Chapter 26

Fused Souls

Diamond was feeling very pleased with himself as he sat one leg over the other on a park bench near Serena's apartment. Thanks to his masterful manipulation of Rei, Darien and Serena, it had all come to an explosive end. A shark-like smirk consumed his lips and flashed predatory white teeth. Serena was finally free to be wooed and taken as his own. It had taken longer then expected, with the insufferable Darien interfering at every turn, even when Darien was ignoring her, he still managed to be around or in her thoughts. Now that she had been hurt so badly she would finally succumb to his advances. Sunlight shone through the tree cover directly into him making his white-blond hair streak with gold and silver; a passing runner caught sight of him and her step faltered for an instant, nearly tripping. Embarrassed she regained her balance and took off at a sprint. Diamond took no notice, his attention was wondering around the park looking for a glint of blond hair and her habitual blue running shorts. She was already an hour past her usual running time, and with a smile of triumph he determined his guess was right, seeing Darien with a naked Rei must have crushed her so much she didn't come out for a run. He stood up and stretched, white teeth flashed again and he felt a shivered of anticipation. It wasn't going to be very long until he would be holding his Diana in his arms, Serena would keep him entertained for a long time as he tried to tame her spitfire personality. His eyes sharpened and his body tightened as the thought of all that passion focused on him and his pleasure. He walked quickly through the park to his shiny cobra parked across two spaces, he got in and roared away.

00000

Meanwhile I rolled over under my fluffy pink bunny covered covers and was met with a hard, warm, naked body. My eyes popped open! OH MY G… I started to think when Darien, sensing a body pressed against his, turned over and put a constricting arm around my waist, pulling me even closer and sighed happily. I rolled my eyes in amusement, the guy was still fast asleep! I considered untangling myself from his embrace, but I rethought it as he turned over again dragging me with him and holding me tighter. I was forced to almost lie over his prone body or be quashed alive. He had better wake up now or he wasn't going to have a girlfriend left, I was going to suffocate! I slide over his body leaning above him and kissed his still mouth softly. He moaned softly and I giggled silently, feeling naughty. I leant down and kissed him again, running my tongue over his lips he didn't wake. I left his lips and moved down to his throat, sucking slightly I kissed him again on his Adam's apple and Darien shifted with another moan his lips parting. I pounced between his open lips, kissing him hard and urgently now. Usually I would never have thought of doing anything like that before we had brushed our teeth, but for some reason I liked the way Darien tasted, whether he felt the same about me didn't really matter at that moment in time. I felt him wake as he started to kiss me back, I pulled back and his eyes opened and all at once I was aware of nothing but dark blue depths promising me unbelievable pleasure. My breath caught in my throat as he began to sit up, he cupped me behind my head and started kissing me again, then was pushing me onto my back passion taking over our bodies. Then suddenly a shrill voice flew through my door and popped into our glazed bubble.

"Serena! Get up, it's already after 10 on a Sunday!"

This was not good. We broke apart so quickly it took me a second to digest that my mother wasn't actually standing in my room. She could be though in less then a minute judging how close her voice was. In a flurry of blankets and arms and legs I was out of bed and running for the door to lock it. I turned the key just as a knock came.

"Serena?" She called bright and cheerfully, she was a morning person. I ran back to the bed.

"I'm awake Mom!" I yelled from the bed where Darien was trying to stifle his laughter.

"Good, I will see you in ten minutes for breakfast."

"Okay." I replied and turned back to my boyfriend. The covers had fallen half off the bed when I had leapt out and it only covered his lap, but his washboard stomach and golden tan were very distracting and for a couple of moments I couldn't do anything about the erotic images undulating in my head not remember what I was going to say or plan to get out of this mess.

"I think we should start meeting in hotels," Darien said dryly and very unhelpfully. I smiled in amusement, "Yeah, maybe that would be better." I sighed and sat down beside him, immediately he placed his arm around me and I leant against his chest, our naked skin touching was searing hot and already my mind was struggling to focus. "I think we should get dressed first, I'm having problems focusing with you pressed against me like this." Even as the words left my mouth I didn't move, I remained against his skin, feeling every muscle in his abdomen shift as he laughed softly.

