Well, after a long hiatus, I'm back. Sorry about the wait, guys. I know
some of you were expecting another sex scene, but I just didn't feel like
it.
Chapter 14
Gentle sunlight tickled its way across Serena's face, waking her from a light sleep. A grunt from the other side of the bed drew her attention, and she peered over her shoulder. Darien was wrapped up snugly in what seemed to be the majority of the blankets. A giggle rose in her throat, and she slid out of bed so as not to wake him, and grabbed a robe that was lying out on a chair. The hem trailed down past her ankles.
It took a few minutes to find the kitchen in the large house. The large room, a chef's dream of marble counters and steel implements, was empty, so she ducked into the large refrigerator and found some orange juice. Pulpy; her favorite. Serena searched out and filled a large glass for herself and settled at the table in the adjoining breakfast room. She stared out from the windows and rested her head on one hand, thinking about the night before.
She'd gotten drunk. That in itself didn't bother her; she'd done it before and no doubt would do it again, and Darien had made her drink some water before finally settling down to sleep, so she felt fine.
No, it was what she remembered saying that made her insides twist.
I told him that I loved him.
Serena had spent much of the previous day thinking those very words. I love him. But she hadn't planned on blurting the words out like she had. She was too certain of her own uncertainty, had told herself that she needed to be more sure of how Darien felt.
Instead, she'd drank too much, stripped right in front of him, said the very words she feared, and demanded sex.
And he never returned the words. Never told her that he loved her.
She groaned and buried her head in her arms.
"That good a night, huh?" Raye grinned sideways at her as she slid into another seat at the table. "I know a great cure for hangovers. Makes you puke up all the stuff that's making you sick."
Serena raised her head and grinned weakly at her friend. "Oh, it's not that. I'm fine."
"Then what is it? And don't tell me 'nothing'. There's no 'nothing' that I know of that makes a woman groan like that." Raye joined her in gazing out at the pretty woods that outlined the immense back yard.
"Raye, I love your brother."
Raye didn't look at her. "Good for you. Better for Darien. So what's the problem?"
Serena shook her head, baffled. "That's all you can say? Good for me?"
"Love's not a bad thing, when you find it, Serena. What's wrong with it?"
"I don't know if he feels that same way about me."
Raye's eyes widened, but she still didn't turn to face her friend. "Are you crazy? I know my brother better then anyone, Serena, and he's nuts about you. Where'd you get the stupid idea that he might not love you?"
"I told him that I loved him last night, and he didn't say that he loved me. They're just words, Raye. Damn important ones, but just words. If he loves me as much as you say, why couldn't he tell me?"
Raye sighed and rested her head on one hand. "Men are silly things, aren't they? They'll fight at the drop of a hat, but they're afraid of a few feelings. My guess is that it'll just take a while for him to work around to it. He loves you. He's just weird about saying it."
Serena indulged in one last groan. "I didn't need this. My life was fine. I was happy being alone with my glass, but now all I can think about is your stuck-up power hungry brother! Why me? I almost wish I'd never met Darien, much less fallen in love with him."
The raven-haired beauty beside her shook her head. "Don't ever say that, Serena. I think those are the stupidest words to ever come out of your mouth. Some people wait for years to find what fell into your lap. It's better to have someone, even if the feelings are all mixed up, then to spend your entire life alone." Raye looked down at her clenched hands. "I've spent most of my life searching for someone who would love me, and just me. Not my money, not my body. Not my family's influence. Just me. Instead I end up catching every bum on the face of the planet."
Finally, she turned her head and looked Serena square in the eyes, allowing Serena to see the right side of her face.
Serena gasped. Raye's eye and cheek were covered in mottled bruises. "My god, Raye, what the hell happened?!"
Raye laughed bitterly. "The latest in my search for love. Stupid asshole didn't like the idea that I refused to fall for his manly body, so he used it in a different way."
"But that's horrible! Did you call the police? We've got to do that right now! What was his-"
Raye cut her short. "Don't bother, Serena. He didn't matter enough to me to waste the effort on." She sighed and looked back out at the trees. There was a nest in one of the nearer ones, she noticed. Cute. "I just want someone to love, who will love me back. That's all."
