Disclaimer: Sailor Moon isn't mine. She belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. The story is simply my creation.

Rating: PG

Email addy: SailrPhnx@aol.com or UtenaStar@aol.com
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by Sailor Phoenix

Part Two

    He smiled at her coldly. "I loved you on our wedding day, Sere," he said. "Perhaps if I still cherished any feelings towards you, I would send you away with a simple allowance and a personal maid so that I could get on with my life. Alas, I want you to suffer the same humilation and sense of betrayal I felt." He came to stand at Serenity's feet and he gripped the bedpost. His blue eyes were as cold as the ocean. "This time, Sere, you'll be the one people will sympathize with."

    Serenity's throat closed. She didn't love this man, didn't even know this man. Yet his words were like bricks being thrown at her already bruised soul. "Endy..."

    He gave her a low, mocking laugh."How tenderly you say my name," he said moving to the cradle. His expression softened a bit as he looked down at his sleeping child. "Were you as sweet to your lover as you are to me?"

    Serenity fell back onto her pillow trying desperately to gain some composure. "I don't know," she answered with all the honestly she felt. When she managed to look at him, she could see the sorrow in his stormy blue eyes. Just as the expression came, it vanished leaving her to wonder if she had simply imagined it.

    "Goodnight," Endymion announced without any indication of emotion in his words. He turned on heels and strode out the room, closing the door behind him.

    Serenity laid in the bed shaking for a long time. She watched the shadows move and gather in the corners of the room as the fire in the hearth began to die out. She rose slowly, feeling strong enough she walked over to the cradle and kneeled down.

    Her daughter slept, her thick black hair was as black as the night against the white blankets. She reached out and touched her gently, marveling that such a beautiful creature as her daughter could exist. She was the feminine version of Endymion and Serenity already loved this tiny soul like she was truly her own.

    "You look like your daddy," she noted lovingly. "One of these days, he'll take note of that. It may take some time because your father is rather pigheaded. For now we will have to be patient."

    She continued to linger beside the cradle admiring and whispering soft, soothing words to the child. Soon her body began to feel the wariness and she stood, making her way to the white and gold bureau. There was a large mirror above the dresser, framed in white painted heavy wood. It was then that Serenity caught her first soul seering glimpse of herself.

    She placed her hand down onto the dresser, as her knees began to weaken, to keep from collapsing onto the floor. She couldn't remember who she was before the accident...before crossing the crystal bridge and finding herself in 1895. Yet she knew she did not look anything like the woman reflected before her.

    In fact, she could almost see her former self standing beside the stranger she had become.

    In her other life, she had been slightly taller and had a nice figure. The woman who was looking back at her was petit and had a gorgeous hourglass figure.

    Before hand, Serenity had shoulder-length golden blonde hair, worn always in a ponytail. Now silvery blonde tresses tumbled in thick wavy strands around the bodice of her nightgown. Her eyes were the color of sapphires with silver specks floating in their depths… her cheekbones were high and defined...her pink lips full...her skin was flawless and creamy like ivory satin.

    Serenity continued to stare at herself for a long time. The weakness grew too great and she turned away, making her way back to the bed. She had made it back and settled herself into the bed when the door opened and a woman entered carrying a tray. It was the same woman Dr Michaels had sent to fetch Endy when it was clear that the baby's birth was approaching.

    "Supper, Mistress," she announced without meeting Serenity's gaze.

    Given that this was 1895 and the Mistress of the house had an affair, Serenity supposed that the maid saw her as a scarlet woman and preferred not to associate with her. This only made Serenity feel more isolated... more confused... and even more frightened.

    "It smells great," she replied attempting to make conversation.

    "Yes, Mistress," the maid answered. "Cook does have a way with biscuits and gravy. The doctor likes the dish more than anything else."

    "Dr Michaels?" Serenity asked, grateful for the conversation.

    "Dr Alessandros," the maid corrected, turning her startled topaz-colored eyes on Serenity. "Your husband."

    So Endymion was a doctor. "Oh," Serenity said softly. "Yes, of course. He has a lengthy practice here in...."

    "San Fransciso," the maid added frowning at her.

    Serenity was ravenous and the food on the tray smelled fragantly delicious. "San Fransciso," she confirmed. That was a relief. Not did she change centuries but countries as well. "Your name would be?"

    The young woman took another step towards the door expecting Serenity to lunge at her with wild-eyes and foaming at the mouth. "Molly," she whispered and fled from the room.

    Serenity ate, trying to figure out what had happened that it had brought her to this century. Maybe it was the food that had restored her. She seemed to recall that her blood sugar tended to fall whenever she got too hungry...

