Darien was different that week but only Jed noticed it. He was the only one who knew Darien well enough to tell that something was wrong, but he didn't know what could be bothering the Prince or Darkness. He seemed sullen and withdrawn as though something weighed on his mind. He had been thus since his date with the Hunter and that bothered Jed. What could the Hunter have done to the Prince? Jed tried to ask once, but the glaze in Darien's eye made him stop halfway. He didn't have the heart to pursue it.
Toward the end of the week, which had passed far to slowly for Darien's liking, he recovered a bit of his senses which was enough to appease Jed, yet Serena's answer felt like lead gilding on his heart. Was he willing to let her see all that he was inside, all he felt, expose their past. What would she say, how would she look at him when she knew the truth? If she said yes, then he would have to face that when it came. With that resolution he set back to work even though it was with less vigor than before. He couldn't make himself do the things that she had rejected all her life and even now fought against. No one noticed as the crime rate slackened even more that week.
Serena prepared by day, and worked by night snatching bits a pieces of sleep when she could but she was sorely sleep deprived. She hoped the one night's sleep she would get Friday would be enough. Cutting her evening short would be the only way, but she couldn't do it else wise. Early Friday morning she finished her preparations, and collapsed on the bed to catch a few minutes sleep. A knock on her door woke her. It was Darien.
"O Goddess Bless, I overslept." She said upon seeing him outside her door. Her hair was tousled and her clothes crumpled.
"I can wait for you if you want Serena, no big rush." He offered trying not to laugh at her very childish expression. She noticed his look and glared at him sourly.
"I'll be right back, um…" She noticed his jeans and t-shirt. "I'm guessing it isn't formal." When he nodded she shut the door and hurried to the closet. The first thing she found was a short pink fleece shirt with a bunny icon on the shoulder, but having no time she grabbed it anyway. Then shrugging into it she tossed on the closest pair of jeans and slipped into her shoes. Grabbing her wallet and keys, she made it to the bathroom to brush her hair and back to the door in record time. She flung open the door to face Darien.
He grinned devilishly at her in her outfit. It was so completely unlike her that even she had to smile back. Again he led the way to the car and held the door for her. This time she took the time to notice the Cobalt blue Pontiac GTO with leather interior. She did not have much appreciation for cars, but she knew a good one when she saw it. The engine roared to life, and Darien expertly maneuvered it. Shortly they pulled up to a steak house, and after parking Darien held open the door for her and she delicately stepped out. She had found a pair of earrings in her wallet and had put them in and now looked decent by at least her standard.
He offered her his arm, and together they went inside and sat at a booth. Again she ordered the most expensive, rarest, largest meal she could. Again she ate all of it in record time even beating Darien. She ate a large piece of apple pie plus a bowl of ice cream. Once she was full she suddenly grew sleepy and she had to fight to stay awake. Darien, who had just finished his meal, noticed her predicament, and laughed heartily.
"Come on Serena, I'll take you home." He offered his hand. She took it, and let him lead her to the car. On the way home she fell asleep and Darien carried her to her apartment. He had to wake her up enough to get the keys and invite him inside, then he set her down on the bed. A warm blanket at the foot of the bed was strategically placed so that it could be used at a moments notice. He used it just for that purpose, and covered her up so she wouldn't be cold. On his way out he left a note for her saying he would be there at 10:00 a.m. He then left quietly.
Serena woke up earlier than she expected and the sun had yet to rise. She grabbed a bowl of cereal and read Darien's note. The time surprised her. 10:00 a.m. that was after sunrise. How was that possible? She would have to ask him when he showed up, supposing that he wasn't a fireball by then. She took a leisurely shower and bath, then put up her hair in her favorite style. A few twists here, a few twists there and poof. She had it, the perfect hairstyle. The twin ponytails trailed past her knees and she managed to get them to stay strait for once. She pulled on her new cerulean blue midriff and a nice white squirt. (Those short/skirt things that were the rave a few years ago.) She looked herself over in the mirror. Everything was fine.
