So...I'm guessing by the way the review count shot up within one hour of my posting the last chapter that you all liked it. Thank you all for the kind reviews and for patiently waiting over the weekend until I had written the last chapter. If y'all hadn't guessed, I write these chapters one at a time-which usually takes up the whole day-before I post it. Just a little warning about this chapter, though. Serena is about to reveal more about her troubled life as a child and it's not pretty. Viewer discretion is advised.
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Wounded Souls
Chapter Six-Birthday Surprise
By: crystal rose
June 4, 2002
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Flashback
"Good afternoon, Dr. Eisner," Serena said politely as she sat down on the couch facing the doctor.
"How are things going with Darien? Have you told him how you feel yet?" asked Dr. Eisner as he pressed the 'Record' button on the tape recorder.
"No...he's been away for about two weeks on business. I was going to tell him that I loved him at a party we attended but then he got this phone call from the office saying that they needed him to go over there. In a way, I'm kind of glad that I didn't tell him; who knows how he would react? What if he didn't feel the same? I don't think I'd be able to live in the same house as him, as well as do my job to the best of my abilities if I knew he was just around the corner. I think it's best if I don't say anything, at least for the moment. That way, things won't get so awkward if he doesn't return my feelings," said Serena firmly, as if she had rehearsed this speech out many times before.
"But what if he does feel the same? Don't you think you owe it to yourselves to find out?" asked Dr. Eisner.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he rejected me. I would reject me if I could," whispered Serena to herself.
"I think you already have. Why do you feel that you have to keep paying for your mistakes, Serena? Everybody deserves a second chance, or a third, or in some cases, even a fourth. Everyone deserves to have happiness in his or her life, and that includes love. Why do you have it in your head that you have to live a miserable life to atone for your sins?" asked Dr. Eisner, searching her eyes with his. What he saw was pain and humiliation masked under the usually happy façade that she maintains for the benefit of her friends and loved ones.
"Because he told me to."
"Who Serena?" Serena stared blankly at the wall, unaware of Dr. Eisner's question.
"He told me that I'll always be a little slut and that no man would ever want me because of the things that I've done with him. He told me that I'd never be able to wash off the dirt my sins have stained me with," she continued monotonously. Dr. Eisner felt that it would be best for Serena if she talked uninterrupted so he let her carry on. "He told me that...he told me that all I'm good for is whoring around because fucking is what I do best. Men would just use me for my body and then go home to their wives or girlfriends."
When Serena said no more after that, Dr. Eisner once again broached his question carefully. "Who would say such a thing, Serena?"
"Jake Cassidy," she replied, her voice cracking on the last syllable.
"Who's Jake?"
"He was my father's friend. I met him when I was eight years old."
Things were beginning to fall into place in Dr. Eisner's mind. In his notes, he scribbled three words: 'Possible child abuse?' He needed to confirm his suspicions. "What did he do to you, Serena?"
Serena shivered, her mind going back to that day when her father introduced his best friend in university to his whole family. She remembered how he shook her hand kindly before moving on to her brother and mother. Serena remembered him kissing her mother's hand when her father introduced them, and the anger she felt directed at him for doing something like that in front of her father. "He was very nice, at first. Daddy and he would always watch the game in our house and they would play poker every week in our kitchen with some of Daddy's other friends..."
Dr. Eisner braced himself for what she was finally about to reveal. If he was right, the demons of Serena's past were more horrible than he ever imagined. He watched Serena on the couch, wrapping her arms around her legs in a protective cocoon, her eyes brimming with tears. He felt helpless, his human side demanding him to comfort her while his professional side dictated that he remain in his seat and let her finish.
"One night, when daddy and his friends were playing poker at our house, Jake told everybody that he was going outside for a smoke and then went into my room while I was asleep. I woke up and saw Jake sitting on my bed with his hand...down there. I started crying but he put his other hand on my mouth and told me not to say anything to my parents or he would do the same thing to my mommy, only worse. He would make her have his baby and then my daddy would leave us and he would become my new daddy. I was so scared that daddy would leave our family that I just let him touch me like that for another ten minutes. It felt like a hundred years before he got up and left," Serena said, tears falling from her eyes. She suddenly felt the same vulnerability she always felt when Jake's name was spoken.
Dr. Eisner felt his stomach heave. There was nothing worse than hearing about a child being sexually abused. His heart broke to see Serena with her face buried in her knees as she cried. "How...how old were you when this happened?"
"I was about eight and a half."
Dr. Eisner stiffened, trying to conceal his anger and disgust that a person from his gender could do this to an eight-year old child. "Did this happen again?"
Serena sniffled. "Many times. He would come in my room every time they had poker night. Sometimes I would pretend to be asleep, thinking that he would leave me alone, but it always seemed worse that way. Jake didn't like it if I didn't watch him doing that to me so he would hurt me until I cried out in pain. Then, he would make me to it to him with my mouth, saying if I didn't, my mommy would be next.
"This kept happening every week. I grew pale and thin, until my daddy decided to sign me up for riding lessons, saying that the fresh air would do me good. He would come and watch me ride and then he would tell me how proud he was of me. I was so tempted to tell him what Jake was doing, but I didn't want to ruin his opinion of me. I thought that he would be disgusted with me, and then our father-daughter days would end and he would leave. So I kept it all in, never letting on that Jake was touching me.
"One night, I decided to be brave and hid a knife under my pillow. When Jake came and removed my nightgown, I took out the knife and threatened to hurt him if he continued with his actions. He started laughing and wrestled the knife away from me easily. Jake put it to my throat while he began to hurt me with his teeth, as a punishment for trying to rebel against him. That night was the longest and most painful one so far and when he was finished, he told me that if I ever try anything like that again, he would rape my mommy in front of daddy. He reached inside his pocket and took something out of it and gave it to me. It was one of my mother's panties from her drawer. He told me that if he could get that from my mom's room, imagine what else he could get. From then on, I learned to just give Jake what he wanted without putting up a fight," Serena finished.
"Did he ever...?" Dr. Eisner trailed off, unsure of how to ask his next question.
