her choice - part 4, revised
by
Annie-chan
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        Ummm, I'm sorry about the mistakes in this part, so I revised
it.  Thank-you to Sailor Usako for pointing these mistakes out to me!
*grin* I had just finished and was really tired, and didn't feel like
proofing the thing, so I just submitted it as it was, which was a
*very* stupid mistake on my part, ne?  Oh well, I *have* decided to
go on with the story, (doing the later scout thing,) but it will
probably take a while because I have to think up a plot etc.  Thanks
for your support, and happy reading!!

        The smell of pancakes filled the air, to take a breath was
heaven.  Humming could be heard from the kitchen, as a tall brunette
was busy cooking the batter.  Her voice wasn't the best, but that
didn't really matter.  The sun shone on her back, warming her slightly
as she worked.  Earlier, she had opened a window, and the soft sounds
of the city could be heard slightly under her humming.  The fresh air
of spring picked up the smell of the pancakes and brought it into the
living room where the night before a revelation had been made.
        Mina woke up with a jolt, and, not being used to sleeping on
the couch, fell onto the floor with a thud.  The other two people on
the couch didn't wake up.  Mina stood up shakily and rubbed her rump
where she fell.  "Ow," she pouted quietly.
        "Finally awake, I see?" called Lita from the kitchen.
        "Shh!  Serena and Darien are still asleep.  I want them to
sleep as long as possible, they won't be in the best of moods today,
I promise you that."  Lita raised her eye-brows.
        "Oh really?" she asked.  "So why wouldn't they?"
        "Well, after you fell asleep, Serena had her dream.  I woke up
and she was crying on Darien and telling him that he was ?the one'.
Darien wasn't looking to pleased, although I don't know why because he
is *totally* crazy for her," Lita shook her head in agreement, "and
then James called.  He left a message on the answering machine that
you might want to hear."
        Lita was way ahead of her.  She cautiously turned down the
volume on the machine, and pressed the ?play' button.
        "You have *one* message," it said in a fake voice, "Uh, hi
Serena, it's James.  I know it's like 3 there, but I had to call you.
I love you so much, and I miss you, and I uh. . .I want to ask you
something.  But I don't want you to answer me now, not that you could,
but uh. . .answer me when I get back, ok?  Oh yeah, I still have to
ask the question, don't I?  All right, here goes.  Serena, will you
marry me?  I'll be back in 2 days, so you can tell me then.  I love
you, bye."
        Lita stood stunned by the answering machine.  "Oh wow, poor
Serena.  That would *really* suck to be her."
        "Yeah, man I really hate it when two guys are totally in love
with me," Mina said sarcastically.  Lita only shot her a look and
yelled at her.  "You know what I mean!"  Serena began to quietly stir
on the couch.  Panicking, she quickly hit the ?erase' button.
        "You idiot!" Mina hissed quietly, "Now she knows that we were
listening to it!"
        "I'm sorry, I panicked!" Lita hissed back.  Serena sighed
quietly and rolled over a bit, but remained asleep.  Lita and Mina
both let out the breath they were holding.  They quietly tip-toed
into the kitchen and resumed arguing there.  After a few minutes of
bickering, the phone rang.  There was a race for the phone, but Mina
won.
        "Hello?" she whispered into the receiver.  "Oh, hi Ami - Yeah,
you can come over.  Lita just made a ton of pancakes, and is still
going, so you're welcome any time you want - Ok, see ya in a little
bit then - bye."  Mina looked over at the couch and was surprised to
see that Serena was awake and looking at Darien with a calm expression
on her face.
        "Uh, Serena?  Are you ok sweetie?" Mina asked with concern.
Serena nodded her head.  "Well, uh, do you know what you're going to
do - about James I mean,"  Lita stepped out of the kitchen interested
with the response.
        "You know, I stayed up a long time after you and Darien fell
asleep, and I just watched him sleep.  He's so adorable when he sleeps,"
she said softly.  "I think, though, I just don't love James like I
should.  Not enough to marry him, at least.  And the thing is, for
the past month, whenever I'm with James, I always wish I was with
Darien instead.  I really do think I'm in love with him-Darien I mean.
