If Ever You're In My Arms Again By Callista Matthews Rated: PG-13 for language E-mail: Quirkygirl2002@aol.com AN: Sailor Moon disclaimer here. The song "If Ever You're In My Arms Again" is not mine. It's sung by Peabo Bryson some decade ago and I thought it was appropriate for this story. E-mail me with your comments please! Visit my website at www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Highrise/3867 Chapter 3: The Ball The ballroom was filled with people by the time the royal court started to come through the doors. They were all greeted with people who just bowed their heads since it was the informal ball. Everyone was at ease, all wearing casual clothes. The Inner Sailor Senshi were escorted to the ball by their husbands. Their childrens were left with the royal nannies, Luna and Artemis. As usual, Serenity, or Serena was the last one to arrive. By custom, she had to sit on her throne although she was wearing jeans and a white tank top that had "Moon Power" written on it. The throne next to her was empty. It was reserved to the man who would be honored enough to sit next to the mighty moon queen. It was last sat on by her father, Prince Consort Keith of the Sun Kingdom. Everyone was enjoying themselves, somewhat. Endymion, or Darien, was with his fiancee, Alex, and his son Damien. Darien had adopted Damien when he was on his trip to Europe and found a one month old Damien out in the rain. Darien had decided to make Damien his son from then on. Peculiarly, when Darien found Damien, there was a faint mark on Damien's forehead. But it was too faint for Darien to make something out of the faint glowing patch. It was six years later and the mark only came out when Damien was either extremely happy or extremely upset. He had a terror from thunder as well. Alex told Darien, "Endy, I can't believe we're getting married! I've always wanted my own family. Now I get a handsome husband and a charming son." She continued to gush. Darien was getting bored of her chatting however, but he figured it would go away when they married. Married. That word he never in his several lifetimes associated with anyone else but Serena. He looked to where Serena was seated on her throne. She was looking quite bored. He always loved the way her noe crinkled when she was bored. He was snapped back to the reality of the situation. He would be marrying someone else in a week and he would never again touch Serena or hold her in his arms ever again. He wondered if this was the right thing to do. He needed someone to be with and he wanted a mother to Damien, but is this what he would be happy with? He looked at Alex, who was still chatting away, not realizing that Darien's attention was elsewhere. Darien knew that Alex never really wanted children. He saw how she was when she was with Damien, and he never saw any real maternal love between the two. "Papa?" Damien looked up to his father, Damien knew that his father was in one of those moods again. He would drift off, especially when around Alex. Darien looked down on his son, who amazingly, had striking similarities to him. "Yes, son?" Damien pointed at Serena, "Daddy, who is she? She's very pretty and she seems nice, but she seems very lonely." Darien followed his son's finger. It was true that Serena did look like she was lonely, a touch of sadness showed on her face. The same sadness that Darien always tried to conceal whenever around Serena. "That's Neo-Queen Serenity. She's a friend of the Sailor Senshi. She's nice and she's a fun person." "Maybe I can cheer her up!" Damien ran to the garden before Darien could catch him. Darien let him go, he knew that he was safe in the palace. Darien next saw Damien with a red rose, walking toward Serena. He was suprised at his son, not because he would go up to Neo-Queen Serenity, but because he looked so much like him with the rose. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Serena was extremely bored. Pluto was in-charge of the music department and she played songs from when she was a teenager. 'Ah, the memories.' And what memories they were! Mostly happy ones, but now that she looked back, it broke her heart. Damien approached Serena, with a red rose in hand. "Hello, you looked sad so I thought you'd like this." Damien handed a suprised Serena with the rose. Serena stared at the rose and at Damien. He looked so much like Darien with the red rose in hand. Darien always used to give her a red rose whenever she was sad and memories made her eyes misty. "Thank you. It's very nice of you to do that." Serena accepted the rose from Damien and sat on the small stairs in front of her throne. Damien sat on her lap. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing to look at the moon queen and the prince of Earth. The queen looked so right with the young child on her lap. Everyone felt extremely saddened for her because she had no husband and no children. Damien was telling Serena about his rose garden back on earth, when Darien came in front of them. Serena stopped giggling with Damien when Darien came. She looked up and blue met blue. His eyes were still as intense as his personality. Memories of love flashed between their eyes as Damien still talked. Finally, Serena broke the eye contact. "This is you son, I believe." Serena looked back at Damien and smiled. She loved the child dearly already. "Yes, he is. Come along Damien, there's still much we need to do." Darien took Damien in the hand gently. "Okay, Daddy. Nice to meet you Rena. I hope I get to dance with you soon." Damien went off with his father.