Moon with a daimon and expect anything else. She should've sent the daimon after these two goons.

But oh well; too late now. She embraced her laughter, and her detonator, and blew up the top of Tokyo Tower. "Let's bring the stronger Senshi here and see if they're more of a challenge?"

.

Kaolinite sent glass shards flying at all the Senshi and their rescued Tuxedo Mask as soon as they'd finished a speech about television reception in Tokyo. Uranus was surprised that Sailor Moon had jumped down to protect her, and even more surprised when Moon told them to hit the road. Sailor Uranus grabbed Neptune to take off, glad that the Inner Senshi were finally stepping up to the plate to do their jobs, so the Outers could focus on finding the talisman and stopping the coming Silence.

Unfortunately, Kaolinite had different ideas, and locked the Outers in a glass prison. The beastie woman _wanted _this fight. They watched as the Senshi attacked Kaolinite again and again, all to no avail. Then they saw Tuxedo Mask step up, again, to challenge Kaolinite to another sword-vs-wussy-cane battle. Uranus said, "Damn, guess we won't be stopping the Silence after all."

Neptune agreed, wondering where Serena had disappeared off to. Guess it wouldn't matter if the Silence came. **sigh**

Then they saw LIGHT. Like, a lot of it. The Inners had some special attack that had completely wiped out Kaolinite's shield! —but Kaolinite stood, noting how they'd used all their power just to destroy her shield. She was still at full power.

Uranus started to run; the glass was gone, they were free… but something Serena had said to her ate at her, and she unleashed a final World Shaking on Kaolinite. They all watched with a mixture of awe and horror as Kaolinite was struck, then destroyed, by her own glass shards, and fell off the top of Tokyo Tower.

"Damn," Sailor Uranus thought, never having felt like such a hero before.

"Damn," Sailor Mars said, shocked that Uranus or Neptune had actually _done _something.

They all looked for the Outers, thinking maybe they could go have a bite to eat and catch up finally, but the two Senshi had disappeared.

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.

.

Rei called the Tsukino home and let them know that Serena was having such a blast at her birthday party that they'd love to have a sleepover. Then she texted Serena to have a good night out. She wasn't a fan of …_what they were doing._ But she'd been duly impressed that Serena had taken 'precautions' long before it was necessary, when they'd first learned that Rini was her future daughter. Heh. Whatever works.

.

Darien walked up to his bed, unbuckling his pants as he watched Serena laying there. She was shivering and pale with anticipation; he, himself, hadn't uttered a word since they'd arrived home, either. She hadn't bothered to eat; she'd just started letting her clothes fall off as she made her way back into the bedroom. He finished dropping his clothes and was over her in minutes, not bothering to kiss her gently this time. He'd been waiting for this moment all day. He'd thought he'd lost her more than once. They'd destroyed Kaolinite and essentially saved the world.

He rolled, pulling her beautiful body onto his as he deepened the kiss. He was holding her so tightly that he worried he'd leave bruises, but she wasn't exactly complaining. Her ragged breathing made him desire her more than he'd ever desired anything.

There'd be no playing around tonight; no teasing; no petting; no cuddling. He wanted to be one with her now. For a split second, he pushed her face away, desperately gasping for air. She was gazing down into his eyes with lust and heady need, silently pleading for him. He groaned in agony and flipped her onto her back, becoming one with her in a single stroke that had them both gasping audibly in ecstasy. Her legs flew up around him and crossed behind his back, and he smashed his mouth onto hers for dear life. They were both nearing that place together all too quickly when a large, heavy thud hit the bed behind him. Serena's scream of agony pierced the air; Darien turned viciously, ready to kill somebody; and Rini stared at them wide-eyed and screamed in horror: "_GET __AWAY FROM__ HIM!_"


	14. A Very Bad Night

**Snapped**

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**Chapter 14****  
A ****Very Bad Night**

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_There'd be no playing around tonight; no teasing; no petting; no cuddling. He wanted to be one with her now. For a split second, he pushed her face away, desp__e__rately gasping for air. She was gazing down into his eyes with lust and heady need, silently pleading for him. He groaned in agony and flipped her onto her back, becoming one with her in a single stroke that had them both gasping audibly in ecstasy. Her legs flew up around him and crossed behind his back, and he smashed his mouth onto hers for dear life. They were both nearing that place together all too quickly when a large, heavy thud hit the bed behind him. Serena's scream of agony pierced the air; Darien turned viciously, ready to kill somebody; and Rini stared at them wide-eyed and screamed in horror: "__GET AWAY FROM HIM!__"_

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.

Darien's shock at seeing Rini again overrode his gripping pain from the interruption. Either way he was speechless, for at least a whole second, before Serena screamed again and rolled herself over, unknowingly yet necessarily taking him with her, which left him tumbling to her side with about as much grace as a dead horse. Finally, the pain overtook the shock, and as the source of his potential relief was burying her head under pillows, he glanced up at his daughter and growled out: "Go! NOW!"

As Rini jumped off the bed, now crying and wailing, he reached up and grabbed a fistful of whatever coverings he could find, then jerked them up over himself and Serena. He swallowed hard and choked out, "LIVING ROOM!"

He had never quite known this type of pain before, but he felt Serena quivering beside him and, ignoring his own pain, rolled over on top of her back to steady her shaking. The pillows were still over her head; and he took a moment just to try to calm his nerves as well as hers.

Meanwhile, Serena lay in the bed like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand. She didn't care anymore. Fate was surely cruel to do this to her. This, her 15th birthday, every reason to celebrate after some particularly grueling battles, and then —"No," she gulped out under the pillows, more to herself than the man laying on top of her.

Darien was trying so hard to catch some air that his lungs were burning for the effort. "Just," he said with a dry mouth, "Let's go see what she's here for."

Serena blocked out his voice entirely, which wasn't too hard to do with the pillows on her head.

But she could hear an incessant knocking at the bedroom door, getting louder and louder. She was sure she'd be hyperventilating if it weren't for the pillows that blocked too much intake of oxygen. She was formulating a plan. The balcony. As soon as Darien got off her, which he surely would, she'd hit the balcony. Transform! And —okay, she hadn't gotten beyond that part yet. But she would.

And she did.

Darien had yelled back at the door to give them a damned minute, but Rini was crying and kicking the door now. He'd tried hard to remember where his clothing was; then said to Serena, "I'll go out and see what she wants." No sooner had he sat up to pull on his pants, he heard the sliding glass door slide open behind him; by the time he'd turned to stop her, Serena had swirled in a fury of ribbons and was gone. He tried to the balcony and stop her; and he yelled her name furiously into the night; but she was simply gone. He couldn't even feel much through their bond besides something dark and despairing, although he wondered if that was coming from his end. She was trying to close off their bond, though; he could feel that.

He'd nearly collapsed right there on the balcony, but then he heard another door open. And a little voice asked, "Is she gone?"

It really was the first time he'd been tempted to strangle the life out of another human. He turned slowly, still only half-zipped, and definitely moving slowly. But he pointed back to the door through which Rini had come, and said, "Out, Rini. Get. Out."

Rini smiled nervously; Serena had really worked him over well, because he could hardly walk. "But I'm back," she said, smiling sweetly. "I live here. You're my daddy."

He'd reached her with great effort, then PUSHED her out of the bedroom. He followed her, prodding her like an errant billy goat into the living room. He pointed gruffly to the sofa, and then managed to get to the kitchen for a large glass of water. Which he sucked down vigorously, but found it didn't help.

Rini jumped on the sofa and said sadly, "I have a note from Mama! You're supposed to make sure I get my training—"

Darien slammed the glass on the counter and pointed at her again: "You may not EVER enter that room again, Rini."

Rini crossed her arms and pouted. "It's my house; I'll do as I please." She'd been taught that her home was hers to freely roam… well, except the quarters of the King and Queen. But these two 20th Century yokels were hardly royalty like she was.

Darien ignored her and reached for his phone; punched in Serena's number. Voicemail. Then he remembered how she'd tossed her phone over the balcony last week. And she had no communicator after Kaolinite had destroyed the one she borrowed from Luna, just hours ago. He punched in the number for Serena's parents, then hung up quickly, remembering that he couldn't exactly ask for Luna the freaking CAT.

Finally, he got through to someone. "Rei?" he asked, still sounding winded and pained. "We've got a problem. —and Serena's gone."

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.

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"You said WHAT?" Lita scolded Rini angrily, then glared at Darien. Then back at RIni: "WHILE they were… _nuuuh!_"

"I told her to get off Darien," Rini replied proudly. "And you would have too if you'd seen what I saw—"

Lita slapped her face!

Everyone gasped, including Rini. But before Rini could explode, Lita harshly said, " _IF_ we ever decide to train you, you will learn to mind your place!"

"Or be spanked!" Rei agreed, then glared at Darien to see if he'd challenge them. Cause if he did, he could get some punishment, too.

"And number one, sweetie?" Lita continued. "Serena is _our Princess_. _If_ you stay, it's because _SHE_ agrees to it."

Mina sat there with her head in her hand, beside Ami, who was still trying to come up with a location on Sailor Moon. Rei had gotten them all gathered, including the cats, and thankfully excluding the Black Moon family, within the half-hour at Darien's front door. Absolutely none of them had expected to find Rini there, though. They had chatted idly that maybe Andrew had popped over and a fight had ensued. Or maybe Serena really was pregnant — does the pill always work? Might someone have tampered with her doses? — and that would explain why Serena had left in a huff? But Serena probably could have handled a pregnancy better than her 8 year old daughter showing back up. THIS was an unmitigated disaster.

Rini stood on the sofa and pointed her finger into Lita's face: "Then I'll NEVER be able to stay! Serena tried to STOP me from coming back, which makes her MY enemy! —and YOURS!" Rini turned to Darien: "And you let her TRICK you into it! _HOW COULD YOU_?"

Darien was red-faced with anger, and wasn't hearing anything Rini was screaming, but he saw her finger point at him. He merely glowered at his daughter and said, "You'd better PRAY we find her soon, Rini." He still wasn't thinking clearly, even with the girls here to help find Serena and deal with Rini.

Ami was going to town on her keyboard, entering every possible statistic from the Sailor Moon fuku that might help her program find and locate a Senshi without a communicator. She looked up when Darien mentioned finding Serena, but the darkness of his face reminded her a bit too much of his Beryl days; she hunkered down and got back to work.

Rei looked over at the Rini and said, "You honestly believe Serena was **aware** you were coming back?"

Lita groaned, "Or **plotted** to stop you?"

Rini stuck her tongue out at the girls: "I saw it with my own EYES! Serena knew the only way to keep me away was to make a NEW me so I couldn't come back to this time." She jumped down from the sofa and charged at Darien: "How could you let her _do that_ to you! Didn't you think about ME at ALL?" She ran straight towards Darien, swinging wildly the whole way.

Lita caught Rini, and wrestled her back to the sofa, then held her there. But Rei cracked up when she realized what Rini was accusing Serena of. "Oh honey, you think she was _**trying**_ to get pregnant? _**With you?**_" Laughter. "She threatened to rip out her own womb!"

