Sorry, this chapter is a little short. But I will update it quickly with the next one if you guys like?

Beta masters (No, not masturbaters) Beej88, DarkenedHrt101, and SailorMoon489 in the house again for this chapter. I mean, they betaed the whole thing but I wanna give them props for each and every chapter of course.

If you like some darkness and angst with your lemony goodness, check out Poisoned Mind, a Dark Endy trope. Also, check out all my beta's pages as they have the goods as well! Follow me on Tumblr for more updates and insights to future fics I'm working on. Also to find playlists to go with your reading. Although, I didn't make one for this fic cause the time period was just hard to match. Enjoy!


Chapter 3

It had been a week, a week and Serena had yet to say a word to him. She made sure to not be in his sights too, waiting, no doubt, until he was gone before leaving her room.

How was he supposed to apologize if she refused to even look at him?

He had been out of line, so far out of line that he did not know who that man was that yelled at the poor girl all those days ago. He had come home to spend lunch with her and found her outside in the garden. The blooming flowers paled in comparison, her long hair wild as it curled freely down her back. He could just make out the mint green of her thin dress when he heard her laugh. It was beautiful and he wanted to hear more until he realized she was sharing it with their gardener. He had hired the man against best judgment, the rumors of his firing from his last job involved the young daughter of his master and Harrison being found in bed together. He thought nothing of it at the time, having no one for the rake to take advantage of. But now his gorgeous young wife was talking freely with the man and he saw red.

No crime had been committed, he had not a leg to stand on but he fired Harrison regardless. The damage to his marriage left things as uncertain as Harrison next means of employment.

He left his room dark, planning on going straight to bed and therefore was in no need for a light. It was pitch, thick dark clouds covering the moon and stars with their inky black promise of rain. Taking off his shoes, sitting on the bed, his room lit up like the flash of a photograph. Moments passed before the boom of thunder shook his windows, a scream breaking through the middle of it.

Slipping around on his sock covered feet, he burst into Serena's room. A quick search found her alone, curled up tight in her bed. Coming to her side, he opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong when another flash of lightning brought its thunder with it. Serena screamed again, quaking under her sheet.

Sitting on the side, he peeled back the covers, finding her very pale. It was the first he had seen her in a week, even with her pale and shaking, he found himself tripping with glee when she didn't pull away from him.

"Are you afraid of thunder?"

She shot him a glare but he couldn't resist the chuckle, to giddy from being so near. "No!...I'm afraid of lightning, it is what kills."

"Very rarely does a person get struck by it."

"But it does happen?!"

She was jumping up, sitting before him now. The sheet slipped from her, revealing her gossamer nightgown that hid little from the imagination. His eyes took her in and he found he lacked no shame in the action, when he really should have.

"Not often enough for you to fear it."

She calmed, laying back down and covering herself again; much to both his relief and grief. Rising to leave, he found himself stuck as she reached up and grabbed his hand, holding it tight. "Would you…."

Looking down at her, light flashed again, revealing the deep crimson on her face. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

The words had a strange reaction, her releasing him and recoiling at the same time. Ignoring it, he rounded the bed and laid on top of her sheets next to her. "I don't want to….you have work in the morning, I would hate for you to…"

"Your bed is the same as mine, Serena. You are not inconveniencing me with my clothes for tomorrow so close. Just go to sleep."

Growing still, the last legs of the storm flashing in the room and sounding out distant hollow booms, he resigned himself to sleeping in his clothes. He knew her fear was genuine, but had no clue as to what it was founded in. Either way, it took a thunderstorm to get her to speak to him again.

Her soft snores now filled the air, the night settling down again to a soft breeze and gentle raindrops. He watched the drips hit and slip down her window, enjoying the smell of the rain and of Serena. His lids were drifting shut when the bed began to move, Serena resting her head on his chest. Hesitating, he slowly wrapped an arm around her and she snuggled in closer to him. He listened to her breaths, her taking a large one in and moaning it out her mouth.

"Darien…."

Little fist clenched his shirt tight, making even the smallest thought of escape impossible. He was there for the night. There for the night with Serena pressed against him in her see-through nightgown and moaning his name in her sleep.

