***************
Epilogue
***************
Serena opened her eyes to stare straight up at her very own
ceiling. She sat up in bed suddenly wincing as a headache made itself
known.
"Your up!" Luna cried making Serena wince.
"Not so loud... please..." she whispered.
"Sorry. I'll be back," Luna said quietly as she leaped off the
bed and left the room. Serena carefully reached behind her and propped
the pillows into a sitting position. She rested her head on the wall
and closed her eyes.
Suddenly arms were around her, small delicate arms. She opened
her eyes and saw Mina hugging her tightly.
"You're awake. You're okay!" Mina mumbled into Serena's
shoulder. Stunned, Serena returned the embrace then pushed her friend
away.
"What are you doing her?" She asked.
"She helped me bring you and Raye here. And take care of you.
You've been asleep for three days." Darien's voice came from the
doorway and Serena turned to look at him. He was leaning against the
door jam, apparently nonchalant, but Serena could see the stiffness in
his shoulders. She curled her feet under her and Mina sat on the floor
next to her bed. Serena leaned over and patted the bed, inviting Darien
to come sit.
He did so and leaned against the window. "How do you feel?" he
asked softly.
"My neck hurts-oh god." Suddenly the entire experience hit her
and her eyes widened. "Andrew!" she moaned as she collapsed against
the wall sobbing. Darien exchanged a look with Mina and gently took
Serena into his arms. He stroked her hair and allowed her to cry.
Mina got up and left softly to check on Raye and to give them
some time alone.
To say she had been shocked when Darien had called her was an
understatement. He had dialed her home after finding the number in
Serena's wallet and demanded that she come to the park without any
explanation. She had hoped for a moment that it was going to be a
romantic moonlight picnic or some such thing. Too bad things weren't
that great in real life.
Although she really had not expected the scene she did see. He
had gotten Raye out from under the tree and crudely bandaged her head
and Serena's neck. He had been in the process of scraping an area clean
of debris and building a fire.
They had burned Andrew's body and scattered the ashes to the
wind. Darien had told her to leave Diamond. The body was already
mummified so it was instantly recognizable as non-human. It would be
completely decayed and gone in a number of days. Mina had then helped
him carry Raye and Serena back to Serena's apartment and correctly tend
their wounds. It had not been till the second day when Raye first woke
up that she had started to put anything together. Before that, even
when Luna had talked to her at Darien's insistence, her mind had been
running on automatic.
She had had a long talk with Darien and Raye earlier and was
now at least semi-comfortable with the fact that her two best friends
were a werewolf and a slayer.
She peeked back in the room to see Darien holding Serena
tightly as she sobbed into his shirt. There was no way to mistake
Darien's feelings. And Mina would bet anything that eventually Serena
would return those feelings.
She sighed and turned away. There was no hope for her and
Darien, but she was happy for her friend. Plus Raye needed her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Raye stared at the ceiling sadly. She was depressed. Very
depressed. She had loved Diamond, told him so only a couple of nights
ago, and he had told her he loved her as well. And she had believed him.
It was a terrible shock to discover he had only been trying to
use her to get close to Serena. It was a horrible feeling and Raye knew
she would probably take years to heal her heart.
She looked up as Mina came in and sat next to her. Raye smiled
sadly and practically threw herself into her friend's arms. But she
wasn't alone in this. She had help and someday... someday... she would
learn to love again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darien stroked Serena's hair gently and held her tightly. She
had been soul-mated to Andrew. He knew that. He had recognized it that
day they all had lunch together. It had broken his heart, but now she
was free. It was uncharitable, but Darien was almost happy.
He regretted Andrew's death. He had been a good man and should
not have died.
He would miss Diamond's wit and friendship, but Diamond had
been getting strange as they grew older. Darien wondered sometimes if
he had been slowly going mad for some reason.
But through it all his mind always came back to Serena. He
didn't know if it was possible for her to ever love him as intensely
as she had loved Andrew. He had never heard of some one having two
soul-mates, but maybe someday she would learn to love him.
He would woo her. He would win her. But not now. Now she needed
to heal and if he tried to press himself on her, she would only get
confused and scared. She needed a friend.
And Darien was completely ready and willing to fill that
position.