"Did he ever what, rape me?" Serena laughed bitterly. "I lost my virginity to him when I was eleven years old; I didn't even know what virgin meant at that time. Our family had a barbecue at the park and invited him along. I tried to stay away from him the whole day but the time came when I had to go to the washroom. My mom took me there but Jake came a minute later and told her that dad needed help with the food so she went back. Jake went inside the washroom, made sure that no one else was in there, and locked the door. I started crying for some reason; I think it was because he was going to hurt me in the daytime instead of at night. I guess I thought that if he did it to me in the light of day, it's more real than in the shadows of night. At night, everything I endured would be just some horrible nightmare that would go away when the sun came up over the horizon. He advanced on me slowly and lifted me up against the wall. Then he started raping me until I passed out from the pain and fright. When I woke up, he spat on me and told me that I was just another slut now that the only thing I had of value was gone. When we got back to the picnic site, he made sure I was looking at him before he gave my mother a hug and thanked her for inviting a bachelor like him. Mom laughed and said he was welcome anytime.
"After that day, he would find any excuse to be alone with me, including volunteering to chaperone our class field trips and doing odd jobs around our house. He would chaperone Sammy's activities too, so our parents won't get suspicious as to why he was lavishing all that attention on me. Every time he raped me, he would tell me it was my fault for tempting him into doing those things to me. He told me that I was a dirty, filthy bitch who deserved nothing but laying on my back with my legs spread open, pleasing men all day long. Bitches like me don't find men and get married, they become whores that men cast aside after they've cum. He told me that he was just giving me an early start to what I would eventually become," Serena said, clenching her hands into fists.
"Did he ever stop hurting you?"
"When I turned twelve, Jake was transferred to another town four hours away. Life went somewhat back to normal for me when he was gone," Serena replied.
"Did you ever tell anyone what happened to you?"
Serena shook her head. "Why should I rehash those four horrible years? I went to high school, met my friends Amy and Raye and became normal again. Pretty soon, I met my first boyfriend, James King. I believe I told you about him. When he told me that he loved me after going out for two months, I thought 'see Serena, Jake was wrong. Just because he did those awful things to you, doesn't mean nobody else is going to love you.' Then he started pressuring me to have sex with him and I gave in because I wanted to 'show' Jake that he was wrong. It hurt so badly to find out that he was right all along," she said quietly. Serena took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"When I was about fifteen, my dad announced that Jake was moving back to town and that we were all going over there to his house on the weekend to welcome him back. I begged him not to take me but he refused, saying that it would be rude of me not to show up with the rest of the family. We got into a fight and I stormed up the stairs, slamming the door. I lived in fear for that whole week, my dad and I giving each other the silent treatment.
"When Saturday rolled around, I tried one more time to convince my father not to let me go. I asked him to come into my room so that we could have a talk. I started crying, telling him all the things that Jake ever did to me. The words just came pouring out, until I was wailing hysterically. To say that dad was livid is an understatement, but he wasn't mad at me like I had thought he would be. He comforted me and told me that I would never have to see Jake Cassidy ever again. Daddy told me that he had somewhere to be, but that when he came back, everything would be taken care of. I nodded my head and fell asleep from exhaustion. I woke up later that night to my mother telling me that my dad and Jake got into a car accident when the car flipped over on the highway and caught fire. She told me that both of them died instantly," Serena cried hard into her hands. This time, Dr. Eisner got up and sat down on the couch beside her. "It's my fault my daddy died!"
"Shh...it's not your fault he died. You did the right thing by telling your father. He loved you so much that he risked his life to make sure you were safe," he comforted. "You did nothing wrong. Jake is the one at fault here, not you. He brainwashed you into believing that all the lies he told you were true so that he could keep doing those awful things to you. You just had the rotten luck of picking the wrong men for you, Serena, but I promise you, not all of us are like that. Have you told anyone else what happened to you?"
Serena nodded. "I fell into depression when I was just out of high school and tried to kill myself by swallowing a bunch of pills. My mother found me unconscious in my room and rushed me to the hospital where they pumped my stomach out. When I woke up, my mom, brother and friends wanted to know what happened to make me want to kill myself so I told them. My mom felt so guilty about what went on right under her nose and that I tried to protect her from Jake by allowing myself to get raped that she went with me to my sessions with Dr. Maxwell. Eventually, the guilt started to ease for her as Mina told her that she wasn't at fault and neither was I. But I just couldn't accept that. I stopped eating until I had lost twenty pounds in two months. Mina decided to put me on anti-depressants and I've been on them ever since. After my suicide attempt, my family and friends have grown more supportive of me. I couldn't imagine where I'd be without them."
"Don't you see, Serena? You have so many people telling you that they love you and want to see you happy. Why do you let Jake keep hurting you? He's dead and burning in hell for what he's done. Live your life to the fullest; it's what your father wanted for you when he was in that car with Jake that night. He wanted to take on your burdens so you wouldn't have to and he's done that. Don't let your father's brave actions go in vain, Serena," Dr. Eisner urged.
"You're right, Dr. Eisner. Jake Cassidy has been ruling my life for the past nineteen years-it's time I put a stop to it. I won't let him haunt me from the grave any longer," Serena said firmly, already feeling a great weight lifting from her shoulders.
"So are you willing to let Darien know your feelings for him?"
"I...I don't know yet. It's too soon. I've got to heal first before I tell him, but I will eventually. I deserve a great man like Darien, after all the losers I've been with in my sick attempt to discredit Jake. I just need time to heal, to become the woman I would want him to be with," she replied.
Dr. Eisner smiled. "That's all I ask, Serena. Don't sell yourself short."
"I won't. Not anymore."
End flashback
That was two days ago and Serena was still getting used to her newfound freedom. When she got back home, she called her mother on the phone and had a long, tearful conversation with her, telling her that she was through living a life of guilt and oppression. Her mother expressed her joy and wished her well and told her that her father would be very proud of her were he still alive.
Serena reflected, as she drove back to the Shields estate after running an errand, on how much she missed over the years because hermetic lifestyle. 'Maybe I've been saving myself for Darien all these years and didn't know it.' She pulled into the driveway leading to the Shields house and parked Darien's car in the garage. 'I really miss Darien. God I hope he comes back soon. Nothing's been the same since he's been gone.' She opened the door of the house. "Molly?" she called out and listened for a response. "Hello? Anybody home? Candace? Mr. Shields?" She walked into the dark foyer and turned the lights on. She walked around the massive house, expecting to run into somebody but found no one. 'Where is everyone? I guess no one's home. How strange.' Serena walked into the dark family and turned on the light.
"SURPRISE!"
Surprise wasn't the word to describe Serena's reaction. "AUGGHH!" she screamed and dove to the floor, expecting a bomb to hit her in the face. When nothing happened, she peeked her face out from under her arms and opened one eye. She saw the Candace and Walter, who was having a hard time keeping a straight face, and the entire staff who worked there. Serena got up on shaky legs and brushed herself off. "What's going on?"
