Notes:
Hi again. I seem to like writing tragic, depressive stories. This one’s also sappy.:) Odd. If you have read my second story, you’d notice that I have a thing for taxis and concerts.:) Anyway, this time I used the NA Sailor Moon names, with the exception of the Outer Senshi. My choice in names seemed more appropriate, in my opinion. It’s just that I’d never picture Usagi or Mamoru in any of the following cases, but somehow Serena and Darien seemed to fit the bill. Oh, well. It was my call. Oh, and I _try_ to refrain from using either ‘Senshi’ or ‘Scouts’ in this fanfic. ‘Senshi’ sounded too out of place, while ‘Scouts’...Well, I don’t like the term ‘Scouts’ anyway. (i.e. “Scouts honor!” Can you get any sillier than that?) I hope you enjoy the story. Like before, some of these characters belong to Takeuchi Naoko and DIC, who ‘translated’ Sailor Moon. My E-mail address is chiang1@exis.net until further notice. The beginning is very similar to my first fanfic.:)
The girl stood on the sand, staring at the sea. Her long blond hair that she wore down wafted in the breeze. She looked at the item in her hand. It was golden and star shaped. She opened the top and a gentle melody played from it. A locket. The girl seemed to smile gently. She carefully closed the lid. She looked at it for a minute or two, then threw it into the water with all her might. She watched it float away with watery blue eyes. She turned abruptly away and fought the urge to run into the water and save it. It was better this way. Better to forget all the painful memories that it brought.
A long distance away, a young man sat on a dock. He had short black hair and deep blue eyes. He stood there, thinking. Regretting.Wishing. Hoping. A girl with dark black hair came up behind him. She knew what he was thinking. They all knew. They all regretted too. Regretted that night when they had all said things that they hadn’t meant. But it was too late. She was gone. Gone where? No one knew. To start over, to have a fresh beginning.
The dark haired girl placed her hand on his shoulder. He didn’t turn around. She understood. She walked away to where the others stood. They looked at her. She shook her head. They weren’t surprised; it had been this way for the past two years...
“Why didn’t you save her?” Raye asked accusingly. Her face was angry. “You could have if you tried.”
Serena looked at her horrified. “No, Raye, it wasn’t like that.I couldn’t shoot-”
Lita glared at her. “You behaved like a bitch, Serena. Face it- you could have done it if you really wanted to. You were just jealous of Aurora.”
“No!”
“Serena,” Amy said harshly, “they’re right. You had the perfect opportunity, and you lost it! You lost it at the cost of your own _sister’s_ life.”
Serena looked helplessly at them. What was wrong with them? Why couldn’t they understand? She turned to Mina for help. Surely Mina understood.
Mina was crying softly. She refused to look at Serena. Serena felt tears welling up in her own eyes. She placed covered her face with her hands. This was some nightmare. Any minute now, she would wake up. Aurora would be alive, and Serena would tell her that she loved her and not hated her. She looked up. It wasn’t a dream.
Five people stood in front of her, and not one of them supported her.
“I never thought that you could be so cruel,” Mina finally whispered. “Just because she was everything you’re not didn’t mean that you had to let her die.”
Even the Outer Senshi didn’t believe her. After the burial of Aurora, they had left in disgust. Disgust for her. No one knew where they went or when they’d come back.
Why couldn’t they understand? Aurora had, right before she had died. Serena had looked into her eyes and knew that Aurora didn’t blame her.
“Darien,” she said softly, “please...I didn’t do it on purpose. You believe me, right?”
Darien didn’t answer her. His back was turned to her, his forehead pressed against his arm.
“Darien?” she repeated, her voice cracking. He was her last hope.
He remained silent. His silence was worse than if he had said anything at all. It meant that he wouldn’t even lower himself to talk to her.
Serena recoiled, like someone had slapped her. She sat there for a moment shocked, absorbing the blow she had just received from them. Raye and Lita were glaring at her, hatred in their eyes. Amy, Mina,and Darien didn’t even bother looking at her.
Please, she thought, searching their faces. Believe me. Trust me. But their eyes were filled with loathing and disappointment for her.
That was it. She couldn’t handle this any longer. She stood up and ran out of the temple. She ran as fast as she could, her vision blurring as the tears ran faster down her face. She ran to the park. She sat underneath a tree, resting her head against the trunk,thinking. Remembering the events that had led up to this.
