"A Picture Worth A Thousand Memories"

Chapter 1

Phew, finally dusted this poor old thing off and sent in the first 
chapter, but the second
might be a while in coming kay?  No you say?  Hmph.

As you can see I started this pre my good titling phase, sigh.

This fic is rated G and for the LAST time I do NOT own Sailormoon!  
Naoko 
and I are currently hunting down the fool who started this terrible 
rumor!  (sorry, 
lame joke)
Annnnd, onto the fic...enjoy!

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Please forgive me for my distance
Pain is evident in my existence
Please forgive me for my distance
Shame is manifest in my resistance
To your love, to your love. To your love.
                                         Fiona Apple 'To Your Love'


Andrew was too busy to notice Darien's expression when he walked into 
the 
arcade.  If he had he might have warned Serena or anyone else to keep 
their 
distance.
Even Andrew himself-Darien's best friend-knew not to approach him when 
he was upset.  
Serena saw him come in and sit down and rushed over to beat him at his 
own 
game.
She skidded to a halt in front of the secluded booth he'd chosen, a 
teasing face 
half made, but the insult she'd prepared choked in her throat at the 
sight of him.
His face was turned down and two...tears?! managed to escape.
Her every ounce of anger towards him crumbled to dust.  She slid 
quietly into 
the booth next to him and slipped an arm through his.
"Darien, what's wrong?"  she said softly, her voice gentle and 
concerned.
He jumped at the touch and pulled back, looking wide eyed at her.
~Where did Serena come from?~
He tried valiantly to wipe his eyes and knew it was obvious.
"Er-nothing Serena.  I'm fine."
"That's not true!  What's happened?  You can tell me."
He looked into her earnest eyes and smiled despite himself, "Serena-we 
aren't 
even friends!"
She frowned, "Well, I'd be your friend, if you'd just let me." she 
muttered.
She spied a photo on the table and picked it up.  It was a young couple 
and a 
baby.
"Who are these people?"  she asked.
His voice was very quiet when he answered, 
"They're my parents.  The baby is me."
She smiled, "I can see the resemblance.  You have your mother's eyes 
and 
hair-but your fathers smile..."
She looked from the photo to him and back again as she spoke.  She 
missed the 
half joyful, half painful expression that crossed his face as she said 
it.
"Thanks Serena."
"Where do they live?  Do you see them much?"
His face fell, "They died when I was six."
Serena choked, "Oh, I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay."  He shrugged, then added, "That photo is all I have.  I've 
been 
trying to trace any of their belongings but-they just told me today 
they can't 
find anything."
She looked at him with sympathy, "How terrible!  You only have the one 
photo?"
He nodded.
"I have amnesia.  After the accident I couldn't remember anything, 
about my 
parents, the car crash, or myself-I still can't.  They've tried all 
these treatments 
and none of them work.  And now they can't find any of their 
things...it's so 
frustrating....all I want are some memories!"
She looked sadly at him, "Is that why you were so sad when you came 
in?"
He nodded.
She settled a little closer to him and took his hand in a warm squeeze.
"Don't worry Darien.  I'm sure it will all work out.  Things can't stay 
lost 
forever.  Your memories are in there-you'll find them."
And strangely her words comforted him.  Confessing all the secrets of 
his lonely 
existence to this girl left him feeling more soothed and consoled than 
anyone or 
anything ever had before.

...And you can use my skin,
To bury secrets in
And I will settle you down...

Andrew stood back and watched with awe.  Never in his life had he seen 
Darien 
confide in anyone.  He barely confided to him!  He watched with 
complete 
amazement as Serena sat down next to him and got him to really talk.  
The way 
Darien gradually relaxed as he spoke.  He couldn't believe it.

"Oh, look at the time!  I'd better get going or Mom's gonna freak!"  
Serena 
exclaimed rising.
Darien stood too, "How 'bout I walk you home---if you don't mind my 
company?"
"Sure!"
They left together and Andrew watched, shaking his head.
~Sometimes...I just don't get it.~

They chatted all the way to Serena's house.  There was lot's to talk 
about.  
School, friends, hobbies, goals.  As they reached Serena's doorstep 
however, it 
began to rain.
"Oh no!"  Serena exclaimed, "Here you walked me home and now it's 
raining!  
You'll be soaked!  Come in and I'll lend you an umbrella."
She pulled his reluctant figure through the doorway and left him in the 
entrance 
way while she hunted down an umbrella.
He looked around and was overwhelmed.  The walls were covered with 
photographs.  Baby pictures, vacation pictures, halloween, 
birthday's.....
Serena emerged with an umbrella and found him staring at the photos on 
the 
wall with interest.
"Is that your brother?"
"Yep, that's Sammy---the little fungus!"
Darien laughed, "These are great.  Wow.  There's so many!"
She laughed, "My parents are camera fanatics!"
She watched him looking at them a moment, "Hey, do you wanna stay a 
while 
longer and look at some photo albums?"
She didn't know why she knew it was a good idea, but it was.
"Yeah...are you sure you don't mind?"
"Of course not!"

