Chapter 1
Serena sat at the vanity anxiously awaiting her date as her sister finished setting her hair. She was wearing a beautiful pale yellow dress outlined in a daisy patterned lace.
"Serena, do you want me to curl the back?" Karen asked noticing her blank expression in the mirror. "Serena?...Serena?...Hey, wake up!" Karen said tapping her shoulder.
"Huh...what?"
"Do you want me to curl the back of your hair or leave it straight?" Karen asked.
Finally looking at her sister's face in the mirror, she answered "Leave it straight...no...curl it...no...I don't care, whatever looks nice."
"Alright sis, what gives?" Karen asked.
"What do you mean, Karen?"
"Serena, you're about to go out on one of the greatest nights of your life and you seem like you are a million miles away. What's going on?"
"I"m just thinking about Dad. Wondering what he is doing on such an important night for me," Serena confessed.
Scott was out of town on business. It seemed to be the norm anymore. She felt like she lived with her sister and brother-in-law, chris, more than her own father. She loved her sister, but she really missed her father.
"You know, Dad is working really hard on this case. And I'm sure he wishes that he could be here."
"Karen don't," Serena cut in. "He is always working now. He never used to be like that. It's always the same thing now. He calls and I get the 'I love you, stay out of trouble, help your sister, and I'll see you soon' speech."
Karen started laughing,"Gee, I thought I was the only one that got that speech."
Serena smiled at the comment. "Point taken. I just want him to be around a little more often, you know?"
"I know exactly what you mean. And he will be. As soon as this case if over, we probably won't be able to get rid of him." Karen joked when she heard the doorbell ring.
"Oh, that must be Todd. Is it 6:30 already, I'm not finished with my make-up, " Serena paniced.
"Take your time sis, I'll go down and let him in. I have the 'so you want to date my daughter' speech to give him that Dad made me memorize. Always the conversation starter."
"Karen, please don't! Don't be a Scott Baldwin re-incarnate." Serena pleaded.
"Serena, relax. I"m not Dad." she said turning to leave for the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A young man stood at the door in a handsome white tuxedo and a bouquet of yellow daisies and white roses, mumbling to himself rythmicly, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Baldwin. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Baldwin."
Just then the door opened, "Hi, you must be Todd," karen greeted.
Todd held out his right hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Baldwin."
"Excuse me?" Karen replied stunned.
"Um...I"m sorry...oh man, Mrs. Baldwin."
Still shocked, Karen invited the young man into the livingroom.
"I'm Todd, I'm here to escort your daughter to the spring formal."
"Daughter?", Karen repeated with a laugh.
"Yes, Mrs. Baldwin."
"Miss...Todd. It's Karen. I"m Serena's older sister," she said offering her hand.
"Oh man...I'm sorry. I knew I was going to screw up, " he confessed embarrassed.
"Relax, Todd. Serena will be down in a minute." she said with smile.
"Thank you," he replied as he noticed Serena descending the stairway. "Wow, Serena. You look beautiful."
"Thank you, Todd," she smiled.
Karen reached for the camara from the desk drawer "Okay, pictures. Dad will disown me if I don't get at least one picture."
Serena and Todd posed for the pictures, as Karen finished the 'Baldwin Lecture.' "What time is the dance over?" She asked.
"10:00 pm, Miss...uh...Karen," Todd answered.
"Okay...do me a favor, be back by midnight," Karen requested.
"Midnight?" Serena questioned "Dad usually only allows me 15 minutes to get home before he calls Mac."
"Well Serena, that's the difference between me and Dad. I understand that everyone goes to Kelly's after the dance," she said smiling at her little sister.
"Thanks, Karen," Serena said giving her a hug.
"Have a good time and be careful" Karen said as she opened the door for the young couple.
"Your sister is cool. I hope I didn't make her mad when I mistook her for your mom, " Todd announced as he noticed a car pulling in the driveway. "Is that your Dad?"
"No, that is my brother-in-law Chris...You thought Karen was my mom?" Serena asked in reply.
"Hi Serena...You take care of her, kid. That's the only little sister I have." Chris said winking. "Have fun...no drinking.'
"Hi Chris...best behavior, I promise. And Karen already gave us the lecture." Serena similed.
"Doesn't surprise me." Chris said walking into the firehouse.
"As for you" she said turning to Todd; "Don't worry about my sister, she is used to it. With my Mom being dead and the 17 year age difference between us, we get that a lot."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Cute kid, " Chris said to himself, walking in the door "Karen! Karen!"
"Oh, hi Chris, will you set the table? Your brother is going to be here in 15 minutes for dinner."