OoOoO

The days slowly shifted, getting shorter and cooler. The couches were recovered and the walls painted. Now instead of living inside of a dungeon, each room reflected the light it received, only brightening the inside more.

The formal living room she dressed in white and light grey stripes. The dining room became a pale yellow, the dining sets rich cherry color glowing next to the new wall colors. The kitchen received a fresh coat of white paint. Her room she painted light pink and kept her white sheets. The informal living room she painted blue like the sea, and her husband's eyes, making the now beige couches stand out with their yellow-striped pillows.

Everyone seemed pleased, wearing smiles on their faces now that they lived and worked in a more pleasant environment. Even Dr. Shields approved, spending more time at home and eating more dinners with her.

Mother Shields, however, had yet to see it and she had a visit coming soon.

For now, she had more important things to focus on. Currently, it was wounds and sores and Shakespeare. She had only signed up for two courses at the Women's College but that was more than enough. The course she took in bed manner was more of a training session for would-be nurses. But she feared any high-level course and there weren't many at the college. Then most advanced it went was Anatomy. Her course in English Literature was proving to be a challenge as well simply with the sheer amount of work it entailed.

That said, she would not give any of it up for the world.

Night time, the house was freezing, her digging deep under her thick covers. It had been over a month since Dr. Shields had shown her his medical prowess, comforting her during the storm. She wouldn't deny that he was a nice man. He was very good at what he did too, otherwise, he wouldn't be gone so much. Or maybe he was just staying away from her, she did not know.

The sound of the bell and pounding woke her. Snug and warm, she glanced at the small clock on her nightstand finding it was one in the morning.

The banging and ringing continued as she rose from the warmth and shrugged on her robe. She was still pulling it on when she stepped out into the hall. Mrs. Moon was going for the door when she leaned over the banister. Near the bottom of the stairs, Dr. Shields brushed past her.

"Go back to bed."

His voice was heavy with sleep but he had managed to pull on some slacks and a shirt although still disheveled looking. It wasn't really fair, how he still looked beautiful even at his worst. She didn't want to know what she looked like currently.

Ignoring his plea, she stood on the last step as everyone rushed in. Mrs. Moon first, rushing towards the kitchen. Then Dr. Shields and a couple of strange men followed the three of them carrying another man. The man they carried….was covered in blood.

OoOoO

"Forgive us, Doctor, we did not know where else to go."

As commanded, the young Stewart quickly cleared the dining room table and they laid the wounded man down. "It's quite alright, Frank. What happened?"

"Too much to drink and raw words I'm afraid."

Swearing under his breath, he peeled back the blood-soaked shirt to take a closer look at the wound. "Terri, what were you doing drinking? I told you your liver was no good!"

Terri was out, from the pain, blood loss, and liquor. It was for the best really, but he needed to get the cut cleaned and closed.

He looked to the men who brought him in; Stewart, Frank, and a younger fellow he didn't know who was currently staring off into the space behind him. Taking a glance, he found Serena, standing in the doorway.

Her eyes were on the bloody man, not paying attention to any of her surroundings. Like the men that now stared at her or how she had forgotten to close her robe.

Blocking her from view, she didn't flinch as he pulled her robe closed and tied it tight. "Do you scare at the sight of blood?" Her eyes finally left the scene behind him, looking up at him in wonder before shaking her head 'no'. "Good, then you can help me."

It was already late when the men had arrived. Now dawn was lightening up the house. His fingers and back ached from leaning over and stitching. Serena was still by his side, cleaning the blood away and replacing the dirty water and cloths with clean.

Stabbed in the lower gut, Terri had been lucky the small blade had missed any important organs. Even a small nick and the man would have been at risk of infection and bleeding to death more than he already was. He doubted he could have saved Terri if it had cut his intestines.

