A/N So here is my holiday story for this year. Unlike last year's story, On a Silent Night, I decided to split this one into three parts, each part covering one day. It is set in my Lunar Princess universe, but takes place before The Galactic Trinity, and revolves around Serena & Darien and Andrew & Jess. There's no enemy or scout action. It's just a warm and fuzzy story that I hope will bring a little cheer to all of you instead of all of the angst I normally write. Enough out of me! On with the show!

ENJOY!

Star Bright Angels

Part 1

December 23

"Here you are, Mr. Furuhata," the clerk said as he handed Andrew back his credit card and a small bag with tissue paper sticking out of the top and its handles tied with red and green ribbons. "I just know that your girlfriend will love it. Have a very Merry Christmas!"

Andrew took the bag with slightly shaking hands. "Thank you. I hope you have a Merry Christmas as well."

He stood there in a daze staring down at the bag, still trying to comprehend what he had just done. Was he doing the right thing? What if she didn't accept it? Perhaps he should have stuck with something simpler like a necklace or a pair of earrings. Was it too soon for this?

He took a deep breath as he thought of his girlfriend. Jessica Alexander had barged into his life like a hurricane about eight months ago in a swirl of honey kissed hair and deep ocean eyes that had pierced him to his very soul. She had rocked his stable, ordinary life to its very foundation and had swept him along on the tide of a life changing adventure.

When he met the eighteen year old art student and offered her a job working at his family's arcade, he'd had no idea that she was harboring a huge secret inside. She was a sailor scout on a mission to protect a princess from a long destroyed civilization and her crystal. As Sailor Shadow, she fought against the enemy that wanted to kidnap the princess and steal her power for themselves.

It wasn't that he hadn't been familiar with the world of the sailor scouts before. He was good friends with all of the scouts and was one of the few people that knew their secret identities. In fact, Sailor Moon and her protector, Tuxedo Mask were two of his closest friends. But up until that point in his life he had been on the outskirts of their secret double life.

And then Jess had come along and nothing had been the same again. He had felt a deep connection with her from the very beginning. There had just been something about her that had pulled him toward her like a powerful magnet. In the beginning he had been confused about why he had been so attracted to the energetic and sometimes hot-tempered blonde, but as time had gone on the mysteries had slowly unraveled.

It had been astounding enough when she had revealed herself to be Sailor Shadow, the mysterious fighter that had been helping out Sailor Moon and her friends in their recent battles. But less than twenty-four hours later he had been floored when he discovered that she was actually the reincarnation of Princess Melody Rose DeLune Terra, wielder of the Celestial Crystal and daughter of Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity in their past lives.

He had also found out that he had a past life in the Silver Millennium as well. He had been Motoki, son of Sailor Solara and the commander of the Lunarian royal army. He had lived on the moon and been best friends with the young princess. Of course as Mina, Sailor Venus, was fond of saying, they were more than just friends. They were soul mates. After they were both killed in Beryl's attack on the moon kingdom, they had been sent along with everyone else to be reincarnated on Earth, and eventually they found each other again.

"So what's in the bag?" a voice spoke right next to him.

He jumped at least two feet off the floor and turned to see who had snuck up on him without him knowing. "Darien! You scared the crap out of me!"

His dark haired friend chuckled. "Sorry about that. I had no idea you were so far out of it. So like I said, what's in the bag? Are you doing a little last minute Christmas shopping? I assume that it's for a certain someone special."

The sandy blonde blew out an exasperated breath. "Yes, Darien, it's for Jess. You can come right out and say it."

A smirk grew on the dark haired man's face. "I figured as much. This is a pretty exclusive place and I didn't think you'd be shopping for your mom or your sister here. I just got done picking up Serena's gift. Luckily hers was easy this year. She's had her eye on this diamond tennis bracelet for a while now. What about you? What did you get for Jess?"

"I, uh…well," Andrew stammered uncertainly.

Just then another customer walked in, and the door was caught by the wind and blown wide, causing the jingle bells above it to clang wildly.