Darien glared at Rini: "Not that it's any of your business, but Serena's been on birth control for at least a month." He'd seen it in her purse even before she would talk to him again; he'd initially been furious about it, since she wasn't even talking to him when she started the pill. —But then it happened to come in handy, so he didn't exactly complain. Serena still hadn't mentioned it to him. But he, and anyone in this room besides Rini, was SURE that the last thing Serena was trying to do was get pregnant with Rini.

Rini glared at them all, not really knowing what birth control and wombs were. But she knew how babies got made, and she knew what she saw. She glared at her traitorous dad and swung an accusing arm back to his bedroom: "Then _**WHY**_ were you doing _**that**_?"

Darien got up and burst into the kitchen before he head exploded with rage. But Luna said firmly, "As Mr. Chiba's pointed out several times since we've been here, Rini, what they do in there is none of your business."

Rini's red eyes grew even redder and she spun on the cat: "It most certainly IS if it stops my mission! And maybe it's _**Mama Ikuko's**_ business, too!"

"You WOULDN'T!" Lita snapped, still trying to hold the wild kid down.

Rini smiled at Lita and said: "And how old is Serena? Maybe it's _**police business**_ too!"

Lita's hand was on the back of the girl's head; she grasped her by the hair and turned Rini over her knee. And spanked her. "Today was her 15th birthday, BRAT. You've already screwed it up enough as it is. You won't be talking to ANYONE about ANYTHING!"

Rini screamed bloody murder and called for Luna-P, but Luna the cat batted Luna-P into the bathroom and closed the door.

Lita sat the screaming child back on the sofa and glanced up at Darien, who had turned away but was holding it together. Then Lita yelled over Rini screaming, "Okay, You Need To Go Back. Like, right now. And never come back."

Ami looked away from her cursed computer which wasn't helping her find Sailor Moon at all, and said to Rini, "You know, every time we play with the timeline it could endanger the future."

Lita nodded: "That's right. You don't want to try to go back home one day to find your parents have been horribly murdered, do you?"

Rini rolled her tear-filled eyes and said derogatorily, "You people don't understand time travel at all. I do, and Mommy and Daddy are FINE." Under her breath, she growled, "_Stupid primitives_."

Darien finally stepped back into the living room and pointed at his daughter: "Rule 1 was that my bedroom's off-limits." He cleared his throat. "Rule 2, you treat all these girls with the utmost respect."

"BUT—" Rini started screaming.

"IN FACT!" Darien out-yelled her, "You treat absolutely EVERYONE with the respect you'd show the King and Queen."

Mina sighed dejectedly, "That might not be saying much." She rubbed her temples harder, willing away her headache.

"I'm well-bred, _trained_ to be a Princess, unlike your whore ass in the future!" She bent over and stuck her tongue out at Mina. "Serena doesn't WANT me here, I'm telling you! She wishes I were DEAD! And—!" Rini spat out, "I hate her and wish SHE were dead!" Then she started crying loudly.

Lita moved to spank the kid again, but Rei said, "Please!" and held up a hand. "Rest your hand a bit, Lita. Let me take this one." And Rei rudely grabbed Rini and turned her over her knee. Unfortunately, Rini started punching and biting the fire priestess' legs and hands.

Lita had to drag Rini off Rei; then she pushed the kid into the sofa and held her there.

Darien walked over and grabbed the letter that they'd all read by now. It still looked authentic. _Train Rini as a Senshi_, basically. —But it didn't make any sense to him. Why would their future selves DO this to him? To Serena?

Then finally, Darien glared at Rini: "I want to get a communiqué back to your parents. How do I do that? The Luna ball?"

Rini considered telling them about her method of getting notes to and from her mom. But instead, she sneered at Darien and tossed him the time key. "Have fun, Daddy."

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Darien, Mina, Luna and Artemis ran to the dock and used the key, and were immediately before Setsuna at the Time Door. AGAIN, thought Darien.

Setsuna's glaive was out, signaling she'd do some damage to anyone who approached. But when she saw who it was… "_NOW_ What? The Neo-Queen believed the instructions were simple enough!" She angrily shook her glaive so hard that its ball fell out.

Setsuna freaked; Artemis leapt on the ball and started playing with it.

Setsuna screamed: "NO! DON'T! You'll bring on the Silence!"

Darien bent over and picked up the red ball and tossed it back to her. Then he said, "Look, Setsuna, Serena wants nothing to do with Rini until after she's born naturally." He knew even that much was pushing the truth, but it sounded good. "And Rini's not going to get born naturally at this rate." He said sternly, "She's got to **go**."

Setsuna glared at the man: "Serenity adores her daughter, and wants her to get the best training possible. And you'll need all the help you can get fighting the Deathbusters, so just go with it."

Artemis scribbled down, '_Deathbusters'_. Then, "And where exactly can we find these 'Deathbusters'?"

Setsuna's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "You all need to LEAVE! Just… Serena will get over it. She'll need Rini, and Rini will need Serena."

"No—!" Darien yelled, then they were transported back to the docks. He was staring at a lake.

.

.

.

Sailor Moon wandered the rooftops, trying to let go of the worst night of her life. "I'm just freaking out," she chanted, spinning around and trying to see a positive in all this. "EEP! No positive! There's no way I'd send THAT KID back in time unless I hated her in the future, too."

She leapt to another roof… she was near Haruka and Michiru's apartment. She jumped down onto the balcony and knocked, then spun around some more. "No, no, no, no… I only _think_ Haruka's Sailor Uranus. If I'm wrong, I've blown my identity, and she can't help me anyway."

She ran and jumped along more rooftops. Lita wasn't home; Ami's mom was asleep and Ami wasn't home… the thought of going to Rei's didn't do much for her since Rini's next-favorite place to Darien's apartment was the shrine….

This was a punishment from God. Yep. That was it. Rini wouldn't have come back if she wouldn't have lost her virginity. In fact, maybe God didn't want her with Darien to begin with! MAYBE there was something wrong with that test Ami did on Rini, and Rini wasn't her kid!

She had nowhere to go!

Then she thought of the Black Moon family. She sighed, then took off towards Prince Diamond's campaign compound. He'd said he'd do anything for her. A change of clothes shouldn't be too much to ask.

Really, did she have any other choice? These were her friends! Sort of. And they all knew her identity. And they knew _the Rabbit_. They'd understand.

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.

.

Sailor Moon had been thrilled to see both Diamond and Emerald were home, although Emerald hadn't seem so thrilled at first. _'Oh geez!_' She thought. _'What if I did to them what Rini did to ME?_'

But she quickly realized that wasn't the case: Diamond had a smile on his face, ushering her in like he'd been waiting for her all his life. She nearly started crying with his warmth; he had to be one of the most best persons ever.

Emerald gritted her teeth as Diamond lavished attention on the brat. GRRR! "Sailor Moon, how great to see you," she seethed. "What happened to Tuxedo Boy? I'm sure he misses you—"

Sailor Moon burst into tears and collapsed into Diamond's arms. Prince Diamond smiled and motioned for Emerald to give them a little alone time as he moved Moon to the nearest sofa.. Emerald was like, _Hells Naw!_ and jumped on the sofa beside Serena saying, "**MEN! Aren't they ALL alike, dear?**"

Sailor Moon shook her head; she wiped her nose and said, "I'm _n.. n… naked_ under my transformation. Do you have a robe or something?"

Emerald blanched white and immediately yelled, "OF COURSE! —Diamond go get the poor thing something to wear! I'LL comfort her broken little heart!" She glared, then motioned for HIM to leave the room. Then when he was finally gone, she rolled her eyes. Sighed. "_Ooooh kay._ Look, I never wanted to tell you this, but I think I saw your Tux Boy checking out my boobs." She shrugged. "Best thing for you to do is get some implants. He'll be happier; you'll be happier… I know _I'LL _be happier!"

Sailor Moon shook her head: "You don't understand, Em." She sniffed, then burst into tears again. _**"My daughter's back!"**_

"The RABBIT!" Emerald sneered. _Ooooh._ That _was_ bad. "She's in that squat, fat, chibi form, right? No height to her? No ..'piercings'?"

Sailor Moon nodded. "Yeah. Although I think I got on better with Black Lady. —Emerald, Darien and I were in the middle of …you know, _private things_? —and she FELL out of the air into the bed!"

"Oh!" Emerald snapped. "Oh, —you see, dear, THIS is what you need these babies for!" She shook her dark crystal earrings at Sailor Moon. "One little shot with these, Rabbit Stew for dinner!"

Diamond ran back in with lengths of silk robes, only a few of them see-through, and knelt down with a flourish before Sailor Moon: "Your pick! —and I'm getting some chambers prepared for you, as well! And servants, a personal chef, a car, a driver—"

Serena smiled warmly at the prince and almost started crying again. "Oh, Diamond, you're …you're just the best friend a girl could have!" And she hugged him, then grabbed the robes and ran out of the room.

Diamond stared blankly at the sofa. "Friend."

Emerald gleamed at him: "Friend! —oh, she's too young for your attentions anyway, you old geezer!" When Diamond glared at her, she added, "I mean, it's an illegal union! ILLEGAL! How on earth can you be the President of Japan if you're in a relationship with a CHILD?" She breathed a little easier as Diamond seemed to cool off.

He said, "Yes, I forgot that in this time, that kind of age difference might not be looked upon kindly."

"HELL no!" Emerald agreed, then poured herself a bourbon.

Serena came back out looking scrubbed up and fresh, wearing several of the see-throughs so they weren't see-through. "I'd love a drink. Do you have milkshakes?"

.

.

Darien dropped into Serena's bedroom window, and found her room empty.

Luna said, "She hasn't been here, Darien."

He punched the phone: "Lita? Anything?"

Lita, who was sitting with Rini back at Darien's, responded that the other girls' had searched their homes, gone on to other hot spots like the park… nothing. "They're still looking, Darien."

He snapped the phone closed. To Luna, he said, "She's gotten close to that lesbian couple. Haruka and Michiru. Do we know where they live?"

"Serena might, but I don't," Luna said. "Of course, there's always other friends, like Molly. Or Andrew—"

Darien had disappeared out the window suddenly, his transformation into Tuxedo Mask unfortunately flashing Luna before he was all the way through. Luna had to force herself to follow him; she'd have a little discussion with him about proper times for transformations later.

.

.

Several hours later, Darien glared ahead, speeding in his SUV as the sun came up. Luna had long since fallen asleep in the back seat, and he was left alone with his thoughts. Some very evil thoughts.

He said out loud, "I can't believe you'd run to _HIM_."

Serena stared straight ahead: "I can't believe you'd burst into his compound like a caveman and carry me off!" She sipped on a latte he'd picked up for her.

"I can't believe you're calling it a compound!" he seethed, then honked several times at an elderly couple who were driving in the middle of the road. He considered driving OVER them. But then they pulled over and let him pass.

Serena said, "You ARE taking me home, right?" And quickly, she qualified that: "My PARENT'S home?"

"I said I would," he snapped, "but you are NOT to leave there until Luna finds you a new communicator. _I'll _bring you a cell phone—"

"My PARENTS can get me a cell phone," she snapped back, wondering who the hell he was talking to with his 'you are NOT' shit. She had a daddy! She angrily sipped at her latte.