"I'm having the same problem," he confessed and yet he didn't move. I glanced at the clock on the wall and reluctantly pulled away. I got up and located his shirt lying on the floor, I handed it to him. I desperately wanted a shower. How was I going to have a shower and solve him being in my room early Sunday morning.

"How about I say that you surprised me early this morning, and now you have to go home?" I suggested, trying to locate a sock Darien was missing.

"I don't know, Sere." He shrugged sitting on the bed and putting the one sock on, "they are your parents, are they going to fall for that?" he finished and let his leg fall to the ground his eyes searching my carpeted room for the other sock.

"Probably not," I said dejected as I went to my knees and looked under the bed. The sock was right in the middle, how it got there I would never know. I went to my stomach and reached for the sock. "What can we tell them then?" I emerged from the bed, sock in hand.

"I suggest you just try and sneak me out the same way you did last night." Darien said finally, after a long pause. Taking the sock from me he slipped it on.

"I could. What if they see you?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Okay, I'll go shower. You stay here, if my mom comes in… hide in the closet. When I finish in the shower I'll come back, then distract them while you slip out. Unnoticed… I hope." I frowned at Darien, contemplating the negative aspects of the plan. 1. Should Darien be caught sneaking, I didn't know what I would say. I could try my previous suggestion and say that he was paying me an early visit, and 2. How was I going to keep my father from murdering Darien if he was caught?

Darien was obviously following my train of thought. Leaning forward he quietened my mind with a kiss and I visibly relaxed. "Don't worry, Sere, whatever happens I will be right there to help you." he located his shoes and slipped them on.

"I'd rather you weren't there at all, I'd rather you were safely out of my house and away from my dad's boy radar."

"Go have a shower, Sere." Darien said with a laugh, gently pushing me in the direction of the door. I flicked him a grin over my shoulder before sliding out of my bedroom door.

He thought maybe he should lock the door, he reached out his hand then thought better of it and pulled it back. This was a predicament, he rubbed his hand over his face feeling slightly groggy from the late night. Darien walked to the window, and opened the drapes the sun shone into the room illuminating the shades of pink and white. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face. Last night when he had entered the room, he hadn't really noticed much due mostly to the shock of Rei being in the room, and then hadn't noticed much else after she left due to the distraction of Serena, so now he could take it all in. There was pink everywhere, and bunnies! They covered everything, clocks, toys, pictures all bunnies. He glanced at the bed, then the surrounding floor where nearly 20 bunnies lay scattered. He remembered the bunny covered pajamas she had worn in South Africa and an amused chuckle left him, somehow this room suited Serena completely, though she seemed tough and intelligent she was kind and gentle inside. He was unexplainably pleased to have been shown who she was inside.

Darien took a deep breath and his smile faded from his face, his current situation coming crashing down. This was going to be hard. He looked for a place in the room that would be invisible should the door open suddenly. He gave up, there wasn't anywhere in the room to sit comfortably and be hidden if the door opened.

"Serena! Are you awake?" Irene Johnson's voice carried through the closed bedroom door. Darien turned startled, swearing under his breath, and bolted for the closet. He got the door closed, heart pounding in his ears. This was it, he was so caught.

"Serena?"

Irene took two steps into the room and stopped dead. "What is this girl thinking?" She exclaimed looking down at the bunny covered floor. She started to pick up the toys bunching them up in her arms and grumbling as she went. She placed them on the bed and made the sheets quickly. Stooping again she picked up the silver dress Serena had carelessly discarded the night before and clucked her tongue, she started to fold it flung it over her arm moving towards the closets. Darien stopped breathing.

Don't open the door, don't open the door, don't open the door.

Her hand reached for the doorknob and Darien's heart was pounding and his breathing panicked, he held his breath and tried to think up an excuse as to why he was in the closet. The door began to open…

"Mom!" Serena, his Princess with wet blond hair dangling from a high ponytail, no makeup and a towel wrapped around her burst into the room. Startled Irene dropped the doorknob and the door swung shut.

"Good Gracious Serena, why didn't you get dressed in the bathroom?"

