One Little Hangover Changes Everything

by Lady Espresso

Dr. Darien Shields is being driven away from his apartment because he fears his roommate's girlfriend. Will Serena step and play the role of girlfriend, or will she refuse and feed Darien to the lion of her cousin?

One Little Hang Over Changes Everything Parts 1-4A

By: sailor_cappuchino

expressoncream@hotmail.com

Chapter One - The Hang Over (Revised)

Rating: PG13

10/19/02

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The front door creaked as it opened. She hadn't meant

to come home drunk, but a very nice guy had offered her

drinks, so she accepted. Stumbling into her apartment,

she was unaware that her roommate's friend was lying on

the couch. She tripped on a bump in the entry rug, and

toppled to the floor. Rolling around on the floor,

struggling out of her coat and boots, laughter flooded

the apartment. The lights went on and she shielded her

eyes.

"Ugh. What the heck? Who turned on the light?" she

managed to giggle out.

"What's with all the noise?" asked her sleepy roommate,

Andrew from just outside his door, donning a pair of scooby

-doo boxers and green beater.

"Just a drunk Meatball head." his friend muttered,

standing near the light switch rubbing his eyes. She pulled

herself into sitting position, propped up against the couch.

"Leave me alone Darien. Can't I come home one night

without finding you here?" she tried to stand, but found it

hilarious and so decided the floor looked and felt comfortable

enough.

"It's like we're married." she muttered the last part.

"Serena, you're drunk." Darien crouched down next to

her ready to pick up her thin frame.

"Oh leave her on the floor, Dare. A stiff neck, sore

back, and one hell-of-a headache will teach her." Andrew yawned

and then returned to his room, the door closing loudly behind

him.

"He's just mad that I woke him up from his dream about

Min." she giggled.

"Alright Meatball head, you've had your fun for tonight."

he said and swept her into his arms. Heading toward her

assigned abode, she pouted all the way down the hall.

"B-but I wanna stay up a lil longer. I-" he

unceremoniously tossed her onto her bed. "Hey! What was that for?"

she cried throwing a pillow at him. Skillfully dodging it,

laughter spouted from his mouth and a wide smile took hold

of his lips.

"Get some sleep Meatball head. You'll feel like shit in

the morning." with that, he turned off her bedroom light and

shut the door.

"Jerk! she cried before burying her still makeup covered

face in her pillow and preparing for hangover that was to

come along with the sun. Darien smiled and shook his head

before returning to his spot on the couch.

***The Next Morning***

A vision of loveliness stole his attention as her

small form leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen.

Peering up from the smudged black ink of the city newspaper,

he smiled slightly. Never had he enjoyed seeing such a

girl. Something in his mind seemed to conclude that he

wouldn't mind waking up next to her.

"Morning Sunshine." he murmured and then chuckled

when he received a murderous glare.

"Morning jerk." she grumbled and walked over to the

refrigerator, hitting him lightly in the back of the

head on the way.

"Have fun last night?" he asked as he got up to get

another cup of coffee, the steaming black liquid of

the first having disappeared.

"I think so...." she held a slim hand to her head

gently, a frown marring her perfect features. Before

reaching for the coffee pot, he set his mug upon the

counter and wrapped an arm around the distressed blonde,

pulling her to him. Relaxing and resting her head on his

chest, she sighed, clearly miserable.

"Aww. Poor meatball head has a hangover." he whispered

and kissed her forehead softly. Saying she was stunned,

would be a definite understatement. Gently pulling away

he poured himself a glass of coffee and returned to the

table. After glancing at what she was wearing, he found

her lithe form to be clothed in blue pajama pants with a

white tank top, and matching blue slippers on her feet.

Her waist length blonde hair was pulled up into a loose

ponytail. She poured herself a mug of coffee as well,

oblivious to his stare and sat down at the table also.

"Problems with your roommate?" she asked and peered

over her steaming cup at him. He sighed. "Knew it." she

smiled, satisfaction clearly evident, for she enjoyed knowing

she was right. "Tell him to move out." she said simply, with

a little shrug of her shoulders.

"I couldn't do that." he replied, shaking his head.

"Why not?" she persisted.

"Because I suppose it's not his fault."

"Huh?" she scratched her head slightly in confusion.

Her confused actions caused him to sigh.

"It's his girlfriend."

"What about her?"

"She's a complete bitch and she hits on me all the time."

"Oh." Serena looked away. 'baka, don't pry.' her mind

scolded. "Well, then just tell her to stop." She simply shrugged

once more and took a sip of her coffee.

"It's not that simple. I want to basically show her I'm

off limits." He replied dryly and took a drink of his coffee.

"Well, good luck trying to find someone to pretend to be

your girlfriend, Darien." she remarked and patted his shoulder

as she stood, getting ready to go over to the counter to put

her now empty mug in the sink.

"Actually, I've already found the girl I want to be able

to pull it off." he said as he turned a page of the paper, acting

nonchalant.

"Really? Who?" she asked interested, wrapping her arms about

his shoulders from behind. 'I wonder who would be dumb enough to play

'Future Mrs. Shields' '

"You." he replied without turning his head.

"And what makes you think I'd pretend to be your girlfriend?"

she asked, whispering it in his ear softly.

"Because if you don't, I'll tell Andrew who really hid his

picture of Mina." She released her hold.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh wouldn't I?" he replied, his eyebrows raising.

"Oh I hate you. You know that." she huffed and crossed her

arms. He stood up, and held her by her arms.

"Of course, but you'll learn to love me sooner or later."

"Doubt it." she shot back, and stepped out of his hold.

"So, when's this supposed to happen?"

"Tonight. I'll pick you up at 7. We'll all go out to a dance

club and then we'll go back to my apartment." Her eyes grew wide at

the thought of his apartment. She had always avoided going there, but

she couldn't explain why.

"Your apartment?" she asked somewhat softly, afraid of his

answer.

"Of course." But as he looked at her uneasy eyes, his mind

clicked. He grinned. "Sere, don't worry. It'll be okay. You won't

have to spend the night there or anything." She released a trapped

breath. "But I know you'd want to." he added and dodged her fist.

"Just keep telling yourself that." Serena muttered and

walked out of the kitchen, heading towards her room.

"I don't have to. Andrew told me." he replied smugly,

following her. She spun on her heel so fast he about walked into

her.

"Listen Shields." she poked him in the chest. "I only think of

you as a friend, and you're lucky it's even that." with that said, she

turned to go to her room, holding a hand to her head and muttering

about that dark haired jerk who practically lived in her apartment.

But she didn't get to her room alone.

Instead, he followed her, and sat down on her bed. She hadn't

noticed, until she sat on him. She jumped slightly as his arms wrapped

around her waist. After about 2 seconds she realized who it was and

sighed.

"I could definitely get used to this." he whispered huskily

into her ear.

"Oh, shut up." she grumbled and kicked off the floor, causing

him to fall back. "There, now I have a body pillow." she laughed softly

as she twisted in his arms to get comfortable. He smirked.

"We'll end up here eventually, only some things'll be different."

he replied as he pulled her closer and rested his chin on top of her head.

"Doubt it. You'll always be Shields, and.." she pulled away

slightly to look him in the eyes. "nothing will change that." she

finished before laying her head back down on his chest and closing

her eyes, strangely contented.

'Oh just wait my little Sere. I'll be here when you need me.'

with that last thought he tightened his grip, closed his eyes, and

fell asleep, the faint scent of strawberries and vanilla around him.

Serena woke from her dream feeling oddly warm and safe. Her

eyes opened, and she looked up to find Darien's sleeping form next

to her, his arms still around her tightly, yet gentle at the same

time. She attempted to scoot away, thoughts swimming through her

head. Yet his arms only seemed to tighten.

"Stop moving Meatball head." came the sleepy voice of Darien.

She immediately ceased all movement, and inhaled sharply when she was

pulled under him with surprising ease.

"Hey, get off me." she managed to say, her eyes going wide

with surprise.

"I see that your hangover's gone. Sleep was all you needed." he

replied and got up.

"Doctors orders." she mumbled, her blue eyes narrowing.

"No one would know better than a doctor." Darien nodded.

"Doctor Darien Shields, hangover expert, king of jerks,

and yet, so handsome it seems a terrible waste." she replied as

she got out of the bed. He had her in his arms once again.

"A waste to be so handsome? Care to explain?" he asked

with a slight grin. She stared into his amazingly dark blue eyes

defiantly.

"Yes a waste. All those looks, yet no feelings or emotions

to back them up. For all we know, you could even not be human." she

replied, and began to run her hands from his neck, down his back and

shoulders, across his stomach, before he caught her hands.

