I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. You guys are the best, I can't wish for better fans. This has been an amazing, fun, hectic, and slightly insane 25 days, but its been worth it. Each day has been like receiving a Christmas present because of your reviews. They've really kept me going when I had no ideas. So thanks again, feel free to send me Christmas presents lol. Just kidding. Hope you have a good DS'mas :D
"Dan, please wait. Stop." She begged, tugging him back with force she didn't even know she had. "Let me explain."
"So I can fall for your lies again?" He let out a cold laugh, the harsh sound making unpleasant goosebumps creep across her skin. "I'm done with this Serena. Done with you, done with everything that has to do with you."
"Will you just let me explain!?" She yelled, getting irritated. "I didn't cheat on you!"
He whirled around, his normally light brown eyes a dark shade she was sure she had never seen before. "Then tell me why I caught you with that...that bastard in our house kissing? How are you going to explain that Serena? What, did he have something on his lips that you needed to get off?" His voice trembled, his entire body shaking with it. "Its a couple of days before Christmas and you cheat on me. Some present. Leave me the fuck alone."
"He kissed me! If you had stopped being an asshole for maybe thirty seconds, I could have explain that to you." Her voice grew soft, broken. "You didn't have to storm out yelling at me. Aidan heard you, Dan. He hates me now." Tears welled up in her eyes as the snowflakes began to fall, making her shiver. "Our son hates me. Do you want to hear what he sounded like when he screamed at me? Do you!?"
Dan squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his teeth. "Stop lying to me." He gritted out. "What do you want Serena? You've already ripped out my heart, just take everything why don't you?"
She grasped the front of his shirt tightly, pulling her close to him. "Listen to me, okay?" Her tears threatened to spill from her dark blue eyes. "I would rather die than hurt you. You're my husband and I love you. I would never cheat on you, Dan. Please believe me."
He sighed, shaking his head hoping that would dispel the image of her. It was something he couldn't bear to look at. Desperation and love seeped out from her very being. He finally brought himself to speak. "I can't."
She lifted her head up, stepping back from him. "What?" She half-whispered, destroyed by those two words.
"I don't...I don't take infidelity lightly, Serena." Dan whispered, looking away from her. "You cheated on me and you -"
"You don't even fucking listen to me, do you?" She snarled, grasping his shoulders as if she was going to shake him. "I. Did. Not. Cheat. On. You. Understand? He kissed me. That fucking idiot kissed me to make it look I cheated on you."
"Why the hell should I believe you!?" Dan growled back, trying to remove her gloved hands from his shoulders. "You've done nothing but lie to me. I wouldn't be surprised if Aidan wasn't even mine."
With one smooth fluid motion, Serena's right hand whipped out and hit Dan sharply across his left cheekbone. "You can accuse me of cheating all you want, Dan. But saying that you're the not the father of our son is crossing the line. I have been nothing but faithful to you since we first started dating. I knew what I was doing the day I said 'I do' and I'm sure as hell not going back on that."
He stared at her eyes wide open. "You slapped me."
Her hands flew to her mouth as she took in what she had just done. "I'm so sorry.. I didn't mean to.."
"Save it for someone who cares." He hissed, making another attempt to stalk off.
He didn't get far. Before he could take more than ten steps, she had jumped at him, tackling him to the ground. "Get the fuck off Serena." He grunted, squirming uncomfortably on the snowy lawn.
"Not until you listen to me." She dug her heels into the ground, making sure he couldn't move. When he finally stopped trying to escape, she looked down at him. "Ready to listen?"
He let out a defeated sigh, head stubbornly looking to the side. "Go ahead."
"I was wrapping your present when Aidan came and told me there's someone at the door. I open it and he's standing there, saying that he's sorry and that he's come back from South America to be with me. He came in and he kissed me, okay? Not the other way around."
"Give me one damned reason why I should believe you." Dan muttered, voice cracking under the turmoil of emotions.
"Because I love you." She whispered, making her look at him. Tears had dripped from his eyes, the tears mixing in with the snow. "I love you and nothing will change that. Please believe me Dan." She let out a shiver from the cold and continued. "I can't live without you. We're Dan and Serena. If there's no you, then there's no me."
Dan slumped on the snow, defeated. "I'm sorry." He managed in a cracked whisper as she finally let him up. "I should have... God, I'm so sorry, Serena."
"Its okay." She said softly, hugging him tightly despite the cold snow on him.
"No, its not." He broke away gently, eyes fierce. "I made our little boy hate you, I made myself hate you. I don't -"
"You thought I cheated on you. You had every right." She murmured, cutting him off. "I shouldn't have even let him in."
He shook his head, opening the door to their home watching as the light streamed out. "Where's Aidan?"
"I don't know. He ran upstairs after.." She trailed off, unable to continue.
"Okay. Listen, why don't you take a shower and go to sleep? I'll handle everything." He whispered, hands curling into fists once he saw that he was still sitting on the couch.
