Hi people. I meant to update yesterday but I couldn't get in.

So here it is now.

Hope you like it.

I Do Not Own Sailor Moon And Her Counterparts

You Have Officially Been Warned

Chapter Thirteen

Valentine's Day was on a Saturday, and Mina's wedding was slated for five o'clock in the afternoon. With Darien out of town and the pressure off, Serena's days sped by in a blur until it was the Friday evening before, with Serena serving shrimp dishes prepared by Merrick; the "chef" –– who, for reasons unknown, decreed her fit to work in his restaurant and who was doing his damndest to get her to stay on, although she'd let him know in no uncertain terms that this would be her last day.

Since that last evening with Darien, she'd been content to just fill in the hours and wait for D-Day. Rini, however, had not been so understanding when Serena called down to the Kentwells to let her know there would be a bit of a delay in meeting her father.

"He's out of town and can't meet you yet," Serena had said truthfully. "And I'm ––uh––reacquainting myself with him, so it's going to take a little more time."

"Next Saturday's my birthday," Rini revealed, sending a shiver up Serena's spine.

"I know," she said softly.

"My mum and dad said I could come to Atlanta if I wanted to. Will you be back by then?"

"I don't––think so." Serena ached to be with her daughter on her birthday, but telling Darien the truth was more crucial. Maybe next year, she fantasised. "Your father's the best man in a wedding that day."

That gave Rini a pause, but she recovered quickly. "He doesn't want me in his life, does he?" She said in her direct way. She had a knack for expecting the worst. Like mother, like daughter, Serena thought. That way it doesn't hurt as much.

"Just because he's busy doesn't mean he doesn't want you," Serena told her.

"What's he like?" Rini suddenly interjected, as if she couldn't help herself.

"He's––great," she answered, struggling. "Strong and decent. He's engaged to a woman we both went to school with." Now why did I say that? Serena asked herself.

"Engaged? You mean to be married? When?"

"I don't know. Sometime soon, I guess."

"Do you like her?"

"Rini!" Serena half laughed in exasperation.

"Well, you knew her in school. What's she like?"

Serena had gazed out her motel window to the grey waves sliding over the darker grey sand. "She'd perfect for him," she said, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

And Rini, with a keen sense of awareness that Serena was just beginning to appreciate, stated flatly, "I hate her."

"You don't even know her."

"You don't like her. I can hear it in your voice."

Their communication amazed and thrilled Serena. Having gotten over own initial shock, she'd discovered that she and her daughter talked the same language. It was incredible, and although she knew this was just might be Rini's way, and that she might simply be reacting to her daughter's frankness, Serena truly believed their ability to get past all the rhetoric was because of blood. They were related, mother and daughter, and it mattered.

Whatever happened with Darien, Serena had a chance with Rini now. A chance she'd never really expected as she'd been unable to imagine her dreams actually coming true. She wanted so badly for everything to work out between her and Rini. In her most fanciful moments, she dreamed of them living together as mother and daughter, with Darien at least accepting his daughter at some level. But even if that could never be––for Serena was completely aware that the Kentwells loved her daughter to distraction––she and Rini had the chance for a real relationship.

As long as she handled this Darien thing right.

"When can I see him?" Rini had asked.

"I'm working on it. Soon, I think. Be patient."

She couldn't tell her Darien didn't know about her; that would sever their delicate connection in one second flat! No, better to put Rini off until she told Darien about his daughter.

His daughter…

Serena shivered. Fleetingly, she considered how Darien would react when he realised she and his mother had kept the secret all these years. And she would pay Beryl back every penny of that ten thousand dollars. She should have done it years ago except that she'd always felt it was better to let sleeping dragons lie. But Beryl was awake and breathing fire now, so Serena, who had a decent relationship with the banker, who'd helped put the deal together to buy her share of Lita's restaurant had already set the wheels in motion to get her a loan for the money. She couldn't wait to drop a cashier's check in Beryl's lap––with interest! ––and wash her hands of the whole dirty deal. For her mother, she would do it again, but that didn't make the idea of accepting Shields money any more tolerable.

