*"I'm sorry, were the voices in my head bothering you?"*

Angel in My Eyes



	Life was nearly perfect for Darien. A year earlier, he had 
graduated as valedictorian from Harvard, and was now beginning a 
promising career as a paralegal for a local law firm. He had large 
groups of friends, and was usually found at some large social gathering 
or event every weekend.
	And yet, something was wrong. Even though Darien was 
considered to be one of the most popular men in college, he was 
lacking the one thing he wanted most: that certain someone he wanted 
to settle down with for the rest of his life. It had always been easy for 
the rest of his buddies, but for some reason or another, dating had not 
come easy to him.
	Darien had reason to believe that it was because of the strange 
feelings that he always felt, ever his junior year of high school. He had 
this recurring thought that there would be only one special woman in 
his life. He didn't know when or how it would happen, but when it did, 
he would know it was the right one.


	Jenna was different. Darien had known her long enough that 
he didn't mind dating her. She was a long time friend of his, their 
friendship starting back in their freshman year of college. They 
occasionally went out on dates, but he saw it as nothing more as being 
good friends. He had grown slightly fond of her over time, and 
sometimes his hovering feeling disappeared when he was with her. 
	Tonight was no exception. Jenna had taken him to another 
new nightclub, their usual Friday night routine. He usually wouldn't 
leave until one or two in the morning, but tonight, he was just too 
weary to stay any longer.
	"Jenna!" Darien yelled over the blaring music, his voice 
straining as he did so. She turned around to face him, moving to the 
deep base at the same time. "What?"
	"It's late. I'm going home now, so I'll see you later," he 
shouted again. She nodded and turned back to watch the band up on 
stage. Darien sighed again, and left the building.



	Darien was so tired; he barely managed to shut his apartment 
door. His eardrums were still ringing and he vowed never to stand so 
close to the stage again. He went straight to his bedroom, with the full 
intent of crashing immediately.
	Suddenly a tingling sensation ran up his spine, giving him the 
chills. It was that hovering feeling again, but now it had grown 
stronger, like someone was watching him. Ever since he had moved 
into this apartment, he was constantly on edge, but these sensations of 
his had never been so strong before.
	Darien grabbed his baseball bat from the closet, slowly 
checked each room, and finally made his way into the darkened living 
room. His hands gripped the bat tightly as he saw a shadowed figure 
move near the bookcase. "Don't move!" he shouted. "I have a weapon, 
and I'm not afraid to use it!"
	Surprisingly, the figure began to giggle softly. "That's rich. 
You and I both know you wouldn't hurt a fly."
	Darien couldn't believe it, and almost dropped the bat in 
shock. How would an intruder know something like that? He raised the 
bat an inch higher. "I can easily break your neck with this thing," he 
growled.
	"I'd really like to see you try it," the figure said, stepping into 
the dim moonlight streaming through the window. Darien gasped at the 
figure standing before him. "W-who are you? And how did you get into 
my apartment?"
	The figure smiled. "First things first, Darien. My name is 
Serena, in case you've forgotten. I know seeing me this way is probably 
a shock to you."
	Darien was sorely confused. "Seeing you what way? I've never 
seen you before in my life! And how do you know my name?" She 
smiled calmly. "That's where you're wrong, Darien. I've been around 
you a lot longer than you think."
	A puzzled look crossed Darien's face. "What? You've been in 
my apartment before? Why do you think you can claim to know 
everything about me?" Serena shook her head. "Please Darien, calm 
down. I didn't break into your apartment. Locks and doors don't mean a 
thing to me. And as for the rest of my story, well . . . I think you should 
sit down."
	Shaking his head, he shot back, "Who do you think you are, 
telling me what to do in my apartment! If you don't leave, I swear I'll 
call the police!" Darien yelled. 
	Serena smiled and shrugged. "Go ahead, Darien, but it won't 
do you any good. Now that you've seen me, I can't leave until we talk. I 
really think you should sit down for this."
	Darien slowly slipped to the couch, still clutching the baseball 
bat. He didn't take his eyes off this 'Serena' character as she sat in the 
chair across from him.