"Sometimes the thing you search hardest far isn't all that far away," Serena murmured softly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Serena sighed. It wasn't fair to Jadeite for her to simply tell Raye of his feelings for her. "Why don't you stop looking, Raye? I guess that if it's meant to be, it'll come to you. I didn't want love. Honestly, I was really content to sit in my cramped little studio and play with my chemicals and equipment. I thought I'd found love after I returned from Italy, I really did. I thought he was the sweetest guy. But it wasn't real, and I ended up in the hospital with a complete breakdown. So I decided relationships weren't for me, and I settled for solitude and art. But love found me." She stopped and laughed softly. "Sorry. Guess some of that didn't make much sense. I started babbling a little."
"No." Raye covered Serena's hand with her own. "It sounded just right. I guess I'll try that for a while." She lifted her other hand to touch the abused side of her face. "At least until this goes away."
The lonely expression in Raye's eyes sent Serena searching desperately for words, for comfort. "Um, say, you wanna come over to my place tonight? We can have a sort of girls' night or something." What did something like that entail? It had been so long since she had sought out the company of others for a quiet, companionable evening. "We can make drinks and watch movies and stuff." She trailed off, realizing how stupid she must sound. "But I guess that's a little too grade-school or college-"
"No, that's a wonderful idea." Raye's eyes sparkled at the invitation. "We can invite Lita, too. She'll cook."
The memory of Lita's cookies made Serena's mouth water. "Are you okay with her seeing that?" She waved at Raye's face, but when the other woman nodded, she smiled. "Fine. I'll call her later, and get some movies. What sort of things do you like to watch?"
"Oh, a little of everything. What sort of mixers do you have? I'm in the mood for margaritas. I'll pick up some stuff later today." Raye reached out and squeezed Serena's hand gratefully. "Thanks, Serena. It's kind of nice to have some real friends."
"Yeah. It is."
"There you are, you little robe thief."
The new voice made the two women jump. Serena turned to Darien and Raye hid her face. "Good morning, Darien." He was already dressed, clad in one of those expensive suits that made him look like a fashion plate.
"Yeah, same. I was on my way out, so I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." Raye gave Serena one last look, a plea for help, before rising.
Understanding, Serena rose as well, and crossed to Darien. She knew how he'd react to see his sister's face. "Well, you weren't using it, so I borrowed your robe. Of course." She trailed off, and played with the ties. "If you want it back so badly, you can have it."
Darien laughed. "I think you'll get a bit cold if you run around naked, Serena."
"Won't you warm me up?" Thinking of Raye's words, Serena banished the doubts and uncertainties that plagued her and crossed to slip her arms around his waist.
"Of course." It was surprising, somehow, how much contentment he felt in the circle of those deceptively slim arms. He slid one hand down to fondle a terry-covered buttock, but sighed and stepped back. "Unfortunately, I have a rather important meeting I need to get to. Games will have to wait until later. Why don't you get your things together, and I'll take you back to your studio."
Serena smiled and lifted her face to Darien's for a kiss. "Thanks. I want to put in some quality time with my glass. I've got some great ideas."
* * *
This time she had chosen Orff, and the second suite of "Carmina Burana" rolled through her studio as she carefully manipulated the vibrant indigo form before her. A powerful piece of music to fit a powerful piece of art, she hoped. The image in her head wouldn't be a comfortable little piece of kitsch, but something that drew the eye, held it, and refused to release the mind completely. She added the second layer of molten glass, a mixture of scarlets and gold, and decided that she wouldn't give this one up for sale.
No, this one she would give to Raye. It suited her.
Serena carefully applied a paddle to the base, then moved it into the annealing oven to cool. Then, stretching back muscles she hadn't noticed were tight, she leaned back and stared at the ceiling. There was another piece already forming in her mind, taking the place of Raye's. Tall, slender and cool, a single willowy bend of icy blue. Maybe shot through with some yellow or lavender? Or perhaps-
Her train of thought was broken by pounding on the door and raised voices. "Serena? Open up! We're here!"
"Serena, if you don't unlock this door, I'm eating all of Lita's brownies myself!"
A wide grin spread over Serena's face as she crossed to the door and pulled it open. "Don't you imbeciles know it isn't safe to disturb an artist when she's working? Here I am, armed with all these sharp tools and blunt objects."
"And we all know what a violent temper you've got. Besides," Raye elbowed Lita, who held up a covered plate, "we bring sweets to sooth the savage beast."
