A Trap for A Truce:  Chapter 7:  The Silver Ball
AN:  Hey Minna!  Here I am again, gotta finish this fic....almost done!!
Rated: G
Disclaimer:  I'm running out of ideas for these.....uhhh....hmmm...errr....

Thanks:  Thanks to all the beautiful sites that post me!!

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Spa/4410
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Lights/3406
http://www.eternalprincess.com

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Darien woke to find Serena already gone.  He threw on his jogging 
clothes and went for a late
jog, then showered, dressed and went in search of her.
Not in the dining hall, not at the pool....He began to worry....
Tonight was the silver ball, she could be helping out, but for her to 
be up earlier than him?He ran into Jenkins.
"Hey Jenkins!  Have you seen Serena anywhere?  I can't find her."
Jenkins hid his amusement and smiled innocently, "She's helping in the 
preparations for the ball Mr. Chiba."
He breathed an obvious sigh of relief, "I thought so.  Where is she?  
I'll go help too!"
Jenkins shook his head, "I'm not sure which specific activity she's 
involved in.  I spoke withher earlier but she didn't mention it."
This was a lie.  Serena was practicing and had begged Jenkins to keep 
Darien from finding her.
Darien frowned again, "Well, I guess I'll just go to each of them till 
I find her.  ThanksJenkins!"
And he trotted off, leaving a still-amused Jenkins to shake his head.  
Of course Darien never did find Serena.  The first activity he got to 
he ended up helping out
for the entire morning and afternoon.  He tried to leave graciously but 
his height made himinvaluable.  
Finally the decorating and set up were done and Darien was free to 
search her out.  He was
completely frustrated, their last day together and they hadn't seen 
each other YET.  And this
was supposed to be the day that he made up for all his past faults!
He checked every room but she seemed to have vanished.  Finally he 
headed dejectedly back to
the room, hoping she'd be there getting ready.  But when he got there 
he found she'd been
and gone.  There was a note on the bed and the outfit she'd picked out 
for him that day they'dgone shopping was laid out for him. 
"Sorry I haven't seen you all day.  I'll meet you at the ball.  I don't 
want you to see me tillthen!  Wear the outfit I got ya kay?  Serena  :)  "
He read it again curiously.  ~Why wouldn't she want me to see her till tonight?~
He shrugged and changed, touched up his appearance and left, prepared 
to dazzle her.  But tonight it was Serena who would be dazzling.  
He walked into the ball.  There were silver balloons, streamers, 
candles, tables, and 
people everywhere.  Laughing, drinking, dancing.....the stage was set 
up and the ship's bandplayed some delightful old tunes.  
Darien had a strange flashback to the masquerade.  He searched through 
the crowd for her but once again, she was no where to be found.  
For a solid hour he covered every inch of the room to no avail.  He was 
utterly enraged by the time Jenkins stood on the stage and stopped the music.
"As some of you may know, we are also hosting a talent night tonight.  
Different guests on 
board will showcase their talent for you!  First up we have two ladies 
playing celloand flute...."
Darien watched wearily, his eyes still searching for Serena.
Serena meanwhile, stood back stage shaking like a leaf.  
~I can't do this!  I can't do this!  I can't do this!~  She thought miserably.
~Oh WHY did I ever hatch this stupid idea in the first place??  I'm 
going to make a fool of myself!~
Just then, the two women who were up first came back, their act was 
done.  They were the same
two women who'd laughed at Serena that first day in the dining hall, 
and at the tennis game...
She flushed with embarrassment, expecting some snide comment.  But 
they'd heard her practicing,and surprised her by rushing over with flowers.
"Hey, good luck okay?"  They said softly, pinning the flowers in her 
hair and pushing her outthe door.Her eyes widened, ~Hey, they were nice to me!~
It was just the boost she needed.  She stepped out on stage and was 
greeted with polite applause.
"Thank you."  She said softy into the microphone, "This is a song I 
co-wrote with someone..."
She searched the crowd until she spotted him, to one side, staring at 
her in disbelief."...only he doesn't know it yet..." 
The crowd laughed lightly.  Darien was frozen in place.  Again.
Serena stood onstage, flowers in her long hair, the blue dress....the 
only thing he'd picked out
for her when they shopped that day.....all different shades of blue, 
wrapped around and tied 
over one shoulder....how could she be so absolutely stunning again and again?
She sat down at the piano, the microphone tilted over to accommodate 
her and began to play...
~Serena can play piano???~  Darien's mind managed to ask, the rest of 
him was enraptured,
hypnotized by her....and then she sang...and the words...his heart 
stopped, his breath stopped,time stopped...."Reach for me
Oh your fathomless blue, eyesI'm drowning in the,  drowning in the flood.
And if loveIs this aching in my heartI'll reach for you anyway.
I've faltered fear,I've seen the truthI've captured loveIt's inside, you."
~I wrote those!  How did she???  What the??  Huh??~  His thoughts were 
spinning carelessly...
Her beautiful voice....the beautiful song....the poem he'd 
written...about his dreams, about
the princess....about Sailormoon??....and recently...that bit about Serena....
"Keep for meSecret memory of our loveIn the silvery moonlight
Golden it showers downEverytime I, dream, of you.And if love
Is this pull I feel to find youMy soul's reached yours anyway.I've faltered fear
I've seen the truthI've captured loveIt's inside, you."
He listened to the words he'd written late, late in the night...back 
home...and waited to
see if she'd used the ones he'd added here, on the cruise...about her... she did
"And in dreamsAched familiarI never knew love could be so sweetAnd In dreams
I rememberBut I never knew love could be so sweet."
She finished and stood, the audience cheered and whistled and 
applauded.  She took her bow and 
descended into the audience, her eyes never leaving his, looking 
apprehensive and almostapologetic? 
