Chapter 9: Plunge

A few days later….

Serena was jolted awake by a very familiar and most unwelcome sound intruding in on the comfort that was her sleep. Next to her, and on the floor, her three cats all stirred, yowling loudly. Nemesis stretched next to her, rolling over, and pinning her under his weight.

"Ugh, get off, you're heavy!" she shoved, smiling at herself and her cats attempt to get her to wake up. The noise coming from the front of the house was annoying them as much as it was annoying her. "Alright, I'm up. Jeez." she said, shifting in bed and sitting up, Nemesis rolling onto his belly and turning his head to look at her with wide green eyes. Serena glanced at the clock and growled. "Someone has a fucking death wish. Its only 7 in the god damn morning. For fucks sake!"

This is the second time in a handful of days where someone has woken her up at the crack of dawn. She was dangerously close to murder.

Yanking the comforters off of her lap, completely tossing them over Nemesis, and nearly tripping over two clouded leopards sprawled out on the floor next to her bed, Serena stomped over to her closet, pulled out a long cardigan and a pair of loose sweats pulling them over her tank top and her boy shorts. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun on top of her head and with a loud sigh, and a command for her leopards to stay, she made her way through her long hallway and into the large expanse that made up her living room. The noise, she noted, was someone knocking rather loudly on her god damn front door.

With a low curse, the unlocked the latch and yanked it open.

Immediately wishing she fucking didn't.

"Good morning, Serena." came the voice of someone she just really did not want to be dealing with at 7 in the god damn morning.

"What the hell are you doing here, Darien?" she spat "Its 7 AM, for god's sake. Normal people are still sleeping." she glared at him, noting that he was wearing a pair of loose fitting grey slacks, and an ivory colored long sleeve shirt with a cardigan pulled around his shoulders "and how the hell did you find out where I lived?" she snapped, raising a questioning eyebrow in his direction

He's dressed in casual clothes she thought.

"I was in the area, and thought maybe I would stop by and see if you were up. I was hoping I could talk to you." he studied her, waiting for her to answer, both hands in his pockets, and leaning his hip casually against the frame of her front door "Just a few moments. Please, Serena."

"Darien. It's too damn early for this. You banging on my door LITERALLY just woke me up. I was up late last night working, didn't get to bed until early this morning, and now here I am, awake again because you came knocking. Jesus Christ." she was just about the shut the door in his face when he shoved his palm against it, halting her movements and earning himself a warning glare from her.

"Understandable, but just a few moments. It's been years, Serena. Please." He begged again.

"Oh, for god's sake. Fine. Close the door behind you." she said, throwing her hands up in the air and walking into her home.

She heard the soft click of the door closing as she entered her living room, could hear the soft sound of Darien's shoes on her tiled floor when he walked through the foyer, then silence when his feet met the carpeted living room. He stopped when he spotted her waiting inside the expansive layout that encompassed the living room.

"This place is huge. Incredible. The colors are so warm and inviting. Who did you hire for the interior design?" he asked, doing a slow 360 as he took in the colors, the furniture, the space.

"Myself" she said, crossing her arms "and I need caffeine if I am going to be dealing with you this early." she admitted, turning and walking passed him, she headed through an alcove that led to her kitchen. She smiled when she thought of the day her cats wet crazy and how much of a mess her two boys had made, and how long it had taken her to clean the whole thing up. She stood there for a moment, just remembering, staring off into space.

"Serena. Can we talk without you insulting me every 2 seconds?" Darien asked

Serena rounded on him with wide, angry eyes, seeing him sitting patiently in one of the stools at the bar, watching her. "Uh, no. If you don't like the kind of attitude that I have, strictly when it comes to dealing with you, especially at 7 in the fucking morning, then you can get the hell out. Otherwise, say your god damn peace, and then get out!" she shouted at him, noticing him flinch and look away.

"Jesus. Serena." he started " It's been over four years. I have so much I want to say to you. There was so much I wanted to say to you years ago, but you just vanished, and no one could find you." he looked at her with a fire in his eyes that she had never seen before, and it made her incredibly uncomfortable, making her regret letting him into her home. She was grateful there was a marble island bar separating the two of them.

