OK, here's Chapter 3.  The rest of the stuff is at the bottom.  This is
rated PG.  Then again, that's my standards, not the webmaster's.  If the
webmaster of the site this is posted at says differently, that's their
decision.  I'm only making a suggestion, based upon what I see where I
live.


				Chapter 3

	Serena arrived at the hospital only minutes after she had received word of
the situation.  And, just like at the Sailor meetings, she was the last one
there.  She was not permitted to see Lita, as she was not family.  She was,
however, allowed to wait in the waiting room with the rest of the group.
	"Serena!  Glad you could make it!"
	< Rei, you of all people should just shut up. >  Serena faked a smile. 
"Uh, glad to see you too."  Serena knew not to cause a scene in the
hospital.  And besides, she was thinking more about Lita, rather that Rei
and Darien.  "Thanks for calling on my communicator, Amy.  What exactly
happened?"
	"I think I should tell you this."  The blond-haired girl stood from her
sitting position on the floor.  "But not here, with all these other people
around.  Can I see you outside?"  Serena nodded, and she and Mina were soon
away from the group.
	"Rei, is it true?"
	"Amy, what do you mean?"
	"Well, Mina told me what the argument was that caused all this crap, about
the rumor that you and Darien were kissing."
	"Amy, I was giving him mouth to mouth!  He wasn't breathing, and I sure as
hell wasn't going to let him die."  Amy was silent for a minute.
	"Well, why didn't you tell Serena that!"
	"I didn't know she was watching.  But now, when I try to tell her, she
just tells me to shut up.  She won't listen to reason."
	"I hope to GOD you are telling the truth.  Because if you're not..."  Amy
moved closer to Rei, and whispered in her ear.  "I'll kill you myself." 
Amy walked out of the waiting room.
	Serena and Mina came back in, to find Rei staring at the floor.
	"Rei,  what's wrong?" Mina asked.
	"Huh?  Oh... nothing.  Just hoping that Lita's gonna be OK."  Tears were
in Rei's eyes.  She had been so hurt, and felt so abandoned.  "Uh..
Serena?"
	"What?"  There seemed to be no emotion in her response.
	"Can I... see you outside...?"
	< What is it with me and outside? >  "Sure, but make it quick."  Serena
and Rei went outside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	"Serena, what you saw --"
	"What I SAW was that YOU were kissing my boyfriend.  No, I take that back.
 My ex-boyfriend."
	"Serena, I was giving him artificial respiration!  He was unconscious and
had quit breathing.  If it weren't for me, he'd be dead right now!" 
Serena's eyes widened.
	"What?  You were... saving his life...?"
	"Yeah Serena."
	"Oh... I-I'm... sorry.  I guess I just saw you two like that --"
	"And automatically assumed that we were making out.  You gotta learn to
trust me more Serena.  I'm your best friend.  I would NEVER put you through
so much pain."  Rei put her hand on Serena's shoulder.  "So, friends?"
	"Friends."  The two girls smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	Darien saw the two girls, and had heard the entire conversation.  He was
glad neither of them had noticed him.
	Darien started running toward the girls.  "Hey there, sweet cheeks!" 
Darien gave a full fledged lover's kiss to the nearest girl.  Rei.
	"Last night was awesome!" he said as he held her close enough that he
could have smothered her.
	"Darien --"
	"Shh."  He kissed her again, and his tongue was trying to pry into Rei's
mouth.  He broke away, and started running again.  "See ya, honey!  See ya,
Serena!"  He continued running.
	Serena looked at Rei, with fire in her eyes.  Rei stared at Serena.
	"Let me guess.  He needed saving again."  Serena slapped Rei so hard she
knocked her down.  "If I ever see you again, I'll kill you, you bitch.  You
could've at least been honest with me."  Serena stormed back into the
hospital.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	Darien continued running until he was out of sight.  He then slowed to a
normal walking speed.  A swirling black light enveloped him, and then he
was in his true form; the Black Knight.
	"That was fun."  The Black Knight vanished into thin air.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	Serena's tears were visible to Mina, even from across the room.  She got
up, tears in her eyes, as well.
	"Serena, what's wrong?"
	"Lita was right.  And so was I.  Darien IS having an affair with Rei."
	"Oh...  Sorry."
	"What's wrong with you?"
	"Well... the doctor told me the news about Lita."
	"...What is it?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
				3 days later....
	The scene was simple, yet pretty.  And very sad.  It was a church, with
