Disclaimer: Same as chapter 11…

Author's notes: Hello folks! I feel like it's been forever! Well… it kinda has... --' Anyhoo… I've been so busy these past few months and it's been hard to muster up some inspiration to write. But I found some! I know I promised someone (you know who you are) that I'd include the whole Christmas party in this chapter, but I just didn't have the flow to go with that idea. Also, I know some of you wanted me to start with the Xmas party and I'm really sorry to disappoint to you all! So… I came up with this little number and I hope it pleases all of you! I also noticed that I spend a whoooole lot of time editing myself (adding words, taking off paragraphs…). It's something I like doing. What can I say? I'm a wee little bit of a perfectionist, but just a bit o.O. So it's partially why I take sooo long to post things. Anyhoo, enough rambling and let's get on with the show!

Chapter 12

The TV was running in the back.

Now for some excellent news! Darien Shields, himself, has told us that there will indeed be a Shields Inc. Christmas party. It seems like they've gotten back on their feet ever since Shields Inc. bought the community center. It will be held…

The announcer trailed off. "I can't wait to plan this thing!" Mina said.

"If you want, we could go there tomorrow…" Andrew suggested, knowing that it would definitely please Mina.

"Eeee!" she exclaimed. "Serena you have to come! If you're not busy…" Mina said looking at Darien, knowing that he was still the boss.

"I'll check my schedule and get back to you. I have an important meeting in the morning and I might need her," he said, glancing sideways at his girlfriend. Mina pouted in return. "Alright… she can have the morning off. I'll join you guys after my meeting."

"YESSSS!" Mina shouted. They all chuckled while eating their dinner.

--

Mina arrived at Serena's apartment bright and early the next morning. She was going bonkers thinking about what the community center would look like and most importantly how she would decorate it. Serena had an earful of Mina's grandiose plans right up until they met Andrew who was waiting for them in his car. "Good morning ladies!" He said suavely leaning in for a kiss from Mina who proceeded in taking her seat at the front.

"Alright you two… break it up… we have a center to see. God knows Mina is dying to decorate it." Serena said in a playful tone.

"You are most right," replied Andrew, glancing at the mirror to see Serena. "Luckily, there isn't that much traffic." He put the car on drive and whizzed through the city streets until they arrived at their destination. The car screeched to a halt.

"Geez, Andrew, do you have to drive like a maniac?" Serena said. "I don't know how you do it Mina…" she said as she got out.

"C'mon, Serena… I've gotta have some sort of fun in this city." Andrew said as he smirked back.

"You must have a weird definition of fun if you consider almost killing five people and trying to keep breakfast down thrilling."

"I don't eat breakfast and the keyword is ALMOST." Andrew replied smirking.

"It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt right?" Serena said looking at him sideways, repressing a smile.

"Precisely, my dear Watson."

Andrew led the girls to the front of the center. Construction workers were already heading into it through the big double doors. They could hear the thump of hammers and the buzz of saws. The place was animated with noise and people. Who would have thought that Darien could get so many workers in such short notice? 'Well… money does talk…' thought Serena.

The girls headed in first. Their eyes widened in surprise as they saw how huge the hall really was. There was an enormous mess in the midst of it, but without any furniture in it, the place looked unbelievably huge.

Serena tried remembering what the place looked like before renovations had ever begun. She had come there as a teen whenever she was tired of the school library. She remembered the front desk being at the back before the huge wooden stairs. It needed to be there so that people who had or wanted subscriptions could gain access to what was behind it or on top of the stairs. The area in the back was what was called the recreation area: it contained a ping pong table, foosball table, chess… anything that was entertaining back in the day. It was still part of the hall but further away from the many couches that were laid on the walls closest to the doors, where people used to study. That section had looked like a really old library, minus the books and the pretty couches.

The top floor contained the gym area. There were a whole lot of machines in different rooms. All around the open section would be elliptical trainers, bikes and treadmills overlooking the lower area or the big open windows. The place was so huge it even had a running track that went around the balconied floor. There were two tennis courts outside and an indoor pool behind the recreation area. The basement contained a small conference hall for town meetings and such.

When you thought about it, it was a really nice setup. But, Serena remembered how the building looked so old. It was a wonder the place hadn't crumbled sooner. It never really had enough people coming in for subscriptions to the gym. There were mostly kids in the recreation room and a few for swimming lessons. But it didn't matter. What mattered most were the people who helped all those kids grow into who they are today. Darien had certainly done a good deed by buying the lot and the publicity it was getting would surely get more people to come.

"The place is amazing! I'll be able to do so much with this!" Mina exclaimed happily. She immediately took out a small notebook and started writing what seemed to be decoration ideas. Mina's eyes were shining with imagination; she had always had a knack for interior decorating.