"I forgot my underwear," Serena explained breathlessly, her eyes darted around the room looking for him, she looked at the closet and knew. Irene started to reach for the door handle again and Serena dodged forward slipping in between the door and her mother, "Mom, could you please wash that?" she gestured to the dress hanging over Irene's arm, "It's smells like smoke, and I think I got some soft-drink on it."

Irene frowned and stepped back. Thank you Sere! Darien thought his breath coming back in a whoosh, it was a little loud, Serena kicked the bottom of the door with her heel, inconspicuously to cover the sound.

"Where is the stain?" Irene was examining the dress with a trained eye, "I don't see it, but you are right about the smell. I'll wash it." She declared giving Serena a smile and walked out of the room dress clutched in her hands. Serena ran to the bedroom door and locked it quickly. Darien came out of the closet and contemplated not leaving when he saw Serena in the towel.

--

"Wow that was close." I exclaimed turning around and leaning heavily against the door smiling at Darien.

"Thank you for coming back when you did…" a slow grin lit his face and fire began to simmer in his eyes as he looked over me, I felt my body warm everywhere his gaze touched.

As nice as it might be, now was just not the time to get distracted.

I pulled away from the door and tried not to sashay up to him, it was hard, the heat in his eyes was intoxicating, making me feel sinful and sexy.

"Stop looking at me like that," I smiled up at him getting closer, "it's making it hard to think." Was it possible for his eyes to get even more alluringly beautiful?

Murmuring voices wafted through the door and broke the moment. We were suddenly aware again of our current situation, it was dangerous the way we kept forgetting. I bolted to my closet and got dressed, oddly enough I was a little embarrassed to be naked in front of him while he was fully clothed. Luckily he turned away, which was unexplainably irksome, I wanted him to look, but I didn't want him to look. Love is very confusing. I finished getting dressed and tied my sopping hair in a high pony-tail, I would just let it dry naturally and hope it did respectively.

"Ready?" I asked smiling nervously at Darien taking his offered hand and breathing in deeply, Darien's slow grin was all I got in reply, there was now no going back. I opened the door and slipped out, leaving him to slink after me. I found my mother in the kitchen, my father was somewhere else, probably the lounge, I needed them to both be here.

"Hey Mom, where's Dad?" I forced joy as I bounced into the kitchen.

"He is in the living room reading the paper, we were waiting for you."

"Aw so sweet, thank you!"

Thank you God.

"Ken!" My mother yelled sticking her head out of the kitchen, I hurried forward to motion Darien away, he was already around the corner hiding. My father came in from the living room, paper in hand and a pleasant smile on his face.

"Good morning, Sweetheart" he dropped a kiss on the top of my wet head.

"Morning, Daddy." I replied sitting down and silently prompting them down with me. They sat and my father began dishing for everyone. I sat facing the doorway, my father sat with his back to the doorway and my mother sat in between us. Hopefully when Darien slipped past she wouldn't look up.

I saw a shadow move on the hallway wall next to the kitchen entrance and knew that Darien was creeping past.

I saw his foot, then his shoulder as he moved with patient slowness so that the movement didn't attract any attention.

Move, move, move, move, I repeated the mantra in my head, concerned that at any moment my mother would look up and see him.

He was now fully in view, he smiled nervously at me and continued moving slowly.

"I'm going to get some more butter," my mother suddenly announced and got up face shifting to the doorway. Her mouth dropped open and Darien froze. His panicked eyes drilled into my identical expression, we were caught. The pause went on and Irene took a breath closing her mouth suddenly all business.

"What do you think, Ken? Butter or margarine?" She walked around her husbands chair and gave us both a stern look, however there was something there in the corner of her eyes that told me she was more amused then angry, I was still going to get a lecture later though. She motioned Darien out quickly with her finger and a raised eyebrow. Then proceeded to make a ruckus with the fridge door opening and closing, clattering the butter dish down on the counter, noisily rattling though the utensil draw looking for a knife. All this noise covered the front door opening and closing, I never appreciated my mother more then right then. She returned to her seat and smiled at her husband.