He glared at her; they were not getting along. She had not felt bad about being caught at Prince Diamond's, in HIS clothes, HIS room… Emerald had certainly agreed with Darien that it seemed highly inappropriate.

But all Serena had asked was if he'd gotten rid of a Rabbit infestation.

Which had had the unfortunate effect of eliciting Emerald's annoying "_**Hee! Hee!**_" laughter, and, to Darien, made it seem like Serena was siding with the Bad Guys!

As they drove, that scene kept going over and over in his mind, and he finally said, "I **still** can't believe you're using Black Moon terminology to describe OUR DAUGHTER!" He jammed the gas, speeding up just to scare some sense into her.

She rolled her eyes and said dryly, "Oh, here's where you start extolling her virtues."

"I told you the girls _**corrected**_ her physically! We laid down the rules; and I even went to the Time Door to confront Setsuna and try to get her sent back," Darien said. "What do you want me to do? Throw her in a meat grinder?"

"Ugh, you and Emerald think just alike sometimes." Serena said.

Darien continued on by spelling out his 'rules' for Rini, but Serena interrupted him after 'Rule 1' and asked, "You don't _SERIOUSLY_ think I'm going anywhere near your apartment again."

He was incredulous. Trying to keep an eye on the road, he turned and said, "YOU are the one who wanted her moved to my apartment!"

Serena, likewise incredulous, stammered, "That -that's when we were trying to save her mother, …who is SAVED now. Don't tell me she's in trouble AGAIN!"

He grimaced. "No. Nothing like that. Rini's supposed to be here to train, Serena."

Serena's mouth gaped open. Finally, she said, "Just get me home." She glared out the window, still wondering if her best bet weren't to just jump out of the speeding vehicle now. She loved the world and everything and didn't particularly want to die, but wondered if killing herself would be doing the world a favor by ridding it of the womb that would bear the Rabbit.

"We were very strict with her," Darien reiterated. "Lita and Rei BOTH spanked her. I laid down The Law, and she's going to be respectful to everybody!"

As he pulled up to the Tsukino home, he grabbed her wrist so she couldn't slip away quickly: "Don't go to Diamond again, Serena."

She jerked his hand away. LOOKED at her finger, didn't see a ring. Then she seethed, "I had _nowhere_ else to go. I had _no clothes_ on under the transformation; the girls weren't at home, and the Black Moon family are the only other ones who know my identity—"

"You didn't have to leave the apartment in the first place!" Darien yelled, shutting the car off. "You SHOULD have stayed! Now all of us have been up all night LOOKING for you, trying to handle YOUR daughter—"

Serena's jaw fell. "You have _**got**_ to be kidding me." She hopped out and slammed the door without even waiting for Luna, ran over and jumped to her window, then disappeared inside.

.

"That didn't go well," Luna observed.

After a few moments of quiet contemplation, a crushed Darien said, "No, it did not."

Luna said, "She had a point; the Black Moon family is the only group that knows she's Sailor Moon—"

"It's not THAT!" Darien scowled. Well, maybe it was a little. He'd worked very VERY hard to not kill Diamond with his every 'gesture' towards Serena, and finding out that he'd given her a priceless diamond on her birthday, on top of knowing she was wearing his slinky robes and slumbering in his 'chambers'… he was close to snapping! He could see his common sense growing wings and flying away.

"Well what IS it?" Luna pressed.

Darien nearly sobbed. He sniffed, then said with a cracked voice, "As rude as Rini was, ultimately Serena IS her mother. She shouldn't have abandoned us."

Luna got up to get out and join Serena, stunned with the guy's thinking. It just wasn't normal. No, not much in this particular lifetime was normal, but Darien was supposed to be one of the sane ones. She said, "I'm her advisor, and as such, I'd point out that she has responsibilities to her OWN parents still. And then of course in her role as a Senshi. _Y__ou_ two are sneaking around, and as your daughter pointed out, it's not quite legal, nor would it be appreciated by Serena's parents. You can't hold her accountable to be a mother to a child she never bore, when she's still a child herself."

Darien smacked his hand on the steering wheel, "Excuse me, Luna. Wasn't **I** the first one to ask to talk to Setsuna? To get Rini sent BACK? And it's not because I don't like Rini; it's because I KNOW Serena has a hard time with Rini. —But apparently we're stuck with her, and we'll have to make the best of it."

"Yes, Mr. Chiba," Luna said coldly. The cat shook her head and jumped out of the SUV. The day was dawning in earnest; and Luna knew it wasn't going to be a pretty one.

.

* * *

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/AN/

This is a short chapter, but it's something (and published early, mainly to not leave anyone hanging any longer). This chapter was really the first part of the final chapter 14, which is mostly written, but I haven't been able to finish the whole thing this week as planned because of that **hideous "problem" with You Tube** (I use the subbed episodes to help with general timeline and storyline, as well as to get the names, etc, but apparently the episodes are being removed. Which is sooooo depressing.)


	15. A Mad Tea Party

**Snapped**

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**Chapter 15****  
A Mad Tea Party**

Michiru had called Serena early Saturday morning to check up on her after her 'eventful' birthday at Tokyo Tower. She couldn't let Serena know that she and Haruka were part of it, but they were worried about her, and thought they could offer to take her to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. They were both happy that Serena had so eagerly agreed, even after they'd apparently woken her up. They offered to pick her up later in the day after she'd gotten a little more sleep.

When they picked her up, Haruka lightly suggested Serena should call her boyfriend to come along, but Serena immediately tensed up, imagining that demon following along. Choking back a sob, she said, "No. I think we're broken up."

Michiru looked into the back seat with concern and said, "But you two… I mean, you're in love with him, right?"

Serena just grimaced and murmured, "He's got this .._niece_, who hates me, and she moved in last night."

"I can't imagine anyone could hate such a cute girl as you," Haruka smiled into the rearview mirror.

"She's eight, and ..I usually get along fine with kids, but this one?" Serena shook her head. "We can't stand each other. She told me to get out last night, so I did."

"Ouch," Haruka said, wincing.

"You don't know the half of it," Serena murmured. Hell, they didn't know a FRACTION of it.

Michiru reached back and patted Serena's hand. "You know, that guy seems like he really likes you. It's just a hard situation. I'm sure you'll be fine—"

Haruka laughed, turning onto a turnpike and speeding up considerably: "Oh yeah, he's not going to choose some niece over a tight piece of—."

Michiru slapped the driver to shut her up. Then she tried to smile warmly at Serena and said, "And on your birthday. You poor thing."

Haruka sneered, "Don't worry about that guy. You could drag the ocean for a better catch any day."

"WOAH!" Haruka yelled, turning her car hard-right to avoid being hit, then pulling onto the shoulder of the highway for a breather. "Sorry about that!" she announced to her passengers. "Guess that asshole doesn't know how to drive!"

Michiru agreed heartily, hand to chest as she caught her breath: "Yeah, they really cut us off!"

And suddenly Darien was IN their car, driver's seat, hand on Haruka's collar, eyes in the back seat: "GET OUT, SERENA!"

Serena had frozen in horror when she realized what was happening. Then Darien pulled Haruka out of the car and slammed her up against the car. Haruka said, "Woah woah, there, big boy! Are you sure you _WANT_ this fight—"

Michiru was out and around the car next, and Darien had pushed her off, nearly throwing her into traffic. Michiru saw Serena run around the car and push herself inbetween Darien and Haruka: "PLEASE, Darien! Don't do this! They were just taking me to a tea!"

Darien let go of Haruka and turned on Serena. He heard Michiru making a comment about him moving his SUV out of the road. He felt Serena dig around in his jacket for the keys, and saw her toss them to Michiru. Then he grabbed Serena's head and forced a kiss on her.

Haruka shrugged to Michiru after the Neptunian goddess had pulled Chiba's SUV safely off the road. Serena and Chiba were on Haruka's car making out, and had been for a minute or so. Haruka had almost pulled the guy off of Serena, until she saw the girl's hands wrap around his neck. When Michiru got to the car, Haruka sighed loudly and said, "Would you like to accompany us to the tea, Mr. Chiba?"

Darien finally let go of Serena, then hugged her tightly and said, "Dammit I looked all over for you this morning—"

"Told ya," Haruka smiled, then winked at Michiru.

Michiru said lightly, "Ever heard of a phone?"

Darien turned on Michiru and pulled out a hideously pink, well-blinged cell phone, then gave it to Serena. "Just got your number transferred to this phone." Then he looked over at the women: "She threw hers out last week. —And if you're going to be taking my girlfriend places, I'd like to exchange numbers with both of you, as well." It wasn't a question. Michiru raised her eyebrow at him, but he turned back to Serena and said, "You were supposed to wait."

Serena shook her head, looking down. "No," she said simply.

Haruka got Darien's attention and said, "Look, we were taking her to a tea; why don't you come along with us."

Michiru agreed, and added, "We thought a traditional tea ceremony might be a very **pacifying** way for Serena to start her 15th year!"

Haruka opened the door Darien had dragged her out of: "Let's go."

But Darien grasped Serena's hand and said, "We'll follow you."

Serena looked at Haruka and wanted to jump into her car, still afraid Darien might drag her to the apartment for a good day of Rini abuse, …but Haruka winked at her and said, "It'll only be a few seconds, Odango."

A few seconds… Haruka's car took off as Darien was opening the front door of the SUV for Serena. He said, "Thank you for not causing a scene."

She rolled her eyes, near tears thinking about the stupid highway 'scene' Darien had just caused, _just to give her a phone_, but kept her mouth shut. Then her mouth fell open as she looked in his car.

Darien snapped first: "Rini, get BACK in the back seat, INTO the car seat!"

Serena backed up at seeing the Rabbit in the front seat of the SUV, and nearly tripped off the bridge and to pavement below. Darien had her firmly in his arm, though, and held her tightly while using his other hand to untie Rini from the front seat.

Yes, Rini had TIED the seatbelt, not buckled. This was HER seat. Rini had just KNOWN this would be a problem. But her dad _HAD_ to get that bratty Serena a phone. And then opt to spend Saturday driving around Greater Tokyo _LOOKING_ for her when he realized she wasn't at the Tsukinos. So Rini sparred angrily with Darien: "I want to sit in the FRONT!"

Serena looked at Darien and said, "You PURPOSEFULLY didn't tell me she was in here!"

"You picked out the dark windows," Darien said, exhausted from lack of sleep, and out-of-breath from forcing Rini into the back. He then _put_ Serena in the front seat and buckled her in.

She stared straight ahead, trying to ignore whatever Rini was saying in the back seat.

When Darien got underway, though, Rini squealed, "Well you look NICE Serena! I haven't seen you with clothes on in MONTHS!"

Darien glanced over at Serena, whose eyes were shut tight. He said, "Rini, we're getting off on the wrong foot."

Rini smacked his headrest: "I just said the TRUTH. She was naked. I _COULD_ have told her she has a skinny boy body that made you want to PUKE, but NO, I was being NICE!"

Serena smiled at Darien, unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door and jumped out.

Darien, once again, jammed the brakes and stopped the vehicle in the road.

