Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Last Request ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Last Request
Chapter 3
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The sunlight shown from in between the curtains of the white walled room. The beam of light hit its target on the cot bed on the face of a small blond woman who was awake and silently watching the ceiling as she thought over the past day's events.
No one could have been prepared for the amount of emotion that happened after her announcement. She wished it had gone smoother but as it was she had no choice. Her life was almost at an end and the truth had to be cleared out. She knew he had a right to know, not just because he was the father but deep inside she knew it would be the best thing for them both. Darien had never really had any family, not since he was little and then the car crash had taken his own parents from him. Now her daughter was going to be all alone with neither of the parents she had grown up with around anymore. They had each other and that was all that mattered.
She went over what had happened after she had said those words. The words that would change everything not just for them but also for everything and everyone around them.
~~Flashback~~
"My dad?"
"What do you mean, Serena?" Darien Shields told the woman sitting in the bed.
"Darien is your father, Skylar. You were born seven months after your father, rather Seiya and I got married."
"Seven months? Then you and him were together before?" Skylar's voice was changing as her emotions and her mind were trying to make sense of this.
"Yes, Darien had come into my life for a short while before I married Seiya."
"So you were just a stop on his plans?"
"Young lady, do not take that tone with your mother." Darien told the teenager.
"Don't tell me what to do! You are not my father because my father is dead. So just leave me alone!"
Skylar ran out of the room and passed the adults that watched her retreating back. Amy and Yaten looked at each other and headed immediately for Serena's room expecting something to have happened. Amy stopped in mid-step when she recognized the back of Darien's head.
"When did he get here?" Amy thought and only when her husband answered did she realize she had said it aloud.
"About a little while ago from the looks of it."
Serena heard Amy and Taiki's voices and wiped at the tears in her eyes.
"Amy, will you please go see about Skylar?"
"Sure, Serena."
Taiki watched Darien lean over and kiss Serena on the cheek before leaving the room. Taiki stood straight and looked at the tailored suit that Darien was wearing. He hadn't changed in seventeen years except for the few gray hairs at his temples.
"Hello, Darien."
"Taiki."
Darien passed by like he really didn't see him and Taiki wondered what had happened. Darien went down the hall to the nurses' station passing Raye and Mina. Both looked at him in surprise, noticing he didn't even acknowledge them.
"Ohmigod, she told him." An astonished Mina said.
"Obviously, have you ever seen Darien look like his world has ended before?" Raye sarcastically replied.
"Told him what?" Taiki asked coming within range of their conversation.
Mina looked to Raye with pale blue eyes worried.
"You'll find out soon enough, Taiki." Was all the answer that Raye gave before heading with Mina to Serena's room.
~~End Flashback~~
Skylar was on the roof of the hospital watching the people below. She wiped at the tears that fell down her cheeks and straightened up when she heard the roof door close.
"Skylar, you really shouldn't stand so close to the edge."
"Why not I see no reason why."
Amy frowned at the teen's emotionless voice and came closer to stop on the right side of the teen.
"You know." Amy stated.
"Why am I not surprised that you know? So it was just kept from me I take it?"
"No, only the five of us knew. Along with Seiya."
"Dad knew?"
"Yes, he knew. He loved you both anyways, he always loved Serena but knew that even though she loved him back it was not the same love she had for Darien."
"So why is it until now I have never heard of him?"
"Because that was the way it was. When Darien left the final time Serena wanted to put it all behind her, she loved Seiya and wanted to have a normal life. Not traveling all the time and barely seeing Darien, as she would have if she had stayed with him. You were just a surprising joy to her. She loved you on sight on not just because you were Darien's but because you resembled everything she had ever wanted in her life."
"But she didn't even tell him, how was that fair? Or to me?"
"Sky, your mother didn't want to upset you or him that way. Darien's life was too complicated for a baby to live in and it would hurt Seiya too much to do that to him. In all ways but one he was your father. You needed stable people in your life and he didn't make the cut."
"She still could have at least told him."
"She wanted to, believe me. It just never got to the point where she could."
"Until now."
"So please understand, Sky. She did what she felt she had to do."
Amy smiled at Sky and the teen followed Amy back down to the hospital room.
Darien was sitting with Yaten and Taiki. Yaten had arrived with Amanda, who ran to her friend followed by Melanie, who had entered the room with her mother and Raye.
"Oh, Sky." Amanda said hugging her.
"Thanks, Am. You, too, Mel. I don't know what I'd do without you two around."
"How's mom?"
All three of the guys looked at each other.
"She is getting worse, honey. The doctor said he doubted she would last the night." Taiki said as calmly as possible.
Sky swallowed her tears and nodded.
"I'm going to go see her." Sky told them and looked at Darien, "I am sorry about those things earlier."
"Don't worry about it too much, kiddo. It was a shock for the both of us."
Sky smiled weakly and went down the hall. She entered the room to see her mother look over at her.
"I am so sorry about this all, Sky."
"Don't, Mom. I understand now, really."
"I just didn't know how to do everything and I…"
"You did the best you could."
"How did you get so smart all of a sudden?"
"Practice."
For a long while they talked, only to feel the need for each other as time was closing in on them. Sky didn't have the heart to leave at anytime, afraid that if she did her mom would be gone forever. As it turned to night, Darien came in and saw the teen sleeping in the chair next to the bed. He picked her up and set her out on the extra cot in the room, making sure that when she woke she would see Serena. He brushed a blond strand of hair from her face.
"You did great on her, Serena."
"She takes after you. Stubborn to a fault."
"Me?"
Serena smiled and watched him take the place that Skylar had just been moved from.
"I did want to tell you."
"I know. All that I can say is that I am glad you did. I don't want to dwell on it."
"I just wanted to tell you that I planned to tell you, it just never seemed the right time."
"I understand. I am not always the easiest person to talk to and I agree that my life would have been very complicated to be involved in her life as well."
"And so now I am giving you that."
"What are you talking about, Serena?"
"I want you to have full custody of Skylar when I die."
"Serena…"
"I have thought this through. She needs you now, more than she needs anyone. Even the people she grew up with. You are the link she needs to keep going. She is so much like you in so many ways, Darien. I know she will make you so very proud of her." Serena's voice was softening with every word.
"I will always be proud of her, as I am of you."
Serena nodded, her thoughts drifting.
"Now get some rest."
Darien kissed her lips softly and rested back in the chair.

