Disclaimer: I own nothing from sailor moon.

A/N: Hello! Thank you all for being so nice, paitent and of course loyal! LOL. Don't worry, I won't abadon the story. Exams or no exams, I'm sticking. :D In response to your questions, yes this is a historical romance and yes, Alan will be returning. He's a sinister character, so... hold your breath and enjoy the chapter! Additional Note: I am such a slacker. You know instead of studying right, I painted my nails, put on some music and started writing. LOL. Is that gay or what? I am sooooooooo going to fail my exams. But thanks for the luck! YOU ROCK!

Chapter 10: Starting all over

Storming into her candle-lit bedroom, Serena kicked the door shut, the candles flickering from the impact. Marching over to the wash basin she splashed her face with the icy, cold water. How dare he! Was he out of his mind? And what was he thinking by sticking his tongue into her mouth? It was invasive and disgusting! Wiping the beads of water from her face, she scowled. Had he taken one step further, she would have hurt him in ways that would have made it impossible for him to sleep. Thanks to her over protective brother, she had learnt how to use a pistol and several fighting techniques. He had claimed that every woman should know how to defend themselves no matter what.

Smiling briefly in remembrance at her brother's words, Serena stared down into the basin and frowned. The incident had shaken her quite a bit. Never in her life had she felt so violated. Her husband was a dangerous man when inebriated and it would do her good to drum it into her head and keep out of his way. If she wasn't careful, she could be finding herself in another sleazy embrace or worse. The marriage had to last another eleven months, damn it. She couldn't let anything happen to her. If it did, she would be trapped in a loveless, meaningless marriage. And she didn't want that. Shaking her head, she turned from the basin and stood staring at her dressing table from across the room.

Her mind in a muddle, she rubbed her face, squeezing her eyes shut as she willed the kiss from her mind. Licking her lips and tasting the alcohol, she stalked towards the bed. Reaching for the buttons on the back of her dress, she paused. The idiot of a man had come close to ruining Lita's ball. If she hadn't stopped him in time... God she didn't want to think about it. And what of Alan? Surely the poor man deserved an apology. Sighing loudly, she tore away from the thoughts and started to unbutton her dress.

Lying on her back in bed moments later, she frowned up at the ceiling, sleep eluding her for the time being. Tracing the curves of her lips, she sighed. Recalling the way the man had pressed himself against her, she felt her heart skip a beat. For her first kiss, it reminded her of how little experience she had with men and desire. Feeling her cheeks flush as an image of her husband's face and gleaming eyes flooded her mind, she threw the covers over her head. A drunken mistake, the kiss was nothing. She would forget about it tomorrow.

The next day...

Approaching the carpeted staircase, Serena let out a yawn and stretched her arms in the air. She had not slept well. For most of the night she had been plagued with nightmares of a drunken Darien, chasing and laughing after her like a lunatic. Pinching herself to make sure she was awake and in the land of the living, she let out a sigh of relief and descended the stairs. Just as she was taking the tenth step down, a deep baritone voice came from behind her.

"Good morning," Darien said cheerfully, as he quickly descended the few steps to where she stood. Smiling down at his pretty wife, he gave her perusal look and smiled even wider when he noticed the narrowing of her eyes. He was in a excellent mood. And who wouldn't be after a good night's sleep?

"Did you sleep well?" he asked politely as they descended the stairs together.

"Very well thank you," Serena lied smoothly, fighting the urge to yawn. She was so tired. And the man seemed so alive. Damn him. Maybe she should trip him or something.

"I'm glad to hear it. What are your plans for today?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. I will probably go over the household accounts. And you, sir? What do you plan to do?"

"Sir? Honestly Serena, after what happened last night I would have thought we would be onto first names, by now." Darien said, swallowing back the laugh that threatened to escape.

"What are you talking about? Nothing happened last night." Serena denied, her heart stopping for one endless second.

"Really? Nothing happened? Then why are you all red?"

"I am not red!" Serena almost yelled, as she instinctively raised her hands to her face.

"You most certainly are, my dear." Darien said grinning now, his eyes gleaming wickedly.

Speechless and mortified, Serena did the only thing that came to mind. Run. And run she did. Only, she did not get far.

