Author's Notes:
Here is another chapter of DE. I really think that I lot of you are going to like this chapter because many of the questions that people have asked me are going to be answered!!!! *audience starts jumping up and down* As always, thanx goes to my pre-reader Cyperian-chan for the great suggestions! ^_^ and of course to the most important folks out there.....the FANS! *s* I hope you like this.
WARNING: As this story progresses, some of the characters may seem a bit OOC, but please bear with me! ^_~
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine, and neither is this song. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Jill Scott respectively. If this story seems anyway familiar to yours or one that you have read, please tell me so I can give credit where credit is due. Thanx minna!
'Slowly, surely'
Slowly surely I walk away from
That ole desperate and dazed love
Caught up in the maze of love
The crazy craze of love
Thought it was good
Thought it was real
Thought it was but it wasn't love
I just don't know
Where to go
So...
Slowly surely
I walk away from
Self-serving, undeserving
Constantly hurting me love, deserting me love
You said
I said
We said but...
Slowly surely I walk away from
Confusing love, abusing love, misusing love
This can't be...
Slowly surely
I walk away from
Self-serving, undeserving
Constantly hurting me love, deserting me love
You said
I said
We said but...
Slowly surely I walk away from
That ole desperate and dazed love
Caught up in the maze of love
The crazy craze of love
Thought it was good
Thought it was real
Thought it was but it wasn't love
I just don't know
Where to go
Slowly, surely
I walk away from...
You...you...you...you.
-Jill Scott
Title: Dark Epiphany
Author: Midnight Dreamer
Rating: R (swearing)
Email: madintellect@hotmail.com
AIM: Dreamchan2001
Sitting in her apartment with folders from her office spread all over the living room, Serena sat on her couch, remembering the memorial service her family held for her baby. At first she was totally against it, because of the pain that the memories would bring, but her mother convinced her that it was only right to remember a life, no matter how long it was alive. So with a heavy heart, she consented.
She told her friends and sent a note to Darien tell him about the service as promised. She had to admit that she was surprised to see him come to the service, seeing how they had parted ways. On the other hand, she reassured to know that he was there, because now she knew that there was someone that shared the pain, instead of her taking the full brunt of it alone.
Flashback
The day of the memorial service was filled with sunshine and a slight breeze as spring finally made its way to London. During the service, Serena felt her heart start to race....a feeling that only meant one thing. Darien was near. Instinctually turned around, she was not surprised to see Darien sitting by himself in the back of the church, a distant look on his face.
After the vicar had spoke the traditional words of comfort, the bereaved made their way towards the small cemetery in the back of the church to pay their last respects to a life that had yet to begin. Her friends and family had come to place flowers on the grave, while Serena stood to the side watching.
When everyone had gone, she went to the little cross that stood as a symbol for the passing of her child. Placing a white rose underneath, she let a single tear roll down her face.
"I'm so sorry that I never got to know you....hold you...kiss you...but I know that you are in a better place, and maybe God wasn't ready to let you go just yet, my precious angel. Remember, Mama loves you." and with that she turned around and headed back to the church where her parents were waiting for her.
As she walked away, she couldn't help but to look back and saw Darien standing at the spot she just vacated. Even though she couldn't hear what he was saying, she could see the anguish on his face as he said his words to their child. Once again, all she wanted to do was run to him and tell him that it would be okay. To smooth the ebony bangs away from his face and cuddle him as they both released their grief. However, that was no longer her place.
Gritting her teeth, she turned away and let him have the privacy that he gave her.
End Flashback
She hadn't told anyone that he was there, so that there wouldn't be any confrontation, but for a slight moment, she wished that everything were back to the way they used to be. When Seiya was comforting her, she had wanted Darien to be there instead. Not that she wasn't grateful to Seiya for being so understanding and thoughtful, but there were times when she felt a little uncomfortable in his presence, but she chalked that up to the mistrust she had of all men after what Darien did to her.
Then, just as she was beginning to believe that she was getting over what happened between her and Darien, she ran into that class A bitch by the name of Charlotte Winters. She could just see how insincere the other woman was for what she did, which made the encounter more painful. She wished that she had enough power to knock the other woman out after what she said about her and Darien.
Even though her stomach turned every time she thought of Darien with that 'woman', Serena still couldn't forget what she used to have with him. Protection, security, and love. The only thing that was missing was trust...only to be replaced by a searing anger she felt towards Darien, because of the stress she was put under that was a critical factor in her miscarriage. She had wanted to call him all sorts of names, but she had to remember that he had lost a child as well. So, she settled for the next best thing. To cut herself off from Darien completely and hope that with time she would forget him.
The only problem with that was...he still lived within her heart and refused to fade away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taking advantage of coming to the office early, Darien started to go over the reports from his project team. Everything seemed to be going well, which really amazed him due to the fact that his personal life was a living hell. Besides losing the love of his life, he was now committed to a woman that he detested on site. Every time Charlotte came near him, the skin on the back of his neck began to crawl, but he would endure this, knowing that there was now someone else to consider....his unborn child. For brief moments, he even thought how easy it would be to just slit his wrists and be done with it all, but he knew that he would never do that, because he refused to leave a child of his alone in the world without his protection.
