The Confession
(Time frame end of November)
17 year old Serena Kingston's communicator went off shrilly. She flipped it open. "Yeah?" "Trouble, park, now!" Mars voice came. "I'll be there as soon as I can." Serena said. "Soon isn't good enough. Now!" Mars yelled and disconnected. "Damn! These things have the worst timing." Serena said. She pulled out her crystal just as the doctor came back in. "Your test results are in Ms. Kingston. You're about 8 weeks pregnant." He said. "What?" Serena's 27 year old friend Kaden asked "You said you've been sick mostly in the mornings and have flu like symptoms with no fever. So when we drew blood that's what came back positive. Now there are many options for women that find themselves in this state. One is abortion..." He was cut off by Serena. "Thanks. I know what my options are. I have to go." She and Kaden pushed by the doctor who only shook his head. In a free clinic like this her case wasn't unusual.

"We have to get to the park before your sister murders us." Serena said, as they ran toward the park. "She wont, Darien won't let her. Besides you shouldn't be fighting in your condition." Kaden said. "Yeah well too bad." Serena said. "Rena look out." Kaden shoved her aside as 2 yoma came out of nowhere and attacked them. He took a blast to the shoulder as she powered up around the corner. She came out and dusted the small but deadly yoma, after getting clawed by it. "Are you OK?" She asked Kaden. "I'll be fine. Just go to the others. I'll be there shortly." Kaden said as he blasted the other Yoma. "Are you sure?" She asked. "Go damn it!" He yelled at her. She took off running.

She made it to the park a few minutes later. She took in the scene around her. 2 yoma lay on the ground dead 3 more still blasting at the 5 scouts. Serena blasted at the first Yoma. It turned toward her and threw energy at her. She ducked and rolled, blasting it back. This continued for a few minutes. The yoma grabbed her and sunk its claws into her already bleeding back. She kicked it and it let her loose. She blasted it one final time and it died. The scouts took over the other two yoma. 15 minutes later everything was said and done. "Is everyone O.K.?" She asked "No everyone is not O.K., you stupid moron." Mars yelled. "If you would have gotten here sooner, no one would have been hurt." Jupiter snapped as she applied pressure to a cut on her arm. "What the hell were you thinking? We could have been killed out there and you were to busy being lazy to come help!" Darien (Who with the scouts had powered down) yelled. "I got caught up..." She was cut off by Mina. "We don't want your damn excuses. Every time here of late there's been a battle you're late. Leaders aren't late. You're not a leader you're a loser!" Mina yelled. "She's right. We don't need someone who's going to stand by and let us get killed. We need someone who knows what's going on! From now on Serena don't even bother showing up. We don't need you! Hand over your communicator and wand." Darien said.

Serena paled even more than she already was. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not when she just found out why things were going bad. She looked at them all. They all looked angry. "Fine." She said in a shaky voice. "If you decide that you need me don't come looking for me." She said and handed over her things. "Go on get lost." Rei sneered.

Serena turned and limped away. Her back hurt like hell. Then she remembered she'd left Kaden fighting another Yoma. She headed back in that direction. He met her at the park entrance. "What happened?" He asked. "I...I..." She fainted. He caught her. "Damn." He swore seeing her back. He picked her up and ran the few blocks to the hospital. She was admitted immediately. Kaden called her parents and told them she had been attacked by a yoma. They rushed to the hospital immediately.

The doctor came out. "How is she ?" Irene asked. "She's A little groggy. She has 77 stitches overall. They'll come out in a couple of weeks. In the meantime she's asking to see the young man who brought her in first, then you may go in. In the meantime I'd like to talk with you, and your husband privately." The doctor said. Irene nodded and she and her husband followed him into his private office.

Kaden went back to see Serena. "Well?" He asked. "They kicked me out of the team." She said softly. "What!? They can't do that you're their leader!" He exclaimed. "Well, they did. They wouldn't listen to what I had to say about the other fight. They wouldn't let me tell them anything." She said softly. "Sonofabitch!" He swore. "Yeah the worst part about it is that Darien sided with them. He called me Lazy and told me to hand in my wand and communicator. So I did. Then I came to find out how you fared. I'm sorry about fainting on you like that. The doctor said it was blood loss. Joy of joys I had a transfusion." She managed her voice a mere whisper. "I'm willing to take a gamble here and say that Rei was the one that started this whole thing. So what are you going to do now?" He asked. "Tell my parents and move out." Serena answered. "What will you do about school?" He asked. "I'll do it through correspondence." She answered. "It'll be awhile before you have the money to move. What if your parents kick you out right away?" He asked. "I don't know. I don't have any relatives here. I would work until I got my own apartment." She said.

He sighed heavily. "Serena I have an idea but I don't know if you'll bite." He said. "At this point I'm willing to listen to just about anything. " Serena said. "What if you came back to the states with me? You could stay with me until you had enough money to get your own place. That way you'll get to see Erin more often than you do now. Besides you could easily finish school over there. The best part is that it's only been going for a month. So you could easily have time to get adjusted and settled before you went back. A plus also is that you wouldn't have to see my sister or your friends for a while." He suggested. At the thought of seeing her twin she brightened. "Are you sure I wouldn't be trouble?" Serena asked. "Rena you're never trouble. Besides I've known you your entire life. You make less of a mess then Rei does when she stays and I can trust you to behave when I have important people over. When your parents come in, you can tell them exactly what I told you. At least with me they know you'll be safe and looked after." Kaden said and left the room.