With his arm clamped firmly around her arm, Darien yanked her back against him, his arms wrapping around her waist as he leaned down, his lips close to her ear.

"Where do you think you're going? You haven't given me a kiss good morning yet," he whispered.

Gasping in outrage, Serena struggled furiously in his arms. "Let me go, you sod," she said breathlessly, as Darien chuckled.

"Not until I get my morning kiss."

Without waiting for a response, he spun her around and kissed her soundly on the lips. Though it was nothing like the kiss he had given her last night, it was still satisfying. Grinning down at the stunned expression on her face, he gave her a wink and descended the stairs, whistling a tune as he went. He didn't dare linger. She'd probably slap him until his head ached. And he wasn't in the mood for a killer head ache. Not when the day was starting out so well. Changing the tune of his whistle, he strolled down the marbled hallway, nodding his head in greeting at a passing maid. When he finally came to a halt in front of the dining room, he glanced back over his shoulder and grinned when he saw his little shrew marching towards him. She looked angry, but that couldn't be helped. With a sigh and a shrug of his shoulders he entered the room.

"Good morning brother! My, my you look very well today, sleep well?" Evelyn asked in a joyous voice, her face radiant with a brilliant smile.

"Yes, I did sleep well. Thank you for asking Evelyn. May I ask why you are in such an excellent mood?" Darien asked, quirking a brow.

"Lord Westbrook has invited me out today! Can you believe it? Oh, dear brother I am so glad! He is the most handsome man I have ever met!" she exclaimed.

Rolling his eyes in response, Darien sighed. What was it about Lord Westbrook that caught his sister's attention? There was something about the man that made Darien cautious. His sister was a beautiful woman, and for most of his life he had protected her from lecherous admirers. Though he had no information on Lord Westbrook's background, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't stop her. No, she'd give him hell if he dared. Still, that didn't mean he was not going to run a check on the man's background. As the maid served him a cup of black coffee, he reached out for it when he paused. Narrowing his eyes at the bouquet of roses near his sister's plate he frowned.

"Are those from your admirer?" he asked, taking a sip from his cup of coffee.

"Oh no. Not for me. They're for Serena I believe," Evelyn said carelessly as she placed a forkful of eggs into her mouth.

Feeling cold, Darien reached out and grabbed the protuding card from the roses. Frowning over the name of the sender, he ripped it up and was about to do the same to the roses when his wife walked in. At once her eyes flew to the roses.

"Oh my Evelyn," she gushed as she hurried towards the table. "They're beautiful! Are they for you?" she asked, her eyes twinkling in pleasure as she reached for the roses, holding them against her nose as she inhaled deeply.

Shaking her head, Evelyn let out a dramatic sigh. "They are for you," she said with a wide smile as she flicked a glance at her brother. Alarmed at his scowling face, Evelyn drew back. What was he angry about now?

Watching his wife search for the card, Darien set down his cup with a loud thud that demanded attention and sat back in his chair.

"You can stop looking. I've ripped up the card," he said, setting his elbows on the table, his fingers steepled together.

"Why did you do that for? And what right have you to do so?" Serena snapped.

"I have every right, madam. I am your husband remember? I will not tolerate other men giving you flowers. Now that I have made myself clear, why don't you seat yourself down and eat your breakfast?"

Speechless, Serena took deep calming breaths to settle her temper as she set the bouquet down. Moving stiffly towards her seat, she sat down and frowned down at the plate of food set before her.

Watching her push her food around her plate, Darien frowned. What was wrong now? Usually she was shovelling food into her mouth. Not that he had a problem with it or anything. He liked women with a bit of flesh and killer curves. Suddenly a hot image of his wife naked flashed before him. Shaking his head to clear it from erotic thoughts, Darien took another sip of coffee. God. He was turning into a lust sickened fool. From the way things were going, it would take a while before he would have her naked and willing in his arms.

Frowning over the thought, he muttered a curse. He had to woo her, court her. That was how it worked did it not? Mulling over the thought, he stared into his coffee. Somehow, the courting seemed difficult. Yes, he had plenty of women, but they had literally come to him. Never good with words, or compliments, he was left stranded, racking his brain furiously for some sort of idea. From what little he knew of her, he could tell she was different from other women. More complicated and difficult. A challenge, no doubt. A challenge he was willing to take.

