First of all, so sorry for taking so long on the updates. Yeah, yeah, I know, excuses. I had a problem in my computer and lost everything I have been writing for the last four years or so, now, you can understand I wanted to write NOTHING after that. Most of my stories I have in fanfiction where almost done, though I hadn't updated.
Today in the morning, though, I heard a song and was inspired to write to HATE OR LOVE and here I am. The song for this chapter is one from Pocahontas II, which I thought it was really good for this story. Yes...I think this story will keep up with songs...it just seems right. I have many more songs which I will have with this.
Ok, Disclaimer, nothing is mine except for Alex and the idea...which I think it's rather original and no one had thought about it before. Tell me if I'm wrong please.
OH! Read and REVIEW please...reviews make authors happy!
XI. Where Do I Go From Here?
He glanced at himself once more, liking what he saw. His hair was falling into his eyes, annoyingly. He had always hated that feature of himself.
"Hey, Dad?" a voice called from his side, as he glanced down at his kid.
"Mm?" he asked, passing his hand over his boy's hair, much like his own; he loved the same feature he hated on himself.
"Mom won't get mad...will she?" the eight year old asked, a frightened tone hidden in the question.
"I don't think so, buddy." He answered truthfully. "Why would she?"
He knew Elizabeth dated occasionally, and he knew Alex went with them on several of those occasions. He saw nothing bad with it.
The kid only nodded, unconsciously getting closer to him. Darien looked down at his boy as he placed his hand on top of the child's head...he hoped he was doing the right thing.
"We should be going, Daddy."
The earth is cold, the fields are bare
The branches fold against the wind that's everywhere
The birds move on so they survive
When snow's so deep the bears all sleep to keep themselves alive
They do what they must for now and trust in their plan
If I trust in mine, somehow, I might find who I am...
"RINI!" her bellow was heard around the whole house. "SERENA IRENE KOU!"
"Mama! Mama!" Her youngest cried, running towards her.
"Not now, Chibi-Chibi. I'm looking for your sister." She said, as she picked the toddler and settled her on her hip, not caring much that her knee long blue dress was getting wrinkled.
"Yes, Mommy?" her eldest answered, coming out from wherever it was she was hiding.
"Where were you?" Serena scolded, taking the hand of the five year old and entering the bathroom with both girls. "I've been calling you for the last ten minutes!"
"'M sorry, Mommy..." The kid answered, a sheepish smile on her face, "I found my shoe!" She announced pointing to her pink sandals.
Serena sighed, looking down at her daughter. Yes, she was fully dressed, yet her hair was a mess, and her little pink shirt smeared with something and her khaki pants dirty at her knees.
"Rini...it's good that you have your shoes." She said with a gentle smile, planting Chibi-Chibi on the counter, before lifting Rini as well and settling her besides her sister. "But how did you got so dirty?" She asked, glancing at her wristwatch. Darien and Alex where supposed to arrive in about ten minutes or less.
"I was looking for them, Mommy. It was really hard." The girl told her with a serious expression.
Serena smiled as she shook her head and started unclipping her daughter's hair, letting it fall. "Yes, well, now we'll have to change your clothes."
"Oh...ok!" the girl said, liking the idea.
But where do I go from here?
So many voices ringing in my ear
Which is the voice that I was meant to hear
How will I know where do I go from here
Her tears fell freely as she stared at him, red roses on one hand.
"It's ok if you don't want..." he said once more.
"Taiki...I..." she swallowed, trying to moisten her dry lips and mouth.
"He's getting help..." Amy had told her. She hadn't believed so. She couldn't believe so, yet, here was the proof. His blue eyes looked as they once did, no redness in them. He looked as he had gained a bit of weight, the weight he had lost. It was as if the old Taiki was coming back.
"He's an idiot!" a friend of hers had said. "He doesn't deserve someone like you! Ever!"
"Lita...just...one night. That's all I'm asking. One chance."
"If he is truly seeking for help, honey, then I don't see why you shouldn't just forgive him." Her aunt had said one night. "The question is one, though, darling."
"What, Mimi?" She had asked.
"What are you going to do?"
"I...I want to..." She whispered, as they both stood looking at each other. "But...I...I'm sorry, Taiki, I can't." She cried, as she turned around and closed the door.
