Sailor Moon and her two sailor friends destroyed the youma. Neflite was still stunned after saving Molly. He had no idea why he did it. He just felt the urge to protect her from the monster. But what puzzled him even more was Sailor Moon. She, more or less, saved him from the youma, Yasha. He knew the youma came from Zoycite but of course he didn't have the proof.

Neflite watched as Sailor Moon ran over to Molly. She knelt down and cushioned Molly against her lap. Looking down, Neflite felt a sudden feeling of kindness. He had never had this feeling before, at least not that he could remember.

He shoved his hands in his pants pockets and was about to disappear before the scouts could question him. But before leaving he noticed a small round object in his pocket. Lifting it out he saw that it was the jewel Molly stole from her mother. He knelt down in front of Sailor Moon and placed the jewel in Molly's hands and then stood up to leave.

"Wait, Neflite. Where are you going? What about Molly? Don't you care about her?" Sailor Moon asked as she saw he was about to leave.

"I saved her life," Neflite said. He turned back to Sailor Moon.

"Yeah right. I'm not talking about that."

"What's wrong with you? Don't you have any heart?" Sailor Mercury asked

"There's no point in talking to him about heart." Sailor Mars stated.

"Ha. You people are so sure of yourselves. But once we find the Silver Moon Crystal, the Negaverse will finally rule the universe."

"Silver Moon Crystal? What is that?" Sailor Moon asked him. Luna, who was just a few feet away from the girls, wondered the same thing. Except she remembered hearing about the crystal.

"So you girls just keep fighting for your lofty truth and justice. Because very soon the Negaforce will be taking over. See ya." He walked away laughing and then disappeared.

"Ah. Maxfield," Molly moaned. She was starting to regain conscious.

"Umm...Molly," Sailor Moon started. She saw a flashing light out of the corner of her eye. Looking up she saw a falling star. I wish, I wish oh shooting star. If Neflite really cares for Molly, help him conquer the bitterness in his heart.

For a few minutes longer Molly rested against Sailor Moon until she was fully awake. The first thing she focused on was Sailor Moon. When she remembered the fight and saving Maxfield, she noticed he was no longer there. She bolted off Sailor Moon in a panic.

"Where's Maxfield?" she asked desperately.

"He left, Molly," Sailor Moon answered her.

"Where?" she asked.

"Molly, what is important here is that you understand that Maxfield is a dangerous man. That isn't his real name. He is trying to kill us and destroy the world," Sailor Mars answered. Sailor Moon was at a loss for words.

"If he's evil then why did he save me?" she argued back, tears starting to burn her eyes.

"That is a mystery," Mercury said.

"Come on, Molly, let's take you home," Sailor Moon offered, putting a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"No! He is kind and gentle. He would never hurt me," she cried. She pulled away from Sailor Moon's hand and ran off, tears falling freely.

"Molly, wait!" Sailor Moon was about to go after her but Sailor Mars stopped her.

"Let her go."

"She's my friend."

"Sailor Moon, in her present condition she doesn't want to hear anything. She just witnessed Neflite trying to kill you. That in itself tells her he is evil. She just doesn't want to believe it," Sailor Mercury said.

"Yeah, but she could be hurt, it is after midnight," Sailor Moon stated.

"If Neflite does have any feelings for her, he'll keep an eye on her. He saved her life and you saved his," Sailor Mars assured her.

"I only saved Neflite, because if I didn't destroy the monster, the monster would have gone after Molly again," Sailor Moon said. Or did I save Neflite for that reason?

* * * * * * * *

Molly ran down the street. She stopped for a moment to find that the scouts did not follow her. She continued on, this time walking. The tears were clouding her vision. Suddenly she felt something in her hands. She had a death grip on it. She looked at it to see it was the crystal she had given to Maxfield. She put it back in her pocket.

She sniffled as she walked, letting the tears run freely down her cheeks, while she wondered if any girl had ever been as confused about love as she was. Maxfield Stanton was so handsome and sophisticated; she could hardly believe that someone like him would ever notice her. Something strange always happened when she was with Maxfield. But now...she just didn't want to believe he would be that evil. His voice, his touch, the way he looked at her, were all so gentle. And though he was twice her age, she felt, deep down, an elemental, instinctive connection to him, something that she could never express in words but was undeniably there. Surely he had to feel it, too.

Behind her she heard the purr of a car engine at low speed, slowing down beside her. Belatedly she thought of kidnappers, and looked over her shoulder at the car. It was a red Ferrari. She stopped walking, and the car stopped next to her. Maxfield reached over and opened the passenger side door. No words passed between them; they simply looked at each other, until Molly decided to accept the unspoken invitation. She got into the car, fastened her seat belt, and closed the door.

