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I'm back... hey, why are you running away and screaming? *shrug*  
So I'm a little late, but this is my Christmas story.  So much 
for author's notes, I don't have any to add this time. Props go 
to Sidnei, Sailor Starlite and Sailor Europa for helping me out 
on this, as well as the crew on the smrff list for giving me 
great feedback. ^_^

You know the drill, the usual disclaimer goes here.  This is 
an alternate reality fic, but you probably already knew that. 
Enjoy!


"Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter?  
What greater witness can you have than from God?"



Strangers on a Train
part one
by Sailor Elysia [ely_chan@yahoo.com]
Rating: I'm setting a trend with this G...





	Home.  After being away for what seemed like forever, the 
word was music to her ears.  Funny how you missed something so 
much when you didn't have it.
	Serena checked both her bags into the porter, and walked 
outside onto the platform, her flaxen blonde curls bouncing with every 
step.  Approaching the edge of the cement platform, she stepped into 
the sleek silver bullet of the passenger car, then looked around for a 
seat.  Four plush chairs faced each other, and since the other three 
were still unoccupied, Serena got first dibs.
	Plopping down in one of the seats by the window, she let out a 
sigh of exhaust and excitement. The air in the car was still frosty,
and 
her breath left a patch of ice crystals on the window pane.  She smiled

gently, and with her fingertip, traced a smiley face into the frost, 
then watched in silence as it slowly disappeared.
	Turning away from the window, Serena's thoughts focused on 
the upcoming holiday.  This would be her first trip home since starting

graduate school, and she was as excited as a little child at Christmas 
to see her family again.  Serena missed her family immensely, and 
hopefully the long break would make it seem like she had never left.  
She was especially looking forward to the Christmas shopping with her 
mother.  How ironic it was that just as she moved away, that was when 
she needed her mother the most.
	Sighing again, Serena blew a stray blonde curl out of her face 
and settled back into the cushy chair, preparing for the four hour
trip, 
hoping it would go by fast.  Her eyelids began to droop, and finally 
they closed over her azure eyes, her mind filled with dreams of 
Christmas at home with her family.



	Thirty minutes away on another train platform, a young man 
stood, waiting impatiently for his train to arrive.  A suitcase and a 
laptop case sat at his feet, lightly covered with the dry snow that had

begun to fall in the last hour.
	Darien reached down and brushed the snow away, then 
brushed off his overcoat.  He straightened his dark silk tie and the
rest 
of his expensive suit. The snow continued to fall, and he reached up to

brush it away from his thick black hair, being careful not to mess it 
too much, except for a few stray strands around his face that always 
managed to escape the daily gel and hair spray routine.
	Shaking off the snow from his hands, Darien exhaled softly 
with an air of boredom.  Being a businessman was no longer interesting 
to him, and he only stayed with it because he didn't want to spend the 
time learning anything new.  At 27, Darien thought he would have had 
found a purpose, something meaningful in his life by now, but nothing 
seemed to feel right to him.
	Instead, here he was, stuck doing business for his company 
during the holidays, since he was really the only one still available. 

Unlike the rest of the company, Darien had no place to go for 
Christmas, other than his solitary apartment.  He had no family to 
spend the holidays with, and though he sometimes regretted that fact, 
he never let it show.  Not that it mattered, anyway.  Holidays were not

a high priority on Darien's list, and he regarded them like any other 
day during the year.
	Just then, the silver train pulled up into the crowded station 
and let out a sigh of steam as it came to a stop.  "Finally," Darien 
breathed, as he pushed up his sleeve and glanced at his watch. 
	Grabbing both his cases, he stepped onto the train and 
impatiently looked for an empty seat.  Sitting down in the nearest
aisle 
chair, Darien stashed his suitcase beneath him, and attempted to get 
comfortable.  He took no notice of the dozing blonde sitting kitty-
corner to him as he pulled out his laptop, and turned it on as the
train 
lurched to life again.  This was going to be a long ride.



	Slowly opening her eyes, Serena stirred, softly cursing the 
sharp pain in her neck from sleeping at an odd angle.  Rubbing her 
neck, she glanced out the fogged-up window, and used her sleeve to 
wipe the pane so she could see out.  A glistening white covered the 
entire countryside, as far as she could see.  The grove of pine trees 
hung heavy with piles of snow dragging the branches down low to the 
ground.  They appeared as if they were bowing down to the majestic 
earth, welcoming the Christmas season.
	She was amazed by the beauty of it all, and murmured softly 
to no one in particular, "Isn't it wonderful?  I wish I could go out 
there and make tons of snow angels."  She turned around, and glanced 
at the young man sitting across from her, who seemed to be intent with 
his laptop.  "What do you think, sir?  Isn't it lovely out there?"
	Not even bothering to look up from his computer, Darien let 
out a low grunt in acknowledgment.  Serena was surprised by his 
behavior.  Even for a complete stranger, she would have thought he 
could have at least made eye contact. But it was her nature to not let 
anyone go without one last chance, so she decided to try again.  "Sir, 
just take a look out the window, and I'm sure you'll agree how nice it 
is out there."
	Again, another grunt, followed by, "Snow is snow.  It falls, it 
sits on the ground for a couple of weeks, and then it melts.  Making a 
big deal out of how pretty it looks isn't going to make it stay
longer."
	Serena's mouth dropped open.  How could anyone be so rude?  
She'd met dogs that were nicer than he was!  Usually there was some 
hope for opinionated people like him, but now she wasn't so sure.  She 
blew out her breath in exasperation, and turned back to her own view of

