Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.

Wandering Soul

"Bye!" Serena called as she stumbled out the front door, hopping on one foot as she tried to get her shoes on and close the door at the same time. Once she managed it she took off at a run since she was running late once again.

This time it wasn't even her fault. Serena had been up early; had actually been up the entire night. Early the night before there had been an attack on a nightclub and she had been tired by the time she managed to get home and sneak back into her bed. Despite her exhaustion no matter how long she lay in her bed she had been unable to fall back asleep.

She finally decided to get up and get ready for school when it got light out. She had been fully dressed and even had time to make her bed, which only proved how tired she was for her to even consider it instead of just leaving her covers where they lay.

Really there was no reason for Serena to be late, except that her mother had needed her help with something. Her father had left early for work and her little brother wasn't strong enough, so that left her. They managed to get the errand done, but she ended up being just as late as she had been in recent months.

So here she was running down sidewalks, clutching her school bag and lunch, and trying to make it to her school campus before the last bell rang.

Serena ran toward a crosswalk and saw the light change from red to green just as she reached the corner. She swerved around people and stepped into the crosswalk before anyone else and continued her run.

She heard honking horns and a single scream, but she had no time to react in any way before her world changed. She felt a hard impact against the side of her knee and hip, she tilted into the blow, her head hitting something hard, which turned her vision black and silenced everything.

Serena opened her eyes slowly and found herself standing in the middle of the street. She looked around and saw people staring in shock and cars slowing down. She looked down and gasped as she saw herself sprawled on the ground. She was on her back, her legs slightly parted, her head turned to the side, and her hair streams of golden blonde along the dark asphalt.

She looked as if she was sleeping. Or she would have if she wasn't bruised and bleeding and who knew what else that she couldn't see.

At least I don't have to see my limbs twisted at grotesque angles. She thought as it became apparent that she had been hit by a car. She must have appeared instantly after the initial hit because no one had reacted yet beyond the shock of seeing the event.

Suddenly people were screaming and yelling, and moving toward her. Cars were stopped in all directions and people were getting out of their cars. She looked back down to herself, lying injured and helpless, and the only thing that entered her stunned mind was concern that someone might take her broach.

There was a peripheral worry about herself, as if her mind was shying away, unwilling to think of it just yet, but her broach was a special and important object to her and she didn't want it being stolen.

Serena knelt down and hesitantly touched the golden object on her chest, wondering if she would even be able to touch it or if her fingers would pass right through it, and was surprised when it disappeared. After a few panicked moments she sensed that it was within her and safe. She didn't know how that was possible, but that's what her senses were telling her.

She stood and stepped back a few paces only to gasp in shock as people began to step through her as they moved to surround her body. She hugged herself and looked back as she moved away, to make sure no one else would step through her, and watched as more people surrounded her including the one who apparently hit her.

He was a young guy who looked like he was probably in university. She knew he was the one because he was panicked and kept apologizing to anyone who would listen. She didn't know what to think or feel about him. She knew that the light had been green for her to cross, and he had obviously run his red light.

What could he have been in such a hurry for? She thought resentfully as she stared at the guy. At least she had a good reason for her hurry. She had been on foot. It would've been completely different if she had had a ride.

Within seeming moments sirens could be heard echoing through the area before an ambulance screeched to a stop at the scene, and paramedics were moving people out of the way to get to her.

She watched as they talked to her, trying to wake her, telling her what they were doing. She was grateful for that even though it was obvious she wasn't waking. She watched as they carefully turned her head straight so they could put a brace around her neck, and she saw a trail of blood coming from her head.

When they turned her slightly on her side to put her on a stretcher board she couldn't help noticing the way her limbs moved as slight as it was. The leg that had been hit first and one of her arms was definitely broken. She was thankful she didn't remember that happening.

As they were loading her on top of the stretcher bed two police cars pulled up. As she was being loaded into the ambulance two policemen spread out to talk to witnesses, one went and grabbed her school bag, and the last spoke to the ambulance driver.

Serena followed after the one who had her bag and watched as he began to look through it. She was glad she had her identification in there so they would be able to tell who she was. She guessed they would be going to her house and informing her mother soon.

She shook her head and walked over to the ambulance as it looked like they were done loading her inside. She lifted her foot to try and step inside, but her foot went right through and she fell through the ambulance floor and flat on the ground. The impact didn't hurt, and she idly wondered why she didn't pass through the asphalt and continue beneath the street but decided that wasn't important.

She scrambled to her feet and tried again, making sure to keep her balance, but she couldn't get in. She couldn't figure out how to be solid or if she could even be solid enough to get inside the medical van.

The doors closed and she was forced to watch the ambulance drive off since she knew, even in her state, running after it wouldn't get her anywhere.

=sSs=

Serena walked morosely down the sidewalk, avoiding people as she didn't like the sensation of a person passing through her. Despite her earlier logic she had still tried to run after the ambulance to see what hospital it would go to. The only thing that accomplished was that she learned she could run without getting tired.

Now she didn't know what to do with herself, so she was wandering around trying to figure out what was going on with her.

Obviously people have been hit by cars before, but I doubt they've found themselves having out of body experiences like this. She thought with a sigh. I'm not a ghost since I'm not dead, so that leaves me being either a spirit or a representation of my soul. Is there a difference between the two? She wondered as she gazed at people, going on with their lives unaware that she was walking among them.

She decided there wasn't a difference between the two. Her current ghostly form was her soul in spirit form. All her memories were there as far as she could tell; her feelings, her emotions, and the way she looked were all there, so she would refer to herself as a spirit.

Now if only I could figure out what hospital they took me too. She thought with a sigh before she shook her head. What I need is a distraction. Maybe after that I'll have some ideas on finding my body. She considered with a nod.

After a few thoughtful minutes Serena decided to head to school and see her friends. She was curious to know how they were taking her absence, and if word of what happened to her might have somehow reached the school.

With her decision made she began to run, wanting to get there as fast as she could, and after a few minutes she arrived outside the gates to her school campus. Her school was a closed campus so the gate was closed as it should be at this time. There was a side opening for people to come and go during school hours, but the main gates were closed tight.

Neither entrance mattered to her in her current state so she stepped through the gate, feeling nothing as she moved through the medal, and began to walk toward the main building. She hesitated a moment before she walked through the closed door, and made her way through the building and up to her classroom.

Once there she looked through the glass window in the door before stepping through it and into the room. There was no reaction of course and she walked forward. Everything looked normal as far as she could tell so she guessed they didn't know about her accident. Obviously her teacher didn't know yet, so it wouldn't have been announced to her class. She wasn't even sure it would be announced regardless.

Serena looked at the faces of her classmates before her eyes settled on her friends. She moved down the rows and stopped next to Amy. There was no reaction so she waved her hand in front of her face, but there was still no reaction. She sighed and moved over to Lita and did the same but there was no reaction from her either.

She had thought that perhaps with them being Sailor Scouts they might be able to see her. After all, they were used to seeing strange things, sometimes things other people couldn't see, but this didn't appear to be one of those times.

Maybe Raye will be able to see me. She considered as she moved away and back toward the door. She thought with the raven haired girl being a priestess and having spiritual powers that it was very possible she would able to see her.

So she left her school campus and made her way to the all girls school her friend went to. Once she arrived she wandered from classroom to classroom, looking for her friend until she finally found her.

The door to the classroom was at the back of the room and everyone was facing the front of the room, so she weaved her way around seats, not interested in experiencing the sensation of passing through people, until she stood next to her friend. That alone got her nothing, not even a glance, so she waved her hand in front of her face and was disappointed when she still received no reaction.

Ugh! I was really hoping she would be able to see me out of everyone. She thought in frustration. She looked around the room on the off chance someone else had spotted her, but she had no luck there either.

Serena sighed and made her way out of the classroom and away from the school campus. It was disheartening that her friends couldn't see her, and it let her know she was going to have a tough time fixing what was wrong with her.

Or at least coming up with a reason for why I'm like this. She thought as she walked down the sidewalk. She didn't understand why she just couldn't be unconscious and unaware like anyone else who was severely hurt. Why did she have to be like this? How long would it last? Would she stay this way forever?!

