Ok! Don't kill me! I do have BIG excuses for not updating in a LONG, LONG, LONG time! First, I have a new job. Craziness occur daily when you work with kids. Second, and it should be number one, actually. I lost several of my stories, this being one of them. Thankfully, I had posted the last chapter so I just lost half of chap ten. I had to rewrite it again and I was at a lost. It ended up being totally different but I LOVE how it ended. And third. Sickness stroke my family. My mom had a stroke, then I got sick, and blablabla…we're all fine now! My mom looks as if nothing ever happened to her Thanks to GOD!

Ok, so, I'll be going now. Please enjoy reading and review. Again, sorry for taking so long!!!

WARNINGS!! PLEASE READ: As you may imagine, in this story there are NO sailor senchi! The Kou brothers are THAT, BROTHERS, as in MALES, not bi-sexual! This is a Darien/Serena story and PLEASE, prepare some tissues, it might make you cry. There might be a CP (corporal punishment) scene of a minor, though I'm not sure yet…

Disclaimer: don't own SM

IX. Of Blind Date and Hearts

She stood by the door, her cup of now cold coffee in her hands. The two sleeping forms on her bed looked peaceful and happy…slumbering into the late night.

It had been a long day…working in the office way after hours. After all, two more days and they would go to trial, Serena reminded herself. But now, she couldn't help but watch her two babies sleep…in her bed.

Grimacing as she sipped her coffee, she looked around the room; memories flooded her mind. Both her daughters had learned to walk in that room…their father had been the one motivating them to do so.

"Seiya." Serena whispered, a single tear running through her cheek as she scowled and harshly whipped that tear away. "You idiot."

With that, she turned around intending on turning every single light off and head to bed. As she stood on the kitchen, looking at the mess which she would have to clean the next day, she couldn't help but sigh.

Flashback

A door slam could be heard, as Serena walked down the stairs closely followed by her husband.

"All I'm saying is that it's not necessary for you to work." He said on a very stern voice…a very unusual voice for him to use.

Serena stopped on her tracks immediately, turning to glare at the man.

"It might not be necessary, Seiya, but I need it. Can you at least understand THAT!" She all but yelled the last word before resuming her walking.

"What I cannot understand is your ridiculous need for work…we don't need the money and it would certainly be nice to come home once in a while and find you here."

She stopped right then and, yet again, turned to glare at him. "What?" She whispered, "You…you KNEW before we got married that I would NEVER be a stay-at-home wife. EVER." She said as she started to put some order in the kitchen.

"You haven't even tri-"

"Don't you DARE finish that!" Serena said turning to glare at him. "Don't you dare. I've only been late about twice in the last couple of months and YOU know it. What's your excuse? You've been coming home late for the last two weeks."

"There's a project-"

"Bullshit." Serena said, forgetting to watch her language as her temper got the best of her. "I talked with your brothers the other night…all your project's are going well…everything could be called perfect. What do you do that's not office related, Seiya?" She asked with a raised brow and crossing her arms.

Seiya looked at her a frown coming to his face. "What the hell are you accusing me of, woman?"

"What the hell are you trying to prove? That I'm not a good mother or the perfect little wife?!" She spat out.

"You're impossible. I'm going out." He said turning to leave. Moments later Serena heard the front door slamming shot as a sleepy three year old Rini entered the kitchen.

"Mommy?" she asked sleepily, clinging to her pink blanket.

Serena looked down at her oldest, trying to calm her rapid breathing as she walked over to her and scooped her up. "It's ok, honey. Wanna sleep with Mommy today?"

End Flashback

Serena sighed as she leaned against the counter in the kitchen. For the last couple of days she had been remembering more and more all the fights she constantly had with Seiya.

True, he had been charming and kind. He had always provided for his family, always had been there when his wife needed him, but yet, he was not perfect. There was no such thing as the perfect man.

"You have to move on" Lita's voice came to her mind, as she glanced around at the messy kitchen.

"I am moving on." Serena whispered as she recalled her talk with Ami. She had actually accepted on going on a blind date. Granted, it had to be after the trial ended, but she was sure it wouldn't take long.

OoO

"Still here?" a deep voice asked.

Darien didn't even bother to look up to see who it was. He knew that voice. "No." He answered sarcastically, "I just left a hologram in my place."