"Okay." She kissed his cheek, fleeing up the stairs.
"What are you doing here?" Dan said in a low dangerous voice. "This is my house, my family and Serena is my wife."
"I came back because I love her." Aaron replied calmly.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I suggest you get out of this house unless you want to be carried out by the paramedics." Dan growled, shoving Aaron towards the door.
"Alright, fine I'll leave." Aaron walked out the door and turned to face Dan one last time. "Just so you know, she's real fierce in bed."
"I hope you have a good lawyer. Sexual harassment isn't taken very well these days." Dan slammed the door in his face, smirking when he heard a groan. He hope he broke his damn nose.
He made his ways up the stairs, pausing near their bedroom to hear Serena in the shower. Dan continued, rapping softly on Aidan's door before pushing it open to see Aidan, arms crossed and staring at the wall.
"Hey bud. What's this I hear about you hating mommy?" Dan said softly, sitting down next to him, making the mattress squeak.
"Mommy kissed the weird guy. She can only kiss you. I hate her." Aidan muttered, his seven year old side showing.
"Listen to me, okay? Mommy didn't kiss him, he kissed her. He was a jerk and kissed her without permission."
"Then how come you got mad at mommy?"
"Because I didn't know." Dan hung his head, the reality of what he did hitting in. "Daddy didn't understand so he got mad, okay? Its daddy's fault."
"Okay. Will you tell momma I'm sorry?" Aidan looked away from Dan and into the mirror. He was the spitting image of his father.
"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Dan prodded gently. "I'm sure mommy would like that better."
"I'm scared." Aidan muttered.
"Scared of what?"
"I'm scared mommy will hate me 'cause of what I said."
"Listen to me," Dan made Aidan look up at him. "mommy and daddy will never hate you okay? We love you way too much for that."
"Okay, daddy. Can you come with me?"
"Its getting pretty late son." He glanced at the clock quickly. "Why don't we do it tomorrow morning? Besides, daddy still has to talk to mommy, okay?"
"Okay daddy. Night." Aidan said, as Dan tucked him in under the dinosaur covered comforter.
"Night."
Dan smiled, shutting the door gently as he left the room. He padded down the hall to the master bedroom, pushing the door open. Serena sat on the bed, hair still damp, waiting for him. "Hey." He said softly, trying not to startle her.
"Hi." She stood up and walked towards him, trying not to cry. "I'm really sorry I slapped you." She stepped into his arms, burying her face into his chest. "You have a bruise now."
"Its okay. I deserve it." He whispered, kissing the top of her head. "Aidan doesn't hate you, he was just hurt, like me."
"You know, all those things I said out there, I was being serious."
"I know."
"No, really. I meant every word Dan." She looked up at him, eyes filled with tears again. "You are the most important person to me. You're my forever."
Dan smiled, kissing her gently. "You knew, didn't you?"
"Knew what?"
"The day you said those words to your mom, you knew that we're destined, didn't you? You knew that ever since I met you, I had fallen harder for you with each passing second."
"More like hoped." Serena laughed softly.
Dan smiled, kissing her again. "It was kind of obvious."
"Not to me." Serena pulled him to the bed, making him sit down. "I love you."
"I love you too." He smiled, kissing her over and over again. "You know, we should get some sleep. Two more days until Christmas."
"We can function without sleep." Serena smiled, flipping him over so that she was straddling him.
"Are you sure?" Dan put his hands on top of hers to get her to stop undoing his belt. His dark brown eyes were serious as he licked his lips and said, "We don't have to, you know."
"I want to." She set her hands on his shoulders, pushing him down onto the pillows. She paused and rested a hand on his cheek, fingers tracing the bruise she made.
He caught her fingers with his left hand and kissed them. "Its okay, I promise." He whispered, smiling as she let her fingers play with the gold band on his ring finger. "Like you said, we're forever. I'm pretty sure that means we can get through anything."
"We can. I just wish I gave Aaron this bruise including kneeing him."
"I was hoping you did something like that." Dan chuckled, running his fingers down the curve of her shoulder, kissing it gently. "Don't worry about my cheek, you can always kiss it better when it hurts."
Serena let one finger trace Dan's lips. "Maybe I should have given you a bruise right here then."
Dan laughed, nuzzling her nose with his. "Well maybe if you kiss them hard enough, they will bruise." He watched as she leaned over to shut off the lights, the candles casting a soft glow in the dark room. Her rings caught the light and he grinned, taking her left hand. "With this ring, I thee wed." He recited, earning a giggle from her.
"Our wedding was amazing."
"As well as the wedding night." Dan smiled, kissing her neck softly.
"How about we reenact it?" Serena giggled, gasping as Dan began to make his mark on her skin.
"I can't think of anything better." Dan muttered, silencing Serena's giggles.
Thanks again, guys. You are the best. Don't forget to enter my contest. Check out rules on my profile. Merry Christmas!