Hello Hello-this is Rora here

Disclaimer: K- here I go again, everything mentioned in chapters 1-5 still apply. I do not own Sailor Moon.

Fire and Lace

Story by Hitomi De Fanel

Edited by Rora

Chapter Six

"D-don't hu- she choked with a whimper as he pressed her against the counter. She struggled to control the fear that held her like a rabbit in a trap.

"What was that?" Brad whispered hoarsely in her ear. As he drew her closer the tears streaked down her cheek. "I can please you" He mumbled. She shook her head pushing her palms against his chest. He wrapped his free hand about her waist. "What are you afraid of Serena?" He whispered nuzzling her neck.

"I'm not interested" she replied her heart pounding in her ears  " I want y-you to let me go, NOW!" she yelled trying to sound more, angry than scared, but failing. She could feel his grip tighten about her waist.  She struggled against his grasp. He held her so close she could feel the heat of his body.

He began to place kisses on her collarbone ignoring her statement, or not hearing it. His desire clouding his senses he placed kisses up her neck. "Do you know what you do to me, Serena?" Brad mumbled huskily against her neck. "All I seem to think about is you." He tightened his grip against her struggles. "God, your skin is so soft" he whispered, his kisses trailing across her chin. She turned her head as he neared her mouth. Her struggles became more frantic with each moment. He pulled back slightly, noticing how her body trembled with fear. His mind replayed the situation as he stared at her. "What are you afraid of?" he asked his tone serious as he paused for a moment. His thoughts were still hazy.  A nasty thought echoed in his mind. "Because she doesn't want you, you idiot, she wants him"

 "You still think he cares about you?? He asked in a harsh tone causing her breath to catch in her throat. He grabbed her shoulders shaking her roughly.  "Answer Me," he yelled.

"NO!" she finally yelled back. "I don't think that. Why are you doing this?" she asked sobs racking her voice. "I know he doesn't, Ok," she said her voice shaking as she fought for control. "J-just let me go" she stammered her tone pleading. "Y-you're scaring me." She concluded voice broken by half-controlled sobs.

 Her words took him back for a moment. He looked in her sky blue eyes which were wide with fear, filled to the brim with unshed tears. As if replaying her words in his mind he closed his eyes. When he opened them again he was filled with self-loathing.  "I'm s-sorry, I would never...I won't hurt you, Serena? He slowly stepped back.

 She turned her face away from him "Just let go. I'm t-tired. I have to work tomorrow? She whispered eyes still turned to the door. She felt his hands drop from her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he whispered closing his eyes. He could hear her footsteps toward the door "I Think I love you" he said just below a whisper as she ran swiftly through the door. He stayed in the kitchen for a long time. "What the hell. How did I lose control so quickly?" He thought. He tried hard to figure out how he lost control of his emotions.  "Damn it!" he yelled grabbing his glass throwing it against the wall. He stood looking at the shattered glass. "I tried to," his thoughts plagued him "I can't believe I did that! I must be going crazy." He leaned his back against the counter "I definitely would have," he slid to the floor  "She felt so good though" he concluded putting his head in his hands. "I need another drink," he leaned his head back against the cabinet

Serena reached her room in record time. She closed the door and quickly locked it. She stood before her door, tried to calm her heart. It was beating so hard she feared it might stop soon. She could still feel his touch. She shivered.   It suddenly felt cold in her room. The places his hands touched felt tender. She knew he had left bruises. She backed toward her bed, staring at the door as if she feared he might be outside it. The need to rid herself of his touch overwhelmed her. She ran to her bathroom. She stood before her sink washcloth in hand; she began to scrub the spots on her face and neck he kissed. She could feel her tears fall as her hands shook. She dropped the cloth in the sink, as she dropped to the floor sobbing. She could not believe one person could have so much crap happen in such a short time. "He didn't mean it." She stated aloud trying to convince herself. "He was drunk. It didn't mean anything.  He won't even remember tomorrow, hopefully" She thought wiping the tears from her eyes. She never liked Brad, he always seemed to get on her nerves, but she never felt afraid of him before. The smell of liquor reminded her of a time she tried so hard to forget. She shook her head and pulled herself to her feet. She walked to her bed, pulled back the large white comforter and climbed in. The weight of the comforter gave her a sense of security as she pulled it up under her neck. She lay staring at the ceiling until the sound of footstep in the hall caught her attention. She held her breath as they stopped outside her door for a long moment. When they continued on she let out her breath stepping out of bed. She grabbed the chair from her vanity and placed it under the door. "Just in case" she thought as she returned to her bed. It was a long time before she was able to drift to sleep.