"What are you doing?" he asked, shocked. she grinned.

"Searching for a switch."

"What for?"

"You're creator obviously made a glitch in the system. Don't

worry, I'll fix it." He chuckled.

"Sorry sweetheart. I'm no robot." he replied, as he wrapped

his arms around her waist once more.

'Wish you were, because you're too good to be real.' her mind

said with a sigh.

"Don't call me that."

"What?"

"Sweetheart."

"Get used to it for now."

"Why?" she pouted, his presence beginning to unnerve her.

"Because you're my girlfriend remember?" he whispered in her

ear, his breath tickling her. She laughed softly.

"That tickles." she said pulling away. The phone rang and she

slipped out of his hold to answer it. 'Saved by the..umm....ring' "Hello?"

"Serena, I called Darien's apartment, and this horrible woman

answered. She said he was over at his girlfriend's, and she hadn't seen

him since last night. Is he there?" she heard the familiar voice of

Darien's mother.

"Of course he's here. No other place to go I suppose. Yes, he

spent the night here, hiding from that woman. Hang on, let me get him."

She handed Darien the phone. "It's your mom." she mouthed as she placed

the phone in his hand. He sent her a glare before taking the phone.

"Hello?"

"Ha! that's what you get for tickling me!" she whispered and

stuck out her tongue. He wrapped an arm around her.

"Darien, darling. Who is that terrible girl that answered

your phone?"

"My roommate's girlfriend, Rebecca Beryl." Serena's mouth fell

open as he said her name.

"Oh, it's on now." Serena said as she cracked her knuckles.

Darien raised an eyebrow at her reaction.

"Oh darling, I think you should tell your roommate not to

allow her in that apartment ever again! She's simply dreadful."

"I know Mother. I'm planning on making her leave tonight.

I'm taking Serena out and then back-"

"Oh! Finally you two decided to date." his mother sighed as

if she was greatly relieved.

"Uh...mom, what are you talking about? Serena agreed to help me

get her out of my hair."

"Oh." Darien thought he detected sadness. "Well, I just wanted

to invite you and your 'girlfriend' to dinner tomorrow night." his

mother stressed 'girlfriend' and then laughed afterward.

"I've gotta go, Mom. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Come to dinner, and bring Serena!" his mother commanded in a

stern voice and then he hung up.

"Well, I guess you've got to do me another 'favor'." Darien said and grinned as he set the phone on her desk.

"Huh?" Serena raised an eyebrow, confused.

"My mother wants me and you to come to dinner tomorrow night at their house."

"But, you told her I wasn't your girlfriend! Why would she want me there?" Serena whined as she went over to her closet.

"She's going to try and set us up, I think." he replied as he went over to the closet, following her.

"Where are we going tonight?" she asked, changing the subject. The thought of her and Darien as a couple was ludicrous! It was unthinkable, and she preferred not to think about it.

"The Ocean Floor."

"A dance club?" she peaked her head out of her closet to give him a quizzical look.

"Well, that's where Mike and Rebecca are going. I guess maybe it'd be a double date." he said and grinned.

"Don't grin like that!" she sighed and went back to looking for an outfit. His body being so close made her stomach flip wildly.

"Why can't I?" he pouted.

"Because it's a grin that basically says, 'I'm getting laid'!" she called from the closet. He laughed.

"Really?"

"Yes! So don't do that." she said as she exited her closet, an outfit in hand.

"Is that what you're wearing?" he asked curiously.

"Yep. You have a problem Dr. Shields?" she quipped and crossed her arms after laying the garments on the bed.

"No. I'm sure you'll look gorgeous, just like always." Serena was caught off guard. "Anyway, I have to go to work. I'll be back at 6:30." he said and kissed her forehead before leaving the room.

"Stop acting like a boyfriend will you!? That's why I stay single! You're too mushy!" she called and heard the front door open and close. Sighing, she grabbed a towel and went into her bathroom, preparing to take a shower and go to work. During the weekends, for fun, she worked as a waitress at her best friend, Lita's, small diner. It was called "L Jupiter". Jumping in the shower quickly, she hurriedly washed her hair and scrubbed her body. The hangover was fastly fading and she was grateful for that. Suddenly, the full idea of what she was about to do hit her and she banged her head against the wall. She'd just agreed to pretend to be Darien's girlfriend for as long as it took for Beryl to get the picture he was off limits. Sighing, she remembered that Beryl hardly ever gave up on anything, being the determined, snob she was. Oh, how Serena loathed Rebecca Beryl.

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End of Chapter 1! Sorry it's short, but I'm afraid my chapters are usually shorter. heh heh....I just can't write much at a time. Review me plz! But only if they are nice reviews!

Chapter 2- The Date

10/23/02

PG-13

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ReCaP:

Suddenly, the full idea of what she was about to do hit her and she banged her head against the wall. She'd just agreed to pretend to be Darien's girlfriend for as long as it took for Beryl to get the picture he was off limits. Sighing, she remembered that Beryl hardly ever gave up on anything, being the determined snob she was. Oh, how Serena loathed Rebecca Beryl.

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She winced as the pain of her hangover combined with the pain from her head movement. After she reasoned with herself that she shouldn't do that again, she finished her shower and turned off the water. Ringing out her hair and wrapping a towel around her body, she stepped out of the shower and peered at her face in the mirror.

"I wonder what it would be like to be his real girlfriend." She wondered out loud and then when the fact that she had said that registered in her mind, she almost smacked herself. Glancing at the tacky ill clock on the wall, the time startled her. She was supposed to be at the restaurant in 20 minutes to meet the girls. With a sigh of frustration, she whirled into her room and grabbed her favorite jeans which were faded flares from Abercrombie and Fitch along with a tight pink midriff. Not forgetting that it was about 40º outside, she pulled out a black cardigan and her doc boots. Hurriedly pulling on the articles of clothing she then rushed to her vanity and picked up her brush. Her wet, waist-length, golden blonde hair was not going to help her stay healthy if she ran outside with it like that. Turning her blow-dryer on full blast her hair was dry in 10 minutes flat. After brushing her teeth and applying her makeup, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and then ran out of the apartment, momentarily pausing at the

door to grab her coat and scarf, with only 5 minutes to get to her destination on time. Plowing through the crowds on the sidewalk, she reached the diner, which was 5 blocks away from her apartment building, breathless and two minutes late, but those two minutes had been consumed as she watched a familiar couple lip locked in the middle of the sidewalk. She spotted three heads occupying her 'sacred' booth and wondered where the fourth was only briefly.

Deciding not to be even later, she walked over while unbuttoning

her black pea coat she had bought from American Eagle the year before.

"Where's Amy?" she inquired as she slid into her usual spot. "It's unlike her not to be here. She's never late." Just as Serena finished her sentence, a blue-haired woman hurried into the restaurant and over to the booth.

"I'm sure she'll be here soon. Oh, and by the way, you don't have to help out today. I'm taking the day off too, let the staff earn their paychecks for once." Lita smiled and winked.

"Sorry, I'm late. I ran into Greg on the way here, and I just had to talk to him. He's visiting his parents for a few weeks." Amy offered an excuse but they all stared at her strangely anyway.

"You're a little bit flustered, Amez. Care to explain?" Raye demanded. They all turned to her concerned and Amy blushed.

"Well....I...umm.... Well" she attempted to explain until Serena held up her hand.

"I saw you on my way here, lip-locked with the now known hottie. Way to go." she laughed and made room for Amy. Mina, Raye, and Lita gasped in unison.

"Really?"

"Oh my god!"

"I knew it!"

Amy blushed and then sent a glare to Serena, who just laughed. After a few minutes the subject was changed and Amy felt relieved.

"Any new things going on?" she ventured. Suddenly, Serena sighed. Before she could spill her story, the waiter came up to them. After checking him out, Serena decided she wasn't interested and ordered.

"I'll take a French cappuchino and your fabulous piece of apple pie." came Raye's order.

"A cheeseburger and Pepsi." Lita demanded.

"Water and a Caesar salad." Mina piped out.

"A dr. pepper and chili dog." Serena replied with a polite, smile. They all peered at her curiously. A chili dog meant something. It sent them a secret message.

"I'll have an iced tea with lemon and a slice of the delicious strawberry cheese cake." Amy requested, polite and friendly as usual. When the waiter was far enough away so as to be out of the hearing range, they all turned curious eyes towards Serena.

"What's up?" Mina asked, hyper and peppy as usual. The girls could have sworn she was a cheerleader in high school, which Mina tried to reassure them she wasn't, many times over.

