You probably think that I had abandoned this story after so long. It's 
not so, I just had to get my life in order before getting back to this. 
Please accept my apologies. With the upcoming summer, I hope to 
have a regular schedule. Enjoy the following chapter!

Quick note: I've done the impossible; I've created a monster. Yep, you 
heard me. I now have a webpage of my own. Here's the link, just in 
case you're really curious: http://members.tripod.com/ely_chan 
It still needs a lot of work, and html is not one of my specialties. 
o_O
But you can find all the stories I've ever written there. ^^

Disclaimer: just a few minutes more, and I would have closed the 
deal . . . oops. You weren't supposed to hear that. *sweatdrop* Just 
keep reading . . .


Strangers on a Train
Chapter Five
By Sailor Elysia [ely_chan@yahoo.com]
Rating: G, would it be anything else?




	He slept soundly the entire night, dreams going as quickly as 
they came. Sometime after the break of dawn, Darien rolled over and 
glanced at the digital clock on the small wooden nightstand. Instantly, 
he knew that it was way too early to get out of bed, even for a 
Christmas morning. Pulling the covers tightly around his body, he 
closed his eyes again, thinking he'd get at least another hour or two 
of 
sleep.
	THUD! In a flurry of blankets, sheets and pillows, Darien 
bolted awake as he fell out of the bed and onto the floor. He shook his 
head and rubbed his eyes, wondering briefly how he had gotten there. 
He glanced at the alarm clock again and found that only a half-hour had 
passed since he last looked at it. So much for sleeping in.
	A fit of giggles suddenly came from the other side of the bed, 
and Darien sat up on his knees, knowing very well who had pushed 
him. Looking up over the edge of the bed, he noticed Serena--still clad 
in her flannel pajamas--was laying on her side, trying to hold in her 
laughter.
	"I don't see what's so funny," he remarked dryly, yanking the 
blankets and sheets from around him so he could move and sit back up 
on the bed. "What's the big deal, anyway?" She smiled sheepishly, 
then leaned in close, batting her eyelashes. "Tradition, my dear 
Darien. 
I told you so last night."
	Still grumpy from being awakened so abruptly, he replied, 
"Well, you didn't have to push me off the bed, did you?"
	"You wouldn't wake up any other way, so I had to resort to 
more 'physical matters,' you might say," Serena giggled again. "Now 
are you going to get up or not?"
	He glanced at her and grinned. "I suppose so," but as she went 
to get off the bed, he suddenly lunged for Serena and pinned her down. 
Surprised by his sudden action, she looked up at him with wide eyes. 
"What are you doing?"
	Darien grinned even harder. "How does the saying go? 'What 
goes around comes around?'" His hands jumped down to her sides, and 
he began to tickle her. Serena howled in protest, and she tried 
desperately to push his hands away. "No! Anything but that! Please 
stop!" she said between laughs.
	"Say it," he said, still tickling her. "All right, mercy! Mercy!" 
Serena wailed, finally pushing his hands away. As she caught her 
breath, he stared down at her with a smile on his face. Catching his 
gaze, she looked back at Darien. "What?"
	He shook his head. "Nothing. I just like looking at you." She 
blushed deeply. "Even this early in the morning?" He inched closer and 
smiled again. "Especially in the morning," he responded, and leaned in 
to kiss her.
	"Serena? Are you awake yet?" Annie called loudly up the 
stairs, shattering the moment. Blushing, the two of them pulled away 
quickly, trying to deny that the previous moment had even happened. 
Serena slid off the bed, and opened the door. "C'mon," she said to 
Darien, reaching for his hand, "We don't want to miss out on 
everything." He smiled, took her hand in his, and gave it a quick 
squeeze.



