With or Without You--Part Two By Aimee: sailor_moon89@hotmail.com Disclaimer: blah blah blah...yadda yadda yadda...same old same old. If you really, really wanna read a disclaimer, see part one. Author's Notes: Remember at the end of part one when I said part two would be more humorous and cheerful? Well, I lied. I like depressing stuff, and I think most of you people do too. :o) Each part of this story can stand alone as it's own story, but they'll make more sense if you read them in order. I might consider a third part if I get positive responses and requests. Please let me know how you feel about this at sailor_moon89@hotmail.com Part two starts exactly where part one left off, and it's still from Darien's point of view. Enjoy. ----- With or Without You--Part Two Clouds were moving in from the east--a storm was quickly approaching, but I didn't want to go home just yet. I had too much on my mind. Besides, all that was waiting for me there was a cold bed, a night full of horrible dreams, and a guilty conscience. Tonight's adventure had taken it's toll on my emotions, and I was letting them show for the first time in years. Crying had always been my strong point--something I had always been able to control--something I never deemed necessary. But now, as tears streamed unchecked down my cheeks, I wondered why I had waited so long to cry. It felt good--an enormous release. But it was just a quick fix for my problem. My problem was Serena. She was probably at home now, crying her heart out--all because of me. My repeated rejection of her had likely left her thinking of herself as worthless and undesirable, and that couldn't be farther from the truth. I wanted badly to tell her of my dreams so she could understand and not blame herself for my actions. The only thing that kept me from telling her was the fact that this information would no doubt frighten her. I wouldn't have her live in fear. Lighting flashed in the distance, followed by a strong rumble of thunder. I recalled Serena's fear of thunderstorms, and worried. I wished that I could be with her, to comfort and hold her. I wanted to tell her that everything was all right, and that nothing could harm her when she was in my arms. However, my dreams told me that was not true. My arms were the last place she was safe. Lost in my thoughts of Serena, I heard a noise to my right. I turned to its source and saw Serena walking, obviously in deep thought--she saw neither me nor took notice of the impending storm. Her face was marked with a sadness I'd never seen before now. I caused this, I told myself. When she was close enough to hear me, I spoke. "What are you doing out this late? You should be at home." I didn't mean to snap at her, but I didn't like the idea of a pretty girl like her walking around at night alone. She looked up, startled, and saw me. I couldn't make out her facial expression, since it was hidden by the shadows. She didn't answer me right away, but when she finally did speak, her small voice revealed to me that she'd been crying. "I couldn't sleep," she said softly. I was barely able to hear her. "Are you feeling all right? I mean--you're not still weak from that attack, are you?" She was pale, and the attack on her earlier had been a brutal one. "I'm fine." I wasn't convinced. "Are you crying, Serena?" Her eyes narrowed. "Are you?" I didn't answer. I could see her face now. She was clearly angry--very angry, in fact. The wind from the storm whipped around us, and I noticed her sweater was thin. I took my jacket off and walked over to put it around her. She backed away from me. "Serena, it's about to storm," I explained. "Let me take you home." She didn't hear me. "Why are you doing this to us?" she asked. I sighed--I wasn't prepared for a confrontation. I wanted to tell her the truth. Maybe I should, but she was angry and upset right now. I couldn't tell her anything till she calmed down--she might take it wrong or say something she didn't mean. I knew that much from experience. "Serena, it's late..." She wasn't about to give up. "Is there something wrong with me? Am I not pretty enough for you? Not smart enough?" "No," I told her quickly. "That's not it at all." "Is there someone else?" "No, Serena--there's not," I assured her. "Is it Rei?" "No, it's n-" "Well, what is it then?!" she yelled, cutting me off. I sighed again. How could I tell her this in a way she would understand--a way that wouldn't upset her more. "Serena, do you trust me?" I asked. She hesitated. "I think I do--I mean, I used to with all my heart. But now..." Her voice faded. Uh-oh...this approach wasn't working. I decided on another. "All right, let me put it another way. If one of your friends was in danger, and you thought that maybe you could help them, would you?" I asked. "Yes, of course I would," she said without hesitation. "But what does that have to do with us?" I put a finger to her