Well here's ch. 1, remember please let me know what you
think. Should I finish or quit while I'm ahead? Let me
know, ok? Ja!! Thanks again to my prereaders!!

Author: Me!
Title: Strictly Business
Genre: Rom., Alt.
Rating: PG (same as before)

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Disclaimer: What?...You again?... How many times do I have
to do this?... *sweatdrop* That long huh?... Ok I don't
own anything, as a matter a fact these fingers I'm typing
with *Nikki wiggles fingers at computer screen* their on
lone!
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Strictly Business
Chapter 1

"You just wait," Serena said to herself glaring at Rei's
retreating figure "I'll show you who the REAL reporter is."

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Serena was laying on her couch staring at the ceiling. She
had just gotten off of the phone with Andrew, he had given the
story to Rei... No he had given HER story to Rei.

Serena gave a frustrated groan, she had been with the 'New
York Times' for over four years now. She had worked her way up
from intern to a reporter, and now her first REAL story had been
stolen by that back stabbing, manipulative, well, bitch Rei. Serena
closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try to compose herself.
She knew as much as she wanted it to be, it wasn't Rei's fault.
If she had been paying attention to her surroundings she would
have gotten the interview before Rei could even sliver into the
picture.

Serena sat up on the couch looking around the living room
of her spacious two bedroom apartment. Torn scraps and pieces of
news papers covered the counter and table, while boxes littered the
floor. She had moved there about three and a half months ago, but
with the story and all the research time that she had put in (over
a month's worth) she hadn't had time to completely unpack.

'And now all my hard work is right down the toilet' Serena
thought to herself. 'Thanks to Rei Pyro Evans'.

It's not exactly that Rei's a bad person, it's just that
when she wanted a story she would do anything to get it and step
on anyone. This time, Serena was her stone. Rei had refused to give
Andrew her interview with the mayor if he put Serena's name on the
article along with hers. It turns out that while Serena was
researching the topic, so was Rei, she had been planing on getting
it from Serena from the beginning. Serena let out a large sigh and
shook her head to clear the unpleasant thoughts.

"Well," she said to herself "might as well clean
this place up."

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Serena had been cleaning for about two hours and was
almost done when her phone rang.

"Hello" said Serena while swatting at an irritating
strand of hair that absolutely refused to stay under her
bandana.
"Hey!" came the cheerful reply.
"Andrew," Serena said recognizing the voice immediately
"what's up?"
"I've got you a story" he replied, Serena could practically
see him smiling through the phone. "It's a biggie too."
"Really?" Serena asked her excitement mounting. "Well...who,
why,wh..." Serena took a deep breath "I mean, what is it?"


Andrew laughed for a moment at Serena's flustered state,
he had hated breaking the news to her earlier. The hurt in her
voice had nearly killed him.

"You know who Darien Chiba is, right?" he asked.

Serena rolled her eyes and gave and exasperated sigh, of
course she knew who he was, who didn't. He was the gorgeous Japanese
millionaire who had moved to Los Angeles and basically taken the
business world by storm. He developed several successful companies
all over the U.S. and the world. He was a mystery to everyone,
although many pictures of him had been printed, no one has ever
been able to get an interview with him. And he must have paid his
staff nice because none of them would talk, the only people who
would are the people who did business with him and they said that he
was a cold and callus, career oriented person who went after things
like a shark. But on the opposite end of the argument, he was seen
going all kinds of places with his adopted son. Although some argue
that it's just a publicity stunt.

"Duh" said Serena swatting at that pesky hair again.
"Well," said Andrew "he was in a terrible car wreck while
taking his adopted son to school."
"What?!" Serena asked "wh...wha..we..is, is he alright?"
Serena finished concern etched in her voice.
"Wellll... he's in critical but stable condition" Andrew
said.
"Good" said Serena giving a sigh of relief.
"Well, not quite" Andrew responded. "You see, well, his,
his adopted son didn't make it. He was DOA to the hospital.

Serena's breath caught, she was speechless. His son was
*dead*. DEAD. That was horrible, what had happened? Did Darien know?
Was Andrew sure?

"What happened?" Serena asked voicing one of her many
thoughts.
"I'll explain everything when you get here, you are doing
the story right?"
"What story?" she asked shaking her head to clear her
of her current depressing thought pattern.
"The story on Chiba" Andrew stated.
"What am I supposed to write about?" she asked.
"Anything, everything find out his background, if he owns
any other types of business, how much he makes, why he
adopted the little boy, his feelings on the loss of his son,"
"I think that his feeling on that matter are pretty obvious
don't you, Andrew?" Serena cut in slightly bewildered at
what he was asking her to do. "Besides how am *I* supposed to
get this information?"
"You know what I mean" a clearly annoyed Andrew stated.
"Besides Sere, you have a way with people, and right now he's
vulnerable, he needs someone to talk to. Who's to say that you
can't be that person?"
"Maybe he *has* someone to talk to."
"Look, do you want the story or not Rena?" Andrew asked.
"I don't know" Serena said thoughtfully, touching her chin,
then something clicked. "Why don't you ask her highass Rei"
she responded her voice dripping with sarcasm. Andrew sighed.
"First of all Rei tends to intimidate people, turn their heads
and make them wither under her stare. I doubt that Chiba will go
for that, while you, well you just have a way of getting people
to open up and let their guard down without a second thought. And that's
just what we need. Secondly even if she didn't intimidate him,
and she could charm him, Rei's too well-known. Her picture has
been in the magazine multiple times, not to mention in the news
papers several times. Since he does have a business down here and
is a subscriber to the magazine I doubt that he doesn't know
that she's a reporter by now. Which means that he would never
trust her to even take out his trash let alone hear his secrets.
While your picture has never been in the magazine or any news
paper" even though she knew he couldn't see her Serena rolled her
eyes at Andrew anyway "YET. Lastly... it's highness not highass"
he stated chuckling.
"I said what I meant, and I meant what I said" Serena responded
smiling.
"So, do you want it or not?" Andrew asked again. "You know I'd
hate to send a rookie out to do a pro's job. Besides if you get
the scoop on Chiba you'll be more famous than Rei is, hell you'll
be more famous than HE is. And Rei will absolutely die of envy."
"Promise?" asked Serena smiling.
"Well, no" replied Andrew laughing "but, that's what we're
shooting for."
"Then you have your girl." she responded now also laughing.
"Great then I'll see you in about an.... hour?"
"Sure" said Serena glancing at the clock on her wall.
"Great, see ya!"
"Bye."

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Half an hour later she was ready to go, she had showered and
changed out of her 'house clothes'. Serena looked around her apartment
one last time to make sure that she hadn't forgotten anything. She had
her purse, cell phone, glasses, bag with her laptop, check on all those
things. As she was about to turn off the lights her eyes caught on an
old newspaper sticking out of the garbage can. It was an earlier picture
of Darien Chiba and his son, going into a movie theater. Presumably to
see 'The Grinch'. Serena walked over and pulled the article out of the
trash.

'This man has just lost his *child*' she thought
to herself 'and now I'm supposed to go over to him and
snake away private, and personal information and make it
public' she sighed running her hands though her hair like
she did whenever she was uncomfortable.
"Serena Lewis," she mumbled to herself setting the
article down on the kitchen counter "what *did*
you get yourself into." She finished casting one last
glance at the picture before turning off her lights and
going to meet Andrew.

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Well that's chapter one, what do you think?
R&R please,
should I continue or save us all the pain and stop now?
Let me know, Ja!! Nikki99