| Title : Love Boat Chapter : One Author : Alexia-Chan Stalk Her? : «email» alexiachan@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : Serena is thrilled when she wins two tickets on the Millenium Cruise free! But after talking to all her closest friends, she realizes one miniscule problem. She doesn't have anyone to go with! Well... maybe there's one last resort... * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = ~Serena~ I put down the phone, dazed. I couldn't believe I had won! I never won anything in my entire life. I guess today was my lucky day! I raced down the stairs and into the living room where my mom was seated on the couch watching TV and knitting dad a knew scarf. "Guess what, guess what!" I gleefully exclaimed. Ilene laughed and said,"What?" "PamelajustcalledandshesaidthatIwontwoticketstoaChristmas/Millennium CruisethatleavesDecember20andcomesbackJanuary5!Isn'tthatthecoolest??" I exclaimed. Hmm...I wonder if mom understood any of that! "Wow Serena! That's great! Who are you going to take with you?"Ilene asked. My face fell. Crap, I hadn't thought of that. How can I take one of my friends without making the others feel bad? I think I'll ask Molly first since I've know her the longest and I *have* been neglecting her lately. "Well, I think I'm going to ask Molly first, and if she can't go, then I'll have to figure something else out." "Ok, Serena. But remember, I'm not letting you go unless you have someone go with you. I don't want you on a cruise ship all by yourself. I'd be more than happy to go along, but you know how your Aunt Sandy can be. I promised her we'd go there for Christmas and New Year's last year, and she's just flip if I told her we weren't going. She's not going to be too happy that you're not going to be there, but oh well, the Millenium is a once in a lifetime experience." I smiled and said,"Thanks mom! You'll have to send Aunt Sandy my regards! I'm gonna go call Molly now before she can make any plans!" I ran back upstairs and dialed Molly's number. "Hello?" Molly's New York accent greeted me. It amazed me that a girl from Juuban, Tokyo could sound like she was from New York. Oh well! "Hey Mol! This is Serena! You'll never believe what happened to me today!" I said, still excited about winning. "What??" Molly asked. "I won two tickets to a Christmas/Millennium Cruise! I wanted to know if you'd like to go with me." "That's great Serena! But I can't go!!! I'm going to my grandma's house this year, remember? I was telling you all about it at schoolyesterday." "Oh yeah, I remember now! That's too bad you can't go with me!! I really wanted you to go!" "I'm sorry Serena!!" "That's ok, Molly. I'll bring you back something nice, I promise!! Hey, have fun at your grandma's house. Tell her I say hi!" "Ok, I will!! You have fun, too! Don't get too sea sick!!" "Hehe! Ok Mol! I won't! Bye!!" "Later Serena!" I sighed and hung up the phone. One down, four to go. Now what am I going to do? I don't want to make the scouts jealous of each other! Before I called anyone else, I went into my room to talk to Luna. "Luna! I don't know what do to with my other ticket! I don't know who to ask, and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings! I wish I would have one five tickets, then my whole problem would be solved." Igriped. "Why don't you take me?" Luna asked, grinning. "Luuuunnnaaa!! You're not being much help!" I whined. Luna laughed and said,"Sorry, Serena, but I haven't got any ideaseither!" "Great, just great! I have to decide who I want to take, but if only it were that easy! Maybe I should ask Raye. It would give us a chance to start over again. Then we would get in as many fights! Yeah!" I walked out into the hall and picked up the phone. I dialed Raye's number and waited for someone to pick up. "Cherry Hill Temple. Raye Hino speaking." "Hey Raye this is Serena!" "Hey, what's up?" "Well, I won two tickets for a Christmas/Millennium Cruise and I wanted to know if you would go with me." "This sucks! I have to go to see my dad in Hiroshima this year! I don't want to go but he and grandpa are making me. He says he hardly gets to see me anymore, so he wants to spend more time with me. I'd love to go, but I just can't!" "Oh, ok. I'll bring you back something cool, I promise! Have fun visiting your dad!" "I'll try to. I really never talk to him, so maybe this will be a good thing! Have fun on your cruise! Try asking Amy, Lita, or Mina." "I hope I can find someone to go with, because if I can't, my mom said I wasn't allowed to go!" "I know you'll find someone who'll go! I gotta go, grandpa needs help ironing some robes, so I'll see you tomorrow at the temple! Try not to be late!" "I'll try!! Bye!" "Later!" I sighed and hung up the phone again. I decided I should try the others now, too. I picked the phone back up and dialed Mina's number. "Hello?" "Hey Mina! This is Serena." "Hey girl! What's up?" "Well, I won two tickets to a Christmas/Millennium Cruise and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me." "That's super! But I can't go!! I'm going on a ski trip with my parents. They've been promising to take to me to the Alps for a long time and they finally decided to do it now!" "Oh! That sounds like you're gonna have a wicked cool time! I promise I'll bring you back something super from the ship! Maybe some pictures of the hot crewmen!" "Hehe!! That sounds great!! I gotta go, mom's taking me to get some new ski wear! I'll see you tomorrow at the scout meeting!" "Ok! Later girl!" "Bye!" I hung up the phone and sighed yet again. This was starting to suck. I only had two friends left! I picked up the phone and dialed Lita's number. I might as well get it over with! "Hello?" "Hey Lita! Serena here." "Oh, hey! What's up?" "Well, I won two tickets to a Christmas/Millennium Cruise and I'm hoping you don't already have plans so you can go with me!" "Oh! That's really cool!" "So you can go???" "Well, no. Sorry!! I'm going to Ken's house to spend the holidays with he and his family. He felt bad that I would be spending the Millennium alone, so he invited me to his house." "That's great Lita! Well, I'll bring you back something cool from my trip. Have a good time with Ken!" "I will! You have a fun time too! I gotta go make dinner now! I'll see you at the scout meeting tomorrow!" "OK! Later!" "Bye!!" I sighed and hung up the phone. I was beginning to see a pattern... I only had one more phone call to make and then I was done. I couldn't go! Man, those tickets would all go to waste! Unless...what if Andrew could go? I know mom would let me take him cause I'm always telling her how he always saves me from that jerk, that loser, that hunk and his comments. What a minute, how did hunk get in there?? Well, I guess it's true, he is pretty good looking when he isn't making fun of me! He would be my last resort. Imagine, spending three weeks with that guy! Smiling goofily, I picked up the phone and dialed Amy'snumber. "Anderson residence." "Hey Ames. It's Serena." "Hi Serena. What's up?" "Well, I won two tickets to a Christmas/Millennium Cruise and I'm hoping upon hope you can go with me!" "Serena! Don't you remember?" "Remember what?" "I'm going to that doctor's conference in Germany with my mother!" I smacked myself on the forehead. D'oh! "Oh yeah!! I can't believe I forgot! You're leaving tomorrow after the scout meeting, right?" "You got it." "This sucks royally Ames." "What does?" "I haven't found anyone to go with me on the cruise, so no I can't go. My mom told me that I couldn't go unless I had someone to go with me. I called everyone I could think of and they all have plans already! I really wanted to go, too. I guess I could sell my tickets..." "No! Don't to that! I'm sure you'll find someone to go with! What about Andrew or Darien?" "Well, Andrew I wouldn't mind going with, but he has a girlfriend, remember? I'm sure he's gonna be spending time with her over the holiday. And I really don't want to say anything about it to Darien cause I'm sure he'll find someway to make fun of me about it! He'll probably tell me that I don't have any friends or something. Face it, I'm not gonna be able to go!" "You never know, Serena. Maybe if you ask Darien, he'll say go. I don't think he has anyone to stay with for the holidays, so he might want to go just for something special to do for the Millenium." "I don't know, Ames. I could try asking him, I guess. I mean, what can it hurt? He can only say no and make fun of me, I guess." "You should call him and see what he says. That would be better than confronting him face to face." "But, if I just walk up to him and ask him, I have a lesser chance of rejection because that way he can't say no without watching me cry. And besides, I don't have his number!" "Oh, ok then. You should talk to him tomorrow at the arcade after the meeting. Don't take anyone with you though, that might make him feel intimidated. Good luck! I have to go finish packing. Have fun on yourcruise!" "I hope I get to go! Have fun on your trip! I'll bring you back a souviner! See ya at tomorrow's meeting!" "Goodbye Serena!" I hung up the phone with a renewed hope. Maybe Darien would go with me on the cruise! That would be just great!! I walked back into my room, where Luna was perched on my bed. "Well, how did it go?" she asked as I walked over to my bed and satdown. "Not so good. Everyone is doing something already, so they can't go wtih me!" I lamented. "That's too bad. What are you going to do?" "Amy suggested asking Darien to go with me, but I don't know yet. I mean, he's always so mean to me, so I doubt he'll go." "You mean the tall, dark-haired, good looking guy who saved me fromthat truck?" "Yeah, him. But I don't know if he's *that* good looking!" "Oh well, you never know, he might just go with you!" "I hope so, cause if I don't find someone, you know what thatmeans..." "What?" "We'll be going to Aunt Sandy's house!" Luna shuddered and said, "No, no! I don't want to go there! Your