When he got back with a bloodier Serena in tow, he had transformed into Tuxedo Mask, and tied her up with his cape. He shoved her in the front seat and said, "TEA! REMEMBER? We're going to have some damned tea and RELAX!"

When he got back into the driver's seat and took off again, Rini screamed, "I don't want any damned tea! I want ICE CREAM and I want it NOW!"

Serena, who'd been sitting there steaming, had to fight herself to not chuckle bitterly at this outburst. "Darien, your daughter has a lovely vocabulary," she sneered.

"And YOUR daughter has similar tastes to yours," Darien snapped back, unamused.

"NOW!" Rini screamed. "ICE CREAM NOW!"

Serena turned on the imp and said, calmly, "You should get Darien to take you for ice cream. I'm meeting some friends for _tea_, but you don't have to go. They're my friends. Because I have, like, _FRIENDS_. People who LIKE me. Who want me to have some TEA with them."

Rini inexplicably started screaming in tears; Darien slammed on the brakes and glared at Serena: "You just had to rub that in her face!"

Serena almost laughed. But the urge to laugh gave her the heebie jeebies; maybe she _was_ turning evil like he'd suggested this morning. "Okay sorry," Serena said. What was it with this guy and stopping on highways? Glaring, she turned to Rini and said, "And I'm sorry you don't have friends."

Darien nodded, even though Rini wailed even louder after Serena's apology. "Very good. We're ALL having tea then."

.

.

Rini was all cried out and pretty sullen by the time they actually parked by Haruka's car. Rini was trying to build up her lungs again for another good embarrassing scream fest, but then she saw a hot guy —and she just prayed that Serena wouldn't embarrass the shit out of her. Mama had told her to make friends, and said that it would be very important for their kingdom. But Rini hadn't gotten off to a great start. Earlier that morning, while Darien was combing the mall to find Serena, she tried to make a friend, and the little boy had pulled out his penis for her to be 'friends' with. She'd run screaming, and thought she'd never try again. But her eyes twinkled at this new hot guy. Maybe she could make a friend after all.

Michiru ran up to Serena when the SUV arrived, ready to hug her — they'd been afraid that Darien had absconded with her, actually — when she saw a tiny, pink-haired, red-eyed girl slither out of the back seat. Michiru, who hadn't seen the girl when she'd moved Chiba's car, wondered where Darien had hidden her.

Haruka gasped: "Oh. My God! It's _her_, isn't it. The niece!" Haruka looked at the sullen Serena, who was just getting out as well, helped by Chiba. She couldn't believe the balls this guy had, obviously TRICKING Serena into having some 'family time' with this niece who hated her so much.

"Wow, you're both so beautiful!" Rini said as she looked up at Michiru and Haruka.

Michiru tried to smile; the neice seemed fairly harmless—

"Unlike ugly-ass SERENA!" Rini snapped.

Serena shook her head and backed off. Michiru quickly changed her opinion of the evil spawn, and said softly to Serena, "Maybe we should make this another time?"

Darien grabbed Serena's arm and growled, "Just TRY."

Haruka said, "I don't think there's anything ugly about Serena, but there's a lot of ugly in that mouth of yours."

Darien was about to correct Rini for calling Serena names, but had a strange urge to protect Rini when Serena's friend said something just as ugly. "Haruka," Darien said calmly, "Two wrongs don't make a right."

Rini picked up a clod of dirt and threw it at Haruka: "She's taken, you retarded dickwad! She was naked and all over him last night—"

Darien had slapped a hand over Rini's big ass mouth and picked her up, but the damage was done. Serena shoved off of Darien, shaking her head in apology, then started running down the street. But this time, when Darien went after her, Haruka and Michiru had him held back by either arm and said, "TEA!" Haruka said it in such a fashion as to suggest that Darien might lose a body part if he didn't move.

"What about Serena?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Michiru said, "I think _we're_ _all_ going to give her a little alone time. You and your niece will join us for the tea."

.

After the four were seated, the hot guy Rini liked came out to serve tea, and she almost collapsed in shock that he didn't unzip to introduce himself. 'A friend!' she thought to herself, just knowing this was the one.

"A RABBIT!" shrieked Emerald.

Diamond and Avery shoved Emerald inside despite her outburst, with Diamond making apologies all around. He smiled warmly at the little Rabbit, then at the host, Tamasaburou. Then the three Black Moon family members squished in beside the Rabbit, Chiba, and the two Outer Senshi who Diamond clearly remembered. He found it humorous that the Outers and Inners didn't know each other; and he figured he could use the information to his advantage one day if Serena ever needed it.

"Scoot over, runt," Emerald said to the Rabbit, then smiled widely at Tamasaburou. She adjusted her blouse down so the host could just about see her award-winning bosom a little better, then gave him her best come-hither smile.

And got elbowed from both sides: Diamond, for embarrassing him; and Rini, for spite and jealousy.

As the tea got served, Darien glanced over at his daughter and saw she'd pulled her shirt up from her waist to her neck. He did a double-take and spat out his tea, then dove over to pull her shirt back down. Then he glared up at Emerald; the spiteful woman was actually competing with HIS CHILD to get the attention of the tea host!

After Darien had righted himself, Haruka slid over and laughed in Darien's ear. "She's a real keeper, there. Oops, guess that's why her mother shipped her off to you!"

Darien wanted to respond. But couldn't. He would LOVE to know why the Neo-Queen and King would keep getting rid of their own daughter. His thoughts were a tad dark on that matter, thinking maybe Serena was right about the futures not liking Rini too much. And HE was the future dad who SENT her back to the past.

After Tamasaburou finished cleaning up Darien's spat-out tea, he started dancing around with a teacup. Haruka told them that the host did that to put people at ease; Michiru whispered how much the cup was worth. Rini swooned at her hero's abilities. But Emerald got an idea. Pretending to stretch, she threw her own tea cup at the magic boy: "Can you juggle two?" and started clapping loudly.

The boy tried his hardest; but Haruka was offended that Emerald was so rude: "Get that cup back, Black Moon _witch_!" she demanded. Sailor Moon had defended this bunch as some sort of reforming criminals, and called them the Black Moon family, and Haruka knew she wasn't supposed to know who this woman was. But the title fit her well.

Emerald smiled at the tea host, bent over deeply to retrieve the priceless cup from host boy's tray, announced her need to pee, then took off running out of the building. _**HEE!**_ She'd make some money today! —if only she could find a place to fence the priceless cup.

.

Emerald ran by Eudial and said, "Girl! LOVE those shoes!"

Eudial was surprised to be in a position to make friends, since she pretty much hated all humans, but she wasn't sure this was a human, and wasn't about to let this opportunity pass her up! "Those dark crystal earrings are to DIE for!" Eudial handed the woman a card.

Emerald looked at it, smiling: "Hmm, 'the Witches 5'… what is it, some kinda dark take-over-the-world group? Or is it more _destroy_-the-world?"

Eudial pulled her daimon egg and dropped it into the teapot, sighing, "I guess it's more like take-over-the-world… you know, it really depends on the mood the Professor's in, I think." She pulled Emerald over and said, "Does all sorts of strange shit with his daughter. I think she's going to be Mistress 9 or something?"

"Do tell!" Emerald said, squinting in disgust. "Yeah, we got one of those weird dad types in there," she said, pointing to the tea room with Darien and Rini. "Older guy; he pulls his daughter back and forth through time just to drive his girlfriend crazy, I think!"

"Seriously?" Eudial said, somewhat impressed.

"Seriously!" Emerald nodded. "And the girlfriend's like, twelve, and a total goody-two-shoes. Eh, ya gotta admit it works; she's always going off on the Rabbit. Oh, but this guy doesn't crave power or anything. I think his crazy evil is more like a hobby for him."

"Oh don't you hate that?" Eudial said, shivering. "Dabbling in powers." Eudial shook her head ruefully.

"I do! Now, MY guy, Prince Diamond, he's running for—"

"Shut UP!" Eudial said, blushing furiously. "You don't mean soon-to-be _President Diamond_!"

"I DO!" Emerald squealed. Then, she said conspiratorially, "Sorry, gotta run fence this cup before the do-gooders catch me."

"Know how that is! —You've got my card! Call me! We'll do luch!" Eudial said pleasantly.

"Will do!" Emerald said, air-kissing her new friend before tittering off.

.

.

.

Tamasaburou sobbed into his tea. Haruka and Michiru were trying to comfort him, and Prince Diamond and Avery were extolling the virtues of Japanese culture. Haruka glared over at the Rabbit, who'd fucked up everything, and was still wailing that Tamasaburou wouldn't let her make her own kind of tea with cotton candy in it. Haruka pointed to Darien, then to the door.

Rini screamed, "But MAMA said I had to make FRIENDS! DAMMIT! Why don't you LIKE me you gay freak tea guy?"

Michiru glared at the brat: "It's a miracle Serena hasn't killed herself by now." Beat. "Half makes you want to support the Silence!"

Haruka nodded. "I think we could spare a room for Sere to move in with us, so she doesn't have to put up with those two."

Michiru glared: "She lives with her PARENTS, Ruka! And you _KNOW_ that."

Tamasaburou cried more; he liked bringing peace, not difficulty. He decided to take one for the team: "Tell her I'll be her friend. But PLEASE make her keep her shirt on."

Prince Diamond asked the Outers quietly, "She's still giving Serenity a hard time?"

"Serenity?" Haruka asked.

"Her mother," Diamond said. Oops; he remembered that the Outers didn't know that Serena was their future Neo-Queen Serenity.

Michiru nodded: "I bet THAT'S why she was sent to live with her uncle."

Tamasaburou burst into tears. He looked up at the shocked group and said, "Her mother's name is SERENITY? I serve for Serenity. And yet I've upset her daughter."

"I'd like to serve Serenity as well," Diamond nodded wickedly, glad Emerald wasn't around at the moment. He looked at the Outers and said, "If you can get Endy —_Chiba_ away from her, I think Avery and I could, um, talk a little sense into the little rab- .._girl_." He snarled with glee.

"Done," Haruka said, then stalked over to Chiba, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him outside.

Right into Eudial's teapot daimon.

.

.

Prince Diamond walked up to Rini, stared her in the eyes. Rini screamed as Diamond's power surged through her brain. He dropped her when she stopped screaming, then looked back at Tamasaburou: "There you go. Docile as a lamb, at least for a day! Worthy of a mother named 'Serenity'! Have your way with her, and remember, **Vote Diamond** next month!"

Tamasaburou and Michiru both bowed slightly to the handsome prince, Michiru thinking that if she could ever get into any guy, THAT would probably be the guy. *YUMMY*

.

.

Eudial was lying in wait for Tamasaburou while her daimon was taking care of the others. When Tamasaburou finally showed up, she shot him in the heart: "Gotcha!" She snatched for the pure heart.

Sailor Uranus popped up and snatched the pure heart crystal, though, and then Sailor Neptune appeared and sent a Deep Submerge towards Eudial. Eudial laughed maniacally, …until she saw that the Senshi had rejected this heart crystal. Irritated, she ran to her car and took off, but insisted that her daimon have fun 'cleaning up'.

