HAPPY BELATED VALENTINES DAY!!!! Sorry its taken so long but college stuff has been takin all my time. Well anyways Enjoy!!!
I don't own sailor moon ……but I do own the story.
i also have no claim to kelly clarkson or her songs.
Serena sat in her bedroom with the phone in her hand. She had just checked the messages and Sam had left her another one asking if she was going to come to the family picnic tomorrow. She was hesitant to say yes that they would be attending but she didn't want to not go and have even more people mad at her. She thought and knew that Michelle and Amara would have loved to see Jonathan and with Mina arriving tomorrow she felt sure that she would want Serena at the picnic as well.
"So are we going tomorrow?" asked Darien as he stood in the doorway.
Serena looked up at him he was dressed in a pair of black pajama pants and a grey tee shirt. "Do I have to decide?" she asked.
"Yeah that's kind of the idea," he told her as he crossed the distance between them and sat down next to her. "You feeling okay?"
"Huh oh yeah, just thinking." She stopped talking and again weighed her options in her mind. "Did he go to sleep?" she asked trying to think about something else.
"Yeah, he was tired, the trip to the park really wore him out," Darien said. They were both silent once again and then he spoke, "You know we don't have to go if you don't want to, its completely up to you and I will support whatever you decide to do."
"That's good to know," she said turning to him with a smile then she looked back at the door. "But I think that its time I stopped running, I think it's time for me to face her, and to face the past. She's dying and I don't know how much longer she has to live, so I think that if there ever was a time this would be it."
Darien nodded understanding her words, he knew that truthfully Serena didn't want to see her mother but she was right it was time to stop running. "I think its time for all of us to stop running."
"Yeah I agree," she said. Darien stood and made a move to kiss her but Serena turned her head slightly.
He sighed and then stood back up, "Goodnight," he said, he walked out of the room and went downstairs to the couch. Serena sat like that for a few moments and then turned the phone on; she dialed Sam's number and waited.
"Hello?" Sam asked when he picked up the phone.
"Sammy what time should we be there at?"
Mina sat in her seat reading a large book as the plane landed. She hadn't read the book in years but it was one of her favorites. It was Serena's first novel, the one she had written right out of college, the one that had gained her her name, and the one that had made her en exile in the eyes of her family. Her novel was fictional book about two sisters, their family and the adversities that they faced as children. It was based on her and Mina's life.
Mina sighed as she finished the last page, she snapped the book closed and looked out of the window at that familiar setting. It had been two years since she had come home and even then it hadn't been for long. She had flown for Christmas and had only stayed for three days. It was all that she had been able to handle of her mother before they started fighting.
She hadn't even said goodbye when she left she just packed up her stuff and took the last flight home. When she had gotten home she had called Serena and said that she finally understood why she distanced herself from the family.
As the plane pulled into the terminal Mina began to feel a sense of dread she was walking right back into the world that she had dramatically abandoned two years earlier and she wasn't completely sure that she felt ready to face it. Mina unbuckled her seat belt when the light went off and took her purse and suite case from the above compartment. She was one of the first off the plane and one of the first to get her luggage.
She hailed a cab and told him the address of her hotel. She was silent the entire ride, thinking deeply about her childhood and the life that she had had here. The cab ride didn't take long and soon Mina was sitting in her hotel room. She opened her phone and called Serena.
"Hello?" said a deep voice.
"Hi I'm…uh…looking for Serena Shields," said Mina confused.
"Well she isn't available right now can I ask who is calling?" asked the man.
"It's her sister."
"Oh Mina hello it's Darien," he said.
"Darien? What are you doing there?"
"I brought Jonathan to see Serena and to work things out if possible" he told her.
"I wasn't aware that you had come into town," Mina said, she paused and waited for a second, "Well I just wanted to tell Serena that my flight had come in and I was hoping to convince her to go to the picnic tomorrow."
"Well she decided we were going but I don't know for how long," he said.
"Oh so she did decide to go," Mina paused, "are you going with her?"
"Yes."