Everyone couldn't think of going home. Amy, Raye, Mina, and Lita stayed in the extra hospital room right next door in cots, while the husbands and kids were in the waiting room.
Skylar woke up after dawn and automatically moved over to her mom. Her mom was so pale and still, that Sky knew she was gone. With tears flooding her eyes and running down to land on her shirt, she put her face in her arms on the bed and sobbed. Darien woke up to his daughter's crying and saw Serena. He spoke quietly as he leaned over to kiss her forehead, "I love you, Serena."
He slowly made his way around the bed to where Skylar was crying, her whole body racked with sobs of grief over her beloved parent. He took her in his arms and she cried on his shoulder.
"She will always be with you, Skylar," he looked down at her, "always."
The next hours were one of tears. The men took care of the women and girls crying, and finally the decision to leave the hospital. Darien went with Amy to her house, where Skylar and he would stay for the night.
Knowing that there would be some hard decisions to come, Darien stayed up most the night thinking. He had made all the plans with Amy for everything at Serena's burial. He wanted to believe that everything would work out.

At the day of the funeral, so many people showed up, that they stood for the lack of chairs. Skylar was dressed in all black, as was everyone else except for one tiny thing. She had one a pink crystal bunny pin. Her mom's favorite. She held the tears back as long as she could, wanting to do all her crying at home. She saw the casket made of mahogany with what looked like to be a thousand white and pink roses on top. A tear fell down her cheek and she brushed it aside. It wouldn't do to cry. Her mother wouldn't want her to be so upset. Death was like life, Serena had always said, something that no one could change so grieve, remember the good and move on with your life. It was the advice that kept her from breaking down and throwing herself at the casket.
As everything ended and the people moved down the line to give their regards, Skylar stood there. Soon only she and the close friends remained.
Amy and Raye looked towards Skylar, who stood watching the casket. Darien turned his head to his daughter's whereabouts and nodded to the women. They moved everyone to the cars to leave him with her.
"It's weird, you know? All those people knew my mother but all of them act like it was just another person who died." Skylar said as she watched the casket, now in the ground.
"Most people do not know how to show grief, it's not an emotion people like to recognize."
"That's what Mom said."
Darien noticed that Skylar still had her rose, the one to put on the casket.
"We can stay here as long as you like, Sky."
"I know. I will go in a minute."
"Your mom told me that she wants you to live with me, I don't know why. I am always busy, I forget about the time, plus I live an ocean away. But if you want to live with me I will move here."
"I thought your business was in New York."
"It is, but it is also expanding and I think Tokyo would be a good place to expand to."
"You would do all that?"
"Yes. I want to get to know you, Sky. I want to have a chance to be a person in your life but only if you want to."
Sky looked up into the eyes of the man who was her mother's true love and the man who was her real father.
"I want that."
Skylar took his hand and with the other, placed the rose in the grave.
"I know she would want us to get along."
"I think so, too."
And with that they headed to the cars. A beam of light shining down on them.


THE END