I'm back!  Yes, that's right, Stef-chan has returned from finals 
and the Holidays in one piece!  WAI WAI!  Well, minna, consider 
this a late gift for Christmas (if you celebrate it) since it's 
out pretty much the day after. :) I hope you enjoy this, it 
didn't take me too long to write, but I missed writing so, so 
much!  Thanks to everyone for everything!

And as always, thanx go out to my wonderful editor Comet Moon!

E-mail: stefaniecraig@hotmail.com

Website: http://home.att.net/~stef_chan/



If you add me to the list of any of these, tell me that you got 
my name /# from my fics!

ICQ: 63467432

AIM: Stefchan2

Yahoo!: Steff_chan

MSN: stefaniecraig@hotmail.com

RATING: PG

DISCLAIMER: *crying* Santa didn't bring it!

Quote of the Week: "The heart has its reasons which reason does 
not understand" -Blaise Pascal.

__________Reality__________

It danced and taunted him.

He couldn't believe what he knew, what he had just seen a few 
days ago.  He was still in shock, and he wasn't able to tell 
anyone...who would believe him?  Sure the girls would, but they'd 
laugh before they did.  And Serena...how could he tell her?  That 
the boy was his and the girl probably too.

Sure, Rini and Alec were the most talked about people now with 
the warriors, Serena and himself, but what was he supposed to do?  
Just jump out and say, "Speaking of Rini and Alec, did you know 
they're my kids?"  He just didn't think it would go over that 
well.

So the knowledge went back to dancing and taunting.

*****************************************************************

Serena hummed as she put on her make-up for the day, making sure 
to put on light lipstick, but more blush.  Most girls did this 
everyday, but she only did it once a week, every Sunday actually, 
because that was the day she was allowed to see Darien.

Looking outside, Serena saw the beautiful spring day before her 
and smiled.  There wasn't a plan today; though when it came to 
Serena and Darien's dates, the plans they did make changed due to 
weather or youma.  Usually the later of the two.

A bitter frown was on her face as she finished putting her hair
up and checked her reflection one last time.  "Going to meet 
DARIEN again?" a voice spoke up from her side.  Serena turned and 
saw a small pink-haired girl standing there.  "You always go out 
with him on Sundays...why don't you see him more often?" Rini 
asked, her tone going from annoying to innocent.

Serena shook her head at the girl and touched her head.  "It's
not something little girls should worry about," she told her as 
she walked off with a smile.

"What should I worry about then?" Rini asked softly, stopping 
Serena in her tracks.  She didn't turn around as Rini continued.  
"I can't worry about who stole my crayon, because I don't care.  
Should I worry about the Dark Moon or what Auntie Ilene made for 
dinner?  I don't know what I'm *supposed* to worry about," she 
confided.

Serena turned and placed her hands on the girls' shoulders'.  
"Rini, you listen to me.  You are supposed to worry about who 
took your doll, and who stole your crayon.  Even if you have to 
worry about getting taken by the Dark Moon, which will never 
happen with Sailor Moon on the job, you can't just give up a 
normal life!  Bad things happen, but you can't let them run 
your life, you know?" she asked with understanding eyes.  Rini 
nodded, but kept her eyes away from Serena.  "Good, I'm gonna get 
something to eat, and when I come back up here, you had better be 
in a better mood!" she told her half-joking/half-serious.

Alec walked up the stairs just as Serena walked down them and 
smiled at her as he did so.  "Hey Rini, what's wrong?  You seem 
upset?" he asked her.

Rini hugged Luna P close and nodded.  "Alec...I wanna talk to 
Pu."

Caught of guard by his younger siblings' statement, Alec looked 
to her, wide-eyed.  "Pu?  But Rini...we aren't allowed to talk to 
her.  As it is, we're treading on thin ice since we came here 
with out her, direct, permission," he pointed out.

Rini shook her head at her brother.  "I don't care.  I'm lonely, 
I wanna talk to her."

"You mean you're worried."  She didn't answer him, but Alec knew.  
"Rini, we can't change the future."

Rini clutched Luna P closer to her and shook her head again. 
"Sailor Moon is going to die, and that means that Serena is going 
to.  Darien and Tuxedo Mask too!" she exclaimed.  "I just want to 
talk to her about it...see if there's a way."

With out waiting for her brother to answer the statement, Rini 
pushed the nose of her Luna P ball and watched as the static 
faded away and a figure took its place in the eye of Luna.  
"Small Lady?" the female voice asked tentatively, almost tiredly.

"Pu!" Alec and Rini exclaimed at the same time as they came 
closer to the image and tried to make out the woman.