She had told him about a pre-natal appointment she scheduled for today, and that she would like for him to come along. He agreed go, out of what he liked to think of as responsibility, but truth be told, that was not his only motivation. He wanted to make sure for himself that the child was healthy and strong, especially after what happened to Serena in Jamaica.
Flashback
He slipped silently in just before the ceremony started, taking a seat in one of the pews in the back, away from the others that had come here to comfort the grief-stricken family. Looking towards the front, he could see Serena being supported by Seiya who had his arm around her shoulders, speaking to her quietly. At that moment, Darien had never felt such blind rage and jealousy for anyone in his life. It took all the control he had not to go up there to forcibly remove Seiya from Serena so he could take his place, and connect with Serena through the only bond they had left. The grief over the death of their child.
*That should be ME! Not that stupid bastard! Just slipping right into place....* he thought angrily, turning is gaze away from the two friends.
Looking up again, he gazed right back into the eyes that haunted him every time he closed his. Even though it lasted for a few seconds, Darien felt somehow that she was grateful for him to be there. After the ceremony, Darien left the church, not wanting anyone to see him there in case it would cause 'problems'. Keeping his distance, he followed the crowd to the cemetery behind the church, where they had erected a little cross to symbolize the resting place of the baby. He watched as family and friends placed flowers on top of the grave, before heading back to their cars. He waited until at last he saw Serena was the only person left standing there. He watched as she placed a single white rose and said something that he couldn't quite make out. Then she turned around and walked away, the tearstains evident on her face. Once she passed him, he finally walked up to the little cross and placed a red rose. Then he fell on his knees and cried the tears of man that was broken. At one point, he felt that he was being watched but ignored it, knowing that no one would come to offer him any comfort.
After a few minutes, he stood up and brushed the grass off his knees. Getting his emotions in check, he wiped his face and quickly strode to his car. In a flash, he was gone, not looking back.
End Flashback
On top of this, he also had to deal with a vindictive best friend by the name of Seiya Roberts. The daily barbs and glares the men exchanged daily was becoming tedious. Darien dreaded every meeting that they had to attend, because of the constant tension he felt from the other man. However, it seemed that they had both made the same choice to not let personal opinions affect their working relationship. The man did know what he was talking about. Darien could sincerely say that if Seiya wasn't on board for this project, then it would probably take longer than the proposed six months, but everything was ahead of schedule for once.
However, once business issues were out the way, Seiya never hesitated to also make the insinuation that him and Serena were becoming closer that their friendship warranted. Of course this made Darien's blood boil with anger and jealousy. Anger because he felt that Seiya was taking advantage of the situation, but that was not his concern anymore. Serena had made that perfectly clear.
Hearing the alarm go off on his wristwatch, he sighed, knowing that he had to face the reality of what was happening in his life. Grabbing his coat, he walked out the office, to go to the hospital in a show of solidarity to the woman that would be the mother of his child.
No matter how much he wished that was not the case.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After visiting with her last patient in the pediatric wing, Amy made her way to the other side of the hospital for a consultation with the patient that Greg had talked about. She just couldn't believe it. Charlotte Winters, the woman that had destroyed everything that her friend held dear, was now having a child of her own. Amy felt that it just wasn't fair how fate played out at times.
Going to the memorial service for Serena's baby had been a bit difficult, seeing the heart-wrenching pain that her best friend was going through, but she somehow knew that she would be alright, because Serena was surrounded by family and friends that love and cherish her dearly.
Knocking on the door, Amy plastered a smile on her face and walked in. However she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a person that she thought never to associate with again.
Sitting in a chair beside the examination table was Darien Reece.
Looking at his face, Amy could tell that he was just as shocked at seeing her there as well. They stared at each other for a long moment before their attention was distracted.
"Oh there you are! I was just telling Ms. Winters and Mr. Reece about you...." Greg said as he got up to close the door behind her.
*What in the world is going on here?* Amy thought worriedly, as she continued to look between the smug and indifferent expressions of Charlotte and Darien.
"Dr. Masterson, this is the patient that I was telling you about." Greg said as he gestured to Charlotte. "Charlotte Winters, I would like for you to meet, Dr. Masterson, the pediatrician I referred you to, and this is her fiancé, Darien Reece." Greg said as he finished the introductions.
Amy couldn't believe it! It took all the professionalism she had not to jump on Darien and tear him to bits.
*Charlotte and Darien are ENGAGED?!?!? Does Serena know about this?* she thought wildly, hoping that Darien had at least the common courtesy to tell her.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Winters..." she said coolly, grasping the other woman's hand only for a second before letting go. "And I have already met Mr. Reece..." she said quietly, not trusting herself to speak any louder.
"Oh really....where from?" Greg asked, a pleased expression on his face.
Amy turned and looked Darien straight in the eyes and replied, "A mutual friend, isn't that so Darien?"