While Mina was busy with the Christmas party, Serena decided to walk around. Wires were laid all over the place to power all the electrical machines so she had to be careful not to trip. People were mostly working on the floors and walls. Pieces of wallpaper were dangling in certain areas due to holes and cracks that wanted to remain hidden. 'Yeah… that wallpaper is definitely gonna have to go,' Serena thought as she gazed at the man pulling the bits and pieces of paper the color of a bizarre yellow. Others were patching up the holes in the floor by adding newer wood. The stairs looked like it was about to collapse. If it hadn't been for the carpet that hid the stairs' true nature all those years ago, she was sure that no one would ever want to set a toe on the first step. However, several people were on it, so it had to be pretty solid. She decided to venture up the stairs.

The construction workers all glanced at her while she climbed up the stairs. 'Thank God I'm not wearing a skirt,' she thought, exasperated. All the gym rooms were empty. She wondered where all the equipment was and if she should be wearing one of those heavy yellow work hats. You could never be too careful. She walked through all the rooms and finally decided to rest on the balcony's ramp. She still couldn't believe that a party would be held right where she was, in less than three weeks. It was beyond belief.

Serena looked down and saw Mina already giving orders to what looked like a very confused construction worker. Something about a chandelier… Serena rolled her eyes and decided to stop her best friend before she embarrassed herself. She leaned forward a bit more to catch Mina's attention. "Min-" CRACK "AHHHHH!"

Before she knew it, Serena found herself falling over the balcony ledge. She didn't know that the ramp wasn't as solid as it looked. The wood wasn't as hard as it used to be. All she heard before hitting the ground was Mina screaming and the sound of steps running towards her.

--

"Serena! Serena can you hear me?!"

It was a man's voice. Serena slowly opened her eyes. The light was hurting her. Why was it so bright? And why was everything so loud?

"Serena? Serena?!" It was a female voice this time.

"Ugh… could you keep it down Mina? I'm not deaf you know…" Serena uttered, shading her eyes from the light.

"Oh thank God! You still remember me!" Mina shouted with glee.

"Serena? Do you remember me? It's Seiya…"

Her eyes flew open. "Seiya? What the hell are you doing here?" Serena asked while sitting up.

"Well… that was a quick recovery…" he replied sarcastically, knowing very well that his presence upset her.

"I repeat. What the hell are you doing here?" Serena asked for the second time in an aggravated manner. She was annoyed by his presence. It brought feelings and emotions she didn't want to feel, like anger and… confusion? Not to mention a major headache.

Seiya sighed. "I was walking inside the community center to check out how things were progressing with the Christmas party and not even two seconds after I set my foot through the door, I see you flying off the railing, head first towards the floor. No one was moving. Everyone was in shock, so I reacted on instinct and ran as quickly as I could towards you. I couldn't just let you fall! I had to do something. So I… partially broke your fall. I came just in time to catch you." Seiya said.

For a second, Serena thought that he was crazy until she remembered how she wanted to call out to Mina. She blanked out after that. Serena looked at Mina. Mina nodded to tell her that it was true. "It looked like he was heading back to first base, but to get there in time he had to slide. He slid on his back so you still landed head first pretty hard, just not into the floor, more like his stomach…" Mina finished. "Oh Sere! I'm so sorry I didn't do anything! I was too far… I thought…" Mina began apologetically.

"Sshhhh…" Serena whispered. "I'm fine now… See?" Serena wiped off a tear that was trickling down Mina's cheek. It was only then that she noticed she was in a hospital bed. Serena's eyes softened as Mina calmed herself. "I suppose I owe you my life…" she said turning to Seiya.

"No need, Serena… Just you looking at me is enough."

Serena's eyes shifted to the covers on her bed. She needed to change the subject; it was getting uncomfortable. She noticed that Mina was alone beside her. "Where's Andrew?"

"Oh… he went to meet Darien downstairs. He should be here by now. I'll go get him."

Serena wanted to protest, but she was already out of the room. She didn't want to be stuck with Seiya: it meant being in another awkward situation. Seiya was standing at the foot of her bed, looking at her with those eyes of his. They always held a certain look when it came to her. They were so gentle… so…

"You know, Darien is making it quite easy for me," Seiya suddenly said, cutting Serena's thoughts off.

"Making what easy?" Serena asked quizzically.

"Have you already forgotten about my promise?" Serena remembered what Seiya had said the previous day. He said that he'd never give up on her. "Ah… so you do remember," he confirmed as he saw the change in her eyes. "I guess luck is on my side…" He was now approaching her slowly.