Sailor Uranus put the crystal heart back into the poor, frazzled tea host, but when Neptune pointed out that a daimon was still on the loose, Uranus snapped, "I've had plenty of time around evil for today." The pair took off.

.

.

Emerald ran into the pawn shop and slammed the teacup down: "Teacup. Priceless. What'll ya give me for it?"

Serena tapped on Emerald's back. Emerald turned around, then broke into tears. "I'm sorry, I just can't help it!"

"Emerald," Serena said softly, "you've got the whole world at your fingertips! You don't need stuff like this that belongs to the whole world!" She knew where Emerald had snatched it from; this pawn shop was only a few blocks from the mad tea party. "Let's take it back."

"EEEEE!" Emerald screeched... "—_kay_." She hung her head.

Serena had Emerald's arm, pulling her along, and said, "We'll just tell them that you wanted to make sure it wasn't a fake."

Emerald glared at the do-gooder. THIS is what she got for trying to make friends with that Eudial woman. She got slowed down, busted, and was still broke. She sighed. Then said brightly to Serena, "You know the RABBIT is there, _don't you?_"

Success! She saw Serena flinch!

And then they both saw trouble. A LOT of trouble.

Serena said, "You think you can take that daimon out?"

EEEEP! That was her new BFFs little daimon, Emerald thought. "Um,… I should just protect the priceless cup, doncha think Serena?"

And then, as they arrived on the scene, they saw the most pathetic little hearts pouncing off the daimon. The daimon was laughing and tying things into the trees.

"She's got a transformation," Serena sighed dejectedly, seeing Sailor Chibi Moon doing ..something to the daimon. For some reason, memories of Wiseman and Black Lady assaulted her again But no, this was different. It's was almost like Chibi Moon wasn't _trying_ to entertain the daimon.

"_T__hat_ is an attack?" Emerald asked.

"SERENA!"

Serena cringed; Darien's voice permeated the air, only now he was Tuxedo Mask, and someone had strung him up by one foot from a tree limb. With his own cape. He was flailing aimlessly with his cane.

"DIAMOND!" Emerald shrieked. He, too, was tied up by his diamond cape, swinging beside Tuxedo Mask.

And the two men were fighting each other.

Emerald sneered in horror at her soon-to-be-fiancé: "You ditched your sword for a CANE? REALLY?"

"It's diamond-encrusted!" Diamond said proudly, swinging a perfect aim and knocking Tuxedo Mask's top hat off his head.

Serena turned around to give Emerald the cup to hold, but Emerald had disappeared. So she ducked behind some hedges and transformed with the priceless cup in her hand. Oops. The priceless cup was tied up tight in ribbons, and it looked cracked.

Sailor Moon jumped out and did her little speech, then whacked the daimon.

"I almost had him," Sailor Chibi Moon said. She kept tossing her useless attack into the air. It hit Sailor Moon, who jumped. Those little hearts tickled.

"Good job, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask said, right before he got whacked in the hind side with Diamond's cane.

"Gosh that's embarrassing," Rini said, looking up at her dad.

Rini started going on and on about how these other mystery scouts were there and they were mean to her and she wanted Mama to kick their asses, and since Sailor Moon was supposedly her mother, Sailor Moon should take the job.

Sailor Moon ignored Rini and climbed the tree with the girl to free the men of their bindings. They both fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Sailor Moon smiled and jumped out of the tree. Sailor Chibi Moon jumped out of the tree and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

.

When they were all untied and back on the ground, Serena detransformed and looked over at Rini. "Why don't you go give that guy his cup back." She handed Rini the priceless cup which had lost its transformation and was back to normal, only with a teeny tiny crack in it.

But then they saw that Tamasaburou had put on a sailor scout fuku and was acting really strange. "_On second thought…_" she led Rini to the SUV and put her in.

"Can you come eat with us?" Rini asked.

Serena was surprised.

"He's not a lot of fun when you're not around," Rini added.

Serena went to open her mouth. Then closed it. Then said, "Scooch over."

"You'll sit back here with me?" Rini asked.

"Guess so," she said, then allowed Luna to jump on her lap.

They sat waiting. Rini asked, "Serena? When do you get your driver's license?"

"One year," Serena sighed.

They sat waiting some more.

Rini pointed to Diamond and asked, "He's going to be the President?"

"We hope so," Serena smiled.

"Why is he angry and yelling at Darien?" Rini asked.

"They just don't get along that well, I suppose," Serena said.

They waited some more, and finally Darien slid into the front seat and took off. "We're going to get some take-out and eat at home tonight. No arguments. I've got a load of schoolwork I'm behind on from all this time travel stuff."

"But I told—" Rini tried.

"NO arguments from you young lady," Darien growled, then pulled into heavy traffic to get them back towards home.

He didn't even notice Serena was there until they pulled up to get the fast food and turned to ask what Rini wanted. His scowl melted off his face, and he said, "Serena?"

Rini sneered, "That's what I was trying to tell you. I told her we could go out to eat."

Darien jumped out of the SUV. Rini and Serena looked at each other, then behind them at the line of cars waiting to order their food. Suddenly, Serena's door was opened, and Darien was nearly on her lap, hugging her. "Thank you, Serena."

Serena's eyes widened when the cars started honking; she patted Darien on the back and said, "Let's place our orders—"

Darien pulled back and looked at her. She was shocked by how tired he looked. But he said with a cracked voice, "We don't have to eat here. Where do you want to eat?"

"Whatever you want; I'm ..I'm not even that hungry," Serena lied, trying to smile without showing her clenched teeth. She imagined the cops coming and hauling them off to jail for blocking traffic. "Why don't you just .._drive_."

He cupped her face and said, "I love you," then dipped down for a kiss.

But before he could actually kiss Serena, Rini squealed: "EW! YUCK! ARE you SERIOUS?" This had to be child abuse. "Darien! Just DRIVE the damned car!"

.

.

Darien had taken them to a restaurant and Serena was seriously impressed with how decent Rini seemed to be acting, almost like a normal child. Rini mentioned how she indeed needed to make friends in the past to fulfill some destiny, and how she had such a wussy transformation.

"So who gave you your transformation rod?" Serena asked between bites. "Luna?"

"Something like that," Rini said, being under orders to not talk too freely about the future. For just a second, she thought she could see her Mama in Serena, and it made her smile just a bit. "So are you spending the night tonight?"

"No," Serena said frankly, losing any hint of camaraderie.

Darien kept a straight face, although he felt incredible betrayal. He merely said, "Tomorrow's Sunday." That is, she could easily stay over; it wasn't a school night. "And we had it planned."

Serena didn't give a shit. But instead, she said, "I heard you were behind in your schoolwork."

Darien tensely took a sip of his saki and said, "Right. And if you were at the apartment, you could keep Rini occupied. It would be a big help." His words sounded forced, and even a bit angry, even to his own ear.

Serena said, "The girls and I have a...a _thing_ tonight, Darien."

"Afterwards," he said too quickly.

She looked at Rini: "Would you want me staying overnight with you guys?"

Rini thought about last night, and that sense of peace she'd gained after the tea fled her soul. She yelled, "NO! You have your OWN HOME—"

While Darien was shocked, Serena wasn't, and held up a hand for Rini to talk to. Meanwhile, she looked at Darien and shook her head.

.

When Darien dropped her off at Rei's, though, he followed her and held her before she could go inside.

She pulled back and smiled at him, touching his face gently. "You haven't had sleep in over a day, Darien." She reached up and kissed him sweetly on the lips. "I know you're doing your best. But you'd do better with some sleep. Okay?"

He picked her hand up and kissed it: "I'd sleep better if you were beside me."

She nuzzled his nose and shook her head: "Rini wouldn't allow it. And you need some sleep."

"You love me?"

"Always," she said. Without adding that sometimes love wasn't enough.

.

.

.

**The Last Senshi Meeting?**

"Okay, we're Rini-free, right?" Mina said sweetly, but while looking behind every nook and cranny.

"I stuck her with a detector last night," Ami said shyly, then held up her computer. "She's at Darien's apartment."

Serena proceeded to recount the events of the day, focusing on Eudial, the new way she uses daimon, and Sailor Chibi Moon's _attack_.

Ami said, "It sounds like she _does_ need training."

Serena nodded.

Luna asked, "I guess we have to do it, then."

Serena shrugged. "Guess so. Apparently my future self wanted things this way, and there's nothing we can do about it—"

Luna said, "Well, now Serena, she seems to really believe she has a purpose to fulfill back here, besides just the training. I know it's hard, but we have to defer to your future self."

Serena shrugged. "See, here's the thing. _I disagree._ I understand you guys probably _can't_. —But I'm not going to be part of it." At the murmurs of disapproval, she added, "I'll wear the communicator Luna got me this morning; I'll show up at battles; but I want no part of this Rini insanity until she's gone."

Rei jumped up: "You want us to take care of her until she disappears? Because _hell no_! She's _YOUR_ kid!"

Lita said, "Serena, I CAN keep her in line!"

Serena said, "I don't want to abandon ANYBODY with Rini, but I'm not going to play along with this future crap like it's all okay. It's not. I'm as offended by my future self as I was by .. by WISEMAN. Or Beryl! I must have lost my damned mind in the future. And I'm not going to stand for it now. She's not my queen."

Ami said, "Serena, she's not ours either. But we can't just abandon Rini."

"You didn't abandon _EMERALD_!" Rei yelled, but she was more than angry; she was hurt. "I let that witch MOVE IN with me, and she screwed my grandfather! And when Darien called and needed help with Rini, I GOT him the help."

Serena saw Rei's eyes water up; and she felt terrible.

Mina said, "Serena, —there's _got _to be a way we can all work together."

Serena shrugged. "I think I just said the way. I'll do everything EXCEPT be around that toxic child."

Luna said, "You've overstepped, Serena. I know Rini is .._challenging_. But threatening to break up the group because you don't like your future self's decisions? The Neo-Queen has power—"

"She has no power over me," Serena said gently, "except what I've allowed her. And look where that's gotten me. Apparently, she's dumb enough to start wars she can't win, send her kid back in time to STEAL _MY _Silver Crystal—"

"You're getting it all wrong, Miss Moon," Artemis said. "And we don't know with what exceptional wisdom they're operating with." Beat. "And she's YOU!"

Serena shrugged. "I'm sorry. I'd love to stage an expedition to the future and wipe them out so they'd stop messing with our lives."

"SERENA!" Luna hissed. "You and Darien have made a utopia in the future!"

Serena wrinkled her nose at the term 'utopia': "Um, okay, maybe we have different definitions of Utopia? But these people can't even raise a CHILD, Luna."

Lita said, "Well maybe that's why they keep dumping her back here." She crunched her knuckles and said, "Again, not trying to argue, Sere, but I CAN get that child to mind her manners." She might have to ask Emerald for a little dark crystal help, or use elephant tranquilizer, but dammit she could do it! "Just offering my services."

"Well I _can't_ do it," Serena snapped. "—All I know is that if our 'utopia' produces that kind of 'princesses', then I'm not so impressed." She looked at Mina: "I don't know where your loyalties should lie; I spent all night thinking about that. But I know what I CAN'T do, and that's work with Rini. If you can get her into shape for battles, I'd work with her during battles, but not train with her." She stiffened, then said, "I'm sorry. It's all I've got."

