The *Voices* Turn 
A short story 
Author: ChibiCori 
e-mail: if you know what's good for ya!  
kamikaze_bunny_eater@yahoo.com 
Rating: A nice, juicy PG-13.  Orders up! 

Disclaimer: Think if I asked nicely, Naoko would give me BSSM?  
::sigh:: me 
either......How about for a day? 

Hi!  Guess who was divinely inspired!  No, not Him, me!  Well, 
this is a kinda 
sequel to "What the Heart Already Knows"  Some of you may have 
read it, some of 
you didn't.  You don't really need to read WtHAK to understand 
this one.  And of 
course, the fan favorite "voice" has returned to torture our 
favorite bish!  Same 
as before, in the *'s is the voice and the thoughts in the '...' 
is Darien. 

The *Voices* Turn

*Just ask her.* 

'I can't just ask her, I have to ASK her.' 

*.........am I missing something?* 

Darien growled as he paced through his kitchen for what was 
probably the 160th time 
that night. 

*161 counting that last one* 

'Are you going to help me or what?' Darien snarled as he cast a 
quick peek around 
the corner, making sure Serena was still watching TV in the 
living room. 

This was the night.  Everything was perfect, he looked great, 
she was beautiful, he 
had a romantic candle lit dinner set up on the balcony.  Even 
the sky was perfect, 
already bursting into brilliant oranges, pinks and purples as 
the sun sank into the 
bay.  It seemed pre-ordained.  This was the night that Darien 
Chiba was going to ask 
Serena Tsukino to marry him. 

But it was the asking part that was driving him insane.  He had 
been so busy looking 
for the right setting, moment and ring, that he hadn't practiced 
what he was going to 
say. 

*Just say what is in your heart* 

'No, that's lame!  What do you know?!' 

If conscience's had eyebrows, this is where Darien's would have 
arched its *...* 

Darien gave up on pacing and leaned against the counter.  His 
arms crossed over his 
chest, Darien scowled off into space.  This was supposed to be 
perfect, and he and 
his stupid conscience was ruining it. 

*Hey!* 

'What, it IS your fault.  Why didn't you remind me of this?' 

*Wha....fa...ka...ga.........argh* Silence fell as the little 
voice found itself 
speechless for the first time in a long while. 

Darien smirked at the triumph, which was usually rare, then 
reached into his pocket.  
Out of it, he produced a small velvet box, and inside of that 
was the engagement ring 
he had spent weeks searching for.  He had finally found it in a 
small boutique in 
downtown Tokyo.  Opening the small box, Darien pulled out the 
ring to admire how perfect 
it was, again. 

*Yeah, that makes this the millionth time.* 

Darien barely realized the voice saying anything as his eyes 
scanned the smooth gold 
band, then over the crescent of glittering diamonds that cradled 
another rose-
colored diamond.  The color of the stone was rare, and it's cut 
and clarity flawless, 
Darien had been lucky to find such a priceless antique. 

*You paid up the nose for it too.* 

'It'll be worth it when I see the look on her face.' Darien 
countered, 'Think of how 
perfect it will look on her finger.' 

*Which one?* 

"Darien?" 

Serena's voice calling from the other room startled Darien from 
his trance.  His hand 
jerked and the ring he had been delicately holding between his 
thumb and index 
finger slipped.  Darien watched as everything slowed down and 
the ring flipped over 
and over, down and down.  Until finally, with a loud 'clink', it 
disappeared down 
his garbage disposal. 

*Ohhh...* 

"...Shit." 

"Darien?" Serena turned the corner to the kitchen, a puzzled 
expression on her face, 
"Did you just say something?" 

Darien had to use all of his strength and self control to tear 
his eyes away from the 
black abyss that had swallowed three months worth of his salary.  
He gulped, his 
Adam's apple painfully sliding down his dry throat.  Forcing a 
smile onto his face, 
he answered with a cracking voice; 

"Me?  Nope, I didn't say a thing." 

*Oh yeah, she'll buy that.  Potty mouth.* 

Serena's brow pulled together momentarily, "Are you sure?  I 
could have sworn I heard 
you say sh-" 

"Is there something wrong honey?  Do you need a drink?" Darien 
quickly interrupted, 
reaching into a cupboard for a glass. 

*Ooh, smooth.* 

Serena stared at him for a moment, then relaxed her features and 
smiled up at him, "Nah, 
I'm fine.  I just came to see if you needed help with anything?" 