"And I'm supposed to believe that you just happened to be there today?" Serena asked, gesturing with her hands. She didn't like where this was going, but it was like her brain didn't want her to move away. A part of her was glad that Seiya was the one who came to her rescue, but another part wished it was Darien instead.

"Well… Darien's secretary was more than lenient to give me his whereabouts for the day," he replied with a grin. "Wherever he goes, you follow. And wherever you go, I follow." He smiled at her. "It's such perfect timing. First, he wasn't there earlier, which gave me the perfect opportunity to be your knight in shining armor." Seiya moved closer to Serena. She was trapped on the bed. Her eyes were locked on his. It was like she was hypnotized. Something inside her ignited once again. Her heart was beating fast in her chest. "And even now, he still isn't here…" His head was leaning closer and closer to hers. "Luck is definitely on my side…" he whispered. Serena could feel his breath on her lips.

All of a sudden, Seiya was being pulled back. 'Serena get a hold of yourself! You weren't seriously thinking of kissing him were you?' Serena snapped out of her reverie as she saw that it was Darien who lifted him off the bed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Darien shouted as he shoved Seiya onto the nearest wall.

"Is that how you treat the one who saved your girlfriend's life?" Seiya retorted, smirking arrogantly in Darien's face.

"Oh don't get me wrong. I am eternally grateful that you were there at that precise moment, but my gratitude ends there. Don't play me for a fool, Seiya. I know what I saw!" he said the last part through clenched teeth, pulling Seiya's collar tighter.

"Then you also know that she didn't try to stop me either…" Seiya replied, still wearing that smirk.

"You son of a b-" Darien's fist was half way through the air.

"Darien NO!" Serena shouted. "Stop it! Both of you! I can't take this right now!" The room fell completely silent. No one noticed that Andrew and Mina had come back and were both staring. Serena couldn't stand the tension every time both Seiya and Darien were in the same room. It just brought back feelings she couldn't face. Correction: that's she didn't want to face. "Seiya, thank you for doing what you did but we, I, don't need you here anymore…" she said with an emphasis on the 'I'.

Darien's grip on Seiya's shirt loosened. Seiya shot Darien a triumphant glare and took one last look at Serena before walking out. There was something thick hanging in the air.

"Guys? Can you give us a minute?" Darien asked Andrew and Mina. They both looked at each other uncertainly before walking out and closing the door behind them. Darien took a deep breath. "What were you doing before I got here?" he asked sternly, his back towards Serena. His voice sounded different, harsh, but it wasn't jealousy.

Serena knew what he meant. He had seen Seiya leaning over her and she hadn't stopped him. "We weren't doing anything… It was nothing. I-" It came out as a blur, like she got caught by the police.

"It didn't look like nothing… And even if it was nothing, I didn't see you say no…"

Serena paused. Darien was right. What the hell was she doing earlier? Seiya's lips were so close to hers and she didn't do anything to object. What was she supposed to say to him? You're right Darien I was about to kiss your worst enemy? What was wrong with her? Would she have stopped him? "Darien… I… I… I don't know what to say…"

Darien's back was still facing Serena as his eyes shut in pain. "You don't have to say anything…" he said in a whisper. Serena's eyes widened in fear. Tears started to trickle down her face. So many emotions were going through her: hurt, confusion... She was angry with herself, angry for feeling something for Seiya, angry for keeping them hidden, angry that Darien put her in this situation. She sobbed silently. "You know Serena… I've been deluding myself into believing that you feel nothing for him. It certainly feels that way when it's just you and me. When he's not around, it's exactly like it should be. Everything falls into place. When he's not there, you're entirely mine: mind, heart and soul." He paused. "But it's a whole different story when he's in the same room as me… I… I can feel it, Serena. I can feel something pulling you towards him. I always feel like I have to fight my hardest to keep you by my side, that if I let my guard down for even a split second, you'll go running back to him. Some part of me keeps telling me that that's impossible, that you are mine. And I do believe it… most of the time. But there will always be a part of you that will still want him… maybe even love him…" He took a small breath. "Am I right, Serena? Do you…" He paused before he finished what seemed to be the most painful question he would ever have to ask. "Do you still… love him?"

Darien slowly turned around to finally look at her expression. The site he saw before him shot him through the heart. She looked just like she did all those months ago, the morning she told him about her past, after he brought her home from the club. What was he doing? He vowed to never hurt her, but he had to know. No. He already knew the answer, but he had to hear it from her.

