Hey everyone, I'm back from my vacation and ready to go on with this new chapter. I just want to extend my sincerest thanks to everyone who has waited patiently and loyally for me to update this little story of mine. I honestly never expected all the discussions on AI's message board regarding my story and I just want to say I'm touched, not to mention so honoured that this story had such a profound effect on some people. Ok, enough mushiness; time to get to work!

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Wounded Souls

Chapter 15-Love is in the Air

By: ~crystal~rose~{@

September 6, 2002

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Darien sighed as he pored over the various facts and figures spread out before him and turned to the figure huddled next to him on the massive bed, clutching one of his pillows to her body, totally oblivious of his presence. He groaned inwardly, envying the pillow its most fortunate position, entangled within the confines of Serena's arms and legs, and thought wryly that if he ever believed in reincarnation, he would most definitely sign up to become Serena's pillow in his next life.

He watched in awed fascination as Serena buried her face in the pillow, trying unsuccessfully to smother the laughter threatening to burst forth from her lips. She must have sensed that she was being watched because she tore her eyes away from the television screen and turned to him, frowning at her with the most pensive expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, was I bothering you?" she asked almost shyly, her eyes looking up at Darien innocently.

Darien gulped nervously. 'Bothering me?' he thought. 'Ever since she burst into my room in those teeny, tiny boxers and the little scrap of cloth she calls a tank top, I haven't been able to think of anything else.' He shook his head mechanically and Serena smiled at him before turning back to her program.

Darien thought back to forty-five minutes ago, when he was sitting alone in his room, determined to do some very neglected reading when Serena traipsed through the door in her little outfit and flopped unceremoniously on his bed. He was about to give her a good-natured scolding on the importance of knocking before entering a room when he noticed what she was wearing.

"I'm bored," she had whined childishly. "Entertain me." Darien snapped out of his trance and grinned wryly at her before handing her the TV remote.

"Knock yourself out," he said, laughing at the pout pulling the corners of her mouth down.

"If I had wanted to watch TV, I could've stayed in my room," she pointed out petulantly. Nevertheless, she took the remote from him and began changing the channels at break-neck speed, barely pausing to find out what each program offered before moving on to the next.

"By all means," he drawled.

Serena ignored him, having found a sitcom whose claim to fame was making off-colour jokes about everything from sex to religion. It was then that she grabbed the pillow and snuggled up against it, making Darien seriously begin to consider the pillow a rival for her affections. And so, almost an hour later, Darien was still staring at the same page he was reading when she walked in.

"Whatcha reading?" Serena asked, abandoning the pillow and sitting up on all fours so that she could peer over his shoulder. It seemed that her sitcom had finished because a severe looking anchorwoman from a local news show began to deliver the day's top stories in a no-nonsense, business-like manner.

"It's just a report on whether or not it would be in Shields Financial's best interests to acquire...am I boring you, Serena?" he asked, seeing the blank expression on her face.

Serena had the grace to blush as she shook her head vigorously in denial. "No, of course not! You know that I find your interest in being the head honcho of one of North America's leading investment firms quite fascinating. Rather cute, actually. Have you ever noticed that you practically salivate like a pre-pubescent boy about to play his first game of 'Spin the Bottle' every time you start talking about one of your recent acquisitions? It's great that you're so passionate about what you do-even if I do find it boring as hell," she added teasingly. She squealed in protest when Darien dug his knuckles into her hair and rubbed them back and forth along her head. She raised her hands in surrender and Darien smiled at her superiorly.

"So what was with the blank look?" he asked. In the background, the anchorwoman continued her report on the nation's financial status.

"I was just thinking about going back to Toronto in three days and Aunt Celeste's wedding. I can't wait to see them again!" she exclaimed, a dreamy expression over her face. Just then, a thought entered her mind and she immediately sobered up.

"What's wrong?"

"Um, you're sure about wanting to stay at my house while we're there?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah. Why, you don't want me there?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light and the hurt out of his voice. Apparently, he didn't do as good a job as he thought for Serena slipped her arms around him in a comforting hug.

"It's not that," she replied gently. "It's just that-well, it's kinda embarrassing, but..."

"Spit it out, Serena," Darien prompted. Serena grimaced uncomfortably under his intense gaze and chewed on her bottom lip nervously.

"Well, it's just that, I know that you've grown up in this house and have lived in it your whole life," she began, expecting him to understand what she was getting at.

Darien frowned in confusion as she stared at him expectantly. "Yeah...so?" Serena sighed in frustration before continuing.

"You have your own wing in this house." She could see the gears turning in his head as he pondered what it was she was trying to tell him.

"I don't get it." Serena threw her hands in the air and shifted herself on the bed so that she was sitting on her knees facing him.

"My house in Toronto only has three bedrooms and one lumpy couch. This house has more bedrooms than there are residents. You come from a world of Persian rugs and wine with your meals. Me, I come from a world covered in linoleum and the closest thing I have to a vintage wine is the can of Coke I bought from the grocery store the week before. What I'm trying to say is," she placed a hand to both sides of his face and looked deeply into his eyes, "that I don't want you to think that you'd be hurting my feelings if you opt to stay at the Royal York Hotel instead of the Mathis Motel. You don't have to rough it at my house if you can afford to stay in a five-star hotel." She dropped her hands to her sides and lowered her eyes to the mattress.

Darien's expression softened as he finally understood what she was trying to tell him. He gathered up her tiny hands in one of his and used the other one to gently tilt her chin up. "Now why would you automatically assume that I'd feel that way about staying in your home? I may have grown up with some of the finer things in life and I admit that until recently, I've been nothing but an ass to you but please believe me when I say I'd be honoured to stay in your home."

Serena still had a hesitant look in her eyes. "I know you're sorry, it's just that-"

"No buts, Serena. Just because my home happens to be a lot bigger than yours, doesn't mean your house is a hovel. My home is with my family-you and Isabella. But if you're really uncomfortable with me staying in your home, considering all the bad blood between me and your family, I'd completely understand," he said. "I won't push you to accept me in all aspects of your life. I owe you that much, at least. I'll just arrange to stay elsewhere-"

"No! That's not what I want!" Serena cried a little desperately. Her voice reverberated off the walls and she blushed at her outburst. "I just meant that I don't want to make you more uncomfortable than you'll most likely be, with Sammy and Justin breathing down your neck like deranged lunatics. And you don't owe me anything at all. You've already apologized to me about half as many times as I've apologized to you. Please don't think that I want to keep you out of my life again."

Again, Serena lowered her eyes, carefully studying the bedspread and it's bold pattern of reds and blues randomly swirled on a black background. "I-I know that my house isn't what you're used to. Hell, you could probably fit the whole thing in the shallow end of the indoor pool and-" Her words were cut off by the gentle pressure of Darien's finger on her lips. Serena felt a shiver run down her spine and she had to struggle to maintain an outwardly calm appearance.

"Serena, as cheesy as it sounds, a home isn't made up of walls, cement and a lot of other stuff I've probably never even heard of. It's made up of the people living there, and as long as you and Isabella are there with me, I'd be pretty comfortable sleeping in your bathtub," Darien said sincerely. A smile tugged at Serena's lips.

"Just remember you said that. If Sammy had his way, you'd be sleeping in a snowbank with nothing more than a newspaper blanket and all your worldly possessions in a garbage bag under your head as a pillow." Darien chuckled. "And you're right. That was cheesy."

Serena, having learned her lesson from before, quickly ducked before Darien could smack her in the head with a pillow. She snuck her tongue out at him and yanked her pillow away from his clutches before settling back down in her original position.

"I think it's time you stopped slacking off and returned to your work," she declared regally. Darien raised an amused eyebrow and smiled at her indulgently.

"Excuse me? If memory serves me correctly, you were the one who started talking to me first," he pointed out dryly.

"Quiet. I'm watching the news," Serena replied loftily without looking at him. Darien gave her one more smile and picked up his discarded folder.

They had been sitting in silence for a few minutes, Darien dutifully reading the financial reports and Serena watching the news, when Darien heard Serena gasp sharply. He felt her body stiffen and by the time he had set his folder aside, she was sitting upright, her face ashen and the pillow hugged tightly to her chest.

"Serena? What's the matter?" Darien frowned in concern when she didn't answer. Serena stared at the TV so intently that Darien wondered if she was still aware of his presence beside her.

"A 42-year old man was caught molesting a 6-year old girl in her neighbourhood playground this afternoon," the stern-faced anchorwoman said. "A friend of the little girl, whose identity cannot be released, saw a strange man touching the child behind some bushes and immediately alerted her mother who in turn, contacted the police. Arrested was one Thomas Gibson of Sacramento, California. Gibson has had prior convictions over the past five years, including possession of child pornography. The little girl was taken to hospital for trauma. If convicted, Gibson faces a minimum of life in prison without parole. Now, on to sports with Jim Haley-"

Darien took the remote from Serena's trembling hand and turned off the TV. She flinched when he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. Turning to see who it was, she smiled weakly when she saw it was just Darien.

"Are you alright?" Darien asked worriedly.

Serena took in a few gulps of air and nodded. "I'm fine. It's just that it was so close to home, you know? I've heard so many cases of children being preyed upon by monsters like that, but that poor little girl...She was assaulted in a park...Just like I was," she finished softly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Darien asked. Serena shook her head and started to move to the edge of the bed.

"That's ok, Darien. I-I think I just want to be alone for a while." Darien watched as Serena got up on shaky limbs and fought to steady herself at the foot of the bed. Having accomplished that task, she turned to Darien, who continued to watch her worriedly, and managed a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm fine now. Don't worry about me. I just need to sleep this off and I'll be good as new tomorrow morning. Don't forget to say goodbye before you leave for work, ok? Goodnight."

Before Darien could say anything, Serena had crossed the room and was already out the door. He sighed dejectedly and stared at the closed door in deep thought for twenty minutes before picking up the file but it was a long time after that before his eyes wandered back to the page.

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It was one thirty in the morning and Darien was just about to turn in for the night. He eased himself out of his shirt and began tidying up the scattered papers on his bed. 'Not like I got much reading done, anyway,' he thought ruefully. For the past two and a half hours, his mind had gone from worrying about Serena to the work in front of him, demanding his immediate attention. Finally, after staring at a graph for fifteen minutes and not knowing what it was about, he decided to call it a night.

His eyes swung in the direction of the closed door and recalled the haunted look in Serena's eyes that she tried so valiantly to hide for his benefit. "Maybe I should go see if she's ok," he murmured to himself. Having made up his mind, he walked swiftly to the door in three strides and made his way to Serena's room.

He crossed the hallway and paused outside the door, hesitating. 'What should I do?' he wondered, staring at the doorknob. 'I can't just barge into her room at quarter to two in the morning. What if she's asleep?'

As if in answer to his question, Darien heard a low moan coming from beyond the door. He paused, wondering if he indeed had heard something, when it was followed by Serena's muffled voice. Wondering who it was she was talking to, Darien put his ear to the door to find out.

"Please don't hurt her!" he heard Serena cry. Darien stood bolt upright.

"What the hell?" he muttered. His heart hammering in his throat at the thought of a stranger in the house about to hurt Isabella or Serena, Darien burst through the door, expecting to have to put up a fight with an armed intruder but was altogether unprepared for the scene in front of him.