stupid cousins pull my tail!" "I don't want to go any more than you do, Luna. That way, if I go, I'm sure I can arrange so you can go, too. I don't want to put you through that, especially if I'm not there to enjoy it!" "Hey!!" Luna exclaimed. "I resent that!" She put on her meanest looking face, but failed to look too scary when she started breaking out in laughter. I joined in and we laughed hysterically until our sides hurt and tears were rolling down our cheeks. "I think I'm going to turn in. All that laughing made me tired!" I said, yawning. I walked into the bathroom, brushed by teeth and came back in my room. I changed into my flannel pink pjs and crawled under the covers of my bed carefully, so I didn't wake Luna up. I made sure that my alarm was set, not that it mattered, I wouldn't get up on time anyway! I fell asleep, dreaming of how I was going to ask Darien go towith me. <the next day> ~Darien~ I glanced over at my clock and stifled a yawn. My alarm was about to ring, and I hadn't gotten much sleep, as usual. The beautiful golden princess has been flooding my dreams, making it difficult for me to sleep for a long period of time. I quickly shut of my alarm, moments before it started to ring. I wasn't in the mood to hear it right now. I got out of bed and walked over to my balcony and peered out the window. It had snowed last night, and the ground was covered with a dusting of power. Another Christmas spent home alone, reading and watching TV, every year the same thing. Sure, Andrew invites me to his house every year, but I always turn his invitation down. The idea of being with a happy, loving family doesn't sit too well with me. I get along just fine, not doing anything. Maybe I'll get a tree this year, nah, I don't want too much Christmas spirit around here. Well, I best get ready, I promised Andrew I'd visit him at the aracde today. He said he had something to talk to me about. I'm sure it's about spending Christmas with him. Oh well... An hour later I was on my way to the arcade. I walked through the sliding glass doors and saw Serena at the counter talking to Andrew. "...and you see, I don't have anyone to go with now, because all of my friends already have plans! Do you know what I can do??" I heard her say to Andrew. "Hey Andrew, hey Meatball head!" I said, as cheerfully as I could, but it didn't sound too cheerful at all. "Since you sound down Darien, I'm gonna let that Meatball Head slide, just once. What's wrong?" Serena asked, concerned. She was actually worried about my well-being. Could it mean...nah... "Nothing, I'm fine, Serena," I replied, lying through my teeth. "Are you sure Darien? You don't look fine," She said, concern still showing on her face. I looked into her beautiful blue eyes and I realized that this girl was genuinely concerned about me, so I might as well tell her what's bugging me. "I'm just not in the Christmas spirt, I guess." ~Serena~ How could a person not be in the Christmas spirit?! Before I had time to think about what I was saying, I heard myself say, "Hey Darien, I won two tickets to a Christmas/Millennium Cruise and I don't have anyone to go with, so would you like to go?" I felt my face redden. I don't believe I just said that! It's not like I *didn't* want to go with him, I'd love to spend 3 weeks with Darien! Jeez, he's gonna think I like him...oh wait... ~Darien~ Did I just hear her right? She actually wants to spend time with me?? Not that I'm complaining or anything, but still! I didn't know what to say. I really wanted to go, but I hate the holidays! Maybe spending them with Serena would be different. She's looking at me...she's expecting an answer. Before I had time to think about it much longer, I blurted out a quick yes before I was nearly knocked to the ground by a bear hug from Serena. "Thank you!! My mom wasn't going to let me go unless I had someone to go with, and I really wanted to go! We're gonna have so much fun! Hey, wanna come to my house for dinner tonight? My mom's gonna want to get to know you and stuff, since she doesn't know much about you. Come to think about, I don't know much about you either. Oh well, we can give each other our whole life histories on the cruise. Oh sorry, I'm babbling!" Serena said, still hugging me. "Um...ok. Where do you live?" I asked. She eased herself out of my arms, grabbed a napkin, and scribbled something on it. She handed it to me and glanced at her watch. "Crap! I'm gonna be late! My number's on there, too. Call me later! Bye!" Serena exclaimed and in a flash, she was gone. I just stood there, gazing at the napkin in my hand. I had Serena's address and phone number. Wow! I heard Andrew clear his throat, and I snapped my head up quickly, blushing. "Well, I guess you won't be coming with me for Christmas again this year?" He asked, grinning broadly. I chuckled and said, "Nope, not this year! I already have plans!" He smiled and said, "So, what are you gonna wear tonight?" I hadn't thought of that! I had better go pick it out! "Man,I don't know! I have to impress her family though, cause I really wanna go with her! I gotta go...take 5 more showers and make sure I look just perfect! After all, I only have 7 hours until it's 5:00. Ahh! What time do I have to be there by? Man! This is not good!" "Dude, calm done! You have plenty of time. Call Serena later and see what time dinner is. You'll be just fine. Just act like your normal self, oh wait, that won't impress too many people!" Andrew said,laughing. "I gotta go!!" I said, completely ignoring what Andrew had just said. I didn't really care! All I knew is I had to get ready! I jogged out of the arcade and started running in the direction on my apartment. Title : Love Boat Chapter : Two Author : Alexia-Chan Stalk Her? : «email» alexiachan@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : Serena is thrilled when she wins two tickets on the Millenium Cruise free! But after talking to all her closest friends, she realizes one miniscule problem. She doesn't have anyone to go with! Well... maybe there's one last resort... * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = ~Serena~ I glared at my beeping alarm. Why does Raye always have to have scout meetings so early in the morning? It's Saturday! Why can't I just sleep in? Grumbling, I dragged myself out of bed, turned off my alarm, and stumbled into the bathroom. 20 mintues later, I emerged with a towel around my head and went into my room to get dressed. "My, you're up early, Serena!" Luna exclaimed, yawning. "It's not my choice. We have a scout meeting today, remember?" I reminded her. Normally, she reminds *me* aboutmeetings. "Oh yeah. How could I forget? Well, I'm going to out for a walk, so I'll meet you at the temple," Luna said and trotted out of my room. Something was up with her, but I didn't know what. Maybe she's upset because I'm going away for the holidays. I'll have to see if I can take her along. I walked over to my closet and pulled out a gray sweatshirt. I pulled a pair of jeans out of the dresser and grabbed a pair of white socks out of the laundry basket sitting by my door. I dug around under my bed for my tennis shoes and finally found them. I tied them and walked out of my room. I stopped halfway down the stairs when I realized I still had my hair in a towel. Sighing, I walked back up, and took my hair out of the towel. I brushed it out and put it into my normal "meat balls". I decided to spruce my hair up a little, so I added pink bows to buns. I walked out of my room again and went downstairs to tell mom I was going to the arcade. Since I had about an hour to kill, I figured I would go there and talk to Andrew about my problem. He was a good listener, hey, maybe even Darien will be there! I walked out of the house, laughing. Mom was so amazed that I was up so early, she gave me money for breakfast so I could eat at the cafe in the arcade and I could use the money left over to play games. This was going to be a good day! I walked through the sliding glass doors of the arcade at 9:00. That gave me a half hour until the meeting. "Hi. May I help...Serena! Why are you here so early? Is everything ok??" Andrew asked, his mouth gaping open. Geez, why was everyone making such a big deal about me beingup so early?? "Yeah, everything's super Andrew. I have to meet my friends at 9:30, and I had some time to kill, so I decided to have some breakfast here." "Oh, ok. What can I getcha?" Andrew asked, walkingbehind the counter. "Um...how about some waffles and two eggs?" I was really hungry this morning. Must be this whole getting up early thing or something. "Sure. Coming right up!" Andrew wrote the order down on a piece of paper and handed it to the cook. A few moments later, my food was done and Andrew brought my plate over and watched in awe as I woofed down my meal in record time. "That was so good! Be sure you tell your cook I said that, please!" "Sure thing Serena," he replied. "Thanks!" I said, grinning. "So, what's up Serena?" He asked, leaning on the counter. Man, he was soo cute! "Well, I have a bit of a problem. I won tickets to a Christmas/Millenium Cruise, but you see, I don't have anyone to go with now, because all of my friends already have plans! Do you know what I can do??" I said to Andrew. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doors open and Darien walk in. This is my chance to ask him, but I don't know if I can! "Hey Andrew, hey Meatball head!" he said, as cheerfully as he could, but it didn't sound too cheerful at all. I could tell something was up. "Since you sound down Darien, I'm gonna let that Meatball Head slide, just once. What's wrong?" I asked, concerned. He wasn't his normal self. I wonder what's wrong... "Nothing, I'm fine, Serena," he replied. "Are you sure Darien? You don't look fine," I said, concern still showing on my face. "I'm just not in the Christmas spirt, I guess." he replied dully. How could a person not be in the Christmas spirit?! Before I had time to think about what I was saying, I heard myself say, "Hey Darien, I won two tickets to a Christmas/Millennium Cruise and I don't have anyone to go with, so would you like to go?" I felt my face redden. I don't believe I just said that! It's not like I *didn't* want to go with him, I'd love to spend 3 weeks with Darien! Jeez, he's gonna think I like him...oh wait... ~Darien~ Did I just hear her right? She actually wants to spend time with me?? Not that I'm complaining or anything, but still! I didn't know what to say. I really wanted to go, but I hate the holidays! Maybe spending them with Serena would be different. She's looking at me...she's expecting an answer. Before I had time to think about it much longer, I blurted out a quick yes before I was nearly knocked to the ground by a bear hug from Serena. "Thank you!! My mom wasn't going to let me go unless I had someone to go with, and I really wanted to go! We're gonna have so much fun! Hey, wanna come to my house for dinner tonight? My mom's gonna want to get to know you and stuff, since she doesn't know much about you. Come to think of it, I don't know much about you either. Oh well, we can give each other our whole life histories on the cruise. Oh sorry, I'm babbling!" Serena said, still hugging me. "Um...ok. Where do you live?" I asked. She eased herself out of my arms, grabbed a napkin, and scribbled something on it. She handed it to me and glanced at her watch. "Crap! I'm gonna be late! My number's on there, too. Call me later! Bye!" Serena exclaimed and in a flash, she was gone. ~Serena~ I can't believe I just did that! Well, it worked. I now have someone to go with, and it's Darien! A few weeks ago, the thought of spending three weeks with Darien would have really ticked me off, but for some reason, my feelings toward him have changed. Or maybe, deep down, I had always loved him, and hating him was just my way of denying it. I ran up the stairs to the temple, panting. I was only a few mintues late, so Raye wouldn't be too made at me! "It's about time you got here!" Raye grumbled when Iran into the room. "Sorry guys. I was at the arcade. I found someone to go with me of that cruise." I managed to say between taking deep breaths. "Who??" Mina asked excitedly. "It better not be Andrew! I already called him!" Lita said, grinning. "Lita, Andrew has a girlfriend, remember?" I said, laughing. "I know, but I can always dream!" she said, giggling. Amy rolled her eyes and said, "Well, are you ever gonna tell us??" I smiled. I knew they were gonna be so suprised when I tell them. "Just don't laugh, kay?" They all nodded and I continued, "Darien is going with me." I was answered by complete and total silence. Amy just sat there staring straight ahead, Raye looked like she was about to cry, Lita was trying to talk, but nothing came out, and Mina's mouth was hanging wide open. I knew they'd be suprised, but still! This was going a little too far! "Guys...um...GUYS?" I said weakly. Amy was the first to snap out of it. "You're joking, right? I thought you couldn't stand him!" Raye chimed in, "Yeah! And besides, *he* went out with*me*! He's still mine!" "Well, it's up to you, Serena. I knew you were desperate, but I didn't think you would sink so low to ask someone who is your enemy," Lita said, finally regaining hervoice. "I can see where's she's coming from, actually. You guys have to admit that he *is* pretty cute!," Mina said, winking at me. "Thank you, Mina! At least someone supports me on this. And I really don't hate him anymore. He's actually kind of nice when you get to talking to him for a while. I just have to get to know him better. He's coming over for dinner tonight so mom and dad can meet him. I hope dad will let him go because he is a little older than me," I said. I hadn't thought of the whole age thing until now. He was a freshman in college and I was still in junior high. Dad was definately going to have a problem with that! "Serena, I think he's more than a little bit older than you. Are you sure he's not just going with you so he can take advantage of you," Amy said, throwing a worried look myway. "Amy! I'm sure he would never take advantage of me. And even if he tried, I wouldn't let him." I knew Darien would never try anything like that. I'm just a stupid girl still in junior high. "Ok, Serena. We're just looking out for your safety. If he does try anything, just get out your moon tiara and take care of him!" Lita said, laughing. "Good idea, Lita!" I said, giggling. "I can see it now. He makes a move on me and I suddenly shout out 'Moon Tiara Magic!!' He looks at me strangely, but then gasps when something zips by his face!" The whole room burst into laughter. I glanced over at Raye and saw that she wasn't laughing. "Raye, are you ok about all this? I thought you guys stopped seeing each other a while ago." I didn't want Raye to be mad at me over all of this. "If you don't want me to take him, I won't. I don't want our friendship to break up all because of a guy." "No, Serena. I want to you have a good time. I know Darien and I stopped seeing each other, but I still wanted to think that he was mine. Him going with you just shows that he's totally over me. I just have to accept it," Raye said, sadly. Unshead tears glistened in the corners of her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. "Ok, Raye. If you say so, but if you change your mind at anytime, I'll call the whole thing off." As much as I wanted Darien to go with me, I valued my friendship with Rayemore than anything. "Thanks Serena, but I'm sure I won't change my mind," Raye said, smiling at me for the first time today. "Can we now discuss scout business? I'm sick and tired of your gossip!" Luna shouted. Geez Luna! Who shoved a stick up your butt? She's been in such a bad mood lately! "Sorry Luna. We'll get busy now," I mumbled. "Yeah, sorry," the others chorused. "That's better! Raye, have you picked up any nega vibes lately?" Luna asked, walking into the center of ourcircle. "No, nothing, Luna. Maybe we'll have a quietholiday," Raye replied. "I would highly doubt that. If Queen Beryl is smart, she would know that humans use a lot of energy during the holiday season. It would be a perfect time for her to send out youmas to gather energy for the nega force," Artemis said, joining Luna in the center. "I agree. We have to be extra careful. Always have your communicators and tranformation pens with you at all times," Luna reminded us. "I think that's about it. Have fun over the holidays girls and be careful!" "Wow, Luna. Short meeting!" Amy said. "Yeah, I know. There's not much to talk about. No youma attacks lately." Luna replied. "What time does your plane leave Ames?" I asked with my mouth full of grandpa's famous muffins. "6:00 tonight. We're leaving the house at 5:00 so we get there on time, though. I'm not very happy about missing two days of school. I'm only 10 chapters ahead!" Amy replied. "I don't think we're going to be doing much of anything Ames, so I don't think you're going to have to worry," Lita said. "Yeah, we never do much of anything around the holidays. Ms. Haruna rarely gives out detention, too!" That's the best part of the holiday season! Ms. Haruna is too much in the holiday spirt to be mean. "Well, I'm going to go home and make sure I have everything I need. I'll send you all post cards!" Amy said, getting up. We all stood up with her. "We're gonna miss you, Ames," Raye said, hugging her. "I'm sure you'll have fun visiting your father," Amy said and moved on to hug the rest of us. "Serena, be careful!" She warned as she hugged me. "Oh, Ames. Don't worry bout me!" I said, grinning. Amy laughed and shook her head. "Bye guys!" "Have a safe trip!" Mina yelled as Amy walked downthe stairs of the temple. "You too, Mina! Try not too fall down any mountains!" Amy shouted back, grinning. Mina laughed and stuck her tongue out. "I'll try notto!" "Well, guys, I should be going. Mom doesn't know I found somone to go with me yet. And I have to tell her that Darien's coming for dinner so she can make something really good. I'll see you guys tomorrow!" I was excited to get home to tell mom and dad. Hopefully they'll like Darien as muchas I do! "Ok, later Serena!" Lita said, as we walked to the door. "I suppose I should get going, too. Later guys," Mina said, walking out with me. "I have to go, too! I told Ken I'd meet him in the park at 11:00. I'll call you later, Raye!" Lita said, following us. "Bye guys!" Ray called from the top of the steps. We allwaved back. At the bottom of the steps, we all went our separate ways. Mina in the direction of her house, Lita to the park, and me tomy house. On the way home, I though of how I was going to tell mom about Darien. I didn't want her to be upset that I picked an older guy to go with me, so I had to be as gentle as I could. Luckily, when I got home, I discovered that dad was out. That made it easier already because he was just so over protective about me! Mom understood me way better! I opened the front door and walked in. My mom was sitting in the living room watching TV and knitting a scarf for someone in the family, I assumed. "Hey mom," I said cheerfully. "Hello Serena. How was your little farewell party forAmy?" She asked warmly. "Oh, it was just super!" How am I going to bring this up? 