Ever since Sailor Sun had appeared, Super Sailor Eternal Moon had always resented her. For one thing, she was bossy, arrogant, and full of herself. She always had to play leader, acting like some big shot.When the Sailors had found out that she was actually Aurora Prominence, Serena’s resentment had doubled.
Aurora was bright, talented, and popular, everything that Serena was not. She constantly teased Serena, but got along fine with her friends. Raye, Lita, Amy, and Mina liked her very much and could not understand why Serena didn’t like her too. They assumed that she was just jealous and said so. Plus, Aurora had hung around Darien, and Serena didn’t like that either. Darien didn’t mind Aurora’s attention either, which made Serena furious.
Discovering that Aurora and Sailor Sun were the same person was not easy for Serena. She was extremely annoyed at this fact while the other Sailors were thrilled to death. Aurora and Serena did not get along even after it was obvious that they would have to. Eventually, secretly, Aurora grew on Serena, and she started liking her. Of course, she never told anybody this, stubborn as she was.
Serena received another blow after discovering that Aurora was her twin sister, heir to the kingdom on the sun. Their father had been King Apollo, ruler of the Sun Kingdom. Serena took this news with mixed feelings.
Anyway, then came the fateful battle. The Sailors were fighting a very powerful enemy, and they were using up all of their strength just to defend themselves. They were starting to win when suddenly a scream from Sailor Sun pierced the air. Everyone turned to see that a very strong youma was holding her captive, its arm around her neck.
“Save her, Serena!” Mars yelled out. “You’re the closest one to her!”
Super Sailor Eternal Moon aimed her sword at the monster. She paused. She couldn’t get a clear shot at the monster without hitting Sailor Sun.
“What are you waiting for?!” Jupiter shouted.
They can’t see that I’d hit her, the leader realized. DO IT, SERENA. I can’t...Not unless I hit her too. I can’t take that chance...I can’t risk hurting my own sister...
She dropped her sword by her side. “I can’t do it,” she whispered.
The youma took advantage of its splendid opportunity. Taking out a knife, it stabbed Sailor Sun’s chest, letting her fall to the ground.
“Crescent Moon Heart Attack!” Super Sailor Eternal Moon shouted at the monster. From her sword burst a bright flash of light, instantly killing it. No dust, no fancy death scene, just fast outright death.
She ran up to the fallen girl. “Sailor Sun...Don’t go. I love you,” she said to the girl as she knelt down by her side.
“Serena...” Sailor Sun whispered. She smiled once more, then closed her eyes forever.
“Nooo!” Super Sailor Eternal Moon shrieked. “You can’t go! Aurora! Speak to me! Please...don’t leave me...
“No,” she murmured. “You’re not dead. You _can’t_ be dead.You’re my sister...”
I should have shot, Serena thought now. I should have done it.I could have done it. They all thought that I could have. Maybe I could. She cried herself to sleep.
When she awoke, it was dark. She looked at her watch. A quarter past eight. Her parents would be worried. She walked home silently.When she reached her house, no one noticed her coming in. She wasn’t really hungry so she went upstairs to her room.
“Serena,” Luna said angrily as she entered, “where have you been? You’re late coming home.”
“Big deal,” she muttered. Like anyone cared.
“You have to start acting more responsible,” the cat reprimanded. “ You’re in the twelfth grade. You have to start thinking about your future. You can’t slack off-”
“Just lay off, OK!” Serena yelled. “I don’t need you telling me what to do! Why don’t you just go over to Mina’s house, where you’re wanted?”
Luna was taken aback. She hissed angrily. “Fine! Maybe I will!” She jumped out of Serena’s open window to the tree. Then she leaped down, running down the street.
They’re all against me, Serena thought. Who needs this abuse? I don’t. I’m out of here. She ran to her suitcase, packing up the necessary items. She packed six pairs of clothes, and some extra underwear and socks. Then she packed her toothbrush, some toothpaste, and a few other necessary items like a brush and soap. Looking at her night stand, she picked up a few items. Into her suitcase she threw several pictures, her locket, and most of her money, carrying enough in her pocket.
Serena looked to see if she was forgetting anything important. She saw her favorite old stuffed bunny and put that in too. Then she crept downstairs into the kitchen. She made some sandwiches and sealed them in a plastic bag. She found her coat in the closet. Putting it on, she snuck quietly out of the house. It was relatively easy, considering that Sammy was busy playing video games in another room, and her parents were no where to be seen.
