Disclaimer:
Sailor Moon copyrights February/March 1999 and all its characters are the rightful property of Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation, Kodansha Ltd., Bandai. English adaptation copyrights 1995 DIC Corporations.

"Far across the distance, I see you, I feel you. That is how I know you go on… And you're here in my heart and my heart will go on and on…"
"My Heart Will Go On": lyric by Will Jennings, song by James Horner, performed by Celine Dion

Endymion listened to the news. If who was pardoned and who was not was important, then, still, he would rather be with her, be she dead or not.

"When are you planning the speech, my lord?" one of the Counselors asked.

"Soon," Endymion replied evasively. He didn't even intend on doing it.

"You must do it within days, Your Highness," Lord Howard advised. "The kingdom is growing restless."

"Is that all, gentlemen?" he lifted his eyes, and they nodded reluctantly. Without a word, Endymion stood up and left the room.

He walked along the empty corridor, and his ears strained to hear the whisper of her gowns against the marble floor, or perhaps the light taps of her slippers, or perhaps even her angelic voice speaking.

He stood at the door of his bedchamber and dismissed the guards. Walking inside, he began again to go through his mind all the possible ways he could've prevented her death.

Then his eyes caught emptiness. She was not on the bed.

He cried out in alarm, and turned sharply, trying to think of the person who took her away from him.

"My lord! Is everything all right?" a guard came in, alarmed as well.

Endymion did not reply. His heart crumbled, and he dismissed the guard again. What was the use? Even if he caught the bad guy, it would've been pointless, because she might've already been stolen away or… What was wrong with him? His mind didn't work logically anymore.

"Endy."

His heart stopped. "Buns?" whispering, he turned around.

Everything happened in slow motion. He saw her, stepping carefully from the shadows, looking like a goddess bestowing her gracious presence on him.

Her eyes were misty, and she gave him a watery smile.

"Endy," she whispered again, and it sounded like music to his ears.

"Buns," he whispered, and rushed forward into her open arms. "Oh, Buns…God…"

She slipped her slender arms around him, kissing softly his cheek. "Endy. Oh, please don't cry. I'm sorry I caused you so much pain…I'm sorry…"

"No! It's not your fault," he sobbed, pulling her closer. "It's mine. I'm sorry. I should've seen it coming. I'm so sorry…I should've…"

"Shh…" she comforted him, caressing him.

He cried like a child in her embrace, confessing all his sins and all his crimes, trying, perhaps, in a way to make her stay longer, for he felt in his bones that she could not stay long…

It was much later when she told him why she was there.

She snuggled against his side, blinking up to him. "I sneaked out," she said at last. "I couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to see you. And if they find out, I don't know… I have to leave before dawn…"

He gathered her closer, kissing her sweet lips. He did not reply, knowing there was nothing that he could do to make her stay, and began to make love to her.

Serena opened her eyes and stared down onto his peaceful face, sleeping within her arms. Her heart twisted in regret and pain, but she had to leave, she knew she had to…

So, she gently slipped from his embrace and went in search of her garments, scattered on the floor. As she was pulling up her corset, she heard his alarmed voice: "What are you doing?"

She turned and stood there, shrugging, for she couldn't speak, couldn't explain to him that they might never meet again…

"What are you doing?" he asked again, though he knew the answer, and pulled back the sheets, walking up towards her.

"I…I have to go," she said regretfully. "I…"

He held her close, and didn't need her to tell him that what they had in the night might be all that they would have. "Please stay," he begged at last.

"Please stay… Don't go, Buns. You know how much you hurt me when you leave…please…"

She was clinging to him already. "But I must go… But I can…I think I can sneak out tonight again…and we'll see each other…"

He hugged her fiercely. "I'll wait," he whispered.

She nodded, and pulled his head down to kiss him as her spirit left her body.

So this kind of traveling between continued hopelessly. Every night, she would "sneak out," as she put it, and they would hold each other tight in the darkness of the night, making love, whispering and exchanging their love for each other.

This kind of isolation, as Endymion was doing, worried Lord Howard. He had advised the Prince over and over again to do the speech, yet he delayed the task, intending seemingly on not doing it at all. Endymion went to and fro in the Palace like a ghost, and all held pity and sympathy for him.

That night, he didn't even notice when her body lit up, as it did when the spirit returned. She took his hand and looked into his eyes. "What is it?" she whispered.

"You know the customs of the kingdom. But I don't have the heart to do the speech, and the Counsel's pushing really hard," he rested his forehead on her shoulder.

She patted his back and spoke in a clear voice. "Endy, I want you to do the speech tomorrow as soon as you can. I understand that my death caused much…difficulty, but it's no reason that you're dropping off from your duties as the Prince and leader of this kingdom. I want you to restore yourself to your previous attitude towards this kingdom."

He kissed her neck. "You're so cruel, do you know that?"

Her eyes softened and she held him closer. "I'm sorry…but you can't indulge yourself in this pain, this sorrow, forever. I'll be here if you need me."

He nodded and smiled down on her. "How's the baby?" he whispered.

She blushed, patting her growing stomach. "It's fine. But…it's only going to be a spirit. There's no way that…it's going to be a spirit, but he or she is going to get to know you. I'll make sure of that."

Endymion stood at the top of a balcony in the square and looked down to all the faces that were upturned, waiting for his speech. Behind him stood Andrew and Henry, who more than anything was peeking around, trying to spot any dangerous person.