At the mention of food, Serena's stomach growled. As they all laughed, she locked the studio door and led the way across the hall. She glanced at the watch Darien had finally convinced her to wear. Six o'clock. "I hadn't realized how late it was. I got sucked into that artist's trance, or whatever they call it. I'm starving!"
Raye threw herself onto the sofa. "Well, Lita'll take care of that. What movies did you get?"
"Oh, a big mish-mash. "Die Hard," "Indiana Jones," "Maltese Falcon," "Thomas Crowne Affair," the old Robin Hood movie with Errol Flynn, James Bond-"
Lita interrupted from the kitchen, where she was opening and shutting cabinets. "Which Bond?"
Serena went in to help her. "Sean Connery, of course. No one else comes close."
Raye popped in and tugged Lita's ponytail before she grabbed something delicious-looking off a plate. "Where's the blender, Serena? I'm ready for a drink." Once Serena had found it, she wiggled her eyebrows. "Heavy on the tequila, everyone?"
Lita grinned. "Virgin for me, thanks. Mommies-to-be can't drink."
"What?!" Raye dropped the ice she'd taken from the fridge to throw her arms around the tall brunette. "Are you serious? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Lita laughed, though there was a suspicious gleam to her eye. "I just found out this morning, and figured now was as good a time as any to let you both know."
"Then this is double the reason for a party. Oh, Lita, that's wonderful!" Memories threatened to bring tears to Serena's own eyes, but she willed them away. This wasn't a time to dwell on death, but rather a time to celebrate life. She slid an arm in around the two women. "You'll make a great mommy."
"I hope so. I want to be." Lita sniffled and untangled herself. "Raye, finish up with those drinks. I'm ready for a movie."
They carried trays and pitchers into the living room and settled around the TV.
"So, what's first?"
"Maltese Falcon. Bogart's too yummy for words." Raye chose a chocolate-covered strawberry from her seat on the floor.
"I don't know. Bruce Willis isn't bad either, if you go for his type."
Serena settled back and looked happily at the two friends. "Whatever. They're all good. Although maybe I should run out and rent "Three Men and a Baby-" A pillow flew and hit her in the face, and laughter rang out.
Things couldn't be better.
* * *
Chapter 14
Gentle sunlight tickled its way across Serena's face, waking her from a light sleep. A grunt from the other side of the bed drew her attention, and she peered over her shoulder. Darien was wrapped up snugly in what seemed to be the majority of the blankets. A giggle rose in her throat, and she slid out of bed so as not to wake him, and grabbed a robe that was lying out on a chair. The hem trailed down past her ankles.
It took a few minutes to find the kitchen in the large house. The large room, a chef's dream of marble counters and steel implements, was empty, so she ducked into the large refrigerator and found some orange juice. Pulpy; her favorite. Serena searched out and filled a large glass for herself and settled at the table in the adjoining breakfast room. She stared out from the windows and rested her head on one hand, thinking about the night before.
She'd gotten drunk. That in itself didn't bother her; she'd done it before and no doubt would do it again, and Darien had made her drink some water before finally settling down to sleep, so she felt fine.
No, it was what she remembered saying that made her insides twist.
I told him that I loved him.
Serena had spent much of the previous day thinking those very words. I love him. But she hadn't planned on blurting the words out like she had. She was too certain of her own uncertainty, had told herself that she needed to be more sure of how Darien felt.
Instead, she'd drank too much, stripped right in front of him, said the very words she feared, and demanded sex.
And he never returned the words. Never told her that he loved her.
She groaned and buried her head in her arms.
"That good a night, huh?" Raye grinned sideways at her as she slid into another seat at the table. "I know a great cure for hangovers. Makes you puke up all the stuff that's making you sick."
Serena raised her head and grinned weakly at her friend. "Oh, it's not that. I'm fine."
"Then what is it? And don't tell me 'nothing'. There's no 'nothing' that I know of that makes a woman groan like that." Raye joined her in gazing out at the pretty woods that outlined the immense back yard.
"Raye, I love your brother."
Raye didn't look at her. "Good for you. Better for Darien. So what's the problem?"
Serena shook her head, baffled. "That's all you can say? Good for me?"
"Love's not a bad thing, when you find it, Serena. What's wrong with it?"
"I don't know if he feels that same way about me."
