Tomorrow Is Another Day

By Strawberry

Romance/Drama

Chapter 19

I don't own SM! Or scenes from gone with the wind or the dresses! Or the dresses descriptions!

This chapter takes place a little before Christmas

Serena sat at the bottom of the stairs; she wanted some time alone and Darien was in the bedroom currently,

"Mommy" a small voice said, Serena turned around; Rini was in her white nightgown, at the top of the stairs, rubbing her eyes,

"Oh darling, go back to bed, it's not morning yet." Serena said, Rini all of a sudden started crying; she raced down the stairs and onto Serena's lap,

"What's wrong baby?" she asked,

"Bad Dweam." Rini said, she buried her head in Serena's chest,

"Oh, Come now Rini, let's put you back down." she said softly, Rini started crying harder,

"Rini, no crying, it's time for bed." she said sternly, Rini wiggled out of Serena's arms and ran to Darien, who had suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, Serena turned around and spotted him, he was in his pajama's and smoking jacket.

"Daddy." Rini whined, Darien picked her up, she clung to him,

"Now why is my little Rini crying?" he asked, he rocked her in his arms,

"A bear!" she exclaimed,

"A big bear?" Darien asked, fascinated with the child, listening to every word carefully, as if she were an adult.

"Dreadful big." she cried,

"Well if he comes back, Daddy will shoot him." Darien assured her; Serena got up and walked to the top step, to join the two

"Captain Shields you no not to coddle her, she's afraid of the dark, she need to be brave not cowardly." a woman said from the bottom steps, Serena and Darien looked down, it was the woman who they had recently hired, she made sure Rini fell asleep if Mammy, Serena or Darien were busy.

"That's the most inhumane thing I've ever heard! There's not a cowardly bone in her body." he said angrily, Serena grabbed Darien's arm,

"Oh Darien it was a simple mistake." Serena said

"No Mrs. Shields, I did it intentionally, she needs to get over her fear." the woman said sternly…

"Darien maybe she is right." Serena said cautiously they were now in there bedroom, Rini was asleep on Darien's side of the bed and he was to sleep on an armchair, he glared at her,

"So my poor little princess is supposed to suffer in the dark alone. With all those awful dreams of hers, you know she hates the dark and get bad dreams if someone turns off the light? Come now Mrs. Shields, I recall you waking up terrified as a jack rabbit every night until we moved into this house and still sometimes." he said harshly, Serena got a cold chill,

'He was just humoring me, he didn't care about my dreams, he was treating me like a child.' she thought, she didn't say anything,

"And I'll warn you, if you turn off that light while Rini or myself are sleeping I'll crush every bone in you body." he said harshly, she didn't reply, just went to sleep, wetting her pillow with her silent tears.

~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*

The next morning Serena woke up early, Darien was of coarse gone and Rini with him, she sighed, she felt like such an outsider in her home. Darien always wanted to take her daughter away from her, he never let her spend anytime with her, anytime Serena wanted to do something fun with Rini, Darien would have planned something more extravagate. She didn't want to spend Christmas with him, it was in 2 weeks, all of a sudden an idea struck her, Andrew… he and Mina didn't have that many relatives, she could invite them, Darien would most likely kill her out of rage but she knew how to get back at him, she wanted Andrew to come anyways, she'd be killing 2 birds with one stone…

It was the Day of Christmas Eve; the servants were busy working on the extravagant food Mammy had promised Serena, Serena was in a red housecoat, fixing her hair and face, Samuel, Amy, and William had came in the night before, Suellen came too, with her husband, she had managed to rope a man and forbid him not to come, he after all was a past beau of Serena. Why she was the reason they met, he had came looking for Serena one day, hoping she had survived the war, for she had promised herself to him like she had to many beaus, Suellen had said she married and had just had her first child and she had and somehow wrangled him into matrimony, after all, Robert was always scared to be alone, no wonder he married her. Serena eagerly listened for the doorbell from her room; Darien's mother had also come in and was playing with Rini in her nursery. Darien had mad it clear, no one but family, that's why she was so eagerly for Mina, Andrew and Charles to come, she knew this would make Darien terribly angry, after all, Darien wanted all Rini's Christmas eves to be just the family, that's after all how he was raised, She frowned, Rini's first Christmas she promised to never invite anyone but family for Christmas Eve, for a split second she regretted what she did… But it was too late, she couldn't take back there invitation, she dismissed her conscious and called for Mammy to help her get on her corset, she was already running late, Mammy then brought out her dress, it was beautiful, it was emerald green adorned with rubies around the bodice, it had a V-neck, low but not too low, the sleeves were mid-length, the dress was not very puffy, for Serena didn't wear a hoop that day, it was made out of silk taffeta, she checked her hair again, she was happy it was growing back, it was about 5 inches before her waist, It was pulled back and wavy and shined like gold, she had washed it at least 3 times that day, she put on some rogue and the slightest bit of perfume. There was a knock at the door, she turned around quickly,

"Come in." She said Darien opened the door quietly; there was a satisfied smile on his face, he had told her not to wear anything provocative in front of his mother. He looked so handsome, he was in a new black Tuxedo, his eyes pierced hers, but not in an interrogating way like usually, she liked how they watched her, Mammy left the room silently, Darien looked at her more intensely and charmingly at the same time, she felt like she couldn't breathe, she barley could, he approached her, complementing her on her attire, all she could do was nod, he gestured for her to sit at her vanity, she obeyed, she was loosing her breath thinking about him, she had never been a women to faint, but she felt she might, she looked in the vanity, he rummaged in her jewelry box,

