Well, from all your reviews, you all liked that chapter and I'm very glad. I know Serena is a difficult character, but I had to make her that way. She doesn't seem to realize that her father really messed up her life by kicking her out, and then getting sick. Although Serena is strong for her daughter, she still is weak when it comes to Darien. I think that's always the failing of love, we girls always are vulnerable to their love. Just like guys, even though they don't really know it. But I will point out a guy's jealousy and even resorting to name calling, like so many classic stories of Darien and Serena, it's a funny way of guys showing how much they care. This is why Darien stops his whole world practically to prove that he loves Serena and he doesn't want her to go away again. While Serena still has to accept it that her love for Darien has not changed, and that even if she does feel a little out of control of the world that she has worked so hard for, she can have it all, only if she opens her eyes. Now with that said... a clincher is going to be coming up real soon, because Serena needs to open her eyes for good, not this rose glasses type of thing. She needs to see the raw, honest truth of Darien and her love. So, I hope that you enjoy the chapter, I know I've made a real long note, but you'll be thankful I did for later, and plus it should answer some unanswered questions. And I must say, one of you readers is definitely reading my mind, because I have plans along those lines.

S.M characters are not mine, but this is all my story trust me. It's one of the many creative ideas floating around in this little head of mine. I'm amazed I can sit down and focus with all that is swimming around inside. Lol. Well, enjoy. Next chapter costs 8 reviews, but I'm not really worried about it, cuz you guys do within the first half of a day. If I take a few days with the next couple of chapters, it just means that my boyfriend decided I need to get out of the house more and has finally taken me on an all inclusive date. So, ta ta for now. Ciao.

"Serena?" a voice called out from the other side of the house.

"I'm in the back yard," she called out to her sister.

Mina came through the house and stood the sliding door frame. "Nice yard," Mina smiled. "I think you're going to have to hire a few gardeners."

Serena shook her head. "Thanks mina," she said wryly as she stood up from the flowerbed that she was working on. "I'll have you know in New Zealand I had a very nice garden."

Mina smiled. "I know, I remember it when I came last Christmas. It was very beautiful. Where's Rini?" she asked.

"Rei and Darien took her to the aquarium," Serena answered.

Mina gave her a curious look. "And why didn't you go with them?" she asked.

"Well, I thought that Rini could use some time alone with Darien and her aunt," Serena said thoughtfully. "It's usually been just the three of us, and I want her to see Darien as the man who is trying very hard for her."

"Uh huh, are you sure that you're not trying to avoid Darien a little because things seem to be moving rapidly quick between the two of you?" Mina smirked.

Serena rolled her eyes. "You read too much into things," she told her sister.

"No, I just know my sister. So, excuse me if I worry. I don't want to see you screw this up because you still are haunted by what dad did to you all those years ago. You have to let it go. All that hurt and aggravation from dad, you need to take and bury it in the past. That's what."

Serena sighed, and then gave her sister a lazy smile. "Why worry about something to fix when it's not broken."

Mina eyed her carefully. "I'll wait before I'm the judge of that. I know you're still emotionally scarred and it takes a lot to get rid of that kind of damage."

Serena finished planting the last of her flowers. "I think I'm going to live my life any way I can, as it comes."

Mina gave her a half-smile. "As long as you get past the past, and truly are happy with your family."

Serena nodded. "I am happy with my family. It'll be even better when Rini knows that Darien is her father and she has another aunt."

"What?" Mina asked, feigning hurt. "One aunt isn't enough?"

Serena threw a small weed at her. "Right, you're so hurt," she said with a small chuckle.

"Well, I guess I'm not. I do have to share her."

Serena rolled her eyes again. "Why couldn't god give me a normal life?" she asked, looking at her sister then at the sky.

Mina shrugged. "Haven't a clue. But I did come over to find out if you wanted to join me and Lita for lunch since you're obviously free from both daughter and boyfriend."

Serena smiled. "Sure, sounds good," she said, getting up and brushing the dirt off her. She went inside and up to her master bedroom and changed for lunch. She changed from her denim shorts and a white tie up blouse to tan capris with a black tank top, adding a wrap around black belt that hung down the side.

Once she finished touching up her make-up and fixed her hair she joined Mina down in her living room. "Ready to go?" Serena asked her.

Mina rolled her eyes. "No, I thought I'd just wear clothes to look unready."

Serena laughed, "just don't start in with the 'here's your sign' routine. Please, I beg of you."