"Before I met the Princess, bless her soul in Heaven, I was mourning the loss of my uncle and aunt, as some of you were," he began, and his voice was steady. "I refused to take the crown because I knew I was not yet ready for it. Then she came the moment that I most needed her, and she comforted me. And before I married her, I expected some sort of dilemma, uprising, even, but still, I went with my heart and married the woman that I loved. Little did I know that this uprising, this civil war, had the title of the Princess as a witch. I was very startled and equally dismayed. She was no witch. She was simply a girl from the countryside that I fell in love with. And she fell in love with me. It was as simple as that. Then came the revelation that she was the Princess Serenity, heiress of the crown of Moon. I have to declare that neither of us expected it or knew it in advance.

"I have tried to explain and negotiate with those that disagreed with Serena and I. No one listened. The official count and report of the war I have read. Seven thousand five hundred eleven men died, on both sides. Ten thousand six hundred ninety-four men are wounded. My sincerest condolences go out to all families who lost their loved ones. I thank you." He took a moment to collect himself here.

"We have all suffered losses. Therefore, I pardoned some and gave to the rest light penalties. There is to be no execution. I have lost my wife and gained a brother. Yet those do not measure. My wife meant to me more than anything else in this world. It's a dear loss to all those who loved her. She once told me that she wished to become the person that those who led the uprising wanted her to be. I told her that she should not change herself to the demands of others, just because there is a war and blood has been shed for her. My rage burns still for those who called her a witch and threw at her unreasonable and untrue accusations. But we have lost our cause, for she wished to save me that summer morning. I have grown weary of my days and my throne. It no longer means anything to me. Therefore, I give my crown to my brother, Robert Frank. Lord Henry Howard and Andrew Howard will assist him."

Henry stared. Everyone stared as he took the crown from his head and handed it to Henry. "Take it," Endymion whispered. "Take this and give it to

Robert, wherever he is. I love this kingdom. You'll not fail my expectations. Good-bye," he said, and turned, leaving.

He had packed everything. The servants pushed the trunks into the carriage, and he, with her in his arms, went into the carriage. The servant drove the carriage away.

Endymion, after putting his beloved on the bed, gave the servant a valuable coin and dismissed him. There were only two servants in that household.

One was a maid, who took care of the daily matters, including meals, and the other was the stableman.

When he came back, she stood at the door, her face grave.

"You gave up your crown for me," she whispered.

He nodded. "Yes."

She held open her arms and hugged him. "I didn't know…you really love me that much?"

"Of course. There's no point in being the Prince if you weren't with me. Now I only want to live a simple life with you by my side."

She smiled. "How did you know?"

"Your mother – Queen Serenity – told me that if I were to be with you every moment of the day, I had to give up my crown. It was a very easy choice."

"I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispered and bent, nibbling at her lip.

"You look deliciously fat," Endymion commented as he came to his wife's side in the garden.

She scowled at him, though a small smile tugged at her face. "That's because I'm heavy with your child, Endy."

He leaned down by her side and pressed his ear to her swollen belly, listening to the heartbeat inside, to the life that was so precious. "Are you feeling well?" he questioned, concern evident in his eyes.

"Well enough," she grinned, patting the bench next to her. "Come sit with me. It's quite rare nowadays for me to have a morning without our baby kicking me."

"It doesn't hurt, does it?" he asked anxiously, squeezing her hand.

"No, not in the sense you mean, Love," she smiled tenderly at him. "We're going to have a baby. What shall we name him or her?"

"We shall name her Serena," he said resolutely, drawing her against him.

"Endy," half-chiding, half-love.

He grinned at her, a handsome, devastatingly male expression. He laid his hands over her stomach, still awed by the fact that his baby was alive there.

"He just kicked," Endymion said wonderingly.

"Still can't make up your mind about what you want?" she said teasingly. "Alas, you've been switching between 'she' and 'he' ever since you found out about our baby."

"I'm content either—Serena!" he gripped her arms tight. "First of the labor contractions?"

Despite the pain of it, she laughed. Her husband knew more about labor than she did, and had scoured every book and every doctor available. But then again, he'd always liked to be in control, to know what was going on. The main reason, though, was because he wanted to know what was happening to his wife in every tremor to the delivery of the placenta. He wanted to make sure she was all right.

"Serena!" he sounded outraged, exasperated, and adoring at the same time.

"Sorry," she breathed hard. "Never mind that now." She gave another low moan of pain.

Endymion called for the butler to find the midwife and the doctor.

"Both, Sire?"

"Yes, both." As the butler hurried away, Endymion lifted her wife and carried her into the house and the master bedchamber, where he laid her upon the bed carefully.

"Endy?"

His head whipped up from lifting her skirts. "Yes?"

She framed his face with her hands and smiled. "I apologize in advance if I squeeze your hand too hard, or scream expletives, or threaten you or anyone else, or however else I may offend anyone."

He smiled and kissed her softly. "Ah, Love, no worries. I lost you once, I'm not going to lose you again."

She smiled and nodded.

Later, much, much later, Serena sighed contentedly with the baby asleep in her arms after feeding him. "It's a son, Endy," she said, smiling up at her husband.

"I know." He brushed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you, Beloved."

She smiled. "Let us name him Leto, in honor of your father."

"Leto?"

"Yes. Not exactly a variation of Leo, but similar enough," she smiled again.

Endymion hugged her tight. "Ah, my Love."

Serena smiled mistily, already noticing the signs of a great man in the son sleeping in her arms. After all, he had the blood of the moon. Smiling again, she kissed her husband, and said:

"He will do great deeds some day, Love."

So that's it for this one you guys! I hoped you all enjoyed it :D

Crystal Selena