Serena looked back at him. His eyes, there was so much fear and pain in them. He looked so vulnerable. Her mind repeated Darien's question over and over in her head. Did she love Seiya? It was now or never. Why did she have to be so stupid? She had tried suppressing what she knew was inevitable. She should have told him about her confusion, how she felt ever since Seiya came back… But it was too late now. "Darien… over these past few months, you made me want to love again. And I did love and still do. You know what you mean to me. You know what I feel for you is real. I-"

"I know that everything we've done, what we've felt, is real. I'm not questioning whether you love me or not, I know you love me. I'm asking you if you love him. I need to know if there's a part of you that still longs for him. I know you've told me that it's over between you two, but I can't help but feel some… spark come across you two whenever you're together. I just don't think that I can ignore it anymore…"

Serena gazed at him. She longed to hold him in his arms, but she felt like she didn't deserve it. She didn't know what to say. She knew she had all these feelings pent up inside her and they were eating her inside out. She knew Darien was right. Seiya's presence just revived what she had for him all those years ago. She had thought that they were gone. But they weren't there because Seiya wasn't there. She knew that a part of her would always be dedicated to Seiya, but was dedication the same as love? Did she LOVE Seiya? She had told Darien that she was all his, but did she really wash out Seiya from her mind? Her heart? She didn't know the answer. "Darien… I'm sorry… I don't… know…"

Darien's eyes shifted to the floor. "That's all I needed to hear…" He quickly turned around and sped out the door.

"Darien? DARIEN!" Serena screamed. Darien heard, but the pain he felt refused to let him go back.

--

Serena's heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. What had she done? She sat on her bed crying out Darien's name, but he wasn't coming back. Was he ever going to come back? The thought made her sob even harder. She never would've thought it would come down to this. How did this happen? Why did Seiya ever have to come back? Why did Seiya still make her feel for him? Why couldn't she just give Darien her whole heart?

--

Andrew and Mina had been waiting outside the door. They hadn't heard anything, but they knew that something was wrong.

Just then, Darien burst out of Serena's room. Serena's cries were heard. Darien was walking away fast. Andrew gave Mina an 'I'm gonna go see what's wrong' look and sped off. Mina quietly walked into Serena's room and was shocked to see her best friend crying her heart out.

"What happened?!" Mina exclaimed.

"Oh Mina! I screwed up! I screwed everything up! I didn't know what to say! I just sat here like an idiot! I love Darien, I do! But Seiya… I don't know anymore Mina! I just don't know!!" Serena blurted.

Mina hurried to her side. She hugged her best friend in her arms and caressed her hair. "Shhh… Sere… shhh… Everything's gonna be fine…"

"How can you say that Mina?! It's over… You saw Darien! He wasn't angry… He was more hurt than anything! I think it'd be more bearable if he shouted or screamed at me. But he was so hurt, Mina…" She paused as she remembered the pain she felt when she looked into his eyes. I'm so confused Mina… and now it's all over…" Serena was crying so hard, it was difficult to breathe.

"Don't say that… You two are meant for each other!"

"Darien doesn't seem to think so. Besides, he's right you know… I never really sorted out my feelings for Seiya. I just ignored them, kept them inside a drawer, whenever I was with Darien…" Serena grabbed a Kleenex from the bedside table.

"But you love Darien?"

"If there were a word stronger than that I'd say it… But that's not the problem… Seiya's the problem! It's like I need closure but not exactly… I don't know… I don't know how to deal with this right now… I was such a fool, Mina… such a fool…"

Mina just sat there, listening to her best friend's sobs, wishing that she could fix this.

--

"Darien! Dare wait!" Andrew screamed, running down the hallway.

Darien pressed the elevator button furiously. "What do you want, Drew?"

"What the hell happened in there?" he asked, panting.

"None of your business." His eyes flickered as the pain sank in.

"Dare, you do realize that Serena is bawling her eyes out in there! She needs you!"

"Needs me? Or Seiya?"

The elevator beeped as it arrived on the floor. They both walked in.

Andrew knew that Seiya was a touchy subject. He knew that Serena's relationship with Seiya was killing Darien inside. But he also knew that his best friend and Serena were meant to be together and he'd be damned if he didn't try to do anything to keep it that way. "Dare, whatever it is she feels for Seiya, it's nothing compared to what she feels for you."

"That's just it Drew. I don't want just part of her. I want her whole heart. I want her to feel what I feel towards her wholeheartedly. How is that fair to me, Drew? I don't love anyone else."

"That's easy for you to say. You've never actually loved someone before her, Dare. You can't deny that she's had a past with someone. Memories aren't that simple to erase. She LOVED the guy. You can't possibly expect her to be passive every time she sees him, especially with how they ended things." He paused as the elevators opened to let them through.