The questions she had alarmed her and reminded her that she still needed to find her body. She made her way back to the scene of the accident and looked around. It no longer looked like an accident happened there with traffic moving freely and people easily crossing the street.

She decided to start her search by visiting the hospitals closest to the area and hope she had luck. She visited three hospitals and eventually found herself at the last one. She had wandered around the emergency room then the intensive care unit since she knew she was bad off.

She poked her head into room after room and only realized the last one was her room because her mother was there. She stepped through the door and into the room and saw that she was sitting in a chair at the side of her bed crying and holding her hand.

Serena moved to stand at her bedside across from her mother and finally looked down at herself. Her neck had a different brace around it then the one the paramedic put on her, her left leg and arm were in casts with only her hand and foot visible. Her hair was loose and there was a thick bandage around her head, and something going on beneath the cover where her hips were.

Beyond that there seemed to be wires coming out of various places that were hooked up to monitors, and a breathing tube in her mouth that was held in place with tape.

I look terrible. She thought, aghast. No wonder mom's crying her eyes out. Beyond that she had no idea what her mom had been told about her condition. It could be even worse then she looked.

At least they cleaned most of the blood away. She thought as she looked at herself and then moved away and stood in front of the only window in the room. She stared out the thick glass trying not to think about the fact that it was her body lying in the hospital bed.

A little while later her father showed up. He nearly burst into the room and then came to a shocked stop as he caught sight of her in the bed. He blinked a few times before he moved forward and hugged her mother as she stood from her seat.

"What happened?" He asked, his voice shocked as he looked at his daughter over his wife's head.

"The police came to the house and said she was involved in an accident. They said she was hit by a speeding car." She answered sadly. "They said the driver ran a red light."

Her father groaned like he was in pain and held her mother tighter.

"This is my fault. All my fault." Her mother said, much to her surprise.

"Why would you think that?" Her father asked in a slightly distracted tone.

"She was running late because of me." Her mother answered. "You saw her! She was up and dressed before you left. She would have been gone and probably already at school if I hadn't needed her help."

"No, no. This wasn't you're fault." Her father said right away. "The police said the driver ran the red light, so that means Serena had the right of way. She should have been able to cross the street safely. Her leaving early wouldn't have changed anything. It could've happened then as well. You can't blame yourself for this."

Her mother sighed and nodded, and Serena sincerely hoped she took her father's words to heart because it really was in no way her mother's fault.

"What are we going to tell Sammy? When are we going to tell him?" Her mother asked quietly and Serena grimaced as she wondered the same thing now that it had been voiced.

"We'll tell him the truth, but not right now." Her father said after a few moments of silence. "We'll do it when he comes home from school."

"Have you spoken to the doctor?" He asked as he once again looked at his daughter's unconscious form.

Serena listened as her mother confirmed that she had and watched as she sat back down and began to explain what the doctor told her.

According to the doctor she had a broken leg and arm, which was something she had seen at the accident scene, and a fractured hip. They were being cautious about her neck until she woke up and they had some slight concern about her head wound and were monitoring her to make sure there was no bleeding on her brain.

Serena grimaced at what she was hearing and glanced over at herself. Maybe the head wound is why I'm still unconscious. She thought as she listened to her mother round off her injuries with saying she had scrapes and bruises, but out of everything it was the head wound and their concerns about her neck that were the most serious.

Her parents stayed at the hospital, talking quietly and visiting with her, for almost two hours before they decided to go home. Serena followed them out of the room, through the hospital, and outside to the car, but when she tried to get into the car she passed right through just like she had with the ambulance.

She tried again and again, getting more and more frustrated, until her father began to drive away. She huffed a sigh and began to run home instead since she was sure that's where they were going.

When she got there her parents were in the living room sitting on the couch, her father holding her mother as she practically cried her eyes out. She guessed her mom wanted to get it out before her brother got home. That way she could be somewhat presentable and they could look strong for him.

=sSsSs=

In the days following her accident Serena stayed mostly at home practicing to try and be able to become solid or at least be able to touch things. When she did spent time out of the house she occasionally visited herself with her family, sometimes by herself, and wandered around the city.

She managed to come across the girls during that time fighting with their enemy twice by pure chance. The first time was just after school hours near a preschool. She had been roaming the area hoping the children would cheer her up when suddenly shouts and blasts sounded through the area. She ran toward the sound and saw Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Mercury fighting a monster that looked like a cat.

The second time was early in the morning, which was something that didn't happen frequently, and outside a toy store. She had been roaming around during the night and was headed home to watch her family get ready for their day when she saw a monster that looked like a chess piece burst out of the storefront.

She had blinked and surprise and watched as it began to attack the few people that were out so early and cars driving down the street. A few long minutes passed before the girls showed up, arriving one at a time, and started to fight the monster.

Both times she thought the girls did well in their fights. Mercury provided cover and an analysis of the enemy and Mars and Jupiter provided fire power, but she saw they had a hard time destroying the monsters, which let her know that her role in the group was more important then she thought.

She had also noticed during this time that Tuxedo Mask wasn't at either fight. At first she thought he might be in the area but wasn't coming out to help, but when she searched he wasn't anywhere to be found. She couldn't help wondering why since he had always been there when she was fighting. It made her wonder if her absence had anything to do with it or if it was just a strange coincidence.

A few days after her accident Serena decided to go see her friends since she hadn't seen them outside of the fights she had managed to catch. She wanted to know if they knew what happened to her since she hadn't heard any phone calls that could've been from one of them. Plus she had spotted Luna once since her accident, and thought she at least would've told them.

She made it to her school just as it was ending and found out that they were going to be having a scout meeting, so she followed Amy and Lita to Raye's temple and settled with them in the room they usually had meetings in and studied in.

She looked to Raye and Luna and smiled before her eyes shifted to Lita and Amy. She was happy to see them all together and shifted unnecessarily as she watched them talking about school.

After a few minutes they moved the conversation to scout business. They talked about the fights they had, their enemy, and the rainbow crystals. She listened closely as they began to wonder how they were going to find the rainbow crystals without her since she had the Crescent Moon Wand.

"I have no idea what we're going to do." Luna said as she shook her head. "Not even Amy's minicomputer can detect the crystals."

"Have you checked her room?" Amy asked.

"Yes. I've searched it from top to bottom, and there's no sign of it." Luna said in frustration.

That's because I keep it in my subspace pocket. Serena thought with a frown. It had been too easy to lose it without even trying, not to mention explaining it to anyone who saw it. Now it was always with her along with her disguise pen and communicator. But why are they so intent on getting it? She wondered as she continued to listen.

"I can't believe this!" Raye suddenly said. "I know Serena can be spacey, clumsy, and lazy, but I never imagined this. Are you sure she's gone Luna?"

"Yes. Her whole family is upset; I've never seen her mother cry let alone cry as much as she was." Luna said seriously. "I searched the entire house, and she was nowhere to be found. Have either of you seen her at school?" She asked Lita and Amy.

"No." Lita said. "She hasn't been to school since the last time we saw her."

"Then we have our answer." Luna replied.

"I can't believe she ran away!" Raye seethed. "If she was going to flake out on us the least she could've done was leave the wand and communicator."

"Can't you summon those sailor items from her?" Lita asked Luna.

"No I've tried, but they won't respond." Luna said with a sigh.

Serena stared at the group and listened in horror at what they were saying. She couldn't believe they thought she had runaway. They clearly never bothered to really confirm that as they obviously didn't really care. Luna went and saw her family sad, but never stuck around to listen to what they were saying to find out exactly why they were sad.

And now they thought her running away was the last straw in what they thought was a list of problems with her, and were talking about getting her off the team. They were saying she wouldn't be there to endanger the princess when they found her or embarrass the royal girl with her behavior.

And apparently now would be the best time since they didn't know her whereabouts and assumed she wouldn't be back.

I can't believe this. They're supposed to be my friends, but they think I ran away. I can't understand why they would think that. I have absolutely no reason to! She thought as she stood and backed away from the group.

Serena simply wouldn't run from her family and her responsibilities, and it shocked her that Luna and the girls actually thought she would, to the point where they were going to kick her off the team. She didn't even know that could happen! She thought once they were Scouts they were Scouts forever.