"Well good, she needs you there now, especially now." "Darien I don't know how things are going to work out between you and her but truthfully I hope that you stay together, Serena was never happy until she found you, I'll see you tomorrow." Mina hung up the phone without hearing Darien's response. She put her phone on the bedside table and collapsed onto the bed.
Serena looked at herself in the mirror; the sunlight streaming in through the window highlighted her eyes and hair. She had been trying to decide how to wear her hair for the past ten minuets and was no closer to the answer then when she had begun. She couldn't decide if she wanted to wear her hair down or up. She let it down and looked at herself then she put it up and did the same thing.
"Put it up" said Darien from the bedroom, he had been watching her. "It's better to put it up on a day like today it'll show your eyes more."
Serena looked at him in the mirror and then pinned her hair up with a handful of pins. "Since when have you learned to give advice on hair?" Darien let out a small laugh and then stood and came up behind her.
"Your dress brings out your eyes, and it would be a shame to hide them behind all that hair." "Are you ready for today?"
"As ready as I'll ever be" she said as she began to apply her foundation.
"Nervous?"
"I haven't seen the woman in almost ten years and the entire family hates me, of course I'm nervous," she said, she began to outline her eyes with her blue eyeliner.
"Is your father going to be there?"
"Apparently, ironic though how they all get along so well now and yet my entire life they hated each other."
"They've had a long time to work things out, and Sam said that since she's gotten sick she's changed, maybe it's easier for them to all get along."
"Maybe, maybe it's all pity because she's sick."
"Don't you feel bad for her?" he asked her. Serena didn't say a thing as she applied her mascara.
"Mommy, Daddy are you ready to go?" asked Jonathan as he ran into the bedroom.
Serena smiled and turned around to face him, "Yes, we are ready now right?" she asked Darien. He smiled and nodded.
"Yay I'm hungry," said Jonathan. Serena took his hand and began to go downstairs with him. She turned and looked at Darien when she got to the door. He had his phone in his hand and was looking at the caller id. He looked it for about two seconds and then pushed the power button turning it off. He slipped it into his pocket and then turned and smiled sadly at her. "Come on Mommy," said Jonathan. She looked down at him and smiled.
Serena went with Jonathan to the car and buckled him into the backseat then climbed into the front. Darien got in the drivers seat and started the car, they turned on the radio and the song 'Here in your arms' began to play on the radio. Jonathan started to move to the rhythm and sing to the few lyrics that he knew.
Serena looked back at him and smiled, she turned to Darien. "Who called you?"
"Cassie," he said emotionlessly.
"What did she want?"
"I don't know, I haven't been taking her calls," he said to her. Serena blinked and then turned to face the front she put a hand on her stomach. One of the babies kicked her hand. She smiled and then looked down at Darien's hand; she took it into her own and held it.
Darien confused by her action looked at her but she was looking out the window. He went back to looking at the road and didn't say anything as the song changed.
They arrived at the picnic almost twenty minuets later; as soon as she had gotten out of the car Michelle had came up to her. She was glowing with happiness at seeing her cousin. "I'm so glad that you decided to come, it's wonderful to see you again."
"I'm glad that I came," Serena said. She felt a small tug on her dress and she looked down. Jonathan was standing at her side looking up at her with hesitant eyes. Serena took his hand, "Jonathan this is your cousin Michelle."
"Hi Jonathan I haven't seen you since you were really really small," Michelle said coming down to his level.
"Hello," Jonathan said trying to hide behind his mother's hand.
"Would you like to get something to eat?" Michelle asked him. He nodded and looked up at his mother. "Go on I know your hungry, Michelle will take care of you."
"That's right and I'll even introduce you to another one of our cousins, she only a few years older than you her name is Hotaru," Michelle said with a smile. She held out her hand and Jonathan took it, Michelle looked up at Serena and Darien and then led Jonathan off in the direction of a large table filled with food.
Darien took Serena's hand, she looked at him and he squeezed it. "Serena."
Serena turned in the direction from which she had heard her name said. Amara stood a few feet off looking nervous. "I...uh…I just wanted to say sorry, the other night I saw you I shouldn't have acted the way that I did and I'm sorry."
