A.N: Sorry it took so long….. DON'T HATE ME!

I wrote as fast as I could!

I got a job! Wooooo

But that means that my updates are going to be a lot more spaced out then it usually is. I'm sorry, again!

Tell me what you think of this chapter.

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Chapter 7: The Song

Darien woke up to the buzzing of his alarm clock. He groggily flung the sheets away from him and got up, dragging himself into the bathroom to get prepared.

He figured today was going to be a little awkward between him and Serena, but then things always seemed awkward between them before anything had happened. He wondered how she was going to act today, and how he should act.

Finally dressed and ready, he headed out of his room, and entered Serena's room. She was, like always, reading some kind of novel, waiting to be escorted down to breakfast.

Today she was dressed in a white skirt that came down to mid-thigh, showing off her wonderful legs. She had on a pink, lacy camisole and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but leaving out some wisps of hair. She suddenly glanced up and saw Darien, who was wearing trousers that fit him perfectly, a buttoned up shirt and a blazer jacket thrown on top, as expected. He left the top three buttons unfinished, and his hair was slightly gelled. Serena marked her place, set the book down, grabbed her bag, and walked out.

Figured, Darien thought when she passed him without uttering a single word. He followed her from behind, and, without thinking, looked her up and down. He noticed how her hips swayed gracefully as she walked, how her waist looked tiny and curved, and how long and creamy her legs looked. Darien caught himself thinking inane thoughts and groaned silently.

Serena reached the elevator and pressed the button, patiently waiting as it chimed and then swung open. She stepped in and so did Darien. She pressed a button and leaned against the side, not looking at anything in particular, and especially, not looking at Darien. As the elevator moved down, the uncomfortable atmosphere seemed to intensify. Suddenly, Serena asked," So what's going to happen?"

Darien looked at her, a little surprised that she'd spoken to him at all. "What do you mean?"

"Between us," she further explained, looking straight ahead with no expression.

Darien shrugged, furrowing his eyebrows together. "Nothing's going to happen between us."

Serena nodded, still not looking at him. "So we pretend as if nothing's going on between us, then-"

"Nothing is going on between us," he answered, his face starting to look a little irritated. "I told you already, last night was a mistake."

The door opened and Serena walked out without a response.

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Breakfast was more quiet then usual. Serena's family, including herself, seemed to have a lot going on. As she sat and ate silently, she remembered to ask her father about the party.

"Oh, dad," she began, putting her fork down. "There's a party this weekend and I was wondering if I could go… since I haven't gone to any parties this year and it's my Senior year and all."

Ken put his newspaper down and took off his glasses to look at Serena, showing her that she had his full attention. He frowned a little bit. "Who's party is it?"

"I'm not sure. It's just a high school party," Serena shrugged. "Please, dad?"

Ken looked at Irene to see what she thought. Irene smiled and gave a nod. Ken turned back, sighing. "Fine… just this one party. But there will be people with you, and if I find out one single thing that went wrong at this party, you are going to regret it."

Serena grinned, almost squealing as she reached over to hug her father. "Thank you, dad!" She kissed him quickly on the cheek and got up to head to school.

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"Wow… I can't believe your dad was that easy," Raye said as she walked beside Serena down a hall full of people.

Serena looked serious as she nodded. "Me neither! But I'm pretty sure he's not going to be making it that easy. There's gonna be security everywhere… wouldn't that ruin the party?"

Raye shrugged as she clutched the binders in her arms harder. "People can get over it. You haven't attended a party in FOREVER!"

Serena smiled and nodded again.

Behind Serena, Darien trudged along, passing unfamiliar faces. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd been catching himself thinking about the heated kiss with Serena occasionally throughout the day. When he saw Serena in the arms of her boyfriend, he felt his lips tug into a frown and he felt a tiny twinge of something… the feeling wasn't exactly the feeling of 'jealously', more like the beginning of the feeling of jealously. He didn't feel like he wanted to hurt her boyfriend or anything, he felt… indifferent.