At 10 o'clock sharp the doorbell rang. Serena was slightly surprised again, but he had said he would be there. He was probably covered in a black cloak and hood. Instead he was wearing blue jeans and a loose black T-shirt. Serena could only stare. He actually had a tan.
"You thought I couldn't go out in the sun didn't you?" He asked her mockingly. He removed the dark shades over his midnight blue eyes and looked her over appreciatively.
"How is this possible? You're a vampire." Certainly he was, everyone knew that but she made it sound as though it were an accusation, and in a way it was.
"How is it that you can go out into the sun Serena? You're one too." He threw back at her. She looked up sharply.
"How did you know? Only the Scouts know what I am." Shock made her almost breathless and she had trouble getting the words out.
"I know much more about you Serena than you will ever know." He replied simply. Instead of waiting for her, he just walked off into the sun, and out to his car. Serena locked the door behind her, and the other locks as well, then ran to catch up. She wasn't even a bit out of breath when she caught up. Gentlemanly he opened the door for her, almost nipping her in the heal as he shut it. Serena glared at him through the windshield, which made him grin again. Infuriated she sat back in the chair and childishly ignored him.
"Any place in particular Serena?" He asked even though he was going to go where he wanted to go anyway. She shrugged and shook her head, as the car roared to life and Darien floored the gas pedal. Show off! She thought, but refrained from saying anything. They pulled in to a parking lot at a Plaza that contained a game center and shopping mall. Serena almost squealed with delight. The two things she loved most in one place. She hadn't known that this place even existed. She practically jumped out of the car before the door was opened for her, and headed for the arcade.
The arcade was just barely open and already full of people, children and adults alike. She spotted a change machine, and as soon as she received her quarters she was at her favorite machine which was thankfully empty. Soon she was so engrossed in the game that she barely felt the eyes on her, or the malice behind them. Gleefully she reached a high score in the game and looked around for Darien only to notice a group of boys were eyeing her with a not so nice look on their faces. She located Darien at a counter top talking to the man behind it. She got up and quickly crossed over to stand next to him.
"Let me introduce one of my oldest friends, Andrew. Andrew this is Serena, the Hunter." Darien introduced the two. Serena did not like the title but Andrew just looked at her thoughtfully and offered a hand which she shook heartily. He was as tall as Darien, which was to say quite a bit taller than Serena's 5'5", with sandy blond hair, and light blue eyes. Serena felt a bit of recognition, but that wasn't unusual.
"So how is it you know the Prince of Darkness?" She asked Andrew startling Darien with her knowledge of his not so formal title. Andrew grinned, and moved up a few notches on Serena's cute meter.
"Old soul. We've known each other almost from the beginning. Been quite a while hasn't it?" He informed her slyly implying a great age for both of them. Serena, not knowing her real age, wasn't impressed, and her expression showed it. Andrew took another good look at her and caught Darien's eye. A small shake of the head bought his silence and he filled up a root beer float for the woman. Serena's eyes grew large, and a warm grin covered her face.
"Thank you so much. How did you know?" She took a huge bite and licked the ice cream off her lips. The root beer was tap, and almost as delicious as it would have been had it come from England.
"I've been doing this for a while. I kind of get a feel for these things." He replied adding a little more root beer to the shake. Darien handed him a bill to pay for it but Andrew shook his head.
"Not this time pal. It's on the house. Before you say something, yes I can do that. I just bought the place last week." His pride was evident and Darien shook his hand and clapped him on the back.
"Congrats! Took you long enough to get up the guts to do it though." They both grinned as though they shared a secret, and in truth they did. Andrew had bought the place from his former life's bank where he had conveniently left it. Now he again ran his own business although he had known about it all his life. Now he was finally old enough to do something about it. One of the drawbacks to being born repeatedly.