She silently closed the door behind her. Good-bye, house, she thought. I’ll miss you. Don’t bother waiting for me. I’m never coming back.
“Serena...”
Serena woke up. Funny...She had thought someone had said her name. What time was it? She looked at the clock next to her bed. 3:30 AM. Terrific. Five hours before she had to leave for school. School. She didn’t hate school exactly. It was the only way she could have ever stayed here. In Los Angeles, California. She would have been sent back to Tokyo right away if she hadn’t passed the UCLA entrance exam and gotten some help from a nice old professor who was fond of her. She supposed those English lessons from Mina had been helpful.
Mina...A stab of pain shot through her heart. I wonder how Mina is doing right now, she thought. I wonder how all of them are doing...Especially Darien...She shook her head violently. Stop it! she thought. Forget them! They didn’t want you. They said so themselves. They made it plain and clear...
She needed comfort. But from who? No one was there for her...She had left everything behind her when she had left...Her friends, her family, everything...She could have made new friends, another boyfriend, but she didn’t want to experience the same sort of rejection she had two years ago...
Might as well get up, Serena told herself. She got out of bed and stood up, stretching. She went into the bathroom and took a shower. When she finished, she brushed her teeth. Then she dried her hair with a blow drier and combed it until it had no tangles in it. Get up, take a shower, brush my teeth, dry and comb my hair. Same old, same old every day.
My life is boring, she thought as she looked at herself in the mirror. You should try something new, something interesting! Wear make-up for once. Get rid of those silly meatballs. Try looking nice for once in your life. Go out. DO something. Do what? Anything, except paint. That’s all you do. Paint. So something else. Be happy again. That’s why you ran away, right? To be happy.
She took a good look at herself. She supposed that she was pretty. She had matured in looks somewhat in two years. Her face was thinner, and had no more baby fat. Her hair was longer, impossible though it seemed. She was taller; she had grown a couple of inches. She guessed that she was as tall as Lita was the last time she saw her. Her body was too thin though, making her seem gangly. She scarcely ate anything. She didn’t have the need to eat anything.
Her schooling was paid for by the scholarship she had gotten. It didn’t pay for other necessities, but that was all right. She sold enough of her paintings to live comfortably. However, she rarely bought anything.
Serena sighed and left the bathroom after putting her hair up in her usual meatballs. She changed into some plain clothes, a pair of jeans and a cortory shirt. Walking out onto the balcony, she wondered if someone had found her locket. She hoped that it had been swallowed by some fish.
Sitting on the beach, he almost missed seeing it. A glimmer of light had bounced off it into his eye. He turned to see what it was. A locket? A _star-shaped_ locket? It couldn’t be... No, of course it wasn’t _her_ locket. She would never have thrown away _their_ locket. He went to pick it up. It was hers...Serena’s.
He lifted up the lid. It splurted out some water at him. Then gentle music played. His heart ached. He wondered if she was all right...
She sighed with relief. She had gotten an A on her exam. It was important that she maintain a high average if she was to keep her scholarship. She started walking back to her apartment. A figure ran up behind her.
“Hey, Serena!”
Serena turned around. “Hi, Mark,” she said, a little gladly. Mark was her best friend at the university. They were close, but she never told him of her past. He would never have understood.
“I was wondering if you’d go with me to a concert tonight,” Mark said.
“I’m sorry, Mark, but I’m kind of busy...” she said, walking slowly.
“Come on,” he said, standing in front of her. “It’ll be fun. You need to loosen up a little bit.”
Serena stared at him. Say yes. No. Why not? I have homework. Aww, Serena, that’s pathetic. Oh, all right. “I guess I could go.”
He looked like he was about to protest, but he didn’t say anything, just nodded.
She walked all the way back to her apartment without encountering anyone else. She went inside and immediately went to her desk to do all of her homework. When she finished several hours later, it was nearly 6:30.
“Damn,” she muttered. “I’m going to be late.” Going to her closet, she picked out a nice black dress and changed into it. Serena walked to her bed and picked up her purse. She paused to look at the three pictures on her night stand. One was a picture of her family. Another was of all nine Sailors, Darien, the three cats, and Reeny. The last was just a picture of Darien, Reeny, and herself.