Mina said softly, "What about Darien? You should have seen him last night, Sere. He's really .._paranoid _about losing you."

Serena said, "I know he's in a terrible position, Mina. But I can't be this .._woman_, that he needs me to be. —And he's going to be very angry about it. But maybe Rini will be better if I'm not around to set her off. He's been content before with Rini; he can do it again."

"What about _you_?" Rei asked, still angry. "You were miserable without Darien before."

"I know," Serena said sadly. "But I won't ask him to choose between me and his future daughter. Especially when as far as I'm concerned, the future Neo-Queen Serenity is _my _enemy, and a menace to society. I'm _not_ going to bow down to her wishes any more than I'll bow down to Rini's." She bowed politely to the room. "I love you all. But I'm done."

.

* * *

.

/AN/

Darien hasn't slept in days, really; Darien is seriously sleep-deprived. He's also trying to juggle impossible situations (Serena's bday, Serena almost lost crystal heart and couldn't transform, he got frozen in glass by Kaolinite; his future daughter comes back an even bigger ass; and his arch-enemy Diamond is a popular Presidential candidate). IOW, Darien is "snapped". He's no longer himself. He's toast in the brain.

Serena knows this and feels bad for him, but also knows her own limits (cause of that backbone thing), and draws a line so (she hopes) her friends won't have to make a hard choice between serving the idealistic society that gives them their powers, or working with just plain old Sailor Moon.

Rini's not a lost cause; she's just mental from her bad experiences and seeing naked parents. They have pills for that. Diamond could always lobotomize her, too. Heh.

Luna and the Inners are torn about Rini: they hate her, but that Senshi transformation makes them want to train her, at least until she proves disloyal (like they thought the Outers were). And they LONG for Crystal Tokyo because its existence says they've done their job; they're sorta shocked that Serena doesn't bow down to her future self just because of a bratty kid.

* * *

I've busted the final chapter (was ch 14 FINAL) into at least 3 or 4 parts—sorry!— I'm still struggling w/ losing the You Tube SM episodes. Thanks to those who've PMed some answers to questions I had! (I didn't know how much I relied on rewatching episodes! EEP!) Esp **Illusina** and **ARABELLA VIOLETTA!**

XOXO!

-TF


	16. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

**Snapped**

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.

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**Chapter 16****  
****Goodbye Yellow Brick Road**

Later the next day, Serena rang the doorbell, and watched in trepidation as she heard a chair dragged to the door, then saw a red eye in the peephole. Rini started screaming at her to leave the building. She'd steeled herself, however, and stood there waiting. After a few minutes, the door opened, and Darien was standing there alone. He said sheepishly, "Just had to shove her into the bathroom."

Serena nodded.

"What's that?" Darien asked, smiling warmly at his love as he indicated the frozen cup in her hand.

Serena smiled and said, "I quit the Senshi."

Darien laughed, "What?" He gripped her shoulders and pulled her in close. "You ..can't _quit_ the Senshi! You're The Princess! You're the one who can destroy the daimon!"

She said, "I'll still help." She backed off a step: "I've still got the communicator; I'll still be Sailor Moon. We discussed it at the meeting last night." She shrugged. "But no more meetings, since Rini will have to be there. No more—"

"Serena we can _DO_ this!" he insisted, then tried to kiss her. When she backed away, he said, "I know it's difficult now, but this is how it was meant to be, and we **will** get through this." He stepped back, goofy grin on his face, "Come on in. We haven't really had a chance to talk since we were .._interrupted_ the other night."

She shook her head, determined not to get sucked in by his desperate pleas. "I don't need to talk," she said. "I don't want the world destroyed, but I'm not GOING through this again with Rini. It's just not natural—"

Darien's eyes widened: "You don't have a choice! Serena, anymore than I do! She's OUR daughter; you HAVE to deal with her! —and I'll be right beside you. We'll do it together!"

"I've dealt with her, Darien," she said, more softly, then shoved the frozen cup into his hands.

"Serena—?" he laughed, taking the cup. "What's this?"

"It's Rini," she said. Then, blushing innocently, she clarified: "It's my ova. More than one!" She grew a little less sure of herself as Darien stared in disgust at the cup, then at her. Pushing on, she quickly added, "Dr. Mizuno extracted and froze some last month when I asked about .._having another procedure_." This was so embarrassing. "Anyway, Ami said that this way, Rini can be born with or without me now. I don't _have_ to be part of it now." She pointed to the frozen cup: "Besides, _that_."

Darien looked at the cup, then at Serena, and said, "What are you kidding me? This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

But Serena had turned around and walked back towards the elevator. The frozen cup hit the wall in front of her. She ignored it and moved on, opting to go down the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator.

In fact, she started running down the stairs; she could hear his footfalls behind her. She dashed her way down two flights of stairs, then pushed through a door into a random hallway and took off running. She heard the door crash open before it had even latched closed, and took off running even faster around the next corner in the building. A family with several kids was suddenly in front of her, opening their door, and without thinking twice she dove into their apartment. As she made it through to the balcony, she heard the dad complaining, "Hey! —who was that?"

She was out the balcony and transformed, diving through the air into …fucking dumpsters. As she hit the trashbags hard, she considered that she didn't even know WHY she was running. She almost laughed, but then her face hit the side of the dumpster and it hurt something fierce, even in her glamour.

She immediately looked behind her to see —a large black body about to smash into her.

The second 'thunk' was harder than the first, especially as a knee landed on her head, dizzying her something fierce. She was about to scream when (1) she realized she was the superhero here, and (2) the body over her, Tuxedo Mask, wasn't moving. "Oh, this stinks," she whined, then rolled his body off of hers to see if he was okay.

"Well that was fun," Tuxedo Mask growled, taking a hold of her bowtie and pulling her face to his.

Sailor Moon wiped the blood off her face and, as regally as she could manage in an open dumpster, said, "Excuse me."

Tuxedo Mask said, "If you're breaking up with me, at least have the respect to do it to my face." When she ignored him and tried to climb out of the dumpster, he wrapped steely arms around her and pulled her back down. "I've done EVERYTHING for you. I've given my life for you! TWICE! I gave you up when I had the dream! I've protected you, watched your daughter, SAVED your daughter, supported your decisions! I even took the Time Key and tried to get Setsuna to take Rini BACK! —We can't just IGNORE our future selves! They sent her back for a reason!"

She twisted around and faced him: "I want to break up with you."

He grabbed her fuku and twisted it hard, bringing her close: "You don't LOVE me anymore? Cause I know that's a damned lie!"

Serena stared at him: "Of course I love you. But I don't want to be with you."

Darien threw his arms up: "Why? Because Rini's out of control? We'll fix that! Maybe Senshi training is JUST what she needs! And we'll get plenty of time alone—'

"I'm fifteen, Darien!" Serena spat back,. "I don't WANT to tell my friends that my amazing boyfriend is out with our daughter! I want to go to the mall with my friends, or my boyfriend, and NOT with my daughter! I don't want to be screamed at, cursed, and JUMPED ON by a future daughter I'm supposed to love one day—"

Darien charged, "So you want me to send her back!"

"YES!" she nearly screamed. "Where she belongs!" Serena almost started crying. "And if she belongs here with you and the Senshi NOW, then *I* don't."

"You're my FAMILY! I love you BOTH! I need you BOTH!" Darien choked out angrily.

"You ..you haven't HAD us as a family yet, Darien! You and I haven't even really DATED yet! I've NEVER dated! But I'm supposed to share you with a daughter already? One who HATES me?" She shook her head. "**No.** I couldn't do this if I wanted to. I won't ask you to give your daughter up; and I can't pretend to be a mother when I'm not one yet. So you and Rini do the father/daughter thing. Find another woman that can be a mother to her. You HAD my ova, which was a painful procedure by the way! There's more at Dr. Mizuno's office. —You two go your way, I'll go mine."

He suddenly pointed his finger out of the dumpster, and angrily said, "Get away from me, Serena."

Serena complied, quickly.

.

.

.

*** ~ A MONTH LATER ~ ***

Rini sat in the arcade with Darien, happily slurping down her sundae. "Thank you Darien!" she gleamed.

Andrew smiled at the pair and asked the little tyke who, merely a few months ago, had bricked his car. "Well, how was school today?"

"Melissa and I hung out; we're going to the movies later!" Rini smiled. She still missed Hotaru, and couldn't understand everything that had happened, except that it had needed to happen. And her own Mama had saved her, and the world, _once again_.

Darien merely smiled at her, but mused how Rini would have her Senshi training before any movie tonight. And how even then she wouldn't see her so-called 'mother', because when Mina had agreed to train Rini with the other Senshi, Serena had immediately quit Senshi training, at least with the normal group. She and Darien had had another quite nasty fight when he learned she'd _really_ quit — Rini had taken it personally, but the Senshi had insisted that Serena was just super-busy helping the former Black Moon Clan family and would focus on private training with Luna.

Darien knew better. He knew his 'best friend' Andrew was taking Serena out. Every night after tucking Rini into bed, Darien had snuck out and watched the Tsukino house. Initially, it was just the girls who would come by, but soon it was Andrew and the girls, and now, this week, it had just been Andrew.

Of course, Darien couldn't let on that he knew anything; he and Andrew were supposedly friends again, although on much cooler terms than before. Darien made a point of showing up with Rini wherever Serena might be, so that meant the arcade was a common hangout for him. 'Keep your enemies closer', he reminded himself, then smiled over at Andrew behind the counter, who looked oblivious, but generally happy.

Not one time since Rini had returned permanently had his 'ex' come by to see her daughter. She hadn't called; she hadn't returned Rini's calls or texts. Again, Darien had confronted her after school one day, and they'd had another fight about it, but Serena insisted that she was Rini's mother in name only, and even threatened to blow up the time portal if Darien approached her about the subject again.

Darien convinced himself he didn't care. Oh, he had perfect right to know who the bitch was dating, he felt — it would play into his future somehow, especially since he retrieved and destroyed her superstitious offering cup of frozen ova from Dr. Mizuno's office. And Rini hadn't disappeared. Meaning, she'd either need to have the procedure again to keep Rini alive, or she'd have to eventually marry him and carry on as the future was supposed to work. He just hadn't let her know that yet. Because he was sure she was crazy enough to go BACK to Mizuno for another painful procedure.

"Let's go," Darien said, realizing it was past time to meet at the shrine.

They were outside walking when he heard Rini screech out, "SERENA!" and saw the girl run to Serena. Darien froze. Serena actually let the girl give her legs a big hug, but then she pushed her away and knelt down to speak softly. Darien refused to play this game; he turned around and looked in a store window, acting completely uninterested.

.

"So how's your 'uncle?" Serena asked Rini.

Rini shrugged. "My _dad's_ not as fun-seeming as he used to be. —We're going to the shrine right now, wanna come?"

Serena shook her head: "I don't really do that anymore, Rini."

"But don't you want to get better?" Rini asked. "I mean, I know you're amazing now, but …well, I could show you what I've learned!"