"Yes." he replied evenly, trying keep the nervousness from creeping into his voice.
Oblivious to the crackling tension, Greg continued, "Well, this makes things a bit easier...."
"Yes, it does. Well, if that is-" Amy was saying before she was cut off by the sound of her beeper.
Trying not to let her relief show, Amy said, "I'm sorry, but I've just gotten a page about one of my patients. If you care to contact me any further, I'm sure Dr. Stanford will tell you how. Good Day." and with that, she left thinking that she was home free, before she heard name being called by a man she actually judged wrongly.
She never liked to be proven wrong on anything.
"Dr. Masterson....." Darien yelled, knowing that she would respond, no matter how much she wanted to ignore him.
Turning around she faced him, her anger barely held in check.
"What can I do for you Mr. Reece?" she said in a clipped tone, trying to keep it as professional as possible.
"Please Amy.....listen to me. I know that you want to tell Serena about what you just found out, but I'm asking you to keep it to yourself."
"How can you ask me to do that? I don't hurt those that I care about...unlike you..."
"That was a low blow Amy....I thought that you would at least be reasonable...." he said quietly, not knowing the effect his words would have on the woman in front of him.
"REASONABLE?!?!?! You betrayed my best friend, and you want me to be REASONABLE?!? I don't think that's going to happen, so I suggest you and your 'fiancée' look for a new pediatrician" she said in a hushed whisper as not to rouse interest from people passing by.
"Amy....please..." he pleaded, trying to fix whatever he said to make her react this way.
"Listen for what Darien? To the same lies you told Serena? I don't think so. Now if there isn't anything else that you have to say to me, I'm leaving. I have rounds to make." and with that, she turned on her heel and briskly walked away, her doctor coat swishing behind her.
Before she had even gone a few steps, she turned back around and forced him to look at her.
"Oh by the way....you have two weeks to gather what little courage you have to tell Serena the complete truth. If not, I take the matter in my own hands, understood? Don't test me Darien, cause the only thing that prevented me from kicking your ass was my oath as a doctor not to harm anyone, but I will break it if I need to." she said hotly before striding down the corridor, leaving a shell-shocked Darien looking after her.
When Darien walked back into the room, Charlotte saw the blank expression on his face, and asked, "Is everything okay?"
Snapping out of it, Darien ignored her question, and instead asked Greg, "Dr. Stanford, is there anyway that you could determine paternity now?"
Looking a little taken aback, Greg answered slowly, "Well, yes...there is a new procedure that allows for paternity to be determined while the baby is in utero."
Before Greg could explain any further, Charlotte interrupted with a question of her own. "Why do you want this testing done Darien?" Charlotte asked with a whining quality to her voice.
"I just don't want there to be any doubt 'darling'. Do you have a problem with that?" he replied sarcastically, not caring if the doctor knew that this relationship was for appearances only.
"Absolutely none." she replied, not wanting to risk saying anymore.
"How long would the results take?" Darien asked, wanting an immediate response.
"About three weeks...give or take a few days. I would perform the tests today, but unfortunately I have a C-section scheduled in an hour. If you want, you can make an another appointment for in a few days. Sound good?"
"That will be fine doctor. Thanks for your time today, and we'll see you in a few days."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walking quickly through the halls of Terra Engineering, Seiya was on a mission. To find the woman that was becoming a pain in the ass. Charlotte Winters. After that little fiasco at the cafe, he had been really pissed. He had wanted to strangle her for the stunt she pulled, but had to concentrate on finding Serena and making sure she was alright. It took a while, but he finally got her to calm down enough to tell him what had happened between the two women. He had felt like shit for what he had put his best friend through, and was a little disgusted with himself that he had ever used such underhanded tactics. After that, he made the decision to tell Charlotte, that he was severing their 'partnership'.
He had tried to talk to her for the past couple of days, but she had avoided him until the she sent an email to him this morning, requesting that he come to her office this morning. Seiya couldn't have been happier to be done with the whole mess.
Finally making it to his destination, he knocked on the door, and not waiting to for an answer, turned the doorknob and walked in.
"Now what do you want? This whole situation is growing tiresome..." he began without preamble.
"I know, but now it's time for you to help me..." she replied, not missing a beat in the conversation.
"What?!?? That little act you played out set me back and you didn't even tell her about the pregnancy like you said you would. I think we should keep this to a one-shot deal."
"I don't think so Seiya...."
"I don't care what you think! That's the way it's going to be!" he said, a tad bit irritated by her presumptions.
Changing strategies, she got up and turned around to face him with a mischievous look about her.
"Want me to let you in a little secret?" she asked, looking like she was about to burst if she didn't tell someone soon.
"What could it possibly be?" he asked in a bored tone, but she knew that she had caught him off guard.