"You should go home, son." George answered, clearly ignoring his answer.

"There's just something here that…doesn't click." Darien answered studying several folders.

"Go home, Darien." George said as he carefully, yet forcefully, snapped the folder out of Darien's hands and reached for the rest. "It's almost midnight."

"Tomorrow is Saturday, anyway." Darien answered, as they didn't work on that day.

"Yet there's no reason for you to sleep at the office. Go…besides, Alex told me he would spend the day with you tomorrow." George told him, as he moved towards the door after throwing the folder down on the desk.

"You know she's dating someone?" Darien asked as he opened the folder again.

"Wh-"

"Elizabeth." Darien asked, now snapping the folder shut and glaring at George.

"Dar-"

"Alex told me about it. She's moving on."

"What exactly did you expected, Son?" George asked as he leaned against the door frame. "For her to stay alone for the rest of her life?"

"Of course not! I just…it's not been that long since the div-"

"It has been a couple of years, Darien. She's not only young, smart and beautiful, but she's full of life." George said with a frown and stern voice, yet, the last part he spoke with softness and kindness, his voice filled with concern. "You're young too, Darien. Give yourself a second chance."

OoO

"You're sure about this?"

"Yes."

"Because Amy is not any kind of woman…I'm sure she has planned about a very nice date…I think it's someone related to her and I don't want her to think my friends and family are total assw-"

"Are you going to do it or not?!"

"Ok…gee, you don't have to get all snappy and grumpy! I'll do it. I'll call her now."

OoO

She looked herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe she was doing this.

"Sere…just calm down. If you don't like how things are turning out, just excuse yourself and walk away…or, just wait to the end-"

"It's not that, Lita." Serena said turning to look at her friend. "I've not taken it off…since the wedding." She stated, holding her left hand on her right.

"It is time of moving on, hun."

Serena nodded, shutting her eyes tight and pulling her right hand from her left.

OoO

Darien entered the restaurant looking around. "Right…I can't believe I'm actually doing this." he muttered.

He looked around at the place. It was a regular Italian restaurant, just perfect for a blind date. They had agreed…or more likely those that set up the date, that they would sit on a table at a corner, just besides a large window which overlooked a lake.

"Right this way, sir." The waitress said as she lead the way.

In no time he was sitting, a goblet of wine on his hand as he thought about how crazy this idea was.

"Shields?" he froze. He knew that voice. He heard that voice every single day.

"Kou?" he answered turning towards the voice. He froze. He knew that Kou was pretty. Hell, she was more than pretty, she was gorgeous and now, she was wearing a simple white skirt revealing her slender legs, her petit waist was wrapped around a light blue shirt which at the time made her eyes look stunning, more than usual.

"What are you doing here?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow himself. "I'm waiting for someone."

"Well…can't you wait on another table…I have an…appointment with someone and we said we would meet at THIS table."

"Sorry, Kou. You've just lost this case."

"Shields…please, move."

"No."

She took in a deep breath as she closed those sweet and fierce eyes of hers. "Please…move."

"Sorry…I was here first." He knew it was a stupid and childish retort. How many times had he talked to his own child it didn't mattered who was first there…it was all about sharing and being flexible.

"You were…here first?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's your excuse?"

"Yep." He said sitting back on his chair and taking a drink of his wine.

"Well…then you'll just have to wait with me." She said taking a sit on what was supposed to be his date's chair.

"You can't sit there." He said, though he was more htan glad to have her there.

"Really?!" She asked. "Why?"

"I'm waiting for someone." He said swinging his wine around.

"Well…keep waiting then. I don't think she'll come, anyway." She said rolling her eyes just as she started to trace patterns on the tablecloth.

"Really? What makes you think that? and why do you say I'm waiting for a woman?"

"Really, Shields? Did you check yourself in a mirror before coming here? I doubt you'll dress like that for a client…or that you'll be meeting a man here. Unless, of course, that you're…" She traced off, looking at him with wide eyes. "Not that there's anything wrong with it…I just never thought about it…it never crossed my mind that you were-"

"Relax, Kou." Darien said with a chuckle. "I AM waiting for a woman…and you are taking her sit."

"Oh."