We looked happy, Serena thought as she picked up the last picture. A tear rolled down her face and landed on the glass of the picture. Oh, Reeny...What’s happened to you? Are you gone? Are you finally erased from time? Will I never see my own daughter again? And Darien...Forget the jerk, Serena. You don’t need him. He didn’t want you. Serena wiped the tear away. Time to go.
She went outside and hailed a taxi. Getting inside, she told the driver to head for symphony hall. She leaned back against the seat and relaxed. As she looked out the window, she saw a bright yellow sports car drive by. It looked oddly familiar...Serena shook her head. She was really losing it, she told herself.
Finally, the cab reached the destination. The place was packed, Serena thought dazedly as she paid for the tab. There were so many people here! Must be some great musician playing tonight. How am I ever going to find Mark!
“Serena!” Mark yelled through the crowd. Leave it to Mark to find her. He must have gotten the ability to track rabbits by scent from his mother...Where did that come from? Serena wondered. She wasn’t a rabbit. The part about his mother was certainly right. They’d met once, and what an old crone...
Mark came running over to her. “Come on, Serena. I have box seats.”
Serena and Mark went to their seats. They sat down. Serena looked at her program, but decided not to read it. It wasn’t like she’d know any of the musicians anyway. She watched the orchestra tune their instruments with little interest.
Then the orchestra started playing They were incredibly good. Serena enjoyed the program immensely. Just before the special star was supposed to play, Serena had to use the bathroom. When she got back, she just missed hearing the name of the violinist. The violinist was wonderful. At the end of her piece, she received a standing ovation and complied to shouts of an encore. She played a second piece as impressive as the first. Then, as everyone threw roses and flowers at her, she bowed and left the stage.
“Wasn’t that great?” Mark asked. “I have some back stage passes. Would you like to meet the violinist?”
Serena nodded. She was dying to meet the woman.
Mark managed to shove his way through the crowd, holding Serena’s hand. The guard in back saw their passes and nodded them through. They met many of the members of the orchestra, and Serena conversed politely with them.
Then Mark said, “Look! There she is!”
Serena looked to see who he was pointing at. She saw a young woman, a year older than she. She was very lovely with sea green hair and the same colored eyes. Serena’s face drained of color when she saw who it was. It was Kaioh Michiru, also known as Sailor Neptune. She had to get out of there. She couldn’t let Michiru see that she was here.
“I have to leave, Mark,” Serena said. “Thanks for a lovely night.” She quickly ran off.
“Wait!” Mark shouted. “Serena!”
Great, Serena thought. He just had to shout my name. I hope Michiru didn’t hear him. She ran out of the building. She called for a cab and was about to get in when someone grabbed her arm.
“Look, Mark,” Serena started, “I have to-” . She shut up as soon as she saw that the person holding her arm wasn’t Mark. It was Tenoh Haruka.
“ Serena,” the blonde said. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Serena sat there, not looking at them. It was the day after the night of the concert. Damn Mark! If only he hadn’t shouted out her name. If only she hadn’t accepted his invitation when she could have stayed home. If only...they hadn’t said so many things, then she wouldn’t have ran away. She wouldn’t have been here right now.
“Serena,” Michiru said quietly in Japanese, “how are you?”
Serena looked at her, startled. She wasn’t expecting that. She had expected them to yell at her, to tell her what an idiot she was to have ran away two years ago. She expected them to reprimand her, to shout at her, to become angry... Not such a quiet response.
“I’m...fine,” Serena said, using words that she hadn’t spoken for over two years.
“That’s good to hear,” Haruka said. No sarcasm in her voice, Serena noticed. “How long have you been living here?” She indicated the apartment around her.
Serena shrugged. “Almost two years. I got this place after I got accepted at UCLA.”
Haruka and Michiru looked a little surprised, but nothing more.
“Are you happy here?” Michiru asked quizzically.
Serena looked away. “Sure I’m happy here. I have a lot of friends,” she said, lying, “and everyone likes me.” She didn’t notice that her voice was cracking, or that the two girls knew that she was lying.
“We’re glad,” Haruka said. She looked around the apartment. “Where did you buy such wonderful paintings? They’re as good as Michiru’s...”
“I painted them,” Serena said, embarrassed. “ I sell them to help pay for this place.”
“Really?” Michiru said. She was impressed. “They’re very good.”
“Thank you.”
A silence lapsed.
