Five more chapters left. Her is chapter 13.

THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

CHAPTER 13: DINNER DATE

Logan pulled out Serena's chair and waited for her to be comfortable before he sat down. Seconds later a young waitress was standing over them ready to do her job.

"Hello, my name is Ashley and I will be your waitress this evening, may I start you off with something to drink?" She had handed them both a menu. Serena was the only one to need to look at it. Logan ordered a Miller Lite and Serena finally settled on a Caramel Appletini. The waitress gave her a funny look and asked for her id. Serena pulled it out and showed the waitress. She had not realized a small picture had fallen out of her purse as she had been rummaging for her wallet and id. Logan had picked it up and looked down at the picture of Serena holding Rini in the middle of a rose garden. They were both dressed in white sun dresses. Both girls were smiling and laughing. Neither looking at the camera or its holder, but at each other. Serena noticed he was holding it, almost studying it. He noticed her watching him and handed it back.

"Its a nice picture of you two." he responded quietly. She smiled and thanked him. She replaced the picture in her purse.

"It was taken a few years ago when she was about six years. That was taken on a day when we were having a mother daughter day and I took her to her favorite gardens. It was beautiful out and we were having a great time. But mind you we were back to fighting hours later. Back then we had an odd type relationship." Serena smiled at the memory. Now here she was having to worry about this stalker. She knew her daughter was safe with Darien and that he wouldn't let anyone harm her. She was his precious jewel, even though he made no real effort to being a better father. She didn't think he did much to remember her while she was in the future. Where she carried pictures with her. Kept her daughter's clothes even though she knew by now she had grown out of them.

"She is safe Serena and will be. We'll pick her up as soon as we finish our dinner. Right now you need food in you and I need a few beers." They made polite conversation, slowly getting to know each other. Logan was rather interested in her life style as a scout and her battles. He was interested in her strength and how she had grown to be such a warrior. He couldnt provide much information about himself due to the loss of memory.

Dinner came and they sat in silence for a few minutes just eating, when Logan asked out of the blue a question that made Serena stop a few beats. It startled himself as well.

"Why have you not tried seeing anyone since Darien?" She thought about the answer. She didn't exactly know the answer.

"Well I suppose it's because I didn't meet the right guy to fill in the part of me that longed for another. I also suppose it's because my future is damn near set in stone and the person I want to be in that future needs to understand it and want it as well. I also suppose it could also be because of Rini. I need to know the person I choose to be will love her like his own daughter and can accept her and I as a package." She was pretty confident with that answer.

Logan was too.

Dinner took about two hours. They had finished their food and were now enjoying a few drinks. Logan convinced her to have one more drink so she had ordered another Caramel Appletini. He had finished two more beers and was working on his fourth. He had gotten her to laugh and smile and relax. Her phone had gone off and she looked at the screen. It was Darien.

"Hello." she answered. His voice held no urgency so she settled her racing heart.

"Serena, I have to leave for an emergency and I don't want to drag Rini into it. I've already explained it to her. Can you come pick her up?" She sighed. This helped her quite alot.

"Yes, could you drop her off at the restaurant I am at?" She repeated the name and he agreed to bring her over. She hung up with Darien and Logan immediately pipped up.

"If she hasn't eaten dinner we can get her something here, that way you two can have a good time out and you can stay relaxed for a bit longer. I know this person has you worried, but with the X-Men on your side, you will be alright." Serena smiled at him. She liked him just a bit more.

Darien and Rini walked in through the door and spotted them immediately. Rini ran over to Serena and gave her a hug. Darien set her bag down at Serena's feet and bent over and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and thanked her. He gave a hug and kiss to Rini and then left. Serena turned to Rini and smiled.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. Rini's face lit up.

"Starving. What can I get here? Do they have the same things like home?"

"I know Japan has McDonald's so I'm sure you know what a cheeseburger is." responded Logan.

"I want a cheeseburger with french fries and a soda." The pink haired girl exclaimed happily. The waitress came back over when she seen the new guest at their table. Serena ordered Rini's food and the waitress went back to the kitchen.

"If you finish your dinner we'll stop for ice cream." Logan smirked down at the little girl who beamed him an extra big smile. Serena listened as Logan and Rini talked with one another. They seemed to get along on a good level. Rini felt comfortable with him and Logan seemed to lose his hard exterior. When the food arrived, Rini all but inhaled it and then claimed she was still hungry so Logan ordered a box of fries to go.

They picked up three ice cream cones. Logan had chocolate, strawberry for Serena and Rini order vanilla with extra sprinkles. Serena didn't want to forget this night. She was enjoying it. It was the first time she felt complete. She sat there eating her ice cream in silence and thought about when she was sitting underneath the tree at the park and how she felt then to now. It seemed so long ago. A dark cloud drifted into her thoughts and she remembered the stalker and her need to protect Rini. Yet here she was relaxed and enjoying her time. She looked over at Logan and Rini who were now debating why the stars seemed so close but were really so far.

She drifted through her thoughts from the beginning. Trying to make sense of it all, connections. Trying to find clues to her stalker's identity. She went through her thoughts from the park to her birthday, the plane ride here and then the first few days at the school. Over and over she went through the details.

Then it hit her, the uneasy recognition. She knew who the stalker was.

Hmmmmm...End of chapter 13.