Welcome to my first (sorta) attempt at writing a fanfic. This is myfirst submission, and I hope you like it. E-mail me and tell me what youthink, kay? Oh yeah, my address is angelfish3@hotmail.com. Please, PLEASE e-mail me!!!. This stars our (or at least my) all time favorite couple, Darien/Mamoru and Serena/Usagi. I'm using dubbed names, because that was what I originally wrote it in. There are some somewhat different circumstances behind my so-called 'first fanfic.' You see, I'm kinda writing this from memory, since I lost this fic in the black hole called my desk, whichwas originally my first (not my desk, the fic!). Standard disclaimer, Which is to say, I don'town Sailor moon, other people do (shucks!). I would also like to say that the biggest influence on this work has to be Jennifer Wand, and that I got the idea for this fanfic while reading her 'She Loves Me,' but it does not take off her story, it just happens in thesame time frame, sort of. The plot was my idea, and out of all the fics I've read this onehasn't been used. Right, so on with the show!! P.S. You might find that I mix English and Japanese terms, ex: meatballhead and odangoatama might both be used!!! Thanx The Locket, By Lauren Mallory * * * Serena Tsukino walked softly through the streets of the Jubaan District of Tokyo, as if afraid to wake the people who were sleeping, like any sane,normal human, at one inthe morning. She hadn't gone home yet, she had been in a battle earlier, a battle over acrystal, and over Peggy Jones. The petite girl wondered just what the big deal about thesecrystals were. Theycame in ugly colors and bulky cuts. Molly's mother had much nicer things in the OSAP jewelry store! Serena looked up at the moon, with disgust apparent on herface, as if hoping the moon would agree with her. It did not. Only the stars twinkled their understanding of her assessment. 'Oh, yes' Serena thought. 'That other thing had happened tonight,too.' She'dbeen trying not to think of that. What is with Tuxedo Mask any way? Jeez, he acted like a total jerk tonight, and she had even saved his life. She did haveother things to do, other places to be right then, like saving Peggy. Justwho did he think he was! 'He ought to know that those crystals belong to the Sailors!' No,she realized that wasn't really what bothered her. What bothered her was his coldness,his frigid as ice demeanor. 'Maybe he is our enemy.' she thought, then shook her head,her pigtailsswinging out in a wide arc about her sweet face. He had saved her so many times, it justcouldn't be. Serena sighed, and pulled out a bright object from her pocket. The Locket lidsailed smoothly open, and a somehow familiar melody poured out. She sniffled and swiped the sleeve of her shirt across her eyelids, brushing away somestray tears. Shehated being so emotional about life. It wasn't fair, why did things have to effect her so much? Serena got the feeling that she would never really know, but inthat moment, shedidn't want to. Once again, for the millionth time that night she thought about the mysterious male super hero in a tux and, more importantly, mask. Why couldn't he benice about it? She understood his need to have the crystals, he'd vaguely explained them,but why didn't he just say; 'I wish I could, but I need them, to understand...' Or atleast some thing like that. Why did he even give her the Locket? She slowly recalled what hehad said, hermind fuzzy with growing sleepiness. "You keep it, I'll probably just lose it again" Serena sniffed. "gee, thanks," she said out loud, sarcastically announcing herfeelings to the street four blocks from home. Serena nearly jumped five feet up in the air when she heard a boredyawn from behind her. "For what, meatball head?" Serena pivoted on her right foot, miraculously not falling on thecold pavement. Great, Darien. What was the jerk doing out here at this time of night? "What are you doing out at one in the morning?" He asked, tiredly curious. Helooked around and over her shoulder, as if looking for a person or reason that Serena would be out here for, when she obviously loved to sleep so much. "Maybe the same thing as you, Chiba." She awnsered suspiciously,doing much the same thing he had been doing seconds earlier, checking hissurroundings. Darien smiled faintly. "I very much doubt that, odango." Serena huffed and turned away, refusing to acknowledge his nicknamefor her. Darien laughed. "Meeting someone under the moon light, Serena?" For some reason he found thisincredibly funny (probably the fact that it was ONE in the morning helped). Darien burstout laughing, holding his stomach. Serena just eyed him wearily. She'd never seen him laugh thishard, wait, no,scratch that, she'd never seen him laugh at ALL! "What have YOU been smoking?" Darien stopped laughing, but still retained a small smile. "Nothing, I swear!" "Um-hm. So what are you really doing out here?" "You know, I'm in college, and you are in Middle School, you livewith your parents, and you're-well- really young, so I think the question is morewhy you are outthis late-uh, early, whatever," he said, carefully, strategically side-stepping the question. "Maybe you're right," Serena said somewhat snobbishly. "Maybe I'm meeting someone." "um-hm," Darien said, mimicking Serena. Immediately she was on the defensive. "You don't believe me?" Sheasked. When he irritatingly shook his handsome face negatively, and smiled charmingly, though Serena didn't notice. "Well I am, and he-he-he gave me a gift, yeah!" Instantly Serena remembered the locket, the cold personality, the warning...and was onceagain caught with shining eyes, only this time, rather than being caught by herself, shewas caught by DarienChiba. "Are you crying?" He asked, and amazingly enough, it was kind. His voice wassoft, low, soothing. Serena shook her head in embarrassment, then turned away from his (goodness knows why) concerned face. She stared upward, at the night sky, notonly with the hope that gravity would keep the tears from spilling over, but wishing thatshe could drawstrength from her patron, the rocky, silver moon. Oddly enough it helped, or maybe notso oddly. Darien saw the shine leave her eyes after a second of looking up atthe bright gray orb, after he took a step forward to look at her profile as she