Sweet Destiny
By: Jessica M. Moonflower & KTstarShot
Chapter 3
Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: We do not own Sailor Moon, but we do own the 
story idea! ^.~ It's the closest thing to having all the characters
under our control! Bwhahahahaha!

AN's: Hello everyone and welcome to the next installment of SD! *hears 
audience applause* This is Jess reporting to you live from my computer! 
^.^ Sorry I took a long time with this chapter. As you know, expect Mae to get 
Chapter 4 out. At least the pressure is off of me for now. We'd also like to 
thank those who have reviewed our fic, but there is one review we wanted to 
address. Anonymous, although we do appreciate the review you posted, we'd 
like to clear up the fact that the dialogue you pointed out for Chapter 1 is meant 
to be a playful joke between Serena and Darien. We are fully aware that such 
formal language is not used in this day and age. Now enjoy this new chapter! 

*~*~*~*~*~*~

	Serena's mouth was agape. She sat frozen in her seat as she stared 
into the dark cobalt eyes of the charming and handsome man, who had rescued 
her last night. She slowly closed her jaw and looked down at the napkin she 
had thrown at Mina earlier. What was he doing here? Had he somehow known 
she was going to be here? She dismissed her last question. Of course he 
couldn't have known she'd be here. It was, in this case, a small world 
after all. It was mere coincidence that brought them together to this 
very same cafe. Although she wished more than anything to get to know Dare, 
it was strictly forbidden. She wasn't going to let what happened to Seiya 
happen to him. She would just have to keep him at a safe distance.

	Darien smiled apologetically at the two women. "Sorry for interrupting 
your meal, ladies, but I thought I should drop in and say hello."

	Serena returned his smile with a weak one of her own. "What a 
pleasant surprise! What brings you here?" 

	"I was having lunch with a friend myself, but she had to leave 
early. I was on my way out when I saw you with your friend."

	He then fixed his gaze over to Mina, who curiously stared at him 
from her seat. He extended his hand to her and she took it within hers 
to give him a firm handshake. He studied her for a moment, his head 
tilted to the side. Serena's friend looked like she could be her twin 
sister. Their features were similar to some degree except for the 
lighter shades in eye and hair color. 

	Mina smiled brightly at him and winked. "I don't believe we've met. I'm 
Serena's friend Mina. You're Dare, right?"

	"Correct. I met Serena last night on her way home from the library and 
saved her from a downpour." 

	"So I've heard." Mina playfully nudged Serena's arm, who in turn, shot 
her a warning glance. She ignored her irritated expression and continued to 
speak. "Why don't you join us for dessert, Dare? We were about to get some."

	Serena panicked. What the hell did Mina think she was doing?! She 
could kill her for trying to pull one of her infamous matchmaking schemes on 
her. Mina had told her stories of how she would drag some of her friends on 
blind dates in an attempt to make a love connection. However, those plans 
backfired and always ended in disaster. She never really went into great detail, 
but Serena could only imagine the horrors her poor friends had to endure. 

	"Mina, don't be silly. Dare is a busy man. He probably has places to go 
and work that needs to be done," Serena rationalized in the hopes that she 
was right. 

	"Not exactly, Serena," Darien interjected. "I'm free the whole day. As for 
that offer on dessert, I would love to join you."

	"Wonderful!" Mina cheered and clapped her hands.

	"That's great, Dare," Serena replied with forced enthusiasm. 

	So much for diverting the one person she's trying to keep at a safe 
distance. Did she mention that she was going to kill her best friend once this 
was all over? When she was through with Mina, she's going to have her running 
in the opposite direction if she dared to try something like this again!

	While Serena's mind was occupied on her dear friend's 'death', Mina's 
mind was plotting a devious scheme of her own. Her plan was absolutely 
brilliant! If she weren't surrounded by a roomful of people, she would have 
been laughing as if she were possessed. 

	She knew Serena was plotting her own death, but her plan was for 
Serena's own good. It was time to spice things up a bit in Serena's life. The 
whole moping thing was just not working for her. By the end of this week, she'll 
be thanking her. Now to set her plan in motion!