Putting in the final stitch and closing him up, he stepped back and straightened his spine. Before he could wipe the sweat off his brow with the back of his sleeve, Serena wiped it for him, standing on her tiptoes with her face inches from his. She was concentrating on her work, taking care of him and again missing her current surroundings. He took a clean towel to wipe the blood off his hands before he lost himself and placed them on her hips. Things had been going well since the night of the thunderstorm; the last thing he wanted to do was wreck that.

"Thank you, Serena. For your help. Mrs. Moon is squeamish."

She shook her head at him, still standing close. "I did nothing. You are the one who saved his life."

Now clean, he dared to flick a stray strand of rose gold hair behind her ear. "With your help."

He rested his tired hand on her shoulder and she still didn't pull away from him, making him feel bold.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Dr. Shields!"

Stewart, Frank, and the young man had been sleeping in the hall, waiting. But now with the sun shining bright, they had woken to find their friend in more stable conditions.

"Thank you, Doctor and Mrs. Shields, what can we ever do to repay you?"

Serena had turned to face them and he replaced his hand on her other shoulder, keeping her near. "You can keep Terri here away from the drink and his wound clean and dry!"

He called and helped them load their man into his carriage for them to get home. When he returned, Serena was sitting on her favorite couch in the formal living room. "You should go to bed."

"So should you."

Running a hand through his hair, he felt every kink in his neck and shoulders. "I have to be at work soon."

"Are you really going to go in today?"

Her head rested on the back of the couch and she cocked it to the side, looking up at him with a small but curious smile. "Are you still going to have Mother over today?"

The smile on her face fell, replaced with a cringe. "Oh no, I forgot…"

"We should probably call her….explain and apologize."

"You're right. I'm just going to...sit here for a minute…"

He was staring, her robe stood out with its dark colored pattern of swirls against the bright white of the couch. It made her curves underneath it stand out all the more.

Closing them for a second, she popped her eyes back open, finding him unmoved. Taking a hand, she patted the spot next to her, a lazy smile stretching across her tired face. He couldn't say no, not to her and not now.

He still kept a small but respectable distance from her, his head falling to the back of the couch. "That was inspiring what you did last night."

"Last night was extraordinary."

"And yet you still saved a man's life."

"With your help."

She giggled lightly, "I cleaned. I was a maid."

"The maid was cowering in the kitchen."

She giggled again and leaned her shoulder against his. Tempting fate, he wrapped an arm around her. Slipping further, she fell onto him with all her weight, a comfortable silence falling over them.

"Darien…"

He jumped, his eyes popping open in a manner that occurred when awoken unnaturally. The first thing he saw was Serena's face; slack with sleep, eyes gently closed and mouth popped open to expel hot breaths across his face. One hand was curled under her cheek, propping her up over him. The other rested across his chest, it bent and curled so that her fingertips touched his scalp. Still snoring, it was not Serena that had called to him.

Jumping again when a hand touched his shoulder, he turned away to find Mother standing over the two of them, a grin plastered to her face. It was then that he realized, his head was laying in Serena's lap. Either he had slipped down into it in his exhausted haze...or she had placed him in it after he fell asleep. With her arm curled around his head, it looked as if she pulled him.

Having already shaken her one too many times, he pulled himself from her and then plucked her from her perch and carried her to bed. Safely tucked, he returned to his Mother, who had taken the spot they once occupied.

"What happened to the two of you?"

He scrubbed his face, groaning at her implied tone. "A patient. A man was stabbed last night. Serena helped me save his life when they brought him here."

Mother gasped, "She did? Oh, I knew that girl was meant for great things."

"Mother…"

"Well, I had my suspicions. For her to have caught your interests in the first place…"

"Mother…" She continued to ignore his warning tone.

"Oh what beautiful children the two of you would make."

He shook his head at her sad tone. "Except that is physically impossible."

"Doesn't that just make you sad?"

He frowned down at her, turning and leaving her where she sat. "I'm afraid we won't be able to entertain today, Mother. We will have to reschedule for next week."

Heading for the door, Mother followed, not making things any more difficult for once. She moved in for a hug, kissing his cheek as she pulled back. "Alright, tell Serena I said rest well and that the house looks beautiful."

"Thank you, Mother."

OoOoO

"The place really does look stunning, Serena."