They drove in silence through the city to the wooded foothills. At the end of a long, winding dirt road, a huge old mansion showed in the headlights through the trees. Maxfield pulled the car up near the front door and shut off the engine. The mansion and its surrounding pine trees looked ghostly in the moonlight.

He got out of the car first, came around, and opened her door for her. Then, with a hand lightly placed behind her shoulders, he guided her into the house. He didn't touch any buttons or switches, but lights came on and soft jazz music began playing from a sound system somewhere. This ground floor was one huge room. The room was decorated in lavish green leather sofas and chairs. Tables were also around the furniture. At the opposite end of the room were French double doors. Against one wall was a liquor shelf. Maxfield took off his jacket, then poured himself a glass of whiskey over ice. After looking Molly over with a calculating eye, he poured about an inch and a half of white wine into a goblet and handed it to her. She knew what wine tasted like but didn't have it every often, only at weddings and other special occasions.

Still without saying a word, Maxfield opened the French doors and guided her out onto the patio there. It was really more of a balcony, since the ground sloped away at the back of the house and from here one could look into the middle height of the trees a short distance away. He left the doors open so that the music drifted outside.

Molly leaned against the railing, looking out into the woods, which were dimly lit by the light from the house. Maxfield also leaned against the railing, sideways, facing her. There was a soft clink of ice as he sipped his drink. He finally spoke. "Why did you do it?"

She looked at him, "I don't understand."

"You understand more than you let on. Why did you risk your life to save mine? You must know the power of Sailor Moon's tiara trick."

"Yes, I have seen her use the tiara," she said thinking back to all the days Sailor Moon saved her with her tiara. She wondered why Maxfield's voice was now deeper than before. Now it sounded a little rough but still had kindness in it.

"You must have been frightened."

"Y-- yes I was a bit. But I knew she would find a way to stop it."

He turned to look at the woods, "It scared the hell out of me."

"Well what scared me more was what would her tiara do to you. I've seen the tiara destroy creatures."

"Why would it scare you more?"

"You heard me telling the Sailor Scouts."

"Yes, I did. But I want to hear from you."

"Well...it's because I love you." She had forgotten the glass of wine in her hand. She took a sip of the wine and it tasted like nothing she ever tasted before. It was sweet on her tongue.

"Humph. I'm incapable of love." He looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"How can you say that. You saved my life tonight."

"Sailor Moon tried to warn you about me, didn't she? You saw me try to kill her and the other Scouts tonight. And you must have noticed that I've got a wild reputation around town."

"Yes and I don't want to believe it."

"Well you should. I am an evil person."

"That's a lie. If you were an evil person, like Sailor Moon and you keep saying, then why did you bring me here." She walked over by him. "My heart tells me I'm on the right path."

"And what path is that?"

"You," she answered bluntly.

"Molly, like I said I'm incapable of love. I serve evil, steal energy and hope for world domination. What would your heart say to that?"

He was facing her now, and she met his eyes. "It says that liars are best at lying to themselves. You wouldn't believe how many people I met who had evil hearts and they are now my friends."

Abruptly, he turned away from her, and went to the railing at the far end of the balcony. They stood in silence for a long time, until a new song came on, a dreamy, sophisticated Big Band ballad. Molly heard Maxfield walk over to her. He took her hand and turned her to face him. "Will you dance?"

She smiled her answer, and set her drink down on top of the rail. He took her into his arms, and they began to dance. This was different from the formal waltz they had shared at the Diamond Embassy ball; this was closer, more casual, more intimate. Maxfield's right hand was at the small of her back; with his left hand he held her right hand against his shoulder. Her left hand gripped at his right shoulder, entangled in his long hair. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, he pulled her closer during the course of the dance until she could rest her head against his chest as they moved together. She closed her eyes and hoped she wouldn't start crying. If there was to be one perfect moment in her life, this was it, dancing so close with Maxfield under the moon and stars, alone except for the trees.

Too soon, the song ended; he held her a few seconds longer, then let go. He was still standing next to her, and she asked, "What was that song called?" She wanted to make sure she always remembered it.

"Moonlight Serenade, by Glenn Miller." After a moment, he added wryly, "How appropriate."

The mood was broken. Molly walked back to her drink on the rail. She picked up the goblet, fiddled with it, set it down again.

"I'll take you home now. Do you want to finish your drink?" Maxfield asked.