	Darien was about to slide into the empty spot beside Mina when she let 
out a distressed wail. "Oh, no! Look at this!"

	"What's wrong, Mina?" Serena asked. The sound of Mina's wailing had 
put her lovely thoughts about her untimely end to a halt.

	"There's a syrup stain on my pants. I'll have to pass on the dessert and 
get home to wash this."

	Mina made a move to stand up, and Darien slid out of the booth to let 
her out until she felt a vice like grip on her arm. Serena yanked her forward, 
away from Darien's prying ears, to whisper threateningly into hers. If Mina even 
thinks about leaving her and Darien alone, she is sadly mistaken!

	"Where do you think you're going? You're not leaving me with him!"
	
	Serena's panicked and venom laced tone didn't faze Mina one bit. 
She stood...er hunched over the table with a serene look on her face. 
Mina wasn't Miss Matchmaker for nothing. She had been in this business 
ever since she found herself attracted to the opposite sex. Besides, 
her other friends had acted in the same manner as Serena, and was 
fully prepared for all types of reactions. 

	"Really, Serena, you wouldn't want this nasty stain to set in, would you? 
It's not like you really need me here. You and Dare will get along fine with one 
another. Think of it as a way of getting to know each other a little bit better."

	"Mina..." Serena's voice took on a more dangerous tone. The girl was so 
going to be her dinner tonight! 

	"If you'll excuse me," Mina tugged her arm away from Serena's grasp, "I 
need to get going." She gracefully slid off the booth, and tossed a departing 
wave to Darien before exiting the cafe.

	Serena was fuming! Some friend Mina turned out to be. How dare she 
abandon her just like this?! The nerve of her! 

	She snuck a glance at Darien, who in turn watched her intently. 
They both blushed and looked away from each other, both feeling 
embarrassed for being caught red handed by the other person. The silence 
continued to grow between them, and Darien cleared his throat to signal 
the start of a new conversation.

	"Shall we order something?"

	"Yes," Serena uttered, her voice sounding nervous and high pitched to the 
ears. She kicked herself for sounding so timid and small around him. She never 
used to feel like this with anyone--anyone she didn't know of course. 

	Serena was usually a strong and independent type. Being a vampire for 
as long as she had been kind of does that to a person. She was a loner most 
of the time, but she had gotten used to that. Ever since Seiya's death, it 
was a life she had to force herself to adapt to. As much as she wanted to 
feel love and what it means to be complete, people of her kind were not 
allowed to get involved with humans, romantically anyway. 

	She sighed. If only the men she liked were of her kind. Maybe then it 
wouldn't be so difficult to brush off all love and contact entirely.

	Darien stared at her. After Serena's short reply to his question, she 
started spacing out into her own world. He wondered what she was thinking 
about. Different emotions flitted across her face before he had a good chance 
of pinpointing just one. 

	It may sound selfish, and maybe a bit rude, but he was kind of 
glad that Mina left. He wanted an opportunity, just like this one, to be 
alone with Serena. She may have refused a date from him last night, but 
once he showed her what a great guy he was, she might rethink her 
decision and give him a chance. A woman as unique as Serena shouldn't 
slip no man's grasp. 

	The only thing he hadn't thought through was how to tell her he was a 
vampire. If things did go well between them, this will be one secret that might 
be hard to confess to her. Would she run away screaming in terror? Would she 
accept him? Or would she reject his love once she found out the truth about his 
real origins?

	These were questions he did not like to dwell upon, but they were 
things he could not easily dismiss either. For the time being, he felt 
it was best to mull over it when the time came.  

	Darien spotted a waiter wheeling the dessert cart in their direction, 
and signaled him over to their table. Out of the various selections 
the cart had to offer, he picked out a black forest cake for himself 
while Serena settled for a strawberry shortcake with cream filling in 
the center. 

