Author's Notes:
This is gonna be long so bear with me!!!! Seems like it's been such a long time since I worked on this story, but I do know one thing....I WILL FINISH THIS FIC, so don't worry about that. Anyway, if you don't already know, I'm co-authoring a fic with my good friend Sere-chan called "Close My Eyes Forever". Please check it out and tell us what you think, alright? Okay...enough self-promotion. I want just want to say thanx to all of those that write me and say howmuch they like this fic, cause that's what keeps a fanfiction author going. So it is that reason that I dedicate this chapter to usagi bunny, moonlover, and Becky. Luv ya guys!!! BTW, I've broken up the dialogue, just to make reading this easier. Sound good? I hope so.
Disclaimer: I just got the call back from Naoko-sama and she said that she IS NOT giving up the rights to Sailor Moon, so please stop calling her!!!! ^.^ Iwould also like to say that there is some material in here that was inspired by the film 'Kiss The Girls'. I hope that covers it!!!
" "=dialogue
* *=thought
** **=conscience
CAPS=emphasis
Title: Reasonable Doubt
Author: Midnight Dreamer
Rating: PG-13 (just in case)
Email:madintellect@hotmail.com
~Ben Matthews is dead [stop] Come home at once [end]~
She couldn't believe it.....she kept seeing the words when she closed her eyes and the sadness would engulf her. After recovering from the shock of the news, Darien whipped his crew into gear, pushing the boat to its limits. Once they reached the mainland, Darien started barking out orders, telling the captain to help everyone disembark. Once this was accomplished, Darien jumped in his car and dragged Serena along with him.
"Where are we going? What about my friends? What's wrong?" Serena asked, a little put out by his commanding behavior.
"I'll take your questions one at a time" Darien said tightly, his eyes never leaving the road.
"First, we are going to the Matthews estate to offer some comfort to his wife and family who must be devastated right now. Second, I talked to Mal and gave him the key to your apartment, and he guaranteed me that he would look after them. Third, I am not alright, not by a long shot. I just lost a close friend, when I thought that everything was coming together in my life. Now that I've answered your questions, are you satisfied?" he said coldly.
"Look you arrogant bastard, I just don't appreciate being dragged around like some goddamn rag doll" Serena replied hotly.
"I'm sorry for that, but I don't have a choice in this" Darien muttered tersely.
"What do you mean that you don't have a choice? It's not yours to make...."
Darien just stopped the car and turned around in his seat to face her. Taking her hand in his, he said, "Serena, I'm sorry for my erratic behavior, but after what we just been through, I'm not ready to let you go yet. Please say you'll go with me?"
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Serena let go of her anger placing her other hand on top of his and said, "Alright....I'm here for you."
Matthews' Estate-That Night
Forty minutes later, they arrived at the Matthews' home. They were still waiting for word of what exactly happened, but it seems that no one knows for sure. Ellen Matthews, his widow, was in a complete state of shock, unable to give anyone answers. As far as anyone knew, it seemed that Mr. Matthews's immune system shut down. The strange thing is that he had no history of any major illness. Darien was making Zach go over Ben's medical history with the Matthews family doctor, and he even had to remark at the impossibility of the situation. While this was going on Serena decided to make the distressing call to Mr. Jacobson (AN: for some of you that probably forgot, he's Serena's boss) and tell him the horrible news. The first thing was he demanded that she get on the plane and come back to New York, but Serena steadfastly refused, not for professional reasons, but for entirely personal intentions. Darien.
A long time ago he made her leave this city. Now it seemed that he was the reason that she was going to stay. Even though his confession answered some of her questions, it brought more. More like 'What Ifs'. Like what if Darien had told her about his problem when they together? What if she hadn't run away to New York, trying to forget about him?
Serena just let a small groan at all the drama that seemed to be in her life as of late. She could not understand why her dream was so elusive. A happy marriage, family and a great career. Those were the things that she had wanted with Darien, and now that he told his side of the story, she wondered if that wasn't so impossible.