Serena was writhing on the bed, her sheets twisted around her body, her arms and legs flailing about, muttering incoherently in her sleep. Darien rushed to her side, barely managing to avoid being hit in the chest by one of her arms, and gripped her shoulders tightly.

"Serena! Wake up! You're having a bad dream," he urged, giving her a little shake to rouse her from her nightmare.

"Get away from her!" Serena's face was soaked with sweat and tears as she fought with her imaginary attacker.

"Serena, wake up!" Darien shook her a little harder, bringing Serena a step closer to consciousness for her eyes started fluttering rapidly.

Upon seeing his stern face brought about by his concern for her, Serena began to cry earnestly. "I'm sorry, Darien! I'm so sorry! Oh God, help me!" she sobbed brokenly. Darien's brows knitted even more as she started babbling apologies to him.

"What are you sorry about?" he questioned. Serena sobbed harder, her answer being swallowed up in her tears. Darien wiped her face with his hand and forced her to look at him in the eye.

"You're still half-asleep, Serena. Wake up!" he demanded, worry making him sound harsher than he wanted to be.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she muttered to herself, more tears pouring down her face. "I couldn't save her. I tried, but I couldn't save her."

Darien began to lightly tap her on the cheeks to get her attention. "Tell me what happened."

Serena shook her head furiously, shutting her eyes tightly to block the barrage of images streaming through her mind. Darien sighed in frustration and gripped her arms in a hold that would surely leave marks in a few hours and shook her roughly. "Wake up, damn it! You were just having a bad dream. Now tell me what it is so I can help you!"

"He came back," she whispered softly, so softly that Darien almost didn't hear her. "I was that little girl in the news tonight and he came back."

"Jake?" Serena nodded.

"H-he took me to the trees and told me what he was going to do to me but I told him I was stronger now and wouldn't let him hurt me anymore. Suddenly, I became an adult and we were standing in this very room, facing each other." Serena paused, visibly trembling. Darien put a comforting hand on her shoulder, which Serena either accepted or didn't notice.

"I told him that he didn't have power over me anymore, that he was long dead and that I was finally happy with my life. He just laughed at me." Serena once again shivered at the memory. "I always hated his laugh. It sounded so happy and nice that it was very hard to believe a person who laughed like that was capable of being such a monster. I always mistrusted men who laughed like that after knowing Jake."

Serena and Darien sat in silence for a moment, contemplating their emotions before Serena once again started to speak. "I-I thought I had the situation under control. I was strong. And then...and then..."

"Yes?" Darien prompted gently.

Serena inhaled a shaky breath. "Isabella started crying in the nursery. Before I could move, he was already in her room and-" Without warning, Serena pushed Darien aside and ran to her washroom, fighting the surge of nausea by clutching her stomach with one hand, and her mouth with the other.

Darien picked himself up from the floor and ran after her. By the time Darien reached the washroom, Serena was already on her hands and knees, heaving the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Darien held her hair away from her face until she was through vomiting. Thoroughly spent, Serena crawled away from the toilet and rested herself against the bathtub, crying into her hands.

Without a word, Darien picked up a face cloth and ran it under cool water from the sink. He sank to his knees beside her and gently dabbed her sweat-beaded forehead with the damp cloth.

Still sobbing, Serena collapsed on Darien's left shoulder. "I just stood there, watching him defile our daughter. I glanced down and saw that I had turned into a little girl again. I tried to fight him off of her, but he just pushed me away. Oh God, please help me. Mommy come back, please come back. Oh God, I just want my mom. Mama! Mama..." she pleaded helplessly.

Darien felt tears prick his eyes as he watched all the progress Serena made in her fight to free herself from Jake Cassidy's evil come undone in one night. He gently gathered her up in his arms and cradled her like a child as she cried for her mother. Darien rocked them both, Serena finding solace in the fact that Darien was here in her time of need, Darien in the fact that he could offer what little support he could for her.

"I-I have to see her."

Darien raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Who? Your mom?"

"My baby. I have to see my baby," Serena whispered hoarsely. "I have to make sure she's ok. I have to see for myself that nothing happened to her, that-that she's fine and-and -"

Darien smoothed his hand over Serena's back to get her to calm down. He whispered words of comfort in her ear until he could feel her start to relax in his arms. "Alright, we can go see Isabella but she might be sleeping. Are you sure you're going to be able to see her without waking her up?"

Serena's head bobbed up and down as she rushed to compose herself. "I won't wake her up, I promise. I just really need to see for myself that Jake hasn't hurt her." At Darien's nod of approval, Serena carefully stood up on shaky legs and waited for him to join her.

They made their way silently to the nursery where Isabella slept, blissfully unaware of the demons haunting her mother that night. Serena tiptoed quietly to the crib while Darien stayed in the doorway watching in curious fascination at a broken mother drawing strength from her child. He watched as Serena carefully lowered the side of the crib to give her easier access to Isabella, kneeling on the floor so that she was more or less at the same level as the mattress upon which Isabella slept.

He could see Serena whispering soft words to their sleeping daughter but could not make them out, nor did he want to, for he knew that what Serena had to say was for Isabella's ears only, regardless if she was awake to hear them or not. The pained expression on her face clearly showed that she was reliving her nightmares and seeing images in her mind that she would have a hard time erasing. Finally, after giving Isabella a gentle kiss on the forehead, Serena carefully stood up and padded over to Darien.

"I really needed that. I needed to see that she was still sound asleep in her room where my nightmares couldn't touch her. I needed to see that there's at least one person in this world who has no idea what child abuse is," Serena explained softly as they walked back to her room.

"Are you going to be fine now?" Darien asked, not wanting to leave her until he was certain she was going to be ok. One look at her face, however, told him that she wasn't.

Serena was staring at her bed with a repugnance and sheer terror that was usually reserved for the most violent of criminals. And in a way, it was, for her bed was the origin of Serena's deepest fears and insecurities. From the sexual abuse she experienced as a child, which ultimately started her on a life of promiscuity, to the dreams she had leading her to fear that her child had fallen under the same trap she was in, all happened in what was supposed to be the security of her bedroom.

As if to confirm his suspicions, Serena wiped away her tears and trembled violently. "I'm scared to go back to sleep," she moaned. "What if I see that again?" She was on the verge of collapse had Darien not been supporting her by her arm.

"Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?" Serena nodded, her tears blurring her vision so that she didn't even know what direction her bed lay. She fumbled around, trying to see through her tears, vaguely embarrassed that Darien had to see her in this state, when all of a sudden, she felt herself being lifted in strong arms and carried to the bed.

Darien laid her down gently before crawling in beside her. He moved slowly so as not to scare her, then placed his hand over hers, which was resting lightly over her stomach. They lay still for a few moments, both not saying a word. When he felt Serena shiver, Darien turned his head to see that tears were once again forming in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Serena sniffled and turned away from him, saying nothing. "Serena?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered softly, the silence of the room making her voice sound louder than it really was.

Darien turned and held her in his arms, spooning her body in his. "For what?"

Serena took a deep breath and released it slowly. "I'm so weak. I've tried to become stronger, for myself, for Isabella, you...but I feel like I'm just taking one step forward, and a hundred steps back. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Darien was immediately whispering comforting words in her ear, squeezing her gently to reassure her that he didn't blame her in the least. "You have nothing to feel sorry about, Serena. It's not your fault that sick, disgusting animals like Jake get put on this earth to terrorize children. I hate him for what he did to you, for what he keeps doing to you, even from beyond the grave. I swear, sometimes..." he trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"What?" Serena asked, pulling his arm that was wrapped around her waist so that his palm lay beneath her cheek.

"Sometimes I hate myself for not being able to take away your pain. There are days when you're so happy, as if you don't have a care in the world, and then there are nights like this when all the memories become too much and I can't get through all the pain to help you. Let me help you, Serena," he pleaded. Darien sighed, crestfallen, when he felt tears land on his palm.

"Thank you." Serena could hardly get the words past her throat. "Thank you," she repeated a little more firmly. Darien responded by moving closer to her and kissing her shoulder.

"You're welcome," he replied, his voice thick with emotion.

"Darien, could you do me a favour?" Serena asked after another moment of comfortable silence.

"Anything."

"Tell me a story."

"What kind of story?" Serena was quiet for a minute as she pondered the answer to his question.

"A happily ever after story." Darien smiled softly and moved closer to her ear.

"Have you ever heard of the Silver Princess and the Ebony Prince?" he asked, knowing that she hadn't for he was just now spinning the story in his head. As he predicted, Serena shook her head in reply.

"Well, once upon a time, thousands of years ago, there were two kingdoms on opposite sides of a forest. The Silver Princess lived in the East Kingdom and the Ebony Prince lived in the West. Now, both kingdoms hated-"

"Darien? What were their names?" Serena interrupted. Darien searched through his minimal knowledge of fairy tales for suitable names but was at a loss for words.

"Um, this story took place so long ago that people have forgotten their names," he replied lamely.

"Then how did they get called the Silver Princess and the Ebony Prince?" Serena persisted.

"Er, let's see, the princess always wore a silver necklace given to her by her mother when she was just a baby and the prince was said to have a personality that matched his hair, dark as night.

"As I was saying, both kingdoms had been at war for the past fifty years because the rulers of the East at the time, the princess' grandparents, blamed the rulers of the West, the prince's great-aunt and uncle, for the death of their daughter, who had run away in order to meet with the prince's uncle. You see, they were attacked and killed by an evil sorceress while they were on their way to get married secretly. Having no other heir to the throne, the rulers of the West had to pass their crowns to the prince's parents," Darien explained.

"So, the daughter of the rulers of the East and the son of the rulers of the West were secretly in love but were killed by a witch on what was supposed to be their wedding day? And the Ebony Prince's parents assumed the throne because his uncle, the only crown heir, had been killed?" Serena reiterated. "And ever since then both kingdoms have hated each other? So then what happened?"

And so, Darien spun a tale of the accidental meeting fifty years later of a rebellious princess and a mercurial prince in the very same woods their long dead relatives met for the last time. He told of a forbidden love at a time of war and of the risks and dangers the prince and princess faced in order to be together.

Serena began to shiver as she imagined the evil sorceress, who had been pitting one kingdom against the other in hopes of reaping the spoils, lurking in the background, waiting for the day when she could cut the Silver Princess and the Ebony Prince down as she had their ancestors half a century ago. Then one day, the sorceress saw her chance and captured the princess as she was about to meet her prince in the woods. The prince saw what happened from afar and followed the evil sorceress back to her lair, where he began to battle with her to free the princess.

Just as Serena was about to question Darien's idea of a happily ever after story, the Ebony Prince had managed to strike a deadly blow to the source of the sorceress' powers: the red crystal pendant hanging from her neck. As the evil sorceress lay dying on the floor next to her broken crystal, the prince broke the bonds holding the princess captive and they were able to escape the sorceress' lair, now crumbling to pieces around them.

The prince took the princess back to her home but was sent away by her father, who blamed him for her disappearance. The princess spent her days and nights crying for her love in the tower room, where she could see his kingdom over the treetops. The prince was not faring so well himself, refusing to eat or go outside. Finally, the Silver Princess' father took her to the Kingdom of the West to place blame on the prince for the state his daughter was in. The prince's father, in turn, blamed the princess for his son's mental and emotional anguish.