    She remembered lying in a faraway hospital bed...the nurses talking...the touch of her brother's hand...and the earnest way she begged the light surrounding the crystal bridge to give her another chance at life. Evidently, she concluded as the pleas from another woman echoed in her mind~~ oh, God, help me...let me die~~she and Endymion's real wife had changed places.

    That was too much to credit, Serenity thought, setting her tray on the bedside table and leaned back onto the pillows, but yet here she was, in another woman's body. A body she far liked better than her own.

    Presently, another young woman entered to take her tray, and that made Serenity smile. Molly must of been afraid to venture near her again after their earlier encounter. "What's your name?" she asked pleasantly when had set the tray in the hall and had returned. The baby awakened and gave a small, fitful cry.

    "Luna," the visitor answered, unruffled, bending down to lift the infant from her cradle before Serenity had managed to swing her legs over the side of the bed. Luna sat down in the rocking chair near the dying fire and
opened the bodice of her plain white dress.

    Again, Serenity felt envious. She didn't like the thought of having to share this child or its father with any woman. Luna was conscious only of the baby, humming a soft lullaby as she held her to to her breast and stroked her downy head with a light finger. The light from the fire flickered over the pair , gliding them in crimson and shadow.

    A deep loneliness overtook Serenity and she felt as if she had been abandoned on some unknown region of the moon. She remembered only the merest detail of her former life, and how in this one everyone seemed to hate her.

    Luna finished feeding the child and brought her to the bed for changing. She handed her to Serenity, who gently raised her to her shoulder to burp.

    "Thank you," Serenity replied quite mesmerized with by the bundle of joy in her arms.

    "What will you call the little one?" Luna asked regarding Serenity with placid dark eyes that revealed no emotion.

    Serenity ached with love for the child that squirmed in her arms and longed to be the one to feed her herself.  "I don't know," she answered truthfully. "Perhaps her father should name her."

    An awkward silence followed and Serenity remembered the accusations that her husband had flung at her. "Selenity. She will be called Selenity," she blurted out.

    Luna did not react and her expression was neither friendly nor unfriendly. "Is there anything else, Mrs. Alessandros?" She went to the fireplace without waiting for Serenity to answer and placed another log to the fire. "I could go to the kitchen and bring you back some tea."

    Serenity shook her head. "No but thank you anyways. Could you please put Selenity to sleep?"

    Luna assessed Serenity with narrow eyes for a brief moment, then collected the infant carefully and placed her back in her cradle. "Goodnight, Mrs. Alessandros."

    Only the glow of the fire and the silver shimmer of the moonlight lit the room after Luna had gone. Cautiously, Serenity lay down flat on the feather mattress. This body she had borrowed was very sore, and she felt like weeping with exhaustion and confusion, but beneath all these things ran an undercurrent of sheer exultation.

    She watched the firelight waver against the dark ceiling and wondered if Endymion had ever laughed in this room or made love to her in this very bed.

    She had just fallen asleep when the first solid memories of her other life came to her. She was driving along the Tokyo freeway in her red convertible... her blonde hair blowing in the winds...on her way to meet her brother and his beautiful fiancee, Tomoe Hotaru. They were planning on having lunch together to begin plans for their wedding.

    In a matter of moments, everything was changed. A truck jackknifed just ahead of her...and before she could slow down...her car slammed into a trailer with a deafening sound...Metal shrieked...pain coursed through the depths of her body and soul...then darkness exploded all around her.

    "Sere!" Strong hands gripped Serenity's shoulder, and a muscline voice called to her through the smothering fog called fear. "Serenity!"

    Endymion was sitting on the side of her bed and she longed for him to take her in his arms and hold her close, but she knew that it would never hand. The baby, hearing her mother's frightening screams, cried out.

    Serenity started to get out of bed, but Endymion gestured for her to stay there as he rose from the bed and gathered the baby into his arms. He moved back to the bed and handed her the baby.

    "I'm sorry." she cooed in a soothing voice. Her lips against her daughter's cheek. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

    Something made her look up and see Endymion staring at her as if he didn't know her anymore.

    She sucked in her breath and made herself smile at the man who so clearly despised her. "Our daughter will need a name soon," she said with a sniffle. "We cannot go on referring to this child as 'she' or even 'her' for the rest of her life."

    Even in the firelight, she could see Endy's body stiffen. The brief, blissful peace that had been between them just a few moments ago was now over. "Why not let Seiya name her?" Endymion asked in a cold tone. "Afterall, he is her Father."
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Stay Tuned for
Part 3