Love in the Christmas Air ..
		Chapter Two : Double Gifts ..

Author : P-120
Rating : G 
E-mail : baer@ce.net 
Disclaimer : I do not own Sailor Moon... 

Note : There are no author's notes ..... sorry if you were expecting them ..

			((((*))))

	It was December 20th on the day Darien walked into the Cafe. 
Andrew was there waiting for him.  
	" Hey Buddy!" Andrew called from his seat at a near by table.	" Hey Andrew," 
	" What's up? " asked his inquisitive friend as Darien slid 
in front of him in the booth.	" Nothing why? " 
	" You looked like you were in serious thought when you came in.
What happened? " 
	" Oh nothing.  I have three days to buy a present for a special
friend.  Except that she's a female and I have no clue what to buy her,"
he said looking out the window.	" Who is she? " 	" Why would I tell you that? " 
	" Why not? You said 'friend' not more than friend," said Andrew.
	" She's Serena! " remarked Darien.
	" You of all people, are buying Serena a gift? " 
	" It's a long story," said Darien with a sigh. 
	" I have time," replied Andrew with a grin.  So Darien sat 
back in his chair, took a breath and began to explain.  
	" Not surprising really.  Serena's like that.  A very nice girl.
Her and my sister became friends recently," Andrew said.
	" What should I get her? " he asked.	" What did she get you? " 
	" I told you that! " 
	" Oh . . that's right.  Get her something nice.  Um .. does 
she wear jewelry?  You could get her one of those set things.  The 
matching necklaces with rings or something," 
	" So like what ? She wears earrings .. " he said trailing off.
	" Yeah, get her a set.  That would be nice.  " said Andrew.	" Thanks," 
	They spent the rest of the time chatting about pretty much 
nothingness as the sun crept across the lonely sky gazing down upon 
the clouds below it.  . 			((( A Day Later )))
	Darien entered the mall.  Somewhere he normally didn't like to
be.  But he owed Serena, not just one Christmas but for two.  He 
wandered aimlessly for an hour thinking that Serena probably knew this
place like the back of her hand.  Then he walked into a store where 
a middle aged woman with thick framed glasses approached him.
	" May I help you? " she asked.	" I'm looking for a gift for a friend of mine," 
	" How old is your friend? " 
	" She's um .. 15 .. no wait 16 this year, " he said.
	" All right, this way," she said leading him through the store.
	" Are you looking to get her something fancy? Jewelry? " she asked. 
	" Um ..yeah I guess. " he said unsure of himself and very uncomfortable. 
	" Is this your first time shopping for a female friend? " sheasked him.
	" Yeah.  I'm not really sure what she likes.  Her and I are 
distant friends but she started spending Christmas with me two 
years ago,"  he said.
	" Oh.  We have quite a selection of sets.  A lot of guys buy 
them for their friends and girlfriends.  They are nice gifts," she said
inspecting the shelves as if looking for dust specks.
	Darien looked at the boxes, black, red, green, white.  He 
wanted something special for Serena.  The gift she had gotten him was
*very* special to him and he wanted her to feel that way about his 
gift to her.  He went down to the end of the aisle.  There was a small
rose shaped box.  Inside was a gold ring with a red rose in full bloom.
Perfect! he thought. 	" Did you find something? " asked the woman.
	" Yes," he said confidentally.  
	He paid for the gift and had it gift wrapped.  Then he proceeded
to Hall Mark and went through virutally hundreds of cards to find the
right one for Serena.  The card he found had a dark red envelope and 
he wrote her name as neatly as humanly possible.  
	Tomorrow was Christmas eve .. a day he was eagerly looking forward
to.  Looking at his gifts one might think he was preparing for Valentine's 
day instead of Christmas.  			((( The Next Morning )))
	Darien was awake and alive.  Today was *HIS* day with Serena. 
He cleaned his apartment, took a shower, and even straightened up all
his books.  Placing his beloved psychics book back on the shelf for 
one day.  The book looked back at him almost sorrowfully, perhaps if 
possible the feeling of abandonment.  That book had been his friend 
when no one was around.  But he wasn't abandoning the book, not at all.
....only until after Christmas Eve.  						((( Serena's House )))
	" Where are you going? " asked Serena's mother.	" To visit my friend Darien," 
	" To spend the day and half the night like last year!! " 
	" MOM! Darien's alone.  His parents are gone and he doesn't 
have a lot of friends.  He's afraid of people, afraid to get hurt.  I can't
spend my Christmas with him so I'll spend my Christmas Eve with him.  