"I have wanted Darien for years. We actually were in the same class at university. During my junior year, I had finally gotten up the courage to talk to him, because back then I was terribly shy. However, before I could even approach him, I see a little blonde girl with her hands all over him. I was furious, I mean who did she think she was. I made it a point to find out all I could on both of them. After graduation,
I decided to move on and forget, but fate brought me back to London to work at Terra and Darien. I was devastated to learn that he was engaged but I patiently waited and an opportunity plopped down in my lap. I was put on the bidding team that got the PCI contract. Now the only thing left was to make him realize that I was the one for him. What I didn't know is that Darien is one man who still lives by the rules. So, I knew that I had to get him into a situation where he would draw conclusions as to what happened. Seeing how he's so 'noble', I know that it would be but a matter of time before he confessed everything. I didn't count his ditzy fiancée showing up, but that just speeded things along." she finished her narrative, a look of pure satisfaction on her face.
"What the HELL did you do to the man?" Seiya asked angrily, trying to stem the uneasiness that was rising within him.
"Just slipped him a little something to make him more 'cooperative'. After I had gotten him into the position that I wanted, I was going to use the remote control camera I had planted in his office to take some pictures of us in 'suggestive' positions, but then 'Little Miss Innocent' came barging through the door and got the shock of her life." she laughed like she just told the world's greatest joke.
*This woman is truly obsessed....she won't stop at anything to get Darien. I almost feel sorry for him.....* Seiya thought, as he looked at the cackling woman before him.
"How could you be such a cruel, heartless, bitch?!?! Why did you even bother to tell me all this and risk the threat of exposure? More to the point, how could you destroy their lives??!?!" he yelled, thinking about the pain and turmoil Serena went through.
"Because Seiya, we have something in common, don't we? We both love people that we would do ANYTHING to be with right? Remember your hands aren't so clean either...." she trailed off, waiting for her words to take effect. She didn't have to wait long.
"Why you...you..." he stuttered, so angry that he could barely speak.
"Temper, temper my dear. Stop with the name-calling. It's gets a bit stale after awhile." she said coyly, loving the way he was getting flustered.
"You can't prove anything...." he sneered, thinking that she wouldn't be that stupid as to double cross him.
"Oh...that's what you think....." Charlotte trilled lightly as she pulled out a mini tape recorder.
Looking at the surprised, furious face of Seiya she said, "You didn't think that I would have an 'insurance' plan, did you?"
"Goodness you are just as gullible as your stupid friend. I thought you had more sense than that Roberts........" she laughed, knowing that she had Seiya where she wanted him.
Walking closer to her prey, she continued, "I will marry Darien...and nothing and no one will stop me." she said firmly with a glint of purpose in her eyes.
"If you do anything more to hurt Serena, I swear I'll......." Seiya began before he was rudely interrupted.
Charlotte just held a hand up to his face and said, "Can it Loverboy! Spare me the drama. Now it's time for you to listen. I have another doctor's appointment to do some testing that Darien asked for. What I need for you to do is help me make sure all the tests come out the way that I want."
"You can't be serious......" he replied evenly, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.
"Very serious...this pregnancy was just the icing on the cake. Of course I had to use some other man to make it happen since Darien and I never actually did the deed, but after he saw the doctor report concerning the date of conception, he couldn't very well deny it." she said happily, mentally patting herself on the back.
Seiya could do nothing than look at her in astonishment. He couldn't believe that he had trusted his dream to a borderline nutcase. Seiya was still looking at her in disbelief, when he noticed that the strange woman was still talking.
"Now what I need for you is to use your resources and have those tests come out positive that Darien is the father." she said matter of factly.
"What do you mean by 'resources'?"
"You're a whiz with a computer. I know that you could probably hack into the hospital's mainframe and change some information if you put your mind to it."
"That is ILLEGAL! Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do??!?" Seiya asked hotly, outraged that she had the nerve to suggest such a thing.
"Oh, yes I do.....now just hush and listen to what I have to say before Darien comes....." Charlotte began before she was stopped mid-sentence by a voice that was familiar as her own. A voice that now made her afraid....very afraid.
Stepping fully into the office, a thunderous looking Darien came in, bringing an aura of danger into the room. With a sardonic twist to his lips, he said, "Please go on...don't let me stop you."
Changing her face into one of estatic surprise, Charlotte turned around to greet the person that had just made their presence known.
"Oh Darien! H...h...have you been waiting long?" she asked, praying that the mood he was in was just the effect of having a bad day.
"No, the real question here is, 'how much did I hear?' right? Well, I can tell you one thing...." he laughed bitterly, pinning Charlotte with a murderous glare, ignoring a cowering Seiya who tried to become one with the corner.
"Yes?" scared of the answer she was about to receive.
"I hope that you didn't buy a wedding outfit, because you won't be needing it."
to be continued..........
This is just getting better and better! ^^ Now that Darien knows what happened, what does this mean for him and Serena? Will he kill Seiya for his part in Charlotte's twisted plot? Plus, what's the deal between Andrew, Mina, Raye and Chad? Stay tuned and find out!!! *dream-chan looking out the window to see kel-chan's marines advancing on the lawn* I will try to have the next part out ASAP!!!
REMEMBER!!! FEEDBACK is an author's BEST MUSE!!!! ^_~
ja ne minna!!!