Closing the last of the household accounts, Serena let out a mighty yawn as she glanced at the clock in front of her. Quarter to twelve. Leaning back in her chair, she stretched out her arms and sighed. She was satisfied with her progress. The accounts were all up-to-date. And it was about time they were. It had been a long time since anyone made an effort. With another yawn, she leaned forward in her chair and was about to clear her desk when Tom knocked on her door. Gifting the butler with a smile, she beckoned him inside. Striding towards her, Serena stopped smiling.

"What is it Tom?" she asked quietly as her hands rested on top of the desk.

"There is a young man at the door wishing to see you, young mistress," Tom answered, his face solemn.

"Did you get his name?"

"Alan D'Artois. Says he is an acquaintance of yours."

"He is that. Where is he now, Tom? In the receiving room?"

"No. He is at the front door. I thought it inappropriate to let the man in," Tom finished as he stared at her, his eyes hardening.

Asking no further question, Serena nodded her head, though she was secretly baffled. What was so inappropriate about letting a male acquaintance in? Surely there was nothing wrong with that, was there? Continuing to mull over the thought as she followed the butler down the hallway, she chewed on her lower lip. She had never seen Tom so solemn or so disapproving either. Approaching the entrance of the house, she stared out the door and at the man's back. Clearing her throat, he turned, a charming smile on his face.

"Good morning, my lady."

"Good morning, Mr D'Artois," she returned politely as she dropped into a quick curtsy. "What brings you here on this very fine day, sir?" she continued, careful to keep her smile plastered in place.

Smiling in return, Alan took her hand and kissed it. "To see you, of course. And to see if you liked the roses. I sent them as an apology, you see."

"An apology for what?" Serena asked incredulous as she dislodged her hand from his grip.

"For the scene last night. Had it not been for me..."

"Good grief, sir. You should not be the one apologizing. In truth it should be my husband. He was the one who caused you injury did he not?"

"Ah oui, but I believe it was because I provoked him. I had no intention of ruining the ball." Alan finished, as he smiled shyly at her, as if truly ashamed. 'Ugh,' Serena thought, groaning inwardly. However, her thought was quickly interrupted by the sound of an approaching carriage, the cloppity clop of horse hooves coming to an abrupt halt. Looking past the towering man in front of her, Serena frowned as she watched her husband alight from the carriage, his face bearing a murderous expression as he strode purposely towards the house. He had seen who the man was. Not wanting a scene to arise, she quickly turned her attention back to Alan.

"That is alright sir, your apology is accepted. But now if you will excuse me..." she trailed off, her sentence unfinished.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Darien roared, uncaring if people within hearing range heard. He was furious! How dare the pompous ass show himself, here, at his wife's house! The ass! He'd kill him first before he went to hell.

Turning around to face him, Alan smirked, clearly unaffected. "What do you think, man? To pay your wife a visit. Is that wrong? To visit her? To offer my apologies for last night?"

"You will leave this instance," Darien bit out punctuating each word.

"And if I don't?"

"Then I will have to remove you myself." Darien growled, now standing toe to toe, face to face. Both men were of equal height, but anyone watching could tell Darien was the most dangerous.

Alarmed at her husband's threat, Serena pushed the men apart, wedging herself between them. "Stop this at once!" she demanded in an imperious tone. "Mr D'Artois, please take your leave this instant." She commanded, refusing to raise her voice. When the stubborn man did not move, she shoved him hard. "Go!" she hissed.

Forcing his gaze to drop from the hateful man, Alan looked down at Serena and nodded. Without another word, he turned and left. Watching as the man disappeared from view, Serena realized she had been holding her breath. When she exhaled, cold, hard fingers clamped down hard around her wrist as she was tugged roughly back into the house. Struggling to remove her wrist from the painful grip, she shot Tom a pleading look as she passed him, frowning when Tom shook his head. Wincing from the pain she cried out, but to no avail. The man only tightened his grip even more.