	"Honestly, Darien, you can let go of the bat. I couldn't hurt 
you, even if I really wanted to. And I'll tell you right now, nothing in 
the world would want to make me harm you," Serena said wearily. He 
placed the bat on the low table in front of him, easily accessible to him 
if she did try anything.
	Serena held out her hand, turning it from side to side. "This 
looks like an ordinary hand to you, doesn't it? What do you think would 
happen if you tried to hold it? Go on, Darien. Try to touch my hand. 
See what happens."
	Darien stared at her incredulously. "Right. You've got to be 
kidding. Are you crazy? Why should I? So you can grab me and throw 
me to the ground? Please, I'm not that big of a fool." Serena sighed. "I 
already told you, I can't hurt you. I'd never try to, anyway. Trust me for 
once. Now, touch my hand."
	Darien closed his eyes, still suspicious, and reached out to 
touch her hand. When he didn't feel anything, he opened his eyes again. 
She was still holding her hand out, a suspicious smile on her face. He 
raised an eyebrow. "You moved your hand, didn't you?" he asked 
skeptically.
	"Excuse me?"
	"You moved your hand when I tried to grab it. What are you 
trying to pull, anyway?"
	Serena smiled and shook her head. "Darien, you know better 
than that. You'd understand if you had kept your eyes open the first 
time. Try it again."
	Darien reached for her hand again. His eyes nearly popped out 
of his head as he watched his hand pass through hers like thin air. 
Pulling his hand away, he glanced at it, then back at her. "What are 
you, a ghost or something?"
	Serena pulled back. "Well . . . actually, I prefer angel, but yes, 
I am."
	He stood up and backed away. "You're not serious."
	"I'm very serious."
	"So, I bet you walked through the wall to get in here, right?" 
he scoffed.
	"You catch on quick. Yes, I walked through the wall." 
	"Prove it," he smirked.
	"Not right now, Darien. There are other things that are more 
important to discuss." He snapped his fingers. "Ha! If you can't prove 
it, then why should I believe your story?"
	"Fine, I'll make you a deal," Serena said, her patience wearing 
thin. "If I can't walk though that wall, I'll leave and never bother you 
again. But if I do, which I shall, you have to promise me you'll listen to 
my story."
	Darien rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. You can't walk through 
walls. The thing with your hand was just some optical illusion or 
something."
	"Since when did you become such a skeptic?" she retorted. 
"Just promise me, okay?"
	"Fine," he huffed, and folded his arms over his chest.
	Serena walked over to the wall. " I don't like doing this very 
often, but it seems to be my last resort. Remember, you said you'll 
listen to me, right?"
	Darien laughed. "Yeah, and I keep my promises. It's just too 
bad you won't be able to fulfill your end of the bargain."
	"Just don't say I didn't warn you, Darien." She took one step 
toward the wall, and then without any hesitation stepped directly into it.



	The morning sun shone through the windows of the small 
apartment. Darien slowly awoke from his cramped position on the 
couch. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 8:30. "A perfect 
Saturday morning, and I had to wake up early," he grumbled.
	Darien stood up, stretched, and massaged his sore neck. He 
stumbled into the tiny kitchen. Grabbing a cereal box from the 
cupboard, he filled the bowl on the sink, poured some milk on it, and 
took that and a glass of orange juice back into the living room. He 
grabbed the paper from outside his door, and dropped it on the table.
	His foot hit the edge of his baseball bat lying on the floor as he 
sat back down on the couch. Looking at it brought back the memory of 
last night. "I must've had something strange to eat at the nightclub. That 
was one crazy dream last night."
	"Sorry, Darien, but it wasn't a dream."
	He whirled around to find Serena perched on the edge of the 
couch, grinning brightly at him. "You mean, I didn't dream all this up? 
You really were here last night?"
	"I never left. You fainted after I walked through the wall."
	"I f-fainted?" he said in shock.
	"Believe me, it surprised me too. As long as I've known you, 
I've never seen you faint. I figured it was better to let you sleep all 
night. You know, you look really cute while you're asleep," she added 
with a wink.