"Here you are, Dear," she turned and gave me a look, that 'I will talk to you later' look that scared the hell out of me and made me feel like I was 8 years old again. I wanted to get out of the house now.

Darien and I wouldn't be able to see each other until Monday, if we wanted the plan to work properly, and perhaps it wasnt a good idea to mention Darien for a while. I sighed and was not looking forward to the rest of the day, I would do some homework and get the lecture, try and fend off my mother's embarrassing questions and take her advice about safety precautions. Maybe I should call Mina and get her to rescue me from my mother's good intentions. My plan for the day depressed me and I focused instead on dredging up all the memories from that mornings tryst with Darien. What put a dreamy look in my eyes and a smile on my lips was the heat in his eyes when I was in my towel.

0000

Mina woke up leisurely and stretched, her long blond hair flipping over her shoulder and cascading down her back. Her red silk pyjamas moved comfortably over her body as she felt her muscles relax and contract. She loved a good stretch.

She closed her eyes again and smiled happily. Today was going to be great! Malachite was going to play her at chess, and of course she was going to beat him and once again surprise him with her intellect. She was perky, beautiful and blond, and astonishingly intelligent, a perfect combination for the stolid Malachite whom had just started to laugh again.

Her phone buzzed next to the bed letting off a happy chirp that told of a message. It was Malachite, informing her that he would be outside her house at exactly 10:30.

"What is he nuts?" She exclaimed out loud, "How am I going to get ready in half an hour?" she glanced at her watch and bolted out of bed, sprinting to the shower and have a really quick shower, a very quick shower, surprising quick, so quick that Mina's mom asked her if she was feeling okay.

She pulled on an adorable outfit of stretch blue jeans and a lavender sweater, it suited her colouring, she left her hair down without the bow today and put some very light makeup on. With the soft rose lipstick applied, she was gobbling down food when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" She yelled getting up, her mother came through the doorway and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders forcing her gently back into her chair.

"No, I will get it." She winked at her lovable daughter, "I want to meet him."

Mina complied and let her mom open the door for Malachite, she amused herself by imaging what face Malachite would pull when it was her mother that opened the door and suddenly dragged him into the house to chat.

"Oh, hello!" she heard her mother begin cheerfully, "you must be Malachite, I'm so pleased to meet you. I'm Isabella, Mina's mother."

"Hello," Malachite's polite voice sent shivers up Mina's spine. Her body grew warm as her mother and boyfriend came closer, she knew she was blushing, but there was really nothing she could do about it and besides, Malachite liked it when she blushed.

"Good Morning, Mina." He placed a kiss on her cheek and she beamed up at him, he was surprisingly enough, comfortable to show affection in front of Isabella, and automatically the maternal side of Isabella, that usually threatened to kill any male presence around Mina was subdued. There was real affection in the way he greeted her daughter, and love fairly shone out of her daughter's eyes when she looked at her (admittedly) handsome boyfriend. It had been the way that she had looked at her own husband. Seeing Mina so happy brought a piece of her soul back that she thought she had lost when she had lost Samuel. Tears sprung to her eyes and she faded into the background as the young couple forgot she was there.

"Ready to go?" Malachite asked Mina taking her hand and lacing his fingers with hers, just for the thrill of touching her.

"Yes," she replied softly sparks shooting from their entwined fingers up her arm. She shook her head slightly to clear the rose fog and smiled sassily up at him, "ready to be trounced?"

He laughed and she joined him, the awe she still felt at making him laugh was still there. She had succeeded in making him smile again and she would always be there to do it.

"Lets go then." He started to pull her out of the room then remembered Isabella still standing to one side watching. He stopped and bowed, "it was nice to meet you." She smiled at him and he wondered at the sheen in her eyes.

"It was nice to meet you too, Malachite. I hope you will come to dinner here sometime soon, we would love to have you."

"I will," he bowed his head again politely and gently pulled Mina out of the room, she grabbed her bag on the way out and waved a quick goodbye over her shoulder to her mother.

Isabella smiled as her daughter was happily dragged out of the room and out of the house, she delighted in her smiles and laughter; it had not always been that way.

