Chapter 10
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, are we ready to do this? Serena, you have your pen and fancy note cards?" Irene asked.
Serena smiled. "Yes I do. I sent Kaden to get me some more earlier this morning. We're ready to try the mall again." she said.
"This should prove to be interesting, Rena." Nate, who'd decided to join them at the last minute, said.
"Well, let's go then." Irene said. They left and went to the mall, twins and all.
"Hey, aren't you Serena Kingston, the model?" a younger girl came up to them and asked.
"Yes." Serena said.
"Can I have your autograph?" she asked.
"Sure, no problem." Serena said and signed a note card, and handed it to the girl.
"Thanks. Hey, are those two yours?" the girl asked.
"Yes, they are. Their names are Rini and Grace. They're six weeks old." Serena said.
"Wow, a model and a mom. How do you do it?" the girl asked.
"Time management." Serena answered.
"Cool. Hey, is it true that you and Nathaniel West are going out?" the girl asked.
"What about me?" Nate asked as he came up beside Serena.
"Oh my God! You're Nathaniel West. I've seen you in some of the same magazines she's in. Can I have your autograph, too?" she asked.
"I'll do you one better than just an autograph. I'll give you a picture of me and sign it. By the way, yes we are." he said. The girl stared at them, open-mouthed, for a minute before she recovered herself. He signed a picture made out to her and she ran off.
"You're conceited." Serena teased.
"We're being followed. Smile, dear." he said as they walked to join the other three.
Their day at the mall concluded around four pm.
"Now you definitely get to model all those cute things." Rei said.
"Only after we eat. I think I'm going to eat some of those chicken legs that dad made yesterday. They're really good. Plus, we have all those leftovers from the restaurant." Serena said. Her cell rang then. "Hello?" she asked.
"Hey, are you and Nate busy? I could really use the two of you here at the studio." Vivien's voice came over the line.
"We were just going to eat. We'll be over in half an hour." Serena said.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you. You won't regret this." Vivien said and /hung up.
"Hey, Nate, guess what, we get to go to work." Serena said.
"Yay! I'm thrilled." he said sarcastically.
"Let's heat up something good and filling and take off. Darien, you might as well come with us. She sounds like she's in a frenzy. Someone either wants something done right away or someone lost something and we have to re-shoot it." she said.
"Why don't we all go and make an evening of it?" Irene asked.
"I don't care. We have to be there in half an hour though, so eat fast." Serena said.
"This should prove to be fun." Ken said.
"Rei, heat this stuff up for us so we don't have to wait forever please." Serena said.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yes, Rei." she answered. Rei heated everyone's selections up, and they /dug in.
"Thank gods I made bottles a little bit ago. We may be here all night. Vivien, what's going on?" Serena asked.
"People, I need people. Since I fired Elise, I have lost five of my models with her. Normally I do not have a problem with that, but I have a deadline to make, by tomorrow! Thank God you brought Darien with you. Who else came?" she asked.
"Kaden, Lita, and Erin. Mina, my sister. Amy and Rei, two of my best friends. My parents and the twins are here also, as well as Michael and Zach. Is that enough help?" Serena asked.
"You are wonderful. I am forever in your debt. I need mostly men. I also need you and a few others. I will pay." she said.
"I don't know how much help Lita will be, but she says she'll do whatever she can to help." Erin said coming up to them.
"I do need her, too. I have to finish up the baby campaign. I can use you friends. They will work and they only have to sit anyhow. Michelle and Heather are waiting for you in wardrobe. We have to hurry." she said.
"Viv, slow down, take a deep breath and tell us exactly what needs to be done." Serena said. Vivien did as she was told.
"I am sorry. I am pulled in a million directions tonight. Serena, you said you brought the twins, may I use them?" she asked.
"Of course. Lita's here. Mina, Rei, and Amy are here. Mina, you've met, now meet Rei and Amy. Amy's the quiet one standing next to Zach, Rei's the dark-haired one standing with my parents and Darien." Serena said as Vivien looked at them.
"They are pregnant?" Vivien asked.
"Yes. Amy and Rei are." Serena said.
"Good. I need them for the baby campaign. Mina, can you play model for me?" Vivien asked.
