Fairan Child

Chapter Nine

Rated: M

Do not own SM. Inspired by Jill Barnett's Bewitching. This story is pure FICTION. This is not real. Coincidence rarely happens. This story consists of MAKE BELIEVE plots and weird things happening that does not happen in real life. So, do not believe anything you read, unless it is a documentary.

"So mote it be" (Roberts, Nora)
Fairan: half mortal, half fairy.

Note: See you next week.

--

Serenity slowly touched her lips, so powerful yet wonderful. The feel of his lips on hers and the way he held her made her feel so beautiful. Is this feeling they call love? This wonderful and dubious feeling? Uhg, that nerve of that man! Suddenly changing his personality in a snap. She grabbed a piece of newspaper and crumbled it. "Why me? Why did they choose me for this." Darien –hummph—the nerve! She squeezed the ball in her hands and squeezed hard. "Uhg!" she threw the balled paper, "you bastard, why did you do this to me?"

She stopped. She realized she sounded so much like the novels she had read a few nights ago. How silly of her. The restless damsel with an arrogant prince, only to create a happy conclusion was to make him fall in love with her. Well it does seem like a novel. That is just ridiculously absurd to end a story. Maybe. Life should be a happy ending, right? Oh Endy, how will I ever make you realize that I am only here to open your heart. I am here to make myself fall in love with you—although I am already falling for you—even if you have a heart of stone.

She hugged her legs and looked around. Furnitures were everywhere; she lowered her head how will I clean this mess? Magic? I would like to succeed this time around. She heartbreakingly sighed. Her thoughts came back to the scene with Darien. My Endy. She hugged herself, oh the feel of him holding her.

It felt right.

She looked around again, then finally closed her eyes and thought of a spell. She quietly whispered.

"Clutter, clutter to be free
from the fault I decree
to clean is my thrill
Duty is my will
So mote it be"

Instantly, a flash of light lit the room and was gone. She slowly lifted her head and lightly smiled. "I've done it!" The room was immaculate. The cleanliness clearly was a miracle. She slowly got up and walked to the bed. What am I to do? Should I look deep within him to see what hurt him the most? She shook her head. No, that would be intruding within his private thoughts. She sighed and thought of the wedding…she got up almost immediately as she thought it. "My fitting!!" She quickly dashed out of the room almost knocking every single maid in her way. With a very apologetic look, she bowed in the end of the hallway, "SORRY!!"

Serenity did a fast quick turn and nearly fell. She gained her balanced and with a quick sigh, she dashed to the kitchen. How will she ever get her Endy to open his heart honestly? Before she reached the kitchen, a door to her right caught her eye. She stopped, wondered why Edgar had shown her this door. She finally felt the courage to open the door. She slowly reached for the doorknob, turned, and slowly pushed the door open. It was dark, she realized. The room smelled of old and rustic things. It was cold and abandoned. She switched the light on and quietly closed the door. There were books everywhere, and in the corner a desk. There were pictures in sitting on top. Her heart pounding as she walked toward the desk.

She looked.

And she saw.

She indeed saw.

--

Darien drove recklessly to his office. He cursed. What was that? He asked himself so many times why he'd done the way he did to Serenity. Oh Gods, she felts so good in his arms. She felt right.

It felt right.

His heart gave a tight tug. Something about serenity which made him think uncontrollably. For the past few days she made his days a living hell. These past few hours, she made him feel something different…some familiar feeling he once felt before. He brushed it off. This is stupid! How can I feel for someone I just barely met? This is STUPID!

His phone rang as he made a turn. It was Andrew. He was still debating whether he should answer or not. Finally, "Hello."

"Meet at Chad's place," he mumbled. "What do you think he'll want us to know?"

"I don't know. Be there in 5."

Darien walked through the hallway in his sister's house. Chad snatched his sister and her heart. It was a comic seeing Chadwick rejected so many times by Raye. Since childhood, he would express his dying love for her. Although they were Chad was the oldest of the threesome (no, not THAT type of threesome—NASTY!), Darien was still considered as the mature of the three. Chadwick as the goofy one, and Andrew was the sensitive one. The house was Chad's father's house. It soon became his when he got married. His parents suddenly surprised him with this house. They declared that they would soon travel and settle somewhere far (away from their son), they joked but were happy regardless. During those times, he was happy. Darien was full of joy and love. It was the time when he first felt love.

His first love.

In this hallway where he first spotted his goddess; The goddess that stole his heart and crushed it with a slow tortured death. His heart began to build walls thicker than the Great Wall of China. His frown grew deeper.

"Why so glum chum?"

Darien snapped out of his thoughts and focused on Chad. Chad carried a bottle of white wine and smiled. A celebration Darien thought he declared.

"Hey man, what's wrong?" But he knew. He knew what was bothering his best friend. He knew the very day of his first and last heart break. He too frowned, but quickly hid it as he smiled.

"Come on, let's go to the library." Chad nodded to the direction to the library.

Darien had not spoken on the way to the library. His face was still frowning and his face harder than before. Chad knew this was going to be hard for him especially when it involves his brother. As they entered the Library, Andrew was already sitting on the couch reading the newspaper. Andrew looked up and he saw his two best friends.

"Finally, you're here." Andrew ignored Darien's grunts. He knew why he was acting the way he was. He kept quiet. After a few minutes of silence Darien spoke, "Well?"

Chad took a sip of his wine, "How was the fitting?" he didn't know how to tell his best friend the bad news. The whole reason of their meeting was to tell Darien the bad news. Andrew cleared his throat.

Darien simply just sat on the couch and sipped his wine Andrew gave him.