"I'm sorry Serena dear. We just wanted to surprise you on your twenty-seventh birthday," Candace explained apologetically. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah girlie. You sure took quite a hit there," Walter chuckled unrepentantly.
Serena drew a shaky breath and smiled. "You remembered?"
"Of course we remembered girlie. How could we forget that rousing little conversation we had two days after you arrived?" Walter said. "I thought you'd never get to the point."
"Oh thank you everyone!" Serena rushed into Mr. Shields' arms, startling him, and felt him patting her on the back awkwardly, but gently. She then hugged Candace and the rest of the people in the room, including Melvin the butler, who had developed a small crush on her.
"What about me?" a deep voice asked from behind her. Serena turned around, unsure if she was dreaming or not. She saw Darien standing by the door with a smile upon his face. She released Lita and ran to him, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
"Darien, you're back!" she cried as she jumped into his arms. The others watched with fascination as Darien drew her closer to him, burying his face in her hair. Serena rose on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I really missed you," she whispered in his ear. "Don't ever leave me without saying goodbye first."
Darien's heart hammered in his throat as he felt her breath tickle his ear. "I'm sorry, but you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't have the heart to wake you up. I really missed you too," he whispered back. "Happy birthday, Sere."
"Thank you Darien. I'm so glad you're back." Serena reluctantly stepped out of his hold and stared at his face. They continued to stare and smile at each other until they heard a cough coming from the room.
"Um...hello? I thought this was a party, not a staring contest," Walter said, earning him a poke in the ribs from Candace. "What? What'd I say?"
"There's a special reason I came back today, Sere. I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes," Darien said.
"You didn't need to go through any trouble for me, Darien," she protested but obeyed. Serena could hear people moving around her excitedly. "What, did you get me a stripper, Darien?" she joked.
"Humph, you wish," a familiar voice said. Serena gasped in recognition and opened her eyes.
"SAMMY!" she cried. She saw her brother standing in front of her with a wry look upon his face, but her eyes widened even more when she realized who was standing next to him. "MOM!" Serena flung herself at her mother and brother and wrapped her arms around both of them. "How did you get here? When did you get here?"
Ilene Mathis smiled at her daughter. "You have Mr. Shields to thank for that."
Serena turned to Walter and engulfed him in a hug. "Oh, thank you Mr. Shields!"
"Easy, girlie! She didn't mean me, she meant the boy! Unhand me at once!" Walter bellowed, but all the while hugging her back.
"Darien? How?" she asked, her head spinning as she reached a shaky hand towards Darien, which he happily took.
Darien smiled and led her to a chair, upon which she gratefully sat down. "Well, when I was in Japan, I realized that your birthday was coming up so I wrapped business up early and got on the jet back to America. Halfway there, I realized that you would probably appreciate a visit from your family so I called up your mother and asked her if she and Sammy would like to come over for a visit. I told her that I would pick them up from their house and take them to LA on the jet. Then I called mom and made arrangements to have the party set up by the time we arrived. And you're right Serena, Sammy is _definitely_ a Sammy."
"You remembered?" she asked so softly that only he would hear.
"Of course, I remember everything you say," he replied just as softly.
"Oh god, you told them your theory about names having more than one syllable, Meatball Brains? You should write a dissertation on that subject since you talk about it so often," Sammy said, rolling his eyes.
"I see that wasn't the first time girlie has tried to explain the difference between Sam and Sammy," Walter said sarcastically.
Sammy snorted. "I wish. Has she talked about how she got her name?"
"Which one, Serenity or Serena, because she's told us both versions," Walter replied, glad to have found something in common with the young lad. Sammy and Walter both threw their heads up to the ceiling and rolled their eyes heavenward.
Serena turned to Darien, a frown directed at her brother. "Thanks for bringing my mom here but did you really have to bring the spore, too? Couldn't you have just dropped him somewhere between the prairies and the Rockies?"
Darien grinned lopsidedly. "Believe me, we tried but he wouldn't let go of his seat. Don't worry, I plan on ditching him when we go to Disneyland tomorrow," he said, fanning out six passes and waving them in her astonished face. "I know you've always wanted to go but didn't have anyone to go with. Tomorrow, the Shields and Mathis families will set forth to Disneyland."
Serena jumped out of her seat and tackled Darien to the ground. She lay sprawled over top of him, hugging him like there was no tomorrow. "THANK YOU SO MUCH, DARIEN!"
"Geez Meatball Brains, for a recently-turned twenty-seven year old, you sure don't act like it," Sammy smirked, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down upon his sister, who was straddling a love-sick Darien on the floor. Despite his snide comments, Sammy couldn't be more proud of his sister for finally getting on with her life. It wasn't just a few months ago that she wouldn't even talk to a man for more than was necessary, much less straddle one.
"Quiet, spore. I'll have you know that I _still_ have a certain picture of a certain dweeb of a brother in a ballet costume when he was in twelfth grade. Don't make me bust it out and tell _everybody_ the story of why you were dressed that way, of your own volition, might I add," Serena warned threateningly from her spot on the floor beside Darien.
Sammy paled and held out his hands. "All right, all right, you win. I swear to God, if I _ever_ find that picture, I'm going to make your life a living nightmare."
"MOM! Tell Sammy to stop bothering me!" Serena whined.
"WHAT?! Serena started it!"
"No I didn't!"
"Yes, you did!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"Why you little-"
"SERENITY BEULAH AND SAM WINSTON MATHIS! STOP THIS AT ONCE!" yelled Ilene, pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.
"Sorry mom," the Mathis kids apologized meekly, glaring angrily at each other.
Without warning, Walter started laughing uncontrollably. "What?" Serena asked testily.
"It seems that the boy over here isn't the only one stuck with a bad middle name eh...Beulah?" Walter asked. "You seem that part of the story was left out, girlie. Who ever thought I'd live to see the day a Beulah and a Beauford were in the same room together?"
Serena crossed her arms angrily over her chest and scowled as everyone else in the room laughed at her expense. "Some birthday this turned out to be. The spore was accidentally let over the border and now everyone knows my middle name," she muttered to herself. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and turned to see that Darien had draped an arm over her.
"Don't worry, Sere. You're not alone in this. I have a crappy middle name too," he whispered in her ear.
Serena smiled softly and rested her head on his shoulder. "You're right; I'm not alone."