They must have felt this way a while if they're so willing to get me out of the group at the first opportunity. She realized as she shook her head in disbelief.

None of them were even concerned about her seeming disappearance. The friends she had grown distant from were actually more concerned about her. They were the ones who actually called her home and knew what had happened to her.

She knew the girls wouldn't find out from them since they weren't friends, and as far as the girls knew she had practically stopped being friends with them.

She just couldn't believe what was happening. She never could've imagined this turn of events, and the revelations that were revealed.

=sSsSs=

Darien sat in his usual spot at the front counter at the arcade his best friend worked at lost in thought. A few days ago he would have been surprised at where his thoughts were, but now he was used to it and too concerned to care anyway.

It had been almost a week since he had last seen his nemesis/friend, and he couldn't help wondering where she was and what was going on with her. He had seen her friends, the two she went to school with and Raye, the girl had come up to him tried to be flirty, but Serena had been nowhere in sight.

It puzzled and concerned him. He had realized in the past few days that since he had met her he hadn't gone more than a day without seeing her. He wondered if she had been going to school and if she just couldn't come to the arcade, but even that didn't seem right to him. Even when he didn't go to the arcade he seemed to run into her in some other place.

Perhaps I should ask her friends if they've seen her. He considered but that would involve talking to Raye since she was likely to be there, and he knew that alone would encourage her and whatever feelings she had for him.

As he was trying to think of another solution he glanced over out the window and did a double take as he saw what looked like Serena walking by. He blinked and stared and realized that she was see through even though she was in full color and looked as she always did.

I must be seeing things. He thought as he followed her progress, but he quickly reminded himself that since he became Tuxedo Mask he'd seen a lot of strange things. He pursed his lips slightly and stood and walked out the arcade and after her just to be sure.

As he followed her from block to block he realized he was the only one who could see her. Everyone else ignored her and went about their business. She walked through people and they didn't flinch, and she even passed through objects and didn't react. He continued to follow her, swerving around people, and they ended up in the park where the sounds of the city seemed to fade away in all the grass and trees. Once the people thinned down to barely any he decided to see if he could speak to her.

"Serena?" He called questioningly, unsure if she would answer and prove that her image was nothing more than his imagination.

She paused and he watched as she turned half-heartedly as though she didn't really believe he meant her, and he wondered then exactly how long she had been like that, invisible to everyone.

Serena paused at the familiar voice, but hesitated in turning since she wasn't sure it would be worth it. But he called my name, so he must be able to see me. She thought as she looked back to see Darien standing not far from her.

"You...you can see me?" She asked hesitantly as she faced him.

"Yeah." Darien answered readily. "What happened to you? How did you get this way?"

"There was an accident. On my way to school a few days ago some guy ran a red light and hit me." She answered and watched as his eyes widened in shock and horror.

"I'm not dead. I'm just...unconscious." She added and watched his horror fade slightly. "I found the hospital they took me to and heard my mom explaining my injures to my dad. Broken arm and leg, fractured hip, and scrapes and bruises. They're being cautious of my neck and they're concerned about bleeding on my brain."

Darien grimaced at her list of injures. He was only studying for a medical career and even he knew her doctors were right to be concerned. Bleeding on the brain was very serious business, and if her neck was broken or she had fracture in the wrong place she could end up paralyzed.

"I'm sorry this happened to you." He said sincerely and watched as she smiled faintly. "How are you like this?" He asked, gesturing toward her transparent figure.

"I don't know." Serena said with a shrug. "I got hit, everything went dark, and I blinked my eyes open to find myself standing in the street next to my body. You're the first person who's been able to see me or hear me."

They lapsed into silence for a few moments before Serena decided she didn't want silence anymore. She had been stuck with it for days as it was.

"Want to visit me?" She asked quietly. "Only my family's been to see me."

"Sure." Darien said with a nod and fell into step with her as she began to walk back the way they came. "So what have you been doing all this time? With no one being able to see you or hear you I can't think it's been easy."

"It hasn't been. I've mostly stayed at home watching my family try to deal with what happened to me. When I can't handle that anymore I wander the city. The first day I went to my school to see if news had somehow reached my friends. It hadn't but I've learned since then that my so-called friends believe I ran away." She said, her voice turning bitter.

"Why?" Darien asked quietly so as not to seem like he was talking to himself.

"Because I haven't been to school or been in contact with them. They obviously couldn't be bothered to come to my house or at least call to see if anything was wrong with me. It just shows how much they don't know me if they think I'm capable of just up and leaving like that or that I would even have reason to." She explained.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hadn't seen you around the arcade like you usually are, but that thought never entered my mind." He said quietly. "I never would've thought your friends capable of being so illogical." He knew they were all in junior high, but that was no excuse to make such an extreme assumption. And from the way she sounds it probably goes deeper than that.

"Looks like you know me better then they do. Who would've thought?" She said softly as she guided him along the streets toward the hospital that was housing her.

The duo walked in companionable silence from then on as they got closer to the hospital. When they reached the building Serena led him inside through the main entrance.

"Follow me." She said as she walked toward the elevators. "Up button please." She said as she stopped in between two elevator doors.

Darien pressed the up button and a minute later one of the doors opened. He waited as some people came out, watching as Serena stepped through the wall and appeared inside the elevator behind the exiting people, then stepped inside and pressed the button for the floor she indicated.

He looked at her, standing calm and silent still in the school uniform she had obviously been wearing at the time of the accident, and wondered what she was thinking. This day was the first time he had seen her so quiet and still. She had obviously been through a traumatic incident and learned that her friends weren't really the friends she thought they were.

Is all of this too much for her or is this the way she is when no one is around to demand her attention? And if it is then what does she think of my presence? He wondered as he watched her. Perhaps some part of her trusts me. That thought had him reconsidering everything he knew about his friend/nemesis.

The elevator stopped on the floor below the one they needed and the doors opened and let in a few people. He watched as Serena skirted out of the way and made her way around him to stand at his side away from them. She clearly must have been distracted when he first spotted her if she was avoiding being in the path of people.

When the doors opened again Serena stopped through the wall and out of the elevator. He followed after her and saw that she was already headed down the hallway. He hurried forward to catch up with her and paid attention to the direction they were going for future reference. They turned down two hallways before they came up to a door that was just out of sight of the nurse's station.

"Let me make sure no one is inside." She said and he nodded. It made sense to make sure no one was in there since he couldn't explain how he knew she was there. As it was he would have to think of something if he wanted to visit her again.

"All clear." Serena said she leaned through the door. She stepped back as he moved forward and reached for the door handle. She watched as he entered and closed the door behind him before he paused and looked around, his eyes stilling as he spotted her in the bed.

Darien stepped toward the bed looking from the Serena standing in the middle of the room to the Serena lying unconscious in the bed.

She looks so small. He thought as he stood looking down on her. Seeing her wrapped in bandages, casts, a neck brace, and a tube down her throat brought home just how injured she was and how long it would be before she was fully healed.

I've never seen her hair down before. He thought as he lightly touched the loose hair near her shoulder. He could see a small amount trailing off the bed and pooling on the floor. He frowned and bent down and gathered it up and placed it under the covers next to her concerned that if it was left there it might get caught on something and cause her more pain.

"Can you feel your body?" He asked as he glanced over to where she still stood in the middle of the room.

"No." Serena said as she shook her head. "I'm actually glad I can't since it all looks very painful."

Darien nodded as he looked back to her injured form in the bed. He was glad as well. He wouldn't wish this on anyone.

"What do you plan to do now?" He asked as he moved to sit in the chair on the other side of her bed.

"What do you mean?" She asked as she moved to stand at his side.

"I mean you looked like you were just wandering around earlier. Are you going to continue to do that or do you have something else planned?" He clarified.

"Ah. Well...I don't want to go home since everyone is still, understandably, sad there, and I definitely don't want to go see any of the girls I thought were my friends. So I guess I'll just wander around, since I don't need to sleep, until I get bored and go home." She said with a shrug and he nodded slowly.

"Why don't you come with me to my place?" He suggested suddenly. "At least you'll have someone to talk to."