	Darien glanced in her direction, one eyebrow raised. "I 
thought you were supposed to be dead, not flirting with me."
	"I'm not *that* dead, and I'm not flirting with you, really. I 
was only telling you what I think of you. Is that so bad?"
	"Whatever. It's just not ever day a guy has a ghost break into 
his apartment, and walk through his wall."
	Serena grimaced. "Will you get over that? You know I didn't 
break into your apartment. And another thing, Darien, I really hate the 
word 'ghost'. If you'd let me explain my story, maybe you'd understand 
that. Do you believe me now, or must I prove myself, to you again? I'd 
hate to see you faint again."
	Darien stared at her for a moment. "I guess I believe you." He 
looked down at the table, his face reddening as he realized he hadn't 
asked her if she wanted anything. "Uh . . . would you like something to 
eat?"
	Her eyes widened in surprise, then softened to amusement. 
"You mean, I didn't tell you? Thank you for asking, Darien, but you 
should realize, I don't eat the same things you do. Not anymore."
	"But you do eat, right?" he asked.
	Serena smiled. "Of course I do. I have a very healthy appetite, 
in fact. I have to keep-- pardon the pun--'alive' somehow."
	He looked down at his breakfast, then back up at her. "Are you 
sure?" he questioned. "If you're worried about eating in front of me, 
don't be. I don't mind at all." He shrugged. "So," he said, taking a bite 
of cereal, "what's this story of yours about?"
	Serena took a deep breath. "Do the words 'Silver Millennium' 
mean anything to you?" Somewhere in the back of his mind, the words 
sounded struck a familiar chord, but he couldn't understand why. He 
thought hard about it, then shook his head. "I don't think so."
	She smiled sadly, then went on staring into space. "It was a 
beautiful kingdom. I lived there, more than a thousand years ago." A 
tear trickled down her cheek. "It was where you and I met and fell 
deeply in love."
	Darien nearly dropped his glass on the floor, completely 
blown away by this revelation. "Whoa. Back the truck up. Let me get 
this straight. A thousand years ago, I was alive, supposedly in love with 
you, and there was life on the moon. I can't believe I'm having this 
conversation," he mumbled, running a shaky hand through his hair.
	Serena smiled lovingly at him. "It may not make any sense to 
you now, Darien, but everything I've told you so far is the truth. Shall I 
go on?" He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I was, and still am 
the princess of the moon." She pushed back her bangs and to reveal 
more of her forehead. "That's what this crescent moon stands for."
	Darien hadn't noticed the marking before because her bangs 
had covered it. He pointed at her hair with his spoon. "What about your 
meatball hairstyle? Does that stand for something too?"
	Serena grinned. "Funny you should say that, Darien. That's 
what you called it back then, too. Mother said that this was the royal 
hairstyle, so I always wore it. If I were to take my hair down, it would 
fall to my ankles. You probably don't remember, but I was a bit of a 
klutz, so it's actually safer for me to wear it like this."
	He took another bite of cereal. "So, a thousand years ago, I 
called you 'meatball'?" he said with his mouth full of corn flakes. 
Serena rolled her eyes. "Won't you ever learn your manners? I thought 
you gave up talking with food in your mouth. I should know because I 
was the one who tried to get you to stop that disgusting habit." She 
smiled again, and went back to the subject at hand. "As a matter of fact, 
you called me 'meatball head'. I always got so angry when you said 
that. But I remember you once told me I was cute when I was angry, 
and so I grew to like the nickname."
	Darien swallowed, and raised an eyebrow. "One other 
question. If you're the moon princess, how did 'we' meet and fall in 
love?"
	Serena hesitated. "Well, Darien, you were--and still are--the 
prince of Earth. From the day we met, we were destined to be together. 
Unfortunately, destiny decided to make things somewhat difficult for 
me."
	Darien's mind was reeling, desperately trying to recall any 
memories of this life she was describing. Was it the early hour, or was 
it the fact that some lady ghost was sitting in his living room declaring 
she was in love with him putting him into a dazed state?
