Romancing the Enemy By Scutter None of these characters are mine. They belong to whatever company/ companies own or made Sailor Moon. This is rated PG This chapter sort of jumps in in the middle of nowhere, and it makes the most sense if read immediately after the prologue. You have been warned. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter 1 The familiar light of her porch was like a gift from Heaven to Serena. It was late. After hours of filling out reports, and making statements, she had finally been allowed to leave, her parents playing no small part in that decision. Lita, too, had had a rough day, and everyone seemed tense and silent. Entering her front door, Serena said a quick good night to her parents, then stumbled wearily up the stairs to her room. She had expected to feel relief, coming back here finally, but instead, she felt a kind of dread. Her room looked . . . normal. The last time she had been here was this morning. Before she went shopping. Before she saw Andrew. Before . . . Serena fell onto her bed, sobbing. They had been cagey at the hospital, refusing to release reports on how he was doing, or even whether he was still alive. she screamed silently to herself. Her mind was a jumble of emotions and confusion, she was sure she would never sleep tonight. But instead, her mind worked in her favour for once, simply refusing to deal with the overload of information, and a few minutes later, it simply shut down. Still clothed, with tear stains still on her cheeks, in the comforting presence of a shaft of moonlight, Serena slept. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A pale mist seemed to rise out of the ground, enveloping his equally white body as he moved. The castle was ahead, its blurred turrets as tall and strong as ever. He looked up the walls, finding the wide balcony at the top with ease. His Princess should be there. She was always there. He listened for her voice, but instead, heard only silence. The mist swirled around him, blurring his vision. Was she there? Was she standing, hidden in the shadows of the mist? Was she there?! "Princess!" He tried to cry out, but the mist swallowed the sound, and he was left only with silence. Cradled in the depths of a coma, Darien moaned. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Turning on the tap fully, Serena actually stuck her face under the running water, allowing its stark coldness to seep into her mind. She had woken only moments ago, but, finding herself still clothed, and very uncomfortable, she knew that the nightmares had been no mere dream. Darien was . . . Serena shook the water out of her eyes and buried her face in a towel. She was determined to get down to the hospital as soon as possible this morning, but visitors weren't allowed in until 9:00. Still, she could be there on the dot. She checked her watch. 7:47. Then she reconsidered. Would he even be working today? After all, he and Darien were pretty close. Maybe he would already be at the hospital. Still, it was worth checking. Nodding to herself, Serena quickly threw on a pair of jeans and sweater, brushed her hair, and twisted it into her 'meatballs' and raced down the stairs. "I'm going to the hospital, Mom! I'll be back this afternoon." Her mother stuck her head around the door of the kitchen. "Serena? Wait a second, young lady." Serena skidded to a halt. "Aren't you going to have any breakfast?" Serena grimaced. "Mom, I really don't want any food right now, okay?" Her mother frowned. "What it is about this Darien boy anyway? I thought you couldn't stand him? Why are you spending the whole day at the hospital all of a sudden?" Serena's jaw dropped. "Mom! He was hit by a car! Just because he teases me doesn't mean I don't care about him." she thought as she ran out the door. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Down at the arcade, Andrew leant on his broom, staring idly out the window. That's what they had said at the hospital last night. It had been very late when he had come out of surgery - Serena and her family had left by then - but the doctors were certain that, had he not been resuscitated when he was, he wouldn't have made it. Suddenly, a commotion at the door caught his attention. "Serena? Are you all right?" "Andrew!" Serena rushed into his arms, while the broom clattered to the floor. He returned her hug warmly. "How is he? Did they tell you? Did you finds out anything? Is he gonna be okay?" It was all said in one long breath. Andrew almost smiled. Same old Serena, despite everything. Still holding the girl, Andrew began, "He came out of surgery at about ten last night. He had internal bleeding and a broken arm, but no head injuries. He's got a lot of bruising as well, and possibly some ligament damage in his right leg." "But he's gonna be okay?" Andrew looked down at her pleading eyes, and had to look away. "Serena . . . he's in a coma. His body suffered a massive shock. They really don't know if he's going to pull through." There were tears in his eyes by the time he finished. Serena pulled away from him then. Andrew winced. "I managed to get most of the morning off work," he said, mainly just to break the silence. "I was going to go and see him later. I finish in about an hour." Serena looked up. "I guess I'll wait for you then. I was going over to the hospital now, but . . . I guess his family must be with him. I wouldn't want to disturb them." Andrew looked confused. "But Darien doesn't have . . . oh, of course! You wouldn't know." Serena looked alarmed. "Know what?" "Serena, sit down." He pulled up a stood, and she perched herself on the edge of it. "Serena, Darien doesn't have a family. He was orphaned when he was just a child. In a car accident." Serena gasped. "He lives alone. He's always been alone. That's why I'm so worried about him now. I think . . . I think you should go and see him now. I'll catch up to you later." Serena's eyes were definitely teary now. "Okay." He voice was small and fragile. "Don't worry, Serena." He pulled her close for another hug. "Everything will be okay." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I told you, he doesn't have any family! I'm his friend, and I want to see him!" "I'll have to verify that, miss," replied the nurse, her bulky face wobbling slightly. "What did you say his name was?" "Chiba. Darien Chiba." The nurse turned to her computer and started typing quickly. Serena gazed hopelessly up the corridor. This was a waste of time. she thought, annoyed. She perked up. Checking that the nurse was still preoccupied, Serena quietly slipped away from the desk, slinking quickly around the corner. Moving at not quite a run, she made the end of the corridor in silence, and slipped around the corner. A lighted sign at the end of the corridor flashed redly - 'Intensive Care'. she thought with a grin. "Chiba, Chiba, Chiba . . ." Serena scanned the names on the doors quickly. He should be here somewhere! Unless he was . . . ! Serena shook her head quickly. Suddenly, a door opened behind her, and she spun around, hoping she wasn't about to get into trouble. But the doctor coming out of the room just gave her a friendly, though somewhat strained smile. "Can I help you, miss?" "Er . . . I was looking for Darien Chiba? He's a patient here." "Well, you've found him." The doctor aimed a thumb at the sign over his shoulder. Serena's eyes lit up. "Are you his family?" She blushed faintly. "Um . . . no, I'm a friend. He doesn't have a family, see, and . . . I told the lady at the front desk." Serena added hopefully. But the doctor nodded. "Well, okay. Er . . . miss?" He stopped her just before she went in the door. Serena froze, trying her best to look innocent. "Have you ever been in a hospital before?" She shook her head. "Well, I think I should warn you . . . Darien's not in real good shape. You might be a bit . . . shocked, at first." Serena nodded. But she didn't want to waste time finding out. She pushed open the door. And froze. One hand flew to cover her mouth, while the other clenched into a tight fist. Fighting for some control, she turned back to the doctor. "Um, thank you. I'll be okay now." The doctor nodded, and closed the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, Serena's legs gave way, and she landed in a heap on the floor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ami sat on the steps of the temple, slowly snapping a twig into tiny pieces. "I know Serena's often late, but Lita too? Surely they haven't *both* forgotten the meeting?" Mina shivered. "I've got a bad feeling about this. Something's not right." Rei sat up. "Do you think they're in trouble?" But Mina shook her head. "It's kind of hard to say. I don't think they're hurt, but . . .I don't know." "Rei! Mina! Ami!" All three girls turned at the shout, jumping to their feet as Lita came racing down the street. She skidded to a halt in front of them, and had to wait several seconds before she had enough breath to talk. "Something's happened. I'm on my way to the hospital now. Maybe you should come as well," she added, as a second thought. "The hospital? Oh no! Has something happened to Serena?" Ami's face was somewhere between devastated and shocked. Lita shook her head. "No, it's not Serena. It's Darien. He was hit by a car." "Darien?!?" Rei had been taking karate classes with Darien for several months, and all the girls had met him through her, as well as Serena. "Is he all right? How did it happen?" Lita held up her hand, still out of breath. "It happened yesterday. Sorry, I didn't have a chance to tell you then. Come on, I'll fill you in on the way." She raced off down the street again, the three scouts in tow. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serena sat on the floor of the hospital room for the better part of five minutes. Handfuls of wires connected Darien to various machines - Serena couldn't begin to guess what they all did. From where she sat, every inch of him seemed to be covered in bandages or casts. But that was not what had shocked her. It was his face. The left half was fairly normal, but the right side . . . the right side was black, covered in bruises and swollen. Serena closed her eyes to try and block out the image, but it flared brightly in the blackness of her mind. she thought angrily. The anger surprised her, and she slowly opened her eyes again, looking over the bed from her vantage point on the floor. Carefully, she climbed to her feet, wincing as she saw his face again, but bravely stepping forward. Looking at his body again, it didn't seem so bad. His right arm was broken, wrapped in a cast, and the places where he had been operated on were obvious, but it wasn't nearly as much as she had thought. Serena relaxed a little, beginning to get over the shock. She pulled a chair up beside his bed, and gingerly lifted his hand into her own. It occurred to her that this was the first time she had really touched him. The thought made her a little uncomfortable. The silence of the room seemed to settle around her as she sat there, sending a chill down her spine. It all seemed so wrong. So upside down. Darien had always been so cool, so in control, so independent. And now, he was lying here, helpless, defenceless. Grief wracked Serena's face as she reached out to stroke his hair. In all the days of teasing and snide remarks, she had never dreamed anything like this could happen. It didn't even occur to her to wonder why she cared so much. A sob escaped her lips, and before she knew it, she was crying desperately into the sheet while she still clung to his hand. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He stared at the castle in disbelief. His Princess had to be there, somewhere. She was always there. Wasn't she? Fear began to spread through him, as he felt more alone than ever before in his life. Then . . . what was that? A voice? He stared up at the turrets again. A shadow appeared out of the mist. The shadow of a woman. He stepped forward. "Princess?" The woman nodded. "Yes, my Prince." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serena stared out the window, idly stroking Darien's hand. Her tears had dried on her cheeks, but her eyes were still puffy. Finally, the silence of the room became too much for her. Her eyes drifted back to his face. "Oh Darien. I'm sorry." It seemed a strange thing to say, but it was the first thing that came to her mind. "I'm sorry this had to happen. I'm sorry I couldn't help you." Her tears were welling up again. "I'm sorry for all the days when I gave you a hard time." She rubbed his hand desperately. "Please don't die, Darien. I miss you. I miss you calling me Meatball Head. Please, just don't die." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Darien stood in the mist, staring up at his Princess. "You must come back, Darien." Though her voice was clear and smooth, and filled him with joy, Darien was confused. "But I have come back, Princess." Then, he noticed that the castle was further away than it had been. It was moving away from him. he realised. <*I* am moving!> He started to run towards the castle. "Princess! I'm coming! Wait for me." "Don't leave me, my Prince." Darien kept running. Her voice sounded so far away! The castle was fading into the mist. "Princess, no! Wait for me!" The mist swirled all around him. He couldn't see anything but white. Realising he was lost, Darien slowed to a walk, and then stopped, slowly looking around himself in fear. He was alone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serena leapt a foot in the air as the heart monitor pulsed out a frantic rhythm. "Darien, NO!" A group of doctors rushed into the room, pressing buttons on the machines, checking the read-outs. One of them gave Darien an injection of something. And all the while, Serena held onto his hand, screaming at him to live. she screamed in her mind. Reaching forward, she placed one hand roughly on his cheek, her fingers locking in his hair. "Don't you *dare* die, Darien Chiba. I won't let you die." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Darien was alone. He closed his eyes, and sank onto the ground. What was left for him now? Without his Princess . . . Then suddenly, he felt a presence beside him. A hand pressed onto his cheek. A voice whispered gentle to him. "Darien. Come back to me." Darien opened his eyes. It was his Princess! He couldn't see her face, it was still hidden in shadow, but there was no doubt, it was her! "Come with me, Darien." She started drifting away from him. "Come with me." He reached for her, but she was just beyond his fingers. But then, she stopped, and held out her hand again. "You can reach me if you want to, Darien. Take my hand." He stared at her, fear and grief chocking his eyes, but slowly, he reached out his hand - and was absolutely stunned when he touched her fingers. She grasped him tightly, and pulled him to his feet. "Come with me." She started to rise before him, and Darien felt himself lifted, pulled upwards by some irresistible force. "I'm coming, my Princess." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "We're his friends. We care about him, that's all!" Rei glowered at the nurse, but unfortunately, she was used to being glowered at. And she was also used to winning arguments. "I'm sorry. We can't let groups of people in to see him. It's standard procedure for intensive care patients." Andrew stepped forward. "My name is Andrew," he said, offering his driver's licence to the nurse as ID. "I was here yesterday with him. Could you just tell me which room he's in." The nurse wobbled her face defensively. "I'm sorry. You'll have to come back when you're alone. We can't let groups of people in . . ." Lita turned to Ami at the back of their group. "I wonder how Serena got in. She must have come up with something devious to get past this lump." Ami stifled a laugh. "Hey, that's not nice. You're right though. Maybe we need to start thinking like Serena. What do you think she did?" Suddenly, a scream broke into their conversation. "Oh my gosh! That man's bleeding! Someone help him!" Rei screamed, pointing out the door. The diversion had the desired effect. All three nurses behind the desk rushed outside, and Rei grabbed the opportunity, pulling her stunned friends down the corridor and around the corner. They kept running until several more turns and doorways were between them and the nurses, then Rei collapsed against the wall, laughing so hard she could barely breath. The others quickly joined her, Lita actually rolling on the floor in hysteria. Finally getting control of themselves, Mina was the first to speak. "Rei, you're crazy! How on earth did you come up with an idea like that?" Rei shrugged through her laughter. "I just thought 'what would Serena do in a situation like this?' The answer was pretty obvious, really. What's so funny?" she asked suddenly, staring at Lita and Ami. The two girls were rolling on the floor, tears of laughter streaming down their faces. "Serena!" was the only word Ami managed to gasp out before she collapsed into laughter again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to leave for a moment." Serena stared at the doctor, disbelieving. "What? Why?" "We have to make sure the patient is stable. You will be able to come back in a few minutes, but I have to insist that you leave." Pulling his way through the mist, Darien's eyes were flooded with light. He heard voices. His Princess's voice, he was sure of it. And another voice, telling her she must leave. Darien heard her reluctantly agree, her voice sad. He forced his eyes open, wincing at the light. He saw the back of her head as she walked away, two buns pinned up, the exact image of the woman in his dreams. He tried to speak, tried to call her back, but he couldn't find his voice. And he could only watch as she retreated through the door, and out of his life again. He fell back again, closing his eyes in pain. Why was he always alone? Then another voice came bellowing into his mind. A male voice. "Darien? Darien Chiba, can you hear me?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serena sat slumped against the wall, her long hair running idly through her fingers. Why was it taking so long? Wait a minute. Was that . . . Lita's voice? Serena stood up, staring down the corridor. Could it be? "Serena!" All four scouts ran full pelt down the hall, falling into a tight group hug, Serena in the middle of it. "Serena, are you okay?" "Lita told us everything." "How's Darien? Is he gonna be okay?" Serena found the whole thing a little overwhelming. Smiling bravely, she started, "I'm okay. I saw Darien this morning. He's with some doctors now. He's . . . he's . . ." A sob broke from Serena's throat, and she collapsed into Ami's arms, unable to continue. Massive sobs shook her, while the others looked on in alarm. He couldn't be . . . could he? Finally, Rei grabbed Serena by the shoulders. "Serena," she said, grief filling her own eyes. "I'm sorry, Serena, but we have to know. Is he . . . alive or . . ." Serena took a deep breath. "He's alive. His heart stopped a couple of minutes ago but," she rushed on, "he's alive. He's okay . . . for now." The scouts and Andrew exchanged horrified glances. Then Andrew did something the scouts thought they would never see him do. He began to cry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That's it for chapter 1. Give me comments at d-boy@intercoast.com.au Remember, I love any and all comments!!!!!