 

Her dreams plagued with events of the past and present. "Mere," she whimpered in her sleep. "S'arreter," she mumbled as she tossed and turned in her bed. Only the sound of her alarm brought her from her restless slumber. She reached out blindly, pressed the alarm button. She glanced at the clock. Seven o'clock. Her dream fading from memory she dragged out of bed. She saw the chair wedged under the door. Her thoughts returned to the confrontation last night. She closed her eyes for a moment. "Please let him have gone home," she thought opening her eyes. She went to her bathroom drawing a warm bath. Then she went to find something to wear. After a few minutes walking around her closet, she picked a pair of beige Capri pants. The white t-shirt she picked had a light blue lily that looked painted on. Satisfied with her selection she returned to the bathroom. Once dressed she put on a pair of white Nike's and socks. She walked toward her door pulling her hair into a high ponytail. The chair wedged against the door was removed slowly as she took a deep breath. She reached up and unlocked the door. She walked out the room determined to act as if nothing had happened. There was not a noise to be heard. For a moment she believed he might have actually went home. On her way to the door she could smell the distinct aroma of pancakes. "I can't believe the bastard is still here!" She screamed in her head. She stopped at the door as she heard something in the dining room.

"Serena" Brad entered the room. His hair was ruffled as if he had run his hands through it several times in the last second. He wore a pair of dark blue suit pants with a lighter blue shirt. The top buttons to his shirt loose and a tie hung loose about his neck.

Serena could feel a lump form in her throat " Oh god, He must remember." She thought as she turned to face him. "He looks really nervous." She paused in thought looking at his distracted appearance. "Good, he should be nervous."  She thought brows furrowed as she stared at him for a moment. "What?"  She asked her voice icy calm.

"I made breakfast. You should eat before you go." He stated in the same calm tone. His gaze never left her.

 

"I'm not hungry" she lied. She usually grabbed a muffin at work. She looked at him for a moment the look in his eyes was unnerving.  When she could bare it no longer her eyes went to the floor, the wall anywhere other than his eyes. The intensity she witnessed there brought a warm feeling to her belly. She turned toward the door again

"Serena, please stay and eat." His tone was very low.  "I need to talk to you," he began to walk toward her.

"We have nothing to talk about" Serena said angrily, turning around to face him. An action she instantly regretted. She wanted nothing more than to leave his company. She turned her eyes away heading to the door.

"Wait!" he yelled as her hand reached the doorknob causing her to jump slightly. "Please," he continued his voice soft yet strained. "I want to apologize for my behavior last night," He said with a gentle tone, which sounded sincere. "I was not myself. He paused with a sigh "I should not have been drinking." He rubbed the back of his neck, then continued. "It really seems to bring out the worst in me," He ran his fingers through his hair. His eyes darkened with frustration. "I swear... I am so sorry for what I-I did and said. I had no right to say any of it." He shook his head. He drew a deep breath and continued "I don't expect you to forgive me Serena, but I really don't want this between us. I know I did some awful things. I know you hate me for what I did." His voice strained on the words. "I just want you to know how very sorry I am. Please believe me, I never wanted to hurt you," He searched her features for a sign. A sign that she understood how he felt. His eyes filled with remorse.  

She finally looked at him. He had never tried to hurt her before. She didn't want to think of him as the monster she saw the night before. "I know, I-I believe you," She replied slowly. She looked in his eyes for a moment. She wanted to believe him, even as a voice in the back of her head yelled run. She did not want to make things worse, perhaps it would be better to forgive and forget.  "I guess I can stay for pancakes," she sighed with a forced smile as she walked to the dining room he smiled slightly at her then went to take a seat. She began to eat the pancakes that proved to be quite good. She had begun to relax when she could feel, literally feel his eyes on her. With that feeling on her Serena ate quickly anxious to leave. The whole forgive and forget proved a difficult task to achieve. She glanced at the clock as she drank her milk. "I have to get going," she said once her mouth was empty.