Serena shook her head: "I've seen your improvements during the battles." Serena found it uber-strange to watch a near-mirror chibi image of herself, with pink hair, talk about Senshi training. From what Rei said, Rini wasn't really all _that_ bad. She was as clumsy as when Serena started out; but she was only eight, and she was working on her attacks very hard. Harder than Serena had done, initially. Serena felt a strange sense of pride come over her. Then she pushed that pride away; Rini wasn't 'hers' to be proud of except biologically.

"You'd better get going, then," Serena smiled. "I know how Rei can be when people are late!"

Serena quickly crossed the street before she had to run into Darien, who she'd clearly seen behind Rini, and who was making a point of avoiding her.

Which was good, because she hadn't run into Darien one time without getting into a major fight with him.

Halfway across the street, she was jerked back —Darien glared at her and pointed at Rini: "You could at least say 'goodbye' to your daughter."

Serena gritted her teeth, but tossed a hand up in the air to Rini. Rini did look a little sad, but she waved back. "Darien, we're in the middle of the street—"

His mouth attacked hers almost painfully; it was a quick, ugly kiss, after which he pushed away and said, "And me, too. Remember me? The guy you're supposed to love?"

His anger was palpable; she wished she could send him some 'hurt' signals just as palpably, but he was too blinded by quiet rage to pick up on anything through either their bond or common sense. Darien turned and walked back to Rini, and a humiliated Serena finished crossing the street, no longer wanting to go see Andrew at the arcade after that scene.

.

.

.

That night, Darien had left Rini in Lita's care, and followed Serena to the secluded fancy restaurant where he knew she was having a 'first date' with Andrew. He was going to confront both she and Andrew. In fact, he'd decided he was going to inform Andrew about . Rini being their daughter; their Silver Millennium romance; their destiny… everything. And if Andrew were a REAL friend to either one of them, he'd back off. Or Darien would _back_ him off.

He saw that Serena was immediately seated after Ikuko dropped her off; he parked and followed her in, but didn't see her.

"May I help you, Sir?" the maître de asked.

Darien had worked himself up into quite a frenzy. What if Serena denied being Sailor Moon? Well, he'd transform into Tuxedo Mask. THAT should gain him some modicum of believability. And if Serena tried to say that shit about destiny being changed? He'd bring up *_Rini_* He'd ask Andrew how he could break up a FAMILY. Hell, he'd even throw in the fact that, unlike Andrew and Serena, Darien had never HAD a family, and Andrew was single-handedly taking the only family he'd known.

"Sir?"

Darien couldn't speak; he just burst in to the restaurant and started searching for her. There were lots of little private dining areas; he imagined Andrew had secreted her to such an area, and started combing the restaurant room by room, startling more than a few couples who were having a romantic, private dinner. As waiters started chasing him around, Darien decided he'd KILL that little shit Andrew just for bringing Serena to a place like this! He yelled, "SERENA!"

"Sir," a harried waiter said, grabbing Darien's arm to slow his pace.

"SERENA!" he yelled again, dragging the waiter along with him. He turned to the annoying waiter and said, as politely as he could manage in a murderous rage, "Excuse me! I'm looking for somebody—"

Then suddenly Serena was standing across the restaurant, eyes wide, face red as a beet. She half-heartedly waved, but was looking more embarrassed than anything.

All he saw was that she was standing near one of the private alcoves, ready to slip back in. He made a beeline, and she actually stepped out a little more, as if to keep him from entering their private dinner.

Serena stepped towards him as he marched towards her; she whispered, "Darien, please don't…"

Darien smirked at her and, without slowing his step, said, "Oh no, it's time we got this out on the table, Moon!" He reveled in her shock, her ..her absolute horror, as she grabbed his arm and tried to slow him down. He marched by her and saw Andrew: "Hey Andy!" he gleamed.

Then his eyes fell on Reika. His face fell, as well.

But Reika was up out of her chair, smiling —no, laughing: "Hey, Darien!" She ran around the table and hugged him.

"You're back," Darien said hollowly, hugging her back. Darien's eyes fell across the table, to Andrew — a very pissed-looking Andrew who looked like he was biting his tongue.

Just as Reika broke away, Andrew stood up and said, very _very_ blandly, "Chiba. I guess you should ..join us." The grimace on his face was clear, though; Andrew wanted Darien to explode into a thousand pieces and blow away in the wind.

Reika happily agreed with the invitation, though, and had an arm out of the alcove calling a waiter to bring in another chair. Darien didn't dare look at Serena. In fact, he didn't want to look at anyone; he sort of agreed with Andrew's unstated sentiment that he should just disappear off the face of the planet.

Before he could make a graceful exit, though, Serena and Reika had sat back down, and a waiter had a chair in the air, resting on his ass. Darien turned brilliant red and hopped out of the way so the waiter could set the chair down.

Reika said, "You're just in time; we haven't ordered yet!" She gleamed over the table at Serena and grabbed her hand: "You didn't tell me Darien would be joining us!"

.

.

After the dinner that seemed to three people would never end, Reika suggested they all go back to Andrew's.

Serena begged out immediately, though: "I HAVE to go back home, Reika, but —" she hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're back. I've really missed you." Then disappeared out of the restaurant.

Darien quickly stood up as well, although this time he was quite honest with Reika: "I've got a bit of a mess to clean up."

Reika smiled widely: "No, you've got a LARGE mess to clean up."

Andrew looked away, refusing to even acknowledge his former friend. Darien still said, "Sorry, Andrew. I –I don't know what to say."

Reika playfully punched him in the stomach. "Darien? She's 15. She's not ready to be a mother.."

Darien glanced up at Reika uncomfortably, unsure what to say to that. He started with a shocked stuttering, "I –I don't know what she's told you—"

Reika grimaced and said, "If Serena were my daughter, and landed in my lap, and insisted on getting married to Andrew—? Just, Hell no."

"Huh?" Darien blanched. "Serena wants to marry Andrew?" He glared at Andrew again, this time considering killing the guy again.

Reika pushed Darien again, this time, not so playfully. "Rini is SIX YEARS YOUNGER than Serena. You're AN ADULT."

Darien's eyes grew wide. "Rini?" he asked, breathlessly.

Andrew stood up to face Darien: "We've known ever since she had to tell me how you DIDN'T get her pregnant but she had your child."

"What?" Darien asked, startled. And confused. "—when?"

"Lita had told me you two had a kid together a few months ago, the _first_ time you wanted Serena back," Andrew said. "I'd thought you'd raped Serena, dude! I was ready to call the police, but Serena tried to convince me that Lita had been lying. Which I didn't believe, and told Reika all about it. Later _Lita_ tried to convince me she'd been lying. Reika insisted that I push Serena to find out the truth, and that's when Serena explained everything about the Senshi, and Rini, and ..those strange new friends of hers from the future."

"He was really upset, Darien," Reika said softly. "We both adore Serena; he told me she was pregnant before we knew otherwise, and —" she blushed. Looked away. "Andrew had considered marrying her." She looked over at Andrew: "That was before we found out about Rini. But anyway, that's when it hit me that I couldn't live with Andrew _marrying_ someone else!" She turned back to Darien: "I advised Andrew to TALK to Serena, and that WE'D help her. Together."

"You two—?" Darien asked… "You're together?"

Andrew shrugged, not feeling the need Reika felt to respond to this lout. Andrew asked, "What the hell do you care? Why'd you even show up tonight?"

"I –I didn't mean to .." Darien started.

"Yes, you did," Reika said sternly. "And I'm glad you did. That girl loves you with all her heart, and you obviously love her!" She elbowed him playfully, but with tears in her eyes. She whispered conspiratorially: "You're _Endymion and Serenity_!"

Darien choked up. "Every time I try to talk to her… we just ..we fight," he said, looking down.

Reika held his shoulders firmly: "Darien, I'm going to say this one time. One friend to another. Send Your Daughter Back. She doesn't belong here. Serena is too young to be a mother, especially to a girl that's so close to her own age!"

Darien's eyes teared up despite himself. "You don't understand," he choked out. "Rini _has_ to be here; she loves Serena, and Serena just ignores—" He couldn't take it anymore. "I've tried everything I know to do to bring my family back together! Serena wants no part of it."

Andrew said, "It's just not natural, you ass! There's no way Serena could deal with this naturally! She would had to have been SIX YEARS OLD to have given birth to Rini!"

Reika added, "And I don't know how this time travel stuff works; it makes no sense to me. But I would IMAGINE that the first time around, there WAS no little Rini getting in the way of your relationship with Serena. You can't HOPE that the future will remain the same as long as your future selves keep their daughter back here in the past!"

Andrew shook his head. "And 'destiny' is a weak answer, dude. Serena was the happiest bubble of light in this town until this 'destiny' crap started. I wasn't surprised at all to find out she was the one who put down these demons and protected the world."

Reika added, "He wasn't surprised to find out YOU were Tuxedo Mask, either."

Andrew ignored Reika's comment, but continued, "But now, Serena's .._not_ that happy ray of light anymore. And how can she be? She's trying to forge her own life back together, AND live with the guilt of not raising a daughter either now OR in the future."

Darien spat, "So what would you have me do? Send my daughter away to make Serena happy? HOPE Rini doesn't ever come back again, so Serena can stay sane?"

Reika said, "You'd be sending your daughter to YOURSELF! Where she BELONGS! In her OWN TIME!"

Darien said, "Do you think this has been easy on me? I've had to cut back on my classes just to keep a passing average because I'm a full-time dad now! I don't get one iota of help from Rini's _mother_," he growled. "When we've tried to approach her at her home, she TRIED to have a restraining order issued against me!"

"My suggestion," Andrew growled. "Trying to take Rini to that house was a serious mistake." It had upset not only Serena, but apparently Rini was very upset that Mama-Ikuko didn't remember her, even though she knew the woman couldn't possibly remember her.

"No," Darien shot back, "Serena trying to swear out an order against ME was the serious mistake."

"Only because she couldn't tell the authorities that you were trying to force her to be part of her _daughter's_ life!" Andrew said.

"It didn't get you anywhere, Darien," Reika said.

"Well NONE of this has turned out how we wanted," Darien said, fighting angry tears. He turned and pointed at the duo who were clearly planted on Serena's side. "All she had to do was be somewhat pleasant to Rini, occasionally."

Reika sighed, staring at the upset superhero. "You've been leaving Rini alone trying to sneak into Serena's room at night."

"To talk some SENSE into her!" he said. And that damned Luna, who he'd THOUGHT was on his side, had protected Serena vociferously. He sniffed, then bent down with agony: "I missed her."

Andrew said, "Then try talking to her without scaring the shit out of her. Cause I guarantee you one thing, our new Emperor isn't going to sit back much longer and watch her turn into an old maid." Beat. "He's respectful of her, but he hasn't taken an Empress yet, as everyone knows. But _**we**_ know exactly who he's waiting for—"

"I'm Fully AWARE of that," Darien said. "I was just hoping Serena would come to her senses soon. Especially after she defeated Pharaoh 90."

.

.

Darien burst out of the room hurriedly, then through the restaurant. Once outside, he ran smack dab into Serena, who was standing there alone.

"Ouch," she said.

Darien grabbed her and kissed her, surprising them both. Especially Serena, who couldn't believe the man had tears running down his face. Darien kissed her face, and then cupped her face and smiled at her.