Just then, Lita burst into the room with a huge cake and twenty-seven blazing candles on it. "Happy birthday to you..." she sang, encouraging everyone else to sing along with her. The lights dimmed and all everyone could see was the candlelit cake and Serena face hovering closely above it. What they didn't see was Darien standing behind her with a hand upon her waist. "Make a wish, Serena," Lita urged when the singing stopped.
'I wish that Darien would love me the way I love him,' Serena wished as she blew out the candles in one breath. The lights turned back on and Darien's arm disappeared from her waist and back to his side, his fingers lightly brushing hers as Serena moved closer to him. "How did you know that strawberry shortcake is my favourite, Lita?"
Lita smiled. "You're going to have to ask Darien that."
Serena turned large eyes upon the man who was springing so many surprises on her that day. "How did you know?"
"Remember that day we went to Luigi's Bistro? You ordered the strawberry shortcake and told me that it was your favourite," he replied.
Candace and Ilene exchanged knowing smiles. 'Looks like I'll soon have the daughter I've always wanted,' thought Candace to herself. 'I couldn't be happier that Darien's chosen Serena. She's the best thing that's ever happened to him.'
'He's the best thing that's ever happened to her ever since that bastard Jake stole her innocence. I've never seen my sweet little Sere blossom like she does when Darien is around,' thought Ilene as she watched Darien and Serena giggling on the couch and playfully teasing each other with whipped cream.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Darien said. He stood up and got a gift-wrapped package from the end table drawer. "Here's your present, Sere."
"Darien, you shouldn't have. You've already given me so much today: bringing my mother and the spore here, the party, the Disneyland passes..." 'you coming back,' she added silently. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank you."
"Just being here...helping my father, is thanks enough for me," he replied, silently thinking, 'having you in my life is thanks enough for me.'
Serena carefully tore open the silver wrapping paper to reveal a large black velvet box with the words 'Osa-P Tokyo, Japan' in gold lettering. With shaking hands, Serena lifted up the lid and peered inside. "Oh Darien..." she breathed in disbelief.
"I...was just passing by the store window and saw it on display...It reminded me of you..." Darien explained shakily.
"Well girlie, what is it?" an overly curious Walter demanded.
Serena turned the box around to show everybody who had been dying to ask about the contents but lacked Walter's nerve. Inside, nestled in a pillow of tulle was a beautiful pearl and diamond tiara. Everyone gasped, while Molly and her fellow maids sighed dreamily. Darien was watching Serena's stunned face closely. "Do you like it?" he asked nervously.
Serena smiled, small tears coursing down her cheeks. "I love it Darien," she said simply. 'And I love you.' She wiped the tears away with her hand. "You shouldn't have. It's too much."
'Nothing's ever too much for you, Sere,' Darien thought. Aloud, he said, "I just thought it was the perfect touch to that dress Trista gave you. What's a princess dress without a tiara?"
Everyone smiled, each one privately speculating on the _real_ reason Darien got her the tiara. Serena continued to admire her new tiara, fingering it gently to make sure it was still there. Lita cleared her throat. "Dang Darien. If I had known you liked to give such kick-ass birthday gifts, I would have told you my birthday was May 6th." (AN: Sorry, I only know Serena and Darien's b-days so I made Lita's up.) Everyone started laughing as Darien blushed furiously at Lita's comment. Sammy raised his eyebrow at Darien and crossed his arms warily on his chest, choosing not to say anything...for now. 'If he hurts her like Jake and those bastards did, I will kick his ass so hard, my foot comes out of his mouth. I failed to protect her before, I won't do it now.'
To her mother and brother's shock, not to mention Darien, Serena leaned over and kissed Darien's cheek softly. "I'll treasure it always," she whispered before pulling away.
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"So what do you feel about Darien, Serena?" Ilene asked her daughter later that evening as they stood on her balcony.
"Shh, mother...his balcony's next to mine. He could hear you," she cautioned. Serena turned and walked back inside to her room with her mother at her heels. She closed the doors and sat down on an armchair in front of the fireplace with Ilene once again following suit in another armchair.
"Well?" she questioned.
"I love him, mama," Serena answered simply.
"That's wonderful, Serena!" her mother exclaimed, happy to finally hear her daughter admit feelings for a man. "Darien's a fine man."
"He doesn't know about my past," Serena replied, staring at the dark fireplace intently. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell him."
"Oh Serena, my little girl. I blame myself for not protecting you better from that monster. I should have known what Jake was doing to you..." Ilene trailed off, tears spilling from her eyes.
"No mama...it wasn't your fault. It was nobody's fault except for Jakes'. I've learned to see that now and to stop blaming myself," Serena comforted softly, not taking her eyes off the fireplace.
"I invited him to that picnic! I left you alone with him when you went to the washroom! It's all my fault!" Ilene sobbed.
"Do you blame Daddy for introducing him to us? Do you blame Daddy for having him over for poker nights?" Serena asked, taking her mother's hands in hers.
"It's my job as a mother to know what's wrong with her children. That...monster molested you in our own house and I was none the wiser. He used me to get to you. Oh Sere, can you ever forgive me?"
"Forgive you? For what? You did nothing wrong. I made my choice when I decided to protect you from him. If I had to make that choice again, I wouldn't change a thing," Serena explained.
"Don't you see? It's not the child's duty to protect her mother from harm, it should have been the other way around. It should have been me," she cried.
"It shouldn't have been anybody," Serena replied firmly. "Let's forget him from now on, mama. Jake is nothing to me now. Today is a brand new start in my life. No longer will I live in fear because of what the man has done to me in the past."
"I'm so proud of you Sere. All that you've accomplished despite what you've gone through is awe-inspiring. Don't ever give up, especially when it comes to catching your prince," Ilene said, kissing Serena on the forehead. "I'm sure Darien will understand if he's every bit the man I think he is. You should tell him how you feel and about your past when you're ready."
"When I'm ready," she repeated as she watched her mom head out the door and into her own room down the hall. "Oh Darien, I love you so much it hurts. Thank you for bringing my mom here today. I needed her here with me more than I thought I would," she said as she turned off the lights and turned in for the night, secure in the fact that her prince was just a room away to save her from the demons that had been haunting her for the past nineteen years.
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That's it, I can't write anymore for today! Kindly leave your reviews. I'm sorry for the seriousness and the graphic nature of this chapter, but just know that I don't condone child abuse in any way. I think it's the sickest thing an adult-or anyone for that matter-could ever do to a child. Please, if you or someone you know is going through this, tell somebody you trust. No one should have to go through this horrible thing on his or her own. I was going to make this chapter longer but I'm getting tired of typing and besides, I'll probably leave another chapter up tomorrow so no biggie, right?