Few Days Later-St. Michael's Cathedral
The cathedral in which the service would be held had turned into a fragrant bower of flowers, since wreaths surrounded the coffin from every angle. Some state officials even sent their condolences. Serena sat with her friends Amy and Raye during the services. Looking forward, she could see the somber clad figure of Darien, as he sat with Mr. Matthews's widow and family. He had a supporting arm around Mrs. Matthews, trying his best to give comfort to the grieving woman.
She pulled out of her reverie when she heard someone calling her name.
"Serena..." a gruff voice called out.
Turning around, she saw William, sadness in his face. Getting up she ran over to him and gave him a hug.
"Oh William, you didn't have to come down. I know this must be hard for you." Serena said, a comforting hand on his arm.
"He was such a good friend...I had to show my respects."
"I understand. Come on, you can sit with me and my friends." Serena said as she guided him towards the pew she was sitting. Then she formally introduced him to Amy and Raye, who gave him warm smiles of welcome.
As she was doing this, she felt someone's gaze on her. Looking around, her eyes locked on Darien's. She was surprised at the anger she saw there, but she couldn't think of a reason for it. Pulling her gaze away from Darien's she sat down and waited for the service to begin.
The funeral was lovely as funerals go. It seemed that Ben was liked and respected by many people. As the guests were filing out of the church, Serena noticed some people that were representatives from Sharpe. It seemed that they were offering their condolences to Mrs. Matthews. She also noticed how Darien seemed to act as protector against all those that seemed to overwhelm her. That was one of the things that she admired about him.
Suddenly she was felt a hand on her arm, and she turned around to find Amy at her side.
"You okay Sere?" Amy said, her voice laced with concern.
"Yeah, I'll be alright...let's go back to my apartment. Mina and Lita are probably waiting for us. I'll grab Raye and we'll be on our way" Serena said as she went on search of her friend.
Matthews' Estate-Same Day
Darien felt a little uncomfortable being here at the reading of the will, not only because it seemed that only family members were present, but because of the little scene he saw with Serena and that man. Much OLDER man to be more precise. He still remembers looking back and seeing the warm hug she gave the man. Then he heard her call him 'William', and instantly he remembered the phone conversation that he heard when she first arrived in Miami.
He could do nothing more than stare at them, thoroughly pissed that Serena was showing this man so much affection. He watched as she introduced him to her group of friends from Matthews and noticed the way her hand stayed on his sleeve throughout. At one point she looked up and caught him, not even bothering to hide the look of hostility in his eyes. A confused look came across her face before she turned away.
Darien just shook his head as he heard the door opening and saw that the Matthews' family lawyer finally arrived. Pushing these thoughts out of his mind, he went to grab a seat and listen to what the man had to say. Clearing his throat a couple of times, the lawyer began to speak.
"I know that all of you gathered in this room have just lost a husband, father, or close friend, but I have called you all here today, because you are mentioned in Ben's will. I will try to make this move along swiftly as possible." the family lawyer said as he spread a few papers along the huge oak desk in the study.
Darien just tuned out the sound of his voice and began to think what Ben could have possibly have left him. He knew that they had a close friendship, almost father and son in nature, but this was totally unexpected. When he heard his name, he turned his attention back to the lawyer sitting at the desk.
"And to Darien Walters, I bequeath total control of Matthews Innovations, Inc. until my sons reach the age of twenty-five. He is to perform all duties as President and CEO of said corporation. There is to be one stipulation that he marries within one year of his appointment. If he fails to do so, he will lose his position and all decisions will be made by Timothy Richert, family lawyer."
The only thing that Darien could think of was, *I knew it was too good to be true*
Sharpe Estate-Later that Night
"You incompetent FOOL!! How could you screw up so badly. I paid good money for you and look what happens. You killed the WRONG man. I told you what the consequences would be for failure" the man said to the quivering figure in front of him.
"I'm sorry...but I have some information that you might find useful..."
"SILENCE!! I don't want to hear your excuses! Now whatever you have to say had better be good."
The other man stood there, sweating buckets hoping that what he had to say would be his salvation.
"W-w--ww--well I heard through a reliable source that control of Matthews' has been given to Darien Walters..." the man stuttered. Looking at the fury reflected on the other man's face, he hurried to continue.