"You just ran. I needed to explain to you. Just... everything. And then you just ran. You were gone." he confessed

"It was not my responsibility to hear you out, Darien. You fucked my best friend. I don't care how long it was going on, I don't care if it was a one-time mistake, or if it was a weekly, daily, monthly, whatever. You did it. You betrayed ME. Rei betrayed ME." she spat "Do you even remember that morning, Darien? Because I do. You were angry with me because I wouldn't fuck you. So what do you do? You go out and you get it from someone who is far more willing. Well you know what? That's fine, you go right ahead. You can keep that trash, you can sleep with that trash. But don't come into my home and make me feel like it's my fault for not hearing you out." she tore into him, furious, and a little shocked that Darien would hold anything against her, when the whole mess was his fault.

"You can live with those feelings, Darien." she continued "Because I don't fucking care what you have to say. I made the right choice by walking away from you four years ago." she turned, rounded the corner that separated the bar from the kitchen "Get up, and get out" she spat at him "I don't want you in my home any longer"

She glared at him, his mouth hanging open, confusion crossing his features. "Serena, please, let me explain" he tried, but she was having no more of it. She wanted him gone and she wanted to regain some semblance of control back into her life. She pointed to the door.

"Darien, I said get out."

"Just hear me out"

Suddenly Serena lost all semblance of patience. Fists clenched tightly to her side, she turned and walked towards her living room, stopping in front of her hallway, and issuing a loud and quick whistle, glancing briefly at Darien, who looked at her with confusion once again. "I am SO sick of pushy men." she mumbled

"Jesus fucking Christ! What the fuck?!" Darien shouted, jumping off his chair and throwing his hands up in a placating manner as he watched not one, but three leopards emerge from the hallway that she stood in front of, and immediately hone in on him. Three pairs of green golden eyes watched him.

Serena was openly pleased with how frightened Darien was at this present moment in time.

"First of all. I am so sick and tired of people thinking that they can do whatever they fucking want in my home. This isn't a negotiation. When I tell you to get the fuck out, I mean it. Otherwise I am going to show you just how nasty I can get." she said angrily. "Second, YOU betrayed me, Darien. I have moved on since that time. You don't get to plead, or beg, or anything. My decision is final and I want you out of my house. Now, I can either call the police or I can let these leopards have their way with you. Either way, your ass will be taken out of my home, bleeding, bruised, or fucking dead, I don't much care"

Darien swore and stepped backwards, tripping and falling over as the three cats began hissing and growling, mock charging him before retreating. "Serena… jesus… call them off!" he pleaded, half shouting, his face ashen and sweaty

"No." she said calmly "You can get up and let yourself out of my home. They will not attack unless I order them to, or unless they see you hurting me. So, this is your opportunity to tuck your tiny little tail between your legs and haul ass, Darien. Otherwise, it's your life." she crossed her arms and waited for his decision.

"Alright. Alright. I'm sorry. I'll let myself out. Shit. They're wild animals Serena." Darien said, rising slowly, hands up in a pleading manner. He watched her as he slowly backed towards her front door, never once taking his eyes off her, or her leopards, who continued to hiss and growl.

"They are, but they are MY wild animals." she smiled. Keeping an eye on him as he pulled her front door open "and Darien?" she said, smiling wider when he turned to look at her "I have a permit to keep them, I have a permit to walk with them in public, and a permit to show them at educational events, and they are VERY well trained. I also have a great deal more money than you do. So, you have a great day." she finished, smiling sweetly when he glared at her and slammed the front door.

Serena immediately hurried over and locked both latches, sinking down onto the floor with her back to the door. Closing her eyes, she murmured "You have got to be kidding me" while her cats just watched her intently.

Three hours in and Serena finally felt like she could tackle her day without trying to murder someone. These last few weeks had tested her patience and tolerance to its very breaking point and if another person pissed her off she was going to jail for manslaughter. She was already furious beyond reason with the mornings encounter and she made a mental note to check the peep hole next time someone came knocking so early in the morning.