The year Samuel died, Mina was just starting high school and had braces as well, the formerly happy teen's world was turned upside down with her father's death and Mina had became secluded, locking herself away. She wasn't able to uphold her personality under the weight of sorrow and became a shadow. A shadow with noxious braces. Had her personalily remained the sunny one it was now she would have sailed through high school making friends braces be damned, but her insulated state made her a target and as much as she hated to admit it, Isabella had been able to do nothing. Then one day Mina had come home happy, she had spoken of a boy. Isabella crossed to a table and picked up a picture of her beloved husband.

"Samuel," She stroked the glass with her finger, "Mina has finally gotten who she deserves. Thank God for me for sending him." She sighed and put down the picture frame a weight leaving her, she smiled.

0000

"No fair!" Mina exclaimed as Malachite put her -once again- into check.

"What do you mean 'no fair'? I play this game by the rules."

"It's just an expression," she sent him a smile, laughter hidden in her eyes.

"Well you had better move your king, Mina. 'Coz I'm about to kill it."

The laughter surfaced again, and played with the corners of her mouth. She moved the king out of the way.

"Now I've got you again!" Malachite declared moving his rook.

"Look again Malachite, Darling." She teased lightly leaning her chin on her hand and tilting her head smiling innocently. Malachite looked at the board carefully and groaned.

"That's right, Sweetie. Check Mate." Mina grinned evilly from what should have been a very innocent pose.

He had moved his rook right into her trap. He had to hand it to her, she was very good.

"You win, again." He consented and playfully knocked her elbow off the table, she hurriedly lifted her head off so it didn't hit the park's number one marble chess board. She glared at him, but the sparkle in her eyes softened the effect. Malachite got up and looked around. They were in a secluded section of the park, sunfilled trees on either side of the path and extensive grass. They were under a tree with a huge gap in the branches letting the sun shine through and warm their bodies off to the left of the path.

"Come Mina, lets get some ice-cream from my sister's shop."

"Ice-cream?" Mina squealed bouncing up and taking his hand in excitement. He couldn't help himself he lowered his head and kissed her. She giggled and kissed him back, winding her hands behind his neck and moving closer. He placed his arms around her slim waist and held her there, her soft body against his. Desire stirred so fast it made his head spin, he wanted to take her right then and there. He was a little surprised how strongly he felt about this girl he held in his arms. Mina had gone from a nuisance to an addicting drug almost over night and he couldn't and wouldn't get rid of her.

She made a soft sound in her throat and he pulled back wondering if she wanted to stop. She looked up at him, the invitation in her eyes catching him off guard. He had wanted to see that smouldering invitation in her eyes for a long time, had fantasised about it at odd moments and it was even better then in his dreams.

"Come on," she said her voice low and husky, his desire went up a notch. How was it that she was just so captivating?

He stopped her from pulling him away with a hand on her arm. "Mina, where do you want to take this?"

"As far as I can." She replied smiling assuredly up at him, tugging on his hand again.

"Don't you want ice-cream?" he couldn't explain it, as much as he wanted to take her invitation he felt something deep inside him stopping him. He didn't want to take her innocence, he was suddenly scared. He felt a lump in his throat and Mina stopped trying to tug at him.

"Mal? What's wrong? I know you want to, it's in your eyes, your body." She stepped closer and Malachite was finding it hard to breathe.

"Of course I want to, Mina, but I want to do it right."

"Right?" she asked staring up at him all seriousness. "What is more right then this?"

"I can't explain it, Mina. It's like…" he floundered for the words feeling so stupid. He had had sex a couple of times before, he saw the girl's faces, but couldn't remember their names, they were just a way to drown his sorrow over his parents death, he didn't want this encounter to be overshadowed by that. "I'm just not ready to take this step with you."

"What?" She asked softly and stepped away from him frowning. He saw hurt flitter across her eyes.

"No this isn't what you think!" he hastened to mend the damage he had caused. "Mina, I love you. I don't want to ruin our relationship by taking something of yours that you will never get back, unless you know for certain that I am the right guy to take it."

She said nothing, just stared at him with shuttered eyes. He was drowning now and he knew it.

"Mina…" he struggled for breath and panicked. "Marry me?"

