Marriage of the Will

By Eternity Rose

Email: [email protected]

Rated: PG-13

Author's Notes: Yeah! My first alternate reality fanfiction! I just hope everyone likes it and I want to say 'hi' to Ashley and Crystal Heart who has totally inspired me with their incredible alternate reality fanfics. Read them because they're all really good.

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. She belongs to her own creator Naoko Takeuchi-sensei.

Chapter 1

Serena Blackwood pounded her fist into her pillow and sobbed for all the pain in her heart. Her dearest father was gone. It tore at her heart and made her feel numb with grief and pain. She had seen him the day before it all happened. He had been happy and was promising her some father and daughter time after he came back from a business meeting. Then a drunk driver slammed into Keith Blackwood's car, killing him immediately and plunging his family into a state of grief.

It shouldn't have happened. Serena's father was a good man who was in good health and should have lived to a very old age but a drunk driver took all of that away and Serena hated everything and everyone for it.

She continued to sob as the grief became stronger as it didn't slow as she cried. She had loved her father so much, he was the one she always looked to for advice and praise and encouragement. Now he was gone she didn't know what she was going to do. Of course, it sounded all so childish since she was 23-years-old and should be able to take care of herself without much trouble but her father was always the one she looked to for everything when she had some kind of trouble. Her relationship wasn't even this close with her mother like most girls.

"Serena?" Amy Carlston appeared at the doorway of Serena's bed room. Her face was filled with worry and sadness for her best friend as she watched the sobbing figure on the white canopy bed. She walked over to her friend and sat down beside her. She reached out and touched Serena comfortingly on the shoulder. "Oh, Serena. I'm so very sorry. I know how much your father meant to you and this shouldn't have happened."

Serena looked up, her face stained with tears and red and puffy from all her crying. She threw herself into her friend's arms and held Amy as she sobbed.

"Oh, Amy, I loved my father so much. He shouldn't have died! Never should he have died," Serena sobbed as she clung to her best friend. Amy had always been there for her since they met in middle school and now Amy was for her through this pain.

"I know, Serena. It wasn't fair but life is like that. Things happen even when we don't want it to happen," Amy said soothingly. "But you'll get over the pain and you'll remember your father with all those wonderful memories you have with him. Serena, your a strong young woman and you'll make it through this horrible pain that has made it's way into your life."

Serena nodded and continued to sob her heart out. She sobbed for a very long time until she felt her tears begin to lessen a bit. She pulled away from Amy and, to her dismay, saw that she had stained her friend's beautiful powder blue two piece sweater set.

"I'm sorry, Amy. You sweater's all ruined," Serena said quietly as she reached for some handkerchiefs and began to wipe the stain.

Amy took the handkerchief away and shook her head. "That's all right. I think you should use these for your tears." She handed the handkerchiefs back and Serena smiled but didn't use them.

"Thank you, Amy. You've always been there for me. Now that my father's gone it's only you, my mother and Lita," Serena whispered.

"Oh, Serena. The pain will pass," Amy assured her. "Remember when my own father died two years ago?"

"Yes," Serena said, nodding. "You loved him a lot even though you never really saw him."

"Uh-huh," Amy said, nodding. "But I got over the pain."

Serena nodded. Then a mischievous idea entered her head. "And I bet Greg Pierce had a lot do to with that, didn't he?"

Amy blushed a delicate pink and giggled nervously. "Well...maybe."

"Admit it, Amy. Your in love with him," Serena sighed as she leaned against the pillows that hadn't been drenched with her tears. "You love him to bits and he loves you to bits. When are you two going to get married?"

"I don't know," Amy admitted. "But isn't everything just moving a bit quick?"

"You've known him for two years, Amy. That's enough," Serena exclaimed. She was grateful that this little teasing conversation was taking away some of the pain in her heart and kept her mind off everything that was making her miserable a few minutes ago.

"Well...why don't you tell that stubborn boy to marry me," Amy suggested weakly.

Serena leaned forward and hugged her shy friend. She ruffled her short blue hair and smiled

slightly. "Amy, Greg will propose. I can feel it in my bones."

Amy looked at her hopefully. "Really? I care for him so much and I just don't want to lose him."

"No way. He'll propose. He's just way too shy to do it," Serena said confidently.

A soft knock on the door brought the girls out of their little conversation.

"Come in," Serena said loudly.

The door opened and Serena's beautiful older sister, Lita Blackwood, appeared. She was dressed in a black silk blouse with a black skirt. Her usual brown ponytail was gone and instead it was tied back with a soft black ribbon in a low ponytail. She looked as tall and elegant as she had last look three years ago when she left. She had called a few days ago saying she was coming home but Serena had forgotten all about it.

Serena gasped and leaped out of bed. She rushed over to her older sister and threw her arms around Lita's waist and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, Lita! Your back! I never thought you would come back home!" Serena exclaimed as fresh tears began to make their way down her porcelain cheek. She smiled happily up at her incredibly tall sister and hugged her even tighter.

The 26-year-old girl laughed gently and hugged her little sister back.

"It's good to see you to, Serena," Lita said quietly as she held her sister. It had been such a long time since they had last seen each other. Lita had left the family in anger after their father wouldn't allow her to study in cooking as her major in the International School of Culinary Chefs. Keith Blackwood had wanted his eldest daughter to take over the family business but Lita just wasn't interested in the business trade. She liked cooking better. She had disappeared for months before finally contacting the family by sending Serena a letter. Lita had stayed with a friend in Boston where she applied for a cooking college and got in with a scholarship. She worked as a cook at a restaurant at nights and went to school in the day. Their father had not been happy that Lita had actually been able to make it without the family money but their mother, Isabelle Blackwood, had been very relieved. She wrote letter after letter to Lita after that and that was the only communication between daughter and family.

