Never thought this chapter would take me so long.

Please, so you know, I just finished it, it is not like I forgot... I have been torturing myself because I hadn't had time to write. I have been so caught up in work drama and my new boyfriend who is a fan of this particular fanfiction by the way.

I am sorry, please forgive me and thank you for your constant reading, it gave me the necessary courage to keep going on ans finish this chapter. I wll start number 26 today, no excuses, and will try to have done for all of you as soon as I can.

Please enjoy.

Chapter 25

Haven't you had enough?

"I really hope you come back safe" Serena said with water in her eyes.

"I'll be back in no time, you'll see" said the person whom Serena was hugging at the gate number B 45. "I am so glad you decided to forgive me"

"Me too" Serena said through her teeth, not really wanting to say it since she really didn't mean it, but saying altogether.

"Serena, I love you. Please believe me and know that I will come back and try to win you over. Will you wait for me?" the eager person asked Serena who was now speechless due to the love confession that was just given to her. During her mute time Serena looked away from this person and started to drift her sight until she recognized that somewhere from afar her picture was being taken at the moment.

"Come back safe Seiya" she said as he was being pulled away by one of his older brothers.

Mina, all the while was saying goodbye to her other friends at the same gate. She approached Serena after hugging Rei and said: "I'll e-mail you every second I got, promise"

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Serena teased her best friend.

"Silly" Mina said and launched at her arms but then immediately stopped and said: "Looks like someone found out where we were"

Serena immediately looked over to where Mina was looking and found Darien, in all his perfect glory, wearing washed out jeans, a simple white tee, his black leather jacket and his shades. Serena was surprised that he had the guts to even show up. How dare he? After what he said two nights before? Was he for real?

As the emotions on Serena's face were becoming more and more apparent, Mina said her last goodbyes and went away with her new co-stars to sunny L.A. Serena and her friends accompanied Mina's parents as they waited until they could see Mina's plane on the air. A tear fell on Rei's cheek as she expressed how much she was going to miss their little blonde friend. Serena on the other hand, searched once again for Darien's figure in the crowd. She found him immobile against a large column by the salon's entrance. Serena started to walk on his direction, to demand what he was doing there. Suddenly a group of tourists blocked her way, when they were gone; Darien was nowhere to be found.

Serena was determined to find him, so she started to run (BTW, running on an airport is not always a good idea). Serena ran to the first terminal exit she could find, she dodged children carrying small backpacks, couples of business men attending their Blackberry's, families with crying babies and a couple of police officers as well, all to arrive to the terminal exit.

Amy, Lita and Rei were running behind her, but no matter how fast they ran, Serena always managed to ran faster than them. Serena came to the promising doors that signaled she could find behind them that certain someone she was so desperate to find.

She exited the airport and she found him immediately. He was already on his bike, helmet on; he was making the engine roar while waiting for the light to turn green. Serena walked three steps on his direction before he noticed her walking towards him. At that moment Amy, Lita and Rei exited the airport doors.

"Serena what do you think you are doing?" Rei yelled at Serena, but she didn't listen. She ran to his bike and mounted it. Darien turned his head to look at her. Serena couldn't actually see his face, but she spoke to him nevertheless.

"Aren't you going to drive?"

Darien turned his head again to look at the road, he gave her some time to grab on to him tightly and then he drove on. He exited the airport grounds and continued to drive all the way to the highway that would lead them to 10th City. Darien was driving particularly fast since he didn't want the cops seeing that he was driving with a girl without helmet on the back of his bike. He was also really nervous driving her and being extremely mad at the same time, not to mention that he felt nervous for the warmth she was emanating. All and all the drive took about 20 minutes from the airport to Serena's front gate.

She stepped down the bike and Darien noticed through the visor of his helmet that she was crying. He killed the engine off; he took off his helmet and looked at her. She turned from him before he could even talk.

"I don't get it" Serena whispered. "What is it that you are trying to accomplish? What do you want from me!" She demanded him.

"I want you to understand something" Darien said.