 I think I'd rather be with him," she finished satisfied.
        "Oh that's so great!" Lita said.  "But do you know if he feels
the same way?"  Serena looked down at him.  "No, I don't -- But, but I
think he does," and then quietly, "I hope he does."  There was a soft
knock on the door, which Mina ran to answer.
        "Hey you guys, how are you ? Darien?!"
        "Shhh!!!  Don't wake him up," Mina hissed, but it was to late.
He stretched his legs and arms subconsciously before he finally began
to wake up.  The first site that greeted him was Serena's smiling face.
        "Good morning, Darien," she whispered.
        "Good morning," he whispered back.  He dreamily looked at her
for a minute before he got a panicked expression and jumped up off of
the couch.  "Uh, I'm sorry.  I've got to go, it was nice, uh, see you
guys later. . ." he sputtered as he backed his way to the door.
        "Darien, are you all right?" asked Ami.
        "Yeah, fine. . .I just have to. . .go," he said as he finally
made his escape.  The door slammed shut behind him, leaving four very
confused girls in his wake.
        "My goodness!  I wonder what that was about!" exclaimed Ami.
        "So do I," pondered Serena, "So do I . . ."

        Mina beat Darien's door furiously for the third time.  "Darien!!
I'm not afraid to stand here all day!"  There was no answer.  "I know
you're here!!  I saw you come in!"  Still no answer.  Mina let out a
snarl and began to beat harder.  Finally, her prey emerged thwarted.
        "Ok Mina!  You don't have to beat down the door!"  It was the
first time she had ever seen him truly mad, and it would have throughly
scared her if she hadn't been so mad at him too.
        "Now, you have to answer a few questions for me, buster, and
I'm not leaving until you do!!" she said as she stormed into his
apartment.  He slammed the door for her, and joined her on his couch.
        "All right Mina," he said, restraining himself, "What do you
want to know."
        "Well, first of all, I want to know why you've been ignoring
Serena for the past two days.  When you guys were watching the movie
you were fine, and I saw the way you kept looking at her.  You like
her, don't you?  Why don't you say anything?"  He only stared at his
hands which he was entwining in each other on his lap.  She continued,
softer and more compassionate this time, "Come on Darien.  I know you
like her.  So why don't you tell her?"
        "It's not that easy, Mina," he said, still staring at his hands.
        She almost whispered, "Why not, sweetie?"
        "Because, she already has a wonderful boyfriend, and it' not
me.  What am I supposed to do?  Storm down there right now and say,
?Serena, I love you, so pick me instead'?  I can't do that.  She is in
a wonderful relationship.  And what about her education - her friends,
her family?  When I'm done with this year, I'll be moving back to New
York, am I just going to take her with me?"  He stopped frustrated.
"I love her to much to do that to her."
        "Darien," Mina said, taking one of his hands and holding it
between hers, "Did it ever occur to you that she might be feeling the
same way right now?  She deserves to know what you just told me, she
needs to know to make the right decision.  After all, it's her choice,
not yours, not mine, not anyone elses."
        "I just don't know if I should.  It doesn't seem right."  Mina
got up off the couch and started towards the door again.
        "All right, but make your decision quickly - James is coming
back tonight, and if I know Serena, she'll give him an answer."  She
quietly left Darien alone in his apartment to make his choice.

        "Serena?  Are you here?" Mina said as she entered her own
apartment on the floor below.  She entered the dark apartment
cautiously, not sure of what to expect.  The waxing moon cast curious
shadows in the open windows, and the glow of the TV could be seen on a
different part of the white carpet.
        "Yeah, I'm in here," came a muffled answer.  Mina turned the
corner to enter the living- room and took pity on the blob on the
couch.
        "Have you been crying again?"  Serena only pulled the pink
blanket that covered her farther up around her chin.
        "No. . .snif. . .of course not," she said, not getting away
with the lie.
        "Sweetie, maybe he'll come and talk to you, you never know. . ."
she said sitting down next to Serena's legs.
