NEVER BROKEN: A SailorMoon Fanfiction

Remember the Boy, Still Love the Man

"You're more beautiful than I remember, Princess," Seiya remarked, his brilliant blue eyes admiring her face. "Where have you been all these years?"

"I've only been back for months." Her tears have stopped flowing then. "Is it true?" she asked, her voice almost fading. She tried to smile but couldn't.

"What do you mean?" he evaded.

"Don't lie to me. Are you sick?" To her astonishment, he laughed.

"I don't believe you're the Sere I knew. There's a maturity about you that I don't recall I mean, you were wise then for your years but you were never this serious. What happened to you, Princess?"

"I just grew up, that's all." Seiya held her hand. "Is your doctor from this hospital?"

"You wouldn't give up, would you?"

"No. I want to know. Please."

"Is that why you came up the stage? I thought "

"It's okay if you won't tell me."

"You still don't believe that I "

"I'm married, Seiya." Oh, why can't she think of that in the past tense? She doesn't even wear his ring anymore.

"Princess..."

Serena lowered her head, gently shaking it. "Please... let that be the last time you call me that." She withdrew her hand from his.

"Seiya!"

Two distinct voices called from opposite directions. The first to approach them was York. He was with Seiya in a second.

It took a while for Serena to turn around, taking her hand from Seiya's hold and fingering the rose's stem in the other. The other voice was Ami Lawson's.

The recognition in Serena's eyes was apparent in the way her blue irises responded to Ami's graceful stance. She could see how the woman paled. Blood was pounding loudly in Serena's ears. Her knees felt like they would not support her and she wished that the ground would break and swallow her. Darien was the first one to speak. He eyed her contemptuously.

"What have you been doing to yourself?" he asked when they were within earshot. He must have noticed the shadow under her eyes and her paleness. "Are you even eating properly?"
Serena was enraged but refused to reply. She would not give him the satisfaction of berating her in front of Rei. Sparks continued to fly between their stares. The line of his mouth was uncompromising. His virility was almost visible and she shifted her gaze away from his handsome face.

"It's nice to see you, Ami, Rei," she said instead. Both women nodded but did not answer.

"I'm sorry I missed your concert, Seiya," Ami apologized after York hurriedly left. He only managed to wave amicably to all of them especially to Serena. "Oh, this is my brother, Darien and his secretary, Rei Farley."

Seiya acknowledged them, apparently missing the exchange between her and Darien.

"That's okay, Doctor. By the way, Serena, do you know, Dr. Lawson? She's a very young specialist but the most promising there is. You may ask her what you wanted to know about me," he smiled charmingly at her, as if they have some big secret and Darien well noted it.

"Yes, I know... Dr. Lawson. She's very respected here." She glanced at her sister-in-law. "I'll ask her some other time. Please excuse me." But before she could get away from them, a hand caught her arm.