"Since when is he coming to dinner?" Chris asked surprised.
"Since I invited him and Eve this morning." Karen announced. " I thought it would be a nice evening with company older than 16."
"Oh...okay." Chris replied. "I suppose a conversation about something other than the spring fling would be a refreshing change. However," he said pulling Karen into an embrace "an evening alone with my beautiful wife would be better." He teased as she broke free to answer the phone.
"Hello"
"Oh Hi Jack."
"Oh...Okay, Jack. If you need anything, just call...bye." Karen said turning to Chris while cradling the phone. "Looks like you got your wish. Eve came down with the flu. They won't be able to make it tonight."
"In that case, why don't we start with dessert." Chris wryly smiled at his wife as he pulled her out of the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"This night has been wonderful, Todd," Serena exclaimed as they dance the evening away.
"How could it not be, I have the most beautiful girl in the school on my arm." he said. "Why don't we go outside for a breath of fresh air."
Walking out of the door, they found a group of friends discussing after the dance plans.
"Hey Todd, you guys want to go to a party at Seth's?" Roger yelled to them across the lawn.
"Sure, sounds great," Todd yelled back. "What do you say Serena?"
"I don't know, Todd, I should really go home," she confessed although she really wanted to go to the party.
"Oh come on, your sister said you didn't need to be home until Midnight," he reminded her.
"Well...okay, you twisted my arm...let's go" she said as they walked towards the car.
As they made their way through the crowd at Seth's house, they engaged in some small conversation with some friends before finally stopping to dance in the livingroom. "Hey, good to see you Todd...Serena!" Seth greeted. "Help yourselves to the bar. We've got it all."
"Thanks Seth," Todd replied turning to Serena "Let's go get a drink."
At the bar, Todd grabbed two beers handing one to Serena. "No thanks," she said shaking her head, "I'll just have a coke or something."
"Oh come on, Serena, you want to have fun tonight don't you?"
"Of Course, Todd, but if I drink that, my sister will smell it before I walk through the door.," she proclaimed.
"Well here, then. Try this," he said handing her a shot of vodka. "It's like grain alcohol, you can't smell it on a person."
Serena hesitantly took the shot downing it right away, coughing as it burned her throat. "Wow!" she exclaimed reaching for another one.
As they continued to party hard.
~*~ To be continued~*~
Serena sat at the vanity anxiously awaiting her date as her sister finished setting her hair. She was wearing a beautiful pale yellow dress outlined in a daisy patterned lace.
"Serena, do you want me to curl the back?" Karen asked noticing her blank expression in the mirror. "Serena?...Serena?...Hey, wake up!" Karen said tapping her shoulder.
"Huh...what?"
"Do you want me to curl the back of your hair or leave it straight?" Karen asked.
Finally looking at her sister's face in the mirror, she answered "Leave it straight...no...curl it...no...I don't care, whatever looks nice."
"Alright sis, what gives?" Karen asked.
"What do you mean, Karen?"
"Serena, you're about to go out on one of the greatest nights of your life and you seem like you are a million miles away. What's going on?"
"I"m just thinking about Dad. Wondering what he is doing on such an important night for me," Serena confessed.
Scott was out of town on business. It seemed to be the norm anymore. She felt like she lived with her sister and brother-in-law, chris, more than her own father. She loved her sister, but she really missed her father.
"You know, Dad is working really hard on this case. And I'm sure he wishes that he could be here."
"Karen don't," Serena cut in. "He is always working now. He never used to be like that. It's always the same thing now. He calls and I get the 'I love you, stay out of trouble, help your sister, and I'll see you soon' speech."
Karen started laughing,"Gee, I thought I was the only one that got that speech."
Serena smiled at the comment. "Point taken. I just want him to be around a little more often, you know?"
"I know exactly what you mean. And he will be. As soon as this case if over, we probably won't be able to get rid of him." Karen joked when she heard the doorbell ring.
"Oh, that must be Todd. Is it 6:30 already, I'm not finished with my make-up, " Serena paniced.
"Take your time sis, I'll go down and let him in. I have the 'so you want to date my daughter' speech to give him that Dad made me memorize. Always the conversation starter."
"Karen, please don't! Don't be a Scott Baldwin re-incarnate." Serena pleaded.
"Serena, relax. I"m not Dad." she said turning to leave for the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A young man stood at the door in a handsome white tuxedo and a bouquet of yellow daisies and white roses, mumbling to himself rythmicly, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Baldwin. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Baldwin."
Just then the door opened, "Hi, you must be Todd," karen greeted.
Todd held out his right hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Baldwin."