"Sure. I'll do just about anything you want me to, except climb walls. That's Serena's job." she joked.
Vivien smiled. "Yes, she is good at that, no?" Vivien asked. They nodded. "Parents, I will use you in the baby campaign to play grandparents. You are already good at it I see." she said.
"OK, Amy, Rei, Mom, and Dad, take the twins and go with Lita. The rest of us are going to wardrobe, hair, and makeup." Serena said.
"You would make great director." Vivien said. Serena laughed. "You make me less frazzled." Vivien said as they all headed for wardrobe, hair, and makeup.
Serena pulled her hair out of it's stylish ponytail, and let Michelle fix it quickly.
"I see you actually took care to style it this morning. I'm just going to fix the ringlets that are starting to come out, and I'm done." Michelle said.
"I only have to do a few touch-ups and then you're done. I like when you come in prepared." Heather said.
"They took away my comfortable clothes." Serena said.
"That's because we got tired of seeing you in jeans and a T-shirt. Especially now that what you do isn't secret." Darien said from the doorway.
"Hey, you know I blame all of it on you. They wouldn't have thought of it on their own." Serena said.
"Still. I heard a funny rumor from Destiny today. Would you like to hear it?" he asked.
"Shoot." Serena said.
"I heard that the long-believed sword that you used you didn't. She knows differently. Why?" Darien asked.
"Because she's a former time guardian and she would know whose sword it was." Serena answered.
"Didn't you and Kaden have a fling back in the Silver Millennium?" Heather asked.
"How the hell did the two of you find out about that?" she asked, surprised.
"Your sister told us, and Setsuna knows everything." Heather said.
"Wanna know a little secret that not many realized?" Serena asked.
"Hmm?" Heather asked.
"It wasn't Darien's sword, it was Kaden's." Serena said as her other sister walked into the room.
"I thought that was a secret." Setsuna said.
"It was." Serena said.
"Does Kaden know?" Michelle asked.
"No. It doesn't matter anyhow. I was supposed to marry Darien. Even then." she said.
"Serena, before you died, were you pregnant?" Setsuna asked. Silence ensued.
"Yes." she said the word very softly.
"Yet you still killed yourself. Why?" Heather asked.
"I killed myself because I felt like I had nothing to live for. I was 17 and pregnant. All my friends were dead. My mother was dying..." she trailed off
"Kaden and Darien were both dead. The man you loved and the man you were supposed to marry. It's sad. You're right. You ever going to tell him?" Michelle asked.
"Maybe. I don't know." Serena said.
"If he ever remembers she will." Darien said.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Setsuna asked.
"Nope. I'm dressed. Besides, they're arguing in there." he said.
"About what?" Setsuna asked.
"About whether or not Nate and I should be pulling this publicity stunt." Serena answered.
"Why are you then?" Michelle asked.
"To try to get Kaden to remember. We thought that he might get jealous and it might unlock some memories." Serena answered.
"You're planning on making the National Gossip?" Setsuna asked.
"That's the idea. The more of it he sees, the more jealous he becomes. Hopefully it doesn't backfire." Serena said.
"You're done, go get dressed. Just remember, if you smudge that makeup I'm going to kill you." Heather said.
"Promises, promises." Serena said as she and Darien left.
"You should talk to him. More than likely, he remembers." Heather said softly.
"I think I will. After the shoot." Setsuna said. Both ladies smiled as they watched their best friend leave.
"All right, take your places, everyone. Gentlemen, remember, it is supposed to be a prestigious club, not a pool hall." Vivien called.
"Boys, cool it." Serena yelled. They all stopped goofing around.
"Thank you, Serena. They will not listen to me. Perfect timing, you two." she said and placed them.
"Hey, I thought this was a gentleman's club." Nate joked.
"I'm going to make a women out of you here in about two minutes." Serena threatened.
"Empty threat." he said, and pulled her close and kissed her. She laughed, as did everyone.
"Alright, are we through?" Vivien asked.
"Yeah, sorry." Nate apologized.
"Good, now look like you're having fun." she said as they resumed their places.
"Marvelous. Maybe we can do this more often if I have Serena and Mina around. I may steal you from Ricardo, Mina." Vivien said.
"Can it wait till after we finish the pilot?" Mina asked.