Serena considered his offer thoughtfully. She really didn't want to go home, and it hurt to even think about the girls so she had no interest in visiting them. She had never been to his place so she was curious where it was and what it looked like. She also wondered how her jerk of a friend lived.

"Okay." She said with a nod. "Thanks for inviting me."

"No problem." Darien said with a little smile. "How about we get out of here?" He added as he got up from his seat.

"Let me check to make sure the coast is clear!" She said before she hurried through the wall next to the door.

Darien shook his head slightly and took a last look at her figure lying on the bed before he began to head toward the door.

"You're good! No one is in the hall right now." She said as she leaned through the door.

He opened the door and walked out and began to make his way back toward the elevators. They rode the elevator back down to ground floor in silence and made their way outside. He looked around and decided he wasn't up for walking clear across the city, so he began to head for the closest bus stop.

He looked to Serena just to make sure she was still at his side with how quiet she was. He wondered what she would think of his apartment. Would she think it was too bare and not like a home? Why did he care? It was his home and he liked it the way it was. It was comfortable even if it lacked pictures and soft colors. Still...what will she think?

Serena looked around as they stopped at a bus stop. Clearly they were going to take one of the buses that stopped there. It was a good thing she had figured out how to get into cars. She had learned over the days after her accident that if she concentrated and focused she could touch solid objects. She just had to make sure she didn't lose concentration while they were on the bus.

Thankfully the bus didn't take long and they got on. She found an empty pair of seats near the back and sat next to the window while Darien paid his fare. He joined her within moments, taking the empty seat next to her, and they both gazed out the window watching the scenery go by.

A little over twenty minutes later Darien was ringing the bell and standing up. He moved toward the closest door and got off when the bus stopped. Serena slipped through the side of the bus and joined him outside as he began to walk down the sidewalk. They walked down a block and turned a corner and walked two more blocks before they began to approach a high rise building.

"This is it." He said as he gestured toward the building.

"Wow. Where are you at in there?" Serena asked curiously.

"Near the top." He answered as they walked.

Serena hummed and kept pace with him as they got closer to the building. When they reached the tall building she followed him inside, pass the guard in the lobby, and to the elevator. Once inside the elevator she saw that it was a twenty story building and watched as he pressed the button for the eighteenth floor.

They rode the elevator in silence as she noticed there was a security camera up in the top corner. She didn't want to make him seem strange, talking to himself in the elevator, so she kept quiet. Still, that camera as well as the security guard let her know that Darien lived in a safe building. She couldn't wait to see what his apartment looked like.

Once they reached the eighteenth floor they got off the elevator and walked pass a couple of apartment doors in a well-lit hallway until they reached his door. He pulled out his keys and opened the door and stepped inside with Serena on his heel.

She swerved around him so she wouldn't go through him and moved curiously into his apartment. She walked down the short hallway and looked to a kitchen off to one side and the living room taking up the space on the other side, and eyed another hallway next to the kitchen before she turned and looked to Darien.

"Go ahead and explore. I don't mind." He said as he flipped on the light in the kitchen before heading to the living room.

Serena smiled and began to roam around. She walked around his living room taking in his comfortable looking couch and side chairs, his coffee table and his rather large TV. She moved over to a nice sized desk littered with books and papers in a sort of organized chaos. She looked around at the simple pieces of art on his walls before glancing over at his kitchen. There was a little round table with two chairs and counter space that stretched out next to it that helped divide the kitchen from the living room.

She hummed and then drifted down the hallway she had spotted earlier. There were four doors. She leaned through the first and found that it was a small closet. The next was a neat and clean bathroom. The third door lead to a bedroom with a single window. It had a twin sized bed that was neatly made.

Is this his room? She wondered as she moved out of the room and toward the last door. It was half open but she went through the door anyway, and corrected her previous thought.

This is his bedroom. She thought as she took in the queen sized bed that looked like someone had just crawled out of it, and the twin night stands on each side. A door off to the side was revealed to be a walk in closet. A long dresser along the wall across from the foot of the bed obviously carried more clothes.

Then she moved toward the balcony, stepping through the glass and looking out at the view. It was great. She could see a lot of the city, and wondered what it would look like at night when everything was lit up.

She went back to the other bedroom and looked more thoroughly as a thought occurred to her, and realized that no one was actually living in that room. A guest room? She thought as she returned to the bathroom to take a closer look at the products in there.

She found all things a male would use from the products to the color of the towels to the way things were arranged around the room.

He lives alone! She thought in surprise as she drifted back into the living room to see him sitting on the couch with a drink.

She voiced her surprise about him living alone as she joined him on the couch, which turned into a conversation about him being an orphan and having lived alone since he got too old for the group home he had lived in once he reached high school.

=sSs=

Serena ended up staying with Darien longer than expected, not that she had actually thought about it to be able to expect anything, nor had he put a time limit on his offer when he made it.

That first night they had talked for hours, actually getting to know each other beyond the basic things they had seen of each other or heard whenever they met at the arcade. She had actually stayed in his room and watched him sleep the night away. It had been a strange experience.

Since her accident she had watched her family members sleep since she had nothing else to do, but it was different with Darien since he wasn't family. Not to mention with her family she had only watched them for a few minutes before going out to wander the city. With Darien she watched him the entire night. Watched as he occasionally turned over in his sleep, pushed his covers around slightly, and watched as he woke slightly and looked around in what was clearly a want to know if she was still there.

That had been surprising, especially as he had sighed in what sounded like relief when he spotted her before he went back to sleep. It made her feel important, that he cared that she was still there with him.

After that night she had accompanied him to school and attended his university classes with him since she didn't particularly feel the need to leave his presence and he didn't seem to mind.

In the majority of his classes he sat in the seat closest to the door. When she asked why he said he wanted to be close to the door in case he needed to leave in the middle of the class for any reason.

She found his classes complicated, which wasn't unexpected since it was a university class and she was in junior high, but extremely interesting. The professor's lectures and the material actually kept her attention whereas her own classes couldn't.

Beyond accompanying him to his classes they continued to talk and get to know each other when at his apartment or when no one would notice him talking. He even thought it was a good idea that she continue figuring out what she was capable of in her current form. As a result she learned how to make herself float so she could fly instead of walking and running.

During one of their talks Darien convinced her to give her friends another try. He suggested that they may have learned about what really happened to her from her family or at school now that a little more time had passed. Serena agreed since she thought it was a possibility that they could've learned, and she really didn't want to think the girls she thought of as close friends could turn on her so quickly.

After Darien's school day they drove to the arcade in his red car, so he could be there early if her friends showed up. He sat in his usual spot at the counter since it served to give him a good view of who came into the arcade, and just as he had hoped her friends did show up.

He glanced briefly to Serena standing at his side and watched her friends get settled. He waited a few minutes and took a fortifying breath, since Raye was with them, and approached the group of girls with Serena walking at his side.

"Hey. You guys are friends with Serena right?" He said as he reached their table, and continued before they could say anything. "Have any of you seen her lately?" He asked outright.

"No." Amy said as she, Raye, and Lita shook their heads.

"We haven't seen her because she ran away." Raye said as if she was revealing some big secret, and Darien frowned.

"How do you know that?" He asked. "Did she leave a note? Did her family say something?"

The school girls shook their heads as they glanced to each other, remembering what Luna said about Serena's family.

"We haven't seen her in school in over a week." Lita said as she looked back to the older boy.

"Is that it? That's all you're basing you're information on?" Darien asked, his frown deepening.

The three girls nodded hesitantly, and he looked on in disgust thinking that Serena had been completely right to be upset with them. They were supposed to be her friends and they thought she had runaway just because she hadn't been to school?! They didn't even bother to check with her family.

He looked over to Serena and saw the upset and pain on her face, which only added to his upset with the girls in front of them.

"Maybe you all should be better friends and contact her family." He said as he looked back to them. "She could be home sick for all you know or could've been in some sort of accident. Even I know she would've exhausted all avenues before the thought that any of you had runaway had even entered her mind."

Darien turned and walked away without a backward glance and left the arcade with Serena at his side. He got into his car and started it as she joined him inside settling on the passenger seat, then put his seatbelt on and drove away.