Here is another chapter of DE. I really think that I lot of you are going to like this chapter because many of the questions that people have asked me are going to be answered!!!! *audience starts jumping up and down* As always, thanx goes to my pre-reader Cyperian-chan for the great suggestions! ^_^ and of course to the most important folks out there.....the FANS! *s* I hope you like this.
WARNING: As this story progresses, some of the characters may seem a bit OOC, but please bear with me! ^_~
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine, and neither is this song. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Jill Scott respectively. If this story seems anyway familiar to yours or one that you have read, please tell me so I can give credit where credit is due. Thanx minna!
'Slowly, surely'
Slowly surely I walk away from
That ole desperate and dazed love
Caught up in the maze of love
The crazy craze of love
Thought it was good
Thought it was real
Thought it was but it wasn't love
I just don't know
Where to go
So...
Slowly surely
I walk away from
Self-serving, undeserving
Constantly hurting me love, deserting me love
You said
I said
We said but...
Slowly surely I walk away from
Confusing love, abusing love, misusing love
This can't be...
Slowly surely
I walk away from
Self-serving, undeserving
Constantly hurting me love, deserting me love
You said
I said
We said but...
Slowly surely I walk away from
That ole desperate and dazed love
Caught up in the maze of love
The crazy craze of love
Thought it was good
Thought it was real
Thought it was but it wasn't love
I just don't know
Where to go
Slowly, surely
I walk away from...
You...you...you...you.
-Jill Scott
Title: Dark Epiphany
Author: Midnight Dreamer
Rating: R (swearing)
Email: madintellect@hotmail.com
AIM: Dreamchan2001
Sitting in her apartment with folders from her office spread all over the living room, Serena sat on her couch, remembering the memorial service her family held for her baby. At first she was totally against it, because of the pain that the memories would bring, but her mother convinced her that it was only right to remember a life, no matter how long it was alive. So with a heavy heart, she consented.
She told her friends and sent a note to Darien tell him about the service as promised. She had to admit that she was surprised to see him come to the service, seeing how they had parted ways. On the other hand, she reassured to know that he was there, because now she knew that there was someone that shared the pain, instead of her taking the full brunt of it alone.
Flashback
The day of the memorial service was filled with sunshine and a slight breeze as spring finally made its way to London. During the service, Serena felt her heart start to race....a feeling that only meant one thing. Darien was near. Instinctually turned around, she was not surprised to see Darien sitting by himself in the back of the church, a distant look on his face.
After the vicar had spoke the traditional words of comfort, the bereaved made their way towards the small cemetery in the back of the church to pay their last respects to a life that had yet to begin. Her friends and family had come to place flowers on the grave, while Serena stood to the side watching.
When everyone had gone, she went to the little cross that stood as a symbol for the passing of her child. Placing a white rose underneath, she let a single tear roll down her face.
"I'm so sorry that I never got to know you....hold you...kiss you...but I know that you are in a better place, and maybe God wasn't ready to let you go just yet, my precious angel. Remember, Mama loves you." and with that she turned around and headed back to the church where her parents were waiting for her.
As she walked away, she couldn't help but to look back and saw Darien standing at the spot she just vacated. Even though she couldn't hear what he was saying, she could see the anguish on his face as he said his words to their child. Once again, all she wanted to do was run to him and tell him that it would be okay. To smooth the ebony bangs away from his face and cuddle him as they both released their grief. However, that was no longer her place.
Gritting her teeth, she turned away and let him have the privacy that he gave her.
End Flashback
She hadn't told anyone that he was there, so that there wouldn't be any confrontation, but for a slight moment, she wished that everything were back to the way they used to be. When Seiya was comforting her, she had wanted Darien to be there instead. Not that she wasn't grateful to Seiya for being so understanding and thoughtful, but there were times when she felt a little uncomfortable in his presence, but she chalked that up to the mistrust she had of all men after what Darien did to her.
Then, just as she was beginning to believe that she was getting over what happened between her and Darien, she ran into that class A bitch by the name of Charlotte Winters. She could just see how insincere the other woman was for what she did, which made the encounter more painful. She wished that she had enough power to knock the other woman out after what she said about her and Darien.
Even though her stomach turned every time she thought of Darien with that 'woman', Serena still couldn't forget what she used to have with him. Protection, security, and love. The only thing that was missing was trust...only to be replaced by a searing anger she felt towards Darien, because of the stress she was put under that was a critical factor in her miscarriage. She had wanted to call him all sorts of names, but she had to remember that he had lost a child as well. So, she settled for the next best thing. To cut herself off from Darien completely and hope that with time she would forget him.
The only problem with that was...he still lived within her heart and refused to fade away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taking advantage of coming to the office early, Darien started to go over the reports from his project team. Everything seemed to be going well, which really amazed him due to the fact that his personal life was a living hell. Besides losing the love of his life, he was now committed to a woman that he detested on site. Every time Charlotte came near him, the skin on the back of his neck began to crawl, but he would endure this, knowing that there was now someone else to consider....his unborn child. For brief moments, he even thought how easy it would be to just slit his wrists and be done with it all, but he knew that he would never do that, because he refused to leave a child of his alone in the world without his protection.