"Time to load everyone up. God I am so exhausted and it's just after 10 in the morning. People suck." she whispered under her breath, calling down her entryway for her leopards to come to her so she could load them into a specially made Chevrolet Avalanche. She turned and admired the beautiful cherry red car, her favorite color, with its massive wheels and extended crew cab. She had needed the space when it was commissioned because she traveled with her leopards. In those instances, she needed a vehicle with a high safety rating, and an area in the back large enough to house 2-3 leopards while she transported them. Among the large space came her desire to make sure her babies were protected on all fronts, so each window was equipped all around with airbags that would deploy in the event of a collision and cushion her animals. She kept a few copies of her permit and license to operate with dangerous animals in the glove box, with a warning sticker on each window indicating possible wildlife inside. She also had commissioned black tinted windows and an alarm system that would set the car on lockdown and disable the engine. She didn't play games when it came to her animals. They came into her life and she protected them fiercely.

Serena was jumped back into the present as three cats came barreling into the garage, in their typical fashion, continuously chasing each other around the area until they were given their commands. It was a balance she had struck with them. They had their freedom, and she had trained them to react to their commands. She hadn't anticipated the depth of the bond that was created, as from the beginning they were still protective regardless of whether or not they were given a command. It's the reason she let them free roam all the time. She was forced to jump back when Franz barrel rolled away from his brother, nearly knocking her off her feet.

"All right you two. Come on, everyone up and over" she pointed to her vehicle, and watched as the three leopards jumped up and into the car. She closed the door firmly and opened the drivers said, pulling herself up and into the seat, where she promptly burst out laughing.

"Oh, Nemesis" she chuckled, "You are such an awkward animal" and followed that statement with another round of merry laughter. Her largest cat had decided to crawl up into the passenger seat, where his hind end sat on the seat and his font end was awkwardly stretched out across the floor. She watched as he tried maneuvering, and burst into another round of laughter as he reversed his position, but still ended up with the same results. The poor boy just couldn't win.

"Come sweetie" she motioned behind her "Go harass your little brothers. They need to be taken to task. Kick their butts or something, there's more than enough room back there" she shooed him way, watching happily as he jumped into the back seat and sat on top of Fritz, the smaller cat yowling loudly.

"And we're off" she mumbled quietly.

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It was just after 5 PM when Serena pulled into her garage, smiling into the rear-view mirror as Mina pulled into her driveway behind her. The tall blonde had been ecstatic when she had showed up to her clinic with three big cats on leashes trotting happily, yet alert, in front of her. Many of the clients there had gasped and held their animals closer, but she was able to reassure them that her cats were well trained, and even let a few of them pet the cats. Serena had spoken at length with Mina about her business plans, and she had agreed to accompany Serena back to her home for some light dinner and business proposals.

Mina came walking up being Serena's car just as she was getting out of the front seat and opening the driver side door. Mina laughed hysterically when Serena had to jump away and the cats all tumbled out of the car, yowling and taking off.

"Jeez, that's what I get for taking them out for a walk" Serena said grumpily

"Serena, they are leopards and I'm sure keeping them in the car for such a lengthy drive had them itching to go and romp around"

Serena smiled, "Of course. It's usually Fritz and Franz that are the trouble ones. They get into everything" Serena commented, leading Mina through the doors and through the large hallway, over to the bar where she sat comfortably, admiring the spacious living room around her. "This place is great Serena, I'm assuming you designed the space? It has a warm feeling to it. I highly doubt a designer could hit on that feeling to this degree"

"I did. While I was away I was enrolled in quite a few classes at the University in London. It was hard grueling work and it gave me an appreciation for a nice steaming mug of coffee. I dabbled in design fundamentals. I major focus was Design and Medicinal Chemistry. I took some courses in Captive Wildlife Care, and it was working at the Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation that I first met Nemesis. He came in Malnourished, skinny and extremely aggressive. I took the time to work with him, and because he couldn't tolerate the other handlers, he became my sole responsibility. Earning my license to carry and operate with wildlife in public life meant I could take Nemesis to my small home and work with him myself. I taught him his commands and eventually got him to understand proper protocol when outside the home." She finished.