He was to her in seconds...less than seconds...a heartbeat..."Serena...."
"Oh I'm so sorry!  I hope you're not mad!""How did you..???"
"I-I found it in your book--I swear it was the only thing I read!  I 
really loved it so I
copied it into my sketchbook!  And then when I heard about the talent 
night I thought I'd try
and make it into a song to surprise you.  I-I snuck away and practiced 
and-and I repeated oneparagraph for the chorus....I hope you don't mind..."
He stared at her in amazement, "I can't believe you did all that!  It 
was...it was beautiful."Her head shot up to meet his eyes then, "You liked it?"
"Serena it was absolutely amazing!  I-I don't know what to say!"
"I'm just glad you're not mad!""Of course not.  But...why?  Why did you do it?"
"Well, the words were so beautiful....I just...I wanted to find out 
something about
you....you're so mysterious sometimes...and those words were like 
catching a glimpse of you..
so I wanted to do something with them....something to reach you the way 
they reached me..."
He watched her face incredulously.  She sounded so much older and wiser 
at that moment.It was overwhelming...the way she was...
They danced after that...all night....Serena never strayed to the 
dessert table....for once oblivious to food....
Darien leaned down cheek to cheek with her, "You did reach me.  You 
already reached me.  All
week.  It's been amazing getting to know you....Serena...Sailormoon..."
She smiled, "Thanks.  You know.  That outfit I picked out looks pretty 
good."  She gave hima proud, self satisfied smile.
"Not as good as that dress looks on you."She blushed, "Thanks."
He held her close as the dance continued.  Tomorrow they'd be going 
home.....but tonight.....tonight...
"Serena, I..."  He couldn't find the words.  There was too much to say.  
Serena pulled back and looked up at him, "What is it?"  She asked 
nervously, her pale facetrying to hide the tremble of her lips suddenly.
He looked sorrowfully into her eyes a moment, "I, I wanted to make up 
for everything tonight.
I wanted to make you forget every bad thing I ever said and did...every 
time I didn't get there
fast enough when you were in trouble...everytime I walked away after a 
battle and left youwondering....but I don't know how."
She smiled, "But you already have. Every moment his week!  Everytime 
you trusted me and laughed
with me!  Every second has been wonderful!  I've forgotten already, 
besides, I forgave you that first time you apologized."
"But that's not just it."  He said softly, "I, I want you to know how 
wonderful it's been to know
you....how I..."  How could he describe the feeling?  Knowing when she 
was in trouble?  Searching
endlessly in his dreams, as his alter identity....and now?  Now he felt 
as though he'd found her,
just like at the masquerade.....the masquerade...that feeling...
"I feel like I've found you..."  He said softly, drawing her closer, 
touching her cheek with
his as he whispered in her ear, "And I've been searching all my 
life.....for you..."
Her eyes widened, "I-I feel the same way too sometimes....like I've known you
before....especially Tuxedo Mask.....what do you suppose it means?"
He pulled back just far enough to look at her, "I don't know....but..."
He trailed off as he leaned in to kiss her and she closed her eyes, 
thinking of his voice
when he said, "You make a great pretend girlfriend."  and they way he'd 
held her hand
to keep up the pretense..all the gestures and words to make it seem 
like they were a couple......was this just another one?  
But she didn't refuse it.  Couldn't.  Her mind might be screaming no, 
but her heart was 
screaming something else entirely.  Two words over and over, ~at last...~
At last.  As though she'd been waiting much longer than six days, or 
the three or four monthsshe'd known him.......how could that be?
And how could this wonderful sensation of his mouth moving over her own 
seem familiar?  Even if they'd
kissed briefly at the masquerade, this overwhelming deja vu ran so much 
deeper.....
She wrapped her arms around his neck and murmured incoherently as the 
last of her thoughts
tangled and dispelled, and all there was in the world was the sensation 
of Darien's warm warmbody, and his lips so soft on her own.
Darien hadn't managed to grasp a single intelligent thought since the 
first moment and only
knew he never wanted to let go...that the spell would be broken if he did.....
Midnight struck and thousands of silver stars were released over the 
room, trailing through the 
air into the crowd.  Serena and Darien never noticed.  Willed the magic 
to continue.  For the kiss had been inevitable, but so was the ending.....
Finally though, they did pull apart.  Dazed, blissful, still 
enraptured.  Serena turned pale,
wide blue eyes on his and he opened his mouth to speak but she silenced 
him with her fingers.
"Don't."  She begged, not wanting to spoil it so soon with the truth.  
That this was all pretend.That he hadn't really meant it.  
So Darien choked back the words 'I love you' that burned in him to be 
spoken, fearing she could
read them in his eyes and didn't want to hear them....didn't love him back....
But he held her tight, aching to savor the moment....aching to never wake up...
They were the last couple to leave, walking desolately through the 
room, silver streamers
and balloons and stars scattering in their wake.  They crept back to 
their room and packed their bags silently.  
One night of romance was all they believed they could have.  It WAS all 
pretend afterall right?
But both were heavy hearted when they climbed into couch and bed to 
sleep.  The fairy tale wasover and reality was waiting at home.
The reality of an empty apartment without love.  The call of duty in 
every battle.
The reality of being leader and warrior, of being a mere school girl 
and not someone's dreamlover.
The cruise was over and so was this absolutely perfect, pretend romance.
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sniff sniff, isn't that awful?   *dodges burning glares of readers*  WHAT??
You didn't think I'd get them together on the CRUISE did you?  tsk tsk, 
silly minna.  You haveto wait till NEXT chapter!  ;)
p.s.  The song was mine la dee da dee da.  I wrote the lyrics and it's 
really a song!  *hee*
Hope ya liked...it was of course inspired by Sailormoon! ^_~