"However, there seems to be a condition to him keeping the position. It seems that he has to marry within one year."
The man who sat behind the desk sat back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. *Hmmm....maybe I can use this to my advantage.* Looking behind the nervous man, he gestured to the two men that were hidden in the shadows. Quickly they made their way to the frightened man and grabbed his arms, waiting for their instructions.
Giving the man one last glance, the figure behind the desk looked at the him dispassionately and said to the two burly men, "You know what to do and please make it quick."
Hearing his muffled screams, the man got up from the desk to look out at the black sky thinking of his next move. Whatever it was it had to work because time was running out.
Club Surreal-Later that Week
The music was pulsing and bodies were gyrating to the beat. Five young women were part of the press of bodies in the popular club, trying to let the burdens of the past week fade away. Mina, Lita, Serena, and Raye danced with wild abandon, while Amy sat on the side looking on.
It seemed that Lita and Mina renewed their acquaintance with Mal and Nate. For the past couple of days Mal had taken on the duty of showing Mina around town, while Lita and Nate began to swap recipes.
Serena, Raye and Amy, on the other hand were caught up in a whirlwind of activity. Since the naming of Darien as the president, all department heads were put on notice that the Sharpe merger would most likely be put on hold indefinitely until all transitions had been completed. This left Serena with mounds of papers that had to be filed with the proper authorities.
During this time, she barely had a moment alone with Darien. She really wanted to discuss more in-depth about what he told her, now that she had time to think about it, and also about that kiss. That mind- blowing kiss they shared on the windswept deck under the midnight sky. Serena hadn't felt like that in years, six to be exact. She had to know where they stood.
*I don't think that I'll know anytime soon.* Serena thought as she danced next to Raye, seeing how Mina and Lita were snagged by Mal and Nate as soon as they stepped on the dance floor. Pretty soon, Jayson showed up, stealing Raye and leaving Serena to dance by herself. However, she was not that way for long and was joined by a blond Adonis with a killer smile. She smiled politely and continued to dance, wishing that the person she was dancing with had jet-black hair and magnetic deep blue eyes. Little did she know that her wish would be granted pretty soon.
Using the back entrance, Darien went straight through to the restaurant, not wanting to deal with all the people in the club. Grabbing his usual table, he plopped down the booth and just leaned his head back against the cool headrest. Closing his eyes, he tried to will the burdens of the previous week to go away...if only temporarily.
He was still in shock over the developments of the last week. When the announcement was made that he was taking over for Mr. Matthews, no one was really surprised. Of course this meant that now he would be putting a stop to the merger, but no one was really put out, because now their jobs were safe for the time being. Besides, Darien had other problems, like who he could marry in order to protect the legacy that Ben Matthews worked so hard for.
He couldn't believe that the old man would be so sneaky. He had told Darien many times that he needed to settle down, but Darien never thought that he would be so bold as to do this.
Opening his eyes, he noticed his friend Zach making his way over to the table where he was seated.
"Hey Zach....how ya been?" he asked when his friend was close enough.
"Ahh, I'm doing good. I have something important to tell you, but I think that can wait. My goodness man...you look like shit."
"Gee thanks..." came the sarcastic reply.
"No....seriously....you look tired, like you've been up all the night. Does it have something to do with you talking over at Matthews?" Zach said looking at his friend with concern.
"Correct as always Zach, but there is more to it"
"Like what?" Zach questioned him.
Darien looked dubiously at his friend and said," I don't know if that's such a good idea."
"C'mon you can tell me.....you know I never let secrets out, like remember the time..."
"Oh alright, but you have to promise not to tell a soul....got it?"
"Yeah, so tell me...what's wrong?"
Taking a deep breath, Darien let loose, "There was a condition to me being the head of Matthews....."
"Which is?"
"I have to get married within the year of accepting the position."
Zach was stunned for a minute until he just started laughing saying, "Getting the hell outta here. Now come Darien, tell me the real reason..."
When he didn't get a response, he looked at Darien and realized that this wasn't a crazy prank.
"I see the light dawns........so since you know why I look the way I do, what is it that you have to tell me?" Darien said sardonically, looking at his shocked friend.