the countryside.  "Maybe you don't deserve to enjoy something so 
beautiful, but you don't have to go and ruin it for the rest of us,"
she 
pouted.
	Darien finally tore himself away from his laptop, and took a 
moment to look up at the young woman who was so adamant about the 
weather.  What he saw was surprising, and caught him off guard.  
	Her profile was rather striking, something he had not expected 
at first.  Her blonde curly hair was tousled slightly, probably because

she had been asleep earlier.  From where he was sitting, he could only 
see part of her eyes, but it was enough for him to tell that they were 
very blue, so blue that he felt himself get lost in their depths even
now.  
His eyes traveled down to her soft, full lips, which were turned down 
into a very pitiful pout.  This, for some reason, felt very wrong to 
Darien.  Something in the back of his mind made him think she should 
be cheerful all the time, and he was beginning to regret that he had
been 
the cause of her bad temperament.
	Setting his laptop on the empty seat beside him, Darien sat up 
and cleared his throat, hoping to get the woman's attention.  "Look,"
he 
began, and almost choked as she turned and faced him fully.  Her 
cerulean eyes were upon him now, and he was finding it very difficult 
to concentrate with her intense gaze upon him.  
	He loosened his necktie slightly, and continued.  "Hey, I'm 
sorry for reacting the way I did earlier.  I was...uh..." he stumbled, 
searching for a legitimate excuse.  "I wasn't paying very much 
attention, and I apologize for my rude behavior."  He held out his hand

to finish his apology.
	Serena skeptically stared at the man now holding his hand out 
to her.  Oh, she knew a polished apology when she heard one, but
this... 
this actually sounded sincere, something she was grateful for, since it

was so hard to find sincere people these days.  Reaching out, she took 
his hand firmly, and with a smile replied, "Apology accepted, Mr..." 
she trailed off.
	Darien wondered briefly if she too had felt the shocking jolt he 
had when he took her hand in his.  Shaking off the strange feeling, he 
answered, "Darien.  Darien Wilkinson.  And you are?"
	Taking her hand from his, Serena glanced at it, wondering 
where that electric jolt had come from, then she looked back at him.  
"Oh, I'm Serena.  Serena Cardon.  It's a pleasure to meet you, Darien."
	"Likewise, Serena.  Likewise."



	"...and the teacher yelled at you instead?" Darien asked 
incredulously.
	"Yes, and it wasn't even my fault!  The kid standing behind 
me had thrown the snowball at her, but I guess it looked like I had
done 
it.  That was the longest time I've ever had to spend in the
principal's 
office," Serena finished, giggling.  
	Somehow after their awkward confrontation, the two strangers 
had begun talking, and nearly three hours later, he had her talking 
about anything and everything.  Darien stared at the flaxen-haired 
beauty sitting across from him.  Never before in his life had he ever
met someone who made him felt so alive.  It was refreshing to hear her 
speak warmly about her home and family, unlike other women he knew 
who he always wished they would shut up even after just one word.
	Serena's voice broke into his thoughts.  "I feel like such a 
clod!  I've been talking about myself nonstop for the last three hours,

and I hardly know a thing about you.  Tell me about yourself, Darien.  
Where is this train ride taking you?"
	Looking away from her gaze, for once in his life, Darien found 
himself nearly speechless.  What was there to say?  There had been no 
funny stories to remember, no happy memories lodged in his mind.  
No, for most of his twenty-seven years, Darien had been alone in every 
sense of the word.  That lifestyle was all he knew, and to pretend 
otherwise would be against his very nature.
	He cleared his throat.  "There's not much to tell, really.  
I'm on my way to a couple of business meetings over the next few days, 
and then I guess I'm headed back to the city after that.  I'm afraid I 
don't have much of an exciting life," he chuckled, trying to lighten
the 
somber mood he had created.
	Serena cocked her head slightly, looking at him curiously.  
"You're working over the holidays?  How terrible!  What about your 
family?  Won't they be missing you?"  Darien's expression froze, and 
Serena immediately knew she had said something wrong.  He licked his 
lips, and spoke softly, barely above a whisper.  "I lost my parents in 
a car accident when I was just a child, and for many years after that, 
I was shuffled around from orphanages and foster homes until I was old 
enough to live on my own and get a decent job.  I've never had a real 
Christmas, not in the orphanages, not with foster families, or on my 
own.  That's just the way it's always been."
	He then noticed that her eyes were shimmering with unshed 
tears.  This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid.  "Please, the
last 
thing I want from anyone is pity.  It happened a long time ago, and I 
had to grow up and get on with my life.  Maybe that's why I'm such a 
grinch now," he said, chuckling again.
	"I don't pity you, Darien," Serena spoke quietly, enough that 
Darien had to lean closer to hear her.  "I feel bad that you never 
experienced a real Christmas as a child, because that's something you 
can never replace." She smiled, attempting to change the subject.  
"What are you going to do with the rest of your time then?"  Shrugging,