	"Are you all right, Darien? You look confused."
	He looked up at Serena. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the 
way I look. What I don't understand is how I was reborn and you 
weren't. What do you think could have happened?"
	"Well, I guess. . ." she stopped abruptly. "How did you know 
about that? I never mentioned anything about it." Darien shrugged. "I 
don't know. For some reason, it seemed like the right thing to say."
	Serena gazed deeply into Darien's eyes. "Maybe you are 
starting to remember the Silver Millennium after all. Can you recall 
anything else?"
	"Well," he said thoughtfully, "Now that you mention it, I used 
to have these strange dreams where a large building was being 
attacked, and I was trying to defend it. But I don't know where I am, or 
who I'm fighting."
	Her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Darien, those weren't just 
dreams. You really fought against the Dark Kingdom. They destroyed 
the Silver Millennium. That's how you . . . we died," she said between 
sobs.
	Darien reached out a hard to comfort her, but remembered 
what happened the last time he tried that, and his hand dropped. "I'm 
sorry, Serena," he said softly.
	She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "That's the first time 
you've said my name since I've been here. I've missed hearing you say 
it. I've waited for this day when I could finally show myself to you, and 
no longer remain in the shadows of your life. You can't even imagine 
how much I want to be in your arms right now."
	Feeling uneasy, Darien suddenly stood up, and walked over to 
the window, looking down at the park across the street. She glanced up 
at him. "Did I say something wrong?"
	"No, not really. Just the idea of a ghost in love with me makes 
me a little uneasy, that's all."
	Serena looked away. "I know how difficult this must be for 
you. If you want me to leave, I understand," he said softly.
	"Serena," Darien said sharply. She looked up, startled by his 
tone of voice. His face softened. "You're not bothering me, I promise. I 
think . . . I just need some time alone to think about everything you've 
told me."
	She smiled. "I understand. Would you like me to come back 
another time?" He nodded. "Of course. Tonight would be fine."
	"I'll see you later then." She reached up to touch Darien's 
cheek, but of course, he felt nothing. Then she turned and disappeared.



	Darien walked to the park, thinking the fresh air would clear 
his mind. He sat down at the edge of the lake, and stared at the 
reflection of the sunset rippling on the water. He thought over 
everything Serena told him, wanting to believe some of it, and not quite 
sure what to make of the rest.
	"If it's true," he thought, "then why can't I remember any of it? 
I can't even remember my own childhood, let alone some life I 
supposedly lived a thousand years ago." He laid his head in his hands, 
desperately wishing he could recall something, anything that might 
make sense.
	Darien closed his eyes as he felt the cool breeze blow across 
his face, but thought it strange when he heard no rustling leaves like he 
usually did when the wind blew. Curious, he looked over his shoulder 
to see Serena standing there, looking concerned. He gave her a smile. 
"Hello, Serena. Looks like you're right on time."
	Her face relaxed into a gentle smile. "I wasn't sure if you still 
wanted me to come back."
	Darien turned to face her. "Of course I wanted you to come 
back. We still have a lot to talk about, you know." He patted the ground 
next to him. "Come and sit down." Serena quickly came over and sat 
down by him. "What a beautiful place this is. Almost as beautiful as 
where I live."
	"Where *do* you live, Serena?" Darien asked, curious to 
know more about this person, well, ghost that had suddenly appeared 
out of nowhere to him.
	She pushed a stray hair back into place. "It's rather hard to 
explain, and I'm limited on what I can tell you. It's very much like this 
world, but a level higher. Everything is perfect there, except for the 
mess destiny put me into. But if I get everything worked out, it really 
will all be perfect."
	"A level higher, huh?" Darien repeated. "Sounds interesting. 
Do you know all the answers to all the questions then?"
	"Don't I wish. I'm still learning just as much as you are. But I 
can tell from the look on your face, you still have a lot of questions to 
ask. I'll do my best to answer them. I believe your mother now when 
she said you were the most curious boy she'd ever known."