They settled on the living room floor with a stack of photo albums and 
traced 
Serena's entire childhood.  Serena had a story or a joke to go with 
each picture. 
Darien was enraptured.  Hours slipped by unnoticed....  

Serena's Mom arrived home with a few groceries and found them in a sea 
of 
photos.
"Hello sweetie!"
"Hey Mom.  This is my friend Darien!"
"It's good to meet you Darien."
"Good to meet you too Mrs. Tsukino."
They shook hands over the books.
"Looking at old photo albums I see."  Said Serena's mother.
"Yep."
"Mind if I join in?"
And from there the stories got funnier as Mother and daughter 
reminisced.  
Darien found himself laughing for hours with them.  He stayed for 
dinner with 
them and they told countless family stories.  By the time Serena was 
walking 
him to the door a wonderful feeling, suspiciously akin to satisfaction 
had made 
its way into his heart.
Serena walked him to the doorstep.
He caught her hand, "I can't thank you enough Serena.  I felt like I'd 
lost 
everything for good today and now I feel like I've gained something 
instead."
She smiled, "I'm glad I could cheer you up."
He smiled, "You did more than cheer me up." then he stopped and looked 
uncomfortable, "I know I don't deserve it after how I've teased 
you...I'm 
sorry...I really never meant anything by it...but I know it hurt your 
feelings."
She smiled and gave him an impulsive kiss on the cheek, "I forgive 
you!"  She 
said simply.

He crawled into bed very close to content that night, the sensation of 
Serena 
kissing him still soft and warm on his cheek.  

Serena meanwhile was scheming.  Before she fell asleep she had come up 
with 
the perfect idea.
The next day she borrowed a camera and loaded it with film, then she 
headed for 
the arcade.  She'd called her friends and told them of her plan and 
they agreed.
They met up and told Andrew who agreed enthusiastically.  He knew what 
Serena was doing because Darien had confided in him once too.
Serena's friends were not so clear.  They were shocked-first of all 
because she 
and Darien were suddenly friends and second of all because they didn't 
understand the significance of her project.
"Serena-why are we doing this?"
"Just trust me guys okay?  I know he'll really like this!  Pleeeease?"
Rei sighed and rolled her eyes but they all agreed.
"I can't believe you guys finally called a truce."  Said Lita.
Mina giggled, "Yeah.  I didn't think that would EVER happen!"
Serena flushed, "Well, er, we talked yesterday and-he actually 
apologized!"
"Darien apologized?!"
The five girls giggled.
Darien walked into the arcade.
"Hey Andrew."  He sat down and glanced over at the girls, then back to 
Andrew, "What's so funny?"
Andrew smiled, "Who knows?"
Darien shrugged.  Then Serena pounced on him.
"Hey Serena I-"  she had him by the arm dragging him towards the door, 
"Whoa-where are we going?  Serena!"
"C'mon!"  Was all she said, "Hurry up!"
She dragged him to the park and sat him down.
"I have a plan."  She smiled, pulling out a notebook, "I'm spending the 
week 
with you."
"The week--?"  he managed weakly.
"Yes.  Since you can't have your old photo albums I'm making you one 
for right 
now!  You and I and our friends are gonna do stuff all week and I'll 
take 
pictures!" she held up her camera and grinned, "So, I'll need to know 
your 
schedule."
Darien was dumbstruck, "I-I-"
"When do you have class?  Oh, and when do you work?"

About an hour later....

Serena dragged Darien through the park towards the Fair that was in 
town for 
the week.  
~Photo opportunity one...~ thought Serena with satisfaction.
Darien meanwhile, was still trying to recover...
~How did I get myself into this?~  
He was terribly afraid of falling for Serena--though he teased her 
almost 
constantly, he had known from the moment they met that there was 
something 
between them.  But he had no real experience with love, didn't 
recognize it as it 
gazed back at him from fierce blue eyes.  So he kept her from getting 
close, as 
best he could...but now...