As the two kings were about to draw their swords against each other, their wives begged them to end the fighting and look at what's taking place right under their noses. The prince, hearing the princess' voice, had staggered to the throne room with the help of his most trusted friend. The princess, shocked at his gaunt appearance, ran to his side and fell to her knees, cradling him to her. They embraced tenderly, unaware that their parents were watching them.

The queens begged their husbands not to make their children suffer any more than they already have by nursing old wounds that did not concern them anymore. The kings, seeing that their children were happier now than they have been for weeks, grudgingly agreed. They announced that the prince and princess were free to marry and would be crowned king and queen of both kingdoms.

"And they lived happily ever after," Darien finished, pleased that he had been able to make a passable fairy tale in such short notice.

"Darien?"

"Hmm?"

"I liked that." Serena yawned. "I think I can go back to sleep now. Goodnight." Serena pulled his arm closer around her and kissed his palm.

"Sweet dreams, Serena," Darien said, his breath tickling her ear.

Serena giggled softly. "Thanks, I will."

******************

The sun shone brightly through the lacy curtains and into Serena's eyes. She sighed and tried to go back to sleep. Her dreams were filled with visions of a beautiful princess with a silver necklace and a prince whose dark hair complemented his dark personality. When her eyelids failed to keep the sun out of her eyes, Serena tried to roll over but found that her body was trapped under something. She opened one eye slowly, unsure of what she was to find. Her breath caught in her throat.

Darien was in the bed with her. Not just in the bed, but he had his arm wrapped securely around her middle, his face inches away from hers. Serena's eyes widened when she saw how intimately their legs were wrapped around each other's, how Serena's thigh was caught between Darien's muscular legs while her other leg was thrown on top of his. She blushed furiously when she saw her fingers spread out on his bare chest. They were so close to each other that they shared one pillow.

Carefully, she lifted her leg and tried to shift her position so that she lay on her back instead of her side. As if sensing her movements, Darien's arm tightened around her, pulling her closer to him, a frown marring his otherwise peaceful face. Had she not been so flustered, Serena would have laughed at the situation, maybe even taken advantage of it by tickling him awake. After a few minutes of gently struggling against her slumbering captor, Serena decided to wake him up.

"Darien, wake up," she hissed in his ear. She grit her teeth when all Darien did was mumble and squeeze her tighter. "Darien!"

"Hmm? Wha?" Darien mumbled sleepily. He glanced down at her, as if waking up next to her was the most natural thing in the world. "Good morning!"

Serena noticed that he still had not released her. "Good morning," she replied testily.

Darien leaned forward and planted a warm kiss on her forehead, much to her annoyance. "Did you sleep better?"

Serena frowned at the question. "What are you talking abou-" Suddenly, all the memories from the night before flooded her groggy systems, forcing her to awaken with such force that she almost bit her tongue. She started to whimper, and, despite her previous reservations, buried her face into his shoulder.

"It's ok, it's ok," Darien soothed, running his fingers through her hair. "Remember our talk last night? I said that I would be here for you anytime the memories got to be too much for you. Remember that?"

Serena nodded and wiped away the last of her tears. She looked up at his face and smiled softly before resting her head in the hollow of his shoulder again. They remained comfortably in this position for a little while longer, not wanting to face another day. Just as Darien was about to ask Serena if she felt better, the door to the nursery was flung open, scaring both himself and Serena.

"GEE-zus!" Walter exclaimed, taking in the sight of a bare-chested Darien and a seemingly naked Serena, wrapped up in a thin blanket and each other. In his arms, he carried a placid-looking Isabella, quietly sucking on a teething ring.

"Dad!"

"Walter!"

Serena and Darien sprang apart and sat up on the bed, Serena clutching the blanket to her chest; that and her bare shoulders giving Walter more reason to believe that she was naked underneath, when the truth was, her tank top straps had slipped off her shoulders.

Walter stared at them with eyes so round that Darien began to wonder if his eyeballs would roll out from their sockets. Finally, he gave them a feral grin and whooped triumphantly. Isabella took the teething ring from her mouth and tried to copy her grandfather, making a little cheep instead of a whoop. Seeing as how her vocal skills weren't up to par yet, Isabella opted to pump her chubby fist in the air. Walter laughed and encouraged her even more. Serena couldn't see her own face, but she was pretty sure it was about as red as Darien's.

"We can explain," Darien said hurriedly, holding out his hands as if in surrender. "You see, last night-"

Walter laughed even harder. "You don't have to explain the birds and the bees to me, my boy."

Serena shook her head emphatically. "No, Walter, you don't understand. If you just listen to us-"

"I think I'm old enough to know what the birds and the bees are, girlie. Hee hee, I knew it was only a matter of time before this 'we're just friends' nonsense got swept under the rug and the fun stuff happened. I've gotta admit, boy, I thought you'd never make a move. Molly and the girls thought you'd end up together by the beginning of spring but Melvin and the boys thought it would be the end of summer before you got back into Serena's good graces-and her bed-again. Wait'll I tell them that they were all wrong and I was right!" Walter thrust Isabella into Darien's arms before practically skipping to the door. "Oh, by the way, Ella's diaper needs to be changed," he called over his shoulder and slammed the door shut.

Serena and Darien looked at each other in disbelief before bursting in laughter. Their shoulders shook and tears streamed from their eyes as they tried to give laughing accounts of Walter's discovery of them in bed together. Isabella looked from one laughing parent to another, trying to get their attention by letting loose a string of gibberish that only made sense to her. Finally, when she couldn't get their attention after many failed attempts, she decided to try a tactic she had been saving up for a time such as this.

"Ma-ma," she pronounced deliberately, flashing her hard-earned baby teeth at them. Isabella had started teething about two weeks ago and had kept her parents up with her crying fits until Serena wanted to cry with her out of pity. Now, Isabella was the proud owner of two milk teeth, one on top and one on the bottom, making her look like a jack-o-lantern. Serena and Darien instantly stopped laughing and could only stare at their daughter in surprise.

"Darien, did you just hear what I just heard?" Serena asked shakily.

"Ma-ma."

Darien grinned. "I think I did."

Serena screamed and pulled Isabella, who bore a smug grin on her face, from Darien and gave her a big kiss on the lips. She continued to smother Isabella with kisses until the child fairly squealed with laughter. "Darien, she said her first word! Oh my God!"

Isabella, seeing how pleased her parents were when she said that word, decided to please them even more by saying it again. "Ma-ma, ma-ma, ma-ma, ma-ma, ma-ma, ma-ma, ma-ma, ma-ma!"

Darien grinned wryly at Serena. "Yeah, isn't it great?" he asked, his voice tinged with amusement and pride.

Serena smacked him lightly in the shoulder. "Hurry, get the video camera!"

Then next hour was spent videotaping Isabella happily singing her first word with Darien and Serena staring at her in rapt attention. Finally, Darien had to put the camera down in order to get ready for work.

"I think this calls for a celebration," he announced a half hour later when he came into Serena's room again, having done away with his pajamas in exchange for a charcoal gray Armani suit with a cobalt blue shirt that brought out the colour of his eyes. "How about the two of you come to my place for lunch and then we can go shopping for presents?"

"Ooh," Serena cooed excitedly into Isabella's ear. "Daddy's gonna take you shopping."

"Ma-ma."

"That's right, sweetheart. I'm your mama," she beamed. Darien had never seen Serena look as happy she did at that moment. Her eyes shone brightly and her cheeks were a rosy pink. The smile on her face was infectious, for Darien found that his own cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much. It was hard to imagine that the awful events of the night before had been erased by the single, most glorious word all mothers want their children to say, Serena not excluded.

"Oh my gosh, I still haven't bought Aunt Celeste a wedding gift," Serena gasped in realization.

"We can do it today," Darien reassured her. "Do you have any idea what to get her?"

"No. I told Sammy a month ago that I was thinking of getting her and Robert monogrammed towels but he said that he already bought them. Then, when I spoke to Mika two days ago, she told me that she and Sammy just bought them a week before. That little brat stole my idea," she fumed.

Darien chuckled. "You shouldn't have told him what you were going to get. What does a guy know about what kind of presents to buy for a wedding?"

"Apparently nothing. Now the problem is, I don't know what to get them. I mean, what do you get two people who already have everything they could possibly want for their wedding?" Serena mused as they headed downstairs.

"Well, we can just go around the stores today and see what comes up. Stop by my office today around twelve and then we'll go out to eat. I'll have my work wrapped up by then," Darien told her. They stopped at the front door; Melvin was off to the side, trying not to appear as if he was listening but the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth gave him away.

Serena lifted her eyebrow at him pointedly until he rolled his eyes and left the room, only to stand in the doorway, just out of Serena's line of vision. "Are you sure you can afford to take a half day today? You are going to Toronto in just ten days," she pointed out when she thought Melvin had left, absently picking a piece of invisible lint from Darien's silk tie. "What if the work you put off today prevents you from joining us up there next week?"

Darien smirked. "That's the beauty of running your own company; you get to delegate. Whatever I don't get done before I go to Toronto, I'll have Johnson do. Besides, there's always the Internet. I'll just take my laptop with me and catch up on any work that I haven't finished."

"Oh no you don't, mister. You work way too hard as it is; you're not going to bring more work with you on your one week vacation," Serena said sternly. "You are completely defeating the purpose of going on vacation by bringing a laptop with you. Well, I won't have it so you can tell this Johnson guy that it's time he stepped up to the plate and earn whatever it is you're paying him by being a good little employee. Now, it's eight thirty and you have to get to work. Move it!"

Darien chuckled as Serena began to forcibly push him out the door. "I'll make sure to tell Johnson you said that," he teased. "I'm sure his wife and kids won't mind me adding another couple of hours to his already busy ten to twelve hour days. I don't pay him almost half a million a year for nothing."

"Half...a million..." Serena stammered. Suddenly, she straightened up. "Hey! Do you realize that as soon as you walk out that door, your father will swoop down on me like an eagle going after a fish about what he saw this morning? I'll have to fend for myself while you get to sit around in that cushy office all day, pushing paper and paying people obscene amounts of money to do their work."

"Bye, sweet pea." Darien grinned at Serena, ignoring the livid expression on her face, and kissed Isabella on the nose. "See you two later!" He ran down the driveway before Serena could nag him some more about being stuck holding the bag.

Serena and Isabella waved to Darien as he backed one his ridiculously overpriced cars down the drive. He honked the horn twice before speeding off to work. Knowing that she had a goofy smile on her face, Serena turned around to head to the kitchen to grab Isabella something to eat when she collided into Walter, who had been standing behind her with a highly amused Melvin, who incidentally had been filled in on everything his senior employer had seen earlier that day.

"Walter," she said tentatively. Serena could feel her heart pounding a little bit faster as he raised his eyebrow. "What can I do for you?"

Perhaps it was the way Walter shrugged nonchalantly, or maybe it was the way Melvin was rubbing his hands together in anticipation, that caused a shiver of nervousness to crawl down Serena's spine. She faced them bravely but all she wanted to do was to run and hide from their inevitable questions and teasing.