Pulling her behind him, Darien climbed up the stairs, ignoring her cries to let go. Damnation! He was furious! Did the woman have no idea how furious she made him by conversing with the lecherous man? God she was daft! Seething and muttering under his breath, he strode down the hall and dragged her down towards his room. Yanking the door open, he pushed her through, no gentleness whatsoever.

Wincing as the man slammed the door shut Serena rubbed at her wrist aware of the looming, menacing presence before her.

"What the hell was that bastard doing here?" Darien demanded.

"You heard the man yourself with your very own ears. He came to apologize, you stupid man!" she snapped.

"You madam, will call me no such thing, do you understand?" Darien growled, grabbing her shoulders with rough hands, his fingers digging into her skin. "Stop it, you're hurting me!" Serena cried, trying to control the fear that was now pounding through her body.

"Hurting you? My dear, I haven't even come close," Darien said with a sneer as he leaned close.

Struggling to move away from him, Serena let out a whimper as he hauled her against him, his grip tightening even more. "Let me go, do you hear? Or I swear I will scream! The staff will come to my rescue, make no mistake of that," she stated confidently, knowing it was the truth.

"No one would dare come. Not when I have you in my room."

Watching as an unholy light glittered in his eyes, Serena opened her mouth and screamed. But the sound was muffled as Darien clamped his mouth over hers, his mouth hard, rough and demanding. Scared and desperate to escape, Serena fought back, sinking her teeth into the flesh of his bottom lip. When he did not let go, she bit down even harder, drawing blood as the taste of blood rushed into her mouth.

Finally, wrenching his mouth free from hers, Darien loosened his grip and staggered back, groaning loudly in pain as he wiped the blood from his lip. But she was not finished with him yet. Charging towards him, she punched him squarely in the left eye and kicked him hard in the groin. God the little bitch was good. Doubling from the pain, he dropped to his knees, gritting his teeth as he nursed his injured member.

Taking the chance to escape, Serena bolted for the door. Unfortunately, his hand grabbed the hem of her dress at the same time, the sound of rendering material echoing through the room as she went tumbling to the floor. Landing hard on her stomach, she let out a groan of pain. Forcing her body to move she tried to scramble away when the rough hands clamped down hard on her shoulders and turned her onto her back. With his hands clamped firmly around her wrists, Darien pinned her down with his weight, the material of her dress riding up, the firmness of her calves pressing against his breeches.

Looking into the wild cobalt eyes, Serena swallowed hard. The man seemed invincible! She had done him injury, and still his strength outmatched hers. With a cry, she twisted and bucked beneath him but he would not budge. God, he weighed a tonne!

"Get off me!" she screamed, struggling fiercely. "I am not one of your mistresses, do you hear me? I will not be treated in such a barbaric way!" she continued, the fear making her voice unnaturally shrill.

As soon as the words passed her lips, Darien froze. Barbaric? Was he being barbaric? Over and over, the words swirled in his head. The words burned him as he released her, his eyes still on her face as he sat up on his knees, speechless and incapable of further thought. Disheveled and furious, Serena rolled onto her knees and scrambled some distance away from him before getting to her feet.

"We are finished." She declared in a low, shaky voice. "From now on, we will take our separate paths. In eleven months we will meet up and have this marriage annulled."

"Annulled?" Darien repeated dumbly as he got to his feet.

"Yes, annulled. Don't tell me you haven't been thinking about it," she sneered, angry as tears of rage pricked her eyes.

"I haven't," Darien said softly, as he got to his feet. "I don't want an annulment, Serena and that is the truth."

"Well, too bad," she bit out heartlessly.

"Give me another chance, Serena. I want this marriage to work. I want it to work, do you understand?" he asked desperately as he ran his hands through his hair.

"By trying to rape me?" She cried."Is that how you plan to make the marriage work?"

Speechless and feeling the blood drain from his face, Darien closed his eyes, condemning his behaviour as he took a breath, not trusting himself to speak.

Wiping the tears that trailed down her cheeks, Serena turned away as she straightened her dress, trying to smooth out the wrinkles that had not been there before. Staring at the tear that ran from hem to thigh, she bit her lip as she held it closed. Then with her head held high, she stalked from the room, leaving behind her husband who watched her with tortured eyes.