"What?" Serena asked innocently, she was slightly confused at them for asking. It was 'unSerena-like' to only order a chili dog and a soda. Normally, she ordered a full pie with at least two cheeseburgers. It was then that she realized her grave error.

"Spill. It's not like you to not each much. Something's on your mind, Meatball brains, and we want to know what." Raye demanded as she laid her folded arms on the table and stared intently into Serena's eyes. She couldn't lie. After a sigh of confession, she told them about the whole thing. When she was done, they all seemed to have strange looks on their faces.

"Well........you guyz! Say something please?" she asked in a weak voice. Silently, Raye motioned for Lita to take the spotlight. Emerald green glared at violet. There was a clash. Violet won.

"I think you should do it." Lita said, feigning confidence.

"WHAT?!?" Serena all but screamed. She expected them to tell her shouldn't do it. That it was dangerous to pretend to be someone's girlfriend, if only for a little bit. The two always ended up falling in love. 'and that's not what you want to do, is it?' the cruel voice in her head asked. Ignoring that, she turned pleading eyes to Mina.

"You hid my picture from Andrew?" Mina asked, confused. Suddenly something in her mind clicked. "Andrew got a picture of me? From who? Was it my bad side?" Serena was about to strangle the flaxen haired blonde across the table, but only settled for banging her own head upon the table.

"I think you should go for it. It might turn out great. You said his mother, Audrey, called your apartment after Beryl told her he was at his girlfriend's? She automatically assumed you two were an item?" Amy asked, effectively changing the subject. Serena sent a silent thank you to her with her eyes and then that idea registered in her mind.

"Come to think of it, yes. She did." she mused. Raye began to laugh and Lita was way ahead of her. "What's so funny guys?" Amy sighed.

"It's quite simple really. Even his mother thinks you two would be a great pair." The waiter suddenly appeared with their orders, for none of them took very long.

"Here you are ladies. Would you like or do you need anything else?" he asked, flashing them a dazzling smile, which Amy ignored. Serena shrugged off, Raye merely raised an eyebrow at, and Mina smiled slightly, thoughts of Serena's sandy blonde headed roommate in her bubbly head.

"I'd like a date." Lita replied boldly. He grinned.

"I was hoping you'd ask." he replied and that forced Serena to roll her eyes.

'Oh please! he's totally crunching on her. He's been flirting with her probably before I even got here.' Serena watched amused, to say the least, as he handed her a napkin with something written on it. She winked and stuck it into her jacket pocket.

"Umm.....well....I'd like to eat my food now. So, could you go away for awhile. The sexual frustration emanating from your body is making it hard to breath." Serena bit out as politely as possible. In fact, she plastered on a smile before she had said anything. He nodded having obviously not heard her, and left, as she had requested. Lita just watched him walk away, her cheeseburger getting cold as the seconds ticked past. Picking up the cheeseburger and dangling it in front of Lita's face, Serena sighed. "Open up, love struck teen version of Lita. You've gotta eat or you won't have the energy to finish the deed tonight." she smirked when Lita's mouth opened, her eyes still focused on the retreated waiter's back. Taking her chance, Serena stuffed nearly half of the cheeseburger into her mouth, thoroughly getting the attention of a very MAD Lita.

"What did you do that for?" Lita cried indignantly.

"You were drooling." Serena shrugged.

"Guys, can you please shut up?" Amy asked. They nodded.

"So.......who got some last night or this week at all?" Mina inquired. Serena set down her dr. pepper and raised her hand. They all laughed.

"So the wonder woman had a catch. When?" Raye chuckled. (girls can chuckle. It's almost like a giggle half laugh...) Serena smirked.

"Wouldn't you like to know." she teased and stuck out her tongue.

"Awww.....come on Sere. Don't hold out on us. How big?"

"Well, it was three nights ago tonight. After I got home and discovered Darien crashing on the couch, I decided to go out to a club for a few hours, to blow off some steam. Typical bad frustrating day at work right? Well, there's this cute little shaggy haired brunette guy, I figured around 25. It turned out, he was French, and was worse in bed than he was in speaking English."

"Not fluent in the language I take it?" Raye ventured. Serena nodded.

"Or the sack?" Lita piped in. Serena nodded again.

"Damn. He was like......a virgin or something. I don't know. He was kinda stuttery and clumsy. It was like the guy had no idea he was a guy at all. He just woke up one day and POOF he had a dick." Serena shook her head and took a bite of her chili dog.

"Weird. You know, it might have been his first time."

"Or he could be leaning both ways." Amy blurted. They all shared a laugh.

"Somehow, I don't think so." Serena replied, stifling her laughter.

"Anyway, anyone else?" Mina asked.

"Nope. Not since last time." came Lita's reply.

"Tonight." Raye replied, as if it was a guarantee. Serena raised an eyebrow, but decided not to ask. It would be better if she avoided a fight.

"Not really. Give me a day or two. I'm working on it." Amy replied, a slight blush tinting her cheeks.

"Well I think I should just stop denying the inevitable, and ask Andrew out." Mina sighed and sipped her tea. Serena nodded.

"About time." she replied. "You guys, what am I going to wear?" she asked all-of-a sudden panicking.

"Don't worry. Wear your red strapless, salsa dress. You'll look killer. We bought it on our last shopping trip." Raye supplied.

"Oh, and I know the perfect shoes! Those red heels that had laces that wrap around your legs and tie just below your knees." Mina gushed.

Serena laughed.

"At least I can count on you guys to help out. Do you know my entire wardrobe or something?"

"Just about." Raye replied with a shrug. The group finished their lunch, split the bill, and parted, after Lita had reminded Serena that she was supposed to help her out tomorrow at her little diner. Serena checked her watch and cursed. Offering to help Molly at Hogan's Hospital with secretarial work, had been a bad idea. She couldn't stand being in one for very long. Something about the smell and needles, made her nervous. Checking her reflection in a window before entering through the sliding glass doors, she sighed. "Just three hours of helping Molly, and then you can go home. This was supposed to be your day off, Serena." she told herself and then entered, gliding gracefully to the secretary desk where Molly stood waiting.

"There you are! It's about time! Come on." with that said, Molly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her off towards the elevator.

"Where are we going?" Serena asked, not helping but pear around the hallway as she was dragged along.

"To the 5th floor. The secretary station there is a mess! I take ONE week off, just ONE week, and the entire hospital is crumbling to pieces." Molly raged. Serena opted to stay silent and listen rather than interject. "I guess there was one sane person here while I was gone. Honestly, I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been for Dr. Shields." Serena gave a start at the name.

"Darien Shields?" Her mouth dropped open. Molly turned to her slightly

confused.

"Yes. Of course. How do you know him?"

"He's my roommate's best friend. He camped out there last night." Serena replied, still somewhat shocked.

"Well, you would be doing good to snag a guy like that. He's polite, well-mannered, handsome, hell....if I wasn't married to your crazy cousin Melvin, then I would chase him!" Molly laughed softly and the elevator doors opened. She promptly began to drag Serena again. Catching a sign that read 'Pediatrics' Serena didn't need to force a smile. It came naturally, oddly enough seeing as how she was in a hospital. Halting at the secretary desks, Serena looked on in horror. Files and forms were scattered everywhere.

"Oh my god! It looks like a fucking tornado went through this place." Serena commented, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, I know. But, would you watch your language Serena. We're on the

children's floor of the hospital." Molly lectured. Serena apologized before setting to work. "I'll be back in three hours. I have some rounds to make. I swear if you turn your back for a minute, the secretaries are back to playing with their slinkies and giving themselves manicures while talking to Melba in Baghdad on the phone." with that, Molly disappeared. Serena gazed around her at the cluttered

files and scattered piles of unattended papers. Cracking her knuckles, she went to work. Just because she wasn't getting paid, didn't mean she needed to do a half-ass job. It was a favor for Molly, who was not only a relative, but a longtime friend. Exactly three hours and forty-two minutes later, Serena was lazily reclining in the desk chair, she feet propped up on the clean counter. Molly had still not returned, and neither had the secretaries. Someone cleared their throat from the other side of the counter and she swung her head to see who it was. Darien stood with a clipboard in his hands. A white doctor coat covered his toned body and reading glasses were perched on his nose.

"Serena?" his surprise was clearly evident on his face.

"Yeah? Hi Darien." she replied with a slight smile.

"I-I didn't know you work here."

"I don't." she replied simply

"Well....what are you doing here then?" he almost demanded. She stood from her seat.

