Sailor Moon does not belong to me.
I wish it was so but keep on dreaming. Sailor Moon belongs to
Naoki Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI Animation. I want to say thank
you to all those people who encourages me to write to continue writing.
Especially to Jade and Fyrechild.
I have been recovering from a car crash and a serious illness that
followed my accident.
Remember to visit my page at
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/9613/
I usually add my fanfiction there before I submit it.
I'm looking for some pre-readers. If you are interested in becoming a
pre-reader for me please email me.
This is a spoiler. It takes place after Sailor Stars. It is a romance if
you are looking for action this is not the right place for you. I am using
the NA name because it is an alternate reality.
Wedding Rehearsal is a copyright of Serena Chiba@1998.
Now on with the story.
** means thinking
\\ flashback
Separation
by Serena Chiba
Chapter Seven
It was late when Serena returned home that evening-later
than she'd intended, since tomorrow was a workday.
She dragged her hand through her hair as she locked her
apartment door and walked slowly toward her bedroom. She was still
more than half annyoed with Raye. She had been all eveing, ever
since sh'd arrived at the deesignated club expecting to spend a
couple of hours alone with her friend, only to discover that she'd
been set up. Raye hadn's been alone. Her boyfriend, Chad, had
been there. As had Chad's friend, Stan, the singer.
Sending Raye a look that had promised retribution at the
earliest opportunity, Serena had somehow managed to be gracious.
Stan was a nice guy. Amusing wiht his quick wit and slow drawl.
Charming enough to make Serena relaz despite the ackwardness of
the situation. Raye had neglected a fact about Stan. He looked
exactly like Darien but completely different attitude.
The whole point of the evening had been to keep her from
thinking of Darien. But Raye's scheme had backfired. Although
Serena had smiled and conversed and even danced a couple of times
with Stan, she'd spent the whole evening thinking comparing him
to Darien and knowing that this man would never replaced the one
she'd sent away.
She was begining to doubt that any man would ever fully
replace Darien in her eart. She was really pathetic, she told
herself half angrily. she'd broken up with Darien because she'd
wanted something more, only to discover that he was all she wanted.
Oh , she still wanted more. She wanted it all. But she wanted
it with Darien, not without hiim.
With some trepidation, she check her aswering machine.
She expected to find at least one more querulous message from Darien.
After all, he'd called her at least once a day all week, still insisting
that she was being unreasonable. he seemed convinced that he could
make her change her mind about ending ehir engagement, even though
he'd offered nothing more than he'd ever given her. Obviously, he
still hadn't even realized there was anything missing.
Maybe it was her secret fear that he could change her mind
that made her continue to avoid talking to him, cowadly as her
actions might seem. But there was no message on her machinge this
evening. Not even a hang-up.
Darien hadn't called.
She bit her lip, staring at the machine as though expecting
it to explain the unexpected silence. Maybe he'd been too busy at
work to call. Maybe he was giving her a bit more time to miss him
before he tried again.
Or maybe he'd finally gotten the message and conceded defeat.
If, as she suspected, he hadn't really wanted to get marriend, anyway,
it was possible that he'd put his bruised pride aside and convinced
himself that it was best this way.
She'd occasioally wondered if she even crossed his mind when
she wasn't with him; maybe he hadn't even thought about her today.
Maybe the significance of the date-their anniversary, of sorts-hadn't
even ocurred to him. Maybe he'd already written her off as one of
his failed experiments and moved on to the next "project."
Maybe he would never call her again.
Since that was exactly what she'd convinced herself she
wanted, she couldn't imagine why there were tears running down her face.
* * * * * *
Serena was determined not to let the date get to her again
on Friday. Okay, so it was February 14. Valentine's Day. Big deal.
Romance could not be dictated by a calendar and a few greeting-card
companies. There was no need for her to be depressed just because
she no longer had anyone special with whom to share the event.
Not that she would notice much difference, she told herself
grimly. Last year, Darien hadn't even known it was Valentine's Day
until she'd reminded him. He'd taken her out for a nice dinner, but
only because they'd had a standing date for Wednesday evenings, the
one night when neither of them had regular commitments.
Once he'd become aware of his lapse, Darien had covered
quickly by claiming th dinner had been intended all along to mark
the occaion-he'd even ceremoniously bought her a rose from a woman
at a sidewalk stand outside the restaurant-but Serena had known the
truth. He hadn't remembered. It simply hadn't been important to him.
So, as far as Serena was concerned, February 14 was just
another day. Nothing at all special.
Unfortunately, the rest of the world seemed to disagree
with her assessment.
Raye entered during her lunch break. She rather nervously
cleared her hroat, obviously expecting a cool greeting. "Er-have you
forgiven me yet?"
Serena shrugged. "I know you meant well, Raye, but I wish
you'd just told me what you had planned. It was really unfair of
you to catch me off guard that way."
"I'm sorry." Raye looked genuinely contrite. "I acted on
impulse. I thought once you'd met Stan, and saw how nice he was,
you might give him a chance."
"Stan is very nice, Raye. I liked him. But I'm just not
interested in dating him."
"Or anyone else, except Darien," Raye commented.
