Title: Our Lullaby

Author: Marie J.W.

Chapter: CHAPTER THREE

Rated: PG

Email: mariejwchan@yahoo.com

URL: www.clik.to/mariejwchan

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Summary:

It all started on a rainy night in June when Lady Serenity ReCinny of

the House of Chesterfield ran away from her home, her rich life and the

ones that she dearly loved… And all for what? …A baby.

This story is about a woman who sacrifices everything: her family, her

best friend and her joy of life all for one little infant who doesn't even

know her own mother.

AN: This is an alternate reality that takes place in the early 1800's.

This is a Serena/Darien fan fic.

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…Memory…

Dizziness swam before startling blue eyes as a young blonde elf spun

around and around, giggling at the strange out of world feeling. The lights

were bright and dozens of colors swirled around.

"Serenity! Serenity, stop that," Suddenly the blonde was stopped by a

firm grip on her shoulder. The girl's guardian looked down at her peite

form, "You'll make yourself sick doing that."

Serenity blinked the dizziness away and looked smiling up at Miss Late,

"I'm fine, it was fun!" Glancing at the colorful dancers, Serenity

added, "Everything else is so boring."

"Nonsense, girl, dancing is quite fun if you give it a chance,"

Late's eyes softened, "You should put your dance lessons to good use."

"But I hate dance lessons!" Serenity wailed quietly.

Leta shook her head and sighed, "That's only because you have to do it…

now, look there's a young man," Leta nodded in a direction and Serenity

followed with her eyes, "See, I believe he would like to dance with you."

The young man stood a little under five feet as he leaned against a

wall near a large drapped window. He was watching the young blonde girl

and her guardian although he could not hear what they said, the

girl's expressions were quite entertaining.

Serenity stared back at the boy. He had dark black hair that seemed just

a tad too long for it fell over his dark blue eyes and his skin was tanner

than her's. She was extremly pale while he seemed to have a heathy tan

from being outside. He smiled at her and she blinked in surprise

before hesitating a bit of a smile herself. He smiled wider in return

and imediately she knew she liked him.

Turning to Late, Serenity whispered, "I would like to speak with him,

what shall I do?"

"Just go talk to him, of course," Late smiled, "I'll be near by if you

need anything."

Serenity nodded and as gracefully as she could she came up to the boy,

"My name is Serenity," she imediately offered.

The boy grinned and stood up strait, "Darien, my name's Darien. Serenity's

a pretty name."

Serenity blushed, "Thank you."

"It sounds kind of…" The boy named Darien stopped for dramatic

effect, "fragile."



"Huh?"

"Are you made of glass?" He leaned down so they were eye to eye.

He seemingly inspected her.

Serenity wrinkled her nose, "Of course not! What… oh, you… you…

what is you're point?"

"Care to race me to the Grandfather tree? I bet you can't climb it

to the top!"

"Ha! How dare you and just for that I will win that bet!" With that

Serenity took off past the guests and out the door, towards the towering

old tree a half a mile away.



…End of Memory…

I blinked as I suddenly realized I had blanked out… I had just daydreamed!

Oh, how embaressing. I looked to my left to find Mina looking at me

oddly.

Ducking my head I quickly offered an apology.

"Your first party in years and you blank out at the enterance. Man, this

really must be a lame party," Mina chuckled, "but not to worry, we'll liven

it up. Come on, girls, lets go meet the new men in town."

Sighing, I followed Mina hesitantly. I really, really did NOT want to

see Darien Chiba just then. For goodness sakes, he was going to recognize me

and then… and then… well, whatever happened would definitely not turn out

good.

Lita practically had to push me forward from behind as we slowly began to

get closer to Darien. And then to my utter dismay, we were there,

standing nearly in front of him. I felt sick, I wanted to run and hurl my

lunch outside but Lita and Ray stood behind me, keeping me from running.

Darien chuckled at something the blonde man said and then with Mina's

cherry voice he turned in our direction and then all seemed to go silent.

I couldn't even hear myself breath. Dark blue eyes. Time seemed to go on

forever as I stared at them. I couldn't understand the emotion running

through them nor the depth. What must he think?

Lita elbowed me and that was when I realized I wasn't breathing. With

whoosh of air I exhaled then inhaled greedily, chocking on my own breath.