"Small Lady, Alexander," the woman greeted warmly.  "Are you two 
well?  The Soldiers are taking care of you, aren't they?"

"Yeah, but we miss Mommy and Daddy," Rini conceded with a sadness 
in her voice.

Alec nodded.  "Pu, why...why can't we go back yet?" he asked.

"Pu" looked away and sighed.  "Prince, you made the decision to 
leave this time to find someone who could save your mother, and 
therefore you made it so you have no protection in this time.  
With out you and Small Lady here the Soldiers are protecting the Palace, and they cannot stop now.  You are safer where Soldiers 
are there to protect you."

Sighing, Alec nodded his understanding.

"But what's happening there, Pu?" Rini questioned.

Shaking her head, "Pu" spoke up again.  "The war is not being won 
by either side.  And your parents..."  There was a silence for a 
deafening moment before "Pu" spoke up again.  "Small Lady, 
something is bothering you."  Rini looked startled for a moment, 
but she quickly nodded her agreement.  "Aren't you going to tell 
me what it is?"  Rini shook her head.  "Why not?" "Pu" asked her 
softly.

"I just wanted to see you, Pu.  It's scary here, even with Serena 
and Darien and the girls," Rini whispered.

"You're worried about their futures?" the lady asked.  "Nothing 
can come of your worrying, Small Lady, or you Alexander, because 
something's are what they seem to be.  And-" the lady suddenly 
gasped and disappeared from the eye of the ball.

"PU!" Rini and Alec exclaimed as they began to shake Luna P.

"Rini, Alec?" Serena whispered from behind them.  The two 
children turned around and blinked when they saw Serena looking 
at them with concern in her eyes.  She had heard them talking to, 
what seemed to be, the Luna P ball, and knew she wasn't hearing 
things.  "Are you two okay?"

They nodded yes and turned away from her.  'That was close!'

"You two can be so weird," Serena muttered as she turned around 
and walked down the stairs.  "Darin will be here any moment, you 
two be GOOD for my mom, okay?" she begged.

*****************************************************************

Darien stood nervously out side of the door to the Tsukino house 
and bit his lip.  He and Serena were going out on their weekly 
date, which would hopefully go smoothly with out interruptions 
(though he knew better), and he STILL had no idea how he was 
going to tell her about Alec and Rini and how he fit into their 
lives.

"Damn it all to hell!" he hissed as he knocked on the door.  
"I'll jump off that bridge when I get to it."

The door was thrown open and Serena launched herself into his 
arms.  Darien wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled.  
"Hello to you too!" he exclaimed as he leaned down and met her 
lips for a kiss.

Serena smiled up at him and blushed slightly.  "Sorry, it's 
just...I haven't seen you since that flu episode last week and 
even then we were both pretty out of it," she pointed out.

"Yeah," Darien sighed.  "But man, was it worth it when Mina 
really got sick and you and the girls were taking care of her!"

Both of them burst out into laughter at the thought, and they 
didn't calm down until two small children came out and stood in 
front of them.  They were dressed, set and ready to go somewhere.  
Serena sized them up and felt the privacy that she had hoped to 
get for the day slowly slip out the window.

"We wanna go too!" they announced at the same time.

Nope, it actually just ran out the door.  "Rini, Alec," Serena 
started, but then bit her tongue.  "Umm...dang it," she sighed as 
she looked at their faces.  She had to hand it to whoever taught 
the two children how to beg with the puppy-dog faces.  Whoever 
taught them was REALLY good.

Darien leaned his head down so that it was near Serena's ear.  
"They're almost as good as you with the silent begging," he 
whispered, his breath tickling her ear.

Serena glared at him.

*****************************************************************

Emerald studied her target and made a face.  'You have got to be 
joking...oh my Lord, someone just shoot me!' she said to herself 
as she watched the people run around like chickens with their 
heads cut off.

Sighing, Emerald did what she knew she had to.  She didn't have a 
choice, after all; she wasn't the one who choose the Negative 
Points.

*****************************************************************

Rini looked around the shopping area and smiled.  It had been a 
while since she and Alec had been able to go out with no cares, 
feeling protected.  Now that they knew who Serena and Darien 
were, they could relax when they went out because they both knew 
that the two lovebirds were always on alert, even when they were 
kissing.

Alec stopped walking suddenly and pointed to a café across the 
street.  "Darien, Serena, can we eat there?!" he asked them.

Serena and Darien exchanged looks and nodded.  "Sure, why not?  
I'm hungry!" Serena told them with a giggle as she squeezed 
Darien's hand.

Rolling her eyes, Rini turned so she was walking backwards.  "Did 
you JUST eat before we left?" she inquired to the older girl with 
a grin.