She had told him about a pre-natal appointment she scheduled for today, and that she would like for him to come along. He agreed go, out of what he liked to think of as responsibility, but truth be told, that was not his only motivation. He wanted to make sure for himself that the child was healthy and strong, especially after what happened to Serena in Jamaica.
Flashback
He slipped silently in just before the ceremony started, taking a seat in one of the pews in the back, away from the others that had come here to comfort the grief-stricken family. Looking towards the front, he could see Serena being supported by Seiya who had his arm around her shoulders, speaking to her quietly. At that moment, Darien had never felt such blind rage and jealousy for anyone in his life. It took all the control he had not to go up there to forcibly remove Seiya from Serena so he could take his place, and connect with Serena through the only bond they had left. The grief over the death of their child.
*That should be ME! Not that stupid bastard! Just slipping right into place....* he thought angrily, turning is gaze away from the two friends.
Looking up again, he gazed right back into the eyes that haunted him every time he closed his. Even though it lasted for a few seconds, Darien felt somehow that she was grateful for him to be there. After the ceremony, Darien left the church, not wanting anyone to see him there in case it would cause 'problems'. Keeping his distance, he followed the crowd to the cemetery behind the church, where they had erected a little cross to symbolize the resting place of the baby. He watched as family and friends placed flowers on top of the grave, before heading back to their cars. He waited until at last he saw Serena was the only person left standing there. He watched as she placed a single white rose and said something that he couldn't quite make out. Then she turned around and walked away, the tearstains evident on her face. Once she passed him, he finally walked up to the little cross and placed a red rose. Then he fell on his knees and cried the tears of man that was broken. At one point, he felt that he was being watched but ignored it, knowing that no one would come to offer him any comfort.
After a few minutes, he stood up and brushed the grass off his knees. Getting his emotions in check, he wiped his face and quickly strode to his car. In a flash, he was gone, not looking back.
End Flashback
On top of this, he also had to deal with a vindictive best friend by the name of Seiya Roberts. The daily barbs and glares the men exchanged daily was becoming tedious. Darien dreaded every meeting that they had to attend, because of the constant tension he felt from the other man. However, it seemed that they had both made the same choice to not let personal opinions affect their working relationship. The man did know what he was talking about. Darien could sincerely say that if Seiya wasn't on board for this project, then it would probably take longer than the proposed six months, but everything was ahead of schedule for once.
However, once business issues were out the way, Seiya never hesitated to also make the insinuation that him and Serena were becoming closer that their friendship warranted. Of course this made Darien's blood boil with anger and jealousy. Anger because he felt that Seiya was taking advantage of the situation, but that was not his concern anymore. Serena had made that perfectly clear.
Hearing the alarm go off on his wristwatch, he sighed, knowing that he had to face the reality of what was happening in his life. Grabbing his coat, he walked out the office, to go to the hospital in a show of solidarity to the woman that would be the mother of his child.
No matter how much he wished that was not the case.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After visiting with her last patient in the pediatric wing, Amy made her way to the other side of the hospital for a consultation with the patient that Greg had talked about. She just couldn't believe it. Charlotte Winters, the woman that had destroyed everything that her friend held dear, was now having a child of her own. Amy felt that it just wasn't fair how fate played out at times.
Going to the memorial service for Serena's baby had been a bit difficult, seeing the heart-wrenching pain that her best friend was going through, but she somehow knew that she would be alright, because Serena was surrounded by family and friends that love and cherish her dearly.
Knocking on the door, Amy plastered a smile on her face and walked in. However she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a person that she thought never to associate with again.
Sitting in a chair beside the examination table was Darien Reece.
Looking at his face, Amy could tell that he was just as shocked at seeing her there as well. They stared at each other for a long moment before their attention was distracted.
"Oh there you are! I was just telling Ms. Winters and Mr. Reece about you...." Greg said as he got up to close the door behind her.
*What in the world is going on here?* Amy thought worriedly, as she continued to look between the smug and indifferent expressions of Charlotte and Darien.
"Dr. Masterson, this is the patient that I was telling you about." Greg said as he gestured to Charlotte. "Charlotte Winters, I would like for you to meet, Dr. Masterson, the pediatrician I referred you to, and this is her fiancé, Darien Reece." Greg said as he finished the introductions.
Amy couldn't believe it! It took all the professionalism she had not to jump on Darien and tear him to bits.
*Charlotte and Darien are ENGAGED?!?!? Does Serena know about this?* she thought wildly, hoping that Darien had at least the common courtesy to tell her.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Winters..." she said coolly, grasping the other woman's hand only for a second before letting go. "And I have already met Mr. Reece..." she said quietly, not trusting herself to speak any louder.
"Oh really....where from?" Greg asked, a pleased expression on his face.
Amy turned and looked Darien straight in the eyes and replied, "A mutual friend, isn't that so Darien?"