"Excuse me?" Karen replied stunned.
"Um...I"m sorry...oh man, Mrs. Baldwin."
Still shocked, Karen invited the young man into the livingroom.
"I'm Todd, I'm here to escort your daughter to the spring formal."
"Daughter?", Karen repeated with a laugh.
"Yes, Mrs. Baldwin."
"Miss...Todd. It's Karen. I"m Serena's older sister," she said offering her hand.
"Oh man...I'm sorry. I knew I was going to screw up, " he confessed embarrassed.
"Relax, Todd. Serena will be down in a minute." she said with smile.
"Thank you," he replied as he noticed Serena descending the stairway. "Wow, Serena. You look beautiful."
"Thank you, Todd," she smiled.
Karen reached for the camara from the desk drawer "Okay, pictures. Dad will disown me if I don't get at least one picture."
Serena and Todd posed for the pictures, as Karen finished the 'Baldwin Lecture.' "What time is the dance over?" She asked.
"10:00 pm, Miss...uh...Karen," Todd answered.
"Okay...do me a favor, be back by midnight," Karen requested.
"Midnight?" Serena questioned "Dad usually only allows me 15 minutes to get home before he calls Mac."
"Well Serena, that's the difference between me and Dad. I understand that everyone goes to Kelly's after the dance," she said smiling at her little sister.
"Thanks, Karen," Serena said giving her a hug.
"Have a good time and be careful" Karen said as she opened the door for the young couple.
"Your sister is cool. I hope I didn't make her mad when I mistook her for your mom, " Todd announced as he noticed a car pulling in the driveway. "Is that your Dad?"
"No, that is my brother-in-law Chris...You thought Karen was my mom?" Serena asked in reply.
"Hi Serena...You take care of her, kid. That's the only little sister I have." Chris said winking. "Have fun...no drinking.'
"Hi Chris...best behavior, I promise. And Karen already gave us the lecture." Serena similed.
"Doesn't surprise me." Chris said walking into the firehouse.
"As for you" she said turning to Todd; "Don't worry about my sister, she is used to it. With my Mom being dead and the 17 year age difference between us, we get that a lot."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Cute kid, " Chris said to himself, walking in the door "Karen! Karen!"
"Oh, hi Chris, will you set the table? Your brother is going to be here in 15 minutes for dinner."
"Since when is he coming to dinner?" Chris asked surprised.
"Since I invited him and Eve this morning." Karen announced. " I thought it would be a nice evening with company older than 16."
"Oh...okay." Chris replied. "I suppose a conversation about something other than the spring fling would be a refreshing change. However," he said pulling Karen into an embrace "an evening alone with my beautiful wife would be better." He teased as she broke free to answer the phone.
"Hello"
"Oh Hi Jack."
"Oh...Okay, Jack. If you need anything, just call...bye." Karen said turning to Chris while cradling the phone. "Looks like you got your wish. Eve came down with the flu. They won't be able to make it tonight."
"In that case, why don't we start with dessert." Chris wryly smiled at his wife as he pulled her out of the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"This night has been wonderful, Todd," Serena exclaimed as they dance the evening away.
"How could it not be, I have the most beautiful girl in the school on my arm." he said. "Why don't we go outside for a breath of fresh air."
Walking out of the door, they found a group of friends discussing after the dance plans.
"Hey Todd, you guys want to go to a party at Seth's?" Roger yelled to them across the lawn.
"Sure, sounds great," Todd yelled back. "What do you say Serena?"
"I don't know, Todd, I should really go home," she confessed although she really wanted to go to the party.
"Oh come on, your sister said you didn't need to be home until Midnight," he reminded her.
"Well...okay, you twisted my arm...let's go" she said as they walked towards the car.
As they made their way through the crowd at Seth's house, they engaged in some small conversation with some friends before finally stopping to dance in the livingroom. "Hey, good to see you Todd...Serena!" Seth greeted. "Help yourselves to the bar. We've got it all."
"Thanks Seth," Todd replied turning to Serena "Let's go get a drink."
At the bar, Todd grabbed two beers handing one to Serena. "No thanks," she said shaking her head, "I'll just have a coke or something."
"Oh come on, Serena, you want to have fun tonight don't you?"
"Of Course, Todd, but if I drink that, my sister will smell it before I walk through the door.," she proclaimed.
"Well here, then. Try this," he said handing her a shot of vodka. "It's like grain alcohol, you can't smell it on a person."
Serena hesitantly took the shot downing it right away, coughing as it burned her throat. "Wow!" she exclaimed reaching for another one.
As they continued to party hard.
~*~ To be continued~*~