'By the way mom, I found someone to go with me on that cruise'? Nah, that sounded really lame! "Did you find anyone to go with you on that cruiseyet, dear?" Wow, she made that easy! "Well, um, yeah." I said, uneasily. This was going to be harder than I thought! "Really? Who is she?" mom prodded. "It's not a she, it's a he. Do you remember me talking about Darien? You know, the guy who always teases me? Well, I was at the arcade talking to Andrew, when he walked in and I really don't know why, but I asked him if he would like to go with me, and he said yes. So, I invited him for dinner so you and dad could get to know him better. I know he's in college, and I'm only in junior high, so I hope you'll be ok with him coming along." I really hope mom agrees with this!! "Well, I'm ok with it, but I don't know about your father. You know how he is! Maybe after he meets Darien, he'll be ok with it. I'm just glad you found someone to gowith," Ilene replied. Wow, I hadn't expected mom to take this so well! I figured she would say something about the age thing. "So you don't care that he is five years older than me?" "No, not really. If he's your friend, then it doesn't matter. I know he wouldn't try to take advantage of you." "Thanks mom!" I exclaimed and rushed over to hug her. "Anytime, dear. What would you like for lunch?" "Um...how about some soup?" I asked. "Ok, that sounds good." Mom went into the kitchen and opened a can of soup. I heard her pour it into a pan and then put it on the stove. About ten mintues later, she called me and told me that dinnerwas ready. I ran into the kitchen, sat down, and gulped down my soup. "Great soup mom! I'm gonna go upstairs now. Talk to dad about this when he gets home, please!" "Ok, dear. Hopefully he won't be too upset." <a few hours later> "WHAAAAAAT?" Ken's cry echoed through the house. "Calm down, dear! He's just Serena's friend, nothing more!" Ilene said. "But she's just a child and he's a man!" Ken protested. "He's coming for dinner tonight. Don't judge him until you get to know him, ok?" "Ok, fine, but I still don't like this!" "Well, whether you like it or not, our daughter is dead set on having this young man go with her!" Title : Love Boat Chapter : Three Author : Alexia-Chan Stalk Her? : «email» alexiachan@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : Serena is thrilled when she wins two tickets on the Millenium Cruise free! But after talking to all her closest friends, she realizes one miniscule problem. She doesn't have anyone to go with! Well... maybe there's one last resort... * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = ~Darien~ I checked my appearance in the mirror and nodded in approval. After changing about five times, I had finally decided on khaki Dockers and a blue Polo sweater. I glanced in the mirror again and frowned. No matter how much gel I used, that stupid cowlick always popped up. Oh well, I still looked darn good, if I do say so myself. I turned around and walked out of my room, flicked off the light on the way out the door. I went into the kitchen and plucked Serena's number and address off the fridge. I glanced at the clock. 4:30. I should probably call Serena and see what time dinner is. For some reason, I was terribly nervous about dinner with Serena and her family. If they didn't like me, then Serena won't get to on the cruise and I'd feel really bad. I picked up the phone and dialed her number with shaking fingers. I cleared my throat nervouslywhile the phone rang. "Hello?" a young boy answered. "Hi. May I please speak to Serena?" I asked, praying that I didn't sound as nervous as I felt. "Yeah, hold on," the boy replied. I heard him cover the mouth piece with his hand,but I still heard him yell,"Serena! Your boyfriend is on the phone!" I banged my forehead on the wall. This is peachy, just peachy. Serena's going to think that I put him up to saying that! Not that I would mind being known as Serena's boyfriend or anything, but... ~Serena~ My boyfriend, huh? I'll teach Darien for putting Sammy up to that! I picked up the phone and said,"Ok, Sammy, I got it! You can hang up now!" I waited until I heard the other line click off before saying, "Hey babe! I thought you were leaving for your aunt's house today. Aww, are you calling me from the road? You are soo sweet! I still wish you could've gone with me on that cruise. It would've been so romantic! I'm having Darien go with me. Yeah, I know he's a jerk sometimes, but I was desperate! But don't worry, I would *never* dump you for him cause I love you way too much!" I could hardly contain myself. Ok, so maybe I over played just a little, but it was too funny! ~Darien~ My heart sunk. She was already invloved, and it seemed pretty serious It definately seem like I had a chance with her. What was I thinking? Why would anyone like her ever like me, anyway. I'm just not her type. She's so kind, so friendly, so loving. Then there's me. I'm so cold and distant. I cleared my throat nervously and said sadly, "Serena, this isn't who you think it is. It's Darien." ~Serena~ Ooo! This is too good! Wait a minute! He actually sounded kinda said about the idea of me having a boyfriend. Could it mean...NAH! I would highly doubt it! He's so cool and sophisicated and not to mention in college! I'm still in junior high. There's no way he would ever fall for me when he can have any girl he wants at his college. Finally I couldn't contain myself any longer and let my thoughts disappear and burst out laughing. "You-you actually believed that? That is the *biggest* line of bull I have ever said! That's what you get for telling Sammy that you were my boyfriend!" I managed to say throughfits of giggles. ~Darien~ What a relief! She really didn't have a boyfriend! That means I still have a chance, just not that much of one. "Serena, you are very evil!" I growled, feigning anger, but inside, my heart was soaring. "And I didn't tell your brother anything. He must've come up with that all on his own, I swear. I would never pull a stunt like that. You, maybe;me, no." I knew Serena was sticking her tongue out at the phone, but I wasn't sure why I knew. I shrugged off my confusion and added, "Put that tongue back in your mouth! That phone didn't do anything to you!" ~Serena~ I gasped in suprise. How did he know what I was doing?? Maybe he's outside my house right now looking in the windows. Nah, I just can't picture Darien as astalker. "For your information, Mr. Chiba, I was *not* sticking my tongue out at the phone!" I asked witht mock-seriousness. "Yeah, right. Of course you weren't Meatball Head," he said, adding that hated nickname. I groaned silently. This phone conversation was going so well, but he had to go and ruin it! "Darien, how many times to I have to tell you that my name is Serena! Not Meatball Head!" I shouted. Maybe I was going a little over the edge, but it drives me nuts! Ok, I guess it's kinda cute, I suppose. I mean, sure, Raye calls me Meatball Head, too, but it's so much cuter when Darien says it! "Yeesh, Serena. I'm sorry. You didn't have to go ballistic on me, you know. I wasn't trying to make you mad or anything," Darien said. His apology sounded sincere, so I said," Ok, ok. I forgive you!" "Thanks babe!" Darien said, happily. I could almost see him giving me that sexy quirky grin of his... "So, what did you call for, anyway," I asked. "I wanted to know what time dinner was," he replied. "Oh, well, we're eating at 6:00, but you can come over now, if you'd like to. We could hang in the rec room in my basement. I have a Super Nintendo and like a hundren games. I'm sure we can find one to play," I said. I really liked the idea of Darien spending time with me. But knowing my luck, Sammy will end up goingdown with us. "That's sounds great, Serena. It's been so long since I've played Nintendo! I hope I can remeber how to use that little controller thingy. Well, I'll see you in about 15 minutes! Bye!" Darien said, laughing. "Ok, super! I'll see you then! Ta-ta!" I said and hung up, my heart pounding. I ran into my room and looked in the mirror. I was still wearing the sweatshirt and jeans that I had on earlier. Ugh...this outfit is not going to work! I ran over to my closet and pulled out a fuzzy pink sweater with little white bunnies embrodiered across the chest. I peeled my sweatshirt off and pulled that on. I looked in the mirror again. Hmm...I really don't like these jeans. I went over to my dresser and pulled a pair of flares out. I put them on and looked in the mirror again. Ahh...much better! I was looking good, but I thought a second opinion might be helpful. "Hey, Luna, how do I look?" I asked, spinning around so she could see the whole ensemble. "You look lovely, Serena. Why are you so worried about how you look, anyway? It can't be because Darien is coming over. Just yesterday you were telling me how much you couldn't stand him," Luna said. I grinned. "I just saw Darien in a different light, I guess Luna." "Whatever you say, Serena!" Luna closed her eyes, mumbling sleepily about going back to bed. I brushed my hair and walked downstairs. I went into the living room and looked out the window. Oh come on, way to seem desperate, Serena. I sighed and plopped down on the couch. I flicked on the TV and mindlessly flipped through the channels. I glanced at the clock. Sixteen mintues have passed since we hung up. He said he'd be here in fifteen! Where is he? Maybe he's hurt or worse! I mentally smacked myself. Get a grip, girl! I'm sure he'll be here any minute! The doorbell rang, making me jump about six feet in the air, It's him, it's him! I ran over to the door, then screeched to a halt before calmly opening the door. There stood Darien holding a bouquet of blood red roses. "These are for you, Serena." Darien said, handingthem to me. I felt my face redden. He's so sweet!! "Wow, thanks Darien. Let me go put these in water and tell mom that you're here. Have a seat." I said, pointing to the couch as I walked into the kitchen. ~Darien~ I'm glad I thought to bring her flowers. She was so suprised! I circled the room, deciding whether I should sit down or look at the pictures of Serena and her family. My curiosity won out, and I walked over to the mantle to look at the plethora of pictures perched there. Seeing the pictures of Serena and her family so happy together brought tears of sadness to my eyes. I could've had all this, too, but no, I grew up an orphan. Life wasn't fair. "Enjoying the pictures?" Serena asked, taking meaway from my reviere. I quickly wiped my tears away and turned to face her, blushing. "Yeah, they're really nice." Serena smiled and her mother