Mina laughed. "I think I'd save time by avoiding more stupid people jokes. Now, let's get going before Lita comes hunting me down."

They left then, driving to the restaurant in Mina's black convertible. Lita was busy when they first got there finishing off the lunch rush. Mina and Serena took a seat at the bar, waiting for her. It only took about twenty minutes and then Lita joined them.

"So, what's the verdict?" Lita asked, closing her green bustier purse.

"Decided on going to Milestones," Mina smiled. "We figured that you would like to have some nice spicy wings."

Lita grinned. "Yes, the baby definitely likes spicy wings. He can't get enough."

"So a boy, huh?" Mina grinned.

Lita shrugged. "I'd just like for it to be a boy, while Andrew wants it to be a girl."

Serena laughed. "I knew it was going to be a girl. I could remember Darien telling me that whenever we did have kids the first born was going to be a girl... so, when I was pregnant, I just knew that the dear sweet child I carried had to be a girl."

Mina and Lita gave her sympathetic smiles. Then with that, Serena tilted her head. "So, shouldn't we get going?"

They left the restaurant to drive across town to Milestones, a new North American chain that was quickly becoming somewhat of a hit. Not like Lita's restaurant, but with enough popularity it would be remaining in Tokyo.

The hostess seated them in a booth, and they were left to talk while they waited for their drinks and appetizers.

"So, what does Rini think of you and Darien together?" Mina asked her sister while Lita looked at her curiously.

Serena shook her head. "I knew there was more to it then a simple invite to lunch."

"Oh, come on, sooner or later you're going to have to tell us, why not just get it over with," Lita stated.

Serena sighed. "You guys are vultures, has anyone ever told you that?"

Mina arched her brows. "You're trying to avoid the subject."

"Okay, well, we haven't really told Rini that we're going out. If we did that, it would tell her right then that Darien was her father. He's going to tell her on her birthday for whatever reason. But I have to wonder if Rini might just hope that Darien is her father."

Mina shrugged. "Well, why not. Darien treats her like an absolute princess. Any girl would want that for a father."

Serena smiled wanly as the appetizers were placed in the middle of them.

"What's going to happen after she knows that Darien is her father?" Mina asked her.

Serena shrugged. "See, that's when we'll tell her that we're dating and we want to see where it goes, but regardless as to how it turns out, both of us are going to be permanent fixtures in her life from here on out. Darien is always going to be a part of her life, whether we survive or not."

Lita smirked then. "Why don't I believe you? You mean to tell me this isn't the chance that you've been waiting for, you and him... no wedding bells?"

Serena shrugged. "Like I said, whatever happens happens. I don't want to rush something I'm uncertain about. There is still a lot that we have to do. The first is telling Rini that Darien is her father. From that point we can only let time tell."

Mina and Lita cast each other doubtful looks. Serena responded by rolling her eyes.

They spent the rest of lunch discussing Serena's poor lack of commitment and timing, while they talked about the plans for baby showers and a welcome party for Amy, and of coarse Rini's birthday party.

Once they finished with lunch, they left and decided to go on shopping spree at the mall. It had been quite a while since any of them had visited the mall. Serena had gone recently to buy Rini some new clothes, but that had been it.

They wandered around and tried on tons of clothes, while they made sure that the sales people were pleasant otherwise, they left the store without buying a thing. Of course, once they had several bags each, all with high end brand names; people begin to see that they have money to spend, and that they were no ordinary people.

Lita was beginning to become well known, but only as a name. So, it surprised many people that she was an incredibly gorgeous brunette.

Serena and Mina tried to buy with cash for the most part but soon they were reduced to using their cards, and people began to really know who was shopping in their stores. Many people had recognized Mina, but over the years, she had managed to limit the reactions, or at least her own response to their recognition of her. She did sign a few autographs, although she looked around a little nervously, worried that there might be reporters trying to sneak up on them.

There were also several people that recognized Serena, not only from her press appearances as a successful owner of a jewelry chain store, and as a top jewelry designer, but because here in Japan, it wasn't too long ago when she had been spotted with Darien that day when she had ran into him.

Finally, after the three women felt like they had bought enough, they made an exit from the mall. They drove back to Serena's house. Once there, they went and sat out by the pool with Serena's homemade lemonade.

"The house is really starting to look gorgeous with all that you're doing to it," Mina smiled.

