Hey peoples! This is my Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa 
(dunno if I spelt all of those right) to you guys. 
It's one of the longest chapters, so make yourself 
a mug of hot chocolate, get a candy cane, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all characters belong to Naoko
Takeuchi, Kodansha, Toei, and lots of other
people, but I'm not one of them! But this
story belongs to me, so don't take it!


"Endless Waters" by Tess. Chapter 8 Posted 12-24-01.


	Serena and Katie gasped at Darien's conclusion. 
"Would he really do that just out of jealousy?," 
asked Serena. Darien nodded grimly.
	"Definitely."
	"Look, I know that you say we shouldn't 
go out there, but half the people on this boat 
are probably out there and fine. So, we can go 
find what's-his-name, Briggs? Brickens! He can 
tell us what exactly is going on out there, and 
then we can figure out what we're going to do," 
Katie suggested. Serena nodded.
	"I think she's right. We're not getting 
anything done just sitting here," she said.
Darien thought for a moment and then he too nodded,
	"Alright. I'll go look for Brickens and 
you guys can stay here and come up with a pl-."
	"No!," Serena quickly interrupted. Darien's 
piercing blue eyes gave her a quizzical look, and 
she continued with her eyes focused on a piece 
of lint on the floor. "I mean, no, because what 
would we do if you got hurt, or something, and 
that would be bad, and I mean we don't want that 
to happen." Serena's cheeks burnt when she finished. 
	"She's got a point," agreed Katie. "How 
about Serena and I change really fast and then go 
look for this Brickens guy? But one thing, how 
will we find him when we don't even know what he 
looks like?"
	"He's about my height, maybe a little 
shorter," Darien described. "He's got blond hair 
and green eyes."
	"Ok, hopefully we'll find him," replied 
Katie. "Right, Sere?" Serena hadn't taken her eyes 
off the floor, and when she heard Katie's voice, 
she jumped. 
	"Huh? Oh, yeah...hopefully we will find 
him. I'm going to go change in the bathroom really 
fast..." Serena dug come clothes out of suitcase 
and went to change. 
********************************************
	Ten minutes later, Katie and Serena left 
to go find Brickens. Darien continued sitting in 
the messy, unmade bed. <Why is she acting like 
that? Was it something I did?> Darien absentmindedly 
fingered the sheets as he thought. <Why?> Suddenly, 
he felt something smooth and velvety underneath 
his fingers. He looked down and gasped. His black 
cape from Serena's 16th birthday party was underneath 
his fingers. <It can't be.> Darien pulled the cape 
off the bed and held it up. It was a deep red color 
on one side, and a dark black on the other side. 
He looked at the tag closely. There, at the top of 
it, in miniscule letters, were the initials "D. 
McAllister"
	<She kept it. She really kept it. And took 
it here with her. That must mean something!> Darien's 
mood considerably better, he got up and began to make 
the beds.
*********************************************
	About half an hour later, Katie and Serena 
came in to the room, accompanied by Brickens. Darien 
rushed to him. "Brickens! Are you all right?"
	"I'm fine, but that's not important! Are 
*you* all right?"
	"Fine. Do you know what's going on?"
	"Kind of. McNoll's going around giving 
orders. He says that you're feeling' bad. Everyone 
believes him too."
	"But did McNoll see you when I told you 
to run for help?"
	"I don't think so, so I'm pretty safe 
I guess. I'm really not sure what McNoll's trying 
to do! No one really likes him, you know that. 
But I think someone else is in on his plan. You 
know that creepy janitor guy, Ernie Jackson?" 
Darien nodded. "Well, I think he's in this too."
	"Well then, just come up with a plan or 
something! I don't know, you guys are boat people, 
shouldn't you know what to do?," Katie asked in 
exasperation. 
	"Calm down, you might hurt yourself," 
Brickens warned. Katie glared at him. Serena, who 
had been unusually quiet since walking in the door, 
spoke up,
	"Well, isn't there a radio or something 
somewhere? We shouldn't be too far from the Florida 
Keys, since we've stopped and have been going kind 
of slow. We could call the Coast Guard or someone 
that could help us!" A smile lit up Darien's face.
	"That's brilliant. There's a radio in the 
main control room, and another one downstairs!"
	"Not to rain on your parade," Katie interrupted, 
"but exactly how do you expect to get in there 
with this McNoll guy in charge?" Brickens gave 
her a Look.
	"By trying as hard as we can," he said. 
"I've got an idea. Katie and I can go tell some 
other crewmen what's going on, while Darien and 
Serena can try to get to one of the radios."
	"I think, er, that maybe, um, Darien and 
Brickens should um, go together because, erm, it'd 
it would be kind of, um, obvious, if they , uh, didn't" 
babbled Serena, frantically trying not to get paired
 with Darien.
	"No, I don't think that's a good idea. 
What if one of you gets hurt? We have to be there 
to help," said Darien. Serena was about to point 
out exactly *who* had the gash on their forehead 
and that she could protect herself fine, but 