"I don't want to hear it and I really hope you understand that the one thing that I hate is getting played" Serena said.

"It's not like that" Darien said.

"You think that you can look for me once that she has dropped you like some piece of garbage? You think that I am some rebound girl, that now that the girl of your dreams, the one that owned your leash has finally let you go on like some sad, ugly, little puppy, that no one else wants; you think you pathetic, sad, lonely idiot, can come to me, offering nothing more than what's left? Do you really think I'm going to let myself be just your second choice?" Serena said, crying, barely able to pronounce those words that were not only hurting her but him in the process. You see, what Serena did not know was the reason why Annaleigh and Darien were having that conversation, the beginning of the conversation and the "reasons" behind Annaleigh's actions around this whole mess. For Serena, hearing what she heard two nights before meant that Darien still had feelings for Annaleigh, deep ones, ones that apparently he was not letting go as Serena had hoped.

"You killed me" Serena said.

Red-eyed Darien, who had his share of misery that weekend couldn't say a word. "You mean the world to me" he let himself say.

"Really?" Serena asked with sarcasm and cynicism. "How romantic of you to declare your love to another girl"

"Serena until recently I thought that… what I had with Annaleigh made sense, for some reason life had joined us. I thought that… that we made sense, now I know we just… can't" Darien said, trying to explain some story between the lines.

Serena remained in silent for a couple of seconds "Do you really think that I will buy anything you try to tell me again? You must be joking"

"I do love you" Darien said.

"How convenient, what made you decide that? The fact that she dumped you for someone who is really worth it?" she yelled at him.

"The fact that you are always in my head, whether I'm mad or calmed, whether I'm awake or asleep. You are all I'm thinking, all the time. Because of you… don't you see? You've become something I can't live without"

"You think you are going to whoosh me with a couple of lines you picked out of the first lame movie you saw on cable last night?" Serena asked.

"I'm telling you the truth" Darien said, Serena knew he was telling the truth, his eyes let her know he was being honest.

"What you said on Friday…"

"I was just… I called her, because, as you pointed out, it had become obvious that she had moved on, and I simply wanted to talk to her"

"You said that you could never love me. That you were better than to begin something with me. Just as a curiosity. Why Darien? Why did you even bother beginning something with me?"

"Serena, first I wasn't planning talking about you and me just yet with Leigh. We started talking about something else, your topic… I know I'm an idiot, but I wanted to know first if she still felt something for me. I wasn't … if you wanted me to bring up to Annaleigh our thing, I said that… that we… It wasn't my intention. I did said it but I didn't mean it"

"What? Do you really think that I will buy such a lame excuse? Do you really think that this will fix things between us? Darien, you killed me. You said to her that could never love me!" Serena said with an amount of anger building up in her.

"Serena, what exactly did you hear?"

"You said it, you should remember" Serena said harshly.

"I don't think I know what you are talking about. What I was talking about with Annaleigh was something completely different. I think you should know that… oh what that hell, I'm telling you anyways… I was talking about her pregnancy"

(Moment to say: OH MY GOD!)

A tear opened her crying, no sobbing this time, these tears were just lovely waterworks that she couldn't control.

"It was yours, wasn't it?" Serena said in a whisper

"What? No! It's not what you think. Serena please let me explain, please, you have to hear what I am saying" Darien said trying to reach out for her.

"Don't you dare touch me! Get out!" She said harshly.

"Please…listen to me"

"I want you out of my life for good. I made the mistake to think that becoming a part of your life was going to give me something back, something that I lost on that accident, my best friend now you even have vendettas against me, what was your plan? To make me fall in love with you?… Get out of here"

"Vendettas against you? Serena…" Darien begged.

"Before I called my father, leave" she demanded.

"Is this what you really want? You want me out of your life?" Darien asked.

"I never want to see you ever again"

"I guess you made up your mind. Is that why you were talking again to Seiya? Are things good between the two of you again? Am I going to read about your life now on Seventeen Magazine?" Darien said harshly as well. Serena walked right in front of him and slapped him.