"Uhhhh, well I don't know if I should tell you, it seems that you are under enough pressure as is"
"Zach, if you came all the way down here, it must have been important. Now just spit it out!"
"Okay.....Darien I don't know how to tell you this, but I don't believe that Mr. Matthews died of a complex illness."
"What are you talking about?" Darien asked hesitantly.
"I think that it was more simple than that.....I believe that Mr. Matthews was murdered...by a leathal dose of cystol. It's a substance that can trigger the symptoms that Mr. Matthews displayed before he died."
"Why didn't this show up in the medical examiner's report?"
"Because it doesn't show up on any of the tests that we use to screen for toxins in the blood."
Darien just sighed mournfully and thought, *Could this get situation get any worse.....*
Looking away from Zach's grave expression, he focused on the club scene below and spotted something, or rather someone that he had sorely missed over the last few days.
Zach, seeing the slight smile that crossed his friend's face asked him, "Alright, now I know that smile and I know what it means. You have a brilliant idea."
Darien turned around the small smile still playing about his lips. "Zach, I think that I just found the solution to my marital state..."
"Already?!?! Who was down there that could have possibly fit the standard for Darien Walter's wife?"
"Serena...now all I have to do is ask her." Darien responded simply.
*but before I do that I have to find out what the deal is between her and GRANDPA William* he mused,his lips forming a straight line.
It was at this point that another voice joined the conversation.
"So Darien, what exactly do you want to know?" Serena said from the doorway, flanked by her friends on either side.
One thought popped into Darien's head when he heard this question....
*Damn...Damn...DAMN!!!!!!*
to be continued........
Now things are getting outta control... Will Darien find out the truth about Ben's death? Will he ask Serena the BIG question? Will she accept? Stay Tuned and find out!!!!!
I about the I think that this is a good place to end for now, don't you? *dream-chan ducking tomatoes from audience* I guess that was a stupid question, huh? Well, I'm sorry but that is all that you're gonna get!!! Please tell me what you think of this so far....luv ya minna!!!!
This is gonna be long so bear with me!!!! Seems like it's been such a long time since I worked on this story, but I do know one thing....I WILL FINISH THIS FIC, so don't worry about that. Anyway, if you don't already know, I'm co-authoring a fic with my good friend Sere-chan called "Close My Eyes Forever". Please check it out and tell us what you think, alright? Okay...enough self-promotion. I want just want to say thanx to all of those that write me and say howmuch they like this fic, cause that's what keeps a fanfiction author going. So it is that reason that I dedicate this chapter to usagi bunny, moonlover, and Becky. Luv ya guys!!! BTW, I've broken up the dialogue, just to make reading this easier. Sound good? I hope so.
Disclaimer: I just got the call back from Naoko-sama and she said that she IS NOT giving up the rights to Sailor Moon, so please stop calling her!!!! ^.^ Iwould also like to say that there is some material in here that was inspired by the film 'Kiss The Girls'. I hope that covers it!!!
" "=dialogue
* *=thought
** **=conscience
CAPS=emphasis
Title: Reasonable Doubt
Author: Midnight Dreamer
Rating: PG-13 (just in case)
Email:madintellect@hotmail.com
~Ben Matthews is dead [stop] Come home at once [end]~
She couldn't believe it.....she kept seeing the words when she closed her eyes and the sadness would engulf her. After recovering from the shock of the news, Darien whipped his crew into gear, pushing the boat to its limits. Once they reached the mainland, Darien started barking out orders, telling the captain to help everyone disembark. Once this was accomplished, Darien jumped in his car and dragged Serena along with him.
"Where are we going? What about my friends? What's wrong?" Serena asked, a little put out by his commanding behavior.
"I'll take your questions one at a time" Darien said tightly, his eyes never leaving the road.
"First, we are going to the Matthews estate to offer some comfort to his wife and family who must be devastated right now. Second, I talked to Mal and gave him the key to your apartment, and he guaranteed me that he would look after them. Third, I am not alright, not by a long shot. I just lost a close friend, when I thought that everything was coming together in my life. Now that I've answered your questions, are you satisfied?" he said coldly.