        "Yeah right," she said sniffling.  "This has got to be the
toughest thing I've ever had to do, why does it have to be so hard?"
Mina just shook her head.
        "I don't know.  But, uh, whichever one you don't choose, can
you send him my way?"  She barely had time to duck the pillow that was
hurled at her.  "Ok, or not," she said laughing.  The knock on the
door made her get up.  She wasn't surprised to see it was Darien.
        "Uh, is Serena home?"  Hearing his voice, Serena quickly got
up from the couch and walked towards the door.
        "Darien?"
        "Yeah, Serena, we need to talk."
        "I agree."
        "Want to go for a walk or something?" he asked eyeing Mina.
She only shot him back an insulted look.  "I kind of want to be alone.
No offense, Mina."
        "Oh sure, ?No offense, Mina, a but nobody wants you around,
after all, what have you done but helped. . .'" Mina's mocking voice
trailed off as she left the room.  Serena and Darien left the apartment
 completely silent, not really sure of how to talk to one another.  A
few minutes passed, and the doorbell rang again.  Mina came out of her
room, still cynical, and answered the door.
        "Oh, so you just decided to come back and torture me some more,
huh Darien?"
        "Uh, no Mina, I'm James. . ." he said more than slightly annoyed.
        "Oh, I'm *so* sorry. . .I thought you weren't supposed to get
back for another half an hour!"
        "Yeah, well, my flight was early.  Where's Serena?  I really
want to talk to her. . ."
        "Oh, you *just* missed her, sorry James!" Mina said with a
smile on her face.
        "Was that her I passed on the way down?  I thought I saw her
get into an elevator when I got out - I think I can catch her - thanks
 Mina!" he said as he flew out the door.  Mina stood in the abandoned
doorway with a look of shock on her face, but could say nothing, at
least not until it was to late.

        As James emerged on the street below, he saw two evasive
figures walking in silence in the dark of the Tokyo night to his right.
Thinking she might be one of them, he watched them walk into the harsh
 yellow pool of light being cast down by a light-post.  Sure enough,
she was the smaller figure, but who was she with?  He started to
follow them, curiously, but cautiously a long way behind them.  After
a few minutes, James had determined the other figure was Darien, and
at his first impulse began to run after them.  He immediately stopped,
and decided to spy on them instead.  Before long, the two had started
talking, but James was just too far away to hear anything.
        After walking around for a while, the two had lead James
through the most backward parts of Tokyo, parts he never even knew
existed.  They went past a cafe, and a ton of strange shops.  One
woman even came out of her shop after Serena and Darien passed, and
sighed "Finally!  It's about time. . ."  But James just passed her
with dull interest, staring intently on his would-be-fiancee and her
could-be-lover.
        When they reached a secluded park, they stopped in the center
of a cleared area.  James just hid steaming mad in the bushes spying
on them.  He saw them starting to talk again, and then she started
crying.  He held her close, making James want to punch him.  Soon,
she looked up at him, and they kissed.  The kiss was sweet and
passionate, just like one between two fated lovers should be.  It made
James furious, but before he had time to do anything about it, someone
rushed out of the bushes across from his and pointed a knife in the
couples faces.
        "Give me your money, both of you!" he cried loud enough for
James to hear.  They stared at their attacker shocked, and *very*
surprised.  "Well, don't just stand there, do it!" he yelled even
louder.  Darien took an attempt to get the knife away from the man,
who's face was hidden in the black shadows of the night by trying to
wrestle the knife away, but was unsuccessful.  He did, however, manage
to punch the attacker in the face.
        "Oh, now you've made me mad!!" snarled the man, as blood
dripped from his lip.  He grabbed Serena by the pig-tails, and yanked.
She screamed from the pain, and it tore Darien up inside.  She had just
 confessed her love to him, and he his for her, and now some anonymous
attacker was going to take this love away?  Darien leapt for him, and
the man only pulled as hard as he could on Serena's hair.  She lost her
 balance, and her head hit the ground with a sickening thud, knocking
her unconscious.
        Now Darien was *really* mad, and soon had the man at his mercy.