Darien's a really nice guy and he doesn't deserve to be alone.  He sits
and reads on Christmas trying to make himself forget.  But he's alone
and he's sad.  And I know he's expecting me.  Darien and Serena Christmas
Mom it's our tradition! " she said.
	" Oh all right then.  Tell Darien we said Merry Christmas and
invite him to dinner tomorrow.  He should come," said her mother.
	" I'll do that," she said waltzing out the door. 			((( Darien's Apartment )))
	Darien nearly jumped off the couch and almost ran to the door
when he heard the knock.  Only to find it had been the mail man.  A few
minutes later, disappointed he opened the doors sluggishly.
	" Disappointed? " she asked him.
	" Huh .. Serena! " he said as his face lit up. 
	" You look ... eager, " she said.  He misunderstood her surprise
as unhappiness and said," You don't have to stay Serena," 
	" NO! That's why I came.  I was just nervous that maybe you'd 
changed your mind about our Christmas celebration together.  " she said.
	" I wouldn't do that," he said.
	" So dear Darien.. Are we following tradition or just wing it?" 
she asked crossing the threshold into his domain.  
	" Um .. " he paused and flashed her a smile. " Let's wing it," 
	" You have a cute smile.  " she said looking at him with a smalllaugh.
	He looked at her confused and she said. " I've never seen you 
smile like that before.  You are a different Darien at ever Christmas," 
she said. 				((( Noon )))	" Are you hungry? " he asked. 
	" Darien -- " she started but stopped when he interupted.
	" You're always hungry.  Come on, let's eat," he said he said 
grabbing her waist pretending she was too heavy to lift. 	" Very funny Darien," 
	"I thought so meatball head," pulling her easily to her feet.
	" So what are you feeding me; and it's not alive right; and
there are no more spiders right cause I really can't stand spiders," 
she said all in one sentence. 
	" You really ought to work on your grammar," he said.
	" Darien! Don't ruin Christmas with school subjects," she said.
	The psychics book on the shelf was offended at such a remark.
			((( That Evening )))	" For you dear Darien," she held out a card.
	" For you litte meatball," he held out his card and was genuinely
pleased with the look of shock on her face.  	" You didn't! " she exclaimed.	
 	" I did.  This was a one-sided Christmas," he said.
	" Thank you Darien," she said as she opened her card carefully.	
	The front was a picture of a fireplace with stockings hanging
from the mantle with a little black cat whose head stuck out of one.  
Darien had written the name Luna across the top of the stocking. She  
smiled and opened the card.  Inside it read : 
		A dearest friend, who's got a precious heart and a 
		loving soul who deserves only the best that life can 
		offer. May you be blessed on this day. 
		Merry Christmas and Happy New Year .. 				Best Wishes From .					Darien .. 
	" Thank you Darien.  It's beautiful. " she said placing the
card carefully back into it's envelope and enveloping Darien in an 
embrace.   Not many people noticed, but sometimes Serena was a 
perfectionist. " So tell me did you read that book I got you last year? " 
she asked.	" Yes.  I kind of wished you had given me both halfes.  There 
was a second edition," he said.
	" I did," she said and held out the book that had to be some600 pages.  
	" Thank you," he said with a smile. 	" Well .. " she said. 
	" You have to leave? " he asked.	" It's 11:00," she said.
	" All right but first," he said and handed her the small box.
	" Darien! " she cried.	" Open it.  I want to see your face," 
	She removed the wrapping paper to reveal a beautifully crafted
rose shaped box.   Her eyes lit up and sparkled and he knew she waspleased.  
	" Open it," came his voice again.
	She carefully lifted the top of the small box to reveal a 
rose shaped ring and her breath caught in her throat.  
	" Are you out of your head Darien Chiba! " she yelled at him.
	" You like it? " he asked.	" I love it.  But I'm angry.  " she said.
	" Good.  It's getting late Serena. " he said standing up with
her.  Her angry face dissipated as turned her head slightly away fromhim.  
	" Thank you Darien. Although it was completely unneccesary," she said.  
	He picked up her hand and held it in his. 
	" You Serena are one of my best friends.  My *only* friends. 
You're worth it," he said smiling down at her.  
	" I hear you. " she said. " Time to go then. " She leaned up and
brushed as kiss against his cheek and they hugged briefly before she left. 
Except this year he could've sworn she wore a slight blush on her face 
as she touched him.

  				- end two -