Hey all my readers (that are still left after SUCH a long time!) For that, I apologize again and again over and over. One of the reasons it took me so long to start updating again is that after I finally fully cleaned out my computer of a virus, it also whipped out the program I use to type out all of my stories so yeah, sorry for the long wait, but I'm finally back! So without further a do...The either 2nd to last or last chapter of "The Dream." Enjoy!

A month had passed since Serena gave birth to Rini. Serena had decided to put the baby's bed in the room with her and Darien. Now Darien loved his daughter, but disliked the fact she was in their room for not so obvious reasons...well, to everyone else except Serena that is.

Since Serena got pregnant and took extra precautions, she put Darien on a "No Mating" ban until the baby was born and she had fully recovered. That meant that Darien had not had sex for 8 months, plus the one month she took to completely heal on her own accord, and she didn't want to wake the baby with any noise they might've made, which tortured Darien.

During the winter months was when his passionate mating side was really restless, more so than in summertime. The reason for this was because there was a need for warmth during this time of the year, his body also got the idea it was the best time to be well...hot. Darien walked around the mansion, looking a little bit annoyed with the situation and of course, the second person closest to him, his father, noticed. He caught Darien during the night while reading one of his books and then looking up, pacing back and forth near the staircase of the mansion and near his study. His door happened to be open while Darien was on his pacing march back and forth. He watched him for a little while before he got bored.

"Son, would you step into my study for a bit?" He finally called out. Darien stopped and looked at him and sighed. He walked in with his head hung and looking a bit frazzled and uptight. His clothes were a mess. His shirt tail was hanging out from behind and little from the sides, his pants sagged a little, his shirt was half un-buttoned, and his hair was more messy than usual. This wasn't like Darien and his father knew it.

Darien plopped down on the seat in front of his father and sighed once more. He ran a hand though his dark, but messy hair. He leaned back in the chair and stared at his father. His father leaned forward in his chair and stared back at Darien. "Why all the pacing son? I thought you had nothing to worry about after your daughter was born. Is something wrong with her or Serena?" He asked, concerned. Darien shook his head and sighed again. "No, no, they're both fine. It's just..." He trailed off as he ran his hand through his hair once more. "It's just what?" He asked, egging him on.

Darien looked at his father restlessly. "Well, the truth is...ever since Serena had our child and she's been recuperating since that day..." He trailed off once more. His father nodded and asked him to continue. Darien sank in his seat a little. "She hasn't done anything really physical with me since then and it's winter and I'm really, really..." He trailed off again, embarrassed that he was really talking to his father about this, especially at his age. Darien looked off the other way, away from his father and blushed slightly. His father broke him out of his staring off into space when he burst out laughing.

"Is that really what this was all about, Darien? You haven't gotten anything from Serena in a while and you're getting a little too excited?" He asked as he laughed once more. Darien sank into his seat more and then suddenly stood up and started walking towards the door, as red and as embarrassed as anyone could get. He was about to walk to the doorway and leave when his father spoke up.

"Don't leave yet Darien. Don't you want my advice?" He asked, chuckling. Darien turned around to look at his father, trying to have a pissed off look, but failed slightly. "Not if you're going to sit there and laugh and make fun of my...predicament..." He said as he father chuckled again. "You don't even have to sit down for me to tell you this." He started. "Just go find her, tell her how you feel right now and what you want her to do about it." He finished. Darien stared at him. "And if she doesn't?" He asked.

His father smirked. "You have two hands, do you not?" He asked with a laugh. Darien glared dangerously at him. "That wasn't funny." His father stopped laughing. "Well, think of it this way, Darien; Both your mother and your step-mother are dead. How do you think I feel right about now, hmm?" He asked and Darien nodded. With all this said, he walked through the open door and left. Darien's father sighed and re-opened the book and sighed. 'What would that boy do without me?' He asked himself. He suddenly put down the book and looked up. He saw a dark shadowed figure standing in front of his desk. He glared up at the figure. "And what the hell do you want?" He asked it.

Meanwhile, Serena was upstairs in hers and Darien's bedroom on the balcony, looking up at the night sky. She sighed as she remembered she hadn't gone hunting in months. The hunter's clan was probably getting worried about her. 'Maybe it's best that I shouldn't go back. I know a lot of questions will be asked by the clan and...' Her thoughts trailed off as she tucked a blond stand of stray hair behind her ear. 'Besides, pretty soon I'm going to be changed into one of the things the clan hates most, a vampire.' She thought as she continued to look up at the night sky above.

"What are you thinking about hmmm?" She heard a familiar voice say from behind her. His breath hitting her neck with every word he spoke. She smiled and turned around to look at him. She noticed he had her caged in between him and the railing with his arms on either side of her. She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "You should know what I'm thinking, oh great king of all vampires." She said, then laughed. He smirked now. He leaned in towards her face.

"Oh Serena. If you could only read my thoughts, you'd know how much I..." He trailed off, leaving her to try and figure out what he was saying. "You...love me?" She guessed. He shook his head. "Close, but no prize." Darien was interested to see how long it would be before she realized. He leaned in more. She took a slight step back. "Uhm...I have no clue then, Darien." She said, getting a bit nervous now. He smirked more. He leaned down close to her ear. "You'd know how much I want you. Here and now, Serena." Darien finally said, which made Serena blush. "But Darien, Rini's asleep..." She began, but he cut her off by putting his finger on her lips.

"Serena, if Rini can sleep through really loud thunderstorms, which she has, then she can sleep though your screaming and moans of my name." He said as he chuckled and she swatted at his chest and blushed. "Shut up." She said as she buried her head against his chest. He lifted her head to his eye level by her chin and smiled. "So what do you say? You want to give it a shot?" He asked her, smiling that all too dazzling smile that she loved.