"Oh." Darien said with a shake of his head. "So now, what are you doing here? I doubt you're meeting with friends yourself. You look astou-good."

She blushed a bit, and he discovered he loved how she looked. "Thanks. I am waiting for someone myself."

"I believe that's a bit obvious…don't you think?"

She rolled her eyes then, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "You are so annoying. I'm waiting for a young man." It was then that he noticed something was…amiss. There was something different about her….in her. It had to be something very small.

"A young man?" He asked raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you ma-" And then it hit him. The ring. Her marriage ring, it was missing.

"Aren't I what?" She asked with narrowed eyes at his sudden silence.

"So…who is this young man?" He asked, though he was itching to know what had happened to her husband. When had the golden band been lost? He was sure he had seen her wearing it just a couple of days before.

"Just a…" She trailed off, her eyes widening and looking at him from top to bottom.

"What?" he asked inspecting himself.

"DS?" She asked making him freeze. "The weather is pretty nice today."

Flashback

"And how-exactly-am I supposed to recognize her?" Darien demanded from his best friend.

"Look…I know she has blond hair and blue eyes…she'll be wearing blue. Her name is Sere or Serena." He explained simply.

"Wow! I'm sure she's the only blond in the whole state! That's of no help." Darien stated sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. He ignored the glare coming from Andrew.

"Just…she'll know your initials and will tell you a simple phrase." He said annoyed, making Darien raise his eyebrow.

"My initials and a phrase?"

"Yeah, DS and 'The weather is pretty nice today'." He explained with yet, another glare.

"You're so clever." Darien said with a roll of his eyes. "Couldn't you think about something like, 'I have nothing to say, so I'll just be lame?'"

"Mina is right, you ARE impossible!"

End Flashback

"Sere?" He asked with dread on his voice.

"I can't believe this!" Kou said, her body stiff. "You are HIM?!"

"Of all the people…I can't believe I said yes to this!" He said just as their waitress neared the table.

"Excuse me, is everything fine?"

"No!" They both answered glaring at each other.

"How…how may I help you then?"

"No…no, there's no…" Kou began, trying to explain that there was no problem with the restaurant but with the situation.

"We're ready to order." He stated simply. They were here already.

"What?" She asked with a raised brow.

"We do have some work related issues to discuss." he stated just before he asked for his food. Kou could only follow his example.

"Work?" She asked once the waitress started to depart.

"Yes. What we do every day…in an office." He said with a raised brow.

"Wow…no wonder you're blind dating." Kou muttered loud enough for him to hear. He said nothing but raised an eyebrow.

"So, now that the MacKency's case is closed, and you're going back to being a fiscal-"

"Do you know about baseball?" Kou interrupted him suddenly.

"What?"

"Baseball. I know Alex is quite interested in it along with soccer. He told me he was thinking about playing it."

"Really?" he asked just as the waitress arrived with their food.

"Yes."

"Good to know." He said as he took another sip from his wine. "As I was saying, the firm-"

"I hate ballet, you know." She interrupted again.

"Pardon?"

"Ballet. My oldest is interested in it. I have to endure hearing this horrible and boring piano music for hours while she jumps all around. It's lovely to look at her and quite funny actually…but that MUSIC!" She stated with a groan. "But…I'll do anything for any of those two."

"You have two kids?" He asked. She had never before talked about herself or her family.

"Yes, two daughters, five-almost six, and a toddler of three." She stated with a faraway look.

"Wow. Never imagined you had kids."

She just smiled and shrugged. They stayed in silent for a few minutes. Kou looked at the side as some musicians settled down in an upper stage and started playing some blues.

"So…Kou-"

"Serena." She interrupted looking back at him. "Call me Serena, Shields."

He smiled. "Alright, then call me Darien."

She smiled and gave him a single nod. Silence fell upon them as they heard the rest of the song being played. "So…K-Serena…" He started again when the song ended. "The firm-"

Serena looked at him, her eyes glimmering with humor. "You really need a life." She stated to what he gave her a raised eyebrow. "Care to dance?"

"Ex-What?" He asked surprised by the question.

She rolled her eyes and laughed getting up from her sit. Without asking him again he took his hands in hers and made way to the dance floor. Soon, they were the only couple dancing along, Darien mesmerized by the new phase he was seeing in her.