Raye's eyes widened, but she still didn't turn to face her friend. "Are you crazy? I know my brother better then anyone, Serena, and he's nuts about you. Where'd you get the stupid idea that he might not love you?"
"I told him that I loved him last night, and he didn't say that he loved me. They're just words, Raye. Damn important ones, but just words. If he loves me as much as you say, why couldn't he tell me?"
Raye sighed and rested her head on one hand. "Men are silly things, aren't they? They'll fight at the drop of a hat, but they're afraid of a few feelings. My guess is that it'll just take a while for him to work around to it. He loves you. He's just weird about saying it."
Serena indulged in one last groan. "I didn't need this. My life was fine. I was happy being alone with my glass, but now all I can think about is your stuck-up power hungry brother! Why me? I almost wish I'd never met Darien, much less fallen in love with him."
The raven-haired beauty beside her shook her head. "Don't ever say that, Serena. I think those are the stupidest words to ever come out of your mouth. Some people wait for years to find what fell into your lap. It's better to have someone, even if the feelings are all mixed up, then to spend your entire life alone." Raye looked down at her clenched hands. "I've spent most of my life searching for someone who would love me, and just me. Not my money, not my body. Not my family's influence. Just me. Instead I end up catching every bum on the face of the planet."
Finally, she turned her head and looked Serena square in the eyes, allowing Serena to see the right side of her face.
Serena gasped. Raye's eye and cheek were covered in mottled bruises. "My god, Raye, what the hell happened?!"
Raye laughed bitterly. "The latest in my search for love. Stupid asshole didn't like the idea that I refused to fall for his manly body, so he used it in a different way."
"But that's horrible! Did you call the police? We've got to do that right now! What was his-"
Raye cut her short. "Don't bother, Serena. He didn't matter enough to me to waste the effort on." She sighed and looked back out at the trees. There was a nest in one of the nearer ones, she noticed. Cute. "I just want someone to love, who will love me back. That's all."
"Sometimes the thing you search hardest far isn't all that far away," Serena murmured softly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Serena sighed. It wasn't fair to Jadeite for her to simply tell Raye of his feelings for her. "Why don't you stop looking, Raye? I guess that if it's meant to be, it'll come to you. I didn't want love. Honestly, I was really content to sit in my cramped little studio and play with my chemicals and equipment. I thought I'd found love after I returned from Italy, I really did. I thought he was the sweetest guy. But it wasn't real, and I ended up in the hospital with a complete breakdown. So I decided relationships weren't for me, and I settled for solitude and art. But love found me." She stopped and laughed softly. "Sorry. Guess some of that didn't make much sense. I started babbling a little."
"No." Raye covered Serena's hand with her own. "It sounded just right. I guess I'll try that for a while." She lifted her other hand to touch the abused side of her face. "At least until this goes away."
The lonely expression in Raye's eyes sent Serena searching desperately for words, for comfort. "Um, say, you wanna come over to my place tonight? We can have a sort of girls' night or something." What did something like that entail? It had been so long since she had sought out the company of others for a quiet, companionable evening. "We can make drinks and watch movies and stuff." She trailed off, realizing how stupid she must sound. "But I guess that's a little too grade-school or college-"
"No, that's a wonderful idea." Raye's eyes sparkled at the invitation. "We can invite Lita, too. She'll cook."
The memory of Lita's cookies made Serena's mouth water. "Are you okay with her seeing that?" She waved at Raye's face, but when the other woman nodded, she smiled. "Fine. I'll call her later, and get some movies. What sort of things do you like to watch?"
"Oh, a little of everything. What sort of mixers do you have? I'm in the mood for margaritas. I'll pick up some stuff later today." Raye reached out and squeezed Serena's hand gratefully. "Thanks, Serena. It's kind of nice to have some real friends."
"Yeah. It is."
"There you are, you little robe thief."
The new voice made the two women jump. Serena turned to Darien and Raye hid her face. "Good morning, Darien." He was already dressed, clad in one of those expensive suits that made him look like a fashion plate.
"Yeah, same. I was on my way out, so I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." Raye gave Serena one last look, a plea for help, before rising.
Understanding, Serena rose as well, and crossed to Darien. She knew how he'd react to see his sister's face. "Well, you weren't using it, so I borrowed your robe. Of course." She trailed off, and played with the ties. "If you want it back so badly, you can have it."