"Whoa!" Darien exclaimed and grabbed Andrew by the shoulder as he started violently. "You sure are jumpy today. Is there something on your mind?"

"If you only knew," Andrew muttered dully.

Darien arched a brow. "You need to talk about it?"

Andrew waved him off. "Nah, it's my problem. I'll deal with it."

"Come on," Darien cajoled. "I've got time. How about we go grab a coffee and you can tell me all about what's got you so worked up?"

"Isn't that usually my job?" Andrew replied slyly. "I'm usually the one behind the counter listening to everyone else's troubles."

Darien grinned broadly. "Well today the tables are turned. You look like you've got something weighing pretty heavily on you. It'll do you good to let it out."

Ten minutes later the two were seated in a booth at a nearby coffee shop. Darien waited until the waitress had brought them their drinks before turning a serious look on his best friend sitting across from him. "Okay, spill! What's going on?"

Andrew sighed deeply before admitting, "It's Jess."

Darien looked surprised. "Are you two having trouble? She was over at the apartment yesterday and I had the feeling that everything was going great between you guys."

"Things are beyond great between us," Andrew reassured him. "That isn't the problem."

Darien cocked his head in confusion. "Then what is the problem?"

"I…it's just…argh!" he buried his face in his hands for a moment before pulling a small jeweler's box from the bag he carried and sat it on the table. "Look at that!" he demanded.

Darien slid the box over to him and raised the lid. After a moment of shock he muttered, "I should have known. Are you sure about this?"

"Yes!" Andrew exclaimed. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life! I just…it's complicated."

Darien remained silent as he looked down at the contents of the box. He couldn't deny that it suited his former daughter perfectly.

The ring was a beautiful deep blue sapphire that had been cut in a way that made it appear star shaped. The band was comprised of both silver and gold that had been braided together. It sparkled brightly in the low lighting of the café.

Darien slid the ring back over toward Andrew and took a sip of his coffee as he fought down the surge of anger and jealousy he felt. In this lifetime he shared no DNA with the woman who had been his daughter in his past life, but Endymion lived inside him and he balked at the idea of any man marrying his little girl. It didn't matter if it was his best friend and her soul mate, part of him wanted to yell 'Hell no!'

He wished Serena were here. She had a way of pushing Endymion back into the far corners of his mind when he became riled up. She would also know the perfect thing to say to Andrew to make him feel better. It looked like he would have to wing it.

He settled back against the seat and studied his friend for a moment. "So you're going to ask her to marry you, huh? I can't say I'm surprised. I'm actually a little shocked that it's taken you this long to do it. I'd figured that you would have been down on one knee months ago."

Andrew gaped at him. "You don't think it's too soon? We've only known each other eight months."

Darien shook his head. "Only in this life. You've known each other far longer than that."

Andrew snorted into his cup. "That hardly qualifies. We were just kids when the moon kingdom fell. We didn't exactly have the time to build the kind of relationship that could constitute marriage."

"I disagree," Darien told him. "The time you spent together in the past laid the building blocks for what you have today. It's not like she's just some random stranger you met on the street. I'm sure a lot of people thought it was strange when I started dating Serena exclusively even though she was still in middle school and I was in college, but it just felt right. I had a feeling about her from the moment she threw that crumpled test paper and hit me on the head with it."

"It would have been nice if you had figured that out sooner," Andrew grumbled. "Do you know how many hours I spent cleaning up the messes you made in the arcade when you two got into your arguments?"

"Ah, those were the days," Darien sighed. "Sometimes I miss them."

"Well I don't!" Andrew exclaimed. "Have you ever tried to clean ice cream off a ceiling before?"

Darien chuckled. "I can't say that I have, but I have had to clean it off of the walls, the carpet, the sofa, and the curtains."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "I don't even want to know what kinky event led up to that mess."

Darien sputtered on the sip of coffee he had just taken. "It wasn't like that! It was a few years ago and I had let the girls come over one afternoon to study. Serena and Raye got into one of their squabbles and the next thing I knew the ice cream was flying. Get your mind out of the gutter!"