	The rest of the morning passed quickly, with the entire family 
gathering in the living room like before. Baby Miriam was in her 
mother's lap, cooing away and gumming on her hand, while Ricky and 
Sid sat on the floor, excited to be spending their first Christmas 
together with the family.
	Serena and Darien sat in the loveseat again, closer to each 
other this time, but no one seemed to notice the difference. Darien 
kept 
his gaze on Serena as she opened her gifts and talked to her family. 
One 
of his hands was draped on the back of the couch, so that it was almost 
around her shoulders, while the other clutched the stocking Serena had 
given him the night before. He was surprised to find it overflowing 
with little trinkets and treats, but decided it was probably another 
one of 
her family's traditions.
	He focused his gaze on her eyes, watching them the entire 
time. He loved how they lit up and sparkled when she was happy or 
excited, and other times when she was deep in thought, they seemed to 
be pools of deep blue, almost the same color of the ocean at low tide. 
He watched her laugh at a joke that Tal made, and how her smile 
tugged at the corners of her mouth.
	It was at that moment that he realized his life had changed all 
by one simple act of a beautiful young woman. Darien couldn't fathom 
the emotions raging inside him, all he knew was that he didn't want to 
return to the life he knew before Serena.
	His hand slid off his stocking and down to where Serena's 
hand rested on the sofa. Taking her hand in his, he squeezed it gently 
and intertwined his fingers with hers. She looked at him with widened 
eyes, but then her features softened and she returned the gesture.
	Annie called out from the other room. "Serena, I need your 
help for a moment." Smiling at Darien, she got up and went into the 
kitchen to help her mother. He stared after her for a moment, lost in 
his 
own thoughts.
	"Brunch is ready," Serena called out brightly from the kitchen 
doorway a few minutes later. At the mention of Annie's cooking, 
everyone rushed into the kitchen. Rick and Darien were the last two to 
get up. He took Darien aside and stared at him. "You like my little 
sister, don't you?" Darien nodded slightly. Rick searched his eyes for 
a 
moment, then smiled. "I know you'll make her happy." Darien breathed 
a sigh of relief as Rick walked into the other room. It was a nice 
feeling 
to be accepted.



	Serena dipped her hands into the soapy lukewarm water, 
rinsing off the last of the dishes from brunch. Everyone else had 
quieted down for the afternoon, going their separate ways to organize 
gifts or take naps. She enjoyed her quiet time alone, even if it wasn't 
very often.
	Two warm hands slipped around her waist, making her jump 
and dropping the plate back into the water.
	"Hi."
	"Hi yourself," she replied, picking the plate up again and 
scrubbing it. "What have you been up to?"
	Darien frowned momentarily, which Serena didn't notice. He 
picked up a dish cloth and began drying the dishes she had just 
finished 
rinsing. "No good as usual," he replied, trying to make her smile.
	"That I believe," she said, and rinsed off the last plate. He took 
it from her and dried it swiftly without saying another word. She 
suddenly grabbed his hand and looked up at him, catching him off 
guard. "Is there something wrong? You don't seem yourself."
	Darien sighed. She really could read him, more than anyone 
else ever could. "I have something to tell you." He motioned with his 
head. "Can we go outside?"
	"Sure, just let me get my jacket." Serena looked at him in 
confusion,  then reached for her windbreaker from the coat rack. They 
walked out onto the wrap-around porch; Darien oddly silent.
	He sighed again, his breath making a cloud in the frosty air. "I 
got a phone call about an hour ago from my company. Seems there's a 
big project they're working on for the New Year, and . . ."
	". . . and they need you to work on it," Serena finished for 
him, letting out a deep breath. Darien nodded somberly. "They want me 
back by tomorrow afternoon. I didn't want to go back so soon, but 
I couldn't object to it."
	She bit her lip and turned away from him. The churning 
emotions were too much for her to handle, and the tears began to fall.
	"Please, don't cry. I never wanted to make you cry," he 
murmured, sliding his arms around her waist. She leaned back in his 
strong embrace, sobs racking her body. He only held her tighter, and 
they silently stood in the winter twilight.
	Serena stopped crying, and turned around in his arms, laying 
her head on his chest. "I'm going to miss you, more than I've ever 
missed anyone before." He chuckled deeply. "That's a good thing, 
right?" She wiped her tearstained face and smiled faintly. "Of course 
it's a good thing. It's been wonderful having you here."
	"I was going to say the same thing. In just a few days, I've felt 
and probably shown more emotion than I ever have in my entire life. 
Everyone at the office is going to wonder what happened to me. And I 
have you to thank for it."
	She laughed softly. "Sure, I'm going to be held responsible for 
your co-workers checking you into the hospital. When does your train 
leave?"
	Darien sighed. "Seven o'clock tomorrow morning."
	"I'm coming to see you off, of course."
	He laughed. "I thought it was impossible for you to get up that 
early without motivation."
	Serena placed her hands on her hips and grinned. "Hey, 
anything is possible if I put my mind to it. Besides, this is 
important." 
Then she placed her hand in his again. "You will write to me, won't 
you?"
	He cupped a hand under her chin, and gazed at her fondly. "Of 
course. And you have to promise that you'll come see me when you get 
back into town."
	Her eyes lit up. "Oh, that would be so much fun! I'll stop by 
one day and surprise you."
	Smiling down on the blonde-haired pixie who had done so 
much to change his life, Darien replied, "Wonderful. Then I look 
forward to the day when you'll be standing in my office door, smiling 
brightly and looking just as you are now." He slid his arms around her 
waist again. "Let's not say goodbye yet. We'll save that for tomorrow."
	She reveled the feeling of being held tenderly by him. It was 
comforting. "Let's not say goodbye at all," she murmured softly. 
"Good-byes are for people we don't want to see again," she said, 
quoting one of her favorite plays.
	They walked back inside the warm house, arms around each 
other, dreading the tomorrow that would soon separate them.