"And you did this while juggling school and focusing on your design label?" Mina asked incredulously.

" I did. It was not easy even in the slightest" she said, taking a seat next to Mina at the bar. "but he became my life. He kept me company when I was studying, and kept me warm when I was able to get a little sleep. He slept by the door when I was gone, and sat beside me when I cooked and prepared food for him. He even tolerated Seiya, to a degree. Nemesis has never really liked him, but for a large cat to tolerate a person in general should be considered a gift for that person. Right when my label took off about two years ago, and I had a team at my disposal, worked less and less, is when Fritz and Franz came into my life. They were so small compared to Nemesis" Serena remembered fondly.

Mina watched her friend intently while she retold her story, the details that filled the blanks as to what she had done and accomplished in 3 years. Serena was smart, Mina always knew that, and she was immensely proud of her friend for what she accomplished and the way she carried herself with confidence and poise. "Nemesis came to you as a larger cat that needed a lot of work to get him to trust you. But with the babies, it was like working with a blank slate, wasn't it? Somehow you have managed to incorporate their natural instincts into daily life, with them being perfectly fine with interacting with you."

"It's astonishing, even to me. Large cats are not generally known to be so easy to shape and mold, but they learned their commands quickly and when they got out of hand with their shenanigans, Nemesis put them in their place. It was a riot and a challenge at the same time to raise them up. Babies require more attention, and Nemesis is fairly self-sufficient. I don't watch him as much as I watch the brothers. " she laughed out loud. "Just the other day the boys decided to romp around in my kitchen and they made a god-awful mess. Then it was a nightmare cleaning them up. I shudder just thinking about it."

"Oh god, that's spectacular!" Mina quipped, laughing hysterically.

Suddenly there was furious banging on the front door that had both women standing up quickly. Serena turned to her friend and said "Just wait here. The cats arent alarmed so its not someone we need to be worried about. Just relax while I see who is at the door. " and frowned again when the knocking persisted. She watched as Mina sat back down while she moved down the entryway to the front door. Remembering her mental note, she peeped through the hole and cursed to herself at the person she saw through it. She didn't want to talk to him, and he looked fucking furious. Weighing her options, she decided to open the door and was immediately seized by her arm and hauled back into the entryway, with Seiya slamming the door behind him, and rounding his furious glare back on Serena.

"Seiya, what the-"

"No, don't you dare speak!" he yelled furiously, his blue eyes like hard diamonds. "This is the second fucking time that your security detail has told me that you have had contact with Darien fucking Shields!" he spat, releasing her arm and clenching his fists tightly by his sides. "You won't tell me what the fuck he meant to you. You won't tell me why he keeps trying to get a hold of you and trying to wiggle back into your life. You fucking tell me you despise him and then go and let him into this house?! He stays here for over an hour and leaves here looking like he's just been fucked? Did you fuck him, Serena?" he yelled, once again grabbing her by her upper arms, just in time for Serena to become close enough to land a searing slap across his cheek. The force of the strike sent his head lurching to the side and causing him to falter. After a moment of silence, he slowly turned his diamond eyes back onto Serena, meeting her thunderous glare.

"Serena?" came Mina's soft voice, both Serena and Seiya turning to look at her, catching her worried expression. "Is this a bad time? Should I leave?" she asked softly. Turning a look to Seiya, he watched as her worried expression morphed into once of absolute fury, a look that Serena caught.

"Mina, I'm sorry you are seeing this. Perhaps we should pick up another time. I'll give you a call." She spoke as she hugged her friend tightly, pulling back and looking her directly in her bright eyes. "It's ok. I can handle this. I'll call you soon." Serena said, reassuring her friend.