"Yes." he replied evenly, trying keep the nervousness from creeping into his voice.
Oblivious to the crackling tension, Greg continued, "Well, this makes things a bit easier...."
"Yes, it does. Well, if that is-" Amy was saying before she was cut off by the sound of her beeper.
Trying not to let her relief show, Amy said, "I'm sorry, but I've just gotten a page about one of my patients. If you care to contact me any further, I'm sure Dr. Stanford will tell you how. Good Day." and with that, she left thinking that she was home free, before she heard name being called by a man she actually judged wrongly.
She never liked to be proven wrong on anything.
"Dr. Masterson....." Darien yelled, knowing that she would respond, no matter how much she wanted to ignore him.
Turning around she faced him, her anger barely held in check.
"What can I do for you Mr. Reece?" she said in a clipped tone, trying to keep it as professional as possible.
"Please Amy.....listen to me. I know that you want to tell Serena about what you just found out, but I'm asking you to keep it to yourself."
"How can you ask me to do that? I don't hurt those that I care about...unlike you..."
"That was a low blow Amy....I thought that you would at least be reasonable...." he said quietly, not knowing the effect his words would have on the woman in front of him.
"REASONABLE?!?!?! You betrayed my best friend, and you want me to be REASONABLE?!? I don't think that's going to happen, so I suggest you and your 'fiancée' look for a new pediatrician" she said in a hushed whisper as not to rouse interest from people passing by.
"Amy....please..." he pleaded, trying to fix whatever he said to make her react this way.
"Listen for what Darien? To the same lies you told Serena? I don't think so. Now if there isn't anything else that you have to say to me, I'm leaving. I have rounds to make." and with that, she turned on her heel and briskly walked away, her doctor coat swishing behind her.
Before she had even gone a few steps, she turned back around and forced him to look at her.
"Oh by the way....you have two weeks to gather what little courage you have to tell Serena the complete truth. If not, I take the matter in my own hands, understood? Don't test me Darien, cause the only thing that prevented me from kicking your ass was my oath as a doctor not to harm anyone, but I will break it if I need to." she said hotly before striding down the corridor, leaving a shell-shocked Darien looking after her.
When Darien walked back into the room, Charlotte saw the blank expression on his face, and asked, "Is everything okay?"
Snapping out of it, Darien ignored her question, and instead asked Greg, "Dr. Stanford, is there anyway that you could determine paternity now?"
Looking a little taken aback, Greg answered slowly, "Well, yes...there is a new procedure that allows for paternity to be determined while the baby is in utero."
Before Greg could explain any further, Charlotte interrupted with a question of her own. "Why do you want this testing done Darien?" Charlotte asked with a whining quality to her voice.
"I just don't want there to be any doubt 'darling'. Do you have a problem with that?" he replied sarcastically, not caring if the doctor knew that this relationship was for appearances only.
"Absolutely none." she replied, not wanting to risk saying anymore.
"How long would the results take?" Darien asked, wanting an immediate response.
"About three weeks...give or take a few days. I would perform the tests today, but unfortunately I have a C-section scheduled in an hour. If you want, you can make an another appointment for in a few days. Sound good?"
"That will be fine doctor. Thanks for your time today, and we'll see you in a few days."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walking quickly through the halls of Terra Engineering, Seiya was on a mission. To find the woman that was becoming a pain in the ass. Charlotte Winters. After that little fiasco at the cafe, he had been really pissed. He had wanted to strangle her for the stunt she pulled, but had to concentrate on finding Serena and making sure she was alright. It took a while, but he finally got her to calm down enough to tell him what had happened between the two women. He had felt like shit for what he had put his best friend through, and was a little disgusted with himself that he had ever used such underhanded tactics. After that, he made the decision to tell Charlotte, that he was severing their 'partnership'.
He had tried to talk to her for the past couple of days, but she had avoided him until the she sent an email to him this morning, requesting that he come to her office this morning. Seiya couldn't have been happier to be done with the whole mess.
Finally making it to his destination, he knocked on the door, and not waiting to for an answer, turned the doorknob and walked in.
"Now what do you want? This whole situation is growing tiresome..." he began without preamble.
"I know, but now it's time for you to help me..." she replied, not missing a beat in the conversation.
"What?!?? That little act you played out set me back and you didn't even tell her about the pregnancy like you said you would. I think we should keep this to a one-shot deal."
"I don't think so Seiya...."
"I don't care what you think! That's the way it's going to be!" he said, a tad bit irritated by her presumptions.
Changing strategies, she got up and turned around to face him with a mischievous look about her.
"Want me to let you in a little secret?" she asked, looking like she was about to burst if she didn't tell someone soon.
"What could it possibly be?" he asked in a bored tone, but she knew that she had caught him off guard.