Slamming the door shut once she was gone, Darien punched the door in fury as he gripped handfuls of hair. What was wrong with him? Realising his blunder, he held his head in his hands. God, he was such a fool! His desire, his lust, he was going out of his mind because he wanted her! Somehow, during their time together, the sexual libido he kept under tight control was weakening and she was the driving force to his unruly behaviour. He needed release and he wanted no other but her. She challenged him, kept him on his toes and he wanted her to feel the same, to fall for him like every other woman he managed to charm. And now, he had ruined it all.

Leaning back against the door, Serena stared unseeingly at a spot on the wall. Wiping her nose, she gathered her wits about her. It was no good moping about. With grim resolve, she sucked in a breath. He had to leave. As much as it would break the heart of her sister-in-law who seemed to champion their time together, she wasn't stupid enough to remain married to a man who would use his size and strength to overpower a woman. Removing her dress with nimble fingers, she bunched it up in her hands and pitched it towards the fireplace, making a mental note to burn it before the day's end.

"Stop drinking!" Evelyn snapped, snatching the glass of liquor as Darien frowned.

"Why?" he asked, his voice too quiet as his eyes slid from his sister's burring gaze.

"Because you need to stop. This is not like you to back down."

"People change, Evelyn," Darien said softly, his mouth thinning at her interference.

"But not you!" she cried. "Change her mind! You obviously don't want to leave so try!"

"How?" Darien demanded. "How do I change the mind of woman I tried to rape? She hates me and wants me gone. Face it, Evelyn. Happy endings are not for everyone."

"But how do you know that?" Evelyn demanded. "I have seen the way you look at her when you think no one is looking. Sure Serena will take a little bit of work to win over, but would it hurt to try? Tell her you desire her, tell her you want nothing more than to rip her clothes off and have your way with her. Tell her-"

"Rip her clothes off, have my way with her?" Darien repeated, an unwilling smile pulling at his lips. "Since when did my little sister become so indecent?"

Ignoring the remark, Evelyn bent down, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Darien. I want you to be happy. Please can you try? I believe you've never experienced this before and she's good for you. You just have to give her time."

"If only everyone had the same mind frame as you sister," Darien said with a sigh. "Unfortunately, people don't. Stop dabbling, Evelyn.

"But-"

"No more buts,"

Reaching for the glass she held aloft in her hand, he downed it in one gulp, ignoring his sister's groan of frustration. Deciding a breath of fresh air would do him good, he made a mental note to make time for himself before packing his things. Besides, he had one last thing to do before heading home.

The evening meal was much too quiet. Though husband and wife both made an appearance at the table, they avoided each other's gaze. Unsure of how to tell him she no longer wanted him in the house, she caught the wistful stare of her sister-in-law who smiled before dropping her gaze. Feeling worse that she was asking the girl's beloved brother to leave, the butler entered the room and stood by her side, an envelope in his hand. Glancing at it, Serena stopped playing with her food and looked up, the butler smiling down at her. "For you, miss."

Before she could ask further, a footman carrying a bunch of pink roses came through the door, his face hidden by the vast beauty. Looking confused, Serena looked to Evelyn who was staring at the flowers in shook, suggesting they were not for her. As the butler and the footman withdrew from the room, Serena looked at the envelope, thinking who would sent flowers at such a time. Putting down her cutlery, she ripped it open and stared at the only word in the letter. 'Sorry'. Looking to the man who sat besides his sister, Serena felt her throat close up, the gesture melting her just a bit. Standing up from his chair and coming around the table, Darien knelt on one knee, an earnest expression on his face.

"I'm sorry I hurt you Serena," he said softly as the features of his face softened. "I really am. I know I haven't been very good to you over the past few weeks, and I want to fix that. Help turn me into a better man, a better husband." He continued.