Looking started for a moment, Serena thought it over before 
realizing Rini was teasing her.  "Why you brat.  COME BACK HERE!" 
she yelled as Rini took off, and she followed her.

Darien and Alec exchanged looks.  "If they got anymore alike, I 
might think they were related," Alec giggled.

As Alec walked off, Darien froze at his statement.  'Related...'  
He felt his stomach become a pit of ice and he watched his Serena 
and Rini run around.  Serena was smiling as she caught the girl 
and threw her over her shoulders, sack of potato style. (AN: It's 
fun doing that to little kids!)  They looked alike, acted alike 
and even screamed alike.

"Darien!" Alec called as he, Serena and Rini, who had been set 
down on the ground, began walking to the café.  "Let's eat!"

Darien smiled and walked into the restaurant after the others.  
This was shaping up to be a most interesting afternoon.  Very 
interesting indeed.

The group of people sat down and ordered their food before 
lapsing into an uncomfortable silence.  Darien held Serena's hand 
under the table and gave it a squeeze, silently giving her the 
strength to confront the two children.

"Rini, Alec," Serena began, "why are you here?"

The question caught the children off guard and they exchanged 
looks.  They knew they had one of three options.  One, they could 
run.  Two, they could lie or three, they could tell the truth.  
By choosing option number one, they would simply run into this 
same problem again, very soon.  Option three would give away the 
entire future and possibly make it so it didn't come.  Option two 
was sounding real good though.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you, Serena," Rini said with 
a half smile on her face.

"Try us," Darien challenged them.

Alec gulped and looked to Rini again, who shrugged, giving him 
the 'You're supposed to be the older of us!' look.  Turning back 
to them Alec frowned.  "Why ask, we're gonna lie to you anyway?"

Taken aback by the harsh, if not true, answer, Serena and Darien 
sat in silence for a moment before the food arrived.  Serena 
debated picking at her food, but decided she was too hungry to 
and started to eat it at her usual pace.

Darien smiled softly at his love and looked the kids again.  Rini 
had her head on the table and seemed to be muttering something to 
herself while her brother inhaled his food, at about the same 
speed Serena was.  Darien suddenly found all doubts about whom 
the mother of the two children was gone.   He didn't know how it 
was possible, but something inside of him told him that yes, he 
was the father to both these children and that yes, the mother 
was Serena.  He didn't know how, considering they came from so 
far in the future, or why since those dreams had been telling him 
to stay away from her for near a month now.

All he knew, was that for the first time since he had had the dream, he was truly happy.

*****************************************************************

Serena found herself smiling at the two children as they walked 
around, gawking at all the toy and candy store displays that were 
on Tenth Street.  Each time they would try and go into a store, 
it took a lot of strength from both Serena and Darien to drag 
them away and back down the street until the next time it 
happened.

It was nearing dinnertime when Serena and Darien finally gave in 
and let the two children go inside to look around.  "Are we 
becoming soft?" Serena muttered as they browsed with Rini and 
Alec.

"No, they were just yelling louder," Darien murmured back to her 
with a chuckle.  Serena slapped his chest playfully and continued 
to follow the children.

All around the store were signs marked "Sale" and "Half-off."  
Serena began to wonder why they were selling things so cheaply.  
It was a nice store, and sure it had just opened, but you didn't 
sell game systems for thirty thousand yen.  (AN: Umm...that 
something like 30 dollars.)  That was just asking to go out of 
business, no matter how much you could sell.

Rini's eyes got wide as she noticed a woman handing out balloons.  
With a grin, she dashed forward and took a balloon from the woman 
and then ran back to the others.  As they passed by the same 
woman, Serena felt a chill run up her spine.  'Oh you have got to 
be kidding!' she thought as she turned back to look at the woman.

That's when she noticed that Darien was also giving the woman, 
and the entire store, a strange look.  "Well, that explains the 
sale prices," he said to himself as he wretched the balloon out 
of Rini's hand.

"DARIEN!" Rini cried out as he let go of the balloon and sent it 
up to the ceiling.  Rini began to jump and try to grab her 
balloon.  "Give it back!  Why'd you do that?!  It's mean!"

Serena grabbed Rini and began to haul her out of the store.  
Alec, on the other hand, was much easier to get out.  "Dark 
Moon?" he asked as he watched Serena try and explain what was 
wrong to Rini, but instead just drag her away.

Darien nodded and the two followed Serena and Rini out of the 
store.

The woman who handed out the balloons looked after the four 
people who left the store.  "Lady Emerald will be pleased to hear 
this.  I shall act now," she said to herself as she let her 
disguise melt away.