"Fine."

"When is the wedding again?" Andrew folded the newspaper he was reading.

"In three days."

Chad nearly choked, "Three days? I thought you wanted it in a week? Why do soon?"

"I wanted something quick and that way no one knows." He got up and poured some more wine in his glass, "I hate those paparazzi taking pictures where they aren't welcomed."

There was silence again.

It was now or never.

Andrew nodded his head to Chad.

Chad cleared his throat, "Did you see the newspaper today?" He took the newspaper from Andrew and handed it to Darien. Darien's facial expressions changed from curiosity to pure rage. He threw the newspaper on the floor and stormed out of the room.

Andrew picked up the newspaper, "That went well."

"Yeah, I just didn't know how to tell him that Stephan's home."

"Stephan Knight back from the dead or was he hiding all this time?" says the Headline. The newspaper had a picture of Darien. However, it was not Darien. It was someone with similar features and eyes. Same eyes, same face. Just not Darien.

--

Serenity stared blankly at the picture. It was Darien and two other people smiling happily. He was younger. He was in between two other people, Raye, she assumed was on his left but on his right, she has no idea. He had the same features as Darien but he seemed older, more mature. She brushed her fingers on Darien's face, "My Endy." A tear fell on his face. She had not realized she started to cry. Just seeing his face made her extremely happy. She promised herself that how much Darien pushes hey away from her love; she will always be there for him; to love him; regardless if it was a one-sided love! She slowly put back the picture and smiled. What she has now was hope. Hope that Darien will once again smile, and hopefully love again.

She smiled but then her smile faded as she saw the next picture. It was Darien holding a woman so lovingly and tenderly. Her heart ached at the sight. Yet, it did gave her hope that he will have chance to love again. Still, her heart slowly began to crumble in the pit of her stomach. Her chest hurt. She had not realized her hands were shaking. She took the picture with shaky hands. She was beautiful. With her Ebony hair (with a hint of green) gently tucked within her bun. She smiled happily, as Darien hugged her. She held up two fingers and so did Darien. Serenity finally realized that he will never love another as one had already taken it away; Away from her only hope of him returning her love.

She put the picture back to its proper place and with a heavy heart, quietly closed the door behind her.

The drive to the fitting was a quiet one. Serenity kept thinking of the way Darien was in the picture. He seemed so happy, so content with his life. Oh Endy, why did you have to build such a heavy wall around your heart? She looked down, her hands were closed and clenched tightly. Her chest were ready to explode. She swallowed painfully. It was painful indeed. There was a huge lump the size of a very large orb in her throat. That picture just helped her realize that she wanted Darien for herself. He's my Endy! It might sound selfish but she wanted him for herself and no one else. Her heart had chosen him. Yes, it was only a few days (a week actually) but she fell for him. Especially when he rescued her from that awful fall (that is if she did fall –but was caught by his incredibly strong arms). The agony of having him in another woman's arms clearly would not make her heart hurt go away; Not even if time passed. Serenity sighed. A sad and draining sigh stole every breath from her lungs. Her shoulders sagged, her posture dropping. Her heart ached. Terribly.

The ringer of the phone disturbed her thoughts; she finally figured out how to work this dreadful thing.

"Hello?"

The voice behind the phone made her heart skip.

"Serenity."

"En—Mr. Knight?" Opps, she almost said Endy. My Endy.

"Are you close?"

"Um…" she looked her window and nodded. She hit herself, he can't see you! "Yes."

"Alright. I will meet you there." Something in his voice made Serenity wondered what was wrong with him.

"Mr. Knight?"

She heard him sigh, "yes?"

"Are you alright?"

There was a long pause, when he finally said, "yes". All she heard after that was a click and silence.

Once she arrived at the dreadful and painful poking of pins, Darien was standing in front of the store waiting for her. As she stepped out of the car, Darien rushed her into the store. Madam Bayu came out of the store with a dress. Serenity was told to try it on. She did as she was told and she was then pushed out of the dressing room to the center of the store. Darien was standing with his back in front of her.

"That will do."

With those simple words, Serenity was once again poked and measured. After a few minutes of torture, she was out of the store with a heavy dress and a heavy heart.

--

Darien saw his bride and she was beautiful. He felt her. The way her shoulders sagged when he did not turn around to look at her. But he did. He saw her. He saw her reflection in the window. She looked beautiful. The tug in his heart began to tug harder. He frowned, 'the hell's going on with me? Something tugged at his heart, at least something was starting feel lighter in his chest. She glowed when she came out of the dress he picked out for her. It was the most expensive and most available for him immediately. He did not know why he had chosen the dress but it somehow screamed her name.

Now he was in the car with her. The silence was killing him. He looked at her reflection, her solemn face and her eyes. Gods, her eyes were tearing up. He hated himself for doing this to her. He does not know why he was always so harsh on her. He wanted to reach out and hold her in his arms. Apologize to her and kiss her breathless. He shook his head, where did that come from? He reverted his eyes to the road and remembered what had happened in Chad's house. His eyes grew dark and clenched his hand into a fist. Why is he back? That bastard. He stole everything from me! I will never forgive him!

Never.

--

Serenity turned to face Darien. Something was bothering him she thought, what was bothering him? She wondered. She wanted to hold her into her arms and tell him that everything will be all right. That she will always be there for him. However, she held her place. Serenity held her tears back. It was painful to see him so reserved, so heartbroken. His heart was filled with so much hatred; she does not know what to do. Serenity carefully watched his features soften then harden almost at the same time. This shocked her, how can one person feel so much hatred?

Her heart did ache.

Her heart ached for Darien.