Staring into the depths of his eyes, Serena held her breath. Why was he doing this? Searching his cobalt eyes for any signs of trickery, she was genuine in his apology, that he was, but there was something about him that did not quite make her trust him yet. Of course he could not know that pink was her favourite colour, but he surprised her. Suddenly not knowing what to do, she stood from her chair and swept past him, hurrying to get away. She would not be swayed. Could not be swayed. She needed to hold firm to her decision. He was a cruel man when he wanted to be. Stopping at the foot of the staircase with her hands on her hips, she heard hesitant footsteps approach. Glancing over her shoulder, she groaned at the man as she made to move up the stairs when a hand shot out, anchoring her in place.

"Serena, I just-"

Pulling her wrist out of his grasp, she turned, giving him a dark look. "Don't touch me. Just pack your things and go."

"So you haven't forgiven me then?" He asked dejectedly.

"No."

"Then I'll leave. The paperwork for your father's company is on the desk in my room. I have not started on much."

Turning away and walking back up the hallway, Serena came down the stairs, feeling suddenly sorry. Did he not marry her in the first place to help his struggling family? With a bad reputation, he would find it hard to work and his family would suffer. If only she didn't like his parents and sister so well. "Wait!" she said, watching as the man halted in his steps. "If I let you stay, will you agree to never use your strength against me to get your way?"

Turning back towards her, Darien stared at her before nodding his head.

"And will you agree to not touch me inappropriately?"

"Yes."

"And that you and I stop carrying on like children and try and get along?"

"If that is your wish."

"Then, if you agree to giving this thing between us a chance, then I am willing to cooperate. But if any of the conditions are broken-"

"I'm out. I understand perfectly." Seeing the smile pull at his lips, Serena reluctantly walked towards him and together they headed back to the dining room to finish their dinner.

"Hurry up Darien!" Serena said from over her shoulder, missing his muttered curse of frustration.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he said under his breath as he raced after her.

With his arms ladened with parcels of bread, cakes and sweets, he followed his wife like a pup as she maneuvered her way down the street. He still had no clue where she was taking him. It had been that way ever since they stepped out of the house. She had practically bullied him into the bakery buying anything she could see, smell and taste. Then she had made him hold all of her purchases, claiming that it was one of his husbandly duties to be her personal shopping assistant. Grumbling and muttering under his breath, he struggled to keep up with her cursing when she did not slow down. God. She moved so fast! Suddenly as he looked over the top of the parcels, he came to an abrupt halt. There, just in front of him was a high iron gate. Behind the gate he could make out an average sized two- storey house.

As he watched Serena pull open the gate, he frowned.

"Come on!" she cried, beckoning him over.

Uncertain, he stood contemplating the house before moving his feet. What was this place? As he followed his wife through the gate, he glanced behind his shoulder and frowned. The place was completely deserted. Not a single soul could be seen wandering about. About to ask his wife a question, he came to an abrupt halt as he stood staring up at the house.

As if on cue, a loud shout rendered the still air as the front doors of the house slammed open, revealing two dozen children. All at once, they raced out of the door. Before he could ask what the hell, he was surrounded by laughing, little children who all looked up at him with adoring eyes. Well he thought they were looking at him. He couldn't be certain...now that he thought about their eyes didn't really meet his. Instead their eyes were glued to the parcels.

"Serena?" he asked in a loud voice over the top of the giggling children. Noticing that she too was surrounded by children he gave her a helpless look.

"Give the food to children, Darien." She said with a smile as she bent down to lift a child onto her hip.

Forming an O with his mouth, Darien stared down at the waiting children. So that was why they had purchased almost everything in the shop. It was for the orphanage. Feeling somewhat amazed, he bent down and allowed the children to take whatever parcel they desired. When all were given a parcel, they all thanked him and sat around munching their treats with delight, their faces alight with smiles. Looking over to his wife, he smiled as he watched her lean down and allow an adorable little girl pop a bit of bread into her mouth.

She was truly a good woman. And judging by the children and their reaction to her, they thought the same. As Serena accepted tiny offerings of food, the children squealed in delight. They loved her, and loved having her attention. Soon enough he would behaving like the children. Vying for her attention at every chance possible. Smiling at the thought, he strolled towards her. He wouldn't mind that.

A/N: Did you like it? I hope you did! Well thank you so veyr much for reading! AND to my lovely, dedicated, loyal readers. You guys are the best and you make me so happy! Thank you, until next week!