"It's alright Amara I understand you don't have to apologize."
"No I do it wasn't right of me to act that way, so again I'm sorry."
"Don't worry I forgive you," Serena said. Amara smiled at her then noticed Darien.
"Oh Darien, it's been a while," she said, "I hadn't really expected to see you here."
"Yeah well the worlds full of surprises right," he said with a smile.
"Yeah, I guess so," said Amara, she glanced at Serena and then back at Darien. "Well it's good to see you I hope you enjoy yourselves."
Serena nodded as Amara walked away and left Darien and Serena to themselves. "Do you want something to drink?" he asked her. Serena nodded, "Ice tea?" he asked. She nodded again and he left her to get their drinks. Serena felt a hand on her shoulder she knew that it was her fathers because of the size.
She turned around and looked in him in the face, "I'm glad you decided to come," he said.
"Well someone has to make the first move because she sure as hell isn't going to," Serena said anger in her voice.
Her fathers face fell at her words, "She's different now Serena, being sick….being sick changed her." "She not the same woman that she was before she's come to the realizations of what she's done, she's trying to make amends for everything."
"I take it you've forgiven her?" Ken nodded. "Well I'm sorry if it takes more then an 'I'm sorry', for me to forgive her."
"No one is expecting you to have the most amazing mother daughter relationship, we all know what it was like back then and we all know that you suffered more than most."
"That's a complete understatement," Serena said coolly.
"Serena..." he began, but he was cut off when Darien walked over to them and handed Serena her drink.
"Hey Ken how are you doing," Darien said
"Darien" he said slightly cooler then normal, "I'm good how have you been?"
"Could be better but alright for the most part," he said.
Ken nodded and didn't speak, his eyes said everything. He was angry, furious for what this man had done to his daughter. He wanted to kick his ass right there, and had Serena and Jonathan not been around he probably would have.
"Don't," Serena said to him. Ken looked at her. "Don't throw stones when you live in a glass house of your own" she said then took Darien's hand and led him away.
Ken watched as they walked away from him, he then felt a hand on his arm and turned around. "Karin," he said.
The dark haired woman looked at her husband and smiled, "She'll always be your daughter and even she knows that."
"I wish that it wasn't this hard," he said. Karin smiled again and said, "I know."
Ken stared at his wife for a few moments and then heard a squeal of laughter from his left. "Grandpa!" He turned to see a young black haired little boy with dark blue eyes run at him.
A large smile spread on Kan's face as he opened his arms so that Jonathan could jump up into them. "Hey kiddo, how are you?"
"I'm gonna be a big brother," the little boy said brightly.
"I know, your going to have a little brother or sister to take care of," Ken said.
"Grandpa your silly, I'm going to have a brother and a sister," Jonathan said with another bright smile. Ken took a moment and then turned to Michelle who was talking with Karin.
"What's he talking about?" Ken asked. Michelle shrugged and then turned back to Karin
Mina sat in the back of the cab for a good thirty seconds before getting out and paying the cabbie and turning to face the house where she had grown up. It loomed over her like a giant. She took a deep breath and then turned up her chin and walked forward. She slowly climb the three steps to the porch, she stopped at the door and hesitated before knocking. She lifted her hand to knock but didn't move.
"They aren't going to know your here if you just stand there all silent and don't knock," said a voice to her left.
"You must not know my family then," Mina said to the light haired man who was sitting leisurely on the painted porch swing. "I swear sometimes I think my mother can read minds."
"Patty Olsen reading minds, that would make a lot more sense," he said with a smile. "So you must be Mina."
"And why couldn't I be Serena?"
"No wedding ring," he said pointing to her left hand.
"Doesn't mean I'm not married."
"From what I've heard about Serena Shields, I don't think she would ever walk around without her wedding ring unless she was officially divorced," he said with a wider smile that showed his perfect smile.
"True, true my sister probably wouldn't ever take off her wedding ring even if she was divorced though," Mina told him. "So you know who I am, but I unfortunately don't know your name."