A big smirk crossed Andrew's lips. "Well how was I to know? You two are always pawing at each other, so I just naturally assumed the worst. My mistake."

"Like you and Jess aren't just as bad!" Darien fired back. "I'm surprised that the underage patrons of the arcade haven't turned blind from some of the public displays of affection that have occurred in that place. You two are pathetic!"

A loopy, slightly drunk look appeared on the sandy blonde's face. "Yeah we are, aren't we?"

"Whoa! Get your head back down out of the clouds!" Darien exclaimed. He pushed the almost untouched cup of coffee toward his friend. "Here, drink this."

Andrew dutifully took a sip of the beverage and tried to gather his thoughts. Then his earlier concerns invaded his head and he came crashing back down hard. He groaned and laid his head on the table. "What if she says no?"

Darien snorted at the idea. "Yeah right! That girl worships the ground you walk on and you know it! I don't think there's any force on this planet that would make her turn you down."

Andrew's head raised slightly and he stared at his friend with troubled eyes. "I know she loves me. I have no doubts about that. I don't know why she does. She's bright, beautiful, and loving. She could have her pick of any man in the world if she wanted to, but she chose me. But she's young and has her whole life ahead of her. She may not be ready for this step yet. What if she thinks I'm moving too fast and I run her off?"

Darien leaned across the table and clamped a hand on his friend's shoulder. "There's only one way to find out. You're just going to have to swallow all of your insecurities and ask her. I hope you have something special planned."

A bit of excitement sparkled in Andrew's hazel eyes. "Yeah. I have it all planned out. Now I just have to work up the courage to do it."

"What do you think of this one, Serena?" Jess asked as she walked out of the changing room and twirled in front of her friend.

Serena turned from the two dresses she was examining and tilted her head as she cast a critical eye over the dress the dark blonde woman was wearing. "Well, the style is nice, but the color…"

"It's hideous," Jess finished dully. "Face it, I just can't pull off green. My coloring is all wrong for it." She plucked at the pleated skirt of the holly green dress. "So much for wanting to look festive. I should probably just stick with my old faithful blue dress. It's never let me down before."

"But it's Christmas! You have to have a new dress to celebrate. It's our first Christmas together since we've been reunited and that makes it special," Serena insisted. "Now go try on the other one you picked out. Maybe it will be the one."

Jess turned and huffed. "It will be just as big of a disaster. It may be a lighter shade, but green is still green."

Her former mother crossed her arms and tried to look stern. "Just try on the darn dress."

"Okay, okay," Jess grumbled as she went back into the changing room. "You don't have to be so pushy. Why did we wait until so late to find dresses for the party again?"

Serena leaned against the wall next to the door. "Because our stupid professors kept us so busy with work and studying for exams that we haven't hardly had a chance to breath for the past month, much less shop."

"True," Jess agreed, her voice muffled by the dress she was pulling over her head. "Thank goodness for online shopping or I would be in a panic right now. What did you get Darien for Christmas?"

Serena fiddled with the ends of her hair. "I couldn't come up with one thing in particular, so I picked up a bunch of little things I thought he might like since he starts his new job at the hospital in a couple of weeks. I found this awesome tie that matches his eyes perfectly and a really nice pen set for his desk when he gets his office. I also got a book that I caught him looking at in the bookstore last week. Then Amy's mom helped me out by telling me about this website that she orders her lab coats from, so I ordered him two and had them embroidered with his name."

Jess giggled. "Dr. Darien Shields, it has a certain ring to it."

"I know, right," Serena agreed. "I can't believe he finally made it. He's been working for this as long as I've known him. I always knew that he would succeed, but seeing him walk across that stage last week at his graduation made it a reality."

"It was a great night," Jess commented, her voice muffled again as she pulled another dress on. "I thought Andrew looked so good as he accepted his degree. My baby, the business tycoon; who would've thought it? Serena, this dress isn't going to work. I look like Kermit the Frog's twin sister."

"It can't be that bad," Serena said in exasperation. "Come out and let me see."

"Not on your life!" Jess squealed. "I'd rather let Nebula slice me into tiny, unidentifiable pieces than be caught dead in this…thing! I give up! I'll just stick with what I have in my closet."