"My friend Molly asked me to help out. I cleaned up the secretary station." she shrugged. "Actually, she was supposed to be here about an hour ago, but she hasn't shown up."

"I ran into her about a half an hour ago. She had to help with a doctor who was dealing with a labor patient. It might take hours." he told her. She looked away.

"Oh. Okay." came her uncomfortable reply. Finally, after a few more moments of silence and fidgeting she threw her hands up into the air. "I HATE HOSPITALS!" she cried and ran around the counter and into his awaiting arms.

"Wha? How come?" he asked, having been caught off-guard by her confession.

"The thought of all the needles and blood. The sickness." she shuddered.

"It makes my stomach turn." with that, she found a spot in his shoulder to hide her face. A vibrating sound reached her ears as he chuckled.

"That's what hospitals are, Serena. A place to help keep people healthy. To treat and comfort the sick." he rubbed her back softly.

"I don't care. I've always avoided going to a hospital. Small clinics, I'm fine, but big hospitals with all that medical equipment and surgical utensils." she shuddered again. He smiled and hugged her soothingly.

"It's okay. A lot of people are scared of needles."

"I'm not scared. I'm terrified of them." she replied, trying vainly to stick her head farther into his shoulder.

"Oh there you are Serena! I'm so sorry I'm - oh! Hello Dr. Shields."

the Brooklyn accent of Molly reached Serena's ears, and she immediately separated herself from Darien. Blushing furiously and turning away from him to hide it, she looked over to Molly. "Sorry for interrupting, but Serena, I need your help with one of the patients. I believe you know him." Serena looked at her oddly before nodding her head, all evidence of the blush gone.

"What's his name?"

"A Mr. Luke Dargoon." Molly replied. Serena gasped and a hand flew to her mouth.

"Wha-what happend?" Tears welled up in her eyes. Luke had been her dance partner in a class she had taken awhile back, to help her moves on the dance floor.

"A car accident. His leg is crushed." Molly shook his head.

"B-but how do you need my help."

"I asked if he wanted me to call anyone to let them know, he said your name, and I informed him that you were in the building. He seemed pretty excited despite his injury." Molly replied with a raised eyebrow. Feeling the need to explain, Serena gave them a short summary on how she met him, and then they were off. She waved a quick good-bye to Darien as she disappeared around a corner. Taking the elevator up two floors her heart stopped as she did in front of a closed door. "Go on in, Serena. He's waiting." with a gentle nudge from Molly, Serena slowly turned the door handle and they went in. The lights were out and suddenly they were flipped on as several people yelled "Surprise!"

"Ahhhh!!! Serena screamed jumping at least five feet in the air. Crammed into the room were all her friends and family. After a few minutes of calming the fuming blonde, they moved her over to a table where piles of presents were waiting.

***Three hours Later***

Serena sat in her bedroom, the boxes of unwrapped presents cluttered in her room. Sighing sadly, she allowed her eyes to travel to the small picture frame that rested on her nightstand. Icy green eyes stared back at her through a smirking face and she shivered before quickly turning the picture side down. Glancing at the clock in hopes of there being enough time for her to take nap, she found, to her dismay, that there was not. Dragging her body towards her bathroom, she made a mental checklist on her outfit for tonight. After a long shower her white terry cloth-robed form returned to her bedroom. Andrew hadn't returned from his work at the Newspaper yet, and she had the weekends off but worked long shifts at times that went long into the night, so they hardly saw each other accept for late at night in the kitchen when they were getting midnight snacks. There were occasional work holidays and such, where they would spend the day together, but those were few and very far between. Slipping into her outfit after blow-drying her hair she went and stood in front of her mirror. The girls had been right about one thing. The dress was perfect. Running a hand through her long golden mane, she tried to think of something to do with it. An idea came to her. Digging out the curling iron from her vanity drawer, she plugged it in and waited for it to get hot. An hour later, Serena's hair was in perfect banana curls with hair jewels twinkling. Fastening ruby stars in her ears, she turned to her makeup. Black/kohl eyeliner, black mascara with a bit of red at the tips of her long lashes, and glossy red lipstick, the no smudge kind. Applying the finishing touches to her appearance which included a golden necklace with a star shaped ruby, a gold ring, and the suggested red shoes, she then snatched the matching red purse and stuffed some things in it. Hearing the front door open, she figured it was Andrew.

"Hey Andy! Can you come here a sec?" she called. There had been just one thing wrong with the dress. She couldn't get it clipped in the back.

"It's not him, meatball head. It's me." came the smooth deep voice from the other side of her door. She jumped slightly.

"Ohwell, fine, you'll do. Get in here." she replied. The door opened and he entered obediently.

"What's the problem?" he asked raising an eyebrow. She turned her back to him and pulled away her hair.

"I need you to clasp that stupid clip in the back. I can't get it." she replied. Approaching her, he swallowed hard. Most of the dress was formfitting, except for the skirt which fluttered slightly from her hips to her knees, where her shoes began just shortly under. Fearing his hands would shake, he hurriedly did as she had asked and pulled away.

"You look wonderful." he complimented. She turned toward him slowly, taking in his appearance as well. Khakis, black shirt. His hair was styled the same as ever, with a few strands boyishly falling into his eyes as he looked down at her.

"You almost look human." she replied, a slight smile upon her red lips. Darien's breath caught for a moment as she smiled.

"Ready?" he grinned. She inhaled a breath and released it before nodding and following him out of her room. After helping her into her coat, he opened the door.

"This better not come back to bite me in the ass, Shields." she warned with a slight smile, showing that she wasn't particularly happy about this. He smiled slightly and slipped an arm around her waist. They walked down the hall towards the elevator like two people slightly nervous around each other. The elevator ride changed nothing but how uneasy Serena felt around him. She couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with his arm wrapped around her waist. 'This is just too odd. Oh what in the hell have you gotten yourself into this time?

I thought you promised not to do anything stupid anymore.' hissed a voice in her mind. She frowned and made sure to turn her head so that her face was out of Darien's view. 'Oh shut up.' she told the voice. Not hearing a reply of retaliation, she turned her head to look up at Darien. Surprisingly, he was looking down at her. Their faces were inches apart. She blushed slightly and lowered her head, opting to look at his chest instead.

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Hey there. Sorry this chapter is so short.....but notepad ran out of room. I'll right more as soon as I can.....but the bad thing is....I've been concentrating on this story more than 'How Much I Hate About You' and I need to finish it's current chapter.....or someone (not mentioning any names) is gonna get very mad. Anyway....I hope you liked it. Stay tuned for the next chapter. I wonder how the date is gonna go........

Chapter 3-It's Always Better at the End

10/22/02

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*********************ReCaP:

"This better not come back to bite me in the ass, Shields." she warned with a slight smile, showing that she wasn't particularly happy about this. He smiled slightly and slipped an arm around her waist. They walked down the hall towards the elevator like two people slightly nervous around each other. The elevator ride changed nothing but how uneasy Serena felt around him. She couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with his arm wrapped around her waist. 'This is just too odd. Oh what in the hell have you gotten yourself into this time? I thought you promised not to do anything stupid anymore.' hissed a voice in her mind. She frowned and made sure to turn her head so that her face was out of Darien's view. 'Oh shut up.' she told the voice. Not hearing a reply, she turned her head to look up at Darien. Surprisingly, he was looking down at her. Their faces were inches apart. She blushed slightly and lowered her head, opting to look at his chest instead.

**********************************************************************

"So, where are we going again?" she asked, desperate to relieve the tension that she obviously felt in the air.

"The Ocean Floor. It's a dance club, remember?" he replied.

"What? Oh! Oh yes, of course." she replied, her stomach did a flip at the thought. Dancing, the one thing that she loved to do more than anything in the world, besides shop. She jumped slightly when the elevator lurched to a stop.

The large doors opened and Darien gently began to lead her out. Discovering her own hand to be latched onto the cold metal of the railing, she fought to let go, but was stunned to find that she could not. Darien looked at her oddly, for her face had became suddenly pale.

"Serena, we have to go now." he said softly as he slipped an arm around her waist, his hand gently prying her fingers from the bar. She swallowed and he pulled her slowly out of the elevator. "You're looking rather pale. Are you alright?" he inquired as he led her out of the apartment complex and towards his car.

"I'm fine." she replied, trying desperately to ignore the wonderful smell of his cologne, that was making her lightheaded.

'mmmmmm...' her mind drifted.

"Are you sure you're fine? You ate lunch didn't you?" he pressed on, turning her in his arms and giving her a searching look. She looked away.