"Look you arrogant bastard, I just don't appreciate being dragged around like some goddamn rag doll" Serena replied hotly.
"I'm sorry for that, but I don't have a choice in this" Darien muttered tersely.
"What do you mean that you don't have a choice? It's not yours to make...."
Darien just stopped the car and turned around in his seat to face her. Taking her hand in his, he said, "Serena, I'm sorry for my erratic behavior, but after what we just been through, I'm not ready to let you go yet. Please say you'll go with me?"
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Serena let go of her anger placing her other hand on top of his and said, "Alright....I'm here for you."
Matthews' Estate-That Night
Forty minutes later, they arrived at the Matthews' home. They were still waiting for word of what exactly happened, but it seems that no one knows for sure. Ellen Matthews, his widow, was in a complete state of shock, unable to give anyone answers. As far as anyone knew, it seemed that Mr. Matthews's immune system shut down. The strange thing is that he had no history of any major illness. Darien was making Zach go over Ben's medical history with the Matthews family doctor, and he even had to remark at the impossibility of the situation. While this was going on Serena decided to make the distressing call to Mr. Jacobson (AN: for some of you that probably forgot, he's Serena's boss) and tell him the horrible news. The first thing was he demanded that she get on the plane and come back to New York, but Serena steadfastly refused, not for professional reasons, but for entirely personal intentions. Darien.
A long time ago he made her leave this city. Now it seemed that he was the reason that she was going to stay. Even though his confession answered some of her questions, it brought more. More like 'What Ifs'. Like what if Darien had told her about his problem when they together? What if she hadn't run away to New York, trying to forget about him?
Serena just let a small groan at all the drama that seemed to be in her life as of late. She could not understand why her dream was so elusive. A happy marriage, family and a great career. Those were the things that she had wanted with Darien, and now that he told his side of the story, she wondered if that wasn't so impossible.
Few Days Later-St. Michael's Cathedral
The cathedral in which the service would be held had turned into a fragrant bower of flowers, since wreaths surrounded the coffin from every angle. Some state officials even sent their condolences. Serena sat with her friends Amy and Raye during the services. Looking forward, she could see the somber clad figure of Darien, as he sat with Mr. Matthews's widow and family. He had a supporting arm around Mrs. Matthews, trying his best to give comfort to the grieving woman.
She pulled out of her reverie when she heard someone calling her name.
"Serena..." a gruff voice called out.
Turning around, she saw William, sadness in his face. Getting up she ran over to him and gave him a hug.
"Oh William, you didn't have to come down. I know this must be hard for you." Serena said, a comforting hand on his arm.
"He was such a good friend...I had to show my respects."
"I understand. Come on, you can sit with me and my friends." Serena said as she guided him towards the pew she was sitting. Then she formally introduced him to Amy and Raye, who gave him warm smiles of welcome.
As she was doing this, she felt someone's gaze on her. Looking around, her eyes locked on Darien's. She was surprised at the anger she saw there, but she couldn't think of a reason for it. Pulling her gaze away from Darien's she sat down and waited for the service to begin.
The funeral was lovely as funerals go. It seemed that Ben was liked and respected by many people. As the guests were filing out of the church, Serena noticed some people that were representatives from Sharpe. It seemed that they were offering their condolences to Mrs. Matthews. She also noticed how Darien seemed to act as protector against all those that seemed to overwhelm her. That was one of the things that she admired about him.
Suddenly she was felt a hand on her arm, and she turned around to find Amy at her side.
"You okay Sere?" Amy said, her voice laced with concern.
"Yeah, I'll be alright...let's go back to my apartment. Mina and Lita are probably waiting for us. I'll grab Raye and we'll be on our way" Serena said as she went on search of her friend.
Matthews' Estate-Same Day
Darien felt a little uncomfortable being here at the reading of the will, not only because it seemed that only family members were present, but because of the little scene he saw with Serena and that man. Much OLDER man to be more precise. He still remembers looking back and seeing the warm hug she gave the man. Then he heard her call him 'William', and instantly he remembered the phone conversation that he heard when she first arrived in Miami.