Her smile broke through the growing panic in his chest and 
forced his worries to the back 
of his mind.  Ring, what ring?  He had the light of his life in 
front of him, loving 
him.  What more did he need? 

If conscience's had hands to slap to their foreheads, Darien's 
would be doing so then. 

She had a habit of doing that to him, making him forget his 
worries.  Just one of the 
many reasons he was devoted to loving her the rest of his life.  
In fact, he felt 
like loving her right that moment. 

Darien's face split into a smile that matched her own and he 
drew her into his arms, "I 
love you." 

Serena blushed faintly, then kissed the tip of his nose, "Well, 
gee, I guess I love 
you right back." 

Darien chuckled softly at her tease, "You think?!  Well, I'll 
just have to fix 
that." 

Bending his head, he captured her lips in a tender caress, that 
immediately exploded 
with passion.  Serena moaned against his lips and parted her own 
a bit, an invitation 
to take it past innocent.  And who was he to deny a ladies 
invitation? 

*Ewww, have some respect for those of us who don't want to see 
that, will you?!* 

The kiss soon wound down, leaving both gasping softly.  Serena 
leaned her forehead 
against Darien's and then grinned, "I love you." 

"Much better." 

*I want you to think of how gross it would be if I was forced to 
vomit in your brain.* 

Darien loomed over her for another kiss, but Serena simply 
giggled and ducked out of 
his embrace, "So what about that help that I offered?" 

"Wha?"  Darien asked, then shook his head, clearing the arousing 
fog out, "No, I'm
fine.  You finish watching your show." 

"You sure?" 

"Absolutely, you don't have to do a thing but be your usual 
gorgeous self." Darien 
assured her, ruffling her hair lovingly. 

Serena screeched softly, then exacted revenge by reaching up and 
mussing his hair.  
Darien bolted out of her reach and put a hand up to the offended 
follicles, "Hey, watch 
the hair!" 

Serena laughed, then reached out to attack again.  With a 
maniacal grin, Darien reached 
out and nabbed her by the waist, then lifted her off her toes.  
Reveling in the feel of 
her body pressed so close to his, he walked her out of the 
kitchen then reluctantly set 
her down in the living room. 

"You stay here and be good.  I'm cooking you dinner." Darien 
ordered, tapping his 
index finger to her nose playfully. 

"Oh, I get it, me Tarzan, you Jane." 

Darien crossed his arms over his chest, matching Serena's 
posture and somewhat 
annoyed expression, "Exactly." 

Wiggling her brows mischievously, Serena turned and headed back 
to the couch, calling 
over her shoulder, "Okay Jane, have fun!" 

Darien paused for a moment, then laughed softly as he returned 
to the kitchen. 

*Wasn't that sweet?  Can we get back to the fact you dropped a 
VERY expensive, 
very NON-refundable engagement ring down the sink?* 

Darien winced slightly, 'Ah man, I forgot.' 

*Really?  I hadn't guessed.* 

Darien ran to the sink and looked into the basin in 
apprehension, 'I wonder when the 
last time I ran my garbage disposal was?' 

*We can check now if you like.* 

'NO, what are you, insane?!' 

*I'm your conscience, you should know.* 

Darien unbuttoned a shirt sleeve, then proceeded to roll it up 
his forearm, all the 
while looking down the black hole. 

'I really don't want to do this.' 

*Well, we could always ask Serena.  Couldn't you just see it; 
Oh pumpkin?!  Yes lamby-pie?  Could you please stick your hand 
down the garbage disposal 
for me?  What for sweety?  Oh, nothing, I just dropped your 
engagement ring down 
there.  Hey, then you're proposal problem would be all fixed!* 

Darien grumbled crossly as he stuck his hand into the disposal, 
'I hate you.' 

*Hating yourself will get you no where Chiba. Omina, omina, 
omina...* 

'What are you doing?' 

*Seeing if I could will your other hand to turn the garbage 
disposal on.* 

Darien stilled. 

*I was kidding.  Lighten up!* 

With a scowl, Darien continued to fish around.  Finally, his 
hand scraped against 
something metal.  Gripping it, he drew his hand out and smiled 
triumphantly. 

*Not so fast big boy.* 

"Huh?" Darien wondered, then looked at the object in his hand.  
His jaw dropped and 
Darien felt tears stinging at the back of his eyes, "It's the 
pen I lent Serena the 
other day." 