She licked her suddenly dry lips. "What can I do for you two this morning?" she asked a little more boldly.

"Oh, I don't know, how bout we start with that little scene I walked in on this morning?" Walter answered, a predatory smile upon his lips.

Serena tilted her chin up defiantly, refusing to let him get to her so early in the morning. "Yes, about that. I realize this is your house and everything, but you can't just walk into a person's room without knocking. That's rude," she declared stubbornly.

Walter waved his hand dismissively. "Believe me, if I had known what was on the other side of that door, I would've knocked. Very loud. No, I wanted to discuss what I found in your room. Or better yet, who."

Serena clutched Isabella to her chest and began walking away from them toward the kitchen. "There's nothing to discuss," she called over her shoulder to the obstinate men following her at a furious pace.

"Oh really?" she heard Walter drawl.

"Yes, really," she emphasized through gritted teeth as she pushed her way past the kitchen door. "I had a nightmare and Darien offered to stay with me because I was afraid to be alone. What you saw was completely innocent."

"It didn't look very innocent to me." Serena could almost hear the smirk in Walter's voice. She plopped Isabella down in her high chair and searched the panty for her food.

"Well then, you must need glasses," she deadpanned. "Did you know that Isabella said her first word today?" She hoped that the doting grandfather in Walter would rise up and take the bait.

She breathed a sigh of relief when Walter's face broke out into a brilliant smile as he pressed a kiss on Isabella's head. "That's great!"

"Ma-ma!" Walter beamed proudly.

"This is wonderful! My granddaughter just said her first word, and her parents are finally doing the dirty deed." Serena heaved a sigh of long-suffering and turned to the two men playing with Isabella as if they were all schoolyard buddies.

"Darien and I are not doing the dirty deed!" she exclaimed. To her disbelief, Melvin had sidled up to Walter and began playing with the hem of the older man's shirt. She saw Melvin flash a conspiratorial grin at Walter and instantly felt her hackles go up. "Melvin, what are you doing?"

Melvin either chose to ignore her, or had instantly gone deaf to the sound of her voice because he didn't respond. He put his left foot behind the right one, shuffling it in a shy manner on the floor, while he walked his fingers up the buttons of Walter's shirt. "Now remember Mr. Shields," he intoned in a high-pitched voice, obviously pretending to be Serena, "I don't want to see you doing any work during our vacation. This is supposed to be you-me-and-the-baby time, not you-and-your-work time. I want every single waking moment devoted to me! ME!"

"Don't worry, baby, it's all about you," Walter crooned, getting into the game by making his voice deeper in a decent portrayal of his son. Serena just glowered at them.

"Damn right. It's so great to be friends, isn't it, Mr. Shields?" Melvin asked, batting his eyelashes at Walter wildly.

Walter took Melvin's hand into his own and stared deeply into his eyes. "The best of friends," he replied seriously. Serena rolled her eyes until she was convinced she would be able to see the wall behind her. "We'll be friends as long as we live. Nothing but friends."

"Oooh!" Melvin trilled. "You say the sweetest things, Mr. Shields." Melvin swatted Walter's arm coquettishly. "You're giving me goosebumps."



"Well here, little Melvin, let me warm you up with my devilishly handsome looks and equally dangerous smile. Shall I lift one eyebrow, or two?" Walter asked, demonstrating by raising his eyebrows comically. Serena groaned and held a hand to her forehead in an attempt to block out the scene before her.

"Ooh, you rascal, you!" Melvin let loose a squeal, followed by a laugh that seemed more like a cackle.

Isabella shrieked, trying to copy her grandfather by raising her own brows but only succeeding in making her eyes bug out. Melvin and Walter threw their heads back and laughed at Serena's face, which was getting redder and redder by the moment.

"We are NOT like that!"

Melvin, too busy laughing, slapped her jovially on the back, causing her to stagger a few steps. Serena turned to Walter desperately. "Tell him!"

Walter managed to control his laughter and turned to Melvin. "I guess we're wrong, Melvin." Serena began to smile triumphantly. "I guess two people who have a daughter together; haven't had a date with anyone else since they conceived their child; who spend almost every spare moment they have with each other; hold hands and make moony faces at each other; sneak glances at the other when they think no one's watching and going to spend Valentine's Day with each other at a wedding, no less; can't be more than just friends. It's clearly impossible."

"That's right," Serena agreed a little weakly. "We're just friends."

Melvin nodded solemnly. "How could I mistake all the little private jokes you two share; all the senseless arguments you have; the laughs and the tears; for love? Surely, it can't be possible for two people who have so much in common to be in love."

Serena stared at them with narrowed eyes as they walked out the door. 'It's not true!' she thought stubbornly. 'I'm not in love with Darien. We're just friends, no matter what those two say. We're just friends...aren't we?' She continued to gape at the door until a banging broke through her stupor.

It was Isabella banging her plastic spoon on the high chair tray, trying to get her attention. "Ma-ma," she cried before turning her bowl over high above her head, spilling her mashed carrots all over herself.

"Ma-ma," she wailed helplessly, big, fat tears running down her face. She began patting her head, spreading the orange goo to her hands and hair. The more she tried to clean herself off, the more she made a mess of herself. Isabella stared at her hands in despair, her lower lip trembling, and threw her head back, crying even harder.

Despite the ear-splitting racket, Serena had to struggle to keep herself from laughing at her daughter. She grabbed a paper towel and began cleaning Isabella off. "It's your own fault, you know," she chided Isabella gently. Isabella only cried harder.

"It's ok, baby, Mama's here," she soothed her baby's frayed nerves as she carried her upstairs for a bath.

Isabella hiccupped and snuggled against Serena's neck. "Ma-ma."

Serena only smiled.

******************

"Serena? Serena?"

"Huh? Did you say something?" Celeste lifted her eyebrow speculatively.

"You've been staring at that clock for the past fifteen minutes now. I've had to clean up after my own bridal shower," she kidded.

Serena's eyes widened as she looked around her living room that had been the site of a rowdy bridal shower held in Celeste's honour. Serena, being the maid of honour, took it upon herself to host the party and had invited all of Celeste's friends from her college heydays and from the hospital. It had been a fun afternoon, full of girl bonding punctuated by laughter, mostly when each woman shared anecdotes of her funniest moments regarding her significant other.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Celeste. If you want, you can toss all that garbage on the floor and I'll pick it up," she suggested lamely. Celeste laughed and picked Isabella up from her playpen, whirling her around until their faces got red from laughing so hard. Serena smiled at Isabella's happy expression.

"Excited much?"

Celeste stopped twirling Isabella around and set her back down in her playpen. "I don't know; you tell me," she smirked.

"What're you talking about?" Serena asked in confusion.

"Like I said, you've been staring at that clock for the past fifteen minutes." Celeste tied a knot securely at the open end of the garbage bag by her feet. "Say, isn't Darien's plane going to touch down in about an hour?" she asked coyly.

"Actually, it's landing in about an hour and twenty three minutes," Serena replied automatically. Seeing Celeste smile triumphantly, Serena covered her mouth as if to stop any more words from escaping her mouth. It was too late, however, for her aunt got that look in her eye that made Serena want to run for her life.

"Oh really?" Serena gulped.

"Yeah..." Not wanting to be bombarded with any more questions, Serena picked up the garbage bag and hurried to toss it outside. When she got back, she found her aunt still standing in the same spot, looking as if deep in thought. "Aunt Celeste?"

"What are your feelings for him, Serena?"

"I-I don't know," she replied, taken aback. Seeing her aunt's stern look, Serena looked down. "I don't know," she repeated.

"Do you love him?"

"I don't know."

"Serena..." Celeste said warningly.

"I don't know! Walter and Melvin were asking me the same questions two days before I left but I still don't know. I admit it, I care about Darien Shields. A lot. We've helped each other mature as parents and as friends." Serena looked out the patio doors and into her snow-covered backyard.

"Do you want to love him?" Serena inhaled sharply at Celeste's soft question.

"I-I don't know." Serena began digging her big toe into the soft carpet, not looking Celeste in the eye.

Celeste sighed. "Ok, how does Isabella feel about him?"

Serena lifted her head and smiled broadly, glad that the focus shifted off of her and onto her daughter. "Oh, she just adores him. They bonded so quickly after we went to live in California that it's like they were never separated at all. They have this game where Isabella lies down on her back with Darien's arm stretched up high above his head. Then, as he slowly brings his hand down, he wiggles his fingers and makes roaring sounds like he's a monster or something. When Isabella starts laughing, he brings his hand down to her tummy and starts tickling her. They can do this for half an hour sometimes, until I have to be the bad guy and scold Darien for getting Isabella too excited to take a nap. Sometimes I feel like I have two children," she told her aunt fondly.

Celeste smiled but chose not to say anything. If Serena refused to see what everyone else saw, who was she to point it out to her? "When are you going to go to the airport?" she asked instead.

"I should get going. If I leave now, I should just make it to the airport before his plane lands. C'mon Isabella, time to go see daddy," Serena cooed. Isabella clapped her tiny hands and laughed happily.

She had missed Darien terribly during this past week. For the first few days, she would do nothing but cry before going to bed and pointing to Darien's picture on her dresser. When Serena couldn't get her to bed on their first night back, she had to resort to calling Darien and letting him sing her softly to sleep. This became a nightly ritual, as Serena would call Darien at home before putting Isabella to sleep and all of them were happier because of it.

Serena could remember the nightmare of trying to separate Isabella from Darien when their plane to Toronto was on its final call for passenger boarding.

Isabella simply refused to release Darien's shirt from her iron claw grip. Shouting at the gate attendants that she was on her way, Serena finally had to wrench Isabella's surprisingly strong hands away, give Darien a hurried, yet chaste, kiss on the cheek and run to the dour-looking lady at the counter carrying Isabella's carrier all the way. Isabella turned her head back just before they entered the tube that would allow them to get on the plane, saw Darien waving goodbye and immediately threw her head back in a torrent of tears that didn't end until they landed in Toronto.

For almost five hours, Serena sang to Isabella, carried her up and down the aisles and even scolded her to no avail. There were brief lapses of silence between the tears when Isabella was just too exhausted to cry but as soon as she was rested enough, she would go at it again with renewed vigor. When the plane finally touched down and Serena got their baggage after going through customs, she immediately thrust Isabella in her car seat over to Sammy, who had taken the day off from work to pick them up, and ordered him to quiet her down or else she would start crying herself. Isabella didn't recognize Sammy anymore but upon hearing the voice that had spoken to her over the phone every week for almost four months, she finally stopped crying and broke out into a lopsided grin.

Serena felt like kissing Sammy's feet in gratitude as they made their way out into the frigid February air and into the parking lot.

"Well, we're off Aunt Isabella," Serena announced after bundling up Isabella and herself in various winter apparel. "So you're staying at the hotel tonight, right? What time do you want us there tomorrow to help you get ready?"

"Well, our hair appointments are at ten, the makeup is at twelve after we grab something to eat, and we have to get to Casa Loma by one just to make sure the wedding starts on time. Why don't you and the girls come to the hotel at nine?" Celeste suggested. The girls she was referring to were the close friends she had chosen to be her bridesmaids.