"I have wanted Darien for years. We actually were in the same class at university. During my junior year, I had finally gotten up the courage to talk to him, because back then I was terribly shy. However, before I could even approach him, I see a little blonde girl with her hands all over him. I was furious, I mean who did she think she was. I made it a point to find out all I could on both of them. After graduation,
I decided to move on and forget, but fate brought me back to London to work at Terra and Darien. I was devastated to learn that he was engaged but I patiently waited and an opportunity plopped down in my lap. I was put on the bidding team that got the PCI contract. Now the only thing left was to make him realize that I was the one for him. What I didn't know is that Darien is one man who still lives by the rules. So, I knew that I had to get him into a situation where he would draw conclusions as to what happened. Seeing how he's so 'noble', I know that it would be but a matter of time before he confessed everything. I didn't count his ditzy fiancée showing up, but that just speeded things along." she finished her narrative, a look of pure satisfaction on her face.
"What the HELL did you do to the man?" Seiya asked angrily, trying to stem the uneasiness that was rising within him.
"Just slipped him a little something to make him more 'cooperative'. After I had gotten him into the position that I wanted, I was going to use the remote control camera I had planted in his office to take some pictures of us in 'suggestive' positions, but then 'Little Miss Innocent' came barging through the door and got the shock of her life." she laughed like she just told the world's greatest joke.
*This woman is truly obsessed....she won't stop at anything to get Darien. I almost feel sorry for him.....* Seiya thought, as he looked at the cackling woman before him.
"How could you be such a cruel, heartless, bitch?!?! Why did you even bother to tell me all this and risk the threat of exposure? More to the point, how could you destroy their lives??!?!" he yelled, thinking about the pain and turmoil Serena went through.
"Because Seiya, we have something in common, don't we? We both love people that we would do ANYTHING to be with right? Remember your hands aren't so clean either...." she trailed off, waiting for her words to take effect. She didn't have to wait long.
"Why you...you..." he stuttered, so angry that he could barely speak.
"Temper, temper my dear. Stop with the name-calling. It's gets a bit stale after awhile." she said coyly, loving the way he was getting flustered.
"You can't prove anything...." he sneered, thinking that she wouldn't be that stupid as to double cross him.
"Oh...that's what you think....." Charlotte trilled lightly as she pulled out a mini tape recorder.
Looking at the surprised, furious face of Seiya she said, "You didn't think that I would have an 'insurance' plan, did you?"
"Goodness you are just as gullible as your stupid friend. I thought you had more sense than that Roberts........" she laughed, knowing that she had Seiya where she wanted him.
Walking closer to her prey, she continued, "I will marry Darien...and nothing and no one will stop me." she said firmly with a glint of purpose in her eyes.
"If you do anything more to hurt Serena, I swear I'll......." Seiya began before he was rudely interrupted.
Charlotte just held a hand up to his face and said, "Can it Loverboy! Spare me the drama. Now it's time for you to listen. I have another doctor's appointment to do some testing that Darien asked for. What I need for you to do is help me make sure all the tests come out the way that I want."
"You can't be serious......" he replied evenly, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.
"Very serious...this pregnancy was just the icing on the cake. Of course I had to use some other man to make it happen since Darien and I never actually did the deed, but after he saw the doctor report concerning the date of conception, he couldn't very well deny it." she said happily, mentally patting herself on the back.
Seiya could do nothing than look at her in astonishment. He couldn't believe that he had trusted his dream to a borderline nutcase. Seiya was still looking at her in disbelief, when he noticed that the strange woman was still talking.
"Now what I need for you is to use your resources and have those tests come out positive that Darien is the father." she said matter of factly.
"What do you mean by 'resources'?"
"You're a whiz with a computer. I know that you could probably hack into the hospital's mainframe and change some information if you put your mind to it."
"That is ILLEGAL! Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do??!?" Seiya asked hotly, outraged that she had the nerve to suggest such a thing.
"Oh, yes I do.....now just hush and listen to what I have to say before Darien comes....." Charlotte began before she was stopped mid-sentence by a voice that was familiar as her own. A voice that now made her afraid....very afraid.
Stepping fully into the office, a thunderous looking Darien came in, bringing an aura of danger into the room. With a sardonic twist to his lips, he said, "Please go on...don't let me stop you."
Changing her face into one of estatic surprise, Charlotte turned around to greet the person that had just made their presence known.
"Oh Darien! H...h...have you been waiting long?" she asked, praying that the mood he was in was just the effect of having a bad day.
"No, the real question here is, 'how much did I hear?' right? Well, I can tell you one thing...." he laughed bitterly, pinning Charlotte with a murderous glare, ignoring a cowering Seiya who tried to become one with the corner.
"Yes?" scared of the answer she was about to receive.
"I hope that you didn't buy a wedding outfit, because you won't be needing it."
to be continued..........
This is just getting better and better! ^^ Now that Darien knows what happened, what does this mean for him and Serena? Will he kill Seiya for his part in Charlotte's twisted plot? Plus, what's the deal between Andrew, Mina, Raye and Chad? Stay tuned and find out!!! *dream-chan looking out the window to see kel-chan's marines advancing on the lawn* I will try to have the next part out ASAP!!!
REMEMBER!!! FEEDBACK is an author's BEST MUSE!!!! ^_~
ja ne minna!!!