Darien walked away with quick strides. He remembered the look of pain she had when he had turned around. Was everything all over? Did he just end things with her? He thought about it for a moment. How could he love someone completely when that other person only gave him part of herself? It just wasn't right. She had to choose. Seiya or him. And it was obvious that Seiya would never leave her heart. She had made the choice without even saying it out loud.

"She's the first and probably the only girl that you'll ever love and you're letting her slip away." Andrew said to his best friend's back.

Darien stopped. Andrew was right. He was letting her go. Did he really want that? What was a life without Serena? But what was a life with Serena knowing that there would always be a piece of her that belonged to someone else? Why hadn't she told him sooner? He had loved her unconditionally and she… she still had feelings for someone else. But it was real… wasn't it? But how was it fair to him? 'How am I being fair to her though?' Darien thought. He knew he had his share of secrets, but the pain he felt right now was too great. He needed some time to think. He would never forget the scene he saw when he walked in to see her. Seiya leaning over her… their lips so close… What if next time he arrived too late? What if next time he couldn't stop it? No. He didn't want there to be a next time. There would be no next time.

Darien realized that he was just standing in the middle of the hall. People were starting to recognize him. He looked over his shoulder. Andrew hoped that Darien would come back, but as he looked at his best friend's pained expression, he knew his efforts were in vain. "I have to go, Drew. Tell Serena…" He wanted to say 'Tell her that I love her and I could care less about Seiya', but that would just be a lie… It hurt too much to know that she was still attached to someone else after all they've been through. "Tell Serena… I'm sorry…" With that, Darien walked away towards the exit.

--

Serena was released from the hospital later on that day. Everything still felt so unreal to her. Was it really over between her and Darien? Everything they shared, just memories? Andrew's return to her hospital room had confirmed it all.

She had cried so much. Mina didn't want to leave her until really late that night. They had watched old movies all evening, but Serena wasn't paying much attention. Sometimes Mina would turn to look at her best friend and would catch her gazing blankly at the wall, tears pouring down her face. She was sure Serena was trying to be quiet so that she wouldn't notice. She was looking at the wall that separated her apartment from Darien's. It was hard for Mina to leave her, but Serena insisted that she would be fine and that she needed some time alone.

Serena finally walked up the stairs to her bedroom. The huge stuffed animal she named Dari was staring at her with his puppy dog eyes. "Darien…" she sobbed, as she climbed into bed. She cried herself to sleep, wishing that the day was just a bad dream.

--

DRING! DRING!

Serena's telephone rang in her ears. 'What time is it?' she thought. She slept terribly that night for obvious reasons. Nightmares of yesterday's events had haunted her sleep. She glanced at her clock and saw that it was precisely 7 AM. She hurriedly picked up the phone. "Hello?" she said a little groggily.

"Hi, Miss Lawrence? This is Janice, Mr. Shields' secretary."

"Oh, good morning Janice. Is there something wrong?"

"No not at all. I just wanted to inform you that you will not be coming into the office today. You will be accompanying Mina in finding the necessities for the Christmas party and this is in effect until further notice."

"Does Mr. Shields know about this?" Serena asked.

"Yes he does. He personally asked me to call you and tell you."

So it wasn't a bad dream. They were through. Serena struggled to keep the tears from spilling over. "Th-thank you Janice. Have a nice day."

"You too, Miss Lawrence." With that, she hung up.

Serena desperately wanted to call the office and scream at Darien. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, that she needed him… But, she knew he wouldn't listen. It was her fault. Why did she have to feel so strongly about Seiya whenever he was around? Why couldn't she just leave Seiya in the past just like it was supposed to be?

Serena got up and hopped into the shower. The hot water soothed her skin and for a split second, it made her feel slightly better. She hurried and dressed. She didn't care what she put on today; there was no one to impress, unless she wanted to impress Mina. She hurried downstairs and caught Amy putting a leash on Blaze. "Good morning, Se-" Amy stopped abruptly as she saw Serena coming down the stairs. She looked like the walking dead. Her clothing wasn't right and most importantly her demeanor was depressing.

"Sere! What's wrong? You look awful!"

"Oh hi Ames… I didn't get much sleep…" Serena said, looking at the floor. She leaned against the closest wall. She was never really good at hiding the truth.

"Sere don't lie to me! Talk to me!" Amy pressed on.

"I… I don't wanna talk about it…" Serena had to once again fight the tears that were threatening to spill over.

Amy watched as her friend grieved silently. She knew when people needed to be left alone. She also had a hunch that Darien was behind this. There was only one other time when Serena had been like this and that person she had cried over all those years ago was back in her life. "Alright Sere… I'll take Blaze out then. Just know that I'm here for you." Amy smiled as she rubbed Serena's arm gently. She hurried out and hoped that Serena would be fine.