It didn't take them long to reach his apartment after the silent drive, and now they were settled in his living room. Darien sat on the couch watching Serena as she paced across the floor in front of his TV. She looked numb but also like she wanted to cry but couldn't.

Given her current form she most likely can't. He thought as he continued to watch her.

It had to be hard having it confirmed that you didn't mean as much to those you thought were friends as you thought you did. He would have spared her that and not convinced her to give them another chance, but he had truly thought they would have learned differently by now; thought they would be better then that just because they were her friends.

It's obvious now that things will be different when she gets better. Darien thought, refusing to believe that she wouldn't get better. She can't pretend that she doesn't know what they thought she had done or what she heard them say about her. And she shouldn't even try. She doesn't need friends like that. Even if they do finally go and find out the true from her family, it wouldn't change what she had seen and heard from them.

"Ugh! I can't believe them!" Serena's voice suddenly burst out as she pulled her streams of hair in frustration. "After everything we've been through! They should have understood. They should understand better than anyone!" She continued on, her tone heavily laced with anger and hurt.

"What do you mean?" Darien asked in confusion. From what she's saying she and her friends must have experienced something eventful together. Something that apparently bonded them in a way that should have made what they had assumed about her unthinkable. What could it be?

"After what we've been through, what we've experienced, they shouldn't have thought I was capable of running away. They should've known better! They see me every day, they see what I go through, and how it affects me! They deal with same thing! Or at least I assume they do." She answered absentmindedly as she paced, her mind reliving the scene in the arcade and the informative scout meeting she had sat in on.

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?" He asked with a confused frown. She wasn't making any sense. Had she and her friends been involved with something? Was there more to this situation then he knew?

But then he recalled when he had first come across her and how sad and quiet she had been. Remembered how he had thought things had gone deeper then just them thinking she had run away with how bitter she had sounded when she had told him.

Serena paused, realizing who she had been talking to as she heard his words. That's right. He doesn't know who I really am. She thought as she looked at Darien. Should I tell him? It's been almost two weeks since the accident, and I have no idea if or when I'll wake up so there's no reason not to. Would it really matter if I told him? She wondered as she stared at him, but then she shook her head.

"You wouldn't believe me." She said as she continued to pace.

"Try me." Darien said quietly. "I want to understand." He added seriously because he really did. He was definitely sure after her stare down that there really was more to the situation then he was aware of.

Serena stopped and looked back to Darien as she took in his words. He really does want to know, but will he believe me? Do I want to tell him? She considered as she gazed at him. I do. I want him to understand the situation. I want him to understand me and where I'm coming from. She thought as she stepped toward him. She moved through the coffee table and then sat on it in front of him and took a deep unnecessary breath.

"A few months ago, before I met Amy, Raye, and Lita, I met a black cat who made me Sailor Moon." She said, surprised that she had managed to say it so simply.

Darien stared at the colorful slightly transparent girl in front of him. Yeah right. Serena's Sailor Moon?! He thought skeptically at the outrageous notion, but just that quickly he reminded himself that he had seen a lot of outrageous things over the last few months.

"Really?" He asked as he blinked at her.

"Yes." Serena nodded. "You know that gold broach I wear on the ribbon on my uniform?" She asked as she gestured to her shirt and watched him nod. "That's what I use to transform."

Darien's eyes skipped down to her shirt and frowned as the ever present piece of jewelry was missing. "Where is it?" He asked.

"It's here with me." She said and closed her eyes and focused on it. Maybe if I focus on it it will come to me. She considered as she sensed its presence and willed it to appear in her hands.

Darien watched her close her eyes and sit in silence. After a few moments her hands began to glow as they sat in her lap, and within moments the golden broach was there sitting solidly in her hands. She opened her eyes and held it out to him. He took it in his hands, feeling its cool surface, and gazed at it in wonder.

It was the first time he had really seen it up close, and as he looked at it he realized that it actually was the exact one he had seen numerous times on the red bow that sat on Sailor Moon's chest. It was surprisingly heavier then it looked, and he wondered how it was able to sit on her uniform bow since the back was smooth.

Still, this was proof that she was in fact Sailor Moon. The knowledge answered the question in his mind since he had been wondering what was going on with the Sailor Scouts. He knew from catching news reports that there had been some fights, but he hadn't been getting the usual internal call when Sailor Moon needed him. That let him know she hadn't been at any of the fights, and now he knew why.

"Do you think you can still transform?" He asked curiously as his eyes flicked up to hers, and Serena gazed at her broach thoughtfully.

"I don't know; I don't know if I want to try, and considering what's happened I'm not even sure I want to continue being a scout anymore." She said, bitterness seeping into her tone.

That's right. She was telling me this for a reason. He reminded himself as he looked from the broach to Serena.

"Tell me. How did you become Sailor Moon, and what has it to do with your friends?" Darien asked.

"So that black cat I met, her name is Luna, and she has a crescent moon on her forehead. You've probably caught a glimpse of her with me at the arcade at least once." Serena began. "I met her the same day we met. Later that day she appeared in my room talking to me about my destiny to fight evil forces and find and protect the Moon Princess. I thought I was hallucinating since I was listening to a talking cat."

"To prove what she was saying was real she produced that broach and told me the words to say to transform me into Sailor Moon. You can imagine my shock when the phrase actually worked." She continued.

She went on and described her first fight and how she met Tuxedo Mask, and how the man seemed to show up every time she needed help. She told him how the others didn't trust the man and thought he might be another enemy, but she thought differently and felt he was on some mission similar to theirs.

"I always appreciated his help and encouragement. He seemed to believe in me when my own team mates thought I was a burden." She said wistfully.

Serena continued on to describe meeting first Amy who was Sailor Mercury, then Raye who was Sailor Mars, and Lita who was Sailor Jupiter. And how just recently Luna had named her leader, but that she and the others seemed to doubt her ability to actually lead them.

"I saw them fight the enemy only twice since my accident, and I thought they did well except for when it came time to actually destroy the monsters. They had a difficult time and it let me know that my ability to do it fairly instantly was unique and that I was more important to the team then I thought." She explained.

"A few days after that, actually the day you first saw me, I wanted to see if they had managed to learn what happened to me so I followed them to Raye's temple since I found out they were going to have a scout meeting. I would be able to see Raye and Luna there, and then hopefully hear their reaction to my absence." She continued as she shook her head slightly.

"Instead I found out they thought I had runaway, because I hadn't been in school and because Luna had come to my house once and saw my family crying and upset. She hadn't even stayed long enough to find out why they were upset. She just saw that I wasn't there and assumed I had runaway." She said bitterly.

"And on top of that they decided that my running away was the last straw on top of a pile, and that my absence was their chance to get me off the team. They didn't want me embarrassing the princess with my behavior or endangering her with my poor fighting skills." Serena explained as she looked away from Darien.

Darien listened intently to his companions words surprised and yet not. He couldn't believe she'd been made Sailor Moon by a cat. Where did this feline, this Luna, even come from? How did she know Serena was Sailor Moon?

What if she hadn't accepted the position? What would the cat have done; follow her around until she did? He wondered thoughtfully.

But she had accepted so he pushed that thought aside and moved on to her words about Tuxedo Mask. He hadn't known that he was the masked man until a few weeks ago, but as soon as he learned he remembered his every encounter with Sailor Moon and the other scouts.

That part of him had known early on that the Moon scout had a crush on him, and he hadn't denied the developing affection he had felt for her. She had been so courageous despite her fear during the fight where they first met and even for quite a while after, and more then attractive in her scout outfit. Her power had also fascinated him and drew him to her like a moth to a flame.

It's nice to know she appreciated all my help. He thought as he recalled her wistful words. She always thanked me when I saved her, but to know that my encouraging words helped her is nice to know. Although it's sad to know the other scouts weren't as helpful.

Of course now he knew who the scouts were and their behavior during and what he managed to see after fights made so much more sense. He had thought it was possible they hadn't known who each other were when they were normal people, and that was why they spoke to Sailor Moon in the manner that they did.