"Don't you dare say anything to me ever again? You don't have the right to talk to me"

"Who does? Dominic Colton? Seiya Kou? Sapphire Blackmoon? Mike Lewiston? Derek Bass? Diamond Blackmoon? All the drooling class of second years that are walking behind you like if you were some kind of vision? The same bastards that can't wait to get in your pants"

"Jealous? I never thought Darien Shields could let himself feel such frivolous things" Serena said.

"I guess you don't know me that well. It wasn't mine Serena. She has kept it a secret, she doesn't want anyone to find out"

"I don't believe you" she said "Get out" she finished saying.

"I do love you" he whispered.

"GET OUT" She yelled.

"You are making a mistake" he said turning away from her, going to his bike.

"You said you love me? Just wait until tomorrow. I'm going to give you a real treat"

"Why does is it so hard for you to believe me?"

"Because you think I'm some kind of idiot. You think I'm going to believe anything you tell me. I heard you two nights ago. I heard you talking to her and saying how you don't love me, never did and never will, now, respect the fact that I want you far, far away from me"

"My pleasure" He said putting on his helmet and starting his engine. He drove off furious.

Serena stepped into her house; she opened her front door and went directly to the kitchen. Opened the fridge and came upon a full glass of water. She drank it in one gulp. She leaned on the counter and then grabbed the phone that was on the wall and, trying to remember as hard as she could dialed a certain number, she was hoping it's owner might help.

"Hi, it's me Serena. I was hoping we could talk."

That next Monday Darien wanted to die. Since the first period was supposed to be for studying and stuff, he decided to go look for Serena in the Algebra cubicle. He didn't found her there. But he was so desperate to find her, he wanted to talk to her, clear the air, tell her everything, and tell her everything about Annaleigh, his side of the story.

He found her alright.

At first he thought that it must had been some kind of joke, but it wasn't. Then he thought that it was definitely a dream, or a nightmare, for her to be kissing some other guy…

Darien found Serena in her locker kissing no other than Dominic Colton. Serena seemed to be so into to it that it made Darien feel sick instantly, and a new factor to the weird pain attacks… at the same time he saw her kissing him, the extreme pain went to his brain. He stumbled to a near locker and he touched his head. An incessant feeling started to upset his stomach and he couldn't help but feel that he was going to pass out.

Darien flew to a near restroom. With difficulty he reached a stall and proceeded to empty his stomach. After he was finished he went to a sink and washed his hands and face. He saw his reflexion on the mirror. He was pale, like he had seen a ghost; he was out of breath, like he had just finished a marathon on an empty stomach and he was sweating cold.

He leaned again on the sink and took a big gulp of breath. After that, he saw himself again in the mirror, but this time something that had never happen before did, instead of the face he recognized, the one of an 18 year old young man, he saw a little boy in his place.

He shared the same shade of midnight blue in his eyes, but the ones of the boy looked afraid. Darien, with the blurry vision he thought the sweat and cold was causing, he tried reaching out for the boy, to see if he was real, or just a product of his imagination. But he couldn't find out, he passed out before he could touch the mirror.

Dominic and Serena kept to their snuggling. They remind completely ignorant to what Darien was passing through. Dominic, he couldn't be held responsible, he was just too happy to be kissing Serena, now, the most talked about girl in school. And that was the thing about kids in high school right? It's not really about being in love and all that bull, is all about being cool and to make other kids "respect" you.

Serena, well… she knew now that the most stupid thing she could have ever done was to compare Dominic with Darien. It was like saying nonfat yogurt tastes the same as real ice cream…they don't.

Just as Dominic was daring to bring Serena closer to him was when she exited the kiss. She saw the look in his face, that Johnny Bravo look of a guy when he thinks he is the most awesome person in the planet just because he had finally kissed the girl he had been chasing for months; no matter if she is trying not to die of disgust… the guy feels like Superman.