"It's a great place." Serena managed between bites. Andrew's eyes twinkled appreciatively at her, and not paying any attention to Darien's dangerous look, continued to flirt with her until she finished. If he hadn't been Darien's fast friend, there would have been serious repercussions. As it was Darien probably wouldn't talk to him for at least a day, but who could pass up such a chance to taunt the great Prince of Darkness? Or to flirt with such a beautiful woman.
Serena finished her root beer float with a relish letting out a small burp. She excused herself and raced off to her game which had been recently vacated. Half an hour later she looked around again for her lost friend. He was still talking to Andrew so she moved on to another game.
"So she doesn't know?" It was obvious but he had to ask anyway. A shadowed look crossed Darien's face. He sadly shook his head.
"No, she doesn't know. She will soon though, if she wants to. She may not accept it. I just hope she does." He sounded unusually meek and Andrew knew the complete truth. Darien missed her.
"Yeah well the sooner the better." Was all he could say as he served Darien a drink. Then he went about his work while Darien went to find his date. She was playing a super hero game, and winning until a giant monster game and ate the character. Serena swore, and turned around on the swivel chair running into him. He caught her in his arms, and helped her up. She blushed crimson, and if a guy could, Darien would have. They looked away for a moment, then back at each other. Eyes locked, and something deep inside told both of them that this was right. Unfortunately the person who just then tripped into them did not.
Darien pulled Serena out of the way as he went crashing into a machine. Another warm body followed close behind. A couple other guys barely over their teens were fighting about something although no one could tell what. A few others of their group stood out to Serena, and she realized that they were the guys that had been watching her earlier. Unfortunately she had managed to get herself backed into a corner with a door that opened up behind her. She did not hear it open until it was to late. She was grabbed from behind, and unable to do anything as she was taken into the back room. She could hear Andrew yelling at the brawlers in the other room but she had other concerns.
The guys dragged her back in to the room trying to keep her quiet, and as immobile as possible, but she had a slight advantage on them. One was out and unconscious before he had time to give her any orders. One tried to cover her mouth, not that he had any intention of screaming, and she bit as hard as she could with sharp teeth. The hand disappeared, and she turned to knock his feet out from under him. He landed hard on an arcade game frame hitting his head on a corner. That was two. Three more turned to face her. She backed herself into another corner, but this time on purpose. Taking a small pouch from her purse, she emptied its contents into her hand, and whispered an incantation. A small shield formed around her, although they couldn't see it. One tried to reach her, but was blown back into a wall. The others looked at her in shock.
"What kind of freak are you?" One asked accusingly a sneer on his face.
"The slut knows how to fight." Said the other his tone was harsh and cruel. Somehow they weren't surprised by the magic. They weren't vampires since the only ones she knew that could go out in the day were herself and Darien, so what were they? Hired thugs? They circled around her shield like vultures, so Serena used the small stalemate to study them. They were normal teenage boys, late teens as it were, and they dressed the part in baggy clothes and odd bits of jewelry. Serena didn't feel the least bit comforted by their appearances since she knew how superficial that could be. They continued to circle. Finally Serena realized that she was going to have to act. A fireball was at the tips of her fingers when the door to the back room burst open. Darien and Andrew burst into the room.
The guys turned to look, and while they were preoccupied she broke the shield, and grabbing up the nearest blunt object she struck one on the head, and another in his kidney. The last one made for her, and she paralyzed him with a quick spell. The others fell to the floor. With it finally over the adrenaline left Serena feeling drained, and she dropped the steel frame piece. Suddenly she couldn't breath, and she realized that Darien had caught her up in his arms and was hugging her. Suddenly overcome by emotion, she hugged him back, tears threatening to overflow. He pushed her back and once he was sure she was completely fine, he kissed her soundly. Sparks exploded all over their bodies. They let go of each other in shock.
"What was that?" She asked barely able to let go of him for fear she would lose him. He linked his fingers through hers making sure they remained in contact. "Darien…. I…" He placed a finger over her lips and she was silent.
"Don't worry about it now. First we have to find out who sent these guys. Quick thinking on the paralyzation." He complemented. Serena, unfortunately, couldn't take the credit.