She had seen the pain in his eyes, she had seen how his heart broke at that moment, and she couldn't take it. She fell to her knees and wept.
My world has changed and so have I
I've learned to choose and even learned to say goodbye
The path ahead so hard to see
It winds and bends but where it ends depends on only me
He could hear her sobbing, and all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her everything would be fine. Yet, who was he trying to fool? He had caused her the pain.
He glanced down at the roses, it was her favorite. He sighed, placing them down on the floor in front of the door and started walking out of the building. The desire of taking a drop of alcohol burned on his being, yet, he refused to go back to it.
At work things had improved. Yaten had not been happier in the last month since he had returned. Yes, Seiya would always be missed; his brother and best friend could never be replaced, even if they were looking for another engineer to help them out. Seiya, though, would not be with them again. He had come to terms with that...even if it had killed his soul.
"You would be a full, bro, if you ever let her go."
He stopped on his tracks.
"C'mon, Seiya, how COULD I let her go?"
He remembered that talk. Days before his brother was killed, Lita had prepared a lunch for everyone at the office.
"Just like you let your balloon go." Yaten had teased.
"I was FIVE! How was I supposed to know that if I let go of it, it would fly away!" He had whined.
"Yep, you were never the clever one." Seiya had teased.
"Think we can still say that." Yaten had teased back, ending on them all laughing.
He looked up at the sky, the last rays of the sun going down. He walked back, he wasn't going to let her go, not without a fight. He loved her. He knew that. He loved her, and he knew right then that he would fight for her even if it ended up killing him.
In my heart I don't feel part of so much I've known
Now it seems it's time to start a new life on my own
"Your kids are so precious." The young waitress said as she glanced at the already sleeping Chibi-Chibi.
"Thanks." Serena said with a smile, as she stroked her child's sweaty hair.
They had decided on that restaurant as the three kids would be able to play and run around, while they could talk and chat without problem while still supervising the kids.
They had talked about every single subject they could come, incredibly, not mentioning work at all...a feat for both of them.
It had been more than two hours later that Alex had walked back with Chibi-Chibi, who seemed wind up from all her running and playing. Rena had just taken the child and sat her on her lap, thanking Alex who grinned and went back to play.
She didn't know when, but the toddler had fallen asleep, moments later the two older kids had returned rather tired.
"You both must be proud of them." The young bubbly girl said.
"Oh..." Darien and Serena looked at each other. True, they both were parents and they were both proud of their kids, but not like the girl believed. "Yes, we are." He answered, not really caring to explain.
Serena smiled at that. It wasn't long before they were all on Darien's car riding back to her place, both adults chatting amiably about some things from time to time.
"Darien..." Serena said as she glanced back, once they had parked. Darien turned around to look and smiled at the pretty sight. Alex was in the middle, with both Rini and Chibi-Chibi leaning against him. The eldest of the girls had her head on his shoulder, as the boy had his head over her head, while Chibi-Chibi had placed her head over the young boy's chest. All of them peacefully sleeping.
"Wish I had a camera..." Serena whispered.
"I do have one." He said with a smile, taking out his mobile and taking one with it. They both sat for a moment, just looking at their kids.
He then looked back at her, and it was then that she looked up at him, baby blue eyes meeting dark blue eyes. She smiled sweetly at him. He smiled back at her. They both felt in the right place...no longer outsiders watching the world go by, but actually part of it.
"I had a lovely time tonight." She told him, remembering how he had gone for a couple of minutes to play with the three kids.
"The pleasure was all mine." He told her, remembering how she had soothed Alex messy hair, a gentle smile on her face as she mothered him. "Maybe we can have a repeat?" he asked.
"I sure would like to." She answered honestly.
They both sat quietly then, looking at each other, before he leaned over, closing the short gap between them and taking her lips in his. She didn't stop him, leaning forward into the kiss.
Both of them were oblivious to the two pair of eyes watching their interaction. The little boy looked down at the little girl, smiling at each other triumphantly, before they turned back to their position once the two adults finished their kiss...
...maybe...they were finding the right way to go.
But where do I go from here?
So many voices ringing in my ear
Which is the voice that I was meant to hear
How will I know where do I go from here