Mother sat across from her as she poured the tea. Mina munched on a cookie, nodding her head in agreement. "I cannot believe I am sitting in the same house!"

"Thank you. The house was beautiful already Mother…."

She was waving her off already. "It was beautiful for a bachelor. I had no thoughts of a woman while working on this place."

It was growing late and there was no sign of her husband. It looked as though she was going to eat dinner alone anyway. "Would the two of you care to join me for dinner?"

Mother agreed, of course, but Mina politely declined. Now the two of them sat at the large dining room table alone. Normally, she ate in the kitchen when Dr. Shields worked late. The large room and table were not suited for just two people really, designed for ten at most. But they never had so many over for dinner. The number of people she knew in town could never fill the table.

"Christmas is nearing. What plans have you and my son made?"

She nearly dropped her spoon into her soup bowl. "Oh...uh…."

The topic of Christmas had not been discussed in the slightest by her or Dr. Shields. "I have a lovely dinner every year that I force your husband to attend. But you will enjoy it far better than he would."

"What is the date?"

"The 23rd, as it is every year."

The sound of the front door reached their ears and soon, Dr. Shields was rushing into the room and looking worried. "Mother? You are still here?"

Mother stood, letting her son walk over and greet her with a small hug and kiss. "So nice to see you too, my darling."

"Forgive me. It is a surprise. A nice surprise." His eyes danced to her several times while he spoke.

"When it appeared I would be eating alone, I invited Mother to stay for dinner."

He seemed to calm a little at that for some reason while Mother started to push him into a seat. "Dinner is not yet done, join us!"

A maid set his place, a steaming bowl of soup placed before to match theirs. "What are you ladies talking about?"

"Christmas."

Unable to take her eyes off of him, she caught the cringe the Doctor had at the mention. "You don't enjoy the holiday?"

His eyes found hers, looking shocked she had taken notice. "It is not my favorite no."

"This year you will have Serena and therefore you will have to do much better at containing your disdain. Especially at my dinner."

"About that…"

"You cannot weasel your way out of it, Darien! You have a duty to your Mother and your Wife this year."

Dr. Shields held up his hands in defense, "I will be there, Mother. I know better than to attempt to escape. It is Serena who won't be attending."

Mother looked even more upset, "Why of God's name not? I want to show off my new daughter!"

Dr. Shields was working hard to keep Mother from throwing her bowl of soup at him. His eyes flicked to her as she also waited for his reasoning. "Forgive me, I was going to tell both of you soon." He settled his focus on her, ignoring the glare Mother was shooting him. "Serena, I thought you would like to go home for Christmas."

"Excuse me?"

Looking a bit nervous, his eyes danced between her and Mother, as if he did not know where the hit would come from. "You have been homesick, yes? I thought you would enjoy some time at home. With your classes, the Christmas break is the best time. You can go for a nice long visit."

"What about you?"

Confused for a moment by her question, he soon shook his head gently at her. "I have to stay and work. And go to Mother's party it would seem."

Mother did not look pleased, "You plan to send your young wife home alone? Do you not worry how that will look?"

"And how will it look, Mother?"

"Like you are sending her home for good."

Her breath caught, the ability to breathe freely was lost to her. Was that what he was doing? Sending her home, sending her away. Her fear coursed through her uncontrollably, unable to do anything but stare at her husband until he answered the question she couldn't bear herself to ask. In part, because she feared the answer but also because she couldn't draw a breath to speak.

His eyes found hers and she was sure she wore her fear on her face, his speed in explaining proving it. "No! Just to visit! She is coming back. You will be coming back!"

She did her best to hide her ragged breath as she was finally able to draw air in. The rest of the conversation blocked, she focused on the strange gnawing in her chest. Trying to understand why she feared going home. It wasn't the worry of what others thought; she had never let that bother her before so why would it now? When first presented, she had been happy with the promise of going home. It was when Dr. Shields said he would not be going with her that dread began to fill her chest. He didn't want her around for such a big holiday. Christmas was a holiday to be spent with family and loved ones. He was sending her home because he considered her neither of those things.