"I won't use magic to hurt anyone if I can, so paralyzing him was all I could think of. I would have though if you hadn't come." The very thought terrified her and she shuddered. Darien squeezed her hand reassuringly and she tried to smile.
"Well then, let's get on with this." He moved around the room so he could face the paralyzed kid. The guy was scared and completely unprepared for what he had thought was just a myth. Now confronted by magic, and it's user, anger and blind hatred filled his mind.
"Keep that BITCH away from me." He yelled as soon as Serena released the spell. The guy backed up into Andrew who was much bigger than him. Serena took a step toward him and when he recoiled she couldn't help but feel horrified. She should be used to it by now, but somehow she had managed to never really face the complete truth about what she was. This drove it home painfully. Darien understood, and pulled her back into a big hug, which Serena accepted gratefully.
"Thanks, but I had better learn to face it. Maybe you should do this on your own that way, you won't have to deal with his reaction to me. I'll be in the shopping mall." Before he could say anything she had let go, and managed to get around Andrew using her small frame to her advantage. She was out of the building and into the fresh air before she let her feelings escape. A loud sob escaped before she gave it permission to, and people around her looked at her. That was the last thing she needed.
Serena looked around for someplace to go, and saw that the plaza bordered a park with a small lake, and as soon as it registered, she ran for it dodging people and obstacles. She lost herself in the cool forest and made her way to the lake's edge. There she collapsed on her knees and let herself cry. Her blond hair surrounded her like a curtain, and got tangled in the mud. She no longer cared about what she looked like and leaned against a tree hugging her knees. She buried her face in her now muddy hair, and let the held back tears fall. She did not even move when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She knew who it was.
Darien sat beside her and pulled her into his lap. Instead of being comforted she only sobbed harder. Her whole body ached as she released all the pent up feelings she had been hiding for so long that it seemed almost centuries since she had last cried. It had. When she was done, Darien just held her in his arms for what seemed eternity and she realized that now was the perfect time to do what she had to. She lifted her head, and met his eyes. Then she placed her hands on the sides of his face drawing it down to meet hers. Gently she kissed him, and with the action, opened her mind to his.
Toward the end of the week, which had passed far to slowly for Darien's liking, he recovered a bit of his senses which was enough to appease Jed, yet Serena's answer felt like lead gilding on his heart. Was he willing to let her see all that he was inside, all he felt, expose their past. What would she say, how would she look at him when she knew the truth? If she said yes, then he would have to face that when it came. With that resolution he set back to work even though it was with less vigor than before. He couldn't make himself do the things that she had rejected all her life and even now fought against. No one noticed as the crime rate slackened even more that week.
Serena prepared by day, and worked by night snatching bits a pieces of sleep when she could but she was sorely sleep deprived. She hoped the one night's sleep she would get Friday would be enough. Cutting her evening short would be the only way, but she couldn't do it else wise. Early Friday morning she finished her preparations, and collapsed on the bed to catch a few minutes sleep. A knock on her door woke her. It was Darien.
"O Goddess Bless, I overslept." She said upon seeing him outside her door. Her hair was tousled and her clothes crumpled.
"I can wait for you if you want Serena, no big rush." He offered trying not to laugh at her very childish expression. She noticed his look and glared at him sourly.
"I'll be right back, um…" She noticed his jeans and t-shirt. "I'm guessing it isn't formal." When he nodded she shut the door and hurried to the closet. The first thing she found was a short pink fleece shirt with a bunny icon on the shoulder, but having no time she grabbed it anyway. Then shrugging into it she tossed on the closest pair of jeans and slipped into her shoes. Grabbing her wallet and keys, she made it to the bathroom to brush her hair and back to the door in record time. She flung open the door to face Darien.