Epilogue
***************
Serena opened her eyes to stare straight up at her very own
ceiling. She sat up in bed suddenly wincing as a headache made itself
known.
"Your up!" Luna cried making Serena wince.
"Not so loud... please..." she whispered.
"Sorry. I'll be back," Luna said quietly as she leaped off the
bed and left the room. Serena carefully reached behind her and propped
the pillows into a sitting position. She rested her head on the wall
and closed her eyes.
Suddenly arms were around her, small delicate arms. She opened
her eyes and saw Mina hugging her tightly.
"You're awake. You're okay!" Mina mumbled into Serena's
shoulder. Stunned, Serena returned the embrace then pushed her friend
away.
"What are you doing her?" She asked.
"She helped me bring you and Raye here. And take care of you.
You've been asleep for three days." Darien's voice came from the
doorway and Serena turned to look at him. He was leaning against the
door jam, apparently nonchalant, but Serena could see the stiffness in
his shoulders. She curled her feet under her and Mina sat on the floor
next to her bed. Serena leaned over and patted the bed, inviting Darien
to come sit.
He did so and leaned against the window. "How do you feel?" he
asked softly.
"My neck hurts-oh god." Suddenly the entire experience hit her
and her eyes widened. "Andrew!" she moaned as she collapsed against
the wall sobbing. Darien exchanged a look with Mina and gently took
Serena into his arms. He stroked her hair and allowed her to cry.
Mina got up and left softly to check on Raye and to give them
some time alone.
To say she had been shocked when Darien had called her was an
understatement. He had dialed her home after finding the number in
Serena's wallet and demanded that she come to the park without any
explanation. She had hoped for a moment that it was going to be a
romantic moonlight picnic or some such thing. Too bad things weren't
that great in real life.
Although she really had not expected the scene she did see. He
had gotten Raye out from under the tree and crudely bandaged her head
and Serena's neck. He had been in the process of scraping an area clean
of debris and building a fire.
They had burned Andrew's body and scattered the ashes to the
wind. Darien had told her to leave Diamond. The body was already
mummified so it was instantly recognizable as non-human. It would be
completely decayed and gone in a number of days. Mina had then helped
him carry Raye and Serena back to Serena's apartment and correctly tend
their wounds. It had not been till the second day when Raye first woke
up that she had started to put anything together. Before that, even
when Luna had talked to her at Darien's insistence, her mind had been
running on automatic.
She had had a long talk with Darien and Raye earlier and was
now at least semi-comfortable with the fact that her two best friends
were a werewolf and a slayer.
She peeked back in the room to see Darien holding Serena
tightly as she sobbed into his shirt. There was no way to mistake
Darien's feelings. And Mina would bet anything that eventually Serena
would return those feelings.
She sighed and turned away. There was no hope for her and
Darien, but she was happy for her friend. Plus Raye needed her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Raye stared at the ceiling sadly. She was depressed. Very
depressed. She had loved Diamond, told him so only a couple of nights
ago, and he had told her he loved her as well. And she had believed him.
It was a terrible shock to discover he had only been trying to
use her to get close to Serena. It was a horrible feeling and Raye knew
she would probably take years to heal her heart.
She looked up as Mina came in and sat next to her. Raye smiled
sadly and practically threw herself into her friend's arms. But she
wasn't alone in this. She had help and someday... someday... she would
learn to love again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darien stroked Serena's hair gently and held her tightly. She
had been soul-mated to Andrew. He knew that. He had recognized it that
day they all had lunch together. It had broken his heart, but now she
was free. It was uncharitable, but Darien was almost happy.
He regretted Andrew's death. He had been a good man and should
not have died.
He would miss Diamond's wit and friendship, but Diamond had
been getting strange as they grew older. Darien wondered sometimes if
he had been slowly going mad for some reason.
But through it all his mind always came back to Serena. He
didn't know if it was possible for her to ever love him as intensely
as she had loved Andrew. He had never heard of some one having two
soul-mates, but maybe someday she would learn to love him.
He would woo her. He would win her. But not now. Now she needed
to heal and if he tried to press himself on her, she would only get
confused and scared. She needed a friend.
And Darien was completely ready and willing to fill that
position.