lips. "Shhh--hear me out." She nodded and I continued. "I feel, very strongly I might add, that a friend of mine is in danger, and I'm trying my best to protect that friend." "I don't understand--who are you trying to protect?" "You, Serena." She looked confused, and began to get upset. "But how? And from what?" Lightning struck nearby, followed closely by loud thunder. Serena jumped in fright. I needed to get her someplace safer. I saw a covered area nearby. I took Serena's hand and led her to it. At least we'd be dry there. We got there not a moment too soon--the rain began to come down in sheets. I was running out of ways to tell her about my dreams--only the direct approach remained. That's what she wanted--the truth, plain and simple. I prepared myself to give it to her, and prayed she would accept it without being plagued with the fear I knew all too well. She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to answer her questions. I took a deep breath. "I have dreams, Serena--terrible ones. Dreams I haven't told anyone about before now." She looked surprised, and then compassionate. She reached for my hand and held it tightly, giving me her support. She must have realized this was difficult for me to talk about. I continued. "In my nightmares, I'm forced to watch you die. I can't do anything to help you. I can't do anything but watch." Scenes of the dream I was trying to describe flashed through my memory. I shut my eyes tightly till they vanished. Another crash of thunder sounded. "That's not all--a voice tells me that unless I stay away from you, you'll die like in my dreams." Serena's eyes grew large. "Can you understand now? That's why I broke up with you, to keep you away from me so that you'd be safe." The truth was out now, and it was up to Serena to take it how she wanted to. I turned around so I wouldn't have to look at her. I was deeply ashamed of all the lies I'd told her, and that I hadn't revealed the truth sooner. Serena said nothing for a long time, and I suppose she was trying to take in all she had been told. But soon I felt two arms encircle my waist from behind and Serena's cheek resting on my back. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked quietly. "I didn't want to scare you," I told her, truthfully. "It's not your job to protect me." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Yes, it is," I said. "No, Darien--it's not," she told me, firmly. I turned around and looked her in the eyes. "I would die if something happened to you. And if I know of a way to protect you from harm, I will--no matter what the cost." Serena began to look angry again. "Even if the cost is hurting beyond comprehension the very one you're trying to protect? Did you think about that while you were weaving all your little lies? If you loved me half as much as you say you do, you would have told me the truth...or did you lie when you said 'I love you' too?" I winced--her words stung me, and I looked away. I hadn't lied when I'd told her that I loved her, but there was no way she'd believe me if I told her that. She had me cornered, and I couldn't think of anything I could say to defend myself. The only thing I could do was retreat. I needed to get out of here--quickly. I stepped out into the downpour and headed toward my motorcycle, leaving Serena behind. The rain was cold and hard, and I was quickly drenched. I didn't care. I just wanted to be someplace else. A hand grabbed my arm, and I turned around to see Serena looking up at me. She was soaked from the rain as well, I immediately put my jacket around her--not that it helped much. "I'm sorry, Darien," she told me. "I didn't mean what I said." "Yes, you did," I said. "And you're right...all except for the 'I love you' part, that is." "No, I'm not right," she insisted. "I had no right to say what I just did. Darien, you've always taken such good care of me, like earlier tonight, when you came to help me. And right now." She gestured to the jacket on her shoulders. "You've protected me since the first day we met..." I cut her off. "Yeah, and I've also broken your heart, teased you, made you cry, called you names, lied to you, disappointed you, and who knows what else..." My head hung. I was ashamed and miserable--not to mention very wet. Serena looked at me with compassion, and her hand moved to my cheek. She caressed it gently, wiping away both tear and rain drops. She pushed the wet hair out of my eyes and kissed my forehead. "I forgive you," she whispered. She forgave me? What? "But..." "I forgive you, Darien," she said gently, as if talking to a child. I didn't understand. "Serena..." "I forgive you, and I love you." The rain started to let up. "How can you..." "Shhhh...I forgive you. Hold me...please?" I was speechless. I hadn't realized just how much she'd grown up since we'd first met. Her forgiveness showed me just how mature she'd become. She wasn't