	The two ate their desserts in an uncomfortable silence. Darien 
wasn't used to awkward silences like these. The way he saw it, if he 
wanted to get to know Serena he had to say something. Noting the way 
Serena seemed to be unnaturally focused on her dessert, she wasn't 
going to start any sort of conversation with him. He didn't know 
whether to be intrigued or frustrated by her new found shyness 
around him. Either way, Darien wasn't about to let their time alone 
get wasted.

	"So, Serena, what do you do for a living?" Darien set aside his fork, his 
dessert now forgotten, and looked directly into her eyes. Serena was a bit taken 
aback by the sudden question he sprung on her, but recovered long enough to 
reply.

	"I own and run a small antique shop called Timeless Antiques. It's
actually not too far from here."

	"I recall passing by the shop on my way here. The furniture you had on 
display were just lovely. Where do you get them?"

	Serena blushed. "To tell you the truth, I make almost everything you see 
in the display windows." 

	Darien's eyes nearly popped out of its sockets. "You made all that?!"
He had a hard time breathing and swallowing the fact that the woman sitting
across from him was not only beautiful, sweet, and intelligent, but was also
an excellent furniture maker. The woman was just full of surprises.

	"Now that you know what I do, how about you? What do you do when
you're not out dining in a simple little cafe like this?" 

	"I'm the president and proud heir of Dime, the computer software
company."

	"Wow! You own Dime? Somehow it doesn't surprise me. The way
you were dressed last night with your suit and tie attire, it was 
kind of obvious that you belonged to some kind of a well paying job. 
And I was right, but you're more than well off," Serena tossed in 
with a wink.

	"Good observation. But for a guy who has everything, I try to keep a 
low profile." Darien's smile was a mysterious one, and Serena caught it 
right away. His answer hid more than he cared to reveal. What it was 
exactly, Serena couldn't quite put her finger on it.  

	"Speaking of low profiles, I don't recall seeing your face in a 
magazine or newspaper at all. The owner of one of the largest computer 
software companies in the world would have been recognized almost 
immediately. Media shy, are we?"

	"Not quite, but I chose not to disclose my picture with the interviews I do 
with the media. Journalists have to sign a contract before they can talk with me, 
and representatives would talk on my behalf to the reporters. I value my privacy, 
and I prefer to roam around freely in this city without anyone recognizing who I 
am." 

	Serena took a sip of water. "Well, this is something you don't see 
everyday. Most people would kill to be under the media's constant scrutiny, 
but I admire you. You try to maintain a stable business without letting the media 
be on your tail every chance they get."

	Darien flashed her with one of his charming smiles. "I do my best." 
He gestured to Serena's nearly empty plate. "Are you just about done?"

	"Yes. I'll wave the waiter over to give us our check." 
	
	When the waiter came back with their check, he laid it on the table and 
left them alone to attend to another customer. Serena pulled a couple of bills 
from her wallet and was ready to pay for her and Mina's meal when Darien 
gently pushed her hand away from the small rectangular tray. 

	"Let me pay for everything."

	"Dare, I couldn't--"

	"I insist."

	Before Serena could say another word, the waiter came back and took 
the tray from the table with the amount fully paid by Darien. He slid out of the 
booth, and waited for Serena to do the same.

	"You didn't have to do that you know. I'm perfectly capable of paying for 
my own meals. The only complaint I have is Mina left without leaving her share 
of the cost." She stood up and grabbed her purse, and the two began to exit the 
cafe. 

	"Now you don't have to worry about the expenses. I know you can pay
for your own meals, but let me do this. Think of it as a thank you for letting me
keep you company."

	Serena thought about it, and relented. "All right then. Thank you for being 
so kind."

	"My pleasure." Darien bent down to kiss her hand, and Serena blushed 
a noticeable red. She scolded herself for acting like a school girl again while 
Darien found it kind of cute and endearing. "Are you going home now?"

	"Yes, as a matter of fact. I have some work that needs to be done."

	"Can I walk you home then? I have nothing else planned for the rest
of the day, and I really want to spend more time with you."

	Serena bit her lower lip, looking hesitant and almost reluctant to agree.
By letting Dare walk her home for the second time she has met him, she'd
be sending him the wrong messages. On the other hand, it has become
increasingly difficult to deny or ignore the growing attraction she felt towards
him. She didn't know why she should feel drawn to him. What made him so
different? So special? Why couldn't her life be a little bit simpler? 