walked into the room. "You must be Darien! Hi, I'm Serena's mother, Ilene." I walked over to where they were standing and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Tsukino." "Darien, please call me Ilene, I insist," Ilene said, smiling warmly. "Well, I must get back to the kitchen. Why don't you two go down to the rec room and watch some TV or something. I'll let you know when dinneris ready." "Ok, great mom. Bye!" Serena said. She turned to me, bowed, and held out her arm. "Shall we?" I laughed, took her arm, and she led me in the direction of the basement. ~Ilene~ I like that boy. He seems so perfect for her. I'm not sure why they always fight, though. I just don't know what Ken will think of him. He's already against the idea of Serena taking a college guy on that cruise with her. I'll have to see if I can convince him that Darien won't hurt his baby. It suprises me that Darien isn't spending Christmas with his family. Wait a minute, what if he doesn't have a family? That's always possible. He did look rather sad after he was looking at our family pictures. Well, I'm not going to bring up such a sad thing on such a happy night. I'm just glad Serena found someone to go with her. ~Serena~ "Ha! I beat you again!" I cried triumphantly as my racecar crossed the finish line seconds before Darien's. "Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Darien grumbled. "Look, I told ya the Princess was better than Mario. You just didn't believe me!" I said, grinning. Before I even had a chance to say anything more, I was tackled by Darien. He easily pinned my arms down to the ground, and our faces were mere centimeters apart. I could feel his hot breath on my lips, and I wondered if he was going to kiss me. Part of me wanted him to, and the other part begged me to make the first move. ~Darien~ Our faces were so close together, our noses were almost touching. I could smell the perfume that she was wearing, and it was absoultely intoxicating. I leaned my face closer to hers, lessening the small gap between us--- "Dinner time!" Ilene called from upstairs. It was a good thing she hadn't come down to tell us! Groaning silently, I reluctanly pulled myself off of Serena and offered her my hand. She took it, and I pulled her into a standing position. She looked into my eyes and turned away blushing. I could tell she had wanted the kiss as much as I did, but no! It just *had* to be dinner time! Oh well, we'd have plenty of time for *that*on the cruise! Serena walked over to the entertainment center and turned the game and the TV off. We walked up the stairs in awkward silence. Maybe I had been wrong. I shouldn't have tried to kiss her so soon. In that case, it had been a good thing it was time for dinner! At the top of the stairs, we were greeting by an older man, who I assumed was Serena's father. He glared at us. Uh-oh...this must be one of those pshyco fathers who won't let their daugthers date until they're like 21. I wasn't looking forward to telling him my age. I'm sure he's not going to like the idea of his daughter taking a college guy in this cruise. "H-hello, sir," I stuttered nervously. This isn't going to be easy. He smiled. He actually smiled. Maybe this wasn't going to be so hard, after all! "Hello there. My name's Ken. At first I wasn't sure about this whole thing, but I think you look like a trusting young man and you'll take good care of my daughter on this cruise." He looked over to Ilene and she nodded in approval. As soon as he looked away, I caught her eye and she winked at me. Gotta love that Ilene! "Well, it's time for dinner, everyone," Ilene said, ushering us into the dinning room. ~Serena~ I couldn't believe that daddy accepted Darien so well! This was going great. He seems to have made quite an impression on my parents. We walked into the dinning room and sat down in the same order we filed in. Dad, me, mom, Darien, and Sammy, after we picked him up from in the living room. "So, you're Serena's boyfriend," Sammy said, sitting down. Darien blushed and looked over at me, causing me toblush. "Well, um, no. You see, we used to hate each other until today, so we're just friends," he said, hesitantly. "I really need someone to go on this cruise with me, and Darien was there, so I invited him," I said and cringed inwardly. That sounded bad. It makes me look like I'm just using Darien to go with me, so I quickly added, "Not than I'm using you or anything, Darien." Darien smiled. "I know that, Meatball Head!" Sammy burst out laughing. "That's so funny! I'm gonna start calling her that! Thanks, Darien!" Great. I get it from Darien and Raye, and now at home! Yeesh! I glared at Darien, and before I had a chance to stick out my tongue, mom brought the food in. Chickencurry...mmm...my fav! "You made chicken curry? That's one of my favorite dishes!" Darien excliamed, taking a bite. "Wow, this is the best I think I've ever tasted!" Hmm...something else we have in common! My mother smiled warmly at Darien. "Why thank you. Chicken Curry is one of Serena's favorite dishes, too." Good ol' mom, playing matchmaker. "Really? I thought Serena ate anything, no matter what it tasted like," Darien said, grinning. "HEY! I'll have you know, I absolutely hate carrots! I won't eat those," I protested in vain. My family plus Darien laughed and I just sat there, glaring. How rude of my family! Once every one calmed down after their laughing fit, the rest of dinner went off without a hitch. After the dishes were done, we all were hanging out in the living room, well, everyone except Sammy who had gone to play video games, making small talk, when... "So, Darien, what does your father do for a living?"my father asked. ~Darien~ I guess I shouldn't have ruled out thhe possibility that someone would ask that question. "Well, sir, I don't have a father. Or a mother, for that matter. When I was very young, my family and I were involved in a terrible car accident. It was raining, and my father lost control of the car, causing it to fly off a cliff. The doctors say I was lucky to have survived, but I don't remember my parents or my life before the accident at all. To tell you the truth, I think I might have been better off dead, than going to the orphanage. The children were cruel there, and they didn't even try to befriend me. Every Christmas, the children would pick other children to exchange gifts with. I never got any gifts..." I closed my eyes. I had never wanted to relive that moment again. Before I had a chance to open my eyes again, I felt arms encircle my waist. I quickly opened my eyes to see Serena sitting on the couch beside me, tears streaming down her face. She has such a huge heart. "Oh Darien, I never knew. I'm sorry!" Serena said, wiping her tears away. "It's ok, Serena. I've learned to live with it." I glanced down at my watch. 10:30 already? Wow. Time sureflies! "Darien, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask us, ok?" Ilene said, smiling sadly. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Well, I best be going. Thanks so much for having me over for dinner, I reallyenjoyed myself." "I'm sorry for bringing up such bad memories Darien. I had no idea," Ken said, shaking my hand. "That's ok. I needed to tell someone. I've always kept it bottled up inside me." I said, putting on my coat. "You mean, not even Andrew knows?" Serena asked, walkingme to the door. "Nope, I've never told anyone, except for you and your family. I could never bring myself to tell Andrew. He knew I was an orphan, but not about my horrible Christmases." I said. I never wanted to relive those days again. "Thank you, Darien," Serena said, looking up at me. "For what?" "For telling us. For trusting us with your past." "You're welcome, Meatball Head," I said, grinningdown at the smiling girl. "Brr..it's cold out. I should go back inside. Thanks for coming. I'm sure my parents approved of you," Serena said shivering. I wrapped my arms around her, trying to get her warm. I wasn't ready to leave her yet. "You're welcome, Serena. I really did have a nice time. I challenge you to a re-match in Mariokart. I'll show you what I'm really made of!" I grinned, inching my face closer to hers. She giggled slightly. "You're on, buddy!" I smiled, then closed the distances between our faces, and brushed my lips gently against hers. It wasn't a big kiss, but it was enough to warm my body. "See ya, later, Serena. I'll call you sometime. Sweet dreams," I called, walking out to my car, leaving Serena, staring dazedly and waving. I couldn't help butchuckle.~Serena~ After he was gone, I slowly brought my hand up to my lips, where he had ever so slightly kissed me. "Wow. He kissed me. HE KISSED ME! YAHOO!" I opened the door and skipped inside. I went into the living room and plopped myself down on the couch. "Well?" My mother smiled. "Well what, dear?" I grinned back. "What did you think of Darien?" "He's too old!" my father grunted. "Come on, Ken. We talked about this. I thought he was a very nice young man and I'm sure the two of you will have a great time on that cruise. "And if he even tries anything, call me, and I'll find someway to get out there with my shotgun. No man's going to take advantage of my baby girl!" My father exclaimed. Sometimes he's just a little overprotective...ok...all the time. I smiled slightly. "Trust me, daddy, he won't try anything. Well, I'm gonna go upstairs and get ready for bed. Goodnight!" "Goodnight, sweethart." Title : Love Boat Chapter : Four Author : Alexia-Chan Stalk Her? : «email» alexiachan@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : Serena is thrilled when she wins two tickets on the Millenium Cruise free! But after talking to all her closest friends, she realizes one miniscule problem. She doesn't have anyone to go with! Well... maybe there's one last resort... * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = ~Serena~ Over the next few weeks, Darien and I became really good friends, and I actually enjoyed spending time with him for a change! I just saw a side to him I never knew existed. We were leaving for the cruise tomorrow. He was coming to my house to pick up my luggage and then we were off. I couldn't wait! Three weeks with Darien! I walked around my room, making sure I remembered to pack everything. Underwear, clothes, toothbrush, hair stuff, yep, allthere. As I was sitting on my suitcase, trying to get the stupid thing closed, Luna walked in. "A little help, Luna!" I grunted, still trying to zip it shut. "What do you expect me to do? I'm sure myadded weight would do nothing to help you!" She jumped onto my bed, looking at me with wide eyes. "Spare me the kitty comedy, Luna. Just zip it shut." She glared at me, but complied, and took the zipper in her mouth. "Thank you. Now, was that so hard?" "No, I guess not," She grumbled. She changed the subject, "So, what time are you leaving tomorrow?" "Darien said he'd be over here at 10:30, since the boat leaves port at noon. Hopefully I can get up in time. I wouldn't wanna miss the boat," I replied. And if I missed the boat, I'd miss three weeks with Darien! "Well, Luna, I should go to bed so I get enough sleep! Night!" "Goodnight, Serena!" Luna curled in a ball and closed her eyes. I climbed in bed with visions of Darien in my mind. What sweet dreams. <the next morning, 10:25 am> I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. 