a child anymore--but a young lady, capable of a love I often didn't understand. We stood in the rain, which had become more of a drizzle, and held each other for a long time. She shivered from the chill, and I hugged her closer. "Darien, I think you're right about us breaking up," Serena said after a little while. This was unexpected, but a relief. She pulled away from our embrace slowly. "Maybe this will end soon, and we won't have to be separated long," I said, trying to cheer her up. My only worry was that it would never end. "Can we at least be friends till then?" she asked. I smiled. "I'd like that." I was pleased she understood, and again scolded myself for not telling her sooner. I had underestimated her, and was determined never to do so again. She returned my smile, but sadly. I could tell she was close to tears again. I knew why--being 'just friends' is nice, but when you're in love with a person, it's heart- breaking. Our separation hadn't been an easy one for either of us so far, and would no doubt get harder, even with the hope of being reunited someday. Serena looked at the ground. "I guess I should be heading toward home. My parents might be worried." I had no intention of letting her go without a good-bye kiss. After all, it could be our last. I moved close to her, much to her surprise, and cupped her face in my hands. I wanted her to never again doubt the way I felt. "To remember me by," I told her. I started at her forehead, kissing it tenderly while pushing wet strands of hair from her face. I then kissed her right cheek, brushed my lips across the tip of her nose, and moved to kiss her left cheek. While paying the same loving attention to her temple, I slid one hand down till it came to rest on the small of her back. My lips moved down and whispered "I love you" into her ear. Then I came to her neck. As I slowly trailed warm kisses across it, I felt Serena go weak in my arms--I held her tightly. Finally, after gently kissing her little chin, I came to her lips. I teasingly rubbed my fingers across them, and she kissed each of them. Slowly I leaned down till our lips met. At first, our kisses were light and sweet, refreshing us both after such an emotional day. It then turned into one, long kiss full of tenderness, expressing our deep love for one another. As the kiss continued, I gently bent her backwards, supporting her head and body with my arms. Our kiss had become deep and passionate, and it healed all the hurt and pain deep within each of our hearts. We both realized how much we truly missed each other. When the kiss finally ended, we enjoyed a few moments of peace in each other's arms. I don't remember when I'd felt more loved, or showed that kind of love to another person before. We were both reluctant to end the moment since we knew that we would not have another like it until the nightmares ended, but I had begun to hear voices nearby. Very familiar voices... "Is it them?" said one voice. "I'm pretty sure it is--who else has hair like that?" "Reenie does." "Well, besides her." "Mina, quit hogging the binoculars. It's my turn!" "In a minute...in a minute." Serena sighed, obviously annoyed with our unexpected guests. "Why me?" she muttered. I slowly released her from our embrace, and she almost toppled over with dizziness. I guess I had over done it a bit. I steadied her carefully, only to be met with excited giggles from our spies. "All right, guys. You can quit hiding," Serena spoke through clenched teeth. Four grinning and blushing girls emerged from the shadows, donned in raincoats and umbrellas. "Hiding?" said Lita innocently. "Who, us?" added Ami, smiling. "Serena, we've been looking all over for you! Where have you been?" Mina was a good actress, but not that good. "Hey, Serena--what's that on your neck?" Rei inquired with a grin. Serena's hand shot to her neck near the place I had kissed her, her cheeks turning crimson. While Lita and Mina watched the screaming Serena chase Rei around puddles of water, Ami turned to me and asked, "So does this mean you and Serena are a couple again?" I smiled sadly. "No...just friends." Ami nodded, but didn't look too convinced--I wondered exactly how long the girls had been watching us. It was time to make my exit. I left Serena in the Scout's hands after they assured me they'd see her home safely, and I headed toward home. After re-acquainting myself with the wonders of dry clothing, I slipped into bed. It had been an exhausting day, but for the first time in quite a while, I fell asleep with a smile. Something told me I wouldn't be having any nightmare's tonight. ----- Okay...that's a wrap. What do you think? Too mushy? Not mushy enough? (geez, people, if it got any more mushy, we'd need paper towels) Remember, I'm considering a third part, but if you guys didn't like this part, I need to stop while I can! Send your comments to me: sailor_moon89@hotmail.com