placedher gaze on theheavens. Suddenly he was embarrassed at his action, and backed away, hoping she hadn't noticed. He had consciously noted, or allowed himself to finallyadmit, that she was alooker, when she wasn't klutzing out. That had been earlier, at Lonny's, er, Peggy's place. For some odd reason he had thought about that a lot yesterday. Really, even when he was fighting for the crystal with Zoicite, he had even thought thatSailor Moon looked a lot like Serena, both of them possessing an innocent and pure beauty. He imagined that the princess in his dreams had this angelic quality, but in his dreamhe only felt a powerfullove enter his body. "No, I'm fine." Serena smiled over her shoulder at the tall ebony-haired man, and turned to face him once again, and for some odd reason, she was glad hewas there, gladthat she wasn't alone. "You sure?" He asked, trying not to sound too concerned. It kindof ate at himthat he cared. Why should he? 'Well, for one, usually when she crys it's a VERY loud announcement to the whole world. Eardrum, popping, brain shatteringlyloud. This, shetried to hide' Darien mused. 'So? she's learning to be subtle!' 'Whatever you want tothink...' Darien had this, lets say, interesting, conversation with himselfin a matter of asecond, maybe less, but Serena still stared at him like he was odd. "What?" "You are odd," She decreed, in a very solemn and serious manner. 'wha...' Instead of awnsering Serena smiled at his confused face, and triednot to giggle. Darien shook his head in wonder, one minute crying, the next smiling. He sort of felt like putting his arms around her, and smiling with her at this joke hedidn't get. It remindedhim of when he gets those weird urges to yell, really loud, right in the middle of a concert at a big function. Darien shook his head in amusement at himself. "So," he asked, "What's this gift?" Serena immediately sobered up, and Darien mentally kicked himselffor asking thequestion. "Well...it wasn't really a gift, I just found it, and then he said Icould keep it." "Yeah." It was kind of like the 'gift' he had given Sailor Moon. Darien was still wondering why she almost cried, and it was really bugging him. He didn't want Serena to be sad, it just wasn't like her. If she wassad it would upset hiswhole perception of the word. 'woah, where did that come from?' "Did this guy do something to make you cry?" he asked, unable tokeepthe question to himself. He felt very protective of her, for some reason. If he had to he wouldtry to make it all better. Serena stared at him, surprised. "Why should I tell you?" sheasked, but beforeDarien even shrugged his shoulders she spoke again. "Yeah, he hurt me," she said simply. Darien was mad, but didn't show it, though Serena unconsciouslypicked up on it. "How?" he asked. "He was just...mean. I dunno why. He gave me this but denied me something else," she said ambiguously, and shrugged, trying once again not tocry. It wasn't as hard to stop the tears this time. 'maybe,' she thought, 'it's helping me totalk to someone.' She knew, though, that it wasn't that she was getting this information offher chest, but that the person she was talking to made Tuxedo Mask seem...not worthwhile. Darien shivered, part from the cold, but part from wondering ifSailor Moon feltthis way, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. "Are you going to see him again?" He asked. "undoubtedly, but I don't know if I can trust him," she saidbluntly. "I'm don't even know if I want his gift. It hurts to look at it, to think of it." Serena turned away, unable to stop the tears this time. She had wanted to be his friend,maybe more. He hadturned away from her, probably not to be mean, she realized, but because wantedsomething that he knew both of them needed. "oh," was all Darien said, lost in his own thoughts. "Were you even listening?" Serena asked, a hint of annoyance lacingher question. "Yeah, I heard, I was just thinking about something that reminded me of yourstory." Serena's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "'Really, what?" she asked. "Nothing, really." "Whatever." Serena said, realizing that she would get no more outofhim. Darien placed his hand on her shoulder, and Serena had to keep from jumping. Itfelt...nice there. "You know, Serena, if you ever need anything, just say so, okay?" he asked kindly. '˜How weird!' she thought. "Yeah, thanks!" she awnsered,surprised. They stood side by side for a while staring at the stars beforeSerena turned to him,a question on her lips. "Why are you being so nice, Darien? You're so different tonight." He smiled at her question, knowing the awnser, but not telling her. "Just because." "hmm..." Serena mumbled, her hand in her jacket pocket, lightlytouching the starlocket, wondering if... "Darien," Serena said, her voice choked, as if about to weep. "Could you-" shestopped, unable to keep from crying if she talked. "Yes?" he said, turning quickly to her not wanting her to cry. Serena composed herself, and repeated "Could you keep what he gaveme, only for a little bit, until I can look at it and-well- not cry, or feelsad. I know he didn't want to hurt me, and I don't blame him, but I just don't think I canstand...being around it." "Yeah, sure" Darien awnsered, though unsure. Unsure if he should let this sweet girl trust him, as if afraid, for some reason, to allow her to confidein him. Serena breathed a sigh of relief, and reached into her pocket onceagain, pullingout something that Darien couldn't see in the dark, even with thestreet lights. Serena breathed a deep breath, then told him to hold out his hand. When he did Serena placed herhand over his, barely touching his palm with her knuckles. She let her breath out in a fast 'whoosh,' quickly stood on hertiptoes, kissed hischeek, and dropped the item onto his outstretched hand. She then ran away, quickly,before he could react. Darien brought his empty hand up to his face, touching his cheekwhere she hadlightly pecked him. He then opened his other hand, feeling the many points and curves of the object clutched in his fingers. He couldn't see it, so he movedcloser to a nearby streetlamp. Darien saw the item and gasped. The gold star locket he had letSailor Moon keep. ****** Okay, The End, that's it! Short, I know. I hoped you liked it!