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Wounded Souls
Chapter Six-Birthday Surprise
By: crystal rose
June 4, 2002
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Flashback
"Good afternoon, Dr. Eisner," Serena said politely as she sat down on the couch facing the doctor.
"How are things going with Darien? Have you told him how you feel yet?" asked Dr. Eisner as he pressed the 'Record' button on the tape recorder.
"No...he's been away for about two weeks on business. I was going to tell him that I loved him at a party we attended but then he got this phone call from the office saying that they needed him to go over there. In a way, I'm kind of glad that I didn't tell him; who knows how he would react? What if he didn't feel the same? I don't think I'd be able to live in the same house as him, as well as do my job to the best of my abilities if I knew he was just around the corner. I think it's best if I don't say anything, at least for the moment. That way, things won't get so awkward if he doesn't return my feelings," said Serena firmly, as if she had rehearsed this speech out many times before.
"But what if he does feel the same? Don't you think you owe it to yourselves to find out?" asked Dr. Eisner.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he rejected me. I would reject me if I could," whispered Serena to herself.
"I think you already have. Why do you feel that you have to keep paying for your mistakes, Serena? Everybody deserves a second chance, or a third, or in some cases, even a fourth. Everyone deserves to have happiness in his or her life, and that includes love. Why do you have it in your head that you have to live a miserable life to atone for your sins?" asked Dr. Eisner, searching her eyes with his. What he saw was pain and humiliation masked under the usually happy façade that she maintains for the benefit of her friends and loved ones.
"Because he told me to."
"Who Serena?" Serena stared blankly at the wall, unaware of Dr. Eisner's question.
"He told me that I'll always be a little slut and that no man would ever want me because of the things that I've done with him. He told me that I'd never be able to wash off the dirt my sins have stained me with," she continued monotonously. Dr. Eisner felt that it would be best for Serena if she talked uninterrupted so he let her carry on. "He told me that...he told me that all I'm good for is whoring around because fucking is what I do best. Men would just use me for my body and then go home to their wives or girlfriends."
When Serena said no more after that, Dr. Eisner once again broached his question carefully. "Who would say such a thing, Serena?"
"Jake Cassidy," she replied, her voice cracking on the last syllable.
"Who's Jake?"
"He was my father's friend. I met him when I was eight years old."
Things were beginning to fall into place in Dr. Eisner's mind. In his notes, he scribbled three words: 'Possible child abuse?' He needed to confirm his suspicions. "What did he do to you, Serena?"
Serena shivered, her mind going back to that day when her father introduced his best friend in university to his whole family. She remembered how he shook her hand kindly before moving on to her brother and mother. Serena remembered him kissing her mother's hand when her father introduced them, and the anger she felt directed at him for doing something like that in front of her father. "He was very nice, at first. Daddy and he would always watch the game in our house and they would play poker every week in our kitchen with some of Daddy's other friends..."
Dr. Eisner braced himself for what she was finally about to reveal. If he was right, the demons of Serena's past were more horrible than he ever imagined. He watched Serena on the couch, wrapping her arms around her legs in a protective cocoon, her eyes brimming with tears. He felt helpless, his human side demanding him to comfort her while his professional side dictated that he remain in his seat and let her finish.
"One night, when daddy and his friends were playing poker at our house, Jake told everybody that he was going outside for a smoke and then went into my room while I was asleep. I woke up and saw Jake sitting on my bed with his hand...down there. I started crying but he put his other hand on my mouth and told me not to say anything to my parents or he would do the same thing to my mommy, only worse. He would make her have his baby and then my daddy would leave us and he would become my new daddy. I was so scared that daddy would leave our family that I just let him touch me like that for another ten minutes. It felt like a hundred years before he got up and left," Serena said, tears falling from her eyes. She suddenly felt the same vulnerability she always felt when Jake's name was spoken.
Dr. Eisner felt his stomach heave. There was nothing worse than hearing about a child being sexually abused. His heart broke to see Serena with her face buried in her knees as she cried. "How...how old were you when this happened?"
"I was about eight and a half."
Dr. Eisner stiffened, trying to conceal his anger and disgust that a person from his gender could do this to an eight-year old child. "Did this happen again?"
Serena sniffled. "Many times. He would come in my room every time they had poker night. Sometimes I would pretend to be asleep, thinking that he would leave me alone, but it always seemed worse that way. Jake didn't like it if I didn't watch him doing that to me so he would hurt me until I cried out in pain. Then, he would make me to it to him with my mouth, saying if I didn't, my mommy would be next.
"This kept happening every week. I grew pale and thin, until my daddy decided to sign me up for riding lessons, saying that the fresh air would do me good. He would come and watch me ride and then he would tell me how proud he was of me. I was so tempted to tell him what Jake was doing, but I didn't want to ruin his opinion of me. I thought that he would be disgusted with me, and then our father-daughter days would end and he would leave. So I kept it all in, never letting on that Jake was touching me.
"One night, I decided to be brave and hid a knife under my pillow. When Jake came and removed my nightgown, I took out the knife and threatened to hurt him if he continued with his actions. He started laughing and wrestled the knife away from me easily. Jake put it to my throat while he began to hurt me with his teeth, as a punishment for trying to rebel against him. That night was the longest and most painful one so far and when he was finished, he told me that if I ever try anything like that again, he would rape my mommy in front of daddy. He reached inside his pocket and took something out of it and gave it to me. It was one of my mother's panties from her drawer. He told me that if he could get that from my mom's room, imagine what else he could get. From then on, I learned to just give Jake what he wanted without putting up a fight," Serena finished.
"Did he ever...?" Dr. Eisner trailed off, unsure of how to ask his next question.
"Did he ever what, rape me?" Serena laughed bitterly. "I lost my virginity to him when I was eleven years old; I didn't even know what virgin meant at that time. Our family had a barbecue at the park and invited him along. I tried to stay away from him the whole day but the time came when I had to go to the washroom. My mom took me there but Jake came a minute later and told her that dad needed help with the food so she went back. Jake went inside the washroom, made sure that no one else was in there, and locked the door. I started crying for some reason; I think it was because he was going to hurt me in the daytime instead of at night. I guess I thought that if he did it to me in the light of day, it's more real than in the shadows of night. At night, everything I endured would be just some horrible nightmare that would go away when the sun came up over the horizon. He advanced on me slowly and lifted me up against the wall. Then he started raping me until I passed out from the pain and fright. When I woke up, he spat on me and told me that I was just another slut now that the only thing I had of value was gone. When we got back to the picnic site, he made sure I was looking at him before he gave my mother a hug and thanked her for inviting a bachelor like him. Mom laughed and said he was welcome anytime.