Now I know otherwise. To think her school friends are Sailor Scouts. I never would have suspected, but this explains why she's so upset. She spends every day with these girls and just because they haven't seen her and heard her family was upset they just assume that she ran away. And they're talking about getting her off the team. Making it so she isn't Sailor Moon anymore. Is that even possible? How would they do that? He wondered as he looked from the broach in his hands to Serena's quiet form in front of him.

"Do you know if it's even possible for them to get you off the team?" He asked quietly.

"I don't know. I never thought to ask. When I first became Sailor Moon Luna made it sound like it was a lifetime deal." Serena answered softly. "Fight the evil plaguing the city, and find and protect the Moon Princess from said evil."

Darien nodded in understanding and turned his mind toward the princess she had mentioned yet again. He wondered if that was why the Scouts were searching for the rainbow crystals, to help them find this princess of theirs.

Could their princess be the same one from my dreams? He wondered. He knew he wouldn't be able to learn more without asking, and the way the questions would sound would let her know I was asking for a specific reason. A reason she would want to know. He thought as he watched her.

She seemed much calmer and at peace now that she had told him her secret. Perhaps he should do the same. She had shared her secret with him, and he felt she deserved the same trust she had bestowed on him.

"I understand better now. It was wrong of them to just decide to get you off the team, especially with you being their leader. If they had a problem with you they should've talked to you about it instead of holding back or making comments here and there." Darien said understandingly.

"Your right!" Serena said as she nodded. "I'm glad you understand." She added and he nodded, and decided to lead the conversation into his own secret.

"And if they had problems with the way you fought then they should've done more then complain and berate you." He stated, and she nodded.

"Yeah! If they didn't like it they should've helped me instead of complaining!" She agreed, her tone indignant as she remembered all the complaints they threw at her. "Instead of making fun of me for suggesting training they should've agreed. It's not my fault I have a hard time running into danger. I don't know what their instincts tell them, but mine tell me to get away from the danger. It takes time to..."

Serena suddenly stopped mid rant as it finally registered that she hadn't said anything about the way she fought or their reaction to it.

"How...how did you know they have problems with the way I fight?" She asked slowly.

"Because I was there and saw their behavior." He answered simply and watched her frown.

"I don't remember seeing you. I think I would've remember that." She said as she thought back and tried to remember if she had maybe missed him or blocked out his presence.

"Well, you trusted me with your secret, so I think it's only fair I trust you with mine." He said, which immediately gained her attention. "So, the same day you became Sailor Moon I became Tuxedo Mask." He told her bluntly, and watched her eyes widen.

"No way!?" Serena said in shock. Darien is my masked hero?! The guy I have a major crush on?! She thought in surprise and then her mind went silent as she stared at him.

Darien is Tuxedo Mask. The guy my heart has been pounding for practically since day one. The same guy who always swoops in to save me at just the right moment. The same guy who gave me his star locket. She thought quietly.

"Seriously?" She whispered as her eyes began to flicker all over him, trying to see him in the mask and tuxedo.

"Yes." Darien said seriously before he pulled a perfect red rose from thin air.

Serena watched wide eyed as the rose began to glow and then he began to glow to the point where she had to look away in her spirit form. When the light faded she looked back and gasped to see Tuxedo Mask sitting before her.

It was all there. The mask, the top hat, the gloves, the complete tuxedo, the shoes, the cape, and the cane. It was true. He really was Tuxedo Mask.

"I don't know what to say." She breathed out.

"I do." Darien said as he released his transformation. "I wanted to say I appreciate your words earlier, about how I've helped and encouraged you. I've always known you were grateful. You never failed to show it every time, but I just wanted you to know that it's nice to hear it the way you said it just now."

"You're welcome." She said as she looked away, and he knew that she would've been blushing if she could.

"I also wanted to thank you for trusting me. I know your..." He trailed off, not wanting to call them her friends considering all he had heard and now knew.

"You can call them the girls." Serena said with a grateful look, knowing why he hesitated.

"I know the girls never trusted me, and I always wondered if their words would affect the way you thought of me." He finished.

"It never did, and they did try. I just knew better. My instincts when it comes to danger tell me to run, but when it comes to you they always tell me that you're to be trusted. Your actions only helped strengthen the feeling." She said and then shrugged. "Luna and the girls just never believed me despite you saving me all the time and helping us."

"Well I'm glad you believed in me. I never understood why they didn't trust me when I didn't do anything that would earn their distrust." Darien said with a sigh.

"Do you want to know?" Serena asked curiously and watched as he shook his head.

"No. I never understood but their opinions didn't particularly matter to me. I was there for you. My instincts instructed me to help you in any way I could. That was all I needed to know." He stated firmly.

"Oh." She said for lack of anything else to say. "Do you think you being Tuxedo Mask is why you can see me?" She asked, moving the conversation away from their instincts.

"I don't know. It might." He answered. "I suppose the girls couldn't see you?" He half asked since judging by what he learned they must not have been able to.

"No. That's one of the first things I tried. I thought with them being scouts they might be able to see me, especially Raye since she's a priestess, but none of them could see me." She said with a sigh.

"So, how did you become Tuxedo Mask?" Serena asked, wondering if his story would be as strange as her 'talking cat appearing in her room' story.

Darien explained that he actually didn't know how he became Tuxedo Mask, and that it had only been a couple of weeks since he knew for sure that he was Tuxedo Mask. He explained that he had learned after getting a hold of one of the rainbow crystals for the first time, and that he remembered his becoming Tuxedo Mask had come out of nowhere. A massive headache so intense it nearly blinded him and then he was suddenly dressed in a tuxedo and mask and sprinting toward Sailor Moon.

Serena was of course surprised by his story and asked questions, which led to them realizing that he had a connection to her as Sailor Moon. They speculated on the connection being responsible for his being able to see her, but they didn't dwell on it for long and moved on to other subjects.

=sSsSs=

A few more weeks had passed since Serena's accident and her situation had not changed. Her body was still in the hospital and she had yet to be able to return to it. She had visited herself a few times, with and without Darien, and she still looked the same, which wasn't surprising since she already knew they were being extremely cautious in moving her because of her injuries.

She had eventually learned from visiting her family that she was in a coma. Apparently different solutions had been tried to bring her back to consciousness but nothing had worked. She was slowly and surely healing, but not showing any signs of waking up.

Beyond that disheartening situation her friendship with Darien had grown strong since they had learned each other's secret. The day after the revelations they had gone into more detail, and she had learned about his dreams of a princess and how that was part of the reason why he had been searching for the rainbow crystals. The other reason was that he was trying to learn his identity since the accident that made him an orphan had also taken his memory and he was uncertain as to who he really was even all these years later.

Serena had no problem telling him the little she had learned from Luna about the Moon Princess they were supposed to be looking for and the silver crystal they had hoped would help in locating her, especially with how the feline and her fellow scouts had decided to treat her absence. She had always trusted Tuxedo Mask and that hadn't changed just because she learned he and Darien were one in the same.

That conversation lead into wondering if the two princesses could be one and the same. It was a curious thought but they had no idea how to find out if it could be true, so they left the topic alone and moved on to other subjects.

Currently it was late afternoon and they were in Darien's living room. He was at his desk working on some homework and Serena was drifting around the room watching him. She had noticed she had been doing that a lot in the recent weeks, which wasn't at all surprising given what she had learned about him.

She also wasn't as stupid or as dense as some thought her to be. She had had a major crush on Tuxedo Mask and learning that he was Darien hadn't changed that at all. In fact, she was coming to realize in the weeks that had passed since she learned his secret that her feelings for him had grown.

He had taken everything he learned about her with calm and ease. He had been kind and caring to her in a way that she had not expected. It was nice. To have someone watching out for her, talking to her, and letting her know she wasn't alone.

Darien took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He knew Serena was watching him and wasn't sure what to make of it. He could tell she was doing a lot of thinking, but then again so was he. She was Sailor Moon after all, the scout he readily admitted to have affection for and find attractive, and that hadn't changed when he learned that said scout was Serena.

Part of him was surprised he felt attracted to Serena but the other part wasn't. Thinking back he realized that there was a reason he always teased her and felt good when he happened to run into her, which was a lot more then he had ever considered before.