Serena suddenly started to feel the compulsion to smack the look out of Dominic's face, that or puke all over him so he wouldn't smile any longer.

"I have Algebra, you should go… now" Serena said as she closed her locker and left Dominic standing. At least… the Johnny Bravo look went away.

Serena reached at last the Algebra cubicle, 15 minutes late, if I made add.

"You are late" Sapphire said. "15 minutes if I made add. I don't know who you think you are, but with your grades you should really consider at least having a tiny interest in your tutoring classes! Having your tongue down a guy's throat isn't going to help"

"Mind your own business Sapphire, I'm here alright! Plus, I aced my last test, so don't give me that attitude and stop behaving like a complete bitchy drama queen" Serena answered him putting her things on the table. Sapphire gave her a surprised look, as if Serena had just let slip a big secret.

"How…how do you…how come… how could you possibly know, I mean… not even …I, I , I just" Sapphire blurred.

"How what?" Serena asked.

"Nothing" he said quickly.

Serena simply shook her head and started to take out her Algebra stuff.

"I do have something to tell you… well actually ask you" Sapphire said.

"Shoot" Serena said.

"You can't tell anyone, I mean, my life would literally end if anyone found out"

"Oh my God, just tell me" Serena exclaimed.

"I like someone and I need you to find out if that someone likes me back" Sapphire said with optimal intensity coming out from his eyes and mouth. He came closer to her, to purr his little secret into her ear. He said it.

"WHAT?" She asked.

"You can never say what I just said again, do you understand?" Sapphire said menacingly.

"Yes, yes of course, how dumb do you think I am?" Serena asked.

"That was rhetorical, right?" Sapphire said pulling up an eyebrow.

"Hey" Serena exclaimed, hurt by the comment.

"Oh fine, whatever, you are not dumb. But I will hate you forever if you ever say anything to anyone"

"I won't" She defended.

"I need your help, I will ask my brother to posse for me, you know, for the contest. I already have this idea all planned in my head"

"I just… I think this is a terrible idea Sapphire. I know for a fact that she is pretty hung up on him"

"She is not… I know sooner or later my brother will be through with her, and she doesn't deserve that. I… I like her"

"I think you like the idea of her… but she really is just a bitch"

"Don't talk about Emerald like that!" Sapphire protested.

"I'll agree to posse with him, but I don't know if it would be any good, he doesn't like me, he hates me, you know what they did to me on that stupid rally" Serena said.

"I don't pretend that you will ever like her… she has been way too much under my brother's influence"

"You mean she is a bitch?"

"Come on Serena… ask Diamond if he really cares about her"

Serena bit her lip, she then rolled her eyes and agreed.

During her class with Sapphire, she obviously didn't notice all the fuss with Darien, how a first year found him passed out on the boy's toilet and how an Ambulance got him out, straight to the hospital with a line of girls all crying their eyes out at the sight of him and "worried" about him. Please, they were only crying because he is hot and worried of not seeing his hot ass on campus anymore.

Darien woke up a couple of hours later on the local hospital, he had already been transferred to the Surgical Floor where his aunt and uncle where talking to the attending head of his case. Darien didn't really listen until he heard the word aneurism coming out of the doctor's mouth when he really opened his eyes.

"Are you going to cut into my brain?" Darien asked.

"Darien!" "Darien!" both Sylvia and John said, running to their dear nephew.

"Darien, it's good to see that you woke up" said with a charming smile the attending physician. "Your aunt mentioned that you wanted to be a doctor, how's that coming?"

"Great… about my brain? How big is this thing?" Darien asked annoyed.

"How about I show you myself the MRI? We can discuss it." the doctor said.

"Did you already take the image?" Darien asked

"We were just going there. The nurse will come soon and take you, and then I will personally show you the results and teach you how to read the image." The doctor answered Darien as he started to leave the room.

"No offense doctor, but I have been able to read an MRI since last year, see, there are lots of things you can learn over the Internet. But I will save you some trouble, I am not having it"

"What are you talking about?" John asked his nephew.