He grinned devilishly at her in her outfit. It was so completely unlike her that even she had to smile back. Again he led the way to the car and held the door for her. This time she took the time to notice the Cobalt blue Pontiac GTO with leather interior. She did not have much appreciation for cars, but she knew a good one when she saw it. The engine roared to life, and Darien expertly maneuvered it. Shortly they pulled up to a steak house, and after parking Darien held open the door for her and she delicately stepped out. She had found a pair of earrings in her wallet and had put them in and now looked decent by at least her standard.
He offered her his arm, and together they went inside and sat at a booth. Again she ordered the most expensive, rarest, largest meal she could. Again she ate all of it in record time even beating Darien. She ate a large piece of apple pie plus a bowl of ice cream. Once she was full she suddenly grew sleepy and she had to fight to stay awake. Darien, who had just finished his meal, noticed her predicament, and laughed heartily.
"Come on Serena, I'll take you home." He offered his hand. She took it, and let him lead her to the car. On the way home she fell asleep and Darien carried her to her apartment. He had to wake her up enough to get the keys and invite him inside, then he set her down on the bed. A warm blanket at the foot of the bed was strategically placed so that it could be used at a moments notice. He used it just for that purpose, and covered her up so she wouldn't be cold. On his way out he left a note for her saying he would be there at 10:00 a.m. He then left quietly.
Serena woke up earlier than she expected and the sun had yet to rise. She grabbed a bowl of cereal and read Darien's note. The time surprised her. 10:00 a.m. that was after sunrise. How was that possible? She would have to ask him when he showed up, supposing that he wasn't a fireball by then. She took a leisurely shower and bath, then put up her hair in her favorite style. A few twists here, a few twists there and poof. She had it, the perfect hairstyle. The twin ponytails trailed past her knees and she managed to get them to stay strait for once. She pulled on her new cerulean blue midriff and a nice white squirt. (Those short/skirt things that were the rave a few years ago.) She looked herself over in the mirror. Everything was fine.
At 10 o'clock sharp the doorbell rang. Serena was slightly surprised again, but he had said he would be there. He was probably covered in a black cloak and hood. Instead he was wearing blue jeans and a loose black T-shirt. Serena could only stare. He actually had a tan.
"You thought I couldn't go out in the sun didn't you?" He asked her mockingly. He removed the dark shades over his midnight blue eyes and looked her over appreciatively.
"How is this possible? You're a vampire." Certainly he was, everyone knew that but she made it sound as though it were an accusation, and in a way it was.
"How is it that you can go out into the sun Serena? You're one too." He threw back at her. She looked up sharply.
"How did you know? Only the Scouts know what I am." Shock made her almost breathless and she had trouble getting the words out.
"I know much more about you Serena than you will ever know." He replied simply. Instead of waiting for her, he just walked off into the sun, and out to his car. Serena locked the door behind her, and the other locks as well, then ran to catch up. She wasn't even a bit out of breath when she caught up. Gentlemanly he opened the door for her, almost nipping her in the heal as he shut it. Serena glared at him through the windshield, which made him grin again. Infuriated she sat back in the chair and childishly ignored him.
"Any place in particular Serena?" He asked even though he was going to go where he wanted to go anyway. She shrugged and shook her head, as the car roared to life and Darien floored the gas pedal. Show off! She thought, but refrained from saying anything. They pulled in to a parking lot at a Plaza that contained a game center and shopping mall. Serena almost squealed with delight. The two things she loved most in one place. She hadn't known that this place even existed. She practically jumped out of the car before the door was opened for her, and headed for the arcade.
The arcade was just barely open and already full of people, children and adults alike. She spotted a change machine, and as soon as she received her quarters she was at her favorite machine which was thankfully empty. Soon she was so engrossed in the game that she barely felt the eyes on her, or the malice behind them. Gleefully she reached a high score in the game and looked around for Darien only to notice a group of boys were eyeing her with a not so nice look on their faces. She located Darien at a counter top talking to the man behind it. She got up and quickly crossed over to stand next to him.