"Yes, Darien. Yeesh, I said I'm fine. Now lets get on with this. I want to get this over with ASAP. I hate Beryl." she replied. He opened her door before helping her into his car. Running over to the other side, he slid behind the steering wheel and revved the engine before driving off. He noted, from the corner of his eye, that her slim graceful fingers played with the sleeve of her jacket. Relieved would not have been the exact word Serena felt when they pulled up in front of 'The Ocean Floor.' It's neon blue lights glared back at her through the window, and she began to regret agreeing to this, even though he had threatened to rat her out to Andrew. Darien parked the car with ease and they got out. Upon entering the lavish, large, popular, dance club, they hung up their coats, and were on their way. Jumping, she was startled when an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her to a hard muscled body.

"Don't do that." she hissed.

"Sorry." he whispered in her ear and began to lead her towards a booth that was now occupied by his roommate and his roommate's girlfriend. Serena plastered on a fake smile when they turned towards her. "Serena, this is my roommate, Kirk and his girlfriend Beryl. Kirk, Beryl, this is Serena, my girlfriend." he introduced them. Serena shook Kirk's hand

and then forced a smile at Beryl.

"It's been awhile, Beryl." she nodded.

"Indeed it has, Serenity." she replied, her voice like ice. Darien motioned for Serena to go in first, and she complied. Being sandwiched between Kirk and Darien, she was in direct sight of Beryl.

"Sweetie, I'm a little thirsty. I think I'm going to go get a drink from the bar." Serena said and began to scoot over Darien, in order to get out.

"I'll join you. We'll be right back guys." Darien said as they left. Once out of sight range, Serena spun on him. They just happend to be in the middle of the dance floor.

"Damnit Darien. What have you gotten me into? Beryl is my cousin. I hate her to boot." she glared at Darien. A slow song replaced the fast-paced one and he instinctively pulled her into his arms, winding his arms around her waist.

"I didn't know she was your cousin. You look nothing like her, at all." he replied honestly. Fighting a losing battle to stay mad, she rested her head on his chest.

"What happens after we go back to your apartment? I'm not joining the list of bed buddies." she told him seriously. 'Although I know you wouldn't mind.' the little voice echoed in her mind.

"We'll prolly just relax and watch a movie in my room. Beryl and Kirk always take the front room anyway. Then around two they move into his room." he replied. Holding up her head she raised an eyebrow.

"How is it that you know so much about their habits?" He merely smirked.

"I've kept track of the times. It's easier to know that when they're busy doing something, that they stay undisturbed and I avoid Beryl as much as possible."

"Oh." was her comment. They danced in silence for the rest of the song, before getting their drinks and heading back to the booth. 'Here we go' the little voice giggled. Serena suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and instead downed her Sky Blue. "This is going to be one loooong night." she muttered to herself.

*******************************************************************

She felt slightly lightheaded once more, but it wasn't because of his cologne. It may have been due to the fact that she had been swept off her feet, literally, when she had exited his car. Now, being carried up to his apartment, she giggled slightly after glancing up at him. He looked relieved that she was acting this way, yet he hadn't bought her drunken display. She giggled to herself when she remembered how she had managed to chug a few bottles of Skyy Blue away from the watchful eyes of Darien and the blood red, out-to-kill red eyes of Beryl, who was presently slung over Kirk's shoulder, half way passed out.

"I can walk Darien. I'm not drunk. Slightly tipsy, but other than that, I'm fine." Serena squirmed to get out of his hold. He shook his head.

"It's alright, Serena. I'm alright carrying you. I wouldn't want you to trip with those heels you're wearing." he replied. She glared at him momentarily before deciding to sulk. They were in the apartment in no time, and Darien wasted just about as much before whisking her into his room. Dumping her on his bed, he removed his coat and shoes before doing the same for her. Laying like a rag doll on the bed, she tried hard not to shiver as his hands lightly traced her skin. The electricity that was created from their touching skin was exciting. Spontaneously grabbing his shirt collar and yanking him onto the bed with her, she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Though she had consumed vast amounts of alcohol, she wasn't impaired. "Umm...Serena, how much did you drink exactly?" he asked as he watched her start

to unbutton his shirt.

"Only about 7 Skyy Blue." she replied, too engrossed in her task to stop herself. He seized her hands.

"I saw you only have 3. How did you have 4 more?" He was slightly concerned about how intoxicated she really was.

"Oh please, Darien. I can hold at least 2 six packs before I get drunk. Ask any of the girls." she replied as she tugged her hands out of his grasp and began to work on his shirt again.

"Serena-" he wrapped his arms around her tightly and rolled over so that she was on top of him, tightly held to his body.

"What?" her eyebrows rose slightly, showing he had her attention.

"I think you had too many as it is. Why don't you just take a little nap to sleep it off?" he suggested, sitting up and causing her to be laying in his lap, her face directly under his.

"I don't want to." she replied childishly and crossed her arms over her chest. He smiled slightly at her behavior, before disentangling himself and going over to his closet. Managing to find a shirt she could use as pajamas he turned back to her. She was propped up on her elbows, watching him with wary eyes.

"C'mon Serena. Just change into this and get under the covers." he approached her slowly as if he was going to pounce on her.

"No." she replied flatly.

"Yes." he neared the bed. She inched towards the other side. In a blink of an eye, he was towering over her. She stifled a scream which came out as a surprised cry and fell off the bed backwards, succeeding in making a loud 'thump'. He hurried over. 'She sure does make a wonderful picture laying there.' he thought before helping her back onto the bed. She sat with her back to him, and didn't protest when he undid the straps of her dress and slowly eased the shirt over her head. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, she was in his t-shirt, her red dress laying on a chair.

"No fair." she replied out of the blue and resumed her task of unbuttoning his shirt. Too surprised to stop her when she unbuckled his belt, he soon found himself in only his boxers and black beadier before he came to his senses. They were standing by the foot of the bed, their bodies inches apart. He felt a pair of soft lips upon his own and was very surprised, to say the least. He was also a bit thrilled.

'I don't want her to do anything she'd regret later.' he thought before bodily throwing her onto the bed and wrapping them in the covers. She struggled briefly and then after cursing for a few moments she quieted down when he planted a soft kiss on her lips. It unintentionally led to a full blown make out session. Almost an hour later, she fell asleep resting peacefully in his arms.

(AN: yes...make out sessions can last for that long! umm...not

that I'd know or anything....err...)

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Sunlight washed over her face and she turned away from it, and into- ANOTHER BODY?! Her eyes shot open and scanned the room. Nothing familiar about it. Then she studied the profile of the man next to her. Jet black hair and tanned skin. He was facing the other direction. 'Oh no! What if I accidentally ditched Darien and ran off with another guy?! He's gonna kill me!' she thought panicking. Bravely moving a hand to the man's shoulder, she poked him. Nothing. She poked him again, this time more forceful. Again, nothing. Deciding to wake him no matter what, she was surprised when his arm around her waist tightened and she was pulled under his form with ease. Staring her straight in the face, was Darien Shields. A blush stained her cheeks and she lowered her eyes.

"Morning, Serena." his lips slid into a grin.

"Morning." she replied in a small voice. Their noses were inches apart.

"Have fun last night?" he asked, his grin still in place. She stared up at him, undecided on how to answer that.

"Umm...." her eyes swung away from his before returning after she gathered some courage. "Did I do anything odd last night?" her voice was hardly above a whisper. Darien chuckled lightly before rolling onto his back, causing Serena's rag doll form to be on top of his.

"Not that I know of. You were a little bit tipsy though. Other than that, you were your normal self." he lied smoothly. 'What will a little white lie hurt? She'd be very embarrassed if I told her she kissed me or anything else that happend last night when we got into my apartment.'

"Oh. Okay" she replied before sighing relieved and flashing him a dazzling smile.

"You are going to have to kiss me good bye though. You realize that, right?" Her smile faded to a forced one and she bit her lip after nodding.

'Oh great.' she thought, the feeling of impending doom looming over her head. 'Don't act so put out, Serena. You've wanted to kiss him for a long time.

"Practice makes perfect." she mumbled. His grin flew off his face when she lowered her lips to barely a centimeter from his.

"Serena I-" their lips brushed together and both froze at the contact. Darien gripped her by he arms and held her up. The sexual attraction he'd felt towards her for a long time was hardly more than he could bare. He needed to get her off of him before he gave up. Serena soon found herself laying on her back, with Darien towering over her. Her eyes stared up at him and a confused smile graced her lips. "Serena, save it for the show." with that, Darien got up from the bed and went to take a shower. She watched him as he went, his muscled form like an Adonis. The door shut behind him and she felt close to tears. Turning away from the door she buried her face in the pillow.