	Her comment caught him off guard. "You--you knew my 
mother?" he asked quietly.
	"I still know her--your father too. I talk with them all the time. 
That's how I know everything about you. In fact, I saw them just before 
I came here. They asked me to tell you they love you very much."
	Tears crept into Darien's eyes, something unusual for him. "I 
barely remember them. They were killed in a car accident when I was 
little."
	"I know, Darien. I was there when it happened. I've been by 
your side--unseen until now--ever since. Your mother asked me to keep 
an eye on you," Serena said, tears appearing in her eyes now.
	Darien wiped his face. "Thank you, Serena. Thank you for 
telling me about my parents. I'd give you a hug if I could, but . . . 
well, you know." She nodded in understanding.
	He was about to ask Serena more of his questions, hoping she 
could give him answers, but a high-pitched voice from behind 
interrupted him. "Darien? What are you doing out here all alone?" Only 
one person had a voice like that. Jenna.
	He turned slightly to look at her. "What do you mean? I'm not 
alone."
	Jenna looked at him, concern clearly written on her face. 
"Darien, since when did you start believing you have an imaginary 
friend? Are you all right? I've been worried about you since last night. 
You never leave early."
	Serena stopped him from saying anything more. "Darien, 
you're the only one who can hear or see me. It's just one of the rules. 
She has no idea I'm here." Darien was surprised. He thought everyone 
could see Serena like he could.
	" But I'm so glad I ran into you!" Jenna squealed, her voice 
going higher than it naturally did. "I just found this great new cafe! 
You've just got to come and see it!"
	"But it's not Friday, Jenna," Darien protested.
	"So what? They're offering free VIP memberships but only 
today because it's their grand opening or something like that." She 
paused to catch her breath.
	He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to leave Serena yet, 
but he knew how persistent Jenna could be. He looked to Serena for her 
approval, but she was looking away. She didn't want him to see her 
crying. "Go," she said quietly. "Go have fun with your girlfriend."
	"She's not--" he started to protest, but then he remembered 
Jenna was in hearing range, and he didn't want to seem foolish. "All 
right, let's see this great new cafe of yours," he said with a sigh. Jenna 
excitedly pulled on his arm, and dragged him in the direction she had 
come. Darien looked back over his shoulder to see Serena but she had 
disappeared again.



	Darien closed his apartment door, and collapsed onto the 
couch with a groan. That was the last time he let Jenna drag him 
anywhere. He really hadn't expected her to come along and keep him at 
the cafe for three hours. All he wanted to do now was talk to Serena. 
Maybe she could help him.
	"Serena?" he said uneasily. "If you can hear me, I need to talk 
to you. I'd like to finish our earlier conversation."
	 Her voice broke the silence of the apartment. "I can hear you, 
Darien. And as for our conversation, I assumed we *were* finished," 
she said, a hint of bitterness and sadness in her voice. Darien looked 
around, and almost missed seeing her sitting in the chair in the 
darkened corner of the apartment. "Serena, please don't be angry with 
me. I had no idea Jenna would show up today."
	Serena lifted her head and looked up at him, and he could see 
her eyes were red and puffy from crying. "I'm not angry with you, 
Darien. I never could stay angry with you for very long. I wish I had 
known earlier that you had a girlfriend. That totally changes things."
	"She's *not* my girlfriend," he repeated. "Besides, why would 
that change things?"
	She looked at him with sorrow filled eyes. "For someone as 
smart as you are, I can't believe you don't get it yet." She sighed. "What 
I'm trying to say is that it means I have no chance to change the way I 
am. Without you, I cannot fix what destiny messed up. I don't want to 
have to live in a different place anymore. You can change that. You 
hold the key to my future, Darien. But now, you must choose who you 
want to in your life, me or Jenna."
	Darien glared at her. "I'm not choosing Jenna. She's just a 
friend to me, nothing more. I want something different, too, but I can't 
possibly see how I can spend my life with you. You're a . . . a ghost!" 
using the word, even though she hated it. "I enjoy having you around, 
but it means nothing without being able to touch you."