Her parents came in then. "How are you feeling?" Her mother asked. "That depends on what you're going to say." Serena said carefully. Her father sighed. "We're disappointed Serena, but we still love you. What did Darien say?" He asked. "That's the thing he's not talking to me." Serena said softly. "What? Why not?" Irene asked. "I was late to the damn battle coming straight from the doctors. We were attacked about three blocks from the park. I managed to sneak around the corner long enough to transform. I got the long gashes in my back from the first yoma. Kaden stayed to battle with the other one, while I ran to the park to help. I got the attention of one of the yoma left fighting by blasting it. It blasted back and came after me. The scouts took over the other two yoma. I ducked and rolled, blasting it back. This continued for a few minutes. The yoma grabbed me and sunk its claws into my already bleeding back. I kicked it and it let me loose. I blasted it one final time and it died. 15 minutes later everything was said and done. They basically said I was making up excuses for being late, and they didn't want me around anymore. Even Darien, who told me to hand over the communicator and wand." She finished as tears started down her face.

"I'll kill him. I knew he was no good." Ken threatened. "No daddy. Don't. This is my problem and I'm going to take care of it myself. I'm leaving with Kaden in a few days." She said through her tears. "Oh honey you don't have to leave. Does she Ken?" Irene said. "No honey. You don't. We know you didn't plan this. Were not one to hold grudges. Especially against our daughter biological or not, we love and support you just the same." Ken said. "I know. Mina, Erin and I owe a lot to the both of you. You took us in when no one else would. Hard to believe that were all grown up now huh?" She asked. "Yes, it is. I remember when your story first came across the news. The whole lot of you abandoned with no memories of who you were or where you came from. Except your names. You all seem to remember those. Katherine, Carla, Nicole and I sat there talking about those poor children. We just had to do something about it, and we did. We all adopted you. Katherine and James took Rei Kaden and Darien. Your father and I took Mina you and your brother. Nicole and Richard took Amy, and Carla and Mike took Lita. Everything worked out perfectly. Though we were all a little stunned to find out that you all had special powers to fight the evil that constantly plagues this place. We still worry about you. I can't believe they would just turn on you like this, especially since you're their princess." Irene said.
"Um about that, I don't think that they're thinking about that right now. Granted they've known for awhile but often i've been told that maybe i should just give up the throne. Kaden and Erin know about that. They never have sided with the girls. Until tonight Darien hadn't either. The Outers know, but they're in the US with most of the generals working. They have been busy helping fight there that's it. We've all been so busy the last few months. I really haven't had time to talk to them to even begin expalining. They don't know that every time they call me for battle im sidetracked before reaching them by other Yoma. Kaden knows. He's been with me the last couple of times theres been a battle. At least since he's been here this time. I believe Erin knows he was with me often before he left again after semester break. So don't say anything, not even to Mina if she comes home tonight. If she asks where I am, I don't know I guess tell her I'm staying in the hospital overnight for my injures. If she has to ask what injuries then that just proves they could care less about what happened to me." She said.

Ken and Irene left shortly after that. The drive home was a quiet one. They pulled up to the house to find that Mina was home and in a foul mood. "Where's miss lazy?" She asked the minute her parents came in the door. "If you're referring to your sister she's in the hospital." Ken said. "Why? She have a nervous breakdown cause all her friends finally told her what's what?" She asked. "No, they're keeping her overnight to watch for infection." Ken said. "Infection in what her brain?" Mina asked sarcastically. "No, and I don't want to hear any more sarcasm out of that mouth of yours either young lady." Ken said.

Mina turned red in embarrassment. She knew better than to talk smack about Serena in front of their parents. "Not that you seem to have noticed, but when she left that fight earlier this evening she was bleeding pretty badly. Her back was all tore up from a couple yoma. Yes, as in more than one, If you would have taken the time to talk to your sister instead of jumping to conclusions, then you would have found out that before she could get to you guys to help she was in another battle. She and Kaden were at the doctor's office when Rei called her. She had to have some blood work done for something and asked Kaden to go with her. You know how squeamish she gets. They left just as soon as they could. About three blocks from the park they encountered two Yoma and were forced to Fight. After she was clawed in the back by one of them she dusted it and Kaden told her to go to you guys. She did, and while you were all busy killing the other two Yoma your sister was fighting for her life. She has 5 puncture marks and 2 claw gashes on her back. She lost a lot of blood helping you fools and you repaid her in nothing but hatred. If it wasn't for Kaden taking her to the hospital she could have and probably would have died. She had a transfusion, and 77 stitches. That, you might want to pass on to your friends. Oh and the fact that she would never cheat on Darien. I heard that rumor." Irene explained. "Gods what did we do?!" Mina asked herself.

Mina went upstairs to her room and immediately phoned Rei and Darien. Darien picked up. "What?" He asked coolly. "Don't snap at me Darien. I'm not Serena. She's not home anyhow. Is Rei near there? I want to talk to both of you at the same time." Mina said. "Where is Serena then?" Darien asked. "Hospital. Look get Rei in there put me on speaker and I'll explain everything." Mina said. "All right now tell us why your sisters in the hospital." Rei said. Mina explained everything. Silence ensued when she was done. "Maybe your moms right maybe we jumped to conclusions. We should have at least try to let her explain. *Sigh* we'll let her have a week or so to cool off and then we'll talk to her." Darien said. Both girls agreed.