"Sure. Take your sister with you. She is good at acting, too. I had to break her of doing it in front of my camera." Vivien called. They laughed, and the photographer caught them.
"Perfect, we're done now. Keep the clothes if you want, you know the deal. Serena, I need you to change and get over to the baby shoot." Vivien called.
"Going." she said as she started pulling off the designer jacket.
She tripped over a cord and started to fall, but Kaden caught her. "You OK?" he asked.
"Yeah, thanks to you. Thank you, Kaden. I didn't see the cord." she said.
"Come on, I'll walk you back to wardrobe and look at that ankle. It might not be my specialty, but I'll know if it's serious or not." Unbeknownst to them, an unknown photographer had snapped a picture of her falling and being caught. Kaden looked at her ankle. "I think it's just twisted,' he said.
She sighed in relief. "Thanks, Kaden. I appreciate your help." she said.
Serena changed and ran over to the baby set.
"OK. You know where I need you. Places everyone. Look happy and smile, you are going to be parents. Serena, take one of your girls and play with her." Vivien said. Serena did as she was asked, picking up Grace, while her parents held Rini. The shoot was over an hour later. "Good, girls, good. Excuse me, and, gentlemen." she said.
"Thank you, all, you were all lifesavers for me tonight. Look me up after you have had your children. I may put you to work." Vivien called. "We're done here, good night, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all again." Vivien called.
Serena limped away. "Hey, what'd you do?" Darien asked.
"I decided to trip over a cord that I didn't see, when I went to change. It's fine, it just smarts a bit. Lucky for me Kaden was coming my way when I tripped. He caught me before I could fall." Serena explained.
"Gee, and all this time we thought you'd outgrown your klutziness." Darien teased.
She laughed. "So had I." she said. She limped back to the dressing room. She grabbed a ponytail holder and pulled her hair up off her neck.
"Hey, Princess. You busy?" Setsuna asked.
"No, and don't call me that. I'm your sister first and Princess second." she said with a smile.
"Good. I could use some sisterly advice." Setsuna said as she sat down.
"Have a seat. Though I don't know how much advice I can give you." Serena said.
"I was just wondering if you knew how much Darien remembers about the Silver Millennium?" Setsuna asked.
"All of it. Including you. He misses you. We were all talking about it last night. If you want my suggestion, go and talk to him. He doesn't think you remember, so he's been laying low. Oh, and, Setsuna? You might have to explain about Faith. It might take some fancy foot-work there." Serena suggested.
"Thanks, Rena, you're a Godsend." She said and left wardrobe.
"It's quiet in here." a soft voice said.
"I know. Don't sneak up on me like that, Rei. You scared the hell out of me." she said without turning around.
"You're pretty good, Rena. Do you really think we'll find her?" Rei asked, leaning against the doorway.
"Yes. Either that or she'll find us." Serena said as she changed shirts. Serena caught Rei's troubled gaze in the mirror. "I promise we'll find her or die trying. When we get home, I'll exhaust all my resources until we find her. I promise." Serena said. Rei smiled.
"So two weeks, huh? I suppose that's better than two months." Rei said as she and Serena walked out of the dressing room.
"I wanted two years, but I was thinking of you and the baby. Two weeks should give him enough time to come to his senses. Maybe in your case it will be babies." she said.
"You think so?" Rei asked.
"Why not? Twins run rampant in your family." Serena said.
"Rena?" Rei asked.
"Hmm?" she asked.
"Thanks. For everything. Not just letting me stay with you, but for making Jason come to his senses. I guess I never stopped to think that you might miss Lilly just as much or more than I do." she said.
"I try not to think about it. Even if we find her, she may have no idea who we are." Serena said.
"Still, thanks, Serena." Rei said.
"See you back at the house?" Serena asked Rei.
"Of course, but aren't you driving?" Rei asked.
"No. I talked to mom for a minute before I ran to change. I'm gonna walk home. I need some time to think." she said.
"OK. Rena, be careful. There's all sorts of weirdos out there after dark." Rei said.
Serena laughed softly. "You sounded just like Lilly then. That's something she would have said." Serena said.
"Good. I'll see you when you get back then." Rei said and left.