	"Don't you think I already know that? I've known that for 
more than a thousand years, but I don't have the power to do anything 
about it!" she cried out. "Only you do," she whispered, he unable to 
hear her. Her hands came up and covered her face, sobs racking her 
entire body. She sighed again. "I won't stand in your way, Darien. You 
have the right to decide what you want to do with your life. Even if you 
break my heart now, I'll still be waiting for you. Destiny has meant for 
us to be together, and I suppose I'll just have to wait a little bit longer."
	"What do you mean?" Darien asked, puzzled. "Are you saying 
you plan to wait for me?"
	"If that's what it comes to, yes. I've waited over a thousand 
years, and sixty or so more won't change the way I feel." She stood up, 
and turned to leave, but she looked back again. "I love you with all of 
my heart, Darien. But I guess that's not enough, is it?" The tears were 
flowing freely down her cheeks as she turned again and stepped 
through the closed door.



	Darien couldn't sleep a wink. Serena's last words haunted him 
all night long, and every time he drifted off to sleep, all he saw was her 
face, wet with tears. Tears she had shed because of him. He gave up at 
two-thirty, and went into the kitchen.
	He sat down at the table with a bowl of grapes. He popped a 
few grapes into his mouth as he tried to come up with logical reasons to 
have Serena in his life.
	"She believes in me; she laughs at all my jokes, even if they're 
not funny; she even knows my parents! The only thing keeping us apart 
is the fact she lives in a different dimension." Finally, his heart decided 
to take over the decision making. "Serena," he called out to his empty 
apartment, "I hope you're listening, because I've thought long and hard 
about this, and I've made my decision." He cleared his throat, hoping 
his words would somehow make a difference.
	"It all comes down to one thing, Serena. I love you. You know 
me better than I know myself. You loved me no matter what I did or 
said. I love you for who you are, and even though I may not be able to 
touch or hold you, I'll do my best to overlook that. I love you with all of 
my heart and soul, Serena."
	After pouring out his emotions to an empty kitchen and a bowl 
of grapes, Darien was finally able to go back to bed and fall into a 
peaceful sleep.


	The alarm woke him up at nine-thirty, as it had every morning 
for the past week. Like each morning, Darien lay awake in his bed, 
having no desire to get up. Nothing seemed to matter anymore without 
her around.
	"Darien?" a quiet voice called from the other room. It was a 
voice he thought he'd never hear again. Darien jumped out of bed and 
sprinted to the living room. There Serena stood, looking more beautiful 
than he had ever seen her. She was wearing a flowing white gown, and 
her golden hair, let out of the meatballs, cascaded down and lightly 
brushed the floor.
	She smiled gently, unshed tears shining in her eyes. "I heard 
what you said the other night. Did you really mean it, Darien?"
	He nodded solemnly. "I meant every word."
	Her smile grew larger, and she took a step closer to him. She 
was close enough to embrace, had he been able to feel her. "Then say it 
again," she whispered.
	Darien's smile matched hers. This time he had no trouble 
getting the words out. "Oh, Serena, I love you. You gave me a lot to 
think about, and now I realize I could never live without knowing you. 
I love y--"
	His words were interrupted by Serena's arms thrown tightly 
around his neck and her lips pressed lovingly against his. After what 
seemed like an eternity, she broke away and gazed into his shocked 
blue eyes.
	"Serena, I--I don't understand, but I can feel you! How is this 
possible?"
	She placed her hand on the side of his face, and ran her fingers 
through his silky black hair. "True love conquers all, Darien." She 
laughed softly. "Even in my situation. I stayed away because I had to 
make sure your feelings were true. I told you before, you hold the key 
to my future. Your three little but very significant words made all the 
difference in the world. It was your love and faith in me that made us 
possible."
	Serena slid her arms around his neck, and his arms came up 
around her slim waist. Darien pulled her closer, and she leaned her 
head on his chest. "Thank you for believing in me," she said in a soft 
voice.
	Darien looked down into her deep blue eyes, and answered her 
with a firm kiss. "You really are an angel, aren't you?" he murmured.