....Couldn't take the embrace of a real romance
It'd race right through me...
....Wouldn't know what to say to a gentle voice
It'd roll right past me...
...I'm much better off
The way things are
much much better off
better off by far....
		Fiona Apple 'The Way Things Are'
                                                
As they started down the path to the Fair's entrance Darien could make 
out the 
figures of Rei, Lita, Mina and Ami.
He pulled Serena to a stop.
"Your friends are in on this?!"
She nodded, "Of course!"
"Serena!  Did you tell them--about my parents?!"
"No!  Of course not!"
She looked at his frowning face.
"Darien, I know you think I'm just a ditz but I AM trustworthy!"
He felt a little guilty at this.
"That's not what I think....I just....I've never told anyone but 
Andrew..."
"I know you told me that in confidence.  I wouldn't just blab to 
anyone."
He swallowed, "Thank you."
She stepped closer to him, "But Darien, you shouldn't keep pain like 
that to 
yourself.  It's your friends that can help you when you're hurting."
She looped an arm through his before he could reply and pulled him 
towards the 
fair.
"C'mon!"
Rei was waiting impatiently for them at the entrance.
"Finally you guys!  We've been waiting for over an hour!"  she growled.
Serena stuck out her tongue at Rei and the other girls sweatdropped 
beside them.  
Darien didn't notice.  He was looking past them to the Fair.  
~Rides, candy, games, laughter, family and friends....have I EVER been 
to a fair?~
"We're......going to the fair?" he managed dazedly.
"Yup!"  chimed Serena, "C'mon!  I can smell the cotton candy from 
here!"
She yanked him in as he threw a desperate glance back to the other 
girls.  They 
just shrugged back as if to say:  She's always like this.
He sighed.
And so it began....

"Serena are you sure we should go on that?  It....doesn't look 
safe...."
"Aw, c'mon Darien....you're not scared are you?  It's just a roller 
coaster."  
Serena taunted cruelly--for up until fighting the negaverse roller 
coaster's had 
scared the pants off her, but now, facing giant, killer monsters on an 
almost nightly 
basis, they didn't seem like such a big deal anymore.
Darien stumbled nervously aboard.
Serena had never heard Darien scream before....had never imagined he 
had it in 
him...but alas, he very much did.  
"Serena, isn't this thing going a little high?"
"Serena, that loop doesn't mean we're going upside down does it?!"
"Serena!  We're going to die! ahhhhhhhh!"
Serena merely laughed and held onto his arm as though that would do 
anything 
when this rickety machine launched itself off the track and sent them 
plummeting to their deaths, he thought bitterly.
He stumbled off shakily, the girls trailing after him, giggling amongst 
themselves.
Serena caught him up and looped an arm through his again, "Were you 
scared?"
He immediately straightened-though pale-and puffed out his chest, "No!"
She giggled and he couldn't help but enjoy the sound, and the company 
of the 
five lively girls.
It could be debated however, if he really enjoyed the various 
terrifying rides 
they dragged him on.
All the while Serena taking picture after picture.
Darien on the tilt-o-wirl.  Darien with the girls in the haunted house.  
Darien 
winning the biggest stuffed toy at the dart throwing booth--looking 
extremely 
satisfied with himself.  
When they were finally leaving Darien was smiling despite himself.
"You had a good time didn't you?"  Serena enthused, quite proud of 
herself.
He looked at her self satisfied expression and couldn't resist teasing 
her.
"I sure did....Meatball head!'
"MEATBALL HEAD?!!  I TAKE YOU OUT FOR A FUN TIME AT THE 
FAIR AND YOU CALL ME THAT?!!  OHHHHH!"
He broke off in a run and she followed suit.  He would've escaped 
easily except 
that the giant, 6 foot pink bear he'd won hampered his efforts.  He was 
quickly 
winded and then tripped over it somersaulting into a heap, tangled in 
pink stuffed animal.
Serena broke out laughing and was quick with the camera.
SNAP!
Priceless.
"You're a great subject."  She laughed, coming over to help him up.
She offered a hand.  He groaned and took it.
"Wretched bear."  he muttered, glaring at it bitterly.
"Hah!  You've had that coming for a loooong time buddy!  That'll teach 
you to 
make fun of MY hairstyle!"
He rubbed his backside indignantly.  The other girls arrived at this 
moment with 
Rei at the head.
"Ha ha!  I haven't seen anyone klutz out that bad since Meatballhead 
did the 
other day!"
"Hey!" said Serena and Darien in unison.
The other girls just giggled......and so ended day one.....

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I have the beginning and the end written but I need encouragement for 
the inbetween chapters
kay?  hint hint
Here's a bigger hint:  natia_99@yahoo.com  ^_^