Darien laughed. "I think you'll get a bit cold if you run around naked, Serena."
"Won't you warm me up?" Thinking of Raye's words, Serena banished the doubts and uncertainties that plagued her and crossed to slip her arms around his waist.
"Of course." It was surprising, somehow, how much contentment he felt in the circle of those deceptively slim arms. He slid one hand down to fondle a terry-covered buttock, but sighed and stepped back. "Unfortunately, I have a rather important meeting I need to get to. Games will have to wait until later. Why don't you get your things together, and I'll take you back to your studio."
Serena smiled and lifted her face to Darien's for a kiss. "Thanks. I want to put in some quality time with my glass. I've got some great ideas."
* * *
This time she had chosen Orff, and the second suite of "Carmina Burana" rolled through her studio as she carefully manipulated the vibrant indigo form before her. A powerful piece of music to fit a powerful piece of art, she hoped. The image in her head wouldn't be a comfortable little piece of kitsch, but something that drew the eye, held it, and refused to release the mind completely. She added the second layer of molten glass, a mixture of scarlets and gold, and decided that she wouldn't give this one up for sale.
No, this one she would give to Raye. It suited her.
Serena carefully applied a paddle to the base, then moved it into the annealing oven to cool. Then, stretching back muscles she hadn't noticed were tight, she leaned back and stared at the ceiling. There was another piece already forming in her mind, taking the place of Raye's. Tall, slender and cool, a single willowy bend of icy blue. Maybe shot through with some yellow or lavender? Or perhaps-
Her train of thought was broken by pounding on the door and raised voices. "Serena? Open up! We're here!"
"Serena, if you don't unlock this door, I'm eating all of Lita's brownies myself!"
A wide grin spread over Serena's face as she crossed to the door and pulled it open. "Don't you imbeciles know it isn't safe to disturb an artist when she's working? Here I am, armed with all these sharp tools and blunt objects."
"And we all know what a violent temper you've got. Besides," Raye elbowed Lita, who held up a covered plate, "we bring sweets to sooth the savage beast."
At the mention of food, Serena's stomach growled. As they all laughed, she locked the studio door and led the way across the hall. She glanced at the watch Darien had finally convinced her to wear. Six o'clock. "I hadn't realized how late it was. I got sucked into that artist's trance, or whatever they call it. I'm starving!"
Raye threw herself onto the sofa. "Well, Lita'll take care of that. What movies did you get?"
"Oh, a big mish-mash. "Die Hard," "Indiana Jones," "Maltese Falcon," "Thomas Crowne Affair," the old Robin Hood movie with Errol Flynn, James Bond-"
Lita interrupted from the kitchen, where she was opening and shutting cabinets. "Which Bond?"
Serena went in to help her. "Sean Connery, of course. No one else comes close."
Raye popped in and tugged Lita's ponytail before she grabbed something delicious-looking off a plate. "Where's the blender, Serena? I'm ready for a drink." Once Serena had found it, she wiggled her eyebrows. "Heavy on the tequila, everyone?"
Lita grinned. "Virgin for me, thanks. Mommies-to-be can't drink."
"What?!" Raye dropped the ice she'd taken from the fridge to throw her arms around the tall brunette. "Are you serious? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Lita laughed, though there was a suspicious gleam to her eye. "I just found out this morning, and figured now was as good a time as any to let you both know."
"Then this is double the reason for a party. Oh, Lita, that's wonderful!" Memories threatened to bring tears to Serena's own eyes, but she willed them away. This wasn't a time to dwell on death, but rather a time to celebrate life. She slid an arm in around the two women. "You'll make a great mommy."
"I hope so. I want to be." Lita sniffled and untangled herself. "Raye, finish up with those drinks. I'm ready for a movie."
They carried trays and pitchers into the living room and settled around the TV.
"So, what's first?"
"Maltese Falcon. Bogart's too yummy for words." Raye chose a chocolate-covered strawberry from her seat on the floor.
"I don't know. Bruce Willis isn't bad either, if you go for his type."
Serena settled back and looked happily at the two friends. "Whatever. They're all good. Although maybe I should run out and rent "Three Men and a Baby-" A pillow flew and hit her in the face, and laughter rang out.
Things couldn't be better.
* * *