the whole group there.  Everyone was dressed mostly in black.  Serena, Rei,
Amy, Mina, Darien, Andrew, Molly and Ken.  The preacher began.
	"Dearly beloved.  We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of Lita
Kino."  The preacher droned on and on.
	Serena glared at Darien, who had sat next to her.  Rei had made the good
decision to sit far, far away from them.
	< Who does he think he is?  He doesn't even act like anything happened! > 
Serena tried to edge her way away from him.
	< Damn, why is she doing this?  Most people WANT to be comforted. >  The
tears that came from Serena's eyes were from mixed emotions.  She felt so
sad about Lita, so hurt by Darien, and so betrayed by Rei.
	"And now, a close friend of the dearly departed."  The preacher stepped
down, and Ken walked up to the podium, in front of the casket.
	"Lita was a good friend of mine...  And I'm sure she was a close friend to
all of you.  I know we will all miss her very much.  But we must remember
the good times, and not go on crying and moping around for months.  She
wouldn't want that.  Lita would want us to carry on, and remember the good
times.  Because as long as we remember her, she will never truly die."  Ken
stepped down, and found his seat next to Rei.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	The funeral procession seemed to take forever to Serena.  She was riding
in the same car as Darien.  She thought it best not to do anything bad to
him, especially at a time like this.  For some odd reason, however, she
felt different.  Different than the day he had kissed Rei, right in front
of her.  Almost like... he was a different person.
	"Darien?"
	"Yes, meatball head?"
	"...... Why did you..."
	"Why did I what?"  He glanced over at Serena, who was staring out the
window.  He had no idea of the pain she was in.
	"Why did you kiss Rei?"
	"Uh... Serena, what the hell are you talking about?"
	"Don't play coy with me, Darien!  You know exactly what I am talking
about!"
	"No I don't.  What gave you that idea, anyway?"
	"What the hell do you THINK gave me that idea?  I saw you!  You ran up to
Rei, and kissed her like you USED to kiss me.  And I was only standing
three feet away."  Darien glanced over at Serena.  Her reflection was in
the passenger side window.  Darien could see the tears streaming down her
face.
	He was crushed.  The words that his love had spoken hit him worse than a
million shards of rock.  He didn't remember ever kissing Rei.  Why would
he?  Sure, he found her to be attractive, but he did not have any feelings
toward her.
	"Serena, I don't remember --"
	"Darien, you don't have any fucking amnesia to get you out of this one. 
You know you did it, and you know that you want her.  I wouldn't be
surprised if Rei was the true mother of Reeny!"
	"Damnit!  I don't know what you are talking about!  But I did NOT KISS
REI!!  I DON'T WANT HER!!  THE ONLY PERSON I WANT IS YOU!!"
	"Well, you'll just have to settle for Rei then.  Because you're not having
me.  I don't put up with two-timers."
	The rest of the trip, neither of them said a word.  When they got to the
cemetery, they all gathered in front of the casket.  The preacher read some
things out of the bible, and then the casket was laid in the ground. 
Everyone threw a few flowers on the casket.  Then, the dirt was placed on
the flowered casket, and soon, the ground was solid once more.
	The people got into their cars, and slowly drove away.  Serena did not
ride with Darien, or anyone else.  All she wanted to do was be alone.
	As the last car disappeared from sight, Serena stood at the foot of Lita's
grave.  She kneeled down.
	"Goodbye, Lita... Sailor Jupiter....  I will miss you..."  As Serena wept,
the crescent moon on her forehead glowed slightly.  A gentle breeze blew,
and as her tears fell to the ground, the sunlight made them sparkle like
crystals.
	Finally, Serena stood, and stared up at the sky.  "I won't give up.  I
won't stop caring.  You will live on in my heart, for all eternity."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nobody said life is fair, we've all got a cross to bear
When it gets a little hard to care, just think of Jesus hanging there."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
				To Be Continued...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, nice and gloomy, huh?  I know that a lot of people read these notes
before they read the story.  So, I'm not gonna re-state what happened in
the story.  If you read it, good for you.  If you're not on the verge of
suicide, good for you.  So, how'd ya like it, anyway?  I really wanna know.

cowboys@wwd.net  You all know that's my email, right?  Ya think there might
be a reason it's there?  Hmm....

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