Serena was quite overwhelmed. Smiling awkwardly, and not really knowing what else to say, she said, "Andrew and Reika are finally back together." She bit her lip, looking up at the stars. "We planned this night all week."

Darien said, "You told them our identities."

"Yeah," she blushed. "Sorta had to. Things were ..really falling apart back then." She looked up at him: "He and Reika thought I was carrying Rini—"

"He told me," Darien interrupted. "—And I'm glad it came out." He wasn't sure why she never told him, but regardless, "Andrew deserves to know what's been going on."

"And it's great to have someone _normal_ I can talk to openly," Serena smiled.

"Yeah, I guess you can't get much access to our new Emperor and his family now, right?" he smiled, but with a hint of bitter irony.

She smiled. "I _could_. —But I said 'normal' people. Our friend Emerald almost accidentally joined the Deathbusters last month. After Eudial died, she offered to be part of the Witches 5 so they wouldn't have to change to 'Witches 4'. Diamond didn't take kindly to that with the election right around the corner."

"Yeah, he's gotten very vocal about protecting the earth from aliens," Darien allowed. That was about the only positive Darien would allow though; it still creeped him out that Diamond had run on a pro-Senshi platform, and swept the election easily. The Japanese loved their Senshi, and loved the guy who ran on a platform promising to support Sailor Moon in all her endeavors. Apparently enough to let him dissolve the parliamentary system of government in favor of naming him Emperor.

"He's really helping the Outers, too," she quipped. "All of the Black Moon family are, really!"

"Except Emerald," Darien growled.

"Well, she's trying," Serena defended lightly.

"So is Rini," Darien said.

"Things are fine as they are, Darien," Serena said uneasily. "Rini's made her friend now, and got her training. She saved the world—"

"YOU saved the world," Darien smiled, tilting her head back and placing a light kiss on her mouth. "You didn't let anyone sacrifice her friend." He looked around uncomfortably. "She misses you," he said. "—and she's supposed to be going home soon. I thought you might like to say bye to her or something?"

"Nope," Serena said.

"You know, you might look back on this one day and wish you would have," he said carefully.

Serena raised her eyebrow. "Darien. I won't EVER be that woman." Neo-Queen Serenity. " I'm sorry."

Darien smiled knowingly at her. Oh the hell she wouldn't. He embraced her, then said, "Well after Rini's gone, I was thinking maybe we could.. do something? Together?"

"Any guarantees she won't come back?" Serena asked, stepping back out of his embrace, knowing the answer would be a negative.

It was Darien's turn to raise an eyebrow. "As a matter of fact, there is."

Serena looked at him questioningly, allowing herself the tiniest bit of hope that maybe Darien had figured something out. Then saw her mother's car pulling up. "Goodnight, Darien."

.

.

.

*** ~ A FEW WEEKS LATER ~ ***

The Emperor sat at his command station as the eclipse started. He glanced over at Emerald and Saphir, the two he needed to 'press the button'.

Saphir said, "Sure glad you paid attention in history classes."

Diamond smiled. "On my mark—"

.

Serena stood with Darien, Andrew, Reika, and the Inner Senshi, watching the sky.

Michiru was there, too, and had approached Serena early with a big, heartfelt bear hug. She sorta knew Serena, as sweet as she was, couldn't possibly comprehend the gift she'd given her and Haruka. In fact, she was absolutely sure of it; Serena was just happy she didn't get stuck trying to explain that new baby to her parents.

Serena and Haruka still weren't on the best of terms since the whole Mistress 9 fiasco, even though Haruka had been proven wrong in that. Michiru wondered if Serena didn't feel some kind of personal betrayal by Haruka that had dashed her image of the Senshi of Uranus. And while Haruka had accepted Serena, finally, for who she was, Haruka still seemed bitter about it. Michiru imagined it was because Haruka had spent all that time preparing herself to kill innocents, only to discover that the 'cute girl' was right all along about not needing to sacrifice anybody.

Serena asked about Haruka and the baby; Michiru had merely pointed in their general direction and shrugged, sadly. She shared a look with Darien, who seemed to understand Haruka better than Michiru did. Darien just shrugged. Oh he cared, all right. That man would raze countries if he thought it would make Serena happy, Michiru was sure. Michiru had drawn more than one parallel between Darien and Haruka. They were both hard on the outside, but almost infantile on the inside. Very black and white; and when presented with a gray, fought for a way to make it black or white. They were both extraordinarily intelligent and talented; both women-magnets; and both ..just _rendered stupid_ when it came to their families.

Michiru made a silent promise that she and Haruka would visit Serena next week; after everything Haruka had put her through, she felt a little strong-arming on her part was more than past due. Plus, she'd love Serena to see how she wasn't the only one stuck with an absurd fool when it came to children; there were times Michiru wondered if Haruka would be just as satisfied with only Hotaru as she would with both Michiru and Hotaru. But ultimately, Michiru knew it didn't work that way; these 'hard' types were turned to mushy putty when it came to 'their kid'.

.

Serena sidled up to Rei: "Anything yet?" she whispered.

Rei turned and exclaimed, "Would you STOP already, Serena! Just …dammit! It's an eclipse!"

And when Serena just remained there, looking at her completely seriously, Rei grimaced and said, "Fine. NO I don't feel any evil in the air; I haven't had bad dreams; all's well. Go away."

Serena fidgeted. "Well, —okay. But I still _re__ally_ don't like this."

Even Mina told her Princess to stop being so freaking superstitious and enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime event.

Darien grasped her hand as the eclipse started. She nervously glanced down at their hands, but then he squeezed her hand and caught her eye. "It's starting."

When Serena buried her head into his shoulder instead, obviously seriously scared, he sighed, then sat down, pulling her with him. He tucked her securely between his legs and held the shield in front of her eyes, while his other arm wrapped securely around his 'fearless' Princess. She squirmed in fear anyway as the sun disappeared—

.

Afterwards, Serena was more than happy that this spectacle was over. She couldn't understand why nobody could see things her way; she could feel danger coursing through her veins, and the rest of the world was just happy-go-lucky. Even her freakin _Mom_ and brother went running by, waving wildly at them as they joined the frenzied crowds after the event.

Serena moved slowly through the crowd, allowing Darien to keep a tight grasp on her hand as they walked. But then she stopped. She saw a giant circus tent in the distance that she KNEW hadn't been there before. "Uh… Darien?"

He pulled her around and, in the midst of the crowd, kissed her. Deeply. He smiled even when she squirmed away and pointed at …

A pillar of smoke?

Serena blinked. That 'evil feeling' had left her veins, and her mood felt lighter. Then turned back around and smiled at her maybe-again-boyfriend. Maybe_-again_, being that she had no clue how she could convince her dad that Darien belonged anywhere but prison.

.

"We got it," Saphir announced after releasing the button. "It's hard to believe it was _that_ easy." He chuckled, wondering if they shouldn't go back in time further and make a few more 'corrections'.

"Well it **wasn't** _easy_," Diamond declared seriously, already pounding away responses for the cause of a missile attack from his Empire to an unspecified target in his own downtown Tokyo. "—And we've still got to find Elysion and rescue that horse somehow."

"And break a mirror or two in the process?" Saphir asked. Then, "—Are you sure Serenity or Endymion shouldn't be part of that? I mean, the curse is still planted; we just got rid of immediate threat to Tokyo."

"Eh, I think we can handle it," Emerald said. But at Diamond's glare, she said, "Fine. I'll call a Senshi meeting first thing in the morning, fill 'em in on stuff. But please, let them have a day off already!" At Diamond's further glare, she bowed slightly and added, "_M__y __Emperor!_"

.

Emerald wanted the Senshi to have a 'day off', or longer, for bigger reasons than adoration of do-gooders. She was more than happy to help Chiba's dreams about marrying his beanpole come about. The truth was, SHE wanted to be Empress and bear Diamond's little Emps, but knew Diamond wouldn't ever consider that as long as the soon-to-be Neo-Queen was available. And the stubborn beanpole was holding out on her future king, even after the Rabbit went home to the future and hadn't been seen since.

But _**Hee! Hee!**_ Emerald was now among Serena's trusted friends! Emerald had been instrumental, sort of, in helping bring down the remaining Witches 5. One little 'party' at the shrine hosted by Emerald had exposed the Senshi to the unwitting remainder of the Witches 5, and made them much easier to conquer when the time came. So Serena trusted her completely.

And therefore Emerald had had no problems switching Serena's birth control pills with some less-effective Tic Tacs.

Unfortunately, Chiba had checked out Serena's stash of birth controls and, finding them a bit too spearmint-y to be effective, approached the Emperor's concubine, just _knowing_ Emerald had to be the culprit.

Emerald had told Chiba two little words to shut him up: "Plausible. Deniability."

He'd seemed angry —until she'd asked why HE was inspecting Serena's birth controls. And then it hit her: "I just beat you to the punch, didn't I, Tuxie! _**Hee! Hee!**_"

Chiba had uneasily claimed that Serena would suspect him, but Emerald reminded him that _it was the beanpole!_ She'd told him all he had to do was say a bunch of BS about their love being stronger than the odds of getting pregnant while on birth control —Serena would surely buy it! Hell, _he_ probably bought it himself and he knew better!

It had been in that moment that Emerald had finally seen what could make Chiba '_Endymion'_ one day. While she hadn't exactly gotten him to agree to keep his trap shut, she had been able to show him the sense in supporting Emperor Diamond and the new Imperial Family, formerly known as the Black Moon Family. Chiba simply wouldn't have the balls to go around conquering nations like the Imperial Family longed to do. She'd told him about Diamond's plans with Korea and Taiwan; Chiba had worried about America; Emerald had mentioned Diamond's latest secret treaty with the Americans to assist with American's 'Korean threat'.

Did he have the chutzpah to help the future Neo-Queen keep the peace? Sure! she had assured him. But did Darien Chiba really have any desire to start the hard, ugly job of MAKING peace? Didn't he want to try to resume his do-gooder studies and complete his degrees, and [she hoped] raise that family he so desired to have?

It had been all so very easy. She'd sent Chiba out of the Palace, telling him to go 'plant his seeds', if they weren't already planted. And she'd noted, just yesterday, that the beanpole's 'birth control' still smelled of spearmint. He'd kept his trap shut.

And she'd be sure to be there for Serena when, _oh noes!_, Serena got the disturbing news that she was carrying a rabbit. She'd even help her deliver the news to her parents; Emerald had started plans for the most exquisite wedding in the Imperial Palace that Japan had EVER seen! If Papa Beanpole had a problem with an Imperial wedding for his daughter, then he'd simply be beheaded!

Emerald had even contacted the reality TV series "Teen Mom" in the hopes of scheduling the beanpole's upcoming availability for the series! _**Hee! Hee!**_

Whatever it took to cement the title 'Empress Emerald, Regent of Japan.' *_sigh_*

…but first she had to help take care of a horse. 'Elios, here I come.' Damn, the things she did for love.

.

.

**The End.**

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* * *

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/AN/

Immense fun writing!

XOXO!


End file.

Sailor Moon, Humor, Romance