"After that day, he would find any excuse to be alone with me, including volunteering to chaperone our class field trips and doing odd jobs around our house. He would chaperone Sammy's activities too, so our parents won't get suspicious as to why he was lavishing all that attention on me. Every time he raped me, he would tell me it was my fault for tempting him into doing those things to me. He told me that I was a dirty, filthy bitch who deserved nothing but laying on my back with my legs spread open, pleasing men all day long. Bitches like me don't find men and get married, they become whores that men cast aside after they've cum. He told me that he was just giving me an early start to what I would eventually become," Serena said, clenching her hands into fists.
"Did he ever stop hurting you?"
"When I turned twelve, Jake was transferred to another town four hours away. Life went somewhat back to normal for me when he was gone," Serena replied.
"Did you ever tell anyone what happened to you?"
Serena shook her head. "Why should I rehash those four horrible years? I went to high school, met my friends Amy and Raye and became normal again. Pretty soon, I met my first boyfriend, James King. I believe I told you about him. When he told me that he loved me after going out for two months, I thought 'see Serena, Jake was wrong. Just because he did those awful things to you, doesn't mean nobody else is going to love you.' Then he started pressuring me to have sex with him and I gave in because I wanted to 'show' Jake that he was wrong. It hurt so badly to find out that he was right all along," she said quietly. Serena took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"When I was about fifteen, my dad announced that Jake was moving back to town and that we were all going over there to his house on the weekend to welcome him back. I begged him not to take me but he refused, saying that it would be rude of me not to show up with the rest of the family. We got into a fight and I stormed up the stairs, slamming the door. I lived in fear for that whole week, my dad and I giving each other the silent treatment.
"When Saturday rolled around, I tried one more time to convince my father not to let me go. I asked him to come into my room so that we could have a talk. I started crying, telling him all the things that Jake ever did to me. The words just came pouring out, until I was wailing hysterically. To say that dad was livid is an understatement, but he wasn't mad at me like I had thought he would be. He comforted me and told me that I would never have to see Jake Cassidy ever again. Daddy told me that he had somewhere to be, but that when he came back, everything would be taken care of. I nodded my head and fell asleep from exhaustion. I woke up later that night to my mother telling me that my dad and Jake got into a car accident when the car flipped over on the highway and caught fire. She told me that both of them died instantly," Serena cried hard into her hands. This time, Dr. Eisner got up and sat down on the couch beside her. "It's my fault my daddy died!"
"Shh...it's not your fault he died. You did the right thing by telling your father. He loved you so much that he risked his life to make sure you were safe," he comforted. "You did nothing wrong. Jake is the one at fault here, not you. He brainwashed you into believing that all the lies he told you were true so that he could keep doing those awful things to you. You just had the rotten luck of picking the wrong men for you, Serena, but I promise you, not all of us are like that. Have you told anyone else what happened to you?"
Serena nodded. "I fell into depression when I was just out of high school and tried to kill myself by swallowing a bunch of pills. My mother found me unconscious in my room and rushed me to the hospital where they pumped my stomach out. When I woke up, my mom, brother and friends wanted to know what happened to make me want to kill myself so I told them. My mom felt so guilty about what went on right under her nose and that I tried to protect her from Jake by allowing myself to get raped that she went with me to my sessions with Dr. Maxwell. Eventually, the guilt started to ease for her as Mina told her that she wasn't at fault and neither was I. But I just couldn't accept that. I stopped eating until I had lost twenty pounds in two months. Mina decided to put me on anti-depressants and I've been on them ever since. After my suicide attempt, my family and friends have grown more supportive of me. I couldn't imagine where I'd be without them."
"Don't you see, Serena? You have so many people telling you that they love you and want to see you happy. Why do you let Jake keep hurting you? He's dead and burning in hell for what he's done. Live your life to the fullest; it's what your father wanted for you when he was in that car with Jake that night. He wanted to take on your burdens so you wouldn't have to and he's done that. Don't let your father's brave actions go in vain, Serena," Dr. Eisner urged.
"You're right, Dr. Eisner. Jake Cassidy has been ruling my life for the past nineteen years-it's time I put a stop to it. I won't let him haunt me from the grave any longer," Serena said firmly, already feeling a great weight lifting from her shoulders.
"So are you willing to let Darien know your feelings for him?"
"I...I don't know yet. It's too soon. I've got to heal first before I tell him, but I will eventually. I deserve a great man like Darien, after all the losers I've been with in my sick attempt to discredit Jake. I just need time to heal, to become the woman I would want him to be with," she replied.
Dr. Eisner smiled. "That's all I ask, Serena. Don't sell yourself short."
"I won't. Not anymore."
End flashback
That was two days ago and Serena was still getting used to her newfound freedom. When she got back home, she called her mother on the phone and had a long, tearful conversation with her, telling her that she was through living a life of guilt and oppression. Her mother expressed her joy and wished her well and told her that her father would be very proud of her were he still alive.
Serena reflected, as she drove back to the Shields estate after running an errand, on how much she missed over the years because hermetic lifestyle. 'Maybe I've been saving myself for Darien all these years and didn't know it.' She pulled into the driveway leading to the Shields house and parked Darien's car in the garage. 'I really miss Darien. God I hope he comes back soon. Nothing's been the same since he's been gone.' She opened the door of the house. "Molly?" she called out and listened for a response. "Hello? Anybody home? Candace? Mr. Shields?" She walked into the dark foyer and turned the lights on. She walked around the massive house, expecting to run into somebody but found no one. 'Where is everyone? I guess no one's home. How strange.' Serena walked into the dark family and turned on the light.
"SURPRISE!"
Surprise wasn't the word to describe Serena's reaction. "AUGGHH!" she screamed and dove to the floor, expecting a bomb to hit her in the face. When nothing happened, she peeked her face out from under her arms and opened one eye. She saw the Candace and Walter, who was having a hard time keeping a straight face, and the entire staff who worked there. Serena got up on shaky legs and brushed herself off. "What's going on?"
"I'm sorry Serena dear. We just wanted to surprise you on your twenty-seventh birthday," Candace explained apologetically. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah girlie. You sure took quite a hit there," Walter chuckled unrepentantly.