Amy gently patted me on the back and asked if I was alright. I shook my head

but she didn't seem to understand or did but still didn't do anything about

it for none of the girls made my excuse to leave.

"My dear girl, are you alright? You look quite pale," I heard one of the

men say.

"She always did." Darien.

My eyes widened, my coughing stopped and I looked up at Darien in

surprise.

It didn't appear that the man beside him heard him for he didn't comment.

Oh, what humilation! I had to get out of here! I couldn't stay here, not

while he was here in the room! I had made enough of a scene, if I could

just leave everything would be fine, everything would go back to normal.

I quickly turned to Mina, "Excuse me, please," I quickly left the

ballroom, pushing past people in my rush, careless of what they thought

of me. I doubt they recogized me anyway in this dress and make-up.

My dress brushed passed the front enterance and the legs of the men and

women coming in on my other side. I felt ill, my stomach clenched and my

eyes felt watery. It was then that I realized tears were falling from my

eyes. Had seeing Darien again caused that? What for?

I missed him.

But I couldn't dwell on those feelings, no matter how much I missed my once

best friend, I couldn't claim him as my own, not ever.

I was barely aware of passing Rini who sat on the bottom steps of the stairs

as I ran out the back door to the mansion. I have to get out of here!

I can't breathe!

----

Suddenly, out of the calm chatter of the ballroom, shot out a beautiful

blonde woman in a pink dress. Rini watched with wide eyes at the woman's

obvious distressful countainance. The woman looked oddly familiar and

Rini wasn't quite sure what to think of that. The woman had tears streaming

down her beautiful face while her pink lips qivered. Rini's heart went out

to the woman. What could have caused such a mournful face? The woman shot

past her and out the backdoor. Rini frowned, had the woman been here before?

How did she know where the backdoor was?

Seconds later, a young man, looking equally upset, bolted from the

enterance, making people stare at him in confussion and curiosity. The young

man was tall with dark hair and dark blue eyes. He desperately searched

around the hallway, looking for someone.

Rini watched the man with curosity. Was he looking for the blonde

woman?

Suddenly the man set his eyes on her, making Rini's eyes widen. The young

man quickly approched her, "Have you seen a young blonde woman in a pink

dress pass by here?"

Suddenly Rini wasn't so sure she wanted to help this man. What if he had

caused the pretty woman to cry? Bitting her lip, Rini looked away from the

man's questioning eyes, "Mmmm… May I ask why you are looking for her?"

The man studied the young girl. By her youth and her everyday appreance,

this young thing was not part of the ball.

"Please, if you know where she went, tell me. I must discuss

something important with her."

Rini looked at the man before her. He almost looked desparate and…

something else she couldn't quite define. Sighing, Rini nodded and

pointed towards the back door, "Go that way, she went out to the

gardens most likely." Where else would a beautiful lady go?

The man nodded to her gratefully and practically ran in that

direction.

There was something familiar about that man, Rini thought.

---

Falling back onto the hay, I finally let the bitter tears run frealy from

my eyes. I was probably ruining Mina's make-up work but I didn't care.

I wish that Mina wouldn't have made me come. I would have stayed in my room

or spent my time tucking Rini into bed and wouldn't have known any

better. Darien would never know I was there and I would be safe. Now what was

I going to do? Would I have to leave? I can't leave Rini! I sobbed

harder.

Through my tears I thought I heard someone calling my name. Stopping my

sobbing for a second, I listened. When silence remained, I sighed and

hicupped. I had to remain calm. This situation couldn't be any worse then

when all this first happened, could it? I would just have to take Rini

from Ellie and John and bring her with me north. Maybe I could get work

there and support Rini somehow.

The barn doors suddenly swung open. My eyes widened and I panicked as

I saw Darien walk steadily through the doors and strait for me, his eyes

locked on mine. I gasped and quickly looked for a way out. The only way out

was the doors behind Darien and the large window up on the loft.

Quickly scrambling to my feet, pulling up my dress so I could run,

I scampered off towards the ladder.

"Serenity! Don't you dare!" I heard him yell behind me.

I dared and quickly climbed the ladder. My foot slipped in a couple

places and then I felt Darien put his body weight on the ladder, which

only made me more clumsy.