"Malachite, Malachite Darrows," he said.
"Well Mr. Darrows maybe I'll see you later," she said with a small flirtatious smile. She turned back to the door and grabbed the door handle, she turned and was about to push when she heard him respond.
"Oh I'll make sure of it Miss Mina Larson."
Mina quickly looked at him, she gave him a nod and then pushed the door open and walked in.
Serena sat at one of the numerous picnic tables that had been spread out around the backyard. Darien had gone off to find Jonathan and left her to her plate of food and her Ice Tea.
"Nothings going to be resolved if you just sit here hiding," said Sammy as he sat down across from her.
"Why is it my responsibility to make the first move?"
"Its not but you should," he said with acid in his voice.
"Why, she's the one who ruined everything," Serena said stubbornly.
"As I recall you weren't completely innocent either."
"Oh do you really want to play the blame card?"
"Serena…" he said.
"Don't" she said. Sammy said nothing and they sat in silence for a few minuets.
"So how did your doctors appointment go?" he asked trying to change the subject.
"Fine, the doctor wanted to see me again in a few weeks."
"So its all fine and healthy?" he asked.
"Yes, they are both fine and healthy," Serena said.
"They?"
"Twins Sammy."
"Twins?"
Serena rolled her eyes at her brother's stupidity. "Yes Sammy that's what it's called when you have two," she said sarcasm rich in her voice.
"Mom will be thrilled," he said.
Serena didn't respond immediately. "Has she seen Jonathan?"
"Yeah, dad took him in to visit her and Aunt Jackie, they were thrilled to see him," he told her.
"She'll be even more thrilled when you have children," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, let's hope she lives to see them," he said solemnly.
Serena said nothing and looked towards the house where she knew that her mother was watching her. "How long?"
"Depends on her, doctor says a few months maybe a year or two if we're lucky, but it's not going to be long," he said also looking at the house.
"How did you forgive her?"
"I don't know, I think that after I saw her crash and then saw the desperation in her eyes I understood why it was there. I think it helped me understand and forgive easier when she finally decided to get clean and get her life back together. But by that time it was too late for her to fix things with you and Mina."
"You know that no matter what I didn't I couldn't completely hate her," Serena said. "I wasn't ever able to forget the mother that I had had before that other woman came out and took over," she said. "Do you remember that time that you and Mina and I got into the paint that they were using to paint the upstairs bedroom, we were so afraid that she was going to beat the hell outta us and then when she walked in and started laughing."
"Yeah, I wont ever forget her face when you threw that paint on her," he said with a smile. "I had paint in my ears for weeks after," he said with a laugh. Serena joined in and brother and sister laughed together for a spell. Something that they had not done in years.
Darien watched his wife and brother-in-law laugh together from the back porch. She looked beautiful in the sunlight, with a giant smile on her face. He felt part of his soul wish that it was him that she was laughing with. He put his hands in his pockets and stood looking out over the yard. His attention was caught by the song that was playing on the radio.
Love can be a many splendid thing
Can't deny the joy it brings
A dozen roses
Diamond rings
Dreams for sale
And fairy tales
It'll make you hear a symphony
And you just want the world to see
But like a drug that makes you blind
It'll fool you every time
The trouble with love is
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See you've got no say at all
Darien smiled at the song it was Kelly Clarkson's song The Trouble with Love is. Darien turned and went into the kitchen to get another soda and the song followed him. He gabbed a Coke from one of the coolers that was sitting on the floor in the corner. He pop the tab and was about to take a sip when he saw Jonathan come out of one of the rooms down long hall to his left.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked the little boy. Jonathan's face was down turned and his eyes were sad.
"Grandma's sad," he said. Then he smiled at his father, ran over and hugged his leg and then ran outside. Darien scratched his head and then slowly preceded towards the door that Jonathan had just come out of. He stopped in front of it and looked through the crack to try and get a glimpse of Patty.
"Come in Darien," said a soft yet strong voice from within. Darien hesitated and then pushed the door open stepping into the room he closed the door behind him.
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