"Let me introduce one of my oldest friends, Andrew. Andrew this is Serena, the Hunter." Darien introduced the two. Serena did not like the title but Andrew just looked at her thoughtfully and offered a hand which she shook heartily. He was as tall as Darien, which was to say quite a bit taller than Serena's 5'5", with sandy blond hair, and light blue eyes. Serena felt a bit of recognition, but that wasn't unusual.
"So how is it you know the Prince of Darkness?" She asked Andrew startling Darien with her knowledge of his not so formal title. Andrew grinned, and moved up a few notches on Serena's cute meter.
"Old soul. We've known each other almost from the beginning. Been quite a while hasn't it?" He informed her slyly implying a great age for both of them. Serena, not knowing her real age, wasn't impressed, and her expression showed it. Andrew took another good look at her and caught Darien's eye. A small shake of the head bought his silence and he filled up a root beer float for the woman. Serena's eyes grew large, and a warm grin covered her face.
"Thank you so much. How did you know?" She took a huge bite and licked the ice cream off her lips. The root beer was tap, and almost as delicious as it would have been had it come from England.
"I've been doing this for a while. I kind of get a feel for these things." He replied adding a little more root beer to the shake. Darien handed him a bill to pay for it but Andrew shook his head.
"Not this time pal. It's on the house. Before you say something, yes I can do that. I just bought the place last week." His pride was evident and Darien shook his hand and clapped him on the back.
"Congrats! Took you long enough to get up the guts to do it though." They both grinned as though they shared a secret, and in truth they did. Andrew had bought the place from his former life's bank where he had conveniently left it. Now he again ran his own business although he had known about it all his life. Now he was finally old enough to do something about it. One of the drawbacks to being born repeatedly.
"It's a great place." Serena managed between bites. Andrew's eyes twinkled appreciatively at her, and not paying any attention to Darien's dangerous look, continued to flirt with her until she finished. If he hadn't been Darien's fast friend, there would have been serious repercussions. As it was Darien probably wouldn't talk to him for at least a day, but who could pass up such a chance to taunt the great Prince of Darkness? Or to flirt with such a beautiful woman.
Serena finished her root beer float with a relish letting out a small burp. She excused herself and raced off to her game which had been recently vacated. Half an hour later she looked around again for her lost friend. He was still talking to Andrew so she moved on to another game.
"So she doesn't know?" It was obvious but he had to ask anyway. A shadowed look crossed Darien's face. He sadly shook his head.
"No, she doesn't know. She will soon though, if she wants to. She may not accept it. I just hope she does." He sounded unusually meek and Andrew knew the complete truth. Darien missed her.
"Yeah well the sooner the better." Was all he could say as he served Darien a drink. Then he went about his work while Darien went to find his date. She was playing a super hero game, and winning until a giant monster game and ate the character. Serena swore, and turned around on the swivel chair running into him. He caught her in his arms, and helped her up. She blushed crimson, and if a guy could, Darien would have. They looked away for a moment, then back at each other. Eyes locked, and something deep inside told both of them that this was right. Unfortunately the person who just then tripped into them did not.
Darien pulled Serena out of the way as he went crashing into a machine. Another warm body followed close behind. A couple other guys barely over their teens were fighting about something although no one could tell what. A few others of their group stood out to Serena, and she realized that they were the guys that had been watching her earlier. Unfortunately she had managed to get herself backed into a corner with a door that opened up behind her. She did not hear it open until it was to late. She was grabbed from behind, and unable to do anything as she was taken into the back room. She could hear Andrew yelling at the brawlers in the other room but she had other concerns.
The guys dragged her back in to the room trying to keep her quiet, and as immobile as possible, but she had a slight advantage on them. One was out and unconscious before he had time to give her any orders. One tried to cover her mouth, not that he had any intention of screaming, and she bit as hard as she could with sharp teeth. The hand disappeared, and she turned to knock his feet out from under him. He landed hard on an arcade game frame hitting his head on a corner. That was two. Three more turned to face her. She backed herself into another corner, but this time on purpose. Taking a small pouch from her purse, she emptied its contents into her hand, and whispered an incantation. A small shield formed around her, although they couldn't see it. One tried to reach her, but was blown back into a wall. The others looked at her in shock.