Serena heard the door of her apartment close. With that, she felt her knees become weak as she slid to the floor and let out the tears that so desperately wanted to be unleashed.

--

After Serena managed to stop the flow of tears, she called Mina. Mina had already known about Darien's arrangements. Boy he worked fast when he wanted to. It was clear that he was avoiding her. Serena couldn't blame him. Why would he want to see the woman he loves knowing she felt something for another man? But she wanted to see the man she loved. Life was unfair, but she knew that she had to sort things out before seeing him again.

Mina had told Serena to pick her up at her apartment so that they could head down to Barney's. Serena didn't ask questions, she'd just do what was needed to get through the day.

--

Serena stopped in front of Mina's building. Luckily, Mina was already standing outside so she didn't have to go out of the car. She unlocked the doors to let her in.

"Morning Sere!" Mina said, trying to sound exceptionally cheery. She didn't want to ignore the fact that her best friend was heartbroken, but she had to try to liven up the atmosphere and make her forget about yesterday… just for a little while. She turned to look at Serena. "Holy crap! What are you wearing?!"

"Mina, there's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing…" She put the car on drive and headed for Barney's. She knew that the jeans she picked out clashed with the flashy pink top she hurriedly put on, but she could care less about what she looked like. She could zip up her jacket later on. She just wanted to get through the day, not thinking about what her heart longed for the most. There was only one way to make the hurt go away and it was the only way she knew how: she had to hide it, suppress it until it was as if it was never there.

"Sere… I know… I know that this whole Darien and Seiya thing is killing you right now… I know you're trying to hide it… and it's hurting me to see you like this. But you look like shit," Mina finished plainly.

Maybe it was how Mina said that last part or maybe it was just the lack of sleep, but Serena laughed. She laughed so loud, it scared Mina. But it also let Mina know that Serena wasn't completely gone, that she could go on without Darien at least for now. She knew that for the time being, it was what Serena needed. Mina smiled; she'd find a way to bring them back together.

--

By the time they got to Barney's, Serena felt slightly better. Mina always had that effect on her. She knew she would have to face her problems eventually, but she didn't want to burden her best friend. Today, she'd be the perfect shopping associate; she wouldn't walk around all day feeling depressed.

They walked into the department store. Mina had told her that she found these adorable glass look-alike chairs. Mina's theme for the party would have a Victorian feel. However, everything would be made out of glass or something of similar effect to make it feel like they were in some sort of ice palace. Serena seemed skeptical, yet she was confident that Mina could pull anything off.

Serena was about to head to the home department, when Mina suddenly grabbed her arm. "This way Serena!" (AN: I have never been to Barney's, so I have no idea where exactly things are. Forgive me if I get stuff wrong --')

Serena looked questioningly at her friend. "Um… the tables and stuff are that way Mins…" she said, her finger pointing at the opposite direction.

"Sorry, Sere… but that look is gonna have to go. I can't walk beside you and pretend no one here is looking at us. It's for your own good." She had a stern look on her face as she said this.

"Mina! I don't care what I look like! The only person that matters isn't here to see me, so what's the point?"

"The point is everyone around here is looking at us like we've been hanging around garbage cans all day. I just can't stand being humiliated when we both know we don't deserve this. Sere, please?"

Serena looked around her. Everyone WAS staring. She hadn't really noticed. 'Is my outfit that bad?' she thought. She noticed that she forgot to zip her jacket up. Two women, walking passed them, gave Serena 'The Scan'. They had both eyed her from head to toe and were now whispering in disapproval. 'Oh my God… it is that bad,' she said to herself. All of a sudden, Serena's girly genes kicked in. 'I told myself that today I'd be the perfect assistant for Mina! I promised myself I wouldn't mope around. The wardrobe's gonna have to go. What was I thinking going out in this?!' She turned to Mina who was waiting patiently. "Okay, lead the way!"

"Thank God!" Mina said exasperated. "I don't think we would've survived another five minutes in here with all those vipers looking at us like they do."

Serena smiled as she followed her friend to the women's department.

--

"Mina… You know what? I'm not sure I wanna pay this much for a dress. Besides, it is winter, if you hadn't noticed, and it's freakin' freezing out there," Serena said from inside the changing stall.