Darien replied, "Probably what I do every year.  Go back to my 
apartment, get a fire going in the fireplace, sit back and watch all 
those cheesy Christmas specials they play all night long."
	Serena giggled.  "You watch those too?  And here I thought I 
was the only one left.  I even taped some of them one year so I could 
watch them other times."  His eyes widened, and he laughed.  "I once 
thought about doing that, but never got around to it."
	"Next stop, Sugar Hill!" the conductor called out.  A few 
people in the car began to gather their things,  and Serena was one of 
them.  Darien looked on with considerable sadness; though he had just 
begun to get to know her, he wanted more than that.  Unfortunately, he 
thought, life didn't usually work out the way he wanted.
	As the train slowly came to a jerking stop, Serena pulled on 
her down-filled coat, slung her bag over her shoulder, and turned back 
to look at Darien.  With a soft smile, she reached out and took his
cold 
hand in her warm one.  "I'm glad I got to know you, Darien, and I hope 
that this Christmas will be better than the other ones you've had.  I'm

not going to say goodbye, because you never know when we might see 
each other again."  With one last smile, she walked slowly out of the 
train car, and outside to the station.  
	Darien watched her leave, and for some strange reason, he 
longed to get up and go after her.  'Get a hold of yourself, Darien.  
You just barely met the woman, and you probably won't ever see her
again. 
No use setting yourself up for any more disappointment.'  He picked up 
his neglected laptop, and with a sigh, began to do the little work he
had 
started nearly four hours earlier.
	Just then, a warm hand on his shoulder startled him, and he 
craned his neck around to see who it was.  Serena stood there, her 
cheeks flushed red from the cold wind outside.  "Darien, I just had the

strangest idea, and I can't seem to make it go away." She took a deep 
breath.  "I was wondering, would you like to spend the holidays with 
me and my family?"
	Trying hard to keep his jaw from dropping, Darien stared at 
the petite blonde glancing pleadingly down upon him.  A complete 
stranger ('that's not true anymore, and you know it,' his mind argued 
with him) was inviting him to spend the most special holiday with her? 

There had never been a time in his life that Darien could remember 
anyone inviting him to do anything, especially at this time of the
year.  
He was speechless. "Serena, I... don't know.  I mean, I hardly know 
you, and I feel like I would be intruding--"
	"Oh, don't be silly!  We always have people dropping in 
around the holidays.  Mom loves it when one of us brings someone by."  
He started to protest again.  "But my work, I just can't up and leave
it.  
I have an obligation to fulfill."  Serena realized he was right about 
that, and her lower lip stuck out in a frustrated pout.  Darien didn't 
undertand it, but he found that look of hers absolutely adorable.  
	Then in an act of spontaneity, he shut off his laptop, stuffed 
it back into its case, then looked back at Serena with a silly grin. 
"I 
don't know what I'm doing, but I'm going to accept your invitation.  I 
can check my work schedule later."
	Serena wanted to burst out yelling in joy, but she managed to 
contain herself.  After all, she had no idea where or why she had
gotten 
the thought of inviting Darien along, but it seemed like the right
thing 
to do.  It seemed like the perfect opportunity to show him a real 
Christmas.
	Darien finished packing his things back into his attaché case, 
and followed Serena out of the train and into the station.  "Is your 
family going to meet you here?" he asked from behind.  Without 
looking back, she replied, "Nope.  We don't live too far from here, and

it's also a surprise.  I didn't tell them when I would be arriving."
	"Oh.  Are you sure they won't mind me being there?"  Serena 
laughed, stopped and turned around.  "I told you before, they'll love 
you, and that's just what you need right now."  She took his hand in
her 
gloved one, and gripped it tightly.  "Just trust me on this one."
	He glanced down at their hands clasped together, and said 
nothing, just smiled broadly.  Perhaps this wouldn't be a 
disappointment after all.






Stay tuned for part two! It will be out shortly!
Happy New Year's, minna!

Sailor Elysia
This story copyright December 1999/January 2000
(wow, that feels really weird!)