"What?" she asked again the blood draining from her face. A warm breeze picked up her hair and swung a few strands over her face like golden silk. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he knew they were right. They were true and honest. He honestly wanted to marry this breath-taking goddess in front of him. Hurt still stung in her eyes and he wanted to take it away, forever, to always be there and to never let anything happen to her ever again.

The pause turned into a silence, Mina still said nothing, she was just staring at Malachite. He was getting nervous, doubt about her feelings assaulting him from every side. Of course it was way too early in their relationship to think of marriage. In fact she might not even have considered marriage until she was much older, what if she didn't love him at all? He was just a high school boyfriend, they had been going out for less then a month, maybe her feelings where already beginning to get lost.

Mina meanwhile was a tangle of thoughts and feelings. She wasn't sure, every fibre in her being was screaming 'YES!' but another, older part of her mind was saying quietly, persuasively, 'trap.' She stared at him and watched the confidence begin to shatter in his eyes, his posture. She saw the doubts the thoughts whirling through his head, knew they were all unfounded, but still she didn't say anything.

At last Malachite cleared his throat and looked like he was going to say something. Mina beat him to it.

"You are serious?" The breeze came again and moved the leaves on the trees and the fallen leaves on the ground in a happy paper clapping sound that somehow made the moment less tense.

"Yes. I'm deadly serious. After graduation of course and whenever you want." Malachite looked her straight in the eyes and not for the first time admired her intelligence and strong will. "We can still go to collage, get jobs excetra, but I want this to be settled, I want an answer. I want you."

Her eyes softened to a warm blue that consumed his soul for all eternity, he had considered everything she considered improtant for the future. "Yes, I will marry you." She said quietly, seriously and with no trace of any doubt in him or her decision; it was the right one she knew as every cell in her body was suddenly screaming with intense happiness and love for this man standing in front of her.

"Really?" Malachite couldn't help but ask, he was so sure she was going to turn him down.

"Yes, really." She laughed and squealed wordlessly when he suddenly lost his composure and shouting with joy picked her up around her waist and twirled her around.

"We are getting married!" he yelled out to the heavens, then leaned down and kissed her again. "Mina, I'm so happy!" He told her, his future bride and wife. She was his forever, and ever and ever. Laughter burst forth from deep within his chest and she laughed with him, thrilled to see she had brought such joy by saying such a simple three lettered word, a three lettered word that would bind her to him forever, till death do us part. She couldn't contain the tears of unbelievable gratitude from welling up and spilling over her cheeks.

"I love you, Malachite." She said leaning up on tiptoes to kiss him again letting him feel just how much she trusted him.

The sunlight came through the trees bathing the pathway with dappled strobe lights that swayed and danced in the breeze that lifted Mina's hair again and wound it around the happy couple.

They had only been together for a very short time, but they had been in love for years. They were soul-mates, destined to be together by fate and kindness. Two lost, traumatised souls reaching out and finding each other, now fused in a single goal, a single direction, a promise made and going to be kept.

A/N: Okay I want no one telling me that Mina and Mal have only been going out for a short amount of time and that its unbeliveable for them to be getting married, I honestly believe that when you know, you know and right now they know and I honour their decision.

I''m conducting an experiment, I want to see how many people that read this actually read it all the way through to the end or just read the first line, hate it and exit. If you are one of those that read all the way could you please leave me a review? This is not just some silly way to get reviews, I really am curious to get an accurate count of how many people read right to the end, and yes you dont even have to sign in, you can just start writing, a word would do and its all good.

Thanks for you time... and thank you to all my beautiful readers and reviewers:

Jingy5, Dertupio, sousie, Adem from poland, serenitatis417, raye85, Seishuku Arashi, usakomamo4ever, Princess of the Rogues, KatBlue, Champion of Justice, rosebudjamie, merangelgal, Silent-Serinity-Girl14.

I'm sorry i didnt go straight the plan that its another filler, but honestly I havent worked out all the kinks yet in the Diamond plan and I needed to write some Mina/Mal fluff and I was kinda intrigued on how Darien was going to get out of the house the next morning.

Luvs and Hugs, Please don't forget to review!

Cassee