10:25??!! My alarm should have gone off hours ago! Great, just great. I had five minutes to get ready. Yeah, right! I jumped out of bed and started running frantically around my room. "LUUUUNNNNAAA! Why didn't you wake me up??" I wailed. Luna looked up at me and shook her head. "I did, Serena. Five times in fact, but you kept right on sleeping." "Ugh, how am I ever gonna get ready in time? Darien's gonna be so mad! Oh no! Darien! He's gonna be here in any minute. What do I do??" "Serena, calm down. Go take a quick shower, I'm sure he'll wait for you." "Yeah, that's true. And I have the tickets! He has to wait for me," I said, making a mad dash for the bathroom. I swear, I don't think I've ever taken such a quick shower in my life. Within five minutes, I was out of the shower and back in my room, much to the suprise of Luna. "Wow, that was fast," she remarked as I dashed into my room. "Too bad you don't put that much effort into school and scout business." I grinned. "What can I say? I work well under pressure." ~Darien~ I made one last check to make sure I had everything I was going to need before taking all of my gear out to the car. This was going to be one interesting trip, that's for sure. Three weeks of fun in the sun with my Meatball Head. Wait a minute, where did that "my" come from? She's not "my" Meatball Head! Quickly dismissing the thought, I grabbed my large suitcase and carried it out to the car. I pulled into the Tsukino driveway at about 10:30. I just had this feeling that something bad was going to happen today, but simply ignoring it, I got out of the car. I walked up to the door and rang the bell. Ilene answered it with a grim look on her face. "Hello, Darien. I'm afraid I have some bad news..." she slowly began, stumbling along the way. Well, the suspense was killing me, so I just interrupted her to find out what was going on. "What happened? Is Serena sick?" She giggled slightly. "Oh no, it's nothing like that. Serena just got up a few minutes ago. I think you guys aren't going to be leaving on schedule." Relief flooded me. I was so worried that something had happened to my beautiful Serena. Ugh, there I go again with the "my's", and wait, was that a "beautiful" I just snuk in there?? I really have to stop that. "I don't think that should throw us too far off schedule. We just won't have as much time to get to the port, but I don't think we'll be late." Ilene smiled. "That's good." She suddenly remembered that we were still outside on the porch. "Come on in, Darien. I'll make you some coffee. Sometimes it takes Serena awhile to get ready." I grinned and followed her to the kitchen. "I understand. But if she isn't down here by eleven o'clock, then I'm going up after her." When eleven o'clock came, Serena still wasn't down stairs, and I was on my third cup of coffee. Ilene glanced in my direction. "Would you like another cup of coffee or are you going up to fetch my daughter?" "There's no need to fetch me when I'm standing right here. Sorry to keep you waiting. My...uh...alarm didn't go off," she said, flashing me a nervous smile, and setting three bags down. "That's ok, Serena. Want me to take your bags out to the car?" I said, easily changing the subject. "Sure Darien. I have more upstairs. Let me go up and get them," She said, turning in the direction of the stairs. My jaw dropped. More bags? Good Heavens there were already three bags down here. How many bags can a girl have? "More?!" I managed to choke out. "Of course, Darien! A girl can never have TOO many outfits, you know!" She said, running up the stairs, giggling all the way. I guess carrying her bags would be worth hearing that laugh for three weeks. A few moments later she reappeared carrying two more smaller bags. "Is that it?" I asked, warily. Maybe I didn't want to know the answer to that question. "Yup! That's everything." She replied, smiling. "Ok, good. I'll run these out to the car. I'll be right back. Don't miss me too much," I said, winking at her before grabbing the bags. I'm not sure what possessed me to wink at her, but it was worth the slight blush I saw gracing her cheeks. When I came back in the house, Serena was hugging her family good bye. Even Sammy was there to bid his sister farewell. I've always hated seeing other happy families together, and I was beginning to feel sick to my stomach seeing how much love they shared. Then, suddenly, Ilene's arms were around me, pulling me into a warm, motherly embrace. I'd never felt anything quite like it before; it was such a wonderful feeling. "Good-bye Darien. You take good care of my baby!" Ilene said, releasing me. "You looked like you needed a hug," she whispered before turning to Serena again. Ken walked over and shook my hand. "I'm trusting you with my daughter. Treat her with respect." I swallowed nervously. This man still frightens me. A feeble "Yes, sir," was all I managed to choke out before he walked away. Turning to Serena, I said, "It's almost," I paused to look at my watch, "Oh my God! It's past 11:30! Serena, we've gotta go or we're gonna be late for our boat!" She stared at me, shocked. "WHAT?! Oh geez! See you later, mom, dad!" She ran and kissed her parents one more time. "Hey, what about me, sis?" "Don't hold your breath, Sammy! I'm not kissing you!" "Good! Have fun, though and don't make out with Darien too much!" I don't think I've ever seen Serena so embarrassed in my life. Her face was beet red, and I'm sure mine was, too. "SHUT UP SAMMY!!!" Serena roared and grabbed my hand. She practically dragged me to my car. "Stupid little brother," I thought I heard her mutter before she got into the car. "Well, Serena, we have less than fifteen minutes to get to the port and get on our boat. I'm not sure if we can make it in time," I stated after we were on our way. She looked over and me and grinned evilly. "Serena? What's going on in that mind of yours?" I almost dreaded asking that question. It was probably something illegal or something pretty close to those grounds. "How fast does this puppy go?" She asked, that evil grin still on her face. "Uh, well, I've never really driven that much over the speed limit, so I really wouldn't know," I answered, already regretting where this conversation was going to take us. "I'm thinking we find out how fast it can go! I don't want to miss this cruise!" Serena smiled her most innocent smile. "I know, Serena. I don't want to miss the cruise either!" No cruise meant no three weeks with Serena all to myself! But then reason kicked in. "If I speed, and we get pulled over, then it'll be pretty much a guarantee that we won't make it to the boat in time." "Oh, never mind then," Serena said, pouting. Then her face suddenly brightened. "Oh geez. What now, Serena?" "Well, isn't there a hospital right by the port?" I glanced over at her nervously. What was this girl thinking?? "Yes, I believe there is. Why?" "Well," she took a deep breath, "couldn't you drive really, really fast, pretending you were rushing your pregnant girlfriend to the hospital because the baby was on the way. No policeman could say anything about that!" After she finished, she looked up at me, grinning. I sighed. I really wanted to go on this cruise, but I didn't want to get arrested, either. I guess we could play the hospital part, but if anyone finds out! Oh man! "Well, Darien? You have to decide now. If you don't, we're definitely not going to make it." "I know, Serena," I said, reluctantly pressing the gas pedal all the way down to the floor. "WHOO-HOO! Let's see what this baby can do!" Serena said, throwing her hands in the air. When she noticed the strange look on my face, she slowly brought her hands down, giggling nervously. I caught a glimpse of a police motorcycle in my rearview mirror. "Uh-oh, Serena, I think the police are after us. If he comes up beside us, just play it cool, ok?" Serena nodded. "I'll do my best at being pregnant." I chuckled softly, but immediately stopped when the officer pulled along side my car. "You are aware that you're speeding, am I correct?" "I know that officer, but my girlfriend here is having labor pains, and I decided to rush her out to the hospital immediately," I answered coolly. "Oh, well, in that case, let me give you an escort." "Thank you officer." I breathed a sigh of relief when the officer pulled in front of us. "An escort?? Darien are you mad? He's gonna kill you when he gets to the hospital and we're not behind him!" Serena hissed. Oops. Forgot about that small detail. Oh well! "This was all your idea, Serena! But seriously, I wouldn't worry about