"What kind of freak are you?" One asked accusingly a sneer on his face.
"The slut knows how to fight." Said the other his tone was harsh and cruel. Somehow they weren't surprised by the magic. They weren't vampires since the only ones she knew that could go out in the day were herself and Darien, so what were they? Hired thugs? They circled around her shield like vultures, so Serena used the small stalemate to study them. They were normal teenage boys, late teens as it were, and they dressed the part in baggy clothes and odd bits of jewelry. Serena didn't feel the least bit comforted by their appearances since she knew how superficial that could be. They continued to circle. Finally Serena realized that she was going to have to act. A fireball was at the tips of her fingers when the door to the back room burst open. Darien and Andrew burst into the room.
The guys turned to look, and while they were preoccupied she broke the shield, and grabbing up the nearest blunt object she struck one on the head, and another in his kidney. The last one made for her, and she paralyzed him with a quick spell. The others fell to the floor. With it finally over the adrenaline left Serena feeling drained, and she dropped the steel frame piece. Suddenly she couldn't breath, and she realized that Darien had caught her up in his arms and was hugging her. Suddenly overcome by emotion, she hugged him back, tears threatening to overflow. He pushed her back and once he was sure she was completely fine, he kissed her soundly. Sparks exploded all over their bodies. They let go of each other in shock.
"What was that?" She asked barely able to let go of him for fear she would lose him. He linked his fingers through hers making sure they remained in contact. "Darien…. I…" He placed a finger over her lips and she was silent.
"Don't worry about it now. First we have to find out who sent these guys. Quick thinking on the paralyzation." He complemented. Serena, unfortunately, couldn't take the credit.
"I won't use magic to hurt anyone if I can, so paralyzing him was all I could think of. I would have though if you hadn't come." The very thought terrified her and she shuddered. Darien squeezed her hand reassuringly and she tried to smile.
"Well then, let's get on with this." He moved around the room so he could face the paralyzed kid. The guy was scared and completely unprepared for what he had thought was just a myth. Now confronted by magic, and it's user, anger and blind hatred filled his mind.
"Keep that BITCH away from me." He yelled as soon as Serena released the spell. The guy backed up into Andrew who was much bigger than him. Serena took a step toward him and when he recoiled she couldn't help but feel horrified. She should be used to it by now, but somehow she had managed to never really face the complete truth about what she was. This drove it home painfully. Darien understood, and pulled her back into a big hug, which Serena accepted gratefully.
"Thanks, but I had better learn to face it. Maybe you should do this on your own that way, you won't have to deal with his reaction to me. I'll be in the shopping mall." Before he could say anything she had let go, and managed to get around Andrew using her small frame to her advantage. She was out of the building and into the fresh air before she let her feelings escape. A loud sob escaped before she gave it permission to, and people around her looked at her. That was the last thing she needed.
Serena looked around for someplace to go, and saw that the plaza bordered a park with a small lake, and as soon as it registered, she ran for it dodging people and obstacles. She lost herself in the cool forest and made her way to the lake's edge. There she collapsed on her knees and let herself cry. Her blond hair surrounded her like a curtain, and got tangled in the mud. She no longer cared about what she looked like and leaned against a tree hugging her knees. She buried her face in her now muddy hair, and let the held back tears fall. She did not even move when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She knew who it was.
Darien sat beside her and pulled her into his lap. Instead of being comforted she only sobbed harder. Her whole body ached as she released all the pent up feelings she had been hiding for so long that it seemed almost centuries since she had last cried. It had. When she was done, Darien just held her in his arms for what seemed eternity and she realized that now was the perfect time to do what she had to. She lifted her head, and met his eyes. Then she placed her hands on the sides of his face drawing it down to meet hers. Gently she kissed him, and with the action, opened her mind to his.