"Do you need a ride to work?" Brad asked as he watched her finish off her pancakes.

She looked at him as if he had grown a limb from his head. Her thoughts wondered to the last time he gave her a ride. "Yeah, right" she thought as she stood up lifting her plate.  "No, I'm riding with Kimee" she walked through the joining door to the kitchen. When she walked back in Brad was standing plate in hand. He stopped to look at her. She could see the tension in his eyes laced with another emotion she didn't care to analyze at the time. "We'll, thanks for breakfast," she said over her shoulder as she left the room. She went to the closet to get a jacket. "Bye" she yelled as she went out the door.

Serena was standing in front of her building when she heard the familiar sound of Kimee's bike. A young girl with long black hair and hazel eyes rode up "What's up girlfriend?" Kimee asked in her thick Jamaican, stopping her bike at the curb.

 

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" Serena said. She put on the spare helmet getting on the back of the bike.

"Ok, if you say so. I will just have to get the info from Lita then" Kimee said with a smile as she started down the street.   She could her Serena's exasperated sigh over the hum of the bike.

Kimee unlocked the gated door to a small shop between a bookstore and a record store. The Front was all glass giving full view of the inside. The sign that hung above the door read Zoë's Java house. "So tell all," Kimee said barely allowing Serena in the door.

Serena looked up at the ceiling rolling her eyes "You hang around Lita to much. I swear you've started to sound just like her." She said as she went behind the counter. She pulled an apron from a drawer, wrapping it about her waist. She turned to see Kimee opening the office. She returned with a cash drawer, placing it in the Till. Serena flipped a switch by the counter and the open sign lit up.

"Well?" Kimee asked as she placed a tray of pastry in a large oven. The next tray held oversized muffins.

"I really don't want to talk about it." Serena sighed. The look on Serena's face was the complete opposite of her usual chipper expression.

"Ok, jeez man, I'll drop it" Kimee said reluctantly. She pulled a tray from the oven. The room filled with the smell of fresh muffins. 

Serena smiled inhaling the delightful aroma  "You know I love the chocolate ones," she smiled for the first time since they arrived.  She leaned down to turn on the shops hip-hop music. Then she turned on the coffee machines. The day seemed to really drag. Even though they had quit a few customers for a Sunday. Serena found her thoughts wondering to other places, other people than the ones she was serving. She was deep in thought when a deep voice interrupted her.

"Excuse me, miss." He called from behind her. Serena turned to see a tall man with handsome features. His light brown hair was combed back giving full view of his eyes. They were blue with a hint of green that was only apparent when the sun hit them just right. He wore a pair of jeans and a snug t-shirt. Serena thought he looked like a guy from a coke commercial. Her mind was on this track when her gaze finally reached his face.  She was met with a similar gaze. His eyes danced with an amused glint.

"Um, sorry," Serena blushed. She tried to force the warmth from her cheeks. After a moment of this her cheeks still held a slight blush. She had surely been caught gawking at him by the broad grin on his face. "What can I get you?" She asked with a smile. She could hear the shop door open as he opened his mouth to respond.

"Now Andrew, don't pester Serena" Charles called from behind the man before he could respond. His dark emerald eyes sparkled. He had his dark brown hair that almost reached his shoulder loose. He reached the counter in a few strides, a mischievous smile on his lips.

 "Two double lattés" Andrew offered as he took a seat on a stool

 "So what kind of trouble have you been getting into?" Charles reached over the counter to tug her ponytail. He ignored her whine of annoyance as he settled himself on a stool next to Andrew.

"Me trouble, never," She replied with a shake of her head an innocent smile on her face. She could see his smile widen as she turned to get their latte's

 "I don't know about that, I did see you at Erik's club Friday night? Charles said a chuckle apparent in his tone.

 

To be continued?

Just a note: Hi everyone! Thanks for the reviews, critiques, and encouragement. I really appreciate it. This is an edited chapter thanks to a great writer named Rora. She is an AWESOME author. Her pen name is Aurora Eos Rose.  I suggest you check out her story "Redemption" It will hook you. As will all her stories. They are just that great Well Chow for now!

Hitomi