"Hurry," Rini urged, sounding incredibly young.

"I'll do my best," Serena assured her softly, aching inside. She'd hung up the phone feeling oddly moved. And she realised how badly she wanted to have her child in her life. There was still time. Still a chance…

"You going to stand there daydreaming all day?" Merrick burst into her thoughts, yelling from the bowels of the kitchen.

Serena came to with a start. She'd been standing at the kitchen swing-door, a million miles away. "Oh, stop your bellowing," she teased.

"Come out tonight with me––after the kitchen's closed."

"Forget it, Merrick. I never date co-workers. It's a rule."

"It's a bad rule. We'll go have a drink somewhere."

One of the waiters gave her the "look." Serena had learned during her short employment that Merrick was closing in on alcoholism, amiable drunk that he was, and he used his supposedly volatile temperament as an excuse to go out and throw back a few too many. Although she liked Merrick, she suspected he was not long for employment. He was just too reckless and undependable. Fortunately for him, Darien Shields appeared to be a fairly hands-off employer.

And this was Serena's last day, for tomorrow was the wedding. And afterward…Well, she might have to get out of Dodge fast after she and Darien had it out.

Skin tingling with apprehension, she hurried to serve several plates of Merrick's fabulous shrimp pasta to a young couple holding hands by the front window.

"Why can't we go together?" Caroline asked, twisting her opal ring on her right finger. It was a gift Darien had given her not long after he'd graduated from college. Blinking, he suddenly couldn't remember what the occasion had been. "What?" Caroline demanded, seeing him stare at her ring.

They were at her condo, a stark glass-and-concrete building jabbed onto the cliffs above the beach, a monstrosity that even Darien had protested against at city council; he preferred the cosy, rambling beachfront dwellings that dotted the coasts. Shields Enterprises might own real estate, might even build and develop them, but Darien had a strict code of aesthetics that other developers did not.

The developer who'd built these condos could have used a lesson in keeping with the beauty of the area. It bugged Darien that Caroline had chosen to live here, of all places; but then he hadn't wanted her to reside in one of his own units, something that he'd never voiced but suspected she'd picked up on.

"Why are you staring at my ring?" she asked again, spots of colour highlighting her cheeks. She was more upset than he'd even seen her, and for the like of him, he couldn't figure out why.

"Was it your birthday? I can't remember what it was."

"What?" She blinked. "You mean, why you gave me the ring? It was our five-year anniversary, Darien!"

Memory flooded. Of course. They'd been dating for five years––if you didn't count the time he was seeing Serena senior year in high school. Caroline had decreed that their anniversary was coming up, and she'd hinted how special it was. He'd picked out the ring between exams one Friday before he came home from college. As he recalled, she'd been slightly disappointed in the gift. Maybe she'd wanted an engagement ring.

He wondered if he should ask her what the date of that "anniversary" was again, looked at her unhappy face and decided not to.

"Why can't we go to the wedding together?" she asked, returning to her theme. "I want to go with you."

"I've got too many things to do first. I've been out of town for a week, and I don't want to go early. Let me meet you there."

"You're the best man! You have to go early."

"I'll get there in time," he assured her.

"What were you doing out of town?" she asked suddenly. "Why all of a sudden?"

"Looking at property on the Oregon coast. I told you," he growled.

"For a week?"

Darien gazed at her in frustration. How could he explain that what had originally been a jaunt––more vacation than business––had become a good excuse to get away and think? And how could he tell her that he'd spent the week running on the beach, or trying to exorcise Serena from his thoughts, scared spit less that upon his return to Crescent Bay, he would find her mysteriously gone, never to return?

Hell, he couldn't even explain it to himself.

"I wanted to go with you," she revealed. "My job is demanding, and I don't get to spend enough time with you as it is."