Serena winced. "Okay, so I'm an idiot. I'm trying to get
over that. And I will, eventually. Just don't....push me
anymore, okay?"
"I won't," Raye promised. "And I really am sorry about
last night."
Serena never could stay mad at Raye for ong.
"Apology accepted," she said lightly. "And I did have a
nice time. I just wish he hadn't been whispering into my ear the
whole night." She smiled wryly. "But you were right . It was
much better than sitting at home alone moping. Just don't do it
again."
Raye solemnly crossed her heart. "How're you doing?" she
asked then, with the melting sympathy one would display toward the
recently bereaved. "Are you okay?"
"Of course," Serena replied brisly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, it is Valentine's Day-"
"Yes, and I've had a lovely one."
Raye still looked a little bit wary. "I know this day can't
be easier for you than yesterday was."
Serena shrugged. "Darien never made a fuss over Valentine's
Day. I'm sure it seemed quite foolish to him."
"You'll be okay this evening?"
"Of course. There's a program on the arts-and-entertainment
channel that I'd like to watch this evening, and I plan to order
take-out for a lay evening in front of the TV. I'll be fine."
"Fine. So, how about if we get together tomorrow afternoon?
Just the two of us this time, I promise. We can check out some of
those cute little boutiques on your street and pop into Valentine
Delights for something sinful and fattening afterward. Maybe see
an early movie at the discount theater."
Serena hesitated.
"Please," Raye added. "I need to know you aren't still
mad at me about last night. I want to make it up to you."
Serena would have been a real heel to trun her down after
that. She smiled. "I'd like that."
She held her smile as she watched her friend rush off to
prepare for a romantic evening with Chad. It was only when she
was alone that she allowed her cheerful expression to fade into
an unhappy frown.
* * * * * *
Serena arrived home only a few minutes later than usual.
She checked the answering machine. No messages again.
She sighed and went into her bedroom, where she stripped
out of the cherre red-and-white pantsuit she'd worn today for work.
She replaced it with her baggy black sweats and white socks.
It really didn't matter what she wore this evening, she thought
glumly. The only person likely to see her would be the delivery
person from the Chinese take-out.
On her way to the liveing room, she stopped by the washer
to put in a load of towels. Might as well accomplish a few things
during the evening, she decided, especially since she would be
spending the next afternoon shopping with Raye.
Doing laundry and eating take-out in front of the TV.
Alone.
On Valentine's Day.
The tears she'd been holding back all day suddenly flooded
her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She was furious with herself
for crying over her broken engagement again-after all, she'd spent
all last weekend doing so and sh'ed intended that to be the end
of it. But she couldn't seem to help it.
She missed Darien desperately. So much, at times, that
it was tempting to call him and beg him to come back to her-to be
willing to take whatever crumbs of affection he deigned to toss
her way.
But, no. She drew a deep breath, mopped determinedly at
her eyes and headed for the telephone. She wasn't particularly
hungry, but she was going to order all her favorite dishes, curl
up beneath her afghan and have a lovely self-indulgent evening alone.
She would survive this, she told herself for at least
the thousandth time. She wouldn't waste much more time moping
over Darien Shields and futilely wishing things had been
different between them.
As for Darien-well, he was probably already over her.
Probably involved in a new, potentially world-changing research
project. Still a bit bewildered, perhaps, about her illogical
behavior, but getting on with his life.
Just as Serena intended to do.
With another touch of bitterness, she told herself that
she'd never really made much difference in his life, anyway.
He hadn't allowed her to. He rarely talked about his past, never
talked about his inner-most feelings, gave her not even a glimpse
inside him. It wouldn't take him long to find an attractive woman
to accompany him to his obligatory social functions, and to be
available when he wanted a bedmate.
She told herself tha it wouldn't actually kill her if she
ran into him with another woman on his arm. It would just fell
like a knife had been rammed into her heart.
She was still sniffling into a tissue when her doorbell
rang half an hour later. She glanced at her watched. The dinner
had arrived earlier than she'd expected, considering the occasion.
She snatched up the bills she'd laid on the coffee table and moved
toward the door, automatically running a hand through her hair and
pasting on an artificial smile. She was always very careful about
confirming who was at her door before she opened it, but this time
she simply forgot. Maybe because there was so much more on her mind.
"You made good time," she said brightly, opening the door.
"I wasnt' expecting you for another-"
Her voice died away.
Dr. Darien Shields stood just stood outside her door,
impeccably dressed in a dark suit and a gorgeous tie, his thick hair,
for once, immaculately combed. His rms were loaded down with a dozen
red roses wrapped in green florist's paper, an enormous silver box
tied with burgundy ribbon, and another gift beautifully wrapped
in reds and golds.
He'd been smiling when she first opened the door, but her
words made him frown.
"You were expecting someone else?" he asked coolly.
Author's Note
So how do you like this?? Is it good, bad, or I could have done better??
Please send your comments, flames, and critisism to me at
serena_chiba@hotmail.com
Ja ne.
Character List
Tsukino Usagi Serena Moon
Chiba Mamoru Darien Shields
Hino Rei Raye Hino
Kou Seiya Stan
Yuuchirou Chad
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