*****************************************************************

No sooner had the small group left the toy store than did the 
screaming start.  Rini stopped kicking and listened as the 
children and parents inside began to cry for help.  "Too late!" 
Serena hissed quietly as she set the child down and began 
pressing buttons on her communicator.  "I'll take care of this 
for now, you get the kids to a safe place," Serena instructed 
Darien.

Darien blinked and then shook his head.  "No, you go, I'll stay 
and fight this time."

"LOOK OUT!" Alec yelled as a jump rope came streaking across the 
way, heading straight for Serena and Darien.  The two jumped 
away, barely missing being hit by the long rope.

Serena turned to the store and saw something that mildly 
resembled a woman standing there.  It was interesting, Serena 
would give the Dark Moon that; they were always interesting.  
While it had legs, it also had the body of a Jack-in-the-box and 
held a rope in it's hand.  "OMOCHA!" it screeched as it prepared 
to throw the whip again.

*****************************************************************

Emerald watched Droid Omocha attack the four people and furrowed 
her brow.  "What does she think she's doing?  There's more energy 
to make the Dark Hedge grow inside than those four have!  Damn," 
she hissed as she appeared between the Droid and her pray, "if 
you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!"

"Emerald!" the Droid exclaimed when it saw it's mistress.

Serena and Darien's posture straightened when they saw the green-
haired woman.  "Damn, if we run, they'll know," Serena said 
softly.

"They already do," Darien hissed back as his arm instinctively 
went around Serena's waist, his instincts knowing that he would 
have to protect her quite soon.

Rini began to tremble and Serena squeezed her hand tighter, 
giving her reassurance though their linked hands.  'Please, don't 
fret little one, please don't give yourself away!' she begged 
silently.

"Mistress," Omocha hissed, "that man somehow knew about our plan.  
His eyes spoke hatred towards me, and he took the free toys away 
from the children for no reason."

Emerald pulled her fan out and turned to the small group.  "Is 
that so?  Well," she began to walk over towards them, causing 
Serena and Darien to hold the children closer to them, "why would 
you turn down free toys for the little ones?" she asked them.

Serena glared at Emerald.  "A pretty face will never hide the 
bitterness and evil inside."

Emerald's forehead twitched and she grit her teeth.  "Well, 
little girl, if that's how you feel, than by all means, I'll let 
you see the bitterness and evil!"  Emerald raised her fan and 
pointed it at Serena.  There was a slight crackling of energy and 
Serena almost didn't have time to blink as the black energy came 
screaming towards her.

Rini watched the energy and felt something inside her break.  She 
had spent nearly a month telling herself that she couldn't be 
close to Serena, that she didn't care about her, didn't care what 
happened to her and if she protected her, but she knew that it 
was a lie.  Serena was her older sister, and she didn't want her 
to die like she was supposed to.

"LUNA P!" Rini screamed pointing to the energy.  "SAVE HER!" she 
begged as a glowing symbol appeared on her forehead, and for once 
she didn't try to hide it.  There was no energy appearing from 
her forehead, but the power in Luna P blocked the energy from 
hitting Serena, completely shocking everyone on the scene.

"Rini..." Serena whispered as she collapsed to the ground in 
shock.

"Serena!" Rini exclaimed as she turned to face the girl.

Serena turned pale when she saw the golden symbol on Rini's 
forehead.  And that's when all the pieces began to click in 
place.  Everything that had happened in the past weeks became 
clear as her Silver Crystal.

She didn't notice when the Soldiers arrived and defeated the 
droid on their own, with no help from Sailor Moon or Tuxedo 
Kamen.  She didn't notice Emerald's disappear or when Darien 
touched her shoulder to shake her out of the shock.  All she knew 
was that the next time she could register something, she was 
lying down on her boyfriend's bed with the blinds and door 
closed.

*****************************************************************

Darien rubbed his temples, and all of his doubts disappeared, as 
had Serena's he was sure.  She knew now, just as he did, but he 
didn't know how she felt.  And what puzzled him the most were the 
dreams that he was having.  If in the future they had children, 
he smiled at that, than why would he need to stay away from her?

He heard the door to his room creak open and watched as his 
girlfriend slipped out into his view.  They stared at each other 
for what seemed to be hours before Serena crossed the distance 
between them and stood before him.  "How long have you known?" 
she asked quietly, with a tear in her voice; of happiness or 
grief he could not tell.

"Four days," Darien answered as he pulled Serena closer to him 
and set her down.

"You didn't tell me," her voice cracked.