He could do nothing more than stare at them, thoroughly pissed that Serena was showing this man so much affection. He watched as she introduced him to her group of friends from Matthews and noticed the way her hand stayed on his sleeve throughout. At one point she looked up and caught him, not even bothering to hide the look of hostility in his eyes. A confused look came across her face before she turned away.
Darien just shook his head as he heard the door opening and saw that the Matthews' family lawyer finally arrived. Pushing these thoughts out of his mind, he went to grab a seat and listen to what the man had to say. Clearing his throat a couple of times, the lawyer began to speak.
"I know that all of you gathered in this room have just lost a husband, father, or close friend, but I have called you all here today, because you are mentioned in Ben's will. I will try to make this move along swiftly as possible." the family lawyer said as he spread a few papers along the huge oak desk in the study.
Darien just tuned out the sound of his voice and began to think what Ben could have possibly have left him. He knew that they had a close friendship, almost father and son in nature, but this was totally unexpected. When he heard his name, he turned his attention back to the lawyer sitting at the desk.
"And to Darien Walters, I bequeath total control of Matthews Innovations, Inc. until my sons reach the age of twenty-five. He is to perform all duties as President and CEO of said corporation. There is to be one stipulation that he marries within one year of his appointment. If he fails to do so, he will lose his position and all decisions will be made by Timothy Richert, family lawyer."
The only thing that Darien could think of was, *I knew it was too good to be true*
Sharpe Estate-Later that Night
"You incompetent FOOL!! How could you screw up so badly. I paid good money for you and look what happens. You killed the WRONG man. I told you what the consequences would be for failure" the man said to the quivering figure in front of him.
"I'm sorry...but I have some information that you might find useful..."
"SILENCE!! I don't want to hear your excuses! Now whatever you have to say had better be good."
The other man stood there, sweating buckets hoping that what he had to say would be his salvation.
"W-w--ww--well I heard through a reliable source that control of Matthews' has been given to Darien Walters..." the man stuttered. Looking at the fury reflected on the other man's face, he hurried to continue.
"However, there seems to be a condition to him keeping the position. It seems that he has to marry within one year."
The man who sat behind the desk sat back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. *Hmmm....maybe I can use this to my advantage.* Looking behind the nervous man, he gestured to the two men that were hidden in the shadows. Quickly they made their way to the frightened man and grabbed his arms, waiting for their instructions.
Giving the man one last glance, the figure behind the desk looked at the him dispassionately and said to the two burly men, "You know what to do and please make it quick."
Hearing his muffled screams, the man got up from the desk to look out at the black sky thinking of his next move. Whatever it was it had to work because time was running out.
Club Surreal-Later that Week
The music was pulsing and bodies were gyrating to the beat. Five young women were part of the press of bodies in the popular club, trying to let the burdens of the past week fade away. Mina, Lita, Serena, and Raye danced with wild abandon, while Amy sat on the side looking on.
It seemed that Lita and Mina renewed their acquaintance with Mal and Nate. For the past couple of days Mal had taken on the duty of showing Mina around town, while Lita and Nate began to swap recipes.
Serena, Raye and Amy, on the other hand were caught up in a whirlwind of activity. Since the naming of Darien as the president, all department heads were put on notice that the Sharpe merger would most likely be put on hold indefinitely until all transitions had been completed. This left Serena with mounds of papers that had to be filed with the proper authorities.
During this time, she barely had a moment alone with Darien. She really wanted to discuss more in-depth about what he told her, now that she had time to think about it, and also about that kiss. That mind- blowing kiss they shared on the windswept deck under the midnight sky. Serena hadn't felt like that in years, six to be exact. She had to know where they stood.
*I don't think that I'll know anytime soon.* Serena thought as she danced next to Raye, seeing how Mina and Lita were snagged by Mal and Nate as soon as they stepped on the dance floor. Pretty soon, Jayson showed up, stealing Raye and leaving Serena to dance by herself. However, she was not that way for long and was joined by a blond Adonis with a killer smile. She smiled politely and continued to dance, wishing that the person she was dancing with had jet-black hair and magnetic deep blue eyes. Little did she know that her wish would be granted pretty soon.