A flash of bright material caught Serena's eye and she wandered over to a rack full of clothing waiting to be returned to the sales floor. She pulled it off the rack and her eyes took on a gleam of satisfaction. A quick check of the tag assured her that it was the right size.

"Don't give up just yet," Serena called to Jess as she hurried back to the dressing room door. "I found one more that you just have to try on."

"Why bother?" Jess groaned. "Everything looks like crap on me. It's probably best to throw in the towel before I suffer any more humiliation."

"Just humor me, please," Serena begged. "This one's different."

There was a long sigh and then the door opened a crack. Jess stuck her hand out. "Fine! Give it to me."

Serena handed over the dress and then returned to studying the two dresses she was having a hard time deciding between. "So what did you get Andrew?"

A giggle came from behind the door. "He's been so cute about the whole thing. He told me that he didn't want anything for Christmas except me. But I had to get him something, so I got him a new laptop to replace that dinosaur computer of his. You know his dad is going to let him start running the arcade after the first of the year, so I thought it would be useful. Darn it! I can't reach the zipper on this thing."

The door opened and Jess presented her back to Serena. "Help a girl out, would ya?"

Serena hurried over and slid the zipper up then demanded, "Turn around and let me see."

When Jess swirled around, Serena clapped her hands together excitedly. "I think we struck gold on this one!"

"Do you really think so?" Jess squealed as she turned to the full-length mirror. "I don't know. It's different than anything I've ever worn."

"It's perfect!" Serena gushed. "I don't think even Mina could have come up with anything better. And Raye will be beyond jealous."

Jess smoothed her hand down the skirt. "It is pretty. I'll probably freeze to death in it though."

"Don't be silly. It may be a little provocative, but it still covers more than our fukus," Serena commented in a whisper.

"That's true," Jess agreed as she studied her reflection from different angles. The dress was bright red silk and clung to her body like a second skin. It was sleeveless with a high, Chinese style neckline and had delicate embroidery in gold and green around the collar. Tiny silken threads in the same gold and green ran lengthwise through the dress and created shimmering stripes when the light hit them right. The skirt ended a few inches above the knee.

"I think I'm going to get it," she declared with a grin. "It definitely has a more Christmassy look to it than anything I own."

"It's perfect!" Serena said happily. "Now I just have to decide which one of these dresses I like more. I'm leaning toward this one." She held up a dress of white velvet that had a knee length skirt and long sleeves with dainty snowflakes in ice blue around the hem.

Jess snorted. "Boring! That dress is so typically you. Come on, Serena! If I can step out of my comfort zone then you can too."

Serena's eyes went wide. "What do you mean?"

"I mean this shopping trip isn't over yet," Jess said, grabbing Serena by the arm and dragging her to the same rack her dress had come from. "We are going to that Christmas party tomorrow night and we're both going to shine!"

Serena cringed away from her. "You're scaring me. You've got that crazy look in your eyes and I don't like it."

A positively diabolical smile appeared on the other woman's face. "Do you trust me, Serena?"

"Ye…yes," she stammered.

"Good! Then roll with me here," Jess replied, reaching for a dress that had caught her eye.

Serena's mouth fell open. "No! No, no, and no! I am not wearing that."

"Trust me," Jess purred, holding the dress in front of Serena and turning her to face the mirror. "You can pull this off. Darien's jaw will be dragging the floor and leaving a trail of drool behind when he gets a look at you in this."

Serena's eyes began to glow as she began to picture herself actually wearing the dress. "Let me try it on and we'll see where it takes us."

Andrew shook his head to rid his hair of the snow that was falling as he stepped inside the arcade. He grinned as he unwound his scarf and let the familiar sounds and smells wash over him.

"Hey dad!" he called out to the man behind the counter.

Andrew Sr., known affectionately as Mr. Andy to all of the regular arcade customers, looked up from the crossword puzzle he was doodling on with a broad smile. "Hey Drew! I was wondering where you were keeping yourself today. It's been quiet around here without your yapping."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure you've been heartbroken. Do you know if Jess is upstairs?"