Serena nodded. "Will do. Is Robert going to stay at the hotel with you tonight?" she asked suggestively, winking at her aunt.

"Serenity!" her aunt gasped, pretending to be in shock. "You know that I would never let a man have my virtue before I have uttered my vows and we are in wedded bliss."

Serena snorted derisively. "Yeah, and I was a princess in my former life. Robert's had what's left of your 'virtue' ever since your third date."

"People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Serena dear," her aunt retorted teasingly. Serena responded in turn by sticking her tongue out and blowing her a raspberry, which Isabella promptly tried to imitate.

"So are you going to be here when I get back?" Serena questioned. Celeste nodded.

"I'll be here. I have a few questions I'd like to ask Isabella's father," she replied. Serena groaned.

"Aunt Celeste! You promised!" Seeing Celeste's face take a hard look, Serena did some fast thinking. "Don't lower yourself to Candace's level by giving Darien a hard time while he's here. He's already made amends with me, and I with him, so there's no reason to uphold this grudge on my behalf. Please, Aunt Celeste!"

Hearing Candace's name caused Celeste's face to twist into a scowl. "Fine. But the second I see him treating you any less than the wonderful person you are, I am going to be all over him like white on rice," she warned ominously.

Serena nodded vigorously. "Thanks Aunt Celeste. I really appreciate that. Well munchkin, time to go get Daddy," she told the little girl, who grinned in reply. "Say bye to Aunt Celeste."

"Bye sweetie," Celeste said, waving bye to her great niece. To her delight, Isabella opened and closed her fist in her rendition of a wave. "Take care, you two. The roads are slippery from the snow last night."

"We will. See you later."

*********************

Serena tapped her foot impatiently on the floor outside Gate 32 J, Terminal 2, waiting for Darien to make his way out from baggage claim. She had been waiting for the past half hour, watching other passengers emerging from the frosted glass doors, pushing their carts loaded with baggage and rushing into the arms of whoever was waiting for them on the other side.

"What's taking your daddy so long?" she murmured into Isabella's ear. "He's only staying a week, not a year. You think he packed too much?"

Isabella stuffed her fist into her mouth in her mouth.

Suddenly, the doors opened and Serena looked up expectantly. Her face broke out into a grin as she saw Darien standing in the doorway with a medium-sized piece of luggage on wheels, and a folded bag, obviously carrying his tuxedo for tomorrow's wedding. He smiled when he spotted them and began to hurriedly walk in their direction.

"Hi," he said, smiling down at Serena and Isabella, who immediately raised her arms up, imploring him to carry her. Serena smiled and handed her to Darien, who happily swung her into his arms and showered her with kisses.

"How was the flight?" Serena asked casually, still rooted to her spot.

"The flight was fine. A little turbulence and the food sucked, but other than that, it was fine," he replied just as casually. They gazed at each other awkwardly before lowering their eyes to the floor.

"I missed you," they both blurted out at the same time. Darien grinned while Serena blushed, before he pulled her into a bear hug.

"Isabella missed you so much too," Serena told him after he set her down. Darien kissed Isabella on the nose.

"Did you miss daddy? Did my little girl miss her daddy?" he questioned in a baby voice. Isabella scrunched up her nose, earning her a laugh from Darien.

Serena eyed his black wool coat speculatively before nodding her approval. "I'm glad you decided to bring a heavy coat. It smells like it's going to snow in a few days."

"It smells like it's going to snow?" Darien raised his eyebrow, challenging her to come up with an explanation for that seemingly far-fetched statement.

"Yes, it smells like it's going to snow," she replied testily. "You know how you can just tell when it's going to rain by the humidity and the smell of the air? Well, same thing applies before a snowfall, only instead of humidity, it gets insanely cold."

"Remind me why I came here again?" he wondered out loud as they headed toward the exit. The automatic doors opened and they were hit with an icy blast of wind that had Darien shivering despite being wrapped up in his coat, scarf and leather gloves.

"Aren't you cold?" he asked, taking in her cherry red, calf length wool coat and knit gloves.

"Yep," was the flippant reply as she led the way to the parking lot. "I'm used to it, though. You're just being a wimp."

"I'll have you know that I was in Toronto for three weeks four years ago on business," he informed her as they reached Serena's car.

"Oh really? Then I guess I won't have to play tourist guide for you." Serena gave one last tug on the seatbelt holding Isabella's car seat before closing the door and sliding behind the steering wheel. Darien slid in beside her and fastened his seat belt.

"Well, actually, I didn't really go anywhere while I was up here. I was pretty busy with work and stuff." Serena paid the parking attendant and was soon on the road to the highway on-ramp.

"So, you didn't go out? At all?" Darien's cheeks reddened and Serena looked at him enquiringly.

"When I wasn't in a meeting, I was in the hotel room." Serena switched lanes and turned the heater up to defog the windshield.

"You stayed in your room all night?" Darien shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I had a girlfriend at the time..." Suddenly Serena understood.

"Ah." An awkward silence engulfed the car and they said nothing for a few minutes as Serena concentrated on driving the car through the snowy highway. Serena's thoughts were racing a mile a minute.

'Why did he have to bring his girlfriend in my city? Why do I care that he spent practically three weeks holed up in his hotel room with an undoubtedly beautiful girl? Well, he can just kiss my ass because I don't care. He can do whatever he wants. I _don't_ care. This is me not caring.' She inhaled deeply and flashed Darien a brilliant smile which he returned hesitantly, wondering what was going on in her head. 'See? Not caring.'

Serena got Darien's attention when she saw a familiar landmark. "See that underpass we're about to go through?" Darien nodded. "That's where Isabella was born."

"Really?" Darien strained his neck to look out the window, glad the unpleasant moment was behind them. "Which side?"

Serena pointed slowed down to the minimum speed and pointed to a spot they were fast approaching. Darien watched the appointed spot until they passed it, even craning his neck to its limit.

"You gave birth to our daughter in an underpass?" he asked incredulously.

"Uh, I recall telling you about that fateful day a while ago," Serena pointed out.

"I know, but I just didn't realize that it was an underpass." Serena decided to let that comment slide.

"Well it's not like I had any choice in the matter."

"I know you didn't. I just wish I could've been there with you." Darien sighed and gazed at the passing scenery out the window.

"Well, I'm just glad that I sprung for the leather seats when I bought this puppy," Serena told him matter-of-factly, affectionately patting the dashboard. "Can you imagine how hard it is to get placenta out from upholstery?"

Darien made a face and turned around in his seat to check on Isabella, who had fallen asleep with Loopy in her arms. "Up until now, I can't imagine I've ever given much thought to those stubborn placenta stains, seeing as I have no way of producing a placenta because I don't have a uterus. Question: I know that leather's stain-friendly but did you sterilize the backseat?"

"Of course I did! Well, I didn't actually do any cleaning because I was in the hospital, so I made Sammy clean it up. He says he used every cleaning product he could think of that wouldn't damage leather, including vinegar and boiling water." Serena chuckled. "He was pretty pissed when he came to visit me the next day. Sammy said he got placenta juice on his jeans and he had to throw them out."

They continued to chat about their respective weeks until Serena began to pull into her street. "Robert's bachelor party was last night. Aunt Celeste said they went to one of those places that's like an arcade for adults because it's sort of like a bar. Robert spent a hundred and fifty dollars trying to win a bear for Aunt Celeste but she said she wouldn't have paid more than five dollars for it."

She pulled into her driveway and parked the car. "Well, we're here. Good luck."

Darien cast her a worried look. "Good luck?"

"Aunt Celeste isn't leaving the house until she sees for herself that you've reformed your evil ways." Darien's brow knitted in worry and he regarded the tiny bungalow with apprehension.

"Thanks for the well-wishes. I have a feeling I'm gonna need it." Serena patted him consolingly on the arm as he unbuckled his seat belt. "Remind me again why I came here?"

*************************

Darien sat patiently in his seat with Isabella on his lap, watching as bridesmaids in spaghetti-strapped, deep red, chiffon dresses glided down the aisle on the arms of men in tuxedos. He turned his head from side to side, partly in admiration of the conservatory in the turn-of-the-century Gothic-style castle, partly to get rid of the crick in his neck-the result of sleeping on a rickety sofa bed. When he questioned Serena on why she didn't unfold the bed the last time he was there, she smirked and said, "because you made me mad."

Finally, Serena walked down the aisle in a red dress similar to the bride's maids, although hers was strapless and had an intricate beadwork pattern on the bodice. Her shoulder-length hair was held back on either side of her head by jeweled clips and her make-up was minimal. Darien thought she positively sparkled.

Apparently, he was not the only one who thought so, for Isabella stood up on her chubby, unsteady legs, right on Darien's thigh muscles, and began waving frantically to her mother. "MA-MA!"

Serena's face was as red as her dress as she whipped her head around and saw Darien struggling to shove a teething ring in Isabella's mouth. He smiled sheepishly at her when he caught her eye. She blew her daughter a kiss and quickly walked past them with a smile upon her lips. The crowd laughed, although some of the more conservative guests, i.e. Robert's mother, frowned in slight disapproval.

As soon as Serena reached the altar, the music changed and the wooden doors opened, revealing Celeste in a sleeveless ivory ball gown that gradually darkened into shades of red starting at her mid-thighs until it eventually became the deep crimson of Serena's dress. The guests gasped at her bravado for breaking the tradition of wearing virginal white, then began murmuring appreciatively. She wore a wreath of red miniature roses in place of a veil and a bouquet of red roses cut short and tied into a neat bundle with an ivory silk ribbon. Celeste beamed as she got just the reaction she wanted from her guests and her husband-to-be, who, despite his frowning mother, was grinning from ear to ear. On her arm was Sammy who had the honour of giving her away, seeing as he was Celeste's closest living male relative.

Darien could hardly believe that Celeste was forty-three years old in that dress. If he didn't know her, he would have sworn she was in her early thirties. He couldn't believe that this blushing, stunning woman was the same woman who had practically tanned his hide the night before with her piercing questions before finally releasing him to Serena's custody to recover.

The minute he had walked in the door, Celeste had insisted on talking privately with him for two hours, banishing Serena to her room, grilling him until he practically wanted to collapse from sheer exhaustion. If it wasn't for Robert dropping by unexpectedly, Darien had a feeling that Celeste would still be questioning him, wedding or no wedding.

Robert, a man Darien had begun to like in the brief hour they had spent talking while Serena and Celeste prepared dinner, entertained him with stories of his youth as the son of Italian immigrants in 1960s and 70s Toronto. Celeste would cast sidelong glances at Darien throughout the night, sizing him up as he played with Isabella before dinner, or helped Serena clear the table and put Isabella to bed. He felt as if one false move in front of Celeste Adams would get him deported faster than an illegal alien who had tried to sneak across the border in the back of a lettuce truck. Finally, at the end of the night, Celeste had looked him up and down and offered him her hand.

"I'm still not so sure about you, Darien, but as long as you keep up what I've been seeing tonight and make my niece and her daughter happy, I won't have a problem with you." She frowned sternly at him. "But make no mistake, you hurt my sister's daughter one more time and not even your money could save you from my wrath."