As he half-listened to what they were saying, he groaned at the thought of attending some stupid high school party. He'd be a mere floating body amongst the mass of drunk or tipsy teenagers. Thinking about the party already annoyed him. He didn't like dealing with obnoxious kids.

"Are you going, Darien?" Raye asked, scattering Darien's thoughts.

He shrugged his shoulder and gave her a half-hearted smile. "Do I have a choice?"

Serena merely ignored him like she had been the past several hours. She wouldn't even acknowledge him or glance in his direction. She was still fuming about the aftermath of their kiss. Of course it was her fault, but she felt so utterly rejected… almost hurt. She was looking forward to the party and looking forward for Darien to make a slip-up so he'd be gone.

Raye grinned at his bored voice. "You never know! It could be fun. Something entertaining always happens at parties," she pointed out, slowing her pace slightly to fall in step with Darien's and letting Serena walk ahead by herself.

Darien made a face as he shook his head. "I've been over high school before I even attended high school. Being around drunk, thrashing kids is not in the least bit appealing for me."

"So you don't drink?"

"No, I drink. I just don't drink carelessly and recklessly," he pressed.

Raye rolled her eyes but maintaining a playful smile at the same time. She heard the warning bell and darted of, saying a quick 'bye' and a flick of the wrist.

Serena didn't rush off like everyone else around her. She walked long strides, but she was in no hurry to get to her classes.

Darien wanted to say something just to break the tension between them, but he didn't know what exactly to say. Just when he was about to blurt something random out, Ethan intervened.

"Hey, babe," Ethan said as he sided by Serena, placing an arm around her waist as they walked.

Serena smiled as she brought her arms around his waist in return and leaned into him as they walked. "Hi," she replied back.

As they talked to one another, Darien averted his eyes and jammed his hands into his pockets. This guy is getting more annoying the more I see him, he thought frustratingly.

Soon enough, Ethan tore away from Serena's side and trotted to his class as Serena entered her own, the bell finally ringing as she entered her last class for the day.

Darien settled in the back, sitting on an empty chair that the teacher had put out for him. As the teacher began to lecture, Darien heard a small 'beep' in his right ear, knowing immediately that it was the Secret Services.

"Photo shoot and interview has been cancelled for the day," a deep male voice echoed in his ear.

Darien pulled on his blazer to bring the microphone close to his mouth and whispered," Got it."

Crap, he thought as the man beeped off on the earphone. That means we're gonna have to be alone, which makes things even more awkward. Darien had been hoping for people to fill in Serena's time so the silence between them wouldn't be so annoyingly unbearable. He knew things would eventually go back to normal, or whatever normal was between them before, but the process of getting things back to normal seemed to far away. Why is this bugging me? He pondered as he stared at the back of Serena's blonde head.

So he admitted he found Serena achingly attractive, but that didn't mean he would do anything about that. She was his job for crying out loud. She was supposed to be someone that was intangible and unattainable for him, which she was, metaphorically speaking. Last night was a complete different story. Last night she was and had been tangible and attainable.

Before Darien knew it, the bell had already rung as kids started shuffling out the door. He abruptly stood up and walked out the class, spotting Serena a few feet ahead of him. Thank God school's over for the day, he thought a little happier. Then he frowned; he still had the rest of the day with her.

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The ride home was a moment to be cherished. They had no room for awkwardness because they were both sitting in different compartments of the limousine.

Serena sat in the back, lying down across the large seat as she listened to her I-POD, closing her eyes and letting the music drown out any thought. She would occasionally hum or sing along, bobbing her head or drumming on her stomach.

Darien sat in the front with Kyle, the limo driver. They talked about family, friends, and sports. Darien laughed as Kyle told him stories about his little girls and wife. At the mention of family, Darien suddenly remembered that today was his mother's birthday. Oh shit, he thought frantically. He had never forgotten his mother's birthday before, not once.

Kyle looked over at Darien because he suddenly fell extremely silent. "Something wrong?" Kyle asked.

Darien nodded. "Today's my mom's forty-eighth birthday and I completely forgot!"