Serena walked to the park instead of straight home. She sat down on the swings. She could picture them all as children…
*Flashback*
"Hey, Rena, betcha can't catch me!" nine- year-old Lilly taunted.
"Yeah I can. You better start running, Lilly, because I'll run right over you if you don't, "Serena called as she chased Lilly.
"I win!" Serena said triumphantly, as she reached the tree just before Lilly.
"You're too fast for me, Rena. I forfeit." she said.
"You don't have nothing to forfeit." Serena said. Lilly thought for a minute, then surprised Serena and kissed her.
"That's a forfeit." she said. They both laughed and walked back inside as their mothers called them…
That had been the beginning of a beautiful relationship between the two. The only thing their mothers never mentioned or complained about. Serena figured her mother might have understood, but never asked and was never told.
*end flashback*
"Hey, I thought I might find you here." Darien said as he sat down in the swing next to hers.
"Let me guess, they worried because I haven't shown up yet, so you and Kaden volunteered to go looking for me?" she asked.
"That pretty well sums it up." Kaden said as he took the swing on her other side.
"Don't worry, I was coming back. I just stopped to sit and think." she said.
"We figured as much. Rei said you were thinking about Lilly again tonight so we figured this would be the one place that we'd find you." Kaden said.
"Yeah, the two of you spent so much time outside together that people often said your skin would be permanently tan." Darien recalled.
"So what were you remembering?" Kaden asked.
Serena smiled. "The first time she kissed me." she answered.
"What were you two doing anyhow?" Darien asked.
"She challenged me to a race, and then let me win. When she said she forfeited, I told her she didn't have anything to forfeit. She thought for a second and then kissed me. She told me that was her forfeit. That's also how it all got started." Serena explained.
"Sounds like Lilly. She always had to make the first move. That's what made her a great chess player, too. I remember she would sit and play 3-D chess with Amy for hours and win every time." Kaden said.
"She was never one to be bored for long. That's something the two of you have in common. You're always restless." Darien said.
"Um, not always." she said with a hint of laughter.
Both men laughed.
"Come on, we should head back before they send a whole search party." Serena said.
"Your sister would, too." Kaden said.
They chatted about the past on the short walk back.
"Hey, there they are. Where was she?" Lita asked.
"I was at the park thinking." Serena answered.
"Well there are two awfully fussy young ladies waiting to be fed upstairs. Your parents went to change to go out with the neighbors. Erin and I are staying here tonight. First thing tomorrow though, we all want the fashion show that we started last night." Lita said.
"Ooh, count me in." Nate said.
"Me too." Michael and Mina said in unison.
"Us, too." Amy said for her and Zach.
"I can't wait." Rei said.
"I can do that. I also have some work to get done. I've been meaning to work on my sketches for awhile." Serena said.
"Sketches. On the computer?" Darien asked.
"No, by hand, why?" Serena asked.
"I didn't know you could draw. You never said that you could anyway." Darien said.
"Yeah, we all assumed that you did them on the computer." Lita said.
"I scan them when I'm done. If you'll excuse me, I have some hungry twins to feed and bathe." she said.
She looked at the stairs then at the hallway leading to the den and concentrated. They heard the twins fussing again, this time closer. Serena went to the den and fed them in quiet. When she was done, she came out and walked into the kitchen.
"Wanna help, Lita?" she asked.
"Sure. I love helping you give them a bath. Wait, I think Darien should tonight. I'll go get the little tubs though." Lita said.
"Thanks, Lita. I appreciate it." Darien said and headed into the kitchen.
Lita brought in the baby tubs, soaps, and cloths.
"You of all people should know how to do this. Careful though. They're just like their mother. They love the water." Lita warned.
"Thanks for the warning. I promise I won't melt if I get wet. I've been thrown up on, yelled at, screamed at, had my hair pulled, sneezed on, coughed on, snotted on, and hit by children. A little water won't hurt me." Darien said.
"Good." Lita said as she watched Serena fill the tubs with a little water.
They carefully sat the wriggling twins in the water.
"Oh, you like this, don't you?" Darien asked them as they kicked the water. Serena smiled and Lita took pictures.
"They're so cute. One day when they're older, you can embarrass them in front of their boyfriends with these pictures." Erin said as he too watched.
