Chapter 2

Serena could hear noises as she began to regain consciousness. There was a bright light that she had to squint her eyes from. She was trying to remember what had happened. The last thing she remembered was the flight to Paris. She was talking to someone, then, then, nothing. She tried to move her head slowly while opening her eyes again. This time she focused. She figured she was in a hospital. The bed and white room tended to give it away. As well as the flowers at the foot of the bed. She struggled to move her body. Serena brought her hand up to rub her eyes, when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It was black. The only black thing in the room. She turned her head slowly towards the object and was surprised when she saw it was a person. And not just any person. The rude guy from the plane. He was sleeping in a chair next to her bed. His black dress jacket was hanging on the back of the chair, his white collared shirt was now wrinkled and had what looked to be a fair amount of blood on his left sleeve. His dark ebony hair fell loosely into his eyes, while his lips were parted slightly for the smooth rush of air that travelled between them. Serena smiled slightly. In doing so she felt a sharp pain on the left side of her head. She ran a hand up to the painful spot, only to feel a piece of gauze stuck to her head, she moaned in pain as she slightly applied pressure to the spot.

Darrian stirred as he heard a moan coming from the bed in front of him. His eyes immediately shot open to see the petite blonde's face winced in pain. He shifted uncomfortable in the chair, Serena stoped all movement.

"Hows your head?" he enquired in a hushed tone.

"Um, it's sore" she replied in an equally hushed tone. "What happened?"

"The plane had faulty gears in the wheels, it crashed into the runway on take off." Serena moaned again as she tried to sit up. It took Darrien a second to register what she was trying to do. He stood from his sitting position in the chair to give her a hand. She refused his help and sat up rather painfully on her own.

"It wouldn't kill you to accept help you know?"

"I don't even know you" she spat back, remembering what he had done to her best friend Molly.

"Well then may I suggest that perhaps you thank me instead then, after all I did save your life" he snarled back. He wasn't used to people not likening him. And this woman certainly didn't like him. He really didn't like that.

"What do you mean, saved my life?" She asked slightly confused.

"As the gears exploded you fell forward bumping your head on the overhead locker. You had a pretty big gash on your head. If I hadn't stoped the bleeding you could have died from blood loss, or had permeant brain damage." He stated rather matter-of-factly.

"Oh" was the reply he got. After a few moments of thinking she suddeny had a very bad feeling.

"Oh my god, Molly?" She screamed as she tried to jump out of the bed. Darrien managed to restrain her arms.

"Calm down, she's fine. Her parents took her home a few hours ago. She wanted to stay with you, but the doctors said she should rest."

"Was she hurt"

"Mild case of shock and small cut on her arm, but she'll be fine." He had been ashamed of his behaviour towards Molly, he wasn't the mean bastard everyone made him out to be, but sometimes things just got the better of him. Once they had been resecured from the plane, Darrian insisted that he go in Serena's ambulance, just to make sure she was going to be ok. He had apologised to Molly repeatedly once they made it to the hospital. He explained that it had been a really bad day, she said she understood and let it go at that. "Look, I apologised to Molly for my behaviour before, on the plane, it was just a bad day, she understands."

"Yeah, that's Molly for you, always willing to forgive and forget. I guess the fact she's had a crush on you for longer than I can remember has nothing to do with it" She did her best to smile. "I'm glade she's ok" Serena said finally. "What about you?" She asked hesitatingly.

"Nahh I'm fine, just a few small bruises from being thrown around the cabin"

"But..." she paused for a moment trying hard to think "You had your seat belt on"

"I took it off to catch you when you hit your head"

"Oh… um… thanks, for saving me" she said with a half smile. "And sorry about the drink thing"

"Your welcome and your forgiven, I was being a ass"

"You can say that again" she mumbled under her breath. "Um, not to be rude or anything but why are you here. Shouldn't you be in Paris, filming your next big blockbuster or something?"

"Oh, how interesting" he smirked at her as he sat on the side of the bed. "So you do know who I am? From the way you threw that drink at me, I was beginning to wonder if you lived under a rock."

"I do not live under a rock, I live in LA And of course I know of you, it's a bit hard to live in general without seeing your annoyingly piercing blue eyes everywhere." 'Piercing? Where the hell did that come from?' She thought.

Darrien took mental note of her comment, but continued on as if she hadn't said it. No need to embarrass the girl now. "Well considering I saved your life I wanted to make sure that it was worth my while"

"What do you mean worth your while?"

"Hey" He put his hand up defensively. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right, I am a human being you know"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make it sound… nevermind, did they say when I could go home?"

"I'm not sure, let me go get the doctor"

Darrien returned sometime later with the doctor, and a cell phone attached to his ear. He smile at Serena gave her a wink and walked out of the room closing the door behind him.

Serena could feel the heat in her face as she blushed at him, hoping he wouldn't see it. She didn't like him. He was rude, and snobby, and had great eyes, and looked really cute when he was sleeping… 'NO' she mentally screamed at herself, no, she did not like him in the least.

"Well Miss Cole you seem to be fine, your cut is healing nicely, you should be able to go home as soon tomorrow as long as you take it easy. That bump on your head is no laughing matter." The doctor said. Serena was wrapped, she could go home. Only Molly wasn't home, but she could deal with that.

The doctor made his way out mumbling about discharge papers, as Darrien steeped back into the room.

"So, Miss Cole, what's the diagnosis?" He asked raising a perfect eyebrow at her.

"He said I can go home tomorrow, as long as I take it easy"

"Ahh yes your concussion"

"And how exactly would you know Mr-I'm-the-world's-greatest-actor?" She asked raising her own brow, although hers hurt a little.

"Before acting, I was studying to become a doctor"

"Oh… what happened?"

Darrien took a long breath before he spoke. He didn't normally tell people he just met about his past, but something in him told him this was different.

"My parents died when I was six, I was left a large inheritance, but a few years ago my long lost uncle contested the will and won. I didn't have any money left to live, let alone study. I was working three jobs, just to keep myself alive. One day on my way to work, a robber was running away with a lady's bag, I tackled him, and the cops arrested him. A man standing in the crowd was a talent agent, he had seen what had happened and gave me his card. I got fired from one of my jobs for being late that day I helped the lady.m so I thought stuff it why not give him a call. And I did and this is where I am now." During this time Serena had rested back into the bed listening to the story.

"You must be really lonely, having no family" She said. He couldn't believe it she didn't pity him. "How come you didn't go back to medicine when you got rich again?"

"It just didn't feel right, and I have so many obligations, maybe, one day"

"Why not now?" She asked trying to lighten the mood.

"I have to go to Paris to start my shoot over there, it's a legal contact, I could get sued"

"Oh"

"You say that a lot you know?" There was a long pause, only broken when Serena yawned. "Do you have someone at home who can take care of you?"

"Um…" Serena began to think. "Molly and I live together, but she's at her mum's like you said. My parents are still in London visiting my brother… Um…" Serena yawned again. Darrien smiled at how beautiful she looked, even with a tired and drawn face, bruises on her cheek and a patch of gauze stuck to her head. She was the picture of perfect innocence. He walked over to the bed as her eyes began to slowly close.

"Sleep now, it will all be better tomorrow." He lightly kissed her hand, while pulling out his cell phone.