Kyle smiled and shrugged," So why not go visit her right now? We have time since the plans for the day has been cancelled for Miss Bryant."

Darien looked over at Kyle and smiled back, nodding. "That's a good idea! A surprise visit! But… I haven't gotten her anything."

"She doesn't need presents. A parent is happy just to see their child."

Darien nodded again. "Should we tell Serena?"

"Let's just surprise her too," Kyle said.

Darien grinned. He wondered how Serena would react. He knew his mother would be completely thrilled that he brought people over, showing her that he really did have a social life… sort of.

And so, Kyle turned the car around and drove to Paula Shield's house.

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When Serena felt the car slow down, she turned off her I-POD and put it away in her bag, sitting up and gathering her things. When she was about to open the door, someone jerked the car door open for her.

"Hello," Darien said with a guarded smile. "Change of plans," he started to explain, helping Serena out.

She got out and looked around at her unfamiliar surroundings. "Where are we?" she asked, speaking to him for the first time since the morning.

"We are at my mother's house. Today's her birthday and I've completely forgotten, so Kyle took me to visit her for awhile… I hope that's all right," Darien explained, running a hand through his hair.

Serena looked at him for a moment and then nodded. "It's okay. It's her birthday, she has a right to see her son," Serena said. "Should I just stay in the car and wait, then?"

Darien shook his head," No! You should come in, she'd be more than happy to meet new people."

Serena looked unsure at first, glancing away from his pleading eyes as she thought about it. This meant she'd have to talk to him, even though she didn't want too… but she'd feel bad afterwards about not meeting Darien's mother on her birthday. "Fine," she said as she walked around the car.

Darien, Serena, and Kyle made their way up to the door together, feeling a little bit anxious and uncomfortable at the same time. Darien pushed the doorbell and waited.

It took several seconds before he heard footsteps behind the door, and then the sound of someone unlocking it. Soon, the door swung open, revealing a very surprised and lovely lady.

"Oh," she almost screamed in shock, throwing her arms around her son. "Darien! I wasn't expecting to see you today."

Serena couldn't help but smile. She could tell how close they were and how much Darien loved his mother and vice versa.

Darien chuckled as he pulled away from his mother's embracing arms. "Well we came to surprise you! This is Kyle Hanley, he's the limousine driver, and this is Serena-"

"I know who she is, silly," Paula said as she playfully slapped Darien on his arm. "Please, everyone come in! It's so nice to meet you! Oh… I look so awful. If I would have known I'd have visitors I would have made myself up," she smiled as she ushered everyone into the house.

Everyone quickly settled into the small, but comfortable living-room. Darien stood next to his mother while Serena lounged on the couch. Kyle sat in a comfortable recliner chair.

"You have a lovely home," Serena said politely with a genuine smile.

Paula smiled and thanked her. "Lots of memories in this little house," Paula said, her eyes twinkling as she looked around the room before quickly adding," Would any of you like something to drink? Oh heavens, where are my manners?" she said sporadically, rushing into the kitchen.

Kyle and Darien chuckled as Serena stood up. "I'll help you, Mrs. Shield's," she offered.

"Oh no you will not," Paula said, poking her head around the door. "You are guests in my house. If anyone should be offering to help, it should be my lazy son over there," she eyed Darien with seriousness, her tone teasing. "And please, don't call me Mrs. Shield's… I prefer Paula," she said before ducking away again.

Darien made a face but made his way to the kitchen, making Serena giggle slightly and Kyle laugh.

"I like her," Kyle said to Serena once they were alone.

Serena grinned and nodded. "So do I."

In the kitchen, Paula was boldly grabbing cups while Darien opened the fridge and took out her homemade punch.

"She's beautiful," Paula suddenly said, obviously talking about Serena. "Even more so in person then on television."

Darien looked at his mother and walked over, setting the punch on the counter as he smiled, but not responding.

Paula headed to the freezer and opened it to get ice out while Darien stood by the tray of cups.

"You two would make a lovely couple," Paula pressed, looking sly.