Serena drew a shaky breath and smiled. "You remembered?"
"Of course we remembered girlie. How could we forget that rousing little conversation we had two days after you arrived?" Walter said. "I thought you'd never get to the point."
"Oh thank you everyone!" Serena rushed into Mr. Shields' arms, startling him, and felt him patting her on the back awkwardly, but gently. She then hugged Candace and the rest of the people in the room, including Melvin the butler, who had developed a small crush on her.
"What about me?" a deep voice asked from behind her. Serena turned around, unsure if she was dreaming or not. She saw Darien standing by the door with a smile upon his face. She released Lita and ran to him, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
"Darien, you're back!" she cried as she jumped into his arms. The others watched with fascination as Darien drew her closer to him, burying his face in her hair. Serena rose on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I really missed you," she whispered in his ear. "Don't ever leave me without saying goodbye first."
Darien's heart hammered in his throat as he felt her breath tickle his ear. "I'm sorry, but you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't have the heart to wake you up. I really missed you too," he whispered back. "Happy birthday, Sere."
"Thank you Darien. I'm so glad you're back." Serena reluctantly stepped out of his hold and stared at his face. They continued to stare and smile at each other until they heard a cough coming from the room.
"Um...hello? I thought this was a party, not a staring contest," Walter said, earning him a poke in the ribs from Candace. "What? What'd I say?"
"There's a special reason I came back today, Sere. I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes," Darien said.
"You didn't need to go through any trouble for me, Darien," she protested but obeyed. Serena could hear people moving around her excitedly. "What, did you get me a stripper, Darien?" she joked.
"Humph, you wish," a familiar voice said. Serena gasped in recognition and opened her eyes.
"SAMMY!" she cried. She saw her brother standing in front of her with a wry look upon his face, but her eyes widened even more when she realized who was standing next to him. "MOM!" Serena flung herself at her mother and brother and wrapped her arms around both of them. "How did you get here? When did you get here?"
Ilene Mathis smiled at her daughter. "You have Mr. Shields to thank for that."
Serena turned to Walter and engulfed him in a hug. "Oh, thank you Mr. Shields!"
"Easy, girlie! She didn't mean me, she meant the boy! Unhand me at once!" Walter bellowed, but all the while hugging her back.
"Darien? How?" she asked, her head spinning as she reached a shaky hand towards Darien, which he happily took.
Darien smiled and led her to a chair, upon which she gratefully sat down. "Well, when I was in Japan, I realized that your birthday was coming up so I wrapped business up early and got on the jet back to America. Halfway there, I realized that you would probably appreciate a visit from your family so I called up your mother and asked her if she and Sammy would like to come over for a visit. I told her that I would pick them up from their house and take them to LA on the jet. Then I called mom and made arrangements to have the party set up by the time we arrived. And you're right Serena, Sammy is _definitely_ a Sammy."
"You remembered?" she asked so softly that only he would hear.
"Of course, I remember everything you say," he replied just as softly.
"Oh god, you told them your theory about names having more than one syllable, Meatball Brains? You should write a dissertation on that subject since you talk about it so often," Sammy said, rolling his eyes.
"I see that wasn't the first time girlie has tried to explain the difference between Sam and Sammy," Walter said sarcastically.
Sammy snorted. "I wish. Has she talked about how she got her name?"
"Which one, Serenity or Serena, because she's told us both versions," Walter replied, glad to have found something in common with the young lad. Sammy and Walter both threw their heads up to the ceiling and rolled their eyes heavenward.
Serena turned to Darien, a frown directed at her brother. "Thanks for bringing my mom here but did you really have to bring the spore, too? Couldn't you have just dropped him somewhere between the prairies and the Rockies?"
Darien grinned lopsidedly. "Believe me, we tried but he wouldn't let go of his seat. Don't worry, I plan on ditching him when we go to Disneyland tomorrow," he said, fanning out six passes and waving them in her astonished face. "I know you've always wanted to go but didn't have anyone to go with. Tomorrow, the Shields and Mathis families will set forth to Disneyland."
Serena jumped out of her seat and tackled Darien to the ground. She lay sprawled over top of him, hugging him like there was no tomorrow. "THANK YOU SO MUCH, DARIEN!"
"Geez Meatball Brains, for a recently-turned twenty-seven year old, you sure don't act like it," Sammy smirked, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down upon his sister, who was straddling a love-sick Darien on the floor. Despite his snide comments, Sammy couldn't be more proud of his sister for finally getting on with her life. It wasn't just a few months ago that she wouldn't even talk to a man for more than was necessary, much less straddle one.
"Quiet, spore. I'll have you know that I _still_ have a certain picture of a certain dweeb of a brother in a ballet costume when he was in twelfth grade. Don't make me bust it out and tell _everybody_ the story of why you were dressed that way, of your own volition, might I add," Serena warned threateningly from her spot on the floor beside Darien.
Sammy paled and held out his hands. "All right, all right, you win. I swear to God, if I _ever_ find that picture, I'm going to make your life a living nightmare."
"MOM! Tell Sammy to stop bothering me!" Serena whined.
"WHAT?! Serena started it!"
"No I didn't!"
"Yes, you did!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"Why you little-"
"SERENITY BEULAH AND SAM WINSTON MATHIS! STOP THIS AT ONCE!" yelled Ilene, pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.
"Sorry mom," the Mathis kids apologized meekly, glaring angrily at each other.
Without warning, Walter started laughing uncontrollably. "What?" Serena asked testily.
"It seems that the boy over here isn't the only one stuck with a bad middle name eh...Beulah?" Walter asked. "You seem that part of the story was left out, girlie. Who ever thought I'd live to see the day a Beulah and a Beauford were in the same room together?"
Serena crossed her arms angrily over her chest and scowled as everyone else in the room laughed at her expense. "Some birthday this turned out to be. The spore was accidentally let over the border and now everyone knows my middle name," she muttered to herself. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and turned to see that Darien had draped an arm over her.
"Don't worry, Sere. You're not alone in this. I have a crappy middle name too," he whispered in her ear.
Serena smiled softly and rested her head on his shoulder. "You're right; I'm not alone."
Just then, Lita burst into the room with a huge cake and twenty-seven blazing candles on it. "Happy birthday to you..." she sang, encouraging everyone else to sing along with her. The lights dimmed and all everyone could see was the candlelit cake and Serena face hovering closely above it. What they didn't see was Darien standing behind her with a hand upon her waist. "Make a wish, Serena," Lita urged when the singing stopped.