'How could I be so stupid? Practice makes perfect? ugh! This is Darien we're talking about, not some sex-crazed frat guy or rich, business playboy.' her thoughts continued to berate her until finally her stomach protested. Deciding to see what they had for food in the kitchen, she checked her appearance and almost screamed. A black t-shirt that came to her mid thigh was all that she was wearing. Beryl had to have left some clothing here. When she poked her head out of Darien's door, she found that indeed, Beryl had left a 'few articles'. None of them would help her though. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the site of the living room, that she could understand why Darien preferred her couch over his comfortable bed. The place was a mess and reeked of Beryl's perfume. She hurried to the kitchen and dug in the frig to find something edible. The doctor personality that Darien had came in handy at times. This was not one of those times though. Her eyes caught site of something barely visible. In fact, you could tell that someone tried to hide it. A Hershey's chocolate candy bar was mostly hidden behind the tofu carton. Serena's keen eyes honed in on it and it said it's final good-byes to the refrigerator. Mercilessly, she devoured the sweet milk-chocolaty treat and was satisfied. It had been exactly what she was craving for. Just as she had disposed of the wrapper strong arms wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides and her back to the intruder.

"You ate my chocolate?" the deep voice vibrated inside the firm chest and Serena released a trapped breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Sorry, Darien. I didn't know it was yours and besides, it was just laying there." His arms loosened and she turned around to face him, only to realize such a mistake and there was merely inches from his lips to hers. Biting down on her lower lip, she backed away slowly and claimed a stool resting beside the counter. Of course, she had to push off one of Beryl's g-strings, which made the food in her stomach churn, but after carefully avoiding any contact with the other 'garments' scattered throughout the confinements of the small cooking area, she was seated comfortably on the stool. 'Mmmm....chocolate is always best when it's the end of the bar....you know you have to savor the last bit....because you never know when you might not have another piece.'

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READ THIS !!!!!! IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!

Alright!!! I hurriedly typed this lil chapter up in hopes of satisfying

all you loyal readers. I'm VERY SORRY I haven't been updating this. It

just seemed like no one was really checking it, so I put it on the

back burner. I have NOT completely abandoned my story "How Much I Hate

About You', but I have decided to go on a temporary writing break on

that story for the following reasons :

A.) I just started high school and I have a VERY hectic life at this point in time.

and

B.) I need time to rethink how I want my story to end, for my best friend made me change the second ending I had picked out. (the

first ending totally sucked (even I think so) and I decided to rewrite

part of it....and then my friend informed me that it also was going to

suck and if I published it she would never speak to me again.)- so Now

I've hopefully found the way I finally think will be acceptable...but

until I make it fool-proof and get a couple chapters ahead, I will

not be releasing any more chapters of it.

I AM still alive! But It's just taking me awhile to adjust to

high school life........so yeah.......I need time! I wish I were Sailor

Pluto at times like these. Thank you for your patience.

Sincerely,

Cappuchino_Princezz

(ExpressoHyper)

Chapter 4 - Reality Bites

By: Cappuchino_Princezz

Expressoncream@hotmail.com

Rating: PG-13

10/25/02

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Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer Applies!!! I do NOT own sailor moon nor any of the characters within it, but this story most definitely came from me!!! So...

.... HA!

And now....a note from your favorite author

Ello fellow moonies!!! It's great to be back after such a long break from my writing. I apologize greatly for my lack of updating, and am doing everything possible to catch up. As I announced in the last chapter of One Little Hang Over Changes Everything - I haven't been able to write more on HMIHAY, so I am taking a temporary break from it. I'm sorry to any of you who have fallen madly in love with it. I'm simply not getting the support I need to continue on. After I receive a few more reviews with encouraging words, I will probably end up giving it another try and writing my heart out.....I usually write the best while my emotions are in a tumble. So please be kind enough to check out 'How Much I Hate About You' if you haven't already done so, and leave a review to let me know what you all like about it, or even dislike (though those reviews do not make me feel good about myself in any way.) Well, I'll continue to work quickly on getting more chapters out, and if my writing gets poor because of my hurry, please let me know. I'd hate to have people lose interest in my story simply because of my unnecessary hurry. (Oh.......and I'm staying up late on the computer in my old room that doesn't have the internet to type at night after I am kicked off my main computer.) [I have 3 computers. 2 are in my old room and my new one (which is the only one connected to the internet) I just got last week (the 19th of September) and so I'm just getting used to it] please be patient with me!!! I'm doing the best I can. But now I suppose my notes have gone on too long and I'll let you get on with reading my story. Thank you for reading this.....

Sincerely,

Cappuchino_Princezz

*******************************************************

ReCaP:

'Mmmm....chocolate is always best when it's the end of the bar....you know you have to savor the last bit....because you never know when you might not have another piece.'

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"Serena." she turned to him obediently, which caused her to mutter something about being whipped, and him to smirk. Stepping closer so that she had to look up now to see into his eyes, his hand smoothed back a few stray hairs.

"What now?" she sighed as she rolled her eyes. He placed a single butterfly kiss on her forehead before leaning against the counter, beside her.

"Did you forget we are expected today for dinner at my parents' house?" Peering down at her, he was forced to surprises a laugh. She looked absolutely adorable. Her expression was priceless.

"Huh?" was all she could manage to say, and also think. He took hold of her arms and pulled her to her feet gently.

"Serena, my mother wanted you to accompany me to dinner tonight at their home. Don't you remember? This is the perfect opportunity to play this out. To the T!" and then Serena's brow furrowed.

"Who are you trying to fool, Darien?" she suddenly asked seriously, giving him a searching look. He was caught off guard by her question and actions. And then there was the sounds of Kirk and Beryl approaching, sending them into a panic. As a last minute thought, Darien pulled Serena to him, and she soon felt his lips close over hers, putting her on cloud nine in less than five seconds. They pretended not to notice Kirk and Beryl's entrance, which wasn't hard for Serena to do, because she couldn't think straight. Darien's cologne and muscle ripped body were doing weird things to her mind, turning it into a substance similar to applesauce.

And then Darien heard Kirk clear his throat and he pulled away quickly. Serena's knees were like jell-o, and she was very thankful that Darien still had a hold of her, her head resting on his chest.

"Morning Dare." Kirk said casually, and tossed one of Beryl's discarded garments over to Beryl who caught it expertly and tossed it behind her and into the living room.

Serena's P. O. V.

Beryl's expression was one of tightly pinched anger and seemed as if she was making a feeble attempt to hide her growing discomfort after seeing myself and Darien lip-locked.

You see, Beryl is the jealous type. If you are within even 2 feet of her man, or a guy she thinks is her 'territory', then you are in trouble. She purses her lips, squints her eyes, wrinkles her nose, and begins to wring her hands while tapping her foot slightly. Quite frankly, I could care less what she would try to do to me. I'm worse than her I suppose. I can't lie to you.

Well, I smiled embarrassed and forced a blush to come to my cheeks.

I pried myself from Darien's hold after stabilizing my treacherously weak knees and managed to wave as I stumbled out of the kitchen mumbling an apology. I raced back to Darien's room where I dove back in bed and curled up in the soft sheets that smelled of his intoxicating scent. I was just about to fall into the soft clouds of my dreams when I heard Darien's sigh from the door. My eyes popped open and I flung myself over onto my back. He was leaning against his closed door, strong muscled arms crossed over his chest and black hair falling into his deep blue eyes.

"Serena, shouldn't you be getting ready?" His deep voice seemed to vibrate through every bone in my body and I shivered.

"Getting ready for what?" I asked confused. He shook his head and advanced toward the bed. I watched him with sharp eyes. Is it just me or did he seem to slink like a panther at times?

"Dinner." he simply replied before whipping the covers from their entanglement with my limbs.

Chapter 5 - The Dinner Adventure

By: Cappuchino_Princezz

Expressoncream@hotmail.com

Rating: PG-13

11/6/02

Author's Notes:

Yepperz....I'm back in the world of living. I decided to just release this story as one BIG thing, since I'm getting tired of short chapters. With multiple chapters....I won't care about how short they are...cuz no matta how short they are, it makes the story longer because there are so many. heh..i'm a genius! (riiiigggghhhhttttt) anywayz...read on fellow moonies. Luv, peace, and be careful what you drink! (only my friend Kat will get this- sowies...but I just HAD to put it in here anywayz)

***********

Alright, so lets start out by reviewing my preparations for the 'dinner'.