Andy smiled knowingly at his son. "Yes she is. She came in a little while ago all aflutter about something. Looked like she had been shopping. But she and Serena were kind enough to take pity on this old man and join me for a late lunch unlike my ungrateful son who hardly has time to say hello to his father anymore."

Andrew hung his head and grumbled. "Come on, dad! It's not like I've been avoiding you or anything. I've just been busy."

His father roared with a sidesplitting, gut-busting laughter. "Don't take it so seriously, boy! I was just joshing you. I know you've been busy with finishing up with school and heaven knows I can understand the allure of a beautiful woman. All that Jess has to do is walk through this arcade and you can feel the wind from the heads whipping around to watch her. You got yourself a looker there, son."

"Gee, thanks dad. That makes me feel loads better," Andrew snarled under his breath as he walked behind the counter.

Andy flicked a dishtowel at him. "Don't get your hackles up. I was just making an observation. Besides, that girl can take care of herself. I told you how she handled that punk that was in here harassing that girl a couple of weeks ago. She dragged him to the door and pitched him right out on his rear like he was nothing more than a sack of leaves. It caused quite a stir."

Andrew arched a brow at him. "Is mom aware of how enamored you are of my girlfriend? She may have something to say about that you know."

"Ha ha, very funny," Andy replied dryly. "Your mother knows that she has nothing to fear. She's had my heart from the moment she turned those hazel eyes of her on me. Even after all of these years she's still the love of my life."

"Wow, that's…deep for you," Andrew said in shock. He had always known that his parents were crazy about each other, but he'd never heard his dad speak like this. It was almost creepy.

He edged around him carefully and headed for the office. He was aware of his father following him and gritted his teeth.

"What are you doing?" Andy asked as he watched his son dial in the combination for the safe.

Andrew blew out a breath. "I'm locking up Jess's Christmas gift. I don't want anything to happen to it and I sure don't want her to find it before I'm ready to give it to her."

Andy whistled when he saw the name on the bag. "It must be pretty important to come from that particular shop. They do some of the best jewel work I have ever seen. That's where I got your mother's engagement ring you know."

Andrew's hand paused for just a moment. "Oh really. I didn't know that."

Andy nodded. "Yep! When I decided I was ready to ask her to marry me I knew that no ordinary ring would do. I had to have something special. Have you ever had a good look at that ring? It cost me a small fortune."

Andrew chuckled as he thought about the delicate ring that had resided on his mother's left hand for as long as he could remember. It was a princess cut ruby with a smaller diamond nestled up on each side of it all set into a platinum band. "Yeah. I imagine it did. But it suits her perfectly."

Andy answered with a chuckle of his own. "Yes it does. So am I allowed to see your purchase?"

Andrew hesitated for a long second before he removed the small box from the bag and handed it to him.

His father opened it carefully and gazed at the sapphire ring for several long moments before closing it again and giving it back to him. Then he clasped his son's shoulder tightly. "Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that you are an adult now. I feel like all I have to do is blink my eyes and you'll turn back into that precocious little boy, sitting out there in the arcade, pounding away on one of the video games and downing milkshakes. But then reality intrudes and I realize that you are grown. And now you've found the woman that you want to share your life with. It's a defining moment for you, and I'm proud of you."

Andrew was embarrassed to feel tears prick his eyes. "Thanks dad. That means a lot to me."

Andy gave his shoulder a little shove. "Now get that ring locked up and then go spend some time with my future daughter-in-law. I'm sure she's waiting for you."

Andrew put the box back in the bag and then set it in the safe before closing the door and making sure that it was locked. "I'll see you later, dad," he said jovially and headed for the door.

"Drew," Andy called after him. "I only have one thing to say. I wouldn't normally say this, but considering Jess's parents aren't here I feel like I should. Take care of her, okay."

Andrew smiled at him. "Don't worry, dad. I'd give my life for her." And then he hurried from the office and up the stairs to the apartment that he shared with the woman that he hoped would soon become his fiancé.