Serena had missed her older sister a lot and was very happy each time Lita sent back some pictures and a stack of letters. But it still wasn't the same as seeing her sister in person. Now her sister had returned and she was feeling as if she was really not alone in this pain. Lita had loved their father despite the differences but both daughter and father were too proud to submit to each other.

"Hello, Lita," Amy said quietly from where she stood beside the white canopy bed.

Lita looked at her little sister's best friend and smiled. "It's good to see you again, Amy. How's your family. I'm sorry about your father's death."

"It was two years ago. I'm better now. Thank you for asking," Amy said, smiling.

"That's all right. I'm just sorry I wasn't able to come home for the funeral but I had some finals..." Lita trailed off as she looked down at her sobbing sister. "Don't cry, Serena."

"I'm sorry, it's just that it's so good to see you again," Serena sniffed as she pulled away from her sister and smiled up at the tall girl. "You look wonderful."

"And you look ragged," Lita replied dryly in her frank way. "Sit down and let's talk." Lita steered Serena back to the bed and sat the small young woman down.

"Oh, Lita, Father's dead! He's dead. Why is he dead?" Serena sobbed as she leaned against her sister and continued to cry.

Amy left the room seeing that it was a special moment for both girls and didn't need another girl to ruin it for them. Both girls really didn't notice the disappearance of the blue haired girl.

"How are you feeling, Serena?" Lita asked quietly.

"Like hell," Serena murmured. "Lita, I miss him so much. Father was the best even if he was a little strict."

"I know," Lita said quietly. She did love her father but she still couldn't forgive him for not letting her pursue her dream. She loved him and forgave him for everything else except for not letting her pursue her own dreams and trying to get her to continue the family business. Something she didn't like and just wasn't interested in. It was just something unforgivable in her mind. But she couldn't tell her sister this. Serena believed that Lita had forgiven their father and Lita just didn't want to ruin this beautiful illusion for the poor girl. She was so innocent despite her age.

Pushing back Serena's golden blond hair, Lita smiled down at her sister. "Don't worry, Serena. Everything will be okay. I'm here now and I'm going to make sure nothing bad happens."

"Thank you, Lita. I needed to hear that," Serena whispered. Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Lita smiled and lifted Serena in her arms. She placed the young woman down on the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Then she turned and left the room.

"Lita," Isabelle Blackwood said as she appeared behind her tall daughter.

Lita turned around and smiled at her mother. "Hello, Mother."

"How's Serena?" Isabelle asked. Both knew how close Serena was to Keith and worried for her.

"She's fine. She just fell asleep from the exhaustion of crying so hard," Lita said quietly.

"Why don't we go down to the kitchen get some tea and talk in the parlor," Isabelle suggested.

Lita nodded and followed her mother down the darkened hall to the spiral oak stairs. They walked across the marble foyer to the parlor where Isabelle ordered for some tea to be brought into the room. Then she turned and looked at her elegant daughter who was sitting down on one of the plush velvet couches with her long legs crossed easily. She sat with a straight back and looked very serious as she waited patiently for her mother to speak first.

Isabelle sat down on a couch across from her daughter and looked down at her small, pale hands. They were smooth despite her age since she never worked a day in her life coming from a rich family and marrying into another richer family. She wished so badly she could relate to her eldest daughter who had worked for her education despite family money. But she couldn't. She didn't know much about working since her husband always took care of things. Serena was a worker too. She loved business and was a child genius. Isabelle could understand why she was so distant and different from her daughters. They've done work and knew the world while Isabelle had only known the pleasures of wealth. She felt very guilty that moment.

"I know this must be a little hard on you, Lita," Isabelle said quietly.

Lita nodded slowly. "It is a bit hard. I haven't seen Dad in years and suddenly he's dead." She frowned. "I regret not having to speak to him one last time before he left our lives but I guess we just didn't know and weren't prepared."

"No, we weren't," Isabelle whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

Suddenly a maid appeared with the tea. She placed the silver tray down on the coffee table between them and left the room quietly, closing the door silently behind her.

Lita saw her mother ready to burst into tears and rushed over to her. She embraced the frail woman and held her.

"I'm so sorry, Mother. This must be very hard on you and Serena. I guess I've never been the emotion one," Lita said quietly as she held her mother.

Isabelle wiped away her tears and sighed shakily. "Lita, there are many things we must discuss. Your sister is far too upset to deal with all of this and I need your help."

"Of course, Mother," Lita said, nodding.

"The funeral is in a week. Then there is the reading of the will a week after," Isabelle explained quietly. "With all of this activity I'm just lost. I've never been good at such a thing and I need your help with all of this."

Lita nodded, understanding. "I understand, Mother, and I'll do my best to help you in whatever you need some advice."

"Thank you, Lita. You've always been a pillar of strength for me," Isabelle whispered. She hugged her daughter tightly. "Let's have some tea while we go over the details. This is going to take a long time."

"Yes, Mother," and Lita served the tea.

~*~

I hope you like the first chapter to Marriage of the Will! I know, it's not really eventful right now but I promise it'll get better as we go. Oh, and e-mail is the best thing in the world so don't mind dropping a comment, compliment and suggestion!

Eternity Rose