After I escaped Darien's apartment, I booked it back to my place, where I proceeded to crawl back into bed. Right as my hand reached for the covers, to move them away and grant me access to the comfy padded mattress, an absolutely annoying and most unpleasant sound rang through the air.

The angry red button on my telephone base charger was blinking. Tiredly, I reached for the phone and ended up knocking it over and onto the phone. With a very unladylike curse, I stretched down to the floor to reach for it. Finally, I was able to grasp it and quickly held it to my ear.

"Hello?" I managed to sigh.

"Don't even think about going back to bed." It was, of course, the one and only, Dr. Darien Shields. Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes, I groaned. Sometimes I wonder how he knows me so well.

"I wasn't." was my attempt at a cover-up. Even as this conversation continued, I was scooting ever-so-carefully under my soft covers.

"Don't lie to me. I can tell when you're lying Serena." came his voice, always blunt and flat.

"I said I'm not. Yeesh, why are you ordering me around anyway?" I felt the urge to snap. Now it honestly isn't my fault. I was sleep deprived. It was all HIS fault!

That's right ladies and gentlemen. HIS fault. Not mine, Serena's, it was HIS.

"I'll be over in a little bit. Let's grab some breakfast at Lita's." I didn't have time to protest because his side of the line had already gone dead. After cursing my life I slammed the phone back onto the charger and snuggled defiantly under my now relatively warm covers. mm...this was heaven. Who the hell cares if he comes over? It's not like he had a key or anything.

Dancing gracefully in the arms of my prince, we floated around the glittering marble ballroom floor. His deep indigos gazed straight into my own ceruleans and I felt as if I would die without his arms around me, or his presence near. It seemed as if every fiber in his being was connected to me.

The orchestra dazzled the crowd with their vibrant picture of the spring they painted for us, but my partner and I were lost within our own world. Suddenly, loud and harsh heavy metal replaced the soft beautiful melodies, and I was forced to look away from his eyes.

That music seemed so disturbing. All the racket was scaring the guests.

"Get up Serena!"

"Go away." I managed to mumble and pulled the pillow over my head. Alright, so I didn't take into consideration that Andrew might have given him the keys. Damn him! I tucked my knees to my chest in an effort to shut him away, but soon the security of my blankets were gone, and I reached out a hand in a feeble attempt to reposition them upon my curled up form. A warm hand grasped mine and I was hauled from the bed. "EEEEK!" I managed to shriek.

"Serena- I knew you were lying. Do I have to make sure you're awake and in the shower personally? Or can I trust that you have more abilities than a second grader and can take a shower by yourself?"

"Wouldn't you love to accompany me." I grumbled and rested my cheek on his shoulder.

"Is that an offer?" came his husky voice in a whisper.

"If it was, you're too gay to accept." I yawned sleepily.

"Very funny, Princess." he murmured in my ear. I lifted the corners of my lips briefly before turning my face into his shoulder.

"You can't sleep all day you know." he remarked.

"I can try." I replied defiantly in his shoulder.

I felt him lift me fully and sensed we were moving. A familiar sound barely registered in my mind, before the worst wakeup call in my life occurred.

He had carried me into the shower, both of us still fully clothed, and had turned on extremely cold water.

I screamed as the icy liquid made contact with my skin. I was fully awake by then.

He held my clothed back to the spray like a shield as I squirmed.

"You asshole! Let me go! This is fucking cold!" I screamed, very pissed off.

Finally, after several minutes of struggling, he turned the water off, and dragged me like a rag doll out of the shower stall. We were both soaking wet. He was grinning, I was scowling. I had lost feeling in my arms and legs, otherwise he would have had a lovely red handprint across his face, from yours truly of course. Trust me, I was VERY mad!

"Why did you do that!?" I snapped and made an effort to punch him in the shoulder. It was a very difficult task, which failed miserably. He immediately wrapped his arms around my waist and drew me to his hard muscled chest. My arms were pinned to my sides by those strong upper limbs, but it didn't matter much. I still didn't have much feeling in them. This guy worked out, that much was obvious.

"Because it sounded like fun. Now I can say I was in the shower with you." he grinned and leaned down till our noses were touching. I was rather speechless because of the cold water still causing my clothes to cling to my body. Of course it wasn't because of the close proximity of our bodies. I'd have to be crazy to be even the LEAST turned on by Darien. I mean, this was Darien we're talking about here. His lips were less than a whisper away from mine but I ached to kiss him...uhh..I mean to be RELEASED by him. Oh what the hell...it was too difficult to think on such a low amount of sleep. What happend next was out of my hands.

My eyelids dropped slowly upon my tired eyes. 'Yep, that's why I closed them! It was certainly NOT in any way ME giving HIM permission to do what HE did!'

I was shivering, the water relieving me of my energy and warmth. His arms tightened, and then his lips conquered mine, in a war that lasted for what seemed like ages. I relaxed against his lips quickly. Hell, who was I kidding? I'd wanted to do it since we were in the kitchen earlier. Since I first met him.......

The ringing of my phone kicked me back to reality, and I discovered the feeling and power in my body had returned, and I roughly pushed him from me. So what if everyone else KNEW I liked him, I didn't need HIM to know, and throw it in my face.

Scrambling out of the bathroom, trying not to slip on the puddle of water that had accumulated around us, I finally made it to the phone.

"H-h-hello?" I panted. It had taken a lot more energy than I had thought to make it to the living room.

"Serena, you're breathless, girl! Did I catch you at a bad time?" was the sly voice of Mina. She giggled to add effect to her hint. I blushed, unable to help it.

"Min, yeesh. No, you caught me at a GREAT time, actually. What was it ya wanted?"

"I wanted to know how it went, and to tell you that Lita said you didn't need to help out today. She was closing early anyway. So.....how did it go?"

"Would you believe it if I told you I was sick?" My feeble attempt at a little white lie bombed, terribly.

"Not gonna buy that plate of crap." I heard Lita.

"So you've got me on speaker phone?" I was amazed.

"YEP! SPILL THE BEANS MEATBALL HEAD!" came Raye's angry and demanding voice. I frowned.

"It's NONE of your business PYRO!" I yelled back, before screeching like a monkey and jumping five feet in the air.

"WHAT IS IT?!" chorused four voices. I spun around to find a grinning Darien staring down at me.

"Get off the phone, Serena. You have to get ready. It's a few hours' drive to my parents' house."

"Go away Darien!" I swatted in his general direction after turning back to the window, phone planted next to my ear.

"Darien's there? Damn girl! I thought you said you'd never let him in if Andrew wasn't there." Mina seemed shocked.

"Andrew gave him a key." I muttered, defeated. I felt my stomach flip as him arm coiled around my waist. "Ughh...girls, I have to go now. I'll talk to you later tonight."

"No she won't." Darien chimed in, before taking the phone from my hand and hanging it up. I spun around, ignoring his arm, and poked him in the chest. Wincing slightly in pain, 'His chest was HARD! OUCHIES!' I stuck my finger in my mouth presently, and glared up at him, hopefully with a threatening look. Moving my finger to the corner of my mouth, I began to speak my mind.

"Now *just* a minute mister!" I poked him in the chest with my other pointer finger, careful not to injure it as well. While I can survive with only 8 out of the possible 10 digits, I preferred only having to nurse one.

He put on an innocent front, but he could not fool me.

"What?" Innocence was never his strong point, even from the first time he took my chocolate milkshake, and pretended that I was accusing the wrong person. (He was holding it in his hand at the time, which made him even more suspicious.)

"What do you mean 'What?'" (I was soooo close to punching him, but that would subtract five from the only 9 left, and I didn't want to make THAT much of a sacrifice, even if it would make him sport a lovely bruise for a few days.) "What did you mean when you said I won't be able to talk to them later tonight?"

"Oh." he paused, before wrapping his other arm around me. "Exactly that."

"How?" I shot back, challenging him. He grinned, and brushed his lips across mine.

"You'll be staying at my place again." he replied, nuzzling my neck gently.

"Why?"

"Because, Beryl hasn't fully bought it yet." he mumbled into my neck.

"Oh." Was all I- could reply. What was I supposed to do? Fight him more? Look where that got me. In the shower, fully clothed, with pure ice water running down my back. I shivered from the memory and his arms tightened around me reflexively, before he pulled me down the hall and into my bedroom.

"You should probably take another shower and hurry up. I'll go through your closet and find you an outfit to save time." He took me into my bathroom and turned on the water. I eyed it fearfully, until he smiled comfortingly and took my hand to hold it under the steady flow of nice warm water. Slowly releasing me, like it was a difficult task, he backed out of the bathroom, lightly closing the door. I locked it after him, and with a sigh, pushed away from the door and went to take my WARM shower.