Darien rolled his eyes. "Mom… she's the President's daughter… she's my job."

Paula shrugged," I was just saying," she muttered as she threw a couple of ice cubes in his glass as Darien poured the punch into it.

When they were finished and Paula picked up the tray to reenter the living-room, she turned around quickly to look up at Darien. "Thank you, sweetheart," she said in a soft, loving voice. "You have made my day."

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They spent the rest of the evening sharing stories and laughing. Paula was the belle of the ball. She and Serena even had time to make chocolate chip cookies while Kyle and Darien turned on the TV to watch a game.

When the cookies were done, everyone reunited in the living-room to munch on the mouth-watering treat, talking again.

When they left, Paula put the cookies into zip lock baggies for all three of them to take home. She made Kyle and Serena promise to come visit her again before they left, giving each of them a tight, motherly hug.

On the ride home, Serena reflected on her time spent with Paula. She felt such respect and admiration for Darien's mother. Paula was such a fighter, such a survivor. Looking into her eyes, Serena could see the wisdom and the pain it took for her to get to where she was. And she ardently cared and was kind to everyone she met. She had such a spark and charm to her, it was hard for anyone to dislike Paula.

It also showed that she loved her son more than life itself. The way she told her stories about him when he was younger, and the way she looked at Darien; proud and content.

Serena thought about a story Paula told Serena about Darien when he was younger. The story was so adorable, Serena laughed heartily and 'awed' :

So his second grade teacher was telling them that drinking and driving was bad. Heavens knows why she would tell seven year olds such a thing! Lectured to them about it and telling them it was illegal and all that. So when I picked him up from school, I had a cup of coffee in my hands. He gasped and yelled,"Mom! You're drinking and driving!" The look on his face was priceless. He looked so horrified, like I had just betrayed him.

Serena smiled at the thought of a seven year old Darien yelling at his mother. Then she remembered another story Paula told her:

Him and his father went to the country one time and when they got back, Darien told me that he wanted to be poor. I asked him why and he said," Rich people have a swimming pool, but poor people have a whole river!" Oh, it was so cute…

Serena laughed to herself at the thought of that… it was true. Children and their innocence were so adorable! Too bad he's such an ass now, she thought as the felt the car tug to a stop. She grabbed her belongings and the zip lock bag full of soft chocolate chip cookies.

Darien held the door open for her and they made their journey up to their room, saying 'goodbye' to Kyle before they entered.

Things between them seemed to revert back to the tension and awkwardness it had before.

As Serena walked, she quickly glanced up at him and said," I had fun," quietly, almost inaudible.

Darien turned his head and looked at her, his face looking a little surprised. "I'm glad," he replied. "Thanks for coming in. I can tell my mom enjoyed it. It's been awhile since she'd had any visitors come, with the exception of me," he said with smile.

"I like your mom, a lot," Serena confessed.

Darien grinned and shook his head. "She's a hoot," he said as they entered the elevator to go up to her room.

Once inside, the silence blanketed around them again. Darien shifted on his feet apprehensively. When the door opened again, it felt like it had been an eternity.

They walked quietly to her room.

Serena walked quickly over to her stereo and put in a CD of The Fray just to have some noise.

It took a couple of seconds, but then the song came on:

There are certain people
You just keep coming back to
She is right in front of you
You begin to wonder
Could you find a better one
Compared to her now she's in question
And all at once
The crowd begins to sing
Sometimes the hardest thing
And the right thing are the same

Darien went and took a seat on the couch just as the chorus began:

Maybe you want her
Maybe you need her
Maybe you started to compare
To someone not there
Looking for the right one
You line up the world to find
Where no questions cross your mind
But she won't keep on waiting
For you without a doubt
Much longer for you to sort it out

Serena sat down at her desk and began to study, while Darien listened to the song, suddenly feeling like it was actually speaking to him.

When the song ended, he shook the feeling off and looked at Serena as she jotted something down in her notebook.

"She is right in front of you…" the words of the song hummed in Darien's head. "Maybe you want her, maybe you need her..."