Seiya watched as the front door closed softly before he turned another burning look to Serena. She returned his heated glare just as forcefully, turning and walking away towards her living room and hallway. "This thing has run its course, we are over Seiya. " she said without even a backwards glance. "You need to get the hell out of my house"

She was suddenly vaulted into the air and thrown over his shoulder, a move that was like breathing air to him. "Absolutely not, and I am not giving you the opportunity to call on the cats. Keep your mouth shut or we are going to have a serious fucking problem" he stalked down her hallway and straight into her bedroom, slamming the door behind him and locking it. He moved over to her bed and tossed her onto it, watching quickly as she bounced softly with no time to recover. He quickly rose above her and pinned her hands above her head, his body wedged between her legs, effectively immobilizing her.

"Look at me Serena." He whispered

Serena turned her head and looked up at him, drawing in a quick breath at the raw emotion she saw there. "Seiya-"

"No. I need you to see what this is doing to me. I've laid myself bare for you. I have shown you everything that I am, everything that I need and require. You know first-hand that you satisfy my every need and desire in life. For three years we have worked alongside one another, for the same amount of time I have loved you. You have told me that you love me. Days before your departure from London you gave me a precious and priceless gift and you felt first hand just how perfectly we connected. You left me, Serena. You said nothing. You just disappeared. Tell me what I have done to deserve this." He looked away " Tell me why Darien is worth any of your time, but when I need you and need to be near you, you turn me away at every opportunity?" he paused, pushing away and off from her, moving and sitting on the edge of her bed, his head in his hands.

Serena pushed herself up onto her forearms, wincing at the soreness in her upper arms. Despite the fact that Seiya had been so explosive, it was that primal personality that set her on fire. She knew he would never hurt her, he was protective to an alarming degree, but he never hid the depth of his emotion from her.

"I feel like I'm losing you Serena" he whispered "You came here, and ever since I have had to fight to get to you. Why is he deserving and I am not?" he then rested his elbows on his knees, his head still lowered. "I love you Serena"

She sat up slowly, looking away from the hunched form near her. "He isn't" she said quietly

Seiya turned his head and looked at her with sorrow in his eyes, his body still slumped over and his elbows still resting on his knees. "What?"

"He isn't worthy or important or deserving of anything" she looked straight at him, pinning him with strong eyes. "Three years ago, I came home early from class and I found him with one of my best friends at the time. He and I had just argued that morning about having sex, I had told him no and he left in a fury. I had come home to surprise him with his favorite sweets, and found him with her. He saw me there and he did his best to get to me and try to stop me from leaving, but I got away and went straight to the airport. I left my friends and my loved ones behind in an instant. I promised Mina I would return someday. After three years, I felt ready to." She admitted

"And us?" he braced himself

"Us." she paused "Us." She whispered "I never expected us. I never expected that my first time would be so explosive. I never anticipated how perfectly we clicked into place. You were so gentle, and attentive. Suddenly having that desire unleash itself on both our parts came as a shock. We both went from gentle to being unable to be gentle. What I didn't anticipate, once again, was how much I enjoyed your roughness, your aggressiveness, and your dominion. It felt fucking fantastic and I was absolutely terrified of how much I needed it. How much I needed you. How much what we did felt perfect."

"Serena..." he said, straightening and facing her. " Please don't fight me. I'm not going to hurt you. I could never. I need the feel of you under me, and on top of me. I just need to feel you. Being separated like this, with you avoiding me and ignoring me… It triggers this reaction inside of me. Its explosive, and terrifying. But it makes perfect sense to me. I am protecting what I love. Claiming what is close and necessary to me. " he finished with a smoldering look. "Please, let that guard down. Give yourself into my keeping, let me love you Serena."

She looked at him with fear and worry, but also with profound loneliness. It was time she admitted to herself how important he was to her survival and to her soul.

She looked away. "Alright" she whispered.

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Hey guys! So here it is, chapter 9! Thanks to NikkiBC who helped get my ass in gear! Im working on chapter 10 now, so cross your fingers that'll get uploaded. Hahah