“...So...how is everyone?” Serena asked. She tried to keep her anxiety out of her voice.
“They’re doing well,” Haruka answered. “ Amy’s studying to become a doctor. Mina’s going to be a great athlete, but she’s currently studying to become a gym teacher. Lita’s going to be a chef, and Raye is majoring in religion.
“Setsuna is a successful fashion designer; Hotaru’s going to be a doctor like Amy. Right now I’m going to become a violinist; I dropped by to perform once. Haruka’s going to be a professional racer. Luna and Artemis are fine.”
“...And Darien and Reeny?” Serena asked softly.
“He has a good job as a paralegal. He’s working in his spare time as a writer...We haven’t heard from Reeny or Diana for a while...”
“I’m happy for all of you,” Serena said.
“We all miss you...” Michiru said softly.
More silence.
“Serena, we had better get going,” Michiru said. “We have a plane to catch back to Japan.”
“Oh.”
“It was nice seeing you again,” Haruka said. She looked at Serena. Serena realized that she was asking whether she should tell the others that she was here. Serena looked at her pleadingly. Don’t tell, please. Haruka studied her for a moment and nodded. Then they left.
Serena remained sitting on the sofa for a while, reviewing the encounter in her mind. Then she went into her room and started sobbing on her bed.
“Hey, Darien!” a cheerful voice said.
Darien looked groggily at his clock. 4:15 AM. “ Mark, what are you doing calling me so early in the morning?” he mumbled.
“It’s not that early,” Mark said. “Whoops. Forgot that it’s earlier over there.”
“Yeah, well, I can get up for my American third removed cousin,” Darien said wryly.
“Sorry, to bug you, cos,” Mark continued, “but I just had to tell you about this amazing girl I met.”
“Really,” Darien said, a little sarcastically.
“Yes!” Mark said, not noticing the slight. “Anyway, two days ago, I finally asked her out to a concert starring Kaioh Michiru-”
“Michiru?” Darien asked, surprised.
“You know her?” his cousin inquired.
“Yeah, she’s one of my friends...”
“Well, anyway, we go there, and she seems like she’s having a good time. Then I take her backstage to meet the violinist. As soon as she sees Michiru, she freaks out.”
“Odd,” the black haired man replied.
“The next thing I know, she splits. Then I see her stopped by this blond guy-”
"Girl,” Darien murmured.
“And then they leave together with Michiru. Do you think that they know her? Could you find out from your friends?”
“I guess so,” Darien said, “ but can’t you just ask your girlfriend?”
“Umm,” Mark said nervously, “she’s not really my girlfriend. See, she’s really secretive about things, and I think that she thinks that we’re just friends. Serena is just like th-”
“Did you say Serena?” Darien interrupted loudly. No, it couldn’t be her. It was just a coincidence. Surely Serena was a common name in the States.
“Yeah,” Mark answered. “She’s Japanese. You know her?”
“Maybe.” This couldn’t be a coincidence. It was too close... “What’s her name?”
“Serena, uhh...Damn! I always forget how to pronounce her last name! Tu-tu! No...Tukuno! No...Sushi! Ack!”
“Is it Tsukino?” Darien asked quietly.
“Yeah, that’s it!” Mark said happily. “You _do_ know her!”
“Listen, Mark,” the other said hurriedly. “ I have to go.”
“Go? Go where?” he asked puzzled.
“I have to see a couple of my friends.”
Darien knocked loudly on Haruka’s door. “Haruka! It’s me, Darien.”
“Hi, Darien,” Haruka said, answering the door. “What’s up?”
“I need to talk to you and Michiru,” he said. “It’s important.”
“Sure thing. Go next door and ask her to come over.”
As soon as everyone was settled, Darien launched right in. “It’s about Serena.”
The two girls froze. They exchanged glances.
“I know you saw her in LA a couple of days ago. Why didn’t you tell me?” There was intense pain in his voice.
Haruka shook her head. “Serena didn’t want us to tell anyone. I promised I wouldn’t do that. Michiru and I owed that to her...After all that we’ve done to her, she deserved that from us.”
Darien was silent. “How is she?” he asked softly.
“She’s doing well,” Michiru said. “ She has a scholarship at UCLA. She’s living in an apartment off campus that she pays for by selling paintings that she makes. She seems fine.”
“Fine?” Darien echoed.
Haruka nodded. “She said that she was happy, but her eyes told us differently.”