He unlocked the door and slipped inside quietly. The late afternoon light barely lit up the silent living room. He heard faint music coming down the hall and followed it, knowing what he would find.

Sure enough, when he reached the door of what had once been his spare bedroom and had now been converted into Jess's studio, he found her hard at work at an easel that she had set up in front of the window that looked out over the snow covered park just across the street.

He stepped up behind her and looked over her shoulder at the perfectly idyllic winter scene that was coming to life on the canvas. The leafless trees and glittering snow seemed so real that he felt like he could reach out and touch them and they would be real. The people that dotted the landscape, the strolling couple holding hands and the group of children wildly participating in a snowball fight, seemed so lifelike that he wouldn't have been surprised if they had sprung to life.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Jess murmured in a slightly husky tone.

He chuckled softly and wrapped his arms gently around her waist and laid his chin on her shoulder. "I always love watching you work. You are so talented."

Jess turned her head slightly to smile at him. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she told him. "It's nice to work on something just for fun instead of having to do it for an assignment. I'm glad school is out for break. I feel like I've been running nonstop lately."

Andrew nuzzled her neck lightly. "You and me both. I've had a hard time figuring out if I'm coming or going the last few weeks. I saw that one of the networks has a bunch of the old Christmas shows coming on tonight; Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch, and some others. I was thinking that I'd make us up some snacks and we could fire up the Christmas tree lights and spend the whole night vegging on the couch."

She brushed her nose against his in an Eskimo kiss. "That sounds like a plan. Let me rinse out my brushes and clean up a little and I'll come join you."

He kissed her for several long seconds and then released her. "I'll be waiting for you."

Darien carefully balanced the pizza box in one hand as he used the other to slide his key into the door lock and push the door open. "Serena, I'm home."

The result was instantaneous. There was a squeal of excitement and then a thump as she jumped from the couch and flew into the entry hall in a swirl of golden hair that she had left down after her bath to dry. It hung a few inches past her hips in still slightly damp waves and curls.

Darien grinned at her. "Cute pajamas."

She scowled at him and plucked at the hem of her shirt. "I was cold."

He laughed as he walked into the kitchen. "I didn't mean anything bad by it. You look comfy."

Serena followed him, her head down as she stared at her pale pink flannel pajamas that were dotted with little Santa Clauses and reindeers. "I look like a little kid," she grumbled.

He set the pizza down and turned to her. "No you don't. You look like my Serena. I don't blame you for putting on something fuzzy and warm. It's quite cold outside. So did you get any shopping done today?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Yes I did. Jess and I met up earlier. We didn't have the stamina to brave the mall, so we stuck to the smaller shops. I bought a new dress for the Christmas party that the scouts and generals are throwing tomorrow night."

Darien smiled as he filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove. "I'm sure you'll look as lovely as always. You always do."

"Oh, I don't think you'll be disappointed," Serena said in amusement as she thought about the dress that she had let Jess talk her into buying.

"I never am," Darien replied as he pulled two cups from a cabinet. "So are we ready for our yearly tradition?"

Serena hopped up on the counter with a grin. "The tree is lit and the Christmas CD's are loaded in the stereo. I was just waiting on you."

A feral grin appeared on his lips as he stepped between her parted legs and pulled her close. Ever since Serena had come crashing into his world five years before, they had started a tradition. On the night before Christmas Eve and before they got swept up into the whirlwind of being with friends and Serena's family, they always took time to just spend some quality time in each other's presence and enjoy the holiday spirit.

"I'm here now," he said softly.

She smiled angelically at him. "Yes you are."

Unable to fight the pull, he swooped down and took her lips in an urgent kiss. She responded immediately and wrapped her arms tightly around him as she parted her lips to his. She grew lightheaded as his tongue stroked softly against hers.

The whistle of the teakettle had Darien pulling back somewhat reluctantly. He placed one last butterfly kiss on her glistening lips as he pulled her from the counter and set her on her feet. "Go ahead and take the pizza into the living room. I'll bring the cocoa."

She grinned cheekily and grabbed the cardboard pizza box. "Okay, but hurry up. You don't want it to get cold."