Caroline worked as right-hand woman to the owner of a small, successful electronics firm that had grown too large for its modest roots in Crescent Bay and was now based in Seattle. So far, the owner hadn't asked her to make the move; she spent a lot of her time at trade show and conferences and wasn't in the office anyway. But the company was in the process of hiring a marketing agency and Caroline's job description was sure to change. With that change would come a move to Seattle; the writing was on the wall.

But Caroline wanted to chuck it all and marry Darien.

"I needed some time alone."

"Why?" Her eyes flared with alarm.

"I just did. And I still do," he admitted, not wanting to hurt her but unable to lie.

"Oh, Darien." She swallowed hard.

She couldn't unmask her unhappiness, but Darien was through with trying to make everyone happy and therefore making no one happy. "This isn't working," he said softly. "We both know it."

"It's her. Ever since she came back, you've been different."

"It's mostly us," Darien disagreed. "You and I. There's something missing."

"Something you can get from her?" Caroline asked angrily.

"Caroline––" he began, frustrated.

"No, don't. Don't say it!" she interrupted. "Just go with me tomorrow and everything'll be okay. The weather's supposed to be terrible, for Pete's sake! Rain––possible snow! Cold as the devil. Don't make me drive."

Caroline was normally as independent as a tiger; this sudden insecurity had to be a ploy. And that bugged Darien, too.

"I thought you were catching a ride with Andrew and Rita."

"I want to go with you."

"I'll meet you there!" Darien told her in exasperation. "But don't make me get dressed up sooner than I have to. And I'm leaving right afterward. I hate receptions. I hate weddings!"

"You don't have to yell." She turned away, twisting the ring so hard her skin stretched white before turning red.

"I'm going to work out first," he reminded her, as if that had anything to do with the real root of the argument.

"Do you have to run every day? My God, you spend so much time racing along the beach, people will think you're a fanatic."

"I hardly ever run." Darien gazed at her in amazement.

"You're just never around! I'm tired of being your 'sometime' fiancée! Make me a priority, Darien, or forget it. I can't stand this much longer. I'm so upset I just want to––leave!"

Darien's jaw dropped. This was more passion than he'd ever seen. "Is that an ultimatum?"

She waved her arm, frowned, then shook her head. "I just want to walk through the door of the church with you."

"Oh. Appearances."

She flushed. "Damn you. You think it's so easy for me. Well, I won't be here forever. If you want, yes, this is an ultimatum––you'd better make room for me."

She swept out ahead of him, toward his Jeep. He followed behind her, frustrated and uneasy and wishing something would change.

"I hate this thing!" she suddenly cried, slamming the palm of her hand on the driver's door.

"I love it."

"Can't you just do one thing for me?" she cried. "Just one?"

"What the hell do you want, Caroline?"

"Marriage. I'm sick of waiting. But it's like your feet are stuck in concrete. You won't do anything. You won't change. And Serena's Tsukino's appearance just made things worse. Now you talk like you and I have a problem."

"We do."

"No, it's you. It's like you're waiting for something! Well, I've got news for you, it's not coming. And I just can't wait forever."

Yanking open the door of the Jeep, she climbed inside, swishing her long black skirt around her legs. She wore a white silk blouse and a black wool overcoat. Jacketless himself, Darien levered himself behind the wheel, glanced down at his own jeans and navy corduroy shirt, and suddenly realised the incongruousness of their disparate life-styles.

"I can't be what you want, Caroline," he said gesturing to his clothes. "For better or worse, this is it."

"I'll take you as you are," she responded instantly. "But it's got to be soon. You think about that when you're running on the beach tomorrow. When we meet again at the wedding, I want a real commitment, not some phony half-baked engagement. Please," she added, laying a hand on his.

Darien nodded, thinking it was time everything got straightened out. Besides, Serena was going to talk to him tomorrow and Mina and Matt were getting married. It was the perfect day for endings and beginnings.

So you like??

Next week, there'll be a bit steam. If I can manage it.

As I've said before, the confession will occur.

Be patient. Next week's will be a good one.

Babaiii