She smiled back. "As long as we don't wake Rini." She said as he smiled once more and took her hand and led them back into their bedroom. They were on their way to the bed, but not before they stopped at Rini's crib. Darien was the first one to stop. He looked down at his daughter and smiled. There was no doubt in Darien's mind that Rini was their daughter. She had his nose, Serena's hair, only pink in color, her hands, the list could go on and on.

"Isn't she beautiful, Darien?" Serena asked as she wrapped an arm around his and he brought her closer to him. He looked at Serena then down at the baby and smiled. "Just as the day she was born." He said as he watched the baby stir a little. Serena couldn't help but smile. She leaned up and kissed Darien on the cheek. He looked down at her and smiled. "Darien?" She asked, keeping the smile. He smiled back. "Yes, Serena?"

"Make love to me, again." She asked him with a blush. Darien smiled and easily complied. He turned fully to her and took her in his arms and kissed her slowly at first, but his vampiric side just wouldn't have it. He picked her up by her legs and wrapped them around his hips. It was sort of hard for Serena, considering she was wearing a long flowing skirt, but she managed. He continued to kiss her and changed the slow kiss into a hard, passionate one.

Darien was actually pretty quick about the removal of clothes this time, actually quicker than he had been the last few times. His clothes were all gone in a matter of seconds, while Serena took a whole minute with a little help from Darien. They were both naked now and nothing was going to stop Darien from fulfilling what he didn't get the past few months. Even though Serena had seen him naked way more than once, she still blushed at the sight of him. His eyes looked deeply into hers and she could recognizably see the mix of lust and love within his eyes. She was sure she fell in love with him at that moment all over again.

A few moments later, Serena lay in bed underneath Darien, panting and moaning, trying not to wake Rini as Darien moved none too gently or slowly within her. She bit her lip as she felt another cry trying to escape her lips. Darien couldn't help the smirk on his face but inside his human half was frowning. He knew he had never been this rough with Serena all those other times but this time it seemed that his vampire half was in control. 'This must be what father meant when he started to loose it when he was with my mother when he didn't give her the mating bite. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this.' He thought as his hips unknowingly picked up speed.

Serena gasped and arched off the bed. She couldn't believe how rough Darien was being with her this night. 'I guess...it's my fault...for making him...wait...so long...' She thought almost incoherently as she tried to match his speed but couldn't. Her hands slid up his chest to his shoulders and gripped them tightly. She didn't think she was going to make it much longer, let alone, survive his constant movements. She closed her eyes, since there was nothing more she could do but wait until he tired himself out.

As Darien kept his moments at a constant pace finally, he looked up at Serena's face. Her eyes were closed and her head was turned to the side. Her mouth hung open in pleasure and he could hear the little sounds she made, plus he felt her fingernails digging into his shoulders. His eyes, unbeknownst to him, had changed from the stunning blue, to a dark crimson red. He leaned down to her neck as his fangs grew out.

'I still have a little bit of my sanity and self-control left. Better get this over with before I loose it, completely.' He thought as he leaned in closer to her as he continued his movement as well. "I'm sorry, Serena." He said before he sank his fangs into her neck. Serena didn't even have time to react to his apology before he bit her. Her eyes snapped open and she cried out and gasped as his hips slowed the pace and his fangs buried themselves deep inside her neck. She stayed still and tried to relax as her legs fell away from his hips. 'I'm sorry Serena. Had I not done this, I would have eventually killed you. Probably sooner than I thought. Please forgive me.' He thought to her within her mind. She could barely keep her mind focused on what he was saying because of the pain. 'Is this...the mating...bite...Darien...?' She asked, barely able to form that thought. Darien replied within her mind. 'Yes. Just hold out for another minute or so. It'll be over soon.' He thought back to her as he slowly opened his eyes. They were slowly fading back to the original blue coloring.

After a few more seconds, he released her and removed his fangs. He pulled out from within her and rolled over so he was laying next to her now. Darien looked over at her, panting. Her breathing had slowly started evening and she lay there now with two bite marks and a little blood trailing out of them. He closed his eyes and turned his head towards the ceiling and looked up. 'Not quite as romantic as I hoped it would be for her but...at least now it's done.' He thought as he sat up and put the sheet over Serena up to her neck. He watched her as he did so. She had fallen asleep now. 'Typical. After what just happened between her and I, I wouldn't blame her.' He thought as he yawned a bit and put his arm over her as he too fell asleep.

Little did the couple know, they left the balcony doors open, letting the fresh night air blow the curtains in gently. The opening also gave two red glowing eyes a clear view of the couple and their sleeping daughter. The shadowed figure smirked. The sun was slowly comming up over the horizon. The black figure noticed and hid within the dark spaces of the mansion quickly.

The next morning, Darien awoke to a loud pounding at his bedroom door. He got up and put some pants and his robe on to see who would wake him in the hours of morning. He opened his door to find a horrified looking Lita standing before him, looking out of breath. It also looked like she had been crying as well. "What's wrong Lita?" He asked as he scratched the back of his head.

"Darien, come quickly. Your father is dead!" She said frantically. Darien's eyes widened. "What!" He said in a disbelieving voice. Lita took a breath and looked him straight in the eyes and said. "Darien, your father is dead." She said as he pushed past her and called back to her. "Where is he?" He asked her as he ran for the stairs. Lita sighed. "His study. Where he always is...or was..." She said, looking sadly at him. Darien nodded and ran downstairs.

Lita sighed as a tear streamed down her face and closed the door to the room where Serena still slept. As soon as the door clicked closed, Rini began to cry.

Well guys, I hope this wasn't too bad as my comeback to I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope to get lots of great reviews and such. Oh and there is one more chapter left so be looking forward to it!

Mackenzie