"I swear, Serena, you have some answering to do!" He was right behind me,

his voice almost blared in my ear. I finally made it to the top and with

out looking back slammed my body agaist the side of the window and looked

down. A large stack of hay lay before me. Gosh, I hadn't jumped off one of

these since I was fourteen!

I felt more than heard Darien approch the top of the ladder. I glanced back

at him and saw his dark eyes looking at me with frustration and anger.

"Serena…" He warned.

I glanced at the drop off before glancing back at him. Better to break a

leg then have to talk to the monster! I quickly jumped. I shreaked as

wind passed me and lifted my skirt and the many ruffles underneath it.

I landed hard against some prickly hay and moaned. Great. Opening my eyes,

I found Darien staring down at me from the top of the barn. Gasping,

I quickly tried to get some footing.

And then I felt it, another weight coming down on the hay. I screamed and

tried to scramble from the body that lay just beside me but I was too late.

He grabbed my legs which made me scream even more.

"Serena! Be quite!"

"No!" I screamed, I couldn't be caught! He couldn't know, he

couldn't understand! I pulled at the hay, trying to squirm away from him

but it was useless. Suddenly I was flipped over. I slammed my eyes shut

tight calling on the little girl in me that said if you can't see them,

they can't see you.

Darien's breath was hard against my cheek and it made me shudder.

"What is wrong with you? You act like I'm a stranger! I'm not going to hurt

you although right now I really feel like giving you a good spanking! Now,

open your eyes."

Biting my bottom lip, I carefully opened one eye and then the other.

Darien was staring down at me, his hands locking my wrist in place and

his legs over mine to keep from kicking him. I was trapped.

His eyes softened a bit as he looked at me, "Where have you been?"

I felt like crying and my eyes immediately began to moisten. I looked away,

not wanting him to see me cry. I was strong! I had been strong for years,

why did I have to go all mushy now?

"Sere?"

I hadn't heard that name from his lips in forever and just that thought made

me let out a short sob. I quickly held my breath and tried to calm myself

down.

He sighed above me, "You have no idea how worried we were about you!

We thought you had been kidnapped by gipsies or worse! Your father and

I looked everywhere and then I find out you're at your sisters house?

I thought you two hated each other?"

"I…" I tried to voice something but I didn't know what. I didn't want

to tell him, he would only feel like he owned me something. He would

ruin his name as well as his honest reputation. He didn't deserve what

I would tell him, did he? But then another part of me argued that he

deseved to know that he had a daughter. Which do I choose?

He waited patiently for me to answer his questions.

Sighing, I looked at him, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry… I mess up and things

just didn't…" a sob almost escaped me but I held it back, "I can't tell you!

If you knew… you would hate me and you would hate yourself! I can't!"

"Knew WHAT?" He suddenly wasn't so calm anymore, "Knew what? What made

you leave? Did someone abuse you, made you feel unwelcome in your home?

What is it? Did I do something? What made you leave?" Darien was yelling

now.

I sobbed, "It's me! Please, just leave and promise not to tell Daddy!

Promise!"

He stared at me, "I won't promise that. In fact," He suddenly sat up and

yanked me up with him, "I'm taking you home, where you belong."

"What?" My eyes widened, "No! You can't! I… I… not without… I can't!"

He looked at me strangly, "Not without what? We'll get your things. But

I'm not leaving you here with your sister. I don't care what you think is

wrong with your home but your father loves you and I-" He stopped there,

"You are going home and you're going to explain."

"No!" I screamed and tried to pull my wrist from his grip, "Darien, it's

my life now! I'm not a little girl anymore, I want to stay here."

Suddenly his face was extremely close to mine as he looked into my eyes.

My breath caught in my throat.

"Do you really want to stay with Ellie? With John? Do you really NOT want

to see your father?"

I felt torn. I did, I wanted to go home and live my real life again,

I wanted to be me without this disguise but I also knew that I couldn't

leave Rini with Ellie and John.

He must have seen the conflit in my eyes for his expression turned

thoughtful, "What is holding you back?"

My eyes widened in fear. Was it that obvious?

"I can't tell you," I stated plainly, "I should but I can't."

"I am-was you're best friend, Sere, how can you not tell me?!"

"Aunt ReCinny?!"



My stomach clenched in fear. I turned my head and found Rini at the end of

the hay loft staring at me and Darien. Oh no! Not now!

----

To Be Continued…