"I'll be right there," he reassured her.

True to his word, a few minutes later he entered the living room to find Serena nestled into a nest of pillows and blankets that she had arranged on the floor next to the seven foot tall Christmas tree that she had deemed to be "the one." It had taken trips to three different lots before she had found it. It looked the same as a hundred other trees that he had seen, but when it came to the holidays he always deferred to her. Christmas had always been just another day to him until he had met her, so he considered her an expert when it came to what was "perfect."

He smiled at the way the tiny multicolored lights played over her porcelain skin and shining hair as he set the cups on the coffee table and walked over to flip the stereo on. The soft swells of Christmas music filled the room as he settled down next to her.

"Yay! Let's get this party started!" Serena cheered as she flipped the box open and grabbed a piece of steaming pepperoni pizza, wrinkling her nose as he selected a slice from the half of the pie that was supreme and covered with onion, bell pepper, and all of the other things that she swore ruined a good pizza.

"Mmm…" she moaned as she bit into the saucy, cheesy, melty gooeyness. "I've been looking forward to this all day. Lunch feels like it was days ago."

He chuckled at the thought of her seemingly endless appetite. "I'm sure whatever restaurant you terrorized a few hours ago had to run out and restock when you were done with them."

She pitched a pillow at him. "Don't be a jerk! I can't help it if I have a healthy appetite. And for your information Jess and I had lunch at the arcade with Poppa Andy and he said that he liked to see girls that didn't stick with salads and constantly count calories."

He laughed and reflexively caught the pillow without thinking about it. "Don't get so bent out of shape, Meatball Head. I'm just picking on you."

She growled low in her throat. "I'm not a Meatball Head!" she exclaimed, pointing to the top of her head. "Do you see any meatballs here?"

"No, but I was speaking metaphorically," he said with a smirk. "Forget that I said anything and eat your food before it gets cold."

She stuck her tongue out at him and took another big bite. After she swallowed she asked, "So what did you do today? Were you out enjoying your temporary freedom between school and work?"

He reached for another slice. "Yes. I had a few errands to run and then I ran into Andrew while I was out. We went for coffee and that led into lunch. We just hung out for a while. We haven't been able to do that in ages."

He purposefully didn't mention the conversation that he'd had with his friend or the ring that Andrew had bought. Andrew had begged him to keep the secret, scared that if too many people knew what he had planned that someone may let something accidentally slip and Jess would find out.

"Sounds like you had fun," Serena commented, starting on her third slice. "It's nice to have this little break. Things have been so busy lately that I feel like I haven't seen you at all, despite the fact that we live in the same apartment. Between you finishing medical school and me dealing with term exams it's been crazy."

"Yeah, it has," he agreed.

They spent the next several minutes in idle chitchat as they finished their meal. Once the pizza had been thoroughly demolished and the cocoa had been drunk, Darien lay back against the blankets and pillows and opened his arms.

Serena was in them in an instant, cuddling up against his side as she laid her head on his shoulder. She sighed, "I missed this last year."

A wave of guilt hit him. Last year he had been away at Harvard. "I'm sorry I didn't come home. I was so buried with work that my professors had given over vacation that it just made it hard to get away."

"Shh," she shushed him gently, laying two fingers against his lips. "You don't have to apologize. I was the one that insisted that you go, remember? So don't feel guilty for not being here. I knew that there was the possibility of you not being able to make it home when you left, and I was fine with it. The important thing is that you're here now and we don't have to worry about being separated ever again."

He shook his head. "No, Never again." Then he bent his head down to capture her lips in a sweet, passionate kiss.

The outside world melted away until it was if they were the only two people left on the planet. When they broke for air, Serena gazed at him with softly shimmering eyes.

"I love you," she whispered softly.

He rolled over until his body was hovering over hers. "I love you too," he replied huskily.

And then he dove in for another kiss.

A/N Part 2, December 24, will be out soon. I hope you enjoyed this one. Please leave me a review and tell me what you thought. Happy Holidays! Lots of love and hugs!

~Sere~