"I am talking about that I am leaving the hospital" Darien said starting to pull out his air hose from his nose.

"What do you think you are doing, you can't leave? Darien didn't you listen, you may have a dangerous condition, if we don't take care about this now you could die" Sylvia said loudly.

"I'm calling the nurse, I think he is still upset from the incident, perhaps it would be better to sedate him" the doctor said leaving the room. Darien had already stood up from the bed and started looking for his clothes.

"I will get a court order if I have to young man" John said threading him.

"On what grounds?" Darien protested.

"You are clearly a danger to yourself" John said very seriously. Darien simply smirked.

"I'm 18 John, you are not my legal guardian anymore" Darien said.

"Like hell we are" Sylvia said.

"I may not be a lawyer but I do know I have the right to refuse medical treatment" Darien said putting on his pants.

"Not if you are depressed" John said and Darien, who was taking off his hospital gown to put back his uniform shirt, turned around and saw him. "You are clearly depressed and that is keeping you from making an informed decision"

"Good luck probing that to a judge" Darien said buttoning his shirt.

"Where are you going?" Sylvia asked desperately.

"The apartment, to grab some stuff" Darien said putting on his shoes and jacket. "Then I'm going to Andrew's" Darien said leaving his hospital room.

As he was walking, Sylvia caught up to him and put herself in front of him.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. "Up until two days ago you were happy, I saw you, you were smiling all the time, you were making plans; you had an irrevocable will to live. Why are you doing this now?"

"I was supposed to die on that accident don't you see that? Now life gives me an aneurysm just for kicks? That was probably residual from the accident. I was meant to die there"

"Stop saying that" Sylvia said cleaning up her face from her tears. "You are alive Darien that means you are not dead"

"I've just had enough!" he said in a desperate yell. "Enough hospitals, enough lies, enough disappointment, enough making dreams that are never going to happen, enough waiting for her to forgive me" Darien said more lowly.

"Is this about… Annaleigh?" Sylvia asked putting her hands on Darien's face. That's when she saw the look on his midnight blue eyes that she had seen five years ago… a look of… hope "Serena?"

"She hates me" Darien said almost too low to hear, but gave a sarcastic smirk nonetheless.

"Darien, whatever happened, you have to know that that girl adores you to no end. She has had always. She will never be capable to hate you, she loves you" Sylvia said.

"She heard me talking to Leigh… she doesn't know that Leigh had a miscarriage two years ago. Serena doesn't believe me, and I want to destroy the son of a bitch who did that because it was all his fault"

"Then you do what John said you should do, you convince her to go to the police and file a report against him"

"I tried… she is just so stubborn… She thinks if she makes this thing public it could destroy her career. I now I can't convince Annaleigh of anything but Serena… Sylvia I can't spend another year stuck in a hospital I need to fix things… and I don't mean fix my scrambled brain. I promised."

"You come first" Sylvia said. "Get the MRI Darien, a CT, an X-ray anything. Please"

"As soon as I fix things. I promise if anything happens I'll come back"

"Darien if anything happens… it could be too late"

"The thing about aneurysms is that I am going to be fine, until I'm not. It can rupture in any second Syl." Darien said giving his aunt a kiss on the cheek, moving away from her after.

"Please don't do this" Sylvia begged.

"I will come back. Don't worry" Darien said as he walked to the elevator doors, leaving his aunt in the middle of the surgical floor on 10th City's County General Hospital.

Once in the elevator he called a girl, but he wasn't calling Annaleigh or Serena or even his friend Setsuna. We was calling a girl who shared a past with Serena, and an enemy with Darien.

"Birdie, is that you? Hi how are you? This is Darien Shields, I don't know if you remember me, we met at a game last summer, Scouts and Eagles? Yeah, I was thinking about you the other day, would you mind grabbing coffee with me?

I know what you think... it is completely lame... I don't blame you for thinking this way, but in my defense things are clearing up, aren't they? Well... that means end is coming soon.

Reviews are always welcomed