"Oh suck it up Sere! You've lived here all your life. Also, it's not like you're actually paying for it. We'll just put it on Seiya's tab, just like the other things…" Mina quickly stopped talking as she realized that she brought up what Serena was trying to forget. "Shit… Sere, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say his name! I-"

"Don't worry Mina. It was bound to come up at some point…" Serena exhaled heavily as all the thoughts she wanted to push away came rushing back. Thinking about Seiya meant thinking about yesterday, which meant thinking about Darien, which brought her back to thinking about the cause of her dilemma: Seiya. It was an endless cycle of thoughts. She needed something to get those thoughts out before she broke down in the changing rooms and met the eyes of more snooty onlookers. She turned and walked out of the stall. "How's this one look?" she asked Mina.

Mina looked at her. She knew that Serena was thinking about Seiya and Darien, but she decided on not talking about it. "I think that the dark blue one you tried on earlier looked way cuter on you," Mina said with a big smile.

As Serena stared into her friend's big blues, she silently thanked her for not pushing into the subject. She knew that Mina wouldn't take it to heart; it was a mutual understanding. That's what made them best friends after all.

--

"You want me to get boots too?!" Serena asked, looking at Mina as if she was crazy.

"Serena, those sneakers are so last month! You have a closet full of clothes and shoes, yet you managed to pick out the worst items in it! Also, those don't match the dress."

Serena knew that Mina was right, but she never was the extortionist type. She felt bad about using Seiya's money, but she knew he wouldn't mind. He'd buy her the moon if he could. Darien would probably buy her the whole universe though. Did she still want Seiya in her life? She couldn't answer right away, but she knew she needed Darien in her life. She couldn't have both and she didn't necessarily want both. 'Ugh… I hate this. Why do I feel like I need BOTH of them? I don't even know why Seiya's so important! I should hate him for what he did to me, but I don't, not after his confession… It just changed everything… for the worst,' she thought. She hurriedly wiped off a tear that escaped before Mina saw it. 'Ok, enough of this…' She sighed. "I'll get some boots…" she told Mina softly.

--

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" the cashier asked. She gave 'The Scan' to Serena, but it was one of approval. Serena did look hot in her puff sleeved dark blue dress. It didn't show much cleavage, but Serena's legs were to die for and the dress' hem ended mid-thigh. Serena got knee-high dark brown suede boots to complement the blue.

"Yes, we did," Mina smiled radiantly at the cashier. Shopping was always a great pick-me up. She was clearly happy with Serena's purchase. "And the chairs I wanted will be delivered on the date I asked, right?"

"Yes m'am. You don't need to worry. We will give you a call the day before to confirm."

"Perfect, thank you!"

"Have a nice day!"

"You two!" the girls chimed in.

Serena turned around and she almost died. There was Seiya standing right in front of her. He seemed surprised to see her as well, but he quickly composed himself and approached both of the girls. Mina was looking at him with angered eyes.

"Hello, ladies! Fancy seeing you here!" he said.

Serena just looked at him in silence. She didn't know if she should slap him or not. Mina decided to speak up. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Can't you see she doesn't wanna see you?! Can't you see the pain you're causing her?"

"What do you mean?" Seiya asked sincerely.

Mina looked at him carefully. He was telling the truth: he didn't know about the break up. It just seemed to aggravate her more. "Serena and Darien are through because of the little stunt you pulled yesterday!" she shouted in his face.

He glanced at Serena. She was starting to get tears in her eyes. Suppressed thoughts of yesterday's events resurfaced. She had been trying so hard to forget, just for today. Just for today, she wanted to have fun with Mina. She knew the wounds were fresh, but she didn't want to spend the whole day crying like some silly little school girl. Seiya just had to be there. She knew it was just a coincidence, but it was one too many. She hated him at that second. She hated him for everything and anything she could think of. Her eyes looked up and met his.

Seiya watched as Serena's eyes glistened with tears. He saw all the hurt in them. He also saw the hate. He never wanted to hurt Serena. And yes, he did still love her, but hurting her was an awful price to pay. It was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't recall a time where Serena would look at him with so much hatred. There would be times of annoyance and anger, at most, but never hate. He felt terrible inside of him. 'What have I done?' He knew that he could take advantage of her and that he would once again be at her side, but he also felt like he jeopardized his standing. As he kept looking in her eyes, he realized that what he was doing was wrong. "Serena, may I speak with you? Just for a minute?"

Serena realized that he was talking to her. She calmed herself down enough to give Mina a look that said she'd be fine. She waited as Mina moved away from hearing distance. "Are you gonna gloat now? Tell me that now that the competition's out of the way it'll be easier?" Serena said, trying to keep her voice at a normal level.

"Serena… I had no idea that it would have ended up this way! I never expected to win you back like this. Not when you're like this…"

Serena just looked at him. "You have no idea how much pain I'm in right now! And you're talking about winning me back?! The man I love doesn't want to speak to me anymore all because you decided to play knight and shining armor!"