The warm glow of the earth brought a sense of calming to my restless soul. I peered up at it from my chamber window. He had gone home to fight in the war raging on the beautiful planet two weeks ago, and I had heard not a word from him in the time that had lapsed. The NegaVerse was rapidly devouring the lush ball of swirling blue and green. My prince had gone to see what he could do to save his home from the evil that was taking over.

Tears of sadness formed in my eyes, but just as one slipped and dropped to the floor, a loud 'boom' sounded throughout the kingdom, and the castle shook. I grasped onto my bedpost.

'The Dark Queen has attacked!' I thought grimly, feelings of pity and hatred sweeping though me. A loud knocking on the door prevented me from hearing the message carried by the warning sirens, and I flung open the doors, expecting to find my trusty senshi. Instead, a very familiar woman stood before me, clothed in a red and black scandalous and revealing dress, her flaming red hair cascading down her back to her waist, with large lively green eyes.

"Cousin Berylika." I gasped, my hand fluttering to my neck in surprise, before I flung myself at her. "It's so good to see you! But you shouldn't be out in the open." I pulled her into my room and locked the doors behind us. She remained silent, smiling at me like a person not entirely right in the head. And when I was done barricading my room, I turned to her and gasped. She was holding a large sword. Endy's sword, to be exact. She held it up, the tip of it next to my throat, and I froze. "Berylika, what are you doing?" I managed to speak, somehow finding my voice.

"I'm doing what I should have done long before now. I'm going to enjoy killing you, dear *cousin*" with that, she pushed the sword forward, but I fell back just in time, effectively tripping her. I closed my eyes and heard a scream of pain.

Opening them again, Berylika was impaled on the sword, it's hilt buried in the plush carpet. Blood poured from her mouth as she glared up at me.

"Damn you Serenity!"

I heard knocking, but I could only lay there, staring at her hate-filled eyes, watching the elixir of her life drain from her body onto the white floor.

The knocking got louder....and louder...until it became pounding.



A pounding on the door brought me from my daymare. I slipped on some water and a cry escaped from my mouth as my arms flailed about, trying desperately to cling onto something. I grasped onto the towel, but it came with me to the bathtub bottom.

"Serena? Serena are you alright?" Darien's concerned voice was heard from just outside the door. I gasped for breath, suddenly feeling very shaken. The daymare had done it. It seemed so real. So very real.......

"SERENA, are you alright?" He was louder, more worried.

"I'm fine. I just slipped, that's all." I called to him, hoping that he wouldn't try to come in. I scrambled up into standing position, and tossed the soaking towel onto the rack. Hurrying to wash my hair, I dared not think about my daymare, for fear of being sucked back into it.

I emerged from the bathroom in a dryer towel and caught site of the outfit he had picked out for me. Cringing, I picked it up and tossed it back into my closet. Pulling out a khaki mid-thigh skirt and a black sleeveless v-neck shirt, I also grabbed a jean jacket. Not entirely out of my mind, I added a pair of black leggings and added my black knee high boots to finish the ensemble. After putting on underclothes, a lacey black bra and black bikini style panties, I jammed myself into the outfit and blow-dried my hair quickly. Managing to lace up the boots in about 2.5 seconds, I sighed with satisfaction at my appearance in the mirror. The only thing I needed to do was crimp and style my hair, then apply some make-up. Making a mental note to also pack an overnight bag, I set to work.

Thirty minutes later I was staring at my reflection once more in the mirror, the overnight bag thrown over my shoulder. Black framed glasses were suspended atop my head, because I didn't feel like wearing them and I had forgotten to take them off when I had put in my contacts. Pulling them from my head without damaging my hairstyle, I smiled. I was drop dead sexy tonight. My crimped blonde hair was shinning in the sunlight and my make-up was pure perfection. The bedroom door opened, and I turned to see Darien leaning against the doorframe. He was wearing a new outfit. I assumed he had went home to change and then came back. He was staring at me oddly. To break the silence, I tilted my head and frowned briefly.

"The outfit you picked out sucked. I changed it a little." Tossing him my bag, he caught it expertly.

"It's not like I knew what you wanted to wear. Most of your clothes look like anorexic women would fit into them. Are you sure you eat?" I rolled my eyes and sighed dramatically.

"Of course I eat." I began to push him out of my room and grabbed my purse on the way out the front door.

"Ready to hit the road?" he asked after putting my bag in the trunk of his car.

"As ready as a person against their will can be." I replied. He only smiled before opening my door and helping me in, like a gentlemen.

Once inside with the door closed, I released a sigh.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." I muttered to myself. But talking to myself was the first sign of craziness. "Get it together." There I went again. Maybe I should seriously consider checking myself into a mental facility for being a skitso.

He opened his door and got in, before closing it and buckling himself in.

After a half hour of uncomfortable silence, I caught site of the radio dials. Smiling devilishly, I slowly inched my hand toward it. He didn't seem to notice, so finally, I clicked the 'on' button, and loud blaring classical music burst through the speakers.

"Arggg!" I tried in vain to plug out the horrible sounds. Classical music disgusted me, because it never quite captured every emotion there was to give. Hurriedly searching for the tuning button, I tuned it into the station I wanted, and began to dance in my seat. For a girl at the ripe age of 24, I was pretty damn good at dancing, if I don't say so myself. Even dancing in the seat of a car was better than nothing. In the middle of my favorite song, I suddenly halted. The music had abruptly stopped, due to the touch of Darien's finger.

"HEY!" I managed to whine, before I switched the music back on.

"Serena, I can't concentrate on driving with that noise breaking my eardrums." he yelled over the upbeat mixness.

The song was over, so I was only slightly perturbed when the music disappeared again.



Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we arrived at his parents' house. It was about time, because I had to seriously go to the bathroom, or I would piss my pants. Hurrying into the large mansion, I excused myself and ran to the nearest bathroom, hurtling a few tables along the way.

'Move it! Girl on a mission. A mission to piss that is' I hope Bubbles didn't mind too much when I accidentally stepped on his tail. Yeah, that's right. Darien had a cat named Bubbles. I literally laughed my ass off when I found out, but when they had told me it was a present from my mother, I laughed even harder. My face turned red from more than just embarrassment and lack of breath, but it was more of a combination of the two.

My mom could be a handful at times. Sadly -HAH!-, although I came from a well-to-do family like Darien's, (our parents were best friends) I never saw Darien in my childhood. I was always too busy searching the sandbox for buried treasure, or scouring the forest for my lost imaginary friends. Believe me, being a tomboy as a child, when you lived in the middle of a FRICKIN forest, came in handy in the teenage years, when you wanted to sneak out.

Sighing contentedly, I strolled from the bathroom confidently. No full bladder, no butterflies, no queasiness, just a feeling of foreboding that I couldn't shake, no matter how much I tried. Bubbles hissed at me, but I merely made faces back at it, and rejoined Darien and his parents. I groaned inwardly, and hoped that they would never be mind readers. Did mind reading come with old age?

What if old people were really super heroes…

Heh……… they'd look pretty funny in those spandex uni-tards

With fluttery capes.

Hahahahahahahahahhaha!

Wait……

EWWWWWWW!!!!! That's so gross!

But anyways, when I entered, Darien's mother, Sheryl, pulled me over to her, and made me do a series of turns that would make a supermodel dizzy. (Like that'd be possible, with the nothingness that fills their minds!)

His father, Aaron, pulled me into a tight hug and smiled like a protective father.

"My dear girl, you're all grown up."

"I'm glad someone noticed." I smiled, and couldn't help but blush.

"I take it your father still thinks of you as a little girl?" Sheryl asked, and took a sip of her Champaign before turning to look at me once more.

"He doesn't seem to understand that living in that city changes people, even those who are from higher society." Darien handed me my own flute, and I smiled appreciatively. He sat down on a settee and motioned for me to join him. I did so, finding comfort with him next to me.

'What?! I do NOT need comfort. It's only his parents!'

Sheryl and Aaron launched into a conversation about cleaning up the cities, and I groaned inwardly again.

I could tell this was going to be one very long night, and I had only been there for a short while. Yippee…dinner will be ready soon. I can't WAIT! Allow Me to cook as well, just to make the food be ready faster.

**********************************************************************

THAT'S THE END OF CHAPTER 5

PART 1

AHAHHHAHHAHHAHA! Only one more part to go, and then this story will

be done! I wonder what's going to happen at dinner?

Will Serena finally get it together enough to realize how much she

lovers and needs Darien in her life?

2/18/03