“Do you think that she’d see me?” he asked wistfully, his eyes sad with longing.
Michiru shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out...”
The phone rang. Serena didn’t answer. It rang several more times. She just sat there, watching it. Finally she picked it up.
“Hello? Serena Tsukino speaking.”
There was no answer.
“Hello?” Serena asked, frowning. “Anyone there?”
The person on the other end cleared his throat. “Umm, yes, I heard that you were selling some paintings. May I come over and see them?”
“All right,” Serena said. “ How about right now?”
“That would be fine,” the man said.
Serena gave him her address. After she hung up, she realized that she had done an incredibly stupid thing. There were plenty of wackos in LA. What if the guy was a killer or something? Baka! she said to herself. She should be prepared just in case he was a crazy lunatic...
Not 40 minutes later, the doorbell rang.
“Coming!” Serena said. She carried in her hand a baseball bat. It wasn’t a very effective weapon against a gun, but it was something. She looked through the peephole. She saw a young man with dark hair. He didn’t look like he was holding a weapon or anything. Still..., she thought. She kept the chain on her door locked while she unlocked the main lock.
“Hello?” she asked, peering out into the hall.
“Hi, Serena,” the voice said softly. The man looked directly at her.
“Darien,” she gasped when she saw him. She turned white as a sheet and almost fainted.
“May I come in, Serena?” he asked quietly.
Still shocked, she nodded slowly. She undid the chain and opened the door for him. He came into her apartment, and she closed the door behind him.
They looked at each other. They compared the other to their old memories. Darien had changed. He was thin two years ago, but he was even skinnier now. He was still handsome, but his eyes had a haunted look to them. He wore a green jacket over a black shirt and green slacks. Serena looked away. It was still too painful to look at him, even after such a long time...
“You’re doing well, Serena,” Darien said.
She nodded. They continued to watch each other. Finally she spoke. “What are you doing here, Darien? Did Michiru and Haruka tell you where I was?”
Darien shook his head. “No. My cousin told me where you were.”
“Your cousin?”
“Mark Price.”
“Mark is your cousin?” Serena asked, her head spinning.
“Yes. He didn’t know that I knew you,” Darien replied.
“Why are you here?” she repeated.
Darien shrugged. He turned around, pretending to study her apartment. “I wanted to see if you were doing well... I also want you to know...that I never got the chance to say...” His voice broke off.
“Say what?” Serena prodded slowly, staring at his back. Tell me, she thought. Darien, talk to me. Help me understand that day.
“That I was sorry...and that I didn’t blame you for what happened to your sister...”
Serena was very quiet. “Why didn’t you say anything that day?” she asked, her voice cracking. “I _needed_ you, and you weren’t there for me! You were silent. Why?”
Darien replied softly: “I was in shock. I don’t think I had anyone close to me die before like that. I _never_ blamed you...I blamed myself...”
“What?” Serena asked. She couldn’t believe her ears. “Why? _I_ was the one who didn’t shoot when I had the chance...”
He shook his head and turned around. “No, Serena. I could have prevented the youma from stabbing Aurora. I could have _done_ something. I could have thrown one of my roses...But I didn’t. It wasn’t your fault. It was mine...I failed to save one of my best friends...”
Serena didn’t know what to say. She had had no idea that Darien had felt the same way she had.
“Serena...I still love you, even though I know you can never forgive me for what I’ve done to you,” Darien said gently. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. “I found this on the beach several days ago. I think it’s yours.”
He placed something cool in her hand. She looked at it. It was her locket. Amazed, she looked up. “But how did you get this? I threw it into the ocean...”
Darien studied her. “I don’t know how it came to me...Maybe it was fate...”
Serena looked at him carefully. She opened the locket up and the gentle song played. As she listened, she was filled with longing. She realized that she too still loved him. She couldn’t run away any more...
“Darien...?” Serena whispered.
“Yes?” His voice was unsure.
“I forgive you...I still love you too.” She ran into his arms, crying. Darien held her tightly, like if he let her go, she would disappear forever.
“I’m never going to make the same mistake again,” Darien told her softly. “This time I won’t let go.”
Serena looked at his face to see wetness on it. They had been given the chance to start over. She smiled, believing him with all her heart, as the sweet melody of the locket played. It was a new beginning.
The End
Yes, I know, it’s a pretty sappy story. Well, so what?