Seiya's eyes turned to fury. "Would you have preferred bring dead?!"

Serena looked at Mina. It had stirred her best friend hearing Seiya's voice getting louder, but Serena just nodded to tell her it was okay. "Being without Darien made me realize what dead is…"

"Right. And I'm supposed to believe that the Darien who supposedly adores you and would do anything to keep you at his side just decided that because of one kiss, that did not happen might I add, he would up and go end things with you. Just like that! The only reason I could come up with as to why Darien would ever leave you is that somewhere deep down inside, you still feel something for me… " He gave Serena a small smirk which made her angry. "So don't blame me for something YOU caused. You drove him away. It's your own fault!"

Serena slapped him. The cashier saw this and was about to call security. Seiya nodded to her, telling her it wasn't necessary. Mina came rushing to her best friend's side. Serena was now in tears. She was boiling inside. She didn't like hearing the truth, but she knew he was right. If she didn't feel something for Seiya, this mess would never have happened.

Seiya realized that he went too far. His eyes softened. "I'm sorry… I know you don't want to be with me. Not right now… not when you're still head over heels for him." He paused. "Just know that you aren't the only one hurting in all this…" His hand moved to wipe away a few tears on her face. Just then, she knew it would come down to one of them in the end. He turned to head to the men's department. "I hope you make the right choice…" he said over his shoulder.

--

"You too, Miss Lawrence." Janice hung up the phone.

Darien had been standing right beside her. He heard the whole conversation. He had asked Janice to put it on speaker for him to hear. He couldn't see her, it hurt too much. Little did he know that the sound of her voice was equally painful to hear. Her voice had sounded almost normal at first, but later on she had struggled to keep it from breaking. To a normal audience, like Janice, it seemed fine, but to the ones who grieved, like him, it was torture. He desperately wanted to see Serena, but knew that it would just hurt him, more than it would her. He wanted to know why Seiya was ever present and why she couldn't just cut him out of her life. Seiya always found a way to sneak back under Serena's eyes.

Darien walked back to his office. He couldn't concentrate on his work. He was barely listening to Andrew. Andrew had never seen Darien in this state. He hadn't shaved that morning, which was a first. Also, Darien had accidentally worn pants that were a shade lighter than the jacket; he had mixed up his suit. 'At least, he still remembered how to put on a tie…' Andrew thought of his best friend.

"Dare, maybe you should take the day off…"

"I told you I'm fine, Drew," he replied solemnly, looking blankly at a stack of papers.

"You don't look fine to me. Have you seen yourself today? You barely remember how to dress!" Darien looked at Andrew. He was right. "During the whole morning, I felt like I was talking to a wall…" Andrew sighed as he put down the folder he was holding. "Listen, Dare… you should just take the day off. I'll handle the fort, no worries."

Darien did feel like shit, no question about it. He should just go home and stay in for the day. He needed to be alone. "You're absolutely right, Drew. It's just… Was I wrong?"

Andrew looked sadly at the head of Shields Inc. He knew he was hurting inside, he just didn't know that it was this bad. "No… I don't think that you were wrong, just… harsh…"

Darien looked down. 'Harsh…' he thought. It sounded just as bad as any other evil word. It was a word that described his former self, the Darien of the past. He felt like such a fool. How could he have been so ignorant to her feelings towards Seiya? He felt betrayed, angry… But, most importantly he felt alone and lost. Had he… lost her? Within five seconds, he had lost the one he loved. Within five seconds, he had walked away from her. He had to find a way to get her back, but was such a thing possible when the memories of her former lover were still very much alive?

Darien got up. "Keep me updated, Drew. You know where to reach me." Andrew tapped his friend lightly on the back as Darien headed out.

There had to be some way to get her to forget about him. They were meant to be together. Every time they were together it felt like nothing he ever felt before and he knew that it was the same for her. His mind flashed back to the time they were in central park. It then moved to the kiss they shared on the statue of liberty and finally to the nights they shared in each other's arms. Was he prepared to not have those moments with her anymore?

'I can't lose her like this… I made a promise,' he thought as he got out of the elevator. He'd make her see that Seiya was never meant to be there.

The only question was 'How?'

--

Author's notes: Well… I wanted to keep going on this one, but I wasn't sure if the events were uber important to know or not. Now I'm even more unsure if I should put the Christmas party on the next one 'cause I have so many ideas on what could happen in between! Anyways… will Darien find a way to woo Serena back into his arms after breaking up with her so harshly? Or will Serena give in to Seiya's kindness in this confusing moment? I hope we find out in the next chapter… PS. Please review or else I won't see the point in posting anymore... Thanks! xoxo