Darien almost smiled.  "What was I going to say?  Besides, I 
thought the woman was supposed to tell the man about a child!"  
Serena didn't laugh at him and Darien coughed at the awkwardness 
of the moment and looked away from her.  "Serena, I don't know.  
They don't know who we are, and they don't trust us.  We have to 
find out what happened in the future and make them take us back 
there.  We have to find out what happened...to us," he told her 
quietly.

Nodding, Serena faced the balcony and the sunset.  She stood and 
walked over to the door and pressed her hand onto the glass.  Her 
pulse was beating fast at the thought of her children...

Her children.  They were hers and Darien's children, no one 
else's.  And they were in danger.  A pair of warm arms wrapped 
around her waist and Serena leaned back into Darien's warmth with 
a sigh.  His lips found her neck and cheeks as he tried to calm 
the nerves he knew she was feeling.

After several minuets, Serena turned around in the embrace and 
rested her head on Darien's chest.  She was scared.  She had 
never been so scared in her life, and as she listened to the 
beating of her love's heart, she knew he was too.

*****************************************************************

Tears slid unchecked down Rini's cheeks as the Soldiers 
interrogated her and Alec.  She didn't want to answer them, she 
didn't feel she should have to.  And today was not the day she 
would have wanted to answer any questions, no matter how 
desperate she was for help.

Alec was very close to his sister and glaring at each of the 
Soldiers as they tried to get information from his sister and 
himself.  He didn't know what had happened to Serena either, 
Darien had said something about shock, and for the others to 
watch him and Rini until he got back.  After nearly an hour, he 
had had it.

"SHUT UP!" Alec yelled at them.  "Just shut up!  You don't know 
what we've been through, and Rini has been through more than me.  
I don't want you to ask any more questions, please."

The girls were all taken aback by the boy's over protectiveness, 
and especially concerned when he said Rini had been through more.  
They didn't know how they could have not shared the same 
experiences, but one had shared more.

"Please, we need to know why-" Mina started.

"Let them be, Mina," Darien commanded as he and Serena walked 
into the area of the park that the girls had said to meet them.

Serena walked over to the two children and resisted the urge to 
hold them both and ask about them, get to know them.  Instead she 
just touched their shoulder.  "Take us to your world."  Alec 
froze up at her gentle command.  "We want, need to help, and you 
want us to help.  Take us."

Alec and Rini exchanged glances.  While they had been demanding 
information for weeks, this was a different approach, Serena 
genuinely wanted to help, they knew she always had but it was 
different now.  Something about how she was acting was different, 
and somehow it felt for the better.

"We'll take you," Alec whispered softly, almost inaudibly.

Rini turned to her brother, in slight shock that he would throw 
away his promise to their friend so quickly.  "Alec!"

Turning to his younger sister, Alec shook his head.  "It's no use 
anymore, Rini.  Sailor Moon can use the Crystal, save Mommy and 
defeat the Dark Moon!   We can't do that!  We were here and we 
tried, but we couldn't.  She'll save everything!" he insisted.

Rini looked at him, but did not speak, her eyes spoke enough.  
For such young children, they knew too much about the world and 
how life worked.  It was sad and unfortunate.  Alec looked away 
from her, because he knew too.

*****************************************************************

Sailor Pluto watched the events with a great sadness.  What was 
going to happen soon was overwhelming, she could feel it in her 
bones.  The blood of the God of Time that was flowing in her 
veins told her of the troubles that would soon appear.  But she 
didn't know exactly what they were...

All she knew was that a grave danger was going to befall someone 
of the Royal Family.  Someone with a strong outlook, but whose 
heart would experience a moment of weakness and cave in under the 
pressure.

And as Time passed by, she felt the fear that she felt became 
greater, especially when a little girl showed the Soldiers a key 
around her neck.  A Key, the child said, that would take them to 
where they wanted to go, where they would know all the answers.

Her breathing slowed for a moment as she forced her timeless 
training to take over, but it did nothing in the long run.  
Especially when she remembered what had taken place and how far 
the future could be thrown off because of it.

"Alexander, I didn't give you all the directions, but I know you 
know what you are doing..." She closed her eyes as pictures from 
the past month came into view of her mind.  "Let it be enough!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Well...was it worth it?!  WAS IT?! HUH?! *whimpers* TELL ME!  
TELL STEF-CHAN!  Well, it's 4 AM and I am DONE now guys.  See ya 
next time!

Stef-chan

E-mail: stefaniecraig@hotmail.com


Website: http://home.att.net/~stef_chan/

If you add me to the list of any of these, tell me that you got 
my name/# from my fics!

ICQ: 63467432

AIM: Stefchan2

Yahoo!: Steff_chan

MSN: stefaniecraig@hotmail.com