  Darien punched him again and again, getting out all his anger and
frustration that had been building up for the past few days.  Finally,
the man was out cold, and Darien left him to lie in his own blood.  He
stood up slowly, and went to the place where Serena was lying.  He got
on his knees, and gingerly picked up her bruised head and put it in his
 lap.  Petting her hair, he let a few tears escape as he repeated over
and over, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."
        Slowly, James emerged from the background, seeped in shadows.
        "What have you done to her Darien?" he slowly drawled.
        "What?  I. . .I didn't do anything!"
        "Then why is she lying here in her own blood?" he continued,
eerily calm.
        "We were attacked. . .I tried to save her, but. . ."
        "But you didn't.  The only reason she was here in this danger
was because of you.  If you hadn't brought her here, she would be safe.
Are you so selfish that you can't see that?  It's because of *you* that
 she's lying here!!  Do you deny it?!"  Darien could only stare at him
shocked.  "That's what I thought," he said, calm once more.  He paused,
 carefully choosing his next words.  "I'll tell you what Darien.  I've
already called the cops.  When they get here, I'll tell them you had
nothing to do with this.  You could easily be counted as an accomplice,
if there was a witness who said you were. . ."
        "What do I have to do?" he asked frightened.
        "Oh, not a whole lot.  Just leave.  And never come back.
Ever."  James stared down and Darien with hard, menacing eyes.  Far
away, sirens could be heard.  Darien panicked, and quickly ran away.
James knelt down next to Serena's lifeless body.  "Glad you see it my
way."

        There was a frantic knock on Mina's door.  She knew something
had to be wrong, just by the way it sounded.  She swung the door open,
and Darien almost collapsed in onto the floor.
        "Oh my god, Darien, what happened to you?  Where's Serena?"
        "Serena. . .Serena's hurt. . ." with that, he fell unconscious
into her arms.  She quickly dragged him over to the couch, and somehow
managed to get him on top of it.  Dashing into the kitchen, she quickly
 brought him back a glass of water.  By this time, he had come to again
, and was holding his badly bruised head.  He took the glass of water
from Mina, and noisily drunk it down.  After he calmed down a bit, and
his breathing had slowed, Mina began to speak again.
        "Darien, what happened?"  He laid back on the couch and closed
his eyes.
        "We started talking, and when it started to get serious, well,
we weren't really paying attention to where we were going.  We were in
this park, and she told me she loves me."  He opened his eyes and sat
up, looking at Mina.  "Did you hear that?  She told me she loves me!"
 He sat back again, and closed his eyes once more.  "Anyway, we started
 kissing, and this guy jumps out of the bushes and points a gun in our
 faces.  I tried to get it away from him, but he just grabbed Serena
and. . .well, I'm not sure exactly what happened, but she ended up
unconscious on the ground.  So, I beat the guy into a bloody pulp, and
then James-"
        "James?!"  Darien's eyes shot open.  Mina looked straight
forward at the wall.  She was furious, not only with James, but with
herself for letting him go.  Realizing Darien hadn't finished his
story, she shook her head and motioned him to continue.
        "Right, well, he came out of the bushes the opposite way the
attacker had, and told me he would tell the cops I was an accomplice
if I didn't leave.  He told me never to come back.  I just got her,
and now I've lost her.  I'm sure she hates me.  I mean, I *was* the
one who put her in all that danger, it was all my fault."  His emotions
 were finally getting to him, so he stayed silent for a while hoping
Mina wouldn't notice.
        "Oh Darien, I'm so sorry.  But don't you get it?  You didn't
put her in that danger, you protected her as best as you could.  And
what did James do?  I *know* he had to have been following you for a
long time, and all he did was sit in the bushes watching.  It makes me
sick to think about him. . ."  She stopped, a little overwhelmed.
Taking in a deep breath, she went on.  "But really Darien.  She told
you she loves you - and it's about time.  For the past two days, all
she'd been doing was crying about how you didn't love her.  I knew you
did, though.  I have this sixth sense about love."
        "Mina, what am I going to do?"