Darien gulped and nodded his head, unsure whether it was ok to speak. He casually wrapped his arm around Serena's shoulders and gave her his assurances that he'd do everything in his power to make sure Serena and Isabella lived happy lives.

Celeste reached the altar and handed Serena the bouquet to her and Sammy took his place behind Robert and his groomsmen. The priest began to extol the virtues of love and the sanctity of marriage for a good fifteen minutes when Darien felt eyes boring into his forehead and saw Sammy standing up at the front behind Robert's brother, who was serving as his best man. Apparently, Sammy wasn't in a forgiving mood even though he had made countless apologies to the man already.

'Well, who the hell does he think he is, trying to intimidate me,' Darien sniffed scornfully. 'I've already apologized to Serena and to him, even though what happens between his sister and I are none of his concern.'

Sammy's eyes narrowed into slits as Darien stared back at him. He fixed his eyes back to the altar, ignoring the man his sister had stupidly let back into her life, and decided to keep quiet for now. He would have plenty to say to Darien Shields another time; it was his aunt's day now and not even Shields could anger him enough to ruin it for her.

The guests watched with bated breath as Celeste and Robert exchanged vows and rings. Finally, the priest smiled at the expectant crowd and uttered the two sentences they, but especially Robert and Celeste, had been longing to hear.

"And now, by the power vested in me by God and the province of Ontario, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

The guests sprang to their feet in mad applause as Celeste and Robert sealed their union with a kiss hot enough to melt the icicles hanging from the eaves and windows outside. Serena could be seen wiping happy tears from her face as Celeste lifted her leg behind her one minute into the kiss.

"Let me introduce you all to Mr. and Mrs. Roberto Mastriani." Celeste and Robert pulled away from each other a bit winded, but otherwise extremely happy. They walked hand in hand down the aisle followed by the wedding party and led the way to the ballroom to let the party begin.

***********************

The ballroom was decorated beautifully with red roses and hearts everywhere. Round tables with red and white tablecloths were interspersed around the room, leaving space for the dance floor in the middle. A private table for two had been set up for the bride and groom at the front of the room underneath a canopy of climbing roses, providing them with privacy which at the same time allowed them to view their guests easily from where they sat. Darien could see why the canopy came in handy; it seemed to him that they were caught in a lip-lock every five minutes.

The five-course dinner had been served hours before; the speeches made by Serena and Robert's brother, and whoever else wished to 'warn' the bride of her new husband's eccentricities; the cake cut and served. Celeste and Robert had their first dance, and, seeing as her father was no longer living, Celeste danced with Sammy while Robert danced with his mother.

At Darien's table sat Isabella in her high chair between Serena and himself; Amy and Zach, who had been able to get the weekend free after much string pulling at their respective hospitals; Sammy and Mika, who sat directly across from Darien; and Raye, Kayla, and Justin, who completed the circle. It had been slightly awkward at first, considering that Justin and Darien sat beside each other, but Zach helped the situation along by recalling his college days when he and Darien had played in their varsity football team, sparking a debate between the three of them on whether football was a 'manlier' game than softball, which happened to be Justin's sport of choice.

Sammy sulked beside Mika, who could only smile at Serena apologetically when he completely ignored anything Darien had to say until eventually, Darien didn't bother trying to strike up a conversation with him.

"Are we all having fun tonight?" the DJ crooned into the mike. The crowd cheered enthusiastically. "Great. It seems that we have a request from the bride herself and she's dedicating it to three certain girls who know who they are. Anyway, here's what Mrs. Mastriani calls the 'Sixties Medley.'"

"Oh sistahs," Serena, Raye and Ami crowed simultaneously when they recognized the familiar beat of 'Dancing Queen,' and hooked their pinkies together before pushing back their chairs.

"Oh brother," Sammy groaned and Justin rolled his eyes. The three women headed to the dance floor without a backward glance.

"What's going on?" Justin grinned at Darien, who had been watching the entire exchange in confusion.

"It's the 'Sixties Medley.' Every time we go to a club, they request 'Dancing Queen,' 'YMCA,' and 'Stayin Alive' in the same order. They say it's their bonding ritual and forbid men, including their dates, from dancing with them during the 'Medley.' They're crazy," Justin finished, shaking his head in amusement. "They've been doing this since our high school days when Raye and I were just dating."

Darien watched as Serena and her friends danced with each other through all three songs. She swayed to the music, her body doing wicked things to Darien's senses. He blushed when he caught Sammy giving him an evil glare.

Serena, Raye and Amy danced to all three songs with a wild abandon they thought they had lost with the coming of adulthood. They were the centres of attention in the room and they knew it, and what was more, they loved it. The crowd on the dance floor unconsciously parted to create a circle around the three women singing at the tops of their lungs. They laughed, sang and danced their hearts out. Then, all too soon for Serena, the last song ended and Amy and Raye were heading back to their table.

"Besides, Justin looks like he needs a little help with Kayla," Raye explained, casting a glance at Kayla, who had begun to cry because Justin was trying to put her down in the playpen that Celeste had thoughtfully had the wedding coordinators place next to their table for the only two babies invited to the wedding.

"Fine," Serena pouted, also heading off the dance floor when the familiar strains of a reggae song pumped through the loudspeakers. "After this song," she amended.

Darien had never seen anyone dance as hypnotically as Serena. She let the song move her body, rather than letting her body to the music. Her body complemented the music; each beat was accentuated by every move her body made. Even her eyes became part of the dance, sometimes closing them to let her other senses guide her through the music.

Suddenly, the hair on the back of Darien's neck rose as he watched a man sidle up to Serena and rested his hand on her waist, pulling her close. By the surprised and annoyed look on her face, Darien surmised that Serena had not given him an invitation to do so. His assumption was proven correct when Serena stared at him pointedly over the man's shoulder, gesturing wildly.

"Help me," she mouthed, rolling her eyes and used her finger to show Darien where his help was needed, which was the back of the man's head. He laughed out loud when he saw what finger she was using. He picked Isabella up and carried her with him to the dance floor.

"Hey Sere," he smirked. "Somebody missed you."

"Ma-ma." Darien smiled proudly at Isabella. He mentally promised to buy her a car on her sixteenth birthday.

"Mama?" Serena grinned wolfishly at him and took Isabella in her arms.

"That's right. Um, Steve, right?" The man nodded weakly. "This is Darien Shields and our daughter Isabella." Steve eyed Darien up and down and decided that his date looked decidedly lonely sitting all by herself at their table. Besides, it was hard to miss Darien's broad shoulders and lean build under his tuxedo, even under the dark lights.

"Oh man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to move in on your territory," Steve stammered. Darien crossed his arms across his chest and bowed his head slightly, as if he were a king granting a boon. He watched Steve scamper back to his date before turning to Serena.

"Now that the rodent problem's been taken care of," he wrapped his arm around Serena's waist, "what do you ladies say to a dance with yours truly?"

Serena responded by moving her hips to the music. She held Isabella in her arms and turned so that her back was pressed against Darien's chest. He didn't miss a beat.

"I'm in love with a man, nearly twice my age," Serena sang in time to the song. She laughed happily as Isabella kicked her legs up. She happened to glance at her table and saw Sammy glaring at them with a murderous look in his eyes that didn't bode well for Darien. She rolled her eyes. She was a big girl and she didn't need her little brother trying to act like her father. One of these days, she knew she would have to have a talk with Sammy, and he wouldn't like what she would have to say.

They danced until the upbeat song ended and a slower song came on. Serena gasped softly as she recognized the familiar piano tune. She twisted around until she was facing Darien again with Isabella sandwiched between them.

"Hey Dare, remember this song?" she asked softly, not wanting to break the mood. Darien murmured in reply as he danced Serena on the spot.

"Yeah, it's the first one we danced to at the hospital ball." They continued dancing in silence, recalling the events of that night so long ago.

"Um, I hate to interrupt you," Serena and Darien groaned when Raye's shrill voice cut through the soft music, "but do you think I could take Isabella to the playpen? Kayla's been kinda lonely and she's been asking Justin if 'Izzybewa' could come and play with her."

"Sure Raye," Serena replied, handing Isabella off to her. "We'll be back after this song is done if you and Justin want to take a turn."

Raye nodded absently and dashed back to the table just as Amy was returning from a brief visit to the DJ. "Do you think she noticed me?" Amy asked worriedly, sliding into her seat.

"Nah, I think she was too wrapped up in Darien's arms to notice anything that went on right now. You could drop your panties in the middle of the room and fling it to the crowd and she still wouldn't notice."

"Maybe she won't notice, but I will," Zach replied, nuzzling Amy's neck. She turned and smacked him on the shoulder.

"Raye, don't encourage him," she admonished, her face turning bright red. They laughed.

"So where did you get the idea to request this song?" Raye asked.

"This is their song." Raye's eyebrow quirked up.

"I wasn't aware they had a song."

"Well, they don't officially have a song but this was the first song they danced to at the hospital ball after rejecting other wannabe partners from both sexes." Amy grinned. "I should know; I was watching them almost the entire time."

Zach pouted. "And here I thought it was me you were watching all that time."

"Well, I did say almost, didn't I?"

Meanwhile, Serena and Darien danced on, oblivious to their friends' discussion.

"Darien," Serena whispered in his ear.

"Yeah?"

"These shoes are killing me." Darien chuckled and pulled Serena closer until the length of their bodies were firmly pressed together.

"So why don't you take them off?" Serena sighed and slipped her shoes off and held them by their ankle straps before slipping her arms around Darien's neck.

"Oh God," she groaned. "They hurt even more."

"Do you want to sit down?" Serena shook her head.

"No. I haven't danced for a long time; I'm not about to let a little pain stop me from having fun." The last word was croaked out as she winced. Darien gripped her around her waist and lightly pulled her up, setting her feet on top of his, forcing her to stand on tiptoe.

"Better?" Serena smiled in appreciation.

"Much."

"Look at those two," Raye said, pointing at the pair on the dance floor.

"Now he's even carrying her!"

"Darien's lucky Sammy's too busy with Mika to notice," Zach chuckled. Amy agreed in her own silent way.

Justin turned to Isabella, who was busy being tickled by Kayla in the playpen. "Hey honey, I think your parents are ignoring what's right in front of their faces." Isabella giggled helplessly under Kayla's barrage of tummy blowing. Justin turned back to the table and wrapped an arm around his wife, kissing her gently on the cheek, glad to have made her blush for once. "Yeah it's too bad; they don't know what they're missing."

**************************

"Oh man, what a party," Serena announced to the empty house as she walked in the front door. Darien followed her a few steps behinds carrying a sleeping Isabella, wrapped up in her coat and Darien's scarf covering her face. Serena took off her coat and held Isabella while Darien took off his. "Let's put this party animal to bed."

They tiptoed to Isabella's nursery, quietly talking about the reception. Serena placed Isabella gently in her crib while Darien tucked Loopy in her arms. Then, just as quietly as they entered the room, they left, leaving the door slightly ajar behind them.

"So," Darien began, taking off the couch cushions to unfold the bed, "what do you plan on doing with your 'door prize?'"

Serena wrinkled her nose as she stared at the bouquet laying on the coffee table. Just before Celeste and Robert were leaving the party for their hotel room, she had called all the single women to the dance floor for the bouquet toss. Serena, being goaded into participating by Amy and Raye, grudgingly went after glancing at Sammy's furious glare and deciding it would be worth making a fool of herself to just piss him off. Darien just sat idly in his seat, leaving the decision to her.