it. He'll just be a little steamed." "A LITTLE steamed! Try totally steamed!" Serena exclaimed. "Just don't worry about it. I'll get us to the port in plenty of time," I said, sounding confident, much more confident than I felt right now. I wasn't feeling too good about doing that to the police officer, but when it comes to spending three weeks with my Meatball Head, it was a life or death matter! When the turn came for the hospital, the police motorcycle made the turn, and I floored it out of there as fast as I could, feeling bad for the poor man. The doctors would probably commit him after he tells them about the couple with the baby on the way. It was 11:57 when we pulled into the port, and by the time when got our bags out of the car and loaded onto a cart, it was noon. And we still had to go through baggage check and ticketing. "I don't think we're going to make it in time," I stated simply, but my heart was breaking. No three weeks with Serena! ~Serena~ "No! We are getting on that boat somehow, Darien! I don't care if we have to fly on a helicopter to get there, but we are getting on that boat!" There was no way in Hell that I was going to let this golden opportunity pass me by! Suddenly, a man appeared beside me. "Did I hear you mention something about a helicopter? Because I can fly you anywhere, anytime!" "Anywhere? Like even on a the deck of a ship?" I asked, hopefully. I glanced over at Darien, who was staring at me, his mouth hanging wide open. "Sure can, little miss! But your friend here doesn't seem to be too excited about the idea. Oh, by the way, the name's Scraggly Pete," the man said, chuckling. "Hi Scraggly Pete. I'm Serena, and this is Darien," I said, pointing towards Darien. "When can we leave for the deck of the Moonstone?" "Now hold on Serena! How much money is this going to cost me?" Darien asked, speaking for the first time in a while. I think he got a little overwhelmed by my suggestion. Tee-hee! Scraggly Pete winked at me. "Well, you two seem to be in quite the hurry. I'll do it for 20 bucks." "Really? That's it? Thanks! We'll take your offer, then sir!" Darien said, grabbing Scraggie's hand, and shaking it. "Great, I'll lead the way to my bird." We followed Scraggie to a hanger beside the docks. It had the words "Scraggly Pete's Helicopter Service Guaranteed Safe Trip or your Money back!" printed on it. Shuddering, I moved closer to Darien, and pointed the sign out to him. He didn't look too pleased as he read it. He glared at me, but I just shrugged. I mean, how did I know that Scraggie here turned out to be some nut? Well, I guess anyone with the name Scraggly Pete you should try to avoid at all costs, but I was desperate! "And thar she is!" Scraggie announced pointing to a junky looking helicopter. Or that's what it sorta looked like, I guess! "Um, Mr. Pete, are you sure this thing can fly?" Darien asked, warily. "Of course sir! She's a fine thing, ain't she? Had 'er ever since World War II." I swallowed nervously. This thing has been around a little too long for my liking. "Are there any other helicopter services around here?" Good ol’ Scraggie chuckled. "Nope. I'm the only one around for miles!" "That's what I was afraid of," Darien mumbled. "So, are you going or not?" I looked over at Darien. Going on this cruise meant a lot to me. I've been looking forward to it for weeks and I wasn't about to let it go! "Yes, we're going," I said, before I had a chance to reconsider. Darien walked up and stood behind me. "I hope you know what you're doing Serena! I don't want to go plunging into the ocean in that thing!" I couldn't help but giggle, and Darien looked at me quizzically. "But at least you'll get your 20 bucks back!" Darien chuckled. "Come on, Serena! Looks like Scraggly might leave without us if we don't hurry!" "Oh no! Our luggage! Darien, you gotta go get it!" I cried. I wasn't about to leave all the new clothes I had bought just for this trip sitting out here on the docks! Darien ran out and pushed the cart into the hanger. We carefully loaded our bags in the helicopter, making sure we didn't break anything. "I'm afraid I don't have any passenger seats, so you're going to have to sit back there with your luggage. Oh, and one more thing, I can't land on the deck of the boat, but I can get pretty close, so I'll just hit the cargo dump button, and you and you're bags will just fall down onto the deck." I looked over at Darien, and we started laughing wildly. This guy is too funny! "That was a pretty good one, there Scraggie!" I exclaimed, between giggles. Then I noticed that he wasn't joining in. "You aren’t serious, are you?" "'Fraid so, little miss! Well, here we are! Have a nice voyage and thanks again for flying Scraggly Pete Air! Have a happy landing!" Scraggie said before pushing the cargo release button and letting us fall with a thump on the deck. Darien stood up rubbing his behind. "Well, I hope you're happy, Serena," he said, crossly. I grunted, pulling one of my suitcases off my legs. "At least we got on the ship!" I started to giggle. I don't know why. I just did. And soon, Darien joined in my laughter, as did everyone around us, who were wondering why two people just got dumped out of a helicopter. I think we were going to have a lot of explaining to do, but oh well! Like I said, at least we were on the ship, and now I was going to get to spend three glorious weeks alone with Darien! Title : Love Boat Chapter : Five Author : Alexia-Chan Stalk Her? : «email» alexiachan@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : Serena is thrilled when she wins two tickets on the Millenium Cruise free! But after talking to all her closest friends, she realizes one miniscule problem. She doesn't have anyone to go with! Well... maybe there's one last resort... * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = <Christmas Eve Day> ~Darien~ I placed the last of our bags in the room we would be staying in. We had finally convinced the captain and the boat security that we weren't trying to stowaway on the boat. After telling our story, and then waiting a few moments while they laughed hysterically, we were on our way to our room. As soon she set foot into the large, elaborately furnished room, Serena gasped, causing me to take a look around. I emitted a low whistle. Whoever built this boat spared no expense, that's for sure! Two pale greem wingback chairs and a light blue leather couch surrounded a brightly polished cherry coffee table. Serena was the first to speak, breaking the somewhat awkward silence that had filled the room. "Well, I'm gonna go put my bags in our room." I raised my eyebrow, urging her to elaborate. Our room?? She made it sound as if we were married! She blushed slightly. "That's not what I meant and you know it, Darien Chiba!" We laughed slightly before she continued,"I just assume that there will be two beds!" I smiled as she picked up one of her cumbersome bags and proceded to drag it to the room. A few moments later, I heard her gasp. "Darien get in here!!" Knowing what a wuss she was, I just figured that there was a spider on the wall or something like that. But once I got to the room, I was completely shocked. The bedroom was beautiful. The carpet was pure white, with not a stain on it, at least not anywhere visible. Then I fixed my attention to the center of the room. There sat a goregous lavendar four-poster bed. "I've always wanted to sleep in one of those. I'd feel like such a princess!" Serena said, walking over to the bed, then flopping down on it. I just stood there, transfixed. I didn't know I was staring at her until she giggled and said, "Take a picture. It lasts longer!" I immediately snapped out of my reverie, and turned bright red, causing Serena to laugh harder. I stammered out what I thought was an 'I'm sorry.' I had wanted to tell her how beautiful I thought she was, but I didn't have the courage to admit my true feelings just yet. "So, anyway, where are you going to sleep?" She asked innocently, lifting her blue eyes up to meet my gaze. I surveyed the room, again. There was only one bed. Perfect. That meant I'd be stuck on the leather couch. "Well, I guess I could sleep on the couch out there." "Hmm, I guess you could, but I don't think it would be too comfortable. Couldn't you just sleep on the floor in here?" "Um...Well, I think the couch would be more comfortable than the floor, don't you think?" She smiled slightly. "Yeah, I guess so." Once again, an awkward silence fell between us. I cleared my throat nervously, and said, "Well, why don't you get ready for dinner? I'll change out in the main room. Remember, it's probably going to be pretty fancy. I think the cruise director said there would be dancing, too." "Yes, Darien. I know it's going to be fancy. I'm not deaf!" She muttered crossly. I smiled easily. She looked so cute when she was mad! "Oh, sorry MEATBALL HEAD!" She growled, then shoved me out the door, slamming it behind her. Oops. I think I ticked her off. Oh well, I'll just have to make it up to her. I went over to my suitcase and pulled out my tux bag. I quickly changed into my tux, and headed for the door. Before leaving, I called out, "I'll be right back, Sere!" ~Serena~ Did he just call me Sere?? No one calls me that but Rei! WOW! Oh wait, he was just rude to me a few moments ago. I'm supposed to be mad at him, right? Right! But it's just so hard to stay mad at him when he's that hot! I just cannot wait to see him in that tux! Whoa...what am I saying here? It just Darien! But, of course, my heart was saying otherwise. I told it to shut up, then continued to look for my dress. I couldn't remember what suit case I had put it in. Finally, I found it at the bottom of the third one. I pulled the dress out of the protective back it was in, and admired it. Rei and I had spent three hours at the mall looking for the perfect dress for me to take. I had finally found this little number. I slipped it over my head and walked over to the mirror. It was a soft pink spaghetti strap dress with an empire waist, falling to the floor. I dug around in my suit case some more, looking for my shoes. I found them and slipped them on my feet. I walked over to the mirror once again, and admired my relfection. I grabbed my brush, and brushed the hair hanging down from my buns out. There. Perfect. I heard Darien coming back as I was putting on my vanilla lip gloss. "Serena? Aren't you ready yet?" He yelled from the other room. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! I'm coming! Keep your pants on!" I shouted back. I gave myself another look in the mirror, grabbed my purse, and opened the door, to crash right into Darien. He looked at me sheepishly before helping me up. "Sorry! I was just going to knock on the door before you opened it. Are you ok?" Just as I was about to chew Darien out for crashing into me, he flashed me that sexy, quirky grin of his, and the words disappeared on my tongue. I shyly smoothed dress, and said, "Yeah. I'm ok. Kinda sore, but I'll live. Now let's get going! I'm starved!" "Hey, hold up a minute, Serena," Darien said as I was opening the suite's door. I turned, and it was then that I realized that he was hiding something behind his back. Oh dear, what was he up to now?? "I just wanted to apolgize for calling you Meatball Head earlier," he grinned shly before continuing, "so I got you these," he finished in a flourish, producing a boquet of tweleve perfect pink roses. I was speechless. For once in my life, I didn't know what to say. This was the second time he'd given me flowers. "Thanks Darien! I love them, they're so gorgeous!" I took two out of the boquet and wove one into each bun. "They match my dress perfectly." He smiled and held out his arm. "Shall I escort you to dinner, mi'lady?" I giggled and threaded my arm in his, and we walked out the door. <an hour later, still in Seren's POV> I sat down at the table, exhausted. I don't think I've ever danced so much in my entire life. So far we had danced to every song the DJ played, and it was time for a breather. Darien smiled at me from his seat beside me. "I'm going to go get some punch, do you want some?" I nodded, and he left. While he was gone, I surveyed the floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Jedite. No, please, not now! I struggled to catch another glimpse, but he was lost in the crowd. Darien returned and placed the glass of punch in front of me. "What's the matter, Sere?" "Uh, I thought I saw someone I know." Sure, it was a lie, but not quite. I DID know Jedite! Suddenly, a blood curdling scream from on the dance floor was heard. I snapped my head up to see the dancers running to the side. I pretty much suspected to see a youma, and when the people cleared, standing in the center of the floor was a youma sucking the energy from a young girl. I glanced over at Darien, who was also surveying the scene in front of us. I needed to transform, and now! But what about Darien? I looked around the room, and I saw a closet, and I shoved him over to it. "Hide in there, and I'll go get the captain. Stay in there, and don't come out until I tell you!" At his worried gaze, I smiled reasuringly. "Don't worry, I'll be just fine!" Before giving a chance for Darien to protest further, I ran off in the direction of the nearest exit. ~Darien~ I watched Serena run away. I can't believe I just let her go, without trying more to stop her. If anything happened to her, I'd never forgive myself. Suddenly, that familiar twinge gripped my body. Sailor Moon had just transformed, and would need my help soon. Serena had told me not to come out until she told me, and if she returned before I was back in here, she would think something happened to me. Sighing, I opened the door a crack, to look out. Sailor Moon was standing before a large youma, with sticky green tentacles, lashing out at her. I felt horrible. She needed my help. After much internal debate, I transformed into Tuxedo Mask, and rushed into the scene. I quickly threw a rose at the youma, and Sailor Moon looked up, relieved. "Tuxedo Mask! You came!" I smiled. "How dare you interupt this cruise? It is an act of pure evil, and you shall be punished!" I called at the youman, who was getting angrier by the second. "Sailor Moon, finish her off!" But before Sailor Moon had a chance to remove her tiara, the youma fired a blast of energy at the super heroine. Reacting quickly, I ran over and grabbed Sailor Moon, then jumped to safety. The energy ball went flying into the closet, where I was supposed to be! Serena gasped, then screamed, "DARIEN! NO!!" Huh? How did Sailor Moon know I was in there? Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Serena was Sailor Moon. That's why she had to leave me in the closet. "Sailor Moon, you must finish the youma off." Sailor Moon nodded, tears starting to form in her eyes. "For what you've done to Darien, you must pay. In the name of the moon, you are punished!" She pulled her tiara off her head and yelled, "Moon Tiara, MAGIC!" The tiara cut into the monster destroying it. As soon as the youma was reduced to moon dust, Sailor Moon ran over to the closet where I was supposed to be. She sat down on the floor, and started to sob. I couldn't believe that she was that upset over losing me. I walked up behind her so I could hear what she was saying. "Oh, Darien. I'm so sorry. I figured you'd be safe in the closet. I'm such an idiot, please forgive me." I put my hand on her shoulder. "I forgive you, Meatball Head." She spun around. "Darien?" I smiled. "You got it." She looked at me, confused. "You're Tuxedo Mask?!" I nodded, then she launched herself at me, hugging me tightly. "Oh Darien, I thought I had lost you!" "It's alright Serena, I'm here now," I murmured, kissing the top of her head. She looked up at me, smiling. "Darien, I don't quite know how to say this, but...I-I think I'm falling in love with you. And it scares me." I couldn't believe it! She loved me! "Serena, I think I love you, too." Her smiled widened, and I closed the gap between our faces, pressing my lips gently to hers. Serena suprised me by deepening kiss. Her tongue playfully danced across my lips, and I opened my mouth to allow her better access. We broke away moments later, only for lack of breath. "Wow," Serena sighed. I glanced down, and suddenly realized that we were still transformed. "Hey, Serena. Don't you think we should detransform?" Serena, after noticing her outfit, nodded. She quickly detransformed back to her normal self. "We should get out of here before people come back in here." I nodded, and stood up, reaching out for her hand. She took it, and I pulled her up. I slipped my arm comfortably around her waist, and she leaned her head on my shoulder. We walked back to our room in silence. Title : Love Boat Chapter : Epilogue Author : Alexia-Chan Stalk Her? : «email» alexiachan@yahoo.com Rating : PG13 Summary : Serena is thrilled when she wins two tickets on the Millenium Cruise free! But after talking to all her closest friends, she realizes one miniscule problem. She doesn't have anyone to go with! Well... maybe there's one last resort... * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = * = <Christmas Eve> ~Serena~ I couldn't believe it. They were making us go home because of the youma attack a few hours ago. This was a disaster major! Not only did I have to repack, but I never got to sleep with Darien! (AN: Not like that!! Eechi! ^_^) But we had hooked up, so I guess it wasn't a total waste. I still can't believe he's Tuxedo Mask! Talk about shocking! He didn't seem at all phased to find out that I was Sailor Moon. Maybe he had suspected it or something. The boat pulled into the dock and I was suddenly saddened. What did this mean for me and Darien? Sighing, I lugged my suitcases down the gangplank with Darien following close behind. As soon as we touched ground, my parents came forward, embracing me tightly. "What are you guys doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at Aunt Sally's?" I asked, confused. "The moment we heard that the cruise had been cancelled, we left Aunt Sally's to come and make sure you were safe!" Ilene said, grabbing one of my bags. "And we knew you wouldn't have any where to say," Ken said, eying Darien suspiciously. Darien had kept his distance, and I knew he was feeling uncomfortable watching our little family reunion. "So, are we going to Aunt Sally's then?" I asked, on the way to the car. "That was the plan, dear," Ilene said, putting the bags in the trunk of the car. I glanced at Darien, but he didn't catch my gaze. "Um, well...do you think that Darien could come with us since he really doesn't have anything to do for Christmas?" I looked at my parents with pleading eyes. "Please?" I added for good measure. Darien cleared his throat. "That's alright Serena. I'm sure I can find something in my apartment for dinner. I'll be fine." He didn't look fine, and I could tell he wasn't happy declining my invitation. Ilene smiled warmly, and threw a warning look in Ken's direction. "Nonsense, Darien. I won't have you eating some TV dinner when you could be spending Christmas with us." Darien smiled gratefully and we got in the car and headed for Aunt Sally's. <A week later, still in Serena's POV> Darien and I walked hand in hand to the arcade. Everyone had returned from their holidays the day before and we had agreed to meet in the arcade. Darien and I had told no one of our romance, and were anxious to spill the beans. We sat in the back booth, and waited for everyone to get there. As soon as I saw the girls walk through the door, I grinned wickedly before pressing my lips firmly to his. I could hear their collective gasps and I even heard Andrew murmur, "I can't believe it's actually happening!" We ingored them, and continued our passionate embrace. I didn't want to come up for air, because I knew we'd be bombarded with questions I wasn't in the mood to answer. THE END! |