He glanced over at her to find her wandering in his little kitchen. Even in her current state she was beautiful especially with her long hair. He had always liked her unique hair style simply for the fact that it was unique and original. He'd always wondered how long it would be if she let it down from the style, and wondered if he would be able to find out in the future.

Then there was how she looked in her scout uniform. That tight bodysuit that emphasized her figure and short blue skirt that showed off her legs never failed to catch his eye. Those long gloves that covered her fingers and slender forearms and those tight knee high boots that seemed to be painted onto her legs and feet. For some reason seeing those boots on her sent a thrill of excitement zipping through his body.

Beyond that attraction he had seen a different side of her since her accident. She was quiet, thoughtful, and soft spoken. She was more trusting and open with him then he ever thought she'd be, and she was paying him so much attention. She was always watching him, and she stayed with him and close when he was asleep.

He knew this because he sometimes woke up in the middle of the night and looked for her to make sure she was still there. He would normally find her before he left his bed sitting in a chair, standing by the window, or sitting on the edge of his bed. She would usually smile at him and he would relax, satisfied that she was still there.

And it has not been lost on me that I want her to still be there. I like her being close and watching over me. He thought as he glanced back to Serena, only to see her watching him yet again.

So where does this leave me? What do I want from her? He thought as he held back a smile and looked back to his homework. I know I want to be more then her friend. Waking up in the middle of the night to see if she's still here tells me that. He thought firmly.

I want to hold her. I want to run my fingers through her hair. I want to kiss her. I... he trailed off as he looked to her again. This time she was standing next to the balcony, and once again she was watching him. I want her to be my girlfriend. He thought as he smiled at her and looked away.

He didn't care that she was essentially a spirit walking around. He had no doubt she would get back to her body and continue to heal. Somehow she would be okay; he was sure. For now he would enjoy the fact that she could be with him all day no matter what he was doing or where he needed to go. He would enjoy talking to her and getting to know her better, and her getting to know him better until she was healed and he could touch her.

But I still wish I could feel her hair. He thought with sigh as he finally gave up trying to focus on his homework and looked back to Serena.

They stared at each other from where Darien sat at his desk and where Serena stood at the balcony.

"Serena?" He said and watched her blink and hum. "Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked and watched her eyes widen.

"Seriously?!" Serena said in surprise.

"Yes. I'm very serious." He replied.

"Why?" She asked quietly after a few tense moments.

"Because I like what I see in front of me. You staying here has given me a chance to see you and get to know you in a way I wouldn't have before. At least not for a long time." Darien said.

Serena understood since she had been feeling something similar. She would've never gotten to know him as she had had she not gotten into an accident. She would've never learned about him being Tuxedo Mask or just how much she could trust him.

And he is cute. She thought quietly as she watched him stand and step toward her.

"So what do you say? Will you give us a chance?" Darien asked as he stood in front of her.

"What about this?" She said as she gestured at her transparent state.

"I don't care. I have no doubt that you'll return to your body and get better, but for now it allows you to be here with me without having to explain to anyone. It lets you stay with me when I'm in class and when I'm sleeping." He explained and she nodded.

"Then..okay. I'll be your girlfriend." Serena said softly.

Darien smiled and moved his hand forward, wanting to touch her even if it was just to pass through her form, only to be surprised when his fingers connected with her arm as if it was solid.

They both gasped and stared wide eyed at each other.

Darien reacted first doing what he had just been wishing he could do. He reached up and touched her hair. The buns on top of her head were soft, and as he ran his fingers through her streams of hair he couldn't help thinking they were as silky as they looked. He then took her hand and led her to the couch. He sat down and pulled her down into his lap, sighing at the feel of her weight, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"At least you don't have to concentrate to sit on my lap." He said and watched her smile.

"I can't believe you can touch me." She said.

"And you can touch me!" He added with a grin.

"Yeah. It's just so surprising and curious. Why do you think we can?" She asked.

"I don't know. Probably the same reason I can see you and hear you." He said with a shrug. "I just know that I'm going to enjoy this as well."

=sSs=

A few days had passed since Serena and Darien became a couple. It was a first for both of them and they found that not much had changed in the transition from simply friends to girlfriend/boyfriend. The only difference was that there was a lot more touching, especially since he was the only one who could touch her and she could actually touch him.

It was currently late evening and they were lounging in his bedroom on Darien's bed. He was stretched out, slouched slightly against his pillow and headboard, and Serena was sitting on his lap. It was something he liked her to do since she didn't have to concentrate like she would if she tried sitting anywhere else.

Darien played with Serena's hair as he listened to her talk about what she had learned in one of his classes. He was listening to her closely, pleased that she was learning something new and understanding material from a class beyond high school let alone junior high, but he was distracted by the movement of her lips.

I want to kiss her. He thought as he watched her lips. And why shouldn't I now that I know it's possible? He wondered as he blinked and moved his eyes up to hers and then down to her hands playing with his.

Making his decision he moved his hand from her stream of hair to the back of her neck, and freed his hand from hers to caress her face. Her words trailed off as she blinked at him in a clear show of confusion. He pulled her toward him until she tumbled lightly against his chest, and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

Unexpectedly light filled the room, spawning from the pair, the couple was enveloped in an intense warmth and Darien was suddenly able to sense Serena's presence like he did when he knew Sailor Moon needed him. Serena too was suddenly able to sense Darien's presence.

Their gentle kiss automatically intensified as their minds were suddenly flooded with memories. A princess growing up on the Moon, a prince growing up on the Earth, four guardian scouts, four guardian generals, a beautiful fair tall Queen mother, loving royal parents, and peaceful times.

After a while the memories began to coincide with shared events. A princess's fascination with the Earth and its prince, a meeting between the young royal heirs, a secret romance, the blossoming of love, the secret discovered, and third party jealousy and betrayal revealed.

In their minds eye they remembered Earth soldiers attacking the Moon, the Earth Prince seeing his planet as a lost cause and going to protect his princess love, and the prince taking a fatal hit to save his princess. The princess inconsolable at the loss, unwilling to go on and unwilling to watch her kingdom continue to fall, took her own life and joined her prince.

The couple broke the kiss with a gasp as the flow of memories ended and stared at each other.

"Endymion? My Endymion!" Serena said in surprise and relief as she cradled his face between her hands.

"My Serenity." Darien breathed in surprised awe. "My dream princess." He added, having understood that it was her he had been dreaming about, her that had been asking for his help.

"I'm a princess." She breathed in surprise, and then frowned. "I'm the Moon Princess. I'm the one the Scouts have been looking for. Their supposed to be my guardians!" She said in outrage as she was reminded of their behavior and what they had decided to do with her in her absence.

"Calm my love." Darien said as he gently stroked up and down her back and sides. "Just because they were your guardians in the past doesn't mean they have to remain so now. You are different then you were back then and so are they. Your experiences have shaped you."

Serena smiled softly at him, surprised at the endearment that flowed so freely off his tongue and yet not, and nodded at his following words. He was right. They were all different this time around, including him, and yet she could tell in many instances they were the same. At least she and Darien were.

"You're right. Maybe if things were different I wouldn't now be thinking this way. Maybe if they had accepted me for who I am I wouldn't have to make this decision." She said quietly and shook her head slightly as she moved her hands down to his chest.

"I'm sure when they find out I'm the one they've been looking for their attitude toward me will change. If they find out. And they'll think I'll just accept the change, because they think they know me so well." She added.

"Well, none of that can happen until you get back into your body." Darien said with a heavy sigh. "We have to find a way." He said. He had been beginning to worry that it wouldn't happen naturally.

"I may have some useful information to help toward that." A soft majestic voice drifted toward them.

The couple looked toward the end of Darien's bed, beginning to sit up in case they needed to move quickly and fight, only to see a large glowing orb of light. The orb began to shift, stretching until it was an oval, and continued until it was oblong. It pulsed a few times before the figure of a woman who looked similar to Serena appeared.

Serena gasped in shock as the glow faded and revealed the woman's complete image.

"Mother?!" She said in wide eyed shock.