	Two lone figures stood on the Sugar Hill train platform in the 
early morning, waiting for the 7 o'clock train to arrive. Serena and 
Darien were grateful to be alone; they hadn't had much time to 
themselves last night after the family found out he was leaving.
	"Be sure to tell your mother thank you for me," Darien said, 
checking over his baggage one last time to make sure he hadn't 
forgotten anything.
	"I think you told her enough yourself last night. What was it, 
ten or twenty times? I finally had to pull you out of the kitchen so 
she 
could get something done. I'm surprised you didn't kiss her feet while 
you were at it."
	Darien pulled a face. "I wasn't that bad."
	"You came close."
	The train approached from the east and pulled into the station, 
letting out a burst of steam. Serena knew it was time to let go, but 
she 
couldn't help herself. She threw herself into Darien's arms and hugged 
him tightly. "I don't think I can let you go. Can't you just call in 
sick?"
	His arms surrounded her. "I honestly wish I could. I wish I 
could just take you with me now and avoid this whole goodbye 
business."
	Serena's blue eyes were swimming with tears, and she wiped 
them away hastily before she lost it completely.
	"When are you going back to school?" His question caught 
her off guard.
	"Sometime at the end of next week. It's going to be a semester 
full of essays, research and dissertations for me. I'm trying to get my 
bachelor's of English in one year instead of two."
	He smiled down at her, and slid an arm around her waist. "I 
hope you can get away from it at least once." He buried his face in her 
wild mane of curls and inhaled deeply. He loved the faint lilac smell 
of 
her hair. "Oh, Serena, I don't know how anyone could help not loving 
you," he murmured.
	She looked up at him with widened eyes. "What did you say?"
	Darien blushed immediately. He hadn't meant for it to come 
out that way. "I . . . said . . . your hair smells good."
	"That's not what I heard. What did you really say?" Serena 
prodded.
	"Last call! All aboard!" The conductor yelled over the noisy 
train. Darien reluctantly stepped away from Serena, and picked up his 
luggage. "If I don't go now, I'll miss my meetings. Please come and 
see me when you can, Serena." He leaned over and gently kissed her 
cheek, then got on the train as it began to pull out of the station.
	Serena continued to stare after the train as it disappeared into 
the distance. She had a faint idea of what he had said, but wasn't sure 
if 
she could believe it. She wished she could jump on the train with him, 
but it just wasn't possible. Instead she began thinking of what she 
would write in her first letter to Darien.





=====
Are you still with me? Wow, you are dedicated. ^^ Not as much waff in 
this chapter as some people would like (Aie! Starlite! Don't come after 
me!) but it's being saved up for the next and most likely the last 
chapter. Funny how my Christmas story turned out to last way past the 
season, but I am the procrastinator of the year, after all. ^_^
	Please visit my page, and tell me what you think of this story 
and all the others that are posted there. Feedback is a girl's best 
friend!

De wa matta!
Sailor Elysia [ely_chan@yahoo.com]