She stood at the very back of the crowd just as she had done at Amy's wedding, only this time, when Celeste had tossed the bouquet, the crowd parted like the Red Sea and Serena was left with no choice but to catch the flowers as they came dangerously close to hitting her in the head. She stared at the bouquet and then up at her aunt's twinkling face; she had been set up.

"Congratulations Sere," her aunt beamed. Serena and Sammy scowled as the crowd burst into applause.

"I don't know, maybe I'll have the thing preserved." It was an expensive bouquet; after all, roses don't come cheap on Valentine's Day.

Darien had finished laying out the bed and flopped down tiredly on the mattress. "So how are your feet holding up?"

Serena slipped her shoes off and sat down beside him. "They hurt like the dickens. I swear, why don't men have to wear this stuff?"

Darien chuckled and used his index finger to lift a discarded shoe by its thin strap. "I don't think my big toe can fit into this, let alone my whole foot." He picked up the other shoe and looked at it speculatively. "Why don't you just throw them away?"

Serena grabbed her shoes from him and hugged them protectively to her chest. "Are you kidding? These are my favourite pair!"

"Ah, it's good to know where your priorities lie." Darien shook his head in amusement s Serena eyed him warily, gripping her shoes tightly. "Don't worry, Serena; I won't touch the shoes."

Serena sighed with relief and carefully set her shoes down on the floor. "So, I figured that since we'll still be kinda tired from the wedding and you from jet lag, we could wake up late and go downtown in the afternoon so I could show you around. Raye offered to watch Isabella so we won't have to worry about her."

"Sounds good to me." Darien loosened his tie and took off his jacket, taking out the cufflinks. Serena offered to let him change in her room while she brushed her teeth and washed her face in the adjoining washroom. "So where are Celeste and Robert going for their honeymoon?"

He could hear Serena pause in her brushing. "They're gonna stay at the hotel tonight because their flight to Paris isn't until tomorrow afternoon." Although the toothpaste in her mouth muffled her voice, Darien was able to understand what she said.

"I thought they were going to Barbados?" Serena rinsed her mouth out with water before responding.

"They were but Aunt Celeste thought it would be more romantic for them to honeymoon in the 'City of Love,' being married on V-Day, and all."

"That's too bad. Celeste in a bikini...."

"Hey! That's my aunt you're talking about!" Serena stormed out the washroom in her pajamas only to be met by Darien in his boxer shorts and nothing else. She stopped abruptly, a flush creeping up her face. "That's-that's my aunt you're talking about," she repeated weakly.

Darien took note of her eyes roaming up his body unashamedly. He held back a laugh as he slipped a shirt over his head. Sometimes she was so obvious, especially when she was trying not to be. "I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted, that I now have a basic idea of what you'd look like when you get to that age."

He leaned in close to Serena's ear. "And let me tell you, I'm looking forward to it."

Serena felt her stomach flutter at his close proximity and the implied meaning of his statement. She cleared her throat nervously. "Yes...Well. Um, good night, Darien."

"Good night, Serena. Pleasant dreams." He sounded as if he was daring her to do just that. And so, having thrown down the gauntlet, Darien kissed her on the cheek just underneath her eye and walked to the door. "Happy Valentine's Day."

She could only nod in return.

*********************

It was their last day in Toronto and Serena had somehow managed to convince Sammy and Mika to come over for a late lunch. It had been a magical week where Darien and Serena, sometimes accompanied by Isabella, let loose and forgot about the world around them. She went over the week's events that to an outsider would seem minor but to her seemed life altering as she chopped the onions for her famous spaghetti.

She sighed happily. When did this happen? But then again, she knew exactly when it happened and she did nothing to stop it. Nor did she want to. She saw it coming straight for her with the speed of a runaway train and welcomed it with open arms. In fact, she quite enjoyed it. It was her little secret, one that she had been holding back since the day it happened. She grinned at the onions that were causing her eyes to burn and thought they were the most beautiful things on earth.

She reflected on the day after Celeste's wedding; she and Darien had been in downtown Toronto doing a little window-shopping when they came across an outdoor skating rink that had two crescent-shaped buildings behind it.

"This is Nathan Phillips Square. That's the city hall." She pointed to a castle-like structure across the street from it. "That's the old city hall. Now it's just used as a courthouse. The skating rink turns into a fountain during the summer."

"Hey, you wanna go skating?" Darien asked all of a sudden. "All this walking is making me cold. Let's get some exercise."

Serena gazed at the rink thoughtfully. "I don't know, Darien. I haven't skated since I was 14 and some kid almost ran over my hand with her skate after I fell. I've been afraid to skate ever since. I don't even think I'll remember how to."

"Nonsense, it's just like riding a bike. I've never ice skated before but I have rollerbladed. I'm sure it's the same principle." He grabbed her hand and pulled her unwillingly across the street. "C'mon, I promise I won't let you fall."

"You sure about that?" They had reached the skate rental booth. "I don't know, Darien..."

"Don't worry." He paused to tell the man shivering behind the counter their shoe sizes. "Besides, you live in Canada; skating should come naturally since it snows here practically all year round."

Serena snorted. "Yeah, I can do triple axels in my sleep."

Darien just flashed her a mischievous smile that she found infuriating as he dragged her to a bench to put their skates on. "I just hope they cleaned these things after they've been returned," she continued, wrinkling her nose as she laced up her skates tightly.

They stepped out on the ice gingerly, letting themselves get used to the smooth surface before attempting to glide forward. After a few stumbles on both their parts, Darien and Serena got a slow rhythm going.

"See? It's not so bad," Darien pointed out.

"I guess," she agreed slowly, nervously eyeing a teenager on hockey skates circling around the rink with no consideration for his fellow skaters. Darien had taken off his gloves and shoved then in his pocket before lacing his fingers through Serena's glove clad ones.

They skated around the rink a few times, slowly building up speed until Serena was comfortable enough to relax. Just as she released his hand for one second to zip up her coat, the teenage boy she had been watching a while ago knocked into her as he skated backwards.

"Sorry!" he called, already gone before Serena even realized that she was falling. Suddenly, visions of someone running over her hand with their skate filled her head and she cried out in alarm.

Almost as soon as she had fallen on the hard ice, Darien, who had not been

clipped by the reckless skater, dropped down to his knees and slapped his bare hands on top of hers.

"Are you ok?" he asked breathlessly. Skaters whizzed by as he yanked off her gloves and inspected her hands. "Ten fingers, no blood. I think you'll live."

Serena could do nothing except stare at his hands. She couldn't believe it; although she had gloves to protect her hands in case her fear became a reality, he didn't. He protected her without giving it a second thought to his own safety, and she realized that he always would. That was when she knew; perhaps she had known it right from the very start and had been too cautious to acknowledge it.

She was in love.

She was purely, utterly, and hopelessly in love that she felt foolish for not seeing it before. For not seeing what others have been pointing out to her already. She quickly realized that the depth of this love was even stronger than the old one she felt when she had first met Darien Shields. Maybe they didn't know each other on the same level that they knew each other now or maybe their initial attraction had mostly been based on lust. Either way, she knew with her whole heart and soul that the love she felt for Darien now went beyond whatever it was she felt for him before she came back.

"Serena? Are you ok?" Darien asked, concern etched upon his face when she just stared at her hands in shock.

Serena beamed. "I'm fine. Let's go home."

And so, that was how she rediscovered her love for the man whom she had given up all hope of ever loving again. What made it all the more delicious was that she was the only one who knew-well, she and Isabella, for she had confided her secret to her daughter as she was bathing her in the kitchen sink the other night.

For the rest of the week, Serena had devoted to letting herself just experience and enjoy her time with Darien with a curiosity born out of wanting to know more about the man she loved. She watched how he played with their daughter, ate his food, walked down the street, listened to his voice as he talked excitedly about building a snowman on the front lawn after a heavy snowfall. She memorized every nuance of his face when he wasn't looking and once even tiptoed to the living room late at night to watch him sleep. She watched him for an hour and wondered what he was dreaming of that had him smiling softly in his sleep. She hoped it was about her. Every day she discovered something new about Darien and she loved him even more for it.

They had gone to a ski resort just 45 minutes away from Toronto with Raye, Justin and Kayla a few days ago because Justin won free passes in an office pool. Not being an avid skier, Serena opted to stay with Kayla and Isabella at the bunny slope. Raye and Darien, both excellent skiers, had tried cajoling her into trying some steeper runs with them but Serena remained firm in her decision.

"It's just like riding a roller coaster," Darien pointed out. "I know you like riding those."

"It's one thing for a vehicle to propel my body to go up and down at breakneck speed, it's another thing for my body to actually be that vehicle. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be quite safe on the bunny hill. Besides, who will watch the kids if we're all going skiing?" Serena smirked when the others reluctantly agreed and headed to the bunny hill, pulling the children in a sled.

"Hey Bunny!" Darien called behind her. Once again, Serena felt her stomach do some flip flops. She mentally schooled herself to look nonchalant.

"Yeah?" she asked coolly.

"We'll be back in two hours. We'll meet you at the lodge." Serena nodded and watched as the three of them headed for the ski lift.

Ever since that day, Darien would call her Bunny every time they were alone. Though she didn't quite act like it on the outside, inside she was doing cartwheels of joy every time the word bunny would pass his lips. At first, Darien said it teasingly to get a rise out of her but as the days wore on, Serena noticed that his voice got huskier and more serious each time he said it.

Serena smiled through the tears that blasted onion was causing. She had a feeling that things between her and Darien would change once they got back to LA and it was for this reason alone that she couldn't wait to hop on Darien's jet tomorrow and fly back to California.

"What are you smiling at, Bunny?" Darien had walked up behind her unnoticed and whispered her new nickname in her ear. Serena fought to repress the shiver of delight that wanted to run through her body.

"Oh nothing," she replied lightly. "I'm just looking back over the week thinking about how much fun I had. Contrary to your opinion, the bunny hill provided the girls and I with loads of entertainment." She smiled mysteriously. "And I can't wait to go back home."

"I thought you were home." Serena blushed as she realized her slip and rushed to fix the damage. She wasn't ready to let him in on her secret yet, even if he did play an integral role in it.

"Well, I live there right?" She turned around to face him. "Right?"

Darien chuckled. "Right."

And suddenly, it was as if their eyes were drawn to each other's lips by some cosmic force. They moved closer to each other until Darien's lips were just a breath away from hers. All Darien had to do was lean over just a little bit more...

The doorbell rang signaling Sammy's arrival.

Darien and Serena let out frustrated groans and chuckled. 'Damn Sammy; how does he always know?' Serena thought as she tried to compose herself. The doorbell rang again five times in rapid succession. "Ugh, I hate it when people do that. Can you get the door, Darien? Prince Sammy is here."

Darien walked to the front door, thinking about how grateful he was that he was an only child and how he wanted to break Sammy's finger. He threw open the door and forced himself to smile at the scowling face of one Sam Mathis and his lovely, although undeserved, girlfriend Mika.