Darien looked on in shock as well as he stared at the newly revealed Moon Queen. She was just as transparent as his princess, but also like her she retained her coloring. She stood calm and poised, her hands clasped together in front of her, still wearing her fitted royal gown.

"Queen Serenity." He said, equally shocked.

"Serenity. Endymion." She said softly as she looked to the pair. "It is so good to see you. To finally speak to you." She added as she watched their shocked faces.

"I have been watching your lives progress up until, and including, Serenity's accident and your developing relationship. I would have appeared sooner, but I could not until you both remembered your past." She explained.

The couple nodded. It made sense. If she had appeared before they remembered they might not have believed her, regardless of how much she looked like Serena. It could've been a clever trap by their enemy for all they would've known.

"What did you mean you have information that can help get her back into her body?" Darien asked. He really did like his newly found princess being with him twenty-four hours a day, but she needed to be back in her body. There was no telling if her spirit being out of her body for so long would have a negative effect.

"I believe you are the key to helping her get back into her body." She clarified and watched him frown. "You have the ability inside you. I have seen it before earlier in your life."

Darien frowned as he thought back. He remembered small wounds he got healing quicker then they should, and he recalled unexpectedly healing a friend that had been very badly injured. That had been surprising, shocking, and he had been glad that no one had actually witnessed it since he wouldn't have been able to explain it, especially the golden sparks that had come from his hands.

"I understand." Darien said as he nodded. Now I just have to figure out how to do it consciously. He thought as he looked to Serena.

"Then I will take my leave now." The former Queen said.

"Thank you for coming mother." Serena said gratefully. It was a miracle to have the chance to see her mother and so soon after remembering her past.

"Yes thank you for coming." Darien added. He was thankful Serena was able to get this opportunity, and he was grateful she had clued them in on how to get Serena back into her body. Who knew how long they would have been waiting for it to happen naturally.

"I am glad I could come." Queen Serenity said. "Do not delay in collecting the silver crystal. It should not be out of your hands longer than need be." She told her daughter seriously.

"I won't." Serena said as she nodded firmly.

"Then I will leave you to it. The both of you." She said as she began to glow. "Good luck you two."

"Goodbye mother!" Serena said a little sadly, and Darien waved with a slight smile.

"Goodbye Serenity, Endymion. Take care of each other, and be happy." The former Queen said as she continued to glow. Soon she was nothing but light and the light began to dissolve and float toward the balcony, and out through the glass and off into the sky.

"So how do you plan on getting your crystal?" Darien asked curiously as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Well, everyone was collecting the rainbow crystals in the hope that they would somehow lead to the silver crystal. I don't remember any rainbow crystals in the past, so they must be connected." Serena said thoughtfully.

"My wand was able to locate them, so maybe..." She trailed off thoughtfully as she idly stroked his arm. "Do you have a rainbow crystal?" She asked suddenly.

Darien summoned a blue crystal from nowhere and handed it to her. She closed her eyes and focused on the small crystal in her hand. She tried to connect to the others and felt some part of herself stretch in different directions, the closest right there with her with Darien.

Come. She commanded softly.

After a few moments she heard Darien gasp and sensed a few crystals. Within a few more moments she sensed the rest of the crystals arrive. She opened her eyes and saw the six rainbow crystals floating in the air in front of her. She opened her hand and the blue crystal rose and joined the others.

The seven crystals instantly began to glow and spin in a circle, moving tighter and tighter together, before they began to combine together and glow brighter. When the glow dimmed a larger silver crystal had taken their place. Before she could reach out to it her Crescent Moon Wand appeared, and the crystal moved toward it and attached itself in the curve of the crescent. She grasped the wand and she glowed lightly before it faded and the wand disappeared.

"Do you still have it?" Darien asked, knowing she did but wanting to be certain.

"Yes. It's here with me just like my broach." Serena said as she put her hand on her chest in a gesture that it was inside her.

"Now I just have to gain access to this healing ability I have and we can get you back into your body." He said as he relaxed back on the bed, taking her with him, enjoying her weight on top of him.

=sSs=

It had been a few days since Serena and Darien's memories returned and the former Moon Queen's visit, and now they were at the hospital since Darien had figured out exactly how to help his princess.

Since the visit Darien had spent nearly all the time he wasn't in class meditating to try to access his healing ability. Just that day he had managed to find, much to his and Serena's surprise, his golden crystal, which was the source of his healing ability. The crystal was something he didn't remember having in the past, and if he did have it then he had been unaware of it.

They made their way to her room, Darien moving confidently through the hallways, and Serena went ahead and made sure she had no other visitors before he entered. Once she had given the all clear he went inside and went to her bedside. He kissed her forehead and sat in the chair that was placed at her bedside most likely by her last visitor.

"Are you ready?" He asked as he looked from the Serena lying in the bed to the Serena standing at his side.

"Yes I am, but I'm also not." Serena said and then shook her head. "I mean I'm ready. I'm just going to miss being with you at all hours of the day."

"Ah. Me too." Darien said with a nod. "It's going to take some adjusting to you not being there. I'm sure I'll still wake up in the middle of the night, looking for you, only to remember that you're home probably asleep."

"Yeah. I'm going to miss watching you sleep. Being there with you was..liberating." She said wistfully.

"We'll figure something out when you're better. After all, we have a lot to do once you're out of here." He reminded her and watched her nod.

"You're right. Let's do this." She said with a firm nod.

Darien nodded and turned back to her form lying in the bed. He closed his eyes and focused on his golden crystal. Please help me heal my princess. I need her and she needs to be better; to be healthy and strong. He quietly pleaded with his crystal.

He felt a warm pulse inside him and knew that his crystal had heard him and would happily obey. He opened his eyes and reached out and gently grasped the hand that rested on her cover next to her leg, sliding it underneath to rest his palm against hers. He reached his other hand over and placed it on top of her hand, sandwiching it between his, and concentrated.

Within moments his hands took on a warm golden glow and he willed the healing light to spread up her arm and over her entire body. He closed his eyes as he began to sense her every injury. The doctors were right to be concerned. She did have a slight neck injury and a bit of bleeding on her brain.

Would she have woken up? He wondered solemnly as he focused on each of her injuries until they were completely healed.

"Okay. It's time. All you have to do is touch yourself." He said as he focused his healing energy on her entire body.

He felt her hand slide across his upper back before her soft lips pressed against his forehead. He opened his eyes and looked up only for her lips to move to his. He sighed as their lips moved in a lazy kiss before she pulled back.

"Just wanted one last one like this this." Serena said softly and he smiled in understanding. They wouldn't be able to kiss like that again. It was her spirit he was kissing after all.

She sighed and placed her hands on her body's chest and vanished in an instant. There was no flashy display, no glowing or strange wind blowing. Her spirit was simply there one moment and gone the next.

Darien closed his eyes and focused on what he was sensing through his power as it moved through her body. She was there. He couldn't explain how he knew she was there, but he was positive that her spirit had settled into her body. He took a deep breath and slowly pulled the power of his crystal back until the golden glow disappeared altogether. He opened his eyes and stared at her face.

"Princess. Wake for me." He said in a firm calm tone.

Her eyes fluttered before slowly opening and he watched as she searched his face like she was trying to remember who he was. Then his heart fluttered uneasily. Does she not remember? Does she only see Darien the jerk? What if she doesn't remember her out of body experience? He wondered uneasily.

She lifted her arm and her hand came to rest on the side of his face, caressing his cheek as her eyes softened, and his heart settled into a normal rhythm as his unease faded away. She remembered. His Serenity was still with him.

Serena lightly touched the breathing tube in her mouth. She wanted to talk to him, but she knew better then to try taking the tube out herself. It was common sense that it was dangerous, and she could end up ruining her throat if she tried.

She sighed through her nose and summoned her silver crystal to her free hand as she looked to Darien. He nodded reassuringly. They had already discussed what to do once she was awake.

She focused on her crystal and within moments pure white light filled the room before it began to spread beyond the walls, moving through the building, and out across the city. The powerful light moved with her will, altering her medical records and searching out the minds of everyone who came into contact with her before altering their memories so they would not cause her trouble with her miraculous recovery.

Once it was done all they would have to worry about is dealing with her guardian scouts and the Negaverse.