'I wish that Darien would love me the way I love him,' Serena wished as she blew out the candles in one breath. The lights turned back on and Darien's arm disappeared from her waist and back to his side, his fingers lightly brushing hers as Serena moved closer to him. "How did you know that strawberry shortcake is my favourite, Lita?"
Lita smiled. "You're going to have to ask Darien that."
Serena turned large eyes upon the man who was springing so many surprises on her that day. "How did you know?"
"Remember that day we went to Luigi's Bistro? You ordered the strawberry shortcake and told me that it was your favourite," he replied.
Candace and Ilene exchanged knowing smiles. 'Looks like I'll soon have the daughter I've always wanted,' thought Candace to herself. 'I couldn't be happier that Darien's chosen Serena. She's the best thing that's ever happened to him.'
'He's the best thing that's ever happened to her ever since that bastard Jake stole her innocence. I've never seen my sweet little Sere blossom like she does when Darien is around,' thought Ilene as she watched Darien and Serena giggling on the couch and playfully teasing each other with whipped cream.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Darien said. He stood up and got a gift-wrapped package from the end table drawer. "Here's your present, Sere."
"Darien, you shouldn't have. You've already given me so much today: bringing my mother and the spore here, the party, the Disneyland passes..." 'you coming back,' she added silently. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank you."
"Just being here...helping my father, is thanks enough for me," he replied, silently thinking, 'having you in my life is thanks enough for me.'
Serena carefully tore open the silver wrapping paper to reveal a large black velvet box with the words 'Osa-P Tokyo, Japan' in gold lettering. With shaking hands, Serena lifted up the lid and peered inside. "Oh Darien..." she breathed in disbelief.
"I...was just passing by the store window and saw it on display...It reminded me of you..." Darien explained shakily.
"Well girlie, what is it?" an overly curious Walter demanded.
Serena turned the box around to show everybody who had been dying to ask about the contents but lacked Walter's nerve. Inside, nestled in a pillow of tulle was a beautiful pearl and diamond tiara. Everyone gasped, while Molly and her fellow maids sighed dreamily. Darien was watching Serena's stunned face closely. "Do you like it?" he asked nervously.
Serena smiled, small tears coursing down her cheeks. "I love it Darien," she said simply. 'And I love you.' She wiped the tears away with her hand. "You shouldn't have. It's too much."
'Nothing's ever too much for you, Sere,' Darien thought. Aloud, he said, "I just thought it was the perfect touch to that dress Trista gave you. What's a princess dress without a tiara?"
Everyone smiled, each one privately speculating on the _real_ reason Darien got her the tiara. Serena continued to admire her new tiara, fingering it gently to make sure it was still there. Lita cleared her throat. "Dang Darien. If I had known you liked to give such kick-ass birthday gifts, I would have told you my birthday was May 6th." (AN: Sorry, I only know Serena and Darien's b-days so I made Lita's up.) Everyone started laughing as Darien blushed furiously at Lita's comment. Sammy raised his eyebrow at Darien and crossed his arms warily on his chest, choosing not to say anything...for now. 'If he hurts her like Jake and those bastards did, I will kick his ass so hard, my foot comes out of his mouth. I failed to protect her before, I won't do it now.'
To her mother and brother's shock, not to mention Darien, Serena leaned over and kissed Darien's cheek softly. "I'll treasure it always," she whispered before pulling away.
*************************************
"So what do you feel about Darien, Serena?" Ilene asked her daughter later that evening as they stood on her balcony.
"Shh, mother...his balcony's next to mine. He could hear you," she cautioned. Serena turned and walked back inside to her room with her mother at her heels. She closed the doors and sat down on an armchair in front of the fireplace with Ilene once again following suit in another armchair.
"Well?" she questioned.
"I love him, mama," Serena answered simply.
"That's wonderful, Serena!" her mother exclaimed, happy to finally hear her daughter admit feelings for a man. "Darien's a fine man."
"He doesn't know about my past," Serena replied, staring at the dark fireplace intently. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell him."
"Oh Serena, my little girl. I blame myself for not protecting you better from that monster. I should have known what Jake was doing to you..." Ilene trailed off, tears spilling from her eyes.
"No mama...it wasn't your fault. It was nobody's fault except for Jakes'. I've learned to see that now and to stop blaming myself," Serena comforted softly, not taking her eyes off the fireplace.
"I invited him to that picnic! I left you alone with him when you went to the washroom! It's all my fault!" Ilene sobbed.
"Do you blame Daddy for introducing him to us? Do you blame Daddy for having him over for poker nights?" Serena asked, taking her mother's hands in hers.
"It's my job as a mother to know what's wrong with her children. That...monster molested you in our own house and I was none the wiser. He used me to get to you. Oh Sere, can you ever forgive me?"
"Forgive you? For what? You did nothing wrong. I made my choice when I decided to protect you from him. If I had to make that choice again, I wouldn't change a thing," Serena explained.
"Don't you see? It's not the child's duty to protect her mother from harm, it should have been the other way around. It should have been me," she cried.
"It shouldn't have been anybody," Serena replied firmly. "Let's forget him from now on, mama. Jake is nothing to me now. Today is a brand new start in my life. No longer will I live in fear because of what the man has done to me in the past."
"I'm so proud of you Sere. All that you've accomplished despite what you've gone through is awe-inspiring. Don't ever give up, especially when it comes to catching your prince," Ilene said, kissing Serena on the forehead. "I'm sure Darien will understand if he's every bit the man I think he is. You should tell him how you feel and about your past when you're ready."
"When I'm ready," she repeated as she watched her mom head out the door and into her own room down the hall. "Oh Darien, I love you so much it hurts. Thank you for bringing my mom here today. I needed her here with me more than I thought I would," she said as she turned off the lights and turned in for the night, secure in the fact that her prince was just a room away to save her from the demons that had been haunting her for the past nineteen years.
*******************************************************************
That's it, I can't write anymore for today! Kindly leave your reviews. I'm sorry for the seriousness and the graphic nature of this chapter, but just know that I don't condone child abuse in any way. I think it's the sickest thing an adult-or anyone for that matter-could ever do to a child. Please, if you or someone you know is going through this, tell somebody you trust. No one should have to go through this horrible thing on his or her own. I was going to make this chapter longer but I'm getting tired of typing and besides, I'll probably leave another chapter up tomorrow so no biggie, right?