        "Well, once Serena's conscious, I'm sure she'll tell the real
side of the story -" A knock on the door stopped their conversation.
Ami, knowing Mina never locks the door, just came in the open door.
        "You guys, Serena's been mugged!  She's over at Tokyo Central
Hospital, let's go!"  The two on the couch nodded and got up.  As
Darien passed Ami in the doorway, she latched onto his arm.
        "Oh my goodness!  Darien, what happened to you?"
        "Ami," said Mina, "We'll explain on the way."

        As they entered the emergency room, a nurse intercepted Darien.
        "Sir, may I have your name?"
        "Uh, Darien Chiba."
        "All right Mr. Chiba.  A doctor will be with you shortly."  As
she speedily walked away, Darien began to protest, but a punch from Ami
 made him stop.
        "Ow - That hurt. . ." he pouted, but Ami just glared at him.
        "You need to see a doctor Darien," she said firmly.  He just
rubbed his arm where he had been hit and gave Ami a hurt puppy look.
She gave him no notice, however, and went over to the reception desk
and asked for Serena's room number.  Looking back at Mina, she signaled
her to follow.
        "Sorry Dare, see ya later!" she said, winking at him as she
left.

        The two girls entered Serena's room carefully.  Inside, she
was laying on a bed with her head wrapped in bandages, still
unconscious.  A nurse smiled at them as she [the nurse] left the room.
James was sitting comfortably in a chair next to her bed.
        "Ah, Mina and Ami.  I haven't seen you two in a while," he
said beaming.
        "James," Ami asked astounded, "How can you possibly be so
happy when the woman you love is lying there like that?"
        "Oh, I just got rid of something who needed getting rid of,
that's all."
        "You're talking about Darien, right?" asked Mina acrimoniously.
He looked at her with wide eyes, stammering.
        "How did you find out about him?"
        "You must think either we're the biggest idiots, or he is!"
Mina yelled, seething.  "He told us what happened, and you *know* she
knows what really happened, so why don't you get out of here while the
going's still good?!"  James stood up sharply - the chair he had been
sitting in almost toppled over when he rose.
        "All right, I'll go," he said churlishly, "But you can count
on seeing me again, this isn't over yet!"  He left the room lividly.
[Do you like all the synonyms for ?angry' I'm using? ;P]
        Serena began to stir in her bed.  "Darien?" she asked meekly.
Mina and Ami each took a side of the bed, and tried to comfort her.
        "Serena honey?  How are you feeling?"
        "Like a ton of bricks hit me in the head. . ." she whispered.
"And next time, don't yell when you talk to me, I'm right here."  Mina
and Ami both looked at each other for support.
"Oh you guys, he told me how he feels.  He truly loves me, and I told
him I love him too.  This man attacked us, and he tried to protect me,
I know he did, but the guy grabbed my hair. . .and -" she began to
sniffle, trying to hold back her tears.  Darien was suddenly standing
in the doorway with bandages covering his face, while unseen bandages
covered his body.
        "Serena. . ." he whispered.  She got misty eyed as he rushed
to her side.  He took her hands in his, and she started to cry.
        "Oh Darien. . .Darien, I've made up my mind.  I choose you, I
choose you!"  Mina and Ami looked at each other happily as they kissed,
 their fates truly sealed.
        The end [I think. . .]

        Well, there you have it!  Her Choice.  (It was Darien, just
like you wanted!)  How could you ever doubt me?  (Actually, I was
originally going to put her with James, but that was just when I
thought up the story - I had it that way for about a day. . .)  Does
anyone want me to go on?  I left the James thing kind of open so he
can turn out to be some villain in the future if I ever do the ?future
scout' idea.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, read the
?read-me'.  Any comments?  awoud@navix.net
        Until next time!
Oh yeah, I just have to tell ya, in case you didn't realize it, the
woman who came out of the shop was Rei.  (I subtly got her in there,
ne?)
One last thing.  This is for ANYONE who writes ANYTHING. . .
You're is you are, as in you're welcome.  Your is your, as in your cat.
Thanks for understanding Annie's pet peeve!