Using the back entrance, Darien went straight through to the restaurant, not wanting to deal with all the people in the club. Grabbing his usual table, he plopped down the booth and just leaned his head back against the cool headrest. Closing his eyes, he tried to will the burdens of the previous week to go away...if only temporarily.
He was still in shock over the developments of the last week. When the announcement was made that he was taking over for Mr. Matthews, no one was really surprised. Of course this meant that now he would be putting a stop to the merger, but no one was really put out, because now their jobs were safe for the time being. Besides, Darien had other problems, like who he could marry in order to protect the legacy that Ben Matthews worked so hard for.
He couldn't believe that the old man would be so sneaky. He had told Darien many times that he needed to settle down, but Darien never thought that he would be so bold as to do this.
Opening his eyes, he noticed his friend Zach making his way over to the table where he was seated.
"Hey Zach....how ya been?" he asked when his friend was close enough.
"Ahh, I'm doing good. I have something important to tell you, but I think that can wait. My goodness man...you look like shit."
"Gee thanks..." came the sarcastic reply.
"No....seriously....you look tired, like you've been up all the night. Does it have something to do with you talking over at Matthews?" Zach said looking at his friend with concern.
"Correct as always Zach, but there is more to it"
"Like what?" Zach questioned him.
Darien looked dubiously at his friend and said," I don't know if that's such a good idea."
"C'mon you can tell me.....you know I never let secrets out, like remember the time..."
"Oh alright, but you have to promise not to tell a soul....got it?"
"Yeah, so tell me...what's wrong?"
Taking a deep breath, Darien let loose, "There was a condition to me being the head of Matthews....."
"Which is?"
"I have to get married within the year of accepting the position."
Zach was stunned for a minute until he just started laughing saying, "Getting the hell outta here. Now come Darien, tell me the real reason..."
When he didn't get a response, he looked at Darien and realized that this wasn't a crazy prank.
"I see the light dawns........so since you know why I look the way I do, what is it that you have to tell me?" Darien said sardonically, looking at his shocked friend.
"Uhhhh, well I don't know if I should tell you, it seems that you are under enough pressure as is"
"Zach, if you came all the way down here, it must have been important. Now just spit it out!"
"Okay.....Darien I don't know how to tell you this, but I don't believe that Mr. Matthews died of a complex illness."
"What are you talking about?" Darien asked hesitantly.
"I think that it was more simple than that.....I believe that Mr. Matthews was murdered...by a leathal dose of cystol. It's a substance that can trigger the symptoms that Mr. Matthews displayed before he died."
"Why didn't this show up in the medical examiner's report?"
"Because it doesn't show up on any of the tests that we use to screen for toxins in the blood."
Darien just sighed mournfully and thought, *Could this get situation get any worse.....*
Looking away from Zach's grave expression, he focused on the club scene below and spotted something, or rather someone that he had sorely missed over the last few days.
Zach, seeing the slight smile that crossed his friend's face asked him, "Alright, now I know that smile and I know what it means. You have a brilliant idea."
Darien turned around the small smile still playing about his lips. "Zach, I think that I just found the solution to my marital state..."
"Already?!?! Who was down there that could have possibly fit the standard for Darien Walter's wife?"
"Serena...now all I have to do is ask her." Darien responded simply.
*but before I do that I have to find out what the deal is between her and GRANDPA William* he mused,his lips forming a straight line.
It was at this point that another voice joined the conversation.
"So Darien, what exactly do you want to know?" Serena said from the doorway, flanked by her friends on either side.
One thought popped into Darien's head when he heard this question....
*Damn...Damn...DAMN!!!!!!*
to be continued........
Now things are getting outta control... Will Darien find out the truth about Ben's death? Will he ask Serena the BIG question? Will she accept? Stay Tuned and find out!!!!!
I about the I think that this is a good place to end for now, don't you? *dream-chan ducking tomatoes from audience* I guess that was a stupid question, huh? Well, I'm sorry but that is all that you're gonna get!!! Please tell me what you think of this so far....luv ya minna!!!!