"Hey Sammy," Darien said in what he hoped was a friendly voice. "Hello Mika. C'mon in."

"Shields," Sammy acknowledged.

"Hi Darien." Mika blushed at Sammy's rudeness. Darien didn't seem like such a bad guy and Serena had forgiven him so didn't see any point in staying mad at him too. "How did you like Toronto?"

Darien took their coats and hung them on a coat rack. "It was great; Serena's a great tour guide. It's too bad that you two couldn't join us when we went to the CN Tower; Isabella loved it up there."

"Some of us have jobs, you know," Sammy replied, walking to the kitchen and leaving the conversation behind.

Mika winced and shot Darien an apologetic glance, which he received with a smile. Together, they followed Sammy to the kitchen where he was already playing with his niece.

"Hey gorgeous! Oh, and hey to you too, Serena," he added as an afterthought. "How's my favourite niece doing?" Isabella giggled helplessly, answering her uncle's question.

"Hey Sammy," Serena replied grumpily, chopping the oregano and parsley viciously as she imagined all the ways she could fillet Sammy with a knife.

Sammy and Mika sat around the table with Isabella while Serena made the spaghetti sauce and the garlic bread and Darien tossed the salad, the only thing she would let him help her with, and made conversation about their respective weeks. Sammy, just as talkative as his older sister, told stories about the people in his workplace, only including Darien in the conversation to give him little jabs about his reputation as a ladies' man. Finally, after telling a story about an editor who liked to seduce every secretary in the building and alluding to the fact that he reminded him of someone he knew, Serena slammed down her wooden spoon on the stove.

She stalked over to Sammy and grabbed his ear. "We need to talk. Now." She tugged on his ear hard to send him a message that she wasn't kidding. "Darien, watch the sauce for me? Keep stirring it and lower the heat after two minutes."

"Sere, let go of my ear!" Serena gave no indication of listening to him as she yanked Sammy towards the front door.

"Put on your coat," she ordered, releasing his ear as she zipped hers up. Sammy sighed and did as he was told.

When they were outside, Sammy noticed that Serena's eyes were narrowed into little slits and her jaw was set firmly. "Listen Serena, I know you don't think this, but the guy had it coming."

"Sammy," she advanced on him slowly, "stop being such a shit disturber."

"What?! I'm a shit disturber? Are you sure you haven't mixed me up with Shields? Listen, Sere-"

Serena jabbed a finger in Sammy's chest. "No, you listen Sammy. I swear to God, if you do anything to screw this up for me, I'll never forgive you."

"What?!" Sammy was shocked that his sister would choose a guy who has caused her so much heartache over her own brother.

"All my life, I have given up tiny bits of myself to make other people happy. I let Jake rape me so he wouldn't rape mom or hurt our family; I let men use my body for their pleasure because I was seeking security that I never found with anyone before; I had to be the strong one when mom first got sick because you couldn't handle the pressure and would run away." Serena's hands were clenched and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

"So what do you want, a medal?" Sammy crossed his arms over his chest.

Serena sighed. "You know I did those things for you and mom willingly and I would never ask you to feel guilty for me."

"So what do you want?" he pressed.

"I want to be happy for once!" She threw her hands up in the air and laughed bitterly. "I want to do something for me without having to feel selfish for doing it. I want my family. The one that I've always dreamed of since I was a little girl."

"So you're just doing this for Isabella's sake?"

"No! God, you are so thick sometimes, you know that? As selfish as this sounds, my wanting to love Darien and to be loved by him has nothing to do with Isabella. It's about me and what would make me happy." Serena pounded a fist to her heart to emphasize her point.

"You're being selfish you know. What if he's a horrible father to Isabella?"

"Have you taken a good look at Isabella lately? She was miserable when Darien was still in California and she hasn't stopped smiling ever since. He's a great father, Sammy; he reminds me of Daddy." Her eyes softened as she remembered her father.

Sammy snorted in contempt. "The day that man is anything like my father is the day I jump over the moon. How dare you compare that womanizer to our father?"

"I didn't mean to compare Daddy to how Darien was like before. I just meant that Darien's love for Isabella is just the same as Daddy's love for us. He loves Isabella with his whole heart, Sammy. You don't know him like I do."

"That's right because I don't want to know him at all. You're a glutton for punishment, you know that? What makes you think that he won't turn around and hurt you again?" Serena lowered her eyes to the ground.

"Because I love him and I know he loves me. I know it from the way he speaks to me and acts around me; from the way he loves Isabella; from the way he's tried to put up with your shit, that he loves me. He's changed and I just wish you could see that. I'm not asking you to love him like a brother, I'm just asking you to treat him with respect because like it or not, he's going to be a huge part of your life because he's a part of mine. I'm sorry but this time, I have to choose for me and what's going to make me happy, even if it means you won't be happy."

Sammy sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll go along with this but that doesn't mean I'm gonna like it. Just don't come crying to me if he hurts you like I know he will."

"Don't worry, I won't because I know he won't."

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They tiptoed through the great mansion quietly so as not to wake anyone up. It was two thirty in the morning, after all. Serena and Darien had to fly on a commercial airplane instead of using the private jet like originally planned because Johnson's mother in England had a heart attack. Upon hearing the news, Darien had graciously let them have use of the corporate jet while he booked plane tickets for himself, Serena and Isabella. First class, of course.

Because of a sudden snowstorm that threatened to stop all air traffic in and out of Toronto, their flight had to be delayed until further notice. The three of them hung around Pearson International Airport for a good three hours until the runways were cleared and the wings of the plane were de-iced. They didn't get to leave the airport until well past midnight, Toronto time.

Wearily, they trudged up the stairs of the Shields mansion quietly, leaving their luggage at the bottom of the stairs to be picked up in the morning. Darien carried Isabella up to her room with Serena following him closely in the dark.

Once in the nursery, Darien laid Isabella gently in her crib and walked Serena to the door separating the nursery from her room. "Serena," he said with unusual pensiveness, "I have to tell you something."

Serena lifted her eyes to meet his. Even in the dim light provided by the moon, she could see that his eyes turned a darker blue like it did every time he was being serious. "What is it?" she breathed.

"Ever since yesterday when our kiss got interrupted, I've been wanting to try again. I need to kiss you again, Serena. I need to finish what we've started." His voice hardened as he tried to control himself.

Serena smiled at him softly. "Who am I to deny a person in need?"

That was all Darien needed to hear before his lips captured hers in a kiss that went beyond anything he had ever experienced before. He gently touched his tongue to her lips, asking her to let him in. She willingly obliged by parting her lips and seeking out his tongue with her own.

They kissed hungrily for God knows how long before Darien tore himself away to explore her neck. He trailed soft kisses down her jaw and paused at her chin, planting lingering kisses that had her moaning softly, before moving down to her throat.

He felt her pulse quicken as he lapped at the hollow of her throat with his tongue. Her fingers raked through his hair and she applied gentle pressure to let him know she was enjoying his ministrations.

That was when he caught a whiff of her perfume; a soft, floral scent mixed with a touch of citrus fruit that he just couldn't identify but for the life of him seemed very familiar. His lips left the base of her throat to follow his nose, so to speak, to the spot on her neck just under her ear.

He delved into her soft skin, wanting to taste her, not wanting to leave until he had identified what the mysterious fruit was. His lips were tenacious yet gentle as he had his fill of her. He gently tilted her head back to allow him greater access and was rewarded with a moan.

"Darien," she whispered. "What are you doing to me?"

He couldn't answer for his mouth was busily working at making her pulse quicken. Darien noticed that the scent got stronger as her skin heated up so he concentrated on making her blood flow more rapidly by using his tongue to arouse her even more.

Serena leaned against the door and wrapped a leg around the back of his knee for support. Her hands wound around his neck and she arched her back, pushing her breasts against him. Whatever he was doing to her felt great and she didn't know if she had the strength to hold herself up much longer. She strangled a cry when she felt him gently nipping at her skin with his teeth.

"Darien..." Her breaths were coming short and she ground her pelvis against his hardness. "Darien..."

'Just one more taste,' he told himself, totally lost in his desire. He wasn't sure when his hand, which was resting on the small of her back, dipped into the waistband of her jeans and panties and began caressing the soft skin under there nor was he sure when his other hand had worked its way up Serena's shirt and began cupping her breasts through her bra.

"Oh my God, Darien..." Serena began to tremble in his arms as she felt herself approaching her climax. She soared to the clouds and her vision burst into a magnificent display of colour and light, making her feel like she was in a kaleidoscope.

Slowly, she felt herself coming back to earth where she felt a gentle kiss on her lips. She sighed contentedly into his mouth before gently pulling away.

"That was incredible," she stated, pecking his lips again. Noticing that he still needed to find some relief, she smiled at him a little nervously. "Do you want to come in?" she asked tentatively. She wasn't sure she wanted to make love to him just yet, not until she had told him in words how she felt about him.

Darien must have sensed her uneasiness because he shook his head ruefully. "I think I let that kiss get out of hand. Make no mistake though Serena; I want to make love to you like I have never wanted to make love to anybody else before. I want to always make you feel the way you did just now and I want to hear you scream my name when I do. But I want our first time to be just right; I want to give you something that no one's ever given you."

Serena blushed at his words and gestured pointedly at the crib. "I think our first time together has come and gone."

Darien tilted her chin up and gave her a soft, lingering kiss that threatened to melt her body. "I recall you saying a while ago that 'it doesn't count if you don't remember.' I prefer to think of that time as a practice run that I had miserably failed. Besides..."

"Besides what?" Serena swallowed as he drew her earlobe between his lips.

"Besides, I want a chance to take you out like a proper gentleman should. I don't just want to make love to you, I want us to wait until the perfect moment before we commit our bodies to each other again. I want to go out on dates with you; I want to show you the world and I want to show you off to the world."

Serena was ready to promise anything as long as he continued doing that to her earlobe. She moaned softly, briefly remembering that Isabella was still asleep. "Well if that's what you want, you'd better stop touching my breast before I jump your bones."

Darien chuckled and Serena felt the vibrations in her earlobe. She shivered with delight. "Darien, I'm serious. If you keep doing this, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold out before I tie you to my bed and never let you leave." She took his head and pulled it into a kiss.

They kissed for another five minutes before Darien finally pulled away. "Alright, I'd better go back to my room and take a shower. Good night, Serena. We'll talk in the morning."

She watched him leave the room before she opened the door and entered her own. Almost casually, she went to her washroom to wash her face and change into her nightgown. She walked to her bed and dove into it like she used to do when she was a child and she was excited. She squealed into her pillow and kicked her legs up and down. Finally, when she thought about how silly she must have looked, she worked her way under the covers and let sleep overtake her, dreaming about a certain man across the hall.

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September 25, 2002

Finally! Sorry for the lateness but I've got school and it really sucks. This goes out to SaturnStar who has been waiting patiently (or impatiently) for this chapter as it was promised to her for her birthday. Sorry I couldn't deliver in time.

Oh, before I forget, because of my academic obligations, the updates will be few and far between but don't worry, I'll be working on the next chapter every chance I get! Thanks for reading and please leave a review.

PS: if your name happens to be Thomas Gibson and/or you live in Sacramento, please know that I just made up that name and I'm not accusing you of being a child molester.