*Hey, we've been looking for that, she must have dropped it down 
there.  I was 
wondering what that 'oops' was for.  And she pretended to be so 
innocent.* 

Darien leaned onto the counter, his elbows supporting his weight 
as he scrubbed 
his non-funky hand over his face.  'This is hopeless, I'll never 
find it.' 

*I won't have that sort of attitude from you mister!  Lord knows 
we've had 
enough hopelessness to last us a lifetime.  Now I want you to 
stick you hand back into 
that potentially maiming device and find that ring!* 

Darien straightened, took another deep breath, and submerged his 
hand into the 
mysterious depths of his sink.  Expressions of disgust and 
irritation marred his face as 
he shifted past old egg shells and leaves of lettuce.  Finally, 
when Darien thought that 
any longer down there and he'd have to throw up, his fingers 
fell upon a hard loop. 
'I found it!' 

"I found it!" he reiterated out loud, then pulled his hand out 
to be sure.  It was the 
ring all right, but it was covered with...stuff. 

'Ech, I don't remember eating that.' 

If conscience's had heads to tilt to the side in thought, 
Darien's would be tilting its, 
*It looks like a mix of spaghetti, Ricaroni and... the Mystery 
Sauce from McDonalds.* 

Darien shuddered, then rinsed off the ring, putting the stopper 
in the sink first of 
course.  When that was clean, he very carefully put it back in 
it's velvet box, then 
into his pocket... 

*Check for holes first!  Don't want that to happen again.* 

Only after the ring was safely restored, did Darien clean the 
hand that so bravely 
searched the nether regions of his sink.  As an after thought, 
Darien cranked the water 
up and flipped on the switch of his garbage disposal.  He was 
glad to have the ring 
back, but....ew. 

'I'm glad that's over.  Now, what was I thinking about before 
all of that?' 

*How to ask Serena to marry you.* 

The stress immediately lept back into his shoulders and the 
migraine that had 
been temporarily cured blinded him.  He flicked the disposal off 
and began to 
grumble violently. 

'You wouldn't happen to have any ideas would you?' 

*Actually...no, I have nothing.* 

Darien slammed his head into a cupboard. 

*....could you, just not, do that again?  Maybe?* 

"Think....think...THINK!"  Darien shouted through gritted teeth. 

*You might want to keep that down.  I'm just guessing, but 
Serena is supposed to 
be surprised by the whole proposal thing, right?* 

'Okay, how is this?  Serena, I've loved you from the moment I 
saw you-' 

*But you didn't.* 

'I did so.' 

*I was there man, you didn't.* 

"Fine, how about I recite her a poem that I think symbolizes our 
love?" Darien mumbled 
out loud. 

*You know any?* 

"None have been written that can even come near how I feel about 
her." 

*Errrr, you're talking to yourself.* 

'Oh, sorry.' 

Had conscience's shoulders to shrug, Darien's would have 
shrugged, *I don't see why 
you're having such a problem with this.  You love her and you 
want to marry her.  I mean really, what is so tough about it?  
Imagine how great it will be to have her with you 
every day.  And every night you can make lo-* 

'Hey, don't think about my girlfriend that way!' 

*....but, it's technically YOU thinking that way.* 

Darien froze, a confused expression crossing his features.  He 
remained that way for a 
few seconds before wildly flailing his hands over his head, 
dismissing the thought, 
'We can't think about that now!  I have to think of a way to ask 
Serena to marry me.' 

*Like I said, just ask her.* 

'I already told you, I can't ask her, I have to ASK her.' 

*...I'm still missing something, aren't I?* 

'How about-' 

*Lame.* 

'You don't know what I was going to-' 

*I know exactly what you were going to say, I'm in your head.* 

'Then, what if I-' 

*Been done.* 

Darien growled, 'Okay, maybe I could-' 

*:P* 

'I-' 

*You don't have the time or the supplies.* 

Darien threw his hands into the air in frustration, and again 
began to tread across 
the kitchen.  Dinner would be ready in mere minutes, and he 
still didn't have a clue of 
how to ask Serena to marry him.  What was he going to do?  And 
that stupid voice, of 
course, wasn't helping him.  It's only purpose was to make fun 
of him at any 
opportunity.  Darien spun on his heel and continued to pace. 