	"I don't see why not. The company would be nice."

	"Great!"

	Serena sure hoped she knew what she was doing. Besides, it was
just a walk home. It couldn't really hurt could it?

~~~~~~~~~~*

	The walk to Serena's small apartment was a short one. Darien was 
slightly disappointed that the cafe wasn't a bit further from her home. There 
was so much he wanted to know about Serena, but the few moments he had 
with her were enough for him.

	Serena felt a wave of deja vu sweep over her. It was ironic that they 
would find themselves standing in the exact same positions from last night. It 
only took them a couple of hours to meet each other again, and neither would 
have thought they'd run into each other again so soon. She didn't want to call it 
fate because she didn't want to believe that she was the reason for bringing 
them together like this. And it was better not to think about it either.

	"Thank you for walking me home, Dare. I enjoyed spending time with 
you, but I better go inside now." Serena turned to walk up the steps to her 
apartment, but Darien grabbed her hand. The feel of his hand on hers was 
warm and inviting. For a second, she felt overwhelmed by the heat his hand 
was giving off. 

	"If you enjoyed spending time with me then why not go out with me? I 
know you refused last night, but give it some thought. I get the feeling you like
me, but something is holding you back. Why?" 

	His voice sounded husky and passionate to her ears. Serena might
have melted in his arms, as they say in silly romance novels, if she weren't so
steadfast in her decision.

	"It's difficult to explain."

	"Try me. How can giving me a reason for why you can't date me be so
difficult?" 

	Darien stood tall and erect. His stare bore through her own, and he waited
expectantly for a straight answer. He wasn't going to let her go so easily like he
did last night. He wasn't one to give up on someone he was truly interested in and
he was stubborn to a fault. He needed a better explanation from her other than, 'I
can't'.

	Serena found herself in a tight spot.  What was she going to do? Dare
was serious about not leaving unless she told him the truth--or a better reason
than the one she gave him last night. The answer she was not going to give him 
was her being a vampire. It wouldn't sit well with him at all, and she highly doubt 
he'd believe her anyway.

	"Dare, the reason I can't date you is--"

	"Oh, God not now!" Darien exclaimed through clenched teeth as his whole
body curled up into a fetal position. He felt feverish and his body became 
drenched in sweat. His vision was blurred, and could barely respond to 
Serena's desperate calls.

	Damn it! He had forgotten to take his usual dosage of blood this morning.
Darien figured he could do without it since he thought he wouldn't be out for too
long. What a grave mistake he made. 

	Darien needed blood and fast. Without it, he'd be too weak to continue on
like this. Or worse, he could end up dead! Where could he go? He didn't want to
suck an innocent person dry. He was no monster. 

	He groaned, and Serena's expression grew anxious. What had happened
to Dare to cause him to get so ill all of a sudden. His skin grew pale and he could
barely stand. She would have gone inside to call 911, but she couldn't leave him
out here like this. 

	"Dare? Please speak to me. What's wrong?"

	Darien's vision cleared and slowly turned to see Serena's concerned
blue eyes. He saw her lips move, but could not hear or register what she was 
saying. His stare then became transfixed with her long porcelain neck. He licked 
his dry lips and an animalistic kind of hunger took over him.

	Just one drop. It was all he needed to revert back to normal. It couldn't hurt
if he could just taste her blood. 

	Darien leaned in closer to Serena, which took her by surprise. She didn't
know what was going on and she was rooted to her spot on the stairs. Serena
tried to call out his name, to get him to snap out of his daze, but he could no
longer hear her. His head moved to the side of her neck and he was mere inches
away from it before two sharp fangs sprouted out ready to pierce the skin.

To be continued...

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Finally I'm finished! I know I'm evil to leave it there, but me and Mae had planned
on leaving this chapter with a cliff hanger. If you want to know what happens
next, you can pester Mae. ^_~ Thanks for reading and see you all in the next 
chapter.