Serena shrugged. "Well, it gives me something to do as well as taking care of Rini and making those designs for the upcoming Oscars in L.A."

"Ah, poor baby, she has to work," Lita smirked. "Never mind that someone has to work their butt off to make sure that their restaurant is a huge success, keep the marriage happy, and make the belly baby happy."

Serena and mina burst out laughing. "Lita, you're too much, you know that," Serena said, refilling her glass.

They lounged around the pool for a while; talking about the day, they had, while bugging Lita about finding out what the baby is from the doctor, while Mina and Lita razzed Serena about her and Darien dating.

"Wow, who'd of thought that I was missing out on a pool party," a voice laughed from behind them.

They all whirled around to see Rei and Darien standing there. Darien was holding a sleeping Rini in his arms, while Rei was holding a few souvenirs from the aquarium in her hand.

Serena smiled at the sight. Darien was holding the sleeping child against his chest, with her strawberry blond head resting on his shoulder.

"Come on, I'll help you put her upstairs," Serena said, coming over to Darien and then guiding him upstairs to Rini's new bedroom.

Tucking Rini into her bed, she looked at Darien. He looked upon his daughter with fatherly love, while his little angel slept peacefully. She had to smile to herself, having caught such a look from the man that she had hid from for years. She felt bad that she had never let him be there for Rini before, but she knew that she was trying to make up for it now.

She sighed as they closed the door to Rini's room.

"What?" Darien asked her, concern written on his face.

She shook her head. "Nothing, just thinking about stupid stuff." He frowned, but she ignored it. She didn't want to answer his questions. So instead, she placed a smile on her face. "How was it?" she asked him as they started back, slowly.

He smiled. "Good, she loved the dolphins, and I even managed to get the people at the aquarium to let us take a private tour and got them to let Rini pet the dolphins."

Serena looked at him with wide eyes. "Wow," she said. "I bet she loved that."

Darien grinned. "Oh, it was great. I had all I could to keep her from jumping right in to swim with them," he chuckled.

Then he stopped her in the middle of the stairs. "Serena, I really wanted you to come."

She looked up at him. "Yes, I know. But it doesn't hurt for you and Rini to spend family time together."

"We are a family," he replied sharply. "Rini, me and you are a family."

She smiled. "I know, I can never forget how the three of us are a family."

He lifted her chin, making her look up at him, into his deep blue eyes. "Serena, what's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing, I'm just tired."

His eyes clouded in consideration, but he said nothing more. Instead, he captured her lips in a kiss that seared right down to her toes. Although in a small way she wanted to resist, she found that she couldn't escape the way Darien could stir her soul in a single touch.

She melted into him, feeling the passion burst within her and suddenly kissing wasn't enough. As they were getting lost in their kiss, they heard a small "oops."

They broke apart to turn and see a blushing Lita. "We were just wondering take out delivery sounded good to you two?"

Serena took a deep breath as she nodded. "Sounds good."

"Alright, I'll tell the girls that it's a go. Pizza sound good?" Lita smiled.

Darien nodded. "Sure, great. Pizza it is."

"Well, I'll just head back outside. See you in a few minutes," she said with a small smirk on her lips.

Darien laughed as he pressed his forehead against Serena's.

She released a small sigh. "I guess this means Andrew will be joining us soon for dinner."

Darien nodded. "Of course he will. He'd worry himself to death if he didn't see her before the night was over. He's going to make the daily checkup isn't he?"

Serena smiled. "Its cute really. I know Lita sometimes feels as though it's a bit annoying, because she does know how to care for herself. But he's just being like any other guy would..."

Darien gave a weak smile. "I'd have been ten times worse. Lita's a strong girl, but you, your delicate, like a rose really. So, I probably would have been checking up on you every twenty minutes, no wait, every five minutes."

Serena looked away then. "Well, that was then. There's nothing to be done about that."

He made her look at him again. "Serena, the only thing that I wish I could do over is be there for you during the most difficult time of your life."

"Well, there's nothing to be done. We're here in the now. and there's a little girl just up the hallway in a room, wrapped up in so much love that she's going to jump for complete joy when she hears that you're her father."

"Then lets not talk of the past again," he said, moving his head to kiss her again.

"Then I guess I have nothing more to say for now, then do I," Serena said with a small smile, and then she closed the distance between them in a kiss that exploded in her head with fireworks. She wanted to make the best of this, she truly did, and so, she would have to see what would happen at Rini's party in all but two days.