Serena groaned. "Come on, I'm only eighteen myself. When they start dating I'll only be thirty-two. I think I'll wait till they get engaged. Then I'll pull out all the stops." Serena said.
"Yeah, what if they're like you and Darien and get engaged when they're sixteen?" Lita asked.
Silence answered her.
"I don't know." Serena answered.
"Food for thought." Lita said.
"If they're like Serena then they'll be manipulative and conniving." Erin teased.
Serena had just turned the water back on when he said that. She sprayed him with the hose.
"Hey, no fair!" he exclaimed, jumping out of range.
Serena and Lita laughed and Darien looked smug.
"See what you get for being a smart ass?" Mina asked, coming into the kitchen and digging around in the refrigerator.
"Ahh it lives!" Erin teased.
Lita was prepared with the camera this time as Mina dumped a half full pitcher of apple juice over his head. Everyone laughed, including Erin.
"You are so dead, Venus!" he said.
"Come on, Erin, I was just teasing." she said as he grabbed the cream pie taken out a few minutes before and advanced on her with it.
"Come on, you know you deserved it." Serena said. He looked at the pie then at his twin. "Don't you even dare." she said icily. He looked at her. "I'll send you with Jason." she warned.
"I'm scared." he said.
"I'll zap you where it counts." she threatened. He stopped for a second, but it was just too much temptation, he pushed the pie into Serena's face. "You are so dead, Erin." she said and grabbed him before he could run off. She took her free hand, wiped a huge glob of chocolate cream pie off her face and smeared it on his, rubbed it into his hair and in his ears, and pushed some up into his nose. Lita had caught the whole thing on her digital camera.
"Oh, this is priceless." Darien said as he laughed.
"You're telling me." Lita said.
"Look at this mess!" Irene said as she came into the kitchen. Serena let go of Erin.
"He started it." she said at the same time Erin said, "She started it."
"I did not!" they said in unison.
"Did too." they said in unison.
"Enough. I want to know who is responsible for this mess!" Irene exclaimed.
"We are." they said in unison.
"Then you both get to clean it up. What started this anyhow?" she asked, looking at Darien, who had just finished bathing the girls.
"His smart remarks about Serena being manipulative and conniving." Darien said.
"Then what happened?" Irene asked.
"She sprayed him with water." Lita said.
"Then?" she asked.
"I came in and he made a smart remark to me so I dumped the half full pitcher of apple juice over his head." Mina said.
"OK, then?" she asked.
"He picked up the pie with intent to go after Venus, er Mina, sorry, and then decided Serena was a better target. She threatened him if he did it, but the temptation was too great, and she retaliated by taking some of the pie and smearing it on him." Darien said as he wrapped the girls in their towels then blankets.
Irene sighed. "Here I thought I had three grown children, and it turns out that I have three eighteen-year-olds that act like children. Get it cleaned up. All three of you. We'll be back late tonight, but I trust that it will get cleaned up by the time we're back." she said coolly.
"Yes, mom." they said in unison.
She and Ken left to go out. They all started grinning and then laughing.
"It was so worth it! I can't believe you did that!" Serena exclaimed as she licked off the pie.
"Well I have to say even from my vantage point in the living room, that was priceless." Kaden said coming into the kitchen.
"You think it's funny, huh?" Serena asked.
"Yes I do." he said.
She quickly conjured another pie and threw it at him, hitting him in the face.
"Still think its funny?" she asked, laughing.
"Your a dead woman walking, Rena." he said as he conjured a bottle of chocolate syrup and squirted it at her.
"Hey hey hey, wait until I get the twins out of here." Darien said trying to maneuver around the mess.
They did, and Kaden squirted Serena again, getting Mina in the process.
"Oh, this is war." she said, and pretty soon they were all involved in a sticky, messy junk-food fight. Even Darien joined in.
"Hey guys, smile!" Lita said as she set the timer and ran to join the group. It took two consecutive pictures.
"Hey guys, this scene looks awfully familiar." Serena said.
"Yeah it does, just no ice cream this time." Kaden said.
They all laughed. "OK, start the showers. Both houses. Then get your butts over here and help me clean this stuff up." Serena said. They all laughed, and went to take showers.f