Katie spoke up before she could.
	"Darien's right. But you guys both need 
to take your nameplates off. I have two pairs of 
sunglasses that you can wear. Plus, Darien, you 
might want to comb your hair so that it covers 
your forehead. To be extra safe, try to keep 
your heads down, ok?" Darien and Brickens nodded. 
They put on the sunglasses that Katie handed them 
and took off their nameplates. Darien combed his 
hair so that it fell over his forehead. "Alright, 
good luck guys."
	Serena and Darien walked out the door. 
They walked down the hall in complete silence until 
Darien spoke. "So, how have you been?"
	"Fine."
	"How's your family?" Serena winced at the 
subject.
	"Fine. Same as always. Parties and gossip. Yours?"
	"Same. Still want to write?"
	"Yes." They reached the elevator and Serena 
reached out to push the button, but Darien put his 
hand on top of hers to stop her. She jumped. "Look, Dar-"
	"We'd probably be safer using the service stairs," 
he interrupted. They went up two flights of stairs and 
then Darien stopped. "I hate to say it, but we have a 
better chance of getting anything done if we split up."
	"That's fine with me."
	"There's a radio room on this floor. Down the 
hall and to the left. I'll go up and see if I can get 
into the main control room. If someone finds me, I'll 
just pretend to be another crewman. I know that McNoll 
doesn't know all the names. I'll meet you in front of 
these stairs later."
	"Ok. Down the hall and to the left, and we'll 
meet here later. Got it." Serena began to turn around.	
	"Oh, and Serena?" Darien asked. She looked back at 
him. "Be careful." Serena's eyes softened for a moment.
	"I will. You too." Serena walked down the hall 
and to the left, her heart pounding. <Calm down,> she told 
herself, <If anyone finds you, just make something up.> 
She took a deep breath and slowly opened the door marked 
"Radio Room".
********************************************
	Darien made his way up to the main outdoor deck, a
nd then went up a small outdoor flight of stairs to get 
to the deck where the control room was at. He crouched 
down and peeked into one of the windows. McNoll was in 
there along with a short man-Ernie Jackson. He nodded 
and then walked out of the control room. Darien stood 
up and kept his head low. "You there!," called Ernie. 
"Captain McNoll would like to see you." Then he 
walked off." Darien walked into the control room.
	"Yes sir?" he asked. McNoll looked at him 
as if he was filth. 
	"I take it you think you know what's going on?"
	"I was informed sir, that McAllister is 
feeling badly and you are filling in for him."
	"Yes, I did make up that story myself. But 
I'll tell you the real story. That old idiot, Andrew 
McAllister, chose his son over me. So I decided to 
repay him. His son's in a closet downstairs with a 
gash on his forehead, losing blood. I'm captain now. 
So, either you stay with me, or you go overboard."
	Darien fought the urge to laugh in his face 
and said, "I will stay with you, sir. I'm sure that 
you'll make a much better captain than mini-McAllister 
ever did."
	"Good boy. Now, go check on our ex-captain."
	"Yes, sir." Darien turned to leave.
	"Oh, and boy?" Darien turned back to McNoll.
	"Yes, sir?"
	"What was your name again?" Darien gulped.
	"West. Arthur West," he lied. Then he walked 
out the door. Once outside, he let out a huge sigh of 
relief. He'd just have to come back to the control 
room during dinner if Serena hadn't been able to 
use the radio downstairs. 
	Serena. Just thinking about her made his 
heart race. She was so sweet and beautiful, but she 
had been acting so strange. Thinking about Serena 
made him realize that he'd better go downstairs to 
see how she was doing. Maybe he could help or 
something. <Like she can't handle a radio by 
herself. Admit it, you just want to be near her.> 
Darien smiled at the thought and raced down the stairs.
********************************************
	Serena breathed a sigh of relief when she saw 
that she was the only one in the radio room. 
<Remember, the quicker you are here, the quicker 
you can see Darien again,> she thought. Immediately, 
she scolded herself. <And the minute he's off this 
ship, he's just going to rush back to Allison.> She 
tried to shake Darien from her mind and she pressed 
the "talk" button on the radio.
	"Hello?," she called into the microphone. 
"This is the 'Shining Star'. We're in distress!" 
She didn't get an answer. "Hello? I repeat, this a 
distress call for the 'Shining Star'" Again she 
waited. And again she didn't get a response. Her 
voice was now frantic. "Help! Please....this is the 
'Shining Star' We're in distress! Help!"
	"Well, well, well," sneered a unfamiliar 
voice from behind Serena. "It looks like we have a new radio 
operator."

End Chapter 8.
Ha!!! It's another cliffhanger! This chapter was kinda boring 
to write, except at the end. Anyhoo, I know my updates have 
been really slow lately, BUT this story is nearing its end. 
I'm thinking one or two more chapters and then the epilogue. 
That's it. Anyway, you guys are so sweet in my guestbook! 
Keep telling me what you think, positive or negative!
Merry Christmas!
Feliz Navidad!
Happy Hanukah!
Happy Kwanzaa!
~*Tess*~