"No, not really. I don't drink wine very much," she said a little shy.

"I figured you didn't drink wine much. Just set your glass down. It will be picked up later." With another light touch on her shoulder he led her back to the car. He helped her get in before driving away. On the way back to the city, Molly leaned her head against the seat, trying to keep her eyes open. She didn't realize how tired she was until they left his home.

Neflite was holding her hand, she didn't seem to notice but at least she didn't object. He wasn't quite sure why he held her hand. But holding her small hand in his huge one, it gave a sense of peace. He hadn't felt peace in a very long time, not since before Queen Beryl attacked the Moon Kingdom.

Maxfield stopped the car in front of the jewelry store. He got out and opened the passenger door for Molly, then walked her to the private entrance that led to the second-floor apartment where Molly lived with her mother. They faced each other. Maxfield brushed his fingers along Molly's jawline. "I wish I could know what you know, Molly," he whispered.

"Just follow your heart. Your heart will lead you on the right path."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek quickly. She gasped a little, surprised. He pulled away, went back to his car, got in, and drove away. Molly stood, watching the taillights disappear into the city night. "You are a good man, Maxfield Stanton, even if you don't know it," she whispered. She quietly walked into her home. She knew her mother would still be up wondering where she was.

"Molly, where have you been?" her mother asked with relief.

"I'm sorry mother, but someone was in danger and I thought your crystal would help but it didn't. Here's the crystal back. I'm tired right now, I'm going to bed."

Molly turned and headed for her room. She put her pajamas on, got in bed, and fell asleep when her head hit the pillow. Her mother came in to check on her to find her asleep. She wanted to talk some more about tonight. But she guessed it had to wait. When she left the room and closed the door, a tall man stood behind the door. He was no longer wearing a suit. He was wearing his Negaverse uniform. He strolled over to Molly and watched her sleep. He had put a sleep spell on her so she would be able to sleep before school in the morning. He looked down at her sleeping form and kneeled down. He brushed a few of her bangs out of her eyes.

"What are you doing to me?" he whispered. "Every time I'm around you, I get these feelings that I never felt before." He really wanted so much to erase her memory of him attacking Sailor Moon. But he couldn't find the heart to do it. He created a chair with his powers to sit and watch her sleep. He too fell asleep.

Before the sun started to rise, he awoke. He knew she'd be up not long after the sun rose. So to be sure she wouldn't see him, he left, returning back to the Negaverse. But before leaving, he left a small gift behind, a single white rose by her head.

As he entered his own set of rooms, in his small castle, Zoycite hovered in mid air waiting for him.

"Well, well, well," she mocked. Neflite swung his head up in the air to find the little pipsqueak.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Neflite demanded.

"Just thought to let you know that Queen Beryl has lost her patience."

"Why would you care to tell me?"

"I don't."

"Then why don't you go back to your little love nest and leave my troubles with her majesty," Neflite snarled.

"Ohh. You will pay for that remark," Zoycite hissed and disappeared.

After Zoycite was gone, Neflite went to the throne room and had an all out bitch session with her majesty.

"Neflite, you have failed again!" Beryl roared. "You used precious amounts of energy and didn't even capture any of those scouts! You are as incompetent as Jedite! I think it's high time to appoint someone new for the job. You fail one more time, you'll suffer the same fate as Jedite, understand!"

"Yes, your majesty," Neflite said, bowing. He took a quick glance to his left and saw Zoycite, silently chuckling. Anything further Queen Beryl said, Neflite didn't hear. He was silently vowing to get his revenge on Zoycite, that little pipsqueak.

When Neflite was back in his small castle, he went over to his wine cellar and poured himself a goblet of wine and then went and sat down on his throne.

He wanted to come up with away to get rid of Sailor Moon but all he could think about was Molly. He kept thinking how her hair smelled like fresh wildflowers when they danced, how her skin felt when he kissed her cheek. He couldn't get her out of his mind.

He knew it was foolish for him to kiss her but he couldn't stop himself. When he had kissed her cheek he wanted so much to kiss her lips but couldn't bring himself to do it. It was like fate was pointing him down a different direction or worse yet the power of the stars. Finally, after a few hours of thinking of Molly, he started wondering how Sailor Moon knew Molly. He tried to come up with his own conclusion.

Zoycite was behind one of the pillars listening. Zoycite was trying to find a weakness to be able to destroy Neflite. After a little while of listening she almost heard Neflite mumble Molly's name but Zoycite heard Queen Beryl call her and left her position, promising to be back.