"Ahh, the perfect necklace." he said it was a beautiful long ruby necklace, he held her hair while he put the necklace on, he held out his arm to help her out of her seat, she took it and got up, but she felt like a fawn that could barley walk, the moment her feet hit the floor she held Darien tightly for support. He felt her needing him she he put one arm around her and with the other arm, he held her hand, she didn't know why she felts o light headed,

"My dear, what's wrong?" he asked, she took in a deep breath,

"I think Mammy, may have put my corset on too tightly." she lied, she was used to the tightness of the corset, crushing her bones, she had been sued to it the first day she had worn it, but maybe it'd help her feel better if it was a little looser, he helped her over to the bed, she held the bedpost as he undid her dress part of her corset, he tried to loosen it at best her could without undoing the whole thing, she feel uneasy as his hand touched her back while fixing the corset, it had been so long since he touched her, held her, made love to her… as soon as he was done, she walked away from him, he held up her dress,

"You might want to put this on." he smiled, Christmas always put him in the best mood it seemed, she sighed, she hated when he mocked her little mistakes, he smiled crookedly, like a mischievous little boy, he used to smile like that all the time when they were on their honeymoon, he held out the dress, she quickly put it on, He held out her arm again, she smiled and took it. They approached the staircase, and walked down slowly, Rini was in a pretty little red dress and playing with William, Samuel was talking to Robert and Grandmother Shields and Amy seemed to be having a lovely conversation, Suellen was no where to be seen, They came down, Rini immediately looked up, upon seeing her parents she stopped the game she was playing with her cousin and giggled then ran up the stairs they were coming down, but of coarse such a little girl can't keep her balance, especially while running up the stairs, she feel quite a lot but kept running, Grandmother Shields commented how sweet it was, Rini finally reached her parents,

"Mommy!" She squealed, Serena hadn't seen Rini since breakfast, being awfully busy, she felt awful about neglecting the child on Christmas Eve, she picked up the little girl and continued to walk down the stairs, what she didn't notice was Darien's pleased face, when the family reached the stairs Serena put Rini down, Rini then started to follow her father but when he went to fix a drink, which disinterested her she went back to her cousin, Serena spotted Robert waving her over, the same goofy smile on his face, but never the less Serena put on her southern belle charm and walked over, as she walked she felt Darien eyes on her, she smiled to herself, she he decided to play the jealous husband tonight? She would make him jealous indeed, she quickened her step,

"Why Robert Pierceson!" She cried, she hugged the tall red-headed man, and kissed him on the cheeks,

"Serena…" he whispered, he inhaled her sent, and he pulled back,

"Well an old married man I've heard, you lured my sister." she giggled,

"Well she's no where as wonderful as her sister, I don't understand why she hates you so, you're a fresh breath of heaven." he said sweetly

"Oh don't you put your country boy charm on me." she warned flirtatiously

"I suppose I have a weakness for O'Hara women." he said

"You're forgetting she's a Shields now." she heard Darien's voice as he wrapped his arm around Serena,

"Yes Robert, you are." Suellen said from behind Serena and Darien, Serena grimaced,

"Serena, Captain Shields was it." Suellen said

"Where have you been?" Serena asked

"Admiring you home." she said as she put on a fake smile, Serena rolled her eyes

"Daddy, Mommy?" Rini said, Darien immediately put his attention on the child he let go of Serena's waist; he picked up the child,

"What is it Rini?" he asked, she smiled, Serena looked at the child questioningly

"Santa Coming?" she asked,

"Oh Darling he's coming after your asleep." Serena said, Rini looked disappointingly down, Darien looked at her,

"But Rini, he'll be sure to bring you lots of presents." he said she looked up excitedly, Serena looked at Suellen the envy in her eyes, Serena knew that look, Suellen must want a child badly, but lord knows they could afford it at the farm, Serena walked away, looking for Grandmother Shields, she reminded her so much of her mother, she looked around the house, she looked around the room, surly the old women hadn't left the room, this is where everyone was, she spotted her on the coach then, sitting pleasantly by herself,

"Hello, Mother Shields." Serena said nicely, she old women looked up and smiled,

Why Serena please don't call me that it make me sound so old." she smiled

"Miss Eleanor." Serena said, the old women smiled again, she patted the couch next to her for Serena to sit, Serena obeyed

"You look radiant this evening Serena." she said, Serena blushed,

"Thank you." She replied,

"You and Darien make such a handsome pair, I was watching you 2 when you were coming down the stairs. Rini's an angel also; her father was nothing like that when he was little." Serena laughed,

"Darien must have been awful!" Serena said

"Oh he was…" Eleanor laughed

"Tell me Serena… Not to sound nosey but… Well I do love that little girl… Do you and Darien want anymore children?" she asked, Serena blushed, then thought for a moment,

"Well I'm not exactly sure about Darien." she said finally, she felt terrible lying to Eleanor; after Rini had been born Darien had said he wanted a son too.

"Darien never wanted a family, said he'd be so unhappy, that's partly why he and his father never got along, there where so many belles he should've' married…But since he married you… His outlook has changed, seeing him with Rini melts my heart… I'm so very grateful for you Serena, you made him realize that he ought to settle down, He does want more children my pet, I know he does… I think he's just scared you don't." she said, Serena felt very uneasy,
"D-Darien told you this? Recently?" she asked

"A mother just knows" she said

"Knows what mother?" Darien asked, The 2 women looked up,

"We were just talking about how naughty you were when you were a little boy." Serena said at she stood up, Eleanor smiled, and got up too, I think I'm going to find you sister-in-law, Amy, quite a lovely girl. By the way, you two may want to look up." she smiled. Serena and Darien both looked up, there was a beautiful green shrub, with waxy white berries adorning it.

TBC