*I heard that.  By the way, that turn made it 165.* 

Choosing to ignore it, Darien tapped his fingers against his 
chin, continued to pace 
and tried to get the words out right, "When I met you, I knew 
there was something 
special about you-" 

*166.* 

"No, that's not right." Darien shook his head, then snapped his 
fingers, "I know, Serena, 
I love you a lot and I...sound like a three year old.  Think, 
think Darien!" 

*167.* 

"Darling, the Earth would cease to exist without you...a couple 
times...Augh!" 

*168.* 

"I could always throw the ring at her with a note attached and 
lock myself in my room..." 

*169. One more and you'll hit 170!  You can do it!* 

Suddenly, something in Darien snapped.  Grabbing two handfuls of 
dark hair, Darien let out 
a scream that rattled the rafters of his apartment.  He then 
scrambled to the fridge, 
yanked open the freezer door and stuck his head inside. He 
shouted angrily, accenting 
each word by slamming the door on himself; 

"WOULD...YOU...STOP...BEING...SUCH...A...PAIN...IN..THE...BUTT..AND..HELP...ME?!" 

"Darien?" 

Darien halted mid-slam.  'Oh no, not again', Darien cringed as 
he  slowly pulled his 
head out of the freezer.  Serena stood before him, looking at 
him with frightened curiosity. 

*Woah, you freaking out and Serena being witness to it.  Deja 
vu.* 

Darien nearly snarled viciously, but Serena's question quicky 
diverted his attention; 

"Ummmm, what were you doing?" 

"Me?  I was just, ummm..." Darien's eyes widened and his mind 
scrambled for an excuse. 

*Errrr, checking the temperature...ehhhh, looking for 
leprechauns..licking freezer burn 
off the meat!  Say something!  Anything!* 

Serena crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot, 
waiting for her answer.  
Darien tossed a weak smile her way and tucked a hand behind his 
head coyly, "I was 
just seeing if the door would close with something in the way." 

*Ooh, good one!  I'll write that down for later.* 

Serena's brow arched, "With your head?" 

*Ouch, she's got ya there.* 

Darien paused for a moment, before scrunching his face up and 
finally answering, "Yeees." 

*I'd buy it.* 

A smile flashed briefly across her face, but Serena quickly hid 
it.  He looked just like 
a little boy who was caught doing something he shouldn't.  With 
a bit more prodding, 
the truth would come out, and Serena knew that the reason 
rational Darien would be 
slamming a freezer door on his head would be a very interesting 
one.  But when the 
phone began to beckon with it's rings from the other room, 
Serena sighed. 

"You finish up in here, I'll get that.  But don't think that 
you're going to get 
through tonight without explaining what is going on here buddy!" 
Serena proclaimed as 
she disappeared into the other room. 

Darien exhaled slowly, then passed a hand over weary eyes.  He 
REALLY needed to stop 
doing that.  Serena would never marry him if he kept that up. 

*Speaking of marriage, think of how to ASK her yet?* 
  
Serena laughed softly as she walked into the living room and 
picked up the reciever, 
"Hello?" 

"Serena?" a male voice asked on the other end. 

Serena smiled as she recognized its owner, "Hey Andrew." 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on anything.  I just need to 
ask Darien something about 
one of our classes." 

Darien's infuriated scream erupted from the kitchen then, 
followed by the 
repetitive slamming and thunking of the freezer door. 

A moment of silence fell over the phone before Andrew asked, 
"He's talking to himself 
again, isn't he?" 

"Yep." 

Serena could almost hear Andrew shaking his head in disbelief, 
"He only does that 
when something is bothering him.  What's wrong?" 

Serena shrugged, then answered verbally, "He can't figure out 
how to ask me to marry 
him.  Really, all he needs to do is ask." 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
All done!  See, not bad at all.  If you loved it, share with me!  
If you hated it, 
blame it on the Jell-O and hotdogs I ate while writing this.  
Don't worry, I have 
the constitution of a mental patient on macaroni and cheese day!  
Trust me, ^_~ 
::calls off to side::  Hey nurse!  Isn't it time for my 
medication?! 

Huge thanks to my beta readers who helped me get over my 
insecurities about this 
fic; Kai-chan, redrose, Kel-chan and Bejiin.  Thank you so much 
guys! 
And one more thing (hee hee, I love Uncle), please visit my 
site.  New 
addy! http://www.chibicori.virtue.nu 
I just started my comic strip, Kamikaze Bunny Eater, I'd 
appreciate some feedback on 
it!  And if you're already there, hi, and thanks for visitin'! 
^_~ 
Cori! 
Written on: February 21, 2001